Volume 90, issue 3

TheFieldstonNews

Monday, November 2 , 2015

Volume 90, Issue 3

Hoco 2015 MS Principal Announces Departure

By Will Schiller and Stella Silverstein Last weekend marked the Friday and Saturday of every Eagle’s favorite sporting event of the year: Homecoming! It was on this day that every varsity team plays arguably the most important game of their season. The first team to play was varsity field hockey against Holy Child. “We knew it was gonna be a tough game, and it was in our home field so we knew we had to play hard,” said goalie, Jane Leff (IV). 3 goals were scored by Holy Child in the first half, but the Eagles didn’t let that dampen their spirit.

“People tried harder going into the 2nd half … we started passing more, looking more, and communicating,” said sophomore Grace Dearden (IV). “We had a really strong 2nd half … We thought, ‘we may not win, but we can lose with dignity,’” added Jane. Only one more goal was scored in the second half. The Eagles unfortunately lost 4-0, but each player had a great game, and are ready to move on to win their next game.

Meanwhile, volleyball was playing in the upper gym. Fieldston’s varsity volleyball is, as of now, undefeated, and plans to stay that way.

They started their game against Poly Prep with a rousing “Eagles on the warpath” chant. “We knew Poly was out for blood because we beat them last week,” said Gillian Gore (V). But that didn’t scare them. The Eagles started off with an early lead against Poly, who soon pulled ahead to win the first set 25-17. The second set was a dead heat until Poly again pulled ahead, but the Eagles came back from four points down to win the second set by a close 25-22. The third set kept everyone on the edge of their seats. The two

PHOTO BY MARTIN JACOBSON

Kevin Jacobson, middle school principal by

Keerti Gopal

On Tuesday October 13th, an email was sent out to the ECFS community to announce the departure of Kevin Jacobson. Mr. Jacobson, currently on his fifth year as Principal of Fieldston Middle School, will be moving to San Francisco at the end of the academic year to serve as the Head of School at the Presidio Hill School. Mr. Jacobson describes Presidio Hill as an “unabashed, unapologetic, banner waving progressive school, with a mission deeply rooted in diversity and social justice, much like Fieldston.”

Although he says he was not actively looking for a new job, this particular opportunity caught Mr. Jacobson’s attention. “In the position that I have here at Fieldston,

and I would say this is true of most principals or Heads of Schools, I receive emails routinely about different professional opportunities, and I don’t pay attention usually,” he explained, “however, when this school came through, I’d heard of it, and I paid attention.” The prospect of moving back to California was one of the main attractions of Presidio Hill. “I do have a draw to the Bay Area,” said Mr. Jacobson, who has family on the West Coast.

During the relatively short time he has spent at Fieldston Middle, Mr. Jacobson has had a large impact on the school. “I’ve really enjoyed being a part of the Middle School in its youth,” he said, adding that the Middle School’s academic program is one of the things he is most proud of. “It was made clear to me when

Dr. Fernandez hired me, that the quality of the academic program in the Middle School needed to be elevated…And I’ve heard that it’s quite well regarded now. So I feel proud of whatever role I’ve been able to play in clarifying excellence and what we mean by excellence, and making sure that I’m supporting the faculty in whatever way I can, such that we are delivering the most progressive and rigorous education.”

As a big supporter of progressive education, one of the other things Mr. Jacobson has enjoyed about Fieldston has been the manifestation of its founding principles in the Middle School student body.

“Something I’ll never forget was the student response in the Middle School last year to the Eric Garner

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In This Issue: The Power of an

A Commitment

Theater Review:

Educated Girl

to Service

eXXXtra credit

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Page 4

Page 6

Alumni

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play

directed

by

Noah

by

T.

Rachel

Interview Page 10

Parnes Margolin

Thursday October 15 at 4:00 and Friday October 16 at 4:00 and 7:30 in the Alex Cohen Theater

*Due

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strong

language

and

content

this

production

is

for

mature

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Monday, November 2, 2015

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Homecoming 2015 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

teams were neck and neck until late in the set when the Eagles pulled ahead for a 25-19 win of third set.

The whole crowd let out a breath of relief when Fieldston clinched the fourth set and the match at 25-19.

Gillian explained, “We really didn’t want to lose...we had to keep our focus...and we did.”

Across the hall, Fieldston’s varsity water polo team matched up against that of the Pingry School, from New Jersey. The Eagles were down 8-0 until 3 goals were scored in the third quarter by Isaac Thorman (VI) and Kolbein Finsnes (VI).

Pingry went on to win the game 12-4. So far, the varsity water polo team has a record of 0-4, but they’re trying hard every day in practice and games. After that game, the junior varsity water polo team also played against Pingry, and after a lot of swimming back and forth, the Eagles won the game 10-9.

Later, everyone gathered in the stands of the turf for the day’s main event: football. The Eagles matched up against Horace Mann, making for a tough competition, but nothing the Eagles weren’t prepared for.

The majority of the first quarter was spent between Horace Mann’s 10 and 20 yard lines where Fieldston’s offense struggled to break through to the end zone, and defense managed to keep Horace Mann at bay.

Jacobson to Leave CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Finally, sophomore Josh Godosky scored a touchdown in the last minute of the first quarter. Nothing happened in the second quarter until, after a few downs within a few yards of the end zone, Horace Mann broke through Fieldston’s defense with a little over 30 seconds left in the half, and scored a touchdown. Fieldston pulled ahead in the second half with a touchdown and a field goal, until Horace Mann scored and got two points on the field goal, to win 21-20 in overtime.

On Friday, October 16th, and Saturday, October 17th, parents, students, teachers and alumni all came to Fieldston to support all of our schools sports teams in their various games. On the 16th, Girls Varsity Soccer battled Poly Prep in a closely fought game that ended up being decided by one goal, causing Poly Prep to come up on top. The whole team put up a great fight with many scoring chances created by Sammy Jalazo (III), Max Huberman (V) and several other of the tremendous athletes on GVS. The homecoming festivities continued with Girls Varsity Tennis battling Poly Prep at Horace Mann. Despite many hard fought and extremely close matches, the final match score was Poly Prep with 4 and Fieldston with 1.

non-indictment,” he recalled. “I think it is so powerful when a school watches its mission in practice right before your eyes…Our mission has everything to do equipping students with the tools and skills to be agents for change towards social justice in a more equitable society.”

With last year’s loss of Laura Danforth, and the impending departure of Damian Fernandez, Kevin Jacobson is the third in a rapid succession of important administrators to leave the school. Jacobson’s post in the middle school will be filled next year in a manner similar to the current situation in the Upper School.

Chia-Chee Chiu, the current Middle School Assistant Principal for Academic Life, will take over as interim principal, while Jason Ford, Assistant Principal, will take on more administrative and academic tasks. “I think it’s a great thing when a principal departs in the high school and there is someone that folks feel really confident and excited about to do a great job as an interim,” said Mr. Jacobson. “I think it is a great sign of leadership when a middle school principal leaves and there’s someone that folks feel really confident and excited about to do a great job.”

Still, some members of the ECFS community are beginning to pay attention to the possibility of a trend.

“It just seems like there have been a lot of people in authority leaving lately,” said Sam Schiller (VI), “and I’m just curious if there is some circumstance that is prompting them

to leave, or if they’re all leaving of their own accord.” Students are wondering, is there some unifying reason that these three important and influential administrators have all decided to leave the school?

“I’m not necessarily seeing some connection between Laura, Damian, and me,” said Mr. Jacobson.

“I’m not really convinced that the school’s ungovernable, or there’s some particular problem about Fieldston and Fieldston leadership.

I do think that there should be attention paid to how do we nurture leaders internally? How do we support leaders?” Jacobson went on to stress the importance of cultivating leadership within the school, and commented on the impressive faculty of Fieldston Middle School.

“Ms. Chiu is going to be great,” he continued, “she’s been really central to the success of the program.”

With two principal searches and a Head of School search underway, Fieldston is definitely at a point of transition. “I think that this is a really exciting time for the school,” said Clare Mottola, chair of the Theatre/ Dance department, and member of the Board of Trustees. “I think that this school community is ready to anchor itself in a focus on the original tenets of the school. That we’ve gotten off course, and I think everyone is really committed to getting ourselves back on course by starting with the work of Adler, and focusing on the mission, and by focusing on our kids and our community.”

giving advice. This activity was beneficial for the Form III students, hearing the perspectives of upperclassmen gave a great window into life for women at Fieldston.

Olivia Schaffer (III) says, “it’s a way to feel like you’re connected to girls who are going through the same things as you.” To upperclassman, the meeting and program itself was incredibly influential as well. Sarah Sugg (V) says “there is something really freeing about being a room with only women,” while Carolyn Hirsch (VI) captures the program at its core, saying that “the power of Fieldston’s Women’s Leadership

Program is that it unites students of all ages, races, and socioeconomic classes to fight for equal opportunity with one another in the Fieldston community and beyond.” Dr. Tammi, one of the faculty leaders of the program told the Fieldston News, “Women’s Leadership is one of the most dynamic student programs offered at Fieldston. The amount of insightful and thoughtful work the girls put into it is rewarded tenfold.”

Overall, Women’s Leadership is excited to see what new ideas and opportunities this year brings.

Making Every Day #FeministFriday

By Sasha Greensfelder and Sophie Burns What defines a feminist? This year, Fieldston’s Women’s Leadership program is attempting to broaden opinions about feminism and topics surrounding feminism at Fieldston and around the world. If you look up to the cafeteria balcony during Friday lunch, you’ll find a group of girls eagerly discussing topics surrounding women today.

As the year progresses, you’ll find that on some Fridays they’re also dressing up (or down!) to support women’s leadership, and spark your

attention on the issues surrounding teenage girls nowadays. This year, the Women’s Leadership Program is proud and excited to have Feminist Fridays to talk about and showcase some of their opinions.

Women’s leadership’s first meeting generated several great discussions between grades. By participating in a “fishbowl” type exercise, freshmen sat in the center of a large circle and discussed their questions about women’s leadership in the high school. After the freshmen spoke, the sophomores, juniors, and seniors all discussed their experiences, telling personal stories and

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The Power of an Educated Girl

By Rori Sachs On Tuesday, September 29th, over 1,000 female leaders and students united at the historic Apollo theater to discuss the the power of an educated girl. Thanks to Mariama Richards, the director of diversity at Fieldston, 7 females students, Lena Haime (VI), Carolyn Hirsch (VI), Sydney Cameron (V), Abigail Liman (IV), Carson Levine (V), Marcy Laufer (VI), and I attended the event to support the Girl Up organization.

Girl Up is an organization run by the United Nations whose mission is to inspire girls to unify and ignite change. According to Lena Haime (VI), one of co-founders of Fieldston sector of Girl Up, they do this, “by reaching the places around the world where it is hardest to be a girl,” by working, “alongside the other clubs in the New York Girl Up club coalition.” Girl Up recognized the great work Lena Haime (VI) and Carly McCarvill have done with the club, by choosing a select few from Fieldston to represent the organization, at the event.

Hosted by Glamour Magazine, a panel of speakers, comprised of successful women including the incredible First Lady Michelle Obama, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Plan International girl advocate Nurfahada (from the Phillipines), and actresses and activists Charlize Theron and Sophia Bush, spoke about the necessity of granting girls access to education. Cindi Leive, the EditorIn-Chief of Glamour magazine, opened the event stating that 62 million girls do not have access to schooling around the world. With a number this large, and a problem so embedded in our culture, Leive claims, “we don’t just want to talk about girls, we want to talk to girls.”

As a member of the audience, I was constantly reminded of my power as an educated, female leader and the necessity of girls like me to help solve this issue.

“It’s imperative to make sure that every girl on the planet has the same opportunity that I’ve had” said Michelle Obama, who mentioned her humble beginnings as an alumna of the Chicago public school system.

The First Lady also recognizes that

“we have the duty to pay it forward and fight for the right for education” girls have to work harder than men to get the same recognition. Michelle Obama insists, “I want you to be hungry to get that education because it’s going to be the key to your future.” We need to chase down opportunity and optimize our ability to go to school, in order to help those who are not as lucky.

The event emphasized the need for a snowballing of female activism.

“When young girls are deprived of an education, they’re robbed of the opportunity to better not only themselves, but also, their communities,” claims feminist Carolyn Hirsch (VI). “As students of an incredibly supportive spiritual, emotional, and intellectual institution, we have the duty to pay it forward and fight for the right for education.”

As part of a larger conversation, female education is the key to dispelling aids and other diseases because according to Charlize Theron, “education is a social vaccine for HIV”.

Imagine what strides the world would take if we utilized the brainpower of 62 million?

FLOTUS urges us to use social media effectively, to use Instagram to share what we’ve learned, rather than our shoes or lunches. Join MO in posting a picture of yourself with a caption that describes something you learned in school.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PHOTOS BY RORI SACHS, SOPHIA BUSH, AND MARIAMA RICHARDS

Pictured Left to Right: Marcy Laufer (VI), Carson Levine (V) Sydney Cameron (V), Rori Sachs (VI), Abigail Liman (IV), Lena Haime (VI), Carolyn Hirsch (VI)

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Monday, November 2, 2015

Religion at Fieldston

By Emma Mitnik Students’ questions traveled like wildfire through Fieldston’s auditorium. As the Fieldston community sat down for Thursday’s assembly, centering on Religion and the Media, students wondered under which light would religion be portrayed?

Would the practicing of a religion be encouraged or mocked? Would the adherence to a specific faith be derided or supported?

The assembly was lead by students, each participant speaking about a specific example of religion in the media. They discussed media’s varying mediums, ranging from news programs, to talk shows, to TV entertainment, to newspapers, to social media. The various speakers highlighted the ways media can either dismantle or reinforce religious stereotypes. Paulette Schuster, a senior, explained that the value of the media is its ability to mock something without being offensive. Essentially, highlighting the extremism in religious stereotypes helps people recognize the

inaccuracies in religious labels.

Through clips and powerful speeches, some students discussed religion within the context of political media. They began by showing a clip of presidential hopeful Donald Trump saying “right” in response to a statement about president Obama being a Muslim. The next clip was an interview with republican candidate Dr. Ben Carson, in which he judged that Islam is not consistent with the constitution and he would feel uncomfortable with an Islamic president. These clips were chosen to highlight the extreme extent to which many republican politicians let religion dictate their governing principles. However, Aurora Celestin, a senior, posed the question, can only republicans be Christians? Why should their version of religion dominate? She discussed the lack of liberals that engage in religion. Asking them to balance out the conservative Christians, Aurora called out to religious liberals, stating that republicans should not have a monopoly on religion. She requested that liberals “stop hid-

ing behind secular morality; liberal Christians have to show that one can have faith, but also support social justice.”

Hakeen Adeyemi (VI) gave a powerful speech on Islam. He grew up celebrating an Islam that was centered on “salaam,” or peace.

But as he got older, he learned from people who weren’t Islamic “what Islam was about,” and that it meant “flying planes into buildings.”

When talking to the Fieldston News after the assembly, Adeyemi stated, “ I wanted people to be conscious of the fact that the stereotypical militant Muslim seen on TV does not represent the views of every Muslim. The single story not only creates an incorrect and savage portrayal of Muslims, but at the same time strips us of our humanity and categorizes us as non-American.”

Adeyemi focused on what it’s like to have one’s religion reduced to something “that a few terrible people prescribe to” and then to reclaim it, as he powerfully did.

The assembly also concentrated on the media’s dangerous portray-

als of Religion. Through clips of TV evangelism and reality shows such as Amish Mafia and Preacher’s Daughters, the students illustrated how the media takes the most extreme members of a religion and uses those participant’s bad behavior to fuel destructive stereotypes.

The entertainment industry, which is in the business of gaining ratings, portrays religious peoples as “not being as good as they pretend to be.” These shows prey on the viewer’s obsession with fallibility in others, thus gratifying self-righteousness.

Throughout this assembly, composed of personal experiences, interactive clips, and analytical analysis, students highlighted the ways that the media is both supportive and damaging to religions and religious peoples. It encouraged us to look for the inaccuracies in religious portrayals, while rationally combating extremism in all religious forms.

A Community Committed to Service

By Tyler Friedman The Community Service Advisory Board, more commonly known as CSAB, is a three-year program offered twice a week from tenth to twelfth grade where students select one agency to partner with to serve the community. This ethics class teaches its students the necessary skills to make change in communities in need. Angela Vassos created the community service program at Fieldston and initiated the servicelearning component of CSAB forty years ago.

According to Ms. Vassos, CSAB is about “trying to find the root causes of social injustice and working on those root causes in partnership with a community where you recognize that the service is reciprocal, which means that what you put in, you’re also getting out.” Under the leadership of Ms. Vassos, the community service program evolved from being a stand-alone course, to

PHOTO COURTESY OF CSAB

CSAB Students accompanied by Ms. Vassos, visiting Ittleson

serving as the “action arm” of the ethics department.

During the first year of CSAB, which is called CSAB-IT (community service advisory board in training), the students acquire the skills to organize a project, work with agencies to put together events and work directly with the population in need. Students devote significant

time to vetting potential projects.

Each student investigates possible agencies to partner with for the next two years. The class narrows the long list down to three agencies by consensus. They conduct site visits and interview the staff at the target agencies to determine which would be the best fit. CSAB has strong relationships with agencies such as

Kingsbridge, a Fieldston partner for 38 years, as well as Ittleson. In the final two years of the program, students work at the selected agency once a week and spend one class period a week devoted to discussing what they wish to accomplish at the agency that week. Every Form IV student is also required to work once a week in the community service office during one of their coveted free periods. They organize materials, make needs assessments, action plans, and contact the agencies directly.

Several examples of student run CSAB projects include, The Special Needs Carnival at PS 146 in Harlem, the Breakfast Run, serving breakfast to the homeless, and the New York Common Pantry, serving food to people who are living below the poverty line. Ms. Vassos believes that “if it’s a choice between community and convenience, there is no choice, you go with community.” It’s never about the individual.

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Leadership development and hands-on training are two added benefits of CSAB. Working in these communities is a rewarding experience that leaves a lasting imprint on the participating students. Jamie Winslett (Form V) said, “one of the most rewarding experiences from CSAB-IT was when we participated in a project at the New York Common Pantry handing out food for a Thanksgiving meal. The people we served were so kind and thankful for what we were doing.”

For each of the projects, there are two designated co-chairs, who plan all of the logistics and give guidance to their classmates. Each student has the opportunity to co-chair a project, enabling everyone to enhance his or her leadership skills.

This is an entirely student-driven program, where the teacher is there for support and guidance. Ms. Vassos states, “Students learn how to work in teams and support each other, feed off each other’s strengths, compliment and supplement each other.” Jeremy Silverman (Form V) explains his CSAB experience as “different from the other ethics classes because you get the reward of actually helping out in the real world. The three-year commitment may sound rough, but it allows you to create a strong bond with the other students.” The CSAB students also interact with the ICS (Introduction to Community Service) students in Form III by mentoring them and helping to organize their projects.

This program has exposed its participants to experiences they may never have had before. Lena Haime (Form VI) said that “CSAB is a program that has encouraged me to evaluate a social justice issue that I am passionate about, understand the implications of the issue, and then act on it in the field. CSAB is one of the most tangible representations of experiential learning at Fieldston.”

CSAB brings our school back to its roots, empowering students to make positive change in their communities. CSAB is a great example of the myriad of opportunities offered at Fieldston with which you can get involved and instigate change, not just in your community, but in the larger world around you.

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Fall Pep Rally 2015

By Ariana Reichler and Anna McNulty The Upper School proved its school spirit during Fall Pep Rally on October 16. A long-standing Fieldston tradition, Pep Rally brings the community together to acknowledge our athletes and to get everyone excited for Homecoming, Fieldston’s biggest sports event of the year.

After a day filled with crazy costumes, decorations, and hairspray, the entire Upper School crammed into the junior varsity gym. The gym was a sea of orange and blue, as non-athletes were decked out in school swag to support their friends and classmates. Before the program commenced, a swarm of seniors, and of course, the beloved eagle mascot, danced around the gym.

This year’s emcees, Natalie White (VI), Carmen Cee (VI) and Dani Vaamonde (VI), entertained the audience with poems, jokes, and a basketball competition. To start off, the Junior and Senior Dance Company each performed, setting the bar high for all the sports teams.

Following, all the fall varsity teams – volleyball, cross country, water polo, field hockey, girls tennis, boys soccer, girls soccer, and football – took the stage and performed an original dance.

Mark Anthony Graham (VI) showcased his talent through his choreography of the dances performed both by volleyball and girls’ soccer.

“Working with the GVS and volleyball team was a great experience,” he said. “Seeing the teams live at Pep Rally was a huge accomplishment for me, and I was so proud to see them having fun and dancing in sync.”

Water polo, the fall season’s only co-ed team, produced a rendition of the Hokey Pokey, and performed it with a special twist. Boys varsity soccer, known for its great dances, outdid themselves yet again. The last team to perform was varsity football. As always, football had separate dances for players of each class. The freshmen took the stage first, dancing to Miley Cyrus’ Hoedown Throwdown, followed by the sophomores and juniors. Last but certainly not least, the seniors performed their dance dressed as power rangers, a thrilling finale to a great Pep Rally.

PHOTOS BY GUS ARONSON

Exciting and entertaining for everyone, this Pep Rally was also a bittersweet event for the students in the graduating class of 2016, as it served as their final one. Beyoncé Haseley (VI), a member of the girls soccer team said: “Although it’s upsetting being a senior since it will

be my last time participating in Pep Rally, I can finally look back at how far I have come as a Fieldston athlete and appreciate the team I’ve grown to love my four years playing.” It seems that all of Fieldston is in agreement that Pep Rally 2015 was definitely one to remember.

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Monday, November 2, 2015

Theater Review: EXXXtra Credit

By Hannah Hooper “EXXXtra Credit”, written by Noah T. Parnes (V) and directed by Rachel Margolin (VI) was everything I hoped for and more. It is the story of three siblings who discover that their deceased father was a porn star in the 1980s. When they discover their dad’s secret job, the audience is just as shocked as the characters.

The set was creative, the actors -Sarah Sugg (V), Asher Muldoon (V), Miles Stephenson (IV), Hollis Lehv (VI), and Myles Trachtenberg (VI) -- conveyed the message in a powerful way, and the script was extremely well-written. Noah is a very talented and imaginative writer who turned a very surprising and unsettling plot into a meaningful and funny production. His goal was for the the audience to realize that “it’s okay to struggle with different aspects of identity, family, and life in general.” He said, “Secrets aren’t very healthy, and I think telling the truth sooner rather than later can defuse a lot of conflict.” Not only is this topic very mature, it is also something that people of all ages go through on a day-to-day basis. It is a comedy filled with humor and drama rich in intensity. It makes us think of our own lives and the struggle that comes with them.

PHOTOS BY JULIA FLORMAN

Pictured above, the cast of “EXXXta Credit”

Fireside with Jonathan and Julia

By Jonathan Hazin and Julia Rosenberg Students’ questions traveled like wiHi again, here’s another message from those two people from assembly who are sometimes funny and sometimes not. These past few weeks have been exciting ones in the world of student government.

On October 2, we held our first Cabinet meeting, bouncing both departmental and interdisciplinary ideas off of each other and on October 20, we held our first Senate meeting and met with representatives from each form (except for the Frosh because of an ICS trip) to discuss how we’ll move forward together as a group and as a school in the year to come.

We are proud to say that this year, our Cabinet is the most di-

verse Cabinet that Fieldston’s ever had (across race, gender, and grade) and we’re feeling hopeful about the work that it will produce. We are also proud to have the first Senate, certainly since our time at Fieldston but possibly in its entire history, where there are an equal number of men and women. We fully realize the negative consequences of the Gender Mandate and we appreciate those who have been vocal about their disagreements with it.

It’s not a perfect system, nor was it expected to be, and we look forward to developing it further both within Senate and within the entire student body. We’ve made some serious steps towards having a government with greater gender equality- not just for men and women but for all genders- and we will continue taking more steps toward that very im-

“It’s not a perfect system, nor was it expected to be” portant goal.

We’d also like to once again congratulate the winners of each form’s Senate elections and also thank everyone who ran for running! Fieldston is unique in terms of how much money, time, and power they give their Student Government and we aim to take advantage of this to better our school as much as possible. For any future concerns, questions, ideas, or thoughts of any kind, we will be sending out an anonymous Google Suggestion Box for any student to submit something directly to us. And for those who

like to talk in person, you’ll always be able to find us in the Library C Band Thursdays. We can’t be effective presidents without direct, transparent communication and we really want to hear your ideas!

“We’ve made some serious steps towards having a government with greater gender equality”

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Op-Ed: 1st Democratic Debate, Election 2016 by

Hollis Lehv

On October 13th, CNN held the first Democratic Presidential debate for the 2016 election. Five bright eyed, bushy tailed Democratic contenders stood before a national audience, some for the very first time.

Viewers watched at home, trying to understand why Bernie Sanders’ hair is so unkempt, who Lincoln Chafee is, how Jim Webb accidentally registered as a Democrat when he meant to register as a Republican, and why Hillary Clinton’s robot technology is so much more advanced than anything we’ve seen before. Here’s what I thought: Bernie Sanders came to the debate with no apologies and unwavering positions on the issues. When describing the “disaster” that is climate change, Sanders left no room for questioning. His introduction firmly addressed his stance on climate change, income inequality and private prisons among other issues. Sanders is not exactly who you picture when you think “politician.” Jewish and originally from Brooklyn, Sanders does not pander to his audience. Instead of feeling the room and making judgements from there, Sanders comes in with the same points that he makes at his rallies in the Senate. He’s voted consistently on foreign policy, gay marriage, civil rights, economic equality and climate change for the past 30 years.

One of Sanders’ least progressive stances is on gun control. Viewers waited to see how Sanders would address gun control as a senator from a rural state that values hunting. Among Sanders’ points in defensive of his stance on gun control were his D- rating from the NRA, his support of background checks and bans on assault weapons as well his opposition to the “gunshow loophole.” Although Sanders

“Politicians so often use foreign countries to place blame on something outside of themselves...”

“...Sanders’ demeanor and sincere attitude excite youths previously disenchanted with politics.”

CARTOON BY FIELDSTON NEWS ART STAFF

Benie Sanders and Hillary Clinton at the first 2016 Democratic Debate

needed to communicate his common-sense stance on gun control, he came across as kind of defensive and lacking. Sanders’ gun control history does remain an outlier, as he falls far to the left, passionately and unwavering, on every other issue.

Sanders’ unpolished, fed up attitude at the debate was surprising to an older generation, which has the mindset that politicians are put together and always say the right things. But Sanders’ flyaway white hair and direct, resolute objectives are part of his appeal. This seems to be especially true for millenials, who are fed up with those whom they view as corporate, phony, ‘career politicians.’ On all the issues most important to millennials, Sanders’ views correspond perfectly, and Sanders’ demeanor and sincere attitude excite youths previously disenchanted with politics.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the other hand, showed the complete opposite qualities during the debate. She is clearly a skilled debater, and showed her prowess on the floor. She was polished, well-rehearsed, and out for the kill. Every move seemed to be strategized perfectly, and it was obvious she spent a great deal of time preparing her attack on Sanders’ gun control views. Clinton did have

a bit of a blip in the well-prepared responses when she said that she represented Wall Street and told them to stop their bad behaviors (it seemed like she was had no concrete response), but other than that every answer was perfectly packaged.

Martin O’Malley spent his night agreeing with other’s on the stage and not much else. Almost everything he said was forgettable or similar to what another candidate had said. It’s safe to say that this opportunity for name recognition was not used to his advantage. Jim Webb, on the other hand, was almost obsessed with getting air-time, even if he had nothing to add. A senator from Virginia, Webb emphasized his foreign policy experience and central-leaning views. Webb apparently received a rating of “A” by the NRA, and believes that defending oneself with a gun is a tradition that must be respected. Overall, his presence was confusing. With all of the other candidates ostensibly trying to appear more left to reach Sanders, Webb seemed almost conservative.

Unlike Webb, who seemed to point out every few minutes how little time he had received, Chafee got no air time and didn’t really seem to care. He seemed happy to be on the stage at all. During his few op-

portunities to speak, he didn’t say anything novel or interesting. But maybe I missed what he was saying because his eyes are so blue. So, so blue…

Probably the most interesting point of the night came when the candidates were asked what they thought the greatest threat to national security. Politicians so often use foreign countries to place blame on something outside of themselves and also outside of the U.S.. From scapegoating Mexican immigrants (ehem, Donald Trump), to glorifying America by pointing to ISIS and other terrorist groups abroad (ehem, every republican and most democrats), politicians turn to conflict abroad in order to avoid analyzing very serious problems at home. Senator Sanders provided a fresh and maybe even uncomfortable answer to the question, “what do you think is the greatest threat to national security,” with his response, “climate change.” But honestly, he’s probably right. The U.S. spends more money on the military than the next 15 countries combined. What are we actually doing with that money?

And why do we need so much military shit? Seriously, please answer this question.

After the debate the nation was abuzz with who ended up the de facto winner of the debate. Although democratic pundits, according to the New York Times, argued that Hillary was the winner, the internet seemed to think otherwise.

According to a poll on CNN.com (granted an unscientific one as the voters were self-selected) 85% of voters chose Sanders as the winner of the debate, (Hillary received 9% of the vote). In my personal opinion, I think Hillary did the best at debating, but Sanders had the most appealing and comfortable presentation.

Page 8

Monday, November 2, 2015

Bridging the Gap between the Administration and Students By: Alex Greenberg and Eleanor Paasche On October 9th, upper school history chair, Dr. Jim Cullen, facilitated two round tables to discuss the role and responsibilities of the ECFS Head of School. In attendance were many teachers from all divisions and students, alongside Dr. Fernandez, Assistant Head of School, Noni Thomas-Lopez, and several members of the executive committee of the board of trustees.

While the Form III/IV roundtable session centered on demystifying the head of school’s job description and the implications of his title, the form V/VI session, which had about thirty people in attendence, was “more focused on what students were looking for in a leader,” according to Dr. Cullen. “Much of this seemed to involve a desire to be more involved in the process of choosing a head of school, and greater attention to student needs when actually on the job.”

Will Klein (V) said that in his opinion, “the students should have the biggest voice in the search for a new head of school. They are the ones who are directly affected by every decision made.” Klein also voiced concern that some of the mechanisms for input that board of trustees member, Carson Gleberman, brought up (roundtables, surveys, etc.) are more of a “pat on the back for students to make them feel included” than a space where students’ ideas are actually absorbed and implemented in the future.

This question ties back to a point that Ms. Gleberman had made earlier in the roundtable in which she described the difference, in her opinion, between “constructive restlessness” and “the destructive attacks and second-guessing of decisions that were made in good faith.” In other words, how much of the distrust between the ECFS community and the administration is rooted in the assumption of a lack of transparency as opposed to actual instances of deception?

Dr. Fernandez also believes that reputation is a major player in the division between the constituents of the ECFS community, warning that

“once you pit one group against another—really, any time you see the world as two polar opposites—you start assigning “good “and “bad” to those two categories. We want the kids to be critical thinkers, but at the same time, the world is a messy place—good and bad is a very simplistic way of looking at things and doesn’t give justice to the education you are getting.” Ms. Thomas Lopez added how, “At Fieldston, we all have real trouble admitting our part of the conflict. Why aren’t we a community who can regularly say ‘we got it wrong’ rather than ‘oh, here’s another example of the administration or the students doing what they always do.’ How can we create spaces where parties can come forward and actually talk about why they got something wrong?”

The topic of how to expand and include student voice in administrative decisions touched several students at the roundtable, including FSG co-president Jonathan Hazin (VI). Hazin pointed out that “a lot of the core of student opinion lies in the hallways, on the buses, and in the cafeteria—even though it may be messy and unpolished—rather than in the setting of a roundtable discussion. Fortunately, a lot of the time, the students who are very passionate about school issues are the ones who are elected to leadership positions, whether that be a school publication or a seat in the student government. Those routes are really the best way to get student opinion and the ones that will be most fruitful in the end.”

Form VI student, Daniel Cabaniss, saw the issue of student voice a little differently, adding another dimension to the already fervent discussion. “It is a very good idea to look at the school newspaper or student government to get a sense of what issues are important to students. However, the truth is that a lot of students don’t get the chance to be a part of these things. Running a newspaper requires a large time commitment—so a lot of the time what we see as the student voice is the handful of students who get all A’s, manage their extracurriculars extremely well, and have the time

PHOTO BY GUS AROSNON

Damian’s office overlooking the quad..

to be a student representative or a newspaper editor. That is the person that Fieldston has worked perfectly for. We see a majority of the student body not having that option of deciding when they should speak and when they should not. These are the students for which the system perhaps has not worked so well and it is their critiques that need to be heard.”

Dr. Fernandez noted another source of tension involving the operational structure of the school. “Entrepreneurial attitudes are individually based and that’s a good thing—we want everyone to bring their talent,” stated Dr. Fernandez. “However, we also have a conscious commitment towards collaboration. We have to have that individual drive combined

with a sense of connectivity in order for Fieldston to be (as Dr. Jim Cullen puts it) a ‘governable institution.’ ” There is no doubt that as the search for a new head of school continues, student voice will play a powerful role in the final decision. When interviewed by the Fieldston News, Dr. Cullen remarked that, “these days, almost 80% of heads of schools get fired. That didn’t happen in this case, but ECFS is a very difficult place to lead, in part because we’ve got a lot of talented, independent-minded people here. My hope is that people who attended gained a greater understanding of the complexities involved.” The Fieldston News will continue to report on this story in the coming weeks.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Page 9

From Felix to Confucius: My Two Years in Asia

PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. JERRY

Dr. Jerry with his students

Dr. Jerry Blaney During the past two years, I was lucky enough to teach in Asia: one year in China and one year in Taiwan. Leaving aside the issue of whether they are one country or two (a complex topic for another discussion), I felt fortunate to experience two versions of “Chinese” culture.

While I cannot make any comprehensive assertions about education in either country, it was very interesting to understand and adapt to the distinct environments in which I found myself, particularly as this adventure came after my first year teaching at Fieldston.

In certain respects, the contrasts

could be striking. The stereotype about Chinese education being traditional and test-obsessed is, in my experience, accurate. Despite working in an “international” program in China and an “American” school in Taiwan, the curriculum was built around AP courses – to the extent that, in China, standard courses were termed “pre-AP” – and an extraordinarily high premium placed on standardized tests such as the TOEFL and the SAT. All else would be sacrificed as a result, including regular class meetings, and especially extracurriculars and clubs.

My Chinese students were amazed – and a bit envious – at the range of activities offered at Fieldston and at

US high schools in general.

Given the unique political situation in China, it should come as no surprise that critical thinking was not encouraged, and this dynamic often had a chilling effect on classroom discussions. Instead, personal and dissenting opinions would be expressed in personal conversations, outside of class. Sometimes I halfexpected (as did my students) to be summarily ushered out of the country for discussing “sensitive”, if not forbidden, topics in class. (“Did he just mention Tibet?!” Hell yeah, I did.) Fortunately this never happened; it seemed that the authorities preferred the less-dramatic solution of disrupting my internet and thus

my access to information. On the other hand, in the absence of a oneparty dictatorship, my Taiwanese students felt more free to express themselves and were more responsive in class as a result.

While there were numerous differences between my Asian and American students – far too many to recount here – there also were a considerable number of similarities. Despite the glorification of tests by their culture, Chinese and Taiwanese students hated them just as much as American students do.

Many watched the same US television programs and movies as everyone here (though viewing them through different cultural lenses), and some of our national sports – particularly basketball – were very popular. Moreover, my Chinese and Taiwanese students were very active on social media, and they would give any American teenager a run for their money in terms of selfie photo skills.

In sum, while it can be challenging (to put it politely) to adjust to an educational environment inspired by a very different philosophy, on balance I found my two years teaching in Asia more rewarding and enriching than I could possibly express here. Living in, and actively interacting with foreign cultures is something that all of us should do at least once in our lives: it allows us to begin to fully comprehend and appreciate other ways of being human. It gives you a different perspective on not only fundamental issues, but also on day-to-day life.

You will never be the same afterwards. I know that I am not.

Want to contribute to the Fieldston News? Have you always dreamed of having your name on the front page of the New York Times? Do you find yourself drawing snarky cartoons in class?

Do you take extraordinary pictures?

Contribute to the Fieldston News!!!

Contact us by email: editors@fieldstonnews.com to submit articles, photos, drawings, or send letters to the editors.

Page 10

Monday, November 2, 2015

Alumni Interview: Simone Paasche by

Jane Herz

Tell us a little bit about yourself I graduated from Fieldston in 2008, and then I went to Rhode Island School of Design. I thought I was going to go there for painting, because I had such a wonderful time in Ms. Kriger’s painting class, but when I got to RISD, I decided to major in jewelry and metalsmithing. I studied jewelry and metalsmithing for three years, and then after school, I had a few internships. One was for Opening Ceremony, which is a fashion label.

Then I started working for a startup on a marketing team. From that job I learned about brand strategy.

Then, I saved up some money and moved to Berlin for a year, where I, after having a series of odd jobs, started working on film sets. I landed a great position as assistant director of a new gallery. It was in the Berlin version of “Bushwick” of an area called Wedding. I lived there for about a year, and then I moved back to New York, where I worked to launch my own jewelry company.

I raised money through kickstarter; I sort of “crowdsourced”. Now I’m working on my business, Spur Jewelry, full time.

How did the art classes you took at Fieldston inspire you to go to art school?

At Fieldston, my biggest interests were my English classes and my art classes. I had Ms. Stoller, Mr. Aune and Mr. Nightingale, some really fantastic teachers. For art, I had Mr. Rudich, Ms. Fried and Ms. Kriger.

I ended up doing my major in art, and I did Ms. Kriger’s life drawing class. I did a lot of painting. I think what was great was having endless support and access to oil paints and materials. She forced us to learn everything -- from preparing the canvases, to setting up our own still lives. I think it taught me a lot about the process of painting, and I also got to be in the studio whenever I wanted. It was my escape from the rest of school.

What gave you the idea to start your own company?

Through my internships and my job at the start-up, I got all of the

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPUR

Simone Paasche working in her studio in Brooklyn

necessary skills I needed to think about the business overall, not just the making of the pieces. From RISD, I learned how to make the stuff, from my internships, I learned how to produce things in NYC, and from working at the start-up, I got a good sense of marketing. I realized that I wanted to do my own thing and I wanted to be my own boss.

Was it hard starting up your company? What was the process like?

Were there other people involved?

When I was at RISD, I took a great course called “Entrepreneurial Thinking”. There I learned basic things, like how to do a balance

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPUR

Victoria Ring with Sapphires and Rubies

sheet and write a business plan. We worked using the Harvard Case study method, where we would study different companies like Honest Tea, Starbucks and Zipcar, and talk about how [these companies] got going. That course was really important. I worked on a draft of my business plan in Berlin and when I came back, I talked to a lot of different people I respect. After that, I worked with some friends from RISD to put my kickstarter video together.

Describe a typical day at Spur.

How long does it take you to make each piece?

It depends on the type of piece.

Some of my work is completely hand-rendered, I do that in a studio in Brooklyn. And then [for] some other pieces, I make a mold.

I make [a prototype] in wax, make a mold of it, and then I work with casters and print out as many as I need to. I assemble it after that, so I have multiples of them. I also work

“Most of my pieces have some sort of narrative to them”

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPUR

Assisi Horse Cufflinks in Bronze

with some really great stone setters.

I don't set my stones myself, I have experts do that.

How has your Fieldston experience shaped your life today? How has it shaped your business?

Fieldston definitely made me a lifelong reader. I’m a very analytical thinker. Most of my pieces have some sort of narrative to them. A lot of people buy my egg in cup lariat.

I lived with a British woman [in Berlin] who would eat this egg every morning, so I make these little stories about them for myself. That way of thinking was something I learned at Fieldston.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Page 11

Masters at Utilizing Their Weapons by

Yash Deshspande

Long story short, we lost a heartbreaker in overtime on homecoming. As to why we lost, it is very simple, no long explanation needed. “We made too many mistakes by turning the ball over at key moments and had some penalties that hurt us,” explained Head Coach Gus Ornstein. Tears and a depressed environment followed the final whistle as Captain Matthew Jalazo explained how “it was one of the hardest losses in my football career.”

What some people might have seen as a disappointing homecoming loss, I saw as a hungry Fieldston team yearning to get back on its feet.

In terms of the juniors, the trio of Tyler “Franchise” Kemp, Kyron Thomas Jr., and Matthew Jalazo is what first comes to mind. As juniors they have taken on the leadership role as captains of the football team. From the maturity and passion they have shown, it is no surprise that they were selected as the captains. Tyler Kemp comes up huge on both ends of the field.

He comes up with huge tackles defensively and is a huge threat to the opponent’s offensive passing game.

Offensively, he runs with power, makes big catches, has great footwork, and is fast becoming one of the top players on the team. Matthew Jalazo plays an important part - he is the anchor of the Eagles defense; he has the ability to set the tone of games and to set examples for his team. I believe the key for the Eagles to win is when they put defense first, and then their offense starts to click. Although it was upsetting not getting to see Kyron play at homecoming, he is athletic, fast and strong as a wide receiver and has some huge hits defensively, earning him the nickname “Hit Stick.” What impressed me the most though was the passion, maturity and leadership that he showed, yelling from the sidelines, giving advice, encouraging and pushing the players. Another player to keep an eye out for is Marshall Gershon.

It is his first year on the team, and homecoming was only his second start on the season but offensively, he was running his routes well and defensively, he was putting lots of pressure on his matchup.

For the sophomores, three names come to mind, Josh Godosky, and the O’Hagan brothers (Pierce and Patrick). Godosky obviously was the MVP during homecoming for the Eagles--3 touchdowns including a huge five-yard route that he took for a 50+ yards touchdown and some huge tackles. He is a powerful running back, makes huge catches, and also contributes a lot on the defensive end. As for Patrick O’Hagan, he runs his routes very well as a wide receiver making huge catches, and he plays very well defensively, intercepting the ball and putting pressure on his matchups.

Tyler Kemp said this homecoming was huge and this game helped get Patrick “on the map with our fans.”

His brother, also unfortunately out for Homecoming due to injury, is a great target that picks up big yards for the Eagles as tight end and plays well defensively. Kyron also pointed out two starting offensive lineman, Noah Gold and Nick Francoeur. Kyron explained how they “deserve credit where it’s due.

These guys didn’t see much of the field, if any last year, and now they don’t step off. I really appreciate the work that they put in day in and day out, and the team definitely benefits from it.”

“Godosky obviously was the MVP during homecoming.”

Finally for the freshman there was a consensus on one name, Alexander Thorpe. Tyler Kemp mentioned how right out of the box he has put in huge work as “linebacker, tight end, and punter.” I, too, saw consistency and effectiveness at each position he played during homecoming. Matthew Jalazo also added “He doesn’t crack under pressure, which is a great quality for a future leader on this team to have.

And above all, he comes to practice everyday and always tries his hardest, which is not an easy thing to do if you have never won with the team you’re playing with.”

Right now it is not about the record for the football team; rather it is about honing their talent on a small roster, and there is no doubt in my mind that this team will succeed in the future.

PHOTO BY GUS ARONSON

Josh Godosky at Homecoming 2015

TheFieldstonNews

www.FieldstonNews.com www.Facebook.com/FieldstonNews Ethical Culture Fieldston School 3901 Fieldston Road, Bronx, NY 10471 Editors-in-Chief: Livia Bokor, Alex Greenberg, and Eleanor Paasche Managing Editors: Jane Herz and Rori Sachs Art, Layout, and Design Editors: Gus Aronson and Nate Newhouse Art Staff: Grace Brickner, Michael Consuelos, Maxwell Gutterman, and Carolina Moore Staff Writers: Emma Mitnick, Keerti Gopal, Ben Kava, Marc Schorin, Sophie Schnell, Tyler Friedman, Charlie Friedberg, Hollis Lehv Contributors: Will Schiller, Stella Silverstein, Sasha Greensfelder, Sophie Burns, Ariana Reichler, Anna McNulty, Hannah Hooper, Dr. Jerry Blaney, Yash Deshspande, Carolina Moore Printing: Kirk Ruebenson and Carl Smith Faculty Adviser: Bob Montera

Sports The Fieldston News

Homecoming in Action

VOLLEYBALL, WATER POLO, BOYS SOCCER, AND FIELD HOCKEY PHOTOS BY GUS ARONSON GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER PHOTO BY THEODORE MATZA TENNIS PHOTOS BY LIVI SPIEGEL

Fieldston Varsity Teams Competing at Homecoming 2015