Friends Seminary
Edition 2
January 2016
Friends Seminary Separately Incorporates from the Immigration: Bigotry in Politics New York Quarterly Meeting By SABRINA EDELMAN ’16
After ten years of negotiating, Friends Seminary separately incorporated from the New York Quarterly Meeting on December 6, 2015. This marks the beginning of a new relationship with the New York Quarterly Meeting (NYQM). Principal Bo Lauder stated, “I could not be anymore excited for our school and the Quarterly meeting.” For the most part, the separation will not affect the day to day lives of students
By NAHID MAHMUD ’17
or faculty, Lauder said. The use of shared spaces such as the Meeting House will remain the same. However, there may be a minor tuition hike. Regarding this tuition hike, Lauder stated, “There is typically a tuition increase each year and, in all candor, the terms of the separation will have an impact on tuition. We are
working now to ensure that over the next three years the costs associated with the separation will have as limited an impact as possible.” In addition, Friends Seminary can now proceed with the major renovation that will begin this summer, which will allow Friends to add more programs.
Inside
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FIVE WAYS TO COPE WITH STRESS
BARS OF THE MC AND VERSES OF THE BARD
HAMILTON INSPIRES A REVOLUTION ON BROADWAY
2015 FALL ATHLETICS RECAP
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It’s easy to say that the reason why Republican responses to immigration reform are so extreme is because Republican ideas are inherently conservative when the real problem lies in the fact that Republicans approach immigration the same way they approach terrorism: by playing on the fears of the public. After the Paris terrorist attacks on November 13th, the topic of immigration has been brought to the forefront of political debate and not for the right reasons. Following militant group ISIS claiming responsibility for the Friday the 13th attacks and rumors that one of the Paris attackers was a Syrian among the wave of refugees entering Greece in early October, more than 31 state governors across the United States indicated that they would attempt to block any future refugees from settling in their states due to fear of granting access to terrorists. Subsequently, on November 19th, The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill that would halt the resettlement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the US and would require the FBI directory to certify a background investigation on all refugees despite much democratic opposition from the Senate and President Barack Obama. With the topic of terrorism taking front and center stage, several politicians were more than willing to speak on the topic of immigration. Republican presidential candidates jumped on the opportunity to use the attacks as grounds to further their own political agendas regarding the Syrian migration crisis. Despite being the son of a refugee, Senator Ted Cruz pledged to introduce legislation that would ban Muslim Syrian refugees from entering the country. Rival presidential candidate Jeb Bush agreed and suggested that the United States only accept Christian refugees from Syria. When asked by a reporter to explain exactly how he would distinguish Christian
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2 Continued from “Friends Separately Incorporates from the New York Quarterly Meeting” When the decision was announced, many students were anxious that this meant we were no longer a Quaker school. However, for those worried about Friends Seminary’s Quaker status, you can ease your fears. Lauder stated, “We will remain a school deeply rooted in the Quaker testimonies, just as we have for the last 230 years, and we will continue to work closely with the Quarter and Monthly Meeting for Quaker Guidance.” The Quaker testimonies are principles for good living to which Friends consistently refer in their lives. Such principles include peace, equality, integrity, and simplicity. The relationship between Friends Seminary and the New York Quarterly Meeting has not been severed and may in fact become stronger now that Friends has incorporated separately. Lauder applauded the decision by stating, “A modern, thriving school of 770 students with high standards and high aspirations needed to be governed by its own board of trustees.” The Quakers (NYQM) will continue to name half the members of the school’s governing board along with the establishment of a committee to cultivate and further develop Friends’ commitment to Quaker values. The current agreement has Friends Seminary paying the New York Quarterly Meeting an annual amount of $775,000 along with both parties contributing $175,000 to a historic building preservation capital fund. Additionally, Ms. Kjellberg, Secretary of NYQM, stated that giving the school more autonomy can aid in their planning and decision making process, since the prior process often involved long delays on capital projects. This new relationship may work out best for both parties. “This is a very exciting time to be a member of the Friends community. The School’s core values are ours to embrace and no task is too large. We have a 230-year-old treasure to support and nurture, and we are confident and proud that we are part of a dedicated community ready to answer that call of responsibility and stewardship. A dynamic strategic plan, a bold campus redevelopment project and an ambitious campaign pave the way ahead,” Lauder said.
Soren Grunder ’16 prepares to throw a pitch at a girls’ softball game in the spring of 2015.
The Difference Between a 98 mph Pitch and a 64 mph Pitch Imagine learning to write with your right hand. Your entire life, you write with your right hand. With your right hand you are able to write amazing essays and paint beautiful masterpieces. Your right hand becomes much stronger and more able than your left hand. And then one day someone comes up to you and takes that pencil from your right hand and sticks it into your left hand. You hold if for a while, but it doesn’t feel right. You have trouble writing the correct words, and painting the small details of your masterpieces. It takes years to learn to write with your left hand, probably because your heart’s not in it. You like writing with your right hand. This is what it’s like for any girl who is told that after years of playing baseball she must change to softball. Softball was a game originally created to play in the harsh winters. It was based on baseball, but it was varied so that it could be played indoors. The ball was made bigger so that it couldn’t be hit as far. The bases were brought closer together so it could fit inside a gym. The pitching style was changed so that the ball wouldn’t go as fast. It soon took the attention of girls and was made into a year round sport. Since its creation in 1887, softball has been promoted universally as the “more appropriate choice” for girls than baseball. It wasn’t until 1974, just over thirty years ago, that girls were able to join Little League Baseball and Little League Softball was created. Girls were still encouraged to play softball, especially after growing
By MAEVE WOOLLEN ’18
out of Little League. According to The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), there are 100,000 girls playing youth baseball, and only about 1,300 girls playing high school baseball in the country. NFHS data says that 0.27% of high school baseball players are girls. These statistics should make society more curious than it is currently as to why girls’ early enthusiasm for baseball is discouraged as they get older. This number is so low because after hitting a certain age, girls are pushed to quit baseball and pursue softball if they are still interested in that kind of sport. Dana Franco ’16 says “When I was younger, I grew up playing t-ball, and then all the way through, you know you do co-ed baseball for a while when you were younger, and then eventually it all just kind of cements your way or your track to softball. So it’s not really like you have a choice.” And this switch is a big deal. There are so many changes you have to make to adjust to this new sport, including relearning to swing with a metal bat instead of a wooden one, understanding the feel of a bigger ball, and learning to stop at a base that is a shorter distance away. But when they aren’t given the choice to continue playing baseball, girls must find another way to stay in the game. Can a girl who would rather play baseball play on the baseball team? David Lieber, head of the athletics department, says that during his 26 years of working at Friends
Seminary, he is not aware of a single girl playing on the baseball team. I asked him if a girl were to ask to be on the team, would she be allowed? He responded, “It would depend on the circumstances. I’m not aware of any league rule prohibiting it.” While there may be no rule prohibiting it, the female baseball player would also have to deal with her teammates. I interviewed a Friends baseball player, asking him if he thought that if a girl were on the team, would she have to be better than any other guy on team, in the same way that Jackie Robinson, the first black MLB player, had to be much better than any of his teammates to be on the team. William Cohen ’18 said, “She would have to hold her own or else she would get cut, probably faster than a boy who’s as bad would get cut.” Cohen adds to the point that any girl on the baseball team couldn’t just be good, she’d have to work harder than any other guy, most likely having had to play the sport since she was little. Could we just solve the issue by creating a girl baseball team? Well for now, Lieber says that’s not possible. “No schools have girls’ baseball teams. It would be a lonely schedule if we had a girls’ baseball team.” It’s simply not appropriate for women not to have the option to play baseball. Young girls are showing enthusiasm for the sport, and it’s time for our country to provide the choice for them to continue playing.
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January 2016 Continued from “Immigration: Bigotry in Politics” refugees from non-Christian refugees, Bush replied, “Well [if] you’re a Christian, you can prove you’re a Christian. I think you can prove it — if you can’t prove it then, you know, you err on the side of caution.” Billionaire businessman and republican presidential candidate Donald Trump went even further, telling reporters that, as president, he would create a government database to track Muslims in the US and close down mosques “where bad things are happening.” The use of real-life tragedies and foreign threats as a tool for shifting public views has been a common trope of American politics and the 2016 presidential race proves that it indeed still is. In a tweet posted on November 17th, Trump stated, “Refugees from Syria are now pouring into our great country. Who knows who they are - some could be ISIS. Is our president insane?” In an interview with CNBC, Trump described the influx of Syrian immigrants as “one of the greatest tactical ploys of all time,” labeling the wave of migrants as “one of the great Trojan horses.” Trump’s plans of racial profiling fueled by Islamophobia proves that the celebrity businessman is not a serious presidential candidate. To tackle terrorism is to admit that the US’ national security is much more complex than just Muslim immigration. In a recent paper by George Washington University’s Program on Extremism titled “ISIS in America,” former director of the FBI, Robert S. Mueller III, said that the biggest threat of terrorism comes from “self radicalized, homegrown extremists in the United States,” a claim that is backed up by 900 ongoing investigations against homegrown violent Islamic extremists linked to ISIS. Nevertheless, several Republican presidential candidates feel the need to create a connection between Syrian immigration and terrorism, and yet, no one has come up with a reasonable solution for either. What people like Trump fail to realize is that a faulty counter-extremism policy, which is inherently unconstitutional, can further enflame the extremist problem. The reality is, Trump’s vision for antiimmigration policy serves as a shining monument for far-right conservatives and their bigoted anti-Muslim rhetoric. By playing his cards to the views of white supremacists, Trump fails to realize that he’s playing right into ISIS’ hands. That doesn’t seem to matter much, however, when his poll numbers continue to rise. Many voters, on both sides of the political spectrum, often commend Trump’s straightforwardness in saying things most other politicians wouldn’t. Unfortunately, practically everything Donald Trump says is wrong due to the fact that he and his team have focused on building a primarily
offense-oriented political campaign that plays off the implicit biases of voters. Such a gambit makes it easy for the business mogul to blatantly make outrageous claims concerning key political issues. Take for example Trump’s comments on the issue of the large influx of Mexican migrants coming into the US: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best . . . They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” Sure, most Trump supporters don’t think all Mexicans are rapists but they definitely won’t disagree with keeping them out of the country. Claims like this, from banally racist remarks to misogynistic attacks on people like Rosie O’Donnell and Carly Fiorina, serve to brew the perfect storm—a product of, as Jeb Bush puts it best, Trump’s “chaos candidacy.” By insulting individuals, belittling groups of people, and attacking entire communities left and right, Trump has managed to exploit people’s fears to bolster his poll numbers to the top of the charts. Such a ploy is nothing new in American politics nor is it isolated to just the campaign cycle. In the publication Social Research: An International Quarterly by Al Gore, the former vice president begins the volume entitled The Politics of Fear with the statement “Terrorism is the ultimate misuse of fear for political ends. Indeed, its specific goal is to distort the political reality of a nation by creating fear in the general population that is hugely disproportionate to the actual dangers that the terrorists are capable of posing.” Gore goes on to make the argument that the Bush administration “force-fed” the American people a “grossly exaggerated fear of Iraq,” leading to its subsequent invasion and a war that would last eight years. Playing on the fears of people allow politicians to appear as if they have the one and only answer. The fact that people like Trump are capable of using such a tactic to appeal to the public, and in the successful way he is doing so now, speaks to how polluted America’s political climate really is. In response to several Republican anti-immigration remarks, on Wednesday, November 25th, the Obama administration clarified that states cannot legally block the resettlement of refugees, according to a letter from the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) sent to state officials. In the letter, the agency explained that all 50 states are indeed bound by the Refugee Act of 1980 to provide “assistance and services” to refugees “without regard to race, religion, nationality, sex, or political opinion.” The letter stressed that states cannot cut off services to Syrian refugees funded by the ORR. The letter goes on to state that refugees are protected by Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race and national origin” in all programs
A man tapes his mouth shut in protest, after being told to turn back in Gevgelija, Macedonia. Others participated in silent protests and hunger strikes by sewing their mouths shut.
that receive federal financial assistance. Many Democrats have expressed their concern with Republican reactions aimed towards immigration policy, Islamophobia, and civilian surveillance. On Monday, November 16th, President Barack Obama spoke at the G-20 summit in Turkey, saying “When I hear political leaders suggesting that there would be a religious test for which person who’s fleeing a worn-torn country is admitted . . . that’s shameful, that’s not American, that’s not who we are. We don’t have religious tests to our compassion. When Pope Francis came to visit the United States and gave a speech before Congress, he didn’t speak just about Christians who were being persecuted . . . he said protect people who were vulnerable.” U.S. Senator and Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders shared similar views but agreed to the screening of refugees, saying “We are a strong enough nation to say we are not going to lose who we are as a people, that we’re going to protect our constitution, we’re going to protect religious freedom, and we’re not going to turn our backs on women and children who have been thrown out of their own countries with the shirts on their backs.” Since 2011, only 1,500 Syrian refugees have been accepted into the United States, but the Obama administration announced in September that 10,000 Syrians will be allowed entry next year. Rather than discuss solutions and potential policies of reform the ploy of using fear to persuade the general public seems to be a uniquely Republican problem. In wake of the Paris attacks and San Bernardino shootings, Trump called for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims from entering the United States “until the country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.” As expected, the proposition met much condemnation from Democrats and Republicans alike. In fact, Jennifer Horn, Chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party, labeled Trump’s plan as “un-Republican, unconstitutional, and
un-American.” Former Vice President Dick Cheney stated, “This whole notion that somehow we can just say no more Muslims, just ban a whole religion, goes against everything we stand for and believe in.” The point is, when the majority of Republicans are defending Muslims, especially when that majority includes Dick Cheney, something has definitely gone wrong. During his presidency, Republican George W. Bush made it very clear that the United States of America was not at war with Muslims. Trump’s warmongering agenda, on the other hand, has been compared to the likes of Hitler, even appearing on the cover of the Philadelphia News titled “The New Furor” that depicts Trump in a highly-demonstrative gesture. Such a comparison brings up a lot of questions about what Trump exactly intends to do with Muslims. Ibrahim Hooper of the Council of Islamic-American Relations commented “Are we talking internment camps? Are we talking the final solution to the Muslim question? I feel like I’m back in the 1930’s.” When asked whether or not being compared to Hitler affected him in any way, Trump responded in an interview with George Stephanopoulos, “What [he] is doing is no different than what FDR did.” Ironically, FDR is notoriously known for his use of internment camps to hold Japanese Americans during World War II so it makes sense Trump believes that “we are now at war.” The predicament Trump now seems to be in is identifying who exactly he is at war with: those who want to harm the people of the United States of America or the American people themselves.
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Five Ways to Cope with Stress By ISA SKIBELI ’18 #1: Stop Procrastinating #2:Learn to Budget Your Time #3: Get Some Sleep #4: Talk to Someone about Your Stress #5: Exercise Everyone faces stress in life. Some people have highly pressurized and stressful jobs. Others worry about how they are going to pay the bills that month, or pass their exams, or get accepted to college. People get stressed about meeting difficult deadlines, and about their relationships with family and friends. We all know how stressful life can really be at times. Maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet during periods of time when you get anxious or nervous can be very difficult, which is why many people start to stresseat as a coping mechanism for what’s going on around them. Scientists at the Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research at the University of Zurich conducted a study on how stress impacts the brain. The study involved 51 young men, all claiming to care about their health and lifestyle choices. The men were told to look through a variety of foods on a computer screen, and then rank them in terms of how healthy and tasty they are. Then the men were divided into two groups. One group was told to place a hand in a bucket of ice-cold water for a long as they could bear, a test that prompts a small amount of physiological and psychological stress. The men who plunged their hands into water were found to have higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, than those that did not. Afterwards each man was hooked up to a brain-scanning machine, and placed in front of a computer which presented them with pairs of images of food. In each pair of images, one of the foods was more healthy. Out of each pair of images, the men were told to select the food that they would rather eat in that moment, keeping in mind that one of the foods they were about to select would be randomly chosen, and they would be asked to eat it. Scientists compared the foods chosen by men who had undergone a small amount of stress to those who had not. They discovered men who underwent stress were more likely to choose more unhealthy food options. They also concluded from their data that the higher the cortisol levels of the man, the more likely he was to pick fattier, richer foods.
Eating your feelings is not good for your body. The next time you’re stressed out or upset about something, think before you stuff your face with junk food. While gobbling down cookies or chips may give you a temporary outlet for your stress, anger, or fear, it won’t benefit you in the long run. It is important to lay down good habits when you are young so you can lead a healthy, full life. The question is, how can we learn to cope with intense stress so that it doesn’t negatively affect our health and wellbeing? #1: Stop Procrastinating We all know that in times of stress, it’s much easier to avoid assignments than to tackle them. But if you start working on homework assignments as soon as you receive them, you will feel more on top of things and won’t be as worried. Procrastinating never works out very well. The longer you put off doing something, the more stressed you get, the less and less doable your work seems. In this situation you are left to do all your work at the last second. And while some people may find that they work much more productively and efficiently when they have almost no time left, by doing this you also risk losing sleep over doing work late at night. #2: Learn to Budget Your Time If you have a large amount of work to do, making a list of your homework and other obligations helps you to stay organized and on track. Take into account how much time you have to get all of it done, and allocate time accordingly. Do not spend too much time on any one thing, or your grades in other classes might suffer. Make sure you are prioritizing what assignments and studying you do. If you get home late from a sport or after school activity and you have a test the next day, as well as homework, then use free periods before classes to finish up homework and use your time at home to study. Making good use of collab period everyday is also a smart thing to do. Collab is a great time to meet with teachers about any topics you need help with or do not understand. #3: Get Some Sleep I’m sure many of us have returned home
after a long, stressful day at school or work, and all we wanted to do was collapse into bed and watch television or scroll through social media. Don’t get me wrong, having downtime is important for everyone, so that you are able to take a deep breath and recharge your batteries. But sleep is one of your most vital tools during times of stress, and without it you aren’t well equipped to deal with the challenges that face you everyday. It is very hard to turn off your electronics after you turn them on. And if you stay up late at night lured in by the glowing screen of your phone or iPad, you’ll wake up feeling groggy and sluggish. Being tired and suffering from lack of sleep will not only impact your ability to concentrate and perform, but can also cause you to blow tough situations out of proportion, and make things out to be a bigger deal in your head than they actually are. #4: Talk to Someone about Your Stress Sometimes sharing how you feel with another person can take a heavy weight off your chest. Often you will find that discussing things that trouble you will make you feel better and more in control of the situation. #5: Exercise Maybe you had rough day, or there are stressful things on your mind. Instead of heading for the kitchen or stopping at a deli, throw on a pair of sneakers. There are so many ways to exercise in New York City, and you won’t have to go out of your way to do them. You can go for a jog around your neighborhood, play basketball with your friends, take up pilates, or run up and down the stairs in your building. Stress causes you to have pent-up energy and emotions, and one of the best ways to relieve this is through physical exertion. If you are fit and get the amount of exercise you need everyday, stress will not take as large of a toll on your body. The new eight-day schedule with alternating classes at Friends allows teachers to have more class time with students, and gives students two nights to complete homework assignments instead
of one. The idea is that with longer classes and more time to do homework, the workload and stress levels of students is reduced. Many students have responded positively towards the schedule change. Tessa DeFranco ’17, feels that her workload has indeed lessened with the new schedule. “I think the new schedule works for people who appreciate organization because there is more opportunity to manage your time. But for those that have trouble with procrastination, it can lead to an overwhelming amount of work due at the last minute,” she said. “The new schedule allows me to have more time to do my homework, having two days between each class,” said Richard Payne ’18. “The 70 minute free periods are helpful for getting my homework done,” he added. When asked about the amount and length of assignments he gets, Payne responded, “I don’t feel like I’m spending more time doing homework for certain classes than I did last school year. The homework load feels the same as it did last school year.” Some students feel that the new schedule is more challenging if you take numerous AP classes. The spacing out of classes throughout the schedule is also proving difficult for some students. Sabrina Edelman ’16, has four classes on day one, and three of them are APs. The next day, she only has one class. “Class time in AP courses has been cut by 20 percent, which means you have more homework to make up for,” Edelman said. “No matter how you spread out your classes, you still have about four hours of homework a night. The new schedule has a lot more homework than old schedule,” she concluded. If stress bothers you or eats up a large chunk of your life and everyday routine, there is always something you can do to relieve it, even if by just a little. If you take your life into your own hands, remain positive and keep trying your hardest, then you are well on your way to success.
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January 2016
Why We Need Diplomacy in Iran
Eating Lunch, or Doing Work
By CAMILO DURR ’18
By DAPHNE DARWISH ’19
On November 4, 1979, the United States embassy in Tehran, Iran was violently stormed and taken hostage by the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s line, a group of Iranian revolutionaries pledging death to America. 36 years later the United States, along with numerous other countries, passed the Iranian Nuclear Deal Framework, outlining steps for Iran to ensure it would not obtain a nuclear weapon. The deal by President Obama and the United States is a victory for diplomacy, and for the first time since that fateful day when 52 American citizens were held hostage in Tehran, the US and Iran sat down together for international talks. But the deal put forward by the President was received harshly by congress and international opponents, with former Speaker of the House John Boehner saying, “[We] will use every tool at our disposal to stop, slow, and delay this agreement from being fully implemented.” Florida Senator and 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio said, “President Obama has consistently negotiated from a position of weakness, giving concession after concession to a regime that has American blood on its hands, holds Americans hostage, and has consistently violated every agreement it ever signed,” vowing to nullify the deal if he is elected President. But how does the Iran deal actually stop a country which was previously listed by President George W. Bush as “an axis of evil” from obtaining the nuclear bomb? There is a very complicated process to create an atom bomb, but, in short, a nuclear weapon can be created using Plutonium or Uranium, both mined from Uranium ore. A centrifuge is used to enrich the Uranium and Plutonium, using it to create a nuclear bomb. Under the new deal, Iran’s enriched Uranium will be cut by 98 percent and the enrichment research and capacity will be limited for 15 years. Inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue for the next 25 years. These steps will ensure that Iran will not obtain a nuclear bomb. Then why is the new deal receiving such a backlash, even prompting Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at a Holocaust remembrance, to liken countries striking a deal with Iran to the Europeans who appeased Hitler in the 1930s? Many critics point out that the deal ends the economic sanctions placed on Iran. In reality the EU was already getting ready to end sanctions. Speaking at the American University, President Obama discussed the new nuclear deal with Iran, at the same spot where over 50 years before President John F. Kennedy addressed the graduating class about one of the greatest crisis in our history, nuclear war. At the height of the Cold War, in 1963, nuclear destruction of the world was a foreseeable future. President Kennedy said, “First: Let us examine our attitude toward peace itself. Too many of us think it is impossible. Too many think it unreal. But that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable-that mankind is doomed-that we are gripped by forces we cannot control.” President Kennedy said our man-made problems can only be solved by us, and we must do this together, because isolating ourselves from others creates only conflict, and never peace. Republicans and Democrats alike in Congress vow to end the deal because they too believe that peace between our two countries is impossible because of our polar opposite forms of government, ours supporting freedom of speech and religion, and theirs a totalitarian system of fear. But what they don’t understand is, as President Kennedy said, “World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor-it requires only that they live together in mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement.” Neither Americans nor Iranians will fly each others’ flags in our windows because we haven’t become allies overnight. Sadly the vicious government in Iran is still in place, but fixing that isn’t our job. Change can only come through what President Kennedy called “concrete actions.” We can’t change the minds of every Iranian, just ensure that in our time and in the future the world is safe from nuclear war.
Exhausted, a typical Friends Seminary student finally arrives home at 8:00 PM. Having had no frees that day, the student deeply regrets eating lunch instead of using that time to get work done. This year, one of the biggest changes to the school is the new schedule. With classes and free periods that are an hour and ten minutes long, only 45 minutes are allotted to the lunch period. Bo Lauder, the head of the school, explained why the lunch period is shorter than normal free periods: “The committee felt that 45 minutes was a reasonable time to eat. What they may not have considered is how far students like to go off campus for lunch.” But the problem at hand isn’t the amount of time to eat, but the amount of time one can sacrifice to eating while still being able to get work done. Lauder said, “This kind of scenario was supposed to be corrected by the new schedule with homework more evenly distributed over nights.” Felix Schlondorff ’19 said that 45 minutes is enough time because all he has to do is “run, get food, and come back.” After all, the lunch period is only supposed to be enough time to eat food, not necessarily to socialize and eat at a far away restaurant. However, Schlondorff has eight frees per cycle, much more than some students, who only have four, two, or even none. Sigourney Buell ’18 disagrees with Schlondorff’s point about the length of the lunch period. She said, “Forty-five minutes isn’t quite long enough.” In her opinion, “The community period is a little bit too long, so maybe cutting some of that time off and adding it to lunch” would be a better alternative. Students who barely have any frees are overloaded with work and compromise eating lunch to finish work or get ahead.
India Woolmington ’16 commented, “The 45-minute lunch period has been a difficult adjustment for me this year. Last year I used to have upwards of 50 minutes for lunch during regular 6th period classes.” The new change in schedule is also a big adjustment for students in terms of managing time differently and spacing out work. Woolmington said she has definitely skipped the lunch period to get work done in the past. However, she would “only advocate entirely skipping lunch if there is no other plausible time in the day to do this work to the best ability.” Will Hopkins, the Dean of Academics, stated, “The lunch period was never meant to serve as a homework period. Students with a full day usually have some free time on an alternate day.” He adds, “Regardless of the structure of the schedule, overloads can be challenging.” So by using the new schedule as a way to take advantage of free periods that are over an hour long, students will have enough time to eat lunch and not stress too much about school work.
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Bars of the MC and Verses of the Bard By RICHARD OMAR PAYNE ’18 I will admit that I have never been a fan of the majority of rap to come after 1999. It is my opinion that the rap music of this era is devoid of the same level of artistry that was so prevalent in the days of what is now called old school rap. Nowadays clever or thought-provoking lyricism, vision, and valuable meaning, have all been reduced to lazy lyrics, catchy hooks, and a good beat. However, as disillusioned as I am with this ‘new school’ of rap, I can appreciate the skills of artists like Immortal Technique, Cage, MF DOOM, and Jean Grae. I cannot claim that my father, who inspired this article, is as open-minded as I am. I convinced him to sample the mastery of legendary artists like Nas and Rakim, even letting him read the lyrics so he would see the poetic value in what they were saying. He remained unimpressed. Exasperated at his stubbornness and amazed at his slowness to acknowledge the skills of these men, I decided to launch an analysis of some of my favorite rap verses and compare them to verses of Shakespeare, an artist whose skills and reputation I knew my father did respect. I scanned for how well and how often literary devices that Shakespeare employed such as simile, metaphor, double entendre, alliteration, internal rhyme, multisyllabic rhyme, assonance, consonance, and more were used as a way to measure rappers’ technical skill. In this way I hoped to show that these same literary devices used by the most skilled rappers demonstrate a similar amount of technical ability to rap as it took Shakespeare to write his verses. This first verse was written by Rakim a.k.a. Tha God MC who was at his peak during the late 80s and early 90s. With DJ Eric B they became the formidable duo called Eric B & Rakim and released their first studio album called Paid In Full. This album pioneered the use of internal and multisyllabic rhymes in rap and introduced Rakim’s distinctive relaxed delivery and slow flow. Rakim is also known for influencing prominent MCs like, Tupac, Nas, Kool G. Rap, Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, 50 Cent and Wu Tang Clan members GZA, Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon. The song this verse is from is called “Follow the Leader.” Follow me into a solo Get in the flow - and you can picture like a photo Music mixed mellow maintains to make Melodies for MC's motivates the breaks I'm everlastin, I can go on for days and days With rhyme displays that engrave deep as X-ray
In the third and fourth lines Rakim uses alliteration which in this case is repetition of the ‘m’ sound and then rhymes ‘breaks’ and ‘motivates’ as an example of the internal rhyme he pioneered the use of in rap. In the last line, Rakim again uses internal rhyme to rhyme the words ‘X-rays’ and ‘displays,’ Both of these words rhyme with the word ‘days’ in the previous line displaying an example of off-centered rhyme. Rakim also uses a little assonance with the repetition of the vowel ‘a’ in the words ‘engrave’ and ‘X-rays’. I can take a phrase that's rarely heard, FLIP IT Now it's a daily word I can get iller than 'Nam, I kill and bomb But no alarm - Rakim will remain calm Self-esteem make me super superb and supreme But for a microphone still I fiend Rakim starts off this section with some consonance in the repetition of the vowel ‘m’ in the words ‘Nam (the Vietnam War) and ‘bomb’ and simile as a way to compare the intensity of his rhymes to the intensity of the War. On paper the words ‘alarm’ and ‘calm’ do not rhyme, but Rakim pronounces ‘alarm’ without the ‘r’ noise to produce a neat internal rhyme. In the next line, Rakim uses more alliteration in repetition of the consonant ‘s’ in the phrase “Self-esteem make me super superb and supreme” and also forms an internal rhyme with the words ‘esteem’ and ‘supreme’. Rakim ends the section with a repetition of the vowel ‘e’ in the words ‘supreme’ and ‘fiend.’ What could ya say as the Earth gets further and further away Planets are small as balls of clay Astray into the Milky Way - world's out a sight Far as the eye can see - not even a satellite Now stop and turn around and look As ya stare in the darkness, ya knowledge is took! So keep starin soon ya suddenly see a star You better follow it cause it's the R This is a lesson if ya guessin and if ya borrowin Hurry hurry step right up and keep followin The Leader Rakim then takes us on a mental odyssey through space to gaze upon a star which he reveals to be himself. The verse
seems more brilliant when you realize that Rakim saying that he is a star could be interpreted as a double entendre. On one level Rakim is saying that he is an actual star, a luminous sphere of plasma held together by its own gravity, which works with the mental image Rakim had crafted as a set up to this revelation. On another level, Rakim could also be saying that he is a rap star who is destined for success which is why he suggests that you “step right up and keep followin’ ” him and keep an eye on his progress. There is a multisyllabic rhyme between ‘borowin’ and ‘followin.’ Now we will look at a verse from Shakespeare, creator of such plays as Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Hamlet, and Julius Caesar. The verse I have chosen is from Act 3, Scene 5 of Macbeth where the witch, Hecate, is berating her underlings for telling Macbeth about his future. Have I not reason, bedlams as you are, Saucy and overbold? How did you dare To trade and traffic with Macbeth In riddles and affairs of death; And I, the mistress of your charms, The close contriver of all harms Shakespeare uses quite a bit of assonance in the section as the words ‘traffic’ and ‘Macbeth’ share the same vowel sound, as well as the words ‘riddles’ and ‘mistress.’ There is some alliteration between the words ‘trade’ and ‘traffic.’ Was never call'd to bear my part, Or show the glory of our art? And, which is worse, all you have done Hath been but for a wayward son, Spiteful and wrathful, who, as others do, Loves for his own ends, not for you. But make amends now: get you gone There is more assonance in this section between the words ‘was’ and ‘part,’ ‘show’ and ‘glory,’ and ‘which’ and ‘is.’ Shakespeare also employs metaphor in describing Macbeth as a ‘wayward son.’ A ‘wayward’ or ‘prodigal’ son is used to describe someone who goes against what is right or proper. After the witches had told Macbeth that he would be king after becoming Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth kills the current king, Duncan in order to hasten the speed at which the witches’ prophecy would come true. Thus, Macbeth can be considered a ‘wayward son’ because he went against what was right in not allowing fate to take its natural course. It is also impressive how this one metaphor manages to connect to one of the big themes of the
play-conflict between fate and free will. This section ends with some internal rhyme between ‘ends’ and ‘amends’ in the last couplet. And at the pit of Acheron Meet me i' the morning: thither he Will come to know his destiny: Your vessels and your spells provide, Your charms and every thing beside I am for the air; this night I'll spend Unto a dismal and a fatal end: Great business must be wrought ere noon: Upon the corner of the moon Finally, we see some sight rhyme between the words ‘vessels’ and ‘spells’ as well as some multisyllabic rhyme between the words ‘provide’ and ‘beside.’ The section ends with some assonance between the words ‘dismal’ and ‘business’ and a sight rhyme between the words ‘upon’ and ‘moon.’ There hangs a vaporous drop profound; I'll catch it ere it come to ground : And that distill'd by magic sleights Shall raise such artificial sprites As by the strength of their illusion Shall draw him on to his confusion: He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear He hopes 'bove wisdom, grace and fear: And you all know, security Is mortals' chiefest enemy This last section starts off with some assonance between the words ‘catch,’ ‘that,’ and ‘magic,’ and is followed by a multisyllabic rhyme between the words ‘illusion’ and ‘confusion.’ The entire verse is concluded with assonance between the words ‘fate’ and ‘grace’ and a half rhyme between the words ‘security’ and ‘enemy.’ The final verse that I have chosen to analyze was written by Nas and creator of the album Illmatic. The song is called “N.Y. State of Mind.” Be having dreams that I'm a gangsta, drinking Moets, holding Tecs Making sure the cash came correct, then I stepped Investments in stocks, sewing up the blocks to sell rocks Nas starts off this section with some Assonance with ‘Be’ and ‘dreams’ sharing the vowel ‘e,’ which is then followed with a rhyme of ‘Moets’ and ‘Tecs’ in the same line (Internal Rhyme). Next, he uses alliteration and repeats the initial consonant of ‘c’ in the phrase ‘cash came correct,’ while at the same time making a half rhyme with the words ‘correct’ and ‘stepped’ all in a cross rhyme structure. More alliteration follows as Nas repeats the consonant ‘s’ in the
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January 2016 words ‘stocks,’ ‘sewing,’ and ‘sell,’ while he forms an internal rhyme with the words ‘stocks,’ ‘blocks,’ and ‘rocks.’ It's only right that I was born to use mics And the stuff that I write is even tougher than d**** I've taken rappers to a new plateau, through rap slow My rhymin' is a vitamin held without a capsule The smooth criminal on beat breaks Never put me in your box if your s*** eats tapes The city never sleeps, full of villains and creeps That's where I learned to do my hustle, had to scuffle with freaks This portion of the verse starts off with another half rhyme between the words ‘right’ and ‘mics’ in a cross rhyme structure. Nas then uses a simile to compare the rawness of his verses to a ‘d***’/dike. This line is actually pretty clever since it can be interpreted as a double entendre which allows Nas to suggest that he is saying that his rhymes are either tougher than the stereotypical depiction of the butch lesbian or a sturdy wall used to regulate water levels. Nas follows this line with an internal rhyme between ‘plateau’ and ‘slow’ along with the use of assonance in repetition of the vowel ‘a’ between the words ‘rappers’ and ‘plateau.’ He then uses a metaphor to compare his rhymes to vitamin without a capsule. Without the capsule, the medicine that lies within in it is less palatable and is in a more basic, rawer form. Thus Nas could be using this comparison to state that his music is raw in the respect that it is closer to the ‘streets’ and not for those with delicate sensibilities. Nas ends this portion with some alliteration in repeating the letter ‘b’ in the words ‘beat’ and ‘breaks,’ and internal rhyme between the words ‘sleep’ and ‘creeps,’ and finally a half rhyme between ‘hustle’ and ‘scuffle’ in a cross rhyme structure. The people I wrote this article for were an imaginary audience whom I predicted would not bother to explore rap of their own accord before passing judgements on the genre as a whole. What I wanted to do, was lay the works of some of the best rappers beside the works of Shakespeare and show as best as I could that the skills and artistry of the best rappers and Shakespeare are not that different. Perhaps then, I thought, we could all find a way to appreciate both art forms.
Max Teirstein Took Colorado by Storm By RACHEL HODES ’17
Max Teirstein is a junior at Friends Seminary who studied abroad last semester at the High Mountain Institute in Leadville, Colorado. During the semester, Max took a range of classes interspersed with backpacking and skiing expeditions in the Rocky Mountains. Here’s a look at what life away from Friends was like for Max. The Insight: How was the culture at HMI different from the culture at Friends? The community of HMI was extremely tightly knit. We were all there for the same reason—to escape, for a semester, the chaos of living at home and to experience living in the outdoors in an educational context. That the semester had a termination date that loomed closer every day caused us to be supportive and live every moment there to the fullest, as we knew that the community we formed there, however long-lasting its effects will be, would end within the structure of the school. There is an incredible amount of school spirit; every person at HMI loved being there and could imagine being nowhere else. The Insight: What are the most valuable things you learned at HMI? I feel that every day I learned something valuable, so narrowing down those lessons will be tough. I will list a few. Be kind to one another. Every word that you say will be taken to heart. You have only to gain from being kind, you have everything to lose from being rude. Appreciate where you are. If you are outside, you are there for a reason, don’t
do the hike without looking up once. Take advantage of your current situation. Be confident in yourself. A confident person is more attractive. If you are confident, you will learn as you force yourself out of your comfort zone. Push yourself, but know your limits. There’s a key difference here. Push yourself to climb those two 14,000-foot mountains in two days, but take breaks when you’re running 10 miles. You might make it to the finish line, but you’ll projectile vomit. Worth it? Probably not. There’s no shame in self-awareness. The Insight: What types of classes were you taking? I took some familiar classes—AP US History, Spanish, Science—but also some classes that are more specific to HMI. For example, in Practices and Principles: Ethics of the Natural World, we learned about different codes of ethics that people have constructed in their relationship to
the environment. In Natural Science, we analyzed the effects of acid mine drainage on the water quality of the Arkansas River. The more standardized classes always had some sort of creative spin to make them unique to HMI. In my Spanish class, I created and presented in Spanish on the Civil War in Syria and its effects on South American countries. The Insight: How did you spend your time away from school? What did you do over the weekends? We didn’t have a lot of time away from school, as our cabins were on campus and we had classes from 9 am until 5:30 pm every day, but on Saturdays we had half days, when we went to town. On Sundays we often had activities such as Rock Climbing or Swimming (in the local pool), but often Sundays were when we could just sleep in, have brunch, and generally chill on campus. The Insight: When you came back to New York, what were some of the ways in which you altered the way you live your life? Coming back to New York, I’m doing my best to employ the lessons I mentioned above. I strive to be more kind to people and more understanding of other perspectives. I also plan to run more often—the morning exercise and 10-mile “Fun Run” have inspired me to become more athletic and more proactive in my exercise. The Insight: What do you miss most now that you’re back in the city? The community. It was pretty awesome to wake up every day to nine of your best friends and spend your whole day with 38 more. I also miss considering my teachers my friends. It is hard to feel down for very long when you’re there, because every time you turn a corner you run into someone to build you back up, and whether or not that person is a teacher plays no part in your recovery. It’s like one big family.
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Friends Turns Campus Blue to Honor UN By ZARA SCHREIBER ’17
Photo by Matteo Boria ’17
Hamilton Inspires a Revolution on Broadway By RACHEL HODES ’17
If you’ve been wondering what everyone’s been singing in the hallways, it’s music from Lin Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece, Hamilton. The innovative rap musical opened off-Broadway in early 2015 and made its Broadway debut on August 6th at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, receiving numerous glowing reviews. It’s the hot ticket of the season and is the second musical written by Lin Manuel Miranda, who earned two Tonys for his work on In the Heights. Hamilton is the quintessential American story – how an impoverished orphan defied the odds to become one of the most influential political minds of all time. The musical shadows the life and death of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States. From the moment he arrives in New York, Hamilton is swept up in the current of the revolution. He is bold and unafraid to proclaim his opinions to whoever will listen, causing him to become enemies with Aaron Burr, a politician and lawyer. The audience watches as Hamilton quickly acclimates to his new environment, thriving as Washington’s right hand man. However, it’s not all smooth-sailing. Hamilton soon finds that he’s dug his own grave, and must do everything he can to salvage his reputation. Currently playing Alexander Hamilton is Lin Manuel Miranda, who also wrote the script, lyrics, and score for the musical. The blend of hip-hop, rap, and pop music embodies the movement and passion of the revolution, effortlessly bringing to life the characters in our history textbooks.
Equally as fitting as the music is the multiracial cast. As Miranda aptly put it: “This is the story of America then, told by America now. It looks like America now.” The characters in the play include the brooding Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.), Eliza Hamilton (played by the brilliant Phillipa Soo) and her sister Angelica (Renée Elise Goldsberry), a petulant King George (Jonathan Groff), Hamilton’s adulterous lover (Jasmine Cephas Jones, also the third Schuyler sister), and Hamilton’s friends John Laurens and Marquis de Lafayette, (Anthony Ramos and Daveed Diggs, respectively). Due to the fast-paced nature of the show, important historical facts are often delivered at an extremely fast pace from the opening number. To be able to truly appreciate the story, it would be helpful to read Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton, the biography that inspired Miranda’s musical. Hamilton is a visual work of art. The set is beautiful - simple enough to not distract from the performance, but also essential to the plot. The set integrates itself into the show with a revolving platform, which brings to mind the passage of time. The ensemble whirls around the stage, blending the dance styles of ballet and hip-hop seamlessly. The costumes echo the fashions of the late 16th century with risqué elements. This phenomenal concoction of the old and the new makes Hamilton a must see.
Photo by Matteo Boria ’17
Walking down 16th Street this fall, you may have noticed that the Friends campus was bathed in blue. But why? To celebrates its 70th birthday, the United Nation asked historic landmarks to illuminate themselves in blue. Countless structures were illuminated, including the Empire State Building, the Great Wall of China, the Sydney Opera House, and the pyramids of Giza, among countless others. Here at Friends, the administration lit up the library, the main stairwell in Hunter Hall, and the Meetinghouse with blue LED lights from October 24 to 26. Principal Bo Lauder explained how Friends wanted to “support [the UN’s] advocacy for peace around the world,” saying that “Ours will join millions of lights around the world reminding us that achieving true Peace is hard work and is still a long way away.” The Charter of the United Nations was ratified on October 24, 1945, by the representatives of 50 countries. In its opening lines, the charter defined the lofty goals of the UN: to protect future generations from war, to protect fundamental human rights, to ensure the equal rights of men and women as well as those of big and small nations, to ensure the maintenance of international law, and to promote social justice and higher standards of life. Seventy years and eight Secretaries-General later, the UN continues to pursue these goals. With such noble goals at the forefront of the UN, one would hope it has great power and a large amount of influence. Unfortunately, that is not the case. For instance, representatives on the UN Human Rights Committee often try to promote their nation’s interests instead of those of humanity, ignoring violations of human
rights if they are inconvenient or detrimental to their position. This problem is not confined solely to this committee. The UN often tries too hard to hold its member states on a pedestal, refusing to acknowledge or reprimand them for breaking treaties. Another problem with the system currently employed in the UN is the lack of progress that can be made. Many committees only meet for a few weeks each year, so only small amounts of work can be accomplished. Other committees suffer from the veto power, such as the Security Council which consists of fifteen nations, five of which have veto power. After weeks of working on a resolution, if one of the five decide to veto it, even if the other 14 nations all vote for it, it still would not pass. Most recently, this came into effect when Russia and China vetoed a resolution that would have encouraged countries to intervene and prevent genocide in Syria. Despite these problems, the UN has many accomplishments. For instance, the UN helped create and pursue the Millennium Development Goals, a set of goals to improve the quality of life worldwide, which have been a key part of ninth grade history at Friends in past years. According to the Millennium Development Goals Report, the UN has helped increase literacy among people between the ages of 15 to 24 by 8% and has helped cause the number of people living in extreme poverty to decline by more than half. Since 1945, the UN has also helped to negotiate 172 peaceful settlements that ended regional conflicts. Hopefully the UN will continue its hard work over the next 70 years.
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January 2016
Winter Coffee House 2016
Jada Jameson ’17, co-leader of Drama Club, comments on the Winter Coffee House. “The Coffee House was ridiculously successful in my opinion, but more importantly it felt as genuine as it was intended to. We had performers singing from lyrics written on pieces of paper and last minute performances that instead of indicating a lack of preparedness, just helped to illustrate the shear level of raw talent of the performers which was really special to see. If you missed the first one, definitely come to the Spring Coffee House because I’m hoping for even more performances from a few of the ridiculously talented students that missed out on this one.”
Photos by Zara Schreiber ’17
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A “Fresh” Perspective By WALTER GOLDBERG ’19
2015 Fall Athletics Recap By RICK MORTENSON ’16
Left to right: Gusl Bahl ’19, Amelia Smith ’19, and Cosmo Gigante ’19. Photos by Matteo Boria ’17.
Being a freshman in high school can be a scary experience. You have to navigate through new teachers, new friends, a new schedule, and for many an entirely new school. But Cosmo Gigante and Amelia Smith, two lifers, and Gusl Bahl, a new student, are all handling it quite well in their own way. For both Gigante and Smith, who know the school, the teachers, and the whole student body, the adjustment was really to the new schedule and the changes high school entails: harder classes, lunch off-campus, and letter grades, which are not given in middle school at Friends. For Bahl the main challenge is that everything is new and different from his old school. All three students share enthusiasm for their extracurriculars, although Smith does recognize that having so many extracurriculars means not having many free periods. Both Bahl and Gigante seem to be coping well with their homework load, which both of them say averages to two to three hours a night. In contrast, Smith feels buried in what feels like 500 hours a night. Meeting for Worship is a new experience for Bahl and a much longer experience for
Gigante and Smith, who were used to 10 minutes of silence a day in middle school. Gigante confesses that he gets “pretty antsy and impatient” towards the end. Bahl has a different experience, explaining, “If I got enough sleep and I don’t fall asleep then it’s interesting.” But at least Bahl seems to be trying to stay awake, unlike many other students. Bahl likend his first experience of Quaker Meeting to his bus commute, which is also 40 minutes of sitting in silence. Smith said, “I really like when people speak out of the silence because they give me things to think about. Sometimes I try to think about all the things I need to do that day, but it’s better when I just let my brain rest.” Neither Gigante nor Bahl feel uncomfortable or self-conscious around upperclassmen. Gigante attributes his comfort with upperclassmen to preseason soccer where, he notes, “We had a bit of a bonding experience.” Bahl does not feel nervous because from “everyone that I’ve met they’re actually really friendly,” so he does not feel that there is that “stereotypical upperclassmen bully the freshmen” relationship. Smith agrees that
the upperclassmen are nice but that does not stop her from feeling “pretty nervous around them.” Both Bahl and Gigante do not feel nervous about freshman spotlight, which is a feature at Meeting for Announcements in which seniors tell the entire Upper School facts about the freshmen. Smith and many others regard this as the most terrifying thing of all. But Bahl says that he does not feel nervous because he has “just kind of let go of what people think” which he feels is “necessary for coming to an entirely new place.” Gigante’s outlook is, “You go once and you get to laugh at everyone else, so it’s a good time.” This is not necessarily a representation of the entire freshmen class but at least these three are doing well. Earlier this year the freshman class spent three days at Powell House, a Quaker retreat center in upstate New York, where they took time out from the grind and anxiety of freshman life for bonding exercises, games, and group discussions. Perhaps this will help them get through the rest of this hectic year.
All About Agenda By LILY WEISBERG ’17 and CAMILO DURR ’18
WHAT IS AGENDA WORKING ON?
There is now a suggestion box in the Annex lobby! Please write down any concerns you would like Agenda to address with your name. As well, students now have access to class lists on email! The email is automatically sent to be approved by Jen, and when she clicks ‘accept,’ the email is sent out from the sender’s email address.
1) Turning the MFB survey feedback into a write up that will be sent to the administration. 2) Discussing a way to hear students’ thoughts and feelings about the dress code. 3) Displaying Jen’s weekly events calendar on the screens in the lobby so everyone will know what is happening during collab and community period throughout the week.
As the Fall sports season ended here at Friends and another page is added to the athletic archives, let us take a look back at the teams of the 2015 Autumn athletic season here at Friends. Both soccer teams had very successful seasons. The women’s team, led by captains Natalie Benderly, Soren Grunder, and Cat Bactat, opened with consecutive wins in their first few games. While the team had ups and downs throughout the year, a plethora of young talent was on the team, ensuring that the team will build off their success in the coming years. In addition, the men’s soccer team had high expectations to live up to from the 2014 team’s successes and they did so. Led by team captains Ewan Creed, Brock ‘The Rock(star)’ Petterson, and Hudson ‘Mcpain’ McLane, the team opened up the season with double digit consecutive wins and continued winning throughout the regular season, getting dub after dub with solid plays from players like Andrew ‘Settlemagic’ Settleman, Alex ‘Big Al’ Jensen, and Rio Hope-Gund. The team captured the regular season title and then moved on to the ACIS playoffs where they won in a convincing fashion against Dwight in the semi-finals and Berkley Carroll in the championship game. Despite their accomplishments throughout the season, the team received an outrageous seeding of 8 in the State Tournament. The team dispatched Lutheran in the first round but fell to the number one seed Hackley in the second round. Nonetheless, the team had another great season, extending the ‘Salandy Dynasty’ another year. More athletic powerhouses at Friends are the Track and Cross Country teams that compete in every season. This Fall season featured another successful season for the team, with both the men’s and women’s teams winning the ACIS championship. In states, both teams placed out of hundreds of teams, another great showing in the NYSAIS. The women’s varsity volleyball team, led by seniors India Woolmington and Chloe Peck-Sanders and all-league freshman Chloe Rosenkranz, had a solid year in their own right. The highlight of the season came in an away game against Hewitt. This game was Hewitt’s ‘Spirit Game’ and dozens of roaring fans came out to support their team. However, these cheers soon turned to crickets as the Friends Volleyball team began to serve out ace after ace like they were in Vegas. The game came down to the wire and eventually your owls ‘netted’ (pun intended) the biggest win of the season.
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January 2016
SUDOKU 3
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By DAPHNE DARWISH ’19 and ILANA LEHRMAN ’19
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Student Lens
“A New Twist On The Classic Coke”
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2 ACROSS
DOWN
4. *Makes King James Bible reference*
1. I’m probably drinking Dunkin Donuts coffee in the PE office
Featuring the work of Callum Brown ’20
7. Hello brother *insert name*! Hello sister *insert name*!
2. I am the first person to greet you every morning
The following is a collection of artwork created by Callum Brown ’20 using recycled glass bottles and spray paint. If you would like to feature your own work contact insight@ friendsseminary.org.
8. Shhhhhh! And dispose of the chewing gum.
3. No, no, no don’t touch the 3D printer
10. Why are you looking at me like that... Is there something in my beard?
5. You run track? That’s good. Very good.
11. Friends Seminary alum
6. The glasses must match the bow tie 7. Running + Algebra = Life 9. Turtlenecks 10. Softball coach
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Backpage
Halloween Fun at Friends Photos By MORGAN ROSENKRANZ ’17
Asa Glass ’17 as Snow White
Sara Lyon ’19 as Donald Trump
Adrian Domenech Moore ’17 as Guy With a Cape, Zara Schreiber ’17 as Batman, Coraya Danu-Asmara ’17 as Joker, and Olivia Alcabes ’17 as Poison Ivy
2015 & 2016
Writers Bryan Ireland ’17 Camilo Durr ’18 Daphne Darwish ’19 Maeve Wooollen ’17 as a Roy Lichtenstein painting
Ilana Lehrman ’19 Isa Skibeli ’18 Jackson Wald ’18 Lily Weisberg ’17 Maeve Woollen ’18 Morgan Carmen ’17 Rachel Hodes ’17 Rebecca Finley ’16 Richard Mortenson ’16 Richard Omar Payne ’18 Walter Goldberg ’19 Sabrina Edelman ’16
Mali Axinn ’17, Triton Mobley, and Lily Weisberg ’17 as Triton Mobley
Tessa DeFranco ’17
Chief Editors Nahid Mahmud ’17 Zara Schreiber ’17
Designers Adrian Moore ’17 Coraya Danu-Asmara ’17 Maeve Woollen ’18 Morgan Rosenkranz ’17 Nahid Mahmud ’17 Zara Schreiber ’17
Advisors John Galayda Deanna Yurchuk