May 2012

The Merionite

May 22, 2012

Volume 83, Issue 8

The official student newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929

Spanish students lend a hand at inner city school Robbie Warshaw

Class of 2014 The School Council committee has long grappled with the fact that many LM students take their educational opportunities for granted. The council is composed of administrators, teachers, parents, and students.

The council’s mission is to engage students to help out the community who may not have otherwise. LM partnered with Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Philadelphia earlier this year. But before LM students entered the school, the council decided to have two pilot programs; a Spanish club (Español Para Todos) and reading club were quickly formed.

Español Para Todos, or EPT, is headed by Spanish teacher Myra Rios and Co-Presidents sophomores Madeleine Jacobs and Robbie Warshaw. The students visited Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament weekly for an hour at a time. The students at the school currently receive about an hour of Spanish instruction a week.

But, EPT was able to practically double the students’ Spanish curriculum. The fact that these students, grades 2-8, willingly stayed after school for an extra hour is a testament to the importance of Spanish to these children.

LM members of EPT came to the school each week loaded with games, songs, and posters. Club members worked off of many well-known games and songs to

engage the students. “We taught our group head shoulders knees and toes, and they really loved it. They tried to push each other to see who could do it the fastest,” said sophomore Anna Kirschner.

“We had the fifth to eighth graders play Spanish jeopardy, which was a great way for the kids to be competitive and involved while allowing us to review old topics and introduce new ones,” said sophomore Natalie Koch.

The students were also encouraged to make Spanish part of their daily life. “We wanted the kids to think jugo de naranja when they reach for the orange juice at home,” said Jacobs.

One of the students from the school was also equipped with a life saving tool. “A student had an allergy, so we tried to teach him how to convey his allergy in Spanish, in case English Photo courtesy of Myra Rios isn’t an option,” said Rios.

LM students are helping kids less fortunate than they.

The second pilot program, besides EPT, is the reading club. The reading club met every other students made sure to make reading fun by having the Monday from November to May. The groups were split younger students re-enact stories. The younger students up by grade level, with one or two LM students in charge also made murals based on the stories they read, then of 10-12 students from Our Lady of the Blessed Sacra- other students tried to guess what the story was. The ment. The students were taught reading comprehension, See SPANISH, page 2 focusing on vocab building and summarizing. The LM

District pilots LMSD to host its own TEDx talk iPad program Margaret Meehan

Hannah Schaeffer

Class of 2012

LMSD has always focused on technology as an educational tool, providing students in every grade the opportunity to access information on laptops. To enhance the benefits of an education based on technology, LMSD launched the iPad pilot this year, handing out iPads to first graders and kindergarteners. The District plans to provide a set of iPads for every kindergarten class in the District for next year.

Elementary technology specialist Jen Goldberg worked to help see the iPad trial come to fruition. She began by surveying all kindergarten and first grade teachers in the fall of this year to find out how they were using their laptops in the classroom. The kindergarten teachers reported that their students were using their laptops for twenty minutes or less a week, for practicing basic reading and math skills.

There are few benefits to laptops rarely used.

In theory, the replacement of iPads is perfect for young elementary school students.

“The iPad is very much marketed for ages five to seven. There are thousands of apps geared for that age group,” Goldberg said.

Kindergarten in particular lends itself well to iPad use because for them using a laptop is cumbersome. With easy navigation and no sign in, iPads provide kindergarteners simple access to information.

“I’ve watched kindergarteners take close to ten minutes just to log in. When they come into school, some of the kids don’t know the letters of the alphabet yet, and they’re asked to type,” Goldberg said. “They don’t even know their letters, so they’re looking at their keyboards trying to find a b when they don’t know what a b looks like.”

The iPad pilot was testing the success of iPad distribution. A class set of iPads was given to a kindergarten class at Belmont Hills Elementary School and a first grade class at Cynwyd Elementary School. Students each had one to use, but could not take them home.

After a full year of the pilot, LMSD plans

See iPADS, page 3

Class of 2013 Over the past couple years, TED (Technology, Education, and Design) and TEDx “Talks” have really taken off at LM. In 2010, an article appeared in The New York Times titled “A Conference Makes Learning Free (and Sexy).” TED has managed to accomplish this seemingly inconceivable feat.

It’s not a lecture; it’s not a teacher standing in front of 30 kids preaching; it’s not a classroom. Rather, it’s an experience—it’s being part of something that’s taking place around the world.

By transforming the discussion of serious topics and social change into something exciting and easy to grasp, TED has made learning a form of entertainment.

The people at TED managed to make this happen; it all started 25 years ago with a simple mission—to share “ideas worth spreading.” They started by bringing together the world’s leading minds and having them share their world-changing ideas in 18 minutes or less. This became an elite biannual conference, where tickets to watch people like Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton, and Malcolm Gladwell now go for $6,000. However, these ideas aren’t just meant for the privileged that are able to attend, so each talk is published on the TED website. As the demand for TED grew and only two of these conferences

Photo courtesy of lmsd.org/tedx

Dan Carol (left, LMHS ‘76), an energy advisor to President Obama, and Todd Marrone (right), sucessful artist, will be speakers at LMSD’s TEDx conference.

So, TEDx offers a different kind of education, an education incredibly relevant to the world. In the spirit of this global educational trend, TEDxLMSD was formed. “We started with a theme: youth activism, which has been one of the most common threads in TEDx talks around the world,” said one organizer, junior Haydn Hornstein-Platt. “Then, we followed a mission statement.”

The mission statement is as follows: “TEDxLMSD is about making a difference. Across the world, young people are effecting positive societal change with unprecedented scope and frequency.

From Arab Spring to emerging industries, youth are leading the charge and redefining the mechanisms for advocacy, innovation and policy development.

And yet, taking that first step can be incredibly daunting. Why should anyone listen to me? What if they don’t like my ideas? Can I really make an impact? Our program will help answer these questions and affirm the extraordinary value—and power—of the voices of youth.”

“When we don’t let our ‘others have failed— Photo courtesy of lmsd.org/tedx I’m too young—the problem’s too big’ mindset Stanford Thompson (left), jazz and chamber musician, become an obstacle, who knows what could happen,” and Dr. Sulayman Clark (right), historian, are set said junior organizer Doug Cotler. to speak at LMSD’s TEDx conference.

On June 4 in the Black Box Theater, the TEDxLMSD speakers will speak to the influence and unstoppable yearly proved insufficient, TEDx was born. Anyone, anywhere power that youth activism can yield. Fifty LM and fifty Harcould now create a TED style event. The curators expected riton students are invited to attend. Although registration is about 30 a year; 228 TEDx events took place just last month. now filled, email tedxlmsd@gmail.com to be on the waiting TEDxTeen, TEDxWomen, TEDxNASA, TEDxKibera. Talks list so that you can be part of the first TEDxLMSD and the about creativity, science, happiness and anything else that global TED experience. matters—not just what falls under the TED umbrella. Letting “If you come, you will be inspired by knowledge, creativity, people formulate their own TED experience and giving people and more. Visit www.lmsd.org/tedx,” said Director of School what they want to hear—something refreshing, knowledge& Community Relations Doug Young. able, funny, empowering—is what makes TEDx so unique.

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May 22, 2012

NEWS The Merionite Food drive wins money for BuildOn Student Council reaches Maddy McFarland

Class of 2014

After almost a month of collecting cans for the Philabundance Great Food Fight, LM won first place in Montgomery County, fourth place in the greater Philadelphia region, and $1,000 dollars in prize money. LM won this for collecting 5.3 tons of canned foods for the drive, a large fraction of the total seventy-one tons donated to the drive by twenty-two schools. $100 of the prize money will go to LM’s freshmen class, which was the grade level winner of the food drive. The rest of the money will go to the school and to BuildOn’s trip to Haiti this month.

The grand prize from the contest was $10,000 and this went to Owen J. Roberts High School in Pottstown. Owen J. Roberts collected an overwhelming 11.4 tons for the drive. Other schools nearby such as Harriton, Marple Newton, Conestoga, and Germantown competed but none of them received special prizes besides LM and Penncrest.

The food from the drive goes to food kitchens, shelters, and deserving families in the tri-state area. BuildOn’s sponsor and history teacher Thomas Reed stressed that some of the food will feed families within our own community, not just the inner city.

Reed added that he was incredibly pleased with the results, saying “It showed the true unity and compassion of [LM] students that we would rally around a cause that we knew little about.”

Sophomore BuildOn officer Madeleine McKay agreed. McKay said, “Given the limited time we had to get it together, everybody responded really well and I think that we

definitely have the resources and the people to do really well in the food fight… Next year, when we have more time and experience, we will definitely do really well.”

Reed said it was “motivational to see [the boxes] fill up more and more as time went on with more goods” in the main office which now proudly displays a glass award glorifying LM’s hard work in the food drive.

Though the food drive was not through BuildOn, it was a BuildOn member, sophomore Joanna Odorisio who made BuildOn aware of the food drive and inspired them to take part.

Then, they took over the leadership of the food drive and rallied up support, even putting humorous posters on the inside of bathroom stalls.

Next year, BuildOn is determined to beat Penncrest High School, who collected about two more tons than LM but tied for first place in leading Montgomery County. One facetious idea of McKay’s to raise more goods is to play an annoying song in the cafeteria until donations reach $100 and then turn the music off.

However, most are confident that now LM is aware of the event, support will increase for next year until Penncrest can easily be beaten.

As Reed said, “[The results] went far beyond my expectations and it has helped prove to me that we can go well beyond this year, next year.

I’d be surprised if we didn’t put a real challenge into winning this thing next year.”

LM students have done a great job of helping out the Philadelphia area, and even families within the LM community. Donations this year exceeded last year’s by seven tons, and the contest is only gaining more recognition. LM should be on the lookout for the competition to start next year and bring donations to a whole new level.

“[The results] went far beyond my expectations and it has helped prove to me that we can go well beyond this year, next year.

I’d be surprised if we didn’t put a real challenge into winning this thing next year.”

out to inner city school From SPANISH, page 1

club was a resounding success. “We’re really hoping that the program will continue to expand n e x t y e a r, ” s a i d c l u b sponsor, Spanish teacher Sean Capkin.

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament is slated to be one of the many city schools being shut down next year. But School Council is committed to simply finding Photo courtesy of Myra Rios another school to partner with for next year. The Students from LM and Our Lady of the council expects the curBlessed Sacrament sit down together for rent efforts to only intheir weekly Spanish club meeting. crease next year, in part due to the success of the two pilot programs.

-History teacher Tom Reed

Photo courtesy of Myra Rios

LM student council members team up with Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament students to play an educational game.

LM hosts sustainabilty exposition to complete Go Green Challenge Madelyn Schaeffer

The judges picked six finalists who would present at the event. “The student presentations and ideas were outstanding! In fact, our staff was so inspired by their work that all of the student presenters have been invited to serve on an On April 26, LMSD Sustainability Exposition was held in the Kobe Bryant advisory board focused on sustainable practices,” said District Spokesman Doug Gymnasium. The expo educated students on the environmental resources avail- Young who spoke at the event. able to improve air quality, as All of the finalists in the challenge were able to well as future careers available go to the expo and set up tables full of displays and in the “green” industry. These posters, the works. Different companies came and jobs range from design to govset up similar displays advertising for their own ernment, to the sciences and environmental deeds. transportation planning.

There were many guest speakers at the event such Before the expo both LM as State Senator Daylin Leach, people from the enand Harriton students were to vironmental group PennFuture, and more. submit entries for the LMSD The finalists in the challenge presented their pieces Go Green Challenge. These on stage along with PowerPoints, iMovies, etc. The students researched any envijudges than assessed the presentations. ronmental issue that they were These judges included Penn Valley teacher Joe interested in, then they had Mudd, Harriton Earth Science teacher Mark Ferto come up with some sort of raro, PennFuture representative Alissa Burger, and solution that was reasonable the Main Line Go Green committee chairperson f o r t h e s c h o o l c o m m u n i t y.

Roderick Wolfson.

The entries that were the most Finally when the judges had made their decision well-rounded were more thorDoug Young announced the winners of the Challenge. oughly researched and thought The first place winner of $500 and a summer internabout the impact that it could ship was Harriton student, Jordin Metz. The second Photo courtesy of David Robinson place winners each received $100. have on the community.

Senior and challenge finalist, “The judges liked all of the finalists’ ideas so much Josh Hoffman researched about Junior Mac Melman and seniors Max Novick and Joey Gingold pose that they decided on the spot to feature us all on the with their presentation at the sustainability exposition. recycling habits. district website and award us each $50 iTunes gift “The project allowed me to cards,” Hoffman commented. express my concerns about the school’s recycling habit in a public forum. I “This was a great start to what we hope will be a long-term tradition for the presented in front of school administrators and important people whose jobs in District. We would love to see increased student participation next year,” said the district were related to my ideas,” commented Hoffman.

Young.

Class of 2015

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May 22, 2012

The Merionite

Kindergarten experiments with iPads From iPADS, page 1

While very young kids fumble over typing, “a sixth grade student can navigate a laptop pretty well,” Goldberg stated.

Without iPads, the sixth grade class Ancient Worlds and Waterways still hopes to establish a paperless classroom.

“We believe that children have a strong familiarity with technology and should be able to learn and share their learning using technology,” Hegeman said. “Plus, this is their world;

to officially distribute iPads to all kindergarten classrooms for the fall. Kindergarten has two classes a day, so the AM and PM classes can use the same set of iPads, a cost-effective decision that saves the District half the amount of iPads.

“The plan for fall is that each kindergarten classroom will have a full set of iPads. We are not looking to do first grade yet; we are hoping to the following year but that is still up in the air because that is more expensive,” Goldberg said.

While kindergartners will each receive their iPads in the fall, other grades in the District are also hoping to perfect the use technology in their classrooms. Sixth grade teacher at Bala Cynwyd Middle School Mary Beth Hegeman and teaching partner Jamie Gaffga also have tried to provide their class with iPads.

“Gaffga and I have been writing a grant for our class to have an iPad for each student, but we were advised to hold it for a couple of Photo courtesy of Madelyn Schaeffer years.” Hegeman said.

“In the meantime, our LMSD plans to provide iPads for every kindergarden class next year. class will try to work Other teachers hope the iPad experiment will extend to older grades. as much as possible as a paperless classroom, even though we don’t they ought to use technology fluidly as a tool, a have a laptop for every student. We have a cart means to acquire knowledge and skills…One of of twenty-five, when they all are working prop- the reasons we chose to display the new name for erly, and next year we’ll have fifty students in AW&W as eVOLVE, is that we saw the initial our class.” lower case ‘e’ as signifying electronics that we Currently, the technology department is ca- hope to use as we move forward.” pable only of supporting the kindergarteners, LMSD embraces the use of technology in the where the District feels there is more of a need classroom, and awaits to see the benefits of kinfor iPads. dergarteners with iPads.

Changes to AP courses next year Eric Cohn

Class of 2012

Next year, LMHS will be implementing revised AP Latin and AP Biology courses. The College Board has been reworking these curricula over the past few years as part of an effort to better match the Advanced Placement program to real college classes.

For years, the AP Latin program was divided into two courses: one focusing on prose and the other on poetry. In 2008, the AP Latin Literature course, which highlighted a variety of Latin prose texts, was discontinued, and only the AP Latin: Vergil course remained. The 2012-2013 AP Latin curriculum, however, will merge these two courses by focusing on the works of both Vergil and Caesar.

According to the College Board, “the revised course objectives will help teachers set expectations for students in relating Latin texts to Roman historical, cultural, and literary contexts.”

Some students feel the current curriculum is too hurried.

“I felt our work on the later books of the Aeneid was rushed,” said senior Will Tobias. “Just focusing on the first six books would allow us to go more in depth.”

The new curriculum will limit the readings in Latin to the first six books, while still requiring students to read some of the later sections in English.

Some, while recognizing the College Board’s goals, see problems with the new system.

“I appreciate the balance of prose and poetry, but in many cases the required passages of the Aeneid

have sadly been reduced to ridiculously short scenes without the benefit of their larger context,” said AP Latin teacher Jill Alexander.

Alexander went on to describe that the new AP Latin curriculum will still encounter some of the same problems it does now. “The current AP curriculum has certainly been much too extensive for a single academic year given our present schedule…I do not expect the situation to be different with the new Vergil-Caesar curriculum.”

The College Board will also introduce a new AP Biology curriculum for the 2012-2013 school year. One of the main efforts of the College Board in this revised curriculum is, according to their website, to ensure “that students develop not just a solid knowledge of the facts but also the ability to practice science and think critically about scientific issues.”

Senior Eliana Yankelev expressed her concerns with the current curriculum. “It moves too quickly,” she said. “I think it should be more lab-heavy.

Some concepts like organ systems can be done with simple dissections…we also didn’t do enough field study.”

One of the main differences between the updated curriculum and the present one is a reduction of breadth. The course will also seek to replace its lecture-and-demonstration model with more collaboration and hands-on labs.

Experts and university professors have praised both the revised AP Latin and AP Biology courses.

These new curricula will hopefully address some of the concerns of LM students and teachers with the current AP programs.

NEWS

NEWS IN BRIEF Redistricting suit persists

LM’s ongoing redistricting case, which began in 2009, does not seem to have a near end. When the Board of School Directors for LM redrew borders that determined what schools students would attend, nine families in a section of Ardmore argued that they were unfairly forced to attend Harriton High School.

These families stated that although LM was closer, the school district forced them to attend Harriton due to the high percentage of blacks in their neighborhood, which would serve to equalize the number of black students at both high schools. These families live on East Wynnewood Road, County Line Road, Athens Avenue, and Cricket Avenue.

In 2010, the district court decided that LMSD had not violated a law, and an appeals court subsequently took the District’s side as well.

Earlier this year, a lawyer for the students requested that the United States Supreme Court review the appeals court’s decision, and LMSD has until May 16 to respond to the appeal.

The District remains steadfast. LMSD argues that it chose this Ardmore area because it was one of the closest neighborhoods that was not already being sent to Harriton.

The Ardmore families acknowledge that the District had good intentions in attempting to eliminate segregation.

For the next few weeks, the LM community awaits to hear LMSD’s stance on this controversial issue.

—Emily Manin, ‘15

LM French teacher honored LM French and Spanish teacher Jean-Claude Contassot was recently honored by Cornell University. LM graduate and Cornell University senior Emily Magaziner selected Contassot for the secondary teacher who has made the most significant contribution to her education. Magaziner credits Contassot with her appreciation and passion for French.

Magaziner, a linguistic major, is a recipient of the U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship and was chosen as a Merrill President Scholar.

President of Cornell University David J. Skortin sent a letter to Contassot to thank him for his devotion to education. Cornell’s Presidential letter acknowledged Contassot’s success as a teacher and influence on students. Contassot has been at LM for 14 years, teaching mainly French and some Spanish classes.

—Hannah Schaeffer ‘12

TSA excels at state conference LM’s TSA chapter had a remarkable showing at the state competition, producing many finalists and excellent achievements.

At the end of April, LM students traveled to Seven Springs, PA for the state TSA conference. These students had qualified for their individual events at prior regionals. Students competed at various times and places at the resort during the four day event.

At the awards ceremony at the end of the state conference, multiple individuals and teams representing LM’s TSA chapter earned trophies and overall wins in their respective events. Freshman Lisa Gardner won the Career Comparisons event, while two teams of LM students earned first place in the Chapter Team and Webmaster event.

LM’s chapter hopes to bring their success to the TSA National Conference in Nashville in June.

—Gilad Doron, ‘12

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May 22, 2012

The Merionite EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL/LETTERS

A news e-volution

In a world where information is being increasingly digitalized, nothing can hide from the touch of technology. Commercial businesses are becoming more centralized online, and people’s main means of communication remains the Internet. Books can now be read digitally with devices like the Kindle or the Nook, and likewise, so can newspapers.

Many newspapers, such as the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal even have iPhone apps. The demise of the printed word is upon us, and we move ever closer into the world of the digital word.

Is it blasphemous to be writing about the demise of newsprint in a printed newspaper? Yes. Completely. We at the Merionite rely on the printed word to put out information and allow our beloved club to stay alive. But a blasphemer can still be an honest man, and ultimately the main goal of the Merionite is not to further its own existence, but to speak the truth. But just because now our right to survive and our adherence to the truth seem to clash, it does not always have to. We, like professional newspapers around the country, need to embrace the changing face of journalism by migrating onto an online canvas as opposed to a paper one.

Though some may decry taking the “paper” out of “newspaper” as the death of journalism, it really represents a positive shift in how information is dispersed. Conservation of natural resources is of the utmost importance in our fragile world today, and many of us, constantly barraged by messages like “save the trees,” know already that the digitalization of material formerly requiring paper is good for the Earth. Eliminating the use of paper out of more sectors of our economy ultimately helps the environment by saving trees that would be destroyed for the millions of newspapers printed each day.

No matter what, newspapers will strive to survive in any world, whether they actually print on paper or not. Papers like the Philadelphia Inquirer and the New York Times already have subscription systems set up online, so the moneymaking aspects of newspaper companies can still be protected. In fact, now that papers do not have to rely on paying printers, profits could have the ability to increase.

Obviously the printing industry is in trouble, so is the Earth, and if a few paper companies go out of business to protect the planet, it’s worth it.

Unsigned editorial on this page reflects the general opinion of student editors, not the views of individuals.

The Merionite Editors-in-Chief

News Editors

Op-Ed Editors

Features Editors

Sports Editors Special Features Editor

Maya Afilalo, ’12 Eric Cohn, ’12 Ian Cohn, ’12 Gilad Doron, ’12 Hannah Schaeffer,’12 Zack Schlosberg,’12 Danny Kane, ’12 Andy Scolnic, ’14 Patrick Scott, ’12 Itai Barsade, ’13 Rebecca McCarthy, ’13 Robbie Warshaw, ’14 Noah Levick, ’13 Josh Niemtzow, ’12 Nicole Wang, ’13

Arts & Robert Gaudio, ’12 Entertainment Aviva Mann, ’13 Editors Margaret Meehan, ’13 Copy Editors Aziz Kamoun, ’12 Darby Marx, ’13 Photo Editor Chris Conwell, ’12 Layout Editor Robert Zhou, ’13 Web Editor Charlie Li, ’12 Business Nathan Posener, ’12 Managers Daoud Schelling, ’13 Advisor Mr. Chad Henneberry Business Advisor Mr. Sean Flynn

The editors believe all facts presented in the newspaper to be accurate. 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.

Letter to the Editor

A recent Merionite issue published a special feature about body image, with vitriolic remarks on the media and a forgiving one on being overweight. These articles had some strong points, but as someone who has personally seen friends have much success through diets, I felt that they unfairly stigmatized those that do make an effort to lose weight.

It is no secret that America is getting fatter. Two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese in America according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index and NEJM report.

The current generation of American adolescents is expected to live shorter based on a report by The New England Journal of Medicine. So, what is the cause of this? This is a situation where you can pick your own poison—or soft drink. Is it lifestyle, food, or the media?

Losing weight to a point where you are comfortable— key word comfortable—is a good thing. Living a healthy lifestyle and dieting is a good thing. The media pounding us with information is an okay thing. We are a culture that takes things at face value—in case you cannot tell—and are quick to judge. For example, people hear of waking up in the morning to run on an empty stomach and think, “Why would I run on an empty stomach?” Research shows though that when you first wake up in the morning your body is in a semi-fasted state, with its carbohydrate stores depleted.

When you run, your body has no carbohydrates to use as energy and your body instead burns fat. As a society though, we are lazy, we prefer to point our fingers at health tips and berate them sanctimoniously, disregarding their scientific research.

Fixing your body in some cases can mean fixing your life, trading in an early grave for a happy ending. People feel good when they accomplish goals. People feel good when they can say, “I changed my weight, I am healthier, I am happy with my reflection.” But what people do is take it to the extreme, set unreasonable goals, and have reasonable failures. Sometimes people become thin to the point of a mental disorder. Mostly people become so fat that some might consider it a mental disorder.

The recommendation I, and experts, would advise is to focus more on living a healthy lifestyle than on having a perfect body. A body is a result of a lifestyle, so the healthier you are the healthier your body.

So, what flavor of soda would you like?

Sincerely, Eli Sheintoch, Class of 2012

Congratulations to the 2012-2013 Merionite staff!

Editors-in- Aviva Mann, ‘13 Chief Rebecca McCarthy, ‘13 Managing Margaret Meehan, ‘13 Editor Content Noah Levick, ‘13 Manager News Editors Ma’ayan Doron, ‘14 Maddy McFarland, ‘14 Haorui Sun, ‘14 Op-Ed Editors

Copy Editors

Arts & Entertainment

Features Ilana Nathans, ‘14 Editors Nicole Wang, ‘13 Robbie Warshaw, ‘14 Arts & Kara Boutselis, ‘13 Entertainment Moriah Kofsky, ‘14 Editors Sports Editors James Johnston, ‘13 Sigmund Lilian, ‘13 Blayne Yudis, ‘13

Photo Editor Itai Barsade, ‘13 Duranya Freeman, ‘14 Layout Editor Andy Scolnic, ‘14 Web Editor Darby Marx, ‘13 Jane Urheim, ‘13 Business Managers

Efi Narliotis, ‘13 Robert Zhou, ‘13 Kei Nakagawa, ‘13 Haydn Hornstein-Platt, ‘13 Daoud Schelling, ‘13

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May 22, 2012

The Merionite

Question of the Month

OPINIONS

If you could ask a senior any question, what would it be?

“

What would you do differently if you went through high school again?

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How have you grown during your time at LM?

John Grace, History Teacher

Efi Narliotis ‘13

“ ”

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Doug Cotler ‘13

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Where do you see yourself in ten years?

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How would you remodel education?

As one of the last classes to go through the old school, what do you miss the most and what do you hope in the future will come to the new building?

Jenna Jackson ‘14

”

Robbie Warshaw ‘14

What was the most important event in the news during your high school years? What made it seem important to you?

”

Dean Rosencranz, Math Lab Teacher

“

If you could change one aspect of your high school experience, what would it be?

Abby Goldstein ‘15

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Art by Darby Marx/Staff

Mohsen Ghodsi, Spanish Teacher

Has the ‘Great Recession’ impacted your decision in choosing a college or choosing your possible major in college?

Brian Feeney, Math Teacher Looking back on your past four years of high school, do you have any regrets?

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”

If there were one high school experience you wouldn’t want to repeat/relive, what would that be?

”

Sara Raizen ‘15

”

The responses to some these questions will be published in this year’s final issue of the Merionite, next month’s matriculation issue.

Permanent jobs, permanent problems

Class of 2012

Whenever we are in a different part of the Delaware Valley, or even the country, and people find out that we attend LM, we are immediately confronted with a chorus of congratulations, generally revolving around how great our school is. “What a beautiful building!”, “How lucky

Danny & Patrick you are to have so many opportunities.”, and, of course, “You mean where KOBE went?!” But, possibly the most important ingredient to the success of the LMSD is our excellent faculty at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Unfortunately, this cannot be said of other, poorer school districts throughout America. While these districts have many good teachers, they also have many who are complacent, lazy and unmotivated, and why shouldn’t they be? After a brief three year period, public school teachers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania get tenure, which puts them in a position where they need to do little more than show up and do the bare minimum to keep their job and get raises as

stipulated by their school district.

In truth, tenure does not absolutely prevent teachers from being fired, but what it does do is give them overly exhaustive due process.

Of course, this is not inherently a problem, but, when unions refuse to compromise and abuse this privilege to the point that their response makes no distinction between teachers that are faced with wrongful accusations and those truly failing to fulfill the requirements of their jobs, it becomes a problem, one responsible for wrecking education in poorer districts.

Some proponents of the current system like to point out that it is possible for schools to fire teachers. That may be true, but what is technically possible is different from what is realistically feasible, and firing teachers for anything short of physically abusing a student is oftentimes less convenient for the district than simply allowing the problem to go on. According to the Albany Times Union, the average cost to fire a teacher in New York State is over $200,000 in legal fees and over a year and a half. It’s confounding that teacher unions would be so bent on preventing any of their members from being fired that they would place such a heavy burden on taxpayers and such a millstone around the necks of children by forcing them into classrooms with subpar teachers.

This allows teachers to develop and continue habits that can include verbal abuse of students, abandonment of the curriculum, and outright

laziness without fear of dismissal. Some would argue that the current system already takes care of this problem by mandating that teachers work for three years before they attain tenure, but this leaves the door open for teachers to do their job appropriately for three years with the knowledge that after that they will be able to slack off. In fact, in a poll by Public Agenda of 1,345 schoolteachers, 58% said that achieving tenure does not necessarily mean that a teacher has worked hard and is good at what he or she does.

Unlike in universities, where tenure is difficult to attain and can only be achieved by academic and co-curricular excellence, tenure for Pennsylvania public school teachers is guaranteed after three years of satisfactory service. While in a private business, employees must sustain excellent performance for their entire careers, school teachers simply need to do this for long enough to get tenure, and after that are virtually guaranteed a job for life.

An important thing to point out is that eliminating tenure would not allow teachers to be fired for any and all reasons, as some proponents of the system suggest. When the tenure system was originally crafted, employees didn’t enjoy the legal protections they do today that protect them from firings for things like race and gender.

Eliminating tenure would merely make teachers beholden to the same performance-based review that every other employed person in the country.

For comparison, one out of every 57 doctors loses

his medical license, one out of every 97 lawyers loses his legal license, but only one of every thousand teachers is fired. Teachers are no doubt incredibly important and the firing of one should not be taken lightly; however that importance does not mean that they should be impervious to checks and balances; if anything, it means that they should be subject to increased checks.

Eliminating the current tenure and automatic raise system would in fact reward good teachers by allowing them to receive bonuses and raises for their better performance, much like the way a superior employee would if they worked for a private company. Also, if a truly worthwhile teacher made a minor mistake, what would the district’s motivation be to fire him? Why would a school district go through a hiring process to replace a teacher who only made a minor mistake which flew in the face of his excellence as an educator? While some may assume this process could be used to fire people for no apparent reason, this would be highly unfeasible; the only teachers that would have something to worry about would be those that consistently fail to perform their duties.

Part of the mission statement of the National Education Association, the largest teacher union, is “to fulfill the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed.” If they truly want to fulfill that mission, they should release students from the shackle that is the tenure system.

6

May 22, 2012

OPINIONS

The Merionite

Class of 2014

In the United States, death is not for children.

They shouldn’t hear about it, shouldn’t talk about it, and most of all, should be sheltered from it as much as possible.

Duranya Freeman In 2001, when the Twin Towers were destroyed, adults shielded their children to an unacceptable degree. In my kindergarten class, many had family members who died in the crash, yet it was taboo to talk about. The world moved on, with adults taking the weight of the issue, leaving children with many unanswered questions. “Where’s Grandma?” or “Mom, she won’t wake up!” are now frequently a child’s frantic thoughts when they meet death for the first time. And their parent becomes the deer in the headlights, faced with a seemingly impossible choice.

Too often, their responses are coddling, hushed, and partial.

“Grandma’s taking a break for a while. She’s so tired, honey. Why don’t you go outside for awhile?” In the moment, the child breathes easier, all mystery erased, leaving the parent sighing with relief. They pat themselves on the back, reassured that they have most definitely “done the right thing.”

The truth is, they didn’t.

When parents introduce children to death or any big problem in the frightening moment that it arrives, in that frantic panic of fresh unknown, children associate the new idea with sadness, abruptness, and constant confusion. In America especially, children are so sheltered from realities like the border between living and passing away.

What fear prevents parents from enlightening their children? A loss of innocence? A feeling that they will become tainted; impure? A belief that they will become obsessed with the concept? Or maybe it’s the age-old excuse that they are only protecting them from the brutality of life.

If and when parents finally tell them the “truth” much later than they should, children become even more mixed up. The whole idea that it has been a hushed language is utterly toxic. When younger kids try to bring it up in the classroom or at home, they are often looked down upon or judged.

It’s like any forbidden fruit—drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, et cetera. When deep things like death are kept so tightly locked away from any child’s mind, subconsciously that seed of curiosity grows and grows until it reaches a breaking point. As they grow up, this is the reason why they fall into that persona of the angsty, dark, misunderstood teenager. It’s not because someone exposed them to the “real world” earlier than they should have been, but because they are carrying a hundred unanswered questions and are utterly confused about their own mind.

In Sri Lanka, where my mother comes from, and in many other cultures, children are regularly taken to all parts of a funeral. Attending wakes with open casket hours are expected for all ages. Questions are welcomed; discussed.

In school, children constantly learn about concepts like death, and although it is in a religious setting, death is portrayed as a continuation, another segment on a soul’s journey. It becomes so familiar that any fear a child may have is extinguished at a younger age and replaced with a peaceful acceptance. It doesn’t dissolve the grief when it arrives, but it gives children a sense of stability to know that it comes to all, and there are rituals to aid in in the transition.

Grandma can’t be woken up, but she is on her way to an unknown place, and that mystery is beautiful. It is not an ending, but a passing. Embracing the unknown, welcoming it, and learning about it before it arrives should be a joy and not a sin.

They pat themselves on the back, reassured that they have most definitely “done the right thing.” The truth is, they didn’t.

Pass classes fail The PSSAs have taken a toll on not only the entire student body but

Jacob Scharf

Class of 2013

Stop kidding around!

also the teachers. These inaccurate, unnecessary and time-consuming testing periods are by far one of the more bothersome instances in my high school experience. In addition to keeping my grades leveled and worrying about ACT prep, many students were forced reluctantly to accept the new burden bestowed upon them, PSSA classes. By experiencing a PSSA class first hand I have realized one thing; I was just as ill-prepared when I took the test in my sophomore year as I was this year. Rather than subjecting students to a time-wasting PSSA class, the state should find a more productive alternative, such as teaching in class the information that will appear on the PSSA. After all, if the state requires us to know what’s on the test, and we are clueless, wouldn’t the easy solution be to teach the information in class rather than wasting our time with an extra class dedicated to our “weaknesses”?

The teachers respond to this “PSSA Testing Week” with a shrug of their shoulders. With 35-minute class periods, teachers struggle to teach an efficient lesson to their students.

During this 20-minute deduction from our classes during these two weeks of the school year one could be improving his or her skills instead of taking a three-hour tedious test. Instead of cutting off teacher’s time with the students we should be adding to it, which will enhance our skills further

rather than wasting our energy on tiresome, standardized tests. Many teachers have a style of interactive teaching with the use of games, but barely have tests, which most people find beneficial. One does not learn through memorization and constant testing; one learns gradually through interaction and memory association.

Students cannot be expected to endure so many standardized tests like the ACT’s, SAT’s and PSSAs and do exceedingly well on all of them. After all, the amount of pressure today’s high school student carries weighs much more than the average backpack. The week prior to the PSSAs the administration called for an assembly explaining the importance of the PSSAs. For me, it’s another score I must painfully wait to be graded. To be quite honest, my mind was in the clouds during the assembly, worrying about what grade I got on my English essay and my ACT I took the previous week. That is, until they opened the PowerPoint slide labeled something along the lines of “State Requirements.” This included the scoring guidelines on how to avoid enduring a PSSA class. My mind felt like it blew a fuse. Oh great, yet another thing to worry about.

Just to reiterate, the purpose of PSSAs are to test our school’s ability to meet state requirements. Hypothetically, if one were to score below basic on the PSSAs, who’s truly at fault? Is it the student’s fault for not understanding the material? Even if a student were to be considered a “trouble-maker” or “slow-learner” should not teachers strive for their success on the exam? A teacher’s job is just that—to teach. It disturbs me to see information on the PSSA which I have never seen before. We should not be punished for our inability to get an answer right; rather the administration should be punished for their inability to teach it.

Valuable vacation: make your summer a success!

Class of 2014

These days, summer vacation is spent sitting down and watching television all day rather than doing something useful with your time. Days and days can go by doing the same thing and next thing you know, the summer is over and a new school year is starting up again. Teens waste a lot of time during the summer because they can’t think of anything better to do.

Don’t waste your summer by doing things such as playing video games and eating junk food all day. Make the best of it by being productive this summer.

During the summer, it seems that the only calories burned are from transporting yourself to the refrigerator and back. According to the American Heart Association, among children from ages 2 to 19, one in six children are obese. The summer funk most kids get into is a definite addend to the mix of this statistic. Also, that statistic is trending as though it’s going to rise as the years go on.

It’s time to break the standard, and lose a few pounds just in time for bikini season! Knowing that you’ll look and feel better with daily exercise should be enough to convince you to start. Sometimes when people are bored, they tend to eat junk food just so that they have something to occupy their time with. Thus, in the summer, many people gain weight due to eating junk food out of boredom. So when you’re agonizingly bored this summer, try doing crunches or wall-sits instead of heading straight for the kitchen.

Then you can reward yourself with a healthy snack like carrots

Jenna Jackson

and an apple. Maintaining a regular exercise routine could help a person feel healthier and be happier. Also, because everything is more fun with your friends involved, call them up and go for a jog together!

In addition, summer frees up a lot of time to write essays for various scholarships. College Art by Galen McMullen is just around the corner so it’s best to act fast to prevent possible college debt in the future. I earned $3,000 from a Discus Award. The Discus Award is a self-nominated scholarship that focuses on the well rounded you. I really like this scholarship because, while a lot of scholarships have to do with how well you can write an essay or how high your GPA is, the Discus Award is more interested in you as a person with a selection of different categories such as academics, arts, athletics, and community service. Websites such as fastweb.com and collegeprowler.com are excellent resources to view available scholarships in various categories. Scholarships now apply to everyone. Plus, there are specialized scholarships that are catered towards different groups such as women, LGBT, first generation college students, people of specific religions, and even political parties! This makes earning a scholarship even easier!

Along with scholarships, it’s important to enrich your mind overall during the break because a lot of information is forgotten over the few months of summer. If information is forgotten, then time has to be wasted later to re-learn material. However—fear not, there are ways around forgetting information over the summer.

Summer school is one option. Though it’s a long six weeks, it’s better than taking your most dreaded subject for an entire school year, and it gives you an opportunity to move up a level in a course. Furthermore, taking college courses at the local community college would be even better because then you would get college credits before even graduating high school.

Finally, are you feeling a little artsy? Summer is the perfect time to take a walk on the wild side and explore into the world of art. You could try cooking your favorite meal with a few friends, drawing a self portrait, picking up a new musical instrument, sewing yourself a new wardrobe, or taking pictures of all the beautiful sights you may see while traveling… and then Instagram your pictures to share with all of your friends!

Overall, most people don’t know what to do with all of the extra time that they don’t get during the school year…so they waste it.

It’s okay; I used to do this too. Relaxing during the summer is perfectly normal and should be done considering the high stress environment we’re in everyday at school. However, everyone should remember to have variety in your daily activities, and don’t let yourself relax your summer away!

7

May 22, 2012

OPINIONS

The Merionite

Separate but definitely not equal

Laptops: a Luddite’s lament

Andrew Scolnic

now waste time trying to find loopholes, proxies, or simply unblocked game websites so they can get around the Lightspeed filter system in place.

Nevertheless, I don’t want to write another Op-Ed complaining about Lightspeed. Instead, I’d like to ponder the pros and cons of something students at LM do every day—taking notes. In the old days, taking notes was a time consuming but rewarding process.

It turned an auditory lecture from a teacher into comprehensive notes the student could review later before their exams. However, with our current technological state, taking notes is far from what it used to be. I can truthfully admit that I’ve never taken a single set of computer typed notes in our school without doing something else for at least a minute while I was supposed to be taking notes. From checking my email to updating my fantasy football roster, the temptations to do something else while you’re supposed to be listening are simply too great. With our computers, all it takes is the click of one button for your whole train of thought to be lost. One minute you’re learning about Russia exiting World War One, the next you’re playing lengthy games of Bubble Shooter, desperately trying to break your friend’s high score they just told you about on Google Chat.

However, many classes don’t allow students to use the computer to take notes because of this well known attention problem. So the question then becomes— if they can make it work, why can’t every class get rid of the computer?

B e -

mates for some inspiration.

“What’s bothering you?” I panned the classroom looking for some literary gold in the making.

“How about the ordeal I went through this morning to get a freakin print job?” sophomore Jack Weinrieb retorted in his characteristically playful anger.

Usually, when I ask for ideas people just look confused or tell me about their bad breakfast that morning. However, Jack’s concern was one to consider. A topic that has been written about numerous times in the Merionite, laptops have slurped up the attention of our student body faster than anything else could. However, my opinions have gotten stronger since the last Op-Eds were written. Unlike the early school year ideas, mine are more radical. Forget fixing things, having more talks with our administration—let’s just get rid of the personal laptops. If we reverted back to the old days of pencils and paper, assignment books, and writing journals, would the world explode? Forget the printer problems, the Lightspeed system, or the neverending laptop failures; they aren’t worth our time.

Bigger things than just p r i n t jobs like Jack’s, technological issues have plagued our school since we decided to begin the Onesides to-One laptop the one program just two possibilschool years ago. At ity of an inthe start, the problems novative movwere miniscule. Kids had ie making project, Art by Galen McMullen I’ve yet to be in a problems with their files’ being lost or not understandclass where having how to save word documents to ing a computer of my own was truly their home folders. However, now the necessary. Sure, if you want to build a problems have escalated. This year, the class around using the computer, you school decided to increase the number can. However, whenever computers of websites filtered and blocked on are being used, there’s nearly always a the school computers. The infamous stone and chisel alternative.

“Lightspeed” seemed to have broken Finally, I come back to my good into our school and swabbed our brains buddy Jack and his silly problem. This, of all damaging technological distrac- a problem that almost every student tions we used to have. However, it has experienced before, can be easily has become clear that Lightspeed has avoided. How, you might ask? Same secretly done the opposite. Instead of way every other problem can—get rid blocking students from wasting time of the computers. If the student were to on unnecessary websites, it actually just complete the assignment on paper, caused them to waste more time on their there would be nothing to print! Beatcomputers than they were before. Kids ing the system never felt so good.

Just four lanes of traffic, yet an incalculable disparity in opportu-

dents. Lower Merion isn’t looking at privatization. Radnor isn’t either. If charters were really the blessing politicians trump them up to be, public schools would be converting to charters across the state. Instead, privatization schemes are only purported as false fixes in areas where state leaders are unwilling to provide adequate funding for a basic education. Proponents argue that the city public schools are ineffective, wasteful, and corrupt- which may at times be true- though, as the last ten years have shown us, charter schools can be as bad or worse in these regards with little public oversight or accountability of their operations.

On occasion, a certain charter could create a better learning environment than the local public school, but, on the whole, the charter movement is just a harmful distraction from the real job of fixing the public school system in an inherently unequal system of school funding.

Next year as we receive tax rebates in the mail, a new fleet of Macintosh Computers, and commendation from the U.S. News and World Report, teachers in Philadelphia will be receiving pink slips, and their students, worse.

As each year passes, we provide less equal support for the next generation, yet expect more out of it. You can’t raise standards without providing the funding and resources required to meet those new standards. It’s logic. Craze over charter schools and school vouchers ignores this reality. State and national leaders have put a positive spin on these proposals, but their support is often politically motivated and contrary to the interests of students and the future of America’s public school system. We rest upon the pretense that America offers everyone, regardless of race or class, an equal shot. Our public schools should reflect that principal. Don’t be deceived by the phenomenon. Don’t allow the inequality to be compounded. Stand up for quality public schools for all students.

Class of 2013

Class of 2014

As I sat in my health class pondering what to write about for the May issue of the Merionite, I looked to my class-

Andrew Pasquier

nity. On our side of City Line we build schools, on their side we close them. This past year, while our district contemplated how to give back a $3.3 million surplus to taxpayers, the Philadelphia School District was agonizing over how to close an estimated $218 million budget deficit for the upcoming year. Well, the plan’s out now, and it’s terrifying. It calls for the closing of 40 schools next year, and an additional six yearly until 2017. What is left of the public schools would be clustered into “achievement networks” of 20 to 30 schools. Public and private groups would compete to control the “achievement networks”. The central administration of the massive district would be reduced a mere 200 positions.

By 2017, the plan projects that charter schools will teach an estimated 40 percent of students.

While many applaud such drastic restructuring plans, privatization is not the answer. Charter schools are a deception; they are not innovative.

Instead, they are a private-sectorinspired experiment used as an excuse to even further underfund the next generation’s education. Charter schools receive less per-pupil funding, prohibit teacher’s unions, and follow free market principles- fitting nicely within Governor Corbett’s political ideology. If they were taken for their true implications, with these right-wing motivations forefront, then we could have an honest debate. The scary part is that many people believe the myth that charter schools are actually helping stu-

On our side of City Line we build schools, on their side, we close them.

8

May 22, 2012

The Merionite

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9

May 22, 2012

FEATURES

The Merionite

Let’s talk about sex: let’s talk about you and LM Class of 2013

Several months ago, The New York Times published an article called “Teaching Good Sex” about a course called Sexuality and Society at Friends Central School, and I felt compelled to meet this interesting teacher and learn more about the class. Sexuality and Society isn’t your average sexual education course. The lesson on March 1, for example, was on healthy fighting: it’s certainly not what you expect when you hear “Sex Ed.” We picture a bunch of disinterested sophomores sitting through lectures about STD’s and hearing, “Condoms are important, but sorry we can’t give them to you!” Al Vernacchio teaches a course at Friends Central School that covers the basics of Sex Ed like STD’s and condoms, but goes on to teach units such as gender, sexual orientation, relationships, love, and sexual activity.

That’s only first semester.

Every one of Vernacchio’s students can testify to his warmness and welcoming attitude. Walking into Vernacchio’s classroom changed my perspective on the potential of learning environments. The room is colorful and inviting. One wall is filled with books on sex (homosexuality, unconventional families, sex research, etc.); another wall is filled with books for the literature class Vernacchio teaches.

There is a flag hanging near the window covered with the colors of the rainbow that reads “Peace.” Next to the flag there is a bulletin board filled with humorous and racy pins.

My personal favorite part of the room was the poster with a caricature of a woman from the 1950’s that reads “Don’t Assume I Can Cook!”

The core of the course is looking at sex from a positive perspective. To hear Vernacchio’s theory explained more thoroughly, his TED Talk can be downloaded for free on

iTunes. Vernacchio created a metaphor over the course of the past fifteen years: “We need to look at sex like pizza.”

While in baseball, there is only one winner, and there is no conversation about the rules, in pizza, there is a discussion over whether or not one is hungry, what should be on the pizza, and no one wins. “‘How do you win pizza?’” asks Vernacchio. You don’t. It’s about being satisfied. “If you’re still hungry, you might have some more. If you have too much, you just feel gross.”

The main differences I picked up on automatically between Sexuality and Art Society and LM’s health class were by the levels of openness and Emmy honesty.

Trueswell

later informed, their dislike of the students a specific watches too much porn,

For t h e l e s son on healthy arguments, Ve r n a c chio staged a fight between two students (who, I was are infamous for one another). He gave fight to have: the boy and his girlfriend

Challenge yourself to help others

few years ago, the Philly Phanatic made an appearance at the last game of the season. It was a hot and humid day in June and everyone was sagging in the heat. But the emotion I’ve grown up in a world full of baseball. Ever since I and energy on that baseball field when the mascot stepped was little, I’ve played in multiple baseball leagues and spent out of his car was indescribable. Kids were ecstatic. They countless hours running around in my backyard throwing couldn’t believe that the famous Phanatic was there to balls around and stealing home plate. Like any other kid, cheer them on. The Phanatic shook hands, hugged and I’ve always taken these opportunities to play baseball for took pictures with the elated players and their buddies. A granted. In fact, I never even once stopped to imagine the few parents were even crying. A simple picture had made possibility of a world without the sport. How could I? I was their child so happy and that meant the world to the parents healthy and energetic and it was hard to slow me down. But and families.

I soon learned that my reality is not necessarily everybody As a buddy, I was hooked after the first inning of my else’s. Some kids are limited physically and mentally, first game. I found it so easy to connect and bond with the which hinders their ability to play sports like baseball in- kids I usually wouldn’t have a chance to talk to. At first, the dependently. Luckily, I found an amazing baseball league thought of interacting with a special-needs child seemed a that makes it possible for every kid to have his or her own little scary. It seemed awkward and I had no idea how to act childhood baseball career. or treat these kids. But the players were so passionate and Twelve years ago the Challenger League was created by a enthusiastic about each and every minute that it was hard mother with a spenot to be just as excited cial needs child. It about it with them. I was established as soon learned that these a baseball league kids were easy to talk for children who to. I learned that our weren’t physically interests and hobbies or mentally prewere extremely simipared to take on lar and that they were the challenges that not so different from the game offered. me at all.

Today, this incredEvery at-bat and ible league has run in the Challenger grown to include League is taken so over 30 specialseriously and means needs children and very much to the playis given immense ers and their families. support from the It’s a chance for the Lower Merion kids to have fun and Little League. be themselves, while There are about proving to the world Photo courtesy of LMLL.org that they can overcome ten games each season that run every Sunday Players in the Challenger League pose for a photo with the their challenges and limitaPhilly Phanatic before a game. from April to June. tions. Junior Julia KramerEach player is paired Golinkoff sums it up, “As a up with a buddy who is a volunteer from the middle and sister of someone with a disability, Challenger for me means high schools in the area. “The buddies help those who need watching my sister light up when talking about or attending it swing the bat and field balls,” said a coordinator of the a baseball game. It is a special opportunity for my sister to league, Matthew Yarczower. “The buddies show marvelous do ‘normal kid’ activities such as hanging out with friends sensitivity to these children who are not likely to have this outside of school. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to athletic activity as part of their daily life.” bring such happiness as a buddy to my sister and kids like A truly incredible thing happens during these springtime my sister.” With a little help from their buddies, the players games. Both the smallest and largest gestures truly have an show off their abilities and play the world’s best game of enormous impact on both the players and their families. A baseball. The Challenger League is truly amazing.

Leah Marks

Class of 2013

feels personally offended. The students didn’t hesitate to rip right into the core of the argument in front of the class. “I feel like I can never live up to that, how am I supposed to compete with what those girls do?” the fake girlfriend argued. The boy answered her with an equally honest reaction, “I don’t want you to do what those girls do; they do some really weird stuff.” It was a couple minutes into the class’s dissection of the argument (separating the healthy points, and the unproductive tactics used such as guilt, insults, and ultimatums) when a question from the back corner of the room really took me by surprise. “Can lying ever be a good thing? Like, if I cheated on my girlfriend and I knew it wouldn’t happen again, I loved her, and I knew I made a mistake, can I just tell her it didn’t happen so she would stay with me?” The environment Vernacchio has created allowed this usually raw and taboo question to be asked. It was returned with an obviously premeditated answer from Vernacchio. “Lying in a relationship can never be healthy.

There is a difference between a cheater, and someone who is put into a tempting situation and slips.” This exchange summarizes the type of course Sexuality and Society is. It is open; but most importantly it is realistic.

It is obvious why we can’t have a course like this at LM. As Vernacchio explained, these types of courses rarely exist in private schools, and occur even less in public schools.

Most educators similar to him teach at colleges, where sex isn’t such a taboo subject. The “sexual education disaster prevention method [used in most public schools] doesn’t produce healthy sexuality. The disaster prevention method takes away from the value of sexuality, and typically produces a response of fear or dismissal of sexuality. It is Vernacchio’s mission to make the world a healthier, more loving place in which sexuality is viewed as a good force.

Who Am I?

How many kids do I have? 3

Where did I go to college? Villanova What is my favorite sport? Baseball Where did I grow up? Havertown What is my favorite movie? There are two: Love Actually and Shrek What is my favorite food? Ice cream What is my favorite color?

Yellow What would my superpower be?

To magically instill a work ethic in all students What is my favorite animal?

Zebra Do I have any pets?

No If I wasn’t a teacher, what would I be? A cook What is my favorite vacation spot? Wildwood Crest What is my pet peeve?

Not having an appropriate math course for each student If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be? My husband Art by Jared Oriel

Mrs. Reisch

Haydn Hornstein-Platt

10

May 22, 2012

FEATURES

The Merionite

Meet your 2012-2013 Student Government Officers Arman Hassan Treasurer

Hillary Hoffstein Secretary

Q: What inspired you to run for Secretary of Lower Merion?

A: My career in student council has persisted since Cynwyd elementary, through BC, and now here at LM. I have always been a member of student council and I have always assumed that by senior year, I would try to run for a school office. I have never stopped being a part of student council because I enjoy being involved and contributing to my school.

Q: What big plans do you have in store for next year?

A: Shhhhhh… It’s a secret!

Q: What extra-curricular/ sports are you involved in at LM? A: I play #1 singles for the girls varsity tennis team, I have done both indoor and outdoor track, I am the Vice President of Mock Trial, I help out with the blood-drive, I do community service, and I am constantly flooded with emails from the cooking club although I have no idea why because I have never once been to a meeting nor remember singing up! Student council, however, is always my first priority (but don’t tell that to Mrs. Acton)!

Q: Do you have any role models?

A: Jane Urheim. What a great kid.

Darby Marx Vice President

Q: What big plans do you have in store for next year?

A:We are looking to pilot a new communication program on the laptops which among other will give each student a school email address which can help with communication promoting greater connection between school and home, teacher and student, and hopefully Student Government and Student Body.

Additionally, we are in the midst of fostering a connection between an inner-city school and LM. We want many different sports teams and clubs to somehow reach out and help the school so that every member of the student body feels a personal connection. This idea goes along with the idea of character that Mr. Hughes emphasizes, and hopefully it will promote compassion, worldliness and a desire to serve others.

Look for more about this next year!

Q: What makes you love LM so much?

A: The diversity. Though sometimes our area is labeled a certain way, I definately think most kids at LM prove any stereotypes wrong with their diverse interests and support for many different people. I think everyone should realize the good atmosphere created when people support one another’s passions, no matter if they are basketball, theater, or community service. Through improved communication I really hope everyone can appreciate and support the full breadth of activities that take place at LM. Q: Has Aniqa given you any wise words of advice?

A: Direct Quote from Aniqa: “Have a vision, stay persistent, and communicate. :)” -Aniqa Interviews conducted by Tori Klevan, Class of 2015

Robbie Warshaw Sergeant-at-Arms

Q: What inspired you to run for Vice President of Lower Merion?

A: I was inspired to run for Vice President because I wanted a chance to improve our school.

Student government allows people to talk about ideas and make changes, so I decided I wanted to run.

Q: What extra-curriculars/ sports are you involved in at LM? A: In addition to student government, I’m in World Affairs Club, Mock Trial, The Merionite, and the School Council.

I also play soccer, and I jump on the track team.

Q: What qualities about yourself makes you a good fit for the job?

A: I like to keep an open mind and listen to everyone’s ideas.

I also have been in student government since my freshman year, so I have experience.

Q: What are your plans for this summer?

A: This summer I’m going to work at an HIV research lab at Jefferson University. I also plan on vacationing in Maine and Florida.

Q: Fun fact about yourself?

A: When I was in sixth grade I was on the TV show Hi-Jinx.

When the cameras came out after I got pranked, I was so surprised I almost fainted.

At our school, we have easy teachers, and we have hard teachers. Some teachers are cool; some try to be cool. There are simple teachers and, on the other hand, unique ones. And then there’s biology teacher Elliott Burch, whose signature tree climbing, bird watching, and biking to school make him famous in the hallways of LM. We were lucky enough to catch up with him regarding his out-of-school activity, life in the classroom, and his plans for the future.

What makes Burch so extraordinary, we learned, is that no matter how well you think you know him, there’s always something you don’t know; he never ceases to amaze you. Having built a guitar last year, he is now complementing it by building a violin, which is halfway done. Burch is also planning a trip to Australia to study the Satin Bowerbird, a rare highbred bird with bright blue eyes. This is not as easy as it may seem. “I need to build a mirror that tracks the sun all day and reflects bright light into the bower area,” he says.

“Any ideas on how to do that?” Additionally, outside the classroom he’s continuing to pursue his passions: surfing, tree climbing, and biking. Burch’s many accomplishments include building two surfboards last fall, climbing trees up to 60 feet tall, and biking across the USA and back.

Regarding his classes at LM, Burch is currently working on his own biology textbook, which he hopes to eventually use in his classes.

The textbook, entitled Biology, As if it Mattered, is on BlogSpot and is two chapters short of being finished. “Some students say they really like it,” he remarked.

“Hard for me to believe that anyone these days would salivate over biology concepts!” Besides using the personalized textbook, Burch’s classes also have the privilege of going bird-watching. He pur-

y Em my T rues

Class of 2014

well

Mr. Burch: Under the microscope

Art b

A. Levitt/L. Robinson

Q: What inspired you to run for Treasurer of Lower Merion?

A: What inspired me to run was my experiences with leadership roles this year. I was a class officer, an officer for LM-TSA, and an officer for French club.

I learned a lot about fundraising from these different leadership roles, and can apply what I learned to help with student council and be more involved.

I ran for treasurer specifically because that office focuses on funds and fundraising.

Q: What extra-curriculars/ sports are you involved in at LM? A: I do lots of different activities. I’m in TSA, World Affairs Club, French Club, and was a class officer this past year. I play for Harriton/Lower Merion Squash, and am also on the tennis team.

Q: Do you have a knack for dealing with money?

A: I’d say I have a knack for money. I’m skilled with handling it and I’m good at the math that goes along with it.

My dad’s also a finance professor so I guess money runs in the family!

Q: Fun fact about yourself?

A: An interesting fact about me is that I’m bilingual. Not a lot of people know this but I can speak both English and Bengali.

Andrew Pasquier President

chased 12 sets of binoculars for his class to use this spring around the campus. There is even a competition amongst his four

Q: What inspired you to run for Sergeant-at-Arms of LM? A: I really fell in love with Student Government in 6th grade, and I’ve been doing it ever since.

I love being able to plan events, represent my school and classmates, and help out other students whenever possible.

Q: What big plans do you have in store for next year?

A: School email addresses, field opening celebrations, redoubling our efforts in the can drive, and finding an inner-city partner school. That’s just the start!

Q: What is “Sergeant-atArms”?

A: Technically, the “Sergeantat-Arms” takes attendance and ‘ejects members if necessary’.

But in reality, we all work together to accomplish the tasks at hand, regardless of titles.

Q: Fun fact about yourself?

A: I read the BC Student Government Constitution at least 10 times in eighth grade.

Q: What is your best purchase?

A: My Sonic Boom Alarm Clock.

It reaches an ear piercing 113 decibels, about the sound level of a rock concert, and it’s about a foot away from my head. I’ve never gotten out of bed so quickly in my life as I have this past year.

Q. Do you have any pets?

A: Not now, but when I grow up I want one cat, two dogs, and three peacocks.

classes—the set that can spot the most species of birds will win extra-credit.

Simon Vernier, one of Burch’s current students, commented: “I like it, it’s a fun activity that relaxes you. When we go bird-watching we learn about different species of birds, their habitats, and how to recognize them.” Says Burch on his classes’ unorthodox activities, “Now in my mind, we need to do more of this kind of science in school. More ecology, less molecules!”

Burch is certainly a diverse person with a fascinating lifestyle, and his presence at our school adds so much personality and distinctiveness, not just to our science department, but to our entire LM faculty.

Without a doubt he sets the bar when it comes to living a life full of action and excitement, and his plans for the future are no exception. In addition to his trip to Australia, he is looking to build a timber frame house on the San Juan Islands off the state of Washington. He has already begun to design it. “It will take [my wife, friends, and I] about five years [to build],” he envisions. “We will live there and play with killer whales.”

11

May 22, 2012

FEATURES The Merionite The beginning of the end: 12th graders begin senior projects A. Avalos/ R. McCarthy

Class of 2013 Senior projects have long been a part of the senior year experience since May of everyone’s senior year will be spent job shadowing, researching, interning, volunteering, or doing other activities depending on their essential question (which they develop in February and March of senior year). Students must complete at least 70 hours of work on their senior project, which is confirmed by a facilitator. These projects give seniors the opportunity to explore something that interests them one last time before graduating high school.

With so many seniors, the projects never cease to be unique and varying from person to person. Elena Behar will be combining her interest in organizational leadership, the arts, and youth education at the Village of Arts and Humanities. The organization promotes art education programs for adolescents and community building through the arts. She will help plan events with the executive director Elizabeth Grimaldi. Behar says that she could definitely see herself studying arts administration or education in college and that she is interested in studying how the arts influence the lives of students at the Village.

Nico Lake is looking to further his active lifestyle through studying yoga and massage. He is currently practicing yoga at the Yoga Garden in Narberth and at Dana Hot Yoga in Bala Cynwyd, and massage at the Yoga Garden with masseuse Amy Nash. Additionally, Lake is

Photo by Chris Conwell/Staff

Senior Cameron King sculpting his senior project.

reading up on literature to enrich his knowledge of yoga and massage. He explains, “Originally I thought of doing yoga because it is something that I have always heard good things about and been interested in doing.” As for the future, Lake says, “I plan to pursue both practices to a lesser degree in college. While I certainly won’t be attending daily yoga classes in college, I hope to attend at least once a week. Hopefully I can also continue practicing massage while in college, and maybe take more advanced classes down the road.”

like turn on the TV, or use my computer.”

Vered Schwell is delving into medical studying and scientific worlds. She will be learning about cancer genetic counseling through research on her own and at the cancer genetics counseling office at Lankenau Hospital in order to create a pedigree (which shows her family’s risk of inheriting a specific cancer). Schwell says, “My project really looks into a specific discourse of a specific field, and a relatively new field too, which I think is really neat…. I’m definitely considering pursuing genetics in college, it’s a field I find fascinating.”

Ever the sports fan, Danny Kane is infusing his passion of athletics into his senior project by coaching the Lower Merion RiverCats, a travel baseball team made up of seventh and eighth graders in the District. “One thing that’s unique about my project is that I am in a setting where I am competing against adults. Every team from every other municipality is coached by fathers of players on those teams, most of whom have been coaching their kids for years and have seen the players on their team

Photo courtesy of Arman Hassan

Senior Aniqa Hassan working on a large photorealistic painting.

Both Ali Burgos and Elsa Schieffelin dove into their artistic sides. Burgos is photographing weather, while Schieffelin is recording a CD. Burgos is combining her love for photography with what she plans on in college: meteorology. She will travel to several locations, including the beach, the Poconos, and Penn’s Landing, to photograph various weather phenomena. Schieffelin has chosen to record a CD because she has “been writing songs for years and wanted to do something special with them before college.”

Aniqa Hassan has quite the artistic ambition, as well.

She will paint a large photorealistic painting inspired by the works of artist Alyssa Monks that will measure about 50” x 50”. Through her senior project, she will “explore techniques and painting styles [she has] never attempted before.”

In an attempt to live like people of the early 20th century, Jesse McCarthy will live without the electronics we are attached to today. He will be spending several days living with only technology predating 1920. “I’m constantly on my computer, using my cellphone, cooking something in a microwave…so I wanted to see how difficult it would be to live without the things I take for granted everyday.”

McCarthy continued, “My project is interesting because I won’t be going out of my way to do anything, but rather I will be going out of my way NOT to do certain things,

Art by Margaret Meehan/Staff

Artist’s rendering of Ali Burgos’s nature photography. grow up as people and baseball players,” Kane says. “It is definitely a unique experience to be able to compete against a bunch of guys who are 30 years older than I am and are far more experienced as coaches and it is something that I think is really beneficial to me as a person.” While Kane will study business in college, he will absolutely benefit from the skills he’s acquired through coaching, most notably “communicating, motivating, and managing personnel.”

From hobbies to future careers, sports to arts, and everything in between, the LM class of 2012 is certainly exploring diverse senior project focuses. Don’t forget that presentations begin on May 29 so be sure to check out those of your favorite seniors.

Vandalism strikes LM Art wing and yearly show

Jared Oriel

Class of 2013 Some see the Art wing as an unfamiliar terrain filled with students who wander around never seeing the light of day. To art kids, however, this hallway is a place of solace and reprieve. Just as LM students wear their Dawg Pound shirts with pride, LM art students display their work with the same dignity. When an artist creates his piece, he not only addresses subject matter that interests him, but also adds a piece of himself into that work. In this way, an artist’s creation is a part of him.

Lately it seems that the students at LM have developed a new trend of battering the art hanging up in the school. In doing so, they breach the sacred code that is to not touch another person’s artwork.

“People need to realize it’s not just a painting that they are ruining, it’s a person’s emotion and effort that they are tearing apart,” said junior Colby Berman.

The LM art show was a few weeks ago, during which time a handful of students’ artwork was vandalized and sculptures damaged. One sculpture made of eggshells was delicately placed within a wire box. The piece was later found on the floor in pieces. Whether it was an accident or on purpose, it nevertheless was wrong. “It took a lot of time and effort to create

my

Art by Robin Weiner

sculpture. I can’t believe someone would knock it over and completely flatten it,” said owner of the sculpture junior Ethan Gage. Even after making repairs to his work, Gage’s sculpture was knocked over yet again and unfortunately did not get to make its debut in this year’s art show.

Even though only a limited number of LM students have violated another person’s piece of art,

it reflects negatively on the school as a whole and shows others that we do not care about the LM art program. Junior Dan Clark spent most his days prior to the Art Show not preparing his work, but repairing his clock sculpture, as it was broken after being knocked over. Similarly, junior Rebecca Arenson found one of her sculpture’s ruined. “It had been out for only a day and I came by and it was broken,” Arenson said. The destruction of artwork not only upset the artists, but also took time away from their preparations for the show because they had to fix pieces that would have otherwise been ready for display. This frustrating occurance is disrespectful and degrading for all LM Students.

“It makes me think that the students at this school have lost respect for the arts,” remarked junior Andy Schuster.

LM is trying to promote the showing of more artwork throughout the school year. However, if the vandalism keeps up, artists may not be willing to exhibit their work in fear that it may be damaged.

In a school as esteemed as LM, students should not have to worry about the safety of their work. We should promote our LM pride and respect the artwork that is proudly displayed in our halls in order to increase the LMHS vitality that is synonymous with our school.

12

May 22, 2012

The Merionite

Club Spotlight: LMAC

Lexi Silow

Class of 2015

Learning a piece depends on the difficulty of the song. “There was one instance this year when Ace Harmony was pressed for time and had to learn a song in one rehearsal,” Hunnex recalls. Some songs need more time than this, however, and are started in September but are not ready for performing until the spring concert in April. Repertoire can come from almost anywhere. Most songs are student-arranged pieces. As Hunnex explained, “A lot of times, it comes from somebody listening to a song and thinking, ‘that would be really cool a cappella.’”

The more arrangements and arrangers, the more variety within a set.

Hunnex isn’t the only person who gives a ringing endorsement for a cappella. All of the people involved say that they love every minute of it. Senior Elena Behar said, “I love a cappella because it’s a fun atmosphere, you get to hang out with your friends and make music and you get to hang out with Mr. Hunnex. It’s a really incredible feeling when everyone’s voice comes together.

It’s great to participate in something where both the participants and the audience really enjoy the process.” Sophomore Melana Dayanim added, “You learn a lot about music and how to read the staff. You also make so many friends and if it’s a Monday or Wednesday and I don’t feel like going to school, I know it will be a good day because I have [Ace’s] Angels after school.”

A cappella, by definition, means no instrumental accompaniment. Singers make all the music themselves. LM is lucky enough to have not just one, but two a cappella groups that make up Lower Merion A Cappella (or LMAC): Ace’s Angels, which is all female, and Ace Harmony, which is co-ed.

LMAC is run by chorus teacher Joshua Hunnex. He has been involved in a cappella since high school, saying, “We had an abysmal choral program at my high school, so some friends of mine got together and started working on our own. I was mostly in charge of writing the arrangements and stuff. We didn’t know that what we were doing was a cappella, or even that a cappella existed, but we had a great time doing it. I’ve been involved in a cappella ever since, most of the time as a director or coach.”

Auditions are held in September each year and everyone needs to audition to earn his or her spot in an LM a cappella group, regardless of prior involvement. “No free passes,” Hunnex reiterated. While no rehearsal is the same as the last, they tend to follow a pattern. “We warm up and start working our way through material, improving on what we’ve already learned and learning new material too,” said Hunnex.

Auditions for solos also take place during rehearsals. Both groups have rehearsals on Mondays and Wednesdays, but Ace’s Angels meets from 2:40-3:15 PM on Mondays and 6-8 PM on Wednesdays and Ace Harmony meets 6-8 PM on Mondays and 2:403:15 PM on Wednesdays. Because it is such a significant responsibility and important obligation, missing any a cappella Photo courtesy of Aviva Mann/Staff rehearsals throughout the Ace Harmony performing its Britney Spears medley course of the year is at the spring concert on Saturday, April 14, 2012. discouraged.

FEATURES

LM’s summer plans

Several LM students have gotten or intend to get jobs summer jobs, including working at food or clothing stores, volunteering at reLM students have numerous activities tirement homes, being a camp counselor, and planned for this summer. From spending the interning. Senior Zach Kleiner, who works at entire summer doing nothing, to jam-packing a camp, said, “I’m a counselor at Camp Wayne every type of activity possible into their three for boys, which is an eight-week overnight camp months off, here are some common summer in Preston Park, Pennsylvania. I basically work interests for LMers. in multiple positions but I also am assigned to Some students have chosen to incorporate a bunk and watch over kids and sleep in that academics into their summer breaks. Many bunk every night. I do it because I went to camp are enrolled in PSAT, SAT, and/or ACT prep to for seven years and it’s the most amazing place prepare for testing, which begins in the fall. Some ever.” Sophomore Jonathan Naiberg will be have summer school for six weeks; others plan working at an ice-cream parlor during his sumon taking a class or workshop at a university. mer. Sophomore Nishika Sen said, “My job is Freshman Dan Matthews said, “I’m going to helpful during the summer because that’s how I summer school to be able to take no classes make money. I work at DiBruno Brothers during senior year.” Sander Haigh, also a freshman, the day making sandwiches, which is convenient explained, “I’m doing Honors Western Civili- because then I can make plans for the night.” zation so I can do Honors Anatomy next year.” Junior Sophie Koorhan works in a retirement Sophomore Sara Martone said, “I will be taking home and commented, “I like learning about Psychology at Gettysburg University because the older generations and being a companion I want to be a psychologist when I’m older.” to those who need it.” Junior Jacob Scharf will Others will be interning. Junior Darby Marx also be working: “I have an internship at Philly will be working in an HIV research lab VA Hospital during the summer at Jefferson this summer and said, “I’m helping out in the psychiatric working at the lab because I’m ward. It should be fun because I really interested in science like psychiatry and learnand medicine.” ing about the brain.”

Other students plan Sports will play a role on relaxing during the in many LM summers majority of their vacation. this year as well. Students Many will be enjoying participating in fall sports their last year as a camper at will be returning for preArt sleep-away camp. Freshman Adrienne season in early August. Junior Rose said, “I’ll be spending my summer by Jared Sean Cameron said, “I like coming Oriel at Camp Timbertops because it’s [her] back for football preseason because it last year and it’s the most amazing place ever!” gets you adjusted to school before it starts, I get Similarly, junior Jess Shander will “spend my to do what I love all day, and then I can sleep for last year at Camp Harlam as a camper but I hope the remainder of it.” Others, including freshmen to come back in future years as a counselor.” Jule Brown and Corey Sherman, plan on playOthers will be staying at the beach or traveling ing basketball throughout the summer. Brown overseas. Sophomore Alex Marks is going on said, “I am dedicated to getting myself better a tour of Russia. Freshman Daisy Diamond, to help the team get back to the success we had who will be going sailing on different islands this past year.” between St. Martin and Trinidad for five weeks Whether relaxing, getting a job, taking a this summer, said, “I will get the chance to sail, course, or playing a sport, LM students seem to scuba dive, water-ski, tour different islands, hike, be in for an exciting summer of 2012. With less swim, and backpack. Additionally, I will get to than thirty days left in the school year, summer do community service while I’m there.” will be here before we know it.

Julia Carstens

Class of 2015

Penn State tackles taboos: race relations in focus

Alex Hatza

Class of 2013

This past summer, our school district sponsored a workshop for teachers, administrators and parents on fostering race relations among our students. The workshop was facilitated by a professional moderator; and participants worked in small groups, discussing various issues related to race. I know about this workshop because my older sister attended at the invitation of one of my teachers. My sister, a 2006 graduate of LM and a 2010 graduate of Penn State, left the workshop full of hope about the enthusiasm of the participants and our Superintendent toward initiating the conversation about race.

You might wonder what my sister, who graduated from both a predominantly white high school and then a predominantly white college, knows about race relations and why her enthusiasm meant anything at all to me. Here’s the reason: Almost ten years ago, in State College, Pennsylvania, a movement began. A professor of sociology at Penn State, Dr. Sam Richards, and his wife, Dr. Laurie Mulvey, started what was then known as the Race Relations Project. The Race Relations Project began as an effort to facilitate dialogue about race and other topics generally considered to be taboo. Richards and Mulvey believed that there was no forum at Penn State for students to discuss race, gender, or culture. These dialogues were meant to offer a place where peers could speak openly about these issues.

In 2002, the project began with few facilitators; the first group was made up of Richards’s teaching assistants. Undergraduates were later chosen as facilitators in order to make the setting more comfortable for the students involved. The hardworking professors and student facilitators made the Race Relations Project a huge success in its first year. Conversations sponsored by the project were held all over campus, including dorms and sorority and fraternity houses. The project has

become so successful at Penn State that, last year, its name was changed to the World in Conversation Project, and it has expanded from primarily race to “the area of gender, student drinking culture, and relations with the Middle East.”

My sister was lucky enough to be chosen as a facilitator, and she found the conversations she led and the students whose minds she helped open to be so rewarding that she stayed on as a facilitator until she graduated. Facilitators are trained to foster conversation and openness among students who have points of view all across the spectrum. Students meet in groups of no more than eight, and are led by two facilitators—who may also have diverse viewpoints—in order to have a more intimate conversation. In each conversation, facilitators utilize the socratic method, often answering a question by posing another question. The point is not to tell students what to believe or how to act, but instead to allow them to see their own point-of-view in contrast to others in the hope that the students will look at the issues in a new way and learn from each other. Facilitators challenge students to reflect on their own views by actively listening to what each student has to say and then posing the student’s own point-of-view back to him in the facilitator’s voice. The facilitators and the rest of the group then ask the student to defend his point-of-view. In these dialogues, students willingly open up to the facilitators and group members by sharing their stories, opinions, and experiences. Some choose not to and opt to listen to what other students say. These discussions have proven to be very beneficial to the Penn State community, promoting better understanding of one’s fellow human beings.

This process of coming to better understand our fellow human beings is very important. The mission of this project, as stated on its website, is “to create dialogues about social and cultural issues that expand perspectives and invite greater understanding between people—locally and globally.” Stu-

dents at Penn State are lucky to have had professors Richards and Mulvey organizing this program so that they have the chance to see new points of view and better understand their peers. Based on the vast growth that the Race Relations Project experienced, people clearly agree that these discussions are a valuable experience for students. In the 2009-2010 school year, the project held more than one thousand dialogues for more than six thousand Penn State students. Soon, the World In Conversation Project will have been in existence for a decade, and its message— understanding and tolerance—has done nothing but good for Penn State.

It would be wonderful to see programs like this in other colleges, universities, and high schools around the country. Hopefully, someday, it will not be necessary Art for the World In Conversation by Jared Project to facilitate dialogue Oriel about these topics, but, for now, I am glad they are doing so.

After seeing the District take the initiative to hold this conference about race relations, I hope to see this idea progressed in the near future.

13

May 22, 2012

The Merionite

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Reviewing the newest box Aces of The Arts office hit: The Hunger Games Lila Murphy - Class of 2014 Evan Bowen-Gaddy

Photo courtesy of Lila Murphy What arts do you participate in or outside of school?

In school I take Art 1H and Metal Arts during my free. Also I am involved with LM dance team, which I am set to be co-captain of for next year. Outside of school I am on Surge Dance Team (a hiphop team) and I assistant teach a hiphop class.

Who inspires you?

Friends and family are a constant source of inspiration. I am always blown away by the things they come up with.

Humans in general come up with ridiculous things that never cease to amaze me.

Do you have any advice for aspiring artists or dancers?

Honestly if you overthink things because you are concerned about how others will view it, it will never be as good.

Also keep an open mind, inspiration can come at you from anywhere so be open to it.

What’s the latest download on your iPod? Haven’t downloaded in a while, but I am SIKED for the new Best Coast album.

Max Gottlieb - Class of 2012

Photo courtesy of Max Gottlieb What arts do you participate in or outside of school?

I have been in concert choir for three years, taken piano lab, and AP Music Theory. I’ve been in a band, and I’ve enjoyed playing with various acoustic acts. I have also been a part of Ace Harmony for two years. I participated in the five week summer program at Berklee College of Music last summer, and American Music Abroad the summer before. I’ve also been involved in many other smaller opportunities along the way.

Shout outs to my girls Aviva and Moriah.

What has been your favorite memory of the LM music scene?

Getting 16 free burritos for singing with Ace Harmony at Chipotle.

Who inspires you?

Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Jimi Hendrix, and I think Michael Buble is pretty classy.

A fun fact about yourself?

I’m cousins with Joaquin Phoenix.

Class of 2013

With millions of teens, children, and adults alike mourning the end of the Harry Potter series, it was only a matter of time before another young hero filled the hole in their hearts. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark do a fantastic job filling that void. However, whether The Hunger Games will be as good a film series as Harry Potter is questionable.

The Hunger Games follows the story of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a 16 year-old girl who has volunteered in place of her younger sister to participate in a fight to the death with twentythree other teenagers. This fatal challenge, known as the “Hunger Games,” is set up by the fictional totalitarian government each year in order to remind the citizens that they serve the government, and not the other way around. The story is based on the novel by Suzanne Collins, and is loosely based on the Greek myth of Theseus.

We’ll start with the negatives of the film. In the past ten years, there seems to be a growing trend of cinematographers turning to handheld filming techniques, making the industry seem devolved.

The director of The Hunger Games went way over the edge with this style. Tripods were invented for a reason: People don’t like to watch entire movies that look like a child holding a camcorder shot them! This isn’t to say it can’t be used properly.

Shaky cinematography can help evoke a certain mood of chaos in chase scenes or fight scenes, but when the subjects of the film are simply sitting in a room talking, I don’t appreciate the camera’s being flung all over the place.

Besides the overkilled home-video style, there isn’t too much to complain about. The directors did, however, forgo a few bits from the book that

I thought would have improved the overall quality of the story. In the novel, each District had a unique and universally recognized type of product.

This wasn’t even mentioned in the film. Although it was not enough to totally spoil the movie, it was an interesting choice for the director to neglect such a simple bit.

Overall, the movie was very satisfying. The scenery and costumes looked almost exactly like I imagined them when I read the book. It was reminiscent of the universe in The Fifth Element (outlandish hairdos, eccentric personalities, etc.).

The director perhaps took this theme a bit further than the author implied in her writing, but in some cases that’s perfectly fine. Films and novels are different; if the director sees it fit to magnify aspects of the book to be better suited for the cinema, so be it. Something he did not change was the general attitude of Katniss, which I thought was a smart move.

The film is bound to be a hit with teenage girls of all creeds. Jennifer Lawrence does a wonderful job of portraying a tough—yet not butch—independent girl. This is what sets the film apart from other teen novel adaptations such as Twilight, where the main protagonist is a female, but is protected by other male characters.

Whether these teen girls watching are on “Team Peeta” or “Team Gale,” they know they can rely on Katniss to make the right decision. This is a great milestone in the film business, showing that teenage girls are no longer feeling pushed to fit such a tight gender role.

Despite the few flaws in the The Hunger Games movie adaption, it still proved to be a well-made film that kept the attention of the audience. It will be interesting to see if the film series is as much of a box office monster as the Harry Potter or Twilight films.

A reflection on the LM art show Galen McMullen

acrylic self-portrait and glass still life. Art 3H and Class of 2013 the seniors in the LM art curriculum are given the On your way to lunch you may pass it, that small opportunity to set up their own panel, showcasing hallway down beyond the atrium. For a while it their portfolio. According to senior Carly McKown, goes unheard of until you find stragglers signing “the senior panels always end up looking amazing up for AR in its rooms. And who can blame them? and the time leading up to them is so exciting.”

Those stress-free relaxing vibes only come from one McKown’s not the only one who enjoys the part of the school—the art wing. Everything that show. Because it’s open to the public, all people goes on in the art wing stays in the art wing… that is, can check out what the LM art students have to until the beginning of May. Perhaps the one excep- offer. Unlike English or history or science, the tion to that “stress free environment” is during this arts are universal. Anyone can interpret a piece time. Deadlines are closing in as students crazily differently and take away something new from it. finish projects and teachers are running hectically This is what the student strives for: something that through the halls with last minute decorations. It’s can challenge their viewer. At LM we are thankful time for the end-of-the-year art show. to have the chance to decode hundreds of student This is probably the only time students can show pieces that line our halls this time each year. We are off their work without looking too conceited. It’s a chance for their peers to view the talents they’ve been hiding all year. But you could guess that much; the title is pretty self-explanatory. What viewers tend to overlook is the main focus of the show. LM’s annual end-ofthe-year art show centers around the senior panels. Although they only last the first couple of nights, seniors have the chance to add originality and character to their panels on top of their artwork.

This is the last chance they have to leave their legacy in LM, and Photo by Margaret Meehan/Staff it’s a good thing they do.

Every art class is represented in the Every class is represented in the annual art show.

Above are Art 2H’s self portraits. show. The ceramics classes set up their impressive dining room sets outside of the guidance office and metal arts displays their jew- also thankful to have such a strong art program— elry in cases. The Art 1H students showed off their one of the best in the nation. So the next couple techniques for pencil drawing—this year’s included of days you’re passing a classmate’s artwork take a study of a shoe, a self-portrait, and an abstract time to appreciate it in every sense, for it won’t be chair. The Art 2H students also each displayed an up much longer.

14

May 22, 2012

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Exploring the virtual world of Harry Potter The Merionite

Jane Urheim

Class of 2013

Ever wonder what house you would be sorted into if you attended Hogwarts? Would you be a shrewd Slytherin or a friendly Hufflepuff? A witty Ravenclaw or a chivalrous Gryffindor? Now, if you haven’t already, you can finally find out the answers to these questions on Pottermore. Created by J.K. Rowling herself, Pottermore is an interactive website designed to take its participants through the seven Harry Potter books alongside Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

First things first: when you sign up for Pottermore, you are given a username and expected to “explore” all seven books. As you wander through each chapter of the

Ravenclaw Colors: Blue and Bronze Mascot: The Eagle Features of Personality: First and foremost known for their wit, wisdom, and love of learning, Ravenclaws lead the wizarding world in academia. They tend to be more reserved than the members of other houses and can seem nerdy or alternative. Ravenclaws are true visionaries, but their intellect can come across as stilted and pretentious. However, make no mistake, Ravenclaws have hearts and minds of gold.

Head of House: Filius Flitwick Wizarding Alumni: Garrick Ollivander, Luna Lovegood Notable LMers: Robert Zhou, Joanna Odorisio, Jenna Perna-Elias

story, you can collect Galleons to spend in Diagon Alley, rare but useful potion ingredients, spell books, and other random items to add to your trunk. While traveling through the stories, you can also unlock certain features, exclusive information, and segments that never made it into Rowling’s books.

When Harry goes to Gringotts with Hagrid for the first time, you’re right there with them, opening your own account. When Harry’s wand chooses him, you take a quiz to find your perfect wand match as well. As a member of Pottermore, you can take part in wizard duels (members challenge each other with spells to gain House Points) and potion brewing (members follow a complicated and timed set of instructions to brew cures for boils or poison antidotes). There are endless features, news, and activities

Hufflepuff Colors: Yellow and Black Mascot: The Badger Features of Personality: Hufflepuff is by far the most accepting of all the houses, valuing hard work, honesty, patience, and kindness. Due to this nature, Hufflepuffs are the least competitive and the least arrogant. Although you don’t have to worry too much about Hufflepuffs as academic competitors, they are for sure the nicest people you’ll ever meet!

Head of House: Pomona Sprout Wizarding Alumni: Nymphadora Tonks, Cedric Diggory Notable LMers: Lily Eisner, Talia Lieberman, Noah Levick

Popular NYC burger joint comes to Philly

Kara Boutselis

Class of 2013 Philly food connoisseurs, get ready for Rittenhouse Square’s newest sweet summer treat: Shake Shack. What started out as a modest New York City hot dog cart in 2001 has become one of Danny Meyer and the Union Square Hospitality Group’s greatest gems.

From Dubai and Kuwait City, to Washington DC and New York City, Shake Shack is taking foodies all around the world by storm, and Philadelphia is next.

I first encountered Shake Shack this past summer at its location in the Theater District of New York City. My family and I were on our way to see a show, but had a few hours to spare. We walked around Times Square, Rockefeller Plaza, and after an hour, sweating and tired from the crowds and summer humidity, we found ourselves facing Shake Shack.

Of course, we weren’t the only ones; the line wrapped halfway down the street. Although New York City is a mecca for tourism, and there were thousands of restaurants that would have welcomed my family in with open arms, there was something about Shake Shack that intrigued us, and we decided to wait in line. It was certainly worth it.

From hand-crafted burgers and fancy hot dogs to shakes, custards, and cheese fries, Shake Shack is sure to please your inherently American taste buds. Of course, you could argue that there are already dozens of burger restaurants in our area, like Elevation Burger (Wynnewood), Five Guys (Bala Cynwyd), and The BRGR Joint (Bryn Mawr), but Shake Shack’s superb location and creative menu trump its Main Line competition. Set to open sometime in the beginning of the summer on the corner of 20th and Sansom, Shake Shack is sure to attract hoards of hungry Philadelphians at its strategic location just a few blocks from gorgeous Rittenhouse Square. But it will also bring controversy. Located across the street from both Capo Giro and Jose Garces’s “Village Whiskey,” Shake Shack will have to battle for the best burger and best dessert on the block. With a dessert line up that includes “Jelly’s Last Donut,” a blend of “vanilla custard, Doughnut Plant donuts, strawberry preserves and cinnamon sugar,” and “Shacky Road,” made of “chocolate custard, chocolate truffle cookie dough, marshmallow sauce and almonds” along with the “ShackBurger” (cheese, tomato, and special sauce) or vegetarian “Shroom Burger,” we are in for quite the show-down.

So, fingers crossed, this amazing burger dive will be open by the start of the summer, giving us yet another excuse to head down to the city and enjoy some delicious food.

for members to involve themselves in.

But perhaps the most highly anticipated part of Pottermore occurs in chapter seven of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, when Harry gets sorted. Once you have reached that chapter, you “try on the Sorting Hat” with a character test that places you in one of the four houses based on your personality.

LM students signed up for Pottermore have banded together with others from their house to wage small wars against each other, trying in vain to prove the age-old question: which Hogwarts house is the best?

So, decide for yourself. Read the following basic information about each house and determine where you belong–or sign up for Pottermore and see for yourself!

Art by Aviva Mann/Staff

Slytherin Gryffindor Colors: Green and Silver Colors: Scarlet and Gold Mascot: The Snake Mascot: The Lion Features of personality: Although Slytherin Features of Personality: Gryffindors generally gets a negative reputation, students are known mostly for their courage and in this house are often described as cunning, chivalry, and are loyal to the very end. resourceful, and ambitious. They are strong They are respected wizards in society, but leaders, weighing all outcomes and possibili- can be reckless and have little regard for ties of a situation before acting. Slytherins rules. As a result, Gryffindors can come off share a certain disregard for rules like as arrogant and egotistical. This being said, Gryffindors, but the houses are great rivals. they rarely turn to the Dark Arts and have Slytherins, when given power, can go out of good, strong hearts. control and hurt others in order to save themHead of House: Minerva McGonagall selves. Students in this house are by nature Wizarding Alumni: Albus Dumbledore, very great and not at all afraid to standout in a Harry Potter crowd.

Notable LMers: Aviva Mann, Maddy Head of House: Severus Snape McFarland, Anton Novehrends Wizarding Alumni: Lord Voldemort, Merlin Notable LMers: Tony Gu, Monica Morgenstern, Haydn Hornstein-Platt

Jay-Z sponsors local music fesitval

A&E Staff

Class of ‘13/’12

This coming Labor Day, Philly is going to get a little better. Jay-Z will be bringing a brand new music festival to the Ben Franklin Parkway. Budweiser’s “Made In America” festival will be held on September 1 and 2 and will feature rap, hip-hop, R&B, rock, latin, and dance

music. In a press conference at the Art Museum on May 14, Jay-Z said that he hopes to draw a crowd as big as 50,000.

A large portion of the proceeds will be donated to United Way of Philadelphia, a charity that helps improve the lives of citizens in need. In an interview after the conference he said: “I have a long relationship and love affair with the city of Philadelphia, the only city to rival Motown. That’s really the truth.” There will be over 25 acts that grace the three stages over the course of two days.

For a show that Jay-Z is headlining and talk about a Beyoncé performance, 99 dollars for a ticket is a steal.

Jay-Z along with Mayor Nutter and other sponsors, introducting the Philadelphia music festival set to take place September 1.

Photo by Robert Guadio/Staff

15

May 22, 2012

The Merionite

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Instagram bandwagon Beach House’s new album, “Bloom,” in review Gigi Grimes

Class of 2014

The world continues to grow larger through the use of social networking, and people are constantly looking for new ways to let others know what they are doing each minute of the day. Facebook and Twitter have dominated the online world for the past few years, with Tumblr and Reddit close behind. But now there’s a new contender that seems to be in the palm of nearly everyone’s hand.

Instagram has become one of the most popular new social media pages—the whole application works directly from your individual phone. This little trendy page is creating a huge name for itself in the ever-rising social media world.

Instagram began in San Franciso when founders Kevin Systrom and Michel Kreiger grew curious with the idea of mobile photography. It was launched in October, 2010 in the Apple App Store. By December of that same year, Instagram had one million users and the company decided to expand, offering their customers new filters, optional borders, and highresolution photos. A little over a year after the first launch, Instagram had ten million users. On April 3, Instagram released Instagram for Android, which brought in many investors and valued the company at $500 million. Facebook acquired Instagram on April 12 for one billion dollars.

By the end of this past April, Instagram had 30 million users; within two years the company had grown remarkably in size.

Since the beginning, Instagram users have uploaded over 150 million photos. This page has become one of the most popular

apps in the span of just two years.

But taking a closer look at LM, Instagram has become the new way for kids to let everyone know what they are up to.

Chances are you have heard fewer people saying, “Mupload (mobile upload) this!” or “Twitpic that!” but more people are now saying “Instagram it!” As the popularity of iPhones has increased at LM, “Muploading” has grown obsolete and Instagram, rather, has taken its place. But who’s to blame us for using Instagram?

The app allows users to add filters to their photos to give each picture an old-school Kodak Polaroid feel (funny how as we advance with technology, we actually want to make things look like they are from an older time). Forget about the days when cell-phone pictures were low-resolution and only to be used for the internal wallpaper. The artsy feel that Instagram gives to pictures has tricked every LM student into thinking they are a photographer. The faded and black-and-white filter options allow nearly anyone to appear professional. This quick and easy-to-use app has certainly caught the eye of LM students and is sure to stick around.

Instagram has been one of the top apps on iTunes for the past few weeks and is becoming more and more popular everyday. This all-the-rage app is changing the way that people share their information with friends. Instagram is the perfect way to dress up your pictures and share them with your social circle. So next time you take a picture on your phone and say to yourself, “this isn’t artsy enough,” run it through Instagram and participate in the growing trend.

1. Chuck Berry- Johnny B Goode

2. Coldplay- Up In Flames 3. Beach House- Wild

4. Alabama Shakes- Be Mine 5. Bon Iver- Towers

Robert Guadio

Class of 2012 Beach House’s newest installation, aptly named Bloom, is the fourth in the group’s already stellar collection. The band has released their second album on indie record label powerhouse Sub Pop—their last album, Teen Dream achieved critical and commercial acclaim. The Baltimore based dream pop duo put their best foot forward in this release. Highly stylized and often beautiful, the album’s first single ‘Myth’ features a not so foreign guitar line, a powerful drum line and as always lead singer Victoria Legand’s cooing voice.

Currently there is a huge market for indie crooners, and Beach House combines a fantastic female vocalist with a fantastic multi-instrumentalist, Alex Scally—separating the band from the pack. A highlight of the album comes three songs in on the song “Lazuli” with a simple scale for the synth line slowly builds into a beautiful full-bodied song. Recently, Beach House has stressed the importance of staying true to your band in a cutthroat music industry. For many, the secret to Beach House lies in the story telling— often in words you can’t even make out.

The beauty of Legand’s voice and lyrics is that even though her words are often slurred and muddled—her message is still very present. Towards the middle of the album the songs begin to pick up pace, driving and pushing, going somewhere—coming to a head in the sixteen-minute finale entitled “Irene.” Transcending buzzband branding and the constant pressure to change and perform, Beach House has stayed true to themselves in an album that truly is one of the best we’ve seen in a very long time.

Photos by Robert Gaudio/Staff

PLAYLIST OF THE MONTH

‘Instagram Photos’

6. Of Monsters of Men-Mountain Sound

7. HEEMS- Thug Handles 8. Norwegian Arms- Tired of Being Cold

9. Drake- HYFR 10. Dave Matthews- Seven

A follow up on Ingrid Michaelson’s latest performance

Aviva Mann

Class of 2013 She stood before us in a racer-back tank top, trendy jeans, glasses, and a messy mountain of hair atop her head. In all honesty, I felt a bit of an adrenaline rush as the first pulsing chords to “Fire” opened the show.

Ingrid Michaelson has progressed over the last five years—once playing at the Tin Angel for a room of forty with only her band-mate Ally, to now gracing the stage of the Electric Factory and other similar venues across the country for a sold out showing of her latest album, Human Again. Her set list for last Saturday night went as follows: Fire Palm of your Hand Soldier Parachute Corner of your Heart Do it Now Blood Brothers Ghost Can’t help falling in love with you The Way I Am San Francisco In the Sea Overboard Black and Blue We Found Love Maybe Be OK You and I The Chain

Seven of the eighteen are showcased on of your Hand,’ Michaelson described how she her latest album, and the remaining nine were felt backstage upon hearing the cheers from either from her previous albums, Boys and the audience. She thought, “who are all these Girls, Be OK, Everybody or covering the well- people and why are they here?” She seemed known artist, Rihanna. The set list appealed to to be in disbelief that we were really there to recent listeners and old fans alike. see her. Not fully able to grasp her impact on But what is listeners as an it about seeing artist, she said, Ingrid live that’s “I know how so enthralling? music affects Many audience me, but it’s hard members—myto think that my self included— music does that find themselves for others.” Furstanding and ther, Michaelstaring, eyes son reminisced fixed without on the first time blinking. Ingrid she had played M ich aels o n ’s in Philadelphia relatable nature, Photo courtesy of Doug Cotler at the Tin Angel stage presence, and how appreand talent capti- Ingrid Michelson preforms “In the Sea” from her ciative she is to latest album, Human Again vate Ingrid conbe here today. certgoers. Like But not only most recorded artists, live concerts show off is the singer-songwriter genuine—she’s funny.

Michaelson’s charisma in a way that isn’t ‘After Do It Now,’an upbeat song that she always reflected on the track. Her ability to started with an acoustic beginning yet tranmake subtle changes to melody and dynamics sitioned into a high-energy first chorus, she creates an extremely impressive performance. began “Story Time with Ingrid.” Michaelson Michaelson also knows how to talk to an au- talked about falling in front of millions at a dience. Besides her music, she shares stories, televised performance—a story that revealed personal thoughts, and often times her insecuri- an embarrassing time. Many of her stories ties. After her first two songs, ‘Fire’ and ‘Palm and lyrics are rather self-deprecating, dark,

and revealing, yet likable—like a trend we see in her many of her lyrics. Some of this extended metaphor is exemplified in the following phrases: “You burn me up and I love it” from the song “Fire.”

“No, no, don’t rescue me, I like the salt water sting.” from “In the Sea.” “And I think that I like her, ‘cuz she tells me things I don’t want to hear,” from “Masochist.”

Before playing “The Way I Am,” her first hit, Michaelson explained how sick she grew of this song. She said it was “like a boyfriend you wake up next to one morning and can’t stand.” Michaleson further mentioned feeling the need to prove herself; that she needed to show her “dark, twisted self” in an edgier way that branched out from songs about sweaters, patches, and easy love. She played a stripped down version of “The Way I Am.” One of my personal favorite parts of the night was when she sat at the piano to play “Blood Brothers.” Upon reaching the chorus, “what you need, what you need, I need too.

What you are, what you are, I am too,” the room contained an energy that was remarkable to witness in a space full of strangers. Equally powerful was her closing, and whether it was because by that time we’d made it to the front row, or because “The Chain” was a sweet ending, as WXPN’s Bruce Warren said, “She put on a great show.”

16

May 22, 2012

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Merionite

The best of music, food, and fun all in one night

Jacob Van Houten

Class of 2013 Twelve or more hours of cheering, yelling, dancing, raving, and singing along to some of your favorite musical artists. Sound exciting? This is what you can expect when you go to a music festival. They are usually all-day or weekend events with a variety of big name and upcoming artists, all excited to be there and entertain. The events sometimes choose artists in specific genres, but recently many festivals are bringing together as many popular artists as they can. The venues are often outdoors and have multiple entertainment and dining options, making the experience as enjoyable as possible. You may want to think before planning anything early the next morning, however, because music festivals are the marathons of live musical performance. Lasting anywhere from one whole day, like Sweetlife,

to two consecutive weekends like Coachella, you won’t be left feeling short-changed.

I recently got to experience the festival craze firsthand when I attended the Sweetlife Food & Music festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. It consisted of an all-day noon to midnight endless stream of artists on multiple stages set in an outdoor venue. Headlined by currently blowing up artists Avicii and Kid Cudi and preceded by The Shins, the lineup also featured Explosions in the Sky, Fitz and the Tantrums, A$AP Rocky, and Fun. Even the earlier acts like A$AP managed to hype up the crowd, filling the venue with energy. Although it can be hard to stay hyped up for eight hours, once the headliners came on there was no shortage of liveliness. Kid Cudi brought his contagious enthusiasm to the entire crowd, delivering what was the best act of the night. Avicii followed with almost two hours of his signature remixing, bringing the crowd off

its feet the entire time. With such a wide variety of artists and such enthusiastic crowds and performers, the faltering weather barely affected the experience, which was overwhelmingly positive.

If you missed out, you have no need to worry: the summer brings a whole range of festivals nearby.

Coming up soon is The Bamboozle 2012 in Asbury Park, New Jersey from May 18-20, featuring Bon Jovi, Skrillex, Mac Miller and other big names. A month after that is the Governor’s Ball, held June 23-24 on Randall’s Island, New York, with artists such as Passion Pit, Beck, Duck Sauce, and Modest Mouse. Then, in July is the XPoNential music festival in Camden, featuring Wilco, The Avett Brothers, and Dr. Dog. Closing out the summer on August 31-September 2 is Electric Zoo, also on Randall’s Island, with big electronic names such as David Guetta, Axwell, and Tiesto. If you have never been to a festival, the experience is usually worth whatever outrageous price a ticket is. So start saving up, the next festival is right around the corner.

Arrested Development returns Haydn Hornstein-Platt

The crowd cheering Avicii and A$AP on at the Sweetlife festival.

Photos courtesy of Jacob Van Houten

UPCOMING EVENTS Radiohead: June 13, Susquehanna Bank Center Drake: June 9, Susquehanna Bank Center Best Coast: July 17, Union Transfer Dave Matthew’s Band: June 26, 27 Susquehanna Bank Center Firefly Music Festival

July 20/22. Dover, Delaware. Headlines include: The Black

Keys, Bassnectar, Lupe Fiasco, The Killers, Jack White Governers Ball

June 23/24. Rendall’s Island, NYC. Headlines inlcude:

Modest Mouse, Kid Cudi, Passion Pit XPNonetial Music Festival

June 29, 30, 31. Susq. Bank. Includes Wilco, Avett Brothers.

Made in America Festival

September 1/2. Fairmount Park. Jay-Z and others TBD.

Class of 2013

Arrested Development is coming back. Hold your applause. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, ten new episodes will all be released “on the same day sometime in 2013.”

Surprisingly, we do not have Fox Broadcasting Company to thank, but Netflix. The filming for the new season of Arrested Development will begin over the summer. While we are tanning, interning, going to camp, or making it through summer school, we can all smile picturing Michael Bluth and Lindsay Funke once again fighting over what’s best for Maebe and George Michael.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the fourth season is that the entire cast has gotten back on board. Moreover, it seems that the fans of the show are just as enthused; the cancelation of the show in 2006 proved to be a bad move. It’s not hard to imagine an executive at Fox thinking, “I have made a huge mistake.”

The creator and staff of the show have confirmed the rumor of a fourth season but not yet a movie. A Bluth family movie was first suggested in 2006 after the cancelation of the series. When asked, creator Mitch Hurwitz expressed interest in producing a film, but nothing is official and we can expect several more years before any movie ideas become reality.

To all of the Arrested Development fans: try to get A’s first and second quarter next year, because procrastination during the third quarter is a definite.

Arrested Development is not the only project Netflix is investing in. The first show the company decided to buy the rights to is called House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey.

There has been some confusion in the business and film-making communities about how this video streaming company has suddenly entered the world of production. They are tough competition for companies such as Comcast and Verizon Fios, and NBC and HBO may need to watch out, as well.

Netflix has millions of customers who order DVDs to their homes or watch instantly online. With an already large fan base, the company has an extremely easy way to market themselves. They are a company that sells movies, making movies.

Netflix is not the only streaming website beginning to produce their own TV shows.

Hulu has taken on a show called Battleground, and a more successful show called A Day in the Life. The latter is directed by Morgan Spurlock, who you may remember from Supersize Me. The six-episode documentary-style series has featured musicians such as Girl Talk and Das Racist, comedian Russell Peters, and billionaire Richard Branson.

Regardless of the worries of traditional TV networks, it’s possible that Netflix and Hulu-produced shows will be the television format of the future. Entire series are released at the same moment, and they are accessible at any time. Perhaps this is the long-awaited update to DVR.

Spring fashion dos and don’ts

A&E Staff

A male perspective on women’s style Class of ‘12/’13

To many, clothes are a form of self-expression, while others see them as only practicality. Nonetheless, we LMers embrace personal style, and to some extent keep up with the trends. It’s a simple fact that at some point, most girls have looked in the mirror and wondered how we are percieved by others—especially the opposite sex. Out of curiosity, males across the student body expressed what they think is a good look on girls, and which trends could be done without.

“I think its really cute when girls wear Keds or Converse; I’ve honestly had it up to here with high waist shorts—no pun intended.” - Evan Bowen-Gaddy “I think tall boots are a good look.”

“I really don’t like sheer button down blouses, like why is that a thing? They don’t count as real clothes.”

“Baggie hoodies that are ratty, lazy, and annoying” I like when girls dress nicely and take pride in what they wear and aren’t just like ‘ugh sweatpants uggs,”-Robert Gaudio “I don’t understand backwards hats or flat brimmed hats on girls.”

“Prints and bright colors are good.”

“I don’t like when girls wear those shirts cut huge so they are off the shoulder.”- Andrew Pasquier

“I like a girl who can wear a hoodie well. I’m not that picky.”

“I want a girl to have her own individual style, like if I see them rockin’ those same nike shorts as everyone else...the ones with the stripe of color on the side, it’s like c’mon” “Boots and shorts, it’s so impractical.”

“Rolled down uggs are really bad. Actually rolled up uggs look really bad...I guess just Uggs are bad; Crocs too.”

“I like Toms on small feet.”

“You know what’s definitely a no-no? juicy sweat pants. Anything that’s juicy or bejeweled.”-Adam Cohen Nowak Although its fun to see what the opposite sex might think about style, its important to maintain your own individual expression through clothing. The clothing you wear shouldn’t be to please any one else. If you want to rock high waist Photo by Aviva Mann/Staff shorts, go ahead. Keep an eye out for “I think it’s really cute when neon, colored denim, tribal print or congirls wear Keds.” cert wear, round sunglasses, and denim outerwear this season.

17

May 22, 2012

The Merionite

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18

May 22, 2012

SPORTS

The Merionite Offers pile in for Aces stars during eventful offseason James Johnston

Class of 2013

This year’s LM basketball team achieved tremendous success, reaching the state finals for the first time since the championship season of 2005-2006. The team was led by first team all-state selections senior Darryl Reynolds and junior BJ Johnson, who have drawn interest from several colleges.

Darryl Reynolds, the team’s athletic 6’7’’ forward and leader, has drawn interest from several NCAA Division One programs from all around the country during this AAU season.

Reynolds had been playing AAU basketball with Philly Pride. He recently narrowed his list of potential schools down to six: Temple, LaSalle, Fresno State, the University of Delaware, St. Bonaventure, and Worcester Academy, a prep school. A year at a prep school like Worcester Academy would allow him to refine his game, and improve his dribbling and shooting touch. With Reynolds’ size he will most likely become a swing forward (“3” or “4”); he’ll either have ideal or good size at the small forward position or be slightly undersized at the power forward position. At LM, Reynolds played in the frontcourt, so while prep school could help him continue to improve his post game, it would also help with his ball skills and allow him to reclassify to the class of 2013. Wherever he goes, Reynolds is confident that he can contribute and be an impact player, just like he was on the Aces. When asked how he would impact his chosen team, Reynolds responded, “I think with any school I go to I will be able to space the floor on offense and be a defensive presence, able to defend a couple different positions.” Reynolds plans to announce his decision in June.

BJ Johnson, the Aces 6’5’’ guard/forward, is also being pursued by a plethora of schools, but as he is a junior, he does not have to make his decision until sometime next year.

However, in an interview with NBE basketball, Johnson said he would “probably make a decision between the end of the summer and the start of the next school season.” He currently has offers from Richmond, Boston College, Rutgers, Duquesne, Penn State, St. Joseph’s University, Towson, Albany, James Madison University, Boston University and the University of Delaware. More offers may be pouring in soon, as Johnson was recently named a player to watch by ESPN college basketball recruiting analyst Dave Telep. Right now, Johnson is not focusing on his college choice, and he has yet to narrow down his list, but he continues to work hard at improving his game. In fact, Johnson said that the most valuable thing that he would bring to a college program is his work ethic. All the hard work that he has put in so far is definitely paying off. This AAU season has also helped BJ pick up offers. Playing on Team Final, one of the best AAU teams in the country, BJ is showcasing his talents alongside Chester’s Rondae Jefferson, and three-point sharpshooting point guard Jaren Sina of New Jersey.

Next year, the Aces will miss Reynolds, but with much of their talented core remaining, next year’s team should still be very successful. After all, Johnson and Reynolds are not the only Aces getting recruited by major colleges.

Junior Raheem Hall already has a couple of offers under his belt, and he is sure to attract more attention as he enters his senior season.

Junior Yohanny Dalembert, with his rapidly improving game, has also been contacted by some college coaches. Sophomores Justin McFadden and JaQuan Johnson are still young, but coaches have shown interest in them as well. The offers should continue to pour in for LM’s talented, hard working basketball players.

After midseason turnaround, LM lax falls short of storybook ending

Jesse McCarthy

Class of 2012

The LM boys’ lacrosse team just concluded a very exciting season, filled with disappointing defeats and impressive triumphs. The Aces started the season with a 1-5 record, due largely in part to a very tough schedule, which included games against such teams as nationally ranked Conestoga and a 15-3 Ridley squad. At that point, it seemed to many that LM’s season was just about over, but senior goalie Eli Newschaffer noticed something in the team: “I was disappointed that we had lost a lot of those games” said Newschaffer, “but they were all well played. I was mostly impressed by the resilience of both the seniors and a lot of the younger guys on our team. As a player, it’s really encouraging to have teammates who are never going to give up.” And the team never did give up; after that point the Aces had a 6-6 record, finishing

game, 13-7, the Aces definitely had what it took to upset a few teams and make a run in the playoffs. They have talented players, good coaching, and most importantly, team chemistry. Newschaffer stated that, “we might not get along perfectly all the time, but this is definitely a good team with some good kids on it. I’ve been happy to play for the Aces these past four years.” Eisenhard concurred, stating that “although this season we did not have a winning record like I expected, I have really enjoyed playing with my teammates.” Although LM’s season ended on May 15, the team has a bright future next year, with Daly, junior Tony Fisher, junior Craig Markman, and freshman phenom Evan Wolf returning. Replacing the seniors will be difficult, as in any other sport, but LM is confident that with their leading scorer Daly returning, and another year under Coach Mike Borsch, the team can take their success to a whole new level.

LM junior Ernest Pendelton and his teammates prepare for battle. the season with a 7-11 overall record. These games included wins against Central League teams such as Marple Newtown, Haverford, and Harriton. The team finished with a 4-7 record against Central League teams, ending with the 7th best record in the conference. This record was good enough to earn LM the 24th seed in the District One playoffs, where they played 9th seed Downingtown East in the first round.

Leading up to the game against Downingtown East, the Aces fought hard against Upper Dublin, losing 13-7 on May 8, and won 14-8 versus West Chester East on Saturday May 12. Junior Chris Daly netted five goals and four assists in the West Chester East win. Before the Downingtown West game, senior Cooper Eisenhard expressed confidence in his teammates, stating, “although we are underdogs, I believe we can win the game and maybe even make it past the 2nd round.” Indeed, the Aces were not going to let seeding affect their confidence. As LM teams have shown in the past, no seeding is impossible to overcome. LM had not played Downingtown East this season, so there was no telling who would win, although Downingtown had beaten Springfield, who defeated LM earlier in the season. Despite the fact that they had a 13-5 record, Downingtown East had to be wary of the Aces. While LM eventually lost a tough

Photo by Kyle Perry/Staff

“I was mostly impressed by the resilience of both the seniors and a lot of the younger guys on our team. As a player, it’s really encouraging to have teammates who are never going to give up.”

-Senior goalie Eli Newschaffer

Newschaffer will be a big loss for the team next year as they strive for that greatness, as he was a two-year starter for the squad.

Sophomore backup goalie Connor Whitby doesn’t have any varsity starting experience, and the transition will definitely be difficult.

Eisenhard, a faceoff specialist for the Aces, is another senior who will be challenging to replace. He was a large part of LM’s success, and was a three-year varsity player. On offense, the Aces 2013 squad will miss seniors Max Golden, Alex Pillion, and Tyler Kopen. All in all, the LM boys’ lacrosse team will remain strong, with reinforcements coming from the JV squad to help replace a dedicated senior core.

19

May 22, 2012

SPORTS

The Merionite

EAGLES DRAFT RECAP Josh Niemtzow

Youth and hustle keep Aces softball squad hopeful for future Class of 2012

Every year I sit down and watch the NFL Draft religiously. I don’t know why I enjoy it so much, but I love it when my team pops up on the screen and suddenly I get to feel like a general manager. This year I predict that all nine Eagles’ draft picks make the team, so I thought I’d fill you in on them, so you’re not surprised when 4th round pick Brandon Boykin returns an interception for a touchdown.

Round One: Fletcher Cox-DT, Mississippi State: Cox was projected to be picked as high as sixth by some pundits and fell to the Eagles with the twelfth pick, so it’s hard not to love this pick. He will not be immediately handed the starting job, but he comes into defensive line coach Jim Washburn’s Wide Nine defense, which frequently rotates linemen, as a better pass-rushing alternative than current DT Mike Patterson. I expect him to play on both the inside and outside, and when all is said and done Cox should have at least three to four sacks this season. Grade: A Round Two: Mychal Kendricks-LB, California: The Eagles shocked us all by addressing their biggest need, linebacker, early in the draft. Although Kendricks played on the inside in college, the Eagles will look for him to start on the outside, at strongside linebacker. Kendricks held the top 40-yard dash time for all linebackers at the combine and had the highest vertical jump. His athleticism should make up for his small build (5’11’’, 240 lbs). In college, a large part of his role was rushing the passer, but in the Eagles four-three scheme, he probably won’t get to attack the quarterback as often. Still, look for Kendricks to help with pass coverage. Grade: B+ Round Two: Vinny Curry-DE, Marshall: The Eagles probably don’t feel confident that 2010 first round pick Brandon Graham will pan out, so Vinny Curry adds another pass rushing defensive end to Washburn’s Wide Nine equation. Curry is from Neptune, NJ and is living the dream, playing for the football team he grew up rooting for. This season Curry had 77 tackles with 22 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks, three blocked kicks and seven forced fumbles. With a good training camp, Curry can move up to 3rd in the defensive end rotation, and may be the primary option at DE on run situations. Grade: B+ Round Three: Nick Foles-QB, Arizona: It was no surprise that the Eagles went with a QB in the third round, but many expected them to draft Kirk Cousins out of Michigan State, who fits the usual Eagles’ quarterback mold of a West Coast offense passer with good mobility. Foles brings a developmental backup to Mike Vick, with a strong arm and solid size. He will probably be the third-string QB this year. Grade: CRound Four: Brandon Boykin-CB, Georgia: In the 4th round the Eagles targeted Boykin, who was originally given a 2nd round grade by pundits. The Eagles stuck true to the strategy general manager Howie Roseman outlined in a recent interview, and drafted the best player available. Boykin’s height (5’9’’) causes some concern, but he is actually a solid tackler at the CB position and figures to start in the slot. He was a dynamic kick returner in college and will compete for that job as well. Grade: A Round Five: Dennis Kelly-OT, Purdue: Kelly was a three-year starter in the Big Ten. Pundits labeled him as skinny, immobile, and not athletic. At 6’8’’, he’ll be a developmental pick, similar to King Dunlap. Howard Mudd, the Eagles’ offensive line coach, likes him, so you can’t call it a wasted pick for the time being. I believe he won’t see the field in the next two years, and if any one of these draft picks doesn’t make the team, I believe it will be him. He is a candidate for the practice squad this year. Grade: C

Blayne Yudis

Class of 2013

Flowers are blossoming, trees are blooming and the smell of spring is in the air. At LM, this is an exciting time of year for spring sports teams. Many teams improved from last year and the LM softball team may have taken the greatest 180 spin of all.

After a difficult season last year, the girls were optimistic that they would have a change in fortune this year. With three returning varsity players in juniors Sophie Arnold and Haley Sav, and sophomore Allison Epstein, this squad possessed some vital leadership.

Last season, the team’s most significant issue was offense. They struggled from the plate and their problems scoring cost them many games. To improve in this department, the girls placed a greater emphasis on offense during practice this season. By repeatedly practicing batting, the team hoped to become smarter at the plate and consistently produce runs.

On the other side of the ball, the crucial issue was softball smarts. Arnold further explained, “Softball is one of those sports where you always need to be thinking about where to throw the ball if you get it and which way to turn your glove. Some of the girls who may not have played very much in the past need to have this knowledge in real game situations.” Because of this, the team simulated game situations during practice in order to get each player thinking correctly during actual competition. Sav elaborated on the results of this process: “We’re not just sitting back and hoping we make the play. We’re making sure we are running to every ball.”

After a disappointing season last year, the softball team still has shown remarkable spirit and resilience. They looked to rebound this season after refining the weaker points of their game. With all of this in perspective, Arnold went on to say, “Last season, we had a tough year in terms of wins, but it doesn’t seem to have hindered the players’ attitudes about the sport or about their teammates. We had two very experienced seniors, Jen Ruckenstein and Jennarose Digiacamo, leading us, and this year we had no seniors at all.”

Along with spirit, youth softball leagues have began to develop in and around Lower Merion Township. Because of this, the team will acquire more experienced players over the next few years. Coach Michael Bomze said, “Nearly all the teams we play have players who have been playing in youth leagues since age six, something foreign, until now, to the LM area.” With young, seasoned talent soon to be added to the team, the girls will be able to compete with many other teams in their division.

Four players returned also returned to junior varsity this year in sophomores Jamie Leventhal, Rachel Wortham, Amy McCarthy, and Sara Martone. “We are a very young team, which can put us at a disadvantage when playing some older, more developed teams,” Arnold went on to say. “However, the youth of our team can also be helpful for us; with the younger girls comes more energy and spirit.” The youth on this team and positive energy will be key to the team’s future success. Sav explained, “The difference between this year’s team from last year’s is the more positive outlook. Even though we had a better record last year, we’ve been generally happier and more supportive of each other.” Constant practice is crucial to a team’s success, and this team did plenty of it. This hard work combined with their immense amount of positive energy has the team’s future looking brighter than ever. When asked what was so special about coaching this year’s softball team, Bomze said, “They hustle, play hard, and are some of the nicest kids around.”

Round Six: Marvin McNutt-WR, Iowa: It’s the big bodied receiver that we’ve all been waiting for, the red zone target that will improve the Eagles’ less than stellar red zone offense, and no, I’m not talking about Riley Cooper or Hank Baskett. The 6’3’’ McNutt was named first-team All Big Ten by both the coaches and the media, and had 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns this past season. With all of this production, it is clear that he must have fallen to the sixth round because of speed concerns. His 4.54 40-yard dash time caused some to worry that he is purely a possession receiver. But that’s no problem; any production out of a 6th round pick is more than expected. Grade: B+ Round Six: Brandon Washington-OG, Miami: In the 6th round the Eagles drafted for offensive line depth. They chose an All-ACC guard who, out of necessity, was converted in 2011 to tackle, and consequentially regressed. At 6’2’’, he fits the build of a guard rather than a tackle, and he is the kind of athletic offensive lineman that Mudd likes. He has long arms and is very quick off the line. If Danny Watkins or Evan Mathis get injured, Washington will be there as a capable replacement along with Julien Vandervelde, last year’s fifth round pick. Grade: B Round Seven: Bryce Brown-RB, Kansas State University: The 7th round of the draft is a great time to make a low-risk high-reward pick, which is exactly what the Eagles did. They chose Bryce Brown, the number one running back in his high school class of 2009, who was expected to be the next elite running back. Unfortunately, due to bad advice from his handler, and his “me-first attitude,” he chose to transfer from Tennessee to Kansas State University to follow his brother, but when he couldn’t see the field he decided to sit out. He stands at 6’0’’ 220lbs., and plays like a big back.

Looking through his freshman year highlights, his balance stands out to me; it takes a lot to bring him down. Brown is also an adept pass catcher. Grade: B

Graphic by Meep Zhou/Staff Courtesy of the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles

20

May 22, 2012

SPORTS

The Merionite

Resilient boys volleyball squad on life support

Will Rosenbaum

Class of 2015 “The program is in trouble because we need players. If we don’t get 20 promising players by the end of the year there probably won’t be a men’s volleyball team at LM.” These words, spoken by junior captain Josh Metzman, are devastating for the members of the LM men’s volleyball program to hear. Plenty of teams struggle. They struggle with wins, playoff appearances and countless other problems. But the boys’ volleyball team may be the only LM squad struggling with player numbers. The team currently only has ten players.

“It’s an underrated sport,” explains Metzman. “It’s incredibly fun and fast-paced. It gets you in good shape if you work hard enough.” Metzman’s support of volleyball is certainly legitimate, yet the sport certainly does not get a whole lot of credit in general.

“It’s sad knowing that about 15 years ago this program was at its best, reaching the semifinals of states,” senior captain Shane Votto recounts. “When I first joined the team my freshman year, we had a solid bunch of guys that played, but after the group of seniors left, we had to start from scratch.”

The team certainly does not lack tradition, with fifteen solid years of competition and, as Votto mentioned, a state semifinal appearance. Plenty of LM teams have not attained such success, yet due to a simple lack of players, the team faces termination.

Going out with a bang is always desirable. If the boys were to finish their careers right now, that “bang” would only be a soft rattle. The team finished with just one win this year, beating Glen Mills. That win was satisfying revenge for a Glens Mills victory over the Aces early in the season. During the first matchup, Glen Mills wasn’t the team’s only opponent. A sketchy referee added another challenge for the Aces squad. While the boys were swept

3-0 the first time around, the second meeting between these teams would prove to be a completely different story. The Aces, bristling with hope, entered the second matchup still looking for their first win of the season. The boys were uncertain about the officials, the outcome of the match, and themselves. However, the boys managed to find some inner motivation. Playing for themselves, their school and their teammates, the boys turned their fate around.

Coming off the 3-0 loss, the Aces rallied to defeat Glen Mills three sets to none.

Although the win was memorable, the team wishes they could experience more of that success in the future. That one game was sweet but not anywhere near the big bang that the squad hoped for.

Going out like that would not be the fairy tale ending any of the boys would want. The effort that the boys displayed when they beat Glen Mills truly speaks to the character of the LM team. In the face of adversity, they refuse to back down.

Tennis achieves improved season with bright future on horizon

without that continuity. “The team we put together had great talent this year,” said Yudis, “but the fact that we all had such good chemistry with each other is what really pushed this team this far.”

Class of 2013/2012 Coach Joe Moncaco helped to successfully bring the Aces together by stressing “that high school One of LM’s brightest spring sports teams was the boys varsity tennis squad. After a somewhat tennis is a team sport and that all of the seven matches from first singles to 4th doubles are equally disappointing 2010-2011 season, the team’s goals for this season were “ambiguous considering important.” The team faced a tough Upper Dublin squad in the first round of the district playoffs that we went 5-6 last year and weren’t able to make districts. Obviously we wanted to get back into and won in decisive fashion, 5-0. Next round, the Aces faced a Unionville team that had defeated districts but it was more about improving our record and being competithe second best Central League team, Conestoga, the same team that tive with the best teams in the league,” said junior Thomas Vernier, the beat LM 7-0 earlier this season. While ending the season with a 5-0 loss team’s number one singles player. The team had a different philosophy was heartbreaking, the team can take a lot of positives from the season. this season, taking a “match-by-match approach,” according to junior The win against Radnor was certainly a highlight, and the Aces only Blayne Yudis. With this new attitude, the Aces soared to new heights lost to two Central League teams, whereas LM lost to Strath Haven, during the 2011-2012 campaign, qualifying for districts.

Upper Darby, Conestoga, Harriton, and Radnor last year. So while this This season has had its ups and downs, moments of joy mixed season didn’t end the way the Aces anticipated, next year the team is with moments of anguish. The team had a huge away win at Radnor, primed to continue improving, and advance further in the playoffs. The beating their rivals for the first time in four years by a score of 4-3. team will return all three singles players in Thomas Vernier, junior Alex Yet the team had its hardships this year as well, with a couple of very Fuchs and freshman Simon Vernier. They also will return their second tough losses to Harriton and Conestoga. These losses, especially the and third doubles teams. Their only loss is the first doubles team of Conestoga defeat, were a blessing in disguise for the team. Losses Kyle Perry and Auggy Peterson-Horner, who Yudis believes “set the can bring teams together; it is the adversity that a team faces during a tone for all the rest of the team.” season that defines and unites them. Blayne Yudis stated, “I believe that The entire senior class has set a great precedent for the other classes that loss [against Conestoga] was really the driving force that helped to follow. Perry said “the senior class helped to drive the notion that us win the majority of our remaining matches. We took the negative change is inevitable in tennis, and each year you need to build on what energy from that match and used it to our advantage.” you have to make the team better than it was before.” While the Aces The team was certainly able to form into a very supportive, cohesive will return most of their team, Harriton loses seniors Max Blumenthal, unit this year. As sophomore Larry Robinson said, “building continuity Photo by Kyle Perry/Staff Sam Borowski, and Zack Kivitz, who anchored this year’s Central with things like team dinners really helped distinguish us from other League champion Rams. Conestoga will be strong as always, returning teams all season long… it was always a great atmosphere when we were LM’s number two singles player their number two and three singles players. As for LM, while the team will sorely all together and this helped strengthen not only our tennis, but also our Alex Fuchs wallops a forehand. miss the seniors departing next year, especially Perry and his photography and team unity.” Yudis astutely noted that the Aces squad, though filled with distinct antics, there is hope that the Aces can make a deep run in the playoffs skilled players, wouldn’t have been able to do nearly as well this season next year.

S. Lilian/J. Niemtzow

Freshman

Tori Klevan

Sports played? Varsity soccer and track. Our 4x400 relay team just broke the school record!

Best thing you ever ate? Mozzarella sticks from school lunch...just incredible.

What’s your best attribute as an athlete? I’m fast. Without my speed I probably wouldn’t be playing sports.

What are you looking forward to this summer? All of the upcoming summer concerts.

Sophomore

Junior

Sport played? Ultimate frisbee Best thing you ever ate? Bacon cheeseburger from Five Guys 3.What’s your best attribute as an athlete? I love to compete.

4. What are you looking forward to this summer? Playing in the Youth Club Championships in Minnesota.

Sports played? Varsity field hockey, varsity basketball, and varsity softball Best thing you ever ate? Chocolate Roll Cake from Bakery House What’s your best attribute as an athlete? Being a good foot shorter than almost everyone else, opponents sometimes don’t even notice that I’m standing near them, so I can pull a nice sneak-attack and get by ‘em.

What are you looking forward to this summer? Going to Penn field hockey camp with LM field hockey!!

Leo Galbraith-Paul Sophie Arnold

Senior

Danny Moyer

Sports played? Varsity baseball and varsity football Best thing you ever ate? Burger from Five Guys.

What’s your best attribute as an athlete? Height What are you looking forward to this summer? Getting ready for college.