The C&G | Volume VI | Issue 1 | Fall Edition

Volume VI, Issue 1, Fall Edition

October 2017

CONTENTS LIFESTYLE | 4

PEOPLE | 22

Music | 4

Golden Bear Questionnaire | 22

Reviews | 5

4000 Miles from Home | 24

HIES Picks | 6

7700 Mile Jump | 25 Eyes on Isaac | 26

STAFF Editor-in Chief Sarah Kallis Managing Editors Olivia Martin Ethan Mullen Associate Editor Miller Reid Production Editor Libby Malcolm

NEWS | 8

OPINION | 28

News Briefs | 8

Yes/No: Does Social Media

Sports and Arts Briefs | 9

Replace the Need for Physical Community? | 28

FEATURES | 10

Forget About the Student Handbook, What About Your

PSA: It’s Not a Rumor | 10

Moral Compass? | 30

Impress Me | 12

Benefits of Gratitude | 32

Conflict Within | 14 The Business of Giving an Education | 18 Big Bear | 20

Feature Writers Shea Fleming Tyler Jones Katie Little Tiana Momon Haley Plant Annie Sager Staff Writers Maggie Belenky Lucy Brumbaugh Jaylee Davis Grace Kelly Maddie Poch Matthew Raeside Contributing Writer Katie Leonard Contributing Photographer Mary-Holt Crewdson Advisor Danielle Elms

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR The HIES community will always be a part of me. As an Alpha-Omega, much of the growth in my life happened as a result of my school community. I’ve been met with challenges that lead to both successes and failures at HIES, I’ve joined the community in celebration in mourning, and I feel as though I am a stronger person as a result.

One loss to the HIES community especially resonates with me. Lucie Bornholm, or Coach B as I knew her, made me look forward to PE class when I was in Lower School. As someone in no way athletically gifted, and this is no small feat. Looking back on my Lower School years, I realize that I looked forward to PE not for the activities, but rather the chance to be in the presence of someone so positive and enthusiastic. Coach B serves as a reminder to the community of how much an attitude can shape someone’s experience. Her mark on the HIES community as a positive and compassionate soul will never be forgotten. One of Coach B’s many gifts was being able to make every child feel welcome.

Community, by definition, requires that its members be embraced with open arms, no matter how much they may deviate from the norm, and Coach B exemplified that ideal. She helped us bond with every one of our classmates, showing the importance of interacting with those different than you. That mindset remains a relevant tool as I navigate throughout life, becoming a reminder of the opportunities to learn from other people, and the strength gained through open-mindedness.

The C&G hopes to demonstrate open-mindedness in this issue, informing our readers of the environment and people around them, and reminding them of the importance that they have at HIES.

Sarah Kallis Editor-in-Chief

MISSION STATEMENT The C&G staff aims to be honest, accurate and accountable as they convey news, ideas, events and opinions that are relevant to the Holy Innocents’ community, including but not limited to students, faculty, staff, parents, administrators, and prospective families. C&G aspires to publish complete and accurate coverage through journalistically responsible, ethically reported and edited content that values diversity of perspectives.

EDITORIAL POLICY The C&G is a student-run, quarterly magazine published by the Crimson and Gold journalism staff at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School of Atlanta. All opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual author, and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire staff or those of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. The magazine is written and designed as part of the journalism curriculum, and contributing writers can be included.

The C&G values inclusivity and would appreciate any feedback or contribution. The staff strives to publish a diverse set of writing and perspectives while maintaining a standard of excellence. Please contact thecrimsonandgold@gmail.com for more information. The advisor and the editors have the ultimate say on content and have permission to edit contributions for grammar and taste. The staff will only publish legally protected material and keeps the privacy of individuals included in mind.

AFFILIATIONS CSPA, // GSPA // JEA // NSPA

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School 805 Mt. Vernon HWY Atlanta, GA 30327

4 LIFESTYLE

MUSIC

ARTIST

W

Pure Heroine, Lorde’s debut studio album that was produced by Joel Little followed a few months later in 2013 and solidified her presence in the music world of the 2010s. The ten-track album garnered positive reviews and deals with the themes of being a teenager and growing up. “Tennis Court”, the first song on the album, acts as an excellent introduction to Lorde’s brand of somewhat darker, electronic-tinged pop music. Also, the song “Royals” makes a return and appears on this album as well as the EP. Team, another single from “Pure Heroine” is an ode to friendship, imperfections, and the rejection of a lavish lifestyle.

The final single from the album, Glory and Gore, deals with the topics of celebrity idolization and the modern romanticism of violence. Pure Heroine marked the true beginning of Lorde’s true success in the music business.

F

ollowing the release of their third album, Big Mess, in 2016, Grouplove put out an extended play, Little Mess, with four new songs and a live version of a previously released song. After starting off gently with Tell Me A Story, a slow, guitar-driven track, Little Mess gradually grows in pace and reaches the joyous sound the band is known for. Eventually culminating in the exuberant Adios Amigos, in which Christian Zucconi’s vibrant vocals lead blissfully into a psychedelic section, the EP ends very differently from where it began. Little Mess at its core is essentially a fun, exciting extension of Big Mess.

T

After the release of the album, Lorde won multiple New Zealand Music Awards and two Grammy Awards. In 2014, she arranged the soundtrack for The Hunger Games- Mockingjay Part 1 and even recorded her own song for the film,Yellow Flicker Beat.

he first radio single from Portugal.

The Man’s eighth full-length album, Woodstock, Feel It Still, begins with a solid bassline. Beginning with a short verse about the lead singer’s daughter, the song starts out strong. The chorus begins with John Gourley singing about his rebellious attitude which has been passed on from the beginning of the combination of cultural and political sentiments in music from the sixties until today. Following the chorus, there is another verse about family that leads back into the chorus. Feel it Still became Portugal. The Man’s single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 since the band’s inception in 2004.

L

ana Del Rey’s fourth major-label record, Lust for Life, released in July 2017 fits very well into the summertime season. The album is abundant carries Lana’s elaborate Southern California aesthetic present in her previous albums and features The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, newcomer Playboi Carti, Sean Lennon, and music icon Stevie Nicks. Lana Del Rey’s grand vocals are present on all 16 tracks, with each telling a different story. She narrates her search for an escape from fame and paparazzi in 13 Beaches and the connections between the turbulent worlds of the past and the present with CoachellaWoodstock On My Mind. Lust For Life is one of the greatest albums of 2017, and a strong contender for album of the year.

What musician will stand the test of time?*

1. BEATLES 3. BEYONCÉ *According to the Fall C&G Survey

2. TAYLOR SWIFT

ALBUM

Finally after a long, three-year hiatus, Lorde released her longawaited second album, Melodrama, produced by Jack Antonoff.

Prior to the release of the album, she released the first single, Green Light, that acts as a breakup song about readily letting go of a failing relationship. The album is a loose concept album where all of the events album surround the idea of a single house party. Melodrama represents a shift in Lorde’s musical style into a softer, more adult sound and features more physical instruments rather than electronics. Instead of a focus on being a teenager and growing up, Lorde instead sings about adulthood and relationships. Vocally, Lorde uses more of her vocal range than in Pure Heroine, as demonstrated by the beautiful high notes of Writer In The Dark. The album is very different instrumentally and also features more musical variety than what was present in her previous album.

MILLER REID, associate editor

EP

SINGLE

hen she was only 16 years old, Ella Marija Lani YelichO’Connor, commonly known as Lorde, released her first extended play, “The Love Club EP”. The extended play landed on the record charts in Australia and her home country, New Zealand, but her music hadn’t reached a worldwide audience.

However, a year later in 2013, she released “Royals” as a single, which became an international hit, even managing to become Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, launching her to fame.

LIFESTYLE 5

REVIEWS MADDIE POCH, staff writer

THE BATTERY

N

estled in the Cumberland area, the Battery has been bustling since the Atlanta Braves’ first game in April 2017. Since its speedy construction began late August 2015, Smyrna residents were cautioned of the impending traffic congestion; however, thanks to careful planning from the Braves, the new addition resulted in only minor commute changes.

Furthermore, the Battery has become a variegated hub for Atlanta that makes exceptional use of space by combining retail, dining, and residential spaces with a brand new baseball field.

Several casual sports bars, including Sports & Social and Yard House, sit alongside Antico Pizza, FEED Fried Chicken and Häagen-Dazs to satiate grumbling stomachs and curious palettes. The most notable restaurant in the area is Wahlburgers, owned by brothers Paul, Mark, and Donnie Wahlburg, which features the famous Triple Decker burger in honor of the siblings’ childhood home. For those who care for healthier options, Field of Greens, within the stadium itself, offers a variety of vegetarian options.

Sweet Pete’s, a candy and dessert shop, The El Felix, a hub for Tex Mex, and Goldberg’s, a New York style deli serving breakfast all day, are expected to join the line-up later this fall.

For those with birthdays coming up, the collection of gifts and apparel available did not disappoint. Dress Up, a fun local boutique founded by Georgians, offers reasonably priced casual apparel and shoes. Sugarboo & Co, a home goods specialty store, has everything from rustic wall decor to scented candles to throw pillows for those willing to splurge.

Spending the day at Suntrust Park is convenient,inexpensive, and families and friends can take advantage of seats starting at $12 each. The experience includes a brand new BravesVision Scoreboard built 64 feet tall and 121 feet wide to display fans executing the famed Tomahawk Chop as well as player stats.The venue has the capacity to bring over 40,000 Atlantans together, though it should be noted that fans from opposing teams, like the Miami Marlins, were treated with utmost respect and even offered discounted seating during the tragic Hurricane Irma.

The Battery’s ability to combine residential areas with retail spaces and a brand new baseball park make this new hub worth your Saturday afternoon.

THE SHADOW OF THE LIONS

I

n his first novel, The Shadow of the Lions, published August 2017, HIES English department chair Dr. Chris Swann tells a clever mystery containing intriguing characters, a rich plot, and a wry sense of humor.

Set at the prestigious Blackburne School in Virginia, this story tells of former student Matthias Glass’ return to the school as a teacher after ten years of fame and fortune have deserted him. During his teaching, Glass is continually drawn back to the unknown whereabouts of his best friend and roommate, Fritz Davenport, who vanished during his senior year without a trace. As Matthias uncovers new leads and tests old friendship, he takes risks and develops a new appreciation for trust and honesty, in academia and beyond.

STRANGER THINGS

T

his Halloween, many will wait with bated breath for the second season of the Netflix original sci-fi thriller Stranger Things. The story begins when Will (Noah Schnapp) mysteriously disappears while his friends are in the midst of a game of Dungeons and Dragons.

Faithful companions Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) must navigate 1980s Indiana to unravel the mystery behind their friend’s disappearance. They encounter Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), an orphaned girl with fascinating powers and a knowledge of the Upside Down, a dimension beyond their own, teeming with monsters. With scenes filmed in nearby Jackson, Georgia, Atlantans can fondly re-watch the group’s adventures with a sense of familiarity in anticipation of the second season’s Halloween release date.

SPIDER MAN HOMECOMING

G

rossing $823 million since its release this July, Spider-Man Homecoming is the action movie of the summer. Starring the adorable Tom Holland as Peter Parker, a teenage genius who devotes his evenings to bringing New York City justice as Spider-Man. As Peter discovers new weaponry manufactured by a new villain known as the Vulture, he sets off on a mission of his own where he relies on his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), his senior crush Liz (Laura Harrier), and friendly outcast Michelle (Zendaya). Spider-Man Homecoming’s actionpacked battles are as entertaining as the high school milieu, some of which is actually in Atlanta. Director Jon Watts skillfully combines Peter’s life as a geeky high schooler with his alter-ego’s obligations in a film that is intense and hilarious.

P

S ICK W

HIES

TV SHOWS

LUCY BRUMBAUGH. staff writer

MOVIES

AMERICAN CRIME STORY: THE PEOPLE VS O.J. SIMPSON

Cat Scales ‘19

Where you can find it: Netflix and FX

SILICON VALLEY

Ford Morgan ‘19 Where you can find it: HBO Genre: Comedy Why they like it: “Great references and funny little quirks that coincide with the tech world” Who it appeals to: Tech loving Comedics Description: Set in the modern day, highly competitive world of Silicon Valley, the sitcom follows Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) in his efforts to make his company, Pied Piper, successful. Recently, Silicon Valley made headlines because T.J. Miller, who portrayed Erlich Bachman will not be returning for season five.

Why they llike it: “Interesting to learn about more in depth what happened” Who it appeals to: Those who like Buzzfeed unsolved documentary Description: A documentary series about notorious American crimes, the first season focused on The People vs. OJ Simpson, an in depth look into the 1995 trial, which acquitted him of murdering his wife. This is not the same trial as the 2008 trial, which sent him to jail for nine years. Simpson has a planned release of October 1, 2017, on parole.Season two is coming out in early 2018, focusing on The Assassination of Gianni Versace.

BABY DRIVER Emma Forrestal ‘19 Where you can find it: Amazon Video Why they like it: “I like Baby Driver because it’s set in Atlanta and also because I like the music and Ansel Elgort.”

Who it appeals to: “I dont care you pick” people Genre: Action/Crime Description: A young hearing impaired getaway driver, whose soundtrack keeps him fresh, Baby (Ansel Elgort) , meets the love of his life, Deborah (Lily James). Baby thinks he can finally pull himself out of the crime life, but Doc (Kevin Spacey), the crime boss pulls him back for one last job. His crew refuses to follow the plan, so it is up to Baby, and his soundtrack, to save not only himself, but everyone he cares about.

FALL EVENTS

JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION (JDRF) WALK Nubia Udoh, ‘20 Cost: FREE

CHEESE FESTIVAL Meredith Weiss ‘18 Cost: $35 Where: HISTORIC FOURTH WARD PARK

Where: GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER When: October 23

When: October 21 Why they recommended it: “It’s a great way to educate yourself about Type One Diabetes, which is a more relevant issue than most think it to be. It is also fun to walk as a constituent of not only our team, but everyone participating as a whole”

MOANA

Abby Barnes ‘19

Why they recommended it: “This event is great for people who love cheese like I do! Vendors from all of the world bring their cheeses that you can sample and then buy.”

Who it appeals to: The Lactose Tolerant

SOCIAL MEDIA

Where you can find it: Netflix

Katie Leonard ‘19

Why they like it: “I like moana because the characters are super cute and the colors are gorgeous. Most of all I love the vibrant colors in the movie”

Where: Instagram Why they like it: “Though I love being a self-taught knitter, it can be tricky to create my own patterns... this Instagram account provides inspiration for future projects!”

Genre: Family Film Who it appeals to: People who miss “Old DIsney” Description: When Maui, an island in Ancient Polynesia, gets cursedand its crops start failing, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) listens to the ocean and sets out on an adventure to find the Demigod (Dwayne Johnson) who cursed Maui and set things right.

@DENNYSDINER

Sam Baskin ‘18

Where: Twitter Why they like it: “Please don’t tell people that I like the Denny’s twitter account.”

Who it appeals to: Those who like a side of memes with their breakfast

MOVIES

@KNIT_PICS

Who it appeals to: Future knitting club presidents

8 NEWS

NEWS BRIEFS

What’s going on and what to look out for

ZUVAA POP UP SHOW

To illustrate the journey of headwraps, headshots and paintings are lined in chronological order along the exhibit at the Center for Human and Civil Rights.

The gorgeous pieces take visitors down the road of the garments’ history intimately conveying the significance it holds for many people. annie sager/STAFF WRITER

ANNIE SAGER, staff writer

T

he Center for Civil and Human Rights is a museum in downtown Atlanta, a resource offering the chance to experience the world as a global community.

It allows visitors to engage with the past and present as human beings.

In addition to the Center’s constantly changing exhibits, it hosts various events to give the opportunity for the community to come together and learn about current events and fashions on a global scale. For instance, on September 2nd, the Center hosted Zuvaa, a marketplace for African design and aesthetic. The pop-up exhibit featured headwraps from ancient to modern times. The exhibit included head shots, telling the history of headwraps, as well as small tables showing off designers and products from the brand.

One of the women working the pop-up shared the history of the headwrap, beginning with the Egyptians. In ancient Egypt, the garment was a sign of reverence to the gods and were viewed as crowns; taller headwraps represented greater power. Even today, in many religions, headwraps are a way of bringing people closer to God. Despite the reverence many hold in relation to the garment, there is still a negative connotation attached to the headwrap in some areas of the United States . For a time, the headwrap was a representation of slavery in America; women of color were required to cover their hair for fear that their masters would be attracted to them, thus creating a negative association with the headwrap. However, it has recently been embraced and celebrated as one of the few surviving representations of a culture that survived the middle passage.

Celebrities like Lupita N'yongo, Alicia Keys, and Eva Marcelle wear and represent

their culture with pride, erasing the negative preconceptions some may hold.

HURRICANE RELIEF WEEK

JDRF WALK

ETHAN MULLEN, managing editor

OLIVIA MARTIN, managing editor

F

rom August into September, three especially harmful hurricanes, Harvey, Irma, and Maria destroyed the lives of many. The Holy Innocents’ Community Service board raised funds for the hurricanes with the first ever “Hurricane Relief Week.” “We knew we wanted to do something to help out with the relief efforts and we ended up with more ideas than we could do in one day,” Cate O’Kelley, President of Student Council Community service board said. “With the help of some of our HI clubs who had shown an interest in helping out (the Young Conservatives, Bible Study, and The Community Outreach Club) we were able to put together our week of events.” Following an all-school pep rally, on September 25th, Student Council held a bake sale, selling many fall-themed treats. In addition, the community service board held a collection drive so students could donate products victims of the hurricane would need, such as Clorox wipes, garbage bags, sponges, and diapers. The money has not yet been counted, but O’Kelley deems the event a success. “It was great to see our community come together in such a beautiful way through service,” she said. This won’t be the last Upper School community service event this year; “We have a lot of things planned for this year, but you’ll have to wait until later to find out what they are!”

Organizations such as Zuvaa work to promote the journey of the headwrap along with the legacy of the culture with it. The headwrap is so much more than a garment used to cover the heads of slaves; it is a part of culture many minorities hold close to their hearts and to some, is a way to bring them closer to God. Exhibits and events at the center, such as Zuvaa’s, give the opportunity to learn about world cultures as a community and perhaps tighten the bond of unity on a global scale.

Upcoming events include SPARK Saturday: food justice, on October 14th, the Center will explain human relationships with food through a workshop.

A

s the number one fundraising school for the past 11 years, Team HIES has helped bring in money for JDRF, or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The foundation helps to cure Type 1 Diabetes, a disease that affects people whose pancreases no longer create insulin, the hormone that turn glucose into energy. The money that Team HIES raises not only goes towards a cure for the debilitating disease, but also a prevention and a way to combat the side effects. A large portion of the student population at HIES is affected by the disease, either having it themselves or experiencing a loved one combat it. This year’s walk will occur on Saturday, October 21th. Any participating students will receive three upper school service hours and a walk team t-shirt. This year’s goal is $50,000, which will be raised through donations, an Apple Watch raffle, and a non-uniform day. JDRF has changed the life of almost all diabetics, including junior Wyatt Griffith, one of the co-captains of this year’s team. “JDRF has always been and will always continue to be a huge help to me and my life as a diabetic. From the second I got diagnosed, they have given endless support, and I thank them for the advancements and personal progress I have made,” he said. “The cure would not be as close without them.”

NEWS 9

SPORTS MAGGIE BELENKY, staff writer

BRYN FOSTER

Bryn Foster, the captain of the cross-country team, has been at HIES since pre-K She’s been running as long as she can remember because her mom constantly made sure she and her brothers were active, whether it be randomly entering them in races or regular weekend runs. “It was sort of a required thing that we run cross country in sixth grade”. Since then, running is a way for her to clear her mind and is enjoyable rather than a chore.

Between battling shin splints and stress fractures since her freshman year, Foster’s injuries are her biggest roadblocks.

She has learned to listen to herself and to realize when enough is enough from these injuries.

Though Foster is now one of the top runners at HIES, she did not start out that way. When she was in sixth grade, she was one of the slowest members of the team. Foster would spend her weekends running, so she could get to the top.

She even claims that she performs better in school during the cross country season because of the pressure and just wanting to get work done.

In her role of captain, Foster makes sure to keep up the team morale because “running isn’t always fun”. Foster and the rest of the team are closely knit.

There’s a big mix of people from different grades that are a great addition to the team.

ARTS

MATTHEW RAESIDE, staff writer At six years old, Abby Barnes began taking art lessons with Dutch artist Disja Koch, who she continued with until age twelve. From apprentice to master, Barnes has been teaching art alongside Koch for the past two years. She has also been taking art classes at HIES since middle school.

Today, Barnes is an HIES junior enrolled in AP 2D Design, an art course designed to challenge artists by encouraging them to problem solve, think creatively, and experiment. By the end of the year, each student is required to submit 24 pieces of art (painting, drawing, photography, and more) that embody the principles of 2D Design such as balance, unity, and texture. Twelve of her art pieces are inspired by her own struggle: having only one kidney. Barnes uses this inspiration in her sustained investigation, or focus for her portfolio, which is on the overuse of antibiotics.

“I personally have to take antibiotics and I really don’t agree with the usage, especially with food, like

Foster has broken many school records, including breaking the girls’ 3,200 meter-run with a time of 12:20.52.

Foster plans to keep running, even in her adult years.

She explains “running has always been a huge part of my life, and I hope that it continues to be”.

RESULTS

FOOTBALL @ MT. VERNON | L 31-35 GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY | #2 in State BOYS CROSS COUNTRY | #6 in State SOFTBALL VS. GALLOWAY | W 6-2 VOLLEYBALL VS. WESLEYAN | W 3-1

ABBY BARNES in cows,” Barnes continues, “I use antibiotics because I have one kidney and I have a lot of problems with it.” Her first piece, one of many she has to create before May, is a painting of a pill, similar to ones she has to take.

Barnes decided to take AP 2D Design because she already had the “building blocks” that prepared her to take an AP level art class. “I’ve already taken an honors art and 2DII and I always had that goal in mind to take an AP art class.”

Her favorite aspect about art is the freedom of expression it enables her. “I love being able to paint whatever you can think of, so you don’t have to be able to take a picture of something, but you can create anything from your imagination,” Barnes said.

UPCOMING

POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL | Nov 2 HIES TALKS | Nov 2 HOMECOMING GAME/ DANCE | Nov 3-4 CINDERELLA | Nov 9-11

10 FEATURES

PSA: IT’S NOT A RUMOR

Everything you’ve heard or haven’t heard about the upcoming HIES student drug testing.

SHEA FLEMING, feature writer TIANA MOMON, feature writer

DRUG TESTING RUMORS DEBUNKED RUMOR: “Drug testing is mandatory next semester.”

Until the possibility of drug testing is stated in the enrollment contract, law requires that any drug testing is optional.

RUMOR: “Drug dogs will search students for drugs.”

Drug dogs are not part of the drug testing process.

RUMOR: “The school is testing students by urine testing.”

HIES students will be tested for drugs from their hair follicles.

RUMOR: “Hair will be chopped off to test for drugs.”

A professional hair stylist will cut the hair sample. Hair from the arms and legs can also be tested.

RUMOR: “Drug testing will detect alcohol.”

Alcohol is not detected in drug testing (see infographic for possible specific drugs.)

RUMOR: “Students will have to pay for drug testing.”

Students will not pay for drug testing, nor will any additional costs regarding drug testing be added to tuition.

Woodward, Wesleyan, Lovett, and St. Pius adopt drug testing.

Lovett adopts new drug testing policy.

18 MONTHS AGO

JANUARY 2017 12 MONTHS AGO

Subcommittee is formed and recommends HIES to begin drug testing.

FEATURES 11

WHAT WHO The vendor has yet to be decided, but HIES is considering Psychemedics, the company that Woodward and Lovett use. The drug testing scans hair follicles, which means a professional hairstylist will be present in the drug testing process and will take strands of hair in a way that is unnoticeable. If a student is bald or has little hair on their head, then the stylist will take hair samples from the arm or leg.

WHY When marketing HIES, the school needs to look, as Barton said, “up to date” with other competing private schools; that means admitting that drugs could be in the Holy Innocents’ community, and actively dealing with the issue. Also according to Baron, “kids are pretty well educated on the pros and cons [of drug testing], but what they need is something that is going to help them with peer pressure.”

WHERE Ideally, drug testing would take place in the locker rooms. There is a door leading into the locker rooms and a separate door leading out, maintaining the privacy of the students.

A standard hair follicle drug test from Psychemedics detects cocaine, marijuana, opiates (heroin, codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone), methamphetamine, ecstasy (MDMA), eve (MDEA) and phencyclidine. Again, HIES has not finalized the vendor or testing details. Alcohol will not be included in the drug test.

WHEN The 2018-19 enrollment contracts will include a clause requiring agreement to random drug testing throughout the school year. It is a possibility that drug testing will occur this spring, but would be optional because drug testing is not currently in our student contracts. As of now, mandatory drug testing will commence Fall 2018 for the entire Upper School student body, and a mandatory drug testing for 30-40 students each month for the rest of the year will follow.

HOW A professional hair stylist will be present during the process.

Based on Psychemedics Corporation’s website, “In general, the amount needed is the thickness of a shoelace tip”. Furthermore the sample is, “a cosmetically undetectable lock of hair preferably snipped from the back of the head, just below the crown.”

Re-enrollment policy includes a clause agreeing to random mandatory drug testing.

FEBRUARY 2018 FALL 2017

A town hall meeting regarding drug testing is scheduled.

FALL 2018

Mandatory drug testing for entire Upper School.

12 FEATURES

HELLO MY NAME IS

IMPRESS ME With many new faces in the largest freshman class in HIES history, knowing the factors of a first impression will make introducing yourself less intimidating.

MADDIE POCH, staff writer

F

or Sarai Jackson, one of 27 new members of an HIES freshman class massive enough to warrant the use of half lockers, the 2017 school year provides new and exciting opportunities to immerse herself in the HIES community. Though she is hardly shy, Jackson has concerns about her first impressions, like many other students new to the community. With a laugh, she recalls how a first impression with HIES coach, Bill Cefarrati, went awry during P.E.: “Now he picks on me in a joking way whenever I see him,” Jackson said. “It makes me laugh.”

Like all first impressions, Jackson’s occurred with surprising immediacy. “It takes about seven seconds to make a good impression, and I saw that it can take an average of seven more times to change that impression.” Tamara O’Neill, President

of a careers executive advisory firm, Careers on Course, said. While the brain’s ability to make a snap judgment is essential in life or death situations, these primal instincts can be harmful when first meeting someone.

Making the most out of those decisive seven seconds doesn’t have to be difficult.

Whether the relationship is personal or professional, knowing more about first impressions will help you put your best foot forward. Familiarizing yourself with verbal and visual cues, like facial expressions, posture, tone of voice, and hand gestures alongside the psychological process every mind undergoes when meeting a new person will make the most daunting first impressions simpler.

From the second one begins interacting with an unfamiliar person, their brain has two main objectives: to figure out how trustworthy the person is, and to understand

FEATURES 13 the person’s intentions.

HIES AP Psychology teacher Mike Plant also notes that the brain undergoes a series of steps known as top-down processing. Plant states the process “uses your previous experiences to see: does this new person match any constructs that I’ve had before? If it does this, if it’s someone you’ve had a generally good experience with, etc., then you’re going to have more of a generally good impression about that person. If it’s someone that’s completely unfamiliar to you, then it could create some less than satisfactory conclusions.”

Additionally, harnessing the power of a few simple body language tricks, like facial expressions, make a significant difference and require little conscious effort.

Tips from the Pros For a First Conversation: “I make sure to say my name, look them in the eyes, and then after we have a conversation, I try to say their name back... that shows them you care.”

-Blake Morain, Senior Class President

“Smiling exudes confidence,” O’Neil continues, noting experience with a less outgoing client, “I had to talk to him about just the importance of smiling.”

Likewise, posture plays a supporting role in creating a first impression. Simply standing up straight and leaning in projects confidence as well as interest in the other person.

A lack of these visual cues altogether can result in an erroneous first impression as well. “If we don’t see a behavior, we will tend to fill that void and come up with our own idea,” O’Neill points out, continuing, “If you see a person that’s not smiling or is not responsive, they just might be shy. But we’re thinking, ‘Oh, they don’t like me.’”

When engaging another in conversation, be conscious of your eye contact, or lack thereof. Maintaining a delicate balance of focused eye contact lets others know you are intrigued without making someone uncomfortable.

“People like to be looked at when they’re talked to, but they don’t want to be stared at, they don’t want a constant eye stream.” Plant said.

For a Job Interview: “If you stood there for ten to twenty seconds with your arms crossed taking up as much space before you went into the interview, you would actually increase testosterone, which would boost your confidence.”

Mike Plant, HIES AP Psychology Teacher

For After a Bad First Impression: “When you have the chance to meet that person again, I think that you are really going to have to be careful to show up in a different way. “ Tamara O’Neill, President of Careers on Course

Another focus during a conversation should primarily be the person you with which you are conversing.

“When you’re meeting other people, it’s not about you; it’s about them,” O’Neill continued, “To become engaged, spend time getting to know that other person and their background, and what they like, what are their hobbies… you want to learn about the other person more than spending time having to talk about yourself.”

Though it is true that much of a first impression is primal and subconscious, human beings bring bias to every impression. Having awareness of that bias and reassessing it can help to make more accurate impressions of people. Meeting people who are different from yourself can help provide the practice needed to monitor your own biases. “The fact is, we’re creatures of habit, and we’re comfortable with what is familiar to us… Open yourself up to new people, people of various cultures, different backgrounds, people that look different from you,” Plant said. The brain automatically associates what seems familiar with what is good, so what seems unfamiliar could likewise be reflected less positively. Acknowledging that people who look, act, speak, and think differently are not wrong or bad, but simply different, is the first step to eliminating unwarranted biases.

Though Jackson recalls her first day worries about having friends in her classes, all who know her find her to be outgoing and hilarious from the moment they meet her; Jackson is true to herself and confident during her first impressions.

She is unafraid to follow her passions, as a member of the track and basketball teams, Debate Club, Photography Club, Yearbook Staff, and the BBQ Club. Providing an example for everyone, Jackson plans on getting outside of her comfort zone and plunging headfirst into a year of new relationships, activities, and experiences.

What makes an impression?*

7% 55% 38% Verbal Content

Visual Factors

Verbal Quality

*According to Tamara O’Neill

Conflict Within A look into how communities react to dissent

SARAH KALLIS, editor-in-chief

A

reading from the Quran during the 2016 HIES Convocation sparked debate about values that HIES holds true. “It was and it still remains in my mind as incredible. It was an incredible opportunity to educate and re-educate people on what it means to be an Episcopal school,” Head of School Paul Barton said.

The incident occured when a student read from the Quran during Convocation, and some angered parents in the Holy Innocents’ community responded by sending mass emails to parents and administration.

“It was a painful thing to go through and a lot of nasty e-mails coming my way. People in the name of Jesus Christ wanted to say some really hateful things,” Barton said.

Although the HIES Parent Association was not affiliated with the emails, they also had to deal with the aftermath.

“I felt like as a parents’ association, we had failed,” Gephardt continued, “We were so worried about the reaction that we didn’t worry about the family that was affected, and that was upsetting to me.”

Despite the controversy, Barton has no regrets over the decision to include the reading in Convocation. “I feel completely comfortable I would have no issue doing it again,” Barton said. He also chose to view the situation in a positive light, and jumped at the opportunity to educate the community on the HIES Episcopal identity.

“Anytime there’s a crisis there’s an opportunity,” Barton said. “I think it was sort of a manifesto of this is who we are as a school. We don’t apologize for it. We’re unapologetically Christian. We’re unapologetically diverse. We are unapologetically diverse and inclusive and sometimes those will rub against each other.”

While it can be necessary to avoid conflict at times, embracing the struggle

16 FEATURES

Civil Unrest

Paul Barton explains the 2017-2018 School Year theme to the Parents’ Association; Photo courtesy of Tricia Gephardt

and working through differences can often strengthen a community, using topics that once threatened to tear it apart.

“Conflict is constant. It motivates much of human behavior, but usually this conflict is subterranean,” Georgia Tech sociologist Dr. Kate Brown Pride said about the ever-present force that can be easily triggered.

Forming group identities is inherently conflict-causing as well. “People build identities by constructing boundaries: I know I am ‘me,’ because I am not ‘you’.”

Groups create internal cohesion by fostering a collective identity,” Pride said.

Although it is natural for humans to associate with others that are similar to them, this can further the tension. “If a group feels threatened (materially or symbolically), fear can strengthen in-group solidarity. To build solidarity, the group reinforces its everyday boundaries between ‘us’ and ‘them.’ It may reach the point of ridicule, caricature, or even de-humanization of the out-group.”

This phenomenon can be clearly seen in today’s political environment, with people refusing to associate with the opposing party, and as a result failing to see another side. As sides begin to become more polarized, it becomes increasingly more difficult to reach a resolution.

Barton deals with dissent and resolution often in the HIES community. In his experience, most conflict arises out of a lack of empathy and understanding.

process as the best means to reduce conflict. Checks-and-balances, rule of law, representative government, regular transfers of power, universal suffrage, equal rights – the idea was that adherence to rational institutions would suppress the irrational impulses of interest and identity. The problem is that those institutions are only as strong as our adherence to them” Dr. Pride said.

Barton trusts the institution of the school, and when a disagreement arises, he follows a relatively simple process to resolve it.

“I think the beginning of anything is the willingness to actively listen again to withhold judgment and to try to understand,” Barton said. He then goes on to share his side of the disagreement, eventually working towards a compromise.

“It is so rare that we can’t reach either a compromise or an understanding or a resolution.”

Former Parents’ Association President Tricia Gephardt has a similar experience while working through disagreements. Her secret? Making sure everyone feels like they are heard.

“It can be hard to separate yourself, but you just have to do the best you can to represent everybody,” Gephardt said of the experience of representing people she does not necessarily agree with.

Because of this, Gephardt was able to work with opposing viewpoints reach a compromise or resolution and focus on the goal.

“Many [conflicts] are just confusion and a lack of empathy,” Barton continues, “I think sometimes it really boils down to how do we how do we encourage cultivate promote a sense of empathy in our community. So, we don’t jump to conclusions so much as asking questions important about someone else’s point of view before we react,”

“It’s about the work. It’s not about all of the other stuff,” Gephardt continued, “Don’t be afraid to point out something you think is small. Because sometimes the small things turn into big things. If we can solve a small problem, it’s a lot easier than solving a big problem. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Speak out. Speak loud.”

However, modern conflict resolution tactics do not always follow this approach.

“For the last 300 years, Western civilization has seen rational, impersonal

Contrary to popular belief, not all conflict is bad. While it can be divisive, it can be a highly effective way to learn. “I think instead of seeing those things as a crisis,

FEATURES 17 we try to see them as an opportunity to like educate. So how can we find as many ways as we can to understand… what the four pillars of our mission mean and how we apply them.” Barton said.

He views conflict as a way to teach the community about its values, and unite it rather than divide it, and tries to use conflict as a way to grow. According to Barton, the best way to healthily disagree is to establish trust beforehand.

“Once trust is established, we can have a lot of disagreements. If we don’t trust each other it’s really hard to disagree in what I call constructive way.” Barton said.

Although trust is an important part of resolution, it is not always possible. Dr. Pride is an expert in the science of conflict, and recognizes the difficulty in resolving it it in a way that satisfies all parties involved, especially when they do not trust each other. “There is no one-size-fits-all blueprint for conflict resolution,” she said. “Much depends on the nature of the conflict. Generally speaking, though, the conflict is not going to go away. So, instead, the emphasis should be on building a process that everyone will adhere to that can channel and mitigate the conflict.”

Like Gephardt, Pride also emphasizes the importance of making sure that all people are heard and validated. “Thinking about the role of boundaries and identities in conflict, I would add that it would probably help if each group can feel its own identity affirmed in the process.”

She cites Dr. Martin Luther King as a prime example of someone who was able to affirm identities while working towards a goal. “[King] affirmed and praised an aspect of white Americans’ identities -- Christian and American -- while simultaneously demanding that they relinquish their identity as a superior race. To be good Christians and good Americans, they could not also be white supremacists. He offered them a way to build a positive identity while relinquishing a problematic identity.” Pride said.

While compromise often proves to be an effective way to resolve conflict, at times it can be important for a group to stand their ground, and stay true to the values that they hold, like Dr. King did.

HIES stayed true to its values during the Convocation controversy, siting the inclusivity of the Episcopal Identity as a motivating factor. “We’re a big tent and Jews, Hindus, Atheist, or Agnostic all have space in the tent,” Barton states. He champions the Episcopal Identity, citing it as one of his favorite parts of Holy Innocents. “I love the Episcopal identity because I do think it a lot and allows us to leverage a position that’s unique in the society we live in and we need to have some very core values around worth and dignity of the human being, and it allows us the flexibility to be inclusive of other faith traditions or no faith tradition within it,” he states.

Although some families chose not to re-enroll their child as a result of the difference in values, Barton appreciates the fact that Holy Innocents’ was able to hold true to its values and create growth within the community.

While tension, especially within the HIES community can be uncomfortable, it is important to embrace it at times to eventually reach a solution. The task can seem daunting when very different groups disagree but must work together for a common goal, but it is absolutely possible.

Gephardt spoke heavily of the value of tension, and the possibilities of accomplishments. “You can all come together to work for a common purpose and a common good no matter what side of the spectrum you come from.”

Stages of Conflict 1. Latent Conflict Factors that could become conflict arise 2. Percieved Conflict One group percieves the other group as a threat. It can often be caused by lack of communication 3. Felt Conflict Conflict becomes personalized and affects the individuals on a personal level.

4. Manifest Conflict Opposing groups engage in behavior to gain a response from the other side.

5. Conflict Aftermath Conflict is resolved or supressed. If it is repressed, the cycle repeats itself.

18 FEATURES

The Business of G Fundraising Process

HIES Annual Revenue Donations

13% 87%

Tuition

SARAH KALLIS, editor-in-chief

“

The school is a business. And a big one,” Mark Noland said, someone more than familiar with the business of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. As the school’s 80% Chief Financial Officer, he works closely with Head of School Paul Barton and the Board of Trustees to constantly re-evaluate the school’s finances, making 70% sure that every department’s needs are met.

How Much Do HIES Students Know About the Budget?

60%

Tuition, donations, the endowment, and campaigns are all factors that allow the school to run smoothly, but the finances can seem mysterious to members of the 50%community who are not familiar with the budgeting process.

HIES

40% is financial revenue that parents and students tend to be most interested Tuition in. As of the 2017-2018 school year, is costs about $27,000 for an upper school 30% to attend HIES, and the cost tends to increase about three to four percent student a year, depending on markets and the costs of the previous year. That tends to 20% be a large investment for many families, as the median household income in the United States is $59,039 per year, according to the US Census Bureau .

10%

“About 75 percent...goes to employees - salaries, benefits, medical, retirement,” Noland 0.0 said about the expenses that tuition is typically used to cover. The next Very HIES would A little largest expenseNothing that tuition revenue coversSomewhat is maintenance. However, Familiar not be able to function the way it does nowFamiliar if it relied solely on tuition, as the school has many other expenses.

“About 87 percent of our cost is covered by tuition, 13 percent is donations,” Barton said. Many of these donations come from HIES’ Annual Fund, a yearly fundraiser

Familiarity

1.

An architect designs the plans for a new addition

2.

A feasibility study is conducted to estimate fundraising

3.

Large donors are interviewed to gauge their support

4.

Donations are opened up to the HIES community

that provides unrestricted donations to the school. If a donation is unrestricted, the school can use it wherever it so chooses, and the money raised from the Annual Fund will go wherever it is needed.

Donations supplement departments, build new facilities, and improve the over livelihood of HIES. Barton champions the giving nature of many families and alums, saying that the mission statement to “Develop in students a love of learning, respect for self and others, faith in God, and a sense of service to the world community” acts as a motivating factor for donors. He is especially inspired by alumni who continue to donate to the school after the graduate, no matter how small the donation may be.

“It’s amazing to see who wants to be part of something that is so special that people give so much money,” Barton said. In order to solicit more donations, Barton said that the school utilizes the human aspect of giving. “Let’s let somebody who gave to endowment tell the story about why.”

HIES uses donations to fund projects that improve the infrastructure of the school, such as the STEM building and electronic school board. Fundraising campaigns raise the majority of the funds for these projects. The first phase of fundraising occurs when the school seeks out an architect to design future plans for buildings and determine the cost. This procedure helps the school decide what they want to do and what they can do. Next, they conduct a feasibility study to determine how much money they can bring in over a period of time for this

87%

FEATURES 19

f Giving an Education 80% 70%

Tuition

How Much Do HIES Students Know About the Budget?

60% 50% 40%

HIES ENDOWMENT

$23 Million

30% 20% 10% 0.0

Nothing

A little

Somewhat Very Familiar Familiar

Familiarity particular project. At this time, the finance committee interviews large donors and foundations to see how much money they would be willing to give and what projects they would donate to. After that, a campaign is announced for a project and donations are solicited from the school community as a whole.

When deciding what to prioritize, financial feasibility sets the tone. Ultimately, the school will pick the project it will be able to fund. So, the desires of the large donors have the biggest say in what projects are prioritized.

increase the financial aid available for students. “So that’s a priority to be diverse and inclusive and equity and access becomes part of that” Barton says. In years past, only about seven percent of the budget was allocated towards financial aid.

“So we’ve definitely increasingly made financial aid the priority so that we can be were so economically diverse because we think there’s great value in that,” he says.

Compromise is the setting of financial decisions. . “Getting different points of view would create an atmosphere where we can disagree but also knowing that at the end of this meeting there has to be an outcome,” Barton says about meetings where finances are decided. According to Barton, disagreement and debate are the basis on which financial decisions are made.

Barton also spoke of the importance of the message the budget distribution gives off. “How we pay teachers, how much we allocate to our professional development, becomes huge. So we are able to attract , retain the best teachers.”

Barton mentions that creating a welcoming learning environment is another top priority for the school’s money. “We recognize in having a campus that looks nice and functions well and is a safe place for kids and a healthy place for kids is important. So not only do we build this building but we solve a lot of money and why we can keep it afloat again,” he says. The budget committee tries to keep the students’ best interest at heart, recognizing the vulnerability present in learning communities. “Culturally, schools are an emotional place,” Noland says.

Furthermore, they are open to clarify any confusion surrounding the school’s finances. ““I’ll happily answer any questions people have,” he says.

One aspect of the budget that is increasingly getting attention is financial aid. If a school wants to consider itself socio-economically diverse, it must dedicate 10 to 12 percent of its budget towards financial aid. As of right now, Holy Innocents’ dedicates about 10 percent of the budget to financial aid, and is looking to

According to Noland, Holy Innocents’ may be a business, but it is a human business. Students and faculty take priority, and bettering the school is the ultimate goal. “We are in the business of giving an education, and that’s what makes us different,” Noland said

The city of Sandy Springs also must approve all projects, and the neighbors have a say, making projects such as sports stadiums much more difficult to accomplish. Above all, the financial committee must verify sure all projects are in line with HIES’ mission statement, and try to reach as many students as possible with the benefits of projects.

Big Bear 20 FEATURES

What does this “broadened jurisdiction,” as defined by the new handbook, really mean for the community?

OLIVIA MARTIN, managing editor ETHAN MULLEN, design

I

n August 2017, five Lovett students were suspended and one expelled.

Their transgression? An off-campus game of beer pong with anti-Semitic references. Photos taken at the party made their way into the public eye, and the story hit national news. The general public had instant access to the incident due to social media and the Internet. With society gone viral, students’ mistakes, even out of school, can have long lasting consequences. How is HIES dealing with these types of potential mistakes that could negatively affect students or the school community?

HIES’ new Student and Family Handbook launched this year. Located on the school website under Campus Life, the handbook provides an all-school set of guidelines, aiming to respond to questions commonly asked within the community. According to Paul Barton, Head of School, the idea for this new approach to broadcasting school rules arose out of a need for clearly-defined policies applying to all school divisions.

“I think one of the things that we’ve been struggling with is that we’ve had four handbooks. So each division had its own handbook. That was confusing when people had kids in multiple divisions,” he said. “We’re trying to simplify, so you have one place to go to find everything.”

Another problem with the previous handbooks was their unclear focus. These handbooks contained extra information, such as a list of staff members or

tips and tricks for being a community member at HIES, meaning it could be hard to cull the actual policy from these documents. Administration wants the Student and Family Handbook to be a one-stop shop to answer all policy-related questions.

“Some of the divisional handbooks had grown into things that really weren’t policy handbooks anymore. They had the list of every staff member, and could include tips. It had become so inclusive and cumbersome,” Barton said. “So, we thought, ‘How do we simplify it? How do we make sure it’s strictly policy as opposed to other ancillary information?’”

Stephen Turner, associate head of school, collaborated with the four division principals to single out the policy sections from each division handbook and include them in the Student and Family Handbook.

This new handbook offers information on topics such as rules regarding non-uniform days and details on Integrity Code, all pertaining to on-campus interactions and life. But that is not its only purpose. It also includes an explicit statement about the school’s off-campus jurisdiction, which, according to Barton, is the biggest change from previous handbooks. One of the main focuses of the administration is this statement, titled “Jurisdiction of the School.”

“All of the changes [in the Student and Family Handbook] are fairly immaterial, it’s just a tweak here and there,” Barton said. “The biggest thing we want families to direct their attention to, because it’s materially different, is how we’re going to

FEATURES 21 look at the school’s jurisdiction to deal with disciplinary matters.”

Essentially, the handbook states that HIES can intervene in off-campus matters.

This is a fairly new development, brought on at least in part by the prevalence of social media and technology’s place in everyday life. Because most people can pull out a phone, record an incident, and share or upload it, off-campus matters make their way back to schools more often than before.

“All independent schools, all schools really, are dealing with social media and technology right now, the fact that everyone has a phone on them at all times to take a picture or video of anything,” Barton said. “[Handbook infractions] used to be something that you really managed on your campus, during school hours. Now, [a student] can do something…not during school time, obviously not on campus, but that could have an adverse effect on the school’s reputation, or that just violates the handbook.”

In cases where it is evident a student needs help beyond punishment, such as in the case of a student with a drug addiction or other serious problem, the school would intervene in a non-disciplinary manner.

“My primary orientation when it comes to involvement with the student community is around principles of just general wellness,” Turner said. “So, going to an example, if it surfaces somehow that a student is using illegal drugs, I’m more concerned with the idea that we can help that student than I am that we now have the right to expel that student.”

“My primary orientation when it comes to involvement with the student community is around principles of just general wellness.”

Like Turner, other members of the administration place the well-being of students above other aspects of the statement.

According to Chris Durst, Upper School Principal, the primary function of the statement lies in its protection of students rather than protecting the school’s reputation. He cites one sentence in particular: “the School reserves the right to take appropriate action – including disciplinary action – upon the discovery of on-campus or off-campus behaviors that may be harmful to one’s body, self-esteem, or health or to that of others.”

- Stephen Turner, Associate Head of School

The Student and Family Handbook is not all talk. In reality, it is a legally binding document, an agreement between community members and the school itself.

Since the handbook is legally binding, the school can utilize the jurisdiction statement in regards to student infractions if necessary. As of late September, though, it had not yet been enacted on any disciplinary matters.

“My concern is not with the reputation of the school,” he said. “My concern is with the health and well-being of the individuals.”

According to Turner, the purpose of the document is to be a safeguard, giving the school a plan for when off-campus infractions need to be dealt with. Language in the handbook provides two methods of looking at such infractions: nondisciplinary and disciplinary actions.

Barton sees the statement similarly, viewing the jurisdiction of the school as something that protects students in difficult situations. He bases his idea of the policy’s success on this type of protection of students.

In disciplinary cases, the handbook states punishment could include suspension or even expulsion. All decisions on punishment will be left to the administration, specifically Barton. As the Head of School, he is noted in the text as the final authority on these types of judgements.

“I may never find this out, but if a student at some point is in a tough situation, facing a lot of peer pressure, they think about this policy...” he said. “If [the student] feels like they can say ‘no’ or get out of a bad situation...then it’s a successful policy.”

How Familiar Are Students with the HIES Handbook? *Out of a survey of 152 Upper School Students

65 40

31 11

5 Not a

t all

A little

Som Famil e w h a t iar

A lot

Com Informp l e t e l y ed

GOLDEN BEAR QUESTIONNAIRE HIES Model UN leaders answer 44 questions adapted from Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire.

GRACE KELLY, staff writer

Hometown?

Moved a lot, but Baltimore, Maryland.

Current role at HI? History Department Chair, Wrestling Coach, Model UN Advisor, Lacrosse Coach Preferred Campus Shop Snack?

Doritos.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Maybe my pointy Widow’s Peak.

If you could spend three days anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Do I have to spend all three days in the same place?

Ireland, Puerto Rico, and Ghana. Been to all three.

What is your favorite motto or saying?

I got a bunch. I would say out of all of those, Trust and Be Trustworthy.

Kacey Michelsen History Department Chair HIES Model UN Advisor

When was the happiest moment of your life?

Probably watching my niece with Down Syndrome graduate from high school.

What is your most treasured possession?

I don’t treasure possessions.

Who is your favorite fictional hero?

Don Quixote Who is your favorite hero in reality?

My father and mother. They raised 5 boys and we were always pretty poor.

What quality do you value most in friends?

Loyalty If you could die and come back as somebody else, who would it be?

Lionel Messi

What natural talent would you like to be gifted with?

I wish I could play music; be a musician.

What is your greatest fear?

Letting fear decide my fate. My greatest fear is fearing fear, I guess. I guess my greatest fear would be that I let fear decide my fate.

What is your favorite sound?

Probably loons on a lake. Either that or wolves howling.

What is your favorite smell?

A campfire.

What would your last supper be?

Steak.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A teacher. I still want to be a teacher; I’m still a child.

What is your biggest quirk?

I can identify almost any flag in the world.

Who would you want to play your character in a movie?

Tom Hardy. [His wife says Ryan Gosling.]

Do you have any superstitions?

No. I don’t believe in superstitions.

What is the last text you sent?

I just sent “Who should play me in a movie?” to my wife.

Hometown?

Atlanta Current Role at HI? Senior, Bearly Noted Co-President, occasionally a dictator. Model UN President, but we take it too far to say the least.

Preferred Campus Shop Snack?

I don’t really go to the Campus Shop.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Somebody once told me mindset, just a problemsolving type mindset. I have really weird responses to interview questions.

If you could spend three days anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Can they be in different places? I think locations surrounded by conspiracy would be very fun. If I could go through time, I’d like to be there for the first Easter.

If you could die and come back as somebody else, who would it be?

Myself as a baby with my current knowledge.

What natural talent would you like to be gifted with?

I think it’s tough because if I really wanted a natural talent I would go out and learn. I’ll go with the 2D to 3D thing. Converting planar forms into 3D objects, something I plan on learning as well.

What is your greatest fear?

Having your fears used against you.

What is your favorite sound?

The sound of something working properly, especially if it wasn’t before.

What is your favorite smell?

Burning firewood

What is your favorite motto/saying?

“Trust no one not even yourself” and “Once you have a hammer everything’s a nail.”

What would your last supper be?

Instead of wine I would have the drink from North Carolina known as Cheerwine, and instead of bread I would go with Gushers. This is how I spend my time with my friends, this is what we eat.

When was the happiest moment of your life?

That’s hard to say and somewhat subjective. I don’t know. I got to fly a fighter jet, that was good. That was interesting.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An inventor. Never wanted to rule the world, thought it would be too much paperwork.

What is your most treasured possession?

The relationship with my family.

What is your biggest quirk?

As soon as I get something new, I take it apart.

Who is your favorite fictional hero?

I think what makes a good fictional hero is their humain traits.

Who would you want to play your character in a movie?

Ansel Elgort, because someone once told me that we had similar noses. Also I really liked Baby Driver.

Who is your favorite hero in reality?

William Osman What quality do you value most in your friends?

Probably loyalty and a sense of humor. Not together at the same time, separately in the same person.

Do you have any superstitions?

None that I take seriously.

What is the last text you sent?

“Did you know you’re on Mr. Barton’s Twitter page” to Sarah Kallis.

“I have really weird responses to interview questions.”

Emerson Delonga Part-time Dictator HIES Model UN Secretary General

24 PEOPLE

In the Name of Love

Making the transition from one continent to another for the love of his life has proven to be a difficult but worthwhile task.

HALEY PLANT, feature writer

M

any may know Mr. Notario as the tree-hugging AP Environmental Science teacher, tenacious soccer coach, or even as the enthusiastic greenhouse keeper - but it is a little known fact that Fernando Notario is also a hopeless romantic.

Just nine years ago, Fernando Notario-Rocha met the woman of his dreams in the picturesque and mesmerizing city of Cordoba, Spain. Knowing little to no English, he fell in love with his American sweetheart, Mary Elizabeth Wagoner, who was visiting Spain on a study abroad program for UNC Chapel Hill.

“We actually met on my 21st birthday which was pretty crazy and we, well, connected in this coffee shop in his hometown,” Wagoner said.

am not proficient in.”

This passion for teaching is what drives him to continue to learn English every day, even prompting Notario to read books exclusively in English in an effort to further his understanding and become more comfortable with the community he now calls home.

However, Notario still wants to expose his Spanish heritage to his children. At least once a year, Notario takes his two boys, Fernando (7) and, Charlie (5), who are both Golden Bears, back to the south of Spain where his siblings and the rest of his massive family still reside. He always looks forward to his mother’s delicious cooking: a sweet and vivid memory of childhood he still holds dear to his heart.

Wagoner spoke fluent Spanish and the two were able to communicate in Spanish enough to start a friendship and eventually and relationship six months later. A few years of their relationship was actually long distance because she moved back to America after her study abroad program ended, but their determination was strong. Their love grew fonder for six years until they eventually decided to marry.

As the fourth largest city in Spain, Seville exposed Notario to an open and diverse environment during his formative years. Immigrants from North Africa and surrounding European countries call Seville home, helping to make the cultural scene thrive with activity. The excitement of large cities always interested Notario, which has helped make the move to Atlanta easier.

That wasn’t the only big life change in store for Notario: she wanted him to move to America.

Leaving behind his childhood in the town of Seville, a tight knit family of eight brothers and sisters and a culture he’d known since birth, Notario had no second thoughts about dropping everything for his new bride.

“I would like for [my children] to have the opportunity to grow in many ways. I want for them to live in a place where the world is closer to them, so they can see a lot of different parts of the world here.” said Notario. The cultural similarities between Atlanta and the south of Spain are what Notario admires about the city.

“I mean I knew I was ready to move anywhere, I’d met the person I wanted to live with and I said, wherever the place is, let’s just go there.” Notario said.

Moving to a foreign place was more difficult than he thought, and Notario soon felt the pressures of the new environment. Equipped with a new wife, a new job at the Episcopal School of Virginia and an entire field of hurdles to jump through, Notario had a lot on his plate. Without any formal training in English, his skills came from practice alone, listening to his wife and the students at his new school. After eight years of practice under his belt, some days are still harder than others.

“You must remember that whatever you do, you’re progressing and you’re doing good things.” Notario continued, “Like, sometimes I feel like I’m not doing things right and saying things right, but it’s always worth it at the end of the day when I realize I got to teach a class and communicate to people in a language that I

His love for science followed Notario to the United States as well. While Seville was filled with lots of city life, it did not stop him from exploring the outdoors.

Fascinated by the natural world, young Notario spent the first eighteen years of his life discovering the outdoors and what it had to offer.

“I like that Mr. Notario is very knowledgeable and very very passionate about what he teaches and he also practices what he preaches when it comes to being environmentally friendly,” HIES senior Marshall Lynch said.

One could talk about Notario in using several descriptors, ranging from an energetic coach, passionate environmentalist or engaging teacher, but the one who may know best is his wife.

“He’s just a walking heart. He loves his family, his friends, he loves his job. I think that’s the best thing about him, when he does something you’ll know he gives all of himself to it.” Mrs. Notario said.

PEOPLE 25

4000 Miles from Home

Traveling across the globe in the name of education, this student strives to find her passion despite language and cultural challenges.

KATIE LITTLE, staff writer

A

bout two months ago, Zitong Jia shuffled into her new home, struck by the beautiful blue American sky. Zitong Jia, also known as Lisa, moved 7,326 miles from Shijiazhuang, China to Atlanta, Georgia, leaving behind her family, friends, and culture in a determined search to find her passion through elevated education.

Though Zitong does not know what she will devote her future to, she wants to find a way to leave a positive mark on the world. These aspirations are not something that she takes lightly.

If she has a goal, nothing will stop her from achieving it, not even the painful symptom of homesickness, the challenging task of creating a new life, or even the demanding struggle of learning a new language.

Nostalgia for China can sweep in unexpectedly. Zitong likes to reminisce about her childhood in China, remembering her community swing where kids fought over the chance to soar above the woodchips and her first day of primary school sitting in the back of the classroom, full of the long limbs of the tallest students forced to sit in the back with her new best friend. These memories are bittersweet to Zitong.

Although it is hard to be away from family and familiarity, Zitong has met many kind people at HIES that have helped her navigate her transition. She met Emily Grace Fuller, an upcoming freshman like herself, at Sky Zone Trampoline Park during orientation on the first (unofficial) day of school, and the two instantly became friends. Fuller and Jia often talk about ordinary things like school, hobbies (including painting), and likes and dislikes.

Emily Grace describes Zitong as “really smart and friendly”. The first day at HIES was extremely intimidating and emotional for Zitong, but meeting Fuller and

others helped her cope and continue to push forward. However, meeting new friends is not the only part of school that Zitong enjoys.

“I like that there are a lot of people. I remember why I chose H.I. when I applied to a lot of schools because I think the atmosphere here is pretty good… the equipment is very advanced and the buildings are beautiful.” said Zitong. She loves that her new school is unlike the other “cookiecutter” schools she toured and that it has a larger student body than her old school. Most of all, she appreciates the school’s avid attention to airconditioning the buildings.

Although English is her second language, Zitong has been speaking it for years now. It was required at her old school, but much like American foreign language classes, it only taught the basics of English. In Zitong’s opinion, the hardest parts about learning a new language are the listening and speaking aspects.

“The listening part is hard because sometimes you don’t understand what someone is saying, but the talking part is hard because you can’t express what you really want to say,” Zitong said.

According to Zitong, the most difficult part of her move has been the culture transition. “Sometimes I have a problem because I don’t know what to talk about, like the topic.” Jia said. Her preferences can be very different from her peers; for example, she prefers Chinese food to American food. She believes that she often has difficulty connecting with people due to her different background; the disconnect makes her appear shy, when in reality, she is quite outgoing . Her friends and classmates in China know Zitong to be very social, and she likes to go out with her friends and experience new things.

There have been many challenges throughout Zitong’s move and adjustment, “but it’s getting better; it just takes time.” Zitong said.

26 PEOPLE

EYES O ISAAC Every morning, the campus is spotless. This unseen cleaning force is driven by a staff of devoted custodians like Isaac Kamau.

MATTHEW RAESIDE, staff writer

PEOPLE 27

A

lmost seven years ago, Isaac Kamau began working at HIES, filling in as a substitute custodian three times a week. Today, he is the Assistant Manager for all janitorial tasks here at HIES, overseeing all other custodians, and helping clean the school campus nightly. On top of that, Kamau has a second job as a day porter at Pace, which means that he is constantly scrambling around to get between the two campuses. Although Kamau is known by few students, the effects of his efforts are surely felt, as the campus is always prepared for school the next day.

ON

Kamau is a Kenyan native who was raised in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. He recalls being in trouble with his parents as a kid because he would fidget with electronics found around the house.

“I love electronics. I’m always taking apart electronics. I used to get in trouble when I was younger because I would take apart electronics like a radio, even if they were working fine,” Kamau said.

Because Kamau’s father worked for the United States Embassy in Kenya, his family frequently traveled to and from the United States. After finishing school at the Tala Boys High School, his family permanently moved to the United States. “I liked it over here when I was traveling back and forth,” he said. “My parents decided they wanted me to get a better education, so they decided to stay in the United States.”

Once he reached the United States, Kamau attended college at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana.

After graduation, Kamau worked several jobs before finally finding HIES. His first job was at the Kia assembly plant in Westpoint, GA. “I love automobiles, and that’s why I worked at the Kia assembly plant,” Kamau said.

After leaving Kia, Kamau worked as a delivery driver for Sodexo, a French food service company similar to Sage. He also cooked in a kitchen at a retirement community while working at a loading dock where he packed beef products.

Later, a job agency landed Kamau a job at CNN, where he was an editing assistant for a special project at the CNN center in Atlanta. A few months after the project ended, the same agency sent Kamau to HIES. At HIES, Kamau actually works for CleanStar National, an Atlanta-based janitorial company that services several private schools.

“People want to work, but nobody really wants to clean,” he said. “So that’s where our company comes into play.”

Kamau’s day begins at Pace, where he is a day porter, and is responsible for keeping the campus clean while students are at school and supervising other day porters. After leaving Pace, Kamau arrives at HIES by 3:30 p.m., around an hour earlier than the rest of his staff.

“I’m the first one here and the last to go.” Kamau said.

He starts by walking around campus to see what events are happening that day and to receive work orders (so his staff knows what needs cleaned). His staff

comes in at 5:00 p.m., and Kamau is always prepared for their arrival and ready to assign different jobs so they can begin cleaning immediately.

“It’s a lot of work here, cleaning the entire campus,” he said. “It’s a team effort.”

Kamau opens doors, gives directions, and assists custodians during the average nightly clean up. “I’m happy when I’m helping people, and there’s always somebody asking me to open a door!” he said. His staff cleans the school all evening, and Kamau is normally one of the last to leave, sometimes as late as 1 a.m.

“It’s really long,” he said. “I stay late after my cleaning staff has left for the night to ensure that the campus is ready for school the next day.”

On weekends, Kamau likes to relax after a long week of sixty plus hours by catching up on sleep. Sometimes, he has time for some of his hobbies like bowling, hanging out with his friends, cars, and watching movies. He especially loves comedies. “I love anything that has laughter,” Kamau said.

Unlike students, Kamau is at HIES year-round. “The summer is actually when we are busy, because we do major projects like cleaning carpets, stripping and waxing tile floors, and scrubbing grout floors.” His staff does these projects over summer break because they use toxic chemicals and loud machinery that can be disruptive. His only time off is during major school breaks like winter break, or Thanksgiving break.

“Just waking up in the morning is a good enough reason to smile all day.”

Isaac Kamau Kamau hopes to go back to college for an HVAC certification in the future. His love for automobiles and electronics makes HVAC the perfect fit for him. “I still take apart electronics, so that’s part of the reason I want to do HVAC,” Kamau said. “Also, there’s always a demand for heating and cooling.” He also has been offered managerial positions within CleanStar National. “I have a few prospects in the making, but I don’t like to speak on them because I’m a little bit superstitious,” Kamau laughs.

His favorite part about his job at HIES is the work environment. “The student body, faculty, and staff are always happy; they are such a positive environment to be around.” Although it seems that Kamau never gets the chance to meet students because he arrives at HIES late, he says that after-school is the best time to see students.

“I get to see more of them because they are out and about everywhere, running around outside, like during sports versus being stuck in class,” said Kamau.

Students rarely thank custodians like Kamau, and cannot appreciate all he does for our school. Still, he comes to work every day with a smile on his face, whether he is opening doors or emptying trash cans. “Just waking up in the morning is a good enough reason to smile all day,” Kamau said.

28 OPINION

Yes/No

Does Social Media Replace the Need for Physical Community?

OPINION 29 MAGGIE BELENKY, staff writer

32% of HIES students said

YES

F

or better or worse, our current world often revolves around social media. Laptops and smartphones accompany individuals as they interact with their online communities, satisfying the need for connection. Remaining a part of a community is now at our fingertips.

accomplish connection without the struggle.

According to Kelly Wallace, a contributing writer for CNN, “When it comes to relationships with friends, more than half (52 percent) of teens said social media has made them better versus just 4 percent who said it has negatively affected those relationships.”

Social media allows us to communicate without being in the physical presence of others. For example, young adults can follow their friends on Instagram or Facebook when they are off to college, on a family trip or move away. Users have to ability to share articles or ideas, comment and “like”, feel validated, and even argue - maybe even more so than in person. Relatives who might live alone or be unable to see family can now keep up through social media; therefore, they feel connected to a community.

Shira Lee Katz, Common Sense Media’s Director of digital media, said “they believe that social media helps their friendships, makes them feel more outgoing and gives them confidence.” It’s less nerve-racking to communicate through social media. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are not only prevalent but also the preferred forms of communication for many high school and college students and young adults today.

Some internet users, particularly introverts, sometimes struggle with meeting new people or having a conversation with someone in person.

Through social media, introverts are able to

Because we now rely on social media for our sense of connection and belonging, the reality is that we have removed ourselves to some degree from physical interaction. This is the new normal and new way of participating in a community.

KATIE LEONARD, contributing writer

68% of HIES students said

NO

S

ocial media can be used to both strengthen and degrade the relationships made in a physical setting. Overall, I believe that the connections made in a physical environment will always prove to be stronger than those reliant entirely upon online platforms. The need for a “real” community will always remain.

On one hand, social media can harm the relationships made within a physical community; it’s not fun if a group of friends gather for a celebration, but everyone spends their time scrolling through their Instagram feed. Phone users, especially young adults, have grown increasingly attached to their devices.

This observation is frightening, as it indicates the increasing lack of value that people have begun to place on their physical relationships. On the other hand, social media can strengthen the relationships made in “real” life. For example, If you make friends that live in different states, a great way to stay connected is via social media.

Yes, social media may be able to connect people, but physical contact is superior to most any connection made otherwise. “Real” interactions increase the chance for people to initially feel comfortable with each other, increase trust, and are will be more eager to collaborate.

Through the multitude of approaches to social media use I have seen, the way that online interactions affect physical relationships is dependent entirely upon each user of social media. I often fear that the growing generation has placed too much value on their online presence, forgetting the importance of physical connections. Striking a proper balance between the two is your responsibility.

30 OPINION

FORGET ABOUT THE STUDENT HANDBOOK....

WHAT ABOUT YOUR OWN MORAL COMPASS?

OPINION 31

EDITORIAL

I

f “have an existential crisis” is on your bucket list, I strongly recommend the book “The Pig That Wants To Be Eaten” by Julian Baggini. Through short scenarios posing philosophical questions, Baggini encourages the audience to think deeply about their morals.

One of my favorite scenarios within the collection, titled “Ordinary Heroism”, details the story of Private Kenny. Kenny dies smothering a grenade explosion that would have decimated his entire unit. However, he is not awarded recognition for this tremendous act of bravery.

When his family questions why, a statement is issued by his regiment declaring that Kenny’s actions were not required of him by the moral duty of soldiers. Soldiers are only obligated to act in the interests of the entire unit.

By rewarding him, the army must consider it a requirement to go beyond what is necessary. However, the army cannot expect anything more than compliance to the stated rule.

school can only go so far to steer us towards being the happy, healthy, and productive individuals they want us to be. Extending beyond the school, the law encourages us to be lawful citizens, but it says nothing about how we should deal conflict with those we love, what career path we should choose, and other major life decisions that contribute our legacy. Our parents are often not viable sources of advice, since they can be out of touch with our point of view. At last, we can be afraid to seek help from our peers for fear of ruining our reputation.

It often seems like everyone has life figured out, except you. Due to this great insecurity, we tend to take on mirror identities that are identical to those that we love, such as our parents, friends, and partners – the ones who seem to have everything together. But when we disagree with these false identities (consequently disagreeing without ourselves) we can be left feeling alone, not knowing where to turn. What do we do, then? We shut ourselves up, shove our emerging differences beneath the surface. We rarely ever see the usefulness in our differences or the patterns in our mistakes.

In a similar situation, would you act as Private Kenny had?

Utilitarianism, doing whatever benefits as many people as possible, often reigns in decisions like these. Private Kenny was destined to die with or without his heroic act. But what if you had a greater chance of survival? Would you still sacrifice yourself to save your unit?

Exercises in thought may seem abstract and irrelevant, but are essential to the process of shaping our moral identity. Because there is no correct answer, we must look deep inside ourselves to find what is true to us. After repeatedly searching for these answers, we learn to prioritize the beliefs and values taught to us by our communities, in order to create our own guide through life and decisions. This guide is commonly known as a moral compass.

The concept of a moral compass is not unfamiliar, nor is its importance to society. Since the beginning of civilization, communities have pondered what qualifies as justified behavior and what consequences are justified for unjustified behavior. But how much do we think about morality today? How much do we examine our actions in the greater context of our lives and our communities?

People, specifically teenagers, should focus more on the creation of their own code of conduct. As adolescents, we are creating ourselves and cultivating our own identities. This is identity, not in the sense of knowing our favorite color or band, but knowing what we value.

Adolescence, in itself, is making mistakes and consequently waging damage control. Growing up is troublesome because there are some things you must learn on your own. In this way, the process of becoming an adult is a formidable task that many “young adults” are still conquering.

We rarely ever figure out how to learn from these instances. Often, we run away from them, refusing to come to terms with our own individuality. We lead the lives that others envision for us, instead of the ones we envision for ourselves. We die with regret of things that we did and the things we didn’t do. The hallmark consequences of not knowing what to do with ourselves.

What can be done? Create your own guide to life. Create your own moral compass.

How? My first piece of advice is introspection. When you hear that word, you might think extravagant, Walden-style, self-reflection.

Introspection doesn’t have to be superfluous, however. It can be as simple as listening to yourself, spending time alone with your own thoughts. Think about who you are. Think about who you want to be.

Think about your mistakes and your passions.

Secondly, I advise you to take the advice of the ancients. No matter how trite the Golden Rule seems to be, it still holds true in my experience.

Lastly, I challenge you to write it down. Write down whatever rules, general truths, moral axioms curated from personalized to your life and experiences. Like your own personal constitution, amend it as you grow and change.

An enduring, but ever-evolving moral compass is the key to a meaningful life. Using that compass as a guide leads to less regret and more achievement. As Ayn Rand, bestselling novelist and creator of Objectivism philosophy, said, “The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live.”

It would be easier if we had a handbook for life, but we don’t. Even with the “broadened jurisdiction” of this year’s school handbook, the JAYLEE DAVIS, staff writer

32 OPINION

A Week Of

E D U T I GRAT

A lifetime of gratitude inspired by one simple phone call

HALEY PLANT, feature writer design, ETHAN MULLEN

T

The results were outstanding, but even more interestingly, for weeks after the experiment, the students that suffered from depression and anxiety reported feeling more gracious and an overall improved well being.

“Hello?”

“Hey, I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you’re in my life.”

Convinced to start a gratitude journal and craving this happiness it would bring, I rummaged through my old notebooks until I found one that was blank. I wanted this to be as personal as possible so I came up with my own format. At the top I wrote “Gratitude Journal: Day 1” (quite creative if I do say so myself) and then sat quietly staring at the blank page.

The exchange was heartwarming; there were tears, laughter, and visible signs of happiness from all students in the room as they spoke to their unsuspecting loved ones.

Turns out, thinking about things I am truly thankful for wasn’t as easy as I assumed.

As sad as it sounds, on a regular day I was most likely listing off the reasons why life sucks rather than focusing on the people that make it worth living.

HIES senior Hollis Brecher even described it as something that “helped connect [her and her aunt] together more.”

Finally, I wrote down the first name that came to mind. I was hooked. What culminated in a long, Moby-Dick-esque rave, I wrote how I wouldn’t be who I am today without this person, how I admire this person’s generosity, optimism and ability to care for others. I even included a personal narrative about the time she brought me cookies at 9pm on a school night because I was feeling down about a breakup, and how much it lifted my spirits at that time in my life.

he entire class was silent as we pushed the numbers into our iPhones, nervously awaiting the “hello” from whoever was on the other end. The suspense was nerve-racking and palpable. What would we say? What if they feel awkward? This is a huge mistake. These were thoughts that went through my head, at least.

This simple yet impactful class assignment got me thinking: what are the lasting benefits of expressing gratitude? Can a simple, sappy phone call or sweet letter really make you an all-around happier person?

After spending way too much time researching this instead of studying for my Precal test, like I was supposed to, I poured over articles explaining why humans responded so favorably to the act of gratitude. In Positive Psychology, a popular philosophy often used in therapy that emerged in the 1990s, psychologists will often tell their patients to start a gratitude journal. This practice began because of the overwhelming evidence proving that expressing gratitude does make people happier and literally changes the human brain for the better.

When I was done, I felt happy, but yearned for more. I called her up, mind you, it was ten at night, and started talking. Surely enough, we were both blibbering by the end of it, many “I love you’s” were said and I could hear the smile in her voice like a favorite song. Also evident in reaction was a tinge of surprise. She wasn’t used to these displays of raw honesty, nor was I.

For instance, in an Indiana University study, 43 students suffering from anxiety and depression were put to the test. Nearly half of the students were instructed to write down reasons they were grateful for 20 minutes a day while the others were not given these instructions. Two weeks later, under surveillance of a brain scanner, the participants were put into another scenario that involved the effects of generosity on gratitude. The people who were more appreciative, reported feeling higher levels of happiness even later that week.

I became frustrated, later wondering: Why don’t people do this more often?

Not only did I make someone feel loved, but I felt more elated than ever. The initial buzz of dopamine went away after about an hour and the first part of my experiment was over.

In the brain itself, the scanner detected higher activity in the frontal, parietal and occipital lobes which are the same areas activated when showing empathy and intense emotion. Furthermore, expressing gratitude causes a release of dopamine, the same chemical released when listening to good music or creating art.

Honesty, who is?

The experience continued on and by the next day, I was eagerly anticipating expressing how grateful I was for this next person being in my life. This time, I felt the urge to make it more personal so after swallowing my fear, I decided to express my gratitude face to face.

I walked into my father’s office with the handwritten letter tightly grasped in my nervous hands. As I read to him, the tender endearment was obvious in his eyes. I was blushing profusely, of course, and I hugged him tight with watery eyes.

OPINION 33

Other Ways to Increase HAPPINESS: 1. Learning new things

Beginning a new hobby or engaging yourself in something you’re interested releases dopamine and can boost your overall happiness.

Playing with her band, “Anti-trance”, HIES junior, Kamryn Harley, rocks out on her bass; Photo courtesy of Kate Rouse

2. Keep an exercise routine

Copious research supports the idea that exercise releases endorphines that improve your mental state over a period of time.

Keeping up with her cross country routine, HIES senior Bryn Foster runs her countless laps down asphalt; Photo courtesy of Johnny Foster

Feeling deep love wasn’t the response I was expecting from this experience, but nonetheless it was the biggest contributor to my happiness. It was being loved and loving others.

As the week went on, the pattern stayed about the same - I’d write, express, and feel the happy emotions rush over me for about an hour. However, by about the fourth day I was being more attentive to people, even kinder. Why? The conclusion I came to was that I personally felt more content with my life.

I saw my life as something filled with great things and people, in contrast to just being there, just existing. I thought more about people’s character. I started to think they’ve always been so hard working or that person has never been anything but kind to me. As I started noticing people’s character, a kinder version of myself emerged- practicing the good traits I appreciated in others. Gratitude was making me a better person.

3. Listen to your favorite songs

Listening to songs that have a personal meaning to you improves your state of mind and releases dopamine.

Listening to “Feel Good Inc” by Gorillaz, HIES senior, Marshall Lynch unwinds with his favorite tunes.

Haley Plant / FEATURE WRITER

4. Keep a progress streak

Writing down or keeping track of your achievements and goals can chemically make you happy, specially if its over a long period of time.

Reflecting with her notebook in hand, HIES senior, Clara Hunter writes down goals she’s achieved this month.

Haley Plant / FEATURE WRITER

Another change that I noticed after starting the gratitude journal was the amount of privilege I recognized. I began noticing how trivial my usual gripes were. I have to do a bunch of work on a weekend? I should be grateful I’m experiencing valuable learning each and every day, a privilege denied to many. I never thought about how much I had, and I never thought about the people in my life and how lucky I am to have them. Taking time to appreciate them every day affected how I viewed the rest of my life, and I wouldn’t go back.

By the end of the week, I wasn’t relieved that it was over. I wanted to continue this good feeling I was getting as long as possible. Like the people in the Indiana University study, the feelings of gratitude lingered. My brain was actually more active because of what I was doing, and it didn’t take a special brain food or any magic pills. I want to turn my week of gratitude into a month, a year, a lifetime. It just takes some effort and a whole lot of love.

34 FEATURES

“Community isn’t just local, but global. We may not live in the same geographical region, but we’re all humans. We have this feeling of fellowship because we’re humans.

Because of this, I took this photo globally. I went to Cuba over the summer and found that even though the culture is drastically different, there was still this sense of fellowship.”

- Mary-Holt Crewdson

FEATURES 35

Senior photography student Mary Holt Crewdson captures an embrace between two women in Cuba Mary-Holt Crewdson/ CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Lucie, better known as coach b I knew Coach B My three will never forget her Loved her so sad This place has changed me rest peacefully I will walk the halls in gratitude oh dear coach b we are better because of her dedicated to the memories I will miss her absolutely heartbraking but will keep her sunshine close may her angel wings shine most legendary and loved upbeat radiant in everything she did wonderful lady truly wonderful heart of gold Not another like Coach B rest in peace you will be missed thanks for all the great times a beaming smile one of the kindest Thank you for all the smiles no one else compares I will miss you, Lucie adored by so many such a special lady impacted so many she became home to me forever in our hearts She was a soft shoulder wonderful role model I’m slowly learning how to be Coach A without Coach B a sad loss for all We will miss you, Coach B may her smile live on She isn't afraid to feel pain what an angel isn't afraid to love thanks for taking care of our kids Live each day such a beautiful lady A HIES light has gone out so cheerful I will miss you my dear friend A woman so happy Bless this beautiful woman Many tears were shed We will miss you, Coach B God speed RIP to a HIES legend God bless you coach B You are loved.

Created entirely from Facebook Comments left by HIES Community members, this found poem is a memorial to Coach Lucie Bornholm.