Tower Issue #5 (2024-2025)

TOWER

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The Masters School 49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. 10522

VOLUME 81, ISSUE 5

APRIL 24, 2025

@masterstower

HELPING HANDS: LOCALLY ROOTED EFFORTS

NURTURE GOOD IN THE WORLD MATT IVES/TOWER

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TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

NEWS

olicy makers in the making: Sophomores hold their annual MUN conference

Mila Benson News Editor

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ith the bang of a gavel, the tenth graders kicked off their yearly United Nations simulation on Friday, April 4. This annual event is characterized by the unmistakable sight of students parading around campus in their “western business attire” looks, and hearing the distinct chatter of debriefing after an intense committee session.

As it is a longstanding tradition at Masters, both teachers and

students alike dutifully prepare for this annual event, making it a classic right of passage in the Masters community.

Sophomores participate in the required event every year, with lots of preparation and planning going into it weeks prior. As a first step, students chose their comittee, and then they got assigned a country in said comittee. Then, they write a speech and a general background of their country as it relates to their committee.

Sophomore Sam Friedman said, “We chose a committee and we had to gather information about it and our country, and then we wrote a position paper about

where we stood with our country and the issue, and how we were going to go about fixing it.”

While many aspects of tenth grade MUN are similar to normal MUN, there are some major differences that impact many members of the Model UN team at Masters.

MUN member, sophomore, and Secretary General Talia Hird said, “There are a lot of things about MUN that just do not align with the tenth grade MUN, like writing a position paper in advance.”

Depending on what committee they are placed in, students gather around a big Harkness table and spread out around campus. During the conference, students go up to make their speech, and then they debate about the issue they’re a part of.

Students are also required to dress in the traditional MUN attire, which means formal.

Hird said “I think one of the best parts about MUN is wearing the outfits.”

NEENA ATKINS/TOWER

STUDENTS RAISE PLACARDS FOR debate in the European migration committee. They discussed the war in Ukraine, upcoming elections, and rising social tensions. This year’s event was held in the IEC atrium, Masters Hall and the Sharon Room in the Fonseca Center.

NEENA ATKINS/TOWER

NOAH ADLER LEADS THE East Asia committee alongside Emily Kasoff. This committee tackled issues such as freedom of press, cyber trafficking, and South China sea territorial disputes.

AYANNA BECKETT/TOWER

CLIMATE COMMITTEE DELEGATES DISCUSS flood risks and water shortage.

Students had to think on the fly and deal with issues like extreme loss of freshwater.

Students, alumni and parents unite over the phone for the tenth annual Giving Day

Loewy Nalle Social Media Manager

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nstead of cramming for an A.P Bio exam during his free period, junior Nico Khoury-Levy reported to the Sharon Room to call alumni on the phone. He greeted them warmly, delved into a conversation about his experience as a student, and explained the Masters Fund in hope for a monetary contribution.

Masters celebrated their tenth annual Alumnae/i Giving Day on Thursday, April 3, which was a time when current students and parents connect with alumni over the phone, with the goal of receiving 148 (148 for years of Masters) monetary donations. If that goal was reached, an anonymous donor would give the school an extra $20,000. The reason for the calls and donations? The Masters Annual Fund.

Maureen Steinhorn, the annual

giving and stewardship manager, said, “The Masters Annual Fund is the only annual fundraising initiative for the school.”

“The Masters Fund essentially fills the gap between what we make with tuition and how much money we actually spend as a school.”

Giving Day also serves as an opportunity for alumni to connect with current students beyond the dollar.

Hilary Finkelstein, director of annual giving, noted that “Alums love

AYANNA BECKETT/TOWER

MASTERS PARENT STEVE YUNG calls alumni to raise money for the Masters Annual Fund. The fund is designed to compensate shortfall of tuition income. They raised 55,000 dollars by the end of the event.

hearing from students. They love hearing what life is like on campus now and I think it’s very nostalgic for them to also share their experience. The thing about Giving Day is that it’s not necessarily the day that we make the most money, but it is the day that we connect with the most people.”

Khoury-Levy recapped his Giving Day experience enthusiastically.

“It was great to collaborate with fellow students and the advancement team. They were all really nice, and they guided me with how to call alumni,” Khoury-Levy said. “Connecting with them was a really exciting experience, and I learned so much about the alumni network for our school.”

Junior Danse Mobray added to the positive environment of the advancement team. She said, “A highlight for me during Giving Day was the positive atmosphere of the volunteers and Advancement team.

It was really nice to see students and faculty collectively working together to achieve a greater goal for our school.”

The alumni office reached out to Emily Daly, an alumna from the class of 2006, to spread the word about Giving Day to fellow alumni. Daly remarked on the alumni-student connection.

Daly said, “Masters isn’t just four years. It’s really a lifelong commu-

nity. Being an alum and a student aren’t two worlds: it’s all sort of one giant family.” On Giving Day itself, Daly had a meaningful phone call with a parent of a seventh grader.

She said, “When I got that call, I was having a really hectic day. It was great to receive a call from a parent from a school that I love so much.”

Mobray said, “Student connection is important to Giving Day because calling alumni to raise money as well as writing thank you notes creates a meaningful connection between former and current Masters students.”

Student involvement is a recent tradition, added just last year. Due to the positive feedback from students, alumni and parents, the advancement team will keep up that tradition. Steinhorn said, “Last year, we came back to the student model for the first time since COVID. We’re excited to continue that tradition for later years to come.”

Student involvement has made a huge impact on Giving Day. On Friday, April 4, an email went out to the Masters community notifying that they exceeded their goal of 148 gifts and received 157 gifts. In total, Giving Day raised $55,000 for the Masters Fund.

Mobray said, “I am so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to come together with the Masters community to support our school.”

TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

NEWS

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Traveling exhibit teaches the Holocaust in a new way

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vating. There is another camp that I have encountered, but I don’t belong to, and they’re the ones who have given me pushback.” This second camp argued that children shouldn’t be entering cars at all, or that projections shouldn’t be used.

She said, “It was very debilitating, very depressing. When you’re a young person, and you’re trying to do something that you think is good, you want people to accept you and your ideas and support you, and when you feel that rejection or judgment, it can be very hard to continue going on.” She continued, “I went back to the survivors and I said, ‘I met these people and they don’t like what I’m doing, and they think it’s wrong.’ And the survivors said, ‘No, this is what we want.’ And I had to make a decision, who is the most important? Who is my priority? It’s the survivors.”

Though Lebowitz is confident in her approach, she does make the distinction between experiential education, like entering a cattle car, and immersive education involving simulations. She draws this line for a few reasons.

First, simulations may be too traumatizing for younger kids. She explained, “It kind of has the opposite effect of what you want, which is you want the students to leave want-

Ellie Hise Editor-in-Chief

en years ago, 19-year-old Jordana Lebowitz found a movie prop in Toronto.

Now, her traveling exhibit dedicated to Holocaust remembrance is making a stop on campus.

The traveling exhibit was constructed within a movie set’s train car, a replica of the cattle cars that were used to transport victims of the Holocaust to concentration camps.

The car will be parked on campus from April 21 to 23, accompanied by a private collection of Holocaust artifacts that travels with the car.

Lebowitz was an underclassman at the University of Guelph when she had the initial idea to bring a cattle car exhibit to her campus for education week, driven by a desire to get people more connected to history.

After persistently searching for a car she could use, and finally finding one from the set of a zombie movie, she and some classmates began creating the exhibit.

Lebowitz said, “In the beginning, we used printed pictures, historical images, and we created a makeshift kind of exhibit inside.” She also collaborated with minority affinity groups to gather information about the ways they were targeted.

Though Lebowitz got permission from the school to bring the car to campus for two days, she had to spend the night outside, watching over the car. Within a few years, the exhibit was so successful that she was able to take it across the country.

Money was the main obstacle, but Lebowitz said that people were willing to make calls for her, recommend contacts experienced with business and help her raise money.

She said, “When people see young people passionate about something and dedicated to something, they really want to help them, and that’s what happened. I had this idea, and I spoke to some teachers and professors and friends on campus, and they all just really wanted to

ing to learn more and care about this, rather than being traumatized, having nightmares.” Additionally, she said, “You want the tech to enhance, not distract.” But the primary reason, according to Lebowitz, is that simulation simply isn’t accurate.

English teacher Miriam Emery and history teacher Matt Ives gave some students the opportunity to meet with Lebowitz on Zoom, for their WinterMission, “The Past is Alive! Public History, Memorials and Commemoration.” Emery had heard about the exhibit due to the initial plan for it to come the previous school year. “[Ives] and I decided, well, we could do this. And we sort of built our entire winter mission around, around these last two hours on Friday.”

As for future plans, Lebowitz hopes that eventually a second exhibit will be able to travel concurrently with the first. Two more survivors have already been filmed sharing their experience.

Lebowitz said, “I hope that every person relates to it in their own way. I want the people who go into the cattle car and see this education to feel connected and care about the stories of the survivors and the history, and then I want them to think about what this means to them today.”

ELLIE HISE/TOWER

help me make it happen.”

Far removed from printer paper stapled to walls, the car now features video and photo projections on all four walls, and a robust collection of historical material.

According to Lebowitz, the exhibit spends 10 minutes focusing on the history of the Holocaust, and another 10 minutes are dedicated to stories from survivors themselves.

One of those survivors is Hedy Brohm, who was just a teenager when she was taken to Auschwitz, where her mother was killed. Lebowitz met Brohm on an education

trip to Poland in 2008, where she visited some Holocaust museums and concentration camps. The car is accompanied by Holocaust artifacts, as well, from a private collection.

Lebowitz said that while she constantly sought advice from experts, and was mentored by Michael Birnbaum, a renowned Holocaust historian, she still faced some criticism for her exhibit. Specifically, for her use of technology and interactive elements. She said, “What I learned is that there’s kind of these two camps in Holocaust education in general.

One camp really believes in inno-

ELLIE HISE/TOWER

THE CATTLE CAR EXHIBIT and an accompanying artifact exhibit taught students about the Holocaust from April 21 to 23. The exhibit has been travelling to different campuses and parks since 2020.

Local Government: Meet Dobbs Ferry’s elected officials Allie Faber Lead News Editor

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ocal elected officials make up the largest governing body in the U.S., yet less than 15% of eligible voters turn out for municipal elections on average, according to a report by the Carnegie Corporation. In Dobbs Ferry, local representatives – primarily the Mayor, trustees and various oversight boards – directly impact the citizens’ daily lives.

Government Overview The Dobbs Ferry government follows a top-down structure: mayor, Board of Trustees and various departments and boards. Local legislation is housed in the Dobbs Ferry Charter, which serves as the village’s constitution.

The mayor and three trustees are up for election in odd-numbered years, with the next mayoral election coming up in November. The other three trustees are elected in even-numbered years.

The Board of Trustees has seven voting members, including the mayor.

Each member has an equal vote on local legislation.

Like presidential elections, mayor-

al and trustee candidates are usually nominated by a political party. In the last mayoral election, the two dominant parties were the Dobbs Ferry Democratic Committee and the Dobbs Ferry Union Party, though candidates are also permitted to run as independents.

The Nominating Committee – made up of non-partisan appointees by the Board of Trustees for one-year terms – researches, vets and ultimately recommends individuals to the Trustees, who have the final decision on board appointments.

Mayor Rossillo Since his initial election as mayor in 2019, and re-elections in 2021 and 2023, Rossillo has focused his administration on infrastructure, downtown improvements, affordable housing and sustainability.

Under his leadership, the town hired an engineering firm to scope out underground infrastructure flaws and remedy issues such as potholes and sinkholes.

Rossillo’s administration has also prioritized sustainability efforts. Within a year, he said, there will be about 50 electric vehicle charging stations

MATT IVES/TOWER

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF Dobbs Ferry works to keep the town’s resturants and businesses flourishing. Etienne Millet ‘27 and Max Lichtman ‘26 explore Main Street on a search for the perfect smoothie. throughout the Village.

Some administrative buildings, including the Department of Public Works, now rely on energy-efficient heat pumps and solar panels are installed on the DPW and the Dobbs Ferry Library.

The Village is also focusing on another one of Rossillo’s key campaign points: affordable housing. The average apartment rent in Dobbs Ferry is $3,173 per month, 104% higher than the national average of $1,556.

“We’re looking to put up some

buildings that would have some form of affordable housing, so if you graduate college and you want to come back here, you could afford to live here. Or, once you’re on a fixed income and a pension – you’re retired – you could afford to live here,” he said.

In response to a Black Lives Matter rally at the Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Park, Rossillo formed one of the Village’s core volunteer panels: the Human Rights and Diversity Committee.

“I listened to other people speak, and frankly, it was amazing to me that

some people who live and work in Dobbs Ferry didn’t feel comfortable here because of their color or their gender.” He continued, “[The Committee] has been working with the Village since then to try to raise awareness and make people feel comfortable.”

Rossillo does not plan to run for reelection in 2025.

“It’s time to have new people come out to run. Being mayor should not be a job people do forever,” he said.

Opinion 4

TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

OP-ED

TOWER 2024-2025

EDITORIAL

The crime of speaking

When free speech gets you dragged off the street termination isn’t theirs to make.

That’s what courts are for.

Khalil’s wife has called the claims “ridiculous” and “disgusting,” and rightly so. Khalil has never expressed support for Hamas. Evidently, neither Khalil nor Öztürk has been accused of providing any material support to terrorists​. Their only “crime” was their speech. The same kind of political speech that once won in the Supreme Court is now punished with detention and exile.

At the heart of this crackdown lies a principle fatal to any free society: the government has asserted the power to accuse and punish people for what they say, without explanation, without evidence and without any oversight from the courts. Whether it’s migrants, asylees or student writers, the logic is the same: they don’t have to prove you’re dangerous, they just have to say it. No due process. Just a label.

That is not democracy. That is the type of brutality you’d expect from a terrorist organization or a brutal dictatorship — something straight out of Castro’s Cuba or Stalin’s Soviet Union.

The impact of the crackdown doesn’t end with those detained, though. It ripples outward, reaching every student newsroom, now paralyzed by fear.

At Columbia and Stanford, student publications have been flooded with requests from terrified writers to unpublish their articles.

The Student Press Law Center reported that in March alone, inNY

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dom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” Both conservatives and liberals celebrated the ruling. The idea that students have rights was not controversial; it was sacred.

The message was clear then and should still be now: the First Amendment doesn’t draw a line between a reporter at The New York Times and, say, a doctoral student writing for the Tufts Daily.

Rights don’t scale with age or prestige. They either belong to all of us or they mean nothing at all.

Now, instead of outrage, there’s indifference, or worse, applause. That’s the most dangerous part: not just the suppression itself, but the fog it creates. Instead of uniting against the endless crackdown against civilian freedoms, we’ve now begun to argue over the justifications of these blatant violations. We ask if the targets deserved it. Öztürk is not alone. Since early March, nearly a dozen students and scholars have been seized by immigration officials in similar circumstances​.

Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and U.S. green-card holder, was arrested in his apartment after helping lead campus protests​. His eightmonth-pregnant wife watched as he was taken. No criminal charges and no trial. The government wants him deported anyway, based solely on unproven accusations of supporting Hamas, but that’s not how justice works and that de-

JEN

In recent weeks, a sickening trend has emerged: student journalists across the country are being arrested, detained and threatened with deportation, not for breaking laws, but for writing articles and expressing political opinions.

Perhaps the most shocking example is Rümeysa Öztürk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, who was walking home when masked ICE agents in plain clothes dragged her off the street.

Her offense? An opinion article she co-wrote with three other students in the Tufts Daily, urging the university to divest from companies tied to Israel and criticizing its failure to acknowledge the suffering in Gaza.

The piece did not express support for Hamas, terrorism or violence in any form. Still, that single article was the sole basis for U.S. authorities revoking her student visa​. There were no accusations or evidence of wrongdoing, just her words. She spent her 30th birthday in an ICE detention center.

Her future destroyed, everything ripped away, because she exercised the freedom of speech we claim to protect.

This isn’t the first time student speech has been attacked, but before, America responded. If anything, student speech wasn’t just tolerated, but had a special place in American tradition. When authority overstepped, it didn’t just lose in the court of public opinion; it lost in the Supreme Court.

In 1969, when students were suspended for wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War in Tinker v. Des Moines, the Supreme Court ruled 7–2, across partisan lines, in their favor, affirming students did not “shed their constitutional rights to free-

quiries to its legal hotline from distressed college and high school journalists increased by 39% compared to the same time last year.

Some student journalists have quit entirely. Even U.S. citizens are second-guessing whether their work and words could ruin their futures.

We feel it here at Masters too, in Tower, in our classrooms, in ourselves. In our boarding community, international students have already been pulled into meetings with school administrators and told, point blank, that speaking out, even peacefully, could cost them everything. Their ability to return to the U.S, their education, their futures, all hanging on what they say or don’t say.

Last year, our challenge was how to cover controversial topics responsibly. This year, it’s whether we should cover them at all.

Whether the truth is worth the risk.

We’ve already begun quietly scrubbing past articles — removing names, unpublishing pieces, softening headlines — not because they were inaccurate or irresponsible, but because we are afraid.

Afraid that something we published, something accurate and true, could put our classmates and community members at risk.

And so, piece by piece, we erase our own work. That’s what this crackdown does: it poisons journalists with self-doubt and fear. It replaces freedom with quiet compliance and self-censorship.

Today’s high school columnist or college news editor is tomorrow’s reporter, tomorrow’s citizen and tomorrow’s voice of conscience. If we allow intimidation and retaliation to snuff out our voices now, we undermine the future of free speech for everyone.

Editors-in-Chief Ellie Hise Justine Pascutti Rooke Wiser Visuals Director and Opinion Editor Ayanna Beckett Illustration Editor Jenny Xu Lead News Editor Allie Faber Lead Features Editor Neena Atkins Lead Sports Editor Ella Black Lead Opinion Editor Elaina Barreto News Editor Mila Benson Features Editor Ella Liu Sports Editor Thomas McCallum Web Editor Jack Bilman Social Media Manager and PR Editor Loewy Nalle Assistant Advancement Manager Grey Dickson Assistant Advertising Manager Zara Murray Freshmen Distribution Manager Maria Milkov Faculty Advisors Ellen Cowhey Matt Ives Columnists Annadele Dyott Alex Kritzer Eunice Wang Contributing Writers Helen Gao Zara Murray Olivia Shim Siena Versaci Photographers & Illustrators Roni Barkan, Sophia Ding Annadele Dyott, Chana Kim Jovey Molina, Zara Murray Alyssa Wang, Rose Yuan Online Media For more information, follow Tower on the following platforms: Website: Tower.MastersNY.org Facebook: MastersTower

Netflix doubles down on Tony Hinchcliffe with new specials

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LISA GANSKY/CREATIVE COMMONS

TONY HINCHCLIFFE ONSTAGE IN 2017, years before his Trump rally jokes about Latinos and controversial Netflix deal.

Elaina Barreto Lead Opinion Editor

’m not sure what qualifies a comedian to judge other comedians, but I don’t think mixing humor with racial stereotypes is the answer. Tony Hinchcliffe, who became known for his racist remarks targeting minorities at a Trump rally in October, recently signed a deal with Netflix.

His deal consists of a solo stand-up special and three spin-off specials for “Kill Tony,” his podcast. In the specials, Hinchcliffe and other panelists will judge aspiring comedians.

This Netflix deal is an insult to the Hispanic community and oth-

er minority communities who have been targeted by Hinchcliffe’s insensitive comedy.

During his Trump rally speech last year, Hinchliffe made multiple jabs towards Latinos. One joke included mocking Latinos’ stereotypical huge families.

“It’s wild. And these Latinos, they love making babies too, just know that. They do. They do.

There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country,” Hinchcliffe said.

The double-meaning in his “pulling out” and “coming inside” joke directed at Latinos, the “baby-makers,” made me feel physically disgusted. No family, regardless of ethnicity, should be looked down

upon because of its many members.

I’ve never once looked at my large extended family during family reunions and thought, “Wow, we love making babies.” Instead, I look at my family and admire their accomplishments and stories. I strive to be like them: not procreators, but rather, persevering people.

Unfortunately, Hinchcliffe’s lame Latino-based jokes continued by attacking Puerto Rico, the place from which my family originates.

“I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. Yeah. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” Hinchcliffe said.

---------------- Continued on pg. 13

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Distribution Process Tower is hand-delivered on the day of publication to the Upper School. 550 copies are printed. A copy is sent to each of our advertisers.

Scholastic Press Affiliations, Letters and Editorial Policy Tower is the winner of the Pacemaker Award for Overall Excellence, an award-winning member of the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), Journalism Education Association (JEA) and Quill and Scroll. We encourage Letters to the Editor, which can be submitted to the following email address: TowerEditors@MastersNY.org. Published approximately six times a year, Tower is a public forum, with its Editorial Board making all decisions concerning content. Commentaries and opinion columns are the expressed opinion of the author and not of Tower and its Editorial Board or its advisers. Furthermore, the opinions conveyed are not those of The Masters School, faculty, or staff. Unsigned editorials express views of the majority of the Editorial Board.

TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

OP-ED

5

Model minorities face unattainable expectations

Eunice Wang Columnist

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hey are so damn good at math.”

“Oh, he barely speaks. But I know he has the highest grade in the class.”

“They wear those glasses.”

“I don’t think they leave campus… always studying, you know.”

“Too perfect.”

You might already have a picture of the person that these quotes are talking about. These remarks, some made half-jokingly and others half-believingly, are just of a few that I’ve overheard at lunch chats, hallways and conversations. Chinese, or more broadly, the Asian identities, are often reduced to a narrow and hyper-academic stereotype: silent, robotic achievers that score high but speak very little. The so-called “mod-

el-minority.”

Coined by sociologist William Petersen in his 1966 New York Times Magazine article, “model minority” was used to describe Japanese Americans that had managed to succeed both academically and economically despite discrimination. Over time, this term applied to the broader Asian community - naturally smart, hard working, quiet and obedient.

This may seem like a compliment at first glance- but it is not.

“I tried to be friends with them and practice my English, but I couldn’t fit in with the lunch table.”

“They didn’t include me in their nights out because they assumed I would be studying for that math test.”

“I just stayed with my Chinese friends.”

These are samples of conversations I had with Asian students both on and off Masters campus. They reflect the isolation that is lost under the surface-level success stories.

The model minority myth is not just about how others see us. It shapes how we begin to see ourselves too. When we are constantly told that we are good at a subject and too busy for fun, it’s easy to internalize that model. I start to wonder if being anything else than perfect is a disappointment. I stop raising my hand unless I am sure the answer is right, or it seems intelligent.

Friendships become complicated.

People assume you are too serious, or that your social circle is self-sustained or boring. Teachers may expect excellence because of your history of success.

The worst part? There is no space to fail.

Being seen as a “model minority” makes you feel valuable only when you are making progress, only when you are achieving. It also erases the

diversity within the Asian community. Not every Asian student comes from a well resourced background and receives top SAT prep. Not every story is one of “success” – top grades, top colleges, smart, etc. Lumping 20 million Asian Americans into one stereotype means ignoring the wide range of identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, languages and experiences that exist in our community.

The one-dimensional narrative should stop defining multidimensional people. Regardless of ethnicity, we all have a range of passions and interests that may not be related to academics. Test scores, expectations, should not be the forefront defining factor of who we are. Maybe next time instead of assuming, we should start asking. And instead of labeling, we should start listening.

RONI BARKEN/TOWER

ASIAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS FREQUENTLY FEEL the pressures and generalizations that result from being a so-called “model minorty.” They are expected to achieve constant success regardless of differing backgrounds and priorities. These presumptions can cause Asian-Americans to feel valuable only when they are achieving the very specific type of success expected of them.

Re-rock the casbah:

Why the World Needs Punk Rock Again

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Annadele Dyott Columnist

erhaps what I look forward to the most every day is the brief period from 4- 4:30 p.m. where I blissfully ignore all existing research and scroll on social media.

During this scroll I encounter “tradwife” vlogs and swipe through “prom dress inspiration” posts that seem to have an inexplicable fear of bright colors. I press “like” on a friend’s mom’s photo at the NYC “Hands off!” protest, noticing a lot more moms than friends before I close my phone for the time being and distract myself instead by blasting The Clash’s 1979 London Calling and finishing my US History notes on Reagan’s presidency.

The Clash was an influential British punk rock band that dominated the scene in the 70s and 80s. As cliché as it sounds, their punchy tracks have a particular quality that makes me want to put down my phone and lace up some combat boots. The Clash epitomizes the punk rock movement in a way even the renowned Sex Pistols

in the hands of the people rich enough to buy it.”

The Clash’s music continued to be inherently political. Their second studio album, London Calling, brought punk rock to the masses in 1979. The title track ominously suggests that the threat of war is very much still looming, and the rest of the album comments on other social issues from famine to nuclear annihilation. By now, the Clash was leading the punk movement on both sides of the Atlantic, eventually becoming more popular in the United States than the UK. Unlike many of the artists of the time, the Clash developed their music to “fit the rhythm of the lyrics,” said guitarist Mick Jones, not the other way around. Their music was written to have “the urgency of a news report”, commenting quite explicitly on current events. A favorite song of mine, and one of their most popular, “Rock the Casbah,” is a playful track about the persecution of Iranian people for JOHN JOE COFFEY/FLICKR listening to popular music off their JOE STRUMER, THE CLASH’S lead singer, plays at a show in Philadelphia in 1980. The band dominated the punk scene in the 80s, capturing the collective psyche of an entire nation. Their unapologetic 1982 album, Combat Rock. The song represents the band’s rebellious charstyle and powerful lyrics helped them define an era, and their message still rings true even today. acter- resisting persecution through cannot; where others were reactionary lice brutality that plagued London. the Black residents of Notting Hill music. “Rocking the Casbah” is rising and brash, The Clash was committed Obnoxiously bourgeois “glam-rock” and the police force culminated in an up against oppression, and jamming and insightful. The movement they dominated the charts, blasting over episode of riots and police violence out. created was by every means a product the very real, glamorless lives of the at the Notting Hill Carnival in 1976.

If nothing else, The Clash asks you of the climate of the time. working class. The stage was set for a This conflict inspired their first sin- to get your head out of the sand. IndifBy the mid-70s, England’s post- punk revolution. gle, “White Riot”, that called upon ference is out, action is in. They funcwar prosperity had fizzled out and its Living in the then fragmented the white working class to join the tioned under no law but their own and people were confronted with inflation, neighborhood of Notting Hill, Lon- Black-led fight against working class knew nothing of censorship. We have unemployment and dwindling social don, a young Joe Strummer and Paul oppression, criticizing people’s com- a lot to learn from The Clash’s unapolservice programs. The poor economy Simonon, the band’s soon-to-be fort in comfort. Strummer’s lyrics ogetic resistance. only worsened the existing societal founders, had a unique viewpoint on commented on the dynamics that led issues of racism, xenophobia and po- the world. Growing tension between up to the riots, saying “All the power’s

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TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

OP-ED

Revolution then, resistance now: America’s enduring legacy of dissent

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Ayanna Beckett Visuals Director & Opinion Editor

n the minds of many Americans, the Revolutionary War is more than a fight for independence. It is, in many ways, a symbol of what it means to be American, to be self-ruled and free from tyranny. The Revolution is engraved into the ethos of our nation as a statement of the core of American values, freedom, democracy and the right to self-deterROSE YUAN/TOWER mination.

AYANNA BECKETT ARGUES THAT American liberty has always However, today, the relationship required disruption. As modern rights are stripped away, she calls for a between the act of revolution and revival of the revolutionary spirit that once defined the nation. freedom is far more complicated.

While the ideals of the Revolution laid bracing resistance as a moral imper- slaved, Native Americans were disthe foundation of America, the reality ative. The spirit of the Revolution placed from their ancestral lands, of who has access to those ideals con- was built on the belief that the only and women were not allowed any tinues to be contested. The promise way to secure our independence was real participation in society. While that “all men are created equal” was through direct and violent resistance, fighting for freedom, early Amerinever truly extended to all—and that whether it be with armed resistance, cans were also actively and systemgap remains painfully visible today. riots or public demonstrations. atically oppressing other groups, a For instance, the Boston Tea Par- problem that persists even today. ty, perhaps the most famous and imTHEN pactful act of resistance preceding the NOW Revolution, was an act of destruction.

In 1775, if you asked a colonist, The battles of the war itself were deadIn modern-day America, most “What is freedom?” you likely would ly, with tens of thousands of casual- would like to say that we have achave heard a response like “equal ties. Entire cities were thrown into quired the freedom that our Foundrepresentation in government” or chaos. The revolution completely dis- ing Fathers sought for us to have “independence from the British.” rupted the economy, the government and expanded that definition to For colonists, freedom was defined and daily life. This wasn’t a peaceful include all people. From the Sufin clear and immediate terms and request for change; it required a war. frage to the Civil Rights Movement, securing that freedom meant taking Yet, even as colonists fought those who were excluded from that action. That action meant taking up for their own liberty, they denied original definition have fought their arms, disrupting daily life and emit to others. Black people were en- way into having a seat at the table.

Yet, with every passing day, people are denied access to these freedoms.

In state after state, basic rights are being rolled back. Voting rights are being suppressed. LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender youth, are being denied access to gender-affirming care and are targeted by laws that seek to erase them from public life.

Women’s bodily autonomy is under siege through abortion bans and restrictions on reproductive healthcare.

Immigrants are being mass-deported.

Diversity, equity and inclusion programs are being dismantled in universities, schools, workplaces, government institutions and even museums.

These aren’t just policy changes. These are direct assaults on the freedoms that our country claims to cherish.

THE MYTH OF POLITE PROTEST

Today, methods for securing freedom have shifted away from violent demonstrations. Most modern movements use the power of peaceful protest to object to oppression.

Movements like Black Lives Matter, the fight for LGTBQIA+ rights, and calls for economic justice continue to use peaceful protest petitions and political advocacy to address systematic inequalities. But as these movements grow, so does the pressure for them to remain respectful and quiet.

Samuel L. Jackson put it best in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show: America does not like

it when a protest is “too loud, too reckless and too ghetto.” But history shows us that real change rarely comes without disruption.

The Civil Rights Movement succeeded not because it was polite but precisely because it was inconvenient. It disrupted commerce and policy. Disruption might make the common American uncomfortable, but it is the only way to truly promote peace because a society can not be fully at peace when there are people who are not treated equally.

FREEDOM REQUIRES PRESSURE When more rights are taken away, when transgender youth are denied health care, when immigrants are mass deported, when DEI initiatives are being shut down around the country, protests that simply “raise awareness” aren’t enough. Change happens when people in power are made uncomfortable and when inaction becomes more costly than reform.

We no longer use muskets, but the fight is far from over. Now, we protest, we organize, we vote, but above all, we must remain willing to disrupt comfort in the service of justice. If we truly believe in the ideals the nation was built on, we must be ready to defend them, especially when they are under threat.

Seventeenth century blues: Reviving mercantilism and sabotaging the freedom of the free world

T

Alex Kritzer Columnist

here was a time not so impossibly long ago when the global economy was unrecognizable. Mercantilism, a trade doctrine focused on the zero-sum accumulation of wealth, reigned in world affairs: nations established exclusive imperial spheres of influence with sky-high tariffs and minimized imports from all outsiders with the goal of total self-reliance. The natural outcome of this lack of economic interdependence was constant colonial conflict. The lesson? In a world before international institutions, without global free markets of comparative advantage, peace was simply less profitable than war. With the modern

world volatile as ever, protectionism has become popular, particularly in the Trump administration. Even total autarchy seems to be alluring once more.

But history, as always, is the lesson for why we shouldn’t be tempted.

The world order which slowly replaced mercantilism -- now called “capitalism” -- was much different. Built around the revolutionary Anglo-Dutch invention of the joint stock company, it incentivized predictable legal systems enshrining property rights to make international commerce worthwhile, giving rise to democracy, liberty and the rule of law. Capitalism ruled as the global status quo for over three centuries, inspiring liberal revolutions against the previous mercantile structures, like the Glorious Revolution in Britain and the American Revolution.

Eventually it created the world of unprecedented economic interconnectedness we inhabit today.

On April 2, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on over 180 countries, verifying the world’s worst fears that America had abandoned not just leadership in the Western alliance but its place in the liberal international order altogether. I am not the type to make broad, overly-certain predictions of the future -- but if I am allowed one, I anticipate that “Liberation Day” will be celebrated in Moscow, Beijing and Tehran for many generations to come.

I will not reiterate the collapse of liberalism in trans-national order, nor ruminate on what precisely the Chinese

Century will mean for us, as many others have already done. Instead, I intend to consider more specifically what the administration intends this post-capitalist global future to look like.

Unfortunately, it seems, Trump’s view of trade policy resembles the mercantilism of pre-democratic global orders almost to a tee. In his perception, trade is an inerrant dichotomy, so far from the truth of economics as understood that it shouldn’t be surprising nobody’s attempted it in over three hundred years: you’re either getting a “good deal”, or you’re being “ripped off”.

This may sound petulant and childish -- it is. But it also stands in almost exact overlap with the classical mercantilist theory of trade: that a nation should produce everything it needs domestically or within its own imperial sphere of influence, exporting maximally and importing only the bare minimum.

In much the same way, Trumpism insists that trade deficits are universally toxic. Entirely zero-sum, it essentially fails to acknowledge even the possibility that an economic exchange between state actors can benefit both parties. It has no regard for the role of economic interdependence in sustaining peace and democracy, nor even an awareness of the basic truth that no single country is fit to produce every necessary good more efficiently than all conceivable foreign competitors: it only takes into account the short-term bottom line.

As in mercantilism, in Trumpism the chief recipient of revenue is the state and a select few cronyistic national companies (Tesla, anyone?) -- not individual capitalist producers broadly. Likewise, we can consider how the mercantile view of economics led to colonial expansion to prevent importing natural resources by acquiring them for oneself: what else can one call the Trump administration’s obsession with annexing Greenland for its abundant rare earth metals and natural gas?

Trump’s America also has an imperial touch in foreign policy. It disregards all alliances, except those temporary ones which are purely transactional. It bullies Ukraine into forking over mineral resources, for instance, totally ignoring the need for a like-minded coalition of states against an adversary (because, of course, it sees dictatorships and democracies as equally adversarial on the same incidental basis).

What we are witnessing is not the deranged kamikaze of America’s diplomatic and economic hegemony for isolationist clout, as many intelligent people have concluded for lack of a better answer. It is a deliberate attempt to reverse the global order to its pre-capitalist consensus of mercantile empire: to the days of might-makes-right.

Most by now see something deeply illiberal in Trumpism, and many have even made comparisons to fascism or other forms of autocracy from the past century. But Trumpism is no artifact

ROSE YUAN/TOWER

ALEX KRITZER SEES TRUMP’S tariffs as a return to 17th-century mercantilism. He warns that this shift threatens to unravel the global order that upholds democracy. of the twentieth century -- it is of the seventeenth century, and this fact is essential.

This doctrine is so draconian and antiquated that it has not been implemented at scale since before the American Revolution. And if it should ultimately triumph, no matter how many delays it might take, April 2nd’s game of global economics proves one thing: liberal capitalism is over. Mercantilism is back. The redcoats have returned.

TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

OP-ED

7

A New Coach Can Revive the Masters Saber Fencing Team Helen Gao Contributing Writer

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ith an elegant lunge in The Masters School’s promo videos, featuring the new and advanced fencing studio, Masters honors the legacy of the fencing program.

Many current faculty members were a part of the team, such as Gabrielle Torres ‘16, Associate Director of Admissions. According to Torres, she was the varsity saber captain and led the team to the top of the ISFL fencing league. In Tower sports news 2018, the Masters saber team was still top in the league.

However, after the retirement of coach Francisco Martin in 2021, a former Olympic fencing captain, the Masters saber team plunged into a downturn, challenged by newly advanced schools like Riverdale or Hackley.

For two years, the Master saber team struggled both in practice and game due to the absence of coaching and relied solely on the guidance of student captains.

Practicing without a coach is inev-

itably ineffective. New fencers don’t know how to improve without proper support, thus hardly reaching their potential. In contrast, Torres, who started saber with zero experience as well, reached fifth in the individual tournament. She noted, “My coach, Francisco Martin, knows where my strengths are, so I can maximize myself.”

During games, time-outs are the most desperate moments. Time-outs are pauses for recovery or attention.

Contrary to its nature, Masters saber fencers endure intensified anxiety.

While staring at the opponent’s coach excitedly boosts their confidence and provides guidance, we have no one to turn to, instead we hoped to figure it out by ourselves, like abandoned kids.

Occasionally, referees even take pity and offer guidance.

According to a blog from the fencing academy, coaches observe games and give specialized strategies adapting to the opponent’s fencing style: offensive, defensive, left-handed, tall, fast, etc.

Furthermore, since saber features fast-paced footwork, judges can hardly see every single movement. Thus, the referee’s decision is largely subjective and ambiguous, which makes teams’ self-advocacy necessary. A team with

an authoritative adult figure—a coach— for coaches in the city, commuting to a compass; strong horses without talpossesses natural advantages when de- Westchester is an obstacle. However, ent scouts. The frustration is palpable, if Masters were to offer more financial mixed with fear that our best days are bating for justice.

Torres recalled, “We faced some compensation, the job offer would be behind us. A new coach will be a reliable pillar calming our nerves, supporttechnological difficulties and referees more attractive.

As a member of the saber team, I ing us to “Do it with thy might”, and could make mistakes sometimes, but our coach was pretty good at advocat- urge Masters to more actively recruit a changing the saber program’s future. coach. The saber team is made of young ing for us.”

It could be argued that popular or people with dreams and ambitions to well-established sports, such as the chase. But we are navigators without boys basketball team, deserve more funding than small and niche fencing programs. Indeed, since different sports demand different levels of need, the funding distribution is never equal. That said, the Masters Athletic program should prioritize equitable growth.

Essential resources, like coaches, must be secured.

ELLIE HISE/TOWER Some may sugTHE MASTERS SABER FENCING team has been missing a coach since 2021 gest that saber after former coach and Olympian, Francisco Martin, retired. Gao argues that a new coaches are just coach will bring life and victories back to the team. rare. Admittedly,

Cherish Those Who Have Loved You the Longest Olivia Shim Contributing Writer

W

e often feel the need to present our best selves to others, to be kind and patient, showing a side of us we wish to be known. However, in the comfort of those who know us most intimately, we sometimes let down our guard. We roll our eyes. We sigh too loudly. We scoff and remark ‘I didn’t mean it.’ It is strange how the people who love us most often bear the sharpest edges of our frustrations.

We hold the door for someone at school, but let it slam in front of our parents. We say “thank you” to the barista but forget to acknowledge the people who cooked a thousand meals for us. We assume they’ll understand. We assume they’ll forgive.

However, what we do not consider is that while they may forgive, they may not forget.

This emotional disconnection between teenagers and their parents is a common issue. While it is often dismissed as a normal phase of growing up, the long-term consequences of neglecting these relationships can be profound as parent-child relationships significantly impact emotional development. According to the American Psychological Association, children who maintain positive relationships with their parents exhibit higher emotional intelligence, better stress management, and increased empathy.

Research from Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child also suggests that strong parental bonds in adolescence correlate with reduced

RONI BARKAN/TOWER

DRIFTING AWAY FROM PARENTS is what is said to be normal during the teenage years of someone’s life. However, Shim argues that kids sharing appreciation for the work and love parents provide is important for the mental wellbeing of both parties and their relationship. risks of depression and anxiety in adulthood.

So why do we treat the people who love us the most with the least kindness? What can we do to bridge the emotional gap?

Some may argue that it is normal for teenagers to be distant from their parents, that it is a phase of ad-

olescence. While there is some truth in this, it does not justify normalizing distant relationships. Our parents are not invincible; they too carry the weight of their own struggles. They may not always show it, but they, too, need kindness.

One common suggestion is to simply “give teenagers space” and

SPRING CROSSWORD

let them grow out of this phase.

While developing independence is an important skill, completely stepping back can widen the emotional gap. Without consistent efforts to maintain connection, teenagers may further drift away, and parents may feel increasingly lonely.

The solution lies in small, consis-

tent acts of kindness and gratitude.

Checking in with parents, asking about their day, offering a genuine thank ­— you — can bridge the emotional gap we so often create.

Research from the APA’s Specialty Petition for Couple and Family Psychology highlights the lasting influence of these parent-child relationships, demonstrating that family dynamics shape an individual’s interpersonal skills and longterm emotional well-being.

Some day, we’ll look back and wish we had been kinder. Because when they are gone, we will not remember the small annoyance that made us snap. We will remember the love they had given us, the fondest memories, and we’ll hope they remembered the love we gave back.

So before you sigh or roll your eyes, pause. Look at them. Listen.

Really listen to them. Speak to them the way you’ll wish you had—as if it is the last time, because someday, it will be.

Across 5. Club facing cancellation that brings together students in discourse 7. Dehumanizing mode of transport shown in a Holocaust-related feature 9. University neighbor with strong athletic ties 10. Final stretch before summer Down 1. April fundraising blitz that connects with Masters alumni 2. You might clean it out this season 3. Comedian followed by controversy, now on Netflix 4. Senior’s urge to clock out when it’s 70° and sunny 6. Spring fundraiser to fight food insecurity, one step at a time 8. March and April-born zodiac sign with horns 9. Month before showers and flowers ADAMLHUMPHREYS/CREATIVE COMMONS OZANT/CREATIVE COMMONS

8

FEATURES

TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

JUNIOR SEBBY SIMKIN HELPS advertise a pottery raffle in support of My Sister’s Place, which was also present at MISH’s day of service. Ben Kremnev made pots outside the Dining Hall which will be distributed to raffle winners. Kremnev is pictured on the front cover.

TOWER STAFF

GR

Elaina Barreto Lead Opinion Editor “[Students] are the seeds of hope…[they] are leaders. It’s important to me that when they go out in the world…[they will] be conscious of what incarceration is, and the impact it has some black and brown communities, especially in poor communities. Hopefully that would encourage [them] to bring about policies that are more beneficial to black and brown people rather than [ones that hurt] them,” Hector “Bori” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez was incarcerated for 27 years and two months. During that time, he participated in several educational programs, such as Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), an organization that teaches incarcerated individuals different art forms.

Rodriguez reflected on his childhood, spirit and the human condition by creating art using watercolor, ink, acrylic and other discarded items. Several of his art pieces, such as “Sustento de Espiritu” and “Nature Echoes”, are displayed outside of the Claudia Boettcher Theater (CBT) along with other formerly incarcerated and incarcerated individuals’ artwork. On Monday, April 7, Rodriguez visited Masters to speak to students during Morning Meeting about his journey from early

The Rivertowns CROP Hunger Walk returned for its 25th year on Sunday, April 6, with organizers hoping to step in where federal support has fallen short.

Hosted by the Irvington Presbyterian Church (ICP), the annual event brought together local organizations, youth groups, congregations and neighbors for a shared goal: to mobilize 200 walkers and raise $20,000 for hunger relief.

“For the last 25 years, we’ve hosted the CROP Hunger Walk, which is a national movement started by faithbased organizations trying to address food scarcity and hunger,” said Rev. Blaine Crawford, Minister of Word & Sacrament at Irvington Presbyterian Church. “It has grown here in the Rivertowns community to not just include Irvington Presbyterian Church, but people from all different houses of worship, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and more, all focused on trying to address issues of food scarcity in our communities.”

CROP Hunger Walks first launched 55 years ago through the Church World Service under the name “Christian Rural Overseas Program,” originally focusing on sending grain from the Midwest to communities in need. Today, the walks continue with the same guiding mission: “No one in this world should be hungry.” Funds raised went to support both global and local hunger relief, from Church World Services international efforts to Feeding Westchester and the Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry.

I N TH E D A RK ES P LAC ES T

childhood to incarceration joining the RTA program. ferent family members that raised He also visited classes, such him during his childhood. When Roas a Spanish and AP Art and Design driguez was four, his mother left him class, where he continued speaking in Puerto Rico after her father gave about his experience in prison, the im- her the option to work on a U.S. farm. portance of higher education and the Rodriguez then lived briefly with his arts. In the AP Art and Design class, grandfather, who passed away soon taught by Upper School Visual Arts after.

Chair Cheryl He was then adHajjar, students opted by his aunt, “ often particiwho cared for him pate in Harkness Education is key. and taught him discussions in Education is hugely about table manwhich they share ners, etiquette important, whether their artwork and how to behave with the class you’re studying visual around people and ask for feed- art, music, economics, before she died of back. When Ro- biology, education is a breast cancer two driguez visited, kind of freedom,” years later. Evenhe had the optually, his uncle -Cheryl Hajjar portunity to join from Philadelphia the discussion took him in. and view students’ work. Hajjar said While living with his uncle, Rodrithat while most students would make guez said he was thrown into a comcomments about their peers’ artwork pletely different world. His uncle was and point out areas that may need abusive to his wife and children and more attention, Rodriguez would got eight-year-old Rodriguez involved ask the students questions that made in selling drugs. He also did not tolerthem think about what they created ate any of his family members being and how they created it much more bullied, and raised Rodriguez to bedeeply. lieve that hurting other people was Much of Rodriguez’s artwork fo- the only way to make others respect cuses on ecofeminism, incarceration him. Rodriguez said his childhood of and Caribbean images that reflect his hardship and instability led him to feel childhood memories and views of so- resentment towards his mother, since ciety. she never made an attempt to contact In a broadcast episode of Wave Rodriguez after she abandoned him. farm, Rodriguez discusses the difOnce he realized he didn’t want to

“

resolve everything through violence, Rodriguez said he began looking for programs in prison that would help him articulate his thoughts and express himself in ways he could not while growing up. A parenting program he joined taught him that parents usually raise their child based on how they were raised, making him realize he had to forgive his mother for leaving him as a young boy.

His mother, who had suffered abuse as child, gave birth to Rodriguez at age 19; his father was 52 at the time. Rodriguez said that because of his mother’s traumatic experiences, he likes to paint images of his mother and other female family members in peaceful environments in nature, to represent the peace he wishes they could experience.

He further discusses the story behind his art, writing and journey on his website, Boricreates: “When I started creating art, I aimed to depict treasured childhood moments with my mother in the Puerto Rican countryside. As time passed, my art evolved to address the struggles faced by the women in my family within a patriarchal culture and religious confines.

I began portraying female figures as sturdy trees, lively flowers, and majestic mountains, representing beauty, strength, and resilience.”

Although Rodriguez had created art before, his artistic devel-

opment expanded significantly during his incarceration, where he encountered new techniques and platforms for creation. In prison, he started by using colored pencils to create simple drawings. Then, after moving to Green Haven correctional facility, he was introduced to a new art form, leather making, at a hobby shop that was set up in the institution.

Eventually, Rodriguez joined RTA after expressing interest in painting a backdrop of a production that was being organized in the facility by RTA. RTA offers classes in theater, dance, music, writing and visual arts. While Rodriguez did not participate in the visual arts classes offered by RTA, the classes were another way in which many individuals discovered art for the first time.

Hajjar has worked with RTA to teach visual arts classes to incarcerated people since 2007. In her classes, she said she tries to follow a curriculum that replicates a college art course.

This includes basic foundational lessons about drawing, color theory and painting.

Through the writing, art and theater classes offered by RTA, incarcerated individuals are given the opportunity to develop their identities and help process what is happening in their world.

“Hector speaks beautifully about the choices that he made. After making a whole series of really bad choic-

FEATURES

9

Hunger Walk rallies community Rooke Wiser Editor-in-Chief

O WS

This year’s theme, “Bridge the Gap,” references both the literal walk to the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and the metaphorical gap caused by federal aid cuts to food assistance and social programs. “Since the pandemic, the demand at food pantries, even locally in Sleepy Hollow and Dobbs Ferry, has gone up exponentially. Further cuts at this time just put more people at risk, including many children,” said Rev. Crawford.

The day kicked off at 2 p.m. with a “Pre-walk Palooza,” on the ICP’s front lawn. Attendees, even those who were not walking, were invited and gathered to enjoy raffles, pizza, T-shirts (while they lasted) and an interfaith prayer setting off the looped walk to the bridge’s Welcome Center and back.

MaryJane Shimsky, a New York State Assembly member representing District 92, which includes Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, and Hastings-on-Hudson, highlighted these cuts. “We are going to have so much trouble with all the federal budget cuts, making sure that all of our residents have a decent life, including enough food to eat,” said Shimsky. “We are already in the midst of a big affordability crisis, as people know, and the Trump administration is cutting $1.5 billion from food relief to groups like Feeding Westchester and our food pantries.

Last year’s walk drew about 70 participants and raised $7,500. This time, organizers hoped that the shrinking support for food programs would spark even greater turnout and support.

Paul Feiner, who has served as the Town Supervisor of Greenburgh for 34 years, emphasized the event’s role. “I came out here today because I don’t want to be silent, and I’m really horrified by the cuts that President Trump is making relating to food programs,” Feiner said.

“When I stop by the Dobbs Ferry food pantry, I’m really surprised how many people I know who are taking advantage

es, at one point he really started making choices in his favor to develop himself as a human,” Hajjar said. “[Hector will] chuckle when he talks now about how he’s 50 years old and he’s going for his master’s degree for the first time, but what’s wrong with that?”

In addition to RTA classes, incarcerated individuals are also presented with education opportunities through programs such as the Bard Prison Initiative, a program that brings Bard College courses to prisons to give in-

studying visual art, music, economics, biology, education is a kind of freedom,” Hajjar said.

As RTA shows, with the 1.8 million people incarcerated in the U.S., supporting programs that focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment for individuals in prisons is more beneficial to their personal growth.

“What RTA did for me was that it allowed me the space to look within [myself], to explore the different things that were going inside of me, in a

of the food program.”

Feiner added, “A lot of people think it’s only the homeless who need help, but these are professionals. These are your neighbors, people we know in the community who can’t afford to eat. It’s really horrible.”

The full route spanned 3.75 miles, with a group turning back at Lyndhurst for an easier, 2.25-mile journey. The event welcomed all ages and offered multiple ways to participate, including walking, donating, sponsoring a team or simply showing up.

“What we are going to have to do as a community is come out to events like this, donate wherever we can, volunteer wherever we can, to ensure everyone in our community has enough to eat, especially as other services fall by the wayside,” Shimsky said.

Rev. Crawford captured the spirit of the day: “It’s not just thinking it in our head, it’s not just feeling it in our heart. There’s something about getting into action, feeling it throughout our feet and our legs, that moves us beyond just this head knowledge we might have. We are meant to embody our values, not just think our values or post about our values.”

DAY OF SERVICE See Tower.MastersNY.org for full article

MISH gathered eight organizations on April 5, for a campus wide day of community service. In addition to AFYA, the organizations included:

THE SHARING SHELF

Combats clothing insecurity by providing children and teens in need with clothing.

PAWS WITH A CAUSE

Enhances independence and the quality of life for people with disabilities through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.

MY SISTER’S PLACE

Works to end domestic violence and human trafficking by providing free education, outreach, and legal services,

GRASSROOTS GROCERIES

Fighting for dignified food access for all, activate communities by getting fresh food to those in need.

FEEDING WESTCHESTER

Helps with food insecurities throughout Westchester.

ELLA LIU/TOWER

CHERYL HAJJAR SPEAKS TO members of faculty, Ellen Cowhey, Laura Danforth and her wife Paula Chu at the exhibit opening. dividuals an opportunity to receive a higher education while incarcerated.

By reflecting on their past actions and character, it is easier for individuals to focus on their education.

“Education is key. Education is hugely important, whether you’re

safe space with a group of people that were like minded. The volunteers that were coming in [the prison], their human touch, like their kindness, their empathy, and things like that, kind of modeled something for me that I didn’t experience before,” Rodriguez said.

ALL ILLUSTRATION BY JENNY XU

REPAIR CAFE

Repair broken things and encourage sustainability.

HEARTS & HOMES FOR REFUGEES

Inspire, educate, and equip volunteers, neighbors, and community organizations to resettle refugees and rebuild life.

8

FEATURES

TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

JUNIOR SEBBY SIMKIN HELPS advertise a pottery raffle in support of My Sister’s Place, which was also present at MISH’s day of service. Ben Kremnev made pots outside the Dining Hall which will be distributed to raffle winners. Kremnev is pictured on the front cover.

TOWER STAFF

GR

Elaina Barreto Lead Opinion Editor “[Students] are the seeds of hope…[they] are leaders. It’s important to me that when they go out in the world…[they will] be conscious of what incarceration is, and the impact it has some black and brown communities, especially in poor communities. Hopefully that would encourage [them] to bring about policies that are more beneficial to black and brown people rather than [ones that hurt] them,” Hector “Bori” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez was incarcerated for 27 years and two months. During that time, he participated in several educational programs, such as Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), an organization that teaches incarcerated individuals different art forms.

Rodriguez reflected on his childhood, spirit and the human condition by creating art using watercolor, ink, acrylic and other discarded items. Several of his art pieces, such as “Sustento de Espiritu” and “Nature Echoes”, are displayed outside of the Claudia Boettcher Theater (CBT) along with other formerly incarcerated and incarcerated individuals’ artwork. On Monday, April 7, Rodriguez visited Masters to speak to students during Morning Meeting about his journey from early

The Rivertowns CROP Hunger Walk returned for its 25th year on Sunday, April 6, with organizers hoping to step in where federal support has fallen short.

Hosted by the Irvington Presbyterian Church (ICP), the annual event brought together local organizations, youth groups, congregations and neighbors for a shared goal: to mobilize 200 walkers and raise $20,000 for hunger relief.

“For the last 25 years, we’ve hosted the CROP Hunger Walk, which is a national movement started by faithbased organizations trying to address food scarcity and hunger,” said Rev. Blaine Crawford, Minister of Word & Sacrament at Irvington Presbyterian Church. “It has grown here in the Rivertowns community to not just include Irvington Presbyterian Church, but people from all different houses of worship, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and more, all focused on trying to address issues of food scarcity in our communities.”

CROP Hunger Walks first launched 55 years ago through the Church World Service under the name “Christian Rural Overseas Program,” originally focusing on sending grain from the Midwest to communities in need. Today, the walks continue with the same guiding mission: “No one in this world should be hungry.” Funds raised went to support both global and local hunger relief, from Church World Services international efforts to Feeding Westchester and the Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry.

I N TH E D A RK ES P LAC ES T

childhood to incarceration joining the RTA program. ferent family members that raised He also visited classes, such him during his childhood. When Roas a Spanish and AP Art and Design driguez was four, his mother left him class, where he continued speaking in Puerto Rico after her father gave about his experience in prison, the im- her the option to work on a U.S. farm. portance of higher education and the Rodriguez then lived briefly with his arts. In the AP Art and Design class, grandfather, who passed away soon taught by Upper School Visual Arts after.

Chair Cheryl He was then adHajjar, students opted by his aunt, “ often particiwho cared for him pate in Harkness Education is key. and taught him discussions in Education is hugely about table manwhich they share ners, etiquette important, whether their artwork and how to behave with the class you’re studying visual around people and ask for feed- art, music, economics, before she died of back. When Ro- biology, education is a breast cancer two driguez visited, kind of freedom,” years later. Evenhe had the optually, his uncle -Cheryl Hajjar portunity to join from Philadelphia the discussion took him in. and view students’ work. Hajjar said While living with his uncle, Rodrithat while most students would make guez said he was thrown into a comcomments about their peers’ artwork pletely different world. His uncle was and point out areas that may need abusive to his wife and children and more attention, Rodriguez would got eight-year-old Rodriguez involved ask the students questions that made in selling drugs. He also did not tolerthem think about what they created ate any of his family members being and how they created it much more bullied, and raised Rodriguez to bedeeply. lieve that hurting other people was Much of Rodriguez’s artwork fo- the only way to make others respect cuses on ecofeminism, incarceration him. Rodriguez said his childhood of and Caribbean images that reflect his hardship and instability led him to feel childhood memories and views of so- resentment towards his mother, since ciety. she never made an attempt to contact In a broadcast episode of Wave Rodriguez after she abandoned him. farm, Rodriguez discusses the difOnce he realized he didn’t want to

“

resolve everything through violence, Rodriguez said he began looking for programs in prison that would help him articulate his thoughts and express himself in ways he could not while growing up. A parenting program he joined taught him that parents usually raise their child based on how they were raised, making him realize he had to forgive his mother for leaving him as a young boy.

His mother, who had suffered abuse as child, gave birth to Rodriguez at age 19; his father was 52 at the time. Rodriguez said that because of his mother’s traumatic experiences, he likes to paint images of his mother and other female family members in peaceful environments in nature, to represent the peace he wishes they could experience.

He further discusses the story behind his art, writing and journey on his website, Boricreates: “When I started creating art, I aimed to depict treasured childhood moments with my mother in the Puerto Rican countryside. As time passed, my art evolved to address the struggles faced by the women in my family within a patriarchal culture and religious confines.

I began portraying female figures as sturdy trees, lively flowers, and majestic mountains, representing beauty, strength, and resilience.”

Although Rodriguez had created art before, his artistic devel-

opment expanded significantly during his incarceration, where he encountered new techniques and platforms for creation. In prison, he started by using colored pencils to create simple drawings. Then, after moving to Green Haven correctional facility, he was introduced to a new art form, leather making, at a hobby shop that was set up in the institution.

Eventually, Rodriguez joined RTA after expressing interest in painting a backdrop of a production that was being organized in the facility by RTA. RTA offers classes in theater, dance, music, writing and visual arts. While Rodriguez did not participate in the visual arts classes offered by RTA, the classes were another way in which many individuals discovered art for the first time.

Hajjar has worked with RTA to teach visual arts classes to incarcerated people since 2007. In her classes, she said she tries to follow a curriculum that replicates a college art course.

This includes basic foundational lessons about drawing, color theory and painting.

Through the writing, art and theater classes offered by RTA, incarcerated individuals are given the opportunity to develop their identities and help process what is happening in their world.

“Hector speaks beautifully about the choices that he made. After making a whole series of really bad choic-

FEATURES

9

Hunger Walk rallies community Rooke Wiser Editor-in-Chief

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This year’s theme, “Bridge the Gap,” references both the literal walk to the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and the metaphorical gap caused by federal aid cuts to food assistance and social programs. “Since the pandemic, the demand at food pantries, even locally in Sleepy Hollow and Dobbs Ferry, has gone up exponentially. Further cuts at this time just put more people at risk, including many children,” said Rev. Crawford.

The day kicked off at 2 p.m. with a “Pre-walk Palooza,” on the ICP’s front lawn. Attendees, even those who were not walking, were invited and gathered to enjoy raffles, pizza, T-shirts (while they lasted) and an interfaith prayer setting off the looped walk to the bridge’s Welcome Center and back.

MaryJane Shimsky, a New York State Assembly member representing District 92, which includes Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, and Hastings-on-Hudson, highlighted these cuts. “We are going to have so much trouble with all the federal budget cuts, making sure that all of our residents have a decent life, including enough food to eat,” said Shimsky. “We are already in the midst of a big affordability crisis, as people know, and the Trump administration is cutting $1.5 billion from food relief to groups like Feeding Westchester and our food pantries.

Last year’s walk drew about 70 participants and raised $7,500. This time, organizers hoped that the shrinking support for food programs would spark even greater turnout and support.

Paul Feiner, who has served as the Town Supervisor of Greenburgh for 34 years, emphasized the event’s role. “I came out here today because I don’t want to be silent, and I’m really horrified by the cuts that President Trump is making relating to food programs,” Feiner said.

“When I stop by the Dobbs Ferry food pantry, I’m really surprised how many people I know who are taking advantage

es, at one point he really started making choices in his favor to develop himself as a human,” Hajjar said. “[Hector will] chuckle when he talks now about how he’s 50 years old and he’s going for his master’s degree for the first time, but what’s wrong with that?”

In addition to RTA classes, incarcerated individuals are also presented with education opportunities through programs such as the Bard Prison Initiative, a program that brings Bard College courses to prisons to give in-

studying visual art, music, economics, biology, education is a kind of freedom,” Hajjar said.

As RTA shows, with the 1.8 million people incarcerated in the U.S., supporting programs that focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment for individuals in prisons is more beneficial to their personal growth.

“What RTA did for me was that it allowed me the space to look within [myself], to explore the different things that were going inside of me, in a

of the food program.”

Feiner added, “A lot of people think it’s only the homeless who need help, but these are professionals. These are your neighbors, people we know in the community who can’t afford to eat. It’s really horrible.”

The full route spanned 3.75 miles, with a group turning back at Lyndhurst for an easier, 2.25-mile journey. The event welcomed all ages and offered multiple ways to participate, including walking, donating, sponsoring a team or simply showing up.

“What we are going to have to do as a community is come out to events like this, donate wherever we can, volunteer wherever we can, to ensure everyone in our community has enough to eat, especially as other services fall by the wayside,” Shimsky said.

Rev. Crawford captured the spirit of the day: “It’s not just thinking it in our head, it’s not just feeling it in our heart. There’s something about getting into action, feeling it throughout our feet and our legs, that moves us beyond just this head knowledge we might have. We are meant to embody our values, not just think our values or post about our values.”

DAY OF SERVICE See Tower.MastersNY.org for full article

MISH gathered eight organizations on April 5, for a campus wide day of community service. In addition to AFYA, the organizations included:

THE SHARING SHELF

Combats clothing insecurity by providing children and teens in need with clothing.

PAWS WITH A CAUSE

Enhances independence and the quality of life for people with disabilities through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.

MY SISTER’S PLACE

Works to end domestic violence and human trafficking by providing free education, outreach, and legal services,

GRASSROOTS GROCERIES

Fighting for dignified food access for all, activate communities by getting fresh food to those in need.

FEEDING WESTCHESTER

Helps with food insecurities throughout Westchester.

ELLA LIU/TOWER

CHERYL HAJJAR SPEAKS TO members of faculty, Ellen Cowhey, Laura Danforth and her wife Paula Chu at the exhibit opening. dividuals an opportunity to receive a higher education while incarcerated.

By reflecting on their past actions and character, it is easier for individuals to focus on their education.

“Education is key. Education is hugely important, whether you’re

safe space with a group of people that were like minded. The volunteers that were coming in [the prison], their human touch, like their kindness, their empathy, and things like that, kind of modeled something for me that I didn’t experience before,” Rodriguez said.

ALL ILLUSTRATION BY JENNY XU

REPAIR CAFE

Repair broken things and encourage sustainability.

HEARTS & HOMES FOR REFUGEES

Inspire, educate, and equip volunteers, neighbors, and community organizations to resettle refugees and rebuild life.

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TOWER/APRIL. 24, 2025

OP-ED

Why it’s time to STOP performing femininity for the algorithm Neena Atkins Lead Features Editor

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n the past two decades, the cultural perception of femininity has morphed, flipped and rebranded itself over and over again. I’ve lived through the “pick me” era, the coquette resurgence, the girlboss industrial complex, Barbie feminism and more. Each iteration seems to promise freedom, a shiny new way to define femininity on our own terms. And yet, every version ultimately finds a way to wrap itself around our necks like a silk ribbon: soft, seductive, but still designed to restrict.

Rejecting femininity used to be all the rage. The early 2000s and 2010s gave us the “Cool Girl” who swore off pink, mocked rom-coms and took pride in being “one of the boys.” We thought we were shedding patriarchal expectations, but in reality, we were just embracing a different and equally constraining mold. Then came the girlboss era, when women were told we could have it all, as long as we wore the right blazer and perfected the art of the overbooked Google Calendar.

Work twice as hard, but never let them see you sweat. Be a boss, but also a bombshell. Be empowered, but not intimidating.

Today, the pendulum has swung back. Hyper-femininity is in, with pastel aesthetics, bows in our hair and ultra-girly catch phrases like “I’m just a girl” and “girl dinner.”

The Brat trend, epitomized by Charli XCX’s 2024 album, Brat, celebrated the messy party-girl archetype, while the coquette fashion trend borrows from Lolita-esque vibes, all lace and longing gazes.

CHANA KIM/TOWER

SUBCULTURES MAY GIVE THE illusion of female independence, but Neena Atkins argues against this, claiming that subcultures further entrap women into a subjugating cycle.

At first glance, this revamped traditional femininity seems like a win. We’re reclaiming softness, romanticizing our lives and rejecting the sterile “hustle” culture that exhausted us all. However, when you step back, you start to wonder – are we actually choosing this or are we swapping one set of constraints for another?

One Reddit user, @Badcluesbears, put it best: “The girls are starving for community and clear expectations.” Maybe that is what all of this really comes down to.

We want a sense of belonging, a set

of rules that tells us we are doing womanhood correctly.

Online discourse is riddled with micro-labels: clean girl, soft girl, tradwife, downtown girl, etc. Womanhood itself is almost like a trend cycle, a product to be rebranded and resold every few years. One minute we are rolling our eyes at the “dumb blonde” trope; the next, we’re romanticizing it in the name of ironic femininity.

Social media algorithms are the real girlboss now, profiting off this endless reinvention and feeding us aesthetics that turn self-expression

into performance. It’s more than just cultivating an online persona, with the heightened expectation to actually buy into these trends.

Clothing brands market prairie dresses, and previous hubs for party attire essentials such as PrettyLittleThing, now sell pieces for the tradwives and coquette girls.

Amazon shops promote beige storage bins and all-gray loungewear for the clean girls. Even your bedsheets can be part of your “vibe.”

The message is incredibly clear: if you want to belong, you better have the wardrobe and skincare routine

to prove it.

A subculture might offer community and identity, but each one comes with its own set of unspoken rules. In the ‘90s, the Riot Grrl movement aimed to express feminism through punk rebellion, yet it largely excluded women of color.

Additionally, Goth women have long used sexuality as a form of empowerment, but even within their own subculture, there was immense pressure to conform to a hyper-sexualized ideal. No matter the era, the expectation that women must be something (preferably marketable) remains.

What we’re really seeing is the same old story in a different font.

The rise, fall and rebirth of femininity trends are evidence of how deeply we seek identity and belonging in a world that keeps repackaging womanhood as a product. The pressure to be something that is easily clickable, legible and sellable, never really fades, no matter if we don pink bows or power suits.

Nevertheless, maybe womanhood isn’t something to be summarized. Maybe it doesn’t fit inside a Pinterest board. At its core, womanhood should be an expansive space to grow into, not a role to play.

We don’t need another trend cycle to tell us who we are. We need to opt out altogether. Instead of asking how to perform femininity “correctly,” we should be asking ourselves why we feel the need to perform it at all. The real rebellion is not the existential choice between “girl boss” and “coquette;” it’s refusing to be defined by trends in the first place. It is time to start defining womanhood on terms that aren’t for sale.

The new internet policies spark backlash in boarders Zara Murray Contributing Writer

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ocial media access during non-school hours has become a significant concern for boarding students, particularly international students who rely heavily on these platforms to stay connected with family and friends back home.

As of this year, Masters has introduced a no-phone and social media policy (see Community Standards: Respect for Shared Environment section on page 23) that blocks students from using social media while on the school internet. These current WiFi restrictions, which block social media access even during holidays and long weekends, have created challenges for the boarding community.

During this past Presidents Day, junior Adriana Pottier, a boarder from Spain, tried to use Instagram to message some of her friends back home, only for the page not to load. This reminded her that even though it is a long

weekend, the school wifi still restricts social media for boarders.

Many boarders run into this same issue every three-day weekend or snow day. They are unable to access social media as if it were a school day which is unfair because it is a weekend or holiday where boarders should be able to use their phones and laptops without that restriction.

Alex Cho ‘27, a boarder, said, “As a boarder, I find it very annoying that on three-day weekends, I am not able to be on social media and my WiFi cuts out at eleven pm. I think students, boarders included, should be able to enjoy their three-day weekends without treating the extra day like a school day when it clearly isn’t.”

As stated in the Student Technology Acceptable Use Policy “Use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), the Resident network and the Masters_Guest network are strictly prohibited by current students.”

This policy puts boarders in a difficult dilemma of breaking a school policy or being able to use blocked websites. This policy

states that Masters students are prohibited from using any internet connection on campus other than the official Masters WiFi network.

Laura Yuan ‘25 said, “ I totally did not know this was a policy for our school. It is really unreasonable for the school to stop us from using VPN or hot spots on the three-day weekend when I want to call my family back home but am unable to due to these restrictions.”

The school should provide boarders with the same internet access on school-designated holidays, long weekends, and other non-academic periods – as stated in the academic calendar at the beginning of each school year– that they have on weekends.

This would lift social media restrictions during these specified days, ensuring boarding students can maintain important connections with family and friends without encountering unexpected barriers. This solution respects both the school’s policies and boarding students’ personal time.

JOVEY MOLINA/TOWER

BOARDING AT MASTERS COMES with a lot of benefits, but the restrictions on the internet during weekday holidays is definitely not one of them. Murray argues that Masters should realign borders’ wifi to account for holidays.

TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

FEATURES

Investigating the relevance of historically women’s colleges

Allie Faber Lead News Editor

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enior Sarah Schlapp used to be quiet in class.

“But coming to Masters and being in classrooms, primarily with other women, I feel like I was never questioned about my worthiness of being able to make a good point in class,” she said.

When Schlapp came to Masters in sixth grade, before the Middle School fully integrated its classes to be co-ed during the 2021-22 school year, she was unaware of how formative it would be to learn in an environment where she felt like her voice was valued.

“It felt like everybody was on an equal playing field, and I never had to fight to try and get myself into the conversation.”

Because of her positive experience in a predominantly female and gender expansive classroom, Schlapp said she is excited to attend Bryn Mawr College next year – a historically women’s school.

This spring, as high school juniors begin to prepare lists of schools to apply to for the annual round of college admissions, the question is raised: are historically women’s colleges still relevant?

In the 1800s, higher education for women focused on home arts, propriety and sometimes teaching to prepare women for the domestic sphere. Curricula increasingly expanded around the turn of the century to include similar course offerings to those at colleges and universities for men, and the prestigious Seven Sisters league – a group of historically women’s colleges including Wellesley, Barnard, Smith, and others – was formally established in 1926. These early renditions of women’s colleges generally achieved their original goal: expanding access to postsecondary education to women.

Many elite institutions only start-

ed admitting women in the late 60s and early 70s. Princeton University and Yale University, for instance, did not graduate their first co-ed class until 1973.

The Case for Irrelevance

Despite historical exclusion from higher education, women make up 58% of all college students as of 2020, and 47% of women in America aged 25-34 hold bachelor’s degrees as opposed to 37% of men.

The gender gap in college-level education has existed for decades – and continues to grow, with female students now overrepresented in the higher education pool.

Women are succeeding in their careers, too. In areas like law and medicine, they are making up nearly half of the professionals in their respective industries.

The New York Times held a print discussion in 2015 where professionals debated the necessity of

historically women’s colleges in the wake of Sweet Briar College’s (later reversed) closing.

“The popular idea that single-sex education benefits women comes from anecdotes about female leaders who were educated in an era when elite colleges did not admit them. For example, Hillary Clinton attended Wellesley College, but she also graduated from Yale Law School, which was co-ed,” wrote Diane Halpern, former president of the American Psychological Association and author.

“It is precisely because girls and boys spend so much time apart, practicing different skills and relational styles, that they walk into college classrooms with different types of academic confidence and career ambition,” Lise Eliot, a neuroscience professor and author, added.

The Case for Relevance

Statistically, all women’s colleges

COLLEEN ROCHE

SARAH SCHLAPP ‘25 RELAXES on a lawn in front of Bryn Mawr college, the college she will be attending in the fall. Schalpp chose to attend Bryn Mawr because of her positive experience feeling valued and included in discussions in a predominantly-female classroom.

produce more leaders in their re- roommate to live with.

“The [Seven] Sisters communispective fields than their co-educational counterparts. Bryn Mawr’s ty is really solid. I’m in a bunch of Dean of Undergraduate Admis- Facebook groups right now, and sions, Nichole Reynolds, also makes there’s still a connection between the case that such institutions serve us, because we all have that experias “empowering, inclusive and col- ence of going to historically women’s colleges.” laborative” Politics, too, environments have played for female “Living in a world a role in the and nonbinaright now where r e s u r g e n c e ry students.

Others argue politics are the un- of women’s that attending dertone to everything, colleges. Two years into Preshistorically it feels a lot safer and ident Donald women’s colmore comfortable to Trump’s first leges inherbe around women term in 2018, ently underInside Higher cuts gender Ed published bias present -Nola Hirdt ‘26 a piece deemin co-educaing the surge tional environin yield rates ments. at histori“Attending institutions that are all about women cally women’s colleges a “Trump empowerment, and all about the idea Bump.”

Quoted in the article, administhat women are as capable of achieving and doing the things that men trators at schools like Barnard and do in society, is an amazing thing,” Bryn Mawr largely attributed their Director of College Counseling, increase in yield to current events.

In the wake of the 2016 election and Adam Gimple, said.

Although they hold more bach- the growing #MeToo movement, elor’s and master’s degrees than they said, students wrote more and men, women still only represent more about pushing back against one-third of Congress and 28% of Trump’s policies and joining social the STEM workforce. The postgrad- justice movements in their applicauate hustle to compete for intern- tion essays.

Historically women’s colleges ships, schmooze professionals and ultimately land a paying job creates and universities have a long legacy a demand for networking opportu- of political and social activism. Bryn nities. That, Carolyn Hohl ‘21 says, Mawr students were deeply involved was one of the driving reasons be- in the women’s suffrage movement, hind her choice to attend Wellesley while Barnard alumni fought for civil rights well into their professional caCollege.

“It’s definitely kind of an atmo- reers. While it’s too early right now sphere of…if I saw a hiring manag- to be sure, it’s possible that these er that went to Bryn Mawr, I could colleges will see another “Trump reach out and have a conversation, Bump” in the coming years.

Nola Hirdt ‘26 is considering apmostly because we both went to Seven Sisters colleges.” plying to Scripps College, a historIn addition to lifting each other ically women’s school in California. up in the professional world, Hohl “Living in a world right now where also mentioned that her Wellesley politics are the undertone to everypeers have helped her in more per- thing, it feels a lot safer and more sonal aspects of postgraduate life, comfortable to be around women,” such as helping her search for a she said.

“

Same time next year?

Bridge USA may not make it to autumn Ellie Hise Editor-in-Chief

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enior and co-president of the Bridge USA club Jesse Gelman said he was sitting outside with a book when he “got the call from Nicole that it was over.”

In February, he and his co-president Nicole Rodriguez received an email saying that the club, one chapter of a national organization, would not be returning in September.

Gelman and Rodriguez, two seniors, are now navigating how to manage the club and hopefully keep it alive next fall. Originally in both high schools and colleges, the non-profit organization hosted

discussions on current issues with the goal of fostering civil discourse.

Funds were directed towards hosting special events and speakers, and highschool chapters were given access to counselors. Now, with Bridge USA terminating their highschool program, the Masters chapter is soon to be on its own.

What is Bridge USA? The non-profit focuses on kindling civil discourse and bridging political divides between students.

According to Rodriguez, “It’s not associated with Democrats or Republicans, whereas at most colleges you have, like ‘College Dems’ or ‘College Republicans.’” The club chooses a specific current event to

focus on each meeting, and the presidents run a moderated discussion.

Rodriguez said, “You can get the best conversation possible, where people feel like they’re interacting with new ideas and that everyone’s being respectful and present.”

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Check out more original stories at tower.mastersny.org

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FEATURES

TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

ALYSSA WANG/TOWER

TEACHERS USE AI AS a tool to deepen their students understanding of writing, language, and critical thinking, rather than as something to cut corners and take shortcuts. However, it can’t be used for everything. In writing, AI doesn’t give the same personal anecdotes and sensory details that a human can, as discovered by students in Tom Cusano’s English class.

Chalkboards to chatbots: Masters embraces AI in the classroom

Neena Atkins Lead Features Editor

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ustling notebooks, clattering keyboards and excessive pen-clicking now share space with a less tangible tool shaping students’ learning: artificial intelligence. At Masters, a number of teachers are beginning to explore how AI can complement their instruction, not as a shortcut, but as a way to better engage students with writing, language and critical thinking.

Across the country, AI is making its way into classrooms at a rapid pace, something educators both fear and celebrate. A 2023 Study.com survey found that 89% of students admit to using ChatGPT for homework, while a Neuroscience News study revealed that 70% of educators believe AI-generated work constitutes plagiarism. Also, a Quizlet study showed that teachers are finding their own use for AI, with 44% using it for research, 38% for lesson planning and 37% for creating classroom materials such as tests and assignments.

Masters teachers like Upper School English teacher Tom Cusano, Upper School computer science teacher Jonah Hardy, and Middle School and Upper School Latin and history teacher Benjamin Thorn are developing creative ways to integrate AI in their classrooms. Their work offers a glimpse into the varied approaches educators take in adapting to this advanced technology.

AI in law: Benjamin Thorn’s class

In Thorn’s American Legal System course, students are encountering AI as a real-world legal issue. The class’s main project involves writing an appellate brief and delivering an

oral argument, and students are encouraged to use AI to clarify their thinking, create initial drafts and then revise with what Thorn deems “HI,” or human intelligence.

Thorn incorporated AI into the capstone project after watching students struggle to understand such heavy and legalese-dense topics, but emphasized the use of Notebook L.M. over ChatGPT due to the user’s ability to input direct sources into the platform.

Additionally, he introduced the ethical obligations lawyers now face regarding AI. Students read a report from the New York State Bar Association outlining how attorneys have a duty to understand the risks and responsibilities of using AI itself.

“We’re using it as a way to better understand the complicated issues,” Alex Cooperstock ‘25 said. He continued, “It’s making it easier for me to see different perspectives in this project, and it’s in some ways, actually helping my creativity.”

Thorn also pointed his students toward the 2023 case Mata v. Avianca, Inc., where the lawyer used ChatGPT to construct his argument, which cited fake cases, resulting in a $5,000 sanction and reputational damage.

“The real harm is the reputational harm because you have proven yourself to be someone who is not diligent and who is trying to cut corners, which is a death sentence for a legal career,” Thorn said.

The lesson he wants students to take away isn’t simply that AI is risky.

Thorn mentioned how lawyers may be expected to use AI, for example, to reduce billable hours. “Your generation is not going to be given a choice,” he said. “You’re going to be required to use AI in certain circumstances because nobody is going to want to pay for the time that it takes you to produce your own work.”

What matters, Thorn says, is how we perceive AI. He said, “Everybody focuses on whether the quality of the AI work is better or worse than ours.

I think that’s a mistake. The question is speed. AI can produce something half as good as you but it can produce it in a fraction of the time.”

throw it into an AI system and say, ‘Hey, where am I making mistakes?’ instead of using it to get an answer.”

For the AP performance task, students like Nico Khoury-Levy ‘26 have responsibly incorporated AI into their work. “We used AI to give a basis for one of the functions AI and computers: in our software for the AP exam that we would then cite in the AP exam,” Jonah Hardy’s class he said.

Under Hardy’s mentorship, adAccording to the College Board, vanced computer science students generative AI tools are permitted for are learning precisely how artificial debugging and understanding code intelligence works. In the course, as long as students clearly disclose which prepares students for the and review their use. Hardy’s curricAdvanced Placement Computer ulum reinforces that principle. “In all Science Principles exam, Hardy dis- the classes that I teach, I teach the uncusses the underlying mechanics of derstanding of how AI systems work, large language and the logic models before behind how guiding classthey function.

I feel like [AI] is the es to apply AI That’s somenatural progression in their own thing I think is of technology into the projects. important to Hardy views modern landscape of edu- know,” he said.

AI as an es- cation” Hardy’s stusential step dents are en-Jonah Hardy forward in couraged to education. “I explore how AI feel like it’s can supplement the natural progression of technol- their work without replacing their ogy into the modern landscape of own thinking. “It is the future, and education,” he said. “It expedites the we need to know how to use AI propprocess. It makes it a little bit easier erly,” Khoury-Levy said. “Learning to get started and lowers the barrier how to implement it in specific conto entry into the realm of computer texts, for things like brainstorming, science or tech without the typical is very important.” necessary background or underAI to teach us: standing.”

Tom cusano’s class Students in class have used AI for When sophomore Aarav Singh a variety of tasks, from building image recognition tools to debugging received an assignment involving AI code. Hardy emphasized how AI in his English class, its focus was on serves as a fast feedback tool for new sharpening human insight. The task: use ChatGPT to write a paragraph programmers.

“Sometimes beginner program- about the personal significance of a mers make code that can be a little word, then write their own and commessy,” he said. He added, “It’s re- pare the two.

Singh noticed a clear difference ally nice for them—if they want quick feedback, they can take their code, between AI and human capabilities.

“

“I realized that AI doesn’t give the same sensory details and personal experience that a human can write,” he said. The AI’s version was functional but lacked emotion and specificity, showing Cusano’s students how language reflects personal experience.

Cusano designed the exercise to provoke those kinds of realizations.

“I come to AI sort of as a skeptic and pessimist,” he admitted. “I wanted to hear kids’ own judgments about AI, but as a teacher, I have a responsibility, to advocate for human creativity in this moment.”

This kind of AI-integrated writing exercise is part of a growing national movement among English educators who are reimagining writing instruction in our digital age. The National Council of English Teachers highlighted teachers building “AI literacy” amongst students, so not merely learning about tools like ChatGPT but critically assessing what it produces. Cusano’s classroom encapsulates their idea, where AI is a prompt for students to realize what makes their own voice distinct.

Using AI in a structured setting also helps remove the stigma around it.

“When you’re using AI in a classroom, you don’t need to go behind someone’s back and sneak around with AI. You actually get to learn how to use it,” he said. Singh mentioned that the opportunity allowed him to openly explore AI’s capabilities without feeling any guilt.

Cusano believes that the objective of the assignment was twofold, to both evaluate the limits of machine-generated learning and to reaffirm the value of human expression.

“AI is here, and I don’t think we can just pretend it doesn’t exist, so this is a moment when we really need to reevaluate what our teaching priorities are and what we want students to get out of education,” Cusano said.

TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

CONTINUATIONS

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------------ Opinion (continued) -------------------------------------------------------Hinchcliffe doesn’t deserve a deal or a platform cont. Barreto from pg. 4 According to Variety magazine, Hinchcliffe received a lot of backlash from Latin Americans and political officials, such as former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, for his crude remarks. Yet, Hinchcliffe still refused to apologize for his insensitive jokes, and instead, defended them on X. “These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his ‘busy schedule’ to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set.

I’m a comedian, Tim…might be time to change your tampon.”

Hinchliffe mocked Walz for being unable to “take a joke” by telling him to “change his tampon,” referencing the stereotypical view of women as overly emotional. The suggestion that

female attributes show weakness and fragility is outdated and disrespectful.

I am not inferior because I am a woman, nor because I’m Latina.

The jokes he made during his Trump rally speech were not even taken out of context to portray it as racist; Hinchliffe threw around many racial jokes and comments to people of color in the audience throughout his whole speech. And, on top of it all, he has a history of making racial comments too.

In May of 2021, Asian American comedian Peng Dang performed at a show in Austin where he used the opportunity to speak about the rise in attacks against the Asian community.

Right after him, Hinhcliffe stepped onto the stage and performed a set where he mocked the #StopAsianHate movement and Dang’s speech using a Chinese accent. He even directed a racial slur at Dang.

Despite all this blatant racism,

Hinchliffe never apologized to Dang. comedy. In an interview with Variety He did, however, receive a lot of crit- magazine, Hinchcliffe explains that icism because of his inappropriate he does not believe comedians should words and his talent agency, WME, ever apologize for their jokes. Accorddropped him. He then moved on to ing to him, only “high-level stand-up discuss confans” would understand his spiracy theocomedy. ries during an The company Founder of appearance on [NEtflix] sends the controverthe Comedy a message that Club at Masters, sial YouTube Grey Dickinshow “TRIG- racist humor is not son, said that he G E R n o m e - just acceptable, but believes there is try,” where he profitable. a line in comeclaimed that the dy. According Chinese media -Elaina Barreto to Dickinson, had created an mocking an ethattack against nic group is unhim and that acceptable, however, roasting celebDang was a Chinese spy.

Hinchliffe’s insensitiveness to the rities or making jokes about someone rise in Asian hate after COVID-19 with their consent is okay.

“Comedy is unquantifiable, but and his offensive jokes demonstrate his blurred line between what is appro- I think that [Hinchcliffe] is good at priate and inappropriate to speak of in roasting people when they do stand-

“

up,” he said.

Dickinson also said that he likes that Hinchliffe is uplifting other comedians. Despite attacking minority groups in his jokes, Hinchliffe does help aspiring comedians by featuring them on his podcast Kill Tony, and he noted that Hinchliffe will continue bringing more comedians to fame on his Netflix comedy show specials.

However, with his track record of racial bias, Netflix is not only allowing a racist comedian to continue sharing his disparaging humor with the world, but also approving that type of behavior and racial viewpoint. The company sends a message that racist humor is not just acceptable, but profitable. Endorsing racism is unacceptable in any industry, including entertainment.

Viewers that believe in diversity and accountability should consider canceling their Netflix subscriptions, letting Netflix know that normalizing racism comes with consequences.

------------ Features (continued) ------------------------------------------------------Bridge club leaders braces for an uncertain future cont. Hise from pg. 11 Though Bridge USA is found in both highschools and colleges, college chapters of Bridge look a little different. For college chapters, Rodriguez said, “It’s sometimes harder to have kids show up to the meetings because college kids just tend to be more focused on pre-professional clubs.” However, college chapters will organize events and guest speakers more frequently.

What effect will it HAVE ON CAMPUS? Although the club operates independently from the national organization, the presidents make use of resources given to them by Bridge USA. This includes regular meetings with a CBC, or college-level Bridge counselor, who gives advice and answers questions. While Rodriguez and Gelman have access to their CBC throughout the rest of the year, the students will be on their own in September.

Rodriguez said, “You can’t use the name Bridge anymore. You can’t use any of the same materials. You can’t have any affiliation to the organization.” Additionally, the club no longer receives funding for food and events.

According to Rodriguez, the original email didn’t provide any explanation as for the termination of the program. Later, in the meeting with the CBC, she formed an understanding as to why it was canceled.

“They’ve had so much interest from high school chapters. They had, like, 20 or 30 more high school chapters that signed up to be part of Bridge. I think that the volume was too much for them to focus on.”

Gelman said, “There were a couple things going into it, mainly just the act of their prioritizing the college experience, and just that prioritization meant that they couldn’t allocate as many resources to the high school.”

“It’s a shame,” Rodriguez said about the club ending, “Right when there was the need for it, and all of these schools had interest.”

A future for Bridge?

Gelman believes that with the rebranding, the primary challenge will depend on the student body. “I see recruiting efforts being a challenge.

If we receive enough support, we can rebrand under a new name, and keep the principal alive.”

He continued, “But if we don’t really receive support from the student populace, support from people who want to see Bridge succeed, or whatever Bridge will become, it is a possibility we’re not going to see Bridge again next year.”

Junior Mason Dwek, who intends on running for President of whatever club replaces Bridge next year, has faith that people will show up if the conversations are worthwhile. He said, “We don’t need a higher bureaucracy to make it work.”

Rodrguez finds that the club provides unique opportunities for discussion. “I was excited [about having Bridge USA] because sometimes I think it’s kind of inappropriate for teachers to talk about political issues in class, particularly when it’s not re-

lated to the subject of what’s going on.” She continued, “There’s just a different vibe when a teacher’s in the room and they’re listening to what you’re saying. You’re just not going to be as honest as if you’re just with other kids. So it’s really important just for people to get practice, get interest, engaging with other ideas.”

Gelman said, “I think today’s climate, especially in Masters itself, since we’re such a tense environ-

ment, maintaining an area where you can have open decorum, open conversation and moderation is really, really important. That’s something I’d want to keep going.”

The necessity of having a club geared towards civil discourse is what Rodriguez said pushes her to try to preserve it for next year. “I just think it’s a good idea to have some sort of forum to do that, and I guess I wish it worked.”

ALYSSA WANG/TOWER

A STUDENT WALKS TOWARD a broken bridge at sunset as Bridge USA’s future at Masters remains uncertain without national support.

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TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

SPORTS

Mercy coaches bring mentorship and experience to teams

Ella Black Lead Sports Editor

C

alling out to players mid-drill with confidence and moving across the field with the ease of someone with years of practice, current student-athletes and graduates from Mercy University have brought high level playing experience to Masters’ athletics in their roles as coaches. Not long ago, they were the ones in high school, learning the same skills that they are now leading.

ANNADELE DYOTT/TOWER

These coaches have turned their college training into hands-on coaching, helping Masters teams, such as field hockey, lacrosse, basketball and soccer, improve.

When Logan Condon became Masters’ Director of Athletics in 2019, he saw an opportunity to collaborate with local universities to improve The School’s athletic programs. prior to Condon’s arrival, there were only one or two alumni from Mercy coaching at Masters, but it really wasn’t until the 2021-22 school year that they made a conscious effort to add more.

He reached out and visited Mercy University, Manhattanville University and Pace University, looking to establish a relationship that could benefit both sides.

Mercy proved to be the strongest fit and had eager student-athletes who were interested in collaborating.

Condon said, “Our students learn from current or former athletes who know the game, have played at a high level and can share their experiences.”

For the 2024-25 athletic season, there are eight Mercy coaches in the fall, three during the winter and five during the spring who are either students or alumni.

GIANNA MOTT, A MERCY athlete and coach for Masters Varsity Lacrosse Team, demonstrates a defense drill. She majored in Exercise Science and played lacrosse at Mercy until 2023.

One of the biggest challenges is managing the coaches’ availability. Some coaches are still playing on their college teams or have classes, so it can be difficult to balance their university schedule and coaching commitments.

Others, like Gianna Mott, who coaches both lacrosse and basketball, no longer competes in lacrosse so she can dedicate more time to coaching. Moving forward, Condon hopes to recruit more former college athletes who have the experience but fewer scheduling conflicts.

One example is Olivia Maute, who graduated from Mercy in 2024 with a degree in Health Science after playing goalie for Mercy women’s lacrosse team all four years. Now, back at Mercy, she is pursuing her masters in occupational therapy. Also, she has been an assistant coach at Masters for three years, helping with both the swim and lacrosse teams at the middle and high school levels.

Maute first heard about Masters from a teammate at Mercy during her junior year. “She had been coaching the soccer and lacrosse teams and knew they were looking for a swim coach,” Maute said. “After coaching the swim team in the winter, I was so excited to stick around at Masters in the spring for the lacrosse season.”

Senior Lydia Chioffi has had Maunte as her swim coach.

ANNADELE DYOTT/TOWER

MERCY ATHLETE AND COACH for Masters Varsity Lacrosse Team, Olivia Maunte, models a passing and cutting drill during practice. She graduated from Mercy in 2024 and has been coaching at Masters for three years.

She said, “It is so easy to relate or games, but cheering on the to her because she knows what we kids they coach in other aspects are balancing and is often balanc- of their lives. That’s what makes this partnership special.” ing the same things.”

Even though Condon is movThe Mercy coaches have also become a part of the Masters ing on from Masters this year, community and participate in he believes that the relationship events outside of coaching. Many between Masters and Mercy will of them show up to support Mas- continue.

He said, “We have a good reters athletes during other sports games, even ones they don’t lationship with the Mercy Athletcoach, or eat meals with students ics Department; they frequently in the dining hall after practices refer their athletes to us, and current coaches often refer their and games.

Condon said,“You see them peers as well.” everywhere, not just at practices

Athletes on campus grapple with work load and stress

S

Jack Bilman Web Editor

tudent-athletes often struggle with completing their homework assignments on time and maintaining good mental health. Not only does practice cut into homework time, but students also get physically and mentally burned out.

“Sometimes when I come home, I just don’t have enough time to

do my work and get a good night’s sleep. It can be really difficult to fit homework into a busy schedule,” Henry Frasca, a sophomore and varsity track athlete, said.

To cope with this issue, students have to come up with creative solutions to manage their time. Eunice Wang, a senior and varsity fencing athlete said, “I actually do all of my homework on the weekends. Sometimes I’ll just sit in the cafe and do my homework from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.”

Another way that a student has

combatted this issue is by proposing to change school policy.

Sophie Moussapour, a senior, has been on multiple varsity teams throughout her high school career. Moussapour is in the process of writing a bill for the executive committee that, if passed, will “implement a policy within athletics where players can take a mental health day for practice 1-2 times per season depending on if you’re a varsity or junior varsity player.”

Additionally, Moussapour conducted a survey of the whole

JOVEY MOLINA/TOWER

A STUDENT ATHLETE PUSHES through late-night schoolwork, balancing academics, soccer and the quiet strain of mental health challenges with limited downtime. The NCAA found that 44% of student-athletes report experiencing poor mental health symptoms daily.

Upper School. “A lot of people Another issue that many stuwere giving feedback like ‘there’s dent athletes face is mental burna noticeable drop in my grades out. Head Track and Field coach when I’m in a varsity season’ or Ian Mook said, “We try to get ‘I get home two hours later’. This students to a place where running made me realize that athletics has feels like part of their life. That become too much of a burden” way, it’s almost like a lifestyle.”

Moussapour added.

This helps prevent students In addition to time stresses, from getting mentally drained by student-athletes can face lots of the constant physical effort, which pressure to is particularly perform. This important for can stem from runners, conWe try to get coaches, famsidering that ily members it’s offered students to or teammates year-round. a place where who expect a W a n g , running feels like high level of on the other p e r f o r m a n c e part of their life. That hand, uses her from an ath- way it’s almost like a time fencing lete. as a break from lifestyle.”

An article the long school

by John Hopday. She added -Ian Mook kins Medicine, “It’s a time for featuring psyme to relax mychologist Valself and let out erie Valle, said that young athletes some of my worries and stress.” “may have an unrealistic standard An effective method that Mook for themselves and start to equate uses to keep athletes motivated is their athletic performance with to have them set their own goals. self-worth.” This can lead to a He said, “When an athlete indesports performance affecting daily pendently says ‘I want to qualimood or confidence. fy for nationals, I want to be an Frasca said, “It took me a All-American,’ they’re more likely year or so to develop something to stay engaged and excited for against feeling negative about those achievements, rather than a bad race. If I have a bad race, I when it feels like the goal is forced wouldn’t want to come into school on you.” and be affected by it, which I am good at now.”

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TOWER/APR. 24, 2025

SPORTS

Sun, Swings and Spring Break:

15

varsity baseball Florida trip enhances unity and skills Thomas McCallum Sports Editor

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hile many were lounging on beaches, skiing on mountains, or sitting around their house, the Masters Varsity Baseball squad was working on their game. For the first time, the team went to Orlando, Florida, for four days over spring break, practicing twice a day and playing scrimmages against two nationally-ranked opponents, Saint Cloud High School and The Shipley School.

Second baseman Gus Creech ‘26 spoke about the advantages of the trip. “It was a great bonding trip and the team is really close now. We also got to play some really good teams and develop our skills, which, looking back now, was really important to get ready for the season.”

Head Coach Chuck Gutierrez

said, “The Florida trip provided some huge benefits for the team.

It allowed the team to really gel together.”

The Florida trip didn’t just benefit team bonding, but also allowed the squad to build on their range of skill levels. Gutierrez said, “It was really important for us to get those extra reps in the warmer weather. A lot of the players developed their skills hugely.”

Some of the newer players on the team felt an exponential boost in their abilities after the trip.

Freshman and right fielder Knox Gary said, “I got a lot better on the trip. I never played baseball as a kid, so this is my first time being on a baseball team. I got a lot of experience and in-game reps against live pitchers on the trip, which was really helpful.”

Beyond sunshine and scrimmages in Florida, the team has undergone a lot of change from last year. One big difference was the loss of senior leaders. Guit-

NEIL JAGGERNAUTH

MEMBERS OF THE BOYS Varsity Baseball team visit Universal Studios during their spring break trip to Florida. The outing was part of a series of team bonding activities designed to strengthen connections off the field.

errez said, “We lost five seniors last year and they contributed a ton to the team.”

Despite the loss of leadership, younger players have stepped up to fill those roles. Guiterezz said, “Players like Zach Gotthelf, Eli Dube, and other guys who have been here, or been around the game, have stepped up.”

These older and more experienced players have had an impact on the younger players. Gary said, “The older players have really helped to teach the younger guys about the game. I’ve learned a ton from them.”

Interestingly enough, the team does not have captains, a move which captures the spirit of leadership within the players this year. Creech said, “We don’t have captains. We lead by committee.” Junior Zach Gotthelf seconded this. He said, “Captains aren’t important for us. We just have leaders.”

In addition to older players stepping into bigger roles, the team has experienced an influx of new talented players ranging from two eighth graders, Hunter Smith and David Firsenbaum to a sophomore transfer, Zach Ryan.

A majority of the team’s goals for the season revolve around playing good baseball, not winning a certain amount of games.

Guiterrez said, “We are focusing on the fundamentals, and getting better at those. Fielding balls, hitting, making the right read, all those things.”

They hope to continue introducing more complex baseball skills and strategies, such as signs, base stealing and fake bunts. Guiterrez has instilled the belief in his team that with good, fundamental baseball, they can

ZARA MURRAY/TOWER

THE TEAM HUDDLES DURING practice back home following their spring training trip. With the season underway, players focus on applying what they built in Florida in skill and team chemistry.

beat anyone, and he frequents the Gotthelf said, “I have seen a phrase, “kill them with a thou- tremendous impact since Coach sand paperchuck and the cuts,” repother coaches arresenting rived. We’ve reWe’ve regained a the team’s gained a winning winning mentality, collective mentality, and and we’re working and funwe’re working d a m e n t a l towards becoming a towards becomapproach to very competitive team. ing a very comsuccess. petitive team.

Everyone wants to W i t h Everyone wants win, and wants to get these printo win, and wants ciples in better.” to get better.” mind, the The end goal team hopes of their strive for - zach gotthelf ‘26 that numersuccess is to reical success will follow shortly, join the FAA. Guiterezz said, “In The team was removed from the previous years, we weren’t ready Fairchester Athletic Association for the FAA, but now our goal is (FAA) in 2022, and has since to get back in that thing and combeen playing an independent pete.” schedule.

The team is well on their way to Since then, they have been achieving their goals, dominating fighting to become more com- in their first game of the season petitive, a goal which many of against Rye Country Day School, the players think they are head- winning fourteen to four. ing quickly towards with Coach Their next game is on April 28 Chuck at the helm after taking against the Harvey School. over the program in 2023.

“

Fresh faces and stronger bonds fuel the varsity tennis season right from the beginning, have been inspired by the new players too. EvJustine Pascutti eryone is pushing everyone. They’re Editor-in-Chief blending and coming together. It’s a beautiful thing to see.” ennis is often seen as an This focus on chemistry has deindividual sport, but this fined the team’s identity this season. season, the Masters Boys Moshan said, “There’s a feeling that Varsity Tennis team is playing as we can compete with anyone this one. With a mix of returning players year. That dynamic of confidence and new taland belief ent, the team is contabrings engious and it’s This year the dynamic ergy, fospreading cus, and into the fabric has really changed healthy because we got a lot of of this team.” competiSenior capyoung talent. There’s a lot tain Aaron tion to evof drive, a lot of energy, ery pracWeinberg and a real willingness to echoed that tice and match. sense of improve.”

This growth. He year, the said, “One - Nikita Montgomery ‘25 thing we’ve team has eight new been super fomembers cused on this and six returners. “The new year is trying to create a new team dymembers of the team have had a tre- namic with all of the incoming freshmendous impact,” said Head Coach men and sophomores, so spending Michael Moshan. “Not only have they a lot of time communicating, like, brought a certain level of skill to the ‘This is what we expect from evteam, but also an intensity. The six eryone,’ and also, ‘We’re going to remaining players from last year, have fun. We want to win because

T

“

we have a much better team this year than we did last year.’”

Weinberg added that the team’s competitive mindset has already shown on court. “We’ve had a lot of very close matches against teams like Rye and Collegiate, which are normally very tough. It’s been fun seeing how everyone is super competitive on court during matches, something we didn’t always have last year or in years prior.”

Senior Nikita Montgomery shared a similar perspective. “This year the dynamic has really changed because we got a lot of young talent.

There’s a lot of drive, a lot of energy, and a real willingness to improve.

In my three years on the team, this is the most energy and commitment I’ve seen.” He continued, “The team is really exciting, and definitely the best team I’ve been on. I can’t wait to come back in two or three years and see how much the younger players have grown.”

Among the most notable new members is eighth grader Simon Dorment. “He’s been a wonderful addition to the team,” said Moshan.

“He’s played some excellent opponents including a senior captain from a bona fide FAA team with a

sophisticated game. I can tell already that Simon is a unique tennis talent.

He plays such a mature, thoughtful game. He also works hard at practice and is dedicated to the team.

His teammates love him too - he’s a great kid.”

Reflecting on his own experience so far, Dorment said, “Tennis is kind of like a chess match where it’s just as strategic as it is skill wise. It’s about playing the right shots at the

right moments. I think I’ve definitely improved on that since joining the team.”

Junior Caleb Grasheim, who served as a captain last year as a sophomore, is once again helping lead the team. “We’re all one big team of brothers,” Grasheim said.

“What I really love to see is how comfortable the eighth graders feel around us.” He added, “I’m very proud of our team. Everyone is look-

WEI HU

NEW TALENT AND SEASONED leadership have created a tightknit and competitive squad. Ths year’s roster of both new members and returners stimulates their shared goal, chemistry, and belief in their collective strength.

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Sports

TOWER/APRIL 24, 2025

SPORTS

Ayalah Spratt

FAA meet highlights runners’ season progress Elaina Barreto Lead Opinion Editor

A

fter weeks of intense training, recovery and steady improvement, new and returning track members had the chance to show off their progress at the Fairfield Athletic Association meet on Thursday, April 16, held at Greene Family Field.

Masters athletes competed against students in The King School, Sacred Heart School, Greenwich Country Day School, School of the Holy Child and Harvey School. The meet marked a moment for runners to reflect on a season of growth, dedication and support from their

ELAINA BARRETO/TOWER

teammates.

Junior Ana Alexander, who received second place in the Girls 800 meter race with a time of 2:40.71, has been a member of the track team since her freshman year. She is usually involved in winter and spring track, but this school year she joined the cross country team during the fall. She has dealt with shin splints over the past few months, but said the pain has not been as intense as new runners who may not be used to the track.

“If you're training every day, then the impact that your feet are going to have on the track and how it resonates in your body is not going to hurt as much.

Someone who is new to track is going to have a harder time,” she said.

While the beginning of a season can be difficult for new runners as they get used to the intense workouts, freshman Adrienne

Girzone said she believes she and other new runners have improved their stamina a lot in the past couple of months.

“In the beginning of my OCA runs, I felt I would take a lot of stops. I’ve been getting better at taking fewer stops and [running] longer,” she said.

On meet days, runners complete a series of drills before the race begins. Sophomore Natalie Ambrosio said drills usually consist of stretching and then jogging at the Old Croton Aqueduct (OCA) trail near Masters for 15 minutes. Then, runners do strides and prepare for the race. However, the practices before a meet are structured to be less intense in order for runners to conserve their energy before a race.

Alexander said Mondays and Tuesdays usually consist of harder exercises, such as block starts and two hundreds, and Wednesdays are usually reserved as recovery days after the intense workouts. She said that runners’ training and journey throughout the track season not only depends on the workouts that they’re assigned, but also the amount of effort they put into the work.

ELAINA BARRETO/TOWER

MASTERS STUDENTS COMPETED AGAINST other private schools in the region at the FAA meet on April 16. On the left, Ceriah Clarke ‘27 runs alongside a student from Sacred Heart School. Captain Anna Shub ‘25 also placed second place in the girls’ 800 meter race.

Alexander said, “[Runners do] write down [their running] goals at the beginning of the season, but really, [a lot] depends on the amount of effort they put into each workout. If you really want something, you're going to be putting in the effort into any workout that you get, so

[training] really depends on the person.”

Despite the hard work and dedication that is involved in being a part of the track team, Girzone said she is still glad she joined because of the positive community.

“Track is very non-compet-

itive because it's kind of like a sport against yourself. A lot of people work hard, but also, there's no competition within the team. We’re all cheering each other on. [Even with] our competitors, we were all cheering for each other,” Girzone said.

Golf’s exclusivity makes team practice a challenge Siena Versaci Contributing Writer At the high school varsity level most sport teams practice multiple days per week if not daily. This is not true for many student golf teams. “Rome certainly wasn’t built in a day,” said Jack Stevens, associate director of boarding admission and coach of the golf team. For Masters Golf, the team is being built up each year with rising interest. Golf club appeal however, is not impactful when the sport of focus is one so deeply rooted in hierarchy, wealth and exclusivity.

“In this Fairfield and Westchester county area, golf is private and exclusive,” Stevens said. Even a private school such as The Masters School, has difficulty gaining access to a golf course without having a player who is connected with a golf country club.

“The courses around Westchester are private membership courses,” Stevens said. Though The Masters School has a partnership with Ardsley Country Club, where the team gets specific dates for home matches, the team cannot get daily or even weekly practice times. The team

is limited to a day per month on the course aside from matches.

He said,“The team doesn’t have students who are members of Ardsley [country club] who are players on the golf team.”

Only teams with students who are members can have practice time, which highlights the elitism of the sport. With club memberships being so expensive, many teams have limited practice.

“Public courses are money-generating operations so to host us as a team would not be economically beneficial,” Stevens added.

For schools without this access, it is very difficult to compete. Chris Mira, the golf coach at the Greens Farm Academy, said that the team practices “Five days per week, roughly an hour and a half per day.” The team gains access through a coach who was also a member of a club.

Chris Forester, the golf coach at Brunswick School, pointed out that, “It’s hard work to develop these relationships.

It involves lots of emails, calls and personal visits to talk to the Club professionals.” He did not, however, mention money, a

key component in getting practice time.

Since Stevens started with the golf team three years ago, he’s noticed that interest in the sport has grown. When he started, there were 16 kids. This year, there are 33.

Increased interest, while good for the team, stresses the already limited resources available. Stevens said, “Due to limited space, the team must make tough decisions and cuts because we don’t have regular access to a golf course.”

“Practice time is 50/50.

Half of the time the team is on

campus in the gym, hitting into a net called a flight scope, while sometimes the team goes to the local driving range,” golf team member Sam Donovan ‘27 said. “Getting the course and driving range time is tough with a large team.”

Understanding these difficulties, the team asks students to have golf equipment, to have played golf on a course, to have taken scores, to have a general knowledge of the course and know the rules and etiquette prior to joining the team.

“The most important rule is that the students are interested

THE BOYS VARSITY GOLF team competed at Birchwood Country Club on Monday, April 21. Despite limited resources, the program continues to grow over the years. This season, there are 33 students -- including both the girls and boys teams -- in the golf program.

WILLIAM BLACK

and not just looking to fulfill their Athletic Credit Requirement,” Stevens said. He clarified engaged students create a good team atmosphere.

While facing limitations in the high-end sport, Masters strives to change the narrative of golf as a rich man’s sport. It is expanding golf’s accessibility by using programs like Youth On Course, which helps lower match entrance prices from $40 to $20 for students 15 and under, Stevens explained.

“There is also a co-curricular called Intro to Golf in the fall and you don’t really need any equipment for it,” Arrav Singh, a sophomore golf team member, said.

Though golf is an individual sport, the team remains unified.

“There is comradery because while I know I’m competing for myself, I also want to see my teammates succeed,” Donovan said.

Despite the challenges the team faces, the team has nearly doubled in size. Stevens said, “Now, the team has found a sweet spot where even when they are not on the course, they hone in on the golfers’ games, allowing them to spend a day putting or even chipping.”