The mid-summer release of the scores of last year’s AP exams testi fy to the validity of the School’s fre quent boast that it produces students who are leaps and bounds above most others. With 74% of students earning at least one qualifying AP score of a 3, testers and their teachers turn again to repeating-- and exceeding-- those results this year. The equity and excellence of the Upper School’s AP programs remain evident in this year’s testing data. 73% of the members of the Class of 2022 earned a 3 on at least one AP exam during their high school ca reers; already 52.2% of the Class of 2023 and 33% of the Class of 2024 have reached that summit. During the 2021-2022 school year, 258 students submitted 627 exams for scoring. The vast majori ty-- 417 were considered qualifying scores. This designation, a score of 3+, signals that a student has shown the proficiency expected of students enrolled in the equivalent course at the college and university level. Of particular note is that of those qual ifying scores, 118 were at the highest caliber; translated, nearly one-in-five exams taken by Benjamin students earned the highest possible score of 5 on the exam. Statistically, the results of the May exams reveal a lot about the Upper School community. In terms of gender, the battle of the sexes was a statistical tie, with girls scoring an average of 3.20 and boys an average of 3.10. Scores among students in different grades, however, varied a bit more.Intheir two AP courses, Com puter Science Principles and World History: Modern, freshmen scored an average of 3.71, which was just over a half-point higher than the average scored by sophomores in their five AP courses. Members of the Class of 2023, which accounted for 255 exams, earned an average of 3.43. Graduates from the Class of 2022 submitted 263 exams in an as tounding 24 subjects; in most of the 20 subjects they shared, junior and senior averages were statistically in distinguishable. Causes for the differing scores among grades may include difficulty of the course/subject matter, size of student population taking the course, college credit policies (some schools may not recognize some AP results), and revised rubrics/curricula as des ignated by the College Board. “The headline here is that the hard work students and teachers are putting in day after day in classrooms and labs, on campus and on field trips, is helping to better prepare the Bucs for success in college now and once they graduate,” opined AP teacher Dr. Peruggia.Several of the AP courses in the Upper School can boast of 100% qualifying score rates: 2D-Art, Cal culus-BC, Chemistry, English Liter ature, and Spanish. The courses span departments and skills, suggesting that one can find success in class rooms throughout campus. Despite a slight drop in the per centage of total students with scores of 3+ from the 2020-2021 school year, 79% to 74%, the Upper School has continued to exceed state and national averages on these advanced exams. In AP Biology, for exam ple, students outperformed the state 3+ percentile by nearly 30%; in US Government and Politics, the dif ference was nearly 20%. In English Language, the group’s 97.4% rate exceeded Florida’s 54.1% and the global percentage of 55.7 by more than 40%. Among those who proved their mettle on this year’s slate of exams was current junior Andrew Lappin, who earned a 5 on the AP United States History test. “I did great on my AP test last year scoring a five. At first, I thought I was going to get an average score, but I believe that my studying habits and my teacher, Mr. Hoy, led me to my grade. I would recommend stu dents to make sure they have a clear mind on test day, and to not only watch review videos,” said Lappin.
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Senior Andrew Moffitt, who earned six qualifying scores on APs last year, attributes his exam success to his teachers, study habits, and time management.“Forpeople going into AP classes next year, the most important piece of advice is to never let yourself get behind on any assignments. For ex ample, in AP US Government and Politics, assignments can stack up quickly without you realizing it. In general, I think it is most important to stay ahead of your work and use your time wisely because it will definitely help with relieving stress throughout the year and it will also help you in preparing for unit tests and the AP ex ams,” said Moffitt. Although not everybody may have received their desired score on one of the AP tests last spring, there are many ways to improve for this year’sJuniortests. J.P Walsh recommends starting to study earlier rather than later for any upcoming test. “I got a three on AP U.S History last year which I wasn’t the most ex cited about. I think I could’ve done better if I had started studying a cou ple of weeks before I initially did. I feel like if you aren’t cramming all the knowledge in, you tend to absorb more of the information,” said Walsh. Even the College Board, makers of the AP and SAT exams, know that when it comes to academic success, one exam cannot possibly reveal one’s destiny. Every fall, the orga nization honors students whose per formance is more wide-ranging with a trio of AP Scholar Awards. These awards are given based on all of a stu dent’s average AP exam scores, with students receiving recognition for re ceiving qualifying scores on three or more exams. This spring, 105 Upper School students earned recognition as AP Scholars, Scholars with Honor, and Scholars with Distinction. For those who do excel on these exams, college credit may be earned. In some cases, the amount of credit can lead to one’s ability to pursue multiple majors or even to graduate early. Consider, if one were to take the following commonly-enrolled AP courses at Benjamin: AP World History, AP Computer Principles, AP US History, AP English Language, AP Chemistry, AP Spanish, AP 2-D art, and AP English Literature. Qual ifying scores on all of these exams would earn the student anywhere from 22-38 credits at UF, placing her one or two semesters ahead of other incoming freshmen in Gainesville. Each year, many Benjamin students have used their AP scores to save time and money at their new college homes.
Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief As the 2022-23 school year be gins, the Upper School welcomes its largest student population in recent school history: 472 students. New and returning students arrive on campus to find several new addi tions to the school -- teachers, exteri or paint colors, floors, activities, and more.With 127 students, the freshman class is the largest, followed by the sophomores (119), the juniors (118), and seniors (109). “Even though we have the small est class size, I think the senior’s class spirit in sports and throughout the day is one of the strongest in the school, and we are able to make clos er relationships with our friends,” se nior Andrew Moffitt said. While the student population is at a recent record high, Upper School administrations do not believe that issues with overcrowding will arise. In fact, the coming school year will only be slightly larger than the 202122 school year. “We’ll be about five or so high er than last year, so five kids among around 470 is not a huge number,” Head of Upper School Mr. Fletcher Carr said. “It’ll feel like a full school but beyond that, not too much differ ent.”
the PHARCYDE THE BENJAMIN SCHOOL NEWSPAPER 4875 Grandiflora Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 16 August 2022 Volume 44 Issue 1
Having recently taught AP cours es in three different departments--AP Statistics, AP Psychology, and AP English Literature-- Peruggia noted that success in any AP course often begins well before day one of that class, and can often be the result of work in other disciplines. “Students who do well in AP Psych often did so because of the excellent foundation that they re ceived from Mrs. Pierman in HSB, Ms. Szeliga in Biology, Mrs. Wend ler in English, and even their coaches in the athletic department. No one passes AP Stats without the critical reading skills they learn from people like Ms. Ditaranto or the algebra they absorbed from Mrs. Priola. You can’t write a successful AP Lit essay with out the anecdotes provided by Ms. Misslehorn in history or chats about popular culture with Mr. Peck. AP success is the result of years of solid teamwork from all your teachers, not just those teaching you that specific class,” said EveryonePeruggia.hastheir own way of studying, but when it comes to the college-level expectations of AP courses, it is very important to work ahead on your assignments and to use effective strategies to prepare for the test.
A major factor of the historically large freshman class is the renaissance of the Middle School. The number of students, 82, from the Middle School that are entering the freshman class is higher than previous years. “We actually have fewer new stu dents enrolled in our Upper School for 2022-23 than previous years due to fuller middle school grades feed ing our Upper School,” Associate Di rector of Enrollment Mr. Christopher Nordland said. To help welcome new arrivals though, the school relies on the ex pertise and support of the Peer Advi sor program.“ThePeer Advisor program was started last year to help acclimate new students to the Upper School,” said Science Department Chair Dr. Haley, who also serves as the Peer Advisor adviser. “While our advisors are very knowledgeable and eager to help, no one knows better the issues that freshmen face than the current upperclassmen. The PAs will be reg ularly attending advisory meetings to lead discussions, facilitate team building, and get to know the fresh men on a one-on-one basis.”
Welcoming of new students oc curred at Monday’s new student ori entation, which was organized and led by Upper School class deans, members of the student services of fice, and other administrators. Freshman Class Dean Mrs. Amanda Pierman made a scavenger hunt for students to complete with their advisories to get a sense of com munity. The goal, according to Mrs. Pierman, was to get the freshmen “ready to hit the ground running” to begin the school year.” “I created a scavenger hunt using Flipgrid and QR codes, and so [the students] went throughout campus, finding locations of where teachers were, where different subject areas are,” she said. “They learned a little bit about the history of the school, learned about some of the school rules, and traditions. And then in the afternoon, they met with Mr. Jacob son in Benjamin Hall, followed by technology, getting a little bit of a rundown.”Andwhile the school has in creased in size this year, further sig nificant increases over the next few years are not expected. The increase in size from last year to this year is actually the lowest on a percentage basis in the past three years. “Applications to Benjamin over all hit a record high, but we feel it is important to remain as selective as we can,” Director of Enrollment Mrs. Amy Jablonski said. “Our acceptance rate dropped fairly significantly this season. We also feel that it is crucial to remain a small school where every student is known, is valued, and feels a sense of place.” This year’s acceptance rate was lower than the past five years at 45%, continuing a trend of decreasing ac ceptance rates over the last three years.For the larger student population, Upper School class deans have been planning a re-orientation for each grade on Thurs., Aug. 18. To facili tate class bonding and spirit, students will be engaged in activities on and off campus. Whether bowling in Ju piter, bouncing at Urban Air, putting in Abacoa, or splashing down at the Rapids, a positive tone will be set for the upcoming year. For more about what is new around campus, see page 2. The Upper School campus was repainted this summer, with buildings going from a familiar and warm yellow to a white, grey, and blue palette that unifies it with the Lower and Middle School campus. (Photo by Charlie Spungin) thepharcyde_tbs @thepharcyde_tbs
Matt Marasco Sports Editor
Bucs’ AP Scores Again Exceed State, National Averages
Fresh Paint, Freshmen, and Fresh Starts: Welcome Back
RUGGIE FOR THE WIN Math Department Chair Mr. Ruggie recieved the School’s Peter and Jody Graham Distinguished Teacher Award last week. For more information, check out the story on the school’s website @ www.thebenjaminschool.org.
Campus Transformed New Paint, Flooring, Vegetation Help Upper School Retain Postcard-Worthy Beauty
Matt Marasco Sports Editor
BrieflySpeaking California- Yosemite National Park continues to fall victim to wildfires. More than 3,000 firefighters battled a blaze that consumed 30 square miles of forest land, forced 6,000 people to evacuate, and destroyed more than 40 homes.
Dean of Students Promises Fewer New Rules, More Attention on Ex isting Policies as Pandemic Transitions into Endemic Phase Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief In news that will delight some and instill panic in others, the Upper School Dean of Students Mr. Kevin Jacobsen has announced that in lieu of a barrage of new policies and rules, the 2022-2023 school year will focus on more strictly enforcing existing protocols.Inlight of the continued trend and horror of mass school shootings around the nation, a stricter ID policy will be enforced. Students will be re quired to wear their IDs at all times in a visible“Havingplace.[your ID] in your pock et is not useful,” Mr. Jacobsen said. “Having it in your wallet? It’s not going to work. It’s got to be on your person at all times. It’s purely from a safety point of view so that our se curity guards, substitute teachers, and coaches, and everyone knows that people on campus are supposed to be on campus.”Inaddition, the existing dress code policy will be more uniformly enforced. Despite the recent surge in popularity, Crocs will no longer be allowed on campus. As Mr. Jacobsen explains, footwear must “have a back to them.” This decision has also been made for the student body’s safety, per Mr. “WeJacobsen.hadacouple of students get injured last year playing basketball in Crocs and slippers,” he said. We just want to make sure students are wearing shoes that if you’re running around or you slip on the stairwell, at least you have some kind of support there.”
Indiana- A 22-year old woman, Elisjsha Dicken, helped end a shooting in a Greenwood food court. Dicken was shopping with his girlfriend when he came upon the shooter who was trying to flee into a nearby restroom. Kentucky- Tragedy struck the eastern part of the state when catastrophic flooding claimed the lives of 37 people and destroyed towns throughout Appalachia last week. The waters rose as 10 inches of rain fell over 48 hours, causing mudslides, sewer back ups, and river-cresting.
Enforcement Over Englargement
Joey Tomassetti Managing Editor
Social Studies Department Chair Ms. Sara Misselhorn has high praise for Mr. Hough and expects him to bring a high quantity of knowledge to the department.“Hewillcome in with a wealth of experience educationally and in the topic of social science as a whole,” she said. “Mr. Hough is an AP reader and has dealt with student govern ment and a variety of other clubs at his pastMs.schools.”Kirkland Schuler will be joining the Upper School as direc tor of musical programs, overseeing orchestra, band, and choral classes. A spotlight on Ms. Schuler can be found on page 8. The Upper School is also wel coming new Chemistry teacher Dr. Jade-Elizabeth Smith. Dr. Smith most recently taught Chemistry and Physics at Oxbridge. Originally from Memphis, Dr. Smith taught at Mem phis-area high schools prior to her move to the Palm Beaches. “I expect to be able to share my passion for chemistry and science overall, create great relationships with students, and hope to have a successful year,” said Dr. Smith, who will be teaching one section of biolo gy and four sections of chemistry. “Dr. Smith has a lot of experi ence teaching chemistry, so I think she’s going to use that experience from other schools and bring a lot of new ideas to the Science Depart ment,” Science Department Chair Dr. James Haley said. “She also has ad vanced degrees in biochemistry and education.”Mr.Soviero, who will be teach ing the Computer Science classes and some Engineering classes in the Upper School, is a veteran educa tor whose teaching career originally a unified feeling between campuses, and-- we hope-- their populations. Faculty and students alike are pleased with the color changes to the Upper School for a variety of reasons, including the much-needed update and new coloring. “What you will notice right off the bat is that the outside color scheme has been updated. It’s a fresh new look that has a more modern feel to it,” said Dean of Students Mr. Ja cobsen.Additionally, the former yellow color simply was not a pleasant at traction to some. The new tint “I have always favored the color blue my whole life, so when I heard the Upper School has been updated and the yellow is gone, I was delight ed,” said junior George Straub. The second major change to the Upper School over the summer was to Buildings 4 and 5. The hallway carpets in these academic buildings have been replaced with laminate flooring. The purpose of this change was to make it easier for the mainte nance team to keep it clean as well as have a sleeker look. “I always thought the carpet was kind of messy and dirty. I am hap py that the Upper School is taking steps to make the campus stay clean throughout the year. I am excited to see the new floors in person when we all come back,” said junior Ella Womble.Thechanges made this summer help to complete a fresh, new Up per School experience that last year previewed with the beach volleyball courts, new weight room, and chang es to the DLC. Students and teachers are anxious and excited to see what future developments will arise as the school continues to mature and grow.
The 2021-22 school year ended in tragedy, with yet another school shooting. Thoughts of the young vic tims of Uvalde tinged even the most relaxing summer vacations with sad ness, anger, and frustration. Indeed, our nation continues to reel amidst a growing pandemic of gun violence. According to the Gun Violence Archive and the Congressional Re search Service, a mass shooting can be defined as an incident where four or more people were shot, not counting the shooter as a victim. In an article written by insider.com, the United States was already up to 314 mass shootings as of July 5. This puts the country on track to match or even surpass the record breaking 692 mass shootings from 2021. “We have a lot of guns (in the United States). And when you have as many guns as we have - which we have more guns than people - you’re going to have more gun violence in all of its forms,” said R. Thurman Barnes, the assistant director of Rut gers University’s New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. As people throughout the country plead for gun reform, mass shootings keep on occurring at a hyperactive pace. In June, families of gun vio lence victims testified before Con gress for tightened gun control leg islation.On July 4, seven people were killed and more than 40 people were injured following a mass shooting during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois. The shoot ing occurred just over a week after President Joe Biden signed a biparti san gun reform bill into law.
Students will find the hallways echo a bit more this year thanks to new flooring. (Photo by Charlie Spungin)
“Having [your ID] in your pocket is not useful. Hav ing it in your wallet? It’s not going to work. It’s got to be on your person at times.”all -Mr. Jacobsen zation (WHO), but that doesn’t rule out any severe cases from occurring. For people who have severe symp toms, they are able to take a smallpox vaccine (ACAM2000) since the two diseases are genetically similar. A vaccine for monkeypox is made, but it is in short supply and is therefore difficult to obtain. Scientists across the globe are working on de veloping a high quantity of vaccines. In order to help combat the spread of the disease, the Biden administra tion has formed a White House mon keypox response team. “We are applying lessons learned from the battles we’ve fought -- from COVID response to wildfires to mea sles -- and will tackle this outbreak with the urgency this moment de mands,” White House National Mon keypox Response Coordinator Robert Fenton.The disease is much less dead ly and concerning compared to COVID-19, as Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious-disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, says, “monkey pox doesn’t have the same ability to infect people that the virus that caus es COVID-19.”AsofAug.8, there were 938 cas es of monkeypox in Florida, placing the Sunshine State as the third most effected state in the country. New York and California are the only two states that have had more cases of monkeypox than Florida. As Aug. 8, there have been 43 total cases in Palm Beach County, which is the fourth highest of any county in Florida. Miami-Dade County and Broward County both have upwards of 350 cases, which is more than the wide majority of states. “Monkeypox doesn’t have the same ability to infect people that the virus that causes COVID-19.” -Dr. Amesh Adalja Then, back on May 24, 19 stu dents and two teachers were killed, and nearly 20 people were injured in a mass shooting at Robb Elemen tary School in Uvalde, Texas. This marked the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. Police at the school have been criticized for not taking action, as a videdo clip that extended over an hour showed the policemen standing in the hallway, failing to take action. The United States certainly has more lenient firearm laws and poli cies compared to most other coun tries. Gun laws and regulations also vary from state to state. Some states have more restrictive laws, while some allow for much greater firearm ownership rates for the uses of pro tection and hunting. As a result, firearms have become one of the leading causes of death for Americans of any age, according to Gifford’s Law Center. They are also the leading cause of death for chil dren under the age of 18. In 2021, the Gun Violence Ar chive found that gun violence overall killed 45,010 people. So far in 2022, gun violence overall has killed at least 22,000 people in the U.S, put ting 2022 on the same track as 2021. As more and more shootings oc cur throughout the country, people need to become better educated on the topic of gun violence. Firearm restrictions and increased security in schools are only the beginning of creating a safer society, but currently, people are questioning if this prob lem will persist or if it will be halted. Only time will tell. side of the case they are on. Many students believe that the decision is against women’s rights and that it is unfair for men to be de ciding what women can or cannot do with their unborn babies. “America today makes abortion a religious issue. Regardless of your personal decision to not get an abor tion, that should not affect the ability of others to get one when you have no idea what sort of financial or life situation they are in. Overturning Roe v. Wade will not stop abortions from happening, only make them less safe and endanger the mothers, something that does not coincide with the rhet oric that anti-abortionists are ‘prolife.’ Women should have the ability to control what happens to their own bodies, and going back in time will only further our country’s progress,” said senior Katherine Rodgers. Another main case of the summer was Biden vs. Texas which overturned a Trump era policy where immigrants seeking asylum from Mexico had to remain in Mexico until their asylum case was heard in court. The Court ruled 5-4 on this case, but 52% of the public favored the policy staying in place, according to The New York Times “I agree with the court rather than the public on this case. I believe everyone should have to come inwto the United States legally, but if they are trying to get away from an im minent threat, they should be given asylum immediatly,” said sophomore EasleyTheHughes.Supreme Court also ruled on Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta this summer, which was a case about the Indian reservations in Oklahoma. The main point of this case was if the state could prosecute non-Indians who committed crimes on Native Amer ican land. The court ruled in favor
As the summer break comes to a close, it’s time to welcome some new faculty to the Benjamin community. Mr. Clinton Hough, Ms. Kirkland Schuler, Dr. Jade-Elizabeth Smith, Mr. Richard Soviero, and Ms. Anna Malone will all be roaming the Upper School campus when students return for the 2022-23 school year. In last year’s May issue, The Pharcyde introduced the Upper School to the rest of this year’s class of faculty: learning specialist Ms. Melissa Rizzitano, Math teacher Mr. Joel Hunt, and History teacher Mr. Kenneth Posner. Those new teacher articles can be found in the archives on our website, www.thepharcyte. com.Mr. Hough, who will be teaching History, is excited to join the Benja min Upper School family. “Teaching here is a great opportu nity to share my passion for history. Many of my family friends attended Benjamin and I’m happy to be part of this very special place,” said Mr. Hough.Mr. Hough has most recently been at FIU working on his doctor ate, and he has experience teaching in private schools. “I spent the last six years work ing on my doctorate in history at FIU in Miami. I’m finishing my disserta tion and will defend in a few weeks. While a graduate student, I taught history in private schools in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. I’m originally from Palm Beach Gardens (via Phil adelphia) and spent the first several years of my career working here after I graduated from the Citadel,” said Mr. Hough.
Concern Mounts as Monkeypox Cases Rise
Part of why students are disci plined for being consistently late is so that students learn time management skills.“As you go forward to college and get a job, that’s just not some thing that’s tolerated outside of school,” Mr. Jacobsen said. “That’s part of what our job is, to teach our students.”Additionally, lunch will not be served on the first week of school. From the second week and beyond, it will be served at the gym concession stand. The administration, in addi tion, is making it clear that “students shouldn’t be in the hallway [during lunch], and students should ask per mission to use classrooms”, accord ing to Mr. Jacobsen. As the school year commences again, the administration expects stu dents to adhere to these policies and others, effective once they step foot onto campus. These policies, along with various others, can be found in the Student and Parent Handbook, which can be found on BucLinks. “The message is clear from the school,” Mr. Jacobsen said. “It’s time to get back into kind of what a regular independent, high-end prep school looks like.” As the communal effects of COVID-19 wane around the Benja min School’s two campuses, the ad ministration is looking to get back on pre-pandemic track in terms of policy and what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.
started in Long Island; he was most recently at Jensen Beach High. “I spent my first eight years of teaching in Long Island, New York before coming down to Florida. Here, I taught at Dreyfoos SOA for a few years, but most recently I spent 17 years at Jensen Beach High. I taught Engineering, Computer Science, and Physics at Jensen along with coaching soccer and announcing the school’s football games,” said Mr. Soviero.Mr.Soviero is looking forward to teaching at Benjamin, as it is his first time teaching at a private school. “This will be my 29th year in education. In just a short time of in teracting with staff, some major dif ferences have emerged (compared to public school), so am anxious to get started and get used to the routine and amazing opportunities that Benjamin has to offer,” said Mr. Soviero. Ms. Anna Malone, who has been working at Benjamin part time the last few years, will now be Benja min’s full-time athletic trainer. She was an assistant track coach for years, but she will now be a perma nent fixture on campus. “She already has a relationship with many of our students and knows the school culture, understands the school culture,” Athletic Director Mr. Ryan Smith said. “She brings tremen dous experience to us, having worked at IMG, Jensen Beach High School, and Palm Beach Atlantic, so she’s go ing to add a lot of value.” If you see any of these new fac ulty walking around campus, make sure you give them a warm Benjamin welcome. al squeaking sound in the new hall ways during wet weather. Alternate footwear will lead to quieter indoor spaces.In terms of further dress code policy, there are no changes. Boys are still expected to wear khaki or blue shorts with a belt, and girls can wear a skirt, skort, and shorts, all of which must be of an appropriate length. Sweatpants will not be per mitted to be worn until the weather cools down, and the administration will alert the student body when that timeAdditionally,comes. students are expect ed to be punctual at all times. While this seems obvious, Mr. Jacobsen found himself handing out detentions for tardiness to students this past year. However, exceptions do exist. “Without a valid excuse, students may receive detention,” Mr. Jacobsen said. “It depends on the day. There were times last year where there were major delays because of bridges or trains or accidents, where they were forgiven for that. If a student’s late one time in two months, probably won’t receive detention. It’s a con sistency thing and figuring out which students are consistently late.”
Florida- Families of victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shootings testified to jurors about their grief this week. The court is considering the sentence for Nikolas Cruz, who pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempt ed murder in the 2018 tragedy.
Upper School Welcomes Eight New Faculty to Campus Joey Tomassetti Managing Editor
Page 2 16 August 2022 The Pharcyde The Pharcyde 16 August 2022 Page 3
Paris, France- With Canada experiencing droughts that deci mated mustard crops, the French capital is reeling from a shortage of Dijon mustard. Stores have im posed limits to mustard buying as shoppers seek out the must-have condiment of French diets.
Madrid, Spain- Government officials announced limits on air-conditioning usage as the EU faces an ongoing energy crisis because of Russia’s engagement in Ukraine. Spaniards will be limited to setting their temps no cooler than 81 degrees, despite the heat waves currently affecting the Iberian peninsula. New Dehli, India- Indians elect ed their first indigenous presi dent, Draupadi Murmu. Murmu, a former school teacher, is the second female to hold the largely symbolic office. New York- The World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a global emergency earlier this month. New York City was declared a hot spot of the outbreak of the disease that has affected more than 20,000 people. Although a vaccine exists, it’s not readily available.
The Pharcyde has also recently observed that Crocs make an unusu
Summer of Decisions: Supreme Court Sets Precedent With Multiple Rulings
Texas- An investigation by the Texas House reported that nearly 400 law enforcement officials engaged in “egregiously poor decision-making” when they failed to confront the mass shoot er at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. The report found that the police prioritized their own safety, suggesting that some of the victims who died could have survived if the officers had acted differently. of the state prosecuting non-Indians, which the public overall agreed with. “I think that the state should be able to prosecute people who en croach on Native American land no matter what. I think the Native Amer icans deserve the land because of the history of encroachment,” said junior Adam Mahmoud. In the case of West Virginia vs. the Environmental Protection Agen cy (EPA) the court ruled 6-3 in favor of the state. This case was brought to the supreme court as West Virginia believed the EPA was failing at con trolling air pollution under the clean air act. The ruling made it so that the EPA could set limits on individual power plants and also more broadly regulate total emissions. The Supreme Court had a busy summer deciding on many cases that will have lasting impacts on the Unit ed States for years to come.
Crowds gather outside of the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC in protest following the announcement of the Dobbs decision. In its decision, the Court seemed to overturn precedents set by Roe v. Wade. (Photo by Yasin Ozturk via Getty Images)
It seems like every summer, the Upper School campus sees transfor mations: new buildings, new volley ball courts, new fencing, even new drop-off locations. This year’s chang es were primarily cosmetic, with new paint and flooring installed to help unite the School’s two campuses.. When one pulls up to campus, one immediately notices that the color scheme of the buildings has been changed. Ever since the Upper School was opened, it had featured yellow and cream toned structures. While some appreciated the Caribbe an vibe this offered, the colors offered little connection to school traditions. “I think school spirit is one of the most important values to the upper school. Now, with the colors now aligning more with tradition, I think it could boost school spirit even more around the school,” said sophomore RangeleyAcrossNewmyer.town,the Lower and Mid dle School campus has long featured a distinctive white and blue paint scheme. In an effort to evoke a con nection while avoiding mere imita tion, a committee selected a palette of blue, gray, and white colors for the Upper School. The result helps create
Matt Marasco Sports Editor
Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief Monkeypox was officially de clared a public health emergency by the Biden administration on Aug. 4. There had been over 7,000 cases confirmed in the United States by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to that date. The most prominent symp tom of the disease is lesions, typical ly on the arms or legs. Additionally, some people contract flu-like symp toms like a fever or sore throat. It typically takes between 2-3 weeks for a person to no longer be contagious. This occurs when all of the lesions scab and resolve. The disease is spread through close contact, and many cases in this outbreak seem to root in sexual contact. The CDC has confirmed that there isn’t a particular group that is more prone to contracting the dis ease, but the majority of cases have been found to be self-identifying gay men.However, there are groups who are at higher risk for more severe symptoms; this includes people with a weakened immune system due to pre-existing conditions and young children.Nobody in the United States had died of the disease as of Aug. 4, ac cording to the World Health Organi
This summer has been very quiet on the school front, but the supreme court has had many important rulings during the summer, including Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organi zation, Biden vs. Texas, and Oklaho ma v. Castro-Huerta. On June 24, the historic Supreme Court case allowing abortions and the womne’s right to choose, Roe v. Wade was overturned, causing de bates over the decision to quickly ensue. This decision means that abor tions will not be legal in most parts of the country with more restrictions to follow, yet many believe abortions will still happen, just not safely. This will be a major focal point for up coming elections, as politicians will have to voice their opinions on what Nation Continues to Suffer Gun Violence
Members of the Muscogee Nation and other tribal leaders from Montana stand outside the Supreme Court following arguments in the Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta case. (Photo by Jason Salsman via MVSKOKE Media) Mr. Hough Mr. Hunt Ms. Malone Mr. Posner Ms. Rizzitano Ms. Schuler Dr. Smith Mr. Soviero
Taipei, Taiwan- Chinese officials remain angered over Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwain last week. China claims Taiwan as a territory.
Charlie Spungin, Editor-in-Chief Joey Tomassetti, Managing Editor Matt Marasco, Sports Editor
By Leah Klein Staff Writer
MEMBERSHIP The Pharcyde is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association, American Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Na tional Scholastic Press Association.
The next time you’re composing an email, writing an essay, or just trying to describe someone to you parents, consider the tone of the adjective your using. What may seem like the “right” word may actually be taken in a very, very wrong way. Consider the differences between these sets of commonly inter changed words: back &
• easygoing & laid
• assertive & pushy • cheap & economical • proud & arrogant & confident • dedicated & persistent & stubborn • competitive & combative • cute & attractive & hot • nerdy & smart & intel ligent • stupid & dumb • lazy & tired& exhausted • muscular & strong & buff • loud
The opinion articles in this paper are the opinion of the writer or the majority opin ion of The Pharcyde Editorial Board. They are not the opinion of The Benjamin School or our advertisers.
The Pharcyde the Upper School newspa per of The Benjamin School, is published seven times a year. 500 copies of The Pharcyde are distributed to 472 students and 70 faculty members and are available in the Upper School office. The Pharcyde encourages submission of Letters to the Editor. Send your feedback, criticism, or outside opinions in 150 words or fewer to minschool.orgcharles.spungin23@thebenja The Pharcyde reserves the right to edit all letters for length, grammar, and clarity.
Page 4 16 August 2022 The Pharcyde The Pharcyde 16 August 2022 Page 5Student Voices Student Voices
It’s easy to be ignorant about how you speak. After all, something that can seemingly be harmless can come off in the wrong way, whether it be hurtful or makes you seem arrogant when that was never the intention. Be careful how you speak; words are powerful.“People become so preoccupied with figuring out the ‘right’ things to say that they forget to actually listen to the people around them,” an article titled The Pressure To Always Say the ‘Right’ Thing Affects the Way We Communicate on The Swaddle said. This difficulty persists in the dai ly life of others and leads people to wonder what’s the best way to speak. In English classes here at Ben jamin, diction is always a topic that appears. While it is analyzed in a lit erary sense, it is a concept that also applies to everyday interactions. Diction, an author’s word choice, is important to get a sense of what an author is trying to communicate and why. Everything is said for a reason, and analyzing their diction is an im portant part of that. You don’t approach somebody saying, “Give me $2.” You say, “can you please give me $2?” Saying the former not only decreases your chances of getting the money, but it also could hurt your character. You are seen as rude and perhaps ignorant. A positive outcome is much more likely in the latter way of phrasing the question because of your politeness. You should approach situations calmly and explain the situation with Always Do Your Work. Always Do Your Best.
QUOTATION POLICY Anyone interviewed by The Pharcyde will have the chance to correct and edit their quotations before the paper goes to press. If they would like to change their interview before the quote confirmations get sent out, they can contact the student who interviewed them and ask to redo the interview.
noisy & vocal
Taking pride in its confidential ity of internal affairs, the Supreme Court had this curtain of secrecy torn open when on May 2 of 2022, Politi co published a draft opinion that was unintended to be divulged. The draft opinion would be fated to unestablish a fundamental human right which some had possessed their entire lives. Consisting of ninety-eight pages, the leaked document came as a chill ing shock to the nation. Yet, a series of events tracing back for years was what made the overturn of previously precedent case Roe v. Wade feasible to overturn, and possibly predictable. In 1970, a Texas district court found that Norma McCorvey, who took on the legal pseudonym Jane Roe, had the standing to sue for being denied the right to an abortion, and the decision ruled that the abortion ban in Texas was illegal and unconstitution al because it violated the right to pri vacy. Both sides of the case appealed one of the previous rulings, allowing the litigation to continue and advance to the Supreme Court, where a 7-2 decision was made. This would come to form one of the most controversial and widely debated cases in the histo ry of the Supreme Court. The ruling of Roe v. Wade effec tively legalized abortion across the nation, and protected it from that point on as a right. Inherent in the fourteenth amendment’s due pro cess clause was a right to privacy, of which a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy fell under, still taking consideration towards the potentiality of human life. With Roe v. Wade ruled in favor of the plaintiff, the case became a turning point in women’s rights. Le gal term stare decisis, translating to “stand by things decided” in Latin, is what permits the 1973 decision to be a landmark case. Without Roe v. Wade, there would be no authori tative precedent case established to refer to for subsequent cases concern ing similar issues. The ruling consti tuted abortion as a right found in the constitution, simultaneously making certian legal limitations on abortion unenforcable. State laws attempting Summer Work is Too Much of a Burden Summer work has been around forever. At Benjamin, most students think of summer work as the English reading they are required to complete before school starts. Students all over the country complain about the re quirement of having work over the break. Summer work is unnecessarily stressful and takes away from the fun of summer.Adding on school work during a school-free break is wrong. Sum mer can be a great way for students to find jobs and make money. This experience accomplished the goal of students returning back to school confident and ready to get to work. Students look forward to sum mer because of the stress-free break from deadlines, assignments, and tests; however, with summer work, students spend countless hours on work for a class they have not even started yet. The type of stress that the students go through during a threemonth break is more than you would expect. According to an article on npr.org, almost 40% of parents say their high-schooler is experiencing a will have for the year. If you begin the year lazy and let everyone else pass you, then how are you getting better? That should be the goal of ev ery student throughout each of their high school years. How can become a better writer than I was yesterday? How can I improve my math grade by the end of the semester? Setting those goals for yourself early in the year can make or break your level of success for the year. Then, there’s also the importance of getting ahead of your work. For example, when given an as signment that isn’t due for another three weeks, some students will wait until close to the due date to start the assignment. The same thing happens with tests or quizzes. Why should you have to cram the night before in order to feel semi-prepared for an assessment? The more you procras tinate and push off an assignment or assessment, the harder it becomes to get a passing grade. Maybe it doesn’t come down to how hard the teacher grades, but rath er how well the student prepares or works for what’s to come. But let’s say the students do prepare really well for an assessment and get ner vous, resulting in a flunked grade. Most students don’t have to worry, as most classes offer a retest or correc tions to improve the original grade. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.Some students are stuck with the grade that they get, no ifs, ands, or buts. It’s understandable to not offer any way to improve a grade, maybe to help the student learn from their mistakes so that they don’t happen again. But is it really fair? Especial ly for the students that studied really hard and will do anything to improve their grade. Having that option to be better than you were before is super important to students. Taking a look at the other end of the spectrum, some students end up never completing their work. Af ter having an assignment for three
Words &
*Thisstronger.editorial
MEANings
Leah Klein Shea O’Donoghue Lucy Rubin Ollie Olson-White Reid JacksonWaxmanZentner GENERAL
players.This decision completely skewed Wimbledon results and tennis as a result. Because of the absence of some players, the ATP and WTA both decided to strip the tournament of ranking points. Grand Slams are incredibly valued for these points, and Wimbledon is just one of four of these. The players who succeed get nothing in return. Novak Djokovic dropped his points from last year’s Wimbledon victory and will gain nothing from his victory this year. Nick Kyrgios stayed at world #40 when he clearly should have increased from this level. He will go into more tournaments as a low seed or without a seed when he clearly has the talent to deserve one. In the Citi Open, he was unseeded, but if points for Wimbledon counted, he would be among the top seeds in the tournament. This is a huge differ ence that altered the entirety of the draw, as Kyrgios won it all. For the women, then world #103 Tatjana Maria made an incredible run to the semi-finals. She remained ranked at that level. She has struggled to qualify for some higher-ranked tournaments when she undoubtedly deserves it after this run. Then world #23 Elena Ryabinka won the tourna ment, but her ranking will not see a change. This doesn’t seem right and are consequences that will hold for the next year. In addition, some of the top play ers on both the men’s and women’s tours are from one of these two coun tries. On the men’s scene, world #1 Daniil Medvedev, then world #8 An drey Rublev, and then world #22 and 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Kar en Khachanov were prohibited from playing. The ladies who could not participate were then world #6 and 2021 Wimbledon semifinalist Aryna Sabalenka, then world #13 Daria Ka satkina, and then world #20 Victoria Azarenka. These are highly ranked players who certainly could have al tered the course of the tournament. Wimbledon should absolutely reconsider their decision to ban Rus sians and Belarusians for the 2023 tournament after seeing its effects in practice. to prevent abortions could still exist, however they could be neither en forced nor acted upon. The impact of Roe was larger than simply abortion rights; it gave women control over their bodies and lives. Roe v. Wade’s impact continued for fifty years. During this period of time, pro-life lobbyists in opposition to the ruling met with government of ficials, attempting to convince them to institute laws that would limit abortion, even if they were unen forcable.Throughout ex-President Barack Obama’s term, three Supreme Court vacancies emerged, however, Mitch McConnel blocked President Obama from filing the vacancies. With only a few months left to his term, President Obama was unable to appoint new justices, allowing President Trump to nominate three to the court. Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Bar ett, and Neil Gorsuch were appoint ed, which changed the conservative to liberal ratio to 6-3. When Justice Samuel Alito wrote a draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade he already knew the Egregiouslyoutcome.wrong is what Jus tice Alito claimed Roe v. Wade was before it was overturned on June 24, 2022. With six votes, the constitu tional right to abortion belonging to women across America no longer ex ists, reversing fifty years of what was precedent is highly uncommon. Justice Alito’s reasoning behind the overturn is rooted in the Four teenth Amendment and Due Process Clause. Instead of interpreting the law and Constitution as the Supreme Court is meant to do, some justices such as Alito are originalists, mean ing they believe the Constitution should be interpreted solely based upon its intended meaning at the time it was constructed. With this belief becoming the majority of the court, a radical exercise of power is inev itable.Justice Alito argues that the orig inal decision behind Roe v. Wade was flawed from the beginning, and that no amendment’s rights extended to a right to abortion. His draft opinion states that Roe v. Wade’s arguments were irrelevant and incorrect, while also rejecting the scientifically based idea that the viability of a fetus is of any Despiteimportance.theclaims that the origi nal argument was exceptionally weak, there is quite logical reasoning behind as to where exactly a right to abortion can be found in the Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment promises equal protection under the law, which should well apply to control over bodily autonomy between the states. Alito’s statements are directly con tradicted by the Ninth Amendment as well, assuring that the listing of rights in the Constitution would not be in terpreted in a particular or biased way so that it would deny or depreciate citizens of rights. The reversal of Roe v. Wade de termines that it is left to the states to decide whether abortion should be legal or illegal. Trigger laws placed either allowed limitations on abortion to go into affect almost immediately after the case was overturned. These laws put into place pre-Roe or were created during the time period when a right to abortion was guarenteed, but were just unenforcable. Some states already have bans on abortion down to as little as six weeks; a point in fe tal development when a fair amount women have not even come to the re alization that they are pregnant. Roe v. Wade’s influence also pro tected all other rights not explicitly stated in the Constitution. With the reversal of a case that occurred half a century ago, many other precedent cases that protect unenumerated rights are also put in jeopardy. Roe v. Wade not only set precedence for abortion rights, but also allowed other cases that protects rights not specifi cally mentioned in the Constititution to take place. Same-sex marriage is protected by precedent case Oberge fell v. Hodges, which may befall the same fate as Roe v. Wade if the Su preme Court continues to take an originalist view on other cases. With no precedent case in place to set a core example for any legal issues concerning abortion from this time forth, there is little to stop miscarrag es from being investigated, or medi cally necessary abortions from being prevented. Protests erupted across the country out of fear for generations to come and anger that a right protect ed for so long was suddenly stripped away after the decision came out. It is uncertain as to whether a Constitu tional right to abortion in the United States will be ever guaranteed again.
Wrong and Harmful Wimbledon is widely viewed as the most prestigious tennis tourna ment in the world. For this year’s tournament, the tournament made the controversial decision to ban all play ers of Russian and Belarusian nation ality due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022. This decision looked bad when it was initially made, and it has continued to look that way following the conclu sion of the tournament. These tennis players have no say in the governmental and military af fairs of Russia or Belarus. They are simply citizens who represent the country in these international compe titions because that is where they are born. They do not deserve to be pro hibited from participating in a tennis tournament due to their nationality. It’s different if they openly encour aged the war, but none of the players have done this. Just days after the war began, Russian star Andrey Rublev wrote on a camera “no war please”. He pub licly disproved his increasingly au thoritarian government’s actions, yet he cannot participate in Wimbledon. World #1 Daniil Medvedev resides in Monaco, where he has lived for years to this point. He is not even in prox imity to PlayersRussia.really do not have control over their nationality. While they can change it, the majority of players do not do it because there is little reason to. Why ban them for something that they absolutely can not control? It’s completely dissimilar to the Aus tralian Open’s vaccine requirement. Players could control that ban. This one, not so much. The players are individuals. Prior Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Associ ation (WTA) tournaments have al lowed Russians and Belarusians to participate but under the condition that their flag would not appear as representing them. This is an easy solution that Wimbledon could have easily put forth; they were the only tournament to actually ban these
the PHARCYDE
Advisor Dr. John john.peruggia@thebenjaminschool.orgPeruggia Advisor Emeritus Mr. Kendall Didsbury Media Consultants Mr. and Mrs. Tim Burke
By Reid Waxman Staff Writer By Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief
Turning Back the Clock: Living in a Post-Roe World
The price of a quarter-page advertisement is $30/issue. The price of a business card advertisement is $15/issue. If you or anyone you know would like to place an advertisement in The Pharcyde please contact Joey Tomassetti, tomassetti24@thebenjaminschool.org.joseph. OPINION
EDITORIAL
Founded in 1980 as The Spectator 16 August 2022 Volume 44, Issue 1 The Benjamin School 4875 Grandiflora Road Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418 Contact Information Phone: 561-472-5998, ext. 2119 Fax: 561-691-8823
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Every school has different rules and policies when it comes to grad ing. At college preparatory schools like Benjamin, students are held to higher standards compared to oth er schools. This is to help challenge and “prepare” students for what is to come after their high school years. But how challenging is too challeng ing?One of the top priorities of stu dents in high school is to get good grades, especially when working re ally hard at whatever they are work ing on. There are times where stu dents aren’t rewarded for the amount of effort they put into something because the teacher didn’t share the same perspective as the student. This comes down to a consistent grading system, and teachers being able to walk the fine line between challeng ing the student to be better and to re ward the student for the great work that they have completed. Starting the year off strong is very crucial to the level of success you
MISSION STATEMENT The Pharcyde is a student newspaper produced to foster an open dialogue 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.
lot of stress from school Another fun aspect of summer is the freedom that comes with having such a large period of time without academic commitment. Families have the ability to take long trips, or students may choose to go to sum mer camp or spend time with their friends. Summer work makes it hard er for families to plan for the summer. If families want to travel and go to different places, the students are go ing to have their minds on work rath er than their vacations. Not only does summer work stress out the student, but it also neg atively impacts the parents. The par ents need a break from nagging their children to do their work. During the school year, families tend to have more tension throughout the home. It all comes with the stress of academ ics and occasional family life. When students have no summer work, it may decrease tension and allow fam ilies to have a calm and enjoyable summer.Although summer work is there to help the brain move with knowl edge, students don’t necessarily al ways do their best work when they are trying to get done with it quickly. Many students might skim through reading assignments or use a calcu lator during any math assignments. If students do not complete the work in an orderly manner, what is the point if it is not done right. Senior Sophie Marx thinks it is really easy for kids to cheat on their summer work, except English. The teachers do not have the ability to su pervise students on if they are cheat ing or not. “Summer work benefits nobody if all the students are cheating and teachers can’t supervise the students to make sure they are not cheating,” MarxSchoolssaid. use summer work as an opportunity to give the students the ability to “refresh valuable informa tion over the break” according to an article on sptalon.com. Many stu dents might disagree. Summer is a way for students to rest their brains and get ready for the school year. All of the work that is assigned before the year even begins actually adds anoth er layer of stress going into the year. The idea behind summer work is to help refresh students’ knowledge of the work they learned throughout that year. Coming in fresh off a break, students might be more confident and prepared if they had no work going into the year. a sense of ease. Don’t get worked up and angry because that could result in a worseAdditionally,situation. here at Benjamin, many of us have more opportunities and are more privileged. Read the room. If you’re in a place where you seem like you are more privileged than everybody, maybe it’s not best to blurt out that you went to Italy for two weeks and went to Venice, Flor ence, and Rome. Be mindful of where you are and who is around you. Peo ple could feel lesser and shame them selves for not having the capacity to go on a trip like that -- even when it is no way their fault. Be positive. If somebody is be ing negative about something, try to uplift them. Rather than feeding into their pessimistic words, tell them about how it’s going to get better. Of course, be sympathetic and under stand what they’re going through, but try not to let them sulk. Body posi tivity is a discussion that has increas ingly become relevant over these past few years. If somebody is feel ing down about something in relation to that, try to uplift them. It can go a longInway.aYouTube video by Doctor Mike titled “Things Bad Doctors Say”, he covers the wrong ways doctors can communicate to their pa tients. At one point, the doctor says, “do you think that’s good for your overweight, morbidly obese body?” This is absolutely the wrong way to approach this, as Doctor Mike ex plains. The doctor needs to be mind ful of the situation and understand that these words can hurt. Further, he needs to explain the situation better. Why is it bad and what can be done to improve the situation? Part of speaking appropriately is sometimes not speaking at all. There are situations where simply keeping your mouth shut is better than open ing it. Be mindful of the conversation. For example, if they’re talking about their dogs, don’t bring up your dead dog. It changes the entire mood of the conversation and is simply unneces sary.According to the book Quiet by Susan Cain, one of every three peo ple are introverts. However, the study says that most people pretend to be extroverts. It’s important to consid er this. Try not to make people feel uncomfortable by the way you act or speak around them despite how they may act. They could feel hurt even if they don’t show it. Words that are synonyms may have different connotations. Curious and nosy are both words about want ing to learn more, but nosy holds a negative connotation. It makes you seem unnecessarily curious and per haps going too far to learn something. Though these two words are practi cally the same in meaning, be mind ful of which you utilize when speak ing. It can go a long way. A particularly difficult aspect of saying the right thing is over text or email. Somebody can do their best to communicate sarcasm or serious ness, but it’s truly impossible to be sure what you’re saying is getting across correctly. Somebody can have a preconceived notion about you, and that will impact the way they read something. Be as mindful as possible while writing, and re-read what you write to make sure you are communi cating what you want. As teachers and students here at Benjamin, communication over email is rather common. Email courtesy is an important part of student life here at Benjamin, so it’s important to be respectful. Always start emails with “Dear” or “Hi”, depending on your relationship with the teacher. Make sure you are respectful to start the email because the start will set the tone. Asking how their day has been is one way to begin. One-liners in emails come off as direct and rude, so avoid those. If you’re a student, don’t limit your email to “what was the homework?” And if you’re a teacher, don’t limit your email to “come take your test to morrow at break.” This comes off as disrespectful and inconsiderate. Being mindful of how and what words are said, whether in person or through writing, is an incredibly im portant aspect of everyday life. As this school year begins, remember that words are powerful. *This editorial is the opinion of The Pharcyde and therefore is not at tributed to a one singular person. weeks and finally deciding to work on it the night before its due, some students just give up and move onto the next assignment. They try to for get the zero that is blatantly sitting in the grade book, but it’s not going anywhere. That zero will forever be on the permanent record. Admitting that you should have started the as signment way before the night before its due doesn’t change anything, but at least it teaches a lesson. But why give up? Almost every teacher offers partial credit. While that might not be enough to signifi cantly improve your grade, it gets rid of the zero which is a win in its own right. That zero makes you look lazy and like you don’t care, which might not necessarily be true. Nonetheless, having a zero means you didn’t try, which is a really bad feeling to have. After receiving a poor grade, don’t get frustrated at your teacher and their “unfair” grading system. Think about how you could have prevented the poor grade in the first place. As the school year begins, re member to start off strong, and to fin ish is the opinion of The Pharcyde and therefore is not at tributed to one singular person.
Wimbledon’s ‘Russian Ban’:
STAFF WRITERS
EDITORIAL BOARD
Words Hurt: Be Careful How You Speak
• HOMECOMING: Yes, it is epic. Yes, it is a week long celebration of Benjamin traditions, alumni, students, and families, and yes, there is male cheerleading. This year’s events coincide with Halloween, so things can-and will likely-- get a bit crazy! Celebrate with us at this year’s Homecoming game on Oct 28th and at the Homecoming Dance on Oct. 29th.
of s TBS
• READING: There is a lot of reading involved in learning. Sure, you’ll have reading to do in English class, but you’re likely going to have to do some critical processing in social studies, world languages, sci ences, and even math. Take it from us, don’t skim-actually take the time to read, reflect, and annotate your readings. Can you slide by without reading much? Maybe. Will reading result in a more benefi cial experience at the Upper School? Definitely.
TWITCHELL COLLEGE FAIR : Mrs. Linda Twitchell served Benjamin students for decades allrepresentativesweeveningfair.naminghonoredretired,andcompassion,withhumor,heart.WhenshetheSchoolherbyreourcollegeComeoutontheofSep.29aswelcomecollegefromovertheworldtothe Upper School.
VALEDICTORIAN (and SALUTATORIAN): We might not have ranks, but we do honor the top students at graduation each year. Freshmen year grades don’t count into the awards calculation, and you have to be a Buc for 3+ years to be eligible.
•
MAMA (WHITE): Everyone loves an at-school parent, and the Upper School has no shortage of folks dish ing out love and support, but there is only one lady we call Mama-- Mrs. White, who can be found in the Student Services area on most days. Stop in an introduce yourself, you’ll only be disappointed if you don’t.
• TRANSCRIPTS: If you need an official printout of your grades, check in with our registrar, Mrs. Carr in the College Counseling hallway.
• HSB: Because you can’t be suc cessful in life without know ing about your self, HSB (er.. HBS)-- Human Biolog ical Systems-- is a required course. You’ll often hear about (or smell) some of the interesting labs and dissec tions taking place with Mrs. Pierman on the first floor of building 4.
• BACKDOOR CAFE: Held in the music/band room, these nights give you the chance to share your talents with our commu nity. You can sing, play an instrument, read poetry, perform a skit, tell jokes, or even do some magic tricks. The first one of the year is being held on Oct. 6
• SPRING BREAK: You live in Florida, so you know what Spring Break means: traffic, crowded beaches, and longer waits for reservations. Whether you flee from the Sunshine State to different climes during the sea son of partying and uninhibited college students or are hope have a relaxing time closer to home, the annual break from studies provides you with a much needed chance to rest and prepare for the fi nal, winded dash to the end of the year. This year’s spring break occurs from Mar. 20 thru Mar. 24
The staff of The Pharcyde understands that sometimes life can get confusing in the Benjamin Bubble, especially for those who may be new to our community or whose minds may have “relaxed” a little too much over break. For this reason, we’ve compiled an encyclopedia of some basic terms that you’re likely to hear, read, or run into once you step foot onto campus. While our guide is by no means exhaustive, we hope that we’ve offered a lighthearted reminder and an empathetic introduction to some of the people, places, events, and procedures that keep the heart of Benjamin beating strong.
• DETENTION: It meets afterschool everyday with Senora Te jera-Mede and, if necessary, on Saturday mornings. The best way to avoid detention is to follow rules.
• PE REQUIREMENT: Everyone needs to take a credit of PE during his or her four years. Most of us earn it through partici pation in athletics, but you can earn credit in other ways. See a member of the Athletic department for more information about exemptions.
DRESS CODE: Leave the crocs at home (go Gators!) and follow the dress code. EYE-CUE: Join the faculty and students of the Fine Arts department at this annual celebration of student creative productio. This year’s event will again take place at the Gardens Mall, and opens with a special reception on Apr. 12.
• XTRA CREDIT: Teachers are free to make up their own policies when it comes to extra credit, but graduates have shared with us that the best way to ensure your grade is solid is to do all your work well so that any extra credit is a bonus and not a bandaid.
• BUCLINKS: This is what we call the online system that hosts your classes, schedules, topic pages, assignments, attendance, and grades. Check it daily.
• HONOR COUNCIL: if you’re suspected of violating our honor code you’ll likely find yourself sent to the Honor Coun cil for a hearing. Be honorable and save yourself the stress (and council members the time)!
• TOY DRIVE: Community service is a big part of life in the Upper School. Among our largest projects each year is the annual holiday toy drive. We hope you’ll join us in donating to one of our local causes during this year’s collection period. The Toy Drive is spon sored by the Senior Class.
• ZOOM: If you’re out for an extended period of time, chances are high that we’ll be able to accomodate your continued learning and growth.
• NHS: Shrouded in secrecy, this cult... actually, the National Honor Society is a super-wellknown organization that recognizes achievement inside and outside of the classroom. Inductions are held for those who have finished at least three semester of high school, have successfully applied for membership, and who accept the responsi bilities that come from being a leader on and off campus.
• CONFERENCIA/CONGRES: Each spring Spanish and French students head to Orlando to compete against other schools in this pair of world language competitions. For more information about joining our team, please talk to your world language teacher.
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LOCKERS: Make sure you don’t leave your lunch in their-- it’s Florida and it’ll smell after a few hours. Also, if you’ve got a bottom locker, make sure you pay at tention to the weather-- there is nothing worse than a flooded set of books when a hurricane hits.
• ONE-ACTS: A drama club tradition, the winter One-Acts is a play festival of works written by, directed by, and starring Upper School students.
• PROGRESS REPORTS: Every few weeks your teachers will compile your grades and a report is created giving a snapshot of your performance in classes. These grade aren’t official and are meant to do little else but allow you and your parents to see how things are going. The grades that matter most are those that appear on your transcript, which are final grades at the end of each semesster. Make sure to check out your prog ress reports, especially since many teachers will include personalized notes for you with them.
• PHARCYDE/PHARCYTE: These are merely the greatest of school newspa pers/news-sites ever created. If you cannot sign up for Expository Writing (the class that produces the news), we hope you’ll join our Pharcyde club-which allows you to participate without the stress
• WEEKLY TEST SCHEDULE: Check the planner to see when your teachers may be assigning you tests, but remember that anyday is fair game for quizzes, especially those that weren’t announced in advance. Tricky teachers!
• CHILLIN AND GRILLIN WEEK: While Homecoming festivities help us celebrate school history and our fall athletes, this winter/ spring celebration is dedicated to celebrating the now-- and to developing a strong sense of upper school community. This year’s we celebrate from Feb. 27-March 3.
• ATTENDANCE No one wants to miss anything awesome, so come to school. If you are late, stop in at the nurse’s office to get a late pass. If you’re more than 30 min utes late, though… no after-school fun for you!
• BELL TOWER A central gathering spot for us, the Bell Tower often hosts snack distributions, club sign ups, and morning music, not to mention it is a graduation picture hot spot!
• UMBRELLAS: It rains alot in South Florida, but it’s rare that you’ll see anyone on campus with an umbrella. In the case of rain, plan on eating in the classroom of your favorie teacher, in the gym, or perhaps in the lobby of Benjamin Hall. When walking outside during storms, stick to the covered pathways. If THOR has signaled lightning, please just stay inside.
• YEARBOOK: Each May the staff of Treasures, our yearbook, dis tribute a book filled with photos and memories to the Upper School community. If you’re interested in joining the staff or contributing to the endeavor, please check in with Mrs. Hewitt in the DLC.
• SENIOR PRIVILEGES: Hard work pays off here, so your grades can qualify you for the opportunity to leave early, come in late, or eat out during lunches or study halls. See Mr. Jacobsen for details.
• (Mr.) FAUS Our Head of School, Mr. Faus, is often seen around the Upper School campus, especially during special events. Traditionally, Mr. Faus will have lunch with all new students, freshmen, and seniors. He has an open door policy, and is welcome to chats whenev er he and you are free!
• GPA: It really matters, and every grade counts. Honors and AP courses can help you raise it, but those grade bumps usually come at a cost (more reading, writing, and thinking).
• ID CARDS: Yes, by the end of the first week you’ll feel like you know everyone’s face, but your ID card is so much more than a bad picture printed on recycled plastic. It’s your key to opening doors, printing in color, and even paying for snacks at the concession stands and vending machines. Wear it around your neck so you can access it easily.
• BIKING TO SCHOOL: Save the environment and get in a quick workout by cycling to campus. We have a bike rack on cam pus for you and you’ll never have to worry about an underclassman swiping your parking spot. See Mr. Jacobsen for more information.
• DLC: The space formerly known as our library, the DLC is open everyday from 7:15 until 4:45 (it closes earlier on Fridays--@3:30). You can use the space to study, find a writing tutor, print, or get research help from Mrs. Hewitt.
• EXTRA TIME: If you think you qualify for extended time accommodations or need any more support for your learning, please see Ms. Rizzitano or another member of the Student Services staff.
The Pharcyde Rating: 6/10 Minions: The Rise of Gru- This se quel to Minions (2015) sees the minions working for a young Gru (Steve Carrell) for the first time. In the 1970s, Gru tries to join a group of supervillains called the Vicious 6 after they throw out their leaderthe legendary fighter Wild Knuckles. When the interview doesn’t go as planned, Gru and the minions go on the run with the Vicious 6 hunting them down. Luckily, Gru finds Wild Knuckles, who gives him an unlike ly source of guidance. Gru discovers that even bad guys could use a little help sometimes. The Pharcyde Rating: 7/10 Thor: Love and Thunder- Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is finally starting to en joy retirement and the peace and qui et that comes along with it, until he is interrupted by a new threat. Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) is a galactic killer who is seeking to kill all of the gods in the universe. To help him fight this threat, Thor is joined by King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), and his ex-girl friend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). But to Thor’s surprise, Jane now has the power to wield Mjolnir, the mag ical hammer. Together, they all set out to uncover the mystery of Gorr’s vengeance. The Pharcyde Rating: 7/10 These summer hits brought many to movie theaters, but these weren’t the only four. Further movie summa ries and ratings, including Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Elvis and Nope can be found online at the pharcyte.com for those interested in reading more.
*The late registration for the Sept. 10 ACT is Thursday, **The late registration for the Aug. 27 SAT is today,
Rushdie’s fantastical novel often relies upon imagery and metaphor to establish characterization, tone, and theme. Among the motifs that are most prevalent is that of immer sion in large bodies of water. Do some research on the Hindu and Ju deo-Christian views of water and its impact on people. Then reflect on Haroun’s experience on the Kahani, a Moon world covered with large seas. How does the Haroun that enters these fictional waters differ from the Haroun who exits them? What do you think Rushdie’s ultimate message is?
Born a Crime Trevor Noah describes racial segregation as a way to distance and dehumanize others. Can you think of other social situations in which we distance and dehumanize others? Imagine being “born a crime” what then might be your fate? In stead of this “crime” being a hin drance, for Noah it became one of the keys to his success. 1984 One of the issues Orwell explores is how people respond when their sense of self and personal identity come up against an oppressive, col lective force. Using the novel as in spiration, reflect on a time when your sense of self, your identity, was at odds with a larger culture or force. The Handmaid’s Tale Atwood’s work has taken on a transcendent role in American soci ety. Indeed, while many have referred to the text as a “scathing satire and dire warning” about women’s rights, others have recently declared the text a handbook for achieving the goals that Offred’s tale seems to be de crying. Consider the ways the novel presents the idea of subjugation and authority. What motivates the cre ation of rules, laws, and assumptions in Gilead? How are those in power empowered and for what purpose? Is Atwood’s dystopian world the inevi table outcome of our human nature?
Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief Visiting schools is a large compo nent of the college process, and luck ily, our very own college counselors here at Benjamin have provided their best tips to make the most out of col legeThevisits.number one tip that each of the college counselors suggested is to feel out the campus and imagine if you could be there. Associate Direc tor of College Counseling Mrs. Bek ka Goldberg words it as “taking the time to soak in the vibe.” “Ask yourself, do I feel like this is home?” Associate Director of Col lege Counseling Mr. Juan Alvarez said. “Was this a place where I felt comfortable making friends? And is this a place for Additionally,me?”the college coun selors advise that students grab the school’s newspaper because it can give a glimpse into the campus. “One of my biggest recommenda tions is to get your hands on a news paper,” Director of College Counsel ing Mrs. Anna Wright said. “What you find is that if students are upset about something, you’ll find it in the newspaper. If they’re excited about something, you’ll find it in the news paper. You’ll kind of get the real idea of what’s going on on campus if you read the newspaper.” One key component of visiting universities is doing prior research. Visit schools that have your intended major, size, location, and more. Questions regarding stats, major, planet, or will they have to share their home with history’s most fearsome predators?
As the Class of 2022 graduat ed from the Upper School in May, Lower School teacher Ms. Kirkland Schuler graduated to the Grandiflora campus, joining the Upper School family as their new music director. As a child, Ms. Kirkland Schuler fell in love with watching musicals with her grandmother. From Singin’ in the Rain to The Sound of Music musicals encouraged her to follow a pathway of music throughout the en tirety of her life. Early in elementary school, she joined her school’s choir, started per forming in the school musicals, and began taking piano lessons. In high school, she started her own private piano studio to teach younger stu dents. In college at the University of Alabama, she majored in vocal per formance and studied various musi cal topics ranging from conducting to music history to music theory. After Dr. Nicholas Lockey left Benjamin toward the end of the last school year, Ms. Schuler was the school’s in-home replacement. Initially at the Lower School, Ms. Schuler quickly worked her way up the Benjamin ladder to become the Upper School music teacher. She first started work at Benja min in the fall of 2020, as she worked in the ACE program, the Lower School’s aftercare program. Then, for the 2020-21 school year, she was an associate science and social studies teacher for 1st and 2nd grade. The move to the Upper School to wards the end of the 2021-22 school year was not Ms. Schuler’s first ex
posure to the campus on Grandiflo ra Road, however. She worked with the drama club for the entirety of the year, as she was Assistant Director of All My Sons and the Music Director for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee the club’s two produc tions of last school year. Additional ly, she co-directed a number in last year’s Variety Show alongside Per forming Arts Department Chair Sra. SaraMs.Salivar.Schuler’s prior familiarity with the Upper School is part of what made the decision to uplift her from the Lower School so easy. Head of the Upper School Mr. Fletcher Carr referred to Ms. Schuler as a “known entity” for the School. In addition, her fellow teachers also saw her as an excellent replacement for Dr. Lockey. “She was certainly vetted by the other members of the music depart ment who said, ‘yeah, no, there’s no question.’ In this case, given what we were looking for, this was a great fit,” Mr. Carr said. Ms. Schuler also felt the support of her colleagues in the transition to the Upper School -- from both cam puses. The power and familial aspect of the Benjamin community is some thing that she truly saw come to fru ition.“The whole process and how I was treated during it reminded me of how our school has the ability and heart to operate like a family,” she said.And while Ms. Schuler only has spent a short amount of time at the Upper School, her impact has already been felt on students. Senior Owen Nutter noted how she has already helped the band sound better. The arrival to the Upper School brings Ms. Schuler full circle. As a high school student, she had the op portunity to teach younger students, and now, she will be teaching high schoolers. Teaching students of this age is something that excites her. “I’ve long-held this theory that high school artists are in the perfect sweet spot to have moving, engag ing, and fun musical experiences,” she said. “At this age, you are truly getting good at your art, and you’re still willing to have fun and let loose. High school students have that spark, that perfect mix of creativity, talent, and joy that I can’t wait to engage with every day.” Ms. Schuler will teach various courses, including -- but not limited to -- AP Music Theory and Concert Band. While her time away from the musical world was valuable, expos ing her to a world of other education that she had not been in prior and teaching her how to connect with oth ers in a differnt way, this return to the realm of music is something that Ms. Schuler has long awaited, and it is an opportunity that she cherishes. And while her passion for music began with her grandmother, it continues at Benjamin for the 2022-23 school year and beyond. “It is an incredible homecoming to come back to teaching music,” Ms. Schuler said. “It was that feeling of puzzle pieces clicking into place or coming up for air after swimming underwater. Coming back to music was one of those rare moments in life where you think, this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
Joey Tomassetti Managing Editor As the world starts to open up again after the COVID-19 pandem ic, movie theaters have returned as one of the most popular places to go to in the world. Even though things are getting back to normal, the slate of movies for this summer was not as densely packed as pre-pandemic summers, according to rottentoma toes.com. Below, The Pharcyde sum marizes the summer’s hits and offers each a rating.
A Lesson Before Dying Much of Gaines’ novel concerns its narrator’s gradual recognition of the moral state of his community. The text’s setting is the deep South, before the Civil Rights Movement, a time when African American people were still treated poorly, oppressed and helpless to rise above their down trodden status. While he considers himself an educated man, Wiggins remains confused and disheartened about his status, and often considers leaving it all behind him. Explore how Wiggins depicts various educa tion systems in his story, examining how scenes set within the classroom inform, contextualize or contrast with the learning that occurs beyond school walls. The Awakening In the ninth-grade’s Introduction to World Literature course, you stud ied Henrik Ibsen’s drama A Doll’s House Like Chopin’s novel, the work explores the internal and exter nal conflicts that arise among spouses in what appear to be happy families. While much of your focus freshman year was likely on Nora, as we often discuss the gender roles for women during the Victorian Era, men were also trapped by the ways they are expected to behave and provide for their families. Is the individual man at fault or is he just a product of his society? Considering A Doll’s House and The Awakening, take a deeper look at Torvald Helmer and Leonce Pontellier and make your cases using evidence from each story to back up your position.
Jurassic World: Dominion Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), and the orig inal stars of Jurassic Park return to the dinosaur world in this trilogy-capper. Four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, dinosaurs have become a part of everyday society. Walk ing and hunting alongside humans all over the planet, a fragile balance will ultimately need to be found, or else the future of the human race will change forever. Will humans be able to remain as the apex predators of the Ms. Schuler Takes Up the Baton as New US Maestro Charlie Spungin Editor-in-Chief
Aug. 19.
By: James Tepper ‘26 By: Matti Simonet ‘26 By: Riley Weinberger ‘25 By: Simryn Patel ‘24
The drama club is excited to announce this year’s fall production: Distracted, by Lisa Loomer. Variety Show rehearsals begin August 31st. They are held every Wednesday from 6:15-7:30 in room 201. The JV dance team, The Diamondettes, is still welcoming new members. Sign up with Mrs. Sali var before Tuesday, 8/23. Interested in singing or playing an instru ment? See our new music director, Ms. Schuler in room 202.
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During a summer filled with media reports of crowded airports, record-high gas prices, fears of COVID-19 and monkeypox, and a backlog of passport applications, some students may have missed out on the opportunity to partake in much travel. Luckily for them, the Upper School’s summer reading program offered a slate of texts that could take them places without leaving the com fort provided by the covers of a fresh ly opened paperback. The English department’s goal of inspiring year-round reading has traditionally challenged students of all grades to engage in a study of at least three texts; this year’s program was no different.To ensure that every one has read their required books, the department will be giving a series of assessments during the opening days of theSometerm.students wish that they could choose their own works, a sen timent with which Chair of the En glish Department Mrs. Sharon Wen dler empathizes with. “I can relate to having someone choose a book for me to read, and feeling like I wish I could have just chosen my own ti tle. However, there’s nothing better than realizing that I love that new book and that the person who select ed it for me knew that it would be a great fit. Summer reading for most students becomes an unexpected gift that allows for students to meet new friends, new ideas, and new settings,” said Mrs. Wendler. This summer, current freshmen were introduced to Salmon Rushdie’s bildungsroman, Haroun and the Sea of Stories Thomas Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, and two choice Freshmannovels.Jackson Hill’s choice books were Zusak’s The Book Thief and Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Despite finding all of the readings interesting and exciting, he School’s Back in Session, Time to Schedule Your Visits
Performing Arts Corner
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Top Gun: Maverick- 36 years later, Tom Cruise returns as Pete “Maver ick” Mitchell in this next iteration of Top Gun (1986). Working as a test pilot, Maverick gets assigned to teach at the Fighter Weapons School, where he was once a student long ago. He must train a detachment of graduates for a special mission, but encounters some of the ghosts of his past. One of the students, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), is the son of Maverick’s friend Nick “Goose” Bradshaw. Goose died in a training assignment back when he and Mav erick were students. So, aside from the hardship of training the graduates, Maverick has to deal with the guilt he feels towards Rooster and the rest of Goose’s family. The Pharcyde Rating: 9/10
Reading Program Helps Keep Summer of 2022 Lit
didn’t start the assignment until the reality of school came into closer fo cus.“I thought it was difficult to get them read on time since was gone most of the summer, but I finished them just before school started,” Hill said.Readings for sophomores were class-dependent, with Honors stu dents having one fewer choice text than their American literature class mates. In addition to continuing their study of Foster’s literary study, tenth-graders read Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying and Honors stu dents read Chopin’s The Awakening Juniors enrolling in the Western literature course were required to read Trevor Noah’s memoir, Born a Crime in addition to two choice texts from a list of four contemporary op tions.“We selected Born a Crime be cause we wanted to introduce more non-fiction into the curriculum. “As a comedian Trevor Noah takes the controversial and difficult subject of living under apartheid in South Afri ca and presents it in a light, relatable way,” said English teacher Mrs. Di taranto.Juniors in AP Language and Composition read Noah’s book and George Orwell’s dystopian look at government and society, 1984. In addition, they were asked to read one choiceReturningtext. junior Hannah Es pensen, who selected Golding’s Lord of the Flies as her optional read, re ally enjoyed 1984 “I liked learning about how the characters’ lives were under government control. It was cool how they ended up in the same place where they started,” Espensen said.Fellow AP Language student Ella Chait raves that Noah’s story was amazing. “I was really invested in the characters of the story and liked how it was a real-life story, not a fantasy,” saidChallengedChait. over the summer by the demands of the college applica tion process and completing all of their writing supplements, the read ing load for Seniors taking semes ter-length courses was lightened to one novel: Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale Seniors enrolled in AP Literature, meanwhile, read a novel and play and viewed a film from one of four themes: Twisted Identi ties; Anna, Revisited; Schooled; and ClassicMrs.Love.McCambrige, who is teach ing From Brush to Book during the first semester finds summer reading to be quite valuable. “It is essential for students to continue reading be yond the classroom. To develop a love of reading begins early and can only continue when one engages with it throughout life,” said Mrs. Mc Cambridge.Whilethe faculty of the English department clearly holds that summer reading is an important piece of the academic program, they don’t neces sarily want it to be viewed as a tax ing, over-laborious mental exercise. “Each year we gather to discuss the summer reading program. Our first question is why are we doing it. Essays, exams, academic penalties and gotcha-opportunities are answers that never come up,” offered depart ment member Dr. Peruggia. “We thoughtfully reflect on what texts can contribute to students’ growth as people, not just students of literature. Our works aim to pro voke questioning, introspection, and conversation. If you enter any En glish class in mid-August, I think you’ll see that the results speak for themselves,” said Dr. Peruggia. Opportunities for Reflection Haroun and The Sea of Stories
Testing Dates September2022-2023ACT10October22 December 10 February 11 April 25 June 10 July 15 August September5* 16 November 4 January 6 March 10 May 5 June 16 SAT August October271 November 5 December 3 MarchMay116 June 3 July September29** 2 October 7 November 3 February 10 April 7 May 4
Aug. 16.
and anything else that can be found online shouldn’t be asked while on tour. Rather, ask questions that are “simple”, according to Mr. Alvarez. “The question to ask in my opin ion is, ‘is this a freshman dorm?’ I toured a campus one time, and it was a beautiful room,” Mr. Alvarez said. “And it was this room with seniors only. It was going to take three years before a student who was on that tour was going to be able to live in that room.”Furthermore, questions that are asked should be specific to what you are looking for on the tour. “There’s no blanket like, ‘you should ask these five questions.’ You have to do the reflection, and figure out what’s important to you,” Mrs. GoldbergSometimes,said. asking the tour guide questions about their own experienc es at the university can be helpful. Oftentimes, a student or two is giving the tour, so learning about their ex perience can help give a glimpse into student life. “I always like to ask the sort of more quirky questions,” Mrs. Wright said. “What’s the sort of life on a Tuesday evening? What clubs and or ganizations have you joined? What’s your favorite interaction with a pro fessor?” It can also be beneficial to take time after the tour to walk around the campus and get a gist of it. While do ing that, the college counselors sug gest talking to students at the school. “Say, ‘excuse me. I’m looking at the school. just have a couple of questions. Do you mind helping me?’ And most kids will say ‘yeah, what do you need?’ ‘What do you like about this place? What don’t you like about this place? And would you re-enroll here again, if you had a chance?’” Mr. Alvarez said. Mr. Alvarez also suggests writing down what you liked and disliked about the school right after the tour so that it remains fresh in your mind. An initial reaction is better than at tempting to recall your experience, Mr. Alvarez says. The number of college visits that a student takes varies, but they are certainly one of the most important pieces to finding a place that can be home for four years. For example, Tvisha Goel ‘22, who attends Tufts University, only took two college visits.“In August 2021, I had the chance to visit Vanderbilt,” she said. “This was a big school for me because I was considering applying ED2 to it. The second and last college visit I made was in September of 2021. I visited UChicago, and this was also a really important visit because I wanted to apply ED1 to the school.” If you’re going to miss school for a college visit, a student must obtain a College Visit Planned Absence Form, which can be found in Building 1 or on BucLinks. All teachers and your college counselor must sign the form to verify that you will be missing school.
Backdoor Cafe, a night of music, poetry, and individual expression, will take place on Thurs day, 10/6 at 6:00pm in room 202. Over the summer, thirteen students studied along side Arts & Innovation Department Chair Ms. Me lissa Grillo learning how to use Adobe software in Introduction to Graphic Design. “I was blown away by the students’ dedication and attention to detail throughout the entire three-week semester. They produced some incred ible work,” said Grillo. We are pleased to be able to print four of the stu dents’ projects here, in hopes that it may inspire others to pursue their passions and enhance their creativity by taking courses in the fine arts.
Looking Back on This Summer’s Box Office Hits
LIV Aims to Rival PGA As Tours Battle
State Semi-Finals Loss
Football Targets State Championship Following Off-Season’s Hard-Work
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Jackson Zentner Staff Writer
Staff Writer On June 30, the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans, storied athletic programs, decided to switch athletic conferences. Both schools were in the PAC-12 (Pacific Athletic Confer ence) and decided to move to the Big 10 over money and competition. The changes take effect at the start of the 2024-2025 season. USC and UCLA have been flag ship schools within the PAC-12. Even though the geographic features of the move to the Big 10 make little sense, the schools look to move because of how both schools are getting paid. Both schools will be getting $80 mil lion dollars when they join and look to sign financially lucrative television contracts in the near future. Now, the move is being post poned to 2024 because of the exist ing television contracts both schools have with the PAC-12 conference. Those contracts expire in the 20232024 season, right when the schools would be eligible to join the Big 10. If both schools joined the conference, they would receive major financial penalties from their contracts. A major reason why both schools chose to move is for the competition the Big 10 offers. As both were dom inating in the PAC-12 in basketball and football, they chose to move to a more competitive athletic confer ence.USC has many sports where they have been top in the country, and football was a major one. Since they welcome newly former Oklahoma Head Coach Lincoln Riley, many col lege recruits are coming to USC to be coached under Riley.
Volleyball Looks to Avenge With Veteran Squad
Swim Teams Hoping to Make Big Splash As Season Begins though they are being paid extreme amounts of money, many people be lieve that they have sold out. “I think the golfers that have switched over already are only switching for the money aspect. I think that is bad for the game of golf, and who knows what is in the con tracts they had to sign. I hope not many other golfers decide to switch,” said junior JP Walsh. The controversy continues when many lovers of the game of golf be lieve this style of “poaching” players from the PGA is unorthodox and is going to dilute both tours making them less competitive. “I like what the LIV is doing for the game of golf, but am also sad to see some of my favorite players leave the PGA Tour. I want to see everyone compete against each other, as I like golf when it is more competitive,” said sophomore Caden Hayes.
Bryson DeChambeau recently left the PGA Tour for the LIV Tour. He is one of many golfers switching tours. (Photo by golfdigest.com)
Hopes Running High: Cross Country Seeks 2022 Success
Freshman Ryan Smith thinks that the PAC-12 is going to collapse. “Lincoln Riley knew that the op portunity to play in the Big 10 was a better opportunity than the PAC-12. This single move confirms that the PAC-12 is bound to fall apart,” said Smith.Another sport where USC thrives is basketball. The Big-10 is not a bas ketball-powered conference. There are some schools there that made the top 25 this year, such as Illinois (19), Purdue (10), and Wisconsin (14). Even though USC was not ranked in the top 25 last year, they still brought the talent to the court with the team they Whilehad. USC is a powerhouse in basketball and football, UCLA also thrives in the same sports. Starting off with football, they have senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Rob inson who looks to lead this team to greatness. With the many transfers, UCLA looks positively moving into the Big Another10. sport where UCLA also excels is basketball. Even though USC brought in some great recruits, UCLA did better. Both 5 stars Amari Bailey and Adem Bona look to lead this team to another Final Four in March. With UCLA moving to the Big 10 soon, there is no doubt the UCLA basketball team will find a way to be at the top of the country. The next few years will be an in teresting time for USC and UCLA. The moves to change conferences for money and competition may prove to be rewarding despite being delayed for years to come. Time will tell whether the PAC-12 or Big 10 will be the winner of this decision.
NBA superstar Kevin Durant recently request ed a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, resulting in many teams attempting to trade for the former MVP. (Photo by chicitysports.com)
A group of cross country runners (left to right: sophomore Chris Tighe, freshman Gavin Venoff, 7th grader Max Wendler, 6th grader Paddy Irish, and junior Hudson Bryne) warm up before the start of a pre-season prac tice. (Photo by Charlie Spungin)
Not only are some fans mad at the emergence of a new tour, but the PGA Tour is also not very happy with the situation they have been put in. First ly, the PGA Tour now has less mon ey in the pots, making the LIV Tour a more desirable place to play if one is looking for big purses. Secondly, they now have to deal with many of the big name players promoting the LIV, which will dig into the revenue of the PGA. In response to the new tour, the PGA Tour has come out and told golf ers if they are going to switch tours, they will be permitted to do so, but they will no longer be invited to PGA Tour events. Although many golfers have made the switch, most have stayed with the PGA. It was reported that Tiger Woods was offered close to $700M to be the face of the LIV, yet he turned down the offer to stay with the PGA.“Iam happy with the competi tion between the two tours but I also want to see loyalty with the players. I would not like to see everyone sell out for money,” said junior Bryn Feldman.TheLIV Tour has started to gain more ground as their events have gone smoothly at the start of the sea son, but the PGA has also had many successful events as of recent. This is a controversy that will not be figured out overnight and will be ongoing for years to come.
Matt Marasco Sports Editor With the NFL preseason under way, it is time for fans everywhere to get excited about this year as it has the potential to be their team’s year. Although every team has a chance to go to the playoffs and compete for a Super Bowl, there are a few teams that had outstanding performances in the free agency and the NFL draft that are on track to have a year to re member.Oneteam that had a star-studded draft is the Kansas City Chiefs. After star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was traded to the Dolphins after being unable to agree to terms on a con tract, the Chiefs had many gaps to fill throughout their team. So, with draft picks acquired from Hill’s trade to the Dolphins, they were able to find many hidden gems to fill those gaps. With additions such as wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and safety Justin Reid during free agency, the Chiefs are on track to win their division and appear in the postseason for the eighth straight year. Many students believe the Chiefs have a very good chance to contend for a Super Bowl. “I think the Chiefs will have a great season despite the loss of Tyreek Hill. I believe they are a legit imate contender even though they are in the toughest division in the NFL,” said junior Zach Neidoff. Another AFC contender is the Buffalo Bills, who finished with a record of 11-6 and made it to the di visional round of the playoffs. The Bills made many outstanding moves throughout the offseason, which in clude the addition of veteran pass rusher Von Miller. Quarterback Josh Allen has been getting better and bet ter each year, which makes them an easy choice to win the top spot in the AFC this year. “I usually don’t like the favorites to win the Super Bowl at the begin ning of the year, but the Bills look too good to not believe in. Josh Allen has quickly become a top three if not better QB in the league. They added Georgia standout running back James Cook, who will be a nice addition to an already great passing offense. Diggs is a stud, and Knox is a top TE. Plus they have a very good defense that although they lost a couple of depth cornerbacks, they gained a very talented young stud from UF in last year’s draft named Kaiir Elam,” said junior Andrew Lappin. For the NFC, the favorite for this upcoming season has to remain the Los Angeles Rams, as they have re tained the core of their Super Bowl winning team from last year and are going into their second season with star quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford told ESPN in an interview that he was not completely satisfied with his knowledge of the playbook last year but believes he will know it fully this year. Stafford was also given a new weapon in veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson, who played last year with the Chicago Bears. “I think the L.A Rams will have a great season coming off their su per bowl victory. Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford are a very dynamic duo, and I don’t think there is a de fense out there that can stop Cooper Kupp and that offense,” said sopho more Tommy Sini. Overall, with NFL viewership on the rise, fans everywhere are more than excited for the season to start so they can cheer for their real team as well as their fantasy teams.
Joey Tomassetti Managing Editor After a disappointing loss to Lakeland Christian ended their sea son last November, the Benjamin Buccaneers are ready to bounce back in this 2022 season. The Bucs have been working hard all offseason to be in the best shape possible for the start of theBenjaminseason. opens their season at Palm Beach Gardens on Friday, Au gust 19th in a road showdown. Then, their first home game is on Thursday, August 25th against John Carroll Catholic.Junior
Energized,
The girls’ volleyball team has been elite in the last 5 years. Last year, the team managed to make it to the state semi finals. The season end ed with a tough loss to Westminster Christian in the semifinals. Assistant Athletic Director Alex Clarke, who is approaching her 13th season as the team’s head coach, is a large factor in the consistent success of the team. The team finished with sixteen wins and eight losses last sea son. It added another regional title to its shelf but a state title has remained elusive.The team has a very young core, which will allow for continued suc cess for the approaching season. The team only graduated one senior from last year’s roster. Given this youth and a success ful season last year, Coach Clarke has high hopes for the team for this season. “Our goal is to give 100% ev eryday and work together as a team to persevere through challenges,” Coach Clarke said. “Ultimately, our goal will be to win a district title, regional title and eventually a state championship.”Playersshare a similar excite ment to Coach Clarke with the season approaching.“I’msoexcited about the upcom ing season,” junior Maggie Smith said. “Last year was a lot of fun, and can’t wait to see how we do. We have a lot of new faces, so can’t wait to see the talent unfold.” The team’s quest for a state title gets underway on Mon., Aug. 22 ver sus Southfork at Southfork. Healey Gymnasium will host the home open er on Thurs., Aug. 25 against Calvary Christian at 5:30.
With the game of golf gaining more and more popular among all age groups, a new tour was founded to rival the PGA. This tour, named the LIV, was founded by the Saudi Ara bian government with the goal to take attention away from the PGA Tour by having better production, better play ers, and better purses. The main controversy around the LIV at this time is how they are obtaining some of their players. The Saudis are offering hundreds of mil lions of dollars to famous golfers on the PGA tour so that they will come play for the LIV. A handful of notable golfers have already switched over including Phil Mickelson, who was reportedly paid upwards of $200M, and Dustin Johnson, who was sup posedly paid upwards of $150M. Al pectations going into the new season, and the personal goals he is trying to achieve.“Our expectations for this season are to be solid on both sides of the ball, commit very few mistakes, and to come out and win every game. The team has improved the most in the weight room and from conditioning. It feels like a lot of people are locked in this year, which is great to see. My personal goals for this year are to get 1000 yards and to score twelve touch downs,” said Mays. Junior Jacob Cosby-Mosley thinks that the team’s hard work is going to pay off. He also explains how the team’s versatility and depth will be key to the team’s success. “I expect us to win the state championship this season. We have put in a lot of time and effort to better ourselves and to unite as a team. This along with consistency will take us to the next level. I believe that our team has strengthened its depth and we now have the ability to put anyone in a switchable position, with the team still running smoothly and efficient ly,” said Cosby-Mosely. As can be seen by the players, this year’s Buccaneers have a chance to do special things. They believe that they are good enough to win it all, and they have every right to do so.
Jackson Zentner Staff Writer SPF-50. Speedo. Splash. Sprint. In a sport measured in hundredths of a second, life centers around the four “sp”s of life around the pool deck for members of the Buccaneer swim teams. Whether it’s the butterfly or the freestyle, Benjamin boys swimming has a bright future ahead. The team is coached by North Palm Beach’s Mr. Dick Cavanah and Social Studies De partment Chair, Ms. Sara Misselhorn. The team had a solid season last fall and hopes that it can build on those successes this year. The team had a very good district meet being the runner up in districts. In the re gion 3 meet, Benjamin managed to finish in the middle of the pack with 194 points. Additionally, the group looks to avenge a close loss to Ox bridge.Boys’ team captain, senior Alex Lake says, “I am excited [for the up coming season]. We have some new and fast swimmers.” He has been staying in shape by representing An guilla in Liningcompetitions.uponthe blocks as the boys dry off, the female swimmers that constitute the girls’ team are res olute in their determination to out swim anyone who dares to jump into the lanes adjacent to them. Last season, they won districts and continued to do well in regionals with some swimmers coming close to going to the state meet. Like the boys’ squad, the team is also coached by Coach Cavanah and Ms. Misslehorn. Senior captain Sophie Marx says, “I’m so excited for the upcoming sea son because I have been training non stop with a personal trainer. We are getting many faster swimmers from the rising classes”. She also adds, “ I am so excited and I feel that with coaches Misslehorn and Cavanaugh we will do really well this next sea son.”Ms. Misselhorn feels that this season’s team has the ability to add onto last year’s accolades due to the skill on both the boys and girls side. “We sent a strong set of contend ers to the regional competition last year and hope to send more swim mers as well as all three relays,” Ms. Misselhorn said. “Not only do we practice to improve individual perfor mances, but the swimmers will also aim to post some new school record.” Although the swim season starts early, it’s still not too late to join the ranks. Practices are held daily at the North Palm Beach Swim Club. The teams’ first meet will take place on Sept. 7 at Oxbridge Academy.
Kickoff Approaching: Students Of fer Expectations for NFL Season
Chauncey Bowens, who is the Buccaneers star running back, shares his expectations for the team and some goals he has set for himself this upcoming season. “I expect our team to make a deep run in the playoffs and to win the state title. The team has improved a lot off the field by building bonds, improv ing chemistry, and working hard in the weight room. For me personally, I want to rush for 2000 yards, which would break the school record. I also want to be the best leader I can be,” saidSeniorBowens.Micah Mays, who is a great athlete both on the football field and on the track, also shares his ex
NBA Off-Season Brings Surprise, Excitement
Jackson Zentner Staff Writer With afternoon temperatures peaking this August, many around campus have noted shorts reaching their highest parts of carefully toned summer legs. Those with the shortest inseams, though, can once again be found traversing bridges, kicking up mud puddles, and pounding the turf as integral members of the Upper School’s Cross-Country squads. Coached by veteran running leg end Bob Hohnadel and middle school math teacher Ms. Erica Lazarus, the girls’ team is looking to build upon a very strong last season. “This is a tough sport both phys ically and mentally,” girls’ Head Coach Mr. Bob Hohnadel said. Not many people want to run six miles in a 100 degree heat index. Successful cross country runners must be great teammates and carry each other through tough practices.”
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Senior Ingrid Corpus has been a member of the team for years and is one of the team’s top runners. She be lieves that the team is very capable of growth this “Almostseason.ourwhole team is re turning, and we are looking to build a strong camaraderie and have another successful year,” she said. Last season featured a district ti tle from the boys’ squad, a result the team-- under returning and social studies teacher Mr. Nick Cramer-hopes to exceed this time around. Regarding their training regime, Coach Cramer says, “The boys’ team is among the youngest squads in the school’s successful athletic arsenal, but competitors should not take its in experience as a signal that the group isn’t competitive. Indeed, the runners are excited to make their marks in the record books-- be it school or person al.” Like its spring season sibling, cross country is a sport that often appeals to those whose athletic focus may lie elsewhere. Distance running has proven to benefit basketball, soc cer, and lacrosse players who seek to enhance their endurance, golfers and tennis players wanting to better their sense of individual responsibility and competition against one’s self, and even beach volleyballers who often train by running amidst the surf and dunes of the Juno and Jupiter beach es. Senior Luke Egizio is one of those athletes. A member of the var sity soccer team, Egizio is running on the cross country team for the first time this season. “It helps with soccer endurance,” he said. “I look forward to getting in better shape. I’m for sure in the back to start, but there’s room to improve. I’m getting taught new things, so I’m learning.”Many runners such as Freshman Owen Olbers believe the team has to work hard to make up for the ground lost after the senior classes gradua tion.“I think it will be a tough season because many runners have grad uated, but a lot of new people have signed up which is good. My goal is to improve from last season and try to do better all the time,” said Olbers. Both teams are still welcoming new runners. Practices are held dai ly, meeting at the track. The season officially opens today, Aug. 16 with a meet at Carlin Park.
Junior Chauncey Bowens runs in a touchdown against Clewiston in the spring football game. (Photo courtesy of Daniel McCullon) Although usually spotted wearing cleats and chasing a soccer ball across the pitch, Senior Luke Egizio has spent the summer building his endurance by running sprints and taking longer runs during cross country practice. Proving that it’s never too late to pursue a new interest, this is Egizio’s first year on the distance-running team. (Photo by Charlie Spungin)
Freshman Riley McCaughey pre pares to serve in an August prac tice. (Photo by Charlie Spungin)
Reid Waxman Staff Writer This offseason is described in one word: crazy. The many moves that occurred during this offseason made it crazy.Right as free agency started, for mer Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson signed to the New York Knicks on a four-year $104 million deal. Many people may think of this as a risk. With Brunson coming in, he would fill in at the point guard posi tion and take a lead role. The reason why this is a risk is he has played alongside guard Luka Doncic most of his career and has always been the second option. With Brunson having a lead role in the playoffs when Don cic was hurt in playoffs for the first three games (calf), he put up 24, 41, and 31-point games. Even though Brunson has not had that much expe rience with a lead role, he is a young player that is ready to get to work. The Knicks may have found them selves a gem. The biggest shock of the offsea son came when free agency did not start yet. Two time NBA champion forward Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. Al though no trade has happened, he looks to stay in Brooklyn to start the season. The Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat are reported to be on Durant’s wishlist.Freshman Reece Hoben thinks that Durant will end up on the Suns by giving up many first-round picks. “I think that Kevin Durant will go to the Suns in exchange for many picks along with a star player,” said Hoben.One of the many trades of this offseason was three-time DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year) Rudy Gobert traded to the Minnesota Tim berwolves for Patrick Beverley, Ma lik Beasley, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, four unprotected first round picks, a swap in 2026 and a top-five protected pick in 2029. This trade makes Gobert center Karl-Anthony Towns team mates alongside former number one overall pick Anthony Edwards. An alyzing this lineup, the front court would be very slow with those two big men. Positively though, they could be named the “Twin Towers” because Gobert is 7’1 and Towns at 6’11. It could be hard to pass them down low, but Gobert would make a huge defensive change to this Wolves team.The Atlanta Hawks acquired a defensive monster Dejounte Mur ray in a trade from the San Antonio Spurs. They acquired Danillo Galli nari, three first-round picks, and a pick swap. This trade helps out the backcourt of the Hawks defensively because star guard Trae Young has no defensive ability whatsoever. On the other hand, Murray is one of the best defenders in the league. The Atlanta Hawks backcourt could look scary next year, alongside forward DeAn dre Hunter, forward John Collins, and center Clint Capella. Do not be surprised if your favorite team loses against this new Hawks team since adding Murray could make them even more unstoppable. The Phoenix Suns stole center Deandre Ayton from the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers originally of fered Ayton a four-year and $133M contract. Since Ayton was a restrict ed free agent, the Suns matched the Pacers deal for him. From being the first overall pick, he put up very solid numbers. Playing alongside Booker his entire career, he turned into a star quickly. Throughout his career with the Suns, he put up 16.3 points per game as well with 10.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. The Pacers missed out on Ayton big time. His ability to score around the paint is one of the best in the league. With former Pacers forward and now Sacramento Kings forward Domantis Sabonis leaving, Ayton would have filled that lead role in a great way. Ayton is here to stay in Phoenix.Reigning back-to-back MVP Ni kola Jokic signed the biggest contract in NBA history. The contract is a fiveyear, $254M extension. The Joker is here to stay in Denver for many more years. Many more accolades are to come. This offseason is one to remem ber. Many stars come back to their teams for years to come, new faces on new teams, and one of the biggest stars in the league scares the league about a trade.
Matt Marasco Sports Editor
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