THE BISHOP’S SCHOOL | | MARCH
The
TOWER ISSUE 06 MMXVIII
IN THIS ISSUE
EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGE $.I.R. RAP GROUP EXCLUSIVE EVAN PENG ART PROFILE CAROLINE KENNEDY POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
the details COLOPHON
PHILOSOPHY
POLICY
CONTRIBUTERS: Editor-in-Chief: Emma Oliver Graphics Editors: David Brewer, Sara Michael Copy Editors: Amy Carlyle, Annie Zeigler
PHILOSOPHY:
The Tower is a student-run publication at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, CA. Writers and editors work together to enhance the Bishop’s community and evoke meaningful conversation through the collection and distribution of news and other information. The Tower aims to educate The Bishop’s community about issues that pertain to the experience of young adults. Sections of The Tower include Academic News, School Culture, Sports News, Arts News, Beyond, Opinion, and The Bell.
POLICY:
All materials featured in The Tower are student-done and/or from the Bishop’s community. All articles connect to the Bishop’s community even when covering an international or domestic story, issue, or event. The Tower works with the administration by communicating about sensitive topics to ensure the safety of Bishop’s students and to confirm all topics are approached in an appropriate manner. The Tower accepts anonymous quotes when the privacy of the individual is a concern.
Sports Editor: Collin Douglas Managing Editor: Isabelle Kenagy Online Editor: Collin Douglas Staff Writers: Harper White, Maya Minagawa, Olivia Ralph, Jake Stenger Faculty Advisor: Ms. Laine Remignanti
COLOPHON:
The Tower was printed by Streeter Printing Company in Mira Mesa, CA. For this issue’s layout, the Staff used Adobe InDesign, Adobe CC (CS9), and Photoshop CC (CS9) to arrange photographs and graphics. We printed and distributed 700 copies of Issue 06 to the Bishop’s community. Typefaces included Bookmania on our cover, Cochin Italic, for our headlines and covers, and Times New Roman for our body text. Issue 04 and previous issues of The Tower are available on issuu.com
CONTACT: The Bishop’s School 7607 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037 Email: thetower.tbs@bishops.com Website: thetoweronline.squarespace. com Facebook: tbsTower Instagram: thebishopstower
Front and back cover photo by Evan Peng (‘18) To learn more about Evan’s photography, visit pages 24-25.
from the editor
n the first of this month, the upper school heard from Mr. Dan Broderick, husband to Director of Counseling Ms. Megan Broderick (‘98). Among other things, Mr. Broderick encouraged us to take hold of our lives, all through positive choices that can shape our lives and the lives around us. The same week, a 100-days-until-graduation countdown poster appeared on the wall in the senior rec room. Together, Mr. Broderick’s talk and the graduation countdown reminded me of my waning time as a high schooler. They made me want to maximize the potential of these next few months on this beautiful campus, maximize my learning, happiness, and meaningful interaction with others. As Mr. Broderick said during his talk, it is sometimes after facing a tragedy that we are best able to realize and be thankful for all that we have. I thought of the student survivors from Parkland and all they’ve achieved. Just four days after the shooting, the Stoneman Douglas students were on the news and in the White House, mobilized in a wave of activism. And with this wave, the Never Again and #WhatIf movements have emerged with prominence. As Mr. Broderick also said during his talk, we are all capable of being thankful for our lives—we don’t need a tragedy to mobilize us. “The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift of life is yours; it is an amazing journey, and you alone are responsible for the quality of it,” he said, quoting Dan Zadra. The Stoneman Douglas students have further inspired me to engage with the life before me and the community around me. So thank you, Peer Support and Mr. Broderick, for motivating me to truly think about my choices. And thank you Stoneman Douglas students for inspiring me through your relentless bravery and activism.
Emma Oliver Editor-in-Chief
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6. 8. 12. 21. 25.
ACADEMIC NEWS
EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGE - SARA MICHAEL
ARTS
EVAN PENG: THROUGH HIS LOOKING GLASS - EMMA OLIVER BEHIND THE SCENES: ROMEO AND JULIET - EMMA OLIVER
CULTURE
BISHOP’S BEST: D.J. - HARPER WHITE WHEN CAMELOT CAME TO BISHOP’S - ISABELLE KENAGY $.I.R. YA HEARD? - COLLIN DOUGLAS S(EE) YA - ANNIE ZEIGLER TO BISHOP’S AND BEYOND - MAYA MINAGAWA
OPINION
SCARED SILENT - DAVID BREWER (NO) STRENGTH IN NUMBERS - AMY CARLYLE
THE BELL
WHAT YOUR UNIFORM SHOES SAY ABOUT YOU BISHOPIANS SEEN READING THE TOWER TOP 10 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE MISERY
ACADEMIC
WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LANGUAGE Sara Michael
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anguage is constantly evolving. In their latest January update, The Oxford English Dictionary gained 1,100 new words. This list ranged from words like “hangry” and “hazzled,” to “me time” and “mansplaining.” These additions demonstrate that much of the English language is influenced by the daily experiences of young people. In a recent article published by The Atlantic titled “Teens Aren’t Ruining Language,” Mary Khon, an assistant professor of English at Kansas State University, explained that the change in vernacular shouldn’t be attributed to teenagers. The change, she said, has as many connections to shifts in a person’s life and social standing as it does with age. Khon further said, “It seems that linguistic flexibility is partially a factor of age, exposure to various inputs, social factors, but also personal factors.” Khon’s view on the factors affecting the variation in language very much corresponded with the view of the Linguistic Society of America (LSA). The LSA’s view is that language changes because the speaker’s needs shift, words from different languages begin to emerge, and because different generations have different language constructions and sayings. Sixth grade English teacher at Bishop’s, Ms. Catherine Michaud, has noticed certain language trends she sees among her younger students. One thing Ms. Michaud has noticed is that many of her students are unfamiliar with idiomatic expressions. Ms. Michaud explained, “Most kids know what ‘a piece of cake’ means, but they might not know ‘don’t look a gift horse in the mouth’ which is an idiom that I’ve inherited. They do know things from older siblings or from songs and social media, and I don’t know those [sayings], so it becomes a process of learning for both of us.” Hannah Robbins (‘19) attributed much of her own language style to her childhood in England as well. She explained that when she returned to the United States after living abroad, a lot of the vocabulary that she adopted there transferred home with her. Even more impactful on the modernization of language is social media. Hannah said, “I definitely think texting and social
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media has changed how we speak because it pushes people to use shorter versions of words. Also, because it is such an open forum, social media makes slang more global and popularized, as opposed to being limited to a certain geographic location or subculture.” Like Hannah, Ms. Michaud has also noticed the shortening of sentence length in her students’ writing. She said, “Sentence structure has definitely changed; kid’s comfort with long sentences has declined. They don’t write in long sentences, or if they do it’s a run on, but they definitely don’t feel comfortable reading in long sentences.” While students feel more comfortable reading and writing short sentences, English teacher Dr. Clara Boyle described how she has noticed that syllables at the end of a word are piling up. She explained, “I notice that people like to add syllables to the end of words. Rather than say social most people say societal, and those do mean two slightly different things. My preference is for people to be more exact. I wish they would use the word that they mean to say.” With regards to the modernization of the English language, Dr. Boyle defines herself as a descriptivist, which is a way of analyzing language without judgement. Words will evolve in tandem with our social presence, and whether or not that is good or bad will forever be up for debate, so maybe rather than judging the advances in language, we can try being descriptivists instead.
Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
CULTURE BISHOP’S BEST: D.J. Harper White
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aybe it’s because he taught you. Maybe it’s because he’s your coach. Maybe it’s because he knows your parents, or taught your older sibling, or even just because you see him biking to school every day from your car. Whatever the reason, nearly everyone at Bishop’s knows who Mr. David Johnston is. Now one of Bishop’s most popular teachers, Mr. Johnston, in fact, did not begin his professional career in education. He originally worked as both a Certified Public Accountant and an attorney for some time after graduating college. However, his heart wasn’t entirely invested in it. He wanted a job that would make him excited to go to work every day. As Mr. Johnston put it, “I thought I should try to strive to find something that was going to be interesting and something that would make me excited to go to work every day.” And by pure stroke of luck, Amanda May, one of Mr. Johnston’s accounting colleagues, informed him of a position in the math department at The Bishop’s School— knowing that he wanted a career change. Soon after, Mr. Johnston started his first year teaching at Bishop’s. “There’s a bunch of very bright and engaging teachers, as well as students and wonderfully supportive administration and great parents to work with, and I think that that’s been the case throughout my time here,” Mr. Johnston said. Nearly 30 years in, his feelings about the community haven’t changed. He states that Bishop’s provides something for him that his previous job didn’t: excitement towards waking up, excitement towards each day of school. “I know some people who look forward to the weekend and the sum-
mer, but for me, I like what I get to do here,” said Mr. Johnston. He states that just by the vibrancy in the community, Bishop’s has become less of what the job might typically is viewed as: an eight-tothree drag separated by short, blissful sections of a break.
HE NEVER FORGETS A FACE OR NAME. . . Certainly this love for his career has contributed to the amount of time he has remained at Bishop’s. Mr. Johnston has now taught here for over 20 years and has no plan of retiring. He gives credit for his long career at Bishop’s to a number of things: the faculty, the students, even the lunches. But one of his greatest motivations for staying at Bishop’s and being a teacher is none other than English teacher and volleyball coach Mr. Tod Mattox. “DJ is one of a kind, and is a model at Bishop’s for not only students, but adults as well,” Mr. Mattox says. He and Mr. Johnston have worked together for several decades, and they both cite each other as their biggest inspirations. Mr. Mattox states that because of his endless optimism as well as his deep interest in the people around him, Mr. Johnston has become a whole new type of teacher. One thing Mr. Mattox particularly stressed about Mr. Johnston was his interest in his colleagues and their interests, and how this care affected the people around him. “In the old days, he would make copies of articles, and put them in my box. My subjects would
Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
include sports, Los Angeles (where I grew up), coaching and teaching, and surfing,” says Mr. Mattox. “The amazing thing is that DJ does this same routine with dozens of people, and each of them has their own personal subject list.” And it’s not just with teachers whom Mr. Johnston cultivates such strong friendships. His influence reaches his students in the classroom, who all say how positively he has affected them. “Mr. Johnston always sets a good mood in his class,” says Bennett Chodorow (‘23). Mr. Johnston is also well known for keeping up with seemingly everyone, regardless of whether or not he has taught them in a class. He never forgets a face or name, frequently asking his old students how they’re doing, about their various hobbies and family members. “He always asks me about my rowing and how my siblings are even though he’s never been my teacher,” says Alex Cotton (‘21). Many seniors look back on their time with Mr. Johnston with great fondness. Seventh grade math became a class time of excitement, where oftentimes Mr. Johnston became so animated that he would break the chalk in his writing fervor. “He couldn’t wait to get started,” recalled Chris Lee (‘18). “We’d be walking to class and he’d yell over, ‘Come on, knuckle heads! We’ve got a lot to learn!’” From underclassmen to seniors, there is not a person who Mr. Johnston hasn’t touched on campus with his excellent teaching and energy in the classroom or his deep compassion and interest in others. Faculty, parents, and students all have something to say about how he has influenced their lives for the better while at Bishop’s, in a way no one else really has. There truly is no other teacher quite like him.
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ARTS
BEHIND THE SCENES: THE MAKERS OF ROMEO AND JULIET Emma Oliver
Pictured above is a blueprint used for inspiration by Performing Arts and Technical Theater teacher Mr. Bill Kingsbury.
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any of us recognize the Shakespearean classic, Romeo and Juliet, literary and theatrical staple, but few of us are familiar with the vast amount of preparation needed in order to orchestrate this great play. Living in the shadows of the stage, the orchestra pit, and technical rooms, the members of Advanced Theatre Production (ATP) exist as the production’s lifeline, ensuring that all goes accordingly while house Capulet and Montague wreak havoc on the streets of Verona. THE PLAY Actors auditioned for Romeo and Juliet over the summer and at the beginning of the school year, but many did not think much of the play until their return from Winter Break in January. Unlike the fluctuating business of the Bishop’s actors, though, the ATP crew stays busy as they jump from one production to the next. But for both the actors and ATP members, Romeo and Juliet was a lot to take on; there are many unique
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and technical aspects to the play. The set was made to accomodate a major fight-to-the-death scene and a large cast—including several teachers playing the older roles. The Taylor Performing Arts Center (TPAC) was also transformed to resemble the seating of the original Globe Theatre in London. SET AND STAGE: THE MAKINGS For many theatre-goers, the sets are part of the magic and fiction of the plays. TPAC transforms from one beautiful set to the next, just as the actors transition from one character to the next. But hidden from the audience is all of the work that goes in to the creation of such sets. For Romeo and Juliet, Director of Technical Theatre Mr. Bill Kingsbury spent roughly two months drafting and enhancing the blueprints for the stage design. ATP began building the first week of February, in order to have the set completed and ready to use during the week of the performance, February 22nd through the 26th.
Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
Like the Globe Theatre, ATP stripped TPAC of its lower section seating, making room for a “groundlings” section. Here, for $5, audience members stood in the resulting “pit,” where they could eat, drink, and engage in the play. LIGHTING DESIGN Throughout the production, golden hues of light brought life to the stage, illuminating the actors as they moved through the story. Lighting designer Melanie Schwimer (‘19) made this possible through her meticulous work designing the lights for each scene of Romeo and Juliet. Melanie began her work with a series of meetings with Director of Drama Ms. Courtney Flanagan and stage manager Edward Cramer (‘18) to determine the necessary light cues and “overall feel of every scene,” said Melanie. “To make the show run smoothly, I have to ensure that everyone can be seen, the transitions between look smooth, and that the lights
ARTS enhance the show,” she explained. Like many of the tasks delegated to the ATP members, the lighting design requires a strong element of artistic creativity and collaboration. And this is one of Melanie’s favorite parts of her work: “the coolest part about my job is combining Shakespeare’s, Flan’s, and my own ideas to create a unique piece of art.” THE AUDIO DESIGN For this production, Jina Park (‘18) led the audio design— a complex process of searching for and selecting certain sound effects, downloading these sounds, and programing them to play in response to certain cues during the performance. In choosing the sounds, Jina received notes from Ms. Flanagan. From there, it was up to Jina to find the most appropriate sound. “She basically tells me what sounds she needs at what point in the play. But since those notes are usually vague, I search online for various sounds, trying to get the sound effect that will best match the play,” explained Jina. For example, one of the notes Ms. Flanagan gave Jina for Romeo and Juliet quite simply called for “horns for the prince.” “If you look through my search history, you’ll find so many different variations of ‘horn,’ ‘Romeo and Juliet horn,’ ‘Shakespearean horn,’ and even more,” said Jina. While Ms. Flanagan ultimately gets the final say as the director, Jina and the others in ATP say that she appreciates any creativity. For Jina and the sound crew, this would look like finding the perfect sound cue, even when Ms. Flanagan’s notes call for a generic, non-play-specific sound.
After Jina downloaded the play’s sound cues, she uploaded them to QLab, a program used for sound and video cues. In the program, Jina can set the level for volume and add any fade in’s and out’s, “so that [the sounds] can flow more naturally in the play.” Romeo and Juliet was the first production of the year for Jina as audio designer. The leadership role was a lot of work, but ultimately a rewarding experience: “It’s always exciting to be able to be a part of the wonderful performances and say that I got to put a little bit of my talent into making the show happen.” ENSURING A PERFECT PERFORMANCE For the students in ATP, the performance is when “all of the technical components come together,” as Melanie said. But for Edward, the performance tests months of rehearsals and planning with Ms. Flanagan. As the Stage director, Edward was responsible for calling cues— essentially, he ensured the show went according to plan. In the months preceding the show, Edward attended rehearsals to correct the actors if they slipped on a line and to chart the progress of the show’s development. Daily, he sent out rehearsal reports to the cast. Edward’s work on the play seemed to equate a full time job— working alongside Ms. Flanagan. “She’s invited me over to her house in the past to have dinner while we work some extra time on the show,” said Edward.
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ATP: THE COMMUNITY ATP’s month’s worth of set-building, lighting and audio designing, and cue-coordinating culminated in an hour-and-a-half long production of Romeo and Juliet. Together, the students of ATP— alongside the Bishop’s actors— ensured that Romeo and Juliet left the audience feeling as if they’ve spent a few hours in Verona, rather than simply watching it. But for many reasons, this play marked a special and sentimental moment for many in the Bishop’s theatre community. Apart from the production’s notable set arrangements, Romeo and Juliet will be the last of the plays in TPAC for five ATP seniors and for Ms. Flanagan, who will be retiring at the end of this year. “I really like the community I have been surrounded by the past several years,” said Sofia Reynoso (‘18). “A lot of us seniors have been together teching shows since eighth grade, so I think it’s really cool now to look back on all of the projects we’ve done together. And I think that’s why Romeo and Juliet seemed extra special, because it’s one of our last projects for this group of seniors.” Most of these seniors have helped produce over twenty different shows since the eighth grade, when many discovered the theatre tech team through the Musical Theatre 8 (MT8) course. Since then, these students have worked their way up to the Advanced Theater Production level. And it’s not all been easy. According to Sofia, the group has been led under the guidance of three different teachers in four years alone, which became “challenging at times” for the members but, nonetheless, brought the community closer.
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ARTS
EVAN PENG: THROUGH HIS LOOKING GLASS Emma Oliver
When did you start taking photos? When I was little, maybe starting around the age of six6-ish, I would always take my dad’s fancy DSLR while on family trips and just mess around with it, taking pictures of whatever. And then it was really mostly a side hobby thing that I just enjoyed doing until my NGSE trip to Iceland, when it really sunk in that maybe this is something I can really do. What is your favorite subject matter to photograph? I used to do more landscapes, but I think that’s mostly because I was scared of approaching and taking pictures of people. Don’t get me wrong, I still feel weird when photographing people, but I’m less afraid now, and so I guess the answer to this question is just people in general, but more “street
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photography” style, meaning, essentially, candids of strangers. I personally think having people in a picture make for a more interesting shot and a better story. (Not that a good landscape isn’t appreciated from time to time.) What do you think about when you are taking photos? Honestly? Just things like why is it sooooo dark and please don’t move please don’t move. Sometimes I do wish I thought about things more in the moment because often I’ll look back on pictures and be frustrated because it would have been better at a slightly different angle or slightly zoomed out or with a slightly smaller aperture or what have you.
Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
Is there a uniting theme or message that you would like your work to communicate? I just want to tell human stories and show the vastness of human culture and civilization. What kind of thoughts or feelings do you hope your pieces evoke in their viewers? I hope my pictures make people want to travel! And that doesn’t even necessarily mean travel far! Traveling anywhere (even within the United States) is an amazing experience, and you learn things about the world and about yourself that you wouldn’t have otherwise. And I hope my pictures can convey a little bit of the feeling of wherever the photo was taken without having to travel, and also give off a feeling of beckoning that will inspire the viewer to see the place for themselves. What does your work mean to you? My work means a lot to me. As I wrote in my artist’s statement, “I fell in love with photography because it fills many of the inadequacies of language in communicating. Language is finite; photography is not—it conveys true stories, true emotions. With a picture, the story of a moment in time can be told without a single word.” What does your creative process look like? Do you plan what you will photograph or do you decide candidly? It’s mostly in-the-moment stuff, as most of my work is documentary photography. I find it hard to photograph models (which is more often than not my sister making me take pictures of her) just because I then have to direct the model to do things and pose in certain ways, which is odd for me. So yeah, most of my pictures are spontaneous things that just catch my eye and beg to be captured.
ocation: Bumthang, Bhutan ; When: 2017
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ou cannot choose when you become inspired. For Evan Peng (‘18), a look into National Geographic writer and photojournalist Ford Cochran’s life was enough push him further towards a path of photography. Cochran visited Bishop’s in 2016 to speak about his career, life as a journalist, and to describe a program offered to students— National Geographic Student Expeditions (NGSE). The following summer, Evan was off to Iceland with Cochran and a bevy of high school students from all over. One year later, Evan decided to go on another NGSE summer trip with student Dory Bertics (‘18). “As we were trying to pick a destination, one in particular jumped out at both of us: Bhutan. We both thought it would be such a cool place to go, somewhere that not many people can say they’ve been,” Evan said regarding his decision to go to Bhutan. There, Evan worked with active National Geographic photographers, “this time getting to focus more on the story-telling aspect of photography— as Iceland had been more about figuring out the technical aspect.” And it’s true; Evan’s photography truly does tell a story. These stories adorned the Manchester Library stairs from mid-January to the first of March. Evan was the fourth senior artist to be featured in the library this year, but the first photographer.
ARTS
Title: Modern Monkhood ; Location: Bumthang, Bhutan ; When: 2017
Who or what has inspired you in your artistic pursuits? The person who has inspired me most would be Andrew Evans, who was the National Geographic Expert on my trip to Bhutan. He is a writer for National Geographic, and he really inspired me with his knowledge of the industry and his personal story of how he worked his way up to where he is now. He also taught me a lot about how to tell stories, which is really the crux of what I try to do with my photography.
Do you see yourself continuing photography as a career? The answer to this question is a little complicated… The straight-up answer to the question would be yes, I do see myself continuing photography as a career. But the long answer is more along the lines of kind of. Let me explain. My absolute dream job/goal is to become a photographer/writer for National Geographic (or at least something close—I’d love to work for The New York Times too, for example). But I don’t want to study journalism or photography in college. Instead, I’m
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looking at maybe linguistics or political science, and the reason why is because I want to develop an expertise in one area, so when it comes time for work, I’ll have a specialty if the editors ever need to call on someone knowledgeable in some area. Plus my current pipe dream is: study linguistics, do field research on preserving languages on the brink of extinction, get noticed by National Geographic, and write about my work for them. But, you know, that has a low probability of happening. Sometimes you gotta dream though.
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CULTURE
WHEN CAMELOT CAME TO BISHOP’S Isabelle Kenagey
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A young Caroline Kennedy with her mother and father at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, MA.
n February 1, 2018, Camelot came to Bishop’s. This year, Bishop’s Endowed Scholar-in-Residence program brought Ambassador Caroline Kennedy to campus for two days, during which she spoke to the community and interacted with students. As the only surviving child of John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy, and the former ambassador to Japan, Kennedy was one of Bishop’s most notable visitors in many years. Kennedy spent the majority of her first day teaching mock court cases on the first amendment to several history classes. She also had lunch with a small group of middle schoolers and ended the day by giving an evening talk to the greater Bishop’s community including parents, alumni, and board members.
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On Friday, Kennedy continued to converse with history classes and delivered a speech at an all school assembly. She later had lunch with a group of upper school students during which the discussion flowed between participants and explored topics such as the experience of being both Japanese and Korean with the complicated history of those two countries. Caroline Kennedy was born in New York City in 1957, three years before her father took office. Her early life was spent in the Kennedys’ Georgetown residence and the White House. In her all school assembly, Kennedy mentioned that her mother “always thought our years in the White House were our happiest because we were all together.” Kennedy most certainly lived an idyllic early childhood, playing un-
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der her father’s Oval Office desk and riding her pony through the White House gardens. Kennedy fondly recalled memories of her father multiple times during her stay at Bishop’s, saying, “My father used to make up bedtime stories where I would choose the characters and he would make up the story around my characters.” However, after her father’s assassination, Kennedy’s life was dramatically altered. The Kennedy family moved out of Washington to the Upper East Side of New York City where Caroline began attending school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart. An audience member at Kennedy’s evening talk and former Bishop’s staff member, Gloria Baker, was an upper school student at the Convent when Caroline was in the lower school. She
CULTURE
Caroline Kennedy takes a selfie with Schuyler Capita (‘21) during the Upper School luncheon on Friday, February 2nd.
recalled, “I would read Caroline books and she particularly loved the Madeline books. She also had a secret service agent that all the upper school girls had a crush on. He followed Caroline everywhere and we followed him everywhere.” Even after leaving the White House, Kennedy lived her entire childhood in the spotlight and still does so today in her adult life. As a published author, editor, attorney, ambassador, and spokesperson for her family, Kennedy is always busy. In most of her speeches, Kennedy discussed the multiple branches of her career. She discussed her family, lighting up when mentioning “Uncle Bobby” or “Teddy,” and her career, explaining Japan’s position in the world and her view into the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Following
that, she also described her work with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, her views on the Bill of Rights, and gave vague, polite comments of the current political situation. If Kennedy had any one message, though, it would be one about service, specifically public service. As she said, “Young people are more and more eager to do community service but they don’t view politics as the same thing. They seem to associate it with something not as pure.” She encouraged young people, especially women, to invest themselves in politics. Kennedy emphasized the humanity of our political leaders and attempted to display politics as well-intentioned, honest business—a difficult thing to do in a country where the FBI is investigating the current administra-
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tion. I, for one, found Kennedy’s call to service inspiring. Our system needs more invested, educated young people and Kennedy tried to introduce that idea to our community. Other students, like Vi Kristic (‘18) agreed: “Caroline Kennedy’s speech was inspiring for me to hear as a young woman. I found everything she said to be compelling, and I’m really grateful I go to a school that provides opportunities like this.” Caroline Kennedy’s visit to Bishop’s was undoubtedly a great opportunity to not only hear about the Kennedy family and the inside world of politics but also to contemplate the idea of investing oneself in public service. Kennedy’s speeches were poised, at times funny, and fascinating. Her stay at Bishop’s will not be soon forgotten.
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CULTURE $.I.R., YA HEARD? Collin Douglas
8 Mile,
a 2002 movie roughly based on the life of rapper Marshall Mathers (commonly known as Eminem) brought the world of underground rap, battle rapping, and diss tracking to the big screen. A group of pubescent sophomores have transported the swagger and finesse of the rap game to the Bishop’s campus. Zach White (‘20), Kellen Hobson (‘20), Clarence Freeman (‘20), Connor Killian (‘20), Ethan Franco (‘20), and Parviz Henderson (‘20), the minds behind $.I.R. (an acronym for “Striking It Rich,” and yes, that’s a dollar sign), have released a total of three songs on SoundCloud, a music sharing website and app that is home to many blossoming rappers. Currently, they have over 15,000 plays on their channel. Over the summer, the group Royal Jawn, which included Jack Scoma (‘20), Jack Hardy (‘20), and Chase LaDrido (‘20) (and not the names above), decided to try their luck in the music world. Each member brought mics and recording equipment to Zach’s house, but the group soon disintegrated and was later replaced with the names above. From the ashes of Royal Jawn rose $.I.R. With a simple beat and a hard flow, the White House became a Trap House. “No Issues,” their debut single, dropped this fall. While it gained instant popularity, rapidly reaching 10k plays and notability at both Bishop’s and Torrey Pines High School, teachers and parents “were not particularly thrilled about the vulgar language,” as Zach put it. The song had not yet been out for a full month by the time $.I.R. made the collective decision to remove it from their SoundCloud profile. “This [re-
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The cover for the group’s most recent single “Talkin’ Bout” is an orignal photo, taken by Zach White (‘20).
action] definitely changed the way we rapped going foward,” said Kellen. “We didn’t want to offend anyone.” Since this hiccup, $.I.R. has released “Watch Out,” a slower, lyrically driven piece and its antithesis, “Talkin Bout,” an upbeat track with a vibey rhythm, both racking in over 3.5k plays individually. “My greatest inspiration is just my mood,” said Zach. “If I’m all mad, then I’ll make a beat that represents what I’m feeling, but if I’m feeling lit, well then I’m going to make a lit beat.” The group spans far beyond the production talent of Zach. “Everyone is so important to the group,” he said about his rapping comrades. “Even if some of us don’t rap on all the songs, we are always
SONGS:
•“Talkin Bout,” 4k plays, 86 likes •“Watch Out,” 4k PLAYS, 81 likes •“No Issues,” ROUGHLY 10K PLAYS
Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
CULTURE together and always give valuable input.” Some individuals certainly shine brighter than the rest in the music itself. Most songs are dominated lyrically by Zach, Clarence, and Connor, but Ethan is a self-proclaimed “big supporter,” and after the first song, Kellen “realized rapping really wasn’t for [him].” With each new release comes a new batch of haters; a frequent topic of “roast” for $.I.R. is their lack of proximity to many of their lyrics. “We aren’t going to rap about trying to get good grades or wanting to go to a good college,” and “we can’t rap about the suburban life” said Kellen and Ethan, respectively. “Rappers flex or talk about things they don’t do all the time, so why can’t we, who consider ourselves rappers, do the same?” added Parviz. “We know our place and we don’t necessarily mean all the things we say, but in the end it’s just entertainment. Don’t overanalyze everything; just enjoy the music.” As with any new trend, mimicry is sure to follow. Legion, another recognizable rap group on campus, falls into this category, at least according to
$.I.R., and Zach in particular. “If it weren’t for us they wouldn’t be rapping at all. It’s simple. We started the wave.” This debate over whodid-what-first spread beyond simple trash talk, however, leading to a chain of “diss tracks,” most notably between “Steezelouise” (Chris Lee ‘18) and a final, devastating clapback by “Wocho” (Zach White). Legion declined to be interviewed about this topic and unfortunately, the contents of these diss tracks are too savage to be discussed in a school newspaper. Both groups, however, have moved on from this sequence, and are even rumored to be releasing a
“IF I’M ALL MAD, THEN I’LL MAKE A BEAT THAT REPRESENTS WHAT I’M FEELING, BUT IF I’M FEELING LIT, WELL THEN I’M GOING TO MAKE A LIT BEAT.” ZACH WHITE (‘20) collab track later this year. While no one, even $.I.R.’s members themselves, knows specifically their plan for future songs, Kellen says there’s one thing for certain: “they’ll all be slappers.”
The cover art for $.I.R.’s singles, “Watch Out” (middle) and “No Issues” (right).
Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
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CULTURE S(EE) YA
Annie Zeigler
D
espite the common assumption, spending time abroad during your academic career is not reserved for the college bucket list. Students heading into their sophomore, junior, or senior years from 42 independent high schools across the country have the yearly opportunity to apply to School Year Abroad (SYA). For the year-long program, SYA now offers four locations: China, France, Italy, and Spain. Founded by affiliates from Phillips Academy, Phillips Exeter Academy, and St. Paul’s School, SYA opened in 1964 with its first class. Eleven high school boys and an advisor traveled to Spain to begin the SYA legacy. Now, in the 2017-18 school year, about 200 students (girls and boys), the majority of which are juniors, participate in the program. Bishop’s officially joined SYA as an affiliate school in 2009, though students had gone abroad through the program in previous years. Ms. Gretchen Gleason, Head of College Counseling, said, “It was an administrative decision to join in order to promote and support the global education initiatives that we hoped to provide to students in order to build a global community of learners.” In terms of the college process, students can go about testing and applying in nearly the same way as they would in the states. SYA administers Advanced Placement tests, the PSAT, and the SAT (but not the ACT) in each respective country. Seniors communicate with their counselors over email and Skype and apply electronically to colleges as they would at home. For meetings in person, there is a counselor in every country for SYA students. The program boasts high SAT scores from their students and, in the
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past five years, plenty of college acceptances. Since 2012, the five universities with the highest number of SYA students include New York University, Brown University, Georgetown University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Chicago.
“I WAS IN A FIVE YEAR RUT, SINCE SEVENTH GRADE. BUT HERE, WHILE THERE IS ROUTINE SCHOOL, EVERYDAY WE’RE DOING SOMETHING NEW AND MAKING GREAT MEMORIES.” Current senior and student at SYA Italy, ziara Jackson (‘18) applied to the program because she found her life at Bishop’s becoming too monotonous. “I was in a five year rut, since seventh grade. Wake up at six. Take the bus. Go to my classes. Sports. Study and do homework. Sleep and study and stress some more. Repeat,” she explained. “But here, while there is routine school, everyday we’re doing something new and making great memories. On Wednesdays we have ‘field work days,’ where we don’t have school, travel to neighboring towns, and do fun tasks like cheese tasting or sightseeing.” SYA has created a curriculum in each location that combines basic, required classes with out-of-the-box courses that are especially relevant to the surrounding culture. Kiara takes classes like English, math, and Italian, but her favorite course is agroecology, which focuses on topics such as sustainability, food production, and food science. “We have our own garden and cook with the ingredients,” Kiara added. “We’ve made our own bruschetta,
Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
pizza, bread, cheese, [and] wine.” Justine Whitesell (‘18) currently lives in China, and especially appreciates her newfound freedom. “The teachers want you to have enough time to go out and explore, and learning a language well definitely requires talking to local people, so homework doesn’t get piled on and you can actually have a life that isn’t limited to weekends. I’d pretty much call SYA the opposite of Bishop’s.” Rather than staying in dorms or a boarding school, students are assigned host families with the intention of truly mixing and merging cultures. Although students planning to attend the programs in France or Spain must have at least “level II” capabilities, experience with Chinese or Italian isn’t required. Kiara found that she picked up the language rather quickly. “[Learning Italian] was really difficult at first, and still is, but I’m learning more every day. Learning Italian in Italy rather than learning Italian in a classroom via textbook is so much more effective, especially for someone like myself who struggles with foreign languages,” she said. Joining SYA doesn’t necessarily mean you’re limited to visiting one country, either. “I planned a trip with a classmate I hardly knew at the beginning of the year to go to backpacking in Vietnam and Cambodia for winter break,” said Justine. “Recently, my host family just took me to Malaysia and I am now in Bali.” Justine ventured to China expecting an entirely new world, but instead experienced five. Although the 2018-19 school year deadline has already passed, it’s never too early to begin planning, or, in this case, mustering the courage to try something new.
CULTURE
(Top) Kiara Jackson (‘18) spends time walking from place to place with her new SYA classmates in Viterbo, Italy. (Bottom) Kiara and an SYA friend stand outside of the Colosseum.
Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
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CULTURE TO BISHOP’S AND BEYOND Maya Minagawa
History and economics teacher Mrs. Emily Smith planned to move to Australia for a year after her husband received a job opportunity in Sydney in 2008. As it turned out, she loved it so much she stayed for four. She worked first as a substitute teacher, then assumed a permanent teaching position at an all-girls school. In Australia, completing school through twelfth grade is not necessarily the norm. While the majority do, the Sydney Morning Herald writes that nearly one in four students do not complete high school. Completing school earns you a special academic award, the Higher School Certificate (HSC). Mrs. Smith’s teaching experience in Sydney starkly contrasted with the project-based, student run environment at the Quaker School in New York, where she had previously taught. Where Mrs. Smith taught in Australia, lecture and rote memorization was the favored teaching style. Students weren’t accustomed to questioning and investigating the material they were given, as we often do at Bishop’s — they just absorbed and regurgitated information. The difference in teaching style was part of the reason Mrs. Smith wanted to teach in America again; she wanted to innovate, to create, to return to teaching the way that suited her best.
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Scanned by CamScanner
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tepping out of the airport after an exhausting international flight, you probably want nothing more than to shower. Or nap. Or, more likely, both. But after your trek through an unfamiliar airport, looking out the window of your taxi—or Uber, or shuttle—you realize you’re not only entering a different country, but a different culture, way of life and way of learning. That was certainly the case for three Bishop’s teachers when teaching and living in different countries around the world throughout their teaching careers.
English teacher Ms. Morgan Lloyd’s passion for teaching was reignited during her time living in New Zealand, a move partly motivated by her love of Lord of the Rings. She too faced an adjustment period after moving, one of her daily struggles being deciphering the Kiwi accent. Besides learning which vowels New Zealand natives switch out for others, Ms. Lloyd noted the cultural differences between New Zealand and the United States, especially with Bishop’s. Everything is very “Go! Go! Go!” in the US, but the Kiwis live very much in the present, taking time to experience life, not passively letting it pass them by. Ms. Lloyd said, “One of the biggest things I learned, that I try to incorporate not only into classes but into daily life, is slow down. You don’t have to be busy all the time; it’s not a badge of honor.” During Ms. Lloyd’s time spent in the real world’s Middle Earth, she worked in a restaurant at the base of Mount Ngauruhoe, otherwise known as Mount Doom. While she enjoyed her work there and loved the change of pace from the classroom, she realized how much she loved and missed teaching. Her role reversal-esque experience, going from accomplished teacher to learning new skills at the restaurant, impacted her methods of teaching when she returned to the States. “I really like to look at my students here as teachers as well, both in how they can teach one another, and of course with our discussions, I get taught new things every day,” Ms. Lloyd added.
Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
CULTURE “ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I LEARNED, THAT I TRY TO INCORPORATE NOT ONLY INTO CLASSES BUT INTO DAILY LIFE IS, SLOW DOWN. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE BUSY ALL THE TIME; IT’S NOT A BADGE OF HONOR.” MS. LLOYD
Another Bishop’s member who has spent ample time learning and teaching abroad, French teacher Mme. Rikke Sommer grew up in Denmark, and following high school lived in Sweden and France before moving to the United States. One of the main differences she picked up on throughout her many travels was the difference between European and American teaching style. Europeans, she said,
learn all of of the basic topics in high school, and spend their time in university focusing solely on the subject they will study in the future. “The big difference between the U.S. and Europe was that you didn’t have any sort of core classes to start with that you would take as an undergrad. Right away, I studied French Literature. That’s what my undergrad was, just French,” she said. In America, on the other hand, it is not uncommon for college students to change their majors throughout their time in university, (according to the National Center for Education Statistics, up to 30% of American college students change their major at least once within the first three years of enrollment) and also take a multitude of prerequisite classes before devoting their studies solely to one topic. Having the life altering experience of living abroad takes the world you know and twists and flips it upside down in ways you could never have imagined. Delving into a new culture can open your eyes to a plethora of new ideas and world views and help you discover your passion. Mrs. Smith’s final comment simply summed up the challenging yet rewarding experience that was her time abroad, “It’s hard [at first], but then it’s awesome. I think everyone should do it at some point in their lives.”
Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
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OPINION (NO) STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Amy Carlyle
D
on’t treat people like numbers; council, National Honor Society, cap- la, they also lose the motivation to purlearn all of their names. taining the football or volleyball teams, sue individual interests outside of the I heard these words and joining a dozen other student or- checklist — why should they, if the Ivys in the fall of seventh grade. I was with ganizations. Of course, that isn’t to say don’t care? In the words of Boston Colthe Middle School Associated Student that a 4.0 with a raft of AP classes isn’t lege associate professor of Education Body Council (MSASKaren Arnold, “we are BC) at a conference rewarding conformiwith all of the ASBCs ty and the willingness in San Diego. As our to go along with the first speaker of the day system.” Compliance “When you look at the took the stage, talking over creativity. about important du A formulastudies of ties of a student leader, ic life is tedious and college-bound kids he said them. dull, full of the same with high GPAs, the The room beclasses, same extracame silent. That, he curriculars, and same picture is not rosy. said, is the most imhobbies as every other It’s a portrait of portant thing a leader high-achieving stuchronic stress and should do. Years later, dent in America, not reminded of his words to mention the same sleep deprivation, after uncovering an amount of stress, acpressure and old seventh grade cumulated over years depression — not one notebook, I find them of perfection-seeking. impactful, but in a dif This recipe’s of passionate and ferent way than he indemands are nearly joyful learners.” tended. impossible to fulfill, Numbers yet students are dedefine our culture at voted to succeeding, - Dr. Christine Carter Bishop’s: test scores, despite the ensuing weighted classes takstress, commonly en, GPAs, community leading to difficulty service hours earned, sleeping, irritability, AP exam scores, varsichest pain, frequent ty sports played—the headaches, stomach list goes on. still essential. Do all of that and you’ll aches, and trouble focusing, along with David Graham of The Atlan- get into Harvard, right?” other lifelong health consequences, actic claims students believe they have Maybe, Graham argues, but it cording to the American Academy of discovered the “perfect recipe” for Ivy certainly won’t help you after you get in. Pediatrics. League acceptance, that they think a This recipe accounts for tangible goals, “When you look at the studies standard checklist will guarantee them but fails to include some of the most in- of college-bound kids with high GPAs, dream-school admission: “The conven- tegral parts of life — happiness, creativ- the picture is not rosy. It’s a portrait of tional wisdom is that keeping your head ity, relationships. While academics are chronic stress and sleep deprivation, down in the single-minded pursuit of undoubtedly important, so are personal pressure and depression—not one of qualifications is the path to success … goals and values, if not to a school, at passionate and joyful learners,” wrote Every hour not spent in class is spent least to the grand scheme of life. Dr. Christine Carter for the University building a formidable resume: student As students follow this formu- of California, Berkeley.
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Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
OPINION Those who cannot tolerate the stress are often driven to alleviate it by resorting to less-than-moral habits such as cheating, something the OC Register claims is not only an epidemic in Orange County’s high schools, but high schools across the country, both private and public. A 2016 Tower survey on the subject noted that around 60% of Bishop’s upper school students have cheated, 30% of which felt no guilt over their actions; many blamed their cheating on the immense pressure to maintain high GPAs despite overwhelming coursework and schedules. This massive pressure can be attributed to students themselves, who often work to the point of exhaustion in the name of academic success. However, colleges and universities must own their share of the blame; many schools use the College Board Search Service to encourage unprepared students to apply, a ploy to lower acceptance rates and paint themselves in the allure of prestige. No wonder Gen Z is labelled the ‘Most Stressed Generation in America’. Despite it being well-intended, student GPA-anxiety is toxic both at Bishop’s and beyond. How can we move beyond it? I think the best way to over-
come this hurdle is, ironically, to think about how following this formula helps us in life. Sure, it might make you appear a more well-rounded or capable student to a college, but has little to do
with other aspects of life. What matters to a person’s identity are internally-motivated pursuits, no matter what they are. We are instructed over and over again to learn more about ourselves and do things that interest us — Be unique! Learning about the artificial, 5.0 genius that we so desperately want to become on our transcripts will only leave us lost later on, wondering who we are and what we could have
Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
enjoyed in high school had we taken the time to view ourselves for what we truly are: individuals, not designed to conform to a single standard. Reporter Lane Wallace wrote for The Atlantic: “The big challenge in life isn’t being the best at taking tests. It’s figuring out how to be a whole, integrated, happy and healthy human, throughout all the events life asks you to handle along the way. And grade point average has very little to do with that … .Knowing how to pick yourself up after failure and learn something from it, it turns out, is far more important than being such a wonderful success in the first place.” So as we move forward this year, boosting our numbers before entering college, high school, or simply the next grade level, think about yourself. What defines you as a person in a way that cannot be quantified? There is a lot that a transcript can disclose, but even more it cannot. Don’t treat yourself like a number; learn what else makes up your name.
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OPINION SCARED SILENT David Brewer
I
n 1990, Richard Bernstein of the New York Times published the article “The Rising Hegemony of the Politically Correct.” With this, Bernstein popularized the term “Politically Correct” (PC), kickstarting the modern debate over PC culture. Over the past two decades, the PC movement has swept the country. The PC movement advocates for the elimination of words and actions that could be interpreted as offensive to an individual or group of individuals. The desire for fewer people to feel ostracized or judged by society is rooted in very understandable and admirable intentions. However, PC culture often results in unnecessary sensitivity and a fear of expressing honest viewpoints. This fear perpetrates silence. I, and many others in the Bishop’s community, find it hard to even talk about current events. I am often scared to share my opinions because I have watched students berate and name-call my peers
for sharing their relatively moderate views. On campus and elsewhere, as soon as a group of people start talking about gender, race, or politics, everyone’s guard goes up. “In class, I often find myself not expressing my viewpoints because I fear that I might be judged or called insensitive. The expectation to always be politically correct makes it more challenging to express how I actually feel,” said senior Kelsey Chodorow. Most people with moderate or conservative viewpoints are afraid to discuss these topics. That, in itself, is an issue. Discussion is the best way for different groups to understand each other and better develop their own ideas. Our society will suffer if these discussions are inhibited. Being politically correct originally meant to avoid being offensive, but now, it feels as though you can’t say anything that could be twisted into something offensive. “People hide from things they don’t agree with by calling hem offensive. School is for challenging viewpoints and learning about other’s perspectives, not for hiding from things
that scare us,” said senior Matt Buckley. One of the greatest aspects of this country is the freedom to discuss ideas, to compare opinions, and to engage in intellectual debates about controversial beliefs. However, I often feel uncomfortable sharing my views. I view myself as an independent. I would have voted for Barack Obama in 2008, Mitt Romney in 2012, and Hillary Clinton in 2016 if I had the chance. Despite my social viewpoints being far from conservative, publishing this article gives me pause. I fear that by taking a stance against some aspects of the left, I will be framed as a member of the far right. To me, it feels as though most of our generation has been taught that no one is permitted to hurt our feelings and that anything that upsets us is wrong. It’s as if anything that provokes an emotional reaction is framed as offensive and that being offensive is a punishable crime. This tendency is unbelievably detrimental to society. We cannot expect the world to always cater to us. At some point, our generation will have to move out of the safe spaces of our homes and schools and into the real world.
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Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
OPINION In December of 2015, Jeannie Suk, a professor at Harvard University, wrote an article for The New Yorker about how Harvard students asked law professors to stop teaching rape law. In the article, Suk references a particular student who requested that the word “violate” not be used because it caused other students discomfort. Unfortunately, our legal system must address rape and our future lawyers must know the laws and prosecuting strategies that come with it in order to protect people from real harm. Without our attorneys understanding rape law, we cannot prosecute rapists, and will end up with a larger number of rapists running free. Because of our fragility, we turned the term “trigger warning” from a way to describe a veteran who may have PTSD and be susceptible to traumatic flashbacks into a way to avoid ideas that make us uncomfortable. On some college campuses, such as Rutgers University and University of Michigan, professors were asked to warn students that they may be triggered by the misogyny present inThe Great Gatsby. Misogyny is present in students’ day to day lives and prevalent throughout our country’s past. Shielding students from the realities of history and the real
world is not the job of universities. Learning about the history of misogyny in American culture and discussing its presence in classic literature is something that has intense value; shying away from a book out of fear of being “triggered” is not. Adulthood demands intellectual engagement with people and ideas, even if we find them insensitive or wrong. In many places of learning, this engagement with things that make us anxious and uncomfortable is dissipating. Take comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Larry the Cable Guy, Chris Rock, and others who all refuse to perform on college campuses out fear of backlash from millennials. In a recent interview with Colin Cowherd, Seinfeld said, “I don’t play colleges, because I hear a lot of people tell me not to go near them. And that they’re so PC.” Seinfeld went on to say, “My daughter is 14. My wife says to her, ‘Well, you know, in the next couple of years, I think maybe you’re going to want to hang around the city more on weekends so you can see boys.’ You know what my daughter says? ‘That’s sexist.’ [Kids] just want to use these words. ‘That’s racist. That’s sexist. That’s prejudice.’ They don’t even know what they’re talking about.” His daughter, like many of us have been trained to
expect the worst of intentions and to search for (likely inadvertent) offensiveness. “Frankly it seems this is sort of an inevitable movement toward people increasingly expecting physical comfort and intellectual comfort in their lives,” said Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a nonprofit group that advocates free speech. “It is only going to get harder to teach people that there is a real important and serious value to being offended. Part of that is talking about deadly serious and uncomfortable subjects.” Granted, genuinely sexist, racist, or prejudice comments and actions are prevalent in this country, and there is value in pointing out these aspects of society. However, by overdoing it, calling something offensive or insensitive has become trivial. Saying “I’m offended” and being “triggered ” has been mocked in day to day conversation as well as in countless memes online. The prevalence and often baffling use of these terms have, in many cases, turned them into a joke. The movement is working against itself. The rising culture of not being able to openly debate issues that are critically important to our society will without a doubt hurt us in the long run. The sooner we learn to cope with the existence of viewpoints we don’t agree with the better.
ALLY CORRECT Issue 06 • March 2018 • The Tower
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The Bell
Nestled inside the Bishop Johnson Tower is a bell. Though tucked away from view and hardly ever rung, everyone knows it is there. The bell has become a prize to find — students have attempted to reach the top of the tower for decades. The Tower has its very own bell; though not mysterious and more easily accessible, it aims to stir the same excitement as the physical bell. Home to lighter news and satire alike—such as Top Ten, Bachelor/Bachelorette, and Who Wore it Better—the Bell intends to serve as a relief from the depth of the magazine and bring joy to the Bishop’s community.
What Your Uniform Shoes Say About You PLATFORM SHOES
CHECKERED VANS
#edgy “Not like other girls” Vertically challenged
Indecisive They’ve seen those all-school emails but just don’t care Assumes they’re invited to everything
Has had the shoes since seventh grade; possibly afraid of change Gets along with most people Can hang
We get it; you voted for Trump. Probably owns a boat Dad in a law, finance, or real estate
CONVERSE
VELCRO VANS
Basic at heart but wants people to think they’re a little wild Possibly a toddler VSCO’s all their photos
SPERRYS
HIGH TOPS
Rule Breaker Doesn’t take Spanish Listens to Frank Ocean
FLATS
REGULAR VANS
Probably a middle schooler Super classy Does all their homework
NIKES
Preparing for dadhood or is a dad Owns a grill and cooks a mean steak
Listens to Drake Surfed once Owns only black skinny jeans “Athletic” Always prepared Values comfort above all
NEW BALANCES
Mozes Mooney (‘18)
Bishopians Seen Reading T h e To w e r
Matthew Ai (‘20), Kasey Harvey (‘20), Catherine Stuart-Chaffoo (‘20), Sheridan Spain (‘20)
Ashlyn Hunter (‘22)
Milo Kiddugavu (‘22), Paul Madany (‘22)
Elisabeth Holm (‘21)
Kelsey Chodorow (‘18)
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Ask Liv
What advice would you give to your younger self? - Elisabeth Holm ‘21
Oh, man. Tricky, tricky, tricky. Besides the basics (don’t spray paint trees at school, don’t park in visitor parking, don’t forget to return library computers, and don’t wear your pajamas to school when you have Spanish), I’m stuck. There are plenty of other life lessons I could suggest, but for the sake of not ending my Bishop’s career ¾ of the way through, I will refrain from elaborating on “the untold stories of a Bishop’s student.” Regardless, I strongly advise that you make the most of your time at Bishop’s. I know it sounds cliché, but this year I had a revelation about how important it is to find your people, be nice to everyone, and build genuine relationships with your teachers and peers. At Bishop’s, there is an endless amount of pressure to succeed and reach perfection, causing many of us to stay within our comfort zones through various activities. So, to fully take advantage of Bishop’s opportunities, I urge you to try a new sport, audition for a play, take advantage of the snack bar, and use the library (just don’t forget your laptop is in your backpack and take it home with you…)! Academics are important, but it’s also key that you explore yourself and your interests. I have found that Bishop’s students consume themselves with schoolwork and lose themselves in it. Yes, school is important, but it is also a necessity to have a life outside of our lovely school.
Where will you be in 20 years? - Anonymous
Since I’m seventeen, and seventeen plus twenty is thirty-seven, you are asking about thirty-seven-yearold Liv. It’s much easier for me to tell you what I don’t want— like going to jail, Arkansas, or summer camp. I feel like that’s a good start. Hopefully, I’ll come back to my twenty-year high school reunion with my newly reconstructed nose, rollin’ into Bishop’s in my G-Wagon, flaunting the Ben Franklins I have stored in my pocket, because that would be so original! On a serious note, yes, I am planning on graduating both college and high school (calm down, Mom), but I have no idea what I want to do after that. Despite the ongoing pressure to have my life figured out and do everything I can to set myself up for a satisfactory life, I am learning to embrace uncertainty. By 37, I could be a single mom raising three kids, an orthopedic surgeon, the Lady Wolf of Wall Street, Kim Kardashian, or married and living on a farm in Wyoming. I’m relying on myself to figure that out along the way and hope to be happy with whoever I become.
How do you mix school, sports and social life? - Anonymous Honestly, it’s challenging. For a while I felt that I had to sacrifice my grades to excel in sports and maintain a fun social life. During the week, I come home from school and sports practice just to sit in bed and binge-watch Breaking Bad (what’s homework?); on the weekends, I spend most of the day with friends, leaving my brother to fall ill to only-child syndrome. Back to the point, I remember giving up on school freshman year. Growing up I had always been compared to my older sister, Julia, who is “amazing” in my parent’s book, even though I got the looks and the better personality (*hair flip*). If Julia wasn’t playing soccer or getting ahead on homework, she was pulling many all-nighters to perfect her essay. She even spent New Year’s Eve finishing college applications. She was driven, which is an admirable quality (I’m not bashing on you, sis), but she never left that much time to create a social life. I saw how she spent her time and the confirmation she received from my parents, and decided to take off in a completely different direction. My parents had it easy with Julia, to say the least. The “new” Liv started focusing on friends and slowly saw her grades plummet. Moral of the story, there isn’t really a single piece of advice I can give you to help balance all of these, because it’s never going to be completely balanced. If you like a class, you will want to do well in it; if you are passionate about a sport, you will devote more time to it; and if you are a social animal (we all know you are, Ryan), than channel your inner social lioness! So, to be 100% honest, I don’t mix school, sports and social life well… at all. I just go with the flow and do whatever I feel like doing (all responsible things, of course).
Top Ten
Ways to Maximize Misery
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Get rejected from all your “safety” schools
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Go to Hammer Prep. Or just buy an ACT/SAT prep book.
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Sit at the lunch tables & get caught with all the plates your friends left.
Enroll in AP Euro
Study the Naviance scattergrams.
Take a 5 hour “power nap” after school and wake up at 11 to start your homework.
78 9
Spend your four day weekend on college tours.
Lift next to someone stronger than you... and younger.
Getting one point less on a test than the person that annoys you.
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Download Fortnite (and go directly to Tilted Towers).
the
Tow e r photo credits ~Front Cover: photo courtesy of Evan Peng (‘18) ~Table of Contents (Page 4-5): David Brewer (‘18) ~What We Talk About When We Talk About Language (Page 6-7): Sara Michael (‘19) ~Evan Peng: Through His Looking Glass (Page 8-9): Evan Peng (‘18) ~Behind The Scenes: The Makers of Romeo and Juliet (Page 10-11): Emma Oliver (‘18) ~Bishop’s Best: D.J. (Page 12-13): Harper White (‘21) ~When Camelot Came to Bishop’s (Page 14-15): photo courtesy of bishops.com and flickr.com ~$IR, Ya Heard? (Page 16): photo courtesy of Zach White (‘20) ~S(ee)YA (Page 17-18): photo courtesy of Kiara Jackson (‘18) ~To Bishop’s and Beyond (Page 19-20): Maya Minagawa (‘20) ~(No) Strength in Numbers (Page 23-24): Amy Carlyle (‘20) ~The Bell (Page 25): David Brewer (‘18) ~Bishopians Reading the Tower (Page 27): Amy Carlyle
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“The Fairy Wall,” Akureyri, Iceland; 2016; By Evan Peng (‘18)
“The Fairy Wall,” Akureyri,