The Milton Paper FEBRUARY 9th, 2018
MILTON’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Opinion
Dear Health Center
VOL. 35 NO. 10
News
Community Day 2018
By EMMA JAMES '18 It started with the stomach bug, as many great experiences do. I spent the Saturday night before exams camped out in the third floor bathroom of my dorm, feeling completely terrible. (I’ll leave out specifics.) Why didn’t I go to the Health Center, you ask? Well, the same reasons why literally every boarder—including another with the bug who joined me in the bathroom that night—would rather suffer alone: the Health Center is, to many students, an unpleasant place. So, by 4 a.m. on that wretched then-Sunday, I took a terrible swig of my apple cider vinegar and, somehow, got to sleep. I awoke four hours later, exhausted, took a walk, and felt my symptoms returning. As a preventative measure to avoid poisoning the dorm and to avoid feeling as wretched as the night before, I figured I should pack up my study material and go to the Health Center, my first trip there for a flu/illness-related event in my three years at Milton. The nurse on duty gave me that pseudo-check-up that boarders are all too familiar with; I described the night before and explained why I’d come. As the first floor was completely empty, I hardly thought it’d be an imposition to sit at a table and sip ginger ale till the queasiness subsided. But, because nobody else had come to the Health Center with stomach bug symptoms, the nurse told me quite candidly that she didn’t believe I was correct (the irony). Luckily, her compassion kicked in and she moved me to the kitchen and gave me ginger ale and crackers. In a few minutes, she came over to me and asked how much longer I would need. Another boarder had
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Image courtesy of Milton Academy
By EVITA THADHANI '20 Milton’s very first “Community Day” took place on Wednesday, requiring students to surrender their phones for the academic day in exchange for a homework-free night, overall a good (and necessary) pause early into the second semester. Seniors have one day off every year to work on college applications, but the entire high school had yet to participate in a community day until Wednesday. The Self-Governing Association (SGA) decided to create the day in order to reduce students’ stress levels and bring the community together: phones were collected by advisors for second to sixth period, and students enjoyed a night without the burdens of assignments. The majority of students looked forward to this homework-free night and greatly appreciated the break. “I hope that the health day is one of many steps we need to take as a community to transform our educational experience into one that mimics the more advanced education systems already in place in Finland and many other European countries,” said a Class III student. “Such educational systems have minimal homework.” The majority of students and faculty members interviewed agreed that the benefits of a homework-free night outweighed the cost of classes falling behind. “ A homework-free night is definitely worth it. Stress plagues Milton Academy students, and relieving it should be a goal of this community. No, classes won’t fall behind. Classes only fall behind when teachers
forget to plan a structured, comprehensive course schedule. “Almost no learning occurs at home,” the Class III student states. Faculty members also felt the no-homework day was beneficial, and some felt students needed even more of a break. “I think a class-free and homework-free day would be more "healthy" than simply no homework. Again, if we could also incorporate no games and practices that would probably also help, too,” says a faculty member. A Class I student also believes the no-homework aspect of the day is only a start. “To be practical, if students are allowed not to do homework, they would just choose to consume media online or leisure away somewhere else on the web. In order to truly make the night worthwhile, I suggest a complete removal of electricity,” he says. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the day was the prohibition of phones. Normally, students outside of class can use their phones at their convenience anytime throughout the day. At Monday assembly, Kailee and Greg explained that they want to take away phones because they believe without them the community will come together. “I have some mixed feelings… On one hand, phones can be distracting and keep some people from interacting with each other, but they can also be a really important means of communication. I can obviously only speak for myself but I don't really find that my phone gets in the way of interacting with my friends and, more often than not, I use it to find out when
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Inside This Issue Nonfictions: What Scares You? pg. 4|| Distance Travelled pg. 7|| Scholastic Awards pg. 10
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The Milton Paper The 35th Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Managing Editor Editor at Large Opinion Manager News Managers Senior Editors Website Editor Layout Editor
Navpreet Sekhon and Rachel Handler Nihal Raman Jonah Garnick Aditya Gandhi James DeLano and Emma James Edward Moreta and Alex Millard Coalter Palmer Zoë Camaya & Victoire Legrand
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News
Opinion
Abby Walker Evita Thadhani Lyndsey Mugford Sarah Alkhafaji Brendan Hegarty Susan Urstadt Hana Widerman Nathan Smith Sarah Palmer Max Litvak Cece Zinny Charlotte Kane Eliza Dunn Louise Goldenberg Oscar Burnes Jennifer Chen
Celena Eccleston Serena Fernandopulle Vivian Soong Willa DuBois William Kim Jessica Kim Drew Bartkus Bodhi Becker Katarina Stephan Olayeni Oladipo Maggie Shields Christian Westphal Eva Westphal Ella O'Hanlon Emma Bradley Jana Amin Kathryn Fernandopulle Kayla Mathieu Madeline Fitzgibbon Maya Bokari Nikhil Pande Elena Viciera
A&E Madison Lynch Maggie Adedamola Hannah Hachamovitch Jane Yang Jennifer Lim Calvin Cheong Grace Li Grace Vainisi
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Editorial
Canada Goose: Yet Another Wealth Problem “Canada Goose. Daddy threw Santa the oop, land on the roof,” preaches Chance the Rapper on his latest mixtape, Merry Christmas Lil Mama (Rewrapped), released in the winter of 2017. In these lyrics, he points to the new trend of Canada Goose jackets which average at $950 for a parka, and have found popularity all over New England. Sure, Canada Goose jackets may keep you warmer than those other jackets, and the patch on your left shoulder may signal your elevated fashion taste. In the end, however, Canada Goose jackets represent the greater issue of the way in which wealth is displayed at Milton. Canada Goose as a company is problematic, as many investigations from PETA show. The fur lining comes from capturing, killing, and skinning wild coyotes. The down feathers come from tortured geese who were suffocated, bled out, and burned in scalding water. Therefore, in buying a Canada Goose jacket, the consumer is endorsing the company and its inhumane treatment of these animals. Even though many companies may represent controversial views or support controversial people, we cannot compare them to Canada Goose because it builds its brand off of inexcusable behavior. Canada Goose is a disposable company with jackets comparable to many other cruelty-free brands, including Milton-popular brands like Patagonia, North Face, and Eddie Bauer. In other words, you have other, less problematic options for a winter coat. These parkas also add to the issue of overt displays of wealth. Cars of the year, the newest iPhones, and even AirPods demonstrate one’s ability to spend excess money on material items. The amount of students who carry these symbols of wealth compared to those who do not is significant given the fact that 35% of students at Milton are on financial aid. Our wealth gap is real and quite substantial. Sporting Canada Goose jackets around campus is just another form of flaunting one’s wealth, one that undermines Milton’s claim to diversity and reinforces the gap between those of different socioeconomic statuses. The idea of diversity is further undermined when we talk about racial diversity at Milton all of the time, but do not talk about class differences and the makeup of it in our school as a whole. For us to not talk about these issues means not only that we are neglecting the reality of more than a third of our students on campus, but we are allowing those who are privileged to ignore this issue. Even more, how can a campus that does not care about the “small” battles react in a positive and full-bodied manner for the bigger ones? If we want to be on a campus that is proactive and aware of the surrounding world, we all need to take it upon ourselves to consider the impact our belongings and actions can have on others within our community. For our campus, the path to removing apathy and complacency from our campus begins with small steps, such as reconsidering the brand-name allure of a Canada Goose jacket. Then, we can really tackle the larger issues at the heart of our community. •
News
As Semester Program Students Return, Hopefuls Consider Applying
Image courtesy of The Mountain School
By CHARLOTTE KANE '19 As the Milton community settles into the second semester, seven students are adjusting to life back at school after spending the fall away from the bubble. Meanwhile, interested sophomores are applying to these semester programs. The programs—the Mountain School (TMS) in Vermont, Chewonki on the Maine Coast, and CityTerm in New York City, as well as the semester abroad program (SYA)—provide Milton students with the opportunity to have a unique academic experience during their junior or senior year. While many students are struggling to choose whether or not to apply, two students share insight on their semester experiences. Ariane DesRosiers ’19 attended the Mountain School for the fall semester. She applied to TMS because she had “always been interested in the environment, camping, and the outdoors,” so the program seemed like the “perfect fit.” Sarah Acker-Krzywicki ’19 spent her fall at Chewonki; she chose the program because it “focuses more on marine biology,” a subject she is passionate about, than TMS does. Unlike CityTerm, Chewonki and TMS emphasize time spent outdoors. Acker-Krzywicki explained that she didn’t have many expectations going into the program, but it really surprised her. She “didn’t expect to make such good friends” and develop such a strong connection to the program. In her cabin, she got to know her friends “on a different level, even more so than people in the dorm.” After taking time to reflect on their time away from Milton, both students highly recommend at least applying. Acker-Krzywicki described her time at Chewonki as a “once in a lifetime experience” and emphasized that “everyone there has their own amazing experience.” Furthermore, DesRosiers believed that “themes and issues that TMS addresses are extremely relevant to us as students” and that “Miltonians especially would benefit from being able to explore something out of most kids' comfort zones.” Although semester programs are in the hopes of many students, some have already ruled even applying, and rather opt to stay at
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Community Day 2018 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
we're free so we can have more face to face conversations” contemplated Alyssa Dunn ’19 when asked in anticipation for the community day. Phones have become such a big part of the way students communicate and go about their daily lives, and several students believed taking them away would cause lots of frustration among students. “Group frustration towards one thing often brings people together,” said Dunn in response to the question of whether taking phones away is a good method for bringing the community together. Some students felt taking phones away was pointless and actually prevented them from interacting with friends, while others believed the day successfully brought students together due to the frustration felt by the prohibition of phones. Earlier this week, Mr. John Lee, a counselor in the health center, explained why he believes the no-phone rule would help students. “I think everyone would agree that we probably spend more time on our phones than really necessary, it's not like we're waiting to hear from a potential organ donor, right? Students will still have their laptops to check email, social media, YouTube, etc., if one was having cravings or withdrawals.” But he clarified that he hoped “no cell phones would allow for more face to face interactions, serendipitous run ins with peers, and perhaps a more authentic experience or feeling of being connected to one another.” Although students appreciated the no homework and lack of phones experiment, several students anticipated more from this day. Alyssa Dunn shared her expectations for this community day: “ I really hope that it shows both the administration and the students the importance of taking a bit of time to help students with stress as well as showing them how to get help if they're really struggling. I think a day where there are activities to try and teach students ways of
reducing stress, like meditating, could be really helpful. I also think that having discussions about mental health and the things at Milton that cause so much stress would be good for the community.” Although the no-homework aspect of the day certainly may have reduced stress, there were no activities planned to teach students and faculty members about the importance of slowing down and coping with stress. Also, in the opinion of some students, community day could have come at a better time. “Honestly, I think this is kind of a bad time for a health day. It's true that the beginning of the semester can be stressful, but for me at least, the time I would need a day like this is not right now. I think before exam week or something would have been way more helpful, “ declares Dunn. Also, the day occured on a Wednesday, a day when students have a shortened schedule and therefore fewer classes and less homework. Many students expressed how the no homework night would have been more useful on another day of the week. Faculty members also felt the community day could be more helpful at another time. “Individual students may have different needs than others for "health days." I think there are "known" times when the student body is "stressed," where these types of days could be more impactful.It is common for colleges to have a "reading days" which is a 1-2 day break between the end of classes and the start of exams, which could be used for studying and preparing for exams, as well as a good time to have a health type of day when anxiety and stress is really high,” explains a faculty member. But despite the imperfect timing and lack of health-concerned activities, students agreed the day should come more often. “I believe that the health day should occur at least once a month. Every week would be better,” says the Class III student. •
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Non-Fictions
Shut Down the F-ing Noise Q: What scares you? By CLASS I NON-FICTIONS ENGLISH Why did we choose this question? Our Nonfictions English section partook in a two-day debate: If we could ask a number of Milton students anything, what would we ask them? We tossed around questions regarding future goals, time, religion, regrets, romance, and even food choices. However, when we experimented in class asking each other our devised questions, many of our own responses fell flat and predictable. We found that our questions seemed more provocative than the answers they elicited. So, instead, we went in a different direction. We know Milton as a community where people tend to conceal their emotions as they navigate busy, and often stressful, days. We chose to ask the question, “What scares you?” hoping to give students, across age and gender, the opportunity to share moments when they exposed their emotions—when they couldn’t keep an expected cover. We each asked five students this same question, and the answers surprised us—and didn’t. Spiders and bees and mice and sharks still scare us, but we are also scared of not meeting our potentials—of not understanding ourselves, of experiencing loneliness. As we might predict, so many of us fear dying. For some, the question was uncomfortable, their discomfort revealed in their answers. A plethora of responses reminded us of the many different levels of students’ lives—how we live both in and out of the classroom, here and away from here. In the end, we learned how a single answer, offered even quickly and anonymously, can reveal more to us about our community than we knew before. Here is a selection of the responses we received. “Really big roly-polys.” Male (cis), Class III “Actually, absolutely nothing, but I should be a statistical anomaly because I have severe depression and anxiety.” Male (cis), Class III “I don’t really like anybody knowing this… alright, look, my number one goal in life is to get married and have kids, so not doing that scares the s**t out of me. And the idea of not being able to support them also scares the s**t out of me, ‘cause then I’d just be a complete failure.” Male (cis), Class I “My family members getting hurt scares me.” Female (cis), Class IV “I’m scared of toes. I really don’t like feet. Oh, I’m really scared of centipedes.” Male (cis), Class III “Driving. Driving scares me.” Female (cis), Faculty “Getting bad grades.” Male (cis), Class IV “My future. The one thing that scares me the most is not getting into my early choice college. Yeah, it’d be pretty brutal if I didn’t get into the University of Chicago.” Male (cis), Class I
“I have an answer, it’s kind of heavy—the possibility that I can’t seize the opportunities my parents have given me, which will disable my children from having the same opportunities.” Male (cis), Class I “Letting down the people that rely on me and look up to me. To not have the resources or the ability to be there for them if they were to ever call me -- that scares me.” Female (cis), Class I “Other than my children being hurt, living under my potential—never feeling fulfilled, never understanding myself.” Male (cis), Faculty “Dude, I don’t know. I’m going to say failure—not like failing in school but failing to be happy with the life I’ve created for myself.” Male (cis), Class II “Being alone. Being alone forever.” Female (cis), Class I “Death—a lot. I guess everyone is scared of death, but I pretend to be ready. In reality, I’m so afraid of it.” Male (cis), Class II
Non-Fictions
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“The vastness of everspace, and how either the universe is infinite or finite, and both possibilities are very scary.” Male (Cis), Class III “The unknown. I like knowing things. So the antithesis is not knowing things, which is frightening.” Nonbinary, Class III “Drowning.” Male (cis), Class I “Public speaking.” Female (cis), Class I “The feeling of not being able to express myself. I mean not being given the chance to express my identity and who I am as a person. That just scares me.” Male (cis), Class II “Imperfection.” Female (cis), Class III “Waking up and looking at the time and realizing I missed six class periods.” Male (cis), Class I “Spiders. I don’t like the texture of them. They’re also really sneaky so they come up at weird times in weird parts of the body, and they just freak me out. I don’t like the legs.” Male (cis), Class II “I am scared of spiders and wasps, especially wasps. Missed potentials. Wasting my life. Ending up being homeless somewhere. Also, chicken.” Female (cis), Class II “Not having enough snacks, treating my sister unfairly, redundancy, and climate change.” Female (cis), Class I “The various ways that I could die each day. How I could get kidnapped, how people could invade our house. Potential terrorist attacks. Car crashes. Getting sick. The murder shows I watch don’t help.” Female (cis), Class III “I’m afraid of never being good enough. I’m afraid of being raped, assaulted. I am afraid of being kidnapped. I’m afraid of my horse dying. I’m afraid of wetting the bed if I ever spend the night with a boy, LOL.” Female (cis), Class I “Being raped. I heard this fact the other day that one in five women is raped. I’ve heard this fact before, but I heard it again. And now I am going to go to college soon. I am going out into the world, and I am really scared. I am scared. I am short. I am small. And I look like…I look small. Also, being run over scares me. Crossing streets scares me.” Female (cis), Class II “Not being able to move. Physically not being able to move.” Male (cis), Class I “Getting stuck in a routine. That’s why I left for a little, because sophomore year I felt like I was definitely stuck in a rut, and I didn’t really know what I wanted. Going away helped me figure out what I want.” Male (cis), Class II “My biggest fear is choking. Any kind of choking, either myself choking or seeing other people choke—even watching people eat, I can’t do it. I have no idea why I’m scared. I can’t swallow pills.” Female (cis), Class III “Ketchup because the consistency is weird and makes me want to gag.” Female (cis), Class IV “You know what scares me? Jump scares. Those are mad scary. I always like, haha—those are so scary, dude.” Male (cis), Class III “Honestly I think the biggest thing that scares me is that I don’t know how to be vulnerable.” Male (cis), Class I “Where should I start? In no particular order—except, of course, my children being sick or hurt, physically or emotionally—bears, sharks, home invasion, dying, dementia from insomnia, global fears for our planet, how will people get jobs in this world of Alexas, radon in the house, pesticides in the food, school shootings. Sometimes, I think, you name it, I’m scared of it, from Donald Trump and the Republican party to turf fields and the toxins coming from them, cancer cancer cancer. This is why I try to work to try to shut down the f-ing noise.” Female (cis), Parent “Oh my God, that’s so intense. I don’t know, sometimes I’m like, ‘What’s the point of it all?’” Female (cis), Class I “Nothing. I have no fears. Dwelling on fear will only inhibit you.” Male (cis), Class II •
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News
First Semester's Best Assembly Speakers By OSCAR BURNES '21 Milton prides itself on its impressive array of speakers gracing our halls and theaters once a week, oftentimes times more. Throughout the first semester, we were visited by a variety of distinguished speakers. As the first semester quickly fades away from our memories, TMP News believes recapping the a handful of these speakers holds great importance. On October 25th, Rodney Glasgow spoke to Milton Academy. After attending multiple prestigious universities, Glasgow continued on to many different jobs as an educator. At Milton, he spoke about diversity, and being able to understand another person’s view on something, even if you have an opposing view. During Mr. Glasgow’s speech, he offered up multiple different anecdotes from his life as an educator. With the final act of his speech, he had all the listeners get up and publicly display their beliefs. This brought out many conversations about the opposing views in our school. On November 7th, Army Brigadier General Richard F. Johnson spoke for Veteran’s Day. General Johnson began his military career in 1985 as a military policeman and since then has been a part of many military functions. Most recently, he was named the commander of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. General Johnson’s message was about the inspiration one can find in our veterans’ service and sacrifice. Men and women who have served in the army have cultivated a strong model of courage and
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Milton. Devon Whalen ’20 says that they have “no interest in living in a big city” and “have already lived in rural New Hampshire,” so they had no real desire to apply to either Cityterm or the other two programs. They have also considered and prioritized academic plans, as they thought going away for a semester would hurt their overall academic schedule. DesRosiers and Acker-Krzywicki agree that students should definitely apply to semester programs, but both juniors do acknowledge that, if accepted, the choice
leadership for others to follow. He explained how we can help to do our part in bettering the world. On January 3rd, Dr. Sarah Lewis educated us about race, social justice, and the power of art. Dr. Lewis showed many pictures that put these topics in perspective. She talked about how images can impact society. With multiple examples of how arts have affected the world, her speech emphasized that art is an important aspect of social activism in its role in the world today. On January 10th, Dr. Kedra Ishop visited as the year’s MLK speaker. She graduated from University of Texas at Austin and has been working in their admissions office ever since. She discussed several Supreme Court cases, with an overarching message of how diversity in institutions allows for stronger learning, and how race affects college acceptances. She explained the story of Heman Sweatt, who was denied education to a law school for the sole reason that he was black, as an example of the racial prejudices that needed attention. Connecting this story to the current world, Dr. Ishop explained the current role race plays in acceptance to different colleges. These speeches exposed our school to a variety of professional opinions on relevant topics. We all benefited from these talks, and we look forward to hearing more of them in the coming semester. •
to attend does require serious consideration. Acker-Krzywicki says that students “have to be open-minded as well as willing to be apart from Milton” in order to fully enjoy a semester program. Attending a program also worries some students who feel that they might miss out on life at Milton. However, DesRosiers says that “you'll come to miss having the chance to be in such an open, natural environment” and “you won't regret applying.” •
Weekend Activities By MAX LITVAK '20 Every weekend, Milton Academy offers a variety of activities for the student body. Some students love Glow Dance or the visit from the Mentalist, while others enjoy Trivia or open observatory night. The Student Activities Association (SAA)—led by Elizabeth Capicotto ’18, Emma Murphy ’18, Devon Park ’18, Natalie Wamester ’18, Jade May ’18, and Sophie Clivio ’18—works hard to diversify the weekend activities. To appeal to as many students as possible, SAA recently released a survey asking which activities students liked and disliked, and what sort of improvements we would like to see. Ms. Reiser, Director of Student Activities and faculty leader of SAA, explained that SAA is trying to introduce new activities without getting rid of events that students enjoy. Because the survey did not yield any strong trends about unliked activities, it is hard to discard activities that others might enjoy. Natalie Wamester agreed that getting rid of activities is hard “since our student body is so diverse and there are so many different interests within it.” Although they do not want to get rid of any activities right now, Ms. Reiser and the SAA heads want to make it clear that open ACC is not a main activity; it is only an option when there is a more relaxed activity, so that people can have the option to be active. Because Milton is comprised of half boarding students and half day students, SAA has to balance a unique combination of needs. Generally—though certainly not always—boarders show more interest in off-campus events because they have more difficulty than day students in leaving campus. Moreover, day students have no need for the school to take them off campus when they can do so on their own. SAA tends to schedule on-campus and off-campus events at specific times that take these rough trends into account. As Natalie noted, SAA “usually does off campus trips on long or quiet weekends, when fewer day students will be on campus anyway.” The rest of the activities tend to take place on-campus, “so that boarders and day students have the opportunity to hang out.” Looking ahead to the remainder of the year, SAA hopes to run more trips into Boston—to Faneuil Hall, perhaps—in the spring when the weather is nicer. In addition, Reiser notes that SAA would like to organize a paintball trip in the future. Although many students responded to the survey with requests for paintball, food, or more entertainers, SAA must work around budget and logistical constraints, from making large food orders to sorting out trip waivers. On the whole, SAA always aims to provide enjoyable events for as many students as possible. •
Opinion
Distance Travelled
Image courtesy of New Telegraph
By SERENA FERNANDOPULLE '19 If someone paid me five cents for every time I’ve heard “It’s the journey that counts, not the destination,” I would be a billionaire. This pleasantry is used far too often and applied to too many scenarios. For instance, if I don’t get a good grade, my parents merely respond by saying that the final destination doesn’t matter but rather the journey I took. If a sports team has a losing season, it’s not the record that matters, but the experiences of the team members. This past January marked President Trump’s first year in office, and his presidency has been long, tough, and tumultuous. This year has been quite a “journey.” Similarly, this past year at Milton has been a “journey” and, in some ways, our trajectory mirrors that of our country. I distinctly remember the night the current political journey began as President Trump received 306 electoral votes compared to Hillary Clinton’s 232. Despite the many controversies that surrounded Trump, including his “grab her by the p***y” tape and all of the sexual misconduct allegations, he was chosen by the people to represent our nation’s values and lead the United States. In the beginning of the year, America, along with the rest of the world, was stunned. I honestly couldn’t believe what was happening. Over time, some Americans began to fight back with protests to preserve the rights of all Americans, regardless of race, gender, or sexuality. The problems that plagued our country—sexism, racism, classism, and much more—were not just the result of those who perpetuated them, but also of those who stayed silent and didn’t get involved. This year has taught us that we can no longer be complacent when these issues plague our nation. Silence and a lack of will to get involved led to our president’s election. Some may blame the radical right-wing groups, but we all witnessed this evolution of American society. America’s embattled, year-long journey has come to a climax with high-profile movements like #MeToo, demonstrating that we as a country are growing and that the destination we are headed towards is to a more perfect union, one of equality and peace. Milton has also had a similar journey this past year. This year has led to a whirlwind of change in our community. These changes originated with the reveal of acts of sexual assault perpetrated by previous Milton faculty members such as Rey Buono. From there, the journey transitioned into issues of racial inequality and discrimination, culminating in the sit-ins in the spring. More recently, Milton is dealing with issues of sexual misconduct among current students; a student was dismissed from our community this year due to sexual harassment. These changes have been coming one after another, almost like clockwork. Through addressing the problems that our community faces Milton has become like America in that we merely react to problems instead of proactively solving problems. Yes, there has been much change, but only because of outrage from Milton community members and outside parties, such as Boston Globe writers and readers.
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Dear Health Center CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
come in, and she didn’t want another sick student to infect me with different symptoms. (There is only one main room with five bunk beds for all the sick kids.) She was also again suggesting that I didn’t have the stomach bug, at which point I showed her the Schoology update from my science teacher saying he was cancelling a review session due to his son’s getting the stomach bug. I said I was still actively feeling symptoms, and—I can’t even make this up—she asked for proof. I was not about to take a picture, and was literally begging to stay. Finally, she conceded. I could stay for one more hour so long as I was sleeping. (She ensured as much by rebuking me for trying to bring in my computer as a last ditch effort at studying for U.S. History.) A little while later, she woke me up, handed me a bagel, and suggested I go to the Dining Hall and get some food. I ended up going straight to bed with my nausea and immediately started getting chills so intense that I was crying and begging people in Millet to turn on my heat vent because I couldn’t leave my bed. I called my mom, who ended up calling the Health Center and speaking with the same nurse, who also spoke down to my mother. My mom asked her why she didn’t give me Pepto Bismol or some actual medicine, to which the nurse responded that I could always come back to the Health Center (which I could not, as I was shivering and sobbing at that moment). My advisor ended up personally driving to CVS and getting me overthe-counter medication—medication that the Health Center had—that relieved the nausea immediately. Now, even with this added flu/illness/emergency care, the health center serves a multitude of purposes—medicines, counseling, sanctuary—and I’ll admit, filling all of those roles can’t be logistically easy. Rather than needlessly slam the entire institution, as we Milton students are often quick to do, I’d like to suggest a few things
that I see, from my humble student perspective, as possible ways to improve the Health Center. 1) Physically split up the main sick room. It just doesn’t make sense…if one person has the flu and is putting everyone else at risk, then the room really serves the purpose of only that single patient. Or at least put up some sanitary curtains. A student shouldn’t be kicked out because someone else who’s sicker needs a bed. 2) Don’t assume students are guilty until proven innocent. I was told to my face twice that I was incorrect about having the stomach bug, and my mother was told once over the phone. (I shouldn’t be asked for proof of my symptoms in the first place…that is just unacceptable.) This also applies for students who get sick during a school day: I have heard stories of sick friends being interrogated by the nurses over whether they were just faking illness to get out of classes. Trust me when I say it’s far more challenging to make up an academic day than it is rewarding to skip it. 3) Tell students their options. Look, I get that the Health Center doesn’t want kids taking advantage of the ginger ale or the cough drops; but I didn’t even know there existed a very common medicine (Pepto Bismol!) that would make my symptoms go away, and I certainly didn’t know the Health Center had it available. Boarders don’t have their parents to cook them soup and take care of them, so you might as well just treat us like adults anyway. I understand the good intentions of the Health Center staff, I really do. I just hope maybe my less-than-satisfactory weekend might lead to some simple and important changes in the attitudes and logistics in dealing with sick students. Because, let’s face it, nobody likes being sick, but if you’re going to be sick as a boarder, the Health Center might as well be the best place you can go. •
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Politics and Grammys By ELLA O'HANLON '21 Since the Grammys aired last Sunday, there has been much controversy over whether celebrities should use their platform to make political statements. Many artists use award shows such as the Golden Globes and the Grammys to share personal opinions. Although some think that celebrities are hurting themselves by sharing their opinions, I think that celebrities should take advantage of their influence. At the Grammys, time was taken away from singing and awards to talk about events going on in our country, such as the #MeToo movement. Many argue that the show should stick to music performances and the presentation of awards, and CBN news goes so far as to say that this year’s Grammys were “ruined” because of politics. The political statements made at this year’s Grammys prolonged the event, but in my opinion, some things simply needed to be said. If you are lucky enough to have influence over thousands of people, you should take advantage of your platform to talk about important global issues. The #MeToo movement has shown sexual assault victims that they are not alone; if celebrities stating their mind on live television is what it takes for people to listen to this important issue, then I think it is a fantastic thing for them to share their views. The Grammys ended with Logic’s performance of his song “1-800”, followed by a beautifully delivered speech about women's rights and human rights. This is another of the many examples of a celebrity using their influence to do good. Likewise, the Golden Globes was lengthened from speeches given by actors and actresses. Meryl Streep gave a speech sharing her views on Trump. Some say it was unnecessary for her to share her personal opinions, but she has the right to make such a statement, and those who disagree with her have the option not to listen. On the other hand, some are angered when celebrities like LeBron James don’t take advantage of their celebrity influence and stay quiet. If celebrities are going to get hate either way, they might as well share their mind. In some scenarios, celebrities’ sharing their views without thinking results in bad outcomes. For example, after mentioning in an interview that he was “buds” with Trump, Tom Brady angered many of his anti-Trump fans. In situations where a flippant statement could potentially jeopardize a career, I think celebrities should be careful about what they say, but in situations where a world issue needs to be commented on, I agree with Hollywood that celebrities should use their platform to positively influence others. •
Opinion
Exams and Why I Support Them By CHRISTIAN WESTPHAL '21 I don’t like exams. I never have, and I never will. Whether pouring over their notes or spending hours in group study sessions, students almost unanimously find themselves stressed during review and exam weeks. Nonetheless, I believe that exams can prove beneficial to all of us. Exams are difficult, require organization, and promote learning—all of these qualities demonstrate the importance of taking exams throughout our highschool years. The goal of education is, obviously, for students to learn. Learning only occurs if you are challenged; if a student already knows all the materials presented in a class, then he or she is simply wasting his or her time. Exams are a way to challenge students, but remembering all the material taught in 4.5 months is seemingly impossible. In many of my classes, my peers and I complained about the “scary” nature of exams. For students, re-learning so much information can be immensely challenging. The uphill battle posed by exams motivates students to do their best. The students who typically slack off in class realize the great effect exams can have on their grades. Similarly, those who typically give their best effort study extensively for the same reason. Thus, exams are a great source of motivation for all students to improve their grades. Most students forget any material not required in the next unit of a class. The goal of schooling is not to have people forget what they have been taught, but instead for students to remember what they have
Distance Travelled CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
As a student body, we have gained the confidence to stand up more, which is is why change is happening. Reactively, the school has acted in accordance with only what is currently going on, ignoring issues that could possibly pose a threat in the future. However, the school has been taking steps, bringing an organization like RAINN to evaluate sexual harassment at Milton in order to prevent said assault from happening in the future. I don’t know what the RAINN investigation will turn up or if it will help the school, but these types of steps are crucial in proactively protecting the community. Many think that Milton is a liberal bubble, out of the reach of American politics and influences. On the contrary, I believe that Milton is very similar to America in more ways that we would like to think, especially in the journeys we have taken this year. As of now, America is not only
been taught for future use. Exams prohibit students from ignoring the information they have been taught before: anything covered in the first semester could potentially appear on the exam. Hence, exams force students to truly understand all the material they have digested. Finally, and most importantly, exams promote organization. In order to do well on these tests, adequate planning is required. The acts of compiling notes in an organized manner, and creating a study schedule are crucial to a good test score. Moreover, students need to create meetings with their teachers to review some of the harder concepts. Once again, those students who usually cram will need to reevaluate to perform well on these tests. Studying for exams can be boring and time-consuming. However, organization is truly the key for success. Therefore, exams encourage all to review carefully and efficiently. Although exams provide many benefits, there are some negative aspects of these assessments. Some argue that exams aren’t a reflection of a student’s understanding of the material. Furthermore, most medical professionals agree that high schoolers go through an immense amount of stress while preparing for these tests. Despite these harmful realities, I believe this stress is one of the reasons to keep exams at schools. Students will eventually turn into adults who will be faced with much higher pressure situations. Milton Academy students will be able to handle the difficulties of college and adult life more easily because of our exams. • failing to react to what we realize our country has become, but also it has yet to be proactive and not complicit. However, being proactive and not reactive is much harder than it seems. Living in ignorance and denial is blissful and causes less stress in our already stressful lives. Regardless, we must start being proactive, at Milton and in our country, if we want to build a future we are proud to be apart of. Everyday I check my phone and “breaking news” lights up on my screen. I become numb just listening to the crazy happenings that, at times, I don’t believe or care about. Honestly, sometimes, I’m more interested in the fact that Kylie is pregnant than the news about our country. I am a part of the problem, like many other Americans and Milton community members because I ignore the tough parts of life and am complicit in not taking ownership of my role in the community and as an American. Stepping up and fighting for tomorrow's problems is the only way to make today better. •
Arts & Enterainment
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Dance Concert: A History
Image courtesy of Milton Academy
By GRACE VAINISI '19 It’s February, so dance concert is right around the corner. Trust me, I know I talk about dance concert too much; I know everyone’s sick of hearing my lamenting the departure of last year’s dance concert and celebrating the imminent arrival of this year’s, but I can’t help it. As we anticipate the arrival of these three nights of wonder and exhilaration, let’s hear from Kelli Edwards, director of the concert, and take a look at the history of the show. Ms. Edwards, starting at age six, has been driven by her passion for dance. In college, she danced all day, training long hours as a professional dancer, and earned her BFA in dance. After graduating, she moved on to the fast-paced, cutthroat environment of New York City. In New York, Edwards found herself drawn to choreographing her own original work. In her small hometown in Missouri, she enjoyed choreographing at her community theater, but she was never set on pursuing it as a career. Upon moving to Boston, she continued for five years to both dance for others and develop original choreography. At this point, Edwards combined her devotion for furthering the limits of her choreography with her love of helping young people develop into advanced dancers. She began working at Milton Academy, developing her choreography and the Winter Dance Concert into what we know today. Originating when Kellner was built, Dance Concert was almost unrecognizable compared to its current iteration.
Historically, there was limited male participation, student choreography, or variety of styles. In the late 1990s, the addition of student choreographers powered an effort to increase male participation and the number of styles of dances. Before, most—if not all—dances were ballet and contemporary, and not a single male student was present on stage. It wasn’t until Ms. Edwards came, and the majority of the dances became student-choreographed, that Dance Concert fully blossomed into what we think of today. This year, there are sixteen dances— ranging in style from contemporary ballet to African dance—and over seventy dancers. In the past few years, male students have comprised 25-33% of the dancers on stage. Increasing student choreography increased the diversity of dance styles, and dancers themselves. This augment lends Dance Concert its quality of inclusivity and variety. Dance Concert tickets usually sell out within the first ten minutes of their being online, and upwards of 135 students auditioned this year. Why has Dance Concert become such a big deal, turning into a bucket-list event before graduation? Ms. Edwards explains that Dance Concert embodies the risk-taking, innovative mindset that Milton students share. It allows students the opportunity to try something new in safe way, as they know that their friends will come and support them. Audiences can see dancers who have trained their whole lives next to others who have never even danced before. Dance Concert
enables student choreographers to create something new and publicly express their ideas in their own ways. On the first weekend in March, Dance Concert will celebrate the diversity, creativity, and innovation of Milton students. Celebrate those who spend more hours in their dance studio than they do at home, those who have never danced before in their life, and those who’ve stayed up extra late and worked extra hard to translate what was an idea inside of them into a full three-minute dance, complete with costumes, lighting, and choreography that is completely their own. •
@Ms. Pearle, Please take me to the Celtics game
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Arts & Enterainment
Scholastic Awards
How to Explore a Museum By GRACE LI '20
"Cornucopia" by Jonathan WuWong '18
By HANNAH HACHAMOVITCH '18 This year, Milton visual artists and writers collectively won eighty Gold Keys, Silver Keys, and Honorable Mentions from the Massachusetts Scholastic Art & Writing Awards this year—a substantial increase from last year’s sixty-two awards. This prestigious competition began in 1923, offering teen artists exhibitions, recognition, and even scholarships to this day. The competition receives submissions in nearly thirty different categories of art and writing from students all over the country. The regional awards for this competition were announced this month, recognizing Milton students for one or more works in multiple categories and media; Hannah Neri ’18 earned five Gold Keys for two paintings and three photographs, and another Silver Key for a painting. Abigail Walker ’18 won Silver Keys for Poetry and Flash Fiction, as well as another Honorable Mention for a second poem. Jonathan WuWong ’18, awarded a Gold Key for his piece “Nymphaeaceae,” a Silver Key for “Cornucopia,” and an Honorable Mention for “Stratus,” explained that all of his pieces were “blown glass sculptures [he] made over the summer at the pre-college program at the Cleveland Institute of Art.” WuWong elaborated, “I had done glass blowing in the past, but for these pieces I wanted to work larger—they are all about 17in x 17in x 17in.” WuWong pushed himself to
experiment with color in these pieces as well: “for example the piece I got the Gold Key for I layered one solid color and dusted a more transparent one on top of it.” Andrew Chan ’18 won Gold Keys for his poems “Sonnet,” “The Raven,” and “What I Own,” and a Silver Key for his poem “Exodus.” Chan explained that his “poems are always connected to events in [his] life or issues that [he’s] not consciously aware of.” He finds that through writing the poems, he often discovers lessons or truths that his subconscious already knows. This tactic has served Chan well throughout high school, as he has entered this competition all four years at Milton and earned awards each year. Victoire Legrand ’18 drew her inspiration for her two poems, “Elegy for my Body” and “What I’m Sorry For” (both awarded an Honorable Mention) from her personal experiences, as well. She elaborated that she “wrote one poem about body image and society’s and mothers’ input on body image, and the other poem about nature and not being able to control life.” Legrand has never participated in this competition before, but Ms. Baker encouraged her to submit her work: “I usually never submit my work, but Ms. Baker said we all had to and that the [English] department would pay for it.” Despite her initial reluctance, Legrand is proud of herself for submitting and encourages more students to get feedback on their work through competitions — especially underclassmen. •
Museums can be overwhelming. The sheer amount of creativity bottled up within one building can intimidate the casual museum goer. As high school students, you can take the opportunity to visit museums for free entry or discounted prices if you present a Student ID. With temperatures dropping, museums are a great way to learn and appreciate art away from the cold, yet the range of genres within museums can often intimidate visitors. Questions like: Which exhibits should I visit? How can I get the most out of this visit? Should I get a guide? can easily bog down the visitor with doubt, but don’t be afraid I can help provide you with a couple of tips to improve your art admiring experience. Set a time limit to prevent a sensory overload. Packed with different exhibits and interesting displays, one trip it is easy to be compelled to look at everything during one trip. Too often, the sudden influx of visual stimuli can cause the exhibits to all blur together. Spending 8 hours on your feet doesn’t yield the most productive or satisfying experience because you are unable to retain most of the information. Set a goal or select a topic to explore. Doing a little research before arriving at a museum allows a more productive visit because you are able to narrow down the institution to a couple of rooms. Knowing what you would like to visit can significantly decrease your odds of museum fatigue. Pick up a map of the museum. Getting lost within the corridor of rooms can result in a frustrating trip. The never ending hallways and doors can blur into a matrix of colors. Maps provide effective routes to exhibits and restrooms. Pack lightly. You don’t need tons of supplies to explore a museum. Most are indoors with a central heating system, so big jackets are unnecessary. You don’t need the additional weight of a bag slowing down your museum experience. The legs are most often the first to hinder our exploration; by packing lightly you can make your stay at the museum more enjoyable. Eat before you go, or pack a snack. A growling stomach is not only disruptive to others, but also hinders your ability to concentrate. Eating a light snack can prevent others from listening to the musical rumble of your stomach. Go alone so you can spend as much or as little time as you want with the exhibits. Traveling in packs isn’t necessary inside of a museum; there are no cliques besides the guided tours that make their way a through the hallways. Walking alone through the exhibits allows you to dwell as long as you wish without the worry of boring your friends. You can use some, all, or none of these tips. In whatever way you choose to explore a museum, have fun! Here are some museums in the Boston area: Museum of Science, Museum of Fine Art, Institute of Contemporary Art, Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, MIT Museum and so many more. •
Mustang of The Week: Caroline Magann '18 By LILY WRIGHT '19 Caroline Magann ’18 of girls varsity swimming has been selected as February’s first female Mustang of the Week for her hard work and outstanding performances in the pool so far this season! Magann began her swimming career at eight years old for the Canton recreational team. Swimming ever since, today, Magann swims on three different teams, including the Shamrock Swimming Club in Milton. Since joining Shamrock last spring, Magann has improved her times tremendously. Although she specializes in mostly backstroke and the two hundred yard individual medley, she has dropped over thirty seconds in her five hundred yard freestyle over the past year with a current time of five minutes and thirty-five seconds! She also is extremely close to breaking one minute in her one hundred yard backstroke. Swimming can be an extremely demanding sport, both physically and mentally, as athletes are expected to push themselves to their limits everyday at practice and during meets. Even with these pressures, Magann finds a way to not only push herself to do her best at every practice, but also to encourage her teammates to do the same. Frequently referred to as the “team mom”, she is famous for her delicious oreo cookie brownies, which she makes in bulk for the entire team to enjoy after meets (and if you’ve ever met a swimmer, you know how hard it can be to satisfy their hunger after a hard workout or meet!). Magann also manages to balance her swimming with an impressive list of academic courses including advanced biology and extracurriculars like teaching swimming lessons to young children on the weekends. The Milton Girls’ Varsity Swimming has had an impressive season with wins against St. Georges, Portsmouth Abbey, Worcester Academy, and Westminster. Magann has been a key component to all of these wins, placing first in many events throughout the season and leading off countless relays. Looking forward, she is excited to compete at ISL’s this weekend and at the Easterns Championships Meet in two weeks at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania. By the end of the season, she hopes to break the two minute mark in her two hundred yard freestyle, a milestone, and perhaps even break her own Milton record in the two hundred medley relay with her teammates. We wish her luck with the rest of the winter season and know that we will see big things from her in the future! •
Sports
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Mustang of The Week: Rufus Taylor '20
The Growth of eSports
By KENDELLE GRUBBS '20
By TOMMY ELLIOTT '18
Rufus Taylor ’20 is a very special member on Milton’s Wrestling team. He loves the sport and puts his A-game into every match. Taylor started wrestling his freshman year at Milton. One day, Mr. Hales asked Taylor if he’d like to try out wrestling, and the rest was history. When he started wrestling, he was at a disadvantage since most wrestlers in his weight class had at least two years of experience. This initial setback didn’t deter him, as he strove to work harder and push through the obstacles. Taylor tries his best at every match and lets nothing stop him from meeting his goals. He refuses to allow losses to butcher his spirits and takes every loss as a lesson for improvement. This can-do attitude is one of the reasons why Taylor has won favor with his coaches and teammates. One of the wrestling coaches, Coach Hales, describes him as “what Milton wrestling means to me.” Coach Hales watched Taylor transform from a young freshman who had never wrestled to a “gritty, fearless, hardworking, kind, courteous wrestler.” Whether it be advice for a match or an explanation on how to do a certain move, he will always take the time to help someone learn. Though wrestling is mainly an individual sport, teamwork helps motivate other wrestlers during their matches and Taylor is always there to cheer on his friends. Taylor’s cheery attitude comes from his love for the wrestling team. He describes his teammates as “kind and kinda wild,” which makes spending time with them enjoyable. The long bus rides to and from games allows for the team to laugh, chat, and most importantly, bond. He recognizes how humiliating and dangerous wrestling can be and admires the courage and humility his teammates have when they choose to stay wrestlers. Taylor is grateful for how generous his teammates; if he ever needs something, his team is there to help out. He would love for the team to expand so that new people can understand the wonders of wrestling. Taylor advises new wrestlers to push through the initial learning curve and stick with the sport. In short, he found that his teammates made the struggle worth it. Outside of wrestling, Taylor’s personality remains the same. His closest friends describe him as compassionate, friendly, and kind. He truly is a unique soul and his uniqueness shines in his interests. He can be found ranting about the injustices of the world, gushing over video games, or hanging out in Anime Club. Rufus Taylor is The Milton Paper’s Mustang of the Week due to his great attitude on and off the mat. •
Esports may not be sports in the traditional sense due to the fact that they require almost no physical activity. However they have slowly been growing into a relatively large spectator sport across the globe with prize pools of millions of dollars. Whether it be DOTA 2, League of Legends, Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, or Rocket League, esports have surpassed the popularity of most minor league sports. One of the longest running competitive series on PC, Counter Strike has been in the current iteration of the game (Global Offensive) for six years. And for the past six years the competitive scene has been dominated by European and South American teams. Cloud9 has recently become the first North American team to win a Counter Strike: Global Offensive LAN Major. They won the Major on January 28th in Boston.Cloud9 definitely took the hardest route to the championship facing off against the French team G2 esports, the Brazilian juggernaut SK Gaming, and finally the Russian super team Faze clan. Cloud9 was able to sweep both G2 and SK much to the surprise of those watching. After a tough 16-14 loss on Mirage to Faze Clan they were able to come back in the best of three series winning 16-10 on Overpass and a thrilling 2OT victory (2219) on Inferno. This victory has helped to legitimize North American Counter Strike after countless years of failing to even qualify for tournaments much less win them. While eSports may not be competing with the Superbowl for viewership titles, they are steadily growing in popularity. The final map of the Boston Major maxed out at 1.3 million viewers between Twitch, HLTV, and GOTV. The elimination rounds of the major as a whole averaged roughly the same number of viewers as a new episode of The Simpsons. Besides the record viewership numbers and history for North American Counter Strike the major set plenty of other records. Natus Vincere’s star player Flamie posted a new record for most kills in a half with 32 against Quantum Bellator Fire. The final featured the first ever 3rd map to go into double overtime in the final round of a major. With numerous highlights coming out of the major as well as a television series being produced showing the lives of players and their journey to where they are today the viewership will only increase. •
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Ad Nauseam
Valentines Love Poetry for Very Lovely People Roses are red
We’re raising an infant, But you can’t hold my hand Because you're “afraid of commitment”? Roses are red
Come meet my iguana I’ll buy you a card
And make tide pod lasagna Roses are red
Human interaction is beautiful, But not letting me text Is borderline unconstitutional Roses are red,
Violets give me pleasure,
Forgot to buy new toilet paper Thank god I brought The Measure My hair is red,
My glasses are wired,
Down with the patriarchy
Also rhyme schemes were created by a male to subjugate women to sing Oppressive songs for their amusement
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