Merionite December 2018

The Merionite

Ardmore, PA, 19003

December 19, 2018

Thestudent official student newspaper LowerHigh Merion Highsince School since The official newspaper of LowerofMerion School 1929 www.themerionite.org Volume 90, Issue 3

From Beck’s corner of the oval Victoria Bermudez ’22 The alumni of LM seem to surpass the expectations of students and faculty every year. From NFL players to well-known actors, they accomplish great amounts. Beck Dorey-Stein, a Narberth local, Wesleyan University graduate, and prominent alumna of LM, visited LM on December 5 to speak as an author and as a former student. She was a stenographer in the White House, meaning she communicated the President’s speeches, meetings, and interviews in shorthand. Being a stenographer entailed traveling with the President and his staff as well as devoting most of her time to the job. Dorey-Stein worked in the White House under President Obama from 2012 to 2016 and under President Trump until 2017. She wrote about her experiences in the field of stenography and her experiences in the White House in her memoir, From the Corner of the Oval. She drew inspiration from Obama and was eager to share her story with LM Photo courtesy of Anna O’Hora students. She says she “dedicated Beck-Dorey-Stein regales students with the story of when she first talked to Obama: in a hotel gym. the book to the scrappy ones.”

Dorey-Stein reflected on her book to a few English classes and students during Lunch and Learn. One of her focal points in the book is her work with both presidents in that were in office during her time of employment with the White House. She also discusses the process she endured to land the job as a stenographer in the Oval Please see BECK’S CORNER on page 4

Middle schoolers wrestle with Python

LMSD wins right to appeal Wolk case Julian Ginzburg ’19 Editor-in-Chief

Talia Lehrer ’22

Photos by Eugenia Feng ’20

Left: Annie Liang ’20 explains an activity to the Bala Cynwyd Middle School students.

Right: Young computer science enthusiasts listened intently to the high schooler’s guidance.

Recently, LM Computer Science students embarked on the second of eight trips to Bala Cynwyd Middle School (BC). The goal was to expose middle school students to the world of coding. These trips consist of around ten LM students for each visit, mostly students from AP Computer Science and Computer Science Seminar classes (a post-AP course). Computer Science students signed up for four of eight dates, beginning with two dates in November and continuing about once a month. LM students were split into two groups, each group assigned to one computer classroom.

The computer classes focus on different aspects of technology, ranging from Photoshop to coding.

Computer Science incorporates many different coding languages. At LM, students are taught Java and a few other programs including Python, the language that the BC students are taught. [Python is a common language to start learning computer science since coding languages can become extremely complex.] The students were taught the basics including print statements, and different math functions that perform specific calculations. According to Justin Mansor, an LM Computer Science teacher, the experience was very unique because it involved student-to-student teaching. As a result, this format allowed the middle schoolers to hear first hand what the high school classes are like. The purpose of the program is to give middle schoolers a feel of Computer Science as a whole, and to advance more interest in coding at a high school level.

LMSD scored a significant victory at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on December 11 in the case Arthur Alan Wolk, Philip Browndies, and Catherine Marchand v. The School District of Lower Merion.

In a unanimous 7-0 decision, the PA Supreme Court allowed the District’s appeal to the August 2016 ruling by Montgomery County Judge Joseph A. Smyth to proceed to the Commonwealth Court. The August 2016 decision, a preliminary injunction, mandated that the district reduce its approved tax increase for 2016-2017 from 4.4 percent to 2.4 percent. State law prohibits school districts from raising property taxes above 2.4 percent each year. However, school districts can apply for waivers that allow them to exceed this threshold if they can prove a need for the raise. The District has used this waiver in justification of unprecedented enrollment growth and funding for special education. In Wolk’s original case, he argued that the district was unlawfully raising taxes as it had a surplus of over fifty million dollars.

The District appealed the initial decision to the Commonwealth Court in April 2017, but their appeal was denied on procedural grounds in June 2017. The District then appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court; claiming a full trial had never been held on the merits of the dispute, as the initial decision was simply a preliminary injunction. With this new decision, the District will now have a chance to argue on the merits of the case, rather than just the procedure, at the Commonwealth Court.

Please see LMSD WINS on page 3

A&E

NEWS

SPECIAL FEATURE

FEATURES

A day in the life

The E-Cig Epidemic

Aces in the app store

Alex Greenblatt ’22 covers the recent results of the Stanford Success Survey. page 3

The Merionite studies the increasing usage of e-cigarettes. pages 9-11

Eric Yang ’22 looks into four LM students’ Aviva Schuh ’19 breaks down the art process of developing their own app. school application process. page 17 page 15

SPORTS

OPINIONS The truth about Affirmative Action Jonathan Xu ’22 investigates the dangers of policing diversity. page 5

So you want to go to art school...

Club vs team sports Photo courtesy of Edward Zhang ’19

Benjamin Wolf ’22 dives into the benefits and drawbacks of participating in club sports rather than school team sports. page 18

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News

December 19, 2018

The Merionite

Environmental Club digs in Sonia Laby ’22 On Monday, November 19, six students from LM took a field trip to Penn Valley. The purpose of this trip was to educate Christopher Vaccaro’s fifth grade class about the environment and the benefits of composting.

This educational event was held by the Environmental Club of LM. This club strives to make the environment a safer, cleaner place, and educate others about the state of the environment. Last spring, they held an event similar to this composting trip but for Penn Valley’s Ashley Wire’s fourth grade class. Environmental Club is looking to expand and increase the number of these types of events for many years to come.

During the trip, LM students taught fifth graders all about the composting process and the positive effects composting has on our planet. They did this through an interactive experiment, games, and visuals. In the experiment, students from LM placed soil in a shoebox. On top of the soil, they placed some compostable items and some inorganic items. Finally, they added worms. This showed the kids exactly what kinds of items can be composted and what items cannot be composted. The LM students also played in a relay race recycling game with the kids to illustrate to the kids how selective recycling works.

The LM Environmental Club left the fifth graders with some activities to do on their own. First, they left the class a shoebox composter to maintain and watch in the future. Second, Environmental Club gave Penn Valley a compost tumbler for the class to observe, keep, and use. This tumbler was purchased by LM with a grant from Disney and Youth Service of America. Grace Wei ’19, the president of LM Environmental Club, emphasized how important hands-on learning is: “Instead of absorbing this information from a textbook, I believe an interactive approach will truly allow them to appreciate the beauty of our environment and how to preserve it.”

The members of the club believe this event is important for a variety of reasons. They think the environment is in need of improvement and attention, so it is necessary to educate younger generations about the environment in the hopes that these generations will help fix the complications older generations created for the environment.

Penn Valley fifth grade students explored composting through hands-on activities.

Photos by Grace Wei ’19/Staff

Sleepless in suburbia Ezra Thau ’22 Many people worry that middle and high school students are not getting a sufficient amount of sleep. A January 2018 statement by the Centers for Disease Control reported that among middle school students, 57.8 percent reported insufficient sleep, while among high school students, 72.7 percent reported insufficient sleep. With this issue looming across the country, many districts have made the switch to a later start time, and LMSD wants in.

A proposed plan by the LMSD administration was discussed on November 12 at the LMSD regular board meeting. Many people within the district have been pushing for this change for years, as the issue becomes more prevalent every year.

“I think a lot of us want to make sure that we consider all of the impacts of this change on everyone,” said Laurie Actman, a board member, “I know the administration and board are committed to a very extensive public input process so that the entire community has a chance to provide input on any potential changes.” She also said, “I’m not sure anyone is necessarily opposed.”

The exploratory, or proposed, bell schedule heavily differs from the current one. The current schedule has three tiers: high, middle, and elementary school, that start and end in that respective order. But the exploratory schedule shifts this order, instead organizing it as elementary, then high, followed by middle school. While high school currently runs from 7:30-2:40, middle school from 8:15-3:05, and elementary from 9:00-3:35, the exploratory schedule suggests that elementary would last from 7:50-3:00, high school from 8:30-3:40, and conclude with middle school from 9:10-4:20.

In addition, the proposed schedule would extend the length of the school day for elementary and middle school students. Elementary would be extended 35 minutes, middle school by 20 minutes, while high school stays the same, making everyone’s school day 7 hours and 10 minutes.

The transition from one schedule to another is not as simple as it appears. Many other factors come into play: buses and sunlight, among others. According to the administration’s calculations, the new plan would require an additional fourteen buses, which entails spending roughly $1.1 million more annually. Also, under the proposed start times, some elementary students could be waiting for their bus in darkness for about ten weeks in the fall and winter, and some middle school students could be dropped off after school in

darkness during the winter. This is more problematic for elementary students because they are harder to spot by drivers and can get lost easily.

In addition, high school athletes would be required to leave school earlier for sports; transportation for after-school elementary programs would no longer be possible; and high school students would have less time before bedtime to complete their work and manage extra-curricular activities.

Not everyone is in support of this plan. One district parent described how the exploratory schedule would be tough on two working parents, especially those who rely on high school siblings to look after their elementary school kids. Because elementary students would be let out first and there would be no one home yet to watch them, they would be in need of childcare, which is often expensive.

So why the hassle? Why go through all of this trouble just to give students more sleep? “Given what the science tells us about the teenage brain and body,” Actman explains, “I think it’s important that we seriously explore the feasibility of later start times for high school due to the many positive mental and physical health benefits for high school students. The logistical challenges and cost (in terms of buses and other costs) are not small, but given what’s at stake I think it’s important to see what we can realistically implement.”

Many studies have concluded that when students get more sleep, not only do they come to school more awake, they also perform better. Getting more sleep also reduces the chance of mental and physical health problems, such as depression or headaches. This is especially important for teenagers as their minds grow and develop throughout their middle and high school years.

Everyone observes the sleepy eyes and low energy from students in the morning. One high school student commented that numerous students are not ready to learn until the second or third period because they arrive too early.

LMSD’s timeline covers all aspects of how the exploratory plan would be implemented, the changes that would need to be made, and the effect it would have on the district, especially the students.

This extensive research and gathering public feedback will last throughout 2019, and the final step is for the board of directors to deliberate and decide whether the exploratory schedule will be implemented, and/or if changes need to be made. Thus, don’t expect this change to take place anytime within the next two years. But as more school districts make the transition, it will surely have a significant impact on LMSD. Graphic by Sihan Wu ’19/Staff

A day in the life

News The Merionite

Alex Greenblatt ’22 In the 2017-18 school year, all middle and high school students in LMSD took the “Challenge Success Survey.” This questionnaire was created by Stanford University researchers and aims to help schools collect data about student wellbeing in order to better the school experience. The survey dealt with issues such as workload and school environment, and had both multiple choice and open ended questions that focused on student’s opinions and feelings. The results were recently released along with a follow-up survey for parents to take. Some of the main findings had to do with stress levels, and workload was identified as a main cause of stress in LM students. Another key finding was student engagement levels, and the survey found that 48 percent of LM students just “go through the motions” of school.

Challenge Success wrote a book to go along with the survey called Overloaded and Underprepared about the stress students feel at school, and how it can be alleviated. In the book, Challenge Success recommended schools implement a shadowing program for teachers to participate in. After administrators read the book, they decided to implement the program at LM. The program requires a staff member to follow a student around for one day in order to further the school’s understanding of student life, with the aim to make changes based on the findings. Since the program started, all of the department chairs and administrators at LM have participated. But in the future, LM plans on involving more teachers in the program.

During the day, a staff member follows their assigned student to all of their classes, and participates in classwork and discussions. They even follow students to free sets, and take tests if the student has any. Principal Sean Hughes described that during the experience, staff members take a “'Pre-reflection and a post-reflection” and then write about their experience. [They also] hold a post meeting to discuss what [they] saw and experienced. Then [they] begin to discuss potential variables to things like student stress, homework, academic engagement, and a variety of other topics."

Student participants were chosen randomly so the data could represent different students in all grades and class levels (CP, honors, AP) at LM. The data collected will be coupled with the results of the Challenge Success survey to improve the student experience, and will focus on factors such as “busy work, homework, student engagement and connectedness” according to Spanish teacher Alison Mellet. The study is still ongoing, and thus far no specific changes have been made based on the findings.

History teacher and department chair Mr. Henneberry gained a better understanding of his students by shadowing Roee Zarom ’20.

December 19, 2018

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Leveling up Sophie Meyer ’20 Source Confirmation Editor

At LM and Harriton, there are currently five levels of Spanish and French, including AP, taken by a large number of students in each grade. Most course levels are associated with certain grade levels, but some students are ahead of their grade level. This is why starting next year, there will be six levels of Spanish and French. The district is developing a curriculum with both LM and Harriton teachers to have the new Spanish 6 and French 6 classes available for next school year.

In both Spanish and French classes, there are a number of native speakers or higher level speakers who are either one level or several levels above what their normal grade level would be. For example, there are five students who are not seniors in AP French at LM and around fifteen in AP Spanish. French 6 and Spanish 6 would give those students a way to continue learning their language at school. Also, it would be an opportunity for students who speak those languages at home and are not currently taking them at school to have a new class.

Both courses would have a focus on culture, literature, film, art, and music.

Please see LEVELING UP on page 4

Lawsuit wins Continued from LMSD WINS RIGHT TO APPEAL WOLK CASE on page 1 In a statement released by the District, LMSD is “pleased” with the decision. District solicitor Kenneth A. Roos, a partner at Wisler Pearlstine LLP, stated “We are pleased that the Supreme Court has dismissed the procedural challenges to the District’s appeal, and we look forward to the opportunity to present our arguments as to the merits of the case in full.” While victory is not guaranteed, Roos expresses that “the District is confident that it has a strong legal basis for prevailing in this case.” The District maintains that it is “the right of the democratically elected School Board to set tax rates, as long as it does so in accordance with limits set by state law.” As Roos reiterated, “the PA Department of Education confirmed [that] the School Board did in this case.”

Wolk, however, expressed frustration with the decision from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Wolk, as phrased by Philly.com, “said Tuesday’s ruling would slow his efforts to seek a tax refund.” Wolk claims that the decision “opens up years more litigation for no good reason.” He claims that “this is a procedural nightmare, and the relief that I fought for the people is going to be delayed for years.”

Roos, on behalf of the district, explains that it was “Mr. Wolk’s unsuccessful procedural challenge to the appeal [that] set the determination of the merits of the appeal back by two years.”

While the Commonwealth Court has yet to set a date for the hearing, both sides will continue to make their arguments. Until a decision is made, the district will continue to separate taxpayer money that is affected by the dispute. A decision on the merits of the lawsuit will have far reaching implications for both the District and its residents. A loss could force the District to return taxpayer money, but a win would affirm that the District was within the bounds of the law while strengthening their hand in future tax increases.

Photo by Samantha Anderer ’20/Staff

Sophomore semi Dhaval Sharma ’21

Vibrant lights, deafening music, and carefree dancing. Who wouldn’t love a high school semi-formal? On Friday, November 9, the class of 2021 hosted a schoolwide semi-formal fundraiser for the class.

Held in the cafeteria, the dance attracted nearly 200 people and featured a professional DJ. With the hard work of the 2021 class officers Elliot Ginzburg, Emily Shang, Mimi Halpern, and Rebecca Altman, the dance was a success both financially and socially.

Planning a schoolwide formal was no easy task.

The officers had to provide food, find a location, decorate, and optimize ticket prices. Shang said that the officers “modeled this formal after Harriton’s because we were told at LM no one attended these things. But luckily for us, we had a really great turn out.” In total, 184 students bought tickets and the class of 2021 made around 1500 dollars. Ginzburg said “the semi-formal proved to be a success in raising money for prom. The financial goal in this event was never set to a specific number, instead, we as a team focused on attracting students from the school to have a good time…”

The next step in the planning process was supplying the formal with food. Everything found at the formal was a donation. The class officers called dozens of restaurants and asked them to donate various items. Originally, according to Shang, “[the class officers] were nervous about the entire ‘donations-only’ thing, but the parents and companies donated a lot of food and snacks. Dominos was especially helpful, providing us with ten pizzas.”

Finally, with most of their work done, the day of the formal arrived. The officers had to decorate the cafeteria with balloons and streamers a few hours before, which was a daunting task for such a

small team. Overall, however, everything was completed and the decorated cafeteria, silent and desolate, was begging for people to liven things up.

Out of the 184 students who purchased tickets, there were fourteen freshmen, 150 sophomores, ten juniors, and ten seniors. Despite the unbalanced attendance, the dance went smoothly and was a social success in the eyes of the students. Shang stated that “the formal went very well. I think everyone had a lot of fun, just hanging out and dancing. It wasn't a glamorous evening or anything, it was just a chance to let loose and have fun with your friends.”

Even though the formal started out slow with nervous students refusing to go into the center of the dance floor, the pace picked up as more people arrived. It seemed like everyone was caught up in the music and dancing to the best of their abilities.

As for its social aspect, the semiformal had a laid-back feeling. Evie Oliver ’21 attended a Harriton semi-formal on April 6 and can compare the social aspects of the two formals. She said, “The mood [at Harriton] was very different because the girls were the only ones dancing, while the boys just stood around the sides. It was just like in elementary school when they couldn’t get near each other.

At LM, everyone was dancing together which was so much better.” When the class of 2021’s officers had the idea of holding LM’s fall semi-formal, they had two goals in mind: to raise money for the class of 2021’s prom and to create a night for the student body to enjoy themselves. After a night filled with dancing and music, the exhausted attendees left feeling happy and the class of 2021 came out with a profit. The officers were able to create a successful dance this time and everyone is waiting for more.

From left to right: Altman, Shang, and Halpern '21 dressed up and ready for a night of dancing.

Photo courtesy of Elliot Ginzburg ’21/Staff

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Decmber 19, 2018

News The Merionite

Beck Dorey-Stein tells students how to get involved Samantha Anderer ’20, Julia Rudy ’19, and Sophie Yang ’20 News Editors

After publishing her New York Times bestselling memoir From the Corner of the Oval on her experience as a White House stenographer, alumna author Beck Dorey-Stein visited LM. After taking the time to talk with students in the Blackbox (see page 1 for full story), she sat down for an interview with The Merionite News Editors.

News Editors: What is your advice to the LM students who want to pursue a political career?

Beck Dorey-Stein: Because I didn’t do a political trajectory, I actually don’t know if I’m the right person to [offer advice]. My friends all started early. They got involved in campaigns. If you join a political campaign, even nearby, you learn so much and you also start to meet people and you see people in senior positions and you’re like, I could do that some day if I start now.

NE: Since you identify more as a writer than a politician, what advice would you give to budding writers?

BDS: Write all the time and then read a ton. I think the hardest part of this for me is that if you feel like writing is your heart and soul, it’s really hard to show it to people. And so you have to find your people who want constructive criticism, but I find a lot of times in writing classes people are competitive and it hurts. Find your audience where you trust what people have to say before exposing yourself to the world. Because once [your writing] is out you can’t take it back.

NE: How do you feel that LM has prepared you for the jobs that you’ve had?

BDS: I had great English teachers here. I also sort of elbowed my way into cultivating close relationships with them while I was here. And then even afterwards. Mr. Segal (who currently teaches at Harriton) was my 11th grade English teacher and he was huge. He was the one he pulled me aside and was like, you write really well. You should take this more seriously. Also, start paying attention to what you’re good at and what you like doing. How do you relax? How do you get excited? Pay attention to that because whatever interests you now is probably what’s going to interest you in the future. You just build on it.

NE: How do you suggest students get involved to create political change?

BDS: I feel like the midterms prove that things are changing. I went and knocked on doors this past October and it made me feel more in control and I got to have good conversations and also really hard conversations. I think if everyone’s doing that, who feels like this isn’t going the way they want it to go, it’s part of being an active citizen. You can start looking into campaigns now and also when it gets closer you can go to door to door. You learn so much. I just did it for two days and it was an incredible learning opportunity. I recommend going with a buddy.

NE: What was the atmosphere in D.C. like?

BDS: I had a really hard time with it because in D.C., it’s all government industry. The opening scene of my book is about being in a bar and everyone’s just like, what do you do? And so if you’re not important, you just immediately felt terrible about yourself. Even when I worked at the White House people would be like, well what do you do at the White House? It’s just crazy. The status is really tough. It’s all about status. It’s all about power. It’s all about money.

Acquisition update Sophie Yang ’20 News Editor Getting a good education is not easy. Neither, it seems, was the road to a third LMSD middle school. Starting years ago with a rising enrollment, district expansion plans are now one step closer to realization. On November 19, the LMSD Board of Directors unanimously approved the $5.2 million purchase of 7.56 acres in Villanova to become the athletic field space necessary for the proposed middle school. The previously agreed purchase of 1860 Montgomery Avenue (currently the Foundation for Islamic Education) will become the site of the new middle school. The new properties are located in Villanova at 912, 916, 921, and 922 Spring Mill Road–a five minute bus ride from the proposed middle school site–and would serve as the necessary field space for the school.

The LM community stirred when eminent domain seemed an imminent step on the journey towars mitigating crowded schools. However, this recent purchase settles this controversy because it means (for many residents, good news) that the Stoneleigh Natural Garden is not going to be considered for any development.

Not so popular in the community is the $5.2 million that LMSD has agreed to spend on the new fields.

At the same November 19 meeting, the LM Township Board of Commissioners approved zoning ordinance changes that bring middle school plans one step closer to realization. Expansion (and non-modular classrooms) may be coming for present and future LMSD students, a look toward new opportunities for LM education.

Beck’s corner

Continued from BECK’S CORNER OF THE OVAL on page 1 Office. It all began with a posting on Craigslist for a stenographer at a law firm. Dorey-Stein had five part-time jobs at the time, but once she was informed that she was wanted for this job at the White House, she says, “I basically had to sign my life over to it, one-hundred percent.” Dorey-Stein also discussed her involvement in LM during the time that she spent here and her overall experience growing up in the area.

She credits all her success at LM to her amazing English teachers. Her global experiences and exposure to the United States government have enlightened many students, not only through her her book, but through the narrative of her story.

NE: What got you through all the craziness?

BDS: Once I found my friends it was great. [To have] those people who understand you and are seeing the world around [you] and can have these different inputs with shared experience. Those are what get you through your whole world, your whole life. I would get really negative and really cynical. But my friend Hope would tell me to just go toward the good.

NE: What are your plans for the future?

BDS: I get to write a second book and it’s not due until 2020. So that’s my big exciting thing. I’m doing this movie meeting next week in California, and then I go to New York to talk about the paperback, but then I really get to sit down and write. I have to figure out a lot of my life as far as where I want to live.

I haven’t really had time to think about it because this book tour has gone on for six months. So I get to figure out that, and I get to figure out some sort of part time job. Getting to write a second book is terrifying, but it’s really exciting. That’s what I’ve always wanted.

Photo courtesy of Anna O’Hora

Dorey-Stein shows appreciation towards her teachers for all of the lessons that they taught her.

Leveling up Continued from LEVELING UP on page 3 Sean Capkin, who is working on developing Spanish 6, also said that he wants the course to focus on majority and minority voice in the subjects the class would study (literature, culture, etc). Laura Vargas, a French teacher, said that French 6 would focus on different kinds of literature (like plays and novels) throughout different centuries.

Both Vargas and Capkin would like to turn their conversations on culture, literature, and more into potential community service projects. Vargas suggested a French 6 class might make a children’s book and read it to students at Cynwyd Elementary, or interact with Francophone communities in Philadelphia. A student who is currently in AP French as a junior, Carolina Schillinger, gave some insight into her opinion, saying, “I’m glad there’s an alternative next year because I don’t want to lose my French after I’m finished with AP. I will definitely be taking the class next year.” While there are a number of students who would automatically advance into Spanish 6 and French 6, both would also be offered as an alternative to AP Spanish and would be at an Honors level. Students who are currently in a level of Spanish and French and don’t think they would want to take AP Spanish or French could go to Spanish or French 6, where they would be more focused on the themes the curriculum has. While this wouldn’t provide a long term solution to underclassmen currently in AP Span-

Graphic by Sihan Wu ’19/Staff

ish or AP French (freshmen and sophomores), it would fulfill the three years of language most colleges like to see, and they could try another language senior year if they wanted to.

Both Harriton and LM students who are ahead of their grade level in a language are highly encouraged to take French 6 or Spanish 6 to continue their learning of the language.

Opinions

December 19, 2018

5

The Merionite

Editorial: Stress stigma

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

For most of us, from the day we enter high school and even before, we are repeatedly pummeled with two entirely opposite but equally false principles: either high school success determines your future, or your time spent in high school does not matter at all. The truth, however, as most students eventually notice, is somewhere in the middle. Sure, success in high school may not ensure a career as a CEO or doom you to a life on the street, but hard work pays off and high school is no exception. However, many people, especially the authority figures that instill our values upon us, seem to prefer the absolutes. Usually by the end of high school, we are in one of two camps: those who maximize their school performance and those who maximize their school enjoyment. Ultimately, this battle of principles is a hard one to fight, and The Merionite editorial

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

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

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

Truth about affirmative action

Arts & Entertainment Editors Izzy Bruckman ’20 Davon Collins ’19 Grace Wei ’19

Copy Editors Elliot Ginzburg ’21 Lydon Pelletier ’19 Sydney Zelinger ’21

varsity positions, so many club presidencies, and so many spots at your dream college. If you feel compelled to work hard, you shouldn’t pretend like you aren’t. Why do we want to foster a community where students are ashamed of achievement and secretive about their struggle? Every student should feel encouraged to pursue their level of interest. If happiness is important to you, that is okay; if you want to compete within the school community, country, and world, then that should be okay as well. We all have the privilege of attending a great school and should take advantage of our resources and reap the high school experience we want, free from stigma.

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

Features Editors Emma Becker ’20 Kathy Wei ’19 Ziwen Zhou ’19

Sports Editors Melissa Dash ’19 Julia Kreuzer ’19 Benjamin Schmid ’19

staff doesn’t want to stand on a soapbox. Instead, we would prefer to address one of the symptoms of this dichotomy and the way it leads some students to social gymnastics.

In the real world, competition is the cornerstone of the American way. However, within a school community that deals in absolutes, competition can acquire another level of complication. When a student who feels they must maximize their success is surrounded by people who feel they must maximize their enjoyment, more driven students feel ashamed of their drive and hard work. These students are encouraged to understate their goals and to pretend that the school community is not what it really is: a microcosm of the naturally competitive American system. Just like American society, our school cannot accommodate everyone’s dreams. There are only so many

Jonathan Xu ’22 When the name “Harvard” comes to mind, one usually thinks of a college of elite academia and scholarly merit; a school that sets the bar high for its students and only recruits from the best of the best around the nation; a school that embodies excellence. And yet, while Harvard is indeed an outstanding university, throughout all these years, the public has chosen to ignore a much darker truth: Harvard University, among many other institutions of higher education across this nation, has not been simply recruiting based on talent or merit.

Rather, it has used another system of recruitment that judges applicants based on their race before their accomplishments.

This system is known as affirmative action.

In the 1970s, a Harvard administrator named Walter J. Leonard invented the “Harvard Plan,” one of the first examples of affirmative action in a prestigious university. This system essentially divided the applicant body into brackets based on race, and then, in turn, selected the top students from each group. Following this, in 1978, the Su-

preme Court reviewed this new approach and placed certain limits on it, but upheld it anyway. This decision, however, directly undermined the mission of the university, which was to cultivate scholarly merit. It is outright unacceptable that a student is judged first by which race he or she is, and then examined for his or her academic history. Despite this, affirmative action, through its attempt to encourage diversity, has actually brought about a form of discrimination, in which races that achieve higher standards on average are put at a disadvantage.

The negative effects of affirmative action can be seen in a 2005 study conducted by Princeton sociologists Thomas Espenshade and Chang Chung. They examined the effects of affirmative action on three highly selective private universities. By using the white student body as a control group, they discovered that students of Asian descent incurred a fifty-point SAT score disadvantage compared to whites. Even more shockingly, the white student body faced between a 180 and 230 point disadvantage compared to other minorities including African Americans and Hispanics. This evidence shows that students are being judged by their race, instead of being chosen for performance.

The end result is that affirmative action sacrifices academic merit for diversity.

Although counterintuitive, affirmative action actually causes harm to its supposed beneficiaries. In their newly released book, Mismatch: How Affirmative Action Hurts Students It’s Intended to Help, and Why Universities Won’t Admit It, UCLA law

professor Richard Sander and legal journalist Stuart Taylor describe why affirmative action is actually inflicting more damage to those it was intended to support. When many prestigious institutions alter their recruitment processes to increase the amount of underrepresented yet underperforming minorities in their student body, it places these unqualified students under immense academic strain. In fact, the average minority first-year law student has a grade-point average in the bottom 10% of his or her class. Resultantly, many of these minority students do not enroll in more difficult courses, fearing that the tougher evaluation standards would cripple their grades. As a consequence, minority students are more likely to abandon their interests in the fields they were initially pursuing. In fact, in the book Increasing Faculty Diversity: The Occupational Choices of High-Achieving Minority Students, after the authors Stephen Cole and Elinor Barber extensively questioned 7,612 undergraduates at 34 colleges and universities, they found that at non-elite schools, minority students actually enjoyed school, because they performed consistently better, and decided to continue pursuing academic careers. On the other hand, similar students who qualified for affirmative action programs in more challenging universities displayed lack of confidence and dedication due to their subpar grades.

Please see AFFIRMATVE ACTION on page 6

Letter to the Editor: Be thankful To The Editor: In the November issue of The Merionite, in the article titled “Laptop Liberation” written by Emily Shang ’21, I found several profoundly contradictory points. In “Laptop Liberation,” Shang argued for additional laptop freedoms for LM students including changing screen colors and internet settings.

Students at LM are provided with a brand new MacBook Air at the beginning of freshman year. Not only do we have access to the vast majority of the internet, we are provided with the Self Service application that allows us to download any application deemed useful. Our public school district which serves students fairly and goes above and beyond, spends approximately $30,000 per student each year. Why are we demanding the right to change our desktop background picture?

Students at LM are not oppressed by the inability to tamper with the school district’s

computers. Shang referenced that there is no harm to customizing our laptops, accessing many blocked websites, and downloading additional programs, but we need to take into account the major reason for laptop restrictions: the laptops are the school district’s property.

The self-expression that a person is entitled to on a day-to-day basis does not apply to taxpayer funded laptops. Our district spends millions of dollars on these technological devices, therefore they do not want their laptops tampered with or destroyed. At a certain point, accessing blocked software and setting a browser color do not become our fundamental right, rather they become the district’s place to limit our expression on their property. By changing colors and settings on the computers for our own enjoyment, we verge on vandalising district property without even meaning to. Vandalism is the destruction of property, and customizing

our laptops for our own benefit directly correlates with the destruction of the school district’s budget for our laptops.

A healthy lifestyle is derived from expressing ourselves in places and through things that belong to us personally, rather than through our school laptops. In our busy school lives, if we truly believe that self-expression is vital in motivating ourselves, we should decorate and color our school notebooks and folders, not the district’s laptops.

It is unjust to claim that our personal freedoms are limited because of the district’s careful and intelligent cyber-safety regulations: after all, we return our laptops when we leave LM. Instead of urging the district to remove laptop and internet restrictions, we need to support online safety and avoid dangerous malware.

-Elliot Ginzburg ’21 Copy Editor

6

Opinions

December 19, 2018

Build that wall!

David Sommer ’19 Opinions Editor “I voted numerous times when I was a senator to spend money to build a barrier to try to prevent illegal immigrants from coming in.” - Hillary Rodham Clinton Although it is nearly universally accepted that the United States should decrease illegal immigration, there is little consensus on the proper solution. In the past, there was bipartisan support for a border barrier as Senators Obama, McConnell, and Clinton voted for the building of a border fence just outside of San Diego in the Yuma district. Although it may feel harsh to hinder those seeking the Eden of America, a nation must follow policies which benefit its citizens or else it cannot hope to survive. Sacrificing our nation’s economic and physical safety for the sake of moral gratification is essentially suicide buttered with a side of righteous superiority. Building the wall will prevent illegal immigration which will reduce crime rates and increase wages.

In 2015, the DEA published their National Drug Threat Assessment Summary, and, unsurprisingly, they noted that most methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the United States was smuggled across our Southern Border. Drug traffickers have three main methods of bringing drugs in our nation: drug mules crossing the border, vehicles bringing them in through ports of entry, and through boats or planes. By building a wall, more drugs would have to be ferried through the latter two methods, which have higher detection rates. Drug abuse costs American society $181 billion a year and has claimed over 72,000 lives last year alone. The United States has a responsibility to stem the tide of drug abuse that is consuming so many families and lives.

Opponents of the wall raise a valid point: 42% of illegal immigrants entered legally and overstayed their visa. Although visa overstaying is a major issue, the majority of illegals, around seven million, arrived in the United States by crossing the border. According to the Institute for Defense Analyses, around 200,000 people illegally crossed the border in 2015.

America is not the only nation to have this problem. In 2015, Hungary had an influx of around 400,000 illegal immigrants per

The Merionite

year. After building a border barrier, illegal immigration decreased by 99%. Israel’s border fence on the Sinai border also decreased illegal immigration by 99%.

On our very own border, the implementation of a barrier, along with stricter immigration enforcement, decreased illegal immigration by a staggering 90% in the Yuma district. Not even the most radical Trump supporter suggests that the wall will completely stop illegal immigration, just significantly reduce it as it has done in the past.

When it comes down to it, the United States cannot support nor utilize twelve million cheap laborers, half of whom don’t have a high school education and 40% of whom can’t speak English, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

Even if we needed millions of undereducated workers, blanket amnesty would set a terrible precedent. Why would anyone bother to go through the normal channels if they could come here illegally with impunity? If we refuse to enforce the law, it will encourage more to break it which could exacerbate the negative effects we already experience from illegal immigration: inflated crime rates, wage deflation, and increased welfare dependency.

Even those who hold firmly that illegal immigrants are hard workers and a benefit to American society, you should be for the wall and for deportation of illegals. Most Latin American nations are relatively poor and still developing. If we want Latin America to improve, wouldn’t we want them to keep their hard working citizens?

The most logical concern about the wall is the enormous price tag. According to FAIRUS, an immigration think tank, illegal immigration costs the US taxpayer $116 billion a year, which is why the Center for Immigration Studies states that the wall would pay itself off in three to ten years.

A tsunami of uneducated low-wage workers and drugs are pouring across the border our leaders have sworn to defend.

Our nation is being harmed by masses of people that Cesar Chavez, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump all agree must stay on their side of the border. Since President Trump promised to close the border, the Democratic Party abandoned one of the few issues both parties agreed on and adopted the policy of permitting every illegal, their family, and their local drug dealer to trample on America’s safety and sanctity. America is not the homeless shelter of the world, we cannot take in every struggling person, especially with the intense economic equality within our own borders. It is time for our government to stop the surge and finally build a wall on our southern border.

Foreign aid for us

Lakshmi Parvathinathan ’20 On October 12, 2018, 160 Central Americans convened at a bus terminal in San Pedro Sula, Honduras and embarked on a perilous, lengthy journey to the U.S.-Mexico border. During their journey, thousands of other migrants from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador joined them, making this caravan larger than any previous one.

Traveling in a larger group protects them from human traffickers and drug gangs that they are bound to encounter. With that being said, why are thousands of Central Americans traveling 2,300 miles and leaving their old lives behind to come to a country that claims they are “invaders”?

Do they know that they will not have proper access to food, water, and shelter when traveling? Are they aware that they are not guaranteed to make it to America? The answer is yes, they understand the risks.

These migrants know that they are risking everything, yet are determined to trek to the United States. They are seeking better lives for themselves and their families; their sole intention is to escape from the poverty, violence, and persecution in their home countries.

As we all know, President Trump has ordered nearly 5,200 troops to be sent to the U.S.-Mexico border. Interestingly enough, according to Business Insider, around the same number of troops are in Iraq, “taking part in Operation Inherent Resolve, which aims to eliminate the Islamic State.” The same number of troops that are fighting ISIS, a terrorist militant group, are going to be waiting at the border for the migrants, who are carrying as little as a backpack worth of belongings. Instead of sending troops to the border, we should be sending lawyers, judges, and immigrations officers to ensure that those entering our country are asylees who will be given hearings.

Having said that, sending troops is only a temporary solution. Do we plan on having troops stationed at the border 24/7? This clearly isn’t feasible. Instead, we should shift our focus to the real solution.

If we turn away these migrants now, it is only a matter of time before another caravan arrives. The long term solution lies in providing the “Northern Triangle” countries (Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador) with the resources they so desperately

Graphic by Abigail Chang ’22

need to curb drug trafficking and organized crime. We address the drug trafficking and organized crime problem in Central America but often fail to address the root of the problem—weak, corrupt judicial and law enforcement systems and the lack of opportunities for the young generations. As stated in an article from the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), Central Americans “have little confidence that corrupt police forces or other institutions can protect them.” How can they have confidence in their government if, according to the Journal, “no more than a fifth of all homicides in the region” are solved?

In 2000, our government signed Plan Colombia, a foreign aid initiative, to eradicate the drug trafficking and the internal political conflict in Colombia. Our government has allocated approximately $10 billion towards this initiative, using it to reinforce the Colombian military and state institutions as well as using aerial fumigation to reduce the amount of cocaine produced. If we work closely with the governments of the Northern Triangle countries, we could sign an initiative similar to Plan Colombia, which the Brookings Institute regards as a “success story.”

Although fumigation has raised controversies of its own, its usage has certainly proved to be effective. According to The Guardian, in Putumayo, “the total area planted with coca reduced from just over 163,020 acres in 2000 to less than 22,320 acres in 2005.” This significant decrease in production further proves that initiatives can indeed limit drug trafficking.

While Plan Colombia should be emulated, we must additionally incorporate youth-training programs into our agenda to increase youth employment. Supporting Youth at Risk finds that Entra 21, a program that provides disadvantaged Central American youth with life skills, technical training, and internships, showed positive results, with a 68% job placement rate in Peru. In places like Honduras, where “boys from twelve years up are prime targets” for gang recruitments, it is vital to ensure that they are exposed to such skills and training at a young age (The Atlantic). It will be impossible to prevent a caravan from entering our country if we don’t take into consideration why these migrants are seeking our aid in the first place. A proper initiative that focuses on the root of the problem will be more effective than sending thousands of troops will ever be.

The migrant caravan is getting closer and closer to the U.S.-Mexico border each day. Some are seeking asylum and some are merely seeking a better life in America. Instead of scrutinizing the legal status of the migrants, let’s work to make their home countries safe and full of opportunity.

Graphic by Sihan Wu ’19/Staff

Affirmative Action

Cont. from TRUTH ABOUT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION on page 5 Therefore, by utilizing affirmative action, colleges and cess is unacceptable in that it prioritizes race above that of universities are not only placing many high-achieving stu- academic merit, unfairly setting the bar higher for countdents of a particular race at a disadvantage, but also caus- less students due to their ethnic group. Affirmative action ing other minority students with subpar grades to suffer is not a terrible policy, but there is no doubt that it must be greatly and abandon their dreams. abandoned within the academic world in order to ensure There is no doubt that the original intent of affirmative a more equitable recruitment process. Rather, instead of action was positive and supposed to encourage greater di- attempting to undermine students of a particular race that versity without sacrificing so much potential within uni- have already shown an exemplary academic record, govversities. However, the current academic recruitment pro- ernment policies should be more focused towards educat-

ing the youths of all minorities and improving their lives.

Amending affirmative action will not result in discrimination of minorities; rather, it will see the entirety of an applicant body as one race, the American race, from which it will determine the best candidates to succeed. This is the only way to preserve the standards of academic merit within private universities and enable our student body to be judged solely on their accomplishments and not their appearances.

Opinions

December 19, 2018

7

The Merionite

Funding for all

Emily Shang ’21 After the last bell rings, a flurry of activity ensues. Balls bounce in the gym, robots click in the hallways, cheerleaders dance in the auditorium, debaters argue on the third floor. LM supposedly nurtures a wide range of interests so that students may find their passion and practice it. Most clubs at LM require large amounts of discipline, focus, and hard work. While clubs such as athletics require extremely hard physical work and incredible practice, the work for academic clubs is more subtle in appearance. Academic clubs such as Debate, Mock Trial, TSA, Dawgma, Science Olympiad, and many more don’t have stands of cheering fans or a clapping audience to keep students motivated. Yet, academic clubs require just as much, if not more hard work and focus. Why are students in these clubs forced to scramble, to beg for donations to support their self-motivated education while other clubs, specifically athletics, receive exorbitant amounts of funds? Why are students who work hard physically prized monetarily above students who work hard mentally? For students in academic clubs, school is often the only place they can practice the fields they’re passionate about, and lack of funding hinders their only opportunity. Furthermore, academic clubs should not be perceived as less important and should receive the same amount of funding as other activities.

When Science Olympiad went to Nationals for the first time in fifteen years, or TSA was recognized nationally for

years of excellence, or Dawgma placed top ten internationally, the school showed only very meager indirect financial support. Just this year, many clubs such as Mock Trial and TSA have spent a significant amount of time fundraising for a few hundred bucks to attend vital competitions. All time could have been spent working and practicing, but instead it was spent fundraising. According to LMSD’s 2017-2018 budget book, in the total $5.5 million spent on extracurriculars across the district, only $1.9 million went to any clubs that weren’t athletically related. Just last year, Dawgma Robotics had to spend $13,000,000 to attend the International Competition and to quote Henry Woldson, the Captain of Dawgma, “We ask each of our members to pay a $125 sign up fee which is because of the lack of District funding.”

Due to cost of hotel rooms, Science Olympiad decided to leave for the LISO invitational at 3 a.m., and last year, every Science Olympiad member had to pay $700 per person to attend Nationals. Despite upkeep and equipment in athletics, the numbers show clearly that more funds should be allocated to the academic clubs.

School academic clubs are often the only place students can practice their passions. In contrast, a student who likes basketball has more opportunities outside of school to play. However, if a student wanted to compete in Science Olympiad, TSA, or Dawgma, no outside organization exists where this student can pursue this passion. Similarly, students who want to compete in Speech and Debate, Mock Trial, and other public speaking clubs have trouble practicing these skills outside of school. LM should therefore be more attentive to these academic clubs as they are providing opportunities that are challenging to acquire outside of school and give these clubs more funds to maximize students’ experience. Students who play sports have more opportunities to do so outside of school, and therefore the students are less dependent on the school’s funding to pursue Graph

their passions.

LM is one of the wealthiest districts in the nation. We can afford to better fund our academic clubs. The burden upon each students is simply too high. There is no reason for sign up fees of $125, or competition fees of $700. Our District should be doing more to ensure the financial wellbeing of our academic clubs.

ic by S

ihan W

u ’19/

Staff

8

Features Santa 101

December 19, 2018

The Merionite

Ziphron Russel ’20 It’s that time of the year again: the holiday season.

Time to stress out about what gifts to get your family, friends, and loved ones. We have all received mediocre or simply bad gifts in the past, and you don’t want to be the one forcing someone to fake a smile when you hand them your present. I’m no Santa Claus, but I do take a lot of pride in the gifts I give people, so let me give you some advice on how to avoid that situation.

I do a Secret Santa with my friends every year.

Each time, there’s that one person who you know put together their gift last minute and it just was not the quality the receiver deserved. There’s also always that person who goes above and beyond that everyone wants as their Santa. Following these “holly jolly” gift tips might just make you the best Santa in your group.

First, you need to KNOW your person—you need to know the things they like, the places they go, the food they eat. If you don’t, you can always use the tools you have (social media or mutual friends) to find out or just ask them directly what they like. After you choose and purchase your gifts, make sure

to add a personal touch to it. Try to find a memory or joke you share and think of something related to that, to make them laugh. I find the best part of a present to be the card that comes with it. Having these components will guarantee that your person will like your gift and make it all the more special.

Now, if you’re too busy for a trip to the mall or also broke from Black Friday shopping, I have just the gifts for you. Everyone loves money, but something even better than money is food. Get your oven mittens and rolling pins out because it’s time to cook! Baking a cake or some other food can be an even better gift than something store bought.

Coupons and gift cards are always nice to receive and are a safe bet if you’re unsure of your gift-giving skills. You could give gift cards from stores you know they like so they can choose what to buy or give them personalized coupons for watching a movie with you, helping them with schoolwork, giving them a part of your lunch, etc. Make sure you add your card to it and think of doing something dif-

ferent like writing a poem or including a drawing.

Another great idea for gifts is giving an experience to someone. It sounds weird at first, but my aunt always says that experiences last longer than items, and it’s definitely true. The memories you make with your friends last longer and are more special than the items you own. Buy tickets for a show or event and give one of the tickets to the recipient and enjoy a fun day out with them. You can even do something as simple as spending a “special” day with them, staying in with hot chocolate and watching movies or exploring fun things in the area, such as watching a live jazz performance at Whole Foods. This simple gift of your time and attention could lead to amazing memories that are worth so much more than a sweatshirt or video game.

Regardless of how much money you put into a gift, you can make your loved one appreciate what you’re giving them simply with a little creativity. Remember, it’s the thought that counts. Make sure to have fun with your gift-giving and take pride in your choices!

No parking, no problem Teresa Cato ’20

Every September, LM seniors enter a raffle in an effort to secure a parking pass for the school parking lot. Because the school is boxed between residential neighborhoods and located on a busy road, there is simply not enough room for a parking lot that can accomodate the cars of all faculty, students, and visitors. Juniors and seniors, who lack a parking pass but want to drive to school, are forced to find alternatives, each with its own pros and cons.

Some students opt for the risk of a ticket, others a ten minute walk, and a few simply for the bus.

The most common option for parking outside of LM as an upperclassman is to park on the neighboring streets. However, these streets are all two-hour parking zones. Many students who leave their cars in “two-hour” zones move their cars during lunch, frees, or even rushing outside between classes to try to avoid receiving a thirty dollar fine. Regardless, people are still ticketed every year for parking in twohour zones, and the fines can add up. Across Montgomery Avenue, the chance of getting a ticket is less, but the walk is further. For students who tend to run

late or carry a lot of bags, this is not the best option.

For many, the risk of receiving a ticket and the hassle of moving cars during school hours is not worth parking next to school. These drivers often choose to park in the lots of nearby Suburban Square. In most of the spaces, parking is both cost and risk-free. However, the walk can take up to ten minutes, which is less than ideal in inclement weather. Parking in Suburban Square also requires more time alotted to arrive to school in order to account for the walk up the road. Carrying heavy bags and sports equipment, walking in the snow or rain, or sprinting down the sidewalk eight minutes before school starts make it less than ideal to some.

There are also students who elect to buy a parking spot for the year. Some residents of the area surrounding the school accept payments from students in exchange for the option to park in their driveway or outside their house for the year. Depending on the price of the spot and how many tickets a person would potentially receive in a year otherwise, this recourse may be a fiscally responsible one.

Some students simply choose not to drive. Many take the bus, which everyone has access to. Taking the bus costs nothing and is ticket-free, without the need for a long walk. However, it requires an earlier wake up time and is less comfortable than driving due to the fact that there is less personal space and more noise. As a result, many students elect to carpool with their friends or family.

Students who do have a parking pass are generally very considerate about driving their friends and neighbors who live in their area; many seniors and juniors who drive to school even take underclassmen. Carpooling is a good option as it cuts down on the demand for parking spots and saves energy.

As many students gripe, LM has a relatively small and difficult to navigate parking lot. However, many students have found creative ways to park without having a parking pass. Some take their chances in two-hour, others accept a walk and park in Suburban Square, and others get rides from their friends. Each tactic has its own benefits and drawbacks—which one would you choose?

Graphic courtesy of Sihan Wu ’19/Staff

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Answers on page 14

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Special Feature

December 19, 2018

9

The Merionite

An Interview with Mr. Pavia

Dear Reader, As students at LM and editors of its newspaper, we felt it was necessary to get an inside look at e-cigarette usage amongst teens at LM. We are sure it comes to no surprise to anyone to walk into the bathroom to find a couple students huddled over a stall taking puffs from one of the widely used e-cigarettes on the market such as Juul, Phix, and Suorin. Rumors of the popularity of e-cigarettes amongst teens abound, and the issue has been covered by national news sources, but no conclusive data had yet been collected about e-cigarette usage at our school.

The Merionite (TM): How much content is there in the health curriculum regarding vaping? Do you think it is enough?

Mr. Pavia (Pavia): Vaping is always studied and included in quarter one Health classes (Drugs, alcohol, tobacco unit) and has been for years (since E-cigs sales in The statistics within this special feature come from a survey emailed to the entire student body, of this country began). A constant message is that the potenwhich a convenience sample of 511 students responded (about 34.8 percent of the LM student tial dangers of using these products are suspected but not fully body). Of the respondents, 100 (19.6 percent) were freshmen, 131 (25.6 percent) were sophounderstood yet. Although they would appear to be ‘safer’ than mores, 139 (27.2 percent) were juniors, and 141 (27.6 percent) were seniors. With 95 percent traditional cigarettes these products are being studied intensely and perhaps confidence, all of our results were deemed statistically significant with about a 3.5 percent future research will reveal the truth. sampling error.

TM: Do long term effects of vaping generate any concern about the future health of LM students?

With regards to the student interviews on pages ten and eleven, we decided to maintain anonymity for the interviewees, as we believe this allows them to speak candidly with us and helps us to reveal the truth about e-cigarette usage at LM. We hope that this special feature will bring some clarity to how widespread the e-cigarette epidemic truly is.

Sincerely, Molly Cutler ’19, Julian Ginzburg ’19, and Caleb Shack ’19 The Merionite Management

Pavia: Because our Health classes study the teenage brain (research on the prefrontal cortex) they are aware that teens are at greater risk to become addicts. Thus, addiction to nicotine is of great concern to all teens who vape or smoke traditional cigs. The marketing of these products to youth has been over the top (as it has been for traditional cigarettes in the past) so all teens are at risk to become users of e-cigs and potentially to traditional cigarettes too (as life-long consumers).

TM: If you could describe your position on vaping in one piece of advice to vaping students, what would it be?

Pavia: My advice is simple, don’t start. If you don’t smoke traditional cigarettes don’t start with e-cigs, and if you do smoke cigarettes, perhaps the E-cigs can help you to quit. Lastly, the longer you wait to try any of these products the less likely

you are to ever start using them.

An Interview with LM Assistant Principal Kilpatrick

LM:

Interview completed by Eric Bing ’20, Buisness Manager The Merionite (TM): How often do you typically deal with e-cigarette related issues?

Kilpatrick (KP): Not as much, because I think of it as an alternative to smoking.

LM students were never seen as smokers, whereas in my previous school district you would walk into the bathroom and there were ten people smoking at one time. So instead of a bag of Juuls I would have a bag of cigarettes. E-cigarettes don’t make that smoke or the smell, so it’s not as detectable. There’s detectors we’re looking to possibly getting that will sense when you are Juuling—a Juul detector. They are expensive but my wife’s district has already put them in.

TM: Have these policies been effective in quelling e-cigarette use?

KP: I always look at the goal behind the behavior, I wouldn’t use the word effective because there has to be a consequence if you break school rules, but again why are you smoking, why are you using e-cigarettes? The goal of any administrator is not to hammer a student and get them in trouble but to ask what’s going on? If you are using It goes in waves, once or twice a month. I’m not saying that it is daily and I’m not say- Juuls now what were you doing before? ing that it’s weekly, again, is it happening? Yes. Are we catching it? No because we’re not there at all times. I mean you can do this in the halls. Like you’ve seen kids doing TM: One of the most common place to find vaping in the school are baththis in the bathroom. room stalls. Do you have plans to specifically counter vaping here without breaching student privacy?

It’s an issue, but I think this generation, one, kids can’t afford cigarettes. If you were smoking, could you come up with $10 a day for cigarettes? If you do that times thirty KP: We’re looking at detectors. You could never use cameras, I would never put camthat’s $300 a month. I think that your generation doesn’t smoke as much as previous eras in the bathrooms. You have privacy issues, that’s against the law I think. It’s a generations. Laugh as I say this, but ask some of your teachers about when they went new form of the cigarette now. It’s not really a new issue. It’s the same cars, new tires. to high school but there used to be smoking rooms. They closed them but there used We always had smoking in the schools, we used to have a room where you could go to be. About the late 80’s early 90’s there used to be smoking lounges. Mine was right legally to smoke. It used to be people would go into the stalls to smoke or prop open outside of the cafeteria. So the law has changed since then, but you’re just growing up the doors and smoke outside. Best example, when I was in high school, we used to pass in the age of Juuls and e-cigarettes. But the board has changed the policy, and e-ciga- notes. Now, you guys use your cell phones. When was the last time you passed a note rettes fall under the old no-smoking policy. to somebody: never. But you text. It’s the same deal with cigarettes and e-cigarettes, it’s just a new technology.

TM: Have you used any other policies besides board policy in response to e-cigarettes?

TM: What other programs is the school considering putting into place to combat e-cigarette use?

KP: Our old school district used to have this smoking cessation program, but because LM doesn’t have an exuberant amount of that available, I try to get resources together. KP: I know the school nurses have done some things the district has put into place I try to ask them why they are smoking, like why they are doing e-cigarettes. I try to some program. There’s been a big push, it’s on the radar of the community now I think have conversations about why they are smoking. there’s more awareness and there’s a bigger push to address it then there was two years ago. Like think about juul recently stopped doing some flavors, well, why would Smoking is a form of stress relief. You may choose to run cross country, I might choose a profitable company limit their profit? Pressure from consumer advocacy agencies. to shoot basketball, Mr. Ross might choose to work out, Mrs. DeFranco might choose Like their companies aren’t going to cut profit, but they also don’t want a ban, so they painting class. But smoking is because of stress, but it’s also a form of addiction. met them halfway by removing some flavors seen to target teens.

10

Special F

December 19, 2018

The Me

Two LM Stude Their Juu Anonymous Student #1 The Merionite (TM) : Can you give me some background on your experience with e-cigs?

Student #1: So, the first time I tried vaping was in the beginning of eleventh grade because my friend got a Juul. I juuled socially, I never really got addicted, but I definitely felt at times I had to try to stop myself because I would have become addicted if not. And so a few weeks ago I quit for good because I didn’t want to have the addiction potential, and I wanted to conserve my lungs.

TM: Did you ever own a Juul?

S: I bought my first juul a few months after I tried my friend’s and then his older cousin bought me one.

TM: Why did you sell your Juul?

S: Because I wanted to quit; I wanted to lesson my vaping because when I owned one I found I would do it at home. I wanted to just limit myself to my friends’ vapes.

TM: Have you ever felt like you had cravings for your e-cig?

S: Yeah. Sometimes I would be doing homework, and I would get a flashback to the flavor of the e-cigarette, and I would just want to do it. I felt like even with mild usage I would still have cravings.

TM: How long has it been since you quit?

S: A few weeks.

TM: Have you noticed any negative side-effects while you were using your e-cig?

S: I did notice that when I would use it I would cough throughout the day, and I felt like my lung function decreased slightly. It felt harder to breath. Nothing substantial, but I noticed when I was vaping or if I vaped the previous day, the next day I would be more out of breath.

TM: Do your parents know that you’ve used e-cigarettes?

S: They know that I have, but they do not know that I owned one. They found a Juul pod, and I lied to them and told them it was my friends.

TM: Do you think vaping is a problem amongst teens?

S: Yeah, for sure. I hear about middle schoolers doing it, and I don’t like that. I have a friend who is pretty addicted and it’s costing him a lot of money which isn’t great either.

I just worry it’s going to be a lifelong habit for him.

Feature

erionite

ents Discuss ul Habits Anonymous Student #2 Can you give us some background on your e-cig use?

I have a juul. It’s my third one. I had a Phix which my mom took away, another Juul that broke, and the Juul I use now that I bought for like $60. I’ve been doing it long enough that I know what flavors I like.

Where did you get your e-cigarettes?

From my friends and coworkers who were eighteen.

How old were you when you first started using an e-cig?

I was like sixteen I think it was the end of summer right before junior year because my friend got one, and I tried it and it made me cough a lot at first, so I shied away from it for like a week. I hung out with her again and tried it again and got a head high. After that, I kept using her e-cig until I got my own later during junior year.

Did you smoke cigarettes before using an e-cig?

I had smoked cigarettes earlier that summer while I was in Europe, but it was only if it was offered to me. I never asked for cigarettes, and I never bought them myself.

On average how often do you use your e-cig?

On days I have pods, I will probably use it between every single class. I will use it a little bit at home, but I use it more in school. I also use it a lot at work. If I don’t have pods, I will usually use it once a day by using someone else’s.

Do you feel like you are attached to your Juul?

I’ve had mine for almost a year now and from last school year [junior year] to midsummer, I didn’t think I was addicted because I could go a week without using it and everything felt fine. But now, I’ve started spending a lot more money on pods, so I tried stopping to save money, and I’ve noticed it’s a lot harder than before.

Do you want to stop?

Yes, but not really for the health reasons, because it’s so expensive. That’s really the only motivating factor for stopping.

So do you not care about the possible health risks?

Yeah. I went to my doctor who knows I use an e-cig, and he said they don’t know a lot about it besides that it’s addictive, so we can’t tell you not to use it because of specific reasons.

Do you feel comfortable possibly being a statistic in the future?

I guess. That’s an interesting question. No one’s asked me that before.

Have you noticed any negative side-effects?

My hands are a lot shakier than they used to be but otherwise I would say no. I can still go for a half hour run and be fine.

Do your parents know you use e-cigarettes?

They know I have used e-cigarettes. My phix fell out of my pocket one day, and she took it away, and she’s seen my empty pods. It’s come to the point where when she catches me she just sends me articles on why vaping is bad, but she doesn’t really do anything else. I don’t think she thinks I have one anymore, I think she thinks I just occasionally use one.

What are your personal thoughts on E-Cig use in general?

I wouldn’t call it ‘good.’ But I feel like at the same time, the intended purpose of them is for adult smokers to quit which I think is good, but I definitely don’t think it’s good that so many kids are using them. I’m one of them, and I will admit it’s an epidemic.

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Arts & Entertainment The Merionite reached out to Lizzy Gee and asked if we could interview her about her sustainable clothing line. Lizzy Gee, a 2014 LM graduate, has been busy building a fashion empire and creating sustainable unisex garments by mixing funky textures and vibrant colors. Her designs and photographs are featured in the Vogue Magazine December 2018 issue. Here is an exclusive interview with the designer herself.

TM: When did you first realize you wanted to pursue a career as a designer?

LG: Probably when I was ten years old I knew. I probably knew before then but didn’t realize it was an actual profession. I would complain about the clothes my dolls wore. When I was five, I drew rainbow polka dots all over my legs because I thought my skin was a boring color.

And I tried stapling ribbons together to make an accessory when I was six before I realized thread was a thing.

But when I was ten, I learned to sew, and when I was eleven, I made my first design. Then my mind was made up.

The Merionite (TM): Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your current work?

Lizzy Gee (LG): Some call me a rainbow unicorn. Others call me crazy. I call myself a designer. I just graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Fashion Design from Pratt Institute. Making ideas come to life, listening to music, drawing, sewing, taking photos, building fashion allows me to combine it all. I currently am building my own brand while working for a designer on Fashion Avenue in NYC. My brand is a celebration of color, sustainability, and inclusivity. Recently I opened an online store which is on my website, www. lizzygee.com. So far, I have my ‘SS19’ accessory collection up on Etsy as well as a few garments. The accessories go along with my SS19 clothing collection I showcased at New York Fashion Week this past September.

TM: Who inspires you and why?

LG: Anyone who lives their truth inspires me really. My collections have been inspired by all kinds of people, places, and events. Currently Mara Hoffman inspires me because she is a super successful, sustainable designer who I was lucky to have an apprenticeship with my first year in college. She is helping to carve new paths for designers and consumers who want to change the fashion industry for the better.

TM: Do you have any plans for future projects?

LG: Definitely! I want to continue growing my brand and online store. There are more garments I want to make such as reversible wrap dresses and t-shirts. The beginning of my next full collection is underway. I also am figuring out my applications for graduate school.

Top: A model showcases prime couture from Lizzy Gee. Gee has also designed for singer-songwriter Grimes and actor Jared Leto.

Bottom: A radiant Lizzy Gee poses with her models backstage at New York Fashion Week.

Right: Lizzy Gee’s iconic designs shine bright against the glass panels of the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland.

TM: What advice would you give to aspiring designers hoping to make it in the industry?

LG: See through the egos and competitive attitudes and focus on your vision. Everyone will have an opinion, but it is up to you which to ignore and which to learn from. You have to hustle but don’t forget to have fun. Keep getting rejected until the day you don’t. And most importantly, embrace what makes you, you.

TM: How did you go from being an LM student to being featured in Vogue?

LG: A lot of sleepless nights sewing in the studio, anxious final semester critiques, and getting used to rejection was the path I took after graduating LM. I had a confidence in designing that I rarely had in the classroom so art school really allowed me to spread my wings. I tend to over-work myself which in this case paid off. When I didn’t get accepted into the senior fashion show at Pratt, I decided to organize my own while taking my finals. When I didn’t get that first job interview, I applied until I did. When I didn’t hear back from that job interview, I continued to apply. The next thing I knew, I was presenting at my first fashion week, and my designs and photography are in Vogue.

Photos courtesy of Lizzy Gee

Olivia Hugart ’19 What do you do at LM related to the arts?

I am in jazz band, jazz combo, wind ensemble, sax quartet, Key of She Jazz, and show orchestra.

Do you participate in any outside of school music or arts related activities? If so, what?

I participate in many other jazz ensembles and combos that rehearse during the week. In addition, I am also organizing a first ever “Key of She Jazz Conference” to celebrate girls and women in jazz. Visit keyofshejazz.org for more info.

Do you plan on continuing to play/sing in college/the future?

I definitely hope to continue my musical studies in the future. I plan on studying jazz performance, playing music all day, and living life doing the thing that makes me happiest.

What is your favorite memory related to the arts/music?

My favorite memory has to be the jazz band trip to Italy. We went on tour in the summer of 2017 and played 7 concerts in 8 days. It was the most fun I’ve ever had.

Photo courtesy of Olivia Hughart ’19

Grace Yu ’21 How long have you been making art?

I've honestly been “drawing” since the day I could pick up a marker, but I think I seriously started getting into it in 6th grade, so now I've been creating “real” art for about four years!

Who is your biggest inspiration?

Most of my big inspirations are all comic book artists, like Kenneth Rocafort and Dexter Soy. I really like their unique styles. I also really admire the style of many old oil paintings—especially how soft it seems around the edges when you look closely, but how realistic it looks when you look at it from a distance.

What’s your favorite LM memory?

My favorite LM memory so far would have to be any of the field trips that I've gone on with Art Forum. We always visit a place with a history that is either rooted in or entwined with art in some way, and it's just a nice change in pace compared to the daily rush of class.

Graphic courtesy of Grace Yu ’21

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Working for laughs Davon Collins ’19 Arts & Entertainment Editor The Merionite reached out to David Orlansky and interviewed him about his passion for playwriting.

Orlansky is a man of many talents. After high school, Orlansky studied journalism at Northwestern University. Upon graduation, Orlansky landed a job writing articles for Men’s Health. Orlansky was most passionate about comedy, but he also wanted to pursue teaching. By day, he is a valued special education teacher at LM, and by night he is a well-versed playwright.

He juggles a full-time job and a family with a baby on the way and still makes time for his passions. He’s inspired by the works of Mel Brooks and Larry David.

The Merionite (TM): How did you get into writing?

David Orlansky (DO): I started writing as a little kid. I would write short stories and share them with my family. In ninth grade, I started writing for my school newspaper, and I think that’s when things took off. I found something I really enjoyed by the time I got to my senior year.

I was the editor-in-chief of our school paper, which was great! Since no one read the paper, I had the liberty of writing about anything I wanted.

TM: What did you write you about?

DO: At the time, I didn’t realize a journalist was supposed to be covering stories and interviewing people. Instead, I made up stories about my life and basically made the newspaper a collection of personal made-up stories. No one read it, therefore, no one stopped me from doing it. Through working for the paper, I discovered my love for writing and journalism.

TM: How do you manage it all?

DO: I try to get all of my playwriting done over the summer, and during the [academic school] year, I focus more on logistics, rehearsals, and things that don’t require as much thinking as writing does.

TM: What inspires your writing?

DO: I want to make people laugh, so I people-watch. I try to observe different situations that I think are funny, and I try to combine different aspects to generate the best joke. A lot of my writing is satirical comedy. I am interested in politics and education, so I look for something that I think is ridiculous and exaggerated to a point that it’s almost silly.

TM: What keeps you going?

DO: I make jokes constantly during the school day and literally no one laughs.

This only pushes me to work harder on my comedy. My wife also pushes me to be creative and to think outside of the box. She doesn’t think I’m funny. Similar to my students, I try different approaches to make her laugh.

TM: Why did you choose playwriting as opposed to other writing forms?

DO: I am a narcissist who likes complete creative control over everything that I do. You don’t get that as a journalist. You can write up what you think is a great piece and send it to an editor, but they can chop it down until it doesn’t really feel like your article anymore. There’s a delayed gratification for something like a screenplay or novel. With a play, there’s an immediate gratification of finishing it; you can start doing a couple workshops or table reads. Then, you can direct and produce in less than a year. I can finish a play and see it on stage.

I don’t know if I would get those immediate results in other forms of writing.

TM: Where can people see your work?

DO: You can see the Boomerang Kid at the Christ Church Neighborhood House in Old City, Philadelphia in January 2019. Tickets are on sale now.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Orlansky

Davon Collins ’19 Arts and Entertainment Editor Watching your hands turn yellow over the course of working in the darkroom is enough physical gratification for one to fall in love with film photography.

This past summer, I had the opportunity to study film photography. I had access to a 35mm camera, an endless supply of darkroom materials, and an entire photography studio full of tools necessary to produce the best photos possible. However, it was not the fancy strobe lights or the elaborate studio setups that led to my love for photography; it was the demanding nature of the camera. Loading film into an analogue camera alone takes more work than the entire process of shooting digital. You roll out your film, carefully insert the slots into the camera spool, and are reminded that you have a finite amount of photos to work with. On a digital camera, you have an SD card that handles thousands of poorly shot photos for virtually no price once you purchase the SD card and camera. When you choose to work with film, you give up that luxury. A single roll of film only gives you 24 pictures (24 frames), and each of the rolls costs $6. You don’t want to waste your time or money, so you are forced to slow down.

When shooting film, you have to come prepared. You have to be ready to give up

the instant gratification of seeing the product on a screen that tells you what you did wrong. Film photography instills great discipline in the photographer that forces them to be purposeful when taking a photo. Without patience, you can end up with white fuzzy images as opposed to a photograph. While working digitally, I did not have a substantial understanding of the basic camera functions such ISO, shutter speed, or focal length. My digital camera took care of that for me. I did not force myself out of my photographic comfort zone until I was challenged with a film camera. I did not learn it overnight but through going back in time with my camera, I grew to understand how to use a light meter, how to properly adjust my ISO, shutter speed, and focal length to my setting. The first couple of rolls were terrible, as they should have been, I was just starting out. But as I began to slow down and really pay attention to what my camera was communicating to me, I started to create photographs.

Everything about you is etched into it. You and the medium become one. Your humanity is passed onto the photo, it has a heartbeat; it makes having yellow chemical stained hands all worth it.

Graphic by Catherine Roser ’21

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The Merionite

Winter warmers Faye Berry ’21 Snow is often synonymous with fun, but Pennsylvania winters can be harsh and icy. The temperatures often dip below freezing, and it can quickly become miserable. Our ears grow numb with cold, and waiting for the bus to pick us up each morning can seem to take an eternity. Why should we waste our winters being cold when we can enjoy the fresh snow and crisp air while it lasts? With these seven winter innovations, you’ll never have to worry about being chilly or bored. Instead, you’ll be able to enjoy the comfort and fun that should be a part of every winter.

North Face Denali Thermal Ear Band: The thermal ear band is a fuzzy head band that fits around the head and the fabric is widened to fit over the ears. Frozen ears paired with athletics almost never results in happiness, so this light band is great for any student athlete who has to practice outside in the winter. In addition, winter hats can often be itchy and create static hair.

The thermal ear band can work as a replacement for a hat, keeping static away and itch level down.

Tenergy Bluetooth Beanie: The Tenergy Bluetooth Beanie features bluetooth technology which can easily be paired to your phone. This bluetooth hat effortlessly allows you to keep warm while enjoying your music hands-free. The beanie keeps your ears toasty and eliminates the issue of tangled headphone cords.

Additionally, the beanie comes in many different colors and styles, so there is an option for everyone.

Polar Seal: Polar Seal is a patented clothing company that sells various coats and sweatshirts. In addition to good quality and stylish wears, Polar Seal clothing includes heated pockets, and many of their jackets include large upper and lower back heaters that only take ten seconds to heat up. These heaters are able to be turned on and off with the press of a button located on the sleeve of the jacket.

Graphic by Carmen Cheng ’21

Kiehl’s Creme De Corps Lightweight Lotion: Cold air often creates wear and tear on our skin, especially the hands. Dry and cracked hands are typically very uncomfortable. If the dryness progresses, it can eventually lead to bleeding (ouch!). Using Kiehl’s Lightweight Lotion is a great way to stop winter from getting to your skin. Also, because the lotion is lightweight, it does not cause slimy hands. Instead, the lotion creates a thin and soft layer as it moisturizes your dry skin.

Holiday

Ember Coffee Mug: The new Ember coffee mug comes in many different sizes, shapes, and styles. You can purchase an open mug for home or a thermos for coffee on-the-go. The mugs connect to an Ember app that allows the drinker to set their drink to the ideal temperature. These mugs, travel or not, are perfect for chilly winter mornings and keeping your drink warm but not too hot that you have to wait to drink it.

Emma Becker ’20 and Ziwen Zhou ’19 Features Editors

Electric Heated Foot Warmer Mat: If your feet are ever freezing while you are trying to study, the Electric Heated Foot Warmer Mat is a perfect solution for you.

This mat fits under any desk, and is made from heavy-duty insulated rubber, which allows it to provide heat to the feet and legs. This mat is an easy and toasty way to stay comfortable while doing work.

Zippo Rechargeable Hand Warmers: Zippo Rechargeable Hand Warmers are reusable hand warmers which are made of metal and include a small port for recharging. The hand warmer can charge small USB compatible devices. In addition, the hand warmer has adjustable heat settings and stays warm for over two hours. It’s reusable, which is good for the environment, and lasts longer than disposable hand warmers while doing much more.

Recipes

It’s that time of the year again! The wondrous holiday season where LM students can enjoy a whole plethora of festivities. While many may simply be looking forward to the time off from school and the gift-giving, there is so much more to appreciate around this time. We would like to highlight something else that is special: the amazing food associated with wintertime! There is no better time than the holiday season to make these delicious recipes to share with your family.

Caramel Apple Upside-Down Noodle Kugel Ingredients: 12 oz wide egg noodles 6 tablespoons butter, melted 2 cups cottage cheese 2 cups sour cream ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 6 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt 2 Granny Smith or cooking/ baking apples of your choice, peeled, cored and sliced 1 stick butter, melted 1 cup light or dark brown sugar Recipe Courtesy of: parsleysagesweet.com

Grease the sides of a 13 x 9 baking dish with butter. Boil the noodles in salted water for about four minutes.

Strain noodles and shake until dry. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the apples. Pour the custard over the noodles, mix well, and set aside. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Pour the stick of melted butter over the bottom of the baking dish then top with the cup of brown sugar, pressing it down evenly so it covers the bottom and soaks up the butter. Arrange the sliced apples on top of the brown sugar. Give the noodles another toss to make sure the custard covers them all, and pour over apples. Distribute the noodles evenly over the apples. Cover top of dish with buttered tin foil. Bake until the custard is set: about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

If you have a platter larger than 13 x 9 inches, flip the noodle kugel onto the platter, as you would an upside down cake. If not, let cool, then cut slices and flip them over onto each serving plate. Spoon any caramel at the bottom of the pan over slices.

Yorkshire Pudding Ingredients: ¾ cup all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt 3 eggs ¾ cup milk ½ cup pan drippings from beef roast or substitute with gravy.

Recipe Courtesy of: Food Network

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and milk until light and foamy. Stir in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Pour the drippings into an oven-safe pan or dish. Put the pan in oven for a couple minutes to get drippings smoking hot. Carefully take the pan out of the oven and pour in the batter. Put the pan back in oven and cook until puffed, should only take 1520 minutes.

Candy Cane Hot Cocoa Ingredients: 4 cups milk 3 squares chocolate, crushed 1 cup whipped cream 4 peppermint candy canes, crushed.

Recipe Courtesy of: allrecipes.com

There’s a lot of leeway here with the recipe: you can adjust the amount or type of any ingredient. Heat the milk in a saucepan or in a pot until hot but not until boiling. Whisk in the chocolate and peppermint until smooth.

Pour into four mugs and garnish with whipped cream.

Anagram Answers:

Happy holidays Winterfest Menorah Hot cocoa Balsam fir Gingerbread

Snowman Sledding Fireplace

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Aces in the App Store Eric Yang ’22 No strangers to the stress of schoolwork, LM seniors Edward Zhang, Aydan and legitimately wanted to see it completed.” The Monium team continues to fix Gooneratne, Zac Schuh, and sophomore Owen Wetherbee programmed a medita- bugs and improve the app, with plans to roll out an update in the next week or two. tion app, named “Contemplations: A Self-Guided Study.” The app is available in LM Principal Sean Hughes took great interest in the app after the team gave him a the App Store, free to download. At the end of their junior year, Schuh and Gooner- prepared presentation and an app demo. The Monium team later presented to the atne decided to spend some time over the summer expanding their knowledge of Assistant Superintendent and all of the school Department Heads as well, receiving SWIFT, a coding language created by Apple to develop apps. positive feedback regarding the process and the final product.

They then formed a company called Monium by recruiting Contemplations focuses on Buddhist meditation techtwo of their friends, with Gooneratne serving as the CEO niques and is designed for casual as well as serious med(Chief Executive Officer), Zhang as the CFO (Chief Finanitation. The app is not only extremely beneficial for those cial Advisor), Schuh as the CTO (Chief Technology Officer), who already meditate—it also functions as a tool to simply and Wetherbee as CIO (Chief Informations Officer). During relieve stress (which is a common struggle at LM). On Authe development of Contemplations, Gooneratne managed gust 19 2018, the Monium team performed a user study on the company while Zhang worked on the financial aspects. the app at the Philadelphia Meditation Center, the feedback Wetherbee coded the company’s website and blog, and showed that 94 percent of people present considered the app Schuh and Gooneratne developed the app. Their company’s significantly beneficial to their mindset and productivity. name is Monium because Goonerate’s father had formerOutside of school, the Philadelphia Graphics Design comly started a LLC (Limited Liability Company) with a name pany has approached forming a partnership with Monium. Adthat abbreviated to Monium. When Schuh and Gooneratne ditionally, School Frontiers, a company that helps educators had initiated their company, they also utilized the name find effective methods to teach students who have struggled to Monium, but changed it to be short for Mobile Millenium. succeed, has offered to commission Monium to code an app reThe Monium team began to code Contemplations after lating to productivity and scheduling for students which would they received a grant from the Chicago Buddhist Temple later be distributed to students in Philadelphia inner-city to create an app for Buddhist meditation. They were origischools. The Monium team plans on having Contemplations, nally contacted by the Chicago Buddhist Temple through as well as possible future apps, available for download on alGooneratne’s grandmother. She commissioned the app for ternate platforms, such as Android or Progressive-Webapp. the members of the Chicago Buddhist Temple to commemMembers of Monium look forward to a bright future for orate one of her loved ones. The temple later allowed the their company. They hope to continue updating ContemplaMonium team to make the app public for anyone to downtions until they go to college, and even potentially further. load. During the summer, the team worked for approximately They are also considering re-creating an app coded and 350 hours to develop the app. With each member investing graphically designed by Gooneratne, Schuh, and fellow LM his full effort, time, and dedication, Monium produced a final student Brandon Kedson ’19 called Brack[it]. Brack[it] is a product containing twelve thousand lines of code. Developtournament bracket generating app that was developed for ing the app also gave the Monium team a sense of motivaa competition relating to the creation, development, and tion different to what they experience at school. Wetherbee launch of a mobile app, called Code. Design. Story. Challenge. summarized this by stating, “In school, everything is focused Zhang, Gooneratne, Schuh, and Wetherbee have worked around grades, and thus school projects will often be similarly extremely hard on developing their app and their company motivated largely by grades. However, during this project, there over the summer. They believe that downloading ContemplaPhoto courtesy of Edward Zhang ’19 was no grade forcing us to remain in Aydan’s basement six hours a day, five days a tions could be very beneficial to the students at LM, as stress is such a prominent facweek. If we had wanted to stop developing our company and app, we could have, tor in many students’ lives due to their intense workload. Currently, Contemplations and there would have been no real consequences (at least academically) of this ac- is undergoing important changes and developments for improvement. Rating the app tion. But we kept going because we were all excited about the work we were doing and giving feedback are helpful insights for the Monium creators, so be sure try it out!

CHLOE AMEN Admirable Activity:

Photo courtesy of Chloe Amen ’20

Junior Chloe Amen is in her seventh year modeling professionally for W Talent Management NYC. She gets many calls for various auditions and jobs, but she has to be selective in the ones that she chooses. Since she’s a busy student as well as a heavily involved member of Players, it is difficult for her to miss school and drive several hours to New York City frequently. Amen mostly models for clothing brands, toy companies, and swimsuit brands—such as Aeropostale, Monster High, and Joan Calabrase. She also walks in runway shows appears in commercials for Comcast and television shows on the Lifetime channel. Even with all the glitz and glamour and special opportunities she experiences as a model, Amen states that her favorite part of modeling is “trying on all the different clothes and getting in some pretty crazy hair and makeup.”

At LM: Amen is mainly involved with Players outside of her classes at LM. She has participated in multiple departments for all the shows during her time here, including costumes, acting, choreography, and hair and makeup.

Favorite Quote: “We are often taught to look for the beauty in all things, so in finding it, the layman asks the philosopher while the philosopher asks the photographer.” — Criss Jami

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what they have made, investigated, and accomplished instead of the grade grubbing, test taking, unhealthy process that exists today? An art school doesn’t care that much about the grade in the class, they want to see what was made.” Loue believes that everyone should take an art class–it can change your perception of your own work. Grading isn’t everything. At an art school, progress and genuine capability matter most. “They [art teachers] want to see skill.”

Aviva Schuh ’19 Thinking about applying to art school? It’s just a little different from the rest. Whether you’re intrigued by photography or enamored by watercolor, at an art school you can chase your artistic dreams. Though every school is different, art schools all have some things in common. Some art schools require applications to be submitted directly to them, through their own websites, but most accept the Common Application. However, this is just the beginning of the process. A portfolio is typically required as the surest way for an art school to gauge talent. Many schools use SlideRoom, an online application tracking and managing system that allows you to upload multiple works of various sizes, and submit them to the college for a fee. Similar to traditional colleges, a high school transcript is sometimes required. Art schools and traditional institutions differ most in their attitude towards standardized tests. Exams like the SAT and ACT are not mandatory for many schools since standardized tests don’t provide information on an applicant's artistic capabilities. Depending on the school, you may be asked for artist statements and supplemental essays. As for recommendation letters, it is advised that you ask teachers who have insight into your art, in addition to academics.

When it comes to art schools, though you may be asked to select your intended major on your application, typically there is a foundation year before taking any classes specific to one concentration. This can give students time to explore different media and interests and think about their potential major. Flexibility and diversity of work should be reflected in one’s portfolio, compiled of pieces in both concentration and breadth areas. Schools want to be sure that potential students do not just specialize in one medium or subject, but have an overall grasp of many skills. Branching out of your comfort zone can lead to discovery of untapped ability or aid in future job hunting.

Art schools pay closest attention to the student’s portfolio…[which] demonstrates their breadth of skill as well as their conceptual voice and willingness to take risks.

– Russell Loue, Unified Arts Chair However, even those strongly interested in art may decide not to apply to any art schools. Many might view art school as constricting, cutting someone off from other possible interests.

“I feel like art school can be very limiting,” remarks senior Sihan Wu, who took AP Art last year, “as opposed to a more general liberal arts school. It depends on the person–I don’t necessarily know what I want to do [as a career].” Wu explains that art school could tie her to a path in life that she may not want to pursue. Opportunities for aspiring artists can vary wildly, and an art career is considered by many to be folly. Wu continues, “If the circumstances were different, though, I would definitely apply to art school.”

No matter your decision or the results, remember that the some of the most famous artists had no formal art education: Vincent Van Gogh didn’t go to art school. The future is full of potential that depends on so much more than your high school and college experiences.

Christian Owusu ’21

Graphic by Sihan Wu ’19/Staff

The foundation year provides solid footing upon which to build for the remaining years. A small amount of art schools are only foundational, two-year colleges–for example DCAD, the Delaware College of Art and Design–that allow one to apply to another school after graduating to dive directly into their preferred major. A school like this can provide an associate’s degree and general art education. It’s important to note which degrees the schools you apply to can provide. At most undergraduate art institutions, one can receive a Bachelor’s degree in Arts (BA) or Fine Arts (BFA); a BA or BFA is a prerequisite for a Master’s in Arts or Fine Arts, the graduate degree counterparts. Art education and art history are ordinarily offered in addition to studio and theory classes, but not all schools offer them as options for majors.

If you want to stay in state, art schools in Philadelphia may interest you.

Local colleges include the Moore College of Art and Design, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), and University of the Arts, among others.

Temple’s art school, the Tyler School of Art, is nearby as well. Other notable schools like the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), the Pratt Institute, or the Art Institute of Chicago may be somewhat further away, but certainly worth the distance. Though not as prominently recognized, the arts departments of many schools are on par with high-ranking arts colleges; for instance at Yale University, not exactly notorious for the arts, their art department is still considered one of the best in the country. Some universities have programs that allow dual enrollment to study for two degrees. RISD, for instance, has a dual-degree program with Brown University, for a fiveyear track. There is a similar opportunity at PAFA, which allows dual-degree study with the University of Pennsylvania after the foundation year.

If you’re on the fence about applying, alumni of art programs can offer insight. “What is unique about applying to art school is the way they evaluate you as a student,” says Russell Loue, a Master of Fine Arts and Unified Arts Chair here at LM. “Art schools pay closest attention to the student’s portfolio…[which] demonstrates their breadth of skill as well as their conceptual voice and willingness to take risks. Wouldn’t it be great if students applying to liberal arts schools, and other ‘academic’ majors had to actually demonstrate

Prior to Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to see the musical Urinetown at LM. In the world of Urinetown, a horrible water shortage after a twenty-year drought has led to the ban of private toilets. While a single sinister company forcing citizens to use public amenities profits from their suffering, a hero rises up from the masses and plans a revolution to overcome their oppressive government. LM’s Urinetown production provided an amazing example of what young people can accomplish when they work together.

For any movie, show, or play, the most important aspect is undoubtedly the acting. Without decent portrayals of the characters in this production, the show’s message and purpose can easily be muddled and misunderstood by the audience, leading to an overall dissatisfaction shared by viewers. The director, Amalia Schneider ’20, and assistant director, Oron Barash ’20, selected an almost perfect cast. Every time Bobby Strong (Justin McQueen ’20), the main protagonist appeared on stage, all my attention turned to him. Anytime Hope Cladwell (Daisy Cunningham ’21) sang about love and peace, I was amazed and wondered how many other remarkable singers attended our school and went unnoticed. Caldwell B. Cladwell (Sam McGuire ’21) perfectly portrayed an insane man, who hid his anger and evil intent behind the façade of a man trying to keep peace. I could continue to praise PLAYERS’ incredibly talented ensemble for Urinetown, but that would take me forever! Sure there were acting mistakes here and there, as there are in most theater productions, but these slip-ups were rare, and that is a feat.

The acting in the show was amazing, but I see the plot as being just as important. The story of Urinetown does seem, from an outside perspective, to flip the normal tropes of theatre on its head. But after delving into the plot a bit, I came to the conclusion that the plot simply used the same tropes in different ways. I did feel that many characters seemed like simple plot devices instead of people, but that was due to the weakness of the plot, not the actors.

The character of Hope Cladwell was paradoxical. She was raised by the antagonist of the story and even went to a university to learn the evil business, but somehow, Hope ends up being a loving and caring person. It seemed she should have ended up as cold and calculating as her father? Well, the plot of Urinetown shared the message of love and preservation, which provides explanation for Hope’s ways. The play’s humor was well delivered by characters like Little Sally (Gabi Gamberg ’22) and Officer Lockstock (Jordan Sheikh 20), but it was still not enough. Despite the impressive acting, singing, and overall delivery provided by PLAYERS, I was just not in love with the plot.

While viewing, it was apparent the production could not have been possible without the hard work of the production and design staff, scenery crew, electrics, costumes, publicity, and the musical talents of Schorch, who all dedicated so much of their time towards this musical. Yes, Urinetown was not perfect, but hardly anything is! I appreciated how it was different most PLAYERS productions, and from the dancing to the singing to the acting and the stage direction, Urinetown gets an 8/10 from me. I cannot wait for the next show they present!

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Learning from a legend Sophie Meyer ’20 Source Confirmation Editor By this point, it is household knowledge that one of the most famous basketball players in the country, Kobe Bryant, went to our very own school. This basketball legend set a strong precedent for LM’s basketball team. For twenty years, Bryant played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers and currently resides in Los Angeles. LM boys’ basketball coach Gregg Downer, who coached Bryant at LM, recently took nine seniors on a trip to Los Angeles to meet with and learn from the great. They left on November 10 and were in Los Angeles for four days. Downer described it as an “incredible experience.” Also on the trip were former LM boys’ basketball coach Marc Tennebaum; former LMSD communications director and former LM boys’ basketball coach, Doug Young; and Downer’s daughter, Brynn.

When asked about the trip, Downer recounted, “We had been talking to Kobe about possibly doing a camp with him in Los Angeles last summer, but the dates didn’t work out. A few weeks ago, he followed up to see if we would still be interested in coming out before the season so he could meet with our seniors. It was a tight turnaround, but we decided we’d try to pull it off.” The group of seniors, he noted, “is one of the largest and closest groups of seniors he has ever had in the program.”

In Los Angeles, the team got to speak with Bryant in his new office at Granity Studios, the production company he founded. They spent nearly two hours asking questions and talking about his time and impact at LM, as well as his career. Downer mentioned, “One of the most memorable moments included his answer to senior Steve Payne’s question about how he’s dealt with pressure, fame, and negativity. Bryant talked about how flies can be buzzing around a lion’s eyes and the lion doesn’t blink because he’s focused on (From left) Seniors Garrett Ryan, his prey—he’s focused on the goal. Bryant Darryl Taylor, Jack Forrest, Steve had to adopt that mentality to survive and Payne, Theo Henry, Julian thrive.” Bryant also spoke about how his caHairston, Kobe Bryant, Josh reer of storytelling, such as his new book Martin, Sam Oshtry, and Matt Mamba Mentality, would not have happened O’Connor. without the ongoing influence of teachers

like LM’s english teacher Jeanne Mastriano. Bryant then gave each of the players personally signed copies of Mamba Mentality.

Downer stated that he is very proud of how Bryant has grown as a person and is extremely grateful that he continues to give back to the Aces. Downer commented that “during his playing career it was often difficult to get meaningful time with [Bryant] because he was so focused on basketball, but he never forgot his roots. There was no timing pressure this time around and it was very nice to be with him in such a relaxed and intimate setting. His love for LM is maybe even stronger now that he’s had time to reflect. He said he thinks about LM every day.”

While meeting Bryant was very exciting The team met NBA reporter Dave for the Aces, there were many other high McMenamin on a tour of ESPNLA. points during their trip. Bryant arranged for the team to see a Lakers game on November 11 and they enjoyed a special welcome at the STAPLES Center. The Lakers invited the team onto the court during pregame for a photo and a chance to meet some of the players.

The team had a chance to tour ESPNLA 1710 with writer David McMenamin, who covered Bryant and LeBron James for years before writing about the Lakers. They got a firsthand look at the studio operations and answered questions about the changing world of sports journalism. Two LM alumni, Jeremy Horn ’16, now a student at Claremont McKenna College, and Oliver Cohen ’10, a corporate lawyer in Newport Beach, were introduced to the team during their trip. The team played a game of pickup basketball with the rapper David Burd, more commonly known as Lil Dicky, who is an old friend of Young.

The team was incredibly grateful to have been hosted by Dr. Chris Forrest, the father of Jack Forrest ’19, at his home on Manhattan Beach. They met each night to talk about what they’d learned and their experience. Downer and his team expressed their gratefulness and said they had an amazing time. When asked about the trip, Theo Henry ’19 said, “The bond between us seniors is unlike any team I have ever been around. We hope it will further separate us from the competition this season.” Entering the winter season, they hope to take all they learned from this trip and use it to dominate in basketball.

Photos courtesy of Doug Young

A guide to club sports versus school sports Benjamin Wolf ’22 High school students divide their time between academics and extracurriculars, namely sports. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, more than half of all high school students in America participated in a sport in 2017, with the percentage rising for the 29th consecutive year. Many of these student-athletes represent both a club or travel team along with their high school athletic program. However, as schoolwork and other commitments increase, the choice between club and school sports must be made. Time, money, and social factors all contribute to this complicated decision.

Two of the main differences between club and school sports are cost and time commitment. Unless you lose a uniform or damage equipment, representing your school as an athlete is generally free, and the vast majority of games and practices are held directly after school and provide transportation to and from the necessary location. This cannot be said for club teams, to which, according to USA Today, families pay an average of about $250 a month and up to $10,000 per year to cover uniforms, registration, and various fees, along with travel and hotel charges for tournaments. Although most practices are held locally, club games and tournaments call for a drive time of anywhere between ninety minutes to a four hours. Annika Naveen ’22 says that her club swim team, for Friends’ Central Aquatics, is “a large time commitment because it’s not something you can just toss to the side. It’s a bit more than just a hobby and requires a higher level of commitment out of you.” For student athletes and their parents who are unable or unwilling to invest this many dollars or minutes, school sports may make more sense.

However, the aforementioned expenses and time commitments often allow for more extensive, personalized, and high-quality training. This is beneficial to those who choose to participate in collegiate sports in the future. “I feel like the practices are more tailored to the individual,” says Naveen of her club team. As for the relationship between athlete and instructor, she believes her club sport has done a better job. “My coaches have known me for nine years,” she explains. As many adolescents join club teams when they are young and train together for many years, the atheletes are of very similar skill level, leading to great competition and increasingly more pressure. Some high school athletes may not be prepared to handle and

thrive in this certain type of competitive environment and could possibly prefer the more laid back high school athletic program. Spencer Rosenbaum ’22, a defender for the Lower Merion Soccer Club, agrees that playing on a travel team allows athletes to “develop as a player.” For student athletes looking to get noticed and potentially recruited, representing their club teams at a regional or national tournament may prove to be an advantage over peers participating in only high school sports.

Both club sports and high school teams have very different social benefits. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, club sports will help student athletes learn to cope with and eventually thrive under pressure and in extremely competitive situations. This will not only prepare them for their athletic future, but for the rest of their lives as well. As well as preparation for the future, both club and school teams allow players to practice with close friends or get closer to new friends, which is an incredibly unique experience that doesn’t compare to anything else. This is not limited to teammates who are the same age, however. Naveen had many positive things to say about the bonds she built with older cross country teammates. “I think it’s a great way to get to know people who aren’t in the same grade. I have a lot of friends on the LM cross country team that aren’t in my grade, and as a freshman, it’s great to have an extra friendly face in the hallway and to have knowledge passed down from more experienced people.” Rosenbaum, who also was on the LM boys soccer team this fall, explains, “There is a sense of pride in playing for yourself, your teammates, and the rest of the school.” Performing for your school will make school more enjoyable and help you connect with teammates and other classmates.

As you can see, there are many pros and cons to playing club or travel sports and playing high school sports. Each has unique benefits and difficulties, and each direction may be the right choice for one student athlete but not another. You should keep this crucial information in mind when deciding what your plans are for your future as an athlete. The head coach of the LM baseball team Tim Gunn acknowledges that there are many advantages of each, but they have one important thing in common: “At the end of the day, both have the same goal of creating a better player and a better person.”

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Ready for a swim-pressive season Phillip Gao ’22 champions, the team could potentially outperform the previous season. Girls’ captain Annika Edwards ’19 said about the upcoming season, “We have a really big team this year, and I’m looking forward to some really exciting dual meets and a potentially undefeated season.”

Although the girls’ team lost valuable swimmers including Kerren Matthews ’18 and Sophie Roling ’18, the new roster for the 2018-2019 season looks promising.

Newcomers Annika Naveen ’22 and Sadie White ’22 are amongst the top swimmers, prevailing in the 100 back and 100 fly, respectively. The veterans Anna Kalandadze ’19 (three time state champion in 500 free), Annika Edwards (state qualifier in the 100 back), and Amari Brown ’21 (state qualifying diver) will also prove to be very vital in obtaining an undefeated season. LM is excited to start off their season, and will Catie McGinty ’21 practices butterfly at hopefully live up to the goals practice to prepare for the coming meets. and objectives they have set for themselves this year.

After last year’s devastating performance, the boys are aiming to redeem themselves with a record breaking season. With a record of 1-9 last year, the team suffered terrible defeats from many other teams. With a large amount of swimmers missing various meets, and the loss of six pivotal seniors, it was not surprising that LM did so poorly. However, this loss did not destroy the spirit of the team, but will further motivate swimmers to perform better this year. Beginning this season with a new roster and a positive attitude, the boys’ swim team enters this season with the focus of dominating the competition.

Photo courtesy of Julia Kreuzer ’19/Staff

As the snow starts to fall from the sky and icicles trickle with glistening water, you may begin to hear a few protests of swimmers as they wake up for 6:00 a.m. practice.

When they graze the water with their shivering toes, a chilling sensation creeps up their spine, reminding them of the difficult practice that is to come. With a sigh, they dive into the frigid pool. The 2018-2019 swim season is underway, and the boys’ and girls’ teams are eager to compete. With a new team and new goals, there are a number of things that the swim team is looking forward to.

While the loss of last years’ seniors will be a minor drawback, the new freshman swimmers will be quick to take their place. Elijah Miller-Wilson ’19, a captain of the boys’ team, is thrilled to see the freshman compete. He said, “I’m excited to see all of the returning swimmers this year but am most excited to see the new talent on the team!” Miller-Wilson believes that the freshmen have the ability to influence the outcome of the season for both the boys’ and girls’ teams.

The two particular meets that LM is enthusiastic to compete in are against Harriton and Haverford. The competitiveness between LM and Harriton will bring great anticipation and exhilaration. The Haverford meet also has many swimmers excited, as many LM swimmers participate in the same club as Haverford swimmers.

This year, the team is looking to garner victories in a variety of events. According to Miller-Wilson, the boys’ strongest events this year will most likely be distance freestyle and breaststroke. With newcomers Josh Sultanik ’22 and Alex Bullard ’22 covering freestyle, Simon Roling ’22 in fly, and Octavio Melendez ’21 crushing breastroke, the boys’ team will be able to dominate the pool in a number of different events.

Although the team looks strong, achieving goals such as winning centrals, making districts, and defeating some of the top schools in the league will not be easy. The boys’ success will depend on unity, hard work, and the ability of the newcomers to accentuate themselves, listen, and be coachable.

With last year’s season being so successful for the girls, it will be difficult for them to top their spectacular performance. By achieving a record of 9-2, having over fifteen girls competing at Centrals, ten girls attending Districts, and three girls dominating States, the 2017-2018 girls’ team made history as one of the best swim teams LM has seen in years. However, with the combination of adept veterans and prospective

Jimmy Buckets Sam Oshtry ’19 Jimmy Butler has landed in the City of Brotherly Love and love is all he has been feeling since his arrival. The basketball world was shocked on November 12 when Butler was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Philadelphia fans now have new hope for the sixers season after enduring five consecutive losing losing seasons before emerging as the third seed in the Eastern Conference last season.

Butler is exactly what the Sixers needed to make the jump into contender status after a second round exit last season. Not only is he a four-time all-star and a two-time all-NBA selection, but he is considered one of the best two-way players in the entire league, meaning there are few better than him who are capable of scoring while also locking down the opposing team’s star player.

The Sixers now have what every single team in the NBA always looks for during their season: a solidified big three.

Alongside Rookie of the Year point guard Ben Simmons and big man Joel Embiid who

is an early season front-runner for MVP, the Sixers have found a solid three for their season, not to mention sharpshooter J.J. Reddick. From a systematic standpoint, Butler’s game fits in perfectly with his new team. Butler excels in the pick-and-roll game as a decision maker and scorer. Paired with Embiid, Butler has an ample amount of opportunities to make plays in an offense that is well-suited for him.

It did not take Butler long to make his mark in Philadelphia and get on the good side of the Sixers fan base, who have a history of hostility. Within his first seven games as a Sixer, Butler hit two game winning shots on step back, and three-pointers from the right wing as time ran out, a shot that he calls his “go-to.” That is exactly what the Sixers brought him in to do. The Sixers ranked 27th in the league in fourth quarter scoring prior to the addition of Butler. Butler is top five in the league in clutch time scoring, a huge addition to the team.

Since the acquisition of Butler, the Sixers record has stacked more wins than losses and they are looking to keep the train moving as all the cargo stacks up. In a wide-open Eastern Conference, the Sixers will look to capitalize on an opportunity to make it to the NBA finals—somewhere they have not been since 2001—and to finally complete “The Process.”

Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons

Freshman Jaylen Shippen

Sophomore Amy Yang

Junior Christian Hodges

What sport(s) do you play?

Basketball What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Playing a basketball game on live TV and winning co-MVP Do you have any unusual holiday traditions?

I stay in pajamas on Christmas even if I leave the house What is the worst place to see Santa?

In a police car

What sport(s) do you play?

Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track What is the worst place to be when it’s snowing?

School Do you have any unusual holiday traditions?

We go to Denny’s at 12am on Christmas Who is most likely to hit you with a snowball?

My cousin because I usually hit her first

What sport(s) do you play?

Wrestling What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Placing at wrestling regionals last year What is the worst place to see Santa?

In my bathtub Who is most likely to hit you with a snowball?

James Lledo because he wouldn’t think twice about doing it

Senior Annika Edwards What sport(s) do you play?

Swimming and Crew

What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Travelling to England this summer for the Henley Regatta Do you have any unusual holiday traditions?

We dance around the tree Who is most likely to hit you with a snowball?

Anna Kalandadze

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Events are as of December 13 and are subject to change

The events listed are for varsity competitions

Graphic by Chris de Santis ’20/Staff