March 2017

March 2017 lightningboltonline.com

20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657 www.issuu.com/shsbolt @theboltonline

Volume 17, Issue 7 www.facebook.com/sagehillschool

TEDx at Sage Shares Ideas on ‘Defying Society’ at Event

By Trevor Klein & Daniel Fishman

Students, teachers and other members of the Sage Hill Community gathered in the Black Box March 3, for the Sage Hill TEDx event.

The TEDx club on campus inspires innovation, creativity and pursuit of interests in the community, through short TED talks once a year.

The talks were given by members of the community, who had inspiring stories to share.

Senior Nelson Kim, who helped found the club in 2015 and is now co-president with senior Max Nanula, actively found guest and student speakers to motivate the audience through TED Talk style speeches.

“The purpose of TEDx is to spread ideas worth sharing and we believe that each of our speakers have something interesting to contribute to our community addressing the event’s theme, ‘Defy Society’,” Kim said.

The student-run club hoped to teach the community the importance of pursuing one’s passions and to defy societal norms.

The club itself is unique because it is also a Service Learning group open to upperclassmen. “[We] are a service learning group and a club. We consider our service as educating the community,” said senior executive producer Aimee Rowe. She also came up with the ‘Defy Society’ theme.

“Defying society can be in the form of protesting, but it can

also be in the form of reinventing a type of science, or breaking social norms,” Rowe said.

Rowe said the club started recruiting speakers for the event nine months in advance.

“With the assistance of Mr. McNeill and Ms. Merz, we reached out to the community and found people who actively defied society because their stories are inspiring.”

Again, defying society does not necessarily mean protesting on the streets. It means finding the path that is right for you in life despite what society believes is acceptable.

“Nobody would have thought that somebody with my credentials would leave law for Hollywood,” Ted Chervin, a T.V. agent, said.

Chervin graduated from the Harvard School of Law, and then, he worked in Manhattan for the U.S. attorney’s office for five years and never lost a case.

“I had accomplished a lot of my goals [in law] and was looking for a new challenge,” Chervin said in a 2006 interview with the Wall Street Journal.

“I didn’t start as an agent; I looked over contracts, read scripts, got a feel for how the business was set up.

Then, after a few months they said, ‘You’re an agent.’”

Chevrin worked his way up to his current position in Hollywood.

Other guest speakers were Debra Miller, a social advocate; Alex Dickinson, a pioneer in cloud computing; Kelly King, an actress and Shaheen Sadeghi, the

Amanda Duong

Anti-mall founder speaks at TedX event.. Shaheen Sadeghi, founder of the first anti-mall, shares his ideas on the decline of American consumption as a speaker representing the “Defy Society” theme of the second-annual campus evening. founder of the first anti-mall.

Even senior Justin Sung participated in the event, sharing his passion for hip-hop dance and his journey to start a dance club at Sage.

“I wanted to talk about my experience with dance, the hardships I had to face along the way, trying to find room in my schedule with my many priorities, and the rewarding results that came with following through with something I loved,” noted Sung on his TEDx speech.

Similar to the arguments

many of the other speakers made, Sung highlighted the costs and benefits of pursuing his passion in his speech.

His goal was to give people the courage to make the same self-satisfying decision he made.

“I think that people should feel that no matter what field they pursue, they can still defy society in their own ways” and be successful doing so, Sung said.

Not only did the speakers “defy society” in their stories, but the organization behind the event took months of planning and

organizing.

“I have grown to love the complexity of the planning, fundraising, and execution of our event and it has helped me and my teammates grow as individuals and as a team,” Kim commented.

One common theme from all of the TED talks was that being successful is hard.

But the ground rules are pretty simple. Pursue your interests. Take risks. Know that if it does not challenge you, it will not change you.

Reaching ‘Beyond Ourselves’ on April 7

By Vale Lewis 17lewisv.publications@gmail.com

Following a successful event last year, the Multicultural Symposium planning committee is preparing for next month’s symposium with the theme “Beyond Ourselves.”

The planning committee, seniors Maia Coffey, Toni Williams, Vale Lewis, Romina Klereby, Crystal Yu, Krystal Gallegos and junior Jack Bentler, has been working on creating a diverse

and interesting symposium as a part of their Service Learning project this year.

Seventeen students, teachers and outside speakers are planning to lead discussions and workshops on various topics ranging from unsung women heroes in STEM to housing discrimination based on race.

“As members of the Sage Hill community, it is our duty to learn about issues and topics we don’t necessarily learn about on a day to day basis.

Symposium is a great op-

portunity to educate yourself on important issues related to race, gender and other topics,” Bentler said.

Alex Tatusian, alumnus and graphic designer with ties to social justice, will be leading an all-school assembly to discuss his experience at Sage and how it has shaped his identity.

As a Sage alumnus, Alex is very relatable. He can talk about how his experience at Sage has influenced his experience outside of Sage and how it led him to be interested in social justice,” Yu

said.

Many nearby schools, including St. Margaret’s, Chadwick and Mater Dei, are invited to attend symposium, along with Sage parents and other members of the local community.

“We are excited that other schools will be attending this event because we hope to educate other students and inspire schools to promote multiculturalism and lead similar events in their own communities,” Klereby said.

Registration for symposium

sessions is open to students, faculty and the community now, and the symposium itself will occur April 7 during X Block.

“It would be great if a lot of students would attend symposium. We believe people will be able to get a lot out of their workshops and we hope we can continue to create a space for the community to discuss important topics,” Williams said.

If you are interested in attending workshops, sign up using the link sent to your email this week.

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The Bolt Sage Hill School March 2017

EDITORIAL

Angst of College Process Sucks Life from Seniors The college process is a never-ending, soul-sucking nightmare. From Aug. 1, when essay prompts are available online, to May 1, when seniors commit to their future college, there is not much else on a senior’s mind.

College is a standard conversation topic with nearly everyone, ranging from family and friends to people you only see occasionally, like the lady who cuts your hair or your dad’s old friend who doesn’t have anything else to discuss with you.

Somehow, the sense of privacy we’re usually granted goes out the window.

Everyone wants to know your dream school, where you applied, and where you are going.

Even when seniors aren’t facing external stressors from everyone around them, they’re struggling with the crippling pressure your own expectations.

T

We live in a society that places so much weight on not only college acceptance, but acceptance into an exclusive, elite school.

The lower the acceptance rate, the smarter, better, more qualified a student is, right?

Our education system essentially teaches students to define themselves by the colleges where they are admitted.

For many seniors, it’s the most vulnerable they’ve felt in their lives.

They submit applications to schools begging for acceptance, and the schools have complete control over the process.

Colleges have to make decisions based on an incomplete record of a person, only knowing their scores and a few short essays.

Numbers and essays can’t paint the full picture of a person, so of course it isn’t really personal, but it’s impossible not

the

he Bolt, published eight times a year, is a student newspaper and serves the public forum at Sage Hill School. Its content - news, editorial, opinion and feature - is protected by Education Code 48907, the state student rights law and the California Constitution which guarantees all citizens the right of freedom of speech and of the press. The Bolt accepts signed letters to the editor from members of the Sage Hill Community which may be posted as comments to our website, lightningboltonlilne.com, or addressed to editor-in-chief Vale Lewis and put in her mailbox on campus. These letters may not exceed 150 words or they wil be edited for inclusion.

Editors-in-Chief

Vale Lewis, Stephanie Min, Claire Lin and Tommy Lee Associate Editors

Christina Acevedo, Niva Razin and Catharine Malzahn Adviser

Konnie Krislock

to feel that it is.

The nature of applying to college in this era is that we could all be perfectly qualified for a school and be rejected, which is one of the harsh realities seniors have to face.

The college process is the worst. It’s often disappointing, creates awkwardness between friends and is uncomfortable to talk about with family and stressful because of pressures from all sorts of external and internal forces.

One of the most daunting parts of the college process is the sheer emotional roller coaster it creates.

Seniors can become attached to a school only to get a rejection letter, and the next day, receive an acceptance from another school. It is emotionally and mentally exhausting.

The competition between friends and classmates, often unspoken, is palatable for many

months.

However, there is also nothing that can bond people, or even a whole grade, together like struggling through the college process.

Something about the shared coming of age moments brings people together.

Especially around this time, when seniors are receiving decisions from colleges, the celebrations when someone announces they’ve been accepted somewhere almost make the process worth it.

The college process is full of contradictions: competition and support, disappointment for yourself but joy for someone else; being hopeful but trying not to get your hopes up.

There’s a mix of confidence and self-doubt, but it all leads to the ultimate bittersweet feeling of being sad to leave your friends, but excited for your future.

Bolt Yuna Baek Halah Biviji Alessia Bothorel Jonathan Chance Jamie Dailey Karli Davis Emma Dickerson Amanda Duong Julia Dupuis Sahar Emtiaz Jo Farkas Daniel Fishman Lauren Fishman Lynn Fong

Jerry Fu Krystal Gallegos Genesis Gonzalez Karina Grover Madison Harris-Weiner Lauren Hausman Richard Horn Lily Humphrey Michelle Hung Sarah Kim Jennifer King Trevor Klein Olivia Lowe Sarah Lowey

Abby McGuire Monis Mohiuddin Isabella Mora Stephanie Morris Rowan Oliphant Ishani Patel Sahar Rohani Emma Ruck Brett Super Amani Tarsadia Peyton Webb Hannah Woodworth Jessica Yang

NEWS

The Bolt Sage Hill School March 2017

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DeVos May Provide New Vision for Dept. of Education Secretary choice raises questions about direction of federal control over public education ABC News

Speaking Before The Senate. Betsy DeVos, after a lifetime of education work, was named Secretary of Education in the Trump administration.

By Sahar Rohani 17rohanis.publications@gmail.com

Ever since the Dept. of Education was established in 1979 during Jimmy Carter’s presidency, Republicans, most notably Ronald Reagan, have launched an acrimonious effort to take it down.

This is not with ill intent, and in many cases I agree with the Republican cause. It seems that having a universal education system run by a monopolistic, federal government is uncanny, and the direct result is declining student performance in public education.

In California, public schools are failing. Students statewide receive a 47 per cent in reading and 38 per cent in math. These issues we’re facing are massive, and the Dept. of Education is at a standstill: replace it completely or abolish the agency.

Just last month, Rep. Thomas Massie introduced H.R. 899, which has one line: “The Dept. of Education shall terminate on Dec. 31, 2018.”

Federal funding to public education programs, teachers and curriculum could come to a halt in just over a year.

Although H.R. 899 raises concern, the termination of the

Dept. of Education will turn complete power over to the states to fit curricula to the needs of their students.

But even with solid Republican control in the executive branch and in Congress, there is little chance full departmental reform will take place.

We saw this with President George W. Bush and his “No Child Left Behind” campaign in 2001. He vowed to terminate the Dept. of Education, but, in reality, the agency’s budget increased by 163 per cent. Ironic.

If we saw significant improvement in student’s growth and proficiency, then maybe the Dept. of Education should remain.

Unfortunately, statistics show that student performance has remained stagnant since the Dept. of Education was formed.

Instead of wasting taxpayer money and reducing parental choice, the removal of the agency would seem like the best option.

But now, the existing Dept. of Education is getting a shakeup: Betsy DeVos. President Trump’s nomination for Secretary of Education has received bipartisan criticism, and blatant public scrutiny.

DeVos was elected after Vice President Mike Pence cast a historical tie-breaking vote when the

Senate was divided 50 to 50.

President Trump’s nomination for Secretary of Education has caused a frenzy among the National Teacher’s Union, Democrats and Republicans, as well as parents nationwide.

So, where does this dismay come from? Her poor performance in her confirmation hearing with the Senate sparked the question whether DeVos has the qualifications to lead the Dept. of Education.

To assist those who are unaware of Betsy DeVos, her journey started in the 1990s, when she decided to commit her philanthropic work to school choice and the expansion of charter schools – non-secular, in particular.

Her father, Edgar Prince, founded the Prince Corp., an auto-parts manufacturing company that boomed in Michigan. She married billionaire Dick DeVos, and together, they are one of the richest families in the world.

The DeVos family is conservative Christian royalty with deep ties in Republican politics.

Her critics fought hard against her in every confirmation hearing because they believed her intense advocacy for school choice showed her desire to privatize education. DeVos aims to expand the use of vouchers, which are

funded by public dollars and used to pay tuition for private and religious schools.

DeVos once argued in a conference with Christian philanthropists that Christians will have “greater Kingdom gain in the long run by changing the way we approach things—in this case, the system of education in the country.”

Although I do not support DeVos because of her many conflicts-of-interest and her lack of separation between church and state, I must admit she is different.

DeVos has created foundations, chaired organizations and corporations, funded projects and even directed Michigan’s Republican party for more than six years.

In 2000, the DeVoses launched an effort to change Michigan’s constitution, which restricts public funds from being used for religious purposes.

Nearly $12.9 million was spent by the DeVos family in support of this amendment, only to be defeated in the polls 69 per cent to 31 per cent.

Her journey to education reform has had its fair share of lawsuits, public backlash, voucher schemes and the undermining of public education. Nevertheless, she remains committed.

TIMELINE

As Secretary of Education, she may be faced with the task of pushing Donald Trump’s $20 billion in existing public education funds toward vouchers that pay for private and religious schools.

However glamorous the sound “school choice” may be, low income families do not have the luxury to send their children to private alternatives and the expansion of vouchers will not solve this problem.

When you pull public funding, public education becomes worse, and low income families will be stuck with these poor conditions, some believe.

DeVos now has a large task at hand. She must adjust to the fine line between education reform and disrespect for the efforts of those who came before.

Future generations have much to lose, but plenty to gain, if they have a strong ally fighting for the best option for families of all backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. DeVos, the outsider, may be the answer.

For now, as a community dedicated to the improvement of education for all, we must hold the Secretary of Education and the president accountable these next four years.

The path to education reform is a work in progress, and we’re all waiting to see how it evolves.

1980: Betsy DeVos visit Potter’s House Christian school, first instance DeVos recognizes the power of school choice, and

commits philanthropy to education reform 1990: The Dick and Betsy DeVos foundation is created. As of 2014, assets totaled more than $52 million and contributed

$9 million to various groups 1993: DeVos helps support drive to overhaul school funding in Michigan– allowed for the creation of charter schools 1996-2000: DeVos chairs the Michigan Republican Party.

2000: DeVos attempts to change Michigan’s constitution, which restrict public funds from being used for non-secular

purposes. Loses 31 per cent to 69 per cent in the polls.

2003-2005: DeVos chairs the Michigan Republican Party again 2004: Betsy and Dick DeVos contribute over $200,000 to an anti-LGBT ballot initiative aimed at preventing marriage equality 2008: Ohio Elections Commissions levies record $5.2 million dollar fine against All Children Matter, headed by DeVos,

for illegally funneling money into Ohio political campaigns 2009: DeVos helps fund the American Federation for Children – organization advocating vouchers, charters, school choice 2015: An investigative report by the American Civil Liberties Union finds that under state control, Detroit Public

Schools debt increased by $600 million Feb. 7, 2017: Betsy DeVos confirmed as Secretary Education after Vice President Mike Pence casts a historical

tie-breaking vote after the Senate was divided 50 to 50.

Jan. 31, 2017: First confirmation hearing in front of Senate Feb. 23, 2017: DeVos initially resists the move to rescind federal policy allowing transgender students to use school

bathrooms that match their gender identities, then secedes

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The Bolt Sage Hill School March 2017

COMMUN

Multicult

By Alessia Bothorel

19bothorela.publications@gmail.com

The 16th annual Multicultural Fair took place last Saturday under sunny skies with a lively atmosphere. People of all cultures, ages and backgrounds attended from as far away as Las Vegas and downtown L.A. to celebrate the diverse Sage community.

With 15 food booths, more than 17 performances, an ethnic bazaar and a playground all taking place in Town Square, anyone could easily sample homemade delights from around the world or relax under shady tables with friends and family.

In the midst of such great excitement, the time and dedication of the Multicultural Fair Committee is often forgotten. A group of about 20 Sage Hill parents organized the event and planning started at the beginning of the school year.

Co-chairs Anita Razin and Zetta Magliarditi were ecstatic to coordinate and give back to their community. Not only did they go about encouraging fellow volunteers, but also danced in the fashion show.

The general public was able to go home with a full belly and expectations were met.

As a student noted: “This is a great event because it brings our community together and people of all ages can have fun,” while a parent loved “being at Sage because it’s a place where anyone can be themselves,” and “the fair lets us learn from each other’s cultures.”

By Halah Biviji

19bivijih.publications@gmail.com

The Multicultural Fair highlighted many different cultures through student performers, who performed traditional songs, dances, and other talents that showcased their heritage to others. From a persian dance to a Korean nanta drums performance, many different cultures were featured.

One of the performers was freshman Shreya Chitoori, who choreographed an Indian dance routine to perform with classmates, Kianna Dominick, Olivia Kaneko, Selene Shankle, Alex Tse, and Rohun Krishnan.

“The idea I am trying to convey is that the Indian culture is very welcoming, hence the fact that not all the dancers in the Bollywood dance are Indian.” While Shreya and Rohun are both Indian, the rest of the dancers are of different cultures.

In addition to the different ethnicities, each student had varying levels of experience with dance. “These 5 freshman came into the dance not knowing if they are capable, but over time, they learnt many new things about Indian culture along the way. By doing this dance that I choreographed for them, they now have new aspects to this culture.

Freshman Suhaani Gupta performed a mash-up song at the Multicultural Fair of an Indian Bollywood song and an American song.

“I am doing this because I want to show people one of the many aspects and variety of Indian music. What we are trying to portray is that even though the two songs are from two different cultures, they still share the same values, and show that the ideas in music can be linked all over the world.” By doing this, she bridges the gap between different cultures by showing how people all over the world share similar feelings and experiences.

Ari, one of the performers in the Persian dance said, “Persian dances are one of my most favorite things about Persian culture. Often, Persians dance wherever they can find music which can be anywhere from parties, to malls, to even the middle of a highway in Iran when there is a lot of traffic. One of the best parts of Persian culture is that everyone is always ready to have fun and dance to create a happy mood.”

“At first, many of us were not sure if we wanted to be on stage but we all had one thing in common, the love of our heritage and the desire to share it with others.” Ari, like the other performers, is excited to share her culture to the rest of sage.

The student performances overall exemplify cross-cultural competency by exposing students to new cultures and traditions they would not have otherwise known about.

Overall, the Multicultural Fair performances helped foster crosscultural competency in the community. Sophomore Naya Gomez believes “Cross-cultural competency matters because diversity is inevitable, there are so many different people in the world, so many that we will encounter one way or another and if people aren’t able to understand where the other is coming from, then how are we expected to collaborate and communicate effectively?”

Photos by Sahar Emtiaz, Alessia Bothered and Peyton

THE SPIRIT OF MULTICULTURAL FAIR Persian dancers, food from 15 food booths, shops in Ethnic Bazzar, Chinese dancers and the Multicultural Fair Comittee, lead by chairman Anita Ra come together to produce the 2017 Multicultural Fair.

NITY LIFE

tural Fair

The Bolt Sage Hill School March 2017

5

By Hannah Woodworth & Chenghao Meng Every year, colorful columns of international flags lining the driveway greet students, families and the community as a celebration of multiculturalism takes place in Wilkins Town Square above. With all from food booths representing countries from all over the world as well as student and professional performances, the Multicultural Fair highlights the diversity of the Sage community.

Reviewing the event, sophomore Chenghao Meng visited every booth and tried each signature dish. Famous around campus for his instagram, @chowmeng_foodreviews, in which Meng consistently uploads videos of himself reviewing lunches from Flik, he looked forward to being part of the event and exposing himself to new cultures. His thoughts on the food and booths are included below:

China’s Chicken Dumplings “Crunchy on bottom” “Soft, savory skin”

Vietnam’s Shrimp Spring Rolls “It is kind of like a rolled up salad”

Italy’s Mushroom Risotto “Tastes like rice”

Philippines Barbecue Pancit

“Great flavor and similar to persian kababs”

Mexico’s Horchata “Tastes very similar to Chinese soy milk”

Ghana’s Banana Pudding

“Best dessert– homemade, fresh, different”

Italy’s Gelato

“The cups that held the gelato were very nice”

Korea’s Kimchi

“Very similar to Chinese food”

Southern USA’s Chicken and Waffles “I enjoyed the sweetness of the maple syrup”

England’s English Breakfast Tea “Very refreshing after all the food”

Poland’s Lemon Pączkis “Sweet outside and a soft inside” “Very similar to a donut”

India’s Mimosa

“Complexity of flavors that I can’t decipher and is hard to figure out… very exotic”

Croatia’s Apple Strudel “Sweet and sour” “Flaky Skin”

Webb.

n the azin,

France

Persia

“Looks incredible but I am just too full”

“Again, I would love to try it but I am just too full from all the other food”

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The Bolt Sage Hill School March 2017

SPORTS

Taking a

BRETT’S BOX

Dip

Last Month Until Completion. The Aquatics Center opening, scheduled for April 18, concludes a year of construction on the pool and adjacent buildings.

By Michelle Hung

19hungm.publications@gmail.com

The groundbreaking for the Aquatics Center site took place on June 6 overseen by C.W. Driver, a leader in educational facility construction in the western United States.

The project had two phases: the first, the construction of the Brett Connor Jordan & Family Tennis Center (completed in March 2016) and the second, the construction of the Aquatics Center, which will be completed in April. Together they form the Athletics Complex.

“As an independent school, Sage Hill is not eligible for any government funding. Thus, 100 percent of the cost of construction to date has been funded through philanthropy, meaning that the funds for the pool have depended entirely on donations from

parents, parents of alumni and alumni,” Torrey Olins, director of Communications and Marketing, said.

The paver campaign was an idea meant for the wider Sage Hill community to have an inclusive opportunity to participate in this milestone of completing the campus Master Plan as envisioned by our founders. This plan included all of the facilities that currently exist on campus (now including the pool), which is why the completion of the Aquatics Center is a particularly momentous occasion, Olins explained.

President Gordon McNeill and the Advancement Office proposed the idea and more than 70 pavers were purchased.

Knowing that construction is not always predictable, the only commitment that was made on the outset of the project was

to open the Aquatics Center in spring 2017, but not on a specific date, Olins said.

The rain this winter prevented the crew from doing outdoor work on approximately 21 days.

Fortunately, time was built into the schedule for potential weather delays.

“Weather didn’t completely halt construction- on many of the days when the crew was unable to work outside, they were still able to work on the indoor spaces” Olins said.

The pool is 25 yards by 33 meters, with a spectator pavilion.

It is 8 feet deep with 12 lanes— eight deep lanes for competition swimming and four warm-up lanes as well as starting blocks for diving. It has full floating water polo match capability.

The most technological feature will be the high tech touch

Sage Hill

pad system, which records each swimmer’s finish time when they contact the wall.

“Fundraising went into the construction of two other buildings that are part of the Aquatics Center project, one which houses equipment and the other with has restrooms, locker rooms, an office and a training room” explicitly for the swim team’s use, Olins said.

Now that construction is well underway, the administration has set a date for the ribbon cutting ceremony (to be followed immediately by the first home swim meet) on Tuesday, April 18 at 2 p.m.

There will be food trucks, water games and a pool party at the ribbon cutting ceremony that day. “Bring your bathing suit and towel if you want to swim!”

Olins said.

Baseball Team Holds National Record

By Daniel Fishman & Trevor Klein

The Sage Hill Varsity Baseball team has not lost since, March 27, 2016, the second game of a opening day double header last season.

Last year, the team set an Orange County record with 28 straight wins while becoming the CIF Division 6 champions.

“For a long time, everything was going right. At times we got lucky, but it was all working out,” head coach Dominic Campeau said.

The team’s winning streak continued through the first four games of the season as the team got off to a strong start. It was at 32 games.

Then in a game against Rancho Christian in Murrieta on March 8, the Sage Hill team carried a 6-1 lead into the last inning.

Greg Super

Celebrating a Win. Team members swarm Brett Super (9) after a come-frombehind win against Rancho Alamitos last Friday.

Jack Pelc came into the game and he struggled. He left the game with the bases loaded and one out, then Drake Mossman came in.

Mossman recorded the first batter out.

Then, with the bases still loaded, two outs, and two strikes, Rancho hit a grand slam off of Mossman to tie the game.

The game went to extra innings, and then Rancho had the bases loaded with nobody out, the umpires called the game because of darkness.

Mossman hurt his ankle, so by the time that the Lightning could have warmed up a new pitcher it would have been totally dark.

Thus, the game ended in a 6-6 tie, and the Lightning’s winning streak ended, but the games without a loss streak continued.

As of March 17, the streak is at 34 games without a loss.

Now, after losing three seniors who were the heart of the team, the Lightning moved up three divisions.

Facing a tough test, younger players will have to step up.

“It will definitely be a lot harder this year. Our pitching staff has improved from last year, but we will need to find ways to get our offense going,” last season’s 12-0 pitcher and sophomore captain Ashwin Chona said.

The team did not lose any starting pitchers, but lost three starting

seniors who contributed significantly toward last season’s run.

“I’m excited to get back on the field and see what the boys can do.

We’ve got a lot of hype to live up to this season, but I think we’ll deliver,” all-American pitcher and senior captain Brett Super said.

Super and many other players will be back for this year’s lightning strike. Seven starters are returning this season.

Over Spring Break, the team is playing in the prestigious Anaheim Lions Tournament.

“Our pitching is unbelievable, but we lack depth. If we have solid defense and can generate some runs, we’ll be good to go,” senior Jack Pelc said.

And in this upcoming Lions tournament, the team plays four games in four days with a potential fifth game if they qualify.

Some players are filling into new positions and young hitters are still adjusting to high school baseball.

The competition is not slowing down, though.

“We still have a lot to work on.

If we want to be successful, we’re going to have to make the necessary adjustments,” sophomore Edward Pelc said.

Over the course of the season, young leaders look to lead the lightning strike as the school’s baseball team faces its toughest challenge yet.

Connect The Dots “There’s no way you are actually writing this,” Sarah Lowey, senior, doubts my ability to write whatever I want.

I won an award; I can write whatever I want.

“Wow… so inspiring,” sophomore Samantha Hague said in response to my beginning of this article.

“I like it. it’s funny. It’s very… Brett’s Box,” senior Jamie Dailey said after a soft chuckle.

“Man I have no clue what this is about,” sophomore Jack Strohman said after being asked to speculate on the meaning of this article so far. But to be honest with you reader, I don’t really know either. Which is how I write best.

So, my award, some people in some far away place who have no idea who I am felt the need to honor the way I compiled syllables and phrases to convey a meaning and felt it was somehow better than other people’s complied mixture of letters and spaces.

That being said, I wrote the essay not for it to be good.

I wrote the essay to explain to myself how time changes people. I wrote the essay without knowing if I would even turn it in for a grade let alone submit it to a national competition. But when I was done, I did not have a scholarly piece of writing, I had a hodgepodge of anecdotes and a theme that did not present itself until the end.

So high school, at its simplest form, is a hodgepodge of anecdotes connected by a theme that only presents itself at the very end. As my high school career ends, I look back at all my successes and failures and the moments I pride myself on and the moments I regret, and believe it or not, it is starting to make sense.

High school seems to be about getting As and stacking up on extracurriculars. It’s all just to get into a college people can raise their eyebrows to and say, “Wow.” But college is just like that group of people far away who decided my collection of vowels and consonants was somehow better than another person’s. They don’t know me, and no matter how well they think they can, they cannot judge experiences.

Long article short, my essay did not need to win an award for it to be valuable to me because I wrote what felt right to me regardless of what other people were telling me I should write.

Only now can I look back and realize that is why I won the award for my essay, but I am not really talking about my essay, am I?

OPINION

The Bolt Sage Hill School March 2017

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Fear of Deportation Strikes Students and Their Families

Lynn Fong

By Christina Acevedo 17acevedoc.publications@gmail.com

In the 1970s, my grandmother was working in the United States as a fieldworker, a Mexican immigrant picking strawberries hoping to start a new life for herself and her children.

Her story is just one of many that reflects some of the sacrifices and hardships undocumented immigrants face both on their journeys to and within our country. My grandmother’s wish also embodies the simple dream for comfort and security that has been so defining of the American experience.

In today’s America, illegal immigration is becoming increasingly discussed as an issue that needs to be solved with deportation. With the election of our president, Donald Trump, many undocumented immigrants have feared for their safety because of his initial claim to deport them all.

“Recently, some family members have quit jobs and avoided certain areas because of their fear of deportation,” freshman Joyce Jogwe said. “It’s crazy to think that people who have been living in the U.S. for many years and established families, jobs and friendships can be sent back to a country where they hardly have any connections.”

Growing up in Santa Ana, a community with a large immigrant population that has now deemed itself a sanctuary city, this fear has been prevalent. It has been heartbreaking for me to hear friends express worries

about their family’s safety and to know that some individuals have felt the need to move elsewhere.

Unfortunately, a lot of the pressure for deportation has originated from the belief that undocumented immigrants negatively impact crime and the economy. The act of deportation has also involved blindness to its effects on those with undocumented family members or those who are undocumented themselves.

“With all the mass deportations...I feel scared for my family and friends,” junior Ariel Gutierrez said. “I don’t think it is right to break families apart just because they are ‘illegal.’”

The view of undocumented immigrants as criminals is also becoming more common. With news headlines specifying when legal offenders also happen to be undocumented, it’s easy see why the image of undocumented immigrants has in some cases become linked with negative misconceptions and prejudices.

Trump’s rhetoric during his campaign further solidified such stereotypes.

During one of his speeches he said, “When Mexico sends it people, they’re not sending their best...They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs.

They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”

Despite claims like this, studies have shown that immigration may actually help to reduce crime. The American Immigration Council shares that from 1990 to 2013, the amount

of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. increased by 7.7 million.

Simultaneously, this time period was characterized by a drop of 48 percent in violent crime rate that entailed rape, murder as well as robbery.

While the last connection is not entirely clear, the American Immigration Council has also observed based on 2010 data that “... roughly 1.6 percent of immigrant males age 18-39 are incarcerated, compared to 3.3 percent of the native-born.”

Robert J. Sampson’s “Rethinking Crime and Immigration” explains that instances like these may be connected to immigrants’ hope to find work in the United States while avoiding deportation.

Yet, notions regarding the alleged need for deportation persist.

Trump’s decision to pull funding from sanctuary cities further feeds the perception of undocumented immigrants as people who pose a serious danger to our country and need to be removed. Trump’s intentions, however, have no logical basis.

According to Gene Demby’s National Public Radio blog post, “Why Sanctuary Cities Are Safer,” research has shown that “working with federal immigration enforcement made it harder for local police agencies to investigate crimes because witnesses and victims who were in the country illegally would be less likely to come forward if they thought they risked being detained and deported.”

Sanctuary cities, therefore, have actually helped combat

crime, in his opinion. As Demby’s blog also mentions, counties that refused to adhere to ICE’s demands had 35.5 less crimes for every 10,000 individuals in comparison to others.

Undocumented immigrants are often made the bad guys, portrayed as people who steal our jobs while also serving as a burden in their reliance on social programs.

Adam Davidson’s article, “Coming to America,” disproves this impression. In his article, Davidson shares that “From 1990 to 2007, undocumented workers increased legal workers’ pay in complementary jobs by up to 10 percent.”

Economist Giovanni Peri has also said that undocumented immigrants enable skilled workers to put in more hours and boost their incomes because of the specialization that comes into play.

With undocumented immigrants performing duties that require no special training such as cleaning up a work site for low wages, Davidson indicates that skilled workers who would usually do the same jobs are able to accomplish more work that pays better.

As Davidson also reports, undocumented immigrants contribute to the economy in their consumerism and “about $15 billion a year to Social Security through payroll taxes” as opposed to the $1 billion they withdraw.

While no undocumented students currently attend Sage, that does not mean the threat of deportation does not affect students.

When we deport undocumented immigrants, we overlook the division of families, the emotional distress it can cause the undocumented and their relatives, the new lives many have begun in the United States and the dangers some face just to come here.

These dangers include minutemen, risks of dehydration or heat exhaustion and the act of leaving behind a familiar life to come to one that is unknown.

Through deportation, we also invalidate our country’s core foundations reflected in our Pledge of Allegiance through the words “... liberty and justice for all.”

“America is the land of opportunity and justice, but with... deportations, people are being stripped away from their freedom and chances for bettering their lives,” Gutierrez said.

Because, at the center of it all, undocumented immigrants are seeking the same things many of us also are: opportunities, education, liberty and the right to a comfortable and safe lifestyle.

“I feel really frustrated whenever I hear of the new orders and regulations that are being made under Trump’s administration,” senior Ashley Ramirez said.

“Even though immigrants may be...living illegally in the U.S., I find it unfair to deport them all of a sudden, separating them from the families and lives they have built here.

“Especially when the people being deported are good people that live by the law and are honorably working to make a living.”

8

The Bolt Sage Hill School March 2017

OPINION All-Gender Signage Added To Arts Building Bathrooms

By Jamie Dailey

17dupuisj.publications@gmail.com

American Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Endangers Lives of Refugees

Lynn Fong

President Trump instills fear and paranoia in citizens, inflicting pain on undocumented immigrants and refugees fleeing from unsafe and oppressive countries

By Julia Dupuis 17dupuisj.publications@gmail.com

Donald Trump’s rise to political power has been fueled by anti-immigrant rhetoric—pandering to ill-informed, racist voters looking for someone to blame.

From the proposed travel ban blocking entry to citizens from predominately Muslim countries to an increased presence of ICE targeting undocumented immigrants, Trump has made it clear that xenophobia and Islamophobia will continue to be the backbone of his new administration.

Recently, Trump signed an executive order establishing a four-month suspension on all refugee admissions to the United States.

It’s meant to improve security procedures, as well as to cut the total number of refugees allowed into the country by more than half.

Trump’s pledge of ‘America First’ is designed to safeguard America against what he has portrayed as a flood of terror-

ists and criminals entering the country—a campaign promise that has resonated deeply with white working-class voters.

As of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, only 0.00038 percent of refugees entering the United States had ties to terrorism. By constructing this false narrative of foreign invasion, Trump has effectively weaponized his campaign rhetoric about “bad hombres,” rapists and terrorists.

When he refuses entry to immigrants and refugees, Trump isn’t just saying ‘America First’—he’s sentencing people to death.

Part of the responsibility of being a country with relative political, economic and social stability is providing refuge to those who need it.

“These people are the most vulnerable in the world yet they are treated like a breach in national security,” senior Ye Chen said.

The United States should continue to accept immigrants, not because refugees can provide intelligence against ISIS or because they can im-

prove local economies, but because helping people escape violence is the bare minimum of human decency.

And the problem isn’t that Trump won’t take any refugees—it’s that Christians are prioritized in his new plan. “The pressure on Islamic refugees is religious discrimination,” senior Crystal Yu said. “They’re not terrorists or coming to take your job. It’s just fearmongering and finding someone to blame.”

This ban inflicts further injury on families that are desperate to escape despotism and violence in their homelands.

It projects the social and political fears of Americans on innocent people by demonizing them, and it creates an “us vs. them” mentality that lets Americans feel righteous about refusing to help.

Keeping Muslim refugees out of the United States is meant to protect America from those who commit acts of violence against women and persecute anyone on the basis of race, gender or sexual orientation.

But if we take a look at President Trump’s record of sexual assault, as well as Vice President Pence’s support of discriminatory policies against the LGBT community, a better way to do this might be to ban the Trump administration instead.

Americans might not have a moral duty to stop every conflict around the world, but we can’t afford to pretend our apathy won’t result in deadly consequences for refugees.

Vale Lewis

All Genders Welcome. New bathroom signage welcomes people who don’t identify within the gender binary and ensures that all students feel safe on campus, regardless of gender identity.

Senior Julia Dupuis has recently turned her vision of creating all-gender bathrooms at Sage into a reality. As a member of the GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) and SAME (Sage Advocates for Multicultural Education), Dupuis has been prompting discussions about these new bathrooms since her sophomore year, hoping they will help protect students of all genders.

“Students feel better represented when they know there is a space where their identities are acknowledged, validated and included,” Dupuis said. “Although the single stall restroom may have functioned as a gender neutral restroom before, the signage showed a man and a woman, which made it a ‘male and female’ restroom.”

The new “all gender” signage is aimed to include all students, even those who do not identify as specifically male or female or those whose gender varies from their gender presentation.

“I know from previous experience what it feels like to be followed, harassed and physically attacked for going into the girls’ restroom when others didn’t feel like my gender presentation matched my gender identity. It was a degrading and humiliating experience that made me feel less than human to my classmates,” Dupuis said.

“This is an experience that many transgender and gender nonconforming students have gone through and continue to go through. Just because it’s not explicitly visible at Sage, doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened or couldn’t happen in the future.”

Dupuis worked hard to ensure that Sage would implement all-gender bathrooms, particularly after a new California law was passed requiring this change in public schools and spaces.

“The GSA first wrote up a series of guidelines explaining why we felt the explicit signage was necessary. I took those guidelines to a meeting with Ms. Merz, where we talked about what we were hoping to see, and what the process was for ordering the bathroom signs,” Dupuis said.

“The GSA sent a few example signs of something we were hoping to see, and then after that it was out of our hands.”

Although Dupuis is extremely proud to have helped implement all-gender bathrooms, she still thinks there is more work to be done.

“While our goal isn’t to eliminate all gender segregated bathrooms—since it’s just as important to provide people with that space if they feel more comfortable—I would love to see a multi-stall or single stall restroom in a more commonly used space, like the H Building,” Dupuis said.

“While the studio is a great step, it isn’t as accessible to the majority of our students.”

Nevertheless, this is a big step for Sage in terms of providing safe spaces for community members of all genders.

“Having Sage officially provide a space that is ‘all gender’ allows LGBT students to feel supported by the administration,” Dupuis said.

“It’s not about politics; it’s about making students feel safe.”