Merionite May 2019

The Merionite

Ardmore, PA, 19003

May 16, 2019

Thestudent official student newspaper LowerHigh Merion Highsince School since The official newspaper of LowerofMerion School 1929 www.themerionite.org Volume 90, Issue 6

CollAPPoration

À plus tard, Notre Dame

Dhaval Sharma ’21

Caryl Shepard ’22

Over the past four months, dozens of students have been working hard to create something extraordinary at LM. Students from three different classes, Computer Science Seminar, Communications Design, and AP Language and Composition, worked together to create their apps to solve various problems. This massive project is called “Code. Design. Story.”

Through months of hard work, students, along with help from various mentors, were able to create a combined total of ten apps. These apps were presented on Monday, April 29, during Lunch and Learn, to over fifty other students in the LGI. At the end, the students, judges, and mentors voted between the various apps and picked what they believed to be the best one.

During the meeting, each team delivered a five minute presentation on their apps. Each group had a mentor, along with coding, design, and story teams.

They would go over the problem they intended to solve, how they planned on solving it, create a product overview, explain why their app is superior to their competitors, and develop a demo of their app. On the day of the presentation, the apps presented were Unihub, FocusInn, ReVision, Food Inspector, MayDay, OnPoint, forLM, Scribbit, Choreganized, and PillowTalk. In the end, half of the votes came from the judges and mentors, and the other half came from the student body. Once all the votes were cast, Computer Science teacher Thomas Swope announced the top three apps, which were

Photo by Samantha Anderer ’20/Staff

For Code. Design. Story., ten groups designed unique apps to address everyday problems.

ReVision, Food Inspector, and PillowTalk. However, after a recount, the results are somewhat uncertain.

PillowTalk is an interactive alarm app which solves the problem of sleeping through your

Please see CODE. DESIGN. STORY on page 2

Photo courtesy of Laura Vargas

LM students students engaged with Paris and witnessed firsthand the reactions of native Parisians in the days following the Notre Dame Cathedral fire.

During an early Paris evening on April 15, smoke began to emerge in the distance. As the fire continued to grow, it was evident that it would be very destructive. Soon, it was discovered that the beloved monument, the Notre Dame Cathedral, was sparking up in flames. The same cloudy billows of gray smoke could be seen throughout the city, shocking the many Parisians.

A few hours later, the spire had collapsed and a majority of the cathedral was engulfed in flames. Katie Mastriano ’19, who witnessed the fire, notes the dark skies surrounding the fire, describing, “there was this gray, brown, dark orange cloud slowly filling the sky.” Firefighters battled in an attempt to salvage the now decaying building, but their efforts seemed futile until the early hours of the morning. Though the iconic double

Please see LM NOTRE DAME on page 2

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Walsh

NEWS

Senior prank?

LM seniors leave a final impact on LMHS with their PG-rated Platt prank. page 3

OPINIONS Stay WOKE Luke Howey ’20 discusses the risks of LMSD’s involvement in student political advocacy. page 4

frame of the cathedral stood, the inside of the building was populated with rubble and ash. The cathedral, which stood as an influential French landmark for over 850 years, had suffered significant damage in only a few hours. Luckily, because the cathedral was already undergoing renovations, many of the precious artifacts and statues kept inside the church were safe.

Though the Notre Dame fire has captured the attention of audiences worldwide, a group of LM students and faculty were affected as well.

Over spring break, teachers Laura Vargas and Laura Stiebitz led a group of French students to Paris to practice their language skills and experience the City of Lights. They visited the site merely days before its incineration. The damage of the historic cathedral has also led to other

A&E

FEATURES

Photo courtesy of WikiCommons

Source confirmation editor Sophie Meyer ’20 gives her recommendations for books to read this summer. page 7

Seniors in the arts

Summer reading recs

SPORTS Photo courtesy of WikiCommons

Photo courtesy of WikiCommons

Sentimental seniors The class of 2019 reflects on their final projects and time spent in the arts at LM. pages 8 & 9

Check out what the seniors have to say about this year’s’ spring sports! page 16

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News

May 16, 2019

The Merionite

Dawgma fights to the end

TSA takes states

Phillip Gao ’22

Phillip Gao ’22

Photo courtesy of Seth Richards ’21

Despite not qualifying for the World Championships, the Dawgma team was proud of their performance and the lessons they learned.

Dawgma, LM’s First Robotics Competition team, participated in the Mid-Atlantic Robotics (MAR) Championship at Lehigh University in the beginning of April. MAR Champs is an annual competition where the top sixty teams in the Mid-Atlantic bring their robots to compete. The competitions during the previous five weeks, which are known as qualifying district events, determine which teams qualify for MAR Champs. For Dawgma, getting to MAR Champs required the skill of all its members. The outcome of the three day event determined the prospective competitors of the World’s competition in Detroit, Michigan.

Their performance was impressive, as they accomplished many impressive objectives throughout the duration of competition. Jonathan Xu ’22 said, “The highlight of the competition was when our team got an entire rocket ship filled with cargo, which allowed us to boost our rank. However, more than that, it was amazing because it was an extraordinary feat of teamwork and sportsmanship.” Even with these extraordinary achievements, Dawgma fell short of qualifying for the World Championships, a goal that the entire team sought to reach. Nonetheless, the team is still excited to participate in their offseason competitions. The team also feels like many things can be done to improve the success and work ethic of the group. Ethan Patane ’19, a committed member and veteran of the club, stated, “Next year, the team is going to try to better teach new members about our machines, design strategies, and the overall functionality of our team. There is a very large group of seniors leaving this year so we have our work cut out for us to try and pass on the experience that we’ve all gained over the past 4 years.”

For many students, spring break is a time of relaxation and sleep.

However, for STEM students at LM, it was a time of technological innovation. LM’s TSA team had another spectacular performance this April at the state competition. The team participated at the regional level prior to attending this conference, where they once again dominated the competition. After preparing their events for many months, the chapter went to compete against thousands of students at the Seven Springs Resort in Champion, PA. For four consecutive days, the students participated in a variety of events that tested their skills, including their knowledge of engineering, coding, and parliamentary procedure. For example, in the event Engineering Design, students worked together to prepare comprehensive documentation on a new solar panel contraption with a real life model and presentation.

The chapter has certainly lived up to the conference theme of “Model The Way” with their performance this year. With top-three recognitions in 11 events and top-ten placements in 12 additional events, LM TSA finished off with some of the best results in the state. Another highlight of the conference was the officer election. Elliot Ginzburg ’21, ran to represent Pennsylvania TSA as state Sergeantat-Arms and was elected for the upcoming year. He is looking forward to serving as an officer, stating, “It was an honor to be elected to serve such a dynamic delegation.” The team is looking forward to competing at the national level in a month, and hopes to outdo their performance from last year. Chapter officer Sophie Yang ’20 comments, “I hope that for nationals our chapter can keep improving and put our best work forward!” The positive results of this club have motivated its members to work even harder on their future projects. Whether they are writing up summaries for Engineering Design, or developing Computer-Aided-Designs for Architectural Design, the innovators will always be busy at work, for there is much to be done before the school year is over.

CollAPPoration Continued from COLLAPPORATION, page 1 alarms by constantly hitting snooze. The team was mentored by David Shaw. The coding team consisted of Edward Zhang ’19, Jonathan Berman ’19, Noam Aizenberg ’19, and Dylan Hurok ’19. The design team was made up of Cole Messinger ’21, Lucas Markovitz ’21, and Benjamin Marder ’20 and the story team was Avery Clark ’20, Eva Gallagher-Kowit ’20, Eliza Keefe ’20, and Emily Rumsey ’20. The team planned on solving their problem by having their user complete one of three tasks to stop or snooze their alarms. The three options were Vanilla, Math, and Repeat After Me. The Vanilla option simply had the user say the word “stop” to turn off the alarm. For those who were more inclined to challenge themselves in the morning, they could choose the Math option, which would have the user answer a randomly generated question. Finally, their main option, Repeat After Me, had the user repeat a phrase which was displayed on the screen. As the user would speak, the words would turn from black to green to signify that the word had been detected. The app also had a customizable snooze length, time and date of the alarm, and a feature which allowed the user to only hit snooze once. Zhang, reported that “[the team] had to work fourteen hours straight on the app and presentation the day before, and it just kept breaking. At certain points, we really didn't think we were [going to] have anything to actually present the next day."

Code. Design. Story. is a large scale project which brings together dozens of students from three different classes to create something incredible. The students who participated this year put over four months of effort into their projects and presented it to parents, students, and judges. In the end, while all apps were completely functional and creative, the users picked PillowTalk as the best app. This competition will continue for many years to come, so students in Computer Science Seminar, AP Language and Composition, and Communications Design will be able to participate in it in the future.

Photo by Benjamin Walsh

The PillowTalk coding team may have finished their project at the last minute, but their efforts paid off nonetheless. From left: Aizenberg, Zhang, Berman, Hurok, and Itay Baror ‘19.

Photo by Madison Dillon ’19

After four days of intense competition, the LM TSA chapter earned an abundance of awards.

À plus tard, Notre Dame Continued from A PLUS TARD, NOTRE DAME, page 1 bigger questions, ones that the teachers and students never thought they would think about during what was originally a laid back trip.

Katie Mastriano noted the demeanor of Parisian citizens during the fire, saying “the event was very surreal, we couldn’t do anything, we obviously couldn’t stop it, so we just watched in awe. Everyone was either taking a video, calling someone on the phone, or just watching. Many people were crying and some people were singing.” According to LM English teacher Laura Stiebitz, the fire “makes me step back and think about how precious life is. Life can change in a second. No one was [badly] hurt, but it feels like a great loss.” She also claimed that there was a general sense of mourning throughout the city, but many were eager to reconcile over the disaster.

“For the natives we did talk to, everyone processed [it] differently.

Everyone was stunned, and wanted to talk about [it].” Notre Dame’s fire was devastating for many because it is a cornerstone of Parisian culture and history, a landmark that stood for nearly 850 years.

An investigation into the fire is ongoing, but investigators suspect that the renovations to the church could be a culprit. The current renovations to the cathedral were not originally seen as a threat, so citing the renovations as a possible cause of the fire is surprising. While in Paris, Stiebitz noticed that “...one Parisian was suspicious about how so many people visit and there’s no security, so she was worried about it.” Furthermore, to repair the church, French billionaires and major companies have pledged over $1 billion to support efforts. French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron has vowed to refurbish the monument in merely five years. However, many architects disagree with the rapid response to fix the cathedral, and stress that a slower process would guarantee a more satisfactory result. In the face of the historic monument’s damage, people from across the world have united to secure its future.

News

May 16, 2019

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The Merionite

LM locks down on safety Elliot Ginzburg ’21 Copy Editor Over 226,000 students have witnessed horrific school shootings since Sam Richard ’21 expressed his support for the new security saying, “I like the the Columbine massacre in 1999. Twenty years after the shooting rampage that measures because they provide an extra layer of defense between me and a pochanged American schools forever, a majority of students now fear an tential shooter or intruder. I will feel more secure when someone’s job imminent school shooting according to the Pew Research Center. Mass is to protect me and my fellow students.” Richard’s reflection on the shooting events are now considered a public health crisis in America. new security measures reflects the thoughts of many LM students: Fortunately, LM students have never had to enfeeling safer in their classes with security guards on campus. For dure the terrible trauma of a school shooting. LM history this reason, the LM Board of Directors approved the APC to teacher John J. Grace explained, “When looking at life in the protect all LMSD schools from intruders and school shootings.

LM community, everyone in the district is aware of the The second measure the LMSD School Safety Task Force challenge of making us all safe.” Addressing this challenge proposed was Raptor Visitor Management Technology. The has been the job of the LMSD School Safety Task Force. The task technology is committed to “screen and track everyone force introduced two new measures that were approved coming into your schools and keep unwanted entrants out,” by the LM Board of Directors in February. The safety measures as stated on the Raptor Technology webpage. The new will be rolled out to all ten LMSD schools within the next year. system will require visitors to present their identification Security guards will be hired through a contract with the or driver’s license to the security guard, who will use the Advanced Protection Company (APC). The company’s misRaptor system to cross-check it against a database of sion is to provide exceptionally trained security agents registered sex offenders, and scanned against information with the assurance of maximum security. The guards will such as custody agreements, protection from abuse be stationed at school entrances during the school day orders, and any other information entered by LMSD. b u t w i l l b e u n a r m e d . T h e A P C s e c u r i t y g u a r d s w i l l n o t Graphic by Chris de Santis '20/Staff Visitors will then be given badges with their pictures replace the campus aides, nor monitor students’ behavior or on them. The sytem is helpful in that subsequent visits discipline students. Additionally, the APC employees will monitor all simply warrant your name as your profile is already saved in the system. security cameras on the premises and will begin to register all visitors who The two new security measures being put into place in all LMSD schools enter the school. This initiative is aimed to prevent unapproved visitors from will go into effect by next school year. LM students should expect the new entering any LMSD schools and to relieve these duties from the school secretary. security presence to provide greater protection during the school day.

The wizard of SIG Benjamin Schmid ’19 Sports Editor On Wednesday, April 24, a small group of LM students, mostly seniors, attended a field trip at the headquarters of Susquehanna International Group (SIG), a global quantitative trading firm. The students arrived at the offices in Bala Cynwyd around 10:15 in the morning, and received a warm welcome from SIG employee Elizabeth Goldenberg, who graduated from LM in 2011. Goldenberg commenced her career at SIG right after college and sought to share what the company does with students of the same roots. Given that the students were selected from the most advanced math classes offered at LM, Goldenberg and her colleagues wanted to show the young adults a glimpse of what their future might hold, and let them know that they are encouraged to apply for internships and even a job within the company.

After meeting a few of Goldenberg’s colleagues, the students were taught how to play Wizard, a strategic card game. In Wizard, players bet how many tricks they will win in each round, then try to win the number of tricks that they bid. Points are awarded based on how far off of their bid a player finishes. The students were broken up into four groups in which they played two games, each game lasting about an hour and a half. When asked about the card game itself, Ethan Spingarn ’19 said he enjoyed it because “the point system rewards consistent and accurate betting over being dealt fantastic cards. This means that you can win even if

Senior farewell Julia Rudy ’19 News Editor

you don't get lucky. Figuring out how to make the most out of my cards, and watching everyone else do the same, was a really fun experience.”

During the game, the groups stopped to discuss strategy and state what they would have done in hindsight or should they have been in an opponent's situation.

This was done on purpose, as it revealed to the students both the strategies and collaborative skills that are used in the game. As the day progressed, the SIG employees began to explain how the strategies and skills that the students were using are the same strategies and skills that the employees of the company utilize every day.

After the games finished, the students were taken on a tour of the building. They were able to see the different aspects of the company and how it operates. On the trade floor, the students were awed by the hundreds of computer monitors and plethora of employees collaborating as they executed their work.

With a lot to take in, the group headed back out to the bus so they return to school before dismissal.

The trip served as a way for the students to get a front view of a career that they might pursue. When asked about the trip, senior Caleb Shack said, “It was an enriching experience to devote a whole day to learning a game, competing with my peers, and strategizing ways to win while also gaining insight into the business world.” The group was left with quite a lot to think about—including how much to bid as they played Wizard on the bus ride back to school.

On May 1, also known to seniors as National Decision Day, the class of 2019 arrived at school decked out in college gear boasting their future plans. Excited smiles and congratulatory remarks filled the hallways as the seniors finished their last full day of high school. Students sported customized apparel for their respective colleges, wore clever GAP merchandise if they deferred for a gap year, and made their way out to the Kobe parking lot to partake in LM’s traditional senior prank.

This year’s senior prank was known as a “fake Platt,” a tamer version of a classic LM weekend event. The seniors set up tables on the grass to play cup pong, played music on full blast out of a speaker, and brought in cans of soda and a keg filled with root beer. While not truly a “prank” given that nothing was disturbed, the event was a successful way to gather together to celebrate the LM class of 2019 community and their futures. Senior Melissa Dash remarked, “the activity was an exciting way to wrap up senior year by spending time with friends. While I don’t think it was necessarily a prank, it would definitely be a fun tradition for the underclassmen to continue for decision days in the future.” While the idea of throwing a PG-rated party on the front lawn of the school seems risky, it was well-received by the administration. Principal Sean Hughes, Vice Principal Scott Kilpatrick, and Vice Principal Tyrone Ross all made special appearances, including a game of cup pong with Hughes. As the seniors complete their senior projects, prepare to graduate, and go out into the real world, the senior prank will certainly be a lasting memory for the class of 2019.

Photo courtesy of Staff Photo courtesy of Caleb Shack ’19/Staff

LM students gained an insight into the daily lives of professional traders when they visited SIG, learning that they must play 100 hours of poker before trading stocks.

LM's class of 2019 final full day of high school celebrated their memories and fun activities.

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May 16, 2019

Opinions 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 Arts & Entertainment Editors Izzy Bruckman ’20 Davon Collins ’19 Grace Wei ’19 Sports Editors Melissa Dash ’19 Julia Kreuzer ’19 Benjamin Schmid ’19 Copy Editors Elliot Ginzburg ’21 Lydon Pelletier ’19 Sydney Zellinger ’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.

Editorial: Rise in anti-Semitism lowers us all

In the November Edition of The Merionite, we discussed the terrible shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue, and the hate-infused rhetoric which helped drive it. Since this horrific tragedy, the Jewish community was yet again rocked by another shooting. On Saturday, April 27, the last day of the Jewish festival of Passover, a shooter entered the Chabad of Poway during the Yizkor prayer, a prayer which commemorates the dead.

He opened fire, killing Lori Kaye and injuring three others. During the shooting, several individuals exhibited extreme courage and good will: Almog Peretz was one of these heroes. After hearing the shots ring out, he dashed into the synagogue, and rescued a group of children. Just like with the Tree of Life shooting, this attack was not an isolated event, but part of an ever-growing trend of ignoring anti-Semitism.

In early March of this year, a city of Aalst, Belgium held its annual carnival, UNESCO heritage event. Over forty different groups raised over 500,000 dollars in order to obtain floats for the parade. Although usually witty and humorous, this year, one of their floats was an anti-Semitic caricature with the stereotypical big nose and money bags. The city mayor refused to apologize for the caricature and stated, “The anger of the

Jewish community is completely absurd. I think it’s squeamish of those people that they feel targeted again.” This carnival float is part of a general trend towards heightened anti-Semitism in Europe. A survey of 16,000 European Jews found that ninety percent felt an increase in anti-Semitism in their communities. The French and German governments have reported a 74 percent and a sixty percent increase, respectively in violent attacks against Jews.

On the American front, Jew hatred has also infected the hearts and souls of many. In the past few months, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has come under fire for several comments that played on dangerous anti-Semitic tropes. In her most inflammatory statement she called support for Israel allegiance to a foreign country; an endorsement of the anti-Semitic belief that Jews are a fifth column without fidelity to their home nation and only loyal to Israel and the Jewish people. Despite her anti-Semitism, Congress refused to condemn her by name and instead resorted to a soft condemnation of general hatred. On April 27, the same day as the Poway shooting, The New York Times published a cartoon, in which a dog with a Star of David necklace was leading a blinded President Trump. This cartoon perfectly de-

picts the hateful stereotype of the Jewish puppet master pulling the strings for their own benefit.

Within our great nation, anti-Semitism is slowly creeping out of the shadows and into public life not just in offensive speech but also violent action.

According to an FBI analysis, hate crimes against Jews increased by 37 percent from 2016 to 2017 and in 2017 the Anti-Defamation League counted 1986 separate anti-Semitic incidents, their largest increase in forty years.

Within Europe and our great nation, anti-Semitism is becoming increasingly mainstream. The purpose of sharing this terrifying trend is not to spread fear but to encourage our audience to pay greater attention to the progression. As Guardian Journalist Jonathan Freedland so eloquently stated, “Jews have often functioned as a canary in the coalmine: when a society turns on its Jews, it is usually a sign of wider ill health.” We implore you to denounce groups that peddle in such hatred.

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.

Letter to the Editor: alternatives to religion While reading the “Benefits of Belief” by David Sommer ’19 last month, I was struck by the many misleading claims Sommer made. First and foremost, it is important to note that Sommer asserted two main arguments in support of religion: the benefits of prayer and the strong communities that religion fosters. To this, I say that the positives Sommer outlines can be achieved by substitutes that would not be subscribing to the dangerous myths of religion.

In terms of prayer, I recommend the readers of The Merionite reread Sommer’s article and replace each “prayer” with “meditation.” As outlined by many supporters of mindfulness, practicing meditation produces “increases over time in daily experiences of positive emotions, which, in turn, [produces] increases in a wide range of personal resources (e.g., increased mindfulness, purpose in life, social support, decreased illness symptoms),” according to a study by Compuware Computations on the effects meditation had on its employees. “In turn, these increments in personal resources predicted increased life satisfaction and reduced depressive symptoms.” This rings an awfully similar bell to Sommer’s claims on prayer. In his book, “Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality without Religion,” Sam Harris describes the effects of meditation as realizing that “positive emotions, such as compassion and patience, are teachable skills; and the way we think directly influences our experience of the world.”

Sommer cites a study by Amy Wachholtz of Bowling Green State University to prove that the health benefits of religion are not due to meditation, and frankly gives it too much credit.

Congratulations to our new staff for the 2019–2020 school year!

The Merionite

The official newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 www.themerionite.org Columbia Scholastic Press Assocation Silver Crown 2013 Editors-in-Chief Samantha Anderer ’2o Isabel Bruckman ’20 Managing Editor Sophie Yang ’20 Senior Design Editor Christopher de Santis ’20

To clarify, the study was done with four groups who practiced Spiritual Meditation, Internally Focused Secular Meditation, Externally Focused Meditation, or Relaxation techniques. In reading the study, I found several flaws. The three meditation “techniques” were defined as people taking twenty minutes each day to chant in their heads phrases such as “God is peace,” “I am content,” or “Grass is green,” depending on which group each person belonged to. Anyone who knows about mindfulness knows that this is not the proper way to exercise your mind. Meditation is a gateway to living in the moment, a way of not focusing on the stressful future or past and accepting the world as is. One normally does this by sitting down with minimal distractions and focusing on their breath or parts of their body, rather than chanting about being content or the color of grass. So, when looking at the results of the experiment, which found that those chanting “God is peace” were happier than those chanting about grass, there is no doubt in my mind why the spiritual group was the happiest, and it’s not due to some “higher power” as Sommer suggests.

Sommer’s next point is that religion forms tight-knit communities due to its “impressive ability to cause people to unite and trust one another.” To this, I cite an excerpt from historian Yuval Harari: “When the Agricultural Revolution opened opportunities for the creation of crowded cities and mighty empires, people invented stories about great gods, motherlands, and joint stock companies. While human evolution was crawling at its usual snail’s pace, the human imagination was building astounding networks

of mass cooperation unlike any other ever seen on Earth.” It has been proven that Homo sapiens are unable to cooperate in groups of more than 150 without some sort of myth associated with the group such as religion, nationalism, or as Harari interestingly points out, LLCs. There are thus many substitutes to religion if you wish to search for a community: root for a sports team, attend a college or university, join a book club. But why is religion bad?

Something Harris has outlined in many of his books are the hateful beliefs that religion promotes. For example, “If [someone] tries to secretly seduce you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ unknown to you or your ancestors before you,...you must kill him, your hand must strike the first blow in putting him to death and the hands of the rest of the people following. You must stone him to death, since he has tried to divert you from Yahweh your God,” (Deuteronomy 13:7-11).

Religion was the cause of the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, ISIS, al-Qaeda. To paraphrase what Harari points out, throughout history, cooperation has been achieved through the persecution of others: black people in America, Arabs in France, “untouchables” in India, women almost everywhere. Religion achieves this same cooperation through the persecution and/ or resentment of those with differing views. I would rather meditate once a week and hate the Patriots than subscribe to these outdated camps.

News Editors Elliot Ginzburg ’21 Haley Morgenstern ’20 Dhaval Sharma ’21

Copy Editors Victoria Bermudez ’22 Jonathan Xu ’22

Opinions Editors Melissa Bell ’20 Emily Shang ’21 Jonathan Sommer ’21 Features Editors Emma Becker ’20 Maya Christianson ’21 Ziphron Russel ’20 Arts & Entertainment Editors Noa Cutler ’22 Sophie Meyer ’20 Sydney Zellinger ’21 Sports Editors Phillip Gao ’22 Kyle Patlove ’20 Spencer Rosenbaum ’22

Caleb Shack ’19 Editor-in-Chief

Graphics Editor Cate Roser ’21 Web Editor Eugenia Feng ’20 Business Manager Eric Bing ’20 Assistan Business Mangers Caryl Shepard ’22 Claire Sun ’21 Source Confirmation Editor Isaac Mittman ’22 Advisor Charles Hennebery

Opinions

May 16, 2019

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The Merionite

Freshmen Opinions: On World Leaders Triumphant Trump

Bold Bibi

justice, he cannot be impeached because it is not a high crime of the state because it does not ultimately affect the public’s good. Alexander Hamilton delineated what consists of a high crime when he stated, “they relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to the society itself.” Even if he obstructed justice, he cannot be impeached for it.

Even if obstruction of justice is an impeachable offense, the criteria are far Jonathan Xu ’22 from being met. As Mueller articulated On Thursday April 18, a day that the in his report, obstruction requires spewhole world had waited for two painstak- cific conditions to be met: criminal ining years to witness, the Report on the tent is foremost among them. Did the Investigation into Russian Interference in President intend to hide the secrets of an the 2016 Presidential Election, colloqui- esoteric criminal undertaking? Or did he ally known as the Mueller Report, was re- simply orchestrate his actions out of fear leased to the public. After being delivered, for prospective embarrassment and posithe 448 page report was quickly dissected tive public opinion? The former situation and touted as a political victory for both would qualify as a criminal endeavor; sides. However, to fully comprehend the the latter, far from it. And this is permatter of Trump’s apparent criminality, haps where Mueller realized the futility it is imperative to look at the Mueller Re- of accusing the President for obstruction port in full context. of justice. Simply citing the President’s The redacted Mueller Report details intent as his motive for a criminal prostwo possible criminal inquiries into the ecution is fallacious due to the fact that it President’s activities: whether collusion isn’t substantiated by any true evidence, existed between Trump’s campaign and merely a criminal act along with evidence the Russian government; and whether of intent. However, if Trump had acted to obstruction of justice occurred in the obstruct justice with a provable intention aftermath of the election. The Mueller to cause havoc or disarray for the purReport first sets out clear in stone that pose of a criminal affair of his, an indictTrump did not commit collusion, stating, ment would come about faster than you “the investigation did not establish that could say “Mueller.” The only criminal members of the Trump Campaign con- intent that Trump could possibly harbor spired or coordinated with the Russian for obstructing justice would be towards government in its election interference an illicit activity that Mueller has yet to activities.” The second and arguably more uncover, and proposing this hypothesis appealing section details whether Trump would also undermine the legitimacy and committed obstruction of justice. Here is thoroughness of his own investigation. where Mueller introduces a layer of am- Mueller is incapable of proposing an inbiguity in his assertions, contending that dictment because the prosecutor would “while this report does not conclude that have to prove that Trump acted with the the President committed a crime, it also intent to conceal a crime, a standard there does not exonerate him.” What does this is no evidence to prove. mean? Mueller sets out a clear definition One thing is clear from the Mueller of what he considers to be obstruction of Report: while it does not truly exonerate justice, which is an intent to subvert the Trump from any and all crimes he may authenticity and soundness of an ongoing have committed, it does reaffirm one nocriminal investigation―his investigation. tion that must be considered as fact when He chronicles ten separate instances in moving forward. Our sitting president is which Trump’s actions and behavior are not an agent of the Russian government, narrowly within the scope of possible ob- insofar as the redacted report demonstruction of justice charges: namely, the strates. He is not, as of this moment, a abrupt and seemingly unwarranted firing criminal by the standards of his office. of FBI Director James Comey, as well as Therefore, impeachment is off the table. a string of erratic and rather desperate Impeachment should not and cannot be a attempts to discredit the veracity of the weapon of political leverage, as it will deinvestigation. Mueller’s belief is that this stroy the stability and security the separawarrants some variation of powers has tion of obstruction of provided us. Injustice; however Muelstead, it must be ler resolves to leave used only as the this unanswered and last resort for true refers it to the Departcrimes, commitment of Justice, as ted by individuals well as Congressional who have violated oversight. The Mueller the oaths of their Report begs the quesoffice. Instead of tion: “Has Trump comquestioning the mitted an impeachable moral integrity offense?” of our president, Graphic by Christopher de Santis ’20/ Staff Harvard Professor which I do not beEmeritus Alan Dershowitz argues that lieve will change, assess him based on high officials of the United States, viz. his actions and accomplishments, on the the President, can only be impeached execution of his duties and fulfillment of via a criminal proceeding, not a politi- his promises. He may be a great president cal rationale. His claim is proven by the or a detestable one, but that factor alone Impeachments Clause under Article II cannot be arbitrarily used to legitimize of the Constitution which states that the his removal of office. The values and virpresident and vice president can only be tues of democracy are more crucial than removed from office on impeachment any sitting president and must always and conviction of “treason, bribery or transcend any debacle we are in. We must other high crimes and misdemeanors.” stay true to our origins and look forward, In other words, the President must have not back. We must accept political differactually committed a crime and cannot be ence, not stymie it. And finally, we must removed from office simply for disagree- ensure we stay together as one: one coming with Congress or perceived immoral- munity, one democracy, one nation, one ity. Even if President Trump did obstruct humanity.

underperforming negotiations. Netanyahu believes “that a strong Israel is the only Israel that will bring Arabs to the peace table.” His belief, much like America’s “peace through strength” ideology, resonates with many citizens of Israel who have witnessed the Arab retaliations in response to offerings of peace. A strong leader is needed in times of hardship.

With all the failed peace talks, Isaac Mittman ’22 Israel voted for a strong leadIn a bitterly close election, over er who could protect them rathfourty parties competed for seats in er than make concessions. Many the Israeli Knesset. Operating like a in Israel remember the Camp parliament, the real battle was be- David meeting of 2000, where Israel tween the two leading groups: the cen- had offered the vast majority of “Palestrist Blue and White political alliance tinian territories,” enormous amounts and the right wing of reparaLikud. The Blue tions, and and White allicomplete ance positions withdrawal of itself on creatset t lement s, ing a firm peace and yet, the deal, whereas Pa lestinian the Likud’s authority ideologies align “President” more closely Yasser Arafat to the American denied any foreign polsort of resoicy motto of lution purely “peace through because he strength.”

In didn’t want April, despite any Jewish Netanyahu’s low presence in approval ratings Israel.

Just and American to show how left wing interlittle room ference, the Lithere is for kud managed to peace, Paleslead the righttinian polls wing block to vicshowed that tory.

Although 68% were c u s t o m a r y satisfied for every major with Arapolitician to atfat’s refusal Graphic by Christopher de Santis ’20/ Staff tend, not a sinfor peace. gle Democratic Arafat’s widow admitted that Arafat presidential candidate visited the planned the Second Intifada after not Annual Israel Public Affairs Com- getting what he wanted in the peace mittee (AIPAC) conference and Beto process. At first, the world sided with O’Rourke even went as far as to call the Israelis, but as Israel started to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Min- defend itself, views changed. Israel atister of Israel, a flat out “racist.” This tempted peace, but with the exception shift in the American left’s view, and of the American right, no major nation almost all of Europe’s view, of Israel on Earth is siding with Israel. has led to an election in spite of the Israelis also voted for this right rest of the world. Israel has made ev- wing victory because they were sick of ery attempt possible at peace, and yet a government which treats the enemy most of the world still blames the only with a higher standard than Israeli free nation in the entire Middle East citizens. One example being the techfor the turmoil. This election was Is- nique of sending in an Arab neighbor rael’s way of saying that they are done to talk a terrorist out of murder. Dewith being singled out, attacked, and spite the tactic saving countless Israeli targeted. lives, it resulted in one Arab casualty Benjamin Gantz was the 20th Chief causing the Israeli government to outof General Staff for the Israel Defense law the practice. On top of this, the Force. At the end of 2018, he formed Israeli army calls Hamas controlled an alliance of parties under a new bases before bombings, imploring that banner, called the “Blue and White” they evacuate. However, Hamas forcalliance. Some of his stances include es citizens to stay by military faciliadding term limits, expanding health ties, even placing missile silos next to care, limiting religious power, and schools in order to boost the death toll kickstarting peace talks. Although si- and create the illusion of a genocidal lent during the campaign trail about bloodthirsty Israel. Many Israelis feel a two-state solution, he had worked that if the world views Israel negativewith the United Nations on creating a ly regardless of their civility, there is seperate state for Arabs living in the no purpose in trying to convince the West Bank. His silence, along with his world otherwise. history, makes it evident that he would Israel has voted to put into power a be willing to hand over portions of Is- strong leader. A leader who will considraeli land. While the rest of the world er annexing the West Bank regardless claims this will bring about peace, at- of what the lynch mob of the internatempts have been made, and failed tional community thinks. A leader who with catastrophic repercussions. Is- runs a party dedicated to strength and raelis know their history, and voted prioritizing its own citizens. A leader for a man they know will not bow to who understands the pain many Israethe international community and give lis feel. The Israeli people decided that away strategically and historically im- because the international community portant land. Campaigning for a fifth will not support Israel’s right to selfterm, Benjamin Netanyahu has been defense, they must elect a leader who the leader of Israel ever since the many will.

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Opinions

May 16, 2019

The Merionite

Budgetary bias

Luke Howey ’20 On Thursday, April 4, SAGE hosted the WOKE Conference, which attracted nearly 200 students from LM and Harriton, to discuss topics of social justice. There were two keynote speakers, “Knowledge Sessions” on topics like race, masculinity, and gender, as well as “Action Sessions” on issues like gun control, climate change, and allyship. LM and Harriton students were permitted to miss classes to attend the conference, but with all the positivity an event like this brings to light, some aspects cannot avoid the pitfalls of controversy. Mainly, some viewed the conference as a liberal event that was being promoted by the district, and because of the problematic nature of a government institution promoting a certain brand of politics, felt as though it shouldn’t have happened.

According to Lily Kemler ‘19, the current president of SAGE, Amy Buckman, the district’s director of school and community relations, “was involved in every planning meeting.” However, Kemler made it clear that the district had no involvement with the content of the workshops and that “students completely planned each workshop with the other students in their group.” When asked about

the budget for the conference, she stated it was “confusing,” but she did state that there “was a budget from administration, which [wasn’t] very big,” directed towards the speakers, food, and SAGE officer t-shirts.

Knowing how the district helped SAGE put on the WOKE Conference is important to truly understand whether or not the district overstepped the line. It is the district’s duty to acknowledge that there are many diverse political opinions in the school, and while the WOKE Conference was branded as an event for everyone, the conference was clearly slanted towards the left. There’s nothing wrong with allowing student leadership to put on a left-wing conference, there’s nothing wrong with allowing them to use one of your facilities, there’s nothing wrong with administration helping with planning, but, when you cross the Rubicon of funding, that’s where the line blurs.

I never got the specific numbers or a clear picture on how large the budget was, but whether the district puts a dollar or ten thousand behind a conference, the motive has to come into question.

Whilethe district should have allowed the conference to happen, allocating money to it was a misstep. If you donate money to a political candidate, it means you support his or her ideas, and while the district isn’t exactly “donating,” money is money and what an entity does with their money shows true intentions. We all know the majority of students at LM are liberal, we all know the district is quite liberal, and there are conservatives who feel that they do not get a fair shake in the district, and putting money behind a liberal conference doesn’t make them feel any more accepted. People may take

issue with was talked about or the speakers if they don’t agree with their ideas, but that isn’t a reason not to allow the conference to occur. It is actually quite laudable that the WOKE Conference was held; it furthers a necessary dialogue students will have throughout high school and their lives. Addressing political issues at a young age, no matter what side you are on, is commendable. The more involved we are in our youth, the more we will be involved throughout adulthood. There’s nothing wrong with holding a political conference and there’s nothing wrong with the district assisting in logistics―after all, they are responsible for the students and their well-being at the conference. However, the money makes it difficult to look at the conference through a clear lens.

If the district seeks to remain neutral on politics, which they should, there are ways to ensure that people from all political backgrounds feel confident in our administration’s ability to stay neutral. It’s surprisingly quite simple. Support all political opinions, free speech, and any environment that fosters political discourse. Of course there should be limiting factors: for example, if the political conference seeps into hate speech or anything that goes against district policy, the district would not have to support the conference. But, if there are legitimate inquiries about more conferences, the idea should be heard and supported based off prior support for the WOKE conference and other conferences. There’s an important reason a lot of schools try and stay out of politics: it’s divisive, and schools aren’t meant to take sides or split people apart―they’re supposed to bring students together to learn.

The necessity of art

Emily Shang ’21

Pennsylvania is one of only nine states lacking an art class graduation mandate, instead letting each school district set the requirement. Despite art giving high school students a chance to relieve stress as well as learn to be patient and determined, LMSD has decided to set no requirements for any art classes. Relationships forged in art classes are also particularly special and difficult to replicate. Art credits are also a requirement for admissions into certain prestigious universities, including all UC schools. In order to promote certain vital soft skills as well as prepare students for college admissions, LM should invoke an art requirement.

According to a publication by Girija Kaimal in Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, art can significantly reduce stress, no matter the actual product. The study monitored cortisol levels in a diverse array of participants, and found a correlation between reduced cortisol levels after art and a younger age. With the high stakes and pressure of high school, required art classes would no doubt be effective in reducing stress. Though many LM students may groan and protest about their poor artistic eye, or their lack of affinity for creative activities, studies have shown that creative skills don’t matter in terms of stress reduction through art. Art also reduces stress in more obvious ways. According to Lily Guo ‘21, a student in Art 2, “a break in the middle of the day definitely reduces [her] stress.” Furthermore, unlike most other classes, art is graded based on completion, removing stress otherwise present if a student was taking another course. Taking a period for students to use their hands and creative side, instead of memorizing formulas and textbooks, would also offer students academic benefits. According to

Alejandro Lleras, an Associate Professor of Psychology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, “deactivating and reactivating your goals allows you to stay focused.” LM students that take an hour off to work a different part of their brain can then return to tedious math problems and English articles with a renewed feeling of clarity.

Along with decreasing stress, art helps high school students gain important soft skills and forge relationships. According to Catie McGinty ‘21, “The

Graphic courtesy of Chris de Santis ’20/Staff

relationships gained in art class are more genuine because it’s a somewhat more vulnerable atmosphere in school.” In the entirety of LM, there exist very few places that allow gatherings of students to be vulnerable and express themselves in creative ways. As the tight-knit community we strive to be, all LM students should experience the thrill of exposing a different side of themselves in a creative form of expression. Based on a study conducted by the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C, art

increases compassion and connects students in a more meaningful way. As both a community and a school, LM will become more unified and connected through art. Furthermore, as our society changes into one that places a particular emphasis on standardized tests and hard numbers rather than soft skills, focus and funds begin to shift towards strict subject areas, leaving the arts neglected. However, overlooking art classes is an obvious error. According to a twelve-year student-tracking study done by the National Education Association, art has been found to make students five times more likely to graduate high school. Furthermore, according to the Perpich Center for Arts Education, a government agency, art has been linked to increased attendance in high school students. Though LM doesn’t particularly have a problem with high school dropouts, both of these benefits can be reaped by the standardized-test-loving administrators. Specifically, a study done on dancers exhibits how art can increase standardized test scores. In this study, dancers tested better on memory than non-dancers.

Lastly, art class should be a requirement due to the disadvantage LM students would have should they not take an art class. An overwhelming majority of states require at least one art credit of their high school students, and as generation after generation of high school students scramble to prepare for college admissions, other students nationwide may have an extra tool in their belt that LM students don’t. In fact, prestigious universities such as UC Berkeley and UCLA require applicants to have an art credit. By not having an art class requirement, LM students have not gone through educational experiences required by most American schools.

From Art 1 to Ceramics, every single student can gain something from taking an art class. In order to reduce stress, increase the learning of vital soft skills and strengthen student relationships, LM should require students to take an art class. Furthermore, requiring an art class would place LM students at an equal footting with the rest of the nation especially when applying to certain universities, most notably UCLA and UC Berkeley. LM should follow the majority of other schools in the nation and implement art class as a graduation requirement.

Features

May 16, 2019

7

The Merionite

Self help apps

PIIT Pocket Cassey Ho is a business mogul who got her start from making free fitness workout videos on Youtube.

She has recently created PIIT Pocket, an app that is vital for those looking to customize their own workout routine. PIIT (Pilates Intense Interval Training) is a workout routine similar to HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), which is a drill where exercises are done in intervals, with time “on” when you are exercising, and time “off” for short breaks. PIIT adds pilates moves to the mix, and makes for a super fun and intense, as well as equipment free, workout. Ho’s app allows you to easily create your own PIIT workout and includes motivational devices, such as a customizable workout calendar that sends you reminders before your workout.

The app also incorporates all of her Youtube content and healthy meal recipes. Furthermore, PIIT Pocket is completely free to use, although a subscription option that gives you access to a twenty-eight day workout and healthy eating challenge is available. Subscription or not, PIIT Pocket is the perfect app for anyone who is in need of a new and improved workout routine.

Alex Greenblatt ’22

Notes to nowhere Everyone has experienced restless nights of sleep, where they just cannot stop thinking about that embarrassing moment from years ago, or those weird creaking noises coming from outside their room. An easy way to clear your head from thoughts like these is by putting them into words, which is just what “Notes to nowhere” allows you to do. This app enables you to write notes down and then slowly erases the writing. This way, you are able to write down all of your thoughts, and get them outside your head without having to reread and re-stress about them. Although the concept is very simple, it is highly effective for relieving little worries throughout the day, and does a great job taking you out of your head and back to the present.

Breathe There are many meditation apps on the market that are gaining popularity due to the abundance of positive effects their consumers’ experiences. While many of these apps are good, when it comes to a meditation routine that is tailored to the user, no app does it better than Breathe. The alluring feature that sets this app apart from the others is the check-in quiz that recommends a meditation phase to the user based on the results showing how the user is feeling. The meditations range in length from one minute to an hour, with most of the longer programs featuring comforting soundtracks rather than guided meditations. In addition to meditation exercises, Breathe also includes acupressure and yoga tutorials. The app is organized by categories such as “Find your focus” and “Strengthen your resilience,” each possessing a wide variety of guided meditations that fit into that respective category. There is additionally a section dedicated to meditation for teens, which is a great way to get introduced to the world of meditation. Unfortunately, the free version of Breathe app does not have a wide selection of meditations; however, the amount of content you receive with a subscription makes it well worth the price.

An awakening trip to the border Myra Rios Spanish teacher At the end of March, I spent four days volunteering at the Catholic Respite Center in McAllen, Texas, led by Sister Norma Pimentel. This center is one of a few in the Rio Grande Valley that receives Central American refugees who have crossed the Mexican/US border in search of the safety and quality of life that they could not find in their own country. Refugees arrive at the respite center on a bus provided by ICE, where they are offered food, clothes, a place to rest, and social services. These services include arranging transportation to sponsor’s houses and giving the refugees sound advice on how to present themselves well in federal court. During those four days, I prepared and served food, organized the abundance of donated clothes in plastic bags for distribution, and created fun activities for the children to play. Here is what I learned while I was there: There is an ample amount of grace and appreciation on the part of the refugees.

The grace and appreciation shown by all the refugees who have visited the center is endless. Those who could offered to help in the kitchen, in the resting rooms, or in the clothing rooms. No matter what they had been through or the state of their current situation, every person showed boundless thankfulness and humanity.

The dignified treatment the refugees experience in this center is evident and expected.

Sisters and volunteers at the center communicate to the vulnerable, frightened, and dependent people with the kindness and respect that every person in the world deserves. As a witness to that, it renewed my hope for humanity. Kindness is given freely in abundance, with no expectation of anything in return.

Children observe everything.

A six-year-old boy told me in great detail about his trip across the border with his family. According to him, after paying $13,000 to the coyote (a person who guides people across the border for a fee), the coyote demanded $1,000 more upon arriving to the river, saying that he was going to push his entire family into the river without a boat if they didn’t meet his additional demands. .... ...............................................................................................

Children are still wonderful, even in the worst circumstances.

Children were always up to play and learn, which showed their pure selves. I spent five continuous hours with over twenty children so their parents could have a break from tending to them. When they painted with coloring sheets, many that showed me their works of art with such pride. Many offered me their work as a gift of appreciation. They also played “Duck, Duck, Goose” and “Baby in the Air” (a game of my youth), soccer, and basketball.

Afterwards, we sang “Pollito Chicken” to learn some English words. They were so excited to share with me other children’s songs that they knew how to sing. They asked for more stories after I read The Princess and The Pea, but there were no books in the center. The teenagers also asked for books to take on their trips to their temporary homes. The children were smart, wise, cordial, cooperative and hungry to learn. Their smiles were contagious.

We should not avoid sad or difficult situations just because they make us feel uncomfortable. ........................................................................

On the first day I arrived at the center, in less than three minutes I could not stop myself from shedding some tears upon seeing so many newcomers, many with babies in their arms, in long lines waiting patiently for their turn to receive a bowl of soup or a new pair of shoes because theirs had worn out during their long trip to the border.

I saw adults and children so exhausted that there were lying on the mattresses on the floor without any privacy since there were so many people. Despite my discomforts, I received the gift of satisfaction and purpose that I made their day a little better.

This gift, in the eyes of children, is worth more than anything material in the world.

There is not enough help to help the refugees.

Despite the generosity of many, the massive arrival of undocumented foreigners has created a scarcity of resources to distribute. The Catholic Respite Center needs Walmart and Sam’s Club gift cards to buy food in order to feed between two hundred and five hundred visitors daily. If you want to donate a card, send it to Humanitarian Respite Center, 1721 Beaumount Ave. McAllen, TX. 78501. You can also send a donation through their..website:..https://catholiccharitiesrgv.org/HumanitarianRespiteCenter.shtml or http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org/immigrant-assistance/donate-now/ Photo courtesy of Myra Rios

The center invites and encourages groups of high school students, sophomores or older, to participate as volunteers. If you are interested in more information, you should contact the center. What a great opportunity for students to have a purpose to learn as much as possible in Spanish class!

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Arts & Ente

May 16, 2019

The Me

The Merionite Arts Editors reached out the arts at LM to dis ects, future plans,

ASA KOSTO

The Merionite (TM): What’s your favorite piece you have up in the art show? What inspired this piece?

Asa Kosto (AK): My favorite piece is a charcoal drawing of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. I really like it because it balances detail with a consistent perspective and composition.

TM: How would you describe your style of art?

AK: I would say my style is more realistic for drawing, but a little less detailed and colorful for painting.

TM: Does your art have a cohesive theme? What do you aim to express?

AK: I wouldn’t say my art has a cohesive theme, I draw all sorts of things in all sorts of ways.

TM: If you had no limitations, what would your dream project be?

AK: If I had infinite time, I would probably try to recreate some of the Audubon drawings. I really like their mix of realism and style.

TM: How has your art developed from freshman to senior year?

AK: I would say I have branched out a lot and started using different kinds of media since freshman year, I also started making bigger pieces and understanding more about composition.

TM:What has been the most challenging aspect of preparing for the art show?

AK: The most challenging thing about the art show is making so many pieces in so little time. The deadlines are pretty demanding.

TM: Do you plan to continue making art beyond high school?

AK: I won’t be majoring in art in college, but I’ll definitely contribute to painting and drawing for fun.

Photo Courtesy of Asa Kosto ’19

ZORA GAMBERG

The Merionite (TM): What’s your favorite piece you have up in the art show?

Zora Gamberg (ZG): I don’t have a specific favorite, but I really love all the ones of me.

TM: How would you describe your style of art?

ZG: My style changes somewhat from piece to piece, but I’d definitely describe it as creepy.

TM: Does your art have a cohesive theme? What do you aim to express?

ZG: My art almost entirely consists of portraiture—I like to work with the face because you can manipulate and distort it in ways that evoke different reactions from the viewer. Most of my work this year is focused on feminine ethereality and creating an unsettling atmosphere surrounding my pieces.

Much of my art features a female figure in a somewhat eerie setting or position with the intention of possessing a slight power over the viewer.

TM: If you had no limitations, what would your dream project be?

ZG: My dream project would probably be painting a person every year as they age. It would be interesting to study how the face changes over a lifespan and create a representation of how my own style develops over time.

TM: How has your art developed from freshman to senior year?

ZG: I didn’t have much purpose in the art I produced when I was a freshman. Also, I was terrible.

TM: What’s been the most challenging aspect of preparing for the art show?

ZG: Bargaining with Mr. Hazel to move my spot. And I’m convinced someone stole two of my pieces so I can’t hang them up. I know the thief is out there. If you’re reading this, I will find you.

TM: Do you plan to continue making art beyond high school?

ZG: Yes! I’m going to RISD next year, and hopefully I won’t drop out and become an accountant.

Photos Courtesy of Izzy Bruckman ’20 /Staff

ertainment

May 16, 2019

erionite

and Entertainment t to three seniors in scuss their final projand lasting legacy.

OLIVIA HUGHART & KEY OF SHE

The Merionite (TM): How would you define the Key of She organization?

Olivia Hughart (OH): Key of She Jazz started as an ensemble to support and encourage more girls to be involved in jazz, and now has expanded into a larger organization with the same mission.

TM: How did you get involved with Key of She? OH: I am the founder of Key of She Jazz and the current leader and director. There is a lack of girls in jazz bands, and I wanted to create a setting where girls would feel encouraged to be in jazz.

TM: How did you organize the conference? What was your inspiration behind it?

OH: I had the idea for the conference at the end of last summer. I brought the idea to my mentor, Dr. Jenny Neff, who is now at the University of the Arts, and she started talking about my idea with the UArts faculty. UArts offered to host my event, and I started fundraising and networking with professional musicians and educators to involve successful female jazz musicians in the Philadelphia Area. I was inspired to organize this conference to celebrate women in jazz, as they are often overlooked and underrepresented in the jazz industry.

TM: Is the jazz industry traditionally dominated by males? Why do you think it is important to celebrate women in jazz?

OH: The jazz industry has always been traditionally dominated by men. When we are taught about jazz, we are taught about the greats: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, to name a few. But women like Mary Lou Williams, who was a mentor to Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie and was playing with professionals at age eighteen, we never hear about. It is important to give

younger female musicians a place where they can grow, look up to female role models, and feel supported and connected with other female musicians.

TM: Who spoke at Key of She and could you touch on some of the workshops offered?

OH: We were lucky to have a broad array of speakers, presenters, and performers at the conference. We started the conference with an opening session, followed by three breakout sessions featuring masterclasses, panels, and presentations, and we concluded with our closing session. Our Keynote speaker was Dr. Virginia Allen, we had a kick off performance from the sister group of the world-renowned DIVA Jazz Orchestra, called FIVE PLAY, Baltimore Chamber Jazz Ensemble, Trumpet Chics, The Z Band, some speakers including Mary Javian, Heather Blakeslee, Anjan Shah, Amy K Bormet, many UArts faculty members, and many others.

TM: Are you planning to continue with music and jazz after high school? What are your plans?

OH: After high school, I will be majoring in jazz performance at Photos Courtesy of Olivia Hughart ’19 NYU. I will continue doing work with Key of She, and hopefully I can bring my ideas to New York in addition to working on projects that will happen in Philly.

TM: Were you happy with the result of the conference? Are you considering planning another?

OH: Overall, I am really excited about what we accomplished with the first Key of She Conference. We got a lot of great feedback and every speaker and performer was absolutely amazing. We are already planning a date for our next year’s conference, and we are hoping it will become an annual event. Visit keyofshejazz.org for updates and news for our upcoming events!

The four years’ finale Pamela Li ’20 The Senior Collage is an annual LM concert held in May where senior music students from all departments are highlighted in a special showcase of solo and small ensemble pieces. The tradition began about twenty years ago, but has continued to be an integral part of LM’s music courses to this day. This year, a total of fourteen people performed on Wednesday, May 15 including Asa Kosto ’19, Jasper Lim-Goyette ’19, Grace Wei ’19, Nehama Dormont ’19, Olivia Hughart ’19, Lonnie Davis ’19, and Ann Gamble ’19.

As it had been on their radar for four years, the seniors felt more than ready to perform all of the pieces they worked so hard on. Kosto stated, “For a long time I wanted to add on my favorite pieces to the amazing concert put on by the music department.” One of the pieces he is most proud of is Mozart Horn Concerto No. 1. Kosto has been playing the French horn since middle school and hoped people outside the music department would listen and “see all the fantastic talent that LM music students have to offer.” Similarly, Lim-Goyette was eager to perform the Tchaikovsky violin concerto as a way of honoring his four years at LM. While we got a taste of the Baroque era of music, Wei, who has played the violin for twelve years, performed Zigeunerweisen by Pablo de Sarasate. The short but complex violin piece involves a gypsy, and the “juxtaposition between heartache and frenzy combined with a majestic energy,” which makes the eight-minute long piece truly spectacular. We got another taste of this style when Dormont performed François Borne’s most renowned composition “Carmen Fantasy.”

This piece is a variation on themes from Bizet’s well-known opera about a beautiful woman who goes about town, wooing men, culminating in a love triangle between an officer and a bull fighter. Dormont notes the “powerful and amazing music” will show “all the hard work and passion I poured into my flute.”

As some seniors performed the work of established musicians, others arranged their own pieces. Davis, who has been arranging for four years and playing the drums for five years, performed “King of the Road” along with the LM Jazz Band, which he described as “an old country tune by Rodger Miller that I arranged for a big band.” This was the first time the band performed the arranged piece, thanks to Davis, who plans on continuing his music career at Temple University next fall.

Fellow LM jazz musician Hughart performed a composition that LM jazz band director Andrew Neu composed, titled, “My Dear,” to honor her four years spent here at LM. Hughart is grateful for “our amazing music department: Mrs. Villante, Mr. Cooperstein, Mr. Datsko, and Mr. Hunnex.”

The seniors received support from parents and students alike who attended the concert. They had spent numerous hours practicing their instruments and being able to showcase their accomplishments was something they were looking forward to greatly. In the end it was a success, as stated by Gamble, who said “the music had no barriers… it is everyone’s language.”

Graphics by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff

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May 16, 2019

Features The Merionite

Summer reading recommendations Sophie Meyer ’20 Source Confirmation Editor

Looking for a summer activity? Don’t know what to do under the hot sun? Have you exhausted all options on Netflix and your friends are all out of town? How about picking up a book? In the midst of some painful summer reading assignments, try reading a book that actually interests you. Here are some excellent reads that I recommend.

Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli Looking for a fun LGBTQ+ novel? One that’s relatable and also enjoyable? Look no further than Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda. This book was recently made into a movie called Love, Simon, but if you’re like me and know that movies often ruin books they adapt, read this instead.

This book follows Simon Spier as he grapples with his sexuality and the consequences that come with it, the pen pal he may be in love with, and a bully at school. It is relatable to any teenager, LGBTQ+ or not, who’s trying to make it through high school. If you’re looking for a heartwarming contemporary high school read, this book is for you!

Scythe by Neal Shusterman This unique dystopian novel makes you question our current reality, death, and where humanity is headed. It takes place hundreds of years in the future, when there are no more natural deaths. The government employs “Scythes” (think of the Grim Reaper), who are treated as nobility, that “glean” or kill people to meet certain population quotas. Should someone live to be elderly, they can start over as young adults and live for hundreds more years. In this book, Citra and Rowan are chosen to be a Scythe’s apprentice, and must grapple with the moral consequences and challenges being a Scythe carries. This book has rapid twists and turns that leave you reeling, never knowing what’s going to happen next.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson This was a summer reading book for my AP Language and Composition class, but it was one of the most interesting and entertaining summer reading books I’ve ever had to read in my years at LM. It was thought provoking, emotional, and a great experience. The book follows Stevenson, a young lawyer working with clients on Death Row. In following his life, it brought up a lot of complicated issues with our justice system. Just Mercy is phenomenally written, and it kept me, who usually hates summer reading books with a passion, on the edge of my seat. It surprised me with how much I loved it, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for political or non-fiction read.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Vicious by V.E. Schwab Looking for some science fiction?

Meet Victor and Eli, college roommates who decide to see what really happens when you die and come back to life.

They discover that near-death experiences, under certain circumstances, can give people superhuman abilities.

However, their experiments go awry, with Victor killing Eli’s girlfriend. Ten years later, the two boys are sworn enemies on different sides of a bloody battle, out for revenge on each other.

This book was full of interesting characters, psychological thrills and will leave you burning with turbulent emotions.

Graphics by Cate Roser ’22

With this book, think Game of Thrones meets the Hunger Games. In it, we follow Celaena Sardothien, an enslaved assassin whose courage and dangerous adventures will leave you feeling empowered. She is released from slavery and offered the chance to compete in a series of trials to become the King’s personal assassin. When her competitors start getting murdered one by one, she has to work with new, unexpected allies to figure out who’s been killing them off before they come for her next. This series is full of quirky characters, passionate romance, and interesting world building.

college 101 Maya Christianson ’21 With college on the horizon, seniors often feel stressed and underprepared. To help inform these panicked students on measures they can take to prepare for a huge life change, I talked to some current college students from across the country about the best ways to adapt to university life.

What is the most essential thing to bring to college? Most college students interviewed said that a laptop is very necessary. This may especially be an issue for students at schools like LM, where they haven’t yet needed to own a personal computer for schoolwork.

Buying your first laptop can be intimidating due to the huge price and sea of options. Fortunately, there are some ways to get a good deal on the perfect device for you. For example, if you fear parting with your MacBook, Apple offers a student discount for newly accepted college students and their families called Apple Education Pricing. In addition, LM also provides the option of buying your student laptop when you graduate. Best Buy offers great deals for laptops and other college-related materials when you sign up for their Student Deals program online. Bed Bath & Beyond offers Unidays, a similar online program.

Laptops, however, were not the only answer to the question of what is important to bring to college. Lizzie Karpen, a student at Barnard College of Columbia University, suggests bringing “a planner… you’ll fail everything if you don’t write it down.” Many high schoolers are not ready for the workload and self-scheduling that college requires. Simply remembering what you have to do without writing it down won’t cut it in college.

Additionally, Aurora Golden-Appleton of Brigham Young University answered, “Two bath towels! Incredibly pragmatic and helpful.” She mentioned many in-

stances in which her towel had been in the wash while she wanted to shower.

It’s always nice to bring a backup of anything necessary in your daily routine.

Aside from objects, there are many emotional hurdles that college presents. So how does one prepare for them? Marquette University’s Jane Duberow replied, “Don’t overthink things… people don’t know you, they’re not judging you the way you think they are.” While this can be applied to many things, college is an especially judgement-free zone. Everyone is just as new and nervous as you are. As Alexander DiCola, a student at the University of Toledo said, “It’s college, open up and be yourself.” Making new friends and meeting new people can be scary, but it’s easier than you think Another common answer was best put

by Matthew Richter of Willamette University, who said simply, “Well, I mean, get a therapist.” This exemplifies the general mood of the students I interviewed. While you can’t truly prepare yourself for such a big change in life, you should have someone there to support you through it. Whether it’s finding friends, keeping regular contact with family, or utilizing your school’s mental health resources, find someone to listen and support you through your transition. It’s better to face problems when you have someone else to do it with.

Probably the most helpful answer for students looking for actions they can take to prepare was from Kimberly Estrada at Cascadia College, who replied, “If one [researches] preparing for college like reading from an article or watching YouTube videos, I’m sure that will help in any way to emotionally prepare someone.” Talking to friends, siblings, or student mentors who have gone through the freshman year transition can also be helpful. By reading this article you have already gained some preparation. The next chapter of your life is just beginning and you are more ready than you know to face it.

Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20

Features A clean start

May 16, 2019

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Ziphron Russel ’20

A lot of things are changing around us LM students. The temperature is rising, days seem a little longer, and it’s finally getting closer to the end of the school year.

This change we’re all feeling is due to none other than the arrival of the spring season!

Though being in slightly warmer weather increases our happiness, there’s that daunting task upon us that none of us want to do. We all know we need to get organized for the warm season, that we need to clean through all the junk sitting in our house all winter. You may get overwhelmed by how hard staying organized may be, but I plan on trying to guide you to become an organizational maverick!

First things first, making a list and schedule will allow you to be on your toes and get your cleaning done in an efficient manner. Figure out what things you want to get cleaned or organized, whether this is sorting through your garage or changing your house decor to a more lively spring decor.

Decluttering is a pretty simple task that goes a long way. Studies have shown that clutter causes several negative psychological and physical influences; they demonstrate that a disorganized home can add to your stress level. Inhaling the dust sitting around your unsorted laundry can also take a toll on your health.

Let’s say you have closets and closets of clothes you don’t feel like going through, or your garage is filled with so many old keepsakes that you don’t want to take the time to go through. Do it piece by piece. Set up a little reward system for yourself. For example, you can set goals to get a certain amount of area cleared out by the end of the week. Then, if you complete that weekly task, you can treat yourself to an ice cream sundae. So this weekend, try to look through that dreaded junk drawer!

Now let’s get down the physical sport of cleaning. When doing any sort of dusting, vacuuming, or wiping, it’s smart to work from top to bottom. This way, all the dirt is moving downwards. Imagine sweeping up mountain loads of dirt and old food you were snacking on, and then when you dust the top of the ceiling, addi-

tional dirt falls down ruining the clean atmosphere you just created moments ago.

There’s always a chance to be environmentally friendly. The main point of spring cleaning is, well, being clean. So we don’t want to expose ourselves to those nasty chemicals and toxins. A great way to avoid this is cleaning everything with a steam cleaner. Steam cleaners use only hot vapor, which is a chemical free cleaning solution that is 100 percent natural. Though steam cleaners are great, not everything can be cleaned with a steam cleaner. If you don’t want to go out and buy one of these gadgets, no worries! You can make a very natural combination using some white distilled vinegar, baking soda, and water. These ingredients are non-toxic, affordable, and have proved to work for ages as far as cleaning goes. It’s quite easy to forget about the air you’re breathing, but it’s important to keep it clean too.

Another common part of the house most forget about are your walls and windows. Dirt loves to sit in these places because it knows you won’t find it there. All you need to do is get a damp towel and wipe down your walls and blinds from top to bottom. You can remove your window screens, as there is typically a lot of dirt found there, and clean those too. As far as window cleaning goes, you may be tempted to use chemical cleaners (Windex), but keep in mind a steam cleaner and squeegee does the job while being environmentally friendly!

So let’s take a quick recap. To start spring cleaning, it’s important to be in the right mindset. Don’t get overwhelmed by all the cleaning you have to do but rather make a plan and schedule to get the job done. Make sure you are hitting all the spots in your house Graphic by Cate Roser ’21 that dirt may accumulate. It is never a bad idea to stay environmentally friendly, so make good personal decisions as you decide what cleaning supplies and materials you use. And lastly, when you have finally finished your work, take a moment to sit down, breathe in the clean air, appreciate the pristine environment, and be happy!

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May 16, 2019

Advertisement The Merionite

Arts & Entertainment

May 16, 2019

13

The Merionite

Sophie Meyer ’20 Source Confirmation Editor Any LM student is aware of the annoyance of sitting through a study hall or free attempting to stream music and being unsuccessful. Looking for an easy way to download music and listen without advertisements?

Want to be caught up with the latest albums with instant access? Here are four options that may meet your cellular data usage-free music needs: Spotify Premium: Spotify, a pioneer in music streaming, is a favorite of many.

The platform charges $9.99 a month for their users to be able to download their music without wasting mobile data, listen ad-free, and be able to skip rather than shuffle playlists. It’s $4.99 for college students, which is a major benefit to look forward to for LM students attending college in the future. It also has a deal with Hulu right now, where you can have access to both for just $12.99 a month–what a steal! According to businessofapps. com, the app had over 87 million premium users (of their 191 million active users) in 2018. Personally, I like Spotify Premium a lot. I’ve had Premium for years now, and it has never once failed me. There is no limit to how much music you can download, other than your phone’s storage, and the lack of interrupting advertisements is a blessing. Junior Sydney Pelletier says, “It’s easier to use.

I find Apple Music is more confusing than Spotify.

I had Spotify before Apple Music came out too, so that was a factor. Apple Music also doesn’t have podcasts you can easily download. Spotify is more organized and it can create playlists based on music you listen to, which I like.”

Apple Music: Apple Music was a little late to offer subscription options for downloadable music, but it has definitely made an impact on the market. The platform closely mirrors Spotify with the same concept and the same price, $9.99 a month, and it even offers the same college student deal. Users can add songs to their library and download them for offline access. The Apple Music app is convenient as

it is automatically downloaded on every iPhone sold, and it even caters to Samsung and other phone companies. However, Apple’s paid subscription service is seriously trailing behind Spotify in user numbers. Apple Music, according to Billboard, had only 56 million users in 2018. The app has continued to accumulate users however.

Pandora: Pandora Premium does not offer users any price-related reasons to pick another standard streaming music service over them. The radio music service tool offers a deal of $9.99 a month to download and store music on one’s device without the interruption of annoying advertisements. Pandora also offers a cheaper deal, Pandora Plus, that is only $5 a month. The Plus option lacks the on-demand streaming service that Premium offers, but allows users to listen ad-free. In 2018, they had around six million paying subscribers. Junior Haley Morgenstern says, “I like that I don’t have to pick my own songs to listen to music. It knows what I like, and I don’t have to decide. It’s more like a station and I don’t have to make a playlist.”

Youtube Red: Youtube Red, an extension of the beloved and successful Youtube video streaming platform, now costs $11.99 a month as opposed to its previous monthly price of $9.99. Users can still download music without pesky advertisements, which are a common complaint among viewers of the standard Youtube. Youtube Red also offers users access to special content like exclusive TV shows and movies. While the service has not released a number of paying users, they had around 1.5 million in 2018.

The service is not yet available internationally although it is expanding rapidly.

So, for any LM student struggling to find a good streaming service to use throughout the long and sometimes painful school day, these four options are available.

Most students prefer Spotify or Apple Music, but don’t hesitate to try out another option. You never know, you might fall in love with Pandora Premium or Youtube Red. Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff

Sydney Zelinger ’21 Copy Editor From the Fashion Week runway to the diverse halls of LM, spring and summer fashion is underway. Spring, typically associated with bright and vibrant colors, has evolved its own new style, and the same goes for summer, where new shades of the sunset are being sported. Shapes, textures, colors, and many more aspects of fashion are revolutionizing themselves as we approach the warmer months. Different styles of tops and shorts are being sold by a wide variety of stores to match the individual styles of each buyer while adhering to the 2019 trends. The trends that made a lasting impact on the Fashion Week runways included various forms of tie-dye-colored clothing, shorts that fall right above the knee, sunset colors, and overall edgy shapes. There is plenty of room for individual touches when it comes to following these trends, allowing everyone to stay true to their own styles.

Who would have thought that tie-dye would make such a comeback from the ’70s?

Models strutted their stuff during Fashion Week in oversized tie-dye t-shirts and dresses; this trend has had a tremendous impact this spring and has even been noticeable among the LM student body. Throughout the course of the past week or so, I have observed students sporting tie-dye looks and truly owning it! It is amazing that the biggest trends I noticed from watching various cities’ Fashion Weeks are beginning to become popular in the community that I interact with daily. Adding a splash of color in a spiral-like pattern to a top or even a pair of summer pants is bound to

make a statement whether you are road tripping to the beach or going out to the city.

In past years I have noticed many students rocking stylish pairs of jean shorts as the temperatures rise in April and May, however, these students typically do not sport shorts of varying lengths. This spring, some of the most renowned designers such as Prada and Chanel have created a new trend for these shorts by having them fall right above the knee-cap. At first, I thought it seemed like an awkward length for the typical pair of bottoms, but pairing these shorts with a loose flannel-patterned shirt with buttons, perhaps, could turn the entire outfit around. If you were to wear this, people will know that you are a true fashion savvy icon who knows how to rock one of the trendiest items of the season.

Last but certainly not least, the colors of the sunrise and sunset are shades that have been quite prevalent on the runway and in the LM community. These colors are being used with more edgy pieces such as ripped jeans as well as being mixed with darker colors like maroons. Rockstar t-shirts that contain various reds paired with a possible jean jacket will help you give off a powerful impression. Not only do these sunshine shades go with rigid looks, but they also can be a component of a happier, vibrant outfit in the summer months. Overall, the halls of LM are a great reflection of the runways, and it is noticeable that students take the time to turn these extreme runway looks into unique styles of their own.

If you think you’re funny...

Asher Hancock ’21 In a miraculous event of actual productivity, LM Sophomore Benji Elkins recently created a new online comedy website with his friends: The Milking Cat (www. themilkingcat.com). Founded in the winter of 2019, The Milking Cat was created in order to provide an outlet for hilarious–and also somewhat funny–people to showcase and publish their own comedic work. Including all mediums of comedy, the site contains the likes of scripts, videos, comics, and satires; pieces are published every Monday. Perhaps, the most intriguing part about the website: they take submissions and are looking for anyone to submit their own creative work. The Milking Cat is open to all students and teachers to try their hand at sending work to the site for publication, because as fellow sophomore editor Daniel Soslowsky from Harriton says, “If you think you’re funny, prove it!” I reached out to the website’s creator, Elkins, for his insider take: Asher Hancock (AH): What prompted you to start The Milking Cat? Benji Elkins (BE): Divine intervention.

AH: What is your favorite piece on the website?

BE: Definitely anything I’ve written, but the rest of the content on the site is a close second for sure.

AH: How should people know what to submit?

BE: We will accept almost anything as long as we deem it funny. The best way to know what types of articles are accepted onto The Milking Cat is to see what types of content already been published, but don’t limit yourself! Just because it’s not on the site yet doesn’t mean we won’t accept it; we are always looking for creative and original works.

AH: Is there anything you won’t publish on the site?

BE: Memes.

AH: Is there anything else you would like to mention about the site?

BE: Yes, I want to thank Sam Richard ’21 for wbeing the Social Media and Marketing Director. He paid $14 to set up Facebook ads for a week in March, and I am forever indebted to him.

So, check out The Milking Cat online, tell family and friends, and maybe even think of writing something. Who knows–you might surprise yourself! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to visit the site or simply contact LM students, Benji Elkins and Sam Richard in person or via email.

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Sports

May 16, 2019

The Merionite

Alumna Sack attacks her way to hall of fame Phillip Gao ’22

Photo courtesy of Myra Sack

Think of a professional athlete. You are probably visualizing someone with Dartmouth College. Despite the fact that she was a skilled basketball player, her natural talent, stamina, and competitive drive. This person likely has years of ex- ambitions were set towards soccer. Even in college, she continued to shine as an perience with the sport, and is well disciplined when it comes to rigorous practice athlete. Sack was a first-team All-Ivy midfielder, a second team All-Senior Alland training. LM has a history of producing talented athletes like these, including American, and winner of Dartmouth’s Dean’s Plate Award for her outstanding alumna Myra Sack ’06. Her achievements as a soccer player for LM have left indel- contribution to the campus, community and world. ible marks on the school, and her work in college and beyond have greatly helped In addition to being a competitive athlete, Sack participated in many activities the youth in her community. On April 30, Sack attended a ceremony at Rodeph and organizations that encouraged the youth to participate in sports. As a sophoShalom in Philadelphia for her induction into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall more in college, she co-founded the youth sports program called Athletes United. of Fame. With this induction, her achievements as an athlete and a volunteer will The purpose of the initiative was to make sport and mentorship opportunities be remembered for years to come. accessible to all youth in the Upper Valley area. As From her active role both on and off of the field, Sack Sack commented to the Main Line Times, “Athfabricated a noteworthy career that has caught the atletes United was an attempt to do something about tention of many individuals. She began playing sports at the gross inequality of opportunity in the Upper a very young age. She recalls, “I loved being outside and Valley, and to leverage Dartmouth student-athletes could play basketball or soccer forever. I didn’t need a to serve as mentors and coaches for any kid who whole lot of space. Just a ball!” Her brother usually acloved sports.” She also seized the opportunity to companied her when they played. She remembers, “My volunteer for Soccer Without Borders, an organizabrother picked me first wherever we played; that was a tion that improves the lives of marginalized youth massive confidence booster as he was my role model.” through sports. She traveled around the country of Sack started to become acknowledged as an accomNicaragua and helped the children get to know the plished athlete when she was named the Main Line sport that she enjoyed for her entire life.

Times’ Girls Athlete of the Year in 2006. By combining After a spectacular career as a soccer athlete, hard work and determination with every practice and Sack went on to find happiness in other areas of her game, she was able to become one of the most skilled life. After graduating from Dartmouth, she returned athletes of her class by senior year. During high school, Myra Sack with her husband, Matt, and her to volunteer for Soccer Without Borders, where Sack was also named the Central League Most Valuable daugher, Havi. she met her future husband. The couple married in Player for girls’ soccer and girls’ basketball teams. How2016, and went on to have a child named Havi. In ever, she reached the pinnacle of her career as an athlete for LM when she was addition to finding family, Sack actively helps young people fulfill their greatselected for the LM Hall of Fame in 2010. Even with her countless achievements, est potential in life. Sack currently serves as Chief Program Officer for SquashSack said, “Honestly, I wasn’t sure it was real.” As she reflects on her experience Busters, a program which challenges and nurtures the urban youth of her comat LM, she remembers all of the coaches and athletes that helped her throughout munity. “I’m most proud that SquashBusters remains a place where young people the journey. “[Kevin] Ries was an unbelievable coach and mentor, and I was sur- feel they matter,” said Sack. Although she has little to no experience with squash, rounded by teammates who challenged and supported me on and off the field,” Sack hopes to help all children develop positive relationships and pursue careers said Sack. that are fulfilling and influential. As a message for current Aces, she says, “Have Sack’s success, however, does not stop there. She moved on to study at fun. Care about your teammates and be grateful for your coaches.”

All taped up

Tennis triumph

Mona Vakil ’22

Sophie Meyer ’20 Source Confirmation Editor The bounce of tennis balls on the court and the buzz of rackets float through the air as the boys’ tennis team prepares for upcoming matches. This season, the team has high expectations and is more ready than ever to win matches, send tennis balls flying, and crush their major opponents. With some losses of upperclassmen last year, and a lot of new players on the team, the coaches are trying some new strategies during practices in order to help lead the team to victory. With 32 boys on the JV and varsity rosters in total, the coaches, Harris Mailman and Desean Fennel, are hoping to propel their team to victory.

Coming into the 2019 season, the team experienced many losses that would affect the roster. When asked, Mailman cited numerous improvements he expects to see from last year’s team, including an increased effort to compensate for last year’s graduates. He states, “since we lost six seniors and our strongest competition didn’t lose many players, it was crucial for us to find the right doubles teams at the top of the ladder as well as determine our third singles spot early on in the year.”

Furthermore, coach Mailman attributed the previous success of the Scott Stewart ’22 serving team to “strategy, team chemistry, during a home match against and the right mental attitude.”

West Chester East.

During practices, the coaches like to focus less on certain techniques, and more on each player’s individual weaknesses. The coaches emphasize that doubles players are paired up during practice as well as the singles players. Building chemistry between players is an important factor that contributes to their success on the court. Their practices consist of cross court baseline drills, point simulations, and a heavy emphasis on volleys.

Varsity captain Aseda Adebamgbe ’19 details that at practices, “we play challenge matches to determine the ranking of the team, or we have a regular practice in which we are either working with [Fennel] individually or working on something as a small group.” Adebamgbe says that he is working on consistency with his serves and finishing points at the net. Practices are especially beneficial since the coaches are able to structure them around strengths and weaknesses of individuals or doubles tandems.

Both the JV and Varsity squads remain extremely hungry to continue dominating the other competitive teams in the Central League. Thus far, they are 11-1 in the Central League and have amassed a 12-2 overall record. With a dedicated coaching staff attempting to carve out any possible additional time, the team is anticipating an equally successful season and are hoping to improve on their results from last year, despite the loss of indispensable senior leadership.

Photo courtesy of The Enchiridion

game. Focusing more on track and field, tendonitis and other overuse injuries are the most frequent. In track, most movements are repetitive, which leads to overuse, and often results in injuries. Clearly, there are a lot of possible injuries the trainers might see, and these are just for spring sports.

While it is in your best interest as an athlete to limp to the trainers after a sprained ankle, prevention is beneficial. Properly warming up never hurts anyone. Dobbins agreed, “Warming up and cooling down is the best prevention. Just stretching target muscles helps you get the most out of your practice or game.” Similar to prevention, she emphasized, “In the sports world, cleats and sneakers should be worn for only about 300 miles before purchasing new shoes.”

The main issues regarding equipment are overuse and purchasing the appropriate type.

Gear plays a large part in prevention as well.

Conditioning exercises help prevent overuse injuries. However, after sustaining an injury, being proactive is the best strategy. “Coming in and saying, ‘My ankle has been hurting for a week now,’ isn’t smart, since that’s a week too late.” Once observing swelling, acute pain, or bleeding, it’s best to come and have a trainer take a look. Playing through pain is an ill-advised strategy. Athletes should use the resources available to them.

The trainers at LM deal with a plethora of injuries and the spring season is no gap in the trend. With “427 athletes per season and around 1.5 trainers,” time is a constant issue for treating injuries. After school, the athletic training room (ATR) is usually crowded, and with games every day, time plays a huge role in treatment. The school district is very focused on athletics and injuries, since injuries are a completely normal part of sports. This contributes to the congestion of the ATR. Athletes should take part in proper warm-ups and cooldowns for preventable injuries. Then, they will be able to reach their full potential.

Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff

Sports are a prominent part of the culture of LM year round, and amid the spring season, injuries are quite common. From specific injuries per spring sport to tips for staying healthy and injury-free, even the trainers themselves face tough challenges at their jobs.

Head Trainer Malinda Dobbins explained, “Each sport brings about its own diverse injuries.” Low contact/high repetition sports such as track and field tend to cause more shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome) and other injuries from overuse which cause pain in muscles, tendons, and bone of the shins. Sports such as softball and baseball have fitting injuries, from chronic pain such as swelling in the shoulder (rotator cuff tendinitis) to acute pain such as the tearing of ligaments and tendons in the same area.

Similar to sports of high impact, players of contact sports such as lacrosse and volleyball experience injuries like ankle sprains, concussions, and wrist fractures. High impact sports, like lacrosse, cause more ankle sprains and concussions. Lacrosse players frequently experience knee injuries as well, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, which can lead to athletes missing an entire season. Volleyball players also get finger injuries from setting, digging, and blocking. Inflammation of the tendon from the kneecap to the shin (patellar tendinitis) is another common volleyball injury. Ultimate frisbee is in the same boat. It has players constantly sprinting and sharply changing direction, therefore players can be caught off-guard, resulting in knee, ankle, and shoulder injuries.

Other sports with minimal contact like rowing, tennis, and track, have their own set of injuries. With crew comes the minor, tolerable pain of blisters, along with the acute pain of rib stress fractures or inflammation of the wrist (extensor tenosynovitis of the wrist). A tennis player might have frequent muscle strains, which can be relieved through stretching and foam rolling, or have stress fractures after an overwhelming

Setting the bar high

Sports The Merionite

Photo courtesy of Asa Kosto ’19

On March 4, the first day of tryouts, the great improvement of the boys’ volleyball team was immediately evident. After last year’s disappointing season, consisting of a 1-9 record, it became easy to doubt whether the Aces would be moving in a positive direction this year.

Unfortunately, the team’s current record does not showcase the large improvement the Aces have worked for.

Asa Kosto ’19 prepares to set up Ryan Beckmann ’19 for a kill against Haverford.

Head Coach Russ Loue has the Aces using first tempo, which is a tactic that has been effective as the boys have become much stronger. Regarding this, Asa Kosto ’19 stated, “We have a complicated system that involves people switching off positions mid-play.” This system has caused the skills of all the players to improve as they have been able to gain experience at their positions. First tempo is a routine in which Kosto and middle blocker Ryan Beckmann ’19 quickly setting in order to allow the outside hitters to get “kills,” an attack that is not returnable by the opposition and directly leads to a point. This system is simple but effective for developing basic skills.

The players who are relatively new to the game can improve so that in the future, the team will be a strong force in the Central League.

The Aces are lead by Kosto, Beckmann, outside hitter Cole Sanchez ’19, and libero Owen DelMonte ’19. These seniors have proven themselves to be vital members of the squad by contributing greatly to the group’s development.

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Play Unified!

Trisha Balaji ’20

Kosto, along with fellow setter Isaac Frank ’21, have shown off their talent by playing a quarterback-like position that typically requires the player to run the offense and can make or break a team. Beckmann uses his height and speed for blocking and running quick plays, while Sanchez excels in a position that requires him to have a well-rounded skill set which includes exceptional passing, receiving serves, and getting “kills.” Finally, DelMonte, as the libero, is responsible for the defense and having a repertoire of passing skills. The system that Loue has implemented permits these leaders to demonstrate their prowess and also allow the entire squad to develop abilities in all different areas. By progressing with this system, the team will eventually see improvement in its results.

Another way the Aces will grow is through continuously working harder than the other teams. When referencing the squad, Beckmann stated, “We always go out there together and work; no matter what’s happening in the practice, game, we’re always giving 100 percent.” By working hard for one another, they will develop the ability to become stronger as a whole. Additionally, the talent the squad possesses and incrementally develops is meaningless if the great work ethic in training and games from the players is discontinued. Even the most gifted people depend on their own hard work and if it is absent, then they will not succeed.

By continuing its first tempo system, hard work, and togetherness, the squad will ensure that its season is an improvement from last year. In fact, these attributes are some of the main ones that great volleyball teams have.

Arguably the greatest volleyball team of all time, the 1984-1988 USA Men’s Olympic team was known for their great teamwork, hard work, and ability to occasionally shift to a first tempo system. These men were able to foster a new level of love for the sport of volleyball amongst Americans. These qualities, in addition to the talent that the Aces have, help show that they are a team to be respected.

LM athletics has undertaken an exciting new perspective this spring season by introducing Unified Sports, an initiative brought forth by Special Olympics. Special Olympics is a worldwide organization that provides year-round training and competitions for adults and children with intellectual and physical disabilities in nearly 174 countries. LM’s very own Play Unified track and field team brings together student athletes with and without intellectual and/or physical disabilities, fostering an opportunity to compete alongside each other and forge friendships lasting a lifetime.

LM’s Play Unified track and field team consists of seventeen participants—both boys and girls—across all four grades. Coaches and LM teachers David Clark and Patrick Snyder are working zealously to ensure that athletes get the perfect training to gear up for future meets. They also provide the space and opportunity for students to take charge of the training activities. For instance, one of the student participants on the team gets the opportunity to lead the warm-up and cool-down routines, reinforcing both collaboration and leadership. In addition, from running laps around the school and Arnold Field, to training

for the different track and field events, Clark and Snyder have tailored together the most fun, collaborative, and efficient activities for the team members.

Students have the choice to pick one of three track events: the 100-, 400-, or 800-m dash, and one of three field events: turbo javelin, shot put, or long jump. Team members have the opportunity to experiment with the various events and pick the ones that they believe caters best to their potential.

The Play Unified track team had their first away meet of the season at Cheltenham High School, against Cheltenham, Abington and North Penn on May 2. The meet was a huge success as student athletes gave it their all in the different track and field events, while also consistently encouraging and supporting their peers every step of the way to cultivate team spirit.

Special Olympics has extended its initiative to the rest of LMSD as well, including at Harriton, with their Unified Bocce Team. The introduction of unified sports has had a striking impact in that it has helped unite students from all walks of life and reiterated the significance of being welcoming and inclusive.

Photo courtesy of Trisha Balaji ’20

Spencer Rosenbaum ’22

May 16, 2019

A few members of the team stand together before an exciting day of practice on the track.

Freshman Eliza Rudy

Sophomore Vikas Miller

Junior Xuan Feldman

What sport(s) do you play?

Soccer, Squash, and Lacrosse What is your greatest atheltic accomplishment?

Beating a 6’3” 15-year-old boy in tetherball when I was 9.

Who at LM has the best eyes?

As a freshman I try to avoid eye contact so I have no idea.

What is your favorite random fact?

Did you know that Kobe Bryant went to LM?

What sport(s) do you play?

Cross Country and Tennis What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Beating my dad in ping pong.

What slogan best sums up your life?

Allstate - You’re in good hands What is your favorite random fact?

Subway footlongs are not a foot long.

Where is the best weekend hangout spot?

Ethan Blum’s basement

What sport(s) do you play?

Volleyball and Ultimate Frisbee What is your greatest atheltic accomplishment?

Being invited to compete in the YULA Tournament 2018 and 2019.

Where is the best weekend hangout spot?

Wawa parking lot Do you have any pre-competition rituals?

Getting ridiculed for my tan lines.

Senior Nick Rhodes

What sport(s) do you play?

Cross Country and Track What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Running a 4:25 mile in a relay at The Armory.

Who at LM has the best eyes?

Me What is your favorite random fact?

Joey Litvin lost a rock-papers-scissors game during a race this year.

16

Sports

May 16, 2019

BY THE #’S

The Merionite

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Medals earned by the girls’ crew team at Cities Championship.

6 11 303

Members of the boys’ track team who have run 1600m races in under 4:40.

Runs and hits by the boys in the baseball game against Conestoga on 4/3.

Pounds deadlifted by Jourdyn Rumph ’21 to win the USA Powerlifting State Championships.

Senior spring athletes reflect and share their feelings as their time at LM comes to a close “While track is an individual sport for the most part, this team has helped me grow not just as a runner but more importantly as a teammate. And above everything else, I will miss fighting for the inside lane with the boys’ team during warmup.”

Christina Peng on girls’ track “It’s bittersweet that this is the last time I will play baseball with my friends who I have played with since third grade. Rather than being sad, I’m trying to focus on making every practice as enjoyable as possible.”

Alec Deegan on baseball “It’s very sad that this is my last season with the team.

I grew up with these guys and it’s sad that these are our last couple games I get to play with them.”

Matthew Sy on boys’ lacrosse “My final game is going to be during states, so I hope we make the championship game and win states.”

Sam Fogel on boys’ frisbee

“I will miss my teammates the most as they’ve truly made my time at LM the best.

Playing sports has enhanced my four years at LM and given me experiences I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

Euna Carpenter on girls’ lacrosse

“I think sports, volleyball specifically, has helped me improve my leadership, and teaching some of the newer players how the game works has helped me improve myself as a player.”

Asa Kosto on boys’ volleyball “I will definitely miss my teammates the most. We have spent 20+ hours a week together for the last four years and I wouldn’t trade all of that time together for anything.”

Mollie Katzen on girls’ crew “Softball taught me to have a good attitude no matter what and to always pick people up when they’re down.”

Zoe Kaplan on softball “We’ve built a community when compared to freshman year, we are more of a family than just a group of rowers. I hope to see my teammates succeed in the future.”

Nate Stevens on boys’ crew

“ I ’ m excited because the season is going really well and I can’t wait to see how we do in the rest of our tournaments, but I am sad because the season is going by fast.”

Olivia Thornton on girls’ frisbee

Photos courtesy of The Enchiridion