December 2019 Index

the index The student voice since 1888

The Haverford School · Haverford, PA 19041 · December 2019 · Volume 87, No. 4 · thsindex.org

Amid NBA dreams, Brown remains humble

JACK KIRKPATRICK ’20

Jameel Brown in a 69–26 win over George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science, December 6, 2019 Mitav Nayak ’22

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f every 10,000 male high school basketball players in the United States, about three have a career in the NBA. Three players. 0.03 percent.

Fourth Form guard Jameel Brown wants to join the 0.03 percent.

Growing up, Brown spent his time immersed in basketball. For him, it was not just a game: it was his life.

“I started playing when I was five,” Brown said. “My cousins, uncles, and my brother all started before me, and I used to watch them play when I was young. Hakeem Baxter — my cousin — went to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and I remember watching him play in the March Madness con’t on p. 13

Town hall unbolts Honor Council doors Jeffrey Yang ’22

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he Chairman seated at the head of the table poses the question to the Grand Jury: What consequences should this student receive? The jury pauses to reflect upon the five questions stated in the Honor Code before voicing recommendations.

This is not a narration of one of the secluded and unspoken Honor Council hearings, but rather an account of an open Town Hall meeting Honor Council members recently facilitated.

On November 20, the Honor Council held the first Town Hall. The meeting was set up in the dining hall conference room, and upper school students were invited to attend during their respective lunch periods. The

Hockey, p. 14

DR. MIKE NANCE

enticement for students consolidated down to one thing: a rare window of Honor Council transparency.

This exposure was one aspect that members of the Honor Council discussed at their board meeting at the end of the previous academic year.

“We wanted to focus on how we could be more in touch and transparent with the community, and we thought that a Town Hall setting would be a great way to accomplish that,” Sixth Form Chairman of the Honor Council Matthew Magnucci said.

At the opening of the Town Hall, the council members explained to the attendees con’t on p. 3

Squash, p. 12

JACK KIRKPATRICK ’20

COURTESY OF COMMUNICATIONS

Antonio Octaviano ’20’s 100-meter breaststroke at Malvern last year

Swimming & Diving look to spring back Ryan LaRocca ’22

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n his 2018 speech at the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade, offensive tackle Lane Johnson asserted, “hungry dogs run faster.” Such a statement could also apply to the 2019-2020 Fords Swimming and Diving team.

On each of the past three Saturdays, the team has completed grueling four-hour workouts. Beginning at 8 a.m. each Saturday, the team has been lifting weights, pushing water, and springing off of diving boards.

The Mandalorian, p. 17

CORY DENTON VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, life goes amiss if Haverford’s aquatic athletes are not at the pool. Of course, such a rigorous schedule in society’s less-active hours do not deter the team in its enervating afternoon practices. Fords Swimming and Diving always remains at work.

But why? Why has this year’s team witnessed such a sharp increase in intensity, in con’t on p. 20

Carousel casting, p. 18

YAN GRAF ’20

the index · editorial

Page 2

the index 2019–2020 Staff Yan Graf ’20 Editor-in-Chief Ryan LaRocca ’20 Editor-in-Chief Toby Ma ’20 Editor-in-Chief Daniel Chow ’20 Managing Editor Matthew Schwartz ’21 Managing Editor Tyler Zimmer ’21 Managing Editor Obaida Elamin ’20 Design Editor Quinn Luong ’22 News Editor

December 2019

editorial Consistency amid transition

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ith different sectors of its community living completely different lives, Haverford lies in a state of transition. For every Sixth Former accepted into college, three more frantically await notification from the schools of their choice. Meanwhile, Fifth Formers anticipate the first wave of exams in such a significant year; Fourth Formers remain in a period of adjustment to Haverford’s exam schedule; and Third Formers prepare for their first of eight sets of semester exams. But, after all, we are all Fords.

In a few weeks time, the Haverford community enters its longest vacation period of the year. Some Fords will relax on Florida’s warm beaches; others might traverse the streets of Italy. And many will remain in the Philadelphia area, playing videos games, sleeping, or maybe even participating in grueling winter sports workouts. But that does not change the fact that, in the present, we all walk the same halls. We sit in the same classrooms. And we all represent the Maroon and Gold.

This reality will hold true into the new

year. As Polonius said to Laertes, “to thine own self be true,” Fords: for the next few weeks be honorable gentlemen, and facilitate such behavior into 2020.

And remember, people are watching.

Comport yourselves like the gentlemen you know yourselves to be. Do so in the same way you did just a month ago over in Newtown Square. In short, be Haverford gentlemen.

No matter where you might find yourself, such behavior should make you proud to be a Ford.

Jeffrey Yang ’22 News Editor Matt Mignucci ’20 Features Editor Agustin Aliaga ’21 Academics Editor Vincent Scauzzo ’20 Neighborhood Editor Cole Stecker ’20 Campus Opinions Editor Jon Krouse ’20 Off-Campus Opinions Editor James Wang ’21 Off-Campus Opinions Editor Jake LaRocca ’22 Sports Editor Mitav Nayak ’22 Sports Editor Ryan Rodack ’22 Arts Editor Sebastian Bilash ’20 Staff Photographer Ms. Emily Harnett Faculty Advisor Mr. Thomas Stambaugh 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 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 index@haverford.org.

The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed using the applications of Google Suite and Adobe Creative Cloud. Its surveys are conducted via Google Forms and are advertised on email to current Haverford students. Graphic designs are created by Index staff via Canva. Southern Dutchess News 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 1152 community members, consisting of 952 students and 200 faculty and staff members.

Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 index@haverford.org Twitter: @Haverford_Index Volume 87, No. 4 - December 13, 2019

CONNOR PINSK ’23

The 2019-20 Editorial Board (left to right): Editor-in-Chief Toby Ma ’20, Managing Editor Daniel Chow ’20, Editor-inChief Ryan LaRocca ’20, Managing Editor Tyler Zimmer ’21, Managing Editor Matthew Schwartz ’21, Editor-in-Chief Yan Graf ’20. Missing: Design Editor Obaida Elamin ’20

Letter from the student body president Vincent Scauzzo ’20

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entlemen, Thank you all for being so supportive of me throughout my tenure so far. It has been such an enjoyable experience to work for and with you, and I cannot express enough how much your gratitude means to me. I am looking forward to a stellar second half of the year filled with performances and athletics and new experiences for us to share. We will further our bond as an upper school and I will continue to work on bringing together the lower and middle schools with us.

This is my favorite time of year. Summer is fun and all, but the month that includes Thanksgiving and Christmas brings me so much joy. Students are happy for the time off, teachers are at full throttle preparing for exams, it’s the best season for music, both from our own students and the holiday playlists—it really is the most wonderful time of the year.

Everyone I see in the hallways has a smile on his face and is happy to see his friends.

This is what I meant at the beginning of the year when I said the happiness will spread if we are all compassionate. Being thankful and

MR. THOMAS STAMBAUGH

Student Body President Vincent Scauzzo ’20 loving on the outside is so important for our Make sure to get plenty of rest over the health and well being. break. Stay warm, eat well, be with your I hope that this pattern of kindness families. continues in its present, second-nature form I’ll see you all soon. Happy Holidays! the rest of the year.

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the index · news

December 2019

news Powered by Gao, Fords take second in Math Olympiad Austin Zhuang ’22

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n November 19, The Haverford School hosted the first annual Philadelphia Independent School Math Olympiad.

Sixteen Haverford representatives competed on two teams, and the top team made it to the final round before coming up short in a 10–9 loss to the Episcopal Academy.

“Everyone walked away from that room wanting to do that again.”

GARY GAO ’21 Leading the pack was Fifth Former Gary Gao, both the points leader for the competition and one of the best mathematicians at the school.

“I think it was a fun experience because we invited a lot of teams from a lot of schools so that we could compete live,” Gao said.

“The atmosphere was good because everyone was focusing on the problems and working hard to compete with each other.”

Gao found the atmosphere’s live aspect to be most exciting because he could actually see and hear what his opponents were doing.

Upper school mathematics teacher Mr. Nathan Bridge said, “The Olympiad was a success, first and foremost, because all the students in the space increased their enjoyment and their engagement with mathematics. Everyone walked away from that room wanting to do that again.”

With this success, however, a few critiques remain. “Personally I don’t prefer the 15-minute [rounds],” Gao said, “but because we had to finish it in the morning, and there were a lot of teams, we had to shorten it.”

Gao also found the five problems every round too repetitive, and he wished the competition included problems that involved

MS. SARAH GARLING

Gary Gao ’21, Daniel Hou ’22, and Adamya Aggarwal ’22 competing in the inaugural Philly Math League Olympiad at Haverford on November 19, 2019 proving certain concepts or other mathemat“We need more training because this fold. The thing that stands out about Gary ical ideas, instead of just questions with one year we started the club very late. Before the is that he sees [the Math Club] space as one numerical value as an answer.

Olympiad, we only had two or three actual where they want to bring in younger stu“I wouldn’t say [the problems] were that club periods. Just doing [Math Madness dents and help to develop them,” Mr. Bridge easy,” Gao said. “It was somewhat challeng- problems] in the morning isn’t really train- said. ing, and obviously, nobody got everything ing as we have to talk about the problem, Gao thinks younger students or newcomcorrect. In terms of average level, I think it talk about the concept.” ers might want to get involved in the Olymwas a good difficulty for all the contestants.”

Mr. Bridge admires Gao’s passion. piad and the Club in general.

While content with the team’s perfor“What impresses me the most is his dispo“Just try it and see if you like it or not,” mance, Gao wishes there was more prepara- sition, his attitude towards mathematics and Gao said. “Because you might not know if tion leading up to the event. his wanting to bring other students into the this is something you enjoy.”

Honor Council town hall, continued from the front page some of their plans for initiatives moving forward, including coordinating with the Character Mentorship Program to create a lunch-meeting program, similar to that currently provided to Third Formers, for the Fourth Formers.

Additionally, council members described the advancement of their ongoing effort to simplify the hearing process and to reflect on why Haverford’s Honor Code holds students

to its specific values.

The initiative is connected to another one of the council’s missions for this year.

“The Honor Council has been very focused on the preventative measures and trying to work so that we can have as little Honor Council hearings as possible,” Mignucci said. “We have been working on being more vocal about the values of Haverford, having conversations with the community about

what violates the Honor Code, and adjusting some parts of the process to make it less stressful for students during hearings.

The meeting continued with a mock Honor Council hearing designed to educate the attendees on the process of hearings so that the mystery of what actually happens during council hearings could be resolved.

The attendees positioned around the table acted as the Grand Jury for a series of cases

The Honor Council pledge hangs opposite the upper school administrative suite

AGUSTIN ALIAGA ’21

presented to them by a member of the Honor Council. Students deliberated whether the situation was a violation of the Honor Code, as well as the appropriate consequences the violators should receive. Often times, the group of attendees disagreed with the actual Honor Council in terms of their classification of a violation and the recommendations of consequences, further presenting the necessity of having such meetings between students and the Honor Council.

“I think it was really productive for the students because they learned a lot about the process of the Honor Council and what is and is not an Honor Council violation,” Magnucci said. “I was surprised to see how many people were confused about the process. That showed us how we have more work to do.”

Going forward, the Honor Council is looking to further its position on these initiatives and report on their progress in future Town Halls. The ensuing meetings will feature some differences, but; however, they will remain for the purpose of engaging the Honor Council members with the greater student body.

Mignucci said, “We want to keep the central idea of an open-ended discussion where people can ask us questions and learn more about the Honor Council.”

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the index · news

December 2019

Insider perspectives on middle school construction Jingyuan Chen ’23

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ine months have passed since the Haverford School first announced its $50 million Character at Our Core campaign. A major part of this ambitious project, the new middle school is estimated to cost $18 million, with a capacious area of 32,440 square feet. The building will incorporate the newest technologies, far exceeding the old middle school in every facet.

While the construction of the new middle school received much attention during the past few months, students have received few updates regarding its timeline.

“All the progress is so interesting, I can’t wait to see what the finished middle school will look like,” Third Former Matthew Kang said.

Like Kang, many students wonder, “What is happening down there at the construction site?”

The construction company responsible for building the new middle school, Adams Bickel, has made some major advancements in the past few months.

“We just got the metal decking on the roof,” Mr. Anthony Fisher, the Superintendent of the team, said. “We are going to be installing the roof material next week. Going into Christmas break, we will have all the roof done, and the outside walls will be built.”

What happens later after Christmas will be less visible.

“January, February, and March are gonna look like nothing is going on.” Mr. Fisher said, “but all that inside stuff is really going to be happening, between electrical work, plumbing, HVAC, drywall, and framing.”

The rest of December will be spent working on the exterior of the building, while the next few months are reserved for interior

work.

“It’s hard. It’s like building in the city.

You’re landlocked, so you need to be able to work around each other, everyone has to be on the same team. You have a lot of moving parts, a lot of kids walking around, a lot of teachers. Everyone is really looking at you all the time,” Mr. Fisher said.

Aside from sharing the workers’ own experience, Mr. Fisher also reminds the students to remain aware around the construction site and keep their eyes off their phones while passing by.

Building the new middle is not an easy task, but the experienced workers accepted this challenge and conquered the difficulties.

The project has been progressing at an ideal pace.

The workers themselves, while out on this job, also appreciate the growth of this project.

Mr. Fisher said, “A lot of these guys saw what the old middle school looked like, and the plans for the new middle school. The difference is unbelievable.”

This rapidly advancing construction project at the heart of the campus has impressed both the students and the workers themselves.

General Manager of Facilities Mr. Bob Wisler explained why this project has been successful so far.

“When you have a project this big, it’s all about how the team works together. From a communication standpoint, the two companies, The Haverford School and Adam Bickel, have gotten together and are on the same page. And if we have that, we can accomplish anything,” Mr. Wisler said.

Aside from updates on the construction site, Head of the Middle School Dr.

View from the dining hall entrance Jay Greytok is also pleased with the work’s progress.

“We feel sorry for the Second Form, but we are really excited for the new building!”

ZAC FUSCALDO ’25 AND WILL SUTER ’25 “We are very excited to have a wonderful new space that will fit the future of the school and will allow us to have some programming that we haven’t had before, particularly around our ‘makerspace,’” Dr. Greytok said. “Plus, we’d also like to give the tennis team their courts back.”

Keeping track of the construction has be-

AGUSTIN ALIAGA ’21

come one of Dr. Greytok’s top priorities.

“I talk to Mr. Fisher at least once a week, and like any expecting parent, I’m very excited to welcome our new building,” Dr. Greytok said.

In the meantime, Dr. Greytok also wants the middle school students to know more about the new building that they are about to move into. Science teacher Mr. Mario Masso has given middle school students talks about the construction site on multiple occasions.

While the new middle school is expected to be completed by next August, the current First Form will be the oldest students moving into the building next year in September.

Two First Formers shared their gratitude and excitement for the new middle school.

“We feel sorry for the Second Form,” First Formers Zac Fuscaldo and Will Suter said, “but we are really excited for the new building!”

Weighing in on Trump’s impeachment Toby Ma ’20

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or the past several weeks, President Donald Trump has been under intense scrutiny by the House Intelligence Committee, which is assigned to determine whether he abused his presidential power to assist his own reelection in 2020.

Various government officials have already testified in front of the committee, as it slowly builds a body of testimony against the president.

Fifth Former Agustin Aliaga believes that the president should be impeached and removed from office.

“We cannot have a president that has personal or political interests when conducting foreign policy for the strongest nation in the world,” Aliaga said.

However, Fifth Former Alex Hull takes a more skeptical stance.

“I’m worried that things will get worse; it’s more complicated than him being an idiot, and people taking him out because of that,” Hull said. “Democrats definitely want him out, just from what I’ve seen, just to improve their chances in the next election.”

Sixth Former Aditya Sardesai agrees.

“It should be universally understood that what he did was wrong, but I don’t think that he should be convicted,” Sardesai said.

“My issue with impeachment is that I don’t think that it’s going to move the country forward. I think it’s just to widen the divide between Democrats and Republicans…You’re not going to get anywhere except rehashing old feuds.”

“The primary political focus of the Democratic impeachment…is to make Trump less likely to be elected in the next election whether it goes through or fails,” Fifth For-

mer Maxim Kreider said. “It could be—as it’s being argued by the Republicans—a smear campaign…If you look at a lot of the testimony and a lot of what has been put out

by Nancy Pelosi—she’s made the allegations seem a lot worse than they are, and that’s on purpose.”

Even though some students have stronger opinions than others about impeachment, and some of that comes from not closely following the inquiry proceedings.

Some of this comes from the inherent stance of the news in coverage of the impeachment inquiry.

“I don’t typically follow the news because it’s biased,” Hull said. “I don’t watch stuff like CNN, FOX, or anything like that be-

cause there’s still people writing the story being told, so they control what’s being kept in and what’s being kept out.” “[The news is] kind of sensationalized,” Sonnenfeld said. “You never know what you can actually read and trust.”

On the other hand, Sardesai said, “I haven’t had time with school and college stuff to take time out of my day to fully invest into the impeachment. I might read a New York Times article, but I don’t have the time for anything else.”

In the past weeks of History Behind the Headlines, held inside the Severinghaus Library, Headmaster Dr. John Nagl has given his own take on the inquiry proceedings.

Students that attended his talks found his talk informative.

“He had a good take on it, and gave a lot of information about it,” Sonnenfeld said.

However, he added, “[T]he only details I really know about [the impeachment] was through that talk, so if that’s inaccurate then all I know about it is inaccurate, so I don’t know if I can really say whether it’s good or not.”

“I think it would be a great idea for Dr. Nagl to do something similar to his ‘History Behind the Headlines’ with the entire upper school,” Aliaga said. “I would love to analyze current events past political controversies like impeachment. I would certainly value that over other assemblies we often have.”

However, Hull is worried that such an assembly would still be unavoidably biased.

“I think giving information is helpful and should happen, but it’s the same as the news—when it’s written, you typically follow a script,” Hull said. “People tend to be

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Replica of Andrew Johnson’s impeachment trial ticket

biased even when it’s not biased, so it’s difficult to get unbiased information out.”

But even if it were possible to give an equitable evaluation of the impeachment, Sonnenfeld believes that an assembly would not sway students’ opinions.

He said, “I think there would be too many arguments since people are too stubborn when it comes to politics. If you’re arguing about politics, nobody is ever going to be like ‘oh yeah, you’re right.’ There’s no point in discussing it in that point.”

It also seems that very few students have been talking about the impeachment in their peer groups, possibly because politics has become so polarized.

“There were way more people that were following politics freshman year and it was way more discussed in our grade,” Sonnenfeld said. “Now, nobody ever talks about it, and if they do talk about it, it’s as a joke.

“A lot of us can’t vote yet, so they don’t haven’t had the impetus to get informed… and if there’s not an election, as citizens we have no say in whether or not Trump gets impeached…So people aren’t discussing it, people aren’t debating it because it doesn’t matter what we think.”

the index · features

Page 5

December 2019

features Teachers’ Canvas use varies Matthew Schwartz ’21

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ntering its fifth year, Canvas has become a staple of academic life for students and teachers alike. The multicolored calendar page greets students every day when opening up their computer, informing them of assignments they need to complete and upcoming assessments in their classes. But while each teacher is required to use Canvas in their class, they use it in dramatically different ways.

To acclimate new teachers to the ways of Canvas, members of the IT department, such as Director of Information & Instructional Technology Ms. Andrea Drinkwine, set up sessions during teacher orientation in August to teach the multitude of features Canvas offers.

“They talked to us a lot about modules and all sorts of other things such as a feature where you can mute grades,” said new English teacher Ms. Harnett, who attended the Canvas introduction sessions over the summer.

Once teachers become familiar with how Canvas works, they begin to implement it into their classes.

Each component of Canvas has its advantages and disadvantages. A great example of these advantages are especially noticeable in

“The different features are fun to explore, and I think the more you use Canvas, the more you learn about it”

YAN GRAF ’20

A student checks his Canvas page language classes, which involve lots of discussion.

“The different features are fun to explore, and I think the more you use Canvas, the more you learn about it,” said Spanish teacher Mr. Benjamin White.

“We do a lot of discussion in Spanish class, so using the discussion boards is a great tool for our curriculum specifically,” Mr. White said.

In classes where large research papers are assigned, teachers often use Canvas to put up an assortment of resources and documentation for students to use. Having the ability to upload so many different files and customizing a course page has made some teachers worry about overwhelming their students with so much information and tasks to do.

“I worry, and I wonder if we have all of this cool technology, will there be kids who are just unable to shut off and will spend an hour on a discussion board when really just ten minutes was enough,” said history department chair Ms. Hannah Turlish.

Another program many find helpful for learning is OneNote, as it allows students to access what was talked about in class by going through the slides presented and written on the Smartboard. Although it is prominent in many math and science classes where typ-

ing notes might prove more difficult, other departments have also begun to contemplate how it could be incorporated into their daily lessons.

Above all else, Canvas’ main purpose is as an online academic planner for the student body, but with that role comes some controversy. Before Canvas, students would be required to write down their homework assignments themselves and keep track of everything that is going on. Some teachers struggle with the fact that they should be managing students’ assignments when instead, they could be using the time to work on new lesson plans or grade tests.

“On the one hand, I don’t really think it’s my responsibility to manage my student’s homework besides just telling them what it is, mostly because it doesn’t feel like a good use of my time...Would they rather I grade their papers faster or write a bunch of work that they could easily do themselves?” Ms. Harnett said. “On the other hand, I do understand that consistency is really helpful for the boys developmentally, and if one day I post something on Canvas and the next day I just say it out loud, that might be hard to track.”

Many members of the student body feel strongly that it is part of a teacher’s job to

load assignments onto Canvas, especially for students who might already have packed schedules.

“We have a lot of things going on every day between school, athletics, clubs, and whatnot, so it’s hard to keep track of every detail mentioned in class.”

CALEB CANNON ’20 “If [teachers] didn’t put it on Canvas, how are we supposed to remember it?” said Sixth Former Caleb Cannon. “We have a lot of things going on every day between school, athletics, clubs, and whatnot, so it’s hard to keep track of every detail mentioned in class.”

“Overall,” Ms. Turlish said, “I think [Canvas] is a really powerful and effective way for kids and parents to know what’s going on and to find ways of learning more if they’re interested.”

the index · academics

Page 6

December 2019

academics Closing the gap between honors and standard classes Tyler Zimmer ’21

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ou’ve almost made it: one more month of chaos. Just a few more weeks of grinding graphite onto worksheets seconds before A Block. Turning in essays two minutes before midnight.

Tucking in the back of your shirt as you cross the barrier between hallway and classroom.

You’ve crammed but you’ve crammed well.

Your teacher respects your work and recommends you for honors next year.

Decisions, decisions. So many factors play a role. A senior once told you it wasn’t worth it. Your parents sacrificed so much for you to have this opportunity. Your advisor nodded his head but only because you looked lost.

Ultimately, though, the decision is yours to make.

Honors is for smart kids. Standard for the average. Or is it?

Taking an honors class at Haverford provides the student with a .2 boost to his GPA. GPAs help colleges determine “best fits” from “misfits,” and to make colleges take a closer look at our applications.

So what is really at stake?

Second semester Fourth Formers must make a critical decision concerning their Fifth Form year: Biology or Biology*, U.S. History or U.S. History*, distinguished by a measly asterisk.

Fifth Former Jonny Flieder said, “I felt obligated to [take honors Biology]. I was recommended, so clearly, the teacher wanted me in that class.”

“I was afraid that if I didn’t take it,” Flieder said, “I would feel like I missed out.”

Flieder was not afraid to miss out on the

knowledge that the honors class provides but felt other motivations as well.

“I didn’t want to miss out on the credit.

I’m not going the science route in college, but I am going to college, and that asterisk goes a long way,” Flieder said.

“If I worked as hard as I did in Honors Chem last year, I probably would have ended up with a B+ in Honors Bio. In Standard [Bio] though, with the same amount of effort, I’m confident I can get an A or A+.”

DREW LOUGHNANE ’21 Fifth Former Cyril Leahy said, “Why did I sign up? For the credit. Not because I liked it.”

Leahy’s reputation precedes him. He proudly won the Fifth Form campaign on the basis of being a hard worker and role model.

“If I wanted to be known as the kid that went all out, I needed to take Biology* too, not just U.S. History*,” Leahy said.

A heavy workload comes with a cost. “I stayed up until two the other night. That’s a

RYAN LAROCCA ’20

pretty standard Tuesday night for me,” Leahy said.

Students feel motivated to challenge themselves, but sometimes it’s just too much.

Students opt out for plenty of valid reasons: soccer practice, piano recitals, the fall play, SAT prep.

Unfortunately for those students who are qualified to take honors but life won’t allow it, the alternative may fail to meet their needs as well.

“I play squash every day and when that’s over, it’s on to lacrosse,” Fifth Former Quintin Campbell said. “This is a really busy recruiting time, and I don’t want to be swarmed with work.”

Campbell thinks the standard U.S. History course is less demanding.

“I can do well in that class without putting in the same effort I put into my other classes,” Campbell said.

Students believe the gap between standard and honors is vast, even though departments strategize and plan to meet students’ needs.

Science department chair Dr. Daniel Goduti said, “Biology* covers much more breadth and approximates an introductory college course while standard is explicitly project-based.”

“There is no way to define a relationship between what grade would be earned in an honors course and what grade would

be earned in a standard course,” Dr. Goduti said. “Students will get out of the course what they put into it.”

Some students believe otherwise.

Fifth Former Drew Loughnane is a former honors Biology student who, similar to Campbell, lightened his load by taking standard. Three honors classes and numerous extracurriculars led him to this decision.

“If I worked as hard as I did in Honors Chem last year, I probably would have ended up with a B+ in Honors Bio,” he said.

“In Standard [Bio] though, with the same amount of effort, I’m confident I can get an A or A+.”

“A class between honors and standard would narrow the gap. This would suit the needs of everyone,” Loughnane said. “The standard kids who need more of a challenge as well as the overburdened honors kids would find neutral ground.”

Something like a three-level system has been used before. But now, more than ever, with students’ commitments and busy schedules steering them away from honors, a middle level may be a possible solution.

Sixth Form student Ryan LaRocca said, “If I had that choice, I absolutely would have taken [a third option]. It would have given me enough work to keep me focused but also allowed me to spend more time on the things I love. It’s a win-win.”

Library hours should extend, many students say Agustin Aliaga ’21

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ust an hour after teachers dismiss the final class of the day, the empty hallways of Wilson Hall turn into a ghost town. Yet, the comfortable couches and booths of the second-floor hallway still brim with life, filled with students working on their homework.

Only steps away, the dimly lit, closed library stands devoid of any student life. Many students wish the library was open, as the re-

laxed setting of the second floor “Street” can make it difficult to get work done effectively.

“It’s a bit annoying,” Sixth Former Toby Ma said, “to move somewhere else in the school after I’ve already settled down to work.”

“I do think the library closes a bit too early since I tend to stay long hours for other activities and events,” Fifth Former Nachikethan Srinivasan said.

Fifth Former Franklin Dai also finds himself at school past 3:15. “I typically stay at school later on Tuesdays and Thursdays while waiting for Mock Trial or Speech and Debate to start,” Dai said.

Students also find a need for the library in the morning. Ma explains it as a miscommunication.

“Sometimes the doors will remain locked after 8:00 a.m., even though the librarians are already inside and the library should be open.”

While the solution may be as simple as relaxing hourly restrictions on ID card access for students, others think that library hours simply need to be longer.

To this proposal, Fifth Former Matthew Schwartz said, “Yes, definitely. I was in there once and I was trying to do a lot of work and they kicked me out, and it was too loud to do the work anywhere else.”

Regardless of the cause, students agree that there must be a solution. Many explain

AGUSTIN ALIAGA ’21

A keycard meets a closed library that the library is an important feature of effective studying as it is one of the few quiet spaces on campus.

“The library’s a lot more convenient and quieter than most other spaces in the school,” Ma said, “and it’s much easier to access.”

Srinivasan said, “I like to use the time wisely and the library’s quiet environment and resources are often a useful asset when I need it.”

If unwilling to extend the library’s hours of operation, the school may need to find an

alternate solution as students struggle to find other productive spaces.

Srinivasan finds it difficult to find other effective places to work.

“I think there should be more quiet spots in and around the school to work since I appreciate the library’s quiet environment and resources,” Srinivasan said. “Pods are conv nient but are situated in busy hallways, so they aren’t necessarily ideal.” con’t on p. 20

Page 7

the index · neighborhood

December 2019

neighborhood Townships prepare for heavy winter Evan Brabson ’20

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inter is coming. As the temperature drops, the weather is changing. We have already received light dustings of snow; while it was not enough to cause region-wide delays and power outages, it marks a time of preparation for the Public Works Departments in state and local townships.

When snow enters the forecast, crews fill their trucks with salt and prepare for the incoming storm. According to a Lower Merion Township official, “sometimes they pre-salt smaller side streets” during heavier storms.

Crews usually spread a wetted salt brine on busier roads. Salt is more effective when it is crushed into the pavement, so crews limit the amount spread in low traffic areas.

Instead, they spread an anti-slip mix (aggregate, cinders, etc.), which aids traction but does not melt snow and ice.

However, crews do not always follow this plan. They will not spread anything if the forecast calls for rain before snowing because it would be washed off. Similarly, they will not spread additional material if enough remains from previous storms.

When the forecasts call for greater amounts of snow, “the preparations behind the scenes [change] as far as how many drivers versus how many spare drivers we have,” according to the Lower Merion Township official.

Lower Merion has nine snow districts, each with approximately seven trucks. They typically schedule one driver and one spare driver per shift, but they may assign two during heavier snow storms, just to make sure that every truck is helping clear the roads.

MICHAEL PERECKAS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Crews cleaning and salting the roads The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) schedules at least one mechanic for each facility, in case equipment malfunctions. They also station trucks near busy highways to clear the roads as soon as precipitation begins to fall.

The process for treating and clearing the roads does not change, just the number of people working.

Once it starts snowing, crews “plow the roads until it stops snowing, until the roads

are clear.” They start with the busiest roads, and work until every street is cleared.

Township fleets clear all township and county-owned roads, whereas PennDOT maintains the larger, state-owned roads.

For example, Haverford Township cares for 132 miles of township roads, such as Haverford Road, while PennDOT clears West Chester Pike (Route 3). PennDOT also cares for local highways, such as the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) or the Blue

Route (I-476).

As for other emergencies, such as downed trees and power outages, crews cannot do much in terms of preparation. However, “[Lower Merion Township has] on-call crews twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, that are prepared for pretty much any emergency that can potentially happen.”

These types of emergencies may be expected, but crews cannot know when and where they will happen.

Fellini Cafe Trattoria is too saucy Matt Mignucci ’20

A

s I was driving down Lancaster Avenue about a month ago, I was thrilled to see that a new Italian restaurant, Fellini Cafe Trattoria, would be opening up. There are not many solid Italian restaurants in the area, so I had high hopes for Fellini’s.

I was joined by fellow Sixth Former Teddy Curran as we walked into the festively decorated restaurant. We were promptly greeted by the hostess and sat down at our table. Bread was brought out with butter.

Olive oil was not to be found, however, which was a little disappointing. Fellini staff did bring out complimentary bruschetta, toasted bread with olive oil and fresh, diced tomatoes on top. I was impressed because not only was it good, but typically, bruschetta is an appetizer you need to pay for.

Next was our appetizer course where we ordered an antipasto taster which was supposed to include mozzarella, prosciutto, and soppressata. But when the plate came out, there was no prosciutto, which I was a little upset about. It was replaced by some roasted vegetables and tomatoes, and zucchini, which weren’t bad, but it wasn’t prosciutto.

Lastly, we ordered our entrees, which took

a very long time to come out. I ordered penne alla vodka and Ted ordered a chicken parm with spaghetti. My dish came with pancetta and peas, which I enjoyed. The sauce tasted good, but the pasta was drenched in it. Ted said his chicken was good, but it wasn’t crispy on the outside and it didn’t have the crunch that he liked in his chicken parm. He also agreed that his pasta had too much sauce.

I would recommend it if you are looking for some Italian food with the family or some close friends.

Though the food took a little long to come out, the service was warm and friendly. The food was good, but not exceptional. I enjoyed the decor, especially all the Christmas lights, and the boxes of panettone (similar to pound cake) all over the place. I would give Fellini Cafe Trattoria a score of 7.2 out of 10 and would recommend it if you are looking for some Italian food with the family or some close friends.

Teddy Curran ’20 dining at Fellini Cafe Trattoria in Bryn Mawr

MATT MIGNUCCI ’20

the index · campus opinions

Page 8

December 2019

campus opinions Political bias in academia Pat Toal ’20

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hether it be teachers structuring their class around their beliefs or just pushing their agendas, I have experienced political bias in most classes at Haverford. As a student who is more right of center politically, this has bothered me. My mother would emphasize the same thing every time I came home venting about a certain teacher pushing his or her ideals on us, or preaching certain things in class that I disagree with.

“Pat, bite your tongue and do not say a word. You need them to like you. Just agree with what they say, do your work, and get the grade you need.”

Over the course of the last three years, I

adopted a pattern to sharing my beliefs in class. During the first few weeks I would find out where my teacher leaned, and I’d cater to that. I would make statements that would ensure my liking with the teacher, and hide my core views.

“Trump’s an idiot. He should be impeached.”

I’ve learned to enjoy the class atmosphere offered by math, science, and Spanish courses, because they contain few political discussions. I’ve always considered myself an English and history student based on my strengths and interests, but as my high school career continues, I’ve lost interest in these courses simply because of my teachers’

political agendas. English used to be about verbs, nouns, and prepositions. Now it’s reading a book about why every attribute I possess gives me some invisible privilege in life. I just lost my passion.

Last year I put on a mask every day. When I walked into English class, I left everything I believed in at the door. I became someone I am not because I knew I had to.

Life is all about doing whatever it takes to get by, and for me, pretending to believe in certain values was what I had to do. Every short story, every small reading, almost every book had to do with either race, gender, and sex. I’d laugh in my head thinking, “Here we go again.”

There is nothing wrong with educating students on historical events that relate to the subject, but when teachers do it on a daily basis, the guilt becomes overwhelming.

The guilt becomes overwhelming The social concern America faces is the liberal bias in academia across the entire nation in colleges, and in this case, high school.

Schools like Haverford hire certain speakers for assemblies, and their topic of discussion usually has something to do with race, gender, and politics.

These speakers and professors are consistently left-leaning and talk to us with this odd sense of confidence, as if what they are saying can’t be questioned.

One of Haverford’s mottos is “Preparing Boys for Life.” When I hear this, I think of two different things.

One, the lessons you learn and the relationships you form at Haverford will benefit you in the future.

The other, how the biased teaching style at Haverford will prepare me for what I’ll find in college.

Do students drink too much coffee?

Cole Stecker ’20

T

Kwaku Abudofour ’20 fills up his daily coffee

RYAN RODACK ‘22

he answer is yes. I started drinking coffee during my sophomore year.

Honors Chemistry WebAssigns made late nights a frequent occurrence, yet I still needed to function during school hours.

Now can this seemingly impossible feat be accomplished? Easy, just drink a lot of coffee.

Before that year, I thought coffee was disgusting. Previously, I had only ever tried small sips of the dark liquid, and suffice it to say, I was not a fan.

One particular coffee nightmare story still resonates with me. I recall running to the sink as a lower schooler flailing my arms to spit out my father’s coffee, which my older sister dared me to drink. Leaning over the sink, I wondered how millions of Americans could drink the vile liquid every single day— and enjoy it.

I suppose I have become the very person my previous self could not understand. I began drinking coffee on days where I lacked sufficient sleep.

On those mornings I would roll out of bed, get dressed in a haphazard fashion, lazily descend the stairs into the kitchen, and use our Nespresso machine to make an espresso.

For someone who hated normal drip coffee, the concentrated black espresso was extra toxic, but it kept me awake, and that was enough motivation for me to force it down.

Soon my criteria for coffee days and noncoffee days began to loosen. I previously decided that if I got less than five hours of sleep I would drink coffee. That number soon increased to six, and then seven.

Drinking espresso became part of my daily

routine, regardless of how much I slept.

Before I knew it, one espresso was not enough.

I could—and still can—drink an espresso and fall asleep within minutes.

One thing led to another. Now I usually start my morning with a LaColombe triple shot, which, as the name suggests, contains three shots of espresso. My initial repulsion to coffee led to an addiction.

So do Haverford School students drink too much coffee? Yes, of course. Do all students drink too much coffee? Also yes.

The overconsumption of coffee is simply the direct result of Haverford’s above-average

If our society was not so packed with deadlines and commitments, there would be no need for coffee. workload.

I will not deny that late work nights accelerated my addiction, but I also attribute this addiction to the everyday stress omnipresent in the 21st century. Other factors are sport games, plays, SAT prep, college applications, and of course, jobs that get in the way of a good night’s rest.

If our society was not so packed with deadlines and commitments, there would be no need for coffee.

Coffee is the solution to the impossible circumstances of our lives.

Page 9

the index · campus opinions

December 2019

The missing chili in a bread bowl Jonny Sonnenfeld ’20

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would like to address a mystery that has befallen our community: the culinary tragedy of the missing chili in a bread bowl.

Since the dawn of time, Haverford students have thrived on chili in a bread bowl: it is the ant to our anteater, the peanut to our elephant, and the acorn to our squirrel.

There is no food more efficient than chili in a bread bowl: the flavor-packed proteinrich chili, contained within a carbohydrate bowl. The delivery system is part of the meal.

The most bang for your buck. If you buy a blackjack chicken sandwich they give it to you on a paper bowl or plate. You can’t eat a paper bowl or plate, at least not enjoyably.

The beloved dish was last seen sometime at the end of September. I have devoted myself to solving this tragic disappearance. I figured my best bet was to ask Ms. Erin Bryne, so I sat down next to her at breakfast while she typed in names, and asked questions.

My first question was, of course, “What happened to chili in a bread bowl?”

Erin looked me dead in the eyes and said, “I don’t really know, we just haven’t been having it as much.”

I thought this was strange, though I knew Erin would never lie. Erin told me how, in the past, chili in a bread bowl would show its face once a month, every month for years.

Until October. I had a feeling from the beginning that it couldn’t just be a Halloween prank.

My suspicions were confirmed when we left for Thanksgiving break and chili in a bread bowl was still nowhere to be seen, another month without an appearance. I’ve begun to worry.

We are now well into December and chili in a bread bowl is still nowhere to be found.

I suspect foul play.

From my conversation with Erin, I felt sure the lunch staff had nothing to do with it. This left three suspects.

Suspect A: a disgruntled student, whose digestive system couldn’t handle chili in a bread bowl. In an attempt to get revenge, the student kidnapped our beloved lunch.

Suspect B: An overbearing parent, who was unsatisfied with the nutritional value of our wonderful food and abducted chili in a bread bowl and did the unspeakable—killed her. I pray suspect B is innocent.

Suspect C: Dr. Nagl, who was unsatisfied with the student body’s showing at his TED Talk and decided to get back at everyone by sending chili in a bread bowl to the United States Military Academy, his alma mater.

I fear suspect C may be guilty. He will be brought in for questioning by the Mock Trial team next week.

If chili in a bread bowl is reading this, know that we love you and are working hard day and night to locate you. And if the chili in a bread bowl’s captor is reading this— know that we will find you. We have a very particular set of skills.

Students deserve extensions Quinn Luong ’22

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n the midst of stress coming from honors classes and commitments to extracurriculars, the faculty is torn whether or not to give extensions of missed work to students like me.

As a student who participates in Model UN, Diversity Alliance, and Speech & Debate, I am often faced with the battle of handling assignments and missed assessments because of the many weekend-long competitions and events I attend.

Similar to many other students who participate in sports, my commitment requires a lot of time. Although many may argue one must limit the number of commitments to extracurriculars, I and many others enjoy taking advantage of the opportunities many clubs and sports offer.

To combat the excess number of people requesting extensions, the math department implemented a policy in which students who participate in school-related activities cannot receive extensions at all.

This policy infuriates many students, as they believe the faculty is taking measures and means to limit the number of students involved with the school com-

munity and its opportunities.

Many faculty members argue that academics should be prioritized first and recognize many of these students who ask for extensions are students who are intensely involved with numerous activities.

Are extensions fair to the students who have to turn in assignments or take an assessment earlier?

The stress comes when one has to turn in an assignment with almost no possible time to do it.

For me, experiencing these extracurricular opportunities are much more valuable than missing an assignment, but the stress comes when one has to turn in an assignment with almost no possible time to do it.

DESIGNED BY AUSTIN ZHUANG ’22

Lunch quality slipping Austin Zhuang ’22

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very day the Sodexo team works hard to provide lunch for almost a thousand students, from the first graders in the Lower School all the way to the Sixth Formers in the Upper School. Still, some students regularly judge and critique the cafeteria’s offerings . “Too many salads!” and “Where did Chicken Po’ Boy go?” are some common remarks an average student might hear in their classes or in the hallways.

Last year, the taste and variety of the dining was a large improvement from the school I attended previously. The number of choices was beyond my expectations. This may have raised my standards too high, but after summer break this year, returning to the same dining hall was underwhelming.

Fourth Former Elijah Lee said, “It’s not consistent from year to year. I think overall [the food quality] has decreased.”

Others see no difference in the quality of this year’s lunch.

Fourth Former Nicholas Pante said, “I think [the lunch quality] is the same as last year.”

While some found a few flaws and faults, a good majority remain content with the food Sodexo provides. And that is not a bad perspective to have.

Still, the food has some shortcomings. The noodles in noodle bowl, for example, taste much worse now than last year. In addition, the drop offs in favorites like Chili in a Bread Bowl and Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich is a letdown, and the increase in salads and other meals that have low popularity is frustrating. All these factors have contributed to the small but noticeable quality decrease.

The student body should be grateful for the great service Sodexo provides daily, but there is room for improvement.

Before we see that improvement, there will still be the one student in class who groans when they hear it is Chicken Strip Salad for lunch again.

Page 10

the index · off-campus opinions

December 2019

off-campus opinions Dear Philadelphia, address homelessness Matt Mignucci ’20

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love Philadelphia. The city has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Whether it be through Di Bruno Brothers, The Germination Project, or the sports teams, I have always been supporting the city, working for the city, or celebrating the city.

I found that out of the ten largest cities in the United States, Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate at 25%.

Philly is a city of hard-working, bluecollared workers with a true underdog spirit.

We live up to our name as the City of Brotherly Love and, we are home to many of our country’s most significant landmarks and accomplishments. I think Philly is the best, but

I recognize that we have our shortcomings.

Through my involvement in The Germination Project, an initiative that aims to unite Philadelphia’s best and brightest future leaders to invest in the city’s future, I was able to do a project on poverty in Philadelphia.

I found that out of the ten largest cities in the United States, Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate at 25%. One in every four people lives under the poverty line ($25,000 total income for a family of four).

This is unacceptable.

This past summer, I did an internship in the Pre-Audit Sector of the City Controller’s Office in Philadelphia, a position that allowed me to negotiate city contracts, review balance sheets, and overlook city projects.

There, I witnessed this poverty firsthand.

On my way to work, I would hop on the highway, drive into Philadelphia, and park in the Love Park Garage. I would walk out onto the street and see extreme poverty. I saw people walking around with shopping carts, pouring and drinking alcohol in and out

of Wawa cups, and smoking cigarettes and other drugs.

The worst part about the poverty was how it was all over the Municipal Services Building, City Hall, and Love Park. These were not only significant landmarks of Philadelphia but also the location of numerous city official and government worker offices. The city workers would walk by them, never offering a second glance.

My hope is that civic and business leaders of Philadelpha recognize reducing poverty will result in reducing homelessness.

Not only had the people in poverty seemed to accept their situation, but so had the leaders of our city. I felt helpless to see how wide-

spread homelessness is in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia was once a city of great firsts.

Our country was founded here with the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Our country’s first capital, hospital, zoo, stock exchange, and Navy yard were all first to be found in Philadelphia; but since then, we’ve fallen behind.

On the bright side, the United States Census Bureau just released a report stating that Philadelphia’s poverty dropped down to 24.5—the lowest it’s been since 2008. While the number of people living in poverty in Philly dropped from approximately 391,000 to 377,000, it’s not time to celebrate. It’s time to keep working.

My hope is that the civic and business leaders of Philadelphia recognize reducing poverty will result in reducing homelessness.

The first defense to defeating poverty is through education and employment, and incentivizing the business community and City Hall to invest in comprehensive programs that provide temporary housing, education, healthcare, and substance abuse rehabilitation through organizations like Project HOME is a great start.

I understand poverty is a complex issue.

It will require revolutionary thinking, ingenuity, and hard work, all of which make up the DNA of The City of Brotherly Love. My hope is by addressing poverty and homelessness, Philadelphia will once again achieve new firsts.

Otherwise, Philadelphia will be a museum of our country’s past and not a model of a great city in the future.

Camp David, appropriate site for G7 Jon Krouse ’20

T

he Group of Seven summit is an annual meeting between the seven most economically advanced countries in the world: Britain, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and the United States. Every year a different country out of the seven hosts the meeting—this year, the United States will host. On Tuesday, December 3, President Donald Trump announced that the G7 summit would be held at Camp David.

The G7 summit is typically hosted at a government-owned property, but Trump initially wanted the meeting to be located at his resort, the Trump National Doral Miami.

After receiving much negative feedback, he decided to change the location to Camp David.

Far away from the hubbub of the capital, it is an optimal place to meet with others without the pressure of outsiders.

Camp David, or the Naval Support Facility Thurmont, is located in the Catoctin Mountain Park in Frederick County, Maryland. Originally, Camp David was a camp for federal government agents built by the

Works Progress Administration. Now, Camp David is a presidential retreat where Presidents can host foreign leaders. Far away from the hubbub of the capital, it is an optimal place to meet with others without the pressure of outsiders.

Camp David has been available to every president since it was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s. In 1943, Roosevelt hosted Prime Minister Winston Churchill there, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower held his first cabinet meeting in 1955 and met with Nikita Khrushchev in 1959.

One of the most important events that has happened at Camp David is the Camp David Accords. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter sat down with the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and the Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to sign a revolutionary peace treaty, earning the president a Nobel Peace Prize.

In his announcement on December 3, President Trump said, “We’ll be doing some very special things at Camp David.”

I strongly believe that Camp David is the right location for the United States to host the G7 Summit. It was clearly wrong for President Trump to try and make the location for the summit at his own resort for financial gain. Hosting this meeting at Camp David is a brilliant idea due to the rich history that has taken place at the location between U.S. presidents and foreign leaders.

This is the correct location to host the summit because there is no controversy. The decision to hold the summit at the resort angered many people, but Camp David serves as a common ground. Other Presidents have hosted at Camp David for the summit,

such as President Barack Obama, and it ran smoothly, so I believe that the tradition can continue.

Hopefully President Trump does not change his mind again, because he made the right decision with Camp David.

ANDREA HANKS, THE WHITE HOUSE

President Donald Trump at Camp David September 8, 2017

Page 11

the index · off-campus opinions

December 2019

Zach Sumner ’20

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lammed into the locker, pushing back with all his strength, he had no chance of escaping. There he was, stuck in the middle of a long hallway lined with lockers painted a bland grey and green.

Everyone in the hallway was watching, yet none of us interfered. Fights were common, and in this case, he deserved it. He initiated the argument, as he had struck first after his remarks to Jayvon.

“Jayvon, how’s the family?” he teased, knowing for a fact that Jayvon’s mother had passed earlier that year.

To them, and the administration, he was just another black kid from Media starting fights.

“Where’d you get those? Goodwill?” he said, continuing the verbal assault. “You’re gonna end up just like your brother, you know that?”

The greatest nation in the world?

Only after getting shoved did Jayvon fight back. Jayvon grabbed him by the shirt, throwing him across the hallway. Jayvon continued walking away, trying to brush off the incident, but his attacker was relentless.

He picked himself up and threw his fist into Jayvon’s temple. This is how Johnny ended up pressed face-first against a locker. No one saw Jayvon for two weeks. The security guards took him away; they didn’t want to hear his story. To them, and the administration, he was just another black kid from Media starting fights.

Detentions, suspensions, and expulsions: each school has its own tiny justice system.

Students are placed in front of a jury and

JARED PIPER VIA FLICKR

Meek Mill speaks about the refurbishment of the 33rd and Oxford basketball court, October 11, 2018

a judge, forced to advocate for themselves.

I wasn’t there, yet I knew as well as anyone else that they wouldn’t listen to Jayvon’s case.

The jury had come to a verdict the second he stepped foot in that conference room. Just like the school, bias contaminates the American justice system.

They had killed an innocent man on the side of the road...yet neither faced consequences.

In November of 2017, Robert Williams, better known as Meek Mill, was sentenced to two to four years of jail time for violating his parole. Wiliams was arrested previously for performing a wheelie on a dirtbike in Philadelphia; before that, he had been granted parole in early 2009 after being wrongly arrested on gun and drug charges. Between then and his final arrest in 2017, he was continuously found to have violated his parole.

The Reform Alliance is a movement designed to free those wrongfully convicted from jail and parole. Its CEO has stated, “Despite the circumstances of his arrest – and despite never committing a crime – Meek has been on probation his entire adult life, and has been sent back to jail multiple times for minor technical violations, including for ‘popping a wheelie’ on a dirt bike.”

Since the beginning, Williams had argued that the judge was biased. Yet, the same judge continued to handle all of his cases until the very last hearing, without being investigated or examined in relation to Williams’ case.

On September 16, 2016, Terence Crutcher, a forty-year-old African American male, was killed in Tulsa by two white male police officers. Crutcher was having problems with

his vehicle, and was unarmed, yet was shot with the police officers claiming they suspected Crutcher was reaching for a weapon.

Although both cops were removed from the police force, neither was charged. They had killed an innocent man on the side of the road, with dashcam and helicopter footage showing no signs of suspicion from Crutcher, yet neither faced consequences.

Williams faced two to four years of jail time after almost ten years of parole for doing a trick on a dirt bike. Two white policemen shot and killed an innocent African American who was trying to get away from his dangerous vehicle. Is this what we think justice is? Is this America? Is this who we want to be?

America is plagued. Plagued by prejudice and injustice, run on stereotypes. “The greatest nation in the world” is a lie. America is a trap for those who fall too low in the system.

America beats down the Jayvons and Williamses of the world until they become too weak to fight.

Ashamed of my old school? Sure, but I never expected better from them, none of us did. Ashamed of America? Definitely.

I haven’t seen Jayvon since seventh grade.

Every once in a while I think about him and this incident. Am I ashamed for standing by?

No. Jayvon wouldn’t have wanted help — he could handle these situations on his own. We knew better than to step in.

Ashamed of my old school? Sure, but I never expected better from them, none of us did. Ashamed of America? Definitely.

the index · sports

Page 12

December 2019

sports Students fear Eagles fail to find their wings stephen Walker ’22

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t has come to that time in the pro football season when teams are hunting for a coveted spot in the NFL playoffs and a shot at bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to their fans.

The Philadelphia Eagles, though at the

bottom of the pack, are still in the race for a playoff spot.

To make the playoffs, the 5-7 Eagles need to win all four of their remaining regularseason games, including a Week 16 battle against their arch-rival, The Dallas Cowboys,

MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ’21

The Eagles faced The Broncos and won 51-23 on November 5, 2017

who decimated them 37-10 earlier this year.

The odds are against this team, but it’s not over until it’s over.

So, what happened? According to a lot of people, including the Eagles’ star tight end Zach Ertz, this team is more talented than the roster that brought the Lombardi Trophy to Broad Street in 2017.

The hype going into the season was all for nothing: fans quickly realized that this team is light years away from where they were just two short years ago. At Haverford, it seems that all hope is lost for this football team and that people are just ready to move on and hope for a better result next year.

“Just… disappointing” was all Fourth Former Brendan Sullivan had to say. Like many people, he was anticipating another great team like the one from 2017, but what we got was much worse. Whose fault is it?

Why are they so bad?

Fourth Former Pranav Dixit thinks it is Carson Wentz’s fault and that “he can’t make a playoff run.”

Wentz, the leader of the offense, has played horrendously in recent weeks and is one of the reasons they lost two big games against Seattle and New England. The Eagles defense pulled it together for both of these games and held both teams to 17 points each.

Carson Wentz completed only 50% of his passes against New England and turned the ball over four times in the game against Seattle.

Though Wentz’s poor play in these games did not help, many more issues explain the disappointing season.

The most notorious problem is the poor play of the wide receiving core, with Alshon Jeffery struggling with injury, DeSean Jackson out for the year, and Nelson Agholor seemingly forgetting how to catch a football.

The defense has lost its identity, especially in the most recent game where they allowed nearly 40 points against the 3-9 Miami Dolphins’ abysmal offense.

Lastly, the offensive line, while it has provided very good blocking for running backs, has already allowed more sacks than they did all year in 2017. This may be a sign that they are regressing as they get older.

Fourth Former Will Levenstein summed up the season beautifully, saying it was “very underwhelming, especially after Carson Wentz’s performance yesterday [in a 31-37 loss to the Dolphins]; they probably won’t make the playoffs playing like this,” Another explanation for the team’s decline would be the departure of many talented personnel. Since offensive coordinator Frank Reich took a head coaching job with the Colts, the offense has never looked the same.

The team has also lost productive players like speedster Torrey Smith, the bulldozer LeGarrette Blount, and Mychal Kendricks, who was charged with insider trading.

Or, maybe teams have adapted to coach Pederson’s style of play, and we have to face the hard truth that the team needs to make changes if we ever want to see the men in midnight green hoist the Lombardi trophy again.

Now the underdogs once again, we can only hope for another miracle as the season comes to a close.

Squash looks to claim all three titles Matt Kang ’23

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ine long months have passed since the Haverford squash team played their last competitive match. As the season begins anew, the team vies to reclaim the prestigious Justi Cup and defend the Inter-Ac championship.

Last season, the Fords lost in the finals of Nationals to their biggest rival, the Brunswick School, so the boys are hungry to take home both titles this year. To complete the trifecta, the Fords will rely on an unusually strong Varsity B team to bring home the MASA (Mid-Atlantic Squash Association) title.

“The amount of talent and dedicated players are overwhelming, the greatest number we have ever had!”

COACH SAMUEL WALTERS Leading the team is Varsity Coach Mr. Samuel Walters, who expects domination from both varsity teams this year.

He has formerly coached a top team in Avon Old Farms and has over ten years of

Captain Christian Shah ’20 shakes hands with Conestoga’s first seed, December 6, 2019 coaching experience.

Coach Walters said, “The amount of talent and dedicated players are overwhelming, the greatest number we have ever had!”

The Haverford Varsity A team is both starstudded and deep, with eight of their nine players ranked in the top 32 in the United States.

Sixth Form Varsity A Captains Christian Shah, Graham Joyce, Carter Joyce, and Yeshwin Sankuratri hope to lead this year’s Varsity A team to an Inter-Ac and National title.

Coach Walters also expects big things from Varsity B, led by Sixth Form Captains

Rob Driscoll and Daniel Chow.

“I expect the Varsity B team to beat even some of the top teams in the Inter-Ac,” Coach Walters said.

The Varsity B team looks to win the MASA title while the Varsity A team is off vying for the National title.

Coach Walters emphasized the importance of team structure at the beginning of the season. He highlights having a brotherhood on the team and how everyone has to step up.

“It is so important that we build our connection as a unit early on,” Sankuratri said.

JACK KIRKPATRICK ’20

“In previous seasons we have done remarkable things when the team has really connected. It is an amazing feeling, knowing and having the confidence that your boys are always behind you, lifting you up.”

The Fords look towards the championship as a team, eyeing a revenge match against Brunswick.

“Losing in the finals like that motivates all of us to want to get back to that stage, and give it our best shot,’’ Shah said. “Once we’re at Nationals, anything can happen, but to win it all, everyone has to find a new level that they may not have reached before.”

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December 2019

Brown, continued from the front page tournament.”

Brown’s love for basketball blossomed from these experiences. As his own game developed, he was unchallenged by children his own age and began to play with older kids.

“When I was ten, I was playing with like thirteen-year-olds,” Brown said. “They used to rough me up and stuff like that. It kind of was a challenge then, but I feel like it eventually helped me for the better.”

Now, Brown plays for Team Final Nike— an elite Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team from Philly—outside of school. Furthermore, he competes for Team USA, an experience he has thoroughly enjoyed.

JACK KIRKPATRICK ’20

“He gets better every day because he works hard, practices hard, and he’s very coachable. Jameel makes guys around him better; he plays a team game and improves his teammates’ games by his unselfish play.”

COACH BERNIE ROGERS “Just going out to Colorado Springs and competing against all the top players in the country was great. I was taking in what they were teaching me. It was really an honor because I used to watch some of my favorite players like Derrick Rose and Cam Reddish go to those types of camps, and it was an honor just to be there,” Brown said.

Within the school team, Brown’s role is increasing, but he remains humble.

Jameel Brown in a 69–26 win over George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science, December 6, 2019 Sixth Form shooting guard Scott Burke “[Going to the NBA] has always been my His work ethic and asking for help will put said, “He’s a great guy — one of the nicest goal,” Brown said, “but I just try to take it him in a position to be competitive for it. guys I’ve ever met. He always looks for the step by step. I gotta get through high school Looking at the statistics for any sport, gopass first, and he’s one of the best players on first, then get through college, then try to go ing from high school to the professionals is the team.” to the NBA. Right now, I’m just taking it pretty slim, but then: if you shoot for the sun Brown’s coaches believe he brings more step by step, day by day.” and land on the moon, that’s pretty good.” than just talent to the team. Varsity Head Assistant coach Mr. Jeremy Hart teachers Coach Rogers has a similar outlook on Coach Bernie Rogers has worked with Brown Brown right now in Modern World History Brown’s goals. for a while now, witnessing his growth first- while simultaneously coaching him on the “It’s always a hard question at this age,” hand. court.

Coach Rogers said, “but he’s certainly got “He gets better every day because he works “I’ve been really impressed with Jameel as endless potential.” hard, practices hard, and he’s very coach- a young man, as a student, and as a player,” Although praise seems to follow Brown able,” Coach Rogers said. “Jameel makes Mr. Hart said. “He’s always been incredibly everywhere, he manages to remain comguys around him better; he plays a team humble about how talented he is, even when posed. When taking a big shot, he translates game and improves his teammates’ games his classmates are praising him. He works re- this coolness to the court. by his unselfish play. I also think he’s just a ally hard in basketball, and he’s been able to “Jameel is one of those super down-tohumble person by nature, which is very im- translate that into the classroom.” earth guys,” Burke said. “Everyone loves him pressive given his background.”

Mr. Hart agrees with Brown’s mindset because he always does the right thing, and As a sophomore, Brown already has re- regarding the NBA. he doesn’t let any of the noise get to his head. ceived offers from the University of Pennsyl“I think it’s a great goal . . . I think the lev- He just plays and does his thing.” vania, Iona College, Saint Peter’s University, el of talent in the NBA is exponential com“I just try to stay relaxed. No pressure,” and Temple University. pared to high school,” Mr. Hart said. “Jameel Brown said. “I’m just taking it play-by-play While he hopes to play in the NBA even- is incredibly talented, he’s on a great trajec- and basically going out there and having tually, Brown remains grounded, not look- tory, he’s doing all the right things...I think fun.” ing too far ahead. he’s got the potential to [go to the NBA].

With more numbers, wrestlers hope for a reversal Jake LaRocca ’22

A

s winter sports begin, the wrestling team has an opportunity to emerge as one of the better athletic teams. Only thirteen Fords wrestled for the 2018-2019 Wrestling Team, but that number has grown to over twenty this year.

In addition to many Third Form newcomers, students from other forms have also joined, including Fourth Former Tommy Kohlenberg.

“Wrestling is a very difficult sport,”

Kohlenberg said. “Without the team feeling, it would be very difficult to fight through.

Everyone on the team bonds with each other and it is a great team to be a part of.”

With the beginning of the new season, the Fords have ramped up the intensity of the workouts. Head coach Mr. Jesse Sataloff has been pushing the athletes to reach peak form. The wrestlers are in school on Saturday mornings and during holiday breaks.

Fourth Former Ian Rush, who wrestled

last season, is aware of the changes the team is going through.

“There are more people in the room, which is fantastic because it means more people are trying out the sport. Another thing I have noticed is the conditioning and the difficulty of practice has gone up a lot, which doesn’t seem like fun at first, but just within the first couple weeks, I feel like I am in the best shape of my life,” Rush said.

Along with Mr. Sataloff, the team is led

by Sixth Form Captain Kwaku Adubofour, who has been wrestling for four years. He believes this season will be one to remember.

Although excited about this year, Adubofour has no doubt the team will thrive.

“the conditioning and the difficulty of practice has gone up a lot, which doesn’t seem like fun at first, but just within the first couple weeks, I feel like I am in the best shape of my life” IAN RUSH ’22 “The wrestling team’s culture and vibe is a whole lot better than last year. I think it is because we have a lot of new guys who are ready to work and are excited about the sport. I’m honored to be team captain because I feel like this year is a key year in the regrowth of our prestigious wrestling program. We have a lot of young talent, and I’m very grateful to lead them,” Adubofour said.

Although the team does not compete in any Inter-Ac matches until the start of the new year, multiple tournaments lie ahead of the team in the next couple of weeks. In the home opener, the Fords take on Academy of the New Church at home on Wednesday, December 18.

Coach Sataloff looks over practice, December 6, 2019

JACK KIRKPATRICK ’20

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December 2019

Hockey making practice time count Ryan LaRocca ’20

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ike most other educational institutions, Haverford does not have its own hockey rink. And as a result, Fords Hockey lacks the training resources of Haverford’s other winter sports. Currently, the team practices throughout the week at a nearby hockey rink, but the rink’s limited availability prevents them from spending as much time as they would like on the ice.

Consequently, maximizing ice time has been a top priority this year for the Fords.

“Right now we can only control how hard we practice and work to improve.”

KOBY DEGENHARDT ’20 Sixth Former Koby Degenhardt, a leader for Fords Hockey, said, “We have only had a few practices on the ice this season, but so far, our practices have been really productive.

Since we have limited ice time this season, every single minute we spend on the ice matters.”

Following the previous season that resulted in only a single win, the Fords desperately wish to re-establish themselves as one of the top teams in their league, the ICHL. Historically, Germantown Academy has served as the ICHL’s powerhouse, and will potentially be the team to beat this season.

However, as each year sees the graduation of

Magnus Weissenberger ’21 in action early last year senior players and the entrance of new Third Formers, the Fords try not to spend their time focusing on the competition heading into the season.

“It is a different experience every year playing against the same group of schools.

We are not really sure what to expect from the other teams since we haven’t faced any of them yet. And as we enter the season, we will have to make adjustments,” Degenhardt said.

With the season’s first games looming and only a few more weeks to prepare, the Fords

are not looking outwards but instead are focused on improving themselves.

“Right now we can only control how hard we practice and work to improve,” Degenhardt said.

Degenhardt also suggested that the team had to take care of other necessities if they wish to perform well in the ICHL this season. The failure to address those necessities, Degenhardt added, contributed to the team’s less-than-satisfactory campaign last year “To accomplish our larger goals,” Degenhardt said, “we know we will also need to

DR. MIKE NANCE

accomplish smaller goals. Some of the team’s smaller goals for the year include improving the camaraderie from last year’s team and to play smarter.”

For Degenhardt and the team’s other leaders, promoting camaraderie is the primary focus.

“I am not the most skilled player on the ice,” Degenhgardt said. “But my presence on the team is definitely still felt since I’m one of the louder seniors. I try to help encourage a positive mentality and keep the team focused on the task at hand.”

Eighth grader Drew Glaser bounces up to varsity squash Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania.”

Winning matches in these events draws college recognition. Glaser does not only participate in these big tournaments, he dominates them.

Glaser’s teammates are confident his individual success will translate into team matches.

Drew Glaser ’24 in practice, December 6, 2019

TYLER ZIMMER ’21

Tyler Zimmer ’21

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ords Squash defines itself through success. Arguably the most nationally recognized program Haverford had to offer in 2018-19, they surely could not improve. Until they did. A squash match consists of nine players facing opponents equal to them on their respective “ladder.”

Out of those nine starting players, only two graduated as seniors in 2019.

Filling one of those roles is a name you may not recognize because he does not walk the halls with you. Instead, you will have to find Second Former Drew Glaser on the

other side of campus in the interim facilities.

Yes, that’s right. Second Form. Eighth Grade. Middle School.

Glaser may be young, but his success speaks for itself.

“I’ve won the last three [Junior Champion Tour Tournaments] and I’m currently number one in the country for boys under 15,” Glaser said.

U.S. Squash defines these events as “the marquee tournaments on the U.S. Squash junior calendar and are hosted at many of the top universities in the country, including

“Drew is an amazing player, and I’m sure he knows that everyone he plays is gunning for him. Playing an eighth grader, people feel more pressure to win and therefore go all out.”

QUINTIN CAMPBELL ’21 Sixth Form captain and future DivisionI squash player Graham Joyce said, “He is a very talented and skillful player [who] has great potential to play at the top of our ladder.”

The current number-one, Sixth Former Christain Shah agreed.

“He’s probably the most humble numberone player in the country I’ve seen. You’ll never hear him talk about his results or accomplishments,” Shah said. “He carries him-

self with class and good sportsmanship on the court.”

The feelings are mutual, and the age gap does not affect the team’s strong chemistry.

“I’ve always looked up to Christian and Graham,” Glaser said.

While being up to four years younger than his competition fails to affect Drew negatively, it is a unique experience.

“Playing kids older than me this year has been a great experience, and I’ve already improved a lot.”

At the top of the ladder, Drew practices with elite competition on a regular basis.

Fifth Former Quintin Campbell said, “Drew is an amazing player, and I’m sure he knows that everyone he plays is gunning for him. Playing an eighth grader, people feel more pressure to win and therefore go all out.”

“I’m never happy with the idea of losing a bunch of points to an eighth grader,” Shah said. “But what you have to realize is that he doesn’t have the skill set of a typical eighth grader.”

Drew plays with the maturity of an older player. His natural ability, combined with his stellar work ethic, allotted for his prior success and will provide exactly what the team needs in the future.

The Brunswick School placed first in last year’s national high school championships.

They are the only program in the country to match Haverford’s powerhouse lineup.

“Even if it seems impossible,” Glaser said, “my goal is to take them down and win the national championship.”

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December 2019

Fords Hoops adapts to new roster Mitav Nayak ’22

A

state championship. An undefeated season. 2018-2019 was undoubtedly a historic season for Fords Basketball. A talented starting lineup consisting primarily of Sixth Formers helped the team exceed all expectations, crowning their season in a state championship victory in overtime against Westtown last winter.

This year, the Fords will be on a quest to repeat this victory — a feat which is by no means simple. Four starters from last year’s team have graduated, bringing a unique task to the upcoming season that Varsity Head Coach Bernie Rogers believes Fords basketball is ready to tackle.

“I think it’ll be different guys stepping up,” Coach Rogers said. “New team, new journey. So I think we have a chance to be good and unselfish and win a lot of games.

We’ll just have to do it in a different fashion.”

Sixth Form leaders Scott Burke and M.J. Atkins hope to establish this selfless team culture.

“Most of us have been together for three years now. We know each other really well, and we’ve been working out in the offseason a lot too. We’re pretty close,” Burke said. “I think it’s important to keep us together and make sure we’re one team — not just a group of twelve individual guys.”

Atkins said, “Coming off a state championship, there are a lot of expectations, but we’re excited to live up to them.”

Backing up a state championship often comes with challenges, but the team remains calm and confident.

“I don’t think there’s added pressure because we have so much to prove,” Atkins said. “We have kids who have been in the program for four years, but just haven’t had the roles they’re going to have this year.”

“So we’ll have kids who have never really gotten the minutes they will get this season, and I think the players have a point to prove.

We’re going to come out firing,” Atkins said.

The Fords believe they will be able to grow as the season continues, developing their own blueprint of excellence.

Fourth Former Jameel Brown said, “We’re young. We just need to find what we’re good at this year because last year we lost so many great players. Everyone’s going to come for us, so we have to play hard.”

“Our goal is to win the league. Beyond that, it is to win another state championship.”

SCOTT BURKE ’20

JACK KIRKPATRICK ’20

David Kearney ’22 in a 69-26 win over George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science, December 6, 2019

“We’re a very different team than we were last year,” Burke said. “We just have to find out what makes it click and keep going.

We can’t replace [graduates] Christian Ray, Jameer Nelson, Asim Richards, or Gavin Burke. We just gotta figure out our own way of winning.”

Assistant coach Mr. Jeremy Hart anticipates an exciting and successful season. He believes the team is ready for their challenges and is excited to see how they will handle changes.

“I’m excited to see Coach Rogers coach and see some of the young guys step up,” Coach Hart said. “A lot of guys are going to get the opportunity to show what they can do.”

The team’s attitude remains positive through adversity, and the boys are motivated to succeed.

“Our goal is to win the league,” Burke said. “Beyond that, it is to win another state championship.”

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December 2019

Cameron Colucci: master of the rink Cameron Colucci ’20 practicing with his former partner, Sofia Litvinova, at the Ardmore Skating Club

COURTESY OF CAMERON COLUCCI ’20

Jonny Sonnenfeld ’20

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veryone in the upper school knows Sixth Former Cameron Colucci for his goofy sense of humor and impressive intellectual ability. But Colucci possesses another unique set of skills outside of the classroom: world-class ice dancing.

Sixth Formers may remember a fifth grade assembly where Colucci went up in front of the audience and explained his sport to a crowd of wide-eyed ten-year olds. He then played a video of what looked like two Olympians gliding on the ice — it was he and his partner.

Colucci participates in ice dancing, a subcategory of figure skating. In ice dancing, you skate in pairs, which are required to be one man and one woman. This is the first challenge: finding a partner.

Colucci said, “For me, it [finding a partner] was really hard. I was with my first partner for four years. She was supposed to go to Conestoga but then she moved to New York.

It is hard to find the right partners. They have to be a perfect height, treat you nicely and also excel at skating. It’s really rough because I found some people who treated me badly or were not particularly great skaters.”

Colucci trains at least three hours a day.

In an ice dancing competition, competitors are scored based on how many of the required dance moves, lifts and spins and

other athletic feats on ice, are successfully and gracefully completed. Here lies the second challenge: ice time. Colucci trains at least three hours a day.

“When I am training with a partner, I have to train at least three hours a day on the ice,” Colucci said. “Usually I have to leave school at about 2:15, or I will skate in the morning.

I would have a two-hour practice and then I would have a break and do a workout or some other off-ice classroom study for one hour. Then I would eat dinner really quickly, and then do another hour or 30 minutes of practice. My day would finish at about 8 o’clock.”

Colucci began skating when he was four years old and picked up ice dancing at age seven.

“The past few years have been sort of rough for me, trying to find partners and stuff,” Colucci said. “I’ve competed in Germany. I’ve done international competitions in Lake Placid, New York. Unfortunately, over the last few years, I’ve had to look for partners. I’ve been to Moscow and all over Canada. It’s been a rough journey for me.”

Colucci plans on continuing his skating career after high school.

“I applied to Georgetown, McGill, and University of Michigan, which are all places where they have Olympic Training Centers.

I’m looking forward to continuing my ice dance career in college,” Colucci said.

Jahmiel Jackson shifts into high gear Jake LaRocca ’22

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hile the majority of Haverford students transport to school via car, bus, or train, one Haverford student turns his ride to school into a grueling workout. Sixth Former Jahmiel Jackson rides his bike to school, all the way from his home in Philadelphia to Haverford.

While the majority of Haverford students transport to school via car, bus, or train, one Haverford student turns his ride to school into a grueling workout.

Jackson bikes with a team, with whom he completes some of his training. Most of his races are in the spring and summer, so he and his team spend the winter training indoors.

The team’s practice changes drastically with the weather.

“The number of hours I bike depends on the season. In the winter, my team and I train indoors for about two hours [a week] using a training set designed by a computer to get us ready for spring and summer races.

When the temperature gets warmer, we cycle for at least six hours [a week] together as a team. We focus on technical skills and how to race smart,” Jackson said.

Despite the team’s arduous schedule, it is just a portion of his training. When training alone, Jackson uses electronic assistance to track his performance.

“Most of my endurance is done outside of practice. I aim for about 100 miles a week.

This is done by traveling to and from school with a Garmin. A Garmin is a gadget that goes on your bike and helps you train. It tells how fast you’re going, cadence, incline, location. And I have special add-on for heartbeat and body condition. Depending on what it says for my body condition, I cater my training to it,” Jackson said.

Cycling serves as a way to be alone and get away from it all. He even has a special location for when he needs a break from people.

“I enjoy being away from people. If I want to ride 80 miles, I can take trails that lead

me to Pottstown. It’s a good time to reflect on everything while getting a good workout done,” Jackson said.

It’s a good time to reflect on everything while getting a good workout done” JAHMIEL JACKSON ’20 Jackson first realized his love for the sport during a triathlon. Since then, he has competed in weekly cycling races during the summer.

Although spending an enormous amount of time on the bike saddle, Jackson makes sure he has enough time to keep his grades in good shape.

He bikes according to his academic schedule.

“If I have a test first period,” he explained, “I’m not going to go on a hard ride in the morning because I will be physically drained throughout the day. I usually ride in the mornings from 6:00-7:45.”

COURTESY OF EAST COAST GREENWAY

Jahmiel Jackson ’20, right, at a 2019 Mid-Atlantic Greenways event

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December 2019

arts Mandalorian madness consumes Wilson Hall Connor pinsk ’23

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A Mandalorian from Calgary’s Comic & Entertainment Expo 2016

CORY DENTON VIA WIKIMEDIA

isney+, a new and popular streaming service, has been out for only around a month, and already students have been scrambling around trying to get another student’s password for one reason: to watch The Mandalorian.

The Star Wars spinoff TV series follows a member of the Mandalorians, an ancient guild of warriors who live in the shadows.

The Mandalorian’s name has been kept a mystery so far in the series but this will likely change. He is played by actor Pedro Pascal, and the show is directed by Jon Favreau, affectionately known by Marvel fans as Happy Hogan, who was also the director of the first and second Iron Man. The Mandalorian is a bounty hunter who is considered to be the best of the best. The bounty hunter wields weapons such as a rifle that disintegrate enemies on contact alongside an ordinary blaster, and is undoubtedly one of the coolest outlaws in the Star Wars universe.

“It is full of action and really great characters,” Mandalorian aficionado Third Former Connor Rall said.

Third Former Ben Bodle, one of many students who watches The Mandalorian, claims to be a big fan and says that he will continue watching.

Bodle said, “I think you need to start from

the beginning because you need to follow the track of The Mandalorian.”

connect with their past. “[My daughter] is finding movies and shows that she hadn’t seen with me, but that I’ve seen, so she’ll ask me when I saw it, where I saw it, and what was special about it, which is nice,” Ms. O’Brien said.

Although Netflix has a greater variety of newer content, Disney Plus has made several originals, which are only available on the streaming service.

The Mandalorian, a Star Wars spin-off and Disney Plus original, is the service’s keystone project, and has enthralled Star Wars fans.

“I really like [The Mandalorian],” Pinsk said. “It’s zooming in on a different part of the Star Wars universe that we haven’t really seen before.”

Disney includes a wider range of content than one might expect.

“People think that Disney Plus would

lack variety, but what they don’t realize is that Disney owns so much, like National Geographic, Star Wars, and Marvel,” Pinsk said.

On top of the content, Disney Plus offers an overall better-valued streaming service than Netflix. Disney Plus lets four users simultaneously stream on the same account for $6.99 a month, whereas that same capability is unavailable on the basic or standard Netflix subscription, and is only available on Netflix Premium, which costs $11.99 a month.

“Netflix has really just messed with us.

I don’t want to pay twelve dollars a month just so my whole family can watch. I would like to have one account, and everyone can watch,” Wister said. “That’s why Disney Plus is so great.”

You need to start from the beginning because you need to follow the track of The Mandalorian.”

BEN BODLE ’23 The character of the Mandolorian is full of twists, and if someone starts watching the show in the middle of the series or starts on the last episode, their perception of the outlaw could be completely distorted.

Rall believes that the first couple of episodes are not vital to the plot. Rather, they lay the foundation for the show and that they are not necessary for an experienced Star Wars fan.

“If they have a good knowledge of Star Wars then they could start on episode two or three, but if they don’t have any knowledge, they should start at the beginning,” Rall said.

If people splurge the extra six dollars and ninety-nine cents a month on Disney+, then they should probably start watching The Mandalorian.

Does Disney+ deliver?

Joey Kauffman ’23

D

isney Plus has revolutionized the streaming industry. Released on November 22, the Walt Disney Company’s new streaming service gives you ad-free access to all things Disney, offering fans a top-notch experience. The service is available for $6.99 a month and can be accessed on any mobile device, computer, or Smart TV. All of a sudden, Disney Plus has opened Disney’s vaults of old content for fans to watch on demand, reuniting people with shows and movies that they love.

“If you want more variety, you go to Netflix, but if you want nostalgic shows and things that really bring you closer with yourself, then you watch Disney Plus”

movies, but throughout [my daughter’s] childhood, some of them have gotten lost or damaged, and now they’re all available in beautiful 4k right there on the TV,” Upper School physics teacher Ms. Carol O’Brien said.

While Disney Plus has benefited many fans’ lives, it has simultaneously shaken up the streaming industry, rivaling Netflix, the current leader in the business. Disney Plus gives fans access to content that many people grew up watching, which is unique in the age of streaming.

“If you want more variety, you go to Netflix, but if you want nostalgic shows and things that really bring you closer with yourself, then you watch Disney Plus,” Wister said.

This extensive archive of classic shows and movies that Disney Plus offers lets people

ORION WISTER ’23 “Disney Plus is Disney at its best,” Third Former Orion Wister said. “It brings back all the best shows that we know and love like The Simpsons and Gravity Falls, and also brings back Pixar movies like Up and Monsters, Inc., which are, in my opinion, some of the best movies of all time.”

Now that all of this content is available, many people have started binge-watching their childhood favorites.

“I think that Disney Plus has bingewatching capability. Mainly, I’ve been bingewatching old shows like Zach and Cody,” Third Former Connor Pinsk said.

Along with providing addictive content, Disney Plus makes it easier for families to watch their favorite movies together.

“We probably own a hundred Disney

The logo of the Walt Disney Comany’s new streaming service, Disney+

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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different shapes and sizes that also had to be custom-built and fabricated for the show,” Mr. Woodward said. “In order to do that, the guys on stage crew learned about some of the power tools in the scene shop that they may not have had the opportunity to use before.”

Once the main set pieces were constructed, the stage crew moved onto programming the light board.

Mr. Woodward said, “We brought in an outside professional lighting designer who worked with a couple of the guys to teach them about programming on our lighting console as well as how some of the lights get focused and why the different choices were used to have certain lights pointed in different locations, with different colors and intensities. Once the programming was done, our guys were able to take it and execute the cues throughout the show.”

The stage crew in front of the Three Musketeers set

MR. JORDAN HAYMAN

Stage crew steals the show Ryan Rodack ’22

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lthough the actors and actresses in the fall show of The Three Musketeers were tremendous, the stage crew played a key role in helping to produce an entertaining, action-packed, and comical play.

The group of nine students worked tirelessly from mid-September until the performance days in mid-November to ensure all props, set pieces, lights, sound, and designs were ready to go. The process of preparing for the show began in September, when scenic designer and technical director Mr. Dex Woodward first had to acclimate to working with high school students as opposed to professionals.

“I come from mostly dealing with professional stagehands in my previous jobs,” Mr. Woodward said. “There is an obvious learning curve working with the students here and getting them to learn about the stuff that they’re using; however, this group of guys absorbed everything that

I threw at them pretty readily, and I was able to show them something once or twice and they were able to run with it, which is not something that can be said about the socalled ‘professionals’ in the industry that I have worked with in the past.”

“Under [Mr. Woodward’s] leadership, we were pushed to tackle large-scale jobs that had previously been neglected, for example, cleaning out and organizing the catwalk,” Sixth Form assistant stage manager Cole Stecker said.

After organizing the shop and the catwalk, the stage crew was posed with the task of designing the set.

“A bunch of the components we already had in our inventory here including some of the platforms that made up the set,” Mr. Woodward said.

“Assembling those pieces with the stage crew was one of the first things they worked on to build the framework for the actual set. Then, there were a bunch of pieces of

“I really enjoy hearing the audience’s applause when operating the lightboard.

It lets the crew know that we’re doing a good job operating the scenes of the play.”

DONOVAN FAIRFAX ’21 Fifth Former Donovan Fairfax was in charge of operating the light board.

“At first, the lightboard looked really intimidating. All I could see were a bunch of sliders, buttons, and monitors, which I knew nothing about...I would always press the wrong button or go to the wrong cues. But over the years, I grew,” Fairfax said. “I really enjoy hearing the audience’s applause when operating the lightboard. It lets the crew know that we’re doing a good job operating the scenes of the play.”

After programming the light board, the stage crew had to prepare all sound effects and music for the show.

Fifth Form light board operator Jamiir Shaw said, “Working the sound makes me

December 2019 feel like I have more of a purpose on the crew.”

Within a few days of the show, the set, sound, light board, and props were all ready to go.

Third Form backstage crew member Arnav Sardesai said, “We practiced the show so much that by the time the show came around, we memorized all the scene changes and knew exactly when certain props went on stage.”

The frequent scene changes and swords that had to be constantly passed over to different actors throughout The Three Musketeers presented the stage managers with a busy, but enjoyable evening.

“I really enjoy managing backstage because it allows me to hang out with the actors” Stecker said.

Fifth Form stage manager Ethan Diamond said, “I think this particular show succeeded because there was great communication among the members of the stage crew both before, during, and after the show.”

On opening night, all was going well until the director Mr. Hengst noticed a problem.

“There was a scene at the end of the show where two swords needed to be preset on the wall for a sword fight,” Mr. Hengst said. “The scene started, and the two swords were not preset. I went to the stage crew and told them that we had to get the swords on stage. I turned around, and I saw that [Mr. Woodward] was behind the set with the swords in his hands. As the Musketeers entered the stage, he went behind them with the swords in his hand to go behind a wall.

He handed one of the swords to an actress and tossed the other sword onto the stage.

I’m not sure if the actresses would have been able to figure out how to execute the scene if it were not for [Mr. Woodward]. He really saved that scene.”

The successful performance of the stage crew did not go unnoticed by the actors either. Fourth Former Nick Pante, who played “Rochefort,” said, “[The stage crew] told us when to come on stage, gave us cues, and organized all materials backstage so that when we had to come on and off the stage we knew where everything was. In other words, the stage crew basically did everything that the audience didn’t see on stage and it was very important to the success of the cast.”

Casting and first rehearsal for US musical Carousel James Wang ’21

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roducing a play takes teams of people to consider costumes, set design, and lighting. They must find appropriate cast members and match the content of the play to time available for rehearsal.

With all the effort required to put together a performance, how does one decide which play or musical to choose?

Theater department chair and director Mr. Darren Hengst makes the plays come together, along with Technical director Mr. Dex Woodward, who handles all of the set design and lighting intricacies, choose productions by balancing what suits students participating and what makes a good production.

Mr. Hengst considers cast size. Mr. Hengst had 92 students audition. He always has to find ways to include students thoughtfully.

Along with finding a play that suits the actors, and adjusting the scenes to fit, along with 92 actors comes 92 costumes. This is where Mr. Hengst has to balance the budget. From renting microphones to providing costumes and building an entire set, all of it must all be calculated.

How does he determine what to keep and what to cut? This yearly production process starts in the summer, when Mr. Hengst, Mr. Hightower, and Mr. Woodward discuss

plays. Mr. Hengst will do read throughs of plays to determine key scenes. For example, the play features a scene where all the characters are doing nothing but looking at the carousel. The carousel builds the plot, the emotion, and the vibe of the scene.

“I always look for a musicals that are story-driven, where the songs really come out of the words.”

MR. DARREN HENGST “That moment is really important to me, that the carousel in is on stage and working at that moment,” Mr. Hengst said.

Outside of making sure the musical fits, Mr. Hengst also weighs artistic merits.

“I always look for a musicals that are story-driven, where the songs really come out of the words,” Mr. Hengst said.

He believes that some musicals tend center themselves around songs, leading to a weak story.

Mr. Hengst’s operation is always adjusting.“I heard feedback from the students that they wanted more to do in the

YAN GRAF ’20

Penn Charter’s Morgan Lucero rehearses with Gabe Gowen ‘21 outside Carousel auditions, December 8, 2019

show,” Mr. Hengst said.

In response to this, Mr. Hengst chose Carousel because of the various dancing en-

sembles that incorporate all members into the scene.

the index · arts

Page 19

December 2019

Ford v Ferrari film review Vincent Scauzzo ’20

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n 1971, Steve McQueen made one of the most impressive racing movies in history: Le Mans. Taking place at the famed French street course, the movie chronicles a fake version of the 24-hour race. The reason it is regarded as such a great racing movie is because of the on-track action—it’s all real. The racing, the speed, the crashes—they all happen in real life without computers, and most of the time with Mr. McQueen behind the wheel. Now, the plot of this movie, outside of the racing, is dreadfully dull. Really, the only people who appreciate this film are those who appreciate the racing from that era. The casual movie-goer does not understand the risk and peril the drivers put themselves through, and they’ll fall asleep through the B-story.

Ford v Ferrari is not like Le Mans. It is miles better.

Where highbrow fans of Le Mans and other strictly racing movies like Grand Prix might look down on lovers of Talladega Nights and Days of Thunder, everyone can love Matt Damon and Christian Bale’s latest picture. It has real racing scenes and crashes like those from Steve McQueen along with a significant subplot following driver Ken Miles’ life. You don’t have to know going into the movie who Phill Hill and Bob Bonderant are or how fast a ’60s race car can go through the Mulsanne Kink. The casual viewer can thoroughly enjoy this film and learn a bit about racing.

But I am not a casual viewer when it comes to racing movies, and more than anything in this film, I looked for historical accuracy. Did the tracks on set follow the

Did the tracks on set follow the same turns in real life? Were the cars’ color schemes and specifications correct for the year?

Did Matt Damon do a good job of portraying Mr. Shelby? same turns in real life? Were the cars’ color schemes and specifications correct for the year? Did Matt Damon do a good job of portraying Mr. Shelby?

In short, yes. Sure the Daytona 24-hour race scenes were actually filmed at Fontana and didn’t follow the Florida road course at all, but the cars looked the part and the actors, particularly Damon, were very true to life. I thought the racing and driving was filmed in such a way that it gave the viewer a sense of speed, something that not always happens in car movies.

The shots of the opening SCCA race at Willow Springs, a fast, sweeping racetrack in California, showed the viewer how dangerous driving was back then, and the speed and skill of Ken Miles. It gave me chills hearing the announcer of the race call out “Dan Gurney” and “Phill Hill” over the loudspeaker as they swapped paint. If anything, this movie made me wish racing were still like this: less fragile cars with more beating and banging between drivers.

Even the Le Mans track, memorized by any true racing fan, was accurate. I was especially impressed with the production’s ability to replicate the Indianapolis-Arnage section, a difficult left-right set of corners about twothirds of the way through the lap. The front stretch looked like Le Mans in the ‘60s with concrete bleachers for the fans and narrow hallways behind the garages for the pit crews.

What is most impressive is that a lot of those front stretch scenes were filmed on a set at Willow Springs. So props to the, uh, prop designers.

And the characters were dynamic too.

The script was witty and dramatic, including many Shelby colloquialisms and Ford Motor Company traits that were true to character.

I thought Tracy Letts did a great job playing Henry Ford II. Basically, he had to be a tough, fat, no-nonsense suit that was ignorant of the true capabilities of his creation.

But when he finally got in the GT with Shelby and felt the speed and power of the car, he showed humility and love for the machine and company: a dramatic change in personality from the rest of the film.

But it is the plot that brings this story to life and allows for the unfamiliar viewer to leave the theater wanting to know more about 1960s endurance racing. Sometimes, Hollywood doesn’t have to work very hard.

Sometimes, the world provides the perfect story and all the directors have to do is follow history. Ford v Ferrari is one of these stories.

In 1959, Carroll Shelby, legendary race car driver and designer, piloted his Aston Martin DBR1 to victory lane at Le Mans. However, due to his heart condition, this was the last time Shelby would cross the finish line behind the wheel at the famed event. Shelby was always a bit of a dare-devil, pushing the limits of his abilities and his creations. He stuck a big Ford V8 in his own AC Bristol and created one of the greatest sports cars in history, the Shelby Cobra. To this day, the Shelby name is a symbol of ultimate speed, reserved for only the highest performance creations from Dearborn.

After he won at Le Mans, Shelby’s doctors said his heart would stop if he kept pushing it behind the wheel, so he turned to expanding his brand and building a race team.

His Cobras competed in SCCA, USAC, and other sports car racing series in the ’60s. His favorite driver and mechanic buddy was Ken Miles, a hothead who knew everything inside and out about his vehicle, and was very vocal when something went wrong. Many people called him “difficult,” but he and Shelby were very successful together in their racing endeavors.

While all this was going on, “Il Commendatore,” or Enzo Ferrari, was dominating the sports car circuit in Europe, particularly at Le Mans. His sleek machines won every year from 1960 to 1965, making them the bar for all competing manufacturers to meet. It was a high, fast, beautiful bar.

Back in the States, times were changing.

The boomer generation was starting to get their licenses, and they wanted something

The Ford GT40

with a little more sex appeal than what Ford currently offered. Lee Iaccoca, one of the most innovative American automotive executives in history (maker of the Mustang), explained to Mr. Ford that while Ferrari might build fewer cars, their success in racing will put them ahead of Ford in history.

Mr. Iaccoca concluded that in order for Ford to be remembered at the best car manufacturer ever, they must win at Le Mans.

Now, Ferrari was in money trouble. Winning does not come cheap, and Ford was prepared to offer to buy Ferrari SpA if it meant owning their race team. Mr. Ford sent his ex-

YAN GRAF ’20

Matt Damon and Christian Bale taking pictures with fans at Ford v Ferrari Premier

ecutives to Maranello to speak with the Boss.

Enzo, in a most humiliating and insulting manner, said no and instead allowed FIAT to purchase the brand. Mr. Ford did not see the famous purple-inked signature on his contract when his employees returned.

This infuriated Ford. Suddenly, beating Ferrari became personal. And so, Ford hired Carroll Shelby to do the ultimate task: build a racecar in half a year to compete at Le Mans and beat Ferrari. Shelby brought his best man Ken Miles to do the job with them, and together, they put a car on the start line: the Ford GT40. Miles thought he would pilot the inaugural GT at the race. After all, he knew the car better than anyone. But Ford executives wanted their people, and Miles didn’t fit the bill. None of the Ford entrants that year finished the race. Had the drivers and teams possessed Miles’ knowhow and feel for the cars, that outcome might have been different.

And so in 1966, Ford went back to Shelby

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

and asked him to build another car. Shelby complied with Mr. Ford’s command, but only if Miles would be a driver. Ford agreed, but he had his own caveat: Miles had to win the 24 Hours of Daytona. Other Ford executives who didn’t like Miles wanted him to lose—in the movie, executive Leo Beebe plays Miles’ frustrating antagonist—so they set up a special strategy for all GTs competing that day to ensure Miles wouldn’t win.

But Miles wanted that Le Mans ride and so did his crew chief Shelby, so they disobeyed team Ford orders and ended up winning the race. Afterward securing their spot on the

French start line, they tweaked the car and made it faster, found other drivers like Bruce McLaren to drive the other Fords, and went off to Le Mans.

On that weekend in 1966, Scuderia Ferrari brought the best they had: the beautiful P4. But what Ford lacked in looks, they made up for in speed. On that day in June, Miles would set the lap record multiple times, blasting down the 3.5-mile Mulsanne straight at speeds higher than ever seen at the track. Ford was also more reliable than the Ferrari, with the Italian V12 eventually blowing up, securing Miles a victory. Or so he thought.

The executives at the race deemed a picture of the cars three-abreast crossing the line would be the most fitting way to solidify themselves in the history books. Miles eventually agreed to slow down and cross the line with his teammates, but Bruce McLaren’s car actually won the race by a technicality.

It was a bummer for Miles, but he was always one to look forward, and he and Shelby went back to developing for next year. Sadly, Miles died in a testing accident, but the Ford GT40 would go on to win Le Mans the next three years.

This movie pulls at the emotions of car fans everywhere. There’s a theme of “7000 RPM” being the point at which a car becomes alive, and it is also the limit team Ford tells Miles not to break in the GT40. While 7000 RPM may be inaccurate, it is true that at a certain speed, the driver and car behave together. It happens after they get to know each other, after they’ve spent a long time together. Ken Miles achieves this car nirvana towards the end of the race while he’s in the lead with no one around him. The car is going 220 miles an hour down the Mulsanne Straight, and he appreciates the machine that surrounds him.

It might be hard for a non-car person to understand, but what Ken felt at this moment, especially at a holy place like Le Mans, is true for every driver out there.

I’ll probably see this movie many more times in my life—it really is everything a car guy could want. Not only does it introduce racing and an important part of racing history to the casual viewer, but it also provides the avid follower, the lover of the automotive world, a place to point and say, “this, this right here, is why I love racing.”

the index · arts

Page 20

December 2019

The Irishman: Scorcese scores again Matthew Schwartz ’21

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ith the rise of comic book movies and other action films, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman sports an all-star cast of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. The film travels back in time to the classic gangster movies that consumed the 1970s through the early 90s.

De-aging technology is used during the film to make the characters appear younger as the overall plot spans nearly 40 years. Still newly available, the technology is imperfect.

Based on Charles Brandt’s nonfiction book, I Heard You Paint Houses, the movie follows the story of a truck driver, Frank Sheeran, in the mid-1950s as he begins

working for the mob, and more specifically, Jimmy Hoffa, the President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

For all the money that went into The Irishman, its biggest flaw may very well be its visual flare. It looks flat and desaturated: almost lifeless. Although the vibrant performances do their best to breathe life into the film, its washed-out look makes much of it seem depressing and unappealing.

As seen in recent Marvel movies such as

Woodworkers posting content on Instagram

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trial design and has made my experience at Haverford memorable.”

“It’s provided me with a lifetime skill and hobby that I see myself doing for the rest of

“Woodworking gives me a creative outlet in my busy life outside of school and sports. When I’m in art class, it takes away the stress of everything else in my life.”

BOBBY BLEWETT ’20 my life,” Brala said.

Springer wants to continue this for the rest of his life and potentially “open up [his] own shop one day or have [his] own line of contemporary furniture.”

You can see all of the art that Haverford’s woodworkers have created by following them on their Instagram pages @b.blewettdesign, @wspringerdesign, and @connorbraladesign.

@b.blewettdesign, Bobby Blewitt’s woodworking Instagram page

YPEHMISH VIA WIKIMEDIA

from stalling out midway through.

By the end, the various supporting characters feel surprisingly underdeveloped despite the film’s extended runtime.

Overall, The Irishman recalls the classic mob dramas of the 1990s. While it might feel a little out of place in today’s movie landscape, Scorsese’s film draw together many of the great artists of his generation in one unique project.

Swimming and diving, continued from the front page

Matt Mignucci ’20

ocial media is a great way to connect with friends, share your life, and meet new people. It’s used by school programs such as theater, academics, and athletics.

Now, woodworking is joining the scene.

Sixth Formers Connor Brala, Bobby Blewett, and Will Springer have created their own personal Instagrams to share their woodworking with the world.

These students have been involved in woodworking for their entire high school careers, and they have created tables, coat hangers, and storage boxes.

With their exquisite designs, glazes, and paint jobs, not only are these reliable and sturdy hardware, but they also look impressive.

“Woodworking gives me a creative outlet in my busy life outside of school and sports,” Blewett said. “When I’m in art class, it takes away the stress of everything else in my life.

Woodworking, and specifically [Woodworking Teacher] Mr. Ressler, have helped me shape my life dream to create a businesses from the designs and creations I come up with.”

Springer said, “The art department has helped me find my desired major in indus-

Captain Marvel, a de-aging technology is used during the film to make the characters appear younger as the overall plot spans nearly 40 years. Still newly available, the technology is imperfect. Scorsese uses it sporadically and in support of the storytelling, rather than as a gimmick that takes viewers out of the film.

Although the film’s runtime is three hours and thirty minutes, the story moves quickly, and its smooth pace prevents it

YAN GRAF ’20

hard work? Last season’s results, considered a disappointment by some, could serve as an explanation.

The 2018-2019 Fords Swimming and Diving team finished with an Inter-Ac record of 1-3, and a sixth-place finish at the Easterns Championships; both results were severe drop-offs from what had been the norm for the Fords in the previous five years.

But the past remains the past — unchangeable. And so, the Fords look towards the future.

Fifth Former Jack Deppen, the team’s top distance freestyler, noted the effect of last year’s season on the current roster.

“Last year, we obviously did not experience as much success as we had hoped on going into the season. We have used last year’s shortcomings as a source of fuel this year, training longer and harder than we have over the last few years,” Deppen said.

Achieving this success, of course, does not come solely from hard work.

As much as swimming is an individual sport, a team’s full potential can only result from adding into the mix positivity and team camaraderie.

Fifth Former Gabe Gowen, one of the team’s more outgoing figures, hopes to contribute to the team’s success through his re-

spective role.

“I am definitely not one of the best swimmers/divers on the team. We’ve got guys like Brian Brennan [’20, Virginia commit] and Antonio Octaviano [’20, Minnesota commit]. But at practices, I try to lighten the mood in the midst of all of the hard work and encourage other guys to work harder,” Gowen said.

Sixth Form captain Antonio Octaviano, promotes positivity and fostering camaraderie.

“Being a leader for the guys on the team is one of my top priorities. I do my best to lead by example and stay positive, and they don’t make that job very hard,” Octaviano said.

Octaviano also noted one of the team’s newer traditions that helps set a positive tone for the team.

“After every Saturday morning practice, the guys on the team try to go to Qdoba and have a team lunch. It’s a nice hard-earned reward after such long and hard practices.”

The Fords remain hungry for this upcoming season, and for Qdoba after their weekend practices.

The more they strive for victory, the faster they will swim and the better they will dive.

Library hours, continued from page 6 “Pods are too open and they’re exposed to all the sounds coming from the hallway,” Ma said. “The street also has the same issue, and it’s usually full for most of the school day and after school. It would be nice to have more spaces where one could work quietly, like the desks outside of the admissions office, instead of more open communal spaces.”

“As far as I’m concerned, students are detached from any access to other resources in other spaces, particularly printing,” Srinivasan said.

Fifth Former Matthew Wang said, “My printer doesn’t work at home. One time I wanted to print a worksheet out at 4:29 and they didn’t let me in. That’s really frustrating.”

Others find the spaces and hours given adequate. “I usually don’t use the library to do work,” Dai said. “If I want to get work done, I would typically be at the street or in a pod. I think there are plenty of spots to do quiet work in the school as it is.”