TV Production
Film Production class to begin live sports broadcasts page A2
Mapping Out the Future
Class of 2013 graduates will travel far and wide to follow their dreams page A10-A11
4875 Grandiflora Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, 33418
May 24, 2013
Living with ADHD
Students voice their struggles living with ADHD page A15
Issue 6
Volume 33
Tech Department to implement new ‘bring your own device’ policy By Rachel Smith Staff Writer
After years of students complaining about slow Internet access and their laptops constantly breaking, the school has finally committed to upgrading technology and making changes to the computer program. Beginning next year, students will no longer be limited to buying a Lenovo laptop through the school. Instead, they will be able to choose their own device, if it follows the new guidelines. The school has already visibly started the process to make these changes possible. Walking around the Upper School campus, students witnessed several holes in the ground and work areas have been evident. Explaining the reasoning of this, Chief Information Officer, Mr. Russell Tepper said, “In order to support more devices on our network, to support a bring-your-own-device type program, we have to upgrade the infrastructure.” This upgrade involves fiber optic wiring and will probably be completed before June, according to Head of Upper School Mr. Latta Baucom. A similar type of upgrade is also taking place on the Lower School campus; however, this
will take longer because the campus is older. The Upper School had a program requiring every student to purchase a laptop through the school for almost ten years, and the Middle School had its own program for about three years. Administrators realize that after such a long time the program was in need of changes. Next year, students will still be able to purchase Lenovos through the school’s technology department, but will be given more flexibility, the ability to choose from newly designed guidelines will increase. These new guidelines allow students to bring Macs, iPad 2s, Androids, or various other laptops. If students choose to use a tablet such as in iPad or Android for their primary device, the school is encouraging them to purchase a portable keyboard with it. Along with a revitalized student laptop program, the faculty program will also be undergoing changes. “One of the things that we have had a lot of opportunities to discuss this year amongst the faculty at all divisions is ‘are we using technology to its fullest extent in terms of how we do things in the classroom?’” Mr. Baucom said. See Technology page A4
Photo courtesy of Michael Price Photography
A group of 14 seniors have recently been inducted into the newest organization on campus, the Cum Laude Society.
Cum Laude Society inducts TBS students for first time By Jerrie James Copy Editor
The new highly regarded honor society, Cum Laude, inducted its first 14 members from the Benjamin School, on Sat. May 11 in the Kirkwood Library. Senior inductee, Natasha Zachariades is extremely proud of herself for being accepted into the society and will remember the ceremony for years to come, she said, “The ceremony was very nice. It was held in the library and teachers from the lower, middle, and high school were there. The newly inducted members were
seated in front of everyone and one by one, we were called up to receive our certificate. Afterwards, we all stayed for a brunch that was provided.” As a newly established member of the Cum Laude Society, The Benjamin School is now part of the 370 highly selected independent schools recognized for superior academic quality and achievement. The society only inducts seniors with a cumulative 4.0 grade point average and juniors with a maintained 4.2 GPA. Because this is the first year of the society being established at Benjamin, no juniors were inducted with
the 14 seniors. Head of School Mr. Robert Goldberg welcomed students, friends, families, and faculty to the induction ceremony. The inductees included 14 seniors: Emily Dunkel, Liam Fine, Ben Germano, Averill Healey, Savannah Johnson, Samantha Kochman, Nataly Lambert, Noah Presser, Adrienne Propp, Carolyn Quigley, Austin Rosenthal, Jeffrey Rossin, Max Seiss, and Natasha Zachariades. Propp commented on the unique experience of being the first group from Benjamin, “Being part of the first See Cum Laude page A3
Middle school math teacher joins the upper school faculty v Mr. Harse is moving campuses to the Upper School as a replacement for Mr. Chris Casement. By Katie Walsh Staff Writer
Mr. Baucom has announced that middle school math teacher Mr. Derek Harse will be joining the Upper School next August as a replacement for Mr. Chris Casement. Mr. Harse will be teaching Honors Algebra II, and Honors Pre-calculus. When asked
about his recent addition to the Upper School, Mr. Harse stated he was very excited, saying, “I’m looking forward to teaching at the Upper School. I can’t wait to contribute to the Benjamin School in the best way I can.” Mr. Harse is not unfamiliar with the Benjamin School as he was a teacher in the middle school for six years, where he taught Algebra I along with Advanced PreAlgebra. He graduated with a degree
Hot Movies This Summer Grab the popcorn and some friends and check out the summer flicks page A13
in mathematics education from Florida State University. Mr. Harse often helped other students throughout his own education. “I’ve always enjoyed interacting with students. I volunteered at elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. I really enjoyed combining math with interacting with students,” Mr. Harse said. Many students are eager to see Mr. Harse as an Upper School teacher, as several were formerly
Athletes of the Year The Pharcyde congratulates its picks of athletes of the year page A20
his students at the middle school. “I’m looking forward to seeing Mr. Harse’s teaching style being incorporated in the high school math department,” freshman Adam Cass, a former student of Mr. Harse, said. Mr. Harse is also anticipating the chance to reteach students he had before. “I’m excited by the opportunity to teach higher math levels, and I’m looking forward to seeing past students as well,” he said. v
Mr. Derek Harse
What’s Inside
News: A1-A5 School Life: A12-A15 Opinions: A6-A7 The Scene: A16-A17 Spotlight: A10-A11 Sports: A18-A20 Spyglass: B1 - B8
Page A2 May 24, 2013
The Pharcyde View more news @ PHARBLOG.COM
Meet Your Future Presidents
In preparation for the new school year, students recently elected rising seniors as the new presidents of the three main organizations at school. Ellie Jamison is the new president of Student Council, George Donaldson is the new president of Honor Council, and Morgan Kaplan is the new president of the National Honor Society. In order to gain perspective on their goals for next year, Pharcyde staff writer Lexi Cass sat down with each president to discuss his or her future plans.
Ellie
Jamison Student Council President
George Donaldson Honor Council President
Morgan Kaplan
National Honor Society President
Q: Why did you choose to run for president of Stu- Q: Why did you choose to run for president of Honor Q: Why did you choose to run for president of the dent Council?
Council?
Council because I feel that I can truly get things done and no other position would have felt right.
do. I think that the standards Honor Council holds students to are what Benjamin needs and I feel passionate about it.
National Honor Society (NHS)?
A: I wanted to run because I’ve been on Honor Coun- A: I ran for president because NHS is something I feel A: I’ve always wanted to be president of Student cil since my freshman year, and I really enjoy what I Q: What do you plan on doing next year? A: We have many great things set up for this upcom-
ing year. Some things I can’t share, but one thing I would love to have is a Sadie-Hawkins winter formal.
Q: Are you going to change or make improvements?
really passionate about. I feel as if I’m fulfilling the four pillars (of leadership, scholarship, community, and character) to the best of my ability. I want to continue in NHS as a prominent member of the club.
Q: What do you plan on doing next year? A: I want to get the honor code enforced throughout Q: What do you plan on doing next year? the school and let everyone know we’re here to be serious and we’re not just joking around. I also want it to A: I plan on continuing the work that the previous be more of a universal sense that everyone should be taking responsibility for their own actions and abiding by the honor code.
officers had done so successfully. I want to get the club more involved in community events such as food drives and Paint Your Heart Out. Just more community involvement in general.
A: I think this year I will try to connect more with Q: Are you going to change or make improvements? the student body. I want to send them updates and A: I am going to make improvements as well as make Q: Are you going to change or make improvements? ask for their opinions and just let them know what’s the Honor Code more prevalent. I want people to know how we work inside the Honor Council. I want A: Change, I don’t think so. Improve, hopefully. Ingoing on. Q: What are you looking forward to the most? A: I’m most looking forward to Homecoming week
right now. We have some great surprises already in place, and it will be an extraordinary year for everyone to enjoy.
everyone to know what we do and to make the Honor Code evident throughout the school.
Q: What are you looking forward to the most? A: I just really like the leadership aspect of
being president. I want to lead for the next generation, and I’m really excited for next year and to see where it goes.
stead of just encouraging people to get the minimum number of community service hours, I want to perhaps exceed that.
Q: What are you looking forward to the most? A: Just everything. I’m just really excited about being the new president.
Film production expanding with technology advances
v The Film Production class will start broadcasting live sports events for students and alumni. By Bella Ross Staff Writer
Director of Video Productions, Mr. Ken Archer has recently announced that BTV will be expanding its broadcast offerings to include live shows next year. The recent upgrades in technology throughout Benjamin, include new fiber optic wiring and Wifi expansion to the gym. This allows BTV to broadcast games from the gym and the fields in real time across the Internet to students, alumni, and Benjamin families.
“People who have graduated can now go to our main website, click on BTV, and see what live games there are.” MR. KEN ARCHER
Director of Video Productions
JULIETTE MERCADANTE / Photography Editor
BTV plans to add live shows into their agenda.
Many students have noted that Wifi ends at the gym; a fact that Mr. Archer is glad to see will change. “The plan is to make Wifi available in the athletic complexes too. Once we have Wifi capability out there, anything that we shoot on our cameras we can stream live to the web,” he said. BTV plans to create a website specifically designated for
their broadcast, where it is possible for people all over the country to watch Benjamin’s athletic games live. “We’ve had lacrosse players that have left that say that they wish they could watch it from their college,” Mr. Archer said. “People who have graduated can now go to our main website, click on BTV, and see what live games there are, and just click to watch it. They could watch Benjamin athletics from anywhere in the country,” Mr. Archer said. The live broadcasts will not apply to the news broadcasts. Mr. Archer said, “They wouldn’t be in our newscast because the entire student body has to watch that and we have to limit it to 10-15 minutes because our assembly’s only that long.” The broadcasts will extend to Benjamin performing arts shows as well. “Eventually we’re going to move to doing our plays, our musicals, our variety shows. Not only are we going to record it, but we’ll also be streaming it live to the web,” Mr. Archer said. Commenting on the cost of the video upgrade, Mr. Archer said, “It’s not expensive. It’s actually pretty cheap. It will cost my department fifteen hundred dollars for the whole year. That fifteen hundred dollars is including a website, a laptop, and a converter. Whether we do one game, or forty games, it’s worth the fifteen hundred dollars.” Mr. Archer feels that the ability to film live will be a great addition to BTV as well as the school. “I think it’s a good expansion, and the students will enjoy being able to watch sporting events from their homes,” he said. v
The Pharcyde
News
May 24, 2013 Page
A3
New members of Cum Laude reflect on experience From Cum Laude page A1
class inducted was a really special feeling because it felt like we were establishing a legacy for future classes. We are so used to following in the footsteps of past classes so it was nice to participate in something completely new,” she said. Assistant Head for Academics, Mr. Kendall Didsbury made some opening remarks and used this as an opportunity to speak highly of how Benjamin has changed them and reinforce the lessons they have learned over the many years at Benjamin. “Hard work does not scare you, and you have seen the results when you work together. Some people think that hard work wears people down, but you know that through hard work you are built up. As I have said so many times, ‘Nothing of value is achieved without hard work,’” he said. Fine, who was one of the peer-counselors who had the honor of meeting with the Cum Laude representative
when he visited Benjamin for his evaluation of the school, said, “I definitely was excited when I was accepted. While it was late in my high school career, I still appreciated receiving the honor. Personally, I was excited that I was accepted, but I think it speaks more towards the success of Benjamin rather than the individual. Benjamin had to prove itself on a world stage and was successful. I was simply a product of Benjamin’s excellence.” Fine explained that he feels honored to be part of the society because he is in the company of “so many beautiful minds,” as he put it. Fine and Zachariades share similar views on how Cum Laude will change them; they both believe it will motivate them to work hard. Zachariades commented on how she thinks it will play a role in her future saying, “I think that it will always be a nice reminder of my high school experience, and I will always be proud
Photo courtesy of Michael Price Photography Mrs. Nancy Benjamin attended Cum Laude to celebrate the 14 new members. Pictured left to right: Mr. Robert Goldberg, Mr. Ken Didsbury, Mrs. Benjamin, Mrs. Robyn Quaid, and Mr. Chuck Hagy.
that I achieved something that is thought so highly of. Also, I think it will allow me to always push myself in my future studies because I
know that if I work hard, it will pay off and won’t go unnoticed… I think members’ responsibilities will consist of always working hard, try-
ing our best, and maintaining good grades. In addition, we should always be leaders both inside and outside of the classroom.” v
Alumna’s struggle with cancer has fairytale ending
v Last year, Club FACT banded together to help support alumna through breast cancer. By Casey Pearce Editor-in-Chief
In the beginning of the 2011- 2012 school year, club FACT (Fighting All Cancer Together) rallied the school to support Benjamin alumna, Leah Wypch through her struggle with breast cancer. Fortunately, this past month, with the help and support of all of her loved ones, including the Benjamin community, Wypch had her fairytale ending.
“It became my mission to bring it home to the kids here that this is one of our own” MRS. AMANDA PIERMAN Science Teacher
Many people and families around the world have had to deal with this disease, but over the last two years cancer affected the Benjamin community directly. “It became my mission to bring it home to the kids here that this is one of our own; it’s one of us that this horrible, nasty, awful disease has struck,” science teacher Mrs. Amanda Pierman said. Mrs. Pierman was in the Benjamin graduating class of 1997, and her husband Ja-
son Pierman, class of 1996, was best friends with Wypch growing up. Describing Wypch, Mrs. Pierman said that she is one of those people who is always upbeat and positive. Apparently, she also thinks of others first. When asked what the students at Benjamin could do for her, Wypch told them not to worry about her but consider what they could do for the other people with cancer. Club FACT dedicated last year to helping her, but ultimately the club’s help and support affected many more. The members of Club FACT raised money to buy WalMart gift cards for those affected with cancer. They chose to address patient worries about finances and mobility. “We tried to spread the wealth and a little bit went a long way,” Mrs. Pierman said. Wypch, after months of chemo, radiation, and a double mastectomy, finally became cancer-free and went on to have reconstructive surgery. This is a common surgery for women to get after a double mastectomy; however, Wypch had many complications. The surgical site was infected twice in a very short span of time. The doctors and she thought that they had finally gotten everything right, but one night her soon-to-be husband got the call of duty, the military was deploying him to Afghanistan. Next thing she knew, her fiancé left, she moved back in wither parents, started back to work full time, and her medical team once again informed her that she had another infection in the surgical sites. She
Photo courtesy of Mrs. Amanda Pierman
Leah, four days after having a double mastectomy, particpated in the annual Race for the Cure.
was rushed to the hospital to have emergency surgery and IV antibiotics. After hearing about this dreadful news, the military sent Wypch’s fiancé home to be with her. The return was even televised on the local news. On May 4, 2013, according to Mrs. Pierman, who attended the event, Wypch walked down the aisle, with long flowing hair and a joyous smile on her face as she saw Daniel, her fiancé, looking back with, as Mrs. Pierman described, nothing but pure love in his eyes. “It is a fairytale ending. She had many struggles and hardships that she had to get through to end up with her Prince Charming to have their happily ever after ending, but she finally got there. She has so much courage and so much gumption. I am just so proud to be her friend,” Mrs. Pierman said. v
Photo courtesy of Mrs. Amanda Pierman
Leah walked down the aisle on May 4, 2013.
Page A4 May 24, 2013
News
The Pharcyde
Macs approved From Technology page A1
KATIE WALSH / Staff Writer
Students will not need to study their whole review books next year, as they will not take the microeconomics exam.
AP economics course to cover only macroeconomics exam next year By Niki Hendi Staff Writer
The Social Studies Department will remove AP microeconomics from the curriculum next year because of Mrs. Nidhi McVicar’s maternity leave. While social studies teacher Mr. Steve Anderson will teach the introduction to economics course first semester next year, the school has moved most of the intro classes to the second semester when Mrs. McVicar and will teach these classes. The biggest change will be made to the Advanced Placement Economics class. AP Economics is split up into two courses; first semester is microeconomics and second semester is macroeconomics. Each has a separate AP test, making it possible to take either macroeconomics or microeconomics instead of both. Some schools even teach them as stand-alone courses. Next year, AP Macroeconomics will be the only course offered in second semester.
When asked why there would be no AP Economics course for the first semester, Head of Upper School Mr. Latta Baucom said, “AP Economics is one of those types of content courses where it’s very difficult to find somebody who has the appropriate background and teaching experience in teaching that subject.” He added, “I just thought it was important to make sure that when we offer an AP level course we have someone that can teach it well. Since it was becoming apparent that that was difficult to do, rather than put someone in the course that didn’t have the experience or background to teach it well, it made more sense to not offer it at all.” For next year’s seniors who were planning to take a full year of AP Economics, this news is an unwelcome surprise for some. Junior Ivy Missen said, “I’m not happy about only macro being offered, but it’s also not the end of the world like most people are play-
ing it out to be. I’m glad I’ll get the best teaching possible with Mrs. McVicar for macro, even if it means I won’t get the micro credit out of the way for college.” Junior Morgan Burkett, who took AP Economics her sophomore year said, “I feel like that’s going to hurt the majority of the students because now they’re going to have to worry about their freshman year of college and getting in that micro credit unlike the kids that already got both the micro and macro credits completed.” Burkett talked about the usefulness of a substitute and said, “It really depends on the substitute. It could go either way. It could hurt some kids because the teaching could be different or it could be good for some kids because they’ll get that credit out of the way.” Mr. Baucom said, “It’s not something we wanted to do, but at the same time I didn’t want to put a teacher in there that couldn’t manage the job.” v
only or most important factor in making college admissions successful. She stated that the diversity of colleges applied to this year, which ranged from liberal arts colleges to large universities, added immensely to the quality of college admissions overall as well. According to many, the 19 college sports commits also enriched college admissions this year. “The college acceptances and commitments for the class of 2013 have been outstanding. As an athletic department we are so very proud and honored to have 19 members of the class of 2013 committed to participate in athletics in college. This is the largest group ever in the history of The Benjamin School, and is a great credit to the student-athletes, parents, class of 2013 and The Benjamin School,” Director of Athletics, Mr. Ryan Smith said. Many also say that the class of 2013 is simply a stellar grade, with stellar college admission numbers. “I think our grade is extremely motivated. We’re collectively a very mature grade in many ways, and this year’s results show that we have been diligent and responsible throughout high school,” senior Adrienne Propp said. “I believe we’re more focused on the important things going forward, and we’ve had a lot of great advice from previous grades as well.” Ms. Learner felt similarly saying, “On
the whole, this class had a high level of motivation in the college admissions process. We saw this in the variety of colleges to which they applied, the number of students who applied early decision, and the overall willingness of the class to seek the help and support they needed throughout the process.” However, many feel that it takes more than the effort of students to make college admissions successful year-after-year, and many attribute at least part of the success to the college counselors. “I had Mrs. Learner; she was extremely helpful throughout the entire process, and for me it was a very long process. She was willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to help me do the best that I could,” Propp said. Overall, the class of 2013, in regards to college admissions, some have claimed to be one of the best graduating classes. “We feel the year was a great success! The Class of 2013 received a total of 390 acceptances throughout this school year. The students were wonderfully supportive of one another during the entire journey,” Ms. Learner said. “Collectively they navigated the process with courage, compassion, integrity, and respect. Their approach to the process greatly reflects the values of The Benjamin School.” v
College admissions hit new high By Katie Walsh Staff Writer
College counselors and many students agree that this year’s college admissions are a staggering success given the quality and quantity of college acceptances. Counselors, Ms. Kristen Learner and Mr. Jeffrey Wong both listed this year’s number of early decision applicants as one of the factors that made the college admissions so successful this year. “We had about a quarter of the class apply through the early decision process. Of that group, we had a fairly high acceptance rate. I want to say we had 85% of those students accepted on early decision. So early decision, because it’s binding, shows that these are schools that students identified as top choices,” Mr. Wong said. Along with a large number of early decision applicants, Benjamin broke its own record for the number of Ivy League acceptances. Three were from Harvard, two from University of Pennsylvania and Cornell, and one each from Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown. Many students regard Ivy League schools as the best in the country. However, Ms. Learner made a point of saying that while Ivy League schools were indeed prestigious, they were not the
After an evaluation of this question and input from many teachers last winter, faculty will each be receiving a new desktop as well as an iPad. “I think this is going to be a great opportunity for teachers to really expand the kinds of things they can do. We’re encouraging teachers to experiment, play around with these iPads, and find out what you can do,” Mr. Baucom said. Along with all of the enthusiasm and excitement, also clearly comes some trade-offs. Mr. Baucom acknowledged that students and their families must evaluate the concessions before making a decision since, “Our IT Department can’t do tech support on every type of device a student might decide to bring.” He added that they will still “help in any way that they can.” Teachers have gotten used to students having certain types of laptops and knowing what those specific devices are capable of, so next year they will see an interesting adjustment with students carrying on array of devices each capable of a plethora of different things. Additionally, teachers will undergo a significant amount of training in preparation for their new devices, software, and the possible introduction of Google Drive and Google Docs. Acknowledging that the faculty will have a lot to learn and adjust to, Mr. Tepper said, “We’re going to phase it in for them…they’re going to be involved in the process.” Since technology is always changing, Mr. Baucom explained that the upgrades were necessary and this was the proper time for their implementation. “The school wants to be current and wants to be able to provide the best support for our students and faculty in regards to technology. That requires making upgrades on a constant basis, and the issue with providing more choice is a good thing,” he said. Mr. Tepper added, “This is the first year we’ve had the finances and technology has matured enough to do it. The demand from our faculty and our student has reached the level that we wanted to meet.” v
19 record-breaking sports commits
10 record-breaking ivy league acceptances
1/4 of the class applied early decision
85% of the early decisions were accepted
The Pharcyde
May 24, 2013 Page
News
A5
Scholar-Athlete Award honors Benjamin junior By Ashlyn Sendler and Caterina Breuer Staff Writers
Junior Riley Burke recently received the Scholar Athlete Award from the Columbia University Club of the Palm Beaches. The ceremony, held Sunday, May 19, at the Boca Raton Resort, marked the first year this award was given, and Burke was chosen as one of the two students from all of South Florida to achieve this award. Burke has played on the varsity basketball team and run varsity track since her freshman year. She is a two-time All State selection in basketball, who reached the 1,000-point mark as a sophomore. In track her junior year, Burke was the 400-meter regional champion, 200-meter runner up, and district champion in both races. She also medaled at the state track meet in both races – fifth in the 200 and sixth in the 400. Her sophomore
year, Burke was also district champion in the 800. In addition to her sports awards, she earned Ranking Scholar her freshman and sophomore years. She is also musically talented and has been playing the violin since kindergarten. Yet her talents extend even further than that. In her free time she often volunteers and organizes fundraisers such as Yogurt for Wishes, which helped kids with terminal illnesses through Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida. She is also a member of NHS, for which she serves as the Out of School Communities Service Coordinator. Burke’s parents, who also attended the event, are very proud of their daughter’s achievement. “I felt extremely humbled and honored to be chosen for this award. I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received from my parents, friends, teachers, and coaches over the years,” she said. v
Photo courtesy of Erica Sousa Mr. Bradford Pazant hosts the annual Martin Luther King memorial lunch.
Pazant leaves Benjamin By Andy Weir
Special Projects Editor Former Director of Multicultural Affairs, Mr. Bradford Pazant’s resignation last month has raised questions about the future of that position. In a letter to members of the school community dated April 14, Mr. Pazant, a member of the school’s administrative team, officially announced his resignation, effective immediately, citing personal reasons.
“We don’t just want to find a replacement; we want to grow the multicultural effort here at Benjamin. ”
MR. ROBERT GOLDBERG Head of School
JULIETTE MERCADANTE / Photo Editor
The Palm Beach Post hosts the 30th annual Pathfinder Awards.
Two students recognized at Pathfinders Awards By Katie Walsh Staff Writer
At this year’s annual Pathfinder Awards, The Palm Beach Post recognized two Benjamin students for their excellence in communications and vocal music. Senior Ben Germano, outgoing Pharcyde editor in chief, earned third place title in communications, and senior Isabelle Haddad received a fourth place title in vocal music. “It was initially very exciting to be nominated for the Pathfinder Award by the faculty at The Benjamin School. I am proud to be able to represent a school with such caring and dedicated teachers who have made each of our successes at Benjamin possible,” Haddad said. The awards ceremony took place on May 14th at the Kravis center in West Palm Beach, where 18 students from the local area were recognized for excellence in a specific category. Benjamin nominated students for 15 of those categories. The Pathfinder High School Scholarship Awards grant scholarships every year
to students who excel in specific areas. Pathfinder gave $207,000 this year in scholarships and has donated a total of $2.5 million dollars since its establishment in 1984. Each recipient receives a scholarship. First place winners receive scholarships of $4,000; second place winners receive $3,000; third place winners receive $2,500; and fourth place receives $2,000. The program awards students in such areas as forensics, community involvement, literature, and overall academic excellence. The criteria for winning a Pathfinder reaches beyond the traditional classroom setting, evaluating each student on a personal interview and a 20-page portfolio. Many consider the Pathfinder awards as one of the most prestigious awards available in the community and consider it an extreme honor to receive them. “I feel fortunate in that, as an editor of The Pharcyde, I’ve inherited something that puts people in a good position for the Pathfinder. Being able to place is a humbling experience, and I’m also just grateful that I was put in a position in which I could be successful.” Germano said. v
Mr. Pazant joined the school community as a middle school social studies teacher and was later named Director of Multicultural Affairs. In that role, he organized various school-sponsored diversity efforts and events. “Here was a guy who was very energetic about diversity, had good ideas, wanted to promote diversity, and, more or less, had done the job at a previous school in North Carolina,” Head of School, Mr. Bob Goldberg said. Before Mr. Pazant had even arrived at the school though, Mr. Maurice Dolberry had occupied the Director of Multicultural Affairs position. Mr. Dolberry laid the groundwork for the multicultural affairs initiative at Benjamin but then left the in school is 2008. “The school was interested in greater and greater success meaning some number of African American students or students of color being lead through our admission pipeline and that wasn’t happening,” Mr. Goldberg said. In the wake of his departure, the problem of what to do for the short term arose. Administrators have eagerly begun brainstorming various ways to continue that initiatives and events he organized. “We’re doing our best to evaluate the current situation and see what option will be best for the school and its
diversity. I’ve been keeping an eye out for possible candidates, but I can assure you that there will definitely be a replacement though,” Mr. Goldberg said. “Benjamin’s diversity efforts will definitely continue. We don’t just want to find a replacement; we want to grow the multicultural effort here at Benjamin…we’re actually working on a proposed plan that would, hopefully, better our diversity efforts,” Mr. Goldberg said. The proposed plan involves the creation of a centralized committee consisting of about six or more faculty and administrators from all three-school divisions that would meet on a regular basis to develop new ideas and events further promoting diversity.“Our goal is to have this group collaborate to organize and promote various events that would flood our admission pipeline with diversity,” Mr. Goldberg said. Although the school has not fully decided what individuals will be on this committee, Students Service personnel and various faculty of multicultural background are expected to be involved. Several members of the school community have already expressed interest in such a committee. Next year, the group will have no primary director instead delegating different members to varying responsibilities within the larger diversity effort. Explaining the rationale behind this decision, Mr. Goldberg explained, “Right now, we’re really restricted by the calendar; we basically need to have a final decision within the next couple weeks, but once we’ve made a preliminary decision, we now have more time to see what works and what doesn’t. It opens up so much more time.” While the plan is not finalized yet, it appears that there will be no single replacement for Mr. Pazant, as the school plans to form a committee in lieu of a sole replacement, while it tries to reinvigorate lagging multicultural efforts. “In the past couple years, we weren’t experiencing the success with diversity that we wanted. With this new approach, we’re hoping to really gain the success that we’ve wanted for a while,” Mr. Goldberg concluded. v
Page A6 May 24, 2013
The Pharcyde Jeers
Cheers
He Made It
Randell Doane is going to walk at graduation.
Retirements
Mrs. Arpa, Mrs. Wissner, and Dr. Speilberg will be missed.
Editorials
The opinion of The Pharcyde
Leaving Sacred Ground
The Pharcyde staff honors the seniors as they leave Benjamin as students for the last time. As students, we mark our lives by events that will no longer seem like turning points as we grow older. We have only had the chance to experience the world for 17 years and as much as we like to think of ourselves as independent and unsheltered, we are under strict rules and guidelines. However, these marking points are not without a purpose. One such marking point is the departure of eight seniors from The Pharcyde, two of which are our editors. Watching them create this paper and have the ability to argue for what they believe in has sparked a fire under the Pharcyde staffs’ feet. We want to accomplish things and get articles passed uncensored just like the editors have done before us. This is what makes our paper an award winner. However, we are not here to boast about the paper; we are here to bring attention to the fact that, as you read the final columns from the two Co-Editor-inChief, a common view is evident. They talk about Benjamin being their home, their lives for the past fourteen years, and, as Mr. Didsbury said in his Cum Laude speech a week ago, “their sacred ground.” Benjamin faculty and staff has created a family for us whether we just need to cry in Dr. Taylor’s office because we have not had enough sleep due to work overload, or we need to run to college counseling to tell
them we just got into your dream school.
“We will miss you and we wish you luck in college and beyond. As we say this, we have complete faith that you will succeed.” As the seniors leave us, they are not the only ones who feel as if they are leaving their family. The faculty also feel that they are sending their own children off into the world to fend for themselves. The one guarantee though is that we know that they can do it. They are prepared. They are ready to venture out of the “sacred grounds.” They may joke about having to go shopping because they have worn uniforms for so long, or that they no longer have to deal with the constant emails, but underneath it all, the seniors, and all students for that matter, will miss the feeling of security while they are on this campus.
Some of us have cried from the stress and pressure; we all have lost sleep; and we all have had to give up social events just to get schoolwork done. When the time is right, this will have all paid off. A prime example of this is the support and love for Randell. Benjamin was his home. He had to leave, and instead of worrying whether he would graduate, the teachers said, “What can we do to help? How can we get him to graduate on time?” Without the teachers, Mrs. Donaldson and Mrs. Twitchell, Randell may not have graduated but because we are on sacred ground, a student who has given everything to his education, who even offered to tutor students from home while recovering, will graduate today with the rest of the senior class. As the last issue of the year, we say goodbye to the senior class with heavy hearts. We say, “We will miss you and we wish you luck in college and beyond. As we say this, we have complete faith that you will succeed.” In the future, you will look back on your benchmark moments. You will narrow it down to a few. You will realize, Benjamin, your sacred ground, has brought you to be the well-rounded, successful individual that you have become.
Teachers Are Not Timely schedules and be more understanding that students have a lot on their agenda. When teachers give students many assignments to complete, they have a massive quantity of work to grade. According to The Pharcyde survey, 48.9 percent of 135 responded have waited longer than a month to get a graded assignment back. Students cannot learn from their mistakes when they get things back more than a month after the assignment
Jerrie James Copy Editor
Part of The Benjamin School’s purpose is to prepare their students for college; this preparation includes mastering time management and learning from one’s mistakes so students become independent learners. More often than not, students find themselves overwhelmed with the amount of work they have. Sometimes that feeling comes from lack of time management and poor planning. However, the students’ are not entirely at fault for this because some teachers disregard their test days and rush to get extra grades in by assigning unanticipated assignments on the cusp of exam week. According to a recent Pharcyde survey, 54.7 percent of 137 students who respondents said they often have multiple assignments in one week in a single course and barely any assignments the next. This reprieve is pleasant sometimes because the student gets a break from staying up all night doing homework and studying, but it would be even better if the teachers would coordinate assignment
48.9%
of 135 respondents have waited longer than a month to get a graded assignment back was completed. If the work were spaced equallybetween weeks, the teachers would have less to grade so they could turn back the assignments in a timely fashion. It is stressful and unhealthy for students to have an overabundance of work one week and minimal work the next. This imbalance causes the students to have to wait for teacher directions before they feel comfortable completing an assignment, which ultimately does not make them learn independently. If the teachers were to hand out syllabi at the beginning of every semester, students would be able
Editorial Board
Online at www.PharBlog.com
Founded in 1980 as The Spectator May 24, 2013 The Benjamin School 4875 Grandiflora Road Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418 Contact Info Phone: 561-472-3485 Fax: 561-691-8823 Advisor: Mr. Ken Didsbury kendall.didsbury@thebenjaminschool.org Editor-in-Chief: Casey Pearce casey.pearce14@thebenjaminschool.org Executive Editor: Ben Greenspan benjamin.greenspan15@thebenjaminschool.org
Lauren Bernick Outgoing Co-Editor-in- Chief Ben Germano Outgoing Co-Editor-in-Chief Emily Dunkel Outgoing Graphics Editor Sam Greenspan Outgoing Online Editor Dean Sandquist Outgoing Sports Editor Casey Pearce Editor-in-Chief Ben Greenspan Executive Editor Annelise Hillmann Graphics Editor Juliette Mercadante Photography Editor Jerrie James Copy Editor Paige Sode Online Editor Michael Mullery Sports Editor Andy Weir Special Projects Editor Ashlyn Sendler Geodes Editor
Advertisements Membership The Pharcyde is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association, American Scholastic Press Associa- The price of a full page ad is $200.00/issue. The Pharcyde is a student newspa- tion, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the The price of a half page ad is $120.00/issue. per produced to foster an open dia- National Scholastic Press Asscociation.
Mission Statement
logue about topics that relate to The Benjamin School. The issues that appear throughout our pages may be light-hearted or serious, but regardless we aim to reflect the diversity of opinion within our school that we value so deeply.
Staff Writers
Lexi Cass, Averill Healey, Rachel Smith, Riley Burke, Caterina Breuer, Niki Hendi, Bella Ross, Kathleen Walsh
Staff Artists
to plan over the weekend for the upcoming week and become independent learners. Some teachers do hand out a syllabus, which is helpful for students because even when they are absent, they are able to stay on task by doing the homework and knowing what was discussed in class. Apart from being absent, syllabi are helpful for students because they can anticipate large quantities of work and plan accordingly and ultimately avoiding collisions with other classes. When making their syllabi, teachers should coordinate group projects, tests, and long assignments with other teachers to insure that their students are able to complete the assignment on time and to the best of their ability. A main goal for The Benjamin School is to prepare students for college by teaching them to be independent learners. In order for the students to achieve this, they will need to be organized and self-motivated. As the end of the school year approaches students have final projects, essays, AP exams, and various assignments, which to do well on involve planning, but with the short notice on these assignments and the number of them, students find it hard to plan and keep their composure. Too much work all at once in overlapping deadlines is overwhelming, and students fail to learn the content and skills because they have to rush to finish the work. If faculty worked together to coordinate assignments, students would be more prepared for college.
William Conran Photographer, Liam Fine Photographer, Kelly Moran Illustrator, Nick Wettermann Photographer
General The Pharcyde, the Upper School newspaper of The Benjamin School, is published six times a year.
The price of a quarter page ad is $90.00/ issue. The price of a business card ad is $50.00/ issue.
The Pharcyde is distributed to every student and faculty member and is availalbe in the Upper School office. Each issue is mailed to every Upper School family’s home address.
If you or anyone you know would like to place an advertisement in The Pharcyde, please contact Jerrie James at jerrie.james14@thebenjaminschool.org.
The Pharcyde encourages submission of Letters to the Editor. Send your feedback, criticism, or outside opinions in 150 words or fewer to casey.pearce14@ thebenjaminschool.org. The Pharcyde reserves the right to edit all letters for length, grammar, and clarity.
The opinion articles in this paper are the opinion of the writer or the majority opinion of The Pharcyde Editorial Board. They are not the opinion of The Benjamin School or our advertisers.
The Pharcyde
May 24, 2013 Page
Opinions
A7
Forget the Resumé
v A senior’s advice to the underclassmen: Pursue your true passion throughout high school. Emily Dunkel Outgoing Graphics Editor Just over a month ago, The Wall Street Journal published a high school senior’s satire on the college admissions process. Denied from a number of her dream schools, Suzy Lee Weiss complained about how misleading the classic college admissions officer’s catchphrase of “Just be yourself!” is when it comes to being accepted. She complained that to be yourself is awful advice, when in the college admissions process, diversity and resumé padding win out. Weiss suggested that without “nine extracurriculars, six leadership positions, three varsity sports, killer SAT scores and two moms,” you might as well kiss college goodbye. Weiss, who presents herself as a cynic, does have a point. The most impressive resumés get pushed to the top, and in some cases, those resumés have been dramatically augmented with false information. In order to keep up, many high school students take on a million activities that they believe will “look good” to a college. I admit to being one of these students. Intimidated by the dismal acceptance rates of my then “dream” universities, I thought I had to undertake a plethora of activities that admissions committees would find impressive. Although I knew that it took more than just be-
ing myself to get into college, I also understood that resumé padding was not the answer. I took it upon myself to tweak the advice I had been given by college admissions officers. I wouldn’t just be myself, but rather, I would be the best possible version of myself. I capitalized on my interests and sought out opportunities that incorporated them. After taking Mr. McVicar’s AP Government course my sophomore year, I developed a strong interest in politics and current events. This past fall I applied for a fellowship at one of President Obama’s local campaign offices. Lucky enough to be accepted into the program, and I took advantage of the opportunity where I gained valuable experience in a field I hope to pursue in the future, with the added bonus of being able to add the position to my college resumé. While having an interest in politics may not apply to everyone, most high school students do involve themselves in some form of community service. For many, service acts as a major source of resumé padding. After going through the college process, I have learned that participating in a dozen different service activities is not at all impressive. Finding a cause to fully devote yourself to, however, is. Becoming passionate about one group or activity will make community service that much more enjoyable, while also strengthening any college resume. The advice I offer can easily be gleaned from any college counselor. However, as someone who just recently wrapped up the college process, I cannot stress just how important these suggestions are. You don’t need to be the perfect all-around student to be accepted to a college. You do, however, need to demonstrate a strong devotion to your passions,
whether they include journalism or the violin. As cliché as this may sound, the colleges that ultimately accept you will truly be the best fit. Aside from distinguished scores and grades, a school will select you on the basis of your resumé. That is why demonstrating your passions on your resumé, and also removing the fluff, are integral to ending up at the best place for you. As someone who dreamt of the Ivy League for all of the wrong reasons, I believe it is safe to say I can relate. For many years, I had hoped to attend a university with an atmosphere of academic prestige. These schools, however, had no specific programs that fit the passions I illustrated on my resumé. Despite a few rejections, I was lucky enough to be accepted to Duke, among other great schools. The admissions officers at Duke must have agreed that I would be a good fit, as my interests would help me flourish at their university. Their public policy and global health programs, both unparalleled, suit my interests perfectly, making Duke the best possible fit for me. Only by staying true to myself in building my resumé was this match made possible. Yes, I took advantage of certain opportunities to present the best version of myself, but I never acted on something without passion. I urge any student going through the college process to do the same. Do not let the thought of other students throughout the nation building absurdly long resumés intimidate you. The sincerity of demonstrating passion in a few areas truly does shine through. Such sincerity will allow the right college to admit you, paving the way for the most promising future possible.
Missing Out on an Important Life Skill
v Benjamin is not preparing students for life if they do not compensate for students with a job. Casey Pearce Editor-in-Chief
Benjamin, by definition, is a college preparatory school that readies students for their future; however, one important and beneficial life skill that many students do not experience is a job. Students complain about not being able to work while school is in session because school takes over their life. However, some think that a job would be a very rewarding and important experience that allows for personal development. As well as schoolwork and leisure, job experiences play an important role in personal development. Learning about one’s self in various situations is an imperative life skill. Interacting with and accommodating customers, managing precious time, earning money, and dealing with superiors are four unique benefits that a student can only learn through the experience of a job.
Customers
Customers are not always easy. They are paying for food or service, and they expect it done to their satisfaction. Sometimes no matter what a person does, the customer will not be satisfied. Students need to be familiar with this life skill in order to succeed in the work force. It is not always easy to please people, but students need to learn how to talk to them, fix problems, and do the best they can even if the customer is not fully satisfied. They learn that they can only try their hardest and that is enough.
Time Management
The second benefit is learning to manage time with another activity aside from school. As mentioned before, school is an overwhelming source of assignments and coursework. Students learn not to leave everything to Sunday night. Until students have experienced a couple of those three-in-the-morning nights, they do not understand what managing their time is. This is why it is a benefit to have a job in high school while teachers are a little more lenient. In college, professors will most likely not care as much. Some professors would rather give zeros for missing work then hear a sob story about not having enough time to complete homework.
Money Well Earned
Aside from managing work and school, nothing is better than the feeling of getting a first, well-deserved paycheck. Student are no longer having to rely on their parents buying them afterschool food, some clothes, or just fun things. When students were children, parents always said that buying something with one’s own money would make them appreciate it more. This statement is true. They own said object, not their parents!
Superiors
The last benefit of this experience is learning how to treat and talk to superiors. They are the ones watching and in charge of their underlings. Some superiors are very open and might become a friend but others just want to keep the relationship professional and do not care how students feel. People do not always get along with their superiors, but they need to treat them right or they are out of a job. This may not always be fair, but the workforce is structured with this hierarchy. Students must learn to treat superiors with respect. Whether a student comes from an affluent or low-in-
Graphic by Annelise Hillmann
come family, students need to learn the responsibility that it takes to have a job. Balancing academics, and personal responsibility is vital to college and beyond. Students attend college to find a career, not to study from a textbook, indefinitely. Benjamin needs to be more flexible when it comes to the massive quantity of work required of students, as well as other activities that the student chooses, such as participating in the play, or needs to do, such as earning a sports credit. The administration should establish an accommodation for those who feel that a job is a more valuable experience than a sports credit or a club. If the school accommodated students who had a job, then they would learn important life skills. Therefore, the question is, are we really being prepared for college and beyond if we are missing a job experience?
Have your voice heard.
Write a letter to the editor. Send your thoughts, in 150 words or fewer, to casey.pearce14@thebenjaminschool.org.
Page A8 May 24, 2013
Opinions
The Pharcyde
Final Columns
I Had a Feeling This Was Special
Outgoing Co-Editor-in-Chief Ben Germano discusses the Benjamin community. By Ben Germano
Georgetown University It seems only natural that I am inclined to end where I began. My first article for The Pharcyde was a column composed of embarrassingly stale writing that discussed the Benjamin community. It was flat, I think, because I was only writing about a feeling. As a sophomore, I thought the Benjamin community felt like something special. As a senior, I now know it. I know us to be a community that organized a bone marrow drive for an ailing student and ran out of supplies on the first day of testing, an instance that was only the first of many in which the school came together in that serious time of need. I know us to be a community where students work from the assumption of mutual friendliness with peers they have not yet met and a place where the terms “teacher” and “friend” have not proven mutually exclusive. I know us to be a community with talented artists who perform at intimate settings like Backdoor Café, and I know us to be a school of star athletes whose individual strength is surpassed only by that of the collective fan base’s support. I know us to be a community where learning is cool (enough) and where it occurs outside the classroom not only from the big shots of the Leadership Lecture Series but also the big hearts of the guys on the maintenance crew.
“The state of our union is strong, but it is not without room to grow stronger.” I know us to be all of these things and many more, and over my Pharcyde career I have used the phrase “the Benjamin community” probably too often because I see it as an all-encompassing stage, accounting for the unaccountable, quantifying the incalculable. I also know us to be, like any institution, imperfect. The state of our union is strong, but it is not without room to grow stronger. An important key to added strength is added speed. The wheels of progress seem to turn too slowly at Benjamin. This discourages creativity and demoralizes the passionate. Improving our current state must take priority over preserving it. The status quo can never be seen as acceptable, and the past cannot be used as a justification for an ineffective present. When those wheels move faster in the outside world than on our campus, we have an especially significant
Moya Photography
problem. It has been five years since a group of students proposed a GayStraight Alliance club, and it still has not been approved. I find this shameful. Initially, an approach based on poorly founded concerns prohibited its passage. Now, as student support continues, administrative apathy prevails. Though they should be the ones advocating for a group whose sole purpose is to promote tolerance on campus, administrators have instead taken a back seat. Benjamin has an obligation to be on the forefront of social progress, and it is time to recognize that having the word “acceptance”
plastered on pillars and staircases across the school is not enough. The four-year sports requirement also needs to be addressed, as it represents an unwarranted burden. Athletic exposure is a worthy goal, but it is one that is achieved in students’ underclassmen years. Two years is enough, and as time wears on, the requirement seems more like a debt to the athletic department than a tool for student development. It should be lifted for juniors and seniors without delay. The good news, as I said before, is that these are only assorted imperfections, places where we can grow stronger. I hope over my tenure The Pharcyde has existed as the record of all of the good and all of the areas where we need to be better. I hope The Pharcyde has fostered a dialogue productive to the school and reflective of its valuable diversity of opinion. I hope it has challenged the school to be better. I am certain no one else anywhere will look back on his or her time in high school more favorably than I will, and I can say this so categorically because I now understand the strength of the Benjamin community. Long live the community that makes this good school a great school. Long live the abundance of good people that fill its hallways and the abundance of good organizations that make up our larger institution. I hold one particularly close to heart: Long live The Pharcyde.
There’s Never a Right Time to Say Goodbye
Outgoing Co-Editor-in-Chief Lauren Bernick struggles to say goodbye to TBS, her home of 14 years. By Lauren Bernick University of Florida
It has been no secret around room 149 that I have been putting off writing my final column for weeks. In fact, I have happily embraced Mr. Didsbury’s accusations that I am lazy and have a serious case of senioritis. I have accepted his accusations not because I believe them to be true, but because they are much easier to justify than the truth: I do not know how to say goodbye to TBS. Even after writing countless college essays with absurdly restrictive character limits, I am not sure that I am talented enough to create a short column to encapsulate what Benjamin means to me. The thought of cramming all that I feel towards this school that has given me an educational and social foundation for 14 years is exhausting, but it’s worth a shot. Since my first day of pre-kindergarten, Benjamin has been my home. As my father attempted to put me down in Ms. Brozost’s classroom on my first day of school, I stubbornly gripped him, accidentally ripping most of the buttons off of his freshly pressed work shirt. I was not looking forward to my first day at TBS, let alone the next 14 years. Despite my histrionic entrance, a smiley sticker was placed onto my Benjamin polo and I took my first steps into the nurturing environment that is this school and my home. Although it may have come as an unforeseen turn of events for my fa-
“Benjamin is a unique place and I know I will never find a family or a home quite like it.“ ther, this childish tantrum would not be the last time I resisted TBS. Some might argue that my entire career as a high school student, particularly as a Pharcyde writer and editor, has been an effort to resist the ways of Benjamin. As a writer, I have resisted and challenged school policy, the behavior of the student body, and the school’s failure to accept a Gay-Straight Alliance into our community. Although I still stand by my opinions wholeheartedly, I suppose it is appropriate to reveal the truth that some may not recognize; I challenge this place because I love it. Benjamin has challenged me academically, athletically, and socially, so I feel that I am merely returning the favor. Within a home, there is a family, and like any family, we are not perfect. We are filled with imperfections. I have spent three years working to correct these imperfections and sharing with the community what our school
Moya Photography
needs to do to become better, so let me take these next 300 words to tell our school what it is doing right. As much as leaving for college is supposed to be a movie-esque emotional day where you watch your parents’ wave to you in your rear view mirror as you drive away, with all due respect, I know how to say goodbye to my parents. Leaving my Benjamin family, on the other hand, will be more of a challenge. I do not know how to say goodbye to the people who have built me into the person I am today. Or to the community that comes together when one student is suffering just as any family
would. Cards were made, emails were sent, and blood was given during the incredible fight of our fellow senior, Rand Doane. I do not know how to say goodbye to the coaches who have introduced me to the value of true dedication and commitment. I do not know how to say goodbye to the fans; the teachers who showed up to my games and the students who have sent me congratulatory texts after a girl’s lacrosse team victory, or The Pharcyde phans who gave me constructive criticism after each issue. I do not know how to say goodbye to the teachers who have imparted valuable life lessons on me and those who took the time to truly get to know me. Although I know how to say goodbye to my TBS gmail account, I will miss the emails with subjects that read, “I FOUND AN IPHONE 5 WITH A BLUE J.CREW CASE. COME CLAIM IT!” Those emails, that I seemed to receive daily, were a constant reminder of the character of most of the people who make up our student body. Benjamin is a unique place, and I know I will never find a family or a home quite like it. Although my dad did not drop me off on my last day of senior year as he did in pre-k, I experienced that same flurry of emotions that I endured my first day of Benjamin –fear, excitement, happiness, and sadness—as I drove away from the upper school, on May 3rd. All that being said, I guess it is not so bad that I do not know how to say goodbye, because with a family like this, I know I will not have to.
The Pharcyde
May 24, 2013 Page
Opinions
Senior Wills
A9
Benjamin’s graduating class of 2013 leaves behind their most loved and prized possessions, both physical and figurative, to their underclassmen friends and teachers.
I, Sally Frankel, leave the sideline bench on the lacrosse field to Nichole Cohen.
I, Samantha Kochman, leave my cherished spot in Mr. McVicar’s room to Harriotte.
sen, hristian ss C y ll e K I, yne y beach leave m anford and nS to Arde iller. I also M Ashley hley my s . leave A llection o c d n a headb
I, Adrienne Propp, leave the junior class 2400 points on the SAT.
We, Ana, Rachel, and Nataly, leave the position of Coach Hoe’s slave to Monica Anderson.
I, Ryan Jah name o n, leave the f “Ry” to Johnsto Riley n.
We, Claire and Isabelle, leave the chorus to Jac and Jess- may they lead with confidence and love for Dr. Nagy’s broken English.
ve Tiano, lea I, Brenna spirit and in m ja n e my B us dance bootylicio r the chee moves to . squad
I, Hannah Gross, leave our crazy pre-football game jam seshes to Morgan Burkett and Morgan Ditaranto (whether or not you actually cheer). MHM Lives On!
I, Lindsey Slavin, leave the Slavin legacy to the last Slavin, Blaire.
I, Jake M man IV, itchell Reitlea good so ve my crazy cce bench m r skillz and ob capt ainship to Danny Borislow.
We, the AP Euro seniors, leave our disruptive nature and general disregard to the AP Euro sophomores, to be claimed when they become seniors.
the is, leave v a D n I, Kriste ominent and r inmost p d capta e t c e p s well- re n in the Benja itio ing pos munity to the m min Co capable hands an . more th h Denenberg a n of Han
I, Lauren Bernic k, leave the position o f Editorin-Chief of The Pharcyde in the more th an capable hands of C asey Pearce, a pack age of cups signed b y Don Cheadle to Be njamin Greenspan, a m egaphone to And y Weir, feature writing to Paige Sode, and an in finite amount of flash drives and patience to Mr. Didsbury.
I, Stephanie Selz, leave my heart to Dylan Peters.
s, leave I, Alex Schepp e Flat the legacy of th Back 4 and my uch to golden first to Kyle Ruedisili.
e leave th , e n o a ll I, DJ P Baseba in m a j n Be ey to r 26 jers e b m u n Sparks. Baylen
h, Rudolp s r e t n u I, H ike Jersey M r y m e v lea Mille Ashley oom card to hr ym bat g e h t o and d stall t e p p a ic hand Clancy. Patrick I, Philip Benz, leave my chicken costume to Cam Thompson.
chter, I, Sammi Schle of leave the stress the dance team to ”... “rising leaders r and Ashlyn Sendle n, I wish Brittany Searso . you much luck
I, Michael Fishman, leave my hatred of 80’s music and love of Melanesians to Eric Rosen.
I, Sam Greenspan, leave pestering Mr. Anderson about the Red Sox to Mr. McVicar.
I, Jasm i leave ne Adams, my ab ility to neve anyw r show up he Ange re on time lica Ba t wait, s fitis... o Oh he alr eady d o es that.
I, Ben Germano, leave the dungeon, the cottage, Mr. Dids, and The Pharcyde to the very capable team of Casey Pearce and Ben Greenspan.
I, Rachel Baucom, leave e my father to th rest of the school.
I, Dean Sandquist, leave the Iron Throne to Lady Ellie Jamison.
ing y box o m e ls t eav ine, l hting skil F m I, Lia s and fig n case a i a glove Martino s him to Doc hallenge ition of pos nt c stude leave the of JSA to r .I fight me Leade nd I leave e r . n A iliSup nspa ening ab e e r Ben G sk straigh cVicar. e my d s to Mrs. M tie
Page A10 The Pharcyde
May 24, 2013
Mapping Out
After months of college counseling, applications, and excit And we have it
61
Different universities and colleges where students were accepted
Pu Ca
University of Wisconsin, Madison William Conran Jacob Reitman University of Colorado at Boulder Sally Frankel Karley Myers Universtiy of Oregon Hannah Gross *
Washington University in St. Louis Benjamin Horowitz Savannah Johnson Natasha Zachariades
Ohio Unive Jake William
Columbia College Chic Daniel Keating
154
Different universities that received student applications
19
Students playing a sport at the collegiate level University of Mississippi Kelly Christiansen
24
Tulane University Rachel Smith
University Colby Brad Kendall He Luke Pingle Morgan Pr Sam Riteno
Auburn U Cooper H
Different states where students will be attending college
“
Student Sound-Off Randell Doane
To every senior: Thank you so much for Prom and the incredible memories that I'll always have, thanks to the combined spirit of goodness, compassion and courage of the class of 2013! You guys are UPLIFTING and AMAZING!
”
“ Samantha Kochman
Page A11 The Pharcyde
t The Future
May 24, 2013
tement, seniors have officially made their college decision. all mapped out. St. Mary’s College Claire Kearns
urdue University arolyn Quigley
Kenyon College Robert J. Jacobs
Cornell University Randell Doane Barrett Smith
Manhattan College Ryan Rengasawmy
ersity ms
Villanova University Kelly Moran
cago
University of Pennsylvania Jasmine Adams Samantha Kochman
Pace University at NYC Julia Adle
University of New Hampshire Megan Savoie
Union College Brian Dolan Amherst College Liam Fine
Denison University Philip Benz
Boston University Saani Syed Boston College Peyton Cole Connor Tobin *
Yale University Anthony Mercadante
Elon University Matthew Harris Dominic Paone Sammi Schlechter
Wake Forest University Alexandra Cass Lindsey Slavin Clancy Waugh Austin Rosenthal University of Georgia Kristen Davis Rachel Harris * Evander Biondi-Copeland
University Hopkins
University of Florida Lauren Bernick Matthew Bicknell Alexander Dwork Ana Garcia Noah Presser * Jeffrey Rossin Dean Sandquist Alexander Schepps Stephanie Selz Brenna Tiano Jamie Wilkinson Florida Gulf Coast University Emma Brooks Connor Mays Sydney Sprechman
I'm excited to go to Penn to begin a new chapter of my life in which I can explore a countless number of areas both academically and extracurricularly. I know whatever it may be, Penn will lead me down the right path.
”
“ Ben Horowitz
Bentley University Mitchell Powell Rutgers University Charlie Nicklaus
University of Richmond Samuel Greenspan
University of Delaware Benjamin Bovi
Florida State University Rachel Baucom Tanner Cline Timothy Corrigan Taylor Farriss Chandler Ford Jamie Hagar * Nicholas Hull Andrew Paez Michael Peters Katie Wallshein Gray Welton Taryn Wind
Tufts University Colby Kempe
Harvard College Adrienne Propp Averill Healey Max Seiss
Marietta College Michael Wilson
y of Alabama dford * erman eton ice our
“
New York University Dane Mauger Virginia Tadini
Drexel University Thomas Rudowsky
Georgetown University Benjamin Germano Stephane Safar The George Washington University Shelbi Smolak Duke University Nataly Lambert Emily Dunkel
Sweet Briar College Marie Cabral
UNC Chapel Hill Isabelle Haddad
University of South Carolina Bianca Parente Georgia Southern University Kelly Marshall
University of Maryland, College Park Joshua Leibowitz American University Isabella Katzenberg The Catholic University of America Ross Sanford
Catawba College Kali Chaplin Wofford College Kody Ruedisili
College of Charleston Dominic Pileggi Hunter Rudolph Jacksonville University Ryan Jahn
Flagler College Mason Meany
Palm Beach State College Brandon Johnson
Florida Institute of Technology Robert Borrego
Rollins College Alexandra Bourlas University of Miami Emma Cecchini Michael Fishman Brian Shirzad Florida International University Brandon Davis Jonathon Pavlov
* indicates enrollment in an Honors College
“
I’m excited for the freedom of college and the opportunity to reinvent myself.
”
Graphic by Annelise Hillmann
Adrienne Propp
I’m incredibly grateful that I’ll get to spend the next four years at my dream school, and I get so excited whenever I think about the opportunities and challenges that await us. I can’t wait to see what great things our grade accomplishes!
”
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May 24, 2013
The Pharcyde
If the school did lunch right, what would it look like?
v Students sound-off about changes they think are necessary in the weekly lunch meal rotation. By Caterina Breur Staff Writer
Walking beside the bell tower at the start of lunch, one will either see a massive crowd battling for a popular lunch, or a ghost town with no one within twenty feet. The countless lunches spread out across the tables and the smiling Benjamin community members patiently waiting for a customer, raise questions about why nobody is buying lunch on certain days. Many students have been complaining about the lack of variety of lunch items. Most of the complaints are about the quantity of grease and number of calories that the lunch items contain. “I would change Carmine’s on Monday. I really don’t like the food Carmine’s serves. I hear people talking about how they don’t have time to pack their lunches in the morning, especially on Mondays, and they just don’t eat lunch because they hate the food so much. They either steal other people’s food or just starve,” freshman Shay Pradetto said. “If the school isn’t seeing a lot of sales on one particular day, they should consider changing it.” Though the items come from five different restaurants, senior Sally Frankel thinks the lunch menu should be changed because of the lack of variety. “I think that having C.R. Chicks at the school would be a huge success. Everyone loves their smoky pasta. We had it in middle school, and it was great. Also, I think we need to add more healthy options like salads or fruit,” she said. Another popular alternative among students is Chipotle, according to freshman Lyndsey Peckham. She thinks that the restaurant would be an appropriate choice because the structure of the restaurant
Artwork by Annelise Hillmann
resembles a cafeteria. People could choose what they wanted on their taco or burrito, and the price would be set to a certain price. The desire for alternatives are especially necessary for students who are vegan or vegetarian.
Junior Samantha Weiss said, “If I could choose a restaurant that would come to the school, it would be Field of Greens or Nature’s Way. As a vegan, I never have options for lunch. I feel like a lot of kids here are into fitness and losing weight. I feel like they have good, tasty options that would be beneficial for everyone.” Junior Eric Rosen explained what he would do if he were in charge of lunches, “I’d try to give more options to the vegetarians. My sister was a vegetarian, and she thought the options were terrible. You can’t really eat anything all of the days.” Rosen echoed Pradetto’s feelings when he said, “The meatball sandwiches felt like the meatballs were taken out of the freezer and they killed the cow a couple days before. The salads were dreadful. I would get the salads just because it was the lesser of two evils. The turkey sandwiches are also terrible. The turkey sandwiches were not turkey. I don’t even know what that was, but I can guarantee that was not turkey. It’s so cold compared to the ones they sell at Publix. Why is it so cold, Publix?” To the students’ dismay, Dr. Peruggia, one the lead advisors for the Class of 2014, claims little can be done to change the menu items. “Lunch sales are supposed to be fundraisers for clubs. I think ten years ago five dollars was fine, but now it’s tough. Right now, Prom costs students $50 a ticket. We spent over $100 a person. Our lunch sales need to subsidize over $50 a person. On a pizza roll we make less than $1.00, so, it’s tough,” Dr. Peruggia said. “We need to sell a product that will sell, but also makes us money. It’s impossible to find the perfect product that will make everybody happy while making money.” v
Benjamin’s Renaissance man: Junior Eric Rosen does it all v If you need help programming a computer or getting married, Rosen is the man for you. By Ashlyn Sendler Geodes Editor
Whether it is making a computer APP, preparing to marry couples, performing with the drum line, or being a world-language superstar, junior Eric Rosen is always busy. Despite the stresses of junior year, including a rigorous academic schedule, Rosen still manages to find time to partake in many interesting hobbies. In addition to being known on campus as the “boy with the wheelie backpack,” he also is known for being the school’s computer whiz. His love for computers started in his 7th grade computer design elective. “I was really interested in acting in middle school. So I originally signed up for drama, but they were full because I turned the papers in late so the only open class left was web design. I didn’t really care about computers then, but I was forced to take it. During that class, I fell in love with computers, and the next year I taught myself how to program, and I’ve been doing it since,” Rosen said. Since then, he has taken every computer course at school and even a few online sophomore-year college courses. Because he has taken all the courses offered at the school, the administration made a new class for him this year called Advanced Topics in Computers where he chooses to work on any topic he is interested in. Next year, he will be taking Advanced Research and doing an in-depth study on one computer topic. Not only has he put hard work into his school computer courses, but last year he also took the time to make his own scheduling APP. “The APP I was making last year is on the back burner, but it’s still in the works. It takes a lot of time to do and with school work it is hard to do it,” Rosen said. Rosen has also developed a passion for world language. He had taken Spanish since 5th grade, but once he entered high school he took his older sister’s advice and decided to give Chinese a try. “Ever since then, I’ve loved Chinese. The culture
is great; the grammar is different, and the characters are fun to write. When laoshi told us there were competitions for Chinese, I instantly wanted to go because I thought it would be a cool experience. I decided to join the after school club because I wanted to continue learning as much Chinese as I could so I could become fluent. I want to study abroad in China for a year in college so it’s important that I learn Chinese,” Rosen said. He will be taking AP Chinese next year, however, that is not the only language Rosen has taken interest in. He has also taught himself Braille in his free time for fun. “No one with vision really knows Braille, and it always seemed interesting, so for the past year I’ve learned and become fluent in Braille,” he said. In addition to excelling academically in computers and world language, Rosen also became a part of the school’s drum-line at the end of last year, “I always felt like I had an awkward half hour/hour between the end of school and before sports started at 3:30. I felt like I wasted my time not doing anything, and I wanted to do something productive. I heard that drum-line was looking for people and that practices were during that time. I had never done anything with drums and I thought it would be fun to learn a new instrument, so I joined,” Rosen said. Outside of school, Rosen has also taken up many different hobbies in his free time. Besides being an absolute Netflix junkie, he also started juggling. He claims it is one of his favorite things to do and spends hours doing it just to relax when life gets too stressful. Also, he enjoys playing the “extremely underrated instrument” the harmonica, and has taught himself how to play many songs. However, despite all of his other fascinating hobbies, everyone says his most interesting hobby is being an ordained minister. He became a practicing minister through a website that Ms. Misselhorn gave him last semester. She had told him about a friend of hers who became a minister to marry people so he tried it for himself. He went on the web-
JULIETTE MERCADANTE / Photo Editor
Even though Rosen is Jewish, he is an ordained minister. He also finds time to take Advanced Topics Computers and play snare in the drumline.
site, filled out the required information and became registered as a minister by the State of Florida. He has yet to marry anyone but wants everyone to know, “I’d love to marry anyone interested. They can email me at eric.rosen14@thebenjaminschool. org. I’ll be nice and give a student discount of 100%.” v
The Pharcyde
May 24, 2013 Page
School Life
A13
Students and teachers interact outside of school
v Some students try to toe the line between awkward and enjoyable when seeing teachers out of school. By Annelise Hillmann Graphics Editor
Jay Smith* was buying some Cheetos at Walmart, when he turned to his left and froze. His math teacher stood only a few feet away with an armful of toilet paper. Smith only had two options: face the awkwardness of the situation or sprint away as quickly as possible. He chose the latter. For many students like Smith, stumbling across a teacher outside of school may be the most jolting experience of the academic year. “Students have this idea that teachers hatched out of an egg at 29 years old, live in their classrooms, and you never see them anywhere else,” English Department Chair Mr. Perry Feyk. Though a student’s view of a teacher as an antisocial recluse is obviously flawed, the way students view teachers in their lives seems to affect the nature of their interaction beyond the classroom. The questions that arise are; in what light do students view teachers? Are they best friends or respected elders? “It all depends on your relationship with the teacher. If it’s a teacher you like, then seeing them is fine,” freshman Chris Chapin said. “But sometimes, it can be really really awkward.” Junior Frannie Rooney can relate to Chapin’s observation. “I was at the mall with my mom and sister. And Mr. Harper darts out of nowhere. I honestly didn’t see him. He darted by me with his wife and I looked up. I was like ‘Hey,’ and he was like ‘Hi, Frannie.’ And we just both completely walked away from each other, didn’t say anything,” she said. Rooney explained her awkwardness stating, “Whenever I see a teacher outside of school, it’s a big deal. It’s weird because it never happens. They are people; they do go to Barnes and Noble and the mall. But, it’s just shocking. You don’t
Photo courtesy of Liam Fine
Seniors Liam Fine, Evander Copeland, and Anthony Mercadante ran into Head of School Mr. Bob Goldberg on his bike during a recent trip to the beach.
realize it, but they do go out; they’re not vampires.” Although, to some, teachers may seem as members of the undead, interactions are also awkward from the instructors’ point of view. English instructor Dr. Peruggia knows the feeling. “I tend to see students at the movie theater a lot. And they tend to want to talk to me, which is awkward,” he said. “Sometimes they don’t know how to behave. They don’t treat you like a person when they see you outside of school. They view you as some sort of Rock God, which is embarrassing to some people. I don’t mind it when I see them, as long as they act like humans.” Unanticipated meetings may be most embarrassing when the teacher deliberately
tries to pester the student, as Dr. Peruggia frequently does. “The funniest experience was when Mr. Hamilton, and Ms. Misselhorn and I were at a Heat game,” he said. “We spotted two juniors on a date and we kind of embarrassed them. I texted him that we were watching them, and the whole date he kept looking around for us.” On the flipside, when the teacher is not embarrassing the student, sometimes students are embarrassing themselves, said Mr. Feyk. As a result, teachers’ perceptions of students can change if they are seen acting inappropriately. “A number of years ago, I was at a concert at Coral Sky and there were some students there; they were drinking,” Mr. Feyk said.
“I’ll be honest, it was awkward. It becomes awkward too because you get caught on that knife’s edge of ‘well, they’re Benjamin students doing things they’re not supposed to, but they’re not at Benjamin’ and ‘these are my students, but is this my business?’” Impropriety, it seems, is a two-way street, says Chapin. “Back in second grade, my teacher was friends with my neighbor so she would be at my neighbor’s house at two in the morning, partying,” he said. Morally gray areas in personal lives can lead to serious problems for teachers and students, but Mr. Feyk sees a more positive aspect of student-teacher interaction. “One of the reasons that the school encourages teachers to get into
co-curricular activities is that, the better I know my students beyond a face in the classroom and the better my students know me as more than the guy that teaches them English, the more we all learn,” he said. Unlike other students, junior Jenna Gardner does not find her relationship with teachers awkward because she lives with one every day, her father and science teacher Mr. Eric Gardner. “It wasn’t weird having him in the classroom because I feel like I learned easily with him. None of my friends had my dad as a teacher until this year, so I feel like they knew him as my dad before their teacher. But, sometimes they do talk about class and I think it’s kind of funny, not awkward at all,” she said. Commenting on her father’s work and home persona, Gardner said, “He’s just as weird at home as he is in school. I think my dad just understands more fully the life of a high schooler because he works with them every day.”To gain a further understanding of students apart from the familiar classroom setting, students and teachers can work towards a common goal as equals through clubs and community projects. “I feel like we don’t hang out with our teachers as much as we should, as weird as that sounds,” said Rooney. As the vice president for the club Benjamin for Women, Rooney feels that she has a closer connection with the club’s proctor, Dr. Peruggia. Supporting extracurricular interaction, Mr. Feyk, an advocate for Habitat for Humanity, said, “A couple times a year, we will be working on the job site with students building houses. And it’s just really nice seeing students in a context that they’re not at a desk. That’s really valuable because I see another side of them, and they see another side of me.” v *Asterisks indicate a name has been changed.
The summer blockbusters that you need to see Six friends are trapped in a house in Los Angeles as a series of strange apocalyptic events occur. “This Is The End” follows their tale as cabin fever sets in and threatens to tear the friends apart.
Superman flies back to the big screen in this new summer release starring Henry Cavill. “Man of Steel” starts on the planet Krypton where Superman is born and continues until his first battle against evil on earth.
Graphic by Annelise Hillmann
Gerry Lane, a UN employee, must travel the world to stop the worsening zombie pandemic that threatens the existence of the human race. Starring Brad Pitt and James Badge Dale, “World War Z” will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Page A14 May 24, 2013
School Life
The Pharcyde
Students leaving Florida for college, heading up north By Rachel Smith Staff Writer
When the temperature drops below 60 degrees, Benjamin students bundle up in several layers for school: leggings or sweatpants, a sweatshirt, boots, and even a blanket or Snuggie are a common sight. But, surprisingly, almost half of graduating senior will brace the cold and head to college north of South Carolina or Texas.
“I’m really excited to have the mountains right near me and to be able to go skiing and hiking every weekend.” SALLY FRANKEL senior
As this year’s seniors prepare to embark on their journey to college, many will ultimately go up north. Despite the weather and the fact that many students have never lived outside of Florida, each senior has his or her own reasons for deciding to make the change. Senior Sally Frankel, who is attending University of Colorado at Boulder next year, said that she is not too worried because she grew up going to Colorado several times each year. Admitting there will be adjustments Frankel said, “Maybe I’ll get a little sick of it; I’ll definitely miss the beach.” According to her, the extra things she will be able to do next year outweigh the few things that worry her.
“I’m really excited to have the mountains right near me and to be able to go skiing and hiking every weekend,” Frankel said. She is also enjoying the preparation before she leaves for school because it gives her reason to buy new items and clothes. “I just got a new ‘schnazy’ pair of K2 skis while I was in Colorado last week and obviously I’m going to have to buy a lot more sweaters, boots, and coats,” Frankel said. Overall, Frankel is looking forward to the change in climate and atmosphere next year and explained that since Boulder has a very active town, she also hopes to stay active. Senior Ben Bovi, who has also lived in Florida his entire life, is attending University of Delaware and will definitely have a big climate change. “I actually like it more up North,” Bovi said.
“If it gets below 20 degrees, I know I’ll be that kid who sprints from one closest building door to the next.”
Artwork by Annelise Hillmann
BEN HOROWITZ senior
His preference for the North stemmed from his excitement about the ability to participate in “cold weather stuff,” as he put it. By contrast, senior Ben Horowitz who will be attending Washington University in St. Louis has worries about the change to a colder environment. Horowitz expects walking to each
class to be the biggest adjustment. “If it gets below 20 degrees, I know I’ll be that kid who sprints from one closest building door to the next,” he said. Like Frankel, Horowitz will miss being able to go to the beach whenever he wants to. He said, “I took that for granted.” Taking advantage of the opportunities this new climate provides, Horowitz hopes to make time to trav-
el to the Ozarks to snowboard and is excited by the prospects of enjoying the snow. He can easily count back to three years ago, the last time he made a snowman; as well as the last time he had a snowball fight, which was ten years ago. Thinking further about the new climate Horowitz added, “I hear autumn leaves are a pretty sight to see.” v
Senior banquet award recipients Daughters of the Revolution Good Citizens Award Shelbi Smolak
President’s education award Emily Dunkel, Liam Fine, Benjamin Germano, Savannah Johnson, Samantha Kochman, Noah Presser, Adrienne Propp, Carolyn Quigley, Austin Rosenthal, Jeffrey Rossin, Max Seiss, Natasha Zachariades
cindy hughes Scholarship Julia Adle
Walter A. Wright Award Brenna Tiano
Science department awards Connor Tobin (AP Biology), Jeff Rossin (AP Chemistry), Max Seiss (AP Physics), Adrienne Propp (Senior Outstanding Scholar, Dr. Robert F. Busse Award, Pathfinder Nominee)
Performing Arts Department Awards
Emma Brooks(Dance), Noah Presser( Drama, Pathfinder Nominee for Drama), Max Seiss(Instrumental Music), Isabelle Haddad(Vocal Music, Pathfinder Nominee for Music/Vocal), Julia Adle(Video Productions),Jordi Zindel(Pathfinder Nominee for Music/Instrumental), Eleanor Schlechter(Vanessa Anderson Memorial Scholarship)
Helen Shick Award Randell Doane
American Scholastic Press Association Award Randell Doane
Ranking Scholar Award Adrienne Propp, Max Seiss
Faculty Academic Achievement Award Max Seiss
Nation Merit Scholar Semi-Finalist Michael Fishman, Max Seiss
Social Studies Awards
Jeffrey Rossin (AP Economics), Max Seiss (Senior Outstanding Scholar), Liam Fine (Richard F. Ridgway Award, Pathfinder Nominee
World Language Awards Carolyn Quigley (AP Spanish Language, Pathfinder Nominee, Conferencia Participant) Adrienne Propp(AP French Language, Congres Participant, Senior Outstanding Scholar), Stephanie Selz(Mandarin Chinese IV), Matthew Bicknell(Conversational Spanish), Savannah Johnson(Congres Participant), Shelbi Smolak(Congres Participant), Isabelle Haddad(Conferencia Participant)
Mathematics Awards Jeffrey Rossin(AP Calculus AB), Max Seiss(AP Calcuus BC),Adrienne Propp(AP Statistics, Multivariable Calculus, Senior Outstanding Scholar), Randell Doane(Pathfinder Nominee)
National Merit Scholar $2500 winner Adrienne Propp
The Pharcyde
School Life
May 24, 2013 Page
A15
Students with learning difficulties find challenges at TBS By Ben Greenspan Executive Editor
The time allotted for taking the test is quickly ticking away, yet freshman Shay Pradetto is not even close to finishing her exam. With extra time, she is only barely able to complete the test. She studied for the test, and she is not dull.
“If I’m not on my medication, I also do crazy things like take crazy snapchats or make an Instagram for my dog.” KALLIE ATTERBURY junior
She just has ADHD. Many students at Benjamin, like millions across the country, are afflicted with the neurological conditions dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, or ADHD, and have a variety of learning issues and social problems that result because of it. According to MedicineNet. com , dyslexia is a disorder that is caused by “an impairment in the brain’s ability to translate images received from the eyes or ears into understandable language.” People with dyslexia can have trouble reading, writing, spelling, or speaking. Sophomore Spencer Schar was diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade. “I was a slow reader and I slurred my words a lot. I couldn’t get my thoughts out clearly. It’s basically verbal dyslexia, if you will. I know what I want to say, but it’s difficult to put it into words,” he said. “I sometimes have difficulty giving oral reports in class because I pause a lot.” Schar offered a way for people to understand dyslexia. “I also have visual problems. So, a regular person will read something and it’ll go straight to their brain and they will im-
mediately process it. Someone with dyslexia will read something and it will have to take a long maze before they can process it,” he said. Sophomore Gretchen Sousa, like Schar, was diagnosed with dyslexia in the third grade. “I couldn’t read as well as other kids, and I just assumed I was behind in school. I thought I wasn’t trying hard enough, even though I was working harder than most kids. I guess, in a way, I thought I was stupid,” she said. Although Director of Student Activities Dr. Amy Taylor said that she believes that the school does all they can do for students affected with ADHD and dyslexia, Schar disagrees. “At my old school, there was a learning specialist that you would go to for your study hall, and you would do skills, and she would teach you new ways to study and cope with your conditions,” he said. “If they had someone like that here, it would be helpful. The learning specialist at my old school was surprised that, since Benjamin has a lot of kids with learning disabilities, that they don’t have a learning specialist.” A common attribute found in undiagnosed dyslexic children is self-deprecation. “Unfortunately, not understanding what’s going on can cause poor self-image,” Dr. Taylor said. “If you understand that it’s something that is not in your control and it’s workable, it makes it manageable for many kids, even in terms of how they see themselves.” Low self-esteem is also seen regularly in children with ADHD (commonly referred to as ADD/ADHD, although ADHD is the medically accepted acronym.) ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders seen in children, although no real cause has been discovered and people who are affected by it “have trouble paying at-
JULIETTE MERCADANTE / Photo Editor
Students afflicted with the neurological conditions ADHD or dyslexia oftentimes have difficulty paying attention or quickly grasping material in class.
tention, controlling impulsive behaviors, or are overly active,” according to the Center for Disease Control. Junior Kallie Atterbury was recently diagnosed with ADHD. “Most people always joke around about having ADHD and they’re not being serious, but when my course load got more stressful, I had a harder time focusing on my work,” Atterbury, who also has difficulty with hyperactivity, said. “If I’m not on my medication, I do crazy things like take crazy Snapchats or make an Instagram for my dog.” “It’s really difficult to focus and it’s really frustrating. I always take the extra time to the last minute because it just takes a while to process everything,” Pradetto said. Mr. Noel Neu LMHC, a licensed psychotherapist, has treated many adolescents with ADHD. “What happens with teenagers with ADHD is that their self-esteem really starts to take a hit. They have a hard time focusing on schoolwork or friends. If they’re not focusing on one thing, it’s dif-
ficult for them to do well in that area, be it social life or academics,” he said. “So either the kids start to overcompensate in those areas or they withdraw completely.”
“The over-diagnosis of kids who may seem hyperactive is not only harmful to those kids, but also to other kids who aren’t diagnosed because they are only inattentive, but still might have ADHD.” MR. NOEL NEU, LMHC
licensed psychotherapist
Since ADHD first came be a well-known condition in the 80’s, wrongful and excessive diagnoses has become a serious problem. “The moral consciousness of the psychological community realizes that over-diagnosis was and is a problem,” Mr. Neu said. “The over-diagnosis of kids who may seem hyperactive
is not only harmful to those kids, but also to other kids who aren’t diagnosed because they only are inattentive, but still might have ADHD. Those kids can sometimes be overlooked.” With the diagnosis of ADHD comes many options. Some parents, like Atterbury’s, choose to medicate their children, while others, like Pradetto’s, do not because of the possible risks. “I absolutely understand why some parents chose not to medicate their children. You’re using stimulant medication on young children with ADHD, and the long term research on those drugs isn’t definitive on whether or not the medication can cause later drug addictions or screw up a kid’s brain,” Dr. Taylor said. Many students are affected by bullying because of their diagnoses. “When people first started to find out about my dyslexia, they’d come up to me and say, ‘Oh, so you’re stupid,’” Sousa said. “At first it affected me, but then I realized, you’re stupid for thinking I’m stupid.” v
Benjamin Pathfinder nominees struck by level of competition v Two seniors place in local awards; classmates acknowledge achievements of fellow nominees. By Juliette Mercadante Photo Editor
Benjamin senior Pathfinder nominees were overwhelmed by the competition on May 14, 2013, as the best and brightest of Palm Beach County accepted awards for their outstanding accomplishments.
“I definitely expected them to be smart. It was the amount of extra things that they did that surprised me.” MAX SEISS
senior
“Captain of the soccer and lacrosse team, 4.0 GPA, over 200 community service hours, around ten AP classes, and top of her class out of a
few hundred kids describes the girl who won first place at the Pathfinder Awards for sports,” senior Pathfinder Nominee Kody Ruedisili said. Every year, The Palm Beach Post hosts an award ceremony that recognizes and rewards the seniors throughout the county who are outstanding as a whole. The local newspaper chose eighteen students in the area as best in their respective subjects, which include every aspect of a high school curriculum, ranging from music and the arts to science and mathematics. The ambition of each student at the Pathfinder Awards proved to be tough competition for the graduating class of 2013.
One of the contenders, the Pathfinder academic excellence nominee and valedictorian of the senior class, Max Seiss commented on his competition in this year’s Pathfinder awards. “Superhuman—unreal,” he said. “Every winner was incredibly impressive, especially the winner of my category and the guy who won the science award and had taken twentytwo AP’s.” Agreeing with Seiss, Ruedisili said, “The academic excellence winner was announced, and I was shocked. He’s an Olympic caliber volleyball player and the most well rounded student I’ve ever heard of. He also got perfect scores on the SAT and five SAT II’s and has a crazy
amount of community service. His achievements went on and on.”
“I’m convinced these people aren’t human.” LIAM FINE
senior
While Seiss and Ruedisili were shocked by the achievements of the academic excellence winner and the science winner, History and Political Science nominee, Liam Fine expected such greatness, saying, “I’m convinced these people aren’t human, but since a young age, I have always been taught that no matter how good I am, there is always someone better.”
After attending the Pathfinder Awards ceremony and discovering the amount of talent in the Palm Beach area, Fine said, “While that was motivation for me to always be my very best, it is events like Pathfinders that serve as a humbling experience. I was honored just to be in the company of so many incredibly gifted students.” Not only did these winners exhibit extraordinary talent in their respective fields, but also seemed to be true Renaissance men and women. “I definitely expected them to be smart. It was the amount of extra things that they did that impressed me,” Seiss concluded. “I expected greatness, and I heard and witnessed pure excellence far beyond average.” v
Page A16 May 24, 2013
Life in motion: Vine video app grows in popularity By Lexi Cass Staff Writer
If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a 10 second video worth? Leave it to the social media app, Vine, to answer that question. Unlike the infamous Instagram app, Vine allows users to share their lives in motion. Vine has begun to spread through Benjamin like a disease, with more students downloading the free app each day. Students are able to connect with their friends through Vine by sharing videos, ranging from candid to posed clips. Sophomore Izzy Grabel was one of the first students to explore the app. “My friend had it, and she was showing me her videos. I thought it was so funny. I started using it, and I think it’s really funny to watch other people’s videos and to see their experiences on video rather than just pictures,” she said. Grabel, like many, was drawn in by the uniqueness of Vine. “I think everyone likes it because it’s different than the other apps. Most other apps are just pictures or statuses, but this one’s actually videos where you get to watch peo-
ple,” she said. Seniors Barrett Smith and Taryn Wind only downloaded the app because everyone else was talking about it. “I was talking to a few people in our grade who had the app and when they were explaining it to me I just had to download it. It seemed like it would be really cool,” Smith said. “I downloaded Vine af-
“I downloaded Vine after seeing it on my friends’ phone. This was the first time that I saw anything like it so I wanted to have it too.” TARYN WIND senior
ter seeing it on my friends’ phone. This was the first time that I saw anything like it so I wanted to have it too,” Wind said similarly. Like Grabel, Smith loves the app because it is unlike anything else out there. “Twit-
ter, Facebook, and Instagram all allow us to post pictures, but Vine lets us tell stories. One of the first videos I saw was a dog riding a scooter. I don’t think I would have seen anything like this on any other social media app. I think that’s the main reason people like it,” she said. With over 750,000 apps in the app store and people always looking for new things, the real question is: how long will it last? Smith and Wind believe it will be short-lived. “I think for a while it will be popular, but eventually something newer and better will come along,” Wind said. “I think it will the next big thing, but just like any other trend people will get bored of it. Something better will come out in a few months, and everyone will consider it to be the next big thing. Vine will just be another app on everyone’s phones,” Smith said. According to many, the hype around Vine will slowly but surely decline, just like other trends have. However, until that time comes, students will be pressing the record button, facing the camera, and expressing themselves in a way unlike ever before. v
PAIGE SODE / Online Editor
Like many other social media apps, Vine users have the ability to like and comment on their friends’ posts.
Parents, students observe differences in dating trends By Ave Healey Staff Writer
“Courtship is dead” seems to be the opinion of most adults observing our generation’s dating culture, and an interview with three senior girls on their experiences dating throughout their time at Benjamin suggests that this assumption is relatively accurate (it should be noted that, tellingly, all three girls wished to remain anonymous). “The typical way that I start something with a guy is like, going to a party and hooking up with someone,” said senior Clara Johnson*. According to the girls, the main change since our parents were in the dating game is that, now, young people rarely go on actual dates. “It’s more like hanging out, if anything,” Johnson said. “Basically, most people hook up for the first time at parties, or when a group is hanging out at someone’s house or a concert or something. If you’ve been consistently hooking up with someone, then it would obviously be normal to hang out alone.” What seems to be missing from current dating culture is that initial time of one-on-one “getting to know each other” before the anticipated kiss
Artwork by Annelise Hilmann
goodnight on a crush’s doorstep. For many students, the concept of going to dinner or a movie with someone they might be interested in is entirely foreign, not to mention nerve wracking. Senior Rebecca Davis* thinks that this fear of dating comes from the way in which most young people communicate, and the lack of face-to-face interaction. “It’s all through texting and social media now, which makes actually talking to the person you’re interested in way less
necessary,” Davis said. “So I definitely feel like it has a lot to do with self-esteem. Guys don’t put themselves out there anymore because they don’t have to.” It is far easier, the girls point out, to ambiguously text a number of people, in order for someone to gage early on if they are going to be rejected. However, Davis says she is not sure that this shortcut to dating is entirely positive. “We might be missing out now,” Davis said. “It’s not
as interpersonal anymore, and I feel like we don’t have the same social skills as earlier generations. I don’t think we would even know how to date in the traditional sense. ” Senior Jenna Smith* says that another change to young dating culture, which she thinks parents have a hard time understanding, is that with the growing prevalence of social-media, certain things have suddenly become much more important in regards to attracting the opposite sex. “Our parents never had
to deal with constructing the perfect text response or looking good in photos on Facebook,” said Smith. “I think there is so much pressure around it that half the time it isn’t even a real representation of yourself. I have my friends write texts for me all the time when I don’t know how to respond.” Davis says that other than the lack of face-to-face communication, another result of the changing dating culture is that relationships are far less well defined. “I don’t even know what dating means anymore, because a lot of times people are in exclusive relationships but they aren’t technically dating,” said Davis. “There aren’t really strict dating rules anymore. People just make up their own rules within their relationship, and you have to decide how exclusive you want to be with a person.” Although perhaps some aspects of dating ring true from one generation to the next, the girls seem to be in agreement that dating these days is a bit more confusing and complex than it once was. “I think there are still dating rules,” Smith said. “I’m just not sure what they are.” v *Asterisks indicate a name has been changed.
The Pharcyde
The Scene
Seize the day:
Outgoing columnist says his goodbyes They say that high school is the greatest four years of one’s life. But not only is it the greatest four years, it is the quickest as well. Only recently did I realize how fast high school has gone by. Though it might be a cliché, I can remember the night before my first day of high school like it was last night. I couldn’t sleep, I was too anxious. Since then I have had more sleep-deprived nights, some of them due to eagerness like the eve of freshman year, others caused by some upper-
Because
classmen “extracurricular activities.” Over the course of my senior year, I have seen many underclassmen making appearances at certain social events. I understand their desire to let loose and be “cool,” but it still puzzles me on another level. When I was a freshman, going to parties was not even a thought. On Friday nights, the wildest thing my friends and I did was going to the movies on our own, even with some ladies on special occasions (crazy, right?). The idea of going to a party with
I Said So
Columnist Paige Sode
Sode succumbs to the enticing blood drive perks With the departure of current columnist senior Dean Sandquist, so too will go “The Presidential Perspective”. The new Pharcyde columnist will be junior Paige Sode who will make her voice heard through the new column “Because I Said So.” With her sassy personality and dramaqueen behavior, you will not want to miss her columns. Many things in this world have the capacity to make me cringe, particularly mayonnaise and people who chew loudly, but the sole thought of having a needle taped to my arm, while I watch my own blood flow through a tube, is pretty high on the list. Nevertheless, when it came down to participating in that unappealing scenario versus an hour and twenty-five minutes of Chinese, let us just
say laoshi had one less student. For many students at Benjamin, unrelated incentives are the key factor in driving students to donate blood. Obviously, donating blood should be an incentive on its own, but the free pizza and t-shirts are not harming anyone. The most powerful incentive, however, seems to be the opportunity to miss a class while donating blood. Al-
upperclassmen was entirely foreign in our minds. Now, I see more freshmen and sophomores at our parties than I do my fellow classmates. Why, though? The first party I went to was at the end of sophomore year, and it was a great time. It was something I had never experienced before. Seeing my peers in an element outside of Benjamin was fascinating and very entertaining. As I transitioned to being an upperclassman, I found myself attending far more social events than I ever thought I would. However, my classmates were doing the same thing. We started having “late nights” when it was our time. That was the norm at The Benjamin School. Now, the school has flipped the norm on its ear. I have witnessed various freshmen and sophomores crashing parties, even hosting them! I guess it is an interesting trend, but I am glad it began once I entered my latter years of high school. See, I miss those days as a freshman. Although I have enjoyed this past year incredibly, I sometimes wish I could treat weekends the same way I did as a “frosh.” I miss running around. I miss staying out until 11 at Cobb. I even miss thinking that it was cool to get a peck on the lips from a girl. I guess I miss being a kid. If I could give any advice to the underclassmen, it would be to take it easy. If you are a though this sounds ridiculous and extremely selfish, many students do use this as an excuse to get out of class. Sad to admit, I was once one of the students focusing more on missing a class rather than the reality of saving a life. When Dominic, a.k.a. “the Blood Drive Guy,” made an appearance one day at assembly, where he encouraged students to give blood, my immediate reaction was “No.” I obviously did feel horrible, and although the free pizza along with a fashionable t-shirt was tempting, I cry when I have to get a shot, so giving blood was obviously out of the question.
“It was either one hour and twentyfive minutes of learning Chinese or sticking a needle through my vein.” PAIGE SODE columnist
As the last block period of the day approached, which happened to be Chinese, I walked in the room only to be greeted by two people, one being laoshi. Wondering why my friends would ever leave me alone in Chinese class, I flew out the door to, not only find them filling out their blood drive paperwork, but also discussing the many types of donuts they were going to eat before giving blood; typical. A life or death decision
May 24, 2013
Page A17
CASEY PEARCE / Editor-in-Chief
Sandquist, as Student Council President, leads the senior boys as they charge into lake for the traditional lake jump on the seniors’ last day of high school.
freshman, be a freshman. If you are a sophomore, be one! Your time to go out and break rules will come. Stop trying to live out every one of your four years like a senior; it will only shorten your time. Trust me, once it is over, you will wish you had not tried to streamline the process. I guess this plea was birthed from complete and
utter nostalgia, but I gained these fond memories only through time. I find myself sleeping much easier now that I am about to graduate. Maybe it is because my eagerness to leave high school does not match what I felt when I was about to start my freshman year. To be honest, I do not think I will ever feel that anxious any time soon. v
JULIETTE MERCADANTE / Photo Editor Sode gave in to temptation in order to have an afternoon snack as well as miss her block period Chinese class.
stood before me, it was either one hour and twenty-five minutes of learning Chinese, or sticking a needle through my vein. I chose choice number two. As I sat shaking, waiting for my number to be called, I had to keep reminding myself that I would be saving someone’s life, even though at this moment I wanted someone to come and save mine. Eventually, they called 21, and I could not tell if the donut I previously swallowed was going to introduce itself again. I hesitantly walked up the stairs, and my eyes drifted straight to a blood bag that was identical to the one in The Vampire Diaries, my all-time favorite TV show. Following that remarkable moment, I truly believed I was some sort of supernatural character, and to make a long story short, I gave blood. The decision I made to skip
Chinese class and give blood for the first time was probably one of the most rewarding experiences I, personally, could ever have. Saving a life puts things into perspective and makes us realize how lucky we actually are. Now, this story was not intended to show how I believe giving blood is equivalent to a walk-on role in The Vampire Diaries, although the directors should give serious consideration to offering me a chance, but to show that no matter what incentive is being proposed or how scared or grossed out you are by donating, it is 100% worth it. When the next blood drive approaches, please do not hesitate to sign up. Just think, if you give blood, you get to skip class, which leads to saving a life, and ultimately counterbalances the fact that you are probably going to miss an hour and twenty-five minutes of really important notes. v
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The Pharcyde
May 24, 2013
Girls and boys varsity lacrosse teams boast succesful seasons By Michael Mullery Sports Editor
The Benjamin lacrosse program has had one of its best years in the school’s history. The varsity boys finished the regular season with a 12-2 record, and the girls wrapped up their regular season at 16-1, before both teams captured a regional title. The boys team, led by five featured senior athletes moving on to the collegiate level next year had some very notable wins throughout the course of the regular season, including victories over Lake Highland Prep, this year’s State Champions, and Langley (VA). Over spring break, the team travelled up north to play against opponents in Virginia and Maryland. Although the Maryland game was cancelled, the trip still proved valuable. Junior Jerry O’Connor said, “I think the Baltimore trip greatly improved the team by not only exposing the team to better competition, but also by bringing us together as we spent every day together. It really has helped the team chemistry.” The boys two regular season losses came against St. Andrew’s and Jupiter High School. According to senior Robert Jacobs, the 4-6 loss to Jupiter in the regular season was pivotal. He said, “I think the turning point of our season was after the Jupiter loss. We had lost to them last year in the playoffs, so everyone was really excited for a chance to play them again and possibly get revenge, and when that did not happen, the team realized that we needed to practice harder and everyone needed to step up if we wanted our season to end differently than it did last year. Since then everyone has been practicing harder, and I think it has shown in our games since then.” After beating Dwyer High School and capturing their fourth straight district title, the boys got a shot at redemption against Jupiter in the regional quarterfinal game and won 9-7 in a thriller. The regional semifinal against Vero Beach High School produced another great match-up, with the Bucs winning 12-11 after Jacobs scored the game-winning goal in sudden-death overtime. The following week, the team travelled to Naples for the regional final game, where they defeated Barron Collier High School, 8-5. However, the boys could not overcome St. Andrews, falling to the Scots in the state semifinal. Similarly, the girls team had their most outstanding regular season in school history, finishing with a 16-1 record. A sign of the team’s dominance in the regular season is that through 17 games, the team scored 298 goals, while only giving up 136. Freshman Riley Johnston said, “The team has been so successful this year because of all
NICK WETTERMANN / Staff Photographer
The boys lacrosse team celebrates after senior Robert Jacobs scored the winning goal in overtime in the regional semi-finals.
NICK WETTERMANN / Staff Photographer
The girls lacrosse team posted a laudable 20-2 record and was the first Benjamin girls lacrosse team to advance to states.
of the talent we have and how well we play together as a team. Most of our success comes from our coaches who never give up on making us the best team we could be.” Senior Sally Frankel added, “I think that every player wants to be successful and advance as far as possible, so the attitude definitely contributes to our success.” The team’s only loss of the regular season came against seven-time State Champions, Vero Beach High School, but the girls gave Vero their toughest test since 2007, as the only team to score ten goals on them
in the past six years. Sophomore Maria Dattolo said, “We did a really great job of getting possession during the game. The weakness that probably lost the game for us was that in the fourth quarter we let up and got tired. Vero immediately capitalized on this and scored four unanswered goals. As a team, we realized what we needed to fix and we are really working hard to improve.” The girls steam-rolled through districts with very little trouble, beating Seminole Ridge High School 22-3, before beating Jupiter 21-4 to secure the district title. In the regional semi-final,
the girls beat Pope John Paul High School 15-10. The regional final resulted in a 15-11 Benjamin win over St. Thomas Aquinas. Unfortunately, the girls could not overcome Vero, losing in the state semi-final to the eventual State Champions. The team is only losing four seniors, two of which are starters. The rest of the team consists of five juniors (three starters), seven sophomores (four starters), three freshmen (all starters), and an eighth grader. Varsity Boys Lacrosse Head Coach Mr. Riordan Cheatham spoke about the future of Benjamin lacrosse. He said, “Every
year we reload with players who step up their game over the offseason and surprise. “ Mr. Cheatham continued, “The good thing about Benjamin is that we are now in year nine of having a lacrosse program and the wheels are in motion with our younger players in first and second grade playing rec and travel and after middle school they’re getting fed up into the high school. We have had great success with home grown talent, but my guess is we will start to finally see students and parents wanting to come here and be a part of a winning tradition.” v
May 24, 2013 Page
Sports
The Pharcyde
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Senior player sets school record for most points By Michael Mullery Sports Editor
Senior Robert Jacobs has recently broken the school record for all-time goals and points scored in a four-year boys varsity lacrosse career. Jacobs amassed a record 188 goals, along with 88 assists, over his four-year career for a total of 276 points. With this total he surpassed Josh Stauffer (class of 2011, 269 points) and Griffin Farriss (class of 2009, 221 points). “I think it’s really special that I have the record for most goals and points. I honestly didn’t think I would beat Josh because he put up crazy numbers his junior and senior year,” Jacobs said.
“Scoring that goal against Vero is one of my best memories while at Benjamin. To have that be my last play on the Benjamin field, a school I have been at for 14 years, is awesome.” ROBERT JACOBS senior
Photo Courtesy of Robert Jacobs
Jacobs will play lacrosse at the collegiate level next year for Kenyon College and he hopes to one day become a coach.
Lacrosse has been in Jacob’s life from a very young age. “I started playing lacrosse around first grade. My dad got me into playing because he played throughout college,” he said. “I played lacrosse at Benjamin in middle school and then my freshman year I was cut from varsity, but two days before the first game I was brought up and actually ended up playing in that game.” The next two years proved to be very successful for Jacobs, and Benjamin lacrosse as a whole, due to the team winning the state championship both years. Jacobs said, “Winning States my freshman and sophomore year were both great memories that I will always have. I liked winning sophomore year a little bit better just because I played in all of the games and I felt more important to the team, but freshman year was still awesome.” In his sophomore year, Jacobs was vital to the team’s success, scor-
ing 78 goals (1st in Florida, 4th in the nation that year) and tallying 21 assists. Crediting his stellar season to his teammates, Jacobs said, “The reason I was able to score so often and effectively as a sophomore was that we had a great feeder at attack, Josh
“I think it shows how unselfish our teams have been because almost all of my goals came assisted.” ROBERT JACOBS senior
Stauffer. That year we had a lot of great dodgers who were willing to pass the ball to me. Without players like him, Colby Kempe, Charlie Nicklaus and McKenna Johnston I would not have been able to score all of my goals. I think it shows how unselfish our teams have been because almost
all of my goals came assisted.” Jacob’s junior year saw him accumulate 45 more goals and 30 assists; however, the Bucs did not make it far in the playoffs. His senior season was another productive one. He scored 55 goals and added 35 assists as he led the Bucs through the post-season, before falling to St. Andrews in the state semifinal. During the semi-regional final game against Vero Beach, Jacobs had another great game, highlighted by him scoring the game-winning goal in overtime. When asked what that game felt like, he said, “Scoring that goal against Vero is one of my best memories while at Benjamin. To have that be my last play on the Benjamin field, a school I have been at for 14 years, is awesome. When I come back to Benjamin to watch a game or just say hello, I will always remember that play and that game.” Although Jacobs’ lacrosse career at
Benjamin has come to an end, he will begin another chapter in his lacrosse career at Kenyon College, a liberal arts school in Ohio that he committed to earlier this year. For the time being, he is not sure what the future holds in terms of his studies, saying, “I have no idea what I want to major in. I feel like going to a liberal arts school will give me a solid base and maybe through my studying there I will find out what I want to get a degree in.” However, Jacobs says he would one day like to give back to the game that gave him so much,” I would love to one day coach lacrosse. I would not be going to Kenyon if it wasn’t for lacrosse, so I feel like if I could help at least one kid get better and possibly get him into a school he couldn’t have gotten into if it wasn’t for lacrosse, I would feel great. I would definitely love to give back to the game that got me into the college I’m going to and that will possibly change my life. v
Controversial sports requirement likely to change
v Administrators are considering the possibility of a more flexible sports requirement. By Sam Greenspan
Outgoing Online Editor The sports requirement that demands a student participate in one athletic season per year will most likely be altered for next year.
“We want to make sure we are open and willing to consider legitimate requests for students to pursue their passion. That is actually starting to come together pretty well. ” MR. LATTA BAUCOM Head of the Upper School
In the past, students could only meet the sports requirement by playing on a Benjamin sponsored team, but over time the requirement changed. Students have found ways around playing on a team and fulfill the requirement by keeping statistics
for a team or even participating in a different Benjamin activity. This is one of the reasons Head of the Upper School Mr. Latta Baucom acknowledges that a change will be made to the sports requirement. “We have come up with a draft of some changes to the policy that would open up the window a little bit more for what the school now considers more of an extracurricular requirement,” he explained. “However we have to be careful that kids don’t turn to playing video games and counting that as their credit.” Though Mr. Baucom would love all students to represent Benjamin, he understands that students also put significant amount of time in sports, such as equestrian and polo, and he believes that students will be able to use some out of school sports to fulfill the sports requirement next year. “We’ve looked at several ways we can change the requirement including only making the sports requirement
apply to freshmen and sophomores,” he said. Mr. Baucom thinks that this would encourage students to get involved in something early in their school careers and then end up continuing the sport if they like it. Altering the sports requirement would also give kids more time to participate in other extracurricular activities that they are more enthusiastic about than sports. “We had to ask ourselves if the policy we had made sense. Since I’ve gotten here we have allowed kids to get a credit from performing arts or the drum line in place of playing a sport.” Mr. Baucom wants to find a way to allow students to do what they are enthusiastic about, instead of spending chunks of time doing something they are indifferent about. “We want to make sure we are open and willing to consider legitimate requests for students to pursue their passion,” he said. “That is actually starting to come together pretty well.” v
STUDENT SOUND-OFF “I think the school should keep the sports requirement, because it keeps the kids in shape and it gives them something to work for during school.” RYAN SYLEVESTER junior
“I would still take a sport anyways, but, I feel that for the people who aren’t really athletic it is beneficial.” CRYSTAL FALCON junior
“I think the sports requirement should be ended, because not all people are aheltic. They may have other interests, so it shouldn’t be required.” TESS ROY junior
Sports
The Pharcyde
May 24, 2013 Page
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Pharcyde Phavorites Our athletes of the year
The Pharcyde has chosen its athletes of the year. The male and female who are being honored did not necessarily score the most points or steal the most bases, but, in our opinion,contributed the most to their teams and the Benjamin athletic program as a whole.
Senior Kali Chaplin excels as a three-sport athlete
Photo courtesy of Kali Chaplin
Senior Kali Chaplin was honored as the recipient of the 2013 Julian Reynolds Award.
By Ashlyn Sendler Geodes Editor
Senior Kali Chaplin, MVP this year for varsity bowling, softball, and soccer, is the Phar-
throughout high school, but for me school and soccer were more of my priority than sleeping,” she said. Her love and dedication for the game is what kept her going. Through her time at Benjamin Chaplin has also played volleyball, track and crosscountry. Even though soccer has become her true passion over the years, she still participated in other sports, that she did not like as much, just to challenge herself. “They are not my favorite sports, but I always want to do the best anytime I’m playing them. However, in soccer it’s a little different. My competitiveness is even greater on the soccer pitch because I am obsessed with the game. However, I excel because of how much I live for the game. From practicing, watching and studying soccer on a daily basis I have become the player I am today,” she said. Next year, Chaplin will be attending and playing soccer at Catawba College in North Carolina. She said, “I want to go in as a freshman and make a difference and I feel like I can
do that at the college I choose. I had opportunities to play at bigger schools at a high level but I feel like at the school I picked I will be able to get playing time as a freshman and make a difference right from the start which is something I probably couldn’t do at a huge school.” Athletics have been a large part of Chaplin’s four years at the school, and as a senior, with so many great memories from every team, she became a bit sentimental about saying goodbye. “No doubt about it, the saddest part of senior year was the second the final whistle blew in my last soccer game. The Benjamin girls soccer team has been my favorite part about Benjamin and thinking about the fact that it is over makes me cry every time. I’m very sad it is over, but I’m thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such a special group of girls and I’m very excited for not only my future in college soccer, but for the future of the other girls on the Benjamin’s soccer team as well!” v
cyde’s female-athlete of the year. Despite the craziness of senior year, Chaplin not only played but excelled on three varsity teams. Many probably wonder how she kept up with
her academic, but for her it was no issue, “I never compromised any of my school work time with my soccer time or my soccer time with my school work time. I didn’t sleep much
Ruedisili who batted leadoff for the Bucs, finished second in districts. Ruedisili’s play on the baseball field earned him a spot in division one college baseball at Wofford College next year. Ruedisili posted a .450 batting average, with a home run against Kings Academy and 14 runs batted in during his senior season. Off of the sports fields, Ruedisili also succeeds in the classroom. As a member of the National Honors Society and an Eagle Scout, Ruedisili still manages to work hard on his baseball and soccer. Ruedisili credits the coaches for his success on the field. “The coaching I got contributed to my success and the teams’ successes because they always make us never want to give up,” he said. He thought it was a great honor to be recognized as the Athlete of the Year. “It’s nice to be recognized because I really do try to be the best I can be,” he said. “Most importantly I try to do anything to help the team win.” v
Senior Kody Ruedisili, who will play baseball at Wofford College next year, credits a large portion of his success to his faithful coaches.
Senior Kody Ruedisili anchors two varsity teams By Sam Greenspan
Outgoing Online Editor
The Pharcyde has selected senior two-sport athlete Kody Ruedisili as the Athlete of the Year. Ruedisili started at goalie for the boys soccer team and played centerfield for the boys baseball team.It was Ruedisili’s third year as the starting goalie on the team. The Palm Beach Post selected Ruedisili as the Small School’s Soccer player of the year. Ruedisili held opponents to eight shutouts and led the Bucs to a record of 17 wins and two losses. The team reached the regional quarterfinals. Ruedisili’s work ethic and leadership also stood out on the soccer field and made an impression on his teammates. “Kody Ruedisili is simply a Benjamin soccer god. His skill, his work ethic and his leadership is truly unmatched by anyone,” senior soccer player Jake Reitman said. “Kody was the best goalie in the country this year.” On the baseball diamond,
Photo Courtesy of Kody Ruedisili
Senior Banquet Athletic Department Awards
Several seniors were recognized for their outstanding acheivement in their sport of choice at the senior banquet Monday, May 21st. We applaud the class of 2013 for their committment to and succeess this past year.
Julian Reynolds Career Athlete Awards Kali Chaplin, Jonathon Pavlov, Kody Reudisili BUCCANEER AWARDS Jasmine Adams, Rachel Baucom, Lauren Bernick, Colby Bradford, Kali Chaplin, PJ Cole, Timothy Corrigan, Brandon Davis, Sally Frankel, Liam Fine, Ana Garcia, Hannah Gross, Rachel Harris, Ben Horowitz, Cooper Hopkins, Robert Jacobs, Ryan Jahn, Samantha Kochman, Nataly Lambert, Anthony Mercadante, Charlie Nicklaus, DJ Paone, Jonathon Pavlov, Austin Rosenthal, Kody Ruedisili, Dean Sandquist, Alex Schepps, Shelbi Smolak, Andrew Spragg, Brenna Tiano, Connor Tobin, Clancy Waugh, Mike Wilson