February 2018 by Sage Hill School

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February 2018 Volume 18, Issue 5 lightningboltonline.com Sage Hill School 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657

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Peace Out, Placement Tests!

Sydney McCord

“We just asked the question, ‘How can we make this better?’”

Sage Hill students are about to get a lot more freedom when it comes to choosing their courses for the 2018-2019 school year. In previous years, in order for a student to advance along the academic track of their choos-

ing, Sage Hill required placement tests, prerequisite classes and a specific grade in certain classes in order to be able to take a desired course. This process left a great deal of students feeling like junior Lia Darmer -– helpless to the fact

HALEY ROSMANN| The Bolt

SPANISH TWO CLASS Working hard on a project

that their placement tests did not reflect their overall capabilities. “If I didn’t have to take placement tests last year I would’ve gotten into more of the classes that I wanted to take,” Darmer said. “I felt like the placement tests didn’t really demonstrate my real abilities.” The administrators and teachers have realized the somewhat flawed aspects of the course placement process and as a result, revisions will be implemented in the 2018-2019 school year. “We sat down with our department heads in June and looked at the course placement process overall,” Dr. Matt Balossi, Dean of Faculty and Curriculum, said. “We just asked the question, ‘How can we make this better?’” The changes will include replacing past requirements such as placement tests with “recommended preparation,” meaning that a teacher recommendation

is the only requirement for taking a specific course. Additionally, there will no longer be a prior grade requirement for AP and accelerated courses. However, placement tests and auditions will still be used for all math and certain performing arts classes. “[We realized] that your ability to do chemistry and biology doesn’t necessarily translate into how well you’re going to do physics,” Balossi said. “Ultimately we wanted to give more choice for students and for parents while still guiding them.” Now that students have many more options than prior in regards to selecting courses, Sage Hill administrators and teachers want students to really focus on the banner value of balance. “One of the challenges that we’re expecting to face is balance,” Balossi said. “We are giving more responsibility to students in their course selection with the expectation that they’re

going to rise to that banner value of balance and make sure that they are taking a course load that they can handle and that they’re excited about.” To ensure that students remain as balanced as possible, to be able to take more than three AP and or accelerated classes a student must first get approval from Balossi, a policy that has already been in place for many years. “I think it will ultimately come down to students and parents making decisions not just based on what they can do, but what they should do,” Balossi said. “With great expectations comes great responsibility.” As a result in the next school year and in the years beyond, Sage Hill students will have the ability to control more of their high school academic experience, in addition to gaining more responsibility to take courses that are manageable for their unique schedule.

Artificial Intelligence, Real Results An overview of Sage’s successful Robotics Team

Alexis Kelly Students on campus know the Robotics Team for their creative Town Meeting announcements and their accomplishments at local competitions but they may not know just how much effort goes into designing, building and maneuvering a functional robot. It all starts with a kick-off day, in which the team finds out the objective for the year’s competition. “Every year the game changes. This year it’s called Power Up, and there are a bunch of different tasks that we have to perform to score points,” Eric Frankel, club president, said. From there, the team undertakes the complicated task of designing the robot so that

it can successfully perform in all aspects of the competition. For example, for a field element called the Scale, the robot has to be able to lift a three-and-a-halfpound cube four to six feet into the air. “Once we have our design, we start making a [computer-aided design] model of it, which is a 3D model on the computer, and figuring out what parts we are going to need and how they are going to work together,” Frankel said. “Then we have to order all the parts, which is the stage we’re at now.” The FIRST Robotics Competition, which draws high school teams from all over the world, involves a six-week building period to prepare the robots for competition. This year, Sage’s team is excited for re-

“

I think teachers do a great job creating a dynamic learning environment – Brooklyn Button

Editorial, Page 2

Academics, Page 3

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gionals, held at UC Irvine on Mar. 21-24. “I think that if we can execute on all the plans that we have a good chance of moving on in the competition,” Frankel said. Because of the competitive nature of the event, Robotics team members spend hours meticulously preparing. “I’m here at least ten hours a week, if not more, working on the robot, because there is so much that goes into it,” Frankel said. “Besides building the robot, we have to submit a business plan to the Chairman’s Board, reach out to other teams to see what they’re doing, prepare our website and more.” The team is always looking for new members, and anyone with interest is welcome to join.

Campus Life Community, Page 4

LINDA HACHIM| The Bolt

ROBOTICS MEETING Eric Frankel and Isaac Choi hard at work “My favorite thing about robotics is that you don’t need experience and it’s a very welcoming environment,” Peyton Carroll, co-director of outreach,

said. “There’s a lot of teamwork involved.” The Sage Hill Robotics team is certainly one to watch this year in their upcoming competitions.

The Road to Recruitment Sports, Page 6

Opinion, Page 8

The Bolt February 2018 Sage Hill School

Every one of us has felt the relentless pull of a social black hole: unhealthy comparisons. We peer with envious eyes at our neighbor who somehow always seems to set the curve without even studying. We surf the Internet for photos of celebrities with flawless bodies, leaving us with a regretful feeling of self-hate and a burning desire to be just five pounds lighter, or two inches taller or for that pesky mole on our cheek to please just disappear. This tendency is nothing new, but the emergence of social media has brought our generation’s addiction to comparisons to the next level. Platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook enable us to present falsely perfect versions of ourselves to the world, and in turn, our friends and classmates are pressured to follow suit and continue the vicious cycle. But where are the Instagram posts detailing disappointing results or below-average days? Social media acts as a double-edged sword, providing a convenient, addictive and much-desired mask for our imperfections, disappointments and insecurities, while leading us to believe that our peers don’t share these negative feelings. A small spark of jealousy can easily spiral into a constant toxic compulsion to compare oneself to others, introducing potential for alarming repercussions. A 2016 study published in Computers in Human Behavior linked the use of multiple social media platforms with skyrocketing rates of depression and anxiety among teenagers.

Editorial

In this generation, no one is exempt from the influences of social media; on any given day, the average person in the United States has five social media accounts and spends about two hours per day on social media. Even if we are fully aware that comparing ourselves to others can only hurt all parties involved, it is not easy to avoid the comparison trap, especially

if we spend our moments of free time viewing online posts, pictures, and stories that remind us of what we’re missing out on. Comparisons can serve as healthy motivators, driving us to diet more or work harder. But scrolling through Instagram and daydreaming about a person we could be is not only irrelevant, but also potentially poisonous.

You are going to be naturally good at some things and not at other things. There is always going to be someone better than you at posing for photos, or playing sports, or sitting for tests. But there is no limit to how hard you can work, and if you focus on improving aspects of yourself that are within your control, and that will be the most rewarding to you.

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), Michelle Hung (Bolt), Niva Razin (Storm), Hannah Woodworth (Bolt) Editorial Board Jonathan Chance, Karli Davis, Amanda Duong, Genesis Gonzalez, Madison Harris-Weiner, Sarah Kim, Jenny King, Trevor Klein, Isabella Mora 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

The Bolt February 2018 Sage Hill School

Academics

BACK TO SCHOOL FOR THE PARENTS Parents Stay Informed Through Education Sessions Lily Button The Parent Education Series kicked off the new year with two events in January. The unique four-session program is designed to build community and enhance Sage’s education with guest speakers from around the country. The goal is “to bring in speakers that would excite and ignite passion in parents,” Mary Robinson, Coordinator of Community Engagement, said. The first session of the 2017-2018 school year featured Chicago understudy in the hit Hamilton musical, Colby Lewis. Hamilton is about giving historical figures a voice, which was exactly what it did for Lewis. He shared his journey on Oct. 10, inspiring listeners to follow their passions and strive for success. The musical provides a unique insight into the American Revolution, which Lewis said contains many relevant themes for both students and parents in the Sage community. On Jan. 9, Dr. Ben Karney,

RICK DAVITT | The Bolt

SAGE CULTURE COMES TO PARENTS A group of parents listen to Anna Deavere Smith speak on Jan. 23. professor of Social Psychology at UCLA, shared his insight on effective communication and collaboration within the Sage community. He encouraged “engaging in conversation” and “listening to understand,” Robinson said. Karney outlined effective conflict resolution strategies to be used in homes and class-

rooms. His message also connected to studies from the Sage book in common, Blink, written by Malcolm Gladwell. Next, Anna Deavere Smith spoke about American culture on Jan. 23. Smith is a playwright, author, actress, and a professor in the Art and Public Policy department of NYU.

CHANGE OF PACE Welcoming Fresh Faces

Many recognize her from the television series West Wing, Nurse Jackie, and Black-ish, or the film The American President. Smith’s observations revolve around a central question: “If I were to go around and listen, listen, listen to Americans, would I end up with some kind of a composite that would tell me more about America that is evidently there?” Smith created an exclusive performance for the Sage community entitled, In Search of an American Character–From Twilight: Los Angeles to Now, which is a take on her famous play, Twilight: Los Angeles.

It featured various interviews from the past 30 years and provided a unique insight into American society. Each Parent Education event takes place in the Black Box Theater at 6:30 p.m. on a Tuesday night. They are followed by a question and answer session, where parents have the opportunity to interact with and learn from the different speakers. The final session will be held on Feb. 13, and will feature Sage faculty as they outline the 2018-19 course selection process for freshmen and transfer parents.

JUSTICE PREVAILS Another Successful Year for Mock Trial Yuna Baek

ROWAN OLIPHANT | The Bolt

NEW STUDENTS Sophomore Brooklyn McDonald, sophomore Nicholay Osokin, and senior Brooklyn Button transferred to the Sage Hill community this year. Halah Biviji Whether moving across the country or just moving a couple of miles, transferring to a new high school can be a scary and intimidating experience. “It was difficult because I expected from the very beginning to know things like where classes were located,” sophomore Nicholay Osokin said. Transfer students also have to adjust to Sage’s rigorous academic curriculum which can be challenging for new students. “I was a little worried at first because I had heard that it was really difficult and that it would be really demanding in terms of workload,” senior Brooklyn Button said. However, over time, the transition becomes easier. “After the first quarter, it started getting a lot better academically, because I started to get into a routine,” sophomore

Brooklyn McDonald said. With the help of Sage’s small class sizes, great teachers and communal spirit, transfer students can adjust. “I think teachers do a great job creating a dynamic learning environment where the students all have to communicate with each other and work together,” Button said. In addition to becoming accustomed to the academics of Sage, many transfer students worry about the social aspect of making friends at a new school. “It was really scary in the beginning, I wanted to sit where nobody was because I did not know anyone,” McDonald said. However, Sage makes it easier with resources like New Student Orientation, where transfer students have an opportunity to meet each other before school starts. In addition, students at Sage are very welcoming. “Students here are usually

really [easy] to start conversations with,” Osokin said. “Everytime I had a question, students around me were always eager and willing to help.” “Socially, it’s pretty good now because I made real, good connections with people,” McDonald said. Even though transferring can be hard, McDonald, Osokin and Button all said they are happy to be here. “I am definitely glad that I can transferred because even though it can be hard and rough, I think you learn from everything you do, and everything happens for a reason,” McDonald said. “I definitely feel more comfortable here,” Osokin said. “Sage is a really great environment and people here are definitely welcoming.” “I am happy to say this year, I am actually excited to go to school in the morning,” Button said.

In November, the Mock Trial team visited the Orange County Courthouse to compete in real courtrooms with official judges and prosecutors. The team ended up with a 3-1 record, but did not end up qualifying for the finals. The club is run by seniors Farooq Ansari and Sarah Saboorian and juniors Joshua Cheadle and Nadia Akbari with Diego Izurieta, Spanish teacher, as the faculty advisor. “My experience with being a club advisor was awesome! Everyone takes initiative and I am looking forward to support Mock Trial next year,” Izurieta said. “I am especially proud with Josh’s performance and leadership skills because he practices on the weekends, X Blocks and even came to practice before our scrimmage with J-Serra High School.” During the pretrial, Cheadle acted as the defense prosecutor. “I had to argue about the constitutions of different people invested in,” Cheadle said. Sophomore Sunny Gupta played the role of the medical examiner. “I gave facts about the autopsy about the human body [and] I was also part of the ex-

pert witness,” Gupta said. Sophomore Megan Chan planned carefully to help the team score as highly as possible in the competition. “I was in charge of drawing the scene I saw in front of me at the courthouse and helped to cooperate through direct and cross examinations,” said Chan, who took the role of a courtroom artist. Chan learned and gained understanding during the trial by “listening to the arguments stated by other teams was a new experience so we had to learn to adapt to new questions that have been asked.” “We had a great group this season and everyone worked really hard. I am looking forward to next season,” Cheadle said.

YUNA BAEK | The Bolt

IN SESSION Mock Trial members display awards after their performance.

Campu

The Bolt February 2018 Sage Hill School

1. WHAT IS THE LATEST YOU HAVE LEFT SAGE?

After 9 p.m. Between 7-9 p.m. Between 5-7 p.m. Between 3-5 p.m. 3 p.m. (I never stay longer than I have to) I live on campus

Culture

2. WHAT DO YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST EACH MORNING?

Who has time to eat breakfast? Cereal Eggs Pancakes Smoothie Tofu scramble from WF baby!

3. HOW LONG DO YOU SPEND ON HOMEWORK EACH NIGHT?

3-4 hours 1-2 hours 5-6 hours 6+ hours Conference

us Life

The Bolt February 2018 Sage Hill School

of Sage

6. SNAPCHAT OR INSTAGRAM?

SNAP 4 LIFE INSTA THE OG My parents wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let me on social media Skype Email MySpace

4. HOW LONG DO YOU SPEND ON SOCIAL MEDIA EACH DAY?

2 hours 1 hour More than 3 hours Less than 1 hour

5. FAVORITE ALBUM OF THE YEAR?

American Teen (Khalid) Damn (Kendrick Lamar) Melodrama (Lorde) Reputation (Taylor Swift) Modern music

HANNAH WOODWORTH AND JACOB GIBBS | The Bolt

The Bolt February 2018 Sage Hill School

Sports

THE ROAD TO RECRUITMENT Inside Scoop on Playing Sports in College

ALICIA THEOLOGIDES RODRIGUEZ | The Bolt

RECRUITMENT AND REWARD Sage Hill student-athletes train in their respective sport as they prepare for collegiate level. Karli Davis The college sports recruiting system is a strenuous process that comes with the reward of going to college, as well as continuing to take part in a varsity level sport. While some students aim to play their sport in college from a young age,

others develop this objective during high school. Golfer Mary Shin, volleyball player Jade Blevins, baseball player Michael Helton and soccer player Taylor Magliarditi are all senior athletes who plan to attend college for the sports they have been passionate about since childhood.

“From the time I was eight and learned that colleges had baseball, it became my goal to play college baseball,” Helton said. “It’s a lifelong process of training to [get] to the level needed to be recruited.” The process for committing to a college for sports varies throughout every sport, school and person.

WELLNESS WORRIES ‘I think the wellness program is important but redundant.’ - Gordon McNeill Jr.

AMANDA DUONG | The Bolt

NEW-TRITION, NEW-YOU Athletic trainer Meaghan Beaudoin educates ninth graders about nutrition and healthy living for January Wellness. Polina Mogilevsky Once a month the freshmen and sophomores participate in a grade-wide health class that is split into blocks. The freshmen meet in the MMLH and focus on topics such as nutrition and inclusivity within the community, while the sophomores do an online lesson and a participate in a private discussion through Canvas. The program is known for getting mixed responses and complaints. “The program is known for getting negative responses, particularly from sophomores,” Merja Connolly, founder of the Wellness Program, said. “Students have complained about doing the program for Wellness when they are already tired and over

stressed. I understand this and continue to work with upperclassmen who completed the program in order to find the proper balance of time commitment for students.” “It seems that about 80 percent of the posts in sophomore Wellness are very thoughtful, but 20 percent are just rushing to complete it,” Connolly said, who has been with the school since 2000 but has been running the program for the past five years. When asked about her first impressions of the Wellness program, sophomore Brielle Janavs said, “I thought it was an interesting way to do it, to use your free block to learn about it”. In regards to this year’s program, Janavs said she “like[s] that the lessons are online… but would prefer if they weren’t an

online discussion”. However, the program does have some fans. “I like it. It’s informative and gives a lot of insight,” freshman Lauren Kramer said. Kramer also expressed particular interest in the stress management lesson. Jafari, a cross country runner for whom a healthy lifestyle is particularly important, feels very connected to the Wellness nutrition lessons. “Here they actually give you advice on school work and what needs to be done, while guiding you and [teaching you] to be healthy. In my old school we didn’t have that so it’s good that I came here,” freshman Kian Jafari said. “Overall, I think the Wellness program is important but redundant,” sophomore Gordon McNeill said.

“For me, the recruiting process was a long and at some points confusing path,” Magliarditi said. “One thing that I will tell you is that it’s definitely not easy, and will probably not end up the way you think it will. What prompted me to move to California in the first place was to get recruited. Soccer was my entire life, and I was willing to give up everything I had known in order to be able to pursue it.” Junior Isabelle Cooper is currently going through this challenging process to get recruited for crew. The recruitment process for crew is very specific and has a lot of rules, she said. “Recruiting starts Sept. 1 of your junior year,” Cooper said. “You can only talk with coaches on the phone or via email if you contact them first, but you can

talk in person if you are on that college campus. These rules apply until your senior year when official visits are offered.” Shin, who plays golf, also started her recruiting process Sept. 1 of her junior year. The main thing she took away from the process is that college does not define who you are -- it’s years of hard work, dedication, experiences with fellow friends and the support and love from family members that define you, she said. “Through this process I definitely learned a lot of valuable lessons regarding communication, patience and open-mindedness,” Shin said. “For anyone going through the recruitment process, I advise you to always stay open to all options because you really never know what’s going to happen in the future.” Committing to a college for a sport can be exciting and stressful but worth it if sports are something a student has a passion for. “Going to such a prestigious university and probably the best women’s soccer program in the country seemed like a dream that would never become a reality,” Magliarditi said. “That moment of committing was probably the happiest I have felt to this day.” Shin plans to attend the University of Pennsylvania, Helton plans to attend Macalester College and Magliarditi plan to attend UCLA in the fall.

PUZZLE BOX GOES HERE

Answers on Page 7

ARTS

The Bolt Febuary 2018 Sage Hill School

THE VERDICT ON THE WINTER PLAY ‘Twelve Angry Jurors’ play to premiere on Feb.8 at 7 p.m. in Black Box

IN REHEARSAL Actors run through lines.

JENNY KING | The Bolt

MADISON’S MOVIE REVIEW

Last Year in Review: Best of 2017 Madison Harris-Weiner JENNY KING | The Bolt

PLAYING JURORS Members of the Twelve Angry Jurors cast rehearse in preparation for the February play.

Miranda deBruyne Three times a year, students transform the Studio at Sage Hill into unique places and take their audience away from everyday responsibilities. Last year, it became 17th century Paris in The Liar and, for this year’s fall musical, it blossomed into a flower shop with a dark twist. The cast and crew of the current play, Twelve Angry Jurors, (based off of Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men) have been hard at work for months preparing for the newest production. This time they transformed the Black Box into a 20th century deliberation room of a courthouse. This play follows 12 jurors as they decide the verdict of a young boy for a possible murder charge. One juror, Juror #8, played by senior Capri Campeau, casts considerable doubt on the evidence, causing the others to question their decision to convict the boy. They deliberate throughout the course of the play, calling into

question their personal experiences and their own morals. Interestingly, many aspects of Twelve Angry Jurors are still relevant today. “I think [the audience] will appreciate how relevant the story is to today despite it being set in the ‘50s. Although it isn’t a recently published play, the themes and topics discussed parallel events that are occuring today,” junior Peyton Webb, who plays Juror #1, said. Campeau echoe this thought. “What I love about shows at Sage is that they are almost always relewvant to the times we’re living in. Twelve Angry Jurors is a great example of this!” Webb commented that she “really like[s] the dynamic between each character. [The characters are] very unique and [have] their own perspective and background which makes them look at the trial differently. Webb added, “seeing the different opinions and points of view of the characters is really interesting

to me, and I think it will be to the audience.” Campeau added her thoughts regarding why the audience will enjoy the show. “Twelve Angry Jurors differs from other shows I’ve been in at Sage, because it is based on a strong ensemble,” Campeau said. “It’s written in a way where there are no big or small parts, because every single character is needed for the show to flow perfectly. This makes for a really unique theatrical experience,” Campeau said. Opening Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m., this production offers a unique performance to its audience. “This show really focuses on understanding one’s own prejudices. Because we talk a lot about an event that happened before the play takes place, it’s the audience’s job the create what certain characters look like. I think the audience will also really enjoy the variety of personalities sitting around the table,” Campeau said.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

[Re: “What’s Good at the Cafe,” Dec. 2017] Hello Sage Hill community! My name is Laura, and I have been the executive chef at the Sage Hill Cafe since August 2017. If you don’t know me, please come on by the café and say hello. It is our goal is to provide you with excellent customer service

and the food you want to eat. We are always open to feedback, and we also hold a monthly food focus group where we encourage students to openly express the positive change they want to see at the café. Our primary goal is to provide you with the best experience while dining, so

if you ever have an issue or concern please bring it right to my or Barbara’s attention immediately. When we are made aware, we can help you to turn a negative into a positive. Hope to see you at the café for lunch soon. - Laura Catala, Executive Chef of Sage Hill Cafe

Answers to Carlson’s Puzzle Challenge #3: 1. Snickers 2. Pay Day 3. Butterfingers 4. Reese’s 5. Hershey’s 6. Kit Kat 7. Milky Way 8. Almond Joy 9. Three Musketeers 10. Crunch 11. Toblerone 12. Baby Ruth 13. M&M’s 14. Krackel 15. Twix 16. Heath

10. The Beguiled

Sofia Coppola’s remake of the 1971 Civil War thriller is gorgeously atmospheric, brimming with mystery, intimate tension and the energy of the young woman who give life to the isolated boarding school they inhabit and the war-torn countryside it sits on

9. T2 Trainspotting

It’s been twenty years since Danny Boyle first introduced us to Renton and friends with 1996’s Trainspotting, an unapologetic film exploding with life and energy despite its depiction of addiction. Though T2 lacks the youth of its precursor, Boyle still manages to revive the signature pace and stylized world of the first.

8. Beauty and the Beast

Some movies capture small moments, some entire lifetimes, but some, like Beauty and the Beast, create entire worlds. Bill Condon’s larger than life live-action remake of the 1991 cartoon classic is rich and dazzling, a fullon irresistible spectacle.

7. The Shape of Water

With The Shape of Water Guillermo del Toro creates an ode to his childhood favorite The Creature From the Black Lagoon and other creature features. It falls a bit short of emotional resonance but with the technicalities Toro doesn’t miss a beat, creating an immersive world in which each frame is a work of art.

6. Only the Brave

Only the Brave does justice to its true story while also weaving an engrossing narrative that is stylistically creative and emotionally resonant especially in light of the fires that devastated parts of southern California at the end of 2017.

5. Ingrid Goes West

Ingrid Goes West exposes the influence of social media culture. It’s one of the years

funniest and while it feels good to laugh at the culture we’ve created, every line rings true making it not only a finely crafted satire but also a not so far-fetched warning.

4. The Disaster Artist

James Franco’s impersonation of Tommy Wiseau, the eccentric and enigmatic creator of 2003’s infamously terrible The Room, is spot on. It’s funny and provides genuine laughs but it’s also oddly inspiring as it finds success even in failure.

3. The Florida Project

Writer-director Sean Baker stuff this slice-of-life vignette with raw energy, making the film live and breathe with the fragile nature of complicated human emotions. It brilliantly portrays the nuanced quirks and joyful moments of childhood which still prevail despite the sad realities of the life it exposes.

2. Lady Bird

Lady Bird is perhaps the greatest depiction of high school ever portrayed on the big screen. Writer-director Greta Gerwig creates characters who are perfect because of their flaws, who are triumphant and learn from their mistakes and live and breathe within the film as real humans. It’s funny and moving with a distinct beat that manages to make a very ordinary experience at once completely unique and completely universal.

1. Call Me By Your Name

Luca Guadagnino’s period piece-coming of age-romance explores, in intimate and subtle art-house detail, a gay relationship. It places its focus not on the politics of labels but rather on the candid emotions that burn beneath the surface. Free of inhibitions and outside pressures, it is instead allowed to welcome, and be led completely by, the instinctive passion of unbidden love.

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The Bolt February 2018 Sage Hill School

Decrypting Cryptocurrencies The Bitcoin Bubble and How Cryptocurrencies are Changing the Monetary World

Trevor Klein Cryptocurrencies will forever change the way we think about our money. Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum, Litecoin and other competing cryptocurrencies show that we do not need the government to manage and regulate our currency. Google defines a cryptocurrency as “a digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer of funds, operating independently of a central bank.” As of right now, Bitcoin is the most popular of the many cryptocurrencies, or cryptos for short. Some are calling Bitcoin the “currency of the future,” but that is an overstatement as cryptocurrencies are flawed. Cryptocurrencies lack a fundamental element of a sound currency -- stability -- as the price of Bitcoin has fluctuated wildly. The cryptocurrency mania is in full swing. As of Jan. 27, at a price of $11,240, Bitcoin is up 1,158 percent in the past year. By comparison, the stock market is up about 32 percent, and this has been a good year. Here at Sage, many students have been swept up by the cryptocurrency mania; there is even a Cryptocurrency club on campus. Many students have invested in cryptocurrencies using trading platforms like Coinbase. This $1.6-billion company has more than 13 million users, according to CNBC. The problem is most students do not really understand the cryptocurrencies they are buying. In a survey that I conducted of individuals, mostly at Sage, 32 percent of respondents said they had bought or are planning to buy cryptocurrencies. However, only 24 percent of respon-

dents said they understood blockchain technology, which is the technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The fact that many people who are investing in cryptocurrencies do not understand how they work is a sign of mania. In the 2008 housing bubble, many investors did not understand risky Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDO’s), which eventually brought the whole world economy crashing down. The CDO was a pool of mortgages, often extremely risky subprime mortgage bonds. CDO’s were all the rave in investing back then just like cryptocurrencies are now. The lack of understanding and the rapid increase in value suggests that the crypto market is a bubble. The bubble may be starting to burst. Bitcoin has already fallen 20.53 percent in the past month and over 40 percent since its high in December. While it may rally in the short run, I predict it will fall a lot further over time. It’s hard to say where Bitcoin’s price will end up because it has no intrinsic value. Bitcoin’s value is based on the trust of its users. One might argue that the two other major forms of currency -fiat paper money, like the dollar, and gold bullion -- are also based on trust. But, gold has intrinsic value because people value gold for reasons other than its monetary value such as its beauty, rarity and its resistance to corrosion. These properties, in addition to its divisibility and uniform quality, are what give it its value as a currency. Gold’s rarity is very important to its value as the gold supply only increases by less than 2 percent per year on average. Fiat money, or money by government decree, like our dollar and the Euro, is supported by the nation or group of nations that issues and regulates the money. The problem is when governments

need more money to pay for welfare programs and other expenses that tax revenue does not sufficiently cover, they often print the money to cover the shortfall. This waters down the value of all of the money in circulation, and devalues the currency. According to a December 2017 JP Morgan report, the dollar has lost 81 percent of its value or purchasing power since 1970. This sharp decline was in large part caused by former President Richard Nixon breaking the United States’ long-standing promise to redeem dollars for gold in 1971, which enabled our government to create massive amounts of dollars that were not backed by the Gold Standard. Fiat money has not been a suitable option because it does a poor job maintaining its value. In fact, Bitcoin’s founder Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin because of this flaw of fiat money. “The root problem with conventional currency is all the trust that’s required to make it work,” Nakamoto said. “The central bank must be trusted not to debase the currency, but the history of fiat currencies is full of breaches of that trust.” In America and all over the world, the central banks have debased the currencies and caused the sharp decline in their values. In observing the history of government-managed paper money, the renowned French author and thinker Voltaire said, “Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value -- zero.” While Nakamoto is right in that fiat money is flawed, Bitcoin, as it is now, is not a viable solution. Bitcoin’s value is totally based on the loyalty of its users. If users decide to switch to one of the many other “altcoins,” which are cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin, then Bitcoin would lose much of its value.

Bitcoin is limiting its supply to 21 million coins, but there are an unlimited number of other cryptocurrencies that can be created, whose quantity in total is unlimited. With innovation, there will be other cryptocurrencies that people will prefer to Bitcoin. In the end, an oversupply of all cryptocurrencies will decrease their value. Gold bullion does the best job at maintaining value over time in comparison to both fiat money and cryptocurrencies. The problem with using bullion in today’s world is it is heavy and not easily portable. The solution can be found in combining the best properties of cryptocurrencies and bullion. The timeless properties of gold can be married with the technological convenience of Bitcoin. In fact, there are many companies, including one managed by the government of the Australian state Western Australia, who are offering cryptocurrencies that are redeemable in gold bullion. Gold can be transferred electronically, which enables you to hold gold in an account and to send it your friends or spend your gold at shops using a credit card. And all of this can be done on your cell phone. Since it is independent of governments, it is beyond their reach when they run short of money to cover their spending needs. This combination of bullion and cryptocurrency may change the monetary world. For now, cryptocurrencies have made a lot of people question the stability of our current monetary system and fiat money. However, cryptocurrencies lack the intrinsic value to be a real alternative. Gold-backed cryptos are grounded in a form of money that has maintained intrinsic value for centuries, and they could truly revolutionize money.