ATHLETICS: 10-0 for Girls’ Cross Country
STUDENT LIFE: Thanksgiving
SCIENCE: Green Roof
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MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY’S STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER
VOLUME XL, ISSUE II | November 2016
EVENTS DECEMBER 14 Winter Band Concert DECEMBER 16 Start of Winter Break JANUARY 17-20 Midterms
INSIDE VINE SHUTTING DOWN? Page 1 ELECTION RECAP Page 2 MATT DE LA PENA VISITS Page 3 POINTCOUNTERPOINT SHOULD YOU VOTE THIRD PARTY? Page 4 SPORTS UPDATE Page 5 CODE OF CONDUCT MEETING Page 6
knew he needed a scholarship, and this realization set him on a more concrete path. Eventually, with the aforementioned precepts of loyalty and hard work, de la Peña had transformed from an uninspired troublemaker to a college student on a At approximately 8:00 a.m. on Monday, basketball scholarship. November 7, Matt de la Peña, Newbery Medal winner and author of a multitude Gradually, de la Peña’s educational of young adult fiction, picture books, and experiences improved, and as he entered short stories, visited MKA. In his brief yet his freshman year at the University of the potent forty-minute presentation, de la Peña Pacific, he realized an advantage he had discussed his transformation from a second over other students. For, he had exceeded grader whose early failures sent him down his family’s expectations as young as a a seemingly unpromising educational path, high school senior and with the pressure of to the nationally acclaimed writer that he his family fulfilled, he was able to pursue whatever he desired. is today.
New York Times Bestselling Author Subtly Provides his Perspective on Privilege Rebecca Picciotto ’18, Editor in Chief
De la Peña began by describing the setting of his upbringing: National City, San Diego, right along the Mexican border where the quality of education was inadequate, to say the least. He grew up in strained financial conditions, with two teenage parents. However, even in describing the clear lack of privilege of his childhood, de la Peña simultaneously painted a picture of a happy household where family values like loyalty and hard work trumped monetary advantage.
De la Peña depicted his educational journey as a failure by the school system in National City. He only began to explore the idea of attending college later in high school, when he received an alluring illustration from a friend’s mother of the many learning opportunities that college offers. Nevertheless, the omnipresent burden of privilege remained, for he knew his parents would not be able to afford the expensive price that a decent education requires. However, that is when it all changed.
At this stressed, even if As an eager to
point in the speech, de la Peña “a goal can change your life, you don’t achieve that goal.” underprivileged high schooler pursue a college education, he
Although this provided the “happily ever after,” that people so often crave in underdog stories, de la Peña seemed surprisingly nonchalant about the hardship that he had overcome through his own sheer will. The Academy News talked with de la Peña briefly after the presentation to further explore the role of privilege in his life. In his response, de la Peña alluded to Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath. He explained that the Goliath of the story, in this case his financial disadvantages, is not always what it seems. De la Peña’s scarce monetary resources as a child and adolescent held no value in comparison to the family standards, goals, and educational freedom in college that he enjoyed. In fact, de la Peña asserted, “I think I grew up privileged even though I had zero money.”
Academy News Staff: Editors in Chief: Alex Rivlin ‘17 Rebecca Picciotto ‘18 Managing editor: Jonah Zinn ‘17 Sports Editor: Dani Wolk ‘17 Layout Editor: Miles Milke ‘17 Photo Editor: Josh Levine ‘17
Staff Writers: Chris Lewis ‘18 Dominic Flocco ‘18 Sarah Willis ‘18 Ethan Kuhl ‘18 Teddy Bulajic ‘18 Cristina Cestone ‘18 Keenan McAuliffe ‘18 Julia Helliesen ‘19 Ruhee Juvekar ‘19 Mia Layton ‘18 Elizabeth Squires ’18 Sasha Aronson ’18 Michael Bromley ’17