Launching Lunch: How Athenian's Meal Plan Adapted To COVID-19

Arguably one of the best things that makes Athenian stand out from other schools is the lunch. So, when Athenian students returned to campus in October 2020 after monthslong closures related to the COVID pandemic, one of the biggest questions about how the school would function in the new “pandemic world” was how the kitchen would serve lunch safely. 

At first, students were sent home before lunchtime, but at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, the kitchen staff was tasked with individually boxing lunches for over 600 kids. Though these safety measures made much of the Athenian community feel more comfortable, many people wistfully long for the pre-pandemic meals—which often included options such as hot soup, a sandwich bar, and other steaming-hot food coming from the kitchen.

With the current system, the kitchen staff is burdened with lots of extra work to provide quality meals for the students and faculty. 

“It takes much longer. We have to start earlier to cook the food because we have to have at least two hours to package everything,” Head Chef Miguel Aguilar said. “That’s the worst thing. We start making lunch around 7:30 and we’re still serving breakfast. We want to get it done by 9:00 so we can start putting everything in boxes at 9:30. That gives us a window of one and a half hours to two hours because we have to have everything ready by 11:30 for the middle school.”

Having to package everything has made pulling lunch together a very time-consuming and stressful endeavor for everyone in the kitchen. In addition, the kitchen staff is forced to restrict the diversity of meal options they provide. 

 “We also have to be very limited with the menu,” Aguilar said. “It’s very hard to give [Athenian students] more choices because we can only put so much in the boxes. Now we have opened the salad bar so that students can now get the choice of two things.”

As the year goes on, the school is doing more and more to give students a more familiar lunch experience. Earlier in the year, students were sent to different areas around the upper school to get their food and found places outside to eat. More recently, indoor dining has resumed.

“Since we have been back in the Main Hall, the food has been better and more like pre-pandemic food,” Miram M. ’24 said. “It’s fresher and warmer.” 

In addition to the quality of food, the number of food options that students are given is increasing.

“I do really like the salads and they’re doing a fantastic job providing vegetarian and non-kosher options, especially in these pandemic times,” Katie C. ’24 said. “I know they’re doing the best with what they have, and I’m very appreciative of that.”

These packaged salads have become loved by many, often more than the hot, boxed meals, because students feel that the packaged salads still provide them with nutritious and high-quality food. Regardless, many students are still hopeful that something resembling the old salad bar will return—largely because of its increased variety in toppings and dressing.

Within the boxes, the kitchen staff are working hard to ensure that students receive a wide range of good food on their plates. 

“I like that there’s work being put into having a selection of food,” Quynh-Anh N. ’24 said. “There are different segments. There’s the main meal and most of the time there are vegetables. The effort is made to incorporate a balanced plate.”

Luckily, it seems that these limitations that come with boxed meals and pre-packaged salads will not last much longer.

“There's, like, a few things that we need to buy, such as more plates, utensils, carts, and bins for dishes,” Bridget Guerra, Athenian Operations Manager, said. “And there’s also the staffing part of it and creating a plan that is still safe for COVID, because things can’t be super simple these days; you have to think about all the different components.”

Athenian is getting ready to move forward to the next phase of their school lunch plan. But this requires hiring more people to carry out jobs such as dishwashing, buying more appliances, and preparing to guarantee that everything runs smoothly. 

“I think what we’re hoping is that in a couple of weeks we’ll have all those things lined up so that when we get back from the break we can start with that,” Guerra said. “It's been hard, because we want to go back to normal and open things up. We’re just not there yet, and we’ve been so good about [staying safe] so far.”

Changing the Face of Discipline at Athenian

Though fear of Class A violations (defined by the Student Handbook as Athenian’s harshest recourse for a wrongdoing), tardies, and other disciplinary measures is ingrained into the Athenian psyche, the school’s student body is generally unfamiliar with the specifics of our current correctional policy. However, the confusion and taboo around this topic may not be present at Athenian for long. An alternative approach of restorative justice has begun to make its way into administrative conversations in recent months.

A restorative justice policy would stray away from punitive methods and instead create relevant steps that students can learn and grow from. The method focuses on addressing the harms caused by the infractions as well as the wrongdoing itself.

Rather than imposing seemingly arbitrary punishments upon students who face infractions, restorative justice ensures that students are not embarrassed or ridiculed for issues like cultural incompetence, but rather encouraged to recognize their ignorance and work towards a better understanding of the issue.

In his new role as head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice (DEIS) at Athenian, Sanjev deSilva hopes to implement this method into the current disciplinary policy. DeSilva notes that this practice is in no way alien to Athenian’s campus, as the boarding community has already implemented restorative justice into their disciplinary processes.

“Within the boarding community, we've been doing restorative circles for the past two years,” deSilva said. “So when incidents come up that are culturally sensitive, or something that we need to address as an entire community, we have had these restorative circles.”

In his work with restorative justice at other schools, deSilva noticed the positive impact this method can have on the culture of a campus community.

“I've worked at different schools’ systems of discipline, and I've seen how that can transform a community, and help to heal a lot and repair a lot of damage that's done in these incidents, rather than just treating it like just punishment and consequences and moving on,” deSilva said. “It builds trust within the community because people know that when something happens, there's going to be authentic accountability.”

DeSilva believes that this practice could be the first step towards a stronger community at Athenian.

“What it'll do, hopefully, is break down the fallacy of ‘Athenian nice,’” deSilva explained. “A lot of it is smiling, saying the right things to people's faces. But then we go to different groups, and we're having a different conversation. So what it will do, aspirationally, is to make the community feel more authentic in terms of communication and understanding between different individuals and different groups.”

The first hurdle in bringing this progressive method to fruition is passing it by Athenian’s administration. Susie Childs, Dean of Students in the Upper School, is open to the idea of implementing restorative justice on the Athenian campus, and has been an active participant in preliminary conversations regarding the new method of discipline.

“We’re starting to talk to kids that are getting into any sort of trouble about what harm was done, who was the harm done to, how are they going to repair it,” Childs said. “The connective check-ins in all the advisory groups are similar to restorative justice circles that we would do. We’re learning the practice by doing it that way.”

While steps are being taken now, Childs stated that it will still take time to fully implement these new methods at Athenian.

“Next year, we need to do a lot of training with the faculty,” Childs said. “One of the things that would be really great is if some conflict happened in class, the teacher could stop it right there.”

With this prospective new system in the works, Childs has hopes that it will improve the school’s response time when issues arise.

“When you do a restorative justice circle, you can have feedback given right away that they can then react to or act upon,” Childs explained.

Restorative justice seems to be a viable and modern alternative to traditional disciplinary practices. Hopefully, as Athenian makes steps to adopt this policy, a shift to a more empathic and forgiving response to mistakes will become apparent on the school’s campus.

Evergrande Collapse: Top Chinese Real Estate Company Defaults on $200 Billion

Imagine the collapse of a real estate company that indirectly employs 3.8 million people and owns 1.6 million homes. In China, this isn’t fictional. The Evergrande Group, a regional real estate development company, has been deemed by some as too big to fail due to its importance in the Chinese economy. Regardless of speculation, Evergrande has defaulted on $200 billion in loans.

With millions of Chinese citizens and investors having purchases on real estate, and millions more relying on Evergrande for income, many are drawing similarities between this situation and that of the 2008 Lehman Brothers collapse. The collapse represents a fork-in-the-road moment for the Chinese government, one that may decide how free their markets will be in the ensuing decades.

The ensuing actions taken by the Chinese government will determine the future of China’s real estate market and the norms under which companies will exist. American economists are worried about the influence this meltdown will have on the U.S. market, with markets in recent months taking big hits.

The rise of Evergrande coincided with the economic advancement of China over the last thirty years. China has transformed from an agrarian society into an industrial powerhouse at a rate unseen before in history. Unlike other companies benefiting from this boom economy, Evergrande built its real estate empire through unchecked borrowing and mounting debt. As of October 2021, the company was $300 billion in debt. This is creating a horrific effect on the Chinese market because, in addition to Evergrande’s own instability, the company borrowed from Chinese banks. While some are worried about the ripple effect of destabilizing China’s economy via bank devaluations, others view this as a test of China’s economic strength.

“I don’t think they will let go of many of the features of a command economy because they have seen lots of benefits in standard of living,” Lea Hartog, Athenian humanities teacher, speculated. “But who knows, it could be indicative of them moving to capitalist structures.”

How China responds to this crisis will set an important precedent for determining how large of a role the government will play in the economy. If the government chooses not to step in and bail Evergrande out, they will set an effective warning to companies in the future that relentless and unchecked borrowing will have severe consequences. However, the immediate effects of China not bailing them out could be too much of a strain on their economy and the average working citizen.

Many view the collapse of Evergrande as a victory; unfair trade practices and aggressive actions taken in the South China Sea have many in the West viewing China as a threat to international peace.

“China is a major global threat, both morally and economically,” Jack L. ’23 said. “The fall of Evergrande is good because it will negatively impact the Chinese government.”

However the inevitable pain that will be inflicted on ordinary citizens is unavoidable.

“The collapse of Evergrande should not be viewed as a good thing regardless of international political views,” said Jack C., an Athenian boarder who lived in an Evergrande house when he was younger. “At the end of the day, it will be the ordinary citizens who had put down deposits on houses that were not built that will be hurt the most, not the government.”

Should You Get the Third COVID Vaccine or the Booster Shot?

With COVID cases rising among children as many schools return to in-person learning, it is natural to be fearful of transmission and a repeat of the events that unfolded in late 2019. With two different options—a third vaccine and booster shots—being introduced simultaneously, many are confused as to who is best suited to receive which specific vaccine.  

Dr. George Rutherford, pediatrician, Professor of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, and director of Prevention and Public Health Group explained in an interview which groups of people should consider the third dose. “The third dose is indicated for a small group of people…2-4% of U.S. adults who have immune deficiencies, [people] born with them, or infected with [diseases] like HIV…[people] taking medicines that suppress their immune systems…or [people who] have various immune diseases, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.  These people do not develop immunity anywhere near the same level [as people who are not immunocompromised].”

            The booster shot, by contrast, is intended for those who have received the first dose of their vaccine and are starting to lose small amounts of immunity. Studies have shown that, as time passes, the efficacy of the vaccination decreases.  Although some believe that once they are vaccinated, they can immediately return to their normal lives indefinitely, this is not the case.

Four months after full vaccination, the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine has an efficacy rate of 77%; Moderna has an efficacy rate of 92% after the same time period; the Johnson and Johnson vaccine has an efficacy rate of 68% after 28 days. If one has received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine—categorized as an adenovirus vaccine based on how it works in the body—Dr. Rutherford highly advises to receive an mRNA vaccine, one that works in the same way as the Prizer or Moderna versions.

            “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended on Sep 23, 2021, that giving booster doses be limited to only older people, 65 or older, or to people who have underlying medical conditions… the ones that if you have COVID, it would make it much worse,” Dr. Rutherford noted. “[Also,] people who are occupationally exposed at high levels. Think of health care works, think of prison guards, teachers.”

            In many Bay Area counties, like San Francisco, restaurants and bars have been requiring proof of vaccination before customers are able to sit indoors. Although the CDC’s mask recommendations have been lessening and a higher percentage of community members are vaccinated, it is still crucial that one wears a mask while in close proximity to others. Even though schools may have limited seating in pandemic times, it is crucial for students to continue following school guidelines on COVID protocols.

While the present situation may seem devoid of the normalcy that existed in the pre-pandemic world, it is important that the public understands the differences between the third vaccine and the booster shot, and to receive a COVID vaccination if they have not already!

STEM Or Humanities: How Balanced Is The Athenian Curriculum?

In looking at the Athenian school based on surface factors–the course catalog, a driven set of STEM-interested students on campus, and a successful robotics team–Athenian may seem like a STEM-focused school. However, most of those on campus do not accept a binary view of the curriculum, rather suggesting that the school is a combination of both. 

Based solely on the course catalog, there are significant differences in the course offerings for STEM courses and their humanities counterparts. However, the basic circumstances for STEM and humanities classes are similar: both have required classes for underclassmen, both have very few AP classes, and honors classes are largely available to upperclassmen in both focuses. 

Many science courses (not honors) are required for students, and students are not able to skip any math or science courses through their years at Athenian. There are a few AP math courses offered, such as AP Calculus AB and BC, but none in science. And there are honors science courses offered to upperclassmen. However, since students cannot skip courses, they are not allowed to take all the honors science classes before they graduate. 

In humanities, there are not many AP courses available, with foreign languages as the exception, but there are various honors seminars available to upperclassmen. Ninth and tenth graders are required to take World and US Literature, along with World and US History. There are three world languages available at Athenian, all with AP courses offered.

However, at Athenian, a STEM course is never simply STEM-based and a humanities class isn’t always just literature, history, language, or the arts. Math may consist of writing, reading, and often, analysis that we learn from our own literature classes, and an arts class could very well incorporate scientific principles. 

Recently, students have been bringing up that the new math grading system for Precalculus and Precalculus honors has encouraged students to show their thinking clearly and completely in order to fulfill the “leaps of logic” criteria that evaluate a student's logical explanation on problems. This has shown students that in order to complete that requirement, students must write complete sentences explaining their thought flow. Chemistry and Biology labs are also weighted heavily and are composed of almost all writing. 

STEM ideas have also been incorporated into humanities classes, with scientific principles being applied to the Psychology seminar (a humanities course), the Current Events class (finding statistics through various news sources), and even the economics seminars analyzing numbers. This ideal continues throughout the curriculum, and does not leave one class as simply STEM or humanities, but rather, incorporates both, providing a plethora of thought diversity in the Athenian curriculum.

Gabe Del Real, current Academic Dean for 20 years and Humanities teacher, labels Athenian students as having access to a different type of education than other schools in the Bay Area. Previously, Del Real was The Dean of Curriculum and Academic Coordinator.

“Usually people see schools as the preparation for college and employment-like training,” he says “but [Athenian does not see their] students as functionary, but as a whole human being in process,” Del Real said.

He reveals that many people, including him, often see discipline–when referring to a field of academic study–as important to a student’s ability to function, but have largely different definitions of what it means to achieve this discipline, and further, what this discipline is. 

Gabe says, “People tend to consider academic disciplines as discrete and unrelated, whereas Athenian believes that these disciplines are all related.” 

Del Real suggested that providing a well-rounded education to students helps them build their character and their thought processes, while also shedding light on their futures and passions.

“Athenian’s fundamental vision of a human being makes Athenian different,” Del Real said. “Athenian has its own unique education goals.” 

By refusing to label itself as either a humanities-focused or a STEM-focused school, Athenian reinforces experiential and hands-on learning and demonstrates that learning here is different from learning at other schools. Athenian offers opportunities for students to follow through with their own goals, while providing a rigorous curriculum for each student to experience a well-rounded education. 

Dissecting AP Classes: Should Athenian Offer Them or Not?

On any given week in May, you’ll find dozens of Athenian students groaning about their upcoming AP (Advanced Placement) exams, lamenting  the College Board and their torturous antics. Some put incredible effort into preparing for these tests, toiling for hours at their desks to review concepts they’ve learned throughout the entire year. So what do they receive in return for their efforts? The answer is simple: a single number from one to five. No error analysis, no comments, no nuance. 

This standardization, whether it be in AP exams or other national tests, has washed the nation, and Athenian is left to consider how it ought to respond to this impending wave. Would a more standardized curriculum, replete with AP classes and exams, be beneficial for Athenian students, or does an Athenian education hinge on anti-standardization principles? 

Before diving into this inquiry, we must delineate the origin of AP classes. The AP exams started as a pilot program in the 50s, amid concerns that students in high school were not being adequately prepared for advanced coursework in college and graduate education. Note that their original purpose was to aid underprepared students in accessing higher education, not to supplement the coursework of already prepared students. This directly contrasts how AP classes are viewed today: as a way for high-achieving students to further challenge themselves and receive college credit. 

At Athenian, given that most honors courses already mandate either a high grade in a previous class or the passage of a placement exam, most students that would be taking a given AP course would already have to be prepared for the course content ahead of time. In this way, Athenian students are less so utilizing the AP coursework to prepare themselves, and more so attempting to demonstrate their ability to manage a “rigorous” course load in college admissions and earn college credits. In other words, AP classes being inserted into Athenian’s culture only serves to fuel anxiety surrounding college admissions for much of the Athenian student body, and it largely fails to aid underprepared students at Athenian, since most of the people taking these AP courses are literally required to already be somewhat prepared for the course content. 

The AP curriculum also presents a dilemma in terms of equity, a principle ingrained in Athenian’s foundation. To ace an AP exam, it is essential that the student understands the grading schemes and test organization. Put differently, while receiving a high mark on an AP test is somewhat indicative of one’s knowledge of the material, it is also a measure of how well a student was able to prepare for the exam. Herein lies the origin of the inequity: certain students simply have more access to resources and guidance that help them learn how to effectively prepare for AP tests than others. 

In this way, while AP exams do measure a student’s comprehension of a subject, they’re also testing how effectively that student can deconstruct and understand the test itself. Those students who have less access to learning how to master this standardized curriculum are therefore at a disadvantage in the testing process. 

As previously mentioned, these standardized classes and exams fail to provide students with the individualized attention that often facilitates effective learning. The AP tests, which grant a simple score of one to five to each tester, tell the student next to nothing about their exact comprehension of the material—it merely reflects how many questions were responded to accurately. This means that the student would have no way of determining which concepts they understood and which topics they made errors in. This leaves the student with no information to improve and develop their understanding of the material after having taken the exam. 

Moreover, by definition, standardized curriculums in AP courses do not account for individual circumstances and conditions. If a student was scoring low on their tests in an AP class, it would reflect that they perhaps did not perform up to a certain standard, but it doesn’t speak to how well the student was able to apprehend the material in the context of their learning environment. Athenian has long advertised its attention to individuals in the classroom setting—from small class sizes to frequent C&C periods. To maintain this ideal, Athenian should stray from standardization to grant its students a more comprehensive and nuanced learning experience.

Who is Facing the Consequences of Gentrification in Oakland?

Known as one of the most diverse cities in the country throughout the 1960’s and 70’s, Oakland, California, is a place of immense historical and cultural significance. However, in recent years, the social and economic landscape of the city has changed rapidly. The very streets where the Black Panther party was formed, and where its founders discussed issues of race, politics, and culture, are now bustling with yoga moms, bearing reusable Whole Foods bags in one hand and oat milk cold brews in the other. With new, wealthier residents pouring in, many Oakland natives are being pushed out.

How did this city undergo such an immense transformation in a matter of years? The answer lies in what is commonly referred to as gentrification: the process of the middle class moving to less affluent neighborhoods for cheaper housing, forcing residents to relocate in response to increasing home prices. Though gentrification is not unique to Oakland, it was named one of the two most gentrified cities in the country by a 2020 study from The National Community Reinvestment Coalition, along with its neighbor across the bay, San Francisco. While proponents of gentrification assert that new residents help improve cities by strengthening the economy and increasing funding to public services, many Oakland residents are reluctant to embrace this phenomenon.

In 2010, Oakland had a population of 390,724, with white residents making up 25.9% of the city and African-American residents making up 28%. Nine years later, the racial demographics of the city had changed drastically. With a population of 433,031, 35.5% of Oakland residents were white, and 23.8% African-American. Shifting demographics can be partially attributed to the desirability of closer proximity to San Francisco and cheaper prices. According to a report from Causa Justa, a housing advocacy group based in the Bay Area, the rent prices in places historically inhabited by African American communities have significantly increased in the past decade. North Oakland and West Oakland are two such examples.

The changing demographics of Oakland bring many to question whether the culture of the city has suffered due to gentrification. Sheng Thao, Oakland’s District 4 Councilmember, discussed changes in her district of the city that she has witnessed through her work.

“In a city as diverse as Oakland, any major change in demographics impacts the ways communities function. Shared lived experiences inspire culture and art that makes a community thrive, and if there is an exodus of one community, like our black residents, then the culture and art of Oakland takes a big hit,” Thao said. 

Despite claims that new stores and residents will help fix systemic issues in the city, Thao urges instead to invest in existing communities in Oakland. 

“Market rate development is not the cure to this problem. Only strong investments into these communities such as affordable housing, violence interruption programs, after school programming, strong educational services, and so forth will help heal these communities,” Thao said.

Among those facing the consequences of gentrification are children in public schools. 

“There's been more funding to the public schools following Prop 39. The problem, though, is that 45% of the funding goes to the 30% of the students that are in charter schools in Oakland. So while there's more funding for the schools, it's not equally distributed,” said Melissa (Barry) Hansen ‘85, a fifth grade teacher at Oakland’s Bella Vista Elementary School and an Athenian alum.

This lack of funding has impacted the ease with which public school administrators can purchase supplies for the school year.

“Our principal at Bella Vista didn't have the money to buy supplies this year,” Hansen explained.

Proponents of this development in Oakland point out that in tandem with the city’s changing demographics, the poverty rate has decreased by 9.2% since 2010. Whereas in cities like San Francisco, gentrification is synonymous with an increase in the white population, parts of Oakland have also seen an increase in middle class Latinx individuals moving to the city, starting small businesses in many neighborhoods.

“Where we once had vacant storefronts, we now have Latino businesses,'' former East Oakland Councilman Larry Reid said in an interview with SFGate.

Though residents of Oakland have differing opinions regarding the gentrification of their city, the effects of this phenomenon are far from over and will continue to reshape the face of Oakland for years to come.

Unpublic Public Spaces: Hostile Architecture and Culture

Tattered tents, dirtied sleeping bags, and cardboard beds litter the streets of San Francisco, manifesting the housing shortage that has been plaguing California since the 1980s. A combination of developments–from cuts to mental health services and public housing, to rising unemployment rates and house prices–forced thousands of citizens out of their homes decades ago. 

The consequences are still apparent today: in California alone, over 161,500 people experience homelessness on any given day, making it the U.S, state with the largest homeless population. Among that group, about 71% are living without shelter—sleeping on the streets of the Golden State. However, hostile architecture, also known as “anti-homeless architecture,” threatens to make matters worse. This facet of urban design is used to purposely restrict human behavior, targeting the people who use those public spaces out of necessity.

TJ Johnston, a reporter for the Coalition on Homelessness, a policy and advocacy organization for unhoused people, explains how some communities have been disproportionately affected by homelessness.

“The African-American community in San Francisco, while only representing maybe about 5% of the city's population, constitutes about 37% of the unhoused population,” Johnston said. “And you could find a similar trend with Latinx people and with the LGBTQ community . . . and I think it all goes back to affordability, or the lack thereof.”

Hostile architecture, described by Johnston as “another tactic to exclude unhoused people from public space,” is present everywhere, though easily ignored by housed people. However, the people directly targeted can't afford that luxury. Spikes embedded in the concrete, for example, make it impossible for someone to lay down and find shelter for the evening, but someone unaffected by homelessness walks by without thinking twice. 

“If you're not actively looking for them, they pretty much blend into the background,” Johnston said. “But once you see those particular patterns, say, like, a park bench that has an armrest right in the middle, you just can't unsee it, no matter how hard you try.”

As Johnston has personally experienced homelessness, he holds a personal opinion on the public design that directly affected him. 

“You know, seeing spikes on a windowsill, or studs on the sidewalk, I see those as, not just ugly, but cruel,” Johnston said. “And there are so many things to worry about when you're living without housing. And that's just one more added annoyance, to see all these studs, spikes, fences, rocks, or anything that would keep somebody from enjoying a moment of comfort.”

Lack of awareness of these inhumane designs is a major reason why they still exist. 

“Just recently, it seems like cities across the U.S. are kind of becoming aware of the human crisis that is homelessness,” Johnston said. “And not just as a nuisance or an eyesore to people who are housed. And there have been efforts in the past few years, and I think maybe the COVID pandemic, kind of like you know, helped spur things or kick things into gear.” 

Johnston recommends everyday actions that people can take to help. 

“Urge our elected officials and our local governments to move towards actual solutions to homelessness,” Johnston said. “In the meantime, support your unhoused neighbors in any way that you can. Getting to know your unhoused neighbors . . . affirms their autonomy, their own personhood. Do it in a way that makes them feel that they're human and that they're worthy of support.”

Opinion: Should Spanish-Speaking Countries Integrate the Gender-Neutral Pronoun “Elle”?

Anyone who has ever taken an introductory-level Spanish class was taught the binary gender pronouns “ella” and “él”, which parallel the English-language feminine and masculine identities “she” and “he”. These gendered pronouns are necessary to certain Spanish language sentence constructions, which have not seen widespread use of a nonbinary pronoun like “they.” 

For example, the English-language sentence “they went to the movies” could refer to an individual; whereas the closest Spanish translations–“ella fue al cine” or “él fue al cine” are gendered. No official pronoun equivalent of “them” is widely accepted in Spanish.

So, what are people who don’t identify in the binary meant to do? How can someone express that identity when the fundamental grammatical structure of a language doesn’t include a fitting pronoun? The solution is simple: the integration of the gender-neutral pronoun “elle”. 

Dramatized confusion is the main talking point that opposition parties use to argue against this shift in language, but when it comes down to it, it’s clear that these arguments are based on plain and simple homophobia, disguised as concern for clarity. 

In any case, this pronoun would be used only in specific instances, seeing as only around 3% of Spanish-speaking individuals identify with the term “Latinx” (another way to express Latin heritage, devoid of gender), according to a 2020 poll by Pew Research Center. In cases when “elle” would be used, context clues would inform individuals involved in these interactions of who was being referred to. 

Language is ever-changing, and new terminology is constantly being introduced into the dictionary due to things like internet culture. Fifty years ago, phrases like “I’m going to snap someone”, a reference to Snapchat culture, and “Just send me a DM!”, a reference to the direct messaging feature on Instagram, meant nothing. Now, they are commonplace, just like the 520 additional words that are added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary every year.

There is no reason for a small shift–the introduction of a new pronoun–to be causing this much controversy, especially seeing how fluid the rest of language historically has been. Existing as a non-binary individual in the Spanish-speaking world is already challenging enough, due to the machismo culture that is omnipresent. The integration of “elle” would only work to validate gender non-conforming individuals. 

The Rhode Island Institute of Technology defines the phenomenon of machismo culture as, “a strong sense of masculine pride. In Latino culture, machismo is more than just a word, as it is so embedded in the culture that it is not only accepted but often even expected.” 

This same machismo culture, which perpetuates gender norms and works to enforce male superiority is the driving force that is working against including non-binary individuals in the first place. No matter how vehemently advocates argue in support of introducing “elle” into the common vernacular, it’s a cultural shift that’s unfortunately unlikely to happen soon.

Meet Meadow Davis, Athenian’s New Upper School Head

In August of 2021, the Athenian student body entered the school year with a new Assistant Head and Head of Upper School: Meadow Davis. As an incredibly important and well-known faculty position, the Head of Upper School role entails a wide variety of responsibilities and expectations, some of which are less prominent than others.

“I spend a lot of time thinking about the experience of students on our campus, as well as that of the adults who support them in their learning,” Meadow said. “I work closely with faculty, and with students, to understand what is working and what we need to think about shifting and changing to better meet the needs of our community. In addition to my work with the Upper School, I also get to work with Lauren Railey, Head of the Middle School, to ensure a positive and connected experience from sixth through twelfth grade.”

Even before her time at Athenian, Meadow was drawn to school administration and similar types of work, largely due to her desire to help people live rich lives.  

“I got my master’s in nonprofit management and was working with nonprofits. Then, for 15 years, I worked at Bowdoin [College] with college students, where I was in charge of student culture,” Meadow said. “The work I do now is primarily driven by how I can ensure students live happy, healthy, and meaningful lives in high school, college, and beyond.”

However, there is a reason Meadow now works at Athenian rather than at another high school that could have fulfilled her inclination to improve the social and academic lives of younger students. Namely, she is drawn to the pillars of Round Square and other similar principles that are ingrained in Athenian’s foundation.

“When I looked at the Round Square pillars—those were all pieces that I value in my own life. The idea that I could be part of a school that was really thinking about not only academics, but also how to think in a holistic way, was really interesting to me,” Meadow said. “Personally, I have two children who go here, so I also wanted a school where they would be engaged and excited; I wanted an adventure. California felt like a different world.” 

Still at the very beginning of her career at Athenian, Meadow has much time to experience and appreciate Athenian student culture. She’s looking forward to observing and cultivating Athenian’s democratic processes—from town meetings to the Pillars.

“I’m so excited by the student voice at Athenian,” Meadow said. “I’ve been working with the Town Meeting Officers… and learning how to help students identify the change they want to make and help them get the skills to make those changes.”

On a more personal level, Meadow cites her outside hobbies as a way she works to bring joy to her own life.  

“I love hiking. My husband and I hiked a big part of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Virginia,” Meadow said. “I love to read—mostly fiction. And, of course, I love spending time with my family.”

In fact, Meadow describes this familial connection as one of the most important and formative components of her life. Motherhood has brought her a new outlook on the world, as well as granting her the ability to deeply understand the students she is working with, many of whom are the same age as her children.

“A really important thing in my life is the fact that I am a mom,” Meadow said. “Raising two young people and working with the same age as the kids I am raising is a really interesting thing to do.”

All of these facets of Meadow’s life have shaped her into the multidimensional individual that she is. While the exact future of The Athenian School is unclear, one thing remains certain: students now have a caring and approachable Head of Upper School to turn to in times of need.

Review: Archer Farms Non-Dairy Vanilla Cake & Cookie Dough Frozen Dessert

Archer Farms, a relatively new player in the world of vegan ice cream products, didn’t disappoint us when we tried its Vanilla Cake and Cookie Dough frozen dessert. Unfortunately, Archer Farms didn’t wow us either. This frozen dessert is a solid option for anyone looking for a run-of-the-mill vegan alternative to ice cream, but not a flavor that you should go out of your way for.

If you’re a fan of almond milk and love its nutty roasted flavor, this pinky perfection may be something you can get behind. However, despite the great-tasting base of almond milk, it has a fairly watery consistency. As almond milk is mainly made of almonds and water, this dessert does not hold its shape well and melts very quickly. However, if you enjoy more icy and light desserts, this may be something you may want to try!

Although the feel of scooping this ice cream is not a perfect emulation of scooping real ice cream, the cookie dough chunks increase the overall enjoyability of this treat, as they diversify the texture present.

Archer Farms makes this dairy alternative available in quite a few different flavors, giving fans of the dessert a wide variety. The vanilla cake and cookie dough flavor do a nice job of imitating the taste of cookie dough while still maintaining a semi-sweet vanilla background.

To some, the big swirls of fudge and chewy cookie dough of this ice cream are the perfect blend. However, to others, they may result in a strange texture that is an odd combination of watery and thick and generally unpleasant.

Overall, this treat is great to try out, but you should consider that it tends to melt relatively quickly, and does not exactly replicate dairy ice cream, factors that may easily bring this treat from an enjoyable and light dessert to one that may leave you quite unsatisfied.

Taste: 🍦🍦🍦/5

Consistency: 🍦🍦 /5

Similarity to Ice-Cream: 🍦🍦/5

Overall: 🍦🍦/5 

Virginia Governor's Race: Predictor of Upcoming Elections?

The 2022 midterm elections are around the corner as Democrats and Republicans are faced with their first real test in next week's Virginia governor's race. The race will provide the first snapshot of the political shape of this country with Democrat Terry McAuliffe running against Republican Glenn Youngkin. Democrats hope to end the trend of Virginia governors in the opposite party of the sitting president winning elections. A McAuliffe win could potentially create momentum for Democrats to pull off an upset in the 2022 elections. 

Historically, the party that elects a first-term president loses congress in the succeeding midterm elections. Democrats hope to find a variety of issues to base their 2022 campaign off of the outcome of this election. 

Zakiya Newman, of Youth Leaders World Learning said, “This is a major test for the two parties to test out their campaign strategies, but since Virginia has such diverse demographics that are representative of America, it will also be the closest indicator we have to what party will have more political power in the coming years.”

Virginia consists of near equal numbers of urban, suburban and rural voters of all races and economic classes, making it a good reference point for voter turnout.

In an interview with Nathan Warters of W&M news, William and Mary professor John Mcglennon said, “Key questions are going to be related to turnout, and there's not that much persuasion going on in this election campaign. There's a relatively small number of voters who really don't know which way they'll wind up on Election Day.” 

The level of undecided voters is at an unprecedented low, so the two campaigns will be more concerned with getting their established voters to the ballots instead of convincing others to vote for them. This creates a unique opportunity for the two parties to test out their platforms, yet also inhibits them from understanding what will encourage undecided voters to the ballots. 

For Republicans, this election presents an opportunity to capitalize off of receding Biden approval ratings. Phillip M. ‘23, Co-leader of the Political Inclusion Club at Athenian said, “The Republicans are being offered a fresh start; [Former President Donald] Trump has lost a level of relevance while recent errors in Afghanistan have lessened Biden’s popularity. The Republicans are being given a chance to go on the offensive, which if successful in Virginia, could continue them into 2022 and beyond.” 

Republican Glenn Youngkin is trying to carefully distance himself from Trump, publicly acknowledging Biden’s victory yet not going so far as to condemn the insurrection. The American political field is shifting, though the direction the country chooses to take is yet to be decided.