The Merionite
Ardmore, PA, 19003
September 17, 2015
October 30, 2014
The official student newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 The official student newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 www.themerionite.org Volume 86, Issue 1
Catholic Controversy Kelly Harrigan ’17 After the controversial firing of Waldron Mercy Academy educator, Margie Winters, many in the community have been actively supporting her campaign advocating equality for LGBT educators. Waldron Mercy Academy is a private Catholic elementary school on Montgomery Avenue in Merion. On May 26, a parent lodged a complaint— one that would have life-altering repercussions for Waldron Mercy Academy principal Nell Stetser. The complaint was initiated because Waldron’s Director of Religion, Margie Winters, had denied the parent’s proposal to adopt a new religious curriculum at the school. This complaint, however, was not solely about the curriculum; it was also about Winters being in a same-sex relationship. Shortly after the complaint was submitted, the same parent sent letters to Waldron’s school board and the Sisters of Mercy, the sponsors of the school, with the same objections. Additionally, an anonymous call with a similar theme was made to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Consequently, almost a month later, after declining to resign and learning that her teaching contract with Waldron would not be renewed, Winters had to press the pause button on her life as a religious director in order to press play on her new mission: spreading change and the acceptance of LGBT Church workers in the Catholic Church. Over the next fifteen days, the news reached fellow Waldron educators and parents, and before long the general public began to respond with support. Active expressions of this response include: a petition for Winters containing 23,000 signatures delivered to the Archdiocese; the formation of a Facebook page labeled “Stand With Margie” which, as of September 10, had 11,889 likes; and numerous interviews and articles conducted about Winters and her journey by the likes of Eyewitness News, CNN, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. In addition to the reaction of the local community, Waldron parents and alumni have spread the news of Winters’ contract expiry and personal stories of their wonderful experiences with Winters. “It says so much about the community at Waldron, who Waldron is, and what we believe,” Winters remarked about the school’s community response. She went on to say, “Everything I did at Waldron was a community effort, and this is as well.”
Please see MARGIE WINTERS page 2
Roxanna Pasquier ’17 Following his visits to Washington, D.C. and New York City, Pope Francis will arrive in Philadelphia on September 26 to partake in a weekend of speeches and masses that will culminate with the World Meeting of Families. Starting on September 26, the lives of Lower Merion and Philadelphia residents will be greatly altered for two days due to the arrival of a simple man preaching messages of peace and love. This man is the Pope: one of the most famous faces in the world, head of the Catholic Church, and a radical new face emerging from an ancient source. His visit will begin with a private mass on Saturday, September 26 at 10:30 a.m. The Supreme Pontiff will then move to the Independence Mall to deliver a public speech addressing controversial issues such as immigration and religious freedom. The event starts at 4:45 p.m. and is estimated to attract over 50,000 people due to its accessibility. After his speech, the Pope will travel to the Ben Franklin Parkway at 7:30 p.m. to take part in the Festival of Families and a prayer vigil. The gathering is open to the public and will provide activities such as bus tours of the national Catholic Shrines and performances by Colombian rock musician Juanes and opera singer Andrea Bocelli. In addition, the Art Museum will extend its hours to showcase its themed exhibits. The Pope is expected to speak and mingle with the public. On Sunday morning after a meeting with Bishops at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, the Pontiff is scheduled to visit the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. As well as being an advocate for the poor, the Pope has also expressed concerned with the wellbeing of prison inmates. He is planning on meeting with select inmates who were chosen for their good behavior, as well as with their families and some prison staff. These prisoners are eagerly awaiting his arrival and some are building a chair especially for the Pontiff. The Pope will then proceed back to the Parkway at 4 p.m. for the World Meeting of Families. He will lead a public mass to an estimated 400,000 attendees. His visit will conclude with a private meeting at the Philadelphia International Airport with the World Meeting of Families staff. Due to the mayhem of the scheduled events, Lower Merion Township is warning citizens to be prepared for the estimated 1.5 million visitors. Officials are encouraging people to plan ahead and try to use alternate methods of transportation such as car pools and bicycling. SEPTA has announced that the only regional rail available will be from select stations including 30th Street Station, Radnor Station, and King of Prussia Station. Travelers using these trains must have a Special One Day Regional Rail Pass. Many roads are being closed as well, starting Friday, September 25 at 10 p.m. including as I-76 from exit I-476 to Route 1, I-676 in both directions, Route 1, Belmont Ave. More are expected to be announced. The Ben Franklin Bridge will be closed to all vehicular traffic from Friday at 10 p.m. until Monday at noon. The bridge will be available to pedestrians and emergency vehicles. Consequently, LMSD is closing school on Friday, September 25 and there will be a 2 hour delay on the following Monday. Weekend plans have also been halted with coaches and advisors being asked to reschedule weekend activities. For example, the girls’ cross country team will not participate in the legendary Bull Run course, a deeprooted tradition, due to the papal visit. In addition, residents are warned to be aware of strain on the region’s ability to provide security, medical, and logistical support to residents. Alerts are available via apps such as Blackboard Connect or MontcoSAFER concerning road closures or any other disturbances to normal life. The papal visit will be closely monitored and will hopefully be a wholesome, uplifting experience for everyone involved.
NEWS Power Hour
A&E The Man From U.N.C.L.E
A report on the biggest schedule changes since Mr. Hughes took over as principal. page 2
A review of the summer spy thriller giving Bond a run for his money. page 13
OPINIONS Ain’t I A Woman? Blessing Osazuwa shares an honest view on intersectional feminism. page 6
Graphics by Sam Gamberg/Staff
FEATURES Back To School: LM Edition pages 8-9
SPORTS Golf - Not On Par With Its Perception?
page 16
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NEWS
September 17, 2015
The Merionite
Math with lunch on the side Sophie Roling ’18
Photo by Staff
Margie Winters
As the new school year rolls in, so does change to LM’s schedule. Starting on September 28, the administration will implement the “Lunch and Learn” program. Unlike the traditional Academic Recovery (AR), this program, often referred to by students as “Power Hour,” will be combined with lunch for an hour every day. Students will be able to spend their lunch receiving help from a teacher or doing work as well as eating lunch with their friends. Unlike the old system, which replaced AR with advisory once a week, advisory will be held directly after “Power Hour” on A days for 20 minutes, making classes slightly shorter on days with advisory. Another change is that since classes now run until the end of the day, athletes who leave early for sports around 2:15 to 2:20 will miss part of their last set. One of the main reasons for the schedule change was student-based requests for more time during school to receive help from teachers and get work completed prior to afternoon classes. Additionally, administrators wanted to give students more responsibilities and allow them to take their academic resources into their own hands. Hughes says, “My hope is that students will take ownership of this time––we are still a closed campus, but now, I am giving students more time to see teachers, work with other students, and have some ownership in the learning process.” Another change that comes with “Power Hour”––one that should come as a relief to students––is that they no longer have to sign up somewhere for
AR every day. If students want to meet with teachers, they can do so without having to sign up online. If students do not need to see teachers, they will have the time for themselves instead of having to choose a specific location each day. Clubs can also meet during “Power Hour” as they had with AR. However, if a teacher or counselor feels that a student needs help in a class, he or she will either automatically be assigned to a teacher or be required to choose an academic space in which to spend part of “Power Hour.” These situations could range from a student having a D or an F in a class to a teacher simply feeling that a student is falling behind. The combination of lunch and study time, as well as the increase in student population, comes with the need for more student spaces. As a result, Administration has added more places for students to eat and do work throughout the day. For example, previously bare alcoves are now useful study spaces with comfortable chairs and white boards. With the opening of these new spaces, Hughes would like to remind students to take pride in and respect the school building by keeping it clean. The goals of the “Lunch and Learn” program are to provide students with more opportunities to get their work completed and to prompt students to take greater control of their schoolrelated responsibilities. The Lower Merion administration hopes that students will use this time and use it to their advantage to make the best of their school year.
From CATHOLIC CONTROVERSY, page 1 Winters is glad to have worked in a school whose student and parent body continues to reach out to her during this very controversial time. As one learns of Winters’ story, a common query tends to surface: why did she apply to Waldron in full awareness of it being a Catholic academy and knowing the Catholic Church’s view on same-sex relationships? Her answer: “It was a job that reached every part of the community. It was the kids skipping through the hallways that really sold me. It was so beautiful to see.” She goes on to describe her life as a member of the Catholic Church: “I’ve been a Catholic all of my life. This is who I am. I am a Catholic through and through.” Winters first met Waldron’s former principal and her employer, Sister Patricia Smith, at a summer camp they both worked at in the 1980s. In 2007, Sister Pat hired Winters, knowing that Winters was in a same-sex relationship. Through all of her eight years working at Waldron, it was common knowledge that Winters was in
a same-sex relationship, although no complaints were made prior to the ones made this past spring. Winters and her partner, Andrea Vettori, have been working together to raise the issue of firing LGBT Catholic Church workers on the grounds of their sexual orientation and/or same sex marriage. Among their many accomplishments to date, Winters and Vettori have been invited by the Human Rights Campaign to Washington, D.C. for live interviews during the Pope’s visit to that city. The next step towards their goal is meeting with the Pope. Winters and Vettori believe this wish could become a reality because they have experienced many amazing opportunities when arranging similar meetings in the past. If they do meet the Pope, Winters and Vettori’s focus will be “to put a stop to firing the LGBT folks from positions in Catholic institutions until there can be a conversation.” While Winters continues her efforts to create equality for LGBT Church workers, members of the LM community can help raise awareness for her campaign by commenting, liking, or sharing posts from the “Stand With Margie” Facebook page, following them on Twitter and Instagram, or writing letters to a variety of organizations. Another effective way to contribute
Women InPowerment
According to dosomething.org, “7 in 10 girls believe that they are not good enough or don’t measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school, and L. Ginsburg ‘17 relationships with friends and famN. Mckay ‘17 ily members.” Clearly, then, selfOp-Ed Editor empowerment is a major issue that teen girls face. As a high school community, what can we do to help combat this issue? This year, Women in Power (WIP), a second year up-and-coming club at LM run by Lexi Ginsburg (Founder) and Nina McKay (Vice President), will provide a community in which students are able to discuss gender issues, advocate for change on a local level, and team up with outside organizations to help others. Club members will fundraise for various causes and volunteer their time. For example, they will participate in a 5K run this spring Photo by Staff
Photo Courtesy of Margie Winters Winters with her partner, Andrea Vettori is simply learning about the journeys of Winters and other LGBT educators experiencing similar situations. Thanks to Winters, Vettori, and their many supporters this summer, history is in the making.
for Girls on the Run, a nonprofit girls empowerment organization in Philadelphia. While half of the club’s energy will be devoted to making an impact outside of the LM community, the other 50 percent will be focused on building self-awareness and confidence among members within the club. As part of this, WIP will launch an interactive blog in which members have the opportunity to write articles discussing anything from current events to personal experiences relating to gender issues. All members of the LM community are encouraged to view the entries that will be produced on a monthly basis. So who can be a member of WIP? Membership is open to any LM student, and there are no minimum meeting requirements, so everyone is always welcome at events. WIP is a good club for you if you’re interested in gaining a new perspective on or advocating for issues of gender and gender equality, or just want to be a part of an open and judgment-free community! The club’s goal is for individuals to leave WIP with a new belief in themselves and their gender as well as a drive to reach their full potential.
NEWS
September 17, 2015 3
The Merionite
TSA shines in the Lone Star Nisha Arya ’18 This past June, seven members of LM’s Technology Student Association (TSA) overall in the live-team portion. On the individual written test, Johnston placed chapter traveled to Dallas, Texas to attend the national conference sponsored by fifth, Gardner placed eighth, and Klotz placed tenth in the nation. Stanton said, “At the American Cancer Society, Verizon, VEX Robotics, and more. Lisa Gardner ’15, first, I was a little overwhelmed when Vivian handed me Robert’s Rules. When we Olivia Johnston ’16, Vivian Klotz ’16, Evan Hassman ’17, Kelsey Stanton ’18, Fred- first started having chapter team meetings, I just sat and watched. After observing a erick Farah ’18, and Sophie Rebbeck ’18 competed against students from all over few meetings, I started to participate. I made charts to study the different motions. the world in events such as Video Game Design, Prepared Presentation, and Photo- Studying with and receiving feedback from my teammates helped me to learn more graphic Technology. In Chapter Team, an event in which teams run a business meet- easily.” ing in parliamentary procedure, LM TSA finished with a third place trophy and three Along with Chapter Team, another event LM TSA can take pride in is Webmastop-ten finishes both in the live-team portion as well as the individual written test. ter. Johnston, Klotz, Gardner, Hassman, and Stanton achieved first place in the LM TSA also achieved nation. said Johnfirst place in the Webston, “Winning first master event, in which place was incredstudents designed and ible. Webmaster is launched a website feaa big event in TSA, turing their school’s TSA and it’s always been chapter. one of my favorites, To qualify for the naso when they called tional competition level, out our name, there students had to achieve a was a pretty big ontop-ten finish in at least stage celebration. I one of their events at had known walking the state conference. The onto that stage that competition is very stiff we had created a site at the state level; therethat was way above fore, success involves dewhat we had done in termination, passion, and previous years. Getcreativity. Through TSA, ting the validation students attain characfor all the hard work teristics that will greatly was just the icing on help them in all aspects top of the cake.” of school and life, not LM TSA did very just in the club. Johnston well in the competisaid, “TSA rewards hard tion aspect of the work. It teaches you to conference, but certake pride in the work tainly did not miss you do. It has shown me out on having some that things are fun not fun in the Lone Star because of what they are State! Rebbeck said, TSA Members pose for a picture after the national awards ceremony in Texas. Photo courtesy of Vivian Klotz but because of who you “My favorite part of do them with.” the conference this In TSA, there are events such as Electrical Applications and Biotechnology De- year was the people. Because there were only seven people at nationals this year, we sign in which you delve into various topics, but there are also events like Career all spent a lot of time together, and were able to get closer. We also made friends Preparation and Extemporaneous Presentation, which improve upon memorization, with so many interesting people, including some Germans! Everyone had so much public speaking, and confidence. Stanton said, “My favorite part about TSA as a to say and it was awesome to be in that kind of atmosphere.” whole is that there is something for everyone. All of these options allowed me to be This coming year, the national conference is being held in Nashville, Tennessee, more adventurous. When I joined Chapter Team, I got to learn something new and with the conference’s theme being “Building a Legacy.” LM’s TSA hopes to expand step out of my comfort zone. (I’m not one for public speaking.)” their chapter even more, both bringing back old members as well as recruiting new Lower Merion’s Chapter Team certainly did not step out of their comfort zone, ones. With hard work, perseverance, skill, and passion, LM TSA hopes to continue as they still maintained their top-three champion title in the nation. The team, con- its own legacy of awards, top-ten finishes, and trophies at the regional, state, and sisting of Johnston, Stanton, Klotz, Gardner, Hassman, and Farah, placed third national conferences.
CHANGES TO LM Return of “One Book” This summer brought the return of the “One Book” summer reading program. First attempted two years ago, the book program was discontinued by the distrct last year due to a negative reaction from students. However, when Harriton decided to give the program a second try, LM agreed. Teachers hope that “The Rent Collector,” chosen for its accessibility to all grades and interesting topic, will bring students together. While each grade will decide what to do with the book in class, there will be a school wide assembly on September 17 with the author, Camron Wright, as well as an international night at Harriton to celebrate culture. English teacher and Department Chair, Jean McWilliams, hopes that the “One Book” program will be “about all of us reading a book together and engaging in conversation.”
-Rebecca Tauber ’16
Farewell Marcy Hockfield This year LM is losing an integral part of the community. Marcy Hockfield has recently been appointed the principal of Ceadarbrook Middle School, a part of the Cheltenham School District. Previously Hockfield has worked at both middle schools and high schools in LMSD as an English teacher before becoming an assistant princpal at LM in September 1995. She was ninth grade principal until becoming the interim director of secondary education at the district office in September 2014. LM Principal Sean Hughes says Hockfield was, “one of the most dedicated, forward thinking, and caring individuals that I have worked with. It was an honor to work with her as an administrator. She will be missed but we wish her the best of luck in her new position. Ceaderbrook Middle School is very lucky to have someone with her experience in that position.” -Simone Burde ’17
New Department Chairs at LM LM has new department chairs this year. The science department chair, which position had previously been filled by Larry McAfoos, is now being filled by Kevin Ries. Heather Van Horn is the new department chair for special education, replacing Melissa Sinapi-Gibson, who has taken a position as special education supervisor grades 1012. Chad Henneberry is filling in as interim social studies department chair for Jill Knight who is on sabbatical.
-Simone Burde ’17
Redesigned Freshman history curriculum Starting with the class of 2019, the ninth and tenth grade history curriculum is changing. Global Studies I will replace African-Asian Studies starting this year, and Global Studies II will replace Western Civilization next year. According to ninth grade history teachers Tom Reed and Mike Moeller, “this two year course will peek into all different civilizations, therefore giving students a look at diverse cultures and an appreciation for these cultures.” Global Studies I will cover 1000 CE to 1750 CE, and not just the continents of Africa and Asia as the previous ninth grade course did, but the entire globe. Global Studies I will rely heavily on themes, such as the interactions between people and the environment, which will transition over to Global Studies II. The reason for the curriculum change, which has been in the works for about three years, is a national movement towards a more global view of the world. Reed and Moeller add that they both loved African-Asian Studies, but were pleased by how much of that course remained within the Global Studies I course. Adding, that the goal of Global Studies I is to, “give the students 21st century skills.”
-Simone Burde ’17
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OPINIONS
September 17, 2015
The Merionite
WELCOME BACK TO LM
EDITORIAL
Rent Collector leaves students shortchanged Over the summer, the entire student body of LM was asked to read The Rent Collector, by Cameron Wright. It was an attempt to unify the school by creating a common experience throughout the student body. While this plan was made with good intentions, to unify the school and promote common ideas, the execution and the concept itself were, to say the least, weak. The “One School, One Book” program is faulty by nature. It assumes that one book will fit into the curricula of all English and history classes. It assumes that all teachers will want to spend class time discussing material that, in reality, few students have actually read. The program assumes that reading a common book is a good way to promote communication that spans grade levels. The book is not a valuable literary experience for everyone. Within a high school of almost 1500 students, there exists a broad spectrum of reading abilities. This lack of literary value is not inherently a problem since the main purpose of the book, and program as a whole, is to connect the student body with a unified message and experience. This is a noble goal. However, the failure does not exist in the intentions, but in the execution. There is an opportunity for dialogue between students opened by having a shared experience, in this case reading a book. However, it is unlikely that any upperclassman will, upon approaching a freshman student, engage in a conversation about summer reading—discussions like that don’t happen spontaneously. Two years ago when we read Run as part of the same “One School, One Book” program, this opportunity for conversation was completely squandered. Not only did the school as a whole do little with the book, but the book was neglected in many English classes all together and discussed for barely a full class period. There’s nothing wrong with asking students to read over the summer; however, there is something wrong with asking them to complete busy work that is scarcely brought up again. We can see that the school has gone further with The Rent Collector than they did with Run, organizing an assembly led by the author. One assembly, however, isn’t enough to unite the school, especially since they are always divided by grade level therefore providing little to no interaction. Furthermore, few teachers have brought up The Rent Collector for even a full class period. Those who do succeed in leading a discussion on the novel often find that it seems disconnected to their curriculum. Unfortunately, they are right. It’s difficult to find a book that can serve as a common thread between subjects with curricula as disparate as US History, Philosophy, and Creative Writing. Increasing the difficulty of this task is that many teachers are not prepared to lead discussions on literature without some guidance from the school as a whole. This guidance has, sadly, been completely lacking. “One Book, One School” was not made with students in mind. It has been stated that the purpose was to connect students, but the program has not succeeded in that endeavor. Instead, it feels like the attempts of a disconnected administration to standardize curricula and impose their will. But when the administration claims in the “Strategic Plan” that they want to focus on individualized learning, having all students read the same book is counterproductive and belies their plan. Unsigned editorial on this page reflects the general opinion of staff editors, not the views of individuals.
A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS To all Merionite writers past, present, and future, We are honored to welcome you all to The Merionite’s eighty-eigth year. We invite all LM students, faculty, staff, and community members to write articles, submit opinions, and send letters-to-the editor. The Merionite would not be possible without submissions from our community. Yours, The Editors of The Merionite
Interested in writing for The Merionite? Come to The Merionite room on September 29 during the second half of “Lunch and Learn” for our first writers meeting! Artists and photographers are welcome as well.
Dear LM Students, Welcome to a new school year! I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable summer. I have anxiously waited all summer for the hallways of LM to come to life again with students, faculty, and staff. I have always thought that the best part of a new school year is the comfort of having a fresh start as you embark on the next level in your educational journey. Make the most of your fresh start! Our new Strategic Plan, called “All Forward,” speaks to students who anticipate defining their own success through creativity, critical thinking, and innovation. My hope is that you welcome this philosophy as you embrace and celebrate the many ways you can demonstrate individual growth. As educators, it is our responsibility to cultivate a safe, nurturing environment and provide the essential resources of a twenty-first century education so you have the opportunity to reach your fullest potential. By working in close partnership with professional educators, you will be guided to value self-reflection and inquiry while engaging in your own learning and growth. To further support this ‘fresh’ environment and new plan, we are working on adding more collaborative spaces throughout the building, and we have made modifications to our current bell schedule. We have incorporated a “Lunch and Learn” period within our schedule that allows students to be more responsible for their learning process and needs. My hope is that all students will take ownership of this time to meet with teachers, work with other students, achieve their goals, and pursue their passions. I encourage you to take advantage of what is offered at LM. I want each of you to realize that your role as a student requires you to be on time and arrive ready to learn every day, get enough sleep, develop good study habits, get organized so that you don’t miss any assignments, ask questions, address concerns earlier rather than later, and challenge yourself to do your best in every class you take. Please remember that good things happen to good people who work hard. Be ever mindful that character counts! With these words in mind, stay focused on the commitments you make this year as you develop as a person and life-long learner. Also, please take some time to thank your teachers and parents/guardians for their hard work and dedication to your success. And, when you get the opportunity, please take the time to introduce yourself to and welcome our new Superintendent, Robert Copeland. I hope your year will be filled with academic accomplishments and memorable relationships, and I wish you the very best of luck as you make your mark at LM. Have a good year! Sean Hughes Principal of LM Hello Students of LM, September is typically filled with dread as we clutch to the fleeting summer months. This fall, however, I challenge you to look at the start of the academic year through a lens of opportunity. Enter with excitement for what is possible rather than apprehension for the hard work to come. We all have goals and dreams. For some, they are admission to the college of our choice, success in a specific class, or building new relationships. For others, they are designing a robot, scoring a goal, or improving school policy. For others yet, they are leaving a legacy, making people smile, or ending world hunger. If you could achieve or create or do anything in the world, big or small, what would it be? Many of our goals and dreams remain simply ambitions because of all that stands in the way. We might be waiting for the right conditions, for enough time, for enough money. What stands in your way? See those barriers and eliminate them. Creativity is the key. Believe me, it’s possible. Creativity gives you the power to bypass these barriers. You will not always discover the solution on your own. That is when you turn to the collective creativity of our community. Our diverse teachers and classmates serve as resources and support to finding solutions to these obstacles. We have over 1500 incredible minds to propel you towards greatness. So begin to talk to each other and share what you want for yourself, your class, LM, our country, our world. Then begin to take action in the direction of achieving your goals. What is possible when nothing stands in your way? Welcome back to a year filled with opportunity! Love, Amelia Carpenter Student Council Co-President 2015-16
THE MERIONITE Official newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 www.themerionite.org Columbia Scholastic Press Assocation Silver Crown 2013
Editors in Chief Dena Behar ’16 Olivia Johnston ’16
Advisor Chad Henneberry
News Editors
Arts and Entertainment
Graphics Editor
Simone Burde ’17 Deepika Jonnalagadda ’17 Rebecca Tauber ’16
Jon Adams ’16 Sophia Salganicoff ’16 Margo Urheim ’16
Sasha Brooks ’18 Sam Gamberg ’17
Op-Ed Editors
Sports Editors
Camile Carr ’18
Adrian N. Corbey ’16 Todd S. Gilman ’16 Nina McKay ’17
Kelly Harrigan ’17 William Rieke ’16 Daniel Wilson ’16
Business Manager
Features Editors
Copy Editors
Isabella Dumitrescu ’17 Leslie Gladstone ’16 Alexandra Hummel ’17
Dora Nathans ’18 Grant Wei ’16
Business Advisor
Web Editor
Justin A. Guo ’16
Sean P. Flynn, Esq.
The editors believe that all facts presented in the newspaper to be accurate. The paper acknowledges that mistakes are possible and welcomes questions as to accuracy. Inquiries regarding accuracy should be directed to the editors of the paper. Editors can be contacted via e-mail at merionite@gmail. com or in Room 200A. To represent all viewpoints in the school community, The Merionite welcomes all letters to the editor. Letters can be sent via e-mail or dropped off outside the Merionite office. The Merionite reserves the right to edit letters to the editor for length or clarity. All unattributed images are courtesy of WikiCommons.
OPINIONS
September 17, 2015
5
The Merionite
“Wildest Dreams” or colonialist fantasies?
Nina McKay ’17 Op-Ed Editor “Hold on—stop. Go back to the beginning. There’s already something I see,” said my mother as I showed her: Taylor Swift’s new music video for “Wildest Dreams,” set in mid-twentieth century Africa. “Really?” I asked, looking down at the timer on the bottom of the screen. We’d only gotten through eight seconds of the video. I’d already watched it at least five times and several elements later on in the video bothered me, but I didn’t remember seeing anything particularly offensive this early in the video. I went back to the beginning, though, intrigued to see what it was that had already rubbed my mother the wrong way. The very beginning of the video is a series of one-second clips. First a shot of the savannah with Taylor Swift’s name projected across the screen in giant white letters, then a huge herd of zebras running together as the name of the director, Joseph Kahn, is projected in the same fashion, with slightly smaller letters. Next came the setting sun, a spotlight, and…one of Swift’s blue eyes. “There, see? It’s the eye,” my mother explained. “There’s something unsettling about showing scenes from an African landscape and then showing a very blue eye. It’s like it’s her vision of Africa.” And, indeed, in the context of the rest of the video, that interpretation makes a lot of sense. Obviously, Swift understands that Africa has changed a lot since the 1950s, but, in this context, citing an unrealistic white person’s vision of Africa is quite reasonable. After the opening sequence with the blue eye, the video continues to show Swift working as an actress who is falling in love with her co-star while filming a movie in Africa. The video includes sweeping views of landscapes and waterfalls, shots of wildlife (Swift is donating all of the proceeds of the video “to wild animal conservation efforts through the African Parks Foundation of America,” according to the text at the end of the video), and plenty of Caucasian people. Originally, I didn’t see a single black person throughout the entire video. The director, though, in response to the emerging criticism, insisted that there were black people in the background. So I watched it carefully another time, and I finally saw two men, who appeared to be of African descent—walking together in the very back of the screen away from the cast and crew. But as the shot was really a close-up of Swift’s romantic interest, Scott Eastwood, the men were so out of focus that it was difficult to notice them at all. When the video was released on August 31, the primary reason for backlash was the stark lack of black Africans. But
Photo courtsey of Youtube/Taylor Swift Vevo Swift channels a mid-twentieth century Hollywood starlet in “Wildest Dreams.”
anyone who approaches the problem with this simple complaint isn’t looking at the whole picture. It would be quite difficult, with that single argument, for one to fend off protests like “But if the video were in Asia would there have to be Asian people,” “Black people make videos without white people all the time,” and “Does every video have to include people of every race even if that isn’t historically accurate?” Instead, the lack of black people must be examined in the context of the history of western ideas about and physical presence in Africa. The colonial period happened primarily because Westerners were interested in exploiting both Africa’s resources and its inhabitants. The cash crop industries that developed were only as extremely profitable for whites as they were because of the horrendous labor practices that were imposed upon Africans. Human rights virtually did not exist in a vast number of cases for an African person (particularly an agricultural laborer), and the colonization had devastating effects on the entire continent, reverberations of which can still be felt today. That being said, Swift’s omission of black Africans isn’t just a complaint about an unusually homogenous cast. In her failure to show any of the negative aspects of African colonialism, she is leaving the issue unaddressed. But as Viviane Rutabingwa and James Kassaga Arinaitwe of NPR pointed out in their article written on September 1, the video is set “in a time when the people depicted by Swift and her co-stars killed, dehumanized, and traumatized millions of Africans.” In other words, it doesn’t matter that the video didn’t actually show Africans being treated brutally. The failure to make an anti-colonialism statement in a video set in a colonial period and setting is the equivalent of making a statement that isn’t against colonialism, and, given how destructive the practices were, this mistake can certainly be looked at as quite racist, even if it was inadvertent. Returning to the shot of the eye, it’s like Swift’s vision of Africa in this particular situation involves saying to the audience of this video “oh, let’s just pretend that these people weren’t
doing all that bad stuff ! It makes for a much nicer story, and a happier video that can just be a simple love triangle/ tragedy story, and I’d really just rather not focus on the racial aspects, if that’s okay.” And since white people in Africa during the colonial era really tried to make black people invisible socially, deleting them from the African landscape in a video depicting this time in this way just doesn’t seem at all contradictory to those outdated attitudes and practices. It actually seems complicit with and supportive of those extremely outdated and offensive attitudes. Regardless of how one feels about Swift, it cannot be denied that she is a very influential young woman. Millions of people view her videos on YouTube, buy her songs on iTunes, and attend her concerts—an overwhelming majority of them being young adults, teenagers, and children. When a person has that kind of power over other people, especially young and impressionable people, they have a tremendous amount of responsibility to put a great deal of thought into virtually everything they express. Of course, no one is perfect. It’s almost impossible to find a celebrity who hasn’t slipped up and accidently tweeted something that came across as offensive. But music videos are different. They require a lot of time, a lot of money, and a lot of people. I don’t believe that Swift made a decision to create a music video that was racist and blatantly glorifying colonial-era practices in Africa. But I also don’t believe that it was appropriate for her to make a music video set in this era without making some kind of anti-colonialism statement. This whole video seems like one giant, expensive, stupid tweet, except it was the collective, stupid mistake of a lot of people who had a lot of time to reflect on possible implications. It’s out there now; there’s no taking it back, but it would’ve been a lot easier to think carefully in the first place about the ways it might’ve been perceived as offensive. I am also puzzled as to why she would want to make such a video in the first place. Yes, it’s very admirable that she’s giving this comparatively small portion of her 200 million dollar net worth to African wildlife. But why was it necessary to set the music video in the
1950s? Why couldn’t it have been set in present times? Because adding black Africans would’ve been too complicated? Because Taylor Swift really wanted to dress up in vintage clothing? Basically, there have been many well-backed arguments as to why the setting of the film was offensive given the attitude Swift and the producers took toward it, and, so far, there are no good reasons as to why it absolutely had to be set in that time and portrayed in that way. Given what a sensitive topic colonialism is, I would’ve expected the educated and, at this point, very seasoned and experienced celebrity that Swift is to be more mindful about cultural implications and histories, or at least to have people working for her who were more aware of such things. Her director, Joseph Kahn, is the only person who worked on the video who has publicly defended it, albeit poorly. His argument made on Twitter that the video couldn’t have been offensive to Africans because a “super hot” black woman, Jil Hardin, had produced it, didn’t draw especially positive reactions from the media. The Huffington Post responded, “So it totally can’t be racist, right? Especially since she’s not just kinda hot or lukewarm hot. Solid defense, dude…. [W]e now have some advice for filmmakers. Just hire a good-looking black woman to work on all of your projects and feel free to be as racist and sexist as possible. Free pass!” Khan’s other defenses, including that it wouldn’t have been historically accurate to have a diverse film crew, just made me more and more confused as to why this group had decided that it was a good idea to make the video at all. If they didn’t feel like it was appropriate to alter the way the races interacted at that time and place, and instead decided to mimic the reality that was without contradicting the racist ideas behind it, then they weren’t doing anything more than perpetuating those ideas. Perpetuating racism is racism, even if it is unintentional. Taylor Swift and her team need to take a good hard look at the video that they produced and come to terms with what they did wrong so that they can all be more mindful of sensitive issues on their next projects, and hopefully yield very different results.
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September 17, 2015
OPINIONS The Merionite
WARNING THIS ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN…
Justin A. Guo ’16 Business Manager Watching a presentation about the Vietnam War last year in English class, I saw trigger warnings used for the first time in real life. I had heard of them online before, but I didn’t expect to encounter them in school. Essentially, a trigger warning acts to alert an audience of possibly disturbing—or “triggering”—material. In the case of this English presentation, the following slides pictured the death and violence of war. In other cases, trigger warnings are also used to warn for words and content that address sexual abuse and mental illness, among other potentially distressing topics. At LM, trigger warnings aren’t commonplace. But with presentations like the one I saw, it seems that trigger warnings will become more prevalent at LM in the near future, as they have in many academic settings. This trend makes sense consider-
ing how new the idea is, the phrase only breaking “into mainstream use online around 2011, [and spiking] in 2014” (The Atlantic). Such an emergence raises the question: should LM embrace trigger warnings or stay away from them? Views toward trigger warnings in academic settings are extremely polarized. Those who are opposed fear that trigger warnings are detrimental to freedom of expression, only fostering a sense of naïveté that prevents students from being prepared for a ruthless reality. Those in support of them see trigger warnings as a considerate gesture for students to anticipate and prepare for distressing content in an ef-
fort to prevent the reopening of emotional wounds. Both sides of the debate have their merits. The argument stems from a series of events across universities, where it seems trigger warnings have gone too far. The Atlantic’s “The Coddling of the American Mind” cites a situation in which students were asking their law professors “not to teach rape law—or even in one case the use of the word violate (as in ‘that violates the law’).” Columbia University is also torn after Ovid’s Metamorphoses, regarded as a cookie-cutter capstone in the study of poetry, was removed from the Masterpieces of Western Literature and Philosophy class
and replaced with Toni Morrison’s poems, because Ovid’s work prominently featured sexual assault. So while trigger warnings for pictures of terribly wounded soldiers are warranted—seeing as some people faint at the sight of gore—some students are taking them too far. Those students are the exception, but they are the reason why trigger warnings should be used with care, even limited, as they are increasing in appearance at LM. While the needs of those who have seen true trauma should be respected, a minority of sensitive students will inevitably push trigger warnings one step farther than they need to go, and an unprepared administration can only respect these students’ “right to be offended” under the veil of political correctness. The changing usage of trigger warnings won’t necessarily go too far at first, but as the coverage of trigger warnings inches farther and broader, it becomes more likely that the extreme cases like those cited in The Atlantic will start to emerge, bringing unneeded controversy to our school. Such controversy can only detract from the value of appropriately-used trigger warnings that actually make a positive impact—all at the will of a few teenagers who may be, candidly put, way too sensitive. Trigger warnings, not handled carefully, set a risky precedent of genuflecting to the ostensible emotional preservation of a few kids— a precedent already realized at universities across the U.S.
“Ain’t I a Woman?”
Blessing Osazuwa ’16 As we move further into the twentyfirst century, the feminist movement continues to grow stronger. The days of women being nothing more than subservient homemakers are over. Today, women outnumber men in many universities across the country, and even support entire families by themselves. Today, women are more vocal than ever before about gender inequality. In addition to gender inequality, we are also currently living in a very prominent time for many other movements, including those addressing racial injustice. The #BlackLivesMatter movement has been one of the biggest instruments in explicitly addressing racial inequality across the country. Interestingly enough, both feminism and #BlackLivesMatter complement one another. Sometimes it isn’t easy to see, but people experience gender inequality differently based on other parts of their identity, more specifically—their race. The great thing about the feminist movements is that it prompts discussions about the inclusiveness of all women in equality. However, in certain instances when a movement brings people together, it is easy glide over their differences. In order to trace the roots of the erasure of these intersections, we have to take a look at their historical components. As movements grow and evolve, they allow for a deeper look into the issues and dissecting of their multiple factors.
The common erasure of marginalized groups is why the intersections between forms or systems of oppression, domination, and discrimination in feminism are important. Most of all, acknowledging these intersections highlights disparities that are often not seen or talked about. When we make sexism the sole form of oppression relevant to women’s movements, we center those discussions around White, straight, cisgender, middle-class, and abled women. But we completely disregard the difficult and unique experiences of women who are of color, members of the LGBT community, low-income, disabled, or otherwise marginalized. While backstage after her acceptance speech at the Academy Awards earlier this year, actress Patricia Arquette tried to advocate for wage equality by stating, “It’s time for all the gay people and all the people of color that we’ve fought for to fight for us now.” It is easy to think that Arquette is making a good point, but her comment is problematic. She should really identify who “we” and “us” are because the statement was made as if people of color and members of the LGBT community do not or cannot identify as women. In the context of the comment, those ever-presently marginalized groups are not a part of the “we” and “us.” There is also a historic component to ignoring the intersections of identities. Feminism and women’s movements have had a very poor track record when it comes to including women from all marginalized groups. At the Women’s Rights Convention in 1851, Sojourner Truth in her speech, “Ain’t I a Woman” said, “That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages. Nobody ever helps me into carriages or gives me any best place. And ain’t I a woman?” In that speech, Truth brought to light the ways that the intersection of race and gender affected the way she was treated as a woman — second class and denied the privileges of white women due to her
racial status. Who fought for women of color? The Women’s Suffrage movement did not. The National American Woman Suffrage Association heavily discouraged women of color from associating with them for fear that they would lose support from their racist white male allies. After the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, “women” received the right to vote. Or more specifically, white women. And as far as African American women were concerned, most of them did not receive their rights following the Civil Rights Movement or the Women’s Suffrage Movement because most states did not have to enforce African American women’s voting rights until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In the present day, there are still dramatic disparities among women of different races. According to Infoplease and other mainstream media outlets, women earn 78 cents for every man’s dollar, even after the Equal Pay Act of 1963. But that is just the statistic for white women. What is rarely acknowledged is the fact that African American women earn 64 cents, Native American women earn 59 cents, and Hispanic women earn just 54 cents for a man’s dollar. Yet that 78 cent statistic is the piece of data that is heard the most often, completely ignoring the fact that some women experience a wage gap that is more severe than others experience because of another part of their identity. How can you try to tackle one form of discrimination and ignore others? When we paint women’s issues with such a broad brush, we do not acknowledge specific problems that only certain groups of women face. By doing this, we ignore the ways that racism, classism, homophobia, cissexism, and ableism connect with sexism, which affects women of all backgrounds in very negative ways. It makes women who are a part of oppressed groups, such as myself, feel like we have to pick one part of our identity over the others. Not only is that extremely unfair,
but it is also simply impossible. I refuse to accept the notion that the small attention gender equality issues get in the media should be happily internalized by all women when they are only representative of some. When working together to fight inequality, we must focus on our commonalities as well as our differences.
Graphics by Sam Gamberg/Staff
Special Feature
September 17, 2015
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The Merionite
Sitting down with Superintendent Copeland: goals, curricula, and extra sleep Editors-in-Chief Dena Behar ’16 and Olivia Johnston ’16 met with Superintendent Robert Copeland to discuss his new appointment to the office. As superintendent, he oversees all district operations. Prior to his appointment on July 1, 2015, Copelend had served as Superintendent of Neshaminy School District and Piscataway School District. Along with this experience, he brings along a can-do attitude and many long-term goals to LMSD. The Merionite: Thank you for taking the time to sit down with us. What goals do you have for the coming year? Copeland: I want to keep the strategic plan a high priority and begin to put strategies and tasks in place so that it actually happens. It’s an extraordinarily impressive work that the district went through last year. But as good as it is, the next step is figuring out what it looks like when it really happens. Another goal is trying to manage the growth of the district. We are at 8200 students and growing. Adding onto schools and building schools and doing that while still making sure that we stay within our budget is a goal I have. There’s been a complete restructuring of gifted and special education and that is a focus. Finally, [I want] to continue to address the issue of the achievement gap. M: What do you think are the biggest challenges for the school district? C: I don’t know yet (laugh). In some ways the strategic plan will be the biggest challenge. We are living in an atmosphere where people outside of LM are really questioning the role of public education going forward, and that’s why it’s so bold for LMSD to say, “we get it—there’s financial implications and incursion of testing. We still want to go forward with a bold and progressive agenda.” M: Will the start time of the school day be moved back? C: We’ve looked at that, and the problem is that it is difficult to operate in isolation. Nobody questions the responsiveness to the research behind it but the question is how do you operationalize that because you really need partners to do it. So I think that moving forward the best way to have that happen is to have a coalition of districts. So you all want to sleep right, yeah? M: Recently the school has been making pushes to be more individualized for students with things like couches in the hallways and places to sit and do work. How do you feel about this free approach to learning? C: I think that the degree to which
we can operationalize students to make decisions about how they learn [is good]. “Knowledge based constructivism” and the constructivist movement goes back to the beginning of the 20th century where there was always a recognition that if you could construct your own way of learning then that will help you learn it best. And when I say knowledge based, I mean that there’s a realization that we can’t wait for you to think that algebra is important— there’s a reality base there. To the greatest degree that you can say to students “You know how best you learn,” and putting that in your hands makes a lot of sense. M: There was a lot of recent controversy at the last school district you were superintendent of (Neshaminy) regarding the newspaper printing the name of the school mascot. Did you find that this incident was handled well? Did you think that the punishments were well suited to the “crime?” More specifically, the suspensions of the newspaper leadership? C: If you will remember, the school district never discussed the punishment of the student. The issue itself had more to do with other people’s right to express themselves and the difference between editing and censorship. That was really the center of it. We are still in litigation so I am bound to not make too many specific comments about it. M: You have said before that the district’s new strategic plan is exciting. What about it do you think is the most positive, and are you most excited to put into action? C: The whole concept of a transformative curriculum excites me. I have talked a little about what that means as a transformative curriculum. The issue of how we can dig deeply into something that you are excited about and spend time with it. Probably, the most exciting thing about it is how we prepare for a world that’s unpredictable. When I was your age, we knew what the professions were going to be. We don’t have any idea what that outlook is going to be. And the students that we are teaching start-
ing in another week are going to graduate in 2028. So we are already there. How do we provide a curriculum and basis of learning that it for a very unpredictable world? It’s exciting and also a little terrifying. M: At previous school districts you have made closing the achievement gap a goal. Do you plan on doing this at LM? How will you provide support for kids at both the top and the bottom of the spectrum? C: You have to be careful about what we call portability—what you move from one district to another. At Piscataway, one approach that we took to increase the number of students in AP and Honors classes by providing a summer program that gave you the first six weeks of a class over the summer so that you walk in with an advantage. We did that at Piscataway and by the time I left, we had 1800 kids participating. We did it at Neshaminy and barely got 100. That was not a portable program to Neshaminy so we will have to see what we do at LM. It’s a combination of supporting students and also doing business differently. It’s not just some students are achieving and some aren’t. And we need to throw the education differently, and I’m not sure how we are going to do that yet. M: While encouraging academic success, do you plan on dealing with the increasing amount of competition and stress that most LM students feel? C: One of the things that I have mentioned to the staff and that I think is a part of the strategic plan is that sometimes students spend more time building a resume then getting engrossed in the learning. Now, we can blame the colleges for that because they like resumes. So, I can’t wave a magic wand and say, “Don’t do that.” But I do think that we can look at how we require things differently. So that it’s about learning as opposed to performance. And it’s about what’s important as opposed to what will look good on a resume. We need to redefine what success is. One of the things that I’m going to do is institute a student cabinet of about 15 students from both high schools
The Strategic Plan: the plan nobody knows about, but that everyone is talking about. In 2014, LMSD put in place All Forward, a strategic plan aimed at closing the achievement gap and supporting students from one end of the spectrum to the other. The district’s mission is to “ensure that all students achieve thier highest level of critical thinnking and curriculum.” The plan is considered an innovative shift in how we define student success and a successful curriculum. Rather than prioritzing a uniform way of learning, All Forward focuses on indivindualization and freedom, hence the study corners where students are free to collaborate. Superintendent Copeland and the rest of the district are eager and excited to see where the new strategic plan takes LMSD.
and we will meet four times a year , and I want to hear from you about some of the things that you are experiencing that we have control over. One of the things that I want to see coming out of the strategic plan is a transformative curriculum where you are making the choices and not hoping that someone else makes them for you. M: What support do you plan to give to clubs like The Merionite that offer enriching, academic, extracurricular opportunities for student to develop their skills? C: I don’t know. I will tell you this: the club extracurricular part of the day is important to me. The joke I always tell is, “I was a history teacher, and I don’t think anyone comes into school saying ‘I’m so excited to hear Mr. Copeland talk about the Magna Carta,’” and even my own kids aren’t that thrilled out about that. But I think you would probably say that other activities are an important part of your day where you get to express yourselves in ways that matter to you. In Neshaminy, I set aside a hunk of funds for student generated activities to fund to the greatest extent possible activities that grow from the interest of students. M: Do you plan on attending any bas-
ketball games or other school events? C: It’s obviously an important part of the past, present, and future. I also like attending some of the sports that don’t get the same attention and that varies from district to district. In past districts, I loved going to Field Hockey games even though I don’t really get it. I enjoy dropping by a tennis match every once in a while because you don’t get the same amount of attention, and it’s important for the kids to get recognition. I’d like to get variety in the activities. M: Is there anything else you would like to tell the LM community? C: I’m really happy to be here; I think it’s a great place. I’m enjoying finding out about a part of the world I’ve never visited. This is my seventh school district, and I never really planned on that many districts, but it just happened. I was never someone who liked change much, but it just happened. And it’s interesting to me to see how communities approach the education of their youth differently, but ultimately the distance between the aspirations of kids and parents in Newark and kids and parents in LM, even though they are completely different worlds, are not terribly different. It’s interesting that some things are so similar.
8 September 17, 2015
FEATURES
Attention Freshmen! Molly Gonzales ‘17
What you need to know to survive your first year
-Your 2015-2016 Spirit Heads
Our acclaimed jazz band has done exceptionally well at festivals, bringing home both individual and group awards. Our debate and Mock Trial teams have worked tirelessly to represent our school well at competitions. Players has produced some of the most entertaining and emotional performances that we have ever seen. Passionate LM students are hard at work throughout the school and are committed to excellence. However, there is a gap that you, the students of LM, need to fill. No matter what your interests are, go out and show your support. Maybe it’s attending a sports game and cheering in the Dawg Pound. Maybe it’s seeing a Players’ show and giving them a standing O. When LM is backed by unwavering support from the student body, success is unlimited. So get out there and show some school pride. You won’t regret it.
Whether it’s walking into the wrong classroom or falling off the bus, everyone was once a newbie freshman trying to find their way in the big, bad world of scary upperclassmen. Don’t forget that jacked-up, beefy lax bro was once a little freshman too with a bowl-cut hairstyle done by his mom too. You are going to get lost. Accept it now. It helps to make your schedule your phone screensaver or print out a few extra copies to keep in your back pocket. Some say printing out a map of the school can be equally, if not more effective. If you are brave enough to whip out an LM map (and if you can find one), go for it! For the first month or so you can pull the “I got lost” card at least once or twice a day, but after around Halloween the teachers start getting stricter. Remember when you walked into middle school and you were scared about finding your way around? You found your way eventually, didn’t you? This is the same thing, except about four times bigger and with 700 more kids. No big deal, you got this, freshmen. I believe in you! Get ready to fail a few tests and forget a few homework assignments. It happens. High school is paced a bit faster than middle school, so it’s easy to forget assignments or lose track of time. Take advantage of the resources you are given; use the Stickies and Notes apps, and write down every detail Freshman Checklist about your homework assignments and upcoming tests. It also really helps to fill in tests on a calendar. • Tissues (to save your Having a computer of your own is a lot more responsibility than you nose) might think. It’s easy to get distracted by online shopping or watching Netflix. Take advantage of your computer, but don’t let your computer • Tide To Go® take advantage of you. • Handsanitizer Don’t compare yourself to your genius or #D1bound friend. We all • Snack know someone who gets straight A’s while making V squad for every sport, • Reusable water bottle and then spends their summers in Zimbabastan helping kids learn to knit. • Cash Whatever. Some people get caught up in the whole “overachiever” thing. Do what makes you happy, but don’t overextend yourself. Signing up for • Phone charger every club may seem like a good idea at the Activities Fair, but getting bombarded with emails every ten minutes about meeting dates and events is just annoying and not worth your time. Try out some new things, because this is your time to see what you like, but remember not to just join clubs or Pro-Tip: activities for the sole purpose of getting into college. Basketball and soccer games are super fun! Even if you don’t peg yourWhen possible folders self as a cheerleader, give it a try—you may surprise yourself. You aren’t over binders! going to know the cheers for the first few games. It takes a little memorizing, so while you are in the learning phase just mouth random words and say, “Go Aces!” every few minutes. You will fool your peers into thinking you’re spirited (spirited = cool at LM). No one will be able to hear you way back in the freshman section anyway. Good luck, freshmen! I send you now on your quest to underclassmanship well equipped with the knowledge to kill it!
Dear Aces Nation, If you’re reading this it’s too late; summer is over and we’re already back to the grind. Fortunately, you all, as students, have the opportunity to make school better. We enter this new school year repping lots of spirit, huge dawg pounds, and even bigger…personalities. Everyone must play their part. Already, football, soccer, field hockey, cross country, tennis, volleyball, and golf have been hard at work for the past few weeks, coming in as early as 6 a.m., preparing to get some dubs this season. This upcoming year appears to be a promising one for LM sports. Our football team has the most talent it has had in years. Our boys soccer team has 12 returning seniors. Our girls tennis team has a strong lineup full of promising juniors and underclassmen. Our basketball team has been working hard in the offseason and will be ready to take the season on full force, along with our countless other teams who are ready to perform. Beyond sports, we have numerous other clubs and activities who are equally ready to represent our school with pride.
I’ve got the power!
Everyone hates C lunch: the dirty tables, the limited food options, the growling stomachs. Can you imagine what it would be like to have D lunch? In order to accommodate the recent spike in student population, LM would have to add a 4th lunch, totally disrupting the existing schedule. Thankfully, LM principal Sean Hughes and Harriton principal Scott Eveslage teamed up to give us a new and improved schedule: The Hour of Power! Instead of the old schedule, by which LM had three lunches, we now have one hour of unstructured time. “We’re giving you the opportunity to make your own choices, ” said Hughes. Teachers are required to hold office hours for 30 minutes during this hour. Students are free to take their lunch all over the school. Or, if you don’t have any work and just want to relax, you can take a nap. For students looking to get ahead, the break before afternoon classes is a great time to finish up homework. Mr. Hughes hopes that “Lunch and Learn” will provide students with a break to reduce stress and will allow them to let off steam.
“The library is going to be more collaborative,” Mr. Hughes says
Is it a stair or a chair?
September 17, 2015
Where did Advisory go? Now it’s immediately after the Hour of Power on A days, shortening classes to 44 minutes. Woohoo!
Walking around the building, you may have seen some strange pieces of furniture. Discover what each hallway corner has to offer! Architecturally puzzling but satisfyingly ergonomic, the chairs in the form of stairs are just one of many great places to work and collaborate. You and your friends can sit on different levels and talk about your problems like you’re in a 90’s teen sitcom! To kill the 90’s vibe, feel free to charge your laptops and phones in the outlets built in!
Mark Marion-Landis Math
What was your high school superlative, or if you were not given one, what would it be? Most fun Which TV character do you relate with? Walter White What would your last meal be? Lobster, steamed clams, salad, and Blueberry pie
Jennifer Cornely Special Education
What was your high school superlative, or if you were not given one, what would it be? Most approachable Which TV character do you relate with? Chicken Little What would your last meal be? Filet mignon, strawberries, cheesecake, and a Chik-fil-A®
Dr. Michele Rodriguez Special Education
Everyone remembers the raunchy seniors periodically getting thrown out of the library for making too much noise. You probably also remember the group of kids trying to work on a project together who got shushed for working too loudly. Fortunately, Mr. Hughes has made the library a more collaborative workspace, so we no longer have to fear the wrath of Ms. McDuffy. Besides the new atmosphere, the library has also gotten a makeover. Many new tables have been added to maximize workspace. Soon, some tables will include screens that we can use to project our laptops. Multi-purpose glass dividers can be used as whiteboards or sound buffers. New vending machines will be available so you can avoid the exhaustion of the trek to and from the cafeteria.
Hughes said, “We are giving you the opportunity to make your own choices with this… use the hour wisely.” With this new freedom comes responsibility. In order for “Lunch and Learn” to remain, it’s important we take good care of these new additions. Enjoy your power, LM!
Features on Teachers
Rosalie Alice Garrett Latin
What was your high school superlative, or if you were not given one, what would it be? Best smile Which TV character do you relate with? Sheldon Cooper What would your last meal be? Sushi
Meet your 2015-2016 new staff
What was your high school superlative, or if you were not given one, what would it be? Most likely to be a character Which TV character do you relate with? Penny from Big Bang Theory What would your last meal be? Pizza
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Photos by Staff
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September 17, 2015
FEATURES
Maestro’s Mentors Grant Wei ‘16 Copy Editor
YOU’RE ABOUT TO GET
P
PED!
Pope Francis is coming! Here are some fun facts about the current leader of the Catholic Church and his visit to Philadelphia:
Senior Justin Guo tutors a student on the cello.
Photo by Sophie Bennet, Nathan Hale HS ’16
Have you ever considered playing an instrument? Chances are, if you aren’t part of the reasonably large group of kids that participates in LM’s band or orchestra, you probably decided a while ago that music is not for you, and that’s cool. It’s your choice, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, there are kids across the country, and even in Philadelphia, whose schools have no music programs to nurture their interests in this field of the arts. There are kids whose schools can’t afford instruments, sheet music, or qualified teachers to provide them with basic music education. There are many kids who don’t have the choice that LM students generally did. As most LMers know, Maestro the Lion concerts bring hundreds of elementary school kids flock to our school during the spring, taking over our auditorium every morning for two weeks. This may seem pretty routine, but the tradition actually serves a larger social purpose than simple entertainment. For 25 years, the program has given kids who attend schools with or without music programs a chance to experience instrumental music and to spark or support their interests. Given the increasing national trend of cutting funding to the arts, even as brief an interaction as showing kids how to play an instrument can be influential for a lasting period of time. At these concerts, there is also a segment during which a few non LM kids play. Compared to the orchestra, they may seem out of practice, causing some curiosity amongst the audience. This part of the performance is the result of an after-school program called Maestro’s Mentors. Every Tuesday and Friday, string players from LM and Harriton travel to Bethel AME Church in Ardmore to tutor kids in their music after school. To these students, the ability to play an instrument is a skill that should be shared, as Harriton Mentor junior Sang-o Park commented, “I guess you could consider that as a sense of duty.” These weekly sessions help push Maestro Mentees to achieve in music with little or no positive pressure or funding to do so in their schools or from their families. Eventually, the dedication of the students and tutors cumulates in fantastic concerts in the winter and spring. Like all charitiy and volunteer efforts, this program needs funds, which usually come from donations and tickets. Maestro’s Mentors has raised over $3300 from Kickstarter and hundreds more from its seasonal concert tickets. This funding goes to instruments, teachers, and supplies. Maestro’s Mentors isn’t self-sufficient, and like all charities, it relies on an active community that supports its cause in order to sustain itself.
He’s a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, and often uses Frodo and Bilbo (from The Lord of the Rings) as examples of the conflict between good and evil in his sermons. Sunday’s Mass is going to be massive! It is expected to draw a crowd that will stretch along the Schuylkill River for a mile and a half in front of the Art Museum. He fluently speaks Latin, Spanish, and Italian and understands German, French, Portuguese, Ukrainian, and English. To pay for his education, the Pope was employed as a bouncer at a nightclub in Buenos Aires before becoming a Jesuit priest. Principal Hughes has been warned that about 75 police officers will be camped out in the Kobe Bryant Gym over the weekend The Pope is a citizen of 3 different countries: Argentina (where he was born and raised), Italy (where his parents are from), and the Vatican, of which he is the sovereign leader. Matthew Hoffman of Plymouth Meeting, PA has sold 50,000 plush Pope Francis dolls, each for $19.99. Get yours at www.bleacherscreatures.com Allegedly, when he was 12, he wrote a love letter to a girl in his neighborhood saying that if he didn’t marry her, he’d become a priest. The Pope is a tango enthusiast and had several thousand tango dancers perform in Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Square for his 78th birthday celebration. Influenced by his father, the Pope was an avid basketball player in his youth, and has received many basketball jerseys, including a customized Boston Celtics jersey. The Pope drives a 25-year-old Renault 4 stick-shift, which was a gift from an old friend and Italian priest. At the Vatican, it has earned the name the “Popemobile”.
Photos courtesy of Yahoo.com and UCA News
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September 17, 2015
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
September 17, 2015
The Merionite
The Amazing Amy Claire Ochroch ’18
If you do not know Amy Schumer by now, then it’s time to, because she is changing the face of comedy as we know it. She is the brutally honest voice of women in our generation, and she doesn’t shy away from any topic. In her stand-up comedy shows, Schumer covers hot topics like reproductive rights and equal pay, but she never gets so serious that she loses her humor. She is amazingly honest, hilarious, feminist and is making waves in 2015. Schumer’s TV show, Inside Amy Schumer, premiered in 2013 and is getter better each year. The show is a blend of stand-up routines, man-on-thestreet interviews, and satirical sketches. One sketch that stood out this year was about female ageism in Hollywood. The sketch stars Schumer, Tina Fey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Patricia Arquette as they toast Ms. Louis-Dreyfus’s last day of sex appeal. “Believe me, no one was more surprised than me,” Louis-Dreyfus says in the scene, incredulous over how long she has sex appeal. She continues, “The fact that it continued into my 50s? I thought that US Weekly had made some sort of a clerical error.” The sketch has gone viral with over 3 million hits on YouTube, and once again shows Schumer’s willingness to tackle important issues with humor. The movie “Trainwreck,” which came out on July 17, stars Schumer playing a fictionalized version of herself. The movie was written by Schumer, and follows her as she goes from scoffing at monogamy to falling for someone herself – a sports doctor named Aaron Conners (Bill Hader). Throughout the movie Schumer makes fun of everyone, including
herself, as she tosses out jokes, deploys her deadpan, and shows off her gift for old-school physical high-jinks, often in heels and mini-skirts. This film flips on the stereotype that men are the ones afraid of commitment, giving it a fresh take on the typical romantic comedy. The movie is hilarious and should be seen by anyone who wants to laugh at, or with, Schumer. Schumer’s stand up is no disappointment either; the material in her shows is just as entertaining as her scripted material. At her Trainwreck Comedy Tour, aimed at promoting her movie and raising money for charity, she entertained many audiences. Amy got her start on the NBC reality show “Last Comic Standing” in 2007 when she placed fourth. Even though she has come a long way from then, her roots are still in stand up. She recently reached the goal of many comedians, having a special aired on HBO. The special is called “Amy Schumer: Live at The Apollo,” and will premiere on October 17. In an interview with GQ, Schumer responded to a question about what she wanted to do with her comedy by saying, “Providing a voice for women that was palatable for men also. An honest, unapologetic human voice.” She is outspoken—her sharpest jokes are about how she’s seen by Hollywood or women’s magazines. In this day and age, it is hard to change comedy, but Amy Schumer is doing it. She kills it in her stand up, TV shows, and movies. Her presence in comedy has no doubt opened doors for women who have never been there before. If you have never seen one of Amy’s performances, try to, because she will no doubt make you laugh. I cannot wait to see what she does next, and look forward to laughing along with her.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
September 17, 2015
13
The Merionite
There’s a new Bond in town Jon Adams ‘16 Arts & Entertainment Editor An American spy, a KGB’s agent, and the daughter of a nuclear scientist all walk into a garage in East Berlin. No, that isn’t the opening to a poorly done Cold War joke, but instead the opening scene of director Guy Ritchie’s modern remake of the hit 60’s show, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Full of drama, intrigue, action, laughs, and some of Hollywood’s best (faces), U.N.C.L.E. promises to have audiences glued to their seats throughout the entire spy thriller spectacle. The original show followed the antics of American spy Napoleon Solo and Russian spy Illya Kuryakin. The film serves as a prequel to the original series, showing how two agents from the world’s top superpowers came together to work for U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) and fight T.H.R.U.S.H (Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity). The film itself is the quintessential 60’s cold-war thriller: a kidnapped scientist, nukes in the wrong hands, leftover Nazis, and an evil corporation headed by a glamorous yet villainous English ice-queen. The plot itself is simple enough for anyone to follow, even if they think that the Cold War is a rivalry between two refrigerator companies. The film opens at Checkpoint Charlie, with American Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) attempting to negotiate his way through the nighttime streets of Soviet controlled East Berlin so that he can complete a covert mission. His attempts to extract Gaby (Alicia Vikander), the daughter of an abducted nuclear scientist, from the garage where she works are nearly foiled when Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) suddenly bursts into the scene with the same motive. After succeeding with his mission, Napoleon escapes with Gaby to West Germany where she defects. Simultaneously, the Vinciguerra family, hiding behind the pretense of a shipping company, has kidnapped Gaby’s father, a talented nuclear scientist who, up until then, had been working for the Americans. With his help they hope to produce nuclear weapons for escaped Nazis and other organizations of evil
Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer scour the streets of Rome
around the world. To the surprise of no one in the audience, Gaby, Napoleon and Illya are the only ones able to stop them. Thus, the Soviets and Americans unite to defeat a common enemy. From that point on, the film descends into a mix of 60’s fashion homage, by the book action stunts (with Napoleon even rescuing Illya from drowning after his jet-boat explodes), clichés of Cold War era entertainment, and even a few good one-liners. As a whole, Cavill’s acting is repetitive throughout the film. He consistently delivers perfectly timed sassy comments that maintain his air of macho-man superiority, and his facial expression remains the same for the majority of the movie: a blend of cocky, self-assured, and just a bit constipated. Even though he seems to be rescuing his counterparts left and right, the only thing that rescues him in the film are his good looks. While his decent but not astoundingly superb acting skills are bearable, his jawline and bone structure are gifts from God. An entire paragraph could be devoted to his looks, and questions certainly could be raised as to why, even after zipping across the Berlin Wall while searchlights shine upon him, he looks like he just stepped out of a modeling gig. Hammer’s performance is better, but at times it can be just as dry as Cavill’s. Additionally, his rough Russian accent does him no favors. His character development is run of the mill: he transitions from a cold Kremlin trained hit man into a gentle giant of sorts (if one is willing to overlook the psychotic episodes and nervous hand twitching). His relationship with Gaby is more endearing on his part than hers, but lacks chemistry. Vikander’s performance is admirable, but like Hammer she brings no visible affection to their relationship. Even though they pair together as fiancés as a cover, the fact that they supposedly develop real affection for each other is difficult to pick up on until late in the film. Furthermore, it’s difficult to believe that Gaby is German, considering that the Swedish Vikander settles on a non-descript accent that sounds more as if she’s an American educated at an English boarding school than a garage girl from “Ost-Berlin.” The true star of the film is Elizabeth Debicki who, at the tender age of 25, has already mastered the art of playing the villain. As Victoria Vinciguerra, matriarch of the evil Vin-
Alicia Vikander sports a classic 60’s ensemble
ciguerra Shipping Corporation and crime syndicate, Debicki plays a perfect ice-queen if ever there were one. She hesitates to do nothing throughout the film, whether she is selling a nuclear warhead or shooting people point blank in the head. Victoria Vinciguerra is certifiably evil, and it doesn’t hurt that she looks flawless doing it. As a whole, the film is worth the watch. Despite the uninspiring acting, the plot will not fail to enthrall audience members. The costume design is perhaps the most exemplary point of the entire film, if not Oscar worthy (though that may be the only nomination earned). With the mini-skirts and caftans of the 60’s reproduced in vivid color, it makes a person wonder why they ever went out of style in the first place. The chases by boat, foot, and car are captivating, and the action is enough to distract you from the fact that any and all character development ends after the first half-hour. As a director, Guy Ritchie delivers in U.N.C.L.E. what he has delivered is his other action films such as the Sherlock Holmes series: thrills, chills, and the truth that being evil never goes out of style. If you can’t catch it in theaters, look out for U.N.C.L.E.’s DVD release this December.
October movies to lookout for: Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (Comedy) - Director: Christopher Landon Stars: Halston Sage, Patrick Schwarenegger, Cloris Leachman The Walk (Biography/Drama) - Director: Robert Zemeckis Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Kinsley, Charlotte Le Bon, James Badge Dale
Photos courtesy of Daniel Smith/ Warner Bros. Pictures
London Has Fallen (Action) - Director: Babak Najafi Stars: Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Charlotte Riley The Jungle Book (Adventure) - Director: John Favreau Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
September 17, 2015
The Merionite
Hail to the Cynwyd Shuli Weinstein 18’
In 2008, volunteers from around the Lower Merion area formed a group called the Friends of the Cynwyd Heritage Trail. This group began making plans to transform the old train tracks located in Bala Cynwyd into a beautiful outdoor trail. Since its completion, Cynwyd Heritage Trail, many runners, bikers, roller bladers, and dog walkers consistently populate the trail to enjoy the quiet pathway as they exercise, saunter, and stroll. The trail has been around for quite a few years, and now that many new additions have been included, there are even more activities on this great outdoor path. One of these wonderful new additions is the outdoor Farmers’ Market located at the Barmouth trailhead section of the trail. The Farmers’ Market is open every Thursday from 2:30-6:30 pm from May through November. Conveniently, there is free parking at the Barmouth trailhead parking lot in front of the Farmers’ Market. The market includes vendors selling fresh fruits and veggies as well as meat from local farmers. Also, many unusual and exotic flavors of hummus and salsa can be sampled there. Some local bakeries also sell their goods there. For example, Aunt Rakie’s bakery from Narberth sells delectable challah and rolls. This market both allows people to help support the local businesses around Lower Merion and provides access to fresh, healthy food. Another amazing food-related shop that opened up alongside the Cynwyd Heritage Trail is the Tea Room, located next to the Cynwyd Train Station. At the Tea Room, you can enjoy a myriad of beverages, including exciting variations of tea, hot chocolate, and lemonade. Also available are delicious sandwiches to snack on such as grilled cheese and peanut butter. A stop at the Tea Room would not be complete without trying some of the delicious ice cream, perfect on a scorching summer day. Most importantly, the Tea Room gives trail users a place to mingle and rest as well as provide commuters a location to grab a quick bite to eat. However, simply because the light dissapears at the end of the day doesnt mean that the fun dissapears too. During the summer months, Cynwyd Station Park hosts weekly movie night. All movies start at 8 p.m., typically on Friday or Saturday nights. Though the films are free, a small donation is suggested to benefit the friends of Cynwyd Station Park for the purpose of restoring and preserving the park and keeping it beautiful for years to come. Some previously screened flicks
at the park this summer included Jaws, The Neverending Story, The Blob, and Song of the Sea. In addition, the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit will be shown on September 26th. These free movies allow people to be outdoors as well as meet new people in the neighborhood. There are also many other entertainment activities offered at the Cynwyd Station Park including Cynwyd Park Cleanup Day on September 12 and Family Game Night on September 16. The events continue well into the cooler weather, with the Haunted Train Station Halloween Bash planned for October 31. Whenever people are looking for activities to do around the area, they can go to www.cynwydstationcafe.com to find a list of upcoming events occurring at the Cynwyd Station Park to keep them entertained. People who would like to see a creative and environmentally friendly idea put into action should visit the West Laurel Hill Cemetery bordering the Cynwyd Heritage Trail. The workers at the cemetery have decided to make use of ecofriendly goats, which eat grass as part of their diet. This cemetery has decided to help the environment by using goats to shorten the length of the grass without having to use lawn mowers. The goats also help in eliminating invasive species of plants that often rapidly multiply. This in turn helps the cemetery save money on having to cut the lawn and is using a more environmentally friendly way of shortening the grass. The last, and probably most exciting event happening on the Cynwyd Heritage Trail is the nearly completed bridge linking the trail with Manayunk. The official ribbon-cutting day for this overpass will occur on Friday, October 30 at 11:00 am. Soon, cyclists, runners, and walkers will be able to easily cross the bridge from the Cynwyd Heritage Trail into Manayunk. Once the bridge is complete, a celebration will occur with both food and entertainment for whoever would like to join. The Cynwyd Heritage Trail offers numerous activities, entertainment, and shopping options to nearby residents. From the Barmouth trailhead to the constant activities and movies in Cynwyd Station Park, new options for passing time along the trail are limitless.
T R A L
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Songs that make you look Ali Gordon 17’ Madeline Ragsdale 17’
Artist to Watch: Girlpool
Songs to Make Summer Last Longer
Girlpool, a twee-pop chick band out of Los Angeles, is one of the most interesting and rapidly rising artists of the indie rock scene. Front-girls Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad spend half their time in their hometown, L.A., and half in our hometown, Philadelphia. What sets this duo apart from other similar DIY musicians is their lack of drums; the girls only play the guitar and bass, but they blend them together to form a cohesive duet. In addition to being talented, Girlpool is also an exceptionally gracious and friendly band. They often play free shows in local Philly venues and sell their merchandise before and after their concerts. Girlpool is most definitely a band to check out if you’re looking for a fresh and interesting sound.
1. “Cooking Up Something Good” by Mac Demarco 2. “Beach Whatever” by Surf Curse 3. “Baby Just Break” by King Tuff 4. “We Try But We Don’t Fit In” by Day Wave 5. “Art School” by Frankie Cosmos 6. “Norgaard” by The Vaccines 7. “Broken Heart” by Dr. Dog 8. “Killer Bangs” by Honeyblood 9. “Indian Summer” by Beat Happening 10. “Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard” by Simon and Garfunkel
Local Philly Bands Krispy Kareem
Radiator Hospital
Catnaps
This band spits out sad dance rock made especially for basement shows and partying or crying in your room, alone, at 1 a.m.
Making DIY indie pop music straight outta Philly, this group of eclectic musicians are self-described as “soul guitars, love songs, and loud drums.”
Just another twee pop, feel good girl band in the same vein as Girlpool; they write killer songs. You can’t help but go crazy and dance.
SPORTS
September 17, 2015
15
The Merionite
A Culture Movement Emma Riverso ’18 In preparation for the 2015-2016 season, of both LMGS and LMFB this fall. the LM football team has been working tireOn the subject of being the only girl lessly to revitalize itself. Throughout the sumon an all boys’ team, Riverso says, mer, new and returning players have been at“Being a girl on a football team is tending workouts consisting of enthusiastic definitely a little scary, but the guys weight room sessions and practices aimed on the team are really friendly, and at bettering agility on the field. Coach Bryan very supportive and encouraging.” Scopelliti affirmed, “This is a physical game. Riverso also says, “From the beginYou need to move another person against ning of the summer I’ve been gotheir will. In order to do that, you need to be ing to the team’s morning workouts physically stronger than that person.” In high and preseason to improve my kickschool football, strength is a major deciding ing technique. I have gotten a lot of factor in games, and players are already showhelp from Coach Capkin and had a ing huge improvements in that department. lesson with a former college kicker. LM football has had a huge influx of I also played in two scrimmages to players accelerating the rebuild. Many of get used to kicking in game situathese players are talented freshmen who are tions. prompting the coaches to create a freshCoaches are thrilled to add anman team. Coach Sean Capkin explains, other player to their roster. Seniors Photo by Belle LeBow “The benefits of having a freshman team are also excited, as they have a full The team at Harriton, preparing for kickoff in the season opener against Chichester. are that the players can build confidence squad for their last season. When The Aces fell by a score of 21-20 in the final minute. and grow together as a group, so that over asking Coach Augustine what he exthe course of their four years they’ll really feel like a family and feel like a team. pects from this group of 14 seniors, he responded, “I expect leadership and a sense Moving freshmen up to varsity right away is really difficult because they are just not of pride in the program, and to be able to get future classes on the right track.” It prepared to compete athletically.” Creating two teams will give freshman players is apparent during practices and games where the teams motivation comes from: opportunities to log minutes in games and gain valuable experience. the seniors. Tommy Tice ’16 says simply that his job is to “be a leader.” Many of In addition to freshmen, other players of varying grades recently joined the the athletes double as motivational speakers, such as Marcus Biddy ’16, who regufootball squad. These players include Harry Schain ’16, Alex Koch ’16, Daniel Bar- larly exclaims, “Who’s got the juice?” and Michael Berg ’16, who constantly says, cliffe ’17, and Sophie Riverso ’18. Riverso will be filling a key role for the aces by “Let’s go boys, we don’t get tired!” Ben Rubin ’18 affirms, “The seniors this year kicking extra points. are always pushing us to be better and to work harder.” This spirited and revamped Riverso has been working with the team throughout the summer and will be a part football team should provide us with an entertaining season!
Girls Tennis Looks to Serve up Success Dan Sáme ’16 and Lucas Kreuzer ’16 Following a district run last year, the girls’ tennis team is ready to take a step further this fall season. There has been huge excitement surrounding the team, culminating with 48 girls trying out. Head coach David O’Connell had to make cuts for the first time in 10 years. Team members trained hard each morning of preseason and are, “hoping the preseason work pays dividends during the regular season,” said team co-captain Allie Rauch ’16. On a typical morning, one can expect to find Coach O’Connell instructing underclassmen in doubles strategy, captains leading lengthy footwork ladder drills, and players engaging in point play. The preparation in preseason is already paying off. The Aces have won one nonleague match against North Penn and tied a scrimmage against Great Valley. The preparation will be even more vital against talented Central League opponents This coming season, the team is hoping to better their previous performances against powerful Central League rivals including Conestoga, Harriton, Garnett Valley, and Strath Haven. Simone Burde ‘17, #1 singles, prepares to hit a backhand. Photo courtesy of LM Enchridion
Team co-captain Simone Burde ‘17 feels confident about this season’s prospects, citing strong doubles partnerships as crucial for good results this fall. “Doubles is key,” states Coach O, who has directed his efforts towards strengthening this aspect of the team. In fact, on most days of the offseason, all team members have actively engaged in doubles drills. Coach O’Connell believes this will “set a precedent for the utter importance of doubles to the future of this team.” O’Connell coaches the state champion boys’ tennis team as well, so he knows what it takes to get to the next level. The girls’ team is led in first singles by Simone Burde ‘17, followed by Neve Brennan ‘17 at second and newcomer Cristina Bermudez ‘17 at third. The four doubles spots will be held by a variety of players including Allie Rauch ‘16, Chloe Spergel ‘18, Kloe Rosenberg ‘18, Haley Kofsky ‘17, Sarah Lipson ‘17, and Holly Yu ‘17. The team will be put to the test next Thursday in a critical match against rival Harriton.
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September 17, 2015
SPORTS The Merionite
To many, golf is a boring hobby designed only to fill the days of retired people in Florida or businessmen trying to create new relationships. It doesn’t possess the intensity and action of a football game, the pace of a basketball game, or the banter and chanting of a soccer game. However, while it may be difficult to gauge exactly what draws people to golf, the experience of playing 18 holes for just the first time opens the eyes of even the most unenthused. What other sport provides its athletes with unlimited boundaries? Sure, while baseball stadiums vary in design, every mound is 60 feet 6 inches away from home plate and every base is 90 feet from the next. No two golf courses on planet earth are the exact same and while there are water and sand traps, there are no fences to limit a golf course. Golf ’s natural environment allows the game to be as beautiful to a professional golfer as it is to a beginner struggling to hit the ball out of the sand trap for the fifth consecutive time. As every golfer reaches the green and looks in his or her bag for the putter, he or she is constantly drawn in by the surroundings. Only golf allows you to play a sport, go on a hike, watch the sunset, interact with wildlife, and feel a cool ocean breeze at the same time. While you can always meet people trying to “run threes” at The Shack, the Kaiserman JCC, or South Ardmore Park, almost nothing comes out of the interactions besides some arguing over fouls and whether or not a three-point shot is valid. Golf is unique as it is one of the only sports that can be played and enjoyed alone. The true joy of golf, however, comes from playing with other people, whether they are family or total strangers 50 years older than you. At the
Freshman Charlie Johnson
Sports Played: Cross Country and Track. Who is your favorite Kardashian? Robert Kardashian. What would be your dream vacation? A cruise to Europe. Whip or Nae Nae? Nae Nae
high school level, golf is played in foursomes consisting of two players from each team. However, golf is the only sport in which the opponent does not interfere with your individual play. I always have the potential to shoot a better round with Jordan Speith than I do with my dad. You may have noticed that I referenced golf at the high school level and you may be dazed and confused because you’ve never heard anything about this team. No, there is no dawg pound, no rivalry with Radnor (we tried but lost too many times), and no “home” course, but there certainly is a team. The team competes in the fall over at Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne against other Central League teams and the legendary institution of Glen Mills. While golf is not a physically demanding sport, it is difficult to find a sport that has a higher degree of both mental and physical difficulty, so the team has a three-week preseason during the dog days of August. Team matches run through September and are followed by individual competition at the league, region, and eventually state level. Coach Phil Damico is entering his third year as LM’s golf coach. Fielding a tryout of only eight people in his inaugural year, Coach Damico has seen the interest around Lower Merion grow exponentially, as close to 25 people tried out for the golf team’s eight spots this year. The team sent five members to centrals last year, and while no one qualified for districts, the team has shown improvement across the board and promises to bring home a winning season for the first time in years as well as send someone to the district playoffs.
Sophomore Kloe Rosenberg Sports Played: Tennis. Who is your favorite Kardashian? Khloe Kardashian. What was the highlight of your summer? Relaxing on the beach. Least favorite school book? The Other West Moore.
Michael Dw eck ’16
Photo courtesy of Michael Dweck Graphic By Sam Gamberg/Staff
Junior Rashon Cooke
Sports Played: Football and Basketball. Who is your favorite Kardashian? Kim Kardashian. What would be your dream vacation? To go to Hawaii. Whip or Nae Nae? Whip.
Senior Emma Ungar Sports Played: Field Hockey, Winter Track and Lacrosse. Who is your favorite Kardashian? North West. What was the highlight of your summer? Traveling to Thailand to teach kids English. Least favorite school book? The Rent Collector.