Tower Issue #6 (2024-2025)

TOWER

Hiroshima survivors share stories of loss and hope with students

Justine Pascutti Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

On a quiet spring afternoon, students in Robert Fish’s International Relations class gathered for an unforgettable visit, one that transcended textbooks and brought living history into the room.

Hiroshima atomic bomb survivors Jiro Hamasumi and Hiroshi2 Kanemoto, both representing Nihon Hidankyo, the Japanese organization of Hibakusha awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, traveled from Japan to share their stories of survival, loss and the ongoing fight for a world without nuclear weapons.

Their visit on May 2 marked a rare opportunity to hear firsthand accounts of the August 6, 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and also a call to remember the human cost of war. The event was documented by correspondents from Fuji TV, one of Japan’s leading broadcast networks, as well as Tower Broadcast News.

As representatives of Nihon Hidankyo, the two men are a part of a legacy of activism that has spanned nearly 70 years. Formed in 1956, the group has spent decades promoting nuclear disarmament, speaking at the United Nations and keeping alive what has been called the “nuclear taboo,” a global norm against the use of nuclear weapons.

Fish described the visit as an intensely human experience that went far beyond anything a video or textbook could offer. He said, “There’s something about hearing a story directly

from someone who lived it, especially when that story is nearly unimaginable, that hits at an emotional level. It reallyhelps bring meaning to the things we study.”

Reflecting specifically on his course, Fish added, “In International Relations we spend a lot of time talking about the rules of war, about nuclear policy, and international agreements. But hearing from someone who actually lived through the consequences

of those decisions— that changes the conversation.”

Kanemoto was just nine months old when the bomb dropped. At the time, he was being carried on the back of his 15-year-old sister and was buried under debris from the blast. Presumed dead, Kanemoto was later revived.

Decades later, he would learn that the man who saved him was his own father. Kanemoto explained that his survival wasn’t just a stroke of luck, but a life-

long calling. “I feel the obligation to keep living and dedicate my life for peace,” he said. Hamasumi, on the other hand, had not yet been born. His mother was three months pregnant with him when the bomb fell. On the day of the bombing, his family home in Yaga, near Hiroshima, sheltered over 30 people. His father went to work that morning and never returned. Days later, the family was able to recover only a few of his ar-

tifacts: a belt buckle, a ring of keys and a piece of his wallet.

The personal nature of the survivors’ stories resonated deeply with students. Senior Alex Thorn, a member of the International Relations class who also recently traveled to Japan with the school, said the testimonies brought him right back to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. “I was reminded of pictures of children and their destroyed items,” he said. “I think that’s a testament to the speakers that they conveyed what took me hours to absorb in the museum, all in a single presentation.”

As the two men recounted their stories, they described the devastation of the bomb itself, but also the less visible scars that followed. They explained that many survivors faced discrimination when seeking employment or marriage due to fears of radiation exposure and birth defects.

In response to a student’s question about whether they felt hatred toward the United States, Kanemoto said, “Of course, but not now.”

Hatred, they explained, yields nothing. What matters now is ensuring that such devastation is never repeated. Hamasumi added, “Wars do not allow people to live or realize their dreams. Dreams can only be realized in peaceful times.”

For Fish, the impact on students was undeniable. He said, “Even though most of our students have no direct ties to Japan or to war, I saw them connect emotionally in a way that was very real. Despite all these differences in life experience, there was that connection.”

Recent Tower/TBN Awards received this spring

ON MAY 2, THE international relations class, the students who went on the Japan trip, and The Middle School, were all visited by Hiroshima atomic bomb survivors Jiro Hamasumi and Hiroshi Kanemoto. They represent Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of Hibakusha that was awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. The group was made in 1956 and has spent years emphasizing nuclear disarment, even speaking at the United Nations.

JENNY XU/TOWER

GUS CREECH, LOEWY NALLE, Ayanna Beckett and Neena Atkins all earned awardsfrom the Private School Journalism Association this spring.

ELLEN COWHEY & ELLIE HISE/TOWER

The Dialogue Starts Here: Hélène Biandudi Hofer to speak at graduation

ella Black Lead Sports Editor

At a time when the world feels more divided than ever, award-winning journalist and conflict coach Hélène Biandudi Hofer will speak at Masters’ Class of 2025 graduation to share how curious and courageous dialogue can change the future.

“

Biandudi Hofer is a journalist, documentary filmmaker, media entrepreneur and conflict coach. She is best known as the co-founder of Good Conflict, a platform that helps individuals navigate and manage conflict through engaging training, targeted strategy sessions and practical tools like the “Test Kitchen.”

her career exploring. “The students at Masters are already learning how to have thoughtful, even uncomfortable, conversations,” she said. “I want to encourage them to keep doing that, to stay curious when things get hard, and to see conflict not as something to avoid, but something to explore.”

I want to encourage [students] to stay curious when things get hard, and to see conflict not as something to avoid, but something to explore.”

- Hélène Buandudi Hofer

The Test Kitchen is an experimental space where Biandudi Hofer and her team develop, test and refine new methods for having hard conversations. She has trained journalists in over 150 newsrooms on how to transform coverage of controversial issues.

Biandudi Hofer said she’s excited to speak to students at a school that values the same principles she’s spent

Five

Her message can be seen in Masters’ commitment to open dialogue through the Harkness method in classrooms, campus conversations hosted by the Center of Inclusive Excellence or “Think-Ins” with Head of School Laura Danforth. One example of a place where students are encouraged to speak honestly and listen deeply is in Bridge USA, a student-led club at Masters.

Bridge USA is a nonprofit organization that addresses political divides by creating constructive dialogue for students. The Masters chapter gives students a chance to practice respectful conversation and open-minded listening on campus.

Nicole Rodriguez, one of the leaders of Bridge USA, said, “I thought it was important to create a space where students could talk openly and respectfully outside of class, without the pressure of a teacher in the room.”

Senior class president Sophie

years

Rooke WiseR & Jack Bilman Editor-in-Chief Emeritus & Web Editor

Five years after their senior year was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, Masters’ Class of 2020 finally received the graduation celebration they were promised. On May 17, during their first official reunion weekend, alumni from the Class of 2020 returned to campus for a belated graduation ceremony held on Graduation Terrace from 3-4:30 p.m.

Back in 2020, the pandemic halted all in-person events, including

Moussapour sees that same spirit in the School’s values. She said, “In a world so polarized, I think Masters tries to celebrate the gray space in between, and being able to listen, to meditate, to have empathy, even in debate, is something not a lot of people our age are being taught.”

Biandudi Hofer’s perspective on conflict is similar to Moussapour’s mindset, encouraging students to not shy away from discomfort. “You don’t have to solve every disagreement, but you do have to be willing to sit with it,” she said. “In our polarized world, the ability to truly listen, to ask better questions, not just defend your opinion, is one of the most powerful tools you can carry into adulthood.”

Biandudi Hofer’s career reflects that same search for common ground. Her work spans a wide range of projects, from documenting police reform in Camden, New Jersey, to examining education opportunities in South Sudan.

Biandudi Hofer has collaborated with major media outlets, such as CBS, NPR and PBS, and led a magazine-style program in Western New York which explored solutions to social challenges. She also leads HBH Enterprises Media Group, which is a company that connects media production with conflict counseling.

Moussapour said, “This graduation speaker is the School’s parting wish and skill, that we bring that mindset of curiosity and courage to engage into the world.”

COURTESY OF HÉLÈNE

KNOWN FOR HELPING PEOPLE turn tension into transformation, Hélène Biandudi Hofer will deliver the keynote address at Masters’ Class of 2025 graduation. As co-founder of Good Conflict, her work empowering people to navigate disagreement with curiosity and courage mirrors the School’s commitment to dialogue.

later, Class of 2020 finally graduates

the senior class’ graduation ceremony. Instead of gathering on the terrace in caps and gowns, seniors slowly rolled through campus in a socially-distanced decorated car procession. For some alumni, the original car procession, while creative, hadn’t provided a sense of closure.

“They were trying to make the best out of a bad situation,” Buster Scheuer ‘20 said, “but it didn’t really feel like a graduation… It didn’t make me feel like I was moving on.” At the time, administrators assured students that the modified celebration was only temporary and that a real graduation would be held when it became possible.

That promise was fulfilled this spring.

Planning for the event began

nearly a year ago, back in June 2024, shortly after last year’s reunion. When Director of Alumnae/i Engagement Brooke Nalle and her team realized that this year’s reunion honored class years ending in 0s and 5s, the Class of 2020 immediately came to mind. “Everybody on my team said, ‘Oh, wait, that’s the class of 2020… What are we going to do for them?’” Nalle said.

Rather than replicate a traditional graduation, Nalle said the School opted for a more fitting format: a celebration with “touches” of a Masters commencement designed to reflect the time that had passed and where the alumni were in their lives. “If you try to replicate graduation, you can never get it right,” Nalle explained. “They’ve graduated from college and universi-

ty… Going back to high school graduation feels a little weird.”

The event included short speeches from Head of School Laura Danforth, Head of Upper School Peter Newcomb, at-the-time Class Dean Mr. Carnevale, who now serves as dean of students, and former Class of 2020 Presidents Lawrence Azzariti and Michelle Wei. There was also a surprise performance of the Irish Blessing by the Glee Club, a long-standing commencement tradition. In addition to the more traditional elements, there were also some new twists, including a Prosecco toast for the now-of-age alumni.

“This was a class that was the first one to lose a graduation,” Newcomb said. “The opportunity to gather everybody together to honor their time with

us is really exciting.”

Input from the Class of 2020 also helped shape the event’s tone. Azzariti had emphasized that the celebration should avoid framing the class as victims of the COVID-era and instead focus on their enduring bonds. “He said, ‘I really want the message to be about resilience and being close as a class,’” Nalle said.

More than 25 members of the class returned for the celebration, an impressive turnout for a five-year reunion. The primary goal was to make those returning alumni feel remembered and valued. “Sometimes [a student] might wonder, ‘Do they still remember me?’” Nalle said. “I really want them to know that we do. We miss them and we care about them.”

THE REUNION CELEBRATING CLASSES ending in 0s and 5s happened on Saturday, May 17. The event created a special opportunity to celebrate the Class of 2020, who had to participate in a socially distanced decorated car procession five years ago instead of the traditional graduation ceremony due to COVID-19 regulations. The reunion included brunch, a recognition event for the Class of 2020 on Graduation Terrace and a maypole celebration that involved both alumni and current students at Masters. Jeff Carnevale, the dean of the Class of 2020, photographed the returning alumni.

BIANDUDI HOFER

Community reacts as public media faces federal threats

Justine Pascutti Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

In the first weeks of his return to the White House, President Donald Trump has made free speech a central theme of his administration, but critics say his actions are undermining the very freedoms he says he supports.

On May 1, Trump signed Executive Order 14290 titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media.” The directive orders all federal agencies to cut federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), two of the country’s most prominent nonprofit media outlets.

The administration has also called on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a federally-funded nonprofit, to end its support for NPR and PBS. Trump officials has accused both organizations of pushing “radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”

The move has drawn widespread backlash from civil liberties groups, media watchdogs and legal experts, who argue that the executive order threatens the constitutional protections of free speech and press freedom enshrined in the First Amendment.

Political science teacher Colleen Roche acknowledged that while Masters offers some protection, not all educators feel equally safe. She said, “I think at Masters, while we’re not supposed to convey our own personal political convictions, we are definitely supported in sharing personal perspectives. But I’m afraid that’s probably not true everywhere.”

NPR has launched a weeklong series titled “The State of the First Amendment: The Right From Which All Other Rights Flow” to explore growing concerns over government censorship. In interviews with teachers, scientists, students, and activists, NPR has highlight-

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS ORDERED federal agencies to cut federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) due to claims of publishing “radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news,’” stirring controversy from opponents. Some claim the move threatens the constitutional rights of free speech and press freedom protected by the First Amendment.

ed how fears of retaliation are reshaping speech across America.

One high school history teacher told NPR she now censors herself in the classroom, fearing that discussions of certain historical events could be reported to the U.S. Department of Education through a new online complaint portal.

The portal, called the “End DEI” Portal, is framed as a tool for reporting instances of “discrimination based on race or sex” in publicly funded K-12 schools. It allows parents, students, teachers and community members to submit an email address, the name of the school or district, and details of the concerning practices. The Department of Education has said it will use these reports to guide future investigations.

Meanwhile, students and immigrants fear that protest participation or political expression could lead to surveillance, arrest or even deportation. Others, like members of far-right groups and conservative student organizations, say Trump’s return has made them feel freer to express their views without fear of backlash.

to keep their student visa, go to college here on a student visa. They have voiced concerns to me about what they can and can’t say. I think it’s definitely altering people’s behavior.”

“ Personally, I see this as an attack on free speech.”

-Rooke Wiser ‘25

Roche said, “I’ve had internation

al students talk to me about it, as they come and go from the country and want

Senior Rooke Wiser, who leads the Free Speech Club, described the executive order as a targeted attack. He said, “The issue with what’s been happening in the administration is this action is being targeted specifically against NPR and PBS. Personally, I see this as an attack on free speech.”

Still, the concern among journalists is mounting. The Federal Communications Commission, led by Trump-appointed Chairman Brendan Carr, has opened investigations into NPR and PBS, suggesting that some of their underwriting announcements may violate rules against commercial advertising. Critics see these investigations as part of a broader campaign, outlined in the Trump-aligned Project 2025 agenda, to defund public media and restructure federal institutions to reflect conservative priorities.

The legal stakes are high. The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 established CPB to ensure public media remains independent and insulated from political interference. Legal experts say the president does not have unilateral authority to end federal funding for these organizations, which is appropriated by Congress. Both NPR and PBS are expected to mount legal challenges against the executive order.

Internationally, press freedom monitors are sounding the alarm. Reporters Without Borders recently downgraded the United States from 45th to 55th in its global press freedom index, citing growing government hostility toward journalists. Domestically, the Committee to Protect Journalists warned that press freedom “can no longer be taken for granted” in the United States.

For Wiser, the shift isn’t just political, it’s also personal. He said, “Free Speech Club used to be about spotlighting local attacks or book challenges. Now, it’s about how we keep people safe. It’s become less of an advocacy group and more of a support network.”

For now, the future of NPR and PBS, and the broader principle of government neutrality toward the press, is uncertain. As Trump’s executive order moves through legal scrutiny, one thing is clear: the debate over who gets to speak freely in America is far from settled.

Dobbs Ferry partners with Kearney Realty to propose mixed-income housing plan

allie Faber Editor-in-Chief

Dobbs Ferry currently faces an affordable housing crisis. In the Village, the average apartment rent is $3,173 per month, which is 104% higher than the national average of $1,556. Housing qualifies as affordable when rent, taxes, and utilities stay under 30% of the tenants’ income – a rarity in downtown Dobbs.

To combat this, the Village of Dobbs Ferry has announced a preliminary agreement with Kearney Realty & Development Group to convert three Village-owned lots into affordable housing. The announcement kicked off a 90-day survey period for Kearney, which will review records and conduct site investigations.

The lots – two vacant on Cedar Street and the parking lot at 99 Cedar Street – will in theory provide mixed-income housing. “Rather than displace current residents to make way for condos or high rent apartments downtown, this type of development allows middle class people to live downtown and reflect a broader cross section of our

Village,” an e-newsletter from Mayor Vincent Rossillo and the Board of Trustees said.

The Board of Trustees conducted multiple interviews with a handful of different companies before landing on Kearney.

Rossillo said, “I think also what drew us to [address the affordable housing crisis] was the people who work for the Village, they couldn’t afford to live and work in the Village. They had to live 50 or 75 or 100 miles away to commute to work in Dobbs Ferry.”

“From a housing perspective, I think it’s really great to live close to where you work. That makes a lot of the day much easier than if you’re spending a significant amount of time traveling from home to work,” Jonathan Karpinos, the chair of the modern and classical languages department at Masters, said. Karpinos moved off campus into the Village ahead of the 2020-21 school year.

Rossillo emphasizes the diversifying effects the Village hopes new mixed-income housing will bring.

“We’ve always been aware of people who are either seniors, who are living on a fixed income, who just couldn’t

afford to live in those houses that they raised their families in, because taxes have gone up so much, and just the cost of living has gone up,” he said.

Rossillo explained that often, families who raise their children in Dobbs Ferry move post-graduation because of steep housing costs. He hopes that with the addition of mixed-income housing, those students will be able to return to Dobbs Ferry and find affordable apartments.

Karpinos said that a number of factors aligned in order for him to purchase a home in Dobbs Ferry, including maintaining a double-income household with his wife and selling an apartment in New York City, where housing costs are also very high.

“I hope [the mixed-income housing plan] moves forward and happens, because hopefully it would allow a little bit more economic diversity in the Village,” he said.

Rossillo and the Board of Trustees also expect more downtown housing to stimulate the local economy.

“They shop, they go to restaurants, so it brings a new vitality to the downtown.” He continued, “Some of those new buildings will also have stores in

REPRESENTATIVES FROM DOBBS FERRY and Kearney Realty discuss plans for a new mixed-income housing project aimed at easing the local housing crisis. The proposed development would offer affordable options for families, students, and seniors.

them…so we’ll have some new retail as well.”

Despite overwhelming approval, and promises of new tax revenue, some residents of Dobbs Ferry have expressed concerns over traffic and public school crowding. The Board of Trustees plans to hold numerous public hearings for members of the community to speak to local representatives, and the Village will run studies to address the concerns.

The Village has strived to resolve this issue in the past couple years with the creation of the Affordable Housing

Task Force, a law requiring residential apartment buildings to set aside 10% for affordable units, and updating zoning to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (residences that share the building lot of another, larger home). The Village earned a Pro-Housing Community designation from New York State and earned a $4.5 million NY Forward grant for downtown improvements.

“While [the grant] wasn’t necessarily tied to [the mixed-income housing project], it was part of the overall plan to have an improved downtown,” Rossillo said.

THOMAS MCCALLUM/TOWER

A world on fire, don’t look away

We live in a world on fire: climate disasters, economic inequality, civil liberties under attack. Still, if you looked at our collective response, you would think everything was fine. The “Hands Off” protests lasted just two days. Boycotts of large corporations like Target and Amazon flicker and quickly fade without lasting impact.

We gripe about the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans, worry about Supreme Court rulings and scold restrictions on bodily autonomy, but frequently fail to follow through with sustained counteraction. Instead, we scroll, meme and laugh our way through the chaos.

It’s easy to label this behavior as apathy, but perhaps it’s something else.

Sitting on the Rosenberg Terrace with friends a few weeks back, we fell into a rhythm that’s all too familiar with our generation. A casual conversation about prom shoes quickly flipped into an impassioned discussion about mistakenly detained Mary-

land man Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the frightening normalization of civil rights rollbacks and attempts to limit journalistic freedom. We all agreed that this administration’s actions are outrageous. Yet, twenty minutes later, the circle returned to the scandalizing debate over juniors wearing long dresses to prom.

The drifts in conversation do not stem from indifference. They come from something harder to swallow –fear.

In 2025, that anxiety is justified. Taking to the streets is more than symbolic; it is dangerous. We live under a president who casually encourages sending citizens to prison in El Salvador, which is a thinly obscured threat to those who dissent. The administration puts out a clear message: if you protest, you disappear.

This threat recently manifested in late March with the abduction and jailing of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University doctoral student who published an article in her school paper criticizing her university’s response

to pro-Palestinian demands.

Protest culture has changed, the government’s reaction to public protests has changed and the public consciousness has changed. Now, this administration has raised the stakes of civil disobedience.

For many young Americans, especially those without privilege, “risking it” isn’t an option. An anti-administration article written years ago, a tattoo, a criminal charge can cause permanent damage to both one’s present and future. Many in our communities – those with undocumented family members, international student visas or phones that cross borders – face threats some of us often overlook.

So no, this is not apathy. It’s fear. Nonetheless, fear doesn’t mean helplessness.

Traditional forms of protest carry more danger today, but that doesn’t mean that young people are powerless. Small actions, done consistently, still matter.

And, the world hasn’t stopped

spinning. We can still live, still laugh, still go to prom and care about the length of dresses. We can also act to extinguish the fires.

Creative resistance matters more than ever, along with education. Looking beyond U.S. borders, to those who have resisted authoritarianism elsewhere, can offer blueprints. There’s wisdom in asking: how have others survived this before? How do we prepare, both emotionally and tactically, for what’s coming? We don’t have to wait for the world to collapse to start preparing.

Spaces of shared fear can become places of shared courage. Community doesn’t dissolve fear, but it makes it easier to bear.

This is not a normal political moment. Being scared into pretending it is only helps those in power. However, if fear is acknowledged and then transformed into thoughtful action, tangible change becomes possible.

Call it hope, call it resistance, just don’t call it a day.

Thanks for the memories!

THE TOWER PRESS SENIOR staff led with creativity, dedication and a clear editorial vision throughout the year. From managing print and digital coverage to mentoring younger staff, their contributions shaped the publication’s continued success. Pictured here are some graduating seniors who played a vital role in Tower’s growth and community. Not pictured: Tower Broadcast News’ Felipe Queiroz.

EllEn CowhEy & Matt Iv Es Faculty Advisors

It’s been another successful year in the Masters School Tower media empire. And our seniors had an amazing year, leading us on our way to world domination (or at least domination of Dobbs Ferry!) We want to send a huge thank you to our seniors for all their years of service and hard work. You continue the tradition of Tower excellence and leave an impressive legacy for the next group of seniors.

On the print side, Ella Black did an excellent job as our Lead Sports Editor. Under her stewardship, our coverage of sports in print - and especially in social media - improved considerably. Our

triumvirate of editors-in-chief

- Rooke, Justine and Ellie - led us ably. We always have fun, and this year was no exception. From snack taste tests, to loud music, class time and late nights were a time to come together, be creative, and produce excellent work as a team. Our editors-in-chief used a light touch, combined with high expectations, to create a team that worked well together and had a blast doing it.

Justine Pascutti was a steady hand, quick to pick up a complex story, take on a page to layout, or offer quiet and thoughtful advice to younger staff members. We have no doubt that she will continue to excel as she moves on to Boston University.

Ellie Hise heads off to NYU, where she plans to study journal -

ism. Read her article all about that in this issue. Her sardonic wit and her fountain of creative ideas for stories and illustrations will be sorely missed.

Rooke Wiser can solve any technical problem with our website or InDesign, always has great ideas for stories, and is a reliable reporter and writer who can crank out a story at the last minute. He is going to make a splash at Cornell next year.

Jenny Xu was a late recruit to class this year, having already served as a Tower illustrator in previous years. She’s used her creativity to produce eye-catching front pages all year, and has most recently been helping with coordinating other illustrators’ contributions as well.

On the broadcast side, we cel -

Editors-in-Chief Neena

Editors-in-Chief

Justine

Visuals

ebrate Felipe Queiroz , our fearless and fast-talking founding sports director who set up cameras behind nets to catch winning goals, on the sidelines of playoff games to livestream playoffs and developed nuance and depth in his reporting.

In addition, not a senior, but we need to shout out Azariah Charles , who finishes two academic years as Executive Producer for TBN. We are grateful to her for carrying us through when the staff was very small and we had some significant shifts in faculty co-advisorship. We’ll miss her cheerful, professional demeanor, and her million dollar smile as one of the co-anchors of our show, but we are really happy she’ll still be a crucial part of the growing TBN production crew.

Assistant

Assistant

Freshmen

Faculty

Annadele

Eunice

Siena

Contributing

Zara

Zadie

Roni

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),

ELLEN COWHEY/TOWER

A case for the full album (even the bad songs)

thom A s mccAllum Sports Editor

One of the largest developments in the music industry in the past 25 years has been the growth of streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. Music is instantly accessible with just a click, and playlists, curated or algorithmic, are central to the experience.

Streaming services have made listening to music more accessible, but also easier to ignore. Most listeners are not thinking about what they are listening to or who created it, let alone truly appreciating the work put into it. While this new

way of listening to music has its benefits, such as increasing artists’ exposure and making music more available, it has one key drawback: the decline of the full album experience.

Playlists allow users to sort songs from any artist or album into random groups that most people shuffle play. While it can be nice to create a group of songs that you know and love, they pull songs out of context, ignoring the order and cohesion of the album.

Jim Fabian ‘26, a musician and producer, said, “Musicians put so much energy into every song, and specifically to the order of songs on

an album. Every little thing, every way the songs flow into each other, was intentional and has a purpose.”

By listening to playlists alone, the listener is only getting out-oforder snippets of the artist’s true idea, greatly detracting from the level of artistry in the music. Upper School music teacher and industry professional Gilles Pugatch said, “You miss out on a lot of artistic ideas when you don’t listen to the whole album. You’re not getting the artist’s vision.”

Additionally, by only listening to the songs the listener knows well enough to put on a playlist, only the most popular songs on new albums

are listened to, and the rest are forgotten. In the past, listening to every song on the album, even the socalled ‘skips,’ was a rite of passage to get to the hits. Some of the best songs are those that you might not like at first, but grow on you with each listen. Without being forced to listen to the deep-cuts, some of the best songs on an album go com pletely unnoticed.

Pugatch spoke on the Depart ment of Performing Arts’ recent Great Gig performance of Prince’s’ iconic album, “Pur ple Rain.” He said “One of the deepest cuts on that al bum, “Computer Blue,” is a really interesting and amaz ing song that I don’t think you would dive into if you didn’t listen to it on the al bum, and you would be miss ing out.”

The difference between lis tening to playlists and whole al bums is comparable to watching minute-long clips from a movie completely out of order instead of watching it in its entirety; one’s appreciation for each aspect of the art, whether it is music or a movie, is exponentially increased by its relationship to the larger picture.

Just like any form of art, an album

is greater than the sum of its parts, and for that reason, the next time you want to listen to some music, play an album.

Dear Prudence, girls made music

AnnAdele

Columnist

There comes a point in a young girl’s life when she finds her boy band. She chooses a certain member to learn everything about, she blasts her favorite song, and maybe even invests her time in crafting a collage or two. The obsession more often than not ends after the judgement of an older brother or sneering classmate and she moves on to more “sophisticated” tastes. For girls since 1960, that beloved boyband could very well be The Beatles.

The craze the Beatles created fundamentally changed our relationship with both artists and their music. While still debated by music critics and fans alike, many point to the Beatles as the first major “boy band,” a label generally given based on the distinction of a primarily female fanbase.

Looking back, Beatlemania truly was a sight like few others. Photos from 1963 show police officers concealing smiles while holding back hordes of fervid, shrieking girls,

fans hurling themselves at moving limos to get even a glimpse of John, Paul, George or Ringo’s earlobe. Ultimately, the girls’ screams were so loud that the band had to stop touring; they couldn’t hear each other, themselves or their music.

The band eventually outgrew their bowl cuts and the era that defined them. They became more “sophisticated,” masculine and pensive, no longer singing about holding hands but about societal issues and personal strife. Gradually, female fans were isolated from the fan base they created as it became more male dominated and less accepting of young women.

But even before this shift, female “teenyboppers” faced immense misogyny from male onlookers.

A 1964 New Statesman piece is a rather egregious example of this disproportionate scrutiny as author Paul Johnson describes members of the supposed “generation enslaved by the commercial machine” with “huge faces, bloated with cheap confectionery and smeared with chain-store makeup, the open, sagging mouths and glazed eyes, the broken stiletto heels.”

Ideas that fangirls were plastic packaged products of capitalism remained prevalent, even 50 years later, when the British boy group

One Direction stole the hearts of millions of young girls. This 2010s band rose to fame through a different vehicle: the internet. In fact, the

way in which young “directioners” interacted with platforms like Twitter (now X) and Tumblr permanently changed internet culture.

Fan spaces were places for memes, fanfictions and fan interactions, not just work or personal promotion. Trending hashtags became tools to grow their fandom and captions served as ironic inside jokes that only those that were fans of the band would understand. Satirical comments like “One Direction ruined my life” were taken at face

value by nonfans because shrieking girls could not possibly be capable of humor!

More generally, outsiders’ mislabeling fangirl culture as hysteria or reflects a failure to interpret their excitement as the feeling of being a part of something bigger. There is comfort in having automatic acceptance into a group based on a shared interest, and it may be particularly empowering for girls that can’t find that community elsewhere.

It was recently announced that

a Beatles biopic is in process, and young women and girls have provided no shortage of commentary. TikTok comments under a post revealing the cast have the passion of a 1964 Ed Sullivan crowd, everyone nominating who they think should play their favorite Beatle. It’s comforting that there will always be these communities uniting us, even as both the musicians and we age.

dyott

BRITISH POLICE STRUGGLE TO hold back an eager swarm of young Beatles fans. Dyott condemns the casual misogyny associated with critics of fangirl culture, and celebrates the communities that support musicians like the Beatles in light of their upcoming biopic.

MAARTEN COLLEN/FLICKR

THOMAS MCCALLUM/TOWER

CDS ARE SOLD AT the Muzic Store in downtown Dobbs Ferry. In his piece, McCallum argues that listening solely to shuffled playlists detracts from the artists’ original vision. McCallum encourages listeners to pause the playlists and put on albums.

NOT one story, NOT one sound

EunicE Wang Columnist

What comes to mind when you hear “Latinx”? A language?

A flag? A certain kind of music or food?

Here is the truth: there is no single “Latinx culture.”

The word Latinx is meant to be inclusive. An English neologism, it is a gender-neutral term that refers to individuals with Latin American descent. But in reality, this single label covers over 400 million people

across more than 20 countries. Yet, they are not just one community, one language, one race or one story. When we flatten the Latinx identity into one set of foods, rhythms or aesthetics, we erase complexity. We erase people.

To start, Latinx identity has its roots in colonization. When Spanish and Portuguese empires claimed land and people across the Americas, they imposed European culture, language and religion on Indigenous and African populations. The colonial obsession with limpieza de sangre —purity of blood– created the rigid racial and social hierarchy.

To organize society, Spanish authorities developed the casta system which ranked individuals based on their ancestry or blood purity. Hence, terms like mestizos (a person of mixed European and Indigenous descent) and mulattoes (mixed European and African ancestry) didn’t just describe identity, they assigned social status and values.

These classifications dictated who could own land, receive education or avoid enslavement. The system elevated proximity to whiteness and suppressed Black and Indigenous peoples, and it is from these racial hierarchies that the modern concept of “Latinx” began to form.

While the term “Latinx” was an attempt at inclusivity, it soon became a catchall used in mainstream culture that overlooks the diverse and rich identities.

Senior Juan Torres challenges this oversimplification. “We’re not a monolith. And all of those countries have so many different histories. They have a different culture. They speak different languages. Brazil doesn’t speak Spanish or Arabic or Portuguese, but they’re still Latino. There are a lot of similarities between our countries, but each one is so individual and so specific that it is very hard to put everything together into one term and say, ‘You’re Latinx, therefore you think x y z.’”

The erasure spans more than just language. In politics, entertainment and everyday assumptions, we see this diverse community suppressed under a dominant single narrative. Stories are reduced to stereotypes, and this invisibility can be deeply isolating, especially for young people who grow up without seeing their full selves reflected in the stories around them.

The term Latinx itself is also contested. For some, it challenges the gendered structure of the Spanish language. For others, especially ones outside the U.S., it feels foreign

INITIALLY AIMED AT INCLUSIVITY, the word “Latinx” soon became an all around term used in mainstream culture. The term is rooted in colonization, when European empires such as Spain and Portugal sailed to the Americas to claim land and assert European culture.

or imposed. As Torres describes, “Some people had problems with it because the term was catering to English standards and we’re again imposing English standards on the Spanish language.”

Still, within this tension there’s also potential. Latinx may not capture everything, but it opens a conversation. And when that conver-

sation includes critiques, diverse voices and recognition of the rich cultures, the term gains more meaning and holds more weight.

As Torres reminds us, “we’re not a monolith.”

Perhaps, the most powerful expression of identity is not sameness. It is our solidarity through differences.

The vancian leviathan

“Post-liberalism”

alEx KritzEr Columnist

Amid February’s legal chaos, the vice president continued his record of dubious constitutional theories with new tweets broadly defending the president’s executive orders by sweeping claims that “interference” of the judiciary cannot impede the executive’s ability to govern. Of course, broad statements like these can be presented after the fact to mean almost anything -- but by analyzing Vance’s political influences, we can tell what he probably means by them. Let us examine the ideological composition of Vance’s wing of the Republican party, and what has led these once-conservatives to ironically embrace executive power with such reckless abandon.

Vance, rather uniquely, aligns openly with “New Right” intellectuals. Among the movements he frequently affiliates himself with is postliberalism, so named by its nominal founder

Patrick Deneen. A political theorist at the University of Notre Dame, Deneen believes liberalism produced social failure and should be replaced by a more communitarian system less concerned with individual rights and strict constitutionalism. A unique figure, he blends illiberal capitalism with anachronistic political Catholicism.

On one hand, he resembles the classical conservatives of nineteenth century Europe: the state, he reckons, is an institution integral to all of society which ought to act with broad authority in pursuit of the “common good” of traditional Catholic morality -- not, as liberals claim, a strictly political body with the sole purpose of guaranteeing certain liberties to the individual.

But in the United States, unlike in Europe, the whole political tradition is descended from constitutional republicanism. Any theory which dissents from it cannot, therefore, rightly be called traditionalist: there is a reason why Deneen’s politics are called “post-liberal,” not “pre-liberal.”

Vance holds the postliberal disregard of constitutionalism, and regularly makes it known: as early as 2021 he supported the Trump agenda of co-opting the federal government regardless of judicial opposition, saying Trump should “fire every single midlevel bureaucrat … (and) replace them with our people,” and “When the courts try to stop you, stand before the country like Andrew Jackson did (when he famously defied the Supreme Court’s ruling in 1832’s Worcester v. Georgia) and say, ‘The chief justice has made his ruling. Now let him enforce it’.”

This view of judicial and constitutional nullification is an anomaly in

and the end of law

JOSHUA SUKOFF/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

MARKING A RADICAL BREAK from American conservative tradition, Vice President Vance supports a post liberal ideology that rejects constitutional limits on executive power. Influenced by thinkers like Deneen and Vermeule, his stance echoes authoritarian principles, as argued by Kritzer.

American history. Therefore, Vancian politics are not conservative -- in radically splitting from the constitutional tradition which defines American conservatism, they are revolutionary to an almost Leninist degree. Here, another one of Vance’s influences enters our story. Professor Adrian Vermeule, constitutional law expert at Harvard University, an avowed integralist postliberal and exponent of a “common-good” constitutional theory derived from the regime of interwar Austrian dictator Engelbert Dollfuss, took to Twitter amid the blocking of Trump’s various actions by federal judges with the opinion that judicial meddling with

“legitimate acts of state” constitutes a violation of the separation of powers. Vance, of course, retweeted promptly.

Later that day, Vance parroted Vermeule in his aforementioned post, making the claim that “judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.” As the theories of Deneen and Vermeule demonstrate, though, “legitimate” is no legal quantity for the postliberal -- supposedly, it’s derived from objective morality. In practice, this can only mean legal infallibility for the executive so long as they pursue the morally correct conduct.

This view, too, is a historical anom-

aly in America. Worse than president Jackson’s previously-mentioned 1832 attack on the courts, it rejects constitutional limits on the executive not just opportunistically, but as a matter of principle.

Vance, a Yale law graduate, is not stupid. Neither is Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a Duke grad, or Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought, a Juris Doctor from George Washington University Law School. It may be easy to attribute Trump’s distaste for the Constitution to authoritarian tendencies in personality, rather than politics -- but it’s decidedly less easy to do the same for them. Where Trump himself totally lacks ideology, his administration is staunchly ideological. It follows a very specific doctrine -- Counter-Enlightenment, in all its many forms -- with very specific policy propositions.

In my first article, I analyzed the economics of this ideology, and their resemblance to feudalism. In my second, its trade policy -- which reeked of mercantilism. Now, considering its legal theories, I conclude that they embody the third of those three great evils against which our forefathers rebelled in 1776: that of absolutism, of the supreme, infallible executive.

Political philosopher Thomas Hobbes, the father of this hypothetical executive, once called it Leviathan, a name inspiring Biblical awe -- now, in our denial, we seem to pretend like it’s nothing out of the ordinary. We can debate precisely how dire the straits are; indeed, there are still reasons to be optimistic. But it can hardly be argued that the renewed presence of these three ideas, all alien to the American political tradition, is something normal.

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Anna Rosenbluth Rory Frasch Kai BiddulphWest

Sam

Justine Pascutti

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Richard Wu

Beila

Isaac

Ben Kremnev

Anna Shub

Aaron Weinberg

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Lola Rae Ben

Shahar Pyke

Ella Galantic

Alex Williams

Cathy He

Ellie

Josie Leff

Luke Puthiyamadam

Johnny Teodorczuk

Theo Yancovich

Avi Zalkin

Isabella

Eunice Wang

Alice Fuller

Vargas

Sophia Woodruffe

Gretta Hong

Dylan Glaser

Max Lovitt Eleanor Phillips

Mikey Lyu

Edward Tam

Saachi Bogavelli

Anna Moscato

Dan Albani

Rachel Bermont

Matthew VanWright

Sarah Christie

Natalie Beit

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Kraus

Jesse Gelman

Simonds

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Hise

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Charlie Haas

Emerson Riter

Jordan Harris

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Warsameh Jama

Remy Morra Pearlman

Samantha Weber

Shadow Keith

Alex Cooperstock

Benson

Sharma

Jem Furniss

Elizabeth Fletcher

Skye Pearlman

Immanuelle Kennerly

Ernesto

Amara Baker Valentina Masseroli

Ian Lam

Lily Grand

Brian Wolfson

Note: 105 of the 139 students in the senior class shared their college destination with Tower.

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An ode to mercuries

why journalism will aways be cool to me

ElliE HisE Editor-in-Chief Emiritus

Ihad hoped that the much-detested ‘college conversation’ would get easier once I got in. But even though I am happy with where I am going, there is one question I fear, one last mine in the minefield, so to speak. Forget the college question, I’m talking about the ‘major’ question.

And a major question it is – when I tell people I have my sights set on journalism, I am routinely met with a taken-aback look that indicates I will spend the next 10 to 20 minutes defending my decision.

This routine is consistent without regard to age, political party or level of acquaintance. I have met that look from my fellow classmates, coworkers, strangers who’ve struck up conversation and family members.

People look at me like I sold out, or like I just said I want to be a tax collector. At this point, I am a little shocked and slightly hurt by the sheer number of people that seem to dislike journalists. But why don’t people like journalists?

Historically, journal ism was enabled to become a proper in dustry when Europe adopted Johannes Gutenberg’s print ing press, which ought to ring a bell regardless of what history class you took. But even before that, written correspondence about political and economic affairs were circulated, essentially newsletters that were further disseminated by the receivers.

letters transitioned into little bound booklets and then foldable broadsheets like what you are used to seeing, after a paper in Amsterdam realized a folded sheet would carry more room for news. These papers were given out in the UK by “mercury-wom en” who were women named after the Roman god of messages, or delivered to the revolution-starting coffee shops in France.

Dailies were pumped out every morning, gazettes offered the official government version of news, and tabloids helped shape the course of pop culture. People were desperate for the news: during Louis XIV’s tyrannical rule of France, French citizens supplemented their doses of officially dispersed royal propaganda with subtle radicalism and real news in ad sheets at the back of the paper. To be a journalist at this time wasn’t all that strange a career plan.

With the movable type, these

The desire for quick news steadily grew in Europe, but journalists often felt the need to supplement their salary with political blackmail. The period of journalistic history is curious in its sharp contrast between an optimistic story of ambitious frontiers of a new industry and shamefaced tactics to earn a quick buck.

JOHANNES GUTENBERG IS OFTEN credited with creating the first moveable type, but while he was a crucial component to the growth of newspaper, he wasn’t the first. China was the location of the first moveable type press, which was created in 1040 A.D., during the Song Dynasty, using clay letters. Korea followed China with the development of metal letters, but was still a precursor to Gutenberg of Germany.

blackmail ceased to be a practice.

mail threats and deals could be found on the front page of some of these papers, and was seen more as a way to make a living than profit off of malicious intentions. Clearly, journalism had some kinks to work out.

Another shameful period in journalistic history was the Yellow Press in America – AP U.S. history students, don’t look at me like that. These were a couple decades at the turn of the last century of true sensationalism: scandals and crudeness, exaggerations and a worship of the decree of whatever advertisements went on the page. I think that may be the idea of the press still held by people today, despite being over a century later.

I’ve heard people tell me to make sure I am unbiased by read ing both extreme ends of the po litical tabloid spectrum, to make sure I don’t do it for the money, or to never sell out to corpo rations rather than tell a story properly.

To the first point, I say that two wrongs don’t make a right, and that consuming unbiased news is far better than bounc ing between CNN and Fox News. And the idea of doing it for the money… as if! Do ing it for the money isn’t re ally possible after front-page

And though it’s a valid sentiment, I have found that most journalists already strive to never sell out. Notably, the majority of people who harp on this last point don’t actually read the news.

It doesn’t help that both political parties in America are slandering the press. The far right defaults to accusing everything of being fake, and the left prefers to consider unsatisfactory headlines biased. The ‘centrists’ abstain from reading the news entirely.

journalist via LSD drugging) is a shining part of our history.

There has been a total erasure of the good parts of journalistic history in the minds of the people who have been taught to distrust it. Watergate, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s exposure of Nixon for his corruption (mind you, there was

And so is Julie K. Brown’s investigation into Jeffery Epstein’s sex trafficking ring, and the Boston Globe’s team of investigative reporters who uncovered the years of sex abuse coming from the Catholic Church, and Nellie Bly checking herself into a mad-house to report on the terrible treatment of women and showing off her investigative chops way back in 1887.

So, despite the tiresome conversation, I’ll keep defending my major. Journalism is simply the act of caring enough to ask, and in turn to tell. It’s putting values in people’s stories and investing – and having faith – in the future. I’ll keep writing, and you will keep reading, maybe a few times removed due to social media, and maybe one day people will like mercuries again.

STUDENT PUBLICATIONS AT MASTERS date back to the eighteen hundreds. Tower, (or The Tower or The Saucepan in the past) has covered World War II, The Vietnam War and 9/11.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE press and the government has evolved dramatically throughout early American history, from its encouragement of revolutionary ideals, to its protections written into the constitution’s first amendment, to its subsequent censorship by the second presidential administration. The relationship continued to change later on. For a while, journalists had a close relationship with presidential administrations, going so far as to avoid taking photos of Franklin D. Roosevelt in a wheelchair in order to hide his polio. However, after a series of press-leak related scandals such as the Pentagon paper leak and Watergate, journalists began distrusting official government information.

ELLIE HISE/TOWER

ELLIE HISE/TOWER

ELLIE HISE/TOWER

ELLIE HISE/TOWER

Whitewashing American history

Learning about the nation’s past does not make us weaker -it makes us stronger

Some historians have observed that the average empire lasts 250 years, but I view it less as a prediction of decline and more as a potential turning point. The Trump administration has recently launched the “Salute to America 250 Task Force,” aimed at developing patriotic celebrations and honoring American history. However, the nationalistic framing of Trump’s celebrations is reminiscent of the messaging used by historical strongmen or emperors.

As the administration tightens its grip on American history education through the elimination of DEI programs in schools, censorship and modification of museums, and the release of politically-slanted American history videos on the White House website, the 250th year of America’s existence draws near.

We don’t know what the future holds, but one thing is clear: we should hope that this turbulent time in our country’s history marks neither the beginning of an empire nor the end of a nation.

the former president of Hillsdale College. However, the tone shifts when Arnn compares Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan and his policies to Lincoln’s effort to restore national principles.

Plastered on the White House website is the “Story of America” video series, a history series that the America 250 Task Force created with the help of Hillsdale College. The videos intend to “highlight the stories of the crucial characters and events that resulted in a small rag-tag army defeating the mightiest empire in the world and establishing the greatest republic ever to exist.”

The first video focuses on a brief history of America by Larry P. Arnn, the president of Hillsdale College. He encourages viewers to read the Declaration of Independence and speaks about the college’s connection to Abraham Lincoln, who knew

“Part of the purpose of this series of lectures is to remember. President Trump does this… he has a famous slogan that I will not repeat here, but everybody knows what it is, and it ends with the word ‘again.’”

As emotional music and nostalgic American video footage plays, Arnn continues, “He wants to do something again - something that has already been done, he wants to see it be done again. This places him somewhere near the politics of Abraham Lincoln, I think.”

The suggestion that Trump should be viewed on the same level as Lincoln was shocking, but not surprising: Trump has repeatedly referred to himself as

superior to Lincoln during campaign speeches and even during a video introducing his digital trading cards in 2022. He has also acted as if he is greater than Lincoln by criticizing Lincoln for not settling the conflict between the North and South before the start of the Civil War, just as he claims the Ukraine-Russia war would not have happened had he been president, demonstrating his strange and altered view of American history.

In reality, the Civil War stemmed from a long-standing national conflict revolving around the cultural and ideological differences between the North and South, and several southern states even seceded from the nation before Lincoln was inaugurated, so suggesting that he could have prevented the Civil War and abolished slavery at the same time is incredibly unrealistic. Lincoln spoke openly about fighting for emancipation

and believed in the principle of human equality and rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence. Meanwhile, Trump’s policies are aimed at minimizing the role of race and injustice in American history.

Not only has Trump ordered the shutdown of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs

Erasing racial injustice

that work to create equal opportunities and eliminate discrimination and bias, but his executive order ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History’ actively works to diminish the existence of racial injustice in America’s history.

In the order, Trump writes that America is undergoing a ‘revisionist movement’ aimed at casting America in a negative light, as a country that is racist, sexist and flawed, instead of a na -

tion that fights for freedom and individual rights.

He cites the Smithsonian Institution as an example, since it features an exhibit called “The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture,” which states that “[s]ocieties including the United States have used race to establish and maintain systems of power, privilege, and disenfranchisement.”

As a high school student who learned about these systems in American history classes and knows how they have affected my own family, I seriously don’t understand how the administration can deem this exhibit anti-American. It’s heartbreaking to think that people want to push aside the suffering that minorities have faced throughout American history for the sake of promoting patriotism.

America’s founding ideals were revolutionary - but all nations have flaws

America’s great ideals of liberty and equality only held true for a small portion of the population for most of American history, as most know. That doesn’t mean that America’s founding ideals weren’t revolutionary; all nations have flaws. No country or person should view themselves as the most superior or greatest. That is dangerous thinking - the very same thinking that led to the development of scientific racism and white supremacy.

The Smithsonian, and American schools, should continue to teach about these histories, not to encourage national shame, but to help Americans reflect on our progress and understand how we can continue to grow. Learning about the nation’s history does not make Americans weaker - it makes us stronger, and might allow us to last another 250 years.

ELAINA BARRETO Lead Opinion Editor

ON THE WHITE HOUSE website President Donald Trump’s administration has uploaded videos that tell the “Story of America” and compare Trump favorably with Abraham Lincoln. Barreto argues that that story isn’t the whole tale.

RONI BARKAN/TOWER

A strange and altered view of American history

DoPA Spring Recap

MELNICK ‘26 POSES with backup dancers in the second dance of the Masters Dance Company Spring Performance. In this show, each dance was accompanied by a short film, often showcasing the process by which the dancers prepared for the performance.

CAST

ON

ARI

REMY PEARLMAN ‘25 SINGS alongside Amara Kaur ‘27 in the Great Gig performance, where students play a full album. This year, they performed “Purple Rain” by Prince. In between songs, they played tracks recorded by Dobbs 16.

GRAYSON BOKHOUR ‘26 ACTS in the Spring Shorts. Each year, students from the playwriting class, taught by the Upper School Theather Teacher Beth Manspeizer, create and direct the skits themselves. This means that the entire production is organized by students and performed by students.

ESTHER NI/TOWER

AYANNA BECKETT/TOWER

IKE SIMONDS ‘25 PLAYS the tuba in the Prism Concert. The orchestra prepared for this concert from after winter break up until the performance in April. Every performer was required to wear concert black.

AYANNA BECKETT/TOWER

PUTS

PERFORMANCE of “Much Ado About Nothing,” a comedy written by Shakespeare. The play takes place in Messina, Italy, and follows the two separate love stories. One of the storylines follows Claudio and Hero, and the other follows Beatrice and Benedick.

HELEN GAO/TOWER

ZARA MURRAY/TOWER

Teens chase trends in online challenges

Editor-in-Chief

One bucket of ice water, a phone camera and a cause. That’s all it took to spark the #USCSpeakYourMind challenge, a campaign launched by students at the University of South Carolina to raise awareness and reduce stigma around mental illness.

The format is simple: have ice water dumped over your head, record it, post it online and nominate others to do the same. However, this isn’t just another ice bucket challenge, but the latest example of how online trends are often driven more by social pressure and popularity than genuine awareness.

The challenge began on the University of South Carolina’s campus in March and has since gained mass popularity on Instagram and TikTok, drawing participation from students across the country, as well as influencers and public figures.

USC student group MIND (Mental Illness Needs Discussion) kickstarted the challenge in partnership with the nonprofit Active Minds.

“The goal is to raise awareness about mental health and remind people that they’re not alone,” said Wade Jefferson, founder of USC MIND, in an interview with the Carolina News & Reporter.

“Everyone faces struggles, and no matter who you are, there’s someone out there who’s willing to listen. This challenge is proof of that.”

USC STUDENTS LAUNCHED THE #SpeakYourMind challenge to raise awareness about mental health by dumping ice water over their heads and nominating others online. While the challenge has gained traction on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, many teens say they participate more out of social pressure than a connection to the cause. Experts warn that online trends can blur the line between advocacy and attention-seeking, especially among adolescents.

“ There’s a pressure to be a part of it, which means students sometimes engage in conversations or behaviors on social media that they wouldn’t otherwise.”

- Jodie Goldberg

Online challenges have become common ways for social media users, especially teens, to interact with trends, friends and causes. According to researchers at Clemson

University, four main factors affect why teens participate in online challenges: social pressure, desire for attention, entertainment value and the “contagion effect” (the tendency for behavior to spread

when it’s viewed frequently online).

“In all honesty, my friends were doing it [#USCSpeakYourMind], and it seemed like a fun thing to do, and so therefore I did it,” Viva Topper-Kroog ‘26 said. “It didn’t necessarily have anything to do with the purpose of the challenge, although I acknowledged it.”

Mental Health at Masters Leadership Board member Eileen Kang ‘26 described a similar experience.

“My friend from school nominated me, so I did it myself, and I nominated a few friends, both inside and outside of Masters as well,” she said. “It is helpful to raise awareness but it felt more like a social media trend.”

Kang drew comparisons to the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge which raised millions for ALS research.

“That one had a specific cause, and people were really clear about why they were doing it. With this one, people kind of forgot about the mental health aspect, and it just became something people did.”

Associate Dean of Health and Wellness Jodie Goldberg discussed how social media behavior often reflects underlying social dynamics that extend beyond the challenge

teens are more likely to engage in impulsive behaviors, particularly when they see others their age doing the same.

Topper-Kroog said the pull of online challenges often comes less from the platform itself and more from the surrounding social pressures. “There’s another challenge going on right now that is like posting four pictures of yourself on Instagram. I was nominated for that, and I don’t want to do it, but I feel bad if I don’t because people are doing it and my friends are doing it.”

While some online challenges are harmless or intended to support good causes, others have raised concerns about safety.

The “Chromebook Challenge,” in which participants jam objects into the USB port of Chromebooks to cause a short-circuit- related fire, has led to numerous nationwide incidents, even during AP testing. Furthermore, the “One Chip Challenge,” involving consumption of an extremely spicy chip, has led to reports of adverse health reactions and the death of teen Harris Wolobah.

itself. “There’s a pressure to be a part of it, which means students sometimes engage in conversations or behaviors on social media that they wouldn’t otherwise,” Goldberg said. “Sometimes those aren’t positive engagements.” Psychologists attribute this type of behavior in part to adolescent brain development. The prefrontal cortex, which manages rational thinking and risk-assessment, is not fully developed until the mid-twenties. In contrast, the parts of the brain involved in emotion and reward-seeking are highly active during adolescence, meaning

“ I was nominated for that, and I don’t want to do it, but I feel bad if I don’t because people are doing it and my friends are doing it.”

- Viva Topper-Kroog ‘26

Goldberg, although recognizing the significance of cause-driven online challenges like SpeakYourMind, has also addressed the issue of dangerous social media gimmicks in her classroom. She said,“We’ve had open conversations about it, but even though students are aware of the risks, there’s still an interest in engaging, which is typical for high schoolers. It’s hard not to.” Kang described how she feels online challenges can still be effective under the right circumstances.

“If the focus stays on the message, and people understand what the challenge is really about, it can still be a good way to raise awareness.”

JUNIORS GUS CREECH AND Ryan Lim took on the #SpeakYourMind challenge, having ice water dumped over their heads to show support for mental health awareness. Like many teens, they joined after being nominated by friends, showing the strong role of social pressure in spreading online trends. While the message behind the challenge is meaningful, its impact often depends on how closely participants engage with the cause.

NeeNa atkiNs

ALYSSA WANG/TOWER

BOONE CREECH

JUNE KIM

Saying goodbye to faculty and staff

Upper School Science Teacher & Dean Class of 2025

RENE HURLEY

- Rene Hurley

Associate Dean of Students & Director of Residential Life TRISTAN KISHONIS

Dean of Global Studies & Freshman Class Dean ROBERT FISH

“

I will miss having so much interaction with students from all over the world, which I feel just makes a school great.”

- Robert fish

Masters Hall Reception PEGGY HICKEY

*In-depth articles of faculty who are leaving to be posted online at tower.mastersny.org, except for Robert Fish who is featured on Tower Broacast News and can be viewed on the @mastersTBN youtube channel. The symposium serves a bunch of purposes: it gives students an opportunity to present their research to others, practice their presentations for actual science fairs and helps boost interest in the program.”

Upper School Science Teacher LINDEN JONES

“when they ask me if I’ll come back [to masters], I say, if it turns out the meaning of life isn’t catching big a** fish, then, for sure, I’ll be back.”

- Linden jones

Middle School Director of Admissions ABBE MONTALDO

Science Research Symposium gathers students together to share and celebrate projects

Thomas mccallum Sports Editor

Students, parents and faculty alike circulated through the Doc Wilson Hall on May 19 listening to presentations from sophomores, juniors and seniors in the Science Research class during the Science Research Symposium. The class, taught by Upper School Science Teacher Kristina Gremski, allows students to pursue their own scientific interests in a three-year research journey of their choice.

sium, as well as the class itself in its current form, began four years ago, when Gremski helped develop the program into what it is today.

She said, “I came from a school that had a three-year science research program and I wanted to bring that to Masters.”

-Lylah Kelman ‘26 “

The symposium allows students to present their work to both their peers and the larger Masters community. Lylah Kelman ‘26 presented on migraines and their effects, a topic she was inspired to work on after experiencing migraines herself.

The Science Research Sympo-

She said, “The symposium serves

a bunch of purposes: it gives students an opportunity to present their research to others, practice their presentations for actual science fairs and helps boost interest in the program.”

Presenting research to others helps students practice for science fairs and prepare for professional STEM fields.

Gremski said, “A big part of being a scientist is knowing how to talk about your research in front of others. If you do amazing re-

search, but can’t get others excited about it, you’re not going to get grants, and no one is going to care.

Symposium gives all students an experience to practice showing their work.”

THOMAS MCCALLUM/TOWER THE ANNUAL SCIENCE RESEARCH Symposium allowed students to present either potential projects or projects that they had worked on during the summer and the school year. Some of these projects had already received awards including Aaron Weinburg ‘25 who received two awards, one of which was third place in Biomendical & Health Sciences, from the prestigous Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair.

The

ZARA MURRAY/TOWER

ZARA MURRAY/TOWER

ZARA MURRAY/TOWER

SOPHIA DING/TOWER

GABRIELA LI/TOWER

Sophomore Clover Graves finds focus in Olympic precision rifle

NeeNa atkiNs Editor-in-Chief

While many students use their free time outside of school to rest or tackle homework, sophomore Clover Graves makes time to steady her breathing, align her sights and take precise aim. She shoots Olympic-style precision rifle, a sport where a single breath or heartbeat can throw off a shot.

Graves discovered the sport about a year ago during a visit to West Point, the U.S. military academy. While on campus, she happened to see a rifle match taking place on campus, and was immediately intrigued.

“I just thought it was fascinating to see people doing this, and I had no idea this was a sport at all,” she said. Graves met a family there who introduced her to the Cos Cob Rifle and Revolver Club in Greenwich, where she still practices during the week.

“She was all in,” said her younger sister Marni Graves ‘29. “She started and learned really quickly, and I

that she was falling in love with this sport.”

Now, Graves competes in the West Point Rifle League on weekends, regularly facing athletes on track to attend service academies and top NCAA rifle programs.

Graves shoots both .22 caliber rifles and air rifles in three standard positions: prone, kneeling and standing (also called offhand). Each match consists of 60 scored shots, with 20 per position. In .22 matches, the distance is 50 feet; in air rifle, it’s almost 33 feet. Shooters aim at targets so small that scoring rings are the size of a dime.

“You can even see your heartbeat on the target. You aren’t supposed to breathe when you shoot,” Graves said.

Of the three positions, kneeling has been the most physically challenging. “Your foot falls asleep, and you’re at this weird angle,” she said. “But it’s the first one in the match, so I know if I get through that I can get through the rest.”

SOPHMORE CLOVER GRAVES EARNED a total score of 570 with 26 inner tens during a recent 60shot match. The result shows Graves’s increasing accuracy and control, as she continues to clumb the ranks in competitive percision rifle.

Graves balances shooting with a packed schedule that includes time-blocking in order to juggle her many practices with schoolwork and extracurricular activities.

“Marni discussed how this discipline didn’t happen overnight. “Her drive and time management have developed over time. She’s learned to cope with a lot happening at once, but she also knows when it’s time to focus,” Marni said.

Her drive and time management have developed over time. She’s learned to cope with a lot happening at once, but she also knows when it’s time to focus”

-Marni

Graves’ ability to focus is central to her success in precision rifle. “She has the ability to almost create a bubble around her when she is shooting,” Marni said. “It’s very interesting to watch.”

Graves’ interest in rifle has

also influenced her long-term goals. In the summer of 2023, she attended a STEM program at the U.S. Naval Academy, and is considering applying to a service academy. Additionally, she is also drawn to another field that demands precision: medicine.

Graves ‘29

“I love precise things, I’ve always been obsessed with that sort of thing – I would love to be a doctor or surgeon one day.” Graves continued, “That’s another component of what I love about this sport.”

Marni believes that the sport may have helped shape those ambitions.

“She liked the environment at

West Point and the opportunities they offered. I think she sees how she could pursue whatever she wants to do there,” she said.

Though she has only been shooting for a year, Graves is already competing against some of the strongest junior athletes in the country and plans to continue. Marni views her sister as a role model, both in competition and beyond.

She said, “I look up to Clover not only because she’s my older sister, but because of how well she balances everything. She still makes time for friends, academics and rifle. She’s figured out how to do it all.”

For Graves, rifle offers something she hasn’t found in other sports. “It’s so different from every other sport I’ve done because you want to be as still as possible, so I fell in love with it,” she said.

CLOVER GRAVES LINES UP her shot at the range. After discovering precision rifle just a year ago, shes fallen in love with the sport’s demand for stillness and control. Between rifle, school and other sports, Graves finds a way to balance it all.

CLOVER GRAVES

CLOVER GRAVES, WEARING BIB #287, takes aim at the Winter Air Gun tournament at Camp Perry in Ohio. She now competes in the West Point Rifle League and trains weekly at Cos Cob Rifle and Revolver Club.

CLOVER GRAVES

CLOVER GRAVES

SportS

Ayalah Spratt

Boys Varsity Volleyball to lose 66% of their team

loEwy NallE Social Media Manager

As the Boys Varsity Volleyball team moves into the next school year, there will be an evident problem regarding the numbers on their roster: the team will lose eight essential seniors, resulting in a sixty-six percent player decline.

The team currently consists of twelve players, with seniors taking up a whopping eight spots, while two juniors and two sophomores fill the rest. With this imbalanced ratio within the team, when graduation rolls around, the future of the team could face uncertainty concerning the program as a whole by next spring season.

With all of the problems an unbalanced roster can cause, there are certain strengths the seniority carries.

“I think a strength we have with these many upperclassmen is maturity. They have more experience with varsity play and just life in general,” Head Coach Diane Scott said. “However, with Boys Volleyball being a spring sport,

senioritis has set in. That is something we have had to navigate, given how many seniors we have on the team. We really have to guard against giving up too early.”

For senior captain Christian Van Steenkiste, he agreed that senioritis and burnout has played a big role for the senior squad.

“Some seniors who don’t take the sport as seriously have started to burn out over the past month, which has affected our energy in practices and the overall team dynamic,” Van Steenkiste said.

The reason for this imbalance of players can be traced back to tryouts. The goal was to fill varsity up to create a big roster of skilled, athletic players. However, junior varsity would not have had enough players to compete in a regular season if varsity had such a big roster.

Sophomore

Alex Cho spotted the limited number of open spots this year for underclassmen early, during tryouts.

“I was nervous that I wouldn’t make the team because I am still an underclassman, but I was more certain that I would make the team this year than last year. Last year, the slots seemed to be full, and I was a freshman, so I made JV. This year, there were open slots for me,” Cho said.

For Scott, although there were “open spots,” she still

had to make difficult decisions regarding placements for JV and varsity.

“There were and there are people on JV now who have some really great athletic ability, but no experience. I took experience over just athletic ability because I really didn’t have time to do all the teaching that JV needed,” Scott said.

Ahead of next season, Cho isn’t necessarily worried about the ratio, because of how many JV players could get pulled up.

“Next year, I would rather continue building on the positive dynamic we have on the team. I think it really helps my teammates grow athletically and socially,” Cho said.

“I would hope to see a real rebuild of the team next year,” Van Steenkiste noted. “I also know some of the current underclassmen and JV players are going to volleyball camps before next season, which I believe will really help with the team’s development.”

To Scott, playing club sports is vital to the team. The typical opponents of the Boys Volleyball team are city schools, where most

of their players already play on a club team.

“If some of our players were to join a club, that would increase our competitiveness tremendously,” Scott said.

ANDREW WANG ‘26 BUMPS the ball in a home game against Calhoun School showing calmness and control in an otherwise chaotic game. He is one of two juniors on the team.

Spring sports struggle with weather and field difficulties

Ella liu Features Editor

Running around on the grass, throwing and catching passes, shooting goals and scooping up ground balls—wait, except on the last one, the head of the stick got caught on the dirt and missed. These are all just part of the routine of the Junior Varsity Girls Lacrosse team, but sometimes playing can get impeded by the field.

The team

practices and hosts home games on Reunion Field, while the varsity team plays on the Greene Family Field Turf. Reunion is grass, rather than turf, and its rough texture and hard dirt can cause problems with running and playing. For example, the aforementioned dirt patches make for a very hard surface to scoop up ground balls.

This increased difficulty does make for harder training and therefore makes playing on smoother fields easier which can be beneficial for experienced players, however, many members of the JV team are new to the sport, and learning on difficult terrain is hard.

Team member and sophomore Nizaabu Mukiibi said, “It’s already really hard for [new players] to understand cradling and simple things about the sport, so I think doing ground balls on a grass field is a bit harder for them.”

Masters currently has three grass fields and one turf field that have to all be shared by the Varsity Boys and Girls Lacrosse Teams, JV Girls Lacrosse, Varsity and JV Base -

DIFFICULTIES with its grass. The

rough texture after repeated use, which is especially prevalent during the lacrosse season in the Spring.

ball Team and the track and field team. This means that the Varsity lacrosse teams have to share the coveted turf. While games and meets must be carefully planned as practice space for other teams will be impacted.

For example, Upper School Athletic Assistant Director Mikelle Sacco, who takes part in planning practice and home game locations, said that a track meet takes up the whole track and turf, which forces Varsity lacrosse to be put on other fields.

Things weren’t always like

this. The Evans Family Field, which is out of commission after wthe construction of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, used to be the home field of the now disbanded softball team. It is unclear whether or not this field will be in commission soon.

Another issue is the frequent spring showers which forces many teams inside.

“[JV] Lacrosse would get a third of Strayer,” Sacco said.

JV Lacrosse Head Coach Madison Preston said, “There’s very limited stuff we can do in the

gym, so that’s a little difficult as a coach, to come up with stuff to do and change my whole game plan because of the weather.”

Despite problems that might occur for sports teams, scheduling for sports is a difficult task with many different pieces that need to be put into the equation.

Preston said, “Our home games have been on Reunion, so I think that it’s a good thing that we practice on grass, since we’re playing on it [but] I know that it sucks because of the weather.”

REUNION FIELD EXPERIENCES

surface causes a

LUCAS CAMACHO ‘25 DIVES for the ball in a home game against Calhoun School. Camacho plays libero, a special position in volleyball that is required to wear a different uniform from the rest of the team.

JULIA PANOS ‘27 COMPETES for the ball in a home game against Riverdale. In this game, the JV girls lacrosse team used Reunion field to play, which is knwon to be a difficult playing surface, largely because of its dirt patches.

MARRISA GOLDFARB

ANNADELLE DYOTT/TOWER

SOPHIA DING/TOWER

SOPHIA DING/TOWER