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April 2022 Volume 22, Issue 5 lightningboltonline.com Sage Hill School 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657

A Glimpse of a Future Era

Lightning celebrates the Spring Pep Rally along with accepted students for Class of 2026 Alison Hwang and Lauren Chung Boom! With a roaring cheer on March 14, the spring pep rally kicked off with both our current and future Lightning!

Traditionally, pep rallies take place in the Ube. However, due to the pandemic, our previous fall pep rally in October took place in Town Square. Now, with the mask mandate lifted, the Sage community was able to return to its previous traditions.

Students got a taste of true Lightning spirit, as they arrived on campus early in the morning to adorn the Ube with streamers and banners.

“I usually prefer outdoors when it comes to something as big as a pep rally, but because of the sheer size of the grade and the amount of people, it wasn’t a bad idea having the pep rally indoors,” said freshman Evan Pak. “It was easier to facilitate some sort of system for everyone.”

The pep rally kicked off with junior Susan Zhang singing the National Anthem, and then the games began. Another Sage tradition is to show our class spirit and cheer on our peers in a round of grade level games. Each grade had their representatives racing in different objects and back, including a mini tricycle and a yoga ball. Seniors took first place, followed by juniors, freshmen, and sophomores.

The freshmen performed an entertaining skit about the lives of four incoming students. Their lives are suddenly sorted into different cliques, but gradually overcome and join one clique system. The skit was inspired by the upcoming spring musical, High School Musical.

The sophomores had a Star Wars themed fight along with a few cartwheels and flips.

“We really tried to get the grade involved and that part was definitely the hardest, but I’m still proud of what we put out,” said sophomore Co-chair Zanaida Curic. “It was an especially hard adjustment for us since this was our first “real” pep rally in the gym and none of our grade had even seen it once since eighth grade.”

The juniors, who came in as runners up, had a performance of Taylor Swift’s classic, “You Belong With Me.” “I think it was fun for our grade to watch and everyone enjoyed the lip syncing skit!” said junior co-chair Lauren Pak. “Understanding that the Six Cs belong with all of us and through that we are learning to incorporate them more and

Editorial, Page 2

David Kim |The Bolt

Junior Arushi Chokshi lip-syncs a song during her grade’s pep rally skit. more in our lives as students (hence why the song was “You Belong With Me).”

Seniors, the winners of the skits, delivered an homage to their past, with a Spongebob themed skit about their memories.

“The thing about the last pep rally is that it is very bitter sweet,” said senior Jillian Smith. “Although we have so much to still to celebrate, the last pep rally signifies one of the first signs of the end of an era.

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The thing I enjoy about pep rallies is how it’s always the same, with just new faces performing the skits.”

In addition to the annual spring pep rally, the Admissions Office, Student Ambassadors, and Sage community welcomed our accepted students for the 2022-23 school year. The incoming freshmen were greeted by Student Ambassadors before the pep rally and were given a colored wristband in accordance with our

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grade level colors: orange for freshmen, red for sophomores, blue for juniors, and green for seniors. After experiencing the liveliness and fun during pep rally, the accepted students broke off into rotational groups according to their wristbands and experienced some classes, like English with Mr. Jorden and math with Ms. May. Following the rotations, Flik provided a delicious lunch of pizza and a sweet treat of cookies to wrap up the day.

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Editorial

The Bolt April 2022 Sage Hill School

Changing the World Starts With You Grace Yan The world has always been a chaotic place. During peace, undercurrents are always flowing throughout society. But it’s in times of war and global unrest that we can finally see the physical result. It’s in times of hardship that we as individuals feel the smallest.

Ukraine and Russia’s current conflict seems to have no end. In an attempt to prevent further influence from the West in Russia’s “territories,” Putin has massacred thousands of Ukrainians in the war already, and forced millions more to become refugees.

The US and other major powers can only send support in the form of money or artillery, walking a tightrope between supporting Ukraine and antagonizing Russia for fear of sparking World War III, which, with the development and wide utilization of nuclear energy and other technologies, will almost surely end with unimaginable massacres.

Meanwhile, Musk’s deal to acquire Twitter for the sake of “free speech” has sparked controversial

debates, and both fear and enthusiasm for the future of social media and the role it plays in society.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s recent bills against the LGBTQ movement and endeavors to make an example out of Disney for objecting and “sticking their nose into politics” are all slowly changing the dynamic between government and corporations.

And, although we’ve all become numb to the coronavirus, thousands are still being infected and dying each week. In Shanghai, the entire city has been transformed into a ghost town, causing China’s economy to dip, and the financial impact is being felt around the world. In the future, there’s a predicted mass exodus of experts and wealthy, upper-middle class citizens. On top of everything, global warming – and the ever dire prediction of existential catastrophe.

This all begs the questions: How can we as individuals possibly influence tides like these? Must we simply watch future events unfold, and simply be a victim of the times? How can we solve these problems? In such a sheltered community like Sage Hill, our utmost priority

should be to utilize our time wisely.

Currently, we are powerless to change the world – but we don’t need to do that. Carl Jung, a philosopher and psychiatrist in the 1900s, argued in his books that the main reason why people have ambition is to reduce their own feeling of insignificance and worthlessness.

In our lives, we all strive for acceptance, for respect, and accomplishment. Instinctively, our hearts glow at the compliments others give us, and the acknowledgement we receive for doing a great feat.

But this leads to another conclusion: Change starts with the self. You can’t forcefully change the world, your country, your community, or your family and friends.

But you can change yourself, and from there, you will influence your family and friends. Collectively you’ll influence your community, and from there, a broader horizon opens up for everyone.

Focus on improving yourself. Then, and only then, will we endure the storm and gaze into a sky brighter than before.

The Start of Something New Lucy Lee & Elizabeth Wattenberg As you stand in the Black Box Theater with its black curtains and rows of chairs laid out, you can find your true passion for singing, dancing, and performing. At Sage Hill, there are many different opportunities for the student body to participate in the arts. There's dance, theater, band, and more for students of all grades to participate in.

Most recently, there is the spring musical, High School Musical.” Students from all grade levels went through a multi-step audition and got cast to be a part of this production. After a month of bonding and practice, the full cast of High School Musical is ready to go on stage and present their hours of hard work and dedication to the community. Dancing, singing, and acting, they are ready to perform for the Sage Hill community, sharing the message that “we’re all in this together!”

Another aspect of the arts is the Sage Hill dance program. Student dancers were recently given the opportunity to get involved in the student-led dance team.

“Dance has let me express myself in a unique way, and being part of the dance showcase was an impunity for me to show others what I am capable of,” said freshman Alyssa Tse. The Arts program helps students become more well-rounded as they let their creativity take course.

Getting involved in the Arts program is important as there are so many learning opportunities and memorable experiences that can last a lifetime. Being around people with similar interests and passions help you get motivated to try new things and expand your knowledge.

Photo courtesy of Rick Davitt

The cast of High School Musical, which opened on Thursday, April 28 in the Black Box Theater.

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THE BOLT

he Bolt 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-chiefs Riya Gupta or Sanjana Khurana and put in their mailboxes on campus. These letters may not exceed 150 words or they will be edited for inclusion.

Editors-in-Chief Riya Gupta (Bolt), Sanjana Khurana (Bolt), Xinyi Xie (Online), Courtney Davis (Storm) and Julia Kwon (Storm) Editorial Board Lauren Chung, Izabel Gomez, David Kim, Noe Lee and Phoebe Pan April Edition Production Team Alison Hwang and Grace Yan Advisor Jennifer Kucera Rothman

Priya Bhakta Carter Bryant Anne Chen Charlotte Cheng Elizabeth Chen Yasmin Dennis Sabrina Do Izzy De Leon Ava Eimani Nic Eimani Alison Hwang Anna Lin Chloe Lee Fiori Lee Lucy Lee Max Luer Ingrid Luo

Alia Sajjadian Ceyda Shamsai Sophia Sun Sophie Qiu Milan Ramezani Max Razmjoo Shaan Sakraney Karmen Sandhu Zahra Sarwono Elizabeth Wattenberg Roya Yahmai Eric Xie Grace Yan Grace Yang Maggie Zhang Winston Zuo

Sports

The Bolt April 2022 Sage Hill School

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Sage Hill Baseball Strikes Again!

Ava Eimani And Ceyda Shamsai

Sabrina Do | The Bolt

Senior Jerry Hu prepares to bat during a baseball game this season on Hague Field.

The Sage Hill baseball team has faced a lot of challenges this season but continues to presevere and overcome their greatest obstacles. Coach Scott Sovrn said, “Getting back to practice the next day and working harder than before keeps us motivated.”

Capo Valley Christian proved to be a difficult match as our team struggled to work together and come out on top. Later this season, Garden Grove proved to not only be a competitive school, but they were the rivals that allowed our varsity boys baseball team to rise to victory. “We really played like a team that day and were able to actually play real baseball,” said sophomore Jack Pheasant.

This season, so far, has resulted in nine wins, nine losses, and one tie showing the improvement of our team’s dynamic from last year to this year.

“Our game was clean, as we played aggressively while having fun together,” said sophomore and team captain Cruz Collier. The baseball team not only enjoys hitting home runs and winning games, but also developing their skills while still having fun. Senior Jerry Hu said, “Hitting a triple on my first day back was by far my favorite part of baseball this season.”

While working on skills is vital to the game, it is also important to balance this with team bonding. “Hanging out with the guys during practice and listening to other teams get yelled at was my favorite part of playing baseball,” said Collier.

This season has proved to be successful so far, as the team continues to show determination and talent on the field each and every game.

A Smashing Success!

Junior Grant Gallagher.

Elizabeth Chen and Yasmin Dennis At the start of the season, many new students joined the 2021-2022 boys’ tennis team.

“It has been awesome getting to know all the new kids on the team. This year is a lot more normal

Sabrina Do | The Bolt

than last season, so it's really exciting to have more opportunities to bond as a team," said junior and team captain Shaan Sakraney.

While the team has had its challenges, with a 10-8 loss against Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach, a 11-7 loss against

Troy, and a 9-9 tie with Canyon Anaheim, the boys’ varsity tennis team has persevered through it all. In a match against Laguna Beach, which Coach Whit claims to be the highlight of the season so far, junior Grant Gallagher was able to demonstrate his valuable skills and strengths to the team.

“We lost to them last year and our top player, Grant Gallgher, was only able to play one set after beating their #1,” Coach Whit said.

Sophomore Sammy Adham describes how “the scores within our victories are the exceptional part. For example, against St. Margaret’s and Webb, the final score was 18-0 in our favor.” Sammy describes how he enjoys “the social characteristic of the game.

The competitive nature of the game provides a dynamic and spirited community which builds lifelong bonds that alone make the time commitment worth it.” The team continues to bond and looks forward to the rest of the season together, experiencing the ups and downs together.

Grace Yan | The Bolt

Varisty boys’ team races against Costa Mesa High School.

Keeping Season Afloat

Grace Yan After two years of uncertainties and rocky half-seasons, Sage Hill’s swim team is thriving again this spring, closing off with League Finals this Friday and CIF next week!

Despite the pandemic, our Lightning swimmers have continued to bring new experiences, skills, and proficiency to the team. Boys Varsity broke three school records this season: 200 Free Relay (Ryan Chang, Adam Yang, Noah Joshi, and Kyle Wong), 200 Medley Relay (Ryan Chang, Adam Yang, Noah Joshi, Brandon Lee) and individual event 100 Fly (Ryan Chang).

“We have an incredible swim team this season. It makes me really glad to see that our swimmers enjoy the sport and are committed to improving themselves and the team,” said Coach Pavle.

“I hope that our program continues to grow stronger in the future.”

Swim practices are arduous and demanding, with mandatory morning workouts multiple times each week and rigorous swim sets. However, many swimmers find that exercise is surprisingly a great way to start the day– albeit with wet hair. “Swim is pretty tough, but it’s always very fun,” said junior Annie Ta. “It’s a great bonding experience and the entire team works to support each other.”

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The Bolt April 2022 Sage Hill School

All around GEMFEST 2022 GEMfest 2022 welcomes back to campus young women from across Orange County for a day of leadership development and entreprenurial pursuits Anne Chen On March 5th, 2022, the annual GEMfest event welcomed middle school girls on campus for a day of empowerment, creativity, and fun. On this much-anticipated Saturday morning, an excited group of young girls assembled in Town Square for the opening keynote after an enthusiastic welcome from GEM members and volunteers. Keynote speaker and businesswoman Pernille Spiers-Lopez kicked off the day with an inspiring speech about female leadership, touching on her experiences as the former president of IKEA, the co-founder of her own business, and the author of Design Your Life.

In addition to Spiers-Lopez, the GEM team welcomed a group of ingenious women and organized a variety of interactive workshops for the day.

“This year, we started from scratch on quite a few things, but it started with dividing our team into subgroups,” said senior Ari Rednour, co-president of the GEM team. “Then with those groups, we were able to find our speakers, give presentations to local middle schools to spread the word about the event, rebrand the GEM logo, advertise through our

Instagram, and bring all of our parts together to put the main event together.”

Following the inspiring keynote, the girls distributed into their respective workshops led by outside speakers, faculty, and Sage’s very own students. With the option of attending Painted Pairs, Science Scoop, EB Denim, Gardening, Coding, Dance, or Yoga, attendees had the wonderful opportunity to learn from inspiring local businesses and passionate leaders in engaging workshops.

“I loved seeing [the attendees] really interested during their workshops and seeing them interact with each other,” said sophomore Priya Bhakta, who assisted for the EB Denim workshop.

To close off the day, the girls listened to a panel of speakers: Pernille Spiers-Lopez, Jenna Dover (Caliray co-founder), Lauren Townsend (Fox Communications VP), Tiffany Hill (Innocean Business Affairs Manager), Elena Bonvicini (CEO of EB Denim), and Kellie Kawaguchi (International Marketing Director for Universal Pictures). The panelists shared insight on their respective professions with the girls and how they got to where they are today. Emphasizing the power of each individual sitting before them, the speakers ended GEMfest 2022 on an inspirational note.

Sage student leadership team for Gemfest 2022 held on campus March 5th, 2022 with over 200 middle schoool students participating

Math Field Day Returns Serving the community by solving problems together Xinyi Xie On Saturday, March 12, 2022, Sage Hill’s Math Field Day Service Learning group hosted their Math Field Day event for middle school students.

This was a renewal of old traditions— for the past two years, Math Field Day had been canceled due to COVID-19.

Though many middle schools were reluctant to participate as the pandemic was still around and everyone had different protocols, the service learning participants worked hard to promote their event and eventually amassed nearly a hundred students from five middle schools.

“I used to come to Sage’s Math Field Day when I was in middle school,” said junior Helen Fu, who volunteered on the day of the event. “It was always great to work with a team and solve problems together.”

At Math Field Day, students engaged in various team competitions centering on algebra, geometry, number theory, mental math, and engineering, as well as some brain teasers.

There was also an individual Countdown Contest, similar to Mathcounts’ Countdown Round. All activities were designed by Sage students in the Math Field Day service learning, a process which took over? two months.

“It was super fun,” said Adam Liu, a sixth grader from Heritage Oak. “My favorite was the Algebra test. The prob-

lems were so weird and interesting!”

While the middle schoolers were busy solving problems, Sage students were not off on the side relaxing either.

During the team competitions, five Sage students served as proctors; the rest remained in the headquarters to grade tests and calculate team scores, or

hopped from room to room to answer any clarifying questions the middle schoolers may have.

“We’ve got some very efficient people this year,” said Mrs. Angotti, an advisor for the Math Field Day service learning along with Mrs. Cassidy. “They’re the fastest graders we’ve ever had!”

Sage students help to lead workshops during Math Field Day

At the end of the day, all participating middle schoolers got their goodie bags—which consisted of a mini calculator, a Rubik’s cube, a puzzle, and candy.

Math Field Day will be returning again next year, and the Service Learning group hopes to expand their team and invite even more students.

Photo submitted by Helen Fu

The Bolt April 2022 Sage Hill School

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Sage campus History Though the Lens of Researcher Annual NHD Night showcases a variety of interests and talents Izzy De Leon March 8 marked the National History Day event for Sage’s class of 2025.

As a part of Sage Designated Courses, all freshmen take Patterns of Civilization where they complete a research project on a topic of their choice to present to family, friends, teachers, and faculty.

This year, twenty students won awards in exhibits, websites, papers, performances, and documentaries.

Within those twenty awards, students focused on prevalent issues such as women’s rights, fashion, war, politics, technological advancements, and culture.

In terms of women’s rights, Ava Eimani and Ceyda Shamsai made a presentation titled Marches, Protests, and Petitions: How Women Changed the World and Our Workforce, Chloe Dorman made a website titled A Marathon to Equality: Roberta Gibbs's Run at the Boston Marathon, and Madeleine Carroll made a documentary titled The Ball’s in Your Court: How the Creation of the WTA Changed the Stereotype of Women.

Similarly, for a focus on fashion, Anna Yang presented on Unlocking the Wardrobe: The Politics of 1920’s Fashion, and Chloe Kwon and Daniella Nguyen made a website on Fashion and Freedom: Europe and the United States.

As war is always a controversial and complex subject, multiple students focused on different aspects of warfare.

Joy Qu presented Nuclear MAD-ness, Charlotte Cheng made a website on Prolonged and Controversial: The Anti-Vietnam War Protests, and Emily Chen

Freshman Raquel Ryabova and Breanny Trujillo showcase their National History Day projects. made a documentary on On the Basis Of National Security: The Internment of Japanese Americans During World War II. Additionally, in terms of politics and diplomacy, Alden Hubbard made a documentary on The Rise, Debate, and Fall of Jim Crow, and Courtney Tetteh-Martey presented on A Promise Laced with Lies.

Courtney said that reporting on how the Bureau of Indian Affairs affected diplomatic relations between the United States and Native American tribes “allowed [her] to explore [her] historical interests and create an impactful project that helped tell a powerful story.”

For technological advancements, Katelyn Gan and Alice Wu wrote their papers An Unsolvable Growing Issue: The E Waste Problem the World is Facing and How Forensics Shaped Justice respectively.

Lastly, for culture, the widest category, there were presentations, documentaries, and a performance. The most awards were presented to exhibits, with Yoyo Li on Two Days; One Right, Justin Graham on Art in the Streets: Transforming Cities from the Inside Out, Natalie Asghar on Spider-Man: A Real Life Hero, Anna Gabriel The Danger of the Peace

Sign, and Ailee Stewart on Beetles as Popular as “The Beetles:” Scarabs in Ancient Egyptian Religion and Life. Dillan Shah and Saara Dang made their respective documentaries on Lights, Camera, Debate: How Television Changed Politics and Cultural Dishes: Hungry and Hierarchal, and Evan Pak performed about The Double-Edged Sword: The Piano and The Lover.

This wide range of presentations from the freshmen’s NHD projects exemplify the Sage students' diverse interests and abilities to pursue them on campus.

Community Cornerstone: Sage Designated Courses Providing students with a global prospective and Six Cs, SDC bring changes to graduation requirements Phoebe Pan As the deadline for next year’s course selection neared, the Sage Center Designated courses were a popular topic among the School’s freshmen and sophomores.

Recently, the School announced the next steps of the SCD program, releasing the list of current designated courses.

The school-wide discussion began because the program would be fully implemented starting next year, as the School announced the new requirements for all incoming students, as well as current freshmen and sophomores.

Now, freshmen must complete four designated courses, while sophomores are required to complete three, instead of the original five credits.

The Sage Center Designated program was designed to highlight the unique course offerings and experiences at Sage through encouraging students to participate in classes that center on the values of the Six Cs; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) education; and the interconnectivity of all aspects of the Sage experience.

Tenth Grade Lead Class Advisor

Alyssa Flynn emphasized these school goals, describing the program’s “multifaceted” nature as an opportunity for students to expand their learning “both in and outside of the classroom, with a focus being on the skills developed through the Six C’s.”

Assistant Head of School for Academics Dr. Matt Balossi also mentioned these values, adding that the program focuses on “provid[ing] space and support for diverse works, voices, and practices across all subject areas.”

Due to these benefits, Flynn encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunities by participating in any way that fits with their schedules, emphasizing the School’s “intentionality in the creation of these courses that could help Sage Hill students think more critically and stand out” as an essential and valuable part of the program.

At first, the program was met with mixed reactions: while some students accepted the new curriculum, others worried whether these increased requirements may affect their course plans for the future. This fear was especially prevalent among the sophomore class, as many were unsure how to fulfill the

original requirement while still taking courses within their interest.

Freshman class Co-Chair Anna Yang said that while many freshmen were concerned, they were less worried overall, as they had more time to adapt.

“We just started planning our course loads…a lot of the SCD courses are more accessible to us,” she said. Yang added that “now that we only need to complete four SCD courses, a part of that stress has been unloaded.”

According to Balossi, the School took note of the students’ concerns and modified the requirements as a result.

He explained that the worries caught the administration’s attention, stating, “we understood completely that some current students and families felt underprepared to complete the programming as a graduation requirement,” adding that “the reduction of expectations allows for students to experience the majority of the Sage Center Designated programming while also allowing room for their previously made course plans.”

While many considered the SCD program to be a new requirement, Balossi explained that the system’s origins go back to the start of the Sage Center itself.

From the beginning, there were “steps taken internally to begin the alignment of these programs, goals, and skills, including the idea of developing Sage Center Designated courses.”

He clarified the program’s long-term goals, pointing out that the Sage Center Designated course program strives to develop students’ skills both in and out of the classroom by promoting values that have life-long significance.

“We often overlook the fact that classroom learning experiences help students develop essential skills, not just content knowledge,” Balossi noted. “If we can bring greater awareness of growth in our skill sets then they are more likely to become ingrained as habits.”

Both Balossi and Flynn mentioned how this greater meaning to the program led the School to revise its policies, ensuring that the students could experience these opportunities in a way that fit with their four-year plans without causing further stress.

Regardless of the requirements, the goals of the program are meant to align with the School’s core values, playing an important role in the unique Sage experience.

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Features STATE CHAMPS!

The Bolt April 2022 Sage Hill School

Priya Bhakta Our girls’ basketball team had nothing short of an amazing season! With the support of our community behind them, the girls' basketball team had an incredible run that ended with them bringing home Sage Hill’s first state championship.

After a close loss at the CIF-SS Division 2AA finals, the team rallied back to win the Division 2 State Championship.

Throughout the highs and lows of their season, the team stuck together and continued to keep working toward their goals. In the end, it was their hard work that led them to an exciting victory. Each of the rounds featured amazing plays and important shots.

Specifically, one three-pointer that sophomore Zoie Lamkin shot with five seconds left in the game led the Lighting team to victory over Long Beach Polytechnic High School in the second round of the state tournament. The shot helped set the mood for the rest of the tournament, helping our Lady Lightning team power past Ontario Christian, Santiago High School, and San Joaquin Memorial in the finals.

We are so proud of the recognition that many of our players have gotten for their hard work in the CIF and state tournaments!

Sophomores Zoie Lamkin, Emily Eadie, and Kat Righeimer earned honorable mention, first team, and second team honors, respectively, in the San Joaquin League. Sophomore Emily Eadie also earned CIF honors, receiving a place on the Division 2AA All CIF-SS first team.

The dedication that our sophomores have shown is truly impressive and inspiring!

As the captain of the team, senior Isabel Gomez has been an instrumental part of the team’s success and an

Rick Davitt

Sage Hill girls’ basketball wins first state championship in School history. important leader on and off the court.

Adding co-MVP in the Division 2AA All CIF-SS league and first team All San Joaquin League to her collection of honors, her dedication and drive have shone this season.

According to head coach Kerwin

Walters, “[she] was key to building a championship level team.” Junior and fellow team member Lauren Pak describes her as, “a natural leader who always encourages everyone around her to do their best with her talents and optimism.” Isabel’s spirit and drive will truly be missed

on and off the court next year!

We are so proud of the amazing run that the girls’ basketball team had this year, ending with winning Sage Hill’s first state championship! It will be exciting to see what they will accomplish in the coming years!

Spiking the ball Roya Yahgami

Junior Gregory Po jumps up to spike the volleyball.

Sabrina Do | The Bolt

Girls’ beach volleyball and boys’ volleyball are in full swing! Girls’ volleyball practices alongside the ocean, while the boys prepare for their games in the Ube. Beach volleyball played their matches at Corona del Mar State Beach. Many of the girls who play volleyball in the fall continued their training this spring to maintain their skills and try new techniques they can bring back to campus.

“Beach volleyball has been going well. It is a lot of work and in some ways completely different than indoor volleyball, so that can be challenging,” said junior Avery Watson. “It is fun to have practice at the beach and I have been enjoying it a lot.”

Watson comments on their first game against Capo Valley Christian, explaining, “Our first game against Capo Valley Christian was good. It was challenging to get into gameplay, but we noticed improvements from the beginning to the end of the game.

We are definitely improving.”

Sophomore Alex Gomez said, “All the girls are really close, and we all bond together at the beach every day.”

Back in the Ube, boys’ volleyball had a fun season. Junior Carter Bryant said, “It has been really exciting to watch our team grow and progress through each match.

Our team has an excellent work ethic and I think there is no limit to how good we can become.”

WINTER WONDERLAND AT SAGE Yasmin Dennis With the pandemic preventing any dances from being held last year, the students at Sage Hill were finally able to experience winter formal this past February. With the theme being “Winter Wonderland,” there were numerous holiday decorations, in addition to an ice cream truck, a DJ, and a photo booth. Students jumped up and down on the dance floor, singing lyrics and laughing

along with the music.

Sophomore Arietta Goshtasby explains how she “enjoyed the energetic atmosphere of the dance,” and the music definitely added to this lively environment.

From Pitbull’s “Hotel Room Service” to “Boyfriend” by Justin Bieber, the DJ played an array of upbeat pop and rap music. Many people enjoyed the ice cream truck, and sophomore Jenna Adham says that “it was the perfect complement to a busy holiday season.”

There was a big turnout at the dance, and the large number of students added to the excitement of the evening. At one point, the dance floor was so crowded that people collided with one another, busting out dance moves along the way. It was a vivacious experience and the ice cream truck made it extra chill.

Winter formal provided the perfect start to mid-winter break, which gave all students a great opportunity to relax before the stress of finals.

Arts

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ONE ACTS:

Sage Hill Meets Broadway Elizabeth Wattenberg This year’s Sage Hill One Acts Festival spanned two days in February and wowed the audience of students, families, and friends in our very own “Broadway” Black Box Theater.

Theater Ensemble students got to experience what it is like to write, produce and direct their own One Act plays and showcase their talents. And the audience got to enjoy nine amazing One Acts that included comedies, love stories, musical pieces, and dramas directed by eleven extremely talented theater students.

The Theatre Ensemble students worked long hours perfecting their scripts. They chose their actors from amongst the Sage Hill student actors who auditioned for parts not knowing exactly which One Act they were auditioning for.

Sophomore actor Tatiana Malezadeh commented, “I think that was part of the excitement. Sometimes when you know the storyline you get set on wanting a specific character.”

It is an amazing experience for both writers, directors, and student actors.

The directors work intensely with their actors, perfecting the performance during X-Blocks or after school.

“I feel so lucky to be surrounded by these amazing people I met during One Acts. It was also very interesting to play multiple, completely different characters,” The cast of Subway Artist poses for a silly group photo. freshman actor Zabelle Martin reflects. confidence within me.”

After a successful two days of perfor- says. “I went into One Acts with not a lot of confidence about my script and The tradition of One Acts in the Themances, director Olivia Sheng reflected ater Ensemble program allows our Sage on her experience of writing and directing a whole lot of self-doubt, but it was so incredibly beneficial to work with such Hill theater students to experience what it her One Act, “Subway Artist.” talented actors who not only brought my is really like to create a professional the“My favorite thing about directing script to life but instilled so much more ater piece from start to finish and to share was working with my actors!” Sheng

Book Review: All My Sons

& American Materialism Ingrid Luo

values of honor or integrity and the societal reality of materialism.

Both Chris and Joe are in a gray On the surface, Arthur Millarea: Chris’s ideals are applaudable er’s All My Sons simply depicts the but hypocritical to his actions (he took heart-wrenching stories and discoveries of the Keller family after World War II. Af- money out of his family’s business, which he suspected to be “dirty”), and ter digging deeper, however, it becomes evident that there is an innate criticism of Joe’s intentions are well-minded, yet his means to achieve them are unethAmerican society throughout the play. ical. Ultimately, Miller portrays that The tension of the play reaches its pinnacle when Chris Keller rebukes his neither Chris nor Joe are completely at father, Joe, for failing to see a world past fault. Rather, society, which has moldhis nuclear family and sacrificing the lives ed itself into establishing wealth as the sole method of survival, should be held of twenty-one pilots in exchange for his business. In response, Joe insists that, by accountable.

There is much more to be Chris’s standards, no one in the country picked apart in All My Sons, and Miller is free of guilt, as everyone prioritizes excellently embeds his messages or profits over idealistic morals. criticism within the dialogue of the The conflict between Chris and characters.

Joe reflects a clash between American

David Kim | The Bolt it with the entire Sage Hill community.

And judging from the applause at the end of each and every One Act, this year’s Festival in the Black Box was a resounding success.

Bravo!

Movie Review: The Batman & Justice

Karmen Sandhu I have heard enough “I’m vengeance” jokes to tell you that the public is going crazy over the new Batman movie, directed by Matt Reeves.

Be warned, if you are not someone who enjoys longer movies, then this may not be for you, since the movie runs for about three hours. Robert Pattinson, known for his role in the Twilight series as Edward Cullen, was casted to play as Bruce Wayne, aka Batman.

Personally, I believe that he did an amazing job at portraying his character.

Zoë Kravitz, who played Catwoman, also did an amazing job in complementing Pattinson. I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between these two antiheros.

The antagonist in the movie is a villain already seen in DC Comics, the

Riddler, played by Paul Dano.

Set in Gotham City, corruption and abuse of power is shown as a major problem.

When a masked villain arises from the shadows, leaving behind cryptic clues, Bruce Wayne is forced to uncover the truth of his past and race against time to save the city that he loves.

What I truly loved was the post credits which hints that there is more to come.

They lead to a Riddler-themed website, which is phenomenal marketing, since it keeps the watcher engaged even after watching the movie. I don’t want to give too many spoilers, so I will leave you with a riddle: It can be cruel, poetic, or blind. But when it’s denied, it’s violence you may find.

What is it?

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Young Influencers Take Over Celebrity Spotlight?

Noe Lee As a little girl, I always dreamed of becoming a celebrity. Magazines, movies, and songs drew me in with their constant glamor and allure. As I grew up, a weird phenomenon known as “the Internet” took the media by storm, changing my view of celebrities and fame as a whole.

Suddenly, the average person could directly view each celebrity’s life at the click of a button, and their presence on social media had the potential to drastically alter public opinion. Major celebrities like Amanda Seyfried, Zendaya, and Ashton Kutcher began to use social media to connect to their fans and audiences globally. Strategic selfies and edited lattes filled feeds with beauty and normalcy that fans and masses could tangibly connect to.

But as more people entered the social media world, different types of “‘celebrities” gained popularity. It became much more accessible for a regular person to gain fame for something as simple as a makeup tutorial, or lifestyle vlog. Gym rats, artists, and comedians alike began to publish media that attracted thousands of viewers virtually. These pseudo-celebrities became known as ‘influencers,’ named after their influence on popular culture and media. Famous examples include YouTube Star Emma Chamberlain and TikTok sweetheart Charli D’Amelio. But how did these people gain such popularity and power over social media? And are these people less deserving of fame than their polished predecessors?

Debates have been sparked throughout the years about the worthiness of influencers to have access to such largescale platforms in such small amounts of time. Critics of these influencers argue that a 15-second lip-syncing video doesn’t deserve more attention than a new actress’s breakout film. Though editing a ten-minute YouTube video can take talent and time, followers of other celebrities got up in arms when influencers started taking their place in the spotlight next to celebrities. Major discussions were sparked when makeup guru James

TikTok star Charli D’Amelio is a prime example of an influencer who has become a pseudocelebrity in recent years.

Photo by Priyanka Pruthi, licensed by Creative Commons

Charles attended the highly exclusive Met Gala. The Met gala (also known as the MET or the MET ball) receives raving amounts of buzz and media attention every year as America’s favorite celebrities and designers collaborate to put on the most fabulously dressed, beautiful fashion event of the year. So when young makeup artist James Charles walked the Met, critics had a field day comparing his accomplishments to those of American sweethearts. This comparison soon evolved into blatant criticism of influencers’ every moves,tearing them down just for existing.

Which begs the question– Where is the line drawn between celebrities and influencers? For example, can Kim Kardashian really be considered a celebrity, or would “influencer” be a more fitting term? In my research, I discovered that influencer followings are usually younger audiences. As a teenage girl who spent her fundamental years of childhood with access to the Internet and social media, I recognize the change seen in younger millennials and Generation Z when

discussing the culture of fame. Stardom, at its core, is simply popularity. This popularity has adapted to the skyrocketing use of the online community. People follow influencers because they can be anyone. They can be beautiful and talented, yes,but they can also be random and awkward and relatable. They have more control over their content and can influence the community through their positive and negative decisions online. They often feel more relatable and tangible than classically famous celebrities. Celebrities can be influencers, but can influencers be celebrities? Though the rise in influencers has taken the media by storm, the idea of influencers isn’t necessarily new. I would argue that famous heiress Paris Hilton belongs on an influencer list rather than a celebrity list. However, there is no set definition for either term, leaving an enormous grey area when attempting to differentiate between the two.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. It sounds cheesy and cliché, but I would hope that people become famous for a reason. Though I

don’t denounce the platforms of social media stars, I do believe that it’s important to give credit where credit is due.

Starving unknown artists being muscled out of the spotlight by random groups of beautiful teenagers doesn’t sit right with me. That being said, neither I nor anyone else can give a clear answer for the worthiness of another person’s achievements. Should Dixie D’Amelio have been allowed to perform at KIIS-FM’s Jingle Ball even though she only had two years of training? I’m not sure.

Should we be more willing to “cancel” influencers rather than celebrities due to their quick rise to fame and lack of trust in their background? No clue.

I don’t believe that fame is always given due to merit, but I hope that people learn to be kinder to each other. It’s important to remember that there is a person behind the screen, and that words can have real-world impacts on others.

As social media and the Internet continue to gain traction, I can only hope that people can accept each other rather than tear each other down.

Ukraine and Russia: Profiles in Leadership Alia Sajjadian “I don’t need a ride, I need more ammunition”, quipped President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in response to the United States’ offer to help the Ukrainian president escape the country two days into the Russian invasion. With these words, Zelenskyy made his stance clear and set the tone for his countrymen: he would not abandon his country and Ukraine would remain autonomous. Despite fears that Ukraine would quickly fall to the historically stronger adversary with three times the population, Ukraine fights on more than a month into the war.

Not only has it managed to withstand the increasingly brutal and reckless attacks on civilian targets that have resulted in a massive refugee crisis, Ukraine remains resolute and the country’s morale remains surprisingly high. Russia appears no closer to the sweeping victory it anticipated, and the leadership of President Zelenskyy is arguably the main reason for this.

Although Ukraine’s independence in of itself is of great importance, the principles of liberty and self-determination

have global ramifications. The success or failure of Ukraine as a sovereign democracy creates a playbook for other autocrats who identify with Russian president Vladimir Putin’s ambitions for greater geo-political influence and his justification for obtaining it. Putin has openly lamented the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the USSR, and has stated that Ukraine is essentially part of Russia. Beyond the immediate goal of control over Ukraine, Putin aims to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and ward off the encroaching influence of the West on a neighboring country.

In his objective to re-establish greater Russian dominance, Putin now finds himself battling two fronts, one to exert authority over an autonomous nation and the other to maintain his own control over the Russian military and people. Unlike the unified motivation of Ukrainian troops led by Zelenskyy, Russian troops are reported to be more fragmented in their agenda. Some have blatantly disregarded orders and expressed their objection to this war. Additionally, in the weeks since the war commenced, thousands of Russian citizens have been arrested, particularly the younger generations,

Mykhaylo Markiv / The Presidential Administration of Ukraine (licensed by Creative Commons) Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his 2019 presidential inauguration in Ukraine. after voicing their disapproval in public protests. Although there is no clear end in sight, the war has defined the leadership of both Putin and Zelenskyy. As the

world watches, one leader has become the representation of repression and autocracy, and the other, the symbol of perseverance and democracy.