Merionite November 2018

The Merionite

Ardmore, PA, 19003

November 5, 2018

Thestudent official student newspaper LowerHigh Merion Highsince School since The official newspaper of LowerofMerion School 1929 www.themerionite.org Volume 90, Issue 2

Narberth bags plastic

SpeakUp! returns

Haley Morgenstern ’20

Gwen Greene ’20

Photo courtesy of Tasha Gesacion

During the SpeakUp! event last March, students and parents took part in an interactive true-false activity that explained the rules of the event.

not affect current sophomores, juniors, or seniors.

Introduced in April by Republican State Senator Thomas McGarrigle, the law has gained a lot of support, including that of co-sponsor Ryan Aument, a Republican state senator from Landisville, and local educators. However, others believe that the standardized tests provide students with the tools that they will need when taking the SATs or ACTs. Sara Gallagher ’20 and Abigail Strongin ’20 both agree that getting rid of the Keystones is a great idea.

“I think it was a waste of time in the first place for us to have to take them,” said Gallagher. “I think that it is great that we no longer need to take them in order

Twenty-six year ago, Bob Gillin, a thirty-year old gay man, died as a result of AIDS. Throughout his short life, Gillin was constantly struggling with his sexual orientation and who he truly was; it was a lonely struggle. Gillin’s one wish for the future was that youth in the generations to come would feel comfortable in their own skin, so they did not have to go through what he experienced.

This way, kids could speak up before it was too late. Thus, in 2000, Bob’s mother, Martie Gillen, founded “SpeakUp!” to fulfill Bob’s wish.

In many households today, there is often a disconnect between adults and their children.

SpeakUp! is an organization that works to hone in on difficult and sometimes “awkward” topics that are not commonly discussed between kids and parents in their home environment. Reaching 5,000 kids and adults every year, SpeakUp! works to create a comfortable and safe environment where teens can discuss their feelings with caring adults about various tough topics in their daily life such as stress, mental health, relationships, alcohol/drugs, and many more. (Don’t worry, you’re never in the same room as your parents!) Today, SpeakUp! works with forty schools, both middle and high schools, in the Philadelphia area. As one of these schools, LM will be hosting their next event on November 19th.

During a SpeakUp! event, students, educators, counselors and parents attend “break-out” sessions where they discuss topics chosen in advance by the students. Parents attend a different session from their own children, enabling a more open and honest discussion. While there are SpeakUp! facilitators during these breakout sessions, there is no script—it is a purely natural conversation that allows students to say what comes to mind, and adults to respond and listen in a non-judgmental way. Importantly, by listening to the students share their points of view, SpeakUp! often helps parents better understand their children and the difficulties they face as teenagers.

Please see KEYSTONES on page 3

Please see SPEAKUP! on page 2

Photo by Samantha Anderer ’20/Staff

Station Circle Park’s newly constucted plastic sculpture reflects Narberth’s commitment to reducing, reusing, and recycling.

“Plastic or paper” is something you will not be hearing much in Narberth shops anymore. On Wednesday October 17, Narberth became the first municipality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to restrict the use of plastic in hopes to “preserve, maintain, and enhance the health of its residents and visitors, as well as the public natural resources and common property within the Borough” (as the passed ordinance stated). During the monthly Borough Council Business Meeting, an ordinance was unanimously passed and will take effect six months after its legal enactment. All businesses will have to charge a minimum of ten cents per single-use plastic bag and stop the distribution

of plastic straws completely, unless needed to accommodate a disability. A violation of this will result in a fine of 100 dollars for the first offence, 200 dollars for the second, 300 dollars for the third, and 400 dollars for any subsequent violations in the same year.

With only around 200 communities in the entire nation having a regulation on plastic, Narberth is getting an early start. The borough already exhibits great effort to preserve the environment, holding its annual NarbEarth Day since 1990 to celebrate the Earth, and recently appointing three members to a new Narberth Environmental Advisory Council. “We have a long history of environmental commitment

Please see NARBERTH CUTS DOWN ON PLASTIC on page 2

Keystone cancellation Sophia Bumbera ’20 Until this October, passing the Keystones was mandatory to graduate, although citizens throughout Pennsylvania held diverse opinions as to whether it was necessary for students to meet this requirement.

However, Governor Tom Wolf recently passed a bill deeming it unnecessary to pass the Keystones in order to graduate. Wolf announced in early October that he would sign the Senate Bill 1095 and did so on October 24. The bill, according to the Doylestown Patch, will provide “students with several alternative pathways to demonstrate postsecondary readiness.” Nevertheless, the tests will remain a graduation requirement until the 2021-22 academic year, so this new bill will

NEWS Break-down on the break-ins Victoria Bermudez ’22 covers the township’s recent surge in theft from cars. page 3

OPINIONS

SPECIAL FEATURE LM talks politics An in-depth profile on political opinions and culture at LM. page 9

FEATURES Aces alumni at work Find out about interesting LM graduates and their achievements. page 13

A&E

Computer liberty

Urinetown

Emily Shang ’21 argues for the technological rights of students in the One-toOne program. page 5

A town where you have to pay to pee?

Sophie Meyer ’20 discusses Players’ fall musical. page 17

Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff

SPORTS

Should athletes participate in gym?

Graphic courtesy of WikiCommons

Phillip Gao ’22 discusses the pros and cons of athletes having to take gym classes. page 19

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News

November 5, 2018

The Merionite

Who’s on your ballot tomorrow?

Sonia Laby ’22 With the spooky season over and fall finally settling in, LM is thinking about the midterm elections tomorrow. Chances are that if you are voting, this is the first election you have taken part in. To make an informed decision, it is necessary to know exactly who you’re voting for and what issues they support.

Governor and Lieutenant Governor The Democractic candidate for governor is Tom Wolf, who is running with lieutenant governor nominee John Fetterman.

Wolf was elected four years ago and since then he claims to have restored one billion dollars to the public education system in Pennsylvania. Fetterman, running with Tom Wolf, used to be the Mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Fetterman decided to run for Lieutenant Governor because he thinks small cities in Pennsylvania are overlooked and forgotten, and wants to change that. He also believes the minimum wage is currently too low.

The Republican candidate for governor is Scott Wagner, who is running with lieutenant governor Jeff Bartos.

Wagner believes paychecks are too low and taxes are too high in Pennsylvania. To lower taxes, he plans to give business owners more economic freedom, which he believes will be the key to growth in Pennsylvania.

Bartos is focused on job growth for Pennsylvanians and making this state fast-growing and efficient. Additionally, he believes taxes are too high.

United States Senate The job of a senator is to represent Pennsylvania in the United States Senate in Washington, D.C. There are two senators per state who serve a six-year term.

Senators vote on bills, draft legislation, approve Supreme Court nominees, and more. The two major party candidates running for the Senate are Democrat Bob Casey and Republican Lou Barletta.

Casey has been a senator for twelve years. If re-elected, he’d continue working towards equal pay for men and women, as well as almost complete restricting of gun use.

Barletta has a very different mindset. Barletta grew up working with his family road making business and does not think gun reform is needed in the United States. Instead, he believes guns are needed for self defense. Barletta is especially concerned about the safety of the American people.

United States House of Representatives Voting for representatives works slightly differently. The options depend on which voting district you live in. The fourth congressional district (PA-4) includes parts of Merion Station, Bala Cynwyd, and Narberth. The fifth congressional district (PA-5) includes the majority of Wynnewood and Ardmore.

In PA-4, the major party nominees are Democrat Madeleine Dean and Republican Dan David.

Dean believes community college should be available for free to children of families in need. Dean supports stricter gun laws and a more selfless government.

David does not support ObamaCare. and believes the healthcare system needs to be completely rebuilt and reformed. He also thinks America is in need of better trade deals with countries around the world.

In PA-5, the major party candidates are Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon and Republican Pearl Kim. Scanlon has strong opinions about immigration. She supports creating a path for citizenship for immigrants currently residing in the United States. She also believes in affordable health care for everyone but agrees ObamaCare still needs to be fixed.

Kim believes all energy sources, renewable and non-renewable, should be used. In her opinion, if immigrants under DACA are following the law, they should be granted citizenship.

Graphics by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff

Narberth bags plastic

SpeakUp! returns

Cont. from NARBERTH BAGS PLASTIC page 1

Cont. from SPEAKUP! RETURNS, page 1

in the borough,” said Robert McGreevey, a member of the Narberth Borough Council. “We were a transit-oriented development before that term was even coined” (meaning that the amount of locations within a walking distance of public transit is maximized). “We’re a walkable community, and this coming spring, we’ll celebrate our 30th anniversary of NarbEarth Day, and this is just another expression of the environmental commitment of this community—this plastic ordinance.”

The community within Narberth has also risen to the challenge of protecting the environment. “Narberth is always trying to influence children and adults to recycle as opposed to littering or throwing away plastic through the use of signs and other labels,” says Sam Auerbach ’22, a resident of Narberth. Jessica Lee ’21, another member of the LM community, expressed that she “thinks it’s great that they’re banning plastic straws because it’s helping to preserve the environment.

Even though I don’t think it’s going to work immediately, I believe that it has potential in the long run. Narberth has always been very eco-friendly, holding events like the annual Spring Clean Up Week and promoting environmental awareness.”

Although this ordinance may seem like a momentous step in the right direction, some may argue that it is a turn for the worse. Alek Lexa ’19 argues that “While the ordinance has good intentions, it will only be an inconvenience rather than make a significant effort to make Narberth resource use more sustainable. All this ordinance will be is a burden and inconvenience for Narberth businesses and residents.”

State Senator Daylin Leach intends for this ban to be only the start to a much bigger plan. Leach has already introduced the idea of a similar legislation to the state legislature. His new bill would not make single-use straws completely illegal, rather, it would prohibit restaurants from using plastic straws as a default and setting them out for the public to take. Restaurants could also use other materials as alternatives, like paper, metal, or glass. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania may soon join New York City, Seattle, San Francisco, and even more locations to help reduce the 500 million single-use straws that are discarded every day by consumers in the United States. “I see [the ordinance] as another step,” remarked McGreevy, “an important step that may inspire action at the state. This is a moment when we recognize that municipalities need to step up when the national government and, in some cases, states are unable to, and Narberth is able to take that step.”

SpeakUp! volunteers from last spring’s event gather to celebrate their successful event and hard work.

Photo courtesy of Tasha Gesacion

guides kids to a starting point of their problems, the hardest part of the process. These break-out sessions have proven to be life-altering for teenagers and adults alike.

LM is having their annual SpeakUp! event this coming November 19 at 7:00 p.m. Students can come to LM to support the event that their fellow classmates have been working hard to create.

One can pre-register at speakup. org and choose from the list of student-curated topics. This year, the break-out room topics are Mental Health, Social Life/Drugs

& Alcohol, Self-Love/Image, and Stress. In addition, SpeakUp! holds meetings during school leading up to the event to train members of the student leadership team. Parents, friends, teachers, and anyone who is willing to participate in open and honest conversations is welcome at the event. Those who attend will see how what began as the tragic story of a young man’s brief life has turned into a wide-reaching organization helping kids and parents openly communicate, changing lives one conversation at a time.

News

November 5, 2018

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The Merionite

Break-down on the break-ins Victoria Bermudez ’22

Graphic Courtesy of Carmen Cheng '21

Recently, many cars have been broken into around the district, including areas around Bala Cynwyd, Ardmore, and Gladwyne. With an increasing number of home break-ins, the number of car burglaries has also risen. This has caused a stir in these neighborhoods, and surrounding areas are wondering if or when they will face theft as well.

There is a correlation between the boom in robberies and the time of the year. Often, thefts occur around August because residents are usually not in their homes. This makes homes and cars easily accessible to burglars, and their crime can go unnoticed for an extended period of time. Based on a special report from the U.S. Department of Justice, “Seasonal Patterns In Criminal Victimization Trends” the seasonal rate for burglary spikes greatly during the summer months and drops during the winter months. But around September and the beginning of the school year, one explanation for these car break-ins is Lower

Merion Township’s rankings. Time Magazine proclaimed Lower Merion the eleventh “Best Place to Live,” in the nation a statistic that reveals this appears to be a safe area and many are unsuspecting of burglaries. Because Lower Merion is believed to be such a secure district, many residents leave their cars and sometimes their homes unlocked. This allows discreet and simple burglaries. Additionally, when these people come to steal, most of the time they take multiple things at once. Instead of just taking a pair of headphones, they will take money from one car, a laptop from another, and a computer from a house. These thefts have certainly made the residents feel unsafe.

Burglaries that have transpired to numerous cars and houses have mainly taken place in Ardmore. One victim, Julia Rudy ’19, discovered her car had been burglarized one school morning at her home in Bala Cynwyd. Other larger crimes include two hundred dollars stolen from a motor vehicle. Just in the month of October there have been at least ten confirmed vehicle thefts where the range of stolen money is from fifty dollars to two hundred dollars. Approximately nine cars were broken into towards the end of September around the same time frame. Though the police caught the culprit, there are others committing similar crimes. In October, there

were approximately 28 police reports of suspicious people involving vehicles.

With these less significant car burglaries, more substantial home burglaries have occurred as well. According to the Lower Merion Township website, there have been around eight significant home burglaries during the last weeks of September. In these incidents, jewelry, safes, and computers have been reported stolen.

Lower Merion Police have taken action to prevent and combat these crimes. They have caught several perpetrators and continue to search for others who have committed similar crimes. To prevent future thievery, the police have a program in which they make frequent check-ups on houses when residents are away. They also suggest that neighbors come to the house to make it seem as though there are people at home to watch over everything, including vehicles. As for the cars, it is recommended to lock them and keep valuables out of sight through windows.

Second, if possible, residents should try to leave their cars parked in their garage.

When cars are parked outside, though, installing cameras can make it easier to catch burglars. The use of car alarms and other theft prevention systems are also urged. Using these can discourage the burglar as it draws attention to the situation. Hopefully as winter comes we will see a decline in these crimes.

A taste of success

Keystones

Katie Rockford ’20 This year, Best Buddies goes on the road for a night of music, food, and a fun-run with friends: TasteBuds. TasteBuds is an annual event and fundraiser through Best Buddies, an organization that pairs up students with intellectual and developmental disabilities with their peers to form lifelong friendships. TasteBuds promotes these friendships and inclusion by pairing together a person with a disability, a Best Buddies champion of the year, and a local chef to cook a meal and raise money for the organization. This year, LM’s very own Georgia Callahan ’22 and LM Best Buddies President Lauren Cobitz ’19 have been nominated together from the Best Buddies chapter at LM. They are currently paired up with a Roman-style Italian restaurant named Amis Trattoria, and Callahan will be cooking with one of their expert chefs. According to Cobitz, “it will be a night with great food from our champion teams, live music, a silent auction, and much more!” If you want to support our fellow classmates, Lauren encourages you to come out to the event and donate. The event will take place on November 12 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton in King of Prussia. If you are interested, you can go to

Cont. from KESTONE CANCELLATION, page 1

Photo courtesy of Lauren Cobitz '19

Callahan '22 and Cobitz '19 have been waiting since the beginning of the school year to raise money for this event.

to graduate. But, I already took all of the previously required exams so it doesn't really affect us anymore,” added Strongin. Upcoming high school students won’t be completely off the hook when it comes to meeting graduation requirements. There will be alternate guidelines in the near future that will be established by the district.

Luckily for many students, there will no longer be that sudden pit-in-thestomach feeling when opening up the envelope to see if they’ve passed.

www.bestbuddies.org/tastebudsphl/ for more information.

The Best Buddies community would love to have you there!

Service runs in our veins Julia Kreuzer ’19 Sports Editor

Since 1983, LM has hosted an annual blood drive in November to aid hos- as to how much of an impact the event makes. Co-President Lydon Pelletier ’19 pitals in the surrounding area. This year’s blood drive will occur on Thursday described how while holding the hand of a donor, she was told, “[the donor’s sisNovember 13 through the efforts of sponsor Sandra Hoopes and a band of stu- ter] had been in an accident and blood donations had saved her life.” Stories like dent volunteers. The Blood Drive committee has been working since Octo- these fuel volunteers to find as many potential blood donors for the next blood ber to prepare for the event and find a sufficient number of suitable donors. drive. To Board Member Daniel Gurevitch ’20, the blood drive is “a lot of fun” as In 2017, the blood drive saw great success with 116 pints of blood donated. The he is able to spend the day with his friends “helping to save upwards of 300 lives.” donations went on to benefit 348 people, with each pint of blood helping three people For 35 years, Hoopes and students have worked hard to put together the in need. For the 2018 blood drive, the Board of Directors hopes to surpass the 2017 best blood drive possible. Seeing the impact their work makes year after year donations. Their goal for this year is to reach between 130 and 140 blood donations. helps to motivate volunteers to get as many donors as possible. Board MemDuring October, Hoopes and the Board of Directors held meetings during ber Danielle Snyder ’19 looks forward to the drive because “it’s an easy way Lunch and Learn to train the student volunteers for the day of the blood drive. for students and community members to have a large impact and save lives.”

Volunteers were walked through the different jobs and expectations for the day of the blood drive. Possible emergency situations were also explained to the volunteers, such as how to respond if a donor begins to feel light headed.

On the day of the blood drive, the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium will be transformed into a medical staging area. Workers from the American Red Cross will set up the KBG with all the necessary equipment for donations to be taken.

Donors will begin the process by reviewing their medical history with an ARC counselor to make sure they are a viable candidate. After, the donor’s blood is taken and a volunteer hand holder will comfort them to distract from the blood.

Finally, once one pint of blood is drawn from the donor a volunteer transporter will escort them to the canteen area. There, snacks and water are distributed to donors while they sit and recover. Throughout the entire donation process, multiple student volunteers are ready for intervention if any donor Photo courtesy of Sandra Hoopes begins to feel unwell. The Blood Drive committee is dedicated to hosting a sucAfter collecting 116 pints of blood last year, the LM Blood Drive Commitcessful blood drive and making sure that no donors are injured in the process. tee hopes to have over 130 donors this year!

From experience in the past blood drives, volunteers have gained perspective

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November 5, 2018

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Opinions

November 6, 2018

5

The Merionite

The Merionite

Editorial: challenge hatred

In light of the horrific mass shooting that was Official newspaper of committed in the Pittsburgh Tree of Life CongreLower Merion gation on October 27, The Merionite feels that it is High School since 1929 www.themerionite.org imperative to address the issues of hate crimes and Columbia Scholastic Press violence in America. We condemn all such acts and Assocation Silver Crown extend our deepest sympathies to the congregation and to all who have been affected by the deadliest an2013 ti-semitic hate crime in American history. We cannot, however, simply limit ourselves to condolences.

Editors-in-Chief There must be change: there have been too many Julian Ginzburg ’19 crimes driven by antisemitism, racism, and bigotry Caleb Shack ’19 throughout American history, but especially within Managing Editor the past several years.

Molly Cutler ’19 All of us, especially our elected officials, must challenge blatantly untrue and bigoted sentiments.

News Editors For example, the false theory that Hungarian-AmerSammy Anderer ’20 ican billionaire George Soros is funding the Central Julia Rudy ’19 American migrant caravan is rooted in anti-semitic Sophie Yang ’20 stereotypes and lies—Soros’s name is often used as a coded substitute for “Jews”. This (again, untrue) Opinions Editors claim has been circulated by politicians like FloriMelissa Bell ’20 da Congressman Matt Gaetz, Texas Congressman Andres Bermudez ’19 Louie Gohmert, and House Majority Leader Kevin David Sommer ’19 McCarthy, as well as a number of media figures including Dinesh D’Souza. It is irresponsible to grant Features Editors conspiracy theories like this a place in mainstream Emma Becker ’20 discourse. As we saw in Pittsburgh, and as we’ve seen Kathy Wei ’19 Articles and letters featured Ziwen Zhou ’19 Arts & Entertainment Editors Izzy Bruckman ’20 Davon Collins ’19 Grace Wei ’19

Graphics Editors Christopher de Santis ’20 Sihan Wu ’19 Source Confirmation Editor Sophie Meyer ’20 Web Editor Alek Lexa ’19 Business Manager Eric Bing ’20 Staff and Business Advisor Charles Henneberry The editors believe all facts presented in the newspaper to be accurate. All articles have gone through an intensive, independent fact-checking process to minimize factual errors.

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 office. The Merionite reserves the right to edit letters to the editor for length or clarity.

headquarters. Again, an act of violence developed out of hatred for a group the perpetrator saw, according to investigations into his social media, as “slime.”

The shooting of Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise was similarly politically driven. Of course, there are limits to how far political discourse should go because some positions are simply beyond the bounds of good faith—the congregants of Tree of Life, for example, should by no means be expected to sit down for a conversation with someone who thinks they should be killed. However, within reason, our country must do a better job of understanding where others are coming from.

Again, we are saddened and angered by the anti-Semitic murders in Pittsburgh, and we urge anyone who feels the same to demand change. Vote if you are able, confront your elected officials, hold yourself and others accountable, and do not allow bigotry to remain unchallenged.

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

in the Opinions section reflect the viewpoints of individual contributors and not necessarily those of The Merionite editorial staff.

Laptop liberation

Sports Editors Melissa Dash ’19 Julia Kreuzer ’19 Benjamin Schmid ’19 Copy Editors Elliot Ginzburg ’21 Lydon Pelletier ’19 Sydney Zellinger ’21

in numerous past hate crimes such as the massacre of Black worshippers in the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, legitimizing bigotry leads to people accepting it and acting violently in response. We must hold our elected officials and one another accountable for the truth.

Moreover, our country and our community need to better understand the history of oppression—if people learn early on about the atrocities committed in the past, their sense of empathy will grow, and they will be better informed to fight against bigotry in the present. Disappointingly, not many of us observed such conversations in the days following the Pittsburgh shooting: it was mentioned or discussed in only a few classrooms at LM. In addition, considering that LMSD has a larger Jewish population in comparison to the rest of the country, many students were affected by the shooting—some students at LM even personally know members of the synagogue— and it would have been a source of comfort for them to know that their school community stands with them, rather than remains largely quiet.

Empathy and respect are critical to extend to people who differ from us in any way, both in their personal background and in their politics. This October, fifteen pipe bombs were mailed to prominent liberals, critics of President Trump, and the CNN

Emily Shang ’21 At LM, we’re fortunate enough that every student is provided with a laptop that comes with numerous applications, including a self-service app that contains the potential to download even more programs. LM students are very lucky to have all of these applications at their fingertips—however, that doesn’t mean that our devices are beyond improvement.

Though students are each given their own personal device, the school’s leash around school laptops is too tight. The self-service function on computers includes a lot of applications but does not satisfy all of our students’ academic needs.

The school imposed restriction on customizing and personalizing aspects of the laptop violates the fundamental right of self expression. The school also blocks browser extensions that may immensely benefit students in their intellectual endeavors.

Finally, students participating in extra curriculars are unable to download critical programs not included in the self-service application.

When students first get laptops, customization is almost always the top priority. One of the first actions is to change the background picture into something more preferable. Not only is the ability to personalize one’s computer extremely appealing, but personalizing and choosing different colors for various items on one’s device is important for self-expression. While the browsers students use everyday to access the internet offer an opportunity, similar to customizing your desktop background, school laptops block this function. There is no apparent reason for this restriction, as it’s unlikely the customization of the browser toolbar would be abused, and the

function provides many benefits. Being able to customize your laptop is an aspect of self-expression, which is crucial in a healthy life. Liberties that allow people to differentiate their personalities can especially help teenagers in the stressful, competitive environment of high school. Self-expression helps students find power and motivation and can help students overcome challenges and doubts about themselves. Small choices and freedoms such as the ability to customize a desktop picture or set a browser color are factors of self-expression, a fundamental right.

A major concern when allowing students to download applications freely on computers is that they’ll unknowingly install malware and end up giving away personal information.

grammar and spelling of writing pieces and suggests addendums and other extensions that minimize distractions such as AdBlock are among the many additions that can be extremely useful in academic ventures. Unfortunately, these kinds of helpful applications cannot be downloaded onto school laptops. Furthermore, many applications such as JMOL and Webstorm, necessities in many extracurriculars like Science Olympiad and TSA, are inaccessible on school computers. Although the self-service application includes a myriad of programs, it still has many downfalls─only one of them being the limited spectrum of applications a student can download. In a class that requires programs from the self-service application to be installed on laptops, it is common to run into complications with the download. In classes such as Computer Science and Film Photography, securing the application must be done while one is in school, which, for people with very little free time, can be problematic. Furthermore, the application download often freezes, ceases to download, or the final product simply disappears. With this abundance of disadvantages, it is evident that being able to freely install these applications via platforms other than the self-service application can make students’ and teachers’ lives easier.

When it comes to modern education, LM is pretty far ahead of the game. After all, most schools don’t have the economic resources to issue any electronics to their students.

However, even a good situaGraphic Courtesy of Sihan Wu ’19/Staff However, the school already tion can be further improved. prevents that by installing a program called “So- At LM, loosening the restraints on customization phos Anti-Virus” that scans every download, en- will encourage self-expression amongst a genersuring students’ safety. While it’s not foolproof, ally dissatisfied populace. Furthermore, browser the security is solid enough for most downloads. extensions and other programs excluded from Our computers are also safe because there are the self-service application could be downloadfour times as many Windows PC users than Mac ed and be extremely helpful in our academic users. So, most criminals and hackers target efforts. Malware concerns are overblown due to Windows PC as opposed to Macs. According to the numerous protective measures our school Malwarebytes Labs, “The average Mac user has takes. The placement of unnecessary restrictions never seen any malware” meaning that relaxing upon our laptops can only serve to prevent the the control on computers most likely wouldn’t be essential freedom of self-expression and incondangerous for the average student. venience the LM student body. In the name of With a laptop comes all sorts of extensions our freedoms, I urge the adminstration to reavailable outside of self-service. Browser ex- move these ridiculous restrictions and liberate tensions such as Grammarly, which checks the our laptops.

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November 5, 2018

Opinions The Merionite

Make your own equality

Isaac Mittman ’22 The wage gap: just hearing these words can upset many ardent feminists—with good reason. Women should never be paid less just for being women. The 77 cents to the dollar statistic may come to mind, but it is not the full story. The gap was calculated by dividing the median salary of the full-time working women by full-time working man. Women may get paid less overall, but they do not get paid less for the same job. Rather, women’s career choices differ from men which ultimately results in different pay. It is important to note, however, that this is still a problem. But, by focusing on this issue instead of making companies pay women more, the overall gap will be closed. Oddly, many people still believe that there is a significant gap due to false research. Because of studies not considering occupation, education, or hours worked, the wage gap is calculated erroneously.

Statistically, men go into higher paying jobs which inflates the male median salary. One may think that this is sexist, but choice is not sexist. In general trends, women do not work in better-paying jobs. Because of a lack of understanding, many people claim sexism is the sole reason why the wage gap exists. In reality, oppression cannot be blamed for female’s lower pay; the responsibility must fall on women who choose professions that pay less. Further, most of the common lower paid majors are studied by women. If people are still really concerned with equalizing the median salary, there are multiple ways of fixing this. Schools can

push men and women to take different majors, or they can leave everything alone. Both ways are bad, but a common middle ground can work. Starting from the time children can understand concepts such as gender, schools should tell girls that they can do just as well as boys. But, girls should not be called victims in this whole debate because this can create a sense of entitlement. Overall, comparing a woman’s pay to a man’s pay in a different job is not a fair comparison.

Graphic by Sihan Wu ’19/Staff

According to a Georgetown University study, only one out of five of the best paying majors are studied by a majority of women. Society spends too much time telling women they are mistreated victims when society could be motivating them to go into male-dominated studies. False victims believe that the game will alweays be rigged and pick lower-paying jobs because they don’t think their actions will ever make an impact on the results.

Thoughts like this prevent people from going as

far as they possibly could. On another note, on the ideas of employment inequality, there is also a job imbalance in the favor of women. More men go into more dangerous and risky jobs such as construction, neurosurgery, and airline pilots. Strangely, very few people notice the male side to the gender imbalance in the workforce. Men are more likely to get injured on the job than women, as they take jobs with greater risks. Although seemingly irrelevant to the situation up for debate, it is important to note the double standard. If women want to be paid the same, then they have to be prepared to take riskier jobs, as riskier jobs tend to have greater rewawrds. All in all, since women pursue degrees at lower rates in these better-paying areas, they are less likely to participate in higher-paying careers.

After considering the variable of profession, though, the gap still remains. However, it is mostly due to hours worked. In our society, men have less responsibility at home—a rational issue to try to fix. In a nation where women are meant to be equal, there is no reason why they should have to be the major household figure. A lack of family requirements means men are more likely to work overtime or longer hours. One of the most crucial parts of proving one’s worth at work is dedication.

With more time to spend, men are more capable of receiving raises for extra work.

Many claims about the wage gap forget to bring up social circumstance, schooling, and career trajectory, so many miscalculate the actual severity of sexism. After all of these factors are taken into consideration, a liberal estimate puts the gap at six cents—far less than previously thought. The problem is not that the individual woman makes only 77 cents to a man’s dollar; the overall population of women makes less than men. Further, there is a major flaw in closing the gap. By constantly focusing on the problem, creating a bogey man of sexism and not building solutions, there is a contribution to the problem. In short, choices—not sexism—create the wage gap.

Freedom to park

Kyle Patlove ’20 As seniors ascend to their rightful place in the chain of seniority, and juniors trail closely behind, upperclassmen are entrusted with many more responsibilities than before. The most consequential one of these is the ability to drive legally. However, many seniors, as well as the entirety of junior class, are not provided on-campus parking due to a limited number of spots. This leaves students with atypical schedules or those who prefer to drive with minimal solutions, as there is simply not enough space to accommodate everybody in this dilemma.

This issue could be resolved simply if our township wasn’t unintentionally preventing students from driving to school.

This year’s two parking pass lotteries, chosen from a pool of 150 seniors, drew 120 names. This left thirty students from the senior class, who requested a spot, without one. Often times, these excluded seniors and the licensed members of the junior class find crafty alternatives, such as seeking out a local homeowner and bribing them to park in their driveway or utilizing the option of two-hour parking. However, there are some significant shortcomings for both of these. In regards to those who choose to bribe local homeowners, the sense in this is lost when taking into account the costly aspects of this transaction as well as the fact that the walk to school may not be worth it at all. Similarly, the name of the other designated parking area speaks for itself: two-hour parking. This time limit forces students to venture off-campus in the middle of the school day to move their car, sometimes as many as three times a day. In addition to being a safety issue in itself, the repetitive action of moving your car hourly is also quite a hassle according to many of my peers. However, it is quite favorable when

considering the alternative: allowing costly parking tickets to pile up. I can guarantee you almost every single parent of an LM student would be unsatisfied at the discovery of their son or daughter receiving a parking ticket, leaving this option unavailable.

However, a major question surrounding this whole parking issue that I can’t seem to get past is, why is parking on Owen Road and its neighboring streets restricted to two hours? It’s almost entirely students parking there during school hours anyway, so why should it even matter? The parking on Owen Road and nearby streets provide more than enough spots to accommodate the rest of the seniors as well as a significant amount of juniors. In all likelihood, two hour parking was instituted on Owen Road to prevent individuals from parking their cars outside the homes of those who did not want them there.

However, in reality, it really shouldn’t matter because the majority of these local homeowners aren’t home during the time in which the cars would be parked outside their houses. Keeping that in mind, I offer the solution of instituting brand new parking regulations in this area. These regulations ideally entail no restrictions on parking from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm on school days balacned with twohour parking at all other times. That way everyone benefits: homeowners on Owen Road don’t have to deal with the pesky presence of endless amounts of vehicles parked outside their houses, while the senior class is fully accounted for. Students can get back to focusing on their schoolwork and are no longer consumed by the fear of being ticketed. An

undoubtable win-win for everybody involved.

It appears that resistance of the local homeowners is rooted in stubbornness and fear. Our township has proven again and again its willingness to yield to the vocal and often well-financed minority. A sense that giving an inch will yield a yard is common in our community. However, in the proposed solution, people still cannot loiter outside the houses of these residents past 3:00 pm, most likely around when they return from work, just like before. As for during the day, the residents are none the wiser because they aren’t home while the after-school local traffic occurs. Despite the many failed attempts of the past, this compromise is necessary if we are to improve the parking situation for the senior class going forward. When broken down, the more flexible school day parking regulations actually improve the parking situation in the neighborhood by reducing traffic flow at times when most people are away at work, another benefit of my proposed idea.

There is a lot of skepticism surrounding the institution of new parking regulations at LM. It didn’t work before so why would it work now? It might not but but I propose this out of a desire to create a better environment for my classmates and LM as a whole. Despite this, I plan to take my proposal to our township in hopes of someday making it a reality, or at least some type of zone-specific pass to allow student parking on the adjacent streets.

Anything possible to alleviate the parking pains off of the backs of the senior class, and hopefully some juniors too.

Graphic by Catherine Roser ’21

Opinions

November 5, 2018

7

The Merionite

Locked up resources

Elliot Ginzburg ’21 Copy Editor Every student at LM is assigned three things that will never change in their high school journey: an advisory, a computer, and a locker. Most students, including myself, completely ignore the lockers. The culture surrounding the use of lockers is inconvenient and confusing. With your last set class changing every single day in the four day cycle, your assigned locker from freshman year is most likely out of the way for the majority of your classes. For example, my locker is on the third floor, meanwhile, not a single one of my afternoon classes are remotely close to there. Many students know that if they were to use their locker, they would miss their bus at the end of the day, but still, struggle to find a way to relieve the burden of their backpacks. Lockers at LM are merely an inconvenience with no benefit.

If students utilized a locker of their choice it would not only be more convenient for them, but it would also increase school safety in the long run.

LM may soon follow in the footsteps of the ever growing “no backpack” nationwide initiative. If schools begin to rely on lockers more, a significant change needs to take place in the locker assigning process. If it came down to it, would you rather keep your backpack in a locker or carry your belongings in a clear backpack around all day? Most students would certainly prefer to keep their belongings in a locker rather than surrender their inalienable right to privacy.

Following the tragedy of Parkland, many schools have adopted a “no backpack” policy which heavily restricts students’ abilities to carry around backpacks. Schools that have instituted the “no backpack” policy have made their school a more pleasant and collaborative environment. “The ‘no backpack’ policy limits contraband items, reduces theft, and increases space in the hallways,” said Amelia Harper from EducationDive. Lockers provide a place for students to store belongings without the threat of something being stolen; theft is much more likely

Graphic by Haley Morgenstern ’20

to occur if all of your belongings are with you in an easily accessible backpack. With your items locked inside a locker, you do not have to worry about theft throughout the school day.

Carrying around heavy backpacks all day can lead to discomfort and potential injury due to the heavy textbooks, notebooks, binders, and the lap-

top students are expected to keep with them. Students should have the option to avoid pain and discomfort. Unfortunately for the pupils of LM, if they were to try and use their locker to avoid the grave discomfort of hauling a backpack around for over seven hours every day, they would in turn be late to class and could potentially miss their bus. LM is a place where we are given freedom to choose what extracurricular activities we participate in and the classes we take, yet our freedom to be able to use our lockers is still far out of reach. The students at LM need a better solution to relieve the stress caused by hauling backpacks all day.

Wasted space is the next thought that comes to mind when you walk through LM hallways lined with empty and unused lockers. Thousands of square feet are taken up by lockers that very few utilize. As LMSD’s number of enrolled students rapidly increases, we must make attempts to use all of the space we have in the most efficient way possible, and the poor locker assigning method is definitely a factor in this. While it’s unlikely that lockers would be removed to create additional collaborative spaces, we must realize LM is a place where all space is used to accommodate and make students feel comfortable on a day to day basis.

Lockers are currently wasted space as they are not customized to our schedules. Many schools within our nation are beginning to adopt the safer “no backpacks” policy which will create a huge demand for lockers, without creating a supply of easily used lockers. The only present solution for the LM administration is to allow students to request a locker based on location and accessibility to their first and last set classes. These requests need to be made and fulfilled each year so that a student’s locker is consistently accommodated to their schedule. If a solution was finally instituted, students at LM who want to utilize their lockers would finally be able to take advantage of their lockers rather than to be forced to carry around heavy backpacks all day.

Field trapped

Ella Johnson ’22 Although every school is different, in every township, state, and country students go through the same rite of passage every year, and field trips are a prominent part of that right of passage. Getting on a bus and going to an art or science museum, touring a city, or seeing plays all combine learning and enjoyment. This has been tradition for decades—my grandfather still remembers the field trips he went on as a kid! However, this valuable learning experience has become rarer in our school district. LMSD has made it extremely difficult to plan and carry out field trips. This needs to change. Our school district should implement a policy to make it so that field trips are more easily planned and approved, so that all of us can get the valuable experience of going on a field trip.

In recent years, a committee for approving field trips has been created. While one would think this would make field trips easier to plan, it has done

the exact opposite. The members of this committee, whose identities LMSD refuses to reveal to the rest of the teachers, students, and even school board members, have imposed rules that make it harder to plan field trips. Teachers work extensively to meet these guidelines, but more often than not, their educational trip that they worked so hard to plan is denied for no logical reason.

The requirements for submitting field trips are quite extensive, but there are a few main obstacles that prevent field trips. Numerous middle school teachers told me that the hardest part of scheduling field trips is the requirement to bring a nurse, regardless of where it will take place or how many students are going. While this in and of itself is a respectable safety rule to follow, there aren’t enough nurses to go around for all the class trips. Teachers have to reserve their trip a year in advance because otherwise the nurses are already booked for other trips. District policy could be changed so that field trips happening close to school would not require a nurse. This is one way of dealing with this problem, and would allow more nurses to be available, which would increase the amount of field trips. The fact that not having enough nurses available restricts the amount of field trips is quite ridiculous, especially considering the simple steps LMSD can take to fix this problem.

Another requirement for field trips is that the trip be submitted far in advance to the Field Trip Committee, which also bars students from getting a beneficial educational experience away from

Graphic by Catherine Roser ’21

school. Teachers should not have to plan their field trips in January for June. This is taking away from time teachers could spend helping their students, and there is no reason for this much advanced planning. The advanced planning needed for a trip should be considerably less, maybe only a month, especially for plays and shows that may not yet have their showing times that far in advance from the performance date. In addition to this, new opportunities for beneficial field trips can pop up mid-year, and with the long waiting period between planning a field trip and it actually happening, there are many missed opportunities for learning. A specific example of this from my personal experience came during my seventh grade year. The curriculum for this grade in social studies centers around the American Revolution, and my teacher was thrilled to hear that an American Revolution Museum would be opening in Philadelphia, and was eager to take his students to see it. However, we did not get the chance to go to the museum because my teacher was unable to give the adminstration enough prior warning. This frustrated him and many other teachers dealing with the same dilemma. If the school adminstration decreased the amount of prior notifcation necessary to plan a trip, students would go on considerably more field trips and the education quality would greatly increase.

This would also allow teachers to take advantage of new opportunities for trips, because if something such as a museum opened mid-school year, there would still be time to get the trip approved.

The recent lack of field trips in LMSD isn’t fair to students. However, there are many easy steps the school district can take to change this. Not requiring nurses on all school trips, having more medical personnel available to go on trips, and allowing these events to be scheduled in less time would create more field trips, make things easier for those planning them, and benefit all the students.

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Features

November 5, 2018

The Merionite

Oh, the places you’ll go Teresa Cato ’20 Sometimes, LMSD and the Main Line can appear a little mundane. However, our area contains a number of enjoyable spaces that we often take for granted. Throughout the township are a variety of restaurants serving food from all ethnicities, stores to shop at with the latest trends, and nice areas just to hang out and relax.

The most popular spot for LM students to frequent is Suburban Square. Only a five-minute walk from school, Suburban Square contains a plethora of enjoyable shops. The Farmers’ Market is the perfect place to go for an afterschool snack—inside you can find baked goods, sushi, fresh produce, cheeses, and more. It also has indoor and outdoor seating to enjoy your meal on site. Outside of the market, Starbucks and Sweet Green are some other places you could go to for a quick treat after school or a nice place to study. Suburban Square also provides more traditional, sit-down dining at popular restaurants such as Not Your Average Joe’s, Besito, and Ruby’s. Around the corner is El Limon, a lively Mexican restaurant where you can get good tradi-

tional Mexican food. As for shopping in Suburban Square, there are a lot of options for trendy clothing.

Many residents of the Ardmore area enjoy Urban Outfitters, The Gap, Free People, and Madewell.

Manayunk is not as close as Suburban Square, but it offers a wide selection of shops and restaurants as well: Main Street has countless critically acclaimed restaurants such as Winnie’s Le Bus, The Goat’s Beard, and Han Dynasty. For dessert, Whirled Peace Frozen Yogurt, Insomnia Cookies, and Chloe’s Ice Cream are all sweet spaces to indulge. Manayunk also offers trendy clothing stores, art galleries, and other interesting places to wander. Although parking can be tricky, Manayunk can be easily accessed through the Cynwyd Trail. The trail is only a few miles long and can take you from the heart of Bala Cynwyd straight to Main Street. Because the trail is well-managed and mostly flat, it makes for a nice place for a run, walk, or bike with company or just by yourself!

For LM students, brunch is one of the most popular meals of the day. It offers the chance to eat

breakfast or lunch, or both—it’s the best of both worlds! Our area offers numerous diners and cafés with great brunches. Favorites include First Watch, with a healthy yet delicious menu, and Sabrina’s, a classic café style restaurant, both of which are in the Wynnewood Shopping Center. Residents of Bala Cynwyd frequent the infamous and beloved Hymie’s, a locally owned Jewish diner, as well.

The township contains a number of locations for eating, shopping, and just hanging out. Suburban Square is the largest hub within a mile from school, containing an array of restaurants and stores and offering items from makeup and clothing to quick eats and kitchen accessories. Miscellaneous brunch spots are well spaced throughout the district, making LM conducive for an enjoyable morning with friends and family. Furthermore, many residents of the township enjoy Manayunk for a younger, more upbeat vibe, good food, and contemporary art and clothing. With all these different and interesting options, Lower Merion has something for everyone—morning, afternoon, or night!

Fall Crossword

ACROSS 5. On page 2, the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District

17.On page 16, where Philadelphia’s annual OutFest celebration takes place

19.Current volume of The 7.Standardized test in Alge- Merionite bra 1, Biology, and Literature 20.New AP social studies course for LM 9.Noodle soup served at Maido 21.Popular orchard in Media, PA 15.Large storm that affects the Northern Hemisphere

DOWN 1.Name of LM’s athletic fields

2.Language offered only to upperclassmen 13.Theme of the seniors’ Hallway Wars decorations this year 3.Bird eaten on Thanksgiving 14. On page 13, the last name 4.Fall donut flavor at Trader of the LM alumnus who beJoe’s came CEO of Time Warner 6.Popular fall seasonal flavor 8.Name of LM’s yearbook

16.Since 1897, how many years has an LM vs. Radnor football game not been played

10.Number of acres on LM’s campus

18.Name of the road perpendicular to LM

11.Green pigment that leaves lose in the fall Answers on page 14

12.Popular classroom review game

Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff

Special Feature

November 5, 2018

9

The Merionite

Dear Reader, With the 2018 Midterm Elections approaching, we wanted to examine the political distribution at LM. After all, the same stereotypes about our school are passed around again and again—we’re overwhelmingly homogenous in our opinions, everyone is incredibly sensitive about politics, the exchange of ideas has become suppressed. But how true are these assumptions? Where do LM students fall on the spectrum of political ideology, on specific causes, and on their views of the political system as a whole?

We developed a survey to send to the student body, consisting of three sections: one about ideology and issues, one about the political environment at LM, and one about political action. A total of 391 students responded, about 25.4 percent of the school. 75 (19.2 percent) were seniors, 119 (30.4 percent) were juniors, 140 (35.8 percent) were sophomores, and 57 (14.6 percent) were freshmen.

We provided the option for respondents to include their names with written responses, but otherwise the survey was entirely anonymous in order to allow everyone to feel comfortable expressing their honest opinions.

Included in this special feature are the results of this survey, along with articles in which LM students explain why they identify with certain ideological groups and analyze the political environment within our school.

We want to make it clear that The Merionite is not taking a position for or against any of the issues discussed in this feature. We simply hope to amplify what we believe is an important and contentious conversation.

Sincerely, Molly Cutler ’19, Julian Ginzburg ’19, and Caleb Shack ’19 The Merionite Management

MY MIDTERM ELECTION PREDICTIONS Jacob Marsh ’20 “The most important election of our lifetimes,” is what Democrats are calling the Election of 2018.

On November 6, the American people will be choosing a new House of Representatives and electing or reelecting 35 Senate seats, 36 gubernatorial positions, and numerous state legislators. Above all, this election is a referendum on President Donald Trump, since it will be the first major federal-level chance for the nation to respond to this president. Democrats face an uphill battle in the Senate as only nine Republican-held seats are up for re-election, compared to 24 Democrat-held seats and two liberal Independents. Republicans hope the growing economy and the popularity of Trump’s judicial nominations will keep Congress and most state governments red. I predict that the blue wave will come short in retaking Congress. Democrats will take control of the House with a ten to twenty seat advantage but Republicans will keep their slim advantage in the Senate with their 51 seats against the 49 Democrats and Independents who caucus with the Democrats.

If the Democrats win the House and manage to keep all of their current Senate seats, the Democrats still win the overall election and the metaphorical referendum on President Trump.

Democrats holding all their seats in the Senate means they will have won in states that Trump took in 2016 such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Florida.

What does this mean for the rest of Trump’s term? If there is a divided Congress, as I am predicting, it is extremely unlikely that any major legislation will reach Trump’s desk. Partisanship is at its highest, and I cannot see Trump or any Republican making any more than a superficial attempt to work with Democrats. Another government shutdown is extremely probable in this scenario. Trump will likely become frustrated with the partisan gridlock and will use executive orders to advance his agenda, causing liberals to challenge some in federal court.

A Democratic House could bring the Democrats’ biggest hope to fruition: the impeachment of President Trump, when Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller releases his report on potential obstruction of justice and Russian interference in the 2016 election. Nothing short of treason will warrant the start of the impeachment process for a Republican-held House, but with a Democratic House, it is more likely to see a vote to impeach. The question then becomes whether every Democratic senator, along with the additional seventeen Republican senators needed for a super majority (two-thirds of the Senate), would vote to convict.

In my opinion, the two most interesting and important races to watch are in Texas and Florida. In Florida, the most important thing on the ballot is not any election, but a referendum.

This November, Floridians are voting on whether to end felony disenfranchisement (the removal of the ability to vote for those convicted of felonies). If Florida votes against felony disenfranchisement, over one million more voters could vote in 2020. As Florida is a swing state, if the referendum passes, Florida will likely become reliably blue, as those with felony convictions tend to vote Democratic.

In Texas, incumbent Senator Ted Cruz (R) is trying to fend off the up-and-coming Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D). Any statewide race in Texas would normally be a landslide for the Republicans. But O’Rourke is only down by single digit points in the polls and may be able to pull off the upset through his pro-immigration message to the increasingly diverse state. If he does, expect a Democratic majority in the Senate and O’Rourke as a potential presidential candidate in the near future.

The midterm elections will be the best tool we have to measure public opinion of the success of President Trump. But no matter who wins the many races, or how accurate my predictions were; I can predict with 100 percent certainty that we should expect plenty of drama, a drop of controversy, and a hailstorm of presidential tweets.

All graphics in this special feature by Chris de Santis’ 20/Staff and Sihan Wu ’19/ Staff

10

November 5, 2018

WHY I AM A LIBERAL Davis Giangliulio ’21

Here at LM, liberal is a common word. It is not abnormal or weird to state that you are liberal. However, across much of the United States, it is. The word “liberal” is considered toxic, and used to paint people as extremists. But in reality, it is not such a dirty word, and liberalism is the way the country and the world has progressed throughout history, and this is exactly why I believe in it.

Liberal has many definitions, but the one that stands out to me is “one who is openminded or not strict in the observance of orthodox, traditional, or established forms or ways”, from the Merriam Webster Dictionary.

That is exactly what liberalism means to me.

Liberalism is progression in society. It is forming new ideas for how our culture, government, and politics should work. It is throwing out old ideas when there are better ones and never accepting limits to progress. The word liberal in-and-of itself is a revolution. Whenever there has been a revolutionary change socially or economically, in world governments or politics, liberalism has always been at the forefront.

Without liberalism, liberal ideas and policies, it is unlikely we would be currently living in the society we live in today. It was a liberal

idea for example for women and people of color to have the right to vote. Liberal ideas have crafted our social structure for the future and beyond. Liberal social policies lead us into the future and that is simply because traditional ideas eventually do not apply to an evolving society. And despite what you might hear, the only thing liberal ideology and policies want are for people who are considered “different,” by society’s standards, to be treated the same as those who are considered “normal.”

But why I consider myself a liberal goes beyond equality. It is about economic policies as well. A cycle of poverty exists everywhere from inner cities to small rural towns in middle America. Instead of giving tax cuts to the rich—hoping it trickles down to those in the poorest situations—and decreasing federal spending on social programs, liberal ideology instead asks for the government to invest in the most vulnerable communities and end the cycle of poverty, instead of sitting on the sidelines and doing nothing.

With all these things considered, as an advocate for economic and social equality and justi’ce, I only have one real choice, which is to define my political ideology as liberal.

Special F

The Me

LM’S IDE

WHY I AM A

William d Given the polarized political climate of contemporary American society, one almost feels forced to “pick a side” in the ideological feuds between liberals and conservatives. However, during my past few years in high school, I have found that my views on various social, political, and cultural issues do not necessarily follow a particular set of governing political beliefs or values; they are often more un-idealistic and contingent upon specific circumstances.

There are more reasons for my identification as a centrist than just applying a political label. Being a centrist allows me to be more shrewd about my opinions. Many people I have talked to seem to have the misconception that moderate political views are flimsy because they don’t take a definite stance, but it is quite the contrary; oftentimes, identifying with a certain political side can influence one to simply adopt the position of their party without thinking, which I have found leads to more shallow arguments. However, the freedom of centrism allows for the consideration of various issues on a more case-by-case basis, which in my life has led to more informed opinions.

Another reason why I’m a centrist is that I usually believe

Feature

erionite

EOLOGIES

A CENTRIST

de Santis ’20 in more incremental, less ideological resolutions to topics. Typically, strongly leaning political stances can be too overly hopeful to be completely feasible. As such, I usually agree more with moderate positions that have a greater chance of accomplishment. Some think that an incremental approach to issues doesn’t spur significant change, but in my opinion, gradual social and political changes over a long period leads to sizable influence, rather than more contentious, fleeting changes.

This isn’t to say that being a centrist is some ideal, perfect position. I’ve just found it suits me best. In fact, it has become an unfortunate trend to harshly criticize and disparage centrists.

For example, some headlines I have seen recently include “The Case for Centrism in the Trump Era is Hilariously Weak” and “Being a Centrist is Emotionally and Intellectually Exhausting.” These kinds of messages create a starkly negative attitude in regard to the centrist stance, which dissuades many. But, if one considers their opinions on political issues, along with the pros and cons of being moderate in one’s views as I have, they may find the label of centrist is the most apt for them.

November 5, 2018

11

WHY I AM A CONSERVATIVE David Sommer ’19 Opinions Editor

Conservatism is a political and social movement that is based on both the importance of the individual and the importance of institutions such as religious communities and family. Conservatives believe that the government should allow people to plot their own paths and lead their own lives.

Except in the most extreme conditions, nobody should be coerced to act against their best interest, nor should anyone be compelled by the guns of the government to act altruistically. Since the Great Depression, the United States’ government has expanded at a near exponential rate and is involved in everything from bailing out big business to interfering in employee contracts. This growth is creating a weaker America by causing people to turn to the welfare state for solutions instead of themselves, their family, and their community.

Conservatism has a strong emphasis on stability and tradition. Historically, certain systems and ideas have worked, and without an extremely compelling reason, these systems should be maintained, as changing them creates uncertainty and instability. Societal institutions create the stability that prevents the rise of despots and radicals.

Nobody understands the extremely complex fabric of our society, but the societal engineers in the government, media, and academia have the hubris to attempt to force their false utopia upon the rest of America. These destructive forces have lead to an increase in single parent families, government dependence, and general unhappiness. Family, community, and religion are essential institutions

that provide stability, structure, and support. Unsurprisingly, marriage, community tightness, and religious service attendance all increase people’s happiness. According to a 2010 Pew Research study, 37 percent of Republicans, the people who have a greater value for our societal institutions, report being very happy, in contrast with only 24 percent of Democrats. The progressive tidal wave that attempts to drown these stabilizing institutions is doing a great disservice to the American people by cutting us away from the institutions that make us the happiest and the most stable.

In essence, I am a conservative because I despise the infringement on the American way by the well-intentioned trifecta of the government, media, and academia. I believe in the values of our exceptional American founding and am tired of watching them disappear before my eyes. Unlike liberalism, which preaches costly and emotionally driven politics, conservatives present solutions based on time-tested and well-researched principles like free enterprise, individual rights, and the value of family. Over thousands of years, society has evolved certain rules and practices, which progressivism is attempting to eradicate at the expense of the American people. Millions of Americans who are dancing around the golden calf of government dependence, sexual experimentation, and pseudoscience will only find themselves miserable and impoverished. The true path is not through new fads but through the traditional method of individualism, faith, and family.

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November 5, 2018

Special Feature The Merionite

POLITICAL CULTURE TWO STUDENTS GIVE THEIR OPINIONS ON POLITICAL DISCOURSE AT LM

LM’s political culture, like that of the United States, has reached toxic levels of division; the liberal majority, of which I am a part engages in continued wholesale vilification of all those who do not share our ideas by branding conservatives, moderates, and libertarians as racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, stupid, backward-thinking bigots. Likewise, the conservative minority tends to see liberals as brainwashed snowflake sheep who are offended by everything, and are just generally unintelligent. Some elements of both stereotypes are accurate, but not all. Political discussions at LM usually take the form of the two sides yelling and refusing to listen to what others are actually saying, and frequently use the aforementioned insults. That type of debate isn’t even a debate; it’s just two or more people with their mouths open and their ears shut, which helps no one. Liberals, no conservative is ever going to say, “Now that you’re yelling in my face, calling me a xenophobic bigot, I finally see why we need to accept more immigrants at the border!”

And conservatives, no liberal is going to say, “Now that you’re yelling in my face, calling me a commie and that socialism failed in Russia, I see you’re right and universal healthcare is a bad idea!” It’s never going to happen.

If we ever want to compromise, we need to talk to those with whom we disagree in a respectful fashion and attempt to understand their logic and reasoning and not let it turn into a shouting match. It’s difficult, but it works; A teacher at LM and someone I consider to be a mentor and a dear friend, holds some conservative views. He and I love to argue with each other about politics, ranging from gun control to school security to Justice Kavanaugh and everything in between. But we’ve never once raised our voices at each other during said arguments, and I’d like to think we’ve both grown as a result of them.

In my experience, conservatives are much more willing to have debates like this than my fellow liberals, who I observe to be singularly interested in the aforementioned accusations of racism, sexism, and stupidity, and the conservatives who are willing to have these conversations are very prepared for them, so we liberals need to step up our game. I’m not saying I’m innocent in all this. I’ve called conservatives every single one of the terms I listed, but I’ve learned that it really is much more productive for everyone to have respectful conversations with those with whom they do not agree and actually listen to them and attempt to understand their points of view.

Max Blumenfeld ’21

LM students should be able to express their political opinions without fear of being oppressed. LM students are also able to speak against someone else’s opinion freely—ideally in a polite, civil way, although,that is not what we see on a day-to-day basis. The political voice at LM is divided. Some students echo the opinions of their parents, and some construct their own views. I gave a speech at the walkout last year back in March after the Parkland shooting. A few counter-protesters decided to have some choice words with me, but I defended my opinion and didn’t back down. Many people don’t view it to be as easy to share their opinions, on both sides.

Many students find it difficult to express their political opinion at LM because of fear of being judged and attacked by anyone on the other side. I tried to conduct some data by asking people how they view the political culture and whether they feel that their opinion is respected. Audrey Brown ’21, was eager to share her opinion, saying, “I feel as a school, [LM is] very one-sided, that side is very put out…while one side is very hidden, and the people who have those

point of views are made to feel like it should be hidden.” Another student said, “People aren’t that politically outspoken, but when they are, they are very passionate about it, and it’s hard to change someone’s mind here because it seems like everyone already has their views and it’s not going to change.” Most people said the majority voice at LM is towards the left.

Some students who are conservative have pretended to be liberal in class for fear of being disciplined by a teacher. Bella Czarkowski ’21 stated, “I definitely feel as though it’s a more liberal environment, although I do feel like we are all mature enough to express our opinions. Some people have some maturing to do and decide to speak their opinion in an impolite way. My opinion has been disrespected a few times, for example in class when there are political debates. I participated in the walk out, and when I came back in, the counter-protesters tried to start an argument with me and took the sign I was holding.” Various people came to the same conclusion of the common fear and tension, and I feel as though we need to find a way to fix this problem to ensure political equality in the school.

Maayan Barsade ’21

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Recommended required reads Rachel Zhang ’22 I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the International Baccalaureate (IB) Literature book The Grapes of Wrath. The book folows the Joad family and their journey after being forced off their farm during the Dust Bowl at the height of the Great Depression. They, along with a couple of friends they meet along the way, travel from Oklahoma to California in search of a job, a home, and a new life. John Steinbeck crafts a story that accurately depicts the struggles of farmers during the Great Depression and also reminds readers that one can find hope even in the darkest of places. When I first started the book, I could not stand it. The book seemed boring and completely irrelevant— why were we learning about historical events in English? I maintained this mindset until I got further into the book, and everything started to make sense. Towards the end of the book, all of the disconnected events Steinbeck had seemingly left unexplained began explaining themselves, and I found myself enraptured. I found the ending to be perfect, and I now wish to promote this book to all.

The 10th grade English book, The Hunger Games, is an all time favorite of mine. It tells the story of sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in District Twelve of Panem, a futuristic dystopian America. Each year, a boy and a girl are sent from each of the twelve districts to the Capitol in order to participate in the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death. Katniss volunteers to take her younger sister’s place in the perilous games. Author Suzanne Collins packs action, adventure, and even a little bit of romance into a grippingly terrifying piece of dystopian fiction. The Hunger Games is also one of the first mainstream dystopian young-adult fiction novels, a genre that continues to gain popularity. I really love the book, and I especially adore the characters.

Collins is completely unafraid to show the realistic flaws and fears of the characters. Rarely does Katniss want to play the hero, and she is unabashedly selfish and unsure at times. She and the rest of the characters are extremely relatable (as relatable as fighting to the death can be), and this book is one I would recommend to anyone whether it is required or not.

Similar to The Grapes of Wrath, the 9th grade book The Other Wes Moore surprised me with how much I loved it. The Other Wes Moore is both an autobiography and a biography, following two boys both with the name: Wes Moore. These two boys grew up in the same city, with the same name, and around the same time, however, while one (the author) grew up to become a decorated veteran and White House Fellow, the other is in prison for felony murder. Moore spent years interviewing influential people in their lives and regularly visiting the other Wes Moore in prison in preparation for writing this book. His talent in writing and storytelling as well as his interesting take on circumstance, chance, and opportunity turn what would otherwise be a boring biography into a compelling tale of two boys and their journey to manhood. The Other Wes Moore made me feel as though I was living the story alongside them, and it truly impressed me with its moving message and purpose.

I’m glad to have been assigned the book, or I would have missed such an amazing piece of literature.

Photos courtesy of Wiki Commons

Notable Aces alumni at work Nina Aagard ’22

Anyone who’s ever even heard of basketball knows our most famous alumnus: Kobe Bryant. His name is emblazoned on the walls of the main gymnasium, his gear is on display in a glass case, and his legacy is a fundamental part of our school’s culture. But aside from Bryant, our school is the alma mater of several other professional athletes, heroic generals, politicians, entertainers, scientists, and more. While Bryant might be the most well-known former Ace, he is not the only icon to have worn maroon and white.

General Henry H. Arnold, better known as Hap, graduated LM in 1903. The namesake of our athletic fields, Arnold played football in high school. He continued to play sports through his time at West Point Military Academy where Arnold eventually graduated and became one of the first ever military pilots after training with the famed Wright brothers. He then served in both World War I and World War II, where he was appointed as the head of the Air Force. Arnold also co-founded the commercial airline Pan American Airways before dying in 1950.

Alexander Haig was a federal politician in the late twentieth century. He served as the chief of staff for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and as the US Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan. Haig kept the White House in order and is largely credited with holding the government together amidst the notorious Watergate scandal.

As Secretary of State, Haig also helped resolve crises such as the Reagan Assassination attempt, 1982 Lebanon War, and the Falklands War. Haig was born in Bala Cynwyd and attended St. Joseph’s Preparatory Academy on scholarship before transferring to LM, graduating in 1942.

LM class of 1951 member Robert Fagles is best known as the translator of many Greek and Roman classical poems. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Yale University, where he studied English and the arts. In 1960, Fagles became an English professor at Princeton University. He translated many Greek poems and dramas before his most famous translation of The Iliad, which earned him a nomination for the National Book Award. He also published a translation of The Odyssey, and a collection of poems based on the art of Vincent Van Gogh. After a long career of teaching and writing, Fagles died in 2008.

Gerald M. Levin graduated LM in 1956 and attended nearby Haver-

ford College. At the turn of the millennium, Levin was one of the primary leaders in a changing media industry. In 2000, he famously predicted that entertainment would be the leading industry of the 21st century. Levin became CEO of the large media corporation Time Warner and brokered the disadvantageous merger of Time Warner with AOL, causing the corporation to lose money and earning Levin the title of one of America’s worst CEOs ever by CNBC. Renowned paleontologist Neil Shubin was a member of the LM class of 1978.

Shubin helped discover the prehistoric fish-like creature Tiktaalik roseae with Ted Daeschler and Farish Jenkins. He was inducted into the National Academy of the Sciences in 2011 and was also NBC’s Person of the Week in 2006 when the Tiktaalik was discovered. Shubin has won numerous prizes for communication and discovery and joined the American Philosophical Society in 2017.

Alec Scheiner graduated from LM in 1988. Scheiner went on to Georgetown University, where he majored in Latin American studies. He also practiced law at the firm Wilmer, Cutler, and Pickering from 1997 to 2004. Scheiner later was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as a legal counsel. In 2010, he made Sports Business Journal’s list of the top forty sports executives under forty before leaving the Cowboys in 2012 to become the president of the Cleveland Browns.

Fans of Netflix’s The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will recognize LM alum Dylan Gelula as the apathetic teenager Xan Voorhees, though Gelula never graduated. The Philadelphia native was born in 1994 and moved to Los Angeles, dropping out of high school at Graphic by Noa Cutler ’22 the age of seventeen to pursue her acting career. Gelula was cast in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in 2015, and has since become a beloved recurring character on the critically acclaimed comedy.

Rachel Claire Levin, better know as RCLBeauty101, was born in 1995 outside of Philadelphia. She is best known for her YouTube channel, which she started when she was fifteen and is one of the most influential social media beauty stars of her age. RCLBeauty101 has over thirteen million subscribers and over three billion views.

Numerous videos of hers have been filmed on the LM campus, using current students and teachers. In August 2015, her channel was the fastest growing in the world.

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Deathtrap of a student Pamela Li ’20

LM has been known to have a strong culture of competition. If you are like me, you probably catch yourself falling into the ever-alluring yet dangerous trap of comparing yourself to others to figure out your “standing.” We instinctively compare ourselves to others in a search for validation. But at what costs? While comparison can be a source of motivation and growth, in the end we are circling in a tail-chasing frenzy of self-doubt and poor self-esteem. This perpetual process builds up into bigger problems and eventually takes a toll on our health.

Constant comparison is a cycle of misery. When we look for something better to compare ourselves to, say someone with better grades, we will always find someone that is “smarter” and “better,” thus leading us down the rabbit hole. While we might be able to convince ourselves that this process is a way of bettering ourselves, several studies have demonstarted that comparisons breed feelings of envy, lower self-esteem, and depression, as well as compromising our ability to trust others. If we use others as a benchmark to evaluate our own self-worth, that creeping twinge of jealousy may undermine our ability to truly cherish the good things in life.

Additionally, if comparing with others is how you evaluate your worth, you will always be losing. It is impossible to reach a point where you are better than everyone else in every which way.

Some people are born with more advantages than others. Yet, when we compare ourselves to them, we often end up beating ourselves up for not trying hard enough. The differences we see reflect an uneven playing field—a reality that we just do not like to accept. Hard work isn’t always enough and being upset over factors we can’t control doesn’t make sense. Don’t let your life become paralyzed by possibilities that could never be realized.

In fact, trying to achieve that illusion of “perfection” is, simply put, impossible. Sure, you could say Beyoncé is “flawless” or the Harry Potter series was a masterpiece, but even Beyoncé was incredibly insecure and frequently bullied when she was young, before she became an international sensation and inspiration. And J.K. Rowling had to first be rejected twelve times in order to find someone who would finally even look at her story. Public images of people’s “perfection” can be incredibly convincing, but if we could only know their whole truth behind their public images , we might be able to not feel so inadequate.

Do follow the example of Beyoncé and J.K. Rowling and perservere and triumph through adversity.

In addition, I believe that comparing yourself to someone you feel superior to is almost as bad, as you are not only creating a false illusion for yourself, but it will only be a momentary state of bliss before you find yourself falling behind others. Real

confidence comes from being flexible and adapting to your successes or failures and not letting either one affect you too much. Why would you settle for anything less? Don’t allow your self-esteem to be determined by the actions of others.

If there is anything that I’ve learned in high school so far, it is that comparing myself to others often leaves me feeling frustrated, anxious, and paralyzed about moving forward. It doesn’t help to imagine the life that w e want, as it is a losing fight. But part of what makes life interesting is learning from the talents of others.

Instead of trying to be as good as or better than others, focusing your energy on being the very best version of yourself is much more fulfilling. Try to use your energy for working, not doubting, creating, not destroying, focusing, not stressing.

Graphic by Sihan Wu ’19/Staff

The secret formula for homework Ziphron Russel ’20 In Spongebob, Plankton is constantly trying to steal the “krabby patty” secret formula. Why does he want it so badly? Because he wants to replicate the success and business Mr. Krabs has. Similarly, students at LM are trying to find the “secret formula” to getting good grades and succeed in school. But the secret to the formula is pretty simple; all it requires is exercising a successful approach towards your academics.

I hate busy work. Who doesn’t? Some people argue that “busy work doesn’t exist,” but I and most students would certainly say otherwise. However, while busy work may not necessarily help you learn anything new, it can be good practice for easy points, so you might as well just do the work. This is not the case for homework and classwork though. Most teachers give their students homework with the intention that it will help make the concepts they introduced be fully understood. It’s 100 percent crucial to do your homework.

This means giving it your best effort and writing down questions you might have while doing it. You can bring these questions to class the next day and go over them with a peer or teacher to complete your understanding. It may be tempting to just copy someone else’s homework answers but because it is a perversion of the concept of “working together,” I have to conclude that it only digs you into a hole. By doing this, you continuously do not understand the material and if you are not seeking help by the time you get to the test, your grade won’t be too pretty. So, as difficult as it sounds, do your homework and take that extra step to make sure you really understand what’s going on.

Most teachers believe tests are the best way to measure students’ understanding. While this theory may not be true, it’s what we have to work with.

You have probably heard of a million ways to study for a test and everyone is different in terms of what works. It’s helpful to know a lot of different strategies to create a study regime. The way I study usually never lets me down (unless it’s a physics test, because let’s be real: who’s going to get an A on

that?). I like to go through all the given material of the topic that the test is centered on. I look for problems I struggled with, didn’t really understand or just forget how to do. Then, I compile questions I have from these worksheets and ask a classmate or teacher to explain to me how the answer is x=¾ when I got x=34.9. After this, I write down a mini “outline” of the unit, which is basically the main ideas. To top it off, I create a study sheet which basically has all of these ideas briefly explained with an example, if necessary. Studying off of this mega CRIP card is helpful but creating it can sometimes be even more helpful. Like starting any regime, it may seem rigorous in the beginning but as it becomes a routine, it becomes a simpler habit.

For both those who think school is stupid and those who want to graduate LM with flying colors, I strongly recommend finding studying and work management tactics that help you get the grade you’re yearning for. Don’t let your finsta become flooded with school complaints.

Fall Crossword Answers Across 5. Pearl Kim 7. Keystone 9. Udon 15. Nor’easter 17. Gayborhood 19. Ninety 20. Human geography 21. Linvilla

Down 1. Arnold 2. Japanese 3. Turkey 4. Apple cider 6. Pumpkin spice 8. Enchiridion 10. Thirty eight 11. Chlorophyll

12. Kahoot 13. Candyland 14. Levin 16. Two 18. Owen

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Christian Owusu '21 Netflix’s Marvel’s Daredevil is returning with its third season on October 19, continuing the journey of “The Man Without Fear,” and his continued war against crime and corruption. The critically acclaimed live action series follows the story of Matt Murdock, a man blinded as a child in a freak accident. Instead of being limited by such an event, Murdock gained superhuman senses. He decided to use these abilities to deliver his own sense of justice in a corrupt Hells Kitchen, through practicing law and his fists. The show’s confirmation of a third season and growing presence in media may have individuals outside of the fandom wonder,what exactly makes this show so amazing? The comic book character Daredevil made his Marvel Comics debut in April 1964. Since then, the vigilante hero had garnered very little fanfare aside from a horrible 2003 film until the live action TV series was released in April 2015.

Within an incredibly short timespan, this show took the world by storm receiving rave reviews on every corner of the internet. The plot driving Daredevil’s first two seasons is thrilling yet charming. With famous villains and obscure side characters, the showrunners nailed the story of the hero almost perfectly. The narrative of a blind man fighting corrupt businessmen, an ex-marine, and some revived ninjas could have easily been told with a comedic lense yet each of these plot points are told through thrilling stories of loss. What distinguishes this show from its similar comic book counterpart is the multitude of topics it addresses. Drugs, rape, gang violence, failure, and depression are all realistic subject matters that viewers can connect to. There is a feeling of hopelessness present throughout the story, following a man fighting a never-ending battle. That feeling is what keeps the viewer enthralled with every villain, fight, and court case. The plot is styled not only as a superhero story, but as a modern day Shakespearean tragedy. Series like, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer all similarly follow damaged protagonists and are been critically acclaimed for such captivating storytelling.

Success in such masterful storytelling requires the characters and most impor-

tantly, the actors to be up to par. The casting of Charlie Cox as Daredevil may be one of the best choices in all of modern television. From shadowing a blind man to training six days a week in martial arts weight lifting, Cox became completely engulfed in his work, and the results show. He can seamlessly tranform from funny, to threatening, to all out terrifying in a matter of minutes, all the while appearing genuine. The already tragic character of Matt Murdock is pushed into deeper tragedy by fellow actors Vincent D’Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, Elodie Yung, and many other supporting characters who bring chaos to the city he cares for, thus bringing chaos to him. According to Men’s Journal, when asked about his character, Cox said, “The great uniqueness to Daredevil is that his human life is the lie, not his superhero identity.

The man is a superhero, but he has to pretend like he’s this feeble person out in the world.”

Despite its greatness however, Daredevil has faced some problems. It suffers from an unavoidable issue that plagues all Marvel Netflix shows: having multiple showrunners. According to Marvel Wiki, Daredevil, has currently had five different people helm the show, two working within the same season. For other genres like comedy this may not seem so significant, but to a series that depends on its Graphic by Chris de Santis '19/Staff plot to hold it up, shifting tones in the middle of the season with a new showrunner can instantly take a viewer out of their immersion. As a consequence of this, the latter half of Season Two dealt with the problem of the show not exactly knowing where it was heading with its plot. Murdock broke many of his own moral codes without much persuasion or reason and his history with the new supporting character and antagonist, Electra seemed very random and forced. Season One had a very successful and simple plotline, but by over-manipulating the plotline in season two, the show greatly suffered. Story and background are usually substantial, but random backstories without any preface are simply fluff. However, these minute problems barely affect the overall quality of the series, and that is why Marvel’s Daredevil Season Three is my most anticipated release of the year from one of the best shows on television today.

Rebecca Altman '21 As little kids, most of us eagerly anticipated the arrival of Halloween, a day where we could have as much candy as our jack-o-lantern basket permitted. The leaves have changed from green to gold, and dazzling decorations line the streets. What is there to hold on to, besides the candy corn and costumes, Luckily, Disney has spawned amazing Halloween movies that have marveled us as kids with their eerie and fun stories.

Here are my top four picks that you should watch this holiday season.

Hocus Pocus: This cult-classic turns the historic Salem Witch Trials into a spooky movie. The Sanderson Sisters had practiced witchcraft and were punished three years ago as a result. Flash forward to the Halloween of 1993, when teenager Max Dennison lights a candle that resurrects these witches. Now, it’s up to him, his girlfriend Allison, and his little sister Dani to save the children of Salem from the evil witches before sunrise.

The Nightmare Before Christmas: Don’t let the title deceive you, this quirky Tim Burton movie is about a special place called “Halloween Town” with a Pumpkin King who wants something more bright and cheery. It is the perfect combination of chilling and charismatic, and the perfect movie to watch when you’re feeling a little blue. This is Halloween! This is Hal-

loween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! HALLOWEEN! Halloweentown: While the Disney Channel has certainly released subpar original movies in the past, this is one you should definitely check out. In this charming film, thirteen-year old Marnie discovers that she is a witch, and is magically transported to the mystical Halloweentown so her training can commence. However, evil creatures lurk around her and she attempts to find a way to stop the madness. If you enjoy this movie, you’re in luck! There are three more movies in the series, but nothing beats an original.

Twitches: Based on the best-selling book series by H. B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld, Twitches depicts the long-lost twin witch sisters Alex and Camryn.

When they meet on their 21st birthday, their amulets align, causing their birth mother to sense that they are reunited. The twins set out to find their birth mother and to discover the truth about their magical powers. This is another example of a dominating Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) witch will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Graphic by Amy Xi '19

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Ayden Herold ’20 Venom: In Marvel’s 2018 blockbuster Venom, Venom is one of the few his best Elon Musk impersonation). When the film finally does get him talkcharacters in mainstream media that genuinely puts the “anti” in “antihero.” He does not stop or catch villains out of a drive for doing good but instead eats the evildoers that threaten San Francisco because he needs to feed an alien being within himself. This method of dealing justice is rather gruesome, one that many would consider worthy of an R-rating.

And many did believe that Venom would be, with its gruesome character and content, yet Sony Pictures had other ideas. Their lack of faith and a desperate need for a hit new franchise pushed them into making a project that was conceived and filmed for an adult audience and gutted it almost entirely of anything of value. Lead actor Tom Hardy is quoted saying, “They cut my favorite forty minutes from the movie.” And it shows.

“Venom” follows web reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) as he attempts to expose a research corporation for unethical human testing. When said corporation has him fired from his job, Eddie sneaks into their labs with the help of a rogue scientist to uncover their dark secrets. It is in the depths of these test chambers that he discovers the parasite by the name of “Venom”, who then inhabits Eddie’s body and gives him extraordinary superpowers. It takes about forty minutes for this to happen in the movie, and next to nothing else interesting happens before then. Eddie has a love interest (played by Michelle Williams who is clearly only in the film for a paycheck), and he catches the ire of the villain (Riz Ahmed doing

ing and bonding with the parasite, I cannot tell if I should be laughing at, or with, the movie. There are lines of dialogue that show that this film may have had a hint of self-awareness at some point, and others that evoke feelings of the overly edgy superhero movies during the early and mid 2000s.

The action in this film is a mixed bag. The action scenes that have Eddie running around as himself and using the symbiote to help him with dodging cars and bullets are amusing. The others where the symbiote takes over his body completely, however, leave a lot to be desired. The CGI (special effects) does not look the best (still not as bad as Black Panther), and the action is hard to follow since most of them take place at night in the dark. Venom bites the heads off his victims, but given the PG-13 rating, it is quite literally a blinkand-you’ll-miss it addition. It hardly adds anything to the character or scene.

Truthfully, if you don’t follow comic book movies too closely and are a fan of Tom Hardy, you’ll probably get a kick out of this movie. However, if you have been keeping your eye on the superhero craze of recent years, then this film will likely feel underwhelming. The CGI is okay for the most part. The actors are good, but their talents are extremely underutilized. The Eminem song at the end credits has a laughably bad chorus. Tom Hardy is good as Venom, and though key parts of the alien and Eddie’s dialogue are left out, I quite liked the dynamic, despite the little of it there was. Overall, this film is a less than average 4/10, and I’m being a bit generous because I enjoyed the humor.

A Star is Born: Bradley Cooper shines in front of and behind the camera istry between the two leads is palpable and the pair are a believable couple.

in his directorial debut, A Star is Born. This film is a remake (the third of its That same chemistry carries over into their music, and is a major highlight of kind, believe it or not) of the 1937 classic film of the same name and prem- the film. The songs are great in that they work very well in the context of the film, but also on their own, which makes the soundtrack highly replayable. ise: an aging rock star meets a young woman with an amazing This film about rising and fading stardom plays interestingly with the camvoice, falls in love with her, and then brings her to stardom. era, as Cooper decides to keep the subjects in a very close and tight In this version, Cooper plays Jackson Maine, a mostframe. There are hardly any wide shots in this movie (which rely over-the hill country-rocker who struggles with an volves around people performing for large audiences). On alcohol problem. One night, he finds himself in a stage you can tell there are thousands of fans cheering drag bar where he meets Ally (Lady Gaga), for Jackson and Ally, but the shots hold close on their a young lady with a spectacular voice and faces, and the audience is a meer blur in the backa fresh message. The pair find love and ground. It is a refreshing take on this kind of film (escommon ground through music, and he pecially after the wide and often opulent displays brings her along on his tour, where she of wealth in Crazy Rich Asians), and it allows is able to show the whole world her us to see everything our main characters are talents. However, as she gains notofeeling without feeling too claustrophobic. riety and fame, Jackson’s star fades What few critiques I have with this film and his alcohol problem worsens. can be relegated to pacing issues in the I was thoroughly entertained by second act and the characters. Having this film. Few scenes feel unnecesnot seen the original version, I had sary, and the story progresses natuno idea where the story was going, rally. The characters are (for the most and it started to drag a bit. The part) fleshed out and likeable, and the character of Ally is well writjoy and heartbreak delivered by this ten, though towards the end film almost always lands because of it. the film begins to paint her The meat of this film, however, is caras a bit too perfect, which ried on the backs of its characters and took me out of the extheir music–and thank goodness neiperince. It barely takes ther of those dissapoint. Cooper gives away from the film, howa charismatic and sympathetic perforever, and I would highly mance, and shows off his unexpectedly recommend seeing it, impressive vocal talent. Gaga demonwhich is why I’m giving strates her acting ability with a powerthis film a high 8.5/10. ful and vulnerable role that displays her skills in a way that will surely guarantee Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff her a prosperous career in film. The chem-

Xuan Feldman ’20 Sunday, October 7 was the 28th annual OutFest: the largest coming out event in the world. Outfest is a vibrant festival held in the Gayborhood of Philadelphia celebrating National Coming Out Day. The name “Gayborhood” was actually coined due to the location of Outfest, which originated in 1990 in front of Giovanni’s Room, the oldest gay bookstore in the US. OutFest in now located in an eight-block area centered around Locust and Camac Street in South Philly, also know as the Gayborhood. Originally, OutFest was a small block party where accepting businesses in the area would contribute something to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and it typically consisted of a crowd of one to two thousand people. Now, over 150 groups set up in the same block party style to honor the over 40,000 members of the community who participate. Atendees marvel at the balloon archways and OutFest is a great way for students at LM to get festivities at Outfest.

Graphic courtesy of Visit Philly

involved in the LGBTQ+ community and become exposed to the LGBTQ+ culture. There is dancing, a drag show, and many activities throughout the event.

Groups such as Planned Parenthood, Philly AIDs Walk, the Human Rights campaign, and Pennsylvania Youth Congress have tables to provide information and resources to members of the community.

There are also several small businesses who advertise during the festival, making it a great way to discover new favorite stores and restaurants. By simply attending, students at LM can gain huge amounts of knowledge awbout LGBTQ+ issues and become involved in organizations to fight for what they believe in. Becoming immersed in the LGBTQ+ community is an eye-opening experience that all students at LM should have, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. OutFest is a truly one-of-a-kind celebration of the diversity and acceptance in Philadelphia.

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Sophie Meyer ’20 Source Confirmation Editor A town where people have to pay to pee! LM PLAYERS is putting on Urinetown, a satirical comedic musical written by Greg Kotis. Urinetown debuted at the New York International Fringe Festival and was then produced Off-Broadway in 2001 before making it to the Broadway stage later that year. In 2002, it won a Lucille Lortel Award and three Tony Awards. The show was inspired by pay-toilets in Europe (where citizens have to pay to use public restrooms in certain cities). The show is filled with satirical commentary on the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, and municipal politics. It is also meant to parody shows such as Les Miserables, The Cradle Will Rock, and other broadway musicals.

In the show, a man named Mr. Caldwell is the CEO of Urine Good Company. He decides to take advantage of a small town that has just been through a terrible drought. Through bribery and trickery, he establishes laws that make private toilets illegal and forces all of the people to pee at public amenities for a large fee. Due to the fee, all of the citizens become poor while a select few remain in power and control most of the money. Why

don’t people just pee in public places and not in toilets? The new law sends anyone caught peeing outside of a designated public toilet to Urinetown, a mysterious place from which no one ever returns.

Production Manager Sydney Barton ’20 says, “Urinetown is not your average musical, it has a different sense of humor.” Barton also gave an insight into what each crew is doing from now until the show. The scenery crew is busy building the set and using texture paint on it. Costume crew is sewing and making alterations to finished costumes to bring the characters to life. Lighting is hanging lights and adding gels, which are filters that add color combinations for the best effect. The publicity crew is calling businesses to get sponsorships and already have buttons for sale. As for the actors, they are busy blocking scenes, which means learning their places alongside their songs and choreography.

Amalia Schneider ’20, the director of the musical, spoke about her concept for the show: “The show breaks the fourth wall a lot,” she said. “I want to build an immersive set, and I want to address the auditorium to enhance the audience’s experience.

I also want to find ways to bring modern elements of comedy into the show,” she continues. “With the

actors, I have received countless scenes, nitpicked through them, and added modern comedy.” She also said that the show is written in such a way that all of the characters are fairly static and two-dimensional. They all fall into their own classic stereotype, and the comedy emphasizes the archetype they represent with jokes.

The shows run November 15, 16 and 17 at 7:00 p.m. and November 18 at 1:00 p.m. Tickets are thirteen dollars for adults, seven dollars for senior citizens, and six dollars for students. They will soon be available online on the PLAYERS website. Make sure to get your tickets, because when you are at a PLAYERS show, Urine Good Company!

Graphic by Sihan Wu ’19/Staff

Noa Cutler ’22 As part of a special screening for LM’s Science Olympiad, TSA, and Dawgma teams, I was able to catch a showing of the new feature film First Man. Directed by Damien Chazelle of Whiplash and La La Land, First Man tells the story of astronaut Neil Armstrong (played by Ryan Gosling), and takes a fresh look at the man behind the legend.

The first thing that struck me about First Man was its technical successes, specifically its use of first person perspectives. When scenes take place within claustrophobic confinements like experimental planes, spacecrafts, and lunar landers, the camera judders so violently with the craft that the viewer is presented with a blurry view of the action in and outside of the ship. This was incredibly effective in simulating the disorienting intensity of space and air travel in an era when the technology was still in early stages of development, and fatal accidents were only one small step away.

First Man’s sound design was also a powerful tool in conveying the significance of the moon landing. As The Eagle lands upon the moon, the theatre is filled with building and intensifying music, the clattering of the capsule, and radio chatter, but as soon as Armstrong exits the pod, all is quiet. There is no music, sound effects, or even breathing as Armstrong looks out onto the lunar surface. The silence emphasized the significance of this achievement and the alien nature of the moon. Besides the in-

credible production values, First Man’s emotional and personal perspective on Armstrong is what shines. The movie shows a different side of the story we all know, presenting the “who” of the story instead of the “how.” First Man focuses on Armstrong’s family, the tragedies they had to face, and the strain of Armstrong’s career on his relationship with his wife, Janet (played by Claire Foy). While Janet seems to be a secondary character, Foy’s performance is honest, impassioned, and unforgettable.

One particularly impactful scene that resonated with me long after I left the theater shows Armstrong leaving his home one last time for the launch site. This moment really expressed the sacrifices of all of the Apollo astronauts and the uncertainty that they faced. As Armstrong kisses Janet and says goodnight to his sons, a NASA official reads a copy of the speech President Nixon prepared in case the moon landing failed.

He said, “They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared to send two of her sons into the unknown...in ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.” Ultimately, as shown in First Man, Armstrong’s courage and sacrifices paved the way for space exploration.

Graphic by Abigail Chang ’22

Sports

November 5, 2018

Blood, sweat, & cheers

The Merionite

Photo courtesy of The Enchiridion

Sophie Meyer ’20 Source Confirmation Editor

At the 122nd Radnor game, the cheer team preformed energized cheers including the “LM Rumble.”

After a long and restful summer, the members of the girls’ cheer team came back hungry for success. Since school started, practice has been held everyday, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the girls workout in the weight room for the first hour or so. The team is working on gaining strength so that they can soon perform more complex routines, such as, lifting one another into the air and flips.

The girls’ cheerleading team has been perfecting their routines and improving their skills all fall. With a preseason that started August 13, the girls have had plenty of time to prepare for an awesome season. They had practice very often during the summer from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to prepare for the upcoming football season. With the football season ending, the team is looking to expand from ten members to up to 25 for the basketball season. Much of the 2017-2018 cheerleading team was made up of seniors, so this year the team added six new cheerleaders: three freshmen and three seniors.

Coach Rebecca Ferber, an LM alumna, has been coaching the team since fall of 2017. She cheered at LM during her four years as a student, and then at the University of Pittsburgh.

Ferber exclaimed, “There is no doubt that my favorite thing about our current team is the dynamic and familial concept that we have.” She also stated that, “The team has done a great job teaching and enabling one another to be the best selves that they could possibly be.” Coach Ferber is also hoping to advance the team’s skill set and knowledge of the sport.

Captains Maia Cabanas ’21 and Tiani Washington ’21 both said that their favorite moment of the season was the football game against Penncrest at the end of September, when LM dominated 45-7. Cabanas said that the girls had a lot of spirit, cheered well, and enjoyed the game. She also said, “So far our season has gone pretty smoothly besides our first two games when most of our girls were away. I think our ups have shown how much better we have gotten since the first game.” Coach Ferber agreed, saying that commitment was initially an issue, but has now become of much smaller concern.

Speaking to the team’s spirit and togetherness, Cabanas added that, “When it comes to us cheerleaders, I think we bond everyday and get along pretty well.

Every girl on the team is nice and cares about everyone else.” This sense of togetherness created a positive environment throughout the season. One of the teams’ goals was to finish the football season strong, which the girls completed successfully. They are preparing for an exciting basketball season.

Heading to the top Spencer Rosenbaum ’22

Head coach Nico Severini, assistant trol. But as Conestoga had the ball in close coaches Pat Cronin, Dennis Hagan, Marc proximity to the Ace’s goal, it appeared as Gottfried, and the players of the boys’ soc- if the ball hit a Conestoga attacker’s hand cer team entered the 2018 season moti- when the ball entered the box. This possivated to not only win districts, but to win ble handball acted as an assist because imstates as well. With many outstanding mediately after, the ball was redirected to performances, the LM boys’ soccer team another player, who scored. Neither of the finished second in the Central League last referees called a handball and Conestoga year. The Aces entered the second round went up 1-0. Entering halftime, the Aces of districts as the second seed where they were down by one goal. beat Plymouth Whitemarsh. In the quarThe Aces came out of halftime fired up ter finals, they lost in a penalty shootout and dominated play in the second half. to Central Bucks The team had nuWest. The Aces merous chances were placed in to score, howthe playbacks ever, they had (teams that are trouble getting defeated in the the ball into the quarter and back of the net. semifinals of With about three districts get to minutes left, outplay on to be in side midfielder the top three Cole Sanchez ’19 teams with had the ball in the finalists) the Aces’ defento see if they Shane Boyer ’19 looks to move the ball sive half when a would be able upfield to an attacker.

Conestoga player to continue on to states. The team played intentionally pushed him into the fence Wissahickon, the eleventh seed, to whom out of bounds. The Conestoga player was they lost to by a score of 2-0, for a disap- given an immediate red card which forced pointing end to the season. the remaining minutes to be played 11 Entering the week of October 8 this versus 10 in the Aces favor. For the final year, the Aces were 11-1 with the sole loss minutes of the game, the Aces kept the ball at the hands of Strath Haven. On Tues- in their attacking third. They pushed very day, October 9 the team faced off against hard, but unfortunately, by the end of the its rival, Radnor. The team went down game, the Aces were not able to even out 1-0 early in the match, but immediately the score. came fighting back with goals from Isaac Although the loss was not the result Brainsky ’19, Josh Axelrod ’21, and an own that the team had hoped for, it will not goal from a Radnor defender. At the end of stop them from training and playing as the match, the Aces won by a score of 3-1. hard as possible to assure that their goal On Thursday, October 11, the Aces of making a district run and qualifying for played against the number one ranked states is met. The Aces will keep pushing team in the state, Conestoga. In the first until the last second of every game to make half, it seemed as if the Aces were in con- sure that they win Districts and States.

Photo courtesy of The Enchiridion

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Sports

November 5, 2018

19

The Merionite

Should athletes be required to take gym?

Big AMP win

Phillip Gao ’22

Julia Kreuzer ’19 Sports Editor

A large part of the student population actively unable to rest at night. It is overall an unpleasant extakes part in after school athletics. Training for hours perience, which is why a lot of athletes who work too and hours is no easy task, and having to attend addi- hard express animosity towards attending physical tional physical education classes is a burden for some education classes. students. In fact, many athletes find themselves comAs bad as over-exercising might be, attending gym plaining about physical education class. In a survey classes could also be very beneficial for athletes. By expreformed at William H.Hall High School in West ercising during the school day, students can increase Hartford,Connecticut, 420 students were selected at their cognitive function in and out of class. Students random, an overwhelming 76.4 percent thought that are then capable of focusing in distracting situations, student athletes should not have to participate in multitasking, and manipulating information in their physical education. However, attending gym class is minds. This proves to be effective during school comnot all one sided; it comes with both downsides and petitions as well, because the athlete is more aware of benefits. his or her surroundings. Gym class also produces the According to the US Department of Health and feeling of relaxation and pleasure for some students.

Human Services, the average high school student When exercising, the brain releases neurotransmitshould get around sixty minutes of exercise every- ters from the pain-killing endocannabinoid system: day, and around one the psychoactive recephundred hours of extor of cannabis. This is a ercise every sports seaform of the famous “runson. While that is just ner’s high.” The natural be the minimum numsteroid is very beneficial ber, high school athletes in soothing a stressed typically receive double athlete, and can prove or triple that amount to be an asset for them. of exercise. At State By allowing the mind to College Area High School, be stimulated, an athresearch was conducted lete can perform with to find out how much increased efficiency and exercise each athlete resuccess. ceived per season. SoftIn addition to enball players trained for hancing the mind, phys142 hours. Football playical education teaches ers participated in 249 valuable life lessons hours of practices and that not every sport can. games. Girls basketball Teamwork and problem trained for a total of 163 solving skills are imGraphic courtesy of Sihan Wu ’19/Staff hours. With the addiportant values that are tional 62 hours participating in gym class, athletes get taught through a variety of fun activities. For examwell over the recommended amount of exercise. Due ple, an athlete who only participates in a nonteam to the amount of time spent burning calories and the sport, never learned about the importance of teamlack of time recovering from practices, athletes who work and cooperation. By engaging in team activities overtrain can easily become ill. in which everyone gets involved, the athlete learns An athlete, no matter what age or size, should never how to properly work with others to achieve an end overtrain their body. Doing so will lead to injuries and goal. This is beneficial in and out of school, as teamlow morale. Common injuries that occur when working work allows for things to be done easier and quicker. out for long periods of time, especially without rest or Some students say that training for a sport is altime to recover, include sprained ankles, shoulder in- ready difficult enough, and having to participate juries, muscle pulls and strains, shin splints, and ten- in mandatory gym classes strains their body even donitis. These injuries could greatly affect an athlete’s more. Others argue that gym class allows for them performance in competitions and could potentially to clear their mind and prepare them to compete in end their season. In addition to physical injuries, their sport. In either case, both sides are mostly right. athletes can become mentally overwhelmed by However, it is how you weigh the benefits and contoo much exercise. These athletes also have sleep sequences of participating in physical education that disturbances, or feel drowsy during the day and are determineswhether or not you should do it.

USA Ultimate held the finals for the Club Mixed Ultimate National Championship in San Diego, California on October 21. Each team was comprised of men and women from its surrounding area. The two finalists were Philly AMP and Seattle Mixtape.

Mixtape was seeded third and AMP was seeded first. Disappointment struck in the 2017 finals as AMP lost to Mixtape with a close score of 12-13. Sofia Lake ’19 is a longtime fan of AMP, and describes that, “everyone was curious to see how each team had developed throughout the year.”

Since 2015, two members of the AMP team have been LM alumni: Nico Lake ’12 and Carolyn Normile ’13. N. Lake plays as an offensive handler.

His throws are mainly comprised of short “resets” to the other players, which help to keep the disk moving down the field.

Normile is a defensive handler. S. Lake describes Normile’s offensive throws as “absolutely ingenious and very creative.” On defense, she has an acute ability to clog the lanes of the field which slows the movement of the frisbee down to the end zone.

During the game, Lake said, “AMP got a few early breaks that put them ahead.” The Philly club team was able to keep their early lead throughout the rest of the game. AMP player Linda Morse caught the goal that sealed the win. The final score was 15-8. For the first time since the club’s formation in 2006, AMP won the National Mixed Club Ultimate championship. This is a great example of LM alumni harnessing the athletic skills learned at LM in their adult lives.

Record broken Sports Editors On October 20, the LM football team played Harriton on Arnold Field. The boys led a remarkable 28-0 victory over the Rams.

During the game, quarterback Matt O’Connor ’19 broke the school record to become the leading passer in LM history. Throughout his high school career, O’Connor has thrown upwards of 3,500 yards. During the game against Harriton, O’Connor completed twelve of the 22 throws made.

In his senior year alone, O’Connor has thrown 1,904 yards. The school record for passing yards was previously held by Samuel Stabert ’05, who set it back in 2004.

On behalf of the staff of The Merionite, we would like to congratulate Matt O’Connor on his new record!

Freshman Simon Schmieder

Sophomore Jamie Eldridge

Junior Philip Monos

What sport(s) do you play?

Cross country and track What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Winning the JV race at the Paul Short Invitational If you were famous, what would you be famous for?

Inventing a way to get my keys out of a locked car What would you do if you locked your keys in the car?

Use my invention

What sport(s) do you play?

Volleyball and Ultimate Frisbee What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Playing varsity volleyball as a freshman How you ever seen a ghost, and if so, where?

I maybe saw a ghost on a ghost walk in Gettysburg If you were famous, what would you be famous for?

Being on the first women’s team for ultimate frisbee in the Olympics

What sport(s) do you play?

Soccer What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Winning a state championship for my club team If you could only wear one type of shoes for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Adidas sneakers What would you do if you locked your keys in the car?

Try and break the window

Senior Bryn Rieke

What sport(s) do you play?

Field hockey, winter track, and spring track What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Winning a tennis tournament when I was 11 If you were famous, what would you be famous for?

For being a mob boss What would you do if you locked your keys in the car?

Call 911

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November 5, 2018

Sports The Merionite

THE COLLEGE RECRUITMENT PROCESS Sports Editors

How does it work?

With the college application process consuming the lives of many LM seniors, there have been rumblings of confusion regarding how the college recruitment process works for prospective student-athletes. In this feature, we will be comparing the differences in the process between schools in different divisions.

Of course, there are many similarities. Generally, an athlete will identify schools, meet with the coaches, visit campuses, and ask about finances. Aside from that, the process varies, here is a dive into it.

Division 1 Division l is the second largest sports division of the NCAA, but it is the most competitive. The athletes who play in Division l are generally the best and go through the most extensive recruitment process to play in college. The division is comprised of 347 schools across the country and offers many full athletic scholarships for students; approximately 56 percent of Division l athletes receive athletic financial aid.

Coaches from Division 1 schools can begin to contact students when they are sophomore in high school. The only type of correspondence that is allowed to occur is through the mail. For the majority of sports, beginning September 1 of the student’s junior year, specific recruiting material and electronic correspondence can begin. After July 1 of the student’s junior year, coaches are allowed to begin off-campus correspondence.

As students begin to choose between schools, they are allowed to embark on a maximum of five official college visits. Students compare the different offers from the schools before they make a decision. The end of the recruitment process comes when the student signs a National Letter of Intent -a legally binding contract and states that the student will attend the school for a year and compete for a form of financial compensation.

Students are not required to sign the letter nor does it prevent them from competing for financial aid.

Division 3

The NCAA Division ll is the smallest college competition division. The division is made up of 309 schools that are typically smaller. Sixty percent of athletes receive financial aid, which tends to come in the form of partial scholarships. Athletes cannot receive athletic scholarships.

There are far fewer specifications for the Division ll recruitment process compared to Division l. After June 15 of a students’ sophomore year, unlimited recruiting materials, calls, and visits can be made. Once a student decides which school they wish to attend, a National Letter of Intent can be signed, however it is not mandatory.

Division 2

Division III is the most academically focused athletic division of the NCAA but still hosts tough competitions. This division consists of 442 schools, and athletes of these schools have the highest graduation rate of the three divisions. While no athletic scholarships are allowed, eighty percent of students who participate in sports receive some form of merit- or need-based aid.

Similar to Division II, Division III has much less restrictions in the recruitment process than Division I. Schools can send out recruitment materials and make phone calls to potential athletes at any time. There are also unlimited off-campus meetings and unofficial visits that can be held at any time. However, official visits are only allowed to be conducted after January 1 of the athletes’ junior year. This freedom is likely a reason why two of three Division III athletes are recruited.

Going Forward...

There are certainly other options if the NCAA is not for you. One is the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. This association consists of more than 250 schools, mostly private, smaller ones. It is the home to 60,000 student athletes, and boasts the environment of Division III with the competition of Division II. Over $500 million in athletic scholarships goes to NAIA athletes each year. A final option for college athletes is to compete for a junior college.

There are over 500 of these schools in the United States.

Whatever you decide is your best course of action, we hope that you now are more informed as to what the college recruitment process is like, whether it be for a top Division I school or a small private school in the NAIA.

Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff