Issuu

the

Fourcast

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

11600 WELCH ROAD

DALLAS, TX 75229

DECEMBER 11, 2025

VOLUME 76, ISSUE 3

Finding light in loss

A LOOK INSIDE

CHANCE FOR CHANGE Senior participates in No Kings Protest

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DISCONECT TO RECONNECT Advisories bond through fun phone free activites HOCKADAYFOURCAST

‘GOLD FOR THEM, GLASS FOR US’ Athletes share how gender inequality shows up in sports daily

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The Hockaday School

NEWS

43 days locked down

Longest ever government shutdown impacts millions

By Katie Ma News Editor

he longest government shutdown in history occurred from Oct. 1 to Nov. 13, 2025. Senior Morgan Bowers’s mother works as an administrative judge for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency that enforces laws prohibiting workplace discrimination. She is not considered an essential worker and was furloughed during the shutdown. “She does work quite a bit,” Bowers said. “As a kid, I would go over to my grandmother's house every day after school because she would be at work. She works a lot on weekends and on holidays. Not that she's been absent, but she's just had to spend a lot of time working.” During government shutdowns, Bowers enjoys spending more time with her mother. “I remember very vividly the government shutdown in 2018 that went to 2019,” Bowers said. “That was when I was in fifth grade, and the timing of that government shutdown actually worked out well. At the time, my elementary school was close to my house, so my mom would come pick me up every day. I really loved that. Also at the time, my grandmother was sick, so my mom could take her to the hospital.” Though there are some positives for Bowers, she recognizes shutdowns are damaging for many.

“Obviously, I love spending time with my mom, but on the other side, I know there are a lot of families who are struggling,” Bowers said. This included families who rely on Medicare and Medicaid, two federally funded health insurance programs that cover 163.1 million Americans. Dr. Palawi Batwar, mother of junior Aryaa Sachdev, works as a hospitalist, caring for critical patients who are hospitalized. Though her hospital does not directly receive money from the federal government, it was still impacted by the shutdown through Medicaid and Medicare funded services being unavailable. “Consultants who do outpatient practices, like primary care doctors, cannot do any more Telehealth services,” Batwar said. “The second part is community health centers. They are also funded by the government. Now, they will give you emergency treatment, but they're freezing hiring. Not many people are working there during a shutdown,

so automatically, there are less patients they can see. And thirdly is, people who do visits at home, like home health services, get reduced.” The immediate effects include a much busier and less efficient hospital. “The hospital gets hectic because all of these problems could have been taken care of outside the hospital,” Batwar said. “But now, all these patients are coming to the hospital, occupying the beds there, and they are not getting the services they need to.” Federal Judge David Russell, grandfather of junior Lily Vollbrecht, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1982. He handles civil cases, including anything investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Drug Enforcement Administration or the Secret Service. These responsibilities include drug distribution, bank robberies, fraud and counterfeiting for the Western District of Oklahoma. He has a staff of four who work with him, composed of two lawyers, a secretary and a courtroom deputy. “Federal court employees are considered essential, so all of my

staff have worked full time during the shutdown,” Russell said. “They [were not] being paid, and these are not rich people. The shutdown has been very stressful for them.” During a shutdown, federal employees typically receive a partial payment on their first scheduled pay date. After, they work without pay. “[Previously,] I don't believe we ever got to the point where my staff and other federal employees at the courthouse were not being paid,” Russell said. “The shutdown usually ended before they did not get paid, but this time it didn’t. It was for about two weeks that they could not get their paycheck.” Russell received pay through the shutdown because of Article III of the Constitution, which states that a federal judge cannot be reduced during their time of office. This was intended to help the judiciary remain independent from the other branches of government. Still, Russell finds it uncomfortable that he continues receiving pay while his employees do not. “My secretary really needed money, and she asked if she could take a couple of days off as she had an opportunity to babysit for two days,” Russell said. “She said, ‘I need the money,’ and ‘Would you mind if I did that?’ And I said, ‘Certainly you can.’ They have rent and car payments, and they depend on that pay.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Trump pressures higher education

Funding-for-rules proposal sparks academic-freedom worries By Anika Shah Multimedia Editor President Donald Trump announced his Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education in early October, which requires participating universities to commit to maintaining “intellectual openness,” reintroduce standardized testing in admissions and remove race, gender and political affiliation as factors in hiring or admissions. It would also require annual certification of compliance from university leadership. Supporters describe it as a necessary reform to promote fairness and balance in higher education, while critics argue it represents an unprecedented level of federal interference in university governance. Under the proposal, universities that refuse to sign the compact could lose access to certain federal grants, making funding a major concern. Emily Mosley, Upper School history teacher, says the federal government is not required to fund universities. “Grants are optional, and the federal government can add

“Everybody here has been talking requirements for qualifications or about it,” Clouston said. acceptance of funds," Mosley said. She believes the tone on campus is Within weeks, most of the largely cautious. originally contacted institutions “I think it’s definitely somewhat publicly declined the offer, citing concerning,” Clouston said. “Both concerns about preserving academic professors and students in my classes independence and protecting have said that they’re concerned about discretion over curriculum and UT accepting this plan.” hiring. Only Vanderbilt University Concerns at UT and the University of center on the Texas at Austin potential erosion (UT), have of the institution’s not replied. autonomy. Tori Fair ‘25, Critics worry a freshman at that signing Vanderbilt, the compact said the could lead university’s to federal initial response oversight created much of curriculum uncertainty. and hiring “Vanderbilt decisions and may didn’t reject GRAPHIC COURTESY OF VECTEEZY place pressure on research and it or accept it,” Fair said. “They classroom instruction, narrowing said they were going to make it a the university’s discretion in its own discussion and negotiate it.” academic programming. The plan At UT, the compact has become a raises questions about academic frequent topic, according to freshman freedom for the university. Larkin Clouston '25.

At Vanderbilt, Fair said similar conversations are happening. “A lot of people view the university’s decision to keep the compact under review as accepting it,” Fair said. Legal experts have highlighted potential constitutional questions surrounding the compact. “Questions could arise if some of the specific requirements of the compact are discriminatory and a violation of the 14th Amendment equal protection clause,” Mosley said. Mosley also pointed out potential First Amendment concerns. “There are also issues of freedom of speech and academic freedom, although academic freedom itself is not an explicit constitutional right,” Mosley said. For students, the debate creates both uncertainty and an opportunity to make their voices heard. “Being at a public school, it is hard to feel like you have a say,” Clouston said. “But if a lot of people come together, you can definitely make a difference and make a stand.”

December 11, 2025

the

Fourcast

Chants for change By Samara Bhatki Staff Writer

Protests represent love

Senior participates in No Kings

y first experiences and banners. They donned outfits with protests were of red, white, and blue, carried through a screen as American flags with dignity and news channels flashed honor, and held signs reading, “I images of violence and blind fury, a am here because I love my country.” combination so formidable that it Police men held the hands of elderly was easier to fear than admire. protesters as they stepped off the I recall wondering why anyone train, waving them off as they joined would protest; the crowd. Hints the price seemed of humor lay in too high to risk, every direction, especially when with one of my so few protests favorite signs result in true reading, “So change. This messed up, even trepidation the introverts instilled in me are here.” remained strong I learned even as I arrived many lessons at the No Kings that day. Firstly, Protest on not all change Oct. 18. is visible. While As a multiI used to view racial young protests that woman in Texas, did not cause it is easy for me to immediate feel unheard and reform as underrepresented failures, I now by our current recognize that A sign at the No Kings Protest administration. some of the most Frustration is quick to consume the important effects occur within energy I must reserve for empathy our hearts. and compassion, and a cynical, As each of us grapples with our resentful version of myself—who I own confusion of political standing hardly recognize and am never proud and identity, we can find comfort or to be—appears. understanding in a community of My goal in protesting was not like-minded individuals. There, none to satisfy or avenge this shameful of you are alone in your pain, fear, alter ego but rather to pursue my anger or desire to speak out, and the timid curiosity of political activism. weight you carry becomes lighter in After months of feeling voiceless, the the hands of many. only option seemed to be to directly Secondly, having opposing express and establish myself as part political opinions does not define of a bigger community, one that you as—nor, with equal importance, shares my values, politically permit you to be—violent. There is or otherwise. always a way to be respectful and But I would never know if this kind in the sharing of your beliefs, group truly embodied my beliefs if I even when your emotions threaten to never witnessed it firsthand. overtake all reason. I could write about the speakers To be strong without malice, to at the protest, and how their chants be loud without silencing others: grew louder as a few, then a dozen, these actions display true courage, then a hundred protesters joined in. something I can only dream of I could write about how the rain beat achieving one day. The ability to down on the crowd, drowning out love through anger is an unmatched those same chants, and yet they did power, and that, to me, provokes not move. more respect than any imagination I These anecdotes show the had of protests before. strength and determination of the I understand that protesting protest, but rather than focusing is not everyone’s ideal Saturday on these qualities, I would like to afternoon, and I don’t recommend it introduce a more surprising to be either. However, I believe that aspect: love. it is time to change our perception As soon as I arrived, I was quickly of protesting and what it means to taken aback by the support and speak out. encouragement displayed in my This change, I hope, begins with surroundings. Protesters eagerly stories like mine of love shown and a welcomed each other, proudly mind changed. showing off their creative signs

The No Kings Protest, a peaceful, those things problematically. But liberal-leaning demonstration I think a majority of protests are against the Trump Administration, helpful in some way.” occurred on Oct. 18, 2025, in over Senior Caroline Ballotta attended 2,700 cities around the world. the No Kings Protest on Oct. 18, an According to the New York Times, experience she describes as impactful the protest mobilized seven million and inspiring. people, a huge increase compared to “I attended to find community the approximated five million that and to stand up for what I believe is marched during the last No Kings right,” Ballotta said. “I also wanted protest on June 14. to contribute and show support to a The No Kings website declared larger cause in a way that felt active their mission to be “standing and visible." together in nonviolent defiance of She believes protests play a major authoritarianism and affirming that role in politics and democracy, this nation belongs to its people, especially by offering opportunities not to kings,” a goal they hoped to for people who cannot vote to achieve through exercising their speak up. First Amendment rights. “I think that protesting is While the No Kings protest important because it shows that was not focused on the rights of a people care and that change isn’t just certain group, many of its complaints going to happen on its own,” Ballotta were centered around the recent said. “It reminds those in power that actions of President Trump and citizens are paying attention and the U.S. government. Among these won’t stay silent.” grievances lie infringements on Ballotta described the atmosphere LGBTQ+ rights, ICE raids, of the protest as supportive, peaceful the deployment of the National and united, emphasizing the strong Guard, and tax breaks for the sense of community that she felt. upper class. Surrounded by purpose and passion, Jordan Innerarity, Upper School she recalls feeling hope. Dean of Students, sponsors the “I think that a lot of people, Young Democrats club. He said he including me, can slip into the navigates rising frustration against mindset that our voices don’t matter Trump from students. or that there’s nothing we can really “When we talk about our do,” Ballotta said. “But seeing so frustrations, I think you have to find many people who are passionate a way to have that civil discourse,” about what they believe in and coming Innerarity said. “I can feel frustrated together to create change was really about what is happening in our reassuring and empowering.” country, but then make certain that PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAROLINE BALLOTTA the first thing that I'm shooting out of my mouth is not ire or vitriol. That doesn't get people to engage. That doesn't lead to change.” Innerarity emphasizes that, while protests are important to represent the people’s interests, they must remain nonviolent and organized to be effective. “Protests are always helpful,” Innerarity said. “I think they're helpful as long as they are nonviolent in nature, that there is a set goal and expectations. I think there's, unfortunately, always some outliers Ballotta at the No Kings Protest that will engage in

FEATURES

The Hockaday School

Battling blood sugar Students and staff manage diabetes

By Haniya Khowaja Staff Writer

iabetes Awareness Month is in November and is a time to shed light on the struggles of experiencing the disease. According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 1.8 million people in the United States have Type I diabetes. Director of Social Impact Melanie Robinson was diagnosed with Type I diabetes 15 years ago after experiencing symptoms of unusual thirst. “I just kept drinking water, and my thirst never got better,” Robinson said. “My mom experienced gestational diabetes when she was pregnant with me, and she thought that my symptoms sounded like when she had diabetes.” Ever since being diagnosed with Type I diabetes, Robinson has had to constantly monitor herself. “I think diabetics spend about five hours a day doing diabetic-related maintenance,” Robinson said. “And whenever I put a piece of candy in my mouth, or anything in my mouth, I'm always thinking about how it will affect my blood sugar.”

The constant attention to her worried, but they knew what to do, also educate them about the need to health has affected every aspect of who to talk to and how to make sure I maintain that student’s privacy.” Robinson’s life. was safe,” Atkinson said. “My friends Beyond educating the students’ “When I found out, it took me didn’t really understand what I had, teachers, Barnes wants to help a while to get on board with it,” and honestly, neither did I because students feel comfortable in their Robinson said. “I realized that we were so young, but they were schedules and routines at school. this is serious, and it affects my supportive and tried to understand.” “Behind the scenes, we are helping life. Every decision that I make is While Atkinson receives help students with diabetes have the viewed through the most normal school day possible,” lens of diabetes.” Barnes said. “So, we’re not drawing While Robinson a lot of attention to their diabetes discovered she had but working with their teachers and diabetes as an adult, coaches so that their diabetes can be sophomore Elizabeth in good control, and they can learn.” Atkinson learned she Both Atkinson and Robinson had Type I diabetes appreciate efforts to raise awareness at eight years old. about diabetes, because it often “I used to have goes unnoticed. really intense “I appreciate the idea that people mood swings, so are paying attention to the fact that Atkinson after completing her first pod change with her mom my parents took some people's bodies don't work the me to therapy, but that didn’t help,” from her friends and family, she also way they should,” Robinson said. “But Atkinson said. “Since both of my receives support at school. Nurse everybody should be paying attention parents had some experience in the Katie Barnes holds meetings with to their blood sugar, whether you medical field, my mom suspected the staff and faculty each year on how have diabetes or not, because it something else might be going on. to support students with medical impacts your sleep, your energy and She had me tested, and that’s when I conditions like diabetes. your metabolism.” found out I had diabetes." “We educate all the students’ The diagnosis came as a surprise teachers about the individual care to Atkinson and everyone around her. plans, more specifically, what to do PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZABETH ATKINSON “My parents were obviously in an emergency,” Barnes said. “We

Harvesting hives

Hockaday community finds passion in beekeeping By Sarah Moskowitz Copy Editor Taking out the frames from her business opportunities. hives and preparing to harvest “Through them, a few restaurants honey, junior Gigi Boyd tends to and small businesses in Dallas started her Italian and Buckhead bees at wanting to buy my honey because her family’s farm in South Dallas. local honey has lots of different health Since fourth grade, Gigi has been benefit,” Boyd said. part of the Trinity Valley Beekeeper’s Boyd has overcome many Association (TVBA), which has challenges throughout her journey as given her the resources, training and a beekeeper, especially since she got support to fall in love stung a lot at the beginning. with beekeeping. “I still get PHOTO COURTESY OF GIGI BOYD “They have a stung, but scholarship program, they get used and they teach you to you and everything you need recognize to know, so they your scent, so helped me build my they’re more first beehive,” Boyd comfortable,” said. “They gave me Boyd said. a bunch of different When she tools and my first first started One of Boyd's bees on a flower bee suit.” harvesting to Now, Boyd has over 15 hives at her sell, Boyd would collect about 1000 farm and an original hive at home. In bottles of honey per harvest. the second year of keeping hives, she As her business grows, she seeks started harvesting honey and selling opportunities to continue expanding it to family and friends. her beekeeping knowledge. Since beginning to bottle “There’s always more to learn, the honey, Boyd has developed which gets me excited,” Boyd said. Instagram and Facebook pages “They talk about what’s going on in for her business, Gigi’s Bees, and the hive that month, because winter customers can message her online looks very different than summer.” to purchase honey. Being certified Reflecting on her hives and by Texas A&M University has business, Boyd is grateful for also opened the door for more the lessons in time management

and patience. “These are living things that I’m taking care of, and so that is just something that you have to make time for,” Boyd said. For anyone looking to lean into a passion like Boyd, she advises them to embrace mentorship. “Finding a mentor where you can see what the final vision is supposed to look like and what you’re working towards is very helpful,” Boyd said. On campus, Hockaday’s beehive provides an opportunity for the community to learn from Italian bees. Melanie Robinson, Institute for Social Impact Director, enjoys observing the bees from a service angle. “Bees are fascinating creatures to study from a social standpoint or the physics and science standpoint about how they construct cool places to live that defy anything we’ve been able to create,” Robinson said. When Hockaday first got the beehive, Teagan Breedlove cared for the bees on a monthly basis. Now, Kirby Jay Carmichael comes to campus to check on the hive. For Environmental Board sponsor and Upper School Science teacher Jessie Crowley, the beehive is integral to providing hands-on applications. “The beehive provides a real-

world application in terms of my environmental science class with the importance of pollinators for the way in which humans use the land for agriculture,” Crowley said. “It can hit on life cycles for Lower Schoolers, the importance of providing habitat for these insects, and highlighting the fact that insects play such an important role in our ecosystems.” Crowley notes that the beehive provides learning opportunities. “We’re finding ways to learn from bees,” Crowley said. “We took honey and made microscope slides, which can be informative about what flowers bees are using.” Robinson believes the bees hold an important role on campus by promoting problem-solving and critical-thinking ideas. “We’re living in a global climate, so what does it mean to conserve and live alongside nature? That’s a big question with a Social Impact answer,” Robinson said. “It is important for me as an adult to see young people comfortable with nature and curious about it without destroying it.” SCAN HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GIGI'S BEES!

December 11, 2025

the

Fourcast

Cool clubs on campus Students foster unique passions via special interest groups

By Jenny Chu Features Editor

ockaday students are excited about literature will want Games can go on for as long no strangers to stress. to continue this tradition,” Lou as the players desire, and every From Instagram posts said. “We’ve seen so much love for meeting is a continuation of to late-night studying, the club already.” the players’ progress from the there’s always pressure to be your most previous one. Though Cookbook Club is socially or academically productive new this year, senior Aanya Naini’s Overall, Jin hopes her club and self – or at least look like it. As a result, other special interest clubs help passion for food is not. most, if not all, students are familiar “I’ve liked cooking and baking students de-stress while exploring with the adage of needing to join ever since I can remember, their passions. academic and career-focused clubs. especially with others and my “In general, clubs shouldn’t However, students have found ways to always have to only be for college,” friends,” Naini said. “I thought alleviate stress within havens of shared Jin said. “You also need to enjoy this club would be a great way to The Russian Lit club fair poster interests, otherwise known as special expand that to Upper School.” the high school experience, which while Star Wars Club is just chill.” interest clubs. Through Cookbook Club, Naini special interest clubs help with.” Many mourned the loss of Russian Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) aims to introduce people to the Juniors Abigail Mau and Reagan Literature (Russian Lit) as a senior is a role-playing fantasy genre game diversity of cuisine in a fun way. Nguyen founded Star Wars Club in English seminar once its three-year involving a collaborative, ongoing “It really helps get people out of 2024, and it has become one of the rotation expired and new senior story where their cooking comfort zone,” Naini most active special interest clubs in the seminars were introduced for the Class players said. “It’s just a nice way of getting Upper School. of 2026. Yet seniors Anjali Konda, control people to make and eat food and have “We really just wanted to create Sophia Lou and Yolanda Pan sought heroes on fun while doing so.” a space where Hockaday students to keep the spirit of it alive, creating adventures, Club meetings are potlucks based can enjoy Star Wars related things,” Russian Lit Club this year. and a around dishes from a single cookbook, Nguyen said. “We’ve both liked Star “We’d always been excited to take Dungeon and many aspects of the club take place Wars for many years.” Russian Lit someday,” Lou said. “We Master (DM) outside a classroom. During meetings, members eat thought a great way to keep it was narrates the world and its “I send an email asking people Star Wars-themed snacks, watch through a book club style special challenges. While D&D is for cookbook suggestions, then we Star Wars movies, play Star Wars interest club.” a famous and historic game, vote,” Naini said. “I then get the book board games and enjoy a place to English teacher Ben Gerdts, its club history at Hockaday decompress with fun activities. the faculty sponsor, is relatively new. “We just started the movie “Attack previously taught the “It really got more of the Clones,” Nguyen said. “We’re Russian Lit popular after and during also considering watching TV shows senior seminar. the pandemic,” Dr. Stephen and other forms of [Star Wars] media “We were really Balog, club sponsor and in the future.” excited to get him as Upper School science teacher, The club meets every Day Six our club sponsor,” Lou said. “It was on and off for a during WIN and STAT in Upper said. “He’s given us many while, but there’s a strong core School math teacher Brody Lyons’ valuable materials he group of members now.” room, and their sponsors are Lyons used to show his seniors.” Sophomores Joyce Jin and Balog. Previously, Gerdts and Ameenah Welch “We have around 15 to 20 worked with the history revived the club in 2025 as active members,” Nguyen said. department as a way to co-leaders and serve as DMs for one Saanvi Kumar and her dessert at the Cookbook Club potluck “It’s been really fun working with enhance his students’ five-person and one four-person group, our sponsors and sending out Star understanding of the literature. which meet on Day Two and Day Six, Wars memes every email.” from the library, and people pick the “Russian lit is fundamentally a respectively, in Balog’s room. recipes they’d like to make for our Junior Miranda Chen, a Star Wars very interdisciplinary subject,” Lou “The main plot for both [groups] monthly potluck.” Club member, believes special interest said. “We’re also considering having is that a relic was stolen, and the Naini hopes her club fosters clubs bring new people together. Russian snacks at meetings to enhance characters have to journey to a community bonding through food in a “You get to meet so many cool the cultural connections students different kingdom to fight monsters, casual way. people you hadn’t before through a can make.” explore new places, meet quirky “It’s pretty low maintenance, since common interest,” Chen said. The club leaders aim to give characters, help others out and you just make something over the Chen explained that even within the students a better understanding of not ultimately get it back,” Jin said. “But weekend,” Naini said. “Then you get special interest club scene, Star Wars only Russian lit, but the topics within the story unfolds in different ways something enjoyable out of it, and Club is special. it as well. depending on the group you get the great experience of trying “Our goal is to expose students of people.” everyone else’s dishes.” to having fun with hard subject Jin created the idea for the At the club’s first potluck on Nov. matters,” Lou said. “Russian lit is so campaign, which is what a 10, students brought cookies ranging multifaceted, and it’s harder to throw D&D game’s custom storyline is from s’mores cookie bars to lemon yourself deeper into, but it’s worth it.” called, last summer. poppyseed cookies based on recipes in During their monthly meetings, the “For a couple months, I Rebecca Firth’s “The Cookie Book.” club reads short pieces and discusses brainstormed and fleshed out “I hope people develop a greater their themes and morals. the campaign and drew art appreciation for food, but most “During our first meeting, it was for each of the non-playable importantly, have fun,” Naini said. really a kickoff and introduction characters” Jin said. “It’s like a “It’s important to create these kinds of meeting,” Lou said. “We read a 55-page Word document.” spaces at Hockaday.” Pushkin poem called “Autumn” As a DM and past player, Jin and did an activity with chocolates has been able to enjoy the full Star Wars club leader Abigail Mau on Halloween in 2018 as a metaphor for Russian and spectrum of D&D play. “Star Wars Club is unique in American lit.” “I like creating stories and setting the sense that it doesn’t have any They hope to sustain their club up plots,” Jin said. “But when I expectations on what you have to through the many students they’ve met played, I found it really fun to be on do,” Chen said. “Even in other special PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOYCE JIN, who also love Russian lit. an adventure and have a little escape ABIGAIL MAU, SOPHIA LOU interest clubs, you have to listen to “We hope underclassmen who are AND JENNY CHU from reality.” people talk or make presentations,

FEATURES

The Hockaday School

Pedaling a path to safety Freshmen advocate for bike lane on Welch Road

By Aria Knepler-Pearl & Sara Vijay Staff Writers reshmen Katie Helfrich Award. Recipients of the award must and Hollis Wrighton began dedicate at least 50 hours towards working to earn their Girl a sustainable project. Helfrich and Scout Silver Award with a Wrighton always planned to partner major goal in mind: advocating for a together; the girls share a long bike lane along Welch Road, which friendship that stretches back to they describe as one of Dallas’ most early childhood. dangerous pedestrian areas. “We both went to Lamplighter The inspiration for this project before coming to Hockaday, and grew out of tragedy when the death of we both started here in fifth grade,” a classmate galvanized Helfrich and Wrighton said. “We’ve known each Wrighton into action. other for a really long time, since pre-K, and we have done Girl Scouts “It mainly came to our attention in the summer after our sixth-grade year,” together for years.” Wrighton said. “There was a girl in Teamwork helped Wrighton and our grade who was tragically killed Helfrich maintain confidence in while riding her bike in Southlake.” their project. The accident left a deep mark on “We’ve learned that working their community. together definitely makes an impact,” “People just stopped riding their Wrighton said. “You’re not going to be bikes,” Wrighton said. “I didn’t ride a able to go through life working alone.” bike for two years after it happened.” Both students have received As the pair began researching support and encouragement from bike safety and combing through city their community. documents, they learned about the “We have gotten emails from people Dallas Bike Plan. who have said, ‘You’re really making a “There is a Dallas Bike Plan that difference and an impact to help your is supposed to community,’” add a lot of new Wrighton bike lanes, but said. “‘We it is over a very applaud you long period for this.’” of time,” In Wrighton said. addition to The girls advocacy, wanted a the girls also solution that felt tackled the less distant, and technical Welch Road side of their was the perfect project. place to start. “Katie “A lot of girls spent eight in our grade live hours very close, but learning their parents HTML won’t let them [HyperText bike because of Markup how dangerous Wrighton and Helfrich at Middle School graduation Language] Welch is to code to cross,” Wrighton said. put together a website with her dad,” Wrighton said. “She’s incredibly This fear is common, as studies organized and helps handle the indicate that less than 8 percent of technology side of the project.” the general population is comfortable cycling without a bike lane. Putting in They encourage people to visit their a bike lane has the potential to reduce website at WelchRoadBikeLane.site risks of accidents and revive cycling and to sign their petition. Anyone 18 or among students. older living in Dallas can sign the petition. Helfrich and Wrighton began reaching out to various members of the “We have a petition up on change. Dallas City Council to build support org that has almost a thousand for their project. Unfortunately, their signatures,” Wrighton said. The two journey has not been smooth. freshmen are grateful to those who have supported their efforts. Laura “[Adults] don’t really take us very Day, Director of Innovation and seriously, which is disappointing,” Collaboration, helped Helfrich and Helfrich said. “You have all these kids Wrighton get their project underway. that want to make a difference in their communities, and people just look “It was a natural thing for them to over them because they believe they come to me,” Day said. “I think I got are too young and don’t have them off the ground and now they’re good ideas.” doing it without me.” Despite these challenges, the girls Day is excited to see where the girls’ persevered, continuing their work long work takes them, and she appreciates after earning their Girl Scout Silver how much they have accomplished.

“What I learn from them, and what be patient as they work to I’ve learned from the 15 years I’ve been create change. here, is students can do anything that “Big ideas take time, and progress they want,” Day said. “I think students doesn’t happen overnight,” Guzman have more capability than adults do.” said. “And if you’re leading with Day put the freshmen in contact purpose, people will listen.” with Hockaday Chief Operating The bike lane project is grounded Officer Joan Guzman. When Helfrich in purpose and based on data: in and Wrighton initially met 2022, more than 87 percent with Guzman, he of riders involved in encouraged them Dallas bike accidents while maintaining suffered personal a level of injury or death, caution and according to consideration Helfrich and for the Wrighton’s potential bike website. lane’s longer“They’ve been term effects. able to raise “We’re awareness about blessed for something that’s the amount important to them, of land and they’re passionate about, property we have and that’s rooted in a tragic [as a school], but we are in the accident, but that could potentially middle of a residential area,” have some positive outcomes,” Guzman said. Guzman said. “They’ve been able He explains that an immediate to meet with leadership both in and logistical concern of a bike lane is how outside of campus, and I think all of it may affect morning and afternoon that, ultimately, will end up in some carpool, a highly coordinated sort of change.” operational feat. Outside Hockaday’s Helfrich and Wrighton are gates, a bike lane on Welch Road may determined to fight for improvement. be constrained by available road space "If you don't see a bike lane out and traffic. there, we're still working on it," “That means that we have to be Helfrich said. "Even if it takes forever thoughtful about the impact that to get accomplished, the process and anything that we do on campus has on the thought are still making our neighbors,” Guzman said. a difference." The city of Dallas requires Hockaday to conduct a traffic management assessment every other year to monitor the school’s impact on neighborhood traffic patterns and ensure that its presence does not result in adverse consequences for nearby residents. “We want to maintain a positive relationship with those who live in the areas around our campus,” Guzman said. “It’s critical that we keep that in mind as we make decisions that could potentially impact them.” Despite the potential logistical challenges, Guzman is impressed by how adeptly the young Daisies took initiative. He was eager to connect Helfrich and Wrighton with Dallas City Council Member Gay Donnell Willis, who represents District 13, which includes Hockaday. Guzman urges other students to take action for issues they care about. “The immediate trigger answer from folks when a new idea comes forth is to say no or push back,” Guzman said. “Don’t be discouraged by that. Do your research, ask questions, remain curious.” PHOTO AND GRAPHIC COURTESY OF HOLLIS WRIGHTON AND KATIE HELFRICH Guzman also reminds students to

Scan here to sign Helfrich and Wrighton's petition!

December 11, 2025

the

Fourcast

Building bonds beyond words

Multilingual students connect through language

By Siena Ebert Arts & Life Editor

or many students, learning build trust and understanding, which a second language means is essential in any setting.” memorizing vocabulary While Testa’s connection to lists, grammar rules and languages began at home, sophomore conjugations, but for others, language Avery Park spent years deliberately is more than a school subject. Every building hers. Park speaks four language finds meaning, memory and languages: English, Chinese, Korean identity woven into their words. and Spanish. Although she has lived in the “Learning other languages wasn’t United States for most of her life, natural for me,” Park said. “I was born junior Vittoria Testa speaks both in the States, and I didn’t grow up Italian and English at home with her surrounded by people who consistently parents, who are German and Italian. spoke Chinese or Korean every day, “When we moved to Dallas, I had so I had to create that environment for to learn English at the age of three, myself by taking language classes in because I’d never spoken it before,” my free time.” Testa said. “At first it was really hard, Still, she persisted even though her but after learning a few languages, knowledge of languages sometimes you start to notice patterns, and it blurs together. becomes natural to pick them up.” “In Spanish class, I sometimes Now, Testa views her multilingualism as one of her greatest strengths that opens doors to the world in all different ways. “Speaking multiple languages is a huge advantage,” Testa said. “Whenever I travel, I feel immediately connected to the people and the culture. In the future, I want to Park poses with her dad's side of the family from South Korea. go into international answer in Korean without realizing it, studies or politics, and being able to because my brain gets the languages communicate across languages helps mixed up,” Park said. “It’s definitely a

the northern border with Russia. She challenge to remember three whole different languages with three different grew up speaking Ukrainian and Russian before moving to the U.S. in grammar contexts and three different August of 2022, when she vocabularies.” learned English. Now, Park has she’s adding Spanish to applied her her repertoire through knowledge Hockaday classes. of multiple “I feel really connected languages to my heritage through the to situations language,” Ivchenko said. that appear in “When I speak Russian her daily life, with my family, I'm able to helping those express my thoughts freely. who experience Sometimes it’s harder the language to do that in English, barrier she especially at school.” experienced Having navigated the herself. For difficulties of learning Park, language Ivchenko in traditional clothing a new language and adapting to an represents a way to bridge gaps and unfamiliar culture, Ivchenko has bring comfort to others through developed a strong sense of empathy mutual understanding. for others facing similar challenges. “Once when I was in a grocery For her, language serves as a way store, an elderly Korean woman was to stay true to herself even while trying to ask one of the employees a immersed in a foreign country. question, and I could tell they were “When I meet people whose having a difficult time understanding English isn’t perfect, I feel a each other,” Park said. “I introduced connection with them because I know myself into the conversation and started talking to her in Korean, which what it feels like to be in their shoes,” Ivchenko said. “Language is a huge allowed me to help her find what part of my life that keeps reminding me she needed.” of who I am and my connection to the Park’s story reflects how language people of other countries, even if they can serve as both a tool and an act are so far away.” of empathy. That same sentiment resonates with junior Masha Ivchenko, PHOTOS COURTESY OF MASHA IVCHENKO who was born in Sumy, Ukraine on AND AVERY PARK

More than décor

Uncovering the stories behind the art hanging in the Hocka-Halls

By Melinda Hu Editor-in-Chief You’ve probably walked past these pieces of art hundreds of times, never realizing what they are or where they’re from. As a school with more than a century of history, Hockaday possesses numerous historic and valuable pieces, many of which were donated decades ago.

Hockaday has two Onderdonks. One of Onderdonk’s oil paintings titled, “Field of Bluebonnets Under a Cloudy Sky,” currently hangs in the Whittenburg dining room. As a testament to Onderdonk’s artistry, President George W. Bush had many of Onderdonk’s pieces put in the White House during his stay there. Among one of his requests was the “Field of Bluebonnets Under a Cloudy Sky.” Despite his request, Hockaday refused. In addition to the “Field of Bluebonnets Under a Cloudy Sky,” Hockaday owns another untitled Onderdonk, hanging in the Memorial dining room.

The Onderdonks (1822-1922) Julian Onderdonk, a Texan Impressionist painter nicknamed “the father of Texas painting,” is known for his Impressionist landscapes and bluebonnet paintings. In summer 1901, he studied under renowned Impressionist painter William William Merritt “Field of Bluebonnets Under a Cloudy Sky” Merritt Chase at Chase (1849-1916) Chase’s Shinnecock Hills Summer William Merritt Chase was best School of Art. There, his style of known as an American Impressionist painting foregrounds changed painter and teacher. Chase drew dramatically as students were taught his inspiration from international to paint the foreground first and then styles, some contemporary and some work back to the skyline. Onderdonk’s traditional, creating a distinct and pieces now sell for hundreds of signature technique. thousands of dollars. His paintings range from tens

of thousands of dollars to his most valuable worth almost $7 million. In the Hockaday Memorial living room sits a Chase painting titled “Portrait of a Young Lady in White.” Contemporary Artwork Middle School teacher Susan SandersRosenberg, who is also the Visual Arts Department Chair, helps to curate the more contemporary pieces and Paintings Sanders curated student artwork hanging on the walls. In a school with more than 1,000 students, art is displayed Collection Award,” Sanders said. to ensure the safety of the artwork but Once archivally framed, they are also to maximize its visibility. hung in spaces such as offices and “Sometimes you hang something common areas. a little bit higher because people are Throughout the school, the sitting against the wall,” Sanders said. artwork hanging in the halls is a “Some pieces are hung extra high representation of not only our deep because there used to be a table there history but also the innovative work of or kids will lean against that piece.” current students. So, the next time you Hockaday’s collection also consists walk around, make sure to stop and of student work. appreciate our own form of a timeline “The school also purchases a through artwork. piece of artwork each year from each discipline through the Hockaday

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MELINDA HU

ARTS & LIFE

The Hockaday School

Made with love

Students connect with their cultures over holiday food traditions

By Bella Portera & Haniya Khowaja Staff Writers rom the warm and savory smell of tamales to the soft taste of latkes, Hockaday students eagerly anticipate their families’ holiday food traditions. Every family’s dinner table is different, filled with cuisines and dishes from cultures around the world. Many students pride themselves on their treasured family recipes, sharing a spoonful of what the holidays look like in their home.

Christmas

Senior Ava Ortega spends Christmas at her grandmother’s house, celebrating her family’s Latino and Hispanic culture over Christmas Eve dinner. "We usually buy tamales from someone in the neighborhood, and my grandma makes pozole verde and pozole rojo, which are types of soups,” Ortega said. “She makes the base broth, puts in the meat and uses a type of grain called hominy, which is like corn. Then, you add the toppings yourself.” Ortega’s buffet is crammed with an array of food, including mashed potatoes and sauerkraut that her Polish grandma brings. “We have a very big mix of foods from around the world,” Ortega said. “We have a huge assembly line. Everyone gets to go through and try a little bit of everything.” Ortega reflects on how her Christmas food traditions symbolize her rich culture and bring her family joy. “I feel like a lot of our foods, like tamales and pozole, are reminiscent of the foods that my grandparents ate in New Mexico,” Ortega said. “Tamales have also been a symbol of togetherness in my family. As soon as they finish steaming, everyone runs to the pot to try to get their favorite flavor.” Furthermore, Ortega values the holiday meals she shares with her family, appreciating how they foster love and connection. “Out of all the things that I remember about Christmas, it is the food at my grandma’s house and family running all over the place that I remember

the most,” Ortega said. “It’s chaotic, but at the end, when we are all sitting down at the table together eating, it makes it all worth it.” For sophomore Mahathi Chadalavada, Christmas is less about the presents and more about sitting around the dinner table, where the aroma of spices is almost as good as the food itself. She especially cherishes the biryani and marinated chicken prepared by her grandma. “My family incorporates our Indian culture into American traditions,” Chadalavada said. “My grandma makes great food, and it’s one of the ways we keep our culture alive during the holidays.” A lot of preparation goes into preparing Chadalavada’s Christmas dinner. Her grandmother spends hours in the kitchen, picking out each ingredient carefully and seasoning everything by hand. “The chicken has to be marinated the night before,” Chadalavada said. “We add lots of spices, so it’s really flavorful.” For Chadalavada, Christmas is ultimately about sharing good food with the people she loves and growing closer with her family. “Eating together is always the best part,” Chadalavada said.

Hanukkah

Junior Libby Stern and sophomore Caroline Fleiss celebrate Hanukkah with their families. “I think food brings people together during the holidays,” Stern said. “Sharing that common happiness is something everyone can enjoy together.” For Stern, that togetherness comes in the form of potato pancakes, known as latkes. The crispy, fried dish is a traditional food for Hanukkah that often appears on the table multiple times throughout the eight-day celebration. “My parents make latkes around the holidays,” Stern said. “The recipe is pretty simple, and you can use sour cream or applesauce to dip the latkes.” Similarly, Fleiss considers food to be an essential

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF BELLA PORTERA & RECIPES COURTESY AVA ORTEGA AND CAROLINE FLEISS

part of family time during the holiday season. “Usually, my family cooks the food all together,” she said. “We celebrate the holidays with our family, friends and extended family.” Fleiss said her family mixes their Spanish heritage into their Hanukkah celebration with traditional dishes like Spanish rice. The tomato-based dish serves as a comfort food at many gatherings. “During Hanukkah, we love to make Spanish rice,” Fleiss said. “It’s an old family recipe.”

New Year's Eve

Junior Vittoria Sofia Testa is a first-generation Sicilian, connecting back to her Italian roots over New Year’s dinner with her family. “We have seafood on New Year’s, essentially a mix of scallops and shrimp, like a seafood roux,” Testa said. “It’s mixed together and put on orecchiette, which is a large Italian pasta. My family cooked it in Europe for many years, so when they came over to America, they brought the tradition along with them.” For Testa, the process of making New Year’s food is not as simple as it seems, highlighting the difficulty of cooking seafood that meets Italian standards. “We spend a lot of time going to different stores, finding the right fish and getting the flavor out of the fish,” Testa said. “We have to add the right amount of oil, which we bring over from our oil farms every time we are in Italy.” Testa enjoys celebrating New Year’s with her family’s traditional Italian cuisine, sharing that it brings her family together amid the busyness of their lives. “My dad works a lot, but he has to make the seafood and orecchiette because my mom doesn’t know how,” Testa said. “So, he gets to come home and hang out with my family and I. We make all of the food together and invite people over. We always have big holiday dinners.”

December 11, 2025

the

Fourcast

Appreciating the arts

AP Art students reflect on relevance of their work

By Emily McLeroy Managing Editor small painting of a child standing in a field. A larger one, depicting someone staring at brightly colored drawings. The biggest one, showing a woman with an orange tree. These paintings comprise senior Kaitlyn Chen’s AP (Advanced Placement) Art portfolio, which she created over the course of her junior year. Although it's easy to admire the paintings from afar, up close, each brushstroke shows how much work Chen put into this art. Art students begin in an intro art class, where they build necessary technical skills, and then can progress into an advanced studio art class or into AP Art. There are multiple AP Art options available to students, consisting of AP Drawing, AP 2D Art and Design and AP 3D Art and Design. Each course focuses on a different area of art, with some being broader or narrower, allowing students to immerse themselves in different techniques. Although the class is similar in many ways to an on-level art class, students in AP Art are required to make 15 pieces of art and must hold themselves to a strict schedule of deadlines to finish their portfolio in time.

Chen’s portfolio

“It’s a very self-paced class, where you have a lot of expectations, but if you don’t meet them, then it’s on you, because you’re the one who has to be making these pieces once a month,” Chen said. “I’m a person who works fast on my paintings, but it was definitely a challenge to still make them on time.” Chen’s portfolio centered around honoring your inner child. She enjoyed her experience in AP Art, believing that it was valuable and helped her as an artist. “I appreciated the structured experience because it kind of relieved the pressure of having to do something new every time I create something,” Chen said. “However, it’s nice now that I’m done because I can create whatever I want, instead of something centered around a theme.” Chen, reflecting on her experience last year, said she didn’t expect the workload to be so heavy. “I expected it to be one of my easier AP classes last year, even though I had heard stuff about it being challenging given the amount of works we were expected to produce,” Chen said. “I think there was a point where AP Art was one of my hardest classes, or placing the biggest burden on me, because it’s a lot of pressure to work creatively on a time crunch.” Junior Carolyn Mitchell, who currently participates in on-level Studio Art classes, plans to take AP Art next year. “I think that the structure of the class is a good way to help students and emerging artists find their niche and style and also discover how they’re able to defend their artistic choices,” Mitchell said. Part of Mitchell’s motivation for taking the class is the AP label. “The AP designation for an art class gives it a more academic feel, and it makes the class an

Garrett works on her portfolio.

achievement that you can say you completed,” Mitchell said. “Putting the class on the same level as another AP course demonstrates how much effort is put into the subject itself.” Junior Madrid Garrett, currently in AP Art, said she agrees with this opinion based on her experiences so far. Her portfolio focuses on female stories in the Bible, and how, sometimes, it vilifies women. “As someone taking other AP classes, AP Art probably has a similar or greater workload,” Garrett said. “While other classes consist of memorizing and regurgitating facts on a test, AP Art is a continuous thing that’s always there to work on, because there’s always more you can do with your art.” Garrett believes many undervalue art. “I think a lot of people underestimate the fine arts, Garrett said. "I hope they realize the work that goes into them." PHOTOS COURTESY OF KAITLYN CHEN AND MADRID GARRETT

Keys to greatness

Young piano prodigies turn talent into standing ovations

By Gwendolyn Becker Staff Writer ith a pedal box under her feet because her short legs can't touch the floor, three-year-old Kaitlyn Ouyang sits as close as she can to the piano in order to reach all of the keys. Ouyang started playing piano at a young age, following in her concert pianist mother's footsteps. Now a junior, Ouyang has continued to play piano in local, state and national competitions, and she has big aspirations for her future. “I would like to win a national title,” Ouyang said. “But, we're going to have to see how that one goes.” Throughout her career, Ouyang has been inspired and molded by a wide range of powerful figures within the music industry. “In terms of influences, my favorite is Martha Argerich, and then I'm a big Yuja Wang fan, but I don't think anyone is not a Yuja Wang fan if they play the piano,” Ouyang said. “In terms of composers, I’m a big Chopin girl, but Tchaikovsky has my favorite concerto.” Overall, Ouyang's experience with piano has shaped her as a musician, as a student but most of all as a well-rounded person. “Piano has given me an outlet to express my feelings in an artistic manner,” Ouyang said. “It's given me a platform to stand on and an identity to build off of, especially during my childhood.” Sophomore Holly Hughes, who started playing piano at five years old, has had many impactful

moments throughout her life as a pianist, but one in particular stands out. “I had this one performance, I believe it was in seventh grade, and I was playing 'Go the Distance' from Disney's’ Hercules and 'Misty Mountains' from The Hobbit,” Hughes said. “There was this one section from 'Go the Distance' that I had constantly worked on, and I played it perfectly in the recital.” Even now, she will sometimes listen to this piece to remind herself of what she can achieve. When Hughes thinks about the role that piano has played since she was five years old, she has come to the common consensus Ouyang performs at the Texas State International Concerto Competition. that it has been something that has shaped a large portion of her life. typical local tournaments. She usually sticks to one Freshman Sarah Nosratinia has had a similar hour a day of practice so that she is able to balance experience to Chen and Hughes. She started schoolwork and piano. playing piano at four years old because of her These three girls’ skill and dedication strike parents' request. every note of what it means to be a Hockadaisy: “Even though they allowed me to start it, I chose disciplined, creative and endlessly expressive. Piano to continue it,” Nosratinia said. “I think this is has played a large role in their childhood and will because I really like making music.” continue to be an important part of their lives. Nosratinia takes part in a type of competition “Overall, piano is kind of just a constant in my called a festival, where a judge grades you on how life,” Hughes said. “It's my therapy.” well you did with your piece, but she also does PHOTO COURTESY OF KAITLYN OUYANG

The Hockaday School

Finding ligh

Students tackle grief in

By Juliette Friguletto, Emilie Illum & Claire Gicheru Opinion

Coping with Grief

Balancing Grief and Celebration

As excitement buzzes around us this holiday season, grief can be difficult to cope with. Upper School counselor Ellen Kaney-Francis explains the workings of grief, its effects and tools to aid and guide anyone in the community who is currently processing grief. “[Holidays, birthdays and other milestones] throughout the years are just naturally those times when you are reminded more than ever of the people or things that you are missing,” Kaney-Francis said. According to the Cleveland Clinic, grief is the experience of coping with loss. Grief can accompany any event that disrupts or challenges our sense of normalcy, including the loss of connections that define us. “Grief [is] considered a form of chronic stress that is very taxing on your body,” Kaney-Francis said. “[People] who are grieving [tend] to experience a lot of fatigue and a lack of motivation.” Grief can conflict with any sense of joy that is experienced. This feeling is exacerbated during the holiday season as more celebrations take place. “People commonly struggle with the belief that they're not allowed to be happy again, especially if they're grieving the loss of a loved one,” Kaney-Francis said. “There can be guilt that [your] loved one is gone, and [you] shouldn't be enjoying [the] things around [you].” Although feelings of self-blame and isolation, such as guilt, anger and sadness, can be overwhelming, the first step is allowing yourself compassion and time to experience your emotions as they arise. “[Give] yourself the space to cry or journal or rant, whatever you need to do, but then also allow yourself those opportunities to feel like you again, to stay engaged in the present, to enjoy what's around you,” Kaney-Francis said. However, as grief can linger for longer periods than desired, you may wonder when these overwhelming feelings will subside. “I think it evolves over time,” Kaney-Francis said. “It's definitely different for everyone. It's really natural that people put timelines on themselves to say I ‘should’ be done feeling this way by a certain time, and unfortunately, we can't set [a] prescriptive time.” Despite the uncertainties of the grieving process, KaneyFrancis emphasizes the importance of reaching out for support and confronting and coping with emotions as they arise. "It's normal to hit a point where you feel like you're not allowed to talk about your loss anymore—and maybe someone has even implied or said that to you." Kaney-Francis said. “You need and deserve an outlet for however long you need it. Your safe person might be a peer who can relate to you, a family member, a teacher, a faith leader, a coach or a therapist." Ultimately, there is no set process for grieving. However, reaching out and allowing yourself compassion is the first step towards moving forward. “You are allowed to live,” Kaney-Francis said. “You are allowed to continue your life. You're allowed to feel good, even though you've experienced something hard.”

Senior Nadia Guevara thinks it’s very important to have an inclusive community to turn to when grieving. This October, Latin & Hispanic Student Union (LHSU) set up an ofrenda outside Biggs Dining Hall to mark El Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Guevara, LHSU chair, said the goal was to educate and show others how their culture grieves and honors the lives lost. “I think that having set rituals or ceremonies when you lose someone is helpful because there’s a community and tradition to fall back on,” Guevara said. “It gives you stability that you know will always be there when you’re dealing with something difficult.” Guevara said in her family’s culture, grieving goes together with celebration rather than sadness. Often, they find ways to celebrate life as they honor the dead. In the same manner, she finds positivity in change that may seem difficult in the moment and realizes the hidden blessings they may bring. “Day of the Dead is a huge celebration in terms of honoring somebody’s life,” Guevara said. “In Latin and Hispanic culture, death is not viewed as something quite as sad as it is in some American cultures, and it’s more something to celebrate often. To me, it’s more important to celebrate the life that someone did live, and that’s such a healthy way to deal with grief effectively.” Guevara said she believes prayer and empathetic thoughts can help in the healing process. “In my family’s culture, LHSU's ofrenda outside of Biggs Dining Hall there’s something called a novena, which is basically a nine-day prayer where you congregate at that family’s house and pray for them,” Guevara said. “There’s lots of food and reflection on good memories but also being that community for the person who is grieving. You don’t have to figure out how you’re going to get through it when you have people surrounding you in hard times.” Guevara finds that feelings of sadness and deep emotion can be magnified by family memories that are made in the holiday season, forming new traditions can be the most difficult because it means letting go of the old and creating the new. “Holidays are a time that you notice what’s missing,” Guevara said. “You still are with your family, and you are still together, but it looks a little different. Especially for those first few holidays that you spend, you can really notice what’s missing, whether it’s a person or a place or an idea, because that normalcy was disrupted.” Guevara said she hopes to shape people’s views on grief by sharing her culture and the significance of Day of the Dead. She said students can grow stronger and more empathetic by supporting one another and learning about cultural approaches to grief.

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December 11, 2025

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ght in loss

ef in the holiday season Opinions Editor, Photo, Graphic and Castoff Editor & Staff Writer

Navigating Grief in New Contexts Grief for many during the holidays can be sadness surrounding loss that’s not death. This can include changes in relationships and moving. According to Psychology Today, “Grief is about finding yourself in a time of suffering and figuring out a way to make sense of your life when nothing makes sense.” Senior Mia Temple will celebrate the holidays with her family in a different way this year. She is learning how to navigate these new unfamiliar circumstances. “This is going to be the first year that we’re going to celebrate the holidays when my parents are living in two separate houses,” Temple said. “Last Christmas, we still had Christmas all together when my parents lived one house, but this Christmas, it's going to be at my mom's house. My dad is taking my sister and me down to Japan over Thanksgiving, which is going to be fun, but I feel like it’s not what I’m used to.” Temple's parents have been divorced for two years and her definition of normalcy for her life has changed. “It’s easy if you have divorced parents to feel like your parents’ houses aren't yours or like you are living with a roommate,” Temple said. “At first at my dad’s house, we never really had dinner together and we were all in our separate rooms.” Yet, over time her family adapted and started doing the “little things” that helped them continue to connect even throughout change. “I think it’s important to keep those family traditions going, like having dinner together on the weekdays and talking around the dinner table,” GRAPHIC COURTESY OF MADRID GARRETT Temple said. Grief is not a linear process and feelings of frustration or anger can arise at different times. Another upper schooler has experienced grief recently as well. “I don’t really get sad about it,” Temple said. “Usually, you get frustrated, “I have grieved the loss of both of my maternal grandparents who which I feel is a harder emotion to deal with because there’s just nothing, I passed away in 2020,” Student said. “Also, I am currently moving from can really do about it.” my childhood home, so I’m grieving all the memories I made there.” Yet, Temple decides to focus on what she can change in her own life. Often with grief there are people who avoid the sadness that can “You’re used to having all of your family around you during the holidays come with it, those who feel overwhelmed with emotion or people in and when going through changing circumstances that is not the case,” the middle. It’s hard to know how to feel when there's really no right Temple said. “I usually just try to think about what is in my control and or wrong or any moral line to balance on. what is out of my control.” “It's important to not suppress your emotions because they're all Throughout these last two years, Temple has realized that she is important for the grieving process,” Student said. “It won't all go away stronger than she may think. “I’ve learned that I’m more adaptable than I think I am,” Temple said. “At after a certain amount of time. You can feel completely fine one day and feel sad another day.” the beginning, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, what do I do here?’ But kind of as Grief can be a teacher for many people. It can completely change it’s gone on, I’ve learned to roll with the punches and take what our perspective on life. I’m given.” “Grief makes us realize that most things in our lives aren't When grief flips the world we know upside down, we can change our permanent,” Student said. “It helps perspective on how we you to appreciate what you have and see it and adapt. learn to live in the present.” “I am just as happy or Grief typically is not even happier right now straightforward. There’s a sense than when my parents of duality one must hold with their were not divorced, so feelings, and often we feel two things I feel like it’s all about at once. perspective,” Temple “I've also learned to appreciate said. “If you look at it every moment, even times where life from a standpoint of isn't perfect, because someday I'll look helplessness, you put back on these times and miss them,” yourself in a place where Student said. you have to be sad. But if you power through it, you can overcome it.” Art titled "Transcendence" by Claudia Li, '29, represents hope and light in the shadow of hardship.

Grieving memories

ARTS & LIFE

The Hockaday School

Decoding daisy dreams

Students interpret meanings behind dreams

By Elizabeth Farrell Arts & Life Editor

hy do we dream? What do our dreams mean? Due to the scientific gap in knowledge about dreams, people for centuries have come up with their own varying theories about what their dreams mean. Dr. Katie Croft, Upper School science teacher, said the nature of dreams makes them challenging to study. “They’re inherently hard to study, because you are in that dream state, and then the second that a researcher interrupts you to ask about it, you're no longer in that state,” Croft said. Some research shows that remembering dreams after waking up is a practiced skill, and keeping a dream journal may promote this ability. There are several scientific theories about why we dream, but one prominent theory is that dreaming helps us make sense of events that happened during the day. “From a memory perspective, it’s really how we consolidate all the information that we've learned during that day,” Croft said. “So, we know from a large body of research that when you learn something during the course of the day, and then you sleep, that's when all of those short-term memories are converted into long-term memories.” The amygdala, the part of the brain that controls emotion processing, is very active during dreaming, whereas the prefrontal cortex, where higher order critical thinking and decision making happen, is very inactive. This information explains why dreams tend to be emotional and often times even nonsensical. Junior Avika Guttigoli had a particularly nonsensical recurring dream on her birthday

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF LANG COOPER

every year from when she was six until she was 10. “My father, sister and I were getting ready for a party, so the three of us were downstairs, and my mom was still getting ready upstairs, so we were like ‘Mom, we’re ready to go, come downstairs!’” Guttigoli said. “And then my mom would come downstairs, and this banana—it was a different fruit every year—would bust through the foyer and demolish the front of my house.” Guttigoli, her father and her sister would then hide under the table as her mom came downstairs wearing a dress with the same fruit on it that broke into her house, which signified that the fruit wanted to eat her mother. Guttigoli thinks that this dream reflects one of her biggest fears. “I think it’s because I’m scared of getting kidnapped or getting my house robbed,” Guttigoli said. Junior Victoria Zavala also finds meaning in her dreams, especially her recurring dream where she is receiving her senior ring on Ring Day. She first dreamed about this in August of her junior year, and she has dreamed about it twice since then. “I think that it symbolizes how much I cannot wait for my senior year and how hard junior year is,” Zavala said. Dreams can reflect some aspects of a person’s life at the current moment, but they can also bring light to conclusions about their lives in a more encrypted way. “The brain is almost like a puzzle, sorting the pieces where they need to go while your brain is offline in this more creative state while you're dreaming, where more things are possible,” Croft said. GRAPHIC COURTESY OF ELIZABETH FARRELL

FT. SASHA KITSON By Lang Cooper Editor in Chief Hockaday is filled with talented, confident and insightful Upper Schoolers, and in my last year, I want to learn about as many students as possible. And the best way to do so is, of course, over a scoop of ice cream. This issue, I took the one and only Sasha Kitson—an entrepreneur and part-time employee at Alto—for ice cream, and she had quite the scoop to share. Although many Middle Schoolers ran slime businesses that taught them the basics of running a business, senior Sasha Kitson took entrepreneurship to the next level. During the COVID-19 shutdown, Kitson picked up soap making as a way to pass the time; little did she know that a few bars of soap would turn into Herbal Kiwi, a company selling beautiful products like soaps and candles. “When I started selling soaps online, I fell in love with the business side of things,” Kitson said. “I was really inspired to go and learn more, and it’s definitely a lifelong passion.” Through trial and error and with the support of her parents, Kitson taught herself how to manage time, stay motivated and remain disciplined in creating her product. Over five years, Kitson has made more than 2,000 sales on Etsy. “Entrepreneurship is different from school,” Kitson said. “You don’t have a teacher, and you don’t have a textbook, so you really have to motivate yourself to stay on track. It’s so valuable learning how to show up every day.” In addition to running Herbal Kiwi, Kitson works part-time at Alto, a rideshare company. After interning there this summer, Kitson was offered a paid job as an Accounting and Finance Coordinator in September. “I ended up applying to over 100 internships this summer, but luckily found a position at Alto,” Kitson said. “I cold emailed them about five times and pestered them so much until they offered me a position.” On top of working at least 10 hours a week at Alto, Kitson manages Herbal Kiwi, Model United Nations and the rigor of academics and athletics. “Apple Calendar is my holy grail,” Kitson said. “I try to knock out schoolwork by 6 p.m., and then I’ll start anything extracurricular, but every week is variable because some weeks I'll focus in on studying for tests or a specific project." In addition to managing time, Kitson handles her profits. She even had enough funds to pay for her school tuition for a year as a way to thank her parents for the endless help and support they have given her. “The bigger picture knowing that I’m doing all of this work now, so I can go travel the world and work a really cool job later, keeps me motivated,” Kitson said. Through both successes and failures, Kitson has learned that failure in business is essential to later success. “It’s completely normal to not get any results when you first begin, so just embrace it,” Kitson said. “It would be horrible to stop at 100 no’s when that yes is right there.”

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF SASHA KITSON

December 11, 2025

the

Fourcast

Disconnect to reconnect

Advisories bond through fun phone-free activities By Alina Zheng & Mary Elise Estess Sports Editor & Opinions Editor

With the emphasis on having phone-free advisories this year, students have found ways to take their eyes off screens and bond with their advisory!

Puzzles and Card Games

UNO playing cards

Senior Elyana Brook often does puzzles in Senior Commons to de-stress from the academic rigors of the school day. Her favorite puzzle is based on the “Where’s Waldo?” books. “If I had a really hard day, and I just need a stim, I’ll go and do that because it’s super hard,” Brook said. “You can think about that instead of school.” Outside of Senior Commons, she enjoys playing games, such as UNO, with her advisory. “There was a table outside [senior commons] with all of the games, and so someone picked up UNO, and we started playing it,” Brook said. “It’s been helpful to connect with your advisory because we’re not all from the same friend groups or doing the same things, so you’re able to hear what everyone’s doing and have fun with it.”

Campfire

Alan and Tevis advisory having a campfire

To the Allan-Tevis advisory, phone-less advisory time is not a new concept. Junior Libby Temple said the group has shared an advisory tradition every Friday since freshman year. “We do something called campfire, where Mrs. Allan brings out a miniature campfire,” Temple said. “We all sit around in a circle and share stories about our week or answer a fun question.” What started out as a way for the advisory to get to know each other freshman year has evolved into a routine that Temple looks forward to each week. “Campfire prompts us to listen to each other and gives us an opportunity to congregate without our screens and decompress at the end of the week,” Temple said.

Coloring

Deniz Gurun holds up coloring project.

Last year, senior Deniz Gurun’s advisory met in the Writing Center, and when Ms. Fisher noticed that they seemed stressed, she bought a huge coloring sheet. Their advisory finished the sheet in two weeks, sparking inspiration to continue coloring. Gurun credits the impact of both Ms. Fisher’s encouragement and their selfmotivation for a fulfilling phone-free advisory. “There’s a big balance because at the end of the day, we’re the ones coloring it, but Ms. Fisher is our number one supporter by buying the coloring sheets and markers,” Gurun said. “Coloring sparks conversation and makes sure that we’re not having our eyes on our screens the whole time.”

Memory Jar

Lucia Martin holds up memory jar.

Sophomore Adriana Crook, in Ms. Lake and Mr. Lee's advisory, shared that her advisory keeps a memory jar and that adding to their jar has become a fun activity that takes place during phone-less advisory time. “Once every rotation when it’s phone free advisory, we write down our favorite memory as an advisory from that week, and we add it to the jar,” Crook said. “We will open the jar together as an advisory our senior year and look back at all the fun memories we made with each other.” PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARY ELISE ESTESS AND ALINA ZHENG

The Hockaday School

SPORTS

Flipping through time The legacy of gymnastics team lives on

By Leyah Philip Editor-in-Chief The program included both a junior alking into Penson varsity and varsity team, allowing Gym now, spaces students to join regardless of prior for volleyball and gymnastics experience. The team basketball indicate the even had a mascot; a student dressed primary athletic focus. But 32 years up as a daisy who attended meets, a ago, the back half of the gym was precursor to the current mascot, Jade. home to another team: gymnastics. Mandy Ginsberg ‘88 also From 1975 to 1993, gymnastics was participated in the gymnastics team, included as a spring sport for both starting in Middle School. Ginsberg Middle and Upper School students. remembers the day that her appendix Dressed in hunter green leotards, burst mid-competition, and she had the gymnasts spent countless hours practicing, and their dedication earned them 13 SPC titles, including an impressive five-year winning streak. Lisa Schiffman, Hockaday alumna, has fond memories of competing in the four events during her years on the team in Middle and Ginsberg' '88 (left) and her teammate stretching. Upper School. "I really enjoyed emergency surgery; however, her team doing gymnastics," Schiffman said. provided a great support system. "And I was thrilled that Hockaday “I woke up the next day, and my offered it as a school sport.." teammates had brought me posters Schiffman explained that the team and balloons in my [hospital] room,” members performed compulsory routines depending on their skill level. Ginsberg said. “They all came and

visited me.” Many alumnae believe the gymnastics program eventually came to an end due to liability concerns as well as a lack of competition in the area. Still, they all remember their time on the team fondly. Though gymnastics isn’t as popular a sport among Upper Schoolers today, many participated in the sport when they were younger. Eighth grader Addie Ortega has been taking gymnastics classes since she was four years old and currently practices at Elevate Gymnastics. “At first, I just did classes, then I got asked to join the team, and I’ve A gymnast spots her friend in a walkover. success continues to inspire athletes been doing it ever since,”Ortega said. who look up at the SPC banner with Ortega participates in the same four all the team championships hanging in events: vault, bars, beam and floor, Penson Gym. and agrees that gymnastics is a great “On the gymnastics team, we opportunity to make memories with competed individually in each event,” friends. Schiffman said. “But we also got to “I love getting to make new enjoy being part of a team, practing friendships and use it as an escape together, rooting for each other and from school,” Ortega said. working together at each meet to earn If Hockaday still offered a cumulativsores for the team.” gymnastics program, Ortega said she would be interested in joining. Though the program ended decades ago, alumnae from the team still keep in touch, and the team’s PHOTO COURTESY OF CORNERSTONES 1985

Daisies on ice

Figure skaters find community in the rink

By Sophie Cho News Editor Sequins on, arms up. Applause echoes across the rink as the announcer calls her name. Senior Chloe Oeschger takes her place at the center of the icy expanse. The audience hushes as she takes her starting pose, all eyes are on her, expectant. The music begins, and the world fades away. “Skating being such a unique sport is both a blessing and a curse,” Oeschger said. “You very much have your community, and it's a lot of fun to get to do something that's special, but at the same time you don't really have anybody to talk to about it because there are fewer people who do it.” Oeschger is among a small number of Daisies who skate competively and for enjoyment. She competes mainly in singles,

Oeschger performs her program.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHLOE OESCHGER & SARA SAKAMOTO

skating solo and the friendships performing jumps in her are closer.” programs. She practices However, not all about 15 hours a week, figure skaters compete. mostly at the Galleria ice Sophomore Magic rink, and has done team Cather chooses not synchro skating, and solo to do competitions, ice dance, which does focusing instead on not incorporate jumps. learning moves She enjoys skating Sakamoto performs a spread eagle. she enjoys. because of the way it “I really like to learn pushes her. new things,” Cather said. “I like to do “It’s definitely a challenge to keep it just for me in a way.” going at a jump that you keep falling Cather has skated for around four on and just keep trying until you get years, starting after the pandemic it,” Oeschger said. “It’s almost like a with her mom. In the past, she has puzzle, and that’s a lot of fun.” competed in singles skating but loves Junior Sara Sakamoto started to watch pair skaters. She skates skating 11 years ago. around once a week but anticipates “It’s something that’s always been practicing more when she can drive. with me,” Sakamoto said. “Sometimes, Cather said one of the I get motivated by thinking how proud inconveniences of skating is the fact the little me would be to see me that it requires a rink. skate today.” “I feel like that makes it not as open Sakamoto competes in solo ice to everyone because not everyone dance with the Dallas Figure Skating has the time to go to a rink,” Cather Club, skating every day except Sunday. said. “I skate at the Galleria rink, and Last season, Sakamoto competed at it’s busy a lot of the times, so I’ve had the National Solo Dance Final, lessons at six in the morning before.” placing fifth. Sakamoto said another challenge “Because solo dancing is a smaller of figure skating is that it is not an community, even though a lot of people NCAA sport. skate in different parts of the country, “[Skating] can improve your resume they’re more likely to see their friends a lot, but you can’t get recruited to [at competitions],” Sakamoto said. “All

colleges for it,” Sakamoto said. Though competitive skating is not weighted the same as many other sports for college applications, it includes many of the same challenges. “It takes up a lot of time, especially if I have to go to a further rink,” Oeschger said. “This morning I had a lesson in Allen, so it was an hour coming back.” Contrary to common misconception, figure skating is not exclusive to elite and competitive skaters. Anyone can be part of the community through various disciplines and divisions that have made the sport more accessible to a wide variety of people. “There’s so many [disciplines] that basically anybody can skate now,” Sakamoto said. “It’s really fun to meet new people, and everybody’s having fun.” Oeschger agrees that figure skating has much more depth in its community than most people assume. “People tend to think that you have to be a certain kind of person to skate, and that’s not really true,” Oeschger said. “There are people who just do it for fun, there’s adults, there’s a much bigger community than I think people realize.”

the

December 11, 2025

Fourcast

Racing for the podium

Athletes take their training to the next level in competitions

By Mia Frary & Brooklyn Friesen Staff Writers sees it as a chance to step away from Now she gets her chance to run the rom training for half any challenges she’s facing and look at BMW Dallas half-marathon Dec. 14. marathons to ergometer it with a new mindset. “Ever since [freshman year], during competitions, Hockaday “Whenever I am struggling, I can athletes take the next step think about it through my runs,” in preparing for their upcoming Rhodus said. “It gives me time to events. Three athletes find challenges think about what’s going on and in endurance events that take them how to handle the situation.” far from campus. These athletes' Her coach, who was accepted commitment to their sports is taken into the Olympic trials, helps her a step further while they train to become the best version of herself, compete in difficult competitions showing how important a good around Dallas. support crew is. For freshman “She’s my number Marue Rhodus, Obert rows with her teammate. one supporter and her passion for pushes me in every running began on practice,” Rhodus said. the winter [my friend and I] have the seventh grade Rhodus has competed been training together,” Johnson said. cross country in several 10K races and “Senior year is our running year, so it’s team, influencing considering running a half been a long time coming.” her decision to marathon. She has finished Even though running isn’t her main begin competing several times in the top five sport, Johnson is excited to compete in in 10k races. of the women runners and this event. She said finished in the Too Cold “I’ve always found running running is more to Hold 10K race. very calming and a fun crossthan a sport for “I like to form a really training activity,” Johnson said. “It’s her. Running well-balanced schedule,” challenging, but also a lot of fun.” has taught her Rhodus said. “Without Although training takes up a lot of how to balance balance none of this would her free time, Johnson still manages a everything from Rhodus runs on a course. be possible.” way to keep both her school work and her schedule to Senior rower Peyton sports balanced. her friendships Johnson has wanted to run a half“I think [running] makes me a due to her rigorous training schedule. marathon since a senior on her rowing more focused person,” Johnson said. Although her training time limits team her freshman year did the same. “Because I’m doing these workouts, her free time with friends, Rhodus

I have less time to do work or meet with teachers, so I take [my time] much more seriously." After her fourth year on the rowing team, it is no shock that senior Fendley Obert’s passion for the sport has grown immensely. Committed to the admissions process to row Division I at Columbia University, Obert trains twice a day, usually around 18 hours a week. Coming out of the fall rowing season, she plans to compete in the Southwest Ergometer Amateur Tournament (SWEAT) in February. Obert has learned the importance of having a good support system with Hockaday Head Rowing Coach Katelin Gildersleeve. “I think she’s amazing and inspiring, and just one of the best people that I know,” Obert said. Although training for these competitions requires incredible physical hard work. The girls believe it is the mental side that is the hardest aspect to overcome. “I think my biggest challenge while training for this competition is definitely the mental side of rowing,” Obert said. “It’s a lot about pushing yourself and finding your limits as well as learning that you always have more work to put in.”

Captains’ Corner Check in with varsity captains to see how their seasons are going so far Swimming

Soccer

Basketball

Sophia Lou '26

Kaitlyn Adams '26

Lucia Ubinas '27

“I’m super proud of everything HVS has accomplished this year. We started off the season on an unconventional note because we had a meet right after our three day tryout ended, but we really came together as a team.”

“This year we have been exploring different formations and positions than we’ve tried in the past, and I’m really excited about this team’s potential.”

“I'm looking forward to getting to know the new team and bonding together on the bus rides. I'm really excited to see how well we can do this year.”

SPORTS

The Hockaday School

‘Gold for them, glass for us’ Athletes share how gender inequality shows up in their sports daily

By Aneeka Tansen Features Editor or generations, the biggest “I have been in the lacrosse world to men and opportunities given to coaches and their treatment of the crowds and brightest lights in for so long that it doesn’t really impact women’s team as generally fair. women. The number of men sent global sports have belonged me anymore,” Eckert said. “I am here to nationals compared to women “I don’t think there was any gross to men. Though a new wave to do my best, and I can say the same mistreatment towards the girls,” Yuan was noticeably less, regardless of of women athletes is pushing female for my teammates, so that is what talent. The most noticeable factor for said. “If anything, the boys sometimes sports into the spotlight in America, we do.” got the shorter end of the stick when it Hohenshelt was the lack of support disparities still exist depending on the Erin Yuan ’25 was a member of that the female athletes had. came to equipment.” sport, athlete and location. Hockaday a club rowing team, Dallas United “The really fast girls had so much Now at Duke University, Yuan athletes have had mixed experiences in Crew (DUC), from freshman to senior reflects on her time at Hockaday with potential, but no one was trying to give their respective sports. year. She began as a coxswain for the gratitude for the importance they them what they were giving the guys,” Junior Brooke Eckert has played girls’ team, the person who steers and placed on athletics. Hohenshelt lacrosse since fifth grade, choosing the commands the rowers, during her said. “The “I think being at sport after seeing her brother and his sophomore year. Yuan described the guys got nicer an all-girls school, friends play. She is currently verbally culture of the team as very competitive specifically one that equipment committed to play lacrosse at Brown but also encouraging. Coxing at a when we was very sport-driven, University after she graduates from club team, Yuan experienced a co-ed were lifting or changed my perception Hockaday in 2027. Playing on varsity rowing experience as opposed to the erging, but the of sports,” Yuan said. lacrosse since freshman year, Eckert all-girls experience at Hockaday. girls didn’t; it “Having that many believes the “I would say didn’t bother women excel in their community is an one of my favorite individual sport was them because essential part of things about they never amazing, and that was the team. rowing and the really thought the norm. Honestly, I “We all reason why I of it. The applaud Hockaday for have a similar stayed in the expectations that, and now that I am understanding sport for so long for them gone, I really see the that we are here was because of weren’t as high value in that.” to win,” Eckert the people on my when their While Yuan felt Yuan smiles at camera before race. said. “It’s very team,” Yuan said. potential was her team was treated competitive, but Yuan was very equitably, junior Margaret Hohenshelt maybe even higher than the boys.” it’s also healthy. close with the girls had a different experience when Hohenshelt felt that the girls were We do team on her team, but not regarded as true athletes but she joined a rowing club during her dinners and she never had the semester abroad in Zaragoza, Spain, looked at as casual participants. Eckert holds up state trophy with teammate. team events, chance to bond “It was expected that every man during her sophomore year. When she where everyone is there to support with the men’s team. on the team could thrive, but there first joined, she felt out of place as a each other.” “At least for my years there, the wasn’t the same expected of every girl,” foreign student. Every year, Hockaday varsity men and women’s teams were pretty Hohenshelt said. “It was more believed “I was not exactly given a warm teams compete at the Southwest divided,” Yuan said. “We wouldn’t that the girls were there to have fun.” welcome by my teammates,” Preparatory Conference (SPC), an interact with each other or share Returning to Hockaday, Hohenshelt said. “A lot of times I just athletic conference for private high practice times.” Hohenshelt realized the harsh felt like no matter how hard I tried, no schools in Texas. Varsity lacrosse has DUC is a co-ed club with separate matter how fast I was, my teammates difference between the support system a commendable record, winning its coaches and sub teams for both in Zaragoza and the support system would never include me.” fourth consecutive SPC state title genders, which led to different at Hockaday. It wasn’t until studying abroad in 2025. During Eckert’s freshman performances for the two sexes. “The support that those guys got that Hohenshelt realized how many year, Hockaday’s Division 1 team won “We had more girls on the team, and opportunities female athletes have in is what I feel every day at Hockaday state for the 7th time, but their trophy our women just happened to perform the United States compared to abroad going to practice,” Hohenshelt said. was noticeably underwhelming in better,” Yuan said. “That created a “I think that being in Spain really because Title IX, a landmark 1972 comparison to the male Division chain reaction where the club was hindered how much potential I had to federal law which prohibits genderII team. investing more time in the improve sophomore year. I didn’t get based discrimination, specifically in “We, as a Division 1 school, were women’s team.” as fast as I could have because I didn’t sports. Before her given a slab of glass as our state This have anyone believing in me like the semester abroad, trophy,” Eckert said. “The men, who outperformance Hockaday coaching staff.” Hohenshelt knew were Division 2, were given an entire on the women’s Hohenshelt’s journeys abroad what Title IX was gold cup. You couldn’t even see the side led to an reminded her of what to appreciate at but was not aware trophy in pictures, and it was around a imbalance Hockaday. She asks her fellow athletes of the extent of third of the size of the men’s trophies.” between the men to share the same understanding. protection it serves. In addition to trophies, the team and women. The “It is such a gift that we have that “I was pretty hired the same videographer as an coaches had to barely any other country in the world familiar with all-boys school in Dallas for the same account for those has,” Hohenshelt said. “In regard to [Title IX] because event. Hockaday, however, received a differences when sports, we are so incredibly privileged of Hockaday,” different product than their deciding what for women to have the opportunities Hohenshelt said. male counterparts. boats to send we have. It is a lot harder to experience “We even have a “The guy that we hired chose to go to regattas. this discrimination and stand up for boat named Title to the boys’ games instead of ours and “They would yourself when there is no one to back IX. I’d be reminded brought his backup camera crew to cut down boats your corner. Recognize how much we of it every once in our game,” Eckert said. “He also made for the women, have compared to every other person, a while, especially these short clips that he posted of the while they would not just every other person in Dallas, because our old men right after the game happened, send an extra but every other girl in the world.” coach, [William Hohenshelt poses with teammate in Spain. but we didn’t get our film until two boat for the men’s Forteith], would weeks later.” team so that more people could go,” remind us of how we, as a team, have Although she has noticed some Yuan said. “They tried to make it very the opportunity to be here. And then gaps in attention given to female equal, but equality doesn’t always I went to Spain, and it was interesting athletes compared to male athletes, equal equity.” because it wasn’t there.” Eckert isn’t bothered by it in her Yuan’s time at DUC was mostly In Spain, there were noticeable PHOTO COURTESY OF BROOKE ECKERT, everyday life. positive, and she looks back on the differences in opportunities given MARGARET HOHENSHELT AND ERIN YUAN

December 11, 2025

OPINIONS

Make mistakes matter Reassessments offer more opportunities for learning By Aadhya Yanamadala Copy Editor

We’ve all been there — staring at a test covered in red marks, wondering how everything went wrong. Maybe you misread a question, got nervous or just had an off day. Maybe you should’ve studied more or truly didn’t understand a concept. Either way, in that moment, a single grade feels like a heavy, all-consuming weight. But it shouldn’t be. Grades should measure learning, not luck, and that’s exactly why test corrections and reassessments deserve a permanent place in classrooms. Allowing students to correct their mistakes or retake parts of a test isn’t about inflating grades; it’s about deepening understanding. When students have the opportunity to revisit what they got wrong, they engage in the most powerful form of learning: reflection and absorption. Instead of memorizing facts to survive the next exam, they’re forced to confront their misconceptions and ask themselves what they can do better next time. That question, more than any single letter grade, drives true concentration and determination.

Corrections shift the focus from performance to progress. In a traditional grading system, mistakes are final, and the test becomes an endpoint. With reassessments, the test becomes a midpoint, a snapshot of what a student knows and what they have yet to master. The act of correcting or reassessing a test isn’t just about earning back points; it’s about transforming mistakes into personal growth. In today’s highpressure academic culture, that mindset matters. Too often, we equate intelligence with perfection, especially at Hockaday. One bad grade can feel like a personal failure instead of a learning opportunity. Corrections counter that by reminding students

that mastery takes time and that mistakes are part of growth, not proof of incompetence. Reassessments also acknowledge something that standardized education often ignores: students are human. Everyone has bad days. Maybe a student was sick, overwhelmed or dealing with issues outside of school. A single off day shouldn’t tank their average or define their potential. Test corrections level that playing field, ensuring one moment doesn’t outweigh months of effort. It’s a humane, realistic approach to education that recognizes that learning isn’t linear and performance can fluctuate for reasons unrelated to personal ability. Some people argue that

PRO

reassessments make things too easy, encouraging students to rely on “do-overs” instead of preparing properly the first time. But that argument misses the point. When structured thoughtfully, such as requiring explanations for each corrected answer or a brief reflection on what went wrong, test corrections and reassessments don’t hand out easy points. They demand effort and honesty. Students must earn back credit by demonstrating new understanding. In fact, this process can take more work than the original test, which makes the learning process more meaningful. Moreover, reassessments prepare students for the real world better than rigid grading does. In nearly every profession, from law to business to medicine, revising work after feedback is not just accepted — it’s expected. A doctor doesn’t lose credibility for reevaluating a diagnosis, and a journalist doesn’t get fired for revising a draft with Oxford commas. Learning to identify and fix mistakes is an essential life skill, not a sign of weakness.

STAFF STANDOFF Reassessment Edition

No redos in real life

Reassessments set unrealistic standards for future past high school By Sophia Salem Business Manager

Many students enter a test with the mindset that mistakes can simply be fixed later if the class offers reassessments. While it does ease some stress, especially at the beginning of the year, this mentality rewards poor study habits instead of hard work. When students know they can retake a test or redo corrections, the pressure to prepare fades, and the essential motivation that should spur them to study is lost. One-time tests are stressful, but that stress isn’t always bad. A little bit of pressure can push students to study enough to perform well on the assessment and better manage time. If you know that one test determines the majority of your grade, you’re likely to spend more time studying for it. But if you know you can retake it, why bother putting forth your best effort right away? With reassessments, proper preparation can feel like an option instead of a necessity. Over time, this mindset encourages procrastination and a cycle of halfhearted studying. At the end of the year comes the scramble to fix the grade. It becomes less about learning

the material and more about putting it off for later.   In this way, reassessments not only hurt the test taker but are also unfair to students who actually put in the effort the first time. Why would a student who studies hard for the initial test be encouraged if they see a peer failing, then retaking it just to get a high grade? When everyone ends up with similar final grades regardless of effort, it can feel discouraging to students who work hard to begin with.   But this issue doesn’t only hold weight in a high school setting; reassessments are especially damaging because they set a false precedent for life after graduation. In colleges, jobs and life in general, second chances don’t come as easily

as in high school. Professors rarely offer test retakes, and for the most part, life isn’t very forgiving either when it comes to mistakes or underpreparation. High school should prepare students for that reality by acclimating them to it. When reassessments become the norm, they create an unrealistic expectation that most mistakes can be erased. From an academic standpoint, reassessments blur the line between memorization and understanding. Many students feel comfortable not knowing core concepts throughout the whole year and instead cram for reassessments at the end. So even if their grade does go up, it’s much more likely that they do not comprehend the material as much as someone who kept

CON

up with studying throughout the year. That’s not to say that struggling students shouldn’t be supported. Teachers can still help through other means like out-of-class hours or comprehensive feedback. But when the solution is always a retake, it removes accountability from the student. Instead of helping students in the long-term, it only assures them of a safety net that disappears after high school is inevitably over.   In the end, tests should reflect students’ knowledge and how much effort they put in for the assessment. Although the pressure of a one-time assessment is daunting, it teaches responsibility, perseverance and discipline—qualities that matter well beyond high school. Reassessments might seem like a kind break to struggling students, but in truth, it’ll hurt them more in the future than a grade boost helps. It’s better to teach students to give their best effort the first time than to rely on unrealistic second chances. Prioritizing initial effort over repeated chances helps students build habits that will serve them long after the grade book closes.

OPINIONS

The Hockaday School

Mindful or mind-full?

Students balance academic success and mental wellness By Savannah Simon Staff Writer

s the holidays roll in and the homework piles on, stress becomes a competition. Students compare sleep schedules, bickering over who got the least number of hours. Girls stream through the glass doors with coffee in hand, ready to discuss their caffeine intake; this culture is a vicious cycle of overcommitment that equates to self-worth. When academic success is an obsession, we don’t leave room to consider anything else. What do we think about when we aren’t stressed? Academic rigor is important; however, downtime for personal growth is just as necessary. When I don’t allow myself the time to watch a show or put a vinyl on my record player, my brain feels clogged and chaotic. Working time to unwind into my schedule helps me work through my unorganized thoughts. It’s no wonder that we’re all overwhelmed when we aren’t giving ourselves time to think. Sometimes, a face mask and

Netflix night are just as important as a study session. It is hard to find time as the year goes on, and the workload grows increasingly consuming. The confines of academics tend to limit creative opportunities; the work can be explorative in nature but still must fit the requirements of a rubric. If we are too busy to create or stay active, we bottle up what we don’t give ourselves time to think about. Mental stress keeps us up late at night. The Child Mind Institute reports that close to 70 percent of teens do not get the nine recommended hours of sleep each night. Consequently, sleep deprived students can get brain fog,

making it difficult for them to think. Phones are increasingly appealing because they act as an immediate, though temporary, solution to stress and exhaustion. We may not have the time to engage in involved outlets, but a five-minute glance at our phones is a relief; that little habit quickly snowballs as the stress builds. No matter how much we are on our phones, unresolved thoughts don’t go away. Our brains become increasingly cluttered, urging us to reach for our devices again. The unfortunate cycle is never-ending. Sometimes, we need to reach for something other than technology to give ourselves the time to

mentally unwind. Journaling is a fantastic way to work through thoughts without delving into phone addiction. It seems tedious, but just sitting down with yourself can be beyond therapeutic. Writing consistently isn’t even necessary; it can just be brief moments in the morning or before you go to sleep. The ability to review your own ideas and then perpetually push them forward is game changing. Most importantly, pen-and-paper journaling is a physical barrier between you and your social media and curbs phone addiction. Though the weight of academics can feel crushing, giving ourselves time to be imaginative is crucial. An academic weapon is still a person deserving of space and free time. We may be students, but our work shouldn’t consume our thoughts. Give yourself time to think.

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF ANA ASTIE

Common App or Common Trap

Growing burden of college essays stifles student authenticity By Anya Aggarwal Managing Editor Every fall, seniors across the country sit down to face what might be the most exhilarating yet exhausting academic ritual of their high school careers: the college application process. We begin with optimism and reflection, encouraged by teachers and counselors who remind us that this journey is just the beginning. The Common Application becomes our hub. Our profiles, identities, college lists and recommendation letters are entered, screened, secured and ready to submit. It is an organized and efficient way to make the application process simpler and more humane. But as the acknowledgements start trickling in, stating that applications are received and complete, there is still much more to the process. “Please follow the next steps” is an invitation to set up yet another portal, another password, another checklist of items specific to each school. This may include anything from relisting activities, resume uploads, course and grade entries (despite official transcripts submitted) and any number of supplemental essays required for specific programs at specific colleges. Why Us? Why You? Why This Major? What Grand Challenge would you solve? Somewhere between the 10th supplemental essay and the sixth login portal, the irony becomes clear. The Common App’s original goal,

to streamline the process, has been undermined by the colleges and buried under an avalanche of “optional but recommended” questions. Schoolspecific requirements and shortanswer responses demand hours of thought and often become redundant. Every college seems to want something just a little different. One school asks for a “Why this career in this region?” essay capped at 250 words. Another wants the same answer in 650. A few pose the same question with new phrasing but make it just different enough to require hours of research and rewriting. Then come the curveballs: I’ve seen everything from “If you were raised by robots, dinosaurs or aliens, who would you pick and why?” to “Find x?” to “You have just finished your 300-page autobiography. Please submit page 217.” These might be well-intentioned, even fascinating questions, but they assume an 18-year-old has ample time to give meaningful thought to them and have their entire life's purpose mapped out before graduation.                        Even with careful planning and summers spent in such reflection, the process feels less like self-discovery and more like a “copy-paste” of yourself. The constant repetition of activity and honors lists, prompts, character counts and login credentials drains much of the authenticity out of what should be a deeply personal process. We are told to “be ourselves,” yet the system almost encourages us to become what each

school wants to see. Authenticity, the quality admissions officers claim to value most, becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. After the fifth “Why us?” essay, it is tempting to recycle phrases or generalize passion. How many different ways can a student express Senior works on Common App. their love of research, realize we had. But does that benefit community service or a program’s justify the overwhelming workload and interdisciplinary opportunities? pressure? Probably not. Many students find themselves Perhaps it’s time for colleges to strategizing rather than reflecting, reconsider what they truly want from trying to sound distinctive without applicants. If authenticity matters, slipping into cliché. The goal becomes then maybe fewer essays would to stand out, not to open up. In allow it to emerge more naturally striving to be different, students risk and meaningfully. Instead of asking losing sight of who they actually are. students to tailor themselves to 20 Still, it would be unfair to say different institutions, maybe the system the process offers nothing valuable. could trust that one or two thoughtful Some essay prompts do exactly what essays say more than a dozen repetitive education strives to achieve: they make ones ever could. us think. Questions like “Describe a Until that happens, the college time you changed your perspective” application process will continue to or “When was the last time you test more than academic readiness. It apologized for something?” invite a tests stamina, patience and the ability kind of introspection many students to stay sincere when authenticity itself don’t often experience. For some, this has become another textbox to fill. process represents the first time they’ve In the end, perhaps the real “grand paused to consider not just what they challenge” facing high school seniors want to do, but why. isn’t the one in the essay prompt, it’s In that sense, if the forced reflection surviving the application process itself. doesn’t break us, it can reveal patterns, priorities and strengths we didn’t PHOTO COURTESY OF SOPHIA SALEM

the

December 11, 2025

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Lang Cooper and Leyah Philip WEB EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Melinda Hu and Mary Bradley Sutherland COPY EDITORS Sarah Moskowitz and Aadhya Yanamadala MANAGING EDITOR Emily McLeroy WEB MANAGING EDITOR Anya Aggarwal MULTIMEDIA EDITORS Audrey Liu and Anika Shah NEWS EDITORS Sophie Cho and Katie Ma ARTS & LIFE EDITORS Siena Ebert and Elizabeth Farrell FEATURES EDITORS Jenny Chu and Aneeka Tansen SPORTS EDITORS Anderson Rhodus and Alina Zheng OPINIONS EDITORS Mary Elise Estess and Juliette Friguletto PHOTO, GRAPHICS & CASTOFF EDITOR Emilie Illum BUSINESS MANAGER Sophia Salem STAFF WRITERS Gwendolyn Becker, Samara Bhatki, Tanvi Cherukuri, Mia Frary, Brooklyn Friesen, Claire Gicheru, Haniya Khowaja, Aria KneplerPearl, Lucy Pigott, Bella Portera, Savannah Simon, Sara Vijay FACULTY ADVISER Kristy Rodgers EDITORIAL POLICY The Fourcast is written primarily for students of the Hockaday Upper School, its faculty and staff. The Fourcast has a press run of 500 and is printed by Midway Press. It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community. The staff reserves the right to refuse any advertising which is deemed inappropriate for the Hockaday community. Opinions will be clearly marked and/or will appear in the views section. Commentaries are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any other member of the Hockaday community. The Staff Editorial on the Opinions page reflects the position of The Fourcast staff, but not necessarily the position Hockaday administration or community. The Fourcast staff determines the content of each issue and strives to work as independently as possible in producing the student newspaper, but the content is subject to prior review by the Head of Upper School, the Communications Director and other members of the Hockaday leadership team. Letters to the editor and guest columns are welcome and should be addressed to the editors-in-chief. Only signed pieces will be published. Corrections and clarifications from previous issues will be found in the news section. Questions or concerns should be addressed to Editors-in-Chief Lang Cooper (lcooper26@hockaday.org) or Leyah Philip (lphilip26@hockaday.org).

Fourcast

STAFF EDITORIAL The staff editorial is an unsigned piece representing a consensus of opinion among members of The Fourcast editorial board regarding a current issue.

Phones are preparation

Banning phones keeps students from staying safe

he sits in her final class of the day, shifting in her seat. Her foot anxiously bounces up and down as her pencil floats above her math notebook. She tries to solve a problem, but all she can think about is how she will get home. Her carpool plans have been unexpectedly canceled, and if she doesn’t get home in time, she will miss her doctor’s appointment. Her eyes drift to the clock as she wishes she had just a minute to talk to her parents. If only she had her phone, she could call them... Phones aren’t distractions, they’re tools. In a society that relies on technology for nearly every aspect of communication, it is naive to ban phone use during school hours. That doesn’t align with what the realworld demands. In fact, a phone ban in 2025 not only feels outdated but also inefficient. In places of work and higher education for which we are being prepared, people depend on reliable use of technology. We use our phones for much more than social media; we need them to stay organized and updated. Apps like GroupMe, Club Hub, email and text messages keep us connected with our teachers, peers and coaches consistently throughout each day. Whether there’s a last-minute change for off campus social impact recurring programs or a reminder for a form meeting, phones allow us to stay updated and engaged in our community. In a school that prepares students for college, it is essential to foster independence and curiosity, something our phones help us to

develop and maintain on a daily basis. Phones make our busy lives easier to manage and allow us to communicate instantaneously, reflecting how the modern world operates. In terms of student leadership, phones play a large role in how student boards and clubs communicate. Club leaders utilize GroupMe to share

helps students efficiently solve small problems that would be harder to fix otherwise. When we need to notify parents of changes in carpool or practice schedules, phones are the quickest way. While a coach can email schedule changes and nurses can call home, many parents receive hundreds of emails and calls from work or spam. Because of this, asking the school to contact home is less effective than having us directly contact our parents. Allowing students to quickly solve non-school related problems is also better for our focus. A student who steps out of the class to talk to their parents for a minute can come back to the lesson without other problems on their mind. Conversely, a student who waits the whole day to solve the issue will struggle to pay full attention to their classes. Learning to solve small issues in communication with phones is a skill we need for the future. Hockaday is a school that aims to set up students for success, yet taking away phones during the school day stunts our ability to develop discipline around devices. With limited exposure to the skill of using phones for communication and efficiency rather than entertainment, we will be forced to learn how to balance phone use later in life in scenarios with higher stakes. While phones can be distracting, asking us to manage our phones and schoolwork increasingly teaches us skills of responsibility, productivity and the importance of using phones as tools.

about upcoming events, sign-up forms for grade-wide activities and post quick decisions on the go when timing is slim. Now, imagine how many people would miss their form meeting if they didn’t have access to their phones. Therefore, communicating quickly and clearly isn’t something we should be banned from; it is a skill we must be trusted to learn. In emergencies, phones are crucial tools for quick communication. They give us the power of connection, allowing us to quickly share information with each other. This contact helps us feel less panicked and alone in stressful situations, reducing the chaos surrounding emergencies. The usefulness of phones extends beyond moments of urgency. Access GRAPHIC COURTESY OF MADRID GARRETT to a phone during the school day

The Hockaday School

December 11, 2025

CASTOFF

Photo courtesy of Sophia Lou

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lee

Photo courtesy of Kayla Zhang

“I didn’t have a specific New Year’s resolution, but this year I’ve been trying to enjoy the moment instead of stressing about the future.” - Sophia Lou ‘26

“My New Year’s resolution was to race at the Head of the Charles Regatta and go under eight minutes in my 2k. I accomplished both!” - Lauren Lee ‘27

“My New Year’s resolution was to make more art this year. I like practicing painting.” - Kayla Zhang ‘28

Photo courtesy of Jada Rice

Photo courtesy of Adrianna Crook

Photo courtesy of Briar Metcalf

“My New Year’s resolution was to workout consistently, and I eventually became a Strength Star.” - Jada Rice ‘27

“My resolution was to learn ‘Runaway’ by Kanye on the piano, which I accomplished over the summer in Ms. Griffiths’ class.” - Adrianna Crook ‘28

“My New Year’s resolution was to get my drivers license, which I did by practicing driving a lot.” - Briar Metcalf ‘28

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year! Love, The Fourcast By Emilie Illum