December 2022 Index

index

Honors history elective observes childhood development

Ethan Lee ’24

With growing awareness around the difficult topic of sexuality and gender comes more discussion of how to deal with it when speaking with children and adolescents. Dr. Bridget Gurtler’s History of Science, Sex, and Culture* elective is working on a capstone project around the topic.

“Throughout the semester we have been exploring how people in different times have

dealt with issues particularly related to gender and sexuality,” Dr. Gurtler said. “This project is meant as a way for students to reflect on their own experiences growing up at Haverford, particularly within single-sex education.”

Specifically, Dr. Gurtler’s students are working to create a 21st-century parenting guide that looks at developmental milestones from birth to high school graduation-rang-

ing from friendship, puberty, boys culture, and dating practices to conversations about consent Dr. Gurtler tasked students with observing students across Haverford grades to see how they interact with each other.

“This year I wanted students to have a chance to work across divisions and look at life and sociality across different age groups,” Dr. Gurtler said. “They went into the center, which is kids under five [years old], and

worked with some preverbal kids all the way up to the chatty four and five-year olds to look at how they thought about color choice or sharing.”

con’t on p. 7

Students and faculty debate Musk’s Twitter acquisition

Adiyan Nayak ’24

On October 27, Elon Musk made his 44 billion dollar purchase of Twitter official. After a tumultuous month of firings, resignations, and dramatic celebrity exits, the company appears to have settled slightly into its new look. Opinions on the implications of Musk’s purchase range from the restoration of free speech to the death of democracy as we know it. One thing is clear—the popular social media platform has been changed forever.

An immediate effect of the transaction has been the nature of political discourse; Musk has cut back on the censorship of certain political claims, including those pertaining to the 2020 presidential election results. Many users see Twitter as a shortcut for receiving news, and the newly relaxed policies could have a significant impact on the reception of information.

“I think it’s too early to tell what [the effects of Musk’s purchase] are going to be,” Fifth Form Dean and history teacher Mr. Timothy Lengel said. “It’s not like Twitter was a haven of Socratic debate before Elon Musk bought it. With that being said, at least from what’s being reported in the news, he has fired pretty quickly all the people who were in charge of combating hate speech, election misinformation, [and] that kind of thing on the platform. So I would imagine things are going to get worse, not better, in terms of news on Twitter.”

Fifth Former Jackson Raleigh believes that Musk’s policies will have a greater impact on younger users.

“I think a big problem for our generation is knowing what to trust, so maybe that could become more of an issue,” Raleigh said. “With Elon allowing a lot of things

on the platform, it’s going to be tough to differentiate between real sources and fake sources.”

Critics of Musk’s purchase have called it a threat to democracy, especially following his reinstatement of Former President Donald Trump. Mr. Lengel believes that democracy in America is in danger, but he’s not willing to place the blame squarely on Twitter.

“I’m incredibly worried about democracy. I think, ultimately, Twitter specifically is not that big a part of the puzzle. With that being said, I think any place where election misinformation and also news misinformation is being posted is obviously a source of huge concern,” Mr. Lengel said.

Perhaps the most notable ban in Twitter’s history was in January of 2021 when Former President Donald Trump’s account

was suspended after he “posted messages that violated the company’s rules” by inciting a riot at the Capitol.

History Department Chair Ms. Hannah Turlish points to the incident as an example of censorship being justified.

“Posting things that lead to the destruction of our democratic system—that’s where the old guard at Twitter drew the line,” Ms. Turlish said. “You can’t post things that lead to insurrection.”

The regulation of speech is a hotly debated topic among the public, as there can be a fine line between protecting democracy and suppressing it.

COURTESY OF BILLY RAYER ‘24

Dr. Gurtler’s History of Science, Sex, and Culture* class on December 8, 2022

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editorial

Patient learning

It’s easy to get dizzy around this time of the year.

The World Cup, Kanye West, Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition, and protests in China and Iran brought domestic and foreign news to the school community, prompting excitement and agitation. Meantime, students re-adjust from Thanksgiving moods just to get ready for the forthcoming Winter Break, while Sixth Formers, in particular, prepare for a nervous week as they react to early college decisions.

December was messy. 2022 was a recovery from 2021, but still messy. The coming new year bears uncertainties with lingering questions and stirrings of greater turbulence. With whatever has happened and wherever we are heading, we just can’t seem to find peace. It is during times as such that we should ask ourselves: How have we been paying attention to the daily scenes of our local communities? How have we been doing at school?

Feeling irritation and distress, we may

find strengths in patient learning. There’s reassuring weight in the pages of history and culture; there’s comforting rationality in the formulas of math and natural science. We may also find peace in community bonding. There’s soothing familiarity in daily conversations with our peers; there’s subtle orderliness in the club that meets every Thursday night.

In cultivating personal growth, we may face the world and its uncertainties with good grace and composure.

Letter from the student body president

Winter Break is a time in the year when we get to spend valuable time with family and friends; a period of time in which we relax and enjoy the holiday season before we kick off the new year.

It might seem weird for a lot of you that Winter Break is already here and that your 2022 is coming to an end in less than a month, considering the weather from day to day feels like fall rather than winter.

As we’ve approached break, however, I reflected on how this period in time affects my mentality and outlook on school life. Going into Christmas and New Year is a long build-up that starts even before Thanksgiving; and every year, right before winter break, the community seems to come closer together, a prime example was at last week’s basketball game. The student fan section came and filled out the bleachers; we showed our dedication and support for each other. Whether you were on the court, or in the bleachers, you felt the energy and the power of our brotherhood.

After the break, I usually come back tired and disappointed that we have winter until March 20th without many holidays. During this time period, I found that my effort, my attitude, and my grades tend to start slipping because I feel like I have nothing to look forward to. This year, however, I am approaching the new year with the mentality of who am I as a man, when things aren’t going my way; when I have nothing to be motivated about.

When you cannot get what you want, that is the time period where you become a stronger person, finding it within yourself to stay motivated, to push through the challenges, and to stay dedicated and determined

to support your brothers. As you approach this holiday season, think about who you want to be in the new year.

Luka Sekulić ’22

COURTESY

2022-23 Editorial Board (from left, Editors-in-Chief Joey Kauffman ’23, Connor Pinsk ’23, Jingyuan Chen ’23)

Luka Sekulić ’23

MR. THOMAS STAMBAUGH

Community reacts to Kanye West’s antisemitic remarks

Over the past several months, influential singer and songwriter Kanye West–who goes by Ye–has embarked on a series of hateful and false remarks targeting the Jewish community. It most noticeably began on Twitter claiming that Jewish people control banks, politics, and media. Most recently, he appeared on a podcast making statements that he “loves Nazis” and can see “good things about Hitler.” He also made a blatantly false claim that “the Holocaust is not what happened” and that Adolf Hitler, the German dictator factually responsible for World War II and the Holocaust, “didn’t kill six million Jews.”

In regards to West’s antisemitic remarks, some students were caught off-guard.

in the past, and the unprovoked nature and the lack of justification contributes to the peculiarity of the situation. However, to the Jewish Student Union, antisemitic attacks aren’t as uncommon as one might think.

“We were saddened by this, obviously, [but] I don’t think this [is] something we’re surprised by,” Sixth Former and Jewish Student Union Leader Isaiah Shuchman said. “I think what surprised a bunch of us was the broad openness of it.”

Mr. Andrew Poolman, faculty advisor to the Jewish Student Union, shared a similar perspective, but pointed out how dangerous his popularity can be.

“Of course, my first reaction was extreme disappointment and frustration, but honestly and unfortunately, I wasn’t surprised. There will always be extreme and unhinged people like Kanye in this world who espouse hateful rhetoric, but what is most concerning now is Kanye’s number of followers and his influence.”

ISAIAH SHUCHMAN ‘23

“I was honestly surprised,” Fifth Former Render Ford said. “I had no idea that [West] was antisemitic.”

The rapper, from the public’s perspective, hadn’t shown any signs of antisemitism

With almost 30 million followers on Twitter before a recent suspension, West certainly maintains influence that could even extend to the Haverford community. Students could listen to his music, own his brand of shoes, or follow his social media, which could lead to an influx of antisemitism. However, Fifth Form Jewish Student Union member Nathan Kahana believes it won’t have any particular effect on him.

“I don’t think that the effect is really present in a lot of ways, and the reason for that is because, in the group of people I interact with, who my family interacts with, the group of people who will listen to what he says isn’t present in any way,” Kahana said.

Kahana added, however, that the effect could extend to other Jewish families that aren’t in as fortunate a situation.

“I think that his impact really targets a lot of Jews in poor communities and in urban communities where we have to deal with a lot of uneducated people who see Jews as people who can easily be robbed, mugged, or attacked,” Kahana said.

In order to prevent antisemitic environments, particularly at school, students differ. To Sixth Former Isaiah Shuchman, the best way for the Jewish Student Union to approach blatantly false and antisemitic remarks is to not ignore the comments, but rather not support him, and behave at a high moral standard even when the remarks made

weren’t.

“I think for us, I think a good thing is to take the high road. I personally wouldn’t buy Yeezys or merchandise that would directly benefit Kanye himself, but when it comes to listening to the music, [the situation] is a little bit harder because a lot of people talk about ‘separating the artist from the art,’ but instead of boycotting an individual, I think it’s better to invite people to the table to have a conversation,” Shuchman said.

This year the Jewish Student Union has remained proactive in demonstrating the still-present effects of the Holocaust and educating the community, and one way they have done that is by bringing in Holocaust survivor Emil Fish to speak to the upper school about his experience.

who had never heard of or learned about the event,” Modern World History teacher Mr. Jeremy Hart said. He explained that he lectures on the rise of Hitler and the Nazis in the 1920s and 1930s, shows film clips, shows photos of Jewish concentration camps, and shows statistics from the war.

“I think, in the end, many of my students are surprised that the Holocaust involved not only Jews,” Mr. Hart said, “but Soviet, Polish, Serbian civilians, disabled peoples, Romas, and many other ‘undesirable groups,’ according to the Nazis.”

An important part of ensuring that there is sufficient knowledge and coverage of the mass genocide of Jewish individuals at Haverford is ensuring that there is a proper place to converse about different perspectives and a supportive environment is present for students that may feel targeted and need people to talk to. The Jewish Student Union has played a large role in doing just that.

Kahana also suggested another perspective in terms of better educating the students about the Holocaust.

“I think the answer is that you need to find time for it in the curriculum. You need to find books, you need to find time in a history curriculum; this is something that is very, very important,” Kahana said. “I have not learned about World War II in a lot of depth and to the extent that I’ve never redepth and to the extent that I’ve never really learned about this stuff in school, I think that’s a problem.”

And while the school does provide portions of the history curriculum to World War II and the Holocaust, the history department has trying to ensure that all major events are covered in as much depth as possible.

“Within the history department, we have had conversations about making sure that major historical events are covered throughout our four-year curriculum and the Holocaust was front and center of that talk, particularly in light of national surveys showing a shocking number of students

“The JSU group deserves enormous credit for confronting these events with plenty of consideration, conversation, and courage,” Mr. Poolman said. “I hope their main takeaway is that hate speech, antisemitism, racism, homophobia, in any form, has no place here at Haverford, and by educating themselves and others, they have a responsibility to fight hate and bigotry to make a more inclusive world.”

Survivor Mr. Emil Fish speaking to the upper school

“We were saddened by this, obviously, [but] I don’t think this [is] something we’re surprised by.”

“The JSU group deserves enormous credit for confronting these events with plenty of consideration, conversation, and courage.”

MR. POOLMAN

Kanye West performs at The Museum of Modern Art’s annual Party in the Garden

JASON PERSSE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

School-wide World Cup competition

Just before Thanksgiving Break, upperschool students sat next to their peers in the middle and lower schools, leaving many students across Haverford confused. It was part of an effort by Director of Global Studies Mr. Andrew Poolman, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ms. Rhonda Brown, and more, to help bridge students across different branches of the school, all through the World Cup.

For the first time since 2014, the United States of America qualified for the World Cup, bringing both teachers and students together to cheer for the United States, discuss matches and rivalries, and debate questionable calls by the referees.

Hoping to take advantage of the infrequent occasion, Mr. Andrew Poolman believes the World Cup competition will build relationships across the school for years to come.

to create a jersey, accomplishing the second goal of the project.

“The second goal is to promote the interaction between divisions. It is a good opportunity to bring students together that may have never talked before and have fun together,” Mr. Poolman said.

The project has been a long time in the making. Starting at the end of last spring, Mr. Poolman, Ms. Brown, and others met to discuss the idea of the World Cup. From there, it blossomed into an inter-divisional,

MR. POOLMAN

Although the World Cup is ending soon, Ms. Brown and Mr. Poolman hope that students will gain something that lasts.

“It’s a good time to think about community and empathy and other cultures. I think oftentimes we are a school of almost a thousand students that have little interaction beyond our groups,” Mr. Poolman said. “Having fun with members of the community, learning about countries and cultures across the world, really makes for a positive change to community life.”

MR. POOLMAN

“The main goal was to promote crosscultural understanding: understanding of the world, different countries, and cultures. The World Cup is such an amazing event that highlights so many countries and cultures,” Mr. Poolman said.

Middle schoolers met with lower schoolers and designed a flag for their country together. Upper schoolers will also interact with other members of the community

Christmas tree sale unites students

The annual tree sale is a longlasting tradition run by the Fifth and Sixth Form students and faculty with the goal of raising money for prom. This year the school bought a load of 309 trees—the most trees ordered since the sale began, coordinated by history teachers Mr. Timothy Lengel and Mr. Brian Long for the past several years.

The trees come from multiple locations across the United States—and even other countries. In the last three years, the two suppliers have been Klem Tree Farms in Benton, Pennsylvania, and T&S McCleod Tree Services in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The trees, ranging from five to eleven feet tall, are sold in two types, Fraser firs and Balsam firs, and the prices of these trees range from $80 to $150. However, for any

students or faculty that are still in need of a tree, or just want more, there are discounts. The way to buy trees? “Cash and check,” according to Mr. Lengel.

participated in the vending of the tree sales, which is required in order to earn a prom ticket. Fifth Former Garrett Kriebel spent time working on the tree sale in order to earn his prom ticket, and it’s been a great bonding experience for him.

“Be friendly with people, [and] schedule [your tree sale hours] with people who you don’t usually hang out with.” Not only was the tree sale a great experience for him, but he also added that it brings important work experience. “It helps the students make new friends, learn how to sell, and learn how to interact with different people.”

This year, 65 Fifth and Sixth students

GARRETT KRIEBEL ’24

cross-cultural project with goals far beyond the soccer field.

Members of the Turlish, Romero, and Cahill advisories unite around Serbia’s World Cup bid

“The World Cup is such an amazing event that highlights so many countries and cultures.”

MR. EAMON GLAVIN ’14

“It’s a good time to think about community and other cultures.”

PIERCE LAVERAN

Fifth Former Connor Gillespie picks up a tree

“Be friendly with people, [and] schedule [your tree sale hours] with people who you don’t usually hang out with.”

GARRETT KRIEBEL ’24

“It helps the students make new friends, learn how to sell, and learn how to interact with different people.”

“Whatever it takes to preserve democracy, I’m in favor of [it],” Ms. Turlish said. “And so, when something is destructive to democracy, I’m in favor of the regulation of it. I understand that’s tricky because free speech is a very important thing to have, but putting things out there that are false, and that are invented specifically to undermine our trust in democracy—I personally do not see that as something that should be permitted on Twitter or any social media platform.”

Advocates of Musk’s purchase pointed to Twitter’s previous suppression of free speech as a cause for change, as many felt it violated the First Amendment.

“Private corporations are not in any way constitutionally obligated to allow any speech,” Ms. Turlish said. “I get tired at this school hearing students talk about ‘cancel culture’ and ‘first amendment rights’—it’s not any corporation’s obligation to give a platform to everything.”

Regarding censorship, Musk has given the impression that he is handpicking who is allowed on the platform.

“I think it will be interesting for censorship especially,” Sixth Former Orion Wister said. “With [Musk] running the show, it’s a bit more of a dictatorial type of company now, where he controls who’s on the platform and who’s not.”

After taking over Twitter, Musk—a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist”— brought back the accounts of several controversial figures, including social media presence Andrew Tate, political commentator Jordan Peterson, and, temporarily, rapper Kanye West.

“It allows for more free speech, so I love it,” Fifth Former Blake Paul said. “Everybody’s voice should be allowed, no matter what their viewpoints are. Extremist, nonextremist, doesn’t matter.”

One of the major concerns is the effects of such figures on young, impressionable minds. But some students argue that they can make the decisions for themselves.

“I think Andrew Tate should be allowed on Twitter,” Raleigh said. “I think everybody should have the ability to voice their

opinion, no matter how crazy it is. It becomes difficult because you don’t want hate speech on the platform, especially now with so many young people on it, but I think if you’re a parent, and you’re allowing your kid to have Twitter, that’s a mistake on its own.”

Policies aside, the move is also significant because of the man who made it. While skeptics of Musk have been outspoken, so have his fans.

“Our country overall, but young men in particular, are attracted to this myth, and I’m going to emphasize myth, of the oddball genius white man,” Ms. Turlish said. “And I think nine times out of ten it’s just a facade,

and these are not special people.”

Ms. Turlish believes that Musk could be a role model for many students hoping to achieve financial glory.

“It seems that Elon Musk is this ultimate quirky oddball, who’s also the richest person on the planet and a white man,” Ms. Turlish said. “It just checks a lot of boxes on what young men, and young Haverford men, would find worthy of looking up to.”

Raleigh provided an alternative for why some may idolize a person like Musk.

“Personally, I don’t feel too strongly about him, but I know that he has Aspergers, and I think that’s a good representation that

you can be successful with having a mental disability,” Raleigh said. “He is a very progressive mind, with space and car science, and possibly bringing about the green revolution for cars.”

Even more empathetic perspectives toward Musk often do not completely support his new role. What many will hope for going forward is a proper balance in all aspects of the platform.

“I don’t really think it’s right for one person, especially a person who’s not really known as the most logical person, being at the head of it,” Raleigh said. “I’d hope to find some type of middle ground.”

Elon Musk Speaks at a Tesla Event in 2014

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Twitter headquarters in San Francisco

Busy Service Board engages students

Connor Simpkins ’25

Community service is not required; instead, it is integrated into the curriculum in the lower and middle schools so that by the time students reach upper school, participating in service and engaging with the wider community is a natural part of life.

“Service is part of the educational foundation of Haverford,” explains Ms. Jini Loos, Director of Service Learning at Haverford.

“Upper school boys don’t always realize that they are role models for what the younger boys do; they watch and see that it’s important to older boys. Then, they emulate that.”

MS. JINI LOOS

In the lower and middle schools, community service activities are integrated into the curriculum in a way that helps boys make connections between what they are learning in class and how they can contribute to communities in need. By the time students arrive at the upper school, most are eager to seek service opportunities.

This fall, upper school students were engaged with a wide variety of community service projects: participating in the AIDS Walk, the Parkway Run & Walk for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, volunteering at the Special Olympics Fall Festival at Villanova University, and working one on one

with children with special needs in a variety of settings, including a new tutoring partnership with the Overbrook Educational Center.

Ms. Loos is incredibly proud of the work students have done with children with special needs.

“Many boys have preconceived notions of what people with disabilities can and cannot do—but after volunteering they come away with a new understanding and sincere appreciation of how capable individuals with disabilities are.”

Students also supported the annual can drive, which collected over 6,200 cans, the frozen turkey collection which resulted in almost 100 turkeys donated, and the Peanut Butter and Jelly Club, where students make sandwiches to pass out to the homeless.

Fourth Former Brady Stallkamp was one of the students who worked on the Turkey Drive this year.

“Helping out with the Turkey Drive is simple and easy but makes a big difference for so many families in our area during a holiday that is literally about giving,” Stallkamp said. “That is the good thing about our community—that we help out wherever we can and the opportunity to do so is everywhere.”

As a kick-off to EA Day festivities, in collaboration with Agnes Irwin and Episcopal Academy, students helped bag over 1500 lunches sent to nine different organizations. Students added handwritten notes of thanks and appreciation.

Ms. Loos described how meaningful those notes are.

At one community organization for veterans, the men sat in a circle and read each other their notes. One of the gentlemen then pulled out his wallet and shared all the messages he had received from previous years’

lunches. He had saved them all.

where they read books and share time with younger boys.

“Upper school boys don’t always realize that they are role models for what the younger boys do; they watch and see that it’s important to the older boys. Then, they emulate that,” Ms. Loos said.

More service opportunities are on the way.

BRADY STALKAMP

The Service-Learning Initiative also fosters connections between older and younger students. The Brotherhood Project brings upper school students into the lower school,

Winter service opportunities include the coat drive and the Toys for Tots Holiday Toy Drive, both happening before winter break. The Notables, in support of the Toy Drive, will perform on December 13 at 7:00 p.m. in Centennial Hall. Attendees are asked to bring new, unwrapped gifts for a child.

Finally, in January students will hold a gently used clothing drive and a book drive as a part of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day activities.

Ms. Jini Loos at work in her office

PIERCE LAVERAN ’24

“That is the good thing about our community--that we help out wherever we can and the opportunity to do so is everywhere.”

’25

Ms. Jini Loos and Nate Mirin ‘23 planning in her office

PIERCE LAVERAN

academics

Honors history elective observes childhood development, cont. from first

All parents of observed students were notified and gave consent prior to this exercise, and students were trained in observational best practices from the social sciencesFor instance, prior to observations, students learned not to ask questions that pushed personal boundaries or made any students uncomfortable.

Each student was then assigned a specific age group to create a parenting guide.

The groups used their observations and scientific literature from medicine, history,

sociology, and many other fields of research to begin to formulate their own recommendations for the parents.

Sixth Former Arnav Sardesai was assigned to observe children from the ages of 1-2.

“I found it surprising that there were nearly no gender norms at that age,” Sardesai said. “There were dresses that the boys would put on without hesitation.”

Sardesai also observed that the role of daycare has changed and has a large impact

on young children.

“A lot of the kids couldn’t talk, so I was mostly talking to the adults there, and they said that the expectations on them were higher now then they were fifteen years ago in terms of teaching their kids life skills,” Sardesai said. “I didn’t realize that daycare had such an effect on kids, as stuff that happens there is just as important as the stuff that happens at home.”

Sixth Former Ethan Chan visited both a

“When I was their age, I wasn’t as mature, but now with the addition of technology in the classroom and social media, they have a wider worldview than I did,” Chan said. “I think third grade is about the age when they become less oblivious to what there is in the world and social norms begin to kick in.”

The project has evolved in its three years in the upper school curriculum.

“Things were a little disjointed during COVID in all of our classes,” Dr. Gurtler said. “The richness of in-class conversations was missing, which is often where I find leaps are made in these discussion-based classes.”

A main difference, especially after COVID, is that technology has become a larger part of our lives.

ETHAN CHAN ’23

first and third-grade class.

“I was surprised by the difference in the responses of kids when asked simple questions about gender,” Chan said. “I asked the kids ‘Do you have any friends that are girls?’ and the responses were very different. The third graders said things like ‘eww’ and ‘gross’ and had to think about it for a while whereas the first graders just said ‘Yeah, my sister’ or something like that.”

Chan found that with the addition of technology, kids have had to mature faster.

“I think our students are very savvy in understanding the role that technology has played in changing student knowledge of issues of gender and sexuality,” Dr. Gurtler said. “I think [students] have really good advice for thinking about how to build trust in relationships for families and communities to come to healthy and safe outcomes when it comes to hot-button issues.”

Dr. Gurtler has found that students enjoy talking about these issues, especially as mature Sixth Formers.

“There is this really cool launching moment at the cusp of adulthood where students can think of what they make of their growing-up experience at Haverford,” Dr. Gurtler said. “Girls tend to get longer training and formulate their own perspectives on these issues, and I hope that our boys can now be a deeper part of these conversations in society.”

Archimedes Association competes in Inter-Ac Math Olympiad

It’s Friday morning, 7:45 a.m. A group of students cram into Mr. Fus’ classroom and look at their computers, pencils in hand, minds at work.

This is the Archimedes Association— also referred to as the Math Club. Throughout the fall and winter, students compete nearly every week to be seeded in one final competition: the Inter-Ac Math Olympiad.

On Friday, December 2, Archimedes Association’s leaders participated in the Inter-Ac Math Olympiad at The Shipley School. The competition had two rounds, the first round a team competition and the second an individual one.

Teams faced a set of six questions to answer in just 25 minutes, each covering a variety of topics, including geometry, number theory, and combinatorics. The team made it past the first round.

“Through the Philly math league, we competed with nearly all of the schools at the Olympiad, so we had a pretty good understanding of our ranking,” Fifth Former Justin Fan said. “We were truly the underdogs in the competition, and that made the void left by the Class of 2022 that much more painful.”

In the individual round, members of each team attempted the same set of ques-

tions, but they were prohibited from working together. After the 25 minutes were up, the judges tallied the top five scores from

each team.

“After playing a team match against Baldwin, which we won 4-2, we had to face The George School just thirty minutes later,” Sixth Former Megh Tank said. “As an individual match, the top-five scores get counted while the others are scratched. George School was one of the best schools there, and we knew it was going to be a tough battle. Sadly, we lost 19-26.”

The George School went on to win the competition. And although the Fords mathletes were disappointed by their loss, some enjoyed stellar performances.

“Notable in the George School match was Colin Kelly, getting a perfect six-outof-six, and Jingyuan Chen, getting a close

to perfect five-out-of-six,” Tank said. “After that, we entered the consolation matches where we faced against other teams that had also lost, and won two out of our three matches.”

In the end, the team finished fifth in the competition. With the Olympiad in the books, the Archimedes Association looks towards the future.

“I’m excited about the rest of the year. With M3C and Purple Comet coming up, there are a lot of opportunities for us to achieve something big,” Fan said. “There will also be more leagues later in the year, so it’ll be great to start those up as the math team hibernates for the winter.”

COURTESY OF BILLY RAYER ‘24

Sixth Formers Aiden Bridell, Dylan Kao, Ethan Chan and Owen Yu in Sex, Science, and Culture

Members of the Archimedes Association at the Math Olympiad at Shipley, December 2, 2022

COURTESY OF MR. JEREMY FUS

“We were truly the underdogs in the competition, and that made the void left by the Class of 2022 that much more painful.”

JUSTIN FAN ’24

“When I was their age, I wasn’t as mature, but now with the addition of technology in the classroom and social media, they have a wider worldview than I did.”

Students feeling overloaded with work between Thanksgiving and winter break

We all know that stress accompanies the holiday season, but how much of that seasonal stress is due to academics? How can the community work to minimize the stress put on students and faculty alike? The answer is more complicated than you might think.

to remember a topic after Winter Break, “if it requires kind of a detailed level of knowledge or facility with a particular a skill that we would have to work up to, that it’s maybe best to get it done prior to a long break rather than after it.”

So, many students feel overworked during this period. Of course, some assessments land in this period coincidentally, and teachers may need to complete assessments before a break so that they don’t lose precious class time re-teaching a difficult topic.

MS. HANNAH TURLISH

During the limbo between our two holiday breaks—Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks—students may find themselves struggling to meet deadlines or to complete assignments. Many students argue that their teachers are at fault for giving them so much work, but, as History Department Chair Ms. Hannah Turlish said, “Teachers have to assess students… at the end of the unit or the end of something.”

And that is really the issue with this period of the year. In many classes, the time has come when a unit has ended and a test is needed.

History Teacher Dr. Bridget Gurtler said she tries to think students are not going

“I’ve honestly just been like dealing with it. I haven’t been publicly complaining about it, I’ve just been dealing with it and if I’m stressed then I’m just stressed, and I’ll figure it out myself.”

“I’ve honestly just been like dealing with it,” Fourth Former Cameron Ward said. “I haven’t been publicly complaining about it, I’ve just been dealing with it and if I’m

stressed then I’m just stressed, and I’ll figure it out myself.”

This may explain why teachers do not think much of the stressful nature of this period. Because they are not hearing about the stress many of their students are experiencing, they assume that everything is fine.

So, how can students cope with the stress of academic life during this period?

“Try and book time for healthy eating

and proper sleep. Sleep is really important,” Dr. Gurtler said.

Procrastination is a trap to avoid as the calendar year draws to a close.

“Putting things off is always the worst thing you can do,” Sixth Former Ivan Harlamov said. “You kind of face the consequences when you have three hours of homework to do in one night. [The work] just adds up really fast.”

The FIFA World Cup goes on, but so do classes

The FIFA World Cup is undoubtedly one of the most significant sporting events in the world. Hundreds of millions of fans from around the globe are tuning in to watch the 2022 version of the prestigious soccer tournament, and Haverford students are no exception.

Teachers throughout the community have differing perspectives on allowing students to watch the games during class. While some students tune in regardless of their teachers’ opinions, several teachers around the school permit their classes to watch parts of World Cup games during class.

MR. KEVIN TRYON

“I can respect each teacher’s entitlement: some teachers need to cover their material when there is a great matchup between two countries,” soccer coach and history teacher Mr. Kevin Tryon said. “I understand watching the World Cup during class times. For instance, when the USMNT [U.S. Men’s National Team] was playing, I allowed my students to watch.”

Mr. Tryon said that only two teachers in the entire school have seen more World Cups than he has. He views it as more of a “fantastic event” and “celebration” rather than simply a soccer match.

Other faculty members oppose watching World Cup games during class time, citing the tight schedule to cover the class curriculum.

“I have not let students [watch the soccer games] myself,” mathematics and economics teacher Dr. Mark Gottlieb said. “We

have a schedule where we mostly meet every other day, so if you watch a World Cup game during class, you are missing a lot of important material. From a cultural perspective, however, I think it is fine in the right situation, but from an academic standpoint, it is unacceptable.”

Despite the teachers’ opinions, some students feel obligated to watch the World Cup matches due to their rarity and magnitude.

“I have been following soccer since I was

five years old, and the World Cup only occurs once every four years,” Fourth Former Abdullah Kanchwala said. “Also, the team I root for has a really strong squad this year, so I think it is important to tune in and support my country regardless of the time the games occur.”

Although the FIFA World Cup is an important event to some, the decision is ultimately made by the teachers, and it is important for the students to abide by the faculty’s rules.

The World Cup competes with ping pong in The Durham Community Room

PIERCE LAVERAN

Talan Maury

“Teachers have to assess students...at the end of the unit or the end of something.”

CAMERON WARD ’25

Students work during ASB In Ms. Lapenta’s room

PIERCE LAVERAN

“I can respect each teacher’s entitlement: some teachers need to cover their material when there is a great matchup between two countries.”

“I have been following soccer since I was five years old, and the World Cup only occurs once every four years.”

Claes Oldenburg leaves mark on Philadelphia art

varma ’25

Claes Oldenburg was a Swedishborn American sculptor who is widely known for his public art installations commonly depicting large replicas of everyday objects. His popular work includes Shuttlecocks in Kansas City, Clothespin in Philadelphia, Ice-cream Cone in Cologne, and Spoonbridge and Cherry at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. But Oldenburg was more than just a sculptor, and Barbara Rose’s visual-biography of the artist contains many of his plans and possible art installations—the work of a creative and ingenuitive visionary.

Oldenburg’s work often disrupts the functionality of common objects—challenging our perceptions on common things or ideas in the world.

Oldenburg’s sculptures were part of a Pop Art movement in the mid-to-late twentieth century. In this period art began to shift from abstract paintings and depictions back to the material world, relating art to specific images.

Oldenburg’s work often disrupts the functionality of common objects—challenging our perceptions on common things or ideas in the world. Other artists from this movement include Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Jasper Johns.

Oldenburg proposed many humorous designs, which seemed completely out of

place and proportion, revolutionizing global art.

One of the many reasons he has grown to this level of international fame is that his sculptures are found all over the world, not just in Philadelphia.

These works include an Apple Core at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, a Bottle of Notes at the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art in Middlesbrough, England, and the ice cream cone at shopping mall Neumarkt Galerie in Germany. He also had a proposal to put a toilet bowl float in the Thames River in London with the intention of bringing attention to the pollution of the river.

“Instead of having a war memorial, in a tidy park out of the way so you don’t bump into it, here was this thing that was going to force people to pay attention to it.”

MR. CHRISTOPHER FOX

“He didn’t just make a clothespin. His proposals are often more humorous and interesting,” Visual Arts Department Chair Mr. Christopher Fox said. “He proposed putting a giant block of concrete in a busy intersection in the city of Philadelphia, completely blocking the intersection. It was to

be a war memorial. Instead of having a war memorial, in a tidy park out of the way so you don’t bump into it, here was this thing that was going to force people to pay attention to it.”

Many of Oldenburg’s proposals were more humorous and flashy, but he also has a serious side to his work.

Even though his proposal to build a giant block of concrete blocking the flow of traffic in a busy city was never funded nor successful, the idea that art should not be tucked away into tidy parks is an important one. Sometimes, to bring attention to something, it needs to be in people’s faces and out of proportion to demonstrate its meaning.

Oldenburg solved his size problem in another way.

Art is a window to look at life in a different way, and Claes Oldenburg conveys that through his creative form of art.

Rather than scale his sculptures to the size of skyscrapers as his proposals suggested, he strategically placed his work in a way that it could seem as big as these buildings.

“The clothespin lines up with buildings behind it such that they appear to be the same scale. It is a way to make you look at something you have seen a million times before in a different way,” Mr. Fox said.

Claes Oldenburg’s work became icons

for the city of Philadelphia, uniting art and humor in new ways through all of his work. But he was just one of the many impactful members of the art community in Philadelphia who changed the city with their work. One example of this is the LOVE sculpture, made by Robert Indiana, which “was meant to encompass conceptions of free love, the sexual revolution, and anti–war counterculture movements.”

objects are a much-needed break from the norm.

Art is a window to look at life in a different way, and Claes Oldenburg conveys that through his creative form of art.

Not only did his proposed works put art in the face of people who were just living their everyday lives, it put those objects in a perspective which can be very moving for some. Oldenburg died on July 18, 2022 due to a fall and complications in his home, but will be remembered as an artist who challenged artistic and everyday routines for the better.

It is easy to get lost in the business of life, and gigantic clothespins or other inanimate objects are a much-needed break from the norm.

Claes Oldenburg’s Clothespin next to City Hall

SCOTT BALDWIN VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Milan

It is easy to get lost in the business of life, and gigantic clothespins or other inanimate

campus opinions

We should not have class during World Cup matches

Countries across the globe compete with each other in the massive soccer event The World Cup. To many, the games played are not mere sporting events. They hold many meanings: from a collection and demonstration of some of the most hardworking people on the planet, to a show of skill, sportsmanship, and perseverance. These elements all help transform these games from exciting to absolutely magical.

Taking place every four years, the FIFA World Cup is the biggest competition in the soccer world. It is also the only soccer tournament with worldwide participation, unlike the Copa America or Euros where only a few countries in a specific area are able to compete. 32 countries put up their best players and fight for the achievement of being the World Cup winners.

While there are many concerns surrounding the location of this year’s World Cup in Qatar, and the creation of their stadiums, the game remains the same. There have already been many shows of support for national teams by their loving fans, which goes to show how much the game is loved no matter the circumstances.

The camaraderie that develops when students enjoy World Cup matches together are bonds that can last forever. Haverford is a diverse school with students from varying cultures and nationalities.

The World Cup enables students from differing backgrounds to connect on a personal level in a setting outside of school or clubs. One of Haverford’s main virtues is community, so the school should prioritize watching the World Cup during the school day.

In addition, the World Cup may never be hosted again during the school year, when we are at this age and with our friends. Since this culmination of soccer talent is a quadrennial event, most Haverford students

may not have this opportunity again until their 20s or late teenage years. This makes all the difference to many students.

The World Cup games are a way to cherish and relish the moment now, rather than focus on the future, as we do so often in terms of sports and colleges. Without events like these to ground us in the present, we get lost in the flow of our work, and time flies by, often too fast.

Even though some students do not follow the sport of soccer, despite it being the most popular sport in the world, this completely changes when it comes to the World Cup.

The World Cup is not just a mere fa-

ceoff between countries from all around the world, to many students, especially high schoolers, there is more to it: in every pass, there is meaning; in every touch, there is a purpose.

In my eyes and in the opinion of many soccer fans around the world, these matches are the culmination of our heroes’ aspirations. It is the highest level of performance on the most well-known stage in the world.

Due to the sheer importance and timeliness of this event, students and teachers alike should have the ability to watch the World Cup games during school.

We only live once.

Language department should offer Greek

Latin, the rigorous and linear language of the Roman Empire that reigned for nearly one thousand years, is one of the three language credits offered for study at Haverford. Over the course of three trimesters in sixth grade, students meet three different languages: Latin, Spanish, and Mandarin. Students who commit to Latin as their language of choice may spend the next seven years studying not only essential vocabulary and grammar, but also religion, mythology, poetry, and history.

Why does Haverford offer the study of Latin as a core class, despite the fact that it is not spoken in its original form in any part

of the world? This question is one that many students who do not take Latin, (and a few who do take Latin) have pondered.

“It’s been in the curriculum since school started. It’s the foundation of many languages and a good way to not only understand languages but also the English language and improve vocabulary, writing, speaking,” Head of the Global Languages Department Mr. Poolman said.

Mr. Poolman offers sound reasoning, as Latin has heavily influenced the Romance languages - French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian, to name a few. One’s ability to write and translate Latin invokes a part of the brain responsible for linear

thinking and analytics, gaining advantages in learning computer programming, coding, algebra, and calculus.

Ancient Greek, arguably an even more relevant ancient language than Latin, is offered sometimes, if ever, to Sixth Formers. Why is this ancient language not given the same deference as Latin? According to Mr. Poolman, “Ancient Greek was the language [taught at Haverford] before Latin, and Latin is the root of many languages we speak today. Latin is much more common in the high school curriculum than Ancient Greek.”

Greek is not included in the curriculum because through schoolhistory… it just hasn’t been. Greek is just as methodical, analytical, and linear as Latin in its grammar construction, providing the ideal mental framework for endeavors in programming and some mathematics. A multitude of scientific and mathematical terms have Greek roots. Hamilton, Jefferson, and Adams— the founding fathers of America—all studied Ancient Greek and were influenced by Greek ideas. The United States Republic was all heavily influenced by Greek politics. To major in the classics in college, one doesn’t simply learn Latin, one typically learns Latin and Ancient Greek.

Although not spoken in its original form, to simply allow the proverbial “dead language” to actually die would be a huge

loss to understanding the past and affecting the future of great thinkers. The works of legendary authors such as Homer, Plato, and Aristotle, would not be able to be read in their original forms any longer. Greek is intertwined with many topics in American culture, music, and literature.

It’s time Haverford offers Ancient Greek as a core curriculum language beginning in the sixth grade.

Grayson Morgan ’26

Milan Varma ’25

Students in a science classroom watch the US beat Iran 1-0, November 29, 2022

PIERCE LAVERAN ‘24

off-campus opinions

Ticketmaster and Live Nation’s monopoly

Your favorite music artist has just announced a tour in the U.S. You see a date with “Philadelphia” written next to it. You then check your calendar and see that the show is in summer: perfect timing. You log onto Ticketmaster and see tickets are not on sale yet, and you will have to wait a week to purchase any.

One week later, you open Ticketmaster again and check the concert in your area. Instead of seeing the small blue dots that represent seats with the original price, you only see the purple-pink of resale tickets, ranging from an outrageous $100 for a nosebleed seat to almost $500+ for a seat anywhere close to the stage. And on top of the substantially marked-up tickets, there are fees: convenience fees, delivery fees, and venue fees that add another $30 to the total. Disappointment fills your stomach as you angrily curse out the scalpers that made tickets so expensive.

Buying tickets for sporting events, concerts, or even comedy shows was not always like this. In fact, it may have been even worse in the past prior to the creation of ticket-selling websites. As there was no centralized network to sell tickets, venues would sell tickets to vendors who would then distribute them to buyers. This led to a frenzy to buy tickets: prices varied greatly, some vendors sold out faster than others, and many people would leave the lines angry and aggrieved at their misfortune. Worst of all, scalpers would buy as many tickets as they could and would

sell them in the ticket lines they just waited through.

Ticketmaster was originally a solution to these problems. The original creators made a system that could distribute tickets in one location, with standard prices and an equal opportunity for everybody with access to the internet to be able to see their favorite band. It was a gift from the heavens.

So what happened? Capitalism happened. As Ticketmaster grew, it acquired more and more of its competitors. In conjunction with this acquisition of companies, ticket prices began to rise. Soon, it became the largest ticket seller on the market and had almost no competition. That was until 2010, when Ticketmaster and Live Nation, another ticket-selling company, decided to merge, making them the undisputed kings of the ticket market. Now, Ticketmaster controls over 70% of the market, using exclusive deals for artists and venues to extend its iron hand around the entertainment industry.

In a capitalistic society, this kind of growth can only come from greed. Ticketmaster began to scheme ways to generate more revenue and began to use two different methods: reselling and fees.

Fees appeared to just be a modicum of cash, pocket change really. A small fee for the use of the website, another small fee for the venue of the concert. These “small” fees soon piled up. Originally, Ticketmaster had to keep these prices low if they did not want to be outcompeted. However, now that Ticket-

master controls the majority of the market and has artists locked into using their system, they can pile as many fees on as they want with few consequences.

Ticket reselling is where the majority of Ticketmaster’s problems reside. The current system of Ticketmaster promotes scalping, and Ticketmaster even has had secret deals with scalpers to drive up prices. These marked-up prices make Ticketmaster more money, which is why they allow it. With the creation of bots that can move instantly, regular people like you and I have nearly no chance of buying original price tickets.

Ticketmaster is not the only one to

blame here: artists also make money from the higher reselling of tickets. In fact, Live Nation has a history of letting artists mark up their prices from the get-go, essentially making themselves scalpers.

Ticketmaster has no competition. This means that they can do whatever they want and strongarm consumers into paying ridiculous prices to see live events. En masse, we have the power to force artists and Ticketmaster to sell tickets for reasonable prices. As consumers, we need to call on Congress to revert the Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger in order to get fairly priced and equally accessible tickets again.

If you thought the conversation at the Thanksgiving dinner table with your family got a little bit heated, or some controversial political topics arose, then you may know what the dinner at Mar-A-Lago felt like.

Notable people on the guest list for the dinner on November 2, 2022 included former president Donald Trump, artist and rapper Kan“Ye” West, and white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Kanye West and Donald Trump have been friends for years, but they may not be after this disaster of a dinner. The setup of the century occurred that night when Milo Yiannopoulos, a former Breitbart editor, reportedly set up the dinner between the three parties to “just make Trump’s life miserable.”

And, well, it did.

Donald Trump has received extreme backlash for being a part of a dinner consisting of these controversial people. Especially since Kanye West is under fire for the antisemitic comments he has and continues to make. Trump claimed he didn’t know Fuentes or anything about him, which is a smaller part of an effort by Trump’s campaign to help with damage control regarding the events of the meeting. But, Trump said he was “really impressed” by Fuentes.

During the dinner West reportedly expressed anger towards the former president for not paying the legal bills for those who were arrested on charges related the the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. West even went as far as to suggest that he and Trump become running mates in the 2024 election. This statement angered Trump, and, according to two participants of the dinner party, Trump made comments toward West’s exwife Kim Kardashian.

Notable people such as Trump’s former vice president Mike Pence and Trump’s former ambassador to Israel David Friedman have expressed discontent with regard to the event of that night as a whole. This all occurred mere weeks after Trump announced his plans to run in the 2024 election.

Who knew dinner plans could set Trump’s campaign off on the wrong foot?

Talan Maury ’26

Trump’s meeting at Mar-A-Lago with Kanye West, Nick Fuentes, and Milo Yiannopoulos

Ethan Lee ’24

A student searches for Blink-182 tickets on Ticketmaster

CHRISTOPHER SCHWARTING ’24

Former President Donald Trump and Kanye West pictured in the Oval Office in 2018

Who knew dinner plans could set Trump’s campaign off on the wrong foot?

Ian Rosenzweig ’25

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup’s roughly month-long run, Haverford’s halls have been abuzz with discussion and debate surrounding the once-every-four-years soccer tournament. Excitement and expectation are almost palpable when matches are projected during class or on the big screen in the Durham Community Room. Yet, some of the talk surrounding the event is anything but positive. Concerns about host nation Qatar’s human rights abuses, especially against homosexual individuals, as well as poor labor conditions in the host nation, have gained significant media coverage and are hard to ignore.

Conversations on the national and international stages are no different from those at Haverford. Some projections estimate that 5 billion people—more than half the world’s population—will tune into World Cup action at some point. Many major media networks cover the athletic action daily while also updating viewers on statements from FIFA officials, international governments, and human rights groups. While our school community engages in the joys of such a significant international event, and some teachers even incorporate matches into class time, it is imperative that we also recognize the political impact that the 2022 FIFA World Cup has.

“It is a school’s responsibility to prepare its students for the world around them. Ignorance isn’t bliss. It’s dangerous.”

IAN ROSENZWEIG ’25

It is a school’s responsibility to prepare its students for the world around them.

Ignorance isn’t bliss. It’s dangerous.

Preparation for the 2022 World Cup began in Qatar in 2010, as soon as the country received the rights to host the 2022 event. The nation constructed seven stadiums as well as other pieces of infrastructure such as hotels and airports. Amidst varying reports of poor working conditions, Qatar eventually confirmed that at least three work-relat-

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is an opportunity to unite around human rights

ed deaths had occurred in the stadium construction process, and officials later admitted to the deaths of at least 400 workers during the twelve-year preparation process.

Furthermore, human rights group Amnesty International reported “appalling living conditions,” “lies about salaries,” and also indicated that some employers have confiscated laborers’ passports, essentially trapping them in-nation. Amnesty International’s condemnation only refers to the abuse of workers on World Cup-related projects, but accounts have exposed countless abuses of migrant laborers in the general Qatari workforce. In 2021, The Guardian reported 6,500 total migrant deaths in the nation. Not all of these deaths are attributable to World Cup preparation, but the figure is still relevant. Considering that 90% of Qatar’s workforce is foreign, mainly from southeast Asia, the lack of workplace transparency is especially concerning.

While the U.S. State Department has reported meaningful improvements in Qatari labor conditions in recent years, and Qatari Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Hassan al-Thawadi, acknowledged the need for labor reform, the lack of clarity regarding casualties is a cause for alarm, especially in a country that claims to be improving its record for labor conditions.

In addition to the “appalling labor conditions,” Qatar’s human rights record is grim. Homosexuality is criminalized in the country even though the national constitution promises equality among citizens. Khalid Salman, Qatar’s FIFA World Cup ambassador, referred to homosexuality as “damage in the mind.”

The significant human rights abuses in Qatar as well as the human cost of 2022’s World Cup are glaring. Even if the employers of World Cup laborers and Qatari government policy were not the cause of many deaths, it is impossible to ignore the host nation’s discrimination against some of its citizens. What better time could there be to unite around human rights and inspire real change in the world?

Moreover, the blatant anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in Qatar is concerning to many World Cup athletes. Multiple soccer teams planned to wear rainbow armbands at their matches in support of the LGBTQ+ community, but FIFA threatened sanctions against players who do so.

While many teams have been adamant about their support for human rights in Qatar, The Washington Post reported that FIFA President Gianni Infantino “appeared to cast questions about the treatment of migrant workers and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people as attempts to sow division in the world” in remarks to the press. Infantino’s sentiment was, with good reason, criticized for its lack of support for marginalized individuals in Qatar, but his message actually strikes an important note: sport is meant to encourage unity and camaraderie, not cause divisiveness. Rather than oppose calls for change, FIFA should be rallying behind its own message of unity and creating channels for diplomacy — not standing against human rights in favor of active opposition to any change to a discriminatory status quo.

service and make blanket statements of condemnation without actually taking action.

International government officials and Qatari authorities have the opportunity to use the environment of the World Cup to write policies and create protections for labor conditions in Qatar. FIFA can stand as a unifying partner in the fight against abusive conditions, and government officials can actively make reforms.

While the World Cup is undoubtedly an opportunity for international diplomacy, it is also an opportunity for Haverford to teach lessons about the fight for the human rights that we are so privileged to enjoy, as well as the potential of sports to inspire unity and change. The school’s Global Studies and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs have already capitalized on the World Cup to teach our community about diverse cultures and countries, but we can do more. Especially in the upper school, where matches are televised for students with free periods, Haverford can actively explain the situation surrounding human rights in Qatar and discuss the hard issues.

IAN ROSENZWEIG

It is the international community’s responsibility to confront human rights abuses whenever and wherever they arise. Infantino’s apparent rejection of calls for change and condemnation of Qatar is a sign of his unwillingness to use his platform to do good in the world. Yet, many groups’ demands that Qatar be sanctioned or forced to change its laws strike a similarly hostile tone.

With the great unifying nature of athletics, the opportunity to make a change, and the world’s focus still on Qatar, there is a clear and prudent diplomatic path forward.

If human rights groups and national teams expressed a desire to improve the world through meaningful changes in Qatari policy, and FIFA and Qatar were open to criticism and amenable to discussion, real, lasting change could be made—rather than the creation of hostile relationships and unwillingness to confront issues civilly.

It is time to unite around human rights and make real change through the pre-existing camaraderie of the World Cup, not by using the World Cup as a platform to do lip

The appearance of soccer matches on screens in community spaces and in classrooms is a fun treat for our student body, but we would be remiss not to use this rare opportunity to confront matters of international importance and teach developing minds about the world in which we live and the people whom we share a responsibility to protect.

“It is the international community’s responsibility to confront human rights abuses whenever and wherever they arise.”

’25

Students in China protesting COVID laws are role models for us

For the first time since 1989, Chinese citizens are waking up to the hypocrisy and oppressive government surveillance they face every day. Protests have broken out across large Chinese cities against the Zero COVID policy. That policy is one in which any COVID case can, and usually will, result in the total shut down of major metropolitan areas. This leaves people stranded in homes for months at a time. Food is supposed to be delivered to residents, but it sometimes doesn’t come at all.

The climax of this policy was on November 24, 2022, in Urumqi, China. A lockdown residential building filled with citizens caught fire. Yet families were unable to escape because of their lockdown conditions. Ten people were incinerated in the blaze. This included a three-year-old child.

The families in that building hadn’t been outside since August.

The Zero COVID policy extends away from isolation as well. Citizens of China are regularly tested and given a “green card” for being Covid negative. It is expected that one shows their green card in any public place they go. So, even if someone gets out of their lockdown home, they still can not enter any public place in China.

Events such as the apartment fires, green codes, and the current lockdown of 10.3 million citizens in Guangzhou are weighing down an already exhausted population. It is no surprise now that people are resisting for the first time in decades.

Students on college campuses have been rebelling as hundreds of protests sweep across China calling for deposition of the Communist Party and the installation of free speech for the first time in generations. Universities such as Tsinghua University in Beijing have been the genesis point for many of these large student protests.

The Chinese government has allowed these objections, yet they have placed soldiers and police throughout cities to monitor the situation.

As everything has begun to boil once again, it just as quickly has been fizzling out. Apple has disabled their airdrop system in China, the only non trackable system in iPhones for Chinese citizens. This undermines the ability to hold protests for citizens because organizers can be tracked and arrested. Often protestors are met by armed police before the protests even start.

These protests, however, are not in vain. China has chosen to relax policies. This marks one of the first times in communist

China’s history that the voice of the people has affected governmental policy.

The collective voice of people has an uncontrollable effect and power. This skill can bring change in a way other than war. Increasingly, we choose to physically fight with each other when words are our most powerful sword.

That is certainly a lesson we at Haverford can learn from these protests in China and unequivocally a lesson we need to learn for the future.

Mason Wiegand

Haverford student sits for portrait in China, summer 2017

MS. TAYLOR SMITH-KAN

Do you hear what I hear?

Cold December nights: the feeling of warmth, curled up beside the fireplace and reading a favorite book with a warm mug of hot chocolate. Chances are, the music playing in the background was made in the 50s and 60s. Some of the most important events in American history happened in this era, and the same goes for the music industry.

The birth of rock ’n’ roll shook the nation, and in 1961, Nat King Cole, a civil rights activist, recorded “The Christmas Song,” which would go on to become the third best performing Christmas song of all time on the Billboard charts. But the achievement was complete, as the sound of Christmas constantly evolves. The first recorded Christmas carol “Angels Hymn” dates back to 129 C.E. The Bishop of Rome proclaimed to the people “In the Holy Night of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior, all shall solemnly sing the ‘Angel’s Hymn.’”

This little known carol was succeeded many years later in 1818, by “Stille Nacht,” otherwise known as “Silent Night.” The song “Silent Night” from A Christmas Together by The Muppets and John Denver tells the story of the song “Silent Night.”

To this day blackface is still a part of Christmas in the Netherlands.

Denver says, “On December 24th, 1818, the curate of a parish in Ovendorf, Austria, Joseph Moore, gave a poem that he had written to a friend of his, Franz Gruber, who was also the choirmaster and organist of that church. He asked Mr. Gruber if he would write music for his poem. Despite the organ being broken, he desperately wanted music to be a part of their Christmas Eve service. Mr Gruber composed the melody to the song ‘Stille Nacht.’”

“Silent Night” would go on to be the most influential carol of the modern era, and, in 2011, UNESCO declared the carol an “intangible cultural heritage.”

The next chronological classic “Christmas” song wasn’t actually meant to be a Christmas song at first. Written by James Lord Pierpont, and released on September 16, 1857 as “One-Horse Open Sleigh,” “Jingle Bells” was originally supposed to be a song about Thanksgiving, not Christmas. It was first recorded on an Edison Cylinder in 1889, and is believed to be the first Christmas record. The song was first performed in blackface by Johnny Pell at the Ordway Minstrel Hall of Massachusetts—to this day blackface is still a part of Christmas in the Netherlands portrayed by the character Zwarte Piet, Black Pete—Americans now shun this racist practice. Since then, a plaque in Bedford Massachusetts was erected to commemorate the birthplace of the song. Based on the historical sleigh races of the

“White Christmas” was ironically written by a Jewish immigrant to the United States.

town, the song tells the story of a part of the Victorian era culture of the winter months. Since its release, this Victorian classic has been covered by many artists, most notably Frank Sinatra on his Christmas album A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra. His hit “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” was produced in 1957, and Billboard ranks it in the top-50 Christmas songs of all time.

Sinatra’s peer Bing Crosby is credited with having the fifth best-performing Christmas song to date according to Billboard. First performed on Christmas Day in 1941, merely two weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, “White Christmas” was ironically written by a Jewish immigrant to the United States. After its release, it would go on to sell 100 million copies, becoming not only the best-selling Christmas single, but the best selling single of all time. In 1942, The song would go on to win the Academy Award for best original song at the fifteenth Academy Awards. With the influence of “White Christmas” felt all over the world, American capitalist consumerism would slowly begin to take over Christmas. Songs slowly lost their old-timey charm and intimacy, slowly becoming less about what would bring people together and more about what would produce the most money.

The highest grossing song each holiday season is Mariah Carey’s smash Christmas hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Released in 1994, Carey has made around $60 million a year from this song alone. Billboard ranks the song as the number-one best-performing Christmas song to date, as the song consistently peaks within the top-five songs each year during the holiday season.

Another timeless hit, “Last Christmas” by Wham! has garnered a cult following in Britain by those who participate in the holiday social game “Whamageddon.” The rules are as follows: one, the objective is to last as long as possible without listening to “Last Christmas” by Wham!; two, the game starts on December 1 and ends December 24; three, only the original version of the song applies, so remixes and covers are fine to listen to; four, you are out of the game as soon as you recognize the song. Most people post on social media a picture of themselves, where they were and what they were doing with the hashtag #whamageddon. The game originally started in 2010 and has caught on

nationwide in recent years. Infact, wadio stations will announce “We will be playing ‘Last Christmas,’ so change channels if you don’t want to hear it,” so as to not get backlash from angry listeners when the song plays.

However, in recent years, artists such as Ariana Grande, Micheal Bublé, and Pentatonix have produced popular Christmas albums.

With artists like Mariah Carey, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Wham! producing Christmas classics that are all 30 or more years old, surely another Christmas hit should be just around the corner. But with the state of pop music nowadays, much music is overproduced and just created for streams or to be made into the next TikTok trend. Some believe the overproduction of Christmas is what is killing the sound of Christmas and feel that modern Christmas music lacks its former sentimental value. Artists producing a new Christmas album every year doesn’t bring the family closer, but instead brings out the monotony and fake niceties within the holiday season. However, in recent years, artists such

as Ariana Grande, Micheal Bublé, and Pentatonix have produced popular Christmas albums. Ariana Grande’s hit single “Santa Tell Me” peaked at number one in 2014. It was simple, everyone could relate to it, and it was fun. That’s what Christmas music is all about.

Micheal Buble’s Christmas album is iconic—a stand alone Christmas hit generator that accounts for more than half of his streams. More people associate him with Christmas music than his actual non-holiday music. Lastly, Pentatonix have revamped Christmas classics into charming and emotional a capella covers. They had two Holiday albums go number one on Billboard’s top 200 chart, and in 2015 their album That’s Christmas To Me went two-times platinum. Their sound can be heard anywhere on radio or where one would go Christmas shopping. They may not seem like much compared to classics such as 1982’s “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” performed by Bruce Springsteen, 1958’s “Rockin Around the Christmas Tree” sung by Brenda Lee, or “Jingle Bell Rock” by Buddy Helms.

These new artists won’t “bring back Christmas music,” but they will guide it in its evolution. Their influence will lead the way for new artists with new songs to break through, generating holiday hits every Christmas, and letting us fill our holiday playlists with new tracks to listen to over winter break.

Michael Bublé performing in Cologne, Germany in 2012

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Mariah Carey performing “All I Want for Christmas Is You” in December 2013 in New York City

Students share sense of community as Les Misérables rehearsals approach

The theater program has officially begun the process for the 2023 musical, Les Misérables, one of the most well-known musicals of all time. The musical takes place after the French Revolution and follows a man named Jean Valjean, who is finally freed after being locked away for nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread. When on parole, he doesn’t get a job that he wants, so he breaks his parole and takes on a new identity as a successful mayor. However, a police officer named Javert knows of his escape and hunts him down.

The show has a special meaning for director Mr. Darren Hengst.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. I grew up listening to this show and seeing this show, and I was lucky enough to be in this show. It’s just something that’s always been on the bucket list here at Haverford,” Mr. Hengst.

He also emphasized how much talent there is at the school now.

Les Misérables is no easy task to put on.

“This is an incredibly ambitious musical because it’s one of those musicals where there’s no dialogue, it’s just singing. I’m really excited to see how Mr. Hengst, the cast, and the crew all handle that and bring whatever vision Mr. Hengst has for the show to life,” said Fifth Former Sebastian Golderer.

Theater is an incredible part of the community, and many people inside and outside of the school clearly want to be a part of it, especially after the success of last year’s musical.

This year had almost ninety students sign up from around the area.

“I was amazed at all the new people who signed up. I can’t wait for them to get to experience Haverford theater,” Sixth Former Julian Caesar said.

Many who participate in these shows feel a sense of community that they find to be integral to their school experience.

“Doing the shows allows me to form close bonds with people, even those I share little in common with,” Caesar said. “Theater provides a brotherhood like no other extracurricular at Haverford does, and that’s

what makes it so great and unique.”

Those working on the show outside of the cast also feel a sense of brotherhood.

“I love how much of a family we are. We all work together and help each other out,” Fifth Former Samuel Jiru said.

Many students say they feel fully comfortable to express themselves and explore their passions.

“I think it’s a really great community, and it also allows me to do something I really love, which is acting,” Fifth Former Sebastian Golderer said. “Being in this theater program allows me to do that, so I can improve and perfect my craft.”

Mr. Hengst sees the passion in the students as well.

“I think one thing we showed in Something Rotten last year was that we have a lot of dedicated students to this program, and I think that’s something that continues this year. I think it will be most exciting for the audience to come and see the genuine passion students have for performing here,” Mr. Hengst said.

While it is always exciting to get started on a new show, many Sixth Formers—who have been a part of the theater program for

“I know that once we near the end of the show emotions will hit me like a truck, so I’m gonna try to enjoy everything about it until the very last moment,” Caesar said.

Sixth Former Thomas Pendergast said, “It’s sad to leave the Haverford theater department, and I will really miss Mr. Hengst, but it’s not going to be my last show ever, and I think I’ll be ready to move on from here.”

As the audition process comes to a close and the start of rehearsals quickly approaches, Mr. Hengst looks forward to seeing the show come together.

“When I was in high school, I remember sitting in the fourth row of the Forrest Theater and I saw the show, and it just changed my life to see what is possible on stage. I’m excited to bring the feeling that I had when I first saw the show to the students who are lucky enough to perform it,” Mr. Hengst said. “I’m excited to watch everyone fall in love with it the way I did when I was in high school.”

Performances will take place on March 10, 11, and 12.

MR. DARREN HENGST

“Watching the talent we had last year in Something Rotten!, there were so many juniors and sophomores that were really talented, and obviously you need a boatload of talent for this one, and I thought finally we had enough talent across the board to cast it, so I pulled the trigger,” Mr. Hengst said.

Many students are looking forward to the show’s first rehearsals.

“I decided to audition for Les Misérables because I really enjoy theater, and the theater program at Haverford is really great, and Les Misérables is a great show,” Fourth Former

Harvey Pennington ’23 performs in Something Rotten! in last year’s play

Luke Ganley.

all of high school, and some even throughout middle school—find it bittersweet.

Russell Yoh ’24

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. I grew up listening to this show and seeing this show, and I was lucky enough to be in this show.”

JEFFREY YANG ‘22

Owen Yu ‘23 views old Les Misérables Poster in an English Classroom

Winter track leaps over hurdles

As the winter chill sets in this December, most sports teams make their way indoors. Outside the field house, though, one cohort of athletes forges on through the cold for many of their practices: the Winter Track and Field team.

Preparation and training in winter track are dually important. While athletes must prepare for indoor track and field meets, they must also be prepared for the rigor of the subsequent season this spring.

Training combines targeted workouts with practice in teammates’ respective track and field events. For some athletes, this preparation began before the winter sports season started.

“In the past, I’ve done cross country to help me build endurance. This year, I went to the gym,” Fifth Former Anthony Carter said.

ing week because I’m going from shot put to long jump to hurdles and then a sprint day. I trust all our coaches though so it’s easier than it sounds.”

JEY BROWN ’24

Regardless of prior preparation, training this season pushes athletes to not only excel in competition but also to better understand the mental side of the sport.

Competitors often switch between vastly different competitions.

“Training is harder mentally than it is physically,” Fifth Former Jey Brown said. “For me specifically, it’s always an interest-

Heading the team this year is Coach James Hawkins, a veteran AAU and USATF coach of over 15 years who is returning for his second season with the Winter Track and Field Team. Alongside are the recently announced captains, Sixth Former Jaiden Shuchman and Fifth Former Andre Inniss.

Much of this work is already starting to pay off.

At the team’s first track meet of the season, several competitors placed in medal positions.

“We had a lot of medalists. Jey Brown won two medals—one for shotput and one for hurdles,” Carter said. “We had Andre and a couple other people win a medal for the 4x4 [relay], and [Fifth Former] James Gates placed for pole vaulting.”

And with this success, the team hopes to set its sights high for goals this season. Brown looks forward to the State Championship.

“We got a lot of guys who can qualify and who can probably bring some points. [It will be] the final exam of the season,” Brown said.

The winter track team poses for a picture after a meet at Lehigh University on December 10, 2022

Christopher Schwarting ‘24

“[Training has] always been an interesting week because I’m going from shot put to long jump to hurdles and then a sprint day.”

Colin Kelly ’23 runs in a December 18, 2021 race at Lehigh

COURTESY OF WINTER TRACK TWITTER

“We got a lot of guys who can qualify and who can probably bring some points.

[It will be] the final exam of the season.”

JEY BROWN ’24

A look into the college recruiting process

Sam Pennington ’26

The Haverford community has many outstanding athletes who have committed to colleges recently. Every year, athletes from a wide variety of sports receive offers to play at the next level.

In 2020, the 28 college commits covered a wide spectrum of sports, including lacrosse (9), football (7), baseball (3), squash (3), water polo (2), soccer (2), swimming (1), and track (1).

Last year, athletes faced many post-pandemic challenges due to the limited number of spots on college rosters. Despite these challenges, they persevered and continued to outwork others.

Fifth Former Duke Lacrosse commit Ben McCarthy, ranked second in the Class of 2024 by NLF, believes that the opportunities he has been presented with at Haverford got him to where he is now.

“In ninth and tenth grade, I practiced and played against high competition, and [Coach Matt] Rosko’s strength program helped transform me physically,” McCarthy said.

All of these athletes demonstrate excellent time management skills by excelling in their sport and their academics.

“I have balanced my life by taking it one thing at a time. If I have to study, I study. If I have to practice, I practice. I think that finishing one task and then moving on to the next is better than trying to do both at the same time,” Sixth Former and Air Force Lacrosse commit Wells Flinn said. “This prevents me from worrying about other things, and it allows me to stay focused on the task at hand.”

even just spend time doing nothing, but I’ve found that being an athlete means sacrificing these things to give myself the best opportunities I can and to become the best version of myself.”

Flinn agrees that being a student-athlete is no easy task.

“I felt like I was always waiting, and it was hard at times to keep pushing on.”

WELLS FLINN ’23

“It is not a fun process and being patient is key,” Flinn said. “I felt like I was always waiting, and it was hard at times to keep pushing on.”

“The biggest thing for me was getting my work done, so I could practice and train without stress. I also think that making any effort to get eight hours of sleep has made great improvements across the board,” Flinn said.

Pante also shared advice for succeeding through difficult times.

“I’ve learned to balance school and sports pretty well, but my social life has been more difficult to manage. It has been hard to get good sleep and find time to do other things I enjoy.”

BEN MCCARTHY ’24

Discipline is another key factor for success.

“I’ve learned to balance school and sports pretty well, but my social life has been more difficult to manage. It has been hard to get good sleep and find time to do other things I enjoy,” McCarthy said. “When you work hard it pays off. Sometimes downtime has to be sacrificed.”

Fifth Former Michigan Lacrosse commit Jack Long shared what he considers the most challenging part of the recruiting process: keeping your mental health in check.

“A lot of the time you find yourself comparing yourself to others when it isn’t healthy for you,” Long said.

Sixth Former Cornell Football commit Matt Pante shared similar thoughts.

“The whole process of not knowing where you might end up is stressful, but when you have the support of your family, friends, and coaches, it makes the process easier,” Pante said.

The journey for all of these athletes has been far from easy.

“It’s an exhausting experience and road to ride on,” McCarthy said. “I would like to have more time to rest, sleep, watch TV, or

“It’s about nothing other than always giving 100%. When aiming to play your sport in college, it takes all the early mornings and ate nights to accomplish your goal but it’s worth it.”

MATTHEW PANTE ’23

“It’s about nothing other than always giving 100%,” Pante said. “When aiming to play your sport in college, it takes all the early mornings and late nights to accomplish your goal but it’s worth it.”

Even though he had to sacrifice many aspects of his life to play three sports to the best of his ability, Flinn would not change anything about his experience.

am happy that I have played three sports every year.

I think it has been great for me to not just be playing lacrosse.”

WELLS FLINN ’23

“I am happy that I have played three sports every year. I think it has been great for me to not just be playing lacrosse. I would get burned out and would lose my joy for the sport,” Flinn said.

All of these athletes have put in much hard work throughout their years here, and it is paying off for them.

“The best part of the recruiting process is when it’s over and you finally commit to a school,” Pante said.

The Class of 2023 athletes committed to Division-I college sports

“I

Squash team feeling untouchable after victory over Brunswick

On December 3, the squash team defeated their long-time rivals from The Brunswick School in an electrifying 4-3 victory, setting the team off on the right foot for their winter season.

The team has consistently been near the top of the playing field for years. Between bringing Inter-Ac Championships home, making their way up into the finals, and even winning the National Championship, they are a huge threat.

The squash team is almost always training six days a week, working through a variety of drills, conditioning, and matchplay to hone their skills.

The team’s victory over Brunswick, one of the top teams in the nation, is no small matter.

The team has set many goals for the season. Coach Alex Stait believes that, although there are challenges ahead, anything is possible.

are ranked from one to seven based on their skill level.

Each school’s number-one seed will play and the rest will follow suit. Each match win counts as a point for the winner’s team.

The team that has more points by the end of the matches is declared the winner, even if three members of their team lost.

Fourth Former Devon Li, who prevailed over his Brunswick counterpart in a 3-2 victory, believes the team’s key to success lies within their consistent practice schedule.

“A good warmup keeps our players from getting injured, following up with easy hitting and then getting into more intense drills keeps the team sharp and ready,” Li said.

Sixth Former Matthew Kang attributes part of their victory to the large number of students who came to watch the match.

“Fifty guys in jorts and [tanktops] cheering every single second that they were there was just a great feeling,” Kang said. “It really makes us want to play for them and bring the national championship home.”

Li agrees, saying that the constant cheering made the match much more enjoyable.

“Squash matches are usually pretty stressful. You feel like you want to throw up every single time, but this time there was a much better feeling on the court,” Li said.

Both believe that the most important part of each practice is the last five minutes.

“Every practice we end with five minutes of core. Our goal is to have six packs by the end of the year,” Kang said.

“Our number-one goal is to win the Inter-Ac. Episcopal Academy is looking quite strong this year, and it’s going to be a tough game for us. Secondly, getting as far as we can at nationals. We’ve beaten the numbertwo seed [Brunswick] here. Our goal is to make at least the semi-finals, if not win the whole thing,” Coach Stait said.

He is adamant that success comes from the players, not from the coach.

“I don’t think that success really has anything to do with the coach,” Coach Stait said. “I think the thing I can control is the way we behave off the court.”

School squash matches are fairly simple: both schools bring seven players each, who

Squash players practice on December 12, 2022

JOEY KAUFFMAN ’23

Coach Alex Stait speaks to the team before playing Brunswick, December 3, 2022

“Our goal is to make at least the semifinals, if not win the whole thing.”

COACH ALEX STAIT

Pool records broken as Fords begin swimming and diving season

Tripp Ronon ’24

In six attempts from the one-meter diving board, Fifth Former A.J. Rosenberger garnered 290.15 points for his dives. AJ’s score broke the long-standing record for highest score at the school’s pool.

The Fords defeated Haverford High School 98-82.

“For his first dive, A.J. executed a back dive. For his next five dives, he did Back 1½ Pike, Hammer 1½ pike, Front 2½ pike, Front 1½ Full Twist, and Back 1½ 1½ Twist,” Diving Coach and Math Department Chair Mr. Justin Gaudreau said.

With the help of A.J.s performance, the Fords defeated Haverford High School 9882.

In addition to A.J. setting the pool record in 1m Diving, many Haverford School students swam winning performances at the meet. Fourth Former Evan Boratto took home first place in the 50 and 100 freestyles, and the 200 and 400 relays. Fifth Former Max Marr won first in the 200 Medley Relay, the first Place 400 Freestyle, and the first Place 200 Free Relay.

The latest coach to join the team is Associate Director of College Counseling Mr. Jarrett Tate. He joins Head Coach Sean Hansen and Diving Coach Mr. Justin Gaudreau.

The latest coach to join the team is Associate Director of College Counseling Mr. Jarrett Tate. He joins Head Coach Sean Hansen and Diving Coach Mr. Justin Gaudreau.

MR. JARRETT TATE

Mr. Tate previously head coached St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Florida, and swam at a collegiate level at Rhodes College in Tennessee. Mr. Tate notes the importance of having a pool on campus.

“[The pool] has introduced a team culture; we focus a lot more on getting things done than the logistics of getting kids into a pool,” Mr. Tate said.

Mr. Tate also applauds the school’s depth of talent. “For a lot of crossover water polo players, a lot of our guys are great at both sports.”

Notable crossover players that give great results in both water polo and swimming include Luka Sekulic, Henry Newhall, and Luke Putter.

With pool records broken, first place awards achieved, and a new coach in place, Fords swimming and diving looks ahead to perhaps a historic season.

“[The pool] has introduced a team culture; we focus a lot more on getting things done than the logistics of getting kids into a pool.”

Luka Sekullic ’23 swims, December

The swim team does laps on December 12, 2022

PIERCE LAVERAN ’24

Fords swimming and diving looks ahead to perhaps a historic season.

Hockey trains hard to climb to the top

Winter has arrived, and with it come the sounds of scraping ice and the sharp clack of hockey sticks.

Each practice, the hockey team spends at least half an hour skating and working on stick handling. This time is for players to focus on their skills and further enhance their abilities. In addition, they work on flow drills, where players break out of the defensive zone and into the offensive zone to score. Following that, they work on shooting and passing the puck to the goal.

The hockey team is drilled strictly. Fifth Former Ryan Gibson said, “Any mess-ups during those first thirty minutes, and there is going to be a lot of skating.”

He believes that the fundamentals of hockey and the ability to read plays before they happen are paramount to success.

“No one’s ever going to be perfect at all of it. The key to success is based on these fundamental skills and being where the puck will be in the future is the key to winning games. This, plus having good teamwork will net more wins than losses,” Gibson said.

Fourth Former Patrick Cohen agrees.

“Knowing what the best play is for all five skaters on the ice will win us games. The coaches have been pushing us to do many rebounding drills so that we can score when the opportunity comes, we just have to take them,” Cohen said.

Coach Thomas Lindberg ’07 has been a key part of their strategy.

“Coach Lindberg watches other teams’ games so we know the other team’s plays and strategy, so we can always start on the right foot,” Cohen said.

Coach Lindberg firmly believes that

preparation is key to success.

“I always tell the players that everything we do in practice has a very specific purpose. Every practice depends on who we are going to play and what they do,” Coach Lindeberg said. “Our opponents last week, for example, love to rush the puck in. We needed to work on zone entries [getting into shooting position] so both our offense and defense got practice on what they needed.”

He also believes that efficiency is integral to a good program.

“We do these things called flow drills where in just seven or eight seconds, players work on six or so individual skills all in one package,” Coach Lindberg said.

Unfortunately, the team has had a tough start to the season, playing top teams. They tied Germantown Academy, the defending champions, and lost to Saint Joseph’s Prep and the Hun School, all of which are TripleA teams. However, Gibson believes that with time, all three are beatable. “Overall, despite the losses, it’s a learning experience for the

team to see where we stand and where we can grow,” Gibson said.

The team has a difficult road to the top. They play all of the Triple-A teams in the Philadelphia area. Despite these setbacks, all three feel that they should aim for the stars.

“We should be the best hockey program in Philly without question,” Lindberg said.

“We want to win the Independent Hockey League. We have the talent and the character to do it. With hard work, we will be the best.”

Fords hockey tied early on against Germantown Academy, December 8, 2022

PIERCE LAVERAN ’24

Elliot Lee ’25

Hockey Fords confer with Coach Lindberg in their 4-4 tie against GA, December 8, 2022

PIERCE LAVERAN