The Merionite
Ardmore, PA, 19003
February 13, 2020
The official student newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 issuu.com/merionite Volume 91, Issue 3
Mourning a legend Dhaval Sharma ’21, Elliot Ginzurg ’21, and Haley Morgenstern ’20 News Editors On Sunday, January 26, Aces Nation lost its heartbeat. In Calabasas, California, a helicopter carrying LM’s very own NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others crashed while en route to Bryant’s Mamba Academy. A thick fog, blinding drivers on a nearby highway, clouded the sky and caused pilot Ara Zobayan to crash into a hillside at an altitude of 1,085 feet. Most pilots would have turned back in such conditions, but Zobayan— licensed to fly in inclement weather—told air traffic control he was climbing to avoid a cloud layer. After losing contact shortly after, the helicopter slammed into the hill at 9:45 a.m. The news of his death shocked millions across the world and resonated throughout the very community that Bryant grew up in. Just a few years ago, Bryant had spoken to LM students on the impact the school had on him, telling them that “this is home for me. I didn’t go to college and have those other memories that other kids have. All my memories come from this school. That’s why Lower Merion is extremely special to me.”
THE COMMUNITY’S REACTION With his roots in the Main Line area, word of Bryant’s death echoed throughout the LM community. Minutes after hearing about the tragic news, community members flocked to the doors of the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium, leaving flowers, jerseys, and basketballs to pay homage to the legacy Bryant left on the school. As the memorial gained traction, news outlets came to record the heartfelt reactions of those who were touched by Bryant. Principal Sean Hughes noted that heartfelt reactions came in the form of “hundreds of emails from all over the world. People sending their condolences from Russia to China [...] I [cannot] respond fast enough.”
in the gym. Just knowing that the team is playing in such a legacy really motivates [them] to play harder and try [their] best to embody the Mamba Mentality.” Jonathan Goldstein ’20 described the atmosphere around school after Bryant’s passing as “surreal” and said that he “was an idol to so many and his loss was truly tragic to the school community as a whole.”
LM’S REACTION As a final goodbye, the school decided to pay tribute to Bryant and all the lives lost on Saturday, February 1, right before the LM Boys’ Varsity Basketball game at 1:30 p.m. Everyone who attended this event received a special shirt with the words “the heartbeat of Ace’s Nation” on the front. There were additional shirts available for purchase in front of the gymnasium, which sold out quickly. Hughes began the ceremony at 1:00 p.m. by giving a speech to all of the students, parents, faculty, alumni, and community members in attendance for the game. After completing his remarks, Hughes unveiled two art pieces that had been donated by artists from the Philadelphia area. The first one was an oilpainting portrait of Bryant playing for the Los Angeles Lakers by Philadelphia-based artist Perry Milou; the second was a sketch of Bryant by Easton Area Middle School art teacher Valerie Davis. Hughes then handed off the microphone to Coach Gregg Downer and Assistant Coach Doug Young—a former teammate of Bryant—who talked about finally bringing Bryant’s jersey home to LM. The signed LM jersey had been stolen from LM’s Kobe Bryant display case a few years ago by men with crowbars. Just last year, a collector in China had purchased the jersey along with several other monumental items and chose to return them to their rightful home at LM. Young called upon Bryant’s cousin John Cox and his family to help unveil the framed number 33 jersey on the wall of the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium, forever enshrining Bryant’s legacy. To conclude the tribute, the school presented a video chronicling Bryant’s experience at LM. As the emotional short film played, visible tears filled the eyes of students, parents, faculty, and fans alike.
Photo by Max Harris
LM will eventually donate many of the memorial items to various charities. Hughes described the way that Bryant “brought global attention [to LM] based on his work ethic and commitment” as the reason why LM received such a display of support in the emotional days following the crash. To respond to the worldwide support, Photo by Isabel Bruckman ’20/Staff the LMSD Communication Director Amy Students showed support for the fallen Buckman gave a statement to reporters on victims by holding up an ace at the game. behalf of the district, acknowledging Bryant’s tremendous impact on the community. Audible sniffles could be heard throughout the Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff Buckman stated, “the LMSD community gymnasium as they mourned the loss of one of the is deeply saddened to learn of the sudden school’s most influential figures. After the seven-minute video played, former passing of one of our most illustrious alumni, Kobe Bryant.” She expressed LM basketball players who had shared the court with Bryant between 1992 to how the district administration “has endeavored to provide the media with 1996 formed a ring in the middle of the gym around seven chairs commemorating updated statements, access to our school building, access to our student athletes the nine victims lost in the helicopter crash. All those in attendance joined and alumni, and our coaches, while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our together in a 33 second moment of silence to honor the lives that were lost. students and staff members, who are grieving this loss in very personal ways.” Ensuring that LM will retain its feel of “normalcy,” Buckman explained that A FINAL FAREWELL it was important to balance the media’s “need to inform the public with our Kobe Bean Bryant modeled what it meant to be an Ace. Rising up to efforts to provide a safe place to our school community at this difficult time.” The remarks were broadcast on various stations—CNN, CBS, ESPN—along the challenges he faced, Bryant put in endless time and effort to ensure with statements from students who were questioned about the school’s he could be the best version of himself. Jeremy Treatman, one of LM’s state after his death. Some students who were interviewed include Bridgett basketball coaches at the time, said Bryant was “getting a key from a janitor McCann ’21, Alexis Hunter ’21, and Matthew O’Connor ’19. McCann described and coming into the school at four o’clock in the morning, five o’clock in the press conference, which brought together LM basketball players, as the morning, taking 500 shots.” Dedicated, determined, and diligent, Kobe emotional and moving. McCann continued by illustrating the impact Bryant Bryant best exemplified LM’s motto of “enter to learn, go forth to serve” had on the LM basketball program. She said that the team feels “his presence as he strove each and every day to be the best possible version of himself.
NEWS
OPINIONS
LM helps fight Australian fires
Good intentions, poor execution
Read about the school’s determined efforts to aid the crisis in Australia. page 2
Read about one of the newest English classes being offered at LM next academic year. page 5
Graphic by of Chris de Santis ’20/Staff
Graphic by of Chris de Santis ’20/Staff
SPORTS
FEATURES
Forever an Ace
Relationship evolution
In the wake of Kobe Bryant’s sudden and tragic death, The Merionite reflects on his lasting legacy at LM. page 10
Learn about how relationships have evolved since our parents’ generation. page 17
A&E Grammy’s picks If the A&E editors had it their way, these songs and artists would have won. page 13 Graphic by of Chris de Santis ’20/staff
2
News
February 13, 2020
The Merionite
A formal night to remember Dhaval Sharma ’21 News Editor On Saturday, January 25, LM’s Class of 2021 held its Junior Winter Formal. Hosted in the cafeteria, the formal was an event where students in any grade could dance, socialize, and snack. Two months prior to the dance, the Junior Class Officers began preparation for the dance. Officer Jackie Munis ’21 said the formal was “planned with a committee of about fifteen juniors.” Together, the committee and the officers decided the theme—winter wonderland—and “discussed how [they] wanted to decorate the cafeteria.” According to Munis, “the committee had a lot of great ideas about how to transform the venue into a space that did not feel like a high school cafeteria.” They spent the Friday prior decorating and finalized their alterations Saturday morning. Their efforts were well received by the student body, with Evie Oliver ’21 remarking “the cafeteria was really beautiful and there were colored lights and snowflakes dispersed throughout the room.”As for obtaining the materials needed—lights, a photo booth, and food—Munis thanked “the [Home and School Association for being] a big help” and parents who donated food and supplies. Some students may wonder about the point of all the effort. Officer Carmen Cheng ’21 says that “while part of [it] is to create a fun night for students, especially as a relief after midterms, its main purpose is to raise money for prom.” According to Officer Emily Shang ’21, the money raised from the dance “goes purely towards lowering [prom] ticket prices for students.” After the flyers were released and the date for the formal was announced, the initial student body reaction seemed negative, with students denigrating the fact that it would be held in the cafeteria. On the contrary, others were stalwart supporters, claiming that everyone should rally behind the class. With these two opposing opinions, did the formal turn out to be a winter wonderland or a deserted dance floor? Despite some negative reactions, around one-hundred and forty students attended the formal. As the DJ mixed various songs, students danced energetically while socializing and eating assorted food. At the end of the night, they could all take a photo at the booth fitted with lights and balloons. Madison Li ’21 said she “had a lot of fun at formal” and that overall, it was a “great night with good food and lots of dancing!” CeCe Rae ’21 commented on how the cafeteria “was very nicely decorated” with “a great atmosphere.” Nothing, however, is without its flaws. Some students found parts of the dance unenjoyable. Claire Sun ’21 says
Photo courtesy of Isabel Coopersmith ’21 The decorated, balloon-filled photo booth was revered as one of the best parts of the formal. that “while it was fun and all, the formal could have been much better if more people went because it felt extremely awkward at some points.” There were also complaints about the choices of music and food. Aside from those criticisms about the dance itself, many members of the community were upset that it was hosted on Chinese New Year. Officer Elliot Ginzburg ’21 responds to this complaint, saying that “it was unfortunate that the event conflicted with the celebration of the Chinese New Year, however, it was out of the officers’ control.” The LMSD administration had chosen the date since October and would not change the dates despite various emails from parents. After the students all left and the cafeteria was cleaned up, the sum total of money raised was around three thousand dollars, which would knock around seven to ten dollars off each prom ticket. Financial aspects aside, it seemed that many students genuinely enjoyed the formal and everyone is excitedly waiting their senior prom at the Moulin ballroom concluding their final year at LM.
LM helps fight Australian fires Victoria Bermudez ’22 Copy Editor As wildfires continue ravishing Australia’s biodiverse forests and lands, millions of animals and twenty-five residents have perished. The initial stages of burnings began as early as September 2019, and have only further expanded since the end of January. They commenced on a miniscule scale as bushfires that only consumed about six houses, but these flames have continued to develop and engulf around twelve million acres of land, destroying nearly all life forms in their path. It has been recognized globally that these wildfires were not only caused by the dry, barren areas of land in Victoria, Australia, but because of the perpetual crisis of climate change transpiring not only in Australia but universally throughout the world. In a recent article written by Matt McGrath for BBC World News titled “Climate change: Australia fires will be ‘normal’ in a warmer world,” he explains, “The signal of human-induced warming has become clearer in different parts of the world with the passage of time. A paper published last year suggests the impact of climate change could be detected outside the range of natural variability in 22 percent of land that’s available for burning.” The environmental shift in New South Wales is quite apparent with a 1.95 degrees Celsius increase from average temperatures and forty percent less rainfall. These drastic adjustments to the environment and ecosystem in Australia facilitate the spread of
heat throughout the country, leading to naturally occurring wildfires. Not only are the vegetation and communities of Australia being set ablaze, but the wildlife that resides in regions with violent flames is being brutally destroyed as well. Mihir Zaveri and Emily S. Rueb from The New York Times wrote, “Some 25,000 koalas feared dead on an island being consumed by flames. Ten thousand feral camels expected to be shot and killed. And claims that a whopping one billion animals estimated to have perished across Australia.” With perhaps a billion animals dead, thousands of homes annihilated, and millions of acres of land burnt, many believe that global aid is necessary for Australia. The LM community has taken action to contribute to a multitude of charities in the Australian cities of Sydney, Adelaide, and Victoria. Specifically, the LM club Amnesty International has done its part to provide aid during these unfortunate events by selling koala stickers during lunch as well as accepting any donation willing to be given to the cause. They intend to donate any money raised to the Mallacoota Wildlife Shelter. This refuge aims to nurture sick and injured animals damaged by the wildfires in Victoria, Australia. Principal Hughes has also shown concern on the matter, articulating, “I think the situation is terrible and our thoughts are with their community during this difficult time.” Additional generous clubs such as BARK (Bulldog Animal Rescue Club) plan to assist in the contributions by holding a bake sale. Co-Head of the BARK club, Talia Lehrer ’22, also spoke out about the tragedy, expressing, “I find it awful that some animals that we haven’t even discovered yet may be extinct. I want to shed light on the issue and because we focus on the wellbeing of animals, and I hope we can make a difference.” Many believe there are measures that can still be taken by each student individually through donating to the clubs previously mentioned or giving money to a charity directly. While the devastation perpetuates itself and the flames continue to extend across Australia, it is certain that measures are being taken globally Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff to address the unfortunate situation.
Sandwich showdown Margaret Monahan ’21
Photo courtesy of Sophie Roth ’20 Until February 24, students can visit Di Bruno Bros. in the Ardmore Farmers Market to support LM in a Sandwich Showdown against Harriton. LM and Harriton have each chosen a custom sandwich to back, and 20 percent of the profits from each school’s sandwich will go to their chosen charity. The school that sells the most sandwiches wins bragging rights until the next showdown. This event was previously held in the fall of 2016; it was a close competition, but Harriton’s Chicken Parmesan Sandwich ultimately outsold LM’s Meatball Mac and Cheese Sandwich. This year, LM’s sandwich a bacon mac and cheese grilled cheese with a vegetarian option available upon request. Harriton’s sandwich is the pepperoni pizza roll and they are each offered for $9.99. Harriton is splitting their donation between the ESF Dream Camp Foundation and the Lower Merion Township Scholarship Fund, while LM has chosen to support John H. Webster Elementary School in Kensington, Philadelphia. Webster Elementary currently has about 900 students enrolled including children from grades K through five, 97 percent of whom live in poverty. LM first partnered with them in April 2017 as part of a school-wide service project to raise money for textbooks and additional supplies. The School District of Philadelphia provides teachers at Webster with yearly budget of $100 for school supplies, and many teachers end up spending up to $500 of their own money on additional supplies. In an effort to prevent this, LM students filmed a lip dub with Webster students and created a GoFundMe that raised over $10,000 in 2017. The funds raised from sales of the bacon mac and cheese grilled cheese sandwich will go towards any necessary school supplies for Webster students.
News
February 13, 2020
3
The Merionite
Iran discourse hits home Caryl Shepard ’22 The United States and Iran have not experienced an amicable relation- ical psychologist Rebecca Berry, people will turn to humor in order to avoid ship since the formation of the modern Iranian government. In a volatile facing the potentially drastic consequences that could transpire if a war interrelation, which can be dated back to the U.S.’s involvement in over- was to ensue, “If we think of World War III, if we look into that, any of us throwing Iran’s shah in 1953, as well as to the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979, could be really scared. So it helps us quell that uncertainty by trying to make the two countries have never truly been allies. In a feud that has gained light of it.” No matter the platform, the hysteria and humor associated with international attention for its severity, the tension between the two coun- the mounting political tension has taken much of the population by storm. tries displays no sign of halting in the near future. The ingrained sense of How do LM students view this issue? Many students reciprocate an hatred associated with this feud within the two countries has undeniably attitude similar to the more humorous one displayed on many social meacted as a source of stress and anxiety for the populations of both countries. dia platforms. However, students are taking advantage of this opportuRecently, the ties between the U.S. and Iran have escalated to a point not nity to find something lighthearted amongst the seriousness of the situseen in years. Although this conflict could certainly find its origins in the ation. According to Zoe Agiv ’22, “It’s nice that Gen Z can make memes Islamic Revolution of 1979, and was further out of very serious stuff.” The ability to use intensified during the post-9/11 War on Terror, comedy to diffuse some of the tension associit was undeniably present for years predating ated with the situation allows for many peothis war. On January 3, the U.S. launched a ple, especially high school students, to better drone killing prominent General Qasem Soleitackle the possible implications of the attack mani and an Iraqi militia leader, who were in Iran. Meanwhile, some students further allegedly plotting various potential attacks that underline this humor, but warn that the poswere harmful to American citizens. This act has sibility of a large scale World War III occurgreatly amplified the strain on the relationship ring is extremely unlikely. According to Sonia between the two nations, with Iran threatenLaby ’22, “I believe that the idea of World War ing bigger action if tensions continue to rise. III going around social media is ridiculous Graphic by Chris de Santis '20/Staff The strain associated with this international and it’s for entertainment purposes only. It is conflict has undoubtedly trickled down to the obvious that we are not on the brink of a war American population. However, unlike othbecause in order for that to happen many er conflicts occurring in previous years, the more countries would have to be involved.” U.S.-Iran accord has surprisingly evolved into While joking about the situation may be amusGraphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff ing, many recognize that there are countless a source of humor for the younger generation. All over sites such as Twitter and TikTok, young adults have taken to poking fun soldiers and military personnel who will now face a much more unstable at how the current unrest between the U.S. and Iran would inevitably result in a situation in Iran and surrounding countries. As highlighted by Sydney large scale “World War III.” Since the tensions between the two countries have Zelinger ’21, “The memes and jokes about the World War III situation are expanded, the hashtag #WW3 has been viewed over 1.6 billion times on TikTok. perceived as funny but in reality, there are soldiers risking their lives on Furthermore, rumors of potentially reinstating the military draft, in which men the front lines in Iran and areas in the Middle East, so I think it’s important from the ages of 18-26 would be compelled to join the military, have caused to think before posting something potentially offensive on social media.” widespread angst and surprise among many teens. This can clearly be observed Although World War III and draft memes are nearly inescapable when one in the U.S. selective services website, which shut down the Friday following the opens up various social media platforms, LM students urge their fellow peers to Iran attack due to an overflow of users searching for information on a potential consider their influence online in relation to posting war-related content. Fortudraft. However, many experts claim that this rumored draft is highly unlikely nately, the possibility of a looming war is unlikely, so the online hysteria associas the U.S. has not actually employed the draft since the Vietnam War in 1973. ated with the recent political events will probably die down soon. Finally, while Many psychological experts conclude that young adults are utilizing the many are using dark humor associated with the war to put themselves at ease, dark humor associated with the increasing political threats to cope with the others say its is vital to think of those directly affected by the attacks in both the severity of the situation and its possible escalation. According to NYU clin- U.S. and Iran who cannot simply turn off their phone to avoid the ongoing conflict.
An overture into music Madison Li ’21 For years, musicians of the LM Music Department have proudly represented our school in various prestigious competitions and performance opportunities throughout PA. This Spring, the 2020 competition season will allow LM to spread its legacy and continue its run throughout various regions of PA. This year’s entire performance and competition lineup includes the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) festivals, Jazz Band’s “Cavalcade of Bands,” Choir’s Invitational at North Penn High School, and various ensemble evaluations at Upper Dublin High School and Phoenixville Middle School for orchestra and band, respectively. Each of LM’s core ensembles will be put on full display as they tackle challenging repertoire and complicated pieces at these events. PMEA festivals are among the most prestigious events in the state. They being with district orchestra, band, and choir, and then extend farther into regionals, states, eastern, and national levels. LM sends many students to each ensemble annually with this year being no exception. The extremely high level of competition at these festivals has undoubtedly helped young musicians at LM grow. Jason Ren ’22, who has been participating in the ensembles for the past three years, detailed his extremely “gripping” and “competitive” experiences along with the “exhilarating” feeling of being compared to “some of the best musicians in the entire state.” Please see AN OVERTURE INTO MUSIC on page 4
Photo courtesy of Dhaval Sharma ’21/Staff
After rehearsing for three days, district orchestra performed five different difficult pieces.
New courses impact students Julia Dubnoff ’23 At LM, our course roster is constantly expanding to fit the ever-changing needs of the student body. For the upcoming school year, there will be additional courses available in science, math, english, and art. Many LM students have expressed a desire to learn more about the environment. Our course roster already includes an AP Environmental Scence option, but for students wanting a less intense course, a CP Environmental Science option will now be available. According to Science Department Chair Kevin Ries, “students will develop a deeper understanding of environmental issues and establish the skills needed to make informed branches from the skills learned in biology." The overall goal of the course is to give students the opportunity to extend their knowledge from biology. The current computer science curriculum requires students to start with computer science 1 and 2, both of which are semester-long courses. They are usually taken back to back in one year. Following that, students proceed to AP Computer Science A and eventually Computer Science Seminar. Next year, there will be two more options for new students interested in this subject. For many students who begin high school with prior coding experience or are just advanced in STEM, Computer Science 1 and 2 prove to be too simple. Next year, a course called AP Computer Science Principles will be available for students seeking an extra challenge. According to teacher Thomas Swope, “the first semester will be everything from CS 1 and 2. Then, we get into cybersecurity, we get into the idea of big data and privacy, and things like how the internet works and how information is transferred.” Additionally, for students who wish to continue studying computer science past the Seminar course, there is now an official
Artificial Intelligence/Cybersecurity class. Moreover, with the changing English department, juniors and seniors will now be able to choose from eight classes rather than the few permitted before. According to the English Department chair Brian Mays, “if students come out of our school having taken English classes that they chose and found engaging to their personal interests, and if, as a result, they enjoy the process of reading and writing better than they did before—that’s how we know our program is successful.” The options contain two additions: Voices in African American Literature and Film and Literature. The former will study different genres to explore race, culture, and identity in African American literature, along with famous Latin American and Asian American works. Finally, Film and Literature is a course for those who, as stated by English teacher Sean Fash, “have ever seen a movie and couldn’t stop talking about the ending, or what the movie meant, or how it made you feel.” He continued, describing the social biases that deemed film studies of less intelligence than literature. The class aims to prove how wrong that notion is. Additionally, in the art department, a brand new curriculum has been added to for the Studio art course, which now offers a special focus on the art style of woodworking. Studio art has previously included elements such as painting and drawing, and this change will allow students to pursue this additional art form. This class remains a semester long course. Woodworking may appeal to students who love art and want to maintain practicality in their pieces. These various new courses provide LM students the opportunity to better-customize their curriculums within the parameters of LM's commoncore requirements.
4
February 13, 2020
News The Merionite
An overture into music Continued from AN OVERTURE INTO MUSIC on page 3 This year’s Choir Festival took place in Springfield Township High School in mid-January and District Orchestra followed shortly after at Hatboro-Horsham High School. The Band Festival will take place at Upper Merion High School from February 13th to 15th. A series of competitions, that, unlike PMEA, excludes larger ensembles, is the annual springtime events hosted by nonprofit, “Cavalcade of Bands.” This Philadelphia-based organization provides high school jazz bands with the opportunity to perform their best work, compete in solo competitions, and receive feedback from judges. Schools from the Greater Philadelphia Area and South Jersey participate in this weekend-long event every year to present their marching bands and jazz bands. Soloists and individual instrumental sections of each ensemble also will receive distinctions and ratings in this highly competitive environment. Students have shown excitement for this bonding experience. As Fiona Pollack ’21 said, “I really enjoy competing in the Cavalcade Circuit because of the relationships that different bands form with each other.” She continued, “it’s technically a competition but it often doesn’t feel that way because the energy between the competing jazz bands is really positive and Cavalcade is a great community for schools.” All three main ensembles of LM—Choir, Orchestra, Band—participate in various independent adjudications throughout the year to allow judges to evaluate the quality of performance and ensemble of each group. The purpose of these adjudications is to allow students to receive professional feedback from musicians outside of teachers of the Lower Merion Music Department and to get a better understanding of what there is to improve on and how others interpret their performances. Junior Teresa Lu-Romeo recalled, “It was a great experience because it allowed us to get helpful feedback on our technique. Additionally, we got the chance to play on a different stage and to hear a few other groups play, which were both a lot of fun.” On February 18th, Choir will begin the 2020 adjudication process at an invitational at North Penn High School. The Concert Band and Wind Ensemble will perform for judges at Phoenixville Middle School. On February 26th, LM’s orchestra groups will attend an adjudication at Upper Dublin High School. Every year, each LM group receives excellent feedback from highly dedicated and experienced judges who help to motivate the students to improve at all aspects of their music. The LM Music Department continues to work for its well-earned recognition throughout the entire state. With its students practicing for hours on end, this year’s competition season promises to be eventful and will surely end in success for each group.
Not-so trivial pursuit Eric Yang ’22
Graphic courtesy of Eric Yang ’22
We all love those days when our teachers take a break from lecturing us and let us, the students, entertain ourselves by partaking in the intense and ever-popular trivia game, Kahoot. And we all know the kid who beat us to the first place podium even though we answered more questions correctly! In fact, some of our peers in student government are so familiar with this phenomenon that they created a fundraiser around it. The Kahoot fundraiser took place right after midterms on Friday, January 24, where students from all grades came together in the LGI to compete for prizes, eat Chick-fil-A, and generally have a good time. The original idea behind the fundraiser arose in late November/early December. A Kahoot was chosen in lieu of a more traditional fundraiser as the organizers believed trivia to be enjoyable to the attendees, so it was considered a safe bet for fundraising. All the money spent on food or drinks came from the purchase of tickets, as did the prizes. The fundraiser also did not require an initial investment as all that was needed to be done was to make a Kahoot. As stated by class officer Leo Solga ’22, “we wanted to make it so there was not a possible risk for the situation.” From the Kahoot, Class Officers hoped to increase LM spirit and to raise money for the prom of the class of 2022. After the inception of the idea, Class Officers needed the green light from Mr. Stroup and Mrs. Shalon, the athletics and activities directors. Both of whom were very helpful, supported the idea, and suggested that the event be hosted in the LGI on the Friday of midterms as there were few after school activities and the need to study would be at a minimum. After the idea was in place, the planning stage began. Class Officers focused on fundraiser promotion, because in comparison, the logistics behind acquiring Kahoot(s) were meager. In order to spearhead the operation, a team was created and dubbed simply as “The Team.” “The Team” included three subcommittees—the “Hype Committee,” the “Announcements Committee,” and the “Visual Arts Committee.” The former handled social media outreach, such as maintaining an Instagram page, and drafted emails intended for the entire school. The Announcements Committee’s intent was the creation of a promo-video for the morning announcements members. Matthew Eichen ’22 and Colin Thomas Phil-
Beloved custodian remembered Jonathan Xu ’22 Copy Editor
Photo courtesy of Sean Hughes
After nearly two decades of serving our school, Mr. Henry’s spirit will always be remebered. On the morning of January 10, one of LM’s most beloved and cherished staff members, custodian Rodney Henry, passed away. During his tenure at LMSD, spanning over thirty years, Henry was one of the most stalwart and dedicated members of the district, committing himself to assisting other teachers and students throughout the school. Global studies teacher John Grace personally remembers him for always being there to help clean up after PLAYERS, “[I] routinely encountered [him] every afternoon and evening, every day Monday to Friday, every month from September to May, for nearly 18 years.” Custodian Nat Porter was a constant friend of his as well for close to two decades, remarking, “I started here in August of 2000 and we became friends at that point and had been friends ever since.” Henry was always there for anyone who needed him, and always made everone smile. To all those who knew him in the district, Henry was much more than a conscientious custodian; he was a person with immeasurable goodwill and a rich sense of humor, a heartwarming and unwavering friend, a scintillating radiator of joy and optimism, and a man of unfettered kindness and love for the people around him. Principal Sean Hughes described Henry as “a fantastic human being who always had a smile on his face,” adding that he was “a colleague and a friend and he will be greatly missed by all of our LM family.” Spanish teacher Sean Capkin fondly recounts, “I met Rodney when I first started working here nine years ago, and he and I bonded over our love of family and sports. We loved talking about the Sixers, the NBA, and the Eagles, and he was such a good-natured, optimistic person it was easy to stand in the hallway and talk for half an hour at a time.” Art teacher Russ Loue reflects on him being “a gentle soul who went about his tasks, always taking a moment to say hello and have a conversation.” Further, Grace remembers the life and pure joy that emanated from him at every moment, noting that “the more time every PLAYERS coach enjoyed time spent in Rodney’s company, the more every one of us came also to benefit from his wisdom, his humor, his gentle spirit… and, always, his laugh.” Rodney Henry will be sincerely missed here at LM for the work he undertook so tirelessly over the course of decades, as well as the profound impact he had on all those whose lives he touched. His efforts to make the school a better and brighter place will always be remembered, and the legacy of the man who was Rodney Henry will continue on in the hearts, minds, and soul of Aces Nation. lips ’22 partook in the acting while member Jessica Eichen covered the editing of the clip. The team also handled writing messages which were read on the morning announcements. Finally, the Visual Arts Committee aided in the design and painting of the posters, flyers, and banners. The day of the event arrived, with around 40 contestants ready to compete. Before the trivia began the competitors enjoyed an assortment of pizzas and Chick-fil-A snacks, and by 11:30 a.m. the Kahoot competition commenced. The trivia was composed of 44 questions ranging from politics to music history to our very own Lower Merion Township. Questions included “When did Lower Merion School District start using school buses? “Who was Hillary Clinton’s running mate in the 2016 presidential election,” and “Which is not considered a starter Pokemon?” Solga stated “the event itself was abundant in enjoyment, there was [a] spirited atmosphere, lots of playful smack talk, and a great competitive audience. You could tell the Kahooters were having a sterling time just by walking in; the excitement was almost palpable at halftime amd there really were some enthusiastic contestants present.” At the end of the day, Jonathan Goldstein ’20 reined victorious against dozens of other competitors. After the success of their fundraiser, the class of 2022’s officers hope to host another Kahoot Fundraiser sometime in the near future, and hope everyone in LM comes again for food, fun, and a fantastic time!
Opinions
February 13, 2020
5
The Merionite
The Merionite Official newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 issuu.com/merionite 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 Features Editors Emma Becker ’20 Maya Christianson ’21 Ziphron Russel ’20 Arts & Entertainment Editors Noa Cutler ’22 Sophie Meyer ’20 Sydney Zellinger ’21
Meaningful course selection As the PowerSchool Portal for class registration opens yet again, you’ll find yourself being asked for your course preference during class and consulted by friends torn between two classes for their last elective spot. With the pressure of your friends’ schedules chockfull of AP classes, your teachers’ hopeful recommendations reflecting their high expectations of you, the pressure of parents and guardians, and the wide range of interesting classes offered at LM, it’s not only hard to decide what courses to take, but also to distinguish whether or not you’re requesting a class for the right reasons. Often, LM students flock to courses that have previosly attracted their peers, making the popular courses in higher and higher demand while the unpopular courses are scarcely filled. In other instances, students will choose the classes that they
Source Confirmation Editor Ike Mittman ’22 Web Editor Eugenia Feng ’20 Business Manager Eric Bing ’20 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.
Good intentions, poor execution
Copy Editors Victoria Bermudez ’22 Jonathan Xu ’22
Graphics Editor Cate Roser ’21
students to think much further into the future than college, LM students should begin to consider their careers and lifelong passions when picking their courses. Although this in no way entails LM students setting their career goals in stone, LM students should begin to explore courses and accompanying career fields though course selection. We must remember how lucky we are to go to a school with such unique opportunities for courses, and make the best of it. High school provides an excellent opportunity to find what you’re most passionate about with little consequences, so take advantage.
Articles and letters featured in the Opinions section reflect the viewpoints of individual contributors and not necessarily those of The Merionite editorial staff.
Sports Editors Phillip Gao ’22 Kyle Patlove ’20 Spencer Rosenbaum ’22
Senior Design Editor Christopher de Santis ’20
believe will look most impressive on a college application, increasing their workload and stress for no fulfilling reason. On the other side of the spectrum, some simply try to make their schedules as easy as possible. The college application review process involves hundreds of thousands of applications where students take a wide variety of courses they believe will look impressive. Regardless of whether the admissions officers will take a quick skim of your transcript or do significant deep reading, this should not warrant the excessive stress LM students place on themselves from having significant work from a subject they may not care about. Students should base their course choices on their current passions in order to allivate unnecessary work and stress and further thier knowledge in a niche field. Though it’s difficult for high school
Jacqueline Munis ’21 Next year, LM is introducing a myriad of new English courses for juniors and seniors. These courses intend to allow students to explore different and more specific facets of literature and writing. The most intriguing, yet controversial new class is the Voices in African American Literature course. The course is designed to create a space for students to learn, study, and discuss the experiences of people of color in the United States through the lens of literature. Though the intentions of this course are pure, this course will actually be counterproductive to its goal. After forty years of several black American writers’ works like those of Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, and Richard Wright having been embedded in mainstream culture, our district is finally taking the major steps to incorporate their perspectives throughout the high school curriculum. Currently, many English courses, especially underclassmen courses, hardly incorporate the works of authors of color. Besides Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies, the few novels that do deal with the experiences of non-white Americans are still written from the perspective of white people, such as Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and The Secret Life of Bees. When specifically involving black Americans, even those written by black writers, the novels discuss a single facet of black American life: the criminal justice system. When students’ only exposure to black literature is The Other Wes Moore or Just Mercy, there’s an implication that the stories written by black authors are only worth studying when they invoke black stereotypes. Consequently, LMSD has decided to
create this new course, perhaps to assuage the effects of their past mistakes. However, they do not have the resources to do this. LM’s English department is predominantly white, thus this course is not practical with the current state of our staff. Even if the few teachers of color in the school were to teach this course, it would put an unjust burden on their shoulders. Those few teachers should not be pigeon-holed into teaching a class just because they are not white, even though a white teacher would undeniably be unsuitable for teaching this class. According to the descriptions of the new English courses, the content of the Voices in African American Literature course “includes social, cultural, historical and literary contexts.” Perhaps historical and literary contexts are universal, but hav-
Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff
ing the social and cultural contexts of being a person of color in the United States explained by a white teacher is counterproductive to the purpose of the course. Teaching this course becomes difficult when teachers have to contextualize the intangible experiences of black Americans to LM’s mostly-white student body. Though white teachers can feel or teach some of the complexities of the black American experience, they will undoubtedly fall short in the context of this class. For example, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye can be relatable to any teacher, but this is not the
same as viscerally feeling the main character Pecola’s ceaseless yearning for a life made unattainable, not just by the color of her eyes or of her skin, but by institutions that perpetuate the same homogenous beauty standards. Likewise, it would be difficult for a white teacher to teach James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk, a story that relies on the deep-seated fear both main characters, Fonny and Tish, feel for themselves and their child as black Americans. The fear that a black person feels when their life is put at the mercy of a white police officer is not an emotion that can go through second-hand cycles and be accurately taught to students. However, the district is not even making the essential perspective of black Americans a part of the standard curriculum, especially in freshman and sophomore English courses. Although currently two of the four English classes available to juniors and seniors, Modern and Contemporary Literature and AP Literature, include several works by nonwhite authors, the opportunity to explore minority voices is limited outside these courses. This brings up the larger question of why LMSD has sectioned off a specific course to study literature written by nonwhite Americans, rather than incorporating it into all English classes. Yes, there are already some books relating to the lives of people of color. And yes, LMSD wants to add a diverse group of voices to the English curriculum, which is fantastic, but there are several tone-deaf ramifications. Providing a single opportunity for students to explore the gamut of people of color’s perspectives is a disservice to all the other students who do not choose to take the class. Moreover, putting the task of sharing these perspectives in the hands of a white teacher once again takes away voices from already suppressed groups. If LMSD wants to make real progress, then it should focus on actually making everyone, especially the twenty-one percent of students identifying as people of color, feel like their perspectives and experiences are worth exploring in more than one classroom setting. Imprudent efforts will not suffice.
6
February 13, 2020
Opinions The Merionite
Enough is enough!
Ella Johnson ’22 In July, long before the impeachment trial began, Representative Al Green (D-Texas) told NBC News, “I’m concerned if we don’t impeach this president, he will get reelected.” We are currently living in an era in which the 2020 Democratic debates are not focused on healthcare or education, but instead on a candidate’s ability to beat Trump. Trump’s 2020 presidential bid is hanging like a dark cloud over the Democrats, who think that such a nightmare cannot possibly become reality. The Democrats have been discussing impeachment since the first day of Trump’s presidency, which seems positive to many in their party. However, what they didn’t realize was that all their talk of impeaching Trump over whatever they could find was actually an impediment to convicting the president. For the past two years, Democrats have been scratching their heads and jumping at anything that might incriminate Trump. Now that Trump actually did something incriminating, due to the previous “witch hunt” talk, the impeachment proceedings were made out to be a joke. Ideally, Trump should have been removed from office. But in this crucial election year, the impeachment route may have not been the best course of action. Plenty of Democrats wanted him impeached before the Ukraine information came out, and Nancy Pelosi, the current speaker of the house, tried to hold out as long as she could. Despite cries from several of her colleagues for impeachment, Pelosi waited until there was something substantial enough to fuel a legitimate impeachment inquiry. However, the impeachment was really just a spark for Trump’s base. They felt that what he did with Ukraine is fine, and with the Republicans rallying solidly behind him, there’s no suprise he wasn’t removed. This is a problem because many people who hold more moderate views or are undecided about who they’re voting for are unhappy with the impeachment. The concern is that these critical voters are starting to lean towards the right
because of this “witch hunt” mentality, presenting a concern that will follow the Democrats long after the Senate hearing. Because of Trump barring key witnesses from testifying, the whole inquiry turned into a farce. There was enough evidence for the Democrats to impeach him, but nothing incriminating enough for Republicans to turn on their own president. Despite constant reports that something big was coming, the Senate voted not to hear from witnesses nor subpoenaed evidence, undermining Democrat attempts to bring down Trump. Americans became bored with the impeachment, even as new developments continue to arise. News anchors on MSNBC and Fox News received more viewers than the impeachment trial did. Another issue was that Nancy Pelosi held onto the Articles of Impeachment instead of sending them directly over to the Senate. While there was a per-
Madison Halpern ’21 “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose voters,” Donald Trump boasted to a room of supporters as a presidential candidate in Iowa on January 23, 2016. Since then, every corrupt action of President Trump’s has served as a test of both his supporters’ and Republican members of Congress’ blind loyalty. The impeachment hearings were their final exam and they passed with flying colors as they spewed theories and hollered over any facts brought to the table by those testifying. As Representative Adam Smith (D-WA) described, their strategy was to “wear you down.”
Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff
fectly reasonable excuse for this, by the time she sent them over, Republicans and Democrats alike were tired of the standoff, indicating cracks in a Democratic Party that didn’t have as strong a front as they would have liked in the first place. While removing Trump was a good idea, the way the Democrats approached the impeachment provided a high chance of backfiring in the 2020 elections, and it would have been a better idea to think through the full consequences of beginning the inquiry before proceeding. Now, as the Senate trial has concluded, and we saw what Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, could pull out of his sleeve, we know the President will remain in his position for at least another year.
While Republican messaging is often inconsistent, this strategy is long-standing. Rolling back footage from the eleven hour Benghazi or the Kavanaugh hearings you’ll notice the same rhetoric, poking at witnesses and attempting to divert from the core focus. These members of congress are not shouting out their comments because they’re driven by genuine passion, but rather to cover up that they have no substantial defense for the president’s criminality. The representatives repeatedly diverged into rants about the impeachment process rather than focusing on the crime itself, spitting out illogical arguments in an attempt to paint the trial as a hoax. They threatened to out the whistleblower—undermining the Whistleblower Protection Act stating that those who raise concerns have a statutory right to anonymity—and demand
Vice President Biden and his son Hunter Biden testify, even though President Trump’s actions are on trial, and not the possible corruption in the past administration. When they did get to discussing the designated topic of the hearings, abuse of power, they attempted to normalize the act. Representative John Ratcliffe (RTX) was quick to jump to the president’s defense: “Is it ever okay to invite a foreign government to become involved in an election, involving a political opponent? The answer is ‘yes.’ It better be—we do it all of the time,” a comment dripping in falsity and criminality but disguised through rhetoric as a common sense stance. This technique is eerily similar to the idea of “big lie”, a propaganda tactic stating that the bigger, the louder, and the more repetitive the lie, the more people will believe it. Democrats are able to see the case straightforwardly laid out: the president abused his power and obstructed Congress by leveraging aid for his own personal and political gain. On the other side of the aisle, Republicans have to juggle cries about the Bidens, witness intimidation, and the normalization of confessed crimes all wrapped up into a “Big Lie.” Much like the president, these representatives know their choices are unconstitutional but don’t care as long as they manage to convince their constituency to blindly follow, destroying the system of checks and balances in their path. The articles passed through the house with zero Republicans and 229 Democrats voting yea. This division is felt amongst the people as well, with Trump’s approval rating at 42% at the time and support for impeachment at 49% on average. The Senate trial has exposed the U.S. as a nearly evenly divided nation. Republican leaders’ repeated failure to rise above party lines in defense of the constitution made it clear that the split on the issue of impeachment was not simply because one party supports the presidents’ policies and the other doesn’t, this split was because one party has integrity and the other doesn’t. “I mean, I asked it very pointblank, because we’re looking for corruption. There’s tremendous corruption. Why should we be giving hundreds of millions of dollars to countries when there’s this kind of corruption,” President Trump stated in a live interview with Fox & Friends in November 2019, admitting that he held back funds until Ukraine investigated a disproven conspiracy theory. Just as the President asserted at that Iowa campaign stop in 2016, he can commit a crime in broad daylight and cowardly Republicans will let him get away with it. Despite the outcome of the Senate trial, impeachment was a permanent stain on Trump’s legacy and the Republican party as a whole, representing a time when they put their loyalty to a lawless president over their loyalty to the Constitution.
Opinions
February 13, 2020
The Merionite
He’s in the right
Ike Mittman ’22 Source Confirmation Editor Only three times has this happened in the history of the United States. Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and now Donald Trump are the only presidents to ever be impeached. Both Johnson and Clinton were eventually acquitted by the Senate, and if not much changes, the same will most likely occur for Trump. What makes this different is that it was the first fully partisan impeachment case: only two Democrats voted against and no Republicans voted for both articles of impeachment. Many Democrats have been calling for his impeachment from the day he took office. For example, Maxine Waters, a high ranking Democrat, vowed to stop at nothing to impeach Trump. Democrats have been actively pursuing a case for impeachment as a means of removing Trump from office. Impeachment should not be the desired outcome of an investigation, instead, it should be weighed as punishment for a crime. Regardless, the crimes that Trump has been charged with are not sufficiently proven to justify removal from office. When the partisan nature of this impeachment, the abuse of power, and the misapplication of law are all noted, the case against Trump is effectively nullified. Unlike every previous impeachment, the vote was almost entirely partisan. Two Democrats voted against Article I of Abuse of Power, and three voted against Article II of Obstruction of Congress. By contrast, the number of votes against an article in Bill Clinton’s impeachment was upwards of 81 Republicans for Article IV. In addition, Clinton was also acquitted by ten Republicans in the Senate. There were votes from both Republicans and Democrats in favor of and against impeachment. A minacious partisan impeachment vote allows a party to simply remove a president they disagree with. Now, this does not invalidate their Articles of Impeachment necessarily, but it does cast serious doubts on the intentions of House Democrats. The call for impeachment from Democrats is not new. Trump has been accused of collusion with the Russians even before he was elected, which was based on speculation and resulted in no definitive answers. Many of the faces of the Democratic party presented little reasoning why besides the fact that they simply did not like him. They have made outrageous claims such as collusion, witness intimidation, and obstruction of justice. But no actual evidence has been used to support these cries. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made it a campaign issue to impeach Trump in a district where Trump
is highly unpopular, neglecting the fundamental aspect of supplying a proven example of a “high crime or misdemeanor.” Impeachment has simply become a Democratic talking point, and could lead to an abuse of power not by Trump, but by the Democrats. While one may wish to point out these arguments as nothing more than speculation, the fact of the matter is that the charges brought against Trump have not yet been proven. Article I claims that Trump abused the power of office by withholding aid from the Ukrainians if they did not investigate potential presidential contender Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. This may seem plausible, but whether or not there was intent is still unknown. One can (as do I) strongly feel that Trump wished to bring down an opponent rather than simply fight corruption, but without evidence “beyond an unreasonable doubt,” there is no way to come to such a legal conclusion. Article II, Obstruction of Congress, is a different story. It states that “President Trump directed Executive Branch agencies, offices, and offi-
cials not to comply [with subpoenas].” Put simply, a subpoena is an order to go to court. However, Trump has the right to have a subpoena challenged. Trump does not have to comply with a subpoena if he wishes to have it challenged. Only after having his case heard by the courts does he have to comply, and thus Article II is falsely applied. When the whole picture is looked at, a full argument against Trump cannot be constructed. This does not mean that he is entirely innocent, and neither does this protect him from further investigations. What this does mean is that there is no certainty “beyond an unreasonable doubt.” The concept of innocent before proven guilty is at stake here. If the highest office in this country is subjected to an improper legal system, then every individual may have one of their most basic rights—presumed innocence—stripped away.
guided towards the direction the herder wants. They do not support the impeachment out of of reason but rather just for the sake of agreeing or spiting President Trump. Also, President Trump’s approval ratings have gone up from 34 percent on November 20, 2019, to 53 percent of people who apJonathan Sommer ’21 prove on January 22, 2020, Opinions Editor according to the Rasmussen Reports. Thus, the trial may be counterproductive for the Have you ever encountered Democrats, and may show the an item or service was too people the logical fallacies in expensive but subsequently their argument, expanding proceeded to buy it? This scePresident Trump’s support. nario should seem familiar to We have lost an exorbitant Democrats for they have spent amount of money to this trial so hundreds of million dollars to far. Senators and congressmen try to prove that they are right. on average make $174,000 per Like children in a playground year. That equates to $476.71 squabble, they refuse to relent per day per representative. Afuntil their viewpoint is ruled ter three days of the trial and to be just. Furthermore, the the pay for all one hundred senators and congressmen senators was $143,013.70. One who agree with the impeachcan feed a person for only sevment of President Donald J. en dollars every day according Trump aren’t even doing so to the USDA food budget, so this equates to 20,431 people that could have been fed had the Democrats chosen not to pursue this trial. Additionally, the Mueller report cost 3.06 million dollars which equates to 437,143 people that could have been fed. The cost for the impeachment process has not been published yet but I predictthat it will cost us close to ten million dollars. This cost does not include the time wasted watching and waiting for the results from this trial. Further, once the impeachment inquiry was in the House of Representatives, for 38 with 435 representatives. That equaled $7,880,016.30, meaning 1,125,716 people that could have been fed for a day. All in all, we could have fed 1,583,291 deserving people food for a day, but the liberals would rather put one man in a bad spot light. Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff Due to their selfish actions, people are still dying, under valid motivations, but starving, and freezing. The ento follow the other Democrats tire impeachment process is a blindly. They are following waste of money and time, thus, the ones that they believe to should never have happened. ‘right’, but not making sure The Democrats have burned their opinions are factual or through several million dollogical. Yet somehow they lars of our cash to in a feeble get reelected every election. attempt to demonstrate that American’s interest in the they are correct. The most tertrial decreased after the 1st rible part is that our represenday. According to the Inteltatives and congressmen who ligencer, “A dip to 20 perconcur with the reprimand of cent in daytime viewership Donald J Trump aren’t in any may be the best indicator event doing it to support their that Trump’s impeachment prospects: most follow differis not a concern to many.” ent dissidents lacking indiThough many people were vidual thought. The liberals in support of the impeachare neither kind nor selfless, ment, little cared enough to but are mean and selfish peoeven watch the second day ple who are attacking a man of trial. Most of the Demoon no defensible grounds. crats are like sheep, easily
7
8
February 12, 2020
Opinions The Merionite
Trump’s defendable action goistic penchants of the current administra- over the Strait of Hormuz, seizing a Brittion, bluntly ignoring the context surround- ish tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar, violently ing the hit. Instead of illuminating the horrid pillaging the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, and transgressions and tarnished reputation of even authorizing a rocket attack that killed Suleimani, news circles instead painted him an American contractor in Iraq. The United as a “hero in Iran—brave, charismatic and be- States’ response throughout the period priloved by the troops,” while commenting that or to the Suleimani hit had largely been both President Trump’s actions were “motivat- retroactive and subdued; as the IRGC doubled ed by retribution” and constituted an “act of down on its efforts to play the aggressor, the war,” in the words of CNN. In the aftermath US instead responded with either diplomatic Jonathan Xu ’22 of his death, a furor spawned by the osten- or political measures that clearly had no effect tatious media fanfare even led to the web- on the former’s course of action. What became Copy Editor site of the Selective Service System, which is quite evident was that deterrence, the action It was a chilly, somber evening at the Bagh- responsible for the draft, collapsing due to of preemptively discouraging an enemy from dadi International Airport on the night of “high traffic volumes.” Such gaudy and em- pushing its agenda, was not working SuleiJanuary 3, 2020. Two figures, enmani would continue to endanger veloped in the twilight haze, stepped American lives in the Middle East off a private jet and into a small mowithout fear of reprisal. Deterrence torcade, deep in conversation. Baredoes not work without a deterrent. ly fifteen minutes into their ride, the Striking Suleimani was an inevsky suddenly came alight in a flash of itable outcome that could only two flame and fury as missiles from a cirways: preemptively or too late. Sucling U.S. drone buried themselves leimani’s leadership over the Quds into the convoy, eviscerating it in an Force caused the deaths of thouinstant. And at that very moment—in sands of civilians and American the blink of an eye—one of the most troops and propagated a reign of brutal and diabolical people to have terror within the Middle East funwalked the Middle East ceased to exist. damentally inimical to the interests That man was Qassem Suleimani, of the United States. At the end of the leader of the infamous Quds Force, the day, taking out the vicious coma branch of the Iranian Revolutionmander was the only way to reinary Guard Corps (IRGC) specializing state the principle of deterrence in military intelligence and espiothat had been foregone over the last nage—a man whose face was known several years as the American stance all across the world, revered by some, against Iran steadily waned. It also whilst held in deep animus by others. constituted the only action that both For decades, Suleimani had conspired punished Iran for harming innocent behind the scenes to advance Iran’s civilians and communicated a hardgeopolitical agenda in the Middle line message promising more if the East, contriving numerous schemes IRGC does not desist from its treachand conflicts to aid the regime in erous agenda. Iran may have tried to its goal of disseminating chaos and respond with the facade of a retaliaobliterating regional stability. It was tory strike on an American airbase, no secret that Suleimani’s abiding but the fact that Iran informed U.S. presence in the Middle East was one allies prior to their own impendtainted with the deaths of thousands Graphic by Christopher de Santis ’20/Staff ing maneuver is damning evidence of innocent civilians, from the bloodthat such efforts were only show, not stained battlegrounds of Iraq and Syria to bellished reporting, while perhaps well-suit- substance. When looking back at the great terthe far reaches of Thailand, New Delhi, La- ed for splashy headlines, is completely irrel- roristic threats of our modern era, which ingos, and Nairobi. Funding terrorism, orches- evant to what matters: protecting American clude those from Osama bin Laden and Abu trating mayhem, authorizing the massacre of interests and the lives of American citizens. Bakr Al-Baghdadi, it is quite clear that while hundreds of opposition party members, and From the moment Suleimani was consigned some of them may have rivaled Suleimani in so much more contributed to the phantom leadership over the Quds Force, he presented a reputation or track record, none of them were legacy of a man whose priorities lay only in clear and present danger to all peoples of the as insidious or perilous a threat as the Iranithe dictatorship he served with fervor, not in Middle East, especially Americans. In recent an general upon their termination. Suleimani the appreciation or recognition of human life. months, Suleimani had gone way out of his range was the greatest weapon of the Iranian regime And yet, upon the proclamation of Sulei- to flaunt Iranian military superiority over the to extort and exploit the world; incapacitating mani’s death, the mainstream media was swift region by shooting down an American drone him was the only viable solution on the table. to point to the hotheaded aggression and jin-
Arts & Entertainment
February 13, 2020
9
The Merionite
Perfect pitch
PLAYERS through the years
Angela Ge ’23
Mark Bluemle ’21
Did you know that LM has an array of a cappella groups, otherwise known as LMAC? A cappella is a form of musical performance in which a group or solo artist sings without
tational, a larger investigation was needed to hear to what the members of the club had to say regarding a cappella as an art form. The first member interviewed was O’Bannon, who is
Photos Courtesy of The Enchiridion
The members of Aces Harmony rehearsing in the music room determined to put on a stellar performance for the Amazing Ace. instrumental accompaniment. currently in her fourth year at However, what is unique about LMAC. When asked what makes LMAC is that the arrangement a cappella so remarkable, she of the groups change yearly. In noted, “one person is not in conthe past, LM has organized many trol of the rest of the group and groups including Standard Voic- you all come together, combines, Ars cantiqua, Ace’s Angels, ing only trust and some basic and currently, a co-ed group, Ace rules about music and music theHarmony. This ensemble focuses ory to create something altogethon contemporary a cappella, but er.” Lila Elkins ’23 also offered they also perform other styles like her thoughts on this question: “A barbershop and traditional glee cappella is different than other club material. Ace Harmony has forms of music because all of the sixteen members and the student sound comes from your mouth!” officers are Lewis Kothmann ’20, When asked about the future Noah Scher ’21, and Rachel For- of this art form, O’Bannon, man ’21. LMAC performs at var- “believes a cappella, since the rise ious events throughout the year, of the commonly-known music such as the upcoming LMAC group, Pentatonix, and the movie
Photos Courtesy of The Enchiridion
The Aces Harmony crew jumps for joy at one of their rehearsals. Winter Invitational on Wednesday, February 12, and the Amazing Ace competition two weeks after that. For the LMAC Winter Invitational, LM invites many local schools like Cheltenham, Baldwin, Germantown Friends, and Harriton to come perform various pieces from their repertoire and share their music together as a community. Brigit O’Bannon ’20 mentioned, “I love the invitationals because we kind of give up the standard of behaviour for a concert. It is a really great way to bring people together.” After learning about LMAC and their Winter Invi-
Pitch Perfect over the course of the last decade, is growin in popularity, but I do not believe enough people are aware of or familiar with it. I think it has so much potential to grow and gain popularity.” A capella is such a special art form because one’s voice is something that they can take with them everywhere they go, and without the mechanical restrictions of an instrument, the possibilities are endless for a variety of creative opportunities. As our understanding not only for this art form but for music itself grows, we will learn to appreciate a cappella on a deeper level.
From timeless, iconic musicals such as feet in the air.” With the success of publicity, Chicago, West Side Story, and The Addams every night had a full house filled with amazFamily, to artistic blackbox shows ranging ing and interactive crowd reactions. At interfrom Macbeth to Much Ado about Nothing, mission, snack lines were always packed and and mainstage comedies like Red Herring and the cheers at the end of the show kept getNoises Off, PLAYERS has done it all. Since its ting bigger as the actors took their final bows. founding fifty five years ago, PLAYERS has Besides the musicals and their challengput on countless shows, featuring hundreds of es and successes, blackbox shows are some of students’ hard work. Over the past ten years, the most artistic and hard-to-put-on shows for specifically, PLAYERS has evolved and suc- PLAYERS. From the small sets to the limited ceeded in creating some amazing products with lighting plots, creating a cohesive world for the game-changing costumes, sets, and technology. audience to observe is a lot of work, but the In 2010, PLAYERS kicked off the decade final product always turns out great. One of with the well-known the most artistic musical of Urineunique shows this town. And yes, they decade was Much did it again eight Ado About Nothing years later. Musicals (2018). The coshave always been tumes were one of held on the maina kind and diverstage in the auditogent for this unique rium. At this time, blackbox drama. however, LM was As this play was set in the processing in the iconic era of of constructing the the 1980s, costume new building. Bedesigners, Camryn Photo Courtesy of LMPLAYERS.com cause of this transiAmen ’18 and Chloe tion, they could not The crew of LM PLAYERS’ hard at work Amen ’20, had the designing on the set for the production of hold a unique protask of making Yerma. duction on the stage. these costumes fit Instead, the wildly hilarious and intricately the time period. This was something PLAYdetailed show was performed in the Blackbox. ERS hadn’t yet done, and with a Shakespeare Global Studies teacher John Grace, the head play set in such a distinctive time period, the coach of PLAYERS, has been through every designers really had to tap into the fads and production ranging all the way from the fall of culture of the 80s. They did that through ex2002. Grace said: “What was so cool about the ploring the vibrant colors and distinct fashion first production of Urinetown in the blackbox like puffy sleeves and baggy pants, while also is that it accomplished two things. To start off, making sure hair and makeup was at its biggest it resolved how well PLAYand boldest. All in all, ERS transitioned into new this show demonstratbuilding. This was done ed how well PLAYERS because the main theater could take a show as wasn’t functional yet —as classic as Shakespeare they were still building it.” and transform it into a He then went on to describe flashy 80s masterpiece. how it proved the flexibilThe future of PLAYity of PLAYERS by saying ERS is strong and it was a wise decision to promising, especially pick a show that we could with its upcoming show do in the Blackbox. “The already in the works. second reason being with This April, PLAYERS some things not ready to will be putting on The go—PLAYERS was rockin’ Complete Works of and it was exciting to put William Shakespeare on a show in the blackbox.” (abridged). This comThis was a pivotal part of edy centers on people PLAYERS history because making fun of Shakeit showed the full capability speare while having of what the cast and crew audience interactions Photo Courtesy of LMPLAYERS.com could really accomplish. throughout the show, LM PLAYERS composed a production Most recently, PLAYand doing improv of Yerma during the spring of the 2017ERS put on one of the as the time comes. 2018 school year. most well-known musiThis style of show is cals in Broadway history, Chicago. This tells unique, and something PLAYERS doesn’t do a story of Roxie Hart (Noa Webner ’20) and often. Having the opportunity to participate in Velma Kelly’s (Amalia Schneider ’20) fight to this kind of production, therefore, gives amazfame. This show is iconic, especially in the way ing opportunities to actors, designers, and that PLAYERS reenacted it. One of the most members of crews to try new aspects of theater. incredible aspects of the show that comes to Grace said that he is excited to see wait awaits mind was the set. Set Designer Max Fishman for PLAYERS, especially with the debate sur’22 says that “the hardest part of making the set rounding school start times coming to an end. was that it was massive. It took lots of commu- “I think that means that if the school board nication with everyone and it was a really hard pushed back start times, then I’m excited to task. The most accomplishing achievement see how PLAYERS will maintain the level of was the show orchestra on stage. In Chicago, excellence that with their reputation and how we had eight, ten, and twelve foot platforms it will adjust, but if there’s no decision, then it that could fit all of shorch on stage - twelve is always exciting is to see what comes next.”
10
Spo
February 13, 2020
The Me
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IMPRESSED ME ABOUT KOBE, AS MUCH AS HIS ATHLETICISM, WAS HIS POISE, AND HOW ORDINARY HE WAS.
TOM MCGOVERN
HE HAD THIS STEADY SORT [MENTALITY]: THIS IS MY RE SIBILITY AND I’M NOT GOIN USE ANYTHING AS AN EXCU
JEANNE MASTRIA
KOBE BRYAN
FOREVER
Sports Editors: Phillip Gao ’22, Kyle P
NO EXCUSES
A MAN OF HUMILITY
The enduring relationship between LM English teacher Jeanne Mastriano and her twice-former student Kobe Bryant has made various headlines throughout his venerated career. Their relationship blossomed in the classroom, on a foundation of trust and unparalleled respect. “It was really impressive that when he was trying out with [NBA] teams senior year he would come in with paperwork–anything he had to write, anything– he just arrived fresh off a plane and knew what the assignments were, had them done, and just kept up with everything,” Mastriano noted, praising his commitment to and prioritization of his academics. Coach Gregg Downer echoed the sentiment, recalling his “full accountability...in any walk of life. [There were] no excuses, no shortcuts. If he had an english assignment due, [he’d] get it done, do the best [he] could, and if it wasn’t good enough, [he’d] fix it.” He knew how to “pull the trigger,” Mastriano elaborated, supporting the assertion that Bryant was a no-nonsense individual and a model student-athlete for rising LMers to admire. His deference, however, came second to loyalty, as Bryant was consistent to credit Mastriano when accepting various accolades, and the two maintained a bond via thougtful phone calls, messages, and gifts. For Bryant, the ‘Mamba Mentality’ extended far beyond athletics.
Tom McGovern, the athletic director during Kobe Bryant’s tenure, remembered Bryant as a humble, hardworking player. Though he did not boast about his success, Bryant’s work ethic and conduct on and off the court impacted the students around him, and even inspired many adults to improve themselves. Bryant was becoming a phenomenon in his later years of high school, yet he remained very grounded and humble. “One of the things that impressed me about Kobe as much as his athleticism was his poise and how ordinary he was,” said McGovern. A fond memory that he had of the athlete occured after a game in Bryant’s senior year. The team was ready to leave after a victory against Haverford High School, when a child requested a picture with the athlete. The team was very rushed to leave, but right before they left, “[Bryant] turned around and gave his shoes to the kid. And then ran off.” Bryant would share this kindness and familiarity with everyone he met. McGovern recalls that Bryant would frequently “…come into my office and sit down and talk. It wasn’t like I was making him come. He’d always ask ‘how are you doing? What’s going on?’” Kobe’s impact on Lower Merion did not weaken when he left for the NBA. In the years following Bryant’s high school career, he would frequently return to his alma mater to check in on the basketball team. McGovern always believed, “It just seemed like he had a real place in his heart for Lower Merion.” Once, a conflict arose when only the boys’ basketball team was receiving sponsored attire from Nike and not the girls’, due to Bryant’s connections to LM. Kobe intervened and told McGovern that, “you know, we’ll send them to both [teams].” Though the legendary player is not with us anymore, McGovern believes that Bryant’s legacy will forever and linger in the halls of LM.
JOHN ALTOBELLI | KERI ALTOBELLI | ALYSSA ALTOBELLI | CHRISTINA MAUSER | ARA
orts
February 13, 2020
11
erionite
T OF ESPONNG TO USE.
ANO
I TURNED TO MY ASSISTANT COACHES, AFTER 5 MINUTES OF WATCHING HIM PLAY, AND I SAID, ‘THIS KID’S A PRO’
GREGG DOWNER
THERE WERE NO SHORTCUTS.
DOUG YOUNG
NT 1978-2020
R AN ACE
Patlove ’20, and Spencer Rosenbaum ’22
DEDICATION TO SUCCESS As a high school coach, the best you can hope for is continuous maximum effort from your players, regardless of circumstance. Coach Gregg Downer, in just his third season at the helm of the Aces Basketball squad, learned very quickly that Kobe Bryant would become an instant powerhouse to help set that example for the team. Bryant, as just a zealous eighth grader, showed incredible dexterity and potential during a workout that initially caught the coach’s eye, prompting Downer to turn to his assistants with a look of incredulity. Aware of the abilities of Bryant’s father, a 6’9 former forward with stints in both the NBA and overseas leagues, it was easy to see why Bryant was so comfortable on the basketball court. Yet, his genetics were undoubtably trumped by unrelenting effort and a dedication to bettering his game. Downer recalls Bryant finding any idle time he could throughout the day to put up shots and refine skills–a level of commitment that would remain consistent far beyond his high school years. In a visit back to LM years after his graduation–as a then-seasoned veteran in the NBA–Downer recounts an afternoon in which he observed Bryant working on his floater, shooting basketballs by the hundreds in an attempt to perfect form on the awkward release of the shot. When asked why he relentlessly tried for the seemingly unavailing shot, Bryant responded, “Dikembe Mutombo will never block my shot again.” Mutombo is 7’2 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest shot blocker that has ever lived. Bryant looked to change that. To harness this level of commitment and focus on a single goal, one of such specialized and minuscule purpose in proportion to the game of basketball and life itself, speaks to Bryant’s unparalleled character, as a man, ball player, and father.
NO SHORTCUTS As a friend and a teammate to Kobe Bryant during his time here at LM, Doug Young too remembers Bryant displaying a downright obsession to minutiae and an attention to detail unmatched by his peers. In the words of Young himself, to Bryant, “there were no shortcuts.” In a visit back to LM early in his NBA career, Young recounts Bryant examining a video of the Phoenix Suns–at that point a dominant force in the NBA–and quizzing the onlookers as to why shooting at the backboard would provide an advantage against the high-octane Suns. Naturally, nobody could come up with a solution, however, the answer remained quite apparent to Bryant. Shooting the ball at the backboard and resulting in a miss would slow down the fastbreak as compared to a shot that just missed after hitting the rim, a fact not easily discernible to most professional basketball players let alone the average fan. As one would expect, the relationship between Young and Bryant evolved as Bryant transitioned from a budding high school star to a multi-million dollar public figure. However, that never changed the dynamic and comfort of their relationship. Young recounts a specific memory that particularly resonates with him: a genuine act of kindness. When Bryant was approached about contributing a portion of money for the soon-to-be-constructed gym in the new building, he lacked any bit of hesitation and simply asked “how much?” as he pulled out his checkbook. Despite the fame, fortune and notoriety he obtained as a generational talent in the NBA, Bryant continued to visit and support the community that nurtured his talent and encouraged his growth. He remained faithful to his roots, although he certainly didn’t have to, and showed the world that hard work and selflessness can inspire millions to be better.
Graphics by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff
A ZOBAYAN | SARAH CHESTER | PAYTON CHESTER | GIANNA BRYANT | KOBE BRYANT
12
February 13, 2020
Features The Merionite
Celebrating Black History Month Olivia Lee ’23 The month of February is typically known for Valentine’s Day, the Super Bowl, and most importantly, the celebration of African American culture and heritage. Black History Month is celebrated throughout the month due to the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and Frederick Douglass on February 14, both of which have been celebrated together since the late 19th century. On February 7, 1926, Carter G. Woodson began the first celebration of “Negro History Week,” which led to an even bigger celebration, and eventually turned into Black History Month. This month is celebrated to honor the monumental events that have happened to the African American community within the United States over the years and how they have shaped the world we live in now. A few examples of important African Americans that are celebrated during Black History Month are Rosa Parks, Federick Douglass, and Martin Luther King Jr. Their impactful actions have affected the modern world greatly. For instance, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was initiated by Rosa Parks in 1955. This aided in the progressive steps to end segregation. In addition, Fredrick Douglass is commonly known as “The Father of the Civil Rights Movement.” After being born into slavery around 1818 in Maryland, he became an abolitionist, activist for men’s and women’s rights, and author. Finally, Martin Luther King Jr. presented the “I Have A Dream” speech, addressing the racial injustices in society and the unfair treatment of African Americans. In elementary school, we were exposed to Black History Month through articles and projects that taught us about African American heroes.
Teachers in elementary school would also use Brain Pop videos as a fun way to educate students on the impacts of these inspiring African Americans. Each year in middle school, students participated in RALLY meetings during LEARN to discuss more about the subject. The documentaries we watched ignited discussions in class. With everyone’s opinions, students could spark ideas and ways to share what we had learned. During Black History Month in LM, the school holds performances and educational talks to increase the knowledge of students. Furthermore, the announcements recite an interesting fact about black history daily for the duration of the month. Depending on the teacher, students throughout the month may be given projects or assignments to express their knowledge they have learned. Overall, Black History Month holds great importance to the United States, and is thankfully taught and discussed throughout our school district, exposing students to critical values.
President’s Day Crossword Angela Ge ’23
Across 1. Activities related to government 6. President during the Civil War 10. We the people of the ______ ______, in order... 13. February 22 is George Washington’s ________ 14. Where you write down your vote 16. A constitutional right of the president to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body 17. The month that this holiday occurs in 19. Voting occurs on this Tuesday (________ Day) Down 2. Supreme law of the land 3. The first American one was made by Betsy Ross 4. The background color of the stars 5. Similar to nationalism 7. To charge (the holder of a public office) with misconduct 8. He cut down his father’s cherry tree 9. 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500 11. Four types of government are: oligarchy, aristocracy, monarchy, and ________ 12. Someone that people follow 15. Head of state in the US 18. One of the colors of the stripes
Mia Hail ’23 Every few years, C-SPAN polls 100 historians and biographers to create a ranking of the best U.S. Presidents. They create a survey that measures 10 qualities of presidential leadership, including public persuasion, crisis leadership, economic management, moral authority, international relations, administrative skills, relations with Congress, vision, pursuit of equal justice for all, and performance within the context of his times. In a survey released in 2017, 34th president Dwight D. Eisenhower came in fifth place; he is known for serving his presidential term during great tensions of the Cold War, and he also became the founder of NASA on behalf of the war effort. In fourth place is Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, who is featured on Mount Rushmore, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906, and is one of the most admired presidents in history. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president, takes third place for his efforts during the Great Depression to pass the New Deal and create jobs. He is also known for serving through the high tensions of World War II, and remains the only president in history to serve more than two terms. The first president of the United States, George Washington, earned himself second place due to his great leadership skills, his extreme importance as the founder of the United States of America, and the many precedents he set for all of his successors. Finally, ranking first is 16th president Abraham Lincoln. He faced very difficult circumstances as a president serving in the midst of the Civil War. He nonetheless managed to make important strides that led towards the abolishment of slavery and delivered the famous Gettysburg Address. He was able to unite America once again, and put an end to the Civil War just three days before his devastating assassination. When asking LM students who they think should be in the top five presidents of all time, a few names frequently came up. Barack Obama was one of them, likely because he was a recent enough president that LM students remember his administration well. To many students he represents a governmental era of stability and decorum. William Howard Taft is also a president many admire due to both humorous stories about him (most notably him getting stuck in a bathtub) and his legacy post-presidency as a Supreme Court Justice. Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Franklin D. Roosevelt were all recognized among C-SPAN’s historians and LM students alike. Graphics by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff
Arts & Entertainment
February 13, 2020
13
Ëditorß' Pickß The Merionite
The Grammy Awards Arts & Entertainment Editors
Over the reviewing presented songs and
past month, the A&E editors have spent time diligently this year's Grammy Award nominees. The awards were on Sunday, January 26th, but if we had it our way, these artists would have been the winners of the 2020 Grammys.
SONG OF THE YEAR
Noa: "Truth Hurts," Lizzo Sophie: "Sunflower," Post Malone Sydney: "Truth Hurts," Lizzo Winner: "Bad Guy," Billie Eilish
Best
pop
Best
new
solo
performance
Noa: Lizzo, "Truth Hurts" Sophie: Billie Eilish, "Bad Guy" Sydney: Ariana Grande, "7 Rings" Winner: Lizzo, "Truth Hurts"
artist
Noa: Lil Nas X Sophie: Maggie Rogers Sydney: Lizzo Winner: Billie Eilish
Album
of
the
year
Noa: Bon Iver, I,I Sophie: Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next Sydney: Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next
Winner: Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go
Best
rap
song
Noa: YBN Cordae, "Bad Idea" Sophie: YBN Cordae, "Bad Idea" Sydney: DaBaby, "Suge" Winner: 21 Savange ft. J Cole, "A Lot"
Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff
Now streaming: hidden gems Cecelia Kurland ’22 Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl, Riverdale, You, The Good Place, Friends, and The Office are just some of the most popular teen TV shows that are binged for hours and hours nightly. But what about the TV shows you scroll past when wanting to watch your favorite episode of Friends for the hundredth time? It may be hard to believe, but different TV shows exist! So crazy, right? On Netflix, one of the most underrated, and most informative TV shows is Diagnosis. Produced by The New York Times, Dr. Lisa Sanders uses the power of the internet to diagnose different cases of real people living with life-altering medical mysteries. This show not only informs you about different types of rare illnesses, but also gives you a glimpse into how different doctors and non-doctors think and choose to act in different scenarios. In this case, they are placed in a stressful a situation where they must diagnose a person suffering from an “unsolvable” illness. Another TV show that is a must-watch is called Red Oaks. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video and taking place in the summer of 1985, the show follows a student working at New Jersey's Red Oaks Country Club over
the summer. The main character, Daniel, just wants to relax, but finds himself burdened with the stress of preparing for college and balancing his social life. This show is a must-watch, and it will definitely get you ready for the summer. For the people trying to look for an older TV show, The Wonder Years, on Hulu, is most certainly dated, but is nevertheless an amazing find. This show is set in the 60s and 70s. It follows a young boy named Kevin and his best friend Paul as they overcome different obstacles together. It is a mature and entertaining show for anyone looking for a feel-good series. Another worthwile show on Netflix is called Chef’s Table, an Emmy-nominated series that follows different chefs throughout the world who are taking new approaches to cooking and displaying food. It features an array of cultures, foods and chefs, all with their own interesting personalities. This show is not your ordinary cooking show and is informative while staying entertaining. Finding time to check out a new show is very exciting, and also a great way to gain a new perspective on TV. Happy Streaming! Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff
14
February 13, 2020
Arts & Entertainment The Merionite
The Force isn’t strong with these films Aydan Herold ’20
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Cats (2019) Cats is the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s 1981 Broadway musical of the same name. The movie was directed by Tom Hooper, an Oscar-winning director celebrated for his films The King’s Speech and Les Miserables. Naturally, one would assume that this kind of pairing would result in a, at the very least, a satisfying movie musical. Unfortunately, the end result is a catastrophe that reeks of creative choices left unchecked and rushed Computer Generated Imagery (CGI). The story of Cats (what little of it there is) revolves around a cat named Victoria (Francisca Hayward), who seeks to join a gang of alley cats named the Jellicle Cats. While these Jellicle Cats do little to explain what the word “jellicle” means, they do explain that their leader, an elderly cat named Old Deuteronomy (Dame Judi Dench), will be hosting a “Jellicle Ball” and granting one lucky cat the chance at a “new life.” For the next ninety minutes, the audience is bombarded with a series of songs in which several cats, played by such stars as James Corden, Rebel Wilson, and Jason Derulo, introduce themselves and state how they intend to be reborn, until the movie reaches a climax equivalent to a bump on a rollercoaster meant for five year olds. The cats sing about their names and what they do, then disappear for almost the entire rest of the movie. According to reviews from Vox and The New York Times, Cats works better when seen live. At the play, one can better appreciate the singing, dancing, and eccentric costumes and sets. Some also say that the show does not force much of a plot in order to accentuate its assets. This does not work within a film where plot is one of the most important elements, especially when being released to mainstream audiences. Another reason the musical does not translate to film is because every character is completely covered up by horrifying CGI. The bizarre fusion of feline traits with human body limbs and torsos obfuscates the dancers’ performances and actively draws attention to the uncanny valley of their characters’ faces. This indecision on where the line between cat and human should be drawn leads into my next issue with this film: the rating. Despite being rated PG, there is an undeniable sexual overtone present in nearly every scene. The human bodies of the cats mixed with their rather short fur makes every character looks like a naked human from a distance. Throughout the film there are moments where the characters are supposed to be nuzzling, but due to a lack of felinity in their faces and musical cues, the audience is led to believe that they will kiss. Never has a film this year made me laugh so hard while feeling so empty on the inside. The attempt at a story is pitiful. The CGI makes me question who at Universal Pictures still has a job after allowing it to play in theaters around the country. The acting is over the top and strange. I was unsure whether to call this film worthless and give it a zero, or decree that it is so bad that it’s good and give it a two. I will instead compromise and give Cats a 1/10. If you hate musicals, or bad movies in general, this is certainly one to avoid. However, if you enjoy watching “so-bad-they’re-good” films, I beg of you to see this movie. It will be an experience unlike any other.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the last movie in the Star Wars series and supposedly the last movie in the entire Skywalker saga. It is the end of a series spanning nine movies, forty years, and billions of dollars in revenue. After escaping the First Order in The Last Jedi, main characters Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac) are continuing to lead the rebellion against the fearsome regime. However, the course of the war changes when the villainous Emperor rises again with an immense army of Star Destroyers. He urges the leader of the First Order, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), to bring Rey to him and to crush the rebellion once and for all. Unfortunately, The Rise of Skywalker’s biggest problem is its script. In turn, the characters and pacing of its first act suffer greatly as well. The first forty minutes of the movie are quite repetitive. The main characters find themselves in a cycle of finding a new planet to look for a plot device, finding said plot device, being interrupted by the First Order, fighting Kylo Ren, then leaving said planet. The same scene essentially happens three times over before The Rise of Skywalker begins to build any real momentum towards its conclusion. Additionally, I felt as though many of the characters do not experience any meaningful change. This is disappointing considering that these characters are what made the last two films in the series interesting. As a result, the events of the film appear to have had little impact on the characters by the end. On the bright side, the acting is a major highlight of this film. Ridley holds her own as the central star of the film. Boyega and Isaac both seem to be having fun with their parts, and add needed levity to the film. Driver is able to bring much more emotion to his character than the script presented. Visually, this movie is also a treat. The lightsaber fights are well choreographed, the space battles are adrenaline-pumping, and the Computer Generated Imagery looks fantastic. However, these elements lose something due to this film’s lacking script. Without investment in the story and characters, there is no real meaning or stakes to all the action. Overall, The Rise of Skywalker is a relatively disappointing ending to a franchise that once had more potential than any other. Although it delivers a ride that is fun in the moment, with good effects, and a stellar cast, upon a closer look at the story and how this movie fits into the Star Wars Saga as a whole, I very much doubt that this movie will have the legs to stand for longer than an initial viewing. It spends too long trying to appeal to fans and fill its runtime, which weighs down what could have been a spectacular finale to this space opera. While it is not the worst movie out of the nine, and I can see myself rewatching it, it is one of the more forgettable entries, and feels more like a corporate product than the vision of a director wanting to conclude a series. I am giving The Rise of Skywalker a 5/10. I will likely not remember it as clearly or as fondly as The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi within the coming months, but I would not call my experience watching it a particularly bad time either. Go see this one if you really love Star Wars or simply want to go to the theaters for a fun movie. Graphic by Cate Roser ’21/Staff
What to watch this Valentine’s Day Katherine Fang ’23 We may all occasionally make fun of cheesy Valentine’s Daythemed movies, but to some extent, we have to admit that they are quite entertaining. There are variety of films offer different components that can add a little something special to the holiday of love. Each of these film recommendations revolves around one common theme: love, and thus they are perfect for keeping you entertained this Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking to watch a classic romantic drama, try... La La Land– Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz pianist, initially meet in a fit of road rage. As the story progresses, they are drawn together through the pursuit of their dream jobs in entertainment. The ending makes this film great for Valentine’s Day. Also, this film is filled with amazing musical numbers that will captivate viewers. The cinematography is wonderful, including many beautiful color combinations. I cannot recommend this movie enough. If you are interested in rom-coms, check out... To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before– This movie is definitely worth a watch this Valentine’s Day, even if you’ve already watched it well over five times (not speaking from personal experience). When Lara Jean Covey’s (Lana Condor) love letters to her crushes are unexpectedly sent out, even though they were intended for her eyes only, her life turns into chaos–but the good kind, obviously. Whether you’re swooning over love interest Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), relating to Lara Jean, or just looking to enjoy the drama, you will surely appreciate this film. Not to mention, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You will also be released on February 12, 2020. Anyone can enjoy this movie, especially hopeless romantics. Make sure to watch it if you haven’t, rewatch it if you have, and get excited for the sequel!
Crazy Rich Asians– Crazy Rich Asians is a wonderful film to watch this Valentine’s Day. In this movie, NYU Professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) accompanies her boyfriend, Nick (Henry Golding), to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. There, she learns that Nick is a member of an extremely wealthy family, and that his mother (Michelle Yeoh) does not approve of her. Rachel must now deal with his disapproving mother and the newfound attention that she receives. This movie may seem cliché at first, but it is really so much more. Crazy Rich Asians delivers many meaningful scenes that make it incredibly entertaining. If you don’t feel like watching live action movies, here are some animated ones to watch instead... Tangled– The relationship between Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) and Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is one of the most genuine out of the Disney princess films. They spend lots of time together and gain each other’s trust before eventually falling in love, which can be seen as a good model for real-life relationships. Additionally, they are both willing to sacrifice important components of their lives for each other, which is representative of true love. If you want a resounding happily-ever-after ending, this is a great option for Valentine’s Day. Not to mention, Rapunzel’s pet chameleon adds an extra flair to this already phenomenal film. Your Name– This is a Japanese animated romantic film tells the story of a school girl (Mone Kamishiraishi) who grows tired with her life in the country. After wishing to be a handsome boy in her next life, she switches bodies with a high school boy (Ryūnosuke Kamiki). They then both begin to affect each other’s lives. But what happens when a comet separates their timelines? Will they ever meet? I highly recommend this romance film because of its interesting plotline and beautiful animation.
Arts & Entertainment
February 13, 2020
The Merionite
ACE OF THE ARTS The Merionite (TM): How are you involved in the arts at LM? Amanda Tonsey (AT): I’m currently enrolled in AP Art. I also contribute graphics for the Merionite occasionally and I’m the Graphic Designer for PLAYERS’ winter show, Radium Girls. TM: What is the first time you started making digital art? AT: When I was in third or fourth grade, I had a little iPod, and I downloaded a drawing app and drew with my finger. When I got an iPad in fifth grade, I kept drawing digitally and I’ve been creating art ever since.
“Take A Walk”
Graphic by Amanda Tonsey ’21
TM: What have you done to foster your love of digital art over the years? AT: I mainly make art for myself and keep it in a folder on my iPad. I’ve done many shows in PLAYERS on the art mini-crew in publicity. This show I created all of the graphics from the poster to the button design. Additionally, last year I took the Communication Design Art Class LM offers and I enjoyed being able to do my own thing and be mainly in charge of the kind of art I was creating. TM: This summer you volunteered at Main Line Arts Center as a Counselor In Training–tell us about your experience. AT: I was a CIT for preteen artists who attended the camp. I would follow them to their class stations and help them out with their pieces. A lot of the times I was helping kids out in the pottery and jewelry classes.
“Queen of Hearts”
Graphic by Amanda Tonsey ’21
TM: What’s your favorite piece of art you’ve ever made? AT: Over the summer, I had to make some pieces for AP Art. I created a piece that was supposed to reflect TM: What have you done in PLAYsomeone listening to the song “Take ERS? AT: Freshman year in PLAYERS I was a Walk” by Passion Pit without revealing what the song was. I liked always in the art team in publicity so making this piece because I got to I did a lot of little designs for shows. This show as Graphic Designer, I made experiment with features I usually didn’t include in my pieces. I like the poster and played around with changing the poster for the PLAYBILL how it turned out. and ticket design. I’ve created sticker and button designs and made a News- TM: Do you plan on continuing your love of art in college and after high letter cover. school? AT: Definitely! I’m aiming to go to TM: Where does your inspiration art school and have a career centered come from? AT: I follow a lot of artists on Twitter around art. I’m not sure what exactly and Instagram, and read a lot of graph- that career would be focued on, or what exactly I want to do with my art ic novels. I take a lot of pictures on my phone of random things, so every- yet, though.
15
16
February 13, 2020
Features Love around the globe The Merionite
Claire Wang ’23
Celebrated all around the globe, Valentine’s Day marks the time to show your affection and love towards others close to you. A day showered with flowers, sweets, and romantic comedies, and shelves lined with stuffed animals and boxes of chocolate. Although these may be the staples of Valentine’s Day in the U.S., other countries have alternative and unique ways of declaring their love. The global holiday is celebrated differently in other corners of the world. For example, in Denmark, lovers exchange pressed white flowers called “snowdrops,” along with handmade cards as a replacement for red and white roses. Traditionally, gifts are given on the single day of February fourteenth, but this is not the case for the people of South Korea. South Koreans have a series of gift-giving days that span across three months. It begins on Valentine’s Day, where women offer their partner a variety of sweets and presents. However, a month later on March 14, the men return the favor with all sorts of gifts. The final
the day eating black bean-paste noodles weeping about their lonesome social status. This is similar to the singles in Lower Merion, but instead of black noodles, a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream often helps students cope with their solitary lifestyles.
“On the fifteenth of the Jewish month of Av (usually July/August)— considered the holiday of love, there is a lot of dancing, singing to celebrate the love they share with one another” - Nehama Dorms ’19
Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20
“My birthday is on Valentine’s Day, so my family and I celebrate by going to an indoor waterpark.” -Anika Wolchuk ’20
day on April fourteenth is dedicated to those who do not have a relationship to celebrate. They spend
Further, in England, candies and little presents are left on the porches for children on Valentine’s Day from “Jack Valentine,” the Santa of February 14th.
On a brighter note, Valentine’s Day has a particular significance in the Philippines, because many couples gather their friends and families to get married on that date. Venues and gardens are packed as new couples unite and old lovers renew their vows. Instead of giving gifts on the 14th, the Welsh celebrate their patron saint of lovers called Saint Dwynwen on January 25. It is also customary to present their beloved ones with carved wooden spoons festooned with patterns and designs holding several meanings. For instance, the symbols engraved can contain different connotations like luck, which is represented by a horseshoe.
Additionally, for women in South Africa, displaying affection and making those they admire aware of their endearment is a simple process. The ancient Roman tradition of literally wearing hearts on their sleeves and pinning the names of their love interests is extremely common. These customs of showing admiration may seem unusual and different to what we are used to in Lower Merion, but they all share a similar underlying component of appreciating and celebrating love. Around the corner is most likely a Wawa where those who are forgetful can purchase last-minute chocolate roses and candy hearts. At LM, couples traditionally go to romantic dinners at restaurants such as Continental and Hymies, or enjoy fondue at The Melting Pot. Some may travel to the outdoor ice skating rinks in Philly or the natural scenery at Longwood gardens. However LM students choose to spend this Valentine’s Day, the sentiments behind the celebrations will likely be similar to those of lovers’ around the world.
Features
February 13, 2020
17
The Merionite
Crushes or grade-crushers? Julia Russel ’23 School can place many disadvantages and advantages on adolescent relationships, and relationships can have similar effects on one’s academics. Although there’s an expected level of stress on both partners in any given relationship, school can immensely heighten stresslevels, which can then be taken out on said relationships and be harmful to their well-being of the parties involved. From homework to tests to stress-inducing projects and speeches, there is a lot of work for students to complete in a single school week, wreaking havoc on the stability of said relationships. Another disadvantage of high school relatioships are the distractions an active student faces throughout the school year. After discussing with various LM classmates who are currently in a relationship, I found they shared the sentiment that finding time for their significant other was more difficult during the school year. School requires about seven hours of a student’s day at a minimum, and when extra-curricular activities and athletics are added, it can be nearly impossible to schedule time to foster or develop a relationship. Despite the negative influences academics may
pose on a relationship, it is evident the converse is true: relationships can pose major threats on academic prosperity as significant others can easily distract students from doing their school work. Further, avoiding one’s work by spending time with another can increase stress levels, as it the looming threat of work only intensifies when put aside. Although significant others serve as temporary academic distractions, once back in an academic environment, the weight of the assignments surely returns. It is taxing to balance all the activities and school work along with time for your loved one as well. This can eventually affect students’ performance in school. If a student cannot manage to balance academics and a relationship, most would agree that he or she should not be in one. On the contrary, many LM students have expressed that their relationships actually encourage success in school. For many, building healthy and strong relationships led both members of said relationship to be much more motivated, as their stable mentalhealth promoted academic prosperity. It it easier to the understand the impact of academics
on relationships with the control of summer: a long, stress-free time period that can foster closer and stronger bonds in a relationship. Freshman Inbal David noted, “in the summer there is no need to balance anything, so [my boyfriend and I] always have time to be with each other.” This was beneficial for their relationship. She continued, “but during the school year we need to set aside time to work on homework, after school activities, etc.” which can sometimes be strenuous. Consciously deciding to prioitize school over romantic relationships is essential for some, as a relationship can tend to bring negative effects upon school work, and decrease participation in clubs and extracurriculars. However, some people do benefit from spending time with their significant others, as they might be inspired and motivated to particpate more and work harder. Everyone is different— for some it might be best to stay out of relationships in high school, and for others it is great way for them to develop emotionally and socially. Either way, high school can definitely have a very large impact on relationships.
Soulmate or snap-mate? Nolan Shanley ’23 As the years go by, Valentine’s Day has gained more popularity as a holiday. “Dating” has never seemed more relevant in teenage society than it does today. Back in the day, Valentine’s Day was definitely less popular as far as how many people celebrated it, but it may have been more meaningful to those who did engage in celebration. As shown in the movies, the original Valentine’s Day tradition was for a boyfriend to show up to his girlfriend’s house with roses, a box of chocolates, and a cute teddy bear. Yeah, yeah… we’ve all watched those scenes in films and TV and cringed. But nowadays… things have completely changed. Back then, relationships were in some ways much less communicative, as they didn’t have access to all the methods of communication we do today. Additionally, couples were less publically-expressive, however social media has definitely lowered the comfort-threshold for many couples. Today, Valentine’s Day tends to be celebrated with social media in mind, sometimes over anything else. It’s not uncommon to see giant bouquets bought simply for bragging rights on Instagram. As times have changed, love has changed with it. I know that when many parents met, they got to know each other well before they started a relationship, but now people can get into a relationship only by talking to each other through social media platforms, or texting.
For example, many people’s #1 best friend on Snapchat might not be their actual best friend, or even someone they’ve ever met before, but instead someone who they have a crush on. The way people created a relationship in the past involved more face-to-face communication, while nowadays apps like Snapchat and Instagram are chiefly used for forming relationships, they have almost taken over. This sometimes leads to the basis of a relationship being on aesthetics. Some of these relationships can be toxic and fake, resulting in devastating heartbreak. It is upsetting to see how relationships and love have evolved to not carry as much significance and importance as they did in earlier times like my parents experienced. It can also be gathered, however, that despite social media’s evolution and interference, societal progress and acceptance has been vital for healthy relationship forming.
Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20
18
February 13, 2020
Sports The Merionite
Athletes escape the vape Spencer Rosenbaum ’22 According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2019, approximately 27.5 percent of high school students reported that they had used electronic cigarettes—a type of vaping product—in the past thirty days. In addition, 5.4 million middle and high school students claimed that they frequently use these products. Vaping, the act of inhaling vapor through the mouth from a battery-operated device that vaporizes liquid, has become progressively common amongst student-athletes, especially those involved in endurance-related sports. The increased use of these addictive products has proven to have detrimental effects on the academics and overall health of youth nationwide, with the brunt of these concerns on student-athletes. As LM Aces Boys Soccer defender Sam Hecht ’21 wisely remarked, “it’s a shame that vapes were ever thrust into the spotlight as the likelihood of kids smoking cigarettes before games does not even compare to the likelihood of them vaping before games.” The growth in prevalence of vaping as opposed to smoking cigarettes can primarily be attributed to the artificial flavor-filled pods and the common fallacy that the health risks accompanying them are minuscule or even nonexistent. Although many of the health implications remain unbeknownst to doctors, studies have found that pods from electronic cigarettes can lead to cardiac disease, lung disease, and invoke harm to maturing adolescent brains. For student-athletes, the consequences are thought to be even harsher than their non-athlete peers. As a 2017 study by Massey University discerned, teens involved in athletics that are addicted have been known to become tired at an accelerated rate during practice and games as a result of the effects that vaping has on the lungs. When an athlete becomes tired quickly,they lose the ability to execute at their full potential and will carry out the performance with perfunctory effort. Furthermore, Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel, a professor of otolaryngology at Boston University School of Medicine, studied the repercussions of vaping and determined an even more shocking corollary. Spiegel ascertained that vaping interferes with the human body’s ability to heal properly. Therefore, athletes that use these products may face additional risks such as lengthened injury recovery time as well as
the possibility of unsuccessful training. Building muscle, one of the largest components of strength training, is completely contingent on the replenishment of supplementary, stronger muscles to replace torn ones as a result of aggressive training regimens. Essentially, by vaping, an athlete’s training is not as effective as it would be otherwise and thus their performance on gameday will suffer as well. For numerous athletes, like sophomore Henry Bard, those consequences are simply not worthwhile. Bard, a player on the Aces Basketball and Lacrosse teams, stated that he “always aim[s] to play at the highest level and that abstaining from vaping will help [him] accomplish that.” These limits on athletic performance—in addition to the health rewards that accompany those that desist from vaping—are precisely why school officials and coaches have begun to punish students for it. Unfortunately, schools nationwide have faced immense troubles in determining appropriate penalties for students caught vaping. According to the Addiction Center, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for adminstrations to hold students accoutable for these offenese. Athletic Director of Framingham High School Paul Spear has found his school, located in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, to be no outlier. Spear reported that student-athletes who have been caught vaping are sent to his office weekly and are typically suspended for multiple games. According to the Addiction Center, while acknowledging that missing games can certianty impede a player’s ability to play collegiate sports, in an interview, Spear noted that “the worst part of [his] job is telling a student-athlete they can’t compete because they’ve done something that precludes them from being part of their team.” Nonetheless, he recognizes that students need to understand that the dangers of e-cigarette usage are not worth immediate, short-lived satisfaction. This brief burst of appeasement that has sparked the popularization of vapes among youth has ultimately led the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, to consider it an epidemic. An epidemic, despite what many believe, that has left athletes at the center of the crisis.
Concussion circumvention at LM Alex Frankel ’22 If you’ve ever had a concussion, you are familiar with how burdensome managing recovery can become. In recent years, concussions have grown to be a leading issue in sports at all levels, from youth soccer to professional football. Rising concerns about brain damage in children and teenagers has many individuals, especially parents, speculating about the safety of school sports. Luckily, LM has an effective protocol set in place to order assure any athlete diagnosed with a concussion is able to safely return to their sport in a timely manner. This protocol and concussion management method is what keeps LM athletes protected from the harmful long term effects that concussions may bring. One of the most trusted and widely utilized methods in our school district involving concussion management is ImPACT testing. Prior to any sort of physical activity involving a school sport, student athletes must undergo a series of computer tests pertaining to memory, reaction time, and other cognitive abilities. These tests set a baseline for each athlete’s cognitive abilities, and when a player is hit in the head in any fashion, another ImPACT test will tell whether or not the collision has altered brain fuctionality. Once an athlete has been diagnosed with a concussion by LM’s training staff, it is important that they follow the school’s concussion protocol in order to recover from their concussion safely. The standard protocol for concussion management used at LM, usually referred to as Return-to-Play protocol, is broken down into five stages, with each stage gradually re-introducing athletes back into their normal playing routine. After being removed from the game to prevent any further head collisions, it is important to follow these safety measures in order to return to your respective sport in a timely manner without risking further injury. Stage one of the Return-to-Play protocols is during the first two to four days after suffering a concussion. During this time, the athlete must be under “complete rest”, which involves staying away from as much physical and mental activity as possible. Depending on the severity of an athlete’s concussion, they may be kept out of school for a few days. During stage two, an athlete is to follow up “complete rest” with “reasonable
rest” meaning that they can begin light exercise and light cognitive activity. This stage can begin once an athlete’s symptoms have reduced, and they are able to function at school. Michael O’Brien, the current director of Boston Children’s Sports Concussion Clinic, explains that the purpose of this stage is to “reintroduce light-to medium-intensity exercise, which is always non-contact until they are completely recovered”. Some common activities that are recommended for stage two of the recovery process are light stretching, light aerobic conditioning, and some resistance training. Stage three of the protocols is when athletes can move onto full body exercises, basically any movement involving running, jumping, and balance. Vigorous exercise should still be avoided, as the brain is still not fully recovered from injury. This stage acts as a good segway into fully returning to action, as it allows athletes to get back into shape without causing trauma to their healing brain. Once the athlete has multiple days of success in stage three, it is safe for them to move onto stage four. At this point, they can exercise fully with maximum effort. However, the brain is not fully healed, so an athlete must still avoid contact in their activity. It is important not to rush into any contact exercise at this point to not reinjure the brain. The athlete must stay in this stage until they are cleared by a doctor. The final stage of the Return-to-Play protocol is the athlete returning to full contact in their respective sport, with clearance from a doctor, alongside being able to participate in full cognitive activities. The brain has fully healed by now, and therefore it is safe to return to maximum effort exercise. LM has implemented this protocol with long term safety in mind, as it’s of utmost importance that no student athlete suffers long term brain damage from a concussion. As the years have gone on, more and more parents are speculating about the safety of youth sports, because they want to keep their children safe from any brain damage or trauma that could happen in a contact sport. Luckily, there are safe and easy protocols that are set in place to make sure that any athlete that suffers a concussion is able to fully heal, and return to their sport without having to worry about any further injury.
Sports
February 13, 2020
19
The Merionite
School start times: an athlete’s take Opposed to the adoption
Infavor of the proposal
Ellie Ward ’21
Ben Wolf ’22 Lower Merion School District’s long-debated proposed start time changes for the elementary, middle, and high schools have been frequently discussed, their potential benefits and alleged consequences weighed. A major topic of debate has been how these changes, which could involve pushing the high school’s start and end times back nearly an hour, might affect LM’s student-athletes. With each school day slated to end at 3:25 p.m. rather than the previous time of 2:40 p.m., practices, games, and meets for indoor sports could begin at slightly later times without any significant negative impact on the daily lives of student-athletes. The solution for outdoor sports is somewhat more complicated, as weather and darkness could become a problem. To address this, the district could install lighting on school property and if necessary, athletes may miss more class time as long as they would be provided with the opportunity to swiftly make up any work they may have missed. Lunch and Learn is an incredible system that may prove to be quite useful to a large number of students who represent LM in athletics. Lack of sleep among teenagers, particularly high school students, has been a major influence in LMSD’s decision to make the aforementioned changes. The logical (and correct) conclusion is that beginning classes an hour later will allow students to be more alert, healthier, and happier throughout the day. For students who don’t get home from practices or games until 6:00 p.m. or later almost every single day, it can be difficult to finish schoolwork, spend time with family, or just relax and communicate with friends while maintaining a balanced and healthy sleep pattern. Anybody who has played a sport will tell you that it is hard to overstate the importance of a good night of sleep prior to a big game. It can be a struggle to regain the intensity needed to perform on the court or field after a nap on the bus ride to an away game or maintain focus for another few hours of practice after a grueling day of academic work. Although later practices and games would require student-athletes to get ahead of schedule on schoolwork
when possible and cut down on free time when necessary, an extra hour of sleep can go a long way in energizing teenagers to get through an overwhelming day of classes and exhausting athletic events. “I would end up going to bed around the same time no matter when school ended, so the extra hour of sleep in the morning would benefit my health throughout the day,” says sophomore baseball player Ilan Tauber.
With the current scheduling, student-athletes at LM are often forced to work tirelessly once they arrive home from practice so they can finish their homework and complete any other chores that are required of them. However, if new start times are enacted, athletes will have even less time to complete their homework, and in turn will be forced to stay up later in order to finish it all. One of the most apparent reasons why the school
Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff
Changing the school start time pushes back school activities, which means that athletes have to play at later times. Above all, it is unlikely that the district would have gone forward with the decision to change times had they believed it would disrupt or hinder the enjoyment and success of its sports teams. Its implementation is meant to aid all high school students, including athletes. The benefits of additional sleep on the health, happiness, and overall performance of student-athletes far outweigh the minor inconveniences posed by permanently pushing the high school start times back by an hour.
board is considering this change is so that students will be able to sleep longer and have their sleep patterns align with professional recommendations. However, as a result of the change, students would come home from practice exhausted and then would have to complete homework later than they otherwise would, making the school board’s attempt at improving the lives of students essentially ineffective. Not only would athletes be completing their homework later, there is simply not enough daylight to fit every team into a practice schedule, especial-
ly during the fall and spring seasons. The soccer, football, and field hockey teams all share the same turf field and with the current schedule, each team is only able to practice for around an hour each day. The new schedule would make practice time incredibly slim, ultimately causing the practices to be less beneficial. In the opinion of junior athlete Ella Braunfeld, “the girls soccer team currently does not receive enough turf time. If the practice times were pushed back even later, it would be absolutely necessary that we add lights to the field. Otherwise, later school start times simply are not possible for athletes.” In addition, the amount of time that teams get on the turf is not the only issue that would be exacerbated by later start times. Sports such as crew, squash, and swimming would also be greatly affected. For example, the squash team practices at the Cynwyd Club, a privately owned club, strictly from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. because the coaches have lessons to teach to club members after training. So, if later start times were added, squash practice would possibly be cut shorter or have to cut into the Cynwyd Club’s lesson times. Both of these scenarios are far from ideal with respect to the betterment of the team and the generosity exhibited by the Cynwyd Club throughout the years. As the schedule currently permits, athletes are excused from class generally around 2:15 p.m. to attend away matches. Since the Central League is currently not considering a change in game schedules, it would be highly unlikely that the time for away games would be able to be pushed back; it would disrupt the rest of the schools in the conference and how they handle their away matches. If after-school games or matches were to remain at the same time, student-athletes would be forced to miss significant class time in order to participate in athletic competitions. This puts athletes at a severe disadvantage compared to students who do not engage in sports, since athletes will have to absorb the same amount of material, only in a shorter amount of time. Considering the plight it would put on athletes from a standpoint of ample practice time, study time, and getting enough sleep at night, it would be totally unreasonable to expect a seamless transition to the proposed schedule if adopted next year.
A Super Bowl of firsts Elijah Bloch ’22 Super Bowl LIV was one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year Patriots. This year made it the second Super Bowl lead forfeited in just the and many LM students may agree it certainly lived up to the hype. The match past four seasons for Shanahan. Given that the Chiefs were able to put together was between the offensive power in the Kansas City Chiefs, led by quartersuch a comeback with only six minutes left in the game, not only did coach Reid back Patrick Mahomes II, and what was said to be the best receive his first Super Bowl victory, but Mahomes also became defense this season by the San Francisco 49ers. From an the youngest player to win both MVP of the NFL and LM standpoint, many football fans were rooting for the MVP of the Super Bowl. Along with the excitement of the Chiefs, as their coach, Andy Reid, is a former long-time game, Super Bowl LIV came with plentiful entertainment. coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Reid is notorious for his With the popularity of the event consistently on many winning records during the regular season, but come the rise, the average cost for a 30-second commercial playoff time, his teams have underperformed time and during this year’s Super Bowl was around 5.6 million time again. This year however, things changed as the dollars. In addition to the commercials, during this year’s Chiefs notched a fourth quarter comeback after being halftime show, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira down 20-10, led by Mahomes (who would later receive Sucommanded the stage and captured the attention of per Bowl MVP) and the pass-first offensive style of Andy 103 million viewers, which was a four percent viewReid. Kyle Shanahan, coach of the 49ers, suffered from Photo courtesy of Visit Philadelphia ership increase from last year. With numerous firsts the devastating loss. During Shanahan’s time with the occurring during this year’s Super Bowl, it was surely a game Atlanta Falcons in 2017, his team reached the Super Bowl, Andy Reid drowns in confetti, to remember, and many fans are happy for former Eagles blowing a 28-3 halftime lead against the New England celebrating his Super Bowl victory. coach Reid to have finally earned his Super Bowl victory.
20
Feburary 13, 2020
Sports The Merionite
A balancing act Sophie Meyer ’20 Arts & Entertainment Editor Six classes, hours of homework, and the bell ringing at 2:40, only marking the half- and keeping note of teachers’ office hours can make a huge difference in the balancing way point of the day; this describes a typical daily schedule for student athletes. The game. Usually, teachers can also be a huge help when it comes to successfully managing stress of having to manage a difficult schedule can school and after-school commitments. Many teachers be overwhelming for many students—imagine getwill be lenient when it comes to big projects or tests ting home at 6:15 pm and still having hours of work occuring after a game day, and will even actively help ahead. With the time it takes to relax, eat dinner, do athletes stay on top of their game by telling them test chores, and finish homework or study for exams, days in advance or giving extra time for homework many athletes don’t get to bed until quite late, someif they know the student is stressed out about their times with early morning practices looming a few schedule. Despite the fact that most teachers will prohours later. They have to get up the next day, and do vide some lenience, it’s best to get to know teachers it all over again while forcing their eyes to stay open and know which ones are more likely to help out with despite their immense fatigue. On top of this, athstressful schedules. Not all teachers will be sympathetic. letes often participate in other extracurricular acDahlia Levine ’20 is a current senior, captain of tivities. Further, as LM is a competitive school, indithe girls’ crew team in the fall and spring, and capviduals are often being pressured to take AP classes tain of girls’ swimming throughout the winter. Levine or fill their schedules up with challenging courses. shared her point of view on how to best manage sports Having to worry about intense workloads on top of and school, noting, “honestly, it’s all about prioritizgames or meets or even late practices can be grueling. ing and not procrastinating.” She also mentions she So what can student-athletes do to help balance likes playing sports after school and in her free time, this schedule? Some of LM’s students have the anthey help her “focus and that most students athletes swer. Inga-Marie Cohen ’20 says, “take full advanare used to working hard all the time so balancing tage of free periods to do extra work, and be presathletics and school work is just a part of the grind.” ent during classes so you don’t fall behind.” Having Through and through, managing a fully stocked frees can be a huge help to balancing a full schedschedule and sports can be very challenging, so it’s ule. Sometimes people feel pressured to take sevimportant not to go overboard when scheduling your en classes and fill up their schedules, but taking six classes. Sure, it looks great to have all honors and three challenging classes and leaving room for frees is or more APs and be the captain of your sports team, perfectly acceptable. Free periods or study halls ofbut if you don’t do well in your classes, it’ll only hurt fer a break in one’s schedule, for either relaxation or you. Besides not doing well, your mental health should completing school work. Having a mental break in be a priority during the school year. If you’re constantthe day can be extremely beneficial to any student. ly stressed about tests and projects for all of your hard Another way students like to balance sports and classes and you’ve got practices every day for hours, school is by having a planner. Kierrah Grier ’20 adGraphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff chances are your mental health will suffer. It’s best to vises, “I really like having a planner to make sure that I create a balanced schedule with free periods that allows stay organized and on top of my assignments.” Having a Participating in a sport is a large commitment, so it is you to have some down time during the day so your afplanner, whether it be a physical planner from Staples, important to know how to manage your time. ter-school activities don’t burn you out. While having a website such as mystudylife.com, or Post-it notes that this perfect balance between your important school work can be kept track of, can be a huge help to students balancing heavy workloads and af- and enjoyable competitive sports can be challenging, playing sports can be a great way ter-school clubs.Writing down homework assignments, their due dates, upcoming tests, to motivate you and give you a chance to explore your interests outside of the classroom.
Photo courtesy of Sam Brown ’23
Freshman Sam Brown
What sport(s) do you play? Basketball What is your greatest athletic achievement? Don’t know, I don’t think I’ve had it yet What’s your favorite Valentine’s Day gift? Definitely Fun Dip If USA was represented by food, what would your favorite state’s food be? Pennsylvania would be represented by Cheesesteaks
Photo by Bob Baumann
Sophomore Aaron Levine
What sport(s) do you play? Waterpolo, Swimming, and Ultimate Frisbee What is your greatest athletic achievement? Getting the 100 and 200 freestyle records Who is your favorite president and why? Abraham Lincoln because he had that very funny hat that he always wore What’s your favorite Valentine’s Day gift? A very fancy box of chocolates
Photo courtesy of Ava Clifford ’21
Junior Ava Clifford
What sport(s) do you play? Indoor and Outdoor Track What is your greatest athletic achievement? Going to Penn Relays, it was a really cool experience! If life were a video game, what would be one of its cheat codes? Edit, undo for whenever something goes wrong What is your favorite holiday movie? Our Times
Photo courtesy of Ella Harris ’20
Senior Ella Harris
What sport(s) do you play? Swimming and Lacrosse What is your greatest athletic achievement? Qualifying for states in the 200 medley relay for swimming What’s your favorite romantic comedy? 10 Things I Hate About You Who is your favorite president and why? Abraham Lincoln because he carried the US through the civil war and abolished slavery