Miraculous Milk

Milk. 8g fat. 8g protein. 150 calories. 35 mg cholesterol. 115mg sodium. 11g total carbs. 11g sugar. (One cup, whole). What else can we say but “Wow!”? You can get it pasteurized, homogenized, cream-on-top, raw, grade A, other grades, organic, non-organic, skim, 1%, 2%, whole, chocolate, and with Vitamin D added. What could be better, especially if you are a baby cow? (Or baby goat, or sheep, or yak, or jaguar, or platypus…)

Some people can’t stand milk, or have reasons to not like it at times. (“I love milk, except when it goes up my nose.”-Anonymous) There are many opinions on milk. In fact, there is a whole website dedicated to the prosecution of milk, notmilk.com, which claims that milk is a deadly poison. Although notmilk.com devotees focus mostly on milk of animals other than humans, they should probably change their website’s name to “notcowmilk.com,” or “notplatypusmilk.com” or another name conveying their true meaning, for without milk, the human race could not exist.

Now, there is another extreme. The website gotmilk.com talks about all of the health benefits you can get from drinking milk (it also has games). Even more enthusiastic about milk are the people who say it has played a major role in miracles: just look up “Hindu milk miracle” on Wikipedia if you don’t believe me. So what is to believe in this world, where all sorts of allegations are made about a substance as simple as milk? I guess we all just have to trust our own judgment, and start our own website called drink platypusmilk.com.

Student Council to Operate New School Store

If you’re anything like the typical Re(a)d staffer, you’ve probably found yourself without urgently-needed school supplies at least once in your life. But now, should you prove unable to find a pencil on the morning of a math test even after turning your backpack and locker inside out, you need not fear. Starting this month, Student Council will be running a student store, which will stock school supplies, including notebooks, pens, and, yes, pencils.

But Student Council isn’t just operating the new store for your benefit (although it may seem that way when their supplies save you from your math teacher’s wrath). The monetary proceeds from the store, which will be accounted for by Student Council members, will go into the Student Council and used to provide  for activities like dances, as well as funding for clubs.

There are even plans to sell Academy apparel at the store, although Marissa Clopton, vice-president of StuCo, says this, “won’t happen until next semester.” Either way, Student Council’s new store is sure to benefit both its own finances and the student body at large.

Am Lit to Stage The Crucible

Earlier this year, the Davidson Academy’s three sections of American Literature read Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, a play about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. This month, I interviewed Elli Tian, who plays one of the main characters of the play and also helps organize the rehearsal schedule. Here’s what she had to say:

When exactly is the play going to be performed, and where?
We haven’t set an exact performance date quite yet, but hopefully, we should have one soon. We’re also planning to perform the play at the Academy, on the stage in the Tahoe Room.
Do you believe the play is coming along well?
I believe that we’re all trying to put as much effort into the play as we possibly can, but we’ve still had some problems with some people showing up to rehearsal without the assigned lines memorized, and also with some people not coming to rehearsal without making arrangements beforehand. The play is coming along pretty well right now; however, I think we could make better progress if everyone considered the play a little more seriously.
Is it fun, or just a bunch of extra work?
Organizing a production like this is definitely a lot of work, but we have fun while doing it. The Crucible is a really interesting play, with lots of action and some pretty intense moments, and we really enjoy figuring how to act those scenes out during rehearsal. We’re also looking forward to the final performance, which makes the process seem like much less effort.
How do you feel about the play in general?
It’s a large, yet fun, commitment, and I’m really glad to be a part of it:)
Do you enjoy being your character?
Abigail Williams is a really fun character to play, mainly because her character provides so much of the drive for the action of the play. She prompts the witch trials by accusing Tituba, her uncle’s slave, of witchcraft, and then keeps the trials going by pretending to be under the “spells” of others, just so she can dispose of Elizabeth Proctor and then marry Elizabeth’s husband, John. (By the way, that plan ultimately failed…) So basically, I’m playing this girl who is insane, selfish, and quite stubborn throughout the entire play — and I really enjoy it!
Are you looking forward to performing?
Yes, I am — since this is the first “major” play I’ve been in, I’m really looking forward to it. Mostly, though, I’m looking forward to seeing how the play turns out, since we’ve all been putting in time and effort to make this happen.
Do you believe that most of the school will like the play?
I think the play is mostly geared towards American Literature students and anyone else who has read The Crucible, since the play will make more sense to those individuals, but it should be a fun production for most of the school. However, our performance of the play follows the original script, written by Arthur Miller, and we haven’t edited any part of it — meaning that some of the content might actually be deemed inappropriate for some of the Academy students…
Any extra comments?
No, not really…

Ten Minutes

Ten minutes. Ten minutes into class, and she was already tired. Dr. Rosh, the professor, was leaning against the blackboard in that weird way old men lean, droning on about something or other. Perry let her head droop, slumping in her chair in exhaustion. It was the last period of the day, and she was tired. Toby, her best friend, didn’t look any more spirited, and all in all, sleep seemed enticing.

Ten minutes. It had been ten minutes since Toby had left for the bathroom, and Perry was getting worried. Not worried worried, maybe anxious, or a little apprehensive was more like it, but it did not change the fact that she thought something was up. Maybe she was overreacting and Toby was taking his time, trying to avoid sitting through the torturous hour of listening to the most boring lecturer on the planet. A haze always seemed to descend upon her, compelling her to sleep as soon as class began. It was impossible to stay awake without Toby around to pass notes to, and Perry had this niggling discomfort at the back of her mind, urging her to go look for her best friend. So she spoke up.

“Dr. Rosh, may I go to the restroom?” Perry asked, waving her hand in the air. Dr. Rosh paused his rant on World War I to glance up at her and for a split-second Perry could have sworn that he smiled an intriguing and rather odd smile, and that his blue eyes glinted unnaturally. However, the moment passed, and the gray-haired history professor had gone back to his old, boring self. Dr. Rosh gazed at her for a second before nodding and returning to his speech about various forms of artillery, which should have been interesting yet somehow contrived to be more inane than drying paint.

Perry nearly ran for the door, sighing in relief as she left the oppressive atmosphere of the lecture hall. The cool air outside was a welcome change from the stuffy, heated interior of the room she’d just vacated and she reveled in the light breeze dancing over her skin, tickling her pleasantly. However, as she walked, she recalled her errand and altered her meandering course to head in a more suitable direction, towards the restrooms, the nearest of which were by the Arts building. As she neared the brick structure, her hair stood up on end and she felt terribly uneasy, although she couldn’t explain why. It was a relatively sunny day, the sounds of spring were rampant… or at least they had been a second ago. Perry noticed that the area had fallen silent. She glanced around reflexively, horribly unsure of herself and what she would find. The image in her peripheral vision was certainly not what she’d expected. She turned again, craning her neck to get a better look at the figure she’d seen and make sure that she wasn’t hallucinating. She wasn’t. A white haired and blue eyed old man, the spitting image of Dr. Rosh, was walking leisurely down the paved lane leading down from the Arts building, though he couldn’t have been the same as the boring old geezer who was surely still speaking in the lecture hall. Suddenly, the man-who-was-not-Rosh glanced her way, catching her gaze and smiling that same disturbing smile she thought she’d caught sight of before, back in class. He winked, and very abruptly, his face seemed to shed years of age, becoming young and stunning as the pearly white teeth revealed by his smile, though his hair remained snowy white. Perry blinked, and the illusion was gone, leaving an aged man– not Dr. Rosh, she told herself firmly– walking disinterestedly down the road without sparing her a second glance.

Shaken, Perry tore her eyes away from the Rosh look-alike and hurried towards her intended destination, the restroom where Toby would have gone. She was too distracted to notice that the natural chatter of springtime had returned full force, as if nothing had changed before. Perry almost cried in relief when she found her best friend bounding down the path from the bathroom, messy mop of brown hair whipping about his face, although she wasn’t really sure why she’d been so anxious in the first place. It wasn’t as if there had been anything wrong. Of course Toby was just fine, all he’d done was go to the bathroom and tarry a bit in returning to class! Why was she reacting like this?

Perry kept her reservations to herself, instead greeting her best friend with a smile. Toby nodded at her, grabbing her hand as they walked back. He knew that she’d come down to meet him, just the way ideal best friends understood each other tacitly. At least, they understood each others’ purposes in their actions; Perry certainly hoped that Toby didn’t catch the drift of her strange encounter with the double of Dr. Rosh that day.

They walked slowly, as slowly as they dared, but eventually they did in fact make it back to the lecture hall. Perry found that the rest of Dr. Rosh’s class was surprisingly easy to follow and interesting, completely unlike his usual spiritless speech. She also couldn’t help but notice that the man who spoke at the front of the hall now looked more like the man she’d seen earlier than Dr. Rosh. He had white hair and radiant blue eyes, filled with the life that the professor usually lacked. His hair seemed less scruffy and a lot brighter, and his demeanor was more regal. Perry wondered if anyone else had really noticed the change. As she walked out of the lecture hall at the end of class, she was sure the man shot another wink and devilish smile at her. Suddenly, a strange thought struck her: was the professor hitting on her? She shook that disturbing image out of her mind and continued on towards her next class, pointedly trying to ignore the places her imagination lead her.

Ten minutes. It was ten minutes into class the next day, and the professor had still not arrived. For that matter, neither had Toby… Perry felt the same worry she’d felt a week ago creep back into her consciousness, slithering around and constricting her mind. She squirmed in her seat, looking over her shoulder at the door every once in awhile, hoping that her friend would show up so she could know he was safe.

The teacher soon arrived, looking terribly vibrant and young. The usually insipid Dr. Rosh was now fresh, interesting, and handsome. The hour went by smoothly, with not one student falling asleep in their seats. Instead, they all gazed up avidly at the professor, dutifully scratching down notes. Tobias Smith never showed up for class.

Perry couldn’t seem to remember what had happened that day before history class, or the night before at home. But she was sure she hadn’t seen Toby all day, and as soon as school let out, she scrambled out of the building and to the nearest pay phone, shoving coins into the machine and punching in her best friend’s phone number.

…Riiing… The phone rang once.

…Riiing… The phone rang twice.

…Riiing… The phone rang three times.

…Rrrriing……

Perry’s heart sank as Toby’s voice mail message greeted her. Where had he gone? If he’d been skipping school, he would’ve at least given her a call. If he was sick, he would’ve been at home. So what could’ve happened?

“You seem very anxious. Is there anything wrong?” a familiar voice inquired lightly. Perry froze, nearly dropping the pay phone before she regained her senses and slammed it back onto its hook. She whirled around, coming face to face with Dr. Rosh– no, the man who looked like Dr. Rosh. Up close, she saw the unmistakable lack of wrinkles and knew that he had definitely gotten younger, though that made absolutely no sense. She stared at the man distrustfully, unsure of what to say.

“My friend didn’t show up for school today. I was just worried about him.” Perry finally told him curtly. The man flashed a smile, and his eyes blazed a bright blue.

“I see. What is his name?” His tone remained casual, but something in his eyes seemed to change. Perry hesitated for a second, gazing into them. They were so mesmerizing…

“Toby.” she said, snapping back to reality. The man’s eyes dimmed before becoming even brighter than they’d been before, if that was possible. They were now a scintillating azure, and seemed to glow.

“Ah, yes, Mr. Tobias Smith. Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s just fine.” and with a parting smile that sent chills down Perry’s spine, the not-Dr. Rosh turned and walked away, footsteps echoing softly. Perry noticed that it was getting dark and, briefly wondering how the time had passed so quickly, ran home as quickly as she could.

Ten minutes. Class started in ten minutes. What had happened yesterday, or today? Perry couldn’t remember. The lecture hall, instead of being empty as usual, was already nearly full of students, busily anticipating the arrival of the professor. The door opened, and a brown haired, hazel eyed man, perhaps in his mid-forties, walked inside. He took a place at the podium, and a hush descended over the previously rambunctious students, who sat down and pulled out their notebooks and pens.

The man began to speak, without even giving any introductions, as if everyone was expected to know him already. He started exactly where Dr. Rosh had left off the day before and the students dutifully noted the important points of his speech. Perry couldn’t help but notice that the seat next to her, where Toby usually sat, was empty.

Suddenly, the door of the lecture hall was pushed open, and a boy strode in, sporting a nondescript brown tote bag and the requisite textbooks. Everyone else ignored him and quickly returned to their notes. What caught Perry’s eye, however, as he walked towards the seat beside her– Toby’s seat– was his head of snowy white hair, currently obscuring his face. As he sat down and turned to look at her, her worst suspicions were confirmed. Incandescent azure scrutinized her, and the boy smiled a cold, dark smile that seemed to freeze her from the inside out. As she tore her eyes from his gaze, they landed on the professor at the front of the lecture hall. A terrible wave of recognition hit her, and tears leaked down her face. The messy brown hair, the tired hazel eyes, that was Toby up there, aged two or three decades perhaps, but still Toby, her best friend!

There was a clanging in her head, and the world blurred around her before coming back into focus. She found her self hunched over in her seat, having apparently nodded off. From the corner of her eye, she saw denim and crossed legs. She turned to look at the boy beside her, harboring some measure of dread. However, instead of cold blue, warm hazel eyes locked with hers, and, as she took in the rest of the figure, she saw that it was indeed Toby, back to normal. Tears stung at her eyes, tears of joy this time, and she pounced on her best friend, hugging him tightly and nearly choking him.

“Mmph! What gives, Per? I was only gone for like, ten minutes!” Toby groaned.

But Perry only hugged him harder.

By this time, everyone had already recovered from their bad-lecture induced grogginess and fled the classroom. Perry lagged behind even as Toby sprinted to catch up with the other students and spared a glance up at the podium, where the same old, boring, Dr. Rosh had apparently returned. The man looked up from his notes and seeing her, he smiled, inclined his head mockingly, and winked.

Theater Review: Wicked

When you step into the Orpheum in San Francisco, the first thing you notice is the set. The whole stage and the surrounding area all set up for Wicked, made up of almost-bare scaffolding, decorated with bits of metal to look like the innards of a giant clock tower. You can see oddly shaped ladders going up the scaffolding, and light crew members just hidden on various platforms. And above it all, a giant mechanical dragon sits dormant. It fills you with a sense of utter awe. As you hear the music begin and the lights dim, the dragon starts going completely berserk! Its eyes glow a deep red, its body shakes back and forth violently, its mouth opens and lets out a mighty roar! Soon, it subsides and the musical itself begins.

Wicked is an amazing story, giving an entirely new perspective on the old standby The Wizard of Oz. Based on a book written by Gregory Maguire, it tells the Wicked Witch of the West’s side of the story. The story opens in Munchkinland, with a celebration of the death of the wicked witch. Soon Glinda the Good glides down from above to join them. After some time and a lot of singing, a villager questions, “Is it true you were her friend?” Glinda makes a feeble attempt to avoid this question, but soon gives in and narrates a flashback to the birth of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. After her birth, the plot skips to her going to Shiz University, where you are introduced to her younger sibling, Nessarose, whose legs don’t work. In a series of mishaps, Elphaba ends up rooming with Galinda, the popular, airheaded, rich girl who wants nothing more than to become a witch. Soon, the inner workings of the plot are revealed. The Animals (yes, that is the correct capitalization; you see, in Oz there are animals, like the animals here, and Animals, who look like the animals here but walk and talk and dress like humans) of Oz are being oppressed and imprisoned, and Elphaba even sings a song about it with the goat teacher at Shiz, Doctor Dillamond. With the introduction of two more characters, Fiyero—a not-as-shallow-as-he-looks rich boy who appears to be the perfect match for Galinda—and Boq—a Munchkin Nessarose has a crush on—the plot really beings to spin.

While I don’t want to spoil anything, take my word that the rest of Wicked is fascinating, showing the beginnings of the Tin Woodsman and other characters as well as the making of the infamous ruby slippers and the escalation of the conflict between Elphaba and the Wizard. The exploration of Elphaba’s motives, which, in this adaptation, are mostly pure, is particularly interesting. However, lphaba is not the only well-developed character in Wicked; almost all the supporting cast, including Glinda, Fiyero, and Nessarose, are also very complex. Overall, Wicked is a highly satisfying new look at an old classic, The Wizard of Oz.

Dear Phoebe October

Dear Phoebe,

I can’t believe we’re already only three days away from midterms! I have a 7 page paper to write for my English class, a physics test to study for, a Spanish composition to write, an organic chemistry test to study for, a 5 page paper for History class, and a big math test coming up. I feel completely swamped and I don’t know what to do! How can I possibly handle it all?

Thanks,

Overwhelmed in O-Chem

Dear Overwhelmed in O-Chem,

Relax! Take it one step at a time, and remember to finish each step before you go on to the next one (i.e. finish your Spanish composition completely before studying for that math test); that way you’ll feel less stressed out, and you can concentrate better on either writing your papers or studying for your tests. Also, it might help if you make a checklist with all your assignments and midterms on it; being organized always makes you feel better. And lastly, you might feel less overwhelmed if you start with the hardest midterm on your list and work your way down. But don’t worry; everyone has been there at some point or another and has lived to tell the tale, and I’m sure you’ll do just fine!

Good luck,

Phoebe

Our Purpose

Forests thrive

Beneath the trimmed grasses.

Birds are soaring

From wood to wood

Landing on peaceful arms

Where butterfly eggs erupt

With short caterpillars.

They feed together

On the dried seeds

Of humanity

A crown of feathers,

Adorning each one.

College Report: Washington University in St. Louis

About a month ago, I visited the campus of Washington University in St Louis—sleeping in the dorms, going to classes, and eating in the dining halls—to get an idea of what day-to-day life is like for students there.  The verdict?  The campus feels safe, the people there are almost overwhelmingly nice, and all the students seem to genuinely love their school.

Washington University’s campus seemed big and intimidating the first day I was there, but I got used to it quickly.  It’s divided by Forsyth Street into its northern half—home to classrooms and the student union (which, by the way, has Italian food better than Olive Garden’s)—and its southern half—home to dorms. Forsyth Street, is, alas, very busy and difficult to cross safely; students get from one half of campus to another via a pedestrian underpass.  Because the entire student body passes through the underpass in the course of the average weekday, student groups have taken to painting it with news.  The dorm I stayed in was very nice, with “modern” style suites (two dorms with two people each share one bathroom, instead of the “traditional” all-floor free-for-all), heat and A/C, key-card access, and wireless internet.  One of the classrooms I was in, on the other hand, had a leaky roof.

Whenever I try to tell people about how kind the students at Wash U were to me while I was there, they generally attribute it to the fact that the college is in the Midwest.  In fact, the two girls I hung out with most where from Boston and Houston.  They were both busy with homework and volunteering, but they made time in their schedules to show me around, and when their workload caught up with them, the entire dorm went out of its way to make sure all my questions were answered.  Friday night in the dorm was a little crazy for my taste—half the campus was built by Anheuser-Busch, so alcohol laws aren’t enforced leniently so much as not at all—but I didn’t pick up on any pressure to drink.

The typical Wash U student has to work extremely hard at school, but loves it anyway; the students who weren’t partying on Friday night were slogging through calculus and chemistry, the first courses required for pre-med.  In fact, more than half of freshmen start intending to complete pre-med requirements, but only about 15% actually finish because the program is brutal.  Lucky for the washouts, the school is flexible about major-changing, and most students end up double-majoring anyway.  The only bad thing I discovered about classes at Wash U is that, while all classes have at least a lecture component taught by a professor—as the university’s brochures point out at every opportunity—most of the introductory courses have 100-plus students in them.  These courses are broken into sections, and each section gets its own TA.  So, while no classes are technically taught by TAs, a lot of freshman seminars are half-taught by them.  In sophomore year classes begin shrinking until they get down to only a handful of people.

In short, although I was surprised by some things on my college visit, I still think that Wash U is a great place for a friendly student who is willing to work hard to get the best education they can.

GECKO Tips: Pay Attention to Your Plastics

Have you ever noticed the little recycling sign on the bottom of plastic containers? Take a look at one. They have a number in the middle of the triangle. This number, a resin identification code, identifies what kind of plastic the bottle is made of.

• #1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)
  Examples: Disposable soft drink and water bottles
• #2 high density polyethylene (HDPE)
  Examples: Milk jugs, liquid detergent bottles, shampoo bottles
• #3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)
  Examples: Meat wrap, cooking oil bottles, plumbing pipes
• #4 low density polyethylene (LDPE)
  Examples: Cling wrap, grocery bags, sandwich bags
• #5 polypropylene (PP)
  Examples: Cloudy plastic water bottles, yogurt cups/tubs
• #6 polystyrene (PS)
  Examples: Disposable coffee cups, clam-shell take-out containers
• #7 other (plastics invented after 1987; includes polycarbonate, or PC, and polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources as well as newer plastics labeled “BPA-Free”)
  Examples: Baby bottles, some reusable water bottles, stain-resistant food-storage containers

Ranging from #1-#7, some plastics are safe and some are not. Here’s what’s safe:

#2 HDPE, #4 LDPE and #5 PP

These three plastics are your safest. They don’t transmit any known chemicals into your food. Plus, they’re recyclable (though #4 and #5 are more difficult to recycle than #2).

Also, #1 PET plastics are okay. They are safe for single-use only. Because the plastic is porous, it absorbs bacteria you can’t wash out. These plastics are not the best simply because they are not reusable.

…And here’s what’s not:

#3 PVC, #6 PS and #7 PC

Avoid these plastics as much as possible. They transmit chemicals into your food that are potentially carcinogenic.

PVC contains phthalates which cause endocrine disruption, and its manufacture and incineration release dioxin, a potent carcinogen and hormone disruptor.

Polystyrene (PS)-foam containers leach styrene, a potential human carcinogen. Testing has only indicated that it is a possible, weak carcinogen.

Polycarbonate plastics contain bisphenol A. This compound can mimic the body’s own hormones and has been linked to health problems such as obesity, breast cancer and neurological issues.

Source: National Geographic’s Green Guide

Test Tips

Yes, cram. I’m not saying you should rely on cramming as your weapon of first resort when taking a standardized test, but if you don’t know any formulas on Test Day Eve, getting eleven hours of sleep isn’t going to save you. That said, the SAT I gives you most of the formulas you’ll need at the beginning of the test. The SAT II, not so much. If you’re scared you’ll forget, do the math/chemistry/physics section first (for SAT IIs you get to choose which test you’ll take when) and write formulas down on your scratch paper the second the proctor lets you start. For some reason, they’re easier to remember when you’re not looking at a bunch of numbers.

Get ready the night before. Sharpen a few pencils. Retrieve a granola bar or two from the cupboard. Hunt down your TI-83. Don’t forget a picture ID. If you’re sick, get a big box of Kleenex. Now put them all in one bag. Your infinitesimally older self will thank you the next morning.

DON’T eat a big breakfast unless you always eat a big breakfast and know you’ll be fine. Eat what you normally eat. If what you normally eat is nothing, then you might try a couple pieces of toast beforehand, but don’t go crazy. People who tell you to eat a big breakfast forget that you can snack during test breaks if you’re hungry. They also forget that it’s hard to concentrate when you feel like you’ve got a brick in your stomach.

Sleep, but… try to spread out the extra sleep over a couple days.  Don’t try to catch up on all the shuteye you missed over the week on Friday night; instead, get an extra hour or two several nights in a row.  The idea is to vary your routine only a little bit, because if you change your routine a lot before the test, you’ll only make it a monumental, terrifying Big Event.  In fact, the less ceremony around test day, the better.  I’m not saying you should pull an all-nighter if that’s your average Friday (though since you’re a DA student, I very much doubt it), but if you normally stay up a little reading, don’t lose the book just because you want to get in an extra 30 minutes.

When in doubt, find the trick. The SAT is fond of problems that will trick you. Read each question like it’s a riddle of the Sphinx. The ACT is nicer. However, the ACT also likes questions that require a lightbulb moment to solve, especially on the math section. You can spend fifteen minutes slaving over a really nasty one, or you can read it again, think a little, cancel some terms, and find that the answer is 1. Sometimes it really is that easy.

Don’t second-guess yourself. Unless you’re one hundred percent sure your first answer is wrong, don’t change it. Your instincts will serve you well… if you listen to them.

When it comes to the essay, obfuscate your own erudition. Hint: if you’re using words like “obfuscate” or “erudition,” you’re doing something wrong. Oversimplify your essay.  If they ask you a yes or no question, they want an answer of yes or no. The graders are not philosophers; heck, they’re probably not even English teachers. Give them five simple paragraphs. Don’t do a lot of nuancing; it confuses them. Don’t coin new words like nuancing; they’ll think you’re a poor speller, or even worse, trying to be smart. That’s right, the essay isn’t about being smart. It’s about being clear and organized and easy for the poor, frazzled readers to understand.