The Index Eutαxia Swzein Dokei
Volume LXXIV, No. 4
December 2012
Haverford, Pennsylvania
Writing Quality at Haverford: Is it on Par?
Will Tackett ’14 discusses how Haverford writers stack up against those from other schools amidst a flurry of perceived writing issues that have come up recently. Will Tackett ’14
Haverford is a college preparatory school. Its main academic focus is to ensure that its students are ready for the rigors of the college experience. One key part of college academic work is writing, an area in which professors demand a lot from their students. To prepare students for these high expectations, Haverford has spent a good portion of the curriculum on the development of adept writers. However, recent instances in which certain classes, especially among the Fifth Form, have received a select few A’s on writing assignments call into question the quality of Haverford students’ writing. Are Haverford student’s writing abilities not of the caliber they are expected to be, or are these recent assignments nothing to be concerned about? One thing that can be said with relative certainty is that Haverford graduates are not struggling in college; level of preparation, even for the high-tier colleges to which Haverford students aspire to matriculate, is not concerning. Recent Haverford graduate Deepak Bhaghat ‘12 states that writing skills he learned at Haverford such as “structure
and fleshing out your thoughts” really help in college, despite the more long-term nature of college writing when compared to high school writing. In addition to college preparation, Haverford also compares well with similar schools in terms of writing. English teacher Ms. Rebecca Smedley notes, “I have as many beautiful and talented writers here at Haverford as I had at Baldwin...most Haverford kids want to do well and care.” The motivation to do well is a defining quality of many Haverford students and goes a long way to improving overall quality of writing. If Haverford writers are faring well in college and performing just as well as their fellow high-schoolers, why the recent spate of seemingly less than satisfactory essay grades? One reason could be that students are not able to bridge the gap between summary and analysis. History teacher Ms. Hannah Turlish says that, for many students, “the transition from a report to analysis is a huge jump that can be really confusing.” Most analytical essays require a thesis that can be argued with and debated. Students should identify the significance of the
Index Staff Ms. Turlish grading her Fifth Form US History students’ papers. quotation or passage analysis a boy can produce in class orally. being analyzed. However, there is a little bit of a disconnect In their writing, however, students tend to when students go to write papers.” In writing, take the safe route and give what is mostly a more so than in class, students will tend to give summary, which requires less thinking. a summary of the text instead of analyzing it. That is not to say that Haverford students are incapable of thinking. Ms. Smedley states, Continued on Page 5 “Students know how to read critically...I am generally impressed by the level of
Getting the Credit: How Arts Factor In at Haverford Manav Khandelwal ’15 examines the current Arts credit system and gauges its effectivness. Manav Khandelwal ’15
option is usually most suitable for students who don’t take two languages, because they In the flurry of activities that is your have an opening in their schedule during schoolwork and extra-curriculars, the process both their Third Form and Fourth Form year. of getting an arts credit, or what the Haverford As mentioned, you can either take one yearStudent Handbook calls the “Fine Arts long course or two semester courses. The Requirement,” might be safely put on the back year-long courses include the following: burner. Unfortunately, it is an issue that must 2-D Art Foundation, 2-D Art Portfolio*, 2-D be addressed during your career as a Haverford Senior Thesis*, 3-D Art Foundation, 3-D Art student, because to graduate and earn your Portfolio*, Ceramic Arts, Music I, Survey high school diploma from Haverford, you must of Western Music, Harmony, Theatre I, and complete this requirement. Theatre II. The semester courses include: So, how can you do this? According to the 2-D Art Principles of Design, 3-D Art Course Catalog, there are four ways to earn Design, Photography, Video and Animation, your arts credit: 1 year-long or two semesterWoodworking Arts, Film Studies, and long course(s) in an arts class, participation Theatre III*. All honors art courses require in a performance ensemble for one year, a prerequisite, usually completion of the participation in three drama productions, or previous course with at least an A- grade. three full seasons of stage crew. “Participation in a performance ensemble” The last one is pretty self-explanatory, includes one year in the Glee Club, String but you might want to know more about the Ensemble, or Jazz Band. Jazz Band meets first three. We’ll start with the class: this once a week after school for two hours, string ensemble meets a couple times per week, and Glee Club meets three times per week for 30 minutes before school. Unlike the completion of a course as a requirement is at the leader’s discretion whether you deserve an arts credit based on attendance. The three plays can be either spring or fall, fall being the dramatic play and spring being the musical, and they do not have to be consecutive. You can even do one per year for three years and earn the credit. For example, a combination of last year’s musical Getting an arts credit through the normal channels. Index Staff
Also inside this Issue...
Read about the student body’s reaction to the recent 2012 Presidential Election on Pages 12 and 13. Writers include Brendan Burns ‘15 and Stewart Denious ‘13.
Third Former Cameron Cummins getting his arts credit with 2-D art.
(Hairspray), this year’s drama (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), and this year’s musical (Pippin) would be satisfactory. While the system may seem simple, the debate over the arts credit system has been long-winded and frequent. There are those, like Art Department Chair Mr. Christopher Fox, who believe the system should be expanded to increase the involvement students have in the arts. It’s easy to see his point. Haverford students take six or seven classes and participate in many other extra-curricular activities (Academics), usually play two to three sports (Athletics), but a minority of them participate in any sort of art-related activity, be it orchestra, singing, acting, or visual arts, on a regular basis. He calls the art
Index Staff
requirement “pitiful” and believes that the program should encourage students “to try new things,” because, as he puts it, “ They cannot like what they do not know.” Mr. Fox also cites the narrow focus of the credit program, which usually leads students to try only one type of art. “All arts are not the same,” he says. “Visual arts involve working with your hands and eyes, while performing arts require empathy and sometimes vocal ability. They are as different as chemistry and a foreign language.” He proposes a change to the program in which students would need to try at least one visual and one performance art, which would involve allowing them to take two arts Third Form year. Continued on Page 8
The Index would like to apologize to Fifth Former Sanjay Narayanan for miscrediting the soccer photo in the last issue.
Article Carreer Column Smarter Student Athletes Net Neutrality Facebook Good/Bad? Post Election Windows v. Mac v. Linux Outdex
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The Index
Columns
December 2012
Letter From President Mike Green and the Editors Dear Student Body, My Brother sleeps on the couch while my mom is panicking in the kitchen. I’m watching football with my brother’s feet in my face, while my sister’s at the train station waiting to get picked up. Ah, there’s nothing like the holidays. Even though this describes the typical Thanksgiving at my house, I forgot to mention my favorite part about this holiday: it always works out in the end. After my mom made us feel guilty, my brother and I ran into the kitchen and finished making the sweet potato casserole. We then picked up my sister while my mom put the turkey in the oven and finished making the string beans and stuffing. We returned home. My sister gave my mom a hug and then made the popovers. My brother and I set the table, then watched the football game, then got yelled at by my mom, then went back into the kitchen, and put the food on the table. My mom went to take the turkey out of the oven as we all stopped and watched — like fans falling silent staring at the ball flying through the air that decides the fate of the game. The turkey was perfect. We jumped in celebration. My mom cut the turkey. We placed it on the table, sat down, and said what we’re thankful for. While my brother, sister, and I were all thankful for food, family, and health, my mom said she was thankful for us. We were shocked that after the stress we all gave her throughout this whole day, she was thankful for us. After we quickly devoured our feast, my brother, sister, and I went over to my dad’s house. We saw tons of cousins, and met two new little ones. As a few of us were talking, one of the little cousins ran through our conversation, picked up his toy, looked around, smiled, ran away, and fell by his third step. My dad picked him up and placed him back on his feet. Watching this event, I recalled my childhood and all the clumsy and ridiculous accidents where my dad had to “pick me up.” For example, my family and I were at the Statue of Liberty waiting for the ferry to take us back to Manhattan. I was sitting on a rope listening to my brother make hilarious jokes that only we thought were funny. I lifted my hands up while laughing hysterically, and quickly swung around and smacked the back of my head on the hard wood dock. My step-mom picked me up, my head doubled in size, and my dad sprinted to get ice — my dad was athletic in his high school days, but during this incident he looked more like a Jewish Santa Claus than a Usain Bolt — so it took him some time to get the ice. But he came back, breathing heavier than ever, and grabbed me, put me on his shoulders, and put ice on my bruise. As we left my dad’s house to go back to my mom’s, my dad gave each of us hugs and said to us that he was thankful for us. Just like my mom, after all the stuff we (more me than any of my other siblings) had put him through, he still was thankful for us. My dad once told me that everyone must deal with the cards they’re dealt. I learned over this Thanksgiving break that I don’t appreciate the opportunities and support I am given as much as I should, but I’m not the only one. As a community at Haverford, I want all of us to take a second out of our busy schedules and appreciate how much we are given at this school. Whether we show our appreciation by cleaning up tables in the cafeteria or holding the door open for one another or supporting teams and events by attending them or just telling someone that we’re thankful for them. Your President, President Mike Green
Dear Reader, We’re in that tricky period between Thanksgiving and winter break. Every year it’s tempting to slack off, but this year relaxing for these three weeks carries higher stakes than usual. If you are unaware of the (yes, again) change to the midterms schedule, read Arjun Dravid’s ‘15 article - basically, midterms now occupy the final week before break. Every year the faculty reminds students to stay focused these three weeks, but maybe this change will do the most of all. As homework begins to slow up, refocus on exams and find a fun way to do it. The change of pace could be great if you feel yourself beginning to tire of the mundane routine of homework. While you are waiting for break to come, take a look at some of the articles in this issue. Index staff writers take on some serious school problems. Will Tackett ‘14 pens a piece on the declining quality of writing at Haverford, and Manav Khandelwal ‘15 discusses the tricky arts credit situation. If you know of an issue that ought to be tackled in the next issue of The Index, come to our next writers’ meeting. Or better yet, join the staff and immortalize yourself in Haverford history. When we get back to school, get ready for the second semester. But for now - power through midterms and enjoy your break! Sincerely, Grayson Sessa ‘13 and Jonathan Paras ‘14
Career Column: The Unkown Realm of Psychology Jackson Henderson ’15 gives a glimpse into the profession of Psychology and the requirements to work in the field. Jackson Henderson ’15
Have you ever thought about becoming a psychologist? This is an exciting and humbling field of study with a wide array of specialties and opportunities. But what exactly are the steps one should follow if they are interested in pursuing psychology as a lifelong career? The steps are outlined below. It is first important to clarify what taking a career path in the field of “psychology” actually means. There are many different areas of specialty in the field, including school psychology, sports psychology, and forensic psychology. But we will stick with the basics for this article. Let us assume when discussing the career of a psychologist, we are discussing the career that incorporates the study and science of the mind and the ability to interpret, diagnose, treat, and care for people who are experiencing psychological troubles. With a more detailed explanation of what is involved in the study of psychology, it should now be easier to ascertain whether you have an interest in this particular field. The first step on the way to becoming a psychologist is to start planning early. There is in fact a Social Psychology course at Haverford that discusses the foundations of psychology: the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of an individual in relation to how
those actions are affected by others. The course will focus on the method of social thinking, such as “motivation, leadership, conformity, obedience, persuasion, and not only social relations, but also aggression, altruism, prejudice and attraction.” By taking this course you will be much better prepared for the first year of college. Besides just taking Social Psychology, it would be a good idea to have science-intensive courses. Statistics are crucial to any university psychology program, so courses in mathematics, especially Statistics, are helpful. Once in college there will be plenty of time to refine your major and field of interest. As a budding psychologist, you would take courses focusing on aspects of the mind and its behavior. While psychology has a natural connotation of talk therapy, there are actually many specialties in the field, such as animal research and organizational behavior, but most areas fall into a few categories. Research psychologists often work with human or animal participants. Often fueled by the the private sector, their research may focus on any one of numerous specialty areas within the field of psychology, including development, social behavior, cognition, and personality. The more common Mental Health Psychologist works with people suffering from mental disorders or traumas causing psychological distress and paranoia.
The Index
2012-2013 Staff
Grayson Sessa, Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Paras, Editor-in-Chief Erich Prince, Head of Photography Henri Mattila, Copy Editor Fisher Pressman, Business Manager Peter Thompson, News and Features Editor James Shecter, Sports Editor Will Tackett, Columns Editor Amar Patel & Manav Khandelwal, Arts Editors Jake Pechet, Opinions Editor Matt Larson & Greg Boyek, Politics Editors Sam Bloch & James Tarte, Outdex Editors Manav Khandelwal, Graphics Editor Manav Khandelwal & Graham Gaddes, Website Managers Mr. Kellen Graham, Faculty Advisor
The Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles the daily struggles and accomplishments of the Haverford community. The Index also
Employment for all forms of psychologists is on the rise and will continue that way for the next decade according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Demand for some types of psychologists is growing quickly due to the higher demand for trained professionals in the workforce. Before deciding whether psychology, or any career, for that matter, is right for you, spend some time seriously considering your interests and hobbies and turning them into a career. There is much more to a career than just the level of income. Focus rather on whether the job fits your personality, interests, and long-term outlook and goals. Never let one component, such as average income, control your process of finding a career. Like any career, psychologists spent countless hours debating over what career they wanted to try. Most of them probably did not think they would be where they are today when they were in our situation as a high school student. There is so much time we all have until we must decide what we want to do with the rest of our life. Just one piece of advice to end on: find what you love to do, and find a way to get paid
Columnist Jack Henderson.
Ms. Mary Henderson.
doing it because it’s not really work when you love what you are doing.
provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues, such as student culture, academic policy, and Haverford’s place in world affairs. The Index presents new ideas and aspires to influence constructive change. All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at hsindex@gmail.com. The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed on Mac OS X, using Adobe InDesign CS5.5. Its surveys are conducted via SurveyMonkey and are advertised on Facebook to current Haverford students. School Publications Company of Neptune, N.J., prints 200-400 copies of each issue, and its editorial staff distributes them in the Upper School on the day of release. The Index serves the needs of a total school population of 1091 community members, consisting of 975 students and 116 faculty members. Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 hsindex@gmail.com http://www.haverfordindex.com/ (610) 642-3020 x. 1222 Volume LXXIV, No. 4 - December 12, 2012
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The Index
December 2012
Columns
Eating with Sam: A Great Deli Right Here In Philadelphia Sam Bloch ’13 travels to The Famous 4th Street Delicatessen and reviews the treats that the deli offers. Sam Bloch ’13
Most Philadelphians think that you have to travel north on I-95 up to New York to get a great deli sandwich. That is simply not the case. Just a few miles east on I-76 is one of the world’s best delis. The Famous 4th Street Delicatessen has been serving Philadelphia food lovers with great deli sandwiches for nearly 90 years. The deli now has two locations: the original on 4th and South Street and the new location at 19th and Chestnut. I have been going down to the Famous for years and always come away impressed. Although I have tried a decent portion of the menu, I now basically order the same thing whenever I go. Like all good Jews who do not keep kosher, I enjoy a nice Reuben occasionally. I will only eat a Reuben at the Famous. The corned beef and pastrami at the Famous are second to none. The Famous makes their corned beef and pastrami fresh in house so it is always a good, juicy cut of meat. I typically order the pastrami, but you cannot go wrong getting either of the styles of meat. A good Reuben needs more than just tasty meats though. The Russian dressing and the sauerkraut on the Reuben at the Famous are superb. It is tough to find the words to describe the dressing. It is really just right. It does not
dominate the sandwich and overtake the flavor of the pastrami or corned beef. The kraut is fresh, has the perfect crunch, and is not too sour. A nice piece of Swiss cheese is melted over the kraut and Russian dressing, which rests on top of a thick piece of Rye bread. With most sandwiches, I argue that the bread is the key component, but with the Reuben at the Famous, I sometimes do not even make it to the bread. There is just so much meat on the sandwich that you have to eat it with a fork and a knife. Usually by the time I even consider trying to stop chewing the pastrami I am stuffed and cannot look at the bread. When I do make it to the bread, I use it to soak up some of the extra Russian dressing that has dripped off the sandwich. Like everything else at the Famous, the rye bread is fresh and of high quality. The Reuben at the Famous has no weakness; it is really one of the best Reuben sandwiches in the country, if not the world. I have yet to find any pastrami or corned beef that is better than the pastrami and corned beef at the Famous. A sandwich at the Famous is more than enough to fill me up, but I get other stuff anyway just to try it. The blintz has become a staple at Bloch family Famous meals. The blintz is stuffed with fresh cottage cheese and is fried to a perfect crisp. Each bite into
the giant stuffed pancake releases a sweet, rich flavor explosion into your mouth. I like to put some fresh applesauce onto my blintz. The fresh applesauce makes me feel like I am eating something with a little bit of nutritional value and also adds a great fresh apple flavor. The blintz could easily be a meal by itself, but I recommend getting it as almost like an appetizer for the table before the meal because it is so big and heavy. I also love the fries at the Famous. The crinkle-cut fried potatoes have the perfect balance between freshly cut potato and fry. They are always served hot and crisp. And, like everything else at the Famous, the portion size is extravagant. The fact that a deli can make some of the best fries I have ever had amazes me. It really speaks to the quality of the food that the Famous offers. If they do not feel like something is good, they would not serve it. I have only made it to dessert at a Famous meal on a handful of occasions. The desserts are incredible. They bring a small chocolate chip cookie out with the check that is one of the most delicious cookies I have had the pleasure of eating. The cookies are so good that the Famous made a spinoff store that only sells their cookies. If you want a piece of cake, your best bet is to look into the display case and see what looks good. I have probably gotten a different kind of cake every time I have ordered dessert, and every single one has been just as tasty as the last. Be warned,
A tantalizing Reuben from Famous.
Sam Bloch
though, that even though you are ordering a piece of cake, you are actually ordering what most restaurants would market as an entire cake. It takes a few still hungry people to down an entire piece of cake from the Famous. One of the crown jewels of the deli world is right in our city. Still, most Philadelphians and Haverfordians have never made the trip to Famous 4th Street to get a sandwich. I have taken a dozen or so New Yorkers to try the Famous and none have left disappointed. In fact, some have even remarked that it blows away the legendary Carnegie Deli. I highly encourage you to make the trek downtown to check out the Famous whenever you get a chance.
Smarter Student Athletes?
Chaney Jones ’13 reviews the new grade requirements set by the NCAA and shares his opinion on the effectiveness of such actions in creating smarter student athletes. Chaney Jones ’13
In a new and controversial decision, the NCAA has raised the requirements for high school recruits to become eligible to play college sports. Among these changes, the minimum GPA requirement has been raised from 2.0 to 2.3, and the number of core classes required is now 16, 10 of which need to be completed by the end of the junior year. The motivation for these changes is fairly obvious. The NCAA has a recurring problem with players who are much more “athlete” than “student.” The recent effort is a valiant attempt by the NCAA to make sure athletes are academically prepared for college and to help a greater number of athletes graduate. The only question is - will these changes actually do what they were intended to do? No one argues that academic preparedness is not a problem in major D-1 athletics. Last year, roughly 67% of the student who
competed in the March Madness tournament actually graduated. That means that one out of every three students you see on TV never received his or her diploma. With such staggering statistics, it is clear why the NCAA was moved to action. However, I do not believe it is possible to legislate academic success. Students will not become smarter due to the rising standards. Instead, the academic standards simply exclude a vast number of players who have no other way to get to college. With the new rules in place, 35% of the football players who enrolled for the 200910 season would not have been able to play. 43% of the basketball players who enrolled the same year also would have been ineligible. That disqualifies almost 40% of all players within the two largest college sports. Such strict requirements are completely misguided and unnecessary. They only limit the chances for students who may have no other way to college. This limitation is especially so for
the top 5% of college recruits. Why limit their eligibility due to grades when ultimately they won’t matter in the end? It is no secret that every year there will be the “one-and-done” athletes, the Anthony Davis’ who will only be in college for a total of seven months before entering the draft. Will the new requirements affect his seven-month college career? Will the NBA or NFL check to see if these students maintained a 2.3 GPA in high school before ultimately drafting them? The answer to both is a resounding “no.” Sadly, education only matters to the student-athletes who know that they aren’t good enough for the pros, or those on the cusp, treading the thin line between fame and mediocrity, waiting for a lucky break. Even for these students, I do not see why the requirements need to change. College sports is a multi-billion dollar enterprise which annually secure millions in revenue for the college for which the students compete. Why not reinvest this influx of revenue generated by the sweat and blood of these athletes back into their educations? Instead of limiting their chances out of high school, where a majority of them
Columnist Chaney Jones.
Index Staff
are more concerned with practice and playing well enough to even get D1 offers, give them a chance to succeed and work with them from there. Wait to start cracking down until college, where Universities can invest more into athletes than their high schools can, and where they are living on campus, with access to help 24/7. It is apparent that many of these student-athletes need work in the academic department, so have the Universities actually work with the students, instead of simply disqualifying them before they ever truly get a chance to succeed.
Arts in Philly: The Philadelphia Orchestra Politics Editor Gregory Boyek ’14 reviews the Philadelphia Orchestra’s performance of The Verdi Requiem, which he enjoyed greatly. Gregory Boyek ’14
I’d never left a classical music concert with my ears ringing until I attended the Philadelphia Orchestra’s performance of Verdi’s Requiem. Verdi’s thunderous arrangement of a Latin funeral mass sounds part opera and part movie soundtrack. This piece represented one of the premiere performances by The Philadelphia Orchestra’s new Music Director, Yannick Nezet-Seguin. The performance featured four talented soloists and the world-renowned Westminster Choir, in accordance with Yannick’s intentions to incorporate more choral performances into the repertoire during his tenure with the orchestra. The opening of the hour and twenty-five minute marathon piece is rather subdued and delicate, giving no hint of the booming segment that is to follow. The most wellknown part of the requiem is the bombastic Dies Irae, Latin for “days of wrath”, a musical
depiction of the end of the world. One segment featured ominous trumpet calls, others, blaring brass and timpani which literally rocked the concert hall. Almost unbelievably, the soloists maintained pitch and volume throughout the following segments, which featured the soloists in Verdi’s operatic style. These segments are longer, thoughtful soliloquies, for which it helps to be a Latin scholar (or just read the libretto). The Dies Irae segment reappears several times over the operatic parts, to remind the listener of the dark nature of the piece. As always, the orchestra performed masterfully, not to be overshadowed by the choral foreigners. Rather than simply blasting segments, they performed with finesse. Yannick is proving to be one of the most extraordinary conductors I have seen. Memorizing the entire epic, he juggled not only all the orchestra parts but the
Columnist Gregory Boyek.
Haverford
chorus and the soloists. At times he appeared to be playing every instrument and speaking the words to cue the chorus at the same time. Something about Verdi’s Requiem seems to make it feel suited to a science fiction rather
than religious epic. In fact, segments and arrangements of the piece have been used for scenes of space combat in various franchises. John Williams’ Duel of the Fates and other familiar Star Wars melodies seem to echo Verdi’s piece. One unique instrument added to the Hollywood flair: a seldom-seen brass instrument called the cimbasso. This rarely-cast descendent of the Medieval serpentine horn brings to mind war horns, U-boat diving alarms, and spaceship klaxon sirens. The eerie wail of this sort of instrument expresses panic and exigency whether the listener is a Roman Legionary, 19th century composer or pilot in the distant future. The Requiem is undoubtedly one of the pieces that you have to experience in person. Every thud of the timpani resonates in your seat; the choir and brass shake the balconies. The introduction to the first Dies Irae utilizes balconied trumpets which reply to the calls of those in the orchestra. This atmospheric effect cannot be achieved anywhere but a concert hall. Pieces like Verdi’s Requiem really make live classical music worthwhile.
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The Index
Features
December 2012
Tech Column: Net Neutrality and You Christopher Wong’14 discusses the importance of net neutrality and how this seemingly esoteric term fits into the life of a Haverfordian. Christopher Wong’14
I have illegally downloaded movies, TV shows and games, and I am sure most of you have done so too. Have you ever been to New York? Around every street corner there is a stand selling bootlegged movies and music with fake hand drawn covers at $1 each. Likewise, a similar situation appears on cable. Take “Modern Family” for instance. Every Wednesday at 9pm on ABC a new episode airs for the masses to watch. Those who miss it have to wait sometimes days for it to show up for purchase either on On Demand, or in the iTunes store (Hulu used to solve that problem for us, but with the high pricing of Hulu+ this option became less attractive). I would gladly pay to watch an episode of “Modern Family” right after it airs for a reasonable price, but three days later for $2.99 is a bit outlandish. Multiply that by the average number of episodes in a season (24) and you are left with a final price of just under $40, or more than I pay for cable in a whole year. The issue of piracy does not begin with the consumer, but rather with greedy studios and content providers. The piracy caused by these companies has led to a bigger discussion about Internet regulation and, in turn, Net Neutrality, the advocation of government regulation of Internet Service Providers. In this day and age, the world’s largest free market economy, the Internet, stays largely unregulated. Companies like Verizon, Comcast, and NBC are mostly free to do what they please. In Washington, lobbyists for these major companies push for bills like the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA and it’s sister bill the Protect IP Act, or PIPA in turn endangering the Internet as we know it. For those of you who do not know, SOPA and PIPA were a set of US bills introduced to, “To promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation by combating the theft of U.S. property, and for other purposes.” This in itself was a thinly veiled lie. These bills, although they seem to solve the problem of piracy in theory, ultimately cripple the current Internet architecture, forcing a revision of the way the Internet operates from the ground up. Considering that neither of
these bills, SOPA nor PIPA, will actually stop piracy altogether, this drastic step seems like a gratuitous and unnecessary action. As Nilay
The process of DNS lookup.
The Internet in a nutshell.
ddmcdn.com
Patel from The Verge, a technology-focused news media network, put it, “SOPA and PIPA are the effective equivalent of blowing up every road, bridge, and tunnel in New York to keep people from getting to one bootleg stand in Union Square — but leaving the stand itself alone.” Before examining the actual contents of these Internet bills, a simple understanding of the way the Internet works is necessary. We, as Internet consumers, understand that in order to visit a website, we have to know its URL or Domain name. For most users, that’s where the understanding stops. In order for a client
Resisting SOPA.
arstechnica.net
to reach a webpage on the Internet, a service known as The Domain Name System, or DNS comes into play. When a client opens a webpage and points it to www.google.com, a search request is sent to a DNS or Name Server in order to retire it’s IP address. An IP address is simply a string of numbers that points you to a specific webpage. In the same way that phone books are used to point names to numbers, the DNS protocol is used to point easy to memorize text phrases, or domain names, to IP addresses, or complex
number strings. When we type in “google. com” it really points to a website located at “64.233.167.147”. In an attempt to stop piracy, SOPA and PIPA try to take advantage of the DNS protocol and the way the Internet was architected. The bill gives large media companies like NBC, Warner Brothers, and Comcast the ability to ‘alter’ DNS records making websites disappear off the Internet. Google’s web address would no longer point to an IP address bringing you to its search engine, rather a blank page with no trace left behind. Instead of dealing with the bootlegged DVD stand, or the pirated content, the large media companies, with the support of the government, could completely
must take place immediately after a complaint is filed, no questions asked. It is equivalent to locking someone up in prison on suspicion of committing a crime. This system is modeled heavily after the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act that requires video hosting services to pull down any content accused of infringement without fair trial. Although effective, the possibility for abuse is endless. Deeper down in SOPA section 104, the bill offers Internet service providers or ISPs legal immunity to block websites with infringement claims against them without government intervention. This “reasonable doubt” produced by infringement claims would allow companies like Comcast, who now owns NBC, to easily block competing websites and content claiming “theft of property” without retribution. Unsurprisingly, Comcast was one of the first major companies to support SOPA along with Pfizer, Time Warner, and Xerox. Remind me, Chris Wong Net Neutrality in a nutshell. when was the disable access to major sites last time Net Neutrality without warning. This situation is no different affected a drug company or a manufacturer of than a house robbery. Instead of dealing with photocopiers? The representatives for these the criminals and putting laws in place major corporations, lobbyists, congressmen, through a judicial system, the government and senators in Washington do not understand blows up the road leading to the house. the impact of these bills and the baggage What makes the Internet any different? that comes along with them. They hear, “to The first part of SOPA, pertaining to DNS promote prosperity”, as a way to increase and IP addresses as described above, reads revenue and irresponsibly sign their names. as follows: In December of 1967 an unprecedented 1. “Order Internet service providers to case was heard by the US Supreme Court. alter their DNS servers from resolving The case addressed the issue of the Fourth the domain names of websites in foreign Amendment’s application to immaterial countries that host illegal copies of videos, intrusion and technology. When the founding songs, and photos” fathers wrote the Constitution and Bill of The second and third part of SOPA begins Rights, they could have never predicted things the government mandate on behavior of like the telephone and the Internet. As society private companies: progressed, eventually the Constitution needed 2. “Order search engines like Google to be reinterpreted for a new time. In this to modify search results to exclude groundbreaking foreign websites that host illegally copied case Katz v. United States, just that happened. material.” The Supreme Court ruled that wiretapping had 3. “Order ad services like Google’s AdSense to become unreasonable search and seizure, even refuse any ads or payment from foreign sites when in public. that host illegally copied content.” With SOPA and PIPA tabled, until a 4. “Order payment providers like PayPal to reinterpretation of the Internet as we know it shut down the payment accounts of foreign can be reached, the battle for Net Neutrality websites that host illegally copied material” and Internet freedom will rage on. The bridges, That second section seems fair to an tunnels, and streets remain intact allowing free extent, right? Let’s dig in. That section of the access to content,while serving as a reminder bill, SOPA 103 and PIPA 4, require websites that someone sitting at a desk on the opposite such as Google, Facebook and Youtube to site of the country has their finger on the immediately shut down accounts and delete trigger ready to blow those connections to any infringed content. The account suspension smithereens.
Heyward Cup: Is Haverford Ready to Win It This Year? Manav Khandelwal ‘15
Many of you know what the Heyward Cup is, and for those of you who don’t, it’s an award given to the most successful athletic Inter-Ac team. The points system is based on standings per sport; since there are six teams, points are given by rank (1st gets 6, 2nd gets 5, 3rd gets 4, etc.). With five of the sixteen sports having been played in the fall, it’s time to give an update on the standings. Here’s a table that shows how the results were accumulated: *Note (HS = Haverford, MP = Malvern, CHA = Chestnut Hill, PC = Penn Charter, EA = Episcopal Academy, GA = Germantown Academy) As you can see, the Fords lead the standings after the fall season, so let’s hope our winter sports teams can continue the success!
Sport
HS
MP
CHA
PC
EA
GA
Football
2nd
3rd
5th
4th
1st
6th
Cross Country
5th
2nd
6th
3rd
4th
1st
Water Polo
3rd
2nd
6th
1st
4th
5th
Soccer
1st
6th
3rd
2nd
5th
4th
Golf
1st
2nd
4th
5th
3rd
6th
TOTAL PTS
23
20
11
20
18
13
Page 5
Teacher of the Issue
The Index
News
Jared Welsh ’15 discusses recent Laserna Award winner Mr. Thomas Trocano and how he has helped his students in the classroom. Jared Welsh ’15
students can watch them whenever they want. In class he goes over the homework problems We all know Mr. Trocano as the Star-Trekto make sure that everyone understands them. and-Browns-loving chemistry teacher. But, This extra time in class helps students to those of you learn more who do not advanced have him as a problems and teacher may understand not know how current topics. he bends over His teaching backward to methods open make sure up a lot of that students new options perform to for extra help the best of in class and their abilities. add the ability Teaching to facilitate a chemistry more rigorous is hard, curriculum. because, well, This idea has chemistry is promise of hard. Honors catching on in chemistry is other classes, known by allowing most students teachers to as the hardest further help class that their students. they take in In a collegiate their high manner, the school career. student is Mr. Trocano responsible for understands the problems that it’s done outside difficult, and of class so offers copious that in class, amounts of advanced haverford.org Mr.Thomas Trocano. help as a result. He gets in topics may be early, posts a free period sign-up sheet outside covered with speed. of his door, keeps himself available to meet Another way that Mr. Trocano goes above with students during lunch, after school, and beyond is in his willingness to help. and even goes as far as to provide his phone Whenever I go to Mr. Trocano for assistance, number so that students can call him until I often see other students going over problems 9:30 p.m. Callers beware after 9:30, however; with him as well, and simply join right in. according to Mr. Trocano, “That’s when my When calling after school, he is patient and willing to stay on the phone until you say that wife gets me.” you have been fully assisted. Among some of his most recent efforts The final reason that Mr. Trocano is our to improve on his already solid teaching teacher of the issue is his apparent love of formula is the introduction of Edmodo. teaching. It is really obvious that he loves Edmodo claims that it is “a social network what he does, and it shows in his teaching for school.” Teachers can post assignments innovations. Whether it be his vast knowledge and due dates on a calendar. You can even of the subject or his eagerness to discuss and turn in assignments and get grades, all on one communicate its nuances, he never fails in the website. However, even more interesting is task of teaching and mentoring those who have how Mr. Trocano uses edmodo this year to put the privilege of being his students. up videos of himself teaching lessons so that
December 2012
Teachers Cramming Work?
Manav Khandelwal ‘15 discusses the period at the end of each quarter where teachers assign what some consider to be an excessive amount of work. This year may be the worst with the early midterm exams. Manav Khandelwal ’15
At least a majority of students at Haverford know the feeling as the end of a quarter, exam week, or major holiday approaches: With teachers looking to cram in the work, they end up with four tests, three quizzes, and 120 minutes of homework every night that week to go along with their extracurriculars. This type of “work cramming” is certainly taxing, but is it necessary for an improved student learning experience? Let’s take a look at both perspectives. Of course, there are those who feel the process is burdensome. According to Fourth Former Arjun Dravid, “[The week leading up to Thanksgiving break], I had four tests, four quizzes, a composition, an essay, and just general craziness.” When asked if this increased workload, along with his extracurriculars that include Debate Team, Mock Trial, and squash, made life a little too difficult, he responded, “It is a major burden for those with extracurricular activities. Some kids don’t get a chance to start their homework until seven, and being able to finish all that, eat a good dinner, and get a good night’s sleep is just not possible.” There are a lot of students at Haverford, especially students who take several honors classes, who double-up in a language, and do several extracurriculars, who can relate to Mr. Dravid’s troubles. When you have that much work to do, it is hard to find time not only to finish the work within a reasonable time and put your best effort into it, but to then unwind and relax before getting at least seven hours of sleep. Fellow Fourth Former Andrew Rossi concurs, saying, “I had six tests in five days the week before the quarter ended. Teachers do not plan their time well enough in the three or four weeks leading up to a holiday or end of the quarter, and since every class does it, we pay for it by having to cram.” That brings up another issue, the test calendar and rules that should surround it. Everyone knows the “two tests max per day” rule, but is it sufficient? Tests are not the only thing a student must prepare for leading up to the assessment day. What about quizzes, projects, essays/compositions, and regular homework assignments? At some point my assignment book is so saturated with different sorts of
projects that I have the equivalent of four tests the next day; but, of course, I get no help from the test calendar. It seems that the process of work cramming is a little over the top, and that teachers and students need to do a better job of communicating the stress that goes along with a huge increase in workload. Then, however, there is the other side to the argument: this increase in workload leading up to the end of a quarter or major break is necessary. According to Dr. Mark Gottlieb, teacher of math and economics, “It’s the only way to do it. There is simply no way to have a normal workload, because you have to test students an increased amount to either get in as many grades as you can or keep the material fresh in their mind heading into a break.” Fourth Former Paul Harryhill cites the same reasons, saying, “I think that there is a little bit of ‘work cramming’ that takes place. I can tell you that obviously the latest nights are midterm/exam weeks as well as the last week of quarters. Although this is somewhat taxing on the student, it is also very helpful for studying and learning some of the material we may not know . . . But I don’t think that this should be changed because it is actually helpful in more ways than one. Not only was I able to learn more of the material for the big tests that week, but it was also a big wake-up call for me to see that I really need to improve the way I manage my time and I found out how to use the ELC to my advantage. I am now working more effectively because of those long nights, so I do not think that anything needs to be changed.” There are definitely a handful of students who have used the extra work as a way to help improve their time management, and it is certainly fair to say that the ELC is a great resource for students who feel overwhelmed. So, what needs to be done, or in the latter case “not done,” about the issue? I think there is a consensus among students that the practice of teachers using the last week leading up to an important date as a time to “cram it in” is somewhat unfair and unreasonably burdensome, but obviously they can’t cut the workload completely because the point of that work is to help students prepare for big exams, get in their final grades, or keep the material fresh. So I’ll leave it up to you, the readers, to consider: is work cramming necessary, or should it be reduced?
Writing Quality at Haverford Cont. Continued from the Front Page Simply giving a report was appropriate in middle school. Concerning her experience teaching in middle schools, Ms. Turlish says, “If you do the homework [in middle school], you get good grades.” The homework, in terms of writing, is generally a summary, or at least something a little less sophisticated than developing a thesis, leading “to a lot of A’s at the end of the marking period,” states Ms. Turlish. Students in the beginning years of upper school are expecting high grades for the same type of work they did in middle school. Giving a summary instead of forming an analysis is in this way intertwined with another issue: grade inflation, which is a problem not just at Haverford, but at virtually all high schools and middle schools. Is it really that much of a problem that only a few students get A’s? The original delegations of the A, B, and C grades were that an A was exemplary and truly difficult to achieve, a B was designated for solid, strong work, and a C was meant to indicate average work. In other words, awarding an A to only a few students is what was supposed to happen. In recent years, however, more and more people want to be above average, which is simply not possible. So, perhaps a class garnering merely a few
A grades on a certain paper is not a sign of a decline in writing skills but rather an attempt at deflating the grades. Still, Haverford writing can improve. Aside from the problem of summary instead of analysis, there is concern about sloppy writing. Ms. Smedley sees certain causes of sloppy writing, including the fact that the current generation of students reads less than previous generations do, possibly due to the number of extracurricular activities in which current students participate. Another cause is that most writing for communication is informal, such as texting. It is easier, for example, to leave an apostrophe out of a word because the person receiving the message will still understand, which becomes a problem when the informal writing that students are used to communicating with seeps into their formal writing in school. So, how can students improve their writing? One easy solution to that problem, says Ms. Smedley, is to read more often. Reading anything -- be it a novel, magazine, or newspaper -- exposes the reader to good diction and syntax. Another answer is to make drafts of one’s work or to seek help from the Writing Center, which is located in the Big Room and staffed by faculty members from various departments at least two blocks every day of the cycle. Ms. Turlish recommends lots
of practice and listening to the feedback of the teacher as ways of improving writing skills. She further recommends revision: “[My best writers] are the ones that take the time to revise, which takes time and bravery...If more students here took that time, the writing quality I see would go up.” Schools also have a responsibility to foster the improvement of students’ writing skills. One interesting question that schools, especially college prep schools like Haverford, wrestle with is how much the teacher should be involved in the writing process. Should teachers assign many drafts and give feedback every step of the way, or should they assign a topic, give a due date, and collect the final copies when they are due, a process that is closer to the way things are done in college. Schools are responsible for assigning as much writing as possible for the student to practice and supporting writing and learning centers to help students improve. Haverford students want to get better, but getting better does not meaning getting more A’s. Improving the writing of Haverford students means redefining what the average is. A’s, B’s, and C’s are just letters. If Haverford students can improve their level of writing enough as a whole, through reading, practicing,
Ms. Smedley grading tests.
Index Staff
and listening to feedback, then they can make earning a C at Haverford less of the failure it is seen as now and more of something that is normal, even above above average when compared to other schools. Ms. Turlish tells of a former student of hers: “She was a fine writer; she would get B’s on my essays... She came back later and said that, in her dorm [at the University of Pennsylvania] she was known as the best writer in her dorm; kids would come to her for writing help... and that’s what I want for Haverford boys. I want Haverford boys to be known as the best writer in the dorm. It would be awesome if we became known as a school that cranks out terrific writers.”
Page 6
The Index
December 2012
News The Aftermath of Sandy
George Hall ’15 reports on the effects of Hurricane Sandy on members of the Haverford community. George Hall ’15
Some of the worst damage, perhaps, hit Fifth Former Chris Boerner. As many of his friends know, Boerner lost his beloved car because of Sandy. “I guess just one morning you wake up and see a large pine tree crushing your car, most people wouldn’t feel really deeply grieved. But the thing is, this was the only automobile I had ever known for twelve years. When the news came that he couldn’t
Although it devastated the Jersey shore, parts of New England, and a large portion of New York, Hurricane Sandy also left a profound mark on Haverford. From power outages to a four day weekend, this profound storm is something that will be remembered for a long time at Haverford. Rumors were swirling around Haverford midweek, but by the weekend it was evident that Monday would be cancelled. The worst of the storm was predicted for Sunday night and Monday morning, which therefore inspired hopes for yet another cancelled day on Tuesday. These wishes were granted. But upon return, school was different. Tests, Chris Boerner Fifth Former Chris Boerner’s car. projects, and quizzes had been be salvaged, I have to admit, I treated it like backed up into just a three-day week, and a close relative had died, not on purpose, there was confusion amongst the students as but just from all the time spent in it, and the to what was due and when. Mr. Fifer sent out experiences I had, all compounded into a rather emails with new schedules for the week, and overwhelming feeling. Although, I’m also by Friday everything seemed to have been insanely sentimental, but still, this caught me resolved. way off guard, and I’m just not accustomed However, during this week students and to the whole unfamiliarity of the situation, not faculty members had to overcome numerous being around the car anymore.” obstacles. For the beginning of the week, and The last impediment to school during this in some extreme cases, through the end of the week was transportation, specifically public. week, people in the Haverford community For the entire week, SEPTA trains and busses went home to dark, cold houses. In some were 45 minutes to an hour late. This delay districts the power was not returned until the presented a problem for Haverford members weekend. Students had to do homework and who rely on public transportation to commute teachers had to grade without both light and to school. Mason Hall, someone who takes the internet connectivity. train daily, says, “Every day the trains were Fourth Former Connor Atkins talked consistently late. This forced commuters to about his situation: “Having to do numerous arrive at train stations on time and usually have homework assignments online is hard enough, to wait a significant amount of time.” and without power and internet it’s impossible. As adventuresome as it was for everyone However, the teachers were really sympathetic at Haverford, we must respectfully remember and understood the problems and adjusted due those whom the storm struck and hurt the dates to accommodate this.” most.
Season of Life Review
Arjun Dravid ’15 reviews Joe Ehrmann’s book, Season of Life and describes how it relates to Haverford. Arjun Dravid ’15
Season of Life: a Football Star, a Boy, a Journey to Manhood, is a Pulitzer Prize winning book by Jeffrey Marx. The book is a first person account of the Gilman football team during its 2001 season, and the lessons Marx learns about being a man along the way. The book was mandatory reading for the entire Upper School body this year. The book primarily revolves around one concept: how to be a true man. Joe Ehrmann, who is a former NFL player and assistant coach on the Gilman football team, and current minister/motivational speaker, teaches both his players and Marx about being a “true man.” Jeffrey Marx originally just wanted to talk to Joe Ehrmann as a way to reconnect with many of the former Baltimore Colts players with whom he had spent his childhood. He did not realize that meeting Joe would inspire him to write this biographical book. Joe Ehrmann teaches his football players various lessons about being a man, including “false masculinity” and “being a man for others.” What made Gilman’s program so unique was the fact that winning came second. All the coaches truly cared about was the betterment of the boys. Their first and main concern was that the boys acted and behaved properly. It is very rare to see this kind of social environment, particularly in the cutthroat environment of high school football. Joe and Biff (head coach) hold meetings or “Chapel” before each game where they don’t focus on their game plan, but rather how to build real men. For example, before their big first game against DeMatha, the boys weren’t going over plays, but reading about how to not judge a person by appearance - not to categorize someone, but to judge them for what they are inside. They also stressed the point of the true definition of a man, not the stereotypical buff, macho, strong man, but one that is kind, caring, and empathetic. Another crucial point is “revolving
integrity.” As head coach Biff says, “No matter which way you turn, or what situation you’re in that turns you, people will see that you have the same integrity in every situation.” This concept is something that we all struggle with. Do we behave differently in different environments?
Joe Ehrmann at Haverford.
Ms. Dawn Blake
Yes. But it shouldn’t be this way. You shouldn’t act differently towards different people to convince them you’re something you’re not. These lessons and others circulate within the novel as key takeaway points. Jeffrey Marx documents the entire Gilman football season. They boys win a few and lose a few, and the book finishes with their last game against their biggest rival, Mcdonogh - Gilman wins by kicking a field goal as time expires. Though the primary focus of the book is not on Gilman’s season, it’s great to see the Gilman boys win their last game. Marx also includes a conversation he has with his father, to whom he was never very close. Through observing Joe and the Gilman boys he feels compelled to reconcile his relationship with his father, a truly perfect way to end his book. In the Haverford locker room, to the left of the exit door, is a mirror. The other day after getting changed after gym, I was making sure I hadn’t completely messed up my uniform when I saw a poem peeking out from beneath the mirror. It was the poem mentioned in the book, “That Guy in the Glass.” I highly recommend that everyone look at it when they leave the locker room, because reading it yourself and trying to live by the poem, will help you in immeasurable ways.
Club Spotlight: Robotics
Jared Welsh ’15 puts the spotlight on the Robotics team, a growing club at Haverford that engages students in the field of engineering. Jared Welsh ’15 Not many students at Haverford know much about robotics. That is, other than the assembly each year where Fifth Former Jonathan Paras tells everyone that while we might not be kicking touchdowns we are doing some great work out there. With Team 169A clinching third place at the World Championship last year, the one trophy that refuses to sit in Haverford’s cabinet is the greatest of them all. That is the world title. However, this year, with the newly created varsity teams, it is starting to look like the team has a better chance. Haverford’s mentor and coach, Mr. Chuck Glick, split the team into two different groups after the first competition, requiring each team to rebuild its robots. Mr. Glick split the group into a Varsity and Junior Varsity team, where the Varsity teaches and helps out with the Junior Varsity. This system increases the team’s chances of winning because now there are three teams that have the most experienced people working together, getting the best parts, and creating great robots. Team 169 has more than doubled in size in the past year, adding a larger middle school program, and many eager Third Formers. Vex has also made a uniqe challenge this year in the new game called Sack Attack. The game uses half-pound sacks as scoring objects in a twelve by twelve field that is divided in the center by plastic troughs. Each team must attempt to score on the trough of their team
color (either red or blue) and by the end of the match, tally up more points for their team to clinch the victory. It is a challenge that seriously tests the engineering prowess of the participants. At the recent competition in the Dover Air Base, the team did not come in first but still won three trophies: one for a design award and two for a build award. This competition did not go as well as was hoped. Because it was so early, many robots had not been tested and were not prepared to go head-to-head with robots that had been worked on all summer. This competition was the first of a series of nine, not including the World Championship, which includes both the Washington D.C. Championship and one competition in Canada. More recently, however, three Haverford teams qualified at a Maryland district tournament. This has already secured the team three spots at the International Vex Championships which will once again be held in Anaheim, California. The World Championship is a competition in California where the best robots go headto-head for the title of world champion; it is also where they reveal the game for next year. The Varsity team is building robots that, as Mr. Glick says, are “world’s ready” and hopefully can win that trophy this year. If you are interested in engineering or software program and are willing to put in the time comitment, robotics meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the Severinghaus Library classroom.
2012 Championship Stadium
Index Staff
Page 7
The Index
News
December 2012
Is Facebook Helping Students or Just Distracting Them? Jake Pechet ’15 You wake up and check it. On the way to school you might give it a glance. At least twice throughout the day you’ll take a look. When you get home, you might spend an hour, maybe even more, browsing about. Before going to sleep, you have to look one last time for any new notifications. Surely you’ve figured out by now that I’m talking about Facebook. While perhaps not everyone monitors their profile with such regularity, most of us can attest to wasting a fair amount of our time scrolling through News Feeds, looking at funny pictures of friends, and checking notifications. To many, Facebook is an enormous time suck. You log on to take a
down and crank out that paper or study for that test, Facebook offers an easy escape. Unfortunately, so many of us opt for this route every night that we constantly find ourselves with less time than we started with. Simply put, Facebook is the procrastinator’s best friend. However, Facebook certainly is not all bad. It offers us a way to connect and communicate with friends on an unprecedented level. While this contributes to wasted time in some cases, it also greatly reduces time wasted in many others. Imagine it’s 9:45, and you’re stuck on a difficult WebAssign problem. It is too late to call Mr. Trocano, but you know someone else has already figured
dailymotion.com
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg
Sixth Former Henri Mattila at the Facebook headquarters.
quick break from hours of homework, and all of a sudden, ten minutes has turned into thirty. When you get stuck while writing an essay, you turn to Facebook hoping for inspiration, only to find yourself mindlessly staring at the computer screen in a vain attempt to distract yourself. Nearly every Haverford student can relate to these momentary lapses in judgement that give way to rising panic. This panic stems from the realization that Facebook has “stolen” precious time away in the nightly battle to finish homework at a somewhat reasonable hour. When you lack the motivation to buckle
Katarina Mattila
out the answer. Simply post in the Chemistry group page on Facebook, and within minutes, your question is answered. Similarly, if you forget to write down the assigned pages for history class, merely messaging a classmate on Facebook is enough to have your problem immediately solved. Facebook has essentially become a requirement in school, just as much as a backpack or calculator. Every club has a Facebook page to share important information; all sports teams have pages to talk about upcoming games and practices; many classes have created pages to discuss homework and
A Facebook group for Haverford students.
other assignments. There are even pages for entire Forms to communicate with each other. If you do not have a Facebook, you are missing crucial information. This, among other motivations, has prompted just about every Haverford student to create a profile. Despite the introduction of Edmodo, a
Index Staff
website similar to Facebook, reserved for academics and monitored by teachers, Facebook remains the hands-down favorite for communication. Without it, students feel out of the loop and uninformed. Facebook has its clear benefits and detriments, but one thing is for certain: it is a most necessary evil.
Midterms: The “New” New System Arjun Dravid ’15 outlines the new midterm system with exams before break and lists how the changes will impact students this winter. Arjun Dravid ’15
Midterms. A term unfamiliar to the Third Formers but all too familiar to the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Formers. In the past, midterms were despised, even loathed by those who had to suffer through them; however, when they were taken away last year, a majority of the students discovered that they preferred them to other alternatives. They asked, and so they shall receive. After a brief one year hiatus, midterm examinations have returned. The exams will be administered from December 17th to December 21st. Students are not permitted to leave school early for winter break, as midterms are mandatory. Last year midterms were canceled because it was agreed that they deprived students of two weeks of studying and teachers of two weeks of classroom interaction with students. The reasoning was sound; those two weeks were a waste of valuable time. Under the old system, students either stressed over and studied for their exams during winter break, or they relaxed and forgot
some of the material. Generally speaking, students did not have a relaxing vacation because they were too worried about midterms, or they performed poorly on their midterms because they relaxed during their winter break. The situation was a lose-lose, and Mr. Green decided last year that it was unfair to take away from the student’s learning and their vacation simultaneously. Motivated by this new mentality, Mr. Green revised the conventional midterm model. The new model allowed teachers to give an assessment during their double-blocks that would serve as a cumulative test. This move was very unpopular within the student body, for many believed that there was now less time to study an amount of material equivalent to that on the old exams. In some cases, students even had homework on top of their test preparations. As current VI Former Aron Morgan puts it, “It was too much work in too little time. In some classes I had major tests and in others I had almost nothing. The balance was not right and I think this year’s system is a lot better.” So this year Mr. Green and the faculty
Fifth Former Beauchamp Zirnkilton studying for his math exam.
have decided to return to a collegiate model in which midterms will be shifted to the week before winter break. The flow of work will now end right before the exams, students will have the right time to study, and winter break will be stress-free. These midterms will also be great practice for the final exams. Many teachers last year stressed that we had not had
Index Staff
enough experience taking a proper exam before finals arrived. This year is different. The midterms should allow students to get a sense of how to prepare, how to review, and how to mentally handle a large assessment. This year’s change is not permanent, but simply another attempt to maximize student learning.
Page 8
The Index
December 2012
Arts
Play Review: One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Jackson Simon ’15 reviews the fall drama at Haverford: Haverford’s production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Jackson Simon ’15
The play revolves around the story of a group of men at a mental institution and how they Starting interact October 24th among and ending themselves October 27th, the and with Haverford school the nurses. drama department Of course proudly presented every play the play, One Flew needs a Over the Cuckoo’s protagonist Nest. The play is and a most well known star. Tyler for its 1975 Brooks movie that won played R.P. several Academy McMurphy Awards. Haverford and was mounted its own a fitting successful Tyler Brooks (Right) , R.j. Meiers (Left) , and Mike Green (Center) Matthew Cloran choice to play the production role. McMurphy has a less severe mental in our very own Centennial Hall. Roles in this illness than the others, although he is not play required a high level of acting, which was devoid of struggle with his own mental on display in the performances directed by the faculties. Tyler Brooks demonstrated how drama department head, Mr. Mathew Cloran. physical embodiment and tone of voice can The most distinctive feature of the play in make or break a character. He walked on stage comparison to those put on at Haverford in the and projected his strong, comical voice which past was the seating arrangement. As opposed revealed key aspects of his character: the big, to traditional seating with a proscenium loud, sexual, humorous, dirty, and extremely stage, the audience members sat “in the confident city-goer. Whether it was from him round,” meaning they sat around the set. This jumping and sprinting around the set, speaking ultimately created an intimate effect in that with energy and self-assurance, or laughing we, the audience members, were able to better freely without restraint, Tyler allowed the experience the scene and feel a part of the audience to penetrate deep into McMurphy’s story. The performance itself was enhanced by emotions and the motives behind his actions. this. Unfortunately, this meant that there were Of course our very own president, Mike less seats available for purchase. I am sure, Green, showed his talent in playing Billy however, that everyone who saw the show was Bibbit. Billy seemed to be a challenging thoroughly impressed with the high level of character, but Mike was so convincing that acting and the intensity of the production. hearing him talk in an assembly a week later
Notables Concert
George Hall ’15 outlines the performance schedule for Haverford’s Notables and speaks about their plans for the future. George Hall ’15
and Jazz band. Following the Christmas season they will sing at the Ardmore Rotary at Merion Cricket Under the direction of Mr. Mark Hightower, Club. After that, there will be a series of The Haverford School Notables have acquired services on Sunday, January 27th and Sunday, a full schedule for the remainder of the 2012February 3rd at Princeton 2013 school Services. On February 19th year. These the glee club travels to events are Brearly, New York to practice scheduled for with their choir and then sing the tribute of together in an event. The former director Haverford Musicopia event, Michael annually co-run by Amar Stairs. Before Patel and Josh Collins, will Christmas, the be held on Thursday March Notables will 14th, featuring not only be performing Haverford’s music program at multiple Linda Walters The Haverford School Notables but also the Musicopia churches and organization as well. The year concludes with events as they carol and perform concerts. the annual Inter-Ac acapella concert hosted by This begins on December 7th when they Episcopal. At this event every Inter Ac school will be caroling in Bryn Mawr. The next day acapella group come together and perform. there will be an event known as “New Leaf” Some of the other groups are the Hilltones with Agnes Irwin and Baldwin. The annual (SCH), the Quaker Dozen (PC), and the Haverford winter concert is on Wednesday Stripes (EA). Please mark any number of these night, December 13. This concert includes all events in your calendar and come witness a musical art aspects at Haverford, featuring performance in tribute to Mr. Stairs. performances by the Glee Club, the Notables Sunday, December 2 @ 7:00 p.m.: Ardmore Methodist Tuesday, December 4 @ 7:00 p.m.: Dunwoody Friday, December 7@ 5:30 p.m.: Caroling in Bryn Mawr Saturday, December 8: New Leaf Wednesday December 12 @ noon: Bryn Mawr Pres. Thursday, December 13 @ 7:30 p.m.: Winter Concert at Haverford Friday, December 14 @ 2:00 p.m.: Nutcracker Tea Series Thursday , January 10@noon: Ardmore Rotary Sunday, January 27: Princeton Service Sunday, February 3 @ MorningPrinceton Service Saturday February 9 @All Day: Brearly New York February 11-12 Combined Baldwin Thursday, March 14 @ 12:00: Musicopia (Wayne, PA) April 4: Inter-Acapella: Episcopal Academy
finally brought me back to reality. Billy is a quiet, lonely, humble virgin who stutters shyly after every syllable. The performance of Mario Maggio and Chauncey Simmons provided some comic relief to the very emotional, serious and R.P. McMurphy with fellow patients of his ward. dark play. For Mr. Matthew Cloran major accomplishment and great creative intervals of 15 minutes decision. All in all, the play was of a stature at a time, Mario stood frozen in a cross-like far beyond what one would expect of a high stance, which seemed to require a lot of school production. shoulder strength and endurance. And of course, he added an occasional “screw R. P. McMurphy: Tyler Brooks em all” shout that gave everyone a good Nurse Ratched: Sarah Schiefflin laugh. Chauncy did the same as he came Billy Bibbit: Mike Green into the institution every night, flickering Chief Bromden: Kory Calicat his flashlight back and forth, humming and Harding: Max Schmidt tossing, moving his head two and fro, then Scanlon: RJ Meiers finally pausing to drink some alcohol. Cheswick: Ian Riley Kory Kalicat pulled off another Martini: Manav Khandelwal challenging role in this play. In playing the Ruckley: Mario Maggio role of Chief Bromden, Kory had to sit in Nurse Flynn: Mariana Capizzi depressing, silent poses while maintaining Aide Warren: Toney Goins a very doleful visage. Kory’s monologue Aide Williams: Justin Chermol performances were quite impressive as Candy Starr: Madalaina DÁngelo the audience was able to experience his Sandra: Charlotte Morris complex emotions. By the end of the play, Aide Turkle: Chauncey Simmons Kory turned out to be the most dynamic Technician: Louis Brown character as he finally starts to speak up for Stage Manager: Charles Battersby and gain confidence in himself. Light Designer: Christopher Wong From a technical standpoint, the stage Light Board: Chris Bradley crew did a superb job in adjusting the Sound Board: Ethan DeLehman lighting for the times of day and mood of the scene. Building such a unique set was a
Arts Credit (Cont.) Continued from the Front Page
study of 3-D Art Modeling after attending an exclusive arts school in California during last year’s spring semester. Jones isn’t a fan of the system, saying, “Yes, it does slightly hurt the environment because people who take the class seriously do not get a lot of respect for their work and the people who do not really care about the class just waste the materials that could be used by someone else in a more effective manner.” For people like Isaiah, whose art is quite sophisticated and has excellence well beyond his years, it is easy to see the source of his frustration. It is not uncommon to see a student who simply messes around for a year in his art class just for the credit and then quits the next year; not only does the bad behavior detract from the overall
People who emphasize the sciences and math over art are misguided, he says, because “I just don’t see the divide between the arts, math and science. Art can be used to teach all the subjects; I was an art major in college, but I had a minor in science. They’re more similar than people think.” Then there are those who like the current system, including Sixth Former Tyler Brooks and Fourth Former Paul Harryhill. They like how the art credit isn’t too demanding but still accomplishes its original goal: fostering a love of the arts in students who might not have had any prior arts experiences. Brooks comments, “Some people do it because of their interest and a lot of people do it because they need an art credit, but a lot of those kids actually end up loving the class and pursuing it outside the classroom as well. I was one of those kids.” He certainly is, as one of Haverford’s most devoted actors and a top finisher in the “Dramatic Interpretation” portion of Debate and Speech competitions. Harryhill, a rare sophomore who takes an honors art course because of his artistic talents, concurs, “There are a good amount of kids who do something for their art credit just because they have to, not because they really enjoy doing that or even know much about it. Sixth Former Ben Rohr getting his arts credit in the multimedia lab. Index Staff environment, but it takes attention away But they grow to find that they enjoy it a lot. from the teacher who could be supporting a Without that pressure to get an arts credit, student with a real passion for the subject. however, they would have never tried it and Which view is “correct” is tough to would not have found that love and passion.” determine, especially because they are all right Finally, there are those, including Sixth in their own way. Arts are such an important Former Isaiah Jones, who think the credit part of The Haverford School, one-third of system can serve to hurt the environment of it supposedly, that taking a real look at the the classroom. Jones is one of Haverford’s school’s “Fine Arts Requirement” might be a most accomplished visual arts students, taking necessity. 3-D Art Design now and doing an independent
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The Index
Sports
December 2012
Athlete of the Issue: Drew Field Jack Henderson ‘15 praises Fifth Former Drew Field, who was chosen as this month’s Athlete of the Issue for his exceptional squash ability. Jack Henderson ’15 Sixth Former Drew Field, one of three squash team captains this year, looks to lead the squad to an Inter-Ac title and a national championship. Field and the rest of the team have been preparing for the season since the beginning of the summer and through the fall, spending numerous hours training physically and mentally, refining their skills for the long season that awaits them. Field is impressed by the quality and depth of the team but realizes that there is no room for speculation on performance because there is much to be done before February and Nationals. Field first started squash when he was in fourth grade, but he never focused on the
sport until later in middle School. Once he entered high school, Field narrowed his focus to baseball and squash. Field has come to realize over the years that the brotherhood formed throughout the squash season lasts forever. He still remembers that when he was in middle school, “amazed by the skill of Ash Egan [‘10] as a freshman. Watching him battle with EA’s top player Brandon McLaughlin was unbelievable.” Field loves the camaraderie and team spirit that is ubiquitous on the squash courts at Haverford. Field has high expectations for both the varsity and JV teams. He says, “The strength of this year’s team certainly lies in its depth; Haverford has close to 25 players that are all capable of playing on varsity teams at many
Field at a squash match last season.
Mr. Jim Roese
programs around the nation. That depth was evident last year in the JV’s domination of all competition and their finish as the 23rd best team overall in the nation - an extremely impressive feat. We feel that our depth is even better this year and the talent at the top is also improved.” Field has played with a Prince racket for his entire squash career and has recently switched to Asics shoes. He has played for a very long time, but he never focused on the pre-match routine that is so necessary at the highest level of competition until recently. Field explains, “As I have gotten older, pregame activities have become Field with his other sport, baseball.
increasingly important for me. Music, warming up, and stretching help me get physically and mentally prepared for a match.” Field and the rest of the team say that their “ultimate goal from day one has been for our ‘Varsity A’ team to win the National Championship this year, and for our ‘Varsity B’ team to win the second division up at Nationals, placing them 17th in the country. We certainly have the talent to reach both of those goals; it is a matter of working as hard as we possibly can during the season and staying healthy.”
Drew Field
Field has played in many school matches over the years at Haverford. He has become experienced under pressure and will definitely help him this season as he plays the most important squash matches of his life. He says, “The biggest match of my career thus far definitely was against Episcopal last year during the regular season. We lost that match 7-2, but I was able to come back from a 2-0 defecit and win my match in 5 games in front of the home crowd.” He has reflected on all the moments he has shared with his teammates over the years on the Haverford Squash team and has no regrets. Field explains, “Along the way to Nationals, our varsity team is looking to take down Episcopal for the first time in years. Our squad is the strongest it has been in recent memory and their squad is more vulnerable this year. We know these goals are lofty, but they are reasonable. I look forward to an amazing final year of Haverford squash.” Field has enjoyed every moment spent with the team throughout his time at Haverford and looks to finish off his squash career on a high note with a high school national title.
Sixers Fans at Haverford
Austin Krell ’16 talks about the 76ers, Philadelphia’s own basketball team, and the connection they have to Haverford. Austin Krell ’16
I have only been a Sixers fan for a few years because I only really got into sports about four years ago. The first sport I ever became a fan of was baseball: I became a dedicated Phillies fan in 2008, the year they won the World Series. I also became a Sixers fan that year. I had no clue that for their past few seasons at that time, Sixers fans saw .500 basketball (41-41), at best. I also found out that most of Philadelphia’s NBA seasons ended with a 4-2 loss in the first round of the playoffs. Like others, I have often been left disappointed with this Sixers team. In my first season as a fan, they finished 41-41. In
Andrew Bynum.
nba.com
the second, 27-55. In the third, 41-41. In the fourth, 35-31 (lockout shortened season). But this year, I am looking forward to some excellent basketball. The Sixers traded their once promising Small Forward, Andre Iguodala. Iguodala signed a big contract after a very promising 2008-09 campaign, but he never showed up, so his contract could be dumped. He was sent to Denver in the four-team deal that sent Center Dwight Howard to the Lakers and Center Andrew Bynum to the Sixers. The Sixers also acquired sharpshooters Jason Richardson from the Orlando Magic and Dorell Wright from the Golden State Warriors. The acquisitions of these two shooters and the powerful big man are what have me so excited. One fundamental way of playing good basketball is having a dominant big man. (Update: He was just declared out indefinitely, so his future in Philadelphia is murky at best. For those who do not know basketball, a dominant big man should shoot a very high field goal percentage (in other words, he should not miss often). He ought to make around 65% of his shots. The dominant big man stands under the basket on offense and dunks the ball. After a team gets a dominant big man, they must get shooters. Teams with a good big man need shooters so that they can play this style of
basketball: 1) The guards get it to the big man 2) He gets himself closer to the basket 3) The defense does not want him to score so they markecendream.webs.com The Philadelphia 76ers logo. double-team him (have and Jason another Richardson, the Sixers have a good four or player come over and help defend him) 4) The five shooting threats. In my eyes, this Sixers big man sucks in the double-team and passes squad is a faster, younger, and more athletic the ball out to the shooter for a three pointer version of the 2008-09 Orlando Magic -- who or he shoots the ball himself (depending on made it to the NBA Finals. I am not saying this how close to the basket he is). Shooters spread team is going to the Finals, but I do think there the floor because the defense does not want is reason for the Sixer fans in The Haverford to let the shooters get open, so they guard School to be VERY excited for this season and them tightly. It is important to spread the floor the future. I predict a season that sees between because if a team does not do that, the defense 46 and 52 wins. Originally, I was asked to sits in the middle of the paint and it is harder to name a few fans in the this school. There physically get to the basket. Also, a team that are about seven students that I know who shoots the ball well and has the big man pulls know Sixers basketball -- all of them in the the defense out of sync because the defense is Fourth Form. Nick Greco, Robbie Klein, Jack constantly running out of the double team to McAleese, Andrew Gushner, Arjun Dravid, guard the shooter. Curran Aiyer, Manav Khandelwal, and Harry The Sixers also signed free agent guard, Bellwoar. Each one of these guys knows this Nick “Swaggy” Young, to replace Lou team very well and are all very energetic and Williams (signed with the Atlanta Hawks). supportive fans. There are also four faculty Young is an excellent scorer and shooter. With who know the Sixers: Mr. Tirado, Mr. Fifer, the acquisitions of Nick Young, Dorell Wright, Mr. Cloran, and Mrs. Krieg.
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The Index
December 2012
Sports
Basketball Set to Succeed with Strong Roster Logan Atkins ’15 explains the coming season for the basketball squad. The article has important information for any fan, including captains, key players, and managers. Logan Atkins ’15
As the fall season comes to an end, anticipation for a heavily packed basketball schedule can be felt throughout the school. Heading into Coach Henry Fairfax’s second season in command of the Fords, the team has several leaders and a few new players that are all focused in on the first goal set by Coach Fairfax: defeating Shipley. However, the real goal is to use the game of basketball to teach the players values of life and to show parallels between what is going on in a game or in practice with problems that all will face as they continue to grow. The captains of this year’s team consist of Sixth Formers Trevor Atkins, Semaj Reed, James Tarte, and Fifth Former Eric Anderson. All are very capable leaders, and all have both experience in an intense Inter-Ac league. Importantly, they also know how to deal with
the ups and downs of a difficult schedule. Other important players are Fourth Formers Shawn Alston, Derek Mountain, and Sean Lloyd. Sixth Formers Reilly Hupfeldt, Gerard Hoetzel, Fifth Formers Brendan Burke, Diego Fernandez, and Hasan Morrison are also expected to have a positive impact during the season. Coach Fairfax asks for the team to compete with 110% effort every day, whether it is a practice or a game. This theory allows for the boys to be prepared before they play, so there will be no worries when they step onto the co urt. Coach Fairfax is not the only one who will be helping the boys. Coach Leon Dales, who was the head coach of the JV team last year and also runs a premier AAU team, will join Fairfax this year coaching the Varsity squad. Coach Charles Monroe and Coach Joe Corbett additionally will be instructing
Reed in a game last year.
Mr. Jim Roese
on the varsity level. Coach Sam Permutt will be the Head Coach of the JV team, and he, like all of the coaches, has a huge amount of experience. The schedule this year has several notable
Anderson in a game last year.
Mr. Jim Roese
out of league games including St. Benedicts, Boys’ Latin, and Vaux. The team also has very good managers with Devon Wilkins and Ryan Bowman, which is essential for keeping everything running.
Swim Team Looks For Gold Hockey’s Run at the Series Sam Dyer ’15
Tyminski, who surprised coaches last year as an 8th grader, among other potential divers. There figures to be plenty of excitement this season as Jameson and Haigh attempt to break school records in the 100 Butterfly and 400 Freestyle, respectively. In addition, the Fords are poised to earn big wins against Penn Charter and EA. This year’s contest against Malvern will also be tightly contested, and
Last winter, the Fords shocked the world and had a tremendous 3rd place finish at the Easterns Competition, capping off one of the most successful seasons in Haverford swimming history. However, a large part of that championship-winning core graduated last year, like key swimmers Andrew Helber, Connor O’Prey, Matt Luminais, and others who have since left for college. In addition, Jimmy Orsini and Davis Schwenke graduated from the diving team as well, leaving holes there that will need to be filled. Despite those losses, this season should still be very exciting, for there is no shortage of talented swimmers. Sixth Former Jimmy Jameson and Index Staff Haverford swimming team before practice. Third Former Matt Haigh will lead the way, along with Sixth Formers the Fords will get another chance to defeat Patrick Somers and JJ House. The Fifth Form perennial powerhouse GA. has even more talented swimmers, with Dan Overall, the level of ambient energy is set to McGrath, John Zipf, Alexander Heldring, Alex ramp up in the pool room with meets occurring Zhang, and Chet Bickhart all expecting to play throughout December and January. The team’s prominent roles. Fourth Formers Ben Nelligan preparations have put it in a position to be and Luke Ryan will be important participants very competitive, as well as providing them as well, along with Curran Browning, Colin a chance to finish 2nd in the Inter-Ac. In Moran, Sam Dyer, and Third Formers Kenny Fitzpatrick and Reed Haabestad. On the Diving addition, Head Coach Sean Hansen is likely to see his daughter born at some point during the team, Fifth Former Will Pierce leads a young season, which should be an inspiring event for group that will also feature Third Former Alec the program.
Austin Merritt ’13 shows how the Hockey team’s plans set them up for a serious shot at the Inter-Ac series. Austin Merritt ’13
Hun School and Haverford’s rival, Episcopal Academy. Along with the strong Sixth Form class, the underclassmen add loads of talent with the speed of Brendan Jacob ‘15 and the defensive
The Fords hockey team is ready to skate over its competition this year. Led by a strong Sixth Form core of Henry Brooks, Tyler Miller, Austin Merritt, DJ Conner, Sam Bowen, Billy Seltzer, Tommy Curry, and Frank Gentile, the Fords look to challenge their league opponents and take this season’s title. Last year Haverford made the playoffs, but they unfortunately lost early in the competition. This year their goal - and some would argue their expectation - is to win. After practicing for the greater part of the Mr. Jim Roese Haverford School Hockey player takes to the ice. last month, the team is looking very strong, despite the skills of Brandon Vattima ‘15. In their Second injury to key Sixth Former Tommy Curry. On Form year (the top of the middle school), top of playing their league schedule, the team the Class of 2013 won the hockey league is set to play the local powerhouse Malvern championship: let’s hope they can keep this a total of 4 times. Winning that series would tradition now that they are at the top of the prove that Haverford’s strength is not to be Upper School. taken lightly.Other key opponents include the
The Philadelphia Eagles: Andy Reid’s Final Season? Thomas Gravina ’16 shares his thoughts on the Eagles season thus far and whether or not they can pull out some semblence of dignity from a fairly embarassing season. Thomas Gravina ’16 We should have seen this coming. We could have looked past our blind optimism when Michael Vick threw four interceptions against the Cleveland Browns in the first game of the season, but as the loyal Eagles fans we all are, we chose to accept the win and treat it as a learning experience. We were again presented with the chance to grasp reality when the Eagles needed an offensive pass interference call to beat the Baltimore Ravens. Again, many of us (myself included) decided to use that game as a building block, an old fashioned, grind-it-out, win. Fast forward two weeks and they had blown a hard fought lead against the Steelers with two minutes left and played tough in a great win versus the defending champions, the New York Giants. At that point, the Eagles were 3-1, leading the NFC East,
and the traditional Philly “spirit” had reached a fevered pitch: the thoughts that this team might actually live up to their big money expectations were voiced by many. After the past six games, the Eagles have answered all of our questions. Our blind optimism has given way to indifference. When have you ever heard the term indifference in describing an Eagles fan base? The anger of losing has subsided, and for many across the Delaware Valley, there is no more energy left to protest. The Eagles have shown us why they are the worst professional Philadelphia sports team in the last decade. You could make the case for the post-Iverson Sixers, but they didn’t even have expectations. They never filled up their building like the Eagles did every home game, and only a small geographic area of people truly supported the Sixers while the Eagles are supported outside
of Philadelphia. The Eagles have half the state of Pennsylvania on their side. Every single test the Eagles have been put up to, they have failed spectacularly. Their fall from grace was swift and unavoidable. They can’t tackle, can’t score, can’t return punts, can’t cover punts, can’t cover wide receivers, can’t stop turnovers, and can’t block opposing players. We all like to blame Sixth Former Garrett Grubb (left) and his brother Fourth Former Matt Grubb (right). Garrett Grubb Michael Vick for this and was atrocity, but in reality he is not the reason the immediately taken off the field with a massive Eagles can’t fly. He has been beaten into the concussion. His contract will go down to be ground consistently and every time he gets hit, the defining moment in the final years of Andy I become increasingly surprised to see him get Reid’s coaching tenure, but in truth it would up. This concern was brought to light when have been crazy not to have fallen for his he got hammered against the Dallas Cowboys incredible performances in 2010.
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The Index
Sports
Wrestling Revitalized
Ben Quan ’15 describes a revitalized wrestling team that is rebuilding after the graduation of many Haverford wrestlers. Ben Quan ’15
To kick off the Inter-Ac matches, the team’s home opener is on January 4 against Chestnut Hill Academy, against whom Haverford has been victorious over the past few years. The squad also welcome their new coach, Mr. Wheeler, a graduate and a wrestler from Drexel University. Our wrestlers are very dedicated to the
Fords wrestling season is here once again! Many new wrestlers have joined the team, including Douglas Freemann, J.R. Pender, Freddy Corradetti, David Chikowski, and Mickey Kober. Kober is unfortunately recovering from an injury for the season, but he is managing the team. Even though many wrestling stalwarts were lost to graduation such as Ron Tassoni, Dean Fineman, Zach Rego, Zach Trauger, Remi Yang, Nick Alexander, Chris DiBello, and Dylan Anderson - many kids have moved up to replace them. Rough practices and intense workouts ensure that this year’s team should offer good competition at their meets and tournaments. The glory of defeating their opponents and winning medals make every shed pound and every intense practice worth the time. Haverford’s first tournament is Dawn Blake A Haverford wrestler prepares to flip an opponent. on December 1 at St. Benedicts, which is the earliest tournament they have ever had. team, giving up almost all their Saturday mornings this season to wrestle at tournaments all around the East Coast. Every wrestler is working extremely hard to do well in the State Championship and move on to the National Championship. Everyone is looking forward to this upcoming season, and we hope to have many fans to come support us. Haverford wrestler overcoming an athlete from Central High. Dawn Blake
December 2012
Meet of the Champions
Matt Larson ’14 shares his talk with the Winter Track team and shows their plans to step up the level of competitiveness that the Winter Track team offers. Matt Larson ’14
of base, speed, and performance. The first part of the season will be implemented around The winter track team looks primed for success “build[ing] the endurance and strength needed heading into to be successful,” which is the 2012-2013 the “base” concept. This season. Led by includes running long head coaches Dr. distances and multiple runs William Ehrhart, of varying length on the Mr. Jay Wright track to get the team back ’96, and Mr. Brian in shape and to prepare Skelly, the track for the more difficult team wishes to second half of the season. build on the last This second half, which team’s accolades. “focus[es] on increasing After making speed,” includes several it to the State visits to the indoor track at championships Haverford College every last year in the Tuesday as well as tougher 400 meter and training regimens to make 800 meter, and the team perform better at to the Meet of its actual meets. Champions in According to Dr. the 4x200 meter Ehrhart, “The boys need relay, the team is to work hard and run with once again hungry passion…but so long for victory. A key as everyone does their part of this team’s best, the season will be positive outlook a success.” As much as Jim Roese Runners from Haverford’s Winter Tack team is the fact that speed is important, “we have not lost effort is as well; as many runners to graduation, so most of our Mr. Wright explained, “for positive results to core strength is back this season,” Dr. Ehrhart occur, we need a full commitment.” While explained. As for his prediction regarding the winning medals at meets are an important forthcoming season, Dr. Ehrhart commented, priority, that’s not the real goal for the team “I feel very good about the upcoming season… this year. Dr. Ehrhart expressed the desire that we have a solid group of third formers joining each runner “be the best runner he can be.” the ranks of the veterans.” This is a marked In addition, the coaches want them “to have a improvement from two years ago, where great time doing it: win, lose, or draw… [we] no runners even qualified for the Meet of want every member of the team…to be able Champions, let alone the State Championships. to look back with satisfaction.” When asked about any final thoughts on how the team The season will be tiered around a needs to perform this season, Dr. E remarked, “dynamic and effective coaching style,” Mr. “Run hard, race harder, do our best, and have Wright remarked. This includes three concepts fun…Winter Track Rocks!”
Squash Team Looks for National Title Jack Henderson ’15 offers analysis of the Squash team this year and their chances at a run for the National Title this winter. Jack Henderson ’15
and players are amazed at the work ethic of such an outstanding team, but they all know The Haverford squash team has assembled that there is still much to be done before any a young group of top players in the region. expectations can be met. The squad is built for the long-term with only The main difference between this year’s five Sixth Formers and just one in the top squash team and those from years previous is the depth of this year’s team. For a varsity roster of just eight players, Haverford has almost twentyfive players who could play a varsity role on many top squash programs around the country. The depth of the team was Mr.Roese Haverford squash in a match last year. evident last year during nationals when the seven on the ladder. The entire team realizes JV team dominated the competition, finishing the potential they have together, and they as the 23rd best overall squash team in the do not plan on wasting it. Everyone on the nation, something very few other schools can team has spent the summer and fall preparing say about their JV roster. This year the depth for the long season ahead. They have all put of this team has expanded even further with in countless hours in the offseason on the several top Third Formers entering the ranks courts and in the gym, getting into shape for on the team, and the quality at the top of the the season. Training sessions and weekend roster has improved as well with many of the tournaments are just part of the grind for upperclassmen improving their games in the an aspiring squash player. Both the coaches offseason.
One of three Sixth Form captains Drew Field makes clear that their “ultimate goal from Day One has been for our ‘Varsity A’ team to win the National Championship this year, and for our ‘Varsity B’ team to win the second division up at Nationals, placing them Haverford squash in a match last season. Mr.Roese 17th in the at the bottom of the ladder where every point country. We counts and makes all the difference between certainly have the talent to reach both of those winning and losing a close match. goals; it is a matter of working as hard as we With all of the variables that are involved possibly can during the season and staying in the development of the squash team over healthy.” the long course of the season, something will The captains and coaches have set the always remain true for the Haverford squash bar high with noble goals for the team. They team: they will go into every practice and expect to win the Inter-Ac title, the MASA match with the commitment to outworking league title, and the big one, the U.S. High the opponent. If the squash team does not win School National Championship, held this Nationals, it certainly will not be due to a lack year in Hartford, Connecticut. To achieve of effort. Haverford Squash has an opportunity such a lofty expectation the team will have that they have not experienced for some time to focus on the small aspects of the game now. For the next couple of years Haverford early in the season, which will pay great is going to be a powerhouse at the national dividends at the end of the season during level for high school squash. Whether they can nationals when everything is on the line. It live up to expectations will depend on many will be difficult to win at the top of the ladder factors, but they are definitely on their way against the top teams because they all have to reaching their goal. The squash team will a couple top players in the nation. However, try harder than any other team in the nation the reason Haverford is favored is because of to achieve their final goal in February with a their richness in talent throughout the roster. national championship. Haverford will win matches in the trenches
Page 12
The Index
December 2012
Opinions Is the Electoral College Still Pertinent? Jackson Simon ’15 shares his opinion on the relevance of the Electoral College in the modern era. Jackson Simon ’15
President Barack Obama will serve a second term as he firmly grasped hold of the majority in the electoral college: 332 electoral votes against Romney’s 206. Obama had an advantage in the popular vote as well, yet the margins were significantly smaller than what one would believe if they simply looked at the results of the electoral college. Obama earned 51% of the nation’s vote as opposed to Romney’s 48%: 62,615,406 votes to 59,142,004 votes. Yet, let’s stop and ask ourselves, what if Romney had won the popular vote and lost the election? It has happened before to the losing candidate: Samuel Tilden (1876), Grover Cleveland (1888), and Al Gore (2000). This divide creates more altercations between parties and leads to deep national divisions. Many would question the legitimacy of the current system: “Is the electoral college fair if the majority of Americans voted the other way? Does it accurately reflect the nation’s true voting trends?” Some would respond by saying: The electoral vote was designed by our founding fathers in the constitution, and it is one of the fundamental building blocks of this nation. They could elaborate on this and say, The electoral system reflects the nation as a whole, while still showing the diversity of our great nation because it takes into account the different intents of each region and state. It
is very unlikely that the electoral college will ever be replaced by the direct popular vote, yet one can make an extremely convincing case in favor of its abolishment. Many Americans are still confused about what the electoral college actually is. The electoral college is made of 538 electors designated to each state based on the size of that state’s population. The president needs at least 270 electors, a majority, to win the election. What is even more surprising about this system is the fact that when a voter goes to the polls and votes, one is actually voting for a slate of electors who in 24 states are not legally required to vote for the same candidate chosen by the state’s popular decision. These electors are referred to as “faithless electors.” Although they are not obliged to vote the same way as the people, 99% (according to archives.gov) of the time they do because the electors are selected by a political party and will vote for the candidate representing their party. In other words, the electoral college doesn’t necessarily fulfill the citizens right to vote; they are electing an either democratic or republican slate of electors who then will most likely caste their vote for that same party candidate. The electoral points are added in a “winner takes all” format in all of but two states: Maine and Nebraska. For instance, in 48 states, if a candidate were to win 51% of the state as opposed to his adversary’s 49%, all the electoral points would be awarded to that one
candidate. This is the primary reason why the winner of the popular vote doesn’t always correspond with the winner of the electoral college. Some say the electoral college is skewed in this manner because it does not accurately reflect the voting trends of the nation as a whole. For example, in the 2000 election, Bush controversially won by a few hundred votes in the state of thecrimson.com The projected 2012 electorial college. Florida. This practically negligible and available to difference in the popular vote was transformed everyone in just one click of a button? into a 25 electoral point swing in favor of Bush Another flaw in the electoral college was despite the fact that the President had actually present in the past election. The candidates lost the popular vote by 543,895 ballots. exclusively campaigned in just the nine It is especially important to understand the “battleground” or “swing states.” Does this context and historical background in which the make sense? Why should candidates ignore the electoral college was originally established. rest of the country and prioritize in just these The U.S. Election Atlas has information on states? A voter in a state which has sided with this. When the constitution was drafted in one political party consistently for the past 50 1787, communication was nothing like it was years may choose not to vote in the election today. People could not watch the presidential since his or her vote would have no effect on debates on their televisions nor could they the national results. For this reason, American research the candidates on the internet. For voter turnout rates are lower than many other this reason, “Direct election was rejected western democracies. not because the Framers of the Constitution This dispute is ultimately in the hands of doubted public intelligence but rather because you, the citizen. It is your responsibility to they feared that without sufficient information advocate and support what you believe in about candidates from outside their State, regardless of what others may say to persuade people would naturally vote for a “favorite you. If you truly believe that the electoral son” from their own State or region”. Although college system has the potential to elect the a very proficient and pragmatic argument for wrong candidate in the future, then don’t wait that time period, does it still hold true for this and have your voice heard now. day and age where information is everywhere
Mitt Romney: Post-Election
Stewart Denious ’13 offers his insight into what happened with Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney and why the political game has changed. Stewart Denious ‘13 Whew, that was rough. Just when it seemed my man Mitt Romney had all the momentum at the right time, bam, President Obama took the election in a blazing sweep of all the swing states. The Index asked me to do a post-election opinion piece, and I thought I would focus on a couple of different topics. Firstly, what the voting results mean about the American populous’ wishes, and secondly, what the Republican Party has to do to get back on track. So here we go. Right off the bat I would like to say a couple of things about the voting results: I was surprised but most certainly not shocked. The popular vote was within the ballpark of what I thought it would be, although I, of course, had it tilting for Mitt. When you take a look at how the margins of error lined up in preelection swing state polls it was, again, within reason to say one candidate or the other could take all of them (as obvious as it may seem, that is why they are swing states). Once more, I thought Mitt would take the majority and win, but hey, who has not been wrong? So while the numbers themselves may not have been all that crazy, to me what they signify is far more important. Let us take a look at the places where Mitt Romney struggled to win votes; in my mind, there are two key locations. One is the classic nagging affluent suburban voting bloc that Republicans have struggled with of late. Our area is actually a perfect example of this. The four county region surrounding Philadelphia is primarily made up of these voters and in this election Mitt Romney won only one, Chester County (this writer’s home district, a source of pride on an otherwise sad night). Some of these counties were closer than others but on average it went about 55-45, advantage Obama. When you break down the demographics in these areas it was pretty similar to the national average, with Romney having a small lead among men and Obama a larger one among women. However, Romney’s lead on men was not large enough to counteract Obama’s lead with women, so Romney lost most of the time. In areas like
nor was it this administration’s failure to reform immigration, and it definitely was not the president’s questionable foreign policy. No, this election according to voters was almost exclusively about jobs and to the people of these areas President Obama saved ours (Northern VA, Richmond, suburbs in a lot of jobs. Wait, what? You mean to tell Ohio and Michigan, large portions of Florida, me that this president whose economy was all areas Romney lost) the main reason people losing jobs at record paces actually convinced were disinclined to vote for Romney was not these people that he was a job saver? Well, their love of Obama. In fact, the president’s not exactly. President Obama won these approval ratings were well below 50% in areas people’s votes because of the Auto Industry relating to this for all groups. It was due to bailout. He managed to convince these people the Republican Party’s image as extreme on that they were better off if the government social issues. chose winners Never mind and losers and the fact that they listened. Mitt Romney This election himself is was as much actually more about the role moderate on of government these issues in the economy than a large as it was about portion of the anything else. group people Mitt Romney had think of when highlighted this they conjure in many speeches up images of and in his the socially televised debates, conservative saying things GOP; it was like “The path the wellI lay out is not publicized one paved with comments of ever increasing people like government Todd Akin checks and and Richard cradle-to-grave Mourdock assurances that on rape and government Erich Prince Writer Stewart Denious abortion and will always be the the hardline stance that the Republican Party solution. If this election is a bidding war for platform took on gay marriage and other who can promise more benefits, than I am not issues. This discouraged many women and your President. You have that President today”. even some men in these areas to vote Romney The American people, if only in the Midwest, and was a major reason why he lost. chose President Obama. The second major reason Mitt Romney Much has been made recently of the lost lies once more in the swing states. This “missing white voters,” referring to the nearly election was a referendum on the policies 9 million voters that had cast their ballots of Obama’s first term. Three crucial swing for McCain and not for Romney. Often the states: Ohio, Michigan, and Iowa, have large media has grouped these into one voting manufacturing sectors and in every poll bloc. However, to me it is not one group but a leading up to the election each state had a compilation of many different ones. I believe small but stubborn lead for Obama. How could many are some of the Midwestern industrial this be? It most certainly was not because of workers I mentioned before, some I believe Obamacare, with its 55% disapproval rating,
were evangelical Christian voters who didn’t feel comfortable with a Mormon president and others may have just been dissatisfied and not voted. Overall these people cost Mitt Romney a significant portion of the vote if not the election, but I don’t think it’s totally accurate to group them all together as one group. Mitt Romney lost convincingly (in the electoral college at least), so what’s next for the Republicans? In my opinion there are two options for the GOP now, one far more appealing than the other. The first is what much of the media has been talking about of late and that is the implosion of the party, driven apart by the many different ideals of the members. This is a definite possibility, but in my opinion unlikely. It is probable that the GOP will not cease to exist. While the party may have lost a bit of momentum, when you take into consideration the bright minds that the Republicans have in congress right now, it is hard to see Republicans going away anytime soon. I personally see the Republican party moving in a slightly more libertarian direction over the next few years. With people like Marco Rubio and Scott Brown becoming more popular young leaders of the party, the “religious right” will lose its hold. Rubio and Brown are pro-choice socially moderate Republicans, who have learned lessons from very influential members of the older Republican Party such as Barry Goldwater and Ron Paul. This message has started to resonate with many young voters who are attracted to the Democrats because of their social positions but are dissatisfied with the reckless spending and big government approach that they also bring. These young voters will, if the Republican party can change, come around to the side of reason and liberty and move away from their traditional voting patterns that lead them towards the Democrats. If the Republicans move this way they will assure their continued survival and the survival of the true American values of small government, individual liberty, and fiscal conservatism through the free market. In closing, while this election loss truly stings for the Republicans, there is still a very strong hope that they can return to the values that made this nation great. With new, younger leadership and a move away from the religious right the GOP will continue to thrive and succeed.
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The Index
December 2012
Opinions The Grand New Party Brendan Burns ’15 describes how the election has put the GOP in a change or die scenario and how this monumental shift will affect its posturing moving into the future. Brendan Burns ’15 So What Happens Now, GOP? In this year’s election, President Barack Obama won reelection by over 100 electoral votes. Although the election was often referred to as a close race, the truth, which became apparent uncomfortably late for Republicans, was that their candidate was statistically and demographically doomed to lose the presidential race. The fact that President Obama was reelected after four years during which the country’s credit rating was downgraded, $5 trillion was added to the nation’s debt, millions more people became reliant on welfare, and there was a slow recovery for the economy that has been on the back of monetary machinations rather than actual economic growth should be a disgrace to the Republican Party. It needs to Writer Brendan Burns examine its key weaknesses, which are a lack of party cohesiveness, an unpopular image, and a narrowly-focused party platform that increasingly appeals to fewer and fewer groups of Americans. The first problem the Republican party must address is its lack of unity. The best reason Republicans had this year to support Mitt Romney for President was the fact that he was not Barack Obama. With the conservative Tea Party group of the Republican Party unsatisfied with Mitt Romney’s moderate policies and his centrist track record as the Governor of Massachusetts, the Republicans waged an internal war over who would be their nominee for President. First they tried Rick Perry, then Herman Cain, then Newt Gingrich, then Rick Santorum, who surprisingly mounted the most serious challenge to Romney’s candidacy and forced him to embrace more radical opinions in order to please the more conservative sector of the Republican party and win the nomination. This ultimately provided fodder for Barack Obama and his allies to portray Romney as a flip-flopping ultra-conservative. The disunity of the GOP doesn’t end there. Think of the argument soap opera between John Boehner, Speaker of the House, and Eric Cantor, the House Majority Leader, during the debt ceiling negotiations with Democrats. This lack of cohesiveness has led Obama and
the Democrats to pursue a divide-and-conquer strategy in order to turn the Republican party against itself. In order to succeed, the Republican party must value its unity over the interests of small, aggressive factions within the party that are tearing it apart (read: Tea Party). The second problem is that, increasingly, the GOP is viewed as the party of older white voters. Although this is a huge stereotype of the GOP electorate, numbers do point to a lack of diversity in the Republican support base that will hurt the party more as time progresses. Although Romney received a majority of votes from male Caucasians (and won males in general), President Obama won over AfricanAmericans, Hispanics, women, and young voters by large margins. The Republican Party should be paying extremely close attention to this as these sects of the U.S. population are also the fastestgrowing, which spells disaster for the Republicans in future elections if they cannot broaden their support base. Todd Akin as well as Richard Mourdock let fly with controversial comments about their support for Erich Prince banning abortion, even in cases of rape. Romney, even after immediately distancing himself from these comments, was then portrayed by Democratic Super PACs as a misogynist. Whether Obama’s ad campaign was revealing of Romney’s true intent or simply designed to make women feel victimized, it succeeded, and 55% of female voters cast their ballots for President Obama, while only 44% voted for Romney. This is only one example of the problems the Republican party has had in reaching out to groups of voters. The Hispanic community as a whole is somewhat disillusioned with President Obama. Immigration reform remains an unfulfilled promise. However, they were horrified at the prospect of a Romney presidency after the hard-line immigration rhetoric he adopted during the Republican primaries while trying to siphon off conservative support from Rick Santorum. When there is an incumbent that no one wants to vote for and a challenger that no one wants to vote for, the incumbent will win. Top-ranking Republicans need to reflect on why their party lost the 2012 elections by the margins that they did. It is not because their policies were inherently worse, and not that their candidate was inherently bad. It is because the Republican Party and Mitt Romney did not do a good enough job selling their agenda to enough of the American people. A restructuring of the party should be in order.
The Empire of America With the election having come and passed - and the possibility that George W. Bush’s policies may continue for another four years - now is an important time to examine the United States’s foreign policy. The lack of value that the United States’ foreign policy places on human life is astonishing. Here are a few examples of our country’s decisions that make this point valid over the years: Between 1975 and 1979, the U.S. supplied over 250 million dollars’ worth of military assistance to Indonesia. The aid continued in spite of the Indonesian military’s unprovoked invasion and 15 year occupation of East Timor. During the deadly occupation, U.S. military aid accounted for 90 percent of all Indonesian military equipment. To the U.S., Indonesia’s economic value as an “ultimate emerging market” outweighed any of their human rights violations (wikipedia). Throughout the 20th century, the U.S. supported civil wars, trained death squads, and overthrew democratically elected governments in Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Chile, and Bolivia. The only justification offered for U.S. actions was the containment of communism. During the Iraq-Iran War of the 1980’s, the U.S. provided military intelligence, cluster bombs, and chemical weapons to Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi military’s use of chemical weapons during the war is considered to be one of the worst human rights violations of the 20th century (bbc.co.uk). In response to Hussein’s 1990 invasion of oil-rich Kuwait, the U.S. launched the Gulf War and helped impose sanctions on Iraq. The sanctions resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands Iraqi children. The U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003. George W. Bush said the purpose of the war was to “disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people.” The Iraq War caused well over 100,000 civilian casualties and has left Iraq in a state of extreme instability (georgewbush-whitehouse.archives. gov). As part of its “War on Terror”, the U.S. employs drone strikes in Pakistan. Researchers from Stanford and NYU concluded that drone strikes violate international law and have caused far more civilian deaths than reported by the government. The study also revealed that drone strikes make Pakistanis feel like they are “living in a warzone.” To understand American foreign policy, one has to understand the motives of U.S. policy makers. For example, one need look no further than the Gulf War. One of the George H. W. Bush administration’s stated objectives for the war was “the liberation of Kuwait.” At face value, such a statement is reasonable and just. But was defending another country’s national sovereignty the real impetus for U.S. military intervention? If the U.S. cared about the sovereignty of other countries, why did it assist Indonesia in its violent 15-year occupation of East Timor? And why did the U.S. invade Panama in 1989? The invasion of Panama was
considered a blatant violation of international law, was condemned by the United Nations, and was largely opposed by the Panamanian people. The U.S. couldn’t have cared less about the “sovereignty” of Kuwait. A possible analysis points to a potential reason behind the Gulf War: control of oil. Henry Kissinger, the secretary of state under Richard Nixon, described U.S. policy on oil when he said, “oil is much too important a commodity to be left in the hands of the Arabs.” To America, Kuwait’s value as “one of the largest markets in the Middle East” outweighed the devastating impact that military intervention would have on its people. A more recent example of how the U.S. has used militarism for personal gain is the Iraq War. A 2002 Washington Post article explained the nature of American interests in Iraq: “A U.S.led ouster of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein could open a bonanza for American oil The West Australian companies long The American flag. banished from Iraq, scuttling oil deals between Baghdad and Russia, France and other countries, and reshuffl[e]...world petroleum markets.” Regardless of the internal motivations for U.S. foreign policy, it is clear that intervention and military action rarely cause more good than bad. We needn’t look further than the Iraq sanctions to justify such a claim. In response to Hussein’s relatively bloodless invasion of Kuwait, the U.S. imposed economic sanctions that killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens. How did that help “free the Iraqi people”? And today, how does the use of drone strikes in Pakistan help fight terror? The use of drones is itself an act of terror, and has killed far too many innocent people to be considered just. Some people will argue that war is needed to “protect America” and “spread democracy”, and that death is an unfortunate part of “achieving something greater”. But, such a claim fails to recognize that military action seldom achieves its stated goals. In fact, U.S. military action has often done the exact opposite of what it was purported to accomplish. For example, one needs only to look at the War on Terror; it is designed to eliminate terrorist threats to the U.S. In reality, the War on Terror has increased the threat of terror. Such a fact isn’t surprising, because U.S. military policy fails to address the root causes of terrorism. Anti-Americanism has a lot more to do with the U.S. military presence in the Middle East than people’s “hatred of American ideals.” We should be wary of the idea that militarism “protects our freedom” and “spreads peace”. What it does is threaten our freedom- in addition to terrorizing the lives of people across the globe.
all of this is that most of the players don’t understand the Philadelphian mindset. They just keep reminding us of how talented they are and how they just can’t possibly understand what is going on right now. It does not matter who the Eagles are playing anymore, because many of their losses this year have come against mediocre teams who have more fight in them. I support the hiring of a coach with experience at the highest level and an unrelenting passion to win. Jon Gruden is an example that comes to mind. He is young but has an incredible knowledge of football. He is so passionate about the game, and he knows the right ways to play it. I believe he would purge the indifference out of the fan base and the players. Gruden would not keep players in the starting line-up because of their
big contacts or past achievements; instead, he would evaluate each player for who they truly are. His fiery temper will suit the Philadelphia fans, and with him as our coach, we can rest assured that we will never again see the sickening displays of quitting that we have seen over the past few weeks. Jon Gruden is just one example of the right type of person to lead the Eagles back to their glory days. The list is a long one that includes prestigious names such as Bill Cowher and maybe even successful Oregon coach, Chip Kelly. Andy Reid will go down as one of the more successful coaches in Eagles history, but change is a commonly used word in America today, and this is a change we should have seen a long time ago.
Grant Yu ’16
The Philadelphia Eagles (Cont.) Continued from Page 10 The fix for the Eagles is not easy by any means. The first item of business is to end Andy Reid’s coaching tenure in Philadelphia. It has been a long and mostly successful 14 years but the league has caught up to his tactics. The age of throwing the ball 50 times a game while ignoring your All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy has long passed. The real undoing of Andy Reid was his inability to see what has been staring him straight in the face. How can he possibly ignore LeSean McCoy for the first three quarters of a must win game against the Washington Redskins, when he used the rookie quarterback Nick Foles as his starter? To top it all off, Reid decided to run a play to
McCoy with one minute left, already down by 25 points and after gaining three yards, McCoy got leveled, giving him a concussion that could keep him sidelined for weeks. His answer after the game was frustratingly cliche; “We were trying to come back and win the game.” I don’t think there has ever been a team that has come from behind 25 points in the final minute to win, Andy. This answer reinforces the point that the changes that need to be made are also cultural. Philadelphians pride themselves on being hardworking and loyal people. The 2012 Eagles feel like a group of players without any idea of what it means to represent Philadelphia on a national level. They are here for their paycheck, and that is it. The worst part about
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The Index
Opinions
December 2012
Mac OSX vs. Windows 8 vs. Linux Mac OS X Reigns Supreme Brendan Burns ’15 As someone who has used both Windows 7 and Apple Mac OS X (Mountain Lion) extensively (on a dual-booted MacBook Pro), I have found that OS X is superior to Windows in three very important ways: it is better designed, easier to use, and more capable than its counterpart and competitor, Windows 7 (the current version of Windows). Many of the reasons for this lie in the differences between Apple as a company and its competitors. First, OS X is simply better designed than Windows 7. Unlike Windows, which was never targeted toward a specific group of people, and which remains a generic operating system that will perform most tasks with acceptable ease but is superior at none of them, OS X was designed from the ground up to have the most friendly user interface available. Unlike Windows, OS X has undergone many beneficial upgrades and changes in the past few years. The current version of OS X, Mountain Lion (virtually the same as its predecessor, OS X Lion), has incorporated
the same easy-to-use interface that is found on Apple’s mobile products such as the iPad in the “Launchpad” feature and has compiled the best suite of built-in media management applications (iMovie, iPhoto, Photo Booth, iMessage, GarageBand, iTunes) found anywhere. Nothing found on any version of Windows, including the upcoming Windows 8, is as adept at managing music, videos, photos, or organizing applications. Another reason that Apple’s user interface (UI) is so much better is that Apple designs its own applications to work seamlessly with its own operating system, which was in turn designed to work seamlessly with state-of-the-art hardware and the most advanced computers available. Apple controls all stages in the development of its software and hardware, which results in a very intuitive and easy to use product. This contrasts sharply, with, say, HP, which makes a PC (of course, never matching Apple’s build quality or attention to detail) designed to use Microsoft’s Windows operating system, which runs a third party’s applications. This makes OS X a much better choice for the consumer, as Apple builds its computers and software from the ground up to deliver the best possible user experience. It’s not really profitable to list every single refinement present in OS X that benefits the consumer (and is not available with Windows) as there are so many of them and the majority
Peer Through Windows 8
Jonathan Paras ’14 explains that Windows 8 takes the best of its competitors with the expertise of Microsoft and packages it neatly in this spectacular operating system. Jonathan Paras ’14 When people hear the word Windows, many things may come to mind. These may include ctrl- alt- delete, the curse of ‘95, backwards compatibility, simplicity, advanced control, and of course, defragmenting. However, there is a reason why the Windows operating system accounted for 92% of sales this past summer compared to 7% for Mac OS X . It is because Microsoft is doing something right. Perhaps the best way to begin is on the surface itself. Looking at the user-interface for Windows, especially in Windows 8, is logical. The interface is bright and simple, with the ability for optimization based upon the most used programs that appear as windows with the program located in them. It allows for easy navigation through settings and folders which can save time when switching from application
to application. Another important, and often overlooked, feature of Windows is the new ecosystem that Microsoft has built around it. WIth its own App store, Apple and Linux no longer have an advantage in one of their very few more competitive edges. With almost all programs having drivers and compatibility for Windows, the slew of content that is being made available to Windows users blows the competition away. Programs can now be downloaded onto a Windows device from this online store for fair prices.
of the people reading this have used Macs and OS X enough to understand the appeal of an operating system that actually makes sense and is designed for a consumer, rather than a computer mechanic. A second reason that OS X is preferable is the technology that it supports. The truth is that if a user had a non-Mac computer and had the choice of picking between Windows and OS X, many might pick the flexibility of Windows (since Windows controls over 90% of the desktop operating system market, many 3rd party applications are only available for Windows) over the intuitiveness and experience available with OS X (this would be perpetuated because with Windows controlling the majority of the marketplace, many people would never be exposed to OS X at all). However, the way in which OS X’s intuitiveness is combined with Apple’s cuttingedge computers makes it a far more capable operating system than Windows. No PC can run Windows at 2880x1800 resolution, and no PC is milled from a single block of aluminum and retrofitted with an all-glass multi-touch trackpad, backlit keyboard, and all the other bells and whistles that are expected with a Mac. Apple is always the first company to phase out outdated technology–CD drives are now gone on new Apple laptops (including the one I’m typing this on), as are FireWire
and Ethernet ports, which have been replaced by Thunderbolt ports, which are so advanced that there are as of now practically no devices that are capable of making use of them. Even hard drives have been deemed outdated by Apple; they are now being replaced by solid state memory. A common complaint with Apple computers (especially some of the newer laptops) is that they are not internally customizable because they are extremely difficult to take apart and swap parts. This is a perfect example of the difference between the Apple computers and the competition: Macs (and the operating system they run) are built to a standard of perfection from the ground up and are a finished product out of the box, while PCs are nothing more than the sum of their parts and were built without a specific goal or vision in mind. This points out not how Macs or OS X are superior to the competition, but why: because they were built for a specific purpose (to be the best computer/operating system for the consumer) by Apple, the world’s most successful company, which has so much cash on hand that it doesn’t know what to do with it. And if you really want to run Windows because of its flexibility with 3rd party applications, you can run both OS X and Windows on a Mac very easily, but you can’t do it the other way around.
On the subject of prices, the upgrade to Windows 8 for existing windows users is relatively cheap and will not cost more than thirty dollars. Not to mention the fact that you can still afford new programs for your Windows computer if you purchase one as
such as HP, Asus, Dell, and Sony that give wider variety of machines that go along with Windows rather than Apple for the Mac OS X. Finally, the most hotly contested topic is performance. Windows 8 blows the competition away with a mere 19.6 second startup time in tests run by CNET. Windows 8 even runs Firefox, Chrome, and Safari faster than Mac OS X can. It passed multiple benchmark tests that are acknowledged as industry standards in microsoft.com speed and overall performance scoring higher than Ubuntu Linux or Mac OS X. The competition claims that they have a stronger ecosystem (Mac OS X) and greater customizability (Linux), but if you are looking for an operating system that can actually show that it has the support of more programs than any other operating system, the fastest speed of all other operating systems, and the simplest user interface, you need not look any further than through Windows.
The Windows logo.
opposed to a Mac. Not only are Windows computer models cheaper, but the value of the hardware in them is substantially superior. With the amount of company support (which is supported by Microsoft’s 80% market share according to Forbes), if you decide that Windows is your operating system, a larger amount of opportunities are open before you. These range from backwards compatibility for certain pieces of hardware, to the multiple companies
Linux: The Underdog Louie Brown ’15 fires back that Linux can tangle with both operating system giants and come out on top. Louie Brown ’15
Everyone loves a good underdog story. Whether it is in baseball, basketball, or even Wheel of Fortune, it is hard to resist looking past the big dogs and onto the new, up and coming superstars. In the world of computers, most people only know of the two giants in the operating system world – Windows and Apple OSX. But there is a third that has been rapidly gaining popularity, both within private commercial industries, and in more public, personal computing areas: Linux. Linux is a free and open source operating system, meaning anyone can use it, and anyone can use its source code to develop other Linux based operating systems – such as Ubuntu. What this leads to is an incredible amount of support for Linux operating systems, and any software available for them. Now you might be wondering, what exactly does the operating system do? Why would Linux be better than
the two operating systems that come default on basically every computer out there? The simple answer is that a Linux based operating system, such as Ubuntu, combines the best of both worlds from Windows and OSX. Both OSX and Linux are UNIX-like, so they both share the same simple, sleek look that is so beloved, while keeping the signature fast speeds and high functionality of Windows. And then, of course, is the aforementioned “open-source” aspect of Linux. This allows anyone with the time and skill to completely customize their computer in every way. The people who create and distribute free Linux based operating systems are not all computer science geniuses who can speak every coding language available. They are just people with a passion for their computers, and for running them as optimally as they can. From the user interface to the sounds when you click your mouse – if you have the drive, you can make it happen. If you are not convinced at this
point, perhaps consider the incredible amount of similar open- source software designed specifically for Linux. Ubuntu comes with it’s own “appstore” that contains everything from web browsers like Chrome, to eBooks and video games. There are free alternatives with just as much functionality to some of the most expensive software available in the Ubuntu “appstore” – such as GIMP instead of Photoshop, and Ubuntu’s own line of office programs. Everything you could find in Windows or OSX is there– but for free and with a thousand times more customizability. Installation for Ubuntu or other Linux operating systems is easy – only taking a few minutes before completion. With such a wide range of options available at your fingertips with Linux, from a slew of different operating systems, to the most customizable experience available on a computer, there is little reason to refute the fact the Linux is the undeniable lord of
The Linux mascot.
enwikipedia.org
operating systems, even if it has not yet become so in the public eye.
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The Index
December 2012
Opinions Ipad Mini vs. Nexus 7: Students Debate Apple iPad Mini Google Nexus 7 Tablet Major Tepper’16 backs up Apple’s success in the tablet field and discusses why they currently are industry leaders. Major Tepper’16 In response to the recent Index argument between the poorly represented Apple iPhone 5 vs. the Samsung Galaxy S III, I want to take this opportunity and stand up for the company I love. With the recent release of the new iPad mini, at first, I was a critic. In defense of one of my role-model’s, Steven Paul Jobs, strongly held opinions, I could not see a way in which I could enjoy this product. Throughout the beginnings of the iPad, Jobs made it clear that he thought that the original iPad was perfect in size, and any other screen dimension would simply be too similar to the other tablets. I held it to be true, and truly thought the new Apple executive team made a mistake releasing the mini. There was no camping out, no excitement, no fun. I felt betrayed, just as if Job’s word was the truth and nothing but the truth. After finally stopping by the Apple store just to talk to one of the salesmen who I am close with about something he was working on in his free time,
reduction. The Nexus 7, a 7 inch display with 12 oz. in weight, can’t compare to the iPad mini’s 7.9 display with a 10.9 oz. weight. Amazingly, Apple’s design team found a way to fit in an extra .9 of an inch into the display without adding on excess weight. Under this marvelous display, iPad mini features a razor thin battery capable of lasting 10 hours compared to the Nexus 7’s up to 9 hour battery. When it comes to camera use, the iPad can’t be denied. Given the iPad mini’s 5 megapixel back camera and a 1.2 megapixel front camera just like its older sibling (iPad 3), the Nexus 7 can’t compete with its lone 1.2 megapixel front camera. Now lets talk about something we all value here at Haverford, internet speed. The iPad mini dominates this category sporting both a blazing fast wifi connection in conjunction with the famous LTE wireless connection. This LTE connection is known to be even faster than most at-home wifi networks. On the other hand, the Nexus 7 can only provide a slow 3G connection, usually dubbed under
Evan Kuritzkes ’13 explains why the Nexus 7 from Google will begin to outgun the competition from Apple’s iPad Mini. Evan Kuritzkes ’13 Google has done it again. Unknown to many people, the Google corporation is much more than a search engine. Google has released laptops known as “Chromebooks”, which run Google’s custom operating system
cough up an extra $130 compared to the 32GB version with wifi only, coming in at $559.99 for the 32GB version with 4G/LTE. Is 4G/ LTE seriously worth an extra $260? You could have bought a Nexus 7 wifi only and one with 4G for the price of one iPad mini with mobile data. I submit that it is not.
A comparison of all the tablet products, including the iPad Mini (far right) and Nexus 7 (second from the right).
“Chrome OS.” They even have their own television operating system known as “Chrome TV.” Google also releases its own smartphones and tablets. Their current mini tablet, the Nexus 7, recently found some competition in
The iPad Mini.
I decided to pick the iPad mini up and give it a try. Boom. Love at first touch. The weight, the user interface, the size, the software, the everything! All of this was too overwhelming, especially when I realized what I previously thought was impossible. Something that the people who know me would have never thought I would admit. Steve Jobs was wrong. He was completely wrong. The iPad mini is perfect. Starting with the exterior, it is chiseled to the micron, just like the iPhone 5. It has also embraced the more durable aluminum back plate that is lighter and more pleasing to the eye. It is designed with a very capable speaker and
The iPad product line.
microphone, very beneficial for taking video and or listening to music. Jony Ive and Apple’s design team perfected the dimensions of the screen, choosing 7.9 as the perfect screen length. Their studies payed off, as it feels as though the iPad should have always been this size once you pick it up for the first time. Through this they effectively achieved their goal of making the iPad mini display and user interface a concentration, instead of a
asia.cnet.com
So far we have seen that the Nexus 7 is superior in every single aspect. The iPad mini is slower, has less RAM, is far more expensive, and doesn’t have the same crisp display that the Nexus 7 does. Some people say that the Nexus 7 does
guardian.co.uk
a fraudulently marked “4G” network with 3G speed as well as basic wifi. These are specifics that make Apple and their design team so dominant time and time again in comparison not only to the Nexus 7 but beyond. Apple engineers truly are the revolutionary innovators. Now of course when you buy a product with Apple’s IOS system, you get what may be the most simplistic, yet powerful processing system ever built. With access to the app store and over 250,000 amazing applications, the iPad mini gives you the means to accomplish almost any task and seek all types of entertainment imaginable. Based off of Apple’s main business strategy, IOS allows you to pick up any of their products with no directions and automatically know what to do and how to use it through intuition. This makes it so you will almost never have to ask “How do you do this?” or “What does this mean?” So when you are deciding what mini tablet to purchase, ask yourself this: Which one has the most mashable.com potential for future software improvements; which one has the potential to achieve the most through its applications and processer; and what has the cleanest, slimmest display and body. If the iPad doesn’t fit this criteria for you somehow, I give you a challenge. Go to the Apple store, and simply pick the iPad mini up. No matter how much pre-disposed distaste you may have for the iPad mini, I almost guarantee you will fall in love at first sight (touch), just as I did.
The Nexus 7 tablet.
the form of Apple’s iPad Mini. The Nexus 7 is a far superior device to the iPad mini, in every way, shape, and form. The Google Nexus 7 sports a 7 inch 1280 x 800 pixel display with 216 pixels per inch. Driving this beast is a Quad-Core Tegra 3 processor. The Nexus 7 has 1GB of RAM and currently comes in 16GB or 32GB versions. Until now, these tablets have had no mobile data capacity. However, Google recently released a 32GB version that is 3G capable. Google made this decision for two main reasons: price and price. 4G/LTE is very expensive, and since Google wants this to stay under a certain cost they chose to go with HSPA+, known as 4G, comparable to the AT&T mobile data speed on the iPhone 4S. The 4G version of the Nexus 7 is $299.99, a mere $50 more than the wifi only Nexus 7, which is priced at $249.99. This is compared to the iPad mini which, if mobile data is desired, requires the customer to
engadget.com
not have Apps like the iPad mini does. Those people are the same people that bought the iPad mini because it’s “shiny.” The Nexus 7 now features Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). This features Google’s “Play Store,” which has everything from Apps, to widgets, to music, to movies, to books--literally anything. You can customize everything on the Nexus 7, from the way the home screen looks, to having a moving background, to anything else you want. If you aren’t satisfied with a stock operating system, there are hundreds of “ROMS” you can download. A ROM is a custom operating system that replaces the standard Android operating system. So, time to recap. The Nexus 7 offers a crisper display, it is a bit smaller, and it is much more customizable, as well as faster. Do yourself and your wallet a favor, and get a Nexus 7.
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The Index - The Outdex
The Outdex
December 2012
Recently at The Haverford School... Sam Bloch ‘13, James Tarte ‘13, Jon Paras ‘14, Mike Green ‘13, Jake Mullin ‘13, Major Tepper ‘15, Noah Cutler ‘14
As seen on Twitter:
wired.co.uk
Getting a S/O from @fordsphanatic OMG made my day!!!!! #love Congrats to the frosh lax player who I’ve never heard of on committing to Hopkins last night No surprise, Bloch has taken his shirt off “Pat Somers will streak across the field if Amar scores in the last 10 minutes of the game” a few minutes later... “Amar just missed a wide open net from 5 feet away with 2 minutes remaining. Pat is so happy” Who is Alec Fertel?
Top EA Day signs list:
1. “Strouss loves shake weights” 2. “Amaready into Harvard” 3. “Fertel plays JV” 4. “Fertel is the devil” 5. “Bowen?”
A fight broke out during a recent Diplomacy game after France and Russia attacked Germany. Matt Larson threw the first punch, hitting Grayson Sessa in the face. Grayson responded by cutting the politics section out of The Index. The FieldHouse Phanatic recently released his post football season report. The Phanatic is proud to report that over 300 burgers and 500 hot dogs were eaten at tailgates, the student section set record attendance numbers, and only forty girls were kicked out of the stands on EA Day. Ros McDermott has found his way into the Guinness Book of World Records for wearing the tightest pants in world history. Special from Jon Paras: The Haligoluk and Haverford TV are going to be absorbed by The Index because we can. If you have a problem take it up with those student council pretenders.
No caption necessary.
Aron Morgan
A ball was kicked into the face of senior Sam Bowen. The ball was diagnosed with a concussion and is recovering slowly after suffering severe trauma. Henri Mattila has turned into a cat. Special from Jon Paras: The Haligoluk and Haverford TV are going to be absorbed by The Index because we can. If you have a problem take it up with those student council pretenders. Sam Bloch’s nipples still have not thawed since the state championship soccer game. We are now accepting nominees for couple of the year. Of course, we all know that Sam Bloch and Gabrielle Riehl will be taking home the prestigious honor. The snapchatting craze has hit Haverford hard. The Haverford bathroom stalls were snapped more than any image on the Main Line for the month of November according to reports. Fifth grader Johnny Smith recently committed to play lacrosse for North Carolina. Smith becomes the fourth Haverford class of 2020 player to pull the trigger before stepping foot on the Middle School lax field.
Index Staff
After seeing Joshua Pau’s deleted scene from the EA Day video, Discovery Channel executives extended Pau a lucrative offer to become their resident gardener.