April 2024 Index

TStudent mental health takes center stage

he campus buzzed with energy as Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson ascended to the stage in Centennial Hall to speak with students about the importance of mental health and emotional well-being.

As this year’s annual Joseph T. Cox Servant Leadership Symposium speaker, Mr. Johnson leaned into two of the school’s core virtues: courage and compassion.

The symposium, established in 2010, is an annual event that features a presentation from “a transformational leader who shares his or her experience and wisdom” with the school community.

The intent of the symposium is to expose boys to different forms of leadership from various arenas of professional life, and to help students see the value of leading a “life as a thoughtful and engaged citizen of

the world.” Mr. Johnson was signed by the Eagles in 2013. For the past eleven seasons, he has been celebrated for his contributions to the team. His athletic resume is impressive: he was a first-round draft pick, a threetime Associated Press All-Pro player, and a four-time Pro Bowl player. And of course, he was a member of the team when they claimed the Super Bowl Championship in 2018.

The Wire, which first aired in 2002, was, and unfortunately still is, known for its grueling realism surrounding the experience of Black citizens in American society.

The show is unique in that the director, David Simon, tells it from various perspectives, ranging from low-class dock laborers to rising gang leaders. Over five seasons, the viewer follows several main characters who carry different worldviews.

The “Boys of Summer”: Namond Brice, Michael Lee, Randy Wagstaff, and Duquan “Dukie” Weems have the most notable and heartbreaking stories of The Wire’s characters. Only in eighth grade at the start of season four, they are the youngest protagonists in the series. By season four, the viewer has been conditioned to see “seasoned” and ex-

However, as he described to students, his life has not been without adversity. He described his journey with mental health as challenging. In 2021 Johnson missed three consecutive games, at first citing a “personal matter” but later publicly revealing for the first time his struggles with anxiety.

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perienced Black gangsters, but they have yet to see how the transition occurs. The viewer sees how the younger generation of Black boys adapt to their surroundings for the first time in The Wire, and due to its early 2000s airing, the first time in most media.

Although much can be said about the four boys, Michael Lee, a soft-spoken and composed boy, is particularly interesting. A lower-class kid born to a drug-addicted mother and an imprisoned sexually abusive stepfather, Michael is left to care for his younger brother, Bug, alone. When school nears and Michael needs school supplies for himself and Bug, he takes Namond’s spot on the corner selling drugs.

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Philadelphia Eagle Lane Johnson poses with Asa Winikur ’24,

A’mir Ibrahim ’24

Connor Simpkins ’25 & Milan Varma ’25

The Wire’s Tristan Wilds in a photo from HBO’s 2008 Emmy party

Be there for others, and for yourself editorial

An overarching theme throughout this school year has been the value of face-to-face interaction. The new cell phone rules caused a stir at the beginning of the fall, and, more recently, Philadelphia Eagles star Lane Johnson warned about the dangers of social media while addressing the upper school in Centennial Hall.

Last April, the editors-in-chief of The Index had a simple message for the student body — “Stay healthy” — with an empha-

sis on problems like addiction and sleep deprivation. We similarly want to reiterate the importance of physical well-being: maintain proper nutrition, make the right choices, and get enough sleep.

Keeping in line with this year’s lessons, though, we also want to place an added focus on mental health, and the topics of screen time, social media usage, and the nature of interaction are clearly relevant.

As the weather continues to improve, we hope that all of you will find more rea-

sons each day to leave your homes — and your screens — to truly connect with those around you.

If there is one thing we’ve learned this year, it’s that there is no greater cure for mental and emotional distress than engaging in an open, honest conversation with a peer. This spring, make the effort to create those opportunities, not just to support those around you, but to support yourself. Let’s remember all the lessons we’ve learned this year and remain in the real, present moment.

2023-24 Editors-in-Chief (left to right, Adiyan Nayak ’24, Ethan Lee ’24, and Christopher Schwarting ’24)

cont. from front page

Beginning in his senior year in high school, the pressure to perform began to take its toll. When he moved to junior college, a step on his path to playing Division I football at the University of Oklahoma, feelings of anxiety began to take hold. Johnson described feeling anxious, nervous, having a hard time eating and having a strong desire to avoid people. Eventually, with the support of a friend, he sought out help.

“I struggled a lot mentally,” Mr. Johnson revealed to the audience.

The juxtaposition of a man, who by all outward appearances meets the definition of strength and success, speaking vulnerably about needing help was powerful.

“For someone like him to get on stage and be real with us meant a lot,” Sixth Former and Student Body President Asa Winikur said in an NBC10 interview.

Mr. Johnson explained, “Help is always there. Having a friend circle and being around positive people [is important]. The company you keep is really important. The people you are around every day can have a huge impact on your mental health, so always be aware about who you are hanging around with.”

“Everything he said gave me hope about how I can actively manage my own mental space in the future,” Fifth Form Class President and peer counselor Josh Williams said in an interview with NBC10.

Mr. Johnson’s assembly highlighted the importance of creating habits to support one’s emotional well-being.

“Plan your work and work your plan,” Mr. Johnson advised. “[Ask yourself] what are your goals, short term and long term, and how is your day-to-day reflecting that.”

“What I heard from Lane Johnson is that habits allow you to focus on controlling the things you can control,” Head of School Mr. Tyler Casertano said. “Anxiety comes from helplessness about future outcomes— habits help us control our physical health, which we know contributes to our mental health, and helps us pull focus away from what is outside of our control.”

Mr. Johnson’s message fits into a larger goal of the school administration this year: bringing the importance of mental health to the forefront of the school.

To achieve that goal, the administration is being very intentional with speakers and assembly topics.

“Our goal has been to create the habit of talking about emotional intelligence, relational health and psychological health. Part of the value of habit is that you practice, and through practice, you get better. We are normalizing talking honestly, personally and vulnerably about the things we are going through as human beings,” Mr. Casertano said. “Boys and men tend not to allow themselves to practice [vulnerability] as much as girls, and it holds back larger development.”

According to studies, adolescents are struggling with mental health issues. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 49.5 percent of adolescents have experienced issues like depression or anxiety at some point in their lives. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the problem. During this time of extreme isolation, a growing pattern, dubbed the “loneliness epidemic,” began to spread. The ubiquitous nature of social media doesn’t help.

Additionally, issues of mental health don’t seem to be something that boys move past easily. A study from JAMA Psychiatry found that 30.6 percent of men suffered from a period of depression in their lifetime, when measured by a gender-inclusive de-

pression scale.

When asked what advice he would give his seventeen-year-old self, Mr. Johnson spoke to the social media issue, which is prominent worldwide.

“Don’t waste time with social media. Work on educating yourself on human anatomy and psychology and moving forward being detailed, regimented, and disciplined with your lifestyle and those efforts will lead into taking care of your mental health,” Mr. Johnson said.

More and more men, young and old alike, are getting the message that social media and excessive phone usage can have a negative impact on mental health.

The school implemented a new phone policy this year, not as a punishment, but rather to help students understand the importance of human-to-human interaction and connection. Students are now expected to place their phones into a phone cubby before class and can get them back once class is over. Phone use is not allowed in Academic Support Block, dining hall lines, hallways, or Centennial Hall.

The decision to curtail phone usage was based, in part, on surveys conducted with students last year. Students reported challenges in time management and connection with the community.

“Our job is to teach you all how to be conscious in your use of these phones, so that they are additive to your lives and not simply something that you have unconscious habits around,” Mr. Casertano said. “The [concern] is not just the phones themselves; social media can have destructive effects on the brain. One has to ask the question—what am I not doing when I am aimlessly scrolling?”

The ability to connect to a community like Haverford’s is vital. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that school connectedness “is when students feel that adults and peers in school care about their learning as well as about them as in-

dividuals.”

“The sense of Brotherhood that you all feel provides you with the comfort and courage to be authentic and vulnerable,” Mr. Casertano said. “Through practicing that here, when you leave, you will be able to practice it with a larger group of people.”

These skills are not only applicable in the school’s tight-knit community.

“We’re not preparing you for a life of Brotherhood, rather the Brotherhood is a means to developing habits that you will then need in the dynamic lives that await you,” Mr. Casertano said.

One study from Pediatrics found that “...school connectedness may have long-lasting protective effects across multiple health outcomes related to mental health, violence, sexual behavior, and substance use. Increasing both family and school connectedness during adolescence has the potential to promote overall health in adulthood.”

Haverford has myriad resources to support the emotional health of students and help them connect with teachers and peers.

Teachers are in their classrooms by 8 a.m. most mornings to allow students to stop in for academic assistance or just to talk. The school implemented Academic Support Block two years ago, another period in the school day where students can meet with teachers, get ahead on homework, or connect with the other members in the community. The Enrichment & Learning Center is available to all students for more formal academic support.

The Peer Counseling program has been a staple at the school for decades. Led by upperclassmen, Peer Counseling holds meetings twice a month to talk and support one another and their peers.

The program teaches boys how to listen, share, and offer empathy. The primary goal: to let students know they are not alone. The space teaches students to let go of all judgment and barriers that boys so often build

around themselves, and to open up in new ways to people, friends, or faculty that they trust deeply.

Then there are the school virtues, which are not just words carved into a wall, but are values that are constantly modeled throughout the school, by students, faculty and administration.

Mr. Johnson’s assembly is a perfect example. His talk and presence was the personification of courage and of what one can accomplish when they show compassion to themselves and others.

Mr. Johnson said, “I think it is all about the brotherhood. I have been fortunate to be involved with teams all my life and so [I know] we all have the ability to pick up people who are down or need help.”

Mr. Johnson’s advice to students reinforced that talking about those pressures is key.

“Talk to a professional, write down what you are experiencing, [also] go to your parents, which is where I went,” Mr. Johnson said.

When asked what he would tell his seventeen-year-old self, Mr. Casterano also shared valuable advice.

“It is OK to be confused or unsure about the questions [the world] is asking of you. Things like: who do you want to be, what is important to you, where college do you want to go to, what might you want to do in life. There is a lot of pressure to be a seventeen-year old who has figured it all out, but it takes a lifetime to do that,” Mr. Casertano said. “Right now, asking the questions is more important than having the answers.”

The virtue of the year is courage. But the theme of this year is connection. Lane Johnson exemplified the fact that we all face challenges, we all face pressure.

The goal is not to eliminate the pressure but to manage it in a healthy way, and to know you are never alone.

Lane Johnson speaks at the Cox Servant Leadership Symposium on April 5th

CMP releases applications for next academic year

Ian Rosenzweig ’25

This month, Fourth Formers were invited to apply to become members of the Character Mentorship Program (CMP) for the 2024-2025 school year.

The CMP is one of the upper school’s unique student-led support systems. Originally an offshoot of the Honor Council, the now-independent group is composed of five Sixth Formers, five Fifth Formers, and three faculty advisors.

Students found in violation of the Honor Code may be asked to take part in a CMP process, in which they are assigned a student and faculty mentor who work to foster a deeper appreciation for the impacts of certain decisions and strategies to avoid future mistakes.

Similar to the Honor Council, the CMP is representative of the values that many feel make Haverford. While many schools place responsibility for students solely in the hands of administrators and teachers, the Honor Council and CMP give students a direct opportunity to support and guide their peers.

Sixth Form CMP Chairman Pierce Laveran said, “Everybody in the group has the rare chance to make a direct impact on our larger community but also on individuals who might need guidance.”

While engagement in the CMP process does result from an Honor Code violation, Laveran emphasized that CMP is a rehabili-

tative measure.

“When people are referred to CMP they are not being punished,” Laveran said. “We are all here and more than willing to help.”

Laveran’s comment resonates with the CMP’s mission to connect students with peers as a support system. He noted that the group’s independence and student leadership contributes to its success.

“Most student leadership groups are heavily governed by teachers and don’t have a ton of freedom,” Laveran said. “CMP actually has the power to run ourselves how we want and how we see best fit.”

Another of CMP’s unique qualities is its selection process.

Over spring break, Spanish and Global Studies students traveled to Guatemala for a nineday trip. The group spent most of their time in the city of Quetzaltenango (also known as Xela), one of the largest cities in the country. During this time, they were able to experience Semana Santa, or the Guatemalan Holy Week.

Faculty leader and Global Studies Director Mr. Andrew Poolman said, “[Holy

Week] added an interesting flare to an already magnificent city.”

While in Xela, students had the chance to work with some Mayan hip-hop artists and participated in a music workshop.

From there, the group made their way to a cooperative farm in more rural areas. They learned about how crops are recycled through the Milpa system to produce crops at a more efficient and sustainable rate. The group then went to watch a film created by

While other campus leadership positions, like Student Council, Honor Council, and Signet Society, are selected by peers, CMP appointees are chosen by the sitting CMP members and faculty advisors.

Dean of Faculty and CMP Advisor

Ms. Sara Adkins described two reasons for CMP’s selection process.

First, she explained that the skills required for a CMP member, like interpersonal empathy and awareness, are not necessarily skills that can be assessed by classmates in the same way that Student Council leadership or Honor Council judgment skills can be.

Ms. Adkins also acknowledged that CMP applicants are asked to answer “incred-

ibly personal” questions and that being asked to share their answers in front of a gradewide audience would be a deterrent.

Laveran added that “every member of CMP knows what they need in a new member,” and that the selection process is “beneficial.”

Laveran also offered words of advice for Fourth Formers as they consider their written application and interviewing processes. “Make your application unique, and do your best to put yourself out there,” he said. “Figure out what qualities you have that will be of value to CMP and make sure you emphasize them.”

Students redefine perspectives in Guatemala

a women’s film cooperative. The film was centered around environmental issues, and it specifically highlighted nature, water, and how we use those things.

In the city of San Juan La Laguna (off the coast of Atitlán Lake), students lived with native host families. They engaged in Spanish classes and various workshops.

The trip to Guatemala offered many takeaways, but a few that stood out. Among those, the trip served to reconstruct perceptions of Latin American life.

“We often see a narrative portrayed by the media of Latin America relating to things such as drugs or violence, but I was extremely happy to see the guys realize that this just isn’t true.”

MR. ANDREW POOLMAN

“We often see a narrative portrayed by the media of Latin America relating to things such as drugs and violence,” Mr. Poolman said, “but I was extremely happy to see the guys realize that this just isn’t true. They were able to experience Guatemala for what it was.”

“People in Guatemala value family, friends, and connections over material possessions like we do in the United States. Each host family welcomed our guys with open arms into their homes,” Mr. Poolman said.

“Whenever travelers go to a country where the food or water may be slightly different, there is always a risk of gastrointestinal issues.”

MR. ANDREW POOLMAN

“We got a chance to practice our Spanish in the real world,” Sixth Former Musa Jabateh said. “That was a very valuable experience.”

However, the trip wasn’t all fun and games. Notably, many members of the cohort came down with illness.

“Whenever travelers go to a country where the food or water may be slightly different, there is always a risk of gastrointestinal issues,” Mr. Poolman said. “It did, unfortunately, put a damper on things, especially considering that the illness was on the first few days of the trip. However, it wasn’t the main takeaway for any of us, and a lot more important lessons were learned.”

CMP Chairman Pierce Laveran ’24 signs the Honor Council book last year

Students pose during Guatemala trip

Ajay Chakraborty ’26

A look inside the Honor Council application process

All students know about the Honor Council. Students who break the Honor Code—an integral document at the core of the community—are sent to the Honor Council, which determines the disciplinary action of the student based on the infraction and overall history. The student can then be sent to the Character Mentorship Program, which supports them and makes sure a similar incident doesn’t happen again.

As April rolls around, so does the need for new applicants to lead the organization next year.

The application process consists of the following: the student first responds to three to four prompts regarding their character and the school as a whole. If the current council members deem the application sufficient,

the applicant moves on to the next stage: an interview. Lastly, if the student passes the interview they must give a speech on their form in order to persuade the body to vote for them. If elected, they will be given a seat on the council the next year.

Third Former Brandyn Luong applied because he “definitely felt like [he] didn’t have much of a voice currently.” Luong said, “I wanted to apply to the Honor Council, get into a high position [and] have a say in how things are run [and] how we are enforcing some of our ‘policies.’”

Luong also raised a question to the general community overall when applying: “Are we being honest and [a] supportive community?”

Luong found the prompts to be effective. “It sorted people who were serious

about it from the non-serious,” he said.

Still, Luong “felt like there could have been better questions. I liked the question about your own experience. I wish they could have gone more in-depth with that.”

The Honor Council members try to ensure that the whole process is as fair as possible. Honor Council Chairman and Sixth Former Luke Fesnak applied “in [his] freshman year to give back to my community because I’m a lifer.” Fesnak said. “I felt like I had taken a lot from this community and it sounds chicle but I wanted to make sure I contributed to my community and had a role in my community.”

“Everyone has a role and I wanted my role to be in leadership,” Fesmak said. “I got up to the stage but my form didn’t elect me.”

Fesnak “made it to the speech stage” in Fourth Form and “made it.” Fesnak be-

“Who do I want to decide my future at the school? I want to choose who I can be at odds with.”

lieves the process is “fairly consistent” and is proud of the fact “that we have a fair system that’s both selective and also thorough. The prompts are decided by all members.”

Some students have raised concerns about the actual election process of the application itself.

“I understand that concern,” Fesnak said. “Mainly I think a lot of people are concerned that the Honor Council is a popularity contest, but the one rebuttal I have is that the handbook says that in hearings, a jury will be assembled. Who do I want to decide my future at the school? I want to choose who I can be at odds with.”

Fesnak said, “You elect those in mind who you think are going to account for everything and be responsible with that information.”

When Fesnak and the rest of the Honor Council read the applications, he and the rest of the Honor Council read them anonymously. They have a rating system that determines which applications go through and

which don’t. The rubric consists of “level of insight and effort.” Fesnak further clarified that “the effort is judged based on grammar, prose, and writing style a little bit, but the insight is based on content and logic of your paper.”

When asked about who submitted the most applications, Fesnak shared an interesting piece of data.

“The freshman and sophomore class were especially competitive, whereas the junior class was a little disappointing, and that’s why we’re extending the deadline for

“We’re looking to see if you have knowledge of the Honor Council and whether you have any conflicts and things like that.”

LUKE FESNAK ’24

the Juniors.”

Fesnak said, “One thing is constant, and that’s that the freshmen have the most volume of applications.”

For people applying next year, Fesnak has many pieces of advice.

“For your letter of intent, I would just be honest. Put some time into it, and I wouldn’t stress necessarily about the writing of it. For your interview, I would study the handbook to make sure you know all the procedures of an Honor Council hearing and what it means to be a member of the Honor Council.”

For the interview portion, Fesnak said, “Stay calm for the interview because we’re not looking to ‘get you.’ We’re looking to see if you have knowledge of the Honor Council and whether you have any conflicts and things like that.”

When it comes to the third and final stage, Fesnak said, “Find a way to relate to your student body. You have no better insight on the dynamics of your grade than you do and I would capitalize on your representation of your group. It’s best to show that you’re not the ‘best person,’ but understanding that you’re a representative of the people in your grade.”

The science behind the historic East Coast earthquake

Sudden rumbling, shaking, and banging startled students and many others on the United States East Coast on Friday, April 5, when an earthquake struck Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program.

On campus, as the community enjoyed Lane Johnson’s words of wisdom, abrupt shaking broke out.

“Imagine the sound made when your foot slips and your shoe squeaks across the floor – that is a similar release of energy but as a sound rather than an earthquake.”

DR. DANIEL GODUTI

Seated in Centennial Hall, upper school students and faculty felt the effects of the quake. Students sat intently listening to the

guest, when a pounding, drumming noise arrived. To some, it almost sounded like a helicopter.

While no one knew what was going on, the reactions and confusion that ensued did not disrupt the speaker.

Back in the classroom, students and faculty confirmed the shaking was, in fact, an earthquake.

According to USGS, the quake occurred at 10:23 a.m. and had a magnitude of 4.8. According to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System, the New Jersey earthquake only occurred a mile beneath the surface.

The science behind the earthquake is well understood. Science Department Chair Dr. Daniel Goduti explains, “When there is movement between the Earth’s tectonic plates, especially when they get stuck on the edges and suddenly release, an earthquake occurs.”

Dr. Goduti used an analogy to further explain: “Imagine the sound made when your foot slips and your shoe squeaks across the floor—that is a similar release of energy but as a sound rather than an earthquake.”

In order for an earthquake to occur, the various tectonic plates must “slip,” Dr. Goduti described.

The Earth is made up of tectonic plates

located in Earth’s crust which are “slabs of rock,” and can “interact with each other at faults,” and thus result in earthquakes. There are locations which are primarily more susceptible to earthquakes, such as the Pacific Ocean.

Astoundingly, CBS News states, “75% of the United States could face damaging quakes in the next 100 years.”

“The Pacific plate is more actively moving in a way that causes earthquakes,” Dr. Goduti said.

The Pacific plate certainly is not alone, though, in causing earthquakes.

Earthquakes occur across the world, and quite frequently. According to USGS All Earthquakes, as of 11:00 p.m. on Friday, April 12, 9,609 earthquakes had occurred in the past month. However, a vast majority were barely strong enough to register.

While the East Coast rarely gets substantial earthquakes where the activity can be

felt, New Jersey does experience earthquakes that are simply too small to be felt.

Those who didn’t get to experience this special yet somewhat dangerous moment should look forward to the moment when they can. With the most recent activity, nobody knows what we could experience in the near future.

Astoundingly, CBS News states, “75% of the United States could face damaging quakes in the next 100 years.”

Peter McConnell ’26

Seth Virmani ’26

Honor Council member Gabriel Baker ’25 presents to middle schoolers COMMUNICATIONS

LUKE FESNAK ’24

The Pan Asian Alliance and the Hindu holiday of Holi

Milan Varma ’25

The Hindu holiday of Holi is one celebrated with vibrant colors, exciting activities, and gratitude. The holiday commemorates the start of Spring, and with the season, extends welcome arms to new friendships, a strong family bond, good health, and goodness. The holiday has religious significance, remembering the eternal love between Hindu avatars Radha and Lord Krishna.

In a modern lens, the holiday is known as the “festival of colors,” and it is just that: a time to celebrate old friends, but also make new ones. It is a time to make bridges between new people, places, habits, and so much more.

The Pan Asian Alliance embodies the core tenets of Holi as the spring season arrives. The club bids farewell to its Sixth Form leaders, Casey Williams and Justin Fan, with a heavy heart. However, new leaders, Fifth Formers Milan Varma and Alex Borghese, look to work with rising sophomore leaders, who are still to be elected, to continue the club’s legacy.

“I had the ability to connect with kids with similar cultures and upbringings around the Main Line which made the leadership responsibility of the PAA fun.”

JUSTIN FAN ’24

The Pan Asian Alliance had a successful year of events, from a movie night in Octo-

ber to the Diwali celebration in late November to the Chinese New Year red-envelopemaking in February.

Fan reflected on his time with the Pan Asian Alliance and the importance of cultural connection, saying that his favorite part of the Pan Asian Alliance was “being able to interact with other Asian kids. I think that it extended beyond Haverford, from Shipley, to Baldwin, to AIS.”

“I had the ability to connect with kids with similar cultures and upbringings around

the Main Line which made the leadership responsibility of the PAA fun,” Fan said.

The club has grown as a whole, not only in terms of influence and presence but also in terms of size.

“My sophomore year, there were four or five kids in the Pan Asian Alliance,” Fan said.

Now, the PAA boasts a solid 30-member group, having come a long way from when Fan began his high school experience. The club looks to grow and expand further as time goes on, garnering increasing sup-

port from the school community, while also building external relationships.

On April 20, the club will attend an Asian Alliance Conference hosted by the Friends Central School. The conference will have workshops for different Asian identities, as well as a Holi celebration. As the alliance enters the spring season, it hopes to grow and evolve, while also staying in touch with its heritages and diverse cultures, aligning with the core values of the Spring festival Holi.

Faculty chaperones reflect on Taiwan trip

Over spring break, twenty six students and three faculty members flew halfway around the globe, to and from Taiwan, to experience a completely new aspect of global culture, society, and language.

Over fifteen days, the group first stayed in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, before moving on to experience rural Taiwanese culture in Yilan and Hualien, two tiny cities on Taiwan’s east coast. The group then returned to Taipei before proceeding to Puli and Sun Moon Lake, where students experienced a local paper mill and an amusement park specializing in aboriginal (local) culture showcases.

The students culminated their trip in Tainan, one of Taiwan’s oldest cities, located near Taiwan’s south coast. In Tainan, students stayed with homestay families from Taiwan First Senior High, where they experienced a more in-depth view of local everyday life.

Upper school Mandarin teacher Ms. Yi Lee shared her observations from the trip.

“I think it was an eye opening experience for many of the kids who have maybe never been abroad in general,” Ms. Lee said. She noted that traveling to Taiwan “definitely motivated some [students] to try harder [with their language skills.]”

Ms. Lee observed students gaining confidence in their skills as the trip progressed. Students’ Chinese proficiency was vastly better than their in-class proficiency, suggesting that speaking a language outside of the classroom improves skills. Students tested their abilities by practicing speaking with locals and learning local phrases.

Many students, however, gravitated towards Americanized commodities, including Taiwanese McDonald’s, instead of pushing their comfort zone to the fullest.

Spanish teacher Mr. Javier Lluch also served as a faculty advisor on the trip.

Mr. Lluch came into the trip not knowing much about the history of Taiwan, and left with significantly more knowledge of Taiwanese history and culture. He is hopeful the trip pushed students.

“If nothing else, it should be just something out of your comfort zone,” Mr. Lluch said.

A large part of what the students accomplished in Taiwan came from their willingness to seek unique experiences.

Mr. Lluch also hopes that traveling to Taiwan plants the seed in many attendees to travel again in the future. He noted that Taiwan, in particular, was a unique place to travel to because it was so different from the culture in America, and from the culture of his birthplace in Europe.

Mr. Lluch had a unique perspective compared to the rest of the group, as one of the three people who were neither fluent in Mandarin nor learning Mandarin.

“It was the first time that I traveled with students where I was in a country where English or Spanish was not spoken,” he said.

He enjoyed relying on the students to understand what words or signs in Mandarin meant.

Ceramics teacher Mr. Jacob Raeder, another advisor for the trip, also did not speak any Mandarin.

On the language barrier, Mr. Raeder said, “There were not a ton of situations where students had to kind of figure out or navigate a situation outside of their native tongue.” According to Mr. Raeder, many people in Taiwan, especially in big cities, speak English to some degree.

“It’s almost a fallacy that we, being Americans, living on the East Coast, living in Pennsylvania, living near Philadelphia— yes, we are kind of exposed to global society, but we aren’t always participants in it,” Mr. Raeder said.

Reflecting on the structure of the trip, all three faculty advisors agree that they wish students had the opportunity to spend more time living in homestays.

“Kids were talking about how that was the best part of the trip,” Mr. Lluch said.

Mr. Raeder observed that many kids were nervous or fearful beforehand, but quickly grew into the homestays being their favorite part of the trip.

According to Mr. Lluch, traveling to foreign places is often a very unique and eye opening experience, and it’s something that helps one reflect on how other people live.

Perhaps that is why we travel, to reflect on how other people live, and from that, how we live. Perhaps, in order to reflect upon ourselves, we need to be able to reflect upon other peoples, cultures, and countries first in order to form genuine cultural connections.

Sean Ngo ’24, Justin Fan ’24, Grant Kim ’27, and Milan Varma ’25 prepare to distribute red envelopes during Chinese Lunar New Year

Adam Brown ’27

Students work at a salt field outside of Tainan City, Taiwan, March 27, 2024

COURTESY OF MILAN VARMA ’25

Academic workload intensifies after spring break

Since returning from spring break, many students are busier than ever, trying to settle in for the long stretch of school before the summer arrives.

Summer vacation is about seven weeks away, yet to many, it seems far off. Students have had two full weeks right after spring break so far, but the future looks to be better, with this week being the only full week remaining in the month. In addition to that, Third Formers have missed many of their ASB blocks, usually taken up due to Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD) training. This program causes students to miss classes and instead, listen to speakers during community, encroaching into time allotted for ASB.

However, attendance to these seminars has been mediocre.

“I teach freshman classes, so some of the freshmen have been missing, and some have been sick here and there,” Spanish Teacher Mr. Benjamin White said. “Nothing too out of the ordinary.”

Compared to the Agnes Irwin School’s strong attendance since spring break, Haverford’s is lackluster. This could be related to the fact that AIS allows students to have off the Friday before break and the Monday after break, due to low attendance in previous years. Many students voice the opinion that Haverford should ease into this long stretch by taking the first week a little lighter, and then adding more and more work.

“I’d say coming right back from spring break, one of the hardest things is having a Spanish test because there are so many words you have to memorize,” Third Former Thomas Springer said. “Especially because no one wants to study over break, it’s just more of a burden. [Spring Break] is supposed to be a relaxing period. I think that including things like seminars and FCD, while important stuff to learn, makes it really difficult to try to balance your workload when you have so much less time on your hands, especially after break.”

Third Former Jack Lutterman said, “I’ve had a lot of work since the break, I have four tests coming up next week. We should have definitely gotten the Monday after the

break off. Coming back and shifting into a four-day week is much easier to adjust rather than going into a five-day week.” Springer said, “It’s hard to make up the work FCD training creates. You have to use ASB time to make up work from FCD.”

The effects of this have been apparent in many students’ grades as well.

“It’s definetely been a struggle, trying to keep my grades where they are right now.”

THOMAS SPRINGER ’27

“It’s definitely been a struggle, trying to keep my grades where they are at right now. It just makes more workload and stresses for us,” Springer said.

It hasn’t only been Springer arguing that it’s been a struggle so far.

Sixth Former Thomas Gildea said, “I haven’t gotten work over break. I haven’t been too busy since returning, the work is no more than normal. If we got the Monday after the break off, it would have been nice because it’s the day right after Easter. I haven’t had a lot of students copy off me to do work since the break, but I also haven’t had many group assignments so far.”

On the bright side, few students have complained about teachers not respecting the no-work over-break rule. For Sixth

Form, the picture has been flipped.

“We haven’t had any major assignments, so they have been the same. Yes, teachers honored the no work over spring break rule,” Sixth Former Max Zhang said. “I haven’t had a single piece of homework since spring break.”

More and more students are experiencing other students piggybacking off their work in tough times like this.

“Teachers respected no work over break. I didn’t have any work over break, but it’s starting to pile up now. Oftentimes, students do not do their work in group assignments with me,which is annoying,” Third Former Hugh Williams said. “I have had a lot of work since the break. Essays, infographics, tests, homework, everything.”

Malvern Prep rises over Haverford in recent boys school ranking

“This system is corrupt,” says Fourth Former Alex Piasecki, commenting on Malvern overtaking Haverford’s rank for best boys school in Pennsylvania on Niche.com. According to Forbes.com, “Niche.com focuses on helping

people explore neighborhoods and schools (including K-12) where they might want to locate or relocate.”

Families use Niche.com to compare and contrast schools their children will attend in the future. Niche uses something called a

“Niche score,” a letter grade that Niche uses for anything from the “levels of diversity” to academics to “grade” a school.

Recently, Niche has updated its databases and has ranked Haverford below The Malvern Preparatory School for the title of best

boys school in the state. This has enraged some students, as it could be not entirely fair due to the fact that Malvern has no score for diversity in their ranking.

“Taking a religious school like Malvern and trying to compare it to a non-sectarian school like Haverford is unfair because the diversity of a school such as Malvern is set to be far less than a non-sectarian one,” Third Former Anantvir Othie said.

Some students have been going as far as saying that this could directly impact Haverford admissions.

Third Former Alex Sharpf said, “I think some people might see that Malvern is a better school and send their kid there.”

“I think we should take this with a grain of salt.”

MR. JEREMY FUS

Although some people might be concerned, others think that we should give no credit to this result.

“I think we should take this with a grain of salt,” math teacher Mr. Jeremy Fus said.

Students complete schoolwork during their free period in the second-floor pods

Keith Dimarino ’27 Haverford

ANTHONY VALENTINO ’24

features

Jey Brown: the athlete and the artist

“Talk to me”

by Jey Brown ’24

Haverford fosters a wide range of talent among its student body. These strengths can be seen in many areas, like academics, athletics, or the arts.

It is rare, however, for students to excel in all of these disciplines simultaneously.

Whether his track spikes are piercing the ground or a paintbrush rests in his palm, Sixth Former Jey Brown fits right in the center of this Venn diagram.

“People think that everyone has a ‘main’ of some sort, like, ‘Oh, you’re known for this, you’re known for that,’ Brown said. “But just because you’re known for something doesn’t mean you don’t have other interests.”

Many of Brown’s peers consider his “main” activity to be track and field. He is an All-American athlete who has racked up countless medals and awards over the years. Brown has found so much success on both the track and field that he competes in almost every single event.

This intense involvement in the sport places a lot on Brown’s plate—expectations are high for him at every meet.

“Doing most of the events can get pretty annoying sometimes,” Brown said. “But then again, I did choose to do this.”

Brown also feels the pressure of juggling multiple responsibilities at practice. “It can be hard to practice sometimes because I’m doing three different events in one practice,” Brown said. “It’s manageable though, and I’m doing it.”

A large part of Brown’s identity is being an athlete. What many people don’t realize is that being an artist is just as large of a part of Brown’s identity.

Brown’s artistic journey began in the footsteps of his older brother.

“I’ve always liked drawing, but I started to draw a lot more when my older brother started drawing more,” Brown said. “When I came to Haverford, I didn’t really like the other two options [music and theater]

enough to take the class, so I started taking art classes.”

Art Department Chair Mr. Christopher Fox’s class—which Brown has been a part of for the past four years—is where he believes his talent was truly elevated.

“Mr. Fox gave me all the keys. The light and shade, the building blocks, color theory, shapes,” Brown said. “He’s just a helpful guy in general.”

Currently, Brown’s main art mediums are graphite pencil and oil paint. If Brown chooses to pursue art in college, he may dabble in more art forms.

“I would definitely consider studying photography and graphic design if I go to an art school,” Brown said. “I’m also thinking about some fashion stuff. If you give me clothes to style, I feel like I could do that pretty well.”

So, how does Brown balance these two interests while also managing school work?

“It’s hard because these extra-curricular based activities where most of my interest lies take a lot of time,” Brown said. “You gotta bite the bullet sometimes and do the school work that you need to do and put the stuff you enjoy on the back burner for the weekend.”

Brown’s strategy to efficiently juggle these interests also involves keeping a genuine and flexible personality.

“The people on the track team are very different from the people in my art class,” Brown said. “I try to keep my character as fluid as possible, so I can interact with whoever and don’t have to change [how I act]. I try to keep myself as real and authentic as possible.”

Having witnessed Brown’s diligence in the art studio over the years, Mr. Fox weighed in on Brown’s nonconformity.

“I think people might look to Jey as an example of someone who didn’t allow himself to be pigeonholed,” Mr. Fox said. “Sometimes people think athlete, artist, and

academic are separate things, but Jey rejected that and said, ‘These are my things and I’m just gonna pursue them.’”

“I think that’s one really good thing about Haverford, especially these days, in my time, is that everybody does it all,” Mr.

Fox said.

Brown agreed with Mr. Fox about not letting himself be limited to one field.

“I hate being fit into a box,” Brown said. “You can’t fit me in a box if I’m humanshaped.”

Tate Conklin ’24

Recycling material has gone into the trash, for the past few years

Ryan Wang ’26 and Eli Press

’26

The world has a major issue that we cannot refute. The statistics are there and the effects are already showing. The wastes being produced, whether municipal solid waste—like plastic and paper—or any of the other four types of waste, are killing the earth.

Like other forms of pollution, land pollution has drastic negative effects on the earth. This includes contamination of the water we use, polluted soil used to grow our food, increased rates of diseases, and many other environmental issues.

Paper waste is the most common type of waste, accounting for 25% of all the waste produced by the United States. As of 2018, for each person living in North America, 475 pounds of paper waste is produced each year. That is twice as much as any other continent in the world. The United States also leads the world in plastic waste produced per person. For each person living in the United States, 232 pounds of plastic waste is produced each year.

Let’s talk trash at Haverford for a minute.

“Recycling is only effective if the entire school (faculty, staff, students) buys into the program.”

MR. JEFFERY WILKINSON

Approximately 50-60% of the waste that Haverford produces comes from the dining hall. The other 40-50% is from the

exterior trash cans around campus and the trash pulled from the interior of the buildings. According to Director of Facilities Mr. Jeffery Wilkinson, this trash lands in an eight-yard compactor, which holds the 2.4-3 tons of trash (4800-6000 pounds) the school produces daily. The lunchroom only offers single-use disposable utensils, such as paper plates, paper bowls, plastic utensils, cups, and straws, contributing to a large amount of daily waste.

Many community members may not realize that the recycling and composting bins seen all around campus are not actually recycle bins; they’re just another trash can. The school stopped recycling after the pandemic, as it has grown much more expensive, and looks to return to the recycling game after the pause over the past four years.

If not properly maintained, the devices have been known to spread bacteria and germs.

“Recycling is only effective if the entire school (faculty, staff, students) buys into the program. All trash contractors have costs associated with contamination fees if recyclables are not properly separated, which in turn could impact the school’s budget,” Mr. Wilkinson said.

For the school to have a successful recycling program, every person needs to be aware of and responsible for the waste they produce and how to properly dispose of it.

The remaining 40% of campus waste is

currently being improved.

“The facilities team is currently looking into replacing paper towel dispensers in all bathrooms campus-wide with hand dryers to cut down on the paper-product waste,” Mr. Wilkinson said. “Cost-benefit analysis of introducing this program is currently underway.”

Adding air dryers to the bathrooms will improve our daily paper towel consumption substantially by cutting down on paper towel waste. It would serve as a long-term investment and convenience. They are a quick and easy way to replace the paper towel dispensers seen around campus. While it may seem like all upsides, air dryers include a filtration system. If not properly maintained, the devices have been known to spread bacteria and germs.

“It’s a great opportunity for the bonding and building of brotherhood for the good of the community and environment.”

MS. JINI LOOS

According to Creighton University, it takes seventeen trees and more than 20,000 gallons of water to make one ton of paper towels. That is estimated to be around 1,800,000 gallons of water and just over 1,500 trees per year on paper towel waste seen at our school yearly. The Xlerator Hand Dryer costs $580 a unit. It would cost $37,700 to replace all bathroom towel dispensers with these units. The paper from the dispensers costs around $20,000 a year, which is cheaper. While the air dryers cost much more upfront, paper towel waste raises concerns.

This waste harms the environment starting from trees being cut down and using water, to its re-emergence in the form of trash.

The upper school offers a variety of service opportunities to the student body.

Fourth Form

Dean

Mr. Keith Belson and

Service Learning Director Ms. Jini Loos organized a day of environmental science for the Fourth Form on April 15th. The Fourth Form spent the school day at numerous locations such as Haverford Reserve and Skunk

Why should we be worse than them in taking care of the community and earth that we live in?

Hollow to help clean the outdoor spaces.

Mr. Belson noted how the boys of the school could create strong bonds and a sense of brotherhood in activities such as sports and clubs. He hopes to allow the boys to find a new avenue to bond together, but more importantly, help to serve the environment and the communities around the school.

Ms. Loos had similar thoughts about the Day of Service. “It’s a greater opportunity for the bonding and building of brotherhood for the good of the community and environment,” she remarked. “I hope the Fourth Form as a whole will have a common sense of doing something for the common good.”

Despite concerted efforts towards service, the community as a whole still seems negligent in taking care of trash. The school has a wide range of connections, great funding, and a supportive student body which have been taught to care for the community around it.

We often compare ourselves to other schools such as the Episcopal Academy. A major headline each year for our school is EA Day where we compete with them in fall sports; we have been victorious these past two years.

The Episcopal Academy uses reusable silverware to feed its students and faculty and produces less trash than our school despite its much larger size. Why should we be worse than them in taking care of the community and earth that we live in?

The excellence that students at Haverford spend all their time thriving for will mean nothing in 50 years if the world cannot recover from the damage that is being done to it.

Recycling and trash eventually end in the same spot

INDEX STAFF

Purple Comet Math Competition taps into competitive spirit

Agroup of Haverford mathematicians recently put their skills to the test in the annual Purple Comet Math Competition, a virtual, international math contest designed for middle and high school students.

Teams of up to six students may compete, submitting answers to a list of math problems within a predetermined time frame. This year, Haverford had multiple teams in the competition.

According to math teacher Mr. Jeremy Fus, the benefits of participating in math competitions go beyond building computational skills.

“Any time students get the opportunity to work together, especially on difficult challenges such as math competitions, it helps them figure out good ways to go about working together, which is not necessarily something students are naturally good at. These [competitions] help students learn that different types of collaborative tasks require different approaches,” Mr. Fus said.

The competition is hosted by the Institute of Competition Sciences (ICS), which was founded in 2012. The goal of ICS is to “help transform learning into an exciting challenge for all students.”

The competition’s structure adds to the excitement. Teams have a ten-day window in April when they can compete. When a team is ready to begin, Mr. Fus, serving as faculty advisor, logs into the competition website and starts the clock. Once the clock starts, students gain access to the list of thirty math problems, all of varying difficulty.

The goal: solve as many problems as possible correctly within 90 minutes.

Fifth Former Conor McDonald is confident about his team’s performance this year.

“This is the same team we had for the math modeling competition. Because of that, we have great chemistry and know one another’s strengths and weaknesses. That gave us the advantage of knowing who should be working on which types of problems and who to pass a problem on to if stuck.”

With approximately three minutes available per problem, the competition is one of both skill and strategy; the ability to

“This is the same team we had for the math modeling competition. Because of that, we have great chemistry and know one another’s strengths and weaknesses.”

CONOR MCDONALD ’25

work as a team is a key to success.

“I like competitions like these, not only because I get to compete against other schools, but also because these competitions are team based. It’s not just me in the room,” Fifth Former Finn Kelly said. “I have five

other guys ready to help me out if need be.”

“We solved more problems than we have in previous years, so I am excited to see the results,” Conor McDonald said.

The last time Haverford placed in the competition was 2021, when Team Alpha earned second place by solving 23 of the 30 questions correctly.

At the end of the ten-day contest win-

dow, sometime in mid-April, the problems and solutions will be posted on the Purple Comet website and winning teams will be listed.

“It was a great experience this year. Everyone on the team was dedicated, and I think we did pretty well in the competition overall,” Kelly said.

Certamen head to their first big tournament of the school year

Certamen, a classics-based quiz bowl-type competition, tests students on Latin and Roman history, culture, and mythology with questions like, “What sister of Oreithyia and daughter of Erechtheus fled to Crete at one point during her life, where Minos gave her the hunting dog Laelaps?” or “What is the meaning of the verb

vēneō, which is a ‘neutral passive’ verb?”

Certamen organizes its competitions into three categories: the Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced divisions. For the first time, the Haverford Certamen team competed in the Advanced division and made their way to the semifinals, where they lost by a close thirty-point deficit.

For the students at the competition, the result was a welcome surprise.

“My expectations for the competition were not very high, as we had competed in the same tournament the year prior in the Novice division and placed tenth,” Fifth Former and Captain Phineas Manogue said. “I think that the tournament was a great success.”

For faculty advisor Dr. Andrew Fenton, the success is not unexpected.

“It has been exciting to see our team

grow over the past year as the guys have learned more, honed their classics knowledge, and become stronger competitors,” Dr. Fenton said. “The same guys who competed this year will compete in [the Advanced division] again next year, and I expect that they’ll do even better.”

The team, bolstered by the result, looks forward to further competitions.

“Everybody left UPenn’s campus excited about our result and eager to have other competitions,” Manogue said.

However, Manogue knows that they need to continue working diligently and improving if they want to maintain their success.

“I think that what hurt us the most was the lack of confidence,” Manogue said. “There were a couple of times when people on our team would second-guess themselves, allowing for the other teams to buzz in before us and potentially score points.”

With its first competition in their rearview mirror, the team plans on practicing with other teams to improve their confidence.

“We are planning on having a scrimmage in late April/early May with Baldwin and potentially Radnor,” Manogue said. “We will go over some of the questions that we failed to answer at the tournament.”

The team looks to expand its horizons outside of Pennsylvania.

“Yale and Harvard have competitions that are supposed to be really challenging,” Dr. Fenton said, “but we are up for it!”

Connor Simpkins ’25

Conor Mcdonald ’25 and Devin Carpenter ’25 working on a problem

Elliot Lee ’25

Students Nicholas Zafiriou ’26, Harry Koenig ’25, Phineas Manogue ’25, Missing, Grayson Morgan ’26, and Ian Rosenzweig ’25 at the April 6 Penn Certamen event

Fifth Formers struggle to balance passion and per-

formance

Michael Bartholdson ’25

in

honors classes

Many say the Fifth Form is the most academically rigorous period of academic work Haverford students face. College applications take a concrete form, and grades seem to matter more. This pressure grows more intense in honors-level courses. These courses tend to attract extremely motivated students who hyper-focus on performance.

Unfortunately, this desire to perform may come at the expense of genuine interest in the material. This problem, while not isolated to Fifth Formers, is heightened by the added stress of college admissions and cre-

ates an environment where students may feel they need to prioritize their grade over their understanding.

Teachers have expressed their concern with the lack of student passion for the curriculum. Both Haverford’s Honors Biology teachers, Ms. Kara Cleffi and Ms. Tashia Lewis, agree that this is a problem. Ms. Cleffi believes that students are always going to be worried about their grade. As a result, the biology teachers have introduced more practical applications to the learning experience.

“It is one thing to learn how a cellular process works, but it is better if we can do something with that knowledge,” Ms. Cleffi

Enrichment & Learning Center offers students an invaluable resource

Connor Simpkins ’25

With Spring upon us and the end of school in sight, many students are beginning to think about exams and the final push to the end of the year.

Haverford’s Enrichment & Learning Center (ELC) offers academic coaching, resources for test preparation, a quiet location for studying, and services for students with documented learning disabilities like dyslexia and dysgraphia.

The school estimates that about 30% of students use the ELC at some point in their time at Haverford. The upper school’s learning specialists, Mr. Stephen Cloran, Ms. Julia Salamone, and Director of the ELC Ms. Nichole Pugliese, are eager to assist any boy who needs support in their academic journey.

“The three learning specialists here are ready, willing, and able to support the boys in every way possible.”

MR. STEPHEN CLORAN

“The three learning specialists here are

said.

Biology teachers also try to include material that is not related to the assessments, but instead is graded individually on engagement and effort.

“[Biology] uses current research projects, where students are required to connect what they are learning in the curriculum to modern issues,” Ms. Cleffi said.

Assignments like these have proven effective for the science department and many students feel engaged. Fifth Former Phineas Manogue started the class with an interest in Biology, which helped support his enjoyment of the course.

“Biology works for me because it is extremely objective,” Manogue said. “When I lose a point, I understand why.”

Honors Biology is one of the two mostenrolled honors-level courses for Fifth Formers. The other is Honors United States History.

Honors United States History is widely regarded as one of the school’s most challenging courses. The class moves extremely, covering essentially all of American history in thirty-two weeks.

Students are held to a much higher standard, and the average grade reflects this. According to U.S. History Teachers Ms. Hannah Turlish and Mr. Timothy Lengel, the average grade in all sections of Honors United States History classes is a B+.

While most students would be satisfied with that grade, it causes stress for the driven students who tend to make up the class. Additionally, unlike Honors Biology, which has an extremely quantitative approach to testing, Honors United States History grades arguments and essays.

The inherent subjectivity of the testing, coupled with the challenging nature of the course and the pressures of the Fifth Form year have led some students to feel deceived. Furthermore, the incredibly fast nature of the class leads some students to feel that they are no longer able to enjoy the subject.

Manogue said that while he has never been a history aficionado, Honors United States History has “made him never want to take a history class again.”

Still, Manogue feels the need to take a history course next year to have a strong college application.

“When I went on college tours, I heard that they strongly recommend four years of history, so I feel like I must take [a history class],” Manogue said.

“When I went on college tours, I heard that they strongly recommend four years of history, so I feel like I must take [a history class].”

PHINEAS MANOGUE ’25

Enrollment in a history course next year has cost Manogue the ability to take computer science, a class he was extremely excited about.

Unfortunately, this problem does not have a straightforward solution. Every year it gets harder to be admitted to a top university, and students are feeling more pressure from the adults in their lives to perform academically.

This problem extends beyond the students to the teachers. Teachers try to balance teaching the entire curriculum with fostering student interest. Additionally, the focus on grades may have led to student-teacher relationships becoming even more transactional.

Teachers expressed that their least favorite part of their job is dealing with students begging to improve their grade. Still, it is not the students fault when they feel inadequate if they do not receive an A.

One solution would be to reduce some of the pressure of grades, so students can return to learning without having to worry about the grade attached. Unfortunately this is impossible. Instead it is far more likely that teachers will have to continue to adapt part of the curriculum to ignite interest in the students and students must attempt to engage in the class once again.

ready, willing, and able to support boys in every way possible,” Mr. Cloran said.

While many students use the ELC, some may not be aware of the available resources. Any student seeking academic support may check in with one of the learning specialists to discuss their needs.

According to Mr. Cloran, a student can send an email, ask an advisor to make an introduction, or simply stop by. The ELC individualizes assistance to a student’s needs.

“We are going to help the student figure out the question, the concern, the confusion, and then support whatever a boy needs,” Mr. Cloran said.

Assistance might include helping a student review an assignment that didn’t earn an expected grade to identify where things went wrong and how to take a new approach for the next assignment. It could be assisting a student with developing a final exam study schedule. Or perhaps it is developing a plan to complete a paper.

According to Mr. Cloran, much more goes into writing a paper than the mechanics, and the ELC can support a student with the energy, time, drafting, and the editing required to get to a final draft.

Relying on the assistance of the learning specialists in the ELC is also a good strategy to avoid academic dishonesty.

Usually when students turn to Chat-

The

GPT, it stems from a moment of panic. The ELC can support students in understanding the multiple steps it takes to create a good paper, including the time and effort it takes to complete a project by its deadline.

Resources like the ELC are one of the many benefits of a Haverford education. Of course it is important to know the answer on a test, but it is just as important to know when to ask for help.

“There are many ways to ask for help.”

MR. STEPHEN CLORAN

“There are many ways to ask for help,” Mr. Cloran said. “I encourage the boys to learn more about us.”

Ms. Kara Cleffi presents to students in a Fifth Form Students in a Biology* class CONNOR SIMPKINS ’25

Enrichment Learning Center CONNOR SIMPKINS ’25

Solar eclipse casts shadow over region

James MacColl ’26

Students across campus spent last week asking the question: what is a solar eclipse?

The community received the opportunity to witness an eclipse firsthand. In a solar eclipse, the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, causing a brief moment of darkness due to the blockage of light emitted from the sun. Eclipses rarely occur, sometimes taking up to twenty years for the next one.

Upper schoolers caught a glimpse of the event on April 8. The partial eclipse was visible starting at 2:08 p.m., and slowly built up to the total eclipse at 3:23 p.m., aligning almost perfectly with the end of classes. The entire eclipse finished for southeastern Pennsylvania residents at around 4:35 p.m.

Faculty members, including those in the science department, had some observations on the solar eclipse. Physics teacher Mr. Jamison Maley reflected on the novelty of the phenomenon—specifically its timing.

“It amazes me how we as a community were able to experience ninety percent of the eclipse, but were also within driving distance of the total eclipse. In a couple decades, we are going to have to make our way over to Greenland to have this experience again,” Mr. Maley said. “It really puts humanity into perspective and shows how little we are compared to the things happening around us.”

Spanish teacher Mr. Benjamin White also felt the eclipse impacted the community.

“My favorite part of the event was not the actual eclipse itself,” Mr. White said, “but it was how everyone was able to gather together and enjoy more time face to face.”

Students were also captured by the experience.

“My favorite part of the whole event was when I was able to see the moon slowly pass over the sun and create a small ring of light around the moon,” Fourth Former Eli

Press said. “It was a very surreal experience, but I definitely wish there were less clouds in the sky when the event was happening.” The eclipse had a positive impact on the students who chose to watch it, but it un-

fortunately happened to be conflicted with some upsetting weather patterns. Fourth Former Harrison Cross shared a similar sentiment.

“I thought the entirety of the event was

cool, but I was a little disappointed with how cloudy it was during the peak of the eclipse. We were promised to see ninety percent of the total eclipse, but the weather only limited us to fifty percent,” Cross said.

Mr. Bhelly Bagbonon, Maxx Byrne ’26, Hezekiah Jones-Williams ’26, and Gianni Word ’26 prepare look at the April 8 solar eclipse

campus opinions

Ramadan: a time for Muslims all around to connect with Islam on a deeper, more spiritual level than in typical day-to-day life. Participants abstain from food and drink from dawn till dusk for 30 days straight, and at the culmination, a massive celebration, Eid al-Fitr, ensues.

From the outside, it looks like torture, but in reality, Ramadan teaches humility, gratitude, and self-control. It is the ultimate mind-over-matter scenario. It is instinctual to eat food; your body needs it. Overcoming your body’s urges and disconnecting yourself from them allows you to transcend and think and act on a new level. Turning into a person who isn’t controlled by their urges shows true maturity, and it is the pinnacle of the human experience.

The first week is always hard, but after getting into a routine, I found peace in the month.

I take the month very seriously, as I believe that if you can successfully complete Ramadan, it puts other things that seem hard at the moment into perspective.

It also teaches me to be grateful for everything I have and continually opens my

Academic Support Block (ASB), a unique feature of the school, is a dedicated block of time for students to manage their work and attend teacher office hours. This initiative, designed with students’ best interests in mind, is a testament to the school’s commitment to academic success.

“ASB should be free; you should be able to walk around whenever you want.”

PATCH HOPE ‘27

Students’ uses of ASB differ. Many students just play games during the period and relax between classes or organize work they have to do later. But considering why ASB was initially created (for academic support), would students use that time for other things?

“ASB should be free; you should be able to walk around whenever you want,” Third Former Patch Hope said. “You should be able to go to the café and grab a snack. It’s enough time to do short homework assign-

A student’s experience of Ramadan

eyes to realize my fortunate position. Being Muslim at Haverford is definitely rare, but it is something that I take pride in.

What I have enjoyed the most this year is how curious many students are about Ramadan.

What I have enjoyed the most this year is how curious many students are about Ramadan. Every day, I would have friends and peers come up to me and ask me how the fasting had been going and how I felt, whether on late-night FaceTime, weekend hangouts, or passing each other in the hallway.

I have seen just in the past two years the increase in support for Muslim students; this year, I had people even offering to fast with me for a day or two.

The first week is always hard, but after getting into a routine, I found peace in the month. I also found that it was not that hard to keep up with work, as I would use my lunch period to get homework done, as I wasn’t going to use that time anyway.

Socially, Ramadan messed up things a bit, as I couldn’t interact with kids I didn’t have a class with, but overall, it was worth it.

A traditional meal to break the fast during Ramadan

I even had teachers offering up their rooms for me during lunch.

In the future, I would love to see the school have some programming teaching people about Ramadan and Islam as a whole since there isn’t much Muslim representation in our school.

Such programming would be a great way to nullify the stereotypes that people often have about Islam and would show the many similarities between all the Abrahamic religions. Essentially, they are all the same thing.

ASB isn’t as productive as it could be

ments like my math homework.”

Third Former Jack Luterman agrees. “I often need more time to do certain assignments,” Luterman said. “[ASB] doesn’t have enough time for me to lock in.”

I really bond with all my classmates during Community time, especially during advisory and clubs, and learning about Sixth Form Reflections also builds a conneciton.

We also must remember that everything the school does is to prepare us for adulthood, and sometimes, you don’t have the luxury of built-in free time. Haverford is trying to limit us to doing school work, which is good, but if you have other needs or don’t have more work, ASB should be free time. The school is trying to convey a message that you can always do more work to help yourself, and I agree, but there’s a time and place for everything, and sometimes ASB is not that time.

Fifth Former Patrick Cohen remembers when he did not have ASB. “I do sometimes get work done; other times, if I do not have much homework, I’ll play games, but if I really need to get stuff done, it’s a time for me to lock in and focus,” Cohen said. “If anything, I would add more time to Community block because I remember my freshman year, when we didn’t have ASB, Community time made you feel closer as a school. I would say if Community time were longer than ASB, that would be good.”

But when you have a job job, you have total freedom; you can do whatever you want or need to get your work done.

Middle school does not have any freedom to do what you want, and upper school has a lot more, but when you have a job, you have total freedom; you can do whatever you want or need to get your work done. That could be taking a break, seeing how other peers are doing the work, or building stronger relationships with the people around you, so you can work together and help each other.

That’s how ASB should be, too. 30 minutes is either too long or too short. It’s not enough time to do any hard work because 20 minutes is organizing what you must do and making an order. Then, the other fifteen is for getting to your next class and packing up, maybe getting five minutes into your work to do the same thing later.

In tough times when you need more time to do work, ASB will always be there for you.

Community is an important block for the upper school. I really bond with all my classmates during Community time, especially during advisory and clubs, and learning about Sixth Form Reflections also builds a connection. Overall, ASB helps students individually, but does not help us get to know our brothers more.

Either way, this dedicated block of time helps us when we most need help, in tough times when you need more time to do work, ASB will always be there for you.

Ayush Varma ’27

Abdullah Kanchwala ’25

SUBCOMMANDANE VIA WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

High school is widely regarded as a stressful time in one’s life. Ask any adult, and they’ll tell you, “Just wait for college. It gets better.”

While this is true, the stress never goes away. College is just another level of stress. Yes, stress is only part of the incredibly gratifying college experience, but it’s there nonetheless. Therefore, I believe Haverford has created an environment that tests each student’s stress management in preparation for college, work, and life in general. I mean, our motto is “Preparing Boys for Life.”

Haverford has created an environment that tests each student’s stress management in preparation for college, work, and life in general. I mean, our motto is “Preparing Boys for Life.”

That being said, is it too much?

We recently had Lane Johnson as a guest speaker, and between rumbles of the rare earthquake that hit us, he talked about his struggle with his mental health. Describing the anxiety he felt going on to the field for every game, I couldn’t help but wonder

Why is student mental health such a concern?

how the Haverford community handles their mental health.

The reflections of Sixth Formers Henry Newhall and Casey Williams show that there is clearly work to be done regarding mental health awareness at Haverford. However, it’s sort of an impossible issue. While some people may realize they’re struggling with their mental health, few are willing to admit that they’re depressed or in a state of constant anxiety. This effect is amplified even more, considering Haverford is an all-boys school. Men are much more likely to hide their emotions than women are. This hiding leads to an intensification of the struggles men go through.

The reflections of Sixth Formers Henry Newhall and Casey Williams show that there is clearly work to be done regarding mental health awareness at Haverford.

eryone wants to say, ‘Well, I can handle it myself, and I can do [it].’”

Ms. Lewis thinks that mental health is something we’ve been programmed to hide, even in everyday conversations.

“I was having a conversation with a kid [who] came in here,” Ms. Lewis said, “and I was like, ‘How are you doing?’ knowing full well that he isn’t doing well because I know some backstory. And he says, ‘Good.’ So I

“Are you just telling me that because that’s what you’re supposed to say? Are you actually good?’ He’s like, ‘Just giving you the answer that I’m [supposed to give].”

MS. TASHIA LEWIS

Biology* teacher Ms. Tashia Lewis said, “I think it goes back to the stigma, and ev-

Men are much more likely to hide their emotions than women are. This hiding leads to an intensification of the struggles men go through.

ask, ‘Are you just telling me that because that’s what you’re supposed to say? Are you actually good?’ He’s like, ‘Just giving you the answer that I’m [supposed to give].’”

Ms. Lewis did recognize that although she has seen many students struggling with mental health, she also teaches a Fifth Form class, and Fifth Form is regarded as the most difficult and stress-inducing in all four years of high school. That being said, this is still a big issue not just in the upper school community but everywhere. It’s so big it seems impossible for us to make a difference. However, there are ways for us to make change in our community and beyond.

One way to spread awareness of the fact that mental health struggles are so prevalent

in our community is by breaking down the barriers that have been built up over the years and speaking about them openly. Williams and Newhall were instrumental in beginning this process, but it’s the rising Sixth

Finally, Peer Counseling is a great way to speak to your peers about any struggles you may have.

Form and current underclassmen who need to continue to communicate their mental health issues.

Finally, Peer Counseling is a great way to speak to your peers about any struggles you may have. Sixth Former Daniel Kaiser thinks the program is beneficial for students.

Upper School Counselor Ms. Janet Heed is always there if you need to talk about anything, mental health-related or otherwise.

“I know I do,” Kaiser said. “I know that all the people who are leaders do, and I think a lot of people in your grade are starting to.”

Of course, Upper School Counselor Ms. Janet Heed is always there if you need to talk about anything, mental health-related or otherwise.

Should students have a week off in preparation for second-semester exams?

Final exams, in some ways, are a happy milestone. Once they arrive, they signal the end. The end, no doubt, of a long and stressful year filled with late nights of studying, exhaustion, and, in some cases, panic. Often with the culmination of an entire year, however, there’s a lot to cram in. Some teachers will begin to discuss finals within two weeks of the actual assessment.

This dark cloud hovers over students while still studying for run-of-the-mill tests, writing papers, and having nightly homework.

The solution? No classes a full week before finals.

While it is important to learn time management, students in the upper school have undoubtedly already learned this important skill. How are students expected to both learn new material right before finals and then dive into the daunting task of studying for a year’s worth of old material? They shouldn’t be. Moreover, how are students expected to study for finals when they are in school all day? They shouldn’t be.

Upper School History teacher Mr.

Bhelly Bagbanon disagrees.

“From personal experience, there was never a time when I did not have my regular work and final exams in college. The lesson is balancing both. It’s a Herculean effort to do final exams and regular coursework,” Mr. Bagbanon said,” but that’s the game.”

Students should be able to create their own study strategy for the mountain of information required of them in order to do well on these assessments. It is a mini program in and of itself, and students deserve the opportunity to maximize their study strategies and success without the distraction of coming to school and learning new material.

Fourth Former Ranvir Gill said, “The

end of [the] year is always the most stressful

“It’s a Herculean effort to do final exams and regular coursework.”

MR. BHELLY

BAGBANON

time for these reasons. There isn’t always a lot of clarity on what will be included in these final assessments. For students who like to

plan ahead and create study guides well in advance, sometimes it’s a bit of a waiting game to see what to study, and sometimes it’s closer to the actual assessment than students would like.”

In some ways, preparing for final exams is akin to preparing for an athletic competition or military service. It requires waking up early, consuming brain-boosting meals, and engaging in rigorous drills. Just as soldiers gather all their artillery and weapons before a battle, shouldn’t students have the opportunity to prepare properly to succeed in the “battle” of final exams?

Grayson Morgan ’26

Luke Ganley ’25

off-campus opinions

The phrase “He’s a great team player” suggests that teamwork is universally beneficial. However, reality is more nuanced. While working in groups can enhance problem-solving and decision-making, it’s not always the recipe for success. Collaboration brings valuable input and diverse perspectives, but it also has its drawbacks.

Group dynamics are more complicated and multifaceted than the typical student (or even teacher) understands, particularly in fields like Medicine, where combined efforts can lead to positive outcomes, but also pitfalls.

In groupthink scenarios, individuals may suppress their true thoughts to maintain harmony, resulting in fewer innovative ideas and suboptimal decisions.

Effective groups thrive on collaboration, open communication, and arriving at a shared conclusion. Yet, the pressure to conform can stifle dissenting opinions, leading to a phenomenon known as “groupthink.” In groupthink scenarios, individuals may suppress their true thoughts to maintain harmony, resulting in fewer innovative ideas and suboptimal decisions. Surprisingly, factors like trust among team members and shared brainstorming sessions can exacerbate groupthink rather than mitigate it.

Group membership can exert significant influence, compelling individuals to align with the majority opinion. This pressure is particularly pronounced in homogeneous groups, where the desire for acceptance and inclusion can override critical thinking. Studies have shown that individu-

’m underperforming. Nothing is right. Haven’t accomplished anything.”

Commonly knon as Impostor Syndrome (IS), it presents a challenge for many people trying to perform at their best.

This voice rings in the ears of almost

Teamwork isn’t always a good thing: the dangers of groupthink

als may even mimic incorrect responses to avoid standing out, illustrating the powerful influence of group dynamics.

I was recently the subject of an experiment Sixth Former Render Ford conducted for his social psychology class. The purpose of the experiment was to identify conformity and obedience by studying how people think in the presence of others. He began by asking me to “help him with a math investigation for his ‘Advanced Topics’ class,” and I, oblivious of the fact that I was about to make a fool of myself, quickly agreed.

Ford placed me at the end of a line of five other students (who were—unbeknownst to me—acting) and began asking us simple PEMDAS questions. The first of which was incredibly simple, and the student at the front of the line swiftly stated the correct answer, and so did the next three, and I obviously said the same thing. For the next question, an identical scenario occurred.

But the third question Ford asked was slightly different. Still fairly simple, the first student said an answer that I believed to be incorrect; I thought I was missing something. However, because the next three people in line confidently blurted the same thing, I copied them in fear of being looked upon as stupid (a major concern in groupthink). The same thing happened for the next couple of questions, and I began to worry. Finally, Ford asked, “What is twenty-one times two plus fourteen minus three?”

“Four,” the first person shouted. The next three also agreed, so I did too.

“Tommy,” Ford said. “If you were in this room by yourself, what would your answer to that question be?”

I said what I knew to be correct: “Fiftythree.”

“Then why did you say four?” Ford asked. The actors began clapping, and I immediately understood what had just transpired.

I was astonished. I am a Calculus* student, and I had been tricked in simple mathematics. I was slightly less embarrassed when

Ford explained that it is, unfortunately, expected that most people be susceptible to the dangerous groupthink.

“Groupthink can cause people to do horrible things they don’t even think they’re doing because they’re just following orders--it’s human nature.”

RENDER FORD ’24

“Groupthink can cause people to do horrible things they don’t even think they’re doing because they’re just following orders— it’s human nature,” Ford said, in an interview after the experiment.

He gave examples such as the famous social psychologist Stanley Milgram’s controversial experiments with human obedience, along with the many Nazi soldiers in the Nuremberg Trials, including Adolf Eichmann, who blamed “wisdom of the crowd” for many of the atrocities they committed.

Collective knowledge can enhance certain tasks, though it often falters in situations requiring individual and authentic judgement.

The concept of “wisdom of the crowd” suggests that collective decisions are often more accurate than individual judgments. However, this principle is limited and not

necessarily true, especially in foggy choicegiven scenarios where precise answers are elusive. Collective knowledge can enhance certain tasks, though it often falters in situations requiring individual and authentic judgment, such as, once again, medical diagnoses, where conforming can be deadly.

Groupthink is a pervasive challenge that resists conventional solutions. Biases and cognitive distortions can subtly undermine group communication and the ability to make good decisions, leading to poor results. Recognizing the contextual factors that amplify groupthink—such as fatigue, cognitive overload, and poor leadership—is essential for circumventing its harmful effects.

Even though conflict and uncertainty may seem disruptive, they can also foster creativity and critical thinking.

Even though conflict and uncertainty may seem disruptive, they can also foster creativity and critical thinking. By encouraging objection and embracing diverse perspectives, squads can avoid the hazards of groupthink, and conflict, when managed effectively, becomes a catalyst for innovation and growth that enriches the collaborative process, especially in a school community.

In settings where teamwork is integral to success, understanding the convolutions of group dynamics is essential. Collaboration offers numerous benefits, but it also carries inherent risks, including the potential for groupthink. By producing a Haverford School environment that encourages dissent and embraces conflict constructively, students, either by themselves or within teams, can navigate these challenges and achieve optimal outcomes.

Impostor syndrome: talented people thinking they are frauds. Why is it a concern?

70% of the worldwide population at any given moment, according to psychologist Sandeep Ravindran. Commonly known as Impostor Syndrome (IS), it presents a challenge for many people trying to perform at their best.

Being in a situation where one doubts oneself at every moment is extremely stressful and emotionally painful. The scary part is that most people will experience some form of Imposter Syndrome during their lives.

Despite how common it is, IS is something that can be difficult to cure or control. People often need extensive amounts of therapy, along with other mental health practices.

People who receive less support from society tend to struggle more with mental health issues like IS.

Another concerning fact about Imposter Syndrome is that it disproportionately affects women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups. People who receive less support from society tend to struggle more with mental health issues like IS.

In Sixth Former Henry Newhall’s Re-

flection, he compared Impostor Syndrome to a monkey who was steering his brain. Many other Haverford students can relate to similar experiences in their everyday lives.

“I unfortunately see it all the time,” English Teacher Mr. Anthony Pariano said. “In class discussions, when guys have great ideas, they demean themselves. It weakens learning and is something I don’t like seeing.”

Understanding what to do when Impostor Syndrome presents itself in one’s life is crucial. For people with Impostor Syndrome, it is essential to seek help and talk to people. For people who know someone with IS, it is crucial to give your full support to them.

Ajay Chakraborty ’26

Tom Saul ’25

Dear Mayor Parker,

Our city has been plagued by gun violence for too long now.

I’m sure you already know how the cycle can go. Black boy grows up with no father, leaving the mother to raise him to be a functional member of society. Black boy becomes bored, because his neighborhood offers no recreational programs, festivities, or clubs.

Black boy has a Janazah [a Muslim funeral]. His socalled “friends” are nowhere to be found.

Black boy turns to the streets, where he believes he can relieve the boredom and earn

An open letter to Mayor Cherelle Parker

the respect from his “hood.” Black boy joins a group he considers his “friends.” Black boy meets gun violence eye to eye… and catches the disease. Black boy, filled with revenge, decides to increase the murder rate. Black boy ends up on No Gun Zone. Black boy has a Janazah [a Muslim funeral]. His so-called “friends” are nowhere to be found.

Black boy becomes another statistic.

Just last week a shooting occurred at the Philadelphia Masjid, a place Philadelphians thought was sacred to the Muslim community—sacred to the point that no violence would ever be practiced in that area. It was two kids, fifteen and eighteen, arguing about streets that none of them own. An innocent little girl lost her life in the process. Inna ilahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon [“Indeed, we belong to Allah, and we must return to Him.”]

There is a spike in gun activity and gang-related violence because there is not anything to do in our communities. Kids are looking into the street life and are getting adrenaline from shooting at other kids, praised by their gang for dissing an opposi-

tion family member and getting money from selling weed and other narcotics. The lifestyle is pushed as something to admire. The idea of being a “hothead” or a “crashout” is normalized, acknowledged, and praised.

Most of these kids join in out of boredom. They are tired of the limited pathways for kids who grow up in their situation. There is no such thing as a “bad kid.” They are shaped as a product of their environment.

A good place to start is having more options for kids. Not every black and brown

face is interested in sports. Maybe incorporate a computer science course in the rec centers. Push music careers; some people may want to learn an instrument. Video game competitions, robotics, things that you have to travel 45 minutes outside of your city for your kid to experience.

We can bring those ideas here.

Most of these kids join in out of boredom. They are tired of the limited pathways for kids who grow up in their situation. There is no such thing as a “bad kid.” They are shaped as a product of their environment.

Maybe their environment needs to change.

I’m tired of hearing the “drop a ball and pick up a gun” narrative. In order to stop what happened at Northeast, what happened at Sister Clara, and what happens all around the city, we have to target the problem from within the community.

Sincerely,

Musa Jabateh

Reading recommendations from the English IV: Journalism Seminar arts

All the President’s Men, by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein (Simon and Schuster). The book behind the Oscar-winning film and one of the most incredible pieces of investigative journalism in history. Follow the journey of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, journalists from The Washington Post, as they discover the secret behind the Watergate break-in, leading to the exposé of the biggest political scandal in America’s history and the only resignation of a U.S. president. Woodward and Bernstein are like yin and yang, each with their distinct method of investigative journalism, but they work seamlessly together to discover the truth. The book reveals how journalists investigate news stories, giving a newfound appreciation for their work. - Robert Cerniglia ’24

The Autobiography of Malcolm X, by Alex Haley (Doubleday). Published in 1965, just nine months after the assassination of Malcolm X, this autobiography provides the experience of living during the Jim Crow era through the lens of Malcolm. From the colorism that he faced in Lansing, Michigan, because of his light skin, to the white supremacy rooted deep into the “Negro” people who wore “conks” as a symbol of higher status, to his struggles of becoming a Muslim and joining the Nation of Islam—the book depicts every detail and gives the reader a firsthand account of who Malcom X was. - Musa Jabateh ’24

Black Hawk Down, by Mark Bowden (Signet Books). This journalistic masterpiece tells the ruthless story of an American mission to capture certain Habr Gidr clan members in the city of Mogadishu, Somalia. Bowden creates a thrilling account, intricately explaining in real time what took place during the disastrous mission. It focuses on the struggle for survival in the midst of great adversity primarily through Staff Sergeant Matt Eversmann and other soldiers’ eyes. This “grab and snatch” operation was supposed to be a smooth and deathless mission, but after two Black Hawk rescue helicopters were shot down, they were in for a night of hell on earth, pinned down by heavy fire. - Banks Young ’24

Into the Wild, by Joe Krakauer (Villard). Krakauer tells the story of the disappearance of Christopher McCandless. The story opens with the discovery of McCandless’s body in Denali National Park. During the FBI investigation, McCandless’s storyline seems not to add up. However, when the case becomes public knowledge years later, Krakauer conducts his own investigation. After graduating from university, and unbeknownst to his family, McCandless begins an unplanned excursion, during which he makes his way through the West Coast and eventually ends up in Alaska. While investigating McCandless’s case, Krauker finds himself in several unideal situations, but his discovery is worthwhile as McCandless’s true story is revealed. - Jai Bonaparte ’24

Musa Jabateh ’24

The Wire, cont.

His street smarts and confidence land him a full-time offer from Bodie, the recurring character who runs the corner, but Michael turns it down.

West Baltimore’s up-and-coming kingpin, Marlo, and his lieutenants, Chris and “Snoop,” notice Michael’s independence and offer him another position with financial freedom and protection. Michael also turns this offer down, claiming that his family comes first. He does not want to owe debt or commitment. Michael’s ex-prisoner boxing coach, Dennis “Cutty” Wise, recognizes his potential as an athlete and offers his support, but Michael also turns that offer down, opting to train alone.

When Michael’s stepfather returns from prison, Michael is desperate to get rid of him to protect Bug from the same abuse he faced. Hoping to avoid being separated from Bug by social services, Michael has no choice but to ask Chris and Snoop to kill his stepfather in exchange for joining Marlo’s crew. From then on, Michael has an easy transition into the streets, and he quickly becomes a coldblooded killer. However, when the police raid and imprison a large chunk of Marlo’s crew, including Marlo, Michael is suspected to be a snitch. Chris and Snoop disagree with the suspicion but understand his tendency to pass his judgment on Marlo’s decisions. Michael recognizes the bounty Marlo placed on him and gets the drop on Snoop, killing her. He takes Bug to their aunt’s house with a box of money, and she takes Bug in.

Without Bug, Michael becomes an independent gangster, and in his final scene, he resembles the recurring character, Omar Little, as he robs Marlo’s drug money.

Simon leads the viewers to believe that Michael’s evolution into a gangster began with his debt to Marlo, Chris, and Snoop for their killing of Michael’s stepfather. In reality, Michael’s evolution was almost inevitable from the beginning. Michael’s intelligence and athleticism would have taken him far if given the right environment. Instead, he was forced into the enormous responsibility

of caring for Bug. At every decision, a pitfall was waiting for him—one that would take him further into “the game”--and at every pitfall, Michael had to think of Bug. The odds were stacked against Michael from the beginning. It takes a village to raise a child.

Michael was alone.

His addicted mother let him down when she valued getting high more than she valued her children and when she allowed her pedophilic boyfriend back into her home. His stepfather let him down when his abuse caused deep trauma and hindered Michael’s future relationships. His school let him down when they valued his test scores more than his education and mental health. Social services let him down when their only solution was dragging Bug away. The justice system let him down when they allowed his stepfather to return and continue the abuse.

For Michael, it was easier to fall into the same habits and lifestyle as those he was familiar with. He had no good representation of what an adult black man should look like. His biological father is absent, and his stepfather is abusive. If he turned on the TV, he would see black men as gangsters or rappers. If he opened his textbooks, he would see Black men in chains, enslaved. The only police he knows are corrupt and hated by the community. Cutty is the closest thing to a role model, but Michael is wary about getting too close due to his childhood trauma. Cutty also deals with issues of his own as

he transitions from prison to freedom after a fourteen-year sentence, making him a less-than-ideal role model. His tendency to build relationships with some of his students’ mothers because of his desperation from prison furthers the connection between himself and Michael’s stepfather.

If Michael’s school or an outside government program gave Michael the mental health help he needed to overcome his trauma, it’s possible he would have built a relationship with Cutty and made a future through boxing.

Realistically, building that future would be unlikely.

First, schools would have to be properly funded and prioritize the child rather than the scores. Seeing Baltimore’s political world through Tommy Carcetti, season four’s mayor, we understand how tight funding is for the schools. With no outside help, Carcetti would have to pull away money from other Baltimore departments. He and other politicians are similar to the police, prioritizing a standardized measurement of improvement, even if there is none. While increased mental health programs would benefit the kids, they would not benefit Carcetti in his next election for governor.

Secondly, Michael would have to overcome the stigma around therapy and men’s mental health. It’s possible that there could be somewhat of a breakthrough, like Namond and Howard Colvin, the ex-police and current social worker. But Namond was one specific case (Namond will be covered more thoroughly in chapter two). Although this would first require schools to generate enough funding, Michael could overcome this barrier since he does not care much about his reputation (he was openly friends with Randy, even though Marlo labeled him a snitch). With some push and the right social workers, Michael could have overcome his childhood trauma and built a relationship with Cutty.

Thirdly, even if Michael had the opportunity to continue boxing, the timing of his stepfather returning home would have caused a shift to his current path. Michael’s main priority was saving Bug. He did not have enough time or money to accomplish that. At the start of their new relationship, Michael’s desperation would cause him to land back on his current path. Perhaps with Cutty in the picture, Michael would have someone to fall back on instead of Chris and Snoop. Ideally, Cutty would take him and Bug in as a guardian, as Colvin did to Namond (which comes with several complications regarding Michael’s current parents). Still, it is unlikely that Michael could trust Cutty enough when Bug’s well-being is at stake. Desperate to protect Bug, getting rid of his stepfather seemed like the only solution.

As a peak into Michael’s future, he is commonly regarded as Omar’s replacement. Omar, an intelligent and independent gangster who makes his living through robbing drug dealers, is eventually unexpectedly killed by a young boy.

Using the similarities and cyclical nature of Omar and Michael, we can use Omar’s story to predict how Michael’s will play out.

For most people in the game, the only way out is prison or death. Wee-Bey (the soldier for West Baltimore’s former kingpin), Chris, and Cutty all seemingly have an easy time in prison (and the chance to start fresh after their sentence). Their ties to former kingpins grant them respect. This respect is hinted at when the police arrest Avon and D’Angelo Barksdale in season one and when Chis and Wee-Bey end their final scene by staring at the sun in the courtyard. In contrast, independent gangsters are not afforded that same respect. Omar’s time in prison is intense and frightening. The young rogue, Michael, like his predecessor Omar, will guarantee hatred from all West Baltimore gangs. Detective Bunk Moreland saved Omar. Michael will likely not get that lucky. On Michael’s path, prison is not an option, leaving only death.

Providing contrast are Sean and Michael McNulty, Jimmy McNulty’s two biological sons. Their playful scenes of video games and dream-talk are often juxtaposed against the “other” side of Baltimore. In season four’s “Misgivings,” Sean and Michael McNulty tell their father how they want to be a videogame designer and a rockstar. After a conversation between Jimmy and his wife, the scene changes to a dark corner of Baltimore, where Bodie is grieving the loss of his friend. In season 5’s “React Quotes,” Omar and a partner are in a dark car, plotting a hit on Marlo’s crew. Before the attempted hit, the scene cuts to Jimmy with Sean and Michael, while they mostly ignore him and play video games. This comparison is further intensified by Michael McNulty and Micheal Lee sharing a first name.

“[The Wire] has only aged well because the world has actually gotten worse than what we created,” said co-creator of The Wire in an interview with The Ringer

While saddening, it’s true. According to The Baltimore Banner, 30 schools in Baltimore have closed in the last ten years. The schools cost too much money to maintain, so they are being sold, and the buildings are reused or demolished.

In other American cities, children face the same poverty, broken families, and pitfalls that Michael and his friends face. Public schools still prioritize standardized tests rather than learning. Representation is still limited. Social services are still cruel. Gunrelated deaths are increasing.

The Wire, however, has been a pioneer for Black representation in television. Although not the first, The Wire has become one of the most popular shows featuring a mostly Black cast that is still relevant today. Although The Wire portrays many of the Black men as gangsters, Simon contextualizes the Black struggle and the pressure towards the streets. Many Black adolescents and adults can still watch The Wire and feel a connection to the characters. On a smaller scale, perhaps some viewers can see their struggle as a larger picture and alter their path based on The Wire’s messages.

The Wire challenges the norm of television, specifically the “universal” experience felt by white Americans. The various perspectives and realistic criticisms of America’s systems are bold and a revolutionary push toward representation.

Renaissance Act ii: AMERIICAN REQUIEM

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album cover March 29, 2024

America the beautiful, her amber waves of pain, freed from the plantation, and buried in liberty’s name.

Beyoncé’s “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” the opening track off her 2024 studio album Cowboy Carter, encapsulates racism and 100 years of music from the American south in a five-minute and 25-second funeral service.

The elegy begins with the melancholic sigh of an organ accompanied by harmonies of Beyoncé singing, “Nothin’ really ends / For things to stay the same they have to change again / Hello, my old friend / You change your name, but not the ways you play pretend.”

The “old friend” for whom Beyoncé recorded Cowboy Carter is the dynamic racism employed by the music industry in its establishment of racial ties to the music genre. Racism is ingrained into the music industry. The methods in which racism is employed can change, such as the re-establishment of country music as a white genre, but the ways that it hurts kill the same.

Continuing the requiem, Beyoncé sings to the souls of the dead, “The big ideas (Yeah), are buried here (Yeah).” These big ideas—liberty, freedom, and equality—are inaccessible to Black Americans, Beyoncé argues, buried beneath the bedrock of racial trauma and abuse. The opening hymn ends with a politely exasperated “Amen,” and a sitar begging to be heard starts the funeral sermon.

Liberty, freedom, and equality—are inaccessible to Black Americans, Beyoncé argues.

Cowboy Carter was born from a visceral reaction of a white audience watching Beyoncé performing her song “Daddy Lessons” alongside The Chicks during the 2016 Country Music awards.

Beyoncé wrote on Instagram, “It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed… and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive.”

Beyoncé was subjected to racist backlash online, and the Country Music Association’s

website was swarmed by bigots claiming that Beyoncé is not “country”— at least not their country. In response to this hate, Beyoncé opens her sermon by singing, “It’s a lot of talkin’ goin’ on / While I sing my song / Can you hear me? / I said, ‘Do you hear me?’” In reference to her 2016 performance, her name—along with other, worse names—was on the tongue of the audience despite having never uttered it herself.

Interpolating “For What It’s Worth (Stop Hey What’s That Sound),” Beyoncé sings “Looka dere, looka dere,” a part of Louisiana vernacular spoken by Beyoncé’s maternal family. In the interpolation of a protest song, Beyoncé asks the members of the service to stop, listen, and take a look at their surroundings: the open casket before them, exposing racism’s shallow grave, black silt smearing the insides of a satin coffin.

Following suit, Beyoncé eases the calamity and clarifies her question, asking the audience, “Can you hear me? / Or do you fear me?” She wonders if people can hear her and they are just choosing not to listen, afraid to give power to a Black woman reclaiming the historically Black genre of country.

For decades, country music has been associated with white America, despite its roots in Black culture, originating from the banjos and hillbilly music of rural Black America. “Can we stand for something?” Beyoncé challenges America, saying,“Now is the time to face the wind.” She calls on Americans to stand together and face the hard truth: there is a problem in country music’s repression of Black artists. Cowboy Carter is her way of “takin’ up space” and establishing her legitimacy to perform her country’s music.

Beyoncé, reveling in the controversy she created, teases her audience. “Can you stand me?” she asks. Next, she questions her audience’s character, “Can you stand with me?”— inviting them to face the wind with her as a force united against racism. The preachings of “Can you stand me?”s and “Looka dere”s reach a joyous climax. Beyoncé delivers a final call to arms, demanding, “Together, can we stand?”—ending the first refrain of the sermon with a stance against racism.

In the second refrain, her requiem spirals into a personal anecdote of ancestry and controversy. She proudly states “looka there, looka in my hand… Gadsden, Alabama / Got folk down in Galveston, rooted in Louisiana”.

She finally reveals to the funeral service what she has been pointing out this entire

time, her family’s history and her claims to country music. Like tracing one’s ancestry through the folds in one’s palm, Beyoncé, like many Black Americans, can trace their ancestry through slavery, the mutilated body lying in racism’s aforementioned shallow grave. Beyoncé name-drops Galveston, the last town in America to be emancipated by Union soldiers on June 19, 1865, and the birthplace of Juneteenth. The “longest running African-American Holiday” officially became a federal holiday in June of 2021.

Beyoncé’s mother grew up in Galveston, but her family tree has its roots in Louisiana. Furthermore, echoing the sentiment of Southern pride established on Formation, “My daddy Alabama /Momma Louisiana,” Beyoncé asserts her rightful inheritance to the genre of country music. Continuing her sermon, she preaches, “If that ain’t a country, tell me what is?” Beyoncé, who was raised in the deep South, was brought up speaking a Southern accent, which she received flack for. Later, in attempts to please the white music industry, she dropped her accent, attended the CMA’s and performed a country song, and received unjustified racist backlash. Beyoncé’s heritage, like the “big ideas” she preaches, are buried in the South. Thus,

she closes her heartfelt sermon, stating that her Southern heritage makes her an heir to the country music throne.

Beyoncé begins the requiem’s closing hymn in vocal harmonies reunited with the melancholic organ. Calling upon the angels and Abraham, Beyoncé recalls, “(When I sang the song of Abraham) /(When the angels guide and take my hand)” The “song of Abraham” she sings of, is her emulation of his life story. Beyoncé is a modern day musical prophet, ushering in a musical renaissance and reclamation of traditionally Black music. In this renaissance, she sings, “goodbye to what has been /A pretty house that we never settled in.” To Beyoncé, country music is a pretty house, not a home. A home is something that is settled in. Despite being built by Black people, the house is white and continues to evict its Black tenants. As the hymn carries on, the requiem is revealed to be “A funeral for fair-weathered friends.”

Leading her Black musical renaissance, Beyoncé says goodbye to an institution that never embraced her and only used her to its advantage. Buried within this song is a deep musical history of racial gatekeeping combated by the sonic and spiritual renaissance of Black music.

Liam French ’25

Beyoncé on the Renaissance World Tour at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, June 1, 2023

COLUMBIA RECORDS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

sports Coach Tracy Tooke joins tennis team

The historically successful tennis team is off to another strong start, this year headed by a new Director of Tennis, Ms. Tracy Tooke.

from Julia R. Masterman School, where she coached the boys’ team to a PIAA 2A State Championship. Before coaching high school tennis, she competed and coached at the D-I level, playing four years of tennis at Auburn

Sixers look to

push for automatic playoff berth and Embiid’s return

On January 6th, a recurring theme of Philadelphia sports happened once again. Joel Embiid, who had been on a tear for the first few months of the season, putting up 34.8 points along with 11 rebounds per game, suffered a leg injury after colliding with Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors.

It is no secret the 76ers have disappointed the city of Philadelphia in the playoffs the last few years, but could this be the year where the 76ers get over the hump.

University and coaching the George Washington University and Temple University tennis teams.

“[Coach Tooke] has been a seamless integration to the team. She is very focused on making sure that the team is doing things together,” Sixth Form Co-Captain Arsh Aggarwal said. “Every dynamic warm-up we do, every lap we run has to be together.”

Co-Captain and Sixth Former Graeme Herbert agrees.

“[Coach Tooke] has integrated with the team great,” Herbert said. “She is a great addition to the team.”

This year, the team hopes to secure their fourteenth consecutive Inter-Ac title.

“I hope to continue the success that the tennis team has at Haverford,” Coach Tooke said. “I am confident that we will continue this reputation.”

The makeup of the tennis team this year is younger and hungrier than in past years.

“I think everyone knew this year was going to be a little harder as we had a lot of players graduate last year,” Aggarwal said. “However, we also have the comfort of knowing that the majority of our team is pretty young.”

Herbert emphasized the dedication and commitment exhibited by the team members beyond just school tennis.

“The guys put in a lot of time outside of school [practice],” Herbert said, “so we are able to do very well because of that.”

As The Index goes to press, the tennis team will face four other schools in a week full of matches. Despite the uncooperative weather, the team feels prepared to perform

in the upcoming matches.

“We haven’t been able to practice [outside] that much, it has been really rainy,” Herbert said. “We do a lot of cardio, movement, running. We try to do as much as we can without being outside.”

Aggarwal emphasized the idea of using the most of what the team can do.

“A lot of the focus has been on fitness,” Aggarwal said. We’ve been forced to spend a lot of days inside the fieldhouse doing different sprints and drills. With the tough week coming up, we are making sure that no minute is wasted on the court and that we are staying focused.”

In addition to coaching varsity tennis, Coach Tooke also coaches the middle school program.

“I think that it’s a good thing to be involved with the middle school program,” Coach Tooke said. “It allows me to be around the young players and set the tone of the program as they grow into the program. There is a lot of talent there.”

While winning the Inter-Ac and performing well at other tournaments is important, Coach Tooke also hopes to instill the values of the sport in the players.

“The results and winning is a goal, but more importantly embracing the process and developing those qualities that transition beyond the tennis court,” Coach Tooke said. “The resilience, time commitment, work ethic, team-first mentality, and friendships that develop are really what sports programs are about. Tennis is an individual sport and is a crash course in facing yourself. With hard work and discipline, good things happen.”

This left the Sixers in despair—a team built around their seven-foot center just lost their game plan and hopes for a deep playoff run. Embiid injured his meniscus in his left knee, and, on paper, suffered a season-ending injury. Head Coach Nick Nurse and all new and returning players on the 76ers were put in a difficult position, and they had to come up with a new game plan.

The 76ers went on with a record of 1326 without Embiid. Before Embiid got injured, the 76ers were the third seed in the Eastern Conference. However, they now find themselves on the brink of the playoffs,

sitting at the eighth seed.

With all hope seeming lost, and a playoff berth on the line, Embiid returned to the picture on April 2nd. Embiid’s return game captured a sold-out crowd at Wells Fargo Center. With their superstar back on the floor, the 76ers were taking on the numberone seed in the Western Conference, The Oklahoma City Thunder. Embiid’s minutes were set to be limited coming into this game. However, Embiid played 30 minutes, putting up 24 points and leading the 76ers to a nail-biting victory.

Since Embiid returned to the picture,

the 76ers have gone 6-0 and hope to close as the number-six seed in the Eastern Conference.

It is no secret the 76ers have disappointed the city of Philadelphia in the playoffs the last few years, but could this be the year where the 76ers get over the hump.

With a rested and healthy Embiid back in the picture, a great surrounding cast including most improved player nominee Tyrese Maxey, and a successful coach with an NBA Finals ring, it is safe to say that the 76ers can make some noise during the 2024 NBA playoffs.

Coach Tooke comes to Haverford

Ethan Lee ’24

Gray Benson ’25

Kaiser Zhao ’26 serves in a win against St. Mary’s, March 21, 2024

CHARLIE SCHRIEBER ’26

Joel Embiid meets with fans the day before the 2022 All-Star game in Cleveland

Fords Frisbee takes their first win in a year

“As Alex Atkins [an ultimate player from Philadelphia] says, frisbees are just objectively cooler than balls,” Sixth Former Nolan McCloskey said. The ultimate frisbee team, colloquially known as Fords Frizz, draws a passionate and communal team of studentathletes. With historic struggles against local competitors, this year, the team strives for improvement.

The team attracts a wide range of students from the upper school.

Having such a large variety of students can often represent a challenge in unity on the field; however, this year aims to be different.

“It’s a good vibe, the kids are having fun, and they are bonding really well with each other this year,” Coach Jeremy Fus said.

The team is divided into an A Team and a B Team. The B Team typically plays intramurally and the A Team competes against other schools, which allows students to find a mix between competitiveness and fun.

“It’s a more casual sport, so it’s a great way for me to use both my competitive side and chill at the same time,” Sixth Former Render Ford said.

The cohesiveness of this year’s team has been key to the team’s recent success. In their opening match against Garnet Valley High School, the A Team took the win in a 10-9 victory.

“After losing every game last year, a big goal was to win a game,” McCloskey said. “The team is significantly stronger than it has been in years [past], and I’m very happy to see many people choosing to join Frisbee this year.”

The desire to win remains a driving force for the team.

“Winning is definitely something that this team wants after last year’s zero-win season,” Ford said.

Student leadership has helped fuel the team’s competitive fire.

“The driving force behind the team is our [Sixth Form] leaders, such as Nolan [McCloskey], Brady [Stalkamp], Adon [Gross], and Alec [DeLuca],” Ford said. “They make sure everyone is motivated at practice.”

Daily practices last an hour and a half after school. The team warms up by throwing the frisbee to each other. Then they strategize via drills, ending the day by implementing what they work on into a scrimmage. Coach Fus, a veteran high school and collegiate frisbee player, draws upon his experiences to help the team perform at their best.

“Having played in a variety of contexts and systems helps inform what I think is important to practice,” Coach Fus said. “Given that high school is most kids’ first time playing ultimate, we can’t always necessarily be able to do what I did in college, but the experiences have shown me what works and what doesn’t.”

Coach Fus also relies on veteran players to support the team. McCloskey, who competed in the U20 Finals at the Wells Fargo Center and was invited to try out for the U20 National Team, is a key component in the team’s practices.

“Most high school teams do not have a

player of that caliber,” Coach Fus said. “Having such an experienced player teaching other students is extremely valuable, as students often learn better from other students than they do from adults.”

McCloskey uses his skills to help his team improve.

“I’m typically one of the better players on the field, so I usually have a large role in guiding the game, but this year I’m honored to have a role helping guide the other members of Fords Frizz,” McCloskey said. “Even during stoppages in-game, I try to give feedback to my teammates and help them understand defensive positioning strategy and offensive flow.”

McCloskey’s ultimate frisbee career is founded on the sport’s unique style of play.

“There are an infinite number of ways to throw a frisbee by varying the release point, release angle, grip, speed, and spin. The diversity of throwing options allows the cutters, who are receivers, an equal amount of creativity in how and where to attack on

the field,” McCloskey said.

To McCloskey, the sport’s community is equally important.

“Even at high levels of play, the social aspect of the sport remains integral,” McCloskey said. “The spirit of the game encourages cooperation by giving the players some level of responsibility to keep the game safe and fair. It is also common to see players from different teams hanging out before and after games while players from other teams cheer on from the sideline.”

These aspects of ultimate frisbee keep many students on the team.

“The goal of ultimate [frisbee] at Haverford is ultimately to give a place for students to have fun,” Mr. Fus said. “Kids come out to run around with their friends, and it’s good to have a place where kids can compete but not have it be all-consuming.”

Ford agrees.

“I joined frizz because it just seems like a fun place to be,” Ford said.

Fords Frisbee huddles before a game Haverford High Ultimate Disk Association on April 15, 2024

Brady Miles ’24 makes a pass against Haverford High on April 15, 2024

ROLLS ’26

Elliot Lee ’25