October 2017 by Sage Hill School

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October 2017 Volume 18, Issue 3 lightningboltonline.com Sage Hill School 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657

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Striking Support at Homecoming

‘Being able to see an energetic home crowd really reminded us of what and who we are playing for.’ – William Leong Karli Davis The homecoming football game was a nail-biting and suspenseful game to watch. Though Sage unfortunately lost 46-20, it was one of the best games and matchups of the season. It was a close game against Amino Robinson High School, the hardest team in their league so far, and it all came down to the fourth quarter. Before the game, the varsity football team was leading their division with an undefeated winning streak of 6 and 0. Junior captain Michael Sherlock and senior captains William Leong and Ian Morgan led the team through the strenuous game. In the end, they were extremely pleased with how they were able to come together and fight their hardest battle. “We knew going into the game that it would be a full four quarter effort,” Sherlock said. “After the game we were all sad we lost but I was really proud of the effort everyone put in even when we were down.” Leong and Morgan have seen great improvement in the team over the past four years. This was one of the most important and best games they have played in during their years on the varsity football team, they said. “I thought the Homecom-

ing game was great,” Leong said. “Although we couldn’t get the win, I’m glad that a large amount of the student body came to show their support for the team. My favorite moment of the game was watching Darius ShayanSmith making a spin move on one guy and getting us in a position to score.” The game had a huge turnout with the amount of fans showing up and the football team couldn’t have had a better support system during the game, according to the captains. “It was awesome to have everyone come out and support,” Morgan said. “It gives the team confidence and really helps the vibe out on the field for the players.” With multiple food trucks, a dessert bar and a fantastic game to watch, many fans had a great time supporting the football team. “I loved going to the Homecoming football game to support the team and hang out with my friends,” junior Eliza Feffer said. “The players put in so much hard work, so it was awesome seeing them fight so hard at the homecoming game. They’ve been having a great season!” The varsity football team will be going head-to-head against Amino Robinson High School again during the playoffs.

AMANDA DUONG | The Bolt

TOUCHDOWN Senior team captain and quarterback William Leong looks downfield for a receiver during the Homecoming game against Animo Robinson High School.

Dancing Through the Night First Formal Homecoming Dance Excites Students and Exceeds Expectations

Ashwin Chona What better way to end spirit week than with a smoke machine, loud music, a killer DJ and over 350 friends lighting up the dance floor? Breaking from tradition, Sage Hill hosted its first-ever formal Homecoming dance. Partly due to the dance being formal, the dance had a strong turnout as over 350 Sage students attended. “Although I thought that the formal dress would be awkward, I felt that formal dress was effective and made it feel like a true dance,” freshman Kaylana Lee said. It was a night to remember as students dressed to impress and showed off their best dance moves. “The dance was a lot of fun, the music was loud and the atmosphere was awesome,” freshman Brayden Mills said. “It was one of my favorite memories at Sage so far.” Located in the lower

library, the dance featured crowds of students watching each other dance to the music, showing off the their moves and having a great time. “The Homecoming dance being formal was just another element of the dance,” junior Tommy Burns said. “It did not take away from the dancing and music that was loud and lit.” Though some people were turned away by the formal dress, the music and the dancing more than made up for it. “Although we tried something new, I thought that the dance was successful,” Activities Coordinator Tyler Wong said. “The DJ was a lot better than in the past, people liked the formal dress and most people stayed until the end.” With a great turnout and lively atmosphere, the first formal Homecoming at Sage was an unforgettable night for many and a fitting culmination to homecoming week.

TEACHER

“

SPOTLIGHT

There is an endless list of things I am looking forward to. – Angela Tran

Editorial, Page 2

Feature, Page 3

”

Hidden Talents Community, Page 4

Sage Catches the Hamilton Bug Colby Lewis Visits Sage

Arts, Page 6

Science, Page 7

The Bolt October 2017 Sage Hill School

Every component of our community is modeled after our 10 core banner values. A main part of one of the values, community, is Sageyness. “Sageyness is a big part of the community,” senior Henry Lavacude-Cola said. “I think it helps create a sense of unity between students, faculty, and community members alike.” The term Sageyness is interpreted differently by everyone. Some may say that Sageyness is the lively spirit in the air on pep rally days. A number may believe it is how a student can eat lunch with anyone they want and still be included and accepted. Others may say it is just being open to a diverse variety of ideas and celebrating what makes us all different. “Sageyness is having respect for your peers and your surroundings,” senior Jade Blevins said. “It is having appreciation for the op-

Editorial

portunities Sage has given you.” Sageyness has played a large role in shaping the dynamics of the community. The term was coined in the early years of the school, when it was used to describe the aura of unity on campus. “Sageyness is the vibes that are on campus and it changes when there are new people,” junior Paige Czepiel said. It has been a big part of the current senior class’ experience, dating back to their freshman year, when Sageyness arose in many campus-wide discussions. “Sageyness was a really big thing my freshman year,” senior Jade Blevins said. “Every other word that people said was ‘Sageyness’.” However, many current freshman haven’t even heard of Sageyness. This is met with the realization that an overwhelming majority of freshmen this year don’t know

the meaning or importance of this iconic part of the community. But how could students not know about something that plays such a prominent role on campus? That prompts another question: is Sageyness even a relevant part of the community anymore? Over the past four years, Sageyness has started to dissolve. Students know less and less about its role in shaping the culture and structure of the school – but why? Each year, the freshman classes have been getting larger and larger, with this year’s freshman class being the largest in history at 149 students. What made Sageyness a prominent part of campus life in past years was the small, closeknit nature of the community, but with the growing number of students on campus, Sageyness is proving harder to attain. As the school has continued to grow, the students have also

began to change. A lot of students have individualistic attitudes, feeling the pressure to be the best at everything. A large focus is on college and fulfilling expectations by getting into “name colleges,” for the supposed best chance of success. Whether students are missing the girls’ volleyball game or not helping decorate for pep rally, students are no longer prioritizing the community anymore, which is further contributing to the demise of this part of campus life. With old focuses fading to make way for new priorities, Sageyness is beginning to deteriorate but we need to remember where we came from. Sageyness is about community, kindness, empathy, and unity. It has the potential to be a really special part of the community, making high school a unique and memorable experience. We need to embrace it.

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 Lily Button Ashwin Chona Nico Collins Miranda deBruyne Jo Farkas Jacob Gibbs Genesis Gonzalez Linda Hachim

Lily Humphrey Alexis Kelly Valentina Lin Sydney McCord Polina Mogilevsky Monis Mohiuddin Rown Oliphant Cammi Phillips Haley Rosmann Alicia Theoligides-Rodriguez

Feature

The Bolt September 2017 Sage Hill School

Taking the Chair New Freshman Co-Chairs and the Journey Ahead AMANDA DUONG | The Bolt

Yuna Baek On Sept. 29, a group of freshmen gave their speeches in the gym in hopes of being elected class co-chair. A couple days later, the class of 2021 officially chose Jian Park and Angela Tran to be their freshmen co-chairs. “As co-chair, I have to make sure to represent the freshmen as a whole and hear what other students have to say,” Park said. As freshman co-chair, Tran wants the whole grade to work as a team and collaborate. “There is an endless list of things I am looking forward to, including being able to create the best experience possible for the whole grade,” Tran said. “Representing the freshman grade in certain events is also an incredible privilege I have.” In order for the grade to stay

cohesive, the co-chairs carry out responsibilities including representing the student body and preparing for major school events. “My main goal for this year is being able to make a difference for the school,” Tran said. “I hope to gain new experiences that will teach me how the student council operates and prepare me for future positions I

ALICIA THEOLIGIDES- RODRIGUEZ | The Bolt

CO-CHAIRS Jian Park and Angela Tran

ROUNDING UP THE FRESHMEN Freshman co-chairs Jian Park and Angela Tran prepare the freshmen class for their pep rally skit. may run for.” According to Park, the process of running for co-chair was enjoyable, especially since he has had experience with public speaking. “The process was quite fun. I really enjoyed making posters for pep rally with my fellow peers,” Park said. “Especially because I enjoy public speaking, giving my speech was entertaining as well.” Tran and Park are excited to lead the grade to success while getting to know other members of the Student Council. “Being able to collaborate with the upperclassmen is probably the best part of the job,” Tran said. Their main goal is to make this year an unforgettable and memorable experience.

MADISON’S MOVIE REVIEW

Halloween (1978) Madison Harris-Weiner Before Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street or the satirical Scream there was John Carpenter’s Halloween. It’s a classic slasher film, which the years have not dulled as Halloween remains unfailingly terrifying and stills sets a precedent for horror. Writer, director and composer John Carpenter uses traditional fears of Halloween night to conjure a character stripped of everything but evil and a film whose scares lie in its psychological buildup of suspense. On Halloween night 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers stabs his sister to death. Fifteen years to the day later, Myers, now a cold-blooded psychopath fresh off his escape from a mental asylum, returns to his childhood home and begins an indomitable house-to-house murder spree through the neighborhood. Since 1978, Michael Myers has enjoyed universal infamy as an icon of Halloween and a face of the horror genre. However, his iconic ensemble of nondescript coveralls, a plain costume mask and a kitchen knife, doesn’t exactly scream ‘ruthless horror villain.’ It is this calculated simplicity that makes Myers so unnerving. He is detached and steely as he executes silent and impassive kills. He appears abruptly in broad daylight, staring motionlessly, hollow and void of character. Taking inspiration from familiar tales of the Boogie Man, Carpenter wants Myers to feel like a figment of our imagination until his bloody trail of devastation can no longer be denied. Shaky point of view shots, a hallmark of the film, put Mi-

chael behind the camera when he isn’t in the frame, ensuring that he alone controls the fate of the story. By placing the lens in Michael’s eyes Carpenter gives him omnipotent entry into our homes, cementing Halloween’s fatalistic tone and rudely dashing any hopes that good will triumph evil. Carpenter’s unearthly score is a second strong presence but yet again one composed of simple parts. With only a few repeated keys and some ominous strings, Carpenter creates a score that seals the atmosphere. It personifies and speaks for Michael, crescendoing at just the right moments and placed so deftly as to become another moving part of the film. You don’t have to look farther than this year’s effects-driven It to see that Halloween is tame by today’s standards, but therein lies its lasting power. Halloween’s genius is its grounded setting and intentionally gradual buildup in which the suspense is heightened to intense levels but controlled until the right moment. Carpenter’s canvas is a simple one on which he plays off the audience’s fear, building up to anticlimactic moments then coming in for the kill when guards are let down. If ever the action lulls on screen, the film is still carried by the sinister apprehension of Carpenter’s consuming atmosphere. He manages to create real terror without ever turning to overblown effects or explicit gore. It’s a simple film with a simple villain so there is nothing to distract us from the inevitable.

Comm

The Bolt October 2017 Sage Hill School

Do You Really Kno Dr. Farrish Halah Biviji After stumbling upon a boxing gym when first moving to Long Beach three years ago, Christopher Farrish, history teacher, fell in love with the sport. “I thought it was a cool way to work out, ” Farrish said. In addition to the physical benefits of boxing, Farrish likes boxing because it helps him mentally. “I like the challenge of it, the mental challenge to push yourself as hard as you can, which you have to do when you fight people,” Farrish said. “Boxing teaches discipline. You can’t be a slacker when someone’s punching you.” Furthermore, the gym has a strong communal aspect, as Farrish typically spars with other people at the gym. “I thought it was a cool community to be a part of,” Farrish said. “The gym is a place where people who are in trouble or people who are potentially on the wrong track can do community service and volunteer, while also working out.” However, because Farrish has 4-month-old baby at home, finding time

CAMMI PHILIPS | The Bolt

to box is harder now. “Before I had a baby I would go four, five days a week and in the summer six days a week,” Farrish said. “Since I’ve had a baby I haven’t been once. And I regret that, but that’s just life. I wish I had the time.”

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY: MS. MAY (TOP), DR. FARRISH (BOTTOM LEFT), DAVE SIEGMUND (BO

OUTSIDE OF WORK (Top) Ms. May with her daughter’s soccer te

moves. (Bottom Right) Ms. Fu with her team after winning the facu

MS.MAY Alexis Kelly

COURTESY OF KELLY MAY | The Bolt

For math teacher Kelly May, soccer has always been a big part of her life. “I started playing soccer when I was six,” May said. “I was playing soccer at recess and it was something I really enjoyed doing.” May began playing for a local AYSO team and quickly proved herself to be a dynamic and skilled player all over the field. “Throughout my soccer career, I’ve played everything from offense, to defense to goalkeeper,” May said. A professional career in soccer was a dream of May’s. “I always imagined a career or at

least a life involving soccer,” May said, “but when I was playing they didn’t have a professional women’s soccer team yet.” Despite this, May found great success in college at Chapman University, where she was the women’s team’s go-to midfielder. After college, May continued to be heavily involved in soccer and has recently undertaken the task of passing her love of the sport onto the next generation. “Now that my kids are old enough to play, I’m coaching my daughter’s team,” May said. And, as anyone in her math class knows, May is passionate about coaching and has successfully led the team to a winning season so far.

munity

The Bolt October 2017 Sage Hill School

ow Your Teacher?

OTTOM RIGHT)

Ms. Fu Polina Mogilevsky Athletics has always played a major role in the life of Amy Fu, World Languages Dept. chair. Her passion for sports is well-known; for her entire life she has been actively involved in multiple sports. “[In high school] I played tennis, basketball, and badminton,” Fu said. Now, the Chinese teacher is primarily playing shortstop for two softball leagues. She even had her own team when she lived in Taiwan. “I play twice a week. I play in the Irvine Softball League and also [on] the Long Beach Sun and Surf Team,” Fu said. True Sage volleyball fans have likely spotted Fu working the scoreboard and cheering the team on, but a little known fact is that she’s a former player herself. “I played [volleyball] in high school,”

ULTIMATE EXPOSURES | The Bolt

Fu said. When asked what sport she would play for the rest of her life if she had to, Fu chose basketball, because it’s the least trying on her existing sports injuries.

COLLAGE BY AMANDA DUONG | The Bolt

eam. (Bottom Left) Dr. Farrish takes to the ring and shows off his

ulty-student dodgeball game on Sept. 8.

MR. CARLSON Miranda DeBruyne

LINDA HACHIM | The Bolt

Derek Carlson, math teacher and former Mathematics Dept. chair, has been part of the Sage Hill Community for 12 years. “I’ve been a teacher for the most part, programmer for one year, I.T. (Information Technology) for a couple years and other than that, teaching at various places,” Carlson said. Carlson has many talents outside his proficiency in mathematics and computer science. “I was a star baseball player in high school and was going to be drafted and get college scholarships with my pitching,” Carlson said. In addition, Carlson prides himself on

his accomplishments in beating the wellknown arcade game “Pac-Man.” “It takes a long time to get through all 256 levels,” Carlson said. However, “the last level is [nearly] impossible to beat.” Another of Carlson’s many talents include making puzzles, one of which is featured on Page 3 of this edition of the Bolt. “I do a lot of puzzle books and I just decided to make my own, and you’ll see one in the newspaper,” Carlson said. Carlson makes his own puzzles but is influenced by puzzles he has seen before. “They are inspired by ‘Games’ magazine and the one [that appears in this issue of the Bolt] is inspired by a type of puzzle that is out there, but it is specific to Sage Hill,” Carlson said.

Arts SAGE CATCHES THE HAMILTON BUG

The Bolt September 2017 Sage Hill School

‘Hamilton has impacted our community by showing us history’s humanness’ Sydney McCord On Oct.10, Colby Lewis, the principal male understudy of Chicago’s production of Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton visited Sage Hill. Hamilton follows the story of protagonist Alexander Hamilton and the other Founding Fathers through the American Revolution and the birth of the United States of America. It is a musical with 52 songs that melodiously depict important historical and personal events in the characters’ lives. Junior Luca White-Matthews and senior Iman Amini promoted the event on Oct. 9 during Town Meeting by performing a rendition of “Cabinet Battle No. 1” from the musical, in which Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton have a comical rap battle about the national debt of the American colonies. In addition, Stephen Schumacher, AP World History teacher and History Dept. chair, prefaced the event by enthusiastically quoting one of the musical’s most popular songs, “My Shot.” “Hamilton has impacted our [Sage Hill] community by better showing us history’s humanness,” Schumacher said. “Lin Manuel Miranda brings the words, maps and charts in our history textbooks to life by more intimately connecting U.S.

History students to the historical souls of the Founding Fathers” Six of these histori-

cal souls are being portrayed by Lewis on stage in Chicago almost every night. Specifically, he portrays the roles of James Madison, George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, Thom-

as Jefferson, Aaron Burr and Hercules Mulligan in arguably the most popular musical of this

was almost overflowing with faculty and students from every grade, all buzzing with excite-

VALENTINA LIN | The Bolt

ACT IT OUT Hamilton actor, Colby Lewis, speaks to Sage stugeneration. “Almost no one is immune to the Hamilton bug,” Lewis said. Lewis’ statement proved to be true, because when he arrived, the upper arts building

ment and full of burning questions to ask him. Furthermore, Lewis’ fun and offbeat way of speaking seemed to translate positively to his audience as “[he] is incredibly

talented, and his seminar gave me insight into the world of Hamilton, as well as the worlds of theater and acting,” according to sophomore Arnav Choksi. Not only was Lewis entertaining to listen to, but his words also seemed to positively influence those around him. “His talk about Hamilton and how he plays many different characters was so inspiring to me. It has increased my love for Hamilton because all the points he talked about were motivational,” junior Amiyah De’Long said. Lewis left a major imprint not only left on students, but the administration as well. “Colby Lewis’s impact was manifold,” Schumacher said. “He impacted our art students by sharing his career path, performance preparation and artistic passions with them. And he also impacted our history students by anecdotally discussing the historical triumphs and shortcomings of the Founding Fathers.” According to Lewis, inspiring students is one of the most important and rewarding parts of his job as an actor. “We live and breathe on stage for three hours and we hope to change somebody,” Lewis said. And he did just that as the Sage Hill community left the Studio that day with a new strain of the “Hamilton bug.”

Beware! Blood Thirsty Plant to Take Center Stage at Sage Sage Actors Prepare for Fall Musical, Little Shop of Horrors Lily Button Excitement is building in the arts department as Sage Hill’s Black Box is being transformed into a bizarre botanical world for the fall musical. This year’s production is a sci-fi rock comedy based on the award-winning musical and film, Little Shop of Horrors, and it is sure to thrill, surprise and delight. The story is set in the slums of Skid Row. Seymour Krelborn, played by senior Dylan Dickerson, is an orphan working at a run-down flower shop owned by

Mr. Mushnik, played by senior, Nico Collins. In the midst of a solar eclipse, Seymour finds a strange, unidentified plant at a flea market. Once it is displayed in the shop, business starts to bloom. Seymour names the creature ‘Audrey Two’, after his co-worker and love interest. However, things get complicated; Audrey already has a boyfriend, Orin Scrivello, played by sophomore, Nick Fish. He is a no-good dentist with a twisted desire to inflict pain on others… including Audrey.

Senior Maddie Green plays the role of Audrey. Audrey is a “vulnerable and sweet character,” Green said. “Despite all the abuse she suffers she still has hope and manages to see the good in things,” even when the flower shop takes a turn for the worst. Seymour’s prized plant starts to wither. In a desperate attempt to save it, he discovers the plant has an insatiable appetite for blood. Strange things start to happen on Skid Row as ‘Audrey Two’ grows out of control

and leads Seymour to a life of crime… “I’ve always been drawn to this cautionary tale of the damaging effects of the ‘evil’ that lurks in and around our world and threatens our lives,” Tannis Hanson (director) said. Little Shop of Horrors has a strong message, yet it is filled with hilarious and unexpected twists that will keep audience members on the edge of their seats. The cast has been working very hard to prepare for the performance. “We’ve accomplished so

much in such a short amount of time. It’s one of the most fun and efficient rehearsal processes I’ve ever been a part of,” senior Iman Amini, assistant director, said. Bretlyn Schmitt-Lazaris, choreographer, Jenny Schniepp, vocal director, Rob Wolter stage manager and junior Haley Rovner, assistant, are also part of the talented team. Come, enjoy an evening of laughter and suspense with Little Shop of Horrors, brought to you by your friends at Sage Hill School. Performances are Nov. 2-3 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 4 at 2 and 7 p.m. in the Black Box.

Science

The Bolt October 2017 Sage Hill School

STEM in the Community What are Neural Networks? Editor’s note: This article was written by a member of the Robotics Club to educate the community on an interesting topic in a STEM field.

Eric Frankel, contributor

COURTESY OF HANA STAUSS | The Bolt

SOURCE OF INSPIRATION Hana Stauss with model and programming enthusiast Karlie Kloss, who inspired her and her sister Miya to pursue programming.

STAUSS SISTERS BRING OC CODER TO SAGE So Much More Than Just A Coding Club

Jacob Gibbs

Twins Miya and Hana Stauss came to Sage with the hopes of starting a club that offered free coding classes to all students, no matter how much experience they had. Keeping their promise, they established the Sage Hill chapter of OC Coder, making sure that anyone with an interest in coding and programming would get a chance to pursue that passion. “We wanted to start a club that offered free coding classes that would be convenient for everyone, since it’s becoming such a universal language and technology is so prevalent today,” Miya Stauss said.

“

Center Program run by Jake Choi and Morgan Bolen. The Senior Center Program is affiliated with the Oasis Senior Home. They are planning to have volunteers from Sage go and teach the senior citizens about how to use technology. “It’s much easier that we’re starting the club together because we’re collaborating 24/7,” Miya Stauss said. “We have impromptu meetings at night, in the car and everywhere; it’s much more effective because we’re not afraid of criticism [from each other].” Hana Stauss’s experience with coding is surely out of the ordinary, as she got inspiration from model and programming enthusiast, Karlie Kloss.

We can all agree it’s really ambitious, but the challenge is the best part.

– Miya Stauss

“We wanted to share that opportunity with everyone,” she said. The club offers free coding classes in a variety of languages including Python and JavaScript. They have weekly meetings during X-Block, that are taught by students from UCI. Another part of their club is an event called Hour of Code This year, they are hosting the first ever Hour of Code event at Sage Hill on Dec. 1. They have student teachers from Sage Hill, including Hana Stauss and Jake Choi. This event is hosted for students from second to eighth grade. Lastly, they have a Senior

”

“I was really interested in programming and what she was advertising on her social media [platforms],” Hana Stauss said. “I applied for the program, got in and before I knew it I was in Los Angeles, [making] a bunch of friends and [learning] how to code,” she continued. “It taught me how important and relevant coding is and I wanted to continue what Karlie Kloss was doing, but at Sage.” When asked about the most challenging part of the club, the twin sisters agreed that it was trying to reach their goal, which is getting every single Sage student, starting with the Class of 2020, to participate in at least

one coding class before they graduate. “We can all agree it’s really ambitious, but the challenge is the best part,” Miya Stauss said. Their endeavors in education don’t stop there, as they’re officially publishing their webapp, Peer Genius, by the end of 2017. They describe the app as an “Uber for tutors,” as they know how stressful it can be to find one-on-one time with a tutor,

Most of the buzz these days around artificial intelligence is related to Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), or neural nets. They power the voice assistant in your phone, object recognition in your photos, autocorrect, and countless other technologies. These are a type of AI algorithm that is loosely modeled on the human brain. Just as the human brain is built from the connections between billions of neurons, neural nets are built from the connections between simulated neurons, which are organized in layers. The input layer feeds into the hidden layer(s), which feeds into the output layer. Each neuron in one layer is “connected” to all the neurons in the next layer to form the network. The connection between the neurons is a weight that tells the output neurons how important the previous connections are.

Each neuron uses a transfer function to determine its output value based on these weighted inputs, and the outputs of the neural network are just the transfer function calculated at the output neurons. The most important part of the neural network is the weights of the connections between neurons because it is these weights that allow neural networks to learn. This learning occurs by training the neural networks using the backpropagation algorithm, a process in which the network reassigns connection weights in order to minimize the error between the generated outputs and the desired outputs for a given set of inputs. This process is repeated for all of the input-output pairs in the training set, which is a set of known outputs for inputs. This process is repeated multiple times for each element in the training set. After this lengthy process is complete, the neural net will be able to do all of the amazing things we take for granted every day.

Think Twice Before You Turn On The Tap! Sage Can Make A Difference In Water Conservation

Lily Button

ROWAN OLIPHANT | The Bolt

GIRL POWER Twin sisters Miya and Hana Stauss bring OC Coder to the Sage campus. which can also be very costly. On the web-app, the mentors are called “gurus” and the students are called “newbies”. Newbies who are weak in any academic subject, could get help from a guru, who is strong in that subject. “It all comes full circle in the end,” Hana Stauss said. This web-app is funded by a foundation called the Dragon Kim Foundation, which granted the sisters $5,000 to start and facilitate their app. They encourage any high school student with a project or dream to apply for this upcoming year.

Only a mere three percent of the Earth’s supply of water is fresh, yet freshwater is vital for human life. This is a pressing issue for Californians, as droughts and water shortages are prevalent and getting worse. Water conservation is crucial to ensure humans’ basic rights for current and future generations. “California uses more water than any other state… each Californian uses an average of 181 gallons of water each day,” according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Sage community can

MICHELLE HUNG | The Bolt

EVERY EFFORT COUNTS Sophomore Valentina Lin fills up her water bottle at the fountain.

help change this statistic by leading the transition to even more sustainable schools in California. Conservation efforts have already been made through Sage’s garden, which has on-source ingredients such as eggs that are used in the cafeteria. The garden has eliminated water waste because in the food industry, “one egg requires 53 gallons of water,” according to Betty Hallock, former Los Angeles Times food deputy editor. Additionally, Sage can work to promote water efficiency by selecting sustainable resources and being mindful of water usage. Water consumption can be decreased on campus by using recycled water and succulents in the garden, which require less water. Students are also encouraged to take shorter showers, turn off the tap while brushing, purchase water efficient products and bring reusable water bottles to school. Do your part to make Sage sustainable by advising others about this pressing topic and thinking twice before turning on the tap.

The Bolt October 2017 Sage Hill School

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Freedom of Speech How Modern Campus Culture Is Destroying the First Amendment Trevor Klein In modern America, freedom of speech is as poorly protected as ever. Countless free-thinking individuals are shut down because of their differing opinions and beliefs. This is by no means a partisan issue. While liberal institutions and activists tend to be the main perpetrators, conservatives and liberals alike, agree that individual rights and the first amendment must be upheld. Additionally, there are certainly cases of conservatives shutting down liberals. Earlier this year, protesters at Claremont McKenna College shut down Heather MacDonald, a pro-police scholar, by blocking the entrance to her speech on campus. MacDonald spoke to an empty room and the event was live-streamed for the students that were not allowed to enter because of the protesters. The protesters were chanting so loudly that the Athenaeum, the forum on campus where MacDonald spoke, was shaking, which disrupted the livestreamed speech. Unfortunately, this is not a unique example as protesters are disrupting far too many speakers across America. People have the right to protest

under the 1st Amendment, but they do not have the right to restrict another individual’s right to freedom of speech. On the other end of the political spectrum, Xavier Becerra, California Attorney General, spoke at Whittier College earlier this month. Becerra is a democrat and many conservatives hijacked the event by shouting insults at him from the audience. The disruption was very distracting and caused the event to end half an hour early. Both of these infringements on freedom of speech are unacceptable, but they have become the norm on college campuses. Aside from the students’, educational institutions limit freedom of speech by promoting “political correctness.” In regard to politically correct culture on campuses, Barack Obama, former U.S. President, said in a speech during a town hall on college education, “I don’t believe… students at colleges have to be coddled and protected from different points of view.” Political correctness is a way to protect students’ feelings from getting hurt by offensive viewpoints. Last year, students at the University of Vir-

ginia (UVA) complained that Teresa A. Sullivan, president of UVA, offended them by quoting Thomas Jefferson, who founded the institution. The students demanded that Jefferson not be quoted in a positive vein in the future because he was a slaveholder. Freedom of speech “safe spaces” are often described as a way to have healthy dialogues regarding current issues. Unfortunately, what is considered “safe” dialogue are viewpoints that are not considered offensive. On liberal campuses, “offensive” is often synonymous with “conservative.” Most schools focus on promoting all types of diversity, except for diversity of thought, which is the most important. If we all try to adhere to the intellectually fashionable ideas of the day, we will never make any progress. We need active debate for people to refine their views and relentlessly seek the truth, to ultimately make progress in the world. By censoring one side, many colleges are doing everyone a disservice. Campuses, which used to be considered the epicenters of freedom of speech, are developing dangerous Orwellian leanings in regard to censorship.

Because of America’s freedom of speech crisis, organizations such as the Foundation for Rights in Individual Education (FIRE), fight tirelessly to protect students’ rights. FIRE is a nonpartisan organization that is totally committed to protecting the first amendment on campuses. The beauty of FIRE is people of diverse political viewpoints are all fighting together for the first amendment. If students could recognize the common goal of freedom of speech, dialogue on campuses would be more productive as a result of students actually listening to each other instead of shouting to be heard. FIRE also rates major colleges based on their freedom of speech reputations, which gives applicants an understanding of the school’s culture. America’s long tradition of freedom of speech and the first amendment is part of what makes this country unique, and it is a shame to see American principles be given a backseat to political correctness and unruly protests. I’m longing for the time when Voltaire’s saying, “I disagree with everything you say, but will defend to my death your right to say it,” will be the norm.