Merionite April 2019

The Merionite

Ardmore, PA, 19003

April 8, 2019

Thestudent official student newspaper LowerHigh Merion Highsince School since The official newspaper of LowerofMerion School 1929 www.themerionite.org Volume 90, Issue 5

Standing up by sitting down Dhaval Sharma ’21 When students wonder how their school would have looked fifty years ago, they think about how difficult it must have been to not have easy access to a computer. They imagine looking up words in dictionaries and finding trivial facts in books. They groan at the thought of listening to lectures all day long; they are grateful that they do not have to live in such a time. Unbeknownst to them, the students of LM fifty years ago had bigger problems than not having access to a computer. During their time in high school, discrimination was much more pronounced than it is today. African American students were profiled and treated differently than other groups at the school. To fight against this blatant antagonism, on March 11, 1969, a group of African American students held a historic student sit-in as a protest for their treatment by some white teachers. Wendell Holland (third image from the top at the left), a student who participated in the sit-in, reflected on school life back in the day and the ramifications the sit-in had on the school.

On the fateful Tuesday, more than sixty African American students, almost the entirety of LM’s African American enrollment at the time, held a sit-in to fight for a student who had been suspended. It was one of the first major black protests in the area. William Holland (top image at the left), a senior who was suspended for getting into an altercation with a teacher, was reinstated five hours after the protest had begun by Superintendent Philip Koopman. William “Billy” Holland, Wendell Holland’s cousin and the captain of the basketball team, had been accused of striking Anthony Schultz, a mechanical drawing teacher. Many students stood up for William Holland, saying that if he had struck the teacher at all, it was because of his rude and gruff behavior towards Holland. Billy Holland had also stated that Schultz had spit on him and called him “boy,” a term considered offensive to many African Americans. According to Wendell Holland, William was a “star athlete” at LM and like all other students, he would take his time to get to class. Wendell Holland also stated that “Mr. Schultz profiled Billy repeatedly.” One day, after all the agitation, Schultz told Billy to go to the disciplinarian office. The disciplinarian then called Mr. Schultz to his office. The two exchanged words, and “it was alleged that Schultz did something offensive to Billy and they got into a physical argument. He was told that he was suspended later that day.”

That night, after he was suspended, black students, members of the Black Student League, an organization already present in the LM Township, gathered at the Soul Shack, now known as the Ardmore Avenue Community Center, to plan the sit-in. The organization held many events around the community, including Please see STANDING UP BY SITTING DOWN on page 4

Jersey saga comes full circle Caryl Shepard ’22

LM is undoubtedly known for its basketball, as seven-time state championship winners and for being Kobe Bryant’s alma mater. Memorabilia from Bryant’s high school career is proudly displayed throughout the halls of LM, most notably in the Kobe Bryant “shrine,” a glass case filled with old shoes, pictures, and autographs. Sitting on the top shelf of the entire shrine used to be the delicately framed Kobe Bryant high school jersey, complete with the famous “33” in the center of the jersey. On the night of Sunday, February 5th, 2017, as students and families watched the Superbowl, burglars broke into LM and made off with a trove of memorbailia, including a signed #33 jersey. Though the police reviewed the security footage, the culprits were never found. The robbery was even more suspicious as the items stolen possessed little monetary value. According to Doug Young, LM director of Community Relations at the time of the robbery, “I’m not sure what someone would do with a state championship trophy. For us, the items are important because they represent some really wonderful memories.” The student body was also shocked, questioning who would intend to steal the precious items. A student at the time told ABC affiliate WPVI , “It’s craziness to think that this would happen. No one was expecting it. I thought it was a joke at first because it was so extreme.”

LM can relax now as the stolen jersey has been recovered. Liu Zhe, a 28-year-old Kobe superfan from Please see THE KOBE JERSEY RETURNS on page 3

Stories from Syria Teresa Cato ’20

On March 12, the Harriton auditorium stood half-filled with teenagers and their parents, buzzing with quiet murmurs about the mild roadblocks of Main Line life. They were there for the slightly arcane presentation from what was only referred to as a Syrian speaker. The room silenced quickly as a man took the stage. He explained that he worked for a humanitarian group that aimed to provide relief to Syrians. With a broad smile, he then introduced Omar Alshogre.

Athletically vaulting himself onto the stage, Alshogre took the microphone with aplomb and beamed at the audience. Other than his strong accent and characteristically bright smile, Alshogre appeared like a normal 22 year-old. Clad in a crisp suit and beat-up sneakers, he told us he worked for a company in Boston; he added with a grin that he loved his job. He did find himself to be a bit of a black sheep there, though. His colleagues had studied at Harvard Law, Yale Business, Oxford University, Cornell Medical School, and other reputable institutions. All of these people had top of the line educations, he said. But none compared to his.

When the war broke out in Syria eight years ago, Alshogre was fifteen. Though he didn’t fully grasp the breadth of the situation, he enjoyed going to protests with his friends and chanting, surrounded by his community, for freedom; it was thrilling and it felt meaningful.

He was first arrested on his way to school when the guards learned his name, which has religious significance. His father bailed him out the same day. Though Please see STORIES FROM SYRIA on page 3 From top: Photo courtesy of The Enchiridion; Photo courtesy of The Enchiridion; Photo courtesy of The Enchiridion; Graphic by Sihan Wu ’19/Staff; Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff; Photo courtesy of Harriton TV

From top: William Holland’s 1967-68 yearbook photo. Billy Holland leads the Aces to the hoop. Wendell Holland’s 1967-68 yearbook photo. Bryant’s jersey has caused a stir. Public indignation will help the treatment of Syrian refugees. Alshogre passionately addressses the crowd from the stage. ,

NEWS

SPECIAL FEATURE

Hear about the LM students who traveled to the Dominican Republic to practice solving global issues. page 2

The Merionite editors celebrate Earth Day with an overview of local and national changes being made to help the environment, highlights of certain issues, and recommendations for being a more conscious consumer. pages 10-11

HACIA Conference

OPINIONS

Promposal Season

Graphic courtesy of Wiki Commons

A&E

April movie reviews

Film buff Ayden Herold ’20 reviews this season’s most popular films. page 12

SPORTS Graphic by Samantha Anderer ’20/Staff

Oppressing expression Emily Shang ’21 expresses how she finds the school dress code oppressive to females. page 6

FEATURES

If you have ever wondered how the tradition of promposals began, this article is for you. page 7

Mathematical madness

A look into how an LM math class learned to use linear algebra to fill out a March Madness bracket. page 20

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April 8, 2019

News The Merionite

HACIA Conference: a cultural experience Eric Yang ’22

Traveling to the balmy Dominican Republic in slushy mid-March might just be a much-needed vacation for LM students. But for eleven LM students, the trip was the end of much preparation: attending the 25th summit of the Model United Nations HACIA conference. HACIA stands for Harvard Association Cultivating Inter-American (democracy) and in Spanish the word “hacia” means “towards.” The HACIA conference, organized by undergraduates from Harvard University, is an annual three-day conference that simulates the proceedings of the American states. When HACIA originally started, it hosted delegates from Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia. Since then, the organization has welcomed a greater diversity of delegates from Latin America, North America, and in 2009, a delegation from China.

Within HACIA, there are various different committees, from the “Inter-American Court of Human Rights” to

Photo courtesy of Asher Goodwin ’20

The HACIA crew soaks up the sunrays in Santo Domingo.

the “Pan American Health Organization.” Moreover, half of the conference committees are conducted in Spanish, and the other half in English, opening the HACIA experience to a far larger group of contestants.

LM sent eleven delegates to the HACIA conference in Santo Domingo this year. The students traveled as part of the Philadelphia Delegation, and they and the independent delegation from Canada were the only North American delegations to attend the HACIA conference. The most represented countries were those of Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras.

However, there were a variety of student delegations from countries such as Peru, Colombia, and Brazil.

In order to prepare for the event, the LM delegates reviewed bulletins written by their committee chair, researched the topic, and developed a position paper. Each delegate had to write a position paper with arguments and research for both sides of a debate in order to prepare themselves for the conference.

All of the delegates’ hard work culminated in the HACIA conference, with each delegate debating and working for from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. LM students had the opportunity to meet students around the continent as they debated, collaborated, and created solutions that could solve the issue that the committee was tackling.

Nikolas Mihailidis ’19 described the committee experience, saying, “I loved getting the chance to experience being on both sides of the debates… I also loved meeting all sorts of interesting people from many different places.

There was a wide range of people with many different backgrounds that were all interesting to meet and talk with.” Andres Bermudez ’19, another delegate from LM and the current president of the HACIA Philadelphia Delegation, noted the intensity and energy of his committee. He said “This committee is really unique because it is very small and very fast-paced, forcing you to speak and giving you minutes or seconds to create arguments, find evidences, or refute the opposition’s points.”

After their busy days, HACIA students enjoyed the different events the conference hosted in the

Photo by Izzy Bruckman ’20/Staff

Delegates pose for a quick photo during a coffee break before returning to drafting resolutions. evening, including a talent show, a culture night, and a delegate dance. The hotel also had different recreational facilities such as a swimming pool, where the delegates could relax and have fun.

The HACIA conference was certainly a unique experience, far from that of an average school day: an introduction to the intricate system of world politics and a melting pot of different ethnicities and cultures. Mihailidis reflected that “HACIA gave [him] a newfound interest and appreciation for law and diplomacy.” Bermudez described that “At HACIA you meet so many amazing Latin American students and really become more aware of the international nature of education and intellectual passion.”

The Philadelphia delegation plans to participate in the HACIA conference again in 2020.

The road to code Victoria Bermudez ’22

On March 29, LM organized and hosted the fifth annual CodeLM event. Computer science teaches Mr. Swope and Mr. Mansor organized this year’s competition with alumni Noah Rubin ’17 and Max Roling ’17 over the course of many months during Lunch and Learn. Students from LM competed in this event alongside students from ten other schools with the objective to finish as many of the projects given as quickly as possible. Beginning with the preliminary rounds, CodeLM was an invigorating experience for participants and volunteers. When asked about the competition, Rachel Zhang ’22 said, “It was a challenging but very enjoyable experience.

The teachers were very encouraging and it was exciting to participate in the event for the first time while being surrounded by students of all levels.”

On March 6 and 7, students used coding languages such as Java and Python and competed to take part in the later portion of the competition.

In these preliminary rounds, competitors worked independently to finish six projects presented, each containing a different number of points. This accounted for many of the levels of experience be

cause of the large amount and range of projects.

Because the different levels included intermediate, advanced, and expert divisions, each set of projects was particular to its division. The placement of students was determined based off of the various computer science classes that are available to the students such as Computer Science 1, Computer Science 2, AP Computer Science, and Computer Science Seminar. For the preliminary rounds, the students created receipts and calculated orders for a fictional company called “New Wave,” as well as completing more minor projects such as fixing pieces of code that controlled a user’s area number. The competition allowed the participants to use their computers to type out the code. Then later on, they would submit their finished pieces on a specific website created by Rubin, who created the competition in 2015 for his final project in AP Computer Science.

For the second part of the competition, the students were placed in groups of three and competed at Susquehanna International Group. The beginning portion consisted of one open ended question and each group’s goal was to finish

quickly with the most efficient code. After a brief break, the students began coding once again, but were given twelve projects to choose from. While somes teams decided to exclusively work on the most challenging project, most teams concentrated on completing multiple projects during the limited time frame. Though a few problems arose with the detailed “New Wave” Computer website, the competitors were able to submit their final projects successfully before winners were announced.

LM took first place for the expert division, Conestoga won the advanced division, and Harriton won first place for the intermediate division.

CodeLM as a whole has been described as intriguing and the responses to this competition have been extremely positive. In a few short years, CodeLM has been able to expand from only about thirty students from LM competing in 2015 to ten local schools competing beside the participants from LM. With the opportunity it has given to students, many are hopeful that CodeLM will continue to flourish and reach even further to schools throughout the state.

Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff Photos by Daniel Gurevitch ’20

News

April 8, 2019

3

The Merionite

Momo: a scare to the world and LMSD

Get Woke!

Lakshmi Parvathinathan ’20 On the morning of April 4, nearly 200 students from LM and Harriton gathered in Harriton’s auditorium to attend the WOKE Conference. The WOKE Conference (Wisdom, Opportunity, Knowledge, and Empowerment) was led by the leaders of LM and Harriton’s SAGE clubs (Students Advocating for Greater Equality). SAGE leaders planned for this conference for over four months, creating interactive educational sessions and action workshops for their peers to engage in. Two keynote speakers were also present at the event, the morning was opened with an act by Dena Blizzard, “one funny mother”, and the afternoon was concluded with an act by 6ABC’s Nydia Han, who is also the creator of the documentary series This is America. In addition to the two inspiring keynote speakers, there were also an abundance of sessions and workshops for students to pick from: race and privilege, masculinity, feminism, cultural proficiency, disability rights, LGBTQ+ rights, micro and macro aggressions, climate change, gun control, story telling, protest planning, and many more. SAGE leaders had carefully selected and designed the sessions and workshops in order to ensure that all LM and Harriton students could find ones that truly sparked their interests. Furthermore, SAGE leaders hoped to attract students who were already politically active as well as students who hoped to be. Overall, the WOKE Conference proved to be highly successful; students who attended left with more knowledge and empowerment than they had when they came, feeling ready to bring about change.

Elliot Ginzburg ’21 Copy Editor The deadly “Momo Challenge” that displays a terrifying image of a doll that entices children and adolescents to perform a series of dangerous tasks including violent attacks, self-harm, and suicide resurfaced in February. The person who becomes the target receives a message challenging them to follow Momo’s directions on WhatsApp, Facebook, Fortnite, or Youtube. They start being bombarded with spooky images commanding them to carry out a variety of challenges ranging from harmless to extremely dangerous.

The image that has been going viral on social media is that of a woman who has a distorted face, popped out eyes, and a scary smile.

Concerns have been raised by the LMSD following several dangerous incidents regarding the challenge.

Stories from Syria

Graphic by Chris de Santis '20/Staff

Continued from STORIES FROM SYRIA, page 1 he was shaken, he continued to go to protests, and was arrested multiple times. But each time, his father, who was an officer, was able to bail him out, no matter the exorbitant price. One day, however, the protest turned violent. Soldiers, feet from his face, sprayed bullets into the crowd.

For Alshogre, the social, fun side of the protest died in that instant. To his right lay his best friend from childhood; and on his left, his cousin. Both were bleeding to death. Alshogre could do nothing.

After being arrested once again, Alshogre waited grimly for his father to bail him out. Morning came, and he was still there. After a week of torture, he lost hope that his father would come for him. He later learned that his father had been killed along with his brother and cousins. His torturers enjoyed playing a sort of malevolent game with the prisoners. They would inflict maximum pain until their subjects admitted to murder. Once the guards had ripped out his nails, starved him, and whipped him, Alshogre falsely admitted that he had killed people in order to stop the pain. Other than that, Alshogre and his fellow inmates were granted a one-foot by one-foot square to squat in. Without the room to sit down, the prisoners were forced to crouch. Granted four hours of sleep a day, they slept in this position, curled over their feet. Alshogre's life began to revolve around food and water. He devised a way to shower by means of pouring his single glass of water over his head. Bizarrely, he also came to look forward to his hours of torture. Though the pain was agonizing, he was able to move around during this time.

Alshogre was forced to count dead bodies. He watched as his friends died one by one. He waited while the majority of his fellow inmates were gassed under the false pretense that they were granted a shower.

After three years in prison, he weighed only

75 pounds. He endured tuberculosis and wished for death every day. His only goal, in fact, was to eat enough to be full one time, and then die. Because of his youth, the elder prisoners did everything in their power to keep him alive. One man gave him half his water every day. On a day without food, the man still offered Alshogre half his water. The next day, the man died next to him, crouched in his one-foot by onefoot square. Alshogre recounted example after example of others in the jail giving their lives for him. Because of the kindness of others, Alshogre recounted, “I survived when no one else in the room did.”

After three years, Alshogre's mother paid thousands to get him out. He was perilously emaciated, malnourished, and suffering from serious tuberculosis. After moving around Europe with his ten-yearold brother as a refugee, he finally came to Sweden where he received extensive medical treatment. He went on to finish his high school education in six months, and on top of his Syrian learned Swedish, Dutch, and then English. He holds a job in Boston, and though he is haunted by the dreams, he chooses to be happy.

The air in the auditorium became thicker and thicker as Alshogre told his story.

Many shed tears as he boasted that they could never, never take his smile. Alshogre loves Syria, but he believes it will take many years for it to be safe to return to.

In order to help save it, Alshogre had one message share: “Keep us on your minds!

Spread the word!” When 10,000 photos of Syrian atrocities surfaced, the violence came to a brief halt. Alshogre believes that by simply keeping the Syrian war relevant across the world, the civilians will be able to restore it to democracy. Coming out of the auditorium, those of us who were in the audience were left two messages: Keep your smile, and spread the word!

Although a majority of reports regarding the challenge are believed to be widely circulated hoaxes, children have been dangerously targeted online by the Momo doll.

The challenge became a worldwide phenomenon in August 2018 after an Indonesian newspaper reported that it had caused a twelve-year-old girl to kill herself. Additionally, a girl and a boy killed themselves in northeastern Colombia after receiving Momo messages through WhatsApp. More recently, serious damage could have been caused by one twelve-year-old girl in California who received the threatening “Momo Challenge” messages on Youtube. The character instructed her to “turn the kitchen gas stove on without letting it light in the middle of the night” or she would receive a harsh punishment. So, the young and manipulated girl turned on the stove and could have caused an extremely explosive situation had her mom not discovered it early.

Awareness has recently grown again as the Police Service of Northern Ireland posted a public warning regarding the challenge.

The Radnor Police Department along with a majority of police departments have followed suit posting public warnings to parents to “Beware of the Momo Challenge.”

Additionally, Radnor Township

personnel said, “Parents need to be aware of a threat hidden in kids’ online videos known as the ‘Momo Challenge.’" Although there have been no local incidents regarding the challenge in 2019, Radnor Police issued this alert in the interest of public safety and want parents and citizens to be forewarned.

LMSD followed up on Radnor’s warning by instructing parents, teachers, and counselors to remind all students that the Momo character does not exist and to stay safe online. Professionals in the Philadelphia area stated that rather than sharing warnings that perpetuate and mythologize the threat, parents should talk to their kids about online safety and mental health. Because suicide is a large part of the threat, mental health professionals are urging parents to look out for children who may be the most vulnerable online— the main targets of this challenge.

All parents are also encouraged to set forth online parameters and precautions to prevent incidents from occurring. LMSD acknowledged that students in the district had expressed concern about the dangers of the challenge. LMSD reminded parents that in a time when exposure to the internet and social media by children is largely unavoidable, parents should talk to their children about what they see online before it’s too late.

Kobe's jersey returns Continued from KOBE'S JERSEY RETURNS, page 1 Harbin, China, sent the jersey back to the high school after buying the jersey in October from a memorabilia shop in China for $2,000. Originally, he was hoping to add the jersey to his collection of other Bryant jerseys from the Lakers and Team USA. Zhe soon realized the jersey was stolen, and originally opted to give the jersey to Bryant when he was scheduled to visit China.

According to a post on his Instagram account, “I really hope to give this back to Kobe when he comes to China [on] March 16.” However, Zhe ultimately contacted the school’s basketball coaches and opted to send the jersey back. Allegedly, Zhe found the LM basketball Instagram and direct messaged them in order to make arrangements. He claimed he drew his inspiration from a message Bryant signed in an autograph on a photograph of the two from a camp in Los Angeles, “Dream big! Live epic! Mamba mentality,” he claimed, “What I did was my mamba mentality.”

Furthermore, Zhe requested no compensation for his act.

Despite spending an amount close to $2,000 for the jersey,

Photo by Julia Rudy ’19/Staff

The Kobe shrine, a staple of LM, will return to its lively self due to Zhe's valiant efforts. he simply did it out of an act of kindness. He asked for nothing from the high school nor the police department, but simply requested that Bryant be notified.

The jersey is currently in possession of the LMPD who is working with Zhe to find out who sold him the trophy and hopefully find out, once and for all, the identity of the masked thieves who robbed the prestiged Kobe shrine.

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News

April 8, 2019

The Merionite

More middle school drama Ella Johnson ’22 In the past few years, many middle and elementary school students, including current ninth graders, have been dismayed to find that instead of having class in a regular school building, they would have to instead learn in portable classrooms outside the school. This step, which was taken in Bala Cynwyd Middle School and Penn Wynne Elementary School, along with various other expansion projects in progress among most schools in the district, was made to accommodate the rapidly increasing number of children attending LMSD—the greatest number of students in over forty years. Looking for a long-term solution to overcrowding in elementary and middle schools, LMSD developed a plan to build a new middle school, in which children from Penn Wynne and Gladwyne Elementary Schools will attend fifth through eighth grade, alleviating the stress of too many students on both of these elementary schools, as well as both middle schools.

However, while the architectal firm Spiezle and Fielding Nair are well into the design process for the middle school site at 1860 Montgomery Avenue, finding enough field space to provide for the variety of PIAA sports seventh and eighth graders participate in has been a different story. 1860 Montgomery is on a hill, which does not allow for good field space. Therefore, LMSD has been looking into surrounding areas for fu-

Graphic by Noa Cutler ’22

LMSD faces objections as it exercises the right to eminent domain in the search of field space for the new proposed middle school.

ture grass athletic fields.

Currently, 1835 County Line Road is one of two properties that LMSD is

considering. In December 2018, the board voted to acquire this property through eminent domain and a pay-

ment of up to $9.95 million. Eminent domain is the right of the government to condemn private property for public use. In January 2019, LMSD and the property owners of 1835 County Line Road were in the process of a good faith settlement. However, in February an attorney representing the property owners filed preliminary objections to the eminent domain, also writing in the cover letter that the clients would withdraw this objection if LMSD agreed to, “a quick sale for $12.9 million.”

The school district exercised its power of eminent domain on this property and condemned the property after unsuccessful negotations. There were several reasons for this property acquisition. It seemed the best available site for the necessary middle school fields. LMSD must address the enrollment growth, and the board believes the new middle school is the best decision for the long-term. The district believes they have been very transparent and public about their search for a new middle school and field space.

The district began discussion with the property owners in the spring of 2018.

The district has spoken with Villanova University, another prospective buyer of the land that LMSD is interested in.

Hopefully, LMSD’s actions will lead to the land it needs to accommodate for the many sports students can play in seventh and eighth grade.

Standing up by sitting down Continued from STANDING UP BY SITTING DOWN on page 1 but not limited to “helping around the community and being very active at churches.” In addition to helping around the community, the organization would “talk about what was affecting the Lower Merion Township, the community, LM, and Harriton.” Even before the league was formed, action was being taken around the Community. The Ardmore Avenue Elementary School, a segregated school in Ardmore, was closed around this time. Despite this progress, deciding what to do about Billy’s situation was difficult. According to Wendell Holland, the league decided that “the next day [...] they would recommend to all students that they would have a sit-in to protest. The next day, virtually all of the African American students sat down in front of the principal’s office and sat there for the entire day.”

The protest consisted of students sitting peacefully in the centrally located hallway on the marble floors and padded benches outside of the administration offices. While most of the African-American students protested, most white students walked over and around them to their classes, ignoring them. Only one white student, Joan Newport, sat with the students. She stated that she felt the protest was justified and that she had a responsibility to show her support. According to a Philadelphia Inquirer article at the time, many teachers who passed the protest made fun of her, but none of them commented on the protest when questioned.

According to Holland, “Teachers told students to go to class or else they would receive failing grades.

Some coaches told the students that if they didn’t stop, their position on the team would be in jeopardy.” LM had two African-American teachers at the time, but neither attended the sit-in. The students emphasized that the sit-in was the result of continuous abuse from the white teachers and the long-standing problems between the teachers and the students. They demanded respect for their race and for the introduction of a black history course

and integration of black culture into other courses.

Despite not disrupting any classes or drawing attention to themselves, the students made their message clear: all students should be treated with respect.

The protest attracted a lot of attention around the area. According to Wendell Holland, “The evening news came to LM to cover our story. It was broadcasted at six p.m. that night and headlined the very next morning.” The newspapers, however, rather than recognizing the students at LM or their rights, just warned other schools about this incident and how it

could happen there. Even though the other schools may not have learned much from the protest, many changes were made at LM. In the days after the protest, there were many debates with the school board.

The Black Student League, according to Holland, was joined by parents, the NAACP, and administrators to examine this issue and other issues plaguing the community. Some of these issues included the small number of African American teachers and the unconstitutional busing system, which forced black kids in South Ardmore to walk 1.5 miles to get to school.

Holland has stated that “another problem was the

counseling of African American students. Counselors encouraged African Americans to take easier courses and discouraged going to a school to get a bachelor's degree.” The entire league agreed that these inequities had to change. The school district, fortunately, listened to the people’s concerns and many changes were implemented. Wendell Holland has a couple of words of advice for today’s LM students: “We have a history and it’s one that should always be told. Around the world, and I have traveled around the world, minorities have struggled for basic rights.

The movement in South Africa, the Gandhi movement in India and Asia, and the events happening concerning the Irish. The Civil Rights movement in America is no greater or lesser than any other struggle around the world. The movement, however, did make a huge difference in the Lower Merion Township and we are proud of it. As a distinguished athlete, what I now realize, is that athletes can be agents of social change. What Colin Kaepernick is doing is not different from what Billy Holland and other athletes have done at LM. It is a story that needs to be told, it is a story that affected our country literally fifty years ago. What was happening in America was happening right here at LM. While it might have stained the history of LM at the moment, it was certainly an incident that helped shaped us into who we are today.”

The sit-in at LM was a historic moment for both the school and the entire Main Line; it brought the problems the district had into the spotlight and it changed the entire culture of the school. Our world, unfortunately, has still not quite moved past the antiquated practices of racism despite the constant cries against it. Take, for example, the NFL protests. Both were protests to demonstrate racial unfairness, and participants in both have faced repercussions. Anybody, like the students of LM fifty years ago, can help enact change in a smaller setting. No act is too small, and the only way to a large change is through a series of smaller ones.

Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff

Opinions

April 8, 2019

5

The Merionite

The Merionite Official newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 www.themerionite.org Columbia Scholastic Press Assocation Silver Crown 2013 Editors-in-Chief Julian Ginzburg ’19 Caleb Shack ’19 Managing Editor Molly Cutler ’19 News Editors Sammy Anderer ’20 Julia Rudy ’19 Sophie Yang ’20 Opinions Editors Melissa Bell ’20 Andres Bermudez ’19 David Sommer ’19 Features Editors Emma Becker ’20 Kathy Wei ’19 Ziwen Zhou ’19

Editorial: Collegiate crisis On March 12, people’s faith in the college admissions process further deteriorated when an FBI sting operation uncovered 750 families involved in a college acceptance buying scandal which netted the main perpetrator, college admissions counselor William Singer, around 25 million dollars. The money was used in various clandestine deeds, the most prominent being bribing college officials and faking test scores. Although already benefiting from extreme wealth and fame, these families felt the need to further unfairly bolster their children’s admissions chances.

At least in our generation, the black box of the college admissions office, especially for the top schools, often seems arbitrary.

The typical admissions phrases like “holistic review” or “be yourself” act as extremely poor instructions for applicants. Although some colleges, like the United States Mili-

Copy Editors Elliot Ginzburg ’21 Lydon Pelletier ’19 Sydney Zelinger ’21 Graphics Editors Christopher de Santis ’20 Sihan Wu ’19 Source Confirmation Editor Sophie Meyer ’20 Web Editor Alek Lexa ’19 Business Manager Eric Bing ’20 Staff and Business Advisor Charles Henneberry The editors believe all facts presented in the newspaper to be accurate. All articles have gone through an intensive, independent fact-checking process to minimize factual errors.

The paper acknowledges that mistakes are possible and welcomes questions as to accuracy. Inquiries regarding accuracy should be directed to the editors of the paper. Editors can be contacted via e-mail at merionite@gmail.com or in Room 200A. To represent all viewpoints in the school community, The Merionite welcomes all letters to the editor. Letters can be sent via e-mail or dropped off outside the Merionite office. The Merionite reserves the right to edit letters to the editor for length or clarity.

hood your acceptance chance. At the same time, having legacy or familial connections also unfairly bolsters your chance of admittance. Colleges have good reasons for pursuing these policies but it still creates an unmeritocratic environment.

Although the black box of the college admissions process may seem inequitable, students should not get discouraged. Even though there is no guarantee of getting into your dream college, good applicants tend to find their way to good schools. Yes, the deck is stacked, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play.

Unsigned editorials reflect the general opinion of the staff and not the opinion of any single editor.

Articles and letters featured in the Opinions section reflect the viewpoints of individual contributors and not necessarily those of The Merionite editorial staff.

2020 candidates

Arts & Entertainment Editors Izzy Bruckman ’20 Davon Collins ’19 Grace Wei ’19 Sports Editors Melissa Dash ’19 Julia Kreuzer ’19 Benjamin Schmid ’19

tary Academy at West Point, break down the entire application process by explaining how much each attribute is worth, most colleges are not so courteous and force applicants to guess. Colleges and teachers tell you to follow your passions, but how do you know that your passions will gain you acceptance to a prestigious college? When it comes to essay writing and the Common Application, how is an applicant supposed to know which attributes to prioritize? The incredible secrecy of the college admissions process creates an inherent distrust of the system because students have trouble trusting what they cannot understand. Furthermore, as students do not understand the process, college admissions decisions often seems arbitrary and unjust, discouraging applicants.

As previously covered by Jonathan Xu ’22, merely being born of a certain minority race can greatly increase the likeli-

Kyle Patlove ’20 With already over fifteen declared candidates and plenty of undeclared candidates, the Democratic primaries are sure to be a captivating fight. A plethora of senators, representatives, and governors are ready to fight for the chance to go up against President Donald J. Trump.

Among the pool, there are numerous promising candidates, however, if Joe Biden chooses to run, I believe he will be the most likely to win.

Appealing to the working class with her capitalistic values, Senator Elizabeth Warren claims she will attempt to break up big business and corporations should she recieve the nomination. She has attracted a bit of undesirable attention from her publicly released DNA test, which was an attempt to confirm her claim of Native American heritage. However, that hasn’t stifled her efforts, as she has already amassed large turnouts in crucial swing-states. Many critics argue that she is too divise to be president, and I too have to agree with these criticisms. After four years of what will be arguably the most polarizing presidency our nation has ever seen, it may not be too wise to follow up with a candidate as controversial as Warren.

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey has long been seen as a potential presidential candidate.

Booker is said to model his campaign efforts similarly to those of President Barack Obama; his outspoken nature regarding unity and civility has caused many to draw comparisons between the two. Booker claims that if elected, he will center his attention on issues such as marijuana decriminalization and establishing baby bonds to help poor families. However, many suspect Booker’s appeal may just be his downfall; an overly concentrated campaign may result in the inability to gain votership in Midwestern battle states like Iowa and Colorado.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of the state of New York was appointed to fill the seat of Hillary Clinton when she was made a member of Senate in 2009. In 2020, she will attempt to do what Clinton failed to do just three years ago. Gillibrand is an outspoken advocate of the #MeToo movement and has a formidable female fanbase. Her liberal standings has been questioned due to her apparent connections to Wall Street, which will likely deter votership from the working class.

Known for her skills as a prosecutor, Sen-

ator Kamala Harris of California is sure to be a strong force in the upcoming Democratic Primaries. Her platform is responsible for a number of significant legislations, including the Green New Deal and numerous initiatives attempting to help the working class. Harris’s early campaign rallies have attracted big crowds in numerous battle states. If she’s able to sustain this early momentum, Harris’s name will certainly be one to follow in the coming months.

Born and raised in Narberth and an alumni of the Haverford School, John Hickenlooper, former Colorado governor, will attempt to run a campaign set on increasing gun control, taking action on climate change, and raising the minimum wage. In the video announcing his campaign, Hickenlooper stressed his ability to “bring people together to produce the progressive change Washington has failed to

Graphic by Christopher de Santis ‘20

deliver.” Hickenlooper, doing little to distinguish himself from any of the other candidates, makes him seem as though he won’t be much of a threat to anyone once the primaries begin.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has established herself as the most distinguished Midwestern candidate in the upcoming primary. I believe Klobuchar will primarily focus her attention on the Midwestern states of Iowa and Wisconsin, where Clinton failed to make her mark.

Her alleged mistreatment of Capitol Hill staff has, in my opinion, definitely been detrimental to the standing she’s worked to achieve. This focus on Midwestern battle states may play in her favor early on, however, I foresee Klobuchar running into a similar issue as many candidates, failing to appeal to enough of the Democratic party.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders came up just

short at the hands of democratic nominee Clinton in the 2016 election. Will 2020 be the year for Sanders and his Socialist patronage? Sanders has expressed that his campaign will focus on “transforming our country and creating a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice.” Hoping to build off of his success, he continues to endorse the signature policies from his 2016 campaign including Medicare-for-All, a fifteen dollar minimum wage, and free public college. While these are appealing to many, some believe that his visions are too ambitious, while others tend to believe he’s simply too far left to get anything done.

Beto O’Rourke ran an impressive campaign in the 2018 Texas Senate Election against Senator Ted Cruz. Putting up a surprisingly strong fight, O’Rourke was ultimately defeated by a slim margin of less than three percent.

O’Rourke is known for his policies on immigration reform, gun control and teaching “respect and dignity.” In addition to Booker, many also draw ties between O’Rourke and Obama, due to the many similarities in their political careers. O’Rourke’s popularity is real and ever-increasing, which is why I expect him to be a leading candidate for the nomination.

The apparent favorite in many of the early polls, Biden simply cannot escape the rumors of a third presidential campaign. While he hasn’t declared his candidacy just yet, he has alluded to a possible presidential campaign at a keynote speech a few weeks ago. After two unsuccessful campaigns, Biden may just be ready for a third after two terms as Vice President under Obama. Biden is undoubtedly the most qualified candidate or potential candidate, and in his own words he’s “the most qualified person in the country to be president.” A champion of foreign policy, Biden’s leadership and expertise in matters abroad is the resource the Democratic Party needs for the tough times that lie ahead. If speculation is true and Biden is truly considering a third run for president, I expect him to finally receive the nomination to ultimately challenge President Trump. He is far more likeable and established than any of the other primary candidates, shown in his fifty-plus percent favorability rating. He has demonstrated in the past his ability to be bipartisan and has a conscious understanding that without the support of both parties, it is exceedingly difficult to pass any significant legislation.

This valuable trait is one that is lacking desperately in politics today. Not only is he my personal pick out of the democratic candidates, but based on his popularity and experience alone, I believe if running, Biden will be the one to make it all the way to the 2020 election. He’s well known, well liked, and very accomplished; the triple package when it comes to presidential elections.

6

Opinions

April 8, 2019

Collective cruelty

Jack Shapiro ’22 Although the majority of Americans support merit-based pay and school choice, teachers’ unions across the country have opposed both of these highly effective policies through lawsuits and strikes to protect their underperforming members from being held accountable. These actions allow senescent teachers to keep their jobs based on seniority alone at the expense of both students and otherwise superior educators.

In 2001, Florida implemented a Tax Credit Scholarship program to fund school choice, wherein businesses and individuals provide tax-deductible donations to approved funds which then distribute scholarships to qualifying families. This 100,000 child program has proved incredibly successful, with an 89 percent “Completely Satisfied” rating among parents of participating students. More impressive than its popularity, however, is the improvement in participating students’ performance. A 2017 analysis of the program by Florida State University found that, “compared to eligible non-participant students, new [tax-credit scholarship] students had poorer test performance both in English Language Arts (ELA) and math before entering the [scholarship] program and they tended to come from lower-performing public schools.” After entry to the program, however, student performance greatly improved. Importantly, the program helps primarily poor and minority students.

Only 28 percent of participants are white, and the average income for participant families is just eight percent above the federal poverty line.

It is also worth noting the impact that school choice had on the recent Florida gubernatorial election. According to a CNN exit poll, of the 650,000 African-American women who voted in that election, eighteen percent voted for the pro-school choice Republican candidate Ron DeSantis over the anti-school choice Democrat candidate Andrew Gillum. Their support was double what it was for GOP Senate candidate Rick Scott at nine percent and over double the GOP’s national average support among black women at seven percent. Their votes for the Republican candidate were likely due to his prominent support for school choice, in spite of most scholarship participants’ mothers being registered Democrats. As former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice so eloquent-

The Merionite

ly put it, “We need to give parents greater choice, particularly poor parents whose kids, very often minorities, are trapped in failing neighborhood schools. This is the civil rights issue of our day.”

Unfortunately, not all are in favor of the tremendous benefits that school choice provides to students in need. In February of this year, West Virginia public school teachers went on strike for two days, killing a broad education reform bill that included allowing for the formation of seven charter schools over the next three years to promote school choice. The bill also contained a five percent pay raise, a 2,000 dollar bonus for certified math teachers, and a provision for 1,000 Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for special needs and bullied students. While this bill seems to any rational observer like a fair compromise on the contentious education issue, the teachers union predictably opposed the measure for fear that it would hold any ineffective educators accountable.

Union opposition to merit pay is yet another policy that harms both students and effective educators. Teachers unions dictate members’ salaries primarily on how long a teacher has worked at a particular school, also known as seniority. Such a system is used instead of paying teachers based on their students’ performance, also known as merit pay. This means that the longer a teacher works for a school, the more they get paid, regardless of their students’ performance.

For example, the LMSD union contract stipulates that teachers be paid based both on seniority and prior education. On the low end, a teacher with a bachelor’s degree would make 55,131 dollars in year one and 88,802 dollars in years thirteen onwards. The corresponding figures on the high end for teachers with a doctorate are 68,570 dollars and 125,767 dollars respectively. Nowhere in the salary schedule is student performance mentioned as a factor, nor is performance mentioned in the entirety of the contract.

To see the benefits to students that come with repealing this arcane policy, we can look to a 2017 Vanderbilt University meta-analysis. The authors concluded that merit pay programs have a positive impact on student performance, writing that the increase was equivalent to three to four additional weeks of school. In short, with the implementation of a merit pay system, competent teachers will be paid for doing their job right, and the remaining laggards will be held accountable for their poor performance.

At the end of the day, it’s easy to see the harm union opposition to these policies does to both students and truly skilled teachers.

It is therefore in the interest of all students, all devoted educators, all caring parents, and indeed all of America, to adopt school choice and merit pay for teachers throughout our great nation.

Claire Sun ’21 The buildOn Trek is often framed as the highlight of the entire high school volunteer experience. You participate, prepare, interview, and hopefully have the honor of making the team. On paper, it’s quite the package. You’re raising money in order to build a school in a third world country and providing an education to its people. There are even perks for you.

Trek looks impressive on a college resume, you automatically get fifty hours of service in the books, and you feel emotionally rewarded for your work. Despite all of this, BuildOn trek, while not overtly offensive, is an amalgamation of privilege and ignorance.

When you talk to ex-Trekkies about how their experience affected them, you often get a story about, to put it blatantly, learning that poor people are people too. Or a story about

Oppressing expression

Emily Shang ’21 School dress code: a topic sparking constant outrage and controversy across social media as students share their stories of unjust punishment due to acts of self-expression and schools relentlessly ignore the students pleas for their amendment. Though some sort of school dress code should be implemented at any school, its sole purpose should be to keep students safe and the learning continuous. Compared to other schools that have banned additional piercings and dyed hair, LM’s dress code is relatively reasonable. However, the dress code still directs undue bias against students, particularly females, and should be amended to eliminate such biases.

According to Standard A of the LM student handbook on “Dress and Grooming,” students must dress as to not “cause disruption to the educational process.”

This rule seems reasonable on the surface: after all, school is about learning and that should be held at the utmost priority. However, since this is the first standard in the handbook, it sets the impression that all subsequent prohibitions are due to potential disturbances to the learning process they may cause. It is agreed that clothing which insults another individual or group, expresses hate, or somehow literally disturbs classes (has lights, makes noise, etc.) should not be permitted in school. However, the handbook further outlines guidelines against articles of clothing that would not affect anybody but the wearer themselves, who are usually females. With the underlying thought that these articles of clothing would disturb “the educational process” due to unwanted advances or attention paid to an exposed midriff or shoulder, LMSD is sending an erroneous message that any demeaning attitude toward female students’ dress is their own fault, and should result in punishment.

Standard H states that “shirts without straps such as tube tops may NOT be worn,” and immediately succeeding Standard H, Standard I states that “the bottom of a shirt MUST be able to meet the top of the lower garment. No bare midriffs!!” Both of these rules are completely unnecessary, seeing that neither the lack of strap on a shirt nor a bare midriff di-

Selfish service

learning that poverty is a horrible and very real thing. In fact, The Merionite once published a letter to the editor by two ex-trekkies, James Cato ’16 and Zack Bookbinder ’16, who explicitly wrote, “The word ‘poor’ changed as we slept on cots in homes with dirt floors and listened to a baby coughing late in the night without hope of medicine.” While the sentence is emotionally moving, it reveals a level of privilege most trekkies have that is often unaddressed. It is a privilege to be able to travel to a foreign country and build a school there. It is a privilege to learn about poverty from a two week trip and then return to the comfort of your own home. This stains the whole concept of trek a little bit because of how it turns an impoverished community into a life-lesson for upper middle-class teens who come to realize that not having enough money is highly unpleasant.

Well, what’s wrong with our Trekkies not understanding their privilege? After all, they’re still doing good work and they have good intentions, right? It’s true that the construction of a school isn’t affected by our Trekkies’ privilege, but the experience as a whole that can negatively impact someone’s perceptions and prejudices. A study done by the Journal of Sustainable Tourism showed that volunteer tourists “often leave with superficial understandings of poverty and culture,” and express “new antagonistic perspectives on US poverty.” This can once again be showed by the previously quoted letter to

rectly disturb the learning environment.

By prohibiting female students to dress freely, the school is endorsing the objectification and dehumanization of women. Anybody who decides to degrade the student and put off their own education due to the possible sexual connotations behind a bare midriff or shoulder should be punished, instead of the student themselves. By simply condemning the exposure of stomachs or bare shoulders, the school is avoiding the issue of female objectification instead of taking care of the problem from its root. If the school truly believes that students may be distracted from learning due to an exposed belly button or a bare shoulder, more focus should be placed on teaching students to think of females as human beings as opposed to sexual objects. Instead, with LM’s current dress code, females are punished for wrongdoings inflicted upon them by others.

Some students and teachers brush off these unjust regulations, claiming that they are rarely enforced. However rarely enforced is not never enforced and just having the policy creates the risk of implementation. An LM student, who would prefer to remain anonymous, explains, “I was wearing a tank top and jeans…nothing revealing at all and a teacher asked me to come to the office. I was told that what I was wearing was too distracting and [the teacher] said I’d have to put on a sweatshirt.” This anecdote exhibits an administration that is willing to disturb and put off a female student’s education so that students that would objectify her may continue to learn undisturbed.

In the world outside of high school, the issue of double standards set for females and males is constantly evolving.

Although ludicrous school dress codes are merely a very small fraction of the contributing factors to the acceptance of this gender inequality, they are an unjust issue that is within our power to fix. If, at a young age, students are taught that their bare shoulder or stomach will spark unwanted distractions and advances, they are being taught that objectification, particularly the objectification of women, is merely a byproduct of being born female. Furthermore, if some students are shown that their education means less than the education of other students who commit a wrongdoing against them, the school is sending them the message that this wrongdoing, objectification, is permissible. Lastly, teaching girls to selfblame when they are objectified instead of dealing with the instigator of the problem leads to the degrading treatment of women and a decrease to the empowerment and confidence of females.

the editor that claims, “Only when a Philadelphia public school becomes a one-room awning with a hole-ridden corrugated steel roof, will we feel guilty about our overseas efforts.” Additionally, Trek further reinforces the “white savior complex” by showing high schoolers travel only to the poorest of foreign countries. Not understanding and confronting your own privilege can be harmful because it makes you more susceptible to unconsciously developing negative biases.

Let’s say that the Trek team somehow fully understands their privilege. That still wouldn’t remove the wasteful aspects of it. A large portion of the money raised goes to entirely avoidable expenses, such as plane tickets and bus rentals. This money could alternatively be used to commission local construction workers, stimulating the economy, and likely leaving a large sum left over which could additionally be put towards the community. Furthermore, the teenagers we send are likely less efficient workers and often spend much of the trip sick from the foreign environment. If workers in the community and surrounding ones can do the job much better, why are we wasting resources on LM students?

Of course, BuildOn isn’t bad. Trek isn’t horrible either. It has major flaws and should be rethought, but I don’t think it’s inherently evil or bad. As a person of privilege, it is crucial for me and every other to both participate in service and to be critical of it.

Opinions

April 8, 2019

7

The Merionite

Stand up to authoritarianism

Jonathan Xu ’22 In 2018, a new face appeared at the top of the annual Forbes list of the World’s Most Powerful People, unseating the four-time recipient Russian President Vladimir Putin. Most had never seen this face before. Many still have not. This face belongs to Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, a man whose calm, inconspicuous demeanor shrouds a mind of prodigious cunning and dexterity. The unprecedented rise of this obscure figure, to the apex of global authority belies the underlying reality that America has long declined to acknowledge: American intercontinental leadership of the free world is now crumbling under the rise of our behemoth nemesis. And yet the actions undertaken to curb this growing menace are feeble and inadequate at best, leading to uncertainty over the future of American hegemony and whether it can truly remain the epitome of Western democracy.

Forty years ago, the country that now rules the eastern hemisphere of the world was nothing but a third-world nation afflicted by egregious economic woes. Mass famine and starvation had plagued the nation, and tens of millions had perished as a result. The future seemed bleak and unpropitious. China’s average income per citizen stood at a measly 184 dollars per year, or 1.5 percent of an American citizen’s income. It had become a shadow of its former glorious self, beleaguered by foreign invasion for over a century and then placed under one of the deadliest regimes the world has ever witnessed.

China’s rise began around the same time as the fall of another superpower, the Soviet Union. For thirty years, China became the world’s fastest growing economy, averaging close to ten percent growth per year. In the span of just one generation, over 800 million people were lifted

out of abject poverty. And yet China’s growth after all this barely faltered. The nation has now emerged into virtually every single advancing technology market, whether it be transportation, renewable energy, genetics, or the new 5G wireless communication. Chinese phone company Huawei is currently the largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer and second largest smartphone producer in the world. Per-capita income in major Chinese cities now exceeds 35,000 dollars, which is close to that of Philadelphia’s. Even Fortnite is owned by a Chinese technology company called Tencent.

And yet this enormous economic upsurge obscures a deeper secret, one that the Chinese government has quite effortlessly kept concealed all these years. The rise of an

Graphic by Christopher De Santis ‘20/staff

autocratic titan which routinely oppresses its citizens to lengths unheard of in modern Western democracies.

While China flourishes in industry and technology, it has also perpetrated horrendous atrocities at home and contravenes almost every principle of democracy on a daily basis. It has censored the Internet, thereby preventing free expression of thought, in what former President Bill Clinton naively joked to be as difficult as “nailing Jello to a wall.” It has committed its own form of “racial cleansing,”

by actively persecuting its minority Muslim Uighur population, even cordoning them off into detention camps.

Its elections are rigged, wherein power is delegated by the government, not by the people. Foreign assistance is apportioned towards dictatorial regimes, including Venezuela, North Korea, Zimbabwe, and Russia. The South China Sea, a cornerstone in global trade, is being militarized and colonized rapidly, in violation of international maritime law. And most recently, the World’s Most Powerful Man consolidated his iron reign by eliminating the term limits of his own office, perpetuating his rule over the People’s Republic. Despite this, the world is now looking up to China as an example of success. According to Pew Research, Xi Jinping is more popular as a leader worldwide than both Putin and Trump. China has come close to exceeding the U.S. in terms of how favorable it is to the rest of the world. This has threatening implications on the liberal democratic order that the United States has striven for the last seventy years to uphold. If the U.S. loses its position on the world stage to China—which is happening already—the result will be a new world order propagated

by China that is antithetical to all the virtues and values of American democracy.

To counter the impending dangers to the future of Western Liberalism, the U.S. must ensure that it remains a competitive, competent force for good that can effectively neutralize the threats brought upon by China.

The only way to accomplish this is through reaffirming its role as the righteous guardian of the free peoples on Earth. However, a confrontational approach would do no good—rather, the U.S. must demonstrate by example how its own values will always transcend totalitarianism, both economically and socially. In other words, the U.S. must remain as the country that the world can and must depend on to achieve prosperity. This can involve a number of different avenues: developing new technological markets, strengthening bonds with allies, protecting free international zones, and more. There is no question as to whether the U.S. can accomplish this; the only predicament now is whether we choose to accept the challenge as it stands. Do we choose to let the world fall into the hands of tyranny and oppression, or do we choose to stand up for our values, our freedoms, and ultimately our futures?

I think we can all agree on the latter.

Benefits of belief

David Sommer ’19 Opinions Editor Although achieving great financial success through hedge fund management, LM’s very own David Magerman still felt as if there was more to life. Magerman began feeling unfilled and started asking the big questions about purpose and meaning.

After much self-search, he became religious, just like millions of other Americans looking for purpose, fulfillment, and community.

Humans live in a never ending quest for happiness. Religion provides a supportive social circle and a sense of meaning which makes this journey considerably easier.

The results speak for themselves; according to the Pew Research Center, 36 percent of actively religious people are very happy in comparison to only 25 percent of the unaffiliated. Amongst regular service attenders, the results are even more extreme with 47 percent of them reporting being very happy.

Despite the stereotype of religious people abandoning God after tragedy, according to an empirical study by the Humanitarian Disaster Institute, mass shooting survivors with a strong religious community are less likely to suffer from PTSD and depression. Believing in a higher power makes it easier to achieve happiness, builds a strong sense of community, and even deters some of the emotional trauma from tragedies.

Although scientists are uncertain about the mechanism, prayer and other religious activity have been found to decrease recovery times for diseases and surgeries and increase people’s general health. The U.S. National Health Interview Survey, even after accounting for demographic

factors, ie. race, economics, etc, found that the religiously affiliated had a life expectancy eight years longer than the unaffiliated (83 to 75 years). After accounting for religious people generally healthier lifestyles, three quarters of the gap still remains. The health benefits of religion extend further than life expectancy: to quote Dr. Harold G. Koenig of Duke University, “Studies have shown prayer can prevent people from getting sick — and when they do get sick, prayer can help them get better faster.” From a University of Cincinnati study which showed decreased asthma symptoms in the religiously affiliated to a Dartmouth Medical School report which states that religious patients were three times more likely to recover from heart surgery, along with a myriad of other studies, it is clear that religion alleviated the impacts of illness. Scientists hypothesized that the effect was due to the relaxing impacts

sults of religion are quite astonishing.

Religion is not just impactful to the individual but also benefits the overall community and ultimately the nation.

As shown by the Pew Research Center, the religiously affiliated are 19 percent more likely to donate money, 17 percent more likely to volunteer, and 21 percent more likely to vote than the unaffiliated. As religion turns people away from risky behavior such as drugs, crime, and excessive premarital sex, the National Bureau of Economic Research notes that religion aids impoverished youth as they climb up the economic ladder. Religion is also important in forming tight-knit communities as it creates cooperation without kinship. Anthropology professor Richard Sosis from the University of Connecticut studied the success and failure of nineteenth century utopian communes and discovered that religious communes survived at a 33 percent greater rate than secular communes.

New York University Stern professor Jonathan Haidt explained these profound results by pointing to religion’s impressive ability to cause people to unite and trust one another.

On a balance, religion creates both tighter communities and conscientious individuals who use their labor and wallets to benefit the community and decreases societal ills like crime and poverty.

Religion has its critics which normally state that the claims of religion are unprovable, that God isn’t real, that the religious texts were made up by a conman. There are logical arguments in favor, such as the Kalam Cosmic Argument, but, ultimately, Graphic by Christopher De Santis ‘20/staff most of the religiously affiliated are not religious because they have been convinced by of meditation. Researchers at Bowling Green State Col- a logical argument and most of the unaffiliated will not be lege designed an experiment in which patients with mi- swayed with reasoning. They are religious because of the graines and other associated mental health concerns were incredible role that God, faith, and their religious commusplit into three different groups: a control, a group which nity play in their lives. After becoming considerably more meditated while chanting non-religious statements, and a religious, Magerman is both happier and has donated over group which meditated and chanted religious prayers. The ten million dollars to various Jewish causes. When he lost latter group had a statistically significant greater improve- his rather lucrative job, he found comfort in religion and ment than the other groups in all aspects of mental health community as opposed to his wealth. Religion creates peowhich proves that the health benefits of religion are not ple that are happier, healthier, and more civically engaged. due to meditation but something else (perhaps a higher I strongly encourage anyone, even the unaffiliated, to try power). Within the sphere of personal wellbeing the re- out religious services and reach out to God.

8

April 8, 2019

Opinions The Merionite

Viral vaccines

Jonathan and Noah Sommer ’22 Since Edward Jenner discovered a rudimentary smallpox vaccine, scientists have been perfecting this life-saving medical invention. Although there can be minor adverse effects such as redness and swelling at the site of application, overall, vaccinations have protected people and preserved lives, proven time and time again in numerous studies. Even with backing from every major pediatric organization and hospital, statistics indicate that four percent of children are not vaccinated. Currently, in certain states, parents are not required to vaccinate their child if they have a religious objections and in some states if they have an ethical objection. Because children are at the mercy of their parents’ poor judgement, the government should intervene and close these loopholes to compel vaccination.

In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield published a correlational study claiming a link between the measles vaccine and autism. Just like the association between the divorce rate in Maine and the consumption of margarine, there was no provable causal link. In 2002, he created another study in which he discovered an association between measles found in the intestines and autism. Despite the fact that the study was unable to prove a causal link, and he ultimately lost his medical license for falsifying the data, some people still believe him. Although there are a few scientists, a miniscule minority who does not trust the thousands of studies affirming vaccines, the vast majority believe in their effectiveness. The the-

ory behind vaccines is entirely intuitive. In order to prepare for a test, a student uses homework to practice and properly encode the information. Vaccines are the homework, providing the body a practice run against the virus, making it considerably easier to fend off the actual virus. The results are clear. According to researchers at Emory University—thirty percent of measles cases in the United States are found in unvaccinated people, although they make up barely one percent of the population.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that vaccines have prevented over 322 million illness along with 732,000 childhood deaths. When parents listen to lies and ignore the scientific consensus, they are placing their children in immense danger.

2011, 49 of the fifty states did not meet the 92-94 percent herd immunity minimum for whooping cough, causing the largest outbreak of whooping cough since 1955. A person usually can do what they will with their own life, but when it negatively impacts others, someone needs to step in.

A common counterargument to compulsory is that it could impede a citizen’s religious liberties.

As a general rule, the U.S. allows most citizens very much leeway in matters of religious liberty as it is ingrained within our Constitution. However, the Supreme Court in Prince v. Massachusetts ruled against a parent who wanted a religious exemption to child labor laws. To quote the ruling, “Parents may be free to become martyrs themselves.

But it does not follow they are free, in identical circumstances, to make martyrs of their children before they have reached the age of full and legal discretion when they can make that choice for themselves.” The religious argument does not apply because a parent cannot actively harm a child in the name of God, as not vaccinating would do.

According to the Child and Family Services Agency, denying a child medical care is grounds for removing the child from their family. Although we would not advocate such a harsh punishment, the government should institute some type of penalty. The government makes a major effort in trying to protect children’s health and wellbeGraphic by Amy Xi ’19 ing. From providing CHIP to free vaccines for uninsured children, the govEven if a parent could neglect their own chil- ernment currently makes vaccinating children as dren, not vaccinating a child hurts the general herd. financially viable as possible. Although people can If everyone is vaccinated, then those with weaker disagree and hold their own opinions, both the immune systems (the old, young, those with au- government and parents have a higher responsitoimmune diseases, and those going through che- bility to safeguard the lives of children, especially motherapy) will be safer from illness. Herd im- from such an easily conquered enemy. As part of munity works by decreasing the prevalence of the a free society people have to give up some rights diseased, decreasing the chance that the disease for a principal greater than themselves. In this will spread. For herd immunity to be effective, case, we ask that society gives up a gram of pathere needs to be near saturation of vaccines. In rental autonomy for a kilogram of child security.

Features Promposal Season

Stay-at-home break Emma Becker ’2o Features Editor

nent hub for promposal videos, and the social media agency Sq1 reports that 20,000 prom videos were uploaded in just one month during the 2011 prom season. The massive wave of promposal popularity hit its peak in May of 2011, when the title we know and love today was finally used by the press to generalize the frenzy and finally give the phenomenon a proper name.

So, if you are struggling to best determine how to ask your significant other, crush, or friend to prom, here are some tips for you: think about what the person you plan on asking enjoys, and center the proposal around that.

For example, if they enjoy basketball, you can purchase a basketball and write, “Let’s have a ball at the prom.”Another suggestion is to incorporate a witty statement into your promposal. If your possible date “runs on Dunkin’” like the rest of America, you could make a sign that reads, “I donut want to go with anyone but you,” and buy them a donut to go along with it. Likewise, make sure that you are as prepared as you can be. Confirm that you have all of the necessary materials for the big day: from an address to whatever you need to make a sign with plenty of time to spare. Finally, you should know the person you want to ask well enough to know what kind of promposal they would like. If they enjoy the spotlight, a cafeteria flashmob could be the way to go, but make sure to check with them to be sure. However, if they don’t enjoy the attention, find them after school, at work, or at their house to pop the question.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to dance the night away at prom on May 18 with the rest of the graduating class, and your promposal will help you have the most memorable night imaginable!

With spring break right around the corner, LM students are getting excited to travel to many different places; however, many students are staying home during break. Rather than sitting at home and feeling jealous of your friends on vacation, here are some fun activities to make the most of your stay-at-home break: A great way to keep yourself entertained is by going to the movies. There are many movies being released right around our spring break that you could see with your friends, family, or just by yourself! If you are into comedy, Little, released on April 12, would be a great option for you. This movie is about a boss woman who gets turned into a child, similar to the classic movie, Big. If you love action and superheroes, Shazam, released on April 5, is calling your name. It stars a boy who becomes a strapping superhero with just the mention of his name. His newfound powers get put to the test as he goes against notorious villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. Lastly, if horror is your genre, Pet Sematary, inspired by the eponymous novel by Stephen King, comes out on April 5, and is about a couple who discovers a mysterious, hidden burial site while visiting their children.

Another fun activity that will keep you busy during break is baking. If you want to

keep it simple, bake yourself a nice boxed cake or some Rice Krispy treats; otherwise, you can challenge yourself by baking your favorite pie or pizza from scratch. Whichever route you choose, baking is always a fun way to pass time when you are stuck at home.

Finally, if you would like to be productive over break, you could always get started on your spring cleaning. No matter how small the task, cleaning will definitely help pass the time. By this time in the year, most students’ backpacks begin to get a little messy and unorganized, so spring break is a great time to clean and organize your backpack. Also, a great way to spring clean is by cleaning and organizing the clothing in your closet or dresser. If you would like to go the extra mile, you could also donate the clothing you don’t wear to a Goodwill, so the clothes you never wear anymore can be put to a better use. Cleaning your surroundings will improve your mood and get you ready for a fresh start in the new season.

Staying at home during break no longer has to be boring. There are so many different ways to make your stay-athome break both fun and productive by seeing movies, baking, organizing, and so much more. Whether you are at home or on vacation, you can always make your spring break the best it can be!

Graphic by Carmen Cheng ’21

Nehama Dormont ‘19 Admirable Activity:

Photo courtesy of Nehama Dormont ’19

9

The Merionite

Rebecca Altman ’21

With prom season on the horizon, seniors are beginning to ponder what to plan for the big night. What to wear, how to get to the Please Touch Museum, how to get to their after-prom location, and who to take as their date. Most importantly, seniors are questioning how to ask someone to what might be the biggest night in their high school life. Well, through a promposal of course! But how did the phenomenon of the promposal come to be?

To understand where we are now, we have to glance at the history of promposals.

The first known occurrence was reported in the Dallas Morning News back in 2001, when students rewrote the lyrics to Adam Sandler’s song “The Wedding Singer,” and played their rendition over the loudspeakers.

In the article, a student mentioned that “Our generation loves doing it bigger and better,” which suggested that the new uprising of this breed of “prom proposals” is a part of an age group shift from subdued to extravagant.

Promposals only became more absurd from then on. One year later, a student from Idaho thought that it would be sweet to slip an alarm clock into his girlfriend’s room and when it went off at 3 a.m., it displayed the following message: “Hope it’s not too late — will you go with me to the prom?” Even the entertainment industry got involved, with the influential MTV show Laguna Beach producing a promposal-themed episode in 2005, wherein some of the show’s young men tried to secure a date for the paramount night with tow trucks and gorilla suits. According to the Washington Post, “the episode inspired them [several D.C.-area students] and their friends to create even more elaborate demonstrations of affection.”

From 2007 to 2011, this trend went viral with the debut of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.

Additionally, YouTube became a promi-

April 8, 2019

LM senior Nehama Dormont started sewing at a very young age, beginning with doll clothes and basic embroidery stitches. In the past few years, after a temporary break from sewing, Dormont has made a devoted effort to learning new techniques and taking on new projects. After a bad experience while shopping for dresses with serious problems arising with price and quality, Dormont was inspired to start crafting her own dresses to ensure they would both fit well and look exactly the way she desired. In recent times, Dormont has been too busy with her schoolwork, Jazz Band, Key of She, the Garden Club/Flower Show and show orchestra with players to sew as often as she would like. For her, the favorite parts about sewing have been the savings on leggings and socks and the joy at seeing all of her time and effort rewarded in a finished product.

Dormont’s Favorite Shows: Movies Dormont enjoys include Clueless and Death at a Funeral. She also likes watching TV shows such as Jane the Virgin, White Collar, and The Flash whenever she has free time.

Favorite Quote: “My entire family is musical, even the sewing machine is a Singer.” - unknown

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Special F

April 8, 2019

The Me

The Styrofoam Scandal Shannon Rudek ’19 LM is a LEED-certified building, an honoree of the Department of Education Green Ribbon Sustainability Award, and the first school district in Pennsylvania to switch to compressed natural gas to fuel school busses. On top of these accomplishments, LM is also home to an extensive green cleaning program, yet we still utilize Styrofoam lunch trays. It’s embarrassing.

Polystyrene, a chemical compound containing the toxic substances styrene and benzene, transforms into what we know as Styrofoam. From an economic standpoint, Styrofoam trays are the logical option since it costs a mere three cents per unit. However, the underlying and indisputable health effects both on the producers and consumers of Styrofoam products offset the monetary gain. Styrene is a known lab animal carcinogen and a possible human carcinogen and neurotoxin. Once heated, styrene has the ability to travel from the Styrofoam into one’s body system. Increased styrene exposure can heighten the risk of leukemia and lymphoma; studies have shown those working in polystyrene production have high rates of neurotoxicity related issues (i.e. slowed reaction time, worsening balance/spatial orientation, and concentration problems).

Styrofoam pollution also poses as a substantial threat to the overall health of the Earth. Because Styrofoam consists of expanded polystyrene foam, it floats on water.

If littered, the Styrofoam product can be carried from the streets of LM into our storm drains, our rivers, our drinking water, and eventually into the sea. The Styrofoam will break down into smaller pieces, but they will never fully degrade through a process called photodegradation. Researchers say that roughly 80% of all marine debris come

from land-based sources, and 90% of marine pollution are comprised of plastics including Styrofoam. While unappealing to humans, these plastics are often mistaken for food by marine life, which can cause harm and eventual death.

There are better alternatives to Styrofoam lunch trays that LMSD should use. Compostable trays are available, although they cost a bit more than Styrofoam at seven cents per tray.

While better than Styrofoam, they only benefit the environment if they’re made from recycled paper and are correctly composted after each use. An even better solution is to bring back the plastic, reusable lunch trays from the past. It would require students to bring the trays back to the cafeteria, but a few tray collection sites could be set up around the school. The janitorial and cafeteria staff would also have more work on their plates as well. However, as a school that boasts numerous environmental awards, it would be hypocritical of us not to make the switch. It may seem like a small change, but it will undoubtedly have a lasting, widespread impact on the environment in the years to come.

Sammy's Tips and Tricks Sammy Anderer ’20 News Editor Instead of ziploc bags…

Try reusable bags made from materials such as silicone. The brand Stasher makes these in various colors and sizes, from snack size to half gallon. While the concept may sound strange, they are nontoxic, easy to wash, and sturdier than their conventional counterpart.

Instead of plastic wrap and aluminum foil…

Try using wraps made of beeswax. Bee’s Wrap is handmade by combining cotton, beeswax, jojoba oil, and tree resin, and serves as a reusable alternative. The washable material comes in fun patterns and styles, and can be used to preserve everything from leftover takeout to baked goods to fresh produce.

Instead of bulky single-use coffee cups…

Try bringing your own mug. There are many options, but one that stands out from the rest is Stojo. Stojo is a collapsible cup made of silicone, which makes it easy to carry along in a backpack without wasting space.

Instead of plastic straws and cutlery…

Try brining portable utensils when eating on-the-go. While the classic metal is a great choice, ChicoBag’s To-GoWare sells bamboo utensils in cases made of recycled plastic bottles (RPET).

An attached clip makes traveling with the spoon, knife, fork, and chopstick set even easier.

Graphics by Chris De Santis ’20/Staff Caleb Shack ’19 Editor-in-Chief I had the pleasure of sitting down with one of LM’s “ruthless recy- like a good idea, the lasting effects of burning trash and releasing clers,” Michael Addis—known by many throughout The Merionite as greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is more devastat“Mike.” Mike is an LMSD custodian and an expert in waste collection. ing than the effects of polluting the oceans.

While you may have heard rumors suggesting the school does a poor So, what can America do to prevent the devastatjob of recycling, Mike put them all to rest. “The ones who exclusively ing effects of the trade war? We can open our own threw everything out are gone now,” says Mike while referring to those recycling plants. China accepts our recycling because with a bad record of recycling, “They all retired.” But besides those they are able to turn it into products that will be who kept with the old ways, Mike noted that the current staff is very shipped back to the US. If the US begins to recycle its precise when it comes to recycling; some, he says, even pick apart the own trash, America will be in greater control of the plastic and paper located in the wrong bins. Those are the “ruthless market for plastic. That being said, in the amount of recyclers” who make up some of the fifteen custodians on duty. time it takes to build new recycling plants, the trade Before 1991, recycling rarely occurred at LM—that was until a stu- war could be over. And if it’s not, it is doubtful that dent-led movement ignited the recycling routine in the LM hallways. China will purchase American plastic. However, in the Students in the environmental group took charge and began to selec- short run, we could afford to sell plastic to countries like tively recycle all trash with separate bags for each group: plastic, glass, Germany, Japan, and Brazil—who also use plastic—given paper, and cardboard. “When the seniors graduated, it fell upon the America receives enough reusable recyclables to sustain the custodians to continue the tradition,” says Mike, the lifespan of which average total cost of production. lasted until 2009. Now, there are simply two bags: one for garbage and In the end, the trade war exemplifies the problem of waste one for recycling. in the environment that should influence us to create a cleaner, Today, the township has more problems to worry about than an more reusable future. If you are looking to take action, simply extraneous dumpster. “With the new trade barriers, China won’t buy try your best to recycle plastic and paper into the correct bins in our recyclables anymore,” noted Mike. In 2017, China enacted the Na- school. Mike says that he collects the plastic in the blue bins in tional Sword Policy, which banned waste from being imported into the classrooms, so don’t throw it into the garbage can. Clean your country. This is creating hysteria around the globe as around 45% of plastic, so it is reusable, and if you can, walk down the hallway the world’s plastic is sent to China to be recycled. Currently, Philadel- to throw it out in the yellow bin. In doing this, we can all wear phia is battling the trade war by burning about 50% of their recycled the badge of “ruthless recycler,” a badge that should be worn by materials to turn into energy. While in the short-run, this may seem everyone in our community.

Feature

April 8, 2019

11

erionite

Grace Wei ’19 Arts & Entertainment Editor Hailed by opponents as a socialist scheme and by supporters as the masterplan to planetary preservation, the Green New Deal has recently been established as a potential stimulus program to save not only the environment but also ourselves. News networks ranging from CNN to Fox News and congressional members from all spectrums have praised it, mocked it, and dissected it. You may even hear a growing shift in the political conversation towards increasing environmental policy as a result of this proposal, which may lead you to ask “what is it?”

The Green New Deal, a collective term coined by journalist Thomas Friedman, was first mentioned in early 2008 to curb climate change while boosting the world economy. However, it wasn’t until ten years later that this proposal gained international traction as the effects of climate change become increasingly evident and tangible. Today, the newly elected Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has become the face and engine of the Green New Deal. While she supports the original intention of this proposal, AOC expands more upon the details and logistics of such a plan. To her, the Green New Deal isn’t just another hypothetical proposal that will ultimately be tossed aside by Congress. To her, the Green New Deal is the blueprint to preventing environmental catastrophe.

AOC, embracing her newfound role, has already introduced the “official” Green New Deal resolution that outlines a historic, holistic approach towards climate action. Not only does the fourteen-page resolution offer solutions to counter both climate change, it also addresses the socioeconomic inequality as a result of climate change. The proposal outlines an ambitious ten year plan that includes key passages like installing smart grids, encouraging low-emission vehicles, and upgrading buildings to maximum sustainability. Additionally, the Green New Deal promises to create new, high-paying jobs in the environmental sector with paid leave, vacation, and retirement to implement these changes. Due to its high cost, the listed solutions may sound too good to be true, but according to Modern Monetary Theory, it’s not entirely impossible. Along with cost savings, incentives, and taxes, Modern Monetary Theory–which calls for the government to borrow money on its own currency and tax some of it back to “tame inflation”–has the potential to fund this vast, progressive program.

While the Green New Deal may appear to be implausible and overly ambitious, AOC has already propelled environmental policy into the public agenda in just the three months she’s been in office. Similar to the New Deal enacted by Franklin D. Roosevelt to bolster the people and the economy after the Great Depression, the Green New Deal seeks to quickly prevent the deterioration of our environment and our own health before it’s too late. Previously, toxic pollution records in China, forest fires in the Arctic, melting glaciers in Iceland, and more, have all been noticed and dismissed by many Americans. But today, as they witness the effects of climate change in the form of deadly wildfires in California, destructive hurricanes costing fifty billion dollars in damages, and the polar vortex freezing parts of the US, more than eighty percent of registered voters from both parties have moved to support the Green New Deal. The 2018 UN Climate Report and the world’s leading climate scientists give us just twelve years to keep global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrialized levels. These are the twelve years in which drastic measures like the Green New Deal must be taken to ensure our own survival.

Special thanks to Grace Wei ’19

Will Johnson ’22 On Friday, March 15, there were international protests to support climate action around the globe, including in the City of Philadelphia. Outside of City Hall, the enthusiasm of the speakers was palpable as they talked about topics ranging from the effects of climate change on third world countries to the significance of the youth vote to incite climate action and environmental policy. There were multiple times when a speaker would come up on stage and read out the phone numbers of the offices of congressional representatives as the entire crowd collectively called and demanded for action. It became clear throughout the protest that those who had shown up weren’t there for the the headlines. Instead, they proved what the next generation of young Americans were capable of and revealed the political changes to be expected in the upcoming years as more of them become eligible to vote. In that crowd, people from all different backgrounds came together in a call to save our planet. Differences were shed, voices were heard, and connections were made. The climate march wasn’t an echo chamber, it was an amplifier for action.

Alek Lexa ’19 Web Editor When congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a communist sympathizer and neo-Bolshevik, applauded Amazon for botching their decision to make New York their new headquarters, a plan that would have brought thousands of jobs to the city and revitalized her congressional district, it was difficult to imagine that Ocasio-Cortez could come up with a more incompetent, irresponsible, terrible idea than halting economic growth; then, she proposed the Green New Deal on the floor of the United States House of Representatives.

When a reasonably-intelligent person looks at the Green New Deal, several incredibly irresponsible and fiscally impossible proposals should spark some warning signs. First, let’s address the economic disaster this bill would ignite: The Green New Deal would require pollution and greenhouse gases to be removed within ten years, which would eliminate nearly the entire energy industry in the United States. The energy sector accounts for nearly 8.2% of the US GDP and employs 6.5 million Americans. The deal would also eliminate all air travel and gas vehicles, industries that also employ millions of Americans and generate billions of dollars in tax revenue each year for the United States.

Now, a look at the devastating fiscal consequences: the total cost of implementing the deal is estimated to be an astonishing $93 trillion, nearly thirty times the annual national budget, which generates more than a 300 billion dollar deficit each year—just for fun, Cortez threw guaranteed income and universal healthcare into the deal, which would cost $36 trillion alone.

The deal also requires every building in the United States to be re-designed to be “energy efficient,” a burden that would fall on the American taxpayer and have little benefit. Simply, this proposal requires funding that does not exist and is unattainable in any respect, consisting of financial capital that amounts to more than a third of all wealth on Earth.

While climate change is an issue that must be addressed, the Green New Deal is an impossible, irresponsible, economy-killing proposal that puts the installation of windmills and solar panels above economic prosperity and employment. At least some in our government recognized these glaring problems, as a bill simply to permit debate on the bill failed in the Senate 0-57.

The Green New Deal is financially impossible and, quite frankly, one of the most moronic proposals ever made in Congress. Cortez’s proposal has more problems than 400 words in The Merionite can cover, most likely a testimony to her nonexistent real-world experience in the workforce and government. Hopefully Cortez can present a more-informed and intelligent proposal after developing some basic understanding of the connections between the economy and climate change.

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April 8, 2019

Arts & Entertainment The Merionite

Ayden Herold ’20 On June 3, 2017, Alex Honnold became the first man to “free solo” the cliff face of El Capítan at Yosemite National Park. Free soloing is a form of climbing wherein a person climbs a structure (natural or manmade) using no ropes (free) by themself (solo). With no gear aside from a bag of climbing chalk, Honnold scaled the nearly three thousand foot vertical wall over the course of almost four hours. He had been practicing for the day for about two years. Many factors were considered: when would be the right season for climbing? would the route be mapped out? when should he begin climbing? and most importantly: where could he place the cameras? Hanging from the cliff with high quality equipment, his friends captured the spectacular climb in 4K resolution for their documentary, Free Solo.

In the hour and a half documentary, directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Vasarhelyi give us an insider’s perspective on the world of free soloing. Chin and Vasarhelyi provide opinions about the extreme and dangerous sport by professional climbers, many of whom discuss famous friends that have died attempting to free solo tall mountains and cliffs. The two directors, being climbing enthusiasts and having friends in the climbing world, did not hesitate to string themselves up onto El Capítan to capture Honnold’s many passages up the cliff face. There are many shots that focus on Honnold making his way up, then slowly pan out for almost a minute, revealing more and more of the beautiful landscape of Yosemite as well as his jarring height above the ground.

The documentary portrays the true fearlessness of one man. Throughout the documentary, Honnold is bombarded by the worries of his friends and family, all of whom fear for his safety.

Honnold is not an antisocial or mean person, but his inability to show hesitation and his absolute resolve to climb the mountain places him at odds with those who care for him. These emotional stakes only continue to rise throughout the film, and as the day of his climb grows nearer, tensions grow to a head.

I have a few criticisms with this documentary, the first being that the film takes a few too many turns and goes on tangents that don’t add to the story. There is an interesting five to ten minute chunk of film about the nerve systems in Honnold’s brain, that explains how he reacts to fear. This could have been interesting if the documentary took a more scientific approach to analyzing Honnold’s experience. However the rest of the movie focuses more the emotional aspect of the climb and how it affects him, so this felt a little out of place.

It is quite brilliant when a movie manages to give you a sense of danger, despite knowing the ending. The interviews, the absolutely unbelievable camera work, and Honnold’s attitude gives you a dreadful sense of suspense. Come for the thrills, stay for the character study. Free Solo is both an enjoyable and well made picture, earning a strong 8/10.

To many, the concepts of life and narrative are two complete opposites. Life is random, a constant clashing of people and events, much of which depends on where you are and at what time. Life cares not for who we are,what we may be thinking, nor what we’re going through. Life just happens. Narrative is an attempt to rationalize this life, to spin meaning and morality into these random events. Characters exist

solely to go through change, and to give examples for how and how not to live. Roma blurs the lines between the two impossible concepts of life and narrative. Roma is a film that seeks to capture life as according to memory.

Set in 1970s Mexico, the semi-autobiographical film focuses on the maid who partially raised its director, Alfonso Cuarón. Cleo (played by Yalitza Aparicio in her onscreen debut) lives with the family she serves in the district of Colonía Roma in Mexico City. Her days are filled looking after a wealthy family as they struggle to live an ordinary life. The mother of the household, Sofia (played powerfully by Marina de Tavira), is caught in a whirlwind of change as her marriage is challenged. While all this happens, Mexico is caught in political strife. Military marches regularly pass in the streets, political posters hang from the walls, and protests regularly occur in the background.

Every sight and sound is meant to pull you into the time period, into the lives of the characters on screen. People go about their business, dogs bark, beggars sell their penny candy, and planes fly overhead, all reminding us of where we are, and of the people who live in the frame.

This film is small, covering only a relatively short amount of time, but the many sweeping shots of life in the city make it feel bigger than it actually is. Every shot captures the beauty of this world, and is filled to the brim with symbolism, complexity, and most importantly, life.

I am the child of a Peruvian immigrant, and have traveled there every summer. Because of this, settings and characters in this film feel as though they were plucked straight from my time in Peru. I see the iron gates guarding my grandfather’s driveway. The clotheslines and bricks are decorating every roof in the city. I see the large letters painted onto the sides of dusty mountains, advertising the political candidates. I hear my grandmother’s prayers echoed by the characters on screen. As a critic I hate to admit to bias, but as a person of Hispanic heritage, I was captivated by the authenticity with which this film portrayed the environment and the lives of people living within these Latin countries.

Alfonso Cuarón’s 2013 film, Gravity, was a box office success. It was nominated for ten Oscars and took home seven of them (two of which Cuarón won for best directing and editing). From there, Cuarón had the ability to make any movie he liked. Any studio would be willing to get behind him fund his next project. He went to Netflix, because he knew that they would give him complete creative control over his Magnum Opus. In an interview with IndieWire, Cuarón stated, “I always wanted to make a film and be comfortable with it when I finished it… [With Roma] I was very happy with it, and that’s because it’s the first film I was fully able to convey what I wanted to convey as a film. It’s a story in many different shapes and hints of emotions that have been present since the moment I wanted to be a director.”

Roma is very slow to start, and it may not be for everybody. It is a film that prioritizes artistry over wide appeal, which understandably can turn some away. However, anyone with patience, an interest in Mexican and Hispanic culture, or a passion for film (like myself), should experience this film. You will laugh, you will cry, and your blood will boil at the injustice that Green Book beat this movie for Best Picture at the Graphics by Sihan Wu ’19/Staff Oscars. Roma is easily a 9.5/10.

Dancing towards equality Brooke Law ’20 Remember that second set dance assembly from about a month back? Allow me to refresh your memory. The LM administrators orchestrated a performance by the Philadelphia Dance Company, Philadanco, an innovative, eye-catching, and renowned local dance company with a rich history that has left the indelible marks on the American dance community.

Philadanco has trained over four thousand dancers, put on one thousand performances globally, and has reached over 100 million audience members to date.

Known to be at the forefront of where modern dance and traditional African American dance merge, Philadanco is an acclaimed dance company where the best of the best are trained. However, many years ago, before all of the accolades and praise were shared, Philadanco was just a small dance company in West Philadelphia.

Philadanco was founded in 1970 by Philadelphian Joan Myers-Brown. Myers-

Brown was a dancer herself and had experienced dancing in a segregated environment in her youth. She wanted to create equal opportunities for future black dancers and provide the option for black dancers to dance in a professional environment.

With these values in mind, Philadanco was born. As soon as the company was introduced to the dance world, it made its mark. Philadanco was the first dance company in the Philadelphia area to own its corporate headquarters in 1981, and five years later was the first to provide housing for its top dancers. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg in regards to Philadanco making its mark on the dancing world. In 1988, Myers-Brown hosted the first International Conference for Black Dance Companies (ICBD) which acted as a safe space for black dancers from all across the world to connect and discuss issues affecting the black dancing community. Thirty-one years later, not much has changed concerning how the ICBD connects black dancers Please see DANCING TOWARDS EQUALITY on page 16

Arts & Entertainment

April 8, 2019

13

The Merionite

The art of service Izzy Bruckman ’20 Arts & Entertainment Editor The Starfish Project for Children (SPFC), a non-profit organization aimed to engage primary-school aged children in community service, annually selects a large project to help better the community. This year the LM SPFC members decided to paint a community service-inspired mural to add some color and positive energy to LM. The project expanded further than the mural itself, as board members of SPFC sought to engage as many students and faculty members as possible by allowing them to contribute to the mural. Students, teachers, and administrators alike were encouraged to set their handprints on the mural to leave a lasting mark on the community. The mural’s chief artist, junior Jessica Gordon, also developed the idea to write “serve others” on the mural in seven different languages popular among the LM student body. Each foreign language was written by a native speaker, making the process all the more inclusive and collaborative. BuildOn president Audrey Knoll ’19 served as the point person on this project and was a keystone in the creation of the piece. She worked closely with members of SPFC to bring the project to fruition.

I had the opportunity to speak with the mural’s aforementioned chief painter, Gordon. We discussed her involvement in the mural and her history in the arts.

Gordon has been creating art for as long as she can remember, “but that depends on your definition of art” she quips. Although she had never taken a formal art class until the seventh grade, she has always been a very artistically inclined individual. Gordon is an officer of LM’s chapter of buildOn, through which she

developed relationships with some board directors of SPFC. Due to her artistic background and reputation for incessant doodling, it soon became clear Gordon was the perfect candidate to captain the SPFC mural when they presented their project idea. “I loved their base idea and I just kind of ran with it” she reflects.

Regarding the specific details of the piece, Gordon was given basic instruction with room for artistic autonomy. The board members of SPFC communicated that they sought to incorporate handprints of LM students, teachers, and staff on the mural, and proposed that these make up the leaves of a tree. “I loved that idea so I made it the focal point of the composition, and also added my own touches.”

These personal additions included children planting flowers, small details to the mural’s foreground, and the aforesaid “serve others” quotes, which she loves as they reached “people from literally every corner of the world.”

After drawing the full scale mural on the wall, the painting process took Gordon about three weeks. “I drew the sketches a little over a month before that and fine-tuned everything while waiting for approval” she adds. Gordon noted that this process was expedited with the help of many other great artists and friends.

“Shoutout Hazel set 5!” She thanks Knoll, Zoe Weinstein ’20, Natalie Robertson ’20, Thomas Vaughan ’20, Erin Andres ’20, Amy Yang ’21, and Daniel Dwyer ’20 for volunteering to help her complete the mural in a timely fashion.

Gordon greatly connects to this composition and hopes it will “help make LM a little cheerier and also to contribute to the community in the future.”

Photos Courtesy of Jessica Gordon ’20

Emilia Reed ’22 I have become a huge fan of Broadway productions since seeing the musical Wicked two years ago. The brilliance of the music and the incredible acting and talent of the cast has resonated with me, igniting my passion for acting and an appreciation for musical theater as a whole. Recently, I was able to see RENT, The Muscial, through Broadway Philadelphia on its 20th anniversary tour. Despite the show going a little quiet after its last live performance in 2008, it has returned again to the stage at the Merriam Theater. RENT, set in 1989, tells the story of a couple of poor artists struggling to make ends meet by doing what they love.

The show revolves around the lives of two men, Mark Cohen and Roger Davis.

Tensions arise when Cohen and Davis's former roommate Benny, their current landlord, reveals that if they do not pay rent for their apartment, they will lose it.

Benny proposes that he will settle and lower the rent if the two men stop a protest advocating for better rights for the homeless that is organized by Mark’s friend, Joanne. This sets the rest of the plot in motion as the two main characters tackle this obstacle. Throughout the play the two men and the rest of the cast find love, significant others, and greater passions for living through illuminating and surprising events, despite the fact that all the artists are HIV positive in a time where AIDS was a divisive social issue and taboo topic. Social issues like gender and sexuality are also addressed. A major message in RENT is that you should live your life like you will die tomorrow, because you never know what will happen to you or the people you love. Despite the show being set in the late 80s, the prevalence of the themes addressed are still extremely relevant. People sometimes feel uncomfortable in their own skin due to the stereotypes and images of the “right” way to behave and act. RENT highlights the fact that your differences make the world a better place, regardless of your sexual preferences, career path, and more. A mes-

sage that especially resonated with me is that you shouldn’t be afraid to show the world who you really are. My friend and fellow freshman, Jessica Eichen, gave her opinion on the message of RENT because this musical is her favorite show. “RENT is definitely rooted in American history,” she says. “I find RENT relatable as a young, up-and-coming artist with bubbling ideas. I think that’s a definite theme.

All those characters, they’re filmmakers, they’re artists, and they have no money because they are just getting started in their careers. Although some do not have to worry about AIDS specifically, their struggles are nonetheless relatable.” Unfortunately the creator of RENT, Jonathan Larson, had Marfan syndrome that was left undiagnosed. He ended up dying just one day before the musical he crafted first debuted and swept the nation. It is painfully ironic that Larson died young at 35 years old, similarly to the characters of RENT. When I spoke with Eichen about the person responsible for this musical, she remarked, “The message that the show spreads... it’s universal, the fact that we are given such a short amount of time on this planet.

Like they say in RENT, “No day but today.” You have to seize the opportunity of today rather than waiting. I grew up hearing the song Seasons Of Love, but I never connected that song to the show. Now that I am a little older, I can appreciate RENT’s positive themes about resilience. I do feel unsure of myself at times, but all I need to remember is that it is important to recognize this feeling, and not let it control me nor how I choose to live. I have to seize each day and push myself to be the best person I can be while lifting others up along with me. All in all, RENT is a beautiful story that encompasses the complexity and oddity of life along with the preciousness of time. Anyone who has ever felt small needs to see how these characters rise to defy a world where everything is against them.

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April 8, 2019

Features The Merionite

We need spirit yes we do Ziphron Russel ’20 You may think school spirit consists of just wearing your Dawg Pound shirts, going to basketball games, and cheering “Aces Nation,” but there is so much more to it than that.

School spirit at LM includes dressing up for the appropriate spirit day, with themes such as blackout, crazy, LM gear, USA, and more! School spirit also includes making it out to various sports games, cheering and supporting our athletes down on the field, court, or rink. Sometimes, there are little “events” or activities during lunch and learn that help to increase excitement and spirit during the school day. These activities are always fun to watch or participate in; it’s a nice break from the hours upon hours of morning schoolwork.

I know school spirit, for me at least, is crucial for my high school experience. Going to school everyday is somewhat a chore, and I’d definitely prefer sleeping in instead of taking notes at 7:30 in the morning. Something that gets me a little more excited to go to school is when students have the opportunity to dress up in preparation for a game. Dressing up in silly outfits is still fun, even as a junior in high school. When it’s game night, your day in school becomes much more enjoyable as the preparation for the big competition that night. This excitement makes it easier for me to get through the school day with a positive and energetic mindset. Then, at the game itself, the bond and teamwork shown in the Dawg Pound makes my heart soar. I love knowing that we all have the same goal, and we are all excited together. That “together” feeling only comes with having school spirit. That feeling is something that

makes my high school experience more lively and overall, makes me a happier person.

Student Government and other clubs try hard to promote school spirit. If you’re not in the Facebook group for Aces Nation, you should definitely join. This group is led by our Student Government officers, but anyone is welcome to talk about and promote their clubs, teams, and fundraisers. You’ll see our fellow officers, spirit heads, and athletes talk about their exciting events, and how to get involved and show your spirit. It’s a great way to connect with the whole school. Promoting school spirit is hard, because I believe a large majority of the student body aren’t interested in getting involved or are simply unable to. Although you may not care much for school spirit, it’s still good to respect those who strive to increase school spirit.

School spirit doesn’t end in high school. This may not apply to those who do not plan on going to college, but if you do, all universities have some sort of school spirit. Whether it’s huge school spirit or not, it definitely still exists. College is a great place to go to sports game with spirit on, and if you didn’t really do that in high school, that change may be hard to adapt to since it would be new to you.

After reading about school spirit and its importance, I hope you can understand why some students have a lot of school spirit. If you’re someone who doesn’t care too much for the matter, becoming spirited could make your high school experience much more meaningful. From someone who finds themselves to have more than the average amount of spirit, I believe school spirit plays a major role in a high school journey.

Race From The Garden Oh no! Peter Rabbit’s tummy rumbled angrily as he bounded to the farm. The very hungry bunny peeked through a crack in the white-painted fence, eyes widening as he saw rows and rows of juicy lettuce and bright orange carrots. He squeezed his fluffy body in with a wiggle and a twist, and he began to munch. Suddenly, the screen door banged and Mr. McGregor came out, shouting and shaking his fist. Can you help Peter Rabbit escape the garden before Mr. McGregor catches him?

Start

End

Features

April 8, 2019

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The Merionite

57 days left!

F i n a l s Ti p s

Ziwen Zhou ’19 Features Editor

Maya Christianson ’21

“Senioritis,” a colloquial term referring to the decreased motivation ob served in students nearing the end of their high school career, has become all the more prevalent in recent years, so much so that Merriam-Webster has chosen to officially include “senioritis” in its dictionary. This term refers to an infection that has swept across the nation with LM hardly remaining immune from the plague.

There are a variety of factors that contribute to the precipitous decline in performance by our seniors. For many LM students, it is inextricably linked to the fast-approaching prospect of college on the horizon. Aydan Gooneratne ’19 states his senioritis began “as soon as my essays and interviews for colleges were finished.”

Maintaining concentration and motivation as everything leaves your hands is quite difficult. For others, the first college acceptance directly precedes senioritis.

It is difficult to justify the cost to reward ratio if your plans are already secure for next year.

Especially with early application pe riods, the situation has become more widespread. Kelsey Conboy ’19 notes that this change can be quite relaxing: “you have much more time, but only because you’re allowing yourself to shirk more and more responsibilities.”

For other students, including Grace Wei ’19, the onset of senioritis was more so due to burnout, and the desire to make the most out of the remainder of high school. She says, “I justified senioritis as the natural consequence of the stressful prior three years, I needed to recuperate. Plus, I just wanted to have fun my senior year and leave a legacy.” For many, senior year is a culmination of an era characterized by sleep deprivation,

P U Z Z L E

stress, and unending pressure. It is natural to want to cut loose a little and enjoy the remainder of your time at LM. However, as Charlie Herrmann ’19 can attest, what starts as “a couple of missed homeworks and tardies to school” can quickly escalate into multiple incomplete major assignments and missed days on end. Motivation can become completely sapped quickly, and can be easily observed in the consequent decline in grades. One senior who would like to remain anonymous stated that “his motivation had dropped to the point where he can’t even Sparknote the books he’s supposed to read.”

For the rare few who’ve escaped the effects of senioritis, congratulations! Grace Ge ’19 affirms that, “I have anti-senioritis. I make motivation a habit.”

And she may have an important point.

In recent years, senioritis has turned from a curious phenomenon to a serious problem. Colleges and employers have noticed that incoming individuals simply aren’t prepared for the future rigors due to the lackadaisical habits they’ve developed. Perhaps focus is the most important quality we can develop during our senior year and make it meaningful; luckily for us, experiential ventures like our senior projects are often the best ways to do so.

Keep in mind that colleges may choose to rescind admission if academic performance suffers. The development of bad study habits is a danger to your academic future. While senioritis can be unavoidable, make sure you do your best to keep things under control!

With finals fast-approaching, stress levels are high, and good study habits are paramount. Every student has a different study method, with varying rates of success; however, to flourish as a student during high-pressure exams, you must have an impeccable approach. Here are a few of the best tried and true tips for finals week studying!

First, you need to pick a place to study.

The same environment does not work for everyone, as some students like to study in their house, while others prefer a coffee shop or the outdoors. Studying at home works for a lot of people due to the comfort and fa miliarity of a home. However, studying in a place that you also enjoy doing recreation al activities in can lead to distraction.

An other popular place to study is Starbucks (or other local coffee shops and cafes).

An advantage to this type of space is the social climate. Seeing other students around you working hard may inspire you in your own work. However, a climate like that may be too noisy and chaotic for some students. Given that spring and warm weather are making their way back, the outdoors may be relaxing and an ideal study space. The warm air can help your productivity and focus, but a breeze can blow through and easily turn the pages of your textbook or study guide and disrupt your studying. There is no perfect place to study, but be sure to pick the one that works best for you, and make sure to change it up every now and then!

Once you have found a place to work, you now have to decide what work to fi-

nally do. An efficient way of doing this is by creating a list of work that you need to do for all of your classes and extracurriculars. Next, number order them based on their urgency. Number one could be a big essay due tomorrow, whereas number ten may be a math study guide graded based on completion. Start number one, and continue to work your way down the list. This way, you won’t procrastinate on your big assignments by obsessing over the smaller ones.

If you are struggling with retaining information for tests, a good idea is to make a three-by-five notecard of all the critical material. Even if your teacher doesn’t allow you to use the notecard on your test, the act of making one itself can help you to remember not only the most important information, but also reinforce the content that you are having the most trouble memorizing.

Finally, the most difficult part of studying: motivation. The best way to motivate yourself is to think about what you are working for. Of course, you’re working for a good grade, but you might dig a little deeper. Is there a college you really want to get into? Or, perhaps a job you want to pursue? Maybe you just can’t wait to see your friends and family smiling at you as you recieve your diploma.

Keeping this goal in mind will help you to stay focused and motivated as you work.

Regardless of the methods you use, be sure to study hard and learn in the way that best suits you! People learn in many different ways, so don’t be afraid to try something new.

Graphics by Sihan Wu ’19/Staff

A N S W E R

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Arts & Entertainment

April 8, 2019

The Merionite

Noa Cutler ’22 Julia Ochroch ’20 Dr. Kathy Peiss, professor of American History at the University of Pennsylvania, published the celebrated non-fiction work Zoot Suit: The Enigmatic Career of an Extreme Style in 2011 after years of intensive research. On March 28, at the invitation of Librarian Mrs. Pam McGlone, library aide Yolanda McDuffy, and Social Studies chair Chad Henneberry, Peiss visited LM to host a book discussion on all things history, politics, and fashion. A select group of 11th grade U.S. History students read the book, held a book club discussion, and drafted interview questions about the topic and the research process.

Causing riots and arrests in 1943, the zoot suit was much more than just a piece of cloth, despite the media’s attempt to portray it as one. The interesting physical qualities of the zoot

on the manufacturing of zoot suits, as fabric was needed to make uniforms. After this, wearing a zoot suit in public was seen as unpatriotic and even as a small act of rebellion. This all boiled down to the Zoot Suit Riots, a series of conflicts that occured over five days in June of 1943 in Los Angeles, California. It was here that zoot suit-clad minorities were pitted against American servicemen and ultimately stripped down to their underwear and attacked. These riots were just a small manifestation of the oppression-fueled anger the minorities of the 1940s felt living in America.

Even today, Dr. Peiss recognizes clothing reminiscent of the zoot suit, not necessarily in style, but in intent.

She noted that the “modern day zoot suit” may be saggy, baggy jeans, as they now represent much more than

Zoot Suit book club members proudly stand with Dr. Peiss. suit as well as the turmoil caused by just the lack of a belt to the urban comit inspired Piess to dive into research, munity. The style is now a shorthand striving to answer the question: for unintegrated rap and its come-up How can fashion and functional gar- in society. She claims that anything ments be so politically controversial? going against social norms in order The zoot suit itself is easily identi- to make a statement could be similar fiable. It’s classified to the zoot suit. by a colorful finShe classified gertip length jacket punk and goth with large lapels styles under that sinches at the this umbrella, waist, pants that stating a zoot balloon at the knee suit is a zoot and cuff around the suit because of ankles, and typiits extremity. cally accessorized Dr. Peiss’s with a fedora and knowledge on an accent feather. what the zoot The point of wearsuit meant to soing such a suit was ciety by means to flaunt yourself, of both fashearning the name ion and politics “zoot suit” meaning helped to demexaggerated suit. onstrate the way Dr. Kathy Peiss with her work. that During the decades clothing of the thirties and truly has an imfourties the common styles of dance pact on worldly issues, not just on the among young African Americans were covers of magazines. She continues to jumpin’ jive and swing dance, both write about everyday things in order requiring considerable movement. to show people how such mundane This aided the iconic shape of the things can affect society. The zoot suit zoot suit, as it was made to put move- is just one of many examples of how ment on display. Needless to say, the important fashion is to the developzoot suit caught the attention of many ment of history. Despite their sour and not always in a positive way. ending, the legacy of the zoot suit carBecause zoot suits were so large ries into today in a number of forms and billowing, they required a lot of and will most likely be everlasting. fabric to make. During World War II, Photos courtesy of Pamela McGlone the government had to crack down

This past February 24, 26.9 million people tuned in to watch the 91st Academy Awards. It was the first time since 1989 that the ceremony had no host.

It instead relied on an introduction

by Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, a performance by Queen and Adam Lambert, and extended time for presenters. Viewers were in support of a hostless ceremony as well, as the show’s Nielsen rating, the measurement of a show’s audience, increased ten percent from last year.

However, many were disappointed with the night’s big winners, such as Green Book, which has been criticized for its “white savior” plotline and lack of diverse writers. But just because the Academy Awards are over, doesn’t mean you can’t catch some of the incredible movies that were nominated in 2019. Here are some movies that may have been overlooked by the Academy, but are still worth a watch: ISLE OF DOGS: Wes Anderson’s latest film combined his usual sharp dialogue and stylish visuals with action, intricate claymation, and the heartwarming story of the bond between people and pets.

Isle of Dogs tells the story of a Japanese city that decides to exile its canine population to an island wasteland, and the young boy that sets out to rescue his faithful dog and expose the corruption in the city’s government, with help from a ragtag pack of dogs.

MINDING THE GAP: Documentaries might not always be blockbuster hits, but director Bing Liu created a compelling and informative look at the skating aficionados of his small hometown in Illinois in his first feature, Minding the Gap. While at a

glance, this movie just appears to be about a group of skater friends, Liu delves into issues of responsibility, class, the cycle of domestic violence, and his own troubled past.

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS: The nominees for documentary short showed that sometimes a less-lengthy film can pack a punch just as powerful as a full length feature.

In Period. End of Sentence., documentarian Rayka Zehtabchi takes a look at the culture surrounding menstruation in India, where girls who get their periods have to stay home from school, fall too far behind, and are forced to drop out. Feminine hygiene products are not readily available, resulting in women and girls facing terrible health issues. A group of women in the rural village of Harpur mobilize to make hygiene products more accessible and destigmatize menstruation.

The Pad Project, which collaborated with Zehtabchi, works to further the film’s mission.

The documentary short A Night at The Garden, presents unedited footage of an American Bünd rally in 1939, a gathering of German-Americans whose main goal was to promote Nazi Germany and portray it in a favorable light. At this particular rally, in New York City, a Jewish protester rushed the fascist speaker and was hauled off the stage as the audience jeered. The film offers a sobering reminder that nationalism and fascism has always been present in America.

Winning an Academy Award is not the be-all end-all for films anymore. I encourage you to watch these overlooked nominatees and decide for yourself if you agree with the Academy’s decisions.

Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff

Dancing towards equality Continued from DANCING TOWARDS EQUALITY, page 12 and acts as an environment in which black dancers can fully express themselves.

Not only was Philadanco a trailblazer in the dance community, its presence has also inspired other dance companies around the country to follow in its footsteps by providing black dancers with an opportunity to be trained at the highest level. Those dance companies are known to be a part of the “five sister dance troupes,” which includes Dayton Contemporary Dance, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Group in Denver, Lulu Washington Dance Theatre in Los Angeles, and Philadanco. All five of these companies are lead by black women and all serve to help the black dancing community.

Philadanco would not be what it is without its determined leader Myers-Brown. Throughout the years she has received various honors including “Dance Women: Living legends” in 1997, the 86th distinguished Philadelphia Award in 2010, and the National Medal of the Arts which was awarded by former president Barack Obama in 2013.

Without the ambition and drive of Myers-Brown to level the playing field for black dancers, we would be without Philadanco and all of the incredible progressive impacts it has made on black dancers in this world.

It is important to remember that every accolade that Philadanco has accumulated is well deserved. Philadanco has allowed black dance to obtain a spotlight in the modern dance world, which is a truly incredible feat.

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Sports

April 8, 2019

The Merionite

Black Mamba 2.0?

Sam Oshtry ’19 the end of his senior year, he averaged 20.8 points and 8.3 rebounds.

Coming out of college undrafted, Johnson played in the Summer League last summer with the Charlotte Photo courtesy of Merionite Staff ’13

Move over Kobe Bryant; B.J. Johnson ’13 has arrived!

The second LM alumnus to play in the NBA during the Gregg Downer era, Johnson spent most of the year in the NBA G League with the Lakeland Magic before he was signed to a ten day contract by the Atlanta Hawks on March 1.

It didn’t take long for Johnson to make his mark in the NBA. In his first ever NBA action, Johnson scored eleven points in nineteen minutes on 4-4 shooting, an impressive debut to say the least. Over the next four games he played in, Johnson averaged 4.3 points and two rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the field and fifty percent from three-point territory. This was enough for the Hawks to decide to give Johnson a second ten day contract on March 12.

Johnson’s path to the NBA has not always been easy.

At LM, Johnson had a decorated career that included becoming a member of the 1,000-point club and leading the team to a state championship his senior season. After high school, Johnson signed on to play college basketball at Syracuse University, a Division I powerhouse.

At Syracuse, Johnson tried to find his place on the court, but a lack of playing time made that difficult. Eager for an opportunity, Johnson transfered to La Salle University after his sophomore season. Due to NCAA rules, Johnson was forced to sit out a year, during which all he could do was work on his game and try to improve daily.

His dedication showed when he finally got on the court for La Salle. For the final two seasons of his collegiate career, Johnson was a top option for the Explorers, and at

BJ Johnson was a leader for the boys’ basketball team, just as Bryant was during his time.

Hornets before signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Orlando Magic for training camp. He was then cut on October 10 before joining the Lakeland Magic for this sea-

son and eventually was called up to the big leagues.

For Johnson, the toughness and resilience to make it to the NBA was always there. During an LM basketball tryout, Johnson dove for a loose ball and got a tooth knocked out by smashing his face on the wood floor. He immediately got up, threw his tooth in a bag, and said he would wait to go to the dentist until the next morning. He just wanted to keep competing.

This type of mental toughness is why Coach Downer is not surprised that Johnson has found his way onto an NBA roster. “It’s rare when today’s athletes just work without drama and excuses, but he accomplished that [better than] any player I have had,” Downer said. “He had a seven days a week mindset and he just grinded 365 days a year chasing his dream.”

Johnson has always been known for being the kind of player to “shut [his] mouth and grind hard everyday without excuses,” says Downer. Assistant coach Kevin Grugan would spend hours in the gym with Johnson during the offseason. Grugan remembers him always wearing a grey shirt when he would work out and when there were breaks in their workout, Johnson would have his back against the wall, hands on knees and his shirt completely drenched. No matter how tired he was or how hard the workout was, when Grugan said it was time to start again, Johnson was up and ready to go, never with a complaint in sight. All he wanted was to keep getting better. While Johnson’s future in the NBA is still unclear, one thing is certain: he won’t stop working and won’t make excuses.

Sports Shorts Girls make waves at States

Off to the races

Julia Kreuzer ’19 Sports Editor

On March 15 and 16, the LM girls’ swim and dive traveled to Bucknell University for the PIAA State Championships where they made history. The girls’ team saw Anna Kalandadze ’19 competing in the 200m freestyle and the 500m freestyle, Amari Brown-Swint ’21 diving in the 1M Dive, and a 200m Medley Relay composed of Annika Edwards ’19, Ella Harris ’20, Kalandadze, and Allie Stewart ’21. For the fourth year in a row, Kalandaze left her competition behind and won the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:48.96, making her the first female in Pennsylvania to win an individual event for four consecutive years. Kalandaze also placed second in the 200 freestyle.

This year was the first time the LM girls’ sent a swim relay team to states.

The four girls placed 18th at States with a time of 1:49.26. Lastly, in the diving competition, Brown-Swint was able to make a splash in her first appearance at states. Placing 20th in the preliminary rounds and 16th in the semifinals, Brown-Swint finished off her states competition by coming in 16th place in the finals. The Merionite congratulates these incredible swimmers on their amazing performances; all of LM is excited to see your future successes.

Ethan Manin ’20

Through rain, sleet, and snow, the boys’ track team trained relentlessly six days, to preform their best at States and Nationals. The state meet took place at Penn State University on February 24 where the Distance Medley Relay (DMR) placed eighth and the 4x200, sixth. The DMR ran 10:45.77 and consisted of the following runners: Charles Herrmann ’19, Nicholas Messam ’19, Gabriel Brodeur ’20, and Nicholas Rhodes ’19. The 4x200 finished with a time of 1:31.32 and was run

by Devon Tate ’19, Davon Tate ’19, Nicholas Messam ’19, and Adrian Poe ’19.

The icing on the cake was Devon Tate’s first place finish in the 60-meter dash, coming in at 6.87 seconds. At New Balance Nationals Indoor on March 8, the same 4x200 would go on to compete at the The Armory Track and Field Center in New York City and place seventeenth with a time of 1:32.1. These impressive times have set the team up for what should prove to be a strong spring season. Congratulations to all the indoor state qualifiers and good luck in the spring season.

Stick-ing together Sophie Meyer ’20 Source Confirmation Editor

Photo courtesy of Julia Rudy ’19/ Staff

Lacrosse is back, and the girls’ and boys’ teams are thrilled to start their 2019 part about being on the girls’ lacrosse team is the community.” Their hope for spring season. Both teams have been working hard since preseason to see long this season is to continue to see each player improve their game and to develop a term successes. Coaches Ronald D’Ortone and Maria Bio are hoping to have a successful record. victorious season and also help the players grow.

The boys’ lacrosse team consists of a comWith daily practice, a focus has been placed on bination of returning veterans and energetic player’s strengths and weaknesses and also on newcomers. Comprised of 24 boys, returning training new team members. Both teams are coach D’Ortone is looking forward to watching looking to compete in tough games this year. each player grow. One of D’Ortone’s hopes for The girls’ lacrosse team has new leadership the season is to rebuild the team in an effort to this year from Bio. Bio said that the team “has a become one of the most successful programs in lot of heart and determination.” The team is comthe state, as it once was. Junior captain Quinn posed of 36 players. As the season began, Bio was Black says that even though the team has gone excited to welcome new underclassmen and help through difficult times with player injuries, them build their lacrosse skills. Both Bio and the the best part has been “seeing the team stick captains took advantage of preseason to evaluate together through hard seasons.” D’Ortone is all of the players skill sets and see how they could hopeful that the newcomers will improve and improve as a team. strengthen the team. He and the captains are Captain Euna Carpenter ’19 says that the girls working hard to help them transition into playare specifically working on their offensive plays ing high school lacrosse. Regarding spirit dinand their cohesiveness as a whole team. The girls’ ners, Black says that the team often has them team is composed of many individual strong before games and “they are always a good time players. They are working to enhance each playwhere you get to eat with the boys.”

The girls’ team celebrates with Eliza Rudy ’22 after her er’s strength to create one powerful unit. Each first goal against Upper Merion.

Both the boys and girls players are excited to practice is designed around a specific focus of the be participating in the 2019 season. With many game. Key drills include 7 v 7s, an exact game-like situation, and ground ball com- returning and new players, the teams are focusing on improving their skills and petitions. To get ready for games, Alexa Shapiro ’19 says, “we usually have really working well together both on and off the field. With lots of spirit and teamwork, fun spirit dinners before games, and the day of, we usually all dress in the same these teams are hoping for strong seasons with lots of wins. Be sure to catch a spirit, sometimes dresses or uniforms.” She also commented that her “favorite game at the fields!

Sports

April 8, 2019

The Merionite

Julia Kreuzer ’19 Sports Editor

Sports Shorts

The boys’ ice hockey team made history this year in their most successful season yet. The boys made it to the finals of the Central League Championships before losing 4-7 against Conestoga. Along with this, the team made it to the second round of the Flyers Cup before losing to Rustin.

Congratulations to the hockey players on their historic season!

Melissa Dash ’19 Sports Editor

The boys’ basketball team had another impressive season this year, finishing as Central League champions for the third year in a row. They made it to Temple University where they lost in the semifinal round of Districts to Coatesville. The boys demonstrated their skills at States, where they ended their season in the second round of playoffs with a loss to Roman Catholic.

426.5 million reasons Dylan Hurok ’19

Spotlight: LM alumnus

Photo courtesy of Dylan Hurok ’19

On March 1, outfielder Bryce Harper signed contracts are a financing trick. They allow the what was then the largest contract in MLB his- teams to pay less to Harper and Trout each year, tory, 330 million dollars over thirteen years, leaving more money to be spent without exwith the Philadelphia Phillies. A little over two ceeding the salary cap. Also, Trout and Harper weeks later, on March 19, outfielder Mike Trout may not be playing outfield every day by the end broke Harper’s record and signed the largest of their contracts. Trout could act as the desigsports contract in history, 426.5 million dollars nated hitter for his American League team. If over twelve years, with the Los Angeles Angels. the National League changes their rules to be Although Trout has been a statistically better similar to the American League’s, then Harper player than Harper throughout his career, the will have an added value because he would be two have much in common. Both players start- able to do the same as Trout in that regard. ed in the big leagues the same year, both won Unlike the decade long contracts Trout and rookie of the year, and both play outfield. With Harper signed, LM baseball players are only age separating them by only one year, the sim- given four years to make their mark. After a ilarities between the players will cause them to quick rise from a 2-14 league record in 2016 be compared to to an 8-8 league reeach other for the cord in 2017, the rest of their caAces last year were reers. able to make it to the Many hoped district playoffs for Trout would sign the first time in elevwith the Phillies afen years. The Aces ter two more years lost to West Chester with the Angels, Henderson in the especially since first round of the Trout grew up in playoffs last year, but New Jersey. Harpseniors Alec Deegan, er even said so in Dylan Hurok, Casey Shortstop Dylan Hurok ’19 seamlessly the press conferMurphy, Therein catches an Upper Darby runner stealing. ence following the Moore, Spence Millannouncement of his signing. Besides, playing rood, and Garrett Ryan have their sights set for one’s home team is a dream of every young on leading the team further into the playoffs in baseball player, but Trout has 426.5 million their final year together. reasons to stay out in sunny California.

New freshman coach John McGarvey, new Both Trout and Harper are now signed with JV coach Mike Mallozzi, and new assistant varteams not considered to be World Series fa- sity coach Rick Woodcock will help the Aces in vorites in the short term. The general manag- their efforts. Varsity head coach Tim Gunn and ers and the front office of each team, however, assistant varsity coach Art Wharton will also asare tasked with looking in the long term. Both sist in coaching the team. teams are hoping that by locking down star A large and strong freshman class has helped players, more all-stars will be attracted to play the Aces fill a freshman, JV, and varsity team for their teams. this year. All three teams’ schedules are posted The lengths of Harper and Trout’s contracts online, so come out and support LM’s basemay sound like long and random amounts of ball team. Games are free to attend, and home time, but the extra two or three years on these games are at South Ardmore Park.

Sports Editors Now a senior in college, LM alumnus Jonathan Perlman ’15 received very distinguished honors at the NCAA Division III Championships this spring. On March 8, Perlman competed with his teammates of Middlebury College in their Distance Medley Relay at the Reggis Lewis Center, in Boston, Massachusetts. The Panthers won their race with a time of 9:56:54. Each of the four runners were awarded with All-American Honors. We congratulate Perlman and the Middlebury team on their incredible performance.

Alliance of American Football Spencer Rosenbaum ’22

The Alliance of American Football (AAF) is a new football league that is currently in its first year. According to National Football League (NFL) Hall of Famer and co-founder of the AAF, Bill Polian, “[the] objective is to take some of those people who can’t quite make it [to the NFL] and make them into quality NFL players.” The Alliance is not attempting to be a farm system, but instead, it wants to involve shades of the NBA G League. The AAF consists of two conferences of four teams each. In the eastern conference the teams are: the Atlanta Legends, the Birmingham Iron, the Memphis Express, and the Orlando Apollos. In the western conference the teams are: the Arizona Hotshots, the Salt Lake Stallions, the San Antonio Commanders, and the San Diego Fleet.

Although the AAF seems very intriguing, there is no Philadelphia team. So naturally, the question that arises is, what team should the LM community root for? The answer to this question is actually quite surprising: the Salt Lake Stallions. In spite of the fact that the Stallions are one of the farthest teams away from LM, there are still plenty of reasons to support them: The Stallions have three players from local universities, have two former Philadelphia Eagles players, and consist of many players that are going to work hard in order to earn their way back into the NFL. Be sure to check out this new league!

Freshman Danny Wellner

Sophomore Ellie O’Keefe

Junior Zeke Kelz

What sport(s) do you play?

Baseball What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Pitching a no hitter in an important tournament.

What is the most epic April Fools prank idea?

Taping an air horn to a door so that everytime it opens the air horn goes off.

What is the worst location for a date?

Zimbabwe.

What sport(s) do you play?

Field Hockey, Basketball, and Lacrosse What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Starting varsity in all my sports this year.

What is your favorite part about spring?

Warmer temperatures and sun just make me overall happier.

What Rita’s water ice flavor are you and why?

Defnitely lemon, not the best but always good to have once in a while.

What sport(s) do you play?

Crew What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Placing at the Philadelphia City Championship Regatta.

What is the most epic April Fools prank idea?

Moving all of the bikes in the school into KP’s office and parking spot.

What is your favorite quote by an LM teacher?

“It must have been a very spicy rumor.”

-Mrs. Sweeney

Senior Sofia Lake

What sport(s) do you play?

Ultimate Frisbee What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Playing in the 2017 and 2018 Ultimate State Championship games.

What is your favorite quote by an LM teacher?

“You can’t make this stuff up!”

- Mr. Elder What Rita’s water ice flavor are you and why?

Mango: not too sweet but people like me well enough.

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20

Sports

April 8, 2019

The Merionite

Mathematical Madness Benjamin Schmid ’19 Sports Editor

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Schmid ’19/Staff

If you are a crazed college basketball fan and have been in school recently, then number of games for that team. Then, for the n by 1 matrix, simply put that you are fully aware that March Madness is coming to an end. The time of the year team’s point differential for the included games. The Massey Method ranked has come when everyone has made their brackets and there is a relentless discus- Virginia as the number one competitor, followed by Duke, then North Carolina, then sion of the obvious defeats, the rough upsets, and Gonzaga. This year, Hawkins’s class combined the simply unknown. Some students poured their the methods to make a bracket that predicted hearts into one brackets, while others made over Kentucky to defeat Duke in the finals.

100. The strategies ranged from complete guessing, After exploring these methods, the linear alto hours of research, to choosing the schools with gebra students were then tasked with creating the funniest names. a class bracket using solely mathematical methOne group of students at LM took a different apods. After much consideration of what to inproach to bracket making this year. Math teacher Bill clude in the matrices and trying to eliminate Hawkins taught his linear algebra class a short unit bias of conference and opponent, the class seton two of the mathematical methods used for bracktled on one final bracket. The class’ bracket et making that have been extremely successful: the correctly predicted a few early upsets, like UC Colley Method and the Massey Method.

Irvine over Kansas State. In the finals, The Colley Method is fairly simple. First, create Hawkins’s students anticipated a Kentucky trian n by n matrix, with n being the number of teams umph over Duke, with Michigan and Virginia winthat you are including. On the main diagonal, put 2 ning the West and South regions respectively. + the number of games that the team has played. In While two periods of calculations were all other positions except those on the main diagput into this mathematical bracket, no foronal, put a -1. Then, create an n by 1 matrix again mula or method is expected to be perwith n being the number of teams. For each team, fect. The process was still an enjoyable make its value in the matrix 1 + (1/2)(wins - lossapplication of matrix use. Here at The es). Finally, invert the first matrix and multiply it by Merionite, we polled our staff for their prethe second. This will create a ranking matrix. The Mr. Hawkins’s linear algebra March Madness unit dictions. The results came in, and the team final product will tell which team to pick for each led to the students’ mathmatical prediction of with the highest number of votes to win by our matchup. staff was Duke, though Beyoncé was also a top Kentucky winning the tournament.

The Massey Method is very similar to the vote-getter. For those of you hopeful for the sucColley Method but has some key differences. Again, set up an n by n matrix but cess of your bracket, good luck. To those of you who do not participate in this instead of putting 2 + the number of games on the main diagonal, just put the month-long extravaganza, normal life will return soon.

Spotlight: Aja Davis Sports Editors

Graphic by of Benjamin Schmid ’19/Staff

Meet, defeat, repeat Phillip Gao ’22

Photo courtesy of Bryn Rieke ’19

As flowers bloom and temperatures rise, you can begin to see sprinters race around the track and distance runners jog around the neighborhood. After finishing off their winter season with a bang, the LM boys’ and girls’ track and field teams are determined to train hard and will stop at nothing to get better and succeed both on and off the track.

There are many meets that the runners will be competing in, a few distinctive competitions and invitationals stand out from the others. The LM Invitational, on May 4, is one of the most popular meets on the team’s calendar, as many competitive teams will be in attendance. Christina Peng ’19, one of the co-captains of the girls’ team, noted, “the LM invite is always a great meet each year since we get to host so many teams that we normally wouldn’t get to compete against.” Another exciting competition is the Central League Championship (CLC) meet. The CLC

Sarah Hurst ’21 leads the pack of LM, Haverford, and Ridley runners in the 1600-meter race while cruising to victory.

meet brings together all of the best athletes from the Central League for one large faceoff at LM. The LM boys’ team is exhilarated to compete this year, and will be setting many ambitious goals to reach. The team is looking to defend their championship title in the Central League, but with strong competition, achieving this will be challenging. Prior to their loss to Haverford, Adam Hetzelson ’20 reflected, “[LM’s] first meet of the season against Haverford will be extremely competitive, as [they] are two of the favorites to win the Central League.” In the pivotal comencement meet, the team suffered a tough defeat to Haverford while beating Ridley comfortably.

With numerous talented veterans returning to the track this year, the boys’ team is ensured to have a successful season. Champion sprinters Devon Tate ’19 and Davon Tate ’19 will lead the group in the 100 meter, 200 meter, and 4x100 meter relay. Nicholas Messam ’19 and Gabe Brodeur ’20 will dominate in events like the 400 meter and the 800 meter. Nicholas Rhodes ’19, Charlie Herrmann ’19, and Joey Litvin ’20 will shine as the top distance runners in the league.

Many eager freshman will be joining the lineup as well, including distance runners Simon Schmieder ’22, David Litvin ’22 and Alex Bullard ’22.

The girls’ team has a diverse lineup of outstanding veterans that will lead the pack in completing ambitious goals they set forth at the beginning of the season. Peng hopes to get their 4x800 relay to the district competition and to have runners qualify for the state competition. The girls will rely on unity and teamwork to guarantee that each runner will excel and live up to their full potential.

Peng comments that “the captains and coaches are all really excited to get to know all of the new girls on the team and help everyone improve.”

The winter track season came to a close with a fantastic finish for LM senior Aja Davis. At New Balance Nationals Indoor, located at The Armory Track and Field Center in New York City, Davis ran a 7.44 second 60-meters resulting in a sixth place finish. That time was the fourth fastest time by any female racer in the history of the state of Pennsylvania. Davis received All-American Honors for this impressive time. The trials occured on March 9, while the semi-finals and finals took place on March 10. Davis will continue her outstanding track and field journey next year at Syracuse.

Davis (at right) shoots past the competition.

Photo courtesy of Aja Davis

The girls’ team consists of many new and returning runners, with many valuable athletes coming from every grade. Racers like Emma Noel ’19, Bryn Rieke ’19, and Sarah Hurst ’21 will lead the pack in the distance events. Up and coming newcomers like Annika Naveen ’22 and Mikaela Curyto ’22 could be potential assets for the team, which has made everyone eager to see the freshman girls in action. Peng remarks, “we’re excited for some fast times this spring [as] the weather [gets] warmer.”

The teams had very little time to relish their sweet victory from the winter season, because of the short transition time between the winter and spring seasons. Only with dedication and immense effort will the goals that these athletes set to accomplish be achieved. There will be many hurdles along the way, both on and off the track, but with a winning mentality, nothing can stop the Aces from dominating the competition.