An Inspiring Visit to Cambodia
By Ryan Yang, IV Form
An Inspiring Visit to Cambodia
I first came across the country of Cambodia when I had to read a book called The Clay Marble by Minfong Ho for a social studies class. It was about the life of a twelve-year old girl and her friend in war-torn Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge in the early 1980s. Since then, I’d been curious to learn more about this small country with a big history. This past summer, I final got the chance to see, learn, and experience it first hand.
I had read about the iconic temples, the rich history and culture, traditional street food—it all seemed like a typical Southeast Asian country that I have previously visited. Having spend a week there, I now know that it’s all of that and more. Cambodia is a country with a turbulent history, yet one full of hope for a better future. Not only do the Cambodian people respect their history and culture, they embrace advancements in technology and strive to become more modern. (more…)
Video Oral Arguments: Literature on Trial
Students on Film (in order of appearance): Charlotte Wood, Jenny Deveaux, Joey Smith, Amanda Christie, Josh Loveridge, Gabe Brower, Janelle Carmichael, VI Form
Video Oral Arguments: Literature on Trial
Editor’s Note: This is a highlight reel from Ms. Matthews’ Literature on Trial class (2016 VI Form fall semester English). The course is divided into two sections. In the first half, the focus is on trials, plaintiffs, prosecutors and defendants, reading works of literature and brainstorming criminal or civil wrongs committed by characters in the text. Students work in trial groups to gather evidence, prepare witnesses, and put on their best case. The second half consists of appellate work where students focus on the after effects of a trial, reviewing lower court records for Constitutional issues, drafting briefs for appeal and preparing for a final oral argument.
Please click here or on the images for the “student attorneys” in action! 
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Facing the Big Bad Wolf
By Grace Gorman, VI Form
Facing the Big Bad Wolf
My mom has always described me as “fearless.” To some extent, when she recounts my fearlessness, she is referring to my willingness to try new, courageous things. However, I also possess another kind of fearlessness – the determination to face whatever comes with strength and bravery. The way she retells it, she first recognized my fearlessness during a family trip to Busch Gardens amusement park.
That day, I was unable to go on many rides with my siblings because I was too small. However, this all changed when we arrived at The Big Bad Wolf. This ride was notorious for being the fastest and most thrilling at the park, and no matter how much my mom tried to convince me that I should not go on it, I was determined. Despite measuring tall enough to ride, right before stepping into the suspended seat, my stomach dropped, filling with fear and uncertainty. Nevertheless, I proceeded and, with my mom sitting next to me, we climbed the long, steep track. As we were hurled through the air, my mom screamed, “Gracie, are you okay?” I joyfully hollered back, “I want to do this again!”
From that moment on, I have been considered the most adventurous child of my family. At four years old I gleefully jumped off the high diving board at a local pool, at eight years old I began riding horses, and last year I snorkeled in the middle of the ocean, where I swam right next to a Barracuda and touched stingrays. While my mom might use these examples to describe my fearlessness, these are not the moments during which I consider myself to have been the most fearless. My most fearless times were after my sister died. (more…)
The Future Is Female
By Dr. Heather Harwood, Classics Department Head
The Future Is Female
The women’s movement in America informed much of my development from a girl to a woman and has defined my identity as more than any other social or cultural event. Growing up in the 1970’s I watched and listened with a child’s wondering eyes and ears as the role of women in society blossomed and evolved all around me. I was exposed to children’s programs like Free to Be You and Me, a musical entertainment project that promoted radical gender and racial equality. I also remember watching the television program Mary Tyler Moore with my parents, a show considered progressive at the time, that followed the life of a young single woman making her way in the traditionally male dominated world of television journalism. In high school, I chose topics for research papers on women’s issues, from the Susan B. Anthony and the Women’s Suffragist Movement to Roe Vs. Wade to the Equal Rights Amendment. (more…)
Letter to the Editor: Native American Policy
By Mo Liu and Jamie Lance, V Form
Letter to the Editor: Native American Policy
Dear Editor Jackson,
It occurs to me that there is much attention raised among the general public regarding our government’s policy towards Indians, and therefore in writing to you, I, as a member of the Board of Indian Commissioners, want to clarify my position. Indians cannot be entirely excluded from our picture as a nation. However, the Indian society is not a cultivated society likes ours. One of my colleagues, who is experienced with Indian affairs and always provides us with elaborate information about the Indians, says their tribes are corrupted by “idleness, improvidence, and indebtedness”. The lack of private property or land and the underdevelopment of laws mark the Indian society as barbarous and inferior to ours. Because of this difference, since 1871 Indian tribes are no longer considered sovereign nations. Governments before us circumvented the Indian dilemma by relocating and establishing reservations west to the Mississippi River, yet now with a closed frontier and western migration, conflicts between settlers and the Indians are inevitable. The issue is pressing. (more…)
The Thin Blue Line of Family
By Lexi Schumaker, VI Form
The Thin Blue Line of Family
“Cops in the U.S – especially in Texas – are savage animals that will shoot you whenever they please. Now in Dallas is payback time, pigs.”
This tweet, shared to me by a classmate, is what I woke up to the morning after the Dallas shooting. I read it repeatedly until tears swelled up my eyes. I could not comprehend the fact that someone would want my father, a brave cop whom I look up to, dead. I called my father immediately and asked him what I should do and how I should feel. He simply told me to ignore these kinds of comments because not many people view the police force the way my family does. If it does not bother him, it should not bother me either. So, why did it? (more…)
LEO 