Acorn Winter 2014-2015 The Monochrome issue
a Day in the Life of a harley High School Student Freshman Sarah Moore 6:10 am: I get out of bed. 7:50 am: I’m dropped off in front of the school. 8:00 am: I meet my friends in the theater for homeroom. 8:10 am: Homeroom begins. 8: 20 am: I enter US-4 for Geometry class. 9:05 am: Geometry ends and I head to my locker to put away my binder and textbook. 9:06 am: Writing Workshop begins. I continue to work on the current assignment. 9:50 am: Writing ends and I make my way upstairs to Latin. 10:39 am: Latin ends a few minutes late because we were reviewing for a test. First short has already begun. I collect my things for English in my locker and the walk up to the English room. 10:51 am: English begins. 11:36 am: English ends. I have fifth period free, so I spend it doing homework in Colosimo’s room. 12:20 pm: I head to the Commons for Rights and Responsibilities. The class is before lunch because it’s a Day 7. I miss World Politics/Economics Systems today. 1:08 pm: I get to lunch a few minutes late because I stopped at my locker. 1:35 pm: Lunch ends and I walk back to the Commons for Biology. 2:20 pm: Biology ends and Advisory begins. I pack up my things at my locker and go to the art room to meet my friend who is finishing a project. 3:00 pm: The bell rings to signal the end of the school day. I help clean up the art supplies that were used. 3:10 pm: I meet head up to the Middle School to meet my mom in her classroom. 3:20 pm: We pull out of Harley and onto Clover Street to drive home.
Sophomore Floriana Milazzo 6:15 am: My alarm clock goes off signaling an impending doom. To snooze, or not to snooze? That is the question. Who am I kidding? I roll over and slam the snooze button once and a few more times for good measure. My mind stumbles between fantasy and reality for another half hour. 6:45 am: Doors open. My sisters have woken up. I can hear them in the bathroom adjacent to my bedroom. Through the walls I hear that Giana can’t figure out which necklace best matches her shirt, while Sophia’s “Paris Amor” lotion from Bath and Body works has gone astray/missing. These things matter. I drift back to sleep for what seems like forever yet only half a millisecond at the same time. 7:00 am: another door opens. It’s my mom. This can’t be good. “Floriana, it’s 7:00 you have to get up or else we will be late” Late for what? I think to myself. “I’m coming, I’m coming” I mutter as I begin to begin to sit up. I stay sitting up in bed for a few minutes. “Carpe diem.” Seize the day. That seems a little daunting. I like to take baby steps. Let’s start with “Carpe” getting out of bed. Baby steps. Then I’ll go from there. There. Much less daunting. Yes. Baby steps. At 7:10 am I somehow manage to have rolled out of bed and have gotten dressed-looking nothing short of fabulous, might I add. Breakfast consists of cereal and orange juice for my sisters and me. As we eat, we joke about God knows what and talk nonsense, with prolonged breaks of laughter in-between. What would I do without them? 7:25. “Guys let’s get a move on it.” My mother shouts from upstairs. My sisters and I hustle to finish our breakfast and dash upstairs to brush our teeth. I begin to regret hitting the snooze button. I find myself with about eight minutes-allotting two minutes to find and put on shoes- to brush my teeth, wash my face, and make my still somewhat chlorinated hair looks at least halfway decent. I surprise myself yet again, and manage to accomplish all three of those tasks on time. ****** 8:25 am: First period English class has just begun. At the moment we have a few more pages of Antigone to read aloud, having finished reading Oedipus Rex a few weeks ago. Another character dies. Well, at least they didn’t gouge their eyes out with brooches like a previous character. Whenever I’m feeling down I pause. Take a moment. And remember that my life is not a Greek tragedy. Then, I realize that I have it pretty good. 9:06 am: Second period I have Cold Wars to Terrorism with Schara. At the moment, the tall black spinny chairs are the epitome of entertainment and distraction. In class, we hypothesize what people at Wegman’s would answer if we went up to them and asked, “Why did Truman decide to drop the atomic bomb?” We conclude that most would say something along the lines, “to save American lives” which is utterly false. I say there’s only one way to find out. 9:52 am: Time for Spanish IV. We each give oral presentations on a comedic story or cuento that we had finished reading. Essentially its morals are: “you get what you get and don’t throw a fit” and don’t accuse people of being thieves, or, ladrones. I’ll be sure to keep those in mind. With five minutes left, it occurs to me that it’s first short next. The bell rings. Adios. It’s bagels for snack. My friends and I sit down to eat, filling each other in on our mornings as if we haven’t seen each other in forever. As usual, the bell rings too soon. AP U.S History and Chemistry go by pretty quickly for a Monday. Only one more class until lunch. I got this. In FST Honors I learn of how to use the inverse cosine functions. With five minutes to spare at the end of class, it’s story time with JAM. He tells us of his disastrous first date. And we thought our love lives were bad.
1:12 pm: At lunch my friends and I share the normalities and abnormalities that have occurred since we have last seen each other. One would think we would run out of things to discuss, but these days The Harley School is quite the hip, happening place. As usual, the bell forces us into separate paths on the road to “Become what thou art.” 1:57 pm:” Psychology class with Dolan is in full swing. Today, I cringe as we watch a video on about a young girl who has no pain receptors in her body. Why do these sufferings exist? Why is that girl suffering and not me? She didn’t do anything wrong to deserve her life and I didn’t do anything good to deserve mine. I suppose these questions will never be answered. We finish the video and get let out five minutes early. ****** 5:45. Only 15 minutes before swim practice ends. In the locker room I can tell it has been a long day when I mistake my conditioner bottle for my shampoo bottle. Oh well. I change into sweats and flip flops and get ready to go home and eat. But really, I’m most estatic about doing all my homework. The fun never ceases for me! ****** Late. Before I know it’s time to “Carpe” the night. That shouldn’t be too hard. Maybe I will wake up early tomorrow. Yes. I think I will. What a splendid idea.
Junior Caroline Pasley 6:30 am: Alarm goes off, hit snooze goes back to bed 6:45 am: Scramble out of bed get ready 7:00 am: Eating breakfast and searching for jacket 7:20 am: Waiting for bus, 10 minutes late and freezing cold 7:45 am: Barn is crowded, everyone is half asleep or listening to music or both 10:35 am: Snack is apples again and cheese sticks 11:45 am: Wondering what lunch is, so tired way too much homework tonight 1:05 pm: Grab lunch, sit with friends talk, plan for the weekend 2:20 pm: Head to library, listen to music while doing homework 3:30 pm: Get off bus, watch Netflix, and walk the dog 5:00 pm: Start homework, make dinner, listen to music 6:00 pm: Leave for work, 10:00 pm: Home from work, need to shower, so tired 11:30 pm: Homework’s done, going to bed, set alarm and charge phone
Senior Sarah Fink
6:30 am: *snooze* *snooze* *snooze* 6:50 am: *snooze* snooze* *snooze please* 7:02 am: *snooze* *snooze* *PLEASE JUST SNOOZE* 7:16 am: Ugh fine I’m awake 7:50 am: Run out the door with coffee slopping out of the mug, “MOM I’M LEAVING BYE” 7:51 am: *slip on ice but recover with minimal coffee loss* phew 7:59 am: traffic *fingers tap steering wheel* traffic *guzzle coffee* 8:04 am: Park by the Field House and hustle to The Briggs 8:10 am: “and joke of the day with Lydia Brown!” … hahaha good one… wait, no, I don’t get it. 8:12 am: Spot a dead fly only inches away *internal scream* 8:20 am: Meander over to the Hospice room and slips shoes off 8:22 am: Wish I had gum 8:24 am: Today is a lying down meditation- I nearly fall back asleep 9:05 am: Shoes on and walk to Topics 9:07 am: Hey OB, how is Emma? 9:40 am: HUNGER EN SUES 9:50 am: Math class walks out, English class walks in. 9:55 am: Mr. O’Brien walks in 10:34 am: My hunger is so real 10:37 am: …apples… APPLES AGAIN? 10:50 am: “If you need me, I will be in the Library” 11:38 am: Dr. Rob gives us magnets “It’s never too late to be what could have been” 12:29: Schara’s still not here 12:33: No, for real, where is he 12:33.57: Oh there he is 12:37: Watche The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. What a guy. 12:49: HUNGER RETURNS 1:03 pm: food food food 1:36 pm: Right to Latin aye 2:20 pm: nap time 3:22 pm: WOAH IM LATE FOR SWIMMING 3:34 pm: Dryland, squat squat squat 4:15 pm: Wait where did the sun go? 4:19 pm: I swear I will get in the pool now!... 4:19.39 pm: Okay now I will… 4:20.2 pm: Get splashed. Fine. *jump into the water* “GAH NO ITS COLD” 5:00 pm: An hour left. 5:55 pm: Countdown 6:01 pm: This throws off the countdown… 6:05 pm: ALRIGHT IM OUT 6:44 pm: Speed home 7:00 pm: GIVE ME ALL THE FOOD IN THE HOUSE 7:40 pm: Just one more episode of Friends 7:43 pm: Chandler Bing is my spirit animal 8:00 pm: Homework Homework *light smelly candle* Homework 9:00 pm: more Friends 10:00 pm: more Friends
Shakespearean Drama Elijah Hale Well, we just wrapped up a very interesting play, As You Like It, by William Shakespeare himself. I could bore you with a plot summary and the basic schpeel about how awesome the whole thing was, which it definitely was, but I won’t. Instead, I will tell you what it was like to prepare for the show. First, the auditions came. Everyone was required to memorize a 20 line monologue from another Shakespeare play. In theater, performing an audition piece with material from the show you are auditioning for is taboo, so we had monologues from all kinds of shows! Then, after each student has performed a monologue from a show other than As You Like It, Maria calls pairs up on stage and the two people read a scene from the actual play, which can be very nerve-wracking. But in the scope of the whole show, auditions are a mere blip. They take 2 days, and then the cast list goes up. The posting of the cast list is a really stressful event for most people. Even getting the role you wanted can be taxing, because mostly all of the theater kids are friends, and getting a part means one of your friends didn’t get that part. The first real part of the show is the read-through. Every member of the cast gets together and sits down at one table. Each person receives a script, and the entire play is performed vocally, from seated positions. From this moment on, no actor is allowed to cut their hair, dye it, or alter their appearance in any way without the permission of Maria Scipione herself. Then the rehearsals begin. For the first few weeks, rehearsals are 3-6, after school, which causes many conflicts with sports practices. Luckily, not everyone has rehearsal every day, so the coaches don’t get too mad at us! After a few weeks, the rehearsals start demanding more and more people. In order to accommodate everyone’s schedules and to adapt to the night-energy as Maria calls it, rehearsals change to 6-10pm. These night rehearsals are really one of the best parts of the play. Everyone is, of course, exhausted. Rehearsals often deteriorate into nothing more than hysterical laughter. Also, food is provided at each night rehearsal, so most people are very content. Then come dress rehearsals, these provide the first and last chances to fix anything that needs fixing before the show opens. Lots of costume and hair and makeup are altered, and changes need to be committed to memory quickly. Then the show opens, and for three nights, we rule the stage, complete with lights, hair, makeup, costumes, music, and for one night... cameras! When the show closes on the final night, we all head to a party together, where we eat A LOT of food, play silly games, and mostly sleep, preparing for the next day, Sunday Strike. Strike involves taking everything involved in the show breaking it down and putting it away. All in all, theater is an experience that can only be understood by someone who has participated in it. Whether that participation comes from stage crew, set painting, lighting, or performing, theater is a necessary life experience that everyone in the world should have, at least once.
StudentsXEmpathy (Installation 1 of 2)
Correspondent: Jasmine Cui ‘16
When I came to Harley in 2012, I found myself in the middle of Dr. Cottrell’s ‘empathy movement’. At the time I may not have understood what ‘empathy’ was, but one thing was apparent: At Harley empathy is not a goal; it is a standard. Our commitment to this standard is evident in programs such as Rights and Responsibilities and Hospice. These programs have served as a forum for advocacy and instilled a sense of accountability within the student body. Most importantly, such programs have also introduced students to the concept of civic duty. The recent rise in student created, community centered clubs is a testament to this. In fact, two such clubs were introduced just this year: The Harley Key Club and The Harley Humanitarians. These ‘community oriented’ clubs aim to better not only the Harley community, but surrounding communities as well. The Acorn has interviewed members from a number of these clubs to give you a feel for what each organization is like and what it is doing to better our community.
M.O.G.I.I.*
‘Opening the Dialogue’ Jasmine Cui ft. Morgan MacRae J. Cui: So Morgan, what got you involved with M.O.G.I.I. and what do you like about it? M. MacRae: I look at joining M.O.G.I.I. as personal since I came out as bisexual this year. M.O.G.I.I.. M.O.G.I.I. is very education oriented and I like that, especially since there is so much that people don’t know about the issues that surround sexual orientation, gender identity, and interest. J. Cui: How would you describe the club’s atmosphere? M. MacRae: M.O.G.I.I. is more or less laid back, I think this is because the club deals with things that most people are less familiar with (i.e. trans, bisexual erasure, intersex, romanticism, etc) people feel like they are on uncertain ground in terms of how they can really contribute to the conversation. But, everyone comes in willing to learn and accept and it’s great! it’s still really important to provide that safe space. J. Cui: In what ways do you believe M.O.G.I.I. will have a positive impact upon the community? M. MacRae: I believe that the role of M.O.G.I.I. (within the community) can be fluid. It provides different things to different people at different times. I can’t speak for everyone. Personally, I see it as a space for a different voice of Harley to be heard and for different conversations to be had than what we hear in the classrooms and halls. It’s really about support. It’s about learning to be a good ally and a good activist. It’s about learning to have a conversation. J. Cui: Are there any prerequisites or membership requirements? M. MacRae: M.O.G.I.I. is non-exclusive, the only requirements are that you respect the space and other people’s experiences and opinions. If you walked in and said something crass like, ‘This isn’t an issue, why do you even have to bring up being -insert group-’, then there might be a problem. J. Cui: When (and where) does M.O.G.I.I. meet? Do you guys have any projects or events planned for the future? M. MacRae: M.O.G.I.I. meets in English O’Brien’s room (located in the senior hall) during lunch on Fridays. M.O.G.I.I. is currently working on an awareness assembly that you can hope to see sometime in the coming months. ***M.O.G.G.I. is an acronym for Marginalized Orientations, Gender Identities, and Intersex
For prospective members, who wish to join either M.O.G.I.I. or Diversity Roundtable: M.O.G.I.I. meets at lunch on Fridays (Mr. O’Brien’s room/ English), Diversity Roundtable meets at lunch on Thursdays (Mr. O’Brien’s room/English). Special thanks to Morgan MacRae ‘15 and Lydia Brown ‘15. Find installation 2 of 2 of the StudentsXEmpathy in the next edition of ‘The Acorn’. Featured in the next installation: Key Club ‘Building leaders through the vehicle of service’ ft. Jasmine Cui ‘15, Manuel Hanuch ‘16, Ariel Bernhard ‘16, Harley Humanitarians - ‘Adding a discussion aspect to community service’ ft. Kate Veverka ‘15, and more.
Diversity Roundtable
‘A place for open discussion’ Jasmine Cui ft. Lydia Brown
J. Cui: Hey Lydia, what got you involved in Diversity Roundtable? Was there a specific reason why you joined? L. Brown: Initially, I just wanted to see what Diversity Roundtable was ‘all about.’ I remember first attending in 2013, while the Giving Tree discussions were ongoing. I loved what went on there, the discussions were great and it was very meaningful to hear from so many different people. So, I kept going to the club meetings and eventually became quite involved with it. J. Cui: What is your club like? Is it super casual/super serious/somewhere in between? L. Brown: Our club is simply a gathering of anyone who’s interested. We sit and eat lunch in Mr. O’Brien’s room while talking about all kinds of things, whether they be current events, social issues, or random ideas we have - we can talk about anything, really, and it’s super chill. No judgement here, all good vibes. J. Cui: Well, that’s refreshing to hear. Moving on, in what ways do you hope Diversity Roundtable will make a positive impact upon the community? L. Brown: I don’t expect this club to radically change the community, and while that would be amazing, it’s not exactly what I am going for. I believe that with small steps the best things can happen. Change takes a long time, and if you try to rush it, it won’t blossom the way it’s supposed to. Diversity Roundtable is all about reaching out to the individual, and affecting one person at a time, culminating in long term community impact. J. Cui: What are (some of) Diversity Roundtable’s goals and why do you believe they are important? L. Brown: One of our biggest goals is to improve diversity at Harley in every aspect of the word. But, because that is kind of a big commitment, I’d say one of our major goals is just to get people thinking in different ways. Thoughts can be quite powerful and it’s incredibly eye opening to realize how many different angles you can look at the world from. J. Cui: I agree, what are some projects/discussions/etc. that your club has recently completed?
L. Brown: We recently had a series of discussions on the Ferguson situation and events related to it. These are tough things to talk about, especially in a school setting, but the way it was handled was so great. People were able to speak their minds without judgement and the discussions didn’t get heated or angry between peers. One activity which I found very meaningful was when Jossie integrated middle school students into the Ferguson discussion. It was so ‘chill’, but the conclusions some of the kids made were incredibly profound. J. Cui: Does Diversity Roundtable have any upcoming events or activities? L. Brown: I know we planned to meet with the middle schoolers again to touch on more of the topics surrounding Ferguson since there was so much to talk about. But, besides that, I’m not really sure what else is planned. We typically discuss current events, but would also greatly appreciate student and/ or teacher requests on potential discussion topics. J.Cui: In case there are any prospective members, when (and where) does your club typically meet? And are there any membership requirements? L. Brown: We meet every Thursday during lunch in English O’Brien’s room (Lo-
Prattling Jeffrey Sun
First off, Happy New Year everybody! I hope everybody had a good break. It’s funny, now that I think about it. We go into break, rubbing our hands together thinking: ‘Oh man, I can’t wait to kick back, relax, and do all these fun things that I’ve been wanting to do for such a long time!’ Then we end up waking up at noon every day, probably browse the internet for a good chunk of the remaining day (I know I surfed reddit one too many times), and we eat, maybe watch a movie or so, and then we go sleep. Rinse and repeat. In a way, I envy the people who travel to different places over break. But then again…we’re not suffering from jetlag. I like winter when it’s cold enough and it’s snowing. Because then the ground isn’t covered with wet snow or rain. It’s covered in snow particles that are easily disturbed, and whenever the winds blows it’s like a cold desert outside. The snowflakes curl and float around, like an invisible ballerina twirling on the dance floor. It’s like…okay, I was about to reference Frozen, so I think I’ll dodge that bullet. When the snow is blowing all around you, it’s like you’re an astronaut walking for the first time on a foreign planet, carrying the American flag so you can plant it on a white frosty hill. Then the skies clear and you can see the vast expanse of stars, colorful gases, and emptiness that space is. Then, inside your helmet, a tear rolls down your cheek because America was the first to set foot on another planet. Try that for size, Europe. Wait, I was talking about snow. Snow and…stuff. Yeah, that’s what I’d do if there was more snow. I remember seeing this gum wrapper that had some stuff scribbled on it. “If you could be on an island with one other person, who would it be?” I’m paraphrasing the quote because my memory is about as good as a corrupt save file. I’d either go with Tom Hanks or Bear Grylls. If given enough time, maybe Tom Hanks could find us a way off the island. Who knows, maybe on the other side of the island there’s a Navy detachment that is willing to ship us back to America, and then we wouldn’t have to wait a few years to build a makeshift raft. Or, if I had Bear Grylls, he could teach me how to survive in the wild like him. I could set up snares, traps, and maybe – just maybe – I could jump from a branch with a shiv and then take down a wild animal, and then eat that animal. Then he’d be able to help me swim back to land and then we’d go our separate ways, but not before writing a best-selling novel that gets the catches the nation like how Ash catches Pokémon. If that happened, the only person I would be willing to do an interview with is Alex Jones from InfoWars.
As a senior, there are a lot of things that I want to do before I leave Harley and grade school for good. One of those things is having a good senior quote. Do we get senior quotes? Right, I think we do. I think I’ll have this as a placeholder: Think about what you say, and then when you’re saying it think about it some more, and if you talk even slower you need to think more. What? Exactly. I often find myself prattling about life, America, friends, family, school, all of that. All of this is basically my life. It’s not like it’s a bad thing, my prattling is why I’m writing this column. But every once in a while, I do wish that I was more well-versed, more eloquent. I think back to my rep-at-large ‘speech’ and every time I do so I cringe. I cringe so much, it was so bad. That is the type of person I would like NOT to be, and so I suppose you could say that my New Year’s resolution is trying to be more eloquent and such. But yeah, Happy New Year’s, guys. I would say have a good one, but you know, only you can make your year good. Unless like…outside forces decide to wreck something in your life and then you mope around. Nobody would blame you then, it was out of your control.
The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies A movie review by Sophia Trzcinski
The highly anticipated end to The Hobbit trilogy is certainty not a disappointment for hardcore fans and new comers alike. It contains a plethora of lengthy fight scenes, and displays an honest portrayal of life in a time of war. While the battles and constant aggression are slightly over done in this movie, it certainly makes the story quite gripping and exhilarating. For the less devoted movie-goer, the motion picture will certainty keep you wanting more with its slightly overbearing war sequences and it’s greed-driven plot. And while the fights are intense and excessive, the gore is none-existent, making for an exciting film suitable not only for teenagers but for families as well. Martin Freeman, playing the unlikely hero Bilbo Baggins, is as sarcastic and clever as ever, adding comedy and raw emotion to a movie that lacks in anything but battles, though the actor didn’t have to reach very far to play the character and frankly his acting was un-extraordinary. The furthest extent of his facial acting was a quick smile or two and many scenes of his trademark, slightly pouting face, which is meant to display his confusion or his anger, though it is obvious that these expressions require self-control and a lot of natural talent. At times, he reminded me of John Watson from Sherlock, and even of his role as Tim Canterbury in The Office (UK). He adds parts of himself to his characters, making some of them quite similar, but allowing the characters to seem more genuine. The other 13 dwarves were uninteresting and unimaginative. Even Thorin, who undertakes a drastic change near the end of the movie (no spoilers, I promise), lacks in originality and fits the hardened warrior stereotype so well it makes me yawn. In fact, all of the supporting characters surrounding Biblo, except for Gandalf and a few minor protagonists, were extremely somber, mundane, flat characters that only help to push the story along. But we aren’t watching the film for heart-retching side plots and dynamic elves, though those, while scarce, do enter the story. If you are venturing out of your warm home to sit in a movie theater for exactly 144 minutes, you are looking for gritty battles, attractive elves, and a satisfying ending for our tiny, good-hearted protagonist, all of which you will get. The cinematography, of course, is stunning, with the images ranging from great green fields where groups of beings prepare for war, to looming castles of black, back to enormous stone fortresses protruding from mountains fit for magnificent dragons. Peter Jackson did a truly astounding job capturing the vivid scenes with brilliant color schemes and engaging camera angles, making you feel not as though you are in the battle but just far enough away from it to feel the rush of air as an elf pushes an orc off of a cliff, or as eagle drops a bear into a thick throngy of enemies. This, of course, is only made more striking when seen in IMAX 3D, as I saw it. In conclusion, The Hobbit is long, filled with such an onslaught of action that sometimes you wonder if the movie will ever end. It borders on tedious in the moments of inactivity, but all in all it was a great way to end an amazing trilogy of movies, and one that J. R. R. Tolkien fans will certainty be delighted with.
Wolves on the Prowl Floriana Milazzo Chlorinated hair. Ever-growing appetite. Muscles that ache. Split ends. Dry skin. Adrenalin pumping. Yup, it’s swim season and I literally “wear my passion.” Both Varsity girls and Varsity boys have been having lots of success in the pool and the Wolves have been off to a great start and another division champ banner looks promising. A lot of new talent has joined the team and old talent continues to impress. After a lot of hard work over Winter Break, we are all looking forward to seeing our times drop as Sectionals and GR’s approach. Many swimmers say that swimming is not a sport, but rather, a lifestyle. I couldn’t agree more. For me, swim season is a time of perpetual hunger for food and for best times. It’s a time of late nights spent doing homework after away meets, but the fun bus rides and stops for food afterwards make up for it. It’s a time of constantly smelling like chlorine, no matter how many times you shower. It’s a time of walking outside in flip flops after practice because putting on any other shoes takes too much effort. It’s a time of team bonding in the locker rooms before and after practice. It’s a time where hard work and effort pay off. Swimmers love to win. But to a swimmer, winning is more than coming in first. Winning is giving it your all, even when you think you have nothing left to give. Winning is racing against the person right next to you, but also against yourself. Winning is putting on your big girl panties and just doing it. Winning is showing up and doing what you love. Winning is so much more than a competition. This season, Varsity Wolves have definitely proven themselves to be winners. Our prey better watch out because we are on the prowl!
What happened two months later Sarah Fink
Two Division Champion bannars. Two Genesse Region Meet Champion bannars. A girls Intersectionals Champion bannar. Five girl school records broken (50 Freestyle- Nicole Gelb, 100 Freestyle- Nicole Gelb, 500 Freestyle-Emma Tracy; 100 Backstroke- Sarah Fink, 400 Freestly Relay- Lily Kegil, Emma Tracy, Sarah Fink, Nicole Gelb), And promising outlook for the boys sectional finals.
White Privilege and Racism at Harley Cameron Yudelson
Fact: Harley is not the liberal utopia everyone makes it out to be. I have heard horrendous stories of ignorance and witnessed racial and socioeconomic prejudice 1st hand. There are two issues I want to address: white privilege amongst students and white privilege amongst the administration and faculty. But first I need to make the distinction between racism and white privilege. Racism is a doctrine, without scientific support, that does three things: it claims to find racial differences in things like character and intelligence, asserts the superiority of one race over others, and seeks to maintain that dominance through a complex socioeconomic system of beliefs, behaviors, use of language and policies. Related to these relatively obvious manifestations of racism is a subtle system that also contributes to the maintenance of the racial status quo. That subtle system is “white privilege”.
White privilege is not something that white people necessarily do, create or enjoy on purpose. Unlike the more overt individual and institutional manifestations of racism, white privilege is a transparent preference for whiteness that is infused in our society. White privilege provides white people with “perks” that we do not earn and that minorities do not enjoy, like when I stay in a hotel, the complimentary shampoo generally works with the texture of my hair. White privilege also creates significant advantages for white people. There are scores of things that I, as a white person, generally do not encounter, have to deal with or even recognize, such as the following: store security personnel do not harass me or follow me because of my race, people do not cross the street to avoid me at night because they’re scared of me, and I don’t have to be afraid when a police officer approaches me. In my world, travel is easy, jobs are plentiful, and the police are on my side. It would be easy for me to think this is how it is for everyone. It’s not. As a privileged, white young man in America I live in a different world and have different daily experiences than some of my closest friends who happen to be African American. The unrest that swept the country in 2014 wasn’t just about Ferguson. It was about that other world. That invisible world. It was an accumulation of the pain and outrage over the Mike Brown and Eric Garner-like incidents that occur all over this country every single day that the majority of us simply do not experience. I feel ashamed of this country when I think about a grand jury reviewing the evidence of a cop who shot an unarmed person six times and moved not to have the case go to trial (not to convict -- simply to go to trial). I felt nauseous when I watched the tape of Eric Garner getting asphyxiated by an illegal police chokehold. He was murdered by a group of human beings who are supposed to serve and protect people, and then another grand jury failed to indict (again, not to convict, simply to go to trial). All I can think is, “How could they possibly do that?” White privilege. And when the tables are turned and that veil of ignorance is pulled back and I show my white friends how they themselves are included in the phenomena of white privilege, they are greatly offended, even indignant. The reason white privilege is an uncomfortable issue for white people to talk about is that we don’t want to think of ourselves as racist, or benefitting from the effects of racism. But it’s easy to be biased without even realizing it.
After my quick rant that I’ve had built up inside me since Trayvon Martin, back to Harley. Despite the administration’s pseudo crusade-like mission for diversity, Harley’s very nature is a breeding ground for white privilege. From as early on as three years old, children are sent here and are confined in, lets admit it, a fantasy land. The real world is nothing like Harley, where this country is 17% latino, 13% African American, and 5% Asian. Our unbalanced racial ratios mixed with an attitude of entitlement and self-righteousness, is not a healthy place to prepare kids for the real world. If it seems as if this school is “bending over backwards” for a diversified portfolio, this is only because for so long we did almost nothing to recruit such students or to make the curriculum more inclusive. Given where we come from, any attention to these issues may seem like a lot. But rest assured, it is whites who still continue to receive privilege. Private schools typically have far more white children who are legacies than they have non-white students, and I am willing to bet that trend is mirrored at Harley. Yet, it is rarely suggested that schools are bending over backwards for these persons, as if to imply that something is annoying about their presence. As for programming, though such events like Candlelight are often valuable, they can sometimes be little more than celebrations of the food and holidays of racial and cultural “others” — hardly the kind of efforts that erase the privileging of the dominant group. Learning about Diwali, Eid al-Adha, or Kwanzaa doesn’t challenge the dominance of whites within our school. In fact, because these celebrations sometimes allow students and families to view the traditions of non-whites as “exotic” (such as the Lower School’s celebration of Chinese New Year), they serve to reinforce the privileging of whites, whose traditions are deemed normal and mainstream, as opposed to the strange and fascinating rituals of “others.” Fact: as a young white man in America, I live in a different country, a different world, than people of “color”. White privilege is a hidden and transparent preference that is often difficult to address. Only on closer inspection do we see how it creates a sense of entitlement, generates perks and advantages for white people and elevates our status in the world. Racism and police brutality are not the “fault” of all white people just as male sexual harassment of women is not the “fault” of all men. However, it is our collective responsibility -- and opportunity -- to change things. Works Cited Blackburn, Greg, and Tim Wise. “Addressing White Privilege in Independent Schools.” Independent School Magazine. Ed. NAIS. National Association of Independent Schools, 2009. Web. 4 Jan. 2015. <http://www.nais.org/Magazines-Newsletters/ISMagazine/Pages/Addressing-White-Privilege-in-Independent-Schools.aspx>. Curtin, Melanie. “The Thing About White Privilege.” HuffPost. Huffington Post, 19 Dec. 2014. Web. 4 Jan. 2015. <http://www. huffingtonpost.com/melanie-curtin/the-thing-about-white-pri_b_6350782.html>. Holladay, Jennifer R., M.S. White Anti-Racist Activism: A Personal Roadmap. N.p.: Crandall, Dostie & Douglass, 2000. Print.
The Dress Code
Elizabeth Dzivulsky Ft. Evan Weaver
Liz-Where do you find your inspiration? Evan-Usually online image boards or forums. But of course if I see an outfit I like on someone at school or whatever I’ll look for items like they had. Liz-Where do you like to shop? Evan-Gap, Jcrew, Levis, Asos, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Uniqlo. liz-What do you dress for? Evan-I dress for others but with my own style. I hate seeing sloppy people so I assume others do as well... but the style is what I like... in other words I don’t dress to what I think others like but to what I want and just hope that they think it looks good too. liz-How would you define your style? Evan-A mix of everything, I have some preppy stuff but also some americana/workwear. Then I also have sneakers and sweatshirts and what not. I don’t like having only one style of clothing to wear so I just mix it up. liz-What is your favorite clothing accessory? Evan-Don’t really like accessories that much but possibly scarfs? liz-What type of clothing could you never see yourself wearing? Evan-That whole goth/ninja weird fashion fad that has been going around a lot of the big cities. It just seems so impracticable and its all way over priced. Also... why do you want to dress like a ninja anyways? Liz-What is your favorite season to dress for? Evan-Fall or winter definitely because of layering and I like the darker colors.
THE ACORN Editor-in-chief: Sarah Fink Executive editors: Liz Divulski Jasmine Cui Stephanie Cui Sophia Trzcinski Advisor: Mr. Gaffney
The Harley School 1981 Clover Street Rochester, NY 14618
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Elanor & Park A book Review by mariah Palumbo
Do not read Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park unless you are ready. Don’t read it unless to are ready to feel an equally overwhelming need to inhale it and make it last forever. Don’t read it unless you are ready to fall deeply in love with words and characters and places that don’t need to be anything but normal in order to be extraordinary. Don’t read it unless you’re ready to look all of the beautifully bizarre emotions that every teenagerno, every person feels square in the face. Do not read Eleanor & Park unless you are ready be broken. On second thought...read it anyway. It’s worth it. Sincerely, Mariah Palumbo
A Quotation An oppinion from Sarah Fink
This quotation is not a widely renowned citation among most nations, nor does it mark a magnificent moment in history. Rather, it seems to capture a basic aspect of human interaction that is rarely put to words. The the statement acknowledges the power that resides in silence. Taylor Swift writes, “I’ve never heard silence quite this loud.” She manages to craft a string of words that resonates with nearly every reader. With so few words, Swift eloquently expresses the awkwardness often found in silence, along with the pain, memories, and ideas birthed in such moments.
The Photography of
Jack Guimina