Issue 20

Volume 119 Issue 20

The Record Horace Mann’s Weekly Newspaper Since 1903

Rachel Baez and James Zaidman Staff Writers

MAPPING IT OUT Dr. Link discusses Ukraine with his students.

Community reacts to war in Ukraine “For the last week, my family and relatives run to bomb shelters several times during the day and sleep in them at night,” Public Safety Department Supervisor Pavlo Moroz said. “My niece, who lives in a town called Irpin just outside of Kyiv, has not been able to leave her house or evacuate the town because of the mass destruction.

She has not had electricity, water, or phone connection for several days now.”

With his family still in Kyiv, Moroz urged the school community to help the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russia in Tuesday’s assembly.

“With the help of many HM families, we would make a big difference in helping the Ukrainian government fight for its freedom,” he said. Moroz is one of many members of the community concerned about the war in Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, February 23 and has waged a terror campaign against the Ukranian people, bombing many of its major cities. Many of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries have imposed economic sanctions on Russia as well as some Russian oligarchs. Other western countries have offered humanitarian aid, yet none have sent in ground troops to Ukraine.

For Moroz, the war in Ukraine is deeply personal, he said. Moroz was born in Kyiv and lived there until 2000. His parents as well as his wife’s mother currently live in the city, and because they are all in their eighties, are unable to leave the country without government assistance, he said. “I don’t see any way they can go without, for example, Ukrainian or American assistance in some form,” he said.

Between the Russian missiles and bombings of Kyiv and the limited resources available, Moroz understands that the situation is dire, he said. “It’s only a matter of time before some of the basic things will not be available, like water, medicine, and food. Soon there will be no electricity, no gas, no phone connections.”

Upper Division (UD) science teacher Oleg Zvezdin also has personal connections to the region, he said. He was born in Belarus and lived there until he was nine years old. His

March 4th, 2022

Students learn about environmental justice in SLEARN workshops

Harper Rosenberg/Staff Photographer

Emily Salzhauer Staff Writer

record.horacemann.org

mother is Belarussian, but his father is Ukrainian. While the majority of Zvezdin’s family left Ukraine in the past few years after Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, his cousin, as well as his cousin’s wife and children, remain in Ukraine. “They live in the middle of the country, so luckily their city has not yet been hit by the Russians, but it is a major city, so I am sure it will become a target eventually,” he said.

Jared Contant (11) finds it hard to watch the situation unfolding in Ukraine because of the physical and economic harms that countless Ukrainians are facing because of the war, he said. “I think it’s a sad day for democracy,” he said. “It’s a sad day for the people of Ukraine because it must be really threatening to have an autocracy trying to overthrow the democratically elected government of a nation.”

However, Contant also finds it inspiring to watch the people of Ukraine taking up arms to defend their country. “The fact that the citizens of this country are themselves trying to fight back against the wellarmed and well-trained military of Russia, in and of itself, is really

As the situation has developed, Contant’s class has spoken about the evolving conflict, such as the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons and the US’s sanctions on Russia, he said. The class discussed how Biden’s sanctions have caused the Russian economy and currencies to fall, making life in Russia for the average person more difficult, he said.

Especially in a class like Contemporary US History, UD history teacher Barry Bienstock believes that it is important to speak about Ukraine with his students, he said. “To me, it’s the most significant event going on in the world right now. And probably in terms of recent years, it’s the most concerning.”

Bienstock was glad to see that his students were engaged in conversations with family and friends about the war in Ukraine, as well as following media coverage, he said.

Zach Goodman (11) has also spoken about the conflict’s historical parallels in his history class, Global Cold War, he said. Goodman sees the parallels to Cold War Russia as worrisome, he said. “It’s terrifying to say but it is very similar to what we are

“I think it’s a real watershed moment in modern history, something that will shape the world for decades to come.”

- Robbie Kierstead (11) important.”

The resilience and strength of the Ukrainian people have stood out to Lawson Wright (11) in the midst of all of the destruction and chaos, he said. The Russian invasion is unjustified and unnecessary, Wright said. “To me, the worst part is that the people who are ultimately most affected are innocent civilians whose world has now been shattered by an unnecessary war. But, I have found the bravery of ordinary citizens who are taking up arms and mounting a resistance against Russia to be incredibly inspiring. The courage and bravery of the Ukrainian people is truly to be admired.”

Contant has discussed the situation repeatedly in his Contemporary US history class. In particular, their discussions have focused on the significance of this time to invade Ukraine and Russia’s potential motivations, he said.

learning in Global Cold War. To think that the world is in an even more dangerous state than when the Cold War was taking place is horrifying to think about,” Goodman said. “It’s very hard to watch something like this take place and see so many innocent people get hurt from this stupid war, so I hope that soon Putin will come to his senses and end the war.”

The current situation is also very different because of how readily available information and photos of what is currently happening in Ukraine, Bienstock said. “Social media makes everything available to people in a way that certainly wasn’t the case in the late 30s,” he said. “You have to willfully choose to ignore all the information that’s available to us today. And there are videos where you can see the Russian attacks and the devastation they have caused to a

see Ukraine on pg. 3

The Class of 2022 attended their virtual Service Learning Day on Thursday, which centered around this year’s service learning theme of “Environmental Justice & Stewardship: Exploring Sustainable Practices and Working as a Collective.”

After an introduction consisting of general remarks from keynote speaker and Plant-based Community Nutritionist Deborah Johnson and a viewing of the documentary “The Sacrifice Zone,” students each attended two workshops.

This year’s theme emerged from student engagement with last year’s service learning day, which focused on redlining in communities.

Student-driven conversations then sparked discussion of environmental issues pertaining to one’s home, Center for Community Values and Action (CCVA) Program Associate Conasia Watts ‘13 wrote in an email.

“This year’s topic is extremely relevant and important and we see that not only from student-led conversations but the work our community partners are also currently engaged in,” Watts wrote. Similar environmental issues are currently being tackled by many of the CCVA’s community partner agencies. This past November, the

United Nations also addressed these issues during its Climate Conference, CCVA Director Dr. Kimberly JoyceBernard wrote.

Johnson is currently working with CCVA community partner agencies — Riverdale Senior Service and the North West Bronx Food Justice Coalition — in an effort to improve environmental challenges. Johnson also provided examples of hope and community for the students, JoyceBernard wrote.

The documentary “The Sacrifice Zone” focuses on varying perspectives and experiences of low-income Black, Indigenous, and People of Color living close to a Newark, New Jersey waste management facility. All students viewed the documentary, allowing them to further discuss how policies and facilities can impact living conditions, Joyce-Bernard wrote.

Each student attended two workshops throughout the day, Watts said. The New Community Project workshop, run by Dean of the Class of 2023 Chidi Asoluka, focused on social justice in a broad sense — not solely on environment studies, Nathan Zelizer (12) said. In the workshop, students analyzed Frank Ocean’s cover of the song “Moon River” in the context of social justice movements,

see SLEARN on pg. 7

CC Series features S4CD advocate Posner ‘13 Erica Jiang Staff Writer

Alex Posner ‘13 discussed his experience at the school, climate change, and Carbon Dividends at the first installment of the Community Council (CC) Alumni Series on Monday during I period. CC member Eshan Mehere (11) hosted the event, which showcased Posner’s work as president of Students 4 Carbon Dividends (S4CD), a studentled movement that advocates for carbon dividends as a possible solution to climate change. Posner also spoke to various science and history classes on Monday.

Pioneered by Posner, S4CD is an initiative launched by college students across America in the summer of 2020. The movement aims to use carbon dividends to bridge partisan divides, protect the environment, and strengthen the economy, according to its website. “Where our political leaders have been unwilling, or unable, to forge agreement around common-sense solutions, we on college campuses are showing them how it’s done,” the website says.

The Carbon Dividends policy

proposes collecting money generated by a carbon tax and returning it to the American people as a check. Currently, S4CD’s team consists of more than 400 student government presidents from all 50 states and represents more than four million students, according to their website.

The new Alumni Speaker Series was inspired by the Career Lecture Series Jaden Kirschner ‘21 started two years ago. Monday’s event began with an introduction from Posner on what S4CD and carbon dividends are, and how the school prepared him for his career in D.C. “A Horace Mann education equips you with the skill set to ask penetrating questions, communicate effectively, and take on any challenge,” he said.

Posner also discussed how the extracurricular activities at the school encouraged him to take initiative and risks. In particular, Posner was part of student government at the school, which helped him begin to understand politics in D.C., he said.

Sofia Kim (10) enjoyed hearing Posner talk about how his experience at the school shaped the way he writes,

see Posner on pg. 7

Aryan Palla/Staff Photographer

POSNER AT THE PODIUM Preaching carbon dividends.

2

THE RECORD OPINIONS MARCH 4TH, 2022

Speaking from the “I” perspective: The sanitization of classroom discussion fraught with conflict, guidelines such as the “I–perspective” seem to be the perfect mechanism to safeguard against the seeping of social tensions from the outside world into the spaces of learning in a school. They are one component of what may be considered a utopian vision for the future of high school education. The focus is diverted away from conflict and unnecessary confrontation between students, and towards interacting directly with the subjects being taught.

The “I–perspective” reflects a specific teaching philosophy in which learning is accomplished when students receive information and respond by placing themselves in relation to the issues being taught.

When a student should wish to participate, their contribution ought to reinforce the sanctuary atmosphere by making sure they do not disturb any of their fellow students when they speak. Escalation is the supposed antithesis of quality education.

Exclusive use of the “I–perspective” is a model of student participation I equate to classic “show–and–tell.”

Any possible points of tension or disagreement between students are automatically deescalated. This system is often indiscriminately applied to all

Ryan Finlay

doctrine for the student.

My classes governed by discussion guidelines have frequently been quieter. When the teacher offers an opportunity for student participation, there is usually an uncomfortable silence before any hand is raised. One begins to wonder whether there is actually no student in the room with anything to say, or if many of us are just trying to draft a “correctly formatted” and “safe” statement. When someone speaks, their contribution is calculated, and undeniably tame. How could they not be? When every student’s answer is so carefully composed, there is barely any room for an alternate dynamic. I have never heard an open argument in one of these classes, and I doubt I will in my last few months at HM. If there is any sort of disagreement, the students involved carry out their exchange at a superficial level, punctuated with frequent glances towards the teacher in the room, just to make sure neither is crossing an invisible line.

Among the set of frequently employed class guidelines, teachers sometimes include a procedure for ending passionate exchanges. In the case of the Seminar on Identity class I took last year, one of the provisions was for the involved students to step out of

Horace Mann is a preparatory school, but we are meant to leave prepared for far more than another four years in a new academic institution. The work ethic and comprehension skills the high school experience instills in us are just the tip of the iceberg. “Preparatory” applies to the student’s future far beyond an educational career.

There is a subtle crisis unfolding in our humanities classrooms, which threatens students’ preparedness. I can’t be quite sure when it began or how it spread. Perhaps it predates my Guidelines intended to create “safe spaces” reinforce an experience at the school. All the same, the stakes are immeasurably high. illusion that the act of disagreement is, in itself, something I fear that the learning experience foreign and something wrong. At its heart, the illusion associated with classroom discussion propagates a misconception that disagreement is a sign of is being drained.

The school has its students drinking failure, or of the degradation of classroom dynamics. from the gold-plated chalice of the “I–perspective.” We are misled by its intentions, and the weight of the alloy content in a course, restructuring how the classroom. This provision certainly beneath the illusory surface drags us students relate and interact with the stemmed from a genuine interest to down to the doldrums of rote routine. entirety of a curriculum. This is the prove that offensive or foul remarks In short, the employment of classroom essence of how the “I–perspective” is would have consequences. However, it guidelines, such as the “I–perspective,” used in our classrooms. also suggested that if a student spoke standardizes class participation and When students are told that the up in an act of contradiction, it would reinforces fears of saying “the wrong class should share contributions both deviate from expected student thing” in class. We find ourselves through the filter of such guidelines, conduct and approach the dreaded sheltering-in-place from controversy there is an undertone in the message bane of escalation. and getting nowhere. telling everyone that there is a right The “I–perspective” is having To be clear, the “I–perspective” is way to participate, and therefore, the desired result, with immense indeed a valuable tool worth teaching a wrong way. This is not a piece of costs. These guidelines do not only in order to expand a student’s oratory information taken lightly by an HM seek to prevent the infiltration of and narrative toolbox. The fact is, the student. The drive to excel and to tensions from the outside world.

“I–perspective” is a natural demonstrate one’s capabilities in They also construct a foundation of speaking device, one that the classroom naturally blurs reactionary suspicion in the classroom can be — and is — used the line between norm and when students are confronted with whether classroom norms rule. If there is evidence to the disagreement. Guidelines intended recommend it or not. The student that an answer may to create “safe spaces” reinforce an validity of its intrinsic not be received as correct, they illusion that the act of disagreement merits shall not be are often more than inclined to is, in itself, something foreign and debated here. Instead, hold their tongue. This is a something wrong. At its heart, the it is the use of this known problem in most HM illusion propagates a misconception tool to curate classrooms, a disappointing that disagreement is a sign of failure, and confine truth I have heard many of or of the degradation of classroom classroom my teachers lament over. dynamics. It is difficult for me to state discussions that is However, if the message just how devastating this development under critique. from a teacher is that truly is. Conflict is one of the It is not difficult arguments, passionate most valuable learning tools in the to postulate responses, and open classroom. on the various disagreement that When I refer to conflict, I exclude reasons why such may lead the derogatory and profane. Foul guidelines would to a fierce practices such as the use of slurs or be introduced e x c h a n g e crass attacks have no place at HM. to the classroom a r e However, the expansion of class setting. In the c o n t r a r y participation guidelines has clearly Vivian Coraci/Art Director midst of a national t o the desired sent the pendulum too far in the other political climate norm, it tends to direction. We must focus on how we so polarized and automatically morph into can create constructive spaces, not

“

Volume 119 Editorial Board Head of Design AJ Walker

Editor in Chief Hanna Hornfeld

Managing Editor Liliana Greyf

Features Mia Calzolaio Emma Colacino

News Claire Goldberg Katya Tolunsky

Opinions Devin Allard-Neptune Yin Fei

A&E Purvi Jonnalagadda Arushi Talwar

Middle Division Jade Ciriello

Lions’ Den Lauren Ho

Art Directors Vivian Coraci Lauren Kim Riva Vig

Design Editors Avani Khorana Arin Rosen

Photography Sean Lee Sam Siegel

Online Editor Lucas Glickman

Faculty Adviser David Berenson

necessarily safe spaces. There should be nothing “safe” about education. To do this, I suggest that a certain degree of control over what is “appropriate” be surrendered, not so much that students feel free to gibe one another, but enough so that controversy is free to spawn within a cohort of students.

I have experienced classroom environments that encourage this “laissez-faire” approach to student participation, and these have been my favorite classes at HM. The subject matters are often no less controversial than those covered in “I–perspective” classes, yet the feared deluge of badtempered emotional discharges never occurs. Why? Because these classes are still learning spaces and students appreciate them as such. Students are forced to accept that not everyone needs to agree and that a variety of approaches to a touchy topic is not cause for offense, but inquiry. If one is made uncomfortable by a fellow student’s points, they can not shelter themselves behind the safety blanket of classroom rules. Instead, they must choose if, or how, they want to respond.

In the vast majority of cases, students choose to engage with the challenge of disagreeing with their peers. Thus, a valuable and constructive discussion will sustain the attention of the room.

This is the reason why such classes have real, constructive conversations where the students can learn from each other and develop the skills to take a challenge in stride. Whereas the “laissez-faire” approach has proved to me its merits for engaging students with one another in an organic, unforced dialogue, heavily modulated courses are comparatively unengaging and fail to challenge the students with meaningful discussion.

Classes weighed down with regulation often wallow in awkwardness, where students add to a string of unrelated thoughts coaxed out by teachers. Of course, it is not always such a stark difference, but regardless, it exists.

The student’s natural tendency is not to purposely insult their fellows, yet classroom guidelines, such as the “I–perspective,” suggest the opposite.

It is as if everyone would seek to incite chaos and turn the community against itself unless the faculty can impose order. This view is not a reality. Surely, if there is a

contribution made in a class that causes discomfort, we may give the student the benefit of the doubt that it was not made with malicious intent? In the vast majority of cases, such differences in thinking can become opportunities for growth. The reconciliation of differences is one of the most vital experiences students can take away from their education. It is absurd

Staff

Staff Writers Alex Lautin, Alexandra Yao, Allison Markman, Audrey Carbonell, Audrey Moussazadeh, Ayesha Sen, Cecilia Coughlin, Celine Kiriscioglu, Divya Ponda, Emily Salzhauer, Emily Sun, Hannah Katzke, Jillian Lee, Jiya Chatterjee, Max Chasin, Rachael Baez, Sean Lee, Vidhatrie Keetha, Zack Kurtz, Ariella Frommer, Athena Rem, Ben Rafal, Ella Shaham, Erica Jiang, Etta Singer, Heidi Li, Kate Beckler, Lucy Peck, Maeve Goldman, Naomi Yaeger, Neeva Patel, Nia Huff, Rani Ogden, Samantha Matays, Sophie Rukin Staff Photographers Aanya Gupta, Allyson Wright, Amelia Hirsch, Anna Miller, Aryan Palla, Ben Rafal, Catherine Mong, David Aaron, Dylan Greenberg, Harper Rosenberg, Jiwan Kim, Lynn Egan, Madlyn Yoon, Matthew Jacobson, Nicole Au, Oliver Konopko, Trisha Tran Staff Artists Aashna Hari, Addy Steinberg, Aimee Yang, Amira Dossani, Christian Conner, Dani Brooks, Dylan Leftt, Elena Zhu, Felix Brener, Isabelle Kim, Ishaan Iyengar, Karla Moreira, Kayden Hansong, Kristy Xie, Lauren B. Kim, Sam Gordon, Samantha Strasser, Samuel Stern, Serena Bai, Sophia Liu, Sophie Li

that current participation guidelines seek to prevent these situations from arising.

My concerns are not intended as a Trojan horse for a complaint on the state of political expression at HM.

“

When someone speaks, their contribution is calculated, and undeniably tame. How could they not be? When every student’s answer is so carefully composed, there is barely any room for an alternate dynamic.

While reduced student confidence is closely related to the parallel problems restricting students with minority political beliefs, the two issues are not always intrinsically related. My goal for this piece has been to share my concerns on the former, for the latter deserves its own separate analysis. The limitations frequently set on student participation affect all students and all the topics they discuss in a given class.

So what really is the purpose of a Horace Mann education? Could it just be to develop an extreme capacity for work and to absorb immense amounts of material, just so we can do it with striking adroitness in college? I refuse to accept this as satisfactory. I insist there is a greater meaning to four years in the Upper Division. HM is about training students to approach obstacles unintimidated. The experience of the Upper Division charts a path for each student that pushes them beyond what they felt was possible for themselves so that when it really counts, we refuse to back down from a challenge.

Students will not be able to learn to approach conflicts, especially those that affect them personally, with civility and composure if they have spent their years of education shielded from potential hurt in sanitized learning environments; it is a recipe for disaster. As an educational institution, HM has a responsibility to prepare its students for the real world, not just for absorbing the lesson of the day. We must be forgiving in our approach to controversy at school today, so that tomorrow, when our peers are not so forgiving, we are more than acquainted with the techniques of preserving a constructive conversation.

After all, in the real world, these conversations likely won’t be in the “I– perspective.”

Editorial Policy

About Founded in 1903, The Record is Horace Mann School’s award-winning weekly student newspaper. We publish approximately 30 times during the academic year, offering news, features, opinions, arts, Middle Division and sports coverage relevant to the school community. The Record serves as a public forum to provide the community with information, entertainment, and an outlet for various viewpoints. As a student publication, the contents of The Record are the views and work of the students and do not necessarily represent those of the faculty or administration of the Horace Mann School. Horace Mann School is not responsible for the accuracy and contents of The Record and is not liable for any claims based on the contents or views expressed therein.

Editorials All editorial decisions regarding content, grammar, and layout are made by the senior editorial board. The unsigned editorial represents the opinion of the majority of the board.

Opinions Opinion columns represent the viewpoint of the author and not of The Record or the school. We encourage students, alumni, faculty, staff, and parents to submit opinions by emailing record@horacemann.org.

Letters Letters to the editor often respond to editorials, articles, and opinions pieces, allowing The Record to uphold its commitment to open discourse within the school community. They too represent the opinion of the author and not of The Record or the school. To be considered for publication in the next issue, letters should be submitted by mail (The Record, 231 West 246th Street, Bronx, NY 10471) or email (record@horacemann. org) before 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening. All submissions must be signed.

Contact For all tips, comments, queries, story suggestions, complaints and corrections, please contact us by email at record@horacemann.org.

3

THE RECORD NEWS AND OPINIONS MARCH 4TH, 2022

Why the West needs to do more for Ukraine

Josh Shuster On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, much to the shock of the Ukrainian people and the world, myself included. Major cities in Ukraine, including its capital Kyiv, have been attacked for over a week now, bombarded with rockets while street fights erupt between Ukrainian and Russian soldiers.

Hundreds of civilian casualties are piling up as missiles destroy buildings and air raid sirens wail across the country, warning men, women and children to flee to bomb shelters. Those who did not flee the country were instructed to take up firearms and make molotov cocktails to stop Russian troops.

One Ukrainian soldier sacrificed his life, blowing up a bridge in Kyiv to halt the transport of Russian tanks into the city. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is leading the fight and remains in Kyiv. Soldiers on both sides are dying by the thousands. Meanwhile, Western countries are not doing nearly

enough to help Ukraine sustain its independence.

In the past week, I have frequently heard discussions at school about the crisis. Many students claim the United States has nothing to do with Ukraine and should not intervene in Ukraine’s struggles. A day after the invasion was announced, I was appalled to hear some students even say, “Let the Russians invade.” My family is from Ukraine. I still have relatives living in its second largest city, Kharkiv, who are hiding in buildings, praying that a missile does not hit, as their access to the internet, food, and water wanes.

Hearing students mock the invasion showed me that they have absolutely no idea what the Ukrainian people are facing right now and what is at stake in this invasion.

Many of my fellow students cited NATO as their reason for supporting the West’s neutrality.

Since Ukraine is not a member of NATO, European countries and the United States are not obligated to help. However, the United States’ obligation to aid Ukraine has nothing to do with NATO. Rather, it has to do with a series of political agreements called the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances.

On December 5, 1994, three years

after Ukraine became independent of the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991, it signed the Budapest Memorandum and gave up possession of its nuclear weapons to Russia. In return, Ukraine was promised territorial integrity by its signatories, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Two decades l a t e r,

Sam Stern/Staff Artist

Russia directly violated the Budapest Memorandum when it annexed the Crimean peninsula on March 18, 2014. Apart from a few sanctions and a condemnation by the United Nations, the U.S. and the U.K. did not intervene to defend the territorial integrity of Ukraine, thus violating the Memorandum.

To watch Russia attack the country in 2014, with few repercussions, was disheartening. Again, the same series of events is unfolding today, as Putin invades Ukraine after proclaiming the insurgent Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) and the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) in Ukraine’s Donbass region as independent. My family and I, along with millions of other Ukrainians, do not want to experience the heartbreak of losing our country’s

independence after it was already threatened several times.

The only way for Ukraine to improve its chance of survival against one of the strongest global powers is with the aid of allied countries. Last week, President Biden announced sanctions on Russia that aimed to block Russian banks and technological exports.

At the same time, Biden is working around the most important Russian sector of all: energy. Oil and gas are Russia’s most lucrative industries, accounting for over 62% of its exports. If barred, Russia’s economy would crumble faster and harder, rendering the U.S.’s sanctions more effective. Yet, according to Biden’s economic advisor Daleep Singh in a White House press briefing last week, the Biden administration’s sanctions and measures “were not designed to disrupt, in any way, the current flow of energy from Russia to the world.”

By having not imposed this critical sanction, the United States is allowing Putin to advance into Ukraine full-throttle, while essentially paying for this invasion.

I understand that placing energy sanctions on Russia is not a decision to be made on a whim, since a plethora of European countries, including Germany and Poland, are dependent on Russia’s oil and may be negatively impacted. Nonetheless, if oil sanctions negatively affect European countries, they come as a result of Putin’s deplorable actions rather than the United States’ decision to implement them.

European countries shouldn’t send active military personnel to Ukraine; nor should the U.S. send troops to die on Ukrainian soil.

However, stronger measures are needed to help Ukraine survive as an independent nation. While I acknowledge that both preventing some Russian banks from accessing the Swift banking system, a worldwide speed-transaction financial network, and supplying Javelin missiles to Ukraine, which are integral in the destruction of Russian tanks, are valuable U.S. initiatives that have curtailed Russia’s economic and military efforts, there is always more that can be done. We can start by imposing stricter sanctions on Russia, in addition to providing more money, ammunition, and supplies to Ukraine.

Fortunately, Russia’s invasion is progressing slower than Putin expected, and faces valiant resistance from the Ukrainians, including President Zelensky himself who refused to evacuate from Ukraine, saying, “I don’t need a ride, I need ammunition.” But despite the slower-than-expected advance, Russian troops and artillery heavily outnumber Ukrainian troops, and soldiers are tiring from fighting day in and day out. The war could span indefinitely, and Ukrainians are not certain how long they can last. That is why the time to act on the crisis is now, unless the world wants to see Putin become stronger than ever before, only to impose tyranny and dictatorship on other European countries. You can start by donating to relief and humanitarian organizations, which provide food, medical aid, and safety to Ukrainians suffering from the war. Слава Україні! (Glory to Ukraine!)

from Ukraine on page 1 number of key cities in Ukraine.”

Social media has also been used by the Russians to launch misinformation campaigns supporting their incursion into Ukraine, Bienstock said. In his contemporary US history class, Bienstock discussed the importance of social media both as a form of spreading key information and hope, in the case of Ukraine.

However, the Russians have also used the media to spread propaganda about the war.

“In class, we spoke about how Russia strategically targeted the Ukrainian TV tower as a way to limit the news that Ukrainian people will see,” Contant said.

Robbie Keirstead (11) finds it hard to ignore the similarities of the current conflict to the Cold War, he said. “We are already seeing Russia turn into an international pariah, and the beginnings of a deeper split between East and West, something eerily reminiscent of the Cold War,” he said. “I think it’s a real watershed moment in modern history, something that will shape the world for decades to come.”

The war in Ukraine also has parallels to the leadup to World War II, Bienstock said. “In the late 1930s, Western European nations were committed to appeasement, hoping that if they gave [Hitler] a little bit of what he wanted, he would stop there. But that proved not to be the case.”

Europe and America’s reluctance to act had dire consequences then, but Bienstock believes that President Biden and other world leaders are already taking a stronger stance than

leaders did before World War II, he said.

Bienstock and chair of the UD History department Dr. Daniel Link have been addressing the ongoing war in Russia and Ukraine with their classes since the conflict escalated last week. However, teachers are allowed to choose if and how they discuss the conflict in classes, Link said. “It’s up to each individual teacher, because they need to see where they can fit in any discussions around Ukraine into their classes,” he said. “Some are doing that in terms of current events, some are taking time out of their class curriculums to have the teacher lead the discussion.”

Given the testing week, Link understands that it may be difficult for some teachers to balance addressing the war in Ukraine while covering the material needed for assessments, he said.

For this reason, Ellery Lapin (12) has not spoken about the war in any of her classes, she said. Lapin wishes that the school would have spoken about the war to all students about the subject, especially after seeing the positive responses to Moroz’s short speech at Tuesday’s assembly, she said. “I think with an international issue such as the situation in Ukraine, the topic should be addressed, even if it is just in a school-wide email.”

Wright thinks that the school should show support for Ukraine during this time, he said.

“I do think it would be appropriate for HM to recognize what’s happening in Ukraine,” he said. “One idea would be to hang the Ukrainian flag in Olshan Lobby in solidarity with Amira Dossani/Staff Artist the Ukrainians and as a way to keep the Ukrainian people in our thoughts,” he said. “Having Pavlo speak about the crisis during the assembly on Tuesday was a powerful and important step in acknowledging the situation and spreading awareness about what’s going on in Ukraine.”

Goodman also believes that the

school community should take action to recognize the ongoing war in Ukraine, he said.

“I think we should have a proper assembly this week about what has happened [in Ukraine] and maybe have speakers come in to discuss the issue,” he said. “I believe that this is a very important topic and everyone in the school should know what is happening. The school should be addressing the problems with what Russia is doing to Ukraine right now.”

Gregory Levin (10) has organized a show of support for Ukrainians in the school community, he wrote in an email to the school.

Levin decided to organize it because of his personal connections to Ukraine, he wrote. He has family in Ukraine and his father was born there. “I felt that we needed to stand up for freedom and stand in solidarity with Ukraine.”

Levin will hand out yellow and blue ribbons in Olshan Lobby today to show support. “Let’s make a sea of yellow and blue (the colors of the Ukrainian flag) this Friday by wearing these colors to school,” he wrote. Levin will also be hosting a bake sale next Tuesday, whose proceeds will all be given to hospitals in Ukraine, he wrote.

Moroz encourages students, faculty, and families at the school to help Ukraine and its people in any way they can, he said. “I think it would be a good idea if the Ivy [Prep] League schools like Horace Mann got together and organized a fundraiser for Ukraine.”

Zvezdin also hopes the school community will help the Ukrainian people by donating to trustworthy organizations that will send humanitarian aid, he said. “We need to get humanitarian aid to, not just to Ukraine, but to Poland, to Moldova, where all of these refugees are,” he said. “They’re saying at least a million people have moved across the border at this point, which is something like 4% of the country. And many more are going to flee. I think it may be unfair to ask those individual countries to be the ones providing resources, so any way that we can find to provide resources for those people who have been displaced by this horror [would help].”

Moroz has seen his fair share of conflicts in Eastern Europe, growing up during and after the fall of the Soviet Union, he said.

“Having served as a UN peacekeeper in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1999 and seeing the destruction then, I never imagined that my

home country would one day be in a similar position,” he said.

This war has united the Ukrainian people, Moroz said. “After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukrainians had very many different opinions about how the country should develop. Now, during this war, the country is more united than ever.” Now, everyone in the country is working together to protect their freedom and way of life, he said.

Zvezdin has also heard about the unity of the Ukrainian people right now, he said. “From what I’m gathering, literally, the entire country, man, woman, child, anybody who can, [...] is fighting an invasion,” he said.

Zvezdin wants students at the school to remember the complexities of the situation, he said. “Of course we need to help the Ukrainian people and support them, but we also should not blame the Russian students or faculty at the school because of what’s going on there,” he said.

One of the most important things to remember about this war is that it is not the Russian people who ordered this war, Zvezdin said. “This is a madman in power,” he said. “[Putin] is an autocrat using the might of the military to try to take something that I imagine most Russians are against.”

Many ordinary Russian citizens have protested the war openly in some of Russia’s major cities, despite the dangers of criticizing the leader in an autocracy, Zvezdin said. “We’ve also seen some Russian military protesting the war. Some have just surrendered in the face of the Ukrainian people, others are sabotaging the weapons and vehicles.”

The images and news coverage that the Russian public is seeing about the war is highly limited, Zvezdin said. “We have to recognize that most Russians who are in Russia are not seeing the news stories that we’re seeing.

They’re seeing a very curated specific version of events and a completely fictitious version of events.” For this reason, Zvezdin encourages students who know people in Russia to tell them what’s really going on in Ukraine, he said.

The magnitude of this war extends far beyond Ukraine and its people, Moroz said.

“Ukraine is now fighting for and guarding Western values across the entire continent of Europe. Ukraine is the front line between dictatorship and democracy.”

4

THE RECORD FEATURES MARCH 4TH, 2022

Nights to remember: Hosting, hook ups, and All art by Vivian Coracia, Lauren Kim, Riva Vig/Art Directors

provides a “getaway” from the routine of school, Doris said.

As someone who gets lost in a cycle of school, extracurriculars, and homework, Hoco was a chance to remind herself that she is allowed to have fun. “Everyone is jumping up and down, dancing, laughing, shouting the lyrics,” she said. “You really can just let go and be a teenager and maybe do something really stupid, and no one else is gonna judge you because everyone else around you is doing the same thing.”

SCHOOL’S RESPONSE

Emily Sun Staff Writer “We were packed into a room, there was no food, there were no drinks, the DJ was terrible, the ceiling was collapsing, and a freshman broke the pool deck — I’d give it a one out of ten,” Frankie* (12) said, who asked to be anonymous to avoid judgment from teachers and peers for attending Hoco this year. “I wasted $30 when I could have just been watching Netflix at home.”

Other students had a better experience: when Doris* (12), whose parents requested that she remain anonymous, walked into the Hoco venue with her friends and heard the blaring music, it felt like they escaped into a different world, she said. “It’s almost like Cinderella — it’s totally cut off from reality and it gives you a chance to just forget about everything that you’ve been stressed about.”

Despite its mixed reviews, Hoco and similar events have remained constant at the school for over 20 years. Three main out-of-school parties punctuate the school year: Hoco near Homecoming and Halloween, Winterfest in December, and Lovefest near Valentine’s Day, which did not take place this year. Students turn out in the hundreds and hosts spend thousands as the party tradition passes from grade to grade, steeped in a culture around pregames, hookups, and pricey tickets.

Coco Trentalancia (11) had not gone to any large parties in high school before, so she attended Hoco this year to check off a box on the list of stereotypical “high school experiences,” she said.

“I would have been disappointed if I didn’t.” It was good to experience a high school party, but there are better ways for her to spend time with her friends as she could barely talk to them over the crowd and music, Trentalancia said.

“I don’t think I’ll be going again. It’s a ‘been there, done that’ kind of thing.”

According to an Upper Division poll conducted by The Record which 198 students chose to respond to, 82 students, approximately 41.4% of the responses, went to Hoco this year, the majority of which were seniors. Of the 116 students who said they had not gone, 74, about 46.5%, plan to go in the future while 35, about 22%, do not.

Rumors passed down from grade to grade shroud Hoco and similar parties in notoriety, Frankie said.

The rumors turn Hoco into a myth

— a big high school party filled with drinking and predatory hookups — for underclassmen who have never attended. “Once you’re a senior you see it for what it really is — an excuse for people to dress in promiscuous costumes and hang out with their friends and make out for an hour,” she said.

The mythological sheen also faded for Stacey* ’19, who requested anonymity so her name is not associated with the party, when she attended Hoco in her sophomore, junior, and senior years, she said. The party is “hyped-up” in a way that inflates people’s expectations for it, she said.

Those expectations create an exaggerated idea of alcohol, drugs, and sex at the party, Doris, who attended Hoco her senior year, said. “If you had walked up to me when I was a freshman and said, ‘what are the three things you associate with Hoco?’ that’s exactly what I would have said.”

These sentiments are far from new, as a Record article (Volume 101, Issue 8) titled “HM Students Gone Wild?” described Hoco as “an ageless tradition, which has become inherently part of an HM high school experience.” An opinion piece in the same issue called it “drunken orgies dominated by binge drinking, sex, and drugs.”

The gossip around Hoco makes it seem more intense than it is, Stacey said. “It’s a very average, normal party,” she said. “Alcohol is just inherently involved with weekend party plans in high school, but the reason [Hoco] is such a big thing is because it’s one of the only parties that is school-wide.”

Since the school does not host a Homecoming dance like many other schools, Hoco is an indicator of the “Horace Mann high schooler” experience that students look forward to, Doris said. “You go through the Upper Division hearing about all the things you’ll get to experience when you’re a junior or a senior, and Hoco has always been one of the biggest things of senior year.”

The party

In addition to informal stories spread by students, formal school practices, such as the letter that the school administration sends to parents and the ninth grade Horace Mann Orientation (HMO) curriculum, also continue the Hoco tradition, Stacey said.

There is a stigma around the types of people who host and attend Hoco, Carter* ’20, who hosted Hoco and Lovefest in her junior year and Hoco in her senior year, said. She asked to be anonymous because of the negative perception around out-of-school parties.

For Carter, the stigma arose from the letter that past Head of the Upper Division (UD) Dr. David Schiller sent to parents about Hoco. A 2013 iteration of the letter stated that “going to these events is not in your children’s best interests” and that UD administrators have had “bitter experience with the unfortunate aftermath of these events.” When Carter read Schiller’s email in her freshman year, it gave her an impression of the party as something negative that the school opposed, she said.

Past communications also discouraged students from attending Hoco, such as a 2010 letter written by then Director of Counseling and Guidance Jennifer McFeely in which she asked parents to “prohibit [students] from attending,” citing risks like unwanted sexual activity, physical altercations, overcrowding, and drug and alcohol abuse that arose at the 2009 event.

Head of the UD Jessica Levenstein shifted the school to a neutral stance on Hoco by changing the “alarmist” tone of the letter when she succeeded Schiller’s position in 2016. She decided that it was not her place to tell parents how to make decisions that have nothing to do with the school, as she does not have first-hand knowledge of the party, she said.

Instead, the letter clarifies that the school is not affiliated with Hoco so that parents can have informed conversations with their children about it. “The whole point of my letter is just to say that Hoco is not an HM party.” she said. “I don’t say it’s bad or good, I don’t say anything about it, I just say it’s

not an HM

thing.”

PARTY CULTURE: PREGAMES, HOOKUPS, AND TICKETS Aspects of party culture show up in HMO as part of a lesson on smart social decision making, Dean of the Class of 2025 Susan Groppi said. The class teaches students what to do when faced with pressure and allows ninth graders to ask their peer leaders anonymous questions about Hoco or other social gatherings, she said. “A lot of times they have questions like, ‘Is there a lot of drinking at parties?’” Peer leaders have a range of opinions, and many have said that no one cares if someone drinks or not at a party, contrary to beliefs in peer pressure, Groppi said.

Even though there might not be explicit pressure to drink, there is still a prevalent narrative of pregames before parties that encourage people to drink, Doris said. “I 120 percent expect that if there is a party, kids are going to pregame,” she said. “It’s literally a fact of nature at this point because that’s just how teenagers are.”

Students have the right to “let loose” once in a while

as long as they take precautions to be safe and responsible, but problems arise when students drink without understanding their limit, Gordon said. Since underclassmen are more susceptible to social norms and might drink to “fit in” and not seem like a “prude,” they should wait to attend the party when they are older, she said.

Doris waited until senior year to attend the party; she knew that she might have caved to peer pressure and drink when she was younger because she used to worry about what other people thought of her, she said. This year, Doris went to Hoco with a group of friends, none of whom decided to pregame because they did not find it fun, she said.

Pregaming helps Estelle* (12), who requested anonymity due to the illicit nature of her quote, loosen up before parties, she said. Drinking can relax her, put her in a more energetic mood,

and give her a confidence boost, she said.

Estelle and her friends met two hours before Hoco at one friend’s place to pregame. “It’s not just to get drunk, it’s just a fun way to get together with friends before a bigger party, drink, talk, there’s music going on, and sometimes you play drinking games.”

Most attendees pregamed before Hoco, Estelle said. “One of the things that qualifies a party is the presence of illegal substances, and since at Hoco you can’t have those inside, it’s just assumed that there’s going to be a pregame.” Pregames are often hyperbolized in the media — when she was a freshmen, she imagined peer pressure and heavy drinking — but they can be done responsibly, she said. She and her friends know their limits, check in on each other, and no one pressures other people to drink.

“No one’s even really looking out for [if other people are drinking],” she said.

Trentalancia did not pregame before Hoco this year, though some of her friends did as they got ready for the party, she said. She and her friends looked out for one another so they would not “go

overboard” and stuck together at the venue because they were scared of getting hurt or roofied if they were alone, she said. While she has never experienced that before, Trentalancia was worried because she heard it happens at parties, she said. “We held each other’s hands, we had our phones on constantly, and we made sure that all our phones were at 100 percent beforehand.”

Drinking at Hoco and similar parties enables an environment where people are more open to hookups, Riya Daga (11) said, who went to Hoco this year. Hookup culture is not necessarily negative, as long as people do not pressure or judge others, she said. “If you’re a teenager, this is your time to experiment — you can see if you want a long term or short term relationship, do you even want a relationship, what type of connection do you want with someone.”

However, alcohol can create conditions for people to violate others’ consent, Estelle said. “I’ve experienced and I’ve seen people experience a guy taking advantage of a girl with the knowledge that she can’t say no as easily because she’s drunk and pressure her into hooking up with him.”

Gender dynamics also shape how people define a “successful” party, Estelle said. Of the students who responded to the poll, female attendees outnumbered male attendees for both juniors and seniors. “Girls worry about how they look in the eyes of the male gaze when they go to a party. You want to look good so that a guy will be attracted to you and ask you to hook up,” she said. “It sends a message that puts self value on hooking up, and that’s really stupid.”

Age gaps at parties like Hoco that are open to all grades also allow older boys to exploit younger girls, Doris

THE RECORD FEATURES MARCH 4TH, 2022

5

d homecoming hype of student party culture s a i d .

When she was a freshman and sophomore, ticket prices to Hoco revealed that predatory possibility. “Underclassmen boys would have to pay a ridiculous amount of money for a ticket, but underclassmen girls didn’t,” she said. “Upperclassmen boys wanted [underclassmen girls] at the party because they think they’re ‘easy,’ which is disgusting.”

While not every teenage boy would use it, older boys have power over younger girls due to their age and gender, which they can use to their advantage, Doris said. “If you’re a freshman and a senior walks up to you and starts flirting with you, you’re so caught up in the fact that the senior is flirting with you that you don’t realize what’s happening,” she said. The chaos at parties heightens the risk because it is easy to get lost in the crowd or a dark corner away from other people’s view, she said.

Hoco tickets this year did not have different prices for boys and girls, though tickets for underclassmen were more expensive t o d i s c o u r a g e their attendance,

Doris said. Tickets were sold on Eventbrite, starting at $30 for seniors, $40 for juniors, $60 for sophomores, and $70 for freshmen. Only one male and one female student went to Hoco out of the 39 freshmen who responded to The Record poll.

“I bought my ticket right when [the hosts] released them because they had threatened prices were about to go up,” Frankie said. A few days before Hoco, sales to freshman and sophomores ended, while prices for junior and senior tickets rose to $100 with an $8.18 fee, along with “CUT THE LINE” tickets for $200 with a $14.58 fee.

Estelle, along with about 20 other seniors, each spent $100 on tickets because they missed the initial sale, she said. “It’s genuinely embarrassing that I paid so much money for such a bad party.” The high cost was not a barrier for her, but it speaks to the school’s socioeconomic norms that so many students are willing to pay, as well as the potential to exclude people who do not want to pay that much for one night, she said.

Ticket sales are banned on campus, as page 47 of the Student Handbook says “the School prohibits students or their families from distributing invitations to private or commercial parties during school and discourages private parties, except on weekends.” Students who sell tickets on campus would incur serious disciplinary trouble, which has happened in the past, Groppi said. The hosts of Hoco 2021 added a note on Eventbrite: “DO NOT use your school email to buy the tickets and don’t carry your ticket around school. Don’t be stupid.”

HOSTING Before the pregames and Instagram shoots, the hour-long lines and crowded

rooms, students who host the events secure venues, negotiate a contract, rack up expenses, and sell tickets to cover their costs, while safeguarding their operation from legal liabilities.

Carter took on the role because several of her friends who had hosted the year before asked her to do it since she went to Hoco sophomore year, she said. “It still has a bad rep for certain people that it’s just one really large mosh pit of teenagers,” she said. “I’m not saying that’s not true, but I don’t think there’s necessarily anything wrong with it.” The parties can be safe for hosts and party-goers if they take the right precautions, she said. “My parents would have never allowed me to throw it if it would have been an actual liability.”

Few people volunteer because of the high cost, so there was no competition between potential hosts in her years, Carter said. “The difficult part is putting up money and putting your name on the form [that hosts sign with the venue]” she said. “No one wants to do it.” It is a fun party to host as long as they priced tickets correctly to earn back the money and followed the venue’s rules, she said.

expense because if anything is scratched or damaged, even if it’s something slight, you won’t get the security deposit back.”

The other large expense was security.

Venues required hosts to pay for at least one or two licensed security personnel based on a list they provided, or one that the host found on their own, Carter said. “We were trying to get around that [cost] and have our friends be security, but no venue said yes.” She took the venue’s recommendation, though she does not remember which security company they hired, and declined to comment on the price.

Carter and her co-host split the cost of the party with money they earned from different jobs, she said.

To supplement their contribution, they held a ticket presale before finalizing the deal with the venue to raise $1,000.

“Depending on who you ask, that would be questionable, but we needed the money,” she said.

After they signed the contract with the venue, they opened the general sale.

They guessed how many people from each grade would attend, then set prices based on how much they had to charge to cover the costs of the party. Carter and her co-host made a profit from the two Hoco parties, earning money on top of what they paid to cover the expenses. “I threw the first [party] for profit, I’m just gonna be honest,” she said. “None of our parents gave us money so we had to put up our own, and if I was gonna put up that much money, I needed to get money back.”

In contrast to Hoco, they donated the money made from Lovefest to Feeding America, a charity that they were previously involved in, Carter said. “We needed to make back what we spent on it, but after that, we didn’t want to profit off of everyone.”

RISKS & REWARDS

Ve n u e s m u s t be willing to host unsupervised attendees ages 18 and under, and they are normally located in downtown Manhattan, where the prices are cheaper, Carter said. She and her co-host knew the owner of an empty lot that they had used for a photoshoot, so they rented it for Hoco 2018 and Lovefest 2019. They hosted Hoco 2019 at The Vintage New York Lifestyle (VNYL), a nightclub in the East Village.

Carter and her co-host found their venues by asking friends for recommendations of places where they had thrown events such as b’nai mitzvot and sweet sixteens, she said. “People say tickets are absurdly overpriced, but it’s purely because it’s a venue in New York City,” she said. “It’s just very expensive to throw, so therefore you have to charge a lot.” The hosts paid the venue once they signed their contract, which made up the bulk of party expenses.

She declined to disclose the exact price of the lot and VNYL, though VNYL was more expensive, she said.

The Rooftop at Selina Chelsea, the venue for Hoco 2021, charges $5,000 to $8,000 to rent the space for a large group gathering on a Saturday night.

Prices fluctuate depending on the date and time of the event. The first and last months of the year, when parties usually take place, are the busiest and most expensive time for venues, a Selina Chelsea representative said.

Party costs also included a security deposit paid to the venue in case someone broke something during the party, which was bound to happen, Carter said. “It’s the most annoying

Students are divided on whether the Hoco experience is worth it, as students who had gone this year were almost evenly split on whether or not they would attend again next year — 40 plan to go again and 34 do not.

Trentalancia had higher expectations for the event based on her “overpriced” $40 ticket and was disappointed by its sparse offerings, especially after she was refused re-entry when she left the venue for five minutes due to overcrowding, she said.

The crowd made Frankie scared she might catch COVID once she got to the party, though she did not, she said.

The Eventbrite asked attendees to bring their vaccination cards, but no one checked hers. “The venue was packed, everybody’s breath was in everybody’s face, so I was like, ‘if I don’t get COVID after this, that’s a miracle.’”

COVID was also a concern for Andy* (11), who requested anonymity to avoid judgment from his peers. He wore a mask half of the time at the party, though only about a quarter of the people in attendance also did, he

Did you go to Hoco or Winterfest this year?

Based on 198 student responses to an anonymous UD poll

said. “I don’t know how COVID safe it was, but it was fun.”

Since most attendees were students at the school, Daga was not worried about COVID because everyone had to be vaccinated, even though few people wore their masks, she said. “I wore mine for the first five minutes and then immediately I lost it.”

Even though the party itself was not worth how much Stacey paid for her ticket, her memories from before and after Hoco made it worthwhile, she said. “The more fun part was the bonding aspect — planning outfits, taking pictures, planning what we’re going to do before or after, talking about in the library, because that’s all anyone talks about for the two weeks leading up to it,” she said. “It’s a high school kid thing to do.”

As Doris got ready for the party, she felt like she was in the “High School Musical 3” number “A Night to Remember,” she said. “Everyone’s getting ready together — one person is braiding three people’s hair, another girl is curling someone else’s hair, another girl is giving someone eyeliner — and it’s chaos in the best way.”

A student-run party is more expensive to attend than free school events, but its informal nature makes it appealing, Doris said. Although she enjoys school-sponsored gatherings, she would behave and dress differently at a party if there were teachers and adults present. “I hold back certain parts of myself because older generations don’t approve,” she said.

The school tried unsuccessfully to host a Homecoming party in the past, Schiller said in a Record article (Volume 108, Issue 1) titled “Letter to Parents Discourages Private Out-ofSchool Parties. “People thought it was ‘lame’ to be at school on a Saturday night,” he said in the article.

Parties like Hoco with looser enforcement allow students to bring illegal substances, which happens despite hosts warning against it to comply with venues’ rules. On Hoco 2021’s Eventbrite page, the hosts wrote, “DO NOT come drunk, high, or both because you will not be let in” and “no alcohol will be served/allowed inside the party, you also may be subject to search to ensure that nobody brings any illegal sh*t inside, so don’t even try.”

In practice, the guidelines are for show to satisfy a venue’s requirements since many attendees disregarded them, Frankie said. “I saw people with cigarettes, shot glasses, vape pens, weed, you name it.” Security outside the party checked Frankie for a ticket and patted her down before they let her into the venue, but they did not check the bag she carried with her for illegal substances, she said. “There was no enforcement — as long as you weren’t visibly drunk, they didn’t care that much.”

Despite attendees flaunting the rules, hosts who take the necessary precautions — do not distribute alcohol, instruct attendees to not bring any illicit substances, and hire

security — would not be held liable if alcohol was found inside a party or if a partygoer experienced alcohol poisoning, Carter said. Her sophomore year, someone brought alcohol to Hoco, and everyone was asked to leave the venue. Only the person with alcohol faced consequences; that year’s Hoco host did not face consequences because he had followed the venue’s rules as listed on their contract, she said.

Hosts must sign a contract with their venue that details what they can and cannot do at the event, Carter said. She was not 18 at the time of the parties that she hosted, so the other host, who was 18, signed. Since it was a party with underage attendees, it stipulated that the bar would remain closed and no one could bring in alcohol — even if they were over 2 1 — or other illegal substances.

Those who did would be asked to leave by security.

Both times Carter hosted Hoco, people brought alcohol to the venue and were refused entrance, then c ompl ai ne d about their w a s t e d money, she said. Even if she wanted to help her friends when they had alcohol on them, it was more important for her to follow the contract’s rules.

“That’s something we took very seriously because it’s the only reason that people who host don’t get in trouble,” she said. “We didn’t want to take any chances.”

Even though the hosts set rules, they know that attendees will bring illegal items, Doris said. “If teenagers are going to parties, even if they know they’re not supposed to bring alcohol or drugs, I can promise you at every party, at least one kid has something they shouldn’t have.”

Doris did not bring anything, but she saw other students who had, she said.

“I don’t judge them at all because you know what? Good for them, they’re having fun and living their life,” she said. “As long as you’re willing to accept the consequences, you can do anything you want.”

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THE RECORD ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 4TH, 2022

Vig’s (12) “Obsession” takes the big screen at Museum of the Moving Image Hannah Katzke Staff Writer “I want people to leave the film with an unsettled feeling and kind of get the cogs in their heads turning as to what the film could be about,” Riva Vig (12) said. Vig’s short and open-ended suspense film, “Obsession,” was selected to air at the Museum of the Moving Image’s (MoMI) Teen Film Festival. The film festival will take place tonight at MoMI’s Redstone Theater.

Vig found out about the film festival after a friend saw an advertisement on Instagram, she said. “I’m excited because I think the Museum of Moving Images is really cool, and I’m excited to be able to see my film on the big screen again.”

Last school year, Vig submitted “Obsession” to the All American High School Film Festival (AAHSFF). Her film was selected and later screened in Times Square for the film festival in October.

Vig is excited to attend the MoMI event with her family, she said. She is less nervous than she was at the AAHSFF as it was a much larger event with more selected films.

“Obsession” was also screened in the

student showcase assembly last school year.

After the screening, Vig’s friends told her their different perspectives on the film’s meaning, she said. “I definitely like hearing my friends and families’ feedback whenever they watch it.”

She created “Obsession” for her Filmmaking 3 class last school year, Vig said. Film teacher Jordan Rathus assigned the students in the class to independently create a short two to three-minute film, she said.

“Obsession” is a suspense film about a girl’s relationship with an unknown character, Vig said. She decided the meaning and plot should be open-ended — it is up to the audience to form opinions on the relationship between the characters and who they are, Vig said. “In my mind, it could be about various different topics.”

Vig finds the variety of responses and perspectives from viewers interesting, she said. “Some people think it’s about a stalker who kills her at the end, others think she’s going to see her boyfriend and he doesn’t show up.”

In Rathus’ perspective, the film is about fixation and danger, she said. “It sets up this situation that’s ripe for suspense and horror

Courtesy of Riva Vig

FOCUSED FILMMAKER Vig (12) at work on set.

genres, which is that the audience knows that our protagonist is entering into a situation that she shouldn’t enter into, and so it makes the audience scream at the screen.”

When she began, Vig had a different idea for the plot, she said. Originally, the film would follow two friends who were unable to meet due to COVID but were getting ready for a socially distanced picnic in two different parks, Vig said.

It was easy to work with her actress, Sana Anand, as she is a close family friend, Vig said. However, Anand was not available to shoot the footage for the entire film, and thus Vig could not follow through with the original plot, she said. Instead, Vig compiled the footage that she had shot and pivoted to a different storyline.

Vig is proud that she crafted a film with only a little bit of footage, she said. “I did not just give up on the film because I did not have enough footage, I turned it into something new.”

Vig also added her love of drawing to the film, she said. “In trying to make something out of the footage I had, I essentially created a portrait.” As she attempted to piece the videos together, she sketched a drawing of Anand that she incorporated in the film, she said.

She then filmed herself drawing the portrait throughout the film, so the camera shifts between Anand and an unknown character who draws her portrait.

Shooting and directing was also a challenge because Vig did everything by herself over winter break last school year, she said. While working alone was difficult, she enjoyed the complete freedom and control she had.

Vig shaped how her story unfolded in the film, although Rathus worked with her to edit the project, she said. Rathus helped Vig maintain a careful balance of what she showed and did not show to instill suspense and panic in the audience, she said. “Riva is fastidious, she’s thorough and thoughtful when she’s editing, and she’s careful to create a structure for her films that walks the viewer through a linear path.”

Rathus also helped Vig color grade and design a suitable look and tone, Rathus said.

“I wanted to convey a sense of stress and nervousness through the actions, lighting,

Courtesy of Riva Vig

PRECISE EYE Vig observes film shoot. music, and editing.”

It is special that her students have been able to communicate their ideas to larger audiences, Rathus said. “Riva deserves all of the accolades that she will receive,” she said.

“She’s such a talented filmmaker and hard worker and she’s so passionate, and I’m just really excited that she’s going to be able to show the work that she’s been focused on in such an intense way for so many years.”

Sen’s (9) letter to Malala read on Apple TV+ show “Dear…”

Ari Palla and Ava Lipsky Contributing Writers Anya Sen (9) shares her love for Malala Yousfzai in the second season of the show “Dear…,” which premiers today. The show’s first season is already available on Apple TV+.

Each episode of “Dear…” is centered around one famous or influential person along with people they’ve inspired, who write letters about how the subject of the episode impacted their lives. The influential figure then reads and reacts to each letter. Different scenes on the show bring parts of the letters to life. For example, Anya’s letter discussed her experience with activism in elementary school, so part of the show was filmed at a school in Los Angeles.

Anya wrote her letter to Yousfzai, whose activism in girls education inspired Anya’s own work. Anya has advocated for girls’ education since she was seven years old, she said. “In my letter I talked about various initiatives I’ve taken inspired by Malala and her bravery, including organizing bake sales/ lemonade stands, holding a charity chess tournament series, organizing a bookmark making contest, holding an assembly at my elementary school to spread awareness, and creating a fundraising page to raise money.”

Sen is a big fan of Malala so appearing on the same show as her was exciting, she said.

Sen became involved with the show after a casting agent reached out to her activism account, @anya_activism, on Instagram.

“I post material relating to current events

about women’s rights across the world, media relating to feminism, interviews of people, ways people can help the cause of girls’ education, and more,” Sen said. She created the account in December of 2020 to post videos she created working with the Malala Fund and since then has interviewed “In terms of other activists, in the past I’ve interviewed Vivian Graubard, an activist for womens’ rights and human trafficking,” Anya said. Graubard has worked in the White House, was a founding member of the United States Digital Service, and served

Courtesy of Anya Sen

SEN ON SET Sen reads letter.

as a senior advisor and chief of staff to the United States Chief Technology Officer.

Through the Malala Fund, Anya interviewed two education champion activists from India, Yuman Hussain and Aheli Chowdhury, on the impact of COVID-19 on girls’ education.

Anya regularly contributes to Malala Fund’s worldwide digital newsletter publication, Assembly, she said.

After talking to the casting agent and beginning to work with the show, Sen collaborated with the production team to work out logistics, she said. “Someone helped me edit the letter that was to be read on the show and someone else helped set up flight and hotel details so we could travel to LA for the taping.”

Sen flew out to LA to film in April of 2021.

She spent two days filming on a set which was a recreation of her room and school to mimic settings she talked about in her letter. “The experience as a whole was really exciting,” she said. “It was really cool to see so many people on set with cameras and a director.” One exciting experience was having the person who created Beyonce’s wigs straighten her hair before filming, she said.

Between filming, Sen attended a studio school and had lunch with her father and her sister, Ayesha Sen (11). A law in California says that Anya must attend studio school for a few hours each day of the taping, she said.

A teacher monitored Anya while she worked and asked for her school curriculum since she was missing days of school, Anya explained.

Anya said that she attended studio school by herself on the first day of filming, but more

Courtesy of Anya Sen

LIGHTS, CAMERA Action, & activism. kids who appeared as extras on the show were there the second day. Ayesha Sen was casted as herself in a couple of scenes, like running lemonade stands together. Ayesha and Anya both appear in the show’s trailer. “Ayesha and I were lucky enough to be on the show and also receive a stipend which we donated back to girls’ education,” Sen said. “I’ve never really envisioned myself on a TV show before, but when the opportunity came up, I was really excited and knew I wanted to partake in it.”

7

THE RECORD NEWS AND MIDDLE DIVISION MARCH 4TH, 2022

from SLEARN on page 1

from Posner on page 1

Aryan Palla/Staff Photographer

S4CD Posner details the college groups supporting his agenda. communicates, and advocates for himself in college and beyond, she said. “I liked hearing from an HM alum who looked back on his experience and really appreciated what the school did for him. It inspires me to not take my experience for granted,” Kim said.

In Posner’s introduction, he urged audience members to take immediate action against climate change. “Climate change is ultimately a human challenge. The planet will be fine, it was here before us and will likely be here after us,” Posner said.

He also discussed the consequences of hesitating to combat climate change. “Climate change is a threat multiplier and a conflict catalyst, and could even make pandemics more frequent,” he said.

At the forum, Josh Anderman (9) learned that his generation needs to pave the way for the future of their environment and that this generation cannot let it slip away from them.

“One of the most inspiring things Posner said was, “in order to see the future, you must create it,’” Anderman said.

The key to being able to take action now is a bipartisan solution like carbon dividends, Posner said. A student of the Global Environmental History class, Ana Aguilar (11) found it refreshing how Posner spoke about climate change solutions that

appeal to both political parties, she said. “Today, climate change seems to be very politicized even though it is an issue that will affect everyone, so I think hearing the way he works to diminish that was promising,” Aguilar said.

CC Alumni Series Committee member Ariela Shuchman (11) enjoyed learning about Posner’s specific carbon dividends framework, she said. “Posner is refreshingly realistic and speaks with no bells and whistles. He recognizes that we can’t just say slogans and broad policy claims because that will never work. We have to be smart and frame our rhetoric to individuals and parties.”

Mehere was the primary force behind this installment of the series, Schuchman said. “I have to give Eshan all the credit because he really took charge and assumed a huge logistical undertaking. I’m really impressed with what he pulled off,” she said.

Mehere chose to invite Posner because he wanted to shift the lecture series to focus on alumni in order to make it more personal and meaningful to the community, he said. One of his goals for the series is to show students the significance of the education the school provides.

“Everything you learn at school helps you develop into an adult, no matter

your career path,” Mehere said.

In preparation for the series, Mehere reached out to Posner to see if he would be willing to speak at school, and pitched the idea of inviting Posner to Dean of Students Michael Dalo and Registrar Chris Garrison, he said. They hoped to include more opportunities for the students to talk to Posner, so Mehere reached out to various science and history classes that Posner could visit. “We first thought about Dr. Bales’ environmental history class, and then also other classes such as Voices of Protest which are tied to Posner’s work,” Mehere said. “In addition, we wanted another forum opportunity for more students to attend.”

In the future, Mehere hopes to host one or two more installments of the series before the end of this school year. “Now if we want to invite someone else, we have the same framework to work off of,” he said. He hopes to invite a scientist or a historian, as well as someone with a less traditional career, such as professional chef Alex Guarnaschelli ‘87, he said.

Shuchman also hopes to connect with Barry Scheck ‘67, founder of the Innocence Project, she said.

“Eshan and I are ambitious in that the speakers we want are hard to get.

We’ll see what happens with them but people should expect another great speaker before the end of the year,” she said.

Mehere was pleased with the feedback he received from all the students Posner talked to in classes during the day and at the forum, he said. “In all three of the classes he visited, students were asking questions up until the end of the period and he was really engaging,” Mehere said. “I’m happy [Posner’s] talks had an impact on all of the students he spoke to and it makes me optimistic for the future of the series.”

he said. “I thought it was interesting and impactful to use social media in a context of social justice,” Zelizer said.

The Van Cortlandt Park Workshop discussed getting involved in the park, opportunities for teens, and the importance of having green places in urban areas, Dalia Pustlnik (12) said.

“It was really interesting to hear the speakers talk about the state of Van Cortlandt park and how underfunded it really is,” Zelizer said. “Also to keep our limited park space clean and in order because it has really serious impacts and benefits on the large community: New York, the Bronx, and Horace Mann.”

The Wildlife Conservation Society workshop discussed stakeholder analysis in the context of the environment, Justin Gurvitch (12) said. The workshop also considered solutions to the ongoing destruction of snow leopards’ habitats. “It did a good job of using snow leopards to explain why it is important to understand these issues from a variety of perspectives, and to make sure that those in the position to make decisions have all perspectives,” Gurvitch said.

Given that this is the Class of 2022’s

last Service Learning Day, the school wanted to emphasize the importance of continuing civic engagement beyond high school, Watts wrote.

Therefore, Lutie Brown ‘18 was invited to speak on her experiences as a Resident Assistant in a dorm of students focused on civic engagement and service learning.

After the workshops, seniors reflected on the day. They had the option to give words of advice to freshmen in hopes of helping them understand the importance of service-learning during their high school career. Pustilnik responded to the reflection by emphasizing how Service Learning Day exposes the student body to different issues, allowing them to find one with which they connect and may pursue in the future, Pustilnik said.

Watts hopes that students will be able to view their experiences as more than just a graduation requirement. “I anticipate doing some sort of service over the next few years whether that is volunteering or political activism,” Zelizer said. “I think that everyone would continue to do some sort of Service Learning, to serve the community around them.”

Courtesy of Service Learning

Courtesy of Myra Singh

JUST TRANSITION How to develop a regenerative economy.

MD math team members Yuan and Sun (6) qualify for state championships Ben Rafal Staff Writer “During our meetings, we have minicompetitions where you answer questions and the first person to answer the question stays while the loser moves on,” Felix Yuan (6) said.

“That’s really fun because it’s a competition and you get to see who’s strong at what.” The Middle Division (MD) Math Team participated in their first MathCounts competition of the school year against the Ivy League schools last Thursday. At the competition, Yuan and Brighten Sun (6) both qualified for tomorrow’s state championships in Saratoga Springs.

Upper Division student coaches Myra Singh (12) and Jacob Silverstein (11) lead the club and work alongside faculty advisory and MD math teacher Kimberly Jackson as the administrators of the team. During their hour-long meetings each Wednesday, MD club members learn more about math and prepare for competitions, Singh said.

Competitions consist of three rounds, a 40-minute sprint round, four six-minute intervals of two questions, and a collaborative round with teams of four at the end, Singh said.

Many of the mathematical skills involved are conventional middle school-level concepts, such as probability and geometry. Questions are phrased so the competitors are required to think critically and use shortcuts to determine solutions. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the competitions have all been held virtually due to COVID-19.

Competition math is different from regular math because it does not require as much standard arithmetic knowledge, Singh said. “A lot of importance is put on knowing tricks and formulas that help in certain situations,” she said. “A lot of the time it’s more about being creative and using logic.”

The team spends the majority of their meetings taking practice tests and selfevaluating in order to understand their

individual strengths and weaknesses in the competition format, she said.

The club prioritizes practicing with the resources provided by the MathCounts website in order to get a feel for the competition before it happens, Jackson said.

They also practice collaboration, because fluid communication while solving problems as a group is an essential skill for success in the team rounds, Singh said.

Jackson enjoys seeing the team get involved in countdown rounds, which allow the students to become lively and enthusiastic than in the classroom, she said. “I enjoy that they have the opportunity to use their reasoning skills and apply their keen mathematical abilities to solve problems,” she said. “I love that they’re so engaged and want to be there to take on the challenge of these harder situations.”

Yuan joined the math team both because he was interested in solving more advanced problems and because he wanted to have the chance to spend time with other students who also enjoy math, Yuan said.

Sun joined because math has been his favorite subject since second grade, and he has always been interested in challenging himself, he said.

The state-wide competition requires a higher level of knowledge than the team is familiar with, as the stakes are raised, Singh said. “[Sun and Yuan] are super bright and know all of the tricks and can handle this type of competition, so I’m sure they will do well,” she said.

Silverstein remembers being a part of the math team in the Middle Division, especially the unique competition environment. “Everyone is pretty composed. It’s definitely stressful, since there are 150 or 200 kids in a room during nonpandemic years. It’s a stressful environment but normally not that imposing.”

Yuan experienced the competition environment last week during the first competition of the year, he said. “My hands were cold and I was nervous. I had one set [of problems] left and I was down to a minute left,

and I started worrying. I ended up being not that productive, and I got the question wrong,” he said.

Yuan feels nervous for his first time going to state championships, but is aiming to score well and put in a good effort, he said. “I’m also excited because it’s a new chance for me to do something I’ve never done before,” he said, “I felt excited last week when I was competing against my friends because I wanted to prove that I’m better than them. It’s very competitive between us.”

Along with Yuan, Sun will be attending the state competition this Saturday. While last week’s competition was Sun’s first time participating in a MathCounts event, he has past experience from elementary school, and also has competed in the AMC 8 competition twice and the Math Kangaroo competition three times, he said. “I’m a little bit nervous but mainly excited, because there’s nothing to lose since it’s my first time.”

While only Sun and Yuan will be attending the state championships this weekend, the rest of the team will have the opportunity to

compete in other competitions this spring, run

by MoMath and Purple Comet, Jackson said.

Jackson believes that the team will be motivated for the spring competitions, as they competed well on Thursday and are very interested in practicing new concepts, she said.

“For the most part, they were self-selected.

Most of the students who competed really wanted to be there. There was no ‘cutting’ process, necessarily.”

Singh loves when the team has the opportunity to practice countdown rounds, which get the whole team engaged in finding patterns and tricks within the questions, she said. “Oftentimes, the kids will really impress me. When I’m trying to do [a problem] in my head and they get it super quickly in a really creative way, I always love to see that.”

During these rounds, it is evident that many of the students are super eager to solve problems and prove their knowledge, Silverstein said.

“One time, a couple kids wondered if they could challenge the high school coaches and see if they could beat us. That made me laugh a little bit.”

Courtesy of Myra Singh

BUDDING MATHEMATICIANS Math Team members attend a meeting.

Lions’ Den Record Sports

MARCH 4TH, 2022

Ottey (12) makes history as first female wrestler to place in Ivies Cece Coughlin Staff Writer Jhanaè Ottey (12) became the first woman in the history of the Ivy Preparatory League to place in the wrestling finals after placing second in her weight class at the Ivy Invitational on February 5. “I used to complain all the time that as a girl, I should only wrestle other girls because every time I step onto a mat [against a boy], I’m bound to lose,” Ottey said. “But I kept proving myself wrong this year, and I kept winning my matches.”

Ottey finished with a season record of 15 wins and four losses, she said. Throughout her season, Ottey wrestled another woman only twice and won both times. Unfortunately, Ottey got a concussion in a match a few days after Ivies so she was unable to attend the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) tournament, she said.

The most memorable moment of the season was when Ottey won against a male wrestler in a higher weight class than her during a match against Trinity on January 26, she said. “He was a lot stronger than me, but his technique was off and I realized that,” she said. “He was tossing me around for the first couple of minutes, but then all of a sudden, I did a move my coach never taught me.” Ottey held the move and pinned her opponent, winning the match.

During that match, wrestling coach Gregg Quilty had pulled Ottey aside and asked if she was sure she wanted to wrestle against her opponent since her competitor did not know what he was doing and could injure her, Ottey said. She went through with the match because she did not want to let her friends and teachers down, she said.

Ottey’s friends and field hockey coach Caroline Surhoff congratulated her after her win, Ottey said. “It was a day to prove to my community and my closest friends what I have

been working for all of these years,” she said. “I am very proud of myself.”

The match reflected Ottey’s resilience as a wrestler, which allowed her to surpass her expectations this season, she said. Once she learned not to doubt herself, she realized that she was not at her full potential. “Whatever I think I can do, I can do more than that,” she said. This change in mindset and flexibility helped Ottey reach her goals.

Quilty also attributed Ottey’s success to her mindset, he said. “The thing I am most impressed with her is her courage,” he said. She never gave up, worked hard at practice every day, and wanted to be a part of the team regardless of whether she was winning or losing, he said.

Ottey showed her resilience again in the quarterfinals of the Ivies tournament, Quilty said. “[Ottey] was losing 0-5 and was taking a beating on the bottom,” he said. She wore her opponent down and got on top until he could not keep up with her pace and eventually gave up, Quilty said.

Over her wrestling career at the school, Ottey faced many challenges, she said. “My peers had been wrestling since middle school while I started in ninth grade, so I just felt behind.”

Moreover, being a woman did not help her, she said.

Wrestling is dominated by men, so it can be unusual to see a girl wrestling, co-captain Elias Romero (12) said.

Now, Ottey strongly believes that she is at the same level physically on the mat with male wrestlers, she said. “Being a woman puts another layer of pride on top of it, that I am at the same level and I am a woman,” she said. “I don’t let my gender hold me back.” As long as she stayed confident, her gender was not much of a hindrance, she said.

Another struggle for Ottey was the male competitors in her weight class that she went up against, Quilty said. Not only does Ottey wrestle against men most of the time, but she

is also in a higher weight class, he said. Often, female wrestlers are in lower weight classes so there is not a large strength difference between them and male opponents. At the upper weight classes, women are at a bigger disadvantage strength-wise and are typically wrestling juniors and seniors with more experience, he said.

This disparity led to some challenges when Ottey was an underclassman because she won fewer matches, Quilty said. Ottey’s record was 1-6 her freshman year, 3-4 sophomore year, and 14-5 this year, which is an incredible improvement, he said. “Her technique, her balance, her strength have all improved a lot each year.”

Other seniors on the team watched Ottey progress since ninth grade and could see the hard work she put into the sport, Romero said.

“It’s great to see Jhanaè’s accomplishments being recognized and coming to fruition.”

Ottey’s placement in the Ivies proves her

growth, she said. “Being the first girl ever to place [in the] Ivies, I have just learned to be grateful for what I’ve gotten, how far I’ve gotten in my wrestling career, and to cheer my team and be happy for their successes, as well as mine.”

Ottey’s teammates are proud of her successes, Romero said. “Jhanaè has always been a great teammate and an awesome friend.” Ottey always brought energy to the matches and stayed aggressive and competitive, he said. “She has contributed to making a great team dynamic.”

Her support at matches was important to the team’s success, Romero said. “Jhanaè is always one of the loudest ones on the bench when she’s not wrestling, and we’re the loudest ones on the bench for her.”

Ottey helped the Lions win a lot of matches this season, Quilty said. “She never backs down.

Once the whistle blows, she goes hard.”

Courtesy of Jhanae Ottey

READY TO GO Ottey (12) faces off against an opponent.

News: Horace Mann Hero: Jensen helps passenger of car crash Ayesha Sen Staff Writer

Last Friday, Head of Facilities Management Gordon Jensen jumped in to help a woman and her dog in a crash. Returning to campus, Jensen encountered the car flipped over on its side. Upon realizing the severity of the situation, Jensen pulled over and looked into the car, noticing a passenger in the driver’s seat, he said.

Jensen tried to open the passenger door but was unable to, he said. So, he went to the rear of the car and opened the hatch in order to speak to the passenger, named Elaine Taylor, who seemed disoriented. Jensen instructed Taylor to open the sunroof, but because she seemed hazy, he gave her further direction by going back to the windshield and pointing to the switch for the roof, after which Taylor was able to open it a bit. After this, Jensen reached in through the small opening and opened the roof all the way.

Then, Jensen reached into the car and turned it off since it was starting to smoke heavily from the exhaust.

Once Jensen took the necessary precautions, he knelt down, introduced himself to Taylor, and asked for her name.

Taylor was most concerned about her dog,

Thelma, who was under her arm and seemed scared, Jensen said. So, he reached in and took Thelma and her carrier and put it into his car to keep warm.

Then, Jensen went back to the vehicle to keep Taylor occupied by engaging in conversation until the emergency vehicles arrived. Once the ambulance arrived, Jensen gave the emergency technicians Taylor’s information and stepped back while they

After Taylor was transported to the hospital, at around 10 pm, Jensen received a phone call from Taylor asking “are you the person that has my dog?” Jensen told her that he was with the dog, and that she was fine. Taylor then told him that she was being released shortly and would like to pick up the dog, Thelma, by taking an Uber to his home.

Jensen offered to pick her up and bring her home, bringing Thelma along with him so

“You have a wonderful person on your team and I will never forget or give up hope that there are still good people in this world and I was lucky I found him that night.”

- Elaine Taylor stabilized the car and took her out through the sunroof.

Taylor wanted to take Thelma with her to the ER, but Jensen suggested instead that he take her dog home and look after it, he said.

Then, he made sure that the police had all of his information, and noted Taylor’s info as well. Jensen then went home while Taylor was transported to Harlem Hospital.

LIONS’ BOX: Results from This Week’s games 2/26 - Boys Varsity Epeé ISFL Championship -- 2ND PLACE 2/26 - Boys Varsity Sabre ISFL Championship -- 2ND PLACE 2/26 - Girls Varsity Epeé ISFL Championship -- 1ST PLACE 2/26 - Girls Varsity Foil ISFL Championship -- 3RD PLACE

8

that she did not need to Uber.

Jensen picked Taylor up from Harlem Hospital and drove her home to her building in Riverdale. “We had a nice discussion on the way home and told each other about ourselves and our families,” Jensen said. “She was very appreciative.”

Jensen followed up with Taylor the next day and asked her how she was doing and if

she needed anything since he knew she did not have a car. She told him that she was sore but doing well, and the two have talked a few times since.

Taylor is very appreciative of Jensen for helping her during her time of need and even wrote to Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly about making a donation to the school in Jensen’s name, she wrote. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am to Mr. Jensen for helping me and my puppy,” Taylor wrote. “You have a wonderful person on your team and I will never forget or give up hope that there are still good people in this world and I was lucky I found him that night.”

Jensen is ultimately grateful that he was there and able to help Taylor, he said. “We would all want someone to help us if we were in that situation,” he said. “My Christian upbringing and faith has taught me to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Jensen is grateful that he was able to perform this “act of kindness,” as Kelly called it in his email. “I can say that and believe it but also needed to act upon it as well,” Jensen said. “I don’t feel what I did was anything beyond what any one of us would do in the situation and was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to be able to help.”

2/26 - Girls Varsity Sabre ISFL Championship -- 1ST PLACE 2/26 - Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Poly Prep -- LOSS 41-52 3/2 - Varsity Table Tennis vs. Fieldston -- WIN 4-1