The Insight | December 2014

Edition II

December 2014

Friends Seminary

Friends Announces New Academic Schedule

By MAX TEIRSTEIN Next fall, the academic faculty is excited to introduce the new eight-day schedule into the lives of the Friends students.

There will be a separate schedule for those in Middle School and for those in the Upper School. This new schedule won’t be assigned to the days of the week, like our present schedule, but will revolve around an eight-day cycle in which differently numbered days simply happen to land on days of the week. This means that for the first week of school, Monday through Friday will act as days one through five, and the following Monday to Wednesday will be days six through eight. Then, on Thursday, the schedule will restart with day one.

This allows classes to continue without hiccup when there is an elongated weekend or break.

Another new addition is the introduction of periods that are an hour and fifteen minutes long. The idea behind this change is to allow teachers to give a lesson without being rushed and to initiate a more hands-on class. This means students can work in groups on projects during class

Continued on p.2

Jill Abramson speaks in the Meetinghouse on November 19.

Visiting Scholar Jill Abramson Kicks Off Residency

By MAGHNUS MARENECK and co-inteviewed with SAM ZIEVE-COHEN

The Visiting Scholars program invited Jill Abramson, an influential figurehead in journalism and number five on Forbes’ “Powerful Women” list in 2012, to come to Friends Seminary.

Abramson, who grew up in New York City, attended Ethical Culture Fieldston School and later received her BA in History and Literature from Harvard in 1976.

After graduating, Abramson worked for Time Magazine until 1976, when she left to become the senior reporter in the

STU 15 U p.4

Ebola! A Threat Passed? p.11

Washington bureau of The Wall Street Journal. She was also first woman to become the Washington Bureau Chief, and later the executive editor of the New York Times.

Abramson began her residency on November 19th. Her schedule was packed back-to-back from 8:45 to 3:15. Her visit included a visit to Charlie Blank’s Law class, discussions with the 4th and 7th grades, and a Q&A session with the Insight staff. The next day, on November

Inside SAF Reports on Ray Rice Scandal p.14

From Stonewall to Rutheford Place p.13

20th, Abramson returned to Friends to give a lecture on freedom of press and Edward Snowden’s NSA leaks.

For her first event, Abramson met with the Law class to discuss freedom of press and the Edward Snowden leaks. During her discussion, Abramson brought up the landmark Supreme Court case New York Times Co. vs United States. The case involved the government’s efforts to

Continued on p.7

Teacher Look-Alikes Backpage

News

2 Continued from Friends Announces New Academic Schedule and teachers can use more creative techniques rather than simply lecturing about a topic for the duration of the period. However, the extended period length brought up some concerns among the students.

“Everyone knows that in a double period, the last 30 minutes are a waste of time because no one is paying attention,” challenges Chloe Peck-Sanders, 11th grade.

Sophomore Eitan Darwish provided a counter argument, “In college and in life, we won’t be sitting in 45-minute classes or meetings. This schedule will prepare us to focus for hours on end.”

Classes also meet every other day, giving more time for homework; this too was challenged. “Since there will be a lesson every other day, the teachers will assign more homework because of the two nights,” states sophomore Esme Fairbairn.

Collaboration period will be a designated thirty minutes that all students will have available specifically so that they can meet with teachers when confused about a topic or group members when working on a group project.

Lucy Bryant of the 10th grade worries, “If everyone has the same collaboration period, it will be difficult to get to the same teacher.”

Another controversial change was the addition of a communal lunch period.

From 12:30 until 1:55, all students will have a free period designated for lunch so that those with a more busy schedule will

The new Upper School academic schedule.

have the opportunity to get food, no matter how swamped with classes they are.

“If everyone has the same lunch period, the lobby will get really crowded,” says Lucy Bryant. “I also think the group lunch period may cause overcrowding both inside school and outside of school because people tend to go to the same places for lunch,” adds sophomore Javin Bose.

The second part of that period (1:15 to 1:55) is still up for discussion. It may be an

advisory period, a time for student organizations, or a time for assemblies, depending on what is decided by the student body and the academic faculty. That assemblies may be scheduled for that block upset students such as Fairbairn, who says: “I like having a meeting in the beginning of the day so I can collect myself.”

This schedule change for the 20152016 academic year will alter the manner in which students here at Friends are

The Ringing in the Halls

By DANNY COOPER The lack of bells in the beginning of the school year has sparked contentious debate among community members.The familiar blare that has for years sounded the beginning and end of every period has been conspicuously absent from the first six weeks of school.

Although unplanned, the bell’s disappearance provoked a discussion of both the positive and negative consequences that arise in a school without bells.

Pro-bell English teacher Maria Fahey said she felt bells allow her to not worry

about when to let students out of class, enabling her to get lost in the material instead of looking at the clock.

“The class and the school overall is less peaceful.”

Whereas Fahey believes bells make a calmer school, music teacher Bob Rosen staunchly opposes the old bell system.

“The sound is the sound of a factory bell. It’s an obnoxious, grating, awful sound,” said Rosen, who is well-attuned to annoying noises.

“The sound should not be the thing

Should we keep track of the day by the bell or by the clock?

that tells us when learning stops.”

In addition to faculty, students have also voiced diverse opinions.

“They should come back. They help teachers know when classes are supposed to begin and end,” said senior Annah Heckman.

Senior Abigail Panitz, however, has

educated and the way students can interact with their teachers. It seemed to be an exciting change; however, students seem to be having a largely negative reaction to it.

Perhaps this calls for another look into exactly how the schedule will be structured.

It also raises some questions for next year: How will students respond to the schedule once it is implemented? How will teachers alter their methods in order to accommodate to the period length?

become a supporter of having a bell-less school.

“When I experienced school without bells, I realized how great it was,” she said.

Despite differing opinions, the administration has already decided its move. To the dismay of Rosen and Panitz, the bells are set to return as soon as possible, according to Academic Dean Will Hopkins.

Hopkins said the bells were not running in the beginning of the year due to phone and PA system upgrades performed over the summer. He added that bells must be set up and go through a testing period before their re-implementation.

Continued on p.3

News

December 2014 Continued from The Ringing in the Halls Hopkins did reveal the divided results of a faculty survey on the subject.

“The majority of the teachers liked not having the sound of the bells. The majority of the teachers also felt that without the bells, too many classes were ending late and too many classes were beginning late, and that it was a problem,” said Hopkins.

A student survey conducted by Jamaal Fischer and the Agenda committee revealed a different sentiment. Sixty-four percent of students said they want the bells back, and 78 percent said that not having the bells has caused them to let out late from class.

Even if the student debate did not actually influence the bell’s return, the discussion will be important in the immediate future of the school.

According to Hopkins, next year’s new schedule would make it difficult to have school-wide bells. Hopkins added that bells for overlapping periods in the upper school and middle school would be cause class disruptions.

Instead, the administration is considering a plan to create and offer faculty Google Calendars synced to a teacher’s teaching load. Digital Arts teacher Triton Mobley, who proposed this plan, explained how the system would work via email.

“Teachers would then subscribe to the corresponding calendars that matched their divisional teaching load… alerts (in the form of messages, chimes, or both) could be sent via [the] instructor’s iPad (or personal smartphone), indicating the beginning and end of their classes.”

Although Mobley said similar systems worked at schools where he taught previously, he recognized several concerns that could arise about the system, including the “nuisance” of sorting through the schedule to set up the proper alerts for cross-divisional instructors.If a teacher had to account for an Upper School event in his or her schedule one day, he or she would have to alter his or her entire system of alerts.

Fahey had a concern with the alert system’s fundamental reliance on the iPad or smartphone.

“I would prefer to have it be done centrally,” said Fahey.

The Inner Workings of the Two Global Education Trips

By SABRINA EDELMAN This spring break, Friends Seminary will be offering two global education trips in Peru and Nepal. Previously, Friends has run programs in Rome, China, Jordan, and other interesting and educational places. While all of these immersion programs are sure to ensure a fantastic and life changing time for the students going, planning these trips is a long process. First, in the spring prior to when the trips take place, faculty present their proposals for trips to the Dean of Co-Curricular programs, Leitzel Schoen, who oversees the global education programming. After it is decided which trips will be offered, Schoen and the trip leaders begin developing a complete itinerary and develop connections with organizations and schools in the places that are being visited. Schoen shares, “These partnerships enhance the immersion experiences and deepen learning through collaboration with local communities.”

Besides mapping out the itinerary and partnerships, the school reviews risk management, financial costs and educational connections with the curriculum for each trip. Ultimately, it is a year long process that culminates in the trips. The school works hard to make these trips available to everyone. Not only are students who are currently receiving some sort of financial aid eligible for assistance, but also, the school aims to offset costs for all families by underwriting certain trip expenditures. The Peru trip has been offset by a thousand dollars per student and the Nepal trip by two thousand dollars; making these trips more accessible to all.

This year the Spanish students will finally get a chance to go on a trip designed specifically for them. Friends Seminary has partnered with the company Envoys,

3

Peru &

Nepal which, according to its website, works “directly with instructors to design lesson units that encompass our program activities, thus creating a single coherent and aligned learning experience for all students.” They will go to Peru and experience many of its natural and cultural wonders, all while being fully immersed in the Spanish language. While there, students will visit Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu, do a service project in the Amazon, and even participate in a homestay.

Language chair and facilitator of the trip Micah Morris envisions many highlights for those going. He predicts that one of the main highlights that he predicts will be the time spent for reflection at Machu Picchu. In fact the trip was scheduled so that students would visit Machu Picchu in the morning and visit it before most of the tourists come. Morris emphasizes, “It is breathtaking and almost tearinspiring while you’re there.” While the primary purpose of this trip is to learn Spanish, another primary goal is cultural discovery. “Peru has a lot to offer and is very rich culturally,” Morris adds. The

abundance of history, culture and natural wonders will allow students not only to practice their spanish, but also to experience a new and unusual place.

Maggie Doyne, with her adopted children.

The other trip that students can go on this year is to Nepal. It was inspired by Maggie Doyne’s speech about her childrens home in Nepal. Instead of teachers advocating for this program, it was, students in fact who asked for the spring break trip to Nepal. Because visiting the children’s home would actually be more of a burden to them than help, students will not be visiting Doyne during their stay in Nepal. Instead, Friends Seminary

Continued on p.4

4

News

Continued from The Inner Workings of the Two Global Education Trips has partnered with the organization buildOn. BuildOn is a nonprofit organization that works with communities around the world to establish schools in developing countries. It is a unique program in which everyone who lives in the villages in which buildOn works must demonstrate a commitment to education. They do this by raising the funds for the purchase of the school land and teacher salaries. The village must also agree that girls will make up fifty percent of the student population at the school and that adult literacy classes will be provided.

During the first part of the student’s stay in Nepal they will be work on building a school in a small village community in western Nepal, while participating in a homestay and cultural workshops in the village. Schoen expects one of the many “magical moments” to be arriving in the village with the children and adults, all eager to meet their school partners. Another one will be the groundbreaking ceremony itself in which everyone in the village must sign the community document stating his or her commitment to this project. Since many of the villagers are illiterate, they will instead sign with a thumbprint. What is sure to be incredibly rewarding will be to see a year later when many of these same villagers will be able to sign their name next to their thumbprint, as one sign of the great progress that the school has brought to the village. After building the school, the remainder of the trip will be spent on a trek throughout the Kathmandu Valley Ridge which looks out onto the Himalayas. On this trek students and chaperones will be accompanied by knowledgeable guides.

They will be hiking with day packs along the walking trails and visiting cultural and religious sites along the way. Nights will be spent in local teahouses where the group will have a chance to reflect and unwind after a day of absorbing the beautiful countryside. The work that goes into these trips is shown through both trips’ accurate reflection of both Friends Seminary’s Quaker and academic philosophies. These trips will give students an opportunity to gain global experiences and take learning out of the classroom and into the real world.

STU 15 U A Look Inside Friends Seminary's Most Secretive Spot

By ABIGAIL PANITZ On the second floor of the annex lies a door with a glass frame. Outside of the room lies an inconspicuous plaque, simply stating, “Student Lounge.” If you can’t already hear noise emanating from the room, take a peek inside, and you are immediately immersed in the spirit of the Class of 2015. Students study (or pretend to), take Snapchats, listen to (or blast) music, and shoot and dunk a bright orange FS basketball into a hoop hanging off of the door. The Student Lounge, more commonly known as the “STU”, hasn’t always been this lively; this year, renovations have transformed the place from typical to inventive.

Jen Blum is to thank for a majority of the STU’s improvements. In her role as Assistant Head of Upper School, she worked closely with this year’s senior Agenda, STU-fac and Service representatives and clerks to make the space a good fit for the class. Agenda moved couches in from other places in the school, making the STU more comfortable. Blum also ordered bean bag chairs, and bought dry-erase markers to decorate lockers and the whiteboards on

the walls.

While Blum is responsible for many changes, some of this year’s improvements were made by the Class of 2015 itself. Alumni Danielle Olonoff and Emily Siegel ‘14 were surprised when they came back to visit Friends and saw how the STU has changed. They remarked that in their senior year, the STU was a place for studying, not for socializing, didn’t have bright decorations on the walls, and never had food. Blum confirmed this, saying, “This group has seemed to take a lot more ownership for it. You guys are more into decorating -- you have lots of signs up, lots of birthday calendar-type things, um which is really nice...you guys bake for each other--there’s almost always a treat in there that somebody from your class has made and provided, which is super nice.”

Chuma Ossé is the self-proclaimed President of the STU. He became known as Stuma on the Senior Retreat: “Someone called me Stuma on (or after) senior retreat. After that, it just stuck with me. They called me Stuma because I’ve

really been known for my love towards the STU this year.” By the time the Senior Retreat came around, people were already buzzing about the STU. There was a contest at the retreat for groups to create a poster that reflected the energy of the class, and one poster featured a drawing of the STU with the caption, “STU 15 U.” Ossé is behind many of the new STU

The STU art wall, which the seniors have made their own.

traditions. He said, “I’ve really been trying to promote a lot of activities that exhibit togetherness. Whether it be an

Continued on p.5

December 2014

Continued from STU 15 U idea I had or someone else’s, I usually support it (if it’s good). I love the installation of the Art Wall and how we use it a lot. I also love the baby maker pictures we’ve pinned on the board where we’ve created potential babies for Malik Bunton + Kyra Benforte, Lauren Lord + Dylan Pryor, and me and Jessica Huang.

I think it’s hilarious. I’ve been playing throwback tunes on Thursday and call it “Throwback Thursday” to get everyone to sing along to old favorites (High School Musical, Iyaz, etc).”

Senior year comes with its hardships, and the STU is a place where seniors can bond over them, and still relax together.

But Cyrus Glanzer ‘15 offers a different opinion on this topic, saying that the STU fuels more stress/anxiety than it resolves. “[The STU’s] super comfortable but it just fuels everything terrible about this year. As we feed off of each other, we just wallow in our anxieties while sitting in really comfy chairs. It’s so hard to leave because it’s comfy but you want to leave because people are talking about how they don’t want to talk about college, but talk about it anyway.”

Food remains have been a problem in the STU.

While the STU is a fun space, it definitely needs some work. Blum viewed the challenges as an opportunity for the class to grow closer: “One thing that I love about students having space that they have to take ownership for are the little things that come up, like [when]

News somebody leaves a dirty dish, or the cupcakes that somebody left on Friday are still there Monday morning, Tuesday morning, and they’re starting to get gross. And I think it’s an opportunity for you guys to work through some of that stuff, [to] kind of develop some sort of system to keep it a neat, nice, presentable space…” Indeed, the Class of ‘15 has been discussing ways to cut down on uncleanliness in Class Meeting every Thursday, and sometimes through the FR1END5 senior Facebook group as well.

Blum also pointed out a potential drawback to the STU: with the seniors spending so much time in it, they interact less with the other grades. “I think one of the things that is great about your class is how connected you feel to each other. I think one of the things you guys can focus on is kind of counter to the STU: reaching down into the other classes. I think you guys provide a wonderful model for what it is to be an inclusive grade level, but how do you bring others, who are not part of 2015, into that community? So I guess that’s what I’m thinking of in terms of watching you guys, seeing the space, and figuring out how to not isolate yourselves as a result of having the space.” The Class of 2015 has grown closer, but those who spend all of their free time in the STU are now less accessible and less likely to interact with younger students.

The STU may not last. Blum and the Agenda committee confirmed that, next year, it may have to be converted into a classroom to make more space as part of the Main Building undergoes renovation. This Class of ‘15 acknowledged that this would be a travesty; Annah Heckman said, “I think that depriving the grade below us of it will harm their senior year.”

So what’s next for the STU? We may not know what A22 will look like next fall, but this year, expect some exciting changes to be made. Agenda’s STU budget has yet to be used: ideas offered during Class Meeting for future improvements included ideas ranging from a a massage chair to speakers. Lucas Prater ‘15 voiced a popular opinion when he simply said, “We need a coffee machine.”

5

Where in the World is Bram?

by ISABEL CLEMENTS History teacher Bram Hubbell’s noteworthy taste for travel is renowned throughout the Upper School. In my opinion, it seems a particular depth of knowledge is certainly audible in his lessons, one that can’t be achieved without experience with diverse people and cultures. Determined to find out what motivates Bram to embark on these interesting adventures I interviewed Hubbell about his travels, previous and of late.

Hubbell told me about many of the places he has traveled, most of which are within Africa, Europe and Asia. He seeks to travel within this region specifically because he teaches about these places, and he enjoys incorporating his experiences abroad into class. He told me that when explaining Indian Ocean trade routes (a prominent topic in World History II), he “can visualize it better,” having spent time on the Swahili coast as well as in India and Singapore. Mental (and physical) photographs Hubbell took in these places give him a perspective unachieveable through solely reading about them.

Hubbell had only traveled abroad sparingly before he started teaching, though as a child he spent most of his summers exploring the U.S. with his parents. Even later, he drove across the country on tour with a punk band. The extra time and financial stability that came with his employment as a teacher allowed him to travel overseas.

For Hubbell, teaching and travel are interconnected: he puts most of his courses together while in other parts of the world.

Every summer, he likes to take two to three weeks to sit in a comfortable café or restaurant in another country and compose his syllabi, readings, and sources for the year.

Hubbell believes that travel, especially in the developing world, has contributed significantly to his personal philosophy. It has taught him patience, and comfort with the “many things that can go wrong while

Continued on p.6

Photos from Bram’s travels.

News

6 Continued from Where in the World is Bram? traveling through places of extreme poverty”. Traveling has grounded him and made him more open-minded, as he has learned to appreciate the simplicity in which the impoverished live.

He is more willing to surrender to things out of his control, a tough thing to do in New York City. “They come when they come,” he says of trains, which he has learned to patiently await. According to Hubbell, his love for yoga is incorporated in both his experiences as a teacher and as a globetrotter. He has been interested in yoga since he was 15. It is much more than just a physical practice to him, carrying with it certain modes of behavior and practices.

Almost all his trips to India have involved spiritual components, including trips to holy sites and spending time in ashrams (monasteries) with monks, as well as practicing of yoga. Hubbell also incorporates yogic principles at Friends, most noticeably taking off his shoes when he walks into the classroom. Bram “sequence[s] a class much like a yoga practice”, with a routine that grows increasingly intense, yet reverting back to less challenging towards the end.

Hubbell enjoys the spontaneity of many of his trips. For example, he was once deported from India due to his lack of a visa.

Instead, he decided to go to Istanbul a month earlier than planned. Since then he’s made up for it, visiting India nine times.

Just this summer, Hubbell traveled to Salt Lake City, Vienna, Budapest, Jordan, India and upstate New York. More recently, while students relaxed on Columbus Day weekend, Hubbell traveled to Athens.

An Interview with Joseph Sills

by JACKSON WALD Joseph Sills is a new Arabic teacher at Friends Seminary, who has learned and taught in multiple Middle Eastern countries. I sat down and talked with him about his experiences and his experiences adjusting to Friends.

Friends Seminary’s newest staff, including Joseph Sills.

Where did you grow up?

Knoxville, Tennessee.

How did you become interested in Arabic?

Well, Arabic is something that I started in my sophomore year of college. Freshman year I began to study French but I decided I wanted more of a challenge. In Arabic, there is a different alphabet. And I chose Arabic because I always had an interest in the Middle East, and after a year I got a scholarship to go to Syria to continue to study Arabic, and that’s where I really fell in love with the region and decided I wanted to pursue the language in a more serious fashion.

Sills was an Assistant Teacher at the Qasid Institute in Amman, Jordan.

For him, leaving the country is the “reset button” for him to be able to return to New York. “Without knowing I could get away at times”, he says, “there would be no way I could live in Manhattan.”

get especially excited if you are speaking Arabic and trying to meet them halfway. It’s also been somewhat turbulent, because I was there in 2011 during the Egyptian revolution and in the 2011 revolution in Syria as well as in 2013, during the June 30th movement and the “coup” in Egypt as well, so my times there have been cut short.

How long have you studied in the Middle East?

Overall, I guess I have studied for about two years in the Middle East, which has been broken up over five different times.

How was your experience there?

It was great. I absolutely love the people, they are a very warm people and

Egypt was in revolt in January 2011.

Throughout your time there, do you have one really distinct memory?

One distinct memory I would have to say that during the January 25th revolution in 2011 in Egypt, I was so surprised how it was a popular people’s revolution. The government folded and stopped providing basic services like traffic stops and protection and anything you might expect. Watching those people step up, and perform those duties, without being paid, just for the good of their neighbors, was probably the most inspiring part of the revolution and spoke to me about how much the Egyptian people wanted their freedom.

Since you have said you’ve had five trips, how has the transition been coming from Middle East society back to America?

At first it was really difficult. I would be surprised when I saw big stores and commercialism, and capitalism in the United States, and kind of rage against that. But the more times you go back and forth you get used to it, and I think this last time I was actually glad to be back,

because I had been away from my family for a long time.

So you have taught in the Middle East for a little bit-- what’s the transition like teaching there and then coming to teach at a Quaker school like Friends?

I think the biggest thing would just be the technology involved. There’s just not enough funding to give to give every student an iPad or even to have a projector in the room so you are basically working with very rudimentary materials there. So coming back here has been a real adjustment with the expectations of everything being online, and it’s also a different student group.

Since you know a great deal about Arabic and Islamic culture, what do you think people here misinterpret about it?

I think that what people don’t realize is such a small percentage of people make up what we see in the news. Whether it be on our side or their side. You know, they see the shootings in Colorado or in Sandy Hook and they are just absolutely horrified, and think this is a godless place because people are doing those kinds of things and we see what is going on over there, and we have to realize that’s news. Things make the news because they are irregular, not because they are regular. Polls come out every year about what Arabs want and desire from institutions from Arab Voices and the Arab Institute of America, and they desire the same thing we do here: access to healthcare, education for their young people, and basic ability to make a living and prosper and have some free time to enjoy life. That’s what they want.

On a lighter note, what are your favorite things about Friends Seminary?

My favorite thing has got to be the students. The students really appreciate any effort to change the rhythm and make something fun and they really grab onto that and have fun with it, I think students here are really light hearted, and lay back and have fun and make fun of themselves in a light-hearted way. The students and their motivation have been really inspiring.

News

December 2014 Continued from Jill Abramson Kicks Off Residency impede the Times from publishing classified documents - the ‘Pentagon Papers’ - revealing withheld information on the part of the government during the Vietnam War. Overruling Nixon’s injunction against the Times, the Court ruled that the 1st amendment did not justify prior restraint of publishing the Papers Abramson said was “a great decision… no one has tried to do that again.” She later told the class, “the first amendment is my favorite. There’s a reason why it’s first. It enshrines our basic values the most.”

Shortly afterwards, the editorsin-chief of The Insight interviewed Abramson. The transcription has been edited and condensed.

an obscure law from 1917 called the Espionage Act is putting a chill on national security sources. I think that those cases have made reporting on important national security stories all but impossible, and that it’s unhealthy for society.

How would you instruct the President on improving the environment for American Journalists?

Jill Abramson with Maghnus Mareneck, ’15, and Sam Zieve-Cohen, ’15.

students… study how it was structured, how he creates narrative tension and how he reveals character. I think sometimes the best fiction is sometimes very instructive to the best non-fiction narrative writing.

intently on creating one, high-impact, fantastic read a month - just one a month. We very much believe in the highest-quality journalism and that, if we can make good on our pledge to do that, that these stories will have a lot of impact.

portant traits to rise up the ranks in a competitive political institution, like the New York Times?

Boundless curiosity. This is a trait that a really good journalist needs. You have to have guts - you have to be willing to ask powerful people uncomfortable questions…

And you promised writer’s 100,000 dollars a year…

When and how did you decide to go into journalism?

What do you think are the most imI decided at the end of college (I went to Harvard) that I thought being a journalist would be an interesting career. I always really loved to write, and I did quite a bit of writing and had a part-time job at Harvard on working for Time Magazine, doing little reports on college life and other things.

I think I was inspired to be a journalist by Watergate. That made me think journalism was a way you could get, you know, good results for society by exposing wrong.

What advice would you give aspiring, young journalists?

I would want to stoke your passion for journalism. I would encourage you, first and foremost, to read some of the great journalism that was produced in the last century…

What are some of your favorites?

Some of my favorites are profiles by a New York Times reporter, who left the Times to become a magazine writer, named Gay Talese. They’re unbelievably well written and well reported. He wrote profiles about Frank Sinatra and Joe Dimaggio the baseball player. You can’t put them down!

The first thing I have my students read is an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, so I have them read fiction, not non-fiction, to begin with. I think his writing through observed detail reveals the human condition, which I think is the heart of journalism. I have

7

Like what?

Well, sometimes you’re asking government officials why they behaved dishonestly or why they told lies - those are uncomfortable questions. You know, I wrote with Jane Mayer of the New Yorker a book about the controversy involving the confirmation of Justice Clarence Thomas, and I had to interview people that knew him about his addiction to pornography. That felt uncomfortable to me, and I had been a professional reporter for decades by that point.

On average, yeah. I’m only surprised that so many people seem to find that shocking, that we proposed to give writers a living wage…

The Supreme Court ruled that administrators could censor school newspapers, do you think this was a smart ruling, and what’s your opinion of this kind of censorship?

Well, you know, I think it’s predictable that, as someone who’s spent her career as a journalist, that I have a dim view of censorship.

In all cases?

Yeah… again, I try to be thoughtful and not absolutist in my approach to just about everything, and so I am not going to say in every single case, and I understand that school settings are different from the public square. But, in general, I don’t like court decisions that uphold censorship.

So to change the subject, you have recently announced a new startup with fellow journalist Steven Brill, can you talk about your idea, and why Your talk tomorrow is about freeyou think it’s important? dom of the press following Edward We think it’s important because people Snowden, do you think freedom of are drowning in content right now and so the press has gotten better or worse much of it isn’t the really reported or beau- in recent years? tifully told, and too little of it honors the intelligence of readers. Our idea is, in the age of too much information, to focus very

I think it’s gotten worse. I think between the Bush and Obama administrations there have been 8 criminal leak cases where

I would instruct him to let more sunlight in, and to deal, in President Obama’s case, more openly with credible journalists, because he obviously, right now, seems to have a disdain for the press. I understand why that is. I’ve had more time since I was fired from my job as Executive Editor of the Times to actually watch his news conferences when he does speak to the press, and the way the press just fires the same, tedious question at him, one reporter after another. I can see why that annoys him, and makes him not want to talk to reporters. But I actually think that he’s a very smart man, and he is his own best explainer for what he’s doing. And if he wants the public to understand what he’s doing—and I think voters right now don’t really understand a lot about the Obama administration—that he should find a way to use the press to help him do that.

You’ve said that Ben Bradlee, former editor of the Washington Post, would often ask you if you were “having fun.” Are you having fun in your new life post-New York Times?

Total fun! I have much more time to read for pleasure and actually reading more journalism than I did when I worked at the Times. I love teaching, I love getting to know my students really well. I think change is healthy for people, and that you can work some place for too long and become a little bit stale, and in retrospect I worry that that had begun to me at the New York Times.

On that topic, is it the New York Times, or the Wall Street Journal?

(Sighs) Well, they’re both fantastic newspapers. They have slightly different missions. But I’d have to say I love the New York Times more. Because, to me, everyday, it’s like sitting down at an intellectual buffet table and deciding “Oh, I’ll have the ham today... the asparagus” and it’s just like, a great surprise what you’ll find in it on any given day.

News

8

Technology and Quaker Values

Love art, community service, or just want to help kids like you?

Then join us:

By RICHARD OMAR PAYNE Recently I interviewed John Garnevicus, a returning 9th and 10th grade physics teacher, about the changes he noticed at Friends since he left. I confronted him with unsolved philosophical considerations about the state of Friends. Has Friends really held on to its values as well as it has in the past? Has technology inhibited our ability to focus on these values? Bob Rosen, and two “lifers,”David Rothstein and Justin Rubino also offered their answers to these questions.

Garnevicus was in an education program in college and Friends hired him as soon as he graduated. He came to Friends in 2001 and taught for five years. Garnevicus had spent his whole life in New York City and yearned for a change of scenery, and in 2006 decided to move to Seattle.

He enjoyed his eight year stay in Seattle but began to look into working at Quaker school again.; A position at Friends conveniently opened up.On the subject of his interest in Quaker schools, Garnevicus told me he loved the Quaker practice of Meeting for Worship."It’s certainly something that without the existence of silent meeting I would not have come back, period" he added.

Garnevicus leading a physics lab in the subway.

He also enjoyed Friends' "incredibly good set of structures that let students feel empowered, and in control of their education and feel they really have a voice here." Garnevicus cited the privileges of speaking out of silence in Meeting and being involved in decision-making

EMPTY EMPTY

BOWLS

Come make ceramic bowls to fight childhood hunger in America

Thursdays from 3:30-5:00 in the Woodshop processes and leadership roles as.

“The language of the Quaker schools use to create a legitimate sense of community across all the people that are there, is an incredibly good structure for what I think of when I get into the classroom and the kind of atmosphere that I want to have in the classroom of shared responsibility and shared learning. I think the Quaker setup of a school mimics that in a really powerful way . I think that the Quaker school values are the same ones that I hold in terms of the way that I want to approach teaching and the way I want to interact and work with young people,” Garnevicus added.

Recalling the school during his first visit, Garnevicus remembers Friends being somewhat similar, especially in terms

of including the people who were here when he first started teaching.

Nevertheless, Garnevicus said that people here are growing and changing along with the school and it’s surrounding part of the city. “The location in this part of New York is always going to help define the school in some way or another” Garnevicus claimed, “We’re always going

to be a busy place in a busy part of New York that’s trying to hold on to simplicity and silence and all these other things.

It’s awesome to try to strive for these very difficult things no matter where you are and in an incredibly difficult place to do that” he added.

Garnevicus weighed in on how well Friends has held on to values like simplicity. He Commented that it would “always be one of the most challenging parts of our mission”. Garnevicus felt, unlike some of my other interviewees, that Friends has been carrying out its “mission” just as well as in the past, and that the same communal worries about simplicity now have always been present.

Continued on p.12

News

December 2014

9

Looking Back

An Interview with Friends Seminary Alumni

by ISA SKIBELI Looking back on their experiences at Friends Seminary, Nicole Donnelly, ’88, Associate Director of Admissions and Matthew Annenberg, ’83, Co-Clerk of the School Committee have many fond memories. “I loved my experience here, and my teachers were just incredible,” said Donnelly.

Donnelly specifically remembers her twelfth grade English teacher as someone who had a large impact on her education.

He was dedicated and passionate about his job, caring greatly about the learning experience each of his pupils had. He set up a book club for anyone who loved to read and discuss books, in which Donnelly actively participated. Unlike the school today, clubs and student organizations were not a prominent part of Friends while Donnelly was growing up. Nonetheless, she clearly remembers the special experience that she had reading books with her teacher and her peers.

A memory of his time time at Friends that stands out to Annenberg is when he was in first or second grade. Annenberg recalls that there used to be a small tree in the outer courtyard next to the home plate, where he used to play kickball with his friends. “I must have either struck out or hit a bad kick, and I didn’t get to first base,” Annenberg said. “I was mad, and so I reached out and I shook this little tree in frustration.” As Annenberg describes it, the recess teacher came over to him when she saw what he was doing and asked, “How would you feel if that tree shook you?” At the time, Annenberg did not completely understand what the teacher meant when she asked this question, but later in life he came to fully appreciate the value of this experience: you must always be respectful of others, and treat them the way that you would want to be treated.“It had a delayed impact on me, but it was one of those life lessons, and I have thought about it throughout my whole life,” he said.

Both Annenberg and Donnelly have formed lasting friendships at Friends.

“We had our twenty-fifth reunion about six years ago, and ten kids from my first grade class were all together at this event,” Annenberg said. “It was amazing that so many of us were still in touch, and still around.” Donnelly feels the same way about her friends from the school and said that many of the people she met in school are “still my best friends, to this day.”

When Donnelly and Annenberg were asked if there was any part of their education at Friends that stood out or had a lasting impact of them, Donnelly said, “A lot of things are special about a Quaker Education. The mission of the school is so defining and unique. I think it was formative for me but I may not have realized how much the Quaker part of my education mattered to me until much later, when I was older. When I look back and reflect on it, things that I remember are decisions made by consensus, or times in which we worked as a group to solve problems.”

The most influential part of Annenberg’s education at Friends was the help and kindness that he received from his teachers. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in such a mutually supportive environment since, and that has just been such a great feeling. It gives you confidence later on in life,” said Annenberg.

Meeting for Worship was also an important part of Annenberg and Donnelly’s time at Friends. “Meeting had such a major impact on me, but probably not until I was a junior or senior,” said Donnelly.

“When I was gone and it was no longer a part of my life, I realized how much I missed it--how much I missed that time of coming together with all my peers, and my teachers, and the gift it was to have time to think and reflect; to be in my own thoughts and listen to what was said if a student spoke.” “All of us who have spent any time at Friends have definitely developed an appreciation for silence, and the role that silence plays in collecting yourself and centering yourself,” said Annenberg, who also found that meeting was a wonderful and special part of his

The Meetinghouse, an essential aspect of the Friends experience.

education as a child.

After graduating college, Donnelly became an educator and had jobs at two other independent schools in New York City. “I worked at a boys school and a girls school both as a teacher and as an admissions director, and also did student teaching at public schools.” “But when the opportunity arose for me to be here I jumped at the offer. It was very much because I had the opportunity to experience other philosophies of education, and really come to appreciate what a Friends Seminary education meant to me, and how much I value that and value the mission of this school. This is the school where I belong this is the philosophy that makes sense to me, and feels right to me,” Donnelly said.

Before returning to Friends, Annenberg also went on to do interesting things.

He moved to London for his job in finance, and then came back to New York City in 2002. “I felt that as soon as I got back, I wanted to help out at the school,” said Annenberg. He went to meetings with Bo to discuss what he could do to contribute to Friends, and decided to join the investment committee, whose role is investing the Friends Seminary endowment fund. Annenberg soon became more and more involved in the school committee, and helping the school.

Annenberg is also part of the committee in charge of Strategic Planning. Strategic Planning is a process that Friends undergoes every five years, where members of the school board evaluate what areas of the school need to be changed, or developed. “We always need to improve and make sure that physically, the school is able to do what it is supposed to do:

educate children,” said Annenberg. “As technology changes and the way people are taught changes, we have to be able to adapt the school, which is something we are always talking about,” he said. “This is a great opportunity to sit back and think about the different factors that are influencing how kids are educated, and trying as best as possible to look ahead, to see how we think education might be changing, and to make sure that Friends is ready for the future.”

Having Attended Friends herself, Donnelly has an inside view of what it is like to be a student here. When looking for schools for her children, Donnelly

The Strategic Planning Committee.

wanted them to go to Friends to have an educational experience as enriching as the one she had.

Annenberg also chose to send his children to Friends. “It was by far the school that I was most comfortable with, because I knew that the mission had not really changed,” said Annenberg. “The school is bigger, but I knew that the atmosphere had not changed. I knew that the kids would find their way, especially in lower school, no matter what kind of kids they were. You can not tell what a young child’s learning style will be, or if they will be outgoing or private. I always felt

Continued on p.10

News

10

New Tech Sparks New Opinions

By NAHID MAHMUD Another year of new tech at Friends has sparked new opinions on how beneficial and, at times, frustrating, our school’s heavy reliance on technology may be. From Bram Hubbell’s paperless class to Lisa Ammirati’s complaints about Haiku, technology takes the center stage here at Friends.

This year, Haiku Learning - a new open-learning platform - replaces Moodle as Friends’ central hub for student assignments, assessment, and collaboration. According to Upper School Technology Integrator Erin Mumford, Haiku offers “better optimization with mobile devices” as well as “relative ease in adding or editing content,” which made the transition from Moodle to Haiku obvious and necessary.

Some students agree. “Haiku is way better. It’s a prettier website, the app actually works and I just generally feel like teachers utilize it better,” says sophomore Jake Eisner.

However, according to Mumford, even though Haiku proves to be more convenient and accessible than Moodle, a lot of its flaws pertain to its gradebook feature and lack of profile customization.

Many students are similarly disgruntled with the way the system handles assignments. “I mean, I like the colors, but it takes a bunch of clicks to get where you need to go and in reality, very few teachers actually post homework on it,” says 10th grader Isabel Clements. Although Haiku may not appeal to everyone, its

Continued from Looking Back An Interview with Friends Seminary Alumni that no matter what kind of kid you were, you could fit in very well at Friends.”

Friends Seminary has undergone many changes since the 1980s, when Donnelly and Annenberg were students here. Coming back to be part of the Friends Admissions Team, Donnelly has noticed these profound transformations. Friends was “smaller in the sense of the number of people, but also smaller in facilities,” Donnelly recalls. When she attended, the school had only five hundred students, with fifty in her grade. The Kelley House or “K” building was purchased when Donnelly was graduating, and the annex and townhouses were not part of the school yet.

Technology has also been a major change that Friends has undertaken. The first computer lab at Friends was set up when Donnelly was in the Upper School.

“We didn’t use computers, we hand wrote everything,” said Donnelly. Students twenty or thirty years ago did not have the benefits of email and Haiku, or using helpful computer resources, such and Word and Excel.

advantages in organizing curriculum and school work can’t be ignored and will therefore, according to Mumford, remain as the current hub for Friend’s academic resources.

This year also marked the unveiling of Apple’s new operating system iOS 8, which was launched two days before the new iPhone 6, on September 17th. However, it wasn’t until October 1st that the tech department gave the green light for Friends students to update their iPads, citing the need for compatibility testing for academic apps. Although not as game-changing as last year’s iOS 7, iOS 8 does offer some interesting upgrades:

“The communication element today is definitely different,” said Annenberg.

“My kids will email their teachers to to ask them questions or to clarify something about an assignment. The idea of communicating with teachers off-hours is different--and great. Having that amount of access must be fantastic.”

Although there are many different aspects of Friends Seminary that have changed over the years, Friends has held onto its spirit. “Its a school that has a heart and soul, and that felt very familiar to me, when I came back after so many years away,” said Donnelly. “The community, the meeting, the gathering, and the sense that so many people here know each other and care about each other. Friends is such a happy place, you walk in and you feel a real vibe.”

“Friends is a school that has always maintained its soul, but has never been afraid to look forward, and change with the times. Its exciting for me to look back and reflect of the things that were wonderful for me as a student here, and see how things have grown and changed in such positive ways,” Donnelly said.

The beginning of the iPad initiative in 2011.

Design: In terms of design, iOS 8 isn’t much to look at. It has the same, Windows-esque look Apple adopted with iOS 7. Even though the cosmetics of the operating system might not have changed, here are the three most noticeable visual differences on iOS 8: • Interactive notifications: • manage opened apps from the notifications banner w/out exiting current app • Redesigned multitasking interface: • double tap Home button to text/ Facetime with recent contacts • iPhone Safari features: • open Tab view to organize web pages and new sidebar to access reading materials Features: In addition to a more refined design, iOS 8 introduced some new features and improvements alongside Apple’s release of the iPhone 6. Considering how integrated iPads are in our curriculum here at Friends, here are the three most notable functionality changes on iOS 8:

• Quicktype • type using smart-keyboard’s predictive text engine and thirdparty variations • Revamped Messages app • add audio/video recordings as well as current/roaming location into conversations • Improved Spotlight • search data bases beyond that of your device (i.e. news, Apple stores, places, etc.)

Although iOS 8 implements some design tweaks here and there for iDevices, it doesn’t do much else in terms of reinforcing Friends’ iPad Initiative into something greater. When asked what she would have liked to see appear in iOS 8 or in another future iOS update, Mumford emphasized “making Apple and Google products work more seamlessly together to make it easier for teachers and students to use.” She noted how Google calendars would often fail

Continued on p.11

News

December 2014 Continued from New Tech Sparks New Opinions to work correctly with Apple’s operating system. “Google wants us on Android and Apple wants us on Apple.”

When asked whether a PC-based technology system, since it is not caught between the rivalries of Apple and Google, would be a better option for Friends, Mumford replied negatively. According to Mumford, “Apple has been mak-

ing great educational products since the 90s and that’s never changed. Whereas Microsoft focused mainly on consumer sales, Apple also supported the educational demographic.” Mumford’s description of Apple as an educational staple fashions it as the go-to resource for school tech. This isn’t surprising considering Apple generated over $1 billion in education revenue on sales of iOS and Mac products, including iPads, which took a 94% tablet market share in schools in 2013 alone, according to the AppleInsider.

Ebola! A Threat Passed?

By JACKSON WALD In the aftermath of Ebola’s spread into New York City, the Friends community had varied response, ranging from alarmed to indifferent. To preface, Ebola is a infectious disease that causes bleeding and severe fevers. It is spread through contact with bodily fluids such as mucus, blood, or fecal matter. Recently, it has become prevalent in West Africa, and fears of it spreading to the United States have been widespread.

Most students knew the basics of the disease. When asked about the effects of the virus, senior Andrew Hampton replied, “Ebola is a disease that basically infects you, makes you bleed internally, then gives you a fever, you get a bad cough, and you ultimately die.”

The Ebola virus.

It seems safe to say that Friends will remain a school run by Apple products and will continue to encourage students to update their iPads in order to continue using educational apps such as Kno, iTunes U, Evernote, Nearpod, Notability, iAnnotate and the recent Haiku Learning. The introduction of iOS 8, although helps refine the iPad experience here at Friends, in no way revolutionizes how we will be using technology this year.

11

The prospect of Ebola is not scary to everyone, though. According to Friends community members, social media, whether it be Facebook, Instagram, or twitter, Ebola has become a sort of joke, where people make fun of the disease and the people who have it.

Several Friends students thought this kind of approach was not correct.

“Well I think people use humor to try to cover that they are scared, because Ebola is a really awful and scary thing,” said freshman Archer Carr-Engler.

However, according to school nurse Betsy Payton, people on social networks are not the only ones who are handling the Ebola outbreak incorrectly. The media has been exaggerating and over hyping the threat of Ebola as well.

Some New Yorkers react strongly to the threat of Ebola.

“The media has a purpose that we need to consider,” said nurse Betsy Payton. “They want to sell newspapers, they want people to watch their channels, and the more they try to present a scary, compelling story, the more they're going to steal viewers away from the people who present more of a ‘humdrum’ story of ‘there’s a disease here and we have four Americans out of how everyone who have been affected by it or who have it.’”

Possibly the most important aspect of the Ebola pandemic for Friends students is the question whether, now the disease is in New York City, it will affect our community members.

Mostly, Friends students have serious doubts that it will have an effect on the school. Evan Oberstein, a ninth grader, said, “I don’t think it will have an effect on us. I think right now and for the next two weeks, the only people who could be showing symptoms of it would be the doctor and anyone else was in direct contact with him.

The only way I see it having an effect on us is if it spreads on the subway and someone got it and did not know they had it, which I consider very unlikely.”

Hampton also thought it unlikely that Ebola would spread into the Friends Seminary community. “I doubt that it would have an effect on Friends Seminary, because only one guy in

NYC has it right now, so I doubt it will spread that much, but I hope it can be contained.” The community believes the threat of infection to be very minimal. When students were asked whether they thought Ebola was be a threat to the U.S, they all replied no. Ebola, even though it is dangerous, has a lesser chance of being a threat than the flu However, Friends has nonetheless taken necessary precautions. When asked what steps Friends Seminary had taken to prevent Ebola, Samantha Meltzer, Director of Support Services said, “At Friends, we follow the best practices recommended by the New York City Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control. Practically speaking, this means we encourage frequent hand-washing, engagement in good personal hygiene, we monitor students for illnesses (as always) and perform extra disinfection of surface areas. This is not just about Ebola, but also about how to stay healthy and help those around us to stay healthy. We also believe that one of the best preventive actions we can take is to urge calm.” Even though students aren’t currently worried about infection, the Friends faculty is working diligently for it to stay that way.

12

News

Continued from Technology and Quaker Values

Finally, Rosen offered his opinions to the argument. When asked whether he thought Friends has held on to its Quaker Garnevicus thought it was good that these values well enough, he noted that simworries about simplicity were at least on plicity and silence were still ingrained Friend’s radar, unlike most other schools. into the foundation of Friends.

Lifer David Rothstein, ’17, expressed a “We talk about simplicity, we’re redifferent view. In his opinion, he felt the minded of it”. Yet, Rosen observed that excess use of technology has inhibited Friends has followed a pattern of the Friends’ ability to keep our values of sim- world, which, in his own words, has “sped plicity. up considerably because of the internet.”

Garnevicus weighed in on this saying Rosen appreciates the twenty minutes that there were some definite drawbacks of silence of Meeting for Worship as a to the use of technology like the worry of refuge from the fast paced world. eroding face-to-face conversation with “It is a luxury. But, of course it email. However, he valued its advantages shouldn’t be. It should be a requirement. in letting us do tasks with more ease. Garn- But its very well appreciated.”. Rosen beevicus disagreed with Rothstein, using as lieves that, although Friends can strive evidence that worries about technology for simplicity and silence as a school, were present ten or thirty years ago. it will always be imperfect. However, Rothstein viewed other changes of the Rosen noted, “ We can ask ourselves and Friends community differently than Garn- be reminded of those principles and say evicus. Rothstein said that Friends has ‘how can I simplify’? And I’ve done that less emphasis on Quaker values than in in my own life”. the past. He acknowledged SPICES, our Rosen also shared his views on techschool’s main Quaker principles,which ac- nology’s impact on Quaker values. He cording to Rothstein students used to have observed a decline in face-to-face conto memorize. When I asked him what the versations which have been replaced by acronym stood for, he had no idea, and texting and conversation on cell phones. gave as his reason the school’s disregard “There’s no time for that kind of social for assuring students knew them. (I later interaction when the world is based on found out that SPICES stood for Simplic- speed and doing more, doing more, doing ity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, more. And that’s still the greatest differand Stewardship). ence I see between my life, at this age, Rothstein added that the “excess use” of and the lives of students now. Those stutechnology such as the screens in the caf- dents now are doing more than, certainly eteria and lobby has “ruined how [Friends] people my age ever did at the same time exercise[s] those Quaker values of simplic- in their lives.” ity”.

Rosen added that he thought people Justin Rubino,’18 and another lifer, had today couldn’t live a life of simplicity, at a view more similar to Garnevicus. When least not in the same way as older Quaker I asked him to give his opinion Friends’ generations did, as we are “bombarded keeping to its values as well as it has done with so much information in the digital in the past. Rubino observed that Friends age.” has focused on holding on to values like “Our notion of simplicity”, Rosen simplicity and silence even when he first said, “has to be something different. And started at Friends. He cited Meeting for it just might mean we do yoga for a half Worship as an example. hour a day. It might mean that we take a However, when I brought up Rothstein’s day off screens and live without the Interconcerns about the excess use of technolo- net for a full day. It might mean that we gy and how it might inhibit Friend’s ability pursue quiet at various times in the day. to hold on to its values, Rubino agreed with But like it or not, we are in the world, and him. “I think technology sort of...distracts that is part of our world. And there’s no us from simplicity” said Rubino, acknowl- escaping it.” edging student’s use of iPads in the MeetIf you do want to try a half hour of inghouse, which he said should be a place yoga once in a while, contact Barry Bluof worship and a technology-free zone. menfeld, Friends actually does have an “When you go into silence, all technology elective for that! should be put away” he said.

What Would Happen if School Started Later? ─ Op-Ed ─

By CAMILO DURR What would you do for three extra hours of sleep every morning? A study published in the Journal of Sleep Research found that the lack of sleep for teenagers causes long term effects like high cholesterol, obesity and depression, as well as short term sickness like the cold, the flu and gastroenteritis, which involves diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain (and frankly, by just judging by the name, sounds like something you definitely don’t want to have). This is the part where the teacher reading this says: “Well, why don’t you just go to bed earlier!” Sadly, teenage circadian rhythms deny us the possibility of going to sleep at the time of our little siblings.

A widespread concern is growing around the discrepancies between

teenager’s need to sleep in late, and school’s early-rising schedules. To add to the arguments against teenagers waking up early, the American Association of Pediatrics recommends to “delay the start times of middle and high schools to combat teen sleep deprivation.” Even though these arguments may just seem to be fancy doctors giving suggestions to schools that aren’t doing anything, some schools have made changes.

Last September marked the start of a year long experiment conducted by schools in the United Kingdom, where starting time for high schools was changed to 10am.

The experiment, which includes

Continued on p.13

December 2014

Op-Eds

13

Continued from What Would Happern if School Started Later 106 schools around the country, (and the 32,000 luckiest high schoolers in the world) showed an improvement in students grades and participation.

One school served as guinea pig for this experiment in 2009. This school, The Monkseaton High School in North Tyneside, England, saw their school’s General Certificate of Secondary Education (or GCSE) results increase substantially. The number of students who received A to C grades in English and Math (or as the Monkseatons would call it, ‘Maths’) rose from 34% to 53%.

Drawing by Lia Defranco, ’15

As this experiment was obviously a success, I went to our administration to ask why we can’t get our extra hours of sleep in the morning.

According to Academic Dean, Will Hopkins, “this is a nearly impossible proposal for the school unless we want to get rid of athletics.”

Hopkins added, “The decision would not be a school decision, but a New York decision.” Hopkins brings up an important point, if school really started at 10 a.m., school would end at 6 p.m., and we could kiss good bye to our extracurriculars and shiny soccer trophies.

So for now, starting school later every day is just a daydream we have in meeting for worship.

From Stonewall to Rutherford Place ─ Op-Ed ─

By ANNAH HECKMAN

New York City is revered as one of the most open and inclusive towns in all of the United States, famous for taking in the misfits of the world, but a mere 45 years ago it was a very different city. In 1969, New York City had laws against displays of homosexual behavior and against private businesses who regarded themselves as gay establishments. These gay establishments were constantly being raided by police and often shut down altogether.

The constant raiding, abuse and discrimination that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender New Yorkers endured came to a boiling point on June 28th, 1969.

The Stonewall Inn was and is a very popular gay bar in New York’s Greenwich Village and on June 28th it’s patrons decided to take a stand. What soon was known as the first of the Stonewall Riots, began with a refusal to leave the establishment and soon escalated to dozens of people fighting back against the police. During this initial riot participants threw things at the police and chanted “gay power.” Soon police reinforcements came and broke up the riot, but the revolution did not stop there. The next night over 1,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender New Yorkers came to Stonewall and protested the injustices against them. The Stonewall Riots inspired many gay citizens to take action and give their voice. Both the Gay Liberation Front and the newspaper “Gay” were born out of the Stonewall Riots. Not only did the riots effect the New York metropolitan area, but

the following year on the anniversary of the riots New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles held the first ever Gay Pride Parades.

The Stonewall Inn is located on Christopher Street, between 7th Avenue and Waverly place.

New York City is filled with the history of the LGBT rights movement and the Stonewall Inn is not that far from our school, Friends Seminary. We have grown up in, lived in and been educated in a city that is not only the birthplace of the movement but the continued safe zone of acceptance.

It is not all that uncommon to hear students say, “A Gay Straight Alliance is unnecessary,” and that “we are already accepting.” Living in New York City gives us the right to express who want to be.

The freedom to express oneself and enjoy being who you are is not something to be taken for granted. According to Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) 26% of boys who come out as gay to their families are expelled from their home and LGBT youth are 8.4 times are likely to contemplate or commit suicide than the average teen. While we may live in a bubble of acceptance thousands of kids our age live in fear of their own sexual orientation. We must remember that New York City is not as safe as we think, just last summer Islan Nettles, a transgender woman, was beaten to death in Harlem and today her killer walks free.

The revolution began here in New York City 45 years ago and today the LGBT community is still fighting.

The Gay Straight Alliance represents a space of safety, where students can go and be open about who they are. But more than that it is an example to schools and students all over, by showing that Friends Seminary is accepting and welcoming of all we can inspire others. As the GSA enters its seventh year we hope to widen the view of what this movement means.

It is no longer a fight over the right to be in a gay bar, today it is a fight for safety, marriage equality, destigmification, and human rights. With the help of students all over this country maybe we can win this fight.

Sports

14

SAF Reports on Ray Rice Scandal

By AKHIL MADAN It is an understatement to say this year has been surreal for the NFL. First, an elevator video surfaced that showed former Pro-Bowl running back Ray Rice punching his fiancée Janay Palmer in the face in February at Atlantic City, then future hall of fame running back Adrian Peterson was suspended for abusing his 4-year-old son in May in Texas. Needless to say, these events have completely overshadowed all that has happened on the field.

The Ray Rice scandal was handled poorly on all fronts: from the way that his former team, the Baltimore Ravens, reacted and blamed the victim, to the seemingly soft punishment by the NFL, to Ray Rice himself briefly apologizing then quickly moving on.

Not only was Rice's image inevitably tarnished, but the NFL, Ravens and even “supporters” will be left to pick up the pieces.

Hoping to defuse a growing public relations crisis, the Ravens announced that the team was terminating the contract of the three-time all-Pro running back and the NFL announced they were suspending him indefinitely following the release of a video showing him punching his then fiancée, now wife, Janay in February.

The scandal also had a ripple effect, as the Carolina Panthers, probably unwillingly, succumbed to intense pressure to take Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy off the field following the revelation of the Rice video and subsequent firestorm.

Greg Hardy, of the Carolina Panthers.

This action was taken simply because the NFL wanted to convey consistency in their decision making; if a player performs a wrong action and is punished,

then all of those following in suit with their own crimes should be relegated to similar punishment.

A few weeks after the Rice controversy, reports surfaced that Adrian Peterson had beaten his child with a tree branch in order to discipline his son. The Minnesota Vikings running back was indicted shortly afterward.

While some may speculate, there are photos of Peterson’s son’s numerous wounds from the tree-branch whipping.

In the eyes of the public today, imagery shocks more than words.

The incident has shamed the Vikings organization and the NFL, possibly banning him from ever playing another match of America’s game.

Adrian Peterson, of the Minnesota Vikings.

While the facts of the case are undeniable, the punishments and the repercussions for actions committed by Rice and Peterson highlight a gray area in the rules.

Ray Rice performed an immoral action, which upset many people, and originally resulted in a lenient two-game suspension. However, this punishment occurred before TMZ released the actual video of the domestic abuse, and once the video was released, the NFL quickly came to the decision to suspend Ray Rice indefinitely, which bought them time to appease the various groups of people that became outraged by the original inconsequential punishment.

The NFL will try its hardest to cover their tracks and keep climbing until evidence is found that they received the video; however, Roger Goodell’s will be pressured to resign again once the offseason begins, simply because he seemed to have failed to responsibly

Ray Rice and his fiancée, Janay Palmer.

handle a critical case. Also, new policies on domestic violence and abuse will be pronounced because of the outraged public on the NFL’s handling on the Ray Rice case.

In the midst of this Ray Rice crisis, Adrian Peterson had quite a scandal of his own, which shared a critical commonality with the former’s; that it outraged the public. However, with Adrian Peterson, his organization, the Minnesota Vikings were the ones to suspend the running back indefinitely. However, Adrian Peterson’s was disciplining his son in the way he saw fit; additionally, other players came forward saying that they too used similar tactics of discipline for their children. So why should Adrian Peterson endure the consequences, and is it in the Vikings organization’s right to suspend him and just him for his actions? If Peterson has a child, shouldn’t he be able to judge his actions towards the child, especially if they are common disciplinary ones? The thing is nobody can definitely give the “correct” answer to this; we all can form our opinions and speculate, but nothing in the NFL policies let alone the United States’ Constitution strictly define Peterson’s actions as right and wrong; nor do they issue out punishments for it.

Some people in our institution also have strong opinions. Sahana Mehta, who is knowledgeable about the merits and details of feminism, said “as an offender for domestic violence, Ray Rice should have been expelled from the NFL. By supporting Rice, the NFL endorses not only his performance, but his person." Mehta believes that Ray Rice

should be "expelled" for his "intolerable" actions. As for the status of Roger Goodell, Friends' director of athletics David Lieber added, "he should feel pressured to resign" because the "twogame was laughable," in its brevity. "Obviously," said Lieber, "the image of the league [has] taken a big hit," however, Lieber is "in favor of second chances," believing that Ray Rice should be reinstated soon and his tumultuous career is not quite over just yet. As for Adrian Peterson's case, Lieber thinks that "what he did was over the top," and the Vikings are completely justified in having the "authority to suspend him."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

In today’s game of football, the players are held to a certain standard expected to be met at all times. While there may be gray areas in the rulebook, the NFL does not tolerate immaturity and violence on any level. Goodell clearly messed up, and it is up to the pressure of the media, outrage of fans, and many other factors to expel Goodell from his influential position. This season so far has been a disaster, and hopefully it will turn around, but only once the Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice scandals are resolved.

December 2014

Sports

15

Derek Jeter’s Legacy ─ Op-Ed ─

By JASON LIEBMANN May 29th, 1995, Derek Jeter’s first Major League Baseball game. Skip about 19 years to the date February 12th, 2014, the day the baseball world was rocked by the announcement that Jeter would retire after the 2014 season.

Yankees fans’ hearts were broken, as they all shook their heads in disbelief.

The years in between and the season to come combined to make one of the most memorable careers in the history of baseball.

at shortstop in the American League in 5 seasons. That Jeter was an outstanding player in all aspects of the game is well established in the record books.

Sam Edison, an 11th grader at Friends Seminary, said that Jeter was the “greatest shortstop of all-time.” However, he will be remembered for more than his numbers.

Jeter was never involved in a major scandal in the media during his career, something that has plagued all sports payers in the past decade. Alex Rodriguez, another Yankee, and Barry Bonds, two great baseball players, were banned due to the use of illegal drugs, such as steroids and other PEDs. Jeter never used illegal drugs or was banned for any reason. Edison said that Jeter was “honest” and full of “integrity.” Edison also said that he remembers Jeter as the “only baseball player that didn’t cheat.”

Paul Fisher, the math assistant in the academic center, said that he knows Jeter as a baseball player who “has never had Derek Jeter in 1996. a negative media article” during his caIn Jeter’s first full season, the 1996 reer. Considering the intrusiveness of season, he won the American League the New York media, it is incredible that Rookie of the Year award. He won four it was never able to publish an article World Series in his first 5 seasons and with a scandal involving Jeter. If you won a fifth in 2009. Most players are think about how the paparazzi are all lucky to win one. One might say that it over major sports stars, especially Jeter was just because he was on the Yankees, during his last season, but they were but Jeter batted .309 in the playoffs, and never able to find a thing. was named the 2000 World Series MVP Jeter has been the Yankees shortstop when the Yankees beat the Mets. Jeter is for Sam’s entire life as well as everyone also the Yankees all-time hits leader and else in the student body. He has been retired at sixth on the all-time hits list. the Yankees shortstop since Fisher was Apart from his offensive abilities, Jeter 5 years old. Jeter has filled our childwon 5 Gold Glove awards, meaning he hoods with one of the greatest baseball was voted as the best defensive player careers and has certainly left many with

memorable moments. Paul’s favorite memory of Jeter is when he dove into the stands for a foul ball against the Red Sox. This was no ordinary falling over the railing. It was a full speed crashes into the stands. This moment is probably many others’ favorite memory and it speaks to Jeter’s willingness to win and sacrifice himself for the greater good of the game. Declan Smith, a 10th grader at Friends Seminary who is well known

Jeter dives into the stands.

to be a Red Sox fan also said that this is his biggest memory of Jeter. Jeter did not just make an impact on local Yankee fans but fans that support the Yankees biggest rivals. Edison specifically remembers Jeter’s last at bat not just because it was the last but because was “what he has done all his career, clutch hit, opposite field single.” Jeter will be remembered as a clutch player that never shied away from the spotlight, just look at his postseason stats.

Paul said the Jeter was the “most

consistently high profile player over the past 20 years,” speaking to Jeter’s longevity and consistency as a player.

Jeter was a class act every day on the diamond. He always treated other players with nothing but respect and always made other feel welcome in his presence. Edison said Jeter is a “role model to younger kids” and Smith said that Jeter was a “classy” player. I think this characteristic of Jeter is best summarized when Jeter, during his exit from his final baseball game ever, walked from first base after just hitting a single to the pitcher’s mound and shook Clay Buchholz’s, the opposing Red Sox pitcher, hand. Akhil Madan, another student at Friends Seminary, who is a Mets fan, said that he will remember Jeter as a “leader” and a “selfless” person and that people will remember him as “the captain” for the Yankees.

Fisher said that “if you asked people who didn’t know baseball players to name one player from the past 20 years, Jeter would probably be the guy.” Jeter is so well-known and so well-respected that even non-baseball fans will become familiar with his name. This statement was supported when Felix Parker, an 11th grader at Friends Seminary was asked to name all of the baseball players he knew. His response was, “Derek Jeter. I mean I knew some others at some point but can’t remember their names.” Jeter will be remembered for various reasons amongst millions of different people and his legacy will reach beyond the limits of the baseball community.

Sports

16

Men’s Soccer and Cross Country Cap off Successful Season

By RICK MORTENSON and TYLER CHONOLES

With the first quarter coming to an end and the leaves on the trees becoming sparse as winter approaches, a successful Fall Athletic Season at Friends has concluded. This was one of the more accomplished athletic periods in recent history. The strong regular season was followed by a lengthy post-season.

In case you weren’t able to go to any games or have slept through meeting for announcements, here’s a recap of each team from this past Fall Sports Season.

Men and Women’s Cross Country

Men’s J.V. Soccer

Men’s Junior Varsity Soccer team took after its Varsity counterparts with its own successful season. Led by an experienced array of sophomores including Declan Smith and Jayson Pitagorsky, as well as many talented Freshmen, they were poised to build off of a devastating loss in the ACIS championship from the previous year.

The season began well. Winning most of their games (with only a few close losses in regular season play) allowed the team to make the ACIS playoffs as the three seed. They went onto play Packer Collegiate in the first round, sneaking out of that game with a 1-0 win. They went on to play Dwight in the final and emerged victorious once again with another 1-0 win, crowning them as ACIS champions.

Two other very successful teams were the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams, led by head coaches Jennifer Melaragno and Christopher Krow and coming off very successful 2013 seasons. The girls looked to repeat as ACIS champions while the boys aimed to build off their second place finish last year and win the ACIS championship. The men’s squad ran well all year, with Senior Michael Lowe and Juniors Evan Liberman and Felix Parker all routinely placing in the top 10 at each race, as well as Junior Tsejin Bhotia and Freshmen Isa Skibeli and Hailey Aronson doing the same for the women.

The team as a whole demonstrated extreme commitment and dedication, with a 93% practice attendance record, a record among all Friends sports teams. This practice paid off, as the boys ending up emerging victorious in the final meet as ACIS champions while the girls placed second as runner-ups. It was a great season for both squads: now routine for Friends’ Cross Country and Track.

Women’s Cross Country Team

Men’s Cross Country Team

Men’s Varsity Soccer Team

Men’s Varsity Soccer

There is not a doubt that the Men’s Varsity Soccer Team provided some of the most exciting games of this Fall Season. They began their season well, going undefeated in non-conference play. They then went on to stay undefeated in league matches. They quickly dispatched their first two opponents in the ACIS playoffs, and then had a meet up with Saint Anne’s in the championship. In a 2-1 match, the Owls eked out a close win, propelling them into the State playoff bracket.

At this time, excitement started to swell around the school. Fan buses to transport students to and from the team’s quarterfinal game versus Poly Prep were set up, and filled. Students and faculty alike made plans to watch the game despite it’s time on 2:30 on Wednesday. It was a real “David vs.

Goliath matchup”, as Head Coach Warren Salandy described it in rallying his players minutes before kickoff.

Despite Poly Prep’s status as a notorious athletic powerhouse, ‘David’ who emerged victorious in front of dozens of raucous fans. The team had now moved on to the States, and was looking for another huge win over top seed Horace Mann, a team ranked fourth in the state out of all public and private schools.

Another fan bus was arranged, this time packed with over eighty students and faculty. Friends took an early 1-0 lead in the first half thanks to a skillful goal by Tom Jensen, but the score was equalized minutes later by a Horace Mann answer. In extra time, Horace Mann scored again, ousting Friends with a very respectable 2-1 score.

Despite the tough loss, this team was one of the most successful teams in Friends Seminary history, going undefeated in ACIS play, winning the regular season and playoff ACIS championships, and finishing in the top four in the State championship, forever embedding themselves in Friends Seminary athletic history.

Sports

December 2014

Winter Season Preview

By RICK MORTENSON and TYLER CHONOLES With the fall season triumphantly concluding, the Friends winter athletic season is just starting to pick up steam and practice for what will be the real deal. The winter teams this year will include Winter Track, Swimming, Women’s Varsity Basketball, and Men’s Varsity Basketball.

Each of these teams is accomplished, and will look to build off last year’s success as it prepares to make this season Friends’ best so far. Here is The Insight’s exclusive rundown of each team that will be competing throughout the winter months.

First, get your sneakers on, because this year’s runners are better than ever.

Cross Country and Track and Field have been some of Friends’ most accomplished teams. Friends’ Winter track, traditionally a powerhouse, takes the field this season led by coaches Chris Krow, Jennifer Melaragno, and Sherwin O’Neil. This year’s team has a talented young core, along with some seasoned veterans. Junior Felix Parker, sophomore Mallie Axon, and senior Matt Bialosky all return for another season of great times, along with other experienced runners . After an impressive qualification for Federations last year, the team hopes to continue this trend. However, with losses of a number of talented seniors such as Will Berg and Dominic Ansel from the 2013-2014 graduating class, the team will have to rely on and strengthen its abundant young talent, including freshmen runners such as Isa Skibelli and Christian Noll. “There are a lot of promising underclassmen”, returning junior Evan “E-money” Liberman relayed with optimism. “This team has a lot of potential. The future is bright.” You can catch the track team in action at a number of competitions in the armory throughout the winter season.

If you’re a fan of hoopin’, we’ve got you covered. On the hardwood, the Women’s Varsity Basketball team is ready to avenge a nail-biting playoff loss against Berkeley Carroll last year, and is

back with experienced and savvy coach George Stark. Returning to the Owls are a number of competitors from last year, including seniors Sammie Barken and Erika Mills, juniors Natalie Benderly and Anna Lee, and sophomore Isabella Flores.

When asked about the team’s prospects and aspirations for the coming season, starting guard Natalie “Air Natz” Benderly answered with optimism and confidence. “Although we’ve lost our seniors, we’re really excited to start the season off on a good note. There’s a lot of young talent.” she said with enthusiasm, revealing girl’s varsity basketball to be in a similar situation to winter track. You can cheer them on at the Friends gym or other ACIS schools as they compete for the ACIS championship.

17

Season Stats From SPORTS AT FRIENDS (SAF)

Men’s Varsity Soccer Athlete

Goals Scored

Assists

Total Points

Rio Hope-Gund

17

10

44

Ewan Creed

14

11

39

Lucas Fairbairn

5

8

18

Alex Jensen

7

2

16

Lucas Pryor

6

0

12

Women’s Varsity Soccer Athlete

Goals Scored

Assists

Total Points

Amelia Smith

5

1

11

Lucy Bryant

3

1

7

Olivia Berke

2

1

5

Ellie Valentine

2

0

4

Natalie Benderly

1

1

3

Caitlyn Starr

1

0

2

Cross Country Top Three Times for 3.1 mile

Women’s Basketball in previous years.

Joining the women’s team in the Friends Gym, the Men's Varsity Basketball team is ready to win a duo of championships under their coach David Lieber. Winning numerous State and ACIS titles in years past, they hope to rebound from a tough loss to Dwight in the ACIS semifinals last year.

The Men's team has several returning players, including seniors, Malik Bunton, Jack Thorman, Michael Lowe, and Jonah Philips, junior Cal Freundlich and sophomore Jared Hodges. Also promising is the flock of new prospects that will help the Friends Owls be a top contender for the ACIS championship this season, including Jevaughni Pegues, Andrew Settleman, Jason Liebman, Rick Mortenson, and Will Cohen. Cal, aka “Mr. Automatic” is more than confident about the teams capabilities this season than previous years. “There’s no reason why this team shouldn’t go all the way this year”, he told The Insight.

“We have a lot of young talent mixed in with some experienced veterans that are

Runner

Time (min)

Runner

Time (min)

Michael Lowe

19:01

Isa Skibelli

25:11

Felix Parker

19:16

Tsejin Bhotia

26:57

Evan Liberman

19:55

Hailey Aronson

27:55

Runner Christian Noll

Most Improved Runners for 3.1 mile Change in Time Runner (min) 4

Isa Skibelli

Change in Time (min) 7

all determined and focused at the task at hand.” Cal touched on a bigger theme in Friends’ athletics this year: new players mixed with familiar faces. Support Men’s Varsity Basketball live at the Friends Gym or at other ACIS schools.

Last, but not least, Friends’ Swimming Team is set to become champion in the water, led by coaches Deanna Yurchuk and Catherine Guerriere. The Boys and Girls team play side by side at all events and usually do not fail to place in the top three at each meet. After winning the 2013-2014 ACIS championship, Mens’s Basketball in previous years.

Continued on p.18

Sports

18 Continued from Winter Season Preview the squad hopes to repeat its accomplishments this season with a multitude of returning players, including sophomore Rachel Hodes, junior Santiago Niño, and senior Callum Bayle-Spence. When asked about the team’s chances, Santi “The Human Fish” Niño was very optimistic. “The team is getting considerably bigger than previous years, so we have a great shot at winning the league”, he relayed. You can catch them in high-speed action at the Baruch College pool as they compete for the ACIS championship this winter.

If you want to support a team at any game, log onto friendsseminary.org and

Fun, Amazin’, Chill

All Welcome

For questions email: 16brunstad OR 16gottsegen

The Swim Team in previous years.

go to the Athletics section to view the sports calendar.. The value of fans cannot be understated. Be on the lookout for each of the teams’ spirit games, as these are a lot of fun, and games you definitely should not miss.

Write to

Support

Submit

Your article A letter to the editor An anonymous suggestion

Give us a suggestion in our suggestion box OR Email us at insight@friendsseminary.org

December 2014

Backpage

How to Work Smarter and Faster in Minutes: The Mindmap

19

Teacher Look-Alikes

By EITAN DARWISH We often just listen (or not) to the teachers we see every day. What you might not realize is how much our teachers could be mistaken for a star-studded group of celebs.

Lets start with a figure from atop the ranks. Last year in Physics class, we watched some Mythbusters episodes, starring...

Kari Byron… or Jen Blum?!

By MAGHNUS MARENECK I hope you found my last productivity article useful. For this issue, I am going to reveal one of two digital tools that have changed the way I organize my time and keep up with commitments. It really works!

MindMeister.com:

A secret tool of CEOs and oversubscribed students alike, “mind-mapping” is the best way to put your entire life and all its complexities on a four-by-four inch space.

Here’s a little theory: Our brain works by connections. Whenever you do anything, your brain fires impulses down a chain of neurons, forming neural links.

When it comes to remembering tasks, this is both a taxing and fallible process, and leaves us both overwhelmed and prone to forget important things.

In my earlier years, I found most of my stress came from having an incomplete idea of what tasks I had to do. When I have everything on paper, I relax about my work.

Mind-Mapping gives you total control.

It allows you to know that there is a page containing everything you need to do in your life. It’s also fun to use.

Let’s figure out how it works.

It starts with ‘you,’ a bubble in the middle.

From the center, it branches out to the main parts of your life: your friends, school, enjoyment, creativity, extracurriculars, family e.t.c.

Kari Byron is one of the Physics specialists on Mythbusters. Jen Blum teaches Physics. Coincidence?

In Evan Almightly, Evan, a Jewish man with a flowing beard, was played by…

Steve Carell... or Josh Goren?!

From each main aspect, it branches out into the subcategories, e.g. “School” may branch out into your 5-7 academic classes.

Things keep going and going until…

You end with a simple task, something you can do right now. Mark these in red, so you can spot them

Steve Carell does not look that much like Josh Goren in general. But in this movie, the roll he played entailed growing a Goren-esque beard and long hair.

This picture of Carell especially reflects Josh’s concerned nature in class.

The next similarity is inconceivable! Starring in several movies such as Princess Bride and My Dinner With Andre was…

Wallace Shawn... or Tom Radigan?!

Update your map steadily, do what’s in red, and take control of your commitments Check back in next edition for an even more useful digital productivity tool. If you have any questions or comments about the above, please email the humble author at 15mareneck@friendsseminary.org.

American actor and writer Wallace Shawn puts French teacher Tom Radigan in serious danger of mistakenly being asked for autographs and pictures. Especially in this picture, Tom and Shawn both carry the same, indescribable pensive look.

Backpage

20

Halloween 2k14

By NICOLETTE SCHNEIDERMANN Halloween at Friends Seminary had an interesting twist this year.

The always bright hallways were filled with all kinds of characters and creatures, adding to the cheerful atmosphere.

Students and teachers alike dressed up as their favorite characters, animals, or something completely random. Throughout the day, I ran into Borat, Yoda, a taco, a (male) French maid, and… A purple box?

Your Ad Here

If you have a community event, reach out us at insight@friendsseminary.org to have it featured in The Insight.

During the Upper School assembly, a wonderful performance prepared by the senior class helped bring Halloween to life as it kicked off the annual class costume parade. The freshmen rose to their feet, followed by the sophomores, juniors, and finally the seniors. As students proudly (and awkwardly) marched through the meeting house, the tension from the rivalry between the ambitious seniors and reigning sophomores was palpable as we waited for the results to see who won the annual Halloween costume contest.

The seniors won with 72% of the students in costumes. Here are some of the highlights from FS Halloween, 2014:

CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS

Richard Omar Payne ’18 Isabel Clements ’17 Jackson Wald ’18 Rick Mortenson ’16 Tyler Chonoles ’15 Sabrina Edelman ’16 Nicolette Schneiderman ’17 Eitan Darwish ’17 Akhil Madan ’16 Nahid Mahmud ’17 Isa Skibeli ’18 Max Teirstein ’17 Abigail Panitz ’15 Danny Cooper ’15 Camilo Durr ’18 Annah Heckman ’15 Jason Liebmann ’16

CHIEF EDITORS

Maghnus Mareneck ’15 Samuel Zieve-Cohen ’15

ADVISORS

John Galayda Deanna Yurchuk

DESIGNERS

David Perry ’15 Callum Bayle-Spence ’15