The Pharcyde, 43.2

the

PHARCYDE

THE BENJAMIN SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

@thepharcyde_tbs

4875 Grandiflora Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418

School Mourns Loss of Beloved, Veteran Lower School Teachers Leah Klein Staff Writer The Benjamin family lost two of its most cherished members this fall: Lower School French teacher Mrs. Lisa Arline and Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Laura Chesnes.

Mrs. Arline, a graduate of the first 6th grade class of North Palm Beach Private School, devoted her entire professional career to her alma mater.

Her kind heart, “joie de vivre,” and indomitable soul, made an indelible impression on generations of Benjamin students.

Remembering Mrs. Arline, freshman Sawyer LeFevre recalled her engaging teaching methods: “Mrs. Arline helped me learn by teaching me animals, numbers, and seasons with

puppets and songs in Pre K-2 grades, and in grades 3-5 she gave us helpful songs to remember the conjugations of which we still use and know.”

In addition to a 22-year career as a Benjamin Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Chesnes is also the parent to two Benjamin graduates, Mary and Max. Freshmen Brianna Cousin remembers the impact Mrs. Chesnes had on her from day one: “She was my first teacher here at Benjamin. She helped me learn the Benjamin values along with the golden rule, which is ‘treating others how you wish to be treated’. She was a kind person with a big heart and made people feel welcome.”

27 September 2021

@thepharcyde_tbs

Volume 43

Issue 02

In Memoriam Mrs. Laura Chesnes July 6, 1965 - August 21, 2021

Mrs. Lisa Arline, ‘68 October 24, 1956 - August 31, 2021

Juggling Your Classes: When to Drop and When to Add Another into the Mix Sophia Liporace Co-Editor-in-Chief Every Benjamin student is familiar with getting an email from Director of Student Services Dr. Amy Taylor warning students that the two week period for adding and dropping classes will soon be coming to an end.

Various students including senior Ali Brown can agree that this warning can create a whirlwind of emotion and confusion regarding whether or not a class should be dropped. Of course, it can be difficult to gauge the workload and level of a class in two weeks, but teachers, students, and college counselors believe that they have helpful advice for when a situation like this arises.

During the add and drop period, many students will drop an AP class or two once they realize that the workload may be too much of a burden with other classes and extracurricular activities. On the contrary, some students may decide that they’re ready for a challenge and will decide to switch from regular to honors or honors to AP. Head of the English department Mrs. Sharon Wendler thinks that students can easily figure out their preferred level of difficulty from the first few days of curriculum.

“I think most often based on the discussion in the first few days of the summer reading, the expectations surrounding the discussion is what will make students say either ‘I’m in the right place’ or ‘I’m in the wrong place.’ That goes either way because sometimes a student will decide they’re ready for a challenge and for a class that will better prepare them for college like an AP, but on the other hand, a student may think they

need more structure and support that will come from an on-level course,” Mrs. Wendler added.

The add and drop period is designed for students to figure out which type of course best fits their needs and gives students the opportunity to try a class out before ultimately making a decision.

“I think the add and drop period is always very helpful when it comes to finalizing a schedule,” said Ali Brown.

“I was initially in Marine Science, but I quickly realized that I would be more interested in a class where I could play to my strength in social studies and learn about relevant events. I switched to Current Issues with Mr. Carr, and after a few weeks in the class I am confident I made the right decision,” she added.

Reasons for adding and dropping specific classes can vary but Associate Director of College Counseling Mrs. Bekka Goldberg thinks that students should definitely consider a few questions when contemplating

staying in a class.

“The considerations for dropping a class really depend on that specific class and that specific students overall schedule, but what students should consider is if they can manage the workload and manage it well, if the class peaks their curiosity and if it fits their aspirations for beyond Benjamin,” said Mrs. Goldberg.

Mrs. Goldberg also stressed the importance of using Benjamin’s rigorous class selection to the best of the students’ abilities. The School strives to both challenge and engage the students through their classes, ensuring heightened performance and participation.

“When we advise students on schedules, we talk to them about taking the most challenging course load where they can be successful. We tell them to take rigorous classes in areas of interest and areas of strength, so this doesn’t mean that students should pursue a whole AP program just because it’s available to them.”

Students contemplate dropping classes when the workload becomes too much to bear or if they find that the class is not a good fit for them.

(Photo by Sophia Liporace)

What’s Inside

The Mindful Student and Philosophy clubs define fear

- p. 2

Student essay excerpts discuss issue of withdrawal from Afghanistan

- p. 3

Seniors give their thoughts on balancing school and college work

- p. 6

The Pharcyde gives tips on how to improve a resume for college

- p. 8-9

All of Benjamin’s sports commits and where they are headed

- p. 12

Page 2

The Pharcyde

27 September 2021

As COVID Restrictions Change, Has the Time Come to Zoom Out of Remote Learning?

Joey Tomassetti Staff Writer With Benjamin spending a large amount of funds on Zoom equipment for each classroom, time will tell how long they stick around and stay relevant enough to be used.

Ever since March 2020, Zoom has become an important part of the school curriculum.

With COVID-19 cases forcing students to quarantine and possibly miss school, Zoom has been a safe and effective way for students to attend school, even from the confines of their homes.

Sophomore Andrew Lappin thinks that Zoom has been a positive addition to schools thus far.

“I think that schools have changed for the better because it gives students options on whether they want to be online or in school. Also, if a student gets quarantined or cannot be in school, they can still attend and learn in class,” says Lappin.

He also believes that Benjamin has handled online learning well in these uncertain circumstances and believes that it will stay for years to come.

“I like that students have the option to be online if they are sick or cannot come to school, and Benjamin has set up a lot of good technology to accommodate remote learners. I think Zoom will become a permanent part of learning because it lets students have flexibility when learning, and it can accommodate their needs,” says Lappin.

Junior Nico Frezin also likes the addition of Zoom to the learning curriculum.

“I think Zoom is beneficial because it creates an interactive online learning environment. I think that people really like being able to learn from their homes because they don’t

miss anything,” says Frezin.

Frezin still likes in person school better than online school, but he would be fine if it became permanent at Benjamin.

“I like being on campus better because I want to be able to see my friends in classes, and I find it easier to learn when I’m in a classroom.

If Zoom were to stick around, I’d be cool with it, but it still seems strange having it around. I can see the benefits of keeping it, but it still reminds me of COVID everytime I think of it,” says Frezin.

Dean of Students Mr. Jacobsen thinks that schools have adapted because of Zoom rather than changed and believes that Benjamin has handled it in the best way possible.

“I think schools have adapted out of necessity to Zoom, but I hesitate to say they’ve changed. Zoom has become a useful tool in many ways outside of students in quarantine or being ill, which I think are the most useful ways to utilize it. I think we’ve done the best job we possibly could.

Technology always presents challenges, but we, as a community, have risen to meet them as they have come up,” says Mr. Jacobsen.

He also believes that Zoom is here to stay, whether it is here at Benjamin or anywhere else.

“I think it will be a permanent part of daily life, whether here at TBS or outside. Being able to have faceto-face interactions or meetings with people from long distances is very useful, so I would imagine that will not go away. As far as students learning remotely from home goes, I think that the application of Zoom may be the least helpful. Given the times we are in, however, it is our best tool to help students who cannot be on campus,” says Mr. Jacobsen.

It will be interesting to see if Benjamin decides to keep online learning as a part of the curriculum after this year. Until COVID-19 is under control and students are no longer missing school because of its implications, it looks like Zoom is here to stay.

Fear is different for everyone, but the reaction it causes in the Human Brain is the same; it’s universal. When we experience fear, our nervous system goes into overdrive.

This phenomenon helped early humans survive, but the reaction it causes is in many ways outdated. A holistic way to approach this is by looking through the lens of Mindfulness. When using this method, you can realize that fear is actually quite immaterial. In the Mindful Student Club, we believe that if you practice

mindfulness no matter how experienced you are it can have a positive impact on your life. Whether you want to become a better athlete or want to overcome a challenge and fear you have, Mindfulness will help you. To put it another way, if you want to become a better version of yourself, the first step you should take is to practice mindfulness. Thus if you have a “Mindful Perspective” in everything you do, you will be better prepared for anything life throws at you.

The Philosophy Club Fear is good, for fear is what obvious ‘positive’ trade off of every ultimately motivates us to make action, there is the trade off of what decisions that result in our growth. would have made that fear closer Deep inside of us, in our subconto becoming a reality. That is to say sciousness, lie fears, and it is in the that we make decisions that drive evasion of these fears that our decius away from our deepest fears, sions are made, in a level we may and by doing so, since the fears are not be aware of. Every decision we branded as ‘bad’ in our definitions make has a trade off, that is what of what ‘bad’ consists of, we grow we lose or give up from making towards achieving what we believe that decision, and other than the is ‘good’ for ourselves.

Students give mixed responses about the continuation of Zoom. The new technology was implemented for the first time in 2020 when COVID-19 threatened in-person attendance.

(Photo by Joey Tomassetti)

Hurricane Ida Strikes Louisiana, Alumni Impacted Joey Tomassetti Staff Writer On Sunday, Aug. 29, Category 4 Hurricane Ida made landfall on the Southeastern Louisiana coast, ravaging areas such as New Orleans and Grand Isle.

Ben Lesserson, a Benjamin graduate, attends the University of Tulane in New Orleans. He decided to evacuate, but still made preparations to make sure his house would stay intact.

“I put sandbags in front of the doors and moved valuables from downstairs to the upstairs in case my house flooded. I went to Memphis to evacuate with a group of friends, but when Tulane closed its campus for two weeks, we all flew home,” said Lesserson.

Ida formed on the morning of Aug. 26, leaving little time for people to decide to stay or evacuate. Lesserson was also faced with this tough decision.

“It was a little difficult to make the decision to leave. It happened really quickly, so we didn’t have much time to pack, prepare our houses, and decide what our evacuation plan was.

The hardest part was that we were all looking forward to a normal semester with in person classes,” says Lesserson.

Ida made landfall precisely 16 years after Hurricane Katrina, one of the most deadly hurricanes on record, made landfall in Louisiana. New Orleans was better prepared for Ida than it was for Katrina, but not enough to minimize the effects of a Category 4 hurricane.

Lesserson, like everyone else in New Orleans, was scared of what would be left in the path of the storm.

Mindful Student Club

Hurricane Ida barreled into Louisiana exactly 16 years after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc in the Gulf. Ida caused about 18 billion dollars in damage, and impacted many locals.

(Photo courtesy of NOAA.gov)

Almost a month later, he sees things starting to improve.

“I was really concerned about the aftermath of the storm, especially when Tulane decided to close its campus. However, I am back in New Orleans now, and the city is mostly cleaned up and power is restored.

Overall, I’d say Tulane and New Orleans proper are recovering well from the storm,” says Lesserson.

Crystal Pauldo, another former Benjamin student, attends Loyola University of New Orleans. She also evacuated for the storm, but she made sure she had provisions beforehand.

“To prepare for the storm, I went shopping for water, non-perishable food, and lots of batteries. I ended up evacuating to Texas and then came home to Florida. It was hard to leave because it was hard to separate from my friends. I was absorbed into a community of great people very quickly,” says Devine.

Compared to other hurricane experiences she’s had in Florida, Pauldo thinks that they are very different from those of Louisiana.

“This hurricane experience was definitely different. I’ve never had to evacuate for a storm because, in Florida, we are not below sea level like New Orleans is,” says Pauldo.

Devine’s school did not sustain any catastrophic damage, but the suburbs around her were not as fortunate.

“There is no significant damage to my school. However, the surrounding suburbs have significant damage, and it is hard to see others struggle.

My school has gathered together neighboring charities to do service repairs on houses,” says Pauldo.

Hopefully, the state of Louisiana will fully recover from the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. This also serves as a message to take hurricanes seriously be prepared.

Cups, Contests, Connections: New Grade Level Chairs Lead Activities, Engage Advisories Clara Schor Social Media Director As a new tradition to the school year, advisories will compete against one another in competitions and participate in activities to stay engaged in school other than classes.

Each grade level has an advisory chair who initiates activities for their advisories.

Due to COVID-19, August activities had been postponed and advisor chairs are gradually introducing activities.

For the entire upper school, senior chair Dr. John Peruggia has initiated a fantasy football draft for separate advisories as well as students.

Freshman grade level chair and Science teacher Mrs. Amanda Pierman has been teaching at Benjamin for the past 15 years. As an alumna, she is excited to have been chosen to lead the freshmen class.

In the future, Mrs. Pierman said “We are planning on doing something like Freshmen’s got talent and keep in communication with assisted living and nursing homes for our senior citizens in our community throughout the year.”

Mrs. Pierman hopes that this new tradition will keep up in the years to come.

As head varsity volleyball coach and now new advisory chair, Coach Alexandria Clarke is new to a different dynamic of the upper school, being the advisor chair for the sophomore grade.

Also as a new tradition, in previous years, a Senior Cup would be awarded to advisories who have accomplished or completed tasks or surveys sent from administration or teachers but this year, all grade levels have a Class Cup. Mrs. Clarke believes that the Class Cup helps encourage students.

“The class cup brings out the competitiveness in the students. If the activity helps them compete for the Class Cup, then they seem to be more into it.”

Dr. Peruggia for the senior grade has decided that the seniors will decorate flags, individual ones as well as advisory flags to encourage more school spirit.

Senior Lily Valentini who decorated flags with her advisory noted, “I agree that students should be engaged as an advisory group and bonding as a group without phones, but I think that doing the flags earlier in the week was just confusing. We were just told to decorate them with our name and graduating class but no one really mentioned what they were for in the long run.”

“The flags have a purpose. They’ll be used during a number of Senior activities and events this year. I’m sorry that some people missed this point despite emails and announcements explaining this to advisors and seniors,” offered Dr. Peruggia.

Has your group won a Cup yet?

The Pharcyde

27 September 2021

Page 3

USA Pulls Out of Afghanistan, Students Reflect on Situation Charlie Spungin Copy Editor On Aug. 30, the United States military officially pulled out of Afghanistan after being present in the country for nearly 20 years.

The decision, led by President Joe Biden, brought controversy and debate about if the military truly should have exited the country.

The Current Issues class, taught by the Head of Upper School Mr. Carr, focuses on major current world events and issues. The students in the class wrote opinion essays on whether the United States should have or should not have withdrawn from Afghanistan.

Students weighed the various costs of the withdrawal in terms of the United States’ broader geopolitical aims, the nature of “forever” wars, the complexity of nation-building, and the original mission of the military action in Afghanistan. Most students agreed that the logistical handling of the withdrawal raised serious questions; they also felt great sympathy for the Afghan citizens left in that country to, again, live under Taliban rule. Overall, however, opinions as to whether ending the war was the right thing varied as you can see from these excerpts from five of the essays submitted.

Using Time in Afghanistan as a Lesson

All in all, America did the right thing in leaving the war-torn country of Afghanistan once and for all. Yes, the people of Afghanistan may suffer under the fundemntalist Taliban regime (at least until they are vanquished), but a greater humanitarian crisis has been stopped because of our decision to leave.

Moreover, a future humanitarian disaster has also been minimized in that fewer American troops will be killed fighting for their country. We cannot undo what has already been done, but we can use Afghanistan as a lesson for our kin and future generations.

From Afghanistan citizens holding onto a military plane while taking off to ISIS-K suicide bombings, the Kabul airport was the site of many events throughout the United States’ military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

(Photo courtesy of dailysabah.com)

Withdrawal Was Inevitable

The disaster in Afghanistan unfolding right in front of our eyes is a product of continuous mismanagement and lack of control strategies across the past four presidencies. As of last month, one of the longest wars in modern history came to an end with President Biden’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, a war where after 20 years of fighting ends in a Taliban victory. Despite many efforts from the United States and its allies, we now leave the country at square one, controlled by the same fundamentalist regime that ruled Afghanistan in 2001. From the outside looking in, this decision leaves everyone thinking that the strategic choice to withdraw is a complete mistake and an embarrassment on behalf of our country and on the Biden administration. This interpretation of Biden’s decision fails to consider, however, that there was no good way for the United States to exit our failed war with Afghanistan.

Leaving Afghanistan is Long Overdue

In October 2001, in response to the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Operation Enduring Freedom started. The goal was clear: dismantle the Taliban’s control in Afghanistan to prevent Al-Qaeda from seeking refuge in their ally’s territory. Twenty years later the United States is finally leaving. The decision to leave has sparked controversy, with a disaster of a withdrawal leading some to believe the United States should have stayed even longer in the nation. Although the withdrawal itself could have been handled far better than it did, the U.S. was long overdue for leaving Afghanistan.

The Impact on American Long-Term

The United States is more than just a country. It is an influential nation that plays an immense role in global politics. The circumstances under which the Afghanistan withdrawal occurred set a poor example for the rest of the world and placed distrust in America as a whole for the abandonment of its citizens and those assisting the US military.

Members of the Taliban ride in a car following their takeover of the Afghanistan government. Until their recent capture of the country, they had not been in power since 2001.

(Photo courtesy of The Washington Post)

President Biden Handled Evacuation Poorly

The thirteen: Espinoza, Gee, Hoover, Knauss, Lopez, McCollum, Merola, Nikoni, Pichardo, Sanchez, Schmitz, Soviak, and Page. Thirteen U.S. service men and women gave the ultimate sacrifice. For what? For democracy? For freedom? For a Presidential photo-op on 9.11.21? The United States of America should have withdrawn from Afghanistan. However, once the poorly planned evacuation started to unravel, President Biden should have acted to save lives and restructure the withdrawal. A true leader would have admitted his mistake and changed course. President Biden’s hasty withdrawal from the 20-year war in Afghanistan unnecessarily resulted in the death and endangerment of Americans and her allies, empowered the Taliban and other terrorist groups, and exposed the lack of leadership engulfing our democracy, all on the world stage.

Dr. John Peruggia has started some new traditions this year including having all senior advisories decorate flags in order to create a bonding experience in the seniors’ last year at the Benjamin Upper School.

(Photo by Clara Schor)

Unites States Army soldiers get off a flight from Afghanistan in December 2020 as Former President Donald Trump began to withdraw troops from the military.

(Photo courtesy of The Washington Post)

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27 September 2021

Student Voices

The Pharcyde

Distorted Diversity: Representation Needs Rethinking Out of 466 students enrolled at the Upper School, 78% are white.

The next biggest group of students are the 6% of Multicultural American students and 6% of Hispanic students, but School marketing techniques show otherwise.

Starting as early as 2010, publications such as the Buccaneer magazine have tried to showcase the abundance of students of color at Benjamin.

Magazine covers consistently show students of several different races posing for a photo.

In the Class of 2021 senior insert, various students were interviewed about their post-graduation plans.

The students consisted of one African American girl, one Asian boy, two white girls, one Hispanic boy, an Indian boy, and a white girl who is Bahamian and came to Benjamin post-Hurricane Dorian.

Based on this representation, the Benjamin student population could consist of 42% white people, 14% African American, 14% Asian, 14% Indian, and 14% Hispanic.

Director of Marketing Mrs. Jessica Padon ‘01 discussed how promotional publications are made and the specificities of how photographs are chosen.

“When we are taking a staged photo for magazines we certainly make choices for who is in the photos. While it may be correct that for the senior insert we had a heavy lean on diversity that is not reflective of the actual student population, I would

say that is just a byproduct of the other things we wanted to include. For that one we wanted an artist, athlete, students in service and engineering so we had different priorities. We spoke with the college counseling teams and those were the students we came up with,” she said.

A recent graduate who felt that

she had been repeatedly used for marketing purposes commented on how her frequent representation in School publications made her uncomfortable.

“Benjamin’s lack of diversity isn’t unsurprising, as it is a prestigious, expensive school. However, Benjamin tends to market the school as a place that has people of color,

Robert Letsche

whether student or teacher, in most classrooms, which is not correct. I feel like they made me a poster child because I looked like a kind, welcoming black student. Even when I voiced concerns about my sibling and I, the same situations persisted,” she said.

While Benjamin may feel that

by representing different people in School publications will make more people feel comfortable and welcomed, oftentimes these measures can be counterproductive.

“It is difficult feeling comfortable just being a student and focusing on my studies, when I feel like a check mark on a “Have Diversity?” card,” said that same anonymous student.

Despite the misrepresentation, the School is working on diversity by having an Equity and Inclusion committee whose mission is to “support the overall mission of The Benjamin School by providing a challenging college preparatory education to a diverse student body in a structured, nurturing community environment.”

Senior Tvisha Goel says that she appreciates the effort of the committee but questions its effectiveness.

“When I walk around campus, I feel like anyone will be able to immediately pinpoint me simply because there are very few people who look like I do. I think it’s important to have diversity because it helps people feel as though they belong in the

community; however, even though I have found my niche at school, I still feel like there’s something off about myself in the community because it’s like I stand out,” she said.

Director of Enrollment Management Ms. Amy Jablonski commented on how “diversity is absolutely a priority in admissions” and as a new member of the admissions team, she hopes to create a greater feeling of comfort on campus.

“I am looking forward to doing a lot of listening and observing so that I can gather stories and experiences to share with applicants. It is important that when we share stories about the school that we highlight all of our student’s experiences so that all prospective students can see themselves reflected in the student population.

Once a family does choose to visit our school, the tour and the shadow day are key components for them to determine if Benjamin feels like the right fit,” she said.

While Benjamin will most likely remain a school with a majority of white students, it is important that the student population is represented correctly and means for improving diversity are operated effectively.

*The Editorial is the opinion of The Pharcyde and therefore does not have a singular name atrributed to it.

Class of 2024

“My passion for biking started ever since I was little, just riding around the neighborhood. I had always wanted to go mountain biking, and one of my friends brought me. I went, and it was a lot of fun. My dad and I kept going out, and in sixth grade, I got my first bike. That was really awesome. I grew out of it real quick. In eighth grade, I got the bike I have today, which is so nice. I love doing tricks because you can always learn when you go out there, and it’s really good exercise. My workbench started with my garage being messy, and I wanted to be able to work on my bike and other people’s bikes, help people out, and organize my entire garage. I really wanted to put all my tools on the wall so that they weren’t all laying on the floor, and when I’m working on my bike, I can just reach up and grab a tool. It started out with making a rough design and estimate on how much wood I was going to need. Then, I went to Home Depot to get the wood. I bought eight 2x4s, three 2x6s, and 500 screws, which I ended up having two left when I finished. It ended up taking three weeks to build. I cut all of the pieces of wood myself.

This workbench, you really can’t beat it. I get so many compliments from dads and from everyone, just saying how good it is. I’ve been told I could sell it for $2,000, which just blows my mind, as it’s just a workbench. It cost me around $300 to make. Learning how to cut all of the wood, measuring it, and screwing it all together was a really cool and great experience.”

the

PHARCYDE

EDITORIAL BOARD

Founded in 1980 as The Spectator

Tvisha Goel, Co-Editor-in-Chief Sophia Liporace, Co-Editor-in-Chief

27 September 2021

Evan Liberman, Managing Editor

Volume 43, Issue 2

The Benjamin School 4875 Grandiflora Road Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418 Contact Information Phone: 561-472-5998, ext. 2119 Fax: 561-691-8823 Advisor Dr. John Peruggia john.peruggia@thebenjaminschool.org Advisor Emeritus Mr. Kendall Didsbury Media Consultants Mr. and Mrs. Tim Burke

Charlie Spungin, Copy Editor Clara Schor, Social Media/Breaking News Director

STAFF WRITERS Gerald Bissell Catherine Civitella Leah Klein Matt Marasco Morgan McKenna Joey Tomassetti

MISSION STATEMENT

Student Voices

The Pharcyde

27 September 2021

Page 5

Editor Examines Success of New Community Block Charile Spungin Copy Editor New to this year’s schedule, the Community Block periods replace the Tuesday and Thursday activity periods. Intended to provide meeting times for clubs, in practice the blocks are still works in progress.

Dean of Students Mr. Kevin Jacobsen has divided the fifty-eight clubs into four different groups.

However, this brings a large issue.

If Student A joins two clubs, there is a 25% chance that they meet at the same time, bringing a conflict to the student, who will not be able to attend both club meetings. Joining two

clubs really is not that many clubs, but there’s the relatively large chance that they will have to split their time between the two clubs.

I am in the Red Cross club and Sports Analytics club. Both clubs fall under Group D, so on Sept. 14, I had to decide which one to attend and miss the other meeting. I’ll likely go to the other club meeting next time Group D meets, but that means that I’ll have a 50% attendance for the clubs, much less than ideal.

Now, on the other hand, the amount of off-time presents an issue, especially the fact that Community Block borders lunch. Student A will

have three of the four days where he will not have a club meeting to attend. The student has time to do homework, go to the gym or weight room, talk with friends, or more.

These are all positives.

However, one large issue is that there’s the chance that students cannot see their teachers. During the activity period of years past, they were easily available. Now, that’s in question because they could be the faculty advisor to a club. Some teachers have a club to attend to during three out of the four Community Block periods, severely limiting students to see their teachers.

Tvisha Goel Co-Editor-in-Chief Every student should know about current events. After all, they are the world’s future, so they need to be knowledgeable about the happenings of the world. Unfortunately, many do not like to take the time to read about such. Do our students, Benjamin students, go beyond the bubble of ignorance?

Head of School Mr. Fletcher Carr believes that it is vitally important for students to be knowledgeable about global issues. “Certainly, recent history has pointed out the need for young people who understand the roots of issues as well as the notion of bias, a group that can decipher misinformation and ask questions that cut to the fundamental parts of an issue.

Even more, students who understand current issues--and the roots of those issues--will also have the skill to deconstruct information and also reconstruct it in creative ways that may bring about solutions that the world has not yet seen. The world needs adaptable, informed, and creative thinkers who can find the opportunities and silver linings in current crises and repurpose problems into solutions. We have incredibly intelligent students here at Benjamin, so why not set them on a path here that can, over the coming decades, improve upon our current state of affairs.”

According to a survey sent out

by The Pharcyde, a divide exists between students, with many knowing about current affairs but also many

who seem uneducated about the same.

The questions that a majority of students, who responded to the survey, answered correctly are “How many COVID-19 vaccines exist in the US”, “In which state did we just have a recall election”, “What was the topic of the new bill that passed in Texas”, “Who was the governor that resigned in New York and why”, “In which country did US have its longest war”, and “Which two neighboring Middle-Eastern countries have had conflict for several decades that has recently spiked”.

Respectively, 55.2%, 84.7%, 81.4%, 80.6 %, 72.9%, and 76.3% chose or wrote the right answers to those questions.

Unfortunately, there is a difference between “majority” and “most”.

While more than half of the Benjamin students answered the questions above correctly, it is interesting to know why the other students answered them incorrectly.

There are multiple reasons as to why students would not know the right answers to such important questions. Young students are susceptible to false information because they are the prominent ones on social media, a large platform to misinformation. In conjunction with this idea, students might not know which sites are reliable in order to obtain correct information. Secondly, disinterest is common among students. Sometimes, students do not feel it necessary to know about current issues. This can

be the case due to multiple reasons: feeling as though they do not have a voice in the matters, they do not think they need to be educated about such happenings yet since they are “too young”, or simply because they do not care.

On the other hand, the questions that stumped students were “How much money has the US put into Afghanistan”, and “Who is the senator from West Virginia who has been popularized in the news”.

The purpose of Mr. Carr’s Current Issues class is to look at the crises and current happenings around the world.

“We are covering these stories from as many perspectives as we can, using a great tool called allsides.com, a news aggregator that also uses a broad-based advisory board and user feedback to provide information about the biases in a given news story.

More than anything, however, I hope that the course will inform and challenge student assumptions, whatever side of the political spectrum they fall on, about their current world views.

We spend a good deal of time reading and analyzing opinion pieces in major publications. In response, students are writing their own opinion pieces on major questions within the issues we are covering (Afghanistan, COVID, China, global environmental concerns, US infrastructure, for example). The quality of the essays I have received thus far encourages me to think that the students in the class are understanding the issues and the underlying complexities of each at a

With the period bordering lunch, it feels as if there may be too much off-time. There’s one hour and twenty minutes between classes. I would rather have the forty minute lunch, go to my block class, then have Community Block as more of a break and mellow time-frame between block and the split class of the day.

Additionally, I haven’t had a club meeting that takes up the entirety of the forty minutes yet. The period should be shortened to fit how long meetings usually last; I’m sure students wouldn’t mind getting out of school ten or fifteen minutes earlier.

If administration would like the stu-

dents to stay for the same amount of time, they can add that ten to fifteen minutes to advisory — if it falls on the same day as the Community Block — or lunch.

In years past, clubs have had the freedom to schedule their own meetings, which, in my eyes, had worked.

Very rarely, if ever, did I have conflicts and had to pick between which club to attend.

The former system of club meetings was sufficient, and Community Block feels like an unnecessary and longer replacement for the Activity period of years past.

The “Current” State of the Benjamin Brain: In the Know

Mr. Carr teaches the new Current Issues class at Benjamin. Students learn about global crises and current affaris around the world. The class emphasizes the importance of knowledgable students about such happenings, clearly effective in delivering its purpose.

(Photo by Tvisha Goel)

high level.”

It is also interesting that Benjamin Upper School students have a breadth of knowledge across the broad topic of current affairs. The celebrity questions asked, in order to see about which topics students were more knowledgeable, were “Name one person at the Met Gala”, “Who is Megan Fox’s boyfriend”, and “Which celebrity faced financial issues with his/her father”. 82.5%, 66.7%, and 81.5% of students answered those questions correctly, respectively.

Students at Benjamin clearly hold a higher amount of understanding and knowledge about issues and events of

this world, whether political or celebrital. But those who do not, for any of the reasons that have already been discussed, here is your motivation. To be right. If you know your stuff, you can use it to better yourself, better your mind, and better your chances at being right if you happen to get into an argument. I mean who doesn’t like to be right? After all, Frank Zappa, an American musician, once said, “I like to watch the news, because I don’t like people very much and when you watch the news … if you ever had an idea that people were really terrible, you could watch the news and know that you’re right.”

A Great Debate: How To Acknowledge Top Scholars Seniors discuss whether or not the School should maintain the Valedictorian and Salutatorian titles Evan Liberman Managing Editor

The first two images, the left and the middle, are about how the Taliban are painting over murals of women activists and replacing it with the Islamic Arabic Emirates flag symbol while the right-side image depicts Afghanis trying to show their credentials to foreign forces in order to flee Afghanistan at the Kabul airport. The woman in the front is to emphasize women’s education in Afghanistan.

(Illustration by Maddie Domnick)

GENERAL

The Pharcyde, the Upper School newspaper of The Benjamin School, is published seven times a year. 1,200 copies of The Pharcyde are distributed to 398 students and 57 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 tvisha.goel22@thebenjaminschool.org or sophia.liporace22@thebenjaminschool.org.

The Pharcyde reserves the right to edit all letters for length, grammar, and clarity.

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.

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If you or anyone you know would like to place an advertisement in The Pharcyde, please contact Sophia Liporace, sophia. liporace22@thebenjaminschool.org.

OPINION

The opinion articles in this paper are the opinion of the writer or the majority opinion of The Pharcyde Editorial Board. They are not the opinion of The Benjamin School or our advertisers.

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.

MEMBERSHIP

The Pharcyde is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association, American Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

A growing trend in secondary schools across the country is the elimination of the distinction of valedictorian and salutatorian. While some may say otherwise, Benjamin should maintain these two distinctions for a variety of reasons.

While some may say that the titles create unnecessary competition and stress among students, the titles are beneficial because they serve as a valuable precursor for students. No college classroom or job field is without competition today. In an ABC News article published in March, Elise Gould, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said that the large pool of unemployed workers (likely caused by the pandemic) is resulting in only the most experienced landing jobs. Who is to say that this kind of competition and selectivity won’t continue well into the future? If students are aware from a younger age that some parts of life are a competition, they will be better suited to face and deal with future challenges and stresses. Naming a valedictorian and salutatorian can do just that.

On the other hand, getting rid of

both titles is just another example of overprotection in an attempt to prevent peoples’ feelings from getting hurt. If the titles were abolished, nobody’s feelings get hurt and nobody feels left out. However, life is all about rolling with the punches.

Students must learn to succeed with grace and be sportsmanlike when they do not.

Moreover, the naming of valedictorian and salutatorian at the end of students’ senior year is a Benjamin tradition. The School has been using these designations since 1979, a time when Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin were still heavily involved in managing the School. Much of how it runs today is a direct result of what they believed characterized a good school.

In the lower and middle schools, students play an instrument because the Benjamins thought it was beneficial.

All students learn a foreign language because the Benjamins thought it was beneficial. To this end, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin likely kept the aforementioned titles around because they also thought they were beneficial. Unless there is some evidence to the contrary, shouldn’t the school honor its founders’ wishes and convictions as it does in so many other aspects?

The designation of valedictorian and salutatorian are necessary to maintain the very goals that Benjamin sets for itself: providing students with a firm moral base while also giving them a first in class education.

torian or salutatorian is one’s GPA. GPA should not distinguish these two students from everyone else because as many students know, specific classes at the upper school are very grade boosted and some opposite.

This identification of the two

Clara Schor Social Media Director

students is misleading. Just because these two students have the highest grade point average in their graduating class does not mean that the third, and fourth, and fifth, and so on of the class shouldn’t be recognized.

As this is the 21st century, 2021, all students should be treated equally and not compared against each other.

Benjamin should not maintain the distinction between valedictorian and salutatorian, as it separates the distinction from all other students.

The difference of being a normal Benjamin student versus the valedic-

Just because the valedictorian and salutatorian have the highest GPA, does not mean that they are top tier of the class. What about their morals and qualities? Every student of the graduating class should be honored and recognized for their unique attributes to their highschool career, not just GPA. Community service, leadership, activities, etc. What if the valediction of the class who has a 4.99 Benjamin GPA has no community service and or no leadership roles?

The roles that are extracted with these names are based upon GPA. What if an incoming freshman manifested becoming the valedictorian with their GPA, and failed to focus on community service? What if this valedictorian took a path to graduation that left him or her unchallenged and unstimulated but still highly graded?

Why does this title have to differentiate and highlight one student from the many wonderful students in each graduating class?

Valedictorian and Salutatorian are just titles that ultimately prove nothing. Everyone has their own specialties, and solidifying this distinction only causes a feeling of false superiority.

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The Pharcyde

27 September 2021

Seniors Scramble to Balance College Apps and School Work Tvisha Goel Co-Editor-in-Chief The college application process is picking up momentum as lists become set in stone, essay writing absorbs students’ lives, and deadlines near.

Seniors are becoming jam-packed with work, both from school and what seems like the never-ending application process.

Senior Jack Horgen plays varsity lacrosse at Benjamin, which impacts his pending decisions about college.

“I’m kind of in a weird position where I’m deciding between two schools for Early Action and one is dependent on lacrosse and the other is not, so I’m having to simultaneously work on both applications until I have more knowledge about the lacrosse aspect at one of the schools. Besides that, I’m taking a few AP science classes and I’m doing an independent study in Quantum Physics which is taking up a lot of my time as well, so I’m making sure I try to do practice problems in my free time during the school day so I can maximize my time to work on college apps,” he ex-

plained.

Similarly, senior Jake Zur is another student that has a large workload that is hard to manage. He emphasized that while homework has not decreased for seniors this semester compared to last year, the college counselors have been taking proper measures to lessen the mental weight many seniors feel in this stressful time.

“Kids applying to 16 schools with four essays each adds up, and it becomes hard to balance with multiple AP classes. But, I like how the college counseling team gives us individual due dates for essays long before the actual deadlines so that students get them done and it is less overwhelming,” he said.

Alumna Madde Hart, Class of 2021, attends Cornell University, and gave her insight on how to ease stress during this process.

“Discipline became really important for the few months it took to get all of my essays done and the forms filled out. I think carefully structuring your schedule and under-

Seniors are now heading into the busiest time of their last year in high school, making it more difficult to balance both college applications and school work.

College counselors, teachers, and students themselves are finding ways to relieve some of the stress.

(Photo by Tvisha Goel)

standing that it’s really never too early to start working on applications are two of the most important things you can do in your senior year. Especially with the essays - writing those early, putting them down, and coming back to them in a few weeks allows you to think about your words and refine

your personal narrative. Anything you can do to keep from being in a rush when applications are due can’t hurt,” she advised.

Although seniors have a lot on their plate, they are participating in certain activities that are somehow keeping them sane.

While Horgen runs cross country to help with the workload, Zur said that he finds community blocks helpful because he either has more time to get some schoolwork done or allows him to take a breather, relax, and hang out with his friends.

School counselor Dr. Renea Yates thinks students should take the time to “get organized, prioritize, set deadlines, seek out the expertise and support of our college counseling department, utilize support, be open to more than one college, find balance, practice self-care, stay connected with friends and family. As Ernest Hemingway was credited as saying, “it is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end. I believe it is important for our students to embrace this as they experience stress throughout the application process.”

Seniors are taking grind sessions to a whole new level with college apps and schoolwork all while trying not to end up in a mental asylum. However, maintaining a determined and disciplined mindset will bring them to the finish line.

Freshmen Assimilate into Upper Student Council Begins School Life, React to Freedoms Year Filled with Fresh and Choices they are Given Leah Klein Staff Writer With various fresh eyes on the matter of high school versus middle school, The Upper School seems to contrast with the Middle School in many ways, but also shares multiple similarities. The classes, teachers, campus, and opportunities are very different, but the rules, environment, and ways of teaching may remain similar.

Many aspects of high school may have been unfamiliar prior to attending. While many students attended the Middle School, others are new to Benjamin in general.

“There are more opportunities in the High School compared to middle school to explore different interests with the variety of clubs, electives, and after school activities,” said freshman Isabella Giovani, who has attended Benjamin since 7th grade.

“I like how in high school we get to have community blocks, which allows time for clubs, homework, and hanging out with friends,” Giovani offered.

Freshman Darrow Becker agrees with Giovani that the Upper School provides many helpful opportunities.

“I like the freedom and amount of opportunities the high school gives. I have already branched out into new classes like Engineering and Photography. I feel that the Middle School did a wonderful job at preparing me for high school as well as showing me what activities and classes I enjoy the most.”

Similarly, freshman Jia Guan believes there is more flexibility with class choices.

One dramatic change between the grades is the fact that forty-seven new students joined Benjamin this year.

“I liked how in the Middle School there were not too many kids in my grade, which made it easier to get to know people,” said Giovani.

Aside from a growing class size, other prominent differences exist between the Upper and Middle Schools.

“The Middle School and High School can seem different due to the fact that the High School relies more on the student to work hard,” said Becker.

Students in the High School are

Sydney Steinger Student Council President

Before joining the Upper School community, eighth grade students at the Benjamin School have to say goodbye to the Middle School. Pictured above, members of the Class of 2025 celebrate their moving up ceremony last spring.

(Photo courtesy of Benjamin School Archives)

held to higher expectations than in the Middle School, not only because harder material is presented. Although, faculty members at Benjamin try their best to help students in any way possible. “The teachers at both the Middle School and High School are always there to offer help during and after school, and it is easy to get help on concepts I don’t understand,” said Becker.

One challenge of the highschool experience is the amount of homework. “One thing I liked about the Middle School is that we had less homework, and we did not need to focus a lot on our grades. The High School has more kids, and offers more sports for student athletes. Also, we begin to think seriously about our futures in high school,” said Guan.

Just as the high school poses multiple difficulties that are not present in the Middle School, similairities between the two provide for an easier transition between both of the schools.

While Giovani said that the two schools are alike in that they both have a prominent outdoor environment, Guan said; “Teachers from both the Middle School and the High School are all helpful and nice, and the learning environments are also similar.”

Additionally, Giovani shares a

helpful suggestion as to how she thinks the High School can help students. On a typical block school day, there is a five minute break to travel to and from classes. “I think that we should get longer breaks between each block,” said Giovani.

Guan also has a take concerning

I like the freedom and opportunities the high school gives. I have already branched out into new classes like Engineering and Photography.

- Darrow Becker block schedules, more specifically a suggestion for the Upper School, saying “I think the High School should make Monday a block day, so we will have more time to complete our homework.”

Freshman have various viewpoints comparing and contrasting the Middle School and the Upper School.

Transitioning from the Middle School to the Upper School exemplifies growth and becoming more independent, learning responsibility and discipline through the greater freedom provided at the Upper School.

As the year progresses, Student Council is finding ways to contribute to our community while navigating the challenges of COVID-19.

So far, the Student Council has been able to coordinate and bring back assemblies. After not having assemblies due to COVID-19 and losing that sense of community, Student Council prioritized bringing back assemblies in some form. Although separated with the freshman and juniors in Benjamin Hall and the sophomores and seniors in the gym, we were still able to bring back that sense of community and refrained from having live-streamed assemblies.

Among new additions to the schedule this year are our Community Blocks after lunch. The Student Council has provided games such as spikeball, cornhole, and wiffleball to students who do not have any club meetings during that time. The games can be located on the grass near the bell tower.

Another addition the Student Council has been able to incorporate

this year was senior parking spots.

On the first Saturday of the school year, seniors were able to come in and pick their designated parking spots by writing their names and designs on the spot with chalk. We also had popsicles and music, and it was a fun way for the senior class to bond at the beginning of the year.

Student Council is currently in the process of planning Homecoming week while following COVID-19 restrictions. Because of these restrictions, we are finding new ways to make Homecoming Week as fun as possible while bringing back traditions such as male cheer and powderpuff that were lost during COVID-19.

Instead of having a Homecoming dance with COVID-19 restrictions in place, Student Council has decided to push the dance back and is exploring options such as a Halloween dance, a winter formal, and a Sadies dance.

The Student Council is also planning more spirit days, coordinating themes with the cheer team to have dressdown days on the days of football games.

Just last week, freshmen had the opportunity to run for Student Council representatives. After concluding those elections, we are excited to add new additions to the Student Council team and are excited to see what they will contribute to our community.

The Student Council is planning lots of events for the school year, and we are excited to create new traditions that we hope the Benjamin community will enjoy.

Student Council is seen here having a meeting during Community Block ahead of the Homecoming Spirit Week that they have planned.

(Photo courtesy of Mrs. Franzen)

The Pharcyde

27 September 2021

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Navigating College Applications: Scholarship Options Presented to Class of 2022 Evan Liberman Managing Editor As the class of 2022 navigates the murky and uncharted waters of the college application process, seniors are beginning to consider various scholarship options as part of their applications. To this end, there are various tools and strategies that students can use to aid them in their scholarship search.

The College Counseling Department has recently begun providing students with the resources to find scholarships around the country from the comfort of home.

To this end, in a Sept. 17 email, the department detailed several ways that students (and parents) can learn more about scholarships. For instance, the department hosted a Paying for College Night on Sept.

20 where Benjamin seniors and their families could hear from Mr. Christopher Magnan–a Senior Financial Advisor with the University of Miami– and learn about both the financial aid and scholarship processes.

Mrs. Julie Berube, a senior parent, appreciated the event because it taught her how to access the different scholarships that are out there. Moreover, she feels more comfortable with what documents she needs to submit for her son’s financial aid application.

She added that the only drawback of the evening was the length of the presentation that Mr. Magnan gave.

Moreover, the College Counsel-

ing Department has introduced students to a scholarship program called Going Merry, which connects them with local, regional, and national scholarships from around the country that best match their interests.

According to Associate Director of College Counseling Mrs. Bekka Goldberg, “Going Merry is a ‘common application’ for scholarships, meaning you fill out your information once and then they tell you which scholarships you are eligible for. It can save students time and help them find scholarships that might not have been found otherwise.”

Finally, students have access to a wide variety of scholarship information through the “scholarships” topic under the College Counseling page on Buclinks. According to the aforementioned Sept. 17 email, this page “is a listing of helpful websites, scholarship search engines, and specific scholarships. This is updated each time [the department] learns of a new scholarship.”

Senior Danielle Lancaster praised the department for providing the student body with these kinds of tools.

“I think the department has been super supportive when it comes to searching [and providing the necessary tools] for scholarships as well as helping calculate the amount of money that I will most likely get from each school,” she told The Pharcyde.

Senior Tyler Taplett, who is currently in the process of researching

Mr. Christopher Magnan, a Senior Financial Advisor with The University of Miami, speaks to Upper School parents about various financial aid programs on Sept. 20, 2021. The “Paying for College Night” is one of the many events that the College Counseling Department organizes every year.

(Photo courtesy of Evan Liberman)

scholarships, agreed with Lancaster: “I’m grateful for the vast resources that college counseling has provided us with. The fact that a lot of relevant scholarship information is concentrated in one place like the scholarships topics page, makes my life so much easier,” he said.

Despite the slew of resources available to students, many are feeling the pressure of applying for

scholarships, and managing other aspects of their lives.

“I definitely think it’s a stressful process trying to complete all the scholarship applications and essays on top of staying on top of your grades and doing well in school,” Lancaster said. “In the end, though, I know it will all be worth it,” she added.

To this end, Mrs. Goldberg sug-

College Counseling: It Takes a Team to Win the Application Game Tvisha Goel Co-Editor-in-Chief While some students stick to the resources that Benjamin provides via its college counseling services, other students go above and beyond for the daunting college process ahead of them.

Senior Caden Quinn decidedly does not have an outside counselor for two main reasons: “First of all, I trust Benjamin and myself to have a good and fair college counselor. By using the assigned college counselor and other teachers, such as Ms. Steiner, I am able to get help from Benjamin alone. Secondly, I have very little extra time to see another counselor.

With school, swim, drama, and frisbee, adding another counselor would be just adding to an already hectic workload.”

The more time I get to spend with students, the better recommendations I can write. It’s really important to me that I get to develop those relationships.

-Mrs. Anna Wright On the contrary, senior Danielle Lancaster is one of the students who chose to hire a counselor outside of school, and when asked why she said, “I chose to get an outside school counselor over the summer mostly to just guide me through the application process, especially the essays. When we meet we usually go over what I’ve written and bounce ideas off of each other. Getting an outside counselor was mainly to just support me even more in the college process.”

Lancaster fulfilled the purpose of hiring an outside counselor, according to outside counselor, Mrs. Kristen Lambert of the College Admissions Counseling Group. “For students that have both in-school and out-ofschool college counselors, outside college counselors often serve as an additional resource to the student throughout the college admissions process. Some students thrive better with extra support and individualized sessions. Independent counselors can often spend more time with students working on applications and provide more customized assistance with supplemental writing, resumes, interview preparation, portfolios, athletic recruiting, and more.”

According to the School’s Director of College Counseling, Mrs. Anna Wright, students have felt the need to be secretive about their outside school counselors.

“Either they think we are going to be offended or we won’t spend as much time on them. There are inde-

The SWAT team duo of Mrs. Goldberg and Mr. Alvarez take in Mrs. Wright for some Counseling during Spirit Week festivities.

(Photo by Leah Klein)

pendent schools where counselors have said that if a student is working with somebody outside of the school, then they will not be providing their services to the student, but there is nobody in this office who is interested in that at all. I did not become a college counselor to not work with kids,” shared Mrs. Wright.

Despite having an outside college counselor, Lancaster has utilized the services of our school counselors, and she emphasized that they are extremely advantageous, especially due to their accessibility and availability.

“I think they have been really helpful especially because they are right on campus and usually available during the day. I have the ability to just walk to their offices whenever I have a question or just want to talk.

I definitely wouldn’t say that one is more helpful than the other because they are both working toward the same goal which is to get me into the colleges that I want to get into,” explained Lancaster.

Associate Director of College Counseling, Mr. Juan Alvarez, echoes Lancaster’s thoughts.

“In my 30 years of working on the other side in the university admission office, whenever we had questions or wanted a deeper insight into a student’s application, we would reach out to the high school college counselor who interacts with the student on a regular basis and who knows the student and his/her teachers,” Mr. Alvarez noted.

Regarding the close relationship the team has with the faculty, English teacher and former college counselor Dr. Peruggia notes that the College Counseling office takes a wholeschool approach to its goal of helping students: “the team is in touch with teachers about letters of recommen-

Mrs. Wright works diligently with students as the busy month of October comes into view. As with all members of the College Counseling team, she is available for consultations with families and students both during and after school.

(Photo by Tvisha Goel)

dations, essay topics and revisions, and even for interview prep help. We don’t usually have that sort of relationship with outside counselors.”

With three full-time counselors, students benefit from the individual attention that students at other school’s may lack.

Mr. Alvarez explained, “private counselors are very helpful for students coming from large public secondary schools where there is 200 to 1 student/counselor ratio or there is not a college counselor to assist.”

It is clear that the Benjamin counselors simply want to help students to the best of their abilities and even though some students have additional counselors, they will continue to work hard, do their jobs properly, and help students get into some great colleges.

gests prioritizing and planning ahead. “​​Make a list of the things you need to accomplish and when you need to accomplish them. If you need help with this, go talk to your College Counselor. We often work with students to prioritize their deadlines so that they can still enjoy senior year!”

Who Am I?

Adjectives to describe yourself on college apps Adaptable Bold Brave Caring Certain Cheerful Clever Confident Creative Dependable Disciplined Frank Giving Helpful Imaginative Lively Logical Loving Mature Modest Objective Observant Patient Perceptive Persuasive Practical Precise Protective Rational Reasonable Reassuring Reliable Respectful Responsive Scientific Self-aware Sensible Serious Sociable Spontaneous Sympathetic Thoughtful Trustworthy Understanding Vulnerable

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The Pharcyde

27 September 2021

The Pharcyde

27 September 2021

Page 9

Faculty, Staff Offer Advice on Shaping a Better Resume Sophia Liporace Co-Editor-in-wChief As students get closer to the college application process, the thought of how to make a resume stand out becomes more of a priority. The Pharcyde and Upper School faculty produced a list of helpful resume tips to make the process a little easier for students.

Despite the ease of the Common App, the activities section can be limiting for some students. Oftentimes, students wish to describe more than 10 activities in more detail than allowed in the given 150 character slot.

Resumes can be helpful to be additionally uploaded for elaborating on activities and listing extracurriculars that are in addition to the ten most important ones.

Additionally, popular schools among Benjamin students such as Georgetown University, Southern Methodist University, and Northeastern University all reccomend for students to upload a resume.

To improve the physical appearance of the resume itself, Academic Dean and social studies teacher Mrs. Caroline Guzman said that after reviewing hundreds of resumes, she’s learned to look for a personalized and job-specific cover letter.

While it can be included in the resume, Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse Coach and economics teacher Mr. Peter Cordrey’s advice is meant to impart life lessons on students. Specifically, he emphasized the importance of getting a part-time job that involves either customer service or manual labor. He says that doing so “will certainly teach you more than most resume stuffers.” Assistant Athletic

Director Mr. Dave Bailey echoed this statement. They agree that experience in the real world will also demonstrate maturity.

When it comes to students who boast strenghts in the fine arts, new Art teacher Mrs. Caroline Duran stressed the importance of having and taking high-quality pictures of one’s work which can ultimately be used for a digital portfolio if needed. “It’s important to document all art related awards, shows, and contests that you may have participated in throughout the school year,” she added. A portfolio can also diversify a resume to make it more unique.

Additionally, Director of Student Services Dr. Amy Taylor, who routinely emails service opportunities to the student body, suggested that Benjamin students take advantage of the internship program that the School requires students to complete (though, due to COVID-19, this requirement has been waived for the past few years). Dr. Taylor stated that an internship not only looks good on a resume, but that many Benjamin alumns’ current careers began with their high school internship.

To add on to the School faculty’s vast array of knowledge, staff members of The Pharcyde also provided some helpful information on the topic of resume building.

Senior and Managing Editor Evan Liberman suggests students find a niche that feels right to them. “...[S] trive to develop an area of excellence.

If you’re exceptionally good at math and enjoy the subject too, try exploring activities that relate to the subject.

You could try to do some research in a math field that you particularly enjoy or tutor at a local school if that’s

what you find interesting.”

Additionally, sophomore staff writer Matthew Marasco said that he’s often heard that whoever is reading your resume will be impressed by knowledge of a foreign language.

“This can help because it allows you to communicate with people from all walks of life around the world,” he said. Moreover, he suggested that students look into Congressional Awards because it displays that you’re an active member of your community and ability to improve yourself.

Finally, Co-Editor in Chief Tvisha Goel warned against students participating in a breadth of clubs or extracurricular activities, but also emphasized diversifying what you do. “[Y]ou may be… academically strong, but make sure that not all of your activities only pertain to academics… Participate in community service or play a sport or instrument,” she stated.

Regardless of how much you want to get involved, Associate Director of College Counseling Mrs. Bekka Goldberg stressed the importance of caring about your activities.

“It is always good to explore different options, but at the end of day getting involved in activities you are most authentically interested in with have the greatest impact on building your character. This will translate into the college process incredibly well, but your motivation shouldn’t about what you think will look good to colleges,” she said.

It’s evident that there is much to know and do regarding resumes, but students need not feel overwhelmed: help is just around the corner in the form of your teachers and even your classmates.

DRAMA

1 2

Senior Andrew McDonough signs up for a club at the 2021 Club Fair. This year’s club fair saw students continue the tradition of signing up for clubs, despite COVID-19 health protocols.

(Photo courtesy of Benjamin School Ar-

3 Word choice can make a monumental difference when it comes to activity descriptions. Did you lead practices or did you manage a group of 20+ atheletes and communicate with 3 coahces? Refer to this list for suggestions.

(Graphic by Sophia Liporace)

4

MUSIC

5 Uploading a monologue or video audition can be helpful for students interested in pursuing theater. Scan this QR Code to check out an example of a video audition.

Visual Art

Giving colleges the chance to witness your skills for themselves could provide a serious advantage throughout the college procress. Similarly to in theater, submitting a music video audition is a good idea when it comes to applications.

Arts and Innovation Chair Ms. Melissa Ford said, “A supplemental portfolio is a great addition to an application, even if you do not plan on majoring in visual art.”

(Photo by Emeline Smith)

1 2 3 4 5

Don’t use your school email address-- you will graduate. Instead, use a professional sounding G-mail address (sry PrinczBarbi and Hunkulese).

Don’t do this. List awards from most recent to oldest; be sure that they are actually worth recognizing (no one really wants to know that you were on Mr. Ruggie’s Wall of Shame, but congrats anyway).

Be sure to explain what your role was, especially if it is uncommon or if the club is Benjamin-specific (that means you, BucMaters and Buc Ambassadors).

When listing community service or part-time jobs, be sure to include the average number of hours you spend each week on that activity, how many weeks the activity takes (if not all year), and a description of what you do.

List Varsity sports before JV sports, separate Benjamin teams from travel teams, and identify any impressive stats or achievements. Again, don’t

list awards given primarily son you have something to get cheered for during sports awards assemblies.

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The Pharcyde

27 September 2021

Community Block Transforms State of Student Activities Clara Schor Social Media Director A staple of this school year has been the addition of a biweekly community block after lunch. This new period has led to a clash of opinions between certain students and the administration.

On block days in the past, students would attend their first block, followed by a break, and then head to the second block and then a 30-minute lunch. After lunch, students would go to the third block and 30 minute activity period where students would attend a club the presidents chose that day. If students did not have a club, they would do homework, go to meet with teachers for extra help, or hang out with friends. After this activity period, they would then head to their split fourth period that was shared between two days.

Nowadays, on normal block days with normal start, students have their first block followed by assembly or advisory, they then head to the second block with a 30 minute lunch and a 40 minute “Community Block” right after.

These Community Blocks are designated periods of the day for clubs to meet, getting extra help from teachers, and a short study hall. In the past clubs would meet at least once a month when scheduled. For example, the Red Cross Club would meet every last Tuesday of the month.

These Community Blocks have caused controversy between students as in previous years, students were able to leave at 2:25 compared to now

in which students leave everyday at 2:58 for the exception of Fridays at 2:12.

Part of going through high school is learning how to manage your time and make smart decisions.

- Mr. Jacobsen Student Council President Sydney Steinger says, “I enjoy the community blocks. I think the students definitely have to adjust to the addition to the schedule and make sure that none of their clubs are overlapping with one another. I think it makes clubs more organized and gives them a designated time that way they aren’t having to meet during lunch or overlapping with the school schedule.”

With these Community Block periods, the student council has decided to host activities outside in between buildings four and five on the rear side.

“On Community Block days that students don’t have clubs, the student council has been able to set up games outside like cornhole, wiffleball, and spike ball near the math building. A lot of the underclassmen I see are participating in those activities and I think it’s a good way to keep the students busy if they aren’t in club meetings,” Steinger said.

With an opposing viewpoint, senior Kate Small, who has experienced the changes throughout high school, believes that the community

blocks are not that helpful and that students should be able to get out at 2:25 as in the past on block days.

“I personally don’t like community blocks in the middle of the day. I like them at the end of the day where if I don’t have a club meeting scheduled, then I have the option to go home and start my homework early and then finish my homework sooner. During Community Block now, on the days that I don’t have a club, I usually just sit in the hallway and do nothing,” Small said.

Dean of Students, Mr. Jacobsen believes that Community Blocks will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the faculty and students throughout the year.

Mr. Jacobsen said, “part of going through high school is learning how to manage your time and make smart decisions. I made a decision as an administrator a long time ago to do what is best for the students trying to do the right thing and not worry as much about those who choose to squander opportunity or turn a positive into a negative.”

Senior Dazzler Captain, Pharcyde co-Editor, Buc Ambassador President, NHS School Service Coordinator, and Spanish Club Vice President loves the new blocks. “I’m hoping to become the leader of three more groups, and the blocks will help me do it.” said Liporace sarcastically.

While some students disagree with their placement after lunch, Community Blocks mostly seem to be a positive addition to this year’s revised schedule.

The Pharcyde

Page 11

Pharcyde Fantasy Football Initiative It’s That Time Again: Drama Club Hosts Play Auditions Increases Advisory Bonding Matt Marasco Staff Writer

The Diversity Club works to celebrate different cultures at Benjamin. Their most popular events are for Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Women’s Equality Month.

(Picture courtesy of the Benjamin School Archives)

A group of junior boys work with the Red Cross Club to celebrate veterans. The club, run by Mrs. Wendler and Mrs. Anderson, is all about appreciating first-responders.

(Picture courtesy of the Benjamin School Archives)

As an initiative for more fun and group activities between advisories, The Pharcyde made a fantasy football league for each grade level. Each league has ten or twelve teams, and the draft took place on Friday, Sept.

3 after school.

“Personally, I led my advisory group in the fantasy football draft and we are definitely happy with our team. I think it is great for The Pharcyde to do something like this for all the advisories,” said sophomore Charlie Scotto.

Fantasy football is a game where each team, in this case advisories, draft a team composed of different NFL players who they think will do well according to their league’s point system. The leagues run on a PPR point system, which stands for points per reception, meaning if someone catches a ball, they get an extra point on top of the points from the yards they gained.

Every year, some players do better than the professional fantasy football analysts expected them to do. This year, one of these players so far has been Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp. In week one, Kupp posted an impressive 23.8 points, and in week two, he did even better with 36.8.

“In one of my leagues, I got Cooper Kupp in the mid-third round, and I already think that was the biggest steal of the draft,” said freshman

The Environmental Club hosted a beach clean-up on Saturday, September 11. They volunteer for environmental causes throughout the year and also host Earth Day celebrations at the School.

(Picture courtesy of the Benjamin School Archives)

Matt Marasco Staff Writer

Tommy Sini.

Another impressive fantasy player through the first two weeks is Detroit Lions tight end T.J Hockenson.

Hockenson has not had much volume in years past, but so far this year, he is averaging 23.2 points a game and is definitely a steal for where he was drafted in fantasy leagues.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is ranked number one for his position. With an average of 33.3 points per game, he is a fantasy must-have since he is a versatile threat both running and passing the football. A running quarterback can be considered better value in fantasy

because one rush yard is 0.1 points and every passing yard is 0.04 points.

Also, a running touchdown is six points, while a passing touchdown is four.

“Kyler Murray is definitely exciting to watch, and I cannot wait to see if he can lead my team to the playoffs,” said senior Oliver DeFerrari.

After week two, the leaders in each fantasy league consist of Mr. Cramer’s advisory for the seniors, Mr. Hoy’s advisory for the juniors, Mrs. Clarke’s advisory for the sophomores, and Ms. Mays’s advisory for the freshman.

Sophomore Zach Neidoff analyzes his fantasy football team’s production to see which players his advisory should start in week three. The Pharcyde recently introduced a school-wide fantasy football competition to encourage advisory bonding.

(Photo by Matt Marasco)

Every year during August, the auditions for the fall play take place.

This year, the play will be All My Sons by Arthur Miller. The process for auditions takes two days and is run by the Drama Club Officers and Mr. Peck, who is the head of the Drama department.

All My Sons is a play based on a true story about a successful business man who has failed to fulfill his social obligations and role in society after being blinded by greed amidst a war.

The first step in the process is the schoolwide email sent by Mr. Peck.

This email outlines the guidelines for the play and sets up a time and date for auditions. Once the auditions are in action, the actors have one day to read with a reader, who this year was TBS alumni Briley Crisafi, ‘21.

“If it is a play, I typically like to have one day where the actors read with a reader. The reader’s sole job is to be available and responsive to the actor auditioning. During their auditions, I will often give something called an “adjustment.” An adjustment is some direction that I might throw in their direction- maybe it is a note about tempo, maybe it is a note about the character’s emotional point-of-view, or maybe it’s a physical adjustment like where to sit or

stand,” said Peck.

After the first day of auditions, Mr. Peck puts together a list of actors he sees as a potential fit for the play and what roles he sees them as. This list is called the callback list and sets up the second day of auditions. The second day of auditions takes place in groups where Mr. Peck sees how the actors work with others and the chemistry between characters.

“The second we come back for callbacks and are paired up with other actors for various scenes in order to see who has chemistry with each other. Callbacks are the most vital day for getting the role you want,” said junior actor Katherine Rodgers.

After callbacks, the final list for the play is made and the actors start to get ready for their upcoming roles.

Although every actor is different, Mr. Peck has certain things he looks for in every actor.

“I look for actors who are able to commit to the words of a text, lyrics of a song with unbridled commitment, and an innate ability to personalize a text or lyric as if they are coining that sentence or phrase then and there. To be able to speak the words as if it is coming from within,” Now, with the play rehearsals starting and the casting done, we all look forward to seeing the final product of All My Sons.

Crumbl Cookies on the Rise, Students Indulge Leah Klein Staff Writer

The Jewish Student Union, run by senior Eden Josza and Mrs. Goldberg, oftentimes have lunches celebrating Jewish holidays. They seek to educate students about Judaism and celebrate throughout the year.

(Picture courtesy of the Benjamin School Archives)

27 September 2021

Crumbl Cookies, the fastest growing cookie company in the nation, has recently opened a new location in Alton Town Center. Given the location being as close as it is to the school, Benjamin students have found themselves attracted to the bakery.

Crumbl Cookies’ rapidly growing popularity is due to multiple reasons, including trending on popular social media app TikTok, the brand’s marketing, and rotating flavors.

“It’s really popular on Tik Tok, so I wanted to try it,” said freshman Bella Marx. “They probably became popular because of the algorithm on TikTok and how fast trends spread.”

“I think they became popular due to good branding and marketing.

They know how to make people use their social media to advertise for them. By coming out with new flavors each week, they are being talked about, which promotes them,” said Senior Kiley Malmberg.

Crumbl Cookies has a rotating menu that introduces flavors every week. 4-5 new flavors are released weekly. Currently, there are more than 120 cookie flavors that have been created and placed on store menus. Some flavors will occasionally reappear on menus, but new flavors are constantly invented. The chocolate chip cookie originally created by the founders is the only cookie kept consistently on the menu.

The rotating menu has been key to the success of Crumbl, as what they sell differs by the week.

By coming out with new flavors each week, they are being talked about, which promotes them,” said junior Skyler Malmberg. “I think the

rotating menu is fun, although I do think they should keep some classics consistently. It makes it more interesting to know they have your favorites,” However, there are some who dislike the idea of a rotating menu because it doesn’t always offer flavors that they will enjoy.

“I don’t like the rotating menu because sometimes a week does not have any flavors I’d like to try, so Crumbl would have a lot more business if they had more options every week.” said Marx.

Similarly, junior Quinn Broderick said, “I’m not a huge fan of it. I don’t like that they keep switching it up and I don’t always like all the new flavors.”

Crumbl has a wide and unique variety of cookies, including blueberry cheesecake, sherbert, key lime pie, and peppermint oreo. Especially with a rotating menu, this multitude of choices makes it hard to pick a favorite, though overall the classic chocolate chip seems to be one of the most liked cookies.

Students have a variety of favorite cookies from the bakery. While both Broderick’s and Marx’s favorite cookie is the chocolate chip cookie, Malmberg enjoys the oreo cookie.

Crumbl Cookies is quickly growing in popularity, most likely because it has been trending on TikTok and because of good marketing. Not only is the Crumbl Cookie commonly talked about on the app with the hashtag CrumblCookies having more than half a billion views and growing, but the company itself owns a tik tok account with more than 2.5 million followers.

The cast of All My Sons gathers for an early read through of the play’s script. The show, directed by Mr. Peck, will be performed on the Benjamin Hall stage in a few weeks.

(Photo from the Drama Club’s Instagram, @ benjamindrama) Crumbl cookies has significanlty increased in popularity in a short amount of time. The bakery resides in Alton, a new location, allowing for easier access for students after school for a snack.

(Photo by Leah Klein)

Crumbl Cookies has a rotating menu, presenting customers with a new cookie batch combination every week, allowing for variety and uniqueness in the way the bakery operates.

(Photo by Leah Klein)

Page 12

The Pharcyde

27 September 2021

Seniors Score With Coveted Committments to Top Programs Clara Schor Social Media Director Many students in the Class of 2022 have committed to colleges and universities for sports they have been playing their whole lives.

Eight of these student athletes have verbally committed for lacrosse, golf, soccer, baseball and volleyball.

These commitments range from NCAA Division 1, 2, and 3 universities from coast to coast of America, the farthest being California Polytechnic at San Luis Obispo.

Both Lily Valentini and Luke Pisani will be playing Division 1 lacrosse at the United States Military Academy, West Point, in New York an hour and small change outside of Manhattan.

“Verbally committing to West Point was the quickest, let alone biggest, decision I have ever made in my life. It’s cliche to say, but when they showed me the breathtaking campus via zoom and told me all about West Point, I knew at that moment that it was the school for me. I remember turning to my mom and our jaws were just dropped to the floor and I said, “This is where I want to be,” shared Valentini.

Jack Regnery is going to play Division 3 lacrosse for Tufts University, located right outside the city of Boston in Massachusetts.

As a great addition to the senior class, student athlete Addie Bounds from Bethesda, Maryland committed to California Polytechnic at San Luis Obispo in Southern California earlier in the year to play Division 1 sand volleyball.

Another new student, Andie Smith will be playing D1 Duke University’s Women’s Golf. Coming

from the Pine School, Andie said “my brother made the move to Benjamin last year and I really wanted to spend my senior year with him. Also, economics is something that I’ve always had an interest in, and since Benjamin offered specific economics related classes that my past school did not, the move made total sense for my future academic career at Duke” Reagan Rodriguez has committed to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, on the west side of Florida to play D2 soccer.

Rodriguez says, “After narrowing down my college search I knew that I wanted to stay in Florida. Visiting Eckerd I instantly knew that was where I wanted to be. They have their own beach and it’s a huge open campus, full of so many things to do.

Eckerd has a very good pre-health and biology program which is what I want to study as well as a 100% enrollment into med school. Hearing this, I knew that Eckerd was for me with the rigorous academic aspect as well as having such a strong women’s soccer program, and I am so excited to go. Go Tritons!”

Kiley Malmberg, who has been playing golf on the Varsity team for the past four years, recently committed to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia to play D3 women’s golf.

Lastly, baseball player Jake Haggard committed to University of Louisiana Monroe for D1 baseball. “I wanted a small school that was D1 and a different type of scenery than Palm Beach Gardens”, said Haggard.

He will have his official visit to Louisiana in late October.

With all of these commits comes great success for the Benjamin School athletics department.

Being recruited to play sports at the collegiate level is a feat in itself.

But committing to play Division I at a top university is even more impressive. Junior Walker Buchanan has done just that, recently committing to play baseball at the University of Virginia (UVA).

Playing baseball at an exceptionally high level is a Buchanan family tradition. Consequently, Walker began playing baseball at a very young age, but not without some guidance from his family, specifically his father.

“My dad played baseball in the MLB, and he got me into [the sport].

I’ve loved it ever since. [Because of him], I’ve wanted to play baseball in college since I was little,” Buchanan said. He added that his biggest influence was his father–much of Buchanan’s now high baseball IQ came from playing with and talking to his dad– both as a boy and today as a young man.

Buchanan continued to play baseball throughout his childhood, eventually landing him a spot on the Benjamin varsity baseball team as well as on a local travel team called the FTB Rockets, which describes itself as a “premier high school travel baseball organization.” Buchanan plays in the Rockets’ 2023 age bracket along with fellow Benjamin junior and UVA commit Freddy Beruvides. Benjamin junior Rocco Gaeta also plays on the Rockets team, allowing for a Benjamin baseball reunion between the three, even when the sport isn’t in season at the School.

Buchanan’s baseball skills didn’t stop developing with the Rockets,

though. In fact, he has continued to develop since he got to Benjamin as well. When he sat down with The Pharcyde, he stated that his current high-level fielding abilities can be attributed to what he has learned as part of the Benjamin program.

Assistant Athletic Director Mr. Dave Bailey praised Walker’s athletic ability as a part of the Benjamin program: “Walker is not just a baseball player. He is not just a basketball player. Walker is an athlete. Walker excels at what he does, and he could excel at any one of the sports teams at Benjamin.”

On a similar note, senior and varsity baseball teammate Gerald Bissell said this about Buchanan: “Walker is a good friend on and off the field. He may be quiet, but he certainly has a large presence on our team. He’s always a consistent player, and I have no doubt he’ll be successful moving into the future.”

Buchanan’s many years of work with teammates like Bissell on the baseball diamond have taught him one critical lesson: “Baseball has taught me to be patient. You will fail more than you will succeed in baseball. [The key is] you just have to wait for your moment,” he said.

Buchanan’s hard work on the field paid off in a big way recently. First, he was honored as a top 500 high school baseball player in the country by perfectgame.com, coming in at a ranking of 458. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, he committed to play baseball at the University of Virginia–a division one program–this past August.

Describing his motivations for choosing UVA, Buchanan told The Pharcyde: “Both my parents went [to UVA], and I really love the Virginia

27 September 2021

This fall’s meanest serves are coming from one of Benjamin’s freshest faces: Senior Addie Bounds.

Bounds recently transferred from The Academy of the Holy Cross, in Kensington, Maryland. In fact, she did not arrive in Palm Beach County until the day before orientation in mid-August. This August she will again pack up, heading out west for college, as she has committed to California Polytechnic State University for beach volleyball.

Bounds, who started playing volleyball at age 12, was introduced to the sport by her parents. She continued to play on club teams until her sophomore year of high school when she moved from the hardwood to the sand and started playing beach volleyball. She started playing beach volleyball competitively two years ago.

Last year, she played for Sinjin Beach Volleyball, a club based in North Carolina. Bounds has noticed that this experience has been a large part of growing her abilities on the sand.

“The opportunity to train against top-level players and receive in-

depth, beach-specific coaching was a game-changer for me and really helped elevate my play,” Bounds explained.

On the beach, Bounds is a split, meaning she has the ability to play both blocker and defender. She describes her playstyle as “aggressive”, noting that she’s at her best when she “swings big.” She credits this ability to her background as an indoor volleyball player.

This year, Bounds will be playing for Tamarack Beach Volleyball, a club in Carlsbad, California. Per the club’s website, they have had 63 Division I commits in the past seven years, and Bounds will be adding to that number shortly. The Beach Volleyball Clubs of America (BVAC) has named Tamarack as the top club in the country for the past two years.

Given this, it’s understandable that Bounds says that she is “so excited” for the season.

Since the club is based in California, Bounds won’t be able to regularly practice there. However, she will fly to Carlsbad several times this year. She will also be traveling with Tamarack to tournaments in Hawaii, Louisiana, Arizona, and Florida.

While Bounds is committed to

NFL Season Gets Underway, Changes Continue Clockwise from the top left corner is: senior Kiley Malmberg, committed to Emory University for golf; senior Andie Smith, committed to Duke University for golf; senior Reagan Rodriguez, committed to Eckerd College for soccer; senior Addie Bounds, committed to California Polytechnic University for volleyball; senior Jack Regnery, committed to Tufts University for lacrosse; senior Jake Haggard, committed to University of Louisiana Monroe for baseball; senior Luke Pisani, committed to West Point Academy for lacrosse; senior Lily Valentini, committed to the United States Military Academy for lacrosse.

(Photos courtesy of those pictured)

area.” He added that he was drawn to the baseball program at UVA by the great people working there.

So far in his baseball career, Buchanan has one accomplishment that stands out to him. He recently participated in a youth skills competition called Pitch Hit & Run, which is hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB).

Participants can advance through three levels of competition. Walker did just that and finished second in the nation in his competition.

Despite already playing and competing at a high level, Buchanan’s baseball skills have nearly two more years to flourish under and bear fruit for the Benjamin baseball program.

It’s safe to say that all eyes are on him.

Alumni-Athlete Snapshot

Matt Marasco Staff Writer After a long offseason, the NFL is now back, and finally with full capacity in all stadiums. With some changes to rules, including COVID-19 protocols being changed and lightened up since many players are vaccinated, the NFL has never been more exciting.

Although many teams stood out in the NFL in the first two weeks, three teams that stood out were the Cardinals, the Buccaneers, and the Raiders.

The Cardinals had an impressive offseason with the signings of wide receiver A.J Green from the Bengals and defensive end JJ Watt from the Texans. The Cardinals opened up week one against the Titans and one impressively 38-13. Kyler Murray, the quarterback of the Cardinals had five total touchdowns with four through the air and one on the ground.

Defensive end Chandler Jones had five total sacks and two forced fum-

still throwing 9 touchdowns in two games. Brady has passed for over 600 yards. 170 of those found their way to wide receiver Chris Godwin, one of Brady’s favorite targets. Although the Bucs offense is impressive just as it was in their Super Bowl-winning season last year, the defense has also stood its ground. Safety Mark Edwards had two pick-sixes in the Buccaneer’s week two win against the Falcons where they won 48-25.

“After a great first two weeks, I think Brady is just as good as he was on the Patriots, and the Bucs could definitely be back in the Super Bowl this year,” said sophomore Andrew Lappin.

Although the Raiders weren’t as flashy in the first two weeks as the teams mentioned above, they still had just as impressive first two weeks.

The Raiders had a tough opening week in a primetime game against the Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson who is coming off an impressive MVP season just two seasons ago.

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (pictured above) is on his way to his best season to date. With the NFL back in action, Murray is leading the MVP race.

(Photo courtesy of USA Today)

Walker Buchanan winds up for a pitch in a varsity baseball game during the ‘20-’21 season. A distinguished star in the team, Buchanan’s success is far from over.

(Photo courtesy of W. Buchanan)

University of Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam ‘19 joined FAU Spirit Dancer Dani Garcia ‘19 on the sidelines at the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 4. The Gators defeated the Owls with a 35-14 win.

(Photo Courtesy of Sra. Tejera-Mede)

Page 13

Senior Bounds for Success on the Sand Volleyball Courts Charlie Spungin Copy Editor

Junior OF Continues Family, Benjamin Legacies, Commits to UVA Evan Liberman Managing Editor

The Pharcyde

bles. The Cardinals backed up their impressive week one with a close week two win against the Vikings 34-33.

“The Cardinals stood out to me the most over the first two weeks because they were a great well-rounded team. Their defense and offense looked great,” said senior Trey Parker.

The Buccaneers also had an impressive first two weeks due to the elite quarterback play by Tom Brady who is now 44 years old and

After a hard-fought game, the Raiders won in overtime 33-27. The main stat from this game is that the defense forced three fumbles and recovered two of them. In week two, the Raiders defeated another great team in the Steelers 26-17. In all, the Raiders have the lead against the Chiefs in the AFC West.

After two weeks of the NFL season, various storylines and exciting games are set to play out through the remaining 16 weeks and postseason.

Cal Poly for beach volleyball, she is also on the School’s varsity volleyball team this fall.

Head Coach Alex Clarke has had high praise for Bounds, both as a player and a leader.

“Addie has become a major contributor for us. She is a natural leader. She communicates on the court and is willing to sacrifice her body to make a play for her team. She en-

courages her teammates when they need encouragement. She picks them up when they are down, but she isn’t afraid to speak up and let them know she expects more from them,” Coach Clarke shared.

Bounds will be playing libero for the team this year. Liberos have one of the toughest jobs, as they are

considered leaders of the defense and help set up the offense. Bounds’ role on the team will be large considering her position, which is also key to understanding why one of her personal goals this season is to set a new single-season dig record.

“We are a team full of great athletes and players and the only people that can stand in our way are ourselves,” she explained. “Coach Clarke sees this attitude in Bounds’ play, noting that “she is doing everything she can to take us back to states.”

In a little less than a year, Bounds will be heading to San Luis Obispo to compete for the Cal Poly Mustangs.

However, before she made the commitment to Cal Poly, she had a summer full of recruitment.

“The recruiting period opens for players on June 15 in the summer going into their junior year. At that point, coaches can reach out and begin building relationships with recruits. After what felt like 100 phone calls, zoom calls, film debriefs, and meetings with different schools, I committed to Cal Poly,” Bounds recalls. The short time frame of the recruitment process still shocks Bounds when she looks back on it. She notes

that she merely had 3 months to decide where she wanted to spend the next 4 years.

There were multiple reasons that Bounds decided to commit to Cal Poly, including her wanting the opportunity to compete for a national title. Cal Poly entered last year’s NCAA tournament as the seven seed, so they certainly have the ability to compete at the highest level. Furthermore, they are coached by Todd Rogers, a gold medal winner at the 2008 Olympics in beach volleyball.

Bounds believes that he’s the perfect coach for her.

“As an athlete relatively new to the game, I knew that I needed a coach who would be able to develop me and shape me into the player I want to be,” Bounds said.

While Bounds is a senior transfer to the school, her impact on the school will resonate throughout the Benjamin community.

“Addie has been able to seamlessly integrate into Benjamin, making friends quickly with her happy and easy-going demeanor,” her advisor and Academic Dean Mrs. Caroline Guzman said. “She is a welcome addition to our advisory and the Benjamin Upper School Community.”

Put the Bumpers Away Led by new coach, bowling teams ready to succeed

Charlie Spungin Copy Editor With friendship, teamwork, and hard work, both the boys’ and girls’ bowling teams started off the season well and have hopes to continue to do so.

Math teacher Ms. Laura Priola is this year’s coach, taking over after Dr. Hope Myers left the school. Ms. Priola admits that it’ll be tough to fill the void left by Dr. Myers, but she hopes that she is fit to do so.

Ms. Priola has found that it’s very easy to work with both the boys’ and the girls’ teams.

“The students are easy-going, fun to be around, and always helping each other. The camaraderie and team spirit are contagious,” she said.

With the leadership of Ms. Priola and this year’s captains, senior Gerald Bissell for the boys and senior Eden Jozsa for the girls, both teams have jumped out to a great start to the season. The boys have lost one game so far, boasting a 3-1 record, while the girls have dropped two games and are 2-2.

Ms. Priola has noticed the impact that Bissell and Josza have had through their leadership, calling them both amazing leaders.

Just as Ms. Priola has praise for her two captains, Josza commends Ms. Priola for all that she has done in her short stint as coach thus far.

“Ms. Priola has been doing a really good job at encouraging everyone on the team during matches,” Josza said.

As the captain, Bissell has embraced the role of being a leader this year.

“I hope to bring my experience from past years to help newer bowlers,” Bissell said. “When you’re out on the lanes, you’re only playing against yourself. Bowling is a big mental game, and I think that I can help my teammates in that regard.”

Bissell has high expectations both for the team and himself this season, but he certainly believes that they can be accomplished.

“I think the team can go far this year,” Bissell said. “As long as we all stay consistent, we can make a run in the playoffs. I’ve always had the goal of being on the leaderboard in the gym, so hopefully, I can make it up

there in my final season.”

There will be some tough divisional opponents in the way of the boys, mainly Jupiter and Dwyer, as both schools made it to states last year.

Josza is the lone senior on the girls’ team, so it is no surprise that she, like Bissell, has looked to help the younger players on the team.

“I try to be very upbeat during practices and matches to spread a positive spirit through the team,” Josza said. “This year’s team is a fun group of girls who are mostly underclassmen, so I really try to form connections with them.”

Junior Aadi Patel joined the team this season, and he has instantly found the season to be extremely enjoyable.

“Everyone’s so friendly, including other teams. There’s a lot of sportsmanship, and it’s a lot of fun,” Patel said.

A contributor to that increased energy is the absence of a COVID-19 affected season. As a member of the team last year, Josza has noticed the difference in the level of enthusiasm between last year and this year.

“There is also a new excitement this year during matches that was lacking last year due to COVID-19.

Other teams, as well as ours, are always super excited to get to the alley and have a good time,” Josza said.

Both the boys’ and girls’ bowling teams have kicked the season off on a high note and will look to bring their momentum and liveliness into each game.

The girls’ and boys’ bowling team pose for team pictures during one of their practices. Both teams look to be successful this year.

(Photos courtesy of Mrs. Priola)

the

PHLIPCYDE

Pharcyde Folds:

Paper Football

Place a regular sized (8.5” x 11”) piece of paper on the table in front of you, and orient it so one of the long sides is closest to you. Now fold the paper lengthwise to create a long rectangle. For those who are directionally challenged, make your paper look like a hot dog roll.

Crease the paper, and unfold it.

Fold the long sides of the paper in toward the center crease you made in the previous step. This means you’re making something like FOUR rows for the paper, or making a little two door entry way to a blank paper room.

Refold the paper along the original center crease. You now have a long, thin rectangle.

Pick one end of the rectangle, and bring one corner over to create a right triangle.

Crease the fold, and then bring the entire triangle up on itself to create another triangle.

Repeat this process to wrap the length of the paper around the triangle until there is only a small part of the paper left.

Hold your folded triangle down with one hand, and fold the remaining paper up almost all the way. Tuck the remaining flap inside your triangle.

Your football is done! Find a flat surface, and flick it across the table at your friends in a battle of dexterity.

Great for rainy days, dull lunch periods, or homework-less study halls, paper football is a fun way to pass the time.

Paper Football Rules • • •

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Below is a list of 50 unusual personality quirks. Can you find 50 people at Benjamin who’d admit to possessing them all?

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How Phar out there are you?

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25.

Twitches when nervous Unhealthy obsession with a certain food Snorts when laughing Obsessed with cleaning Mumble things to himself continuously Talk with animals when feeling alone Wearing glasses without their need disturbance of sleep hesitate to eat in front of others Fear of silly objects Carries the notebook with them Hallucinates Delusion Depends on loved ones Visual memory Just have imaginary friends Talks to plants, walls, and furniture Taking tea too much Can’t drive Left-handed Types with one finger Addiction to eating or drinking something Falls asleep easily and anywhere Feels sleepy when travelling Grown adult but still likes to play with toys like a teddy bear

26. Wants to look different 27. Conscious about brands 28. Has a different best friend every week 29. Moving like dancing while doing work 30. Easy to convey/impress 31. Passing smile without any joke or reason 32. Extreme shyness while talking to others 33. Has a toothpick in the mouth 34. Extremely superstitious 35. Does the same work again and again like hand washing 36. Relationship with the pet 37. Daydreams constantly 38. Has a social phobia 39. Boy who crosses his legs when he sits 40. Woman who uses cologne 41. Wears different colored socks 42. Want changes in life every day 43. Collect animal’s fur, bone, and skin 44. Try to read the minds of others 45. Broke things when angry 46. Never seen without make-up 47. Feels guilty about little mistakes 48. Always acts suspicious 49. Eats their nails 50. Never ties their shoes.

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Flip a coin to see who gets to go first.

The winner of the coin toss gets the first flick. This player uses her thumb and forefinger to flick the origami football across the table at her opponent.

The opponent then gets four chances to flick the football so a part of it overhangs the edge of the table. The opponent then receives a touchdown, which is worth six points.

If the football falls off the table entirely, the opponent gets to flick next. If it stays on the table and doesn’t overhang, the first player resumes possession.

If one player makes a touchdown, then she gets to attempt to shoot the football through the goal posts. The opposing player makes goal posts using her fingers. If the player makes the goal, she receives another point.

The first person to reach 35 points is the winner.

Phar foods INGREDIENTS 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped 3 sticks butter, room temperature 1 cup flour ½ cup cocoa powder ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ cup light brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt 2 eggs, at room temperature ¼ cup plain yogurt 3 cups confectioner’s sugar

DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate and 1 stick of butter over medium heat in a double boiler.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

September Playlist:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Set aside.

Hits for Hitting the Books This issue’sdelicious recipe for chocolate whoopie pies comes from Joey Palomba and the Upper School Baking Club!

Good eats.

To the bowl with the melted chocolate, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk to combine. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the yogurt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture being careful to avoid overmixing.

Scoop 1-tablespoon mounds of the batter on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie. Bake the cookies for about 9 minutes. Slide the cookies onto the parchment onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the filling. In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the remaining two sticks of butter and the confectioner’s sugar; mix until light and fluffy, starting on low speed to avoid splatter and work up to medium speed. Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat on medium speed.

Spread the filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.