Merionite December 2016

The Merionite

The official student newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 www.themerionite.org Volume 88, Issue 3 December 21, 2016

Ardmore, PA, 19003

Ardmore, PA 19003

Students protest for peace and equity Molly Gonzales ’17 Arts and Entertainment Editor On November 14 during Lunch and Learn, Students 4 Peace held a silent sit-in in the LM courtyard.

The “peaceful protest” pulled fifty students out of the cafeteria and onto the pavement, where they made posters, signs, and stickers regarding how they felt in response to the election. Poster and sticker-making supplies were scattered across the courtyard for anyone to use. A few brought posters from home. Amara Eke ’17 describes, “The sit-in meant a great deal to me. It made me feel very happy and very blessed to be around so many students and friends who genuinely care for each other. This gave me a greater sense

In response to the recent results of the presidential election, several LM students formed a new, non-school-affiliated organization called Students 4 Peace. This organization’s purpose is to promote equality, acceptance, unity, and love throughout LM and the community. Seniors Nina Finkle, Liz Ganon, Molly Gonzales, Alexandra Gordon, and Emily Harnett established Students 4 Peace not only to plan LM’s first ever peaceful sit-in, but also to keep members aware of other peaceful protests in the Philadelphia area.

After hearing hateful chatter in the library and cafeteria, the founders decided something needed to Students at LM’s peaceful sit-in made colorful be done. High school students could not change elec- posters reflecting their thoughts in reaction to tion results, the group realized, but they could spread the election. peace and unity within their community. Students 4 Photos by Sam Gamberg ’17/Staff Peace was created through a Facebook page during an early morning free, and quickly grew. By the end of of inclusivity and unity within our student body.” the week, over 150 members had liked the Facebook The event kicked off with speeches by Harnett and page. Gordon says, “Students 4 Peace was founded Gordon. Colorful posters illuminating LM’s equality to show that everyone has a voice, and that voice is and unity were held by students with phrases such as important. We are all here to listen and support each “Women’s rights are human rights!” and “LOVE IS other, and to learn to love and accept others regardless LOVE IS LOVE.” The response to the protest was overwhelmingly of differences.”

positive. Emma Noel ’19 explains, “I came to the sitin because I believe in making LM a more peaceful community, and in order to do so, we must lead with acceptance instead of hate. As of now, I am just trying to listen. Listen to all that have fought for equality, and to all that have faced discrimination.” Molly Kaiser ’18 adds, “The sit-in gave everyone an opportunity to reflect and come together. The sit-in demonstrated a lot of maturity and strength from the student body, and it made me really appreciate my peers.”

Stories of violent protests across America can be seen nearly every night on television and in newspapers and magazines. Demonstrations of hatred of the President-elect have spread across the country, even touching Philadelphia with anti-semitic graffiti and racially-targeted threats. Students 4 Peace believes that a peaceful demonstration can unify a divided school or nation. The organization hosted the sit-in to support all students regardless of their socioeconomic background, skin color, gender identity, or sexuality. Spreading love, equality, and acceptance is what Students 4 Peace aims to do, reminding students that their voices matter, and that students can make the LM community a safe and inclusive place.

Please see STUDENTS 4 PEACEon page 2

LM hosts annual blood drive

New STEM courses to be offerred Kathy Yao ’18

Grace Wei ’19 Since 1981, LM has held an annual blood drive to aid nearby hosptials in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. On Tuesday, November 15, LM hosted the 2016 Blood Drive in the Bryant Gymnasium. One pint of blood was collected from each student or staff member, each one ultimately saving three lives. The drive was a big event, and the gym was packed with students and faculty lying on stretchers, some anxious and some calm, ready to donate their blood to those in need.

Though many may not realize it, a big high school is actually an ideal place to hold a blood drive. With 1,378 students—more than half of which are qualified to donate—and more than 100 adult staff on board, LM is the perfect place to host a blood drive. As student volunteer Danielle Snyder ’19, explains, “LM has a big space with an even bigger number of students to donate blood.” In fact, the blood drive averages in collecting 140-170 pints per year. Just last year, 134 pints of blood were donated, saving the lives of 402 people. The blood drive holds a lot of significance for many LM students and faculty. Band teacher Joshua Cooperstein states, “It’s important to me that we do a blood drive here because my grandfather had leukemia. I hope that people see the need to donate, whether or not they themselves are personally affected.”

A lot of planning had to go into this massive event. For the past few years, the Blood Drive Committee has worked on the digitalization of the volunteer and donor information forms. This year’s drive was the first one in which all of the paperwork was digitized. Further planning included selecting the day of the drive. Supervisor Sandra Hoopes wanted to schedule it after the end of the quarter and just before

Between 2008 and 2018, the projected growth for STEM related jobs is seventeen percent, a significant amount compared to other fields where growth is expected to increase by only nine percent. Of the STEM jobs, however, 2.4 million of them are expected to be unfilled. Aware of this opportunity, LM has added two new STEM related courses. On November 21, the new courses were approved during a school board meeting. The new courses include a higher level computer science class, a coding course, and Communication Design, an art course. Computer science and math teacher Thomas Swope was the leading advocate for the computer science course, while art teachers Russ Loue and Benjamin Walsh pushed for Communication Design.

The purpose of the new computer science course will be to provide students who have completed Computer Science 1, Computer Science 2, and AP Computer Science prior to their senior year with an opportunity to continue their studies.

Over the past few years, the number of students taking the computer science courses at LM has grown exponentially. The new course will allow students to be more prepared after they graduate LM and move into this field. Swope and math department chair John Vaccaro proposed the addition of the course to the Supervisor of Secondary STEM, Jason Lilly. From the beginning, Lilly agreed with the new course proposal and wanted to see it through, so he moved for it to be approved on November 14. The final decision of approval was made in a meeting on November 21.

This new course will offer many different skills that was offered by the

Please see BLOOD DRIVE on page 4

NEWS Club updates Read about the recent events of Latin Club, Model United Nations, and Debate Club. page 3

OPINIONS No place for apathy Bethany Eldridge ’18 reflects on the response of LM to the election. page 6

FEATURES Make your own holiday memories Samantha Anderer ’20 talks about the difficulties of an annual holiday that she does not celebrate. page 9

Please see NEW COURSES on page 4

SPECIAL FEATURE An inside look at LM’s Special Education department pages 10,11,12

A&E LM student gets published Senior Vanessa Roser obtained a book deal for her coloring book featuring Greek mythology. page 14

SPORTS Boys’ basketball Get a closer look at the prospects of the upcoming boys’ basketball season.

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December 21, 2016

News The Merionite

LM hosts annual Maroon Madness Ziwen Zhou ’19 On Friday, December 2, LM hosted the twelfth annual Maroon Madness. This event is the won the NCAA championships for the Wildcats) and Josh Hart, another starter on the Villakick-off to the winter sports season and a fundraiser for a worthy cause: Coaches vs. Cancer. nova team, addressed the crowd. Reynolds expressed thanks to his coaches and his former The event has always had a great turnout and been widely acclaimed, and this year was no classmates for creating a positive environment where student-athletes could thrive and grow, exception: over 600 people showed up to support a common cause. both as competitors and as learners. In addition, he was honored with a plaque containing his The event began with a tailgate outside, with food generously provided by Kelly’s. It was jersey by his former coach Gregg Downer for his performance at LM and for his continued an opportunity for everyone to socialize and prepare themselves for the main event. Maroon success after graduation.

Madness was also a celebration of the beginning of the Then, this year’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams were holiday season and a time to decompress. Livening up introduced with a bang in the form of some skill contests. the tailgate was a performer who was actually playing There was a dunk contest between the members of the boys with fire. He displayed prodigious skill in juggling flambasketball team, with judging by Reynolds, the coaches, and ing objects that grew more and more numerous, yet he former basketball standout BJ Johnson. There were quite a kept it all under control. Everyone seemed relaxed and few highlight reel dunks, with many finding their way onto excited for the upcoming performances after a long and the crowd’s Instagram stories. The girls’ team had a no less strenuous week of school. electrifying three-point contest that came down to the wire.

This year, there were some particularly memoraAfterwards, there was an intrasquad scrimmage beble guest speakers and performers who filled the night tween the basketball teams. The crowds were regaled with with fun and excitement. Once the party moved inside a display of skill upon which he LM basketball teams have the Bryant Gymnasium, Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s come to pride themselves. In addition, as this match was University’s basketball coach, and Darryl Reynolds, an simply an exhibition, there was quite a lot of flair in shot LM alumnus who played for the championship-winning selection and dribbling moves. The Dawg Pound loved it, Villanova basketball squad, addressed the packed gym. enthusiastically cheering and yelling throughout the game.

Martelli, who is also the chair of the National Coaches vs.

Interspersed between these basketball demonstrations Cancer organization, delivered an empowering speech were intermissions of tug-of-war, dances by members of about the magnitude of the fight against cancer, and also winter track and the swim team, and a performance by rapcommended LM students for their willingness to be part Students dance to the hit song “Jordan Belfort” of per and LM alumnus Wes Walker. of a cause larger than themselves: helping people they LM Alumnus Wes Walker.

The dances in particular were acclaimed, mostly for their Photo courtesy of Tom Weishaar Photography silliness and comedic effect. Players also had excellent and had no connection to, yet doing it selflessly and without expectation of praise or reward. Martelli also thanked LM for being so active in the battle against flamboyant dances that livened up the mood. “The dances were hilarious, especially the wincancer and for getting involved, saying, “This student effort against cancer is extraordinary ter track one, and shoutout to the sophomores dancing!” said Nicholas Rhodes ’19. Diarmid and is to be copied all over the Delaware Valley.”

Rae ’19, who danced in front of the crowd as part of the track dance team, “had a great time,” Next, Reynolds, with his teammates Kris Jenkins (who scored the game-winning shot that and is “looking forward to doing it again next year.”

Junior advocates for tampon dispensers Minori Cohan ’18 Earlier this month, some may have noticed lan states,“I completely agreed with Ana that new installations in women’s bathrooms across it is important to have the dispensers in baththe school: tampon and pad dispensers. What rooms and that students should not have to trek many do not realize, though, is that it was not to the nurse’s office for such a necessary item.” the school board’s decision to install these; rath- She adds that Contreras’s advocacy has prompter, it was one of LM’s very own students whose ed her to begin the purchase and placement ideas and actions led to the installation. Ana of the dispensers in bathrooms beyond LM. Contreras ’18 was assigned a health project last Students, in general, feel excited about the year in which she had to select a health-relat- installations. Juliet Bogan ’19 reasons, “Aled issue in the school or in the community and though I’m reluctant to pay 25 cents for a pad, address it. She voiced that there was a major I fully support the installation of the dispensers problem with sanitary hygiene products not be- because just having access to the absolute necesing easily or readily accessible in a high school sities is important.” Claire Ochroch ’18 holds a with hundreds of students who need them. strong stance on this issue and explains, “I think Prior to this, if a student needed a tampon that it is extremely important to have dispensers or a pad, they would have available across the school. had to travel all the way to It makes both logical and the nurse’s office and spehygienic sense to have them. cifically ask for one. Not It shows that LM is willing to only is this situation unlisten to its students, which comfortable and awkward is incredibly important.” for the student, it also cuts Contreras herself into valuable class time. was both “surprised and Contreras expressed these shocked” to walk into a issues in her project, where bathroom one morning to she compared the impordiscover the addition of the tance of tampons to that of tampon and pad dispenstoilet paper. She explains, er. She had not heard from “You can’t help the fact Quinlan, or Superintendent that you get your period, Copeland, for a long period like you can’t help having of time regarding her letter, to go to the bathroom. It so she had believed that the makes having tampons matter had been dropped. available just as important She elaborates on her victoas having toilet paper availry, stating, “Being persistent Ana Contreras poses with the able.” Health and physical is extraordinarily important new dispensers now available education teacher Kathleen when asking for change.” in all the women’s restrooms.

Pisoni, inspired by ContreContreras had sent the letras’s advocacy and passion, Photo by Sam Gamberg/Staff ter multiple times, along encouraged her to send a with multiple emails to letter to the “higher-ups” in the school district in check in on the status of her efforts. order to convey these issues in hopes of action.

The recent installation of the sanitary hygiene Pisoni comments, “Ana wanted to make a product dispensers across the school reflects change, a good change, and a major part of this the ability of students in the district to make health unit was the importance of self-advocacy significant change for issues they feel strongly for the issues you believe in.” She assisted Con- about. Contreras remarks, “If you believe that treras in finding the right contacts, specifically there is something wrong, be proactive in speakTheresa Quinlan, the Lead Supervisor of School ing out and fixing it. You can’t rely on others to Health and Student Safety, who ultimately made fix the problem, because if everyone relied on the installations of the dispensers happen. Quin- each other to do it, nothing would get done.”

Students 4 peace Cont. from STUDENTS PROTEST FOR PEACE AND EQUITY page 1 Two weeks after the sit in, Students Advocating for Gender Equality (SAGE) and All Genders and Sexualities Aligned (AGSA) teamed up to host a forum in which students were invited to share their thoughts on the election. Held on Monday, November 21 in the Blackbox Theatre during lunch, students and faculty alike expressed how the election personally affected them. The forum was moderated by Andrea Wilson-Harvey, Harriton’s administrator for Partnering for Opportunity, Wisdom, Esteem in Responsibility (POWER) , and facilitated by LM student-run groups SAGE and AGSA. The forum emphasized the importance of hearing various opinions: some students expressed fear, others excitement with the election results. The purpose was for students to listen to other points of view while sharing their own. Co-President of AGSA Samuel Gamberg ’17 says, “The goal of SAGE’s and AGSA’s open election forum was to provide a space where students could engage in an open dialogue about their thoughts, feelings, and opinions about the results of the election. It was open to students with all types of political beliefs.”

Most of us are seeing a country more divided than ever before. Rather than cower or put our hands up in defeat, we as a school and community, are going the extra mile to ensure safety, acceptance, and equality.

New outreach program Julia Ochroch ’20 A common issue among children with autism, a disorder with unknown causes, is elopement. Elopement is known among the autism community as “wandering or bolting from an area without permission.” This is a prevalent fear among parents of children on the spectrum.

Until recently in Lower Merion Township, there was no mechanism by which police could get to know the children with tendencies to elope. In early November, a new program was implemented to solve this issue. The program allows parents of children on the spectrum to describe their children and their children’s conditions in emails to the police, even including photos of their children as attachments. So, in the event of elopement, the police will know who the child is and have the ability to respond more quickly and more in line with the child’s needs.

The program was created by Lower Merion community member Kate Galer.

She found her original inspiration from a child in nearby Reading, Pennsylvania who passed away as a result of eloping. She took this very personally, because she had been working with children on the spectrum for close to 23 years. In early 2015, she began the process of creating this program. Her ultimate goal was to find a more comprehensive approach between law enforcement, the district, and the children. Galer’s hard work paid off, because after a year, her dream was made a reality as the Outreach Program was put into place.

When asked what she was most proud of, Galer responded, “It’s so incredible that these kids know that it’s okay to be this person in their community, but also that others know that it’s important to not only accept them, but protect them.”

Galer continues to work to raise awareness and decrease fear for parents of children on the spectrum.

Now, parents are able to increase the safety of their child through a quick email to police@lowermerion.org. Heather Van Horn, Department Chair of Special Education at LM noted that she loves “the sense of community in Lower Merion” that was created by this program. As the township grows, so does its safety precautions; the police are doing everything in their power to keep all children, not just children on the spectrum, safe.

News

December 21, 2016

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The Merionite

LMSD’s test scores shine Julian Ginzburg ’19 Copyeditor

Every spring, thousands of students across the state of Pennsylvania trudge into school to take the dreaded state mandated assessments. Some, like the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSAs), are designed to rank schools in terms of their academic success.

Others, like the Keystone Exams, are designed to “assess proficiency in the subject areas of Algebra, Biology, and Literature.” Unlike the PSSAs, beginning with the class of 2019, students must reach proficiency on all Keystone Exams in order to graduate from high school.

After the Pennsylvania Department of Education overhauled their state standards and made the PSSA more rigorous in 2015, scores across the state suffered a significant decrease. For LMSD students, who historically achieve higher levels of proficiency than the state average, this year was no different. In almost all grades and subject categories on the PSSAs, the number of LMSD students’ who scored either proficient or advanced was about thirty points higher than the state average.

This was no surprise to LM Principal Sean Hughes, who commented, “LM exceeds the state level scores.”

When looking at how schools in the district performed against their respective counterparts, Bala Cynwyd Middle School had higher proficiency rates on all three PSSA assessments compared to Welsh Valley. In regard to the elementary schools, Merion Elementary School led both the math and science sec-

Katie Berg ’18

tions with 87.2 percent proficiency and 99 percent proficiency, respectively. Cynwyd Elementary led in English Language Arts with 92.8 percent proficiency. Finally, on the high school side, LM had higher proficiency ratings on the Algebra 1 and Biology sections of the Keystone Assessment with proficiency percentages of 91.8 percent and 91.5 percent, respectively. However, Harriton High School performed better on the Literature test with a 96 percent proficiency rate.

Doug Young, Director of Community Relations for the district, responded to the score increases, saying that “tests like the Keystones and PSSAs can provide helpful information, but should be considered as one data point in a larger, more holistic and longitudinal set of assessments.”

Young believes that this approach is reflected in the district’s day-to-day practices and is the very center of the district’s new strategic plan.

While many administrators, teachers, and parents may say that these state tests are rarely beneficial for students, they can be helpful for evaluating students and for preparing them for future tests. On the other hand, some argue that the time students spend taking these tests could be used to learn other material or to do more hands-on learning. With these viewpoints in mind, LMSD is taking steps to help students succeed while keeping the value of these assessments in perspective.

Latin Club Eric Liang ’18 LM sports teams always face off against competitors from other schools. This year, for the very first time, the LM Latin Club will join the sports teams in interscholastic competition with a match, featuring a trivia tournament called Certamen against Harriton High School.

Certamen is a trivia style competition that tests a student’s knowledge on a variety of topics ranging from Latin grammar to mythology to Roman history. On competition day, LM students will be in teams of four and will go head to head against a team of Harriton High School students. Accuracy is not the only factor in Certamen. Students must also take into account speed, as they will be asked twenty different toss-up questions. The winner of each toss-up question will get the chance to answer extra questions in bonus rounds where a crucial lead can be gained.

Beating school district rival Harriton will be no small feat for the LM Certamen team. LM students have already been working hard by studying and memorizing hundreds of Certamen questions in order to gain an advantage on competition day. “It’ll be hard, but in the long run it will pay off because we will learn a lot more about Rome and Latin that we usually wouldn’t learn in class,” says Mia Hodges ’18. Although the actual competition may be tense and stressful, the feeling in the room on practice days is quite the opposite. LM students make new friends every meeting, regardless of grade.

Hodges shares, “I think this is a great opportunity to get to know people and it’s a lot more fun than people realize.”

Rosalie Garrett, a Latin teacher at LM and club sponsor of Latin Club, wishes for all LM competitors to “enjoy and have fun! This is a new opportunity and I’m looking forward to it.” Let’s wish our Aces luck in the upcoming Latin Certamen competition against Harriton High School!

LM welcomes acclaimed rower On November 11 during Lunch and Learn, the an extremely rigorous lifestyle. Their work paid off, LM Social Studies department hosted a special pre- though, when they went on to defeat the best womsentation in which Sophie Socha, a member of a en’s crew teams at nationals in Lake Merritt, Califorfamed Philadelphia Girls Rowing Club team, came nia. to speak to students about her noteworthy experiFollowing their amazing win, they travelled to Vience. Over the summer, all LM and Harriton High chy, France to become the first American women’s School students were encouraged to read Daniel crew team to compete in an international compeJames Brown’s The Boys in the Boat, a heartwarm- tition, the European Rowing Championships. The ing story about the University women faced problems such of Washington crew team that as pessimism from the male won the 1936 Olympics. The dominated US Rowing hiernovel, selected by the Social archy, raising their own travel Studies Department, sparked funds, language barriers, and schoolwide conversation and unfamiliar, greasy food, difinterest about the exciting ferent from the controlled diworld of crew. ets they kept at home. Despite To build on such interest, the setbacks, Socha explained, Social Studies teacher Chad the women were not ready to Henneberry was able to ingive up. With persistence and vite Socha, explaining, when determination, they showed “reading about the challengeveryone that they could comes that the boys on the team pete with the best women’s faced to win nationals and team in the world in Vichy. compete in the Olympics, I Socha stated, “We were just began thinking back about the thinking about getting over experiences of Sophie Socha, the finish line first.” whom I knew from my childDuring the queshood and was the mother of tion-and-answer session of my closest friend growing up.” her presentation, a student Socha showed the students asked what advice Socha pictures and talked about her would give to young people experience on the team—both today. Socha responded, “Nevthe struggles and the succesPhoto by Sam Gamberg ’17 / Staff er take no for an answer. Roweses. ing marked my life. The solitude As Socha explained, the crew team was made on the water is something you just can’t beat.” up of local young women from middle class PhilaThe presentation reflected similar ideas as found delphian backgrounds. Shortly after the team’s for- in the summer reading. Henneberry explains, “I saw mation, the women were working countless hours connections between the journey of Joe Rantz and the every day on the water, lifting weights, and running. University of Washington team and the crew Sophie They were not allowed to own their own equipment rowed with here in Philadelphia.” Socha is a Bala Cynbecause of their gender, so they were forced to bor- wyd resident and remains the president of the Philarow it. Individually, the women had to keep up with delphia Girls Rowing Club on Boathouse Row.

Model United Nations Eliza Keefe ’20 Kicking off the school year with a trip to Temple University, LM’s Model United Nations (LMUN) team participated in their first conference on November 5. The club is a new addition to LM this year, as a part of the World Affairs Club, but as club founder Catherine McFarland ’18 explains, “this is not the first time many students have acted as delegates.”

At Temple University, LM students acting as delegates from countries around the world debated in their individual committees.

The majority of the delegates joined high school style committees such as Security Council and Food Administrative Organization, discussing topics ranging from gender equality to sanitations in developing countries to the refugee crisis. Other delegates joined college-style crisis committees, such as Lunar Colonization and the Collapse of Europe in 2040. These delegates had to “react to sporadic crisis updates and fight for the interests of their region,” explained LMUN member Roxanna Pasquier ’17. The committees sought to reach resolutions on the issues they were debating to close the conference.

The team proved their abilities with many members winning the coveted “gavel” or delegate award. After displaying their strength in their committees, members Teddy Einstein ’20 Daniel Gurevitch ’20, Will Kleeman ’20, Niklas Pant ’20, andDavid Sommer ’19, won Outstanding Delegate, while Henry Mills ’20 and Owen Warden ’20 won Honorable Mention.

Mary Pat McFarland, one of the club sponsors, noted that she was “very impressed with the early success of the delegation.”

With their continuous work, the LM Model UN club is a force to be reckoned with as it looks to compete again this spring.

Photo by Mary Pat McFarland LM delegates of the General Assembly discuss the situation in Kashmir.

Debate Club Zoe Kleeman ’18 A few weeks ago, LM had the honor of hosting the first Speech and Debate Tournament of the season. At the two-pronged tournament, LM hosted 250 students, representing thirteen local high schools to participate in this District Fifteen Pennsylvania High School Speech League event. There are currently four members of the LM speech team, “but we are always looking for more,” encouraged Natalie Kail, the speech coach. Utilizing their public speaking skills, students participating in speech division compete in either impromptu, poetry, prose, extemporaneous, or humorous categories.

Each debate participant competes in two debates in their preferred style of debate. There are three different kinds of debate available for students: Lincoln-Douglas (one against one), Public Forum (two against two) and Parliamentary (three against three). Julia Rosen ’18 prefers Lincoln-Douglas debate because “it is more value-based and you get to utilize philosophy, which I find very interesting.”

Within these categories of debate, students are given specific arguable topics, like the standard of searching students in schools. In all three styles of debate students must prepare both affirmative and negative arguments for the two different rounds. This gives the students a better understanding of how to formulate their argument because they are able anticipate what their opponent will say. Debate Club sponsor Mark Levy, explains that by participating in debate students acquire useful life skills such as “organizing ideas, thinking on their feet, teamwork and being able to use evidence to support their opinions.” Of the twenty person team, Levy said, “This is the biggest team we’ve had in many years and we are winning a lot.” Although there are no official league positions because the results are individual, Levy can note that “we have won far more than we have lost.” In the four upcoming debate tournaments this season, the LM team hopes to keep up their great success.

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News

December 21, 2016

The Merionite

New courses

Blood drive

levels’ curriculums. Specifically, the new computer science course will teach students skills such as writing iPhone apps and using xCode and the Swift programming language.

This class will be primarily projectbased. Students will spend a significant part of the course designing and implementing apps that they may be able to distribute through the app store. Halle Cooper ’18 says, “It seems a lot more like a course you wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to take until college. I like that it is so specific and has such a central theme, but is at the same time very open to creativity.”

The second course that was approved by the School Board, Communication Design, will be an art class with a specific curriculum.

Both art departments at LM and Harriton saw a need for a technology-integrated art course that would allow students to focus on graphic design, illustration, motion graphics, and interactive design. So for the past two years, the art departments at both schools have been working on a new course design. Members of the departments met and discussed curriculum needs and course developments. Teachers visited universities, researched student career choices, examined curriculums from surrounding districts, and discussed options with students. After all the research, the department decided on Communication Design. The Curriculum Supervisor for the Arts, Dr. Leslie Pratt, helped with the process and guided the curriculum development.

the winter sports season began, in order to ed in a delayed start of fifty minutes, during get as many students to donate as possible. which ten pints of blood could have been Hoopes also established a Board of Directors gathered and utilized to save thirty lives. As to lead the 60 volunteers and to coordinate all a result of the backup, some students had to of the jobs. In addition, the Blood Drive Com- wait for more than two hours to donate blood. mittee advertised the event throughout the Student volunteer and donor Mollie Katzen LM hallways and websites to draw both stu- ’19 says, “I checked in at 9:30 a.m., but I actudents and adults to the drive. The volunteers ally went at 1:45 p.m. Parents got to donate were trained through three meetings during before the students, and this annoyed some which they were shown a training video and student donors because they had classes to atwere taught how to respond in emergency tend.” Hoopes reported that while 135 donors situations, such as fainting. On the day of were registered, the extensive wait deterred the drive, many volunteers were assigned to 35 people with appointments from donating hold the hands blood. of the donors. As Although there student volunteer were delays and a Julia Kreuzer ’19 consequential deexplains, “Holdcrease in donors, ing their hands the American Red would calm them Cross was still and distract them able to collect a from watching lot of blood that the blood while will eventually be they’re on the used in emergency table.” Some volsituations.

Both unteers also manthe American Red aged the signing in Cross employees Student volunteers assist a donor during of donors while othand LM volunteers the annual blood drive event for the ers served snacks. will likely be more American Red Cross.

Sophie Hoffman equipped for next Photo by Sam Gamberg ’17/Staff year’s drive. As Hoff’17, President of the Blood Drive Committee, explains the variety man explains, “Each year we learn from the of volunteer positions, stating, “Each job is an last and make improvements to the drive.” important puzzle piece to make sure the day The 2016 Blood Drive totaled 125 pints of goes smoothly.” blood that will save 375 lives. And there are Despite the high number of volunteers other benefits in addition to the saving of and the meticulous planning, a few complica- lives. “Having a blood drive at LM allows stutions did arise at this year’s drive. As Hoopes dents to experience giving the ‘gift of life’ in explained, the American Red Cross arrived a familiar and safe environment,” remarks only 45 minutes prior to the start of the drive. Hoopes. Overall, the blood drive served the Upon their arrival, they were unable to sync dual purpose of bringing students and faculty their computers to LM’s internet system and together while stressing the importance of had to hotwire their computers. This result- giving to those in need.

Cont. from NEW STEM COURSES TO BE OFFERED, page 1 Communication Design will allow students to create projects in graphic design like logos, poster design, and visual app development.

Just as concept artists who work for video games or feature films do, students will also use Wacom Tablets to create digital illustrations. This will permit students to paint and draw directly in Photoshop. Students will also use dynamic motion graphics and interactive designs, making their work come alive. This new art course combines traditional and digital methods with the creativity of students’ imaginations. Walsh shares, “There will be a lot of freedom within projects for students to focus on their interests while developing their portfolio. No experience needed, only the will to be creative.”

With the growing impact of technology in the world, demand for workers in the STEM field is increasing. Josie Blumcwejg ’18 commented on how important it is to “teach the integration of design and computer science,” adding that “I think it’s really cool that we are offering an almost hybrid class at our school now.” The addition of a new computer science course and Communication Design will provide students with the ability to have a better understanding of STEM related fields and will help prepare them for when they graduate LM and enter into those professions. These new classes, both of which exist only because of very recent technological developments, reflect the district’s desire to prepare its students for the newest career fields.

Cont. from LM HOSTS ANNUAL BLOOD DRIVE, page 1

Opinions

December 21, 2016

5

The Merionite

The Merionite Official newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 www.themerionite.org Columbia Scholastic Press Assocation Silver Crown 2013 Editors in Chief Simone Burde ’17 Deepika Jonnalagadda ’17 Managing Editor Isabella Dumitrescu ’17 News Editors Nisha Arya ’18 Catherine McFarland ’18 Dora Nathans ’18

Editorial: Simple steps for LM to save the Earth LM has recently made important strides in becoming environmentally friendly. However, as a community, we have not been sufficiently aware of our environmental footprint.

Every day, the cafeteria distributes hundreds of styrofoam trays meant for carrying food throughout the school during lunch and learn. Styrofoam takes over 500 years to decompose, and each tray that we dispose of contributes to this never-ending cycle. To reduce our impact, it would be beneficial to use recyclable paper trays as a replacement.

Our recycling system also must be exam-

A&E Editors Molly Cutler ’19 Molly Gonzales ’17 Claire Ochroch ’18 Sports Editors Matt D’Aquila ’17 Kelly Harrigan ’17 Zack Slogoff ’18 Copy Editors Julian Ginzburg ’19 Kelsey Stanton ’18 Graphics Editors Sam Gamberg ’17 Vanessa Roser ’17 Web Editor Noah Rubin ’17 Business Manager Bradley Kaplan ’17 Advisor Charles Henneberry Assistant Advisor Laura Stiebitz Business Advisor Sean P. Flynn, Esq. The editors believe all facts presented in the newspaper to be accurate. The paper acknowledges that mistakes are possible and welcomes questions as to accuracy. Inquiries regarding accuracy should be directed to the editors of the paper. Editors can be contacted via e-mail at merionite@gmail.com or in Room 200A. To represent all viewpoints in the school community, The Merionite welcomes all letters to the editor. Letters can be sent via e-mail or dropped off outside The Merionite’s office. The Merionite reserves the right to edit letters to the editor for length or clarity. All unattributed images are courtesy of WikiCommons.

plastic water bottles to an augmented use of reusable water bottles. Right now, we only have two water bottle filling stations, both of which are located on the ground floor, far away from the classrooms where students spend most of their days. By adding more of these stations throughout the school, we could encourage students to bring their own water bottles and become more conscious of their environmental footprint.

Unsigned editorials reflect the general opinion of the staff and not the opinion of any single editor.

Bring more creative writing to LM

Op-Ed Editors Michael Cheng ’18 Nina McKay ’17 Sophie Roling ’18 Features Editors Bethany Eldridge ’18 Alexandra Hummel ’17 Julia Rosen ’18

ined. As of now, the vast majority of classrooms have one blue recycling bin. These bins are meant exclusively for paper, but people often deposit cans, bottles, and even trash in them as well. If there are too many non-paper items mixed in, custodians may be inclined to throw everything away. To prevent this outcome and make sorting easier, we could place a small yellow recycling bin in each classroom exclusively for plastic items in addition to the already existing blue bins.

One of the largest changes that our school could make would be working to switch from

Julia Rappaport ’18 “Words are a lens to focus one’s mind.”

(Ayn Rand) Creative writing is an outlet where people can express how they feel in a personal way. In elementary school, we had recess to allow our minds to rest and be imaginative.

By middle school, every minute of every day was structured, with no time for our minds to wander or create. Writing provides an avenue for children, teens, and even adults to find their identities, which, as high school students, we yearn to find. It also allows people to let their minds be free and creative, something that our society does not value quite enough as we get older. Creativity is one

of the most important aspects of life. So, why does our school not value creativity nearly as much as academic improvement? Creativity allows us to think outside the box, imagine life from different perspectives, and become interesting and fulfilling in a way that helps our minds flourish. To provide students this precious opportunity, this outlet, I propose that the school fully implements creative writing into all levels of the English curriculum.

As LM students, many of us feel near-constant pressure to maintain high grades on top of extracurricular activities. This leaves many of us essentially without an outlet from our stressful lives. Thankfully, writing is like yoga for the mind. With all the positive impacts that creative writing can have on students, such as time for reflection, I think it would be beneficial to institute it into our English curriculum in order to provide students with a time for serenity and self-reflection. Creative writing helps students step away from reality, build a sense of self, develop the ability to create relationships, and strengthen their reading and writing skills. Specifically, within passages they come across as English students, creative writing will help them be-

come more perceptive of several different viewpoints of other stories. Telling a story also teaches students organization and communication skills. While students can learn this through several different methods of writing, creative writing is something that students enjoy doing because it is where they can express their ideas in their own style.

This openness to testing out new approaches to writing can further assist students because it gives them the confidence to apply the skills they learn in class to their writing.

While LM does have a creative writing elective, there are only a certain number of people that can be admitted to the class because of limited space. However, even if there were no restriction to the number of students allowed to take the class, many students have not yet been exposed to the benefits of creative writing to know how therapeutic it is. Overall, it is important to give students the opportunity, both to write creatively and to learn to enjoy that process.

By allowing students a time to be creative, we will help our students succeed not only in school but also in life by finding new ways to express themselves and their emotions.

Letter-to-the-editor: Sensible, not gutless, gun reform

Letter-to-the-editor: Third parties are good for democracy

To the editor, In the October issue of The Merionite, there was an article arguing against sensible gun reforms. However, the article misrepresented the fundamental ideas behind gun reform. As a liberal, I can attest that I am not trying to “rationalize some deluded philosophy on human optimism.” I do not think that guns make the decisions to kill, nor do I want to “punish the whole for the actions of the few.” Too many Americans do not understand what gun reform is. They leap behind phrases like “the Democrats want to take your guns away!” without asking further questions, and they therefore do not hear the facts.

Gun reform does not mean banning all guns, nor setting the country on a path towards doing so. What many people do not understand is that gun reform is not about keeping the stable, law abiding citizens from obtaining guns; it is about keeping the non-stable, non-law abiding citizens from obtaining them. I resent the accusation of the author that Democrats are “gutless politicians” who “again and again resort to the horribly apologist practice of scapegoating.” Should we instead wait until the next inevitable act of violence, throw the murderer in our already overcrowded prisons, and then do it all over again?

After this election, it is more important than ever that Democrats and Republicans understand each other, and this article made it clear that they do not. Democrats do not want to rip up the Second Amendment and lock up your guns like this article seems to portray. While we have our disagreements, we all want to keep our country safe.

- Anna Barnett ’19

To the editor, The October edition of The Merionite contained an op-ed concerning the futility of supporting both Gary Johnson and third party candidates overall. The author argued that Gary Johnson, and therefore third party candidates in general, undermine the American electoral system and threaten American democracy by making it possible for a candidate to win without a majority of the popular vote.

Ensuring that the winning candidate earns a majority of the vote may seem important for the legitimacy of an election, especially when considering the strength of emotions many voters feel about their candidates. It is also easy to submerge oneself in the circumstances of the election and ignore the past, but the debate concerning third party candidates is one that has taken place since the earliest days of American democracy.

In general terms, the argument against third party candidates has always been connected to the necessity of a majority. However, it is critical to remember that although majorities are common in presidential elections, they are in no way required. A simple majority creates an inarguable winner, but it has major downfalls. It creates a rigid dichotomy in the choice of a candidate because candidates are often forced to cover the same archaic positions on the political spectrum. This slows progress, as established parties are unlikely to pick up on changes in public opinion if they lie outside the coverage of either candidate, and often leads to a dilemma for voters if neither of the two options are favorable.

These points are especially pressing considering the pace that information travels. In an era in which changes in public opinion can happen in days, it is vital that an effective democracy changes to represent the views of their constituency. A plurality vote better suits the needs of a country as diverse as the United States, as the encouragement of third party candidates creates competition, forces all sides to run more dynamic and attentive candidacies, and creates a government more representative of its people.

- Andres Bermudez ’19

Graphic by Vanessa Roser ’17

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December 21, 2016

Opinions

Honor our veterans

The Merionite

I spoke to other students about this issue and they were upset as well, but not for the same reason I am. They thought there should have been a moment of silence because these veterans had “died for our country.” That is not, however, the point of the holiday. Veterans Day is actually the anniversary of the end of World War I, honoring and remembering those who had come back from war. Memorial Day is the day honoring and remembering fallen Mia Hodges ’18 soldiers, Missing In Action, and PrisonLM did not acknowledge Veterans ers Of War. It’s disappointing that for an Day. It’s understandable that, unlike most incredibly educated and politically active American schools, we wouldn’t get the day student body, the majority of students off, as those have to focus on major relicannot make the distinction between holgious holidays. But there is no excuse not idays. to acknowledge those who have fought for Not many people these days call themour country. selves patriots. A lot of LM students don’t My father is a veteran. We relish Vetsay the Pledge of Allegiance. Many people erans Day because we sometimes get to on social media also refused to respect Vetsee him give a speech and afterwards, we erans Day because they no longer wanted search for restaurants that will give us to be a part of the US. Fortunately, some free food in his honor. It’s one of the few people of all parties fought back, saying traditions that my family has. I was fine that the election is no excuse not to support missing this. I have to go to school and I those who had tried to protect our country understood that I wouldn’t get my compliand faced atrocities at war. Veterans Day mentary burger this year. However, it was is not just to pay respect to those who had offensive that our school did not bother to come back from wars abroad, or even vetmention the importance of the day. erans at home. It’s to honor and also to Veterans have shaped LM’s society. acknowledge all victims of war, whether or Arnold Field is named after Henry H. Arnot they are American. It applies both to nold, a Five Star General of both the Air those fought and those protected by AmerForce and the Army. This man, an LM ican troops. It applies to those not having graduate, was not honored or recognized anything to do with American disputes. It at all on Veterans Day. He wasn’t the only pays respect to those who had faced the veteran to ever graduate from our school, worst and lived to tell about it. just as my brother and I are not the only LM forgot about them all. Our school children of veterans at LM. disrespected, disregarded, and dishonored Not honoring our veterans ignores the every single one of them. Even if it was briefcontributions of those who have fought ly mentioned on the morning announcefor this country. There was no announcements, that wouldn’t be enough; not every ment. There was no moment of silence. classroom watches the announcements, There was absolutely no sort of acknowland if it is played, it can be ignored or talkedgement. Although the calendar outside ed over. Everything they have fought for is of the guidance office had labeled Friday, forgotten, and even though we are just one November 11th as Veterans Day, the single school, it sheet of paper can affect is one of many the minds other “fun of all those facts” such as attending “International and how Donuts Day.” they see A day as imVeterans portant as this Day in the warrants more future, respect than whether to be hung on or not they a wall next to believe in “Talk Like a it now.

Graphic by Christopher Disantis ’20 Pirate Day.”

A matter of time

Dora Nathans ’18 News Editor Come junior year, many students across the country and practically all students at LM take one of two college entrance exams: the SAT or the ACT. These exams are offered on Saturday mornings and take, for most students, almost four hours. However, there is always a small group of students who will remain at the testing centers for a few additional hours: those who have been granted accommodations.

For both the SAT and the ACT, testing accommodations—which can come in many forms, including but not limited to increased time, the use of a four function calculator on a no-calculator math section, and permission to take the test over multiple days—were put in place to allow students with disabilities to accurately demonstrate their aptitude. When testing companies started granting accommodations, all tests that had been taken with accommodations were flagged for colleges to see. But after a lawsuit in 1999, both the College Board and ACT have stopped flagging these tests. This change was an admirable effort to prevent discrimination against those with disabilities, and as a result, many more students are willing to seek them. However, one unintended and unfortunate consequence of this change in policy is the abuse of the system: the seeking of accommodations by those who do not truly need them, and the economic disparity between those who can access them and the rest of the country.

Despite the fact that testing accommodations affect so many people, national discussion about this topic is surprisingly limited.

First, hard data on this subject are lacking; College Board is not a federal agency, so it is not legally required to release data. Second, while we live in a culture that, on the positive side, has embraced the notion that we should be accepting and supporting of those with disabilities, on the negative side, it has made it extremely difficult for anyone to question the legitimacy of a disability without being seen as unsympathetic and discriminatory.

A letter to LM

Bethany Eldridge ’18 Features Editor I am more privileged than most. I am white, middle class, cisgendered, and Christian. However, I am also a gay woman, and I am tired. It has been weeks since the election, and I have endured feelings of grief, of anger, of sadness. Feelings of fear.

I feel exhausted, and I hope that our school realizes that people who were used as tokens in Donald Trump’s hateful campaign need to be able to feel tired. It was just days after the election when multiple teachers came up to me, a gay young woman who is not yet of legal voting age, and told me to smile or to move on. Well let me tell you this, LM: I will not move on.

I will not ignore Mike Pence’s conversion therapy promotions, nor will I ignore Trump’s Islamophobia and his neglect of black and trans lives. I will not just place this election behind me and act like my normal, happy self.

Please, LM, let us feel. I feel tired. I am sure that many others feel the same. I feel worn out from seeing women’s names in the background of our curricula in school and then having a man like Trump perpetuate that ideals like these are okay, because they are not.

I will not move on, and neither should you. We may not have a woman president, and we may have a bigoted, sexist pig-man in charge, but we can do something. Teach the fourteen-year-old freshmen girls at our school that they are needed in positions of power. Tell the Islamic students in our schools that they can safely wear their hijabs. Ensure the Jewish students that the school will address the antisemitism that has occurred in our communities after this hard election.

We need to actively speak out against oppression because nothing can be assumed for us anymore. We are not just a political

topic. We are people and our lives matter.

What do I mean by a political topic?

I mean that we are not something that should or could be argued. We are human.

Each of us. We may be young, but we are impacted, and some of us have been in the background our whole lives. Some of us have to actively search for role models and people we can relate to, especially in a time where there are fewer and fewer to find in our own national government. This can be so terribly lonesome.

Some days are hard. The Wednesday after election day was one of those days, and I was really searching for more than a newsletter or a few guilty smiles from my classmates. I want more than that sign on teachers’ doors that promotes safety. I want verbal commitment. I want books with people like me in them. I want teachers who do not ignore the fact that this election has promoted hate crimes. I want there to be the same kind of announcements and acknowledgments on the loudspeaker that we got after the shooting in France for all of the black lives that are lost everyday to gun violence and for the trans women who have been killed by our society time after time

Although data are difficult to obtain, former Lower Merion resident Samuel Abrams (now a professor at Sarah Lawrence College) has presented research on this issue.

Based on limited data from 1999, Abrams observed an interesting discrepancy. At that time, only two percent of students who took the SAT received extra time. Furthermore, students who received extra time consistently scored lower as a group than did the students who did not receive it. Abrams noticed, however, that in the District of Columbia—for which College Board published separate data, as it is technically a separate jurisdiction—a different pattern emerged.

In DC, the percentage of students receiving extra time was almost nine percent. These accommodated students’ average score was significantly higher than both the DC average and the national average. Since DC is a highly segregated city with big discrepancies in wealth, Abrams hypothesized that the majority of DC students receiving extra time were wealthy students whose parents knew how to secure accommodations. Because these students did so well, he speculated that they may not actually have disabilities.

As Abrams explains, “if accommodations are there to level the playing fields, then students who are scoring very high with accommodations certainly raise questions.”

Getting accommodations is not so simple, however: College Board requires extensive documentation and testing. Obtaining this documentation frequently involves a private assessment which can be time consuming and very costly. For example, the Study Institute at Bryn Mawr College charges $3500 for a full battery assessment, which is often required to secure accomodations. As a result, poor students are at an extreme disadvantage. Theoretically, a student of any economic position could request an evaluation from his or her public school, but budget cuts have led many schools to significantly cut back on the tests they are able to perform. Furthermore, one can’t help but wonder that if someone is paying such a large amount of money for a private evaluation, this creates a situation in which the practitioner feels somewhat obligated to provide a diagnosis. It is ironic and disheartening that the College Board’s attempt to level the playing field has actually resulted in greater inequality.

It is not just poor students who suffer from the abuse of this system; students with genuine disabilities are negatively impacted, too. In the literal sense, considering SAT and ACT scores are based off of percentile

Please see EXTRA TIME on page 7

without recognition. I want justice.

I do not want the validity of my identity to be argued over in class, in the hallways, or in the school newspaper. My ability to marry the person I love should no longer be a point of contention. I do not want people to think they can police how I react to injustice and prejudice. Nobody wants to be a point of controversy. We pride ourselves on being a liberal oasis and on having a school that is an accepting place, but we cannot just pat ourselves on the back because we are not outwardly racist, homophobic, islamophobic, or transphobic. No. We have to be more outspoken and supportive of each other. It starts with teachers, it ends with students. We can make a change.

There are hundreds of students in our school. We may be young, but we all have a different story. Do not tell me to smile; do not tell me to get over it. Join me in this battle and make a difference. Donate to causes that Trump has threatened in his campaign, speak out to your friends and your family, make everybody feel loved and recognize your privilege. We cannot settle when it comes to students’ lives. We just cannot.

Opinions

December 21, 2016

7

The Merionite

Bursting the LM bubble

Julia Rosen ’18 Features Editor A few weeks ago, I went to a religious school high school for a debate tournament.

Aesthetically, there were many things that set it apart from what I was used to. As I walked through the halls, I was greeted by a larger-than-life statue of the Virgin Mary and affirmations of the Catholic faith. While this was not what I was used to seeing on my daily walks through the halls, it did not seem especially ludicrous. Catholic memorabilia was to be expected in this setting. But there was one thing in particular that stood out to me. Tacked onto the blackboard in the front of the class was a large powder blue poster with white cursive, reading, “Pray for an end to abortion.”

The statement on the poster was surprising. It seemed like too strong a viewpoint to be enforced in an academic setting. I have gone to public school virtually all my life, and at first, I used this as an explanation for my surprise when seeing the poster. However, as I thought more about it, it seemed to be violating the very ideals I had grown up to know: secularity in schools, a constitutional separation of Church and State. I came to realize this was not entirely the case. This was not a matter of secularity at all.

Still, I wondered, what was the right of this school to enforce this viewpoint? Was this blatant opinionated statement at all in their jurisdiction? Immediately after asking

myself this question I came to a very important conclusion. Who am I to judge? Abortion is a political issue, and a very controversial one at that. In the Catholic religion, there is an emphasis on the pro-life perspective; this is known. While personally I do not align with this course of belief, I acknowledge its validity. It regards an issue of life— not something to be taken lightly.

While at first it seemed aggressive and overbearing to have the walls of a place of education sporting these opinions, there is a simple explanation: my outsider’s perspective. Yes, anti-abortion statements seem crazy coming from the liberal LM outlook, but on the flip side our “ultra-progressiveness” would have the same effect to those of a more conservative view. I wondered, how different was this social issue being propagated than those I see daily? There is really no way to tell, as there is no basis for comparison.

When I saw an opposing political opinion being propagated, I questioned it. I did this because I have grown up in an environment that has cultured me to have a particular kind of opinion, one that has not necessarily taught me to respect the ideas of those that are different than mine. I do not believe this to be specific to where we live; it is a universal phenomenon. This is what strikes me as problematic. I will admit that I still struggle to accept that opinions contrary to mine exist. What I have realized, though, is this does not at all affect whether or not they do actually exist.

My experience, and the initial bewilderment it caused me, brought me to one final revelation. Previously, I had considered an outlook of tolerance to be one of the ideas I hold to be true (my ultra-progressive LM outlook, per se). I now acknowledge that tolerance is accepting that there are those who do not share my beliefs, and never will.

Accepting this is the key to creating a more harmonic society.

ities. I believe that if a disability prevents an individual from demonstrating his or her true aptitude, then the use of accommodations is certainly merited. And I support the decision of College Board and ACT to stop flagging these tests, as that was creating a system of discrimination from which students with disabilities were unable to escape.

What I am against is the deliberate abuse of this honorable system by students who do not have real disabilities but who simply want to increase their scores in order to be admitted to the most competitive colleges and universities.

On November 8, America chose President-elect Donald Trump. In the days after this shocking election, the streets of most major cities were filled with rioters. Some minorities fear that Donald Trump will act unfavorably towards them; the Republican establishment fears that Donald Trump is too much of a loose cannon; the Democrats fear the guaranteed two years of Republican control. Since Trump has to share power, is currently patching things up with the establishment, and is willing to cooperate, no one should fear a Trump presidency.

Many would say that minorities should fear a Trump presidency due to the opinion that Trump is a racist. For so long, the media has portrayed Donald J. Trump as the second Hitler. News sites like the Washington Post, Huffington Post, Philadelphia Magazine, and the New York Times have either subtly or blatantly made this comparison. Many celebrities like Cher, Louis C.K., Eva Longoria, Trevor Noah, Miley Cyrus, etc. have followed suit. When so many groups and people are echoing the same belief, it is hard not to agree. Even if Trump has racist beliefs—which he does not—there is no need to fear. In the United States of America, our Constitution prevents the President from committing egregious acts.

Our Constitution sets up separations of power which prevent one man from having too much control. Trump cannot round up all the illegal immigrants or create a Muslim registry because he shares power with Congress. The Republican establishment is also against a Muslim registry and a deportation force. Even if Congress approved these measures, these bills would be sued and subsequently declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, a ruling even the president cannot revoke. Overall, it would be extremely hard for Trump to successfully impose his will upon the nation. Our government works in a manner that would prevent even Hitler from committing genocide.

Trump is the most independent candidate to have run for the Republican nomination since the creation of the political parties in America. Over the past

year, Trump’s own party has attempted to neuter his campaign. They have refused to endorse, refused to vote, and refused to campaign with him. In addition, Trump has been under constant attack from the Democratic establishment and their allies.

The Republican establishment fears that Trump will make a mockery of the party and act as a loose cannon. This fear is not unfounded. Trump says whatever comes to his mind and supports protectionism and an increased minimum wage, which are two major parts of the Democratic platform. As we all know, Trump became president by bashing the establishment of both parties. To quote Jeb Bush, Trump is a “chaos candidate”. Trump claims to be the “master of the deal,” but will have to prove this statement given that he lacks support from either party. In the Senate, there is a popular tactic known as the filibuster which prevents voting on a new bill unless sixty senators vote to remove the filibuster. Even if Trump had every Republican senator, he still requires eight additional senators, in order to get anything passed.

Following the election, our President-elect has gained the support of senators by compromising. He is compromising with the Republicans by giving them key seats in the Cabinet and on the Supreme Court. He, along with Paul Ryan, has also promised to unite the party. On the other hand, Trump is compromising with the Democrats by neglecting to get rid of Obamacare, keeping gay marriage, and talking with Obama. But since Trump differs with the Republican establishment on many issues, Trump will find himself having to make deals with both sides of the spectrum. This prevents him from getting a lot done. No matter how good he is at making deals, he will need to concede on many important issues.

Even if you disagree with Trump, there is plenty of good he will do for our country.

According to the Tax Foundation, Trump’s tax plan would increase the GDP by eleven percent, increase wages by 6.5 percent, and add 5.3 million more full-time employees.

Trump believes in attacking the ISIS oil reserves in order to bankrupt ISIS, which is more effective than our current ineffective policy of sanctions. Remember that Trump had higher margins with black and hispanic voters than Mitt Romney, and according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, most of the south, which voted Trump, is less white than the rest of America. So, maybe we should give Trump a chance. In the next four years we will see Trump’s true colors, and hopefully they are red, white and blue.

moting free trade. But Trump by no means holds any stable values or opinions, and actually acts somewhat like a third party candidate. The only entities that held his campaign together were his five promises to America: build a wall across the Mexican border, put Hillary Clinton in jail, temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States, repeal the Affordable Care Act, and unravel the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

It is amazing how three-fifths of a winning presidential campaign consist of persecuting an ethnicity, a religion, and a political party.

An era of progression seems to be on a downward slope in light of these pursuits along with the support they have received. Yet even the promises that overwhelmed his hats and t-shirts are in a dynamic state. For instance, in spite of his original claim stating that Mexico will pay for the wall, he now says that America will be the one to take the burden.

It will be a costly construction, forcing taxes to rise—the inverse of various assertions made during his campaign also announced that we will be reimbursed by Mexico upon completion, an unlikely event to occur when referring to the President of Mexico’s past

declarations saying he will not provide any financial support towards this act of isolation.

The President-elect also plans to deport an estimated eleven million undocumented immigrants, including the family members of LM students, out of America—an idea that is both economically controversial and emotionally painful. Secondly, there is absolutely no way a president should file a lawsuit against someone while he is in office. He has no idea what the job entails. He believes there is time to hire a special prosecutor and it seems as though he realized that due to recent announcements abolishing the “lock her up” movement. Thirdly, he has also changed his ideas for banning Islam in the United States, saying that “extreme vetting” will be applied to people from certain countries, and of course has given no other details about what countries these would be or what “extreme vetting” involves. His fourth promise was to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which is a good thing for people who already have access to health insurance and see Obamacare as money lost on a paycheck.

But, for 21 million Americans, it is something they depend on.

Trump stated that he plans to swap

Obamacare with something else but has not given any details on that. Health insurance should be every American’s right, and while there are many issues in the Affordable Care Act, taking away 21 million people’s health insurance is the cruelest way to fix them.

Sadly, we must accept that a person who has defied the polls and predictions, who is inarticulate and ignorant about nearly every aspect of government, and whose constant trivial and over-sexualized comments flooded the media will be the next President of the United States.

Now is not the time to protest and deny that he is our President. Rather, now is the time to ensure that he does not stomp upon the values of the Democrats, for an auspicious four years is impossible without a beratement from the left side. We must pay close attention to the upcoming midterm elections in order to rebuild Congress in favor of the Democrats. We must go out and vote—something almost all LM students will be able to do in four years or less. This is not the demise of America, but rather a test of endurance to prove how hard we can strive to achieve greatness even when the odds are not in our favor.

Extra time

Cont. from A MATTER OF TIME, page 6

rankings, students who are able to boost their scores with unneeded accommodations directly lower the scores of everyone else. And in a less direct way, those who receive accommodations without a real need for them are undermining the very system that helps these disabled students. In fact, in recent years, College Board has made it more difficult for anyone to receive extra time—possibly as a result of abuse of the system—which puts more of a strain on those who really need it.

To clarify, I am not against the giving of accommodations to those with real disabil-

Caleb Shack ’19 “Being a Mexican American, it is very concerning to see a person like this come to office…my family is in danger.”

This is a direct quote from a LM student and it says it all. It speaks volumes for even the most optimistic of people who have attempted to dodge what the President-elect has stated. However, he has managed to hit the right targets: those composed of wealthy people looking for tax breaks, typical rural Americans, and the working-class who fear their jobs will be sent to Mexico. Many voters were normal Republicans who were electing a representative to support their shared values such as keeping the Second Amendment unchanged, abolishing Roe v. Wade, and pro-

Never fear, Trump is here

David Sommer ’19

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December 21, 2016

Features The Merionite

Latkes frying on an open fire, dreidels landing on gimmel Samantha Anderer ’20 For most of November, and the entirety of December, Christmas is unavoidable.

Trees and lampposts are strung with lights and tinsel, and Mariah Carey holiday songs trickle incessantly out of store speakers and onto the streets. For some, it’s the highlight of their year. But for those of us who don’t celebrate Christmas, it gets old pretty quickly.

Growing up Jewish, I was never very interested in Christmas. In my eyes, Hanukkah was just as good, if not better. Despite the joy my own holiday gave me, I could not help but get annoyed by the Christmas spectacles that surrounded me. The entire world was decked out in red and green, and the only hint that Hanukkah existed came from a token hanukiah collecting dust in a corner. I was happy with what I had, but at the same time I felt like I was missing so much. There just seemed to be so much more to Christmas—it seemed almost larger than life. As I grew up, I began to realize that in the grand scheme of things, Hanukkah and Christmas really weren’t viewed as equal in the eyes of society.

Despite my contentment with Hanukkah, I’ll admit there were times when I wanted to be a part of the Christmas spirit. I wanted to decorate a tree. I wanted to finally be able to browse the aisles and aisles spilling over with Christmas-themed goods instead of glancing by the plain Hanukkah shelf. Most of all, I wanted to feel the thrill of rushing down the stairs on Christmas morning, where I would be greeted with mountains of perfectly wrapped presents.

Celebrating Christmas didn’t seem like it should be a problem. My dad had grown up Catholic before converting to Judaism, so Christmas is still celebrated by some members of my extended family. But whenever I harmlessly asked about celebrating or getting a tree, it was clear the topic was not up for discussion.

When I spoke to my dad about this, he said he actually would have liked for us to celebrate. Some of his best memories growing up were from Christmas. At the same time, he also knew that my mom was strongly against it. It seemed unreasonable at the time, but now I think I understand. My mom did not want me to feel obligated to do what everyone else was doing. Celebrating Christmas may be a big and exciting part of society, but it doesn’t carry any meaning in our family. The Jewish traditions do. I think my mom wanted me to be happy with my own traditions, and not to feel like they weren’t good enough. Sure, Hanukkah might not be a big deal in the eyes of society, but it is in the eyes of the Jewish people. Just like my ancestors before me, I celebrate the victory of the Maccabees, and the unlikely miracle of the oil that burned for eight days.

Over the river and through the city, to the Christmas Village you’ll go . . .

I have been making my own holiday memories since the year I was born.

Memories of latkes frying in oil, the victorious feeling when the dreidel lands on gimmel, and watching the candles slowly melt until the final flame extinguishes itself.

Now, I do not think it’s wrong to celebrate Christmas as a non-Christian.

It’s always beneficial to expose yourself to new aspects of a culture, and many Christmas traditions now are fairly commercialized and secular. But at the same time, observing the traditions of your own culture tends to be more meaningful. Be proud of your identity. Even Hanukkah is fairly well-recognized compared to other religious holidays.

Holidays such as Eid, Diwali, and other holidays from religions that are not as common in the US often go unrecognized. That should not diminish their importance. Yes, it is unlikely that Hanukkah will ever be as large of an event as Christmas, but to me, it holds pertinent sentimental value. That is what matters most.

Graphic by Josie Blumencwejg

Don’t let

Sydney Barton ’20 It’s the holiday season once again. Christmas music blasts on every radio station, and shopping malls have mistletoe and festive ribbons plastered all over the walls. These festivities can be found anywhere during this time of year. Some traditions, however, are specific to Philadelphia. One of these is the Christmas Village. The Christmas Village is a special part of our city’s celebration of the holiday season. There is nothing like it. It is open every day from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve and admission is free. Located in the heart of the city, near City Hall, the Village’s German roots are noticeable in all aspects of the festival. It has over eighty booths full of a variety of food, apparel, and artisan gifts.

Get you down Julia Rosen ’18 Features Editor

Photo courtesy of Marisa Fischetti/uwishuknu.com Every year the Christkind recites a prologue to open the market. Represented by a woman with long blonde curls and a long white dress with golden stars and a crown, the Christkind is the German equivalent of Santa and symbolizes the spirit of Christmas. The speech acts as a heart-warming reminder of the joys of the holiday season. The Christkind is not the only product of the German influence at the festival; it is prevalent in the food options as well. Stollen and lebkuchen, a kind of German bread with a sweet nutty taste, can be found at multiple booths. They are often covered with powdered sugar or icing.

Besides the aforementioned German cuisine, there are French crepes, Austrian strudel, Belgian waffles, funnel cake, fudge, and Philadelphia’s famous soft pretzels. There are also booths representing Russian, Mexican, and Ukrainian cultures. An additional number of booths are dedicated to those selling general arts and crafts, such as vintage photos and birdhouses. Handmade jewelry from Nepal and India, Alpaca fiber sweaters, Irish capes and Moroccan shawls are among the stands included in this category.

If you want to have a fun, German-inspired holiday with lots of food and gifts, go out and enjoy Philadelphia’s unique festivities!

In the words of every Game of Thrones character, “Winter is coming.” Just like in Westeros, winter brings with it feelings of apprehension—for a very good reason. As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, we all get a tad more passive-aggressive. As much as you think it might just be in your head, I promise you, it’s not. There is a legitimate reason—the struggle is actually real. Seasonal Affective Disorder or “SAD,” can be summed up as depression that is triggered by the changing of seasons.

It may seem like a simple issue, to which the only solution is buttoning your coat all the way up and praying that there won’t be six more weeks of winter. Thankfully, there are actual solutions to the so-called winter blues. Just like any other form of depression, medication can be prescribed to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder, as well as many forms of therapy. Specifically, phototherapy and psychotherapy are the most effective.

Phototherapy, in the form of a light box (like the ones used in photo studios), can offer relief by stimulating nerves in the retina that connect to the hypothalamus. This aids in the regulation of circadian rhythms, otherwise known as your sleep patterns. It also conveys an overall tone of warm and happiness.

Some people get nervous just hearing the word “psychotherapy.”

While psychotherapy might seem excessive for something that seems so trivial, SAD is a serious thing, and there’s no shame in seeking treatment. Also, psychotherapy isn’t as scary as it sounds. There’s no shock treatment, I promise.

If you get down in the dumps once the temperature drops, just know that you are not alone. As many as twenty percent of Americans may be affected by SAD. Making an effort to do things that make you happy during this time of year is as important as any other time. Go outside and build a snowman! Don’t let the cold take control of your life. SAD is real, and there’s no shame in speaking up about it.

Features

Toasty recipes for the holiday season

The Merionite

Aviva Weinstein ’19 Around the world, the start of the winter season brings a certain energy. It is a time of family gatherings, sledding, hot chocolate, and traveling. It is the quintessential season of joy. For many people, one essential aspect of the winter holidays, is the special recipes that are passed down from generation to generation. Every winter, Grandma brings out her famous chocolate chip cookie recipe, Dad flips the sizzling latkes on the stove, Uncles prepare the Christmas Ham, and houses across the world are filled with the sweet aromas of cooking.

Sometimes, after years of repitition, the traditional dishes start to become boring, rather than memorable. Although traditional dishes are important, it is always fun to bring a new recipe to the table. Here are some cool recipe ideas for this year’s upcoming holidays to spice things up at your family table, and maybe create a new tradition that you can pass down from generation to generation!

December 21, 2016

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What to do when they give you socks Bethany Eldridge ’18 Features Editor

I had an unfortunate situation one Christmas Day, circa 2009.

First, we need some background of what kind of kid I was. To start, I wore my hair in a tight ponytail, brushed out all my hair with an actual brush (every curly-haired girl understands the atrocity of this habit), and refused to wear anything except for basketball shorts and oversized t-shirts. Keeping this in mind, one Christmas day, I noticed a present under the tree with a label bearing my name.

I opened it, enthusiastically ripping the present with the positive energy of a child who has not yet been exposed to the real traumas of the world.

And what lay beneath that holly paper?

A pink sparkly sweater.

Seems innocent right? Wrong. I hated pink! And I doubly-hated sparkles!

In fact, I still dislike pink (and sparkles), but at the time, it was truly pure, unadulterated anger.

So the way I responded should not surprise you. It went something like “uh… thanks.” Although I did recognize my anger, I do wish that I had known a better way to react, so that the innocent gift my grandfather gave me would not make him feel like a Grinch on Christmas. So, I have spent the next eight years formulating the perfect way to react to a bad present, just in case he decides to get the matching gloves/ mitten set to that terrible sweater.

Hopefully, these tips may help you in a similar situation this holiday season!

Mom’s potato latkes: Three cups shredded potato 1/4 cup grated onion Two eggs, beaten Six saltine crackers, or as needed, crushed One teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or as needed Directions: 1. Mix the potato, onion, eggs, crackers, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.

2. Pour enough vegetable oil into a skillet to fill it to about 1/2-inch deep; heat the oil over medium-high heat.

3. Drop spoonfuls of the potato mixture, first pressing the potato mixture against the side of the bowl to remove excess liquid, into the hot oil; slightly flatten the latkes into the oil with the back of your spoon so they are evenly thick.

4. Cook the latkes in hot oil until browned and crisp about three to five

Expect the unexpected. This is coming from somebody who witnessed an anonymous family member (ok, hint, she gave birth to me) get teeth-whitening strips wrapped up in red paper under the tree. You need to expect the worst before you get ready to rip open that paper. Don’t think that you are getting exactly what is on your wish list every time you open something; expect to be disappointed.

Practice your game face. Although it may seem weird, before any holiday where there will be presents exchanged, go find a secluded mirror, imagine that you are the one receiving those teeth whitening strips, and practice that winning smile without a grimace. The more trials, the better.

Note your routine. If you got one present from your friend that you genuinely loved and gave them a huge hug, keep up this routine for the present that was not as grand. This will help mask any kind of grimace that might be residing in your eyes.

Do not overthink it! Smile after every present you receive and be happy that you have the privilege to give and receive that present! Be gracious and thankful and you will have a great and healthy holiday! (Those teeth-whitening strips have gotten A LOT of laughs over the years!)

minutes per side. Drain the latkes on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Peppermint bark: Crushed candy canes, to yield one cup Two pounds white chocolate Peppermint flavorings, optional Directions: 1. Place the candy canes in a plastic bag and hammer them into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

2. Combine the candy cane chunks with the chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired). Pour the mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm.

3. Remove the bark from the cookie sheet and break it into pieces (like peanut brittle).

Graphics by Sihan Wu ’19

Graphic by Vanessa Roser ’17

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December 21, 2016

Special Feature The Merionite

Welcome to the Special Education Department...

Tucked away in the second-floor physics hallway, one of the home bases of the Special Education Department is a microcosm of life at LM, consisting of stress about math class, cheerful free-time conversation, and deep learning for each and every student.

All aspects of our Special Education program converge towards one goal: meeting the individual needs of each student to develop independence. Each student who takes a Special Education class has a personalized transition plan for their lives after high school. Driven by these plans, the department takes a collaborative approach to building tactical, technological, and economic life skills, including speech and language, and even emotional support. These comprehensive classes aim to prepare students for employment or college experiences once they graduate. Therefore their schedules cater to their own strengths and interests. Relationships of all kinds are a huge focus as well, and the department works closely with social clubs like Best Buddies and Friendship Club to encourage trust and camaraderie between students of all abilities within our building. Overall, the Special Education staff work to better incorporate the students in their classes into our larger LM community.

Students taking a work experience course may take on administrative tasks within the LM buildings, while some upperclassmen have the opportunity to work closely with job coaches. Through this guidance, some students volunteer during the afternoon in the nearby Lankenau Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit and its administrative offices. Others work in the Lower Merion township building, the Ardmore b.good restaurant, and at Bryn Mawr College.

Community-based instruction provides service and learning opportunities, spoken about further in this feature by one of the Special Education teachers, Mike Borsch. Many students spend one day each week out of the building working at various stores and charities.

Special Education Department Chair Heather Van Horn is humbled by the inclusive community at LM. She proudly says that everything LM offers “truly fosters and honors everyone’s learning styles and needs.” While speaking with The Merionite, the compassion and dedication that the teachers of the department possess was very clear—they are fiercely tied to their positions and care for their students as strongly as their students care for them.

At the end of every gym set, the class gathers to do a cheer and celebrate their hard work.

Adaptive Physical Education Depending on the day of the week, the sounds of excitement coming from the gym are muted, fading into the other stresses of high school life.

But during the set seven Adaptive PE class, the excitement is always vibrant. As basketballs are passed back and forth, stretches are conducted, and the net swishes again and again, a Monday afternoon quickly turns into

a Friday.

Adaptive PE is a gym class that takes place three out of four days in a cycle. Previously taught by Assistant Principal Jon Fadely, Adaptive PE is now run by Health and PE teacher Jeremy O’Boyle, along with the help of Heath and PE teachers Tom Kline, Katie Pisoni, and Dom Pavia. O’Boyle notes that “Adaptive PE is physical education which has been

adapted or modified so that it is appropriate for a person with a disability as well as for a person without a disability.”

O’Boyle adds that “Lower Merion Adaptive Physical Education also affords students the opportunity to serve as peer leaders, coaches, and personal fitness trainers, while receiving physical education credit.”

While a typical gym class

usually does one activity per semester, such as badminton, Adaptive PE conducts many different activities depending on the letter day.

Routine activities include working out in the cardio and weight rooms, playing basketball, and swimming.

Using the muscle built up in the cardio and weight rooms, students participate in many stations on basketball and swimming days. Highlights

from the basketball stations include shooting, dance, and motion, while swimming favorites are the safety and jumping stations.

Currently there are over a dozen students participating in the Adaptive PE program.

Anyone interested in participating should contact O’Boyle.

December 21, 2016

into education. When I was younger, I found that I loved tutoring and working with kids.

The benefits of being a teacher are pretty rewarding in the general sense of constantly making connections with people, which is pretty cool. I also love having the summers off!

M: What is the most challenging part of your job?

Michael Borsch The Merionite: Could you tell us about what you do?

Borsch: I work with students in developing communitybased skills. Our program ranges from interactive physical movement to more individual activities.

M: What are some of those activities?

B: We work on functional activities for the most part, which cover math and language as well as transitional skills. Every day, students come in and look at the schedule on the activities board. One of the jobs

is called “Greenhouse with Mr. Borsch”. Right now, we are growing arugula for the salad bar in the cafeteria downstairs.

Students also plant bulbs, water plants, etc. Everything we do is related to Community Based Instruction.

M: What is Community Based Instruction?

B: We have Community Based Instruction on Thursdays. We pick a location in the community to visit for a month. This month’s location is the Wynnewood shopping center with the Acme and the Five Below.

Students take part in different activities within the commu-

nity, such as ordering lunch, navigating, practicing their purchasing skills, and communicating with other people. I’m with them all day long, for the most part. We intertwine these community-based skills into their daily schedules as well.

M: How did you get involved with special education?

B: I had ADHD growing up, so reading and writing were very hard for me. The people who worked with me the best were reading specialists in the Special Education Department, so that was something I had always been exposed to. I also always knew I was going to go

B: I learned quickly not to take anything personally and to never take anything home. When I get home, I’m done work. Along the same lines, I don’t bring a lot from home into work. It’s helped me separate the stress that can come with the job— and there is a lot of stress— especially that which I had when I first started teaching and needed to communicate with the students. Also, the rotating schedule is a pain in the neck as we try to get meetings together.

M: Do you have to be able to adapt pretty well?

B: Being flexible is the most important thing, probably in any job, but especially in this job, where you are working with so many different people and personalities. All of the teachers in the Special Education Department are constantly communicating and collaborating on ways to make education better.

M: We heard about your Borsch Bucks. Could you tell us about those?

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B: It’s a pretty basic system: a token economy with a cost response. You earn Borsch Bucks as a reward if you do everything you are supposed to do, and you lose Borsch Bucks if you do something wrong. Students cash in their Borsch Bucks for free time, which they can spend doing any activity they pick off of a menu.

M: How were Borsch Bucks started?

B: It’s actually kind of funny.

I was out sick one day, and the teacher who was filling in for me, Jennifer Cornely, had printed my face on all of the dollar bills we had been using. So that’s how the system started. It works really well; I even have parents who use it at home.

M: If you could tell the faculty and students one thing to help immerse the students in our community, what would that be?

B: That’s tough. Part of it is that our students don’t necessarily want to be a part of the larger community, but my job is to encourage their involvement. We would like students and staff to say hi, and just be a familiar face in the hallways.

But it is also important to remember that not every student wants that. Like many of us, some students want to have their own little niche within our community.

Photos by Sam Gamberg ’17/Staff

David Clark The Merionite: Can you tell us what you do?

Clark: I teach English, math, work experience, science/health, and history.

M: Can you give us a brief description of the work experience program?

C: Work experience is a class designed to prepare students for life after high school. We work on soft skills, such as interpersonal skills (interacting with a coworker or boss). We also do some jobs around the school like filling beverages in cafeteria, supplying paper in copiers, putting letters in mailboxes in the mailroom, and we are assigned jobs that come up throughout the building. We do different tasks and they all have multiple pieces to them.

M: Can you tell us what you do with Community Based Instruction?

C: Community Based Instruction is a class to help students

interact in the community around them and learn how to navigate in public places. For example, students learn how to use money in the community.

This past month, for Community Based Instruction, we went to Aid for Friends. Aid For Friends is a food pantry in Northeast Philadelphia which prepares and provides meals for the elderly who can’t leave their homes.

M: How did you become involved with Special Education?

C: I became involved with Special Education for two reasons.

First, I have a cousin with cerebral palsy and was interested in her education and how she progressed through school. Also, I did my undergraduate work at Temple University and majored in Elementary Education.

There they ask you to declare a concentration. I observed some special education classrooms, and just fell in love with special education, and that is where I decided to take my career.

M: What is the most challenging part of your job?

C: Something I strive toward is making everything I teach as real-world as possible.

M: If you could tell the faculty and students one thing to help immerse the students in our community, what would that be?

C: I think that LM does a fantastic job at inclusion.

The Merionite had the opportunity to interview two of the many Special Education Teachers, Mike Borsch and David Clark, as well as Special Education Department Head Heather Van Horn. Thanks to them for making this Special Feature possible!

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December 21, 2016

Special Feature The Merionite

7:30 am- 10:30 am: Classes

Julia heads to Ms. Nigro’s class and Mr. Clark’s class to get started with her day. Some of Julia’s favorite subjects include business and English.

She enjoys using the computer and working on Blackboard.

10:30 am- 11:30 am: Lunch

Julia hangs out with her friends during Lunch and Learn, one of the highlights of her day.

11:30 am- 2:40 pm: Work

On Mondays, Julia works at Lankenau Hospital. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, she works in the kitchen at Bryn Mawr College, where she prepares food such as egg and chicken salad for the students.

Julia loves to cook.

7:30 am- 10:30 am: Classes

Ariana kicks off her day by heading to her classes, which include math, sewing, and art. She also takes Child Development, and one of her favorite parts of the class is the weekly visit to a daycare.

10:30 am- 11:30 am: Lunch

Ariana grabs a bite and gets dressed for work. Her uniform consists of a white shirt with a collar and beige or black pants, along with a pair of sneakers.

11:30 am- 2:40 am: Work

After lunch, Ariana hops on the bus to go to work at Lankenau Hospital. At Lankenau, Ariana helps out wherever she can: gathering supplies, making beds, and stopping by the patients’ rooms.

7:30 am- 11:30 am: Classes & Lunch

Jake attends classes taught by Ms. Nigro and Mr. Clark, which cover a wide range of academic subjects. After class, Jake heads to lunch and then gets ready for work.

11:30 am- 2:40 am: Work

Jake spends the rest of his day working at Bryn Mawr College. His role is to help prepare food in the kitchen.

2:40 am- 5:30 am: Swim Practice

Once Jake returns from work, his day at school is still not over. As a manager of the team, Jake attends swim practice. Practice is his favorite part of the day.

Features

December 21, 2016

The Merionite

Yuliya Abakumova ’20 During the winter season, we mainly hear about Christmas and Hanukkah. However, every December 26 to January 1, the secular festival of Kwanzaa is also celebrated in the United States and other nations of the West African diaspora. The festival was born in America during the height of the Civil Rights Movement in 1966. Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University, came up with the idea of a festival to reconnect with the ancestral roots in Africa; to create a time where Africans around the world can come together; and to reinforce the importance of African culture, values, and communities.

The name “Kwanzaa” was derived from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.” Each family celebrates differently, but most forms of celebration include songs, dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry, reading, and a large traditional feast. The celebration often begins by candle lighting, and gift giving, surrounded by decorations in the African colors of red, green, and black.

These three colors were important in ancient Africa. The red signified the blood that was shed for freedom; green signified fertile land, and black signified the color of the people. When preparing for Kwanzaa, homes are decorated with significant items representing Kwanzaa’s seven symbols. These symbols complete the “Kwanzaa Set,” which is an essential part of Kwanzaa. On the main dinner table, a straw or cloth mat, the “mkeka,” lays in the center, representing Africa. The mat is also where all of the other decorations are placed. In the center of the mat, the “kinara,” a candle holder, stands. The candle holder symbolizes from whom the celebrants descended from, basically a family tree. The candle holder supports the seven candles, the “Mishumaa Saba,” which represent the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Beside the candle holder, the “mazao” lays. This decoration is composed of a basket with nuts, fruits, and vegetables inside, representing the hard work of gathering. Alongside the “mazao” on the straw mat, a simple ear of corn, the “Vibunzi” lays, representing children as the hope of the future.

There is also a special chalice known as the “Unity Cup,” or “Kikombe Cha Umoja.” During the feast, on the sixth night of Kwanzaa, the cup is passed around to family members and guests to drink from, representing unity among them. The cup holds the “tambiko,” which is usually just water, juice, or wine. The beverage is always poured by the eldest person, in the direction of four winds to honor ancestors. Finally, the last symbolic decoration is the “zawadi,” or gifts. These gifts are meant to be symbolic and handmade, representing important principles, such as creativity and self determination. Receiving and accepting a gift gives responsibility to the recipient to fulfill the promise of the gift. The gifts are meant to improve and solidify relationships.

On each of the seven nights of Kwanzaa, families gather. A child lights a candle on the “kinara.” Then, one of the seven principles are discussed. The principles are known as the “Nguzo Saba,” or seven principles in Swahili. They’re based on the African beliefs of unity (Umoja), self-determination (Kujichagulia), work and responsibility (Ujima), cooperative economics (Ujamaa), purpose (Nia), creativity (Kuumba), and faith (Imani).

On the last day of the festival, December 31, families gather for a great feast known as Karamu. Throughout the week, there are a variety of African, Caribbean, and South American recipes cooked. During Karamu, the dishes are an amplified level of extraordinary. Jamaican jerk chicken, spicy blackened catfish, and turkey croquettes are just a few examples. The African American Culture Center reports that thirty million people celebrated Kwanzaa in 2009. According to the National Retail Foundation, only thirteen percent of African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa, because many believe it interferes with their religious beliefs, as it is a secular festival of many cultures. Even though Kwanzaa focuses on African American communities, many other ethnically diverse people partake in this wonderful celebration. So grab a kinara, and light those candles!

A Christmas history Ziwen Zhou ’19 What do you feel when you hear the word “Christmas?” Just the mention of Christmas can flood an entire room with joy, and, as December 25 gets closer and closer, anticipation. However, Christmas means a lot more than just presents and a much needed break for students. It has a rich and interesting history that extends back almost 2,000 years. Christmas, or Christ’s Mass, as it was called in Old English, literally translates to the birthday of Jesus Christ.

Even before Christmas, winter has long been a time of celebration.

Anglo-Saxons had been celebrating light and vitality near the winter solstice hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year; with the brunt of the cold behind them and the beautiful weather of spring approaching, they celebrated with an eye toward the future. In nearby Scandinavia and in many Germanic lands, the annual Yule festival celebrated the solstice. Yule is thought to be originally a celebration of the Norse Gods and was religiously significant. They feasted until the giant wooden Yule log was burned to embers—which sometimes took weeks. Today, the Yule log cake, a chocolate pastry filled with jam is made to resemble the Yule log. Nowadays, it is just another reference to Christmas in many European countries.

In ancient Rome, there was a very different tradition during this time of the year, which actually heavily influenced the traditions of modern-day Christmas. The climate was much warmer there, so the pagan holiday of Saturnalia in mid-December was for the goddess of agriculture. The holiday was characterized by hedonism, complete social chaos, and partying. In short, everyone in Europe had a reason to celebrate something in the dead of winter—spurred on with the plentiful alcohol and fresh meat.

In the fourth century, the leader of Christianity Pope Julius I decided to finally honor Jesus by creating a holiday to commemorate his birth.

Jesus’s exact birth date was not known. Some speculate that Julius selected December 25 to channel the traditions and energy of Saturnalia into Christmas.

However, by building upon pagan traditions, the Christmas celebrations were different from region to region. By the Middle Ages, much of Europe had converted to Christianity, yet Christmas still had not been standardized. The holiday had lost much of its religious meaning, and had become a festival of heavy drinking and insanity.

That all changed in England in the seventeenth century when the Puritans took over England. In an effort to rid the country of gluttony, sin, and “impure” celebrations, they chose to eliminate Christmas on the grounds that the holiday had long been removed from its original, moral purpose.

Simultaneously, in America, the pilgrims of the Mayflower had also issued a ban on Christmas in line with the Puritans, as most of them belonged to that

faith. In fact, there was a fine for displaying joy during Christmas time in the city of Boston.

America’s view on Christmas started shifting away from the disdain of its earliest days to a begrudging tolerance by the 1800s. Interestingly enough, two pieces of literature began the shift in public opinion toward the total adulation we see today. Washington Irving wrote a book glorifying Christmas as a time for people from all kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds having a merry time feasting and pulling pranks on each other. The more influential book, though, was the immortal A Christmas Carol, written by the beloved Charles Dickens. Dickens grew up poor in Britain during the thick of the Industrial Revolution, where child labor was common (his father’s debt forced him to leave school and find work), so Christmas was the only relief he got from his backbreaking work in an ink factory. As a result, Dickens always had a great love for Christmas that culminated in the writing of his classic novel. The book helped sway people from all over the world with his characterization of Christmas as a time of charity, leisure, festivity, and good spirit. With the release of this book, adults around America began to see the value in Christmas as a family holiday—an opportunity to spoil their children.

Not everyone in LM celebrates Christmas, but the holiday plays a large part in the wonderful winter spirit that comes around toward the end of Christmas. For one thing, everyone can look forward to the vacation, beautiful snowy weather (fingers crossed), and also time to spend with family and friends. In addition, Christmas time is a wonderful and popular time to give back to the community. People volunteering their time and giving money to help the less fortunate makes the world a happier place, and there is always a sense of unity in our community with the celebration and excitement that accompanies Christmas.

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December 21st, 2016

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Arts & Entertainment

December 21, 2016

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The Merionite

Coloring from Aphrodite to Zeus Michael Cheng ’18 Opinions Editor

LM’s very own Vanessa Roser ’17 is known for her extraordinary works of art and love for Latin. Throughout her high school career, she has entered and won various Latin contests, such as the Philadelphia Classical Society’s Annual Latin Week contest. In November, she published a new coloring book featuring her own illustrations. Roser’s book, Greek Gods and Goddesses: A Coloring Book for All Ages, brings together the most beautiful aspects of Greek mythology into a compact package.

Roser’s book features exquisite drawings of Greek gods and goddesses, from Aphrodite to Zeus and all in between. The book’s drawings are crafted with impressive details, such as Artemis’ luscious, flowing hair. On the back of every page, there is a blurb about the mythological figure featured on that page. For instance, Demeter “rules over the cycles of life and death.”

Roser has been drawing since elementary school, but the inspiration to create a book came just over a year ago. Encouraged by teachers, Roser got the idea to compile her drawings. In partnership with the Philadelphia Classical Society, which promotes Latin education, Roser decided to make a book featuring Greek mythology.

Writing and illustrating a book is not easy, but Roser was guided in her publishing process by the LMSD Innovation Center, which supports entrepreneurship and offers grant funding for projects proposed by students in the district. After she finished the book midway through her junior year, Roser applied for and received a $500 grant, enough for an initial printing of 200 copies.

Graphic by Vanessa Roser ’17 /Staff The front cover of Vanessa Roser’s coloring book, titled Greek Gods and Goddesses: A Coloring Book For All Ages, which was published last year.

The LMSD Innovation Center gave her advice and helped her find a publishing house. She ended up signing a contract with Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers to publish her work.

By reaching out to local organizations and art stores, Roser has made her book available to the public. Her partnership with the Philadelphia Classical Society allowed her to sell copies of her book at fundraisers.

She also worked with local art stores like the Merion Art and Repro Center to distribute her book to children, as well as anyone else interested in mythology. Roser plans to donate the proceeds from her book to charity.

For those who are interested in being published, Roser emphasizes that “getting started is not difficult.

It’s just a matter of putting yourself out there.” By being proactive and contacting publishing companies and organizations, working out a deal is not as complicated as it seems. Vanessa notes that the LMSD Innovation Center is “little-known, but a great place to start.” The Innovation Center can help you turn your idea into reality, and while the “grant process sounds tough,” Roser assures prospective artists that “it’s ultimately not that hard to get the money.”

As a whole, Roser is pleased with her new book. While she drew all the images herself, she took care to keep the Greek gods and goddesses true to their traditional depictions and to include a lot of symbolism in her drawings. For example, Roser used animals to symbolize the gods’ and goddesses’ personalities.

Overall, Roser’s book features exquisite illustrations and is a rewarding buy for any Latin lover or coloring book collector.

Remembering Leonard Cohen Roxanna Pasquier ’17 Leonard Cohen found beauty in imperfection.

He nestled insight into poetic lyrics and enchanting melodies. On November 7, 2016, Leonard Cohen passed away. Born in Montréal, Canada in 1934 to an Orthodox Jewish family, Cohen developed a love for music and poetry that was inspired by the folk songs of his culture. He continued his studies at McGill University as a poetry major.

Following a year at Columbia University, Cohen returned to Montréal where he began a career as a poet and novelist. He was thirty-three when he first ventured into the music world.

His music gained popularity when Judy Collins covered his song Suzanne. For his first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967), Cohen found inspiration in his Jewish faith and in his history with various lovers. He published songs such as Famous Blue Raincoat, The Partisan, Bird on the Wire, and Hallelujah that questioned notions about love and religion. He continued making music, releasing his fourteenth and final album, You Want It Darker, which discussed death and mortality, just weeks before his death.

While his death was sudden, the album’s content is no coincidence. Cohen was quoted saying, “I’m ready to die,” a motif in the title song, in the weeks leading to the album’s release. You Want It Darker is undoubtedly Cohen’s farewell.

While I was always familiar with Leonard Cohen’s song Hallelujah thanks to Jeff Buckley and of course, the movie Shrek, I did not truly discover Leonard Cohen until a five dollar find in the basement of a Toronto bookshop. After trudging across the city in the midst of a January blizzard, I was ready to conclude my vacation. My cries fell on deaf ears as my father declared this bookstore was essential to his understanding of the city. While my father ransacked the shelves, my mom, my brother, and I decided to comb through the used CD section

in the basement. In the midst of hundreds of CDs, my mother found a five dollar copy of The Best of Leonard Cohen. As we drove through the blizzard, I

Leonard Cohen performing on August 17, 2013 in Odense, Denmark had my first true introduction to Leonard Cohen. So Long Marianne hit me like lightning. I was processing

the sorrow that always accompanies a visit to my Toronto-based best friend. As I stared out the window, I fell into a hypnotic and serene state. The music dissolved the anxiety caused by our physical distance as the lyrics detailed an unbreakable connection.

His music alleviated seemingly perpetual burdens.

Since that moment, Leonard Cohen became the soundtrack to the past two years of my life. While driving to the ACTs, I would listen to Suzanne to calm my nerves and gain focus. Famous Blue Raincoat relaxed me after a long day of sightseeing. Even the recent You Want It Darker helped me harness my creativity and motivated me to tackle the daunting college essays. When life got difficult, I could always turn to Leonard Cohen.

Leonard Cohen legitimizes, and therefore simplifies, all emotions. I often find myself questioning my feelings and thoughts, as if feeling anxious or disappointed in someone is unhuman. Leonard Cohen counters this narrative. His music celebrates the joy in simple pleasures, such as quality time with friends. However, his music also acknowledges the importance of exploring sadness, anger, and anxiety for the wisdom that exists beyond these emotions. As he has sung, “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

I turn to Leonard Cohen when life is hard, when life is easy, when life is disappointing, and when life is rewarding. His music reminds listeners that we find humanity’s perfection in humanity’s flaws.

We find clarity in the midst of confusion. When school becomes too stressful and I lose sight of reality, Leonard Cohen’s music offers a reminder that life is more than a grade. When I fear the future, Leonard Cohen reminds me that a desire for empathy exists in everyone, despite their ballot, ideology, job, or whatever else seems to define them. With the news of his death, I turned towards his music to both honor his memory and to guide my grieving.

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Arts & Entertainment

December 21, 2016

The Merionite

LM’s woodwind quintet Nehama Dormont ’19

Naiya McClay ’17 How are you involved with the arts at LM? I am an officer in Lower Merion’s Photo Club, where we talk about photography, different styles and techniques with taking pictures, and look at cool photos we love and discuss that. I also take AP Studio Art with Mr. Loue.

What is your favorite thing about art, and what is your favorite thing to draw? Being able to express myself in very personal and creative ways. And probably women because women are amazing and beautiful.

Who or what inspires you? My dad, an artist, has always inspired me, as well as my amazingly talented artistic friends, the movies that I love, and my sort-of-famous artist relatives like my great uncle Carl Fallberg who they based the wizard off of in Fantasia and who wrote the original Mickey Mouse cartoons.

The whole contemporary art era has recently been very influential, because I am trying to figure out my own “style” and it has opened me up to a bunch of new techniques and uses of color that I love.

What are you working on right now that excites you? I just finished making all my art for college applications, so now I get to make art without crazy amounts of pressure and make art just for me, so I am excited to see where that goes.

What is something you always find yourself doodling? I always doodle hands.

I think I started because I was really bad at hands a while ago, so I drew them a bunch and now I feel more comfortable drawing them. I should start doodling feet now because I have no clue what’s going on with feet.

Photos Courtesy of Naiya McClay ’17

Kana Kishimoto ’19 How are you involved with the arts? I’ve played violin in LM’s Chamber Orchestra, participated in an after school music tutoring program called Maestro’s Mentors, and the Messiah Chorus. I was in the jazz a cappella group, Standard Voices in A, and am currently in Ace’s Angels. I’ve also taken Electronic Piano Lab and Music Technology/Production. Outside of school, I play in Delaware County Youth Orchestra and Temple University Music Preparatory CPO, and quartets. I also compose and arrange music, and go to camps such as Eastern US Music Camp and Philadelphia International Music Festival. In my spare time (what spare time?), I draw and bang discordant notes out on the piano (which I don’t play... yet).

What is the best thing about being Who is your biggest inspirainvolved with music? I could say the tion? All the extraordinary and community, or the learning experience, unique musicians/composers or any number of things—and while those who came before me, especially are all true, what I love most about my those who revolutionized music, involvement in music is the pure joy it inspire me to no end. Also, I can’t brings me/everyone around me and that it describe how much my music makes every other worry suddenly seem directors, as well as several of my unimportant. peers, have shaped my growth as a musician and person.

Do you have a favorite piece of music? I love and will listen to all music, but just keeping it classical: about anything from the romantic or impressionist periods (Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Chopin, Liszt, etc.), La Campanella (violin/piano), Praeludium & Allegro, Liebestraum, Minute Waltz, and the lis(z)t goes on.

Photos Courtesy of Kana Kishimoto ’19

LM’s woodwind quintet is comprised of Through this small ensemble, each memMolly Cutler ’19, clarinet; Nehama Dormont ber will improve their technical skills on their ’19, flute; Emma Noel ’19, French horn; Maya respective instruments, as well as their abilKrouse ’19, bassoon; and Maya Toib ’17, oboe. ity to play cooperatively with others. It will There has not been a woodwind quintet at be important to balance the sounds of inLM in years; the revival of the group will help struments that have few similarities to each to push each other—for player to grow example, the as a musician. flute has no The quintet reed, the oboe members were and bassoon seeking more have double challenging reeds, the clarmusic outside inet has a sinof their regugle reed, and lar ensembles. the French Quintet music horn is actuis not like most ally a brass school ensemPhoto by Claire Ochroch’18/ Staff instrument. ble music. There But every The quintet from left to right: Noel, are no sections to member of Cutler, Dormont, Toib, Krouse rely on—every player the LM woodmust learn to work on their own to play cor- wind quintet will help the group crerectly and stay together. Confidence is also ate something beautiful in the end. extremely important in order for the group At the winter instrumental to be able to play with skill and in harmony. concert on December 15, the group There is not a conductor to cue the quintet will perform selections from Haydn’s or dictate the tempo, so an understanding Divertimento, and they plan to of rhythm and timing must be developed. perform in the spring concert as well.

Grace Wei ’19 Everyone has encountered graffiti when mare.” However, Boruchow was still able to passing through the streets of Philadel- express his beliefs without deliberately anphia. You may have stared at these works tagonizing or spreading hate against other of art, mesmerized by the complex kaleido- races or cultures, unlike the culprits behind scope of color, images, and words. Graffiti the pro-Trump vandalism in South Philly. can express opinions and feelings or can Other forms of protest art inspired by polspread a message. However, it is also used itics include paintings by artist Bines on 4th to spread repulsive and degrading senti- Street in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. ments. In that situation, street art morphs His main painting is of two cartoon characinto vandalism. Such was the case on the ters playing chess with pieces that resemble day after one of the most divisive and tu- Obama, Trump, a police officer in riot gear, multuous presidential elections in history. and a man holding up a sign for peace. One of On Wednesday, November 9, South Phil- the large figures says, “They have no clue that adelphians woke up to despicable vandalism. they are all being played,” and the other reThe words “Trump Rules” and “Black Bitch” plies, “I know right…” Bines, in one incrediwere scrawled on a SUV owned by a black ble painting, was able to capture all the disapwoman. On South Broad Street, the words pointment and anger he and many others felt “Sieg Heil 2016” and a towards their fuswastika with Donald ture president, the Trump’s name were person who should printed on an empty be a “model figure” store—eerily coincidfor children, as well ing with the 78th anas his frustration niversary of the worst with the arguments Nazi pogrom of 1938, without outcomes Kristallnacht, the common in today’s Night of Broken Glass. political climate.

On Kristallnacht, JewNot all street ish homes and stores art has to be largewere vandalized and An artistic depiction of Presiscale and imposrobbed; many of their dent-elect Trump by street artist ing like the works occupants were killed, Hanksy.

by Boruchow and injured, or rounded Bines. Another grafup and sent to concentration camps. The fiti artist, Amberella, leaves small and conAnti-Defamation League condemned the cise messages in her signature pop-out candy hateful vandalism, which was by far not lim- hearts left on Philly walls. Recently, many ited to these incidents or even to our city. have shown up above posters that endorse On the other hand, there was also po- the Trump presidency. Near one in particlitical graffiti that protested the President ular, Amberella painted a black heart with Elect, Donald Trump. Streets Dept, a Phil- a simple message in it: “U Blew It.” Such a adelphia-based blog that showcases local tiny piece of street art can still express imartists, has documented multiple works of mense amounts of emotion and frustration. protest graffiti, the majority of which are Whether supporting Trump or not, the anti-Trump. On one occasion, a member political graffiti in Philadelphia allows the of Streets Dept went around the suburbs of community to genuinely open up about Philadelphia and replaced pro-Trump signs their perspectives on the President Elect. with anti-Trump cartoons by Joe Boruchow. However, there is still a line between grafOne was his famed sketch of Trump def- fiti being used for emotional artworks and ecating on the toilet and leaving behind a for plain, outright vandalism. Racial slurs, “bigly.” Another drawing was Boruchow’s swastikas, and other forms of bigotry cross “Nightmare,” in which Trump is depicted that line. Ultimately, election-related street standing behind three screaming infants in art from this year resulted from unrest a crib while behind him, “Muslim carica- and unhappiness about the political protures and racial caricatures loom ominous- cess, while aggressive vandalism demonly.” These artworks portrayed Trump as a strated regression in American society. pile of feces and his presidency as a “Night-

Arts & Entertainment

December 21, 2016

17

The Merionite

The Hamilton Mixtape: Have you heard this?

Aviva Schuh ’19 Though Lin-Manuel Miranda may have departed the Broadway stage of the hit musical Hamilton, in which he starred, he has in no way left his musical behind. On November 3, Miranda announced he was releasing a Hamilton mixtape in collaboration with Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of the hip-hop band The Roots. Now available on iTunes, The Hamilton Mixtape mostly consists of songs from the Hamilton soundtrack that have been remixed or covered by different artists, including a few new ones inspired by the musical. Miranda was approached by musicians like Sia and Kelly Clarkson to cover some of Hamilton’s most iconic tracks. Along with the announcement of the mixtape, two of its songs were released: The Roots’ take on “My Shot” (featuring Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz, and Nate Ruess), and Clarkson’s cover of “It’s Quiet Uptown.” The album itself was released in its entirety on December 2.

The Hamilton Mixtape was Miranda’s initial concept for Hamilton. In 2009, Miranda wanted to create a hip-hop album chronicling the life of Alexander Hamilton, but eventually this idea morphed into a stage musical. The opening track, “No John Trumbull (Intro)” by The Roots, was, in essence, the same “No John Trumbull” that was cut from the Hamilton Broadway musical but appeared in the Off-Broadway version. Two additional tracks that were in workshop versions of Hamilton but did not make it onto the Broadway stage, “Valley Forge” and “Cabinet Battle

#3,” are available on the mixtape as demo tracks by Miranda. Of all of the songs from the mixtape, only three feature Miranda as an artist. Questlove, the other official collaborator for the mixtape, is featured in four of the songs as part of The Roots.

Seven of the 23 songs on the tracklist were released prior to the official mixtape release, including Sia’s cover of “Satisfied” featuring Queen Latifah and Miguel, a cover of “Wait for It” by Usher, and “Helpless,” covered

Graphic by Sam Gamberg ’17/Staff

by Ashanti and featuring Ja Rule. Reviews for all of these tracks were mostly positive. The cover songs seemed to be simply more “pop” versions of the original songs with minor lyrical differences, with the exception of the “My Shot” remix, which has all original verses. The other tracks released early, “Wrote My Way Out,” which was inspired by “Hurricane” from Hamilton, and “Immigrants” are both riveting originals, with the latter even including some lines and verses in Spanish.

Some fans, upon seeing the tracklist, asked Miranda about remixes of some of their favorite songs that did not seem to have found their way into the mixtape—how could he leave “One Last Time” and other showstoppers unremixed? Well, not to fear, because the prolific Miranda is currently working on The Hamilton Mixtape Volume II, with remixes of numbers like “The Schuyler Sisters” and “The Room Where It Happens.” Only Volume I was released this December, and there is unfortunately no set date for the release of the second part.

Miranda, constantly rising in fame, seems to have no end to his creativity and boundless energy. He has been working on soundtracks and writing nonstop, and Hamilton shows no sign of losing its popularity.

Hopefully, The Hamilton Mixtape Volume II, will be coming along soon, but until then we will all be impatiently waiting. For now, the amazing The Hamilton Mixtape Volume I, will have to suffice.

The new Covergirls Alexandra Gordon ’17 The press has drastic power over which he posed for with a perfectly conthe mindset of the American people. toured and highlighted face. Charles’ From politics to changes in technology, ground-breaking and binary-smashing physical media—including this copy of portraits led Covergirl to recruit him.

The Merionite you are holding in your Covergirl’s goal is to reach a broadhands right now—has influenced people er audience through inclusivity and since the time of Joseph Pulitzer’s edi- “boundary-breaking” representatives. torial. News outlets channeled towards Both Afia and Charles represent a younger indistep forward in viduals and conthe makeup and sumers of beauty fashion industry. products—Teen Popular artists, Vogue, Sevenincluding rapteen Magazine, per Young Thug, and Cosmopoliwho appeared on tan—are primary the album No, My sources for upName is Jeffery in dates on what to a dress, and musiwear and how to cian and activist look. Covergirl Mykki Blanco have Makeup is takbeen breaking gening that responder and societal sibility and turnboundaries in pop ing it around culture this year by using its inas well. Blanco, a fluence to put transgender artpositive imag- James Charles, Covergirl’s first male ist who uses she/ ery in its ad- face. The Merionite is not affiliated her and they/ vertisements. them pronouns, with Covergirl or its parent company In a makeup utilizes music and Coty. world domipoetry to escape Photo Courtesy of Covergirl nated by white the gender biwomen with Eurocentric features, Cov- nary and create artistic spaces in ergirl’s new campaign features two revo- pop culture for marginalized voices. lutionary faces. One of them is Nura Afia, There are some smaller makeup brands the first woman in a hijab to be the rep- run and modeled by men, like Too Faced resentative of a major Western brand. and Jeffree Star’s line of makeup. HowevSince society often pushes back against er, since Covergirl is so much more promwomen in hijabs, having Afia as a rep- inent, their choice to make a man and resentative spreads a message of posi- hijabi woman the faces of their products tivity for hijabi women nationwide. In sheds a new light on what beauty really is. an interview with CNN, Afia mentioned This diverse campaign means things the possibility of being a role model for are looking up for the future of the beauty young girls. She is honored to be the industry. Inclusivity allows beauty brands face of Covergirl for girls who feel they like Covergirl to appeal to a greater audihave no one in pop culture to admire. ence, thus furthering popularity and repThe other major face of Covergirl’s resentation of new faces. More represencampaign is seventeen-year-old James tation allows younger individuals to look Charles, who is the first man to be the ad- at these advertisements and see someone vertising face for a major makeup brand. who looks like them. The knowledge that His Instagram following of nearly half a people similar to you can be the faces of a million people led Covergirl representa- beauty campaign creates high self-esteem tives to first notice him. His claim to fame in youth and embraces people of all backwas a series of school senior portraits, grounds in an accessible, popular setting.

Sam Gamberg ’17 Graphics Editor She may have replaced her meat dress with a cowboy hat, but Lady Gaga is back and stronger than ever. On October 21, Mother Monster released her fifth studio album, Joanne. To the surprise of many of her dedicated fans, the record embraced a rawer, more stripped-back sound than her older hits, like “Bad Romance” and “Just Dance.” Gaga threw in country twists on “John Wayne” and “Sinner’s Prayer,” and added some funk on “Hey Girl,” giving many fans (including myself) a small heart attack with the fear that the Queen of Pop would stray from her throne. Her reign, however, did not end when Joanne debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Chart—her fourth album to do so. Gaga also garnered the title of the second biggest female debut of 2016 in the US—only surpassed by Beyoncé. Vocally, the album is more complex than any of the music Gaga has released in the past. In “Diamond Heart,” “John Wayne,” and the title track “Joanne,” she soars on high notes that seem to be more emotionally untamed than ever before. This is even clearer when Joanne is contrasted with Gaga’s calculated, pristine national anthem performance at the 2015 Super Bowl, or the majority of her heavily produced discography. As a whole, Joanne is a breath of fresh air for some listeners, especially considering Gaga’s previous solo album, ARTPOP, garnered less than positive reviews from both professional critics and fans, and gave the impression of an artistic fantasy gone haywire. Seeing Gaga in a more subdued look and listening to lyrics like “you’re giving me a million reasons to let you go” allow fans to experience a different side of her, one that is more down-to-earth and more relatable than we have ever seen before.

Joanne was definitely a risk, but not one the pop icon took alone. The album was co-produced by Mark Ronson, a powerhouse in the music scene

responsible for hits like Bruno Mars’s “Uptown Funk” and the production of Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black. Gaga also worked with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, who is listed as a producer on her lead single “Perfect Illusion.” The only featured artist on the album is Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine on “Hey Girl,” a funk-infused, feel-good track. In a time when pop stars have teams of hundreds behind an hour of music, Gaga seems to maintain the creative direction of her record with the help of her friends in the business and only a few minor bumps along the road.

For instance, “Perfect Illusion” got a lot of flak from media outlets like Pitchfork, who claimed the key change was not justified and that the guitars and production were “funky.” I would agree with Pitchfork that Ronson’s guitar and Parker’s production were indeed a little funky, but it did not stop me from dancing on my kitchen table while attempting to vogue during that “unjustified” key change. I think that is the spirit in which most of Gaga’s dedicated fans view Joanne. Yes, we love seeing her arrive on a red carpet atop a white horse, and listening to her sing about being “out in the club and sipping that bub” while stomping around the stage in twelve-inch Alexander McQueen boots, but we also love that she can still write and produce music that allows us to connect with her on an emotional level. Joanne is a record of healing and self-love with songs with topics that range from demanding justice for the shooting of Trayvon Martin in “Angel Down,” to exploring different methods of self-pleasure in “Dancin’ in Circles.” We may have gotten a new Gaga this time around, but she still expertly manages to maintain her message of love and acceptance in a world that does not always follow her lead. I, alongside many of her fans, am forever grateful.

18

Sports

December 21, 2016

The Merionite

Inside the mind of the HLM girls squash team Julia Kreuzer ’19 If you happen to see a collection of high school girls dressed completely in white, with racquets in hand, you might be looking at the girls’ squash team from Harriton and Lower Merion High Schools.

During the winter sports season, the Cynwyd Racquet Club is home to the schools’ combined team.

In the off season, players use the Cynwyd Club to develop and strengthen their play in preparation for their winter matches. Their training during the off season consists of running a variety of drills.

The athletes’ intense dedication to their sport contributes to the development of a strong sense of unity and the constant achievement of high national rankings among the team.

The HLM squash team does not participate in the PIAA league, unlike most LM and Harriton High School sports teams. Instead, they participate in MASA (the Mid-Atlantic Squash Association). MASA is mainly made up of private schools, but also includes a few public schools. The HLM girls’ squash team faces off against teams from Germantown Friends School, The Shipley School, William Penn Charter School, Episcopal Academy, and Conestoga High School, among many others.

Of those that form the MASA league, the HLM girls’ squash team plans to focus on three specific competitors during the current season: the teams

Photo courtesy of the Enchiridion

Following up on a successful season last year, Bartos (pictured above), and the rest of the girls squash team look to battle to the top of MASA in the upcoming weeks.

Change the mentality, change the game Emma Riverso ’18 Following the pattern of improvement in recent seasons, the Aces’ girls’ basketball team might be staring a Central League title square in the face this season. Updates include a new, energetic, and experienced coach, Monique Boykins, who Tess Weber ’17 describes as “a really positive and encouraging coach.”

In addition, the Lady Aces possess an impressive roster of twelve returning upperclassmen. Open gyms and workouts led by these experienced upperclassmen have been hugely successful.

Boykins has emphasized that she needs the upperclassmen to “lead by example” and that they must lead according to the legacy they want to create. The seasoned LMGB squad will, without a doubt, be fun to watch this season.

Players to watch out for include “partners down-low” Izzy Meline ’18 and Bethany Eldridge ’18, who began their campaign of dominance freshmen year. The guard-heavy team also relies on tenacious ball handlers Katie Berg ’18, Evey Veguilla ’18, Sophie Riverso ’18, Gabby Riverso ’18. Sarah Fitzpatrick ’18 should be a threat from the perimeter, Mary Pat Quinn ’18 a defensive force, and Ashley Roberts ’18 a versatile middle man. This multifaceted squad contains the physical talent and potential for a successful season. Boykins

states, “The goals for this season are to be better than we were last year. Not just by record, but better skill-wise, better character, and better people on and off the court, better student-athletes.”

Boykins also encourages the perpetuation of a mentality of giving to the program, emphasizing that “I want to touch the life of every player that will come through the Lady Aces program and let them know that once a Lady Ace always a Lady Ace.” This family mentality will translate seamlessly onto the court and contribute to the chemistry between players.

In regard to the offseason, there was none. Summer and fall workouts helped prepare the Aces for their season start on December 13, in a home game against Marple Newtown. These athletes have put in hard work to ensure an exciting and fulfilling experience for themselves and their new coach, who remarks that her experience at LM so far has been great. Other newbies to the program include freshmen Jasmine Forrester and Zoe Shub.

Freshman, junior varsity, and varsity teams will be in full effect this season to watch, cheer on, and support. With the continuation of a family mentality, dedication, and motivation, the players hope to make great advances this season.

Photo courtesy of Tess Weber ’17

The team poses during Maroon Madness, the annual pep rally preceding the start of both the LM basketball teams’ seasons.

from Conestoga High School, Germantown Friends School, and the William Penn Charter School.

Conestoga High School stands as the only public school challenger to the HLM team in MASA. The Germantown Friends School squash team has been known to consistently deliver strong performances during matches, yet the HLM girls have won the past two matches, 5-4, against this opponent. William Penn Charter School is the last team that the girls hope to claim a victory against this season.

HLM girls’ squash has a well-established sense of cohesion that makes the team strong. Emily Bartos ’18 believes, “our greatest strength is that we are a close-knit team. We have strength in numbers and have a lot of people to support us.” During home games, players off the court cheer on their teammates and give the support every athlete needs. Coach Shane Coleman consistently tells the team, “Other teams are always scared to play us when we’re home because of the number of players and support each and every player gets when they are on the court.” The girls look to have another successful season this year and are hopeful to rank in the top fifteen in the country at the squash Nationals in February at Yale University.

Heating up the ice Jake Rocco ’18 Winter is here, which means hockey season is upon us. After a disappointing season last year, the Aces have come out firing on all cylinders.

Their play has been very impressive so far. The team has outscored its opponents 35 to eight and looks to keep the momentum going. In their first game of the season, the team started off on the right note and dominated the Bishop Shanahan High School team eleven to one on its turf. The LM athletes launched a whopping 48 attempts on goal, with six goals coming from Everhett Grimes ’17. Grimes has been the top scorer for the team and looks to continue capitalizing on his opportunities throughout the season.

Juniors Sam Pitonyak and Will Ebby both chipped in two goals apiece, while Alex Crane ’19 contributed one.

Justin Greenspan ’19 delivered a solid effort in goal, saving twenty of the opponents’ attempted shots. The LM team continued to show their dominance against Lansdale Catholic High School, easily beating them thirteen to one. Ebby has credited this year’s success to the team’s newfound depth. “We have a very solid group of freshman that are contributing in their first year and have received improved play from many of our upperclassmen that wasn’t there last year.” Due to this incredible amount of players, the team has four separate lines this year, allowing Coach Dan Pike to continuously rotate his players in and out of the game, preventing them from tiring out too early.”

When I asked Coach Pike about what has been leading to their success this season, he replied, “We have a mix of older experienced juniors and senior players along with a young talented crew of freshman & sophomores.

This spectrum of experience has begun to blend and create a culture of competition within our roster. The older players who have seen playoffs and a Flyers Cup bid want to return to that type of hockey.”

Against Conestoga High School, the Aces showed their true toughness by rallying throughout the close

game which ended in a four to four tie. Shortly after, the LM players got back to their winning ways by beating Sun Valley High School seven to two. The team’s success can partially be attributed to the leadership on the ice from captains Jack Pearson ’17, Brendan Leonard ’17, Grimes, and Pitonyak. These four players provide a wealth of experience for the younger athletes on the team in addition to being vital components of the team’s chemistry.

It is only the beginning of the season, but given their record thus far, the Aces already have high hopes.

When asked about his goals for the rest of the season, Ebby said, “It will be a successful season in my book if we win the Central League and make some noise in the Flyers cup, the state tournament. I know we have a very good team this year and who knows, anything might happen once we get there.” The excitement and positive atmosphere surrounding the team can be felt at any game which, with the combination of hard work, the players hope will lead them to winning a Central League title.

Photo Courtesy of Morgan Naiberg ’17

Building off of the successful start to their season, Jaden Hoffman ’18 (pictured above) and his teammates hope to take the Central League title this winter.

Sports

December 21, 2016

19

The Merionite

The truth behind student-athletes Benjamin Schmid ’19 Being a student-athlete in college may sound perfect. They get to continue playing the sport they love, meet other people who share that passion, and possibly receive a solid scholarship. All upsides, right?

Maybe not. College athletics are not as flawless as they seem. Constant practice combined with a variety of other stressors can deter students from being studious. In fact, a lot of college athletes say that they are more athlete than they are student, though college, by definition, is “an institution of higher learning.” Playing a sport at the collegiate level can take its toll on a student in ways that are much more sizable than one would guess. Not only do the four years of academics get sacrificed, but a potential career outside the realm of athletics may be forfeited too.

When you make it to the collegiate level, you already excel at the sport you play, but that does not prevent a person from continuing his or her attempts to be even better. Parents, coaches, friends, and fans put a lot of pressure on the student-athletes to achieve a higher level of excellency. Performing in front of a large crowd of spectators is one reason why they must train as hard as possible, all 365 days of the year. As the world advances, there is new training made available that tries to maximize efficiency.

That means that there is a higher chance of overload from excess training. Athletes who train this hard do not get as much recovery as they need. Recovery is a crucial part of the training process but is commonly overlooked. While it appears that the athletes are the ones who are pushing to be the best, they are not always the culprit here. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has a rule stating that athletes are not permitted to practice for more than 20 hours a week. Coaches often do not follow this rule, which is evidenced by a NCAA survey conducted in 2011. The study revealed that football players practiced for 43.3 hours a week, baseball for 42.1, and basketball (women’s and men’s) for 38.4.

College students who are extremely dedicated athletes risk a lot to be the best at their sports. It is hard to maintain good grades and participate in classes when you are always either at practice or tired from a preceding practice. We can see the impact of this by looking at graduation rates. In 2010, just 43 percent of participants in the March Madness tournament graduated. One school, California State–Northridge, actually had a higher rate of sending basketball players to the NBA (1.2 percent) than of those players graduating (0 percent). Athletes in all sports across the country train relentlessly to make it past the collegiate level, when in reality only 3.6 percent of those players make it to the professional or Olympic level.

Freshman Jasmine Forrester What sport(s) do you play?

Basketball.

What are you most looking forward to doing during winter break?

I am looking forward to putting more work in and spending time with my family.

What’s your go-to holiday recipe?

To make free homemade cookies for kids, so they can have a warm comfortable winter break.

If you could be one teacher in the school, who would you be?

I would be Mr. Reed because he helps people and is known for working with a positive system like buildOn.

The other 96.4 percent are left with a broken academic career andhave to scramble to find a way to graduate with a substantial degree that will lead them to Photo courtesy of Matt Chen ’17

LM athletes recruited to compete at the collegiate D3 level include seniors Matt Chen (pictured above), Matt D’Aquila, Jarod Estacio, and Thibault Vernier among a few others. Unlike at the D1 level, athletes vying to compete at D3 schools must maintain the same standards as all other non-athlete applicants applying to the college. getting a job.

A lot of high school students who intend on getting a sports scholarship do not realize that they are not as common as most people think. CBS News reports that only about two percent of high school athletes receive sports scholarships to NCAA colleges and universities. Of the money that those few students obtain, the average scholarship is less than $11,000. In addition, coaches of sports such as lacrosse and track are limited to the amount of scholarship money that they can award to prospective team members. US News suggests that unless you are a nationally known athlete,

Sophomore Lily Elman What sport(s) do you play?

Soccer, winter track, and track and field.

What’s your favorite snow day activity and why?

Making snowmen with Alexa Cotler.

What’s your go-to holiday recipe?

Sugar cookies, because you can decorate them.

If you could be one teacher in the school, who would you be?

Mr. Landais.

you should e-mail the coach of a school you are interested in, and include positions, personal statistics, and your coach’s contact information. The news outlet also reveals that prospective student-athletes are more likely to receive a larger amount of money from a Division III school that does not give out athletic scholarships. These schools give merit grants that can slash tuition by over fifty percent.

Finally, since the increased stress of overloaded training leads to a higher rate of athlete burnout, less and less student-athletes are receiving a meaningful collegiate degree. SB Nation reported that coaches and officials of NCAA participating schools will tell their athletes to major in departmental studies or general studies so that they “have something to fall back on.” Schools have eligibility requirements but that does not stop them from placing athletes in majors that arguably are not even majors, but ways to foster success and allow the student to graduate. As if that is not bad enough Mary Willingham, a learning specialist, was approached by a basketball player from the University of North Carolina who wanted assistance with his classwork. He was a strong athlete, but Willingham was in for a massive surprise when she learned that the student could not read or write. After promptly conducting a study, Willingham discovered that 60 percent of football or basketball players from UNC–Chapel Hill read at the level of a fourth through eighth-grader and that 10 percent read at an even lower level than that. NCAA schools care more about winning, not the futures of their beloved stars. Schools can easily place athletes in programs with free tutoring, internships, or extend their college experience so they can learn at a slower rate, which would allow the athletes more time to understand what they are learning.

While there are some very disturbing problems here, college athletics are beneficial for some people. Players who are not able to continue their sport beyond the collegiate level can use their skills and knowledge to become coaches, physical education teachers, fitness instructors, or even physical therapists. While this is less common, some student-athletes are able to maintain a high GPA, attain a meaningful degree, and continue their life beyond college sports. If they look to pursue the path of high-level college athletics, potential student-athletes need to know the risks of trying to balance an academic and athletic career during their years at college, so they are not left in a challenging situation that may prohibit them from achieving later success outside the world of sports.

Junior Harrison Klevan

What sport(s) do you play?

Basketball.

What’s your favorite snow day activity?

Snow football with my friends.

What’s your go-to holiday recipe?

Grandma’s Christmas pasta dinner with meatballs and sausage. Unreal.

If you could be one teacher in the school, who would you be?

Mr. Elder, because he’s the man.

Senior Henry Dyer

What sport(s) do you play?

Cross country, squash, and track and field.

What are you most looking forward to doing during winter break?

Sleeping.

What’s your go-to holiday recipe?

Dulce de leche.

If you could be one teacher in the school, who would you be?

Mr. Moyer—he’s super fun and energetic.

20

Sports

December 21, 2016

The Merionite

Boys’ basketball looks to do damage in the Central League Zach Simons ’18 After months of anticipation and preparation, it is finally time for basketball season, and the Aces are looking to achieve yet another successful record under Head Coach Gregg Downer. This year, the team is going to have a strong underclassman presence on their roster, but it is in no way a rebuilding season. Although they did lose some key players from last year, the Aces have been preparing all offseason, planning to come back strong. The team is still going to have strong leadership from seniors Noah Fennell and Terrell Jones, both of whom are going to be key parts in Downer’s offensive plans this winter. The Aces aim to come back strong this year after a disappointing ending to last season, when they lost in the semi-finals of districts and the first round of states to Simon Gratz High School with a close score of 63-61. The Aces will be returning a large number of players to their Varsity squad this year, which bodes well for the chemistry they will be trying to bolster as the season moves along. Some of the notable retuners are sophomores Jack Forrest and Steve Payne. Both players received a good amount of playing time last year, but will likely see an increase in their minutes on the court and gain

more prominent roles on the team.

They also plan to make a few changes as the season progresses. Harrison Klevan ’18 revealed, “There’s going to be a lot of changes to both sides of the ball, with emphasis on the defensive end of the floor with multiple new schemes being introduced.

We’re looking forward to getting after the opponent this year and really imposing our will on the Central League.” Klevan, along with many others on the team, is excited to try these new strategies on the court. The blend of veterans and newbies on the roster helps display the strategies of the Aces’ coaching staff and their attempt to develop a presence of skill and maturity amongst their team.

This year, the team has a new drive: to take back the Central League title, which they have not won since 2014. The players know it is not going to be easy; they will have to go through dominant teams from Conestoga High School, Strath Haven High School, and Ridley High School to reclaim the title, but the team is up for the challenge. Additionally, they have a rigorous non-league schedule, including powerhouses such as Harrisburg High School and Parkland High School that will hopefully prepare

the Aces for this year’s playoff run. The Aces plan to continue to advance their play throughout the season, but, as of now, they look very capable of doing some serious damage in the Central League.

Photo courtesy of Tom Weisharr/One More Shot

The Aces huddle up for a moment before their first game vs. West Chester Rustin. Unity has been a huge message the coaches have been pushing this season, demonstrated by the players linking arms for every huddle.

LM wrestling: ready to fight for individual matches Matt D’Aquila ’17 Sports Editor For months, the LM wrestling team has been eagerly training to be at their best for the winter season. They’ve been out behind the back parking lot putting in hours of work; tire-flipping, sprinting, squatting and doing push-ups. With a team of only a dozen athletes, coach Jim Perri knows that training every wrestler to their best is necessary if the team wishes to make some noise in the Central League. Currently, the team is on the smaller size physically, only able to fill up 7 of the lightest weight classes on the lineup card. But this doesn’t bother assistant captain Daniel Tsai ’17, who is positive about the team’s prospects.

“Though our team is pretty small, the guys on the roster are extremely promising and dedicated,” says Tsai. “Sam Wrightson ’18 (138lb weight class) comes to practice every day, works his butt off, and has set himself up for an exciting season.”

With the recent injury of senior captain Julius Starkey (132lb weight class), Tsai has stepped in as the leader of the team, yet is still confident his senior companion will make a strong comeback.

“Jules always puts on a show. Once he returns from injury, he’s definitely someone you want to watch.”

But it’s not just the upperclassmen contributing to the team, there are plenty of top-notch underclassmen looking to make some noise on the mats this winter.

Freshman Matty Roth looks to be a force in one of the lighter weight classes, while the endurance and speed of Christian Hodges ’20 and Jakob Segal ’20 will certainly be a huge asset for the team in the years to come. Hodges, Roth and Segal have been seen running, lifting and preparing their bodies all fall in preparation for the season. Tsai is very hopeful of these talented freshmen.

“This year’s freshmen are extremely exciting to me. Throughout the years I’ve seen many young athletes come into the wrestling room, only to leave soon after.

These freshmen, however, are prepared to go the distance and are excited to make the transition to competing at the high school level.”

Leadership from Tsai and Starkey coupled with strong group of motivated underclassmen should be a recipe for success this winter. While the team’s goal is to win as many individual matches as possible, they are hoping to beat arch-rival Radnor as a team on January, 25th at home.

Daniel Tsai (above) readies himself to face his opponent.

Jules Starkey (left) pins down Conestoga opponent.

Photos courtesy of the Enchiridion

Looking in on sports Girls’ Basketball preview Emma Riverso ’18 gives the inside scoop on the team’s new coach, new strategy, and new goals for the upcoming season.

Page 18

An inside look at Girls’ Squash With the girls squash season underway, a look in on the top players for the ’16-’17 campaign.

Page 18

Ice Hockey starts off the season strong Loaded with veteran seniors, the LM hockey team will look to look to use their early season momentum to vainquish rival opponents throughout the winter.

Page 18

The facts behind college athletics Zach Simons ’18 reveals the statistics behind collegic athletes’ academic track records.

Page 19