September 2017 by Sage Hill School

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September 2017 Volume 18, Issue 2 lightningboltonline.com Sage Hill School 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657

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Bonfire – Igniting Our Campus

The Evolution of Club Communication on Campus Ashwin Chona & Daniel Fishman What’s the hardest part of high school? Is it academics? Is it feeling like part of the community? Is it trying to find an outlet to express yourself? It’s hard to get involved in high school. How do you know what you are interested in when you are only 14? And how do you know where to start? Welcome to Bonfire, a student-run app enabling students and faculty to monitor, join and communicate to or within school clubs, recently developed by juniors Ryan Simpson and Daniel Gamini. “The visual community on the discover page allows students to see every group and, with one swipe, see everything each club on campus has to offer,” Simpson said. Released on Sept. 5, Bonfire makes it easier than ever for students to join and be part of clubs on campus. Simpson and Gamini created the app because they witnessed how hard it can be to be a part of and run clubs firsthand. “Coming in freshman year, I remember being overwhelmed with so many different clubs and not really knowing which was which,” Gamini said. “Bonfire is a really good recruiting tool for clubs and allows students to see every club that exists at school.” With a clear problem needing to be addressed, Simpson and Gamini came up with the idea for Bonfire. They were also faced with the decision of whether or not to go through with Bonfire. Before the launch, Gamini said, “is Bonfire something that students are actually

going to use? And there was this leap of faith where we had to trust our instincts and think about if Bonfire can help our campus.” They went through with it. Designed for students who want to become more involved, Bonfire helps students and club leaders alike by establishing more effective communication accessibility. Additionally, clubs have the capability to send notifications to members as reminders for meetings and other events.

“It makes the process of seeing and joining groups just so much easier and we are trying to add new flavor and personality to the place that groups have on campus,” Simpson said. Unlike Canvas which connects students to teachers and is geared toward academics, Bonfire is a student-run app solely for student life. “We wanted to make something totally student-centric. Canvas is in teachers’ hands. We wanted

AMANDA DUONG | The Bolt

CO-FOUNDERS Daniel Gamini and Ryan Simpson

AMANDA DUONG | The Bolt

to make Bonfire 100 percent student focused,” Gamini said. In contrast to Canvas, Bonfire allows students to send other students messages directly. Gamini and Simpson henceforth want students to voice their opinions regarding the future of Bonfire. “We want every student to give their input on any features they want to be updated or new features they want to see,” Simpson said. Simpson and Gamini are encouraging any students and faculty with suggestions regarding updating and improving Bonfire to reach out to them. They made the app with one goal in mind: “Use Bonfire to your advantage and join as many clubs as you can,” Gamini said. “If you can find something you are interested in because of Bonfire and become connected to a club you didn’t know about, that would make Bonfire worthwhile.” At the beginning of the article, the question was posed: “What’s the hardest part of high school?” Bonfire responds by saying, “How can we make it easier?”

GRADE LEVEL

“

RETREATS

It’s a really inefficient system. – William Stomber

Editorial, Page 2

Feature, Page 3

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Growing Closer Community, Page 4

Teeing Up for Success Girls’ Golf this Fall

Sports, Page 6

Opinion, Page 7

The Bolt September 2017 Sage Hill School

Hurricane Maria has devastated Puerto Rico. A 7.1 magnitude earthquake near Mexico City has left hundreds dead. Los Angeles is suffering the repercussions of their largest fire in history. All of this is common knowledge. Throughout history, the news has been very important. News spreads quickly and efficiently, keeping the society informed on what’s going on around it. People like to be informed– it’s their nature. People talk about what they hear in the news, and then they will tell others, creating a snowball effect. And, by being informed, people are helping the cause.

Editorial

Being informed is the first step to finding a solution to help those in crisis. In today’s culture, modern news sources, including Instagram and Snapchat, make it difficult to not know about important news, explaining why the world is more informed today than it has ever been. A problem with journalism, however, highlighted by the 2016 presidential election, is fake news. Fake news inaccurately or incompletely reports the news, not telling the full truth. More specifically, fake news is made to look official, but manipulates information to support a certain belief or viewpoint. This is the worst crime of jour-

nalism, as it abuses the the platform that journalists have to report the news. This is why community involvement is necessary to maintaining an accurate publication. We need the help of our surrounding community to make sure that everything we publish is accurate and complete. There are many ways for the community to be involved– whether is is through interaction, communication or collaboration. Through interaction and communication, the staff stays connected to the community, which is necessary to a positive writer-reader relationship. Publications staff values and re-

quires feedback from the community because it highlights the quality of our coverage. Through collaboration, anyone in the community can write or take photos for our publications. This keeps our publications multidimensional, representing the beliefs and passions from a wide range of people. Furthermore, this keeps our publications current with our community, which is one of the ultimate goals of any publication. All in all, any form of involvement assures that publications don’t become infiltrated with fake news, which is ultimately the requirement of all forms of journalism.

THE BOLT

he Bolt, published seven 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, lightningboltonline.com, or addressed to editor-in-chief Hannah Woodworth and put in her mailbox on campus. These letters may not exceed 150 words or they will be edited for inclusion.

Editors-in-Chief Daniel Fishman (Online), Richard Horn (Online), Michelle Hung (Bolt), Niva Razin (Storm), Hannah Woodworth (Bolt) Editorial Board Jonathan Chance, Karli Davis, Amanda Duong, Genesis Gonzalez, Madison Harrison-Weiner, Sarah Kim, Jenny King, Trevor Klein, Isabella Mora, Stephanie Morris Adviser Kelly Parker

Yuna Baek

Halah Biviji

Ashwin Chona

Alexis Kelly

Valentina Lin

Sydney McCord

Nico Collins

Polina Mogilevsky

Jo Farkas

Rown Oliphant

Miranda deBruyne Jacob Gibbs

Genesis Gonzalez Linda Hachim

Lily Humphrey

Monis Mohiuddin Cammi Phillips

Haley Rosmann

Alicia Theoligides-Rodriguez

Feature

The Bolt September 2017 Sage Hill School

Exit at Your Own Risk Students Question New Passes

Sydney McCord There are several moments that define a student’s high school experience. To some, driving is the most important, as being behind the wheel as a teen is essentially a look into the utter freedom of adulthood. And, in the most un-philosophical way possible, driving pretty much rocks. However, with this glimpse into the future comes an immense amount of responsibility to ensure that those inside and outside the car are kept safe. Here at Sage, student safety is of the utmost importance and is a priority for all administrators. That is why as of Aug. 21, a new dismissal policy has been implemented on campus. “We need to know who’s here in case there is an emergency and we need to find somebody,” said Jon Poffenberger, Dean of Student Life. The rules regarding when a student may leave campus have not changed. Instead the only change comes in the logistics of how a student would do so. The systemization of the exit pass makes it so administration can clearly see who has completely left campus in case of a serious emergency. The new policy reads “... students who have the last academic block “free” also need to sign out at the front desk. All students who depart campus early will receive an Approved

Exit pass when signing out, which will be handed to the security guard upon exiting campus to confirm that they have properly signed out.” This rule generally applies to upperclassman that can drive. “[The new code is] a good idea because you should keep track of the kids…but I think the system is still working out some flaws right now,” junior Ishani Patel said. Other students have also noticed what they deem as a lack of productivity and effectiveness of the exit pass method. Seemingly, some of the student body believe the administration is unprepared for the daily last block rush. “It’s a really inefficient system. Everyone floods into the admin building... it’s really annoying to have to wait while the passes are distributed one by one,” junior William Stomber said. “As with all things that are new there is kind of a pilot program… The new process takes approximately 20 to 30 seconds per student…However, hypothetically if you have 30 students that would like to leave campus at the same time that could potentially be a 15 minute process,” Adam Patterson, Head of Security, said. This “hypothetical” process has become a reality for many students and as a result there is a large controversy surrounding the practicality of the rule.

TBH: What’s the Big Fuss? New App Spreads Like Wildfire Michelle Hung TBH, which stands for to be honest, is the latest popular anonymous gossip app for high schoolers, and is currently the No. 1 free download in the Apple App Store. The app reached Sage Hill in early September and spread like wildfire in the span of a day or two from the freshmen to the sophomores to the upperclassmen. “My friends were talking about it at lunch, and so I downloaded it,” freshman Lauren Avenatti said. Built by a small team of developers in California and launched on Aug. 3 in the state of Georgia, TBH is currently available in nine states, including California. On the first day of its launch at a single high school in Georgia, 40 percent of the stu-

dent body downloaded the app. TBH creates uplifting polls about users’ friends such as “psst… we should date”, “the most adorable”, or “always has the right answer”. When a student’s friend chooses them for a poll, they receive a notification, which includes the friend’s grade and gender as well as the other three options, but not the friend’s name. Users accumulate gems based on the number of polls they win. Similar anonymous apps such as Yik Yak and Sarahah also gained popularity among high school students overnight, but TBH is unique in that it strives to only spread positive feedback. “We built TBH because we believe that social networks should make us feel better about

CAMMI PHILLIPS | The Bolt

LINING UP Students wait in the front office to get their exit passes to leave campus early.

Many juniors and seniors feel as though the policy is in desperate need of revision. The security team realizes that there has been a fair amount of difficulty recently with the passes in terms of time. “We are exploring other options based on the feedback we have received… We are constantly striving to improve the process,” Patterson said. Furthermore Poffenberger, Patterson, and their team are currently brainstorming new ways to potentially decrease the time a student spends in the administration office. Early glitches in the system however, are to be expected with any new policy, but senior Angela Wu brought up a different issue regarding the passes. “I think it’s unnecessary because I believe we [the students] all know the honor code and can abide by it,” Wu said. “Having this exit pass makes us feel uneasy, as if the school doesn’t trust us.” For many like Wu the exit pass calls into question a student’s “sageyness,” or integrity. Some challenge the necessity

of creating this system, as the majority of students have never abused the ability to freely exit campus during their last block. “Everyone knows that students now and then can make a poor choice...To my knowledge we haven’t had anyone leave campus that wasn’t supposed to, therefore nobody is getting in trouble,” Poffenberger said. In this regard, the exit passes not only ensure student safety but in a way also create a more trustworthy community. Now with the added measures

ourselves—not worse,” stated the TBH website. Sarahah, a similar app launched in June of this year that allowed users to post comments about each other without restriction, received backlash when female users in particular were targeted with bullying and sexual comments. For this reason, some had concerns about TBH, but the consensus, at least at Sage,

would be more loaded to try to generate gossip so I thought that it could have the potential to make people feel bad about themselves,” said senior Nicole Condas, who downloaded the app two Fridays ago. “However, I think that the app really strives to lift people up in small ways, [which] is what I like most about TBH,” Condas said.

“

CAMMI PHILLIPS | The Bolt

EXIT PASS Junior Amani Tarsadia holding a pass required to leave campus.

We believe that social networks should make us feel better about ourselves—not worse. – TBH website

seems to be that app has turned out positively in this regard and serves to pump people up rather than put them down. “Prior to downloading the app, I thought that the questions

”

The app’s greatest appeal its commitment to only positive, uplifting comments and it acts as a self esteem booster. “It spreads good vibes,” senior Hannah Leigh said.

it takes for a student to leave campus, administrators feel as if there will be less students making those “poor choices.” The impression that the majority of the upperclassman student body view the exit pass policy as an oppressive cloud of gloom is not all true, as the responses haven’t entirely been this disavowing. Junior Tyler Wong has used his tri-weekly visits to the administration office to make new connections he wouldn’t have otherwise created. “One upside has come from a new friendship [I formed] with the amazing team at the front desk,” Wong said. “I love having quick chats with [receptionist] Diana[Garcia] for example, about my dogs and hers.” Verdict: the exit passes are more simply an inconvenience for students than a deliberate motive of torture used by administration. It is apparent however, that the system itself may be in need of modification. Presently, most can agree there are other pressing issues the school is facing. Now, let’s talk about that morning U-turn line…

A majority of Sage users downloaded the app within the first few days of its sudden gain in popularity, but the rage didn’t last long. “To be honest (pun intended) I’m pretty bored of the app at this point,” Condas said. “I don’t think it has enough features to keep users actively engaged and interested for more than a few days or even hours.” Users speculate about when the trend will end completely–a few days? Weeks? “Definitely by next year,” junior David Ge said. What is the takeaway from this craze, short-lived as it may be, and what does the popularity of TBH say about our society and specifically about the culture of all high schoolers in this country? Condas weighs in, “[TBH] makes users more aware and concerned about what people think of them; as a society, I believe we spend too much time worrying what people think about us instead of being ourselves.” “It was fun while it lasted, I guess.”

Comm

The Bolt September 2017 Sage Hill School

A Retreat from Ou Happy Campers! Halah Biviji From timid, awkward freshmen to close, confident friends, the Freshman Retreat, from Sept.13 through Sept. 15, provided an opportunity for the class to become acclimated with one anowther. Through participating in many engaging and challenging activities like a high ropes course, an open mic session, a scavenger hunt, and a diversity seminar led by SAME, the students were able to take risks in a safe environment. “I liked the high ropes the best because I am not fond of heights, and the experience pushed me out of my comfort zone,” freshman Daisy Wang said. “Hanging out with my cabin and talking to my advisory was fun because we were able to bond,” freshman Quin Baldwin-Favorito said. The annual three-day retreat to the Cedar Lake Camp in Big Bear has hopefully set the tone at Sage for the rest of the year by promoting a sense of unity and community. The retreat also provided an opportunity for the freshmen to bond and grow, as the activities encouraged the grade to talk to classmates they may not otherwise interact with at school. “I learned that people are not always who you expect them to be,” Wang said. “At first, I felt like I could not relate to a lot of people, but on the retreat, I learned that I actually have a lot in common with them.”

BOAT BUILDING Senior advisories work together to construct boats out of only cardboard and duct tape.

HAVING A GOOD TIME Freshman girls enjoy Big Bear.

JENNY KING | The Bolt

A Rush at the Rink! Jacob Gibbs Sage Hill sophomores enjoyed an adrenaline-rushing experience as they reconnected through skating and games at the Holiday Skate Center on Sept. 13. “I’m really glad we got to spend time with our class once again,” sophomore Natalie Rosenberg said. “It’s been forever since Freshman Retreat and haven’t had time to catch up with some acquaintances for a long time since we all have really busy schedules.” “It was really fun teaching some of my friends who have never skated before how to skate confidently,” sophomore Brooke Avedisian said. Despite the fact that this was intended for sophomores, faculty members such as Mr. Thomassen and Ms. Fu were gliding in the rink quicker than most of the students. Skating wasn’t the only activity that caught people’s attention; the sophomores spent a substantial amount of time at the snack bar and playing arcade games. “I think after a while, the skating is tiring and it’s good to take a break every once in a while to grab a snack” sophomore Holden Rhee said.

SKATING BY Sophomores bond over a trip to the roller rink.

ROWAN OLIPHANT | The Bolt

munity

The Bolt September 2017 Sage Hill School

ur Typical Routine Jumping for Joy! Miranda deBruyne Junior year is widely regarded as one of the most important years of the high school experience. Eleventh graders are trying to balance standardized testing and a difficult course load while still pursuing their passions. “I am a lot more stressed,” junior Ishani Patel said. Although juniors have spent the first few weeks of school diving head first into their classes, the grade level retreat at Big Air Trampoline Park in Laguna Hills on Sept. 13 offered a respite from the stress of the classroom. “The grade level bonding at was a fun day and I feel like we really came together during this break from the stressful year,” junior Hannah Herin said. “It was really nice to spend quality time with my classmates,” junior Charlotte Cohen said. “There was one moment where most of the grade got into a huge dodgeball game, and everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves. It was by far one of the most memorable moments of the day.”

MICHELLE HUNG | The Bolt

BALANCE BEAM BATTLE Juniors Conner Hatzenbuehler and Drake Mossman compete to push the other off a beam.

KELLY PARKER | The Bolt

Anchors Away! Genesis Gonzalez

KELLY PARKER | The Bolt

READY TO RACE Seniors prepare to race their cardboard boats across the pool.

The class of 2018 were the first to use the pool to throw a party for their Senior Retreat on Sept. 13. The day was complete with a snow cone truck, Instagram-famous floaties, including a unicorn, swan and flamingo and handmade cardboard boats. The seniors, working with their advisories, were challenged to build a functioning boat using only cardboard which they would use to race other advisories in the pool. “It was fun trying to come up with design that would work, and also personalizing our boat with a flag,” senior Chace Duma said. A majority of the boats didn’t make it across causing many of the people in the boats to become soaked when their boat went under but it was all part of the fun “I really enjoyed the Senior Retreat,” senior Maya Byrd said. “At first I thought the idea of it would be a little awkward but a large portion of our grade actually went in the water and I think that that participation of the whole grade really added to the experience.” Advisories came closer especially when supplies started to run low and seniors were scavenging for any materials they might have on them. “I liked retreat this year. I thought we all had a really good time and it was fun just relaxing in the pool,” senior Juliana Brandt said. “Everyone was able to cool off at the pool, especially as the day went on by it started to get hot.”

The Bolt September 2017 Sage Hill School

Sports

TEEING UP FOR SUCCESS Girls’ Varsity Golf Starts Season Off Strong “Golf is a very big part of my life. At first it started out as a recreational and stress-relieving activity, but it grew into much more than that as the years went by.” Shin said. Shin said she expects the team to go to the State Championships this year, but thinks that having fun is the most important goal of the season. “I want all of the girls and

myself to have lots of fun, and to learn about ourselves and our games this season,” Shin said. “I am so proud of everyone on our team and I cannot begin to explain how grateful I am to be a part of something so great.” The girls’ varsity golf team’s greatest rival is Whitney High School, and they beat them on Sept. 25, 208-236, at the Los Amigos Golf Course.

DAVE SIEGMUND | The Bolt

ALL TOGETHER NOW Nine members of the golf team pose after winning a match.

Karli Davis Senior Mary Shin has been a prominent leader of the girls’ golf team since her freshman year. She has watched the team grow and has led them to many successes as one of the best players on the team. “Our team has definitely grown into a very successful team over the past four years,” Shin said. “With new coaches this year, we were able to come together better as a team because of the emphasis that these new

coaches placed on commitment and communication.” With 15 girls on the team, including two freshmen, Shin predicted this season is going to be even more successful than last years. “Freshmen Jolin Chan and Talia Jacnuk are working very diligently during practice and whenever we go out on the course,” Shin said. “I am so excited to watch them grow over the course of this year” This year the team got a new head coach, Bruce Loman, as well as assistant coach Kerwin

Walters. They have great golf experience and been very helpful in giving insight about the game to the girls. “Both coaches have a really big impact on the team, and they inspire me and the others every day to be our best,” Shin said. “Without them, our season would be impossible. My team is for sure very fortunate this year with these phenomenal coaches” Having spent much of her life dedicated to golf, Shin said plans to continue playing in college.

DAVE SIEGMUND | The Bolt

GOOD FORM Senior Mary Shin prepares to strike the ball.

A Winning Streak for Football Six Returners Work with a Crop of Freshmen to Maintain a Perfect Record in Season Yuna Baek Sage’s varsity football team is off to an amazing start this season. With a 5-0 winning streak, they are number one in their division. Senior quarterback William Leong is an important leader on the team, and has played football for Sage since his freshman year. “Football players should [be willing] to compete and have competitive spirit because without it, one would not be able to succeed,” Leong said.

This year, the football team is mostly made up of freshman, with only six returning players from last year. “Working with them as a team is truly amazing,” Leong said. “We have an undefeated season and hope to get more accomplishments.” The varsity football team had a great season last year and is expected to do even better this year. “Before the start of the season, I had high expectations for our team because our team was pretty good last season,” senior

Ian Morgan said. “We won many games, earned championships, and have had many players on the team.” Morgan believes that a tightly bonded team is what is needed for a successful season, and this is why they are having great games. “Teamwork and leadership are the most important qualities a football player should have,” Morgan said. The varsity football team will have their next home game Friday Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. against Animo Leadership High School.

HALEY ROSSMAN | The Bolt

READY TO ROLL Players prepare for an offensive play.

Opinion

The Bolt September 2017 Sage Hill School

HIGH SCHOOL:

TRIAL BY FIRE

Are High Schools Really Putting Students’ Interests First? Isabella Mora Teenagers are a versatile subculture and as high school students they should be closely monitored and guided in their journey… right? Guidance can easily phase into something else. At some point in the journey of education, students are often faced with the choice to take a rigorous path of APs, a path of less stress, or a hybrid mix of the two that balances personal choices and preference. This process at Sage takes place differently than it does at other schools. It consists of a structured format which requires a student to obtain As on both semesters of the current regular class being taken (or one, depending on the AP), a teacher recommendation of approval, and the passing of a placement test. These measures are a response to scheduling conflicts but become increasingly problematic because they hold back students who did not start high school at an academically advanced level. When students want to challenge themselves by joining harder classes, they are faced with a list of arbitrary requirements. The structure in place

makes it too difficult for someone who is not already on the path of accelerated courses to join AP classes, and forces students to jump through loopholes in order to enroll in classes that resonate with real personal interests. Although motivated teenagers tend to strive towards building a satisfactory GPA, they also act rationally for their own advantage. Usually, The average sixteen year old does not choose to take classes that over exceed his/her capacities, so it does not make sense for students to be held back as a way of preventing academic extortion. The school is not putting the student’s interest first by limiting enrollment to classes through a system that puts all the weight on the student for not making the cut in this system. If not enough people can be put into a classroom, the administration should acknowledge that part of the reason for it is that there simply aren’t enough teachers or space. Sage is a small school, after all. Instead, students have to go through stressful measures that create unnecessary anxiety to prove that they deserve to take APs, when the real reason for it does not fall entirely on our shoulders.

It is most important that during high school, students are allowed to try out different paths that help them decide what future to pursue. If not, how can students develop interests or passions for select fields? More importantly, this application system to get on the accelerated classes walkway is not analogous to that of a college environment. Sage is a preparatory school for the next step in our education, but it is fostering an environment with competition for the wrong things - the competition should not be “who can scramble to accomplish all the requirements on this list”, but rather,

Sage Advice

Freshman Edition

Alexis Kelly & Polina Mogilevsky It’s easy to feel overwhelmed only a month into school with adjusting to the new year. This is especially true for freshmen who have the additional task of making the transition from middle school to high school. Making new friends, trying new activities, and learning to deal with the high school workload can be very stressful, but the important thing to remember is that everyone is dealing with the same difficulties. One major part of the freshman experience is finding your interests and there is no better way to do this than joining one of Sage’s many clubs. Not only are

clubs great for exploring your passions, they are also an excellent way to meet new friends. After middle school, schoolwork in high school can seem very demanding, especially when trying to balance extracurricular activities. However, Sage offers many opportunities to get extra help when needed, such as conference and the Academic Resource Center, so make sure to communicate with your teachers about topics that are difficult. Remember that they are there to help you and will be happy to meet with you outside of class. Sage can at times feel very competitive, especially in terms of grades. Despite this, it’s important to resist the temptation

to compare yourself to others. Everyone on campus comes from a different background and starts high school at a different academic level, so rather than trying to be like the person next to you, find your niche and capitalize on what makes you unique. Upon entering high school many a freshman have been known to throw themselves into what they think they should be like. Many have gone down the party path and have started experimenting with alcohol and other substances while others have thrown themselves into school and have taken every advanced class offered. Relax, you’re going to be just fine! Just focus on staying

“can you learn and excel in this course, then actually retain that information and apply it?” The latter is more representative of the system Sage students will find in colleges and universities- not a system that holds them accountable for a squeaky clean record. There are many factors to consider outside the walls of the classroom- sports, music, family, extracurriculars, standardized test preparation… enough to keep students busy. Therefore, the school’s role in guiding the student through various levels of difficulty should be that of a facilitator, not an obstacle.

The factors affecting APs are different for each person, which is why educational institutions should not play the role of an ‘invisible hand’, creating push back about acceptance into classes. If a student wants to and commits to making the necessary effort, there should not be a list of unattainable prerequisites preventing access to those challenges. With the sorting of scheduling conflicts also comes the responsibility to protect students’ efforts, and to be conscious of the amount of pressure being applied to our high school experiences.

Advice for Freshmen from Students Who’ve Been There on top of your work and only engaging in activities that are for your enjoyment and no one else’s! You don’t have to change aspects about yourself to please someone else because at the end of the day, they will affect YOUR life. Developing good study habits is one of the keys to surviving high school. Take some time and figure out what works for you, be it flashcards, Quizlet, study groups, etc. Once you find the method that works for you, you’re halfway there. The second half is sticking with them. Though Game of Thrones is tempting, unfortunately that history quiz won’t just go away! If you can do yourself one favor when developing your

group of friends, do NOT get caught up in petty drama. Though it may seem huge at the time, what Becky said about Tiffany in the bathroom isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things. One day you’ll look back and laugh at it. Though much of this may sound slightly repetitive, these ‘hacks’ really will help you in the long run. Trust us, we’ve been there. We were freshmen too and remember the craziness that came with finding your place. Remember to focus your energy on things that make you happy and though everyone else may seem confident, they’re going through the same thing you are!

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The Bolt September 2017 Sage Hill School

The Irony of the Electric Car

MADDY’S BOX

It (2017) Madison Harris-Weiner Reality has succumbed to a boundless playground of nightmares, a topsy-turvy carnival where terror goes to frolic and no grownup or ray of daylight can infiltrate. This is Andrés Muschietti adaption of It - a film that feeds off fear and plays with the psyche but knowingly does not provide the scare its Stephen King roots surely promised. There is an evil invading the town of Derry. It comes in the form of sadistic bullies and abhorrent parents but most notably a shapeshifting, sewer skulking clown who intends to kill off the children one by one. It is the self-proclaimed Loser’s Club (simultaneously the sole heroes and sole victims of the town) who take it upon themselves to fight It, fueled by buoyant friendship that echoes the authenticity of Stand by Me and the imagination of The Goonies, only set in a more hopeless world. There is no false sense of security but rather all-too convincing adolescent fears of what is certainly lurking in the shadows and soon coming for you. It, in its simplest form, is about an evil clown. Certain clues however, like the glaring absence of adult involvement, bring into question the existence of any clown at all. Perhaps It, at the painful expense of its young protagonists, capitalizes on children’s exaggerated reality, excessive imagination and desperation to put a face to evil, and thus becomes a larger metaphor for the power of childhood fears. With startling and garishly lurid images, It scares through mini rushes of adrenaline that are momentarily alarming but disappointingly anticlimactic. As tight editing slams the story back and forth between unnerving chaos and normal life it weaves a narrative with two very different existences. One is the real world in which real life tormentors supply the film’s most disturbing moments. The other is an imagined one, in which faces are put to fantastical evils and defeated in aggressive sequences that feel increasingly redundant and cause It to fall short of generating any believable reality. Through this surreal storytelling and the detachment that comes with dreams the killer clown loses credibility. The quickness with which the horrors vanish takes away their credence so all that is left are fragments of a dream that are too faded to carry any further weight. However, there is also a helplessness and vulnerability; the audience can’t share the children’s fright yet it can’t escape it either. It’s startling in all the right places but It never reaches its potential to make a mark in our own dreams. But, if taken out of the confines of the horror genre, It’s hand is able to extend well past the screen because sometimes what we dream up on the terrain of our minds is more horrifying than real life, or horror movies, can ever be. It is only in these moments that It distorts into something truly scary; when a bloodthirsty clown is dwarfed by the thought that we dreamed It up ourselves but are now powerless to wake up and escape.

‘Clean Air Vehicles’ Do More Damage to the Environment Than Regular Cars

Trevor Klein Everyday when I walk to my car in the parking lot, I am irritated at the site of a string of “clean air vehicle” spaces taking up the prime parking spots. Most people think it is fair that people who are “nobly” helping the environment by driving a hybrid or an electric car are rewarded with a parking space and access to the carpool lane. In reality, driving an electric vehicle actually causes more pollution than a modern car with an internal combustion engine (ICE). Elon Musk claims that electric cars produce “zero emissions.” Musk and other electric car manufacturers, who claim their cars are better for the environment than ICE powered cars, are not giving consumers the full picture. While on the road, it is true that nearly “zero emissions” come out of the exhaust pipe of an electric car. But, the electricity powering the car comes from fossil fuels processed at a power plant. “Electric cars are coal-powered cars,” Vinod Khosla, a leading supporter of the clean technology sector, said. According to an Aug. 2017 Morgan Stanley report, in Tesla’s market consisting mainly of the United States and Europe, fossil fuels are accountable for the overwhelming majority of the electricity. According to the same report, the average Tesla is responsible for more pollution every year than the average ICE powered car, when accounting for processing the fossil fuels that electric cars rely on to create electricity. A Tesla emits 1.15 metric tons of carbon dioxide while the average ICE car only emits 0.940 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Don’t get me wrong, the Tesla is a beautiful car, and Musk is an incredible

engineer and visionary. But, don’t expect to save the planet by driving a Tesla or any other electric vehicle. In addition, Bjørn Lomborg, the President of the Consensus Center reported that a 10 percent increase in gasoline cars by 2020 in the U.S. would cause 870 more pollution-related deaths a year. A 10 percent increase in electric cars by 2020, fueled by the typical U.S. electricity mix would cause a whopping 1,617 more pollution-related deaths a year. After looking at all the facts, electric vehicles are clearly no better and often worse for the environment than ICE powered cars, but that begs the question, do electric cars have the potential to be better for the environment than ICE cars in the near future? Probably not. According to PBS, the first practical electric vehicle was invented in 1835. ICE powered cars were invented 50 years later in 1885. Thus, people have been working on the electric car for longer than the ICE car and the ICE car is still better for the environment. Additionally, electric car companies are propped up today by government-created incentives for buyers. The two best-known examples are access to the carpool lanes and prime “clean air vehicle” parking spaces in most lots. In California, the government subsidizes electric cars with a rebate of up to $15,000 according to Business Insider. In the rest of the United States, up to $7,500 in rebates is very common. Even with the government’s help, the electric car is still behind the ICE in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and efficiency. The ICE is already proven to be the superior technology, and auto manufacturers continue to improve upon it. Mazda recently announced that a recent break-

through in ICE efficiency will make future cars require 25 percent less fuel than current cars. Even with the United States government and the environmentalist movement against it, the ICE continues to be the best technology on the market. It is irresponsible and wrong for the government to promote electric cars because it is the market’s job to choose which products succeed and fail. A group of bureaucrats should not have any control over what car is in my garage. The government should definitely set pollution laws as an inherent part of property rights, but they should not be wasting government funding to support an inefficient technology. If the government let the market pick the superior technology, ICE-powered vehicles would prevail and continue to develop as the more viable and environmentally friendly vehicle. But, the government chooses to pick the less efficient and more environmentally hazardous electric vehicle as superior. They are clinging on to the false notion that electric cars are “saving the world.” Unfortunately, the environmentalist’s and the government’s misconceptions caused a public hysteria leading most people to revere the electric car. The unfair promotion of electric cars hurts our environment and our industrial progress. In the end, we must question the judgment of our government and leaders, such as Elon Musk, who promote the electric car craze. Musk continues to market the Tesla as an “emissions-free” car when the evidence clearly shows that is not true. When it comes to the electric car and many other crazes, one must carefully dig through the hysteria and find the truth.