The Index
The student voice... since 1888
Ευταξια Σωζειν Δοκει
April 2018
Volume LXXX, No. 7
Haverford, Pennsylvania
www.havindex.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. PATRICK ANDRÉN
As the clock struck closer to ten, an eerie silence permeated the room. I found it difficult not to hold my breath in anticipation. Unable to focus on the lecture at hand, I looked at the faces of my classmates, searching for some sign that they too were preparing to leave. The discussion around the day had been much more hushed than I had expected. Besides the few pieces of information about date and time, I heard little to no opinions on the merits of action versus inaction. Although I was committed to the cause and to my choice, I planned to respect the decisions of
others by simply not bringing it up. And then the clock struck ten. Slowly, half of my class and my teacher stood up and exited the room. I gazed back at those remaining, hoping for some reason or explanation for why they had chosen to stay. I had subconsciously assumed everyone would walk out. To me, the day was not about guns or political warfare; it was about our safety as students. Regardless, I made my way out to Lancaster Avenue. The image of students and teachers alike pouring out of their classrooms and forming
Robotics return to Worlds DANIEL CHOW ’20
Since taking home the victory during the Eastern Pennsylvania State Championship in early March, four Haverford teams have qualified
INDEX STAFF
Intel Chen ‘19 working on a robot.
one united group struck me as quite powerful. Once I was out there, I had forgotten about those still in math class. This was my first protest. Although I had always been fervent about political discourse, this feeling was completely new. The protest didn’t have to be silent; it had already taken my breath away. Dr. Ehrhart was standing next to me, proudly yet tragically holding his sign. I learned what it was to stand for what you believed in. Countless cars drove by honking or waving or giving us a thumbs up in quick solidarity. Those moments
were unfortunately overshadowed by a man who drove right up to us screaming, “You won’t ever take our guns.” I learned what it meant to be judged by my actions alone. But with every vocal counter-protester, a brave quip rose from the crowd: “You have a nice day too!” I let out a small chuckle; I learned that words cannot penetrate a group in common bond. Never in my life will I be able to recreate that moment. But most of all, I don’t want to. cont. pg. 9
Four Fords explore India YAN GRAF ’20
for the 2018 VEX World Championship in Louisville, Kentucky. Competing against more than five hundred teams from dozens of countries across the globe, The Cavalry will represent the school at the competition. Each year, VEX Robotics, an organization dedicated to immersing students in STEM, challenges more than ten thousand high school teams to a unique objective-based game. This year’s game is called “In the Zone,” a challenge that pits two teams of two against each other to see which team can score more points in a given time frame. Teams are given a variety of ways to score points, ranging from stacking cones on heavy mobile bases, placing the mobile bases into designated zones, or stacking onto a stationary goalpost in the center of the field. Fifteen seconds at the beginning of each match are given for the robots to complete their “autonomous task” — a preprogrammed action that the robot does on its own, followed by a minute and forty-five seconds where the drivers take to the joysticks. At the 2018 Eastern Pennsylvania State Championship at Norristown High School, team 169A (Fifth Formers Scott Shaw and Will Clark and Third Former Safa Obuz), placed first in the qualification round, dominating in all six matches. cont. pg. 16
DR. MIKE NANCE
Tyler Zimmer ’21 writes on the current baseball season on pg. 11
This past spring break, four students travelled to India to participate in an exchange with the Welham Boys School in Dehradun. Over the course of two weeks, they had gone from the bustling metropolis of Delhi, to the ancient wonder of the Taj Mahal, to the foothills of the roof of the world, the Himalayas. As the saying goes “India is a continent masquerading as a country,” and the India exchange program allowed students to gain insight into a part of the world that does not often penetrate the Haverford bubble. Through friends made and sights seen, students learned that India is diverse and rapidly changing. Students observed the immense cultural heritage India possesses and saw how different the country is from our own. “My most memorable experience,” Fifth Former Mike Yoh said, “had to be feeling the culture shock of visiting Old Delhi on our first full day in India. My newness to the country combined with the sights, sounds, and smells of the area made it a very enlightening experience.” Throughout the two weeks, the four managed to experience countless facets of Indian society, including wonderful cuisine. With street foods, homemade pumpkin curry, and even Chinese Indian (or “Chindian”) fare, the food in India is a memorable experience, and it makes a trip as
eye-opening for one’s stomach as it is for the rest of one’s senses. cont. pg. 16
PHOTO COURTESY OF YAN GRAF ’ 20
From back L to right: Sr. Lluch, Yan Graf ’20, Michael Yoh ’19, Ben Holkenson ’20 and Andrew Hubschmidt ’20
EUSHA HASAN’ 18
Dr. William D. Ehrhart opposes arming teachers on pg. 7