Tower Issue #2 2012-2013

Tower The Masters School

November 2, 2012

Volume 69, Number 2

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

Executive Committee proposal to open gate jumps forward

by Tyler Pager Editor-in-chief

Executive Committee approved a plan to open the gate near the Carriage House to give students and faculty a more direct route to Stop & Shop and into town.

The proposal is divided into two preferences: the first being that students will be able to exit and enter the gate by the Carriage House using their school ID’s during specific daylight hours.

If the school is unable to provide the finances necessary for a card reader, however, the gate will be manually opened during the same hours.

The Executive Committee unanimously passed both options of the proposal with a vote of 16-0 with two members absent on Oct. 2.

The proposal has been sent to Head of School Maureen Fonseca and the Heads Council to make the final decision regarding implementation of the proposal.

However, there are many implications of opening

the gate that could prevent it from being approved, most notably the administrations’ safety concerns.

The gate is part of a fence that runs along Estherwood Avenue, the street on the east side of campus.

This fence was constructed six years ago in an effort to eradicate the theft, vandalism and illegal activity occurring on campus by non-Masters students, according to Fonseca.

Fonseca said that while these issues decreased significantly after the gate was closed, residents of Dobbs Ferry that live nearby were unhappy.

She explained that before the fence, these residents were able to access the town by walking through the campus, a more convenient route than walking down Clinton Avenue.

“We have to be as safe as we can,” Fonseca said.

“Our job is to make sure our campus is not a thoroughfare.” She expressed concern about potential

strangers walking through the middle of the campus at all hours of the day passing by the dorms.

Christine Schwegel, Director of Business and Finance, agrees with Fonseca because of knowledge she received from Lew Wyman, former Director of Business and Finance. “{Wyman} and representatives from the village and the Chief of Police had gone to the gate and evaluated whether or not it should be opened to the public,” Schwegel said.

“The Chief of Police said it should not be opened because of safety concerns.”

“Do private property owners normally allow the public walk across their grounds?” Schwegel asked.

Currently, many students climb over the fence to take advantage of the shortcut. While there is no official policy regarding this, the administration discourages it because students may hurt themselves.

Sophomore Cormac

school. While their excuses may be unfounded, there is undoubtedly a traffic problem in Dobbs Ferry, which may be partially attributed to the seemingly perpetual developments

Mercy College is pursuing.

Concerned Dobbs Ferry resident Carolyn Whittle outlined what she believes to be the most negative repercussion of the College’s development. She said,

Photo illustration by Tyler Pager

FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, students have hopped the fence by the Carriage House for faster access to Stop & Shop and town. However, if the proposal is enacted, the gate will be opened for the community. This student is not identified in order to avoid disciplinary repercussions.

Walsh admitted to hopping the fence with his friends and said that it is very common among the student body. He said the main reason students climb the fence is because it is a much faster route to town than walking down Clinton Avenue.

“It would be much easier for people to take

that shortcut to and from town without having to climb a fence,” Walsh said.

Junior Claudia Lamberty lives in the dorms and believes it would benefit the entire community if the gate was opened, but especially students and faculty that live on campus.

“I think the gate should

be opened in order to accommodate those living on campus,” she said.

“Although walking all the way around campus is not that big of a deal, allowing members of the Masters community to access town in a much quicker and convenient way would be a luxury.”

“[According to the Mercy College Draft Environmental Impact Statement], Mercy College accounts for 40% of all traffic on Route 9.”

Whittle continued, “At peak hours, there are as many as 600 cars entering the college off of Route 9 at one time.” She said, “The traffic destroys neighborhoods and clogs the downtown intersections at peak hours.”

She explained that because Mercy is a commuter college, the volume of traffic is significantly higher.

She said, “They need to cap the number of students they have. In the last five years, they’ve increased their enrollment by 50%.” According to Mercy, they currently have approximately

10,000 students enrolled.

Whittle predicts that the installation of the new synthetic turf field will significantly affect the environment of the campus and beyond, but more immediately, intensify Dobbs Ferry’s traffic issue.

College Relations Representative Jessica Baily affirmed that Mercy took environmental repercussions into account when deciding to construct the new artificial turf field. She said, “The new field was designed to deliver a long-lasting, high-performance, environmentallygreen surface, including the use of recycled products.”

But Whittle contended with the notion that the field will be very “long-lasting.”

She said, “The problem with artificial turf is that it has to be replaced every decade.”

Perhaps Whittle’s prediction was too optimistic; according to the Synthetic Turf Council, artificial fields typically last eight years.

Associate Dean of Students Gillian Crane, who lives very close to Mercy College, strongly opposes the developments. She said, “I think having so many more residential college kids will really impact all aspects of the quiet Dobbs Ferry life.”

Crane continued, echoing Whittle’s traffic concerns.

She said, “The main intersection in town is really congested, so this would make our problems even worse.”

Construction at Mercy College causes commuter congestion

by Johanna M. Costigan Editor-in-chief

Many students have felt the infamous Route 9 traffic frustration, citing red lights and gridlock as justification for late arrivals to

Photo by Sang Bae

THE RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED TURF FIELD at Mercy College will be utilized by both students and local youth leagues. As a result, traffic in Dobbs Ferry has already increased.

Opinion

Is the art program suffering while athletic pursuits grow?

Page 4

Photo by Alex Minton

Features

Sports

Obama and Romney’s final campaign efforts

The ultimate sport: Frisbee gains popularity

Pages 6-7

Page 11

continued on page 3

Photo by Madeline Watkins

2

NEWS

TOWER/November 2, 2012

Construction of Community Athletics and Arts Center scheduled for this spring

by Sofia Linden

News Editor

Edgar Masters, Life Trustee, announced the start of a capital campaign for a new Masters facility at Convocation. This building, the Community Athletics and Arts Center (CAAC), comes with a fencing room, swimming pool, theatre and café.

Since 2007, the CAAC has been the school’s primary development project, and construction is due to start this coming June. Inevitably, a project on this scale has attracted much comment, ranging from its impact on faculty during construction to what it says about the school’s mission.

The idea for the project was initially proposed before the 2008 recession.

According to Tim Kane, Associate Head of School for Institutional Advancement, the turf field was

built during the economic collapse, when the CAAC could not be funded. In order to build the CAAC the school needs to raise $20 million, but has only raised $11 million. Along with needing to raise the extra money, the school still needs approval from the Village of Dobbs Ferry’s Planning Board to begin work.

Many students and faculty have expressed their excitement about the new building. Sophomore Mina Fukai definitely sees the CAAC as a plus. “I think it’s a really good idea, because our school doesn’t have an actual fencing area or a swimming pool,” she said.

History Department Chair, Skeffington Young and his family, live on the premises of the planned development area.

He welcomes and supports the building and thinks it will be beneficial to the community, but would like to know

more information on the project. Kane mentioned the idea of meeting with the residents of that area to fill them in before the construction takes place.

“We knew it was going to be built behind the gym,” Young said. “What we didn’t know was how close it was going to be to our home.” He said the retaining wall stake is 20 feet away from the side of his house to be exact.

Kane explained that the purpose of the CAAC was to reflect the school’s core philosophy: bringing a group of distinct individuals from all over the world together in one place. The building will allow all types of people with diverse interests to see the different activities taking place through the translucent walls.

Kane explained that the motivation behind this development was to celebrate

our diversity. “It’s just going to make the campus so much richer,” he said. “It will be a hub of activity for the entire community.”

Some worry that the school’s distinctive emphasis on the arts might be at risk. Sophomore Serena Wesseley, who plays girls varsity soccer and participates in the musical, believes that the arts

departments might merit attention first. “I think it’s great that they’re trying to boost Masters athletics, but before investing millions of dollars into this building, they should think about what really needs to be fixed now,” she said. Wesseley considers athletics important, but not something that should take over the school.

Kane rejects the idea that having a stronger focus on athletics will affect our way of life. “Athletes aren’t scary,” he said. “Our athletics were further behind.” He says this building’s focus is not specifically on athletics either. “With the type of facilities we are putting in place, you can do almost anything in this building.”

Photo courtesy of Tim Kane

THE COMMUNITY ATHLETICS AND ARTS CENTER, (CAAC), will feature a new pool, fencing room and blackbox theater. The campaign for the project is launching this year, with an expected completion of the building by 2015.

Controversial subway advertisements spread tension and fear

by Declan Considine Photo Editor

Flames roar throughout the U.S. embassy as its dying ambassador flees from a Libyan mob to the roof.

What would seem like a gruesome scene from an over-the-top action movie was reality in Libya’s capital in September. U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens, who had helped the Libyan people overthrow the dictator

Colonel Gaddafi just months earlier, was killed along with three other Americans.

The riots were initially thought to be in response to an American-made, anti-Islamic film depicting the prophet Muhammad, but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton now says that the attack on the embassy was planned, and perhaps connected to Al Qaeda.

Following those in Libya, riots across major cities in Pakistan killed over 20

people in one day, September 21. The next day, a minister of Pakistan put a $100,000 bounty out for the head of the producer of the anti-Islamic film. Less than a week later, six major U.S. banks were cyber attacked by a Middle Eastern group claiming revenge for the offensive video. On October 11, the head of security of the U.S. Embassy in Yemen was gunned down in an attack which Yemen officials claim strongly

Photo by Declan Considine

At the Dobbs Ferry train station, a pro-Palestinian advertisement can be seen on the southbound track, heading towards Manhattan. An advertising war between pro and anti-Muslim factions is being waged in MTA stations throughout the county.

resembled al-Qaeda attacks.

This rapid succession of attacks on America, some violent, others economic, has created great outcry amongst U.S. citizens. Both Obama and Romney have stressed that these actions cannot be tolerated. Anti-Islamic advertisements were put up in Metro Transit Authority (MTA) subways in New York, reading, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Defeat Jihad.”

Although this ad received harsh criticism, it reflects the outrage some Americans feel toward Islam and the political instability in the Middle East.

In a recent board meeting, the MTA decided unanimously to change its advertisement policy to prevent public outcry in the future. However, more anti-Islamic ads appeared in the Washington D.C. Metro.

Although receiving harsh criticism and threats of boycotts, the D.C. Metro was

ordered by a federal judge to run the ads, because refusal to do so is a violation of the freedom of speech.

So many activists decided to fight fire with fire. An organization called CAIR (Council for American-Islam Relations) has begun running ads in major cities such as Washington D.C. The ad features a quote from the Quran, “Show forgiveness, speak for justice, and avoid the ignorant(The Holy Quran 7:199).”

Senior Kaan Domnez, a Muslim student from Turkey, believes that the violence in the Middle East skews Americans’ views of Islam.

“Islamic terrorists are not a true representation of Islam.

Those people are not truly Muslims; they just use religion as a tool for violence.”

The Jewish organization Rabbis for Human Rights also began publishing ads to counter the anti-Islam ones in New York subways. This ad mimics the offensive

advertisements rhetoric “In the choice between love and hate, choose love.

Help stop bigotry against our Muslim neighbors.”

World Religions teacher Jane Rechtman believes these ads are impactful.

“Advertising is effective.

These anti-Islamic ads have an effect in that they give permission for people to hate. It is true that we have the First Amendment, but it is not right that people are paying to spew hatred.”

In the Middle East, rising tensions have exploded into manifestations of rioting, murder and theft. Meanwhile in the United States, an intellectual battle between many factions is being fought out in the subways across the country. These very different battles are in fact different sides of the same coin and serve as a constant reminder both within our own borders and abroad that there are turbulent times ahead.

Overcrowding in the boys dorms causes upheaval and confusion

by Noah Buyon Web Editor-in-chief

The century-old edifices of Thompson and Strong Dorms project a sense of stability that is conspicuously absent from the rooming arrangements of their 76 male occupants.

The late entry of several students into these dorms has shaken up living situations, as returning boarders have been asked to re-pack their bags and rearrange to accommodate the new arrivals.

The entrance of these international students, who were not present for the start of classes, has spurred the creation of two triple suites for the first time in many years, raising questions of available

space in the boys’ dorms.

Weeks into the school year, two seniors in Thompson, John Chen and Tim Hou, came home to find their possessions lying in the hallway and three new beds in their room.

After the arrival of the first of the delayed international students, Chen and Hou had been evicted from their larger suites (which were originally designed to accommodate three people) to a smaller one.

Though, as Chen reports, the expected moved had been announced four days earlier, no administrators came to facilitate the room switch during that time.

Similarly, two freshmen in Strong Dorm, Tim Kaplowitz and Shomari

Moore, found their double had been converted into a triple over the course of a school day, to make room for another international latecomer. Kaplowitz said, “One day, [the administrators] just came in and literally put a bed on top of mine.”

Min Woong Choi, a senior proctor in Strong, said, “The change in Tim and Shomari’s room came with a week’s notice, but we were not told that Tim would suddenly have a bunk bed.”

With such moves, boarders feel a dangerous precedent have been sent, and thus have been adamant in voicing their unease. John Chen said, “The real problem is that the administration moved

my things [and Tim’s] without letting us know.

Though they told us we had to move, they forced us out and only apologized when we complained.”

Tao Chen, a senior in Thompson, echoed this sentiment in saying, “The situation doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. It’s unsettling that we can be moved after the school year starts.”

Tim Weir, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life, stressed that the students involved in the various moves had been given forewarning.

He admitted, “We erred in trying to make the room in Thompson a triple in enough time, as we moved some of the student’s

furniture without them.”

He went to say, “We are very fortunate, though, that we’re in a community

with an admissions department that does such a good job that we don’t take students throughout the year.”

Photo by Teerin Julsawad

STUDENTS IN STRONG DORMITORY were unsettled by some early semester reshuffling. Three students now live in this room which was originally a double until bunkbeds were added.

TOWER/November 2, 2012

NEWS

3

College résumés driving student initiative to create clubs

by Lily Herzan News Editor

This year’s club fair played host to more tables and posters than ever before with the addition of many new groups. This abundance of new and previously non-existent clubs prompted questions of their legitimacy.

In the past, clubs were required to undergo a year-long approval process, which was regulated

by Gillian Crane, Director of Student Activities.

“There were some clubs this year that I felt should start immediately,” Crane said. “I had them do everything in the process like writing a mission statement, setting goals, and getting an advisor; I just didn’t make them wait a year to get club status.”

In addition to these new groups, there are several MISH activities that have been formed into clubs, such as Media Awareness Club, AFYA and Acing Autism.

Jessica Bernstein, who heads two MISH clubs in addition to Bookophiles, a club she started last year, feels that the amount of interest in MISH subgroups at the club fair justifies their presence.

“I think that since everyone is in MISH, creating new clubs is a good way to

make people more active in it than they might have been before,” Bernstein said.

“But if MISH can do an activity without needing a club at all then I don’t think it’s necessary. But if it’s helping, then why not?”

Another concern is that juniors and seniors run these new clubs, which has prompted some to comment on the relationship between the creation of clubs and the college process.

According to Bernstein, the college process is sometimes a motive for creating new clubs. “I do think there is some pressure that people want to be able to write stuff on their

college application and say ‘Oh I did this, and oh I did that,’ but I don’t think that’s the only reason that people start clubs at Masters.”

Bernstein continued, “I think that people are genuinely interested and involved.”

According to Kathi Woods, Director of College Counseling, creating and heading a club is only useful to your college resume if that club is active. “If somebody thought they could start a club with the idea that they could strengthen their resume, it probably wouldn’t,” Woods said.

“Colleges will look for a commitment to an organization for a period of time, and also they look to see what you did with whatever you started.”

Susie Plotkin, president of the new club Girls Association-Love ya Sistahs (GALS), believes that the college pressure is more pressing.

“I feel like the college process probably played a really prominent role in the creation of the new clubs. All of the club leaders, of course, feel incredibly passionate about their clubs or they wouldn’t have gone through the process to create them, but who isn’t worried about getting into college?”

is soon to be constructed on Ashford Avenue where the Three Brothers Market used to stand.

Eric Granick, owner of

Cary’s Pharmacy in Dobbs Ferry, is not worried about how the new addition may affect his customers, although it will be the primary source

“Colleges will look for a commitment to an organization for a period of time, and also they look to see what you did with whatever you started.”

M.A.C.

Presidents:

G.A.L.S.

Presidents: Susie

C.A.R.E

Presidents: Chelsea

Elizabeth Lansbury ’13 and Margot Abrahams ‘13 Mission: “The Media Awareness Club, is a club that speaks about media awareness, literacy and injustice towards men, women, races and other issues like such.”

-Elizabeth Lansbury ‘13

Plotkin ‘14 and Olivia Lifflander ‘14 Mission: “GALS stands for Girl Association: Love ya Sistahs.

GALS hopes to provide girls with a safe and loving environment in which the members can be themselves and spend time bonding with other girls.”

-Susie Plotkin ‘14

Strong ‘14 and Sabrina Stanich ‘14 Mission: “Contemporary Affairs Regarding Everyone strives to spread awareness, understand and respect the issues we read about, examine, analyze and discuss.

-Sabrina Stanich ‘14

Architecture Society

Young Activists Club

FitNation Club

Gio Kim’ 14, Ethan Chan ‘14 and Sabrina Hilfer ‘13 Mission: “Architecture Society hopes to explore how architects think through organizing speakers, projects, movies and trips” -Ethan Chan’14

Nick Fleder ‘13 and Morgan Nakatani ‘14 Mission: “The Young Activists Club tries to promote greater awareness for the political sphere of the country, and basic levels of activism.”

-Nick Fleder ‘13

Tim Nugmanov ‘14 Mission: “The mission of FitNation is to help our students and faculty understand nutrition and improve their lifestyles and bodies.”

-Tim Nugmanov ‘15

AFYA

F.B.L.A.

Acing Autism

Nate Barasch ‘13 Mission: “Future Business Leaders of America provides students with the opportunity to have a better understanding of how businesses and the stock market work.”

-Nate Barasch ‘13

Jessica Bernstein ‘13 and Kaan Donmez ‘13 Mission: “Acing Autism aims to help autistic children have fun playing a sport while practicing using communication skills.”

-Jessica Bernstein ‘13

Presidents:

Presidents:

Lily Herzan ‘13, Evan Zhang ‘13, Barbara Levin ‘13 and Jessica Bernstein ‘13 Mission: “AFYA helps to make a difference by offering aid to countries in need.”

-Evan Zhang ‘13

Presidents:

Presidents:

President:

Presidents:

Dobbs Ferry Village Board embraces new chain store and welcomes Walgreens

by Johanna M. Costigan Editor-in-Chief

Dobbs Ferry is about to get another corporate business. A Walgreens

Photo by Tyler Pager

A Walgreens is currently being Built in the former location of the Three Brothers Market and the Off-Broadway Restaurant. While this addition to Dobbs Ferry may challenge family-owned businesses, it will offer new options for shoppers

of competition in town.

He cited “the service that we offer, the loyalty of our customers, and the feeling of being in a neighborhoodtype pharmacy opposed to a big-box chain” as the main reasons he remains faithful that Cary’s will not lose customers to Walgreens.

Dobbs Ferry Village Administrator and Interim Village Treasurer Marcus Serrano explained the process by which Walgreens was decided to be the newest business in town. He said, “We don’t go out there and find somebody to come in and develop property. The developer came to the village and informed us they wanted to build.

He continued, “There was a very long approval process.

The Architectural Historical Review Board, Village Board, and Planning Board.

They explained the developments in a public forum.”

As to how the Three Brothers Market, the business that formerly occupied the space that will become Walgreens, was shut down, he said, “The business was offered a buy-out from the property owner which they accepted. They decided to move out voluntarily.”

Junior boarder Henry Jaffe expressed excitement at the prospect of the new Walgreens. He said, “It will make life as a boarder so much easier.

The Walgreens will be helpful when I need things that Stop & Shop doesn’t offer.”

Senior Allegra Carter shared a different opinion regarding Dobbs’ newest chain store. She would have preferred the Three Brothers Market to remain in business. She said, “While a

Walgreens would be a nice local drug store for Masters students and all Dobbs Ferry residents, I am disappointed the Asian Market is gone.”

She continued, “It was a great way to experience a different culture and try new foods while staying in Dobbs Ferry. The Asian Market also provided a lot of comfort foods for international students who realized they could still get some of their favorite custom foods right down the street.”

Granick reiterated that he is not concerned about the future of his business.

“A lot of my customers have been concerned about the new Walgreens, but they said they will only be shopping here because of the long-standing relationship they have with Cary’s pharmacy.” He continued, “They will continue to support us.”

college is excited to work with community groups, schools and local organizations for upcoming sporting events.” Whittle expressed concern regarding the community’s usage of the field, as it would increase the amount of traffic.

Baily elaborated on the reasoning behind the new field. She explained that

Mercy provides students with academic rigor and community service opportunities, but, she said, “For a larger number of our students, it is also a place to pursue their athletic goals.”

Whittle listed some of the most extreme developments, in addition to the turf field, that are most likely to increase the amount

of traffic and decrease the quality of students’ education. “The college has made choices, such as to double part-time faculty, house students in the Tarrytown Marriott, unmanageable counselor loads, etc., which negatively impact the students. Why do only 25% of the students graduate?

This is an equal tragedy.”

New Mercy College construction provokes local controversy continued from page 1

Crane said, “Although I work for Masters, I totally understand why the town is concerned about having so many non-profits in one town.”

Crane explained that because, like Masters, Mercy is an educational institution, it is exempt from taxes, meaning that the degree

to which the College affects the community is disproportionate to the degree to which it is giving back.

She said, “The people who work and live at The Masters School, Children’s Village and Mercy College, send their children for free to the local public schools, which incur expenses on the residents.”

Baily, however, advocated for the college’s commitment to giving back to the community, and maintained that the field provided no exception. She said, “Mercy College maintains a close relationship with the community and for many years has opened its doors to community members.”

She continued, “The

4

Op-Ed

TOWER/November 2, 2012

“Changing in a changing world...” but are we?

by Alex Minton Op-Ed Editor

It is particularly surprising, at a school that has gained a reputation for its arts program (a reputation that is undoubtedly diminishing), that Masters’ arts facilities are antiquated and in some cases, literally falling apart, as we break ground on the new Community Athletic and “Arts” Center this spring.

There is nothing wrong with updating the school’s athletic facilities. It is only fair that students have access to the highest quality equipment and buildings.

However, it is frustrating that the arts department is constantly “making due” with the resources it has while there is such a distinctive emphasis on improving athletic spaces. If our gym and weight room

are well- maintained, why should students in the musical have to rehearse around trash cans because the leak in the theater needs to be fixed 12 times in two months? The only update our aging theater has seen in the last four years is the installation of a new sound system, a change that would not have happened without a specific request from a donor.

Unlike some of my peers, I think the turf field is beautiful (toxic, but beautiful); I find the new additions and opportunities exciting. I am not asking for a complete overhaul of our theater, art room or music building. Instead, I would like to see some attention given to our worn out facilities.

Strayer Hall, (formerly the school’s cafeteria) needs

air conditioning. Without it, the pianos go out of tune. The school dark room is also extremely outdated.

Additionally, the front of the stage is literally falling in on itself. These are small projects that cannot wait three years. While our administration touts the new CAAC as a space for arts alongside athletics, the new “black box” theater that it includes will serve as more of a multi-purpose space. For the arts, yes, but it is not the kind of performance space that is needed and until recent months was being built without the consult of our arts faculty. It is not that arts at Masters are more important than anything else, but there does need to be a balance between the two departments.

As Edgar Masters mentioned during our Annual

Convocation, “We built a beautiful, state of the art theater… in 1971.”

Masters is always advertising its art department as “cutting edge.”

It is, in many ways, largely because of its

dedicated, motivated and experienced faculty; Faculty who are finding it increasingly difficult to teach in such an outdated environment and under the authority of an administration unresponsive to their needs.

For example, multiple requests for basic repairs have gone unmet. The truth is, when compared even to some public schools in the area, the arts department does not even have a leg (or stool-leg) to stand on.

our students are really as “aware” as they claim to be.

It is no secret that our school leans to the left. In a recent poll conducted by the Political Science class, results showed that 81% of students would vote for Obama in the upcoming election. Many accredit this left-leaning tendency to the fact that our school is more arts-based, and therefore more liberal.

However, I don’t think our school is “liberal” at all. I think our school is afraid to be conservative.

It’s easy to say, “Oh, I will definitely vote for Obama,” or “Yeah, Mitt

Romney is an idiot” when you’re surrounded by people who are saying the same thing. I suspect these identities come from

their time reading the 2012 platforms of either party. In fact, most students say they get their information from The Daily Show or The

a fear to be “different,” or “uncool” because of one’s political affiliation.

So few people that I speak to truly understand what a “Democrat” or a “Republican” is. I know almost no one who has spent

Colbert Report. This infuriates me, as those shows were created for solely entertainment purposes and are produced by people who are inherently liberal. How can students identify with any political party when

they get their information from entertainment outlets that are, in essence, jokes?

The conversations I have with people about politics so often end with some variation of “Well, whatever, Obama’s still a good president.” We call ourselves a politically aware school because everyone has an opinion, but so many opinions have absolutely no factual backup or evidence of any sort.

It feels like a ridiculous game of political telephone; one person starts a conversation with information they heard on Saturday Night Live and by the time

the information is done spreading, no one even knows the source of their misinformation. So few people actually spend time updating themselves on the difference between Romney and Obama that they rely on the “norm” to determine their own positions.

I fully respect any opinion related to politics, but I cannot and will not tolerate ignorance in an age where information is so readily available to us. It is time for every person at this school to take a step back and look at their views, and identify themselves as aware or oblivious.

Photo by Alex Minton

STORAGE SPACE that should be utilized as an organized catalog of instruments for student use is instead a disorganized collection of very few instruments, and does not provide a complete selection of musical instruments, which students deserve.

Get off your high donkey: Political ignorance at Masters

by Kiera Wilson

Web Content Manager

Our school’s political landscape is often considered a fairly flat one, with a few exceptions. Especially in this politically charged year, the halls are buzzing with bouts of sporadic political jargon. It’s easy to say that Masters is a “politically aware” school because we, unlike the population of many of the public schools we came from, make it our business to educate ourselves about politics. However, after considering the the individuals that inhabit these halls, I have to question if

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Tower 2012-2013

Editors-In-Chief: Johanna M. Costigan and Tyler Pager

Web Editor-In-Chief: Noah Buyon

News Editors: Lily Herzan and Sofia Linden

Opinion Editor: Alex Minton

Features and Arts Editors: Teerin Julsawad and Jacklyn Liu

Sports Editors: Abigail Costigan and WenXuan Ni

Advertising Designer: Sang Bae

Managing Editor: Casey Chon

Web Content Manager: Kiera Wilson Photo Editor: Declan Considine

Columnists: Max Borowitz, Nick Fleder and Ryan Rosenberg

Staff Photographers: Bob Cornigans, Sam Miller, Ken Verral and Eve Wetlaufer Contributing Writers: Jun Hyuk Choi

Contributing Photographers: Jun Hyuk Choi, Yuri Harada, Peter Nadel,

Madeline Watkins, Madeline Wilson and William Street

Contributing Artist: Annie Mesa

Faculty Adviser: Ellen Cowhey

The Masters School 49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 Volume 69, Issue 2

Distribution Process Tower is hand-delivered on the day of publication to the Upper School. 500 copies 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 and Letter Policy Tower is an award-winning member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), Journalist Educators, and Quill and Scroll. 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.

Stars and Stripes with Nick Fleder Mitt Romney was prepared. Weeks of that preparation, in fact, culminated in one big night in Denver.

He had his zingers prepared, his Sunday charm in full swing and his presidential smile ready for the first debate. When confronted with how he might cut government spending to reduce the deficit, Mitt Romney rattled off two potential slashes: his predictable proclamation that he would eliminate Obamacare and his less predictable claim that he would cut the federal subsidy to… PBS? What Romney ignored when he proposed said cut was the educational merit of the channel that reaches beyond the nightly NewsHour.

A University of Michigan study in 2010 found that when the PBS children’s educational show “Ready to

The War on Big Bird Learn” was combined with some form of classroom instruction, “Kids from lowincome backgrounds… narrowed or closed the achievement gap with middle-income [children].”

Further, “Reading Rainbow” host LeVar Burton points to basic skills taught

by PBS shows: the alphabet taught by Bert and Ernie, counting taught by The Count, basic science taught

by Bill Nye, reading taught by his very own show.

It is slightly mind-boggling to think that a worthy classroom tool – one that fosters learning from the true outset of a child’s academic career and one that appeals to all income classes – may be tossed by the wayside at a time when the American education system is floundering.

In the latest International

Student Assessment Report, a ranking of 34 countries in three major subjects, the United States placed a measly 25 in math, 14 in reading and 17 in science.

Rather than cutting a pittance of our government spending, shouldn’t we be investing our time and money in strengthening our education system?

PBS, after all, represented just .00012 percent of that 2011 federal budget, yet provides untold numbers with a valuable tool in jumpstarting an education.

So while the essence of Romney’s point is clear – he supports spending cuts as the singular way to cut the deficit – he picked the wrong target in PBS. While some might call a .00012 percent cut progress, I call it a rounding error. Let PBS live.

TOWER/November 2, 2012

Op-Ed

The power of perception trapped within four meaningless digits

By Johanna M. Costigan Editor-In-Chief

“Welcome to the SAT. This is your chance to show colleges how prepared you are for college.” As the proctor read this statement off the College Board instruction manual for Effectively Ruining Teenagers’ Saturday Mornings and Instilling in Them an Illegitimate Feeling of Inadequacy, I could not help but scoff.

Of all the things I have done in my high school career, taking the SAT has undoubtedly been the least helpful in preparing me for college.

Between the classes I have taken, the adventures I have chased, the books I have read, and the passions I have pursued, I can think of about 5,000

infinitely more influential and characterizing achievements than scratching arithmetic in the margins with an unsharpened #2 pencil, and forcing myself to read passages “with the questions in mind!” rather than to extract, analyze, or in any way legitimately comprehend the content.

College is about learning. The SAT is about lying.

Lying about how “smart” (whatever that word means once it is twisted to fit the arbitrary, subjective, absolutely standardized criteria of the SAT) you are, how prepared you are, whether and why you deserve to indulge in higher education.

The mere fact that a rich kid from Westchester with enough superfluous cash to benefit from an SAT tutor,

from whom he can learn all the “tricks and secrets” of the test, of which there are many, is inherently amoral.

Is the talented yet impoverished boy from Alabama dumber than the whitebred, weekly-tutored one?

Or is he simply more lacking in the helicopter parent, money-bags department?

A passionless, directionless, utterly uninspired stupid high school student with an SAT study guide and a lot of time on her hands could easily achieve an impressive score, and be on her way to a reputable college, possibly with a scholarship she may or may not need.

If you ever sign up for the SAT, you will receive an email from the College Board that congratulates you for contributing $50

Photo by Declan Considine

FRANTIC HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS often sit the SAT or ACT three or four times within a few months, desperate to get into what our society classifies as “top schools.”

to their unprincipled, unimaginative, uninformative operation with this enthusiastic greeting: “Taking the SAT is an important step towards college success!”

I challenge you to picture yourself in college, chasing

Black Friday’s failures: The repercussions of a materialistic society’s ailing economy Immediately after Thanksgiving, millions of Americans rush in hordes to shopping malls. The doors usually open around 4 a.m., and the shoppers form large mobs and rush into the stores at dangerous and violent speeds. This is Black Friday.

The idea of getting to stores so early may seem ridiculous, but the sales say otherwise. A poll conducted by the National Retail Foundation showed that over Black Friday weekend in 2010, around 212 million customers spent over $45 billion across the country.

Last year the number shot up to an absurd $52.4 billion.

While it may be debatable whether Black Friday sales are something common sense should refute, it is undeniably disturbing that each year there are injuries, hospitalizations and even deaths due to the persistence of the mob.

Over the past few years, news reports of Black Friday have grown increasingly worrisome. Victims of the rushing crowds include employees at the stores, elderly and young

shoppers alike, and even a pregnant woman. These people were hospitalized because they were trampled and then ignored by fellow customers who were looking for a bargain. This lack of basic human decency is absolutely unacceptable.

Although the poor economy provides explanation as to why more and more people are eager for deals each year, it does not excuse shoppers who knowingly step over the unconscious bodies of fellow shoppers in a stampede for savings.

What happens to the morals of these otherwise normal and upstanding citizens on this day?

Equally disturbing is the lack of action taken to prevent these accidents.

Although individual stores and franchises have made rules against rushing, they are not enforced and oftentimes ignored by the store’s hysterical patrons.

Moreover, no government regulations or laws have been made in response to these disasters. It seems as if the local, state, and federal government is simply ignoring the problem.

It is understandable that Americans get excited and

anxious about sales around Christmas time. In this economy, low prices are a must for many struggling families who are determined to get presents for their children. But since when did a struggling economy cause people to act in such a primitive manner? Greed is the only explanation.

Unfortunately, action by the government or individual companies will not have a significant effect. Black Friday, which reels in billions

Every day when we are greeted by the familiar wooden table, we are reminded of the values that our educational experience instills in us: the importance of sharing ideas, listening to others and learning within a collaborative process.

In essence, it is hugely representative of our community: one in which we pride ourselves on the opportunity to be ourselves and speak our minds.

It is here where the importance of a community newspaper lies. One in which the news of the school is shared and the opinions

of the students, faculty and administration are heard.

It is here where the community has the opportunity to share its voices in a constructive manner, one that has the capability to provoke thought and inspire change, which mirror the goals of the Harkness method.

Therefore, we feel that we should have the opportunity to share the voices of the community with a larger audience: the parents and those affiliated with the Masters community, but the administration is hesitant to allow the staff to sell subscriptions.

We feel that depriving

important members of the community regular access to the newspaper negates the model of enquiry that Harkness represents.

In order to engage in a successful Harkness discussion, all participants must come prepared by having read the text. The text serves as the foundation that allows for open discussion. Unless participants have completed the reading, a purposeful conversation cannot occur.

We believe that Tower is one of the key texts of The Masters School. If members do not read the student newspaper, the community

by Declan Considine Photo Editor

5

of dollars annually, will not stop for the sake of individuals’ health. What needs to change is the mindset.

The fact that American consumers are ignoring unconscious bodies on the floor of a shopping mall is deeply troubling. This reflects terribly on American ethics, which we claim countries across the world should emulate. We need to think about the repercussions of our actions, and what we want America to represent.

Public Domain Image http://business.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474980705313

THANKSGIVING TURKEY is still warm as desperate shoppers line the sidewalks outside department stores and discount outlets such as Walmart, pictured above, for good deals on holiday gifts.

Some shoppers choose to abandon their Thanksgiving celebrations, favoring the promise of cheap products over tradition.

Walmart is notorious for attracting shoppers to its stores as early as the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

your interests, formulating your career goals, meeting and engaging with countless new people, and decide whether you would consider the miserable morning you spent bubbling in letters to be “an important

step towards college success.” You would have had better luck asking a Magic 8 Ball if you were smart than begging the profitdriven bureaucrats at the College Board to tell you via four inexplicable digits.

Mastering Style:

by Ryan Rosenberg

Dress Code While we cringe at the notion of a dress code, each day we each create our own set of rules for how we dress as individuals.

Katherine Hepburn once said, “I wear my sort of clothes to save me the trouble of deciding which clothes to wear.”

As there has been an explicit “crackdown” on enforcing the dress code, interesting questions are being raised regarding pushing limits and maintaining personal style.

“Can a boy wear a crewneck sweater without a collared shirt underneath?” or “Can one wear a denim jacket tied around his waist on a Wednesday?” Pushing the limits will allow for new style inventions.

The dress code has resulted in some new trends. Since the beginning of the year, I have taken photographs of my fashion findings. I have seen more and more denim shirts on Mondays through Thursdays.

Most recently, however, I have observed a trend of funky patterned “ m i d c a l v e ” socks. Worn with basketball sneakers or boots, socks make a purely fun and clever statement.

Plus, while skirts must not fall beneath one’s fingertips, there doesn’t seem to be anything in the School Handbook regarding the length of our socks.

coverage, stemming from a desire to keep students and faculty well-informed and interested in issues within and beyond our school.

In that spirit, we encourage readers to be part of this conversation and respond to articles with letters to the editor and through open dialogue.

The quality of the newspaper speaks for itself.

For the 2011-2012 school year, Tower was awarded a gold medal in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Medalist Critique. In addition, current staff members and

very recent graduates that worked on Tower have been published in national and collegiate newspapers.

So why are we not permitted to share the work we produce with a wider audience that is willing to support our journalistic endeavor? This sort of reluctance indicates a fear of the very freedom of expression that the Harkness method is designed to foster.

While parents currently cannot subscribe to the newspaper, we encourage students, faculty and the administration to read and share their copies with others.

Editorial: Practicing what we preach as a Harkness school cannot continue to implement the Harkness method beyond the classrooms.

Therefore, it is necessary that everyone has the opportunity to read the text and those who already receive a hand-delivered copy should not just recycle it, but take the time to engage with issues raised.

We are extremely fortunate to have the liberty to publish without prior review from the administration. Free from the fear of external censorship, we take our responsibility as journalists seriously and aim for balanced and unbiased

6

tOWER/ November 2, 2012

FEATURES

Community voters enforce democracy

by Jacklyn Liu Features Editor

Step up to a booth and pull the curtains. Mark a check next to a name on a computer screen or piece of paper, and submit it for the unseeable outcome.

On Nov. 6, American adults, young and old, will be streaming into polling areas in order to vote for a Presidential candidate: Gary Johnson, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Jill Stein and Virgil Goode.

At Masters, along with the majority of faculty, a few students will be able to vote. Nine seniors are eligible to

“Politics is really self driven. You have to want to learn about it and be active about it.” vote in this election.

Senior Elizabeth Lansbury views herself as a politically-aware teenager, listening and reading to news sources such as NPR and The New York Times.

“Politics is really selfdriven,” Lansbury, who is eligible to vote, said. “You have to want to learn about it and be active about it.”

“A lot of families

think it’s okay for kids to have the same opinions so they tell them what to think but not how so some kids are still not informed,” Lansbury said.

Senior Hannah Nash, 17, said, “I miss it by a month.” Despite not being able to vote, social issues such as abortion and gay rights play a vital role in her view of the candidates.

“Republicans have such an extreme stance on social issues, I can’t even look at their economic policies,” Nash said.

Lansbury said, “It’s important to think of the long-term effect of the goals that each presidential candidate has.” To her, fracking is a highly controversial issue that will play a key role in her decision.

“Fracking is horrible,” she said. “I would never vote for a candidate that was for it.”

There are only a few more days till Election Day. Lansbury is among the many other teenagers eager to vote.

“Registered?”

Lansbury asked. “Check!”

She said, “My parents said, ‘We want you to have your own voice and egged me to send my registration in. I was going to do it anyway, but they rushed it along.”

Planning the future: Obama and Romney face off

by Noah Buyon Web Editor-in-Chief

D

WhiteHouse.gov (Public Domain Image)

BARACK OBAMA, the Democratic incumbent in this year’s election, possesses drastically different standpoints than his opponent on a variety of issues. Some things the two disagree on include social issues such as marriage equality and abortion, as well as the foundation and configuration of our nation’s economic future.

espite what the stumping and mudslinging of the past few months may suggest, this year’s presidential election-- now just four days away-- is not about Obama v. Romney. The race is not a test of personality, integrity, or conviction: it transcends the two polarizing politicians whose names will adorn the ballot.

Instead, the Nov. 6 vote is a contest between two radically different parties with radically different visions for the future of this country.

In the words of the president, Americans will “face the clearest choice of any time in a generation,” between the Republican plan for a smaller government and the Democrat’s blueprint for a larger one.

The decisions made on Election Day will have consequences far beyond the next four years; they will impact important services, such as health insurance and college loans.

It is crucial, then, to look beyond the candidates-- to the issues themselves, as they will be the true legacy of the 2012 vote.

Marriage Equality

Republicans and Democrats take starkly contrasting stands on this contentious topic. The current law of the land – the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – defines marriage as “the union of one man and one woman.” The GOP, in the 2012 Republican platform, declares that this statute “must” remain untouched.

Conversely, the Democrats (as part of their “gay rights are human rights” position) endorse gay and lesbian marriage, and openly seek the repeal of DOMA.

Healthcare Reform The fight to secure Obama’s landmark 2010 Affordable Care Act was an ugly one in the last couple debates.

The Democrats firmly back the act’s core provisions, including the controversial individual mandate (which requires all Americans to have insurance), increased federal funding for social services, and government insurance exchanges.

The Republicans, however, advocate for its revocation; they swear by “a free-market based system” of privatized insurance networks coupled with cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

The debate boils down to the question of who is

responsible for funding personalized insurance: the government or the individual?

Internet Freedom In recognition of the Internet’s indispensable role in modern life, Republicans and Democrats alike seek to preserve the web’s independence, as well as the privacy of its many users.

Yet, even as both candidates call for a laissezfaire approach to the Internet, Romney’s party platform supports increased regulation of online gambling and pornography.

Meanwhile, Obama’s position involves the ambiguous promise of “protections” for online intellectual property. Furthermore, both parties supported the infamous Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect Internet Protocol Act bills, until public outcry made doing so politically imprudent.

College Costs College is expensive-- the average cost, per year, of a four-year private institution last fiscal year was $32,618, according to the Department of Education. The Democratic proposal to fight rising tuition bills revolves around

manageable federal student loans and educational tax credits. The Republican platform, meanwhile, calls for private student loans to replace federal ones, and encourages students to seek “alternatives” to “traditional college attendance.”

Immigration Reform The stalled DREAM act, which would provide permanent resident status to undocumented immigrants currently living in America who fulfill certain criteria, is the greatest bone of contention in the current immigration debate. Obama, on top of long-standing promises for more leniency for migrants, has vocally supported this Bill.

Meanwhile, Romney opposes the DREAM act, and has even called for further clamping down on America’s southern Boarder. both candidates, However, are in support of looser immigration restrictions for skilled foreigners, in the hopes of growing America enterprise. *** The actions taken on these selected issues will affect the lives of every student at Masters, beginning on inauguration day next year. Think carefully.

7

FEATURES

Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia (Public Domain Image)

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY is currently attempting to win votes from citizens residing in “swing states” states whose populations are divided as to which candidate they would prefer in the White House.

Politicizing abortion

by Sofia Linden News Editor

Yet again, abortion is a hot topic. One of the most fiercely debated topics in this year’s election, many voters will consider the candidates’ positions on this issue as they decide who to vote for.

Republicans want to illegalize abortion, while the Democrats maintain that women should have the choice.

Laura MacIsaac, an OBGYN at Beth Israel Hospital, specializes in reproductive health, working with women who have had abortions and helping prevent pregnancies.

She explained that there is an approximately 30-year span that women have contraceptive needs, and accidents are common, even with birth control. She added that illegalizing abortion would cause women to do it on their own, similar to what occured in the sixties.

Illegal abortion is one of the top three worldwide reasons for maternal death. “They will risk their lives to avoid having another child they can’t take care of,” MacIsaac said.

“Young single mothers have the highest instances of poverty,” said Ann Rasenberger, former CEO of Planned Parenthood in Maryland.

“The children are not

going to get the love and support they need,” she said.

The function of Planned Parenthood is to disprove this possibility, considering their motto: “No child is an unwanted child.”

Sophomore Michael Jurzynksi argues that abortion is immoral, even in rape cases.

“You can always give the baby up for adoption,” he said. He believes abortion should be considererd murder, because, even in the womb, fetuses are alive.

“There’s always room for a new baby,” he said.

Ann Scheidler, the executive director of Pro Life Activist League and one of the founders of the organization, believes that if Romney is elected, abortion laws will certainly be altered, even if it won’t happen overnight.

She said, “Eventually these laws that allow abortion will be o v e r turned and people will wonder, why was this ever Graphic by allowed?”

Annie Mesa Scheidler explained that because unborn children cannot defend themselves, they deserve

continued on page 10

Students take a role in this year’s Political science class runs mock election and conducts polls to inform presidential campaigns community about upcoming election and encourage political awareness

by Alex Minton Op-Ed Editor

An undoubtedly opinionated group, Masters student body is incapable of remaining politically silent, especially during a presidential election year.

Some students however, are taking their passion for politics off campus, demonstrating their increased interest in our government and the state of the Union.

Senior Emma Shepardson spent seven weeks of her summer as a fellow on the Obama Campaign in

member, she ran a joint press office with senior staffers on the DNCC and contacted reporters and volunteers. “It is important that people vote this year,” Shepardson said. “There are many people who want, but don’t know how to get involved, so it’s really inspiring to be able to help them.”

Senior Nicholas Fleder also canvassed for the Democratic presidential candidate, calling potential voters and urging people to pull the lever. Additionally, Fleder engaged the public

“There are many people who don’t know how to get involved.”

Washington D.C. Shepardson made phone calls and knocked on doors working to inform the public of the Obama campaign, and register voters. Shepardson ended her summer with a week in North Carolina working as a communications intern on the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC).

The youngest staff

in discussions regarding key social issues of the election.

In September junior Lucy Price’s family hosted 150 Romney supporters, including Vice Presidential Candidate, Paul Ryan, at their home for a fundraiser and discussion on the election.

Interested in politics, the evening was exciting for Price.

She said, “To be in the presence of a political figure

by Teerin Julsawad Features Editor

Photo courtesy of Emma Shepardson

AN AVID POLITICAL ENTHUSIAST, Senior Emma Shepardson spent her summer working for Barack Obama’s campaign in Washington D.C. Shepardson was the youngest member on the staff.

that will be at the forefront of the political arena for the next twenty years is exciting,” said Price. Additionally, Price explained that by meeting a politician in a more informal setting, guests got to meet Ryan’s “authentic” self.

“You see “Ryan the politician” on television and you read about him in the newspaper. But I was lucky enough to see “Ryan the human,” when he walked into the kitchen and

immediately commented that the stove was made in Wisconsin, his beloved native state,” Price said.

As decision night approaches, it is clear that what is most important to the involved student body is that people simply vote.

Fleder commented, “Even if a single vote won’t swing an election, by casting that ballot, you can contribute to the massive number who support a particular direction for the country.”

Photo by Tyler Pager

SENIOR SEAN COFFEY (LEFT) REGISTERS for the political science class’s mock presidential election. Just like real voters in American presidential elections, students and faculty will not be permitted to vote unless they are registered.

POLITICAL SCIENCE UPPER SCHOOL POLL RESULTS 57 random Upper School students were surveryed by the political science class on their political views.

The results are as follows:

MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE? Human Rights 53% Economy 15% Other 10%

Who would you vote for?

With the upcoming presidential election, the political science class is running a series of activities to further the entire student body’s understanding of democracy.

Taught by Colleen Roche, the class’s first activity was a political science poll of 57 students, ranging in age and ethnicity that were randomly picked for the investigation.

According to the survey, more than half of the students identify themselves as Democrats and recognize human rights as the most important issue. In addition, most students tend to get their information

about politics from their family. Only 19% admitted they would vote for Mitt Romney in the presidential election if eligible.

“I think that the poll is important because it gets people thinking,” senior Polly Duddy said.

“The whole point of our activities is to get people thinking about what matters to them.”

Duddy believes that the activities conducted by the current political science class can help students determine whom they consider as the stronger candidate.

“If they can identify what they care about most, then they can choose the candidate that they think is the best to be president.”

In addition to the poll, the class plans to have a mock election during Morning Meeting the day before the actual presidential election Each student from the class will be assigned to either the Democratic or Republican party. The two groups will present the core ideals of the individual parties to the entire school.

While Roche acknowledges the fact that most Upper School students are ineligible to vote right now, she wants to get the students more politically active and participate.

“The purpose of these activities is to get the students to be more informed and excited about the election,” Roche said.

“Generally, I think a lot of students here are politically interested, which is great, and we’d like to grow that even further.”

Despite being the only international student in the classroom, Barbra Namitala believes the activities that the class conducts are worthwhile.

“Although they are difficult to understand at times as the topics are unfamiliar to me, it can help me make the connections between American politics and the ones at my home.”

She added, “It’s also nice to know what people are talking about, especially when you live here. It’s great to be part of the conversation.”

Political Affiliation 14% Republicans

26% INDEPENDENT

56% DEMOCRATS

6

tOWER/ November 2, 2012

FEATURES

Community voters enforce democracy

by Jacklyn Liu Features Editor

Step up to a booth and pull the curtains. Mark a check next to a name on a computer screen or piece of paper, and submit it for the unseeable outcome.

On Nov. 6, American adults, young and old, will be streaming into polling areas in order to vote for a Presidential candidate: Gary Johnson, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Jill Stein and Virgil Goode.

At Masters, along with the majority of faculty, a few students will be able to vote. Nine seniors are eligible to

“Politics is really self driven. You have to want to learn about it and be active about it.” vote in this election.

Senior Elizabeth Lansbury views herself as a politically-aware teenager, listening and reading to news sources such as NPR and The New York Times.

“Politics is really selfdriven,” Lansbury, who is eligible to vote, said. “You have to want to learn about it and be active about it.”

“A lot of families

think it’s okay for kids to have the same opinions so they tell them what to think but not how so some kids are still not informed,” Lansbury said.

Senior Hannah Nash, 17, said, “I miss it by a month.” Despite not being able to vote, social issues such as abortion and gay rights play a vital role in her view of the candidates.

“Republicans have such an extreme stance on social issues, I can’t even look at their economic policies,” Nash said.

Lansbury said, “It’s important to think of the long-term effect of the goals that each presidential candidate has.” To her, fracking is a highly controversial issue that will play a key role in her decision.

“Fracking is horrible,” she said. “I would never vote for a candidate that was for it.”

There are only a few more days till Election Day. Lansbury is among the many other teenagers eager to vote.

“Registered?”

Lansbury asked. “Check!”

She said, “My parents said, ‘We want you to have your own voice and egged me to send my registration in. I was going to do it anyway, but they rushed it along.”

Planning the future: Obama and Romney face off

by Noah Buyon Web Editor-in-Chief

D

WhiteHouse.gov (Public Domain Image)

BARACK OBAMA, the Democratic incumbent in this year’s election, possesses drastically different standpoints than his opponent on a variety of issues. Some things the two disagree on include social issues such as marriage equality and abortion, as well as the foundation and configuration of our nation’s economic future.

espite what the stumping and mudslinging of the past few months may suggest, this year’s presidential election-- now just four days away-- is not about Obama v. Romney. The race is not a test of personality, integrity, or conviction: it transcends the two polarizing politicians whose names will adorn the ballot.

Instead, the Nov. 6 vote is a contest between two radically different parties with radically different visions for the future of this country.

In the words of the president, Americans will “face the clearest choice of any time in a generation,” between the Republican plan for a smaller government and the Democrat’s blueprint for a larger one.

The decisions made on Election Day will have consequences far beyond the next four years; they will impact important services, such as health insurance and college loans.

It is crucial, then, to look beyond the candidates-- to the issues themselves, as they will be the true legacy of the 2012 vote.

Marriage Equality

Republicans and Democrats take starkly contrasting stands on this contentious topic. The current law of the land – the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – defines marriage as “the union of one man and one woman.” The GOP, in the 2012 Republican platform, declares that this statute “must” remain untouched.

Conversely, the Democrats (as part of their “gay rights are human rights” position) endorse gay and lesbian marriage, and openly seek the repeal of DOMA.

Healthcare Reform The fight to secure Obama’s landmark 2010 Affordable Care Act was an ugly one in the last couple debates.

The Democrats firmly back the act’s core provisions, including the controversial individual mandate (which requires all Americans to have insurance), increased federal funding for social services, and government insurance exchanges.

The Republicans, however, advocate for its revocation; they swear by “a free-market based system” of privatized insurance networks coupled with cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

The debate boils down to the question of who is

responsible for funding personalized insurance: the government or the individual?

Internet Freedom In recognition of the Internet’s indispensable role in modern life, Republicans and Democrats alike seek to preserve the web’s independence, as well as the privacy of its many users.

Yet, even as both candidates call for a laissezfaire approach to the Internet, Romney’s party platform supports increased regulation of online gambling and pornography.

Meanwhile, Obama’s position involves the ambiguous promise of “protections” for online intellectual property. Furthermore, both parties supported the infamous Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect Internet Protocol Act bills, until public outcry made doing so politically imprudent.

College Costs College is expensive-- the average cost, per year, of a four-year private institution last fiscal year was $32,618, according to the Department of Education. The Democratic proposal to fight rising tuition bills revolves around

manageable federal student loans and educational tax credits. The Republican platform, meanwhile, calls for private student loans to replace federal ones, and encourages students to seek “alternatives” to “traditional college attendance.”

Immigration Reform The stalled DREAM act, which would provide permanent resident status to undocumented immigrants currently living in America who fulfill certain criteria, is the greatest bone of contention in the current immigration debate. Obama, on top of long-standing promises for more leniency for migrants, has vocally supported this Bill.

Meanwhile, Romney opposes the DREAM act, and has even called for further clamping down on America’s southern Boarder. both candidates, However, are in support of looser immigration restrictions for skilled foreigners, in the hopes of growing America enterprise. *** The actions taken on these selected issues will affect the lives of every student at Masters, beginning on inauguration day next year. Think carefully.

7

FEATURES

Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia (Public Domain Image)

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY is currently attempting to win votes from citizens residing in “swing states” states whose populations are divided as to which candidate they would prefer in the White House.

Politicizing abortion

by Sofia Linden News Editor

Yet again, abortion is a hot topic. One of the most fiercely debated topics in this year’s election, many voters will consider the candidates’ positions on this issue as they decide who to vote for.

Republicans want to illegalize abortion, while the Democrats maintain that women should have the choice.

Laura MacIsaac, an OBGYN at Beth Israel Hospital, specializes in reproductive health, working with women who have had abortions and helping prevent pregnancies.

She explained that there is an approximately 30-year span that women have contraceptive needs, and accidents are common, even with birth control. She added that illegalizing abortion would cause women to do it on their own, similar to what occured in the sixties.

Illegal abortion is one of the top three worldwide reasons for maternal death. “They will risk their lives to avoid having another child they can’t take care of,” MacIsaac said.

“Young single mothers have the highest instances of poverty,” said Ann Rasenberger, former CEO of Planned Parenthood in Maryland.

“The children are not

going to get the love and support they need,” she said.

The function of Planned Parenthood is to disprove this possibility, considering their motto: “No child is an unwanted child.”

Sophomore Michael Jurzynksi argues that abortion is immoral, even in rape cases.

“You can always give the baby up for adoption,” he said. He believes abortion should be considererd murder, because, even in the womb, fetuses are alive.

“There’s always room for a new baby,” he said.

Ann Scheidler, the executive director of Pro Life Activist League and one of the founders of the organization, believes that if Romney is elected, abortion laws will certainly be altered, even if it won’t happen overnight.

She said, “Eventually these laws that allow abortion will be o v e r turned and people will wonder, why was this ever Graphic by allowed?”

Annie Mesa Scheidler explained that because unborn children cannot defend themselves, they deserve

continued on page 10

Students take a role in this year’s Political science class runs mock election and conducts polls to inform presidential campaigns community about upcoming election and encourage political awareness

by Alex Minton Op-Ed Editor

An undoubtedly opinionated group, Masters student body is incapable of remaining politically silent, especially during a presidential election year.

Some students however, are taking their passion for politics off campus, demonstrating their increased interest in our government and the state of the Union.

Senior Emma Shepardson spent seven weeks of her summer as a fellow on the Obama Campaign in

member, she ran a joint press office with senior staffers on the DNCC and contacted reporters and volunteers. “It is important that people vote this year,” Shepardson said. “There are many people who want, but don’t know how to get involved, so it’s really inspiring to be able to help them.”

Senior Nicholas Fleder also canvassed for the Democratic presidential candidate, calling potential voters and urging people to pull the lever. Additionally, Fleder engaged the public

“There are many people who don’t know how to get involved.”

Washington D.C. Shepardson made phone calls and knocked on doors working to inform the public of the Obama campaign, and register voters. Shepardson ended her summer with a week in North Carolina working as a communications intern on the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC).

The youngest staff

in discussions regarding key social issues of the election.

In September junior Lucy Price’s family hosted 150 Romney supporters, including Vice Presidential Candidate, Paul Ryan, at their home for a fundraiser and discussion on the election.

Interested in politics, the evening was exciting for Price.

She said, “To be in the presence of a political figure

by Teerin Julsawad Features Editor

Photo courtesy of Emma Shepardson

AN AVID POLITICAL ENTHUSIAST, Senior Emma Shepardson spent her summer working for Barack Obama’s campaign in Washington D.C. Shepardson was the youngest member on the staff.

that will be at the forefront of the political arena for the next twenty years is exciting,” said Price. Additionally, Price explained that by meeting a politician in a more informal setting, guests got to meet Ryan’s “authentic” self.

“You see “Ryan the politician” on television and you read about him in the newspaper. But I was lucky enough to see “Ryan the human,” when he walked into the kitchen and

immediately commented that the stove was made in Wisconsin, his beloved native state,” Price said.

As decision night approaches, it is clear that what is most important to the involved student body is that people simply vote.

Fleder commented, “Even if a single vote won’t swing an election, by casting that ballot, you can contribute to the massive number who support a particular direction for the country.”

Photo by Tyler Pager

SENIOR SEAN COFFEY (LEFT) REGISTERS for the political science class’s mock presidential election. Just like real voters in American presidential elections, students and faculty will not be permitted to vote unless they are registered.

POLITICAL SCIENCE UPPER SCHOOL POLL RESULTS 57 random Upper School students were surveryed by the political science class on their political views.

The results are as follows:

MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE? Human Rights 53% Economy 15% Other 10%

Who would you vote for?

With the upcoming presidential election, the political science class is running a series of activities to further the entire student body’s understanding of democracy.

Taught by Colleen Roche, the class’s first activity was a political science poll of 57 students, ranging in age and ethnicity that were randomly picked for the investigation.

According to the survey, more than half of the students identify themselves as Democrats and recognize human rights as the most important issue. In addition, most students tend to get their information

about politics from their family. Only 19% admitted they would vote for Mitt Romney in the presidential election if eligible.

“I think that the poll is important because it gets people thinking,” senior Polly Duddy said.

“The whole point of our activities is to get people thinking about what matters to them.”

Duddy believes that the activities conducted by the current political science class can help students determine whom they consider as the stronger candidate.

“If they can identify what they care about most, then they can choose the candidate that they think is the best to be president.”

In addition to the poll, the class plans to have a mock election during Morning Meeting the day before the actual presidential election Each student from the class will be assigned to either the Democratic or Republican party. The two groups will present the core ideals of the individual parties to the entire school.

While Roche acknowledges the fact that most Upper School students are ineligible to vote right now, she wants to get the students more politically active and participate.

“The purpose of these activities is to get the students to be more informed and excited about the election,” Roche said.

“Generally, I think a lot of students here are politically interested, which is great, and we’d like to grow that even further.”

Despite being the only international student in the classroom, Barbra Namitala believes the activities that the class conducts are worthwhile.

“Although they are difficult to understand at times as the topics are unfamiliar to me, it can help me make the connections between American politics and the ones at my home.”

She added, “It’s also nice to know what people are talking about, especially when you live here. It’s great to be part of the conversation.”

Political Affiliation 14% Republicans

26% INDEPENDENT

56% DEMOCRATS

8

TOWER/November 2, 2012

Features

Caped crusaders and cute cats convene at Comic Con in New York City

by Sang Bae

Advertising Desinger

The New York Comic Convention allows devoted fans and deviants from all across the East Coast to indulge in pop culture desire.

Held in the Jacob Javits Center every year during mid-October, the convention attracts selfproclaimed nerds, geeks, gamers, bronies and furries.Whether it is the original director of Doctor Who or the creator of the Scott Pilgrim comics, celebrity authors, actors and writers from around the world contribute to the excitement of many attendees.

Famous internet sensations and artists have often made their initial debuts at Comic Con, cultivating strong fan

bases in the process.

Top name video game companies including Capcom and Nintendo display the latest developments in gaming, allowing fans to test games months in advance. Many come to Comic Con dressed up as popular characters from animation series.

Junior Yuri Harada creates her own costumes.“Cosplay is an expressive art which I enjoy and made one of my hobbies,” Harada said. “It combines sewing, photography, design and makeup.”

On Sunday, Oct. 14, the last day of the convention, students traveled to New York City to capture a glimpse of what Comic Con has to offer.

Sophomore Alex Broekhuijse, one of the co-

presidents of Anime Club, says that the convention offers a lot for those who want to experience something completely different.

“It was really amazing to be able to be around a lot of people with similar interests,” Broekhuijse said.

He added, “The ambience of an area filled with people just like you is truly a breathtaking experience that is unlike anything else you can experience.”

Those who attended the event had a great experience also have similar opinions.

“Comic Con was awesome,” junior Pixel West said.

She continued, “I mean I got to give Adam West a high five, get amazing posters for my room, and get into conversations with people about Adventure Time.”

Photo by Madeline Wilson

DRESSED IN CHARACTERS ranging from those from Adventure Time, Doctor Who, Naruto and Vocaloids, these students attended the New York City Comic Con. They wandered through booths, looked at other people’s costumes and, if lucky, met celebrities ranging from Claudio Sanchez from the band Coheed and Cambria to Adam West, the original Batman.

Whether delving into the world of pop culture or not, Comic Con has more to offer than the average

excursion. It is a place where all interests are accepted.

Junior Peter Yergeau said, “It’s a group

Photo by Yuri Harada

Photo by William Street

that’s bigger than just you and your friends but also has huge support from all over the place.”

Photo by Peter Nadel

AT COMIC CON, people dress up as notable figures in pop cultures such as Deadmau5, Superman, Batman, and Spiderman to showcase their fandom. Others broached away from American figures and instead turned to Japanese, dressing up as anime characters from various Japanese TV shows and comics. Somehow at Comic Con, these two rather different cultures from opposite corners of the world joined together in this one place.

Kammrath and Dieck develop student leaders through new Ethical Leadership Program

by WenXuan Ni Sports Editor

After receiving a one million dollar grant from an alumna of the class of 1954, math teacher Matthew Kammrath and science teacher Lee Dieck have started an ethical leadership training program. The program will give students opportunities to build leadership skills.

Reflecting on the differences between what adults expect students to do and what they have the ability to do, Kammrath said, “Students always hear teachers say, ‘Hey, you have some sort of leadership potential!’ Okay, but then what?”

Students often have trouble with how they can

carry out their plans. “They have great ideas but need direction,” Kammrath said.

The program asked faculty to nominate students who had leadership potential but needed more guidance.

Kammrath and Dieck decided to focus on the sophomore class because compared to freshmen, they are more mature, but do not have as intense of a work load as upperclassman.

They will meet with sophomores as a group throughout the year to solve some common leadership problems.

Sophomore Asher Berkson-Gold said that from this program he would like to gain “a newfound sense of responsibility, and advice that

I can use to help me take on the world once I graduate.”

In order to provide the best service to students, Kammrath and Dieck have spent several summers preparing for this program.

They read books, attended conferences and worked with other schools which already have similar programs.

They also worked with the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE) to focus on the ethical aspect of the program because good leadership skills translate into making ethical decisions.

Dieck gave some examples of common ethical decisions that students face.

“What can you do when

Gallery on Cedar

Photo by WenXuan Ni

Marra Burroughs and Serena Wessely complete an excercise at the first sophomore meeting for leadership. The sophomores created maps with their names in the center, and around their names wrote what they valued the most in their lives.

a student is being slandered by others on Facebook?

What will you do when you see friends copying

each other’s homework?”

Both teachers also want to ensure that the individual student is the main

focus of the program when they step into the leadership lab. Kammrath said, “We want to work on you!”

by Sang Bae

sure of the extent of the machine’s damages at this point, but he plans on opening the cabinet to search for internal malfunctions.

If the damages prove to be too extensive to repair, he may replace the circuit board with a computer emulator system.

Gillian Crane, director of student activities, estimates that the repairs will last throughout the month.

“No one here hopes more for the machine to come back than Mr. Goulian,” Crane said.

“He would come every day and play Asteroids.”

Student Activity Center’s archaic arcade machine getting a reboot Advertising Designer

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DAVID MAnCIONE AND JOHN CHIODO ARE WORKING to fix the arcade machine in the Student Activites Center. It has been out of use for years.

Whether by fighting demons in Darkstalkers or shooting fireballs in Street Fighter, students can now experience playing on the old arcade machine rather than passing it by.

After more than two years of gathering dust in the Student Activites Center, math teacher John Chiodo and sophomore David Mancione volunteered to help repair the machine.

The two viewed the challenge as a personal endeavor.

Mancione is not completley

TOWER/November 2, 2012

Arts

9

Shakespeare meets Japan on stage Leanne Ryu’s illustrations embody truth

by Casey Chon Managing Editor

Noh high school theater has done it before. Throne of Blood, a Japanese version of William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” has only previously been adjusted for the stage once. This autumn, Masters will offer an adaptation of Throne of Blood.

Director Kristen Tregar and Technical Theater Director Jeff Carnevale, the two faculty awarded the Tang Fellowship for Study Travel to Asia, set off to Japan for two weeks over the summer. The Tang Fellowship is given by the Head

of the Board of Trustees, Tracy Tang Limpe, ‘80, and her family every year to chosen faculty members that apply. Carnevale and Tregar went to Japan to explore firsthand Kabuki and Noh theater.

Known for its use of heavy makeup, Kabuki originated in the 17th century and is a classic form of Japanese dance-drama.

Noh theater began in the 14th century, and is famed for its dramatic stories and exceptionally exaggerated movements. “I’ve always been interested in Japanese Kabuki and Noh

Photo by Tyler Pager

SENIORS ALEX MINTON (left) and Helena de Oliveira rehearsing for the fall play, Throne of Blood. Kristen Tregar and Jeff Carnevale received a grant to travel to Japan and study traditional Japanese theatre.

theater, especially since before coming to Masters, I worked professionally with a number of Kabuki companies,” Carnevale said.

In a time of shoguns and samurais, the Japanese knights and nobles, Throne of Blood takes place in 17th century feudal Japan.

“I wanted something exciting, approachable to a Western audience, and captivating,” director Kristin Tregar said. “Japanese theater can be very hard to follow, even for the Japanese, so we wanted a story that people were familiar with.”

Junior Henry DuBeau, who is acting in the fall play for the first time, explained why he auditioned.

“I was especially intrigued by this production because I’m familiar with ‘Macbeth’ and I’m interested by this particular take on it.”

Two weeks in Japan gave Tregar and Carnevale the opportunity to bring what they learned to the stage and share that knowledge with Masters. “There are awesome costumes and there will be samurai armor,” Tregar said. On Oct. 26 and 27, a reincarnation of Macbeth slashed its way onto the stage as Throne of Blood. With heavy Kabuki makeup and real swords, Throne of Blood certainly lived up to its name.

by Jacklyn Liu Features Editor

She likes people. Or rather, their silhouettes and figures. Using a mixture of charcoal, paint and pens, sophomore Hye-Rin Ryu, also called Leanne, scatters lines and curves all over her piece of paper, beginning another project.

“She draws every day,” art teacher Cheryl Hajjar said of her Studio Art major student. “She is an incredibly good artist,” Hajjar continued, “She’s also an incredibly hardworking, studious student.”

Ryu has been drawing since 6th grade, predominantly focusing on self-portraits, figures, and people. Last year, she won the national gold and silver key of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for her artwork and she plans to submit this year as well.

“I didn’t realize I had talent until 6th grade,” Ryu said. “Even then, I never actually took formal lessons on how to draw.”

Prior to coming to Masters, she worked in an art studio in South Korea with many professional artists around her. After a branch opened in New Jersey, she went to that studio every day during this past summer.

“It’s not a place where

Graphic by Jacklyn Liu

SOPHOMORE LEANNE RYU, surrounded by her work, showcases her masterpiece in the making. Ryu is most interested in fashion, sculpting, and drawing.

you learn how to do art,” she said. “Instead, professional artists draw their own individual projects and will help you come up with ideas.”

At such a studio, lessons are not taught but rather artists learn through observations of others and practice.

It’s the environment of the studio, she said, that encourages her to try new ideas and helps her create her own kind of artwork as opposed to copying from photos.

This year, she is helping Dance Company create their costumes for their next show.

“Leanne is my advisee!

I knew she was interested in fashion design and I saw

her portfolio,” Mary Rotella said. “I wanted to have her work on the concert to allow her an opportunity to explore costume design on campus.

“I’m really interested in fashion,” Ryu said. Currently, she and sophomore Jonathan Pang are taking a course at Parsons College on the weekends. She is currently taking a class on fashion design. Ryu is hoping to be able to use art and fashion when she grows up.

“Art is a part of me,” Ryu said, “Whenever I’m introducing myself that’s the part of me that I say first. It’s my favorite class, subject, and activity.”

Discovering Columbus: Tatzu Nishi’s vision Rocktoberfest plants a living room in central Manhattan rocks the weekend

by Lily Herzan News Editor

Perspective is everything. Take a 13-foot marble statue, put it on a 70-foot granite column, and stick it in the middle of Columbus Circle amidst oncoming traffic and it will go virtually unacknowledged.

Take that same statue, encase it in aluminum siding, and surround it with an “all American” living room, and you have got yourself a popular public art project in New York City.

Tatzu Nishi’s Discovering Columbus helps New Yorkers and tourists do just that: discover a statue that has been hidden in plain sight since 1892.

The statue of Christopher Columbus, designed by the Italian artist Gaetano Russo, was sponsored and donated to the City of New York by an Italian American Newspaper that wished to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas.

Now worn and faded with age, the statue more closely resembles weathered granite than it’s original gleaming marble, however, still displays Columbus, rudder in his hand, poised in a moment of supreme confidence.

It’s a sight that only pigeons usually get to see up close, yet from September 20 through November 18, The Public Art Fund has sponsored Nishi’s work approximately 23 stories in the sky.

As visitors climb the metal scaffolding surrounding the monument,

they are circling around intricate metal models of Columbus’s boats the Nina, The Pinta and the Santa Maria, which are embedded into the column. Just when you begin to get out of breath and dizzy, you reach the top of the structure, and enter a large white room

Photo by Lily Herzan

A STATUE FINDS a new home in Columbus Square’s living room. The move indoors was spurred by a desire to uncover this gem from plain sight.

whose centerpiece is Columbus himself.

Surrounding him are plush purple sofas, wooden classic laden bookshelves and, of course, a CNN live streaming television. The pink and yellow wallpaper covering the walls is filled with Nishi’s idea of the quintessential America: McDonald’s, Mickey Mouse, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and the Empire State Building.

It was not Nishi’s design of the living room that made the piece so interesting, but the actual placement of the statue in such an unexpected venue. He gave people a chance to truly see and experience the statue, and recognize its age and cultural significance.

Nishi not only shed new perspective on the statue itself, but on the whole of Columbus Circle.

Visitors are able to experience a view of New York that is usually the exclusive privilege of Mr. Columbus himself.

So, for a new take on New York City living rooms, and 19th century monuments be sure to get free tickets to Discovering Columbus at http://www. publicartfund.org/, and experience history and art up close and personal.

by Jun Hyuk Choi Contributing Writer

The heat of Rocktoberfest made people forget the chill of the October night air. Entranced by the beat of the music, people gathered around the quad in front of the dining hall in order to hear Masters musicians demonstrate their skills.

Historically,Bandfest has taken place in the spring, but due to the variety of dance and music performances in the spring, it had to be rescheduled to fall this year. Music teacher Gilles Pugatch described the event with enthusiasm.

He said, “Individual bands just work on their own songs.” Jazz Band, Rhythm Society, Animal Traffic and other musical ensembles performed with gusto at the festival. A new

junior singer, Lauren Reiner captivated the crowd by performing her original song called “Autumn Always Comes Back.”

Bands pulled off impressive performances at Rocktoberfest, despite the relatively short notice they were given to prepare. Pugatch also confirmed a second musical event in spring, which will be a performance of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

The audience, comprised primarily of students and faculty, was sizable. Once the music began to play, people were grooving and dancing to the rhythm. Julius Rodriguez, a freshman musician, commented, “The performance was mindblowing. There was a wide variety of music. I felt the energy and the rhythm was jumping tonight.”

Photo by Jun Hyuk Choi

JUNIOR RAYMOND EMANUEL wows the crowd on with his skillful original rhymes. He and other student musicians kept the energy alive throughout the night.

10

Tomatillo

Tomatillo is a Mexchester Original. Our Menu draws mainly from Mexico, but many of our fresh, seasonal ingredients come right from the Hudson River Valley, including organic produce from The Stone Barns Center. Our goal is to be inventive and healthy, delicious and affordable. Have fun. Dig in.

Lunch Specials 11:30 am - 4 pm - Tuesday-Friday

-Serving Lunch & Dinner Tuesday thru Sunday-

13 Cedar Street Dobbs Ferry, NY 478-2300

10 % Discount with Masters Student ID

Continuations

TOWER/November 2, 2012

Select students take on The Challenge

by WenXuan Ni Sports Editor

The room was silent except for the teacher’s voice reading out questions. Contestants grasped the clicker, staring intently at the teacher, determined to score the next point.

Math teacher and advisor to Zetetics, the academic club, John Chiodo asked, “Which cloud only occurs above 10,000 meters?”

After students had the opportunity to respond, Chiodo told them the answer.

Seniors Max Borowitz, Noah Buyon, Albert Xu, and Dylan Etzel, and juniors Julia Butterfield and Henry DuBeau competed in “The Challenge”, an academic quiz TV show for high school students from across the tri-state area. The show was taped in MSG’s Upper West Side studio on Oct. 29.

Photo by WenXuan Ni

JOHN CHIODO QUIZZES STUDENTS clutching buzzers. The questions asked range from simple Biology questions about butterflies to obscure philosophical works by Michel Foucault . The challenge is a battle in which knowledge and quick fingers are the most important assets a contestant can have.

Chiodo chose those six students from the club, Zetetics; after a series of tests. Chiodo explained that everyone has specialties.

He said, “All of the students have a tremendous amount of talent, but in the end I needed to form a team with students whose knowledge complemented each other.”

Julia’s expertise is in literature, and Albert’s in science and math, while Noah’s and Max’s are in history and geography.

The show will be broadcast on Dec. 26, but team members’ families, club members, and faculty had the opportunity to travel with the team to see them compete live on stage.

not see any major changes happening if Romney is elected, she believes Obamacare could make a crucial change in pregnancy prevention, making birth control more affordable.

She said, “The irony is, the Republicans want the abortion rates to go down, and that would mean free birth control, which is what Obama will do.”

The Supreme Court case, Roe vs. Wade, 1973, allows abortion until the end of a women’s first

trimester of pregnancy.

Conservatives currently do not have enough votes to overturn this case, but if Romney wins, he could put someone into the Supreme Court who could potentially overturn it. MacIsaac explained that an embryo does not have more rights than the mother according to law. “When it’s part of the mother, you can’t have them compete,” she said.

Rasenberger concluded, “We are advocating for the right to choose.”

Candidates debate the right the choose continued from page 7

protection from mothers, families and the law.

“People are horrified whenever anything bad happens to a child, so it’s completely unnatural for anyone to side with abortion,” she said.

Considering the fact that people can now see what the fetus looks like using ultrasound, she believes the humanization of the fetuses is undeniable. She continued, “We can no longer deny the fact that a baby is a human being.”

While MacIsaac does

TOWER/February 4, 2013

Sports

11

New faces force fencing program to make adjustments

by Wen-Xuan Ni Sports Editor

Known for its winning records, the fencing team has attracted many new faces. The program, which now has 66 students, has had to make adjustments this year to accommodate the increase in size.

Coach Francisco Martin said, “Some students might join our team because of the ACR, but there are definitely students who like

fencing. The more fencers I have, the more talent I can get from the teams.”

However, Martin is concerned about his ability to provide enough equipment for the program.

“Fencing is a sport that requires equipment for safety purpose because the weapons we fight with are steel,” he said.

Due to the increase in fencers and limited space in the Great Hall, fencing practices

have been divided into two periods, with varsity practices now beginning at 4:45 p.m.

Though the teams struggle to share practice time and space, they are pleased with the amount of interest in the program.

“Having new freshmen is always good because we train them to improve and develop their skills each year.” junior Millie Ho said. She continued, “That way, when they are seniors, they will be

ready to be the leaders of the team and train those freshmen. It’s an endless cycle.”

The experienced fencers have also been instrumental in assisting the younger fencers, which in turn, has built a strong sense of community.

“I feel really comfortable with this team,” freshman Shomari Moore said.

“The only pressure I feel will be when those great senior fencers leave. Will next year be great as this year?”

Taking my talents to Tower:

O ld ,

bad and arrogant :

by Max Borowitz

Sometimes athletes are a bit unreasonable; even if they are confident, they are often pathetically bad at managing expectations. In fact, sports are littered with athletes, coaches, and organizations whose arrogance and expectations are so inflated that they are unable to think reasonably.

This disaster is taking place in the organization

of the Los Angeles Lakers. Long considered the model of NBA success, the Lakers have entered their first major organizational crisis in thirty years, largely because of arrogance.

This summer, after losing in the playoffs, The Lakers decided to make some blockbuster deals to improve their roster. They traded for Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, the former, a 38 year old future hall of famer, the latter, the best center in the world.

These acquisitions would combine with future hall of famers Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol to create a

T he L os A ngeles L akers new NBA super-team.

But it never happened. In order to afford this catalogue of declining stars, the Lakers were unable to get a good supporting cast.

When Nash, then Howard, then Gasol got hurt, the Lakers, old, slow, and frustrated, were on the verge of being out of the playoff picture. After a slow start, despite questioning their roster, the Lakers fired their coach, only to be even less effective.

I hope that front officers, players, coaches and fans learn from this.

All summer, I remembered hearing about how this Lakers team would

be one of the best teams ever, and would easily cruise to the NBA title.

Instead, the Lakers performed far worse than anyone could have believed, but perhaps NBA teams should avoid showing such amazing hubris. I think it serves the Lakers right. Any organization that ignores basic principles of team-building in order to take an “easy way” to win deserves to fail.

I hope that the NBA learns that teams are not built overnight. They are built over a series of years, with great coaching, great drafting and smart management, no quick fixes.

Photo by Wen-Xuan Ni

WILLIAM STANTON LUNGES towards a competitor during a quad match. Stanton won all four of his bouts that day.

Track runs down records

by Daniel Barnett Contributing Writer

Last year, the track team’s goal were just being established. This year they are being surpassed. Only halfway through the season, 17 track records have been broken, including ten female records and seven male records.

The school’s indoor track team began last year under coaches Vincent Galgano and Chris Wade. This year Associate Dean of Students Tim Weir stepped in to replace Wade, who now runs the fitness program.

Galgano ran track in high school, while Weir coached the sport at his previous school. Galgano enjoys working with Weir because they have similar coaching philosophies. They want student athletes to develop to their full potential, both mentally and

physically, according to Weir.

This year, freshman Maia Chua tried track for the first time.

“I run a lot but I had never been on a team before,” she said. Chua loves to run because it makes her stronger.

Unlike Chua, freshman Ellie Fortuna has already been running for a year. Fortuna enjoys track because of the physical and emotional benefits it grants to runners.

“I get a lot stronger and I enjoy exercising with my friends and being a part of a team,” she said.

Senior Laura Hughes broke records in both the long jump and the triple jump.

Hughes said she works very hard in practices, which results in her success.

“I threw up three times during the hard workouts and the hard work was showcased in the track meet.”

Tomatillo

Tomatillo is a Mexchester Original. Our Menu draws mainly from Mexico, but many of our fresh, seasonal ingredients come right from the Hudson River Valley, including organic produce from The Stone Barns Center. Our goal is to be inventive and healthy, delicious and affordable. Have fun. Dig in.

Lunch Specials 11:30 am - 4 pm - Tuesday-Friday

-Serving Lunch & Dinner Tuesday thru Sunday-

13 Cedar Street Dobbs Ferry, NY 478-2300

10 % Discount with Masters Student ID

12

tower/ November 2, 2012

SPORTS

SPORTS

Leaving the competition in a McLeod of dust Take five: School nixes

by Tyler Pager Editor-in-chief

The iconic black and yellow logo sits emblazoned on his waist throughout the school day. The superhero’s emblem has developed into this runner’s lucky charm and is now a mainstay on race day.

Sophomore Jason McLeod, a runner on the boys varsity cross country team, has run a personal best in all of his races on days that he wore his Batman belt to school.

However, the day that he forgot to wear it on a race day, his time was significantly slower. As a result, McLeod has become convinced that this accessory yields incredible results.

McLeod’s interest in cross country began two years ago when his mother signed him up for Run for the Wild, a charity race consisting of a five kilometers (3.1 miles), held at the Bronx Zoo to benefit the Wildlife Conservation Society.

McLeod was not aware that he had been signed up for the race and therefore dressed in sweatpants and skate shoes. Despite his attire, McLeod finished the race in around 20 minutes and recognized that he could be successful if he continued with the sport.

“I was amazed at my time,” McLeod said. “I didn’t think that I would be able to run that well in those shoes and sweatpants.”

As a result of this race, McLeod signed up for cross country as a freshman and made the varsity team. McLeod finished his freshman year with a personal best of 19:45 for a 5K at the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) Championship. This early success led McLeod to devote the summer to training for his sophomore season.

He first demonstrated the impact of this training on Sept. 15 at the Big Red Invitational at Somers High School where he placed 11 out of 139 runners at a personal best, 18:39. He continued his success in the team’s home meet at Rockwood Park where he finished third overall with his best time yet: 18:31.

On Oct. 24, McLeod broke his own personal record when he finished in 17:17 and placed eighth overall. The cross country team’s record is currently 17:10, which was set by Henry Ginna’ 09 during his senior year.

Head Coach Vincent Galgano attributed McLeod’s improvement to three areas: spring track, summer training and experience.

“Spring track really helped with pure speed and speed mechanics,” Galgano said.

“He also worked out with the Westchester Track Club this summer, which helped him get ready for the fall.”

Commissioner’s Regulations

by Casey Chon Managing Editor

Photo by Bob Cornigans

SOPHOMORE JASON McLEOD RUNS in the team’s home cross country meet at Rockwood Park. McLeod has already surpassed his season goal of running a 5K in under 18 minutes.

Galgano added, “He is a year older and a more experience racer.”

Senior Ted Christensen has noticed McLeod’s improvement, but still values McLeod’s desire to have fun. “He enjoys running a lot and he’s okay having fun with it,” Christensen

said. “He’s a goofy guy.”

Christensen described one practice where McLeod ran with a cone on his head, which led to McLeod’s nickname, ‘Special J.’ “He doesn’t take himself too seriously. It’s good to have people that are happy on the team.”

Until now, athletes who repeated a grade spent their fifth year on the bench. Commissioner’s Regulations state: a student who has attended high school for five years cannot play in the New York State Championships.

Filing for Commissioner’s Regulations is optional, and is only an option for independent schools in New York. Athletes in the 2012-2013 school year, regardless of whether they have repeated a year in high school, will be able to play for their teams.

Last year, however, four years of playing was the limit. Masters filed for Commissioner’s Regulations, as it had in the past. Mark Zientek, ‘12, was the sole captain of the boy’s varsity basketball team last year.

Age was an early enemy of Zientek’s; he turned 19 during his senior year, having repeated junior year. Zientek explained that because the New York State Association of Independent Schools sports league has an under-18 rule instated, he could not play in NYSAIS games.

“I couldn’t play ball because Masters decided to play a few NYSAIS games.

Former Athletic Director Mr. Lacen and Coach Kammrath told me straight

up that I wouldn’t be able to play some of the games.”

Kammrath and Lacen were notified that Zientek would not be able to play after the basketball season had already begun.

Lacen then contacted the Athletic Director, the head of school, and the coach of every single competitor school to ask permission for Zientek to play.

Varsity basketball coach Matthew Kammrath said, “We had to cancel two games, and Mark had to sit two out. It was early in the season, so it had no bearing on potential playoff standings.” .

Assistant Athletic Director Mikelle Sacco explained that both athletes and coaches were not completely aware of all the restrictions the Regulations entailed.

She said, “Not everyone knew what Commissioner’s Regulations were, and therefore did not understand what the limitations were.”

Zientek said, “Basketball’s my escape, you know? I was team captain and the school couldn’t let me play in some really important games,” he said.

On this rule, Kammrath said, “As a school in New York that’s essentially in a Connecticut league, it really comes down to the New York City prep schools. Do you want to play them, or not?”

Life on the sidelines: A young man’s quest to play field hockey

by Teerin Julsawad Features Editor

Nicolas Graziano is stuck on the bench. Contrary to what was decided at the start of the season,

Graziano will not be given the opportunity to play competitively with the rest of the field hockey team.

Head of School Maureen Fonseca said that Graziano is not allowed to play

Photo by Abigail Costigan

SENIOR NICOLAS GRAZIANO watches the field hockey team play.

While he practices with the team, he is unable to compete in games.

because the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) League has concerns about co-ed teams. There is a verbal agreement that boys will not play field hockey within the league, and part of the concern is about injury.

Fonseca said, “If a bigger person bumps into a smaller girl, there could be safety concerns.” She continued, “It is frowned upon by the FAA because there could be an imbalance of skill.”

Graziano discussed the matter at length with former Athletic Director Ray Lacen, and eventually the decision was made that he would be permitted to play.

Field hockey coach Courtney DeStefano said that Graziano has been determined to play since April and there did not seem to be any major obstacle then.

DeStefano said, “Because we have a new

Athletic Director, I don’t know if Mr. Lacen got a chance to communicate with him on the issue.”

She added, “At the same time, there’s also a lot of paperwork and confirmation required among the schools we play against, and it can be hard with everyone’s busy schedules.”

However, Fonseca believes that there was a general miscommunication issue, since she was unaware of Graziano’s desire to play last spring. “I don’t think Mr. Lacen communicated with the directors,” she said.

Athletic Director Kevin Versen clarifies that the FAA has no written policy on the issue. “The FAA does not have this in writing according to the officers,” Versen said.

“But we were told that there was a discussion last spring and there was concern.”

Versen said the outcome

solely depends on the schools involved. “Although there are guidelines, in the end it is up to the schools involved to make the assessment and decision. The situation is grey as it is an issue of safety.”

Ben Theeman, a former Masters student, has played on the field hockey team.

However, Theeman believes it’s a different scenario as, unlike Graziano, he was part of the middle school team. “I was closer in size to the rest of the team than Graziano is,” Theeman said.

He continued, “In addition, there was not a middle school ‘league’ in the same sense of the word so I don’t think any of the other teams we played cared too much about the results of the game.”

Graziano anticipated he would not be allowed to play in games from the beginning. “I had a gut feeling that they wouldn’t let

me play.” Graziano said. “It was disappointing to not be able to play.” He still attends practices and games with the rest of the team regularly.

While Graziano acknowledges that there is a slight double standard, he doesn’t want to become a controversial figure. “The referees will always pay more attention to me. If I hurt a girl, then I’m out.

However, if another girl on the team knocks another girl out, it wouldn’t be as big of a deal and people might call it an accident.” Graziano said.

“I’m not here to cause controversy. I’ve already done that by being on the team.” He continued, “I’ve left the imprint I wanted to leave. Getting to play one game would just be the icing on the cake. I’m not going to cry over spilled milk but rather enjoy the time I have with the team.”