the index The student voice since 1888
The Haverford School · Haverford, PA 19041 · February 2020 · Volume 87, No. 5 · thsindex.org
“Senioritis” diagnosis irritates strong Sixth Form
CHRIS HYLAND ’20
A still-studious Aly Ba ’20 Chris Hyland ’20
J
anuary 21, 2020: the first day of the second semester. Underclassmen continue with their academic development while Fifth Formers trudge through an overwhelming workload. For the Sixth Form, it is not so simple. A number of Sixth Formers have not yet been
accepted into college. Others donned their new colors in early November. This unique semester brings inconsistency to a rather uniform system and creates myriad student mindsets, ranging from indifference to anxiety. Taking note of the present situation, the
College Counseling Office sent an email to the Sixth Form. In their monthly “Form VI College Counseling Update,” the college counselors included a list of suggestions for students. Within the newsletter, they encouraged the Sixth Formers to “continue to do your best in the classroom [and be aware
that] a drop in your academic performance during the second semester of your senior year could jeopardize your admission.” Several Sixth Formers took the newsletter’s tone as innocuous. Others felt pre-judged con’t on p. 9
Coach Sodexo staff Murphy launch ID hands off to offensive trusted “W colleague Jeffrey Yang ’22
or a new era to rise, one must come to a close. The 2021 football season will be one without Coach Michael Murphy at the helm. After fifteen years, Mr. Murphy will pass the torch to former defensive coordinator Mr. Brian Martin. The players looked up to Coach Murphy,
hat’s the deal with this new line?” students asked as they rushed past the registers in the dining hall. Over the past few weeks, the checkout process during lunchtime stampedes has quickened for those with IDs but slowed down for those without. The new two-line arrangement requires non-ID holders to wait in a separate line as their peers with IDs stream past. This system is not the reflection of an administrative whim, but rather a deliberate attempt to address several concerns, such as secure cash-handling and inaccurate charges.
con’t on p. 21
con’t on p. 6
Tyler Zimmer ’21
F DR. MIKE NANCE
Coach Murphy leads the team onto the field against Northeast on August 30, 2019
Swimming, p. 22
MR. JIM ROESE
Artist of the Issue, p. 14
COURTESY OF TYLER RIPPIE
History behind the Headlines, p. 8
MR. THOMAS STAMBAUGH
Squash, p. 23
MR. JIM ROESE
the index · editorial
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the index 2019–2020 Staff Yan Graf ’20 Editor-in-Chief Ryan LaRocca ’20 Editor-in-Chief Toby Ma ’20 Editor-in-Chief Daniel Chow ’20 Managing Editor Matthew Schwartz ’21 Managing Editor Tyler Zimmer ’21 Managing Editor Obaida Elamin ’20 Design Editor Quinn Luong ’22 News Editor Jeffrey Yang ’22 News Editor Matt Mignucci ’20 Features Editor
February 2020
editorial A
fter two months, The Index is back, and a lot has happened since the release of our last issue. Disney aired the final movie of its new Star Wars trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker; the House of Representatives impeached President Trump; another joyful holiday ensued; and the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global health emergency. And just last week, local hero, basketball icon Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna tragically passed away in a helicopter crash. In such a short period packed with significant national news, it is no surprise that the time between December 2019-January 2020 felt like an entire year in itself. In our own community, we witnessed a dreadful day of exam returns on the first day back from break. We also saw the annual teacher test-cramming period that always takes place during the third week of January. Sports are ramping up, major extra-curricular
activities such as Model UN, Mock Trial, Robotics are participating in some of their most important competitions, and we have entered the semester often considered more challenging and demanding by students and teachers alike. And consequently, The Index is not short on news of its own. Of the national and Haverford news mentioned, our writers cover many of those topics. But, after all, we are half way there, Fords. As you read this issue, rejoice, for there exists only five months until summer break. Or rejoice, because five months of learning, challenges, and both growth as a student and a man awaits you. To the younger Fords, if you struggled in the first semester, the world is not going to end. Adjust your study-habits if necessary and strive to improve yourself as both a student and a peer. To the valiant Fifth Form class, you have successfully embarked on the journey that is the life of a third-year upper
school student. Whether it is your biology lab or your history test for Ms. Turlish’s class, your success depends upon your willingness to go the extra mile, to drink that additional cup of coffee, to stay up the extra hour. Sixth Formers, in five months, for the final time, you are dismissed. And to college and into the real world you will go. Appreciate the time you have left here, find more time to spend with friends, and enjoy yourselves. Immerse yourselves in the electives that you have chosen that truly pique your curiosity. And, as President Scauzzo constantly vocalizes, continue setting a good example for younger Fords, and be great. For the remainder of the school year, The Index staff knows not what the student body will accomplish. But we know what you can, and know what we hope, you will accomplish.
Agustin Aliaga ’21 Academics Editor Vincent Scauzzo ’20 Neighborhood Editor Cole Stecker ’20 Campus Opinions Editor Jon Krouse ’20 Off-Campus Opinions Editor James Wang ’21 Off-Campus Opinions Editor Jake LaRocca ’22 Sports Editor Mitav Nayak ’22 Sports Editor Ryan Rodack ’22 Arts Editor Sebastian Bilash ’20 Staff Photographer Ms. Emily Harnett Faculty Advisor Mr. Thomas Stambaugh Faculty Advisor
The Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles the daily struggles and accomplishments of the Haverford community. The Index also provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues, such as student culture, academic policy, and Haverford’s place in world affairs. The Index presents new ideas and aspires to influence constructive change. All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at index@haverford.org. The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed using the applications of Google Suite and Adobe Creative Cloud. Its surveys are conducted via Google Forms and are advertised on email to current Haverford students. Graphic designs are created by Index staff via Canva. Southern Dutchess News prints 200-400 copies of each issue, and its editorial staff distributes them in the Upper School on the day of release. The Index serves the needs of a total school population of 1152 community members, consisting of 952 students and 200 faculty and staff members. Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 index@haverford.org Twitter: @Haverford_Index Volume 87, No. 5 - February 7, 2020
CONNOR PINSK ’23
The 2019-20 Editorial Board (left to right): Editor-in-Chief Toby Ma ’20, Managing Editor Daniel Chow ’20, Editor-inChief Ryan LaRocca ’20, Managing Editor Tyler Zimmer ’21, Managing Editor Matthew Schwartz ’21, Editor-in-Chief Yan Graf ’20. Missing: Design Editor Obaida Elamin ’20
Letter from the student body president Vincent Scauzzo ’20
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entlemen, It seems we are at a low point in the year. I have received many complaints about the lack of interesting Reflections and questions about what is next. It’s hard to go to a basketball game and watch your friends endure a loss when they just had the season of a generation last year The anxiety of Sixth Formers who haven’t heard any good news yet from colleges doesn’t help. Nor does any headline from the last month. The only thing that stands out right now in this school is the robotics team, which is killing it. Back-to-back victories at the national level from team 169Y, an unprecedented feat in the VEX world, and very impressive performance from the other teams. I commend these guys on their determination and ability to push through and achieve victory. And while all this is going on, it seems like the Sixth Formers are working just as hard as they did in December, at least in terms of finding enjoyment in their courses. Sure they might not have the most homework, but I don’t sense a letdown in the classroom, as though teachers want to make certain that this class doesn’t turn into a bunch of lazy
JAMES WANG ’21
Student Body President Vincent Scauzzo ’20 bums. at this place. For some of us, it’s our 26th. Let me be clear: the faculty has absolutely As long as you are reasonable and nothing to worry about with this class. We communicate with other teachers so are all smart; we all know we can’t get Cs in assignments don’t get stacked on each other, our courses if we want to get into college; we and maintain a supportive environment in all know what has happened in the past. the classroom, everyone will come out of the All I ask from the faculty is that they be a dark winter not rejoicing to leave this place little more lighthearted. It’s our last semester behind, but excited for what is to come.
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February 2020
news Science Department Chair Dr. Daniel Goduti commented on one of the most significant takeaways for students participate in the program: becoming an independent thinker and learner. “With your classes, you do some labs but it’s sort of different when you have to go into a space day in and day out and run a lab yourself. You have to know how to run that lab, design that lab, troubleshoot that lab, and figure out all the things you need to do to dig into a research question,” Dr. Goduti said. The Advanced Lab Research Program not only provides an opportunity for students to delve into complex scientific topics, but it also teaches educational lessons beyond the curriculum of the labs and research. Upper School science teacher and program leader Ms. Kara Cleffi believes the program enriches students with real-world experiences. “The thing that is so amazing about this
Scientists glimpse possible careers CARSON DE MARCO ’20
Some tools of the scientific trade Carson De Marco ’20
“I
think my project should be a little bit more understandable,” Sixth Former Alexander Greer said in his Advanced Lab Research Program presentation a few weeks ago. The program offers an opportunity for students who have mastered rigorous science courses, including Chemistry* and Biology*, to conduct college-level research over the summer. Sixth Formers Toby Ma, Daniel Chow, Jack Ballenger, and Aditya Sardesai joined Greer as this year’s participants. At the twelfth annual Research Symposium on Friday, January 10, students presented topics, research, findings, and conclusions to share the complex science they learned with a larger audience.
“I focused on something more hands on and more tangible, which is soft robotics and an applied aspect of mechanical engineering,” Greer said. “What inspired me to do this field, in particular, was the Soft Robotics program.” A four-year member of Soft Robotics, Greer conducted his research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), using soft robotic technology to develop a synthetic heart capable of simulating rhythmic patterns of a normal heart. Ballenger spent his summer at the University of Pennsylvania focusing on gene therapy. He appreciates the doors the program opened for potential careers beyond college. “I’ve realized that some of the problems
are not just scientific advances, but as well as the health infrastructure behind enforcing these scientific advances and delivering medicines,” Ballenger said. “But doing strictly research, I think I could, but I’m leaning more towards working for a governmental agency or a biotech company.” While these Sixth Formers have completed their research and presentations, Fifth Former Nathan Tai will start his research this summer. “I’m most looking forward to exploring a branch of science that I haven’t really gotten an opportunity to get into,” Tai said. “And with this summer research opportunity, I will be able to focus on something that I normally don’t, such as gene therapy.”
“It’s a huge educational experience besides the lab and actual experiments you’re running.” MS. KARA CLEFFI program is that it’s almost like having a job. [Students] have to show up at nine o’clock and stay until four. They take the train downtown, they go out and get lunch, and they interact with adults or people older than them,” Ms. Cleffi said. “I think it’s a huge educational experience besides the lab and actual experiments you’re running.”
ELC empties the “Tank” Ben Murphy ’20
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losing a door and having a private room with your friends is a rare occurrence in Wilson Hall. Once known as a relaxing place to get some work done and relax with friends, the Enrichment and Learning Center has recently tightened restrictions on the “Tank.”
“Rules became more strict, and getting kicked out became a normal occurrence.” M.J. ATKINS ’20
“I always enjoyed the seclusion and quietness of the room,” Sixth Former M.J. Atkins said. “As last year progressed, rules became more strict, and getting kicked out became a normal occurrence.” Atkins, a Tank regular during his first three years in the Upper School, has only been in once this year. Instead, he has begun to spend his free time in the library, a move mirrored by many other students. Students feel that the Tank’s change to a quieter, more isolated area began towards the end of last year, but the rules restricting usage of the space came into effect this past September. Many students did not agree with the new rules, causing attendance in the Tank to
drop and forcing students to find new spots around campus. These places include the library, the Big Room, the Durham Community Room, and many others. The ELC staff feels strongly about the decision to switch up rules in the Tank. Learning Specialist Mr. Stephen Cloran said, “When you look at enrichment and learning, we have a great deal of respect for that part of The Haverford School experience and that process.” Mr. Cloran and his ELC colleagues wanted to make sure that students had a quiet space to work. In recent years, the Tank drifted from its original purpose. “We felt at certain times the use of the Tank kind of crossed over into something that was contradicting the mission of this space,” Mr. Cloran said. Loud videos, fights, and noisy students interrupted others working in the ELC. Turning the Tank back into what it was meant to be has proven effective for the teachers and students who need to get work done. “Faculty in the ELC began to dislike having a large amount of people in there,” Sixth Former Mitchell Hark said. After all, the Tank’s name reflects the new rules that have been instituted. Mr. Cloran said, “The word ‘Tank’ came to me because my image of a tank is quiet, solitude — a place where you can concentrate and be alone or with someone else to process, collaborate and be productive.”
“The tank”
BEN MURPHY ’20
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February 2020
Recent thefts unnerve community Austin Zhuang ’22
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or many, the locker room is a place to relax and unwind after a hard day at school before practice. Just a year ago, numerous thefts transformed this safe haven into one of mistrust. Last year, it seemed as if every few weeks there was an email notifying the school of someone losing a bookbag or pair of headphones. This year is no different; now the thefts have extended to Wilson Hall. Thieves continue to take unattended bags and items of value around the school. “I think the issue is that, because it’s a small school, everyone believes they can just leave their stuff around and no one will take it,” Fourth Former Ethan Saddler said. “But as someone who has had his laptop stolen, I realize that, although most people at the school would not steal, the small group that
would forces us to store our belongings in a safe place.” This may be the new school reality—if belongings are lost or misplaced, the chance of recovering it is slim. “I think it’s problematic, but it’s an issue that will resolve itself,” Fourth Former Jake Brewington said. Many students seem to agree with this school of thought; no one wants their belongings stolen, but students are still comfortable enough to leave their bags unattended around school or on the floor of the locker room. “I feel as though people primarily steal smaller objects, like AirPods, chargers, and pencil cases, most likely because they are small, easy to take, and misplaced frequently,” Fourth Former Patrick Corcoran said. “Most [thieves] are not willing to go through a bag to take something.” In the past few months, headphones, mostly AirPods, charging in classrooms have disappeared, presumably stolen. These bold actions have led many to begin taking precautions against the thieves. Teachers are starting to lock classrooms, and students are more reluctant to leave valuable items unattended. While these small thefts grow, no reports of major thefts like entire bags stolen have surfaced recently. With mistrust beginning to circulate, questions mount as to who could be stealing others’ belongings. These questions prompt students to think of solutions. “The thefts are a problem that started within the student community and must end in the student community,” Fourth Former Samuel Kohl said. “If we can, as a community, nip it in the bud now, in the future students won’t have the same problems we do.”
The locker room in the athletic complex
SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20
Community airs coronavirus concerns Jingyuan Chen ’23
O
n the last day of 2019, when people gathered and celebrated the arrival of the new year, a viral outbreak in China grew into a major public health concern. The crisis began when multiple cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, a highly urbanized city with eleven million residents, were discovered. The virus has since been identified as the coronavirus. Before the world was ready for it, the coronavirus spread exponentially. As of January 31, more than 11,800 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in mainland China. Infections have been reported in other countries, one of which is the United States. The danger felt distant from the suburban neighborhoods of Philadelphia until rumors circulated of an exchange student from China at another Inter-Ac school who was believed to be a carrier of the virus. Although the student later tested negative for coronavirus, news of the illness felt more relevant to our local community. While coronavirus might be new to Americans, it bears important similarities to more common infections. “It is very similar to many respiratory cold viruses coming around,” Science Department Chair Dr. Daniel Goduti said. “It’s related to both SARS and MERS, which were other outbreaks of coronavirus in the last several decades.” According to data from The New York Times, the Wuhan Coronavirus is said to be “moderately contagious, similar to SARS in 2003,” but is estimated to have a fatality rate below 3%, a much smaller quantity than
An official monitoring body temperatures at a train station in Wuhan on January 24, 2020 that of SARS. As the coronavirus continues to worry the school community, some believe that the scale of the outbreak has been exaggerated. “I’m not sure if we should broaden the scope to target such a large population,” Fourth Former Julius Huang said. “There are quite a lot of people in Wuhan. In fact, the Chinese government has always advised people to stay away from wild animals, because you never know what they could be carrying. The people responsible for this outbreak are those who did not listen to the advice. And that would be a very small portion of the Wuhan population.” American media suggest that bats, which have spread the virus, are a popular dish in
Wuhan. Fifth Former Xialong Huang disagrees.
“Don’t forget your vaccine shots.” DR. DANIEL GODUTI “I don’t think bats or other wild animals are popular dishes in Wuhan or in China. This phenomenon only exists among a very small portion of the population,” Huang said. “There are always some people who just want to make themselves special. They believe that trying rare dishes made of rare
CHINA NEWS SERVICE VIA WIKIPEDIA
materials differ them from others, and that satisfied their vanity.” Nonetheless, the outbreak has already entered the next stage, where viruses pass from humans to humans directly without animal involvement. At this point, it is best just to keep oneself healthy and be vigilant about avoiding infections of all kinds. “In this time of the year, you see a lot of respiratory diseases going around, especially in the winter. What you want to do is ensure you are washing your hands, coughing into your arms,” Dr. Goduti said. “It also helps getting as much rest as you can and keeping yourself healthy. This helps your body battle diseases. And don’t forget your vaccine shots.”
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February 2020
169Y wins back-to-back signature events in robotics Toby Ma ’20
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fter winning the VEX Robotics Signature Event at Worcester Polytechnic Institute just a week before, team 169Y The Cavalry took the victory again at the Northeast Wisconsin VRC Showdown Signature Event on January 23 and 24 at the Packers Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Made up of Fifth Former Maxim Kreider and Sixth Formers Aditya Sardesai, Bennett Twitmyer, and Brandon Windle, 169Y’s victory makes them the only team in VEX that has won two signature events. In VEX Robotics, a signature event is a large-scale tournament that’s designed to give participants a highly competitive experience early on in the season, similar to the level of competition seen at the VEX Robotics World Championship. “It’s pretty difficult to qualify for Worlds, so not everyone can experience it,” Sardesai said. “Signature events have spots that directly qualify teams to World Championships, which attracts a lot of high-level competition and makes the tournaments much more competitive than regional and state-level events.” Every season, VEX Robotics releases a game that requires high school students to build, program, and drive a robot in competitive matches. “This year’s game is essentially stacking a bunch of cubes on top of each other in the corners of the field. Another important aspect of the game is to place some of those same cubes into cups, increasing how much each cube is worth,” Sardesai said. “Like previous games, it is teams of two playing against each other,” Twitmyer said. At a competition, the team will play with teams from other organizations in an “alliance” against two other teams. After a set of qualifying matches, where alliances are randomly assigned, teams choose whom to play with during the elimination rounds. In Wisconsin, 169Y was in an alliance with 1008M Minimal Margins, a team from Vermillion, South Dakota. At Worcester the week before, 169Y was in an alliance with sibling team 169E, consisting of Fourth Former Daniel Hou and Fifth Formers Gary Gao and Owen Gormley. Sardesai attributes his team’s success to
the attention to detail towards all aspects of the robot. “We go through many iterations of designs and builds for each of our subsystems,” Sardesai said. “Especially in a game like this year, where even minor mistakes can cost you a win, the consistency of our robot through meticulous building, coding, and driving helped us win.” Another overlooked asset is the cooperation within Haverford’s robotics organization. Although Haverford teams compete against each other, everyone on The Cavalry supports each other no matter how the tournament goes, and in the robotics lab teams work together to test different ideas. There is also the robotics community’s sportsmanship and the mutual respect between individual teams. Before their semifinal match at WPI against teams 375X Falcon and 9421X The X-bot, 169Y had to make repairs to their robot and called a three-minute timeout. “As the timer hit zero, we thought we would have to compete without a fully functional robot,” Twitmyer said. “A team on the opposing alliance called their timeout for us and gave us another three minutes to finish fixing our robot.” “Each time a 169 team wins, we know that it isn’t just a team win—its an org win. Everyone on 169 contributed to the program’s success,” Sardesai said.
“We have the flexibility to explore and iterate on new design ideas.” ADITYA SARDESAI ’20 Haverford has a storied VEX Robotics program, but the organization’s notoriety has also led to increased pressure for the team to continue performing at the same level of success. However, with two signature event champion trophies under their belt, the season has been anything but a disappointment. “It feels especially good to win because a lot of people in the community and in the region said that 169 was a ‘dead program’
The match field at The Wave at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, January 2020
TOBY MA ’20
Maxim Kreider ’21 and Bennett Twitmyer ’20 at work in the robotics lab
MS. VICKY KREIDER
169E: Owen Gormley ’21 and Daniel Hou ’22 and not very good this year,” Sardesai said. and perfect designs that we would have oth“We did have a slow start to the season, but erwise had to rush.” it’s been good to turn the tide and show that “It has definitely taken some weight off 169 has no plan of ‘dying’ or going away any our shoulders and allowed us to focus on time soon.” helping the underclassmen more,” Sardesai Despite already having qualified for the said. World Championship twice over, 169Y does “This is the earliest any 169 team has ever not plan to step away from the sticks before qualified for Worlds. We have three months Worlds in April. until Worlds, so we have the flexibility to ex“Our early qualification to Worlds gives plore and iterate on new design ideas as well us an advantage no other 169 team has really as further improve our current bot. We are had before,” Twitmyer said. “Knowing that trying to get ourselves and the program in we are qualified allows us to take bigger risks the best spot heading into Worlds.”
MS. VICKY KREIDER
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2019 SDLC group in Seattle, Washington
February 2020
COURTESY OF MR. BRENDON JOBS
Student Diversity Leadership Conference: a reflection Quinn Luong ’22
S
ix Upper School students and nine Haverford School faculty and staff across divisions attended the concurrent Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) and the People of Color Conference (POCC) in Seattle, Washington. More than 7,000 educators and 1,600 students gathered from December 4-7, a three-day conference to provide a safe space for leadership and professional development and networking for people of color and allies of all backgrounds in independent schools. The school has been sending a delegation
since 2006. Mr. Brendon Jobs came to teach at Haverford in 2016 and brought students and faculty to SDLC ever since. “I’ve found a community of friends, and for me, being able to see those folks sustains me in this work,” said Director of Diversity and Inclusion Mr. Jobs. In order to qualify, prospective delegates must complete an application for the six spots allocated every year. Applications for the 2020 cohort come out in late April and are given two weeks to
submit by early May. Mr. Jobs gives advice for prospective students who wish to apply this upcoming May. “Half the battle is just showing up. When the opportunity falls, you’ll be ready for it. If you’re interested in becoming an SDLC fellow in St. Louis next year, just show up to the conferences and events where work is happening.” The SDLC sessions focus on self-reflection, forming allies, and building community. Through my family groups, I developed
meaningful friendships with the people who cared to listen to my story and views. It’s still hard for me to comprehend such an accepting atmosphere with amazing people. No matter what you identified as, there was always a place for you at SDLC. This warm and loving community solidified the openness of conversation and deeper dive into what our personal identities meant. For example, I have always been insecure about the common stereotypes and misconceptions associated with being Asian, which is something I am learning to embrace. SDLC has first introduced me to more Asian students in one affinity group I have ever seen in my life. This group taught me that I am not alone with my experiences, as commonly, Asians have tried to escape from these harmful presumptions and become more assimilated within our majority-white culture. The most meaningful aspect of these sessions is the understanding of love. School communities today often discourage discussion about embracing our cultures. A prime example of amplifying my voice for once was the talent show. I had so many of my friends supporting me. Honestly, it was the best experience of my life. My spoken word “To Be Asian” was moving to perform as everybody in the audience gave me a standing ovation, and afterwards my family group gave me a warm embrace. I am still in awe of the people who went up to me and said my poem inspired them. Even though I performed in front of 1,600 people, I have never felt as confident and strong like that. I am currently thinking of how different it would be if I performed my poem here at school. Many participants plan to take the knowledge and empowerment from SDLC and use it to better Haverford. “My goal is to energize these spaces as much as I can and make sure people show up to those with as much purpose and passion to student government and sport fields,” Mr. Jobs said. Closed communities can form harmful views about one’s identity. We must start there to help empower others.
ID, continued from the front page “In the real world, when you make a purchase, there has to be some sort of identification or cash,” General Manager of Dining Services Ms. Kim Sprangers said. “We wanted to make sure we were responsible for how the cash that is coming to Haverford is handled.” Additionally, parents have made multiple reports of students making charges to their child’s account. “There’s always the uncertainty if a student is not using their [ID] badge of whether the student is really who they say they are,” Ms. Sprangers said. “It’s really just to make sure that we were accurately charging accounts and that the money was being transferred.” On the other hand, this new requirement reflects the school’s motto: “Preparing Boys for Life.” The ID requirement highlights the significance of carrying identification at all times. The checkout also reflects how transactions are made outside of the school community, where customers will seldom be able to rely on someone at the register like Ms. Erin Bryne, who can identify them by sight. “I was thinking about our Sixth Form students who will be going to college and will need an ID to make a purchase,” Ms. Sprangers said. “Someone’s not going to say, ‘What’s your name?’ and type it in. It’s going to be a whole new world. I think this is a good opportunity to show students what they should expect in the real world.” The idea for having separate lanes arose a few years ago when Ms. Sprangers learned
from Ms. Tracy Nelson, Middle School Dean of Students, that a similar setup existed in the past. The swiftness of the lines for students with IDs was intended to encourage those without badges to use them. A system of identification is even more crucial for campus security. “If there was some sort of emergency where you didn’t have your ID, you couldn’t access shelter or get into a building. It’s just a whole other safety issue,” says Ms. Sprangers. The dining hall’s effort has reportedly led to an increase in students applying for a badge. The lunch lines have also grown faster since the staff working the registers spends less time typing in names. “Another piece I want the boys to understand is that it’s a lot of pressure on the cashiers to memorize names. That human factor [means] that we could accidentally— and this has recently happened—be charging items to the wrong student’s account because we have the wrong name memorized. Although it’s a nice thing and adds a personal touch, it allows for human error and for charges to get messed up where we then have to transfer money. It just allows for a much more streamlined system,” Ms. Sprangers said. In regards to the cashiers, Erin is happy about the change, but she does not want people to think that it was because of her that the new lines were created; she worries that students will think that she does not
want to learn their names. “She she really does love getting to know all of you and she takes all of you to heart,” said Ms. Sprangers. “But ultimately, even though she loves learning all of your names, it is easier on her and all the cashiers if you had a badge. She tries to go through it so fast to get the information in that she might make mistakes as she’s typing so fast to get your name and ring the charges. It can be a
lot of pressure.” In the future, Ms. Sprangers wishes to get the Lower School involved with having student ID codes that they could type in. Having such a system would further ensure payment security throughout the schoolwide order. Ms. Sprangers said, “If anyone has any other suggestions for the upper school side, I would be open to hearing them.”
SEBASTIAN BILASH ‘20
Ms. Erin Bryne next to the No ID line
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February 2020
Students, faculty ponder IC Day expansion Ryan LaRocca ’20
T
he Church Mice have May Term, the Quakers have Seminars, and we, of course, have IC Day. Haverford’s fourth annual Intellectual Curiosity Day will take place on Wednesday,
A fourth successful year could lead to an expanded program down the road. February 19. Led by faculty members with expertise in a given field, the day-long activities will educate students about a topic of their interest, fostering learning in areas that
core curricula do not cover. In the past three years, IC Day has offered a single-day break to the school routine, but a fourth successful year could lead to an expanded program down the road. “At the end of this experience, I will be very interested in talking to student leaders about whether the idea of expanding IC Day is something students would like to see,” Upper School math teacher Mr. Bridge said. “If it’s something that we all feel strongly about, I see no reason why we shouldn’t do it.” Sixth Former J. Pierce Berkman is a threeyear veteran of IC Day. Although he will graduate this year, he feels that expanding IC Day’s length could be an appropriate measure in the future. “I think having multiple days of intellectual curiosity would be more beneficial than going to school and doing the exact same thing and continuing down the same textbook curriculum,” Berkman said. Math specialist Ms. Katharine Hudson agrees. “Removing the restraints of a core curriculum and common standards allows students to learn other life lessons valuable to someone of a Haverford student’s age,” Ms. Hudson said. Berkman also noted the benefits students reap from a day outside of the classroom. “During last year’s Escape the Room activity, we used strategy and teamwork,” Berkman said. “You really rely on those skills more in Escape Room than you would if you were doing a project or other assignment.” Sixth Former Matej Sekulic said, “Since every student is able to pursue one of the [seven] IC Day options that appeal most to them, the day is very productive.” Spanish teacher Ms. Brooke Kenna, who
COMMUNICATIONS
Rashid Black Jenkins ’21 works on a still life during last year’s IC Day runs the “Business of Baseball” IC Day ac- respective groups. These are students with tivity with Health and PE teacher Dr. Peter whom the teachers most likely have a strong Vanni, also foresees her activity expanding in connection.” the future. “We look to expand this student-lead“Dr. Vanni and I were actually talking ership presence—in the execution and planabout how we could turn our IC Day activ- ning of the IC Day experience—going fority into a three-to-four day option if we re- ward,” Mr. Bridge said. “We would even like ally wanted to,” Ms. Kenna said. to see students play a role in the originating While IC Day’s possible expansion lies in of IC Day activity ideas.” the future, Mr. Bridge and other faculty orMr. Bridge also said that the second of ganizers are taking measures to improve this the two minor changes to this year’s IC Day year’s IC Day. “will get at the heart of each IC Day activity’s “There are going to be two small changes respective goals and purposes.” to IC Day, both of which are leading us in a “This year, teachers are formulating bigger direction,” Mr. Bridge said. “The first ‘guiding questions’ pertaining to each IC one, which is perhaps going to be more no- Day activity, which will be referred back to ticeable for the students, is the presence of throughout the day to ensure productivity student facilitators. The teachers who have and that progress is being made,” Mr. Bridge led IC Days in years past will go to students said. who have participated in and enjoyed their
Students weigh in on impeachment process Connor Pinsk ’23
T
he Senate impeachment trials for President Donald J. Trump began on January 16, 2020, and are wrapping up this week. Television viewership reached around 70 million Americans. The trial is now in the Senate stage as Trump has already been impeached by the House of Representatives. The repercussions up to this point have been the equivalent of a slap on the wrist. President Trump will not be removed from office. Early on, the Senate introduced a collection of rules that both President Trump’s lawyers and the house managers would have to follow. Orchestrated by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, each side had only twenty-four hours over four days to state its case to the Senate. The Senate then had sixteen hours over two days to ask any questions and to make the decision as to if they should call witnesses. The house managers acted as the prosecution, and President Trump’s lawyers served as the defense. Seven house managers were chosen by the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, including people such as former Army Ranger Jason Crow, experienced law enforcer Val B. Demings, and House Intelligence Committee chair Adam B. Shiff, a prominent Democrat who has been leading
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks to a 2011 CPAC gathering the inquiry. trial because what he did was not illegal and Third Former Lucio Acchione had a what he is being accused of is just an exagstrong opinion on President Trump’s trial. geration of a series of events.” Like the other 70 million Americans, AcchiAcchione is convinced that what Presione has seen at least a small part of the trials dent Trump did was not something that was and is aware of proceedings. twisted by the house managers into noth“Obviously the majority of the Senate are ing more than an exaggeration of a series of Republicans and most of them are Trump- events. Acchione, like many others, is waitsupporting, so I believe that Trump will not ing to see the way that this trial turns out bebe [removed], but in the end, things could cause it is known that it could go either way. go either way,” Acchione said. Third Former Joey Kauffman said, “I Acchione thinks it clear that the Repub- know that the Democrats really believe that licans have the upper hand in the sense that Trump has done something impeachable, so the majority of the Senate is Republican, they have been and are going to go after him, which could lead to Trump having many but the way that it is looking is that there is supporters in the Senate. He also does not not going to be any witnesses admitted, so consider the president culpable of any Con- it’s going to be tough.” stitution-infracting offenses. On Friday, January 31, the Senate voted “I think President Trump should win this to proceed without further witnesses. With-
GAGE SKIDMORE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
out them, House members will have a hard time proving their case.
“I just don’t see [conviction] happening.” JOEY KAUFFMAN ’23 “You have to get two-thirds of the Senate’s vote to impeach him,” Kauffman said. “So honestly, I think that President Trump will not be impeached because more than onethird of the Republicans in the Senate would have to vote to impeach, and I just don’t see that happening.” The Senate acquitted President Trump on February 5, 2020.
the index · features
Page 8
February 2020
features History Behind the Headlines finds its schedule niche Tucker Wurman ’20
T
he current geopolitical scene is chaotic and confusing. Topics like Brexit, the U.S. military presence in the Middle East, the state of the impeachment process against President Trump, and the ongoing trade war in East Asia are all difficult topics to understand. Fortunately, Haverford offers a unique opportunity to explore these topics. Headmaster Dr. John Nagl hosts the bi-weekly History Behind the Headlines to discuss current geopolitical events, provide in-depth analysis, and answer audience questions. Attendance has been high, despite the fact that Dr. Nagl’s talks are at a time when many Fords are in class. The event takes place during fourth period, at 1:10 p.m. “But this is a great problem to have,” Dr. Nagl said. “The fact that boys are engaged in the events of the world around them. That is a first-world problem, and that is a first-rate school’s problem that we ought to be able to MR. THOMAS STAMBAUGH
Dr. Nagl addresses the impeachment process during a “History Behind the Headlines” session in the library, Thursday, December 5, 2019 solve with smarter scheduling.” Not only has the headmaster mentioned guess I really gotta be paying more attenAn avid attendee, history teacher Mr. his desire to discuss these topics with inter- tion to what’s going on in the world,’” Ms. Kevin Tryon thought that that the current ested students when opportunities arise, but Snyder said. “That was an awesome thing for time was the “best we can do for our sched- every History Behind the Headlines event is somebody to take away.” ule” and that it “serves the adult population” recorded and stored online. For those who are already following by allowing some teachers to use their lunch “The librarians can provide access to a the events in question, History Behind the period to attend. podcast of these,” Dr. Nagl said. “We have Headlines is still worth attending. Head of Information Services Ms. Lisa not made the podcasts more broadly availAfter a brief explanation of the events Snyder schedules the events. able, but that is something we’re talking in question to catch everybody up, Dr. Nagl Because community period is usually pro- about.” proceeds with his analysis. grammed, Ms. Snyder looked at class periods So what should students take away from “Frankly, most of what I provide is analyand decided to pick a fixed day in the week, these types of conversations? sis of articles in The New York Times and The so every block could cycle through and allow Both Ms. Snyder and Dr. Nagl want to Washington Post,” Dr. Nagl said. “Of course people with various free periods to attend. provide the context and analysis for geopo- boys can and should be reading those two Ms. Snyder said, “I heard from the regis- litical events to keep the student body well great newspapers as well as The Philadelphia trar that one of the most heavily flexed peri- informed. Inquirer each and every day as they become ods is the 1:10 to 1:55 time.” Ms. Snyder said a Second Form class also informed citizens of our republic and the Students with schedule conflicts have a attended a recent session. world.” number of options. “This boy looked at me and he said, ‘I
No rest for the weary: a look into student sleep patterns commitment a sport is.” “It depends on the teacher. I think English teachers are more flexible about when they assign projects and papers,” McBride said. Instead of sleeping, resting, or even requesting extensions, some students turn to alternatives to help them get through the day.
Sleep is a precious thing for many students
JAHMIEL JACKSON ’20
Jahmiel Jackson ’20
“O
ne time,” Sixth Former Brennan McBride said, “I just didn’t get any sleep.” According to Nationwide Children’s Hospitals, teenagers average between 7 and 7¼ hours of sleep. Researchers suggest they need between 9 and 9½ hours. Many factors alter student sleep patterns. “Sometimes I will have a wrestling match late in the evening making me exhausted,” Fourth Former Ian Rush said. “I either go to sleep early and save my homework for the
next day, or I’ll cram and get it done.” Whether teachers are aware of how long their assignments will take is not clear. Fourth Former Ryan Reed said, “Sometimes students walk in late or fall asleep the day after a bunch of work was due, and teachers are like, ‘Here is more work,’ or, ‘Suck it up.’” “Some nights, my schedule is packed with assignments due that night and in class the next day,” Rush said. “I think sometimes Haverford underestimates how much of
Teenagers average between 7 and 7¼ hours of sleep. Researchers suggest they need between 9 and 9½ hours. Kwaku Adubofour ’20 said, “On days I am preparing for a midterm or an exam, I drink about four Monsters and get about an hour of sleep, especially when I did not have an acceptance from a college. On most days, I rely on a couple of Red Bulls to fill in for the six more hours of sleep I should
be getting.” This phenomenon stretches to lower forms as well. “I drink a cup of coffee a day,” Rush said, “and one during lunch.”
These three students do not take naps, and they all rely on caffeinated beverages. These three students do not take naps, and they all rely on caffeinated beverages. Sleep experts have found that daytime naps can improve many things: increase alertness, boost creativity, reduce stress, improve perception, stamina, motor skills and accuracy, aid in weight loss, reduce the risk of heart attack, brighten mood, and boost memory. “Naps aren’t even an option for me,” Abudofour said. “Between work, class, and sports, I barely have enough time to sleep.”
the index · academics
Page 9
February 2020
academics Senioritis, continued from the front page
The library doors remain open as students flow through
SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20
Staff defends library hours Ryan Rodack ’22
O
nce students are dismissed from their final class after a long school day, they turn to school responsibilities ranging from athletics to the arts to academic extracurriculars. Many of these activities take place on campus. A student may have wrestling practice from 3:30 to 5:30, then later on that same night, he has play practice from 7:30 to 9:00. Where should that student go to make the most of those two hours in between? Many students think the library should be that place, but the library closes at 4:30. Many students need somewhere to do homework, study, or just hang out in the late afternoon. Still, there are obvious limits to the facilities. Head of Information Services Ms. Lisa Snyder said, “The school hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Those are the hours that you expect supervision. Prior to and after those hours, you can’t expect that people are supervising kids.” Supervision is a virtue that the school and specifically the librarians value greatly.
“We just need to make sure that everybody who’s here is safe and feels safe.” MS. LISA SNYDER “We just need to make sure that everybody who’s here is safe and feels safe,” Ms. Snyder said. “We can have young boys in here that are 10 or 11 or we can have an 18
or 19-year old in the same space. We have to make sure that the younger boy doesn’t feel threatened or nervous because of older boys talking about things that they don’t know about...That’s why we wouldn’t unlock the space without adults in here.” Middle School librarian Mr. Joshua Newman agreed. “I really have a trust and respect for the Haverford student body, but at the same time you have to think about what would be bad scenario here that we would seek to avoid,” Mr. Newman said. The librarians notice the problem that a handful of students do not have a place to study once the library closes. “At the end of the day there are people usually up in the corner by the English classroom that is upstairs and there might be one or two people by the windows and then maybe one or two people downstairs,” Mr. Newman said. “Of course, when people are doing work, that is valuable to us and that’s what we need. So, it gets to be a difficult thing [to ask those remaining to leave around 4:30].” This brings up a larger issue as to where students should go when they have time to kill in the afternoon. Ms. Snyder said, “I wish that there was a better place where kids could go and just hang out. I think that might solve some of the problems. Because there are no places for kids to hang out, the library became that, and we encouraged it. We invited a lot of this activity in here, but at the same time it would be awesome if some of that lounge kind of stuff was elsewhere.”
and disheartened at the seeming lack of confidence in their ability to maintain academic performance. “We send it every year,” Senior Associate Director of College Counseling Ms. Karen Ley said. “It was not this class specifically. We have had students whose admissions have been withdrawn in the past because they slacked off or admitted on [academic] probation.” Not all Sixth Formers take this warning to heart, as many students encounter admissions uncertainty when their second-semester grades falter. “We had a kid two Augusts ago who just thought, ‘Am I even going to college?’ because they kept him guessing. So for three weeks, he was like ‘Where am I going to be in the fall?’” Ms. Ley said. Ms. Ley and the College Counseling Office focused on the cautionary tales of past mistakes. Sixth Formers such as Student Body President Vincent Scauzzo ’20 drew a contrast between the tone of the Counseling Office and of other departments. “I just think it’s surprising because it seems like the rest of the school is trying to help us enjoy second semester,” Scauzzo said. “There are way fewer honors courses, and the courses they do offer are a lot more interesting and enjoyable.” “[Sixth Formers] are kinda bummed out when they hear grades still matter and that the main thing the college counseling office is focusing on is keeping grades up,” Scauzzo said. Scauzzo views the second semester as an opportunity to try something new and take advantage of the rewarding opportunities and new areas of study Haverford offers. “I have faith in our Form,” Scauzzo said. “We’ve crushed it so far. I know kids who have gotten into very high-achieving schools. I know plenty of my friends who haven’t got-
ten into schools are still working very hard. I don’t think the quality is going to go down at all.” The College Counselors’s message highlights the risk that members of the 2020 graduating class already accepted into college could allow their grades to slip. But others continue to work tirelessly with just a bit of pressure taken off their shoulders. Sixth Former Chris Dehney said, “A lot of pressure comes off it. I may feel less apt to stay up until 12 o’clock one night studying for this test or doing this paper.” This type of late-night decision conveys a different sense of slacking than completely giving up work.
“I think they do understimate the ability of our class.” CHRIS DEHNEY ’20 “I think they do underestimate the ability of our class,” Dehney said. “There’s always a couple of guys who are into college and say they’re done,” Sixth Former Carson De Marco said. “A small portion of our grade has that mentality but, for the most part, our grade has the mentality of ‘we should still care.’” De Marco did not attribute the email as a direct challenge to the character of the Sixth Form. “I would like to think that that email was just a matter of it being an annual email they send to check up on the parents and the students,” De Marco said. “It’s fine to slack off a little bit,” Ms. Ley said. “We don’t want this crash. We don’t want this question of ‘How low can you go?’”
SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20
Tucker Wurman ’20 reads the most recent College Counseling email
Page 10
the index · neighborhood
February 2020
neighborhood Pricey Positano brings Italy to the Main Line Matt Mignucci ’20
A
s we sat at our table looking out the storefront window, we didn’t see the beautiful city of Positano overlooking the Amalfi Coast, but, instead, Ardmore’s bustling Lancaster Avenue. This month, I was once again joined by Sixth Formers Teddy Curran and Chris Tsetsekos. As soon as we walked in, we felt a sense of welcome from the lighting and decor. “It’s spacious interior and elegant furniture created a storytelling environment for our comfortable dinner,” Tsetsekos said. Curran also enjoyed the layout. “The quaint, calm environment proved to be a great setting for a nice dinner with some friends,” Curran said. Our waiter was attentive and brought us bread immediately, which Curran appreciated. Tsetsekos thought we had great service from our waiter. The waiter “brought our food out timely and even cracked a few jokes with us.” For our appetizer, we enjoyed the meatballs. The sauce was solid, but I thought the meatball itself was slightly lackluster in texture and flavor. Then again, I have never liked a meatball that was not my grandmother’s, so I guess I am a little biased. There were only three small meatballs included in the appetizer, so conveniently we could all have one. On the other hand, it was not convenient that those three mini-meatballs would cost twelve to fifteen dollars, more expensive than expected. We found these inflated prices to be a recurring theme throughout our dinner. Next came our entrees. I ordered the Clams and Spaghetti in White. My clams were a little salty, and the pasta was a little
MATT MIGNUCCI ’20
A view of Positano’s Italian interior design bland. My dish barely had any clam sauce, and the clams weren’t cooked with the pasta itself, which likely resulted in its disappointing flavor. However, I appreciated that my pasta was a very nice al dente, which is hard to find. Curran ordered the Chicken Parm, and he
was happy with the quality of his dish. “Compared to the Chicken Parm at Fellini’s…it was much crispier and had a better tasting sauce,” Curran said. “The only negative I have is the fact that the chicken was a bit tougher than I prefer.” Tsetsekos went for one of the specials for
the night: a nice ravioli dish with an aurora blush sauce and peas. “I was satisfied with my dish’s presentation and was not let down by its taste,” Tsetsekos said. To finish off our meal, Curran and I indulged ourselves in a variety of sorbets— Chris was not interested in any of the dessert options. I was extremely disappointed when I found out that they did not have cannoli, but the presentation of my mango sorbet made up for it. I was presented with half of a frozen mango with the sorbet inside the mango’s skin. Ted ordered the lemon sorbet, and it was presented in between two halves of a lemon rind. The sorbet was fruity, refreshing, and a great way to finish my meal. Overall, the food was solid and the service was great. However, it was too pricey. My classmates echoed this criticism. “The only downside I had from Positano’s was my food value, as I found my raviolis to not come in large quantities for its high price,” Tsetsekos said. “Other than that, I would highly recommend Positano’s to anyone looking for a semi-formal Italian restaurant on the Main Line.”
“The good food and relaxing vibe made for a great experience, but the price might have been a bit too high.” TEDDY CURRAN ’20 “Overall, the good food and relaxing vibe made for a great experience, but the price might have been a bit too high,” Curran said. Our score for Positano is an 8.1/10. We would recommend it for anyone looking for an Italian restaurant with some family or friends. Just be mindful that it is a little pricey. The clams and spaghetti in white sauce
MATT MIGNUCCI ’20
the index · neighborhood
Page 11
February 2020
The unusual history of Rosemont’s Algar Ferrari Joey Kauffman ’23
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ocated next to the CVS in Rosemont, the palatial three-story building known as Algar Ferrari, which houses millions of dollars worth of luxury sports cars, may seem a little out of place. From afar, the matte silver paneling of the building sets it apart from pretty much any other structure on the Main Line. And up close, the glowing white interior, punctuated here and there by the colorful aerodynamic grandeur of exotic Italian supercars, seems as incredible as the inside of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Yet this exotic looking building—only two miles down the road from Haverford—dates to 1887, just three years after the founding of The Haverford School, making it one of the most intriguing, historic structures on the Main Line. In 1887, Joseph Derham, an Irish immigrant with talent for carriage building, opened up a carriage works at the intersection of Lancaster Avenue and Haverford Road in Rosemont, the current site of the Algar Ferrari dealership. Derham’s carriages quickly became well known for their quality, and the shop found a steady clientele in the upper class of the Philadelphia area. As Americans abandoned carriages for cars at the turn of the twentieth century, Derham improved on his success by adapting to innovation and building automobile bodies. At the time, the chassis of a car was made separately from the body, and the Derham Body Company achieved international renown by designing unique bodies for individual clients as well as mass-produced car
bodies for different car companies. After World War II, as America moved into a new era of transportation, Derham’s work obsolesced and his business stagnated. At the same time, Ferrari, an Italian racing brand that had yet to establish dealerships in America, saw the potential of expanding into the American market. “Luigi Chinetti was the first person to open a Ferrari dealership in America," current Algar Sales Manager Mr. Jorge Figueroa said. “He convinced Enzo Ferrari that America would be a fantastic market for the Ferrari sports car.” Shortly after, in 1964, Al Garthwaite, the former president of Lee Tire Company in Conshohocken, bought the Durham Body Company and turned the space into one of the original Ferrari dealerships in America, renaming the business Algar, short for Al Garthwaite. Along with selling Ferraris at Algar, Garthwaite also worked with Chinetti to coordinate the demanding task of importing Ferris from Italy to America. “Mr. Chinetti and Mr. Garthwaite became partners and imported Ferraris for everything east of the Mississippi” Mr. Figueroa said. At this point, the purpose of the building in Rosemont was no different from when the Derham Body Company occupied the space. The business still provided the wealthy of the Main Line and Philadelphia with wellcrafted cars, the only distinction being that the cars sold at Algar were a little less conservative, as they were street versions of one of Europe’s most luxurious racing brands:
The front of Algar Ferrari as it looks today
Black Ferrari at Algar Ferrari
MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ’21
Derham Carriage Works Ferrari. The Algar dealership then moved to Paoli because of space limitations in Rosemont. The Rosemont building briefly became a Porsche and Audi dealership, but the building remained a place dedicated to high-quality cars. “When the lease ran out, Mr. Garthwait wanted to move Algar back to Rosemont,” Mr. Figueroa said. “So in 1988, they moved the Ferrari franchise back.” When Algar returned to Rosemont, the business, one of the oldest Ferrari dealerships in America, was also located in a building with an important automotive past. This gave Algar a remarkable amount of history for an American dealership. “Algar is America’s most storied Ferrari dealership," said Mr. Figueroa. “There’s just a ton of history in this dealership that’s really unique.” In 1995, Garthwaite sold the dealership to Bob Segal, a young businessman and a racing enthusiast. “Mr. Segal’s son, Jeff Segal, was his partner in the business. His son actually is a very successful race car driver," Mr. Figueroa said. “And then, in 2012, Mr. Segal sold the franchise to our current owner, who also owns the Ferrari franchise in Denver.” Before selling the franchise, the Segals underwent a three-year, seven-million dollar renovation of the space, unveiled in 2011. This renovation gave the dealership a distinct modern design that brought the building into the twenty-first century. Although the grey metal exterior and the clean, white interior of the building is undeniably appealing, the renovation cov-
ALGAR FERRARI
ered up most of the building's history. The sleek, state-of-the-art showroom is almost unrecognizable from when it was the Derham Body Company, with the only remnant being the original wood ceiling on the third floor of the building.
The dealership keeps in touch with its rich history. Although the physical history of the building isn’t visible, the spirit of Algar has remained the same throughout all these years, and the dealership keeps in touch with its rich history. “We have a file room here with files that go back to the beginning, to the late sixties, early seventies, of every Ferrari that was imported here,” Mr. Figueroa said. Because of their vast history, Aglar has become one of the most distinguished Ferrari dealerships in the country. “The service and parts department here is one of the best in the country. We get cars shipped here for service from all over the country," current Algar Experience Manager Mr. Jonathan Miller said. “We’ve got parts from the sixties and seventies for Ferraris here.” Today, the Aglar dealership remains a unique Main Line institution, combining a rich history with a high level of prestige to create the perfect setting to house the unparalleled mystique and appeal of Ferrari automobiles.
MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ’21
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the index · neighborhood
February 2020
A run to the mall
Vincent Scauzzo ’20 VINCENT SCAUZZO ’20
The food court
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t’s got New York glamour on a Texas scale and a parking lot like something from Miami beach. It’s a tourist trap and a local hang-out. Some love to hate it, but it is everyone’s guilty pleasure. There’s nothing quite like the King of Prussia Mall. King of Prussia—that’s a funny name for a town, isn’t it? King of Prussia? It’s like naming a town “Queen of England” or “Chancellor of Germany.” I don’t even know if I could point out Prussia on a map. And what did the Prussians, or their King, have to do with greater Philadelphia? I don’t remember learning about the Prussians conquering the land next to Valley Forge. Turns out some old guy in 1851 named a local tavern after the king. He didn’t much care for British imperialism and neither did the king of Prussia. Good on him, then. The King of Prussia Mall is the largest mall in America in terms of retail square footage. Mall of America might take up more space, but what our place of brand-name worship lacks in size, it makes up in miles and miles of stores. I’ve seen older couples in sweatsuits and sneakers getting their exercise in the place, which is not to say it lacks grandeur. Driving down King of Prussia road— that guy with the tavern certainly has built up a legacy—you feel like you’re on Mulholland Drive in LA: a twisty lane overlooking a bright, glitzy city full of people and an-
ticipation. The traffic’s pretty bad, too. You can tell the Mall was never supposed to be this big. While the township and state have done their best to manage traffic around the place, there’s no grand entrance as one might expect when arriving at such a lush locale. They’ve done just about everything they can to make up for it. In 2018, the two halves of the Mall were finally linked, adding 50 stores and a massive new food court. It’s new. It’s classy. It’s pricey. It’s sexy. This is the real mall of America.
There’s background music—different music for different departments: the men’s department is playing some atrociously masculine guitar song, while the women’s section sounds like something booming out over a catwalk. The easiest point of entry for me is at Nordstrom. I like going in through the depart-
ment stores. There’s something old school about a place like that. At Christmas time, you feel like you’re in Miracle on 34th Street. It is Saturday the week before the Super Bowl, and it’s been raining all day. I expect it to be packed. Surprisingly, there’s not an abnormally large crowd. I can even get parking on the upper deck, next to a couple of fine sports cars. I guess a rainy day does not imply that people will go spend their savings. I cross the pedestrian walkway three stories from the road below and enter the store. The smell is the first thing that hits you. I don’t want to call it perfume because I don’t think any person would put on something so bland, but it doesn’t smell natural. If it’s some kind of sales tactic to get me to meander, it’s not working. The noise comes next. There’s background music—different music for different departments: the men’s department is playing some atrociously masculine guitar song, while the women’s section sounds like something booming out over a catwalk. Standing in the aisle between the two creates a muddy din in my ear. Then there’s the ambient noise—people and footsteps and music and intercoms all mush together. The first person I see in the store is a woman walking very quickly with her phone hanging from her neck on some kind of handbag strap. I can see all her apps. Three younger women walk by slowly, laughing,
one of them pushing a kid in a little black car while he plays on his iPad. They are enjoying themselves, but they take up a lot of space. I dip behind a mannequin in skin-tight jeans to get around them. Passed the escalators within the store, I see the opening to the main atrium that guides shoppers on their journey through retail heaven. To the right, there is a floorto-ceiling poster for lingerie with the model doing a rather poor job of advertising the product given that she’s not wearing anything. Directly across from the Nordstrom is the Lululemon store. I know that, nowadays, for a man to buy clothes from the Lemon is not unusual—I’ve heard the pants are rather comfortable. (Whether they are dress code is still up for debate. I’m sure Mr. Lengel and Ms. Kenna have some opinions.) I still find it a little odd to buy clothes from what was traditionally a high-end women’s workout apparel store. For the sake of gathering data on the average Mall shopper, I reluctantly go in. The man who greets me is friendly. His gray hair is gelled in a dramatic swoosh and his figure fits snugly into a suit of tight-fitting spandex. I didn’t need any help finding anything, thank you. Every store in the Mall has its own music, and the Lemon, while selling men’s clothing, plays something similar to the women’s department at Nordstrom: thumping techno club music.
Some people walk down the hall with shopping bags filled with God-knowshow-many thousands of dollars worth of clothing, wearing the most recent trends in ironic high fashion streetwear, or whatever new title they give “on-trend.”
Skylight above the second floor
VINCENT SCAUZZO ’20
Each mannequin has a perfect physique, with the classic yoga pants stretched across overly full buttocks. Naturally, most of the people shopping in the store are wearing the brand, except for one man at the register. He’s an older gentleman, clearly buying something for his wife or daughter, as his charcoal pinstripe suit and Italian loafers suggest a style that skews more towards affluence than athleisure. He sticks out, and his ignorance of the merchandise draws the clerk from behind the counter.. While taking note of all this on my pad, the greeter man approaches me again. He asks the same question, albeit with a smile more suspicious than friendly. I take this as my cue to leave.
the index · neighborhood
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I
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turn right out of the store and down the hallway to the new main section. I’ve only been here fifteen minutes, and I’ve already seen a young man in his General Issue. We make polite eye contact and carry on with our business. Turning right again at the intersection, I enter a space with more enjoyable mall spaces. There is a smoothie shop and an ice cream parlor, all surrounded by branded stores pretending to be cute boutiques. This is one of the older places in the mall. You can tell from the large, stained-glass dome and the network of ironwork keeping it in place. In the summer, the light can be rather warm, but in January, it only provides natural light and a good example of turn-of-the-century grand architecture. It’s pretty. Up ahead on the ceiling, there are in large capital letters the names of the big four department stores at the other end of the Mall: Neiman Marcus, Lord and Taylor, Macy’s, and Bloomingdale’s. I’m partial to Neiman, myself. Also at this end of the hallway are all the stores for the international crowd. Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s, Bottega Veneta—I could go on, but I don’t want you to feel any more plebeian, which is how you feel as you walk past stores with handbags on pedestals and shoes which see better care than my aunt’s manicured fingernails. Some people walk down the hall with shopping bags filled with God-knows-howmany thousands of dollars worth of clothing, wearing the most recent trends in ironic high fashion streetwear, or whatever new title they give “on-trend.” In this part of the Mall, it’s hard to remember that you’re not in Harrods.
I think I’ve seen some rappers wearing these, but outside of a music video, I can’t imagine any scenario where these would be functional. I conclude that these shoes, like anything beautiful and pointless, must be works of art. I’ve always been fascinated by the security line outside of the Louis Vuitton store. I wondered why they felt the need to have extra security when other stores sell items that are just as valuable. And why is the line so long? Does it feel degrading to wait in line to purchase something so expensive? I can’t imagine anyone in that line waits long for anything, and yet here they are, solemnly standing as I walk past and guffaw at their taste. But this time, for whatever reason, there was no security, so I went inside. The nice woman greets me at the door in a business suit. I almost miss her since she’s very short. I think like most people, I’m just here for the novelty, but I’ll let you know if I need help, thank you. There wasn’t any real organization of products in the store—no one room had one type of garment or accessory. However, everything did have a big L-V logo on it, if not multiple, and plenty of those clover things from the logo. Now, I appreciate a high-quality shoe or wallet or belt, but having things with big logos on them to show off isn’t my taste. I prefer cars with the badge-delete option, a stealth look that allows only people in the know to understand the significance. Then again, what do I know? I’m wearing a t-shirt and some Nike sneakers. While there might not have been any security outside, there was plenty inside by
February 2020
the goods. In the back in between the jewelry and sneakers in a little hallway is a man who looks like Randy from “A Christmas Story” when his mother wraps him up in layers and layers of clothes before he goes outside. As casually as possible, like I can afford anything in the store, I walk by him and into the room with some of the sneakers.
Like the people in the fancy stores, he has a trendy haircut and thin-framed gold glasses, a puffy jacket with a big logo on the sleeve and some wild sneakers. I think I’ve seen some rappers wearing these, but outside of a music video, I can’t imagine any scenario where these would be functional. I conclude that these shoes, like anything beautiful and pointless, must be works of art. Some of them look like normal sneakers just after they’ve been put in a kiln for some time, glazed like strange pottery. They have wild colors and patterns like nothing I’ve ever seen. At first, it felt weird to take a picture of the shoe without context, but then I remember that all people do with these shoes is post pictures of them online, so I feel less out of place. I move along because it looks like someone actually wants to buy them, and I don’t want to be in the way of someone who can afford these things. Back out in the main hall, I take a seat on a cushion next to a group of four elderly people and look back at the strange orange and brown world from which I just emerged (their stuff would look good on Mr. Trocano). The items in that store are treated like museum pieces, and yet I just walked in and casually tossed one around in my hands. It’s funny sometimes how much people value a brand or a style whether they own it or not. But then again, it’s natural to want nice things, to work towards reward and luxury. If that year-long effort culminates in a purchase of a fancy new belt, then that purchase feels good. Some look down their noses at flashy brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton, wondering where the traditional loafers and modest handbags went. It might not be for everyone, but who
Louis Vuitton
VINCENT SCAUZZO ’20
Louis Vuitton “basketball” shoes
cares? Nice things, after all, are nice. As I gather my thoughts, I am reminded of the local and international communities that congregate in the mall. Randomly glancing up, I see Dr. DiNubile walking past the storefronts with a bag from the Vans store, presumably for Dylan. At the same time going the other way is a small group of Asian kids talking animatedly, one wearing a disposable face mask like you might grab from Kids First. Like the people in the fancy stores, he has a trendy haircut and thin-framed gold glasses, a puffy jacket with a big logo on the sleeve and some wild sneakers. Dr. DiNubile has on jeans and a leather jacket. I prefer his style.
It’s kind of funny that the Mall, a place for spending and leisure, can wear people out. Soon after, a new, young trio walk past me to the department store. They wear trendy clothes, geometric haircuts, and generally robotic facial expressions that make them hard to tell apart. The girl among them has
on a purple-and- orange-striped dress with high-top shoes and dyed-orange hair. Her friends are not as loudly dressed, but they do bear the names of the fancy stores on their sweatshirts. They walk with purpose, trying to be casual about their appearance as if it’s no big deal, like an artist with his head down on an album cover. Their mopey irony makes them stand out, but then they disappear behind the coat racks and mannequins in the store, maybe off to buy another sweatshirt or makeup. I guess department stores do have something for everyone.
A
——
t this part of the Mall, the din of people and footsteps is the loudest. The new high ceilings are probably designed in some way to take in the sound, but the slick black-and-white marble floor and the big glass windows for the Tiffany’s store make it so every voice is heard in a muffled tone. Walking straight down the hallway, just following the other shoppers, somehow, I end up the line for ShakeShack. Those damn floor-plan designers, trying to make me buy a burger. I will not fall prey to the lures of big business. You can’t just con’t on p. 23
VINCENT SCAUZZO ’20
the ind
Page 14 & 15
Artist of the Issue: Tyler Rippie Jonny Sonnenfeld ’20
M
any Fords will remember the big portrait of Sixth Former Tyler Rippie featured near the Rounders this past fall. What some may not realize is that it was painted by Rippie himself, whose love for art started long before Sixth Form. “Art was one of my favorite classes,” said Rippie, who has been cultivating his artistic talents since lower school. “I made a lot of the monsters that are still hanging in the [lower school] building, and I won the bookmark competition every year.” And in middle school, Rippie embraced art as a hobby and began honing his skills. Upon entering the Fourth Form, Rippie chose Mr. Fox’s Art Portfolio, though he thoroughly considered taking pottery. “I felt like that kind of art was really therapeutic, so
it really didn’t feel like a class,” Rippie said.
“I enjoy returning to the simple method.” TYLER RIPPIE ’20 “I always revert back to graphite pencil in a notebook because that is what starts everybody, though I have been fortunate to have been able to spread out,” Rippie said. “I enjoy returning to the simple method.” The process of painting a self-portrait was especially fulfilling for Rippie. “I finished [the portrait] in two weeks because I was so invested in it and I liked it so much,” Rippie said. “I was trying to evoke the style
of Kahinde Wiley. He is a painter who puts black people into famous nineteenth-century paintings such as the portrait of Napoleon.” Rippie has one last big project he will be adding to his portfolio before the year is out. “I am working on this multiple self portrait of myself and a few black friends and I am putting us all in different African clothing,” Rippie said. “It is not easy when there are six or seven people on the canvas, and I have to focus on each one. It is going to take me a long time.” “I have to take breaks and spend time away from it. Even professionals have to take time to regroup. I’m just building my energy to knock out another big chunk,” Rippie said. “Not many people appreciate that our art studios are really high class and available to everyone.”
“Evanescence”
“Outlook”
“Solidarity,” oil on canvas
COURTESY OF TYLER RIPPIE ’20
TOBY MA ’20
“An alleyway to the countryside”
dex · arts
February 2020
COURTESY OF TYLER RIPPIE ’20
“Autonomic,” oil on canvas
COURTESY OF TYLER RIPPIE ’20
“Mother,” oil on canvas
COURTESTY OF TYLER RIPPIE ’20
COURTESY OF TYLER RIPPIE ’20
Page 16
the index · campus opinions
campus opinions IDs required? Cole Stecker ’20
R
ecently, Sodexo has instituted a change in the ID card policy. Now, ID cards are required for purchases at the cafe and are heavily encouraged at the lunch lines through the sectioning of the lanes into ID cardholders and non-holders. Everyone expected this change. Haverford, rightly so, has preached about the many merits of ID cards for years now. The only problem is that many students did not listen. I can recount many instances of waiting in the air-locked doors outside of the library with a few of my peers, each of us waiting for someone to either pull out their ID or for someone already inside the school to permit entry. Looking back on those moments, I can easily understand why Haverford decided to enact change to their card policy. From what I remember, most students I knew through my middle school and much of my upper school career frequently did not carry ID cards. Why did we need them? The front
door was always open in the mornings and other “Good Samaritans” often unlocked the doors whenever needed. My opinion changed when I started to drive to school, during my Fifth Form year. Driving was a huge responsibility, that not only entailed bringing my keys with me everywhere I go but my wallet as well. Having my wallet, and by extension, my ID card, in a convenient spot made it a necessity for my daily life. It made getting into the school at odd times much more convenient, but I still never used it at the lunch line. The reasons: time and convenience. We too often take for granted our great Sodexo staff who can near-instantly record our names and check us out. With the new keycard changes, lines have become longer in the checkout aisle. It simply takes longer for students to first put down their lunch, find their keycards, and fiddle with the scanning machines until they finally hear the satisfying beep that signifies the end of the transac-
tion. This entire process requires much more
The burden on Sodexo staff has been significantly reduced. time than Ms. Erin Bryne simply typing in your name and recording your items. The new changes should have been instituted long ago. Even if the lunch lines are slightly longer, the burden on Sodexo staff has been significantly reduced. They no longer have to worry about properly spelling the last name of each student, hence reducing the overall stress of their hectic jobs. We should be considerate about the reasons behind the ID card changes by understanding who they positively affect. In my opinion, the changes were absolutely justified as they enhance the whole school’s safety and well being.
coming soon coming soon
February 2020
Page 17
the index · off-campus opinions
February 2020
off-campus opinions Noah Rubien ’20
I
have spent nights sifting through the “For You” page of TikTok, a communal space where creators across the world share their videos that, if they are lucky enough, may pop up on your screen. But it is mostly a dump—littered with recycled jokes, small dances, lip-syncing, and the over-sexualization of underage boys and girls, all in the hopes of attracting views.
This video gives you the boost you were looking for all along, and you trek on, deeper into the abyss of the “For You” page. Trends come and go—for a few days, you may watch different people lip-syncing the same audio, or doing the new dance. Sometimes the jokes get more sophisticated, like the few weeks where everyone changed their profile pictures to character icons from Lego
The TikTok trap Star Wars for the Wii. But through it all, you will discover a gem, the kind of TikTok that makes you smirk and give a slight exhale through your nose, moving you in such a way that you feel obligated to share it with a friend or two. This video gives you the boost you were looking for all along, and you trek on, deeper into the abyss of the “For You” page. I enjoy my time spent on TikTok, but I do not agree with the mentality it breeds. The app is catered to young children, with teenagers in high school representing the main content creators. If you post a video, it is shown to a select few. The more likes, comments, watch time, and shares you accumulate, the more the video spreads.
So it offers everyone a chance at “fame,” and the sweet dopamine release you feel when your video surpasses ten-thousand views. Most people chase this superficial “fame” by posting as much as they can, regardless of its entertainment value, in hopes of riding the formula for the rush of knowing that a few thousand random people in the world now know your name and face, if even for a moment. But it does not concern you why they now know your name and face. To that I say, you need to get your existential priorities straight. You should care why you are “famous.” Who cares that those people watched your ten-second video? Are you proud of
The case for President Andrew Yang Agustin Aliaga ’21
A
s a young voter coming into the 2020 election, one should consider a multitude of things: how do candidates plan to solve the issues most pressing to the nation and your demographic? How do they appeal to the nation? Are their policies responsible? And, most importantly, how do they unify the nation in a time of great divisiveness? While Andrew Yang more than answers all of these questions, especially for young voters in the coming elections, his answer to the last question certainly transcends the constant political banter. His platform of Universal Basic Income (UBI), or the Freedom Dividend, is not only a new solution to a problem and its outcomes that has plagued this nation for decades or even centuries, it is also one that is one that can almost unanimously draw support from any point on the political spectrum.
that Republicans would find appealing as it reduces the stigma that comes with how welfare is distributed. As Yang himself puts it, “By giving everyone the Freedom Dividend, the stigma for accepting cash transfers from the government disappears.” Additionally, Yang explains, “it removes the incentive for anyone to remain within certain income brackets to receive benefits.” Among other things, Yang advocates that
UBI encourages people to find work, reduces bureaucracy, increases bargaining power for workers, increases entrepreneurship, improves labor market efficiency, improves physical health, and even decreases crime rates. But Yang’s policies go beyond UBI. He has created unique and revolutionary political views that fit young voters perfectly. Not only has Yang proposed the voting age to be reduced to sixteen years of age, he has
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The logo for the app TikTok
what they have watched? Maybe you are, and that is great, but more likely you posted it in hopes of views and nothing more. TikTok allows young creatives to express themselves. There are hilarious and talented people that have a presence on that app. I implore you to follow in their footsteps. It is easy to follow trends for views. But if you are creative and authentic, you will brand yourself in a way you would want thousands of people to see you. thought of ways to keep fresh ideas in politics by putting eighteen-year congressional term limits on representatives and senators. In this regard, Yang has come up with a great system to reduce long-term influence in politics. Alongside his congressional term cap, he has proposed an alternative to the unbeatable power of mega donors in elections with his “democracy dollars,” which proposes that every American get a voucher of one hundred federally funded dollars to be given to their candidate of choice. He explains that “These Democracy Dollars would, by the sheer volume of the U.S. population, drown out the influence of mega-donors.” Among other policies for voting reform, Yang also proposes making elections a ranked-choice voting system, making voting day a national holiday, and ending gerrymandering. For young voters, Yang is the most genuine candidate in the field. His saying about UBI can be applied to his entire campaign: “It’s not left or right. It’s forward.”
“By giving everyone the Freedom Dividend, the stigma for accepting cash transfers from the government disappears.” ANDREW YANG As you may have read in my article in the September Index, Andrew Yang proposes that each American adult receive one thousand dollars a month, replacing the longcritiqued American welfare system. Not only is this policy one that Democrats would support because it betters a system that has at times been unsuccessful, but it is also one
Andrew Yang speaking at a town hall in Newton, Iowa on January 13, 2020
GAGE SKIDMORE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
the index · off-campus opinions
Page 18
February 2020
Yan Graf ’20
O
ver the past few weeks, the world media has seemingly been set ablaze with reports of apocalyptic wildfires sweeping across Australia, scorching forests and decimating local wildlife. Meanwhile, thousands of videos have flooded social media of cute koalas and kangaroos being fed as they flee their forest habitats. Millions of dollars have poured in from all over the world to help save the embattled wildlife as the inferno sweeps more and more of Australia’s forests.
Yet, what if I told you all the hysteria over the Amazon and now Australia fires is just that—hysteria? The whole scene is eerily reminiscent of the frantic panic that set in after large forest blazes covered the southern Amazon River Basin, and Western media demonized Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s president, for his seeming inaction in combating the destruction of the world’s largest rainforest. Throughout all this, the massive fires have
Are Australian wildfires overblown? been attributed to global warming, adding more fuel to the fiery push for stronger climate regulations spearheaded by figures such as Justin Trudeau and Greta Thunberg. Yet, what if I told you all the hysteria over the Amazon and now Australia fires is just that—hysteria? That while the fires are worrying, they are nowhere near as unprecedented and apocalyptic as we believe them to be? Many may demonize me for disregarding the specter of climate change or even for being a global-warming denialist. But I can assure you I am not. Take the Amazon rainforest fires of 2019. Yes, they were massive, with 80,000 individual fires noted. Yet, they are clearly nothing new for the region. Wildfires happen in the Amazon every year, with many years, even ones in recent memory, coming close to 80,000 fires as well. For example, in 2016, Brazil reported close to 76,000 fires,
but with only a fraction of the media fanfare that accompanied this year’s wildfire season. While the month of August did see the greatest number of wildfires in Brazilian history, even then, NASA’s own Earth Observatory reported that wildfire activity over the entirety of the Amazon Basin was average when compared to the last fifteen years. While wildfire activity was up in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Rondonia was up significantly, other parts of the Amazon were relatively tame. The Australian Wildfires are no different. While the current wildfires are some of the worst on record, and especially in recent memory, they are dwarfed by many bushfire seasons Australia has seen in the past. So far, nearly 46 million acres have burned, a massive tally no doubt, but next to nothing when compared to the 1974-76 bushfire season, which saw 290 million acres, or more than six times as much, burn in the same time span.
Why does no one bat an eye as the DRC has lost 6.7% of it’s forest cover to slashand-burn agriculture since 2000, but everyone freaks out when a few koalas are hurt in Australia?
The Orroral Valley Fire in Australia on January 28, 2020
NICK-D VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
As much as these wildfires are nothing historic, the real tragedy with the media’s coverage of forest fires are the gargantuan forest fires we choose not to cover. While the Australian and Amazonian wildfires are huge and concerning, every year, every day, fires dwarf the ones in Australia and the Amazon rage in regions such as South East Asia and Africa. In fact, Africa accounts for 70% of the world’s burned area every year, according to NASA. Yet, no attention is turned
when farmers and pastoralists burn massive portions of land for agriculture and release tons of carbon dioxide into the air every year. Why does no one bat an eye as the DRC has lost 6.7% of it’s forest cover to slash-andburn agriculture since 2000, but everyone freaks out when a few koalas are hurt in Australia? As millions of acres of land are plundered and destroyed in Southeast Asia to fuel the global thirst for palm oil cosmetics, why do people fixate themselves so heavily on a mediocre wildfire season in the Amazon?
But the more media coverage I watch, the more I realize that the Australian wildfires are just a media ploy to get more eyes glued to the screen The answer is that the media and passive bystanders like those of us here in the U.S. don’t actually care about saving the environment. If we did, we would stop using shampoo with palm oil and start protesting to end slash-and-burn in the Congo Basin. But we don’t. Instead, because the media presents us with cute, cuddly animals that we learn about growing up, we only selectively care about the visual environmental issues at hand. All the money going to koala shelters in Sydney or parrot vets in Brazil would have been much better spent providing Nigerian farmers with better farming techniques or spent on products that use less palm oil. My apathy for the situation in Australia does not come from being a soulless climatechange denialist. The wildfires are bad, and climate change is definitely real. But the more media coverage I watch, the more I realize that the Australian wildfires are just a media ploy to get more eyes glued to the screen, not a genuine attempt at informing the public about saving the environment.
Are we really trying to stop global warming? Xiaolong Huang ’21
G
lobal warming is the central issue of the twenty-first century. It is caused by an excess of greenhouse gas emission, which leads to a rise in temperature, resulting in extreme weather, the rise of sea levels, and severe reduction in crop yields. With global warming menacing human society, it seems Earth’s residents are not even trying to stop global warming and save the environment. Political differences and economic detriment have all contributed to the global lack of proper response to global warming. The political differences inside the United States strengthen the opponents of global warming. A surge in political radicalism in the last few years has resulted in more political conflicts in the current two-party system,
which has inevitably led to the scenario that one side blindly opposes whatever the other side proposed. Unfortunately, global warming has become involved in this series of political conflicts as a central issue. The Democratic Party uses global warming to attract the votes of those concerned with the issue, which leads to strong opposition towards global warming from Republicans. Even though almost all formal scientists agree that the temperature is going to rise by two degrees, right-wing media downgrades global warming into a trick of clowns, convincing many Americans that global warming is not important at all. Possible damages to the economy also halted the progress on stopping global warming. In order to prevent the possible disastrous ramifications, the United Nations re-
sponded with the Paris Agreement of 2016, in which 171 nations agreed to reduce their emission of carbon dioxide. But this attempt has proven futile. Economics is closely related to carbon emission because any form of production will release carbon dioxide. Therefore, reducing carbon emission will greatly damage the economy, which inhibited the nations from taking action to contain global warming. As a result, carbon emissions surged after the agreement enacted, leading to an acceleration in rising temperatures. We must take quick actions to counter this menacing issue. However, the political differences inside the United States and the damage to the economy of reducing greenhouse gas make effective actions to this crisis unfortunately distant.
ALIREZA SHAKERNIA VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Smokestacks
Page 19
the index · off-campus opinions
February 2020
UIA plane crash: Western sanctions limit Iranian flight options Kethan Srinivasan ’20
I
t has been three weeks since a Boeing 737-800 suddenly crashed after departing Tehran en route to Kiev, Ukraine, on January 8. The government of Iran has admitted that the flight was shot down by “accident,” with the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace division saying his unit accepts “full responsibility.” As of now, Iran claims that of the 167 passengers and nine crew members on board, 147 of them Iranian nationals, though this number is disputed as some travelers may have held dual nationality. Upon closer inspection of passengers’ travel records, 138 of the passengers had Canada listed as their final destination. That accounts for almost 82% of all passengers who were on board. This begs the question: why was such an unknown route out of one of the world’s most turbulent countries for air transport carrying so many passengers that weren’t even planning to stay? Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), the involved carrier, is Ukraine’s largest airline. UIA provides domestic and international transit across wider Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Asia from its hubs in Kyiv, Lviv, and Odessa. Despite not being a particularly popular or busy transit point, UIA provides affordable travel options in comparison to larger European carriers. One of these destinations is Toronto, which the 138 passengers listed as their final destination. Around 210,000 Iranians reside in Canada, mainly in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. This makes Canada home to one of the largest segments of the Iranian diaspora, with many in wealthy and well-educated communities. With such a remunerative market to at-
tract, combined with the sheer number of Canada-bound victims, it can easily be assumed that there is a large demand for air travel between cities in Canada and Iran, yet there are no direct routes in between the two nations. How could this be? To put it simply: international sanctions. Economic and political sanctions have had long-lasting effects on the ease of travel to Iran, forcing travelers to take more lengthy and costly travel routes. Prior to the crash, customers had limited affordable travel options. Besides a smattering of big-name European and Asian carriers like Lufthansa, Emirates, and Austrian Airlines, and international services operated by Iran and Mahan Air, there were not any other large carriers with decent connecting networks and direct flights to Iran. This situation worsened for Iranian travelers after British Airways, Air France, and Alitalia suspended services to Iran following US sanctions in 2018. This not only gave them narrow options, but also caused rising ticket prices among larger carriers. These price increases gave options like transiting through Kiev with UIA more viability, especially amongst younger customers like the returning students that died aboard Flight 752. Sanctions like these have had far-reaching effects on travel in Iran, from availability to affordability to flight safety. Many airlines continue to avoid Iranian airspace and have placed tighter restrictions on flights over Iranian air space due to ongoing war efforts with the US in Iraq. With the crash of Flight 752 and UIA’s suspension of flights, Iranians must endure tighter restrictions on an already long-restricted right of mobility.
HOSSEIN MERSADI VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Ukrainian plane wreckage across an Iranian soccer field
the index · sports
Page 20
February 2020
sports New lacrosse era dawns under Coach Dawson Pat Toal ’20
H
istorically, Haverford hosts one of the nation’s most renowned high school lacrosse programs. Mr. John Nostrant coached the Fords for 25 years, winning two national championships. After transitioning last year, Mr. Brendan Dawson will take over as the Fords’ head coach this spring. After the news broke, many within the community did not know the new man in charge. Mr. Dawson says he is a pretty “detailed
coach.” When it comes to practices and game preparation, Mr. Dawson has instilled a system that is beneficial to all players. Dawson wants each and every athlete to enjoy his experience. He says, “being into what they do” is one of the most important things a head coach can do. Showing interest in their growth as lacrosse players and young men is essential to getting players to buy into what he wants to build. Mr. Dawson believes having a passion for the game will make the players want to “lift and hit the wall,” which
are crucial activities if athletes want to get better. “Great players aren’t born, they’re made,” Mr. Dawson said. Mr. Dawson says he “values hard work” and believes if you don’t love what you’re doing, you can’t improve. Mr. Dawson graduated from college in 2004 and worked in the business world for a few years after. He soon realized that business wasn’t his calling and returned to his alma mater, Salisbury University in Mary-
land, and received an assistant coaching job. After this, Mr. Dawson said he “fell in love with coaching.” Mr. Dawson’s resume lists several collegiate programs. He started the lacrosse program at Aurora University in Illinois and coached there for two years. After that, he spent six years as head coach for Widener University, and then three years at Haverford College. The coaching change has not altered the approach and tenacity Haverford lacrosse players will bring to this upcoming season. Sixth Former Jack Leary said, “The culture and atmosphere of the team hasn’t changed.” Similarly, Fifth Former Geordy Holmes noted the culture changes Haverford lacrosse has begun to witness under Coach Dawson. “It hasn’t changed fundamentally,” Holmes said. “We’re just adding on to it.”
“You couldn’t ask for a better person to continue what Coach Nostrant started here.” WILLS BURT ’23
DR. MIKE NANCE
Coach Dawson a player amid subpar weather conditions last spring
Mr. Nostrant’s legacy has affected how some incoming Third Formers envisioned their lacrosse careers. Third Former Wills Burt said, “Having been around Haverford for a long time, I’ve always looked up to Coach Nostrant.” Burt noted that he felt “disappointed” after hearing about the departure of Coach Nostrant, but now as his first year progresses, his relationship with Coach Dawson has grown stronger. Burt said, “You couldn’t ask for a better person to continue what Coach Nostrant started here.”
Logo change leads to new uniforms Jonny Sonnenfeld ’20
“L
ook good, play good.” That’s a motto we live by at school. A staple of our athletic program, the Haverford “H” makes an appearance on every piece of athletic apparel the school offers. Still, the logo’s details go unknown to most students. The marketing and communications office’s Haverford School Brand Guide states, “The Haverford School ‘H’ is the primary identity mark for Haverford athletics. All official athletic material of any kind must use the primary mark.”
This means no seal and no crest. The H is now omnipresent on school athletic uniforms. This means no seal and no crest. The H is now omnipresent on school athletic uniforms. Recently, the communications and athletic departments redesigned the H. At a glance, the new H is indistinguishable from its predecessor; the only difference is the out-
line of the letter. Before, H was circumscribed in an outer layer of gold followed by a transparent layer. The difference in the new H lies in the transparent layer, which is now white. Head rowing coach and Associate Director of Marketing and Communications Mr. Jon Stephanik said, “[The change] was a result of our printing company. They were no longer able to print the transparent layer in the middle of the logo.” This seemingly minor change will produce many ripple effects. Every athletic uniform on campus bore the old H, and now every athletic uniform must include the new H. This means every team must design an exciting new uniform. “We are going to roll out the new uniforms in waves,” Athletic Director Mr. Michael Murphy said. “It’s not going to be one day everyone has a new uniform.” According to Mr. Murphy, the new uniform designs are not left entirely up to the coaches, but coaches do have a considerable input. “I wanted to keep [the crew design] simple, white top big H in the front, not too showy to keep the focus on the rowing, which I think accurately represents what we stand for here,” Mr. Stephanik said.
The new “H” from the school’s Brand Guide “I wanted a nice clean jersey with the Haverford H front and center,” Ice Hockey Head Coach Dr. Daniel Goduti said. “Long term, these will be way easier to replace as there is a lot less embellishment than our old jerseys.” The maroon uniforms with a big H debuted on the ice this season. Some coaches, including lacrosse coach Mr. Brendon Dawson, delegated the task of jersey design to their Sixth Form captains. Sixth Former Brennan McBride said, “We had a few things we knew we wanted to have
COMMUNICATIONS
on it before we started, including stripes on the sleeve and an American flag somewhere on the jersey. Our old jerseys were hard to read. The numbers and design had too much going on.” The final design, similar to hockey and rowing, is a white jersey with maroon sleeve stripes and a big H. As they evolve, the new uniforms reflect the theme of simplicity, with a goal of keeping the focus on the player and the hard work put into the sport rather than flashy looks and gaudy colors.
the index · sports
Page 21
February 2020
Injury-plagued basketball finds new leaders Lleyton Winslow ’20
A
s students, family, friends, and fans cheer from the bleachers of McBride Court, Fourth Form starter Jameel Brown sits on the bench with a black brace covering his forearm. Injuries have plagued the team. In addition to Brown, Sixth Former Scott Burke recently sat out after injuring his hip. The team’s record of 7-12-2 includes wins against some impressive basketball programs like The George School, The Hill School, and Phelps School. The team has also suffered some tough losses to many Inter-Ac schools, including Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and Germantown Academy. But the season is not over. “Our record is 6-12, and we have about eight games left, so we could still have a winning record by the end of the season,” Fourth Former Isaiah Boyd said last week. Players are looking to rally together and close the season strong. Having graduated the majority of its core players from last season, the team has to live up to the expectations set by last season’s success. Some fans, such as Sixth Former Mathenge Mwangi, feel that this has also af-
fected the energy at the games. “People still come out to the games of course, but I don’t think they’re as interested as last year. I think a lot of people just go because it’s a Friday night and they’re looking for something to do,” Mwangi said.
The team may not be as much of a powerhouse as last season, but the players have not lost hope and are eager to play more. The team may not be as much of a powerhouse as last season, but the players have not lost hope and are eager to play more. Boyd currently plays as a starter for the junior varsity team but hopes to get more minutes in the varsity games. “I’ve been working hard at practice and playing with the varsity players at practice,” Boyd said. “So I feel like I’m going to get more time soon. They’ve moved me up the last two games, so I don’t know why that
DR. MIKE NANCE
M.J. Atkins ’20 looking for a rebound in a 69–26 win over Carver, December 6, 2019 would stop.” starter M.J. Atkins, who has shown incredMotivation like Boyd’s will hopefully ible growth throughout his time on the proshow itself in the season’s last few games. gram and has become a leader on and off the “We have [fewer] leaders,” Boyd said. court. “And at practice, there’s not enough energy.” “M.J. Atkins has stepped up a lot. He A few older players have worked to fill makes plays, knows his role, and is a really that void left by last year’s graduates. good basketball player,” Mwangi said. “He Players and fans alike point to Sixth Form just holds it down.”
Coaching change, continued from the front page or “Murph,” as they often call him. “He brings a great knowledge of football, a fantastic winning attitude, and a love for his players to the field every day,” Sixth Form starting quarterback Dante Perri said. “That is very contagious.” These traits served as the foundation for his lasting success. Just three years after stepping into the role, he was named Main Line Times Coach of the Year and the following season, Philadelphia Daily News Coach of the Year. In 2016, he won the Inter-Ac Distinguished Coach Award. Despite his large-scale success, when he was hired to coach back in 2005, former headmaster Dr. Joe Cox had one goal for him: “Beat Episcopal.” Disregarding recent meetings with EA, Murphy has done much more than that. Murphy’s past success motivated many
young players. “Growing up watching Haverford football created my dream of one day playing myself and being part of the culture and success that Coach Murphy established,” Fifth Former Colby Kim said. However, the team struggled in recent years. “Coach Murphy never shied away from the truth,” Perri said. Perri’s Fourth and Fifth Form seasons were sub-par. The team totaled just four wins in these two years. Murphy knew what needed to be done. “He told us that the change started with him. He was able to restructure practices so that we were the most efficient,” Perri added. “Coach Murphy set the bar high for us every day, and that was what turned us around.” Murphy’s selflessness was recognized and
appreciated by the entire football community. Kim said, “He understood where changes needed to be made.” It is easy for a coach to turn to the players during poor performances. The players took responsibility, but so did Murphy. “He made changes in coaching style, leadership, and preparation, even if it meant swallowing his pride. He did it all for the team,” Kim added. Murphy’s impact stretched far beyond winning football games. Players love Murphy as a man in addition to as a coach. “During practice over the summer, I remember Coach Murph storming towards me and yelling, ‘Colby, get your car out of my parking lot before evening practice or we’re going to have a problem!’” That playful attitude perfectly offset his serious demeanor. Football is one of the most physically demanding sports, and the players made many sacrifices to wear maroon and gold. But at the end of the day, the environment Murphy created allowed the players to grow as brothers as well as athletes. “He never forgot to remember that we are high school kids,” Perri said. While Murphy recently stepped down as head coach, he stepped up into his new position as Athletic Director. In this role, he will be able to impact a more expansive range of students. Two factors influenced his decision: time and commitment. “There are only so many hours in the day,” Murphy noted.
“We need a new life and new direction that he certainly brings.” COACH MICHAEL MURPHY
Coach Brian Martin occupies the high ground, EA Day 2018
COMMUNICATIONS
He makes a great effort to be as committed as possible to every challenge he takes on. “With my new role, I feel like I was not able to do it the way I’ve done it for fifteen years. If I can’t give our team my full com-
mitment, that, to me, is unacceptable.” Coach Murphy, after all this time, would never leave the program if he wasn’t confident in the team’s future. Coach Martin, former defensive coordinator and associate head coach, will assume head coaching duties. “I’m excited that his philosophy and belief in the program will be similar to mine. But at the same time, we need a new life and new direction that he certainly brings,” Murphy said. Mr. Martin is on the same page. “Being with Murph for so many years, we built that culture together, and I look forward to continuing that,” Mr. Martin said.
Martin will bring a new flavor and atmosphere to complement Murphy’s groundwork. Mr. Martin will bring a new flavor and atmosphere to complement Murphy’s groundwork. “I am stable, competitive, and accountable,” Mr. Martin said. But equally important, I bring the energy, and I’m very excited.” The players are equally excited for this new era of Haverford football. Fifth Form leader Chris Sims said, “I have faith that Coach Martin will do the best thing for this program.” Colby Kim agreed: “Coach Martin has always been a very vocal leader. The coaching transition will be smooth.” Fellow Fifth Former Geordy Holmes added, “Coach Martin deserves the job. Anyone who knows him knows how much he cares about our football team.” So there you have it. Nobody is happy that Coach Murphy is stepping down. But at the same time, the community will embrace Coach Martin and remains confident in his ability to continue old, winning traditions with a new flare. Dante Perri is certain of one thing under Martin’s control. “This program will continue trending upward.”
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Brian Brennan ’20 in the IM during a 90–96 loss to EA, December 10, 2019
February 2020
MR. JIM ROESE
At season’s close, swimmers prep for Easterns Jake Larocca ’22
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s the 2019–2020 season nears its end, the swimming and diving team reflects on its improvement since the beginning of the season in November. After starting with a loss to Episcopal Academy, the team won three meets in a row, finishing with a 3–1 Inter-Ac record. Sixth Former Jack Deppen attributed this success not only to the team’s stars, but also to the improvement of the team’s “depth
guys.” “The swim time has grown a lot throughout the year. I think after losing the first meet to EA by only six points, we all walked out with a chip on our shoulders,” Deppen said. “Everyone knew the guys like [Sixth Former Brian Brennan] and [Sixth Former Antonio Octaviano] would be great this year, but it’s the depth guys that have really progressed a lot,” Deppen said. “To most of them, swimming isn’t the most important
thing. Whether they are just swimming to stay in shape for [water] polo, or they are just doing it to be with the guys on the team, they come in and work super hard every day. They are all seeing the results. They have all seen themselves get faster throughout the year, and it’s all thanks to their hard work and dedication. Without their hard work, we wouldn’t be half the team we are this year.” Fords swimming has been one of the best teams on campus in the past couple of
years. The team was the Inter-Ac champion in 2016–2017 and 2017–2018, as well as Eastern Prep champions in 2018. Despite coming up short in the InterAc, swimmers say that this year has been different. Octaviano was challenged to bring the team closer. “There is a noticeable difference from my sophomore year and my senior year, this year. Though the 2018 team had so much talent, I can strongly say that this year’s team has been closer than it’s ever been compared to the teams my past three years. It was one of my goals as captain to keep the environment positive and camaraderie within the team as strong as possible,” Octaviano said. Although the Inter-Ac season is over, the team is far from done. Every year, select swimmers travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to compete at the Eastern Prep Championships at Franklin and Marshall College. Because Easterns is the biggest meet of the year, the team spends the whole year training for the meet, and the last two weeks are spent resting. The team goes in looking to place somewhere in the top three, ideally finishing first. Despite the pressure that comes with Easterns, held February 14-15, the team is confident and excited to see how they can finish the season. Sixth Form Captain Bobby Blewett can see that they are ready to compete. “Throughout this season, I have seen a tremendous amount of effort that our team has lacked in years past,” Blewett said. “We have spent the past couple of months grinding in order to do well at the meet. I am confident that each and every one of us will be happy with our swims at Easterns.”
Winter track stars Hawkins, Thomas eye more records at States Mitav Nayak ’22
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ords winter track prepares for the final lap of the season. Top track stars are setting the bar high as they move into a challenging February stretch and ultimately into State Championships on March 1. Sixth Former Daiyaan Hawkins, one of the team’s top sprinters, eyes the very top of the competition this year. “I clearly want to win [States],” Hawkins said. “I want to better my time from last year, and I want to make it to the top of the PA ranking list again.” Hawkins’s goals are ambitious, but his hard work and determination have put him in a position to reach them come March. Varsity Track Coach Luqman Kolade believes this year’s team has the potential to win multiple events at the tournament. “Daiyaan could win two events, depending on how healthy he is,” Coach Kolade said. “K.J. [Thomas] is a sophomore, and he’s got the potential to win the hurdles and the state, which would be great. We could win the 4x200 relay, depending on how healthy everyone is. I don’t think the school has ever had a state winner, so that would just be awesome.” For Hawkins, with fall comes football, and with winter comes track. This transition is not always easy. “Football is a lot of strength, and you’re not just moving straight like in track,” Hawkins said. “The main challenge is training your body to just run off of pure speed without having to stop at sudden moments. Another challenge is endurance: for the 200, it’s way more than running for like five seconds on
the football field before getting tackled.” Nevertheless, Hawkins believes he has gradually gotten into shape this year and is ready to display his ability in upcoming events. “Top track mode normally comes in around this time—like about two months [from the beginning of the season]. In the first few meets, you’re getting your body ready for competition,” Hawkins said. “Then you adjust to the big competition meets. Then you’ve gotta just go with the flow and practice hard.” Within demanding practices, Hawkins and other Sixth Form leaders have promoted positivity to the team, allowing them to work hard in a setting of mutual support and camaraderie. Fourth Former Kevin Thomas said, “We have a good relationship with each other. [The leaders] have been doing a good job with bringing us all together and making sure nobody is left out.”
“We have a pretty solid group.” COACH LUQMAN KOLADE Similar to Hawkins, Thomas has set his goals high for the State Championship. Coming off an impressive Third Form year, he is ready to take another step forward. “I’m looking forward to the State meet, because we have a good chance of winning
Curtis Weh ’21 in the long jump event the 4x200, and I could win the hurdles,” Thomas said. Winter track is a team on the rise. Although the overall number of team members has dipped this season, the team’s remaining athletes continue to develop. With young talent and good coaching, they seem to improve each season. “We have a pretty solid group,” Coach
MR. JIM ROESE
Kolade said. “We do have fewer guys than last, which has been sort of helpful in a lot of ways—because we can now spend a little more time focusing on the core group. But essentially, we have just returned a lot of good kids from last season. The core of our team—that did really well last year—is back.”
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February 2020
Squash preps for national championships Aditya Sardesai ’20
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he boys’ Varsity A squash team is off to an electric start dropping just three total matches in their first five conquests. Currently 5-0, the team looks to continue in form through the rest of the season. The Sixth Form Captains Christian Shah, Graham Joyce, Carter Joyce, and Yeshwin Sankuratri and Coach Mr. Samuel Walters look eagerly towards adding another national championship under their belt. The most notable victory thus far came as about forty boisterous boys descended upon the squash court bleachers earlier in January to watch the team face off against Episcopal Academy. In a match destined to have Inter-Ac and mid-Atlantic championship implications, the contest lived up to the hype. In front of a large home crowd, the team put on a show. “It’s just a different type of feeling knowing that your boys got your back,” Sankuratri said. “I don’t think we have ever had that type of crowd for one of our matches at Haverford before.” The support helped the Fords take EA by storm with a comfortable 7-2 win. Although Haverford narrowly fell short at the second and third spot, they swept fourth through ninth, showing their depth in the win. The win secured another Inter-Ac Championship for the Varsity A team. Now the Fords look towards the Na-
MR. JIM ROESE
Yeshwin Sankuratri ’20 in an 8–1 win over SCHA, January 9, 2020
tional Championships at the end of February and hope to reclaim the title for the first time since 2017. “We’re all focused and want to do something special,” Sankuratri said. One thing is certain—the team’s depth will be critical in securing another national championship title. The young roster star
players like Second Former Andrew Glaser, playing up on the high school squad, and Fourth Former Grady Herbert, playing at fourth and fifth respectively. Adding on to Haverford’s impressive squash season thus far, the middle school Varsity A team recently became back-toback middle school national champions. A
young team with good players soon to join the upper school means the Fords should remain dominant for years to come. Nonetheless, the Fords are focused on the task ahead: the 2020 National Championships. “We are next,” Sankuratri said. “Believe me.”
ple next to me, an older couple, sit on their phones, taking a rest like me. Then, carrying some white and brown drink from the coffee shop in the court, their son arrives, phone in hand, headphones around his neck, with a plain appearance. The father, a guy who looks like he owns a gun, lets out a bear-like grunt. “There you are,” says the mother, “where have you been?” “I was just walking around, Mom. Relax.” The kid has a buzzcut and an overall dopey face. “Your mother was so worried.” “I’m tired. Can we just sit for a little bit?” But the parents get up, commencing a long walk back to the car followed by an even longer ride home filled with scolding and awkward silence. I sit there for another twenty minutes or so. I think three people come and go from the couch. Eventually, the man with the sketchpad leaves, too. He’s gone through three more sheets of paper since I sat down. By this time of day, most of the people walk with heavy feet and tired eyes, though a few still have some life left in them, mostly the kids. The store directly across from me has a funny sign about the Astros stealing their sign. There’s a small group gathered around the CBD kiosk down the hall. When the mother with her baby and toddler sitting next to me are rejoined by Dad and leave,
I rise from my steeple of awareness, stretch, and head back to the car.
A run to the mall, continued from page 13 funnel me into your system! It does smell pretty good, though. And for 4:30 in the afternoon, the line stretches out surprisingly far. Far enough that getting through without stopping is a challenge. It was all part of their master plan, I know it. It’s kind of funny that the Mall, a place for spending and leisure, can wear people out. You’re just walking around and looking at clothes and things, and yet everyone sitting on a couch or in a chair at the shiny new food court looks gassed. I guess it’s like how traveling somehow makes people tired. Sitting on a plane or in a car, walking from station to station, sitting again, and by the end of it all, exhaustion. I guess the Mall is about as big as an airport, and it certainly could play the role of an international terminal. In the food court, while surrounded by a burger joint, salad bar, and pizzeria, I hear Spanish, an Indian dialect, Mandarin, something from Eastern Europe. At my high table in the middle of it all, like a hawk on top of a steeple, I look out over the grand atrium stalking for noteworthy prey. At my table, there is another hawk. A dark blue sweatshirt and jeans. He looks down at his phone now and then, but other than that, there is nothing in front of him. All that distinguishes him are his periodic exhales, which he forces through the trilling of his lips. We briefly make eye contact, and I think we have a mutual understanding of each other’s goals for our trips to the mall. We say nothing. There’s a middle-aged man with all kinds of devices out: a big book, a notepad, phone, iPad with keyboard. He makes many annotations while I watch, and periodically he looks around, as though to see if anyone is annotating him. The woman to my immediate left is eating a salad. She’s dressed in all black business wear and drinks a glass of lemonade. She never looks up. Once finished, she downs her drink and makes sure to push her chair in. She disappears into the crowd. I look to check back in with my man in the blue but he is gone, too. The couple next on my right is in an unsettled state. They cannot agree on something, I know not what, and hoping to dodge
anything that might come flying from their vicinity, I remove myself from the table and head towards one of the communal couches. I notice a man in a burgundy beanie drawing with a thick, wooden pen in a sketchbook. How nice. He’s drawing the scene in front of him, all the difficult angles of the modern mall aesthetic. I’ve seen people do this at an airport, but they are waiting and have nothing else to do. This man has sought out his craft—this is his activity for the afternoon. I sit on a couch with my back to the artist. A column of greenery divides us. Peering through the shrubbery—don’t forget, I’m still in the Mall, not the rainforest—I get a better glance at his pad. He’s not drawing the hallway and the stores. He’s drawing people. Just quick sketches from the waist up, not spending more than a couple of minutes on each, I imagine, for his page is full of figures, and it looks like he’s already gone through multiple sheets. Some have faces, some don’t; Some glasses or a striped shirt. Each of his people has only a few distinguishable characteristics. Just the ones you notice in passing. No one notices the man. This is a comfortable couch. Like the pathway to Burgertown, I imagine it is supposed to lull the sitter into a restful, meditative state, one that allows the person to gather their thoughts, reset their priorities, and get back out there and shop. I have no such inclinations. Instead, I notice the peo-
A busy Saturday at the mall
VINCENT SCAUZZO ’20
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resh air. It’s cool, crisp, and still damp. The lights are on for the Nordstrom sign now, giving each big capital letter a halo. I’ll be able to see it from Mulholland Drive. The windy sounds of the highways around the Mall are refreshing coming from the din in the stores. In my car, though, there is silence. Why would anyone think the mall is fun? Everything’s expensive, parking’s a pain, it’s a long walk to anywhere. But of course, we locals are not anyone. There’s a reason that the inside of the Mall doesn’t feel like Merion or Bryn Mawr or South Philly: it’s full of visitors, spectators, amazed at the show we Philadelphians, we Americans, put on. The locals don’t like it because we see it every day. For these others, whether they’re coming from 50 miles or 5,000 miles, it might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s the largest mall in the country—there’s literally nothing else like it. Like everything in life, to enjoy the Mall, one must experience it in moderation. Too much time there and the Gucci becomes the GAP. Here, celebrities sometimes make an appearance, and every big-name in fashion has a store. Now and then, buying something is fun. Nice things are nice, after all. And we, the locals, the Chancellors of retail Mecca, we get our own benefits, for unlike Hajj, which is one week a year, the Mall is always there. Just like going down the shore or up to the mountains, a local makes a run to the Mall. For us, it is not the fancy stores or size that appeals to us. It is something more intimate. It’s seeing one person you do know in a sea of people you don’t. It’s blending in while knowing you’re in your backyard. It’s the endless opportunity to look at someone and think: who are you? The real reason the Mall draws us here is each other. This piece was inspired by David Foster Wallace’s article in Harper’s Magazine, “A Ticket to the Fair.”
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February 2020
Fords remember Mamba Michael Tallarida ’21
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or decades, the sports world has admired Kobe Bryant’s legacy on and off the basketball court. His accomplishments go beyond the realm of basketball, and his impact on the community was felt by many. Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter accident in Calabasas, California, on January 26. Eight others passed in the tragic crash, including his thirteen-year-old daughter Gianna. Kobe and the other passengers were on their way to basketball practice at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California. Word first broke after TMZ posted the shocking news on their various social media platforms. Almost instantly, the world began to mourn the loss of this beloved figure. Lakers’ Superstar LeBron James, who played with Bryant on USA’s Olympic team, posted a heartfelt message on his Instagram honoring his idol. “Man [I’m] sitting here trying to write
MAIN LINE TIMES
Members of The Main Line Times’ 1994 boys’ All-Main-Line basketball team, featuring Kobe Bryant and Dean of Students Mr. Mark Fifer
something for this post but every time I try I begin crying again just thinking about you, niece Gigi and the friendship/bond/brotherhood we had! I literally just heard your voice Sunday morning before I left Philly to head back to LA..” The night before this death, James had just passed Bryant on the all-time scoring list, moving James to third all-time and surpassing Kobe’s mark of 33,643 career points. At Haverford, Kobe Bryant has been a frequent topic of discussion since his passing. Many have had different reactions, but one word has been common ground in each conversation: Mamba. “Kobe Bryant changed the world of basketball in the Philadelphia area,” Fourth Former Aidan Welsh said. “He impacted so many local players and inspired the youth to live by his ‘Mamba mentality.’” Many other national figures took to the media to proclaim their sadness over his death and discuss the impact he made on their lives. Sporting events across the nation honored Bryant with a moment of silence. The first to do such was the NFL Pro Bowl, with the news breaking just before the game’s start time. Players such as Packers’ Linebacker Za’Darius Smith celebrated in honor of Bryant, even gathering with teammates to do a recreation of his famous fadeaway jump shot. While many have highlighted his accomplishments, many have not forgotten Bryant’s questionable past. Rape allegations filed against Bryant in 2003 have regained recent attention. A nineteen-year-old accused Bryant of sexual assault in a hotel room in Eagle, Colorado. The case was dismissed after the victim refused to testify, but Bryant still apologized to the woman and her family. The fourteen-month prosecution left a dent on Bryant’s legacy. To this day, his alleged actions in that Colorado hotel room will always tarnish Bryant’s reputation. Fifth Former Trent Davis said, “We all have our issues, including Bryant himself, but it’s important to celebrate his achieve-
KEITH ALLISON VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Kobe Bryant mid-dribble in a game against the Wizards on February 3, 2007 ments in life, yet always be mindful of his past.” Bryant continued life married to his wife Vanessa, and found new interests in cinema, winning an Oscar for his short film, Dear Basketball. Most notably, Bryant has continuously been regarded by his peers as an amazing, dedicated father.
Bryant often received questions during interviews about the possibility of having a boy. Bryant responded by saying, “I’m a girl dad.” Kobe Bean Bryant shone in all aspects of his basketball and post-basketball life, and for this, he will go down as one of the most influential sports icons to ever step on a basketball court.
Wrestling pins down weaknesses, continue strong season Daniel Chow ’20
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ords wrestling faced a challenging season last year, chalking up only a single win. This year, the Sixth Formers promised change. In response, the team has been hitting practice with more fervor than ever and, as a result, are climbing their way back to the top. “I think this season has been much more successful than last season on many fronts,” said Sixth Form Captain Kwaku Adubofour. Historically, the team has found it difficult to recruit a full roster. “We have a much larger team filled with more experienced guys,” Adubofour said. With a full lineup, the team has begun to unlock its full potential. Sixth Former Sam Reisbord credits their newfound success to “the addition of underclassmen and some major returns from experienced guys.” “We’ve recruited some excellent younger guys in Billy Brosko, Jay McDonnell, and Jac Campbell. We have an amazing core,” Reisbord said. “We didn’t have that last year.” Beyond a stronger roster, the team’s dynamic culture switch has proven pivotal in their overall improvement. “We push each other. As a senior, I feel like I can get on the younger guys without it coming across as pointing fingers,” Reisbord said. Although the team has made signifi-
cant improvements, the leaders insist there is room for more. Specifically, they look to clean up some of their “unnecessary losses” due to injuries and forfeits and emphasize consistency. “Although every day of practice isn’t perfect, I feel like everyone a part of the program is striving for that,” Adubofour said. Behind the strong senior leadership is the
anchor of the team, Coach Jesse Sataloff. “I’m proud of the boys, their work ethic, and their commitment to their teammates,” Coach Sataloff said. “It’s been fun to watch the guys evolve and take on tough competition. I believe we’re destined for good things, and this is the group that kicked it off.” The team has the talent and the work ethic—all that is needed is time.
Ben Trucksess ’21 working on a pin against EA, January 16, 2020
“We have a legitimately good team this year and we’ve won some huge matches — but the best thing of all is that the team is only in position to clean up those weird losses,” Reisbord said. “We can get a lineup like 2016. We can get a lineup like ’04, or the 600 team, or the John Middleton teams. Coach Sataloff is really building us towards that.”
MR. JAMES MCDONNELL
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February 2020
arts
Visitors come to see the new Star Wars land Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland
LAIKA AC VIA WIKIMEDIA
Sequel trilogy gives Star Wars a new hope Yan Graf ’20
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fter years of anticipation, the final piece of Disney’s masterplan for the Star Wars franchise has been released. The Rise Of Skywalker confronted the difficult task of plugging plot holes, tying up loose ends, and providing a satisfying ending to this scatterbrained sequel trilogy. And all the while, it sought to remain
truthful to Star Wars while keeping viewers glued to the edge of their seats. Despite these monumental challenges, J. J. Abrams shocked Star Wars fans with a shockingly decent movie. Don’t get me wrong: The Rise of Skywalker is far from the best Star Wars movie. In fact, I wouldn’t even call it one of the better ones.
But compared to the absolute train wreck of the sequels up and till now, the movie gives J. J. Abrams some kind of redemption. The movie’s greatest strength is undoubtedly its ability to overcome the shallow use of Death Stars as plot devices. Viewers have criticized the repetitiveness of the sequels’ story arcs, which seem like copy-
and-pastes from the originals. Yet, this time around, Abrams offers up a new idea in the form of a giant fleet of star destroyers, which allow the heroes to do something other than blow up yet another boring space station. The re-introduction of Palpatine also strengthens the story of the sequels, providing a possible explanation as to who Snoke was and who was behind the First Order. And, most satisfyingly, Johnson was able to tie Rey into the story in a meaningful way. Overall, however, The Rise of Skywalker felt like a patchwork of the previous two movies rather than a standalone piece. Abrams had to perform so much damage control in the wake of the previous two films that he had little room for originality. From a critical point of view, Disney’s sequel trilogy was an unmitigated disaster. The massive plot holes, repetitive story arcs and waste of inherited talent make the prequels look like Oscar-material. Yet, there is little question that they were a massive commercial success. Disney has sold merchandise, franchising rights and movie tickets like nothing else, spawning a whole new generation of Star Wars-obsessed kids. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters. The sequel trilogy has ensured that Star Wars will at least have the financial security to continue to pump out new video games, television shows, and more. Disney has seen the massive amounts of money that Star Wars can make, and if The Mandalorian and EA’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order are any evidence, The Rise of Skywalker will not be the last we hear from the galaxy far, far away. While the Star Wars sequel trilogy movies were absolute cinematic flops, they have secured Disney’s good will. As long as the future content Disney pumps out isn’t as bad as the sequels, that is good news for Star Wars fans everywhere.
Sam Slane’s independent study on piano theory James Wang ’21
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tudents are allowed to take six courses with one block assigned for free or Third Form study hall. Most students have been confined to six classes, which guarantees students a certain amount of free time and time to catch up to their busy schedules. Fifth Former Sam Slane has managed to fit in a seventh class, an independent study—an option little known to many students.
“You have to put a lot of work in at home. That’s the point of independent studies.” SAM SLANE ’21 “I had already taken a software programming independent study in my sophomore year,” Slane said, “and I wanted to do a sci-
Sam Slane ’21 at the piano ence independent study this year. I looked at the advanced science classes, and most of the stuff I wanted to learn was already being covered. I ended up doing piano instead.” Slane has been learning piano theory for thirteen years. An independent study requires the approval of your advisor, college counselor, the upper school head, and the teacher teaching the course. The student submits an idea or
JACK BALLENGER ’20
aim for the course, the objective is to be out of the scope of Haverford’s standard courses. Slane hoped to “learn more in depth about the musical pieces…and improve my all-around piano skills.” Slane’s study goes into depth with each piece he examines; the composer’s motive for the piece, reasons for certain artistic choices, and in-depth analysis of the chords. Slane not only studies pieces, he also
hones specific skills such as sight reading, hand and wrist technique, and various other piano skills. Slane attends his piano independent study during D-Block and studies with Conservatory teacher Ms. Anna Kopansky. “You have to put a lot of work in at home,” Slane said. “That’s the point of independent studies.”
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February 2020
Oscars Best Picture predictions Matthew Schwartz ’21 The red carpet at the 81st Academy Awards Ceremony on February 22, 2009 he 92nd Academy Awards will cap the shortest Oscar season in history. Merely seven days after the winners on Super Bowl Sunday walk away with the Lombardi Trophy, the Academy for Motion Pictures will bestow a different golden prize on the year’s Best Picture. Once again without a host, but with with multiple history-making films up for awards, the Oscars promise to be an entertaining spectacle. For more riveting reviews, be sure to follow @mainlinemoviereviews on Instagram.
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MINIMAL SPOILERS AHEAD ——
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
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he earliest theatrical release of this year’s nominations, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood had a lot of time to soak up public opinion, and the overall consensus has been markedly positive. Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film—and, if the rumors are true, his second to last— combines nearly every Tarantino trope. Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio co-star as a faded television actor and his stunt double during the rise of New Hollywood in 1969 Los Angeles. Their stories coincide with Sharon Tate’s, a famous actress who, in the 1960s, married the now-disgraced director Roman Polanski. Tate was murdered by members of the Manson Family in 1969. While the major outlines of Tate’s story are portrayed realistically in the film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ends with a trademark Tarantino twist.
The film’s almost three-hour run time allows Tarantino to fully develop both main characters. The film’s almost three-hour run time allows Tarantino to fully develop both main characters, the minor actor Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his stunt-double sidekick Cliff Booth (Pitt). Tarantino documents their shared history through flashbacks to their past adventures, establishing their profound and complex friendship. One of the key aspects of this film is the way it takes Hollywood back to the 1960s. Tarantino and his crew meticulously recreated an old-fashioned Hollywood Boulevard—the setting is as much a character as Dalton and Booth themselves—which is likely what secured the film’s Oscar nomination. Tied with 1917 and The Irishman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is nominated in
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ten categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. The film received much hype following its release, but in the end, some recent award success from other films coupled with dwindling excitement for a film seven months old has left it on the outside track towards the night’s top prize. Tarantino has never won for Best Picture or Best Director, and unfortunately, 2020 does not seem to be his year. ——
Jojo Rabbit
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lthough a movie based around a boy in the Hitler Youth seems like an unlikely hit, Jojo Rabbit perfectly encapsulates the power of humor in dealing with grave historical events. Director Taika Waititi, who found recent box office success in Thor: Ragnarok, was able
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to convert his good fortune into riskier films like Jojo Rabbit. In the movie, Jojo, played adorably by young actor Roman Griffin Davis, is a bit of an outsider amongst his peers, finding comfort in his imaginary friend Hitler, played by Waititi himself. With the introduction of Elsa, a young Jewish girl whom Jojo’s mother has hidden in their attic, the movie shifts from one of casual laughs into a tale of childhood innocence and and what happens when children are forced to grow up too soon. The numerous supporting actors and actresses in Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, and Thomasin McKenzie give impressive and convincing performances.
Jojo Rabbit also benefits from immersive production design and an even better script. Like many of the films nominated for Best Picture, Jojo Rabbit also benefits from immersive production design and an even better script. Waititi takes much of what has worked in his past films and adds onto them for this one. He is able to mix comedy, emotion, and drama into one, shaping the world as he sees fit. Bringing in six Oscar nominations, ranging from Best Picture to Best Costume Design, Jojo Rabbit might seem to have a good chance of winning an award but faces stiff competition in many of their categories. Like last year’s Best Picture winner Green Book, Jojo Rabbit also won the Audience Award at the Toronto Film Festival, however their most probable win this year would come in Best Adapted Screenplay, where they are close behind another Best Picture nominee, Little Women. ——
Little Women
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eleasing her first film since the critically acclaimed Lady Bird, director Greta Gerwig has struck gold with Little Women, a film filled with wit, charm, and cleverness. Based on the 1868 book of the same name written by Louisa May Alcott, the story revolves around the life of four sisters: Meg (Emma Watson), Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Beth (Eliza Scanlen) and Amy (Florence Pugh). Over time they each grow up and have to deal with the real world, even if it does not quite fit the dream they had in mind. The camaraderie between each sister brings an increased level of joy and realism to each scene. All of the acting is exceptional and elevates the already skillfully crafted script to the next level.
The story does a wonderful job to highlight each of the character’s lives and give insight into their feelings and emotions. Gerwig also successfully translates a book from the 1860s into modern context, giving each part her own engaging spin, a sharp contrast to a Victorian-era novel. Where this movie struggles is in the editing room as a non-linear timeline, switching back and forth over a seven-year period, hindering the movie’s ability to tell a complete story. These time jumps are usually indicated by a shift in tone and color, but in specific moments these changes are not presented apparent enough and take the viewer out of the film. There are also various continuity errors, but in general, they take little away from the film’s overall immersive experience featuring both beautiful costumes and set pieces.
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Although much was made over Gerwig’s lack of a directing nomination, Little Women has six Oscar nominations in categories such as Best Acting (Ronan for leading and Pugh for supporting), Best Costume Design, Best Score and Adapted Screenplay, where it appears to be the favorite. ——
Ford v Ferrari
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ubbed ‘The Dad Movie of the Year,’ Ford v Ferrari is an enjoyable film that knows exactly what it is and never strays too far from its title. Headlining actors such as Matt Damon and Christian Bale is usually enough. But throw in a patriotic, exciting, and suspenseful plot all based on a true story, and you have a recipe for success. The movie tells the story of American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles as they seek to build a race car for Ford capable of beating Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an annual race
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of Teamsters for over a decade. One of the film’s most innovative parts is new de-aging technology used in order to make older actors such as De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci, look decades younger to fit their part. While this technique was not drawn on constantly, it was a neat twist that will certainly act as a launching point for similar stories in the future. A constantly shifting narrative timeline, however, makes for some confusion on where in the story certain scenes take place and hurt the overall flow of the plot. For its length, The Irishman lacked much of the character development common to a Scorsese film, relying more heavily on familiar actors playing familiar roles.
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held in France. Along the way, Shelby and Miles encounter a range of obstacles, from physics, corporate America, and each other, all culminating in a satisfying conclusion that ties the movie together and settles each character’s story arc. From a critic’s view, Bale’s performance is highly underrated and shows the actor’s ability to commit to a role. The race scenes in the movie are fast-paced and feature clever camera angles that bring the viewer right into the driver’s seat. The editing throughout these races is part of why the film deserves its nomination for Best Film Editing and especially Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing. This film deserves to be watched in a theater where the running of the angle can fill the room. With only four nominations to its name, Ford v Ferrari ranks last in total nominations of the nine films in contention for Best Picture and similarly, their odds of winning fall around the same spot. Their best chance at an Oscar lays in the sound categories, but it would need to upset 1917 to take either of those. ——
The Irishman
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asily the longest of the nine Best Picture nominations, The Irishman clocks in at 3 hours and 29 minutes and makes viewers everywhere glad they can watch it in multiple sittings on Netflix. The all-star cast of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci along with director Martin Scorsese give the film a strong backbone as it tries to re-establish love for classic 90s mob movies in the 21st century. Based on the non-fiction book, I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, the movie follows the story of a truck driver Frank Sheeran, played by De Niro, in the mid-1950s as he begins working for the mob, and more specifically, Jimmy Hoffa, played by Pacino, the President of the International Brotherhood
One of the film’s most innovative parts is new de-aging technology.
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through a biased lens, there does seem to be a careful effort to present all the details and gives each member of the marriage their moment as the hero or heroine. This effort was cleverly introduced during the movie’s original trailers, which were split into two, one narrated by Charlie and the other by Nicole. Baumbach, who is currently dating fellow director Greta Gerwig, ties his partner with six nominations of his own. Three of them go towards the acting category where both Driver and Johansson pick up their second career nominations and Dern, who will most likely give the film its only award of the night, gets her third career nomination. The film is also up for Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Score. ——
Parasite
The performances delivered do live up to their namesake, earning the film two supporting actor nominations to round out a total of 10 for the night. Early buzz pushed The Irishman to the forefront of Best Picture nominations, but recently the buzz has died down, leaving a chance that The Irishman, with its 10 nominations, may walk away shut-out. ——
Marriage Story
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ne of two Netflix films to be nominated for Best Picture, Marriage Story is about a tense and emotional divorce between Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) as they battle for custody of their child and the location of their home. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, who used some of his own divorce experience to influence the story, both characters feel real and grounded as they go back and forth at each other, delivering some of the best-acted scenes this year. As the story progresses, the tone shifts back and forth, presenting the divorce through everyone involved, including the couple’s son, Henry. Specifically, lawyers’ meetings and courtroom scenes from Laura Dern and Ray Liotta, and Alan Alda are surprisingly captivating as the viewer is taken into this personal time in the character’s lives and exposed to the ups and downs that come with it.
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fter surprising everyone by winning the top award at the Cannes Film Festival in May, nobody is surprised now as Parasite continues to heap well-deserved praise during awards season. Described by director Bong Joon Ho as a movie better seen without knowing much about it, Parasite is anything but predictable. It is able to successfully fool everybody who watches it, leading them into a false sense of comfort, until the rug is ripped from underneath and the true intentions of the film are revealed. Creating a film that features both comedic and tense tones and switches between them smoothly is hard to achieve, but Bong was up to the task.
as the first South Korean film ever nominated for Best International Feature Film and Best Picture, Parasite already has lots to be proud of, but still has its eyes on the prize. ——
Joker
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year after Black Panther marked the first comic book to ever receive a Best Picture nomination, Joker comes in as a film that went from divisive debut to leading the field in total nominations. While Joker fans and the film’s director Todd Phillips argue that Joker provides a deep insight into class inequality and revolting against the establishment, the film is left feeling uninspired and slightly predictable. Specifically, it relies heavily upon tropes from movie classics such as Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, hurting its originality and giving a good indication of its plot for anyone who watched either film. Overall, the film tries too much with its story but fails to break beyond the surface and leaves the viewer wanting more.
Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Arthur Fleck, the Joker himself, is transformative. In other parts beyond the plot, Joker is an impressive piece of cinema. The eerie score by Hildur Guðnadóttir will make any audience member’s hair stand up and provides the perfect amount of tension to go along with the film’s impeccable acting. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Arthur Fleck, the Joker himself, is transformative both physically and mentally as he completely encompasses every aspect of his character from his laugh to his walk. Phillips’ unique take on the character and comic book movies as a whole is hopefully one emulated in the future and leads to films that delve deeper into the characters themselves rather than their abilities or villains/ heroes they fight.
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It’s paced brilliantly, using cuts that add meaning to each shot. Even through the language barrier, as the film is largely in Korean, Bong and cinematographer KyungPyo Hong are able to visualize so many of the character’s emotions that the dialogue is almost irrelevant. In the case of the acting, the movie continues to thrill, with standout performances by each member of the cast.
The production design in the film is outstanding. WARNER BROS. PICTURES
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Baumbach methodically contrasts warm and cold color palettes based on the mood of the scene, bolstering every emotion. Along with the visuals, the terrific score by renowned composer Randy Newman drives home the extensive spectrum of emotions, from sorrow and passion to sympathy and remorse. Although the movie might seem presented
The production design in the film is outstanding, as the house where most of the films are spent looks stunning and works well in conjunction with the modern angles and shot selection. The calm, peaceful, and naturistic house in which the family works is sharply contrasted to the crowded, polluted and dirty city where the family lives, highlighting class differences. Film Editing, Production Design, Directing, Original Screen, and more, make up the film’s six Oscar nominations. A win at the SAG awards in mid-January has catapulted it to the top of the rankings where it currently sits, just a hair below 1917. Making history
A total of 11 nominations were announced for Joker, more than any other film this year. After winning nearly every relevant award so far, Phoenix is as close to a lock as they come to win the Best Actor award. It is not likely that Joker will win Best Picture, but wilder things have happened and the Academy has been much more supportive of this film than many would have predicted, even nominating Phillips for Best Director over the likes of Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, and more. con’t on p. 28
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1917
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ith the latest theatrical release of this year’s nominations, 1917 has made up immense ground in the awards discussion in the few short weeks it has been available to the public. Based on stories told to director Sam Mendes by his grandfather, 1917 follows the story of two British soldiers during World War I as they endure a tireless journey to call off a group of 1,600 British troops walking directly into a trap. Along their journey, they encounter various challenges and fellow troops, both friend and foe. The emphasis of the film is clearly on the action and outcome of the story as opposed to any development of the character’s backstories or relationships above the basics. With that, the two main actors, Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay, do their best to deliver compelling performances that relay the treacherous journey they are on. The film’s mainstay is its appearance of being filmed in one continuous shot, never cutting away and never stopping. To pull off such a feat took tremendous work by the cast and crew as they timed each scene and built their sets accordingly. While some may find the ‘one take’ aspect to be a gimmick rather than a tool, 1917 uses the technique to perfection. By not allowing sudden changes of the camera’s position, which would give a picture of the entire area surrounding the characters, Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins create an immense feeling of discomfort and tension as the audience is as captive in this journey as the soldiers themselves are, feeling the unease of every situation. Startling wins at the Golden Globes and the Directors Guild of America have placed
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1917 firmly in the driver’s seat on the inside track to a Best Picture win. Along with a nearly guaranteed win for Best Cinematography, Mendes himself may win Best Director. Additional wins in the sound categories could bring 1917’s total haul for the Oscars to five awards, far and away the most of any of the movies nominated.
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ith a Best Picture race that has had more back and forth than any year in recent history, there is always a chance for an upset. As we’ve seen in years prior, anything is possible making for a suspenseful and dramatic night. Don’t forget to tune in on February 9 at 8:00 pm EST on ABC, hosted, once again, by nobody.
February 2020