The Milton Paper OCTOBER 26th, 2018
MILTON’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Opinion
Cultural Diversity Is Not Always a Good Thing
VOL. 36 NO. 7
News Pimp My Basement: A Fresh Look in the AMC
By TAPTI SEN '21
At my last debate competition, I debated the statement “This House believes that cultural diversity should be valued over cultural unity.” My partner and I were side opposition, and at the time, we were sure we would lose the debate. After all, how could we ever argue that cultural diversity, touted as one of the best things about America, was a bad thing? Unsurprisingly, we ended up losing that round. Later though, during a discussion about native languages, I realized that cultural diversity is not without flaw. There is no denying that having a worldwide lingua franca, or a language that is adopted as common between speakers with different native tongues, is important. If not for it, we would not be able to communicate with the billions of people around the world who speak thousands of different languages. Today, English serves as a lingua franca, bringing people together from all over the world. This phenomenon can be observed at Milton as well. The fact that my friends come from all different places gives me the amazing opportunity to learn new things about their cultures with which I am often unfamiliar. However, there is one major downside to having a common language: it often comes at the sacrifice of your own native language. As someone who was born and raised in Bangladesh for almost half my life, I can speak Bengali fluently. However, my comprehension of Bengali comes nowhere near to my comprehension of English. To this day, I read, write, and speak English much better than my native language. One can argue that there is a very clear reason for this difference in language proficiency; I have lived in the US for so long that I have gotten used to speaking English. However, my proficiency in English does not just stem
from my living in the US. If you live in Bangladesh, you can choose to send CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Image courtesy of Milton Academy
By ELINA MRAZ '21 In previous years, the AMC basement was filled with plain, grey classrooms furnished with uninspired tables and chairs. Now, however, there are bright new classrooms, a viewing room with a flat screen TV, a green screen room for filming, and a classroom fitted with 12 new iMacs. These rooms have been updated to be more useful to the various computer science, robotics, and film classes. In the past there had only been two classrooms available for computer science classes, but with the new additions three classrooms and even a lounge are available. These classrooms have smart boards and three walls of whiteboard space which provide a huge help to students when trying to sketch out their ideas and explain them to one another. Charlotte Moremen ‘19, who is a co-head of the Programming Club, adds that, “all three of the classrooms have natural light as well, which serves as a good reminder for us coders that sometimes we need to leave the basement of the AMC and get outside” In addition to holding classes, the new lounges are also used as spaces for coders to meet, help one another, or to take a nap after a long night or day. In addition, clubs like programming club meet there; the new couches and comfortable chairs establish a more relaxed and comfortable student meeting space. Alex Rodriguez ‘20, another Programming Club co-head, adds his perspective, claiming that, “While the new lounge has not brought as many new people into the computer science community as I had wanted, it has brought the old members much closer together. Since its at the bottom of the AMC, the only people who come to the computer science lounge are the programming students who already know it’s there… Since [the space] is kind of secluded, it doesn't do as good a job of
introducing new students into the community as I was hoping our having own space would. We all spend a lot more time in the lounge programming, napping, or just doing homework.” The increased in interest in programming classes might be one reason why Milton has decided to put forth these renovations. In addition to new computer science classrooms and lounges there is also a new robotics lab. The old lab was split into two small rooms, but with the renovations, one of the walls was knocked down to create one large room. Avery Miller ‘20, co-captain of the Robotics Team, says that she is “super excited for the new robotics lab as it has already proven to be a fantastic space for robotics as well as a great way to attract new members to the club!” So far, according to Avery, the new robotics lab has been a great success and the robotics club has found that the new space allows for the ability to collaborate more freely. Christy Zheng ’19, who is also co-captain of Robotics, added, “I'm so thankful for these renovations because it makes the basement of the AMC more pleasant and a place students would actually want to hang out in during their free time. Also, it shows that the school cares about the programming department and programming is a growing. When I was a freshman, we didn't have Programming 2/3 or the Engineering and Design course, so it makes me happy to see this department expanding.” Coding students appreciate the additions to the computer science department, as they demonstrate a promising sign of the school’s renewed commitment to support S.T.E.M students. So, if you have a free period or an open activities period, stop by the AMC to learn something new, take a nap, or meet up with students with similar interests as you. •
Inside This Issue Semester Schools pg. 4|| Teenage Driving pg. 7|| Red Sox Playoff Recap pg. 12
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The Milton Paper The 36th Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Opinion Manager Managing Editor News Managers Senior Editors Website Editor Layout Editors
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Columnist Olayeni Oladipo
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Editorial
Improving the “No Homework Weekend”
Chances are that this past Tuesday your classes were filled with complaints about how ‘no-homework weekends are fake!’ Earlier this week, TMP collected over 240 responses in an anonymous poll that asked upper school students about the recent “no homework” weekend. The results indicate that 80% of students did some amount of homework over the weekend, with 52% spending between 1-4 hours doing that work. This trend of working over “no homework” weekends seems to stem from teachers assigning lengthy, time-consuming work that’s due any time after the Tuesday students return; on paper, students technically have no homework, but still feel an expectation to work, regardless of the “no homework” label. For example, 88% of respondents to our poll had between 1 and 4 major assignments due this week. One student commented, “I feel bad for my parents who traveled all this way here to watch me study for a test that is basically most of my interim grade.” Situations like these not only undermine no homework weekends, but also drive a rift between teachers and their students. The very existence of “no homework” weekends is positive; Milton is incredibly taxing, and these brief interludes allow us to recuperate. Breaks like these weekends—or last year’s one-off no-homework-Wednesday—can only effectively address stress if teachers and students alike respect this intended break. The widely held student opinion about these weekends is that teachers are unfaithful to the expectation of no over-the-weekend assignments. In response to the question “Do you think teachers respect the no homework weekend?” only 23% of respondents said “Yes”; 65% said “Partially,” and 12% gave a flat-out said “No.” This weekend follows a long-standing pattern: the calendar boasts a No-Homework weekend, but because of a combination of teachers’ assignment habits and students’ self-induced stress, these weekends still contain large amounts of work. As one student put it, “It’s never truly a no hw weekend.” Respondents to our poll overwhelmingly lamented the creative ways teachers schedule due dates of major assignments shortly after no-homework weekend: “They try to get away with it by assigning like essays due wednesday and stuff. tests too.” “I feel as if the teachers give you an unfair choice that really isn't a choice .” “they say you don't HAVE to [do homework] but they encourage it” “like assigning work on thursday Mostly they’re all like oh you’ll have a weight 3 test and an essay due on Wednesday, so pretty much assigning homework. Or they’ll be like okay you have to complete this packet that will take you three hours by Wednesday” The inefficacy of the “no-homework” label also exists largely because we students put pressure on ourselves to be productive, regardless of whether or not our teachers expect us to do work. 47.7% of poll respondents answered “yes” to our question “Do you feel pressure to do work this weekend?” Milton both attracts and breeds the high-strung, self-motivated type of student who sets incredibly high expectations for him or herself, and this unrelenting work ethic makes us feel guilty if we don’t “take advantage” of our limited free time. The competitive way we brag about how much work we’ve completed only fuels this self-imposed expectation to work during even the fleeting moments in which we don’t need to. No-homework weekends can only address their purpose—to offer a much-needed break from our hectic schedules—if both students and teachers commit to them. •
Column The Depot #6 By OLAYENI OLADIPO '19
Hey, Team! Welcome to ‘The Depot’, a storage facility for the topics of our time: the victories and defeats, the reliefs and worries, and the mindsets in the space of Milton Academy. Let’s talk about English at Milton. I was recently in conversation with friends, discussing our Milton English careers and how our literary voices have changed or stayed constant throughout the years. Through personal reflection, I found that my voice has developed but remained true to myself and my beliefs. This was not necessarily true for those beside me. During the first month of every school year, some find themselves in a fiery race to gauge how their English teacher wants them to write. They’re willing to sacrifice their individual style for a good grade. However, my perspective on this stance was limited, so I asked students to share their thoughts. I proposed this question: “Do you feel that, each year, you change your literary voice in order to please your English teacher?” “Absolutely. I always change my personal voice according to my teacher’s expectations and preferences; it’s the only way to get a good grade.” Anonymous Junior “YES SO ANNOYING every year I have to spend the first two months of school just figuring out what my teacher. I have no creative liberty.” Anonymous Senior “I don't tend to change my voice for my teacher, but I also don't do that well in English class. Thinking on this, the former definitely impacts the latter.” - Anonymous Junior “My ‘normal’ voice is utilitarian and fairly bland. I get why my current English teacher doesn’t like it—my essays tend to all have the same
tone—but it irks me to inject artificial enthusiasm into my writing.” Anonymous Junior Here’s what some upperclassmen had to say about the topic. It seems like appeasing your English teacher might be a logical way to solidify a strong grade. And, although we don’t like to admit it, Milton students care a whole lot about grades. But how much do we care? Would we subject our artistic voice to “artificial enthusiasm” and dishonest change just for a letter on a transcript? The answer obviously varies here. Yet, one would think—at Milton, a place known for producing great writers—that this problem would not exist. After all, our motto is “Dare to be True”! Yet still… “Each year I feel like I have to learn how my teacher wants me to write. I never know if my teacher will change the guidelines from year to year.” Anonymous Senior This situation is a problem. Students should feel confident and comfortable presenting their unique voices; if we can’t do that, how can we be expected to take risks? Retaining our literary voice mirrors what we must do in the “real” world. So, Milton should prepare us to protect our voices and individuality despite authority figures who might expect something different. However, students should also take responsibility here. If we are willing to change our artistic voices to please our educators, then what’s stopping us from changing our mindsets and beliefs just to please our parents or friends? Sure, this might be a stretch, but think about it, Reader. At what point does this ever-changing presentation of “self ” stop? At what point might we lose ourselves in the effort to be “successful”? I’ll let these questions linger. So long, until we meet again at ‘The Depot’. •
PAGE 3 OPINION
Cultural Diversity CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
your child to two types of schools: English medium schools and Bengali medium schools. The distinction between the two is simple: English medium schools teach the majority of the curriculum in English with one Bengali Literature class, while Bengali medium schools are the opposite. Most parents tend to send their kids to English medium schools so that they can become fluent in English and eventually study abroad. However, the emphasis on speaking English keeps people from studying their native language. The hours that you should be spending studying your native language go towards English instead. So when you are consuming English content and learning English at school, when do you have time for your native language? This is not just common for people in Bangladesh as well; my friends from other countries have confirmed that they too find it more comfortable to speak English than their own native language. Is it tragic that learning English comes at the expense of losing a native language? Or that being a part of a diverse community means that you have to give up aspects of who you are? Linguas francas are meant to unify people of different backgrounds. From another perspective, they seem to be another way for people to conform to societal norms that did not even previously exist for them. Cultural diversity can only be truly appreciated in a place where everyone can speak the same language. So, in a way, cultural diversity seems to be taking away from human community. If I was still at the debate tournament, these are probably the points I would have brought up to opponent. Maybe I would have won the round, maybe not. The point still stands however, that cultural diversity, or pursuit of it at least, may not always be a good thing. In the end, it is great that I can relate to my friends from Korea or Nigeria, but it is important for me to relate to my own people in Bangladesh first. Cultural diversity ceases to exist if you forget your own culture. •
Do you want a concern, opinion, or question of yours to be sorted, stored, valued, and remembered? Make a deposit to ‘The Depot’ today. Email olayeni_oladipo19@milton.edu and note whether you request anonymity. You can also drop off your letter in the TMP Office in Warren 304.
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News Semester Schools
Update on Club Constitutions By MAX LITVAK '20
Image courtesy of Google
By SUSIE URSTADT '20 On January 15th, 2019, a handfuOn January 15th, 2019, a handful of sophomores will send in their applications to three semester schools: Chewonki, City Term, and The Mountain School. This year, a peak number of around fifteen students in the Class of 2020 will have attended a semester program. Right now, there are five students at Chewonki Maine Coast Semester, as opposed to only one student who was there the fall semester of 2017. André Heard, Associate Dean of Students, shares that, although the numbers fluctuate year to year, “with the help of some late applications, [Milton] had a peak year.” In past years, Heard has found that when the number of semester school and School Year Abroad (SYA) applications increases, the class as a whole must be looking for a change in scenery. Heard says that “all three semester programs are competitive” and that “under normal circumstances, we won't send more than six to any one program.” Erinma Onyewuchi ’20 shared that as she was applying to semester schools, she decided on City Term because it’s her only opportunity to “live in New York City without paying rent.” Of of the 15 students attending semester schools this year, 10 are boarders, showing that, perhaps, this group is more likely to take the risk of attending a semester school. Application numbers also vary by gender. Out of the peo-
ple attending semester schools, only one third of them identifies as male, making the majority of Milton students attending semester programs female boarders. As for why the numbers increased, Sarah Acker-Krzywicki ‘19, who went to Chewonki in the fall of 2017, said that increase could be a result of “increasing stress levels or because people are getting burned out faster” or because “Milton is just encouraging more experiential learning and encouraging people to push their comfort zones.” Lucheyla Celestino ‘19, a boarder in Millet, thinks that the number of applications increased because as more people attend, younger students have more people to talk to and are therefore more informed about semester schools. For example, when Celestino was a sophomore, there were only one or two juniors who attended semester schools, but when the current juniors were sophomores, there were more semester school alumni to talk to, possibly creating a pattern of growth. Overall, as semester schools become more well-known, application numbers will inevitably rise due to many reasons, one being that students are experiencing more burnout. However, according to many students, it seems that there is no common reason for the increase in semester school attendance rate other than the rise in awareness.•
Starting this year, all club heads are required to write a constitution where they will demonstrate their goals for the club, show what their meetings will look like, and describe what they want to accomplish. In addition to these general requirements, all clubs are required to host at least one event per year; for example, LatinX hosted a culture night a few weeks ago. The school implemented the constitution requirement to help clubs lay out their goals for the year and comprehensively outline their programming, but does this regulation really help improve clubs? To attempt to answer this question, I emailed several of club heads who run clubs spanning from Programming Club to French club to Invest in Girls. Despite the variety in clubs, however, the heads all had similar things to say. All of the club heads I emailed agreed that the idea of having a constitution for each club, while good in theory, has some problems. One of the biggest problem the club heads outlined was the timing of this assignment. Charlotte Moremen ‘19, one of the co-heads of computer programming club, said that “the writing of the constitution has come at a particularly inconvenient time for seniors, who are all trying to get their early apps in for college on November 1st or 15th.” Like most of the people I emailed, she didn’t have a problem with the requirement to write the constitutions, but instead with the timeframe heads were given to write them. She went on to say, “perhaps [the constitution] was an idea that was created over the summer and so it had to be executed in the fall, but in general, I think [it] would have been far less of a burden had [the constitutions] been done in the spring.” I also asked if the act of writing the constitution helped club heads more clearly voice their goals were for the year. Most of the people I emailed agreed that writing a constitution would be beneficial to new clubs in this way; however, they also said that most recurring clubs had already figured out their goals for the year, and having to write a constitution was repetitive. For example, Tamara Cowham ‘19, one of the co-heads of French club, said, “writing the constitution kind of helped determine our goals, but Anna Mikhailova ‘19 and I had already discussed in depth what we wanted to accomplish with our faculty sponsor and have already started acting on [our goals]. Therefore, the constitution was...redundant and unnecessary.” Although many responses to the constitutions seem negative, that may not represent the view of the entire student body. Although the respondents said the constitution did not specifically help their club, all agreed that having to write a constitution could help lay out the goals of a new club or help club heads who do not have plans for the year. Because of college applications, it may be better to require only new clubs to write a constitution, or to require established clubs to revisit their constitution in the spring instead of in the fall. Editor’s Note: On October 18, Ms. Reiser emailed club heads to extend the deadline for the constitution to 10 am on Monday, October 22. •
News
The Township Came to Milton Thursday Night
Image courtesy of Milton Academy
By NEHA MODAK '22 The night he was put in jail, Lulu Gontsana, a black jazz musician from South Africa, was returning home from a wedding gig at a white country club. During apartheid, the law stated that a black man could be outside after dark only with a note from a white person. As Gotsana’s ride had already left and the white manager was nowhere to be found, he decided to take a gamble. Authorities saw Gontsana walking home with drums and sticks from the European Jazz Festival. Assuming these possessions were stolen, the police pulled him over, asked for his note, and, after failing to produce one, Gontsana was promptly arrested. If his manager had not noticed he was missing and bailed him out, he would have been moved to a permanent jail. Years later, Gontsana recounted this story to his friend Mr. Sinicrope, the Jazz Director at Milton. Mr. Sinicrope was shocked at the injustice of the whole situation. He asked Gontsana, “How do you not hate every white person you have ever encountered?” To this Gontsana replied, “One has to let it go.” Despite being treated like a school child needing a hall pass due to his race and then put in jail for weeks, Gontsana was able to forgive. This ability to let it go has been built into the South African psyche after years of apartheid. This culture has been translated through township jazz music for years. On Thursday, October 18, Milton students brought this South African spirit here through their performances in the Fall Jazz Concert. They performed Strike Vilakazi’s “Meadowlands”, an apartheid protest tune. The meadowlands were a place where black people were forced to relocate to after being thrown
out of their homes in Sophiatown. This tune was a way to convey anti-government beliefs covertly. Similarly, the students played Abdullah Ibrahim’s “Mannenberg”, which became a symbol of the fight against apartheid. Ibrahim, a black man, was forced to move to the ‘colored’ township of Manenberg after his home in District 6 was bulldozed. Bulldozing entire communities was a regular practice at the time. A highlight of the concert was the symbolic tune “Bring Back Nelson Mandela” by Hugh Masekela. On his birthday, Masekela received a letter from Nelson Mandela, who, in prison at the time, wished him well and asked how he was doing. Inspired, Masekela composed the tune Bring Back Nelson Mandela, which became an anti-apartheid anthem. These three tunes, “Meadowlands”, “Mannenberg”, and “Bring Back Nelson Mandela”, illustrate the symbolism and character behind South African jazz. The tunes carry deep meaning about freedom, and overcoming the injustices that took place in the country. As Mr. Sinicrope says, “When we play the tunes here tonight I think some people will say, ‘Oh that’s nice.’ But if there are South Africans in the audience, it’s going to touch their hearts.” The connections between Milton and South Africa go back years. After hearing Abdullah Ibrahim’s music on the radio, Mr. Sinicrope liked it so much that he got in touch with him. He asked Ibrahim to play a fundraising concert at Milton in order to raise money for a scholarship fund. Ibrahim accepted, and when he was at Milton he heard the jazz group performing at an assembly. Upon listening, he insisted that the jazz group CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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Third Thursdays AMC Open Studios: Ceramics Edition By ANNIE WERNERFELT '20 On Thursday night, aspiring potters of Milton Academy convened in the bottom of the AMC for a crash course in ceramics. Mr. McDermott, who ran the class, teaches the 3-D studio courses. He is currently teaching ceramics, sculpture, and 3-D design, in addition to the advanced levels in those classes and a section of Class IV Art. He said he decided to run the Thursday class because, “[the art] department designed monthly events as a way to invite the Milton community into our studios and experience a bit of what we do here. We want to showcase the accessibility of our spaces and the creative work we do.” The night started off with a short demonstration by Mr. McDermott, who made the process of creating a clay bowl look easy. However, once they began work, the attendees soon realized the challenge behind this process. The process begins by taking a slab of clay and molding it into a ball. Then, the artist must press down on the sculpting wheel’s pedal and attempt to center the ball on the wheel. For beginners, centering the ball is one of the most difficult steps to grasp. Once the clay is centered, the artist molds it so that it has straight edges and a pit in the middle. After the pit is in the center, the artist applies pressure to the walls pit and widens the space until the clay resembles a bowl. The participants took about 45 minutes to make smooth and well-shaped bowls. McDermott invited those who succeeded in making visually pleasing pieces to return and add a layer of lacquer, so they could eventually bring them home. McDermott said that he “truly didn’t know what to expect, but [he] had about 15-16 people come through. It was a perfect size for the event.” He also added that he hopes to get more people interested in ceramics at Milton. “I'm passionate about clay and want to share that with people. I believe it's a great outlet for creativity and a wonderful opportunity for students to challenge their brains in a very different way than in other academic classes here at Milton,” he said. Art courses offer a change of pace which can be more laid back but still challenging part of students’ highly-scheduled academic days. Because of this meaningful change of pace, McDermott encourages all students to consider art courses. Most upperclassmen CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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Opinion Standing at the Juncture
By TONY WANG '20 The Vice Provost for Enrollment at Dartmouth University, Lee Coffin, addressed Class II this past Sunday to kickoff the college process. For many, his message constituted both a warm introduction and a solemn caution. Though college admissions statistics look increasingly daunting from year to year, colleges are still looking to follow an open attitude in their admissions, actively searching for the unique strengths of each student in an application. As Lee Coffin himself joked: “They don’t call me the dean of denial for a reason.” He told the Class II students that his goal was to admit and that he took no pleasure in the unavoidable byproduct of denial. Setting aside the college admissions perspective, however, the entire process does pose a highly intensive and stressful challenge for students. From standardized testing to school grades to essays, each part requires painstaking precision and an enormous time investment. With the current seniors engaged in a race against upcoming deadlines and a battle against demanding applications, we as juniors can only imagine the strain that these extraordinary quantities of work will impose on our lives next year. The college process does not seem all negative, however. Certainly, some parts of college applications include work that feels superfluous and adds unnecessary stress to the already laborious procedures, but the other portions may actually benefit applicants; much of the college process will likely benefit students for years to come by motivating them right now to both plan and prepare themselves for the future. The prospect of college applications inspires students to work diligently and inform themselves from early on. Milton students are highly self-motivated generally, but college applications add an extra incentive that stands as a future “reckoning” for which students should work in the present. This prospect also adds weight and value to our time here—not only are our classes, sports, and activities enabling us to learn, improve, and have fun, but they are also preparing us for the sweeping evaluation near the end of our
high school careers. Grades are certainly not the be-all, end-all of academics, but the pursuit of better grades often leads to better understanding of a course’s material, which does coincide with the goal of courses. In addition, the college process compels students to spread out the large amount of planning and introspection that lie in their futures. In an age of increased focus on planning and organization, accurately recognizing oneself (and adjusting accordingly) at the critical high school/college juncture can help us far into the future. College applications provide an engine for this process; writing an essay and building a résumé can push each student to look inwards in search of passions, strengths, and weaknesses. Often, we do not answer key questions about our experiences and inclinations even as we pose them to others. For example, if we were to work solely in one profession for 10 years, which field would we choose? The diverse nature of high school often precludes us from seriously considering such a question, but we cannot avoid it forever. As we move on in life, our efforts and endeavors will need to become more focused in scope and more profound in depth. The pursuit of a subject area which fascinates and motivates us will become a critical factor in the enjoyment of our future work. Though it induces unhealthy amounts of stress, a strict 650-word limit on a Common App essay compels one to search broadly and then filter the crystals of the mind into succinct, valuable ideas, considering or even discovering anew what one finds captivating and indispensable. Additionally, planning early for the future leaves room for adjustment or complete change later on. As such, college applications create a waypoint on the path forward where we start to funnel our interests and passions from past experiences down to a few that we especially enjoy and will continue to pursue intensively. Though the college process is, by all accounts, laborious and stressful for our current seniors, the long-term benefits of preparation and self-discovery will hopefully accompany them years into the future.•
NEWS
Open Studio Thursdays CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
who have completed their art credit can vouch for the change of pace that results from taking such a course. McDermott also notes that he would like to “encourage students to take advantage of the openness and accessibility of our studios during their time here. I invite everyone to come play with clay or draw or paint in their free time- it will brighten your day!” This first of 5 sessions comes in the midst of a push by the arts department to get more involvement in their courses. As a result of expansions to the history department last year, most notably the addition Class III U.S. History, enrollment numbers in the art department have decreased. However, these “Third Thursdays AMC Open Studios” are not just open to students; they are also open to faculty members and their families. The next session is on Thursday, November 15th with Ms.Swain, and it will focus on self-portrait painting. Everyone is highly encouraged to come out! •
South African Jazz CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
come to South Africa. Twenty-six years later, Milton’s jazz program still goes on tour in the country every other year. The students play music side by side with township children and interact with the local culture. It is an out-of-body experience for many students, but the welcoming nature of South Africans makes the two groups blend seamlessly. Mr Sinicrope recalls, “Here we are marching... a bunch of prep school kids marching in a parade in a black township in Cape Town. It was surreal.” The spirit of South African jazz has created many beautiful experiences for the Milton Academy community. The Fall Jazz Concert served as another testament to the significance of South African Jazz and the story of how it has influenced Milton.•
Opinion
PAGE 7
Yes, I’m Seventeen; No, I Can’t Drive
Image courtesy of Google
By ABBY FOSTER '19 We’ve all seen it in the movies—a boy in a letterman jacket and a girl in a poodle skirt sit in some local diner, skin squeaking against vinyl seats. They came from his football game, or maybe the homecoming dance, but regardless of the situation her blonde ponytail bounces with every kitten-heeled step as his arm encircles her waist. They rode there in his car; it’s red (or black) and low to the ground, with lightning-bolt decals flashing on each side. It’s the same car they take to the drive-in movie, the same car he rides in with his friends, none of them wearing seatbelts. They cruise down the streets of their small towns in cackling delight—they’re just on the brink of adulthood, and this car is so much more than a car. That blond haired, blue eyed, apple-pie America doesn’t exist anymore—actually, you could argue that it never existed at all, although the decade of the 1950s has been immortalized in this style. One facet of the above description still rings true, however; even in the 21st century, a teenager’s ability to drive seems unanimous with their coming of age. Having a car is a rite of passage. If you don’t have one, or don’t want one, you’re an oddity. Owning and driving a car is the backbone of the American teen experience—how else can you go to rock shows and rebel against your parents? We adore this physical representation of every teenage cliché ever. An angry teen driving his parents’ car around the suburbs is the ultimate irony—sure, he can cruise to the 7-Eleven, but he’s still trapped in the town, just as he’s trapped in
the childhood he tries so hard to shake off. In the mid-nineteenth century, America went through a transportation renaissance. The Wikipedia page for “1950s American Car Culture”—something so specific I’m shocked other people have researched it—credits this boom to overflow industrialism; “the American manufacturing economy switched from producing war-related items to consumer goods at the end of World War II, and by the end of the 1950s, one in six working Americans [was] employed either directly or indirectly in the automotive industry.” Cars wormed their way into every aspect of pop culture, and drive-through restaurants and drive-in movies sprouted up to fill a role the public didn’t even know they wanted. I was startled to find that, despite the automobile propaganda flooding our every orifice—if you’ve ever seen a car commercial on prime-time tv, you’ll know what I mean—most modern teenagers are characterized by a distinct indifference towards driving. As an article from The Atlantic entitled “The Decline of the Driver’s License” notes, “young people are not getting driver’s licenses so much anymore. In fact, no one is.” The truth is, twenty-first century teenagers just don’t like cars as much as America wants them to. We just don’t care that much. I live a fifteen minute walk from my high school, and there’s a bus stop outside of my house. I’m a seasoned user of public transportation and have Uber on my phone. I have never, not once, wished I could drive. When people ask me why
I don’t have a license yet, I tell them the truth: it’s pretty low on my list of priorities. I have so many more pressing matters to attend to in my daily life that doing all those driving hours just seems unnecessary. Why would I go to all that trouble if I don’t need, or want, to drive? As it turns out, my opinions towards driving are not as unique as the American media might want consumers to think. In a 2013 study conducted by Brandon Schoettle and Michael Sivak entitled “The Reasons for the Recent Decline in Young Driver Licensing in the U.S.,” the majority of polled respondents said they don’t have a licence because they’re too busy or don’t have enough time. Among the other responses collected were “owning and maintaining a vehicle is too expensive”, “able to get transportation from others”, “prefer to use public transportation”, and “concerned about how driving impacts the environment.” Finally, the study notes that “of the respondents, 22% indicated that they plan on never getting a driver’s license.” America still loves cars, even though Americans don’t. The mad car-love of the 50’s is just as antiquated as the letterman jacket, vinyl seat, kitten heels vision is, but our society hasn’t been able to leave it in the past. Your teenage years shouldn’t be defined by your ability to drive, just like they’re not defined by your ability to ice skate, or roller blade. Sure, maybe I’m missing out on an important teenage ritual—maybe my teen experience will always be inherently lacking. But times are changing, and I don’t need a license to head into the future.•
PAGE 8
Opinion
How Not to Talk About Gender
Image courtesy of Milton Academy
By KENDELLE GRUBBS A frequent problem with Milton’s assemblies is the lack of topic diversity. As much as we all love Rodney Glasgow, having ten assemblies about not being racist tends to get repetitive, so the OMCD stepped up and decided to bring in Dr. Jennifer Bryan to discuss how to create gender inclusive spaces on campus. As a queer student on campus, you can imagine my excitement for an assembly that could break the mold. That excitement was short lived. Dr. Bryan started off the assembly with the awkwardness of a Class IV talk. She delved into a childhood story about bikes and sexism, which could have been a great segway into how gender intersects with every aspect of our lives but seemed more like a poor attempt at humor than an actual aspect of her presentation. The assembly then shifted towards a misguided attempt at explaining what gender is and the importance of having discussions. Dr. Bryan explored the need for students to have productive conversations without attacking one another. She showed a video explaining a project called “We Can” which involved students of different backgrounds discussing and learning from one another. This idea would be interesting to implement in Milton’s political climate and would allow for students to discuss their differing opinions in a safe space. Confusingly, however, the video wasn’t further discussed, which made me wonder the point of it especially
since the video didn’t cover gender at all. My confusion lasted for the whole assembly. It reached its peak when Dr. Bryan started discussing gender identity and sex. While the PowerPoint behind her explained in great detail the differences between the two, she herself lacked that clarity; she expressed the importance of knowing the difference between sex and gender identity, but neglected to explain either. What’s the point of acknowledging that the majority of freshman don’t know the difference if you’re not going to educate them? Another aspect that hindered the assembly was the inaccuracy and superficiality of the talk. Though her speech supported the idea of gender being a spectrum, the diagrams she used to defend this point were wacky. The chart used to explain the spectrums of gender and sexuality resembled an outdated idea of identities; not only did the charts leave out agender (a person who does not identify with the traditional, binary sense of gender) and asexual (a person who feels little to no sexual attraction to others), but the charts also wrongly depicted identities that fall out of the binary. Even though nonbinary is an identity for someone who falls outside the gender identity, the scale depicted it as an identity that leaned more towards male. Additionally, Dr. Bryan’s discussion of transgender issues missed the mark. For one, her presentation largely relied on a two minute NBC video about
growing up transgender. She herself couldn’t elaborate on the message of the video and basically reaffirmed the message that trans people are real. She still spoke of transgenderism in a binary way. In the LGBTQ+ community, trans* is an umbrella for all the various identities that fall inside the idea being transgender. This idea includes non binary folk, but Dr. Bryan’s idea of trans people didn’t. She spoke of transgender people only as FtM (female to male) or MtF (male to female), which excludes trans people who fall off the binary. Are people who identify as genderqueer not valid? The only highlight of the assembly was the end when Tris Wideman ’20 spoke about her experience as trans girl—the power in her words rang truer than the entirety of Dr. Bryan’s work. Tris had the personal experience that Dr. Bryan’s presentation ultimately lacked. While we can listen to someone lecture us about the importance of gender identity, there is more power in talking to real people and understanding their stories. The assembly tackled a topic that Milton students need to understand, yet it failed to actually explain anything. I was left more confused after the assembly than when I came in. As a head of GASP and one of Milton’s LGBTQ+ affinity spaces, helping people understand gender identity is a crucial part of my life, but when we get half-baked assemblies like this one, it makes the educating process even harder.•
Opinion
PAGE 9
The Probelm with Trump's Definition of Gender
Image courtesy of Google
By EMMA BRADLEY ’20 One of the many things
that Milton has taught me time and time again—as it should—is that the bounds of gender stretch far beyond biological parts. I’ve learned that gender is not limited to male and female, but that it is instead a spectrum. I’ve learned that gender extends beyond medicine, and includes both a cultural and social aspect in its definition. These gender concepts are necessary for people at Milton to learn in order to ensure that everyone’s unique gender identity is accounted for. However, the Trump administration’s newly proposed gender definition accomplishes none of these goals, and has caused a large outcry, mainly among the transgender community. According to the New York Times, after the Department of Health and Human Services wanted “to establish a legal definition of sex under Title IX,” the Trump administration hoped to adopt a definition based “on a biological basis that is clear, grounded in science, objective and administrable.” So, what exactly does this definition mean? The proposal entails that gender will be based solely on a person’s biological sex; however, we understand that sex and gender exist on two entirely different, but related, spectrums. While sex refers to a person’s biological makeup,
gender identity refers to someone’s inner feeling of oneself. Someone can be a biological male, but identify as a different gender— this person would identify as “transgender.” The problem with Trump’s proposed definition of gender is that it does not distinguish between sex and gender, and thus leaves transgender people outside of its definition. For example, transgender women with male sex organs, according to Trump’s definition of gender, would be considered men, despite identifying as women. This new definition can only take a psychological toll on the transgender community. The transgender community’s fear has been expressed through the hashtag, #WontBeErased on social media. Since these new laws provide no legal protection for the transgender community, individuals have been speaking out against the policies. I believe that this definition is a step backwards for equality. Where the Obama administration opened up the conversation on gender in federal programs, the Trump administration aims to abolish legal rights of trans people. The hard work that was done to further the conversations on gender and sexuality is now being undone. For example, according to the New York Times, “Several agencies have withdrawn
Obama-era policies that recognized gender identity in schools, prisons and homeless shelters.” At Milton, we know how important recognizing non cisgendered people is through having non-gendered bathrooms. Imagine how excluded and forgotten people of our own community— friends, teachers, peers, and more—would feel if Trump’s definition on gender was passed. Thus, it is necessary that individuals, particularly those affected by these laws, speak out to prevent this setback from occuring. •
TMP does not stan voluntourism.
PAGE 10
Arts & Enterainment
Crazy Rich Asians: A Win for Rom-Com and Representation By LYNN YUAN '21 Crazy Rich Asians, based on Kevin Kwan’s popular novel of the same name, was released in the US August 15, and was the first major Hollywood production to feature a predominantly Asian/ Asian-American cast in 25 years: a win for Asian representation in popular media. The story follows Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), a self-made Asian-American New York University professor, who journeys Singapore with her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) to meet his family. Upon arrival, she discovers that Nick and his family are one of the wealthiest families in Asia and is whisked into the ultra-wealthy life where money is more important than family and action without ulterior motive unheard of. The couple’s trip is packed with adversity, from masses of jealous women who want nothing more than Nick’s money, to the scheming of Eleanor Young (Michelle Yeoh), Nick’s mother, who does everything she can to separate the pair. This whirlwind of events in the film build up to create the perfect storm, but result in an even more perfect resolution. At first glance, the production may seem like a risky investment and not worth the $30 million budget poured into it. As Time suggests, a film featuring an all Asian cast set in Eastern Asia seems too niche for an American produced blockbuster movie. Additionally, neither of the leads were well established in the movie industry, and the genre of the movie itself, rom-com, seems like a risky choice in a world of superhero and action based movies. However, this perspective does not take into consideration the power in a move for inclusivity; by having the movie directed by an Asian producer (Jon M. Chu), by incorporating Asian culture and, most importantly, by having an all Asian cast, the movie directly appeals to the large Asian population that has felt both misrepresented and underrepresented in popular American culture. Crazy Rich Asians was a huge success; according to The Strait
Times, the movie topped Singaporean charts in the first week, beating the big-budget production The Meg and becoming the most successful rom-com in Singapore to date. As of now, Crazy Rich Asians has earned over $230 million in box office sales and has earned its spot as sixth in domestic box revenue for romantic comedies with its $170 million as of today, The Numbers reports. The movie also secured a solid 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, surpassing many huge blockbusters such as Avengers: Infinity War and Solo: A Star Wars Story, also released this year. When you consider just how underrepresented Asians have been in Hollywood and in the Western film industry in general, this success makes sense; the only roles Asians have been cast in in Blockbuster movies have been supporting, and plotlines that take advantage of Asian culture have either been stereotypical or misrepresentative. For example, in the movie adaptation of Ghost in the Shell released last year, the lead, who was originally Japanese, was played by white actress Scarlett Johansson. Through its focus on all the ins and outs of East Asian culture, from the food to the consumerism to the nuances of the customs, Crazy Rich Asians gives this widely ignored population the attention that they deserve. Anne Kwok ‘21, who watched the movie on the day of its release, stated that, “The movie meant a lot to me because I finally saw some of the customs and norms that I’m so used...portrayed on the big screen.” Crazy Rich Asians has it all: a gripping plot, loveable and hateable characters, and fresh new setting combined with an experimental plotline. It’s a great movie that everybody should consider watching. Hopefully, Crazy Rich Asians, along with To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before—another recent movie—incorporating Asian leads and culture on the big screen, we will soon see even more representation of Asian media in the West and finally shine light onto a much ignored culture in film.•
The Process of Creation: Ms.Swain and Her Relationship to Art By GRACE LI '20
Ideas happen sporadically; inspiration can hit at any time, even when, say, you’re waiting for the T. Capitalizing on the spontaneous nature of ideas, Ms. Swain, an Upper School art teacher, begins her pieces with little preparation, so that she can add an aspect of “playfulness” to the process of creation. With sculpting and painting as her main media, Swain uses both to convey realistic elements of the environment while “enhancing the structure and exemplifying the materials.” More specifically, she paints portraits and cityscapes while creating more abstract figures sculpturally. By looking at her process and her sources of inspiration, we can implement aspects of Ms. Swain’s creation process into our lives to live a little more freely. One of the pieces she is currently working on displays this process--the sculpture of a female figure made out of metal rods welded together. She also uses cardboard to add another dimension to the piece and to create a sense of irony: the fire used to weld iron burns the paper of the cardboard. The conception of the idea to merge both cardboard and metal came from the resurgence of the MeToo movement and constant reporting on the topic of sexual harassment and assault by media sources. The newspaper articles that she read inspired her to incorporate the paper element of cardboard into her work with the sculpture; she sees the sculpture of the woman as embodying strength and courage while breaking out of her chains. Swain initially envisioned that there would be newspaper clippings that came out of the MeToo movement attached to the headdress the woman was wearing to bring attention to the topic of sexual harassment and assault. About a year has passed since Swain started the project, but since the incorporation of cardboard, the artist has come to question her decision to incorporate newspaper clippings, asking herself if it might be too literal a representation of the events. The “ebb and flow” of ideas inspires her to continue expanding on a piece and to look at the subject through different lenses. The continual adjustments made to the piece can cause some to wonder when an art piece is “finished.” Taking the advice of a mentor, Swain says a piece is finished when she no longer has the motivation to continue to make the piece better. Whether the piece is good or bad, the piece is done because the excitement to work on the piece is no longer present. Finding inspiration in the movements of both inanimate and animate objects, Swain experiments with different styles of movements in her work. Once a yoga teacher before teaching art, Ms. Swain experienced the creativity that can be sparked by movement. Whether the motion means the micro-movements of her brush or the movement of her feet in order to notice details that would have
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Arts & Enterainment
PAGE 11
Under the Shadow: Another Persian Horror Must-See
Image courtesy of Google
By NARA MOHYEDDIN '21 Scared of jump-scares and missiles, genies and morality police? Think Persepolis would’ve been just that much more interesting if the Satrapis were being haunted? Alright with reading subtitles during harrowing scenes of a movie? In 2016, the Farsi-language movie Under the Shadow was released at Sundance. It was director Babak Anvari’s first fulllength movie. The movie was released only two years after the release of The Babadook at the same festival, and the similarity between the two films is unmistakable: both feature a mother and her child left by the husband, alone with their thoughts and their haunters. Although The Babadook was incredibly well received, it is not the similarities between the two, but rather the differences between the two films that make Under the Shadow so special (along with the amazing cast, setting, realism, and filmography). In Under the Shadow, the mother and child are Iranians living in the capital city of Tehran during the American war with Iraq (1980-1988). Amidst constant bombing, the husband, Iraj, is drafted to contribute his doctor skills to the army. Denied
from the university because of her political activity in the revolution that preceded the war, the mother, Shideh, is unable to continue her medical studies, and so remains home. Their lives go on as Shideh funnels her stress into contraband exercise videos and restless nights, but soon her daughter, Dorsa, learns about genies (who are usually very evil spirits, despite what Disney’s Aladdin may have taught you) from the boy downstairs. While Shideh is dealing with her mother’s death, the constant threat of war, being a single parent, and the uncertainty of occupational future, she now also has a scared and sick child as well. But the genies Dorsa sees don’t seem to be feverish hallucinations; as Shideh’s reality and dreamscape mesh together, she sees the same things as her daughter. One night when it has all become too much, Shideh grabs her daughter and runs, only to be arrested for violating the mandatory dress code—her head was uncovered—and returned to her home. Her past political activity and the dress code keep Shideh at home, but she’s not secure there; her home escalates from a place where she is constantly scrutinized in her role as a mother to a full on haunted house.
As a woman in wartime, the uncertainty of her future keeps her up at night, as well as making her sleepwalk and have nightmares. As the war gets worse and worse, Shideh’s mental state deteriorates. While the movie moves slowly, taking its time with quality filmography and steadily building uncertainty, it reaches a terrifying and fast-paced climax. At one point, a cloth tries to eat Shideh and her daughter; is this a symbol for Shideh’s battle with conservatism, manifested in the mandatory dress code? What is great about this movies is that if you want, it can put you onto this deeper, analytical line of questioning, but if you just need to be terrified, it can do this for you as well. In the beginning of Under the Shadow, some text quickly explains the setting of the movie—a war-struck Tehra is the perfect pressure cooker for fear and anxiety. Later, as Shideh is reading her neighbor’s book on genies, she learns that it is exactly these fear and anxiety, and perhaps the social climate that surrounds them, that attracts evil spirits. This harmonious marriage of horror and social commentary is exactly what modern horror movies need..•
PLEASE VOTE. PLEASE VOTE.
PAGE 12
Sports Red Sox's Quest For Glory
Image courtesy of Google
By KATHERINE MCDONOUGH '19 With the World Series beginning this week, it seems appropriate to take a look back at the historic playoff run the Boston Red Sox have made thus far. To end the regular season, the Red Sox were ranked #1 in the American League with 108 wins, the most wins for a team in Red Sox franchise history. Because of their ranking, the Red Sox went into the postseason with a first round bye, awaiting the championship of the American League Wild Card game between the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics. The Yankees won the game a dominant 7-2 and flew down to boston to face the Red Sox in the American League Division Series (ALDS). The history and rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees cannot be overstated, and so both Yankees and Red Sox fans went into the series with anticipation. The last time the Yankees and Red Sox met in the postseason was in 2004 when the Red Sox pulled off a historic reverse-sweep, returning from 0-3 in the series to win 4-3. This year, Game 1 at Fenway started strong, with a 5-0 Red Sox lead by the top of the 4th. Despite the Yankees eventually bringing the score to 5-4, the Red Sox closer, Craig Kimbrel, successfully saved the game for a final score of 5-4 Red Sox. The second game, however, went less successfully for the Red Sox. The Yankees grabbed a lead early, and with the help of 2 home runs from Gary Sanchez, won the game 6-2. Heading down to New York, the Red Sox had to win at least one of the games to stay in the series. To Red Sox fans’ relief, the Sox
won both games in New York to clinch the series. In game 3 of the ALDS, the Red Sox dominated, putting up 16 runs to the Yankees’ 1. Additionally, Brock Holt, the Red Sox’s utility man, scored the first “cycle” (when a batter scores a single, double, triple, and home run in one game) in MLB postseason history. In game 4 of the ALDS, the Red Sox faced the Yankees one last time, taking a quick 4-0 lead by the bottom of the 4th. The Yankees only scored 1 run until the bottom of the 9th inning, in which Red Sox closer Kimbrel’s shaky performance allowed for the hope of a late-game comeback for the Yankees. Kimbrel let the Yankees score 2 runs in the 9th, making the game 4-3. However, the Sox were able to pull it out with an incredible stretching catch made by first baseman Steve Pearce to win the ALDS and advance to the American League Championship Series (ALCS). Despite the Sox’s apparent dominance, they had a challenge ahead in facing the defending World Series champions: the Houston Astros. While the Red Sox had the most wins in the American League, no one could deny the talent of the Astros’ bullpen and batters. The ALCS, a best of 7 series, began with an Astros win over the Red Sox. Verlander, the starting pitcher for the Astros, pitched 6 innings and completely out-pitched the Red Sox starting pitcher, Chris Sale. Sale seemed to be a shell of his regular season self, and after the game he was admitted to the hospital for stomach ailment. While the score was close throughout the majority of the game, Workman, pitching for the Red Sox in the 9th, let up 4 runs to give the Astros
a 7-2 lead. In game 2 of the ALCS, the Red Sox scored an early 2 runs in the 1st inning and never gave up the lead for the rest of the game. The Red Sox came out on top with a 7-4 win, heading down to Houston for the next 3 games. In game 3 the Red Sox got another early 2 run lead, and kept the lead for the whole game. Going into the 8th up 3-2, the Red Sox scored an impressive 5 runs -- 4 of those runs being off of a grand slam by center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr -- and won the game 8-2. Game 4 of the ALCS was not as simple as 2 and 3, however. While the Red Sox lead early again, they couldn’t keep the lead and they into the 6th inning down 4-5. However, with a 2 RBI home run by Jackie Bradley Jr, the Sox regained the lead. The bottom of the 9th is where things got shaky. With Kimbrel at the mount, 2 outs, and bases loaded, Houston Astros 3rd Baseman Bregman, one of the Astros’ best hitters, walked up to home plate. Bregman swung and hit the ball, sending the ball to the outfield, but Red Sox left fielder Benintendi made an incredible diving catch to win game 4 for the Red Sox. Up 3-1 in the series, the Red Sox entered Game 5 in Houston determined. With an incredible pitching performance by David Price, who is known to be unreliable in the postseason, the Red Sox were able to hold the Astros to only 1 run while scoring 4 for themselves to win the game. The Red Sox, in a dominating 4-1 series, beat defending champions the Houston Astros to advance to the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which begins Tuesday, October 23rd. Go Sox! •
Sports
PAGE 13
Kenya Ice Lions
Image courtesy of Google
By GEORGE ROSE '21 In Kenya, a country better known for its endurance runners—and, to American tourists, its spectacular wildlife and safaris—a group of athletes have come together and added an unlikely new aspect to the country’s image: hockey. The Kenya Ice Lions, led by their 33-year-old captain Benard Azegere, garnered fame recently as some of the sport’s greatest players, including Sidney Crosby, have become the Ice Lion’s advocates and, for a day, their teammates. As improbable as the creation of a Kenyan hockey team may be, the Ice Lions now embark on a quest to qualify for the 2022 Olympics representing Kenya’s Ice Hockey Team. Azegere’s first love was soccer, and he played in Kenya’s top league. While watching the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, however, he discovered a new love: ice hockey. Pursuing the sport in Kenya would have been impossible if not for a lucky break at the Panari Hotel in Nairobi. Located just across the street from a national park inhabited by zebras, giraffes, rhinos, and lions, the hotel plays host to what may be the world’s most unexpected sports facility: the only known hockey rink in all of East Africa. This ice rink serves as the home and training center for the Ice Lions. Right around the time of the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, at the Panari Hotel in Nairobi, a Canadian named Tim Colby was trying to jumpstart Kenya’s first Hockey program. Over time, according to ESPN, representatives
from Canada’s embassy in Nairobi began passing through and dropping off equipment for Colby’s program. Despite forming a team, the Ice Lions still faced the issue of having no other competitors. According to ESPN, this past April, the Canadian coffee and donut chain Tim Hortons heard about the Ice Lions and decided to sponsor the team. In August, the company flew the Ice Lions to Canada and introduced them to two new temporary teammates for a special scrimmage: Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon, stars of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Colorado Avalanche respectively. The game occured at a venue in Brampton, Ontario, where the Ice Lions faced off against a team of local firemen. Tim Hortons supplied them with a normal set of equipment to play with for the game; following the game, Tim Hortons shipped the equipment back to Kenya for further use—in Kenya, hockey equipment is not easy to come by. Most Kenyans prefer soccer, a sport which requires only a ball and a flat expanse of land. After their trip to Ontario, the team got to see the hockey Hall of Fame and the city of Toronto. On October 15, Tim Hortons released a brief video about the Ice Lions’ trip to Canada that quickly went viral. In the video, Crosby and MacKinnon surprised the members of the Ice Lions by walking into the Ice Lions’ locker room wearing Ice Lions’ jerseys. One Ice Lions’ player even said to Crosby, touching his cheeks, “Is this you?” Both Crosby and
MacKinnon spoke about hockey’s power to bring people together, with Crosby saying: “That’s the best part about the game. It’s just how it reaches so many people and places like Kenya where you wouldn’t think that there is even ice.” Tim Hortons is now funding Kenya’s first youth hockey development program and league. Azegere journeyed to Canada for the second time in recent weeks for another hockey experience. He watched the red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs face off against his friend Sydney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 18th. As you can imagine, seeing this high level of hockey in real life was eye-opening for Azegere; he had watched hours upon hours of clips from Youtube but had never seen an NHL game in person, where the speed and level of the game are on a whole other level. Despite the media attention, the Ice Lions still lack equipment in Nairobi, and Azegere says that only 30 locals have picked up the sport; many Kenyans have preconceived notions that hockey is a violent sport because of the checking and occasional brawls that come along with the game. Although their chances for making the Olympics in Beijing in 2022 may be slim, Azegere and his teammates know that this is only the beginning of hockey in Kenya. They see the possibility for the growth of the sport in their country and hope to see a new generation of Kenyans continue what they started.•
PAGE 14
Sports Women’s National Soccer Championships
Image courtesy of Google
By SOPHIA LI '19 On October 4, 2018, the US Women's National Soccer Team geared up for another championship for the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). Entering the tournament, the US team needs to win this championship in order to solidify its spot in the upcoming 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) will need to play a total of three games and win all three in order to go to the qualifying round for the World Cup. They were set to play Mexico, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago, all of whom have been defeated by the USWNT in the past. The USWNT began their qualifying run against a very formidable opponent: Mexico. In the past, Mexico has given the USWNT a hard time offensively and defensively, and has prevented the US team from obtaining an easy win. However, in this year’s qualifying game, Mexico could not respond to the USWNT’s ball movement and possession; the USWNT immediately took possession of the ball at the start of the first half, scoring almost
two minutes in. After the first goal, the USWNT went on a roll and ended the game with a decisive 6-0 win over Mexico. Not only did the US do well offensively, but they also dominated defensively, allowing a mere three shots to be taken on the US goal, with only one shot actually being on target. With this dominating win, the USWNT took the first-place spot within their group. In order to remain number one in their group, they had to win their next two games. After their win against Mexico, the USWNT was ready for any team. Their momentum from their game against Mexico carried over to their next game with Panama. The USWNT displayed exemplary defensive and offensive skills for which the Panama National team was no match; the USWNT ended the game 5-0, with Carli Lloyd getting the first hattrick of the tournament for the US. With the World Cup qualifying spot in sight, the USWNT easily defeated Trinidad and Tobago 7-0, not allowing a single shot to be taken on the US goal by the Trinidadian team. The defeat of Trinidad and Tobago allowed the US to place first in their group and move onto the semifinals
against Jamaica. The US and Jamaican teams have only played twice, and both times of those times were in CONCACAF qualifying, according to the United States Soccer Federation. Both times they have played, the US have emerged victorious. However, those victories were in the past, and the teams look very different now. If the US wins, they move onto the finals, securing a spot in the 2019 World Cup. The US did not disappoint. They started out very strong with a goal in the second minute from seasoned World Cup veteran Tobin Heath. The USWNT looked like a well-oiled machine, winning the match 6-0. Although Jamaica prevented the US from scoring a goal for the majority of the second half, they could not stop USWNT’s rhythm. However, Jamaica still has an opportunity to qualify for the world cup with a game against Panama. Now that the USWNT has won the semifinals, they are preparing for the CONCACAF final against Canada, one of their biggest rivals. Tune in to the game on October 18 to see if how the USWNT fares. •
A&E
Ms. Swain
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
otherwise been missed, there is always an area of experimentation present in her pieces. With the expectation that experimentation will pay off, you won’t always be satisfied with your result. But if you’re too scared to try, you will never fully unlock your potential because, as Ms. Swain says, “you can’t make [something] if you don’t start it.” The ideas are more important than the technical aspects because although techniques can be learned, ideas can’t. Marked by serendipity, Ms. Swain’s process demonstrates the importance of experimentation and of following your ideas without the fear of failure. •
PAGE 15
Hot Fuzz
TMP 36 Movie Recs
Super 8
HER
Atomic Blonde
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus
Eighth Grade
Blackfish Rashomon
No Country For Old Men
Bad Times At The El Royale
Murder On The Orient Express Beverly Hills Cop
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Ad Nauseum
Student Club and Organization Constitution I. Name The name of this organization shall be: Bland and Bougie Untitled Capitalist Administration Propaganda Brown Nosers’ Club The Milton Measure II. Mission, Vision, and Goals We, The Milton Measure Editorial Board, hope to provide the Milton community with the highest quality toilet paper available. Every issue, we publish our beloved “Does it Measure Up?” section to show people how ~relatable~ and ~opinionated~ we are. Also, we write outdated news sometimes. III. Affiliation The Milton Measure is the “official” Milton Academy “newspaper,” and thus we stan Milton Academy and its administration. You know our paper is official because it takes both hands to hold it, and when you open it it’s bigger than your head! While we love our writers, we’re loyal to that sweet sweet ca$h, so we will sometimes have to censor some articles. I know, we’re sad about it too (but not as sad as we would be if we had to fundraise like TMP. God, can you imagine begging?). IV. Membership In order to be a member of The Milton Measure you MUST read at least three Buzzfeed articles A DAY so we know you’re keeping up with current events. If you want to be a Humor writer, your sense of humor must be exclusively comprised of inside references that only DSBs will understand. #MondayNightsAreForTheBoys V. Officers A bunch of men...and others too, cause we’re woke! VI. Nomination and Elections TMM Editorial Board Members are elected via an interview in which candidates recite Mr. Heard’s track and field records. Additionally, each candidate must complete the following tasks: • You must consume a cucumber, mango, mint, creme brulee, or fruit medley within the confines of our office. • You must beat the current board members in a game of Wii bowling. We have a Wii in our office. Did you know that we have a Wii in our office? • Always abide by our motto: “boring is better.” VII. Meetings The Measure meets four times a year, and publishes three times a year. Sometimes we’ll convene just so we can stare longingly into the Paper office and wish we worked for them instead :( Editors' Note: We love our Measure rivals and this is all in good fun :) <3 love u guys