Issue 07 2021 by The Tower

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.

Art by Lucie Edwards (‘21) CONTRIBUTORS Editor-in-Chief Daniel White

Graphics Editor - Print Lucie Edwards Assistant Graphics Editor Kyle Berlage Online Editor Sariah Hossain Social Media Manager Maya Buckley

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.

Copy Editors Crystal Li Clare Malhotra

COLOPHON The Tower is printed by Streeter Printing Company in Mira Mesa, CA. Due to COVID-19, Issue 04 was published online and sent out to the Bishop’s community via email. The Staff uses Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator to arrange photographs and graphics. Typefaces include Didot for the cover, headlines, and subheadings; Minion Pro is used for bylines and body text. Issue 06 and previous issues of The Tower are available digitally on issuu.com.

Faculty Advisor Ms. Laine Remignanti

Staff Writers Isadora Blatt Leila Feldman Katherine Ge Max Stone Tate Vaccaro

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

All members of the Bishop’s community are invited to submit letters to the Editor-in-Chief by visiting THE BELL our website, The Bell is a section of The Tower that intends to serve as a relief from www.thebishopstower.com, and the depth of the magazine. Satire, clicking on the ‘Submit Letter’ tab. puzzles, quizzes, and the like are frequent inside The Bell.

02 DETAILS | Issue o6

OUR COVER In this issue, Tate Vaccaro (‘22) and Lucie Edwards (‘21) explore the topic of eating disorders among both students at Bishop’s and among teenagers in general. Tate’s piece illustrates the impact of COVID-19 and quarantine on eating disorders, while Lucie dives into “what I eat in a day” videos and their impact on viewers. The cover depicts the home screen of a popular calorie-counting app called MyFitnessPal. Please note that this content may be triggering for some audiences and readers should proceed with care.

RESOURCES Please reach out if you are struggling!

National Eating Disorder Hotline (800) 931-2237 (text or call) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-8255 (call only, chat available on website) Director of Counseling Mrs. Broderick megan.broderick@bishops.com

SOCIAL MEDIA Follow us!

Instagram: @thebishopstower Website:

www.thebishopstower.com

Twitter: @thebishopstower

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or more reasons than one, this issue has been a challenging one to get out. In my years at Bishop’s, I’ve found that the end of the school year being closer than the beginning tends to make the production of things a little confusing sometimes. Motivation fluctuates, priorities tend to shift a little, and the strange half-online half-in person situation we find ourselves still trapped in never helps matters much. Needless to say, the issue production of the Tower is not safe from this, and there has been the customary number of road-bumps this time around. But Issue 07 was difficult for some other, more personal reasons too. Something of an unspoken expectation at the Tower is to encourage writers to step out of their comfort zone, taking on article topics even if they seem challenging at face-value. There is perhaps no greater testament to the quality of the staff than the fact that this expectation is met every single issue in some way, shape, or form. And while this is a strength rather than a weakness ten times out of ten, I cannot deny that it also necessitates authors to write deeply close to home sometimes. This is, of course, an experience that requires a significant amount of vulnerability to be displayed in front of a significant number of people, and that is never easy. In this issue, senior Lucie Edwards and Tate Vaccaro (‘22) take to the cover stories with dual articles regarding the undeniably heavy topic of eating disorders. Tate looks at the correlation between being in quarantine this past year and the rise in eating disorders, while Lucie hones her focus on the unhealthy culture created by “what I eat in a day” videos. Both articles tap into deeply personal narratives, and both call into question some aspects of society that are, more often than not, simply swept under the rug. But even more than that, both articles are, I think, necessary. Hard conversations are hard because they force us to confront aspects of our lives that, for however harmful they may be, we have grown complacent in. Not talking about things is easy, certainly, but it also contributes to these problems more than I think any of us would like. Too many times do we let people suffer in silence because the conversations feel too daunting or too uncomfortable to initiate, and I am hoping that, if anything, this issue provides a window for them, at least for some people. Especially when it comes to topics as stigmatized as eating disorders, and if that conversation has to start anywhere, I’m happy it starts here. Love,

Daniel White, Editor-in-Chief

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR | Issue 07

CONTENTS [campus]

[culture]

[local & beyond]

04 CONTENTS | Issue 07

COACH CONWAY

SWEATPANTS OR SOCIAL DISTANCING

A HAUNTING HISTORY

POLOS THROUGH A SCREEN

I WOKE UP LIKE THIS

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK

WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON IN CHINA

Profile on the new Bishops athletic director, Paula Conway Max Stone

The pros and cons of hybrid learning Clare Malhotra

Investigating the historic legend of Wheeler Bailey Library’s rumoured ghost Katherine Ge

How online learning has affected the uniform policy Kyle Berlage

Diving into today’s culture of not wanting to be a try-hard Isadora Blatt

Examining the line between free speech and hate speech Crystal Li

A rundown of the horrendous abuse that has been discovered, done, and documented towards Uighur Muslims Leila Feldman

[opinion]

[reviews]

[cover stories]

[the bell]

BREAKING DOWN BRIDGERTON

QUARTER FOUR QUEUE

EATING IN ISOLATION

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An analysis of the show’s successes—and failures—in addressing social issues of the 19th century. Maya Buckley

Five shows to keep you sane during quarantine Daniel White

Insights into disordered eating over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic Tate Vaccaro

THE DEAL WITH FOOD DIARIES “What I eat in a day” videos and how they can be harmful to viewers Lucie Edwards

TOP TEN BISHOP’S BATHROOMS

CONTENTS | Issue 07

COACH CONWAY

Profile on the new Bishops athletic director, Paula Conway Max Stone

“A

change agent and a ‘doer,’” this is how Head of School Mr. Kim described the new Bishops athletic director, Paula Conway. I have known Coach Conway since my Freshman year because I was a student at La Jolla High while she was the athletic director. She served as the athletic director at LJHS from 2013 to 2020. Previous to serving as athletic director at LJHS, she coached Field Hockey at Kent State, Georgetown, and Boston College. She attended Providence where, while playing Field Hockey, she earned accolades such as College All-American, Big East Player of the Year, and Rookie of the Year. While at Providence, she also earned her teaching credentials in English and Physical Education. The last time I saw Coach Conway was probably some time in early March back when the Coronavirus Pandemic first started. I did not have her as a P.E. teacher as I mostly did Swim for P.E. and focused more on the land sports athletes and non-athletes but I would occasionally see her passing in the halls of La Jolla High. I was always greeted with direct eye contact and a warm smile. This may not seem like a lot, but I know personally that when you’re having a bad day, it’s those little things that just make it a bit better. Through my two years at La Jolla High, there was always this certain “aura” around Coach Conway. It was the type of aura that would draw you in and

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make you want to start a conversation. She was and always will be a highly respected member of the community back at La Jolla High. It was that same warm smile that I was greeted with at 10:30 sharp on February 10. Before the formal interview started I was able to catch up with Coach Conway as we had not seen each other in over a year. As she held a very important role back at such a large school like La Jolla High, I really did not expect her to know much about me. She greeted me very kindly and asked me how my family and I were doing and how we’ve been throughout the pandemic. It seemed almost as if I were the one who had been researched and being interviewed. The interview formally started with a question that I have received a lot as a new student to Bishops coming from La Jolla. “What went into the decision-making process of switching from La Jolla to Bishop’s?” I ask. “Obviously knowing so many of the coaches that I’ve been coaching with or watching, there’s so many great people at Bishop’s that I’m looking forward to working with.” She then adds, “I’m really excited to have a Middle School program and a theater program as well as it was something that I really tried to get going at La Jolla with the Future Vikes.” A big thing that she stressed throughout the interview was a focus on the future. She talked specifically about how “Getting

kids in at 6th grade and being able to build the Bishop’s culture is really such a cool thing to work with and move up through the years.” I then ask her somewhat of a cliché question for what students ask teachers, did she want to be a teacher when she was younger. “I did. I always knew I would be in education at some point. I was the youngest so I kind of watched my brothers as they played and along with that, I loved being a school. School for me was always such a strong community so I think I always knew I wanted to be in education because I knew what the teachers and coaches had done for me in my formative years.” Something Coach Conway talked about was her interest in the tight-knit community that Bishop’s offers. It is very clear to see how much a teacher/coach can affect young development and is something that she emphasized being a part of. I then wanted to ask her about something that I found particularly interesting about her career path. Coach Conway went from coaching field hockey at the collegiate level to then teaching English at La Jolla High, then back to coaching and later becoming the Athletic Director at La Jolla High. I wanted to ask her about how her passion for sports has helped her broaden her experience when it comes to teaching and coaching.

The Tower

“Her energy and her encouragement for students always stood out to me while she was coaching.” - Coach Carr

“Because I’ve had such a different background, I think it has expanded my ability to coach and teach at different levels. Obviously being an athletic director at a high school, kids are like “I want to play in college” and I’m able to show them this is what it takes. It’s six days a week and it’s early morning and dedication so knowing that high-performance level and then going back and being an English teacher, I think I have a really good gauge on the rigor of classes and understanding the workload.” This specifically is something that, as an athlete, I thoroughly appreciate and almost admire when a coach and an athlete are able to be at this mutual understanding. It makes it so much easier to be able to build a bond with the coach and develop a good relationship between player and coach.

Throughout my research which consisted of past articles and interviews, I was able to find one thing which I found pretty apparent that had been limitedly discussed in these stories, her role as a woman in a field that has been historically dominated by men. “As a female, it doesn’t really cross my mind. Be a hard worker and be a good person is what does but I have had people over time and parents come up and say wow, my daughter really looks up to you. It’s such a male profession and you seem to be thriving. I’m really honored that it is thought of that way but you look at so many world leaders now who are females and I think it’s really a great movement to show women can do anything they put their mind to as well.”

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SWEATPANTS OR SOCIAL DISTANCING The pros and cons of hybrid learning Clare Malhotra

tudents in disposable masks wince as sort to childcare groups, where parents take turns sufeedback shrieks from the speaker of a help- pervising a group of children. “Hybrid school plans less substitute teacher. At home, their class- make it easier for the virus to transmit into schools,” mates laugh awkwardly. The online teacher rolls their he noted, “simply by producing more links between eyes as the substitute struggles to mute their com- schools and families along which the virus can travel.” puter. Another day of hybrid learning has begun. Moreover, when teachers stay home, often be During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bishop’s, like cause of health concerns, this can detract from the learnmany other schools, transitioned to an all-virtual learning environment. “When I did go to school, the learning ing environment. As the months dragged on, schools experience was very similar to an online experience,” exthroughout the nation, including Bishop’s, began em- plained Aidan Holden (’22). “A large portion of the other ploying hybrid learning techstudents… [were] on Zoom niques to minimize close contact and... [sometimes] the teach“I always come to and facilitate social distancing. er.” When teachers are online, At the beginning, nearly every- school mainly because students often encounter difone took advantage of this opficulties with the feedback portunity and came to school, it gives me a chance to that results from several mibut as the weeks continued, more crophones in one room. The see my friends in and more students began to stay academic experience is person.” home. While some of this can be similar if the teacher is still attributed to rising COVID-19 teaching through the screen. - Michelle Lai (‘22) cases in San Diego and numerous However, attending positive tests within the Bishop’s classes on Zoom can be iso“When I did go to community, not everyone stays lating, so attending school, home because of health-related school, the learning even if the teacher is not reasons. So, what are the drawthere, can significantly inexperience was very crease social interaction. backs of hybrid learning that might be keeping students at similar to an online “Even as a relatively shy perhome, and should the social and son, I prefer interacting with experience.” emotional benefits of on-campus people in-person because my learning outweigh the negatives? connections with them feel - Aiden Holden (‘22) The goal of hybrid more genuine than when I’m learning rather than in-person messaging or calling them is simple: limit COVID-19 contact. However, some ar- over the internet,” Chris Jung (’22) explained. A Zoom ticles noted that the half-baked nature of hybrid learn- class isolates each student, taking away the collaboraing may attempt to simulate fully in-person learning, tive aspect of attending school. “I always come to school while raising new problems. One Vox article said that mainly because it gives me a chance to see my friends hybrid learning “might be the worst of both worlds.” in person since hanging out over FaceTime is not as One COVID-19 School Response Dashboard, an as- fun as hanging out in person,” noted Michelle Lai (’22). sociation of US schools, superintendents and princi- If both teachers and students are in person, pals, compiled data from schools across the country it’s usually a given that the students are getting a and found higher reported staff infection rates in a hy- better education. An NBC News study entitled Kids brid learning environment than a fully in-person one. Under Pressure found that 56% of students reported In The Washington Post, professor of epiincreased stress as a result of the pandemic and atdemiology William Hanage explained that “hybrid home learning, a large majority of them citing “grades, plans can be among the most risky of all.” He went on to explain that the at-home days of a hybrid cycle can tests, and other assessments.” This was likely caused pose issues for working parents. They sometimes re- by a difficulty in communicating and retaining infor-

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The Tower At Bishop’s, science classes especially can benefit from in-person learning, since students can perform full labs rather than simply watching the teacher execute it. “The setup [on campus] was made to do these labs beforehand, and teachers don’t have to adapt to home [materials],” Serena Zhang (‘24) explained about her physics class. “A lot of things that are handson are much more difficult to emulate...at home.” One of the leaders

The Tower meets in a hybrid learning environment during on campus days because we have students in every highschool grade. Oftentimes, in class discussions feel the same whether in person or at home. Pictured above (from left to right): Kyle Berlage (‘22), Daniel White (‘21), and Lucie Edwards (‘21)

of the Kids Under Pressure study, Sarah Mills, emphasized the importance of in-person learning for teachers to be able to communicate ideas. “[Online,] it’s harder for teachers, for the adults in the school, to connect, and that’s a foundational element. In order for kids to learn, they need to feel safe and connected. Everything else rests on top of that.” Additionally, even though many students get less sleep during in-person school because of travel time, attending on-campus classes can actually improve students’ energy. Brazilian researchers estimated a 35 percent reduction in physical activity and 28 percent rise in sedentary behavior during the pandemic. According to UCSF, daily step counts by smartphone users dropped up to 50% in the month fol-

lowing stay-at-home orders. So, not only does in-person learning help simulate a sense of normalcy, but being outside and walking from class to class helps improve physical and mental health. Quarantine and Zoom have been shown to have negative effects on the brain. According to psychiatrist Gianpiero Petriglieri, “Our brain has to make an extra effort to compensate for all those aspects of communication we lack, and that’s tiring.” According to Psychiatric Times, audio and camera delays cause more disconnect and distrust between two people. The article, entitled A Neuropsychological Exploration of Zoom Fatigue, explained MRI data that revealed that communicating through a screen causes fatigue. “Live face-to-face interactions… are associated with greater activation in the same brain regions involved in reward,” the author, UCLA professor Dr. Jena Lee explained. This then stimulates alertness. Amid floating rumors of the campus closing to low attendance grades, namely juniors and seniors, one can’t help but wonder if the social and emotional benefits of learning in person outweigh the practicality and increased COVID-19 transmission. The good news: with a vaccine in the coming year, students might be able to attend school with a much-decreased risk factor.

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A HAUNTING HISTORY Investigating the historic legend of the Wheeler Bailey ghost Katherine Ge

o most Bishop’s students and faculty, the Wheeler Bailey building represents a familiar space for morning advisory or a quiet study hall, but not a rumoured ghost. Next to the Manchester Library, the building was established and funded by Mr. Wheeler J. Bailey himself in 1934 for the school’s 25th Anniversary. Now, teachers like Ms. Seymour and Dr. Gervase hold Advisory in the building because “students also enjoyed the front porch and being outside each day,” Dr. Gervase said. In 2018, the building was revamped into The Center for Creative Sciences, providing advanced equipment for cross-curricular STEM subjects. Wheeler Bailey’s architecture contains stained glass lancet windows, clerestory windows, and signature arches. The interior’s highlight (other than its state-of-the-art technology) is a gold plaque positioned on a wall left to the entrance.

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“Legend goes that there is an urn of ashes behind the plaque in Wheeler Bailey,” Ms. Birder, a current English and Dance teacher who heard the story as a former student in 2007, said. Supposedly, the urn was knocked over one night, by possibly a janitor or some unknown force. Ms. Birder herself claims the details are murky, which proves an example “of how stories change as they are told and retold.” The story’s origin is far murkier--but it’s at least known that the story is over 10 years old. A theory proposed by Ms. Birder was that the mystery and archaic serenity of Wheeler Bailey’s old dance studio perhaps caused dancers to imagine the ghost. “There’s something magical and sometimes energetically palpable about being in old, historic buildings, especially after the sun goes down,” she added. It’s certainly possible a dancer mistook a reflection or shadow in the mirror for a ghost.

The Tower The ghost itself is often believed by students to be Wheeler J. Bailey himself. He served as Southern California’s chief provider for building material, later serving as secretary and treasurer of The Bishop’s School for six years. Although it makes sense for Wheeler J. Bailey’s ghost has a liking for the Bishop’s campus, it would be too far to assume the rumoured urn belongs to him. Who the ghost might be remains just as much of a mystery as to whether the ghost truly exists or not. Dr. Holland, who teaches Social Sciences and History, claims “one weekend guard years ago said he saw the ghost,” thus leading her to believe in it as well. “I haven’t noticed any strange activity in Wheeler Bailey per

se, but maybe the ghost is to blame anytime we have a technology problem with our laser cutter or 3D printers!” Ms. Seymour, who teaches Math and has advisory in the building, said. Mr. Gervase added that the building “did get birds in all the time--maybe the ghost was opening those [clerestory] windows above.” Ms. Birder, on the other hand, doesn’t believe in this particular legend; yet in the name of paranormalism and magic, she prefers to imagine ghosts do exist.

“I’ve never personally had an experience that would lead me to believe in ghosts, but never say never! I’d like to believe that things exist beyond my own experience.” Ms. Cresence Birder

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POLOS THROUGH A SCREEN How online learning has affected the uniform policy

Kyle Berlage

s the Upper School piled into ture and a sense of normalcy, and She said that because of how the gymnasium in March that is important to me,” she said. difficult COVID has been for her 2020, students gathering on Among those that wear and others, that the least the school the bleachers in their familiar ad- uniforms, feeling like it’s a normal could do is allow students to be comvisory groups, little did they know school day seems to be the prima- fortable in their own homes. “Like it would be for the last time for a ry reasoning. “I wear my uniform my peers, I started the year wearwhile. For many, it was also the last on Zoom because it brings a sense ing a uniform polo shirt on Zoom time they donned the Bishop’s uni- of normalcy to the school day,” said but shortly thereafter switched form in full. Since the transition to Bhadra Rupesh (‘24) “Wearing my to just wearing t-shirts. Persononline learning, almost a year—and uniform makes me feel like I am at- ally, I rather like COVID-casual.” 248,000 cases in San Diego—later, tending school instead of just being Much like Whitney, JJ Tian we still find ourselves logging onto on a Zoom call at home.”. Maggie (‘21) started out wearing a uniform Zoom and beginning our school Johnson (‘22) furthered on this per- but transitioned out of it. “I [wore day. Lots have changed over this spective, adding, “[Wearing a uni- uniform] when quarantine started, time, but one of the most apparent form] puts me in the right mindset.” but when I saw how little teachers differences has been the decrease Sydney Chan (‘24) proposed cared about wearing uniforms, and in uniform-wearers on when I saw more and these online classes. Why “When I saw more and more more people showing have some students deup without uniforms on people showing up without cided to ditch the uniZoom, I just gave up.” form, and what have the uniforms on Zoom, I just gave There is some merreactions been as a result? it to claim that teachers up.” According to a care less about viola- JJ Tian (‘21) tions, given that from poll conducted by The Tower, of 140 upper the 20 faculty that were school students, 55% completely, a different reason for wearing the surveyed, 75 percent had seen uniand 23.6% sometimes lack uniforms uniform, saying, “I guess I wear form violations in Zoom classes in Zoom classes respectively. Given uniform because I’m new to Bish- but none of them reported it to the that 78.6% of upper school students op’s and don’t want to break any administration. Science teacher Dr. surveyed do not wear school uni- rules just yet! It also takes away the Lani Keller responded to the form forms in some capacity on Zoom, thinking about what to wear in the by saying, “I feel that it is okay for it may be surprising that the school morning, which is always helpful.” students to be comfortable in their officially expects all students to wear On the other hand, the vast homes. Students have so many othwhat would be pre-COVID-19 attire majority of students polled opt not er things to worry about right now, on Zoom. Dean of Students Ms. Mi- to wear a uniform on Zoom. Whit- that I don’t think that reporting chelle Shea said in an email statement ney Hejmanowski (‘21) explained Uniform Violations is helpful to to The Tower that “students should that she wants to feel comfortable in anyone.” Computer science teachappear to be in uniform on Zoom.” her own home, even if she’s learn- er Mr. Joshua Bloom agreed, sayShe recognised that some people of- ing. “Honestly, I revel in wearing ing, “You guys have it hard enough ten evade the uniform guidelines by my pajamas on Zoom. It’s less work these days, no need for me to pile only wearing a polo without a skirt and more comfortable, and one of anything else on your plate. Also, or pants, but also is not too con- the few silver linings of working you can’t really see each other so cerned with it. “I do think getting from home. I think enforcing the it would seem silly to enforce.” dressed in a uniform every day is one uniform policy would be pretty silof the ways we can maintain struc- ly at this juncture,” she explained. 12 CAMPUS | Issue 07

The Tower

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The most agreed-upon favourite thing to wear during Zoom classes was a Bishop’s sweatshirt. A close second place were sweatpants, followed by pajamas. Academic Support Coordinator Ms. Jane Mattox said she noticed that some outfits seen on Zoom have been lower effort so-to-speak. “I do notice some of the fabulous hairstyles, especially the ‘just rolled out of bed’ look and the longer locks due to lack of access to haircuts,” she said. In the end, it seems that with the difference in opinions from different teachers, the enforcement of the policy will depend on whoever’s Zoom room you find yourself in. Opinions certainly vary on whether we should be wearing comfortable clothes, but at least we can all agree on what is comfortable to wear during this unusual period in modern history.

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There are teachers, though, that enforce the uniform policy in their Zoom classrooms but prefer not to issue a formal Uniform Violation infraction. World languages teacher Dr. Leo Landrey said, “I ask students in violation of dress codes to change into school-appropriate clothing. They quickly do.” Since responding to our survey he said he has relaxed this approach. History and World Languages teacher Ms. Tiffany Vandeweghe added, “I have asked kids to change into their uniform and they have complied.” Although, the vast majority of students think otherwise about enforcement of the uniform policy. 92.1% of students responding to the survey indicated that they believe the school should not enforce the uniform policy on Zoom. Flavia Valente (‘22) explained that while on-campus it makes sense to have a uniform, having one on Zoom doesn’t make sense, in her opinion. “At home, you can’t see our entire outfit anyways and it really isn’t unifying or streamlining us. I think as long as people aren’t wearing inappropriate clothing, there isn’t a need for it over Zoom,” she said. Sophia Scott (‘21) agreed, saying, “It makes it a lot easier and a lot more comfortable to wear what we want. It’s not detrimental to anyone to be able to wear what we want, especially from the comfort of our own homes. In fact, it is beneficial given the comfort.” Even though there is disagreement on whether people should wear uniforms on Zoom or whether the school should enforce the policy, a common point of agreement was on what to wear.

CAMPUS | Issue 07

I WOKE UP LIKE THIS Diving into today’s culture of not wanting to be a try-hard Isadora Blatt

“T

oday I wanted to wear jeans and a crewneck, but then I thought, ‘everyone else will probably be wearing leggings,’” says Bela Gowda (‘24). “And it was true, a lot of people were even wearing sweatpants.” One time, Lily Gover (‘24) wore an outfit she had been excited about, a skirt with a matching top and sweater. “I remember feeling really self-conscious the whole day,” she says. “And just yesterday, I had a cool outfit planned out, but I ended up throwing a sweatshirt over it to try and dress it down.” Why is it that almost everyone has had a similar experience? Why do we always want to appear like we’re not trying too hard, whatever that means? Here’s why I believe this whole culture is ridiculous. Dictionary.com defines the word tryhard as “a person who participates in a game or other activity with too much enthusiasm, emotion, effort, or commitment.” Although “tryhard” is sometimes used as an insult, it’s more commonly seen in subtler ways. Many other Bishop’s students can relate to the example of picking an outfit on free dress days, and although clothes are a big aspect, there are many other ways that one can be seen as a tryhard. It’s even been reflected in recent trends—the messy bun, for example, is still hugely popular. The natural makeup look has also been going around on social media, promoted by TikTok creators like @rileyhubatka, who posted a tutorial for what she called “‘no makeup’ makeup”. Both of these trends have the goal

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of looking put together with minimal effort as if you just woke up like this. It’s a tricky balance, as Bela describes: “You don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard, but you also don’t want to look like a mess.” However, the no-effort culture does not always seem to extend into academics. Conversations between students comparing how little sleep they got last night, or how stressed they are due to piling-up homework and extracurriculars, can be commonly heard around the Bishop’s campus. As explored by Sariah Hossain (‘22) in “A Different Kind of Cool”, there is an air of competitiveness to many students’ conversations about stress and workload. It’s interesting that this exists at the same time as the try-hard social phenomenon, proving that many students (whether they realize it consciously or not) want to appear effortlessly put-together despite the insane business of their lives. I feel like I am constantly fixated on the idea of giving as little effort as possible, whether it’s what I’m wearing, what I post on social media, or even how much I participate in a physical education class. It’s always in the back of my mind to not appear to be trying harder than the person next to me. I’m completely guilty of succumbing to this culture even though I believe that it is ridiculous. It’s clear that the many trends that play into the “I woke up like this” image do actually take a lot of effort. It takes time to put your

The Tower

hair in the perfect messy bun and even more time to do your makeup in a way that looks like you aren’t wearing any. The fact that many people try so hard to hide the effort they put into their look is truly toxic, because it makes others ask themselves why they don’t look like that after just rolling out of bed. Lily relates to this idea, saying, “it can make people feel bad about themselves, because that’s not their natural default.” Why is trying hard even a bad thing in the first place? In life in general, more effort is rewarded. If you practice a sport every day, you’re more likely to get onto the varsity team. It shouldn’t be any different for the smaller social things such as planning out an elaborate outfit. As a community, we all need to stop judging each other for trying hard... so that maybe you can finally wear that new pair of jeans with the funky boots.

Popular TikTok influencer Riley Hubatka posted a tutorial for a natural makeup look to give the effect of wearing no makeup.

CULTURE | Issue 07

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK Examining the line between free speech and hate speech Crystal Li

ormer President Donald Trump has diminished Black Lives Matter protesters, labeling them as “terrorists” and “thugs.” He has targeted Asian Americans and encouraged hate crimes, calling COVID-19 the “Chinese virus” and “Kung flu.” Trump has also posted ill-witted claims on public platforms, inciting violence upon Capitol Hill in what many consider “an act of violence.” Throughout recent years, division and polarization have been inflamed to extreme levels, and the line between hate speech and free speech has been blurred significantly. Despite having a large platform and substantial influence, certain people in power neglect the dire consequences resulting from their unfiltered ideas and feelings. For example, the coronavirus was and still is a hotspot for debate. Numerous prominent politicians have not always supported science amidst the pandemic: former president Mike Pence, Iowa senator Joni Ernst, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, and more. This raises one important point of regular debate: is there is a free speech breaking point? Is there a line at which the hateful or controversial nature of speech should cause it to lose constitutional protection under the First Amendment? Contrary to widely held misimpressions, at present, there is no category of speech known as “hate speech” that is not uniformly prohibited by law. According to the American Library Association (ALA), speech that threatens or incites disorder or that spurs a motive for a criminal act may, in some instances, be punished as part of a hate crime, but not merely as offensive speech. Only when offensive speech creates a hostile work environment or disrupts school classrooms, it may be prohibited. “When I think of the issue of free speech versus hate speech, a dimmed line appears,” explained Zayd Aslam (‘23). “Free speech’s purpose is to protect your opinion, while the purpose of hate speech is to incite detestation.” The 2020 presidential election was a well-publicized battleground of free speech, hate speech, and misinformation. Political figures like

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Trump and his former senior advisor Stephen Miller are people with large platforms that have an especially weighty responsibility in drawing this line. For example, the surge in hate incidents after the election wasn’t limited to just hateful words. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a civil liberties group, reported a rise in vandalism and even physical attacks in the immediate aftermath of the election. The New York Police Department (NYPD) reported a huge spike in what they call “bias crimes,” which increased 115 percent between the election and early December 2016. The Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce commented: “The national discourse has effects on hate crimes—hate speech I should say, hate speech.” With the raised awareness comes increased calls for laws punishing harmful or offensive speech based on gender identity or race. There needs to be a legal principle at which tangible consequences can be set to ensure no future actions repeat the past. The first step is to examine the source that distributes all kinds of information quickly: the social media platforms. Following Trump’s ban across various communication sites, Facebook has come under more scrutiny for its role in distributing false and divisive information in the previous months. According to the New York Times, Facebook’s employees have different outlooks upon its future. “On one side are idealists, including many rank-and-file workers and some executives, who want to do more to limit misinformation and polarizing content. On the other side are pragmatists who fear those measures could hurt Facebook’s growth, or provoke a political backlash that leads to painful regulation,” Kevin Roose, Mike Isaac, and Sheera Frenkel write. “There are tensions in virtually every product decision we make, and we’ve developed a companywide framework called ‘Better Decisions’ to ensure we make our decisions accurately and that our goals are directly connected to delivering the best possible experiences for people,” said Joe Osborne, a Facebook spokesman.

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“Free speech’s purpose is to protect your opinion, while the purpose of hate speech is to incite detestation.” Zayd Aslam (‘23)

Furthermore, Twitch, the live-streaming platform popular among video game players, unveiled new guidelines in December of last year to crack down on hateful conduct and sexual harassment on its site. The site said it had broadened its definition of sexual harassment and separated such violations into a new category for the first time, in order to take more action against them. Under the new guidelines, Twitch will ban inappropriate or repeated comments about anyone’s physical appearance and expressly prohibit the sending of unsolicited links. The company also said it would prohibit streamers from displaying the Confederate battle flag and take

more action against those who target someone’s immigration status. Violators could receive warnings, temporary suspensions, or permanent bans from the platform, according to the Social Science Research Council. “Obviously, it is legal to say hateful things because defamation laws only pertain to whether something is factually correct,” explained Dax Gutekunst (‘23), a twitch-user. “So, sources like social media outlets have to understand how detrimental it actually is. Though the journey is still long, I believe that Twitch’s recent decisions opened up a good discussion on how even words that we use lightly can cause lots harm

when used in malicious ways.” Of course, the implementation of this distinction is not just a simple equation. The freedom of speech is often considered the hallmark of a free society. There is always a difficult question: if we start curtailing speech, where does it end? And perhaps, even more so: is the freedom of speech and limitation of hate speech fundamentally incompatible? The solution cannot just be black and white. There needs to be careful consideration that comes with even the tiniest guidelines and discourse about how change should be executed.

LOCAL & BEYOND | Issue 07

WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON IN CHINA A rundown of the human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims Leila Feldman

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n the past three years, experts estimate as many as 3 million Ughiur Muslims (alternatively spelled Uighur, Uygur, Uigur, or Uyghur) have ‘disappeared’ and 1 million are missing,” according to a Vox article published in late September of this year. As this atrocity comes to the surface after years of the Chinese government attempted concealment, the three main questions are: why is the Chinese government targeting this group of Muslims? What is going on in these camps? And how is the rest of the world helping? The Uighur Muslims are a minority of 11 million people in the northwestern colony of Xinjiang, China. They don’t speak typical Mandarin or even Cantonese, but rather several dialects of Standard Xinjiang and Standard Soviet—depending on where they are—that are influenced by Mandarin and Kazakhstanian, a former part of the Soviet Union. In 2009, riots broke out in the Capital of Xinjiang Urumqi after Uighurs protested their alleged unfair treatment compared to the Hans. Two hundred people were killed and hundreds were injured. The Chinese government began to tighten their laws and watch the Uighurs after attacks

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in China in 2013 and 2014, for which the Uighurs claimed responsibility. The Chinese have used these attacks as an excuse to issue their protective laws, and re-education camps. The Chinese government pointed at the Uighurs calling them “extremists” and a “terrorist group,” according to a PBS article published in September of last year. In 2017, the Chinese government started to strangle the Uighurs by placing laws banning traditional Muslim names, men growing long beards, and women wearing veils. The government is also suspected to have destroyed dozens of mosques. Vox also noted that women were forced to have abortions if the Xinjiang Government found out that they were pregnant. The fact that they are located in Xinjiang doesn’t help their case either. Xinjiang territory spans along some of the most oil-rich, and mineral diverse parts of China; it traces back hundreds of years to the silk road. Xinjiang is the northwestern state of China and mass produces products shipped all around the world. “This region is critical to China’s future development and the Belt and Road initiative,” Dru C. Gladney, a professor of anthropology at Pomona College in Clare-

mont, California, who studies the region, told Vox. “All those roads go through Xinjiang.” A powerful Communist Party boss—Chen Quanguo— became Xinjiang’s new leader in 2016. His previous duties were to “restore order and control” in Tibet according to Vox. Chen’s reputation details him as a strongman who is a pro at dealing with “ethnic crackdowns.” In early September of this year, the United States pressed human rights sanctions on Chen and other officers in Xinjiang. The Chinese government long denied the fact that these camps even existed, and once drone surveillance footage surfaced, they claimed that they were re-education camps,, some Uighurs have come out and compared them to boarding schools, and the detainees as students according to a Xinjiang Uighur Official. However, boarding schools don’t purchase 2,768 police batons, 550 electric cattle prods, 1,367 pairs of handcuffs, and 2,792 cans of pepper spray, according to a released statement in 2018 from Agence France-Presse.

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“Boarding schools don’t purchase 2,768 police batons, 550 electric cattle prods, 1,367 pairs of handcuffs, and 2,792 cans of pepper spray according to a released statement in 2018 from Agence France-Presse.” - Vox

This image is oftentimes used on social media by individuals trying to bring awareness to the abuse of the Chinese Government to the Ugyhur Muslims. LOCAL & BEYOND | Issue 07

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Leaked drone footage, believed to be recorded last August, appears to show hundreds of Uighur prisoners, blindfolded and handcuffed, being transferred by train. They were being transferred to camps estimated to be the size of 140 soccer fields placed together. While the exact number of the camps is unknown, using satellite imagery, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute estimated that there are 380 re-education camps and detention centers and prisons in Xinjiang, with 61 having been expanded or updated within the last year. What goes on in these re-education camps is cheap labor: slavery. “If the Chinese think they have done their job, then they get released,” Jen Kirby reported in Vox. “The Chinese view these camps as “a kind of conversation therapy, and they talk about it that way.” Countries such as the United States have prohibited goods made in these camps to be purchased or used. What else? Nobody really knows: due to fear, few further reports have come out detailing the circumstances of these camps. The people running them are controlled by the government, few people get released and those who don’t want to jeopardize their freedom and safety. Vox said they retrain these Muslims and once they see that they are ‘fixed’ they re-enter them into society under careful watch. This hawk-eye watch doesn’t stop once you leave the concentration camps. In February of 2020, a leaked 137-

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page spreadsheet from Karakax County in Xinjiang showed exactly how Uighur families were tracked by authorities. The spreadsheet contained 300 names of Uighur families, including the identities of people committed to concentration camps, and those whom officials were monitoring. Some of those being tracked were as young as 16. This can be credited to Chen, who designed a “grid-management system and divide[d] each city into squares of about 500 people each, with a police station that keeps tabs on everyone and in more rural areas, every village has that,” according to Vox. Any time a resident wants to go from place to place they must scan identification cards set up at train stations and authorities use face-recognition and reportedly blood and DNA samples, which are masked as mandatory check-ups. Vox has also found that they have been tracking their cell phones and have taken their passports, making it impossible for them to escape. James Millward, a professor at Georgetown University, said in 2018, “They’re not trying to drive them out of the country; they’re trying to hold them in.” The rest of the world’s response has been underwhelming. Twenty-two countries (mainly European, excluding the United States) went to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council addressing “disturbing reports of largescale arbitrary detentions of Uighers” released by the UN, condemning Chinese leadership.

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But four days later, 37 countries (including by not limited to) Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, South Sudan, Sudan, Russia, and Syria, the majority of which are countries with Muslim majorities—defended China’s “remarkable achievements in the field of human rights” by protecting their country from “terrorism, separatism, and religious extremism,” according to the offical document. The Chinese government wants to open their British embassy, and the British won’t let them do it until they stop their alleged mistreatment of Muslims, especially considering every four in ten people in the surronding areas (of the embassy) are Muslim. Former President Donald Trump had been pretty quiet on the topic until recently; it seems his desire to negotiate a trade deal with China was a big reason behind this shift. “Well, we were in the middle of a major trade deal,” Trump said in June when asked why he hadn’t yet imposed United States Treasury sanctions on Chinese officials involved in the repression of the Uighurs. “Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton also alleged that Trump personally gave Xi Jinping the green light to keep building the camps, telling Xi at a meeting in June 2019 that it was “exactly the right thing to do,” according to Vox. In June, however, Trump signed into law the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020, which imposed sanctions on for-

eign individuals and entities involved in abuses in Xinjiang and requires the president to periodically send Congress a list identifying foreign individuals and entities responsible for such human rights abuses. Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Republican Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey (R-NJ) have been some of the prominent voices speaking out against the abuse, in the house and senate. Rubio authored the Uyghur Human Rights Policy saying, “Today’s actions by the Administration to impose sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for the horrific abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities Xinjiang are long overdue.” He then went on to bash Chen Quanguo for “holding crimes against humanity” and explain that he wanted to repair and help these Uyghurs. “What would be useful is if countries, not just in Europe, but if all countries that care about human rights and ethical trading, insist they will stop working with companies operating in Xinjiang unless they can independently verify the supply chain conditions,” said Steve Tsang, director of the School of Oriental and African Studies’ (SOAS) China Institute in London.

LOCAL & BEYOND | Issue 07

BREAKING DOWN BRIDGERTON An analysis of the show’s successes—and failures—in addressing social issues of the 19th century Maya Buckley

ridgerton is this year’s diamond of the season—since it’s Christmastime debut, the series has amassed an almost cult-like following, making it the most-watched Netflix original series of all time. It’s not a wonder then that the show is already ramping up enthusiasm for its second season, and has even inspired its own musical on the social media platform TikTok. However, Bridgerton has also inspired some rather negative feedback regarding a more inconspicuous, and to some extent, more peripheral, aspect of the show: how it deals with race and racism in the Regency era. More specifically, what happens when a show cannot decide whether it wants to stay honest with historical truths or just live in fiction? For some context, the fictional world of Bridgerton is set in the very real city of London, England amongst the English upper-class and nobility, characters who, with exception to Queen Charlotte, are fictional. Shonda Rhimes, famous for hit shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal (which are celebrated for addressing prominent social issues and their diverse casts) also produced Bridgerton, though the show itself draws from Julia Quinn’s book series of the same name. Rhimes’ take, however, honors modern societal diversity by casting colorblindly, unlike the books, whose characters are all described as white. The show even addresses this in a line via the aunt of the lead love interest, in which she waxes poetic about how the power of love conquers all, saying, “We were two separate societies divided by color, until a king fell in love with one of us. Love, Your Grace, conquers all.” This singular line stirred up an internet-wide discourse about the possible obligations of showrunners and writers to stick to historical truths. Salamishah Tillet of the New York Times claims that “by avoiding both slavery and the fer

22 OPINION | Issue 07

Simon Basset and Lady Danbury (played by Rege-Jean standing as the few

vent British abolition movement that flourished in London in the early 19th century, Bridgerton ultimately opts [escapism] over a nuanced exploration of real-time racial dynamics, mostly relegating such aspects to the story’s past.” This is a popular opinion amongst most critics of the show. For the people that didn’t care about the show’s colorblind casting choices,

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an Page and Adjoa Andoh above) rarely address their w nobility of color.

the choice to address it seems like an unnecessary overreach, and for the people who think it’s required as an integral part of the time period, efforts at approaching the issue are half-hearted at best. However many fans and proponents of the show have come to its defense with the rationale that the show is, quite obviously, completely fiction. Chris Van Dusen, the creator, executive producer, and show-

runner of Bridgerton spoke to the New York Times to explain how the show is essentially an expansion of a fantasy world; “And that fantasy happens to include that Black citizens and people of color can live their lives and succeed without question or elaboration,” Van Dusen explained to Oprah Magazine. Yes, continuing past the 18th century, race, slavery, and prejudice were all inextricably linked, but the choice of Bridgerton to acknowledge that—even in the smallest of ways—is far closer to historical facsimile than we’d expect from a show whose orchestras only play Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande’s greatest hits. For a show that tackles darker things, and more importantly, takes itself seriously, you’d expect a much more serious attention to the complex history of slavery and racism during that time; but that is not what Bridgerton is, or ever claimed to be. Its own visionary thinks of the show as an agglomeration of what-ifs; in an interview with the New York Times, Van Dusen explains, “It made me wonder what [life] could have looked like… Could [Queen Charlotte] have used her power to elevate other people of color in society? Could she have given them titles and lands and dukedoms?” These questions are exactly why Bridgerton is subject to its own set of rules—the show is a work of fiction above all else. The central tenet of the show is not escapism like the New York Times claims, but sappy romance, which isn’t liable to the same rigidity of accuracy we expect from our favorite period dramas. So will Brigerton ever measure up to Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility in terms of its historical truth-telling? No—but it doesn’t have to.

OPINION | Issue 07

QUARTER FOUR QUEUE Five shows to keep you sane during quarantine Daniel White

ell, here we are again. Third quarter, middle of a pandemic, everything from morale to motivation stagnating like nobody’s business. If you’re anything like me, an apt way to sum up how you’ve been feeling on a day-to-day basis might, to put it briefly, be this: bored. To put it a bit less briefly: bored out of your skull, and getting desperate. And what does everybody turn to in times like these? That’s right. Television. So, as we draw closer and closer to the anniversary of the start of this stay-athome hell and time starts to lose all meaning completely, I thought I’d take it upon myself to cultivate a little list of shows that have kept me sane this pandemic in the hopes of having a similar effect on some of you.

MOB PSYCHO 100 Where to watch: HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Crunchyroll Content warnings: N/A First on my list is Mob Psycho 100. The show tells the story of Shigeo Kageyama, better known as Mob, a fourteen-year-old “esper”—someone gifted with powerful psychic abilities. Searching for a way to control his powers, Mob meets Reigen Arataka, self-proclaimed “greatest psychic of the 21st century” (and, in actuality, a total and complete fraud) who takes the boy under his wing as his mentee. The series progresses from there with Mob battling spirits, hostile esper groups, and the everyday struggles that come with being an eighth-grader: girls, grades, and gym class. I first watched Mob Psycho 100 back in August at the recommendation of a friend. I’m not one to get heavily attached to television shows, especially ones as brief as Mob Psycho 100—the show spans only two seasons, with a third slated to arrive sometime in 2021—but with Mob Psycho 100, something was different even after just the first episode. It’s hard not to fall in love with the characters—not just Mob, but his siblings, classmates, friends, and, of course, his haphazard mentor. The storyline is captivating, too, blending well-crafted action scenes with slice-of-life moments that are the perfect mix of heartwarming and humorous. But what I think stuck out to me the

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most about Mob Psycho 100, and partly why it’s first on my list, is because of how unexpected it is. The story is not that of a typical shounen anime—boy gets power, boy has newfound power tested by antagonist, and boy eventually overcomes antagonist in a moment of clearcut, definable triumph. Mob is not presented as some aggrandized hero; he is presented as he is: a fourteen-year-old boy whose attempts at balancing a normal life with some of the most dangerous powers known to man often blow up in a way that’s painfully relatable and real. And it is his humanity—the humanity of the entire cast, really, but Mob’s most especially—that’s made Mob Psycho 100 such a fantastic show.

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If none of the shows on this list tickle your fancy, I propose a time-tested strategy of mine: a good couple of hours spent mindlessly scrolling through Netflix recommendations.

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION Where to watch: Netflix Content Warnings: Violence, gore, unreality, depictions of emotional/physical abuse Like Mob Psycho 100, Neon Genesis Evangelion tells the story of an ordinary, unassuming fourteen-year-old protagonist thrust headfirst into a bizarre fantasy world. The similarities end about there, though. Where Mob Psycho 100 deals with middle school espers, psychic conmen, and back-talking spirits, managing to keep a lighthearted edge to the plot even at its most serious moments, Neon Genesis Evangelion—or simply Eva, as fans call it—is much more intense, even from the get-go. Shinji Ikari is a young boy living in post-apocalyptic Tokyo when he receives summons from his estranged father, recruiting him to join the ranks of a shadowy organization called Nerv. There, along with two other teenagers—Asuka Langley Soryu and Rei Ayanami—Shinji must take on the daunting task of becoming an Eva pilot—one of the individuals trusted to take giant bio-machines called “Evangelions” into combat with monstrous beings known as “Angels” in order to prevent the destruction of what humanity remains. In a phrase, Eva is intense. The

story is not just about post-apocalyptic warfare and strained parent-child relationships. Throughout the course of the show, Eva poses a lot of difficult scenarios revolving around themes of responsibility, mental health, and the significance of both platonic and romantic relationships. Nor are the characters clear-cut. Shinji, Asuka, and Rei, as well the adults they find themselves surrounded with at Nerv, are all perfect paradigms for flawed heroes, and at no point does the subject matter of Eva shy away from that. While all of that can sound a little overwhelming, I think the impact of having such morally gray characters makes for a deeply captivating watch. It’s been a while since a TV show has kept me up at night even long after I’ve finally closed my Netflix browser, but with Eva, I found myself constantly going back over episodes, trying to wrap my head around what had just happened. It’s a heavy show, certainly not for those who find psychological thriller-adjacent media to be a turn-off, but if that is your cup of tea, then Eva is one of my most ardent recommendations. REVIEWS | Issue 07

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HANNIBAL Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Content warnings: Violence, heavy gore, depictions of emotional/physical abuse Ah, Hannibal. Where to start with Hannibal? Hannibal is one of those shows that I went into with a fixed expectation as to what I was going to get out of watching and, within just a few episodes, was completely and utterly blindsided. The show follows FBI consultant Will Graham as he helps his colleagues solve gruesome murder cases through quasi-psychic abilities that give him the ability to put himself in the shoes of the killer and replicate their actions exactly in his mind. However, such skills don’t come without a price, and after a particularly difficult case, Will is instructed to start regular sessions with psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter. If you know anything about Silence of the Lambs—the movie that served as the vague inspiration for the show—then you’ll know that key piece of Hannibal’s backstory that drives the show throughout three seasons; if you don’t, brief prompting question for you: off the top of your head, what word can you think of that rhymes with Hannibal? Yep, you probably guessed it. 26 REVIEWS | Issue 07

In my opinion, these are highly deserved. As with any type of show, there’s always the danger that the sitcoms don’t do anything that hasn’t already been done in the world of comedy. And while I’m not going as far as to call Parks and Recreation the most revolutionary piece of media I’ve ever consumed, I will say this: for a show as long as it is, Parks and Recreation manage to say fresh, entertaining, and funny throughout its entirety. At its heart, the show has appeal: it’s a feel-good watch, seven seasons straight of lighthearted comedy that’s guaranteed to have you hooked in no time. The characters are preposterous in a way that feels startlingly relatable—anyone who’s worked a job can testify that, yes, sometimes your coworkers really are that weird.

Hannibal is described as a “psychological horror-thriller,” and while that description is apt—the show is about a cannibal, for God’s sake, so when I say the murder cases in the show are gruesome, I mean they are gruesome—it’s also unexpectedly amusing at times. Hannibal’s mannerisms are so bizarre it’s hard not to laugh, and if that doesn’t get you, the repeated jokes he makes about being a cannibal that seems to go right over everyone’s head despite being about as subtle as a brick to the face certainly will. The relationship between Hannibal and Will is captivating too: a strange mixture of entertaining and oddly poignant, with the heavy romantic overtures only adding chemistry to the dynamic. Hard-edged and gripping while still keeping a core of poignancy, Hannibal is a perfect watch for those looking for something a little meatier to sink their teeth into without running the risk of biting off more than they can chew.

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RIVERDALE Where to watch: Netflix Content warnings: N/A Now, I know what you’re thinking. Seriously? A fairly well-constructed list of respectable television shows I may just consider looking into if that fabled ‘pandemic wall’ gets any higher, and you’re ending it with Riverdale? Yes. Yes, I am. I first binged the show back in 2019 at the behest of my brother who had turned into something of a Riverdale fanatic after blowing through two seasons in half as many weeks. Loosely based on the Archie Comics franchise, the story follows four high school friends as they come up against a whole host of horrors their seemingly-idyllic hometown has to offer. Each season tackles a new major threat, with overarching plotlines such as romance, family troubles, and the yearly school musical tying the whole thing together. Nearly three years down the road and I admit with more than a little shame, that I’ve avidly kept up with the show, even blocking out my Wednesday evenings to watch the new episodes air every week. As a longtime fan, the best way I could describe the Riverdale experience back then was that the show started badly and then promptly got much worse. The murder plot I could buy— and, honestly, I’ll stand by the opinion that the first season of Riverdale is no worse than any other CW shows out there—but the serial killer was a little harder to wrap my head around, and don’t even get me started on the killer Dungeons and Dragons. Or the cult. Or the evil brother. Or the other evil brother. The list goes on.

But despite the many reasons why Riverdale should logically rank at the bottom of anyone’s watchlist, I sincerely implore anyone who has found themselves with a lack of something to do to watch it—after all, desperate times call for desperate measures. And, okay, look. I’ll acknowledge that a surface-level take on the show doesn’t paint it to be all that enrapturing, but the combination of questionable acting and laughably bad plotlines has kept me glued to the show regardless. Glued with a mixture of frustration and horrified fascination, sure, but glued all the same. It’s one of those things that’s hard to tear yourself away from no matter how badly you want to. Like America’s Got Talent audition fails compilations. Or a car crash. I’ll say this: if you’re someone who considers yourself a liker of good, respectable shows, then maybe steer clear of this recommendation. But if you’re like me susceptible to the inexplicable appeal of genuinely bad television, then Riverdale is undeniably the show for you.

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EATING IN ISOLATION

Insights into disordered eating over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic Tate Vaccaro

TW/CW: Eating Disorder This article discusses eating disorders and has mentions of weight, BMI, binging, and restriction. Please read with care.

nother day passes: wake up, stare into an inverted image of yourself on the computer screen, look over to one side, fix your hair, look over to the other, head to the kitchen between classes to grab a snack here and there, do more work at the desk, scroll mechanically through social media until your eyes bleed red, go to sleep, and do it all over again the next day. With this backdrop in mind, it’s no wonder so many individuals, particularly young people, have been increasingly grappling with mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only that, but according to the National Eating Disorders Association, there has been a 70 percent increase in those reaching out to their helplines compared to the pre-COVID era. Social isolation with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought on a range of psychological effects including loneliness, depression, and anxiety. For some, a means of coping with these emotions and maintaining some sense of structure in a world that feels like it’s collapsing in on itself is food. “When quarantine first started, everything felt so uncertain—which was a scary feeling,” a student, whose identity is anonymous for privacy and health reasons, said. “There was a brief period when I thought of food as a means of control— as if somehow controlling what foods I ate would help me feel like I had a greater sense of control over my life,” they explained. Many of the students who spoke

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with me about their experiences with disordered eating and orthorexia (an unhealthy focus on eating in a healthy way) described that their eating habits correlated with control, or a lack thereof. The majority of these students shared similar opinions about what aspects of their lives they felt they had the least control over. Namely, these were school, the pandemic, and college. “When I was applying to college over the summer and in the fall, I fell into severe depression,” A student, who agreed to share about their experiences anonymously to protect their privacy, said. “With the combination of quarantine and my anxieties about getting into college, I found myself rarely going outside or leaving my bedroom. I stopped eating, didn’t try to get any exercise, and closed myself off from my friends and family.” The student continued, “I think that now that I’ve gotten into college, I feel a lot better about where I am mentally. I’m eating more and spending time with friends when I have the chance. Overall, I feel much happier.” Another student described their experience applying to college and how that influenced their eating. “When I got rejected from a college first semester, my self confidence completely deteriorated,” They explained. “My eating became extremely restrictive during that time. Food became an outlet for me because unlike college, I felt like I could control that aspect of my life.” In a recent study published by the International Journal of Eating Disorders,

of the 1,021 participants in than ⅓ shared that over q eating disorders worsened ees attributed this phenome two factors: lack of emotio the absence of structure in lives. The study also found with anorexia reported an healthy eating habits over student who was diagnosed January of 2020 described patterns changed after ent They also spoke to me abo concerning body image and dia was influencing their r food at the time. “Over q always at home and didn’t g myself eating more,” the stu “I wasn’t going to any sports ting any exercise and start weight as a result, which wa because my weight was so l continued, “I think I felt a cally, but mentally I wasn’t d was definitely spending mo media since I had so muc found myself comparing m girls that I saw. I wanted to them and felt that I wasn’t keep myself in shape or that like me because my body

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nterviewed, more quarantine, their d. The interviewenon primarily to onal support and n their day to day d that individuals n increase in unquarantine. One d with anorexia in how their eating tering lockdown. out their feelings d how social merelationship with quarantine, I was go out so I found udent explained. s practices or getted to gain more as good, in a way, low before.” They lot better physidoing very well. I ore time on social ch free time and my body to other o look more like doing enough to t people wouldn’t y was changing.”

Student artwork by Ellie Hodges (‘22) depicting the struggle of coping with eating disorders.

COVER STORY | Issue 07

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Social media plays a huge role in shaping one’s perception of their body image. In a 2019 study conducted by the National Eating Disorder Association, research showed that women between the ages of 18 and 25 suffered from increased self-objectification as a result of using Instagram. Another study indicated that higher Instagram usage correlated with a greater prevalence of disordered eating symptoms as well as worsened psychological health in many women. Particularly during lockdown, social media usage has seen a dramatic increase as more people have been turning to popular apps like Instagram and TikTok to help pass the time or account for a lack of face to face interactions. For people with eating disorders, however, this renewed focus on social media poses higher risks of body dysmorphia and negative self talk as distorted realities of what a “healthy” body looks like are constantly being flaunted in the media. A student who

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agreed to share about their experiences with their own eating disorder anonymously to protect their privacy, said, “I never had a problem with eating because I knew that I was playing sports and staying healthy,” they explained. “When quarantine started, however, I stopped playing all of those sports which led me to stop prioritizing my health altogether. Once summer hit, I realized that I gained weight. After that, I fell into the mindset of, ‘food is bad, food makes you gain weight.’” The student continued, “I feel that there’s a stigma that fat equals ugly. As I stopped eating, I started receiving a lot of compliments on social media platforms like Instagram about my appearance. I was suddenly receiving a lot of attention as a result of looking a different way which made me feel worse because someone’s appearance shouldn’t dictate how they are treated as a person.” The mindset of “food is bad, food makes you gain weight” has been further am-

plified on the hugely popular video app TikTok, which now sports more than 800 million users worldwide (half of which are between the ages of 16 and 24). Back in December of 2020, Tik Tok launched an investigation into restricting harmful accounts fomenting the promotion of dangerous diets and pro-anorexia content. Despite these efforts, users are still facing exposure to Tik Tok creators who are encouraging these extreme weight loss practices—something that can be incredibly triggering for someone struggling with disordered eating. “I saw videos pop up on my For You Page about laxative pills and teas that were being advertised as products to help you lose weight in a short period of time,” Katherine Savchuk (‘21) said. “I noticed that there were hundreds of girls in the comments endorsing these products and asking where to buy them online which really demonstrates how many young girls feel insecure

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about their bodies since they are all jumping at this opportunity to reach an unrealistic body expectation that has been created in the media and in our society as a whole.” Katherine continued, “Quarantine can be very deprecating to one’s body image not only because we are spending so much time alone, but also because we are constantly looking into a mirror or into a camera. Since we’re always analyzing and over analyzing what we look like, this can lead to the development of insecurities that previously weren’t there or may even intensify pre-existing ones.” Although the discussion around disordered eating has become more prevalent and constructive in recent times— particularly over social media— coping with disordered eating continues to be an issue that many keep private. In an environment where many are spending huge amounts of time alone, unhealthy relationships with food often go undiscussed. If people aren’t interacting with

each other regularly, how are they supposed to reach out for help? Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine who specializes in eating disorder prevention and treatment research, says, “Eating disorders are something individuals usually keep private, and there can be a lot of shame around behaviours.” Acknowledging unhealthy eating habits is not easy and seeking help can be even harder. Everyday brings a new challenge, according to a student whose identity is anonymous for the sake of their privacy and health. “There are good and bad days,” they explained to me. “I’ve been open about my disordered eating with a couple of my friends and have found that all of them, in one way or another, have struggled with their eating habits in the past. It’s gotten alot better for me as I’ve been talking about it more. My eating habits are disordered, and I’m working everyday to try and see food

not as the enemy but as fuel that my body needs to function.” The student concluded with a final note. “I think what’s helped me is knowing that it isn’t just me having these thoughts. Eating disorders and having struggles with food are both issues that so many of us go through. We don’t always realize that those around us can help.” RESOURCES National Eating Disorder Hotline (800) 931-2237 (text or call) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-8255 (call only, chat available on website) Director of Counseling Mrs. Broderick megan.broderick@bishops.com

COVER STORY | Issue 07

THE DEAL WITH FOOD DIARIES “What I eat in a day” videos and why they are harmful to viewers Lucie Edwards

TW/CW: Eating Disorder This article discusses eating disorders and has mentions of weight, BMI, binging, and restriction. Please read with care.

here was a time in my life when food was an obsession. I counted calories, wrote lists of everything I ate, measured the circumferences of my wrists, and could calculate body mass index (BMI) in my head. During my high school career, I have been both borderline overweight and underweight and have struggled with overeating, undereating, restricting, and compensatory exercise. Many factors can contribute to developing an eating disorder (ED). Some EDs are caused by genetics and biochemistry, while others can be traced back to cultural and environmental factors. In my case, I decided I wanted to become what I thought was “healthier” at the time. I was fifteen years old and had no idea how to start eating better, so I did what any clueless teenager does: made my way to YouTube. I looked up “what I eat in a day,” which is a popular type of video within the fitness/ lifestyle side of YouTube and— more recently—TikTok. I subscribed to lifestyle and weight loss YouTubers like Sanne Vloet, an influencer who regularly films what I eat in a day videos.

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Vloet’s videos are often focused on healthy detoxification; she’s a model and often films her pre-photoshoot routine, which is surprisingly balanced and involves little to no restriction. At the time, I found what I eat in a day videos to be very helpful in achieving my idea of health, but looking back now, they led me to develop incorrect and harmful ideas about what a diet should look like. They taught me to skip breakfast, that iced coffee counted as a meal, and that drinking out of straws caused unnecessary bloating by inhaling air. While I and others picked up bad habits and from these videos, it is important to distinguish between the healthy and unhealthy videos in this group. In such a vast category, there is a range of content to be found. I’ve identified three subcategories; there are videos that promote a healthy balanced diet, videos that unintentionally perpetuate harmful routines, and videos that chronicle the dietary habits of individuals with eating disorders. Remi Ashten, a lifestyle YouTuber, has a history of promoting unhealthy ideas about food, doing so in a way that I would categorize as largely un-

intentional. On September 6, 2019, Ashten posted a video to her channel called “Following My Old (unhealthy) Weight Loss Video.” In this post, Ashten watches her what I eat in a day video posted on August 22, 2017, and, as the title states, follows this same routine. Towards the end of the video, Ashten stops to talk about the behindthe-scenes of the original what I eat in a day video. She recalls that after she showed the food on camera, she would “throw the food away a lot of the time,” going on to say, “little did people know I was really struggling.” What I eat in a day videos aren’t always accurate, as YouTubers can record themselves consuming more or less than they actually did, opening up a problematic side of this medium: not knowing what is real and what is fake. Sometimes these videos aren’t all that bad; for those who strive to have a healthy relationship with food, are looking for new recipes, or are simply interested in their favorite YouTubers’ daily routines, what I eat in a day videos often help to guide viewers in forming healthy habits. Really, for some, these videos can be a great resource.

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“Despite the fact that they may never know, I’ve won. I’m better at hurting myself than they are.” - Anonymous

The Instagram explore page often features diet plans and serving suggestions.

“What I eat in a day/week” videos are a popular format within the health and fitness side of social media. YouTubers pictured above (top to bottom): Tara Michelle, Ecem Gundogan, Remi Ashten

COVER STORY | Issue 07

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Creators with eating disorders often use anime food clips and photos to introduce different sections of their what I eat in a day videos.

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Creators like Jenn Im and Meg Jo focus on creating balanced and nutritiou never mentioning calories or serving size a clear difference between helpful and har eos, one that can be traced back to the cre proach to diet and lifestyle. On Josephson Me” page on her website, she writes, “On ney, I’ve learned that health goes far be food we put in our bodies: it’s the way we enjoy the food, it’s how we speak to o it’s the way we move our bodies.” This sen one that can be found in one form or anot of these sources; they use words like “no and “satisfying” instead of “healthy” an A Bishop’s student who agreed their personal experiences on the con anonymity expressed their feelings abo videos, specifically by creators like Josep Cheyenne Hayden. They described them to “view eating in a more positive light a to explore a better relationship with fo continued on to note the added benefit o recipe ideas: “I started watching these vi way to incorporate more plant-based rec my life, so I didn’t really have a mindset parison/competition going in.” Compet huge part of EDs, something that is pro what I eat in a day videos, which give peo er against which to measure their own Liv Meloy, a junior at Mount Ever emy who had a severe eating disorder for four years, spoke about their thoughts on “ in a day” videos. Liv approached their as of these videos through the lens of com bringing up the idea that EDs are compet people with them tend to compare habits, to say, “comparing makes one question t habits, almost always having a negative o They also brought up the creators’ potent vation for posting these videos, saying, “Th

osephson us meals, es. There’s rmful videator’s apn’s “About n my joureyond the in which ourselves, ntiment is ther in all ourishing” nd “light.” to share ndition of out these phson and m as a tool and begin ood,” and of getting ideos as a cipes into t of comtition is a opelled by ople a rulroutines. rest Acadr the past “what I eat ssessment mparison, titive and , going on their own outcome.” tial motiThese vid-

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eos are somewhat attention-seeking; they present a challenge to others to praise the video maker for their habits.” While these videos aren’t usually instructional in nature, simply seeing what others eat and how much they eat can be extremely harmful. The last category of “what I eat in a day” videos, the ones that show the daily diets of those who have EDs, spark a whole different conversation. These videos are often titled with phrases like “restriction” or “after a binge.” More often than not, these videos include “TW: ED” in the title, showing a shocking self-awareness about the content they post. A senior who doesn’t attend Bishop’s, who also wanted to remain anonymous, described their experience with “what I eat in a day” videos similarly: “I enjoy seeing what they eat and then turning around and eating less. Despite the fact that they may never know, I’ve won. I’m better at hurting myself than they are.” These videos are often produced by smaller creators, who claim to post these videos to show their own struggles and raise awareness. One video posted by kcalgoth aka machi on YouTube, titled “WHAT I EAT IN A DAY | LOW RESTRICTION | FASTING (TW ED),” sparked a series of comments from viewers acknowledging the harmful nature of the video. One comment read, “This just makes me feel fat lmao,” prompting another user to reply, “This is why I don’t really see anything optimistic about this video.” This user’s reply highlights the intention of the videos. While these “what I eat in a day” videos give trigger warnings and often include disclaimers in the video descriptions (usually something like: this is not meant to glorify eating disorders! I am not pro-ana and I hope that this video isn’t harmful to anyone!), the intention behind the video seems to be more about viewers praising them for their unhealthy habits. The creators have also

developed a specific editing aesthetic that makes them pleasant and almost calming to watch. There is a relaxing energy in the videos, making the extreme content within them seem exponentially less extreme and the lifestyle seem desirable. The videos often start with some visually-pleasing gif of anime characters eating or preparing meals, followed by clips of everything they consumed with calorie counts flashing in front of the food. At the end of each day, there is a summary of total calories, calories burned, and the net total, showing the caloric deficit they ended the day with. And while these videos aren’t explicitly promoting eating disorders, they are influencing their audience, forming a connection between food and calorie counts, and making viewers not see food as food but rather as a number that needs to be worked off by the end of the day. The anonymous senior related to this idea, noting that “when I see these influencers eating hardly anything at all I feel a lot of self-hatred.” I’ve considered myself to be recovered from my eating disorder for the past year. And even though I see how fundamentally incorrect these videos can be and how deeply flawed my relationship with food once was, I still find myself venturing to YouTube, rewatching these videos and feeling the guilt, wondering why they are still such a cornerstone of lifestyle social media. RESOURCES National Eating Disorder Hotline (800) 931-2237 (text or call) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-8255 (call only, chat available on website) Director of Counseling Mrs. Broderick megan.broderick@bishops.com

COVER STORY | Issue 07

Top Ten Bishop’s Bathrooms ranked from worst to best

Wheeler Bailey

Lower Cummins

Lower Bentham

4. 5.

This bathroom is smaller than an airplane bathroom and the toilet somehow flushes louder than an airplane toilet

These bathrooms are constantly full of people changing for sports and always smell super rank

Somehow always smells like mothballs and expired DampRid, bonus points for pretty light in the morning

Upper Bentham

Upper Cummins

10.

Nobody can tell me that this bathroom isn’t haunted...

Also haunted, only better than Up per Bentham because the first stall has a geode in the wall

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Nurse’s office

Secluded, minus points for the walk of shame past the attendance office

Lower Scripps

The different scent of Febreeze in each stall is a nice touch

Student Center

Best all-gender restroom on campus, minus points for the lock turning to the left instead of the right, making it seem unlocked and causing extreme anxiety

Cafeteria bathrooms

While these bathrooms are by far the emptiest on campus, their location means that everyone at lunch can track your pee schedule.

Lower Gilman faculty bathroom

I’m not telling you to sneak into the faculty bathroom I’m just saying it feels like an alternate reality

[culture]

16 [local & beyond] 18

COACH CONWAY Photo courtesy of The Bishop’s School SWEATPANTS OR SOCIAL DISTANCING PC: Clare Malhotra (‘22) A HAUNTING HISTORY PC: Katherine Ge (‘24) POLOS THROUGH A SCREEN PC: Sofia Verma (‘24) and Marrianne Kullback ICourtesy WOKE UP LIKE THIS of @rileyhubatka on TikTok THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK PC: Crystal Li (‘23) WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON IN CHINA Art by Leila Feldman (‘24)

[opinion]

BREAKING DOWN BRIDGERTON Courtesy of @bridgertonnettflix on Instagram

[reviews]

QUARTER FOUR QUEUE pg 25: Screenshot by Daniel White (‘21)

EATING IN ISOLATION Art by Ellie Hodges (‘22)

THE DEAL WITH FOOD DIARIES pg 33: Instagram screenshots by Lucie Edwards

[cover]

PHOTO CREDITS

[campus]

06 08 10 12

Front and back cover by Lucie Edwards (‘21)

pg 26: Art by Lucie Edwards (‘21)

(‘21), YouTube thumbnails by Tara Michelle, Ecem Gundogan, and Remi Ashten pg 34: photos courtesy of @thinkingofsenpai, @modestsaki, @x._animefood on Instagram

PHOTO CREDITS | Issue 07 23