The Blade Volume 114, Issue 1 by Woodward Academy Student Publications

n co ten ts

culture

∆ Picks of the Month

Our picks for what is trending this month.

∆ Summer 16 Review

Looking at Drakeʼs epic performance.

∆ Summer of Grief Timeline

A lookback of this summerʼs stirring events.

∆ s, am re D s, g ng in Ri as g Ch asin

ts r o∆ S p s pott

A Fo Q ot & ba A A ll se Fo Q i Ca ssi ot & ng pt on ai w ba A ll se th ns. ith Ca ss e th e pt ion Sq 20 ai w u ns ith a 17 . d th e 20 17

The Blade is the student news publication of Woodward Academy. Volume 114 Issue 1 Woodward Academy 1662 Rugby Ave College Park, GA 30337

staff

Editors Aly Shakoor ‘17 — Editor in Chief Erin Edwards ‘17 — Editor in Chief Maddie Ledet ‘18 — Design Editor

staf f

∆ EStaff ditors Members

Edit orHarris in Chi‘17 ef: ALy Shakoor ʻ17 Erin Man agPacker ing ed‘18 itor: Erin Edwards ʻ17 Nija Design editor: Maddie Ledet ʻ18 Tanvi Reddy ‘18 Culture editor: Nija Packerʻ18 Lizzy Levine ‘18

∆ Staf f 2

Erin Harris ʻ17 Lizzy Levineʻ18 Tanvi Reddy ʻ18

∆

e th

w ne

m ra og r p

ing

ʼs

g d n M sin eaions o AI scusose. R D i ur p er opin p m m ntʼs test Su tude ded ∆ S rea d

e th

student spotlight

e r tu a e

∆ Phases of Summer

Students talk about their Moondance experiences from around the globe.

∆ Of fseason Champs

Football team wins summer tournament hosted by the Cam Newton Foundation.

∆ The Fashionista

Richelle Thompsonʼsʼ17 summer in the fashion industry.

EDITOR’S WORD

It’s hard to believe it’s only been two months since school began, but already so much has happened. We were met with a lot of changes this school year, like the new schedule with no homeroom and longer tutorials, the renovated Carlos Science building, the new Learning Center for students looking to improve their studying habits and a shift in sports divisions, causing us to lose certain athletic rivalries and gain others. The National Scholastic Press Association also named The Blade a

“The Blade means family, and family means no one gets left behind,” said Erin Harris ‘17. Newspaper Pacemaker Finalist, an award colloquially called the Pulitzer Prize of student journalism. This honor has only motivated us to continue improving our publication with easier access to a wider range of content. We shifted from posting daily articles on wooodwardblade.com to emailing students and faculty a bimonthly newsletter called The Butterknife, covering timely highlights in student life, culture and sports. We will publish our print issue every month, as opposed to three times a year. We’ve introduced a culture section, complete with staff picks of the best summer flicks, books and music, as well as a live concert critique. This issue 4

features a review of Drake and Future’s “Summer Sixteen” performance in Atlanta. In our effort to feature more individual students, each issue will now contain “Student Spotlights.” For this issue, we focus on students who did something unique over break, from climbing the French Alps to participating in a WA Connect fashion internship. We also debate summer reading in “Summer Dreading,” reaching out to teachers and students about the pros and cons of the summer staple. In this issue, we also look forward to this school year, with the introduction to the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism in “The Aim of AIM” and Q&A’s with the cheerleading and football captains about the struggles of leading the teams and their renewed journey of #DomeorGoHome. We hope the shift to the Butterknife, the new print sections and our choice in coverage will allows us to better cover you, the students, as well as the news of our community. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Social Media Twitter: @wastpress Email: wastpress@gmail.com Youtube: wastpress

How to send a

LETTER

to THE EDITOR One of the missions of The Blade is to cover pressing issues confronting our community. We try our best to include a diverse array of perspectives in our coverage. However, we realize that as a staff of only seven people, it is impossible for us to represent the voice of every student and faculty member. We have decided to introduce a Letter to the Editor section in each of our issues. A Letter to the Editor is a letter that a student or faculty member sends in stating any additions, issues or concerns they have with an article or general opinions about a school-related issue. If the letter follows the established guidelines, it may be published in the next issue of the magazine. Letters will not be rejected based on editorial preference, only if guidelines are not met or too many letters are received. Guidelines: ∆ Limit to 200 words ∆ If applicable, state the article of concern, and keep the focus on your concern/issue/addition with the article ∆ End the letter with your name and grade level. Note: Anonymous letters cannot and will not be published. ∆ If relevant, introduce any background information about you or your issue in the letter. ∆ Check your school email for a verification email. If you would like, leave a phone number for verification instead. Methods: ∆ Google Form (tinyurl.com/ BladeLetter) ∆ Drop off in Room W113 ∆ Email to wastpress@gmail.com

Picks of the month What we read, watched and listened to.

Student ratings were collected through a school-wide survey of 181 students and averaged. By Nija Packer.

No.

Nerve (2016)

Blonde by Frank Ocean

Student rating:

Student rating: Frank Ocean’s long awaited album finally dropped on August 20th after years of being pushed back. Fans were more than excited about the release, and the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. It received critical acclaim for Frank Ocean’s vocal performance and the strong production quality. The follow up to “Channel Orange” has also sold nearly 300,000 copies to date.

No.

Student rating: Thirteen years after Disney’s classic movie “Finding Nemo,” “Finding Dory” garnered so much anticipation people weren’t sure if it would live up to the hype. Proving those people wrong, it made huge waves at the box office, pulling in $438 million. Children and adults fell in love with the story of Dory’s search for her long lost parents, and the movie received overwhelmingly positive reception from critics.

Starring Emma Roberts and Dave Franco, “Nerve” is an exhilarating story about a teenaged girl and her friends who get caught up in the thrill of a game called Nerve, described as “truth-or-dare without the truth.” What starts as a fun and harmless way to pass the time spirals into a more dangerous game than anyone could have predicted. Though it only made about $38 million at the box office, “Nerve” received generally positive reviews from viewers and critics.

Finding Dory (2016)

No.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany Student rating:

Readers’ return to the wizarding of Harry Potter broke records by selling over two million copies in the first 48 hours of release, and is Amazon’s best-selling book of 2016. The book, which is formatted as a playscript, is set 19 years after the events in the Harry Potter series.

No.

The Bachelorette (Season 12) Student rating: The 12th season of “The Bachelorette” returned in May 2016. The star of the show was “JoJo” Fletcher, a real estate developer from Dallas, Texas. The premise of the show is for the bachelorette to get to know several different men and eliminate them one by one, the last man standing being the winner of the show. This season was one of the most watched of the entire “Bachelorette” series, the finale raking in over eight million viewers. 5

Summer Sixteen by Nija Packer

“CRACKLE!” Even on the 20th stop of his tour, Drake hadn’t lost an ounce of energy. His show in Atlanta was “the most lit show of the whole Summer Sixteen Tour,” as his tour mate Future said multiple times during the concert. He may be a little biased since Atlanta is his hometown, but both performers were visibly overflowing with energy for the entire night.

Drake opened up the show with his single “Summer Sixteen,” sparklers shooting up behind him to match his high-energy performance. The response from the crowd was deafening. The anticipation built for hours while opening acts Roy Woods and DVSN took the stage. He continued with “Still Here” and “Started from the Bottom,” the huge screen behind him changing from the word “Revenge” in big, bold letters to a black-and-white marble print. Stunning and flashy visuals –– such as continual smoke flares and strobe lights –– added flair to the overall presentation. After the captivating opening, Drake paused to talk to the audience. “I just gotta ask y’all one question,” he said. “You want the short show or the long show?” The crowd burst into screams and cheers, which Drake took as confirmation the crowd wanted the long show. He jumped right into his lengthy set, performing a medley of songs that included nearly every track from his latest album, “Views.” It also consisted other artists’ songs that he was featured on, such as “Versace” by Migos and “My Way” by Fetty Wap, which got the entire crowd singing at the top of their lungs. Future stepped on stage after Drake’s first act, and the atmosphere instantly changed. No one loves an artist as much as their hometown. Future got the crowd rapping along to almost every song. His production quality was nowhere near as extravagant as Drake’s, but his

Drake works a crowd of screaming fans in Atlanta. Nija Packer ‘18

set consisted mainly of his major radio hits, such as “March Madness,” “Thought It Was a Drought” and “Wicked,” generating a lot of crowd engagement and enthusiasm. He also brought out four young dancers who looked liked they were in their teens to join him on stage for part of his set. Just when the crowd thought they had a second to breathe, Drake and Future brought Atlanta rap legend Gucci Mane to the stage. The crowd erupted into screams and cheers while Guwop rapped his verse from his recent song with Drake, “Back on Road.” The audience shouted along to the lyrics of Gucci’s “I Think I Love Her” as he held out the mic, a huge grin on his face. Other guests on the tour included 2 Chainz and DSVN, who took the stage twice that night. What made the show unlike any other wasn’t the guest artists, though. It was the absolutely stunning visuals paired with Drake’s incredibly charming personality that made his concert so enjoyable. Hundreds of white, balloon-like orbs decorated the ceiling and descended on the audience throughout the concert, sometimes forming waves, other times randomly scattering. The color of the orbs changed according to the song ––during “Hotline Bling,” they turned various shades of pink, drowning the room in a

deep pinkish-purple. Despite the ostentatious set decorations, Drake made it clear that his fans were his number one priority. In his early days, he brought a lucky fan on stage and serenaded her. This show was no exception – Drake ascended above the crowd on a moving platform, leaning over and gazing upon the audience members while moving from section to section. He shouted out things like, “I see you in the Free Bandz/ OVO shirt, representing...I see you baby girl in the black lace top...I see you in the yellow shirt,” as he passed over the thousands of fans in attendance. Even if you weren’t lucky enough to get acknowledged verbally by Drake, it felt as if he made eye contact with every single person he passed over, if only for a fleeting second. In the past, Drake shows have been critiqued for being self-indulgent, melancholy and even uninteresting. The Summer Sixteen Tour proved Drake has risen far above those criticisms. His eye-catching set design combined with the fast-paced tempo and guest artists ensured that there was never a dull moment. Drake is no longer the young, upand-coming Canadian rapper who performed in cramped clubs for less than 200 people. He’s a mega-star. 7

“Summer of Grief”

The series of events that occurred this summer impacted people everywhere. From the terrorist attack in Paris to the massacre in Orlando, death and terror struck every corner of the world. This timeline highlights key moments from this “summer of grief,” as Dr. Freer described it during the speech he gave on the first day of school.

By Nija Packer

May 28

July 7 A sniper killed five police officers during a protest in Dallas, Texas following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

A three year old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and was dragged around violently by a 450-pound gorilla named Harambe. Zoo officials shot and killed the gorilla, sparking outrage and controversy along with a multitude of humorous memes.

July 6 A police officer shot and killed 32-year-old Philando Castile while he sat in his car with his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and his son in St. Paul, Minnesota. Reynolds videotaped the entire incident on Facebook live, and the video quickly became a national topic of conversation. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

July 14 In the midst of Bastille day celebrations in France, a lorry truck plowed into a crowd gathered in Nice to watch fireworks. The driver, 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, killed 86 people and severely injured 303.

AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool

AP Photo/Jim Mone, File

June 2

Santa Clara County Sheriff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office via AP, File

Former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster during a fraternity party. Anger erupted after Judge Aaron Persky sentenced Turner to six-months in jail. Released after three months, many people state the punishment wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t severe enough.

July 5

June 12 The deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history captivated the nation after Omar Mateen killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The police shot and killed the gunman shortly after.

AP Photo/John Raoux, File

Two police officers were responding to concerns about an armed man in Baton Rouge, Louisiana when they pinned down 37-year-old Alton Sterling and fatally shot him at close range. Two videos depicting the incident surfaced on the web.

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

July 15 A faction of the Turkish Armed Forces attempted to seize government control through violence, but were defeated by parts of the Armed Forces who were still loyal to the state. 300 civilians were killed and several government buildings were damaged as well.

AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File

Chasing Dreams, Chasing Rings

Julia Du’1 9

A closer look at the class of 2017 football captains By Tanvi Reddy

aph y

ond Ph oto gr

San ds ‘1 aga n Re

Ryan Glover #7

Wa rre

ond Ph oto gr

aph y

#DomeorGoHome. Whether on Twitter or in Colquitt Stadium on Friday nights, this hashtag circulated throughout the community. The team’s desire to finally play in the state championship game in the Georgia Dome, has become instantaneously recognized through this slogan. Captains of the football team Ryan Glover ‘17, JR Pace ‘17 and Knox Hagan ‘17 work to make this hashtag a reality. The team has had a strong season thus far and has high expectations. Despite changes to a new region and the coaching staff, the War Eagles are as determined as ever to reach state. The captains gave a closer look at the 2016 team as they discussed themselves as leaders and the team as a whole.

JR Pace #9

Q: What type of responsibilities do you have as captains? Ryan Glover: We definitely have the responsibility of being role models. On and off the field, we always have to do the right thing, and that goes for the weight room, the classroom –– pretty much every setting on and off campus. JR Pace: We just have to be able to set a good example so the people following us can be good leaders when they come up too. Knox Hagan: The biggest thing is you have to lead everybody else, whether you’re going to be vocal or lead by example. Obviously on the field is a big one and in the weight room. Q: Do you have different types of leading styles? RG: I’m more of a lead by example type of guy. I’m pretty vocal at times, but I’m not as vocal as Knox I’d say. JP: I’m different because I scream and yell, and if you’re not in your place, I’ll put you in your place because we don’t play that. It 10

Knox Hagan #52

takes both good cop and bad cop. KH: You gotta be able to complement kids but still be able to jump their butts when they are messing up. You gotta be able to lead by example, pushing yourself and hitting people out there and just playing well. Q: Has entering a new division affected anything? RG: Definitely not. I think we still have the same mentality we had last year to just win and hopefully get to the Dome. JP: I think it has had a slight effect, just not knowing what team you’re playing and what they come with and what they bring to the table. Not knowing their strengths and weaknesses because we haven’t played them before. It definitely doesn’t alter us. We still have the same preparation. KH: I think we lost some good rivalries in the region we were in, and those were a lot of fun. Now that we’re in region play, it sets

War Eagle Football

Em il y

e tar Ci 7 lla’1

you up for the playoffs and our final goal is to win the state championship, so we’re still pushing it. Q: How does it change your chance of going to the Dome? RG: I don’t really think it changes our chances because we still have to see Cartersville, which is the best team right now rankings wise. I still think it’s the same mentality. If we win and play our best, then we should honestly make it to the Dome and win. JP: It’s still #DomeorGoHome KH: State championship or bust. Q: Football is a big part of the community life in the fall. Does that anticipation and pressure ever bother you? RG: I wouldn’t say that it bothers me, but I think it is in my head that there are a lot of people watching, alumni as well. It kind of makes you put in the extra effort to be great. JP: I enjoy the attention, and there’s a lot riding on us, so hopefully we can get a ring. KH: I love the atmosphere, walking out the tunnel and you see the student section going nuts, and the stadium is packed. Sometimes on Friday, every one of your teachers asks you about the game. It’s like the whole school is kind of riding on us. Q: Who’s the best at giving pregame pep talks? RG: Knox. JP: I have to say Will Bruce. Q: How do you bond as a team? RG: We’re a pretty well-knit team as it is because we have a few friend groups in

our team. We’re all pretty close, and we all hang out on the weekends. We see each other probably six or seven days out of the whole week. Q: What’s one thing you’re gonna miss the most about WA football? KH: I’d say the people. When you’ve been playing with these people since 8th grade, it’s just gonna be different in college. Q: Now that you are heading off to college, does that change your mentality as a captain? RG: Definitely not. It may increase my effort because I know this is my last go around to win as a high school for our players. I’m a senior, so it’s Dome or go home at this point. JP: It’s our last ride together. We’ve been doing this, some of us since 6th, 7th, 8th grade. It’s the last time we’ll all ever play together, so it definitely makes you actually go harder. KH: Everyone always talks about how senior year always feels different because it’s your last time playing together, and I never really got that until I was a senior. It just changes the vibe. Q: What do you want to leave as your legacy for future players to look up to? RG: Hard work is key. Practice doesn’t make you perfect, but it makes you a lot better. JP: I’m leaving a legacy in the number 9. I followed in the number 9 from Ryan Carter, then it was given to me, so whoever wants to fill that spot needs to step up to the plate.

Most Anticipated Game This Season: MARIST

In history...

State Championships Won

State Quarterfinals

Region Championships

State Playoffs

Currently...

Professional NFL Football Players

Alumni playing in college

101

Current number of offers received 11

Spotting the Squad

Jul ia

D u’1

A peek into the daily routine of the senior cheerleading captains By Lizzy Levine

Jade Robertson

18 is ‘ illin Qu

Meredith Katie Williams Pressgrove

Q: How many competitions do you do? Williams: We only have three or four. Then we have regions, and then we have state. Sometimes we do sectionals too. Robertson: Our first one was on September 24. Q:Why do your performances in these competitions matter? Pressgrove: They’re a big deal because it’s not like baseball where they have games all the time. MW: It’s not against one team, it’s against like five teams. JR: It’s only two minutes and 30 seconds. MW: You only can do it one time, so you can’t really mess up. 12

Per l

oll irc ri B Sa

Re ag

‘17

s ‘1

Bearing big bows and bright, smiling faces, football cheerleaders boost spirit at games with their catchy chants and elaborate cheers. However, there is more to the sport than most people think. Captains Jadelyn Robertson ‘17, Meredith Williams ‘17 and Katie Pressgrove ‘17 elaborated on the work and dedication that goes into perfecting their routines and what it’s like being the leaders of Woodward’s varsity squad.

Q:What is a typical practice like? MW: We pretty much only practice for competition. We spend maybe one or two practices teaching cheers for games. We usually do tumbling and stunting and try to piece together our routine slowly because you can’t just be like, “Okay, do everything right now.” It takes practice. Q:What kind of injuries does the team typically experience? MW: Concussions with stunting. [Injuries are] usually people falling on you, or you falling down when you’re catching someone. KP: Someone hurt their arm. Someone hurt their leg.

MW: We had two concussions this summer, but they were minor. Then we had one arm thing recently. Q: How is this year different from last year? MW: I think me, Katie and Jade are all really chill, and we would never really yell at anyone. KP: There’s a lot more respect on the team. MW: You can motivate people without being mean, so I think that everyone is a lot more respectful and everyone cooperates really well. There isn’t a lot of conflict this year. Was there conflict last year? KP: There’s been conflict every year that I’ve done cheerleading. Girl drama? MW: There’s been a lot in the past years, but I think a lot of it has to do with the seniors and how they lead. KP: It’s all about the seniors. Do you think that you lead differently than past seniors have? KP: Definitely, yes. The past seniors were very rude. It hurt people’s feelings. MW: At the beginning of the season, like the first practice, we were like, “We need to talk about how you want to be motivated and be respectful to people.” Some people don’t want to be yelled at. Some people want to just be taken aside and be like, “Hey, you might want to fix this.” JR: I think it’s because we don’t have a certain captain. It’s all three of us, so we work together. MW: It’s not a power struggle. Do you have any pregame or precompetition rituals? MW: Not really before a football game, but for a competition we do this little chant. KP: We put our arms around each other and get in a circle. JR: We rock back and forth. What’s something most people don’t know about cheerleading? MW: In general, people just don’t respect it or understand. They don’t consider it to be a sport, and they think we just go to practice and practice cheers. We don’t do that at all. KP: It’s actually hard, and it’s a sport because all of practice we just tumble and stunt.

MW: At tryouts, you have to do a fitness test, and people are always like, “Why do you have to do a fitness test? Y’all aren’t going to be running,” and I was like, “Yeah, but you have to have endurance.” What’s been your favorite moment of the season so far, and what do you look forward to? MW: I always look forward to making the qualifier for state because we get to go travel as a team. It’s a lot of fun for us, and we get a lot closer. KP: The first game just because it’s my last year here. How does it feel to be the leader of the group as seniors? KP: I think the leader, the seniors and the captains, set the whole mood of the team, and we set an example of how everyone should be treated. JR: It’s a good feeling because even if I don’t want to come to practice, I have to. I have to have a positive attitude because your attitude affects everybody else, and they keep the same attitude you do. So if you’re positive, then they’ll be positive. MW: You set the tone for the team, and I think in general, we’ve done a pretty good job considering past years. I think we’ve been waiting to step up and do it. Everyone does respect the seniors and the captains. You can’t really be as out of place as a freshman or try to yell at everyone.

JR: I wasn’t on the team in ninth grade because I didn’t want to cheer. In tenth grade, we got a new coach, Coach Raley, and I think she’s a part of the change because she just changed the vibe of the team. It’s just more cheerful now that she’s here. MW: We also have Trent, who’s our community coach who comes twice a week, and he really helps us a lot. He works out of a cheer gym part time. KP: The only reason we’re good is because of him. He knows what he’s doing, and he really helps. He helps with our stunting and our tumbling. MW: He spots us in the stunts. We all respect him and know that he is saying the right thing. Is there anything about cheerleading that you want people to know? MW: Respect us. KP: It is a sport. It’s not just cheers. You have to tumble and stunt. It’s very hard. JR: Not a normal person can do that.

Is there a legacy you guys want to leave on the team? MW: In general, do well competition-wise. I think we have a really good chance of winning regions. I really want us to win that because we’ve never won it on the team. JR: They won it the year we were in eighth grade. What’s the hardest thing about being the oldest girls on the squad? MW: Keeping yourself accountable, because you know you need to go to practice and have a good attitude. You can’t be like, “I don’t want to be here.” KP: You have to remember that the younger girls, especially, are watching you, and they’re gonna do what you do, so you have to be a good example, and you just always have to be thinking of them to have a good attitude. How has the team dynamic changed from your freshman year?

Lizzy Levine ‘18

The Aim of AIM By Erin Edwards Photographs by Erin Edwards Drawings by Julia Du 14

ith students hailing from more than 20 metro Atlanta counties and people of color comprising 48 percent of the student body, Woodward is one of the most diverse schools in the state according to Atlanta Magazine’s school guide. However, when tensions rise about race, gender or sexual orientation issues, students call the school’s inclusivity into question. In order to evaluate the school’s current diversity and inclusivity, the community will complete the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism during the 20162017 school year. The National Association of Independent Schools created the AIM study to help members determine how inclusive the school environment is through the insights of its community members. Woodward conducted the AIM survey five years ago, but on a much smaller scale. Upper School students, parents, faculty and some alumni took a survey asking their opinions about the school’s diversity and inclusivity. One change that came out of that study was the move to the current class designations: College Prep, Enriched College Prep and Honors Prep. This year, students, faculty, staff and parents from the Lower, Middle and Upper School and Woodward North are participating in an extended assessment consisting of three main phases: establishing school policies, taking the survey and discussing student, parent and faculty experiences in Discovery Groups. The steering committee heading AIM

started planning the assessment last winter break. The core of the AIM study, the selfselected affinity groups called Discovery Groups, reflect every part of the community. Students, faculty and parents participate. Affinities range from general identifiers, such as race or religion, to more specific identifiers, such as course levels students take, the distance a parent lives away from school or the tenure of a faculty member. These groups meet three times to discuss their experiences within the community, and AIM facilitators anonymously record their conversations. “What we’ve been trying to do is make sure we had everything in order for the Upper School, so we started out by determining what affinity groups we should have at the Upper School, which groups are heavily represented or lightly represented and what should we be asking them about and developing the questions for the Discovery Groups,” said Stephanie Stephens, head of the Upper School steering committee. In an effort to document the experiences of the whole community, students as young as 10 years old will participate in the AIM study, becoming the first NAIS school to do so. “We want to start young because we want people to understand from the very first day at Woodward that they are part of this community and they are valued,” Stephens said. “Sometimes there are situations where little kids may say things that they hear their parents say that could be hurtful and harmful, and we need them to understand at that age that that’s not appropriate. We

also need their parents to understand that what they say at home comes to school with the littlest of our people because they just parrot things that their parents say.” Stephens said Primary School students will not participate because they may be too young to articulately express their sentiments about diversity and inclusivity. However, Primary School parents, teachers and administrators will participate in the study. “Maybe the kids aren’t verbal enough, but certainly their parents are, so their parents should be included on the survey,” Stephens said. “Their parents should be included in the Discovery Groups because it’s important that everybody in our community ––staff, faculty, parents –– everybody gets a say in our inclusivity.” There continues to be controversy about whether grouping people together based on race, religion, gender or sexual orientation is a good idea. However, there is a strong reason why affinity based groups are allowed and encouraged in the discussion portion of the assessment. “When you’re trying to determine if there is appropriate diversity or inclusivity and you put a diverse group of people together, then people who may feel like they are discriminated against may not be willing to talk and give that information,” Stephens said. Approximately 80 people volunteered to facilitate these small group discussions. Facilitators range from faculty to seniors. JaKai Grooms ‘17 said she jumped at the opportunity to facilitate because these small

group discussions are a meaningful way of helping the community. “There’s not enough time in the day for everything that we have going on at this school, and [the discussion groups] create the time that we need to set aside to have these kind of conversations,” Grooms said. “It’s important that we’re doing this because there’s a lot of things that need to be talked about and things that need to see change, and also to reflect on the things we’ve done well too.” Another student facilitator, Chase Calhoun ‘17, said he volunteered because of the unique opportunity to assess progress in becoming more inclusive. “I just love the fact that we’re assessing our inclusivity,” Calhoun said. “I think it’s really cool that we have this opportunity to break everything down and really get to the core of what’s good and what’s bad about our inclusivity. I wanted to be apart of leading that, and I wanted to play a role in growing Woodward in the future.” Although almost all facilitators had previous experience in leadership positions, many said nothing could have prepared them for the nuances of facilitating Discovery Groups. Volunteers attended an all-day training session to learn their roles as unbiased facilitators, practice active listening and learn how to lead a meaningful, safe discussion within their prospective groups. Facilitation specialist Ms. Amanda Dean helped train volunteers to lead the Discovery Groups. Dean had trained facilitators for different initiatives, but she had no previous experience performing facilitation training for AIM. However, she said she felt fortunate to be a part of the process, especially in such a diverse community. “Woodward is a fairly inclusive community, and that’s one of the reasons it’s most important for a place like Woodward to do this,” Dean said. “It’s really easy to pat yourself on the back because you think you’re a doing a good job, but what if those things aren’t actually working? This gives an opportunity for every stakeholder of each group to sign up and participate, and that’s pretty awesome.” For a full day, students and faculty sat in the L-J and learned the ins and outs of AIM and the Discovery Groups. Group exercises, such as role playing, prepared them for their challenging roles as facilitators. “Primarily what we talked about in the 16

ca Afri

ric e m A

Female

CP C

lasse

JaKai Grooms ‘17

Chase Calhoun ‘17

Whit

Male

sti i r h

trainings was the role of the facilitator as the driver or the captain,” Dean said. “We broke that down into active listening, so how to hold everyone’s stories and listen for the key elements.” The facilitators also spent a lot of time discussing neutrality. Dean emphasized how important it was that the facilitators remained unbiased during their Discovery Group sessions in order to maintain a safe space. “The goal of AIM –– the aim of AIM –– is to gather stories, and you want to give people a place that feels comfortable and confidential and safe to share those stories,” Dean said. “[Facilitators are] in a leadership position, so if they come out as an individual expressing their own opinions, it can shut other people’s opinions down.” Facilitating without bias proved to be one of the major challenges for facilitators because they often had strong opinions about what came up during their sessions. “Especially questions that I was passionate about, I had a hard time showing neutrality through my body language,” Calhoun said. “Having a neutral third party who is not openly drawn during the discussion to any one side is extremely important because we do have a goal with this. We’re not just talking. We’re talking in order to be able to find out what’s good and what’s bad about Woodward’s inclusivity, and the only way to accomplish that goal efficiently in the time allotted is to be neutral.” On September 15, students completed a survey about their thoughts about current diversity and multicultural initiatives. An unbiased third party will condense the survey responses and Discovery Group discussions into data that the administration will review. Academy administration will use the data to identify areas of strength and weakness concerning diversity and inclusivity and then present a report to the Governing Board. The AIM study will result in real change, because the administration will use their findings in strategic planning, maintaining multicultural initiatives that have been successful and improving upon those that have not. “Woodward should be a national model in inclusivity,” Stephens said. “It’s not enough to be physically diverse. People have to feel valued. We have to make sure that everybody is included in a way that works for them, and that nobody leaves our doors feeling as if they were somehow devalued and not thought as much of as the person that they are.” 17

Summer

Dreading An Opinon by Aly Shakoor

Students like Henry Cox ‘18 sometimes struggle to balance the stresses of summer reading with other summer activities.

Aly

o Shak

Summer reading has been around for years. It’s the jolt at the turn of August or the pastime on a long flight. It’s an established practice that we are all expected to follow. In theory, it helps students maintain an educational mindset, combatting the “summer slump” and keeping up the habit of reading. In practice, it can prove to be less useful than teachers hope. Teachers administer summer reading for good reason. To them, having students read books over the summer is a way to keep their minds active and reading, a good habit in and of itself. “I think it’s to enhance a love of reading and hopefully make our students readers,” said Ms. Jane Graham, head of the English department. “I’m worried that reading is going to become a lost art at some point, and this is just a reminder that those things called books are important. We’d like to make our students lifelong readers. That would be the optimum goal, but we’re just doing what we can.” English teachers assign students anywhere from one to three required books based on the courses they are taking. On the first day of school, students take an assessment on these books for their first grade of the year. They also spend the first month or two

discussing and writing papers on these books. “Each class chooses books that hopefully will help the class in the fall,” Graham said. “For instance, in my drama class, the books that I assign are not easy, but they will be the foundation of our class for the rest of the year.” In addition to the required books, students select one “book of choice” from a long list of varying genres. During the first week of class, students meet to discuss the books in discussion groups moderated by teachers. Because these books are not limited to a certain class, each discussion group can consist of students of any grade or course level. According to a survey sent to students, only about 64 percent of the 181 respondents said they read all of their summer reading books this year. Twenty-six percent said they read some, but not all of their books. Ten percent read none.* Nearly all students acknowledged that there was some educational benefit to reading over the summer, even those who did not read their books. However, many of the respondents expressed various problems with the summer reading program. “It’s necessary,” Josh Sherman ‘17 said. “It’s not fun, but it is a way to prepare for school and get the wheels turning again.” “I feel that we should have it because it forces kids to learn to either enjoy or tolerate reading,” Kwamena Awotwi ‘19 said. “The

*It should be noted that some students privately expressed they did not want to admit that they didn’t read their books, fearing academic repercussions. It is possible that the actual amount of students that did not read all of their books is even higher.

rules should be modified so that people have a different response to it.” The most frequent and obvious concern given by students is that summer reading tasks them with required work to do over a school break. Many respondents felt they had earned a period of rest after staying focused the rest of the year. “I don’t think anyone is ever going to really love summer reading, nor will they love anything else forced upon them in the interest of maintaining a ‘learning mindset,’” said Hannah Erbrick ‘17. Students also take issue with having a test in the first hour back to school. With no opportunity to discuss the books or time to ask questions, they said they sometimes felt unprepared to take an assessment over books that can be very challenging. One less obvious disadvantage to summer reading expressed by the respondents was its interference with other summer activities. Students had to take away time from not only leisurely activities, like vacation, but also educational ones, like internships

educational benefits of actually reading through a book and staying mentally in tune over the summer. “No one reads anyways. We Sparknote to get As because we value grades more than learning,” Andy Sun ‘17 said. “I always put the least amount of effort possible to get an A. The cost of wasting time reading, which I could be using to do whatever I want, does not come close to the benefit of useless knowledge.” “I have no great quarrel with Woodward summer reading, and I don’t think it should be abolished, but no matter what people are still going to Sparknote,” said Erbrick. “I also think that reading is useful, even in such unruly months as those of summer.” The English department implemented the book of choice program relatively recently to solve one of the most common complaints from students: uninteresting books. Many of the survey respondents stated concerns with their specific summer reading books this year, such as dislike of the genre. Allowing them book choice gives them more freedom to read what

I think we should have more freedom in picking all summer reading books, not just the book of choice,” said Trinity Foley ‘18. There are some problems with this solution, one being that English teachers cannot assess everyone on their own books. “You know I’m not averse to that. It’s just I think what we [the English Department] are doing is looking at a way where we could have this foundation,” said Graham. “We have tests that we can administer. We don’t want to make ten different tests on ten different books.” Having everyone pick their own books may also throw out some important classics that might be boring to read but have a bigger educational impact. Another option would be to simply require fewer books. 75 percent of the students that did not read all of their books still read some of them. That might be a sign that students are trying, but they are not able to fit in all of their books. In many classes, the number of books can reach up to three or four. “I think the [number of books] reflects

“Summer reading just stifles those who would have read what they want to read. If the point is to encourage people to read, it is counter-intuitive.” or summer classes. “I believe it has good intentions, but a lot of students at Woodward have busy schedules over the summer, and it is hard to fit in time to read,” Sultaan Shabazz ‘17 said. If students don’t cancel other activities, they usually have to rush in their reading at the end of the summer. “Some students read it in a week or less before the test, that’s not an effective way of learning,” said Durotimi Adisa ‘19. Students often don’t read the books, as highlighted by the survey responses. Sixtyfour percent is a stunningly small amount of participation in a program that is supposed to reach all students. The reading test supposedly enforces the program, with students having to answer questions on the books to make sure they read. But students who look up summaries on websites like Shmoop and Sparknotes routinely pass the exams and the papers later in the year. These students lose the

they want while still having a meaningful discussion when school starts. “The people who are going to read the summer reading probably would have read books on their own anyways. The people who are not going to read during the summer are not going to read summer reading books,” said Susannah Cole. “Summer reading just stifles those who would have read what they want to read. If the point is to encourage people to read, it is counter-intuitive.” While the idea of letting students choose one book of their own is on the right track, many respondents felt that adding it on top of the required books only created more stress, as they had to fit more books into their summer. One option could be to let students pick all of their books. 78 percent of the survey respondents said they would be more supportive of summer reading if they were given the freedom to pick all of their books. “I think summer reading is good, but

the caliber of the class,” said Graham. Both of these possible solutions would affect the English department’s goal of creating a foundation for their classes over the summer, but perhaps that’s worth giving up if it spurs more students to read. After all, most classes in other subjects do not feel the need to assign summer work, even those with very packed curriculums. The summer reading program probably isn’t going anywhere. Students and teachers alike recognize the benefits of having summer reading. But the survey responses tell us that there are kinks that need to be worked out with the program. Admittedly, it’s hard to find a solution that doesn’t have its downsides, and the English department is trying to find one that works best. If the goal is to maximize readership, though, we have to keep improving. “We won’t be 100% successful,” said Graham. “We’re doing what we can. We’re trying to streamline this as best we can while also providing a foundation.”

By Lizzy Levine

Moondance Adventures organizes exotic trips designed to show young people the beauty of the world through nature and wildlife. Activities range from watching a sunrise from the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado to spending time with majestic animals on safaris in South Africa. Trips differentiate between service and leadership, and Moondance offers 25 different trips to 17 countries and five continents.

Kate Pounders ‘18 and Cali Campbell ‘18 went to Fiji on their second Moondance Adventures trip.

Best friends Kate Pounders ‘18 and Cali Campbell ‘18 went to the exotic South Pacific island of Fiji. During their service-based excursion, the girls spent their time paving sidewalks, fixing the village’s drainage system and indulging in local culture through bonding with the locals. “It’s somewhere that you’ll never get the opportunity to go, and to be able to do service there was really cool,” Campbell said. They also took advantage of the outdoor activities that Fiji had to offer, including Courtesy of Cali Campbell ‘18

hiking, snorkeling and scuba diving. “[Scuba diving] was a little nerve wracking at some points because you look out, and you can just see blue for miles and miles,” Pounders said. “You just imagine Jaws coming up. It was so fun.” Looking back on her adventures with Moondance, Pounders reminisces about her experiences. “I love Moondance so much, and that is what I look forward to all year,” Pounders said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

Julia Yarbough ‘18 participated in her first camping endeavor on a 21-day trip in Alaska. She experienced nature’s finest during her adventure to the last frontier. “I had never ever been camping or done anything outdoors in literally my entire life, and I’m one of the biggest girly girls that I know,” Yarbrough said. Yarbrough’s trip emphasized leadership and working together as a group. The student leaders varied daily, and the day’s leader would be in charge of guiding the group with a map, post-day discussions, cooking and cleaning. “It’s so much more important to worry about a group as a whole, and things get done so much faster when you’re working to help other people,” Yarbrough said. “If you are helping

your teammates, it’s going to come back and help you, and putting up with people that you may not love is worth it in the end.” By camping and sleeping in the Alaskan wilderness –– dominated by moose, bears and caribou –– Yarbrough experienced Alaska’s scenery and wildlife at its finest. “You really feel like you’re somewhere that no-one else has ever been, and what I love so much about Alaska is that it’s all about the wilderness and not the people in it,” Yarbrough said. “It’s not a tourist attraction. It truly is the last frontier.”

Julia Yarbrough ‘18 went to Alaska on her first Moondance adventure.

Julia Yarbrough ‘18

Shelby Fishman ‘17 carried on a generational tradition with her Moondance adventure. Shelby Fishman ‘17

Shelby Fishman ‘17 embarked on a 23-day hiking expedition through Europe’s Chamonix Alps. “My mom went backpacking through the alps when she was in college, so I wanted to do it around the same time,” Fishman said. Fishman kayaked in the Mediterranean sea and hiked an average of nine miles each day along the Pyrenees and Chamonix mountain ranges during her venture. Each day consisted of miles of trekking, and Fishman crossed the border of France into Spain by foot through La Brèche de Roland, a pass which sits at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet above sea level. “It was so amazing standing and looking to the left, which was Spain, and to the right, which was France,” Fishman said. “Once we got to the top,

we all screamed with excitement knowing that we somehow survived the hardest day of the trip.” Group leaders discouraged Fishman and other adventurers on the trip from using any technology, including watches, and instructed them to rise when the sun rose and sleep when the sun set. Because the group spent the majority of the trip walking and moving, endurance and vigor were essential in completing the hiking portions of the trip in Chamonix and Tour du Mont Blanc. “I went way out of my comfort zone and did things that most people would never do,” Fishman said. “To know that I did something so unique and [that] I can have this experience throughout my life definitely made me mentally and physically stronger.” 21

Offseason Champs By Aly Shakoor

Several members of the football team took a break from summer practice to compete in a football tournament hosted by the Cam Newton Foundation in Charlotte, North Carolina. The team of 20 advanced through two tournaments to emerge as the winner of the Foundation’s series. The 7 vs. 7 tournament varied from the team’s regular season play in more ways than just team numbers. The team held a special practice for the tournament every Tuesday in the weeks before the series. Sometimes, they entered into smaller tournaments as practice for the Cam Newton tournaments. The 7 vs. 7 format made for a smaller, closer-knit group, a break from the usual environment of dozens of players. “It’s a lot more competitive because it’s solely skilled positions, and at the same time it’s more fun because of the camaraderie made during the tournament,” said JR Pace ‘17. “We practiced every Tuesday after workouts to get our chemistry down and work on our craft.” The team started the series at a two-day regional tournament held at Woodward, overtaking about 20 other teams to advance to the Champions tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina. There, they beat out fifteen other teams to emerge as the

Josh Johnson ‘17 catches a pass in coverage. Cam Newton Foundation.

Ryan Glover ‘17 looks for a receiver in a 7 v. 7 game. Cam Newton Foundation.

series winner. “After the championship game, the feeling was bittersweet,” said Jeff Hubbard ‘17. “I was excited because we went undefeated in the tournament and were able to finish the tournament strong. I also felt kind of sad because I knew that it would be my last time playing 7 vs. 7 with this team.” The tournament series was hosted by the service foundation of NFL quarterback Cam Newton, who attended all of the series tournaments, spoke with the players individually and handed them their championship trophies. “I had the chance to see the real Cam Newton without the cameras being around,” said Hubbard. “I think he is a great role model for all athletes. He gave me some great advice, and I could see why he is in the position that he is in. His work ethic is unbelievable.” The Cam Newton Foundation works to support youth in Atlanta and Charlotte by holding sports and educational events in their communities, with Cam Newton usually appearing and helping out. The foundation also hosts events like celebrity kickball games and galas to raise money. “The foundation is a great organization,” said Pace. “They have provided me with a lot of opportunities that I otherwise wouldn’t get.”

The Fashionista

By Nija Packer

While other students her age had to settle for fashion magazines, Richelle Thompson ‘17 got a taste of the fashion industry through her internship with Project Love, a sleep leisure line dedicated to improving the lives of young women. A portion of the profits are devoted to sending a group of deaf Haitian girls to school. WA Connect, a program that connects students with internships and other opportunities through the Alumni Association, selected her for the internship. Project Love supports the dreams of underprivileged girls in Haiti in many ways besides simply donating money. For instance, Project Love donates to many aspiring fashion designers, and the owners Amy Crouse ‘99 and Elizabeth Mathes bring them fabric. One of the girls uses that fabric to create clothing of her own, and Project Love incorporates her designs into their line. The business impacts the girls in a huge way by giving them resources to achieve their dreams while contributing to their education. “These are deaf girls who’ve been shunned from their own community, so they’re in this deaf school trying to feel like they are somebody special,” Thompson said. “I especially like contributing to girls, and the fact that they had disabilities was really impactful.” Project Love has to actually make money in order to donate money to the girls. That’s where Thompson and the other interns came in. For three days a week, they worked to improve the brand in some way. They decided who would handle the Instagram, who would handle the Twitter and who would write the blog. Thompson was primarily in charge of Project Love’s Twitter page, and she tweeted daily to try and revamp the brand. Building up Project Love’s audience and attracting new people that weren’t part of their regular clientele was a big goal for the interns. “We also had a photoshoot that I was over to try to market [them] out to different people, not just the typical white Buckhead mom,” said Thompson. “So [I] just help[ed them] expand the brand outside of [their] whole demographic.” Interns also took a trip to the Atlanta Apparel Mart downtown, a huge 13-story building with almost every article of clothing

Left: Thompson and fellow interns, Micaiah Levy ‘16, Erin Edwards ‘17 and Caela Donald ‘17, have a skype meeting with co-owner Elizabeth Mathes. Right: Thompson sports a romper in Project Love’s showroom at the Apparel Mart. Instagram/joinprojectlove

one could imagine on display. Each floor showcases something different – the first floor is for live fashion shows, another is dedicated to prom dresses and another is for shoes. The Apparel Mart has everything from children’s clothes to wedding dresses. “It’s like a hidden treasure,” said Thompson. “The fact that it’s 13 floors is probably the coolest [thing] ever because you go all the way up to the thirteenth floor, and you’re looking down and it’s just fashion everywhere. It’s a girl’s dream.” The internship introduced Thompson to the fashion industry and gave her a different perspective on the business as a whole. “I really hope that people take the chance of actually doing internships for things they want to do, because you learn what’s good and bad about things,” said Thompson. “Some people think everything’s all peachy, and you really learn the nitty gritty about everything when you get down to it.” One of the lessons she learned from working in the fashion industry taught her that increasing a clientele base and gaining a following on social media is easier said than done. The interns focused on attracting followers to the brand daily. Though it may not have been easy, the experience was a valuable one, a crash course in being in the industry. Interning gave her understanding about the fashion and business world while also making the daunting question of what she wants to do with her life more clear. “[This internship] definitely has made me realize [fashion] is something I really want to dedicate my life to doing,” she said. “It brings people together. It brings girls together, guys together. It brings everyone together because eventually, somebody has to wear something.”