The Haverford Index - January 2015

Page 1

The Index Lpo_jf_ YtcÂĄfi 6kgÂĄf

Volume LXXVI, No. 4

January 2015

Haverford, Pennsylvania - haverfordindex.com

Haverford’s Gender & Culture Team Combats Lack of Awareness Around Issues of Gender, Sexism, & Misogyny Sixth Former Kyle Bowman examines the committee’s goals, its SURFHGXUH DQG UHDFWLRQ IURP WKH +DYHUIRUG FRPPXQLW\ Kyle Bowman ‘15

  Â

   Recently,  the  question  of  how  Haverford  School  students  treat  and  interact  with  women  has  been  raised  among  students,  faculty  and  the  broader  community.    Sixth  Former  Brendan  Burns  entered  this  conversation  on  gender  when  he  authored  an  article  in  the  Agnes  Irwin  student  paper,  The  Wick,  in  which  he  summarized  what  he  believes  are  the  distortions  and  misconceptions  related  to  the  concept  of  feminism.   The  article  was  successful  in  compelling  many  Haverford  School  students  to  engage  in  broader  conversations  around  interactions  between  men  and  women,  feminism,  and  the  feminist  movement.      In  the  fall  of  2014,  a  committee,  comprised  of  Haverford  faculty  members  and  administrators,  was  formed  in  an  effort  to  understand  and  combat  sexism  and  misogyny  within  the  community.  The  committee  members  include   Mr.  William  Brady,  Ms.  Carmen  Epstein,  Mr.  Kellen  Graham,  Mr.  Matthew  Green,  Ms.  Rachael  Jennings,  Ms.  Hannah  Turlish, Â

Haverford  and  may  be  present  within  the  school  itself.       Misogyny  is  the  dislike,  hatred  for,  and  stereotyping  of  women.  â€?  It  is  a  word  with  harsh  connotations  in  the  modern  English  language,  implying  said  â€œmisogynistâ€?  truly  harbors  hatred  for  women.      In  a  recent  Index  interview,  English  teacher  and  gender  and  culture  committee  PHPEHU 0V 5DFKDHO -HQQLQJV GHÂżQHG sexism  as,  â€œbias  that  assumes  the  incompetence  and  inferiority  of  women,â€?  phrases  like,  â€œWomen  should  stay  at  KRPH Âś ÂľVKHÂśV RQO\ JRLQJ WR FROOHJH WR ÂżQG a  husband,’  â€˜women  are  naturally  happier  doing  housework,â€?  would  thus  constitute  sexism. 0V -HQQLQJVÂśV GHÂżQLWLRQV RI VH[LVP DQG misogyny  align  with  those  expressed  by  journalist  Naomi  Wolf  in  a  2012  Guardian  article  in  which  Wolf  stated,  â€œI  object  to  more  heightened  words  being  appropriated  carelessly  to  make  political  points:  sexism  LV QRW LQ IDFW PLVRJ\Q\ VRPHRQH FDQ OLNH women  quite  a  lot  in  person  but  be  very  happy  to  support  systematic...

Ms.  Janet  Heed,  Mr.  Elias  Rodrigues,  Ms.  Rebecca  Smedley,  and  Mr.  Thomas  Trocano.  According  to  the  committee’s  guidelines  provided  by  Ms.  Jennings,  the  group  is  intended  to  â€œestablish  a  non-­ confrontational,  open  dialogue  about  gender  issues  and  what  we  can  do  to  help  solve  the  human  problems  that  affect  our  communities,  large  and  small.â€?      Mr.  Trocano,  Science  department  chair  and  member  of  the  Committee  on  Gender  and  Culture,  summarized  the  goals  of  the  committee  when  he  stated,  â€œI  don’t  think  anyone  on  that  committee  is  saying  that  anyone  is  bad  or  wrong.  I  think  they  are  saying  that  this  is  a  problem  that  exists  throughout  the  world.  We  must  do  something  about  it  [sexism  and  misogyny]  if  our  whole  premise  is  to  prepare  students  for  the  future.â€?  The  teachers  and  administration  fear  that  students  may  initially  doubt  the  assertions  of  the  committee.  They  would  like  the  student  body  to  understand  that  they  are  not  punishing  them,  but  instead  they  are  Continued  on  Page  3  attempting  to  make  the  students  aware  of  the  larger  issues  are  present  outside  of Â

Kyle Bowman’s article is the most recent entry in an ongoing conversation about gender issues at Haverford. The Index invites your feedback on these or any of the issues found in the paper. To submit a letter to the editor for the February issue, email your thoughts to index@ haverford.org.

The State of the Department: A Look at the Future of Haverford’s Academic Departments

 On

the heels of President Obama’s “State of the Union� address, Arnav Jagasia ‘16 sat down with each department chair to examine the issues DQG SODQV WKDW KH RU VKH KDV Arnav Jagasia ‘16

   Students  always  wonder  what  goes  on  behind  each  department  chair’s  closed  doors  on  Wednesday  mornings.  What,  in  fact,  are  departments  doing  each  and  every  week?  Even  though  it  may  not  be  apparent  to  students,  who  mainly  interact  with  their  teachers  in  individual  classes,  teachers  in  each  of  the  departments  work  closely  with  their  colleagues  to  create  cohesive  departmental  goals  each  year  and  work  even  harder  to  execute  them.  Departments  create  short-­term,  year  long,  and  multi-­ year  long  goals,  all  of  which  they  are  constantly  trying  to  achieve.  These  goals,  most  of  which  were  established  before  the  fall  semester  began,  have  been  at  play  for  more  than  half  of  a  year  and  are  all  representative  of  every  department’s  overall,  ultimate  goal:  to  enhance  the  students’  classroom  experience  (whether  it  be  through  curriculum  changes,  consistent  departmental  grading  policies,  or  new  course  materials)  and  to  produce  boys  that  the  school  can  take  pride  in.         Â

Also inside this Issue...

Calculus  is  a  requisite  and  â€œthe  course  demonstrates  that  [the  students  have]  a  strong  interest  and  ability  in  applied  math.â€?  Furthermore,  the  department  will  be  offering  a  standard  level  statistics  course.      Additionally,  over  the  past  few  years,  the  Mathematics  Department  KDV EHHQ LQ Ă€X[ WKHUH have  been  three  different  department  chairs  (Mr.  Joseph  Sweeney,  Mr.  Zach  Murtha,  and  now,  Mrs.  Mitchell)  over  the  past  three  years.  Therefore,  this  year,  Mitchell  wants  to  â€œget  to  know  the  members  of  the  math  department  and  learn  about  the  culture  here  at  Haverford,â€?  allowing  her  to  design  a  long-­term  plan  for  the  department.  â€œNext  year,â€?  Mitchell  said  excitedly,  â€œwe  are  going  to  hit  the  ground  running.â€?

Mathematics  Department      â€œOur  goal  as  a  department,â€?  stated  Mathematics  Department  Chair,  Susan  Mitchell,  â€œis  that  every  boy  that  leaves  this  school  is  completely  prepared  for  their  next  mathematical  challenge.â€?  The  Math  Department  strives  to  create  students  primed  to  tackle  wherever  their  mathematical  journey  takes  them  after  they  graduate  Haverford.  The  Department  plans  to  do  so  by  continuing  to  evaluate  their  curriculum,  building  relationships  among  the  faculty  members,  and  creating  a  streamlined  long-­term  department-­ level  plan.  â€œEvaluating  curriculum,â€?  said  Mitchell,  â€œis  an  ongoing  challenge  that  never  stops.  We  are  always  looking  for  opportunities  to  strengthen  our  courses.â€?  Recently,  this  curriculum  evaluation  has  led  to  the  further  use  of  technology  in  several  of  the  math  courses.  â€œIn  the  Math  Department,â€?  said  Mitchell,  â€œwe  do  have  opportunities  to  use  online  technology.  We  now  have  online  textbooks  in  a  lot  of  our  classes.â€?  For  next  year,  the  Mathematics  department  will  be  making  a  few  curriculum  changes.  Economics  will  be  transferred  to  the  Math  department  because  Continued  on  Page  4

Science department chair and lifelong Browns fan, Mr. Tom Trocano.

The Index was interested in understanding the politics of Haverford’s faculty, so we polled many of them on relevant global and domestic LVVXHV <RX FDQ ÀQG WKH UHVXOWV DQG D EULHI DQDO\VLV RQ 3DJH

Dawn Blake

Article Page Letter fron the Editors 2 Construction Plans 6 Changing College Process 7 The Arts Requirement 8 Fords Focus 9 Sam Hinkie’s World 10 Fords Basketball 11 French Racial Tensions 14 Outdex Special Edition 15-16

Page 2

The Index

January 2015

Editorials

Letter from the Editors      Dear  Reader,      Last  Friday,  Mr.  Fifer  reminded  the  Fifth  and  Sixth  Formers  that  the  school  does  not  sanction  students  attending  the  local  event  known  as  Wing  Bowl,  nor  has  it  ever.  That  LV IRU D JRRG UHDVRQ WR GR VR ZRXOG Ă€\ LQ the  face  of  everything  the  administration  has  done  over  the  last  nine  months  to  deal  with  drug  and  alcohol  use  within  the  student  body  in  the  wake  of  the  Main  Line  Takeover  Project.  Haverford  students  are  not  going  to  South  Philadelphia  at  ¿YH LQ WKH PRUQLQJ MXVW WR HDW ZLQJV and  the  administration  knows  that.      Everyone  familiar  with  the  event,  however,  understands  its  depravity.  It  appeals  to  the  basest  sentiments  in  society  and  is  an  event  that  may  be  fun  and  entertaining  but  is  morally  objectionable.  A  more  subtle  issue  that  the  school  faces,  however,  is  parents  who  call  their  children  in  sick  on  that  day  so  that  they  can  attend  Wing  Bowl.  Per  school  policy,  administrators  cannot  punish  students Â

The Editors-in-Chief feat. Mark Gottlieb.

Dawn Blake

whose  parents  call  them  out,  even  if  it  is  obvious  that  it  is  Wing  Bowl  fever,  not  the  Ă€X WKDW KDV FDXVHG WKHP WR PLVV VFKRRO This  puts  Mr.  Fifer,  Mr.  Green,  and  the  rest  of  the  Upper  School  administration  in  a  ELQG WKH VWXGHQWV ZKR GR WKH ULJKW WKLQJ and  do  not  have  their  parents  call  them  out  will  get  in  trouble,  while  those  who  lie  and  deceive  will  get  off  scot-­free.  Parents  who  are  willing  to  lie  to  the  school  so  that  their  children  can  break  the  law  ought  to  re-­ examine  their  priorities,  but  it  is  up  to  the  students  to  realize  that  going  to  Wing  Bowl  destroys  the  trust  that  we  have  between Â

Letter from the President Dear  Student  Body  and  Faculty,      I  hope  everyone  is  enjoying  the  cold  weather  like  I  am.  There’s  nothing  better  WKDQ VOLSSHU\ URDGV IURVWHG ÂżQJHUV DQG losing  feeling  in  your  toes.  So  far,  there  has  only  been  one  snow  day  this  year  when  we  should  have  had  a  two-­hour  delay,  and  one  two-­hour  delay  when  we  should  have  had  a  snow  day.  Still,  I  am  not  complaining.   â€”This  is  the  farthest  I’ve  made  it  all  year  without  someone  clapping  for  no  apparent  reason.  It  feels  good—      In  my  state  of  the  school  address,  I  PHQWLRQHG WKDW WKLV LV WKH PRVW GLIÂżFXOW time  of  the  year.  The  tail  end  of  the  winter  LV ÂżOOHG ZLWK EDG ZHDWKHU D YDVW DPRXQW of  work,  and  a  tunnel  that  appears  to  have  no  end.  Trust  me,  there  is  light  at  the  end  of  the  tunnel,  and  it  is  called  Spring.  But  we’re  not  isolated  in  the  snow  like  Jack  Nicholson  in  The  Shining—  we  have  our  classmates  around  us  to  support  us.  Â

Student Body President Nick Greco.

SOD\HUVRIWRPRUURZ RUJ

VWXGHQWV DQG DGPLQLVWUDWRUV DW +DYHUIRUG when  the  administration  considered  implementing  a  random  drug  testing  program,  opponents  in  the  student  body  often  cited  the  erosion  of  this  trust  as  a  main  reason  why  random  drug  tests  were  bad  for  the  school.  Those  same  people  would  be  hypocritical  to  turn  around  and  have  their  parents  call  them  out  for  Wing  Bowl.      A  second  topic  of  interest  in  recent  weeks  occurred  when  Headmaster  Nagl  implored  Haverford  students  to  â€œMan  upâ€?  during  an  Upper  School  assembly.  That  presentation  RXWOLQHG WKH ÂżQGLQJV RI WKH VWXGHQW OLIH survey  we  took  in  the  Fall,  and  a  speaker  from  the  group  Freedom  from  Chemical  Dependency  (FCD)  discussed  those  results  with  the  Upper  School.  Near  the  end  of  the  talk,  an  emotional  Headmaster  Nagl  took  his  microphone,  stood  up,  and  began  explaining  that  it  was  better  to  call  the  Brother’s  Keeper  hotline  now  and  protect  a  friend  than  to  go  to  his  funeral  in  a  few  months  or  a  few  years  because  we  did  not  do  enough.  Suddenly,  while  exhorting  the  students  to  use  the  hotline,  he  proclaimed  â€œMan  Up!â€?  While  some  in  the  audience Â

may  have  taken  offense  to  this  statement,  I  do  not  think  it  was  sexist  in  any  way.  In  fact,  it  brought  more  light  to  a  side  of  masculinity  that  often  goes  unnoticed:  emotional  toughness.  It  requires  courage  to  call  the  hotline  and  help  a  friend  because  of  the  potential  â€œsnitchâ€?  label  that  one  could  receive  because  of  it.  That  courage,  the  willingness  to  help  a  friend  even  at  one’s  own  peril,  is  something  every  Haverford  man  should  leave  this  school  with.  Dr.  Nagl  made  it  clear  what  he  expects  out  RI KLV PHQ WKLV LV D VLQJOH VH[ LQVWLWXWLRQ after  all.  The  issue,  however,  is  that  the  administration  has  yet  to  prove  that  the  hotline  is  the  best  way  for  a  Haverford  student  to  help  a  friend.  Until  the  hotline  proves  to  be  a  trustworthy  outlet,  students  will  feel  uneasy  about  its  use. Â

     At  the  beginning  of  the  year,  I  discussed  what  I  wanted  to  see  happen.   I  talked  about  being  your  brother’s  keeper  and  doing  the  right  thing  when  no  one  is  watching.  These  ideas  and  practices  still  pertain  to  today.  While  it  may  be  second  semester,  it  is  still  school.  Everything  you  GR UHSUHVHQWV \RXU FKDUDFWHU ZKR \RX are  and  what  you  stand  for.   That  is  why  I  look  at  second  semester  as  a  whole  new  ballgame.  Everything  I  said  at  the  start  of  the  year  still  applies  to  today.  If  I  can  do  it  (a  second  semester  senior),  then  you  can  too.        As  I  was  watching  the  Super  Bowl  Media  day  coverage  (what  to  do  on  snow  days),  I  watched  Marshawn  Lynch  give  some  riveting  answers  to  journalists  in  the  audience.  What  else  is  new?  As  I  was  looking  for  Manav  Khandelwal,  I  noticed  that  Marshawn  Lynch  answered  one  of  this  many  questions  with,  â€œI’m  just  here  so  I  GRQÂśW JHW ÂżQHG ´ +HDULQJ WKLV FRPH RXW RI

his  mouth  made  me  angry,  but  I  could  not  understand  why.  After  pondering  Lynch’s  compelling  choice  of  words  I  realized  that  this  man  is  at  the  Super  Bowl,  and  taking  the  situation  for  granted.  Marshawn  Lynch  was  doing  the  bare  minimum  that  day  DQG LQ DOO KRQHVW\ VKRXOG JHW ÂżQHG IRU what  he  did.  Lynch’s  comments,  however,  made  me  think  about  what  we’re  doing  at  school.  I  want  everyone  in  school  to  make  the  most  of  their  opportunities  and  not  come  in  everyday  saying,  â€œI’m  just  here  so  , GRQÂśW JHW ÂżQHG ´ %H WKH EHVW \RX FDQ EH everyday  and  try  to  keep  pushing  forward  to  the  light  at  the  end  of  the  tunnel.  It’s  time  for  all  of  us  to  get  our  swagger  back.

but  we  hope  that  through  Empty  Bowls,  that  we  can  not  only  help  the  thousand  of  hungry,  destitute  people  in  our  community,  but  can  also  transform  our  own  students  at  the  school  who  have  primarily  lived  lives  of  privilege.       At  the  event,  please  enjoy  soup Â

from  Chef  DeMarco  of  333  Belrose,  silent  and  live  auction  items  from  local  shops  and  teams,  and  a  great  communal  event.  We  hope  to  see  many  of  you  there!

Service Board Empty Bowls Announcement is  the  culminating  event  for  our  year  long  themes  of  hunger,  homelessness,  and  poverty.  These  are  topics  that  are       Empty  Bowls  is  an  event  hosted  by  The  Haverford  School,  The  Agnes  much  closer  to  home  than  one  may  think,  found  everywhere  from  city  hall  Irwin  School,  and  The  Baldwin  to  where  our  schools  preside  on  the  School  on  Sunday,  February  22nd  at  the  Agnes  Irwin  School.  Empty  Bowls  Main  Line.  The  statistics  are  sobering,  Â

Eli Wachs ‘16

The  Index 6WD̆

Manav Khandelwal ‘15, Editor-in-Chief Brendan Burns ‘15, Editor-in-Chief Arnav Jagasia ‘15, News and Features Editor $OH[ 6DQÂżOLSSR Âľ 2SLQLRQV (GLWRU Jack Henderson ‘15, Sports Editor (WKDQ 'H/HKPDQ Âľ $UWV (GLWRU Eric Petersen ‘15, Politics Editor 2WLV %DNHU Âľ 2XWGH[ (GLWRU 'UHZ 6WHUPDQ Âľ FR :HE (GLWRU .HQQ\ )LW]SDWULFN Âľ FR :HE (GLWRU Mr. Kellen Graham, Faculty Advisor The  Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles the daily struggles and accomplishments of the Haverford community. The  Index also provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues, such as student culture, academic SROLF\ DQG +DYHUIRUGÂśV SODFH LQ ZRUOG D̆DLUV The  Index presents new ideas and DVSLUHV WR LQĂ€XHQFH FRQVWUXFWLYH FKDQJH

Sincerely, Manav  Khandelwal  â€˜15  and  Brendan  Burns  â€˜15 Editors-­in-­Chief

Sincerely, Student  Body  President  Nick  Greco

$OO RSLQLRQV DQG YLHZSRLQWV H[SUHVVHG KHUHLQ GR QRW QHFHVVDULO\ UHĂ€HFW WKRVH RI The  Index  or the school. The  Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at index@haverford.org. The  Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed on Mac 26 ; XVLQJ $GREH ,Q'HVLJQ &6 ,WV VXUYH\V DUH FRQGXFWHG YLD 6XUYH\0RQNH\ DQG are advertised on Facebook to current Haverford students. Southern Dutchess News SULQWV FRSLHV RI HDFK LVVXH DQG LWV HGLWRULDO VWD̆ GLVWULEXWHV WKHP LQ WKH 8SSHU School on the day of release. The  Index  serves the needs of a total school population of FRPPXQLW\ PHPEHUV FRQVLVWLQJ RI VWXGHQWV DQG IDFXOW\ PHPEHUV Contact  The  Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 index@haverford.org Twitter: @Haverford_Index http://www.haverfordindex.com/ [ 9ROXPH /;;9, 1R 'HFHPEHU

Page 3

The Index

News

January 2015

Investigating the Gender Committee (continued) discussions  occur  without  anger  and  fear,  and  instead  are  as  commonplace  as  any  discrimination  against  them  (sexism)  or  intellectual  discussion. to  used  gender  stereotypes  against  them       The  largest  problem  the  administrators  and  teachers  are  attempting  to  combat  (sexism).â€? 6RPH VWXGHQWV KRZHYHU ÂżQG LW KDUG WR with  the  committee  on  gender  and  culture,  differentiate  between  sexism  and  misogyny,  however,  is  the  lack  of  understanding  and  as  Sixth  Former  Dan  Borine  summarized,  knowledge  students  have  of  what  is  sexist  â€œIt  seems  like  the  lines  between  the  two  and  what  is  not.  Mr.  Trocano  stated  that  it  get  blurred,  and  young  men  are  put  in  a  LV GLIÂżFXOW IRU PDQ\ VWXGHQWV WR ³¿QG WKH situation  where  we  don’t  know  and  can’t  line  between  being  a  normal  teenage  boy  tell  the  difference,  and  sometimes  things  and  being  offensive.â€?  He  continued,  â€œIt  can  be  so  confusing  and  so  hard  to  distinguish  happen  that  we’re  not  aware  of.â€? The  conversation  about  gender  issues  between  right  and  what  society  labels  as  and  feminism  predates  Burns’s  article.  appropriate.â€? In  February  2014,  English  teacher  and       In  a  recent  survey,  73%  of  polled  students  committee  member  Mr.  Kellen  Graham  voted  that  they  feel  the  school  does  an  GHOLYHUHG D 5HĂ€HFWLRQ DVVHPEO\ RQ WKHVH adequate  job  when  it  comes  to  discussing  issues.  In  particular,  Mr.  Graham  argued  gender  issues.  However,  Sixth  former  Ian  that,  as  members  of  an  all-­boys  school,  we  Riley  is  worried  that  this  education  is  not  PXVW EH HVSHFLDOO\ YLJLODQWH LQ WKH ÂżJKW WR leading  to  the  desired  effect  of  creating  an  combat  sexism  because,  as  he  put  it,  â€œour  open  conversation  within  the  student  body:  all-­boys  environment  promotes  gender  â€œListening  to  a  few  teachers  preach  about  stereotypes  and  discriminatory  behavior  feminism  does  not  instill  a  great  deal  of  towards  women.â€?  Elsewhere  in  his  speech,  importance  to  the  topic.  No  one  wants  to  Mr.  Graham  drew  attention  to  the  human  hear  about  a  time  in  history  when  people  tendency  â€œto  mythologize,  or  create  stories,  like  them  [men]  were  subjugating  others  about  people  with  whom  we  have  little  or  [women].  This  becomes  a  big  issue  in  an  all  male  institution,  because  suddenly  no  no  direct  contact  with.â€?  English  Department  Chair  and  one  wants  to  hear  it.â€? Haverford  School  alumnus  Mr.  Stambaugh       Data  suggests  that  most  Haverford  pointed  out  one  of  the  most  well-­known  students  do  not  feel  there  is  a  misogyny  parts  of  the  Haverford  community,  The  problem  at  the  school.  In  a  recent  poll  Gentlemen’s  Club,  as  an  example  of  proposed  to  100  members  of  the  Haverford  sexism  in  the  school.  â€œA  â€˜Gentleman’s  School  student  body,  85%  of  respondents  Club’  is  a  euphemism  for  a  strip  club,  and  stated  that  they  did  not  believe  that  if  that  is  a  hidden  meaning  of  the  group’s  Haverford  has  a  problem  with  misogyny. name  it  is  certainly  sexist  and  possibly      Ms.  Jennings  stated  that  the  committee  misogynistic.  When  they  started  the  club,  wants  to  address  any  misunderstandings  I  asked  the  guys  who  ran  it  to  change  [the  around  these  issues.  â€œI  believe  that  we  name],  but  they  did  not  want  to  destroy  one  would  be  doing  our  students  a  disservice  of  the  great  bits  of  Haverford  pride,  and  I  if  they  don’t  understand  what  sexism  understand  that,  but  we  could  change  the  and  misogyny  are  and  if  they  don’t  know  about  some  of  the  catastrophic  human  name,  couldn’t  we?â€?       Another  issue  the  committee  is  trying  rights  issues  that  exist—and  exist  around  to  combat  is  the  fear  and  anger  that  some  a  gendered  axis.  We  would  be  doing  you  a  students  feel  when  topics  such  as  gender,  disservice  if  you  didn’t  know  that  you,  as  feminism,  and  feminists  are  invoked  in  leaders,  will  play  a  crucial  part  in  facing  school.  Mr.  Trocano  understands  this  point,  these  societal  problems.â€? as  evidenced  from  this  comment  that,,  â€œif       Ian  Riley,  a  member  of  the  Student  [discussions  of  gender]  bothers  you,  but  Leadership  Group  on  Gender  and  Culture,  you  should  try  to  adjust  that  perspective.â€?  summarized  this  student  view  best  when  he  Some  students  immediately  recoil  when  told  The  Index,  â€œI  think  it  is  fair  to  assume  hearing  of  feminism  and  respond  with  no  one  at  Haverford  hates  women.  No  one  anger  and  immediately  stop  listening.  wants  to  subjugate  them  or  oppress  them.  It  is  the  hope  of  this  committee  that  the  No  one  thinks  they  deserve  worse  treatment  community  can  reach  a  point  that  these  than  men.  Misogyny  is  such  an  extreme  concept,  if  there  was  any  at  Haverford,  it  would  have  likely  been  amassed  and  dealt  with.â€?  It  is  possible  that  these  issues  go  largely  unnoticed  due  to  the  lack  of  time  Haverford  students  spend  working  with  women  of  the  same  age.      Borine  offered  up  a  possible  plan  that  the  school  could  implement  in  order  to  give  students  more  exposure  to  their  peers  from  sister  schools:  â€œI  personally  don’t  see  much  of  a  problem,  but  if  they  want  to  integrate  us  and  give  us  experience  and  give  us  ways  to  work  with  women,  I  think  they  need  to  have  joint  days  in  which  Haverford  students  work  with  2QH RI WKH FRPPLWWHH¡V NH\ Ă€JXUHV (QJOLVK WHDFKHU 0V 5DFKDHO -HQQLQJV KDYHUIRUG RUJ peers  from  sister  Continued  from  Front  Page

schools.â€?      Single-­sex  education  has  frequently  been  cited  as  a  root  cause  for  sexism  and  gender  stereotyping  amongst  young  men.  In  the  2011  Science  Magazine  article,  â€œThe  Pseudoscience  of  Single-­Sex  Schooling,â€?  published  with  the  intent  of  giving  readers  DQ XQELDVHG VFLHQWLÂżF SHUVSHFWLYH LQWR WKH GHEDWH VXUURXQGLQJ WKH UHODWLYH EHQHÂżWV of  single-­sex  education,  the  authors  conclude  that,  â€œthere  is  evidence  that  sex  segregation  increases  gender  stereotyping  and  legitimizes  institutional  sexism.â€?      Mr.  Stambaugh  agreed  with  this  same  conclusion  when  he  stated,  â€œSome  think  that  any  time  you  get  men  together—this  LV QRW VFLHQWLÂżF WKDW DOO PDOH LQVWLWXWLRQV like  the  military  40  years  ago,  fraternities,  the  prison  systems—you  tend  to  get  higher  levels  of  homophobia,  sexism,  and  perhaps  misogyny.â€?  He  continued  by  DFNQRZOHGJLQJ WKH GLIÂżFXOW\ VWXGHQWV PD\ have  when  acknowledging  the  sexism  and  misogyny  amongst  the  community:  â€œIt  is  particularly  hard  for  the  privileged  person,  in  this  case  the  males  in  this  community,  to  see  this  issue  with  crystal  clarity.  It  is,  perhaps,  more  likely  that  female  members  of  our  community  see  sexism  more  clearly  than  the  student  body.â€?  This  phenomenon  led  to  the  creation  of  a  group  of  student  leaders,  students  selected  by  the  faculty  leaders  of  the  committee  on  gender  and  culture.       The  newly  created  Student  Leadership  Committee  on  Gender  and  Culture  is  a  26-­student  group  tasked  to  meet  and  discuss  LVVXHV RI FXOWXUH DW +DYHUIRUG VSHFLÂżFDOO\ in  regards  to  gender.  These  students  were  selected  for  their  â€œconversation  in  class,  your  work  as  a  discussant,  and  the  leadership  your  teachers  see  in  you,â€?  as  stated  in  an  email  sent  to  all  selected  members  of  the  student  commission.  As  Ms.  Jennings  puts  it,  â€œWe  want  to  meet  students  where  they  are,  hear  from  them— with  and  without  adults  present,  as  we  KDYH GRQH²DQG ÂżJXUH RXW VKRUW WHUP DQG long-­term  goals  that  will  set  the  frame  for  meaningful,  productive  conversations.â€?      Some  members  of  the  student  body  have  questioned  the  authenticity  of  the  teacher-­ appointed  Student  Committee  on  Gender  and  Culture.  Borine  stated,  â€œI  feel  as  though  there  is  not  enough  diversity  [of  opinion]  on  the  panel  to  get  a  true  understanding  of  the  student  population.  To  me  it  appeared  as  though  a  majority  of  the  students  were  content  to  sit  silently  while  only  a  select  few  led  the  discussion.â€?        Fifth  Former  Drew  Sterman  stated  that  he  believed  the  faculty  leaders  of  the  committee  on  gender  and  culture  should  have  selected  members  differently:  â€œI  believe  that  the  students  participating  in  the  meetings  should  be  selected  jury  style,  in  a  random  selection  process,  for  the  whole  feelings  of  the  Haverford  community  to  be  represented.â€?       At  this  point  the  school  does  not  KDYH DQ\ VSHFLÂżF SODQV ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR changing  the  culture,  but  the  faculty  and  administration’s  goals  have  been  laid  out,  and  it  is  only  a  matter  of  time  until  they  create  a  path  to  achieve  these  goals.  Ms.  Jennings  summarized  their  goals,  and  some  plans,  when  she  stated,  â€œWe  can  talk,  we  can  FRQIURQW WKH GLIÂżFXOW FRQYHUVDWLRQV ZH FDQ stand  up  and  be  positive  bystanders  when  we  overhear  a  sexist  joke,  we  can  listen  to  our  sister  schools’  leaders  and  innovators  and  athletes  in  captains’  meetings  and  consortiums  and  co-­curricular  activities,  we  can  try  to  understand  pertinent  issues,  we  can  ask  questions.  We  can  be  okay  that  the  conversations  are  uncomfortable.  They  are  necessary.â€?  Mr.  Trocano  stated  that  the Â

one  of  future  goals  of  the  committee  â€œis  to  expand  the  student  committee  as  creating  a  conversation.â€?      When  asked  what  the  school  can  do  to  combat  misogyny,  Riley  stated,  â€œThe  largest  issue  is  lack  of  exposure.  We  don’t  work  with  girls.  We  have  no  real  venue  to  interact  with  them  in  a  professional  environment.  If  there  is  any  issue,  it  goes  to  the  structure  of  the  curriculum  more  than  the  atmosphere.â€?       Mr.  Stambaugh  added,  â€œThis  is  an  educational  institution,  and  we  are  trying  to  produce  exceptional  boys  and  exceptional  boys  need  to  have  a  full  range  of  appreciation,  respect,  and  advocacy  for  women.  51%  of  the  world  are  women.  You  are  going  to  be  in  professional  situations  with  them.  You  are  going  to  be  in  classrooms  with  them.  Absolutely,  it  is  part  of  the  schools  mission  to  have  boys  who  are  pro-­feminist  males  who  believe  that  women  are  just  as  strong,  powerful,  skilled,  etc.  as  they  are.  Does  our  current  set-­up  lend  itself  to  that  education?  Probably  not.â€?  7KH FRPPLWWHH KRSHV WR EH DEOH WR ÂżQG new  ways  to  utilize  the  current  schedule,  community  awareness  meetings,  advisory  meetings,  and  whole-­school  assemblies,  to  generate  an  open  conversation  about  gender  interactions  and  sexism.       Although  Haverford  is  experiencing  gender  relations  issues,  like  much  of  the  outside  world,  the  school  as  a  whole  is  just  as  strong—if  not  stronger—than  it  ever  has  been  before.       Mr.  Stambaugh  â€˜90  discussed  the  remarkable  change  that  he  has  already  noticed  from  his  time  at  Haverford  to  now,  â€œYesterday,  a  student  stood  on  Centennial  Hall  stage  and  said  that  â€˜Haverford  is  an  accepting  place.’  If  somebody  had  said  that  in  1988,  we  would  have  laughed  him  off  the  stage,  but  the  fact  that  this  student  was  able  to  say  that  without  anyone  laughing  shows  how  Haverford  culture  has  changed.  However,  it  still  has  room  to  grow.â€?         Ms.  Jennings  stated  that  although  they  PD\ KDYH WKHLU Ă€DZV VKH LV FRQVWDQWO\ amazed  by  the  students  at  Haverford.  â€œTime  and  time  again,  Haverford  boys  have  proven  empathetic  and  courageous.  Think  about  the  enormous  capacity  for  empathy  here.  I  see  it  when  the  community  struggles  and  comes  together  stronger.  I  see  it  when  VWXGHQWV VKDUH LQ P\ ÂżFWLRQ VHPLQDU , VHH it  when  you  stand  up  for  each  other.  The  committee  and  these  conversations  are  not  here  because  we  doubt  you.  We  are  here  because  we  see  how  capable  you  are,  and  we  know  that  this  is  an  issue  worth  your  time,  your  attention,  and  your  empathy.â€?       Haverford  is  a  strong,  caring  community,  one  that  is  able  to  come  together  in  hardship  and  celebrate  together  when  it  comes  to  the  accomplishments  of  our  peers,  but  that  does  not  mean  that  the  community  cannot  improve.  One  of  the  largest  problems  the  school  faces  is  sexism.  However,  the  school  is  on  the  right  path  in  regards  to  correcting  these  issues.  The  creation  of  both  the  student  of  faculty  committees  on  gender  and  culture  is  a  genuine  step  by  the  administration  to  foster  an  open  dialogue  amongst  the  students  about  the  ongoing  and  widespread  conversation  of  gender  relations.  It  is  the  goal  of  the  committee  to  assuage  the  fears  of  the  student  body  in  regards  to  discussions  of  sexism  and  make  these  conversations  a  daily  part  of  Haverford  life.  Haverford  is  a  unique  community,  one  with  a  faculty,  a  staff,  a  VWXGHQW ERG\ WKDW WUXO\ ORYH WKH VFKRRO one  that  accepts  all  students  regardless  of  VH[XDO RULHQWDWLRQ UDFH RU FUHHG RQH WKDW prides  itself  as  a  brotherhood,  but  there  is  still  room  for  the  school  to  improve. Â

Page 4

The Index

News

Analyzing the Departments (continued)

Nonetheless,  the  English  Department  has  several  long-­term  and  short-­term  goals  to  promote  literary  culture  in  and  out  of  the  History  Department classroom.  As  Stambaugh  put  it,  â€œwords       In  the  fall,  the  History  Department  matter  and  Haverford  boys  should  be  able  KDG D VLJQLÂżFDQW VKRUW WHUP JRDO WR SLORW to  use  language  to  express  themselves  in  WKH HOHFWLYH KRQRUV FRXUVH &RQĂ€LFW DQG personal  capacities.  We  value  that,  and  we  Genocide  in  Contemporary  Africa.  In  DUH KDSS\ DQG ÂżUHG XS WR ÂżJKW WKH FXOWXUH ´ the  course,  students  were  able  to  choose  In  an  effort  to  discuss  how  to  evaluate  whether  they  followed  the  standard  course  writing,  the  English  department  has  started  curriculum  or  the  honors  curriculum,  to  look  at  anonymous  student  writings  which  included  supplementary  readings  during  department  meetings,  and  grade  and  additional  projects.  According  to  them  together  to  ensure  consistent  grading  History  Department  Chair  Hannah  Turlish,  among  Haverford  English  teachers.  â€œthe  Africa  elective  was  successful  in  two  Furthermore,  this  is  the  second  year  that  ways:  one,  it  was  something  that  a  lot  of  the  English  and  History  departments  have  kids  signed  up  for  and  found  interesting,  met  with  each  other,  primarily  discussing  and  two,  kids,  some  honors  and  some  Form  III  writing.  The  most  prominent  regular,  were  all  in  the  same  room  together.  activity  in  the  English  department  is  I  think  it  just  completely  worked.â€?  reevaluating  texts  for  each  of  the  grades.  Additionally,  the  History  Department  Stambaugh  commented  that  the  department  welcomed  a  new  member,  Mr.  Thomas  has  â€œagreed  on  a  philosophy  of  values  and  .DWHV 7XUOLVK FRPPHQWHG WKDW KH ZDV D is  revisiting  each  grade’s  texts,  using  that  â€œseamless  addition  and  blended  in  really  philosophy  to  guide  our  choices.â€?  In  the  well  with  our  department.â€?  Additionally,  spring,  the  English  department  will  be  Turlish  remarked  that  â€œthere  was  a  huge  discussing  each  grade’s  curriculum  text-­ improvement  to  the  Form  V  History  Field  by-­text  and  also  making  selections  for  Trip,â€?  which  took  the  form  of  a  scavenger  Honors  English  IV.  Moreover,  in  regards  to  hunt  across  Philadelphia’s  Old  City. large  curriculum  goals,  Stambaugh  stated,       When  asked  about  challenges  for  the  â€œwe  are  trying  to  tighten  up  our  grammar  upcoming  semester,  Turlish  remarked  that  program  for  grades  5-­10.â€? “there  are  some  certain  fundamentals  that       Stambaugh  noted  that  the  progress  we  as  a  department  feel  very  strongly  about:  of  the  English  department  and  students’  research,  writing,  etc.  [The  challenge  is]  development  as  writers,  readers,  and  how  to  adopt  new  technologies  and  new  thinkers  can  be  seen  by  the  â€œstrong  student  initiatives  and  still  hold  on  to  what  our  newspaper,  strong  literary  magazine,  and  department  holds  very  dear.â€?  The  History  VWURQJ ÂżUVW IHZ VWHSV LQ GHYHORSLQJ Âľ3RHWU\ Department,  which  Turlish  labels  as  a  Out  Loud’  as  a  celebration  of  the  word.â€?  â€œgroup  of  fascinating,  quirky  individuals,â€?  Additionally,  in  terms  of  smaller  goals,  the  is  poised  to  wrap  up  the  year  with  the  Form  English  department  is  trying  to  get  more  IV  World  War  I  Trials  and  the  Form  V  student  writing  visible  in  the  building,  Madison  Meetings. most  of  which  is  currently  located  on  the   WKLUG Ă€RRU Science  Department      When  discussing  some  of  the       The  Science  Department  had  several  challenges  the  English  department  has  JRDOV JRLQJ LQWR WKH ÂżUVW KDOI RI WKH \HDU faced,  Stambaugh  commented,  â€œthe  best  Science  Department  Chair  Tom  Trocano  part  of  an  independent  school  stated  that  the  department  is  that  a  teacher  brings  his  or  is  â€œalways  looking  for  what  her  own  passions,  knowledge,  is  best  for  its  students.  and  experience.  The  challenge  We  always  set  a  goal  to  is  that  you  have  four  very  make  sure  instruction  is  as  different  people  teaching  the  excellent  as  possible.â€?  Also,  same  course.  There  needs  to  be  the  Science  department  some  unity  to  it.â€?  The  English  piloted  Organic  Chemistry,  department  strives  to  allow  with  both  standard  and  for  freedom  among  teaching  honors  in  the  same  room,  styles  and  certain  texts,  while  much  like  the  elective  in  holding  the  curriculum  up  to  the  the  History  Department.  same  rigor  and  standards.  â€œThe  Furthermore,  the  Science  WHQVLRQ EHWZHHQ EHLQJ XQLÂżHG Department  is  â€œlooking  at  but  also  allowing  for  individual  making  additions  to  the  preference  or  approach  is  Form  III  physics  program.â€?  important,â€?  Stambaugh  noted,  This  year,  the  Science  quickly  joking:  â€œYou  can’t  make  Department  piloted  a  someone  teach  something  they  physics  extension  option,  hate.  It  won’t  go  well.â€? in  which  â€œboys  who  are     interested  are  coming  to       Each  department  evidently  a  special  session  in  the  creates  goals  for  the  entire  year,  second  half  of  their  double  most  of  which  revolve  around  the  block  study  hall,â€?  where  same  thread  and  theme.  Every  they  can  do  additional  department  at  Haverford  strives  challenging  problems.  0V 'DZQ %ODNH Mr. Gary Kan, the Chinese teacher, at last year’s trip to Hunan restaurant, part of the department’s focus on practical application. to  improve  students’  day-­to-­day  â€œThe  problems  they  are  being  asked  to  do,â€?  noted  Trocano,  â€œare  between  each  level  of  the  language.  Adkins  not  involve  a  textbook  to  a  more  traditional  academic  experience  while  also  adding  relevant  to  the  material  that  they  are  doing  FRPPHQWHG ÂłZH DUH DOVR ÂżQGLQJ PRUH curriculum  with  textbooks  and  workbooks.  newer,  current  materials  and  resources  at  that  time.â€?  Additionally,  the  Science  authentic  materials  and  experiences  that  Lastly,  the  Language  Department  seeks  to  into  the  curriculum.  As  English  Chair  Department  welcomed  Mrs.  Golecki,  who  are  grade  and  level  appropriate,â€?  alluding  support  the  Global  Studies  Program,  which  Tom  Stambaugh  said,  â€œwe  are  all  really  is  currently  bringing  some  of  her  expertise  to  some  of  the  opportunities  that  Haverford  will  be  taking  some  students  on  trips  to  ¿UHG XS WR GR ZKDW ZH DUH GRLQJ EXW ZH Language  students  have  to  use  their  Nicaragua  and  China,  and  hopes  to  further  have  to  work  together  to  do  it.â€?  Now  more  to  the  engineering  electives  offered.      In  the  middle  and  lower  school,  the  Science  language  skills  in  an  authentic  manner.  integrate  the  program’s  work  into  language  than  ever  before,  departments  are  working  with  each  other  to  highlight  connections  department  has  incorporated  robotics  For  example,  some  Spanish  students  get  classrooms. between  all  of  the  academic  disciplines,  into  the  4th,  5th,  and  6th  grade  curriculums.  the  opportunity  to  travel  to  Philadelphia’s   and  this  cross-­disciplinary  collaboration  is  Furthermore,  Trocano  mentioned  that  the  Italian  Market,  an  area  predominantly  English  Department department  â€œhas  started  to  revamp  the  inhabited  by  Spanish  speakers,  and  use       â€œThe  major  current  in  education  right  surely  promising  for  Haverford’s  academic  middle  school  curriculum,  by  creating  a  their  Spanish  skills  to  interact  with  the  now,â€?  began  English  Department  Chair  future.  more  spiral  approach.â€?  The  middle  school  local  shopkeepers.  Additionally,  Mr.  Gary  Tom  Stambaugh,  â€œis  for  STEM  skills.  The  science  curriculum  used  to  consist  of  Kan’s  Chinese  II  class  goes  to  Hunan,  a  E,  however,  does  not  stand  for  English.â€?  Continued  from  Front  Page

one  year  of  each  physical  sciences,  earth  sciences,  and  biology,  but  with  the  new  approach,  the  department  plans  to  do  all  three  disciplines  every  year.  Trocano  stated  that  this  new  method  highlights  the  â€œconnections  between  the  subjects  and  gets  away  from  the  compartmentalized  stuff  in  middle  school.â€?      The  department  also  seeks  to  further  collaborate  with  the  mathematics  department,  with  Trocano  remarking,  â€œwe  are  really  looking  for  ways  to  connect  the  two  departments  such  that  students  see  that  they  are  really  intertwined,  that  what  you  learn  in  one  place  can  transfer  to  the  other.â€?  In  regards  to  the  second  semester,  Trocano  conveyed,  â€œit  is  always  a  goal  to  incorporate  as  much  relevant  and  current  material  as  possible.  We  have  always  incorporated  aspects  of  STEAM  (Science,  Technology,  Engineering,  Arts,  and  Mathematics)  into  our  curriculum,  but  we  are  looking  for  different  projects  and  maybe  shift  to  a  more  frequent  project-­ based  learning.â€?  In  addition,  Trocano  pointed  out  that  no  science  teacher  (except  for  him)  has  his  or  her  own  classroom,  indicative  of  the  collaborative  nature  of  the  department.  In  closing,  Trocano,  hopeful  of  what  his  department  will  do  in  the  coming  months,  enthusiastically  said,  â€œI  think  the  department  is  honestly  trying  to  get  better  everyday.  Literally.â€?  Modern  and  Classical  Languages  Department      â€œOne  of  the  number  one  things  we  have  been  working  on,â€?  remarked  Modern  and  Classical  Languages  Department  Chair  Sara  Adkins,  â€œis  working  on  scope  and  sequence,  what  we  are  really  doing  in  every  level  of  the  program.â€?  The  Language  Department,  ultimately  divided  among  the  three  languages  (Spanish,  Latin,  and  Chinese),  set  a  goal  to  come  up  with  an  RYHUDOO VWUDWHJ\ WU\LQJ WR ÂżQG WKH WKUHDG

Chinese  restaurant  in  Ardmore,  to  practice  ordering  food  in  Chinese  in  an  authentic  and  delicious  setting.  Furthermore,  Adkins  noted  that  Upper  School  Latin  teacher  Dr.  Andrew  Fenton  â€œis  trying  to  do  a  gladiator  presentation-­assembly-­mock  battle  for  the  middle  school,â€?  which  stemmed  from  a  similar  experience  when  Fenton  led  a  trip  to  Italy  last  spring.      Additionally,  Adkins  said  that  the  department  is  also  doing  â€œan  exercise  of  shared  grading  of  tests,  using  the  midterm  exams.â€?  The  Spanish  department  has  worked  together  to  create  a  shared  rubric  for  presentations,  which  allows  for  all  of  the  Spanish  teachers  to  have   a  uniform  method  for  grading.  Adkins  joked  saying,  â€œwhat  if  one  teacher  penalized  heavily  for  not  using  accents  and  another  does  not  at  all.â€?  She  hopes  that  such  a  system  could  cross-­pollinate  from  one  language  to  another,  allowing  for  more  communication  and  consistent  grading  between  Haverford  language  teachers.       In  regards  to  challenges,  Adkins  said,  â€œone  of  the  toughest  parts  was  Sra.  Mateos  not  being  there.â€?  Sra.  Carmen  Mateos-­ Hirshman  is  one  of  the  senior  members  of  the  Spanish  program,  who,  according  to  Adkins,  changed  the  Spanish  curriculum  from  being  very  â€œdrill  and  killâ€?  to  something  more  organic  and  authentic  with  the  help  of  Sr.  Andrew  Poolman.  Moreover,  every  language  class  has  transitioned  to  a  new  textbook  in  the  past  few  years.  The  Spanish  program,  both  honors  and  regular,  use  the  same  textbook.  Adkins  noted  that  now  in  Spanish  classes,  â€œwe  can  have  the  breadth  and  pace  with  the  same  book,â€?  and  it  makes  transitioning  between  regular  and  KRQRUV FODVVHV VLJQLÂżFDQWO\ HDVLHU 7KH Latin  department  is  also  on  its  fourth  year  of  their  new  textbook,  and  so  far  has  found  success  with  it.  Additionally,  the  Chinese  program  has  transitioned  from  using  a  curriculum  that  was  custom-­created  and  did Â

January 2015

Page 5

The Index

News

January 2015

Survey: Looking at the Politics of Haverford’s Faculty Brendan Burns ‘15 and Eric Petersen ‘15

Introduction  to  the  Faculty  Survey    Where  do  Haverford  Teachers  and  Administrators  stand  on  the  political  spectrum,  and  is  there  a  diversity  of  opinion  within  that  group?  The  political  leanings  of  Haverford  faculty  are  important  to  understand  because  they  ultimately  shape  the  education  of  every  Haverford  boy.  )RU WKH ÂżUVW WLPH The  Index  conducted  a  survey  of  Upper  School  teachers  and  administrators.  Conducted  anonymously  via  SurveyMonkey,  the  data  is  statistically  imperfect  â€“  although  the  poll  received  45  responses,  many  faculty  abstained  from  taking  the  survey.  Participants  were  asked  ten  questions,  none  of  which  required  an  answer  for  the  survey  to  be  completed.  Despite  these  imperfections,  WKLV VXUYH\ LV QRQHWKHOHVV WKH ÂżUVW DQG only)  public  record  of  how  Haverford  faculty  view  contemporary  issues.  The  results  â€“  with  commentary  from  Editor-­ in-­Chief  Brendan  Burns  â€˜15  and  Politics  Editor  Eric  Petersen  â€˜15  â€“  are  below.  Q1.  Should  the  United  States  increase  or  decrease  its  current  levels  of  defense  spending? Increase  -­  23%  of  respondents Decrease  -­  51% Neither  -­  26%

More  respondents  (27%)  agreed  that  the  United  States  should  draw  back  military  ties  with  Israel  than  said  that  the  US  should  increase  support  to  Israel  (18%  of  respondents). 55%  of  respondents  said  that  the  US  should  do  everything  in  its  power  to  prevent  Iran  from  developing  nuclear  weapons.  45%  of  respondents  agreed  that  â€œit  is  our  responsibility  to  prevent  widespread  genocide  overseas,  even  if  American  lives  are  not  threatened.â€? Only  a  minority  of  respondents  (30%)  believed  that  President  Obama  managed  American  foreign  policy  better  than  his  predecessor.  This  speaks  to  Mr.  Obama’s  weakness  on  foreign  policy,  as  George  %XVK OHIW RIÂżFH ZLWK D DSSURYDO UDWLQJ mostly  due  to  his  handling  of  the  Middle  East.  A  majority  (55%)  believed  that  the  United  States  should  do  everything  in  its  power  to  stop  the  development  of  a  nuclear  Iran.  Most  Americans  feel  the  same  about  the  oil-­rich  country,  even  though  the  US-­led  sanctions  on  Iran  have  taken  a  backseat  to  RWKHU FRQĂ€LFWV LQ WKH UHJLRQ 7KH JURXS ZDV split  on  whether  to  intervene  in  all  possible  acts  of  genocide  overseas,  mirroring  a  national  trend  of  fatigue  towards  American  military  intervention.          -­  Eric  Petersen

About  half  of  respondents  think  that  the  United  States  should  decrease  its  defense  spending,  while  the  other  half  are  split  between  maintaining  current  levels  (26%),  and  increasing  total  spending  (23%).  This  is  somewhat  representative  of  what  most  Americans  believe.  While  the  majority  of  Haverford  faculty  surveyed  want  to  decrease  defense  spending,  only  a  plurality  of  Americans  wish  to  do  the  same.   -­  Eric  Petersen Q2.  On  the  whole,  do  you  support  the  provisions  of  the  Affordable  Care  Act  (‘Obamacare’)? Yes  -­  76%  of  respondents No  -­  24%  An  overwhelming  majority  of  faculty  support  the  Affordable  Care  Act  (76%),  while  only  24%  are  against  the  controversial  law.  This  is  in  stark  contrast  to  the  split  consensus  of  Americans  today.  Voters  who  know  more  about  the  law  tend  to  support  the  ACA,  which  might  suggest  that  Haverford’s  teachers  know  more  about  the  law  than  the  average  citizen.   -­  Eric  Petersen Q3.  Do  you  support  the  legalization  of  same-­sex  marriage? Yes  -­  92%  of  respondents No  -­  8%  of  respondents This  question  evoked  the  least  division  of  any  question  in  the  survey,  as  92%  of  faculty  expressed  support  for  same-­sex  marriage,  with  only  8%  opposing.  Support  for  gender-­ neutral  marriage  laws  have  been  rising  in  popularity  for  the  past  few  years,  and  our  faculty  might  function  as  a  harbinger  of  future  public  opinion.  -­  Eric  Petersen Q4.  How  should  the  United  States  alter  its  involvement  in  Middle  Eastern  FRQĂ€LFWV" 30%  of  respondents  agreed  that  Barack  Obama  has  handled  American  policy  in  the  Middle  East  better  than  George  W.  Bush  did. Â

Q5.  On  the  topic  of  Immigration: 69%  of  respondents  agreed  that  â€œCreating  a  pathway  to  citizenship  for  illegal  immigrants  in  the  US  is  the  right  thing  to  do.â€?  More  faculty  agreed  that  deportation  of  illegal  immigrants  is  usually  unfair  and  inequitable  (28%)  than  those  who  agreed  that  deportation  is  usually  just  (19%).  One-­third  of  respondents  (33%)  agreed  that  Border  Security  should  be  a  top  priority.  39%  of  respondents  agreed  that  â€œUS-­born  children  of  illegal  immigrants  should  be  granted  citizenship.â€? The  vast  majority,  (69%),  support  a  pathway  to  citizenship  for  illegal  immigrants,  more  than  the  national  average.  More  faculty  agreed  that  deportation  of  illegal  immigrants  is  usually  unfair  than  those  who  agreed  that  deportation  is  just.  This  WUHQG GRHV UHĂ€HFW WKH QDWLRQDO PLQGVHW DV more  Americans  are  uneasy  at  the  thought  of  mass  deportation.  The  most  surprising  result  is  that  only  39%  of  respondents  responded  in  favor  of  birthright  citizenship,  a  characteristic  of  the  United  States  since  its  founding.  The  policy  has  been  under  attack  in  recent  years,  as  Latino  immigrants,  with  high  birth  rates,  have  avoided  deportation  to  their  country  of  origin  due  to  concerns  over  deporting  the  parents  of  US-­born  children.    -­  Eric  Petersen

not  the  answer  to  our  energy  problems.  Evidence  shows  that  it  just  might  be  the  solution  to  our  problems,  however  â€“  at  least  in  the  short  term.  As  we  burn  more  shale  gas  as  a  country,  we  burn  less  oil  and  coal,  both  of  which  are  dirtier  fuels.  This  trend  is  partly  responsible  for  the  United  States’  12%  decrease  in  carbon  dioxide  emissions  since  2005.  In  addition  to  decreasing  emissions,  fracking  has  created  thousands  of  jobs,  reduced  American  reliance  on  imported  oil  to  the  extent  that  the  United  States  is  on  the  path  to  becoming  a  net  exporter  of  energy,  and  halved  the  price  of  that  same  foreign  oil.  That  is  nothing  short  of  a  miracle.   Q6.  Is  there  enough  government   -­  Brendan  Burns RYHUVLJKW RI ODUJH ÂżQDQFLDO LQVWLWXWLRQV LQ  the  United  States? Not  enough  oversight  -­  64%  of  Q9.  Increasing  economic  inequality  respondents among  Americans: 6XIÂżFLHQW RYHUVLJKW  -­  32% Should  cause  us  great  concern  -­  83%  of  Too  much  oversight  -­  4% respondents In  the  wake  of  the  2008  recession,  which  Is  hurting  the  economy  -­  39% was  caused  in  part  by  irresponsible  Is  the  most  important  issue  facing  our  banking  practices,  trust  in  Wall  Street  nation  today  -­  19%  institutions  has  remained  low,  both  among  the  American  populace  and  Haverford  Haverford  Faculty,  like  the  President  faculty.  Since  Dodd-­Frank  was  passed  in  and  a  majority  of  economists,  believe  2010,  many  amendments  (often  slipped  that  increasing  economic  inequality  is  a  LQWR WKH ÂżQH SULQW RI RWKHU OHJLVODWLRQ problem  that  should  not  be  looked  over.  have  been  added  to  weaken  and  defang  One  problem  is  that  our  current  economic  what  was  already  a  lenient  law  by  some  â€œrecoveryâ€?  has  primarily  been  the  result  of  standards.  With  little  evidence  to  suggest  increased  asset  purchases  and  speculation  that  Wall  Street  has  changed  its  ways,  it’s  fueled  by  the  Fed’s  low  interest  rates  and  no  surprise  that  many  Americans  support  QE.  Rising  stock  and  real  estate  prices  have  enacting  a  law  similar  to  the  Glass-­Steagall  EHQHÂżWWHG WKRVH WKDW RZQ VXFK DVVHWV Âą WKH Act  of  1934,  which,  until  repealed  in  rich  â€“  and  left  everyone  else  behind.  Some  1999,  prevented  mergers  between  banks  economists,  like  Princeton’s  Paul  Krugman  and  Columbia’s  Joseph  Stiglitz,  argued  that  DQG VHFXULWLHV ÂżUPV more  federal  stimulus  was  required  to  boost    -­  Brendan  Burns the  US  economy  in  a  healthy  way.  Instead,  the  American  economy  is  being  pumped  Q7.  Would  you  support  a  ban  on  up  by  Bernanke’s  â€œwealth  effect,â€?  which  KLJK FDSDFLW\ ÂżUHDUP PDJD]LQHV is  arguably  the  largest  use  of  trickle-­down  (more  than  10  rounds)  for  the  State  of  economics  in  American  history.       Pennsylvania? -­  Brendan  Burns Yes  -­  89%  of  respondents No  -­  11% Q10 :KDW LV \RXU RSLQLRQ RQ $IÂżUPDWLYH Americans  are  evenly  split  on  the  topic  Action? of  gun  control.  Support  for  gun  rights  has  $IÂżUPDWLYH $FWLRQ LV D MXVW PHDQV RI risen  in  the  past  decade.  In  a  Pew  poll  altering  patterns  of  discrimination  -­  21%  conducted  in  December  2014,  52%  of  of  respondents  agreed Americans  said  that  protecting  the  Second  $IÂżUPDWLYH $FWLRQ LV LPSHUIHFW EXW LW KDV Amendment  was  more  important  than  an  overall  positive  effect  on  society  -­  68%  controlling  gun  ownership.   However,  the  of  respondents  agreed vast  majority  of  Haverford  faculty  surveyed  $IÂżUPDWLYH $FWLRQ LV UDFLVW  -­  18%  of  (40  of  45  respondents)  said  that  they  would  respondents support  a  ban  on  high-­cap  magazines  for  Colleges  should  favor  economically  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  Nationwide  disadvantaged  students  to  a  greater  extent  support  for  a  ban  on  said  magazines  has  instead  of  focusing  on  minorities  -­  50%  of  been  measured  at  65%,  but  never  at  the  respondents  agreed nine-­tenths  majority  seen  at  Haverford.   :KLOH RQO\ DERXW RQH ÂżIWK RI 8SSHU    -­  Brendan  Burns School  faculty  agreed  with  no  reservations  Q8.  Hydraulic  Fracturing,  also  known  as  WKDW DIÂżUPDWLYH DFWLRQ LV ÂłMXVW ´ D PDMRULW\ EHOLHYHG WKDW DIÂżUPDWLYH DFWLRQ GRHV “frackingâ€?: Should  be  more  tightly  regulated  -­  71%  of  have  a  positive  impact  on  society.  Half  of  respondents  agreed  that  colleges  respondents Is  the  answer  to  our  energy  problems  -­  3%  should  focus  on  giving  preferential  treatment  to  applicants  with  economic  of  respondents Is  not  the  answer  to  our  energy  problems  -­  GLVDGYDQWDJHV 7KLV RSLQLRQ UHĂ€HFWV WKH trend  that  the  student  bodies  of  elite  56%  of  respondents colleges  may  be  racially  diverse  in  terms  Is  a  boon  for  the  American  economy  -­  of  skin  color,  but  remarkably  un-­diverse  38%  of  respondents in  the  sense  that  the  majority  of  students  Increases  pollution  and  endangers  the  are  the  children  of  lawyers,  doctors,  environment  -­  56%  of  respondents successful  businesspeople,  and  politicians.  ,V D EHQHÂżFLDO WHFKQRORJ\ DV LW UHGXFHV   -­  Brendan  Burns reliance  on  foreign  oil  -­  50%  of  respondents Haverford  faculty  are  not  particularly  bullish  about  fracking  and  its  prospects  for  America’s  economy  and  environment.  A  majority  of  respondents  said  that  fracking  should  be  more  tightly  regulated,  that  it  endangers  the  environment,  and  that  it  is Â

Page 6

The Index

News/Opinions

January 2015

There is Room for Improvement in Sodexo’s Efficiency Third Former Will Henderson argues about problems that KDYH UHGXFHG 6RGH[R¡V HIĂ€FLHQF\ DQG ZD\V WKH\ SODQ RQ DGGUHVVLQJ WKRVH LVVXHV Will Henderson ‘18

   a  third  station  every  single  day,  they  could Â

  Students  often  complain  about  the  cafeteria’s  inability  to  be  economical,  offer  popular  meals  more  often,  and  its  overall  inability  to  operate  quickly.  With  only  half  an  hour  for  lunch,  students  must  hurry  from  their  classes,  all  the  way  to  the  cafeteria,  travel  halfway  across  the  cafeteria,  and  WKHQ ÂżQDOO\ JHW LQ WKH ÂżUVW RI VHYHUDO OLQHV Next,  students  must  wait  several  minutes  for  the  action  station  in  one  of  two  lines  for  nearly  two  hundred  students  at  a  time.  Once  they  get  their  meals,  students  must  wait  for  people  to  clear  the  area  around  the  beverage  fountain  to  obtain  their  drink.  Then,  students  must  get  their  eating  XWHQVLOV DQG ÂżQDOO\ KHDG WR WKH FKHFNRXW line.  If  a  student  forgets  his  key  card,  he  must  wait  in  the  line  for  students  without  key  cards,  which,  oddly,  is  not  run  by  Erin  Bryne,  the  cashier  who  knows  the  name  of  nearly  everybody  in  the  school.  Once  a  VWXGHQW LV ÂżQDOO\ FKHFNHG RXW E\ D FDVKLHU he  may  eat  his  meal  with  only  several  minutes  remaining  before  he  must  go  to  his  next  class.     Students  often  complain  about  the  HIÂżFLHQF\ RI WKH FDIHWHULD WKH PHDOV WKDW are  served,  and  the  seating  arrangements.  In  this  article,  cafeteria  manager,  Garrett  O’Neill  answers  questions  about  all  of  the  aforementioned  topics  and  explains  how  and  why  the  cafeteria  operates  the  way  that  it  does.      Students  already  have  a  limited  amount  of  time  to  eat  lunch,  but  they  still  must  wait  in  lines  for  over  ten  minutes  just  to  get  their  lunch.  However,  it  does  not  seem  that  WKH FDIHWHULD XWLOL]HV LWV VSDFH HIÂżFLHQWO\ because  it  often  only  uses  the  two  â€œa  la  carteâ€?  lines  and  not  the  empty  space  next  to  the  deli  bar.  However,  when  the  empty  space  next  to  the  deli  bar  is  used,  the  usual  action  station  either  has  just  one  line  running  or  no  lines  at  all.  Although  it  may  EH PRUH GLIÂżFXOW IRU WKH FDIHWHULD WR RSHUDWH

just  come  halfway  and  operate  the  third  station  on  days  when  popular  meals  like  Blackjack  Chicken  or  Blackjack  Burgers  are  served.  The  third  line  would  not  only  make  the  lines  shorter,  but  it  would  also  allow  the  cafeteria  to  make  more  money  by  serving  students  that  would  normally  give  up  on  the  long  lines.  When  asked  why  the  third  station  is  not  used,  cafeteria  manager,  Garrett  O’Neill  said,  â€œthe  third  action  station  is  used  primarily  to  alleviate  congestion  at  the  main  action  station  for  days  like  smoothie  day  or  specialty  salads.  â€?  If  the  third  action  station  is  used  for  meals  like  specialty  salads,  then  it  should  also  allow  for  hot  items  like  Blackjack  Chicken  to  be  served.  Not  only  does  the  cafeteria  need  to  make  changes  to  food  lines,  but  it  also  needs  to  change  the  food  that  is  actually  being  served.      The  food  that  the  cafeteria  serves  is  always  the  same  â€”  Mexican  food,  salad,  sandwich,  Mexican  food,  salad,  sandwich.  Of  the  nineteen  days  of  school  in  January,  twelve  of  the  days  were  either  Mexican  foods,  salads,  or  sandwiches.  Not  only  are  the  meals  the  same  categorically  speaking,  but  they  are  also  the  same  each  month.  The  Mexican  food  is  either  a  burrito,  taco,  RU IDMLWD WKH VDODGV DUH DOZD\V 6RXWKZHVW 6DODG &DOLIRUQLD 6DODG RU &DHVDU 6DODG the  sandwiches  are  always  roast  pork,  roast  beef,  or  carved  ham.  The  cafeteria  needs  to  realize  that  the  people  buying  the  food  are  tired  of  the  same  thing,  especially  the  unpopular  meals  like  footlong  hot  dogs  or  gyros.     More  importantly,  the  cafeteria  should  serve  the  most  popular  meals  like  Blackjack  Chicken  or  Blackjack  Burgers  much  more  often.  And  why  wouldn’t  they?  By  serving  the  popular  meals  more  often,  the  cafeteria  would  make  more  money  and  SHRSOH ZRXOG EH PRUH VDWLVÂżHG ZLWK WKH food  being  served.  When  asked  why  the  cafeteria  doesn’t  serve  the  most  popular Â

meals  more  often,  Mr.  O’Neill  says,  â€œThe  menu  was  created  by  students  over  time.  I  am  designing  a  student  culinary  focus  group  for  2015.â€?  Because  footlong  hot  dogs  and  gyros  are  so  unpopular,  they  will  hopefully  be  removed  from  the  menu  sometime  this  year.  Additionally,  the  focus  group  may  provide  students  a  chance  to  let  the  cafeteria  know  that  students  would  like  things  like  Blackjack  Chicken  or  Blackjack  Burgers  to  be  served  more  often.  The  cafeteria  will  hopefully  change  soon  so  that  it  caters  more  to  what  students  want.  The  action  stations,  however,  are  not  the  HQG RI WKH OLQH IRU VWXGHQWV WKH FKHFNRXW lines  are  the  last  obstacle  for  people  before  WKH\ FDQ ÂżQDOO\ HDW WKHLU OXQFKHV      The  checkout  lines  in  the  cafeteria  are  almost  as  bad  as  the  action  station  lines.  With  a  total  of  four  registers  and  nearly  two  hundred  students  each  lunch,  the  cafeteria  runs  only  two  or  three  of  the  registers.  Accompanied  by  a  new  rule  forcing  students  without  keycards  to  only  go  in  one  line,  those  students  without  keycards  must  wait  in  the  longest  line  and  are  not  even  checked  out  by  the  cashier  that  knows  everybody’s  names.  In  this  particular  aspect  of  the  lunch  hour,  the  cafeteria  is  completely  at  fault  and  needs  to  ¿[ WKLV 7KH VROXWLRQ WR WKLV GLIÂżFXOW\ FDQ be  solved  in  two  simple  steps.  First,  the  cafeteria  should  abolish  the  keycard  rule.  And  second,  the  cafeteria  should  open  all  four  registers,  all  the  time.  Mr.  O’Neill  was  asked  why  all  four  registers  are  not  opened  all  the  time,  and  he  responded  saying,  â€œAll  four  registers  are  only  open  during  high-­ peak  times  of  the  lunch  hours.â€?  Obviously,  it  would  be  more  convenient  for  people  to  have  all  four  registers  open  all  the  time,  but  the  cafeteria  is  currently  in  the  process  of  hiring  a  new  employee  so  that  they  will  have  extra  personnel.  With  the  extra  people,  more  registers  may  be  opened,  allowing  the  lunch  lines  to  speed  up.  After  proceeding  through  the  lengthy  checkout  OLQHV VWXGHQWV FDQ ÂżQDOO\ XVH WKH ODVW IHZ PLQXWHV RI WKHLU OXQFK SHULRG WR ÂżQG D VSRW to  sit  (hopefully  not  at  the  long  table)  and  eat  their  lunch  as  quickly  as  possible  to  make  it  to  their  next  class  on  time.

     The  seating  arrangements  in  the  cafeteria  are  a  bit  awkward  at  best.  The  VWXGHQWV WKDW VLW GRZQ HDUO\ ÂżOO XS DQ\ VHDW that  is  not  at  the  long  table.  But  for  students  WKDW DUH DWWDFNHG E\ WKH LQHIÂżFLHQF\ RI WKH cafeteria,  they  must  sit  at  the  long  table  and  struggle  to  just  hear  their  friends  speak.  The  long  table  makes  lunch  a  bit  awkward  because  students  might  end  up  sitting  next  to  people  from  a  different  grade  in  a  completely  different  conversation,  rather  than  sitting  closely  to  their  friends  and  engaging  normally  in  a  conversation.  When  asked  why  the  long  table  exists,  Mr.  O’Neill  replied  saying,  â€œThe  dining  hall  was  originally  built  to  accommodate  25%  of  the  students  that  we  currently  have.  The  long  table  allows  us  to  maximise  space  for  VHDWLQJ ´ &OHDUO\ VRPH RI WKH LQHIÂżFLHQFLHV of  the  cafeteria  are  not  Sodexo’s  fault.  The  ideal  cafeteria  would  be  one  that  is  much  larger  to  accommodate  all  of  the  students  that  Haverford  currently  has.      The  cafeteria  needs  to  listen  to  the  opinions  of  the  people  using  it.  First,  students  and  teachers  must  travel  through  the  very  long  lunch  line  at  the  action  stations.  Then,  students  and  teachers  must  eat  the  same,  boring  Mexican  food,  salad,  or  sandwich  that  the  cafeteria  serves.  Next,  people  must  wait  in  one  of  the  four  checkout  lines.  However,  only  two  or  three  of  the  checkout  lines  are  ever  used,  so  students  and  teachers  basically  must  wait  in  one  of  the  two  or  three  checkout  lines.  Finally,  students  and  teachers  can  eat  in  the  awkward  seating  arrangements  and  eat  their  food  as  quickly  as  possible  to  get  to  their  next  class.  The  cafeteria  needs  to  improve.  Third  Former  Tim  Scheuritzel  agrees  as  he  says,  â€œI  think  the  cafeteria  is  capable  of  speeding  up  and  it,  obviously,  would  be  nice  if  they  did  so  that  people  could  have  more  time  for  lunch.â€?       Although  it  is  quite  impressive  when  compared  to  other  schools,  the  cafeteria  can  still  improve.  The  cafeteria  needs  to  listen  to  the  opinions  of  students  and  teachers  in  order  to  improve  because  it  can  and  should.

lower  school.  Crosman  Hall  will  continue  to  function  as  a  middle  school  until  the  new  one  is  built.       Another  perk  of  the  new  middle  school  is  that  it  frees  up  any  space  that  Crosman  Hall  has  to  offer.  With  this  space,  the  school  plans  to  extend  the  cafeteria,  thus  allowing  more  students  and  faculty  to  eat  at  once,  eliminating  the  tedious  A  and  B  lunch  system  that  we  currently  have.       As  of  now,  the  school  still  has  the  idea  for  the  new  parking  garage  in  its  mind,  designed  after  Shipley’s  successful Â

1DWXUDOO\ DIWHU KHDULQJ WKLV KXJH ÂżJXUH for  a  new  middle  school,  I  had  to  ask  the  question,  â€œWhere  is  the  money  for  these  projects  coming  from?â€?  Dr.  Nagl  believes  that  a  majority  of  it  is  going  to  have  to  come  from  the  support  of  alumni  and  parents  of  current  students.  To  gauge  the  support  that  he  will  get  for  this  ambitious  project,  he  hopes  to  convene  a  meeting  with  the  parents  and  alumni  of  the  school  in  one  year’s  time,  in  which  he  will  unveil  DOO WKH VSHFLÂżF GHWDLOV RI WKH QHZ 0LGGOH School.  It  will  be  so  detailed,  he  says, Â

Update on Haverford’s Construction Plans Cameron Miller ‘16

 Â

    Last  year,  The  Index’s  Brendan  Burns  JDYH WKH VWXGHQW ERG\ LWV ÂżUVW ORRN LQWR the  school’s  new  construction  plans  in  an  interview  with  Dr.  Nagl.  The  plan’s  main  feature  at  the  time  was  a  brand  new  middle  school,  as  well  as  ideas  for  smaller  projects  including  a  multi-­level  parking  garage  complete  with  tennis  courts  on  top  and  a  WXUI ÂżHOG LQ SODFH RI WKH SUREOHPDWLF (DJOH Field.       One  year  later,  Dr.  Nagl  updated  me  with  the  latest  reconstruction  plans.  As  of  now,  the  school  has  hired  a  company  called  $JLV WR PDQDJH WKH SURFHVV RI ÂżQGLQJ architects  for  the  new  middle  school.  Through  Agis,  the  school  has  sent  out  a  request  to  architects,  and  more  than  25  different  architects  responded,  stating  that  they  wanted  to  undertake  the  project,  each  FRPSOHWH ZLWK WKHLU RZQ TXDOLÂżFDWLRQV Of  the  25,  eight  architects  were  selected  largely  based  on  their  previous  work  with  independent  schools.  The  two-­story  art  spaces  in  Centennial  Hall  will  become  WKH ORFDWLRQ RI WKH QHZ PLGGOH VFKRRO KRZHYHU WKH GLIÂżFXOW\ RI WKH SURMHFW OD\V in  the  foundations.  As  of  now,  Centennial’s  foundations  cannot  support  the  ambitious  project  of  building  up  on  it  because  the  original  designers  of  Centennial  did  plan  it Â

as  such.  As  a  result,  the  building  will  have  to  come  down  to  make  way  for  the  new  foundation.       Dr.  Nagl  gave  me  a  look  into  his  book  of  ideas  for  the  new  middle  school  and,  as  of  now,  he  believes  he  has  the  broad  details  down.  The  sixth  grade  will  be  on  the  bottom  Ă€RRU DQ HQWLUH Ă€RRU RI DUW URRPV ZLOO EH RQ WKH VHFRQG Ă€RRU VSHFLÂżFDOO\ WR FRQQHFW ZLWK the  backstage  of  the  auditorium,  First  Form  VWXGHQWV ZLOO EH RQ WKH ÂżUVW Ă€RRU DQG WKH WRS Ă€RRU ZLOO KRXVH WKH )RUP ,, VWXGHQWV Dr.  Nagl  also  envisions  a  glass  walkway  IURP WKH WRS Ă€RRU RI the  middle  school  to  the  upper  school  to  help  Second  Form  students  get  acclimated  to  upper  school  life.       The  main  entrance  to  the  middle  school  will  be  near  where  current  middle  schoolers  go  to  their  art  classes.  One  of  the  perks  of  building  in  its  current  location  is  that  the  middle  schoolers  will  not  have  to  suffer  through  a  few  years  in  trailers,  much  like  how  many  current  upper  schoolers  did  ten  years  ago  in  the Â

A Hogwarts-esque depiction of the new building’s general layout.

&RXUWHV\ RI 'U -RKQ 1DJO

construction,  but  that  is  less  of  a  priority  â€œthat  we  know  exactly  where  all  the  light  than  the  new  middle  school,  which  is  switches  will  go.â€? estimated  to  be  a  25  million  dollar  project. Â

Page 7

The Index

News/Arts

The College Process: Then and Now Connor Lees ‘17 compares applying to college back in the GD\ ZLWK WRGD\¡V PRUH VWUHVVIXO FRPSHWLWLYH SURFHVV Connor Lees ‘17

  Â

     The  process  of  getting  into  college  is  a  major  focal  point  in  students’  junior  and  senior  years,  and  includes  standardized  tests,  applications,  research,  recruitment  and  tough  choices.  Past  Haverford  classes  underwent  a  relatively  different  process.  In  the  classroom  and  on  the  athletic  ¿HOGV WKH V\VWHP LV QR ORQJHU WKH VDPH      Simply  put,  it  is  harder  to  get  into  college  today.  An  accurate  barometer  WR DVVHVV WKH GLIÂżFXOW\ RI JHWWLQJ LQWR college  are  acceptance  rates.  â€œIn  the  past  twenty  years,  America’s  most  selective  institution’s  acceptance  rates  have  dropped  15%,â€?  says  Mr.  Neal  Cousins,  one  of  Haverford’s  college  counselors.  Increases  in  the  college-­age  population  and  rising  enrollment  rates  have  contributed  to  an  increase  in  college  enrollment.  Between  2000  and  2012,  the  18-­24  year  old  population  rose  from  approximately  27.3  million  to  approximately  31.4  million  and  the  percentage  of  18-­  to  24-­year-­olds  enrolled  in  college  also  was  higher  in  2012  (41.0  percent)  than  in  2000  (35.5  percent),  according  to  the  National  Center  for  Education  Statistics.  Acceptance  rates  are  trending  downwards  because  the  applicant  pool  is  growing.        Present-­day  students  are  better  connected  to  colleges  compared  to  Haverford’s  alumni.  A  transition  in  college  advertising  has  changed  the  college  process  for  today’s  generation.  The  Internet  and  email  marketing  provide  students  with  unlimited  information  about  colleges.  Current  students  can  research  college  majors,  location,  sports,  campus  life  and  PRUH XVLQJ WKH ,QWHUQHW 7KH Ă€LS VLGH WR WKH Internet’s  emergence  is  that  colleges  are  LQFUHDVLQJ WKH GLIÂżFXOW\ RI WKH DSSOLFDWLRQÂśV essay  questions  to  compensate  for  all  the  information  available.  It  has  become  expected  that  students  research  their  top  VFKRROV WR HQVXUH WKH VFKRRO LV WKH ULJKW ÂżW Email  marketing  has  altered  the  landscape  of  college  advertising.  â€œIt  used  to  be  printed  pamphlets  and  catalogs,â€?  says  Mr.  Cousins.  â€œNow  colleges  are  reaching  out  via  email.â€?  The  Internet  has  made  it  possible  for  colleges  to  gather  more  of  a  high  school  student’s  information.  The  information  helps  colleges  reach  out  to  students  they Â

want  at  their  schools.  â€œOver  the  past  few  years,  I  have  gotten  about  2500  college  emails,â€?  says  Sixth  Former  Tim  Maguire.        Globalization  has  made  getting  into  FROOHJH PRUH GLIÂżFXOW $Q LQFUHDVH LQ information  technology,  trade,  and  travel  in  the  past  twenty  years  has  made  the  world  a  more  connected  and  smaller  place.  A  more  connected  world  makes  college  an  option  to  students  everywhere.  Modern  day  travel  has  made  it  possible  to  apply  to  college  thousands  of  miles  away.  Correspondingly,  colleges  have  FKDQJHG WKHLU FODVVHV WR UHĂ€HFW WKH ZRUOGÂśV population.  According  to  the  Institute  of  International  Education,  the  number  of  international  students  in  the  US  colleges  has  grown  72  percent  since  2000  to  over  900,000  students.  Haverford  alumni  were  just  competing  against  their  classmates  for  spots  in  college,  but  the  Class  of  2015  is  competing  against  the  world.  There  is  also  an  increasing  number  of  different  ethnic  backgrounds  attending  college.  Between  2000  and  2012,  the  percentage  of  college  students  who  were  Black  rose  from  11.7  to  14.9  percent,  and  the  percentage  of  students  who  were  Hispanic  rose  from  9.9  to  15.0  percent,  according  to  the  National Â

Center  for  Education  Statistics.  Colleges  use  demographics  to  measure  diversity  to  ensure  everyone  is  represented.  As  a  result  of  globalization,  demographics  have  taken  precedence  in  college  admissions.      Students  today  are  also  applying  to  more  colleges.  â€œI  applied  to  ten  or  eleven  schoolsâ€?,  says  Sixth  Former  Cheyse Â

Johnson.  When  asked  about  the  process  of  completing  an  application,  current  English  Teacher  Mr.  Thomas  Stambaugh,  a  Haverford  and  Kenyon  College  alumnus,  said,  â€œI  wrote  my  application  in  one  day  at  home  sick  from  school.  It  took  2-­3  hours  and  I  wrote  it  right  up  against  the  deadline  about  how  I  wanted  to  be  teacher.â€?  A  big  difference  between  Johnson  and  Mr.  Stambaugh  in  applying  to  college  is  the  Common  Application.  With  one  click,  Johnson  applied  to  ten  or  eleven  schools  using  a  standardized  application.  Mr.  Stambaugh,  on  the  other  hand,  sent  several  different  applications  to  his  schools.  Johnson  used  the  Common  Application,  a  standardized  application  XVHG E\ RYHU ÂżYH KXQGUHG FROOHJHV 7KH Common  Application  has  increased  the  amount  of  applications  sent  per  student.  â€œThe  average  today  is  about  six  or  seven,  and  growing  steadily,â€?  says  Mr.  Cousins.       The  heightened  popularity  in  youth  sports  has  increased  college  recruiting’s  prevalence  today.  Youth  sports  has  grown  into  a  seven  billion  dollar  industry  with  RYHU WKLUW\ ÂżYH PLOOLRQ NLGV DFFRUGLQJ WR CNBC.  Families  are  also  becoming  more  involved.  These  families  are  investing  more  time  and  money  with  the  goal  of  turning  out  a  free  college  education  or  a  professional  DWKOHWH 3DUHQWV DUH ÂżQDQFLQJ WKLV GUHDP with  expenses  associated  with  travel,  practices,  coaches  and  equipment.  Landing  a  scholarship  and  going  pro,  however,  is  very  unlikely.  1  in  90  high  school  soccer  players  will  receive  a  full  ride  to  college  this  year  while  1  in  6,000  high  school  football  players  will  go  pro,  according  to  a  study  done  by  Michigan  State.  Despite  the  evidence,  parents  are  still  all  in  on  youth  sports.     Colleges  are  increasingly  more  competitive  about  landing  the  top  recruits  in  athletics.  Unlike  professional  sports,  the  success  of  college  sports  programs  relies  on  recruits.  For  this  reason,  a  coach  who  is  a  good  recruiter  is  very  valuable  because  it  HQVXUHV D SURJUDP ZLOO ÂżHOG D FRPSHWLWLYH team.  To  insure  a  competitive  team  in  the Â

future,  college  coaches  are  reaching  out  to  freshmen  and  sophomores  to  lock  up  top  recruits.  â€œ[Athletic]  recruiting  has  changed  a  great  deal  in  some  sportsâ€?  says  Mr.  John  Nostrant,  Haverford’s  athletic  director.  One  major  change  in  athletic  recruitment  is  the  increase  in  students  committing  early  to  college.  â€œIf  a  student  athlete  commits  early  it’s  only  a  verbal  commitment,â€?  commented  Nostrant.  He  went  on  to  say,  ³,I WKH DWKOHWH DQG IDPLO\ ÂżQG LW WR EH D JRRG ÂżW WKHQ , WKLQN LWÂśV ÂżQH 7KH VFKRRO or  athlete  could  change  their  mind.â€?   Ms.  Janet  Heed,  a  Haverford  mom  and  teacher,  said  â€œI  notice  kids  today  are  over  booked  and  busier.  Students  are  spending  many  more  hours  in  a  week  chasing  a  resume  to  be  more  competitive.â€?  She  notices   â€œan  increase  in  the  number  of  [college]  showcases  and  overall  time  spent  [in]  SUHSDULQJ IRU FROOHJH LWÂśV PRUH FRQVXPLQJ >QRZ@ 6WXGHQWV DUH VHHLQJ ÂżYH WR WHQ RI their  classmates  committing  to  college  and  feel  [the]  pressureâ€?  says  Ms.  Heed.  When  asked  about  how  kids  committing  early  affected  other  Haverford  athletes,  Mr.  Nostrant  said,  â€œI  believe  [the]  boys  and  families  feel  pressure  when  others  commit  but  feel  in  the  end  most  times  athletes  HQG XS DW WKH VFKRRO WKDW LV WKH EHVW ÂżW ´      Additionally,  preparing  for  standardized  tests  didn’t  exist  twenty  years  ago.  â€œI  didn’t  study  or  [use]  a  review  book,â€?  says  Mr.  Stambaugh.  Alumni  did  not  have  tutors  and  review  books  like  we  do  today.  â€œThere’s  more  emphasis  on  scores  and  the  way  people  are  talking  about  it  [has  changed]â€?  says  Mr.  Cousins.  Test  prep  books  has  become  normal  and  a  necessity.  â€œNone  of  my  boys  did  Test  Prepâ€?  said  Ms.  Heed.  â€œIt  was  much  less  common  back  then.  You  were  an  outlier  if  you  did,  but  today  it’s  the  otherway  around.â€?  There  are  still  outliers.“I  didn’t  study  at  allâ€?  says  senior  Tim  Maguire.  In  line  with  the  emergence  of  test  prep,  the  ACT  has  grown  in  popularity.  â€œI  found  the  ACT  was  easier,  [and]  more  science  and  math  oriented,â€?  said  Maguire.       The  college  process  has  been  remodeled  in  the  past  twenty  years.  A  changing  world  has  called  for  the  college  process  to  adapt.  As  a  result,  acceptance  rates  have  plummeted,  the  number  of  applications  have  increased  and  athletic  recruitment  is  growing.  In  the  midst  of  all  the  change,  one  thing  has  remained  constant.  Then  and  now,  college  is  a  tough  choice  for  students  and  their  families,  and  that  is  unlikely  to  change. Â

2QH RI WKH EHQHÂżWV RI Grave  of  the  )LUHĂ€LHV  is  its  atmosphere.  Many  animated  ¿OPV DUH YLFWLP WR EHLQJ RYHUO\ VDWXUDWHG with  motion  or  dialogue.  Grave  knows  how  to  pace  itself,  and  will  not  shy  away  from  lingering  shots,  or  moments  of  complete  silence.  The  animation  proved  to  be  an  evocative  method  of  storytelling.  It  allowed  for  the  gorgeous  visuals  expected  RI D *KLEOL ÂżOP EXW DOVR RI JUHDW FKDUDFWHU moments.  The  serious  subject  matter  is  made  more  palatable  when  animated,  while  not  losing  any  of  the  emotional  LPSDFW 7KH ÂżOP LV RQO\ DQ KRXU DQG D half,  but  manages  to  pack  in  a  great  deal  of  story  and  atmosphere  while  never  feeling  rushed.  It  is  paced  masterfully,  and  I  was  almost  upset  when  it  ended.      The  critical  response,  as  is  to  be  expected,  was  overwhelmingly  positive.  Legendary  critic  Roger  Ebert  wrote  â€œGrave  RI WKH )LUHĂ€LHV  is  an  emotional  experience  so  powerful  that  it  forces  a  rethinking  of  animation‌  it  belongs  on  any  list  of  the  JUHDWHVW ZDU ÂżOPV HYHU PDGH ´ +H ZDV not  alone  in  this  belief,  it  received  a  97%  approval  rating  on  Rotten  Tomatoes,  and Â

Total  Films  ranked  it  #12  on  its  top  50  JUHDWHVW DQLPDWHG ÂżOPV OLVW 7KH ÂżOP LV DYDLODEOH ERWK VXEWLWOHG DQG dubbed,  and  the  general  consensus  is  that  the  subbed  version  is  better.  I  couldn’t  bring  P\VHOI WR ZDWFK WKH ZKROH ÂżOP WZLFH VR , ZDWFKHG LW GXEEHG ÂżUVW DQG KDG QR LVVXHV but  having  skimmed  the  subtitled  version  I  can  say  that,  while  most  of  the  english  performances  are  on  par,  the  Japanese  Setsuko  is  head  and  shoulders  better.  7KLV ÂżOP LV D GHÂżQLWH UHFRPPHQG ,W KDV a  powerful  message  and  conveys  it  with  top  notch  storytelling  and  breathtaking  YLVXDOV 8QOLNH PDQ\ *KLEOL ÂżOPV WKRXJK , ZRXOGQÂśW FDOO WKLV D ÂłIDPLO\ ÂżOP ´ 7KHUH is  a  great  deal  of  death  and  grim  imagery,  DQG LW LV DQ DQLPDWHG ÂżOP LQ WKH VDPH YHLQ as  Watership  Down  (okay,  not  nearly  that  scarring).  Also,  be  aware,  this  is  a  really  sad  movie.  I  try  to  avoid  spoilers,  but  as  , VDLG WKH ÂżOP RSHQV ZLWK 6HLWD G\LQJ DQG UHXQLWLQJ ZLWK 6HWVXNR VR WKH ÂżOP NLQG of  spoils  itself  in  that  regard.  Depressing  nature  aside,  *UDYH RI WKH )LUHĂ€LHV  is  a  PXVW VHH IRU IDQV RI GUDPD ZDU ÂżOPV DQG anime  alike.

Film Column: Revisiting Grave of the Fireflies ,DQ 5LOH\ Âś

  Â

   Almost  everyone  has  experience  with  Studio  Ghibli,  whether  they  know  it  or  not.  Hayao  Miyazaki’s  production  company  has  been  responsible  for  some  of  the  PRVW LPSDFWIXO DQLPDWHG ÂżOPV HYHU PDGH ranging  from  minimalist  classics  like  My  Neighbor  Totoro,  to  grand  expansive  epics  like  Princess  Mononoke  to  IMDb’s  QXPEHU RQH DQLPDWHG ÂżOP Spirited  Away.  Ghibli  has  made  countless  classics,  and  Disney  later  took  it  upon  themselves  to  release  them  in  America,  to  huge  acclaim.  2QH *KLEOL ÂżOP WKDW JRHV ODUJHO\ XQNQRZQ KRZHYHU LV WKH ÂżOP Hotaru  no  haka  or  *UDYH RI WKH )LUHĂ€LHV.       Based  on  a  semi-­autobiographical  book  of  the  same  name  by  Akiyuki  Nosaka,  *UDYH RI WKH )LUHĂ€LHV  was  written  and  directed  by  Isao  Takahata,  released  simultaneously  with  My  Neighbor  Totoro  in  Japan  as  a  double  feature,  and  produced  largely  as  a  method  to  get  funds  for  Totoro.  It  went  largely  underappreciated  in  it’s  original  release,  as  viewers  would  watch  Totoro  then  leave,  not  wanting  to Â

be  brought  down  by  the  admittedly  bleak  *UDYH RI WKH )LUHĂ€LHV. 7KH ÂżOP IROORZV WZR VLEOLQJV 6HLWD and  Setsuko,  as  they  struggle  to  survive  in  the  latter  days  of  World  War  II.  Subject  WR FRQVWDQW ÂżUHERPELQJ WKH\ DUH TXLFNO\ left  to  fend  for  themselves  in  a  time  when  IRRG DQG PHGLFLQH ZDV VFDUFH 7KH ÂżOP LV a  grim  depiction  of  the  effects  of  war  on  civilians  (is  begins  with  Seita  narrating  his  own  death),  but  it  is  not,  as  many  claim,  an  DQWL ZDU ÂżOP ,W LQ IDFW WDNHV D YHU\ QHXWUDO stance  on  the  war,  at  no  point  criticizing  it,  Seita  is  an  outspoken  nationalist  and  at  no  point  blames  the  war  for  his  situation.  The  story  is  simply  an  account  of  two  children  trying  to  survive  through  tough  times.       Watching  Seita  mature  as  he  cares  for  his  younger  sister  is  incredibly  powerful.  +H LV FRQVWDQWO\ WU\LQJ WR ÂżJKW RQ DQG EH independent,  refusing  to  accept  help.  It  is  also  very  emotional  watching  him  try  to  spare  Setsuko  the  grim  realities  of  war.  His  trying  to  face  the  grief  and  challenge  on  KLV RZQ LV GLIÂżFXOW WR ZDWFK DQG ZKHQ WKH darkness  does  seep  into  Setsuko’s  life,  his  response  is  heartbreaking.

January 2015

Page 8

The Index

January 2015

Arts

The Art Requirement and Where It Stands :LWK DUWV SURJUDPV EHLQJ FXW HOVHZKHUH $OH[ 6DQĂ€OLSSR Âś GLVFXVVHV WKH EHQHĂ€WV DQG GUDZEDFNV RI +DYHUIRUG¡V UHTXLUHPHQW LQFOXGLQJ SRWHQWLDO LPSURYHPHQWV $OH[ 6DQĂ€OLSSR Âś

  Â

  Haverford  prides  itself  on  being  an  institution  that  prepares  boys  for  life.  But,  how  exactly  does  the  school  achieve  this  lofty  goal?  Recently,  during  the  latter  VWDJHV RI -RVHSK &R[ÂśV ÂżIWHHQ \HDU WHQXUH as  the  eighth  Headmaster  and  continuing  on  to  the  present  day  with  the  school  under  the  helm  of  Dr.  John  Nagl,  the  importance  of  being  students  who  excel  in  the  â€œThree  A’sâ€?  has  been  repeatedly  preached.  These  â€œThree  A’sâ€?  heard  frequently  are  DFDGHPLFV DWKOHWLFV DQG DUWV VWXGHQWV faculty  and  administrators  seem  to  have  come  to  a  tacit  consensus  that  by  being  successful  in  all  three  of  these  areas,  a  student  will  graduate  from  Haverford  fully  equipped  for  the  world  ahead  of  him,  and  thus,  prepared  for  life.  While  it  is  certainly  up  for  debate  whether  these  three  intrinsic  elements  of  Haverford  are  the  most  important  areas  to  develop–  some  might  suggest  that  an  understanding  of  gender,  culture,  and  relationships  is  equally  important–  they  all  nonetheless  carry  VLJQLÂżFDQW ZHLJKW IRU WKH FROOHJH SURFHVV and  more  importantly,  each  respective  â€œAâ€?  helps  develop  necessary  skills  for  success  in  the  future.  All  three  are  unique  and  should  be  treated  as  separate  areas  of  study  that  all  eventually  become  intertwined  as  the  Haverford  School  student  matures  and  begins  to  make  connections  between  the  concepts  and  skills  he  learned  in  each  of  the  three  respective  areas.       For  this  reason,  academics,  athletics,  and  arts  are  required  areas  of  study  and/ or  participation.  As  it  currently  stands  in  the  Upper  School  Handbook,  one  year  of  Fine  Arts  study  is  required  to  graduate.  +RZHYHU D VLJQLÂżFDQW QXPEHU RI students  at  Haverford  take  more  than  one  language.  For  these  students,  the  Course  &DWDORJXH VWDWHV WKDW WKH\ FDQ IXOÂżOO WKHLU Arts  Requirement  through  a  selection  of  â€œArts  Credits  Activitiesâ€?  such  as  being  an  actor  or  crew  member  of  three  school  productions  or  being  a  member  of  the  school  chorus  for  one  full  year.  Every Â

RWKHU DFDGHPLF ÂżHOG RI VWXG\ DW +DYHUIRUG is  required  for  at  least  two  years,  with  the  majority  being  three  or  more.  Additionally,  all  students  are  required  to  participate  in  two  sports  or  more  demanding  academic  extracurriculars  such  as  the  Speech  and  Debate  team  every  year  they  are  enrolled  at  Haverford,  which  equates  to  at  least  eight  full  seasons  of  athletic  competition  or  a  satisfactory  replacement.  When  comparing  the  magnitude  of  requirements  for  the  â€œacademicâ€?  and  â€œathleticâ€?  components  of  VFKRRO WR WKH UHODWLYHO\ LQVLJQLÂżFDQW RQH year  for  arts,  the  question  begs:  Why  is  the  Fine  Arts  requirement  so  seemingly  LQVLJQLÂżFDQW LQ WKH JUDQG VFKHPH RI DQ Upper  Schooler’s  time  at  Haverford?  After  all,  if  there  is  such  an  emphasis  placed  on  fostering  students  who  excel  in  academics,  athletics,  and  the  arts,  isn’t  a  more  comprehensive  requirement  necessary?  Simple  logic  and  a  quick  comparison  are  all  that  is  necessary  for  VRPH ZLWKLQ WKH FRQÂżQHV RI :LOVRQ +DOO to  justify  a  more  stringent  requirement.       On  the  other  side  of  the  spectrum,  there  are  certainly  students  who  have  voiced  their  displeasure  at  being  forced  to  spend  a  year  trapped  in  the  Ground  Floor  classrooms  or  in  Centennial  Hall,  the  two  locations  where  the  Arts  at  Haverford  are  brought  to  life.  To  these  students,  the  arts  requirement  is  often  seen  as  a  pointless  nuisance.  This  notion  is  reinforced  by  the  number  of  students  who  are  â€œone  and  doneâ€?  in  their  artistic  study  at  Haverford.  So,  the  questions  persists:  Is  the  Arts  Requirement  a  motivator  that  should  be  made  more  rigorous,  or  is  it  a  pointless  nuisance  that  could  be  removed?      As  a  student  closely  associated  with  the  Drama  Department,  I  would  be  the  ¿UVW RQH WR FKDPSLRQ KRZ EHQHÂżFLDO WKH lessons  and  skills  the  Arts  have  taught  me  are  to  my  intellectual  and  emotional  development.  Head  of  the  Upper  School  Mr.  Matthew  Green  voiced  his  support  for  the  creative  development  the  Arts  provide  by  saying,  â€œThe  Arts  are  uniquely  positioned  to  deliver  on  certain  skills:  to  make  something  out  of  nothing,  of  LPSURYLVLQJ HGLWLQJ ÂżQGLQJ VROXWLRQV

The Notables at this year’s MS-US winter concert.

to  seemingly  intractable  problems.â€?  Mr.  Green  did  continue  to  say  that  these  skills  DUH QRW QHFHVVDULO\ FRQÂżQHG WR WKH $UW rooms,  but  the  focus  and  curriculum  of  many  of  the  Arts  classes  makes  them  apt  for  being  the  most  effective  at  delivering  these  important  life  skills  to  students  in  a  more  relaxed  classroom  setting.  Mr.  Green  acknowledged  that  this  type  of  classroom  environment  is  appealing  to  some  students:  â€œA  lot  of  students  love  the  release.  There’s  a  lot  less  get  this  homework  in,  write  this  paper,  study  for  this  test,  and  instead  there  is  a  focus  on  the  process  over  product.â€?  One  of  the  easiest  things,  and  also  one  of  the  most  common,  to  succumb  to  as  a  high  school  student  is  feeling  overwhelmed  by  the  number  of  assignments  due  to  the  point  where  the  students  just  â€œgoes  through  the  motionsâ€?  while  completing  the  assignment.  Often  times  the  structure  of  school  makes  XV IDU VLJKWHG ZH EHFRPH JRDO RULHQWHG LQ the  wrong  way  by  continually  concerning  ourselves  with  the  next  task  that  must  be  completed  as  we  lose  sight  of  the  more  important  things  school  and  faculty  try  to  instill–  that  understanding  and  appreciation  for  the  work  outweighs  the  number  or  letter  DVVLJQHG WR LW RQFH LWÂśV ÂżQLVKHG 6XFFHVV in  the  Arts  and  many  other  careers  thrive  off  of  an  individual’s  ability  to  understand  the  process  required  to  create  a  certain  product.  Once  a  student  thoroughly  knows  the  steps  of  how  an  end  result  comes  about,  he  or  she  truly  understands  that  WRSLF That  is  the  true  process  of  learning.       Mr.  Green  described  our  requirement  as  being  â€œstandard  to  modestâ€?  based  on  his  experience  working  in  other  schools.  The  arts  clearly  have  tremendous  upside  in  the  growth  of  students,  and  many  are  involved  in  the  arts  for  more  than  just  one  year.  However,  the  consequences  of  requiring  all  students  to  be  involved  for  more  than  one  \HDU FRXOG SRWHQWLDOO\ RXWZHLJK WKH EHQHÂżWV Mr.  Green  reinforced  this  by  saying,  â€œWe  don’t  want  to  lock  kids  into  the  arts  given  that  most  kids  studied  art  through  Lower  and  Middle  School  and  after  having  had  one  year  of  Upper  School  art  are  making  an  informed  choice.â€?  By  not  locking  students  whose  passions  lie  elsewhere,  this  gives  both  students  and  faculty  who  are  committed  to  the  arts  freedom  to  do  more  progressive  and  purposeful  work. Â

0U *UHHQ DIÂżUPHG WKLV VHQWLPHQW ZKHQ KH stated,  â€œThose  who  choose  to  continue  to  pursue  the  arts  are  the  right  ones  to  have  in  the  class.â€?  Unnecessarily  keeping  kids  in  art  classrooms  would  most  likely  hinder  the  progress  of  the  students  who  plan  to  study  art  in  the  future  and  would  certainly  prevent  the  teacher  from  providing  the  most  wisdom  and  guidance  to  those  particular  students.       Many  Haverford  students  are  content  with  the  arts  requirement  as  it  currently  stands,  and  rightfully  so.  Fifth  Former  Dan  Kielty  commented  that,  â€œI  like  the  requirement.  I  think  it  gives  people  a  taste  of  what  they  could  pursue  during  a  relatively  relaxing  freshman  year  and  then  gives  them  the  option  to  pursue  further  or  focus  their  interest  in  other  places.â€?  Sixth  Former  Louie  Brown  echoed  Kielty’s  statements  when  he  said,  â€œ[The  arts  requirement]  gives  an  opportunity  for  people  who  might  not  have  found  that  one  passion  in  theater  or  drawing  the  chance  to  do  so.â€?  Since  most  take  their  art  during  the  Third  Form  year,  I  believe  the  objective  of  our  arts  requirement  should  be  to  act  as  an  exploration  of  student  interest  during  his  most  raw  time  in  the  Upper  School  that  students  need  to  treat  seriously  and  take  advantage  of.  It  is  my  conviction  that  the  requirement  should  be  at  least  one  year,  and  Mr.  Green  echoed  my  sentiments  when  he  stated  that,  â€œIt  shouldn’t  be  any  less  than  it  is  now.â€?  +RZHYHU LI LW ZHUH WR EH VOLJKWO\ PRGLÂżHG I  would  suggest  the  implementation  of  a  policy  that  requires  students  to  engage  in  at  least  one  semester  length  course  in  two  of  the  three  art  realms  at  Haverford:  visual,  performing,  and  music.  I  recommend  this  for  multiple  reasons.  First,  there  would  be  a  caveat  that  would  allow  students  committed  to  one  area  to  complete  their  requirement,  but  only  after  two  full  years  of  study.  This  is  because  a  student  who  chooses  to  continue  art  after  freshman  year  most  likely  has  a  passion  for  that  particular  art,  making  the  required  two  years  not  the  least  bit  daunting.  The  added  year  compensates  for  the  fact  that  the  student  did  not  have  to  pursue  a  second  artistic  area  of  study.  Second,  requiring  students  to  participate  in  different  art  courses  could  spark  interests  that  had  yet  to  be  discovered  in  addition  to  developing  a  wider  variety  of  skills.  Although  students  studied  multiple  arts  in  middle  school,  experience  and  different  instructors  in  the  Upper  School  may  have  reshaped  a  student’s  interests.  One  of  the  most  commonly  heard  remarks  about  art  classes  is  that  students  had  found  a  class  or  an  interest  that  ¿QDOO\ DWWUDFWHG WKHP LQ D XQLTXH way,  since  art  classes  differ  greatly  from  the  assignment  intensive  curriculum  of  the  core  subjects.  7KLV PRGLÂżHG UHTXLUHPHQW JLYHV students  an  opportunity  for  more  exploration  while  still  allowing  those  students  intensely  devoted  to  one  area  of  study  to  remain  committed,  since  an  added  year  would  essentially  not  affect  that  devoted  art  student  and  only  serves  WR EDODQFH RXW WKH PRGLÂżFDWLRQ of  the  new  requirement.       In  regards  to  the  questions  proposed  earlier,  evidence  and  examples  suggest  that  the  arts  requirement  is  neither  a  nuisance  nor  fervently  in  need  of  being  made  more  stringent.  As  Mr.  Green  stated,  â€œI  want  creative  thinkers.â€?  The  requirement  we  have  is  suited  to  give  students  an  0V 'DZQ %ODNH opportunity  to  become  just  that.

Page 9

The Index

Sports

Fords Focus: The Class of 2015 Commits Manav Khandelwal ‘15

  Â

      â€œFor  some  people,  they  have  had  their  eyes  set  on  one  school  their  whole  life,  or  they  go  to  their  parents  alma  mater,  but  I  had  no  idea  where  I  was  going  to  go,  â€?  says  triple  jumper  Reggie  Harris  (Bucknell).  Before  any  schools  send  the  shiny  acceptance  envelopes  to  Haverford  students,  many  members  of  the  senior  class  already  know  where  they  will  be  spending  their  next  four  years.  The  athletic  recruitment  process  LV RQH WKDW SURYLGHV DFDGHPLF ÂżQDQFLDO and  social  opportunities  to  Haverford  students  who  might  not  otherwise  attain  them.  At  least  27  student-­athletes  in  the  Class  of  2015  will  be  continuing  to  practice  their  trade  in  college,  one  of  the  highest  numbers  in  recent  memory.  This  group  is  also  one  of  the  most  diverse  recruiting  classes  in  recent  years,  spanning  across  nine  different  sports:  crew,  track  DQG ÂżHOG ZUHVWOLQJ ODFURVVH EDVHEDOO swimming,  tennis,  squash,  and  basketball.      This  crop  of  Sixth  Formers  has  achieved  many  tremendous  feats:  back-­to-­back  Inter-­ $F IRRWEDOO WLWOHV WRS ÂżQLVKHV DW ZUHVWOLQJ nationals,  a  baseball  state  championship,  WKH VFKRROÂśV ÂżUVW LQYLWDWLRQ WR WHQQLVÂś national  championship,  and  rising  atop  the  lacrosse  rankings  are  just  a  few  of  the  feats  that  the  Class  of  2015  has  accomplished  during  its  time  at  Lancaster  Avenue.  Now,  many  of  those  same  student-­athletes  will  be  hoping  to  achieve  similar  levels  of  success  at  the  collegiate  levels,  one  of  the  allures  of  being  recruited.  Lacrosse  defender/ PLGÂżHOGHU Jack  Doran  (Dickinson)  says,  â€œWhat  excites  me  about  college  sports  the  most  is  probably  the  road  trips  and  chance  at  playing  for  a  national  title.Being  D QDWLRQDO FKDPSLRQ LV GHÂżQLWHO\ D JRDO for  all  athletes  and  the  idea  of  being  able  to  possibly  win  a  championship  is  very  exciting.â€?  Wrestler  LJ  Barlow  (Harvard),  one  of  the  most  dedicated  in  Haverford’s  history,  added,  â€œ[One  of  the  reasons  I  chose Â

Harvard]  is  its  ability  to  possibly  make  me  a  national  champion  if  I  work  hard  enough.â€?      Beyond  winning  national  championships,  Fords  are  merely  excited  to  compete  with  other  top  athletes  for  another  four  years.  Grant  Ament  (Penn  State),  one  of  last  year’s  lacrosse  team’s  top  goal-­scorers,  told  The  Index,  â€œI  am  excited  for  playing  college  lacrosse  because  I  will  be  able  to  play  the  top  teams  in  the  country  which  means  I  will  be  playing  the  top  players  in  the  country.  This  is  pretty  cool  to  think  about.â€?  Just  the  thought  of  being  one  of  the  top  athletes  in  the  nation  excites  many  of  Haverford’s  best,  including  rower  Jordan  Siegal  (Dartmouth):  â€œ  I  considered  playing  a  sport  in  college  because  I  knew  I  could  excel  at  rowing  and  I  wanted  the  opportunity  to  compete  on  that  level.â€? $ IHZ )RUGV ZLOO GHÂżQLWHO\ JHW WKH opportunity  to  compete  for  a  championship  in  different  sports.  Drew  Supinski  (Johns  Hopkins),  Lane  Odom  (Johns  Hopkins),  and  Noah  Lejman  (Penn)  are  all  joining  programs  that  were  in  the  NCAA’s  lacrosse  tournament  last  year.  Squash  phenom  Jay  Losty  (Yale)  will  be  on  the  nation’s  sixth-­ best  team,  one  that  is  sure  to  challenge  for  the  national  title  a  few  times  during  his  tenure  there.  Penn  State’s  tennis  team  is  improving,  and  with  the  additions  of  Ben  Lieb  and  Zach  Lieb,  the  Nittany  Lions  could  rise  even  higher  from  there  already  impressive  position  at  26th  in  Division  I.      Many  Fords  may  be  some  of  the  best  at  what  they  do  in  the  high  school  game,  but  everyone  knows  that  transitioning  to  FRPSHWH LQ FROOHJH DWKOHWLFV LV GLIÂżFXOW One  of  most  important  improvements  that  nearly  all  players  must  make  is  in  building  PXVFOH DQG JHWWLQJ VWURQJHU RYHUDOO WKH players  at  top  college  programs  are  simply  bigger  than  their  high  school  counterparts,  a  reality  every  Haverford  student-­athlete  must  take  head-­on.  Doran  adds,  â€œMy  greatest  FKDOOHQJH ZLOO GHÂżQLWHO\ EH JHWWLQJ ELJJHU and  stronger  in  the  weight  room.  College  is  a  different  game  than  high  school  and  it Â

is  a  necessity  to  be  physically  dominant  on  WKH ÂżHOG ´ 6LHJDO EHOLHV D VLPLODU VHQWLPHQW saying,  â€œI  won’t  be  as  tall  as  some  of  my  teammates  so  I  need  to  make  sure  that  I  am  as  powerful  as  possible  through  the  stroke.â€?  Even  some  of  Haverford’s  most  SUROLÂżF DWKOHWHV OLNH EDVNHWEDOO VXSHUVWDU Levan  â€œShawnâ€?  Alston  (Temple)  and  Supinski,  could  stand  to  get  stronger  before  starting  their  college  careers.      Another  common  thread  among  student-­ DWKOHWHV LV WKH GLIÂżFXOW\ RI EDODQFLQJ D rigorous  academic  course  load  with  the  demanding  practice  and  game  schedule  of  a  varsity  sport.  This  problem  may  seem  to  only  affect  athletes  who  will  attend  traditionally  strong  academic  schools,  especially  in  the  Ivy  League,  but  many  of  Haverford’s  students  are  heading  off  to  schools  that  will  push  them  academically,  from  a  technically  demanding  state  school  like  Michigan  to  the  taxing  liberal  arts  environment  at  a  school  like  Dickinson.  Barlow  remarks,  â€œMy  greatest  challenge  will  be  juggling  the  demanding  academics  and  the  demanding  sports  schedule,â€?  a  sentiment  echoed  by  Siegal  and  others.  Shima,  the  Michigan  commit,  said,  â€œSports  can  open  doors  to  a  university  that  you  may  not  have  been  able  to  get  into  without  the  sport  .  .  .  [it  ZLOO EH GLIÂżFXOW@ ÂżQGLQJ DQ HYHQ EDODQFH between  academics  and  athletics,  while  still  maintaining  a  life  outside  of  both.â€?       This  is  especially  true  at  service  academies,  where  the  physical  and  mental  challenges  extend  far  beyond  the  FODVVURRP DQG SOD\LQJ ÂżHOG WZR ODFURVVH players,  Brendan  Jacob  (Navy)  and  Colin  Bosak  (Navy)  will  get  a  taste  of  that  going  forward.  Bosak  recognizes  that,  saying,  â€œThe  greatest  challenge  for  me  would  be  balancing  my  grades  along  with  my  sports  and  military  duties.â€?  He  also  believes,  however,  that  his  academics  will  see  a  boost  during  the  season:  â€œI’m  excited  to  play  a  sport  in  college  because  I  feel  it  helps  with  time  management.  During  the Â

January 2015

winter  when  I  have  no  commitment  I  notice  my  study  habits  and  organization  tends  to  take  a  dip  due  to  the  amount  of  free  time  I  have.â€?  Lefty  slugger  Kevin  McGowan  (La  Salle)  agrees,  saying,  â€œ[Baseball]  will  also  keep  my  focused  and  it  will  push  me  to  have  my  grades  up  all  year.      Ultimately,  Haverford  athletes  are  excited  to  join  new  communities  within  their  larger  schools  that  will  help  them  form  life-­long  friendships.  Some  will  transition  from  playing  individually  to  being  part  of  a  larger  team  with  collective  goals.  â€œI  am  excited  to  be  a  part  of  a  team,â€?  says  Ben  Lieb.  â€œAfter  playing  ten  years  of  individual  competition,  it  ZLOO EH DQ DZHVRPH H[SHULHQFH WR ÂżQDOO\ be  a  part  of  team.â€?  Others  will  relish  the  chance  to  stay  on  a  sports  team  and  enjoy  the  camaraderie  that  accompanies  the  experience.  Lacrosse  player  Peter  Rohr  (Sewanee)  says,  â€œPlaying  a  sport  in  college  excites  me  because  I  get  to  be  part  of  a  team  for  four  more  years  and  make  new  relationships  with  guys.â€?  Shima  puts  it  in  context,  citing  one  reason  I  think  Haverford  sports  teams  are  so  tight-­knit:  â€œI  wanted  to  play  a  sport  in  college  because  the  team  is  a  brotherhood  on  campus.â€?      In  addition  to  the  Sixth  Formers,  mentioned  above,  many  other  student-­ athletes  will  be  continuing  in  college.  Swimmers  Luke  Ryan  (Towson)  and  Ben  Nelligan )DLUÂżHOG UHSUHVHQW RQH RI the  school’s  strongest  swimming  classes  to  date.  Ryan  Fuscaldo  (Dickinson)  joins  McGowan  as  one  of  two  baseball  recruits  and  Doran  and  Corey  Richards  (Dickinson)  as  one  of  three  players  headed  to  the  central  Pennsylvania  school.  Lacrosse  players  Chris  Sabia  (Mount  Saint  Mary’s),  Sam  Denious  (Bowdoin),  Brian  Casey  (Ursinus),  Jake  Hervada  (Delaware),  and  Shane  McBride  (Franklin  and  Marshall),  Tucker  McBride  (Franklin  and  Marshall)  round  out  the  class.

7KRVH DWKOHWHV RQ KDQG IRU 1DWLRQDO /HWWHU RI ,QWHQW 'D\ SRVH IRU D JURXS SLFWXUH LQ WKH 1RVWUDQW 3DYLOLRQ %DFN URZ / WR 5 &RUH\ 5LFKDUGV 6DP 'HQLRXV -D\ /RVW\ -RUGDQ 6LHJDO 1RDK /HMPDQ 6KDZQ $OVWRQ 0LGGOH URZ -DFN 'RUDQ .HYLQ 0F*RZDQ %HQ 1HOOOLJDQ 0V 'DZQ %ODNH %HQ /LHE %UHQGDQ -DFRE &KULV 6DELD %UDQGRQ 6KLPD 'UHZ 6XSLQVNL 3HWHU 5RKU )URQW URZ %ULDQ &DVH\ *UDQW $PHQW /XNH 5\DQ /- %DUORZ &ROLQ %RVDN 3KLOLS 3RTXLH /DQH 2GRP -DNH +HUYDGD =DFK /LHE

Page 10

The Index

Sports

Hinkie’s World: The Future of the Sixers

to  bottom,  everyone  on  the  Sixers  roster  ¿WV WKH PROG 7KH 6L[HUV UHSUHVHQW the  foundation  for  Hinkie’s  diabolical  plan.  Hinkie  built  the  team  not  with  wins  in  mind,  but  highlights  instead.  And  it  all  Andrew  Bynum,  who  single-­handedly  makes  sense.  pushed  the  team  back  into  rebuild.  The       Hinkie  cannot  get  the  No.  1  pick  if  his  irony  here  is  that  the  Sixers  traded  away  team  is  winning  games.  To  make  sure  they  a  healthy  and  developing  big  in  Nikola  don’t,  he  put  together  the  worst  offensive  Vucevic  who  today  is  posting  a  double-­ team  ever  because  if  you  can’t  score,  you  GRXEOH HYHU\ JDPH 7KH ROG IURQW RIÂżFHÂśV can’t  win.  It’s  simple.  But  Hinkie  needs  SODQ WR ÂżQG WKH 6L[HUV D VWDU IDLOHG DQG the  fans  to  stay  along  for  the  ride,  and  fans  consequently  they  all  lost  their  jobs.  Then  a  love  highlights.  Fans  love  KJ  McDaniel’s  miracle  happened.  Sam  Hinkie  happened.  dunks,  Tony  Wroten’s  steals,  and  when       Who  is  Sam  Hinkie?  He  was  the  Nerlens  Noel  and  KJ  throw  the  occasional  assistant  under  Daryl  Morey,  a  statistical  block  party.  The  team  loses,  the  fans  mastermind  who  built  the  Houston  Rockets  stay  put,  and  the  Sixers  get  the  top  pick.  like  Moneyball  2.0  basketball  edition.  So  Hinkie’s  plan  is  very  logical.  what,  if  the  Sixers’  new  GM  was  the  Jonah       This  year,  the  Sixers  are  a  below  average  Hill  to  Houston’s  Brad  Pitt?  Nobody  cared  defensive  team  at  24th  in  the  league  letting  back  then.  Not  until  Sam  Hinkie’s  coming  up  103.0  points  a  game.  However,  the  real  out  party,  codenamed  the  2013  NBA  Draft.  story  is  on  the  offensive  end.  The  Sixers  +LQNLHÂśV ÂżUVW PRYH" %ORZ HYHU\WKLQJ XS have  a  chance  at  becoming  the  worst  He  didn’t  make  too  many  friends  in  the  offense  in  the  history  of  the  NBA.  The  city  of  Brotherly  Love  after  trading  away  team  ranks,  not  surprisingly,  30th  out  of  30  Jrue  Holiday  for  injured  and  offensively  teams  in  scoring  at  90.3  points  per  game  FKDOOHQJHG ELJ 1HUOHQV 1RHO DQG D ÂżUVW and  in  assists  per  game  at  19.8.  The  team’s  round  pick  who  later  turned  into  Dario  leading  scorer  is  Tony  Wroten,  a  guy  who  Saric.  averaged  2.6  points  per  game  two  seasons       Billy  Beane  went  after  switch  hitters  ago  in  Memphis.  Along  with  his  fellow  with  high  on-­base  percentages.  Sam  PG  Michael  Carter  WIlliams,  the  tandem  Hinkie  goes  after  lanky  athletes  who  average  four  turnovers  per  game.  If  you  happen  to  be  either  offensively  challenged,  turn  the  ball  over,  you  can’t  win  games.  It’s  foreign,  or  injured  big  men  who  sit  out  an  all  apart  of  the  plan.  entire  year  before  playing  in  a  game.  Top       Philadelphia  is  the  4th  biggest  media  market,  so  there’s  a  chance,  if  they  really  overpay,  maybe  someone,  just  someone,  will  come  to  Philadelphia.  7KH EHQHÂżW WR EXLOGLQJ WKURXJK WKH draft  is  cheap  talent,  so  they  can  throw  money  at  big  name  free  agents.  Over  the  next  few  years,  big  name  free  agents  are  coming  onto  the  market,  like  Kevin  Durant,  Joakim  Noah,  Lebron,  Chris  Paul,  Chandler  Parsons  and  Lance  Stephenson,  among  others.  After  building  through  the  draft,  Philadelphia  might  even  get  a  star  in  Dario  Saric  or  Joel  Embiid.       This  year  is  a  tryout  of  sorts.  Nobody  on  the  team  is  safe.  Even  their  â€œstarâ€?  MCW  has  trade  rumors— WKH\ ZDQW WZR ÂżUVWV IRU KLP EXW ZLWK the  point  guard  depth  in  the  league,  no  one  is  biting.  I  like  this  a  lot.  They  can  see  what  they’ve  got.  It’s  cheap.  They  can  store  talent  and  get  a  draft  CBS Philadelphia

Fourth Former Connor Lees stares into the crystal ball of General Manager Sam Hinkie, predicting what 2016, DQG EH\RQG ZLOO KROG IRU WKH HUV Connor Lees ‘17

  Â

     It  is  safe  to  say  the  Sixers  are  in  a  slump.  A  slump  that  has  lasted  fourteen  years  and  continues  today.  Aside  from  making  the  playoffs  a  few  times  as  the  #8  seed  and  EHLQJ HOLPLQDWHG LQ WKH ÂżUVW URXQG E\ WKH #1  seed,  the  Sixers  have  been  nothing  more  than  mediocre.       It  would  be  wrong  not  to  mention  the  one  exception.  By  a  stroke  of  luck,  Derrick  5RVHÂśV $&/ WHDU JDYH RXW IRU WKH ÂżUVW WLPH and  the  Sixers  moved  past  the  #1  seed  %XOOV WR WKH (DVWHUQ &RQIHUHQFH 6HPLÂżQDOV where  they  lost  in  7  to  the  remains  of  %RVWRQÂśV %LJ +DYLQJ ZRQ WKHLU ÂżUVW playoff  series  in  years,  things  were  looking  up  in  Philadelphia.  Since  Moses  Malone  and  Charles  Barkley  left  after  winning  championship  for  the  Sixers  in  1983,   the  team  has  had  a  â€œsecond  star  problem.â€?  Even  with  Allen  Iverson,  the  Sixers  were  never  able  to  add  a  complementary  star  â€”  the  2001  NBA  Finals  team’s  second  best  player  was  Eric  Snow.  $W ORQJ ODVW WKH ROG IURQW RIÂżFH VDZ their  chance  when  Dwight  Howard  wanted  to  play  basketball  with  Kobe  in  L.A.,  and  the  Lakers  had  one  too  many  big  men.  The  Sixers  traded  for  injury  prone  big  man Â

January 2015

pick.  This  whole  thing  works  because  of  rookie  contracts.  They  are  much  cheaper  WKDQ UHJXODU FRQWUDFWV Âż[HG EDVHG RQ GUDIW position,  and  the  best  part,  non-­negotiable.  Since  most  of  the  team  is  on  rookie  contracts  or  playing  on  the  NBA  equivalent  of  minimum  wage,  they  can  keep  players  who  prove  valuable  as  role  players  for  the  team  down  the  road.  Now  they  can  go  after  big  name  free  agents,  who  will  be  attracted  to  Philly  by  talent  acquired  from  the  draft.      So  that’s  the  plan.  Is  it  necessary?  $EVROXWHO\ ,Q D ÂżYH SHUVRQ VSRUW RQH VWDU or  two  stars  on  a  team  changes  everything  and  great  teams  today  are  built  through  the  draft.  Draft  picks  are  also  great  assets.  Other  teams  have  had  great  success  using  this  method  â€”  it  just  hasn’t  been  done  so  deliberately  and  long  term  as  the  Sixers  are  doing  it.  So  maybe  that  will  reap  even  more  rewards?  We  won’t  know  until  2017  or  so.  Sixers  best  case  scenarios  are  the  Thunder,  Warriors  and  Pelicans.  The  Thunder  acquired  MVP  Kevin  Durant  through  tanking  along  with  MVP  candidate  Russell  Westbrook,  big  man  Serge  Ibaka,  MVP  candidate  James  Harden  on  the  Rockets  and  Reggie  Jackson.  The  Warriors  have  the  splash  brothers,  Stephen  Curry,  Klay  Thompson  and  also  Harrison  Barnes  while  the  Pelicans  hit  it  big  with  Anthony  Davis.       Here  is  a  realistic  prediction  for  the  Philadelphia  76ers’  future  rosters: Roster  Going  Into  2016  PG:  MCW SG:  Lance  Stephenson  SF:  McDaniels/Jordan  McRae PF:  Jahlil  Okafor C:  Joel  Embiid Noel  (6th  man) Tony  Wroten  KJ  McDaniels  Robert  Covington  Roster  Going  Into  2017 PG:  Chris  Paul SG:  Lance  Stephenson  SF:  Dario  Saric  PF:  Jahil  Okafor C:  Joel  Embiid Nerlens  Noel  (6th  man) Tony  Wroten  McDaniels  Robert  Covington  (Draft  picks  and  FAs)

0LFKDHO &DUWHU :LOOLDPV OHIW -RHO (PELLG FHQWHU DQG 1HUOHQV 1RHO ULJKW DUH WKH WHDP¡V WRS DVVHWV

Squash Chases Elusive National Title Sam Turner ‘18

  Â

   Originally  created  by  the  boys  at  the  Harrow  School  outside  of  London  in  1830,  squash  was  dubbed  â€œbaby  racquetsâ€?  after  the  Harrow  boys  sawed  off  the  butts  of  their  racquets  to  soften  the  pace  of  the  game.  Since  then,  squash  has  been  pegged  as  the  world’s  healthiest  sport  by  Forbes  Magazine  and  is  played  by  nearly  17  million  people,  on  nearly  50,000  courts,  throughout  185  countries  worldwide.  Although  squash  failed  to  achieve  Olympic  status  in  the  2020  Olympic  Games,  its  widespread  members  and  proponents  are  actively  supporting  the  campaign  for  VTXDVK WR EHFRPH DQ RIÂżFLDO 2O\PSLF VSRUW in  the  near  future.  Today,  the  United  States  KRVWV RQH RI WKH PRVW Ă€RXULVKLQJ MXQLRU squash  programs  to  encourage  this  nation’s  growth  as  a  global  and  dominant  squash  competitor.      One  of  the  most  anticipated  aspects  of  the  junior  campaign  is  high  school  nationals,  the  ultimate  competition  between  rival  high  schools  all  vying  to  capture  the Â

prestigious  national  title.  Since  its  birth,  high  school  nationals  has  hosted  heated  feuds  between  leading  teams  across  the  country.  Haverford’s  team  is  characterized  by  its  unreal  ability,  sportsmanship,  character  and  respect  on  and  off  the  court.  At  every  team’s  practice,  there  is  a  positive  Ă€RZ RI HQHUJ\ WKDW SHUPHDWHV WKURXJKRXW the  squash  courts.  Though  seedings  have  not  been  publicly  released  yet,  the  team  and  all  of  its  widely  dedicated  fans  are  optimistic  about  the  opportunities  that  lay  ahead.       The  Fords  A  team  is  comprised  of  the  top  7  varsity  players  that  will  contend  for  the  Division  I  title:  Sean  Hughes,  captain  Jay  Losty,  Duncan  Joyce,  Justin  Shah,  Will  Means,  Will  Glaser,  and  Jimmy  Tricolli.  Coach  Andrew  Poolman,  Spanish  teacher  by  day  and  squash  coach  by  night,  claims  that  â€œwe  have  a  good  shot  of  winning,  but  there  are  some  really  good  teams  out  there:  Belmont  Hill  and  Brunswick  will  probably  be  the  top  two  seeds.â€?  Coach  Poolman  PHQWLRQV WZR ÂżHUFH FRPSHWLWRUV ZLWK Haverford,  but  continues,  â€œOn  a  good  day, Â

I  think  that  we  can  knock  them  off.â€?       Another  vying  program  is  the  Springside  Chestnut  Hill  team,  who  has  been  locked  in  a  neck  and  neck  rivalry  with  the  Fords  for  decades.  Led  by  senior  captains  Jay  Losty  and  Arjun  Dravid,  and  with  a  likely  and  unprecedented  win  at  the  #1  position  by  junior  Sean  Hughes,  the  Fords’  depth  will  do  the  rest  of  the  work.  Haverford  squash   alumnus  Jim  Buck  â€˜77  mentions  a  state  of  mind  critical  to  achieving  this  glory,  â€œYou  are  not  there  until  you  are  holding  the  trophy.  Be  businesslike  and  don’t  let  yourself  get  too  psyched  up.  Don’t  let  a  win  to  Chestnut  Hill  get  you  too  high  or  a  loss  to  Brunswick  too  low.â€?  A  positive  mentality  is  the  foremost  aspect  of  the  game,  yet  is  commonly  underrated  as  second  to  physical  perfection.  When  asked  his  opinion  on  the  principal  qualities  of  a  successful  squash  player,  Buck  responds,  â€œResilience,  the  ability  to  isolate  the  pressure,  and  the  ability  to  not  let  your  emotions  take  control  are  all  key. Continued  on  Page  12

The team’s chances at winning it all may rest on the shoulders of Yale commit Jay Losty.

0U -LP 5RHVH

Page 11

The Index

January 2015

Sports

Basketball Season in Review: Analyasis of the Fords’ Roster

ZLQQLQJ WKUHH SRLQWHU ZLWK ÂżIWHHQ VHFRQGV rebounding.  There  is  no  question  that  players  and  men.  Although  Levan  is  not  left  in  a  gigantic  road  win  against  Imhotep,  Lamar  Stevens  has  played  a  giant  role  in  having  an  excellent  season  shooting  the  After  a  disappointing  home  loss  to  rival  is  a  big  time  scoring  threat  who  can  get  every  single  victory  the  Fords  have  had  ball,  he  has  single-­handedly  won  games  Episcopal  Academy,  Fords  basketball  will  buckets  any  way  he  pleases  with  his  long  this  season.  With  a  number  of  20-­point  for  the  Fords  throughout  the  season.  Shizz  continues  to  make  smart  plays  for  need  to  win  all  of  the  remaining  the  team  down  the  stretch  of  games  games  on  its  schedule  and  pray  and  has  never  let  his  guys  give  up  for  some  losses  for  Episcopal  and  when  times  get  tough.  As  a  senior,  Germantown  Academy  in  order  to  Alston  is  playing  with  the  thought  contend  for  the  Inter-­Ac  title  this  that  this  is  his  last  chance  to  lead  the  year.  With  Cam  Reddish  being  Fords  to  an  Inter-­Ac  title.  available  full-­time  this  year  now       Freshmen  Joe  D’Ignazio  and  that  he  is  a  freshman,  the  Fords  have  Kharon  Randolph  are  two  more  key  arguably  their  best  team  since  Head  pieces  to  the  success  of  the  team  after  Coach  Henry  Fairfax  and  Assistant  Shizz  Alston,  and  maybe  even  after  Coach  Joe  Corbett  captured  the  Lamar  Stevens,  leave.  Although  Inter-­Ac  title  in  1999.   sometimes  turnover-­prone  and  a  bit       Along  with  guard  Cameron  of  an  over-­dribbler,  Joe  D’Ignazio  is  Reddish,  the  core  of  the  team  a  spunky  point  guard  with  an  array  includes  junior  forward  Lamar  of  skills  on  the  offensive  end.  This  Stevens  and  senior  guard  Levan  kid  can  shoot  and  pass  with  the  best  â€œShizzâ€?  Alston,  who  is  committed  of  them.  His  speed  and  athleticism  to  play  at  Temple.  This  trio  of  talent  make  him  incredibly  hard  to  defend  and  athleticism  is  joined  by  Sixth  and  very  hard  to  beat  on  offense.  Form  swingman  Derek  Mountain  Kharon  â€œBunkâ€?  Randolph  is  a  and  junior  guard  Micah  Sims.  natural  scorer  at  the  guard  position.  When  looking  at  the  Fords  13-­9  Bunk  can  shoot  the  lights  out  from  (5-­2  Inter-­Ac)  record,  it  is  obvious  deep  and  can  carve  a  path  to  the  that  the  team  would  not  have  its  cup  as  well.  With  some  work  on  success  without  the  presence  of  the  his  game  and  conditioning  over  ¿YH SOD\HUV PHQWLRQHG DERYH (DFK the  summer,  Randolph  will  be  key  player  brings  something  different.  contributor  for  the  Fords  over  the       Micah  Sims  has  quietly  been  one  next  three  years.  of  the  team’s  most  valuable  players.       As  the  season  moves  towards  Although  Sims  does  not  get  his  the  end,  Alston  and  Mountain  are  minutes  because  of  his  statistics  (1.3  SOD\LQJ WKHLU ÂżQDO KLJK VFKRRO points,  2.4  assists,  1.7  rebounds  per  JDPHV HYHU DQG DUH ÂżJKWLQJ IRU WKHLU game),  his  relentless,  suffocating  shot  at  an  Inter-­Ac  championship.  defense  has  shut  down  some  big-­ Lamar  Stevens,  with  his  dominance  name  guards  known  for  their  scoring  DQ\ZKHUH EHWZHHQ ]HUR DQG ÂżIWHHQ and  speed.  His  heart  and  never-­say-­ feet  from  the  basket  both  on  offense  die  attitude  has  saved  many  balls  and  defense,  is  making  his  case  going  out  of  bounds,  given  the  Fords  to  some  of  the  best  basketball  more  possessions,  and  prevented  programs  in  the  country.  Cam  other  teams  from  scoring  on  fast  Reddish,  with  an  immeasurable  breaks.  Sims  also  leads  the  team  amount  of  canned  potential,  is  as  in  charges  taken,  resulting  in  more  lethal  an  offense  player  as  you  will  GHIHQVLYH VWRSV DQG Ă€RRU EXUQV ÂżQG DQG KH VWLOO KDV WKUHH \HDUV OHIW      After  struggling  to  make  shots  to  learn  and  improve  before  college.  with  consistency  early  in  the  Micah  Sims  has  undoubtedly  been  season,  Mountain  has  picked  up  on  $OVWRQ JRHV IRU D OD\XS DJDLQVW 6&+$ 'HVSLWH Ă€HOGLQJ RIIHUV IURP SURJUDPV OLNH 9&8 DQG 1RWUH 'DPH KH LV IROORZLQJ LQ KLV 0U -LP 5RHVH the  spark  plug  to  help  the  Fords  offense  and  made  a  number  of  key  father’s footsteps at Temple. come  back  in  many  of  their  close  wins.  three-­pointers  late  in  games  this  season.  and  10-­rebound  performances  this  season,  His  relentless  and  fearless  style  of  play  has  Mountain  has  also  been  a  key  leader  and  body,  extreme  skill,  and  athleticism.  experienced  veteran  of  this  team.  Although       Lamar  Stevens  has  made  a  large  Stevens  is  certainly  in  the  running  for  the  gotten  the  Fords  stops  and  extra  possessions  in  almost  every  game  this  season.  he  has  not  been  the  player  to  score  thirty  impression  on  college  coaches  and  various  team’s  most  valuable  player. points  every  night,  he  has  made  some  LQĂ€XHQFHV DURXQG WKH UHJLRQ ZLWK KLV SOD\      Levan  â€œShawnâ€?  Alston,  although  no       At  5-­2  in  Inter-­Ac  play,  the  Fords  will  very  important  plays  and  smart  decisions  during  his  second  season  with  the  Fords.  longer  carrying  the  pressure  of  playing  need  to  win  out  for  the  rest  of  the  season  in  many  of  the  team’s  close  games  this  Stevens  is  always  a  lock  to  get  buckets  in  for  a  college  scholarship,  has  played  this  as  well  as  some  luck  with  other  Inter-­Ac  the  paint  and  has  racked  up  a  number  of  season  with  the  purpose  of  proving  why  contenders  losing  must-­win  games.  No  season.       Reddish  has  had  a  very  successful  rookie  earth-­shaking  dunks  thanks  to  his  height  he  deserves  to  be  a  Temple  Owl.  Shizz  matter  what  happens,  through  the  bad  campaign  for  the  Fords  and  has  offered  and  athleticism.  With  his  strength  and  has  been  a  leader  on  the  court  as  well  as  in  and  the  good,  the  Fords  have  had  a  fairly  bright  lights  in  the  future  of  the  Fords.  never-­back-­down  style  of  play,  he  has  the  locker  room,  energizing  his  teammates  successful  and  an  extremely  exciting  The  deadeye  sniper,  who  made  the  game-­ been  a  force  to  be  reckoned  with  when  while  making  those  around  him  better  season  during  the  2014-­15  school  year.  Austin Krell ‘15

  Â

Cutting Weight: The Challenge of Being a Wrestler Drew Sterman ‘16

Â

   The  wrestling  program  is  often  overlooked,  yet  has  become  one  of  Haverford’s  most  successful  athletic  teams.  Led  by  Sixth  Formers  Jack  Gola,  Jake  Hervada,  and  Harvard  commit  LJ  Barlow,  the  Fords  have  only  lost  one  match  as  of  mid-­January  and  are  challenging  for  the  Inter-­Ac  title.  However,  there  is  an  underlying  issue  within  the  team  and  the  sport  at  the  high  school  level.  Cutting  weight  before  a  match  is  a  problem  that  virtually  every  wrestler  faces,  but  teens  often  disregard  this  health  risk.  Wrestlers  are  categorized  by  weight  class,  so  that  the  matchups  are  balanced  and  fair.  Equal  weight  makes  the  battle  on  the  mat  based  on  skill  and  ability,  rather  than  size. Wrestlers  that  are  stronger  will  want  to  drop  weight  classes,  because  a Â

smaller  opponent  makes  for  an  easier  the  contest.  If  a  wrestler  is  all  muscle,  with  little  to  no  body  fat,  they  can  have  a  big  advantage  by  qualifying  for  a  lighter  weight  class.  Wrestlers  often  justify  their  choice  of  weight  class  with  the  belief  that  they  have  excess  fat  to  lose.  On  a  weekly  basis,  rapid  weight  loss  in  high  school  and  collegiate  wrestlers  has  been  shown  to  average  4-­5  pounds  and  may  exceed  6-­7  pounds  among  20%  of  the  wrestlers.  One-­third  of  high  school  and  collegiate  wrestlers  have  been  reported  to  repeat  this  practice  more  than  10  times  in  a  season. Fifth  Former  Freddy  Corradetti,  on  the  concept  of  cutting  weight,  commented:  â€œOnce  you  cut  out  all  of  the  junk  food,  and  all  of  the  soda,  and  start  eating  healthy  (light  foods  like  salad  and  chicken),  it  is  QRW WKDW GLIÂżFXOW WR FXW ZHLJKW ´ Wrestlers  attempt  to  cut  weight Â

through  extreme  physical  exertion  to  sweat  away  the  nasty  pounds.  Before  the  race,  some  cut  their  water  intake  to  shed  a  pound  or  two.  ³,WÂśV DURXQG D ÂżYH SRXQG UDQJH WKDWÂśV QRUPDO IRU HYHU\RQH ´ VD\V Katherine  Zeratsky,  a  specialty  nutritionist  and  dietician  with  the  Mayo  Clinic  and  coauthor  of  â€œThe  Mayo  Clinic  Diet.â€?  In  some  cases,  wrestlers  can  go  to  extreme  measures,  resorting  to  bulimic  practices  in  order  to  lose  weight.  Although  this  seems  like  a  smart  tactic  to  outperform  the  opponent,  cutting  weight  can  often  have  negative  repercussions.  Corradetti  goes  on  to  say:  â€œMost  wrestlers  do  it  in  the  off  season  to  stay  in  shape,  but  doing  it  before  matches  isn’t  uncommon.  Sometimes  you  can  get  a  bit  tired,  but  when  you’re  eating  healthy,  you  feel  a  lot  better.  You  get  a  lot  of  natural Â

HQHUJ\ UDWKHU WKDQ DUWLÂżFLDO RU FDIIHLQH energy.â€?  Wrestlers  and  coaches  may  not  be  aware  of  the  true  hazards  of  rapid  weight  loss.  The  most  worrisome  dangers  are  hyperthermia,  dehydration  and  the  development  of  eating  disorders.  The  risk  for  hyperthermia  is  heightened  when  the  athlete  is  already  in  a  state  of  dehydration.  Hyperthermia  places  the  athlete  at  risk  for  various  forms  of  heat  illness,  ranging  from  heat  cramps  to  heat  stroke.  Wrestlers  also  are  at  risk  for  disordered  eating.  Although  wrestlers  don’t  typically  practice  purging  behavior  year  round,  binging  and  purging  GXULQJ FRPSHWLWLRQ VHDVRQ TXDOLÂżHV DV disordered  eating  and  could  set  wrestlers  up  for  lifelong  eating  disorders.  Although  the  cases  are  very  low  and  rare,  there  is  a  VLJQLÂżFDQW ULVN LQ GRLQJ VR 7KHUH VHHPV WR be  a  small  line  between  risk  and  reward.

Page 12

The Index

January 2015

Sports

Wrestling Crushing Opponents Across Pennsylvania Eusha Hasan ‘18

  Â

   Since  the  beginning  of  the  season,  the  ZUHVWOLQJ WHDP KDV UHDOL]HG WKH EHQHÂżWV of  hard  work  during  practice  on  and  off  the  mat,  leading  to  great  performances  during  dual-­meets  and  tournaments.  Every  wrestler  on  the  team  shows  a  level  of  commitment  that  surpasses  loyalty  to  any  other  sport,  considering  all  wrestlers  must  show  up  to  every  two-­hour  practice,  meets  after  school,  and  all-­day  tournaments  almost  every  weekend.  Not  only  do  wrestlers  have  to  be  available  and  stay  committed,  but  every  practice  must  be  a  time  to  improve  and  stay  in  shape  because  WKH LQWHQVH FRPSHWLWLRQ FUHDWHV D ÂżQH OLQH between  representing  the  team  and  sitting  out.      Wrestling  takes  physical  and  mental  toughness  to  push  through  the  pain  and  suffering,  unwilling  to  let  down  the  team  ZLWKRXW D ÂżJKW Âł0HQWDO WRXJKQHVV LV FUXFLDO in  succeeding  in  wrestling,â€?  explained  LJ  Barlow,  one  of  the  team’s  captains.  â€œIf  you  do  not  give  it  your  all  when  you  are  gasping  for  breath  in  the  third  period  of  a  match  while  losing,  you  will  lose  the  match  and  be  unsuccessful  in  the  sport.  In  wrestling,  things  happen  during  a  match,  and  there  will  be  moments  when  you  are  exhausted  and  feel  like  you  can’t  move  anymore.  You  have  to  push  through  it  or  you  will  fail.â€?  Most  wrestlers  can  unanimously  agree  that  the  most  mentally  challenging  aspect  of  the  sport  is  looking  at  the  clock  and  realizing  how  slow  it  is  moving.       Wrestling  does,  however,  take  a  level  of  commitment  that  transcends  most  activities,  as  everybody  on  the  team  shows  a  deep  dedication  and  sincere  appreciation  for  the  game.  Everyday  the  wrestlers  don’t  leave  practice  until  after  nightfall.  Every  Wednesday  morning  and  Monday  night, Â

the  team  does  a  grueling  workout  with  Rosco.      The  deepest  disappointment  for  teenage  wrestlers  is  having  a  limited  diet.  Every  wrestler  has  to  control  what  he  eats,  so  that  he  can  qualify  during  weigh-­ins  before  matches.  The  wrestlers  all  are  going  through  the  same  problem,  so  they  have  an  easy  time  bonding  and  strengthening  their  relationships.  In  practice  teammates  help  each  other  learn  new  moves  and  replicate  live  matches.       The  varsity  division  has  shown  a  great  performance  during  dual-­meets  and  tournaments  because  of  great  work  during  practice.  â€œThis  season  has  been  one  of  the  most  successful  starts  in  school  history,â€?  wrote  Mr.  Bruce  Kennett,  one  of  three  Haverford  wrestling  coaches.  â€œWe  have  taken  1st  at  the  New  Hope  Solebury,  Radnor  and  Hill  School  tournaments,  and  ¿QLVKHG QG E\ RQH SRLQW DW WKH %DWWOH DW WKH Beach  tournament  in  Delaware.   We  also  won  the  Towanda  Dandy  Duals  tournament  DQG ÂżQLVKHG QG WR QDWLRQDO SRZHU (DVWRQ at  the  Easton  Duals.   We  are  currently  11-­1  in  dual  meets  and  1-­0  in  the  league.â€?  Along  with  these  victories,  Haverford  also  recently  won  its  biggest  dual-­meet  in  this  season  against  Germantown  Academy,  one  of  the  highest  ranked  schools  in  the  nation.  Most  of  the  Varsity  guys  assume  leadership  roles,  from  freshman  Chase  McCollum,  who  provides  inspiration  to  many  novice  freshmen  onto  the  team  with  his  spectacular  capabilities  on  the  mat,  to  senior  captain  LJ  Barlow.  â€œTake  a  look  at  the  kids  we  have  involved  in  the  program  today,â€?  wrote  Mr.  Kennett.  â€œMickey  Kober,  L.J.  Barlow,  Jake  Hervada,  Jack  Gola,  Steven  Tornetta  and  Ben  Quan,  just  to  name  a  few.  These  guys  all  have  ascended  to  leadership  positions  within  the  school  through  hard  work  and  discipline.â€?

     In  a  recent  match  against  SCHA,  Gola  became  the  second  member  of  the  team  to  reach  100  wins  for  his  career  in  a  victory  over  Jackson  Bistrong.  He  joins  Barlow  in  WKDW SUHVWLJLRXV FOXE +HUYDGD LV QHDULQJ the  milestone  with  95  career  victories.  Fifth  Former  Freddy  Corradetti  is  well  on  his  way  with  84  wins.      JV  has  also  shown  great  potential  during  practice  and  stands  up  well  to  some  of  the  team’s  most  formidable  opponents.  The  JV  squad  is  made  up  of  many  young  wrestlers  that  are  new  to  the  sport  and  still  trying  to  learn  the  techniques  and  skills.  The  JV  wrestlers  have  the  results  to  prove  their  drastic  improvement  from  the  beginning  of  the  season.  At  the  most  recent  Hill  School  tournament,  everyone  mostly  ranked  1st  or  2nd.  Many  kids  on  the  JV  squad  have  been  performing  at  a  high  level  since  the  beginning,  such  as  Cameron  Hanssens,  who  has  won  ten  of  his  eleven  matches  this  season.      Although  wrestling  may  seem  like  an Â

individual  sport,  there  are  so  many  aspects  beyond  a  singular  match  that  require  an  accumulated  team  effort  in  order  to  succeed.  â€œThe  wrestling  team  is  very  close,â€?  said  Barlow.  â€œWe  all  are  in  it  together  and  have  a  great  time  hanging  out  and  working  hard  towards  an  Inter-­Ac  title.  For  a  team  with  a  small  amount  of  wrestlers  interested  in  pursuing  the  sport  later  in  college,  the  team  works  very  hard  and  is  dedicated  to  each  other  in  the  process.â€?  After  every  wrestling  match,  the  winner  acquires  points  for  the  team,  the  amount  varying  whether  the  winner  pinned  his  opponent  or  if  he  won  with  more  individual  points  at  the  end  of  the  match.  These  accumulated  points  determine  which  team  wins  at  the  end  of  a  dual-­meet,  so  every  member  of  the  team  affects  the  result.       The  wrestling  team  still  has  another  half  of  the  season  to  win  dual-­meets,  tournaments  and  honor  the  name  of  Haverford.  We  wish  the  team  only  success  in  the  months  to  come.

Gola, seen here at the 2014 Buckley Duals, became the newest member of the 100-win club with his recent victory. 0V 'DZQ %ODNH

Squash Hopes to Reclaim National Glory

Continued  from  Page  10

    And  so  is  the  ability  to  get  into  your  zen  moment.â€?  An  unregarded  aspect  of  the  game  is  honing  perfected  skills  under  immense  pressure,  and  thoroughly  concentrating  on  the  now.  All  of  these  skills  are  key  to  individual  victories,  which  are  technically  the  sole  composition  of  a  team  win.  So,  when  each  player  seizes  his  racquet  and  steps  onto  that  gleaming  white  court,  as  Haverford  squash   alumnus  Sachin  Patel  â€˜11  says,  â€œYou  are  playing  for  something  larger  than  yourself,  [and]  it  makes  it  that  much  more  meaningful.  When  I  am  in  that  huddle,  looking  at  those  guys,  I  don’t  want  to  go  out  there  and  play  badly  because  I  would  be  letting Â

everybody  else  down.â€?  Patel  emphasizes  the  dedication,  teamwork,  and  camaraderie  that  are  essential  to  winning  for  â€œthat  something  larger  than  yourself.â€?       As  the  team  reaches  the  conclusion  of  its  season,  the  players  strive  to  dominate  every  aspect  of  their  game  -­  physical,  SV\FKRORJLFDO DQG PHQWDO KRZHYHU LW LV HTXDOO\ LPSRUWDQW WR UHĂ€HFW RQ WKH SDVW LQ order  to  dominate  in  the  future.  Poolman  emphasizes  that  â€œwe  are  a  talented  group  DQG D WRS ÂżQLVK LV ZKDW ZH VKRXOG VWULYH for.â€?  The  players  on  Haverford’s  current  team  act  in  perfect  symbiosis  -­  â€œthey  can  UHDOO\ EHQHÂżW WR IHHG RII WKH HQHUJ\ IURP each  other  and  train  really  hard  with  each  other.â€?  Unlike  teams  in  years  past  where  â€œthere  were  times  where  there  was  a  hole, Â

this  [year’s  team]  has  strength  the  whole  way  down  the  ladder,  from  the  bottom  to  the  top.â€?  Against  teams  nationwide,  this  strength  can  be  a  critical  game-­changer.  Teams  like  Springside  Chestnut  Hill,  Belmont  Hill  School,  and  Brunswick  lack  the  depth  of  skill  that  Haverford  boasts.  Yet,  when  it  comes  time  to  play,  Patel  â€˜11  advises  the  players  to  â€œnever  go  on  court  scared.  Never  walk  on  court  scared  of  your  opponent.  Play  to  your  strengths  and  see  what  happens.â€?  No  matter  the  predictions,  the  seedings,  the  expectations,  or  any  of  it,  it  simply  comes  down  to  winning  like  gentlemen,  with  respect  for  your  opponent  and  true  sportsmanship,  and  that  is  exactly  what  the  Fords  plan  to  do.  The team’s No. 1, Sean Hughes.

0U -LP 5RHVH

Americans Need to Take a Stand for Liberal Principles ,Q WKH ZDNH RI ,VODPLVW DQG 1RUWK .RUHDQ DWWDFNV RQ IUHHdom of speech, Brendan Burns ‘15 argues that Americans QHHG WR DFWLYHO\ SURWHFW IXQGDPHQWDO ULJKWV Brendan Burns ‘15

           It’s  time  Americans  took  a  stand  for  liberal  principles.       As  a  nation,  we  need  to  learn  how  to  respond  to  crises  and  challenges  without  giving  up  our  fundamental  rights,  even  when  â€œnational  securityâ€?  is  invoked.  We  have  a  long  history  of  making  mistakes  in  this  area,  from  the  Alien  and  Sedition  Act  of  1798  to  the  Scopes  Trial.  All  too  often  in  UHFHQW PHPRU\ ZH KDYH DOORZHG GLIÂżFXOW

situations  to  compromise  our  identity. Â

(burqa  bans  notwithstanding).  As  David  Brooks  said,  â€œIf  [Charlie  Hebdo]  had  tried  to  publish  their  satirical  newspaper  on  any  American  university  campus  over  the  last  two  decades  it  wouldn’t  have  lasted  30  seconds.  Student  and  faculty  groups  would  have  accused  them  of  hate  speech.â€?  Major  American  news  organizations  also  declined  to  reproduce  Hebdo’s  cartoons  in  its  coverage  of  the  Paris  attack.  The  HIIRUWV UDGLFDO ,VODPLVWV Âą WR VWLĂ€H IUHHGRP of  speech  succeeded  in  the  United  States.  Meanwhile,  Charlie  Hebdo  published  seven  million  copies  of  its  next  issue,  undeterred  by  an  attack  that  killed  its  Editor-­in-­Chief. Â

     We  preach  tolerance  in  our  universities  and  schools.  The  vast  majority  of  Americans  are  receptive  to  diversity  of  race,  religion,  and  sexual  orientation,  but  tolerance  to  diversity  of  opinion  remains  out  of  reach.  We  tolerate  people  as  long  as  their  opinions  don’t  offend  us.  We  recently  learned  that  the  French  â€“  people  with  a  tradition  of  democratic  government  much  younger  than  our  own  â€“  exercise     a  greater  freedom  of  speech  than  we  do Â

7KH FRYHU RI WKH )UHQFK VDWLULFDO PDJD]LQH Charlie Hebdo following the Paris shooting.

Q\SRVW FRP

Page 13

The Index

January 2015

Opinions

Workload, Procrastination Leading to Lack of Sleep Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘16 examines the recent trend of less sleep among Haverford students and some of its factors, WDONLQJ WR IDFXOW\ DERXW ZKDW WKH\ KDYH GRQH LQ UHVSRQVH .HQQ\ )LW]SDWULFN Âś

  Â

     During  each  school  night  that  passes  by,  many  Haverford  students  sit  in  their  rooms  vigorously  typing  away  at  the  homework,  paper,  or  project  they  have  due  the  next  morning.  And  on  almost  every  day  that  follows,  when  these  students  are  asked  why  they  were  up  so  late  the  previous  night,  he  assuredly  states  that  he  just  had  too  much  work.       However,  are  these  students’  workloads  WKH UHDVRQ ZK\ WKH\ ÂżQG WKHPVHOYHV groggy  and  laggard  throughout  the  day  after  a  late  night?  While  the  argument  may  EH FRQYLQFLQJ DW ÂżUVW , ZRXOG FRQWHQG WKDW the  argument  is  very  misguided.  While  exceptions  can  be  made  for  those  who  arrive  home  from  school  later  than  the  average  student,  the  vast  majority  of  the  student  body  has  adequate  time  to  complete  their  work  at  night  and  still  get  to  bed  at  a  reasonable  hour.  I  would  attribute  the  lack  of  sleep  to  other  factors.      I  am  not  suggesting  that  the  workload  at  Haverford  is  light  by  any  means.  In  fact,  in  many  situations,  the  workload  does  have  an  effect  on  the  amount  of  sleep  a  student  is  able  to  get.  The  majority  of  the  situations  in  which  abundant  workloads  begin  to  affect  VOHHS LV JHQHUDOO\ FRQÂżQHG WR VWXGHQWV enrolled  in  multiple  honors  classes.  Why  does  this  distinction  matter?  It  matters  because  by  enrolling  in  an  honors  course,  one  is  enrolling  under  the  impression  that  he  will  be  held  accountable  for  a  higher  volume  workload.      What’s  the  point?  The  point  is  that  while  correlations  can  be  made  between  a  student’s  workload  and  his  subsequent  lack  of  sleep,  these  situations,  for  one,  do  not  affect  the  majority  of  students  at  Haverford Â

and  two,  should  be  expected  by  the  student  before  taking  the  class.       Sixth  Former  and  infamous  late-­night  grinder,  Paul  Harryhill,  seems  to  agree:  ³<HDK >WHDFKHUV@ GHÂżQLWHO\ GR >JLYH D lot  of  nightly  homework,]  but  I  take  the  hard  classes  and  I  expect  to  have  to  put  a  sizable  amount  of  time  into  each  class.  I  can’t  knock  any  teacher  for  assigning  a  lot  of  work  in  an  honors  class.  It  may  mean  staying  up  until  3am,  eating  very  little  in  a  day,  and  lots  of  stress,  but  those  are  the  VDFULÂżFHV WKDW , >DQG RWKHUV@ KDYH FKRVHQ WR make  by  taking  these  classes.â€?       Try  to  stand  in  the  shoes  of  a  teacher.  7KH VDPH FRQFHSW DSSOLHV LI WKH FODVV \RX teach  is  an  honors  class,  you  will  be  more  inclined  to  assign  more  nightly  work  than  you  would  if  you  were  to  teach  a  standard  class.  It  is  simply  the  logistics  of  honors  versus  regular.       However,  more  often  than  not  these  days,  honors  teachers  are  making  attempts  to  eradicate  their  system  of  excessively  demanding  and  time-­consuming  nightly  homework  because  of  the  noticeable  correlation  between  the  strenuous  workloads  and  the  resulting  sleep  issues.  :KLOH GLIÂżFXOW LQ VRPH PDWK VFLHQFH and  history  courses,  English  teachers  have  begun  to  implement  this  system.      Mr.  Keefe,  a  teacher  of  both  honors  and  regular  english  students,  has  implemented  the  â€œnew  homework  systemâ€?  in  not  only  his  honors,  but  also  his  regular  classes.  He  explained  his  system  by  saying,  â€œWhen  , ÂżUVW VWDUWHG DW +DYHUIRUG , HTXDWHG GLIÂżFXOW\ RI WKH FRXUVH ZLWK WKH DPRXQW RI work  that  I  gave...My  course  has  changed  to  allow  for  daily  reading  that  culminates  in  larger  papers  and  projects.  I  essentially  abandoned  the  model  that  students  should  have  an  hour  of  reading  or  homework  per Â

night.  By  moving  to  major  assessment  model,  my  hope  was  that  students  would  have  a  week  or  more  to  chip  away  at  the  work...â€?      But  has  the  system  been  effective?  The  pleasing  answer  would  be  yes,  however,  quite  the  opposite  has  happened.  With  more  time,  Haverford  students  wait  until  the  last  minute  to  do  their  work,  they  procrastinate.  And  with  a  system,  procrastination  is  just  about  the  worst  thing  that  could  happen  because  it  embodies  the  â€œstudyâ€?  tactic  of  cramming.       Is  procrastination  effective  in  the  short-­ term?  Maybe.  Long  term?  Absolutely  not. Â

“I essentially abandoned the model that students should have an hour of reading or homework per night. By moving to major assessment model, my hope was that students would have a week or more to chip away at the work.â€? - Mr. Keefe Not  only  does  procrastination  ultimately  lead  to  sleep  deprivation  but  also  can  have  detrimental  effects  on  a  students’  academics.  By  cramming,  a  student  is  not  truly  learning  the  material  but  rather  simply  forcing  the  facts  into  the  short  term  memory  â€œvalvesâ€?  of  the  brain.  Facts  that,  only  hours  later,  are  more  often  than  not  forgotten. Â

     So,  if  procrastination  is  what  leads  to  lack  RI VOHHS DPRQJVW WKH VLJQLÂżFDQW PDMRULW\ RI students,  how  can  we  at  least  mitigate  the  issue  at  hand?  There  are  a  few  possibilities.  Some  suggest  that  there  should  be  a  system  limiting  the  amount  of  honors  classes  a  student  is  allowed  to  take  rather  than  just  allowing  students  to  put  themselves  in  the  situation  for  procrastination.  While  I  agree  that  this  honors  class  reduction  system  has  the  potential  to  prohibit  procrastination,  it  allows  for  other  issues  to  come  into  play  such  as  the  increased  competitiveness  for  college  and  the  credentials  needed  to  even  be  considered.       To  others,  Mr.  Keefe  notably,  mental  health  days  are  the  solution,  serving  as  a  panacea  for  the  soul.  Once  again,  I  feel  DV WKRXJK WKLV V\VWHP LV DOVR Ă€DZHG LQ that  students  would  be  inclined  to  take  advantage  of  the  system,  thereby,  further  encouraging  procrastination  and  setting  a  bad  precedent  by  giving  students  the  freedom  to  choose  when  to  attend  school.       I  would  suggest  that  students  simply  force  themselves  to  stop  procrastinating  and  instead  establish  a  nightly  regimented  approach  to  studying.  While  harsh,  the  logic  behind  this  solution  is  pretty  simple.  ,I WHDFKHUV DUH ZLOOLQJ WR EH Ă€H[LEOH ZLWK their  nightly  assignments,  students  should  learn  to  be  accommodating  and  adhere  to  the  system  because,  when  it  comes  down  to  it,  new  systems  are  made  so  something  positive  can  come  out  of  them.       Although  a  lot  to  ask,  my  suggestion  is  really  the  only  reasonable,  utilitarian  option  there  is  to  solve  the  epidemic  of  procrastination.  As  an  epidemic,  procrastination  is  not  just  a  simple  virus  but  will  continue  to  ravage  away  at  student  populations,  not  just  at  Haverford  but  around  the  world.  Whether  or  not  it  has  a  true  cure  has  yet  to  be  discovered  at  our  school.  The  question  is,  are  students  ready  to  accept  the  challenge?  Â

Americans Need to Protect Fundamental Rights (cont.) WKHLQWHUYLHZ PRYLH FRP

     Continued  from  Page  12        The  Charlie  Hebdo  shooting  wasn’t  WKH ÂżUVW WLPH WKDW ZHÂśYH FRPSURPLVHG our  liberal  principles  when  faced  with  a  profoundly  illiberal  enemy.  In  September  2001,  the  United  States  was  attacked  by  a  group  of  people  that  forbid  girls  from  going  to  school  and  imprison  men  with  beards  not  meeting  the  required  length.  Our  national  response  to  9/11  was  incredibly  disturbing.  In  addition  to  starting  two  wars  (one  of  ZKLFK KDV WXUQHG RXW WR EH D SURĂ€LJDWH use  of  money  and  American  lives),  we  built  a  massive  surveillance  state  around  the  PATRIOT  Act  and  FISA  Amendments  Act.  Our  solution  to  the  epidemic  of  terrorism  was  to  deprive  Americans  of  their  Fourth  Amendment  rights  and  spend  their  tax  money  on  overseas  FRQĂ€LFWV 0DQ\ SHRSOH ZLOO FODLP WKDW RXU surveillance  state  is  necessary  to  preserve  â€œnational  security.â€?  This  is  simply  false.  In  the  decade  following  9/11,  238  Americans  were  killed  by  terrorism.  More  Americans  were  crushed  to  death  by  their  televisions.  During  the  same  period,  more  than  5,000  Americans  were  killed  by  police.  Bees  and  wasps  will  kill  twice  as  many  Americans  this  year  as  terrorist  attacks.      The  American  response  to  North  Korean  threats  about  showing  The  Interview  are  similarly  problematic.  I  can  personally  attest  to  the  fact  that  The  Interview  is  no  masterpiece  of  modern  cinema,  but  that Â

doesn’t  mean  that  we  should  submit  to  any  threat  demanding  it  to  be  pulled.  Sony  and  American  theater  owners  pulled  the  movie  before  the  FBI  could  assess  the  credibility  of  the  threat.  North  Korea  was  pleasantly  surprised  to  learn  that  freedom  of  speech  in  the  United  States  could  be  suppressed  almost  as  easily  as  in  Pyongyang.       The  common  theme  is  that  we  don’t  place  enough  value  on  our  fundamental  rights.  The  fact  that  the  Constitution  is  a  â€œliving  and  breathing  documentâ€?  doesn’t  mean  we  legislate  away  its  protections.  Despite  what  you  might  have  learned  in  history  class,  our  Bill  of  Rights  and  Constitution  weren’t  just  created  for  peacetime.  They  are  arguably  most  useful  and  important  in  times  of  crisis.  We  don’t  get  to  selectively  adhere  to  our  founding  principles  ZKHQ ZH ÂżQG LW FRQYHQLHQW WR GR VR

The Economist

Page 14

The Index

Politics

January 2015

French Ethnic Tensions Behind Recent Violence Eric Petersen ‘15

     As  the  world  moves  on  from  the  catastrophe  that  unfolded  in  Paris,  many  observers  are  content  to  say  â€œJe  suis  Charlieâ€?  and  move  on  to  the  next  crisis.  The  unity  march  in  Paris  was  a  glowing  success,  and  it  is  becoming  more  clear  that  the  splinter  group  responsible  for  murdering  17  people  was  an  isolated  network.  However,  there  have  been  deep  social  tensions  building  in  France  for  the  past  few  decades  that  cleave  the  ethnic  French  and  French  citizens  of  immigrant  background.  Since  the  end  of  the  Algerian  Civil  War,  France  has  been  a  nation  grudgingly  accepting  of  immigration,  allowing  former  colonial  citizens  to  settle  in  France  yet  providing  little  help  to  assimilate  into  its  society.  Many  in  France  not  ethnically  tied  to  their  country  have  been  born  and  raised  in  cities  like  Paris  and  Marseilles,  yet  are  considered  by  many  as  foreigners.  This  stigma  permeating  society  is  not  necessarily  a  European  dilemma,  as  France’s  EU  peers  like  Great  Britain  and  Sweden  have  more  or  less  embraced  multiculturalism  as  the  present  and  future  for  Europe.  This  is  a  French  problem  that  has  divided  society  and  isolated  people  of  immigrant  origin,  especially  Muslims.      One  of  the  main  reasons  why  the  French  bemoan  the  slow  integration  of  North  and  West  Africans  into  society  and  how  Muslims  refuse  to  assimilate  is  because  of  mass  segregation.  France  was  RQH RI WKH ÂżUVW QDWLRQV LQ (XURSH WR DGPLW permanent  immigrants  in  the  1960s,  yet  assimilation  has  been  almost  non-­existent  in  the  subsequent  decades.  This  is  because  France,  unlike  many  other  European  nations,  built  neighborhoods  and  sprawling Â

DSDUWPHQW FRPSOH[HV VSHFLÂżFDOO\ IRU new  arrivals.  What  became  known  as  the  suburbs  in  France  is  far  different  from  its  American  counterpart.  While  the  suburban  life  often  conjures  images  of  white-­ picket  fences  and  the  middle-­class  in  the  United  States,  the  French  think  of  poor  urban  planning  and  crumbling  concrete  apartment  complexes  built  between  the  1960s  and  1990s.  Around  the  picturesque  and  historic  city  centers  of  French  towns  and  cities,  vast  apartment  blocks  were  made  as  temporary  and  affordable  housing  to  those  new  to  French  society.  The  construction  of  these  buildings  signaled  to  native  residents  that  immigrants  would  be  arriving,  and  politicians  like  Nicolas  Sarkozy  gained  fame  by  attempting  to  block  their  construction  in  their  own  localities.  Since  their  initial  creation,  little  has  been  done  to  improve  the  aging  apartment  blocks,  and  this  neglect  has  trapped  many  in  increasingly  poor  housing  away  from  ethnic  French.      While  French  governmental  policy  has  failed  many  in  the  immigrant  community,  Muslim  immigrants  and  their  descendants  have  clashed  with  French  society  and  been  slow  to  embrace  European  values,  like  tolerance  and  secularism.  One  of  the  FODVVLF ÂżJKWV EHWZHHQ PDLQVWUHDP VRFLHW\ and  devout  Muslims  is  the  use  of  the  hijab.  Seen  by  the  French  as  a  danger  to  a  woman’s  rights,  the  full  headscarf  has  been  banned  in  public.  What  is  seen  as  liberating  to  many  in  France  has  been  interpreted  as  an  attack  on  Islam  to  many  in  the  immigrant  community.  Some  women  have  simply  refused  to  comply  with  the  law,  which  has  polarized  the  two  communities  even  further.  Old  laws  created  to  combat Â

Catholic  dominance  over  public  life,  like  year. a  ban  on  public  religious  worship,  have       The  violence  by  Islamic  extremists  also  been  shirked  by  many  practicing  against  the  Jewish  French  has  also  been  Muslims.  Prayer  services  in  some  cities  used  by  the  far-­right,  itself  often  anti-­ occur  in  public,  and  although  the  police  semitic,  as  an  excuse  to  further  exclude  avoid  arresting  praying  citizens,  the  act  has  the  Muslim  population  from  society.  â€œLe  provoked  outrage  on  the  right.  Beyond  the  suicide  françaisâ€?  was  a  No.  1  bestseller  in  clash  over  traditional  Muslim  values  that  to  France  last  year,  in  which  it  bemoaned  the  GR QRW ÂżW LQWR )UHQFK OLIH PDQ\ 0XVOLPV decline  of  French  culture  and  the  creeping  have  also  expressed  varying  degrees  of  threat  of  Islam.  Just  days  before  the  Charlie  intolerance,  and  youths  of  North  African  Hebdo  attacks,  another  popular  novel  with  origin  have  been  responsible  for  many  hate  the  title  â€œSubmissionâ€?  was  published.  Set  crimes  against  France’s  Jewish  community. in  2022,  it  imagines  a  France  so  overrun       In  fact,  violence  against  Jews  in  France  with  Muslim  immigrants  that  Sharia  Law  has  seen  a  sharp  rise  in  the  past  few  replaces  the  secular  French  ones.  This  fear  decades.  Although  Jewish  French  citizens  of  immigrants  among  the  ethnic  French  has  comprise  around  1%  of  the  population  of  worked  to  isolate  disillusioned  Muslims  France,  nearly  40%  of  hate  crimes  target  of  immigrant  origin,  slowing  integration  the  minority  group.  The  vast  majority  of  with  French  society  and  pushing  some  to  these  hate  crimes  have  been  committed  fundamentalist  Islam.  Although  the  attacks  by  young  French  citizens  of  immigrant  in  Paris  were  perpetrated  by  a  splinter  EDFNJURXQG 7KLV E\ QR PHDQV UHĂ€HFWV group  of  extremists,  the  terrorists  involved  the  attitudes  of  the  majority  of  French  were  all  born  and  raised  in  France,  a  society  Muslims,  however  many  Jewish  people  no  that  refused  to  accept  them. longer  feel  safe  in  their  home  country.  After  a  shooting  at  a  Jewish  school  in  Toulouse  killed  three  children  and  a  rabbi  earlier  this  year,  thousands  of  Jewish  French  decided  to  immigrate  to  Israel.  7,000  Jewish  people  left  France  for  Israel  in  2014,  and  more  moved  to  safer  countries  like  the  United  States  and  United  Kingdom.  Around  10,000  are  H[SHFWHG WR Ă€HH WKLV Prechi-Pracha 7KH UXQ GRZQ DSDUWPHQW EORFNV WKDW KRXVH )UDQFH¡V LPPLJUDQWV

POTUS Takes Executive Action on Illegal Immigration *HRUJH 5XELQ Âś

     On  July  1  2014,  a  group  of  140  immigrants,  consisting  mostly  of  women  and  children,  were  loaded  onto  three  Department  of  Homeland  Security  busses,  and  headed  for  processing  in  Murrieta,  California.  When  the  busses  arrived,  they  were  greeted  by  a  group  of  dozens  of  protesters  dressed  in  red  white  in  blue,  some  without  shirts,  KRLVWLQJ DPHULFDQ Ă€DJV LQ WKH DLU EORFNLQJ the  busses’  paths  and  chanting  nasty  anti-­ immigration  slurs.  In  the  end,  the  busses  were  forced  to  turn  around  and  bring  their  frightened  inhabitants  to  a  holding  facility  back  on  the  edge  of  the  US  Mexico  border  while  the  protesters,  feeling  empowered,  would  come  out  again  on  July  4th  &  7th,  protesting  every  72  hours  when  a  new  wave  of  undocumented  immigrants  were  shipped  LQWR 0XUULHWD WKH\ HYHQ KDG WKH QHUYH WR spit  on  a  pro-­immigration  advocate  who  came  to  argue  with  them.  Soon,  however, Â

The Murrieta protestors.

dozens  more  pro-­immigration  protestors  FDPH DQG WKH SURWHVW EHFDPH IXOO Ă€HGJHG clash  of  ideas.      Although  the  protests  in  Murrieta  were  an  issue  unto  themselves,  they  were  just  the  spark  for  the  media  to  delve  into  one  of  the  most  controversial  and  broken  government Â

systems:  our  immigration  system.  As  soon  as  news  of  the  protest  spread  around  the  country,  it  sparked  partisan  debate  over  who  was  to  blame  for  our  broken  system  and  what  we  could  do  about  it.      So  what  was  the  problem?  Despite  the  popularity  of  the  issue  in  the  media  over  the  past  summer,  the  problem  has  been  persisting  for  decades  and  current  immigration  crisis  of  undocumented  children  is  only  a  small  part  of  a  bigger  problem.  Tens  of  thousands  of  unaccompanied  children  from  El  Salvador,  Guatemala,  and  Honduras,  are  being  shipped  to  the  United  States  border  and  turning  themselves  in  to  the  United  6WDWHV ERUGHU SDWURO RIÂżFLDOV %HFDXVH RI a  bill  passed  with  bipartisan  support  and  signed  by  president  Bush  with  the  purpose  of  protecting  children  against  human  WUDIÂżFNLQJ XQDFFRPSDQLHG FKLOGUHQ IURP countries  not  adjacent  to  the  US  must  receive  a  trial  in  immigration  court  before  they  are  deported.  Since  getting  a  trial  could  take  three  years  or  longer,  the  children  are  put  in  the  custody  of  family  members  who  live  in  the  United  States  while  they  await  their  trial.  Their  ability  to  stay  in  the  US  with  family  members  for  years  creates  rumors  in  the  children’s  home  Associated Press countries  that  if  children  turn  themselves  in  at  the  border,  they  can  stay  here.      Conservatives  argue  that  the  crisis  is  President  Obama’s  fault  because  he  set  a  bad  example  by  halting  deportation  decisions,  in  2012,  for  immigrants  who  arrived  here  as  children  before  the  year Â

2007.  Democrats  argue  that  the  2008  bill  that  prevents  the  children  from  being  immediately  deported  is  to  blame  for  the  out  of  control  situation.  Despite  recent  lack  of  coverage  by  the  media,  this  issue  has  not  been  solved  and  remains  one  of  the  bigger  issues  behind  our  broken  system.      The  crisis  of  unaccompanied  children  just  brings  to  attention  the  even  larger  problem  of  millions  of  illegal  immigrants  who  are  currently  in  the  United  States.  It  is  unrealistic  to  deport  all  of  them  or  make  them  all  citizens.  Yet  now,  they  have  to  live  in  fear,  they  are  able  to  be  abused  by  their  employers  because  of  fear  that  their  employers  will  have  them  deported,  and  they  don’t  have  to  pay  taxes  nor  do  they  JHW JRYHUQPHQW EHQHÂżWV VXFK DV KHDOWK FDUH under  the  Affordable  Care  Act. 3DUWLVDQ FRQĂ€LFWV PDGH LW DOPRVW impossible  for  the  congress  to  pass  a  bipartisan  immigration  bill  to  reform  this  broken  system.  In  June  2013,  the  Senate  was  able  to  pass  a  monumental  reconstruction  of  our  immigration  system  with  bipartisan  support.  But  John  Boehner,  speaker  of  the  Republican-­led  House  of  Representatives,  refused  to  even  put  the  bill  to  a  vote  on  the  grounds  that  it  could  ruin  their  chances  for  reelection.  After  the  midterms,  during  which  Republicans  won  a  majority  in  the  Senate,  Boehner  again  refused  to  bring  the  bill  to  a  vote  in  the  House.       After  getting  no  bill  to  sign  from  Congress  as  well  as  not  getting  the  $3.8  billion  he  asked  Congress  to  better  secure  the  borders  and  to  expedite  deportation  and  trials  in  the  immigration  courts,  Obama  decided  in  November  to  take  executive  action.  What  this  meant  was  that  President  Obama  would  take  whatever  actions  he  could  without  the  authorization  of  Congress  in  order  to  reform  the  system.  On  November Â

20th,  Obama  addressed  the  nation  about  the  executive  actions  he  would  be  taking  because  of  congress’s  inability  to  pass  immigration  reform.  During  his  speech,  he  announced  that  people  who  have  been  in  America  for  the  past  5  years  or  longer  or  whose  children  were  citizens  of  the  United  States  would  have  deferred  deportation.  7KRVH ZKR TXDOLÂżHG DPRXQWHG WR DERXW million  who  wouldn’t  be  deported  but  they  DOVR ZRQÂśW JHW DQ\ JRYHUQPHQW EHQHÂżWV including  health  care.  Basically,  it  meant  that  they  could  come  out  of  the  shadows  and  cease  living  in  fear  but  that’s  it.       There  were  a  mainly  three  different  UHDFWLRQV WR WKH H[HFXWLYH DFWLRQ 7KH ÂżUVW ZDV VXSSRUW WKDW RXU JRYHUQPHQW ÂżQDOO\ did  something  to  improve  the  system.  In  CNNs  public  poll  on  Obama’s  actions,  41%  of  Americans  said  they  were  pleased  or  enthusiastic  about  the  actions.  The  second  reaction  was  a  conservative  opposition  to  the  actions.  Republicans  in  Congress  were  not  pleased  with  the  executive  response  and  many  said  Obama  was  acting  like  an  emperor  and  abusing  his  power.  About  43%  of  Americans  were  angry  or  displeased  about  the  presidents  executive  actions.  The  rest  of  Americans  thought  that  the  president  didn’t  go  far  enough  and  that  this  country  really  needs  comprehensive  immigration  reform  through  congress.       As  of  now,  the  114th  Congress  is  in  session  and  both  the  Senate  and  the  House  are  dominated  by  the  GOP.  Although  they  made  little  progress  otherwise,  Republicans  ended  their  retreat  in  Hershey,  PA  by  talking  about  making  another  attempt  at  ¿[LQJ RXU EURNHQ LPPLJUDWLRQ V\VWHP Republicans  acknowledged  that  they  have  not  handled  this  issue  well.  But  one  thing’s  for  sure:  They  need  to  pass  a  bill  by  the  2016  election.

Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.