Merionite October 2015

The Merionite

The official student newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 www.themerionite.org Volume 86, Issue 2

Ardmore, PA, 19003

October 30, 2015

Upcoming School Board election fuels local forum Michaela Pliskin ’17

Signs are going up quickly on lawns across Lower Merion and Narberth.

It is hard not to notice that the 2015 Fall election season is here. The number of signs suggests that there are many contested local races, including one for the Lower Merion Board of School Directors. There are nine total seats on the School Board, which are elected every two years. This year, five of the nine seats on the School Board are on the November ballot, with the other four people not up for re-election for another two years. On Thursday, October 8, seven of the eight candidates for these five seats went to All Saints’ Church in Wynnewood to answer questions at a candidate forum sponsored by five local civic associations. The panel included newcomers David Federman (Democrat), Michael Adler (Republican), and Christina Fink (R), incumbents (people who have served on the board the previous year) Robin Vann Lynch (D), Virginia Pollard (D), Subha Robinson (D), and former School Board Director, Gary Friedlander (R). Diane DiBonaventuro (D), a Board member since 1999, was out of town but sent in a statement that was read at the end of the evening.

While this election will impact the direction of the entire District, only about 50-60 community members were there. Many were friends and family of the candidates. The event was taped for a later broadcast.

This year, voters in Lower Merion and Narberth have choices to make, since there has not been a two-party race like this one in a long time. While the current Board consists of nine Democrats, this year’s candidate pool varies in political affiliation, with five Democrats and three Republicans, and in gender, with five women and three men. The candidates also bring a range of professional and personal experience, with four incumbents, three new candidates, and one former School Board Director. The former director, Friedlander, said that he is returning after serving from 2001-12 because he felt uneasy about decisions being made by the current Board. Despite the variation in experience levels, the candidates all have one thing in common: they are all parents of current or former LMSD students and have favorable opinions of the District overall.

Graphic by Staff Please see SCHOOL BOARD, on page 2

New year, new contract Sydney Orloff ’17

Over the last 10 months, the Lower Merion Education Association (LMEA) and the district’s professional and support staff union have been engaged in contract deliberations.

The contract applies to all LMSD staff: teachers, instructional aides, custodians, secretaries, food service workers, and bus drivers.

The previous contract expired this past July, resulting in 1,412 LMEA members currently working without a contract.

One of the leading topics the parties are debating is health care. According to Chris Santa Maria, president of the LMEA, “For the past five years employees enrolled in the district health plan have been paying a portion of their salary for their medical coverage in addition to copays collected at the doctor’s office and pharmacy.” Since the new contract will be effective for the next three years, the

members are also concerned about the impact of the 2018 Affordable Care Act “Cadillac Tax.” The tax is a government imposed excise tax that will charge the district an extra 40 percent per dollar on every healthcare plan that exceeds a specific amount.

This could lead to several problems since the district offers its employees an expensive healthcare plan. Under this new plan, they might have to pay an increased amount of money to the federal government, raising the question of where this extra money will come from—the budget or staff salaries? If neither of these options is possible, the healthcare plan may be changed to a less expensive alternative, which staff do not want. The cost of healthcare is a concern for both the employer providing those benefits and for the employees receiving them.

Please see CONTRACT TALKS, on page 4

Members of LM’s professional and support staff union wore black to a school board meeting to protest delayed negotiations.

NEWS The redesigned SAT: one more thing for students to worry about

Photo by Olivia Johnston/Staff

FEATURES

The AP curse Meredith Anderer ’16 questions the AP culture at LM. Page 6

Catherine McFarland ’18

For students who are frustrated with how each of their teachers uses a different platform to post assignments, LMSD has created a solution. If all goes well, the whole school will be using Blackboard by the 2017-2018 school year. Last year, one teacher, Ms. Sweeney, piloted Blackboard. However this year, the administration has made it available to any teacher who wants to use Blackboard, and a whole slew of teachers have decided to give it a try. William Hawkins, a math teacher, is one of those who joined the trial. He explains that “there were some difficulties getting it started, but now it’s easy for me to post assignments. Blackboard is also more organized than eBoards, and for teachers who don’t use textbooks it’s also great for students to have structured sections to keep units in order. There are also some collaborative features that I hope to use in the future such as forums where students can discuss problems.”

Blackboard offers many features that some of the other platforms like Moodle and Eboards do not. It has three features called class dialogue, collaborate, and socialize, which are easy ways for classes to communicate and facilitate discussion while staying on one platform. It also gives teachers the ability to grade right on Blackboard, which could be used in the future. Allister Barnes ’18, a student in Hawkins’ trigonometry class, says, “It’s cool because everything is in one place, but right now it is pretty hard to use because I’m still getting used to it.”

Please see TECHNOLOGY CHANGES, on page 2

A&E A very Hogwarts Halloween Jon Adams ’16 shares his tips for planning the perfect Harry Potter inspired Halloween party. Page 16

Julia Utkus ’17 reports on the upcoming changes to the SAT. Page 3

OPINIONS

Tech takeover

An inside look at LM’s most connected students: those whose parents are teachers. Page 10

SPORTS LMSD start time position impacts athletics Harrison Meyers ’16, creator of the delayed start time petition, addresses possible issues regarding sports scheduling if his idea were to prevail. Page 20

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October 30, 2015

Technology changes

News The Merionite

Continued from TECH TAKEOVER, page 1 The school will decide whether or not to continue with Blackboard based on the student and teacher feedback they receive this year. If the feedback is positive, then next year every class will be on Blackboard, but Moodle and eBoards will still be used as students adjust. Eventually two years from now, the hassle of multiple platforms will be gone.

Another big technology change at LM is the switch to online textbooks.

The decision on whether to use physical textbooks, online textbooks, or no textbooks varies from teacher to teacher. The benefits of switching to an online textbook include not having to lug around heavy textbooks, eliminating the hassle of distributing and collecting books, and resolving the issue of students losing textbooks.

Also in some cases, the school simply does not have enough physical textbooks, and making textbooks available online solves the problem. Spanish teacher Sara Nemoy ran into this issue with her 3H Spanish classes. “So far I see positives and negatives. The positives are that everything is available for students at home and in class without the physical strain of a textbook. But at the same time, I see the negative that, when we try to

download all together, it is very slow. In general, I see both, but it’s probably more positive than negative.” Caroline Noone ’18, a student in one of Nemoy’s classes, said, “It’s so convenient having our textbooks online, because I always have access to it whenever to study from, and I don’t have to wait until I get home to do my homework.”

While there are many benefits to online textbooks, some students prefer hard copies since reading online documents can be very difficult. Senior Jess Grimm, who uses an online textbook for AP Biology, notes that for those with concussions or migraines, “looking at an online textbook does not help.” Government teacher Michael Kelly agrees; while he sees potential benefits to online textbooks, he believes that it is difficult to get an overview of a chapter by reading the text online. Also, he does not like the “additional distraction” of having laptops open during class. Additionally, online textbooks are not accessible without Wi-Fi. Instead of simply opening up a book, students must first log in to online textbooks, which can sometimes take a while.

While online textbooks and Blackboard have many advantages and disadvantages, the true measure of their success will come from the feedback the school receives from the faculty and students.

Photo by Sam Gamberg/ Staff

School board Continued from UPCOMING SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION FUELS LOCAL FORUM, page 1 The forum was an opportunity for each candidate to talk about his or her plans and ideas for the future. Each candidate answered six questions about LMSD that had been submitted by community members and selected in advance by local civic associations. It was not a debate format; each candidate was challenged to answer the same questions (in two minutes or less) in a unique enough way to make him or her stand out from the other candidates at the table, even on issues where every candidate agreed. The forum questions covered a wide variety of topics, such as taxes, taped meetings and transparency, per pupil spending and rankings, enrollment in the high schools, and full-day kindergarten.

The incumbents defended their record, specifically on taxes, high school enrollment, and delayed broadcasting of board meetings (instead of live broadcasts). They talked about their efforts to keep tax increases as low as possible while still keeping high quality schools. Federman, who is running with the incumbents on the Democratic slate, emphasized that “budget equals programs” and that “if you are going to cut funding, you have to say what programming you are go-

ing to cut.” On enrollment, Vann Lynch said that maintaining two high schools of equal size is extremely difficult, especially with the growing population. She and the other incumbents seemed comfortable with their decision last year to expand the choice zone even though there are now more students at LM than at Harriton. Both Robinson and Pollard specifically pointed out that curriculum in both schools is the same and that they are focused on keeping it equal.

The Republicans used the forum to challenge the current board and discuss about what they would do differently. Fink, who described herself in her opening statement as a “moderate Republican, but fiscal conservative,” criticized the board for not providing a live feed of all board and committee meetings and for overspending, particularly on new hires, including the new superintendent. She said that electing a more diverse board will begin to address these and other district issues. Adler said he was “astonished” after reviewing the district’s financial statements and, like Fink and Friedlander, believes that the current board is headed in the wrong direction when it comes to budget, particularly in

The 2015 candidates discussed their plans for the school district at the forum on October 8.

regards to taxes and transparency. He believes our schools are doing well and does not put a lot of emphasis on rankings measured by standardized tests. Friedlander, a former head of the Finance Committee, drew heavily on his board experience in his answers.

When discussion came to all-day kindergarten, all candidates seemed to be for it in concept, but those with board experience emphasized known cost and space limitations. And while a few would explore it again, Fink and Adler believe we can and should find a way to provide full-day kindergarten. Adler plans to make it a priority. He is concerned that the district will not attract new homebuyers if it cannot find a solution.

While few LM students will be voting in this fall’s election, the school board’s decisions have a direct impact on all students and their experience in district schools. Typically, students do not have interactions with the Board of Directors, but it is important to stay updated on the election since the board members are the ones ultimately making the decisions that affect our high school experience.

Photo Courtesy of Wynnewood Civivc Association

News

October 30, 2015

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The Merionite

Local organization responds to Syrian refugee crisis Nisha Arya ’18 Over 250,000 Syrians have been killed, and almost 11 million have been forced from their homes due to Syria’s civil war. Protests for democracy erupted in March 2011, and since then, the country has descended into civil war. The Islamic State, an extremist group originated from al-Qaeda in Iraq, has also jumped on the opportunity formed by the unrest. In addition to the political struggle, Islamic State has introduced religion into the conflict and fights both sides of the original conflict. A year and a half ago, the US, Russia, and the UN gathered together to come up with a peace treaty.

This October, the Obama administration allowed the US to take in over 10,000 Syrian refugees in the coming year. Although the number is small–very small in comparison to the four million Syrians that have escaped their country, it is more than America has ever allowed before.

After the rebellious uprisings of the 2011 Arab Spring, President Bashar al-Assad has been brutally crushing any more hopes of a revolution in Syria. President Bashar al-Assad and his regime have committed many atrocities, including the murdering, kidnapping, maiming, bombing, and torturing of his own people, as well as using chemical weapons.

However, an LM alumni, Mahmoud Hallak, class of 2012, was able to escape the torture, and created a new life for himself at LM. The greater LM community as it has previously done, has taken a part in helping the refugees.

Mahmoud Hallak, LM class of 2013, is a Syrian Refugee who escaped tumultuous Syria in order to continue his education and create a better life for himself. Similarly, around the same time that Hallak found refuge at LM, a Syrian couple Nizar Alkurdi, a retired limousine company

owner, and Renata Alkurdi, a Polish convert to Islam, created the Narenj Tree Foundation, located in Bryn Mawr. This foundation was named after the bittersweet orange frequently found in Damascus, Syria.

In a Norristown warehouse that the Alkurdis rented, the couple and volunteers gather, fold, and sort used clothes, school supplies, hygiene products, and medical supplies. On a busy day, the volunteers pack about 50 large boxes of supplies.

Once a month, they send a shipment to crowded refugee camps in Turkey, Lebanon, and Idlib–a part of northern Syria free from fighting. With each shipment’s value at about $100,000, the nonprofit charity has provided over $2,000,000 in aid since 2013.

Though the foundation was created specifically for Syria’s civil war and its refugees, it has many non-Syrian and non-Muslim supporters.

The Syrian conflict has been on the news since 2013 with no signs of progress or relenting in the country from neither the government nor the rebels. More and more innocent people will die everyday from bombing, shooting, or starvation. Organizations like the Narenj Tree Foundation give hope to the suffering people who have none.

The Narenj Tree Foundation accepts donations every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the warehouse on 101 Schuylkill Ave. in Norristown. There are also four of their clothing drop bins in the Philadelphia area. They are located at the Gracious Center of Learning and Enrichment in Cherry Hill, the Foundation for Islamic Education in Villanova, the Al Aqsa Islamic Academy in Germantown, and the Islamic Academy of Delaware in Newark.

Budget cuts reorganize school activities Deepika Jonnalagadda ’17 News Editor The 2015-2016 school year brings a lot of changes: administrative turnovers, updated standardized tests, and most notably, a redesigned district budget. As stated on the district’s website, the key components of the budget are fixed costs such as the salaries and benefits of the district’s employees. Due to additional government mandates, however, the district had to reevaluate components of the budget to fulfill its obligatory contributions to the state. This has resulted in a slight decrease in funding for LMSD.

“

[Budget cuts are] all dependent on the district and how it chooses to utilize its resources.

”

-Don Walsh, LM Activities/Athletic Director

Although the administration examines the budget each year, this year’s reduction caused them to reorganize resources in order to maximize accountability and effectiveness. Therefore, the previous expenditure on activities was exorbatant and has been reduced and allocated to other destinations. This explains the discrepancy between the increasing values presented on the General Fund Budget, located on the district’s website, and the notices sent out to teachers informing them of decreasing funding for school activities.

While students and staff are adjusting to the groove of a new school year, Lower Merion’s countless after school activities are beginning to hold their kick-off meetings. With one of the state’s highest per-pupil spending, at about $20,000 per student, LMSD provides its attendees with luxuries many other districts do without.

Please see BUDGET CUTS, on Page 4

Congressman Fattah faces corruption charges Sam Haut ’16 Lower Merion Township is reeling from the conspiracy, and money laundering. The main campaign funds to pay for his son’s student debt idictment of their U. S. Congressman. Demo- charge was that he allegedly took funds from a and taking $18,000 from lobbyist Herbert Vecrat Chaka Fattah, who represents Lower Mer- charity organization in order to pay off an illegal derman in exchange for political favors. Accordion township in the second district, is facing 29 million-dollar loan from an unknown sponsor of ing to the FBI, Fattah tried to disguise the money counts of rackateering. his 2007 campaign for mayor of Philadelphia. This transfer as a sale he made on a car that is still Born in Philadelphia in 1956, Fattah obtained accusation, among others, is included in the 85- registered and in use. a degree from the Harvard School of Govern- page indictment of Fattah. It details the many Additioanlly, Fattah’s son Chaka “Chip” Fatment. He spent six years as a member of the other things he is accused of, including using tah Jr. is now being charged with misspent loans Pennsylvania House of Representaand nearly $1,000,000 in educatives before serving as a member of tion funds taken from his job as a the Pennsylvania State Senate from school management subcontrac1988-1994. Currently, he is serving in tor. his eleventh year in the U.S. House of Both of Fattah’s charges Representatives. have yet to be proven in court, In his time as a member of Conand Fattah Senior’s trial is gress, Fattah has been associated scheduled for May 2, 2016. with many beneficial programs. For Fattah has insisted that he is not example, he proposed an act that has guilty. It is worth noting that been put into place called the Amerihis former chief of staff, Gregcan Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC), ory Naylor, pleaded guilty last a type of scholarship available to year to helping to conceal the students depending on their infunneling of charitable funds come. According to Fattah’s website, to pay for illegal campaign conthis program has helped 4.5 million tributions. There are also sevstudents and their families pay for tueral accomplices who are being ition and/or other expenses related charged for their involvement in to college, with an average amount of various illegal activities listed in scholarship money recieved of $800. the indictment.

The Congressman is also responsible Corruption like this is a promfor the Fattah Neuroscience Initiative inent issue in Pennsylvania, and the Interagency Working Group on as there have been three state Neuroscience. representatives and one treaDespite these accomplishments, tosurer convicted of felonies this wards the end of July, Chaka Fattah year alone. Now that Fattah’s was indicted on 29 counts of rackrecord has been tainted, it briChaka Fattah, a member of the U.S. House of Representative eteering, which included but were ngs into question the validity of for Pennsylvania’s second district, is currently under not limited to counts of wirefraud, all his actions as a member of the indictment for 29 counts of racketeering. mail fraud, bank fraud, bribery, U.S. House of Representatives.

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News

October 30, 2015

The Merionite

The redesigned SAT: one more thing for students to worry about Julia Utkus ’17 Last year, the College Board announced that the SAT is changing, with the administration of a new test starting in March 2016. Due to this change, a vast majority of juniors who still want to take the current version of the SAT have found themselves in a stressful time crunch. There will still be four parts to the redesigned SAT: Reading, Writing and Language, Math, and an Essay.

Similar to the ACT, however, the essay will be optional.

The vocabulary questions in the Critical Reading section will also be eliminated. College Board adds that there will be “no vocab that you will never use again.” Additionally, there will no longer be a one-fourth of a point penalty for incorrect answers. As a result, the SAT will return to a 400-1600 point scale, rather than the current scale of 200-2400.

Why not take the redesigned version of the SAT? Well, with the upcoming changes, tutors will only be able to provide as much information about the test as College Board offers. Additionally, for those who are not inclined to pay over $100 a week for personalized help, the resources to individually prepare are minimal—there are no practice tests dating back to 2004 on a test that has yet to be administered. In order to avoid this problem, students are now rushing to get their last scores before it’s too late.

“It’s honestly a little frightening to have something completely different thrown at you,” says

Lizzy D’Alonzo ’17 about the important test.

The reasons as to why College Board decided to change the format and the style of the new test are disputed. One possibility is that they are now trying to compete with the ACT. College Board believes that students are becoming turned off by the SAT because they feel that it focuses more on how well you can take a test, rather than how much information you have learned and obtained from years of schooling. Additionally, there are still questions about the level of difficulty compared to that of the ACT. It was believed in the past that if timing were a major concern for a student, the SAT might be the right choice; if a student tested better with more straight- forward questions, the ACT. But now, students themselves pose the concern of the tests being too similar. Sarah Grossman ’17 says, “It was nice to have two different test varieties that you knew were very different, so you could see which style was more compatible for you. But this new one is so much like the ACT that there basically won’t be a difference between the two.”

While many students may still choose to take the ACT, all sophomores and juniors have had a glimpse of the redesigned SAT through the administration of the PSAT earlier this month. Now, only the results from the first adminstration of the redesigned SAT and student feedback will tell if the transformation yields the results that College Board desires.

Photo by Rebecca Tauber/Staff

Budget cuts Cont. from BUDGET CUTS REORGANIZE SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, page 3 These include state of the art facilities and support for the extracurricular activities occurring within them. In spite of this, many clubs this year will be facing a reality check, as previously school-paid expenses will now require a combination of fundraising and paying out of pocket. Sports teams, however, will not encounter as significant of a challenge as boosters have taken the initiative to augment their respective funds.

Although most extracurricular activities in the past have supplemented their funds through car washes and bake sales, nearly every activity will be holding fundraisers this year. Some clubs are using this opportunity not only to raise money for their activity, but also to promote their club’s message. For example, the LM Science Olympiad fundriasers in the past subsidized travel expenses and allowed them to purchase materials such as books and building supplies. This year they will hold Science Night, an event, President Allie Rauch ’16 describes as, “an exciting event we will be launching with the other STEM clubs at LM where kids can come to learn about science.” Although fundraising was not something she expected to take part in, Rauch is “looking forward to an evening of education and entertainment.”

For now it seems that clubs within the school will be able to adjust, but future decreases may leave them in despair. When questioned about future budget cuts, LM activities/athletic director Don Walsh explains, “It’s all dependent on the district and how it chooses to utilize its resources.” Several outside factors come into play as well, such as government taxation and the size of the student body. According to principal Sean Hughes, it is important to consider the impact of an expanding student body and how that will affect the budget. Will additional teachers and coaches need to be hired? Will classrooms require extra desks and sets of textbooks? How will the district come up with those funds or rather, where will they be taken from? These questions can only be answered by time.

Contract talks Cont. from NEW YEAR, NEW CONTRACT, page 1

Photo by Rebecca Tauber/Staff In addition to keeping healthcare expenses low, the LMEA is pushing for higher salaries. Discussions have been occurring for a lengthy period of time, and staff salaries have been frozen since July 1, increasing frustrations that have led many members of the union to “believe [they] have earned a raise.” On the other hand, the school board is following a strict budget that doesn’t allow for much change. As the price of health insurance skyrockets, the school board has to carefully review budgets and determine if they have enough funding to accommodate the LMEA’s proposed objectives.

Similar to LM, the staff at Radnor High School is also currently working without a new contract.

Teachers at Radnor wanted their voices to be heard, and, as a result, they made a bold move. On September 3, the Radnor Township Education Association (RTEA) sent a letter to parents of high school students informing them of their refusal to write college recommendations before October 1, which is when they were hoping to acquire a new contract. Teachers at the school who supported this cause wore black to protest their stalled negotiations. Students and parents alike were outraged at this decision. Kim Doherty, president of the Radnor School Board states, “School board members and administration were not aware this letter [to parents] was being sent, and we remain dedicated

to keeping the negotiations from having a negative impact on our students.” The RTEA had no intention of hurting or upsetting parents and students, but were simply trying to fight for a new contract in the most effective way. No updates on the situation between the RTEA and the Radnor School Board have been made since September 16.

The negotiations between the Lower Merion Board of Directors and the LMEA has entered into a final phase to discuss terms of a possible contract settlement. On Wednesday, October 21, LMEA held a general membership meeting at Harriton.

The terms of this provisional agreement were reviewed by the Negotiations Commitee and Executive Council of LMEA. Another general meeting was held Thursday, October 29 at 4 p.m. in the LM auditorium to further assess the conditions of the tentative contract. Once a final agreement is settled, the document will then go back to the respective larger bodies for formal ratification. The Board of Directors and the members of the LMEA will vote on Tuesday, November 3 to make final decision. Typically there is a two to three week delay during this period of confirmation, but once the new contract is signed and processed, it will go into immediate effect. As of now, the LMSD staff and community will have to continue to wait for a decision to be made.

Opinions

October 30, 2015

The Merionite

To Lunch or To Learn: That is the Editorial The Merionite

The official newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 www.themerionite.org Columbia Scholastic Press Assocation Silver Crown 2013

Editors-in-Chief Dena Behar ’16 Olivia Johnston ’16

Advisor Charles Henneberry

News Editors Simone Burde ’17 Deepika Jonnalagadda ’17 Rebecca Tauber ’16

Op-Ed Editors Adrian N. Corbey ’16 Todd S. Gilman ’16 Nina McKay ’17

Features Editors Isabella Dumitrescu ’17 Leslie Gladstone ’16 Alexandra Hummel ’17

Arts and Entertainment Editors Jon Adams ’16 Sophia Salganicoff ’16 Margo Urheim ’16

Sports Editors Kelly Harrigan ’17 William Rieke ’16 Daniel Wilson ’16

Copy Editors Dora Nathans ’18 Grant Wei ’16

Graphics Editors Sasha Brooks ’18 Samuel Gamberg ’17

Web Editor Jacob M. Noel ’16

Business Manager Justin A. Guo ’16

Business Advisor Sean P. Flynn, Esq.

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

N.B.: Unsigned editorials reflect the general opinion of the staff on the whole and the not the opinion of individual editors.

It’s hard to imagine LM before Lunch and Learn. Yes, it was just last year, but the program has drastically changed the structure of our school day and how the school community functions.

Overall, the program has been a positive influence on the school, but that does not mean it is without flaws.

Lunch and Learn creates a spectrum of people ranging from Lunchers to Learners. At one end of the spectrum are Lunchers, characterized by their lack of academic activity during lunch. They tend to sit with friends, have a “Lunch and Learn creates a spectrum ranging from Lunchers to Learners.” good time, and generally be relaxed. Lunchers are not a problem; in fact, if more LM students were Lunchers, we would have a significantly less stressed student body. The problematic end of the spectrum is the Learners.

For Learners, lunch has stopped being a time to eat. Instead, it has become a time to run from one classroom to the next, from teacher to teacher or to a deserted corner to finish up some math homework.

Most people, although they fall somewhere in the gray area between the two categories, are skewed to one of the sides. May-

be they Lunch on most days but attend occasional club meetings, or Learn on most days with an occasional foray into the cafeteria.

But the program is not called “Lunch or Learn.” While Lunch

LUNCHERS—students who take time to eat and relax.

work, and catch up with teachers when needed. Instead, students— especially upperclassmen—feel pressured to be productive, filling up every minute possible.

The blame for this pressure does not, however, solely lie with administration, although we believe the program does not meet their intended outcome. Students too, are failing to do their part in making the relaxing goals of Lunch and Learn a reality.

The Merionite is not against Lunch and Learn. In fact, we are generally in support of it. Our concerns with Lunch and Learn are not in regards to the program itself, but with the way students “Our concerns with Lunch and Learn are not in regards to the program itself, but with the way students are using it”

LEARNERS—students who work through all of L&L. Photos by Deepika Jonnalagadda/STAFF

and Learn was conceived in part to alleviate the growing school population, it also aimed to give students a break during the day, a time to rest, to finish up some

are using it—Merionite staff included. Spending the whole hour of freedom on work increases school-related stress. Ignoring biological needs like eating and instead stressing over work is unhealthy.

So take a break. Set aside half of Lunch and Learn for actual lunch, work not allowed. And maybe if we can all succeed in taking a school-free break, lunch will once again be a time for eating, mingling, and escaping the pressures of school.

Letter to the Editor Editors, been distracting from, but also possibly damaging When I opened the September issue of The Mer- to the core theme of wildlife preservation. ionite, I was anticipating an exciting and insightSwift’s songs do not have subtle underlying symful article as the central focus of the issue. Instead, bolism. Most of her messages hit the reader over I came across Nina the head. Her lyrics can McKay’s long, drawneasily be understandout piece on colonial able if read superficialinjustice in the 1950s in ly, and none of them are the context of a Taylor apt for heavy interpreSwift music video. tation. In the case of I thought she heav“Wildest Dreams,” Swift ily over-interpretportrays a love affair ed Swift’s “Wildest with an onstage actor Dreams.” The main using Africa as the setgrievance I have with ting and the backdrop the article comes from of the video. Swift’s vidMcKay’s view that the eo manages to highlight video somehow “glorithe two themes that are fied” colonialism, and known by all of her that the video perpetfans: her tumultuous uated damaging conlove life and her philanPhoto courtsey of Youtube/Taylor Swift Vevo cepts by failing “to thropic spirit.

Swifts video portrays a love affair in Africa. show any of the negSwift’s target audiative aspects of African colonialism.” ence leans towards love-struck teenagers and not The end of the video explicitly states that the philosophers or pioneers of social justice. Calling proceeds from the video go directly towards the Swift’s video ineffective for not taking a stance African Park Foundation of America, an organiza- against colonialism in the setting of Africa is akin tion that aids African wildlife conservation. Since to calling Sesame Street useless for not discussing the music video explicitly points towards the theme gentrification or the unfairness of poverty simply of preservation, I found it reasonable that Swift because it is set in an urban area. wanted the video to highlight the positive aspects of the African wildlife. If anti-colonialist scenes Sincerely, were added to the video, not only would they have JP Yue ’16

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October 30, 2015

Opinions The Merionite

Let them be free!

Bradley Kaplan ’17 You walk into school your freshman year and hear about this amazing opportunity that you didn’t have in middle school: a free period—a period where you can go around school at your leisure and no attendance is taken. You can even come to school late or leave school early if your free is at the start or the end of the day! However, you have to wait a three whole semesters for this luxury.

Freshmen and first semester sophomores should have frees.

Why should they be treated differently from upperclassmen? They can get around the school fine after the first few days or weeks anyway.

I know that freshmen and sophomores become more responsible for themselves after being at school for a while, but, in general, they can be trusted to go around school by themselves without setting the building on fire.

We already know this system would work because of the implementation of Lunch and Learn. If all students can roam freely during lunch, then there is no increase in responsibility on anyone’s part when only certain students can do so. Lunch and Learn serves as proof that freshmen and sophomores can handle the responsibility of frees.

Likewise, freshmen and sophomores should have to follow the same rules as upperclassmen. If any underclassman is doing poorly in classes or breaking the rules, a study hall should be assigned to help get him or her back on track.

Still, these students are a minority

when compared to the whole student body.

If this updated system were implemented, it would give teachers and students alike more free time.

Students could get more work done by choosing where they want to do work, and they would not have to waste time going to and from classrooms to report in to teachers. Teachers would save time in that they wouldn’t have to monitor a classroom, and they would be to have more free time to get work done. Additionally, teachers would no longer be bothered by constant questions from study hall students about whether or not they can go

outside of the classroom.

School officials might say that upperclassmen have more responsibility or that upperclassmen are older and have earned the right through proving that they can be trusted. Speaking as an upperclassman, I was just as capable of deciding what to do with my free time at school then as I am now. There is little to no reason why underclassmen will be more capable of deciding what to do with their free time a year from now. Because they are just as capable now, and because it would benefit all involved, underclassmen should have frees.

Photo by Todd Gilman/Staff All LM freshmen and sophomores have study halls.

The AP courses or AP curses?

Meredith Anderer ’16 The attitude at LM and at other elite high schools towards AP courses needs to change. Students are pushed by college admission representatives, parents, and peers to take the most rigorous course load they can while still managing to earn high letter grades. As long as adding another AP course to your schedule will not cause too big a dip

in your GPA, it is viewed as something that should be done.

Yes, taking a plethora of AP courses looks impressive on your transcript and many colleges do take into consideration the level of courses you take in comparison to what your school offers. And AP courses do, in fact, provide the possibility to earn college credit for your high school work. However, it’s important to consider if the advantage of taking APs may provide you in the college process is really what is most important, because these classes are most definitely not all rainbows and butterflies.

LM offers an extensive number of APs—both a blessing and a curse.

On one hand, this allows students to take harder, more involved courses in subject areas that are of great interest to them and in which they excel. On the other hand, however,

these options also push students to pile on courses like toppings on a sundae. “The more the better,” we think in the heat of the moment, neglecting to consider the giant stomach ache that we’re likely to get after we devour every last bite.

That stomach ache—what you stand to lose by taking too many AP courses—is just as important to consider as what you gain by taking them, as is why you actually want to take them in the first place. AP courses in theory are wonderful— classes full of kids who really want to learn, not for a grade but out of genuine interest, and who also have the capacity to succeed at a higher level. The curricula are rigorous and offer deeper understandings for those who are interested in obtaining them. Sadly though, the fantasy of AP classes in which all the students are genuinely passionate

AP students often claim to be piled in work.

about the subject and fully committed to understanding it in the deepest manner is just that, a fantasy. Due to the pressure to keep up with the “academic rigor” presented in the schedules of classmates, many students find themselves taking on more AP classes, not because they are interested in the subject, but simply out of a fear that if they don’t, they will be perceived as lesser people.

By taking AP courses that you are not interested in, you cause harm.

First, as I mentioned, it puts pressure on your peers to match your quantity of advanced courses. Second, it harms your peers who are actually interested in the subject, as your disinterest takes away from the motivated, inquisitive environment they may be seeking by taking such a class. Lastly, and most importantPlease see THE AP CURSE on page 9

Photo by Adrian Corbey/Staff

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October 30, 2015

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The Merionite

Matt Damon: What’s Good?!

Bethany Eldridge ’18 Dear Matt Damon, On September 28, I saw you on my favorite daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Ellen made you feel comfortable, as she tends to do, but then she dug down to the deep stuff and asked you to respond to the comment you made to The Guardian.

In this interview with The Guardian, the interviewer asked a question about gay and lesbian actors in Hollywood. It was then switched to you discussing how openly gay actors certainly “take a career hit.”

Following this up you advised, “You are a better actor if people know less about you,” and then, “sexuality is a big part of that.”

You made this statement because of the mystery it created. “Whether you are straight or gay, people shouldn’t know anything about your sexuality.” You claim that this will create a puzzle that will ultimately help the career of an actor or actress.

While responding to the comments on the show you awkwardly and cringe-worthily referred to a time

Photo courtesy of TheEllenShow Ellen asks Matt Damon to clarify his opinion on LGBTQ rights after his controversial comments to The Guardian.

when it was rumored that you and Ben Affleck were a gay couple. You reassured everybody that you just let it be, because you did not want to “treat it as a disease” even though you addressed it right there on Ellen’s show.

One of the most ironic parts is that you were saying all this to Ellen DeGeneres, one of the most successful LGBT celebrities in the industry. She, an out and proud gay person is worth $175 million dollars more than you are.

Now, Matt, here is what I do not understand about your claims: you do not live by them in the least. After you make all of these comments about how imperative it is to keep your sexuality a mystery, you go on to talk about your wife. In fact, in every interview—from Letterman, to Fallon, to Kimmel—you always talk about your wife. You are being an out and proud straight man!

This leads one to believe that when you are referring to keeping sexuality a mystery, you are referring

to the gay and lesbian portion of the scale. You are advising that in order to be successful as a gay or lesbian actor, you must stay in the dark. This may be easy for you to say, but not for those in the film industry and in other careers who are too afraid to walk the red carpet with their partner because of comments like yours.

I know that you may not want to hear this, but you have some influence, and that means that you need to choose your words carefully. Comments like these are exactly what the world does not need right now.

We are in the middle of a revolution, and with samesex marriage legalized, we need superstar actors like you to tell people to be as proud of their spouses and sexualities as you are of yours.

No man or woman should have to live in the shadows, and I advise you to relay that information to the youth trying to make it into the film industry.

Sincerely, Bethany Eldridge

Defunding Planned Parenthood

Claire Ochroch ’18 On September 21, Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, introduced a bill to keep the government running for a few months past the end of this fiscal year on September 30, as long as Democrats agreed to cut off money for Planned Parenthood. This would effectively defund Planned Parenthood, what many people have been talking about for a while, but there is a huge misconception about what defunding Planned Parenthood would mean. People who see Planned Parenthood and abortion as being intertwined believe that defunding the non-profit would take away abortions, but that wouldn’t happen. No federal funding goes towards abortions, except when the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest, or if the birth would end up hurting the mother.

The defunding would result in cutting the budget for many helpful services such as pelvic exams, Pap tests, and breast cancer screenings. This organization does amazing things for low-income men and women that would be taken away if it were to be defunded.

The origins of Planned Parenthood date back to October 16, 1916, when Margaret Sanger, Ethel Byrne, and Fania Mindell started the first birth control clinic in the U.S. in Brooklyn, New York.

Photo courtesy of The New Yorker Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards testifies before Congress on September 29.

They knew that something needed to be done about the lack of sexual education and pregnancy prevention in the US. All three women were arrested, jailed, and accused of violating the Comstock Act, which provides for the “Suppression of Trade in, and Circulation of, Obscene Literature and Articles of Immoral Use.” In the “Brownsville trials,” these women were prosecuted for starting the Brownville Birth Control Clinic. Sanger and her co-defendants were convicted on misdemeanor charges, and they appealed this through two subsequent appeals courts. The Judge who issued the final ruling also modified the law to permit physician prescribed birth control. Their campaign overall, then, led to major changes in the laws governing birth control and sex education in the United States, and ended up bringing attention and support to their cause. Their campaign then led to huge changes in the laws that dealt with birth control and sex education in the United States. In 1938, the clinic was organized into the American Birth Control League, the only national birth control organization. By 1941, it was operating 222 centers and had served 49,000 clients. It has been expanding its services ever since.

In 1970, Planned Parenthood and many other

family planning clinics got a big boost when President Nixon fought for and signed into law Title X of the Public Health Services Act. Nixon thought federal help was necessary to provide money for voluntary family planning programs and federal help was necessary. Nixon said, “No American woman should be denied access to family planning assistance because of her economic condition.” These clinics are currently overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, which gives money to nearly 4,200 family planning centers, serving about 4.5 million clients a year. In addition to Planned Parenthood, state, county, local government health departments, community health centers, hospitals, schools, faith-based health-care providers, and other private nonprofits are funded by Title X. Defunding Planned Parenthood would mean cutting the budget for all of these other Title X supported healthcare providers.

At Planned Parenthood health centers, money from Title X makes up about 12 percent of the organization’s 528.4 million dollars in government grants and reimbursements. A larger share, about 75 percent, comes from serving patients insured Please see PLANNED PARENTHOOD, page 9

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The starving kid ten miles away

Griffin Kao ’16 Whether we’re motivated by college admissions, a desire to seem like good people, or genuine goodwill, LM students are provided with no shortage of volunteer opportunities. We have multiple community service clubs, our buildOn members number in the hundreds, and we boast an annual service trip to a developing nation, our homogeneously wealthy community’s pride and joy, Trek.

This obsession with providing service is something to be commended, but borne out of our need to serve is a concerning disregard for our own locality’s urgent needs.

Why is it that we remember the starving kid 10,000 miles away but forget the starving kid 10 miles away?

The impoverished Nicaraguan kid is, at the very forefront of our collective conscience while the inner-city destitute are forgotten. I have countless friends who have gone abroad to teach English to the poverty-stricken children of Kenya or to build houses for the homeless in India or to plant trees in Costa Rica, as well as many who have gone on Trek, and I bring this up not to devalue their service (they truly are benevolent people) but to highlight an overlooked issue. We love these service trips—maybe because they look great on our transcripts—but we’re ignoring

Photo courtesy of Jen Crainic ’16 buildOn spent over 80,000 dollars to construct this school in Jokiya, Nepal. the needy people in the US, in Philadel- other, but we call it community service tal, or the risk of intruding on another phia, and even in LM. It’s true that a for a reason. It’s service for the benefit country. These service trips cost thoulot of our volunteering serves the local of our community. And while there are sands of dollars, while volunteering community. I play a role in an organi- idealistic people out there who think of with local charities or at a local shelzation, Frisbee Friends, which serves the world as one big community, the ter costs nothing. That’s wasted monunderprivileged youth in Philadelphia, natural order dictates that we place the ey; money that could be used to buy and, indeed, most of buildOn’s focus is most importance on the people clos- hundreds of meals for Lower Merion’s local. However, we still spend vast fi- est to us (however wrong some may homeless or clothing for orphans in nancial resources, especially over the think this is.) Even when you consid- Philadelphia. It’s arguably the equivasummer, so we can travel elsewhere to er helping the people halfway around lent of depriving someone of help, and the globe of equal value to helping given that the foundation of communigive back.

Far be it from me to decide that one your neighbors, consider the cost of ty service is altruism, it’s morally and type of service is worth more than an- travel, both financial and environmen- economically inexcusable.

AP courses

Planned Parenthood

Continued from THE AP CURSE, page 6

Continued from DEFUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD, page 7

disinterest takes away from the motivated, inquisitive environment they may be seeking by taking such a class.

Lastly, and most importantly, you are harming yourself. The workload that comes along with these classes is no laughing matter. The College Board recommends that students spend about two hours on each AP class per night. If students adhered to this guideline, that would mean that those taking three to five AP classes, something that is definitely seen at LM, would be spending six to ten hours every night doing work for just their AP classes. I cannot imagine anyone who spends that much time doing schoolwork, especially after a seven hour school day (and most likely some sort of after school activity) would be physically, mentally, or emotionally healthy. So, quite understandably, people cut corners, doing just enough work to get by, learning just enough for just long enough to pass a test. The whole idea of an AP class as a chance to delve deeper into learning gets tossed aside in an attempt to uphold appearances and collect shiny gold stickers to show off to peers and colleges. Are those stickers really all that matter? Or might it be better to take only one or two APs so that you really have the chance to understand and internalize the information you are

by Medicaid. The rest comes from grants from the Centers for Disease Control and other federal agencies for teen pregnancy prevention, sex education, cancer screenings, and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Thus, defunding Planned Parenthood would primarily mean not being able to provide care for low-income people, because their Medicaid coverage is of no use for the health care provided by the organization.

According to a 2012 study by the Brookings Institution, every dollar spent on Medicaid family planning services saves 5.60 dollars in publicly subsidized medical care and benefits for pregnant women. Cutting funding for Planned Parenthood would end up being more expensive for the government that sustaining current funding.

On October 22, 1993, The Hyde Amendment, which already prohibited use of federal funds for abortions, was expanded when President Clinton signed into law the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994. The act contained a new version of the Hyde Amendment, which expanded the category of abortions for which federal funds are available under Medicaid. It went from just pregnancies that would end up hurting the mother, to include cases of rape and incest. Eighty percent of

presented with? Do you care more about learning to learn, or learning for a reward?

Sadly, there is no simple fix to this problem. At this point, it is not enough to simply tell students to only take on the challenge if doing so will bring them joy and if they can commit the time to really do it right, leaving all corners intact.

Most would simply just laugh and take on a painfully loaded schedule anyway. Jumping through the highest hoops has become so embedded in the bones of students that they never even stop to think what it’s all for or whether it’s worth it. They just follow each other, one by one, through the hoops and off the cliff into the abyss.

Even I, fully recognizing the ridiculousness, have not been able to completely liberate myself of the temptation to do as I see others doing. The praise for having kept up with my peers, the comfort in being perceived as “elite,” feels much greater than the looks of confusion, scorn, and whispers about how you are not “living up to your potential” that are received when you decide you would be better off taking an honors level course or two. It takes extreme moral courage to disregard the influence and to opinions of the culture we live in, and pursue the education we really want and deserve.

clients receive “services to prevent unintended pregnancy,” according to the organization’s data. This means that if contraceptives started costing more, less people would be able to get them, resulting in more unintentional pregnancies and more abortions.

When Mitch McConnell introduced the bill, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, responding to this legislation, said, “This legislation threatens millions of people’s access to preventive health care. In their obsession with attacking women’s access to health care, extreme members of Congress would take basic health care away from people who need it most, those who are struggling to get by, who rely on Medicaid or have no health insurance, and those who live in areas with few medical options.” According to the organization, only three percent of its health services are abortion services. The rest of their work is STI/STD testing 42 percent; contraception is 34 percent; cancer screening and prevention is nine percent; other women’s health services are 11 percent; and other services are one percent. The majority of the non-profit’s work is dedicated to helping people stay sexually healthy, and defunding this non-profit on account of its abortion serviceswould take away from all of the other amazing services it offers, which have helped millions of people.

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October 30, 2015

FEATURES The Merionite

Leslie Gladstone ’16 Features Editor At home, most students are greeted with the typical, boring question from their parents, “How was your school day?”

A lot can happen in one day at LM: sports, clubs, stress from classes, near mental breakdowns, friends and “more than friends,” all trials of navigating the LM social complex. Responding can prove difficult. Imagine if you could instead turn around and ask your parents the same question.

The children of LM faculty (Taylor Brown ’16, Vivian O’Bannon ’16, Sean O’Bannon ’18, Lena Anderson ’18, and Katie Mastriano ’19) can, making their school experiences rather unique.

On most days, you’ll find these students driving to school with their parents rather than riding the school bus. You may even hear Lena yelling at her dad, guidance counselor and girls’ cross country coach Dermot Anderson, for singing too loudly.

After parting ways in the morning, these students still feel their parents’ presence throughout the school day. “It would be nice to go to school without a parent, ” admits English teacher Jean Mastriano’s daughter, Katie.

Vivian feels that she is held to different standard being the child of Biology teacher Susan O’Bannon. “If I do something wrong, my mom can immediately find out.” Taylor agrees to feeling held to a different standard. “It has not been evident, but I feel like secretly I kind of am.”

Siblings Sean and Vivian are aware that O’Bannon communicates with her colleagues. “Some of the teachers know me more personally,” explains Sean. According to Vivian, “ [My teachers] know about my life. If something is going on with my mom, they know about me, so there really is no privacy.”

For Taylor, the daughter of English teacher Dana Flynn, things got extremely personal this year when

she was enrolled in her mom’s 12th grade English class. “I thought the concept was weird at first,” admits Taylor. When asked about grading, she responds, “I don’t think there is bias, I just do my work and turn it in on time and I respect the grades I receive and I feel like they are very fair.” Eventually, Taylor realized the perks. “I can text or call my mom whenever I need to ask her questions on homework or preparing for tests, whereas other students have to send emails and wait for responses.”

And while it’s rare that one of these students would have his or her parent as a teacher or guidance counselor, a lot of their friends do. A handful of Katie’s teammates have Mastriano for English this year, and many of Vivian’s co-workers are in O’Bannon’s class. In addition to being the guidance counselor for some of Lena’s good friends, Anderson also counsels Lena’s peer leader advisory. As the girls LMXC head coach, Anderson interacts most often with Lena and her friends on the team.

Of course, these parents could easily become heavily involved in their child’s academic life, but for the most part they choose to stay out of things.

Anderson refrains from talking to Lena about her grades or college. Katie’s experience with Mastriano is similar, noting that, “[My mom] kind of lets me be independent.” No doubt, being in school with your parent can also lead to awkward and embarrassing situations. Sean accidentally interrupted O’Bannon’s class of upperclassmen in order to get a form signed. In class, Mastriano will often share stories about when Katie was little. Karen Anderson, a school nurse in the district, tries to kiss and hug her daughter Lena in the hallways. Taylor is most embarrassed by all the baby pictures her mom keeps in her classroom.

October 30, 2015

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Multicultural, huh?

On many uncomfortable occasions, Vivian has referred to O’Bannon as “Mom” in front of a class of befuddled students.

Even more uncomfortable and bordering on insulting would be to witness peers complaining about your parents. Luckily Vivian, Lena, and Katie have never heard anyone speak negatively regarding their parents. While Sean’s friends will tease and complain about O’Bannon, “It’s always jokingly” Sean clarifies.

Unfortunately, Taylor has had a very different experience. Her step dad, history teacher Sean Flynn, sometimes creates controversy because of his conservative political opinions. “I know a lot of people complain about my stepdad. I guess it’s mostly about his views on things, which I don’t really take to heart. I mean I know what he thinks, and I know how he is as a person, so it doesn’t really affect me.” Dana Flynn, while an excellent teacher, holds her students to extremely high standards and demands a lot from them, often causing backlash. “I haven’t heard much about my mom so I guess that’s good,” chuckles Taylor.

Awkwardness aside, these parents have a unique insight into the lives of LM students. All five students agree that their parents are more sympathetic to their stresses and as Lena puts it, “teenagedom” in general. In addition to being in tune to their emotional needs, Vivian and Lena’s parents are there to help when hunger strikes. When asked about the moment they were most thankful to have their parents at LM, both elaborated on times they were given food. Lena shares when, “My dad bought me a carton of cookie dough Ben and Jerry’s.” Similarly, Vivian explains she is most thankful for her mom when, “I don’t remember to bring food and she has bagels in her room.”

Whether it’s parental advice, homework help, or a quiet classroom to blow off some steam, having your parents at your disposal is a luxury, despite what you might think. Taylor concludes, “Since I don’t see them at home, it’s just a nice thing to see them everyday at school and have them be available to me whenever I need them.”

(Pictured from left) Dermot and Lena Anderson, Vivan, Susan, and Sean O’Bannon, Jean and Katie Mastriano, Dana Flynn and Taylor Brown Not pictured: Sean Flynn and Karen Anderson

Photo by Sam Gamberg/Staff

Olivia Johnston ’16 Editor-in-Chief

Deep in the corners of LM’s library rests a dark room. It is nondescript, hiding in plain sight; it’s a door that leads to a mystery land.

Unbeknownst to students, however, this mystery door does not in fact lead to Narnia, but to LM’s own Multicultural Library.

Few at LM are aware that we have a Multicultural Library. Adjacent to the main library, this section holds books covering a variety of topics relating to multiculturalism: history, oppression, folklore, gender, and sexuality, to name a few.

The 2,100-book collection was welcomed here in March of 2013 with a public dedication ceremony. The collection, officially named the “The Francenia Emery Collection of the Multicultural Resource Center,” was moved to the school as part of collaboration with the Multicultural Resource Center (TMRC), an organization that aims to “reduce prejudice, discrimination, and inequity in the childnurturing institutions of our nation.”

TMRC partner Francenia Emery gathered the collection of books over the course of more than a decade, with the purpose of increasing awareness of other cultures through literature. Moving the collection to LMSD was considered a way to broaden its reach, opening it up to more people than its previous homes of Rosemont College and Emery’s own house did.

There are a few questions that come to mind when first hearing about this book collection. Why does it exist at LM? Why is it so secretive? Is there a reason that the room is always dark and empty?

Can students use this little-known portion of the library?

The secret of the Multicultural Library is well kept. With lights that never turn on and a constantly locked door, the collection is not well advertised to students. This protection is not accidental, though. According to district Supervisor of Elementary Literacy Lorraine DeRosa, “there are some books that Mrs. Emery did not want circulated because they were original copies.” The books are, however, available for anyone to view by appointment.

While pushing cultural awareness is a positive goal, some wonder how much the library is benefiting the LM community. Kept, quite literally, under lock-and-key (even the librarians do not have keys), the painstakingly collected 2,100 books seem to be collecting dust.

In fact, out of the entire district, only the LMSD Superintendent’s secretary and LM’s own Assistant Principal Scott Kilpatrick have keys. While there may be a need to keep the more valuable firstedition books safe, some may wonder whether it make sense to devote a whole room in an overpopulated school, one that routinely kicks students out of a packed library, locked and unused? What is the point of a multicultural library if nobody knows about or uses it?

The lack of awareness among students doesn’t necessarily mean that it is sitting completely untouched though, or that students need to schedule an appointment to read the books. As DeRosa explained, “Most books in the collection are now part of every school’s general collection. So, students can easily access these books through their school library.” Additionally, librarians from throughout the district occasionally request specific books for display at their schools, so various books from the collection are sent to individual district schools for use periodically during the school year.

The Francenia Emery Resource Center will remain at LM until the district’s original contract with TMRC expires, when it will come under review in July 2017. At that time, the school board will make a decision about how to move forward with the library.

Learning about the Multicultural Library made me wonder, what other hidden treasures are there within LM? Are there any more nooks and crannies that are hiding in plain sight—or, in the case of this collection—behind a dark door in the library?

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Features

October 30, 2015

The Merionite

Cupcakes for the cure Camille Carr ’18

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A

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recipes Quick and Easy Banana Bread Eva Nates ’18

Sick children make many people, especially adults, and even breath on their own. very uncomfortable. Feeling pity, some adults are When Cynwyd’s doors opened on Saturday, chilleft not knowing what to say. dren as young as seven or eight clamored into the Innocent children, unable to distinguish between main entrance. They asked various adults where Cal those who are ill and was because they brought her those who are perfectcupcakes. Although Cal is unly healthy, don’t really able to attend kindergarten seem to care. They’re cushe remains a well-known rious and want to meet name among Cynwyd famiother children, regardlies thanks to the compassion less of their differences. of the community.

On Saturday, OctoIt all started in 2013 ber 3, over 1000 peowhen Cal’s family decided ple piled into Cynwyd to launch a nonprofit in her Elementary School for honor called the Calliope Joy the third annual Cal’s Foundation in order to benCupcake Challenge. This efit other children diagnosed event, which aimed to with leukodystrophy. To raise raise funds for families money, they host an annual with children who have bake sale at Cynwyd Elemenleukodystrophy, includtary School. ed a giant bake sale and Since the start of the a cupcake baking compeCupcake Challenge, two tition for kids. Many of college neuroscience fellowthe attendees were Cynship grants have been funded wyd students who could at The Children’s Hospital Cal (pictured above) suffers from MLD. The third not care less about cupof Philadelphia, along with annual Cal’s Cupcake Challenge raised 60,000 cakes, but who wanted to a Leukodystrophy Center of dollars for the Leukodystrophy Center at Chilmeet Cal. Excellence. Families have redren’s Hospital of Philadelphia (pictured below).

Cal, a five-year-old resceived care packages, finanident of Bala Cynwyd, sufcial aid packages for hospice fers from the autosomal care and equipment, and recessive disorder metatravel grants to receive revochromatic leukodystrolutionary gene therapy trials phy, or MLD. With MLD, in Italy. Two years ago, Cal’s leukodystrophies slowly family couldn’t imagine their destroy the protective meager bake sale and moon sheath myelin around the bounce at Cynwyd Elementaneurons, ultimately disry School having such a large connecting communicaeffect on the MLD communition between the nervous ty. The Calliope Joy Foundasystem and the brain. tion will continue to support This disease robs young families with MLD and to children of the ability to promote awareness for the walk, talk, swallow, see, disease.

Photos Courtesty of Camille Carr

Back to the present Kathy Wei ’18 In the iconic movie Back to the Future II, Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel to October 21, 2015 using Brown’s time-travelling DeLorean. Twenty-six years after the film’s release, October 21 has finally arrived. But how accurate are the predictions that director Robert Zemeckis made in 1989?

With inventions such as flying cars, hoverboards, and self-lacing shoes, you’d expect him to be pretty far off. In recent news, however, there have been developments that can only be described as “futuristic.” The Hendo Hoverboards which magnetically levitate from their four “hover engines,” are a prime example. To help lessen earthquake damage, hovercraft building supports are being tested around the world. Nike has announced a line of self-lacing light-up sneakers inspired by Marty’s very own pair to be released sometime this month. Surprisingly, the film also predicted the tablet

computer, eyewear technology similar to Google Glass, flat screen TV’s, drone cameras, and video calling.

These technological advances, all included in Marty’s 2015, are prevalent in our own as well.

But there were other aspects of that future eerily similar to our own, not just in technology. Back to the Future’s Biff Tannen, a blonde, opinionated, multibillionaire bully, bears an uncanny resemblance to recent presidential candidate and business mogul Donald Trump.

Back to the Future II depicts Jaws 19, a holographic sequel to the famous shark movies. While Jaws 19 isn’t coming out anytime soon, Hollywood tends to pump out multiple installments: new Jurassic Park, Toy Story, Terminator, and Star Wars movies, just to name a few. One of the most anticipated predictions was whether or not the

Chicago Cubs would really win the 2015 World Series. In Marty’s visit to the future, there were bright neon signs cheering on the Cubs. On the eve of October 21, the Cubs were eliminated from the National League Championships. These unnervingly accurate predictions bring us to the ultimate question about this movie: is Robert Zemeckis realistically imaginative, or a real life timetraveler?

Photo courtesy of Universal ®/Everett Collection

Ingredients: 2 eggs 3 to 4 bananas, mashed well ¼ cup oil ¼ cup of honey 1 tsp lemon juice 1 and ½ cups whole wheat flour ¾ cup of oats 1 tsp baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 tsp cinnamon 2 1/2 tsp “pumpkin spice” or ½ tsp clove, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp allspice Optional: ½ can of pumpkin (perfect for Halloween!) or ½ cup of applesauce, extra oats, or ground flax seed, as well as any type of chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts.

Instructions: 1. Blend all ingredients well.

2. Put in loaf pan (Makes 1 loaf) 3. Bake in a 375 oven for approximately 45 minutes.

For muffins or personal loaves, bake for only for 25 min.

Pumpkin Spider Cupcakes Nisha Arya ’18 Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp salt 1 T baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup white sugar 1 lb black shoestring licorice 1 (16 ounce) can white frosting 48 pieces candy corn 48 cinnamon red hot candies 1/4 cup orange decorator sugar Instructions: 1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.

Sift together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

2. Beat butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

3. Bake about 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Cut licorice into 3 inch sections. Frost the cupcakes with the white frosting. Insert licorice pieces into the outer edges of the cupcakes to make the legs of the spider, 3 legs on each side. Place two pieces of candy corn on the front of the cupcake for fangs and use two red hots as eyes. Sprinkle with decorator sugar.

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October 30, 2015

Arts & Entertainment The Merionite

To the delight of passionate fans all over the also demonstrate the progressive attitude of the BBC world, the cult classic Doctor Who has returned and provide more representation and opportunity for for the ninth series of its modern run. The BBC those groups. Many other franchises are switching up science fiction phenom is about the Doctor, a their characters; in its comics, Marvel has made Thor humanoid alien who is the last of the Time Lords, a woman and Captain America an African-Ameriand his travels through time and space. It has can, and Stephanie Meyer is publishing a revamped amassed quite the following over its 52 years, version of Twilight in which all the characters are of and it has one of the most well-known and the opposite gender. In Doctor Who, women are ofopinionated fandoms of today. But the recent ten relegated to a sidekick role or have a romantic two-part premiere, “The Magician’s Apprentice”/ reason for travelling with the Doctor, and very few are “The Witch’s Familiar,” which begins the second independent of him. If a woman were cast as the season for Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, has raised Doctor, the skewed power dynamic would be questions about the future of the program eliminated. among its fan base. How long can the program There’s one last thing that’s been aggravating continue in the same way, and why the viewers of Doctor Who recently, and that’s the heck has the Doctor’s classic sonic screwexchange of the iconic sonic screwdriver for driver, an all purpose tool, been replaced with sonic sunglasses. The sonic screwdriver is a powerful Molly Cutler ’19 those sonic sunglasses? tool that allows the Doctor to scan rooms for alien The Doctor, who is thousands of years old, can retechnology, open locks, defeat robotic adversaries, generate into a new body if he’s mortally wounded. and get him out of many other tight situations. But He’s now on his twelfth incarnation (though the prethe Doctor professes in the premiere that he is now cise way to count his forms into “wearable technology,” is hotly contested), but little and can activate the sunglassof the Doctor’s identity has es by pushing them up farchanged between his different ther on his nose. This comes versions. The repetitiveness, across as utterly cheesy and though, of what happens in poorly written. First appeareach regeneration makes ing in an episode with the some feel that this trope is getsecond Doctor in 1968, the ting old—we think the Doctor sonic screwdriver is a defining is dying for real this time. feature of the show. While Just when, everyone is on it could be argued that the edge of their seats, and… certain Doctors in the he’s reborn and the cycle original series did perfectbegins again. It’s certainly an ly all right without it, it’s a interesting and practical way staple of the newer Doctors to refresh the cast, but it does and essential to the way they feel very tedious, and it’s hard have interacted with their to see this pattern continuing environments. Doctor Who into a fifteenth, sixteenth, and showrunner Steven Mofseventeenth Doctor. Howevfat has said that he is going er, there’s one main way the to keep the sonic sunglassfandom proposes to change es in the show for now, dethis: have a woman or a spite criticism. However, the person of color play the Docshow will probably lose some tor in his next incarnation. support—or at the very It’s been established caleast earn the often reviled nonically that a Time Lord Moffat another reason to can change gender in a incur the ire of viewers— regeneration, so why can’t because of them. that happen for the Doctor?

It should be said, howPeter Capaldi, as the current incarnaiton of the Doctor, So far, the Doctor has only ever, that Doctor Who is brings some controversial changes to the show. been played by white men, considered an institution by and a change in the actor’s profile could bring a refreshing new perspective. The BBC many, and is probably not going anywhere anytime soon. Its ratings are exceptiondoes a good job, compared to other networks, giving other significant roles to di- ally high in Britain, where it is most popular, and has amassed a fervent following in verse actors, but even though the Doctor could be a woman or person of color, he the US as well. But making some substantive changes to the show as it stands today hasn’t been. Not only would casting a diverse Doctor rejuvenate the show, it would would certainly benefit it in the long run, and probably secure its future high ratings.

Will the new Who follow through?

The 9th Doctor Christopher Eccelston

The 10th Doctor David Tennant

The 11th Doctor Matt Smith

A classically trained actor from a working class Lancashire family, Christopher Eccelston was a well-known stage actor prior to helping revive Doctor Who. Popular in the theaters of the West End, London’s Broadway, it wasn’t until his appearance in the BBC drama Our Friends in the North (often regarded as one of the most successful BBC television dramas of the 1990s) that Eccelston became a household name.

His casting as the 9th incarnation was a surprise to many, and he stayed for only a single season. Rumors continue to swirl as to why he left the show: some say he feared being typecast; others that he quit due to exhaustion. When asked about his experience as the Doctor, he described his time on the show as, “Mixed, but that’s a long story.”

Eccelston will always be seen as the Doctor who revived Who for another generation, but his short stint and continued controversy cast just as murky a shadow. over his tenure.

David Tennant was already a major presence in both the British film and television industries by the time he took on the role of the Doctor. He was discovered at the age of 11 and entered the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Oddly enough, Tennant first decided he wanted to become an actor after seeing an episode of Doctor Who at the age of three. He religiously followed the show throughout his childhood, and admitted that his goal to become an actor became “absurdly single-minded” after that.

Coming in after Eccelston, Tennant was an immediate success. He filled the role for five years, bringing the show from a fledgling revival to one of the most watched programs in Britain. In 2006, readers of Doctor Who Magazine voted Tennant the Best Doctor of all time, and in 2007 a Radio Times survey voted his version of the Doctor the “coolest character on UK television.”

Since leaving Who, Tennant has appeared in a critically acclaimed production of Hamlet and both the British and American versions of the drama series Broadchurch.

A native of the East Midlands, Matt Smith was the youngest actor to ever take on the role of the Doctor, doing so at the tender age of 28. Like his predecessors, Smith was an incredibly successful stage actor before making the transition to television. His first small screen role was in The Ruby in the Smoke along side fellow Doctor Who alum Billie Piper, who played the companion of both of the two previous Doctors.

Smith’s presence brought much more change than just a fresher face. In his departure, Tennant was accompanied by head writer Russell T. Davies, who was responsible for the revival of Who. Davies was replaced by Steven Moffat, and the differences were notable. The episodes starring Smith were notably darker and more sinister in plot.

Smith marked a new era for Who. The show felt younger, fresher, and more energetic than ever before. Critics noted the change, and for it, Smith recei ved a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor, the first such nomination in the show’s history.

Arts & Entertainment

October 30, 2015

15

The Merionite

ACES OF THE ARTS Asher Gilman ’16 What exactly is your involvement in the LM arts scene?

I take two art classes, Art 1 H and AP studio art. I also am the chairman of the cartooning club (self appointed).

What inspires you?

I am inspired by anything and everything, my undeveloped style often has graphic and street art vibe.

I also take inspiration from mechanical and technological objects, such as sewing machines and automobiles and soap dispensers. All these objects have very definitive lines and a comfortable feel to them. My childhood was reading and looking at pictures of cars and planes and such so these subjects have carried on to my current art styles.

At the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee… Dana Handleman ’16 It’s not just a game for these kids. The LM PLAYERS upcoming show “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” is, indeed, a very big undertaking. The musical takes place in a school gym, complete with bleachers and a climbing rope. With a cast of only nine, this musical is relatively small. What it lacks in size, though, it makes up for in clever lyricism, kooky characters, and boner jokes!

The show takes place over the course of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, during which students from all over Putnam County compete to be the best speller. The winner gets bragging rights and will move on to the next round of the Bee in Washington DC. The loser: years of shame and torment over not being the very best. Who will come out on top? Only way to find out is to come see the show!

Spelling Bee is being directed by Liana Giangiulio ’17, whom you may recognize as Millie, Little Red Riding Hood, Rhoda the murderous eight year old, and much more from past PLAYERS shows. Spelling Bee is best descried as a comedy-musical. The hope is that “even through all the comedy, which is prevalent throughout the show,” the audience will

What piece of art are you most proud of?

I am most proud of my figure drawings, which are far from my favorite pieces, which are mostly just random psychedelic and fantasy driven pieces.

Charcoal on paper.

Vanessa Rosser ’17 What exactly is your involvement in the LM arts scene?

Although I don’t take visual arts classes, I play in the orchestra and involve myself in the arts by designing LM Aces t-shirts, class hoodies, and concert brochures.

What inspires you?

I take a lot of my inspiration from the things around me, like machinery and textures. I also like to incorporate different styles as I draw, and mix up graphic and realistic imagery.

What piece of art are you most proud of?

I really don’t have a single piece I am most proud of! For me, the most important thing as an artist is to learn from every drawing you make, and to draw as often as you can.

Photos courtesy of Margo Urheim/STAFF. Individual works courtesey of respective artists.

see that, “in each character’s story, there’s something wrong, there’s something that pushes them away from what they actually want to do.” Giangiulio believes that this show is especially relevant to students at LM, “in terms of fitting a mold, being a standard, and not being born to fill those expectations.”

Spelling Bee, while hilarious, is challenging both for the audience and for the cast. “There is one uniform message that is conveyed in different ways from each of the character’s perspectives that needs to be given to the audience.” Therefore, creating a well-working ensemble is of the utmost importance for this show in particular.

Come out to see PLAYERS fall musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, November 19 through 21 at seven p.m.!

Spelling Bee is Giangiulio’s directorial debut for LM PLAYERS.

Nude figure drawing, one of Vanessa’s favorite works.

Photo courtesy of Sam Gamberg/ STAFF

16

October 30, 2015

Arts & Entertainment The Merionite

A muggle’s guide to a Harry Potter hoedown Jon Adams ’16, Margo Urheim ’16, Sophia Salgonicoff ’16

The time has come. Your clique has assigned parties to each of its members, and Halloween falls upon you. Christmas is easy. New Years Eve is a simple soirée. Halloween, however, presents a much more difficult challenge. Using black tablecloths and scattering some pumpkins around simply doesn’t cut it.

It’s already late October, and you panic.

Don’t fret—The Merionite is here to help. With our Harry Potter themed Halloween party, you’ll up the expectations for all future get-togethers and be the talk of the cafeteria high top table for at least the next two Lunch and Learns, guaranteed.

The premise is simple: Hogwarts has moved to your Mainline basement. To set the scene, spice up the room with some simple decorations to leave the muggle world behind. Start with your printer (or, to be extra thrifty, the school’s). Bang out some black and white “Wanted” posters of fan favorites such as Bellatrix Lestrange or Lucius Malfoy to plaster across the room. To keep guests company, insert some cutouts of Moaning Myrtle and place them in places where she definitely is not wanted (hint: toilet lids) to keep your guests on their toes. To step it up a notch, cover transparent balloons with cheesecloth and hang them from the ceiling; your guests will be dodging dementors for the entire evening.

Here! Here!

Butterbeer!

Ingredients: 1 pint of vanilla ice cream, softened 1/2 stick butter, at room temperature 1/3 cup light brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 24 ounces vanilla cream soda (cold) Directions: 1. Blend butter, sugar, and spices in large bowl 2. Add to ice cream and freeze 3. Heat cream soda in a pot until warm but still carbonated (at least 3 minutes). For a more frozen/slushy drink, go with the very cold cream soda.

4. Fill each glass with a scoop of ice cream mixture and pour warmed or chilled cream soda over ice cream and serve!

Pin the nose on Voldemort

Spin the bottle? That’s muggle mischief. If you’re in need of a fun party game to liven up the evening, try to pin the nose on Voldemort. Put on a blindfold, and he who shall not be named will provide A+ snapchat story material as your guests clumsily try to pin it on him. Warning: do not play when combined with butterbeer due to the dangers of a sugar rush.

Food-wise, it’s in the presentation where you, our esteemed party planner, can really hit a home run. It’s the little things such as relabeling muggle candy with magical names on a nice parchment paper that will have your guests lauding you with praise. Basic bubble gum becomes “Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum,” and wrapping your pita into an easy cone will create a tear-and-share sorting bread hat, house specified hummus included. Classic British foods like Yorkshire pudding, while not necessarily Harry Potter specific, will fit easily into your setup. If you want to take the extra step when it comes to food, check out Buzzfeed’s “40 ‘Harry Potter’ Inspired Treats You Should Be Making.”

With these tips, your party will be transformed from a dull get-together to a magical event that no one will forget. Remember, it’s the little things that count. From bringing a touch of magic to your light switches by printing “lumos nox” above them to our homemade butterbeer recipe to the left, you’ll truly be set for a memorable night.

17 Arts & Entertainment It’s the Daily Show... with Trevor Noah?

October 30, 2015

The Merionite

Clarie Ocroch ’18 Where did Jon Stewart go? The lovable host who manned the news desk is gone and has been replaced by the up and coming Trevor Noah.

Describing itself as a fake news program, The Daily Show draws its comedy and satire from recent news stories, political figures, media organizations, and pop culture. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996 and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998. Afterwards, Jon Stewart took over as the host from January 11, 1999 to August 6, 2015.

When Jon Stewart started his tenure as the host of the show, he changed its direction, making the show more strongly focused on politics and the national media, in contrast with the pop culture focus during Kilborn’s tenure. His revamp was a successful one–Stewart’s version won 22 Primetime Emmy Awards. In the transition between hosts, Stewart advised Noah on how to make a successful show. In an interview with The New York Times, Noah said of Stewart, “He’s like a Jewish Yoda. He said to me: ‘Make the best show that you feel needs to be made.

And trust your discomfort.’ The most amazing thing that Jon did was he didn’t give me a mandate. He didn’t say, ‘You need to make my show.’

He specifically said: ‘Make your show. Make your best version of it.’”

Trevor Noah was born and raised in apartheid-era South Africa by a black mother and a white father. Before Comedy Central’s announcement of Noah as the new anchor of The Daily Show, Noah had already developed an international reputation as a standup comedian, with several Daily Show appearances under his belt as well.

In the US, few had heard of Noah before the announcement of him as the new host, so to

Trevor Noah, the funky-fresh new host of The Daily Show. many he is still a blank slate. Nonetheless, Noah is ready to take on America and give us an impression on his version of the show, now called The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

In an interview with The New York Times, Mr. Noah was asked, “Should viewers expect The Daily Show to start changing to reflect your global perspective on news?” He then responded, “I think, naturally, the show will be a representation of my interests, and the interests in the room. We all live in America. But as America is increasingly learning, if a butterfly flaps its wings on the Chinese stock exchange, there’s a good chance it affects America.” We can expect the show to cover many issues that reflect what Mr. Noah finds both relevant and important.

This is not the first time that a replacement has filled the anchor chair. In 2013, John Oliver took over while Mr. Stewart took a break to

direct the film “Rosewater.” Oliver was a hit, but that was partly because the writing staff had established an institutional voice that could survive a change in hosts. It wasn’t until Oliver unveiled Last Week Tonight on HBO that he came to sound distinctly like himself. So, although it might take a while, Noah will eventually find his voice, even with most of Stewart’s writers still being there. The Daily Show can still give us its amazing comedic take on current news but will transition into a show that is truly Noah’s own, reflecting his personal views.

The new show so far is sleeker and fresher.

The similarities should come as no surprise–the writers and producers are largely the same, and the show’s structure is virtually identical. Even though the show is only now beginning its transition, it has become less politically focused and has steered more towards the topic of pop culture. It also introduced a new correspondent, Roy Wood, Jr., who is a fresh new voice on the program. Even though there are differences, many who are fans of the show feel that it is the same as Stewart’s show, except with Noah sitting at the desk. Fans have some comfort in knowing that it is still the highly entertaining, comical satire show that they know and love. It will take time for Noah to make the show his own, but the show will be at its best when that happens. He will be able to take culture and news stories that he finds fascinating and make every viewer who watches laugh with him and become interested in the topics as well. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah is much like a freshman in the halls of LM: inexperienced but determined. Like a freshman, give Noah a chance. It’ll take some time, but soon enough he’ll find his way and make the show his own.

This Month’s Music “Th e Witch Q ue e n o f Ne w O r le a n s”

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“To n ighiert”

LOCAL PHILLY BANDS:

•Cyberbully Mom Club—Frontrunner Shari Heck led CBMC’s lo-fi music career through seven albums, each more enchanting and emotional than the last.

•Howlish—With former Cyberbully Mom Club member Taylor Cullen on the drums, Howlish offers bewitching vocals from Philly native Mark Watter and hearty guitar parts that will tug at your heartstrings.

•Nicole Dollanganger—Her ethereal voice and hauntingly simple music will send chills down your spine (in a good way).

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“S n a k e s k in”

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18

October 30, 2015

Sports

Coaching: the underated profession

The Merionite

David Maniloff ’16

Talent in the sporting world is not only respected but also valued very highly.

Gifted athletes make the front page of newspapers, sell their names and faces to companies, and bring home salaries worth millions of dollars each year. Yet, are these players the true cause of their athletic and resultant financial success or do other factors actually play a bigger role in their success and affluence?

Coaches are often out of shape, un-athletic, and only occasionally are academic prodigies; however, their impact on the success of a sports team shouldn’t be undervalued.

Coaching in sports continues to be ignored to the extent where any organization would rather splurge on signing a top athlete than hiring better teachers and leaders.

This idea hits home hard as the past two seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles have shown the importance of proper teaching and education. Three years ago, the Eagles, who went 4-12, were the fourth worst team in football and fired their tenured head coach Andy Reid. Fast forward 12 months and the Eagles were competing in the divisional playoff round with their acclaimed leader Chip Kelly. Over the past two years,Kelly has focused on his players having good nutrition, getting large amounts of sleep, and has invested in technology to keep his team healthy. Just over two seasons later, the Eagles favored to make a deep run in the playoffs this year.

This concept not only exists in the world of sports but also in our school. For example, the LM Boys Basketball program demonstrates the importance of leadership on and off the court. In 2012, LM faced off against nationally ranked powerhouse Chester in the state finals. Chester was led by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who was a first round pick in the NBA, and other collegiate players. Under the leadership of coach Greg Downer, LM ran the heavily favored Chester team out of the arena through exceptional strategy, passion and preparation.

Unfortunately, fans continuously struggle to realize the importance of coaches in times of success; yet, failure is almost always put directly on their shoulders. After a terrible season, the first move for any professional sports franchise is to fire their coach rather than to overhaul their player personnel. General managers have finally begun to realize the importance of coaches as not only an adjustment in ideology but also a change in scenery for their players. Whether deserved or not, coaches are the first to be blamed and the first to go.

Ultimately, while talent is important, our teams’ records aren’t solely defined by the quantity of athletic ability but by the team’s camaraderie and quality of their coaches. Our coaches, however, have both their own personal lives outside of coaching and therefore are responsible for their job and their family. As a result, seniors and captains must take a leadership role. As a senior athlete myself, I feel the responsibility to mentor my younger teammates both on and off the field. This connection I have with my teammates and coach has not only led to my personal improvement but also has increased our team’s success and camaraderie. Now while I am not advocating for coaches and captains to give their players “bedtimes,” I feel that if they had a greater impact on their athletes’ lives, then their teams would probably have more success.

This season has started out very slow for the Eagles, but I believe the Chip Kelly trend isn’t one that will die out quickly. Professional and high school teams across the country are often marked by the knowledge and passion of their coaches and teammates.

These past two seasons for the Eagles have proven how important coaching and player togetherness is to the success of a team. Ultimately, maybe culture does beat talent.

Boys’ soccer advances to districts Will Rieke ’16 Sports Editor With a 10-4-4 season, the Boys Soccer Team has had a standout season, finishing 11th in District 1 and in the top half of the Central League.

Powering the team’s success is the team’s defense and goalie. The starting defense is Quinn Vagnoni ’16, David Smith ’17, Connor O’ Hare ’16 and rounded out by junior goalie Sabastian Jenkins ’17. Their communication and experience has powered the team to a top ten team in the district for least goals allowed. Even more impressive, Jenkins has already logged 10 shutouts. On the other side of the field, striker Ryan Tillman ’17 and offensive midfielder Anthony Haines ’16 are the team’s leading scorers with 4 goals apiece for the season. Haines also leads the team in assists.

LM’s highlight game was the 2-1 win against Harriton under the lights, powered by goals from Tillman and Podrasky ’18. Vagnoni was named first team all-Central League, Haines second team all-Central League, and Jenkins honorable mention.

District 1 Boy’s Soccer Standings

Photo courtesy of Juan Schmeichel Rodgers Gerrard Quinn Vagnoni ’16 rises above the Methacton defense for a header.

Lower Merion beat Methacton 2-1.

Girls’ cross country speeds through the season Julia Kruezer ’18

Spikes are tightened, thighs are slapped, and anticipation floats in the air from Coach Anderson and assistant coach Julie Powell express at every meet that runner to runner. BANG! The gun goes off, and the race begins. Girls cross coun- a good attitude and staying with a pack of runners during a meet can help runtry is coached by Dermot Anderson, who is in his 11th coaching season. Under his ners push themselves. Having a good mindset and being with the right people leadership, another group of cross can help the teammates push each other country girls has been molded into during races. Payne, team co-captain, says a formidable running team, full of “We really want to focus on working as a talent and depth spread between pack and supporting each other. At the end all four grades. of the day team cohesion is what's going to Freshamn, Christina Peng, make us successful.” Team connections and Shannon Rudek and Rowan Hassupport have been built during weekly spirit sman have solidified the varsity dinners, and team activities such as dragon team. Their talent was evident at boating on the Schuylkill River. The girls the recent William Tennent Inviuse their team bonds to help push each othtational. At the meet, Hassman er to do better in meets. broke 20 minutes and finished As the fall sports season comes to a close, with a time of 19:42, and Peng the team will be preparing in full gear for the broke 21 minutes with a time of District 1 Championships. The competition 20:58. Rudek was out for the betakes place at the end of October at Lehigh ginning of the season with shin University. LM will compete in the Triple splints, but came back and won A Division 1 competition against 60 other the JV race at the invitational. teams from the Philadelphia area. Payne Upperclassmen have led the rest states, “This season to last season the times of the team. According to Coach have been pretty consistent. We've been runAnderson, “Seniors Katrina Ocning courses under tough conditions, which Photo Courtesy of Hazel Ocampo ampo, Margo Urheim, Marie is why the times have only been gradually From the left: Katrina Ocampo ’16, Leslie Gladstone ’16, Melissa Graham Payne, Melissa Graham, and Lesfalling. [In the past weeks] we've started to ’16, and Rowan Hassmann ’19 run in a strong pack at the lie Gladstone have been leading run some faster courses and have seen outCentral League Championship. the way and have devoted themstanding times, especially by freshmen.” As selves all summer to training daiPayne points out, whether the conditions ly to get ready for the season, and the results are showing in the meets.” Juniors have been favorable or not, the team is ready for the challenge.

Cecily Rosenbaum and Nina Kochanowicz have also been devoted during pracThe girls’ cross-country team has received new strong runners this year and has tice and have made large contributions to the team. Besides individual results, formed sturdy bonds between teammates. With districts looming in the not-so disthe team’s results were also very strong at the recent invitational. The Varsity tant future, cross country hopes to pull together and stride past the competition. team placed fourth overall, and the JV squad placed second.

Sports

October 30, 2015

19

The Merionite

Enduring the distance Matt D’Aquila ’17

Although traditionally a spring sport at LM, few are aware that LM Fall Crew provides yet another grueling season for anyone who partakes in the sport. For rowers, the fall season is not an “off-season” to go through the motions. The practices are tough, as they have to train for long 4k and 5k races.

Some of LM fall crew’s main regattas on this fall’s schedule include the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta and the Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta. With a more competitive schedule on tap for this season, boys’ captains Quentin Cachon ’16 and Alden Hallak ’16 and girls’ captains Rebecca Tauber ’16 and Bari Zweben ’16 are ready to sink their teeth into this fall’s training plan in order to rise to the top. “Coach Bill Bragdon has his eyes set on becoming the best,” says Alden Hallak. “He has a long plan to get the LM Crew Team to the point where we could actually contend with the big guys. This is going to take a lot of work and dedication, but we’ve seen amazing things come out of this team so it’s not outside the realm of possibility.”

With longer races in the fall, the team is focusing on endurance training. Both boys’ head coach Coach Bragdon, and girls’ head coach Coach Hingley implemented a distance-based approach. This means longer reps in practice and more aerobic training (cardio strength for longer distances and more endurance) rather than anaerobic training (fast-twitch muscle fiber strength). To enhance their slow-twitch muscle fibers, LM’s rowers use erg-machines when training off-water. This machine mimics a rowing stroke and targets the important muscle groups that need to be strengthened for high performance.

The coaches keep their athletes on a tight schedule. On Mondays, the crew teams use LM’s “erg room.” Tuesdays through Fridays, the whole team travels to its boathouse in Conshohocken to train. The boathouse, situated along the Schuylkill River, is a great place for the teams to work on their rowing technique and boat chemistry. On the water, coxswains dictate the rowers’ cadence and power while steering the boat. There are few other sports whose team members have to be so interdependent. While the coxswain shouts out the commands, the boat’s contingent of rowers has to follow his or her instructions.

It just takes one rower to corrupt this intricate system (a.k.a. “catching a crab”) and the result is pure disaster. Thus, the emphasis on teamwork combined with endurance, skill, toughness and practice makes crew a standout sport. Rowing can be hard, painful and sometimes unforgiving, however the reward of finishing tends to pay off the cost.

A challenge for the fall crew team is the weather conditions on the Schuylkill River. In the past, nor’easters, hurricanes, and freezing weather have kept the team from practicing out on the water together for weeks at a time. This year, the girls’ team found themselves in a dangerous situation a few weeks ago when they got caught in a huge thunderstorm 30 minutes away from the dock. Rayzel Rosner ’16 said, “The rain was pelting our backs. It was like we were rowing on the ocean.”

Freshman Rowan Hassman Fall Sport Played: Girl’s Cross Country What is your greatest memory from a race? My favorite sports memory is racing well at the William Tennent Invitational. (Hassmann ran a 19:42 and placed in the top ten) What is your favorite Halloween movie?Little shop of horrors because it’s not scary.

It’s your last day on earth, how are you spending it? I would be spending my last day on earth with my family.

Fall Crew photo courtesy of Alden Hallak ’16 Luckily the girls were able to pull themselves to safety.

First-seat JV rower Maxwell Koerner ’17 explains the importance of on-water training.

“In my opinion, the best way to improve performance on the water is to consistently train with the members of your boat,” says Koerner.

“On-water training is something that cannot be replicated elsewhere, and success in rowing is mainly based on establishing proper technique rather than brute strength.” With the mild weather and clear skies this fall, the crew teams generally have not been affected by the sometimes rough conditions.

Crew is a tough endurance sport that requires stamina and cardiovascular fitness.

Consistent practice is essential to maintain general fitness throughout the long season.

This fall, crew started on September 16 and will end on November 11, with practices running from Monday through Friday plus a regatta on the weekend. This kind of schedule is not only time consuming, but it is as dense as any sport at Lower Merion. Despite this, few students are even aware of the sport’s competitive nature during the fall season. For this full-on sport, the team’s dedication is apparent. In fact, much of LM crew’s fall roster, when asked if they had aspirations of rowing at the collegiate level, said that rowing in college (either at the club or varsity level) is a possibility for them. All of this, combined with the program’s solid training plan, sounds very promising for a team with big goals!

Sophomore Thomas Podrasky Fall Sport Played: Soccer What is your fall activty?

Procrastinating on my homework and watching Netflix.

What is your favorite Halloween movie? The Charlie Brown Halloween Special.

Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button in life?

Rewind, relive all the hilarious moments in life.

The boys JV and Varsity boats train on the Schuylkill River in September. Many crew members row in all three seasons.

Boys cross-country wins Central League championship meet Will Rieke ‘16 Sports Editor The boy’s cross-country team won the Central League Championship meet at the challenging Rose Tree Park course. Coming into the race, Harriton had an undefeated 11-0 record and LM a 10-1 record. LM came through in the clutch beating Harriton 72-56. Five of the LM runners placed in the top 20. Matt D’Aquila ’17, LM’s frontrunner, ran a 16:21 placing third individually in the race. Teddy Neckowicz ’17, Evan Hassman ’17, Will Rieke ’16, and Eli Shandelman ’16 rounded out LM’s top 5 finishers, finishing with times in the low 17:00s. The split between LM’s first and fifth runner was an impressive 64 seconds. LM beat the third place team, Strath Haven, 103-56. After winning the race, Lower Merion shares the league title with Harriton. It is the first league title in eight years. Junior Varsity powered by Avery Shandelman ’18 and Griffin Murphy ’16 also won their respective race. Shandelman placed third individually and Murphy fourth. The team had five racers in the top 11 in the JV race. When the LM cross-country last won the league in 2008 they placed an impressive sixth in Districts.

Junior Austin Farinella Fall Sport Played: Golf What is your greatest memory from a match? This year I made it to Centrals for golf and took the next step by moving on to Districts.

What is your favorite Halloween movie? My favroite movie is the Charlie Brown Halloween Special. it is a classic movie I have always enjoyed.

It’s your last day on earth, how are you spending it? I’m playing golf with Jordan Spieth because he has been a hero to me.

Senior Vivian Klotz Fall Sport Played: Volleyball What is your fall activty?

My favorite fall activity is Radnor week.

What is your favorite Halloween movie? Cinderella.

There’s a pumpkin in that, right?

Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button in life? A pause button. I don’t need a do-over, but I need a way to do more.

20

Sports

October 30, 2015

Kicking out stereotypes

The Merionite

Dena Behar ’16 Editor-in-Chief This season, the football team has a new addition. It’s not a five-star recruit from a different school or a freshman prodigy. It’s sophomore Sophie Riverso, LM’s only girl playing on a traditionally all-male team. Riverso, a three-season athlete, is a varsity soccer player and a key forward known for her speed.

The team was in need of a replacement kicker after its current one moved away at the end of last year and over the summer, Riverso came to the football team workouts everyday to help out with the team. It wasn’t uncommon to have a soccer player kick extra points, and Riverso’s sisters, the current team managers, encouraged her to join. “They brought it up kind of as a joke,” said Riverso, but it turned out to be more than that. “I knew Sophie was an excellent athlete and played soccer, and I knew she was a great competitor from teaching her in-class,” said Sean Capkin, assistant coach of the LM football team.

“I knew she had the physical toughness to play two varsity sports at once and the mental toughness to be the only girl playing football in the entire Central League and possibly the state.”

Riverso worked hard over the summer to perfect her kicking, meeting with an All-American kicker to develop her technique. This season, Riverso has made five out of seven extra points, an impressive 71 percent success rate for someone who has just started kicking this year. Kicking itself is a lot of pressure; everyone’s eyes are on you, and it is obvious when you mess up. But doing this with the added pressure of being the only girl on the field is even more intimidating.

Although Riverso is mainly friends with her teammates in her grade, she has still felt that the entire team has been inclusive and supportive. When asked if she has ever felt uncomfortable as the only girl on the team, Riverso admitted, “Definitely at the beginning. But I got used to it and now the guys are really nice.”

Riverso lines up to kick an extra point.

Not only is it hard to join a team of the opposite sex, but balancing two demanding sports in the same season can also be extremely challenging. Fortunately, Riverso has found a way to make it work. “After soccer practices, if there’s time, I’ll go over and kick for a couple minutes. As for games, they’re totally different schedules.”

However, Riverso isn’t the first girl to break the gender barrier in sports.

Mary Kate Smith of South Jones High School in Mississippi, also a star soccer player, was the school’s first girl to make the varsity football squad. Katharine Hnida, an American football player who became the first woman to score in a NCAA Division 1-A game as a placekicker for the University of New Mexico Lobos, continues to play today in the semi-pro leagues.

Riverso says she plans to continue kicking throughout her entire high school career, and hopefully, more girls will start to do the same. Riverso exemplifies the bravery of girls forging their way through boys’ sports, teaching us all that if he can do it, so can she.

Photo courtesy of Michelle Wootton

LMSD start time petition impacts athletics Harrison Meyer ’16

If the petition to start LMSD high schools between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. succeeds, every member of the community will feel its effects. Outdoor sports teams in particular will have to make adjustments in their practice and game schedules.

Aside from the time constraints on practice for outdoor sports, games played between schools would cause our teams to miss a lot of class time for early dismissals if we delay our schedule by an hour and a half and continue to have our games at around the same time.

The measures that follow arose from conversations with the captains, coaches, and players whose teams would be affected if the petition succeeds as well as from the solutions of other school districts around the country who have already delayed their start times.

For some sports, the time before school each morning should be considered for practice. Particularly during the spring and fall seasons, when cool mornings are preferable to hot, humid afternoons.

Other sports could continue to use the time directly after school for the majority of their practice.

If you practice for the same length of time as before, and do homework for the same amount of time as before, you would end up getting the same amount of time to sleep as before because you would be waking up later the next day.

However teams cannot practice in the dark; we must give them light. From a technical perspective, installing lights on athletic fields is a straightforward solution. Local politics presently prevents us from placing lights around our fields. With enough support from the community, and the proper legal representation, we will one day be able to install lights around all the fields we want.

Until then we will have to make full use of all fields within our grasp. By this I mean that we will need to improve both our ability to bus teams to available practice locations and our efficient use of space once there. This will require the full support of the transportation department, which I am now pursuing.

Games between schools are another matter entirely. Ideally, we could delay our start time in tandem with several surrounding school districts so that we could start games later. We will absolutely try to work with their school boards and parent associations if we find major support in our own community.

If the schools around us continue to start around half past seven in the morning and continue to let out at around three in the afternoon, we will have to negotiate with their athletic departments to start games later in the day. This will prevent some games from being played and restrict total gametime per season until we have more lighted fields available.

We will need to coordinate all these changes with the PIAA in order to ensure that our teams continue to play official, legitimate games.

Now, despite all the solutions given above, I don’t want anyone to be under any delusions; delaying school start time will hurt outdoor sports.

There will be less time to practice and possibly fewer games. I don’t want anyone to read this and think that they can get something for nothing. We can have a well-rested student body; we can have a safer, healthier, more creative institution; but we cannot have this without cutting back on outdoor sports. However, a delayed high school start time is about the health and wellbeing of all students, including sports players.

So I ask you to think critically on this issue.

Weigh what is at stake. Is having an uncompromising athletic program sufficiently valuable to warrant hundreds of sleep deprived students? Is an undefeated season worth the large, general increase in stress levels that accompany sleep deprivation?

Is tradition a good enough reason to continue to starve ourselves of one of the basic requirements of thought and action? These questions need to be considered while looking at this important issue.

DID YOU KNOW that lack of sleep can increase your chances of becoming injured? According to a study at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, which observed 112 random students in grades 7-12, sleep deprivation can lead to slower reaction times. Getting inadequate sleep prevents soft tissue like muscles from healing properly and increases hormones in the body. Unfortunately, this can lead to longer recovery periods.

Fall Season Highlights Volleyball The girl’s volleyball team experienced many highlights this season. Although the girls were one win short of making playoffs, team captain Vivian Klotz ’16 accomplished the feat of completing over 1,000 assists in her high school career, and the team as a whole won multiple exciting games, including one against Radnor on Radnor’s senior night in the last set of the game.

Field Hockey After a gap of six years, the girls’ field hockey team made it to playoffs this season after many exhilirating wins. A highlight of their season was their game against Harriton, which had to be postponed with five minutes left in the last quarter, score 0-0.

The rematch ended in a tie (0-0) after going into overtime.