Issue 06 2023

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 Campus, Arts, Sports, Culture, Local & Beyond, Opinion, and The Bell. The Tower prints multiple issues each academic year, in addition to continuous online content.

POLICY

The Tower refrains from prior review of its issues, and maintains the right to publish anonymous quotes when the privacy of the individual is a concern. All quotes are subject to editing for clarity and length. Opinions expressed in The Tower do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or of the Bishop’s School.

COLOPHON

The Tower is printed by Streeter Printing Company in Mira Mesa, CA. The Staff uses Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator to arrange photographs and graphics, and distributed 300 copies of Issue 06 to the Bishop’s community. Typefaces include Saonara for the cover; Public Sans for the headlines, bylines, and subtitles; Minion Pro for the body text. Issue 06 and previous issues of The Tower are available digitally on issuu.com.

THE BELL

The Bell is a section of The Tower that intends to serve as a relief from the depth of the magazine. Satire, puzzles, quizzes, and the like are frequent inside The Bell.

CONTRIBUTORS

Editors-in-Chief

Leila Feldman

Crystal Li

GraphicsEditor

Isadora Blatt

Online Editor

Spencer Ralph

StoryEditors

Sydney Chan

Summer Hu

CopyEditor

Bella Gallus

Staff Writers

Nora Bitar

Ben Brown

Camille Greenlee

David Lai

Lucy Marek

Lisa Pan

Emeraude Westlake

Melanie Yau

FacultyAdvisor

Ms. Laine Remignanti

CONTACT

The Tower

c/o The Bishop’s School 7607 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037 www.thebishopstower.com

thetower@bishops.com

IG @thebishopstower

TW @thebishopstower

Featuring art by Grace Sun (‘23)

In her recent art exhibit, Grace Sun (‘23) displayed pieces exploring what it means to be human. Intrigued by the intersection of art and science, she took this showcase as an opportunity to share her interpretations of Mother Earth, emotional ambiguity, and the human condition. “Ultimately, I want people to understand themselves better in the context of my art,” noted Grace.

Website: www.thebishopstower.com

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All members of the Bishop’s community are invited to submit letters to the Editors-in-Chief by visiting our website, www.thebishopstower.com, and clickingonthe‘SubmitLetter’tab.

Dear Bishop’s,

When I first joined The Tower staff, I didn’t understand how publishing works. Specifically, I didn’t understand why my articles weren’t getting published. What I have come to learn, three years later, is that unlike a math class where you will turn in your test either way and your teacher has to grade it, or an English paper that, regardless of how many errors, you will get a grade, any given article doesn’t have to be published.

What separates The Tower from many other other adventures on the Bishop’s campus — and I can say this with a lot of confidence because I’ve tried a lot of different activities — is our standards and our upholding of these standards.

In fact, more often than not, you will write or think of an article that may never come to fruition. In the beginning, this frustrated me to no end — I felt like a hamster on a wheel. I couldn’t understand why the editors didn’t just publish good enough. That’s a trend I see amongst a lot of Tower staff; the writing or reporting can’t be “good enough,” it has to meet all the standards. As I’ve gotten older and have published more articles than I can remember, this attention to detail and drive towards excellence is one of the things I love most about The Tower.

Every issue, every article, every photo, and every last little detail is thought through, discussed, and evaluated. Some may think that we don’t have time for that but as anyone who has been on staff can attest, it is true. This issue is not the exception.

Sydney Chan (‘24), in an editor meeting, described this issue’s theme: “Bam, these are our ideas! Here you go, world!” And we all laughed but none of us disagreed. This issue is one that is thought-provoking and interesting.

With that, I’m really proud to bring you this Issue 06! Lucy Marek (‘25) carefully weighs the harms and benefits of having gendered divisions in award shows, and with the recent wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation, maybe it’s increasingly important to talk about how we see, honor, and respect people.

Looking more broadly at government and the way we have come to understand it, Sydney Chan (‘24) brings you an op-ed about the importance of independent thinking. As well, Ben Brown (‘25) wrote a wonderful op-ed about the importance of transparency in democracy and how, in this modern era, it is an almost impossible goal. David Lai (‘25) – one of our most dedicated writers — contributes an article analyzing using technology before sleep is well-interviewed and thought-provoking.

Love, Leila Feldman Editor-in-Chief

Camille Greenlee

David Lai

Lucy Marek

Photo courtesy of Summer Hu (‘25)

Bella Gallus

THE DARK SIDE OF SPORTS

Why sports culture promotes aggressive behavior in games

Camille Greenlee

In 80 A.D., Emperor Titus challenged two infamous gladiators, Verus and Priscus, to a fight scheduled for the opening day of the Colosseum. After the tens of thousands of Romans watched the men fight to their death for hours, the gladiators agreed to a tie and Titus granted each man their freedom.

Since then, athletes don’t have to worry as much about losing their lives — yet, there is still a great risk of physical injury. Like any co-evolutionary process, fans continue enjoying aggression and violence. As more athletes get hurt due to intentional aggression, fans and the sports entertainment industry must bring clarity to this issue — do people watch for the enjoyment of the game or for the desire of watching others get hurt?

Physicality is an essential part of most sports. For each team to play a game, they must consent to the fact that they likely can get hurt at any point in time. However, fans sometimes don’t appreciate the difference between intentional and accidental injuries.

Accidental injuries can happen. Athletes are not punished for accidents. For example, on January 2, 2023, against the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest seconds after a tackle. Neither the Bills nor the Bengals broke any of the rules. The heart attack was caused by an unlucky split-second moment and position where Hamlin

made a tackle and stood up too soon. Because of this, Hamlin almost died. On the other hand, impermissible injuries are those considered illegal, as most of them are intentional. For instance, with exactly eight seconds left in the AFC Championship, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai pushed Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes further out of bounds after the play had already concluded. Mahomes tried not to let it affect him much so he could continue playing as he wasn’t seriously injured. Chiefs fans went wild as their team earned 15 yards and made their

taining. After injuries, especially ones posted on social media, fans want to see players in action, especially if they’ve just taken time off to recover.

Devoted sports fan, Lucille Proul (‘23) said, “I think it’s more entertaining to watch violent sports because there’s more action.” Lotte Lightner (‘25) agreed and added, “More people watch at a professional level because of this.”

way into field goal range and win the game by three points.

At the same time, the Bengals blamed the refs for a “wrong call” and Ossai for being too pushy. Avid Bengals and Joe Burrow fan, Lisbon Ziegler (‘23) felt especially strongly about the call. She said, “I think throughout the game, there were similar instances that didn’t get called. Because it was an emotional moment with high stakes and the fans [were] going crazy for the last drive of the game, it seemed like an intentional act.”

In both intentional and accidental injuries, fans around the world find this aggression especially enter-

Athletes can be born with aggression or develop this after playing their sports for a while, according to the idea of nature vs. nurture. For professional athletes, “it’s a business, it’s a job, it’s a future, it’s a livelihood, and players are going to put a lot on the line to keep moving forward and make themselves more distinctive as an individual or team,” Lynn Jamieson said, an expert from Indiana University in governmental sports policy. “That can lead to violence at that level.”

In order to play any sport, there must be competition or rivalry. One psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Leonard Glass, wrote in Boston University Radio (WBUR) that fans, and especially the athletes themselves, view the rival or the opponent as the “enemy.” When a player in professional sports is traded throughout the league, fans and ex-teammates view them as traitors, while their new teammates view them as their new buddies.

Fans desire a fight and players require a certain competitiveness to play their game. Julia Bonaguidi

“Everyone loves a fight. It’s in our DNA.”

– Dana White (UFC President)

(‘23), a star water polo player, said, “You have to be competitive with other people and even with yourself mentally. You have to be explosive and that makes a lot of sports aggressive.” From football to basketball to water polo, athletes move explosively to throw off their opponents. Doing so creates that level of aggression that fans and athletes know and love.

Dana White, the President of one of the most physical sports leagues, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) claimed, “Everyone loves a fight. It’s in our DNA ... if you’re in an intersection and there’s a basketball game on one corner, a soccer game on another, a baseball game on the third, and a fight on the fourth, everyone will go watch the fight.”

In most physical sports, like soccer, football, basketball, or boxing, for example, the crowd goes wild when fights in the arena arise. Whether there’s a fight on the field or in the ring after a whistle is blown, physical or emotional fights often arise on the sidelines too, where security has to step in.

In all levels of different sports, there is a goal of winning, and

aggression is the way to win. In a 1945 essay on the intersection between sports and politics, George Orwell, the author of 1984 and a renowned journalist, stated, “You play to win, and the game has little meaning unless you do your utmost to win.” As he touched on the spirit within sports, he added that sports revolve around a built-up energy underneath the play itself. He said, “Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules, and sadistic pleasure in violence. In other words, it is war without shooting.” Between politics and sports, people are commonly intrigued based on hatred and even violence. Orwell connected this idea to his hatred of the Soviet Union. As he watched the Futbol Club Dynamo Moscow on tour in Britain in 1945, Orwell noted the similarities between aggressive athletes and manipulative politicians.

Professional sports like football, basketball, and baseball all include rules that prevent intentional violence. Baseball pitchers can get thrown out of a game for throwing a beanball or a knockout pitch, both

thrown to hit the batter intentionally. In basketball, all positions can only receive five fouls before getting permanently removed from the game. And in football, several-yard penalties can be called targeting both offense and defense.

When asked if she’s seen a sports event with intentional aggression, Lisbon marked the San Diego State University basketball game on November 11, 2022, against Brigham Young University as the craziest game she has ever been to. She said, “[the San Diego State student section] was shouting bad things at the refs for making more calls. This intensified the flow of the game, making the players more emotional and leading them to commit more fouls.”

Since the beginning of sports, athletes channel their anger and emotion to play their hardest. At the same time, fans bound up their passion and love for their team to cheer toward a win. While this may include screaming at the refs when a call doesn’t go their way or getting an extreme adrenaline rush when someone falls down hard on the field or court, it’s all a part of sports.

Bishop’s football’s defensive line works to tackle a Rancho Bernardo receiver in the CIF Playoff game on November 11, 2022 as the fans go wild fighting for their teams.

Photo courtesy of The Bishop’s School

The Award for Inclusivity Goes To...

The impacts and drawbacks of some awards shows going gender-neutral

Lucy Marek

Awards shows are known for their drama — from Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs to the La La Land/Moonlight mix-up at the 2017 Oscars to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars — but now, a controversy is brewing off-stage. Performers’ and fans’ increasing calls to remove gendered categories leave awards shows with a decision to make.

The idea of including categories that aren’t determined by gender isn’t new — the Grammys adopted this system in 2011, and the MTV Movie and TV Awards followed suit in 2017. But a recent

gain in widespread media and public attention might pressure more ceremonies, especially high-profile ones such as the Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes, to adapt. Yet, these recent changes, or lack thereof, only lead to more questions and considerations, especially regarding why this shift in the entertainment industry is happening and what its effects could be.

“I don’t think the categories are inclusive enough at the moment,” acknowledged actor Emma Corrin in an interview with the BBC, summarizing the main point of advocates for non-gendered categories. Corrin, a non-binary actor

best known for playing Princess Diana in The Crown, expressed, “It’s difficult for me at the moment trying to justify in my head being non-binary and being nominated in female categories.”

Rather than nominate performers in female or male categories, some awards shows have combined the two, allowing all performers, regardless of gender, to be nominated for the same award. This usually involves replacing dual categories (such as “Best Actress” and “Best Actor”) with one (simply “Best Actor”). Sometimes this will mean the new category has more nominees or even multiple winners

to ensure that just as many people are given a chance to participate as if they were two awards.

The MTV Movie and Music Awards is one such show to make the shift to genderless awards, which they have accommodated by including the categories for “Best Performance In a Movie” and “Best Performance In a Show.” The former included nominees Lady Gaga (House of Gucci), Robert Pattinson (The Batman), Sandra Bullock (The Lost City), Timothée Chalamet (Dune), and winner Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home) in 2022.

Corrin is not the only actor calling for more inclusivity in awards shows. In 2017, after being asked which category they preferred to be entered in for an Emmy submission, actor Asia Kate Dillon (known for their roles in Billions and Orange Is the New Black) explained in a letter to the Television Academy that they are “someone who experiences their gender identity as falling outside the boxes of ‘man’ and ‘woman.’” In response, the Academy replied that “any performer can submit in any category,” according to Dillon, although the gendered categories remained. But inclusivity isn’t the only consideration to take into account. Riley Brunson (‘25), one of the leaders of the Bishop’s FEM Club, thinks that women and men should be able to compete against each other because of the message that those nom-

inated are equals, whereas having different categories can perpetuate the idea that there is a difference in skill between the genders. However, some fear that combining the male and female categories could result in less equality, rather than more. Gender disparity between men and women is a very real issue in Hollywood, and there is no guarantee that women would be nominated and rewarded for their work as much as men if they were judged together. The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film found that, in 2021, men outnumbered women onscreen by a fac tor of two to one, and women only made up 31 percent of lone protago nists, 35 percent of major characters, and 34 percent of speaking charac ters.

According to a UCLA film report, only 25 percent of films that won in any category at the 2021 Os cars had a female lead, begging the question: if there are no separate cat egories for women and men, what will prevent men from winning all of the time? After all, more male lead actors (and a general bias towards men in the film industry) leads to more nominations, which leads to more wins. And if men are the ones winning awards, what will prevent the public from simply thinking they are better than their female counter parts?

This is a worry that Riley

shared, saying that “competing together runs the risk of male dominance in the categories” because “there’s a lot of biases within the media.” She elaborated that prejudice against women could potentially impact who is chosen as the winner, and added that she didn’t want women to be overlooked because of their gender.

Josh Welsh, the president of Film Independent (which organizes the Spirit Awards), agreed that this is an issue, but did not think it is an issue that can be solved by excluding people. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times he said that “keeping gendered award categories is not a solution to the problem. The change needs to come with diversifying the gatekeepers who make decisions about what films and shows get financed and marketed.”

While there may not be a clear solution, Emma Corrin put it best when they said, “It’s about everyone being able to feel acknowledged and represented.” And although this

Some awards shows are considering going completely gender-neutral to be more inclusive towards gender non-conforming actors, but this could lead to less opportunities for women to be nominated and win.

“It’s about everyone being able to feel acknowledged and represented.”

– Actor Emma Corrin

Art by Lucy Marek (‘25)

balletcore: K

nit leg warmers layered over pink tights, wrap skirts paired with bodysuits, slick back buns with gel — and don’t forget the ballet flats in pastel pink, purple, and blue with chunky leg warmers. These fashion trends have recently surfaced in streetwear and all hint towards one style trend: balletcore.

Balletcore is a combination of ballet clothing and accessories turned into streetwear fashion, and it’s not the first time ballet is trending in fashion. The current balletcore trend overlooks ballet’s unacceptable ideas surrounding disorder eating as it feeds into the stereotype that ballet is a superficial activity, with its frivolous lace and pink colors. Those same colors highlight the history of problematic ideas the art form has surrounding race.

Ballet is a complex art form that has been around for nearly 600 years. It emerged during the Italian Renaissance in the 15th century and quickly found popularity in France, according to the Atlanta Ballet. At that time, practices such as black and yellow face were widely used, and as ballet grew, these actions continued into the modern day.

The issue is that designers that take advantage of balletcore completely disregard the long history ballet has with racism. In 2015, the Paris Opera Ballet faced backlash for not only their usage of blackface but also the lack of diversity they had in the ranks of the company. According to the New York Times, only in recent years have large ballet companies like the Paris Opera Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet addressed racist actions they utilized in past performances, including blackface and yellowface.

Although the Paris Opera Ballet made efforts to end these practices, their latest usage was in 2015. Other ballet companies such as Bolshoi, when called out in 2019, argued that it was acceptable as that was how ballets had been historically performed in Russia.

This idea of maintaining tradition is woven into much of ballet, through the precise technique and even the attire. In many ballet classes around the world, there is often a requirement to wear pink ballet tights and pink ballet flats. According to BalletMet, a ballet company based in Ohio, tights were crafted to match the dancer’s skin tone. At the time ballet was mainly based in Europe so, tights were designed to be paleskinned, in order to elongate their lines while remaining modest.

As ballet spread into the Western world and companies began to grow more diverse, the standard for pink tights and shoes simply did not work for all dancers. Recently, there have been steps taken to allow dancers to wear tights and

pointe shoes that match their skin tone. However, balletcore neglects this horrendous history of ballet and only focuses on surface-level pastel colors, classic ballet pink, along with light blues and purples. It is necessary that before partaking in the trend, designers fully acknowledge ballet’s history.

Unlike many other brands, designer Sandy Liang appropriately took inspiration from ballet. Liang not only attended a performance but her designs inspired by ballet are inclusive.

Liang released her Mary Jane Pointes in 2022, which quickly sold out. Like many other brands, this shoe was modeled after a pointe shoe. The shoe is offered in satin and leather. Of course, it is available in classic ballet pink and black, but also in a light tan and brown color.

Liang also took time to appreciate the art and the hard work dancers put into it before her initial release of the shoe. She was able to recognize that ballet is much more than a trivial hobby.

A few years ago, Isabella Boylston, a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater (ABT), invited Liang to a performance. According to Fashionista, Liang was inspired after the performance, thinking, “What if we made a Mary Jane with a true pointe toe, with the structure[?]” Liang then took the time to expand her original idea of the shoe to represent an actual pointe shoe.

Boylston appreciated her dedication to understanding ballet thoroughly before profiting off it, and after Liang’s Spring 2023 show, Bolyston said, “I feel like Sandy has actually taken the time to come to shows and get to know a little bit about my art form.” Liang took an extra step to acknowledge what she was taking inspiration from — this is a step in the right direction.

Taking inspiration from ballet while maintaining the sophistication of the art is not harmful. Emi Ayla-Sekiguchi (‘24), who has been dancing for 10 years, noted that “it would be great if more people start going to ballets or start taking classes, inspired by this movement.”

a trend spinning out of control

“Ballet is so much more than the clothes that you wear while doing it.”

–Bela Gowda (‘24)

Photos courtesy of @shescoquette, @wildflowercases, and @livcgreen via Instagram

Balletcore fashion undermines the art form and disregards ballet’s troubled history

Bella

Gallus

Some dancers agree that balletcore feeds into the stereotype that ballet is an easy activity and simplifies the art. Bela Gowda (‘24), a current dancer for Bishop’s Performing Dance Group (PDG), said that she felt “like having a fashion style with pinks and skirts and all these pastel colors make ballet seem prissy and not a sport.” She added, “Dancers wear those clothes to move around easily, not look pretty… making an entire trend out of [ballet] feels disrespectful because ballet is so much more than the clothes that you wear while doing it.”

Emi agreed, “The danger of ballet being a fashion trend is that ballet will be more popularly regarded as just a surface-level cute, pink, pretty thing.” Balletcore portrays ballet as a hobby, not a complex art form that requires intense physical training.

As someone who has done ballet for 10 years, I have encountered those who believe that ballet is not as difficult as it truly is. I owe that to the fact that one of the ultimate goals of ballet is to perform steps with the illusion of grace and effortlessness. Despite muscles being painfully sore, feet hurting, and it’s the seventh hour of rehearsal, a dancer will, to the best of their abilities, dance with fluency and elegance, which often causes spectators to believe that ballet is much easier than it actually is.

Ballet became a trend after the successful premiere of Ballet Russes in 1909 by Sergei Diaghilev and a tour by Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. This manifested itself as “balletomania,” an intense passion for ballet.

This “balletomania,” worked its way into the fashion industry. Since then, ballet and fashion have been deeply intertwined. Between 1930 and 1970, as Russian imperial ballet spread to the United States and the United Kingdom, haute couture began to look “to classical ballets such as Giselle, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty, while sportswear designers took their cues from contemporary ballets performed in streamlined practice wear,” Patricia Mears wrote as part of her collection displaying ballet in fashion at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Ballet-inspired fashion has maintained a presence in the fashion world for many years. This presence included the “modern ide-

Miu Miu, a high fashion brand, released their viral satin ballet flats in 2016, which bear a resemblance to the classic pointe shoe.

als of beauty and grace, seamlessly encased in a sleek and enviably toned physique,” according to Mears’ exhibition. Unfortunately, this “physique” is highly ingrained in ballet culture. Designers should understand that balletcore, in a sense, is an ode to the traditional ideas of perfectionism and the “ballet body,” which are the root of many mental health issues in the art.

In a study published in The Professional Counselor, the official journal of the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates (NBCC), four current ballet dancers and four retired ballet dancers, all anonymous, were asked questions about mental health in ballet. The participants noted that there was a sense that ballet is “so glamorous and [dancers] have this perfect life,” and society does “not see

everything that goes on underneath.”

Behind the scenes in ballet, there is often “anxiety, depression, trauma, abuse, and perfectionism,” which can lead to “restrictive eating or other types of eating disorders.” Yet, the participants felt as if there had been efforts to end the idea of the perfect body, “overcoming long-lasting traditions in ballet culture of “skinny equals better” required significant change.” Balletcore promotes an art form that romanticizes disordered eating, as well as the superficial aspects of ballet. Additionally, its focus on pale pink, emphasizes the racist history the art has. Ballet is slowly making its way into modern times. However, the art is still behind.

A popular phone case brand, Wildflower phone cases, recently released several cases that feature ballet themes in a more girly sense.

POWERING DOWN NIGHT FOR THE

Screentime before bed can harm your sleep

“Iwill die on this hill, I will fight this battle till the end, I will scream from the rooftops till I am old and gray,” asserted History and Psychology teacher Ms. Emily Smith, a staunch opponent of technology use before bedtime. Ms. Smith said that she would personally “buy a two-dollar alarm clock at the dollar store” for any student so that we can keep our phones away at night.

Whether you’re watching YouTube or scrolling through Instagram, using technology before bedtime can harm your mental and physical health because the blue light affects melatonin production, damages physical health, and can exacerbate mental health issues.

95 percent of Americans say that they use some type of technology in the hours leading up to sleep according to Sleep Foundation, one of the largest research organizations for sleep. “Your brain is on all day, especially Bishop’s students,” said Ms.

Smith. “You are working and working, sports, extracurriculars, and then scrolling at night is easy and mindless.” She followed up and explained, “Kids do that right before bed because it’s an unintended reward. Kids think it’s a way to calm down, but what it actually does is overstimulate you.”

In an article published by Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic, sleep medicine expert Dr. Michelle Drerup said, “Checking your phone stimulates your brain. You’re more active and awake. Even just a quick check can engage your brain and delay sleep.”

Our brain gets overstimulated by the mere usage of technology, which causes us to find it harder to fall asleep. Chair of History and Social Sciences Ms. Karri Woods said, “Our brain doesn’t shut off when we are asleep. It is actively running processes that are designed to enhance our physical health, dispose of toxins, and consolidate memories.” She also said, “Scroll-

David Lai

ing through your phone and playing video games late at night has a stimulating effect that may delay the onset of sleep.”

Through Ms. Woods’ teacher-student interactions, she said that her students say that they facetime their friends before bed, and “it is a window of time where adolescents can still be social without having to be in the same physical space.”

From a student’s perspective, Jackson Weiseer (‘26) said, “It is the temptation, it is part of my schedule.” He added, “I am aware and that’s why I try to avoid it, but at this point, I feel like… it is part of my routine.” Furthermore, he also said that not only is it addictive to look at his phone but it is so easy to do it while he is lying in bed. In the end, Jackson usually uses his phone before bed to check his schedule for the next day, make sure all his assignments are done, and read ebooks but avoids social media.

In addition, Thomas Yerbury (‘25) said, “I enjoy the peace and quiet and like catching up with what’s going on online.” He also said, “This is when I usually find time to sit down and relax after I’ve finished all of my schoolwork and after-school activities.”

Stage

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

This diagram, originally drawn by Chair of History and Social Sciences Ms. Karri Woods, explains non-rapid eye movement (REM) and REM sleep. In REM sleep, “a person’s brain activity, breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure increase, and the eyes move rapidly while closed” according to the National Cancer Institute. After about 90 minutes, you will hit REM sleep, and as the night goes on, the length of REM sleep gets longer over time.

For some, technology before bed can be a coping method for already existing feelings of depression or stress. Director of Counseling Ms. Megan Broderick (‘98) said that technology is “a distractor and a great way to procrastinate. Things that cause us anxiety we are compelled to avoid, and that avoidance fuels anxiety.”

Focusing on the social media aspect of technology, Director of Teaching & Learning Ms. Stephanie Ramos said, “Social Media is a fake version of the world... [When you compare yourself after] seeing someone who gets all A’s … means you are not soothed so you need to self-soothe some other way so it is a vicious cycle.” Ms. Ramos continued saying, “Even in bed at night you are probably thinking about things you need to do tomorrow. Soothing yourself with a TV show or a video is a way to calm your body down to try and sleep. But with

Awake

blue light, it is not helpful.”

Technology use before bed damages people’s brain health. The blue light that comes from many devices disrupts our body’s production of melatonin and our circadian rhythm. Melatonin plays a key role in our body’s sleep-wake cycle. Its production increases with the darkness of night and helps orient our body’s circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm helps ensure that our body’s processes are optimized at different stages throughout a 24-hour period. These circadian rhythms connect and harmonize with our mental and physical systems. Ms. Ramos explained that because of technology’s blue light, “Now your body is not producing melatonin to go to sleep and stay asleep.”

In an article published by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, South Australian sleep researcher Dr. Sarah Blunden said, “Sleep is the foundation of all physical and mental health essentially. That sounds very radical but it’s true.” In general, a lack of sleep which technology can cause increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease among other illnesses according to Somnology, a digital healthcare company. Technology affects people physically because getting enough sleep is vital for the body to function. Ms. Smith said, “[The] effects of being underslept in the short run is that people are less functional and more emotional and they are at higher risk of depression and anxiety. In the long term, if you are under-slept, it is linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s.” According to School Nurse Ms. Susie Fournier, more effects include obesity, risk-taking behaviors, increased rates of suicide, alcohol and drug

use, poor academics, and poor school performance.

From a nurse’s perspective, Ms. Fournier said, “The physical impact is sleepiness which decreases academic performance and makes it harder for you to cope with things and can cause you to withdraw and become more emotionally reactive.”

On one hand, Thomas said, “I understand tech before bed is bad, but it hasn’t seemed to have a negative effect. I still get enough sleep to function the next day.” On the other hand, Jackson said that technology before bed makes it harder for him to go to sleep.

Solutions and alternative ideas are

Students also use a variety of strategies to help them ease into sleep. One student who uses his phone to play music was Giacomo Berti (‘24). Giacomo said, “I think it helps me relax a bit, gives me some time to think, and I try to put on relaxing music so I can ease into sleep.” Jackson also said, “Once in a while I try to leave my phone and other electronics outside of my room.” However, he said, “This schedule kind of falls off when I need it one night for music or to read, then it stays in my room and the schedule is broken.” Additionally, Thomas, who leaves his phone outside his room to remove the distraction, said, “I usually try to take my eyes off my phone screen and try to watch TV which seems to

dimming the screen on devices, restricting technology use, and putting one’s phone on ‘do not disturb’ to make sure that no notification can disrupt your sleep schedule.

Many faculty members brought up numerous solutions such as “doing online homework before written homework to relax the eyes prior to going to sleep,” said Ms. Ramos. Nurse Fournier, who has teenagers herself, said, “I tell them[her children] if they are not tired, to read a book and I find them asleep 10 minutes later.” Ms. Broderick offered, “Parents can set boundaries… do meditation, listen to calm music. Don’t charge your phone in your bedroom even next to your bed. Get a regular alarm clock.”

be less harsh on my eyes before bed.”

Ms. Woods tells her students: “Teenagers are biologically primed to spend longer stretches of time in restorative slow-wave sleep, and they have the ability to get more stretches of REM sleep than older adults. Now is the time when you can, in theory, get some of the best sleep of your lives.” Let’s not wait till we are old and gray to take action.

One of the worst things a student can do is stay up all night studying.

– Chair of History and Social Sciences Ms. Karri Woods

WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE...

Democracy rests on the government’s transparency

— corrupt politicians are abusing this now more than ever

Ben Brown

We have all read the history textbooks (equal parts dull and fascinating), the primary source documents (confusing yet essential to understanding American History), and the Constitution (seemingly irrelevant to our lives yet vital to our nation’s health). And from studying the American Revolution to the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War to 9/11, we have tried to comprehend the flaws of the United States. However, perhaps the fault in our nation that has been in front of us the entire time lies in our nation’s foundational idea itself: democracy. Democracy was first born in ancient Greece around the fifth century B.C.E.. The Greek idea of democracy required all adult citizens to take an active part in the government: meaning, there was no gap in authority between the government and the people. Thus, there was no opportunity for the government to be non-transparent, and abuse of power was not a problem. But it is a problem today. Democracy, while appealing due to its representation of the general public, is a fragile enterprise at its core: dependent on an almost unnatural political cooperation between the rulers and the ruled — unnatural, that is, because politicians are bound to use their position of authority to overlook viewpoints and warp the democratic relationship. And this transparent cooperation between the government and the people has been challenged in recent years. Take the Trump era, for example: did it damage or preserve

American democracy?

While President Donald Trump did not damage democracy to unprecedented levels, his willingness to deceive his followers into believing that the election was rigged, and enable his supporters to take matters into their own hands by storming the Capital Building shows that democracy is vulnerable at its core. January 6th exhibited that if politicians are not transparent, and abuse their power of position, democracy can and will be damaged.

History and Economics

Teacher Mr. John Nagler said, “January 6 exposed that democracy, republicanism, and American ideas are fragile and can easily be destroyed any day.” He pointed to a recent article in The New York Review he agrees with, which suggested that democracy and freedom were human creations, and they would only survive if “constant human effort, attention, and willpower” were present.

But if politicians are not transparent, they can manipulate that human effort to preserve democracy into their favor.

Recently, for example, New York’s 3rd congressional district U.S. Representative George Santos lied extensively about almost all aspects of his life: his career, where he attended college, and even his religion. Santos altered his entire life just to manufacture an appealing platform for the 2022 Midterm Elections, which ended up winning him a seat in Congress.

As with Trump, the Santos

incident showed that people can properly engage in the democratic process (educate themselves on candidates, and vote for the more fit politician), and still democracy can be shattered. Santos was properly voted into power democratically, but his lack of honesty and transparency while campaigning manipulated the democratic process into allowing his ascend to power in a dishonest manner: he forged a life that would better represent the voters he needed to have vote for him.

Once again, Santos revealed that the foundation of democracy, which centers on a transparent relationship between the people and the government representing them, is vulnerable to manipulation if politicians lie. Without cooperation between the governed and the government, democracy will not function properly.

Government dishonesty mirroring Trump and Santos is escalating recently, but it is not a new occurrence. Since post WWII, Pew Research Center has polled thousands of citizen’s trust in the government. The results show that perhaps America’s War on Terror post-9/11 contributed to a sharp decline in public trust, and a growing dishonesty from those in power.

According to Pew Research Center, in 2001, 60 percent of those polled said they trust the government. But by 2011, public trust in the government was at an all-time low of 20%.

Interestingly, at the same time period, a Pew Research Center study found that then-President George W. Bush’s

Photo courtesy of David Burnett

A democratic government grants people greater authority. In the background photo, 35th President of the United States John F. Kennedy speaks at a campaign speech. By engaging in politics, as the thousands of people are doing here, citizens fully engage in the democratic process.

approval rating changed from a soaring 75 percent in 2001, to 24 percent when he left office in 2009. These two data points are not a coincidence. Bush’s presidency was the same time as the start of America’s war in Iraq. Assistant Head of School and Modern World History Teacher Mr. Brian Ogden explained, “when we invaded Iraq, we didn’t find these weapons of mass destruction that had justified the invasion, because it turned out Saddam Hussein didn’t have any.” So, the lies said by the Bush Administration to justify war caused public distrust. Mr. Ogden agreed, saying that the Administration’s lies “significantly eroded public trust.”

Because the Bush Administration was not transparent about the

reasons to enter Iraq, and justified the invasion based on inaccurate information, the public did not feel represented. This showed that democracy enables those in power to abuse their power through being non-transparent to push their agendas. When the government is not transparent, then democracy fails, because it relies on the mutual cooperation between the governed and the government, with full transparency. This restates the vulnerability of democracy: because democracy relies on a transparent relationship between the government and people to be successful, it can easily be abused by positions of power.

The most significant way the government is held accountable is through the First Amendment Right to the freedom of the press. Nirvana Shirmininga (‘25), an avid consumer of the press and well researched in America’s relationship with the 1st Amendment, commented on the importance of freedom of the press, saying, “it gives every person access to information, and when people have more information they can be more educated on topics, make informed political decisions, and hold the government accountable.”

However, in recent years, the increasingly bipartisan politics in America has leaked its way into the press, and the reliability of objective

FRAGILE FOUNDATION

reporting fell. According to the Reuters Institute, the U.S. places last in citizen’s trust in their press compared to 45 other major world powers, sitting with only 29 percent trust. This is frightening – if the press can’t even be trusted to hold the rulers in power accountable for their actions, then the gap between the people and the government will only grow, and democracy will be further abused.

Thus, democracy is a vulnerable system, no doubt. However, despite its fragile foundation, dependent on the impractical cooperation and transparency between its citizens and people, the U.S. can overcome its current difficulties and remain a beacon of freedom for people everywhere. For this to happen, the government must work better to be transparent and also administer consequences to those who abuse democracy’s fragility. Beyond the government, the American people must better use their intelligence rather than party loyalty to make political decisions and actions.

Then, and only then, will American democracy prove to be capable of creating and sustaining a nation where life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are always possible for everyone, everywhere, every day of their lives.

DESPITE ITS FRAGILE FOUNDATION, AMERICAN DEMOCRACY CAN OVERCOME ITS CURRENT DIFFICULTIES AND REMAIN A BEACON OF FREEDOM FOR PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.

A DECLARATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENTS

Political polarization would result in the “ruins of public liberty,” Former President George Washington wrote in his “Farewell Address.” Although his speech was never publicly delivered, the Address first appeared on September 19, 1796, in the Philadelphia Daily American Advertiser and was later distributed across the nation.

Alongside various other warnings, Washington’s “Farewell Address” outlined the detriment of political factionalism: the creation of political parties. Great political divisiveness was bound to occur and tear the nation apart, he must have thought. Now, more than two centuries later, Washington could not have been more right.

Over the years of American independence, the U.S. has had its fair share of domestic conflicts, from disputes over the use of certain taxes and tariffs to our foreign policy programs.

But even at these so-called low points of American disunity, the majority of Republicans and Democrats did not hold strong feelings against the opposing party. According to a report by Pew Research Center, amidst the 1994 “Republican Revolution,” 17 percent of Repub-

licans had very unfavorable opinions of Democrats. Likewise, only 16 percent of Democrats viewed members of the Republicans extremely unfavorably.

As of 2014, however, these extremely negative views had more than doubled: 43 percent of Republicans and 38 percent of Democrats viewed the opposite party in strongly negative terms. This trend of decreasing political unity continued during the Trump administration (from 2017-2021), reaching the lowest levels of political unity, according to the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy. Events such as the Storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, prove that Trump created a very powerful supporter community, which, in turn, has resulted in even more political extremes.

Gerard Blake (‘24), an avid follower of American politics, explained, “In recent years, political polarization has manifested in many ways, including increased partisanship in Congress, more extreme political rhetoric, and greater disagreement among Americans on key policy issues.” He continued, “This has contributed to a widening gap between the two major political parties and a growing

sense of tribalism among their respective supporters.”

As Gerard mentioned, it seems as if voters of this generation are either strong supporters or complete haters of any respective party.

Audrey Lin (‘25) added, “l feel like people in the two main parties often view the other side as completely wrong or even delusional, which unfortunately leads to more close-mindedness from both sides and unwillingness to respect or even listen to the opposing side.”

These sorts of political extremes are worrying. Not only does it increase the chances of similar events to the Storming of the Capitol occurring more frequently, but it prevents citizens from truly understanding what they need and want out of a political candidate. Citizens must consider their individual demands (such as needing more accessible health care or more frequent food stamps, depending on their individual situations), before simply voting for the most popular candidate of their respective party.

As a debater myself, I find the Congressional Debate event invaluable. The pieces of legislation that student senators debate are not labeled as Democratic

Sydney Chan

Dismissing independent thinking will generate a ferocious cycle of increasing extremities

“Political polarization has manifested in many ways…

This has contributed to a widening gap between the two major political parties and a growing sense of tribalism among their respective supporters.”

– Congressional debater Gerard Blake (‘24)

or Republican proposals. Instead, we simply argue for what side we think will be the most viable for the nation.

Also a Congressional Debater, Gerard explained, “To some degree, I have found myself agreeing with bills that would not be part of the political party I would associate myself with.” He continued, “This is because you can actually look at the facts behind a bill and not be blinded by political rhetoric.”

From her own experience in Congressional Debate, Audrey added, “When we participate in congressional debate and choose the affirmation or negation side, we don’t consider the things that actual U.S. Senators might be considering (i.e. ‘was this bill proposed by the _____ party?’).”

She concluded that while the procedures of Congressional Debate are not a perfect parallel to voters’ decisions, “I actually think that this more-nonpartisan mindset allows the debate to be more about morals and beliefs, and less about

political parties. If we consider a bill ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative,’ it limits our thinking and we jump to conclusions before even researching or understanding the bill.”

The extreme risks that come with political polarization are endless. According to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, not only does severe polarization undermine the independence of the judicial branch, but it habitually results in the manipulation of governmental roles and encourages the destructive perspective that the president only serves their own supporters, rather than the entire nation.

Generating a ferocious cycle of increasing extremities, polarization not only affects the country as a whole but also individual relationships. In Turkey, for example, almost 80 percent of people are against their daughter marrying someone that votes for the opposite party; and nearly 75 percent would not even want to interact with such a person.

While a completely non-partisan government may not be in America’s future for quite some time, or ever, citizens must realize the value of independent thinking in the next election, especially for the younger generations. Marianna Pecora (‘22), the Deputy Communications Director for Digital Engagement at Voters of Tomorrow (an organization with “the guiding goal of building youth political power,” according to their official website), shared, “Gen Z-ers…have to live under and work for the progress we want to see [in] a system that was built above us.”

Marianna concluded, “Progress is going to be slow, but it will be rewarding and help us build the future we want for ourselves.”

So, if America’s youth want any chance at eventually breaking our grievous cycle of political extremities, you know what to do. Consider your needs; weigh your options; and vote independently.

The Storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 resulted from increased political polarization.

Photo courtesy of NBC News

SYDNEY’S SUGGESTIONS: SANDWICHES IN SAN DIEGO

Crunchy bread and top-tier toppings: my favorite sandwiches in SD!

Sydney Chan

1. Mendo’s Original Pork Belly Banh Mi

First of all, every sandwich I have tried from Mendocino Farms has been amazing. Amazing! But my favorite one has to be the Pork Belly Banh Mi — there’s just so many things to love. The bread is crunchy but not the kind that feels like razor-sharp rocks are scraping the roof of your mouth; the pork is juicy but not super fatty and is flavorful beyond belief; the pickled veggies add a fresh touch; and who doesn’t love some good ol’ sriracha mayo?

2. Fresheria’s Chicken Torta

The first time I stumbled upon Fresheria’s Chicken Torta, I expected to just walk out of there with an açai bowl in hand (which I also highly recommend!). But after seeing someone order this sandwich, I was intrigued, so I got it for myself. Hands down, delicious. The Mexican birote roll is the perfect vessel for the succulent chicken, creamy avocado, and bold jalapeños. Wash the incredible sandwich down with any one of Fresheria’s fresh (I had to do it) smoothies, and you’re golden.

KYLE’S CARTOON CORNER

Between the juicy pork and the crunchy pickled veggies, you’re bound to leave Mendocino Farms with a full and happy stomach if you order the Mendo’s Original Pork Belly Banh Mi.

An original comic strip by Kyle Wang (‘29)

Photo courtesy of Sydney Chan

TOP TEN

PEOPLE WHO WOULD LOSE IN THE HUNGER GAMES

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Seniors who don’t have their license

Stanley users

Yoga club attendees

The squash team

People who eat butter pasta every day at lunch

Kindness Crew

Airpods Max users

People who can’t parallel park

Zedalis Honors Bio students

Snack bar addicts