Tower Issue #1 2013-2014

Tower The Masters School

September 13, 2013

Volume 70, Number 1

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

School gets education in adaptation as construction begins

by Teerin Julsawad Editor-in-Chief

With the construction of the highly anticipated Masters Athletics & Arts Center (MAAC) underway, the school community will certainly have to familiarize themselves with the concept that the light at the end of the tunnel comes with a hefty price.

“It has been a challenge at times,” said History and Religion Department Chair Skeffington Young, who lives with his family beside the construction site and must enter and exit through the construction zone.

The first phase of the construction began during the summer in hopes of minimizing the disturbance for students and teachers.

Shawmut Design and Construction, a Bostonbased construction management firm, has been hired to construct the 75,000 square-foot building. Head of School Maureen Fonseca said the company has a good

Photo by Teerin Julsawad

FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, the dance studio has been relocated to the Herrick Room. Additionally, new office spaces are being built inside the gym lobby as a result of the demolition work. As of press time, there has been one reported incident of unannounced water shut off.

deal of experience working with schools, including Harvard University and Yale University.

“They understand the key curriculum periods and have a lot of experience in containing noises in academic environments,” she said.

With trees cut down and roads erased, Young said

that he knew the disturbance was going to be present from the beginning. As a result, he and his family spent the first three weeks of summer traveling.

The dust-polluted air and restricted road access challenges the faculty members who live in the cul-de-sac behind the site. There is only one

exit and no defined road through the site, which can be time-consuming when running errands.

However, Young admits that Shawmut has done a great job of communicating and responding to requests.

“There is a negotiation between our needs and their needs, and they are doing everything

they can to make our lives livable,” he said.

The construction has also limited parking spaces, which poses challenges to visitors, students and faculty members.

“We’re trying to create some additional parking spaces near the Carriage House,” Fonseca said. “At a time like this,

the school is looking for the best possible solutions and compromises.”

Residential faculty members have been encouraged to walk rather than drive to the building where they work, while day students have been encouraged to carpool.

As the production moves into different phases, such as interior work, Young believes construction noises may decrease while other issues, such as an increase in construction workers on the site, could emerge.

Although Young is unsure of what life will be like throughout the school year, he remains optimistic.

He said, “The construction has an end point that appears to be on schedule for now, and that’s reassuring­ — that it will end.”

The MAAC’s completion is expected by the winter of 2015. Fencing studios, dance studios and a swimming pool will be some of the new additions to the school’s facilities.

Co-chair vacancy forces Exec Committee to consider constitutional change

by Abigail Costigan Staff Writer

Graphic by Teerin Julsawad

Because the elected female co-chair did not return to school this fall, the school is in a technical quandary as to how to bridge the gap.

According to Head of the Upper School Matt Ives, the school’s constitution states that all club leaders, class presidents and anyone else who holds a leadership role who leaves the school will be replaced by election, except in the case of a co-chair. It is not clear why the co-chair is

exempt from this rule. It is also unclear what is to happen if the co-chair does not return to fill the position.

Ives explained how hard it was to make the decision in regards to the former co-chair’s departure. “We followed the rules very closely when we made our decision, it was a very difficult choice to make, but we were constrained by our own rules,” Ives said.

Because the rules were closely adhered to in the past, Ives believes it’s important to maintain that strict standard when moving forward. However, because there are no clear rules pertaining to this

situation, there is no obvious or perfect solution.

Currently, senior Henry DuBeau is the sole chair.

He will be assisted by the secretary, senior Christina Guarin, until a final decision with how to proceed is decided by Executive Committee. If this decision requires a constitutional change, it will require an all school vote.

The school could decide to run another election, hand the position to last year’s runner-up or have DuBeau remain as the sole chair.

The secretary’s job is to assist the co-chairs in planning Executive

Committee, take notes during the weekly meetings and tally votes cast by voting members. However, until a permanent solution can be decided upon, Guarin will also assist in planning Morning Meeting and appear on stage alongside DuBeau. Moreover, Guarin has also been asked to speak at Convocation.

With regards to finding a female co-chair, DuBeau said, “I think we should just play things out depending on what the school wants, and if the majority of the population wants another co-chair, then so be it.”

Senior Susie Plotkin, who also ran for co-chair

Features

Features

Sports

Checking out the suite life

Security compels changes in Masters Hall

Volleyball and soccer add 3rd team

Pages 2&3

Photo by Sang Bae

Pages 2&3

Illustration by Ellen Cowhey

Page 4

last year, said that she was kept up-to-date on the situation throughout the summer. However, she was never offered the position.

“Initially he [Ives] thought he would pass it down, but it’s not in the constitution, so that would be weird.”

In line with the school’s typically friendly aura, many people have offered their help to DuBeau, indiscriminately between students with and without official leadership roles.

DuBeau said, “I look forward to working with any and all students who are willing to step up to the plate in Executive Committee.”

Photo by Bob Cornigans

2

TOWER/SEPTEMBER 13, 2013

FEATURES

Home suite home: The perks and pains of sharing space

Rachel Saunders & Wen-Xuan Ni

Boarding students usually only have one roommate, but this year, some are getting two. Due to the influx of new students, the need for suites, which house three students, became apparent. The increase in rooms of this type has its advantages and disadvantages.

Why are triples a great addition?

two-room triples less cramped, e th ke ma to r de or In droom as ned that include a be suites have been desig This way, . desks and a wardrobe well as a room with ds , desks ve to accommodate be ha t no es do om ro e on s also ionally, the school ha dit Ad . ge ra sto ing th and clo refrigerator. provided suites with a I was goth the impression that “I didn’t come here wi e,” said was a pleasant surpris it t bu , ple tri a in be ing to ites in Cole o is in one if three su Lazarena Lazarova, wh ade as you people in the same gr Dorm. “You have two with,” she ur daily experiences yo e ar sh n ca u yo that said. g Zhang, roommates, Liuchan One of Lazarova’s ple, but it’s rising that I got a tri rp su s wa “It . ed re ag different g people from three vin ha e nc rie pe ex t a grea e said. countries together,” sh

Photos by Ariel Censor

.. why not?

Shomari Moore, who was in a triple last ye ar, had a more negative perspective. “You ha ve no privacy and sometimes no space,” he said. Mo ore said that there were only two to four triple s last school year, whereas there are more than te n this year.

“Last year our room was big enough [for a triple]. But this year, in other peoples’ room s, I’m not sure,” he said.

Jazmine Figueroa appr eciates the togetherne ss but she also said, “T he rooms are small, they’re meant for one person.

We’re girls so we have a lot of stuff, so we’re reall y short on space.”

?

“

This past summer, Academic Dean Chris Goulian and Mathematics Department Co-Chair Michele Dennis worked on class schedules and, to keep the dining hall from chaos, decided to split the lunch period into two time-slots for Mondays and Fridays.

Additionally, new classrooms are also being added. Goulian said, “We are opening two new classrooms, one is Conference Room A, and the other is in Estherwood.” The classrooms are added in an attempt to maintain an average size of 14 students per class. “It eases the burden on students and teachers,” Dennis said.

Until this year, the school has not had access to a trained medical staff after 4 p.m (on weekdays), the end of the day for Nurse Rosemarie Corradina. If a student was ill or hurt, and the severity of the situation needed to be determined, a faculty member, most often dorm parents, would call the administrator on duty (AOD) to decide whether or not an ambulance was needed. While dorm parents and AODs are required to have CPR training, they do not have extensive medical knowledge, leading to a need for trained medical staff. Over the summer, school administrators hired emergency medical technicians (EMT) who will be on call from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Dean of Students Jessica Nuñez said, “The addition of the EMTs is really to support the dorm staff. If a student gets sick in the dorms and isn’t feeling well, the dorm parent has another person to call as an additional resource to come in and assess the situation and triage a student in person.”

SECURITY INITIATES

Did You Know..

This year, all returning students who are suite-mates volunteered to live together. On the other hand, new boarding students were chosen based on a lottery system. Students that are living in suites were notified via mail over the summer of their housing arrangements.

SANG BAE the larger school projects, she now also works as a counselor in the health center. Unlike Leonard Malter or Stefanie Carbone, Crane will focus on 8th and 9th graders.

“It’s important for our rising 8th graders from our Middle School students and new incoming 9th graders to have an easy transition to our high school,” Crane

1 2 3

Because the dance studio is right next to the the Masters Athletics and Arts Center’s (MAAC) construction site, the school plans to turn the Herrick Room into a temporary dancing studio.

Although there are no dressing rooms in their new space, dancers still have easy access to a changing space in nearby restrooms. Overall, Director of Dance Mary Rotella sees the Herrick Room transformation as a positive change. “I really appreciate that the school is creating a viable space for the dancers while the construction of the MAAC continues,” she said. “This is so important to the continued growth of the dance program and the well-being of the dancers and their bodies.”

THE DOMINO EFFECT:

Gillian Crane named Associate Head of the Upper School fice, and Dobbs 16 won’t lose their director. Most importantly, her door is always open, ready to help a student in need.

“I think it’s really important that as administrators, we are all team players and are willing to step in and help with anything as needed,” Crane said.

In face of a school in the midst of change, Crane also has a new set of responsibilities. While her principle role as Associate Head of the Upper School is to help Head of the Upper School Matt Ives with

3

School deals with dancing, dining and dorm life

Ariel Censor

The Jack-Of-AllTrades in The Masters School, Gillian Crane brings a whole range of skills in a span of fifteen years and twelve titles.

After smashing volleyballs across the court and imparting advice to generations of students, Crane takes on a new role as the Associate Head of the Upper School.

Despite her new position, Crane still organizes the weekend outings and events; the origami cranes and dusty coffee mugs will stay in her of-

FEATURES

said. “Hopefully I will be able to help students with their transition to high school and any issues that come up.”

speaking up against verbal abuse and harassment.

“We, as a community, need to work on being vocal if someone is being hurtful,” she said.

“We need to teach each other so that we have a true culture of kindness and understanding.

No one wants to be hurt, and my hope is that no one at Masters truly wants to hurt other people.”

I love Masters. Since I was 15 years old, I’ve called Masters my home.

In addition to all of these roles, Crane also initiated the Ally Program, which deals with

”

Gillian Crane will no longer be working in the admissions office, coordinate our school initiatives or oversee clubs (a responsibility taken by Dean of Students Jessica L Nunez).

However, her position at school already promises a lot for both students and faculty, deeply involved with the campus life.

“I love Masters.

Since I was 15 years old, I’ve called Masters my home, so of course, when new people arrive, I think of them as family in many ways.”

10 CHANGES IN MASTERS HALL

Construction team finds asbestos in the ceiling of the Sanctuary, so it had to be carefully removed, causing a two-week delay.

Renovations will begin on Sanctuary space to house the mailroom and student lockers.

Mailroom will move across hall to former Sanctuary space to make room for the relocated business office.

Adding a reception desk cuts down on space for admission visitors. Karin O’Connor’s office to be turned into the new admissions waiting room.

9

6

10

5 8

2

7

1

Greater security on campus needed. Key pads installed on more doors, and one main reception desk to be established at the main entrance to Masters Hall.

4 Illustration by Sang Bae

3

Courtyard entrance hall undergoing as a result of excavation.

Foundational repairs demand the excavation of the Masters Hall courtyard and entrance hall.

Foundational issues in Masters Hall need to be repaired to stop the chronic leakage into the Sanctuary space.

Business office will move to current mailroom to make room for Fonseca and O’Connor.

Maureen Fonseca, head of school, and Karin O’Connor, chief of staff and assistant to Fonseca, will move up to where the business office is currently located.

2

TOWER/SEPTEMBER 13, 2013

FEATURES

Home suite home: The perks and pains of sharing space

Rachel Saunders & Wen-Xuan Ni

Boarding students usually only have one roommate, but this year, some are getting two. Due to the influx of new students, the need for suites, which house three students, became apparent. The increase in rooms of this type has its advantages and disadvantages.

Why are triples a great addition?

two-room triples less cramped, e th ke ma to r de or In droom as ned that include a be suites have been desig This way, . desks and a wardrobe well as a room with ds , desks ve to accommodate be ha t no es do om ro e on s also ionally, the school ha dit Ad . ge ra sto ing th and clo refrigerator. provided suites with a I was goth the impression that “I didn’t come here wi e,” said was a pleasant surpris it t bu , ple tri a in be ing to ites in Cole o is in one if three su Lazarena Lazarova, wh ade as you people in the same gr Dorm. “You have two with,” she ur daily experiences yo e ar sh n ca u yo that said. g Zhang, roommates, Liuchan One of Lazarova’s ple, but it’s rising that I got a tri rp su s wa “It . ed re ag different g people from three vin ha e nc rie pe ex t a grea e said. countries together,” sh

Photos by Ariel Censor

.. why not?

Shomari Moore, who was in a triple last ye ar, had a more negative perspective. “You ha ve no privacy and sometimes no space,” he said. Mo ore said that there were only two to four triple s last school year, whereas there are more than te n this year.

“Last year our room was big enough [for a triple]. But this year, in other peoples’ room s, I’m not sure,” he said.

Jazmine Figueroa appr eciates the togetherne ss but she also said, “T he rooms are small, they’re meant for one person.

We’re girls so we have a lot of stuff, so we’re reall y short on space.”

?

“

This past summer, Academic Dean Chris Goulian and Mathematics Department Co-Chair Michele Dennis worked on class schedules and, to keep the dining hall from chaos, decided to split the lunch period into two time-slots for Mondays and Fridays.

Additionally, new classrooms are also being added. Goulian said, “We are opening two new classrooms, one is Conference Room A, and the other is in Estherwood.” The classrooms are added in an attempt to maintain an average size of 14 students per class. “It eases the burden on students and teachers,” Dennis said.

Until this year, the school has not had access to a trained medical staff after 4 p.m (on weekdays), the end of the day for Nurse Rosemarie Corradina. If a student was ill or hurt, and the severity of the situation needed to be determined, a faculty member, most often dorm parents, would call the administrator on duty (AOD) to decide whether or not an ambulance was needed. While dorm parents and AODs are required to have CPR training, they do not have extensive medical knowledge, leading to a need for trained medical staff. Over the summer, school administrators hired emergency medical technicians (EMT) who will be on call from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Dean of Students Jessica Nuñez said, “The addition of the EMTs is really to support the dorm staff. If a student gets sick in the dorms and isn’t feeling well, the dorm parent has another person to call as an additional resource to come in and assess the situation and triage a student in person.”

SECURITY INITIATES

Did You Know..

This year, all returning students who are suite-mates volunteered to live together. On the other hand, new boarding students were chosen based on a lottery system. Students that are living in suites were notified via mail over the summer of their housing arrangements.

SANG BAE the larger school projects, she now also works as a counselor in the health center. Unlike Leonard Malter or Stefanie Carbone, Crane will focus on 8th and 9th graders.

“It’s important for our rising 8th graders from our Middle School students and new incoming 9th graders to have an easy transition to our high school,” Crane

1 2 3

Because the dance studio is right next to the the Masters Athletics and Arts Center’s (MAAC) construction site, the school plans to turn the Herrick Room into a temporary dancing studio.

Although there are no dressing rooms in their new space, dancers still have easy access to a changing space in nearby restrooms. Overall, Director of Dance Mary Rotella sees the Herrick Room transformation as a positive change. “I really appreciate that the school is creating a viable space for the dancers while the construction of the MAAC continues,” she said. “This is so important to the continued growth of the dance program and the well-being of the dancers and their bodies.”

THE DOMINO EFFECT:

Gillian Crane named Associate Head of the Upper School fice, and Dobbs 16 won’t lose their director. Most importantly, her door is always open, ready to help a student in need.

“I think it’s really important that as administrators, we are all team players and are willing to step in and help with anything as needed,” Crane said.

In face of a school in the midst of change, Crane also has a new set of responsibilities. While her principle role as Associate Head of the Upper School is to help Head of the Upper School Matt Ives with

3

School deals with dancing, dining and dorm life

Ariel Censor

The Jack-Of-AllTrades in The Masters School, Gillian Crane brings a whole range of skills in a span of fifteen years and twelve titles.

After smashing volleyballs across the court and imparting advice to generations of students, Crane takes on a new role as the Associate Head of the Upper School.

Despite her new position, Crane still organizes the weekend outings and events; the origami cranes and dusty coffee mugs will stay in her of-

FEATURES

said. “Hopefully I will be able to help students with their transition to high school and any issues that come up.”

speaking up against verbal abuse and harassment.

“We, as a community, need to work on being vocal if someone is being hurtful,” she said.

“We need to teach each other so that we have a true culture of kindness and understanding.

No one wants to be hurt, and my hope is that no one at Masters truly wants to hurt other people.”

I love Masters. Since I was 15 years old, I’ve called Masters my home.

In addition to all of these roles, Crane also initiated the Ally Program, which deals with

”

Gillian Crane will no longer be working in the admissions office, coordinate our school initiatives or oversee clubs (a responsibility taken by Dean of Students Jessica L Nunez).

However, her position at school already promises a lot for both students and faculty, deeply involved with the campus life.

“I love Masters.

Since I was 15 years old, I’ve called Masters my home, so of course, when new people arrive, I think of them as family in many ways.”

10 CHANGES IN MASTERS HALL

Construction team finds asbestos in the ceiling of the Sanctuary, so it had to be carefully removed, causing a two-week delay.

Renovations will begin on Sanctuary space to house the mailroom and student lockers.

Mailroom will move across hall to former Sanctuary space to make room for the relocated business office.

Adding a reception desk cuts down on space for admission visitors. Karin O’Connor’s office to be turned into the new admissions waiting room.

9

6

10

5 8

2

7

1

Greater security on campus needed. Key pads installed on more doors, and one main reception desk to be established at the main entrance to Masters Hall.

4 Illustration by Sang Bae

3

Courtyard entrance hall undergoing as a result of excavation.

Foundational repairs demand the excavation of the Masters Hall courtyard and entrance hall.

Foundational issues in Masters Hall need to be repaired to stop the chronic leakage into the Sanctuary space.

Business office will move to current mailroom to make room for Fonseca and O’Connor.

Maureen Fonseca, head of school, and Karin O’Connor, chief of staff and assistant to Fonseca, will move up to where the business office is currently located.

4

SPORTS

tower/SEPTEMBER 13, 2013

SPORTS

Volleyball and soccer accommodate three levels of play

by Daniel Barnett and Gabby Davies Staff Writers

With so many new students, sports teams have become filled to capacity. Instead of cutting beginning athletes, the athletic department formed a third team, for the less experienced players.

Like varsity and JV teams, the third team will compete against other schools.

“The instructional team

that everyone, whatever their skill level, would have a chance to play.

This year, volleyball had a grand total of 40 girls trying out, 10 more than last year. Out of the 40, 21 are returning players (10 varsity and 11 JV).

Sacco was surprised by the turnout but wasn’t concerned. “I will keep as many as 14 on varsity and they will have to earn their starting spot; as a varsity team there is no guarantee of equal

“Having a team for novice players gives them a chance to learn from the start and not be rushed into games..” is going to have games this year, at least five or six, so that they can get some experience in game situations,” Assistant Athletic Director Mikelle Sacco said. “But they will have more instruction so that they can improve and have more opportunity to fix things.”

Sacco explains that the extra teams were initially made so that no athlete would have to be cut and

playing time,” she said.

With the addition of the third team, underclassmen can fulfill the athletic credit requirement (ACR) and can play a sport at an appropriate skill level.

This is a change from last year, when several students struggled to participate in a team sport after being cut from several teams.

Sacco added that by allowing athletes to focus

on improving during preseason without the pressure of worrying whether or not they’ll get cut may allow the school’s athletic teams to become more successful in future games.

“Having a team for novice players gives them a chance to learn from the start and not be rushed into games and training sessions meant for more experienced players,” Sacco said. “Hopefully with the instructional [third team], it gives them an opportunity to improve and make a higher level team next season. Some people I’ve seen do some phenomenal things in between.”

Boys’ soccer had 60 players trying out to make the team, which is many more than previous years here.

However, senior Quong (Linkon) Duong believes the inrease in players has little to no impact.

“I think the size of the team doesn’t affect the sport at all because we have a huge field, and the freshmen and sophomores are separated from the juniors and seniors.”

The added teams allow the less athletic students to play for their school and show off their school spirit not only in the classroom or on the stage, but also during their athletic co-curriculars.

Photo by Ken Verral

SENIORS WILL DUFAULT AND QUONG (LINKON) DUONG practice passes during preseason. This year, approximately 24 boys made varsity, 18 landed a spot on the JV team, and 18 will play on the third team.

Hard courts replace Har-Tru

by Tony Rosenberg Staff Writer

The school’s Har-Tru tennis courts (also known as “American” clay courts) can be difficult to maintain over the course

of the academic year.

Since the school is striving to advance its sports program, Athletic Director Kevin Versen made the decision to resurface the current Har-Tru tennis courts near the Dining

Photo by Sang Bae

DOBBS FERRY TENNIS CLUB PLAYERS frequent the courts on weekends in the spring and fall, and in the summer, also on weekdays. The clay courts are easier on the joints, particularly of older players.

Hall with a new hard court.

One of the reasons for this decision is that the maintenance for the clay tennis courts is expensive and time-consuming.

“The clay was not giving our players and teams enough playing time on the courts due to the maintenance that it needed,” Versen specified.

Following the decision to redo the tennis courts, construction on them will initiate quite soon.

Although Versen is not sure of the exact date, he is positive that the renovation will begin in September.

“It should take about four to six weeks to finish,” he said.

While the court is being revamped, no faculty will be able to park next to the tennis courts.

In addition to the difficulty over the court’s maintenance (which

include regular watering and sweeping), the school also decided to build hard courts because other schools in the FAA League practice and compete on hard court surfaces.

Unlike last year, players will be able to begin practice in the spring on time this year, instead of waiting eagerly for the maintenance to finish.

“During home matches, other schools will feel welcomed while given the opportunity to play on brand new hard-court tennis courts,” said Greg Lesser, who will serve as a varsity tennis coach in the spring.

While the surface of the three bottom courts near the Dining Hall will change, the other four Har-Tru courts will remain untouched. Dobbs Ferry residents and Masters students will have the opportunity to crosstrain on both surfaces.

Har-Tru versus Hard courts Har-Tru advantages:

Hard courts advantages:

- Because players can slide on clay courts, it tends to reduce the turning and twisting of joints, tendons and muscles that can cause injury

- Easier daily maintenance; does not need to be watered and swept on a daily basis

- Porous surface that reduces runoff and soil erosion - Does not crack in the sun as some hard courts do

- Less slippage than on a clay or grass court - Less maintenance at the beginning of a new season - The most common surface in U.S. professional tennis