@thepharcyde_tbs
THE BENJAMIN SCHOOL NEWSPAPER 4875 Grandiflora Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
14 February 2022
@thepharcyde_tbs Volume 43
Issue 6
2022 Variety Show Brings a Virtual Whirlwind of Performances Sophia Liporace Co-Editor-in-Chief Every Martin Luther King weekend, performers across the Benjamin community ranging from first-grade students to faculty members take the Benjamin Hall stage to put on the Variety Show; this year, however, the performers rehearsed and filmed throughout the weekend to create a video edition of the show. In an email to the Dazzlers on Jan. 2, Performing Arts Department Chair Mrs. Sara Salivar informed the performers of the change in procedure. “Unfortunately, the recent rise in Omicron in our community has thrown a wrench into our live production of this year’s Variety Show. The school is returning to prior COVID protocols, including masks at all times while on campus and indoor practices, and no audiences in Benjamin Hall. This means that we have had to change the rehearsal schedule and performance (filming) schedule a bit to accommodate this new protocol,” she wrote. Because of out of state performers like alumni, it would be difficult to postpone the show and still maintain the production’s original intent with the full cast, filming everything on the weekend the show was scheduled will make for a seamless and safe transition. While it can be disappointing to not perform for a large in-person audience, immediate family members
The Dazzlers perform “Strongest Suit,” a jazz dance choreographed by head coach Corey Heins. The number comes from the Elton John and Tim Rice musical drama Aida, a work that chronicles the tragic love of a Nubian princess, Aida, and an Egyptian army captain, Radames. The Dazzlers’ number was just one highlight of the annual show whose theme highlighted the works of Broadway. (Photo by Erika Sousa)
of the performers were granted the ability to watch the filming, as stated by Head of the Upper School Mr. Fletcher Carr in an email on Jan. 9. “In terms of parental attendance of the filming sessions, parents are welcome to attend provided they sit in the mezzanine area of the auditorium, maintain social distance, and wear masks. We ask that you quietly
enter through the lobby lower level so as to not disturb the performers, the directors, or the filming. As of this date, all tickets that were purchased have been refunded,” he wrote. Junior Lexi Lower has only been able to perform in one live Variety Show in her high school career due to COVID-19 restrictions, but she sees this year’s strategy as a significant
Decisions Announced; Was Early Worth It? Evan Liberman Managing Editor For many seniors, December is hectic because of the stress of preparing college applications. For others, December is stressful because it is the month that Early Decision (ED) college applications are being returned. Now that the Early Decision season has concluded, The Pharcyde spoke to those involved in the process to get a better understanding of the work that went into completing an application and the support system available to Benjamin students. Early Decision is an aspect of the college process that allows students to apply to a single school by Nov. 1 (rather than the typical deadline of early Jan.) and typically receive a decision by the middle of December. The caveat to applying Early Decision is that if a student is accepted, he or she is legally bound to attend that institution and must retract all other applications. According to Director of College Counseling Ms. Anna Wright, Early Decision is a double-edged sword. “The numbers are clear: if you apply Early Decision you have a better chance of getting into that school. It’s a little bit like a pair of golden handcuffs. The good news is that you get into this great school. The bad news is that it robs choice.” Regardless of the pros and cons of the process, several Benjamin seniors opted to apply under certain universities’ Early Decision programs. One such student was Tyler Taplett. In order to apply Early Decision to his top school, Duke University, Taplett began working on his application in the fall. “When I applied, I went through the same steps as people do when they apply via Regular Decision. I
wrote my individual college supplemental essays, submitted by statistics, and finalized my essay for the Common Application,” Taplett said. Commenting on the ED process overall, Taplett added: “ED is a very wise admissions route, but only if you are truly invested in a particular school. Additionally, ED provides you with the opportunity to find out your decision from your top school sooner, which is a huge stress reliever in the college process as a whole.” “Although I didn’t get into Duke in round one, I didn’t let that stop me; I applied to Vanderbilt for ED round two, which I am hoping to hear from this week,” shared a resilient Taplett. In addition to Taplett, senior Jake Zur also chose to apply to his first choice school under the Early Decision program. “Early Decision is a great way to tell a particular college that they’re your top choice, a factor that can go a long way at some schools. If you have your heart set on a school and know you’d be happy there, then, assuming the school has ED, I recommend you apply,” Zur said. “My college counselor, Mrs. Goldberg, was a really big help when I was applying ED. She took time to read over all of my essays and made sure I was comfortable with my decision,” Zur noted. Although he has been deferred from the University of Pennsylvania, Zur is hopeful that he’ll get in on March 31. “If not, I will get to one of the other amazing schools I applied to without the binding contract of ED,” Zur said. In regards to the collaboration that takes place between Benjamin’s college counselors and the senior class, Associate Director of College
improvement. “It has been really hard throughout the last two years in terms of live performances, but I think being able to perform in Benjamin Hall for the people who support the most is very exciting, especially for the seniors since it is their last Variety Show. Hopefully, our other performances later this year like the Spring Dance
What’s inside this issue...
Counseling Mr. Juan Alvarez said: “We support Early Decision applicants the same way we do Regular Decision applicants. The only difference in our work between the processes is that, with our ED students, we confirm with them and ask: ‘Are you sure this is the place you want to go? Have you done your homework?’ The kids that the College Counseling Department worked with all did their homework.” “Our role is to be realistic with students about the numbers, to be realistic about the choices that they’re making. At certain schools we had a really great success rate, and then at others, it was tough out there, but your best shot was Early Decision,” Ms. Wright said. According to collegevine.com, “With so many qualified candidates now applying through early decision programs, it’s easy to see why colleges are apt to favor them. In fact, at many schools, early decision applicants are accepted at rates 10-12% higher than regular decision applicants.”
Retired Mr. Ream returns to the math department
Journalists honored as Quill and Scroll Society inducts eight new members
A month of Tigers and Kings
Dating in the 21st century: The Pharcyde takes a look at the state of romance
Art thou ready for a look? A gallery of artwork from the first semester
Beijing 2022: Your guide to the second week of the Winter Olympiad
12%
According to collegevine.com, by applying Early Decision, seniors may be increasing their chances of acceptance to universities by as much as 10 to 12%
Concert will remain normal,” she said. The Variety Show involves an extremely large portion of the Benjamin community, featuring lower, middle, and upper school dancers, vocalists, musicians, and actors as well as select alumni, faculty members, and parents. Many numbers highlighted medleys featuring various members of the community. One particular number, “Wicked” featured the Dazzlers dancing to songs performed by juniors Maddie Domnick and Katherine Rodgers and seniors Emma Hardyman and Catherine Schenk. Also, there was a Chicago medley during which alumna Audrey Blake performed “All That Jazz” before the Dazzlers danced to “1Cell Block Tango”. Mothers and daughters of the Benjamin community, including English teacher Mrs. Suzanne McCambridge, performed a song from The Sound of Music while sophomores Asia Cohen and Skyler Hoben and senior Abby Swank danced. The various members of the community came together to produce a diverse and entertaining show. The completed video, which will be made to run identically to how the in-person show would run, was released via email on Wed, Jan. 9.
The Class of 2022 celebrated reaching 100 days until graduation with a breakfast held in their honor and sponsored by the senior parent liaisons.