The Milton Paper MARCH 9, 2017
MILTON’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY STUDENT NEWSPAPER
News
Green Out
New SGA Voting System
The War on Wolves
By MARSHALL SLOANE
By MICHELLE ERDENESANAA For the past decade, liberal movements have rightfully bemoaned the feeling that the United States is regressing both socially and politically. Increased awareness and instances of systematic racism, homophobia, and misogyny have plunged the U.S. back into the deep recesses of its twentieth-century failures in representative government and social justice; however, we are not just moving backward politically and socially--one of the most overlooked forms of stagnancy the U.S. now faces is ecological. The incumbent Congress continues to undermine both global and national environmental health, perhaps most significantly through its bills that attempt to review and repeal past environmental protection bills. On January 17, 2017, five senators introduced S. 164: a bill that, if passed, would revoke all federal protection the gray wolf has in the Western Great Lakes and Wyoming. In other words, this bill, nicknamed the “War on Wolves Act,” directly undermines the Endangered Species Act of 1973, an act still considered one of the spearheads of the modern American environmentalist movement. The five senators form a bipartisan group that is urging the new Secretary of Interior, Ryan Zinke, to roll back past state wolf protection acts. Zinke’s track record definitely doesn’t align with wildlife and natural lands conservation; as a Montana Representative, he consistently voted in favor of industry—especially the fossil fuel industry— over conservation efforts. Although he appears to support public access to wild lands, his continued support for exploiting said wild lands is concerning for
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Inside This Issue JAMAICA KINCAID
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WOMENS STRIKE
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FREE SPEECH
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SHE BELIEVES CUP
VOL. 34, NO. 015
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On Tuesday March 7th, the Self Governing Association (SGA) voted unanimously to transform the election process for the Head Monitor, Day Monitor, and Class Representative positions. The new policy mandates that two students will be selected for each role by a popular vote; however, the second student must be of a different gender than the student who won the most votes. Prior to the election, all candidates will confidentially identify as male, female, or non-binary to an adult in the community.
By selecting the two person plan, the SGA chose to shut down the three person alternative that had also been drafted, wherein the student body would elect the male with the most votes, the female with the most votes, and the candidate with the next highest number of votes, regardless of gender. When asked what motivated the reforms, Tyler Piazza, one of the Head Monitors, explained that “the current SGA is rather male dominated. There are nine boys and five girls. That’s about two to one. We want to change that so it is much more even.”
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Fast News By TMP News Staff
Jazz Returns to South Africa
For the eleventh time, the Milton Academy Jazz Program will be travelling to South Africa over spring break to perform around the country. The trip, organized by Mr. Sinicrope, will follow more or less the same agenda as in previous years, playing for and with different
schools, visiting townships and a nature reserve, and doing a homestay with South African families. The group also brings donations from the Milton community to give to the schools, which were partially funded by the Victor Wooten concert this December. •
Art History Course Travels to New York City on Annual “Art March” Field Trip Departing early Friday Morning, the Art History classes traveled by bus to New York City over last weekend to visit art exhibits. Students visited galleries in the Chelsea district, explored several famous museums including the Whitney, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and
received a private tour of Sotheby’s headquarters. “I loved seeing all the famous art that we had been reading about, and spending time with my friends in New York,” summarized Malcolm McCann (I). Attendees returned to campus refreshed and enriched by the culturally thrilling and overall bonding experience. •
Administration Stops Seniors From Leaving Early for Spring Break Several groups of seniors met with the Deans over the past few weeks to negotiate special absence forms for Thursday (the day before school gets out for break) so that they could catch a flight to their vacation destination. All of the groups who wished to take Thursday off had already gotten their group trips approved by the administration, but found that the Deans refused to allow them permission to skip Thursday, even if the only flights to their destination departed that day. “We met with Ms. Bonenfant, who told us
that we needed parental supervision on our flight. So now one of our parents’ has to fly to Boston to escort us,” explained Chloe Kim (I). Apparently, the administration cited unwillingness to take responsibility for the students while they traveled off campus. Most of the groups now plan to skip classes anyways. As Nathan Strauss (I) explained, “It’s hard to book a trip to Cuba, where my family is going; I have no choice but to leave early.” •
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The Milton Paper
Editorial
The 34th Editorial Board
Accomodate Disruption
Editors-in-Chief Managing Editor Editor at Large Opinion Manager News Managers Senior Editors A&E Editor Rachel Handler Opinion Editor Gabrielle Fernandopulle
Malcolm McCann and Eli Burnes Letitia Chan Cheyenne Porcher Mateen Tabatabaei Marshall Sloane and Henry Westerman
Chloe Kim and Henry Burnes Sports Editor Sarah Willwerth
Layout Editor Jack Daley Photo Editor Caroline Massey
Faculty Sponsor Lisa Baker
Cartoonist Lilly Le
Associate Editors Navpreet Sekhon Jonah Garnick Nihal Raman Website Manager Alex Iansiti
News
Opinion
Abby Walker Alexandra Millard Allison Reed Elina Thadhani Ellie Lachenauer Evita Thadhani Lyndsey Mugford Jack Sloane Juliana Viola Sarah Alkhafaji Will Torous Jimmy Delano Brendan Hegarty
Barbara McDuffee Celena Eccleston Elaine Wu Jerome Vainisi Molly Wilson Natasha Roy Noah Cheng Rachel Ding Serena Fernandopulle Vivian Soong Willa DuBois William Kim Jack Weiler Pierce Wilson Jessica Wang Pierce Wilson Jessica Kim Edward Moreta
A&E Aditya Gandhi Emma Comrie Emma James Liz Foster Zoe Camaya Olivia Zhong Pierce Wilson Madison Lynch Hannah Hachamovitch Columnists Michelle Erdenesanaa Tyler Piazza Semi Oloko Thea McRae Hana Tatsutani Clare Lonergan
Sports Chris Mathews Liam Kennedy James Oh Sophia Li Theo Miailhe Humor Sophia Wilson-Pelton Lydia Hill Zack Herman Nick Govindan
Milton’s Independent Weekly Student Newspaper “A Forum for Discussion and Thought” Founded 1979 • Publishing Weekly Since 1983 Founders David Roth • Mark Denneen The Milton Paper is an independent, student-produced publication. It does not necessarily represent the views of the students, faculty, administration, or Milton Academy itself. Please do not copy or reproduce without permission. Letters Policy: The Milton Paper gladly accepts letters from anyone who sends them. We do not promise to publish any or all letters, and we retain the rights to edit letters for content, length, and clarity. We will not publish anonymous letters. If inclined, please take the opportunity to write to us. Send letters by mail (Letters to the Editor, The Milton Paper, Milton Academy, 170 Centre Street, Milton, MA 02186), by email (TheMiltonPaper34@gmail.com), or by personal delivery to our office Warren 304.
Throughout the past year, we have argued for the administration to take steps to improve student political dialogue on campus, to provide opportunities for activism, and to remedy sharpening political divides that we have experienced since the election. In our fifth editorial, published on October 14th, we advocated that “Political involvement is imperative, and, too often, Milton Academy does not encourage this essential civic duty.” In light of yesterday’s Women’s Strike, we are proud and encouraged that the Milton Administration has taken steps to accommodate student political involvement on a massive scale. On Monday, Mr. Ball stated that political action is greater than political inaction. We wholeheartedly agree. In the age of Donald Trump, an unconventional, misogynistic, and failing president, an age where trust in science is shockingly low, fake news proliferates, and fringe groups, such as socialists and white supremacists, are gaining prominence in national political discourse, activism is now more imperative than it has been in the past decade. In joining the international movement, Milton women are standing up for equality and justice. Events like these are crucial to increase awareness around social issues and demonstrate the power of solidarity. Milton has taken a strong step in the right direction by endorsing the strike and allowing students to miss classes to participate. However, we are dismayed at poor responses to the strike. In school this week, many male students have articulated that they felt excluded by the women’s strike, and some even consciously wore non-red colors in an apparent rebellion against the strike. However, the point of the women’s strike was to show what it is like to have a day without women, to give time for women in the community to engage in political activism, and to take a stand for women's rights. Therefore, it makes complete sense that men should not be included. The strike, particularly in the walkout on Monday, aimed to demonstrate how crucial women are to our community, making the inclusion of men a pointless step. Some men expressed discomfort or disapproval for the day’s events beyond exclusion, citing the fact that a Guardian op-ed that helped spurn the strike was co-written by a Palestinian terrorist. Given how far removed Milton’s Women’s Strike is from terrorism (a fact so blatantly obvious it feels ridiculous to write), however, this is an irrelevant excuse for dismissing the message of the strike. Excuses like these are fake attempts to rationalize a discomfort for feminism. Still, more communication with our community’s men as to the purpose and aims of the day would have been a prudent step and likely mitigated some criticism which stemmed from ignorance. Improving gender dynamics in our community can only come from cross-gender dialogue as the burden of fault for issues in our gender dynamics falls on men. No rational or moral excuse exists for not supporting the cause of gender equality. We believe that the majority of the student body supports gender equality, so much of the criticism of the strike must come from insecurity and ignorance. Therefore, in the coming months, students must work to bridge the understanding gap between proponents of feminism and critics of the movement. That being said, no one should be shamed for either participating or not participating in the strike, because this only prevents further dialogue. For the strike to succeed, activists must engage the detractors of the movement at Milton to address the root of the problem. Until this occurs, making phone calls and singing songs are therapeutic but ultimately unproductive. •
News Bingham Speaker Jamaica Kincaid By LETITIA CHAN This spring’s Bingham speaker was Jamaica Kincaid, who addressed students and faculty yesterday, March 8, in King Theatre. A recipient of prestigious literary awards and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 2004, she is one of the most widely anthologized authors in the U.S.. Ms. Kincaid, whose work famously centers around mother-daughter relationships and her Antigua, is currently Professor of African and African American Studies in Residence at Harvard College. She is among the most prestigious visiting writers Milton has had. Ms. Kincaid has been and will be attending non-fictions and creative writing classes throughout this Wednesday and Thursday, where she will speak to students and workshop some of their pieces. Ms. Baker, who coordinates the Bingham Visiting Writers series, revealed that she was very surprised that she successfully persuaded Ms. Kincaid to visit Milton as a speaker through a direct email, to which Ms. Kincaid responded herself. Usually, Ms. Baker explains, writers as prestigious as Ms. Kincaid are difficult to pitch even through an agent. The insights and opinions that Ms. Kincaid shared in Wednesday’s assembly and Q&A session show she is unlike most speakers Milton has heard from. Although most visiting writers spend most of the assembly reading excerpts from their work, Ms. Kincaid read only her talk story “Expense Account,” which was published in the New Yorker as a Talk of the Town piece in 1980, toward the end of the period, and spent the rest of the forty five minutes speaking about her thoughts, childhood influences, and experiences that she had as a writer at the New Yorker. “One piece of advice for the writers,” she said, “everything someone tells you to do—don’t do it.” Ms. Kincaid spoke frankly about being Antiguan and being a woman and a daughter. She described how she “instinctively grew depressed and wanted to kill her brothers” when they took the attention of her mother away from her, and how she wrote letters to her mother after being sent away. Much of her work, being either entirely or partly autobiographical, stemmed from this mother-daughter relationship, being the theme she wrote most about as a young writer. “I grew up with a woman who seemed like Kronos, in that she gave birth to her children in the morning and ate us at night,” she said. “[I knew] the glory and creativity and destruction, the normalness, of women, so when I came to this country…and I completely understood, I didn’t know why [feminism] was resistant. There are so many things about being a woman that were normal to me that it’s men that
were not normal to me.” Many of her observations and comments invited laughs and exclamations from the audience, but also allowed people to mull over the real weight of her words and her take on identity, particularly in the current racially charged state of the nation and in the light of that Wednesday was International Women’s Day. “I’m never afraid of black men, because they just look like my brothers. It’s only when I see a white man and I’m alone that I think, ‘what will I do now?’, because my experience is that white men have done tremendous damage to me, and to all people who look like me,” said Ms. Kincaid. “I was brought up in a place where everyone was black, so you’d never say, ‘the black guy’ or ‘the black woman’, because who would that be?” A thread through her anecdotes that showed itself was her authenticity and unapologeticness as a writer and a person. In response to a question from a student, she explained that she rarely has an editing process in her work—people usually took it or left it—“you like it or you don’t,” she said. When asked how she “gained the respect” of most of the white men who were her coworkers at the New Yorker, she simply said that she didn’t try to, that she wasn’t sure if they ever did, or that she ever did for them. Although students had mixed responses over her blunt honesty, most students who attended the assembly expressed admiration for her talent and the insights that she left them with. Marshall Sloane (I) thought that the assembly “provided an interesting way of seeing how she responds to emotionally charged issues. The way she grapples with race and gender allowed me to understand her more holistically as an author.” Agnieszka Krotzer (I) said, “The way she answered her questions was very sure of herself, and funny. The things she brought up reminded me of intersectionality in feminism, which was interesting and relevant to the day”—which happened to be International Women’s Day, when many students took to striking. Zoe Camaya (II) said, “Her way of addressing an audience was very untraditional in that she didn’t have too much of a plan as to what she was going to say. She doesn’t feel the need to please other people, and though I don’t agree with all the statements she made in the Q&A, it shows her writing and how she makes her way through the world, and I applaud her for that.” Sarah Shen (I) agreed, saying, “Her level of candidness, for someone who is renowned in the way that she is, which directly translated from her book and her writing to her person, was refreshing. The fact that she was not too concerned about getting some sort of message across, but just talking from her experience—I think that was powerful.” •
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Headmonitor's Column
TYLOKO By TYLER PIAZZA Hey there Milton! This is Tyler here. It’s certainly been a long time since I’ve addressed you in this format. I hope that you have all been swell in the meantime. In particular, I hope that for all of you students who were suddenly sick the same day that the U.S. History paper was due, I am glad that you were perfectly healthy the day after. It truly brings joy to my heart. So what do I want to talk about? What has happened since I last wrote? Well, considering that the last time I wrote was right before the national election, a lot has changed, both in the country and at Milton. Could I talk about my thoughts on each and every thing that has happened in these months? Sure, but what I want to talk about today is the idea of trying on someone else’s opinions. Recently, I have noticed that many Milton students seem to not be willing to give another argument a chance, especially if the student feels that they have found an indisputable moral argument. In particular, some (but not all) of the issues addressed by the posters on the wall around Wigg seem to conflate clear, indisputable arguments with complicated, political arguments. When I talk about clear, indisputable arguments, I am talking about a demand similar to the request that we oppose bigotry. This argument is incredibly clear and no one will argue with it because no one would stand up and say “actually, I am a bigot, and I am offended that you oppose me.” However, the topic of illegal immigration is far more nuanced to simply dismiss as an easy, moral choice. Should illegal immigrants be treated as subhumans? Absolutely not, and it seems reasonable to allow a path to citizenship. But on the flip side, it would be incorrect to claim that they never broke any laws; by definition, illegal immigrants broke a law by entering the country, so having the stance that we should never, under any circumstances, recognize this violation seems absurd. After all, no one would say that murder or theft should be forgotten, so why should violating our laws around immigration be significantly different? I’m not here to weigh every single point around immigration, nor am I here to reach a conclusion for any of you. The point that I am trying to make is that certain topics
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News
Women Strike By GABRIELLE FERNANDOPULLE AND ELINA THADANI On Wednesday, March 8, the Milton Academy community recognized International Women's Day. Both nationally and internationally, activists have argued that progress towards gender equality has slowed because of the Trump administration’s ascent to power. The same group who organized the Women's March on Washington this past January worked to help organize a nationwide strike called A Day Without a Woman to “act together for equity, justice and the human rights of women and all gender-oppressed people, through a one-day demonstration of economic solidarity.” As part of the strike, women were encouraged to take the day off from both paid and unpaid labor, avoid shopping (except at small, women- and minority-owned businesses), and to wear red as a sign of solidarity. To show solidarity and to participate in the movement, a group of students organized an in school strike on March 8th. In total 242 students participated in the strike (not including faculty), equating to roughly 30% of the student body. One of the leaders of the student group organizing the strike, Agnieszka Krotzer (I), said that “it all started when Olivia [Goldenberg (III)] sent an all school email to write postcards at her house and kind of created a group of people. We met a couple times afterwards and were thinking about...concrete things that need to happen.” Olivia (III) had expressed concerns that “the administration hadn’t seemed to do anything to acknowledge international women’s day,” prompting the group to start brainstorming ways to make the day significant for the community. The group knew it would face challenges with organizing a strike of all school classes, and did not want strikers to receive class cuts. Since the strike would cause such a disturbance to the school, the group decided to reach out to the administration about supporting students in the strike. After a week of waiting, a few girls, with the support of Ms. Goldenberg and Ms. Baker along with other faculty, met with Mr. Ruiz to plan the logistics for the strike and get the final okay for students to participate and miss classes. Mr. Ruiz said, “in terms of thinking about the day, my first reaction was the impact on us as a community. I thought, what does it mean for our students, logistically? But from there my mindset shifted to the power and the empowerment. I want to empower students. I want to support student initiatives provided that I can push back and have them think big picture.” Once the administration gave the strike its blessing, students began to plan for the day. On their thought process, Olivia reflected “with a strike you aren't really supposed to be doing anything, but we figured it
would be more powerful if we were actually taking action as women because if we just didn’t come to school, we don’t show how much power we have and we dont show how monumental this is.” Similarly, Agnieszka articulated that they “wanted to have very concrete things, so [we planned] phone calls and postcards.” One of the leaders, Solace Mensah-Narh (I), shared, “I’ve actually spoken to representatives and senators, and it’s been cool to actually being able to reach out... it’s interesting that we’re going outside the Milton community and I’m really inspired to see that we can change the Milton community itself.” Later in the day, the strike participants broke into smaller discussion groups sectioned by topics of interest, such as climate change, feminism for women of color, and hookup culture at Milton. Agnieszka explained that the purpose of these discussion groups was to create concrete goals to “continue to make change in specific fields for the rest of the year.” Anooshka Gupta (I), another student leader and facilitator of a discussion group, shared “We talked a lot about supporting each other. There’s a lot of slut shaming and judgement going on, so we agreed that moving forward we wanted to work on calling people out for problematic things...and being there to help each other.” Coincidentally, Jamaica Kincaid came to campus as a Bingham Reader on the day of the strike. Ms. Lisa Baker explains that although Kincaid had a traditional reading planned, “she understood the degree to which the school was committing to the day...she wanted, instead of just having a traditional reading, to be more intimate with the crowd.” In light of the movement, Ms. Baker reflected that “the totally nontraditional reading in and of itself was meaningful on this day: we are resisting what is a typical class day, resisting the notion of how women’s lives must be measured and structured. So, I think in all of those ways, both symbolic and in literal direct messaging she seemed really important today.” Solace added that Kincaid, with her unique perspective, “showed the power in a woman’s voice”. In the rest of the school, strikers hoped to have an impact on the way other students perceived their daily experience. Solace explained, “we hope that teachers wouldn’t cancel classes, though I think a lot of teachers have just ended up doing so. I tried to encourage a lot of teachers to speak about women in their field when they didn’t know what to do in the class to educate people. The people you want to educate most aren’t the people that have signed up.” Opposition by male students often
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War on Wolves CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 those opposing the War on Wolves Act. Although the exact reasons for the proposal of S. 164 are unclear, similar past legislation suggests that the act is motivated by (bogus) agricultural and hunting interests. The agricultural concerns are bogus because livestock deaths by wolves are relatively low compared to those due to weather and disease. As for hunting interests, state wildlife agencies are likely to make significantly more money if more people buy hunting and fishing licenses. For states that harbor gray wolf populations, lifting restrictions to allow killing wolves would boost fish and wildlife agencies’ funding by piquing interest for those who want to not only hunt wolves, but also hunt wolves’ prey without competition. Thus, any reason for passing such an act is unfounded and inherently exploitative. While this bill stoops to modern levels of corruption, S. 164’s repercussions would be terribly familiar. In 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park, where they had been eliminated decades before. This federal conservation effort was spurred by profound ecological destruction caused by a lack of wolves. An absence of wolves caused a trophic cascade, an ecological chain-reaction caused by the removal or addition of a keystone species, in this case the apex predator, from an ecosystem’s natural food web. The overhunting and eventual elimination of wolves led to surging ungulate populations, which strained the habitat’s vegetation, inciting a cascade of food imbalances and unnatural predator-prey relationships that affected nearly every species of the Yellowstone community. The United States has the ecological proof that bills like S. 164 cannot be passed without severe damage to wild lands and wildlife populations. If the Senate knows anything about ecology, it’ll see that this bill is a path back to the environmental destruction of the early 1900s; however, the Republican majority that traditionally supports industry over environment fails to give us much hope. It’s up to people like us to call senators and urge them to vote against the War on Wolves Act and tell them that wolves are a critical species for ecological health, far too precious to be exploited and slaughtered for economic interests. The United States already lost the gray wolf once--never again. •
Opinion
SGA Voting System CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Other SGA members expressed similar concern regarding the gender imbalance. Jack Weiler, a Class II representative, stated, “Right now, the current system works for gender inclusion, but it is so male dominated...the biggest problem we are facing is that there are so many males on the SGA.” The SGA rallied behind the two person alternative after the representatives realized that the three person plan could lead to a larger male presence on the SGA, achieving the opposite of its intended purpose. Oliver Boyce, the Class I representative, wrote a briefing where he outlined his concerns surrounding the two person plan. In the report, he wrote, “It is undeniable that the majority of the time the three Head Monitors would be ‘Male-Male-Female.’” If Oliver’s prediction becomes reality and the current gender imbalance on the SGA continues, the student government would be composed of more men under the three person system since the 9 man to 5 woman ratio would grow to a 10 man to 5 woman split. Concerns about maintaining the privacy of non-binary candidates who had not yet came out led to the SGA’s initial scepticism surrounding the two person plan. Originally, the SGA feared that a non-binary candidate who did not want their gender identity to be public could have their privacy violated under the two person system. Piazza clarified, “[under the two person system], if two people are voted in who appear male, then the school knows that one of them does not identify as a boy.” After receiving insight from GASP, Milton’s LGBTQIA+ alliance, the SGA realized that they should fix the gender imbalance before they focus on other issues surrounding non-binary candidates. In his report, Boyce wrote, “GASP has the most insight into non-binary gender matters. They are telling us that our issue should not be a pressing concern...I don’t think it’s worth risking zero SGA progression and keeping a male dominated SGA for next year over an issue that was proven false by GASP.” The two person plan speedily garnered complete consensus once the concerns surrounding gender identity were put aside. Throughout Tuesday night’s SGA meeting, all members offered similar reasons for supporting the two person plan, with most members expressing concerns about the gender imbalance. Semi Oloko, the other Head Monitor, continued to stress the importance of building an inclusive system “where people do not feel that they have to compromise their
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Intersectionality: Moving Feminism Out of Caucasian Confines By CHEYENNE PORCHER The Women’s March left a bad taste in my mouth. I had planned on attending the one in Boston, but a combination of personal obligations prevented me from going. Still, I was initially hopeful about the March’s message and was excited to see the change it could spark. In the hours following, my social media feed was flooded with photos of protest signs, crowds, and women in pink pointy hats. These images that I once found moving grew to be increasingly unsettling. Why were there suddenly a bunch of white girls on Instagram demanding that I take action? Where were they two years ago when we fought for Mike Brown in Ferguson? Two summers ago when we begged people to #SayHerName, after the murder of Sandra Bland? This past summer while we watched, in horror, the cell phone videos of the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castille? I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt; I wanted to believe that this was just a start to a beautiful showing of sisterhood that would include women of all different colors, backgrounds, and nations. The further I scrolled down, the more disconcerted I became. Many of the garments and slogans on the protest signs, while trying to be edgy, came across as sexist and trans-exclusionary. The pink hats, which were supposed to represent cat ears (‘pussy’), perpetuated the idea that womanhood is always synonymous with having a vagina, which erases trans individuals who don’t have the means or desire to get sex reassignment surgery. The flurry of signs displaying depictions of uteruses, vulvas, and breasts further perpetuated the dangerous notion that womanhood is purely biological. The March, which was massive and obviously historic, also made headlines for the lack of police interference and arrests made. People who participated took great pride in the fact, but failed to acknowledge why the protest had gone so smoothly. Was it because the organizers and marchers had done something no other activists, including those protesting police brutality and the Dakota Access Pipeline, had ever done before? Or was it because systemic racism has created an environment in which white women, the largest demographic at the March, are seen as less threatening than people of color? If the first time you understood the threat of a Trump presidency was when an audio recording emerged of him literally bragging about sexual assault, even after he spent his entire campaign making
disparaging remarks against the Muslim, immigrant, Latinx (sp. Mexican), disabled, transgender, and black communities, then that is telling in and of itself. Women from all of these groups felt threatened for the entirety of the election. I’m not ready to link arms and sing kumbaya, as if love is all we need to get us out of this mess. I don’t want to pretend that my oppression is only tied to white men, as if white women don’t also directly benefit from racism. I don’t want to work under the notion that we, as women, are all equally responsible for taking action against the Trump administration’s harmful policies, as if 53% of white women didn’t vote for Trump during the election, versus the 94% of black women who voted for Clinton. While Clinton may have won the female vote over Trump, with her receiving 54% and Trump 42%, the statistics make it clear which women pulled most of the weight there. My pointing these facts out is not an attempt to incur white guilt. Guilt is not going to benefit any of us; accountability will. Last spring, senior Lilly Le began to organize a walk-out for students of color in this community. She did all she could on her own, including connecting with other student leaders and making a spreadsheet of all the people of color attending Milton. However, when it finally came time for her to secure a faculty sponsor, she faced overwhelming amounts of skepticism and pushback. Nevertheless, she persisted, and it was not until a couple months ago, when a faculty member told her that it would take six months to plan a walk-out, that she finally had no choice but to give up. It’s great that Wednesday’s strike received so much faculty support and guidance, but I want to challenge the community to consider why this demonstration and Lilly’s vision were received so differently by the administration. My motive for writing this article was not to take away from the significance of Wednesday’s A Day Without a Woman Strike. It’s important and powerful, and I was honored to participate alongside the powerful women and non-binary members of this community. It’s times like these, when we come together as a large group, seemingly for one cause, when it’s important to remind each other to check the nature of the feminism we’re participating in. Feminism is not truly feminism if it’s not intersectional. This is not to discourage people who were once passive from standing up. I
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Opinion
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Much Ado About Milo By JEROME VAINISI On the evening of January 31st, conservative commentator and ex-senior editor of Breitbart Milo Yiannopoulos planned to appear before UC Berkeley’s Young Republicans organization. By the next morning, two hundred young men and women, clad in black, had wrought $100,000 of damage on Berkeley’s campus. Marching onto campus armed with baseball bats, industrial-grade firecrackers and molotov cocktails, the self-described militant protest movement created so much fear and damage that the university cancelled the controversial speaker’s engagement the next day. The so-called “black bloc” group had constituted a fixture of the Californian protest scene nearly two decades before, employing tactics grossly similar to the German National Socialist party of the 1940s to enact what it describes as social change. Black bloc protests have occurred internationally since the 1980s and are politically centered around anarchism; however, recently black bloc protests have sprung in response to the election of President Trump and the rise of the ‘alt-right.’ Earlier in January, black bloc protesters tore down police barricades on the Berkeley campus and threw explosives at Trump supporters. The group organized a similar demonstration at Trump’s inauguration, smashing windows, assaulting police, and actively seeking out their political opponents with the intent to physically harm them. While the university joined politicians and other commentators in condemning the riot, the actions of these “protestors” represent the rise of a dangerous ideology: the violent suppression of unpopular political speech. Assistant Vice Chancellor and university spokesman Dan Mogulof immediately denounced the protests, asserting that these individuals had not arrived to “lock arms and sing Kumbaya.” Using significantly stronger language, he described their intentions as to “[mess stuff] up.” President Donald Trump took to Twitter to question whether UC Berkeley should continue to receive federal funds provided the university does not “allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view.” The school cancelled Yiannopoulos’s event within minutes of the attack -- and his supporters took to the square to protest the cancellation. Clashes ensued as black bloc members tore down police barricades, set fires across campus, and assaulted all Yiannopoulos supporters in the vicinity. A woman in a red hat resembling Trump’s signature cap was pepper-sprayed during an interview with CNN; another six people were similarly assaulted. After the university police issued
a warning of an incoming dispersal order around 10 PM, they arrested one agitator. Mogulof called the black-bloc a “violent paramilitary group,” shortly after a University Police Chief denied allegations that the police had moved in and were ordered to stand down, stating that to deploy them would have created a “lethal, horror situation.” Mogulof angrily called the violence an “unprecedented invasion” of an otherwise peaceful protest, stating that out of the nearly 1,500 protestors, only a tenth of them had come to do harm. However, protest organizer Yvette Felarca’s comments take a different tone. Head of an organization called “By Any Means Necessary,” a pro-immigration and affirmative action camp, Felarca described the melee as a group movement. This directly contrasts with Mogulof’s idea that it was the infiltration of a peaceful protest. “It wasn’t just people dressed in black who were acting militantly and everyone else is peace-loving Berkeley hippies,” Felarca hissed. “Everyone cheered when those barricades were dismantled. ... Everyone was there with us in political agreement of the necessity of shutting it down, whatever it was going to take. It shows we have the power,” she affirmed. “I thought it was quite stunning.” Felarca made clear with these comments that anyone not actively participating in the violence openly supported it. While Felarca’s comments seem empowering, their dark undertones reflect the regressive, destructive platform that this protest drew its ire from. Videos have since surfaced of Felarca and her associates at BAMN taunting and physically assaulting men at another rally. Posted on her group’s website is an advertisement of sorts for the UC Berkeley protest, accusing Yiannopoulos of inciting violence while at the same time telling any attendees to wear a color scheme so that they know who’s on which side. The advertisement in other words suggests this color scheme so BAMN will know who not to attack. The schoolteacher had previously declared there was “no right to free speech” for anyone she deemed a “fascist.” Milo Yiannopoulos is undoubtedly a provocateur. Milo’s events have a history of invasion: in Illinois, protesters took over the stage and threatened his life. Hundreds of videos on YouTube chronicle the conservative’s handling of these incidents. On Real Time, Milo agreed with host Bill Maher that liberals “always take the bait,” demonstrating self-awareness of his role in the media. He has made it clear time and time again that his jests are protected under the first amendment. Unlike Yvette Felarca, Milo encourages discourse, upholding that offensive speech
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Tyloko CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 are more complicated than a simple moral argument with a clear winning side. Thus, I urge each and every one of you to really try to imagine the counterarguments to your stance. If you think that your point is so obvious that it couldn’t be questioned, you should probably take a second look, because you may have skipped over a counterpoint. Furthermore, if you think that a single moral issue trumps all other pros and cons to a policy, there’s a decent chance that you have oversimplified the policy into a single issue decision when, in reality, it is likely a multilayered plan with various benefits and problems. Also, please donate to the can drive. That mustard costume has mysterious stains on it from decades ago, so if I get sick, it better not be in vain. Cheers, Tyler •
SGA Voting System CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 identity to take a leadership position” and “people feel empowered to be in a leadership position.” In fact, Semi expressed concern that, currently, “nonbinary people and women do not feel empowered to be in a leadership position.” The SGA intends to email the student body information about the new system. After Spring Break, the student body will vote on whether or not to support the plan. The Head Monitors seemed optimistic that the student body would support the plan. Piazza stated, “It’s hard to disagree with gender equality...I think at the end of it, most students will probably understand that gender equality is more important than a strictly democratic system.” Similarly, Semi added that “you have to weigh what we are trying to get as a community over the logistics of our bylaws.” If the students decide to support the two person plan, the next round of elections will be the first test. “Our responsibility is to put forth a structure to promote a kind of balance, and then it is the job of the student body to vote for people that will represent that balance,” said Semi. The SGA also appreciates that no plan should be set in stone, so the new voter system can be revisited in years to come. Keisha Baffour-Addo, one of the Boarding Monitors, said, “We should always be trying to update and revisit the constitution.” The amendment has a revisit clause for 2018. •
Opinion
Milo CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 is the most protected. Called anti-gay or anti-black, he responds that he’s both gay and dating a black Muslim man. Milo was banned from Twitter nearly a year ago after heavily criticizing Leslie Jones, inciting an alt-right “Twitter riot,” somehow more dangerous than the one at UC Berkeley. While Milo’s commentary is brazenly offensive, he points out repeatedly that he has the right to say it. Felarca and her movement are fundamentally wrong about the nature of the first amendment, in that any and all speech that does not directly encourage violence. The Supreme Court has ruled several times on the legitimacy of offensive speech, once beginning in California itself with the case of Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins, circa 1980. This case famously established an important rule in the California state constitution, that individuals may peacefully exercise their right to free speech in parts of private shopping centers regularly held open to the public. In 1969, Brandenburg v. Ohio determined all speech to be legitimate unless "directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action” and likely to succeed in it. More recently, in 2011, the Supreme Court ruled that public protesters are not liable in any way, shape or form for emotional distress, even if their message is found to be “outrageous.” These three landmark cases in freedom of speech set a clear precedent for Milo - his speech is protected. Rioting is not. To state that an unpopular political opinion is “hate speech” because a majority group simply doesn’t like it is suppression of the first amendment. Yvette Felarca’s statements about who has the right to free speech are simply incorrect - true fascism is the use of violence to silence people who disagree with the majority belief, the self-proclaimed goal of By Any Means Necessary. To quote Ronald Reagan: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” What Reagan observed holds true for all individuals today - whether or not you agree with the opinion in question, the speaker’s right to it must be respected and protected. To allow the suppression of one group is to pave the road for the suppression of all. Especially on college campuses, speaker’s rights are in danger - and three generations of Germans can attest to what’s at stake when violent suppression is allowed.•
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Stand with Planned Parenthood By NATASHA ROY Last Saturday, hundreds of enraged people gathered on Boston Common to protest the ever-looming defunding of Planned Parenthood. Proudly holding their “I stand with Planned Parenthood” signs, they endured the bitter cold, all while crying “Don’t take away our care.” The inspiring event profited from the aid of both Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and even our Milton Administrators, who offered to provide transport to and from the rally for all interested students. Planned Parenthood began organizing the rally after Republicans drafted a proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and thus defund Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides almost five million individuals each year with health care, education, and outreach. Without Planned Parenthood, these people will be left scared, unprotected, and unsafe; thousands of women will lose access not only to safe and affordable abortions, but also to birth control, breast exams, STI tests and more. Therefore, not only are these politicians forcing upon women an oppressive, pro-life agenda, but they are also making reproductive health care less accessible than ever. Low income women will be especially affected, as Planned Parenthood is often the only health provider that cares for disenfranchised women. In other words, “defunding Planned Parenthood is just simply reckless,” as Mayor Walsh declared to the cheering sea of pink Pussyhats at the rally on Saturday. If this bleak future doesn’t terrify you, then the blatantly pro-life agenda behind the legislation should. Unplanned pregnancies endanger a woman’s bright future, drown already struggling women in copious expenditures, or force a woman to have the child of their rapist or abuser. Children born from unplanned pregnancies are also often raised in economically or emotionally unstable households that were unprepared to sustain a child in the first place. All of these tragic
realities can be avoided with one, extreme, perhaps even unimaginable solution: giving women their basic human rights. A woman deserves to be able to choose her future, unobstructed by ridiculous anti-abortion legislation and a lack of healthcare providers, such as Planned Parenthood. Many of us may, in fact, be familiar with the disheartening image of Trump signing an anti-abortion executive order surrounded by only male politicians—perhaps unsurprising given that Trump’s Cabinet is more white and more male than any president’s first Cabinet since Reagan. In this picture, Trump reinstates the “global gag rule,” which inhibits giving U.S. funding to international NGOs that offer reproductive health care for women and families, if they include abortion (even if U.S. dollars aren’t used for abortion services). The repressive executive order is merely a culmination of the innumerable, absurd abortion-restricting laws that have been introduced in recent years; in 2014, state legislatures introduced 468 restrictions on women’s bodies—and zero on men’s. So, if you’re willing to tolerate Trump’s executive order or Paul Ryan’s vow to defund Planned Parenthood, take this as an opportunity to reconsider; women continue to lose their rights, healthcare, and fundamental ability to make their own choices, while men remain largely unaffected by these two legislatures. Now, more than ever, we must take a stand against these unreasonable laws. We simply cannot condone this legislature’s blatantly sexist nature or its threat to strip women of their basic rights and healthcare. So, join the hundreds of Pussyhat-donning individuals who shouted for politicians to “Defend not Defend” at the Planned Parenthood rally last weekend and call or write to your elected officials. A group of male politicians cannot and will not simply sign away the rights of women across the country and world- at least not if we band together and voice our collective dissent. •
Boil in a Pot of Oil
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Opinion
Where are the Asians? By SERENA FERNANDOPULLE In English class, I have noted that the majority of the books we read and analyze are by white or black authors. Freshman year, almost every single book we read was written by a white man. Sophomore year, my teacher introduced us to new authors such as Chimamanda Adichie, a catalyst for social change. Throughout my education, however, I have never felt a deep connection to any of these books because I can not see myself in the characters. Being a mixed Asian female, it is hard to come by stories where someone like me is a supporting character let alone the main character. I feel like some schools and students think that the books and their subject matter are extremely diverse just because there are two races represented. I do believe our English department has shown progress; nevertheless, it is important for schools like Milton who pride themselves on their diversity to create curriculums that support every single student to find themselves in their learning, especially given the large asian population at Milton, a population often neglected in the English classroom. Currently, I am reading a book called Citizen in my English class. It is a book about the injustice and single story black people are exposed to everyday. I see some of my classmates immediately connect with the book, because in some way it is speaking to part of their identity and their life. I, also, can relate to the characters on some levels. Being a minority myself, I know what it feels like to be categorized and treated as different. However, being a mixed Asian female, I have not felt or related to any of the specific instances of racism described in the book, for it was written by a black woman and the experiences expressed are someone else’s. I want to have the same privilege of relating to a book we read in class. Discussing books in class furthers our understanding of the text, thus if the text related to you, you would be able to understand yourself more as well. One of the purposes of high school is to find yourself, and reading books that reflected the student body would help more of us do so.
As much as I enjoy Pride and Prejudice, it is vital for Milton to sometimes deviate from reading only these classics. Yes, they are amazing books, but there are also great books written by authors that represent different races and ethnicities. At school, we are surrounded by white knowledge and experiences from English and History class. Because we are only exposed to this type of information, we lose touch of our own diversity. It doesn’t give young students who are not white hope that they, too, can one day become a great writer. All of their role models and books that are highly prized at school do not reflect who they are. I know that there are plenty of great literary works written by Asians, so why don’t we read them? Is Milton so steeped in tradition that it is willing to sacrifice an inclusive academic environment? The plight of the Asians is often overlooked as well. In this age of “Black Lives Matter” and racial injustice, many believe that because Asians aren’t cruelly discriminated against in public, like African Americans, they are fine in society. However, because people shove aside the thought that Asians are victims of racism, it is hard for us to fight to get our voice heard. The stereotype of Asians being smart and driven isn’t seen as bad for many people who aren’t victims of this single story. They believe it is a “good” stereotype. Regardless, like any categorization, it hurts Asians by setting expectations too high and not letting Asians create their own image through their identity. Asians are victims of racism, even here at such an accepting place like Milton. Many of these instances involve microaggressions, like someone calling an Asian student the name of another Asian student in the class. Identifying as Asian, I know that Asians experience oppression and difficulties that come with being in the minority. Most of all, Asians are not represented in our schooling. Sure, there is one course devoted to Asian history, but other than that most of our education is sans Asian history and Asian books. Milton needs to rethink its view of diversity in our education. Asians deserve to be represented. •
Have a Nice Spring Break?
Dare to be True: Help Milton Athletes By JACK WEILER Milton prides itself on its motto, “Dare to Be True,” which implores students to act, believe, and think in ways that are true to themselves and not simply in ways others want them to. That motto should apply to daily Milton life -- be it in sports, arts, or clubs -- yet when a student’s interests are inconvenient to the operation of the school, Milton fails to allow its students to follow that motto. Particularly regarding sports, the school fails to provide the necessary tools for its athletes to grow and be true to themselves. Milton athletes span a multitude of sports and levels, yet the Milton system does not treat all athletes equally. The school always provides necessary equipment and training for athletes in-season -- a support which we should all appreciate. However, when a student plays a sport like tennis, Milton does not accommodate as well. Tennis, like all sports, requires year-round training; from personal experience, I know that one must play tennis at least 4 days a week to even keep up with peers, let alone improve. According to a 2013 article published in Sports Health, by the age of eighteen -- usually senior year in high school -- ninety-five percent of competitive tennis players play only tennis. So, the tennis players at Milton who want to represent their school or pursue collegiate-level play need to train all year. Yet take last year’s eight-player Milton Boys’ Varsity Tennis team, which had only five boarding students. Because Milton doesn’t have indoor tennis courts year-round, students like these tennis players must train off-campus. However, on weeknights, getting to and from off-campus training poses a logistical nightmare, especially considering the school’s guidelines. While the school grants some exceptions, it rarely allows students to miss sit down dinner -- and even when allowed, the student must find his or her own food. Getting food is not only difficult -- Flik offers food only at very specific hours, and the dorms have time restrictions on ordering food -- but also expensive. Also, to get to off-campus facilities, boarders must either find a day student to drive them or take a taxi because most boarders cannot use Uber. This issue extends beyond the logistical restrictions enforced by the school: a student cannot
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Arts & Enterainment
WHM Netflix Documentaries to Watch Over Break By NATASHA ROY AND SERENA FERNANDOPULLE
In honor of Women’s History Month, most of which we will spend on break, spend some of your free time discovering some feminist documentaries on Netflix. These documentaries cover prevalent and pressing women’s issues such as rape culture, the struggles of women of color, and the over-sexualization of women. We hope to educate everyone on the cruel inequalities and discrimination that women face. Love, Serena F. and Natasha R.
1: The Hunting Ground
Exposes the realities of College Campus Rape Culture, and tells the story of a group of college sexual assault victims and their activism on campus as adults. If you are looking for another documentary on the issue of rape, check out The Invisible War below.
2: MissRepresented
Explores the media’s inability to thoughtfully portray powerful women, as well as its assertion that women must value sexuality, beauty, and youth above all else. Through provocative interviews with teens, this documentary exposes the unhealthy portrayal of women and the lack of positive role models for young women in the media.
3: The Ascent of Woman
Follows women and groups of women who, despite the oppression they faced, historically impacted politics, science, religion, and society. This empowering, inspirational documentary reminds young women that, despite the barriers we face, nothing is impossible for us.
4: Dark Girls
Uncovers the internalized bias in women within black culture for lighter skin. Viola Davis is one of the many famous actresses and singers interviewed in this documentary, which exposes internalized bias and the way in which women are objectified and made to think they have to have lighter skin to be more “beautiful.”
5: The Invisible War
Exposes the sexual assault women experience in the military through interviews with veterans and stories about one woman's fight to earn benefits to pay for the medical fees that resulted from her rape. This movie educates its audience about the reality of rape and the pain that results from it years later.
6: She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry
Documents the game-changing Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1960’s. Organizers of both the Women's March on January 21 and the Day Without Women yesterday, on March 8, have vowed to “honor the movements that came before.” We can now do so by watching this enlightening documentary and appreciating the visionary, determined women of the 1960s who carved the way for us modern feminists.
7: Women’s List
Highlights fifteen women who are game-changers in their respective fields and who challenge stereotypes every day. It shows their struggle to fight discrimination in order to make their voices heard. This inspirational movie can prove to any struggling young woman that she can accomplish anything to which she sets her mind. •
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Dance Concert Dazzles Sold-out Crowds By LYDIA HILL
Last Thursday, March 2nd, Milton Academy’s 2017 Winter Dance Concert premiered to a sold-out crowd. Students passed up study hall or nighttime activities to watch the show, some waiting outside without tickets to get in. The show was comprised of sixteen dances, spanning the Latin, modern, and hip-hop genres, among others. The hype surrounding Dance Concert is always huge, with this year’s online ticket system selling out in minutes, and the show, undoubtedly, lived up to the excitement. The opening dance, “Amor Traicionero,” excited the crowd with energy, narrative, and cultural representation choreographed by Shalimar Pujols (IV) and Destiny Rosas (I). Following, “Play,” a modern dance choreographed by Spencer Evett (I) and Maya Slocum (I), blended emotional music with fluid choreography. Next was “A Bollywood Movie in the Making,” a multi-part dance featuring music from South Asian artists and amping the rhythm up again. These kinds of switches, the balance between the energetic and the subdued, kept the concert consistently interesting. “Try to Follow,” a modern dance choreographed by Sophie Clivio (II) and Catie Wise (I), introduced an entirely new element to the concert, with a psychological theme complete with moves reminiscent of Sia’s Maddie Ziegler music videos. A particularly exciting feature in the show was “Bad and Gucci,” a hiphop dance choreographed by Freddy Okito (I) and Solace Mensah-Narh (I) which featured loud costumes, animated mannequins, and the two choreographers’ exceptional dancing. Director of Dance Concert Kelli Edwards’s “Under Cover” dance, set to audio from the “I Was a Communist for the FBI” radio show, as well as 1950s commercials, and finally the James Bond theme, explored modern dance with a secret agent theme, making use of recurring motifs of lines of backstabbing double agents. Next, the Irish step dance “Reel Around the Sun” displayed high skill from several of the dancers, including the choreographers Katie Burke (I), Cianna O’Flaherty (III), and Jocelyn Sabin (III). The first half ended with
a lengthy dance-battle piece, “Movements of Battle,” choreographed by the Science department’s own Kevin Moy, and featuring the creative original moves of the dancers featured. The second half kicked off with “ControlYUHH”, a Solace-choreographed minimalist hip-hop dance that kept the leftover dance-battle energy going. The colorful tap dance “Fascinating Rhythm,” also choreographed by Kelli Edwards, brought a playful mood to the show. Another showstopper was “ ,” a hip-hop dance set to the music of Beyonce, Chance the Rapper, and other popular artists; the dance told several narratives within an airport terminal, and made use of dramatic choreography. Another Spencer Evett-choreographed modern dance, “All a Dream,” slowed down the show while offering striking visual moves. “Shakara” -- choreographed by Amira Brown (III), Kyrah Daniels (III), and Oghenemarho Omusi (III) -- upped the energy again. The more personal choreography of Olivia Zhong (I) in “Flower that Blooms in Adversity” offered thematic elements that stood out among other dances. The penultimate dance of the show, arguably the messiest, was “Bare” -- choreographed by Margot Bancroft (III), Avery Lack (III), and Joy Lee (I) -- which offered striking choreography paired with an artistic use of body paint, a dramatic close to the concert. The final dance, “Str8 Fire,” brought back the excitement of previous dances with the music of Sean Paul and Aminé, and incorporated the entirety of the concert’s dancers. Dance Concert is always a highlight of the year, both for the dancers involved and the hundreds of students, faculty, and parents that attend each show. Last week’s concert was exceptional not only within individual dances, but also in regards to the show’s composition, as put together by Kelli Edwards. Striking modern dance complemented exciting, “fire” hip-hop, and the step, tap, and cultural dances excited audiences with unique choreography. The show can be summed up best in the words of dancer and choreographer Freddy Okito (I): “YUHHH”. •
Sports
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Help the Athletes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 even get a sports credit for out of school athletics if that student gets credit for the same sport during another season -- for more on this issue, see Noah Cheng’s earlier TMP article on the subject. Milton impedes students who wish to devote time to their sports out of season. The administration seems to expect students to excel at their sport during one season and then focus on physical training, such as Darling’s, or another sport in the next season. However, such limited practice makes intense competition in one sport difficult. As with tennis players, hockey players often need to play year-round to remain competitive. And, while many boarders on the hockey team compete in a club team in the fall, the restrictions outlined above still limit them. The school understandably has to enforce and some of these rules, and the school cannot cater some particulars -- dinner, for example -to every student. However, if the school cares so much about students’ being true to themselves, it should, at a minimum, reconsider its unaccommodating athletics policies so that students can thrive at what they love.•
Intersectionality CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 understand that we all start in different places, and it wouldn’t be fair or productive to assume that all of one’s future behavior has to be dictated by their prior mindset. However, when you finally decide to show up, show up even when the resolution doesn’t directly benefit you. Show up and fight for what’s right even when the cause doesn’t revolve around you. Most importantly, be willing to show up and make sacrifices, whether it be your voice, your input, or your comfort when you have privilege that makes you a beneficiary of another group’s oppression. For example, it seems to be generally understood that in spaces in which men have historically had their contributions glorified, the equitable thing to do is to allow women to take space. The same concept goes for spaces in which white people have generally had control (i.e. the country). Many of you will not choose to do these things, and will continue to pick and choose when you want to show up and fight for women’s rights (i.e. when it concerns cis white women), and that’s 100% your right. However, please do expect to be called out on your fairweather “feminism.” I am a proud feminist. I support and admire all of my fellow feminists. However, you’re not a gender equality activist if you don’t advocate for all who are marginalized by gender, as in women and non-binary/gender non-conforming individuals. You are not a feminist if you’re not advocating for the equality of all women and non-binary people. •
"She Believes" Cup By SOPHIA LI Guys guess what! Christmas is coming early this year! Want to know how I know that? Well the soccer gods gave me a sign by showing me twenty-one people, dressed in Christmas colors, playing the first U.S. women’s international soccer game of the season. It wasn’t the usual twenty-two people because the German goalie was wearing black (guess she didn’t get the memo). Nevertheless, I still watched the nail biting game last Wednesday, March 1st, when the U.S Women’s National team kicked off their spring season with a match against the second best soccer team in the world, Germany. With the start of the new season comes new players and new uniforms. Now, if anyone could explain to me why the new German uniforms are a brilliant teal green this season, I’m all ears. Last time I checked, I could not find anything about green having any significant meaning to the soccer world in Germany. But that’s besides the point. This game, on Wednesday against Germany, was the second game in the second annual She Believes Cup, an invitational soccer tournament held in the U.S., and a very crucial game for the USWNT. After a big upset in the 2016 Olympics, where the US lost their run for the gold to Sweden, Jill Ellis and her team are looking for their next big win and that is: the She Believes Cup. With a few friendly matches and their Olympic upset behind them, Jill Ellis and the rest of her coaching crew were looking for new players and better skill in order to win the upcoming She Believes Cup and prepare for the next World Cup. The need for new recruits came after the retirements of a few key players: Abby Wombach, Hope Solo, Heather O’Reilly, and Shannon Boxx.With these big holes to fill, Jill and her staff were left with an enormous task to fulfill. As the She Believes cup drew nearer Ellis took in six players, who are relatively new to the international game of soccer, and showed her eagerness to get her
team back together again and back to the top. This game on Wednesday was a test for those new players and a chance for Jill and her team to figure out whether or not those holes can be filled. As the clock struck 7:30 p.m., we finally caught a glimpse of the starting eleven. There were returners and some fresh new faces: Alyssa Naeher, Casey Short, Samantha Mewis, and Lynn Williams. Each one of these women played played a few international games but not enough for Jill Ellis to know whether or not they are suited for this tournament or the next World Cup. As Germany took the kickoff, a very uncomfortable first half began. Usually, one is used to the U.S. killing their opposing team in the first half, even if their opponent is second best in the world. However, this new U.S. team looked stiff and somewhat awkward. They played as though there was tension running through the whole team. Of course as time went on the tension began to decrease but passes still weren’t reaching their destination, Lynn Williams and Christen Press, the two forwards, were not working very well together, and we were letting the Germans sneak up on us along the flanks. Keeping possession was a hard task during those 45 minutes, however, we did not concede a goal in the first half. But as the second half kicked off, it was like a switch had flipped. Suddenly, we were getting more possession of the ball and before we knew it Christen Press starts a game winning play when she shoots the ball top corner but hits the post. Then, Tobin Heath, gets a second shot with the rebound and it’s blocked. Finally, the ball lands at the feet of Williams and she slams it in the back of the net! The game ended with a sweet victory for the U.S. and Coach Ellis finally got to see her new recruits in action and she was not disappointed. Now, with that confidence boost, Jill and her team are on the prowl for that Cup. My best wishes to anyone that stands in their way because the USWNT are merciless. •
Punta-Goers: Read "A Small Place" and re-think your decision
Sports
Mustangs of the Week: Casey Delano and JJ Batt
By NATHAN STRAUSS
By NAVPREET SEEKHON
Last week, the Girls and Boys Swim Teams competed in the NEPSAC championships at the Hotchkiss School in their final meet of the year. For the seniors, it marked a bittersweet end to some storied careers - the boys team having won four consecutive ISL championships, the girls team having won two - while for the underclassmen on the team, it was a highly competitive conclusion to a very fun season. Casey DeLano (I) was the one of the captains for this season, and given her commitment to swimming both inside and outside of school she is a much-deserved Mustang of the Week. After setting the school’s 200 medley relay record at NEPSAC’s (along with Caroline Magann (II), Leydn McEvoy (IV) and Mary Howely (IV)), Casey holds an astounding six school records. However, aside from her talent, it is her genuine enthusiasm for both swimming and the swimmers on the team that makes her a great captain. “The group of people that I've made memories with over the past 4 years are amazing. Each year, the team dynamic is a bit different, but it's always been a supportive and fun environment. I look forward to going to practice every day,” says Casey, who swims seven days a week between the Milton team and her club team. Casey’s work ethic is another oft-spoken trait. “Casey is a wonderful leader, but she’s also a great person,” said fellow senior J.J. Batt. “She always tries her hardest and is constantly encouraging the younger swimmers on the team to do their best.” Adding on to those sentiments was her teammate Kailee Silver (II). “[Casey] is a truly genuine person. She’s also so much fun to have on the team and just an amazing, supportive captain,” added Silver, who described the team as “super close” and “a cult.” While the departure of Casey and the other seniors on both the Boys and Girls teams represents a huge loss for the program as a whole, there is no doubt that the positive attitude and winning mentality fostered by Casey and the other seniors will continue to guide the Aquastangs in the future. •
For those Milton students who have attended a swim meet, they have undoubtedly heard the loud smack as JJ Batt (I) slaps his hands against his thighs right before diving into the water and winning almost every ISL meet. Described as an “incredible facet to the Milton swim team” by Kailee Silver (II), Batt is highly praised by his teammates for being hard-working, supportive, and confident. Batt started swimming competitively in fifth grade, and he quickly grew to be an intimidating presence in his meets. While training with the Gators Swim Club, he was recognized as one of New England Swimming’s Top Ten List of 2015-2016 in the short course yards events and is in the Top 20 ranking of swimmers in Massachusetts. At Milton, Batt holds the record for the 2 medley relay, 100 free, 100 fly, and 200 individual medley. Although his best and favorite event is the 100 fly, Batt says “I think my best meet was Eastern’s because I dropped time in every event I swam and that was when I broke the 2 IM.” He holds pride in the overall performance of the team more than for himself as he boasts about his teammates’ performances at ISL’s, New England’s, and Eastern’s, emphasizing that the team “re-broke the medley relay record many times this year,” and “almost everyone went best times at Eastern’s.” The team reciprocates this love as well. Kailee says Batt “dominates at every meet and is always ready to display his best self,” and though he is clearly an accomplished swimmer, he remains grounded and is an enjoyable presence on the close-knit team. Moreover, Wenli Wang (II) says “knowing JJ will be at the meet automatically makes me have a lot more confidence,” and Dillon Pang (III) jokes that Batt “embodies the wellknown Nemo quote, ‘Just keep swimming.’” Batt plans to compete through summer and college, and Dillon claims Batt will be “outracing all other possible JJ Batts and continuing on to be a swimmer in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.” lol good one. •
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Women Strike CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 stemmed from a different interpretation of the movement and its purpose. Jack O'Brien (I) shared, “I support equal rights for all people, the right to free speech, the right to protest, and inclusion. I believe a culture of rage and intolerance has taken over our campus since the election and, intentionally or not, the women strike’s message seems to have been swept up in that mania, making it counterproductive.” Some female students chose not to participate in the strike due to a similar concern for the modes of activism. Christina Sakellaris (I) explained, “I didn’t participate in the women's strike today because I think that removing all the women from classes today doesn’t accomplish the purpose, or at least what I interpret the purpose of feminism to be. I think the purpose of feminism is that we want to be treated equally in the classroom, socially at school, in athletics, and in all these things that we’ve been fighting to be treated equally in for centuries. I don’t think that removing ourselves from doing all those things that we want to have the right to do supports feminism.” On the other hand, even with disagreement towards the strike, the movement garnered support from the male population. For instance, Chuck Leonetti (III) explained, “I think [the movement] is a great idea to get everyone together… really it’s a community effort instead of individual affinity groups doing their own thing. Everyone’s getting together and acting together to fight for a cause.” Though the strike was only for the day, participants have expressed a strong desire to continue the conversations started today and to build off of this momentum. Agnieszka shared that “hopefully this strike will be an inspiration for kids to stay politically active.” Similarly, Mr. Ruiz explained, “[The strike] has created the messiness that comes with activism. There’s impact that comes from today, so how do we navigate that impact tomorrow and beyond.” Ms. Baker voiced her continued hope for the movement, saying, “I have a lot of patience on this thing called the spread of feminism. It’s a long haul and we keep plugging.” •
Ad Nauseam
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What to Do Over Spring Break • Cross off some items on your senior year bucket list • Realize you must live with the consequences of your actions for the next two months • Cancel fun family getaway to Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen • Steer clear of the teacher at your all-inclusive resort • Design a senior page of only photos where your friends look like trash but at least you have skinny arm • Utilize your HS&R skills to stay safe • Complete your Senior Transition • Reveal yourself as the snitch (please) • Send incriminating photos of your peers to admission officers to increase your chances of getting your deferral turned into an acceptance • Incite a gender war by posting an angry Facebook status about how white men are the most oppressed group at Milton. Get 400+ comments. Burn down the Stu as a peaceful protest. Learn nothing. • Forge your CPR certificate • Forge your diploma Printed on 50% post-consumer waste. Please recycle this paper. www . themiltonpaper . org