The Bolt August 2019

The

BOLT

Instagram: @shspublications

August 2019 Volume 20, Issue 1 lightningboltonline.com Sage Hill School 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657

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Then and Now At Sage Hill

As the school celebrates its 20th year, we reflect on its constant core values Ian Grimm Twenty years is a long time for anything.

It’s the transformation period from lolling infant to college student, equivalent to the collected lifespans of two hundred sixty common houseflies.

Sage Hill enters its third decade and welcomes its 20th class this year, entering a new moment when the school itself is older than many of its students. We’re all offered the opportunity to reflect on how things have changed, and take advantage of the possibilities the next twenty years have to offer.

The mythology of Sage Hill School marks its origins in the mid-1990s, when a group of visionary parents and educators decided to create a top-tier independent high school to nurture students, push them forward, grow their skills and allow them to succeed in the real world. The school opened in September of 2000, with a freshman class of 90 students and 30 sophomores.

From these humble beginnings, Sage only moved upward. The Studio at Sage Hill was added in 2009, complete with the Black Box Theater and spaces built for dance, choir, band, and visual arts. This building cemented the school’s commitment to both arts specifically and the student experience at large.

The science complex, built in 2014, was another major milestone in the school’s growth, creating 13,000 square feet of lab space for Sage’s science students. Six tennis courts and the swimming pool, added in 2016 and 2017, enhanced the school’s sports offerings and transformed Sage into not just an academic powerhouse but also an athletic one.

Many students are quite happy about the most recent renovation, last year’s overhaul of the Johnson Family Library. The modernization added a number of small hangout nooks, made the upper library much more open and expansive and a new upstairs conference room, the McNeill Merz Loft. “[I] love it,” said senior Rohun Krishan.

“The library remodel is awesome, and what’s even more awesome is how they let us eat lunch there now.”

Amid all this dynamic growth, and the explosion of the school size to approximately 550 students split across four grades, Sage has held remarkably consistent in the elements that really matter. “Sage Culture,” an esoteric, elusive ideal that represents the inclusivity, drive, passion and growth-ori-

Editorial, Page 2

Photos provided by the Sage Hill School archives

This is what Wilkins Town Square looked like shortly after construction of Sage Hill School in 2000. The trees back then were freshly planted, and now they tower above the students and provide some shade as they sit in Town Square for lunch or Town Meetings. ented ethos woven into the fabric of Sage Hill, continues to inform student experiences. The six Cs (Character, Collaboration, Community, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Cross-Cultural Competency, for our freshman readers) are alive and well.

The success of Sage Culture is in large part due to the students and faculty who live it, taking each day.

“Sage Hill’s culture is created and maintained by our students. I always appreciate how our students are dedicated to making our campus a warm, welcoming and accepting environment for everyone,” Head of School Patricia Merz said. “Each year the culture evolves in ways that reflect the personalities, spirit and interests of our community.”

Another trend that’s stayed constant is the approach to teaching: formulated as a place to learn how to learn, Sage and its faculty focus on helping students critically analyze topics or synthesize information, enabling an excellent learning environment

News, Page 3

For its first year, much of Sage Hill’s campus was an active construction site.

Above, the area outside the library is finished off before school started. for students at Sage.

“What’s remained constant is the quality of our faculty, because they try to be part of the class environment, mentors and guides rather than mere instructors,” said Sage

Education, Page 4

President Gordon McNeill. “A lot of classes run using the Socratic method of asking lots of questions back and forth, of having discussions and debates, and that philosophy has been at Sage since Day One.”

Summer, Page 6

Opinion, Page 8

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Editorial

The Bolt August 2019 Sage Hill School

Flipping the Way We Learn

YouTube has become a fundamental source of education for the modern generation. From Khan Academy to John Green, students spend many hours online learning from video tutorials.

As a result, teachers have begun to create their own videos for their students to watch, incorporating a teaching style called Flipped Learning.

Flipped Learning quite literally brings a 180-degree turn to the traditional classroom setting.

Using this method, standard lectures are taught at home via tutorials, and assignments are completed in class when teachers are available to answer questions.

Sage Hill math teacher Derek Carlson has been using this innovative strategy in his classes since teaching computer science in 1998.

“The biggest benefit is that a flipped classroom, at least in the courses I teach, is far more efficient. In a traditional class, students generally have far more questions during the homework than during lecture. This is particularly true for math,” Carlson said.

Flipped classrooms enable students to have a more interactive learning experience, with more one-on-one time with instructors.

“I actually really like it. It gives teachers more time to explain any questions students have about the lesson in class.

I also can pause the videos to process the information” junior Melinda Don said.

Another element that attracts people to this system is accessibility. The lectures are post-

ed online and can be watched from anywhere at anytime. The Flipped Classroom enables students to learn at their own pace, by rewatching videos and reviewing topics whenever they need to. This ultimately creates efficiency.

“Another benefit is that students spend a lot less time on my course, especially at night; they seem to understand better, and the vast majority report really liking it much better than traditional-style,” Carlson added.

The Flipped Classroom has become increasingly popular and has proven effective. A study from a journal titled, Pro-

T

Editors-in-Chief Yuna Baek (Bolt), Lily Button (Bolt), Ian Grimm (Online), and Alicia Theologides Rodriguez (Storm)

Adviser Kelly Abbate

which is hard to have videos for since the info in my materials is constantly changing (latest tax law, for example),” Carlson said.

Flipped Learning is more effective in some courses more than others.

Ultimately, we believe that the tutorial technology is a beneficial resource for students and teachers alike. It creates a contemporary solution to old-fashioned classroom systems that had remained relatively stagnant since the 17th century. We believe that adapting is important and are interested to see where this technology is headed in the future.

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-chiefs Lily Button or Yuna Baek and put in their mailboxes on campus. These letters may not exceed 150 words or they will be edited for inclusion.

Editorial Board Jacob Gibbs, Polina Mogilevsky and Annie Tang

ceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America shows that “students in traditional lecture courses are 1.5 times more likely to fail than students in courses with active learning”.

However, the learning system also has a drawback. Older videos could become outdated over the years as new information is discovered, making the information less reliable. To combat this, the onus is on the teacher to keep replacing and updating tutorials as specific course material or research changes. “[Financial Literacy] is a class

Lauren Avenatti Elizabeth Casey Joey Cha Megan Chan Riya Chaturvedi Courtney Davis Param Desagami Isabel Gomez Riya Gupta Linda Hachim Camille Hansen William Ho Adam Hung

David Kim Sanjana Khurana Julia Kwon Ethan Lee Valentina Lin Max Luer Amanda Marshall Alexander Orozco Anisha Punia Sasha Ronaghi Arielle Schultz Max Tu Reese Wensinger

News 3 Cafe Gets A Makeover The Bolt August 2019 Sage Hill School

An Expanded Flik Will Do the Trick Riya Gupta

Three Flik employees prepare which products to place in the kitchen.

Yuna Baek | The Bolt

Yuna Baek | The Bolt

Flik gets an addition of a mini fridge, popcorn machine,and soft serve machine.

Flik is an integral part of Sage Hill culture. Whether someone gets a bagel or hash browns (or why not both?) before Town Meeting, sushi on Fridays, or ice cream to enjoy during X Block, many students have integrated a stop at Flik into their daily school routine.

However Flik’s popularity spurs quite a crowd, causing hungry students to wait in line for anywhere up to 15 minutes before they can enjoy their food.

“The food was very, very great, but the only problem I experienced with it was the amount of people. It was a bit too crowded,” said sophomore Aviela Chang of her experience with Flik last year.

Many students voiced the same opinion as Chang. In order to improve their customer service, Flik set to work, taking this as an opportunity not only to expand its square footage but also their offerings.

To the dismay of some Summer at Sage students, that meant they had to take a break from Flik along with the rest of the student body as the cafe was closed for the whole summer.

That meant no summer school snacks and a provisional snack store in the front office.

However, this time off was

well spent as the additional space added will allow Flik to serve its global cuisine at faster rates while offering many more options.

Flik Director Sharon Luengas said the additional space will provide “a greater variety of beverages, snacks, and hot food,” including, but not limited to, “two espresso machines with a hot chocolate option, a soft serve ice cream machine with assorted toppings, and a complete wall of desired snacks.”

Additionally, there will be “counters for the panini press, utensils, and condiments plus built in cabinets for two brand new microwaves.” A daily $5 menu and more gluten-free and vegan options will be offered as well.

Senior Zoe Mazakas said the expansion is “probably a good idea because, with a growing student population, more space is needed. It will probably be easier to navigate inside the cafe.”

New double doors along with more chefs and cashiers will also help keep the Flik traffic running smoothly. In other words: more food and less wait time.

Now not only will students anticipate what is in store for their new classes, but they will also wonder what other surprises the new Flik has to offer. So, who wants to go to Flik?

FUN TIMES AT CAMP SAGE A Summer of Leading, Laughing, and Learning

Max Tu One might think of Summer at Sage as a bunch of high schoolers taking credit classes to get ahead of the curve.

However, outside of the note taking classroom walls, young middle schoolers are learning a plethora of new things at Camp Sage.

“Camp Sage is a more relaxed atmosphere for younger kids and they are able to learn a multitude of stuff. They are not being graded, it’s very relaxed, and everyone has fun,” said Camp Sage counselor and sophomore Ethan Nguyen.

As a camp counselor, Nguyen and others were responsible for taking the kids around campus to the location of their seminar.

Seminars at Camp Sage included Drama, How to Do Stuff, Public Speaking and more.

During lunch, the camp counselors started games of dodgeball or badminton to make sure the kids were not bored.

While Camp Sage was a great opportunity for young kids to learn new things, the camp

counselors were also gaining experience and maturity. For most of them, this was their first time working a real job.

“I wanted to go through the interview process and start working for money,” Nguyen said.

Students also had the opportunity of teaching seminars as well. Senior Jackie Ni taught the seminar “It’s Just Javascript.” In this seminar, students learned the fundamentals of Javascript. Toward the end of the seminar, they were able to create their own websites.

It’s difficult to teach an advanced subject to young kids.

Everyone is a different learner, so it’s important they understand Javascript in their own “language.” The task required patience and Ni was ready for the challenge.

“When I first began teaching the class, it was as if I was talking to a room of young Jackie’s, avid learners who knew nothing about programming.

As such, I had to learn how to ‘dumb’ down or convert my knowledge of JavaScript into more understandable terms,” Ni

Courtesy of Lynette Swanson

Middle schoolers at Camp Sage participate in the How to Do Stuff seminar. said. “This was no easy process as some students were shy to ask questions while others found greater interest in online distractions.”

Summer at Sage is always jam-packed with energy and things to do. For those who go to Sage, they can take credit

classes to get ahead or take August workshops and enrichment classes. For the younger audience, Camp Sage offered opportunities for students to venture out their comfort zones and learn useful knowledge for the future.

“I believe that Camp Sage

is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about various subjects. The teachers are simply amazing,” Ni said. “They truly care for the students and want them to understand the material well. Also, the camp counselors are fantastic and attend to every student’s needs.”

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Educ

The Bolt August 2019 Sage Hill School

Dion Simmons

The Newes Meet some of the new teachers

In addition to the faces here, we are also welcomin McCarty, Learning Specialist Nichole Ngo

Jennifer Scott Sage kids know Mr. Simmons as one of the coolest substitute teachers, who occasionally spices up classes with riddle games. This year, Mr. Simmons is joining the English department.

Prior to being hired as a full-time teacher at Sage Hill, Simmons taught English and a New Orleans literature course at the University of Kansas.

In college, Simmons was originally going to study philosophy, but transferred to English because his school shut down the philosophy program.

Transferring to English was an opportune change.

“For the past 9 years, I have been enthusiastically studying and teaching

various topics in English,” Simmons said.

Simmons hopes his class will encourage students “to read, write, listen, and speak with a critical mind.

To always pose the question and always seek the answer,” Simmons said. “[I want students] to understand that no draft is ever final. To utilize a team of editors and go through numerous revisions just as professional writers do because good writing is a matter of good revisions” he said.

In his free time, Simmons enjoys spending time with his dogs, fishing, playing video games and softball. He is also an Angels fan.

Ms. Scott, an avid reader and literary traveler, will be joining the English department this year. One of Scott’s favorite hobbies is traveling to the places where her favorite authors lived and wrote.

“When I was 12, I traveled to Prince Edward Island, land of L.M. Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables for what would be the first of many literary pilgrimages.

Since then, I’ve followed the steps of Joyce in Dublin, Kafka in Prague, and Austen throughout England,” Scott said.

Before coming to Sage, Scott taught

at the Tatnall School in Delaware for 18 years and while she “never anticipated spending more than two years in Delaware,” Scott said, she met another teacher who would go on to teach her lessons she would later try to pass along to her own students.

Scott wants her students to know that “there isn’t one correct way to interpret a text. If it can be supported with the text, then it’s a valid interpretation,” she said.

Sydney Smith Judy Richonne

Ms. Richonne is a woman who has walked both Hadrian’s Wall and Offa’s Dyke. She is a lover of science fiction and crochets blankets for veterans in her free time.

This multidimensional woman will be joining our History department this fall.

Richonne has always had a passion for history and is excited to share her love for the subject with her students.

“I taught at University High School in Irvine for the last 13 years, the prior 7 were at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

The school’s Arts Department is welcoming a new dance teacher this school year.

Ms. Smith has been dancing for 20 years and had spent 10 of those years teaching. Her clients are anywhere in the age range between 1 and 50 years old.

“I have been passionate about dance since I was 4 years old,” Smith said.

“After I got my bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, I discovered that danc-

ing is universal and there are several ways you can perceive it. I knew then I wanted to inspire others, as [my dance teacher], did. That is when I was drawn to teaching dance,” Smith said.

Ms. Smith hopes that through dance her students will “learn something new about peers, challenge themselves in a style they are not familiar with and to feel confident in at least one aspect of who they are as dancers and people,” she said.

School before that,” Richonne said.

Though much of her recent time has been dedicated to educating the youth, Richonne was also in the business world for 18 years.

Richonne hopes she can make her students come to “a realization that learning is a lifetime adventure, there is so much to find out! That each person is capable, competent, and can achieve their expectations. And, of course, that history is the coolest thing ever,” she said.

cation

The Bolt August 2019 Sage Hill School

st Lineup

5

Justin Johnson

and administration for 2019-20.

ng Chinese teacher Joanne Chen, Counselor Kelli om, and Science teacher Derek Shapiro.

Beatriz Jacobson Señora Jacobson will be joining the World Languages department as a Spanish teacher this coming fall. Although Spanish was her first language growing up due to her parents being from Mexico, Jacobson developed a deep love and appreciation for both Spanish and French from studying abroad in college.

While Jacobson has experience primarily in teaching high school kids, she also taught middle schoolers for

the last three years.

“I taught middle school Spanish at The Children’s School in La Jolla. It was a wonderful experience; the students were excited to come to school each day as were the teachers,” Jacobson said.

In her free time, Jacobson enjoys “working in the garden, cooking and serving what [she had] grown. Truly, ‘farm to table,’” she said.

Mr. Johnson, the boys’ volleyball coach, will be joining the Science department as a biology teacher this coming year.

“I always loved biology throughout high school and college but it was when I got to use my biology ideas and incorporate them toward concepts in Ecology and Marine Biology that I found my passion,” Johnson said.

Aside from being the boys’ volleyball coach, Johnson has also taught at the Ocean Institute, C3 Classes, and was a substitute teacher at Mater Dei

High School.

It was at the Ocean Institute that Johnson was allowed “to think outside of the box and to really incorporate a different strategy into [his] teaching” he said.

Johnson hopes his biology class will encourage his students to “be able to think like a scientist to solve everyday life problems”, he said, along with “ [learn] how to incorporate concepts learned in this class and relate them larger ones”.

Tovi Spero

Leyla Hanjan

Ms. Hanjan is joining the Sage Hill community as the new Associate Director of Admissions. She was “drawn to Sage Hill by its outstanding academic reputation and commitment to a strong mission,” Hanjan said.

Sage Hill’s core values (or as we all like to call them: “The Six Cs”) play a major role in the way our campus runs—from academic curriculum to the interactions between students and teachers and their peers. The value that

had the greatest meaning to Hanjan was community, because “it is such a critical part of the formative years,” Hanjan said.

When evaluating prospective Sage Hill students, Hanjan looks for “students who are academically high-achieving, highly-motivated, independent, and focused,” she said.

In her free time, Hanjan enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with her three sons.

Mr. Spero will be joining our science department as a Physics teacher this year. Interestingly, his relationship with his preferred subject of teaching had a rocky beginning.

“When I finally took physics my junior year it was the first time I was really challenged in a science class. I never saw myself as a “science student” and though my butt got kicked by physics I just started seeing it everywhere,” Spero said.

Despite his initial struggles, Spero did not give up, but rather “it really became a fascination and [he] knew that even though [he] wasn’t “good” at it [he] wanted to learn more,” he said.

Before Sage, the physics teacher and enthusiast taught at Hotchkiss

School in Connecticut and before that in public schools in New Jersey.

Spero wants his students to understand that “Science is a process not a body of knowledge. When someone rejects a scientific claim all you need to do is investigate. It isn’t about belief in an equation or concept. Science is the process of thinking and testing against evidence.

Science is for and benefits everyone. Though scientific advancements seem to only come from a limited group of people in the world (and a very narrow racial and gender demographic) science can be and should be done by everyone from every background.

Science is not solely for the elite” and finally, “Physics is everything”, he said.

Photos by Annie Tang Writing by Polina Mogilevsky

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Summer

The Bolt August 2019 Sage Hill School

Stryking into the fall season

Annie Tang | The Bolt

Sage Hill’s frosh-soph and JV girls’ volleyball teams hustle in after an intense warm-up game for further instructions.

Joey Cha | The Bolt

The cross country team wakes up early in the morning to run at the Buck Gully trail for summer practice.

Sanjana Khurana Sage Hill students not only excel in academics and the arts but are able to juggle their responsibilities while also staying involved in athletics. Coach Megan Cid encourages students to participate in sports with her enthusiastic attitude, always cheering “AAATHLETICS!” Student-athletes at Sage are dedicated to their sport and rigorously practiced during the summer in hopes to improve and prepare for the upcoming season. Girls’ volleyball, coed cross country, and boys’ football trained hard during the summer.

Senior Ashely Sung plays girls’ varsity volleyball and is entering her fourth and final year. Her constant encouraging and friendly attitude helps lead the team and lift their spirits.

“As a rising senior, I’m so excited to spend my last volleyball season at Sage with such a hardworking, fun, and dedicated group of girls. What better way to start off the school year than playing every day with some of my best friends!” Sung said. “I can say with confidence that we will be putting on a good show every game: diving for every ball, getting kills, and acing our serves.”

Senior Hannah Ren is a dedicated, enthusiastic member of the cross country team.

“Running can be really hard and painful but I have the sweetest team that makes hard runs so much better. Would definitely recommend this sport if you are looking for [something] challenging but rewarding. I am really excited for this upcoming season and am confident that we will do really well,” Ren said.

Sprinting ahead to the fall season, Ren believes in the team and is excited to see how they do this year.

Junior Christian Moyano is on the boys’ varsity football team has been on the starting offensive line since his freshman year.

“I have seen some really talented athletes from grades above get the spotlight (rightfully), and we lost about 9 or 10 seniors who were very good so this season is the beginning of a new era. We have really talented players who are ready to put in the time they need to gain more experience and succeed for themselves and our team,” said Moyano.

Moyano is excited to jump into “a new era” and believes with the new assets and

Joey Cha | The Bolt

The varsity football team gets ready for the upcoming season on the Ramer Field.

dedication, the team can win league again and place well in CIF. Coach Crabtree has been coaching the boys’ football team for four years and is “fired up for what’s in store.”

“These players in 2019, are hungry and are out to write their own story, and will be shooting for a high level of success… Seniors Dhruv Patel, Daniel Towers, and junior Christian Moyano all have many starts under their belt and are ready to carry this team on their back,” said Crabtree.

All of these players spent much of their summer practicing and preparing for the upcoming season and sacrificed time to travel or relax. Their hard work will be seen when the entire school is cheering for them this fall. Go Lightning!

Air Force Fun: A Senior’s Internship Sage Senior Ian Grimm Attends Summer Internship at Kirtland Air Force Base

Alicia Theologides Rodriguez Many students consider summer internships a window into the world of working adults while also paving a way to a career of their interest.

This was certainly the case for senior Ian Grimm who spent the majority of the summer conducting research at the Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“I found the program through a bunch of online research… I wanted a six week or greater summer program where I could do science stuff, but that was it that was my entire criteria” Grimm said.

During his time there, Grimm applied his knowledge of physics and coding to help construct a more current and accurate model

of Earth’s Magnetosphere. Everyday he worked from 9-5, meeting frequently with a mentor, to build this model. After his 10 weeks there, however, he left with more than just a comprehensive knowledge of the Magnetosphere or a fluency in Python.

“Well, there’s actually a lot of things that I did take away from this [experience], because the program, like any summer program, especially ones where you go away, had a lot of layers” Grimm said.

Having been surrounded by college and graduate students conducting similar research, Grimm could easily imagine a future in this line of work. He also grew to really like Albuquerque because of its range of outdoor activities. While memories of visiting White Sands

National Monument, hiking through volcanic rock in the Badlands, and exploring underground lava tubes will last him a lifetime, so will one very important skill. Because the work he was doing was so complex, Grimm struggled with finding the right way to ask for help from his mentor.

“I learned to ask the right questions, because that is often more productive than getting the right answers, especially with a task as ambiguous as ‘make this model better’” Grimm said.

While summer internships generally help students ponder their futures, as we learned with Grimm, many of the skills learned can Ian Grimm | The Bolt still be helpful in the present, and Ian Grimm and his father trek through White Sands applied throughout their academic National Monument under the bright mid-morning sun. and professional careers.

Community

The Bolt August 2019 Sage Hill School

7

Spring at Sage--

Learning Near and Far

Courtney Davis Sage Hill students roamed the streets of Quebec, explored the city of Vienna and built houses in New Orleans. Spring at Sage is a week dedicated to learning outside of the classroom environment and exploring a passion or new culture.

Last May, students got the opportunity to travel to different states and countries such as New Orleans, India, Spain and Budapest, or stay local and participate in a workshop.

Some examples of these workshop activities were circus arts, launching rockets, building an Alexa skill or designing an escape room.

Sophomore Kyle Wong reflected on the “Build Your Own Electric Guitar” workshop.

“Overall, [it was] an extensive learning experience with a rewarding end. I learned the mechanics of an electric guitar

and worked hard on creating my own,” Wong said. “I enjoyed the creative building process and appreciated Señor Izurieta’s enthusiasm for guitar-making.”

Senior Natalie Rosenberg experienced the vivid cultures of Spain and Portugal.

“My favorite part of the trip was going to the world’s oldest restaurant in Madrid with Leslie Frankel and eating a pig’s ear together. My overall experience was an 11/10. I made some great friends and great memories,” Rosenberg said.

Sophomore Julia Kwon went on a service trip to Puerto Rico, where students helped with hurricane relief.

“We did a beach cleanup, worked with plants and crops on a farm, and helped measure and record information about mangroves (many were destroyed during Hurricane Maria). These hands-on experiences opened my eyes to the true devasta-

Provided by Alicia Theologides Rodriguez Arecibo, Puerto Rico

tion of Puerto Rico after the hurricane, and it felt really good to help the community even by making just a small impact,” Kwon said.

Along with helping the community, the students also learned about Puerto Rican culture and had memorable moments with each other.

“I learned a lot about Puerto Rican food and culture.

We tried traditional empanadas and flan and visited street markets in San Juan. My favorite part of the trip was when we took a boat to a dock in the middle of the ocean and watched the sunset,” Kwon said.

These trips and workshops are so impactful and memorable to students as they learn and share from their experiences. Spring at Sage was most definitely a success, bringing students together and expanding their knowledge.

Boyd Jorden Madrid, Spain

Provided by Lily Button Da Nang, Vietnam

Dear Incoming

Freshmen,

Adam Hung Entering high school is a big step forward from middle school, and for many it can be a difficult transition to make.

School can be very challenging and stressful at times, but it’s also fun and rewarding.

As a high schooler, you will probably have a lot more freedom and responsibilities than in middle school, which means you will have to take it upon yourselves to manage and balance them with other aspects of your life. But don’t worry too much, as there will be plenty of people and resources available to help guide you along the way, like your parents, teachers, and weekly advisory meetings.

“Go to Conference and communicate with your teachers when you need help or when you have questions” senior Matthew Strok said.

Nobody knows what you should be doing to improve in classes better than the teachers of those classes, and they are all happy to give you advice.

It’s also important to remember that school isn’t just about classes and grades, and there are many great ways to get more involved with the school and to pursue passions such as clubs, sports, and student leader positions.

“Joining clubs is fun and

helps you meet new people. For example, if you like engineering or STEM, consider joining Robotics” junior and co-president of the Robotics club Isaac Choi said.

According to Sage’s website, Sage students participate in more than 50 clubs each year, so there really is something for everyone. You can even start your own club if you have a new idea.

“Be outgoing and try new things because that’s how you’ll meet new people and make new friends” junior Irene Choi said.

And although it’s easy to let other people’s situations influence how you feel about yourself, “don’t focus too much on comparing yourself to others and just focus on bettering yourself” sophomore William Alexander said.

Another really important aspect of high school is physical and mental wellness.

“Try to get enough sleep” senior Jeffrey Walbridge said.

Eating well, sleeping enough, and making sure you are generally in good health is very important, and will improve your school work and other aspects of your life.

Though it has its ups and downs, high school is an incredible and memorable experience that you will look back upon fondly for the rest of your life. Good luck!

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The Bolt August 2019 Sage Hill School

Backpage

Time to Take Action in Homeless Crisis

Sasha Ronaghi In the past few years, homlessness has become more prevalent in Orange County. According to a 2019 biennial census of homeless individuals, there are 6,860 homeless people in Orange County, with 4,000 living on the streets (LA Times, 4/25/19). This is a sharp increase from the 2017 estimate of 4,800 homeless people in the county. The majority of the homeless population consists of veterans and families with children.

In Orange County specifically, the push to clear encampments is displacing many homeless people into cities where they are vulnerable to stricter anti-camping, trespassing, and loitering laws, resulting in incarceration or other penalties.

In September of 2017, 400 people were cleared from under the Angel Stadium (OC Register, 1/22/18). In February 2018, more than 700 people were removed from the Santa Ana River Trail and moved to temporary housing in motels (LA Times, 2/26/18).

Recently, temporary motel housing vouchers expired, and now the county is struggling to find a permanent solution for the displaced homeless population.

The proposed solution by county officials was to build emergency shelters in Irvine, Laguna Beach, and Huntington Beach for homeless people who did not engage in

illegal drug use or sexual crimes.

After this plan was announced, there was a large community backlash from residents who wanted to protect their safe communities and believed that the shelter didn’t need to be in their backyard. The most fierce opposition came from the citizens of Irvine, famously known to be one of the top 10 safest cities worldwide. The community mobilized using Facebook pages and WeChat groups and included people who didn’t usually get politically involved. The result of their efforts was the plan being overturned. Currently, officials are still trying to find ways to build homeless shelters.

(LA Times, 4/1/18) The protests allude to the larger overarching Orange County culture of trying to pretend the problem doesn’t affect us.

In fact, one protest organizer said, “That’s not fair for them to come dump everyone in Irvine. This is a countywide problem… not just Irvine’s problem.” (LA Times, 4/1/18) I believe that the first step in reducing homelessness in Orange County and providing stability for our residents who need it the most is to recognize and take ownership of our problem. All 34 cities of Orange County must work together to determine potential solutions. In the protests against permanent housing, opponents to the emergency shelters

did not offer any solution; instead, the common sentiment was to push the issue out to another city. One resident said, “I really don’t know where they can go. But Irvine is beautiful, and we don’t want it to get destroyed.”

The most proven solution is to provide permanent housing. Although homelessness often arises from sudden job loss, family breakdown, severe substance abuse or mental health problems, most traditional homelessness policies like Irvine’s plan give homeless people permanent accommodation after they are clean and stable, instead of helping them to solve their problems.

Now, experts believe that the “housing first” policy could provide a better solution by giving people housing and access to counseling and medical attention because it is much easier to overcome a substance abuse disorder or gain employment with a roof over your head. With this approach, the number of homeless individuals has decreased by approximately 40% in Finland (Bloomberg, 7/18/19) and 72% in Utah (Utah’s Comprehensive Report on Homelessness, 10/14). Overall, investments in this approach have reduced chronic homelessness by 30% since 2007 (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2/7/17).

Additionally, a chronically homeless person costs the taxpayer on average

$35,578 per year because of the money spent on police calls, hospital visits and other emergency social services.

These costs are reduced by 49.5% with supportive housing policies like “Housing First” because homeless people will ultimately spend less time in jails and hospitals. (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2/7/17) Along with permanent housing, Orange County will also need to determine where to locate the shelters and how to cooperate with the community in which it is placed.

Unfortunately, at this time, the well-being of other community residents is not incentive enough for Orange County citizens to support an emergency shelter in their backyard. Thus, there needs to be greater communication between residents and city officials, where residents can be part of the solution process and can cooperate with the building of a shelter.

Ultimately, it is most important that we, as the Sage Hill community and members of the Orange County community, recognize that homelessness is an issue that we need to solve together. It is our moral duty to care for each other in times of great need; for Orange County citizens today, that means we must take action in finding a permanent solution to our homelessness crisis.