Tower Issue #2 2011-2012

Tower The Masters School

November 11, 2011

Volume 68, Number 2

The Masters School, 49 Clinton Avenue, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

Leveling the Playing Field: New Turf Field Opens

by Johanna M. Costigan and Tyler Pager News Editors

On a crisp, sunny fall afternoon, the sound of animatedly shaken cowbells, passionate cheers, and elated chatter consumed the circumference of The Masters School’s brand new track and turf field.

Seizing full advantage of the perfect soccer weather, athletic faculty members took on the upperclassmen on the soccer teams, kicking off the turf field’s career to an electrifying start.

In a fierce showdown between students and their teachers, goals were hard to come by. However, in the end, junior Batuhan Guven scored on math teacher and faculty goalie, John Chiodo, giving

the students the 1-0 win.

Head of the English Department and faculty participant Darren Wood said, “The game was really fun.

I felt the energy the faculty had right before the game was akin to the kind of nervous energy high schoolers have. It’s a kind of fun, childlike giddiness.”

Wood continued, “It was really interesting and enjoyable to be literally and figuratively on the same playing field as the students.” He added, “It was hard to restrain our competitiveness, and easy to lose myself in the game and the moment.”

Athletic Director Ray Lacen said, “The turf field is sending a message that we are realizing we need improvements to our facilities and we are addressing them.”

The last step before students can take the field is the certificate of occupancy from the Village of Dobbs Ferry.

Lacen said, “I can’t wait to get on it. The field came out beautifully. It looks fantastic.”

At the ribbon cutting ceremony for the turf field, Michael Greene, a parent, donor, and trustee for the field said, “This is a step towards improving athletics at Masters.”

Greene continued, “It is an ongoing process; we’ve hired new coaches, added the athletic requirement, and this is a part of an effort to enhance the athletic facilities at Masters.”

Associate Head of School for Enrollment and Strategic Planning, Mary Schellhorn, said, “I think the turf field shows that we

Photo by Anne Marie Leone

HARTLEY CONNETT, MAYOR OF DOBBS FERRY, and Alison Greene cut the ribbon at the opening of the Greene Family Field on October 15. The new turf field and track will bolster Masters athletics and provide a field for all weather conditions.

are supportive of our athletics, arts, and academics.”

Wood added, “It was nice to participate in a

game and to ‘play’ in that old fashioned sense of the word.” He concluded “There’s something

unassailable about that.” see related story - p.5

The 99% Occupy Wall Street for However Long It Takes

by Lily Herzan Managing Editor

Photo by Lily Herzan

A PATRIOTIC PROTESTER WAVES an American flag during an Occupy Wall Street rally. There is no uniform problem that is at the center of this protest; however, people are embracing the opportunity of self-expression and free speech.

“We are the 99%.” This slogan is chanted and printed across Zuccotti Park in the financial district of New York City, where thousands of people have gathered to protest current United States economic policies, international relations, and politics.

Zuccotti Park, or “Liberty Square,” is home to many of these impassioned people, who come from all walks of life – different ages, races and creeds, carrying signs stamped with demands that define their varying most cherished causes.

These include, but are not limited to; “Invest in a clean energy future, stop the cuts to people with disabilities, it is class warfare, and we are losing.”

These people stand just a few steps up from the

“home base” of Occupy Wall Street, (OWS). In the center of the park, piled up sleeping bags and groups of people, young and old have formed a kind of village that appears to be well organized, relatively clean, and productive.

Within the headquarters are a media center, food center, library, and even an information center “en espanol.” There are stations where people can receive blankets and basic supplies. There is also a first aid center.

Mingling with the “regulars” are tourists and visitors, who have flocked to the park, cameras in hand, as a result of the recent media attention. They are also there to learn about the protests, and often to express solidarity with the varied issues being aired at OWS. First time protesters

Opinion

Features A Muddled Victory: What the Death of Steve Jobs Started a Revolution Gaddafi Means for Libya and Democracy and Left a Legacy Mummar Gaddafi, the dictator of Libya for 42 years, was killed on October 20 by Libyan Rebels.

His death has caused controversial coverage and celebration across the world as people question the jubilation of somone’s death. Gaddafi’s death is the latest event in the Arab Spring.

Public Domain Image

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Tracy Pyper and Patricia Murphy came from Hastings-on-Hudson to support the OWS cause. Pyper said, “It’s all about basic fairness. The fiscal inequity of the past 10 years is really just destroying our country – and it’s coming to the breaking point.”

Many Masters students also ventured to Liberty Square to learn more about the protests that have been ongoing since Sept.17.

Junior Cathy Sellier said, “I went to the protests because I had heard a lot about what was going on, but I wanted to see for myself first hand. I wanted to be able to actually speak with the people, and see what they had to say.”

Junior Emma Shepardson went to check out the protests because of her love of politics, and was amazed at what she saw. She said,

Sports

Did a D-I Recruit Derail Masters Athletics a Decade Ago?

Even as a college drop-out, Steve Jobs never ceased to impact the world. His contributions to the advancement of technology are countless and have changed the digital network forever.

Public Domain Image

Pages

8-9

“I thought the protests were spectacular. Every person there had passion, anger, happiness, and strength.

They were very moving.”

The Occupy Wall Street passion echoes that of similar protests occurring in Boston, Washington D.C., London, Madrid, Hong Kong, and over 1,500 other cities globally, according to the Occupy Wall Street website.

It is too soon to tell whether this is the beginning of a world-wide social revolution, but as one Zuccotti park protester, who asked not to be named said, “People are going to be here until there is real systematic change, or until the police come in and bust our heads open. And if the police bust our heads open on Monday, twice as many of us will be here on Tuesday.”

Photo Courtesy of Masterpieces 2001

#41 Simplice Nyoja ‘01 is pictured with the Masters boys varsity basketball team. Nyoja was the star of the team, but his involvement in an NCAA scandal brought negative attention to the athletic program.

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tower/ NOVEMBER 11, 2011

Op-Ed

A Muddled Victory: What The Death Of Gaddafi Means For Libya and Democracy

by Nick Fleder

Op-Ed Editor

M

u a m m a r Gaddafi, the dictator of Libya for 42 wild-- at times hellish-- years died by the hands of Libyan rebels on Oct. 20 at the age of 62. He was the latest, and greatest, many rebels will proclaim, casualty of the bloody Libyan civil war, and his death has been a controversial cause for much celebration in the North African nation in which it occurred.

But the death of a man, no matter how evil, must always be marked by contemplation; therefore, we should view Gaddafi’s just and righteous downfall as a triumph for the Libyan people, but a failure of democratic due process.

Gaddafi’s death will no doubt yield countless comparisons to the assassination of Osama bin Laden – likely stemming from the

debate about whether it is right to celebrate the death of a man, however evil – but such parallels are unfair.

Bin Laden, like Gaddafi, injected terror and fear into the world, yet was killed out of revenge, rather than necessity. The U.S., and George W. Bush’s administration in particular, made it their clear goal to bring justice to the man responsible for the 9/11 attacks, whereas Gaddafi was killed under a different set of circumstances—including a violent civil war, and a climaxing revolution— and by his own people.

Gaddafi was responsible for countless deaths in Libya and, most famously, for the Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist attack, in which he supported a successful plot to blow up a commuter jet destined for New York from London over the Scottish city of Lockerbie.

The attack killed 270 people in total, and according to his ex-Minister of

Public Domain Photograph Generated Via ObamaiconmePastemagazine.com

Justice, Gaddafi personally ordered the bombings.

The dictator, as his New

York Times obituary explains, “sanctioned spasms of grisly violence and

frequent bedlam,” with the Lockerbie bombing serving as only one example.

The “mad dog of the Middle East,” as President Ronald Reagan referred to him, met a predictable and grisly end, as rebel forces stormed his escape convoy, stripped his shirt off, dragged his bloodied body through the streets, and executed him amidst cheers and giddy gunshots.

Cell phone videos documented the entire ordeal.

Yet such jubilation over a death is, in a sense, hypocritical. The people who were terrorized, shocked, and consumed wholly by their leader’s violence are the same ones in many cases who, the day after his death, lined up for hours to take pictures with his corpse.

The same things they despised in their ruler – disregard for human life, cheering for and celebrating death, and painting a picture of Libya as a violent and war-torn nation

– they affirmed in themselves by posing for pictures with the dead body of their former leader.

Gaddafi responded to the Libyan uprising, in February, when he issued a speech at one of his compounds. “I tell the coward crusaders: I live in a place where you can’t get me,” he said. “I live in the hearts of millions.”

The truth in this proclamation was suspect, but even more questionable is the unifying prospect of his death.

The rebels of Libya lost an opportunity to exact revenge, and in doing so, they displayed the worst in humanity. A country embroiled in civil war might rejoice momentarily over a death, but conflict will not disappear into the haze.

Ignoring a just alternative to Gaddafi’s capture-- a fair trial in which he would no doubt be executed, albeit in a more humane fashion-does not speak well of Libya’s democratic prospects.

Editorial: More or Less, Less is More, so Take Things in Moderation If you were asked to reduce your possessions to ten items, could you do it?

We are all too cluttered.

Sure, the iPhone is sophisticated, but is it necessary? Aren’t food, shelter, and clothing enough? It is an innate human tendency to inundate ourselves with unnecessary ‘junk’,

literally and metaphorically.

Girls tend to amass obscene amounts of clothes: there’s a distinction between a grey shirt, heather grey shirt, and a ‘greige’ shirt, and most girls need to own all three. Boys tend to collect, gather, and accumulate everything: sneakers, watches, video games,

books, action figures, coins, everything. We litter our lives with nonessential items, but for what reason.

We even clutter our thoughts. “I have five college supplements and three tests to prepare for”; “I won’t have time to watch Modern Family tonight”; “I can’t work because I have

Tower 2011-2012

Editors-in-Chief: Daniel Block and Alicia Chon

News Editors: Tyler Pager and Johanna M. Costigan

Opinion Editors: Nick Fleder and Noah Buyon

Features Editors: Sophia Fish and MiJin Kim

Sports Editors: Alex Minton and Casey Chon

Advertising Manager: Will Song

Advertising Designer: Ali Sementilli

Managing Editor/ Treasurer: Lily Herzan

Copy Editors: Jackie Liu and Acacia Hoisington

Fact Checker: Justin Voelp

Distribution Managers: Lizzy Raboy and Min Woong Choi

Staff Writer: Kiera Wilson Photo Editor: Declan Considine

Columnists: Max Borowitz, Phil Golodetz, and Annie Peskoe Cartoonists: Helena de Oliveria, Sang Bae, Claudia Lamberty,

Duyen Luu Hai, Alik Kasumov and Annie Mesa Staff Photographers: Bob Cornigans, Eve Wetlaufer, and Renee Bennet

Faculty Advisor: Ellen Cowhey Contributing Writer: Sofia Masseroli, David Mancione, Spencer Berkowitz

Contributing Photographers: Anne Marie Leone, Trishia Hopkins, Frank Greally

The Masters School 49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 Volume 68, Issue 2

Distribution Process Tower is hand-delivered on the day of publication to the Upper School. 500 issues are printed, and one is put in each faculty member’s mailbox. In addition, a copy is sent to each of our advertisers.

Scholastic Press Affiliations Tower is an award-winning member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA),Journalist Educators and Quill and Scroll.

Letter Policy E-mail tower@mastersny.org to send letters to the editor. See the subsequent page for information regarding letters to the editor. Published approximately eight times a year, Tower, the student newspaper of the Masters School, is a public forum, with its editorial board making all decisions concerning content. Unsigned editorials express views of the majority of the editorial board.

to watch the GoP debates.”

No one truly anticipates the vicissitudes of freshman year or first semester senior year, and so we stress to cope with stress, silently, publicly, and sometimes, obnoxiously.

(Note, the aforesaid subconscious broodings are not limited to students).

This influx of complaints

is natural, but redundant: there is no gain from producing anxiety and pervading this agitation onto others.

Oftentimes, less is better.

Materially, less means you spend less, consume less, cache less. Less also means you can worry less, search for things less. Less means you are lighter and freer.

Tests, essays, journals

- they are all apart of the package of ‘high school.’

They will come, and they will go. This is ebb and flow of life, arguably.

Sometimes, it’s better to purge yourself of burdens, and breathe. Clear your milieu and don’t get bogged down by encumbrances. It’s not healthy for you, or others around you.

Annie’s Antics

How to Successfully Babysit by Using Small Children to Your Advantage

by Annie Peskoe

Columnist

Step One:

Learn to use children as tools for avoiding things you don’t want to do by simply using the words “get to.” I have always found delivery guys to be really awkward. If you find yourself ordering food for Child, talk about how you get to talk to the delivery guy and handle the money and how Child doesn’t get to because it isn’t old enough.

Child will beg to hang out with the delivery guy.

Step Two:

Find a good motivator for Child, then exploit it.

Most children are complete suckers for “I bet you can’t [impossible action here].”

Remember, children think they are superheroes. Find a very sturdy object and tell them they’ll get eighty points in the Hypothetical Game if they break it, and don’t worry about defining what a point is or what points go to. Video games have trained children to see obtaining points as the ultimate goal of

carbohydrates and putting it in front of a boring movie. If Child is on the Atkins diet or comes from some kind of caveman family that doesn’t own a TV, challenge it to a soccer game or other extended competitive physical activity early in the evening to tire it out, but Photo by Nick Fleder make sure you life. It’s super convenient. win. If you lose, Child will find this hilarious and will Step Three: not shut up about it all night.

Get Child to love you When all else fails, prepare unconditionally by ex- Child a nice, tall glass of tending bedtime by ap- hot milk with NyQuil. Obproximately one half hour. serve instant sleepiness.

That’s really all it’s going to take. Staying up late is the Step Five: coolest thing ever and only You probably want big kids stay up late; there- a tip. When the parfore if you stay up late then ents come home, don’t you too are cool enough to beg for that tip. Instead, skateboard and drink yo- casually comment that gurt from a tube and watch in your expert opinion, PG-13 movies. Staying up Child will probably be a late is a dream come true. likely candidate for acceptance into Harvard Step Four: Medical School. Try to Get Child to sleep. look hopeful about Child’s Consider filling Child with future. Beam with pride.

tower/ NOVEMBER 11, 2011

3

Op-Ed

GDP: Gross Domestic Politics, or Why Our Economy is Still Failing

by Noah Buyon Op-Ed Editor

The “Great Recession” was over, claimed the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), an independent consortium for fiscal analysis, as early as June 2009. On July 29 of that same year, President Obama proclaimed, “We may be seeing the beginning of the end.”

At the time, Obama was referring to the economic downturn, but under present circumstances, he may as well have been talking about the entire financial world.

Nearly four years have passed since the American economic system collapsed, and our nation is still wallowing in that wreckage. The national gross domestic product (GDP) increased by a dismal 0.85% in the first half of 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. A sustainable rate of growth is 2.5%, per the Federal Reserve. It seems we are not out the proverbial woods yet. Why? Both sides of the American political spectrum have predictable opinions on this essential question. Liberals claim lax fiscal policies are to blame. Those on the Right hold “Big Government” accountable for stalled growth. Everyone

faults Wall Street. The truth of the matter, as I see it, is both sinister and laughably ironic. The culprits that Republicans and Democrats alike are oblivious to are none other than themselves.

Republicans and Democrats are gambling the nation’s economic health for political leverage, with astonishing zeal. As the debate over the federal debt ceiling in July/August of 2011 demonstrated, politicians now place party interests above national ones.

Since 1980, Congress has raised the Debt Ceiling on 33 separate occasions, without much dispute. We can thank the so-called “Party of No” and Democratic idealism for the travails of the 34th attempt. It was not until Aug. 1-- the day before U.S. was to default-that damning rhetoric and partisan obstructionism gave way to compromise. The threat of financial disintegration was the only force strong enough to bridge the cavernous partisan gap.

This prompted to Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, to assert on Oct. 4, “The brinkmanship of the summer…was a negative for financial markets. It’s no way to run a railroad, if I might say so.” Has Congress listened? I doubt it.

I am not alone in this

Graphic by Noah Buyon

sentiment. Our economic situation remains dire-unemployment persists at a bleak rate of 9.1%-- yet, a full 67% of Americans have “no confidence” in Congress’s ability to agree upon a jobs bill, according to a CBS News/ New York Times poll.

Perhaps there is hope for American politics.

On Sept. 9, the Telegraph reported Eric Cantor, the Republican House Majority Leader, as saying, “Let’s do the things we agree on, set aside the things we differ on and get to work so we can have some results for

Stop Wasting Food

people who are hurting so badly out there,” in response to Obama’s proposed American Jobs Act. A month later, on Oct. 5, Cantor claimed, “The President’s allor-nothing approach is just a non-starter.” So much for cooperation.

America needs to harken back to the optimism of President Obama’s inauguration. The President put it quite nicely: “What is not an option is for us to sit and engage in posturing or the standard partisan fights when the American people are out there struggling.”

by Sang Bae

Got an Opinion?

We welcome letters to the editor. Letters must be submitted via email, although the staff may withold the name upon request.

The paper reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws governing obscenity, libel, privacy, and disruption of the school process, as are all contents of the paper.

Masters as a community is by no means alone in our wasting of food, but if we don’t stop with our wasteful ways, we may be in trouble.

Contact tower@mastersny.org for further information or to submit

Corrections Policy

If you see something incorrect or questionable, please email tower@mastersny.org with a brief statement explaining your requested correction. Corrections are published in the subsequent issue in the Op-Ed pages.

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tower/ NOVEMBER 11, 2011

News

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TWO STUDENTS USE a computer in the McKnight Room during school hours. The Acceptable Use Policy has generated community controversy regarding a Facebook page that was made over the summer.

Facebook Group Creates Controversy over Rules of Acceptable Use Policy

by Jackie Liu and Alex Minton

Copy Editor and Sports Editor

Due to actions on social networks, including summer Facebook posts, The Masters School Administration has decided to revise the school’s Acceptable Use Policy. The change has frustrated some, and confused others because students are unclear of what the policy entails.

Few are completely sure of the school’s Internet “do’s,” and “don’ts.” It is much easier to spread ideas and arguments through social networking. However, as a private educational institution, Masters needs to keep an eye on the spread of negative publicity about students or the school.

A contributing factor to this policy alteration was when a Facebook group called “You know you go to Masters when…” was created this summer. The group, made up of around 300 students and some alumni, began as a forum for people to poke fun at aspects of our school -- the arts, athletics, the word “gullible” written on the ceiling of the DSL, etc. Most comments were harmless, inoffensive, and funny. Sometimes students would post comments about administrative decisions and occasionally voice crude remarks.

The page soon became a zone where students felt they could express their anger towards the administration and the school itself.

The student who created the page, who will remain anonymous, explained, “I didn’t think it would be a big deal, I thought the page would be fun. But when it started getting offensive and controversial, it got out of hand and I realized it should probably be deleted. I never wanted it to be a place to bash the school; that’s not what I intended.” The page

was deleted by the creator.

Senior Nathan Bernstein had a different point of view, “The Facebook group didn’t ‘get out of hand.’ There was no mob mentality or chaos. The group served as, what we thought was, a safer forum than the hallways and classrooms to express views.”

Junior Helena de Oliveira called for peace when the anger escalated. She voiced her opinion, commenting, “I think the Facebook group was relatively harmless until a certain turning point when people used it for something it wasn’t intended for, a badly formed rage driven criticism of the school.”

The Internet section of the Acceptable Use Policy states: “Postings that offend and/or cause embarrassment to others on social networking websites, blogs or any other public or private internet forum are prohibited and are a violation of our acceptable use policy. Students who engage in such behavior are out of sympathy with the goals and ideas of The Masters School and may be subject to disciplinary action.”

Students are to refrain from derogatory comments about fellow students, faculty, or the school.

Actions or incidents that could reflect negatively on the school or be brought into the school environment will be looked into.

Director of Technology Dan Pereira said, “We assume everyone is on their best behavior.

We don’t monitor any student’s behavior, unless we’re alerted by someone for something like talking bad about other students.”

In recent years, cyber bullying and other negative use of social media have become major problems in many high schools.

Across the nation, schools are trying to control this electronic epidemic by enforcing rules similar

to the policy at Masters.

Unclear to many students is what happens when students post something on their own time, in the safety of their own home, on their Internet.

Bernstein commented on the belief that many students hold. “I would say that Masters doesn’t have a right to spy on us, but the truth is that they do.We signed away our rights to free speech and privacy at the beginning of the year.”

Priscilla Hindley, Dean of Students, begged to differ.

Hindley explained that online issues would usually not be pursued or investigated. What people do in their own home is their own business unless it is directly involved with the school environment, such as bullying and slander, she said.

“We’re not policemen… If we run into it, we’ll deal with it. We’re not going to ‘hunt’ you down,” Hindley said.

“The Internet is not as private as many believe,” Hindley continued, “Anything posted online is available for the world to see and find. If you’re not going to say it in person, don’t say it online.”

No disciplinary action was taken regarding this summer’s controversial page.

The school currently holds the right to “investigate, monitor, and access any information” in the network, as stated in the Acceptable Use Policy.

De Oliveira concluded, “I think it’s reasonable to strengthen our acceptable use policy if Masters’ students, and even alumni, can’t express their views without three swear words per sentence and sounding like someone who grew up in a cave where they could only hear vocabulary from ‘Jersey Shore.’ If we’re going to act like idiots, can we expect to be treated as anything but that?”

tower/ NOVEMBER 11, 2011

Masters Community Shares Differing Views on Turf Field

by Johanna M. Costigan News Editor

When Masters announced its plans to install a synthetic turf field, the school’s reaction was diverse and divided. It seemed everyone was either in strong support of the field, or adamantly opposed to it. This mixed bag of responses spurred a controversial clashing of opinions throughout the community.

The majority of Masters athletes are extremely excited and appreciative that Masters built the field. Senior Molly Boigon said, “We played a recent field hockey game against Fieldston on turf, and we played so much better.”

She continued, “We’re definitely a turf team.”

Fellow athlete and lacrosse player, junior Emma Shepardson said, “Since almost every other team in the league has turf, we’re at a disadvantage if we don’t practice on it every day.”

Many other Masters students and faculty, however, were shocked that the turf field was built, given the lack of community discussion about it.

Junior and lifelong resident of the Masters campus, Maya Berrol-Young said, “It’s disheartening that the majority of the Masters population was kept in the dark about this decision-making process.”

Other members of the community described the advantages of the turf field. Vincent Galgano, the current cross country head and future track coach, spoke about the athletic expansion made possible due to the track.

“Cross country is tailored for more pure distance, but track is for any athlete. In Latin, it’s ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’, which means, ‘Swifter, faster, stronger,” he said.

Galgano explained that the distinction between track and cross country is a track team focuses on precise and separated workouts due to the existence of heats.

He said, “I think it’s good to be motivated by success, which is easier to achieve within a heat. You will

never be put in a race with people out of your range.

It’s kind of like a scaffolded competition. This way, developmental athletes aren’t asked to race against the fastest in the league.”

Balancing the school’s desire for athletic growth and its environmentally aware nature, as well as a commitment to maintaining the health of its students has been a challenge throughout this process.

According to the Environment and Human Health Incorporation, artificial turf, which is composed of ground up rubber tires, is full of skin and eye irritants, neurotoxins, and respiratory toxins.

The Material Safety Data Sheet published a study that listed the presence of a variety of harmful substances. This included but was not limited to benzothizole, which is harmful if swallowed or inhaled; acetone, a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant; and acenaphthene, a carcinogen, or cancer-causing toxin.

When Community Service Director Amy Atlee was asked about her thoughts concerning the turf field, she said, “It represents an opportunity where we could have chosen a safer, less toxic alternative for the infill that would have been an example of really thinking like an ecosystem, which is a pattern of thought that is needed in our world today when we’re faced with climate change and sustainability.”

Atlee continued, “We need to think about how the type of world we want to create on a very local level as well as a global level.”

Arthur McCann, an avid runner who took part in the Student-Faculty soccer game at the inauguration of the field, commented that though he is thrilled Masters decided to install a turf field, his preference is grass. “Turf doesn’t compare to grass. I would still prefer to play on a perfect grass field. The problem is it’s hard to depend on grass fields, so the consistency and dependability is heightened on turf.”

McCann continued, “I am definitely an advocate

5

NEWS

of the turf field and the way Masters handled constructing it.” He continued, “I was thrilled to hear about the amount of trees being planted; it was a tremendous effort to meet in the middle and enhance the beauty of the facility.”

Berrol-Young believes the affects of the turf field are expansive, affecting more than Masters athletics. “The turf field represents a major alteration to the physical, cultural, and environmental aspects of the school,” she said.

“I understand it’s not our money, but it is our school.

And we deserve a voice.”

Considering its approximated two million dollar worth, the turf field could not have been made possible without generous support from the Masters community. In conjunction with an anonymous donor, Michael and Alison Greene, parents of junior Dana Greene, contributed to the funds necessary for the turf.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the field on Oct. 15, Michael Greene said, “This is a step towards improving athletics at Masters. It is an ongoing process; we’ve hired new coaches, added the athletic requirement, and this is a part of an effort to enhance the athletic facilities at Masters.”

Junior Jack Bynum addressed the issue further, focusing on the incentive Masters had in constructing the turf field. He said, “Masters has decided that our image and our economic stability should take priority over the lessons we leave with our students.

It is up to the board of trustees and the decisionmaking group who shape this school to start making responsible choices regarding this school’s future.”

Bynum continued, “If they don’t, we can say goodbye to the school we love.”

McCann acknowledged the potentially detrimental effect the turf field could have on Masters’ campus.

He said, “If I felt there was a dominating presence of concrete and rubber, I’d be displeased. But I don’t get that sense at all, I think the area is tasteful and beautiful.”

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Learning Outside the Classroom

by Lizzy Raboy

Distribution Manager

Students love to miss school, so naturally, they should embrace class trips as days “off” to bond over alternative ways to learn.

Grade trips were originally created so seniors could have time to visit colleges.

Consequently, this spare day became a bonding opportunity for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.

Frank Greally, ninth grade class dean, believes freshmen advisee groups connected over the shared experience of a scavenger hunt throughout Manhattan.

Groups visited locations including Grand Central Station, Times Square, and Rockefeller Center in order to become familiar with the city. He noted that, for him, “the trip served its purpose of advisee bonding.”

Matthew Ives, who has been a class dean for six years, echoed these sentiments. He recognized the intentions of the trip as twofold: the trips not only seek to increase leadership skills, but also to integrate new kids into the grade.

The outings demonstrate the value of learning outside the classroom. Kids that are not leaders around the Harkness table may

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Photo By Frank Greally

FRESHMEN POSE near the famous of the Lion Statue in front of the New York Public Library, as part of their class trip. Each group spent a day exploring Manhattan with their fellow advisees.

be leaders on a high-ropes course. Ives observed, “Kids were really pushing themselves and doing things (they) would never have expected.”

Different sides of students shine. Junior class president, Julia Tedesco, concurs that these expeditions bring about a new understanding of students.

She said, “There are certainly groups within the grade, but at times we definitely come together.” Tedesco noted her advisory group had to work together to win second place in the junior scavenger hunt.

Unlike Tedesco, many students feel the trips are useless, and would prefer

to not attend school that day. Abigail Ogden, a new junior, already felt incorporated into the grade.

She said, “I would rather have the day off to go into the city with friends.” Yet, these students fail to recognize the unique, perspective- altering opportunities the class trips present.

“Class trips are not going to change a life,” Ives pointed out. Excelling both inside and outside of the classroom is an important part of being a student at Masters, so it is crucial every student embrace even small opportunities like class trips to learn, and to try something new.

Washing Machines and Dryers Eat Money

by Min Woong Choi Distribution Manager

A pile of dirty clothes, a smelly room, and a person running up and down the dorm asking for a laundry card – this is not an unusual scene in the dormitories. Tuition at Masters cost $32,710, but not for boarders, as they pay an additional $15,070.

The additional cost covers numerous things, but not the usage of washing machines or dryers, which is why boarders need laundry cards.

Using each of these machines costs 75 cents.

Usually, boarders spend $6 each month to do laundry. Six dollars may not seem significant, but when added on to the $15,070 boarders already pay, it is troublesome.

Each boarder holds a laundry card with some amount of money. Many boarders fear losing their cards, and many of them refuse to renew them, since they don’t want to risk the loss of their money.

Naturally, those who don’t put money on their cards do laundry less often. Doing so will disturb their hygiene, which negatively affects others’ quality of living in the dormitories. It also can

TOWER/ November 11, 2011

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THE AVERAGE STUDENT athlete boarder spends $108 on laundry a year for two loads of wash per week. With one wash and one dry costing $1.50, complaints among boarders have risen.

leave a bad impression on applicants when they are touring the dormitories.

Furthermore, charging for the use of laundry machines burdens those who regularly replenish their cards. They are often asked to lend their cards to those who do not, putting them in uncomfortable situations.

It is true that students receive laundry cards worth $30 at the beginning of the school year. Thus, theoretically, boarders don’t have to renew their cards for five months. However, students separate their laundries by fabric, and thus spend more than $1.50 each time. Boarders are forced to renew their cards much earlier than expected, if they wish to prop-

erly care for their clothing.

The monetary cost is not the only problem. According to Patrick Wang ’14, a Strong dorm resident, laundry machines and dryers do not work especially well; thus students are actually “forced to pay for them, even though the money doesn’t seem to be used to maintain or improve the facilities.”

Laundry is one of the essentials to boarding life at Masters. The administration should acknowledge the contradiction of charging laundry facilities, and consider providing them for free, or at least keeping the machines better maintained so they run more efficiently.

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TOWER/ NOVEMBER 11, 2011

Zero Tolerance?

OP-ED

7

A Touch of Humanity: Tragedy in Georgia

by Alik Kasumov

by Phil Golodetz

Photo by Declan Considine

their case “beyond a reasonable doubt.â€? The very A deathly silence fact that the foundation gripped the crowd of upon which Troy Davis’s ÂżYH KXQGUHG SURWHVWHUV conviction was built had upon hearing the news. crumbled should have Tears cascaded down been enough to warrant a cheeks and landed on new trial and an eventual the hard Georgian dirt acquittal. Troy Davis’s outside of the Jackson murder is the product of State Prison. Troy Davis D IDLOLQJ MXVWLFH V\VWHP KDG MXVW EHHQ H[HFXWHG In Supreme Court The execution of Troy Justice Antonin Scalia’s Davis can be considered dissenting opinion on nothing less than a trav- whether a hearing should HVW\ RI MXVWLFH ,Q be ordered to examine Davis was convicted of the evidence upon which killing Mark McPhail, an Troy Davis’s convicRII GXW\ SROLFH RIÂżFHU tion rested, he said “This despite the lack of any court has never held that DNA evidence linking the Constitution forbids him to the cold-blooded the execution of a conmurder. Davis was con- victed defendant who victed on the sole basis has had a full and fair of the testimony of nine trial but is later able to eyewitnesses, including convince a court that he Sylvester “Reddâ€? Coles, is ‘actually’ innocent.â€? a man who should have According to one of been considered a prime WKH SLOODUV RI ÂłMXVWLFH´ our nation, it does not “The execution in make the slightest difof Troy Davis ference whether or not a man convicted of murder can be considis actually innocent when ered nothing less determining whether or than a travesty of not he should be executed. The search for truth justice.â€?

LV WKH EDVLV RI WKH MXVWLFH system, and when that suspect in the murder in notion is abandoned then WKH ÂżUVW SODFH VLQFH PXFK the system shall crumble. of evidence points to him William Blackstone, being the killer, not Davis. D UHQRZQHG (QJOLVK MXSeven of the eight other rist, once said it is “better “eye-witnessesâ€? have to let ten guilty persons since retracted their testi- escape, than that one inmony, claiming that their nocent suffers.â€? If one SRVLWLYH LGHQWLÂżFDWLRQ RI LQQRFHQW PDQ LV XQMXVWO\ Davis was based upon punished for the sins of pressure by the police. evil men then none of us In the American Jus- are safe. And never was tice System, in order to that clearer than on a convict a defendant, the warm fall night outside prosecution must prove of Jackson State Prison.

COLUMNIST

One Size Doesn’t Really Fit All: What’s Plaguing Our Disciplinary System

by Nick Fleder and Daniel Block

OP-ED EDIITOR & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Roughly one month ago, a student playfully took candy from a friend, and then later took soda from an open dorm. He was caught, and for his actions, placed on the brink of expulsion.

The student body erupted in anger. ‘How can they expel a student for taking a soda?’ The collective campus seemed to shout. Animosity towards the school rose, and crude comments were posted on internet forums and yelled in hallways. The administration, after deliberating and hearing the entirety of the student’s story, allowed him to return to school.

But as far as we are concerned, this is still an open case. And it’s not a question of whether this student should have been expelled; it’s a question of if the school should have a zero tolerance policy regarding theft, drugs, and alcohol.

The answer, as we see it, is no.

It is true that in many cases, the infraction that leads to expulsion is not the ÂżUVW PDMRU GLVFLSOLQDU\ DFcident and that the administration cannot reveal the full disciplinary history of the student. Thus, only the most ridiculous aspects of the case become public, and the expulsion can seem more ridiculous than it is.

But a zero tolerance policy has multiple practiFDO DQG WKHRUHWLFDO ÀDZV A zero tolerance policy of sorts (the school will not label it as such), whether it applies to theft, or to drug and alcohol usage, implies that all infractions are created equal. Is taking a soda bottle the same as stealing a laptop? Is teasing

your friend by taking their lollipop the same as running off with her iPod? No developed country’s court system treats shoplifting as a crime comparable to armed robbery, and for Masters to not factor magnitude into punishment is naïve. To expel someone from Masters is to rip them from their community, from their family, and in a certain sense, from their home. To force someone who takes

treatment, and one steals laptops to help pay for it, should that person be treated the same way as VRPHRQH ZKR LV MXVW WU\LQJ to make a quick buck? The example is extreme, and admittedly highly improbable. But in a school with a true zero tolerance policy, the student who steals to pay for medical treatment would be expelled.

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Cartoon by Claudia Lamberty a cup from the dining hall to pay this most ultimate price would be draconian.

Some argue that having a zero tolerance policy on theft sends a clear, strong message that theft, even petty theft, is not tolerated. But there is a difference between not tolerating the taking of twoGROODU REMHFWV DQG WKUHDWening expulsion over it.

The policy also faces a serious philosophical question, circumstance. For example, if one’s father is undergoing life-saving, but expensive medical

fear. We have a zero tolerance policy if you are caught with drugs on campus, though there is some level of confusion as to the school’s policy regarding off-campus drinking.

In the student handbook, there is a page-long list of ways to ways your Masters life could end followed by a frighteningly ambiguous statement: “Please be aware that this is not an exhaustive list. Students who demonstrate that they are out of sympathy with the goals and ideals of the School may be dismissed

even though there may have been no infraction RI D VSHFL¿F UXOH RU DQ DFcumulation of offenses.�

This begs the question: which part of our lives can they turn a blind eye to? The ambiguous disciplinary policies of the administration have created a watchfulness and nervousness that extends to students’ own homes.

The Disciplinary Committee is a good system.

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tower/ NOVEMBER 11, 2011

FEATURES

A Revolution in Apple Te

Steve Jobs Leaves Behind a Permanent Influence

by Sophia Fish Features Editor

After dropping out of Reed College, founding one the most successful companies in the world, and battling a fatal cancer, Steve Jobs left a remarkably expansive legacy.

Found dead in his California home on Wednesday night, October 5, Steve Jobs had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003.

Before illness took a dramatic toll on his life, Jobs helped form the world we live in today. He created a means for the average person to access information on a global level through his innovative Apple machines.

Tim Cook, Apple Inc.’s newest CEO, declared, “We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives.

The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.”

Many Masters students took the news hard when they heard about Jobs’s death. Senior Simon Gottesfield got his first Macintosh when he was 13. “Both my parent’s had PCs when I got my first apple computer. I loved my new laptop.

It seemed so much cooler than my parent’s computers,” Gottesfield said.

“Steve Jobs really influenced the world we live in today. He changed the way all of us think about and interact with technology. I was sad to hear about his death. The world lost a truly brilliant inventor.”

Gottesfield said. Attending Reed College as an incoming freshman, Jobs officially dropped out in 1975.

While in and out of college, Jobs and his friend Steve Wozniak spent many years working on the computer and attempting to create a more hands-on personal use machine. Finally, in 1976, after hours hunched over in Jobs’ garage fiddling with tools, Jobs and Wozniak hand-built the first Apple computer, the Apple I. The computer attained instant success as Jobs and Wozniak sold it to a few local computer stores. With the increasing demand, the pair named themselves the Apple Computer Corporation, and the company quickly became one of America’s fastest growing companies.

From that tiny, damp garage, the two made history, and millions. In 1980, the company went public, selling over 4.6 million shares in under a minute, making over 40 Apple employees

instant millionaires.

Since then, Apple Inc. has produced over 70 different models of computers, both desktops and laptops, along with countless models of other devices including Apple TV, the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. These devices not only transformed the computer industry, but also the digital music and phone markets.

Throughout his Apple career, Jobs was fired and rehired several times. In 1985 after Apple fired him for the first time, Jobs launched a new career at the animation company Pixar. Later the Walt Disney Company bought Pixar, making Jobs the largest individual shareholder of Disney. At Pixar and Disney, Jobs worked as the executive producer on the film Toy Story which jumpstarted the PixarDisney relationship and allowed for a multitude of box-office hits including Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Monsters, Inc.

Looking back, Jobs considered getting fired from Apple a blessing. In his graduation address at Stanford University, Jobs said, “The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”

Ten years later in 1996, Jobs rejoined the Apple family, bringing Pixar along with him. Up until his death, Jobs left then reentered several times from his position as CEO of Apple due to health complications.

But beyond his financial exploits and victories, Jobs has left behind a family which he greatly adored.

A statement released by his family after his death said, “In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family.”

Jobs leaves behind his wife Laurene and their three children, ages 20, 16 and 12. continued on page 11

First generation iPod Mini

$249 (4GB) 1,000 songs The iPod Mini was smaller that the classic and available in five colors: silver, gold, pink, blue and green.

“I liked how small it was, how I could fit a lot of songs on it, rather than carrying around a big case of CDs,” said junior Nate Barasch, who fondly remembers his silver iPod mini, which he had at the age of ten. “In fact, I might go as far as to say that it allowed me to follow the music industry to the extent to which I do today.”

$400 (5GB) 1,000 songs “It allowed me to listen to my music whenever and wherever I wanted. I could listen to all my songs rather than just a single CD,” said senior Jake Granoff, who first owned an iPod at the age of ten. “It was white and modern while not trying to be too futuristic. It was simple”

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January 6, 2004

1975 Jobs drops out of Reed College

Fourth Generation iPod Cl

$399 (60GB 15,000 song This iPod could now hold photo in color.

Freshmen David Mancione was this iPod at the age of eight as h his father’s. “The iPod Photo wa an amazing battery life, and was Mancione added, “The color wa put on about 5 photos. There rea for it, but it was fun anyway.”

First Generation iPod Shuffle $99 (512 MB) 120 songs The first generation iPod Shuffle to sell for under $100. It attracted runners and children, as it was small and cheap. Owners could not pick their own song as there was no screen and the songs were just “shuffled” into a random order.

“I thought it was pretty cool because I could listen to my music on it, which I could never do before,” said senior Delia Whyte of her first iPod, which she got at the age of twelve. “However, it didn’t have a screen so I couldn’t see what song I was listening to.”

tower/ NOVEMBER 11, 2011

9

FEATURES

echnology: 2001-Present Ten Years Later: The Evolution of the Apple iPod

by Tyler Pager News Editor

Records, tapes, CDs -all gone, when Steve Jobs introduced the first iPod on October 23, 2001. This day marked the beginning of a new music industry that changed in ways people could have never conceived. Ten years have passed and over 20 different models have been introduced internationally, with over 275 million sales. The Masters School community is no stranger to the iPod phenomenon.

Freshmen Brandon Schneider recognizes the impact the iPod has had on the world. Schneider said, “It started a revolution; you can just touch your music, interact with your apps on a level that has never been achieved before.”

“I love that it is small and I can work out with it. It has a touch screen and clips onto anything,” Director of Alumnae Relations Sujata AdamsonMohan said of her fifth generation iPod Nano. “It totally revolutionized music. I used to have to burn CDs and bring a Discman to the gym and you could never really have an easy way to run with music.”

As Apple celebrates the 10th year anniversary of the release of the first iPod, the evolution of this legendary product continues to shape the everchanging music industry.

Eight of the most innovative and popular iPods are detailed below and shed light on the transformation the world has witnessed as each new iPod hit the market.

Photo by MiJin Kim

NOTES LEFT FROM THE PUBLIC offering their condolences to the Jobs family at the SoHo Apple Store. Many wrote personal ancedotes on their experience with Apple products. This memorial was created after Jobs’s death in celebration of his contributions and in commenoration of his family.

Photo by Sophia Fish

Fifth Generation iPod Nano

First Generation iPod Nano

$149 (8 GB) 2,000 songs This iPod came in nine colors: silver, black, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink, and special edition RED. This iPod also integrated a video camera.

“When you shook it, it shuffled songs which was awesome and I could put it to the side and the screen would switch sideways,” said sophomore Susie Plotkin of her purple iPod Nano that she got when she was thirteen.

Plotkin also appreciated the amount of space this iPod had. “I could download more music and because it had the “genius” feature it could make playlists for me which was pretty cool.”

$149 (1 GB) 240 songs The iPod Nano was even smaller and thinner than the iPod Mini, which made it easier to travel with and listen to music on the go. This iPod was also the cheapest music device with a screen on the market at the time.

Junior Julia Tedesco did not have high expectations when she got her iPod Nano at the age of ten. Still, she said, “It was nice to be able to put all my songs in one place rather than having so many CDs everywhere.”

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Third Generation iPod Nano $149 (4 GB) 1000 songs

The third generation iPod Nano came in a shape like no other: a square with a 2x2 screen. This allowed for a larger screen with better lighting. The Nano was most used for watching movies, TV shows, or music videos.

“I liked that it had a big screen so I could watch movies,” said junior Farrah Assad of the iPod she owned at the age twelve. “However, I used it more for music than videos because after a while of looking at the screen, my eyes would hurt because the screen was so small.”

First Generation Ipod Touch $299 (8 MB)

1750 songs The iPod Touch was the iPhone without the phone component. It was the first iPod with Wi-Fi access and a touch screen.

Sophomore Juliet Day remembers her excitement at the age of thirteen when she first got the iPod Touch.

“I really liked that it had Internet, Facebook, and a lot of games. It also organized all my music in a way I liked with the songs and artists.” However, Day prefers the newer versions. “Looking back, I see how much it has improved.” iPod Graphics by Duyen Luu Hai and Annie Mesa iPod blurbs by Tyler Pager

10

tower/ NOVEMBER 11, 2011

FEATURES

Old Bookstore is Reborn as the New Campus Store

by MiJin Kim Features Editor

The bookstore in the basement is no longer a dreary room. With bright track lightings, wooden floors, and new Masters apparel and merchandise displayed around the walls, the old bookstore has been reborn as the Masters Campus Store.

The store includes new Masters clothing such as pajama pants and sports shorts, and merchandise such as umbrellas and latte cups.

The slated walls display different types of products.

The renovation of the old bookstore was completed over the summer break.

Lewis Wyman, Director of Business and Finance, first mentioned possible development plans to refurbish the bookstore last spring. Eventually, Michael Feierman, Associate Director of Business Affairs, took charge of drawing

up plans and looking into the fixtures and lightings needed for the store.

“Masters wanted a store that was open, bright, and accessible. Based on this vision, I was able to find material that was light colored and allowed for flexibility. A committee met to review the choices, and things came together naturally,” said Feierman.

The school now works with Rhedhouse, a school and camp clothing company. Debbie Shure, Assistant of Communications and Development, spearheaded ordering new apparel and merchandise with Mary Ryan, Director of the Annual Fund.

Shure said, “We tried to keep the merchandise very basic; one of our main goals is to offer things that are different from Panther Stop, so we’ve tried to make the designs simply so we don’t compete in any way.” She continued, “Also, part of it

is for some of the merchandise to appeal to parents.”

The new Masters apparel includes two new logos: one which simply reads “Masters,” and another with an “M,” “1877,” and “The Masters School” design. “We tried to come up with more athletic-looking logos,” added Shure.

With the newly renovated campus store and new merchandise, the sales of the Campus Store increased by over 260% in the first month.

The new store also has given bookstore assistant Clara Seda an improved “office.” Seda said, “I like that the store is brighter and I love to see the expression of the kids after they see the big change; They are happy to come in to hang out and see all the new products.”

The new Masters apparel and accessories can also be purchased online at www.

Rhedhouse.com/masters.

Photo by Eve Wetlaufer NEWLY RENOVATED CAMPUS STORE includes a variety of Masters apparel and merchandise from pajama pants to latte cups. The new products can also be purchased online.

Art, Prisons, and Books, Oh My!

by Casey Chon Sports Editor

Along with the diverse group of faculty comes the intriguing jobs of their spouses.

At the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, David Bufano, husband of English teacher Gretchen Beckhorn, is rarely in his office. Bufano is the Director of Art Services and Preparations, a hands on job that requires strategic, creative thinking. Bufano said his job includes but is not limited to “coming up with budgets and schedules for the installation and deinstallation of exhibitions,

directing a crew of up to 50 art handlers and mount makers, dealing with loans going out and coming in from other Arts institutions , and preservation of our permanent collection.”

An artist himself, Bufano enjoys his occupation because he said that it provides “close-up, hands-on contact with artworks on a daily basis.” But, like all other jobs, work can become especially stressful at times, especially, Bufano said, when “tracking every cent spent to make sure we do not go over our estimated budget.” An impressive feat Bufano said he had to accomplish once was to

Photo by Robert Burnett

TANYA MCKINNON, wife of Richard Simon, is a children’s literary agent, editor, and writer. She has co-authored the children’s book Zora and Me. She considers her biggest accomplishment raising her five year old daughter Viviana.

“plan out how long it would take and what materials would be needed for art handlers to attach $100,000 cash to a gallery’s walls for a piece by artist HansPeter Feldmann.” Imagine that!

Besides being one of the four Global Partnership Officers at The Episcopal Church in New York City, Patero Sabune is also Head of School, Dr. Maureen Fonseca’s husband.

He said the fun part of his job allows him to “travel with the Presiding Bishop, the Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, the first woman to head the church in 500 years. I also get to bikeride in NY everyday.”

Taking a closer look at careers of faculty spouses

When asked what led him to a religious role in society, he claimed “I felt called by God to minister to those rejected by society, following in the footsteps of Jesus,” and then proceeded to quote a verse from Matthew 25, from the Bible. The verse talks about how Jesus came to Matthew while he was in prison, and sang to the inmates there.

The verse says: “When I was hungry you gave me food, thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger you welcomed me. In prison you came to me, as you did to the least of these, you did it to me” Psabune found this very touching;

Photo by Gretchen Beckhorn

DAVID BUFANO, ENGLISH TEACHER Gretchen Beckhorn’s husband, is the Director of Art Services and Preparations at the Guggenheim Museum. A painter, collager, and photographer himself, he enjoys his job immensely.

and used this verse to lead his life. Quite literally, Sabune said, because “from 2003 to 2010, I was the Pastor and Chaplain at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining.”

Today, Sabune helps minister to children in the war and conflict zones around the world. His job requires him to travel, sometimes enabling him to go to places like Sudan and Congo, to which he journeyed to over this past summer.

Even though it pains him to see how much violence scars children, Sabune said “I can wake up everyday knowing that I can make a difference in a child’s life.”

Tanya McKinnon, wife

of Richard Simon, holds abundant job titles. She said “I don’t really have an official title-- I’m a writer, an editor and a literary agent.”

Working in the publishing industry since 1989, McKinnon was an English major in college, and grew up loving stories. McKinnon said, “as a writer, it’s starting from a wisp of an idea and staying with it until it’s fully formed.” She continued, “I love good books and, for better or worse, I love the imagination and emotional fearlessness of the folks who write them.” Despite all her accomplishments, her greatest is raising her adorable five year old Viviana.

Photo by Anne Marie Leone

PETERO SABUNE, HEAD of School Dr. Fonseca’s husband, is currently the Global Partnership Officer at the Episcopal Church. For seven years, he was Chaplain at the Sing Sing Prison in Ossining.

tower/ NOVEMBER 11, 2011

FEATURES

11

Club Auditions Stir Stress Among Students and Club Heads

by Kiera Wilson Tower Staff Writer

Think about three of your peers, possibly your friends, staring at you, writing potentially scrutinizing notes about your performance. Their only job is to judge you, not on personality but on pure talent.

This is what dozens of Masters students face while auditioning for performance clubs at the beginning of the school year. Most clubs at Masters require simply an email address to signup, but there are a few clubs that require an audition including Muse, Urban Connection, The Naturals, Dohters, and Dobbs 16.

These clubs are all performance clubs - involving either singing or dancing.

It is a nerve-wracking process to audition for a club, but hosting auditions is just as trying. “To actually sit through auditions is stressful,” said junior Hunter LaMar, president of The Naturals, an all-male a cappella group. “It sucks saying to yourself ‘I’m going to have to tell this person no.”

Holding auditions is difficult for anyone, whether faculty or student. “For teachers who hold auditions, it’s tough… I end up wanting to take as many people as I can on each voice part,” said Gillian Crane, faculty advisor of

Dobbs 16. “It’s difficult to put up the final list because I know how many kids I am disappointing.”

Crane and LaMar aren’t the only club presidents who feel this sentiment.

The members of Dohters, the all-female a cappella group, agreed that judging auditions can cause tensions. “It gets very tiring, which can cause emotions to run high,” senior Julia Foote, a Dohters co-president, said. “Making the actual final list is exhausting. We all discuss every single audition, and it can get very emotional.”

During the audition, however, the club members have to focus only on their criteria for new students. “Members are chosen based on a couple of things,” LaMar said.

“Blending, breath support, overall voice quality, and attitude are the major ones.”

Most clubs have similar requirements, like Urban Connection, the hip-hop/ step dance group at Masters.

According to Valerie Braddick, an Urban Connection co-president, the club “looks for people’s ability to pick up the choreography, their enthusiasm, and their willingness to learn.”

The clubs all want to see potential and willingness to work, but there have been many controversies in

past years about the validity of their decisions. The audition and admission of new members into performance-based clubs have been rumored to be corrupt; annually, people complain that only friends of club members get admitted.

Naturally, the groups deny this. Some hold auditions with three judges to guarantee fairness. Others find it more difficult.

“It’s easier to remove personal opinions when you like someone than when you dislike someone,” said Foote. “It’s difficult to remove opinions, but possible and necessary.”

Muse, the student-run contemporary dance group, has a very specific system.

They made the following statement, “to make sure that the Muse auditions are as fair as possible we give everyone a number, everyone an equal amount of time to dance, and the lines and groups rotate so everyone can be seen.”

The student-run clubs aren’t very different than the faculty-run clubs. Dobbs 16 auditions have mostly the same requirements as the other groups, with a few exceptions. Crane said she looks for potential and takes nervousness into account, but that doesn’t mean she will excuse a student who is overly unconfident.

Jobs Death Leaves Millions Devastated and in Mourning continued from page 8

Jobs massive contributions to the evolution of technology synthesized the business and entertainment worlds of the modern society we live in today.

Jobs created technology that allowed for a fusion of communication and information to be accessible to the public, when before it was only envisioned as technology for a select group of educated people.

Junior Ryan Rosenberg said, “I think that Jobs was such an influential person in every aspect of our lives in ways that we don’t even know anymore. Technology has become such a natural part of our lives; and Jobs gave us that.”

With the invention of iTunes, Jobs recognized the music business was failing; CD sales continued to drop and people downloaded their music illegally. As a solution, Jobs contacted the major music industries and received permission to create iTunes, a music

program that enables people to continue their music downloads via the Internet, yet still supports the artist and pays them for their work. iTunes helped completely revive the failing music industry and supported the individual artist.

Today, every Apple computer bought is preloaded with iTunes and the program is used by virtually every Mac user.

The genius behind the Apple computer was Jobs’s creation of a machine based on what he knew of biological human behaviors. Jobs’s dream was to create a computer that would be accessible to the average person, a computer that would be easy to use, uncomplicated and visually attractive.

He designed the computer to display, store, and retrieve information just like the human brain does.

Down to the industrial design, Apple products mimic normal human daily activities. A user can open a folder to look at a written document, open a calendar

to view appointments, and throw away unwanted items in the trash. Every operation on the Mac was formulated to identically correspond with the average person’s daily life, making the computer a part of these daily activities.

These genius inventions and designs are what made Jobs transform the way we communicate and access knowledge. He leaves behind a fantastic legacy, one that stretches to the beginnings of modern technology and one that will continue on to future innovations.

Apple Inc. released a statement that said, “Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

rememberingsteve@apple.com If you would like to offer your condolences to Jobs’ family and Apple Inc., please email words of solace to the email listed above.

Photo by Renee Bennett

ALEX MINTON AND MEMBERS OF DOBBS 16 perform at the Performing Arts showcase at Parents Weekend. Like other performing arts clubs at Masters, Dobbs 16 has a highly-competitive and nerve-wracking audition process.

“It is important that students are able to sing under pressure because performances can give the same kind of nerves,” said Crane.

These kind of requirements can really increase anxiety in a student who is auditioning, but are the reason these clubs remain to be so strong. There are some clubs that do not require auditions, but true dedication needs to be apparent.

Phoenix, the Honorary Drama Society at Masters, doesn’t hold auditions but has prerequisites to become eligible for consideration. All potential members must complete three shows in four seasons, but

more importantly, must be a dedicated member of the theater. “One requirement is that they’ve shown leadership throughout the plays - another is that they’ve been a good cast member by promoting good attitudes throughout the cast,” senior Monica Caporaso, a member of Phoenix, said.

Over the years, people have criticized the exclusivity of Phoenix. Some argue that it promotes exclusiveness which can be dangerous for a club. Although Phoenix has been called ‘pretentious’ by people that were denied entrance to the club, not everyone feels that way.

“I appreciate the fact that its difficult to get in, because then it means more when you do,” said sophomore Gillian Goodman, a member of Dohters.

Many of the performing arts clubs operate on this idea. The audition process is so vigorous because it will improve the quality of the group.

The beginning of the year is full of new club openings and a handful of stressful auditions. Even though it is nerve-wracking to audition in front of peers or teachers, we can find comfort in the fact that the club leaders are just as nervous.

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CONTINUATIONS

Val Braddick and Claire Lillienfeld Take MISH Abroad

by Lizzy Raboy Distribution Manager

Service learning is an integral part of the Masters education. Valerie Braddick and Claire Lillienfield, two seniors, travelled abroad this summer to embrace this aspect of the community.

Braddick traveled to Thailand with Rustic Pathways, a company who’s mission is to “enrich the lives of our students and our staff, benefit the parts of the world (they) serve and build cultural bridges that lead to greater global understanding and cooperation”.

She tried to better Chiang Mai, a city in Northern Thailand, by playing games, cooking meals, and teaching English at a local orphanage.

Residing at the orphanage for two weeks allowed Braddick to be completely immersed in her work. She said “It was really hands on the entire time. I learned a lot about the culture, which made me really appreciate the Thai people.” Braddick formed strong relationships with people different than herself despite language and cultural barriers.

After working at the orphanage, Braddick worked with elephants in Lampang, Thailand. She washed, fed, rode, and cared for her own elephant. She said, “Most of us formed a bond with our elephants—they have a lot of personality and are actually extremely intelligent animals.” She noted her elephant bathed her while she bathed it. Braddick learned that animals had personalities as strong as humans.

Lillienfield also discovered novel cultures this

summer. First she stayed for a month in Guadeloupe on the Island of Terre-DeBas with VISIONS Service Adventures. Lillienfield practiced her French while helping the commu-

hit. She wanted to help those who had been affected. She said, “It hurts me a little bit, but it helps them a lot” about her many hours of physical labor.

These trips help foster a

Photo by Valerie Braddick

VALERIE BRADDICK, along with Claire Lillienfeld, spent her summer on a service trip. As part of her trip in Lampang, Thailand,, Braddick worked with elephants.

nity where she was living.

Building an information kiosk was her primary project. It sought to increase tourism on the island, which is resident to just 1,000 citizens. Other tasks included working at medicinal gardens and teaching English.

In addition to learning about the island and Guadeloupian people, Lillienfield learned about herself. She said, “I like to work with people. You can’t just write a check for community service at the emotional level. The time you give is more important than the check you send.”

Lillienfield also went with Rustic Pathways to New Orleans. She weeded gardens, painted schools, taught at charter schools, and organized a library. Lillienfield had always wanted to go back to New Orleans because she had visited just three days before Katrina

love to help. Braddick knew she was passionate about community service, but she found her roots in Thailand.

She said, “a lot of service I do is teaching: Cabrini is teaching in a direct way; at Andros Nursing Home I’m teaching my life and their teaching me they’re life; at Children’s Village I’m teaching about what’s right or wrong, moral or immoral”. Braddick realized she loves to teach and learn. Both girls stated they would take the trip again if they had the chance.

Braddick and Lillienfield affirmed how lucky they were to have the education and opportunities presented to them at Masters. These service projects allowed them to bring Masters to the world and the world back to Masters, broadening perspectives in Thailand, Guadeloupe, New Orleans, Masters, and beyond.

Circus Sam Comes to Masters

by Kiera Wilson Staff Writer

It's hard to miss the fluorescent pink hair bobbing through the hallways of Masters this year. The hair belongs to Sam Gish, a new sophomore this year.

But he should be known for more than just his attention-getting hair - Gish is an aerial circus performer.

He started performing only last year, at Camp Long Lake, a performing arts camp, in the summer of 2010. There he learned the techniques of different aerial acts. "There are many different styles of performing on the rope, and my style… is called static rope," said Gish. He also performs the on aerial straps and trapeze, and what is called "poi spinning" as a juggling act.

Since discovering circus performing, Gish has taken his training very seriously. "This past summer

I spent training and performing at a circus camp in Vermont called Circus Smirkus," said Gish. Circus Smirkus has a troupe they compile from their campers that tour around New England during summers. Gish is continuing intensive training over the school year in hopes to perform over the summer.

"Performing with a professional AmeriPhoto by Trisha Hopkins can circus is my NEW SOPHMORE Sam Gish practices new goal as a career trapeze moves at a workshop in Queens. choice," Gish types of intensive trainsaid. "I've also considered ing programs. Gish plans training for a year at one to continue training as inof the schools that offer tensively as possible, so intensive training." Many one day he may fulfill his schools, such as NECCA dreams of "trying to start (New England Center for a circus with a couple of Circus Arts), provide these close friends of mine."

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Taking My Talents to Tower

When people think of baseball, they think, “What a stupid game! It’s just a bunch of men wearing stirrups and walking around in a circle!” When put like this, baseball seems to have more in common with Guantanamo Bay than any sport. But baseball-haters ignore the human element of the sport. We see the concentration on a player’s face during a crucial at bat.

We see Derek Jeter’s disappointment when he strikes out with the bases loaded.

The emotion and passion of baseball is most clearly shown in Nyjer Morgan.

Morgan was so disliked by talent scouts, more than 1000 amateur players were selected ahead of him by major league teams.

At the beginning of 2011, Nyjer Morgan was a baseball player whom scouts would likely call “a

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During interviews, Morgan adopted an alter ego, known as “Tony Plush.” The nickane “Plush” emerged when Morgan was a bar-crawling college player. Since the name “Nyjer” is hardly impsing, Morgan began going under the pseudonym “Tony Plush.” Apparently, the name stuck. Mr. Plush was known for his bombastic personality and gentlemanly charm. Morgan’s highest moment came when he launched a game winning single into center field, sending his Brewers to the National League Championship Series.

Once known for attacking catchers and shouting at fans, Morgan is now a fan-favorite. The once discredited Nyjer Morgan is now the most popular man in Wisconsin. Not terrible for a “bad makeup guy.”

Varsity Volleyball Keeps Fighting

by Kiera Wilson Tower Staff Writer

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bad makeup guy,” a baseball term meaning “total nutcase.” But who could blame them? After all, his litany of misbehavior goes as follows: He once hit an opposing fan in the face with a baseball, on purpose.

He twice ran over a catcher at home plate for no reason.

He got into a screaming match with a fan. He caused a bench-clearing brawl.

Morgan’s antics and equally stunning mediocrity caused him to be traded to the Milwaukee Brewers last winter. Milwaukee only intended to use Morgan as a bench player, but when centerfielder Carlos Gomez got injured, Morgan was pressed into starting duty.

Capitalizing on his new opportunity, Morgan had the best season of his career.

Yet his most colorful contribution to baseball was his alter ego, Tony Plush.

Requiring not only rigorous physical training, but also a lot of mental concentration, the varsity volleyball team has had a challenging season. The game is dangerous because of the high potential for injuries - players only wear knee pads that don’t always prevent the players from getting bruises or floor burnThe varsity volleyball team especially has been feeling the pain this past season.

Their team is slowly dwindling down to an unusually small amount of players.

The team began with eleven players, as opposed to the normal twelve that should be on a varsity volleyball team.

Junior Emmi Marolda, originally a backrow specialist, injured her finger and was out for two weeks.

No less than one week

later, sophomore Bobby Sacher sprained her ankle, forcing her to sit out for the rest of the season.

On top of all that, senior and co-captain Lila Rubin broke one of her toes.

The injuries have been spaced periodically throughout the weeks of volleyball, but now the team is down to only eight players. Uninjured junior Emma Shepardson, a twoyear member of the Varsity Volleyball team, said she felt the effects of a smaller team. “It seemed like someone new would be getting injured every week,” said Shepardson. “ A league-level volleyball team has a rotation of six players at a time, meaning some players will have to play a full game without a break. This can exhaust the players, despite their vigorous practices throughout the season. “It’s hard

because we all have to go to practice, but we can’t do anything. Mostly it’s just frustrating,” said Marolda.

On Friday, October 14th, Varsity Volleyball played against Riverdale and won.

“This was the first game of the season where we had no subs because there were simply not enough players,” Shepardson said. “I think because we didn’t have anyone to come in and ‘save’ us if we were doing badly, we all knew we had to play our best no matter what.”

The team remains to be full of panther pride, and are now headed to the playoffs. “It makes us, as a team, want to succeed more,” said Shepardson.

“In the end, I still feel like it’s important to be there with my team,” Marolda said. “I’ll always be a team member, no matter what happens to my limbs.”

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SOPHOMORE GIANNA MASINI fights hard to help the Lady Panthers win. The multitude of injuries has brought the Varsity Volleyball team closer together, reinforcing the importance of teamwork.

tower/ NOVEMBER 11, 2011

SPORTS

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Fall Sports: Statistics, Acheivements, and Records Boys Third Soccer Team Looks to Develop Future Stars

Girls Varsity Soccer Dominates the Field

by Tyler Pager and Spencer Berkowitz

Casey Chon

News Editor and Contributing Writer

More athletes, more teams. As a result of the surge in student athletes, new teams have been formed. This fall the boys third soccer

team made their debut.

Consisting of freshmen and sophomores, these underclassmen received individual attention to prepare them for the JV and Varsity teams in the future.

Led by Math Teacher John Chiodo and outside

Coach Christiano, the team lacked the chance to showcase their skills due to countless cancellations.

While only playing in two games this season, the coaches look to continue to develop the soccer program in the future.

Sports Editor

Public Domain Image

Cross Country Team Finds New Home

by Tyler Pager and Sofia Masseroli

News Editor and Contributing Writer

With the construction of the turf field and track, the cross country team lost its home course. However, with the team quickly found a new home as the program continues to develop into a force to be reckoned with in the FAA. The team found a new home at Manhattanville College where they sponsored a meet. The team obviously

missed the Masters support, but enjoyed the opportunity to run a new course.

Besides relocating to a new home course, the team had to overcome the sadness and grief of Emma Thomas.

Thomas was the captain of the girls team last year and her love for the sport was infectious. Dedicating the season to Thomas’s memory, the team had a little something extra to run for this year.

Even with all the challenegs, many students ran their personal bests and contributed to a successful season.

Boys Varsity Soccer Scores Big Casey Chon Sports Editor

The Boys Varsity Soccer team began the season with an imperssive six game winning streak. Despite a satisfactory record of 6-7, this team has become a closely-knit family. As Sophomore manager Stefan Luiggi said, “The best part of the team is the fact that all the players seem to

News Editor and Contributing Writer

The JV girls volleyball team’s record on paper may not mirror the team’s goals. However, the growth and improvement of the players definitely exceeded their expectations.

With a roster of many students new to the sport, it was hard to predict how the

team would fair. However, these new players quickly learned the techniques and rules of the sport and made an immediate impact.

Led by junior captains Tiffany Cofield-Smith and Barbra Namitala, the girls finished with a 3-11 record.

With one year of experience under their belt, the team looks forward to continued improvement next year.

think the same way. Some plays are instantaneous and perfectly played out between our forwards and our defenders know how to support each other.” Even though 10 seniors played their final home game versus Horace Mann on Oct. 29, the team will remain great friends. As sweeper Alik Kasumov concludes, “I think our team will always have a really good flow.”

Girls Field Hockey Stick it to Win

New Players Make Impact on JV Volleyball

by Tyler Pager and David Mancione

The Girls Varsity Soccer team prepared for the season with two extra summer preseason sessions, in addition to the mandatory preseason at school, and it paid off. With eight wins, four losses, and two ties, these girls have impressed the school with their determination to win.

Junior Dana Greene said, “My favorite part of th season was the first week after preseason, because that’s when our team was closest.” Freshman defender Serena Wessely said, “Being a freshman on the team is intimidating, it really is, but it’s a lot of fun.” As seniors Sarah and Ariel Mack put it, “We’re awesome!”

Casey Chon Sports Editor

Photo by Ken Verral

JUNIOR HANNAH WEBER, pictured right, with sophomore Cassie Majersky, left, at their senior game. The lady panthers won the arduous game 3-0 against Saint Lukes. The team has vowed to raise $1000 in honor of breast cancer.

With a record of 4-10, the field hockey team has been brought together by enthusiasm and passion for the sport. Sophomore Susie Plotkin said “As a team, our greatest achievement came in the bond we share. The girls on the field hockey team from freshmen to seniors

mesh so well together.”

Junior Hannah Weber said “This team differs from last years mainly because of our newfound desire to enjoy ourselves during every moment and to think of each game as an ability to get better as a group rather than individually. “ As sophomore Cassie Majersky put it, “This year, our team has a better vibe.”

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tower/ NOVEMBER 11, 2011

SPORTS

SPORTS SIMPLE MATH:

How Simplice Njoya Affected Masters Athletics

By Nick Fleder Op-Ed Editor

The name is Simplice Njoya. Does it ring a bell?

The hulking Njoya, a 6’ 10”, 245-pound beast of a man, attended the Masters School his senior year. With such a frame, it doesn’t take great imagination to figure him as a superb high school basketball player, and that he was; he put up 19 points and 11 rebounds in his first go-round at basketball (his junior year) before coming to Masters. Recruits followed. But Njoya’s Division One pedigree is not, nor should it be, his claim to fame at the school.

Njoya was involved in a highly publicized scandal whilst he attended Duquesne University, one that caused him to miss 19 games during his freshman season.

Some associated with Masters athletics implied that the negative publicity involving the school during that time might explain the diminishing performance of the boys’ varsity squad in the following years.

To properly examine such claims, it’s important to know the entire story first.

The Childhood Njoya was born and raised in Cameroon, a West African country slightly larger than California, where 48 % of the population is under the poverty line. As a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article from 2003 explains, “Njoya grew up in a close family, going to school during the day, playing sports outside with friends in the evening and visiting his grandparents’ farm in a rural village for part of his summer vacation.”

Basketball was never part of the equation for Njoya – that is, until he came to the United States for a “good education,” as explained in the Post-Gazette article. On doing so, stumbled upon the sport in a different light. Accustomed to playing pickup ball with very few rules and no keen understanding of the game, Njoya decided to give basketball he enjoyed at an informal level a try in an organized environment: The Berkshire School in Florida.

The inexperienced Njoya didn’t see much playing

time on a team, according to Charles Cunningham, who was the assistant coach at Duquesne and was a selfproclaimed “father figure” in Njoya’s life when he was away from home. “He was on a team with nine or ten guys who went onto major Division I teams,” explained Cunningham in the initial 2001 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette piece.

Njoya was instantly a hit at Masters when he transferred for the 2000-2001 school year, and after a successful senior year, he found himself sought out by college basketball powerhouses University of Nevada – Las Vegas (UNLV), Southern California, Georgia Tech, and Michigan, as well Duquesne, a large Christian University in Pittsburgh not known for having a particularly strong basketball program.

Njoya would choose Duquesne University after there was a coaching change at his initial first choice, UNLV. Shortly after the season began, though, he found himself under investigation by the NCAA.

The Violations Njoya’s violations were neither malicious nor especially uncommon, but in many ways, they changed his life. Ordered to sit out 19 games because he accepted “benefits prior to his recruitment by, and signing with, Duquesne University”, according to the Duquesne Men’s Basketball website, which were thought to be related to his accepting of improper travel benefits during the recruitment process.

A Dec. 28, 2001 Boca Raton News brief on Njoya’s suspension explained that he “violated an NCAA rule against receiving preferential treatment or benefits.” The rule in question, the article explained, “Requires an athlete to miss up to 20% of the season for receiving up to $700; and at least 30% of the season for gifts or payments worth more than $700.”

Njoya ended up playing only nine games in his freshman year, and for taking an undisclosed amount totaling more than $700, he missed more than 30% of

the season. The suspension was a tough blow for Njoya after showing considerable promise to begin the season.

After averaging a solid 30 minutes per game in his brief freshman year, in which he scored 9.2 points per game, grabbed 5.9 re-

requested release from the Duquesne program and Nee accepted his request.

The raw, yet talented center, who seemingly possessed more upside than his stats showed, ended up at Memphis University.

Things didn’t go as Sim-

31 games his senior year, yet started only one. His average of one point per game and 1.1 rebounds per game was a significant departure from his Duquesne numbers. Worse, Njoya was suspended late in his senior year by coach John Calipari for “conduct detrimental to the team,” according to a press release by the coach at the time.

The student newspaper at Memphis University, the Daily Helsman, ran an article in February 2006 that expanded on Njoya’s detrimental conduct. “We don’t have time for this,” said Calipari in regards to Njoya’s “attitude problem.” He continued, “It wasn’t just one thing.”

He graduated with a degree in International Business, but his dreams of playing professional basketball never surfaced.

The Residual Effects

Photo Reproduced with Permission of University of The Memphis Magazine

SIMPLICE NJOYA, pictured here, was a young, talented basketball player. His playing time dwindled after transferring to Memphis University for his junior and senior year.

bounds, and blocked a shot per game, his minutes were cut slightly in his sophomore year and he was only started in 26 out of 30 of the games. His scoring average dipped, as did his rebound and blocked shots totals.

plice Njoya had planned.

The MemphiS Days Simplice Njoya’s goals during college were sim-

“Maybe the scandal was a reality check.” Hendricks elaborated, “Simplice was warm, and he was charming, but with the brains they attract at this point, he could never get into Masters today.”

The 2003 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article quoted the coach at the time, Danny Nee, describing Njoya’s game as “in the embryotic stage.” Nee explained that while had the tools and attributes of a basketball player, “He [didn’t] have the basketball experience and knowledge.”

As such, the 20-plus games that Njoya missed during his freshman year were costly in his development as a player. He

ple: he wanted to play professional basketball, whether here in the states or overseas, according to the Memphis University magazine feature on him.

The decision to switch from Duquesne to Memphis turned out to be counterproductive towards achieving those goals. After a disappointing junior year in which he saw his minutes slip to roughly seven per game, Njoya played in

Was the NCAA scandal to blame for Njoya’s stunted development as a player and subsequently frustrating collegiate basketball career? Was it also to blame for The Masters School’s stunted development as a Division One basketball-recruiting hub?

Chris Frost, who assumed his duties as Head of Upper School in 2001, when Njoya’s NCAA investigation and suspension took place, explained, “It was a busy year, and I recall some talk about Simplice and his suspension,” though, “I don’t think that it had any negative impact on athletics at Masters.”

The national publicity towards Masters came in a negative context, though, as the school was mentioned in national press articles about Njoya when the scandal first broke.

A 2001 Pittsburgh PostGazette article explained that Njoya was placed “at the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., for his senior season,” and though he received a full scholarship, he “did not know whether they were academic or athletic scholarships.”

Former Admissions Officer Susan Hendricks, who came to work at the school

when it was transitioning from an all-girls institution to a co-ed one, knew Njoya well, and noted the school’s bullishness on athletics when they began admitting boys. “We worked with a consultant dealing with international athletes who brought Simplice to our attention,” she said.

Though Hendricks wasn’t involved in athletics at the school directly, she saw the school’s focus on improving the basketball team as searching “for a magnet to attract boys who were student-athletes,” explaining that the boys they hoped to attract “needed a good reason to come to this newly co-ed school”.

“There were a few people that made a very strong push for putting together good teams in the beginning,” Hendricks explained, “but maybe the scandal tempered this.” She continued, “I think it made the school realize that they were going too fast, and that they needed to hit the brakes.”

Matthew Kammrath wasn’t a teacher or varsity basketball coach at the time, and couldn’t offer speculation as to Njoya’s affect on Masters athletics. Hendricks did note, however, that Kammrath “accelerated Masters athletics” when he assumed duties as boys varsity basketball coach.

Raymond Lacen, Athletic Director at the school, did not work for Masters at the time of the scandal, but did speculate as to the scandal’s effects on athletics and admissions both.

“I think the scandal meant perhaps not being able to showcase a Division One alum when prospective students came to visit,” and he explained how that, “could have put the athletic program back a little bit.”

Hendricks clarified that the school never lost sight of the goal of becoming “the best athletic school it could be” because of the scandal. “It’s always been a high priority to put good energy into building the sports program at Masters.”

She did hypothesize that, “maybe the scandal was a reality check.” Hendricks elaborated, “Simplice was warm, and he was charming, but with the brains they attract at this point, he could never get into Masters today.”