Merionite October 2022

The official student newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 October 6, 2022

The Merionite

www.themerionite.org

Volume 94, Issue 1

Grace takes Independence Hall Vivian Collins ’24 News Editor On September 1, President Joseph Biden delivered a speech outside of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Biden spoke about the current political climate in America, specifically regarding the division between political parties and detrimental ideologies of certain groups within parties. Global Studies teacher John Grace was invited by the White House to attend the speech. Grace received the invitation in response to a letter he wrote to the White House, thanking the Biden-Harris administration for their student debt relief plan.

This is not the first time Grace has reached out to political leaders, having written to represen tatives on the Philadelphia City Council, the mayor of Phila delphia, and even some con

Photo courtesy of CNN

gressmen. Despite writing about two to three letters a year for many years, this was the first time Grace has written to the President.

He wrote to Biden because, “I wanted to tell him my story, my family’s story, and tell him I understand the struggle [he’s] reporting.”

Grace had been following the development of the student loan relief program since Biden first announced it. As a public school teacher in a single income family with four children who each attended private universities, the program Biden has launched will significantly help Grace and his family. Grace says, “I really appreciate it…It will be great for us.”

Grace did not expect the response he got, saying, “In almost every case, the responses that I receive are generic ones that some staff member has acknowledged, often with a list of policy initiatives that are focused on what it is that I’m writing to either agree or to disagree with.” Instead of an automated email that has been sent to hundreds of other people, Grace received a phone call. At first, he thought it was a practical joke, but after consulting with his wife, Cecelia Grace, Grace called the White House back. A young man answered the telephone and, according to Grace, said, “We read

your letter, we thought it was terrific, and were ally want to invite you to be guests at the President’s speech at Independence Hall.”

After filling out biographical security forms, receiving safety details, and an official invitation, the Graces made their way to Old City. They took their seats in the second row, about ten feet away from Biden. Grace says, “The only thing between us and the President was a railing, one row, the podium, and the bulletproof glass around Biden. That was it.”

When asked about the speech itself, Grace said, “What impressed me about the President’s speech was his willingness to acknowledge a serious threat to the way that our democracy works.” Grace also noted that there were protestors at the event saying, “they were loud, they were profane, and you could not mistake hearing them.” Biden acknowledged the protestors during his speech and, according to Grace, said, “There’s a difference between protesting respectfully and what these guys are doing.” The protestors were not removed by law enforcement during the speech, but instead were moved to various places around the exterior of Independence Hall. Grace says, “The whole process of who we are as a people, was literally being played out that night and it was a great opportunity to observe.”

A call from a White House representative was not what Grace foresaw when he wrote to the President. He was lucky enough to earn an invitation to Biden’s speech where he

Photo by Charles Henneberry

learned more about the President’s stance on the discontent in the nation. In addition to Grace’s appreciation for the Biden-Harris administration and their student debt relief plan being rewarded, he was able to watch the parallels of political parties be demonstrated before his eyes. To those who wish to reach out to political leaders, let Grace be an example of why speaking out for what policies, laws, and movements you believe in, is important.

And, to answer the question that everybody’s really been asking, no, Mr. Grace did not wear a Hawaiian shirt to see the President.

Johnson’s new LM Emmi Wu ’23 Editor-in-Chief An interview with Principal Johnson about his history at Harriton and the future of LM. Q: What would you say is the biggest thing that you learned from Harriton?

I’ve learned so much from so many different people. Dr. Fina, the school psychologist, really taught me the value of the role that our student services people play beyond their job description... Dr. Fina taught me how much value that person brings outside of just testing students who may have needs academically or behaviorally or emotionally.

Q: What changes do you plan on implementing into LM? I’ve already been in conversation with some students and staff because you all ended the year with Embrace which had equity, inclusion, and wellness built into it. There’s been some energy around expanding that day and perhaps having more than one.

Q: What is the biggest differ ence between LM and Harriton?

There’s more students here. That’s probably the biggest difference, it feels different in that way. The hallways feel different when you transition in the halls.

Q: What were some of your contributions as Harriton’s assistant principal that you were really proud of?

I think I had some positive impact on 9th grade transition for how we welcomed our new students to the building. I took that very seriously because I was a former middle school principal. So I understood the chalenge of a transition to a larger high school.

Q: What inspired the ACES acronym?

So it actually has existed, I think, as in conversation with our admin team over the sum mer and with Mr. Stroup. It just hadn’t been brought to scale in a way like we did this fall.

Q: I’m sure you’ve gotten this question before, but I need to know, which school is better?

Interesting. So I have to be careful how I answer this question because I feel like I could lose, I could lose some credibility here... I had “LM,”you know, in my haircut, the first week. It’s faded by now, you don’t see it anymore, but, my barber put it in the side of mine. I never had HHS in my head, just saying so.

Q: Do you have any final remarks?

I would like to sincerely thank our student body and I mean this sincerely. I know that coming back to school is not everyone’s favorite thing...I know maybe seeing me at the door...I’m probably too happy in the morning for some people, but I appreciate being here. I really do. I really enjoy it.

Q: That’s all you’re saying, “no haircut?”

No haircut. It was no haircut for Harriton. So I’m not going to give you a direct answer on which is better, but I love be ing here, I’m happy that I’m here, and I don’t have any regrets with the decision that I made to apply for the job.

Graphics by Ilana Zahavy ’24/Staff

NEWS

Black Rock Middle School

Read about the new middle school, the different cirriculum, and how the district is adjusting page 3

OPINIONS

Voting into the future Political activist Izzy Saler ’23 highlights the importance of voter registration and civic engagement page 7

FEATURES

Halloween costumes Photo by Anika Xi ’23

7 group costume ideas for this year’s spooky season page 12

SPECIAL FEATURE

23 tips to know before 2023 Advice for a good new year pages 8-9

A&E

2022 Players events Players are excited to have the privilege to perform Disney’s Beauty and the Beast page 4

SPORTS

Harriton exits the Central League A recap of the games the aces football team has played so far, Harriton’s situation with leaving the Central League, and a look into the future of the program page 16

October 6, 2022

The Merionite | News

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Save Oakwell: a sequel Sam Donagi ’25 Protests continue to escalate in the fight to save Oakwell Forest from clearcutting and deforestation. The LMSD is currently planning to turn Oakwell, 13.4 acres of forest and wetlands in Villanova, into supplementary playing fields for Black RockMiddle School. This plan is strongly opposed by local activists and environmental scientists, and the organization Save Oakwell, who argue that the destruction would be detrimental to the local ecosystem. Oakwell was bought by the LMSD in 2018, and without intervention, clearcutting is scheduled to begin in May of 2023.

Activists say this means there is still time, and hope to defend Oakwell.

As covered last spring, Oakwell Forest is a historic site and home to over 700 trees, some dating back to before 1700. As a major part of our water system, activists worry their removal could lead to flooding on Montgomery Road. Oakwell is instrumental in preventing flooding and erosion and is a vital water source for three different watersheds. Oakwell supports biodiversity, provides shelter for animals and keeps tick and mosquito borne illnesses away from vulnerable populations. Trees are also critical to the local air quality, essential to keeping temperatures cool and preventing asthma. Black Rock Middle School is notably far from the forest, which has led to concerns over how students will be transported to the Oakwell fields. Also, because Black Rock already sits on 22 acres of land and only half of the student body (seventh and eighth graders) have the option to participate in competitive sports, some are further stareled by the choice to bulldoze the three-century-old forest trees. Additionally, this project has been called fiscally and environmentally irresponsible, releasing massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and costing a fortune in taxpayer dollars.

With the impacts of climate change already looming, and the demand for careers in environmental sciences and protections on the rise, some have proposed Oakwell as a resource to educate future generations since a forest with such a variety of trees could provide a unique opportunity to learn about sustainability. For students

concerned about the climate crisis or interested in preserving Oakwell Forest, there is good news. As Pauline Voelkel ’23, president of Harriton’s Environmental Club, said, “the work of students will achieve much more than the work of adults.”

The school board is specifically receptive to students, and through attending and speaking at the upcoming meetings on October 18 and November 21, students can help protect their futures and environment. Students can also write to the school board and administrators or their county commissioners. A large portion of the power to preserve Oakwell Forest lies in county commissioners, our local elected officials. Go to lookup. lowermerion.org to find your commissioner and send an email urging them to protect the forest. Students can also join the Save Oakwell organization at their weekly protests outside LM, Fridays from 2:30 to 3:30, and share information about Save Oakwell through social media.

Save Oakwell leader Shawn McMurtry explains, “The future is now. We are working harder than ever to engage LM residents to let LMSD know that destruction of Oakwell would be a grave, irreversible error. Student voices are among the most important of all. Students will live with the effects of climate change and be affected in ways that we can only begin to imagine.” Students in Harriton’s Environmental Club and SAGE organization have already begun mobilizing to save Oakwell Forest, and LM has the opportunity to make a stand before it is too late. Even with a date of May 2023 looming, McMurtry and other movement leaders are certain that there is hope. With legal approval pending, students have the power to preserve our environment for future generations.

Lunch with a price tag Zoe Hassett ’23 News Editor Each school day, when the bell signaling the start of Lunch and Learn rings, hundreds of LM students rush to the cafeteria to pick up a school lunch. While the pizza slices, hoagies, and chicken tenders still have the same taste, there is a big difference as students approach the checkout line.

Before going to find their friends and enjoy their food, this year, students actually have to pay for their school lunch. For the past two years, due to the continuing impact that the COVID-19 pandemic left on schools, the federal

government started the Free Lunch Program to provide healthy lunches to students at no cost. As families in LMSD and throughout the country struggled due to the pandemic, the Free Lunch Program acted as a significant aid to

support families economically and ensure every student could fuel their day with a school meal. However, on June 30, the government made an official announcement that the pandemic-era Free Lunch Program had expired. For LM, this change mostly reflects a return to the normal buying-lunch experience. As in previous years, a LM student lunch costs around $4.40 to $4.50.

Still, the end of the Free Lunch Program has not led to the termination of other governmentsupported programs that ensure no student goes hungry during the school day. The program provides meals to students based upon their families’ level of need.

Additionally, beginning on October 1, all LMSD students will be eligible to receive a free school breakfast as part of Pennsylvania’s Universal Free Breakfast Program. Students will be able to receive these free breakfasts before their classes each day until the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

Even though students can no longer receive free lunches each day, it is clear that LMSD is still dedicated to keeping their students well-fueled for their academic and social activities.

Bussin’ News Editors Though in many ways this year marks a return to normalcy, especially as there are more people in the building than ever before, various staffing gaps that appeared during the pandemic continue to widen. Entering September, there were over 3,000 vacant school bus driver positions in Pennsylvania according to ABC News. In LMSD, students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade rely on school buses to travel to and from school every day. The district also outsources buses and drivers to other schools in the area. Thus, the LMSD transportation system reaches over 9,000 students daily, according to the LMSD web-

site, impacting thousands of families with each and every decision.

The pandemic shut down buses from March 2020 until the beginning of the next school year in September. However, that break pushed many older community members to step down from bus driving for retirement or other pursuits. Longtime bus drivers for the district took the pandemic as a signal to settle down, leaving more vacancies than expected. Unfortunately, given factors like the low pay, poor conditions, and long hours, the job itself isn’t coveted, and districts like LM are struggling to find qualified willing candidates.

Graphics by Ilana Zahavy ’24/Staff

October 6, 2022

The Merionite | News

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LMSD’s “mini-Google” Michelle Kelly ’23 News Editor Black Rock Middle School represents the continuous evolution of education in this nationally-recognized district. The changed focus on interdisciplinary education and collaborative learning is paving the path for new curriculum and skill development that helps students transition to high school and ultimately allows them to “go forth to serve” the communities in which LMSD alumni settle. The new school utilizes open and creative architecture that enables furniture to move on wheels and students to move on demand. Spaces can be adapted to a multitude of needs that fit the flexibility of the schedule. Working in tandem, the environment and the structure of the day complement each other to propel students to think critically and creatively.

The comparison noted frequently when walking through Black Rock is to Google headquarters. Colors, open spaces, and modern furniture contribute to the playful, inviting nature of the middle school. After walking through the main office, one appears in the building’s “heart,” a place filled with a variety of movable furniture with places for students to sit and do work, charge their one-to-one devices, or socialize. Moving through the heart, down a set of stairs, you arrive in the dining hall. The open-concept stairs feature extra space, called the “gathering stairs,” where assemblies can gather to view a large projection screen. The same steps are featured in the two-story library, which also serves as a hallway, encouraging students to engage more with the space as they travel from their core classes to specials and back. Bookshelves, furnished with an entirely new collection, are low and move around to continue the theme of adaptability.

Director of School and Community Relations Amy Buckman explains that “the space can be configured for whatever the activity is.” Another unique structural feature is the expandable theater, in which seats fold into the wall, resembling stadium bleachers.

Only time will tell how students and teachers will utilize this space to advance education.

When designing the new middle school, architects and administrators kept the schedule in mind, and aimed to move away from the “cells and bells” model where students move from contained class to class when a bell rings, according to Black Rock principal Sarah Stout. Instead, she says, they are “trying to be more developmentally appropriate with what the kids need.” The new schedule and structure within all three middle schools is based around the concept of learning communities, groups of 80 to 100 students in the same grade that share the same set of four teachers.

Buckman explains that these groups give students “a sense of community and responsibility for one another.” This same structure is paralleled at both Bala Cynwyd and Welsh Valley, and administrators plan to renovate those schools as needed to fit the new system.

At Black Rock, the learning communities spend their core class time in one space, an intentionally crafted cluster of four classrooms surrounding a common area. All classrooms have sliding glass doors that can be opened to enlarge the space and maximize the space for any activity. The vast majority of each day is spent in this zone. Eighth grader Sydney Burke explains, “We don’t move around a lot, except for language and specials.” The learning communities spend a significant amount of time together in one general area, but are able to adapt to their flexible space.

Additionally, teachers have a separate area in the learning community’s cove, which

serves as their offices, as well as an area to conference and collaborate about the combined curriculum, which can be adapted to best fit the needs of the students in each individual learning community. The approach to learning at Black Rock revolves entirely around students. They have more freedom to move around and learn in different spaces, including smaller “Nests:” isolated, comfortable spaces for students to work in small groups or receive individualized attention. Buckman notes, “The space works with the teachers, not against them.” Barriers of classroom walls and limited space no longer inhibit class activities. The flexibility in space parallels the versatility of the day. The students in each learning community still rotate classes on a timed schedule, but there are no bells due to the grade-specific class times. This allows teachers within each learning community to combine classes and adapt the schedule to the day’s lesson plans as they deem necessary. For instance, a science, math, and tech ed teacher could combine blocks and spend a 140-minute period working on a science experiment that contained components of each subject. The collaborative nature among staff contributes to the nature of the school, as each discipline is combined for a holistic type of learning. Eighth grade teacher Kevin DiSantis speaks about the students’ reaction to the new schedule: “I thought it would be a little more of a challenge but they’re starting to like it more.” There is also intervention/enrichment time at the end of the day for students who need and/or desire specialized education or extra attention in any academic area. As Stout mentioned, students are the main focus of the school.

Even when Black Rock was still in development, students drove the process in preparation of their arrival. Principals at Penn Wynne and Gladwyne Elementary Schools, as well as Bala Cynwyd and Welsh Valley Middle Schools, selected students to serve as Black Rock Middle School Ambassadors to consult during officials during the construction. They represented their peers by touring the site during construction and helping lead the vote for a school mascot and colors (consensus led to The Royals, a nod to the Knights and Dragons at the other LMSD middle schools, with black, gold, and purple as the colors).

They were responsible for communicating with administrators and speaking at school board meetings. Students are also assisting with the Open House to the public on October 1.

The current state of Black Rock has been in the making for a significant time. The proposal for the school was initially presented in 2016; however construction did not begin until August 2020. Ninety million dollars later, the shiny new building sits on 22 acres on the Clairemont Farm/Morris Clothier Estate along Montgomery Avenue.

While conversations remain about the limited space on the property and need for athletic fields, the school is approaching its final stages of construction. The floor of the main gym has not been laid due to the humidity over the summer which prevented the wood from properly flattening. While it remains locked and climate-controlled to prepare the space for this final finishing, Buckman says the gym “will hopefully be done in the next month.” However, students are beginning to settle into the school, including extracurricular activities and sports. The transition has seemed quite efficient, despite the massive changes for both LMSD students and community members.

Teacher Carolyn McKinney sums it up: “It’s a big learning curve, but we’re doing it.”

Photos by Anixa Xi ’23/Staff

New places, less spaces Luke Shepard ’24 News Editor Every new school year at LM, initial bustle and excitement of the school year the departure of old ones happens consistently, LM is hiring beyond standard transitions into freshman uncertainty, junior stress, and senior burnout. However, high school needs. Last year, LM hired between sixty and seventy new teachers to increased class sizes and growth seems to be a perpetual theme for LM. Classes and accommodate not only teacher departure, but for an increased student body. hallways have continued to see more crowds and stu“There has been hiring for replacement and retirement of teachers and for enrolldents. In order to battle the growing student population’s ment growth,” says Mr. Scott Kilpatrick, 11th grade principal. To accommodate impact on class size, LMSD opened Black Rock Middle for small classroom size desires, an increase in teachers was needed to combat the School this past fall; however, the district’s high schools growth in the school district. While this solution won’t affect the crowds at LM, it are still feeling the growth in the number of students. will provide the smaller classroom environment needed to improve student learning.

Beyond the construction of the new middle school, The increased number of teachers and staff translates to a need for more staff parking LMSD has taken proactive measures for years to ensure spaces, and in turn less spaces for students. “A lot of the new parking [issues are] related smaller classroom sizes. Bala Cynwyd Middle School, to new staff members and teachers ,” says Kilpatrick. Five years ago, Kilpatrick issued Welsh Valley Middle School, Penn Wynne Elementary, and roughly 120 parking spaces to seniors, yet only 65 to 70 spots will be available this year.

Gladwyne Elementary have all seen or had plans for out“I understand that they have more staff members, but why didn’t they door additions enacted. Instead of infringing upon space at allow first come first serve parking near the Kobe Gym like past years?”

Arnold or Butcher field, LMSD repurposed the Administration Building for comments Shaine Davidson ‘23. She goes on to wonder why “staff can’t Chemistry classes and a few other Science electives. However, many of these park in Lot C,” the parking lot on the opposite side of the Administration policies date all the way back to 2013, and the district is still seeing growth.

Building off Montgomery Avenue. Senior frustration has been pervasive LMSD is currently the fastest-growing school district in Pennsylvania, and at their limited future prospects and delays in permits. This year, further these increases in students will matriculate up to the obstacles have hindered student parking at LM beyond just the surveyhigh school level. LM was initially designed for around ing of available spaces. A delay in the parking tickets has postponed the 1250 students, yet enrollment has increased to 1725 raffle of LM parking permits, postponing the availability of current parkstudents. The LM class of 2026 currently includes ing. While parking will be limited this year, the future could hold better roughly 420 students while the class of 2025 contains outcomes for students. Kilpatrick is optimistic for the future as his “gut Photo by Dylan tells [him] that student parking will increase.” With the entrance of the over 441 students, a drastic increase in the number Spivack ’24/ large sophomore and freshman classes, Kilpatrick mentions the end of a from past years’ classes. Also, LM saw major growth Staff in the number of overall new students. Since last fall, bubble in growth of class size. The reduction in future classes will likely over 100 new students have enrolled into Lower Merallow for more future spaces that are already available in the parking lot. However, ion High School. This increase in student enrollment the common student proposal of expansion of student parking onto Butcher or Arnot only crowds LM, but affects the functionality of nold Field is not possible due to environment regulations. Certain greenery per conour facilities. These school size increases translate to crete acreage requirements need to be maintained at LM prevent parking expansion. more students in the hallways, classes, fields, gyms, Photos of cars by Anixa Xi ’23/Staff Enrollment growth, increased staff size, and greenery regulations constrict and cafeterias. Class size increases translate to a need the availability for students to park at LM. Carpools and Suburban Square parkAs new teachers fill into for more available sets for subjects, leading to a gap ing remain viable options beyond bus transportation, but many complications lie LM, parking spaces begin to in the necessary number of teachers at the school. in these arrangements. The pass in the bump in growth will likely allow for more fill up.

While the hiring of new teachers to replace parking at LM, but the senior class will remain with limited parking this year.

The Merionite | Arts & Entertainment

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A New Year for New Fears

2022 Emmy Awards Avery Ender ’24

Sydney Rosen ’24 Movies! Movies! And more movies! That’s all we have been seeing plastered in big bright letters across the world. Streaming services have taken over the movie game, but now that theaters are reopened, the world can go back to viewing the newest movies on the big screen. Laughing, crying, and screaming in the cinema is one of the most enticing parts of this whole experience (and obviously the buttery popcorn). All of these emotions can be felt along with anticipation and anxiety as you watch horror movies. So why not watch more of them? Here is all you need to know about the up and coming horror films coming to a theater near you.

Starting off with an American coming-of-age supernatural horror film, The Black Phone. Coming in with a whopping 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, writers and direcors Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill are extremely proud of their work on this movie. It is an adaptation of the 2004 short story by Joe Hill.

In this movie, the main character Finney Shaw, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is being held in a soundproof basement by a sadistic, masked killer. When a disconnected phone on the wall starts to ring, he discovers that he can hear the voices of the murderer’s previous victims - who are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney. This movie is definitely on my must watch list intense, suspenseful, with a great yet emotional ending.

Next up, we have another 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, Nope, an American neo-Western science fiction horror film written, directed and co-produced by Jordan Peele under his Monkeypaw Productions banner.

There are a number of running themes in the film, some of which include the burden of the unknowable and the obsession with what is going on around them.

Another theme is the way people cope with struggles they are faced with and the differences in their coping skills. The actual plot of this movie is two siblings who are the first to discover a new mysterious space creature above them, while they learn to deal and understand that, their neighbor begins to profit off of it. This movie has a phenomenal cast, an exhilarating plot, and is a must watch while it is still in theaters. But, if you do not get the chance to see it on the big screen, you will be able to find it on Peacock later in September.

October 4, 2022

The final movie I recommend is Barbarian, to start us off I will warn you about the ending that may rub you the wrong way, so be prepared. Writer and director Zach Cregger was able to channel his inner Jack-In-The-Box with this movie. Jumpscares are everywhere but, isn’t that half of the fun when watching a horror film? The plot of this movie is a shocking yet almost believable accident that could happen to almost anyone. A woman has booked an AirBNB for the night but when she arrives she is met with a stranger who is also booked there for the night. She decides to stay and pop open a bottle of wine, what would you do if you were in this situation?

Interesting, fun, exciting, and anticipatory, this is definitely worth trekking out to a movie theater to watch.

The Black Phone, Nope, and Barbarian are all worth a watch, but if you are looking for some classic horror movie recommendations, I would say The Shining or Amityville Horror are my top two. The 1980 psychological horror film, the Shining is known for its slow yet tension filled plot build-up centered around a man’s sanity which is tested when he isolates himself from society at a hotel with his family. As for the Amityville Horror, which is based on true events, revolves around the presence of strange supernatrual occurances, torturing the family and their love for each other. Regardless if the film includes serial killers, monsters, ghosts, or aliens, horror movies have certainly proved that the best type of fun comes from fear! So grab some popcorn and be in for a freightening experience!

Graphic by Eliza Leibo ’25/Staff

I bet you won't be surprised to hear that Euphoria got 16 Emmy nominations. The Emmy Awards aired on Monday, September 12, and was hosted by Kenan Thompson, who did a great job (which was to be expected as he is an SNL star). The show took multiple digs towards Netflix and Leonardo DiCaprio's dating life. The chemistry between Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin was enough to make it just bearable. If you weren't able to watch them, here's the general rundown: Comedy show Ted Lasso won many awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor (Jason Sudeikis).

Succession also had a very successful night, winning various awards in the drama category. In the past, Netflix basically had a monopoly over the Emmys, but this year, HBO became competition.

HBO's The White Lotus won 5 awards that evening. Netflix's Squid Game, their most watched series ever, won multiple awards, including ones for directing and acting. As for Julia Garner, she won her third Emmy for her role in Netflix’s Sheryl Lee Ralph was the second African American woman to win Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary. After receiving her reward, she got on stage and sang Dianne Reeves' "Endangered Species," then proceeded to give an unforgettable speech. Unsurprisingly, Zendaya won Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Euphoria. Also, Lizzo is halfway to an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), and gave an emotional speech.A lot of other wellknown actors took home awards as well, such as Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), Micheal Keaton (Dopesick), and Amanda Seyfried (The Dropout). Jennifer Coolidge had a TMI moment during her acceptance speech for The White Lo-

Upcoming Players Events Rose Solga ’23, Wren Purell ’25, Ethan Quan ’25 Graphic by Tillie Swartz ’25 & Photos courtesy of Ethan Quan ’25

Over the course of Players history, they have gone through many historl setbacks, but have remained resilient. It may be hopeful, or just a dumb feeling, to say that COVID-19 has joined these setbacks. Players has once again risen to its full glory; no longer held back by COVID-19 restrictions such as being limited to the Blackbox, distanced seating, masking and many more rules to work around. Players was more than happy to make sure they kept each other and everyone else safe. They can assure you, they are elated to be back and fully functioning! Players is returning to the Auditorium Mainstage with the beloved musical, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast with a cast of thirty-one actors. In comparison to their last musical, Godspell, only thirteen members made up the case. With this show being as magnificent as it is, it’s imperative for the whole company to have grand numbers to match. With much talent and hard work, close to one hundred and fifty students are working together to bring Players to the high level that they have been doing for decades. For the rest of the year, they will present the winter blackbox show and the spring mainstage show. Those shows have yet to be decided upon but the process has already commenced thanks to the amazing Players Reading Committee.

The winter show will open in mid-February and the spring mainstage will be around late April. In addition to the shows, Players will also be hosting fundraisers. An upcoming fundraiser event will be Breakfast with Belle where children can meet Belle before the show and have Tea Time! Some more to expect in the future are the classic, and timeless Santa Grace and the Singing Valentines. Make sure to keep up with Players news and get excited!

tus, in a very “Jennifer Coolidge manner” She also danced on the stage to the walk-off music and continued speaking.

On a different note, many viewers seem to show more interest in the fashion than the actual ceremony. Sandra Oh dazzled on the red carpet in a purple, sequined jumpsuit and cape by Rodarte. Andrew Garfield opted for an all-white suit by Zegna. Lily James resembled an Emmy award herself in a bronze Versace gown. Only Murders in the Building stars, Steve Martin and Martin Short, matched in classic black tuxedos. Amanda Seyfried's pink Armani gown gives us sparkles for days. Similar to Andrew Garfield, Nicholas Braun wore an all white suit by Dior. All in all, the Emmys were a successful event for all, though a bit different than past years.

Come back later in the year for more award show coverage and keep a lookout for future entertainment ceremonies!

Graphic by Julia Zorc ’24/Staff

October 6, 2022 The Merionite

Official newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 www.themerionite.org Columbia Scholastic Press Assocation Silver Crown 2013 Editors-in-Chief Julia Dubnoff ’23 Angela Ge ’23 Emmi Wu ’23 News Editors Vivian Collins ’24 Mia Hail ’23 Zoe Hassett ’23 Michelle Kelly ’23 Luke Shepard ’24 Opinions Editors Sam Abella ‘24 Noah Barkan ‘24 Joy Donovan ‘23 Madeleine Fiks ‘23 Features Editors Ava Cohen ’23 Crosby Johnson ’24 Olivia Lee ’23 Lila Schwartzberg ’24 Arts and Entertainment Editors Dia Ahmad ’23 Sebastian Havira ’23 Siobhan Minerva ’24 Gabby Tepper-Waterman ’23 Sports Editors Shaine Davison ’23 Sarah France ’24 Nathan Grunfeld ’24 Gideon Wolf ’24 Copy Editors Ben Cromer ’24 Jessica Dubin ’23 Lela Miller ’24 Senior Design Editor Ilana Zahavy ’24 Graphics Editors Eliza Liebo ’25 Matilda Szwartz ’25 Julia Zorc ’24 Senior Web Editor Katie Fang ’23 Web Editor Claire Wang ‘23 Business Manager Cam Gordon ’23 Eli Gordon ’23 Assistant Business Manager Anna Costantino ’24 Photographers Dylan Elgart ’23 Anika Xi ’23 Social Media and Outreach Dani Itkin-Ofer ’24 Julia Russel ’23 Nolan Shanley ’23 Advisor Charles Henneberry The editors believe all facts presented in the newspaper to be accurate. The paper acknowledges that mistakes are possible and welcomes questions as to accuracy. Inquiries regarding accuracy should be directed to the editors of the paper. Editors can be contacted via e-mail at merionite@gmail. com or in Room 200A. To represent all viewpoints in the school community, The Merionite welcomes all lettersto the editor.

Letters can be sent via e-mail or dropped off outsideThe Merionite office. The Merionite reserves the right to edit letters to the editor for length or clarity. All unattributed images are courtesy of WikiCommons.

The Merionite | Opinions

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Editorial: Enforcement and education For anyone at LM who’s been affected by the volatility of these past few school years, it can be easy to grow weary of the unrelenting changes to our school day.

It can be easier still to long for a sliver of consistency; for things to just “go back to normal.” Unfortunately, it has become evident that there is no returning to life before the pandemic. It’s important for LM’s administration to recognize that students will never learn the same way they did before the pandemic–and teachers will never teach the same way either. It’s for these reasons that the newly instituted and reinforced policies of a preCOVID are a step in the wrong direction.

With COVID safety protocols in place, it was crucial that LM re-opened its campus for in-person learning.

Accommodations such as a late start and early dismissal for underclassmen with study halls helped to ameliorate the repercussions of having too many students in close proximity during the school day. With constant teacher absences and a lack of substitutes to fill the gap, students were relegated to the cafeteria or library for either a Zoom class or asynchronous learning.

Given the last couple of school years with these liberties, students returned to campus this year with similar expectations.

A flexible campus, lack of substitute teachers, and lighter course loads would have been seen as “normal.”

But since school has returned, it seems

that the pre-COVID rules are back in place. This poses a fundamental problem. Certain pre-COVID returns such as unmasking and normal school hours have proved easy for students to return to. The way in which students learn and interact, however, has been drastically affected and altered by the pandemic and the return to normalcy has not proven as easy. Much research has shown that since the start of the pandemic, students’ needs have changed. According to The Brookings Institution, “students and educators continue to struggle with mental health challenges [and] higher rates of violence and misbehavior.” Despite this clear difference, the LM administration has changed seemingly nothing about the way students are taught throughout LM. They have reinforced and reinstituted policies of the past, without recognition of a changed student body. Sure, those rules may have been sufficient for students pre-COVID. However, a change in student’s minds and behaviors must warrant a change in regulation and policy enforcement.

The transition from virtual learning to in-person did not come without its challenges. The most notable problem that arose was students’ increased propensity for violence. Fights broke out consistently throughout the second half of the 2021– 2022 school year, and seemed to be a result of the mishandled switch from virtual to inperson learning. In all fairness, COVID was a

difficult time for all. Most students in the building hadn’t experienced a normal semester of high school yet, and therefore, didn’t know how to handle the change. It, too, was an unprecedented experience for LM staff, and no one was prepared for the challenge it would provide. However, that is not to say that fights couldn’t have been prevented with adequate policies deferring them.

So, what is the solution, you may ask?

There isn’t a format on how to handle this change, just as there wasn’t a format on how to handle the changes in the thick of the pandemic. But it is clear that the current LM policies need to be revised. Rather than scaring students with the threat of stricter enforcement of long standing school rules, the LM administration needs to keep some lenient policies from COVID times. The shift in policy enforcement was not solely that relating to the writing policies but rather the ideologies that emerged. A true holistic view of the student experience and understanding and empathy for issues they were facing are two mindsets that need to linger in administration’s decisions. By doing this, the student body will be able to ease back into normalcy, rather than jumping right back into the deep end.

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

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

The right to be heard Last spring, when I was informed of the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade, I was in disbelief. The possibility of losing rights to my body infuriated me. In no way, I thought, should another person be able to tell me what I’m allowed to do with my own body. I didn’t understand how that could be up for debate. I was not going to stay silent and just let it happen. I decided I needed to take action. I was going to lead some type of peaceful protest in hopes of motivating the LM community to protect Noa Fohrer ’23 an entire generation from a loss of basic rights. Four days later, as I was walking out of my art class with my friend, expecting no more than fifteen other people to join me, I opened the door to the main entrance and discovered I was leading a schoolwide walkout with more than three hundred students. I felt the power of the student body supporting me. I could not have anticipated the storm that was brewing in the principal’s office just next door.

The following week, a senior at Harriton High School reached out about organizing another protest. I assembled a team of like-minded students to help lead the walkout. Our first thought was to inform administration to ensure they were onboard; even if they couldn’t promote it. Mr. Stroup, LM’s athletics and activities director, told us that he could not do anything directly to assist us but was in full support of what we were protesting for. Despite my optimistic outlook, the morning of the protest, less than an hour before school started, Jason Stroup sent an all-school email on behalf of interim Principal Scanlon warning students that if they participated in the protest, they could be marked as cutting class, receive detention, or be barred from retaking all tests and assignments.

Scanlon opened his email with a direct reference to the LMSD student handbook: “expression that is likely to or does materially and substantially interfere with the educational process.” My question to the board would be; isn’t exercising our right to freedom of speech a form of education? Isn’t the goal of the educational process–further than history dates and math equations to teach the importance of collaboration and leadership? The issue with current rules and their implementation seems to be the narrow, outdated definition of the “educational process” that guides them. The simple truth is that

Graphic below by Ilana Zahavy ’24/Staff

the educational process no longer takes place in stiff chairs and stuffy rooms. It’s on the streets, in discourse, and between shouts of protest. So I ask, who’s “education” are we really protecting?

In a system where we don’t have a lot of choice, it’s easy to feel powerless. School tells us when we have to wake up, when we are allowed to speak, when we are allowed to go to the bathroom, when we are allowed to eat, ect. I’m not saying our school is terrible, I think we are very fortunate to be able to attend one of the best schools in the state, but I think we can all agree it can be a discouraging system that can make you feel voiceless.

But we aren’t voiceless. To every student attending LM; know you have a voice. We all have a voice and we all can make ourselves heard.

I think as a part of the school system our administrators should be fighting for us, fighting to protect us, fighting for our futures, right? Isn’t that their job? So then why doesn’t it feel like it? One student notes their final assessment was put, with no warning, on that very day. LMSD’s retake policy meant his final grade dropped from a 96% to a final grade of 92%.

Another student recounted receiving a detention, for her first class cut because she chose to fight for her body over going to a class.

Stories like these show every other student, future or current, that these are the consequences for exercising their right to protest.

I ask the new principal and school board, not to take responsibility for past leadership’s mistakes but to learn from them. Despite what the student handbook might say, student’s will learn to take the torch of affecting change. We will become the generation that fights to the end and it’s important that we have a net to support us. I implore you to be on the right side of history we write. Because, detention or not, we will continue to learn these valuable lessons and advocate for ourselves.

If there’s one thing to be remembered from the events of last spring’s email, it’s that we still walked out.

We still marched. We still chanted. Isolated to the four walls of school where silence has become the norm, we still united as one. We were heard. We were featured on the local news, and inspired students from all around the tristate area. We did, and are continuing to, make an impact. So, I ask every student to remember that they can cause real change; so speak up. To know that every voice matters, and maybe with understanding this, maybe we will be able to educate those in power, too.

The Merionite | Opinions

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Hypocrisy in “action”

Connor Kleinman ’24 As I sat in my English class reading over Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, I could not help but take notice of the numerous lines condemning white moderates for their inaction in the Civil Rights movement. The white moderates of MLK’s time preferred order and a semi-mythical status quo where everyone got along and nothing was challenged “too quickly.” These same moderates of our own time share many of the same qualities with those who came before. They know what is required of them, but do not take action, shying away from confrontation. These moderates described are the members of the LM School Board. Our area has an overwhelmingly Democratic lean, with every School Board position occupied by members of the party. This is the same party that is supposed to stand up for equality, both for opportunity and education, and to advocate for students rather than ignore their needs. The ideological battles of our time are nothing compared to those faced by Martin Luther King in August of 1963, however, there is still progress to be made. Voter registration is one of the battles that King fought for in the South, yet we still fail to effectively address the gaps not only between races, but between age groups as well. Young voters make up one of the largest segments of the voting population, yet vote significantly below the national

average. Philadelphia passed a resolution (advocated by the nonpartisan organization PA Youth Vote) to make sure that all students would be registered to vote.

When proposed to our own School Board, a similar resolution was expected to be passed, with Harriton and LM students coming together in persuasion. But what was the result? Four bullet points. An extensive, multi-page resolution mandating education was watered down into a policy that merely encouraged voter registration, without providing the resources or backing necessary to actually register voters. The ideology of the supposedly enlightened moderate claims to be progressive but takes no imperative to act for racial equity. The same enlightened moderate claims to represent youth, but takes no action to register them to vote. The same enlightened moderate oversees an astounding legacy of racism in our school district yet does nothing to rectify it. And the same enlightened moderate lectures youth on why they should wait to have voter registration in schools. The School Board is by no means against voter registration, or actively taking steps to move us bac k wa r d s in society as is increasingly common in other areas of the country. Yet, a lack of forward progress is still an unconscionable abdication of responsibility to the youth of this district. Registering to vote is an act supported by everyone in LM, Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal. You can not have a functioning democracy without voter registration being taught. This is not about partisan affiliation or “bringing outsiders into our schools.” Groups like PA Youth Vote and Narberth League of Women Voters endorse the original resolution, groups that are non-partisan, local, and advocate for voter registration. It is great to learn about government in schools, but greater still to participate in it.

October 6, 2022

What is the spirit of LM?

Joy Donovan’23 Opinions Editor If you had to ask LM students about what makes our school a community, nine out of ten would find a way to use the word ‘spirit’ in their answer. As our school population grows exponentially and our district expands to accommodate the thousands of students returning to LMSD each fall, the word community becomes less endearing and more diagnostic.

With this comes a new challenge: how do we make something constructive out of the crowding? The answer as Aces seem to have found it lies in this intangible concept of ‘spirit’.

Through rolling the LM Rumble and reposting student Instagram accounts, students previously alienated by online schooling and COVID-era safety protocol have increasingly found space for themselves in Aces Nation.

There’s one crucial requirement to being fully christened in the church of Maroon and White, however. You must participate in the school’s spirit days, and you must be featured on your class’s story, or else you can consider yourself excommunicated. Spirit days are something for most students to look forward to. They’re an opportunity to see how far your classmates will go to fit the theme, no matter how potentially embarrassing; and if there’s one thing high schoolers love more than an excuse to wear pajamas or cowboy hats, it’s seeing everyone else do it, too.

Two kids with bikinis tied over their everyday clothing can find a sense of solidarity in each other. Sure it’s embarrassing, but at least it’s embarrassing for both of them. This idea makes spirit weeks some of the most energized and participated days of the year, rivaling only those especially anticipatory eves of long weekends and holiday breaks. As with anything generating this much attention, something less exciting has become the topic of discussion: what themes are appropriate? To the more scrutinizing critic, even USA and America themed days can

feel problematic. To some, they open the door for a school-sanctioned strain of nationalistic fervor in our classrooms. When we gaze upon the McCarthyist era’s anti-communism education and Islamophobia perpetuated in public schools in the early aughts under the guise of patriotism, things that have only in recent years truly been acknowledged for their detrimental effects on certain marginalized students, the premise of a day dedicated to demonstrating national pride can seem heavy handed. This theme alone, however, is not where the tangible issue lies. For the majority of students, even the ideologically left-wing, this day is tolerable, if not enjoyable. It’s good-natured fun and an excuse to wear red-white-and-blue outside of Bad Bunny’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway set and fireworks on the Fourth. But when this day comes in conjunction with a theme like, say, Hawai’i Day, a small grievance can gain traction. This is the problem that Harriton’s student council stumbled into. The themes for Harriton’s spirit days this September included a camo day for military appreciation and a Hawai’ian day. For anyone who knows anything about Hawai’i’s contentious history of exploitation by the U.S. military, the two seem like a controversial pairing. At best a careless oversight, it’s clear, to anyone paying attention at least, the line that has been drawn. One day represents America; everything that we stand for as a nation, the sacrifices made by our armed forces, and the resilience demonstrated by leadership following the terror attacks on 9/11. It’s a day of respect and remembrance. The other is a day shrouded in caricature of an indigenous population that we have decimated, leaving the relics of their culture for our appropriation. This distinction establishes the vision of two Americas: one of the colonizers, and one of the colonized.

“It’s not that big a deal.” I know, I know; it’s fun to wear plastic leis and grass skirts and do the hula on Instagram boomerangs. But we cannot claim ourselves to be a district dedicated to cultural literacy and appreciation if we cannot acknowledge the faults and malicious histories of even our most lighthearted traditions. It’s not that big of a deal because we choose not to make it one; a feat much easier to accomplish when our school district is only 0.1% Native Hawai’ian/Pacific Islander. The simple remedy, it seems, is to just choose different themes. There’s nothing particularly offensive about pajama pants or the newly instituted “Wacky Wednesday”. It seems that LM’s student council is doing it right. Hopefully as the year progresses and themed sports games become more frequent, we won’t opt for the easy route and revert to ostracizing themes.

Cafeteria troubles continued

Sam Abella ’24 Opinions Editor

Last school year, I wrote an Opinions article stressing the importance of a reformed LM cafeteria system. I outlined significant problems and inefficiencies surrounding the process, and even suggested new approaches to solve the issues at hand.

But not only have the problems persisted; they have been exacerbated by a new system For those who were not at LM last year, the process was different from our current lunch system. First and foremost, the entire cafeteria space was put into use. Entrées were located in the same place, however the snacks, fruits, and drinks were all available to be taken somewhat buffet-style. These items were found in shelves separate from where entrées were served and could be somewhat efficiently selected, saving time and alleviating crowding. However, the newly adopted system manages to only make matters worse.

The illogical process now combines selecting and taking an entrée, asking our hardworking staff

to find and hand over snacks and drinks, and then typing in our numbers to purchase lunches; and this is all centralized in one area. The only plausible reason for the change is to account for the consistent theft of food occurring last year.

However, if new and harsher policies were instituted, similar to the new attendance rules, stealing would be disincentivized. And by simply implementing security cameras, students could easily be snuffed out in the act. The change in lunch system is inefficient, time-wasting, and a poor utilization of the cafeteria space. In my experience buying lunch this year, I have been packed in a crowd without any clue where lines begin or end, and it has been unclear where to find certain foods. No signs, labels, or staff help guide the crowd nor direct people with where to go. In the mob, students force their way forward and nudge in front of others. When questioning students about their opinion, a common phrase appeared: “They somehow made it worse!” A positive implementation to lunches this year was the recent addition of stanchions, the barriers that separate lines. They seem to help direct the crowd, however they would be better served directing lines through the greater space in the cafeteria. Firstly, LM needs to revert back to the ways of the old lunch process, where items were spread across the cafeteria instead of centered in one area, while implementing better security procedures for theft. This way, LM gains efficiency and safety while breaking up the crowds into orderly lines with these stanchions employed.

Secondly, staggered times of students being able

Graphic by Eliza Liebo ’25/Staff

to purchase lunches should be implemented.

For example, upper-classmen could buy food during the first lunch and under-classmen could buy theirs during the second (with potential changes on a scheduled basis). There is far too great a number of students buying when lunch starts, and this is a problem that can easily be solved. However, staggered lunches may be an unpopular decision for many LM students. Alternatively, our school can begin offering food in multiple locations. Perhaps the entrées can be bought solely in the cafeteria, and the snacks, drinks, and fruit all in or outside the gymnasium.

The current system does not take into consideration the needs of LM students, and offers little to no flexibility. It is time LM takes responsibility for the efficiency and safety of our lunches.

We as students have spent far too much time enduring crowding and confusion. I believe it is time for a fresh start. Clearly, LM staff believed so too prior to this year, however, without taking into account the needs of students, they inadvertently changed the system into a free-for-all battle for a spot in the line. Without questioning safety, or taking polls for our perspectives, the new system issued by our staff simply made it from bad to worse. ACES expectations, the new mantra at our high school, directly calls for accountability and safety. Where is the accountability in not addressing student needs for something as important as lunch? Or how about the clearly unsafe environment within the packed crowd? It is time for a change. We as LM students deserve better, and are eager to work with administrators to improve the system, together.

October 6, 2022

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The Merionite | Opinions | Political Review

Graphic by Ilana Zahavy ’24/Staff

Voting into the future Our parents never had intruder drills. Many of them participated in the routine fire drills and tornado drills out of an abundance of caution - in many cases, the drills were nothing more than a chance to get a breath of fresh air.

During my second week of kindergarten I had my very first lockdown drill. That day, I came home and told my mom all about the drill, intertwined between the quips of what happened at recess or the crafts we did. My mom, with a straight face, said “That sounds like a great day, honey! But you should take those ‘lockdown drills’ seriously”. I never gave it a second thought and continued on with my Izzy Saler ’23 day—the blissful ignorance juxtaposed with the harsh reality of being a child living in today’s America. My mom, on the other hand, sobbed in secret asking herself why this was the world we were living in.

That drill was less than two years after 20 students aged seven to nine and six other victims were senselessly gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Every year around November there is banter in the hallways and between students about the upcoming election. Many jokes and claims like “I wouldn’t vote even if I could” float around. Despite the informal setting of these comments, they beg serious questions: Why vote? How is my vote going to make a difference? Voting allows for all participating voices to be heard and forces legislators to work on and resolve issues the public deems important while giving everyone fair representation in those solutions. There are a litany of reasons for a member of society to vote that will shape the citizens’ day-to-day life. Voting allows for citizen input on the quality and access to education; job opportunities and the monetary compensation from those jobs; changing infrastructure (notice how Montgomery Ave was recently repaved…?); and, importantly, citizen safety.

After the Parkland shooting in 2018, I was distraught. I was not only saddened for the victims and their families that lost loved ones so prematurely, but also selfishly for myself. I was terrified to realize what the Parkland shooting could mean for me as a student so dependent on the country I live in. I searched for ways that I could get involved and make a difference since I was too young to vote. I attended rallies and worked on the fleeting, immediate relief opportunities that would always spring up for a month or two after a big news story like Parkland breaks. For more long term action, I interned on Josh Shapiro’s Attorney General reelection campaign. I resonated with Shapiro’s message and knew his record reflected him putting his money where his mouth is. As the state’s top-cop, he kept Pennsylvania safe for four years, and I knew that would for another four.

After Attorney General Shapiro won his campaign, we rejoiced and took a breather, only for Pennsylvania though. The

country was currently under the rule of someone who I deemed an unfit and dangerous leader. All eyes turned to the crucial Congress elections. Through the power of voting and public representation, the House of Representatives was able to remain blue and the Senate flipped leaving the congress majority within the Democratic party. Two crucial wins that would boad well for gun control among other imperative policies for the two years to come. This is the importance of voting.

Now, as the 2022 election rolls around, several candidates take their positions and announce their hopes of being Pennsylvania’s next Governor. When the results of last Spring’s primaries came out, the Republican nominee was announced—an extreme right wing conspiracy theorist with little respect for human rights, let alone the principles of the nation. As a student, I am scared. As a Jew, I am scared. As a woman, I am scared.

Instead of letting those feelings of fear and anger brew inside of me, I released that energy into my work as a digital intern for the Josh Shapiro for Governor campaign.

Through my work, I saw how energized many Pennsylvanians are to participate in the upcoming elections—especially high school students.

Since January, Students for Shapiro have done an incredible job organizing college campuses across the Commonwealth to spread Shapiro’s message while registering students and young people alike to vote. Over the Summer, I launched and have directed the High Schoolers for Shapiro effort which now has around twenty chapters and over 250 members from all over Pennsylvania.

I have been able to speak with several students, many of whom are not yet voting age, from the most rural to the most metropolitan of Pennsylvania, all with a shared hope and reason for getting involved. Pennsylvania needs a leader who will protect liberties, freedoms, and human rights. The key in making that a reality is young people. The key is you. So you can’t vote in this election, neither can I. But you can still spread the message and educate others on the importance of voting. You can help people register to vote. The five votes you can wrestle out of potential voters is just, if not more, impactful than your individual vote would be if eligible.

The importance of voting can not be stressed enough. Seniors over eighteen—when November 8th comes around, find your polling location and march with your head held high knowing you will make a difference that day. You may not think your voice is powerful nor that any change will come of it, but it absolutely will. It is your right.

For freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors: do research and pick a candidate that you deem best fit for Pennsylvania.

Spread the word, get involved, and help others register and get to the polls whether it’s through an absentee ballot or at your local polling station. You are never too young to have your voice heard. Your voice is valuable not only in this election but in every election to come. Maybe one day, your child or your child’s child will come home from school talking about the popsicle stick house they built rather than the desk they had to crouch under.

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The Merionite |

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The Merionite | Arts & Entertainment

October 6, 2022

Hardcore: Rage against the Mainstream Oren Goldberg ’25 Before I give my reviews, I should explain a few things.

Hardcore punk, or hardcore, as I’ll be refering to it from now on, is punk rock at its logical extreme. Hardcore is the fast, rebellious nature of punk with the intensity and guitar riffage of heavy metal. Since its inception in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, hardcore has been aiding to push the boundries of underground and extreme music. This couldn’t be more true in this day and age.

Whether it be due to the rise of the internet, the fact that we were all stuck at home for a year, or a combination of both, it is a great time to be into this music. So, to you Merionite readers, I present to you two recent EPs (mini albums) that represent the extreme depths of the musical underground in recent years, in the best way.

Gel I hate the term female fronted, but to truly capture the rage presented and emotion conveyed in the vocal style Gel is in, it becomes a must. From just over the bridge in the great state of New Jersey, Gel is here to stay. Emerging onto the scene around 2018, they quickly released a demo and a promo before hitting the road, however, just like every other band, the pandemic put it to a halt.

But, in 2021, they came roaring back for their full length debut LP Violent Closure. The lyrics, which talk about issues like mental health, unhealthy relationships, and friendship troubles, bring in new, more introspective lyrical themes to a genre that has previously been known for men either screaming at you about the importance of brotherhood or about going vegan.

Gel raged into 2022 with a national tour, and in August released another EP, called SHOCK THERAPY, which was split with a grimmy, lo-fi, hardcore band from Bucharest, Romania named Cold Brats.

Focusing on the Gel side (although Cold Brats’ side is worth a listen), the EP is filled with attention grabbing metallic riffs and low grimy bass accompanied by gloriously shouty, rageful vocals. This EP is exactly what you would want and frankly what you’d expect out of the type of band I’ve just described. In particular the opening riff of the opening track–the first thing you hear when you put on the record–immediately pulls you in with a thrashing Metallica-esque riff. A pulsing drum hits before throwing the listener into a modernized, metaled-up take on old school California Hardcore (think Black Flag or the Germs). The four tracks are admittedly all very similar, but are still quite good.

If you want sonic depth and variety in your hardcore, than perhaps SHOCK THERAPY isn’t your EP. But if you want ten minutes of fun, moshable, hardcore with a solid blend of old-school and new school sounds and suprisingly introspective lyrics, then Gel’s latest EP is for you. And, if you really like them, be sure to make the trip up to New York City on October 25 and catch them at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn.

I can’t wait for Gel to get even bigger. All in all, I give it a solid 3.7/5. I liked a lot of what was going on, but I couldn’t help but feel the band was following a formula and not being creative enough.

World of Pleasure October 17 is Edge Day. But wait, what’s Edge Day? Since its inception in the early 1980’s, Straight Edge subculture is a subsection of hardcore punk related to a life style which advocates abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs, and in certain cases promotes a vegan diet. Not only has Straight Edge permeated itself into every aspect of alternative culture, it seems a new Straight Edge band pops up every day in the hardcore scene. But once a while, a true gem will appear. The newest example of this is World of Pleasure.

The two piece from Canada features ex-members of Canadian hardcore stalwarts Mortallity Rate and Serration. They utilize cutsey Y2K-esque graphics one would expect from an artist like Grimes, niche Nintendo references, and various electronic samples ranging from 90’s computer noises to dance pioneers to contribute to their band’s overall image. But don’t let the colorful facade fool you, World of Pleasure is capital B brutal.

Having formed in the midst of the pandemic and releasing their first demo shortly after in November of 2020, the Canadian duo quickly gained attention among the hardcore underground despite having never played a show. As pandemic restrictions lessened, shows started up again and slowly, word of the band got out.

That brings us to World of Pleasure’s debut EP: World of Pleasure & Friends. The cover, which features a late 90’s, early 00’s fever dream nightmare of what looks to be canned Nintendo graphics from 1996, perfectly encapsulates the captivative listening experience the listeners embark on. As soon as you hit play on the first track, “Domination 2,” you’re greeted with a sample from Super Mario 64 before a crushing onslaught of catchy, downtuned, slightly discordant riffs and a gloriously tingy snare drum bring its warm embrace.

Then the vocals. Perfectly screamed with a rage and put in just the right spot in the mix that your body almost involuntarily starts headbanging. Yet, when you take a minute to catch your breath and give your neck a rest, you realize something. These lyrics have a message. The main themes are animal rights and individuality. Punk and hardcore are genres famous their artists taking a firm stance, yet still, it’s always great when an artist firmly stands by a certain set of values. While the tracks all, to an extent, follow a formula, the riffs are varied enough, unique enough, and especially, catchy enough that listening isn’t monotonous, even for the weakest of attention spans.

If you love catchy, yet discordant, yet brutal hardcore music, post-ironic Y2K graphics, and want to be able to say, “I was into these guys before they were huge,” then, Canada’s finest, World Of Pleasure and their debut EP World of Pleasure & Friends is what you need in your life.

This is one of the better EPs from anyone in the underground music world that I’ve heard in a while.

Final verdict: 4/5. I don’t believe World of Pleasure is starting a new era in music history, but I am confident that they will be a big deal. I hope that you will give these two EPs a listen and hopefully grow to love this style of music and its scene and share my passion for it.

Meet me at midnight

Graphic by Ilana Zahavy ’24/Staff

Nolan Shanley ’23 As many Swifties know, Taylor Swift doesn’t know how to stop writing—now, she doesn’t know how to sleep. While concluding her Video of the Year acceptance at the 2022 VMAs, Swift broke the internet by informing the world that her tenth studio album, Midnights, will be dropping on October 21st, midnight EST. Although we need to wait a month for the release, here is what we know so far.

It has 13(ish) tracks.

The album is set to have thirteen original tracks, with a bonus track and two remixed tracks on the Target-exclusive vinyl. Via Instagram, Swift expressed that this collection of songs represent “13 sleepless nights scattered throughout [her] life.” While many fans speculated the actual genre of the album—pop, alternative, country, or even rock— iTunes confirmed that Midnights is going to be a pop album.

It’s going to be vulnerable.

Swift posted a short description of what to expect from the content of Midnights, and let me just say, we’ll all be entering our “Sad Girl Autumn” era this fall. Based on what she posted, it is safe to say that this may be her most personal and emotional work. “We lie awake in love and fear, in turmoil and in tears,” she starts off in her announcement displayxed across a photo from the album’s photoshoot as she sits mysteriously in a dark room. She continues, “this is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams…

The floors we pace and the demons we face. For all of us who have tossed and turned and decided to keep the lanterns lit and go searching—hoping that just maybe, when the clock strikes twelve…we’ll meet ourselves.” Chills? Good, me too.

The vinyl collection is immaculate.

If you didn’t know, Taylor Swift comes back stronger than a 90’s trend. So when sketching out the Midnights era, she designed not only one iconic vinyl, but four—one being the exclusive to Target. Days after the album announcement, she made four vinyls available to purchase. Titled Midnights: Jade Green Edition Vinyl, Midnights: Blood Moon Edition Vinyl and Midnights: Mahogany Edition Vinyl, each have an alternate cover photo from the album photoshoot in addition to different colored lettering. Many fans began to speculate whether Swift was hinting at the next re-recording since each disk color represents a color from a non-recorded album. While this is probably a reach, it wouldn’t be uncommon for Taylor Swift to do something like this at the beginning of a new music era. Although there is much to come, we Swifties are being fed at the moment.

You better tell your favorite artists to reschedule any upcoming releases or announcements because no one can dethrone Swift, not even Kanye West. I personally cannot wait for the release of Midnights!

Be there October 21, 12 A.M. Graphic by Ilana Zahavy ’24/Staff

October 6, 2022

The Merionite | Arts & Entertainment

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New york, new looks Dia Ahmad ’23 Arts & Entertainment Editor What does it mean to make an impression? The human brain is not capable of storing information from every reaction it encounters, so, we rely on first impressions in order to make judgment. Knowing this, many people spend their lives developing their own personal aesthetic: what it really means to be them. We saw this phenomenon happening during NYFW (September 9-14), the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn filled with influencers, models, and the general public all looking to show off their developed style. Some of the most popular looks consisted of Miu Miu ballet flats,Vivienne Westwood jewelry, Rick Owens shoes, Japanese designers, and Maison Margiela Tabi shoes. The trends were leaning towards more simple and classic styles. Issey Miyake was one of the most popular Japanese designers among social media He sadly passed away on August 5 of this year and to honor his memory, many people were seen wearing some of his most popular designs; pleated skirts and pants. Back to the latest trend of Vivienne Westwood jewelry, the designer’s jewelry closely resembles aspects of Japanese Graphic by Tillie Szwartz ’25/Staff animation Nana - a slow-burn, dramatised story of two girls

that have the same name, the character designs are heavily influenced by Vivienne Westwood. They wore pieces such as the Armor Ring and the impractical, yet infamous, horse-rocking shoes. What makes the design so special is the orb on the logo (a saturn with an iron cross on top). The animation gained popularity on Tiktok, but fans of Nana are happy to see the designer’s pieces proudly worn during NYFW 2022. Bella and Gigi Hadid made an appearance on the runway, dressed in Tom Ford’s metallic homage to the 70s disco era. Audiences were reminded of his relevance in today’s fashion. Bella Hadid alone manages to keep this generation in a chokehold when it comes to fashion trends. She’s one of the reasons you’ll see Adidas Sambas and platform Uggs on everyone’s feet. Personally, my favorite part of NYFW has to be the appearance of Seulgi from Red Velvet (a 5 member Korean girl group).

Seulgi elegantly observed from the front row of Peter Do’s runway show for his latest collection. Her appearance was a reminder of how influential K-Pop has become in the west.

Overall, NYFW has rejuvenated my love for fashion and my expectations for next year have significantly shot up.

Festival of free phones Maya Silbert ’23 In Philadelphia, this past Labor Day Weekend, the annual Made In America Festival was a chaotic way to end the summer. As always, the lineup was exciting and persuaded many people, including much of our student body, to purchase a two-day pass and celebrate the weekend. Despite the expensive beverages, food, and subpar bathroom options, the festival is always a big hit. This year, the exciting headliners included Tyler, The Creator, Bad Bunny (a fan favorite), Tate McRae, Lil Uzi Vert, Jazmine Sullivan and many others. The day consisted of music, dancing and fanny packs that should have stayed zipped at all times. In years past, there hasn’t been more stolen, lost, or disappearing phones than this year’s Labor Day. Olivia Walters ‘23 explained that she hadn’t even realized her phone was missing until after coming out of a crowd of hundreds of people, when she noticed that her fanny pack had been unzipped. Finley Hoffman ‘23 also said that her friends had attempted to call and track her phone numerous times, but the location had been turned off. While no one can be certain on what exactly happened on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, there were numerous rumors about potential “phone robbers” throughout the weekend.

Festival goers were then advised, as always, to keep sharp watch on all valuable items. Made in America typically is a strange and tiring weekend, but this past Labor Day Weekend was something else. People say Verizon was practically “handing out phones” in the days that followed the festival. While this tragic wave of missing phones has most likely discouraged many people from returning back to the festival, it is definitely a story to tell and hopefully joke about in the future!

For Shaine Davison’23, it took her two weeks to replace her stolen phone, but luckily her insurance covered the cost.

Photo by Shaine Davison ’23/Staff

Ticketmaster monopoly Dani Itkin-Ofer ’24

This past spring, Harry Styles supporters were thrilled when the adored singer announced show dates for the late summer and fall. Fans buzzed with anticipation of ticket sales, but the looming elephant in the room was still unaddressed- the ticket prices.

Followers were outraged at the absurd costs of attending a concert. Recently, since ticket prices have been at a record high, they have become inaccessible for the majority of fans. Ticketmaster, a ticket selling company, is the offender. One of the most popular platforms for ticket purchases, the idea behind Ticketmaster’s immersive platform is to allow customers to buy tickets of their choice in an accessible and easy way. Called “dynamic” pricing, they price the tickets based on demand for the tickets, taking into account factors such as the amount of people waiting online to purchase them. The process of buying tickets for any big artist is as follows. The artist or band will announce their tour date and the date of ticket sales, then pre-sales will start on Ticketmaster for randomly selected fans. Fans wait in anticipation for unknown period

oftime, before they are finally brought to the page where they can buy tickets. Tickets have to be bought immediately because of the extremely competitive market.

This process is repeated once again during the official sale of the tickets, contributing to a cycle of anxiety. If fans miss the ticket selling event, Ticketmaster also periodically releases tickets on their site for “platinum prices,” which is double or triple the original price. For example, tickets can be priced at $600 during these releases, instead of their face value of $200. They hold a large number of the tickets available for the venue, so they are normally one of the few options fans have for ticket purchases. Further, Ticketmaster adds exorbitant predetermined fees on their website that up the price significantly.The unfair pricing used by Ticketmaster is the cause of controversy among the music community. Fans have to choose between either paying for costly tickets or not attending events, leaving devoted fans with the loss of the concert experience. Artists need to step up and take initiative over this problem instead of letting Ticketmaster exploit their customers.

Graphic by Eliza Liebo ’25/Staff

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October 6, 2022

The Merionite | Features

LM foodies James Korin ’24 One of the most popular conversations during lunch is the school administered lunch itself. School lunches have been the topic of discussion since elementary school, but it appears that this year’s lunch is sparking more controversy than ever. It is safe to say that the majority of people who buy lunch have strong opinions on the food, pricing, and purchasing process. When asked, “What are your thoughts on the school lunch?” one student responded, “I think they are kind of expensive and that it takes a little too long to check out.”

When interviewed about the taste of the school food, one student gave a surprising, yet fitting response. They explained that “it tastes like Mitch Trubisky throws,” referring to the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team who is nearly unanimously considered average to lackluster. Even average seemed like a generous label to this student who elaborated that the chicken was “dryer than my DMs,” and the pizza was “just bad.” Yet, upon further conversation, the student revealed that the food just tasted “a bit cheap” and that

with some ketchup “the chicken tasted pretty good.”

Though quite unproportionate, not every response was negative. In fact, some were actually positive. For example, a student mentioned that they wished they would have gotten more of the buffalo chicken mac and cheese.

Granted, they were complaining about the portion size, but, nonetheless, they were left wanting more. Another student affirmed that the old bay fries were “pretty good”, and that the effort to make them taste better was clearly there.

Hopefully these reviews do not deter students from buying lunch, but maybe promote better quality food instead. Regardless, it is expected that public school lunches will be considered underwhelming; they are notoriously poor quality around the country and always have been, but that doesn’t mean they always have to. However, it is important to emphasize that the complaints are in regard to the quality of food itself rather than the quality of preparation. Needless to say, students aren’t thrilled with the lunches, but like every other year, it just takes some time to get acclimated.

Sunrise with the seniors Julia Russel ’23 The infamous Senior Sunrise that occurs on the first Friday of the school year was a hit! The few weeks before approaching the big morning were filled with lots of brainstorming and teamwork from the senior class officers, Aiden Friedman, Angela Ge, Mia Locascio, Julia Russel, and Nolan Shanley. In order to raise money for future events, such as the senior prom, class officers focused on selling baked goods and coffee. With the help of Nolan Shanley, Spread Bagelry donated three-hundred bagels and Starbucks donated coffee,

sugar, and cups. September 9 consisted of waking up at 4:30 AM to set up tables on Arnold field which were carefully placed on the track with bagels, donuts, and coffee. By 6 AM, the field was filled with sleepy seniors in cozy sweatpants, holding big blankets. Music was smoothly playing in the background as the sun rose.

Smiles, laughter, and the smell of bagels filled the air.

Everyone was excited to be up hanging out with friends and acquaintances. Some groups took photos and some fooled around playing soccer. The event was a success!

Graphic by Tillie Szwartz ’25/Staff

While the weather for Harriton’s scheduled senior sunrise was rainy, LM’s was perfect and just the right temperature.

Photo by Dylan Elgart ’23/Staff

Spooky season group costumes Lila Anafi ’24 With Halloween approaching, it’s time for the annual debate in the group chat over costume plans. Whether you’re receiving judgemental looks while on your trick-or-treating route or going to a Halloween party, a group costume sends the message that: at least I have enough friends to do this with.

So, without further ado, here are a few group costumes to choose from for this year’s Halloween: 1. A large lewis dot structure of carbon (each group member dresses as an electron).

There is no better way to bond with friends than by dressing as the bonding between atoms of a molecule. An added bonus is that you get to show off your chemistry knowledge.

2. Taylor Swift eras.

Long live the queen. Go bold with a Reputation-themed look, or keep it subtle as Folklore or Evermore.

3. Canceled celebrities.

What’s Halloween without a bit of spice — and not the pumpkin-flavored kind.

4. Kanye West tweets.

“Have you ever thought you were in love with someone then realized you were just staring into a mirror for twenty minutes?” — your next Halloween costume, possibly?

5. Soccer moms at the last game of the season.

Melissa, Karen, and Jennifer. Members of the PTA. 6. The seven Great Lakes.

For bonus points, include topographically accurate diagrams of the surrounding shorelines.

7. The ghosts of Queen Elizabeth II. She’s gone through so many phases it’s hard to pick just one: from young, classy Queen Elizabeth to wise, secluded Queen Elizabeth.

No matter what you and your friends decide upon, Halloween is the perfect time to show off a creative and coordinated costume. Don’t forget to keep these ideas in mind if you’re struggling last minute to come up with a unique and one of a kind group costume that everyone will wish they had thought of.

Graphic by Tillie Swartz ’25/Staff

October 6, 2022

The Merionite | Features

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Hi LM! I’m Eli Gordon and I’m your Student Council President. Over the course of this school year, I hope to build a stronger, more spirited community in school, create diversity in Student Council, and plan exciting events such as homecoming and football games featuring the Dawg Pound. Let’s also make sure to cheer on all LM sports teams!

Attending vibrant sports games has been one of my favorite parts about LM thus far. If you’re a freshman or sophomore, attempt to take advantage of every opportunity to get involved whether it’s school or spirit. Ask questions and reach out to clubs you’re interested in–they’re always happy to accept new members! I spent my time during the summer in Israel and at the beach. I also made sure to make improvements in Student Council. Let’s continue making this year awesome! Believe it or not, I can put both of my legs over my head, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, I don’t dislike a subject in school, and I’m exceptional at Instagram giveaways. My astrological sign is Aries and my favorite subject in school is humanities. Other than serving as your Student Council President, I also partake in DECA, The Merionite, BuildOn, and The Starfish Project for Children. Have a great year LM!

Hi! My name is Cam Gordon and I’m your Vice President! This year, I plan to make LM a place that people want and feel comfortable coming to each day. Fun stuff coming! If you are an underclassman, I recommend you try new stuff! I know it’s cliche but it’s a cliche for a reason. LM has so much to offer and if you don’t like something, just stop going. But you will never know what you’re missing out on until you try it. This summer, I went to Italy and Israel with my friends, then did summer work!

My astrological sign is Cancer and my favorite subject in school is History. Other than student council, I also participate in Ultimate Frisbee, Deca, and The Merionite.

Hello Aces! I’m Mia Hail and I’m serving as your Secretary.

My goal is to increase student participation in Student Council, increase spiritedness in all sports and other activities, and make LM enjoyable with new student council initiatives. Underclassmen: always remember to take advantage of Lunch and Learn to visit teachers and join a few clubs you’re interested in participating in for multiple years. Also, you should not randomly stop in the middle of the hallway. Over the summer I traveled to Switzerland to visit my family. My favorite subject this year is Pyschology and my least favorite is Calculus. My astrological sign is Sagittarius, I am News Editor for the Merionite, I can speak German, and I participate in soccer, Mock Trial, and HSDA.

Hey LM! I’m Cyrus Bernstein and I’m your Student Council Treasurer. Through Student Council, I want to have all students feel like they have a meaningful part in their school community and create a sense of inclusion. I also want to make school a fun and exciting place to attend. To accomplish this, all underclassmen should get involved. There are so many ways you can get involved at Lower Merion, whether it be by joining various clubs, showing your school spirit, or attending games. Some of the most special parts of my last four years at LM haven’t involved just the academic side of school.

Besides Student Council, I also am a member of the Principal’s Advisory counsil DECA, and NHS. Hey! I’m Hutton Smith and I’m your Sergeant AtArms. This year, I hope to expand the scope and scale of student government. I would like to see a larger portion of the student body involved with more diversity in race, gender, grade, and otherwise.

With that, I also aim to improve and increase the involvement of general members of Student Council; spreading the work and getting more people involved will better Student Council as a whole. This summer, I went to Israel with BBYO and got to travel the country for three weeks.

Outside of Student Council, I take part in DECA, LM Democrats, Principal’s Advisory, and Chess Club.

Graphic by Ilana Zahavy ’24/Staff

Pictured below is the cabinet (to the left) and spirited seniors Gabby Tepper-Waterman ’23, Alina Morin ’23, and Jessica Dubin ’23 (to the right) The cabinet and comittee heads have been hard at work from making music Friday playlists and planning the 3 v. 3 bascketball tournament.

Photos courtesy of Anika Xi ’23 and Dylan Elgart ’23/ Staff

October 6, 2022

The Merionite | Sports

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No surprise: Aces boot Rams Jake Stoller ’24 On September 13, the Aces boys’ varsity soccer team took further after starting defender Thanos Daniilidis ’23 became unavailable for the the field against their township rivals, the Harriton Rams, contest. With the rivalry on the line, the LM squad had to rise to the occasion and demin a long-awaited, primetime matchup. Since the two teams onstrate an ability to overcome adversity, while performing under considerable pressure. only compete against each other once a season (excluding And, at the sound of the whistle, the Aces did just that. LM quickly jumped ahead with any potential playoff contests), this fixture always comes early first-half goals courtesy of Elliot Holl ’23 and Justin Poles ’23. After a short scoralong with an air of extra excitement. ing drought between the end of the first half and the beginning In the days leading up to the game, of the second, Sam Nyenka ’23 broke the game wide open with the Aces held specially designed back-to-back goals. After each score, the recent West Virginia practices that focused on exploiting University commit performed his signature backflip, drawing Harriton’s weaknesses, a strategic an emphatic roar from the home crowd. To top off an astoundmeasure that is reserved for only the ing team performance, midfielder Max Schmieder ’24 scored his Graphic by Julia Zorc ’24/Staff most important of matches. Howsecond goal of the season late in the second half. On the defenever, players and coaches were not the only ones with the battle sive front, Johnson guarded the Aces’ net, making some imprescircled on their calendar. LM sports fans, especially the members sive diving stops, as LM secured their third consecutive clean sheet. of the notoriously electric Dawg Pound, were anxiously awaiting In the end, the Aces dominated their opponents in stunning game day. On the day of the match, the spirited student section fashion, blanking Harriton by a score of 5-0 in front of a thrilled arrived in their coordinated, all-black attire, with over a hundred The team conducting their pre-game Dawg Pound. From start to finish, the Aces played with the students filling the bleachers like menacing shadows, looming tradition. fluidity of a well-oiled machine, countering the Rams’ every move.

Photo courtesy of Devon Christini ’25 over Arnold Field. As per usual, the Dawg Pound supplied an Winger Ben Cromer ’24 ventured to say that it was the team’s invigorating intensity to the atmosphere, comparable only to that of college student sections. “best performance of the season,” praising the squad’s immaculate teamwork. Although Before the game, starting keeper Crosby Johnson ’24 anticipated that it would be, the team certainly enjoyed obliterating their rivals, the players have their sights set on far “One of our toughest matchups of the year.” The Rams entered the game 3-2, with an loftier goals this fall. With an undefeated record so far, the Aces hope to compete for the impressive goal differential in each of their three victories. Despite the spirited nature of Central League, District, and even State championships. However, their schedule only the LM-Harriton rivalry, Johnson admitted that, “They’re a good squad and we’re just look- gets more difficult from here on out, and it certainly will not be easy. As Josh Huh ’24 ing for a good result.” In addition to the stiff competition, the Aces were disadvantaged simply said after the game, “Thank you to everyone who came out. Let’s keep it coming.”

Running it back Sarem Khan ’24 It’s a new era for the Boy’s Lower Merion Cross Country team with new Head Coach Neal Berman and assistant Coach Isaac Jennings leading the way. The boys are dialed in and have been training rigorously throughout the summer and the beginning of the school year. Despite the fact that only two of the top five from last year’s district champion squad remain, many people on the team are beginning to step up.

Multiple members of the team broke their previous best times in only the first race. Captains Alex Goonewardene ‘24 and Drew Gannon ’23 leads the team chant Sajan Blum ‘23 looked very strong in the season opener and before the first meet. have shown great leadership as the season has progressed.

Photo courtesy of Sarem Khan ’24 Captain Andrew Gannon ‘23 has had some impressive

showings at practice throughout the past months and looks to bring in some individual titles this season. Juniors Nate Grunfeld, Ethan Murray, and Alan Chen have been working hard all summer. Many people underestimate the trio, but they are ready to run fast and become vital parts of the team. Freshmen Alex France and Arjay Miller have added more depth to the squad. This upcoming season, expect nothing less than more hardware.

The post-season begins on October 16th and the team expects to win another Central League Championship. After that, they will take on District One Championships at Lehigh University- a highly competitive meet where many teams look to win it all. Last year, LM entered the season ranked 10th in the District, but they finished as champions. Back-to-back District championships is a triumph that the phenoms are very capable of achieving.

The boys are a living embodiment of the Aces spirit. The Pennsylvania rankings underestimate them every year, yet they continue to prove themselves in the best possible ways.

Making the leap Nathan Grunfeld ’24 & Gideon Wolf ’24 Sports Editors Each year, hundreds of freshmen enter LM for the first time. While the district strives to prepare these students academically by giving tours, holding assemblies, and sharing an abundance of information, the jump from middle school to high school athletics is often overlooked. Especially for those playing a fall sport, the jump can be quite intimidating, as they must face a new level of competition. Furthermore, some are encouraged to partake in preseason sessions, a concept foreign to middle school sports. Despite this, athletes from the class of ’26 are doing their best to leave a mark on the playing field.

Even before the school year starts, some freshman athletes venture out to Arnold Field on early summer mornings for their respective preseasons. They engage in grueling workouts and intense practices, all hoping to capture the attention of coaches.

Immediately, the freshmen are able to feel the difference. Cross country runner Alex France ’26 said, “competition has become much more intense and times and placement feel more important than ever.” However, there are benefits as well. France feels that the added intensity only makes participating more rewarding, as his training regimen increased by tenfold, but he believes that cross country has “only felt better and more fun at the high school level.” Another freshman, Lola Widjaja ’26, mentioned that preseason for the field hockey team “was a great way to meet new people, espe-

cially since I didn’t know many people before,” and also provided practice time “to get better at field hockey.”

In addition, the freshmen do not have to experience the transition alone. The upperclassmen and team captains play perhaps the most crucial role in welcoming their newest teammates. Team leaders have the all important role of showing the freshmen how they should conduct themselves on and off the field. Also, by reaching out and forming connections with the younger athletes, they can turn a potentially terrifying experience into a positive one. France emphasized the welcoming nature of the cross country program, saying, “I also feel 100% more ready for each workout and race, as I always have an older teammate to Alex France ’26 running talk to.” Across other fall sports, LM freshmen are at the Hershey Pre-State building bonds with teammates while acclimating Invatational. to this brand new environment as best as they can. Photo courtesy of Alex France ’26

Aces on ice Juliano Lucca ’23 & Simon Harwood ’25 The LM Aces Ice Hockey team is eager to begin another season. Looking to avenge last year’s roller coaster season, the Aces brought in Head Coach Dan Harkins, a new leader to help rebuild the locker room. The past several seasons have been a whirlwind, as the 2021 season was shortened by the pandemic and last season became unpredictable. The team felt a loss of accountability and often felt “disconnected.”

As with any new coach, Coach Harkins brings in new ideas and rules. To help lay down the law, Harkins has preached an effort to become a team “that no one wants to play.” Already, the LM Ice Hockey Team has begun weekly practices and held tryouts. These tryouts enforced new expectations. Leniencies that once existed for unexcused absences from practices, strength, conditioning, and games have been removed.

LM already has a trimmed roster of thirteen varsity players and a goalie. Among these players are seniors Juliano Lucca, Connor Dillon, Andrew McCann, Dylan Peterson and Jesse Ufberg. Junior Remy Kagan and sophomores Simon Harwood, Kiernan Ryan, Toby Myers, Harry Crane, and Andrew Bachman also return. Freshmen Sam Flood and Marcus Lord round out the varsity roster. With only three seniors graduating last year, the Aces are a largely upperclassman team, something that could prove to be an advantage when playing against bigger and faster competition. Swing and JV players have an opportunity to prove their skills to earn time on

varsity. The Aces have also jumped back up to the Central League, leaving Division 2. With the exception of last season, the Aces have always been a member of the Central League. Instead of playing Oxford and Kennet, LM now plays Haverford, Springfield, and Strath Haven once again. Joining LM from D2 is Marple Newtown, another previous member of the Central League. The Harriton Rams are not returning to the Central League. In addition to league games played against their rival, the Aces look forward to the second annual outdoor Mainline Cup against Radnor. The Aces look for revenge, falling just short in the first Mainline Cup—losing by one goal.

One of the bright spots of last year was attendance at the games.

The rowdy Dawg Pound made appearances during many home games last season, which the Aces greatly appreciated. The Aces hope for even more turnout this year to their home games.

The new coach, new roster, and return to the central league are all reasons to get excited about the Aces’ 20222023 ice hockey season. The team knows it will be an uphill battle, but is ready to put Graphic by Julia Zorc ’24/Staff its best foot forward for success.

Puck icon courtesy of flaticon

The Merionite | Sports

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October 6, 2022

Same district, different leagues Josh Greenberg ‘24 Following the conclusion of a disappointing season in 2021, the LM football team looks to capitalize on an opportunity to prove their worth. Although the team lost multiple skillful seniors, notably Jay Zhang, Jack Lledo, and Paul Liang, the Aces have filled their roles with talented, up-andcoming young players who have the potential to break out as stars. However, the Aces have had a tough time manufacturing wins, mustering just one in the first four games.

Kicking off the 2022 season, LM looked forward to a favorable matchup against the Pottstown Trojans, an out-of-conference opponent. Prior to this face off, the Trojans were in shambles, having lost 14 straight games. To the Trojans’ misfortune, the end to this streak would have to wait. Facing little adversity throughout the game, the Aces amounted to a thirty-five point lead through the first three quarters. This spurt would taper off in the fourth, however the Aces’ defense was able to clamp down the Trojans through the buzzer.

Despite the strong start to the season, the tables turned quickly for the Aces. Commencing their in-conference play, LM matched up against the Conestoga Pioneers. Although the Pioneers finished on top, the Aces’ spirited play kept the margin to just one point by the end of the game. However, the Aces’ misfortune continued. LM proceeded to surrender a combined 45-point deficit in back-to-back crushing defeats against Marple Newtown and Upper Darby.

Nevertheless, “the culture inside the program is changing,” claims two-year captain Xavier Archawski ’23.

As stated by Andrew Cook ’24, the Aces’ “will to fight”

against “some of the best teams in [the] area” is a part of the team’s culture that is ingrained in their mindset, regardless of their status. This top dog mentality has been fed into the Aces’ program, setting forth the mindset to never “back down from a fight,” as Cook puts it. Consequently, despite not having the strongest team, the Aces continue to brawl against their Central League opponents,

unlike their Lower Merion Township counterpart.

In spite of the Aces’ struggles in the Central League, the Harriton Rams demonstrate that the circumstances could be much worse. Prior to this season, the Rams had lost eighteen consecutive games by a mind blowing margin of 670 points, over thirty-seven points a game. According to Archawski, players within the Aces’ program “joked about how they would need to choose their opponents in order to win. Ironically, this is what happened.” Over the summer, Harriton, along with the league’s approval, decided to discontinue Central League play until 2024. According to Shawn Albert, Harriton’s athletic director, this settlement allows the Rams to “build our program” by providing “competition relative to our current number [of] participants and experience levels.” Despite the advantageous talent-bolstering schedule, the Rams “need a lot more than schedule changes in order to see some success,” remarks Archawski. Although the Rams’ future is unclear, one thing for certain is that they got tired of being humbled week-in and week-out.

While the Aces may be in turmoil early on this season, the end of the tunnel is in sight. Many young, inexperienced stars fill the Aces’ depth chart, awaiting their turn to shine on the field. Nonetheless, the program needs to “gain support from more than just a small [minority] of the LM population” in order to see success, asserts Archawski.

Graphic Julia Zorc ‘24/Staff Photos courtesy of The Enchiridion

Photos courtesy of (from left to right) The Enchiridion (first and second), Luke Shephard ’24/Staff, Devon Christini ’24, Anna Costantino ’24, and Elias Dutwin ’24 Graphic by Emmi Wu ’23/Staff

Faces of The Aces All photos courtsey of respective athletes

Freshman Dylan Steinberg

Sophomore Nora Whalen

Junior Alex Goonwardene

Senior Owen Folk

What sport(s) do you play?

Soccer What is your favorite memory of your sport?

Beating the #1 team in the country in ECNL National Playoffs What is your favorite part of fall?

The cool weather Who is your favorite athlete of all time?

Mia Hamm

What sport(s) do you play?

Field hockey, swim, and lacrosse What is your favorite memory of your sport?

Field Hockey Playday this season What is your favorite part of fall?

School spirit days Who is your favorite athlete of all time?

Tyrese Maxey

What sport(s) do you play?

Track and Field and Cross Country What is your favorite part of fall?

Carving pumpkins What is your favorite memory of your sport?

Winning Cross Country Districts last year Who is your favorite athlete of all time?

Galen Rupp

What sport(s) do you play?

Footbal and Lacrosse What is your favorite memory of your sport?

The atmosphere of night games.

What is your favorite part of fall?

The Weather Who is your favorite athlete of all time?

Shaquille O’Neal