Merionite December 2019: 90th Anniversary Edition

The Merionite Turns 90!

The official student newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 www.themerionite.org Volume 91, Issue 2

Ardmore, PA, 19003

December 18, 2019

A modern approach to learning Phillip Gao ’22 Sports Editor Over the past few months, Computer Science teacher Thomas Swope, English teacher Brian Mays, and Film and Communication Design teacher Benjamin Walsh have been working hard on a proposition for a new addition to the library.

The plan is to incorporate a modernized “design center” that features numerous spaces for cross-curricular work in various areas and topics. The team aims to offer the students of LM a vibrant new environment in which to work and learn.

Although the idea is still in its emergent stages, the general layout of the design center has been developed. Upon first entering the new area, students will find an expansive open space where they can complete work, socialize with friends, or work on projects. Many students already use the library as a space to hang out and this new addition will not take that luxury away from the students. The collaborative space will also have comfortable seating and an open space for students to roam about. Additionally, the design center features areas where individuals can work and study in “design cabins.” The cabin isolates you from the rest of the library, allowing you to work peacefully and quietly without distractions. For students who need their own room to hold meetings, they can meet in specially-designed glass conference rooms with built-in electronics. There are numerous accessories in this futuristic room that will give students an immersive experience.

In addition to providing students with spaces to socialize, study, and work, the new design center will feature various specialized rooms that will target specific course subjects. For example, one component of the design center is the film and photography room. This space is the most fixed in the sense that it will be used exclusively by the students of the Film & Photography classes. However, any other student can utilize the room’s green screen and many other accessories for school projects if they choose to.

Photo by Dhaval Sharma ’21/Staff

Rather than a traditional classroom (above), the revolutionary design will offer a new space for students to work more efficiently in a modernized glass conference room (below), and comfortable “design cabins.”

Please see A MODERN APPROACH TO LEARNING on page 4

Photo by Thomas Swope

Kindness in action

Sleep gets serious Dhaval Sharma ’21 News Editor

Charissa Howard ’22

Photo courtesy of Marita Williams

Volunteers of the Kindness Project pack sunshine bags for babies at the Bryn Mawr Hospital.

For some families, Thanksgiving can be a time of concern about the financial strain that the meal may bring. The Kindness Project club hoped to combat that worry with their latest endeavor entitled “Everything but the Turkey.” The project aimed to provide families at our school with food for memorable Thanksgiving dinners. Marita Williams, one of the project’s advisors, has said, “we want everyone to be able to enjoy Thanksgiving with their loved ones, without the stress of putting together a Thanksgiving celebration for their family.” Club President Lucy Zhao ’21 added, “we hope that this project helps families in the community and spreads a bit of kindness.”

Teaming up with the Lower Merion Education Association, the group requested food items that one usually expects to see on their table during Thanksgiving, such as mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and ingredients for pumpkin pie.

Please see KINDNESS IN ACTION on page 4

OPINIONS

NEWS Local election results

To Zzzz or not to Zzzz?

A detailed account of the local primaries and their effects on the community. page 4

Jonathan Sommer ’21 and Davis Giangiulio ’21 debate the new later start time proposal. page 6

Undoubtedly, one of the most unpleasant sound that an LM student can hear is their alarm going off at 6:30 in the morning. Only after hitting the snooze repeatedly do they get out of bed, grumbling about how school starts so early. This seemingly meaningless remark, however, may actually be a justified complaint. LM and Harriton are infamous for having unusually early start times when compared to schools across the nation. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average start time for most high schools across the nation is 8:00 a.m. For the past few years, parents and students alike have been urging LMSD to consider later school start times for the benefit of both the school district and the students. And after years of pushing, the district has finally come up with a proposal for later start times.

Over the last several years, the district has been examining the feasibility of shifting school start times and has developed a tentative solution. A board presentation on October 24, 2019 included a segment on later school start times and an infographic was released to the community on the benefits of the proposal. According to the infographic, LM’s start time would be pushed back to 8:25 a.m. with the day ending at 3:25 p.m. Middle schools would start later at 9:05 a.m. and end at 4:05 p.m. Finally, elementary schools would begin earlier at 7:45 a.m. and end at 2:35 p.m. These proposals have brought up many questions from the community. Who will take care of the younger child if the older one is still at school? Will after school sports and activities end even later than usual? Will lights need to be built on the high school fields? There have also been concerns about the need for more substitute teachers as coaches and students would be missing more school due to sports games. The district has attempted to address each of these problems in their infographic but the details are not specified. Over the next couple of months, the district will host a number of Community Listening Sessions and send out a survey to gather stakeholder feedback on the recommendation.

Please see SLEEP GETS SERIOUS on page 2

SPECIAL FEATURE

FEATURES

Celebrate 90 years of publication of The Merionite by taking a trip down memory lane. page 11

Learn why seniors are applying to colleges down South. page 9

The Merionite turns 90!

A&E

SPORTS

Discover information surrounding TikTok privacy controversies. page 17

Uncovering the controversy between the NBA and China. page 21

Toxic TikTok Graphic courtesy of WikiCommons

Graphic courtesy of WikiCommons

Seniors mosey down South

Democracy debacle

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News

December 18, 2019

The Merionite

Making Maroon Madness memorable Mona Vakil ’22

Photo by Mona Vakil ’22

Over 1,000 students and community members came out to the 15th annual Maroon Madness to support the cause.

Sleep gets serious Continued from SLEEP GETS SERIOUS on page 1 The movement for later school start times may be confusing to some. Would delaying buses and class start times actually benefit students? Major national sleep associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Centers for Disease Control, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine have all recommended that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later in order to optimize student health and learning. According to the AAP, the average recommended amount of rest needed is around 8.5 to 9.5 hours. Dr. Judith Owens from the AAP states that “adolescents who get enough sleep have a reduced risk of being overweight or suffering depression, are less likely to be involved in automobile accidents, and have better grades, higher standardized test scores and an overall better quality of life.” According to a National Sleep Foundation poll sent out to students all across the nation, high school students average around 6.5 hours of sleep on school nights, with only 13 percent receiving adequate

What started as an evening open scrimmage session is now celebrating its 15th anniversary at LM. Maroon Madness, the annual event established before the 2005 Aces Winter Season, has tremendously developed over the years. At the time, the event was created to allow fans, students, and staff alike to come and watch their basketball teams play and participate in on-court contests. In an interview with boys’ basketball coach Kevin Grugan, he noted the event was initially coordinated to allow the community to witness and celebrate the team’s first practice.

The event soon developed as it took inspiration from local colleges’ ‘Midnight Madnesses,’ conventions established to celebrate the beginning of the winter sports season. At these collegiate events, students, faculty, and fans would watch the scrimmages of their teams; food was served and often large cookouts would occur. LM soon took after these traditions and began to hold coed scrimmages of their boys’ and girls’ basketball teams. “At its start at LM, around 60 people came in one day, just showed up,” recalled boys’ basketball coach and member of Coaches vs Cancer Board, Doug Young. Two years later, the Aces looked to make the event philanthropic, and Maroon Madness linked with the American Cancer Society.

Over the years, many different types of events have occurred at Maroon Maddness; from a circus one year, to a candlelight walk around the track and a bonfire, to its current early evening spirit boosting ‘pep rally’ of sorts.

Five years in, the biggest change to Maroon Madness occured: the other sports teams of the winter season joined in on the festivities. Teams such as such as Swim & Dive performed and Dawgma came out with a robot capable of shooting a basketball as well. The festivities continued to increase, and for the 8th Annual Maroon Madness, there were fire performers, merchandise giveaways, Sean Hughes on the grill, and a powerful candlelight walk.

At this point, LM has raised nearly 40,000 dollars for Coaches vs. Cancer.

At the 14th Annual Maroon Madness, the Aces welcomed Darryl Reynolds ’12, a member of the 2016 National Champion Villanova Wildcats, for an LM-themed live taping of his new show, ‘Stay Tuned with D. Rey.’ That year, Maroon Madness raised an incredible amount, and over 1000 community members attended. It maintained its title as the event to showcase the teams and students of the winter season and to pump up the community for what was to come. Eventually, it merged with fundraising opportunities for the ACS and raised a substantial amount of money. Currently, it boasts evening student performances, a DJ most years, and yearly surprises.

This year, Maroon Madness occurred on Wednesday, December 4. The Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before the event, LM held a ‘mini spirit week’. Monday was Pajama Day, Tuesday was Jersey Day, and finally, a Maroon Out to support the event. On Wednesday, prior to the main event, many restuarants, such as Kelly’s Burgers and Oath Pizza, vended food. Entry was a suggested $5 donation and a great amount of money was raised from the 1000 people in attendance. All of the money from tickets and donations was given to Coaches vs. Cancer, an American Cancer Society program, that is in collaboration with the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

The festivities consisted of a bake sale courtesy of student council and countless raffles, including a $300 gift certificate from Besito’s Mexican Restaurant, two lower-level Sixers tickets, and Phillies tickets. The event was filled with many performances, including ones from LM Drill Team, LM Dance Team, LM Cheer, and LM Swim and Dive. Shirts were sold for $10 apiece, and all proceeds benefitted Coaches vs. Cancer. At the start, DJ Andrew Kent performed and Ashely Howard, one of the Big Five coaches from La Salle University, briefly spoke, accompanied by a performance from the Sixers’ half-time performers: Squad 76.

Further, Lauren Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers sang the National Anthem to start off the introduction of both the varsity girls’ and goys’ basketball teams. The varsity basketball players were introduced and the informal scrimmage commenced. At halftime, the Dawgma robot made an appearance and attempted many half-court shots, when it sunk one, the crowd went wild.

The 15th annual Maroon Madness was a special event in that prepared LM for the winter sports season and celebrated LM traditions, and also raised money for a very deserving cause. Many parents, fans, and community members have shared their enoyable and meaningful experience supporting the Aces at this event. Over the past 9 years, the Lower Merion community has raised well over $60,000 to benefit cancer research. Come out and cheer on LM’s winter sports and clubs, and support the many philanthropic events to come.

Graphic by Cate Roser ’21/Staff

amounts of sleep. Furthermore, 64 percent of students have difficulty focusing during class due to their lack of sleep. Taking a closer look at our school, according to a survey conducted in LMSD by Challenge Success in Spring of 2018, 66 percent of secondary students in LMSD get less than 8 to 10 hours of sleep at night and 59 percent of them agree that changing the time that school begins would be “very effective in addressing students' stress, health, and well-being.” We can see what types of effects this change would actually have on students by looking at Radnor High School, which has already implemented later start times. Jack Undercofler ’21 of Radnor says, “I like having extra time to sleep in, I always feel a lot more rested in the morning and during the school day.” However, though having the extra time is nice, he does not “like the amount of traffic in the morning when going to school.”

As shown by numerous studies, students coming into school tired and dozing off during classes interferes with their learning and harms them both physically and mentally. Adequate amounts of sleep can be beneficial for students to better maximize their capacity for learning. A solution this problem could be to push back school start times. This, however, comes with many consequences including the need for more childcare, lights on the athletic fields, and students missing more school. If the community or student body would like to voice their opinions, they can attend one or more of the various informational sessions hosted by the district before the board votes in the spring.

Photo by Mona Vakil ’22

The LM basketball teams scrimmaged during Maroon Madness and many notable artists performed.

News

December 18, 2019

3

The Merionite

Debate highlights differences between Board candidates Jonathan Xu ’22 Copy Editor Candidate Mary Brown identified racial disparities in specific educational groups, such as music, that she sought to close. Shayna Kalish proposed the inclusion of student representatives in school board meetings. In regards to concerns about students vaping, candidates Shawn Mooring and Lucy Klain advocated for increasing the district’s administrative and technological response measures to combat the issue, while Christina Fink argued for a more expository solution, in which the district brought in professionals to discuss the dangerous effects of e-cigarettes. Tannia Schrieber voiced staunch support for moving school start times later.

Others, including Peter Lee and Subha Robinson, espoused a more cautious approach, seeking definitive evidence of positive outcomes, a comprehensive implementation plan, and how it will impact the community in the near future.

With regard to the gifted student program, candidates across the stage voiced concerns about the lack of diversity among both students and staff, promising reforms to include more diversified student composition and teaching personnel.

Candidates for the LMSD Board of School Directors provide insight into what the When a question about the school district taxes was brought up, Schrieber noted her profuse experience with fiscal next several years will look like.

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Xu ’22/Staff and financial responsibilities would lead to more efficient A registered Certified Public Accountant. A former president of the spending. Klain also noted the budget would primarily be directed to Inter-School Council. A twenty-year advocate of social justice. A teacher of accommodate swelling enrollment numbers. Mooring argued for more effective forty-six years. These were only a few of the candidates that announced their communication between parents and the school board, while Brown bid to run for a position on the Lower Merion Board of School Directors this proposed linking the school district more closely with local news outlets, year. Every two years, LMSD hosts elections for about half of the nine seats such as the Main Line Times. Fink stressed the importance of increasing on the school board, giving an opportunity for aspiring residents through- incentives for substitute teaching, including a pathway to a full-time teacher out the Lower Merion Township and Narberth Borough to secure a contract; Kaylish took another approach, advocating for promoting diversity coveted seat on the school board. Consisting of ten contenders, the candidate among teaching and educational support staff; and Lee contended for more pool for this year was divided evenly along party lines, with some candidates rigorous program evaluation. All candidates expressed positive views about each representing the Republican and Democratic Parties, respectively. As only the developing middle school and furthering the goals of the LMSD Straone of them was a returning incumbent, that left room for a plethora of new tegic Plan. Finally, each candidate concluded with a closing statement, in faces to take the stage in their hopes of becoming elected onto the school board. which they gave one final appeal to those watching about why they sought to Perhaps the most memorable moment of the school board candidate race be on the school board and what changes they would implement once on it. this year was the Candidate Forum, hosted at LM on October 23, in which The results of all the candidates’ hard work and dedication were eight members of the ten-strong candidate pool took the stage to give their uncloaked on November 5, when thousands of residents went to the pitch as to why they deserve a spot on the school board. Prior to the forum, polls to cast their vote for the candidate that impressed them the most. students and community members across the school district were given By midnight, the winners of the candidate race had been ascertained, the opportunity to write up questions that would be delivered to the candi- with Democrats Shayna Kalish, Lucy Klain, Peter Lee, Subha Robinson, dates. While dozens of families, adults, and even students personally attend- and Shawn Mooring leading in the polls, each with about 14,000 votes. On ed the forum, a livestream of the candidates’ speeches and responses was the Republican side, Christina Fink led at the ballot box with over 4,600 also screened live from the LM auditorium, courtesy of Harriton TV, en- votes, with Tannia Schrieber and Mary Brown close behind. Regardless abling those at home to tune in as well. Members from the LM and Harri- of the results, these candidates demonstrated the importance of civil ton debate teams collaborated in moderating the debate, asking questions to discourse and meaningful conversation in our communities and provided the candidates on the stage, and serving on the election forum committee. the public with an insightful outlook into the coming years of LMSD. WhethOne by one, candidates took their turn giving speeches and answering ques- er it is on effectively addressing student needs or providing new voices tions concerning matters such as the late-school-start proposition, construction on a platform that affects so many, these candidates are leading the of the new middle school, and closing the achievement gap in the student body. way in pioneering a future for collective success and academic fulfillment.

New year, new pay Elliot Ginzburg ’21 News Editor The LM Board of School Directors and the leadership of the Lower Merion Education Association (LMEA) reached an agreement on a new four-year contract extension. The contract includes salary increases for the next four years and other changes to matters such as such as healthcare. The resolution was installed unanimously by the Lower Merion Board of School Directors in mid-October, several months after negotiations had begun.

The contract will become effective July 1, 2020, to advance the district’s Strategic Plan of “All Forward.” The agreement was Graphic by Chris de Santis '20/Staff reached in order to benefit teachers in a growing district that strives for excellence. The previous agreement was set to expire in 2020 and had been in effect since early 2017. Amy Buckman, the Director of School and Community Relations for the district, noted that the agreement “was reached swiftly, amicably and ahead of schedule.”

The LMEA currently represents 1,411 staff members from across the district. In the signed deal, LMEA advocated for salary increases and healthcare changes, which were both integrated into the new contract.

These goals align with LMEA’s mission to “enhance the welfare of its members and to deliver the best possible education programs to our students.”

The four-year contract is attentive to both the expectations for growth within the district and to the fiscal responsibilities of the taxpayers. This agreement takes into account major projects within the district such as building a new middle school that require substantial budgeting forecasts. Buckman commented that the contract “provides peace of mind for staff” so that students can benefit from the “dedication and innovation” of district teachers and other personnel. The overall objective of the new contract is for each student to reach their full potential for success under the guidance of district teachers.

In a press release to the entire district, Buckman indicated that the district wholeheartedly and completely supports the new contract and is intent on advantaging both students and staff alike within our district.

Honoring our education Maggie Monahan ’21 November 18 marked the beginning of the 98th American Education Week.

The tradition was originally observed December 4 to December 10, 1921, but in recent years it has been celebrated the week before Thanksgiving. It was started by the National Education Association and the American Legion in an attempt to increase public support for education after World War I and it has been growing in scope ever since. This year’s theme was "Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility,” and according to principal Sean Hughes, LM, in particular, aimed to highlight the importance of positive interactions between students, teachers, and parents. “If partnerships between teachers and parents are strong,” said Hughes, “children’s chances of success skyrocket.”

Thanks to the efforts of the Home and School Association (HSA), LM's celebration kicked off early with a luncheon for faculty and staff on November 15.

Members of the HSA cooked the brunch and interacted with their children’s teachers while they ate, an opportunity that is not nearly as common for parents of high schoolers as it is for those of younger children. Despite working with students everyday, the majority of teachers are only in contact with parents if something is wrong. “A lot of times when a parent gets a phone call from school it’s because a problem has occurred,” said academic seminar teacher Christina Minecci. “It is really nice to see the parents in a setting that’s not about what their kid did wrong or right in the classroom.” As for parents who are not members of HSA, there were still opportunities to get a glimpse into their children’s education throughout the week. On November 19, parents and other LM community members were given the chance to visit the school and learn more about the education students receive. They toured the building and listened to a presentation about the various programs offered. They also had an opportunity to visit classrooms and observe lessons taking place.

Originally created with the goal of decreasing the rate of illiteracy among World War I draftees (then at a staggering 25 percent), American Education Week has turned into something much greater. It raises awareness of the importance of education for everyone and recognizes the contributions and sacrifices that teachers and staff make on a daily basis. As the National Education Association states, American Education Week provides Americans with a fantastic opportunity to “honor individuals who are making a difference in ensuring that every child receives a quality education.” For LM, that means celebrating the tireless efforts of parents, teachers, and staff who make education possible.

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News

December 18, 2019

The Merionite

Campaigns come to a close Caryl Shepard ’22 Assistant Business Manager With the 2020 presidential election approaching, many politicians are beginning to focus on swing states to secure the prized position of the leader of the free world. Many left-wing and right-wing politicians recognize the importance of securing these states, a tactic President Trump used to his advantage on his campaign trail in 2016.

Although a candidate for the Democratic party has not yet been chosen to rival Trump, many politicians are referring to the results of general elections to determine the possible outcome of next year’s presidential election.

Swing states such as Pennsylvania have become increasingly important over the last decade as politicians seek to influence independent voters in those states. By analyzing the results of November’s general election, it may help predict how Pennsylvania votes in upcoming Presidential Elections.

How does the importance of Pennsylvania’s vote trickle down to the township? Although the community individually will not determine the fate of the 2020 presidential election, it constitutes one of the many townships that form Montgomery County, one of the top five most populous counties in the state, with a continuously growing population of 820,656 people this year alone. Lower Merion’s election results translate into Montgomery County’s overall ballot count, which weighs into the state’s total votes.

Although one vote among the more than 60,000 township residents may seem small, in reality, the total vote contribution from Lower Merion, and moreover, Montgomery County truly affects the state’s political orientation.

During this general election, Lower Merion voted straight Democrat, an event which is far from an anomaly for the township. In the race for Judge of the Superior Court, Lower Merion’s 43 voting regions unanimously supported a Democratic candidate. However, the two Democratic candidates running for this position, Amanda Green-Hawkins and Daniel McCafferty, saw varying results in each polling station.

Although Hawkins seemingly prevailed in areas such as Belmont Hills, Bala Cynwyd, and Ardmore, McCafferty won in Bryn Mawr and Penn Valley. Furthermore, the community nearly unanimously opted to retain

Commonwealth Judge Kevin Brobson, with 42 out of the 43 total voting stations supporting his position. The only polling station that varied from this opinion was station Lower Merion 12-1, the Merion Station area. However, all 43 polling stations chose to retain Patrick McCullough on the Commonwealth Court, as well as choosing to maintain both Judy Olson and Anna Lazarus on the state’s Superior Court.

Pennsylvania’s election results provided further uncertainty as to the political state of the area. Although the township voted straight Democrat, a trend it has appeared to follow for the last few decades, Montgomery County’s Judge of the Superior Court election saw a nearly even Democrat/ Republican divide for position. Although the state displayed support in retaining both judges for the Commonwealth and Superior Courts, echoing Lower Merion’s election results, there was an intense divide in the race for Judge of the Superior Court. In the tight race, Democrat McCafferty won over Republican Megan McCarthy King by only 0.1 percent. Interestingly, all four candidates for this position received voting percentages of close to 25 percent, indicating the true divide of the state’s politics.

Although there is still a year present between this year’s general election and the highly anticipated presidential election, smaller elections, such as the one that occurred on November 5th, help to provide insight as to the state’s current Graphic by Cate Roser ’21/Staff political orientation. Lower Merion evidently followed a straight Democratic ticket, supporting Superior Court Judges such as Green-Hawkin and McCafferty, and opting to retain both Commonwealth Court judges and Superior Court judges. However, although these results were mimicked on a state-wide scale, there was a much closer race to determine whether a Democrat or Republican would assume the empty seat of Judge of the Superior Court. The close race for this highly coveted position provides further uncertainty as to which direction Pennsylvania will sway during the months leading up to the presidential election. This uncertainty truly allows anyone to question whether the state will end up helping to reelect our current president, or instead placing a whole new power back into governance. At this point, the only possible way to predict the results of the 2020 Presidential Election is to watch and wait.

A modern approach to learning

Kindness in action

Continued from A MODERN APPROACH TO LEARNING on page 1

Continued from KINDNESS IN ACTION on page 1

Other aspects of the design space will include a thirty-student traditional classroom for lessons, a presentation theatre to host lectures and speeches that can seat up to thirty to forty students, a soundproof podcasting studio for students to express their own opinions, and many other innovative and modern additions.

Implementing the design center will also address the significant issue at LM of students in newer courses not having a designated place to work. The modern education system has expanded from core subjects to a myriad of electives and courses to accommodate the many interests of students, including Computer Science, Film-Photography, and Robotics. Swope believes that “the type of work that we are asking to do is changing pretty drastically but we have no space to facilitate that work. This new space will provide an area to accomplish that new work.” The design center will provide new opportunities and resources for the new electives and courses that need it.

Many students may be wondering as to why this collaborative space is being created.

As Walsh describes, kids today are “learning in new and dynamic ways” and teachers’ roles are changing to be “less direct instructions and more as mentors who coach alongside with students.”

They also welcomed gift cards to help with the cost of turkey. All of the donated food was given straight to LM families to help boost their holiday celebrations. The response was “overwhelming,” Marita Williams expressed. Many Aces and staff helped to donate to the cause.

The Lower Merion Kindness Project, or LMKP, was founded at the end of last school year

by Williams’s Advisory. LMKP set out with a mission to bring aid to families at our school, as well as local organizations in our surrounding community. The club’s first project was creating care bags for infants at Lankenau Hospital to bring cheer to their families. It was a big success and was quickly followed by more projects, including packing snack bags for the Ardmore Food Pantry, and making care bags for kids in the area going off to summer camp.

This October, LMKP worked in a partnership with buildOn to hold a sock drive. Socks are in high demand for the homeless and this drive helped to

The new area would best help accommodate these shifts in teaching methods and learning. Walsh and Swope also describe the current classroom system as “cells and bells,” as students “stay in their rooms to get direct instructions and wait for the bell to ring.” With this system, it is incredibly difficult to get collaboration between classes. Walsh says the design center will “provide a way for multiple disciplines to work in one area.” Also, the addition, being a more open and collaborative space, will mimic the work environment that most students will encounter in their lives, thereby preparing them for the future.

Currently, the teachers are still in the developmental stages of this project.

They estimate that after the design is finalized and approved, it will take two to three years to construct. Though the proposition will take time and effort to implement, the design center will provide countless benefits for the student body.

Swope hopes that the new center will help “facilitate new types of modern learning” and give students more options when it comes to collaborative work.” As a school that strives to provide students with a positive learning experience, the new center will certainly prove to be an important advancement in achieving this goal.

bring an item that many take for granted into shelters. Overall, the clubs working together collected over 500 socks which were donated straight to local shelters that were in need.

As for their future vision, Zhao says that “we aim to be able to conduct projects more frequently, in addition to having more long-term projects as well.” The club is also trying to increase membership and is always open to anyone interested. Williams noted, “One simple act of kindness can do so much, but we believe in strength in numbers.” LMKP meets Wednesdays during first lunch, about two times a month. Club President Lucy Zhao ’21 and club Vice-President Grace Yu ’21, along with faculty advisors Jennifer Cornely, Michele Rodriguez, and Williams, help to lead the club in their mission to spread kindness and bring gratitude into everyday life. “Together,” Williams concludes, “we can make kindness part of our everyday culture.”

Opinions

December 18, 2019

5

The Merionite

The Merionite Official newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 www.themerionite.org Columbia Scholastic Press Assocation Silver Crown 2013 Editors-in-Chief Samantha Anderer ’20 Izzy Bruckman ’20 Managing Editor Sophie Yang ’20 News Editors Elliot Ginzburg ’21 Haley Morgenstern ’20 Dhaval Sharma ’21 Opinions Editors Melissa Bell ’20 Emily Shang ’21 Jonathan Sommer ’21

Editorial: Immoral senioritis December marks the month when Early Decision (ED) letters roll in, and accepted seniors grow less diligent in their classes and clubs. Though these students should be commended and celebrated after their three and a half years of hard work, they should continue to function as contributing members of the LM community.

This is in the best interest of both the LM community and the senior. If the seniors decide to stop working on school and extracurriculars completely, the aforementioned extracurriculars will almost certainly suffer. In clubs that compete in school competitions, student members who aren’t seniors will become overworked to compensate for the loss of

Senior Design Editor Christopher de Santis ’20

Ike Mittman ’22 Source Confirmation Editor On college campuses across the country, administrators are facing a serious issue: at what point does it become dangerous to silence speech? Here in the United States, the right to free speech

Graphics Editor Cate Roser ’21 Source Confirmation Editor Ike Mittman ’22 Web Editor Eugenia Feng ’20 Business Manager Eric Bing ’20

is protected by the First Amendment. In essence, the government has no right to punish individuals for expressing themselves, apart from specifically stated exceptions such as direct threats. The issue comes when schools, which serve a primary duty to provide education, limit speech to promote an educational environment and prevent hate speech.

As entities of the government, public schools must abide by the First Amendment while simultaneously providing an education to the future workforce. But where should the line be drawn? At LM, we should acknowledged that words can disrupt education, but the rights of students to express their voices must not be forgotten. Free speech is of the utmost importance to this school. Not only have there been legal rulings on this topic, but

there is much to be gained by promoting free discussion besides following the law.

Due to the current rules of law, the nature of hate speech, and the exposure to new ideas, free speech should be protected to the highest degree feasible at LM. Perhaps the most obvious reason why LM ought to preserve the right to free speech is the numerous legal cases on this issue in the US. The First Amendment applies to all people in this country, even minors. Limitation on it by any form of government would be dangerous; any sort of exception would ripple through other arms of the government, potentially limiting freedoms.

Please see FREE SPEECH on page 7

Correction In the October issue, the Features section of The Merionite mistakenly gave credit to the wrong author for the article, “Freshmen 101” on page seventeen. The rightful author for this piece was Sophie Gonzalez-Recober. We thank her for her contribution. The Merionite regrets this error in the past publication.

Letter to the Editor: Beneficial video games

Assistant Business Editors Caryl Shepard ’22 Claire Sun ’21 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.

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

Free speech for all!

Arts & Entertainment Editors Noa Cutler ’22 Sophie Meyer ’20 Sydney Zellinger ’21

Copy Editors Victoria Bermudez ’22 Jonathan Xu ’22

may continue to be stressed by not only the applications but their grades and extracurriculars as well. Seeing other seniors checking out won’t do anything but demotivate them. Its worst, especially regarding extracurriculars, seniors disregarding group assignments can make the seniors who have yet to get accepted into a college become more stressed due to a larger workload. Thus, continuing to be the responsible, hard-working senior that accepted into college in the first place is the most ethical action.

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

Features Editors Emma Becker ’20 Maya Christianson ’21 Ziphron Russel ’20

Sports Editors Phillip Gao ’22 Kyle Patlove ’20 Spencer Rosenbaum ’22

the seniors. Even here at The Merionite, should the seniors decide to stop working on the newspaper, The Merionite will definitely cease to function. The seniors also stand to benefit from continuously working, as they will certainly do better on assessments and AP exams if they pay attention in class and study hard.

Depending on the university in question, the seniors acceptence may be rescinded if their grades drop the ablitaty to the seniors could gain college credit or waive introductory college courses if they perform well on their AP exams.

Lastly, continuing to work hard in school is only fair and ethical. The seniors who weren’t fortunate enough to be finished with applying to college so early

Noah Sommer ’21 The world has undergone some great leaps in technology since Benjamin Franklin built the first free library. We made cars, machines, and the Internet, to name a few. Words have also changed in meaning. Due to these advancements, it’s clear that libraries no longer need to be “quiet” and “peaceful” places as Ellie Ward attests. It would make sense for libraries to change from a place where you learn quietly to a place where you can use a computer and acess the internet. The same is true for the library in our school.

While Ward mentions evidence suggesting those who play videogames tend to do worse in school, there is also much evidence supporting it’s benefits. A recent TED Talk by Daphne Bavalier claims that video games can be beneficial. She studies the qualitative effect of video games on the mind. One of the biggest misconceptions is that video games worsen eyesight. According to Bavalier, the reverse is

actually true. Another big misconception is that video games create more distractibility and less focus. Again, this is wrong as video games improve your focus. Video games can also contribute beneficially to students’ day-to-day activities by helping them multitask. Most people can’t do more than one thing at a time, which is why texting and driving is illegal. Yet, Bavalier states that a person that plays video games for more than five hours a week is better at multitasking and 40-50 percent less likely to get in a texting and driving accident it texting and driving.

The American Psychological Association (APA) claims that many hold views that playing video games is lazy. However, such play actually may strengthen a range of cognitive skills such as spatial navigation, reasoning, memory, and perception, according to several previously studies.

This is particularly true for violent shooter video games, the authors say. A 2013 meta-analysis found that playing shooter video games improved a player’s capacity to think about objects in three dimensions as well as academic performance. “This has critical implications for education and career development, as previous research has established the power of spatial skills for achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” Dr. Granic of the APA says, “this enhanced thinking was not found with playing oth er types of video games, such as puzzles

or role-playing games.” In other terms, video games help people develop skills to know where things are relative to other objects.The APA also claims that playing video games help children develop problem-solving skills. The more adolescents reported playing strategic video games, such as role-playing games, the more they improved in problem solving and school grades the following year, according to a long-term study published in 2013. Other research reveals that children’s creativity was also enhanced by playing any kind of video game, including violent games, but not when the children used other forms of technology, such as a computer or cell phone. Furthermore, the APA states simple games that are easy to access and play, such as “Angry Birds,” can improve players’ moods, promote relaxation, and ward off anxiety. “If playing video games makes people happier, this seems to be a fundamental emotional benefit to consider,” said Granic. The authors also highlighted the possibility that video games are effective tools to learn resilience in the face of failure. By learning to cope with ongoing failures in games, the authors suggest that children build emotional resilience they can rely upon in their everyday lives.

Based on the aforementioned studies, video games have and will help many, so there is no reason why it is bad for students to play them in the library at LM.

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December 18, 2019

Opinions The Merionite

To Zzzz or not to Zzzz?

Jonathan Sommer ’21 Opinions Editor How many of you have woken up and thought, “I need to sleep more?” Well we might have a solution for that: On Thursday, October 24, at 7:00 p.m., the Board of School Directors held a meeting in the Lower Merion High School auditorium, to hear a presentation on the topic of Sleep and School Start Times.

This is just one step towards late starting times. If we want to keep our school the best it can be, then we must put our students first, but there is one fatal flaw with our school: stress. Our school is riddled with stress. Most of the students in our school experience stress. The more sleep a student gets, the less stress they can experience.

A later school start time means a later wake-up time, and thus more sleep for LM students. It will also help the teachers, who should have a life outside of school.

Almost all of our students in our school are over stressed. Some of the students are so stressed that they have been diagnosed with anxiety. The crazy thing is that most children diagnosed with anxiety are between twelve and seventeen, the age of the students in LM. If students sleep more, they will hopefully need less help from others.

Most people will be happier if they sleep for even an hour more. Studies have shown that even partial sleep deprivation has a significant effect on mood. University of Pennsylvania researchers said that: “Subjects who were limited to only four and a half hours of sleep a night for one week reported feeling more stressed, angry, sad, and mentally exhausted.”

If we want to keep our students’ mental health in check, keeping in mind: more sleep causes less mental health issues, then later school times are essential.

Teens have a different sleep schedule than that of other ages, for they are more likely to sleep in later than others. The fact is teens tend to have irregular sleep patterns thought the week; they typically stay up late and then they sleep in, according to The Sleep Foundation. “I don’t sleep enough, I sleep on average six hours a night,” says Yuna Antal ’21. One study found that only fifteen percent of teens reported sleeping eight and a half hours on school nights.

If they sleep in late then they

need to wake up later in order to get enough sleep — thus, later school times are necessary.

Contrary to popular belief, teachers don’t sleep inside of the school. They also need to sleep because, like most people, they have lives outside of school.

Teachers need to grade, put these grades in PowerSchool, and sort them into which class they belong to, all the while not losing a single one of these papers.

I have no idea how they do it, it might be magic. It takes a long time to do this process and they must do it all in a timely manner in order to not annoy students. The only way for teachers to have a life outside of school without being extremely tired is to push the school times later. According to cultofpedagogy.com, “They [teachers] work too many hours and don’t get enough sleep.” Most people just

Davis Giangiulio ’21 Deep in your sleep, you are suddenly awakened as your alarm goes off. It’s 6:00 a.m. You went to bed at 12:30 a.m. that morning studying for a huge test. You’re exhausted. The sun has not risen yet. You either reluctantly get out of bed, or you stay in for five more minutes.

We start early in the morning. At 7:30 a.m., sometimes just shortly after sunrise, we’re all in our seats watching the announcements.

Does this system have to stay the same? The School Board doesn’t think so. The district is proposing

Grap

Graphic by Emerald Wu ’23

don’t understand this. They think that a teacher’s day ends with the school bell, but they are very wrong. They must grade their students’ work and create their plans for their many different classes. Teachers must create plans for each day of school, all while following the curriculum.

All things considered, the more rest a student gets, the less stress they will experience. The later start times will help everyone and will harm none. If the school board decided that our school should start later, teens would rest more since teens hit the hay later than other ages and they get up later compared to others. It will likewise support the instructors, who ought to have an actual existence outside of school. So I call on all of us to contact the Board of Directors and tell them that we want to sleep more, for mental health, sleep patterns, and the teachers.

that the high schools now start at 8:25 a.m., rather than the curent 7:30 a.m. start time. With this, they expect teens to get an extra hour of sleep, closer to the eight hours that is required for a full night’s rest.

Obviously this all makes sense, right? If I go to bed at 11:30 p.m. and get six and a half hours of sleep, now I can get seven and a half hours of sleep! However, this line of thinking is flawed.

Whereas we used to get out at 2:40 p.m., starting an hour later makes it so that we end at 3:25 p.m. While fourty-five minutes may not seem like such a big jump, it does when it comes to the time students get home. Students who take the bus will get home now closer to 4:00 p.m. instead of 3:00 p.m. Late buses that get students home at around 6:00 will now get home around 7:00 p.m.

With the same amount of work you have to complete, it probably means that you will have to get up

an hour earlier or go to bed later.

Therefore, in the end, you’ll still only get the same little amount of sleep, unless you sacrifice completing work for a good night’s rest, which seems unlikely in LM’s competitive academic environment.

The start time plan fails to take into account what really ruins students’ sleep schedules: the work loads.

Getting home at 4:00 p.m., having five hours of homework, and having to wake up an hour later is no different than getting home at 3:00 p.m. and having five hours of homework. It’s the same cycle of sleep deprivation, just now on a different schedule.

While the school board proposes a band-aid solution to cover up the real problem, students continue to suffer with the amount of work that is assigned. While many of my peers and I understand most of the time teachers do not intentionally give busy work, work that does not have much value to your learning, homework that takes several hours for one class can become busy work for some. It can make them more stressed as they continue to be frustrated with the length of the work, only leading them to take a longer time on it.

In addition to the busy work aspect, sometimes teachers assign their homework as if their class is the only one. This attitude assumes students are not taking a class for every subject that also assigns work each night, and that students do not do any afterschool activities.

And of course, while one can make the argument that it is the students’ choice to take such rigorous classes, the expectation of LM students is to challenge themselves as much as possible, even if it leads to less rest at night.

The work loads drag students down. While reinforcing concepts from class are of course important, there must be a limit on how much reinforcement is really needed, factoring in the other classes that students are probably taking. Teachers and students need to have open conversations. Students need to talk about stress levels from homework, and what their lives are like after school, and teachers must describe what their homework is trying to accomplish. With this, hopefully teachers and students can come to a better understanding of how much work is actually needed, and how much they can expect students to realistically complete.

There is no doubt in my mind that all of us want to be able to have a better sleep schedule. More hours of resting would likely improve all of our lives, but proposing a solution that neglects addressing the real problem of our work loads given to us each night will fail to accomplish what the School Board’s start time plan tries to do.

Opinions

December 18, 2019

7

The Merionite

Fallacious funding freedom According to Athletic and Activities Director Jason Stroup, “We have oversight of the money and the group has to request to get access to the funds.” Students can hardly believe that the club needs to request access for those funds...that they raised! Why should there be any regulations at all? Why not cut out the bureaucratic red tape, and just let the clubs themselves manage their funds.

Noah Spergel ’20 You may go about your life indifferent to hyped up fundraisers, but charitable acts are not terribly hard to come by at LM, giving fundraisers the ability to rake in serious cash. Last year, Mock Trial had a doughnut sale, and according to Mock Trial treasurer Daniel Rosen ’20, “it raised around $1000.” So how is all this money being regulated? Rumors have been floating around about whether or not some of those funds are being too closely regulated by the school. There have been complaints from certain clubs about the excessive regulations on fundraising, however, school administrators believe that there should be a judicial body reviewing the fundraising processes to ensure that funds raised are properly spent on their intended use.

In order for a club to begin a fundraiser, they must first coordinate with the activities and athletics department about the details of the fundraiser. The club must first fill out a form that can be found in the Activities and Athletics office. This part of the process is important to make sure the fundraiser is possible, ethical, and appropriate. After all, you don’t want kids selling drugs in the hallways, even if it is to build a new school in Nepal. After the fundraising idea is approved, the club will go on to actual fundraising. And though it may not seem like it on the surface, the activities department is in on it the whole time.

of a club call the shots on the budget? It seems like the only reason the school needs to assert itself on this matter is to prohibit any corruption. Rosen agrees: “I think there should be some sort of regulation to ensure basic rule-following but nothing that dictates what a club should do to better itself.”

In my opinion, the club shouldn’t even need to request for the money and that the athletics department should just serve as an accounting resource to make sure students and club sponsors aren’t misleading the public in their fundraisers.

There really isn’t any need for them to have a hand in the process. Logically, students should be able to raise funds in an environment where the school only acts to prohibit any kind of corruption (you don’t want anyone shaving a profit off of a Krispy Kreme donut sale). Fortunately, for the sake of our internal school club economy, the problem truly isn’t that oppressive. The red tape forms and processes of a typical school fundraiser is just a big drawn out checks and balances system that seems vital to the legitimacy of school fundraising. Without it, you could give a club twenty bucks because it claims it’s “going to feed the homeless” when really it’s going to “feed the club officers feet with much needed Yeezy Boost 350’s.” There’s a reason that LM buildOn has built 7 schools worldwide. It’s Graphic by Katherine Fang ’23 the same reason we don’t see Mr. Reed I asked PLAYERS treasurer Daniel Gurev- teaching the rise of the Xing dynasty in the ich ’20 if he believes there should be regu- brand new Yeezys. Again, that reason is that lation from higher up departments and he the athletics and activities department has a said: “Clubs, as they operate now, should be justified power in the fundraising process. in charge of how they spend their proceeds.

Though the idea that a club needs to ask for While administrators should be in charge of money that they raised is bureaucratic, the club how much money every club gets, the clubs usually gets all of those funds. It’s in everythemselves should be in charge of how they one’s best interest to sacrifice a small portion spend their proceeds as they know what their of their time in a gross bureaucratic swamp, club needs the most.” Gurevich does make if it means that all of the money donated in a a valid point. Why should someone outside fundraiser ends up going to the right cause.

Free Speech for All! Cont. from Free Speech on page 5 This holds especially true for schools, which are the foundation of an advanced society. Free speech for students has been such a significant issue that the Supreme Court has made multiple decisions on it. For example, a case was arose because some students decided to protest the Vietnam War and were prevented from doing so. In this legal case, Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), it was ruled that restriction on freedom of speech can only come from “something more than a mere desire to avoid the discomfort and unpleasantness that always accompany an unpopular viewpoint.” Only when a serious disruption to the educational environment occurs can a school hinder speech.

Otherwise, free speech must be secured and granted to all students. If someone were to feel uncomfortable with what another were to say, then that student would have to understand that people may say something that can be uncomforting. The right to not hear something should not impede another’s right to speech—even at schools.

While the legal explanation significantly improves the clarity, gaps still remain. Hate speech—or any form of offensive speech for that matter—can be labeled as a deterrent to learning, but its definition is highly subjective.

The concept of hate speech is not only wrong, but dangerous. What one deems as hate speech may be called progressive by another. That is not to say that all forms of offensive speech are progressive. It is preventing any sort of speech

that can be subjectively defined as offensive that is the problem. While some speech may just be inherently hateful, some speech is the exact opposite. As mentioned earlier, protesting against the Vietnam War was considered by some to be hateful of American values. And now the opposite it true. Who should determine what is and what is not hate? This is why caution must be taken when making disciplinary decisions. Someone with only the best of intentions may be criticized for a misinterpretation or a misunderstanding. Especially with an increasing shift towards barring speech for anti-hate purposes, certain necessary ideas for the bettering of society are lost. Imagine if some of the greatest leaders in social reform never had the opportunity to express their beliefs. Imagine if talk of evolution was still banned from schools. The last thing this school needs is a destruction of speech, otherwise, the creation of new ideas required for the progression of society would be forever ceased.

Quite ironically, some schools have set boundaries on speech so that students can focus on education. Part of education is learning new ideas and discovering new ways to understand things. If schools were to prevent speech to promote an educational environment, would they not be dismantling this very concept? Without being exposed to new ideas, students would not learn how to handle new ideas as adults; schools should be working to improve that. One of the biggest gains in education occurs when communica-

tion is possible (not necessarily for collaborative work, but in social settings). It is in the developing times of a child that one can learn about the world from multiple angles—especially from a school as ideologically diverse as one can possibly find in this day and age.

When given every side to a problem, each individual can make his choice on what to believe and not just follow blindly to whatever he is told. Without being provided multiple angles to a problem, most people would be more inclined to believe in and follow the one side shown. Achieving diversity of ideas creates the best system for achieving an unbiased education system. Thus, schools must not enforce tough restrictions on discussion.

These three reasons primarily explain why LM ought to provide some sort of safeguarding of speech. While an educational environment must be created by schools, a set space needs to be created for students to express their ideas. Whether it be confined to outside the classroom or during lunches, there should be a prominent and acknowledged place for discussion. Being exposed to new ideas is a essential for growth. The ability to handle unfamiliar values and beliefs will significantly improve one’s life. One may find themselves facing strange ideas, but the world beyond school is not going to be as protecting. Yet, if students can prepare and learn to be open to new ideas, or simply understand that sometimes ideas can hurt, their future in the world may be a little more welcoming.

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Opinions

December 18, 2019

The Merionite

Classroom combination

Jonathan Xu ’22 Copy Editor By nature, high school is a polarizing place. While some may develop profound interest in one subject, others may consider it mundane or even frustrating; ergo, students will pursue that same subject with varying degrees of interest and preference. The school district has accommodated this through the trifurcation of those classes into course levels: College Preparatory (CP), Honors (H), and Advanced Placement (AP). As set forth by the school district, course levels are designated to instruct students to differing levels of subject mastery. The LMSD High School Planning Guide affirms this, writing, “Courses designated honors level offer instruction and expectations that are maintained at a highly rigorous level,” while for CP, “Expectations for achievement are maintained at a challenging level for the typical academic student.” The bottom line is that students of each category are required to undertake differing levels of work to attain their academic goals. While it is possible for students to be educated in the same material for Honors and CP per se, they should be challenged and evaluated differently, as in separate homework, project, and testing standards.

However, the introduction of the new “mixed” system that integrates CP and Honors classes into one learning group threatens to upend the ability for students to make the decisions right for them and learn most effectively in their chosen classroom environments.

Within a classroom, a student’s learning success is largely determined by the peer environment surrounding that individual. If that environment is not congruent with that student’s own capabilities, the student will forgo some of his or her own education. According to a study by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), peer environment is a greater determinant of individual success than other conspicuous factors, including class sizes. “Class size seems to matter more in lower grades,” says PPIC senior fellow and UC San Diego professor of economics Julian Betts. “These are clearly important factors, but our fincdings indicate that the achievement of a student’s peers is more influential.” Moreover, a 2013

study by the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that students learn best when surrounded by peers of similar proficiency, noting that grouping students by ability led to significant improvements across the board for all groups. This litany of evidence points to the fact that individual student achievement within a classroom is directly determined by academic symmetry with classmates. If those peers are not as viscerally interested in the subject, the standards for their own education may fall; the standards can fall, the entire class environment is affected in a regressive manner. The converse, however, is not true: students who are not motivated will seldom be pushed up by higher-achieving ones, because they have less predetermined interest in the subject they are exploring. Rather, they might even be stigmatized as a result of feeling academically inferior to other students. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that classes are separated by course levels, as merging them only weighs down on students who

others may be lagging behind. This by itself creates a disparity within the classroom between those who progress at a faster rate of academic headway and those who choose not to. A teacher can only introduce one lesson at a time to the entire class, and attempting to divide up the classroom by Honors and CP only obfuscates and degenerates the situation even more. In 1992, a study conducted by Kulik & Kulik determined that participation and discussion in high school Honors courses are much higher than in a regular classroom, implying a faster rate of acquisition of knowledge. Similarly, between the years 1986 and 1992, Adam Gamoran concluded that high school English Honors classes incorporate more reading of classic literature and writing assignments and greater participation in classroom discussions, which indicates far higher levels of educational content.

Administering that same enhanced course of study is simply not possible when Honors and CP students sit in the same room, as the instructor is unable to meet both of their needs at the same time, and it undermines both groups of students in the process. As such, the system places a logistical and pedagogical burden on the teacher, that inhibits his or her ability to educate students in the most effective manner possible.

High school course levels were established to provide specificity of education based on students’ inclinations.

A CP student who does not feel adequately challenged can opt for an Honors class, and vice versa if a student feels overwhelmed. However, simply merging Honors and CP students into one classroom is the equivalent of ignoring the fact that course levels exist at all. It undercuts the student body, which is either prevented from reaching its potential or pushed beyond its optimum learning capacity, and places a burden on teachers to instruct two classes at Graphic by Amanda Tonsey ’21 the same time. As this convoluted system is mainly the byproduct of shortage wish to pursue the subject further than their peers. of teachers and the need for consistent class sizes, the Furthermore, the teacher and the curriculum district should instead work to recruit more teachers to itself are also negatively affected by the mixed system. educate specifically Honors or CP classes that have swellTeachers that instruct separated Honors and CP classes ing enrollment numbers. At the very least, Honors and CP have greater control over the direction and pace of each students should have separate classes, even if those classes respective class, as they can apportion assignments, ob- are less consistent in size. The bottom line is that the school jectives, learning targets, and curriculum as they see fit to district should not sacrifice academic integrity for class each class based on its progression and comprehension uniformity. The “mixed” Honors and CP system is a of the unit. On the other hand, a teacher that instructs a flawed, problematic system that is pernicious to stuconsolidated Honors and CP class has less hands-on dent growth and specialization. Before it can affect any control over the learning of his or her pupils, because more students, it must be eliminated once and for all. while some students may be far ahead in their learning,

Features

December 18, 2019

9

The Merionite

Seniors mosey down south Ziphron Russel ’20 Features Editor Imagine yourself running barefoot playing frisbee on the grass of a beautiful college campus quad under the warm sun. The month is February. This is pretty hard to imagine for most of us, who are used to hunkering down in parkas and boots during the cold dreary months of winter. But for many of our seniors, escaping the bitter cold is an attractive alternative when they consider the next four years of their lives. Indeed, this seems to be a driving factor leading many seniors give more consideration to prospective colleges in warmer climates, especially in the Southern states rather than schools in the colder Northeast and Midwest.

This trend has been noticed by some teachers who write college recommendations. According to US history teacher Chad Henneberry, over the past ten years, he has noticed a significant shift in students’ school selection, seeing a rise in preference for schools in the South such as Vanderbilt, Elon, Clemson, Emory, Tulane, University of Richmond, among others. In previous years, the majority of colleges students applied to seemed to be in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, leading many to wonder “what is behind the new craze for the South?” In asking students for the reason for this transition, senior Sammi Gaier mentioned that she “chose to apply to some southern schools because of their academics and because she liked their college-town campuses compared to northern schools.” The environment that the South offers is without a doubt different from the North. Not only is the physical environment different, but many remark that the pace of life in the South is different than other parts of the country, most notably the North. Many observers perceive Southners to be more courteous, friendly, and relaxed. Jess Stencel, an LM senior, who has lived in the North her whole life, said she “applied to the University of North Carolina-Willmington because she noticed the school to be way more laid back and relaxed than schools she visited in the North.” This kind of new environment is an attractive feature of the South, increasing its college popularity.

Some factor in balmy weather as a chief motive. Senior Colleen Wang seemed to agree with this statement as she wanted to “apply to schools in warmer areas for the calmer environment that one can’t really get in cities like New York or Boston.” Another senior, Julia Ochroch notes that she felt that “college is a time of change and the South meant a big change in the weather.” Something about doing work under the sun versus inside watching the snow fall makes schoolwork not as grueling. As we all know, winters can be tough, as there is snow, hail, and ultimately low uncomfortable temperatures. In the South, the sun can be blazing at times and the air very humid, but many students find this more adaptable than harsh, cold temperatures.

Statistics show this North to South change more than just hearing it from LM students. Just this past academic school year, the University of Southern Carolina admitted 30% of their freshman class to students in New Jersey (according to greenville.com). That’s only one state in the North. Can you imagine how many more? This is one statistic from one school, but according to various sources like the New York Times, there have been more northern state students apart of the “out-of-state” percentage for a variety of Southern schools. So don’t be surprised when you run into some friends at a reunion in 10 years and find yourself asking “is that a Southern accent I hear?”

Nuala O’neill

Endangered in the Arctic Olivia Lee ’23 The Arctic Circle is one of the coldest regions on the earth with an average temperature of -30º Celsius in the winter. While most of us can’t imagine living in the Arctic Circle, it is the natural habitat of many animals. In the tundra, a portion of animals are thriving in the environment while others are struggling to survive. For example, a few animals that live in the tundra include polar bears and arctic foxes.

Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff

Humans reside on the land as well and eat, sleep, and breathe on solid ground. For polar bears, on the other hand, things are different. Sea ice is their land and an essential environmental factor for their survival. Polar bears are six hundred-pound carnivores and must consume 4.4lbs of fat per day to survive.

Their diet contains vegetation, birds, bird eggs, carrion, and, most importantly, seals– their primary source of calories. Seals use sea ice as protection and as a source of food as well. The melting of sea ice threatens seal survival, ultimately causing the endangerment of polar bears. According to Leahy Stephen from National Geographic, sea ice is melting at a rate of “fourteen percent per decade” due to climate change. Since seals rely on sea ice, the limited amount of it remaining on this earth dramatically affects the amount of prey for polar bears.

Consequently, polar bears must travel farther to hunt. The distance they have to travel causes polar bears to burn more calories than they have to spare. When too many calories are burned, they die due to starvation. The whole reason for this is climate change, which is predominantly caused by human created air pollution. Gases from burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil worsen the situation.

Though the issue of global warming may seem too large to solve, we can help by burning fewer fossil fuels, which will help stop the extinction of polar bears.

Unfortunately, polar bears aren’t the only animals endangered in the Arctic Circle. The arctic fox is one of the most endangered animals in the tundra. They face multiple threats such as climate change, competition for prey, and human encounters. Climate changes affect the arctic foxes similarly to how it affects polar bears. Arctic foxes need the ice for shelter and a source of food. As the climate changes, the ice melts at the same time, which causes difficulty for arctic foxes to find safety and a source of energy. With the low quantity of food, many arctic animals, like red foxes, are competing for survival daily with other arctic foxes. Foxes’ solution for food scarcity is to wander into human settlements. This leads to more deaths among the foxes, ultimately decreasing its population. Since there isn’t much prey near the sea ice, arctic foxes may result in finding food in human settlements. Interference with humans increases the chances of death for arctic foxes.

LM students can help support these species by limiting their carbon emmissions. For example, students that have the option to drive to and from school should walk or take the bus instead. It may be mildly inconvenient, but arctic animals are counting on our contributions. Polar bears and arctic foxes are just two of many species sadly endangered due to climate changes and thus the lack of prey. To help these poor animals, you can minimize the number of fossil fuels being burned and participate in other ways to stop global warming!

Graduation Year: 2020 Extracurriculars: Nuala works as a trained EMT in a Narberth ambulance around once or twice a week, where she is one of the youngest people on the job. She enjoys helping people through this work. Additionally, she gets the valuable opportunity to work closely with doctors in the emergency room, helping her achieve her goals in the medical field.

Nuala works for Paws and Affection, a non-profit organization that trains service dogs for children with a variety of disabilities. Nuala volunteers for Paws around twice a week and loves being around the animals and watching them grow.

Through this, she’s gotten the opportunity to foster a service dog in training.

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December 18, 2019

Features The Merionite

LM’s top 5s of the ’10s From our survey collecting LM students’ opinions on favorites of the 2010s, these were the most popular responses:

Tv shows 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

The Office Stranger Things Grey’s Anatomy The Good Place Rick and Morty

Musicians 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

songs

1.”Somebody That I Used To Know” - Gotye 2.“Memories” - Maroon 5 3.“Gangnam Style” - Psy 4.“Never Say Never” Justin Bieber 5.”Take A Hint” - Victoria Justice and Elizabeth Gillies

Fashion Trends

1. High-Waisted Jeans 2. Scrunchies 3. Leggings 4. Sweatpants 5. Hoodies

movies 1. Avengers: Endgame 2. Joker 3. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World 4. Infinity War 5. Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse

social Media 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Instagram Snapchat Youtube TikTok Twitter

books

memes 1.“Imma Head Out” 2.“Surprised Pikachu” 3.“Area 51” 4.“Thanos Car” 5.“Big Chungus”

Drake Tyler, The Creator Post Malone Travis Scott Imagine Dragons

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Hunger Games Harry Potter Divergent Percy Jackson Name of the Wind

Special Feature

December 18, 2019

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The Merionite

As one of the nation’s longest-running school newspapers, The Merionite has shaped and reflected student culture at Lower Merion High School for the past ninety years. For nearly a century, The Merionite has consistently covered student life, local events, and community responses to national news. From articles urging pacifism in the late 1960s to editorials exposing LM’s icy heteronormativity in the early 2000s, writers and editors of The Merionite have highlighted the issues that matter and have brought about immense change to own community. Paging through old copies of The Merionite in the archives, while the paper has fossilized some unique events and forgotten past traditions, many cornerstones of LM student life appear to have remained unchanged. Month after month, year after year, The Merionite has been the sentinel of the Lower Merion experience and generations of students, staff and families have turned its pages to keep informed and be entertained.

As LM culture and policies have changed, so has the process of The Merionite’s publication, from laying out metal type and “pasting up” pages to modern production on laptops using Adobe InDesign and graphics designed in Photoshop. Not only has The Merionite chronicled the history of Lower Merion High School, the newspaper has also played a large role in several traditions. The Merionite’s concession stand has remained a fixture at LM football game for decades. Further, the monthly morning distributions, the newspapers neatly folded on The Merionite’s newsstand, and the custom of issues being proudly displayed in classrooms have been rightfully preserved. Over the decades, our school newspaper has been a quintessential feature of the LM experience. The stories of those influenced by The Merionite–writers, readers, editors, advisors–are just as telling as the multitudes of archives. This Special Feature celebrates this milestone of The Merionite by examining how it has shaped the lives of those who helped craft it- the past writers and editors. From printing processes and technological advancements to the coverage of school-wide traditions such as the LM-Radnor rivalry, The Merionite’s nine decade history reflects the role of student-driven print media in recording, creating, and communicating an institution and its culture.

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Merionit

December 18, 2019

The Me

Conor Ferguson ’11 While an editor for The Merionite, the LMSD scandal still recalled as “webcam-gate” made national headlines. Fascinatingly, at the time, national news reporters sought out The Merionite’s head reporter on the issue, Conor Ferguson ’11, for the most up-to-date scoop. Always certain he wanted to be a journalist, especially on TV, The Merionite served as Ferguson’s introduction to and outlet for journalism. After pursuing his interest through several high school journalism internships–one with KYW news radio–Ferguson majored in Journalism at DePaul University, interned at the ABC News Bureau in Chicago, and interned for ABC News in New York. Ferguson thrived in these positions, and after graduation, he began working for Good Morning America in New York. This exciting job demanded brutal hours, but Ferguson fondly reflects on his experience in the high-adrenaline environment. He now works as a Consumer Investigative Producer at NBC News, Photo courtesy of NBC News and is currently uncovering significant and pertinent information on the dangers of THC-oil vapes. Recounting his experience on The Merionite, his favorite memories include layout late-nights (the last night of layout when The Merionite staff stay after school until the newspaper is completed, sometimes until 10 p.m.), the editors’ obsession with Chipotle, and a surprise meeting with President Obama when the Merionite staff visited the White House in his junior year. Reflecting on his career and how the Meriontie prepared him for it, Ferguson considers himself fortuntate, noting, “[where I am now] is plan A, and I pinch myself every day because of the great opportunities I have been offered.” Looking to the future, Ferguson understands that with timeless human desires to know more, there will always be a need for journalism, and, as a journalist, he looks forward to continuing to help satisfy that necessity.

“The Merionite is where I honed my skills in investigation, interviewing and editing.”

Julia Teruso ’07 At LM, Julia Teruso was an active member of PLAYERS. She loved theater and thought she saw a career there. Although she liked to write, she initially viewed her position as a Features Editor as a more of a hobby than anything else. However, with this exposure she found herself more and more drawn towards journalism, and ended up studying it at Syracuse.

Teruso credited The Merionite with preparing her - from having her “physical clips” of her articles to submit with her applications to journalism programs, as well as giving her “a real jumpstart on learning what it was like to put together a story [and] to think about story ideas.” After college, she found a position at the Newark Star-Ledger, before going on to work for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where she has been for the past six years. At the Inquirer, she covered schools and crimes in Camden, and then moved over to cover Philadelphia City Hall. Focusing mainly on politics, she has had the chance to cover events such as Pope Francis’ visit, the 2016 Democratic National Convention, and now the 2020 presidential election. Her current work has had her traveling for the past six months to primary states like Iowa, though most of her work is ultimately centered in Photo courtesy of The Philadelphia Inquirer Pennsylvania, which will play a key role in the upcoming election. In response to the criticism her industry has faced as of late, Teruso noted that “it’s this time that truth and journalism is under attack, but I think that also makes it all the more important.” Her recognition of journalism as a key extension of the First Amendment traces back to her time in high school, where she teamed up with other students to combat the administration’s attempts to censor the paper following a less-than-favorable article about the football team. “I remember we all kind of united to figure out what our First Amendment Rights were as students, and it kind of opened my eyes to the fact that you do have First Amendment Rights as students,” she mused.

“The Merionite was extrememly formative for me in terms of the first excitement of seeing your name and byline in print.”

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December 18, 2019

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erionite

Dena Behar ’16 Dena Behar, previous Merionite Opinions Editor and Editor and Chief, graduated LM in 2016. Behar matriculated to Cornell, where she immediately joined the staff of The Cornell Daily Sun and has served as a staff writer for the past three and a half years. She notes she would not have had the interest in or resolve to join if it was not for her exposure to the Merionite. Behar further credits the Merionite for having assuaged her transition to collegiate writing; she “considers writing one of [her] strong suits because of how much [she] had to write for The Merionite.” She continues, “on The Merionite… I really like to write opinion pieces” however at Cornell Photo courtesy of Reinvestment Fund you often need a column for that style of writing. Behar has transitioned to writing succinct pieces for the news department: “it’s a lot more event coverage,” she explains.

Reflecting on her time as a Merionite editor, Behar shared the unique experience reporting on Bill Cosby’s trial.

She sat alongside professional reporters in the courtroom and even obtained a courtroom sketch to publish. “I write about that [experience] on cover letters.” Further, she fondly recalls spending late nights bonding with fellow staff members–especially her co-Editor-in-Chief Olivia Johnson ’16–and being prom-posed to while running the infamous Merionite “late-night lap.” Due to the collaborate nature of the paper, Behar feels “[her] teamwork...leadership, and organizing” skills improved. Behar is currently interested in gaining work experience after graduation before potentially heading to law school.

Although she is exploring opportunities in various fields, she notes that journalism would be an enriching area to enter to develop writing and interpersonal skills. “We need journalists now more than ever.”

Advice to student writers“Be persistent and read constantly.”

Samantha Rosen ’08

Samantha Rosen served The Merionite as an Arts and Entertainment Editor during the 2006-2007 school year, and as Managing Editor during the 2007-2008 school year. After graduating, she pursued an undergraduate major in Government and Film Studies at Smith College. She had always wanted to work in the film industry, and after college, she moved to Los Angeles. It was there that she was hired as an executive assistant on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.

Rosen soon worked her way up the ladder, becoming a researcher and then a writer’s assistant. On the side, she would write political opinions pieces for newspapers and magazines, and she later transitioned her focus towards personal essays. Rosen noted that her work with The Merionite taught her “that the [editing] process could be very chaotic,” so in the professional world she “was always cognizant of that Photo courtesy of Sam Rosen when pitching to editors.” This chaos permeated Rosen’s memories, as she recalled a layout during an important issue where she had to run back and forth between A cappella rehearsal for Aces Angels and The Merionite. She associates her work with The Merionite in providing her with “a baseline experience for that when it came to doing [her] own publishing and writing.”

Nowadays, Rosen splits her time between freelance writing and her writer tutoring business, which allows her to stay connected to the craft yet avoid having to stare at a computer screen all day. After all, she “[loves] the puzzle of interviewing someone and having to shape a story.”

“The Merionite helped me get my feet wet in terms of what is professional when working with publications.”

Elizabeth Jacobs ’09 The Merionite played an integral role in Elizabeth Jacobs’ LM experience; she was a writer freshman year, a News Editor sophomore and junior year, and Editor-In-Chief senior year. After leaving LM, she went on to attend University of Pennsylvania, where she worked for The Daily Pennsylvanian as a columnist and multimedia editor.

She attributed her foundation for the graphics work she did to her experience using InDesign Photo courtesy of UPenn SAS and Photoshop as part of the Merionite Staff. Currently, Jacobs is a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, where she conducts sociology research.

Specifically, she is looking at migration and skilled migration be-

The Merionite served both “as source of information for people to know what’s going on” but also “brought a lot of people into the school community.” tween the United States and India. Although her current role isn’t in media directly, she noted connections between her newspaper experiences and what she does now. “Immigration is something that’s in the news a lot,” she remarked. “Being able to be media literate and understand why somebody is reporting on something in a certain way and how they get sources is really helpful.” When asked about the importance of The Merionite to the general student population, Jacobs recounted that the paper had been a big topic of conversation at her recent ten-year high school reunion.

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December 18, 2019

Special Feature The Merionite

Mitchell Gladstone ’15

Amy Buckman ’82

Photo courtesy of Amy Buckman

The Merionite Management Team interviewed Amy Buckman, current Director of LMSD School and Community Relations, on her experiences working in the media industry.

Building off of her experiences as an editor for The Merionite and her education from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, Buckman went on to have a successful career in journalism. She served as a morning anchor and reporter for KWQC-TV, a reporter and producer for WPVI-TV, and as manager of public relations and special events at publications such as Inquirer, Daily News, and Philly.com.

Merionite: What does the Merionite mean to you?

Amy Buckman: Merionite was where I confirmed my love of journalism. As first a reporter, and then as news editor, I was able to learn the basics of interviewing, journalistic writing style and layout—which we used to do by hand, with X-Acto knives and paste at the printers in Bryn Mawr each month.

M: What is your most memorable Merionite experience?

AB: Merionite is where I had my first “exclusive.” I interviewed a fellow student who had been arrested for copying credit card numbers off of receipt copies found in trash cans outside of local businesses and using them to make purchases over the phone (this was in the days before online shopping!). The student had been sentenced and decided to share the story as a warning to businesses so that they wouldn’t fall victim in the future. I didn’t reveal the student’s identity (and still won’t), but the story led to changes in the way many local businesses, and eventually credit card companies, handled receipt copies. I learned about gaining a source’s trust and also about the impact a story could have.

M: What do you envisage as the future of printed media? How do you think this affects the current generation and generations to come?

AB: I worked at the Inquirer for more than three years after I left 6abc and before I joined LMSD. I was part of a team charged with finding alternate revenue streams to support local journalism in light of declining proceeds from print subscriptions and advertising. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if, within the next decade or so, printed newspapers disappear as more readers consume their news electronically. However, I believe that it’s vitally important to our democracy and to our futures that local journalism find ways to survive and thrive. It’s not the paper—but the journalism—that matters.

M: How did the Merionite prepared you for your career as a journalist and how did that translate to personal relations?

AB: Working at the Merionite was great preparation for my eventual career. I’m sure my clippings from high school helped with my admission to the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, from which I graduated with both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. I also copy-edited as my work/study job in college, using another skill I began to acquire as an editor at the Merionite.

M: Do you have any advice for high school students interested in entering the field of journalism?

AB: Journalism has to be a passion. It’s not a career you enter to make a lot of money, work easy hours or seek fame. It’s not enough to be a good writer. You have to love meeting people, listening to them and telling their stories. You have to be constantly curious about why things are the way they are and never be afraid to ask tough questions, even in uncomfortable situations. As a reporter, you get to experience some amazing moments—some are exciting and glamorous, some are heartbreaking or even dangerous. But if you are truly passionate about seeking truth, being a journalist is the most rewarding career you can choose.

Photo courtesy of Mitchell Gladstone

Mitchell Gladstone, a legendary Sports Editor for The Merionite from 2012-2015, is currently working for The Dallas Morning News as a sports journalist, covering the exciting world of Texas high school football. First writing in his sophomore year and serving as a sports editor,

“If it wasn’t for The Merionite, I don’t think I would really have ever gone into journalism.”

Gladstone continued journalism during his college days at Duke University, reflecting that he “joined the paper right away as he knew it was something [he] wanted to continue.” With The Duke Chronicle, Gladstone focused on covering men’s basketball and was able travel alongside the team. Internships at NBC Sports, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Sports Illustrated have also extended his journalism experience.

Gladstone enjoys intensive and high level local journalism. Recounting the impact of his Merionite experience, Gladstone describes, “I always enjoyed creative writing and I always loved newspapers and reading about sports, but I honestly didn’t like English class in high school...I felt like I was stuck inside of a box.

But I always enjoyed writing in and of itself, so I appreciated the chance to get to do it and cover sports. [It was powerful] knowing the way to combine two things I really loved.”

Graphics by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff Cate Roser ’21/Staff

Features

December 18, 2019

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The Merionite

Have yourself a merry little playlist

How to have an ice day Julia Russel ’23

Nolan Shanley ’23

Snow days are always so exciting. When it snows heavily on a school night, one's first instinct is to repeatedly check the LMSD websites, refreshing every ten minutes, hoping to see an alert saying that there is no school. Immediately after receiving this notification, you stop what you’re doing–especially if homework– and plan for your free, snowy day ahead! There are many fun ways to spend a snow day, either inside or outside, and with friends, family, or even alone.

Seeing the piles of snow creates an exhilarating feeling and spending time with friends is always enjoyable. There is no better way to do so than playing in the snow. Sledding is a perfect activity because it is extremely exciting, especially when you’re doing it with your favorite people. All you have to do is find a snow-covered hill and grab some sleds.

You can even improvise and use garbage can lids or laundry baskets!

However, it is difficult to find time to spend with family, but snow days are a perfect time to bond. When it is too cold to appreciate the snow outside, the fun can be brought into the kitchen. Baking cookies is an amazing alternative and it is a straightforward activity you can do with your family. You, your siblings, and your parents can all split the recipe and work on different parts. Baking from scratch is always more motivating and impressive, though even I can admit that the best holiday cookies are the Pillsbury pre-cut circles, with Christmas trees and reindeers printed on them.

They’re done baking in a quick twelve minutes, and they taste fantastic!

These warm treats are perfect for a chilly, snowy day off. Eating cookies by the toasty fire with your loved ones is a perfect way to spend your snow day.

Being alone can be depressing, but on a snowy day, it can be very relaxing and peaceful. Not being at school already makes your day a little better, but treating yourself to some me-time will boost your happiness. Pair the cookies you made with a cup of hot chocolate, a classic Christmas movie and a mountain of fuzzy blankets! Additionally, you can take a steamy bath. This way, you can stay warm and relaxed all day long.

Snow days allow you to spend an entire day doing whatever you want.

If you’re a snow-lover, then sledding and building snowmen with your friends is a great way to spend your time. Or, you can avoid the bitter cold by baking with your family or watching movies. These are just a few ideas for your upcoming snow days, but the options are limitless!

Everyone knows that the key to a great holiday season is great holiday music. I take playlists very seriously, so you're in good hands. You always need to start your playlist off with a song that will reel listeners in.

To start things off, the remake version of "Winter Wonderland" by Michael Bublé is a perfect, classic winter jam to get you in the winter mindset. This song is a remake of the Bing Crosby version, but is sung in a modernized way. As we all know, Michael Bublé is the king of the winter season, so it only makes sense to add another song from him: "Cold December Night,” a chill, happy song about the classic feels of winter. Listening to this song will truly get you into the winter mood.

Moving on, my personal favorite, "Winter Things" by Ariana Grande, is perfect for your winter playlist. We've all heard Ariana's iconic EP released in 2015. Entitled “Christmas & Chill,” this whole EP could be on your playlist! It is just the right mix of modern pop music with a hint of holiday sound.

Now, this next song isn't very popular, but I highly recommend that you listen to it. It is called "Snowman" by Sia. This is my go-to winter song when I am feeling especially spirited. Sia could be considered as the new big all-about winter artist, due to how she served us with tracks about the holidays in her eighth studio album. "Candy Cane Lane" is a fast paced and upbeat bop from this album. That'll give you all of the holiday feels you may not have known you had.

Further, a playlist needs a few sad songs to go along with the upbeat tunes. "I'll Be Home" by pop star Meghan Trainor is a beautiful wintery ballad, which perfectly explains that no matter what, you should always return home and spend some quality time with your family during the holidays.

Remember Kelly Clarkson? That's a throwback, but you should add her song "Underneath the Tree" to your playlist. It will always be one of my favorite songs to listen to during the wintertime, and I recommend you take a listen as well. This song gives me chills every time–it's just so catchy and upbeat, as wintertime should be.

Last but not least, as your playlist comes to a wrap, you need to end with a great song; you need to make your audience want to download your playlist and use it throughout the ninety days of winter. Now, I have some options for you: the iconic "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by Sam Smith, or "Sleigh Ride" by The Ronettes. These are classics for every winter season. Ending your playlist with one of them, or maybe even all three, will leave your listeners speechless, wanting to download your playlist and listen to it on repeat immediately. I hope this article provided you with fun, wintery songs to add to your new 2019 winter playlist. Of course, you can always add your own personal favorite songs. Happy holidays!

2019 Holiday Gift Guide Angela Ge ’23

Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff and Cate Roser ’21/Staff

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December 18, 2019

Features The Merionite

Confessions of a TikTok-aholic Isabel Bruckman ’20 Editor-in-Chief My attention span is withering—it’s withering as I type and I am responsible. I cannot fully (maybe even legally) identify what has sparked this cognitive-decay, though I posit it to be associated with a re-downloading of the TikTok app (to celebrate the completion of my college applications and assuage the impending doom of decisions). As many LM students might shamefully relate, TikTok’s cheeky, raunchy, and plainly bizarre clips are my kryptonite, and “guilty pleasure” is a cutesy misnomer that fails to encapsulate the deep-seated guilt I possess for feeding this addiction. My phone tersely alerted me I’d spent seven hours scrolling on the app this past week, and despite some ill-fated flirting with Apple’s app limits and the idea of deleting it entirely, it seems my self-enforced authority has backfired.

Although I continue to consume, I resent those merciless fifteen-second home movies for the havoc they have wreaked on my mind and thought patterns. I have become so accustomed to its fast-paced and chaotic content flow that I’ve lost all ability to appreciate television and film. You know you’ve reached peak levels of degeneracy when completing a twentyminute episode of Schitt’s Creek feels productive. This attention-span-withering has metastasized beyond media: I can no longer commit to full meals and have become dependent on rather incessant snacking, which probably

doesn’t provide me with enough Vitamin A or whatever. My now-decaying body cannot jog at one constant speed nor listen to a song in its entirety, and I am not proud to admit I forced Siri to read my biology textbook to me in five-minute intervals—her artificial cadence is the only thing that brings me comfort anymore. I do find solace in the fact that I am not struggling alone, though, as many of my peers have expressed similar sentiments.

Self-proclaimed TikTok wonderboy Ethan Schatz ’20 (@ethanschatzz) shared that he has resorted to rewarding “one slide of a powerpoint with fifteen TikTok videos,” though the slope is slippery, and “fifteen often becomes thirty.” Schatz also shed light on TikTok’s dangerous promise of potential fame, noting he chased viral attention by obsessively studying previous successful clips of his. Subsequent failed attempts brought him “genuine sadness,” that even began “to interfere with school,” through the ever-present prospect of a comeback keeps him chugging.

I have the utmost respect for TikTok’s accepting and effervescent content-creators, though my many attempts to enjoy their videos in moderation have been acutely unsuccessful. I am confident a social media cleanse can cure the slump, however, a TikTok withdraw seems like a beastly battle.

Let this serve as a cautionary tale… download and enjoy at your own risk!

Arts & Entertainment

December 18, 2019

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The Merionite

Toxic TikTok Ishana Baboo ’21 I’m sure we all know the purpose of TikTok: creating, watching, and sharing videos on the app has become routine for many. The multi-million dollar Chineseowned company has surged in popularity with teenagers, competing with other social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat for the top spot. So why do students prefer TikTok over other social media? Junior Zoe Hill said she uses TikTok because “it’s just fun y’know? There’s a lot of variety in content so there’s something for everyone. And the ‘For You’ page really caters to what you like such as puppies, comedy, etc.” According to Hill, TikTok isn’t “really about looking pretty and getting the most likes, like Insta[gram]. I feel a lot of pressure on Insta[gram] especially to get followers and likes. TikTok is a lot more fun and chill.” Hill’s last point seems to be a popular opinion among students. Junior Meredith Meyer enjoys using TikTok because the videos are “fifteen seconds, so [they don’t]take too long to watch and get sucked in.” When asked her reasoning for using the app, she said “it’s like Vine but has more of a theme to all the stupid videos.”

However, TikTok’s success and popularity among teenagers has been overshadowed by greater concerns over its manipulation of information. The media platform has already been investigated for illegal child data use. In February of 2019, Bytedance, the Chinese firm that owns TikTok, was fined over five million dollars for the illegal collection of personal information from children under thirteen years old. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that the company was aware that many of their users were under thirteen, which is prohibited by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). This act prohibits the collection of data without parental consent. In violation of this standard, the app did not obtain parental consent from the users who were under thirteen, causing parents of users to complain about their children sharing personal informa-

tion, such as email addresses and names. In the midst of many social media controversies, this case is not surprising. This May, it was revealed that Snapchat employees had abused data access to spy on users, and Facebook’s data theft and the lack of proactive response continues to make headlines. But what causes LM students’ continual use TikTok in addition to these other platforms? Evidently, it may be due to ignorance. When Meyer was asked if she considers violation of privacy to be an issue, she said she “didn’t realize there was a controversy with TikTok and privacy,” and said that she was unsure if she would continue using it because “it depends on what they’re doing.” Students seem to justify their use of TikTok simply because “it’s fun.” Another student, who prefers to remain anonymous, said she isn’t “really [concerned] because [she is] careful about what [she] posts.” Hill is of the same sentiment; she doesn’t “really think about it, it’s not really a concern because [she doesn’t] think [she shares] any sensitive information.”

Simply “not sharing” sensitive information does not necessarily mean that privacy isn’t an issue. If you are taking a video, even one that lasts for fifteen seconds, you can be giving away your surroundings and therefore your location with it. Secondly, an individual’s choice not to release risky content doesn’t necessarily mean that the privacy Graphic by Noa Cutler ’22/Staff of others is not endangered. If one person makes a bad choice, others can be taken along for the ride, and once something is on the Internet, it cannot be erased. We’ve seen data leaks with Snapchat and Facebook, and with such a popular app like TikTok, something similar is bound to happen. And while many students try to make themselves and those around them believe that they are not children, according to Common Sense Media, most TikTok users are not yet eighteen. So even if you are not convinced, please, when you dance to “Roxanne” or “Obsessed,” do so in front of a blank wall, not your school or house.

A&E highlight reel Arts & Entertainment Editors In the spirit of The Merionite’s 90th anniversary, the A&E staff investigated the archive and compiled some of our favorite articles.

1984: A rock-n-roll summer In the 1985 back-to-school issue of The Merionite, Melissa Wagner recounts the musical events of the summer, chiefly, the wildly popular LiveAid concert at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. “Our brain cells were exhausted by the end” remarked Ellen Trachtenberg ’85, referring to the performance by Led Zeppelin. LM students also applauded musicians like The Beach Boys and Bruce Springsteen, who had visited Philadelphia that summer.

2002: Chuck Barris: “dangerous” LM grad Elizabeth Sher reviews the 2002 movie, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, a fictionalized look at the life of LM alumn Chuck Barris. Barris, who graduated in 1947, was well reknowned for hosting “The Gong Show” and creating of “The Dating Game.” However, Barris may be more well known for his claim that he was an undercover CIA assassin, as the film depicts.

1997: LM Players tackles The Crucible Dan Schliefer reports on the 1997 Players production of The Crucible, which tells the story of the Salem Witch Trials. The show’s production design staff commented on the themes present in the play, which are still relevant today. “Going with your own as beliefs as opposed to those that others force upon you... I think it’s mostly about the power of each person,” said co-program designer Jill Quint ’99.

2005: Glick goes indie in new film This article from May 2005 by Shona GoldbergLeopold ’06 covers then-junior Gideon Glick’s first film role alongside stars Cynthia Nixon and Ethan Hawke in the indie film “One Last Thing...” Glick is now well known for his broadway performances in “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” “Spring Awakening,” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” for which he was nominated for a Featured Actor Tony Award in 2019.

Photos Courtesy of Sydney Zelinger ’21/Staff

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December 18, 2019

Arts & Entertainment The Merionite

A cheesy Christmas is in the cards Sydney Zelinger ’21 Arts & Entertainment Editor As soon as the Halloween festivities come to a close, the Hallmark channel starts to premier its old and new holiday films on television screens. The company, which is most famously known for its delicate card-manufacturing, was founded by a teenager named Joyce Clyde Hall. He sold postcards alongside his brothers in Norfolk, Nebraska, trying to put a roof over his once-poor family’s head. The trio of brothers helped to popularize what is formerly known as the “greeting card,” which took the company by storm just after the U.S. entered World War I. Hallmark began to broadcast its own movies and sponsor TV specials in the 1950s and still continues to create stories with holiday-centered plots that catch the attention of families across the nation. Hallmark creates approximately thirty original Christmas movies each year, all with the common goal of ringing in the holiday spirit. During Hallmark’s annual “Countdown to Christmas” segment in 2018, there were about 68 million viewers, the majority of which were women aged 25 to 54 years old. The company, with its cheesy reputation (plots center around basic love stories and that include a happy ending), creates family-friendly, PG films which are enjoyable for people of all ages.

Two of the many iconic Hallmark movies include A Royal Christmas (2014) and Northpole (2015), which make it to the top of my watch list during the holidays.

A Royal Christmas stars a young and hopeful seamstress named Emily (Lacey Chabert) and her boyfriend Leo (Stephen Hagan), who shockingly turns out to be a prince. They embark on a quest to convince the queen (Jane Seymour) that even a young woman from a small town can be a perfect fit for her son to wed. Like many movies featuring monarchs, the queen believes that Prince Leo should only be permitted to marry someone who is of royal blood, rather than just a regular seamstress who is not up to the royals’ standards. The return of Prince Leo and Emily back to the Prince’s hometown over Christmas break is a shock to the queen because she was only informed that Emily was simply an “acquaintance” of the Prince. Throughout the film, Emily finds herself trapped between acting like a member of the roy-

al family like she is supposed to, and being her true self from the hometown where she originates. A Royal Christmas contains the cheesiness of every Hallmark movie but also demonstrates a great message about the joy of Christmas.

Further, in Northpole (2015), an optimistic elf, Clementine (Bailee Madison), is sent down farther south by the Clauses where she happens to encounter a cheerful boy by the name of Kevin (Max Charles). The magical Christmas energy is running at an all-time low in a small town, which has created a problem for the elves of the North Pole, including Clementine. The joyful elf and Kevin work together to restore the town’s annual tree-lighting ceremony, which increases the Christmas magic up north. However, Kevin’s single mom, Chelsea (Tiffani Thiessen), notices that his “imagination” seems to be getting out of hand and decides to confide in his teacher Ryan (Josh Hopkins) for help. Throughout the movie, she learns the truth behind Christmas magic as the whole cast works together to continue its goal of making the joyous holiday a reality again.

Northpole may have one of the most generic plots in terms of holiday movies, but this film will not fail to bring a smile to anyone who chooses to watch it.

For over fifty years, the Hallmark channel has continued to have widespread success; whether it is by making a child rejoice at the sight of Santa Claus or simply gathering a family together by the sizzling fireplace, everyone seems to be content. Sophia Dowdall ’21 discusses her enjoyment of Hallmark movies during the holiday season, saying how “they can get you into the holiday spirit in various ways, including the fact that they all have plots centered around winter festivities.” Another LM student, Daya Stevens ’21, adds that she “enjoys watching Hallmark movies over Christmas vacation because they always find a way to bring family together and also puts emphasis on the festive component of the holidays.” Despite the known cheesiness of Hallmark films, the movies on this channel will forever have the ability to bring Christmas “magic” into the households of many families throughout the winter, creating smiles and laughter on countless faces.

Mia Hail ’23 The holiday season is finally upon us, which means that many films are beginning to make appearances on television during the season. If you’re stuck on what to watch or perhaps in the mood for some Christmas spirit, see what your fellow Aces think of some of the most classic Christmas movies:

Elf is a Christmas classic that follows a Chrismas elf’s adventures through New York City.

Buddy has always felt like an outsider in the North Pole, so when he learns he isn’t actually an elf, or of elvish descent, he is determined to get to know his human father, sending him on a whirlwind journey to the Big Apple. Buddy manages to find love, join his family, and save Christmas all at the same time. Its iconic lines, hilarious storyline, heartfelt score, and holiday cheer are all components of what makes this movie a favorite among LM students.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ wholesome message paired with Dr. Suess’ creative characters are perfect for Christmas time. The story commences when all of the Whos in Whoville are feverishly preparing for Christmas: They are determined to make it louder and brighter than last year, when The Grinch, who is very annoyed with all the happiness and cheer, decides the only way to get some peace and quiet from the noise is to steal the joyous holiday. Whether it’s the newer, animated version or the live action with Jim Carrey, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a great movie that is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.

Home Alone provides a perfect blend of suspense and comedy that makes it a perfect Christmas movie for all ages to enjoy.

When Kevin McAllister’s family forgets him on their trip to Paris, he is left alone for the holidays in his mini-mansion. Unfortunately, burglars attempt to rob his home, but he is determined to catch them by creating intricate traps to fool the robbers. This classic is definitely a fan-favorite because of its dramatic sequence of events that makes the film great for family holiday viewing.

Graphics by Cate Roser ’21/Staff and Chris de Santis ’20/Staff

Arts & Entertainment

December 18, 2019

19

The Merionite

Eight movie-less nights Ruth Pines ’22

Streaming Scheme Ayden Herold ’20

Graphic by Cate Roser ’21/Staff

When you first think of wintertime and the holiday season’s flicks, what do you think of? Typically, Christmas movies are always some of the first, no matter what religion you practice. In America, Christmas movies are unavoidable during the holiday season, and as a result, are immensely popular. But why is that? Why aren’t there any popular Hanukkah movies, even though both holidays fall around the same time? Why do people prefer the classic Christmas movies over any Hanukkah movies ever made?

There’s no doubt that there are hundreds and hundreds of Christmas movies, especially since Christmas has become more of a commercial holiday in the eyes of the United States and other countries. The majority of Americans, even those who aren’t religious Christians, celebrate Christmas. In this case, Christmas means giving gifts and spending time with family. Many devout Christians often attend church services and value the holiday for its religious significance, not just focusing on the gift giving. Most Christmas movies don’t center around the Christian religion, or going to church on Christmas, or anything related to the actual religious purpose of Christmas. They focus more on holiday festivities, romance, decorations, and the magical perception of Christmas.

Because of the lack of recognition from companies and other advertising industries, Hanukkah is not associated with anything except its true meaning, and is not used to promote special products. The true meaning of Hanukkah, or the original story is about suffering and getting through tough times, while Christmas is more about miracles, making it happier and more appealing to audiences. Hanukkah is also not the most important Jewish holiday, nor is it typically celebrated by people outside of the Jewish religion like Christmas is. The lack of interest in watching movies centered around Hanukkah celebrations may be because Christianity is the most practiced religion in the world, followed by Islam, Hinduism, and quite a few more before Judaism makes its appearance on the list. Furthermore, less than 0.2% of the world’s population is Jewish, compared to the 31% of the world that practices some form of Christianity.

The first Christmas movie was called “Santa Claus,” and was a silent film released in 1898. Production of these holiday movies increased slowly. Even then, the Christmas movies depicted Santa Claus and had little to do with the original story and the birth of Jesus. These movies truly started to rise in production around the 1920s, followed by a sharp decline in movies around the 1940s. At the same time, World War II was at its peak, with anti-Jewish sentiment resonating in Europe, and with immigrants in the United States, the audience for any sort of Hanukkah movie was not prominent at all.

There are a lot of reasons why Hanukkah movies are lacking in today’s world. Today, there seems to be a lack of demand for a Hanukkah movie, since the Christmas movies are already so popular and not as many people celebrate Hanukkah. In fact, a lot of Jewish people living in America and Israel do not consider Hanukkah as their most important holiday. Hanukkah only seems significant because most people who aren’t Jewish can recognize it and relate it to the religion. That could be a reason why there are no Hanukkah movies: because its level of importance to its own religion, is dwarfed by other holidays like Passover, which do have movies.

In the same way that there aren’t as many movies about Easter, there is a lack in demand for those movies.

Because Jewish people make up such a small part of the population, they are often barely taught of in American schools; as a result, their holidays are not recognized. I am in no way attempting to bash Christmas movies, though. I’ve grown up watching them and they are some of the best movies I’ve ever seen, and I know in my heart that there will probably never be a Hanukkah movie that can top How the Grinch Stole Christmas or Home Alone. However, it is unfortunate that no one can sit down during the holidays to watch a movie about a dreidel or minoras, so hopefully one day this will change.

In recent years, streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music have had an undeniable rise in popularity as a way for people to listen to music. Spotify got its start in 2008, and Apple Music launched in 2015. Spotify had nearly 250 million users as of September this year, and Apple Music held second place with 60 million as of June (the large disparity between the two being due to Spotify’s inclusion of those without Premium subscriptions as well). Despite their success and rapid growth, streaming services have come under fire for their payment of the artists they feature. Many argue that the amount artists are paid per stream of their songs is far too low for even the most popular artists.

Currently, artists on Spotify and Apple Music are paid an average of $.0032 and $.0055, respectively, every time one of their songs is streamed. This means an artist’s song with a thousand streams will barely make more than five dollars on either service. The way that Spotify and Apple Music calculate payment is lengthy. First, the services assess all of the money that they receive from subscribers each month and then pool all of it into a final total. That money is then divided amongst artists based how many streams their songs receive.

Thus, artists whose songs get the most streams make more money than those with less popular music. The money each artist receives is then divided between themselves, their record label, and the songwriter, with a small portion going to the streaming service themself.

Additionally, one could argue that this system is unfair to artists, as the money you pay for a subscription does not go to the artists you listen to. Should you choose to support a local or small-time musician by streaming their music, a majority of your money will still likely be going to more popular artists you might not listen to. There has been much debate over whether moving towards a more “user-centric” model of payment–whereby more or all of your subscription money is given only to artists you listen to–is the better choice. The other side of the argument, though, brings up the issue of how expensive it would be for streaming services to manage and compute how much of every subscriber’s payment should go to each artist they listen to, and how that would lead to the entire service and the artists they host losing money.

The good news, however, is that many artists today can find other ways of making money, with many methods being accessible to those without large stream counts or followings, as well as those who have become superstars.

Tours are easily some of the most common ways for budding musicians and superstars to earn money. Most artists with any sort of following have merchandise available on their websites. Bigger musicians have brand deals and clothing lines. For example, Kanye has his own successful clothing line and shoe line called Yeezy. Selena Gomez has had a long time collaboration with Puma. Together, they’ve designed athletic wear and athleisure. Some musicians even have concert movies to fall back on in order to make money. Even with physical album sales not being as much in demand as they were ten years ago, CDs are still sold in most music stores, and vinyl records have seen a return in popularity. Are streaming services severely hurting artists’ sales in the grand scheme of things? It is hard to tell, and opinions seem to vary person to person. One thing is certain, and that is the fact that most savvy musicians will find other ways to get their music out there and make money without relying too heavily on streaming to pay their bills.

Arts & Entertainment Toning it down with tunes

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December 18, 2019

The Merionite

Madeline Fiks ’23

Have you ever been stressed about homework? About upcoming due dates?

About not finishing that project on time? Research shows that listening to music can be a helpful stress management tool when used in the right way. Such research suggests that the effect that music has on emotions is powerful enough to lessen anxiety, as it turns people’s attention to the sounds and words of the music, and therefore away from their worries. When six LM students were interviewed to see how music affects their stress levels, results showed that they all had different preferences when it came to listening to music while they study, or choosing not to. However, this concept stems from years of studies. So, what does scientific research actually show?

The US National Library of Medicine says studies show that listening to music can have beneficial effects on the human body. According to Jane Collingwood, a journalist from psychcentral.com, music can assist people in coping with stress because of the emotional connection they have to certain songs. Science proves that classical music offers the greatest impact for most people by lowering blood pressure, slowing pulse, and decreasing levels of stress hormones. Once students have been de-stressed, they can then get more work done efficiently and focus on the task at hand. On top of this, various LM students also utilize music to their advantage in daily life.

Isabelle Bonita ’22, Sophie Fiks ’20, and Asher Dayanim ’20 have gone on record with their preferences for listening to music when they are feeling stressed. Myra Woerdeman ’23 and Sarah Stanger ’23 expressed similar opinions on how they use music to guide them through their everyday lives.

Contrastingly, Peri Blume ’21, said she tries to avoid listening to music when

she is stressed in order to complete certain tasks in the most effective way possible. “Music usually keeps me from focusing on school and often works as a distraction for me.” When she does not need to work and wants to take a pause to clear her mind, she said she would listen to calming music. She adds, “The songs definitely help relieve stress more than other upbeat songs would.”

When describing his preferred genre of music, Dayanim noted, “I usually avoid music with words when I’m stressed. Light jazz and classical really give the mind clarity.” Bonita agreed that these genres of music are more soothing than others. Contrary to these opinions, Fiks does not avoid music with lyrics. Fiks stated, “I listen to all kinds of music with lyrics. I think that calming or upbeat songs help me de-stress the most.”

In fact, a few of these interviewed students play instruments, so it was interesting to learn how music impacted their anxiety. Stanger described her experience playing the violin by saying, “making music is relaxing and helps me to escape the feeling of stress.” Fiks and Dayanim share similar ideas as Stanger. As Dayanim said, “when I listen to or even play music, my attention shifts completely to my sense of hearing. Music is kind of like transportation, as it can evoke nostalgia.” This is a prime example of what Collingwood described as the powerful impact music can have on people’s emotions.

It is clear that music affects people in different ways, and can even be a useful stress-reliever. Most of us can admit that LM is a stressful school, so this method of de-stressing is useful. If students are able to identify whether music helps to alleviate their stress, and which genres accomplish that goal, they can use that knowledge to be help them regain peace of mind, and be healthier and happier.

Graphic Courtesy of Christopher de Santis ’20/Staff and Cate Roser/Staff ’21

Ace of The Arts Josephine Meyer ’20

The Merionite: How are you involved in the arts at LM? Josephine Meyer: From taking an advanced art class (Art 1H) freshman year to now participating in AP Art, I’ve continued my love of art at LM through taking on challenging assignments in my classes and exhibiting my work at the art show.

Captured Image; Acrylic on Canvas.

Painting courtesy of Josephine Meyer ’20

M: What is the first memory you have related to art?

JM: I went to Overbrook Preschool, where they had art days with sponges, paint, and pressing sponges. I still really enjoy my old art pieces.

M: How has your love of art grown over the years?

JM: I took a pottery class at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in fifth grade over the summer as well as classes at Main Line Art focused around sewing and metal arts. On top of this, I have also taken various art classes in seventh and eigth grade. This past summer, I enrolled in a program at UArts in Center City.

M: Tell us more about your UArts Program!

JM: When I was there, I took classes alongside other high school students from across the U.S. and other countries. I got to choose a major and minor. My major was illustration, and my two minors were alternative painting and figure drawing. These classes were challenging, and allowed me to learn more about different mediums of art. I took the train into the city every day, and at the end of the program, I had finals and exhibited my art alongside other students in the illustration major.

M: What was your favorite part of the program?

JM: I loved being surrounded by people who could give honest, credible critiques of my art, unlike parents who simply compliment.

Figure Drawing #5; charcoal on drawing pad.

Drawing courtesy of Josephine Meyer ’20

M: How do you plan to continue creating art?

JM: I paint, sketch and doodle on practically every surface. I don’t envision pursuing art professionally in the future, but in my spare time I might take a class or take on projects I’m interested in.

M: If you had to live on a deserted island with only one artist, living or dead, for the rest of your life, who would it be?

JM: Oh god, all artists are crazy, but if I had to pick one, I’d probably have to pick Cézanne and hope he doesn’t murder me.

Sports

December 18, 2019

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The Merionite

Democracy fosters divide Kyle Patlove ’20 Sports Editor Over the past few months, the Commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, was put business.” He went further to state that “one of the enduring strengths of the NBA is in a fairly precarious position when he was forced to walk the line between the our diversity─of views, backgrounds, ethnicities, genders and religions,” pointing to contentious divide of the political freedoms of two highly influential nations—all the fact that about 25 percent of all NBA players are foreign born. With such apparbecause of a Tweet. The Tweet, posted on the account of Houston Rockets Gener- ent differences in the upbringings and ethnicities of players, let alone the fans that al Manager Daryl Morey, made reference to the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, support them, wouldn’t it be reasonable to expect differences in the viewpoints and reading “Fight for freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” These protests, occurring values of these players and fans? For those reasons alike, Silver went on to decree that on the streets of various districts of Hong Kong, a sovereign state of China that is the NBA “will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and governed by an entirely separate freestanding authority, are in direct response to team owners say or will not say on these issues. We simply could not operate that way.” a proposed bill that would allow the Despite the belated turnaround extradition of wanted criminals to time, Silver handled this issue mainland China, aptly named the with utmost class, demonstrating 2019 Hong Kong extradition bill. The why he has been entrusted with bill’s controversies all boil down to the highest-ranking position in the fear of the infringement of rights the world of basketball. The NBA of the people of Hong Kong, which is in the business of promoting is certainly a reason for concern. basketball and making money, not Currently, China has no actual regulating what its players can and stake in the Judicial or Congrescannot say. To prevent an executive sional proceedings of Hong Kong’s from speaking out and exercising government, as the latter was to his personal liberty, one of the most become “one nation” bound by “two basic rights we as Americans exert systems” when it was ceded by the by way of the Constitution, would British back in 1997. However, by be downright insanity. The NBA’s appropriating this bill, many fear joint network television contract in that nearly anybody may face cruel China benefited both the NBA and or unfair treatment, detainment, or the Chinese market as it brought arrest by Hong Kong police, who the game of basketball at its highwill be left with no choice but to est level to a foreign nation full of acquiesce to the orders of the Chihungry, curious consumers and nese government─a nation bound reaped substantial financial gains by the grips of Communism. Yet, for both the league and the nation. this is China’s way of asserting its In the past and the present, couninfluence over what was agreed to tries with stark political variances remain a sovereign state. This left have worked together in an effort to Adam Silver in a difficult situation achieve common economic goals, to navigate when he was forced despite the obvious discrepancies to choose between defending the in ideologies of the nations. The virtues of freedom and Democracy, United Nations (UN) is comprised the very ideals by which our Constiof a conglomerate of 193 member tution was built upon, or turning a nations spread across six contiGraphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff blind eye to what we as Americans nents, including both the U.S and innately perceive to be unethical Hongkongers’ interest in basketball is likely to skew towards the Rockets China, all of which are represented in an effort for the league to main- after Morey jumped to their defense. by differing forms of government, tain high profit margins overseas. but work to promote greater global On October 8, four whole days after the initial tweet and three days removed from cohesion. So, why should this be any different? The league has seen a precipitous a brief but effectively pointless press conference in which Silver did nothing more decline in revenue since this chaotic turn of events has unfolded, but Adam Silver than acknowledge the political variances between the two conflicting nations, the has let it be known that profits aren’t his only mission. The NBA can quite easily Commissioner issued a response to the NBA community via an electronic newsletter. facilitate growth and has the potential to attract a larger fanbase in countries around The statement was a succinct, well-put explanation that detailed why the NBA would the world, never mind China, while China is at a loss because it no longer will televise not discipline Daryl Morey for his actions and brought to light the many underlying NBA games, depriving the nation of significant profit margins and its citizens of the issues surrounding this matter. In the response, Silver asserted that the controver- spectacle that is the NBA. At the end of the day, a line must be drawn between what sies over the Hong Kong protests were an issue “about far more than growing our we perceive to be moral and immoral, and I appreciate that Adam Silver thinks so too.

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Sports

December 18, 2019

The Merionite

Happy crew year!

Sonia Laby ’22 The LM crew team had a very successful fall season. The co-ed team had over fifty participants this season, made up of a combination of sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Additionally, one new coach worked alongside the four returning coaches, helping everyone improve on their rowing technique and eventually fueling the team’s success as a whole.

This season the rowers focused on two specific types of rowing: sweeping and sculling. Sweeping involves holding one long oar that either extends to port (left) or to starboard (right). Sculling entails holding two shorter oars that extend out to both sides of the boat. Mastering both sweeping and sculling is a crucial part of rowing. Throughout the season, the team worked towards perfecting both their sweeping and sculling.

Boats are labeled specifically to denote the type of boat so that onlookers can recognize them more easily. The number of the boat, which is most often either two, four, or eight, represents how many rowers are in the boat. If there is a plus sign following the number, it means that the it is a sweeping boat that typically contains a coxswain. A coxswain does not row but rather sits in either the bow (front) or the stern (back) of the boat and steers while shouting commands to the rest of the rowers. During races, it is imperative for the coxswain to be able to motivate the rowers and keep them all moving in unison. Ultimately, coxswains play a crucial part in maintaining the pace of the boat.

Conversely, if the boat is labeled with an “x” instead of a plus sign, it typically will not be coxed, and in most cases will be a sculling boat, in which everyone holds two

Charles like no other race. Every girl in the boat understood the importance of every stroke. Every girl in the boat pulled harder than they ever have for every stroke. And at the end of the race when we sat silently on the Charles, we all understood the beauty of rowing.”

The Head of the Charles did a great job of preparing rowers for the spring and allowed bonds to be formed between members of the team that will hopefully extend long past this crew season.

Overall, both teams displayed remarkable effort and resilience throughout the course of this season. The girls came together as a team, discovering new strengths while also improving on their weaknesses. The season can be best summed up through the words of senior captain Roxy Wood ’20, who remarked, “I think it was a really good season in all.

The girls on our team make me proud on the daily; each works hard to achieve their goals and support one another. I couldn’t ask for a better group of young women to spend most of my time with.”

The boys’ team had an equally exceptional season, as they worked tirelessly to develop their skills and their cardio while developing friendships along the way.

The team as a whole experienced their fair share of ups and downs throughout the fall season. Specifically, in one race, a boat lost a skeg, a small yet vital fin on the bottom of the boat that’s crucial for steering the boat. The important thing was that each of these wins, losses, ups, and downs were faced together as a team and resulted in growth for everybody. No matter how others did, there was no judgement and no hate. No

Photo courtesy of Kathy Spencer

The girls’ team celebrates their successful fall performance and amazing start to the crew season. oars rather than just one. In a sculling boat, the rower closest to the front of the boat, known as the bow seat, steers the boat.

The team attended four local regattas this year, two of the highlights being the Hidden River Chase Regatta and the Bill Braxton Regatta. At Hidden River Chase, the girls’ varsity 4+ boat placed first. At the Bill Braxton Regatta, the Novice Girls’ 8+ B Boat placed first.

One of the biggest triumphs for the team this season was their trip up to Boston for two days to compete in the Head of the Charles Regatta. The team raced four boats—a girls’ 8+ and 4+, and a boys’ 8+ and 4+. Traveling to Boston brought the team together in ways they never had been before.

When asked about the significance of Head of the Charles Regatta, Faye Berry ’21 said, “we raced Head of the

matter the result, the team believed that their work each and every day would amount to better results for the future.

Everyone felt good about themselves, and the season made everyone at least a little more confident in what they could do.

The team expects to continue its previous success with an incredible spring season filled with hard work, passion, teamwork, and victories. They will begin training for the spring season December 12 and can be found in the lower atrium daily after school. Through these daily winter workouts the rowers hope to build up both necessary strength and endurance for the season ahead. Weather permitting, the rowers will be back on the water sometime in mid-March. The team looks forward to building off the success of the fall season and setting a new precedent for the program going forward.

Serving up success Victoria Bermudez ’22 Copy Editor The girls’ tennis team brought their fall season to a close this past October, carrying LM to Districts for the first time since 2015. The girls were the highest seeded team to advance to Districts at LM since 2009. After a much needed summer vacation, the girls convened to commence their preseason early in August.

With seven seniors sadly leaving the varsity team, creating the lineup was a

ential in order to motivate the players to perform to an even greater degree.

Later in the season, the girls faced much more difficult opponents, beginning with Harriton. Having trained tirelessly, the girls were hopeful and looking forward to the challenge.

The gloomy day appeared to get darker and halfway through their match, the rain slammed against the courts. Finishing the match a week

Photo Courtesy of Prestige Portraits

One of the highlights of the girls’ tennis season was a challenging match against Garnet Valley. difficult process and demanded a thorough evaluation by both coaches. Harris Mailman, the new girls’ coach as of last year, adjusted quickly to the new environment and arranged a powerful ladder. With constant challenge play, and adjusting of partners and seats of each player, Mailman was able to shape a meticulous lineup with his “breathtakingly accurate algorithm.” Sophomores dominated the team this year and filled four of the seven open spots on varsity.

With senior captains Meg Brennan and Rachel Lappen, the girls were thrilled to begin their matchplay. To decide which schools would compete at Districts, the league looked for the outcomes of the top five spots. This included Cecilia Denis ’21, Camilla Pheulpin ’22, Katie Costantino ’22 at first, second, and third singles. The senior captains and Lily Guo ’21 and Victoria Bermudez ’22 were at first and second doubles.

The varsity team started off the season by defeating Lansdale Catholic with a score of 7-0, nearly winning every set on all courts. The girls left the match with confidence and were enthusiastic about the season. With this mentality, the team continued to practice almost daily in preparation for larger matches against Harriton, Garnet Valley, Conestoga, and Radnor. Because every match was significant, the team developed their skills extensively. The girls achieved an astonishing victory over Strath Haven 3-2 as one of the first and most crucial matches of the season. Both the players and the coaches understood that if the team was able to secure wins in both the Central League and almost all of the outside schools, they would increase their chances at achieving a higher rank. With this in mind, junior varsity coach, Kathy Kesaris, and Mailman reiterated and stressed which matches were extremely influ-

later, LM was met with a tough loss winning only one court against Harriton’s exceptional girl’s team. In spite of this, LM continued and targeted each player’s weaknesses to better themselves for the next match.

One of the most challenging matches both mentally and physically for LM was Garnet Valley, due to their highly capable team. LM was evenly matched on the windy competition day in September with aspirations to steal a win from every court that afternoon.

Unfortunately, varsity lost third singles and narrowly lost second doubles with a loss of 6-4 for both sets. Having Denis at first singles and Brennan and Lappen at first doubles secure wins kept the team’s aspirations high of winning the third spot to win top five. Leaving both Mailman and the remainder of the team uneasy, Camilla Pheulpin had lost the first set to a challenging and persistent opponent. Pheulpin made an extraordinary comeback, winning the following two sets with determination and tenacity gaining the top five a win.

Finishing off their season, the top five won against Pennsbury with a score of 3-2 and against Central Bucks West with a score of 4-1 towards the final days of September. After discovering their placement in Districts, the varsity team travelled to West Chester Henderson High School to compete against many experienced players. With a remarkable end to an amazing season, only one of the top five LM players won their match, while the other seats lost incredibly close sets. The girls were extremely pleased with the outcomes of the season and Mailman addressed the team as a whole as “playing with the highest level of integrity.” Every player and both coaches are priming themselves for the future and looking forward to the season ahead.

Sports

December 18, 2019

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The Merionite

Defending a legacy Elijah Bloch ’22

This year is a special year for the LM boys’ basketball team, as it marks Coach Gregg Downer’s thirtieth season at the helm for the Aces. Downer is a three-time Associated Press Coach of the Year, and has previously been named “Best Basketball Coach in Pennsylvania” by USA Today. Along with these accolades, Coach Downer has won over 550 games, as well as three state titles, in his long and illustrious career. Having coached for countless successful seasons, Downer is once again looking to guide his squad deep into the playoffs. However, the task at hand may be his most difficult challenge yet; the Aces roster consists of almost entirely new talent for Coach Downer to expectantly mold into a winning unit.

Historically, the LM squad is one of the powerhouses of the Central League, perennially facing and most often besting tough competition from the likes of rivals such as Conestoga, Penncrest, and Haverford. Eleven senior Aces graduated this past year, two of whom, Stephen Payne ’19 and Jack Forrest ’19, became the newest members of the LM 1,000-point club.

With this formidable challenge at hand, a profusion of young talented players are looking to fill the shoes of the departed Payne and Forrest, seeking to contribute to yet another playoff appearance in spite of apparent youth.

A few familiar upperclassman talents do return to the team this season, one being dexterous starter James Simples ’20. Among the new faces, the Aces added important new talent with transfer student Lance Chestnut ’20, coming over from rival Harriton. Chestnut and Simples will look to provide some great depth and experience to the overhauled roster. Alongside the seasoned veterans,

All for Coolidge Eric Bing ’20 Business Manager

As the days continue to shorten and the air fills with the unmistakable smell of chlorine, one thing is certain: the long awaited swim season is here! Although the colder weather and darker days are an unwelcome change to a tame and mellow autumn, the members of the LM swimming and diving team are undeterred by the shift. With high morale following inspiring success last year, amassing a 7-4 record for the boys, and a 10-1 record for the girls, the teams are eager to dive back into the water for another great season.

The loss of last year’s seniors have left holes in the team, but many seasoned and in coming swimmers are enthusiastic to step up to the plate. For the older swimmers such as junior Liam Keating, this means becoming a role model for the other swimmers on the team while continuing where he left off last sea-

herself is looking to qualify for the state championships this year. Ultimately, achieving goals this high will rely on unity, hard work, enthusiasm, and boundless commitment to improvement.

But it’s not just only about what goes on in the pool. For years, the swim teams on both sides have been a closely knit “swamily,” bonding over spirit dinners and long-held traditions. When asked about his favorite aspect of the swimming season, Sultanik replied, “watching Kung-Fu Panda while bleaching our hair.” This is in reference to a long tradition of swimmers bleaching their hair a platinum blonde or white in preparation for the Central League Championships. Additionally, sophomore Aaron Levine mentioned that he’s looking forward to “hanging with the boys” once the season begins. But for

Photo courtesy of Prestige Portraits

Captain Eli Rothman ’20 is introduced at Maroon Madness. tandem will look to expand the floor, leaving room open in the paint for Lilley, and creating the opportunity for Simples and others to drive and attack the rim. “We have a few returning players who can play a big part in our success this year, and some additions like big man Lilley. I think we can be a dominant force in the paint moving forward,” said Gribbin, commenting on how he expects the squad to fuse together and function as a newly formed unit.

Looking at the new talent the team has acquired, alongside its talented Photo courtesy of Mikell Nigro

LM swimmers pose with their donuts after successfully completing their first Wednesday morning practice.

Photo courtesy of Aces Basketball

The boys’ team celebrates their 61-55 victory over Abington High School to start the season. the squad added a much needed bigman presence with Demetrius Lilley ’22.

The team will look to take advantage of this newfound height in the paint, providing the Aces more options in the post to help score more consistently.

With rising-star guard Samuel Davidson ’21 still recovering from injury, other underclassmen players on the roster should expect to see plenty of time in the backcourt this year, such as guards Peter Gribbin ’22 and Jaylen Shippen ’22. The budding

core, the revamped squad is capable of achieving great success, despite the influx of first-year varsity talent.

Expecting to deal significant damage to their opponents this season, the Aces have their mindset not only on asserting dominance in the Central League, but in the postseason as well. Good luck to the boys’ basketball team and Coach Downer as they accept the challenge of maintaining coach’s unbridled success over the span of the past three decades.

son by “making districts in 200 Individual Medley and 100 breast, breaking a minute and getting the school record in the 100 breast and working toward making states.” Sophomore Joshua Sultanik is ready to pick up the mantle in breaststroke and freestyle; he is striving to break at least one LM record in the coming season. For junior Elishka Bailey, this year is an opportunity to “make it to the PIAA State Championships in one of my main events,” which includes a wide range of long-distance freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly.

Additionally, freshman Maria Dymek is eager to “bring lighthearted energy to the team and hopefully some points during the meets.” When asked about the state of the team entering this season, captain David Lu ’20 replied, “I think the team has a lot of great potential this season. We have a lot of really strong returning swimmers and a strong and enthusiastic freshman group.”

No matter what their goals may be, it is important for swimmers to remember their bonds with each other and to recognize the value of every member on the team. As Allie Stewart ’21 elaborates, “I hope to contribute positive energy to the team this year and help each of my teammates understand that their role is important in their own way. Even though swimming is mainly an individual sport, it is so important for everyone to support each other and to pull on everyone’s different strengths. I have never really felt like one person was the best on the team, because everyone is important to the team win in high school meets.” Stewart

many members of the team, the best part of the season comes in the form of Calvin.

To most of LM, Calvin Coolidge is merely the thirtieth president of the United States, but to the members of the swim team, it’s a cheer that encapsulates team cohesion and unity.

It starts off like the calm before the storm. All of the boys, except for one, link shoulders in a circle in the shallow end of the pool. The missing link in the circle is simply waiting, standing at the water’s edge with his back facing the pool. The whole natatorium falls silent as the first words are uttered by the circle, “Caaaaaaalvin… Cooooolidge… Caaalvin… Cooolidge… Calvin! Coolidge!”

As the cheer goes on, the phrase is repeated at an increasingly louder and faster rate. After an abrupt yell, the lone boy on the bulkhead back-flops into the circle. The pool is silent once more, but once he breaks to the surface, the whole team erupts into cheers.

Though the origins must be kept under wraps, Calvin represents the swim team’s proud commitment to tradition and to each other as a group. Although long-time boys’ coach Paul Speicher and girls’ coach Jeremy Bryne left the team at the end of last season, they left a legacy of togetherness and support that will resonate through the Aces for countless seasons to come. No matter what surprises, celebrations, or heartache the coming season may bring, the LM swimming and diving team is ready to face them all and expects to come out on top once again. As they say, it’s time to get this bread, and always remember, go LMSDT!

24

December 18, 2019

Sports The Merionite

Advantages of being a student-athlete Sara Braslow ’21 Studies have proven that playing a sport as a kid provides you with numer- proven to be “strong links between exercise and exam success in English, Math, and ous benefits. Participating in youth sports is not only a fantastic way for kids Science.” With only seventeen minutes of physical activity, the students generally to get daily exercise, but it is also a fun way to meet new people, try out a new scored significantly higher on their exams, suggesting that even the slightest bit of activity, and test your capabilities with the sport. The benefits of youth sports go far exercise can have tremendous benefits cognitively on the brain. When you perform beyond these few examples listed; recent data suggests that playing a sport can aerobic exercise, it raises your heart rate, which in turn, increases blood flow to actually improve academic performance the brain. As you breathe more intensely, among children. This does not mean more oxygen is delivered to your brain. that athletes are “naturally smarter” This leads neuron creation (neurogenethan their non-active classmates, howsis) to occur in the parts of the brain that ever, they have been shown to work and control memory and thinking. This process perform better in school. According to a increases brain volume, and can thererecent study conducted by the Human fore improve memory and concentration College of Education and Human Services when it takes place in that specific part of from Northwest Missouri State Univeryour brain. Thus, aerobic exercise not only sity, when comparing the average GPA benefits the body, but the mind as well. between athletes and non-athletes, “the It has also been proven that athletes group of athletes had a GPA averaging have a stronger grasp at time management 3.25, while the non-athletes averaged a than their average student counterparts.

GPA of 3.01, significantly lower than the Since athletes are constantly balancing athletes.” So is there really a difference? between their sport and schoolwork, this If you’ve ever played a sport before, means that they have to be extremely then you are definitely aware of the conscientious regarding saving enough massive amounts of practice time and time for their school work. Therefore, dedication that it takes for you to they are forced to manage their time succeed. Athletes constantly set goals wisely and learn to be productive in in their sport and work tirelessly every the few spare moments that they have day to try and achieve them. As with every day. Conversely, non-athletes anything in life, it takes a daily commitGraphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff may often lack the ability to manage ment to the craft to truly get better. Since The health advantages that come with being an athlete are certainly their time since they have never dealt athletes are so accustomed to work- apparent; however, does that translate to success in the classroom? with having to balance a full time sport ing diligently in their sport, this type of with schoolwork. Time management is attitude tends to translate to the classroom. Not only do sports teach the youth to a very important skill not only for succeeding in school, but for excelling in life. work hard, but they teach them a valuable lesson: you only get what you put in.

Although there are undoubtedly numerous physical and health benefits to It is known that daily exercise is essential to maintaining a healthy body, playing sports when you are young, it especially does wonders for the minds of but what if getting daily exercise helped improve academic performance as students, as it may improve their performance at school. Not only does well? As a matter of fact, there is a direct scientific correlation between physical participating in athletic activities teach kids the importance of hard work exercise and academic achievement. According to a recent study carried out by the and discipline, but it can also create neurons inside their brains that increase universities of Strathclyde and Dundee involving 5000 children and teens, there are concentration, which has been shown to have tremendous effects in the classroom.

Photo courtesy of McKenna Reardon ’23

Photo courtesy of David Igwe ’22

Photo courtesy of Isaac Berman ’21

Photo courtesy of Sophie Oberdiek ’20

Freshman McKenna Reardon

Sophomore David Igwe

Junior Isaac Berman

Senior Sophie Oberdiek

What sport(s) do you play?

Basketball and Crew What is your greatest athletic achievement?

Being able to be part of a team and being able to play Describe your typical pre-game meal.

Granola Bar What is a song that you know all the lyrics to?

It’s Tricky by Run-DMC

What sport(s) do you play?

Wrestling What is your greatest athletic achievement?

Coming back from a wrestling match where I was losing 8 to 2 If you pinch yourself and it hurts, are you too strong or too weak?

Too weak mate, toughen up What holiday traditions do you enjoy?

Secret Santa and opening gifts

What sport(s) do you play?

Crew What is your greatest athletic achievement?

Coming in second at city championships in the JV 8+ last year What is a song that you know all the lyrics to?

Vamos a la Playa by Loona What is your favorite holiday movie?

Home Alone 2

What sport(s) do you play?

Swimming What is your greatest athletic achievement?

Breaking 1:00 in the 100 backstroke as a freshman and getting the school record What is your favorite holiday movie?

The Polar Express Where can we find you on a typical snow day?

In my bed watching Netflix