March Issue v

The
Hourglass
march 2021
volume 60 issue 5 disce verum laborum 1888 701 montgomery ave, bryn mawr pa 19010
WHITE
FEMINISM
How Mainstream Feminism Became White
By MARIN HOROWITZ ‘24
Feminism is the advocacy and belief
that all humans are equal, regardless
of gender. At Baldwin, we learn
about the history of feminism and women’s
rights. We’re taught about inspirational
female figures. However, the traditional
model of feminism taught in schools is
White feminism.
Feminism is traditionally studied in
four primary waves. The first wave started
in New York in 1848 with the first major
women’s rights gathering: the Seneca Falls
Convention. Most notably, Elizabeth Cady
Stanton and Susan B. Anthony spoke to
thousands, advocating for women’s right
to vote. The Seneca Falls Convention
kick-started a national movement among
both Black and White women, leading to
the establishment of the 19th Amendment,
which granted women suffrage, in 1920.
The second wave of feminism during
the 1960s had different goals from its predecessor.
Rather than just voting rights,
the leaders of this movement, like Betty
Friedan and Gloria Steinem, advocated
for more representation in the workforce,
equal pay as their male counterparts, and
reproductive rights.
Friedan and Steinem made significant
strides towards gender equality. The Equal
Pay Act of 1963 was one of the first anti-discrimination
laws that outlawed paying
one person more than another for the same
job. In 1973, the Supreme Court decided
in Roe v. Wade that women had the choice
to have an abortion without ‘excessive’
restrictions. Though Steinem and Friedan
helped draw attention to the oppression of
American women, at the time, they mostly
addressed the oppression of women like
them: educated, middle-class, and White.
Friedan’s book, The Feminine Mystique,
focused on women being trapped in the
kitchen and home, and universalized the
experience of privileged White women.
The mid-1990s marked the start of
the third wave of feminism, leading into
the fourth, which continues to this day.
These waves
focused on
women’s empowerment
and sexual
harassment,
like the recent
#Metoo
movement,
which led
to marches
and protests
worldwide,
regardless of
race or culture.
“
But there
is a major
problem with
this history: it
is a timeline
of White feminism. White feminism stems
from the experiences of privileged, educated,
and heteronormative White women.
It universalizes these women’s experiences
and overlooks the challenges faced by
women of color and non-heteronormative
women.
Women’s suffrage did not allow for all
women to vote. In the south, Black women,
just like Black men, were denied the
vote because of various racist laws aimed
at preventing their access to vote. Elizabeth
Cady Stanton, who was a key speaker
at the Seneca Falls Convention, is known
to have actively excluded and degraded
Black and immigrant voters of all genders,
saying, “What will we and our daughters
suffer if these degraded Black men are allowed
to have the rights that would make
them even
worse than
our Saxon
fathers?”
White feminism stems
from the experiences of
privileged, educated, and
heteronormative White
women.
It universalizes these
women’s experiences and
overlooks the challenges
faced by women of color
and non-heteronormative
women.”
As the
Smithsonian
Museum
for African-American
History
and Culture
notes, “Black
women’s
experience
of racism,
sexism, and
classism are
inseparable.”
While
Friedan and
Stanton
largely ignored the experience of Black
women, activists like Ida B. Wells and
Sojourner Truth were advocating for the
rights of all women in the first wave. Pauli
Murray coined the term ‘Jane Crow,’ referring
to the double discrimination Black
women face. This sentiment was echoed
by the statement written by the Combahee
River Collective, a group of Black
feminists in the 1970s, that says, “we are
actively committed to struggling against
racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression...As
Black women we see Black
feminism as the logical political movement
to combat the manifold and simultaneous
oppressions that all women of color face.”
In some countries, conditions for
women continue to be deadly. In Mexico,
there’s been a sharp increase in the number
of women murdered, with over one
thousand women killed in 2020 alone. As
a response, this past November, Mexican
feminists took over a Human Rights Commission
building in Mexico City, making
it a safe place for women, and underlining
the Mexican government’s lack of concern
for the struggles women face on a daily
basis. Women in Latin American countries,
such as Chile and Argentina, recently
created protest songs such as ‘A Rapist in
Your Path.’
There have also been demonstrations
in Berlin, Paris, and New York City that
brought the atrocities against women in
Latin America and the world over to public
attention, and in the United States, women’s
issues were prominent in the wake of
the 2016 presidential election, which led to
the Women’s March in January 2017.
The history of feminism is a long and
complicated one, and the prevailing narrative
has erased that, silencing the voices
of other women who deserve to be heard.
While many women wouldn’t have attended
college or have varied job opportunities
without White feminism, those
who protested and exposed problems that
universally affect women–Latin American,
Black, non-heteronormative, and other
women of color–have been forgotten by
the White feminist narrative.
The Weird World of
Whippets
Named after the container
in which they are dispensed,
whippets are a highly
hazardous and addictive drug
that can cause long-lasting
brain damage.
[ See NEWS, PAGE 5 ]
CENTERFOLD:
Whitewashing
Writers call for new
understandings of time and
Black history in “Black History
Month: What it Was, What it
Became, and What it Could Be”
and “The White Man’s Time.”
[ See CENTERFOLD, PAGES 6-7 ]
Milk: Yes or No?
Are you a fan of milk?
While some love its taste
and versatility, others just
aren’t fond of the drink- or
the negative environmental
impacts of its industry.
[ See BACK PAGE, PAGE 12 ]
Photography by Jessica Lamontagne ‘22 Design by Maggie Song ‘21

2
Editorial
EDITORIAL
By PRESLEY DAGGETT ‘21 and AVA OLSON ‘21
Taylor’s tips
STRESS RELIEF
With the second semester
almost halfway over and our
exams and those all-important
final grades bearing down on
us, here are ten easy tips for
stress relief to help you finish
the year strong.
By TAYLOR LEVINSON ‘21
TIP 1: Get a healthy
amount of exercise
every day
January
February
March
Exercise reduces stress hormones, increases
those feel-good endorphins,
improves sleep quality, and boosts
confidence. It doesn’t even have to be
overly strenuous; just get your body
moving in some way for at least 30
minutes.
TIP 2: Reduce caffeine
intake
As February–Black History
Month—came to a close, posts
amplifying Black voices have
started dissipating from our
social media feeds. We then immediately
start celebrating Women’s History Month
in the month of March.
Both months mark important times
“
understand
LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
Yet why does social activism happen
in month-long waves rather than being a
constant? Why is it that underrepresented
sexual, cultural, or racial identities are often
confined to a mere 30 days for recognition?
As we continue our country’s
journey of achieving racial
equality, we must first
our past.”
racially diverse school. We have the opportunity
to learn from others’ perspectives
and openly share about our individual experiences.
The Hourglass encourages our
readers to take advantage of this opportunity
and listen to our peers.
In order to be active and productive
allies for minority groups, it’s crucial that
While caffeine can help you stay
awake, it can also raise stress levels
when you get past your caffeine tolerance.
Granted, drinking less caffeine
is easier said than done, but it
can help lower anxiety and keep you
more relaxed.
TIP 3: Get 8-10 hours
of sleep every night
When you are stressed, you generally
get less sleep because your
brain is busy processing worrisome
thoughts. However, sleep is essential
because it gives your body and
brain a chance to recharge. With a
proper amount of quality sleep, you
can have a better mood and a higher
energy level.
TIP 4: Find gratitude
in our year; they are times when people
are encouraged to stop and recognize the
accomplishments achieved by two marginalized
groups and the obstacles they’ve
faced.
Of course, there are other important
months when we demonstrate appreciation
for different races, cultures, or causes.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month,
May is ALS Awareness Month, and June is
To enact meaningful, long-lasting
change, we must continuously advocate for
causes in which we believe.
Understanding our past is essential for
achieving true racial equality. Acknowledging
the discrimination against racial
minorities and the institutionalized racism
that has existed throughout our history is
crucial.
We are fortunate enough to attend a
we all demonstrate acts of anti-racism all
months of the year. While posting on social
media can help educate others about various
social justice issues, it’s important to
follow up these posts with direct, meaningful
engagement with your community. One
such engagement is attending an affinity
club meeting at Baldwin.
Moreover, we should celebrate diversity
and challenge oppression every month.
This may seem like something
small and perhaps even a bit vague,
but it’s so easy to focus on the
negatives and fail to see the positives
of life. When you find yourself
stressing about something you
don’t have or something that hasn’t
gone your way, take time to think
about everything that has gone your
way. This can divert your thoughts
and help ground you when you’re
getting into a negative spiral.
[ CONTINUED on the WEBSITE ]
Graphics and design by Trisha Yun ‘24
March 2021
Volume 60 Issue 5
701 Montgomery Ave.
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
The Hourglass
The Baldwin School
Co-Editors-in-Chief Ava Olson ‘21 · Presley Daggett
‘21 Creative Director Maggie Song ‘21 Junior
Creative Directors Anna Wang ‘22 · Sophie
Cai ‘22 Layout Editor Hana Ahanger ‘21 Photography
EditorS Melody Hao ‘22 · Izzy Antanavicius
‘22 News Editor Grace Halak ‘22 Features Editor
Rhea Jain ‘21 Opinions Editor Kaitlyn O’Malley ‘22
Sports Editor Lavender Huang ‘22 Arts and Culture
Editor Melody Gui ‘21 Media Content Editor
Elise Kait ‘21 Website Editor Krissy Bhargava
‘22 FACULTY ADVISORS Ms. Janice Wilke · Ms. Alex
Greco · Dr. Daniel Benjamin
The Hourglass is The Baldwin Upper School’s newspaper dedicated to
publishing student articles. The views expressed in The Hourglass do
not necessarily reflect those of the school or the editors. All content published
in The Hourglass (including but not limited to articles, designs,
graphics, photographs, and illustrations) are created by Baldwin students
for the exclusive use of The Hourglass unless otherwise indicated. The
Hourglass aspires for its content to be fair and correct, and regrets when
it is not. If you have questions or comments about our coverage, contact
the Editors-in-Chief at aolson@baldwinschool.org or pdaggett@baldwinschool.org.
The Hourglass is made possible through the generosity
of the Ruth S. Hochberger ‘68 Hourglass Sustainability Fund. The Hourglass
is affiliated with the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

Photography by Melody Hao ‘22
Graphics and design by Sophie Cai ‘22
opinion 3
The misunderstood impact of
toxic femininity
By AUBYN MACKEY ‘24
Toxic masculinity is a common
term in the twenty-first century,
but what about the other side
of the story: toxic femininity?
The New York Times describes toxic
masculinity: “Toxic masculinity is what
can come of teaching boys that they can’t
express emotion openly; that they have
to be ‘tough all the time’; that anything
other than that makes them ‘feminine’
or weak.” This term initially represented
qualities that men wanted to embody, but
now people understand its harmful nature.
When Baldwin students were
asked what toxic femininity was,
many had never heard of the phrase.
When we hear the word “toxic,”
we automatically think of women’s
negative attitudes towards men,
even relating it to females gaining equal
rights or more power. However, the
phrase “toxic femininity” refers to the
balance of stereotypes we face daily.
Urban Dictionary describes “toxic
femininity” as “the phenomenon of women
trying to emphasize the traits of empathy,
sensitivity, patience, tenderness.”
Toxic femininity and toxic masculinity
are concepts derived from patriarchal
assumptions. Toxic femininity describes
the professional, personal, and societal
limitations women face in life while toxic
masculinity pushes men to be emotionless
and work with force and power; these
two terms isolate women and men on opposite
sides of the emotional spectrum.
Toxic femininity is particularly
present in politics. For example, the first
female Vice president was not elected
until 2020 because of the traditional soci-
etal belief that women should stay home
rather than pursue a successful career.
Additionally, the CNN report
on Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s attempted
kidnapping for her stance on
the election is a clear demonstration
of how women are physically threatened
for holding positions of power.
Another example is Donald Trump’s
statement: “We’re getting your husband’s
back to work soon,” written in USA Today.
These examples reinforce the belief
that women should stay at home and
care for their husbands and children.
The idea that women belong only in
the home belittles women who have higher
aspirations for academic or professional
success. All people who believe that
women should stay home without jobs
want to reinforce the value of empathy,
patience, and sensitivity for the pure purpose
of pleasing others. They also pressure
others to adhere to these guidelines
without thinking of the women worldwide
fighting for more opportunities.
We know of the efforts to end toxic
masculinity. Moreover, we should also be
aware of toxic femininity and how we can
use the confidence we’ve gained from our
Baldwin education to overcome obstacles.
Women are stepping up to positions
of power and defying stereotypes
every day to combat toxic femininity.
Toxic femininity may be an issue in our
future, and we must be prepared to fight
these limitations with our life choices.
We possess the knowledge and capabilities
to enact change; we just have to have the
confidence to push the female role beyond
one that “requires” male accompaniment.
8 Facts About Feminism
according to dosomething.org and Pew Research Center
1
3
5
7
Feminism is defined as the belief in the social, political,
and economic equality of the sexes.
The goal of feminism is to challenge the
systemic inequalities women face on a daily basis.
Contrary to popular belief, feminism has nothing to do with
belittling men; in fact, feminism does not support sexism against
either gender. Feminism works towards equality, not female superiority.
Feminists respect individual, informed choices and
believe there shouldn’t be a double standard in judging a person.
Women earn 78 cents for every dollar a man makes.
Only 27% of the seats in Congress are held by women.
Although 48% of law school graduates and 45% of law firm associates are female, women
make up only 22% of federal-level and 26% of state-level judgeships.
Even in the 10 top paying jobs for women, females earn less
than men;only one career, speech pathology, pays the same regardless of gender.
2
4
6
8

4
news
1900 president -0.1°C biden’s
2021
PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT
UNFCCC
1.16°C
FRACKING ENERGY
CARBON NEUTRAL 2050
OIL1.5 DEGREE CELCIUS
climate planTIPPING POINT CARBON
ELECTRICAL CAR
NET-ZERO UPGRADES
Are we acting fast enough?
RISING TEMPERATURE
By OLIVIA STEPHAN ‘24
Graphics and design by Chloe Yan ‘24 • Photography by Carly Goldenberg ‘22
Global temperatures are currently
on track to rise at least three degrees
Celsius by 2100 if Earth’s
climate stays on its current trajectory.
To put this in perspective, the average
global temperature throughout the
year 1900 was -0.1 degrees Celsius; now,
in 2021, it is 0.9 degrees Celsius. In the
past 120 years, the Earth’s temperature
has only risen about 1 degree Celsius.
Within the next 80 years, it
could increase three times that.
The Trump administration
did not prioritize environmental
concerns.
At the start of his
On his first day in office, President
Biden signed back onto the Paris Agreement.
Additionally, he set up a thoroughly
detailed climate plan, with the primary
goal of having the United States
be carbon neutral or net-zero by 2050.
President Biden hopes
to focus on streamlining
ing charging stations across the country.
500,000 new charging stations are
slated for completion soon, although
one could argue a more reasonable goal
is making all federal vehicles electric.
In the energy industry, the number
of coal plants is falling in the U.S.,
replaced by a focus on solar
and wind as energy sources.
Natural gas power
plants, however, still
account for the majority
of the
Additionally, the U.S. government
plans to upgrade 4 million buildings, although
what type is not specified, and
weatherize 2 million homes with a 2 trillion
dollar budget. The upgrades will
make the buildings energy-efficient,
meaning they’ll require less energy to
do the same tasks. An example of weatherizing
homes is installing better windows
so that less energy is needed to heat
or cool a house during certain seasons.
The Paris Climate Agreement’s primary
goal is to keep the global temperature
increase below 1.5 degrees Celsius indefinitely
(we are currently at
1.16 degrees Celsius).
By combining
President
Biden’s
com-
foury
e a r
term,
President
Trump withdrew
the U.S.
from the Paris
Climate Agreement,
an international treaty
that began in 2015 that focuses
on climate change. The
Paris Agreement works in tandem
with the United Nations Framework Convention
for Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Throughout his presidency,
Trump’s Environmental Protection
Agency worked to reverse the clean
power plan and loosen toxic air regulations.
He also removed climate change
from the list of national security threats.
transportation,
energy production, and overall
energy efficiency in his coming term.
Goals for the transportation sector
include prioritizing the production
of electric vehicles along with build-
country’s energy
production. To reduce gas consumption,
President Biden has tried to
limit fracking on federal lands. However,
this has not proven effective yet, as
90% of fracking occurs on private land.
pre-
hen-
sive
p l a n
w i t h
those of the
United Nations
and the Paris
Agreement, this
goal becomes more attainable.
In the short time
frame humanity has left before
the effects of climate change become
irreversible, the looming question remains:
“Will our actions be fast enough?”
“
In the past 120
years, the Earth’s
temperature has
only risen about
1 degree Celsius.
Within the next 80
years, it could
increase three
times that.”
1910 2021 2100
-0.1°C 1.16°C 4.16°C

news 5
Graphics and design by Anna Wang ‘22 • Photography by Izzy Antanavicius ‘22
the weird world
of whippets
These seemingly innocent canisters pack a big punch and can lead to severe brain damage
with continuous use.
By PRESLEY DAGGETT ‘21
The top definition of whippets
in the esteemed Urban Dictionary
is: “Nitrous oxide found
in small metal canisters used as
an inhalant drug to get high.” The word
is used in a sentence for context, quoting
an anonymous blogger: “We got hella
high off some whippets last night.”
Whippets, whippits, or whip-its are
all titles for the same drug, which gets its
nickname for being used in whipped cream
dispensers. These seemingly innocent canisters
pack a big punch and can lead to
severe brain damage with continuous use.
Nitrous oxide, the gas found in whippets,
was first administered as a pain reliever
by Dr. Horace Wells in 1844. Nowadays,
it’s commonly used in the medical
field as low-grade laughing gas for minor
surgeries or procedures because of its
anti-anxiety and pain-relieving qualities.
Unfortunately, these same qualities
are also the ones that draw many teens
and young adults to misuse whippets.
The hazardous drug prevents oxygen
from getting to the brain, producing
an instantaneous high that only lasts a
few minutes. Users experience giddiness
and dissociative effects, but it’s all at
the high cost of killing brain cells. Withdrawal
symptoms of nitrous oxide are
similar to those of alcohol; users suffer
headaches, nausea, insomnia, and anxiety.
Nitrous oxide is safe when prescribed
by a professional because doctors
can monitor the patient’s oxygen
levels. But when used recreationally, it
can be highly addictive. The rapid high
that whippets produce encourages repeated
use and escalates the risk of addiction
among users. Quick, consecutive inhalation
is life-threatening because oxygen
is blocked from reaching the brain.
According to a survey conducted by
the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services
Administration, approximately two
million people aged 12 or older had used inhalants
–– such as gases, aerosols, and, most
commonly, nitrites –– between 2015-2018.
Of those two million, an estimated 662,000
were between the ages of 12-17 years old.
Sammy Baron ‘20, currently a freshman
at Tulane University, noted that at her
school, a large part of the student body is
well aware of the use of whippets on campus.
“Students will discuss how they
really lost association with their surroundings
after taking one, or students
will talk about how someone who constantly
takes them has become progressively
more spaced-out,” Baron said.
The familiarity of household products
that contain nitrous oxide, such as whipped
cream canisters, creates a false sense of security
for many whippet users. The low cost
and wide-spread availability of these canisters
also increase the possibility of abuse.
Many college students who use
whippets are unaware of their potentially
life-changing, even life-ending consequences.
High schools and colleges
are supposed to prepare young adults for
their futures. In addition to focusing on
academics, their curriculums should include
education to ensure young adults
have a viable future, and this education
must now include the dangers of whippets.
Whippets have been on the streets for a
long time, but they’ve become increasingly
popular among the party scene at many colleges
and high schools in the last ten years.
TOP DEFINITION
whippets
INGREDIENTS: HEAVY CREAM, WATER,
SUGAR, NONFAT MILK, LESS THAN
2% OF: MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES,
NATURAL FLAVOR, CARRAGEENAN,
CELLULOSE GUM. PROPELLANT:
NITROUS OXIDE. CONTAINS: MILK.
Nitrous oxide found in small metal cannisters used in refillable whipped cream
cannisters. Used as an inhalant drug to get high.
“we got hella high off some whippets last night”
Nitrous oxide inhalant whipped cream drug
by justaperson888 August 01, 2010
676 206
according to urbandictionary.com

6 the hourglass | March 2021
February is Black History Month.
Black History Month offers the opportunity
to change our perspective
about Black history, and how it is taught in
schools across the country.
White fragility has minimized the reality
of what Black Americans have faced
in this country; Black history as a whole
has been made palatable for the fragile
White public. In simpler terms, the White
audience has made it possible to shield
themselves from Black pain.
Black History Month began in 1926
as Negro History Week. Carter G. Woodson,
a historian, introduced this idea, as
he believed that educated Black people
would be able to join in discussions and
offer perspectives on our country’s racial
affairs. With other progressive historians’
help, Woodson’s week of Black discovery
became a month of celebrating Black excellence
and rediscovery.
We have the observance to combat
systemic racism caused by the efforts of
White supremacy. In today’s modern discussion,
Black History Month has become
a mission to lay the truths of Black history
bare, without the restraint of White fragility.
Black people want to focus on the
long-lasting social impacts of issues like
slavery and the Jim Crow era—their effects
are still felt today. Understanding our
unvarnished history is critical for avoiding
similar problems in today’s social climate;
we talk about history because acknowledging
the issues is essential for improving the
future.
To fully understand what happened in
the near and distant past, the educational
system in the United States—specifically
White educators—should fully acknowledge
the cruelty that Black Americans
have suffered and continue to suffer.
For example, institutions and the media
should stop printing only the black-andwhite
pictures of the March on Washington
as it distorts our perception and paints the
event as a centuries-ago occurrence. If we
saw the March on Washington in color, just
like President John F. Kennedy is pictured
in history textbooks, we would remember
that the struggle for civil rights is in the recent
past and is still ongoing.
Students must actively expand their
knowledge. They shouldn’t walk away
from history classes with the most generic
information—that slavery and racism are
bad and that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and
Rosa Parks were good. Students should
understand the historical significance in
context.
Black
History
MONth
By IFUNAYA OBIDIKE ‘23
what it was,
what it became,
and
what it could be
Fellow members of the Black community
will undoubtedly recognize this
experience: that the Black names taught
in history class can be counted on one
hand—Rosa Parks, Barack Obama, Frederick
Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
and Harriet Tubman.
Black history should not be considered
as a separate subject in the school
curriculum. Students should learn about
Juneteenth: a celebration of freedom for
the last group of enslaved people. Students
should understand the connection between
the emancipation of the enslaved and the
creation of the penal systems. Students
should study or Black inventors like Valerie
Thomas who created 3D movies and
television.
More Black names should be added
to the system’s index as White names now
dominate. Names of random generals, innumerable
men who started wars—the list
goes on and on. These events all stem from
White people. White history has been the
norm for years, while Black history remains
optional.
Educational institutions across the
country must improve the teaching of
Black history because young Americans
rely on the educational system to teach us
why Black people are important figures of
the past, the present, and for a better future.
There’s no point in teaching Black
history if most of the crucial lessons are
not thoroughly examined. Predominantly
White institutions need to confront their
fragility and face up to the racism that continues
to harm people of color.
If this unabridged education is introduced,
understanding the stance an
anti-racist White person should take is
important. The Black community needs
accomplices, not allies, in challenging
systemic and casual racism. Developing a
better understanding of Black history and
its connections with contemporary racism
is the first step. Black people need to be
listened to, not spoken over.
Those with privilege should help the
Black community battle the status quo by
advocating for the teaching of a complete
Black history. Nor should Black students
be used as a resource for a class discussion
about racism; Black trauma is not a free
educational tool for any current racist misdoings.
Black students are not informants;
the internet is, and no one should be infantilized
or coddled on the subject of racism
in the past or in the present.
Education is elevation. Our schools
should teach us complete lessons so we
can grow to teach others. If our country
does not change the way Black history is
taught, the initial purpose of Black History
Month will cease to exist.

centerfold 7
The White
Man’s Time
By ANNA WETZEL ‘22
Relics of the Bryn Mawr and Haverford
student strikes grace classroom
walls and Instagram pages.
Among these, a sign prompting “Are you
teaching the White man’s science?” followed
by an urgent demand –“Decolonize
STEM!”– remains posted to a glass wall in
the Park Science Building on Bryn Mawr’s
campus.
This message challenges us to diversify
the disciplines through which we
spatially and temporally explore the physical
world: science, technology, engineering,
and math. In addition to the equitable
representation of minorities within these
fields, the decolonization of STEM may
require a far more profound reconsideration
of our very understanding of space
and time.
Through the Western educational system,
science is presented as universal, objective
truth. This call to action prompts us,
instead, to reframe science as a constructed
discipline and an element of Western culture,
and therefore reflective of White supremacy
and patriarchy. From the figures
we acclaim to the theorems we memorize,
our study of the physical world through the
fields of math and science is dominated by
Whiteness.
Of course, many women and people
of color have made important contributions
to the disciplines of science, technology,
engineering, and math. However, decolonization
requires more than the inclusion
of underrepresented minorities within
fields defined by European ideas, figures,
and histories. To decolonize STEM is to
reconsider the lens through which we explore
these disciplines on a fundamental
level, clarifying and dismantling the Eurocentric
roots of our most basic understandings
of space and time.
A train ride away, Philadelphia-based
Afrofuturist artist and lawyer Rasheedah
Phillips is doing the very work the students
of Bryn Mawr College called to action.
Phillips is the co-founder of Black
Quantum Futurism, a collective dedicated
to understanding of space and time beyond
the Eurocentric framework we’ve been
taught in school.
Eurocentric conceptions of time, as
taught in the Western school system, follow
the Ancient Roman Gregorian (12
month) calendar and chronologically follow
the past, present and future. Phillips’s
scholarship, in contrast, centers the exploration
of time in African cultural traditions.
This includes Sasa: the recent past,
present, and immediate future– periods of
time that reflect lived, embodied experience.
Conversely, the Zamani period refers
to a deeper, more profound past, famously
referred to as the “graveyard of time” by
Kenyan philosopher John Mbiti.
The Black Quantum Futurism Collective’s
work includes elaborate art installations,
ambitious research endeavors, and
digital zines. Most recently, the collective
won a grant through CERN, the world’s
largest particle physics laboratory, to extend
their research on quantum physics
and produce accompanying artwork. Much
of the collective’s work provides avenues
for the contextualization of these abstract,
philosophical concepts within our lived experiences
and daily practices. One of their
printable magazines equips users with the
tools for “Do-It-Yourself Time Travel”
through a series of reflective prompts and
curated soundscapes.
As traditional African understandings
of time tend to be cyclical –following agricultural,
ecological, and economic cycles–
the work of Phillips and her collective
encourages deep personal and ancestral
reflection as a form of navigation through
time.
Now more than ever, delineation in
time feels more suggestive than concrete.
Days bleed into one another; schedules and
deadlines blur. As put by mathematician
Joseph Mazur in April of 2020, the world
is “beginning to be lost in time.” Phillips’
work invites us to learn from this moment
of temporal fluidity and in doing so, challenge
our Western notions of time as linear.
The work of Black Quantum Futurism
calls for a radical expansion of our
understanding of the physical realm. A
higher representation of minorities within
traditional STEM fields (and knowledge
of their past achievements) is certainly one
goal, but the collective’s purpose is to challenge
Western thought on a broader scale,
and open itself up to non-Eurocentric notions
of time.
I encourage my peers to challenge
their own understanding of traditional
Western conceptions of time and space
through further investigation into Phillips’
scholarship and activism. An anonymous
college student, simply by scrawling a
slogan on a piece of paper and affixing it
to the wall of a Bryn Mawr College classroom,
has challenged the American educational
system to expand the framework
through which we understand the physical
universe.
Graphics and design by Maggie Song ‘21
Photography by Megan Cooper ‘21 and Trisha Yun ‘23

8
Arts
Artist of the Month:
Lucy Bonin
Come to support The Wolves on April 22 and 23 on the Upper Field!
By ELISE KAIT ‘21
Most ‘theater kids” like to be in the
spotlight, but not Lucy Bonin ‘21. As
a stage manager, she works behind
the scenes: organizing crew meetings,
keeping deadlines, taking rehearsal notes, and
ensuring that everything runs smoothly during the
show. Bonin enjoyed watching musicals and plays
as a child but never expected to “enter the scene.”
“I got into theater in the 8th grade
when my mom told me I needed something
to do outside of school,” Bonin said.
“I knew I couldn’t really sing, act, or dance, but
then I found out about the tech crew and fell in love.”
For Bonin’s current show, The Wolves by
Sarah DeLappe, she took on a director’s responsibilities
as well; this included casting the
show, planning rehearsal times and locations,
and developing a vision for the production.
“A director’s job,” Bonin said, “is primarily
to have a vision of what you want the
show to look like and know how to teach
that to actors so it appears onstage.”
“Actors typically have one main job,
which is to act and to know their lines. All jobs
in theater have their difficulty, though, and
I have the utmost respect for actors. I could
truly never do what they do,” Bonin said.
Bonin’s favorite part of theater is watching
new shows and analyzing individual technical
decisions’ thought processes. For example,
Bonin tries to analyze how Elphaba flies in
Wicked, or how it rains in Once on this Island.
Though Bonin loves most of everything
theater-related, she dislikes what comes after
“
A director’s job
is to have a vision
of what you want
the show to look
like and know how
to teach that to
actors so it appears
onstage.”
the show: strike. The “strike” happens after a
show’s final performance, and all the sets, equipment,
and props are removed from the theater.
Bonin shared that she dislikes strike “partially
because it’s saying goodbye to something
you worked so hard on, and partially
because, for high school strikes, everyone
participates--including people who don’t entirely
know what they’re doing with power tools.”
Bonin’s passion for theater has catapulted
her into a career path. She will be studying
Stage Management at NYU Tisch next
fall. Her goal is to eventually stage-manage a
Broadway production, but Bonin would be interested
in doing anything in the theater world.
“Honestly, as long as I’m doing
theater, I’m happy,” Bonin said.
Her love of art is evident in her productions.
Over the past few months, Bonin has worked tirelessly
around COVID-19 restrictions to direct and
manage Baldwin’s first-ever student-run show.
The Wolves will be performed on April 22 and
April 23 at 5 PM on the Upper Field! Bonin and
the rest of the cast would love to see you there.
“
As long as I’m
doing theater,
i’m happy!”
The cast of The Wolves
rehearses.
Photos courtesy of Lucy Bonin ‘21
Graphics and design by Elva Chen ‘22

Photography by Izzy Antanavicius ‘22
Design by Eliza Bryant ‘24
sports
9
Athlete of the month:
Blake Landow ‘22
By GRACE HALAK ‘22
Blake Landow ‘22 is a student-athlete
in every sense of
the word. She participates in
three sports: softball (since
fourth grade), volleyball (since sixth
grade), and track (since tenth grade). She
is most dedicated to softball and plays on a
club team that travels often.
Sports play an essential role in Landow’s
personal life.
“They bring my family together [because]
we all play sports. We’re all very
different people, so it’s nice to have an activity
in common to bring us together and
unify us,” Landow said.
She also enjoys the
community her club
softball team provides
outside of
Baldwin.
“My club team allows me to connect
with different people outside of the small
community of Baldwin. I enjoy meeting
new people and having new experiences,”
Landow said.
Landow is not only a talented athlete
but also a gifted and dedicated student. She
credits sports with teaching her the skills
that have led to academic success.
“Sports teach you both discipline and
time management because you learn to balance
school and sports at a young age. You
learn to work hard and put 100% of your
effort into 100% of the things that you do,”
Landow said.
Her hard work has paid off: she
has committed to the University of
Pennsylvania and plans to continue
playing softball through college.
The process was not easy,
especially considering the restrictions of a
global pandemic.
“COVID took away a lot of opportunities
to play and be seen by college coaches,”
Landow said.
“It made recruiting much more difficult,
but it also presented new opportunities
for me like virtual batting lessons. I
worked with a woman who played for a
professional team but lives in California,
so it wasn’t ever convenient for her to fly
out and work with me physically. Through
the virtual lessons, she really improved my
hitting technique.”
Even in the face of adversity, Landow
sees the silver linings and strives to
achieve her goals. This tireless work ethic
and determination are reflected in her accomplishments
and in her advice to other
student-athletes.
“You know the quote ‘practice makes
perfect,’” Landow said.
“A softball coach I had once rephrased
that and said ‘practice makes permanent.’
That stuck with me because practice does
make permanent. Practice the right way,
100% focused on what you’re doing at the
time that you’re doing it. That’s something
I try to live by.”

10
Features
Design by Emily Zhang ‘23
Photography by Sophia Ran ‘23
Social Media, Shopping,
and the Role of the
Influencer
Social Media Influencers are Making Waves and Taking the Retail Industry by Storm
By KAITLYN O’MALLEY ‘22
The past year has made it more apparent
than ever that influencers significantly impact
the consumer market
through their social
media platforms. Numerous
companies
are now promoting
their products by
partnering with
social media
influencers.
Hyram
Yarbro, better
known as
@skincarebyhyram
or
just “Hyram,”
is one such star
influencer. Hyram
has a whopping 6.8
million followers on
TikTok and 4.39 million
followers on YouTube.
Hyram has been a critical contributor to the
skincare brand CeraVe’s increase in revenue. He often
promotes relatively-affordable brands through
various platforms, subsequently creating a frenzy
among his followers as they attempt to find a product
such as CeraVe’s Foaming Facial Cleanser, which is
often sold out as soon as it’s placed on shelves.
TWITTER TWITTER TWITTER TWITTER TWITTER
TIK TOK TIK TIK TOK TIK T
TIK TOK TIK TIK TOK TIK T
$
$
#
$
$$
#
#
$
#
$ $ #
$$
However, CeraVe is not the only brand to
benefit from Hyram’s prominence in the beauty industry.
Kosas, a beauty brand sold at Sephora, has
also seen a significant
increase
in their sales after their company’s association
with Hyram. According to The New York Times,
merchandise sales on Kosas’ website tripled after
Hyram spoke highly of their products.
Hyram is only one example of the connection
between social media, influencers, and sales. The social
media platform TikTok has created and shaped
numerous fashion trends over the past few years, including
the VSCO girls, E-girls, and now, the redefinition
of the “preppy style.”
While previously, the preppy clothing style
featured plaid and penny loafers with the occasional
dress from Lilly Pulitzer, social media has drastically
changed the articles of clothing and brands
that make up the preppy style. Now, frilly skirts and
matching sets from brands such as Love Shack Fancy
and Roller Rabbit appear in Tik Tok posts tagged
#preppy.
Social media helps generate revenue
for
online stores, such
as Starfit, where
“sold out” labels
adorn
many of
their
products.
The
Internet
a l -
lows
c o n -
sumers to
find stores
that offer new,
drastically different
products from those advertised
through web browsers.
INSTAGRAM INSTAGRAM INSTAGRAM
Additionally, social media has created support
for small businesses, especially those operating solely
online. The public attention they receive through
various social media platforms can be a defining factor
in their very existence.
Social media, and the well-known influencers
who populate the apps, have allowed new brands
and products to thrive in the ever-changing retail industry.
These influencers will likely continue to play
a part in the retail market well into the future.

Features 11
Baby DOLls or Bulldozers:
How external factors
contribute to
a child’s
Examining the psychology
behind gendered toys
and their impact on
childhood development
expressed
gender
By AVA OLSON ‘21
When you were growing up,
did you own a miniature
plastic toolbox or a pink
tutu? Did you play with
fake swords or fake baking sets?
Toys are one of the many influences
on a child’s early life. According to a study
by the National Association for the Education
of Young Children (NAEYC), girls’
toys are often associated with physical attractiveness
and domestic skill—such as
taking care of a baby doll—and boys’ toys,
like miniature racing cars, are typically
more “violent, competitive, and exciting.”
Furthermore, the NAEYC concluded
that more masculine toys “encouraged a
child’s physical, cognitive, academic, musical,
and artistic skills more so than moderately
feminine ones,” suggesting that
toys geared towards young boys are more
stimulating on a child’s developing brain
than toys created for young girls.
However, Dr.
Valerie Braunstein
‘01, a supervising
psychologist, believes
that pressuring a
child to play with toy
trucks or Barbie dolls
is only one of the many
ways parents influence
their child’s perception of gender expression.
“There are little ways children can
pick up on the sentiment that ‘It’s not okay
to be me,’” said Dr. Braunstein.
Braunstein is the founder of Philly
Psychology, where her clients include
young children, high schoolers, college
students, and early career professionals.
Braunstein specializes in anxiety disorders,
behavioral problems, depression, and
parenting.
While toys do affect a child’s perception
of gender expression, Braunstein
argues that the opinions and reactions
of a child’s parents play a more
significant role in
their child’s life.
“Parents don’t
realize the impact
they can have on their
child,” Braunstein said.
“A parent might be anxious themselves,
or might want to protect their child
from a world where their child might be
discriminated against, but the parents have
a lot more power than they think to protect
the child, and if they just led with love and
let the child feel loved for who they are and
express themselves for who they are, then
that’s going to be so much more important
than all of the things the parent is trying to
protect the child from.”
Similarly, families that try to change
their child’s identity or prevent their child
from coming out inflict lasting psychological
damage upon their children.
Compared to LGBTQIA+ youth that
are accepted by their parents, children
who’ve been rejected by their families are
eight times more likely to attempt suicide,
six times more likely to have higher
levels of depression, three times
more likely to use illegal
drugs, and
three times
m o r e
likely to
acquire
a sexually
transmitted disease, according to Braunstein.
Therefore, Braunstein believes that
parents should follow an open-minded,
tolerant approach to encourage their children
to have healthy views of their gender
identity.
“I don’t think you can change your
child’s gender identity solely with toys,
but it’s important to listen to your child,”
Braunstein said.
“If they don’t want to play with dolls,
don’t force it. If you have a boy who wants
to play with dolls, let him. Follow your
child’s lead, provide them with different
types of toys, and see what they want to
play with.”
Most importantly, Braunstein emphasized
the importance of exposing children
to the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community
from an early age to promote confidence
and freedom.
“It’s important for families to talk
about gender identity early on, so when the
child starts to think about it, the child feels
that it is okay rather than getting mixed
messages from the family,” Braunstein
said.
Every child and young adult should
have an environment where they feel supported
and safe, regardless of their gender
identity. However, it can be especially
hard at an all-girls school, where there’s
an expectation to express a certain gender,
to have open discourse about one’s gender
identity. As a school community and
Baldwin family, we must be cognizant of
this struggle and work on creating a space
where we “lead with love.”
For more resources and support,
please reach out to Ms. Koster at
liz.koster@baldwinschool.org.
Photography by Skylar Zachian ‘21
Graphics and design by Hana Ahanger‘21

12 back page
Milk.Yes or no?
LAVENDER’S LENS
The search for a perfect ice cube
By LAVENDER HUANG ‘22
By LAUREN HALAK ‘24 and EESHA SHARMA ‘24
Milk. You either love it, or hate it.
During the past few months, Baldwin’s Class of
2024 has had an ongoing debate on the topic of
milk. Both teachers and students have polarizing
opinions on this controversial beverage.
The argument over whether milk is enjoyable didn’t remain
only within the Baldwin gates.
The milk controversy has sparked disputes on social
media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter. Milk has
health benefits and a choice of fat-content levels. It can
come from cows, goats, and even plants, but is that enough
to outweigh its negative environmental impacts?
I’m a bit picky about my
drinks—anyone who has ever witnessed
me ordering a drink will certainly
attest to that.
When I go to Starbucks, I typically
ask for “a grande mango dragon
fruit refresher with more juice
than water, and can you please shake
it with ice but then take the ice out?
Yes, it’s fine if the cup isn’t full, and
yes, I’m really sorry about this order
too....”
Thankfully, the lovely barista at
my usual Starbucks has memorized
my order.
EESHA:
YES!
lauren:
NO!
You see, the reason behind this
peculiar order is that the only thing
that I hate more than room temperature
drinks are diluted drinks--and
since I drink slowly, most of the ice
melts while I’m trying to enjoy my
grande mango dragon fruit refresher.
However, I do love to hear the sound
of ice cubes splashing around the cup
when stirred with a *cough* environmentally
friendly metal straw.
Recently, a poll asking
whether or not
drinking milk was
acceptable was written on
the whiteboards throughout
the science building.
As soon as I laid eyes on
the message, my immediate
thought was, “What kind
of question is this? Who
doesn’t drink milk?” Milk
is not only a delicious beverage,
but it also has many
variations and benefits.
Milk has been around
for centuries, from early
farmers to modern-day milk
drinkers. Drinking milk is
also advantageous because
of its health purposes; it not
only is an excellent source
of protein and calcium, but
it also helps with brain development
and physical
growth.
Some people might be
thinking, “I am lactose intolerant;
what about me?”
To that, I say, try one of the
dairy-free milk options, including
soy milk, almond
milk, cashew milk, or oat
milk, to name a few.
Milk is also a universal
beverage; you can
consume it with almost
anything. You don’t even
need to eat anything when
drinking milk - it is a snack
on its own. Not only is there
old-fashioned, plain milk,
but there is also chocolate
milk for those who are not
fans of regular milk.
The Internet has advocated
for this wonderful,
chocolatey form of milk,
with the viral meme mainly
on TikTok and Twitter,
“popping a choccy makes
the pain go away.” If a beverage
with its own meme
doesn’t convince you to enjoy
it, what does?
Nothing can convince
me that milk
is an acceptable
beverage. While I’m all
for enjoying a bowl of ice
cream, using milk for baking,
and maybe eating the
occasional bowl of cereal,
other aspects of milk overshadow
these pleasurable
activities. I’ll only scratch
the surface of milk’s problems,
such as its consumption
being inhumane and its
environmental impacts.
As Mr. Delio likes to
remind my art class while
we debate, humans are
the only species that drink
other animals’ milk. While
infants drink their mother’s
milk as a source of
nutrients, it’s unnecessary
for other mammals such as
cows or goats after a certain
point in their development.
For example, I barely drank
milk when I was younger.
How many bones have I
broken? One. How many
bones has Eesha broken?
Also one.
According to the
World Wildlife Fund,
“Dairy cows and their manure
produce greenhouse
gas emissions which contribute
to climate change.
Poor handling of manure
and fertilizers can degrade
local water resources.”
Additionally, inadequate
farming and production
can cause damage or
even loss to ecologically
significant areas. You may
think, “Drink milk alternatives!”
Well, dairy-free
milk options also cause incredibly
detrimental effects
on the environment.
For example, The
Guardian tells us that “It
takes … 1,611 US gallons
(6,098 liters) to produce 1
liter of almond milk.”
The situation is loselose:
either you drink dairy
milk and hurt the environment,
or you drink almond
milk, or another type of
alternative milk, and also
harm the environment.
When it comes to ordering coffee,
my order grows even more complicated.
I cannot stand any water ruining
my perfect combination of milk
and espresso. For my hot and iced
coffee, I either tolerate dangerously
hot liquid or a liquid that is barely
cold, as I simply cannot ask for my
coffee to be shaken with ice. Coffee
is not made this way, and I am not yet
crazy enough to ask the kind barista
to add an additional step simply because
I have an aversion to ice cubes.
None of these drinks are working.
But this isn’t right. It’s 2021,
cars are flying on Mars, so how do I
not have a better alternative for my
drinks? I have a lot more free time
on my hands due to the pandemic,
so I embarked on a journey to find
the perfect reusable ice cube. Frozen
pods of plastic cubes that do not melt
seem like the perfect solution to me.
Here is my criteria for this reusable
ice cube: of course, it has to keep
the drink cold; it must be able to float
so I can stir the ice cubes with my (reusable)
straw and make nice, splashy
sounds; and finally, the ice cube has
to look aesthetically pleasing. Finding
this kind of reusable ice cube is a
lot harder than you might think.
So... do you believe in the beneficial
effects of milk, or are you anti-milk?
join in on the growing debate!
[ CONTINUED on the WEBSITE ]
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check us out online at
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www.hourglassnewspaper.com
@hourglassnewspaper
Design by Grace Halak ‘22
Photos courtesy of Eesha Sharma ‘24 and Lauren Halak ‘24