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Drama Teacher and Director Angela Wertner to Depart MFS This January
By Ali Chesnick ’19, Copy Chief & Features/Opinion Editor
Drama teacher and Director Angela Wertner will be leaving Moorestown Friends at the end of the end of the semester to spend more time with her 14-month-old baby, Louie, she announced earlier this month.
“It was a very, very difficult decision to make,” said Wertner. “It is very bittersweet because I love it here...and I love my students.”
Wertner said the Drama Director position is very large and has 12+ hour days two to three days per week throughout the entire year. These hours are necessary to teach classes, run rehearsals for the musical, the play, the middle school musical, and manage the stage technology components which accompany the rehearsals.
Wertner clarified that she is leaving on her own accord, and is not being pushed out by the administration: “I feel like I need to be there for him and so that’s what led me to make the difficult decision to be home with him.”
Wertner was hired as Drama teacher and director after Mark Gornto resigned the post in the Spring of 2015. She started in the Fall of 2015 with her first Upper School musical, Anything Goes. In March 2016, Wertner directed To Kill A Mockingbird for the Upper School play. She went on to direct You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Fall 2016), and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Winter 2017). She acted as producer of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Fall 2017), which rehearsed and ran during Wertner’s maternity leave after the birth of her son.
Overseeing the first Winter play to rehearse during an elective block, Wertner directed “An
Evening of Christopher Durang” (Winter 2018), which included three short plays: For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls, The Actor’s Nightmare, and Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge. The final MFS production to be solely directed by Wertner was this fall’s The Drowsy Chaperone.
Wertner will cast and begin rehearsals with the cast of this winter’s Almost, Maine.
Wertner has also directed The Wizard of Oz (Spring 2016), A Year with Frog and Toad Kids! (Spring 2017), and Freckleface Strawberry Jr. (Spring 2018) for the Middle School. Though she selected Mulan Jr. for this May’s performance, she will not be at MFS to cast or direct the show.
In addition to her role as director and technical director, Wertner acted as an Upper/ Middle School advisor throughout her three and a half years at MFS. She also taught the fifth and sixth grade Theatre classes, as well as ninth grade Public Speaking. Wertner has taught many minors as well, including Acting & Directing, Theatre Sports, Stage Crew, American Musical Theatre, and Dance Team. She is also tasked with scheduling content for Upper and Middle School assemblies and running sound and lights during these assemblies if necessary.
In Fall 2015, Wertner and Senior Lizzie Cohen co-founded Dance Club, which has since grown into a competition team with a minor class requirement. Wertner is also the advisor for Drama Club, which has produced The Galloway Café, Rumors, and Harvey under her supervision and guidance.
The Cupola was dedicated to Wertner by the Class of 2017.
As Development Office Moves Into Van Meter Hall, A Sharper Image of the Building’s Purpose Comes Into View
By Andrew Rowan ‘19, Editor-in-Chief
The seven members of the Moorestown Friends School Development Office will be moving into new offices in Van Meter Hall, causing student programs housed in the building to relocate midyear.
Van Meter Hall’s purpose has been in flux since it was purchased by the school in 2008, but the movement of the development office into the building sets its purpose for the foreseeable future, said Director of Finance and Operation Lisa Carbone Warren.
Van Meter Hall’s ground floor has been previously renovated during the summer of 2017 to create a meeting space for students and teachers or to host special school events. After Julia de la Torre’s convocation in September, the development office hosted a reception in the Van Meter Hall space.
Many
The current renovations of Van Meter Hall were not originally intended for the development office. Moving the development office into the building ended up being the most cost effective option. Many of the architect’s proposals to renovate the building to fit the school’s original needs would have cost upwards of $2 million dollars, or $3 million if inflation is taken into account, something which Carbone Warren said
“Ms. W has helped to define my experience with the arts at MFS for all four years of high school. I cannot imagine my experience without her. I will miss her deeply,” said Senior Mariana Goldlust when asked to share a final message about Wertner’s impact. Wertner will be greatly missed by all, especially the members of the Class of 2019, who were able to know her throughout all four years of Upper School. Angela Wertner has made excellent contributions to the MFS Drama Department and school community as a whole. On behalf of WordsWorth - thank you.
Serena Lin contributed to this report. Editor’s note: The author of this article has participated in many of the programs Wertner has taught and directed.
the school can not presently afford.
“We need office space,” said Carbone Warren, “we thought we could do it without spending a lot of money.”
After discussion by the school committee and reviewal of architecture proposals, the decision was made to renovate the future development offices with new carpets and a fresh coat of paint. Development is taking their current furniture from their present offices in the basement of the main building.
The building, which was originally apartments, has bathrooms in nearly every room. Carbone Warren said the school will not be going to the expense of demolishing and rebuilding the rooms, so every office will have a bathroom: “It’s weird, but convenient.”
The development office will also have additional storage space in Van Meter Hall for housing school records and other documents.
The timeline for the move is not firm.
Carbone Warren said the renovations will take place from late November to late January.
The development office has a small window to move: one week in February when their workload is lighter. However, if the building is not ready, development will move in the summer, said Carbone Warren.
The development office is currently housed with the Business Office in the basement.
Development’s move to Van Meter Hall would make room in the basement for the Marketing Communications team and Director of Auxiliary Programs Martha Cameron. Additionally, the Business Office would gain a conference room and a workspace for confidential meetings about things like health benefits and contracts.
As it stands, when the development or business office wants to have a staff meeting, they must reserve out the Moriuchi room for everyone to fit.
Development’s move has caused the
student programs in Van Meter Hall to change locations in the middle of the year. Carbone Warren said that programs typically are not moved in the middle of the year, but because discussion of the Development Office’s move had only started during the summer, it was necessary for this occasion.
Development’s move has caused the student programs in Van Meter Hall to change locations in the middle of the
One student program that has been affected is the MFS newspaper, WordsWorth. In the summer of 2015, Academic Technology Coordinator and WordsWorth adviser Diana Day created WordsWorth’s “Fox Tracks Studio” in one of the rooms that will be converted for development offices.
Day said that she selected this particular room to use for the studio because of its size and exposure to light. She said Associate Head of School and Academic Dean Chris Kimberly had told her to be aware that “at some point development was going to be over there.” Bearing this in mind, Day said she designed the studio to be portable for when the time came. That time came at the beginning of the school year, when Chris Kimberly informed the
Moorestown Friends School, Moorestown, NJ
Photo Courtesy Moorestown Friends School
In March, the School Committee of Moorestown Friends School named the Greenleaf Mansion, located at 28 East Main Street, “Van Meter Hall.”
Photo by Andrew Rowan ‘19 / Editor-in-Chief Wertner is pictured in the auditiorium. She recieved the 2016 Yearbook dedication.
By Andrew Rowan ‘19,
By Aaron Klein ‘20, Foxtracks Executive Producer
By Aaron Klein ‘20, Foxtracks Executive Producer
on a Ledge
By Aaron Klein ‘20, Foxtracks Executive Producer
Brunswick on a Branch
Kimberly on a Kayak
Godley on a Go-Kart
December 19 ,
Location,
Location, Location Gifts All Over The MFS Map
For the McShap Path: A Set of Electric Scooters
The McShap Path is a very long and strenuous walk to get from class-to-class, especially in the winter. With the gift of a new set of scooters, this will cut your route in half, and now you can escape the frigid elements in seconds. While you can buy one online, you can also buy a non-motorized scooter, which can complete the same task for half the price. The scooters will be great for students and faculty that need to make the trip to and from Hartman Hall.
- Lizzie Carter Amazon, $120.00
For the Locker Rooms: A Signal Booster
It seems as though no matter which provider, nobody gets service in the locker room. A very convenient fix to this would be to buy a 4G cell phone service booster. Priced at $400, the model enhances your service by up to 3200%. Maybe this will allow for someone to finally have a bar of signal in the locker rooms.
-Ryan Gorman Amazon, $400
For the Dining Hall Commons: A Drive Thru Intercom
Have you ever been running late to a club due to the long lines to get your lunch at the Dining Hall Commons? Well then a drive thru is the perfect gift for the Dining Hall Commons this holiday season. The drive thru will allow those who need to get to a club quickly to order and pick up their food within minutes. Also, if you’ve ever had to buy cold food due to the long waits, the drive thru will serve up hot food for you with no wait! While the construction costs might be high, a Drive-Thru intercom would be an economical good start. This product can easily be found at great prices for this holiday season.
-Sam Bitman
For the Field House Commons: A Working Vending Machine
A working vending machine would make a great gift so hungry students won’t have to go all the way to the Dining Hall to get a snack. It’s an appropriate gift because the Field House does not have a working vending machine, and hasn’t for quite some time. The MFS community would benefit from this purchase greatly, since there would no longer be kids complaining they’re hungry and having to walk all the way to the Dining Hall to get something to eat.
-Morgan Stepanski Sam’s Club, $4,398.90.
For
the Dean’s Office: Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder Dean of Students Mike Brunswick has a lot of responsibilities that take him around the school: attendance, discipline, faculty meetings, and more. Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder is the perfect solution to quickly getting around campus. Though it may not travel at the speed of sound (the maximum velocity is 5.0 mph), it is sure to be faster than walking on foot. The landspeeder includes lights and sounds from the movie, perfect for fanatics who can recite every line. The car’s 12V battery is sure to get you driving from the beginning of the day through at least second period.
-Andrew Rowan Radioflyer, $199
For the Meeting House: A Microphone
https://www.radioflyer.com/luke-skywalkers-landspeeder.html
The meeting house is very big, and most of the time, after worship announcements cannot be heard from the back or from the balcony. How much longer are we going to sit by while Ms. Barna runs to the center of the meeting house to say her announcement every single meeting? This microphone would let everyone’s voice be heard and would allow Mr. Thomson to stop screaming from the back “We can’t hear you!”. Although we already have microphones, they are often not turned on and you can’t hear what anyone is saying. This microphone will help everyone in the meeting house be heard.
-Vani Hanamirian Amazon, $7.47
For the Parking Lot/Paul Drive: KidAlert Safety Sign
Are you tired of student drivers blasting music and speeding through the parking lot? If you are, then we have your solution! For the low price of $29.99, YOU can make both Paul Drive and the parking lot exponentially safer for ALL members of the MFS community. This economical, family-friendly sign will remind student drivers that following the law is more important than making it to their first period class just before the 8 A.M. bell. Not only is the KidAlert Safety Sign useful in the morning, but also in the afternoon. When the parking lot is filled with lower schoolers and their parents trying to get to their cars, this sign will once again provide student drivers with a reminder that safety is more important than avoiding that dreaded car line traffic jam!
Amazon, $29.99
For the Fields: Outdoor Heaters
- Andrew Shah
When it’s a chilly day on the lacrosse fields, it’s hard to play your best or cheer on the team when you’re too freezing on the sidelines. This problem would be no more with the purchase of an outdoor heater. With the installation of a heater by the athletic fields and the tennis court, your frostbite would be no problem. Imagine you come off the field, and as you sit on the bench, you are welcomed by the warmth of the outdoor heater. The need to be bundled up would be extinguished.
-Lila Smith Home Depot, $130
Stokes Hall is the first impression visitors get of MFS. When entering Stokes Hall, visitors and students alike are greeted with a smile and welcoming atmosphere, but what if there was something more? The clearly necessary addition to Stokes Hall is a life-size animatronic statue of George Fox. The surprisingly life-like robot would greet visitors and recitie information about the history of Quakerism. While this animatronic would cost a pretty penny, one could never put a price on the wealth of knowledge this animatronic would provide to everyone.
- Aaron Klein
Garner Holt Productions, prices range from $10,000 to $1,000,000
For the Auditorium: Cushions and a Cup Holder
https://www.amazon.com/Zero-Tipping-Product5-Warranty-INCLUDED-350/dp/B00SQFABZ0/ ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544820893&sr=81&keywords=zero+tipping+big
Seat cushions and cup holders would make the perfect addition to the Auditorium because it would allow faculty and students to pay better attention to the assembly. Often, students become distracted trying to find a safe place to put their phones or water bottles, and many teachers complain about how their lower back hurts after a long performance. While an easy fix could be to just not bring any items into the auditorium or bring something of your own to sit on, we must remember we are a Quaker institution based on equality. Everyone in our community should have the same right to sit comfortably and have a safe location to store their things.
Amazon, $69.99
For Hartman Hall: An iPad Sign Out Sheet
-Shelby Deibler
Are you a senior in Hartman who wants to go uptown for a free but you have to sign out? Not anymore! An iPad sign out sheet in Hartman Hall makes life much easier for Upper School students. Instead of having to walk all the way back to Stokes to sign out and walk back, students will be able to sign themselves out and enjoy their free. Not only is this convenient, but it also causes fewer trips to the Upper School Office and those unnecessary walks.
-Liah Morban
Amazon, $289.00
For the Oval: A Valet Service
If anyone has seen the oval in the morning or during the car line, they know how congested it can become. Why not offer a valet service for those parents who come here everyday? It would be a great bonus to those who arrive early, plus reducing the amount of traffic from who elect not to use the service. Services can be rented from many companies in the area, with the price varying based on how large of a service you need. This would surely be a gift appreciated by the whole community.
-Miles Oglesby
Various Services, Prices provided through a quote
For
the Tunnel: Soundproof Foam
Ever taken a test in a classroom near the tunnel when middle school has lunch? Has your teacher had to repeatedly open the door to tell people in the tunnel to be quiet? With soundproof foam lining the inside of the tunnel, your teacher will never have to stop class to deal with loud noises outside. Buy the classic foam available on Amazon, or upgrade this gift with soundproof foam in your school colors or customize the foam with your school logo.
Amazon, $33.98
For the Library : A Designated Eating Area
-Jordan Grabelle
A designated eating area in the Library would greatly benefit the MFS community, specifically, students who want to eat and get work done at the same time. The main problem with eating in the library is that on multiple occasions students have spilled liquids and have stained the carpet. There is a simple solution to this problem: by buying roughly 48 sq ft of fake mahogany hardwood for the price of $39.99, many students would be greatly appreciative and any spilled liquids could be easily wiped up.
Amazon, $39.99
For the Hippo: A Step Stool
Upper, Middle, and Lower schoolers alike love to enjoy the Hippo’s design by posing for a photo while sitting across the top! In a school filled with vertically-challenged students of all ages, WordsWorth suggests a step stool to give our shorter students a boost. With this 3ft, multi-step ladder, everyone can appreciate the hippo’s meaning for our school, along with the beautiful art.
- Ali Chesnick
Amazon, $62.99.
https://www.amazon.com/Delxo-Stepladders-Handgrip-Anti-slipWK2061A-2/dp/B01I17BCNC/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=154482097 9&sr=8-9&keywords=a+step+stool
Van Meter Hall: An EMF Sensor
them. Put aside all the speculation and rumors and find out for yourself whether MFS hosts ghosts.
-Serena Lin Amazon, $27.95
For Stokes Hall: An Animatronic George Fox Statue
-Justin Patel
WORDSWORTH’S
In a town filled with Italian restaurants at every corner, Luna Y Sol provides a unique and culturally rich experience paralleled by no other Main Street restau- rant. Luna Y Sol provides many authentic Mexican dishes, such as Chiles Rellenos, Paella, Carne Asada, and other Mexican entrees. They also provide a smaller, yet stan- dard, kids menu for those who are not looking to venture into foreign tastes. Luna Y Sol is a mere 300 feet from the entrance of Moorestown Friends, so it is extremely convenient for students looking for a quick bite to eat during lunch. Furthermore, because Luna Y Sol opens their doors at 10:00 AM during all school days, students do not have to worry about rushing to get there and back before their classes begin. The pricing at Luna Y Sol ranges form $7-18, which greatly accommodates the student body in terms of their budget. Overall, Luna Y Sol provides a very enriching and different experience that will not be found anywhere else on Main Street.
Best of Main Street
(856)
Coming from the streets of Philadelphia to Main Street, the Philly Pretzel factory is the place to go for MFS students and faculty alike when they are in need of a good soft pretzel. Due to their quick service and minimal wait time, The Pret- zel Factory offers a variety of different pretzel-style choices on their menu, ranging from their signature soft pretzels to pretzel rivets, pretzel dogs, and even Philly pretzel cheese steaks. All of these choices come with a wide variety of different dips, with four different types of mustard, cinnamon, cheese, and chocolate dip, among the many others. Whether you’re looking for a quick snack or a great party tray for your class or club, The Philly Pretzel Factory has what you’re looking for. While The Pretzel Factory doesn’t offer delivery, they are located just a few blocks down Main Street from Moorestown Friends School.
ORIENTAL
PEARL ($$)
On the west end of Main Street sits Orien- tal Pearl, an often overlooked Chinese res- taurant. They have an extensive menu that has options sure to please everyone. The majority of their business is through delivery, however you may also eat in their restaurant. They make many different types of cuisines Pearl including Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese. If you attended MFS last year, chances are that you have tasted their food in the dining hall on the very popular monthly “Chinese food day.” Popular items on their menu include: lo mein, wonton soup, and general tso’s chicken.
(856) 234-2694, Wawa.com
Wawa has a cult following for a reason. This elevated convenience store chain provides great food with an excellent experience. Wawa has made-to-order options that range from macaroni and cheese to hoagies. They also offer an array of bottled drinks, snacks, and to-go hot food. Their coffee, whether it is hot or iced, is of much higher quality than its competitors like 7-Eleven. Wawa’s food is affordable and their service is almost always quick and enjoyable. Senior Kyle Eiffes says, “Wawa has wonderful food and fantastic people working there. I go there twice a day.”
The recent release of the Wawa app has introduced mobile pay and allowed loyal customers to earn rewards. Many college students who attend school outside of the tristate area say that Wawa is one of the reasons they miss home.
7-Eleven ($)
Though it may not be on Main Street, 7-Eleven is the closest convenience store to Moorestown Friends. Though 7-Eleven serves a great deal of hot foods such as breakfast sandwiches, hoagies, and pizza, they are notorious for their Slurpees and Big Gulps. 7-Eleven is rebranding to match their convenience store competitors such as Wawa and QuickChek. Newer 7-Eleven store models have bakery items, more breakfast and food items, and locally made items such as pasta, enchiladas, and bowls. Some locations even offer delivery, the 7-Eleven on Chester Ave might also take part in this refacing and rebranding process that most stores are going through.
La Vita’s ($)
(856) 235-0052, lavitaspizza.webs.com
Hidden deep within the suburbs of Philadel-
phia is a little piece of New York City: La Vita’s Piz- zeria. A short walk from school lies a “slice” of classic New York style pizza, along with a myr- iad of other foodstuffs typically found in pizze- rias. Anyone looking for a quick, cheap bite to eat will find it at La Vita’s, with their famous 99 cent slice, eas- ily the cheapest on Main St. Looking for something other than pizza? No problem, La Vita’s offers many other foods, from pasta, to sandwiches, to burgers cooked to order, most of which cost less than $10. Overall, La Vita’s pizzeria gives you everything you want from a pizza place, good food, good atmosphere, and a good price.
Ralph’s Market ($)
(856) 235-0132 DELIVERY?
Located on the corner of W Main Ave and N Church St, Ralph’s Market is easily accessible to the MFS community. Ralph’s, a family-owned sandwich and butcher shop, has been serving Burlington County for almost fifty years and is a good reason why they have been there for so long. They make excellent sandwiches. Even though their menu mainly is comprises different types of sandwiches, Ralph’s still has something for everyone, whether they are into a prime roast beef hoagie, which is cooked and seasoned in-store, or something as strange yet enticing as a pizza burger. Even though nine minutes from Moorestown Friends may seem like a journey for some, Ralph’s Market is definitely worth it. Ralph’s Market also sells other items such as various party trays, many seafood dishes, and meat.
By
WordsWorth ventured to Main Street with a mission to find the best slice of pizza. The first place we went was La Vita’s, which is located at 121 W Main Ave, Moorestown NJ, 08057. The hours of operation are 10:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. on Sundays. One slice of pizza took 11 minutes to get after paying $1.96 for it. The pizza was very cheesy and greasy. It did not have much fla vor and almost tasted like plain bread. The crust was soft with crispy edges.The pizza was very hot when we got it, and it burned our mouths. The workers there weren’t friendly but weren’t necessarily mean. Next we went to Passari ello’s, a pizza shop that has been on Main Street for awhile. It is located at 13 W Main Ave, Moorestown, NJ 08057. The hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. -10:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday with the exception of staying open till 11:00 p.m. on Saturday. The pizza rather expensive at $2.44, but the wait time was a brief three minutes. The pizza was very greasy but at the same time was very flavorful and had the perfect amount of cheese and seasoning. The workers were all friendly and they had the most options, which included soups, salads, and even desserts.
After that we went to Maurizio’s Bistro, located at 33 E Main St, Moorestown, NJ 08057. The hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. -10:00 p.m. Monday, Tues-
day, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. 10:00 a.m. -11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The workers were pretty friendly, although they questioned us when we asked for one slice for two people. They then proceeded to cut in in half for us without us even asking! The pizza was $1.87 and took three minutes, like Passariello’s. The pizza was very thin and long. It had a bit too much seasoning, but was very tasty. The crust was flimsy and soft. We just couldn’t get over the amount of seasoning on our slice. After that we went to Carollos Little Italy, which is located at 77 E Main St, Moorestown, NJ 08057. Their hours of operation are the same as Maurizio’s Bistro. When we arrived at 11:00 a.m, we were sadly informed that they didn’t have any pies on sale at the time. Therefore, we did not get to test the pizza there. Overall, we would give the best pizza award to Passariello’s Pizza. Despite the amount of grease, the pizza was the perfect slice. The amount of cheese, sauce, and seasoning pleased us both. Not only does Passariello’s have the best pizza, they also have the friendliest workers and they deliver. Next we put down Maurizio’s Bistro for their low cost for a good slice and also how quick they were able to help us. Finally, La Vita’s pizza for its bland taste. Although the cost was low, it wasn’t good-tasting pizza. We have taken Carollo’s out of the running for obvious reasons.
Two MFS Swimmers Give Their Outlook On The Season
By Miles Oglesby ’20, Staff Writer
This year, Moorestown Friends School hired two new swim coaches, Coach Dave and Coach Sue. WordsWorth interviewed two swimmers from the Junior class, Santo Messina ’20 and Alden Burke ’20. Both of them had some very positive things to say about their coaches and the direction the team is moving in.
WordsWorth: What is their coaching style like?
Santo Messina: From what little time we have had to get to know each other, Coach Dave and Coach Sue are both very encouraging, know exactly how to excite us as a team, and unite us to swim as fast as we can. Both of them are very nice and bring lots of experience to the team as they have both been coaching for a long time on the Jersey Wahoos.
Alden Burke: The coaches are definitely better than last year’s. They push us hard every day to be better swimmers. For example, as opposed to last year, these coaches started with the basics rather than getting directly into the advanced techniques from the beginning.
WW: How would you describe a typical practice?
SM: Usually we do a different practice every day, and each practice is planned specifically to focus on different aspects of swimming. Some are geared towards technique, some focus on starts and turns, while others are distance work. Coach Dave has made it very clear to us that he does not want to kill us with tons of yards.
WW: How do this year’s practices compare to last year’s?
AB: Practice was a solid 2/10 last year, but this year I’d
It’s All About Christmas, Isn’t It?
It seems most of us plan on traveling to the movies over winter break or staying in and watching some holiday classics with a cup of hot chocolate.
After looking closer at the main market for holiday movies, however, I noticed something. Are most of the holiday movies MFS and the greater community look forward to every year Christmas movies?
The answer is: basically.
Christmas has an unmatched popularity in the United States in the commercial world as well as in small communities all over the country. The answer to the holiday’s cultural domination lies in its accessible traditions, wellknown story, and long history as America’s dominating religion.
Just because I was curious, I typed “the most popular holiday movies” into Google. The 51 movies that popped up in the suggestion bar were all Christmas movies. Underneath that, lists for “Christmas
Trading in the Water for a Warehouse
By Esha Nittoor ’20, Print Edition Editor
On Tuesday December 4th, the crew team began their first two-hour practice of the winter season. The practice took place in one of South Jersey Rowing’s warehouses in Mount Laurel, where the team began their winter regimen of working out and erging. Erging is a type of indoor rowing, done by the team members to stay in shape and practice for the spring season.
Many of the team members have personal records they want to beat. As Henry Powell an 11th grade rower describes: “Everyone has a number that they want to hit. . .you just want to try to get to that number before the end of the season.”
The team has been practicing for two hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. This schedule will remain the same until the team’s two-week winter break, after which their two-hour practices continue from Tuesday to Saturday.
The team is expecting to get back on the water for their spring season in early March depending on the weather.
give it a 9/10. Last year our coaches had no synergy with one another, leading to some very ineffective practices. However, the coach for the guys this year used to swim for the girls coach, so they already work well together.
SM: This year the practices are much more deliberate and well-planned. Last year they were more random and just used to fill the time slot we had at the Y. As previously stated, the practices focus on a specific thing to work on throughout the sets.
WW: What is your outlook for the future of the team?
SM: I am extremely excited to see how Coaches Dave and Sue build up the team and push everyone to go faster and swim smarter. From what I’ve seen so far, the future of the MFS swim team looks very promising. I know that with their help and guidance, the team will be more unified, faster, and will have a lot more fun.
By Liz Huettl ’19, Entertainment Editor
movies” flooded the suggestions, despite the search term being “holiday movies.” A list from Indiewire. com, which claimed to intentionally name an array of the best holiday movies still managed to have over half of their list full of Christmas-centered pieces. Its writer(s) explicitly state their intention to have a diverse mix of films, yet they fail to achieve this somewhat simple task. Why is this? Are there no other religious or generic holiday films available? Do people enjoy consuming the Christmas culture the most?
I found some answers when talking to some fellow MFS students. I asked them about their favorite movies and the discussion surrounding religious representation during the winter holidays. It turns out that most of the top answers on the internet lists coincide with the MFS community’s favorites. “Oh my gosh, I love Elf The Grinch [Stole Christmas], The Polar Express, although it’s slightly overrated, Mistletones and the Home Alone movies one through five,” shared senior T’Shay McNeil. Several other students agreed that those were their favorites. Senior Lauren Radack excitedly told me about the new movie with Vanessa Hudgens: The Princess Switch. Its central holiday
theme is Christmas, just like every other movie in the list McNeil shared.
The most substantial information for my argument came from students of no declared faith or faiths other than Christianity. Senior Jack Stern asked me, “Do you want my favorite holiday movie or Christmas movie? They’re pretty much the same.” He proved my point further by explaining, “ I’d say Polar Express is my favorite holiday or winter movie. There’s really no Jewish movies out there.” Senior Shelby DabrowNorbeck nodded in agreement, adding that the only Jewish movies accessible enough for public consumption are historical documentaries or features on traditional Jewish holiday practices. I guess, part of this Christmas domination is just because there are no other kinds of holiday movies being made.
I still wondered, why Christmas? Senior Ethan Barr gave me some insight on this question, declaring himself unreligious. He told me, “Nobody in my family is religious, and we do Christmas. I don’t even think of it as a religion.” This proves to me that Christmas is so commercialized that it has no ties to Christianity in the eyes of some students. Senior Evan Fenska seconded
EDITORIAL: MFS Is Not Ordinary
By Sam Bitman ’21, Staff Writer
From the outside, Moorestown Friends School seems to be just like any other school. Sure the school has an excellent reputation, a beautiful campus, and a community centered around it’s Quaker values, but once you are on the inside and a member of the student body, you realize that MFS is much, much more than just your ordinary school.
From the moment I walked through the doors of Stokes Hall on my first day of MFS, I knew immediately that MFS was a special place. When I walk around the campus every morning since that first day, I see Lower School kids playing on the playground or taking photos with the Lower School hippo, an ongoing tradition in which the graduating class must choose a theme to paint onto the hippo for the school year, or middle schoolers hiking over to Hartman Hall for a math-filled morning.
On my first day at MFS, I was so excited when I had math class. I know this sounds odd, but hear me out. This was because it meant that I got to walk over to a completely different building on campus for class. As a new student, this was something that I had never experienced until now.
Having done this walk now through all of the fall season and half of winter, I’m just praying that it doesn’t get any colder and that it doesn’t rain, or as I’ve experienced twice so far, snow while I’m on the path. But then again, that is half of the fun of switching from building to building during the day.
Besides the walk to Hartman Hall, I also look forward to Meeting for Worship every Wednesday. Meeting for Worship is a time for the MFS community to come together at the school’s Meeting House for an hour of silent worship. This time is especially meaningful for me, because I had never had an experience like
Van Meter Hall, continued from Page 1... advisors of student programs housed in the mansion (sewing, journalism, and robotics) that the move was coming at some point during the 2018-2019 school year, and to be ready to move their programs by the Thanksgiving break.
“It wasn’t a surprise,” said Day, who moved the journalism studio into the space the sewing class had previously been using. She said that while she wasn’t told that she would need to move again, to make anything in the room permanent
this before where I could let go of all of the stress and worries I had in my mind and just reflect and think about how I could better myself.
In addition to Meeting for Worship, MFS also holds a monthly Meeting for Worship for Business. From the first time I ever saw Meeting for Worship for business, I was hooked on the idea of it. It is structured in the same fashion as Meeting for Worship in that we all gather together in silence as a community, but what makes it different is that the student body and faculty address issues and ideas in the community such as club proposals, policy changes, etc..
What I found to be the best part of it all was that the entire community must come to agreement before we can move on to the next topic. This not only kept the Upper School Students in cohesion with one another, but it allowed everyone’s voices to be heard. To be able to have a voice in the MFS community after just joining was something I didn’t think was going to be possible when I first got to MFS, but that is just simply not the case.
I quickly learned that the MFS community comes together in multiple different ways, such as the much anticipated Spirit Week. I’ve experienced Spirit Week at previous schools, but I’ve never experienced a Spirit Week quite like the one at MFS. The atmosphere at MFS completely changes during Spirit Week. Students become uber competitive in competitions, they deck themselves out for theme days, but there is one night that really capture the passion students have for Spirit Week at MFS: Hallway night.
When I first heard about hallway night I was both curious and confused as to what this was. Students assured me that it was definitely worth going to, and they were not wrong. Hallway night is
Barr’s opinion and called Christmas movies the “end-all-be-all” for the holidays. “You don’t even need to know much more than basic stuff to understand Christmas traditions,” he said.
Evan got me thinking about the representation of Christianity in our area. It is the dominating religion in New Jersey, and most people I have talked to can give me some background knowledge about Christmas traditions: eg. the Three Kings, Mary and Joseph, etc. Because of this long history of Christianity in our country, we accept it as the basis for our culture at times. It has been woven so far into our society that we do not associate its traditions with religion anymore. We associate it with Hollywood now, the commercial giant that gets to decide what the winter holiday looks like. For now, it’s all about Christmas.
when all Upper School students stay after school until 10 o’clock at night and work together with their grades to decorate their hallways in specifically planned themes. This night helps create team bonding amongst the grades and helps build trust among one another.
Another great way to bond with other Upper School students is through MFS’ Intensive Learning program. The program allows students to go on service, educational, or cultural trips both internationally and locally. This was something I had never heard of a school doing before. I mean international field trips, WOW!
In all seriousness, these trips not only create great bonding moments among all Upper School students, but also teach students what it means to give back to others through their service trips, expands students learning on a specific subject through their educational trips, and help expand students knowledge of specific cultures through their culture/language trips, something that I have never seen a school do before.
Now you may be thinking that these unknown aspects are the main reasons why
would be “foolhardy.” Director of Development Steve Zakroff was hesitant to celebrate the development office’s move at the time of publication. He said he was “hopeful that it will work out” but didn’t want to celebrate until all the work is done.
“The one thing I’m worried about is if the electricians run into problems,” said Zakroff, noting that would be a reason for the move to be delayed. He added that when the move officially takes place he would be happy to talk more.
Photo
Illustration by Aaron Klein (’20),
Dining Hall Staff
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
GET TO KNOW THE SAGE DINING STAFF
Head Chef Stacy Mishkin
WW: What makes a good day at work?
SM: Everyday is a good day really. I’m one of those people– I’m really easy going and lowkey so even like yesterday we had some delivery issues. Some things didn’t show up, then a catering problem. You just have to take everything one step at a time. So, I try not to let any of that bother me and make a bad day. I’m not going to be angry, I’m just not that type of person.
WW: Why did you choose to work at MFS?
SM: I got lucky. I live in Cherry Hill, the next town over. I was working at a different food service company, and my husband and I were thinking of moving to New Hampshire. And I found SAGE dining, and I really liked their mission statement--what they believed in... I saw Moorestown Friends School was open, and I was like “oh wow, i really like that” because to me the two mission statements were like the same. Nurturing the mind, the body, the soul, it’s all the same. I’m the same way with food-- I liked the part of nurturing you guys, helping you grow into the people you become and seeing you learn.
Lena Camprise
WW: Do you play any instruments?
LC: I play the bass; I play the electric; I play the piano. [I’ve played the] piano since I was a child. My father was a musician; he was a pianist. Guitar, bass, I think I started playing the bass eight years ago. I know more rhythm than lead but I think I started playing the electric about five years ago. I want to learn violin next.
WW: What are your favorite books?
LC: I don’t directly think I have a favorite book, because I do like to read, but one of my favorite authors is Jane Austen, so [she is] one of my biggest authors I favor. I’ve been in and out of school so I don’t have a lot of time to read extra books as much as I have a big collection. I’m in school for psychology right now.
Kelly Weber
WW: Do you have a favorite movie?
KW: Oh, I am hooked on the Hallmark Channel right now for Christmas. It’s all I watch right now. I know nothing else, no news. I don’t know what’s going on. Hallmark.
WW: How did you start at MFS?
KW: Actually I was...called in. My sister works here and the dishwasher that worked here a couple of years ago had an operation so I came in to fill in for him, and they just winded up...[keeping] me.
Julia Peon
WW: What are your hobbies?
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JP: I go to the gym and walk. I try to walk 4 to 5 miles per day. I don’t have time to watch TV because I work a lot.
WW: If you only had one food you could eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
JP: Pasta. I love pasta. Any type of pasta.
Andrea Ohanian
WW: What is your favorite TV show or music genre?
AO: I love The Big Bang Theory and Friends, and I listen to the classic rock radio station 102.9.
WW: What is makes a work day memorable for you?
AO: Just seeing my normal faces of the kids that I see everyday.
Mary Ellen Murray
WW: How can students make your job easier?
MEM: The students are great here. Maybe by being a little tidier, clean up after themselves maybe a little better, like on the tables where the condiments are. Other than that, the kids are great. They really are. They’re very well-behaved, very nice and friendly, which makes it all worth working here.
WW: What is your favorite part of working at MFS?
MEM: Friendly people. I put a smile on their face, and they put a smile on mine
Charlene Koch
WW: What do you like about working at MFS?
CK: I have worked in the restaurant industry for a long time prior to coming to work at this school. I really like everybody, I’m an easy going person. I like the little kids. I they’re so sweet. For my birthday, some Middle School students made me birthday cards. It was really sweet. They all call me “Char Char.” When I was out [a few weeks ago], they bought me a get well card. I like [the thoughtfulness of the students.]
First Row Left to Right: Kelly Weber, Andrea Ohanian, Lena Camprise; Second Row Left to Right: Julia Peon, Charlene Koch, Mary Ellen Murray