the index The student voice since 1888
The Haverford School · Haverford, PA 19041 · February 2021 · Volume 88, No. 5 · thsindex.org
Chris Sims ’21, left, in a 79-73 win over Malvern on February 3; Ryan Ngo ’21 in The Three Musketeers, November 2019
DR. MIKE NANCE; COMMUNICATIONS; DIGITAL ART BY JEFFREY YANG ’22
The arts grapple for a role in the pandemic era
Gabe Gowen ’21
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n the north side of campus, sneakers screech in the gymnasium as the basketball team gears up for the season. Yet, on the south side, the only things screeching in Centennial Hall are the cobwebs that have slowly taken over in the absence of a live theater program. In an attempt to avoid transmission of COVID-19, the school has canceled the
long-held tradition of the annual spring musical, while the athletics (that is, most of them) press on, and try to create some semblance of a regular season. Head of School Dr. John Nagl said, “The research on COVID transmission says that singing is about the worst thing you can do. Singing and Ice Hockey.” Dr. Nagl also said that he was “absolutely terrified of the new variants, really afraid we are going to
lose the chance to have in-person school.” It seems that, to the administration, the musical is just not worth the risk. However, our Head of School is not the only one wary of a theater production in the pandemic era. Performing Arts Department Chair Mr. Darren Hengst said that the decision not to have a spring musical “is a decision from the Performing Arts Department. We were also told by the COVID Task Force
that we can’t, but it is also a decision the Performing Arts Department is completely behind.” “I know it’s not safe for me, I know it’s not safe for the students, and I know it’s not safe for our teachers to do anything inside,” Mr. Hengst said. cont. on page 5
NDC expands Diversity Alliance influence Agustin Aliaga ’21
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his year, the Upper School Diversity Alliance (DA) has been making a bigger impact than ever before. Now the DA is expanding its influence and projects across the country with its recent founding of the National Diversity Coalition (NDC), a group of 70 student ambassadors across 18 states, working to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the communities of member schools. The Diversity Alliance Executive Team founded the group in hopes of teaching fellow ambassadors how to promote diversity more effectively in their communities. “We felt it was important to connect with other schools across the country because
The new normal, p. 6
NACHIKETHAN SRINIVASAN ‘21
throughout this year, we have been working a lot internally to improve our own community,” Fourth Former Vice Chair Roch Parayre said. “We wanted to try to improve communities around the country by offering a space for student leaders to connect, learn from each other, bring back ideas to their own institutions, and have a safe space to express their feelings about DEI issues.” Fifth Form Co-Chair Quinn Luong said, “I know so many people from the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) who have reached out and told me cont. on page 4
Savona Review, p. 11
NACHIKETHAN SRINIVASAN ‘21
NDC Executive Team, Roch Parayre ’23, Quinn Luong ’22, Chase Nelson ’24
CHASE SCHATZMAN ‘24
Snow day, p. 8
GABE GOWEN ’21
New squash, coach p. 16
ETHAN LEE ’24
the index · editorial
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the index 2020–2021 Staff Agustin Aliaga ’21 Editor-in-Chief Matthew Schwartz ’21 Editor-in-Chief Tyler Zimmer ’21 Editor-in-Chief Mitav Nayak ’222 Managing Editor Ryan Rodack ’22 Managing Editor
editorial
Mask up, hunker down: we’re almost there
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hree hundred million COVID-19 vaccine doses.This is the pace President Biden says we’re on track to produce by July. Given that each person requires two doses, nearly half of the population will be vaccinated by midsummer. We’re currently in phase 1A but are nearing 1B. As we scrolled through the titles listed, one glaringly stuck out: education
workers. It could be weeks, it could be months, but before graduation, Haverford’s teachers will have the opportunity to receive the vaccine. A pandemic, intrinsically, feels large and insurmountable. Seeing that our very own will soon be immune makes the end feel within reach. But our work is far from over. We, as
Jeffrey Yang ’22 Managing Editor Quinn Luong ’22 News Editor Joey Kauffman ’22 Features Editor Jingyuan Chen ’22 Academics Editor Connor Pinsk ’23 Neighborhood Editor Austin Zhuang ’22 Campus Opinions / Design Editor Michael Tallarida ’21 Off-Campus Opinions Editor Kethan Srinivasan ’21 Arts Editor Jake LaRocca ’22 Sports Editor 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 88, No. 5 - February 18, 2021
February 2021
2020-21 Editorial Board (clockwise from upper left, Editors-in-Chief Agustin Aliaga ‘21, Matthew Schwartz ‘21, Tyler Zimmer ‘21 and Managing Editors Jeffrey Yang ‘22, Ryan Rodack ‘22, and Mitav Nayak ‘22)
students, must guarantee we keep our faculty safe as we make the transition from 1A to 1B. We cannot take our feet off the gas. While we may not be nearing the COVID finish line, we are incredibly close to ensuring the safety of our own, and this must remain our top priority. How can we do this? Quite frankly, it’s easy. There are two types of social interactions in the COVID era of education: supervised and unsupervised. Undeniably, when in a classroom setting, we keep our masks above the nose and sit in our tape-measured, spaced-out desks. This may seem obvious, but COVID exists outside of the classroom. We can spread it in the parking lot, in the hallways, and yes, even in the locker room. As we said regarding the grade-wide senior skip day detention, the bar is so low. Don’t make your teacher remind you to follow protocols, as that very teacher is a calendar page flip or two away from immunity. Don’t approach another student with your mask looking like Bill Belichik—mouth and nose as exposed as the Patriots offense without Tom Brady—as you don’t know if that student has a high-risk family member. And most importantly, encourage your peers. “I am my brother’s keeper” extends well beyond student to student interactions. This mantra includes both student to teacher and student to student’s family. In the name of everyone associated with our Haverford community, fill out your Magnus Health App honestly, learn virtually if you feel symptoms, and for protocols on campus, you know the deal.
Letter from the student body president Cyril Leahy ’21
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ear Fords, To me, the definition of a “snow day” is simple: a day in which snow impedes the proper comings and goings of school. After spending the last few weeks surrounded by frozen reminders of a troubling reality, I decided to focus this month’s letter on the sanctity of a true snow day. While adults may look upon a snow day with disdain, my snow days were always the fondest memories of my childhood. The excitement of an unexpected late wake, a launch out of bed, and a marvel at the snow falling to the ground. After a few moments, though, snow day rituals endure: a cup of hot chocolate is almost obligatory, sibling snowball fights capture the day, and some sledding is always an added bonus. While I cannot speak for teachers, my advisor has informed me that he enjoys these moments all the same. These actions, unencumbered by the passage of a week day, are ordinary in a climate familiar with snow. Yet, a simple time and place change our mindset from focusing on the shivering shoveling and the layers needed for any travel to the pleasure of the day; as Ms. Heed has taught me to say this quarter, “situations matter.” The situation that is the novel SARSCOV-2 pandemic also matters. While students and teachers alike are affected by the discomfort of this virus, a common ground most can stand on is the upholding of tradition. True, this year is “unprecedented”(a word I hope never to hear again); for each student, though, it is a school year and the objectives of said year are the same: completing quarters and looking forward to breaks. COVID does not negate the delirium of this process—some might say it even enhances the mundane nature of a day.
COURTESY OF CYRIL LEAHY ’21
The recent umbrage taken against the school a few weeks ago was troublesome. How can a situation that induces stress be the reasoning behind disavowing sacred tradition? I certainly do not have the answer. Yet, those who do hold the answers cite virtual learning as an acceptable substitute for our right. For a year so troublesome, rescinding a snow day seems a bit out of touch. My friends, past decisions do not define
the man; if that were the case, Carson Wentz might still be thought of as good, Patrick Mahomes would still be the “young GOAT,” and Big Ben would be a top three quarterback in the AFC North. Alas, none of these things are true. The future defines moments; hopefully this Thursday may mark a step towards respecting the hallowed time of “snow days.”
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the index · news
February 2021
news
English Department replaces American Born Chinese in English I curriculum Matthew Schwartz ’21
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or years, the English curriculum has consisted of literary works ranging from poetry, plays, novels, and screenplays. A major goal of the department is to expose students to many forms of literature, specifically those that challenge them intellectually and provide space for discussion amongst classmates. The English Department recently replaced one of the works meant to spur such discussion, Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel American Born Chinese. The novel consists of three seemingly unrelated tales that come together in the end to talk about the main character embracing his Chinese identity in the face of cultural assimilation. Yang, a second-generation AsianAmerican, employs numerous stereotypes of Chinese culture and people in his text and illustrations. To Yang, these exaggerated stereotypes force readers to confront the severity of racism towards Asians in American culture, and in some instances, he even feels they may not have gone far enough. “One of the regrets that I have with the book is I would try to exaggerate the Cousin Chin-Kee character even more,” said Yang during an interview with PBS’ Joshua Barajas in 2016.
“I didn’t think it was an effective book for at least freshman to be reading.” RYAN NGO ’21 Nevertheless, the novel’s stereotypes have not been positively received by members of the Asian community at Haverford, and the graphic novel’s inclusion in the English I readings has even been questioned in the past by one of the school’s former teachers. This past October, Quinn Luong ’22, with the support of the Pan-Asian Alliance and Diversity Alliance, published a critique of the novel, and the English department
MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ’21
The newest addition to the English I curriculum, They Called Us Enemy chose to take a closer look. In his piece, Luong defines the aspects of Yang’s graphic novel that make it “difficult to read and wildly uncomfortable for AsianAmerican students.” He further described how the content and style of the novel do not match with its intended audience age of fourteen-to-fifteen year-old boys, a concern echoed by other students. “I didn’t think it was an effective book for at least freshman to be reading,” Sixth Form Pan-Asian Alliance member Ryan Ngo said. “If we were going to read it, I felt it would be a lot more productive to read it later on as an upperclassman when you understand that level of satire and use of imagery.” “[All the English teachers] read [Luong’s] piece and then the full upper school department talked about it,” English Chair Mr. Thomas Stambaugh said. “I drafted part of a response and worked with English col-
leagues on capturing our complicated feelings about the work. English I teachers Mr. Louie Brown and Mr. Keith Belson offered particularly valuable perspectives. Since the students had appealed to us in writing it seemed like the appropriate way to respond was in writing.” Soon after Luong’s work was published in The Index, all eleven upper school department members signed their names to the response letter in which they acknowledged the pain that American Born Chinese had brought upon Asian students and vowed to sit down with members of the Pan-Asian Alliance to discuss solutions. In the meantime, the English Department decided to experiment with a different graphic novel. In January, the two groups sat down together in a virtual meeting. The English Department had read and reviewed three of the alternative graphic novels Luong recom-
mended and several other possible texts, and settled on They Called Us Enemy by George Takei and Harmony Becker. The meeting, by many accounts, was productive and eyeopening, particularly for members of the English Department who were able to hear how uncomfortable some students were with elements of American Born Chinese and how, going forward, teachers could be even more deliberate when focusing on sensitive subjects such as painful stereotypes. “It felt like our voices were being heard, and I felt that the hard work we were putting in was paying off,” Ngo said. Ngo is proud of the work being spearheaded by many of the younger members in the Pan-Asian Alliance and Diversity Alliance such as Luong and others. He is glad to be part of a school and group that empowers these younger members of the community to make positive changes in the future.
Administration looks to enforce no-sneaker policy Bernie Rogers ’21
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n between classes, the squeaking of sneakers echo through the halls of Wilson Hall. However, the Upper School Handbook states that “students must wear dress shoes, preferably earth tone in color.” The dress code is one of the most vital aspects of a Haverford student’s character, but during the COVID era students often take advantage of the unprecedented situation and break the dress code: many wear sneakers that are against school policy. Dean of Upper School Students Mr. Luqman Kolade has taken notice of the outof-dress students. “I’ve talked to some form deans about it, and we are probably going to have to start giving some detentions to repeat offenders,” Mr. Kolade said. In the fall, to accommodate the colder weather and possibly boost school morale, Mr. Kolade allowed students to wear Haverford hoodies and sweatshirts, possibly leading to a further loosening of the dress code. “I think there is already this sense of
comfort where you can wear a hoodie,” Fifth Form Dean Ms. Brooke Kenna said. “All I ask is that you wear the proper shoes, and a Haverford hoodie. They are two very simple things.” Fourth Former Cole Donelly said, “I think some students believe they can take advantage of the shoes because of the new sweatshirt policy.” The number of students out of dress has led to an inconsistency within teachers that mark students “present, out of dress” simply because a large portion of students have begun wearing sneakers. Within the student body, students have mixed opinions about wearing sneakers. “I think the school’s dress policy fits the character of the school,” Fourth Former Louie Atkinson said. But on the other hand, some students enjoy wearing sneakers in school. Sixth Former James Aschkenasy, who has routinely worn sneakers throughout his student days, stands for a group of students who choose comfort over tradition.
Aschkenasy said, “Sneakers are just more comfortable and good for any weather.” Evidently, the school has been taking notice of out-of-dress students, and enforce-
ment of the dress code may be heightened in upcoming months. Ms. Kenna said, “I’m always on the lookout for kids that are out of dress code.”
BERNIE ROGERS ‘21
A Sixth Former wearing sneakers to school during the first week in February
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February 2021
Students hungry for a café reopening Tyler Zimmer ’21
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re-COVID, between sunrise and first period, second and third, last period and sports, the café boosted student morale through long days. Home to warm breakfast sandwiches and snacks galore, students revered these grounds. As students make their second semester push, they crave the café more than ever. But safety protocols enforced by Assistant Head of School Mr. Mark Thorburn and others have kept the cozy building across from Centennial Hall off limits. “I suspect that we will keep the space closed throughout the remainder of the year,” Upper School Head Mark Fifer said. Students are upset about the café closure due to more than the delicious snacks. “In the mornings I’m often running late due to a night of hard work, so I don’t have time to make breakfast,” Sixth Former Drew Loughnane said. The café serves as a backup plan for those who need a kickstart to their day.
“I wake up and I realize I can be productive in the morning knowing my breakfast will be there.” CYRIL LEAHY ’21 Sixth Form President Cyril Leahy agrees, and took this notion one step further: “I wake up and I realize I can be productive in the morning knowing my breakfast will be there.” Not only did students use the café as a backup plan, but they structured their mornings around having a warm bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich awaiting them. Mr. Fifer said, “In normal years, the café is a nice break for students, a nice opportunity to connect with one another.”
Signs posted on the café’s doors Regardless, mitigation practices are likely to remain constant throughout the year. “[Opening the café] would send a message that we are relaxing health and safety standards,” Mr. Fifer said. Students aren’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. They’ve brainstormed a handful of COVID-19-friendly ways to reopen the café. Fifth Former Damian Ferraro said, “A way we can safely and efficiently open the café is to have a time for each grade to go.” Fourth Former Robert Murray added, “What if the café was open, but we regulated how many people were in there at once? Also get rid of the tables.” Despite initially shaking his head, Mr. Fifer received these student suggestions with an open mind. “I have no objection to a grab-and-go
TYLER ZIMMER ’21
model if it’s similar to what’s happening in the cafeteria,” Mr. Fifer said. While the café provides students with a boost for their day, there’s a more important reason, and her name is Ms. Erin Byrne.
“Seeing Erin in the morning definitely puts a smile on my face.” DREW LOUGHNANE ’21 “Seeing Erin in the morning definitely puts a smile on my face,” Loughnane said. “Her positive outlook despite what’s going on in the world keeps my hopes up.”
Students enjoy the company of the always energetic and passionate dining hall staff member, and she does too. Unfortunately, with the café closed, they do not see each other as often. “I love the café,” Ms. Byrne said. “I had the best time there every day. That was my favorite part of the day.” Ms. Byrne suggested that students come visit her in the dining hall while the café remains closed: “We’ve got the snack cart. It’s not the greatest. But we have some really good drinks. Tell everybody to come in more often!” It is unlikely that the café will reopen, but it seems all parties—faculty leaders, student leaders, and dining hall staff—are in support of a compromise. Cyril Leahy said, “There’s just so many benefits. I would be all for it.”
NDC expands Diversity Alliance, cont. from front page how they are inspired by our DEI work, but they don’t have the necessary resources in order to do it at their school.” The idea for the DA to pursue making the coalition came up during meetings over winter break when they decided they would like to expand the reach of the Haverford Diversity Alliance. “There were first ideas of having an Inter-Ac coalition, then a regional one, but as we kept discussing, the idea of having a National Diversity Coalition seemed inevitable. That is when we decided to finally create it,” Parayre said. With quick execution of their plan, on January 30th the NDC inaugurated the organization in a virtual meeting with over 40 ambassadors present. This inaugural meeting served as an opportunity for the group to get to know each other, outline the coalition’s
mission, and to begin discussions on prominent issues in the student-ambassadors’ respective communities. “I never expected to have so many students show out, but also come with passion and love. It was such an amazing and accepting space,” Luong said. “Everyone felt included and openly expressed their experiences.” The executive team plans to use the next meeting to run “101 Workshops” or short introductory lessons on how to employ useful tools like social media, lunch meetings, and petitions to promote DEI. “We are planning on hosting a workshop session with the ambassadors that will allow for them to learn about our initiatives like our social media account, our Chit-Chat & Chew meetings, and our curriculum and institutional petitions. Hopefully, they will
NDC Ambassadors represent many states
QUINN LUONG ’22
take these initiatives back to their own communities and create positive change,” Parayre said. The NDC hopes to further its accomplishments and finish the year strongly with an end-of-year nationwide conference in order to bring more students into the organization. Luong said, “Our ambassadors are going to be leading student-led workshops on topics ranging from transgender awareness, police brutality, to different DEI topics that are not covered in the everyday school curriculum. We wanted to impact the greater community, and we know that through mobilizing each school, there will be an enormous turnout for our conference.” The DA largely attributes the NDC’s success to the scale and magnitude it has achieved, allowing them to reach further and with more influence than they ever imagined they could. “The National Diversity Coalition … allows members of different school communities –– including Haverford Diversity Alliance members –– to meet with other students who have similar passions for DEI work,” Third Form Communications CoChair Christopher Schwarting said. “It is truly powerful to see such an ambitious and passionate group of young leaders gather to be the drivers of the changes they wish to see in issues all across diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.” Parayre added, “All year we have been working individually as a school, and while [we] will absolutely continue to do so, we wanted to spark larger change. We wanted
to affect others who might not have the same opportunity to be a part of anything like the Diversity Alliance, so what better way than to create a coalition that incorporates members from across the country?” “I realized that the Haverford community only goes so far, so I felt like there was an opportunity to expand our influence beyond the Haverford community on a national platform,” Luong said. The NDC has already begun to make an impact in schools across the country and is only growing, but the NDC’s young Haverford-based leadership team has also drawn the respect of senior members within the Haverford DA. Sixth Former Co-Chair Ryan Ngo recognized the truly exceptional work of the young squad.
“The seniors and I could not be more proud of the work these guys are doing at such a young age.” RYAN NGO ’21 Ngo said, “The seniors and I could not be more proud of the work these guys are doing at such a young age, and I am looking forward to the changes they can bring to our community as they continue to move through their years in the upper school.”
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February 2021
Blood drive persists, despite COVID restrictions Jeffrey Yang ’22
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he U.S. Food and Drug Administration notes that every two seconds a patient somewhere needs a blood transfusion. The need most certainly has not dropped amid the current pandemic, but the ability for the school to hold an oncampus blood drive was stripped from the annual service calendar. Yet, this setback did not stop Director of Service Learning Ms. Jini Loos from finding an opportunity for the community to donate. The event was ultimately held on Wednesday, February 10, in the gym of Our Mother of Good Counsel, across Pennswood Road from the Bryn Mawr Acme. Besides standing as a tradition for multiple years, the blood drive presents an opportunity for students to grow comfortable with donating blood. For this reason and the increased need, Ms. Loos endeavored to organize the event at an off-campus location. “We’ve been doing this for about 20 years, and I like to think that if the student does it their first time here, and they see that it’s OK to do it—they’re around people who they know, and they’re comfortable, and so on,” Ms. Loos said. “We hope that it will start like a lifetime of giving, and they’ll come back the next time and tell their friends it’s not that bad.” Such was the case of Fourth Former Evan Wang. Having recently turned sixteen, Wang was eager to donate and help patients in need of blood. “I wanted to donate blood because this was like the first opportunity where I was
able to, and I always thought that like if I could give back to not even just my own community but just anyone really,” Wang said. For Sixth Former Ryan Ngo, this year’s blood drive was not his first time donating but was his first Power Red donation. He underwent a process taking roughly one hour, during which twice the typical amount of his blood was taken. The platelets and plasma were separated from the red blood cells and returned to his bloodstream along with saline. Despite taking longer to complete, Ngo felt better after the Power Red donation than after his Whole Blood donation last year. “I was more hydrated,” Ngo said. “It took longer, but I felt fine after.” To ensure that the event was safe but comfortable as well, the American Red Cross staff wiped down contact areas and maintained distancing whenever possible, but also maintained a canteen area with snacks and water for those having donated to replenish energy. Wang said, “I just trust that the Red Cross that we’re working with is going to do their best to keep everything clean and sanitary. I trust everyone involved, so I felt confident that nothing bad is going to happen.” The requirement of having an open space where both safety and comfort could be accommodated was one challenge of holding the event on-campus. The other issue regarded the school’s limitation on intradivision visiting. “We usually do it in the lower school,
in the Multipurpose room, and we couldn’t do it there [this year] because even our upper school students aren’t allowed in the lower school,” Ms. Loos said. Despite the difficulty in planning, this year’s blood drive reached satisfactory numbers, especially in the context of the apprehension surrounding the pandemic. Of the roughly seventy members of the community who had signed up for donating, roughly sixty were eligible and proceeded to donate blood. While the numbers of donors are less than in previous years, Ms. Loos is pleased with the results, considering that multiple donors performed the Power Red donation. “Each pint of regular blood that you donate can serve up to three people. We also had about ten people do the double red blood cell donations, and that is two pints of red blood. So really, we’re in good shape; we’re over 100 pints,” Ms. Loos said.
“So really, we’re in good shape; we’re over 100 pints.” MS. JINI LOOS Addressing those who are hesitant to donate due to fear of needles, Ngo emphasized the impact of donating blood. “A little fear of needles is nothing compared to the need for blood in our community and around the country. Just think about that and you’ll be fine,” Ngo said.
The arts grapple, cont. from front page Coach and History Department Chair Ms. Hannah Turlish said that if she knew Haverford was preparing for a musical indoors she “wouldn’t feel any less safe than [she] already feels. I have been on the pool deck, and there is nothing that can be riskier than that, so no, it would not impact my decision.” While science states that singing is more dangerous than playing sports, what is the risk of one musical compared to multiple sports? Why is the risk calculator so different with sports? “Families are going to want sports,” Ms. Turlish said. “And they are just
RYAN NGO ’21 Sometimes the donations from the school’s blood drive serve a specific hospital, as was the case in a recent year when the blood was directed toward the hospital where a student in the community was receiving treatment. Other times they are left for the American Red Cross to distribute. “Sometimes it is personal, but generally speaking I think that I just want to encourage people to do it. It’s an easy thing to do, and it supports not only our community, but you know the larger community and local hospitals,” Ms. Loos said. Wang recommends others to sign up for future donations, for he found his experience rather enjoyable. Wang said, “It’s kind of fun. You should. if you haven’t done it once before, at least try it once.”
JEFFREY YANG ‘22
The blood drive at Our Mother of Good Counsel, February 10, 2021
While safety is the school’s foremost concern this semester, some comparison to the athletics department’s activity could not be avoided. “I’m not happy we’re having athletics,” Mr. Hengst said. “Not at all, I think we put everything in place to keep everybody safe during the day and distanced, and they’re swimming next to each other or they are wrestling or they are playing basketball indoors, which doesn’t make sense to me.” The real point of contention, then, is the difference in the school’s calculation of COVID safety between sports and arts. Swim
“A little fear of needles is nothing compared to the need for blood in our community and around the country. Just think about that and you’ll be fine.”
not pushing for theater.” Sixth Former Mike King, both an athlete and musical participant, would also feel confident coming to school with a musical in progress. “I feel like it could be done because we all go to school, and there are areas with a bunch of people inside and it’s allowed. It’s a little unfair to the musical people,” King said. “Our community has established our first priority as one thing above all else: safety,” Mr. Hengst said. “We just got to get through it, you know?”
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February 2021
International students adapt to a new normal NachiKethan Srinivasan ‘21
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:45 p.m. That is when Fifth Formers Julius Huang and Huaidian Hou begin their first classes of the day from their homes in mainland China. With the COVID-19 pandemic triggering the immediate vacation of school campuses and the mass recall of international students, many of Haverford’s own international students were left with the option of returning to their country of residence or to remain in their housing accommodations to self-isolate. After Haverford announced its immediate closure on March 12th last year, both opted to return to their homes in mainland China. Both students now attend their classes on a 13-hour time difference, meaning that by the time classes finish, the local time will be just before 4 a.m. For Hou, this has affected his sleep schedule. “So after class ends,
I go to bed at four and get up again at noon. So I will be doing my homework while you guys are asleep,” Hou said. International students must also grapple with access to online services. Google’s Chinese search engine was shut down in 2010 in response to disputes over inquiries of censorship. This has affected students’ access to the GSuite, the work programs run by Google that Haverford uses for its students. Huang and Hou both managed to have “no problems connecting with teachers,” largely thanks to VPN services. “I have had no problems in attending classes except frequent bad connections,” Huang said. “I think because there’s a network firewall in China, I would have to use the VPN to use Google Meet,” Hou said, “but even then, the quality of the call can be very bad.” Despite living under internet restrictions, both Huang and Hou say they have
managed to keep up with school work. History Department Chair and United States History* teacher Ms. Hannah Turlish has taught both Huang and Hou over the course of this year. She has viewed the performance of both students with admiration, despite the setbacks they face in another time zone. “In large part, my classes are still very content-heavy, with taking notes and discussions,” Ms. Turlish said. “And what that means for the kids who are virtual is that I do my best to integrate the kids into the conversation.” She remarks on the virtual students’ abilities to keep up in class and at home. “Their tests and quizzes are just up there with everybody else’s,” she said. As far as educational outreach goes, Ms. Turlish is hopeful that their commendable performance can be attributed to the efforts she makes. “I’m not going to say that it’s perfect, but I am hoping there is some agreement
that I am effective,” she said. “And it’s hard, but I also don’t mind it, because I know what they’re going through is harder than what I have to go through.” Not all international students were keen on making a similar choice. A considerable number of these students stay in their housing accommodations to take virtual classes. For Sixth Former Xiaolong Huang, going back to China was next to “impossible.” “First of all, the plane tickets are absurd,” Xiaolong said. “I think the prices were 6,000 to 10,000 U.S. dollars, so that was impossible.” Xiaolong was also cynical of the lack of direct connections between the U.S. and China following the lockdown. “You need a transfer, you cannot just fly directly from the United States to China,” Xiaolong said.
A moment from Mr. Stambaugh’s English IV Journalism seminar with virtual student Gary Gao ’21 on screen
NACHIKETHAN SRINIVASAN ’21
Community agrees, mask breaks are necessary jacob stacey ’21
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asks: one of the most frustrating and controversial parts of the coronavirus pandemic. Masks have made their way into everyday life, including the entirety of school days. Everyone knows the feeling of a damp mask after a long day of speaking and breathing
heavily. Thankfully, the school has found a simple solution to this issue: mask breaks. Students show up to campus every day with the task of powering through three 90-minute classes. One thing that propels these students to finish each day is a small window during each class to take a mental
BERNIE ROGERS ’21
Sixth Formers during a mask break from English class outside of Wilson Hall on October 2, 2020
break and remove their masks, giving them time to breathe freely and clear their heads. “I think it’s important to give a mask break for the mental break. I know as a teacher I need it just as much as my students,” math teacher Ms. Barbara LaPenta said. Staying focused for an hour and a half during class is a difficult task. “Having a break helps you reset and makes it easier to resume class,” Fifth Former Will Morris said. According to informED, students in the high school age range only have the capacity to listen for about 20 minutes. Mask breaks allow students to clear their heads and refocus to retain the information they are learning. “I think it’s more for the mental break,” Sixth Former Ben Fosnocht said. “I’ve gotten used to wearing a mask for hours at a time now, so it’s more for an hour and a half class that feels like it’s been doing the same thing for a while.” Although masks have grown common for about a year now, and people are used to wearing masks on a daily basis for variable amounts of time, the refreshing feeling of taking them off is a sensation students never thought they would have to enjoy.
“[Mask breaks] are not required but this is a best practice,” Upper School Head Mr. Mark Fifer said. “Some teachers have to determine whether it will fit in with how class is flowing. It is an acknowledgment that some students might need a break from the longer classes.”
“I think it’s important to give a mask break for the mental break.” MS. BARBARA LAPENTA School policy does not require the practice, but it is in the students’ and teachers’ best interest to perform them for many reasons. If class is getting off-topic or students seem weary during long classes, a mask break is the perfect solution to get students back on track and in a positive mindset. Ms. LaPenta said, “What I also really like about the mask breaks is the opportunity to foster connections with students.”
the index · features
Page 7
February 2021
features
MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ’21
The remnants of a GameStop store that has closed down in the Wynnewood Shopping Center
Students, teachers weigh in on GameStop saga Mitav Nayak ’22
O
ver the past month, GameStop, AMC, and various other stocks surged to extraordinary levels, largely due to a group of everyday people commonly called “retail investors,” who banded together on the subreddit “wallstreetbets” to buy specific heavily shorted stocks. When brokerage firms such as Robinhood, Webull, Interactive Brokers, and others ceased the buying of these particular securities, prices crashed, and retail investors suffered major losses. Investors, the media, and even celebrities questioned the reasons for Robinhood for their decision to restrict stock buying. Finance teacher Mr. Brian Long said, “We don’t really know for sure yet [why Robinhood restricted buying], but Robinhood’s stance is that it needed additional funds . . . in order to facilitate all these new trades, they needed collateral to basically back the trades if they failed or didn’t go through, and they didn’t have that collateral.” Robinhood restricted trading of a handful of volatile securities on Thursday, January 28, and overnight they raised over 1 billion dollars for this needed collateral. Still, there are those who remain skeptical about Robinhood’s intentions. “Some people think that perhaps [the brokerage firms] were trying to stifle the short squeeze to help out the hedge funds, which seems a little conspiratorial to me, but I don’t know,” Mr. Long said. “It will all come out when they do an investigation.” The skepticism stems from Robinhood’s business model. Robinhood pioneered the concept of commission-free trading. Instead of charging commission fees for each trade, Robinhood relies on several other methods, one of which is selling order flow data to market makers. According to a Bloomberg report, Robinhood makes over 40% of its revenue through this method. One such market maker is Citadel Securities, a hedge fund that invested $2 billion to support Melvin Capital, another hedge fund that had a major short position in GameStop and was greatly damaged by the stock’s rally. Naturally, this led many to suspect that Robinhood’s decision to stop trading was to allow the hedge funds to cover their losses at the expense of retail investors. “I lost a little bit over $300 on AMC.
It’s just classic market manipulation,” Fifth Former Asher Laackman said. “It shows how corrupt it is, that they can favor these big hedge funds at the expense of the ‘little guy.’” Fifth Former Fisher Bond also lost money trading AMC. “I think it was pretty horrible to not let these people [trade],” Bond said. “Wallstreetbets’ main fanbase, and these people who are putting all their money into GameStop and AMC are Robinhood investors who are beginner investors.” Finance teacher Mr. Steven Patrylak said, “I think that there was a little bit of sympathy for the big hedge funds who had to borrow billions to cover their potential losses . . . I wouldn’t say collusion, but sympathy for the hedge funds [who] wanted to cut any further losses, and that will come out in the SEC investigations.” Amid the stocks’ volatility, Wall Street Betters—some of whom were high school students—went along for the ride. “My friend—he’s not much of an investment guy,” Sixth Former Maxim Kreider said, “but he’s a big Reddit guy. He got in [GameStop] at 20 bucks a share.” As the stock rose, Kreider’s friend was sitting on more money than is imaginable for a beginner high school retail trader. But as the stock started crashing on Thursday,
side factors,” Kreider said. “Everyone was just saying ‘the stock’s going up, up, up.’” Kreider believes there is a lesson to be learned for retail investors, but he still argues that Robinhood is at fault. “It goes to show that if you’re in a bubble, you need to watch out and take your money out when you can and don’t stay in,” Kreider said. “But I think what Robinhood did was criminal. You look at Citadel, which is an affiliate of Melvin Capital and also Robinhood. I mean if that’s not massive collusion on a huge scale, I don’t know what is.” Many assert the GameStop saga has shown that there must be more regulation. “In the future, I think the SEC is at fault. They stood by and watched these hedge funds doing these things and shorting in irrational ways for many years,” Mr. Patrylak said. “I think it’s incumbent on the SEC to put an end to it, and I think they’re poised now to do just that.” In the interconnected digital world, an increasing number of retail traders used social media to expose this side of Wall Street. “A lot of our institutions haven’t caught up with what social media can do with regard
to rallying human capital, if you will, so it will be interesting to see how it tries to catch up, without stifling free speech, freedom of expression, and all these other things,” Mr. Long said. “That push and pull is probably going to be something that plays out over the next five years or so.” Furthermore, the growth of online brokerage firms has allowed retail investors to have a platform they did not previously have. “Firms such as Robinhood and others have made trading stocks very glamorous. The small investor can now take positions that fifteen years ago were inconceivable,” Mr. Patrylak said. “Today the stock market is accessible to anybody who wants to be in it. Eliminating the need to have contact with a broker in-person, the elimination of fees, the elimination of commissions — all these barriers have been eliminated and made stocks much more appealing.” The finance teachers hope students involved in the GameStop saga—and those who lost money—walk away understanding the risks associated with day trading. “The evidence shows that the overwhelming majority of day traders lose money in the long-term,” Mr. Long said. “In a bull market, it’s a lot easier for people to feel like they know what’s going on, and they can make easy money because things are going up, but that’s not always the case . . . they might see some profits, but in the long-term,
“The money that you can make in a very short period of time is meaningless in the long-term, so it’s better to invest soundly than it is to invest in a risky manner.” MR. STEVEN PATRYLAK it almost never works out.” “The money that you can make in a very short period of time is meaningless in the long-term, so it’s better to invest soundly than it is to invest in a risky manner,” Mr. Patrylak said. “It may be a lesson learned. A lot of kids don’t have a lot of money to lose, and the young will recover, so this lesson may serve them well for a long time.”
“His portfolio at one point had $80,000 [of GameStop]. He held on [as the stock fell] and he ended up with about $12,000.” MAXIM KREIDER ’21 January 28, the friend refused to sell. “His portfolio at one point had $80,000 [of GameStop]. He held on [as the stock fell] and he ended up with about $12,000,” Kreider said. The sentiment of “never selling” and “holding the line” was at the core of Wall Street Bets ideology and is likely what allowed the stocks to get as high as they did. “I was skeptical, and I knew it was a bubble, but [my friend] was confident. I think subreddit was kind of an echo chamber, and people didn’t really look at the out-
Zach Hoyt ’22 takes a look at AMC stock
MITAV NAYAK ’22
the index · features
Page 8
February 2021 dents hoped for another day off school on the next day—Tuesday. Yet to their disappointment, Haverford notified upper school students that school would be in session virtually, ultimately sparking conversation amongst students. “I disagree with the fact that we had virtual on that day,” Suter said. “Any other year it would’ve been a snow day.”
“I feel like I had a lot of work to do on the snow day, even though we didn’t have physical school,” JOHN ZHANG ’22
GABE GOWEN ’21
Grayson Walker ’21 appraches Wilson Hall after a recent snowfall
Snow days allow students to catch up Owen Yu ’23
O
n the evening of January 31, students received word that the following Monday would be a snow day. As many rejoiced, the snow continued to fall, leaving students with a variety of potential activities. For most, the snow day provided an opportunity to step back from the stress of their school work and outside obligations. “I just relaxed. Took a little break from everything,” Fourth Former Arnav Sardesai said. “It was good to take a break.” Third Former Render Ford had a similar experience. “I definitely played quite a bit of video games,” Ford said. “It was pretty relaxed. There wasn’t much work, which was good.” Other students, such as Fourth Former Jack Suter, were able to get outside and have
Regardless of students’ individual experiences with the snow day, there seems to be an overall agreement that days that would’ve been a snow day should not be replaced with virtual class. “I think there’s many variables, but the underlying thing is that snow days are pretty important. and they shouldn’t be taken away from the students. Especially in high school when you have so much work, tests to study for, and obligations,” Zhang said. “I think it’s very important for the mental health of students to have a moment to relax.”
fun in the snow. “We went to Valley Forge to go sledding there,” Suter said. “We went skiing for a little bit. It was a fun day.” Still, many students used the snow day for additional work and studying for upcoming tests. “I feel like I had a lot of work to do on the snow day, even though we didn’t have physical school,” Fifth Former John Zhang said. “It did help me get caught up with my classes—especially getting some studying done for my history test [and] biology quiz.” The snow day also provided extra time to complete assignments. “I did a lot of homework,” Sardesai said. “Caught up on some past assignments that I needed to do.” Towards the end of the snow day, stu-
Students turn to online sportsbooks Ryan Rodack ‘22
A
midst the pandemic, students look for new forms of entertainment to keep them busy during their free time. Many of the pre-pandemic options are now unavailable, such as spending a few hours at the movies, going out to dinner, or attending sporting events. With these options off the table, some Upper School students turn to online sportsbooks to add a level of excitement. In 2020, the state of Pennsylvania produced $3.6 billion in wagers, with $3.3 billion coming from online wagers. While the legal betting age for the on-
line sportsbooks in Pennsylvania is 21 years old, students find ways around this rule. Their names have been changed to protect their identities. “My dad lets me use his information,” Student A said. “I started using FanDuel Sportsbook in December of 2019, and still use it now. I would say I place three-to-four wagers a day, usually $10-15 on each one.” Although some students enjoy placing bets on all sports, for others, it is just a seasonal hobby. “I used to bet a lot when football was on because it is fun to watch, but since the Super Bowl, I have not been betting much,” Student B said. “I never wager a lot, just some smaller bets with longer odds to potentially win a lot. Overall, I am up a good amount of money.” While some only place small wagers, others are willing to risk more. “I usually place wagers every night… Overall, I’ve profited around $100. Depending on how confident I am, I usually bet between $15-$50 on each bet,” Student C said. Although several students make their own picks, others rely on outside sources. “I get my picks from a variety of Twitter accounts. They have been winning relatively consistently throughout the past couple of years,” Student A said.
Since leagues like the NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB re-started in late summer and early fall, students have noticed a considerable increase in betting amongst their peers. “I would say around 20% of my friends have access to apps like DraftKings or Fan-
Duel,” student B said. Student A agreed, saying, “I think around 15-20% of my friends place bets regularly.”
JEFFREY YANG ’22
Sports betting apps such as Fanduel and Draft Kings have become popular among the student body despite the age restrictions put in place.
the index · features
Page 9
February 2021
Make Lunar New Year a holiday, student petition asks Austin Zhuang ’22
A
s many students enjoyed their Presidents’ Day Weekend, East and Southeast Asians across the world, including many members of the school community, celebrated Lunar New Year on Friday, February 12, 2021. Some may have noticed the graphic on the screens around school or saw the Instagram post from the Haverford School’s account on February 11; these actions resulted from a student petition for the school to recognize the holiday. The demands from the petitioning group included recognition of the holiday and a school-wide day off. Sixth Former Matthew Wang first came up with the idea to appeal to the school a few weeks ago and was encouraged by the school’s increase in diversity and inclusion. “I knew the Diversity Alliance was doing a lot of stuff, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to pivot off what they were doing,” Wang said. “I thought it would be really cool if we could get Lunar New Year recognized.” Helping him craft the petition was Sixth Form Diversity Alliance Leader Ryan Ngo. Working together, they reached out to several groups and other Asian-American members of the Haverford community. “It was kind of a petition put together by organizations,” Ngo said. “We had the Pan Asian Alliance on this, the Diversity Alliance Leadership Team on this, and a couple representatives from each Form like [Fourth Former] Matthew Kang and Matthew Wang and a couple other guys.” A prominent student supporting the petition was Student Body President Cyril Leahy, who thought both Wang’s efforts and
the overall purpose of the petition was great. “Any idea that’s positive and that can bring something to the school in any way is something that can uplift our community,” Leahy said. “I saw [Wang and Ngo] doing [the petition], and I thought it was good to have something a little bit different.” The process to make and present the petition to Upper School Head Mr. Mark Fifer was relatively easy, according to Wang and Ngo. After completing the draft and sending it to Mr. Fifer, they scheduled a meeting regarding the next steps to implement both the short-term demands such as the Instagram post and future changes.
“It was kind of a petition put together by organizations.” CYRIL LEAHY ’21 “Our main goal this year, because we already have Lunar New Year off, was to get that recognition,” Ngo said. “Long term, [administrators] are going to have more discussion with junior leaders about how they’re going to incorporate it into the calendar and whether they think it’s effective to actually sanction a day off for the school.” Wang has other ideas to further recognize Lunar New Year and support its celebration in the community. “I think it would be neat if we had a week or so that we could talk about Asian culture leading up to the Lunar New Year,” Wang said. “I talked with Mr. Fifer, and probably next year there will be a speaker, and we can
Lunar New Year Instagram Design set that up with a Reflection.” The work put into the petition has done much to recognize students who celebrate the holiday and has urged the school to make a more proactive effort to include those of all backgrounds. “It was well-written and compelling,” Leahy said. “It felt good that students were doing something to recognize [Asians].”
COURTESY OF MATTHEW WANG AND RYAN NGO ’21
The outlook on completely fulfilling each demand in the petition may be uncertain, but for now, those who celebrated enjoyed the holiday. “For me, having the day off is nice,” Wang said. “It’s a full-day celebration where you cook with your family, and it’s great to bond with them.”
Check out all articles at thsindex.org
the index · academics
Page 10
February 2021
academics
Students debate the quarter-system content gap Christopher Schwarting ‘24
A
t the end of January, students and faculty transitioned back from their second-quarter classes to those of the first quarter, albeit in what is now the third quarter of this year’s new quarter-block scheduling system. The upper school administration adopted this schedule to permit in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. As students have started settling back into the third quarter classes they left on hiatus at the beginning of November, many have found the transition different in comparison to past academic years’ semesters. “It’s been interesting to adjust between the different quarters,” Third Former Russell Yoh said. Yoh noted that a considerable variation in workload contributed to a necessary adjustment during the transition.
“I feel that most of my quarter-two classes were more difficult and had more homework than my quarter one and three classes,” Yoh said. “It was difficult to be motivated to do a lot more work than I was used to doing when transitioning to the second quarter, but it is nice to now have more free time in the third quarter.” For many students, a concern when transitioning into the third quarter was resuming classes that halted many in the past year. “At the end of the first quarter, I was a little nervous about having to remember all of the information I learned for the next few months during the second quarter,” Yoh said. “For me, I feel the transition was smooth,” English teacher Mr. Keith Belson said. “For students, I think there definitely was an adjustment with the [quarter] gap.” Mr. Belson tried to divide evenly the English I class content between the first and third quarters in order to minimize a loss of consistency in the classroom. In the first quarter, the focus of the English I curriculum was on writing, while the third quarter now focuses on listening and literature. This division seeks to make it easier for students to divide between the two quarters. Yoh feels that this course content division has proven effective in helping him remember prior material. “Now, in the third quarter, I realized that most of my classes stopped at a good point at the end of the first quarter, so I don’t have to necessarily remember everything from the first quarter,” Yoh said. “It has been smooth so far.” On February 9th, the upper school administration sent out a survey regarding the
quarter-block system to the student body. As the upper school administration seeks to receive feedback from both students and faculty, the question of whether the gap between quarters is beneficial for students still remains. For many students like Yoh, the first and third-quarter separation has proven to be positive. “Quarter one and quarter three being split months apart was actually helpful,” Yoh said. “After focusing on the same three classes for a few months, it was nice to get a break and learn about something new for a while.” Other students feel the lack of content consistency outweighs any benefits of the quarter gap and quarter-block schedule.
“The gap between my classes, especially for language and math courses, makes it challenging to transition back into those classes,” Fourth Former Roch Parayre said. “With these classes, consistently learning over a longer period of time with long gaps in between is usually what allows for students to gain more depth on certain topics.” Looking to the future, Third Former Chase Nelson agrees. “By the end of this quarter, I won’t have classes like geometry or Spanish again for over six months,” Nelson said. “My concern is that the break will create a knowledge gap for two major classes when we return to school again next year.”
GARY GAO ‘21
An upper school calendar showing the tight turnaround between the end of Q2 classes on January 22 and the start of Q3
U.S. History* students adjust to tightened term-paper schedule Bowen Deng ‘22
A
s Fifth Formers enter the second quarter of Ms. Hannah Turlish’s United States History* course, they meet the most extensive assignment of the year. Pre-COVID, the term paper was a tenweek process; it has been shortened to six weeks this year to accommodate the quarter system. The project serves as the only take-
home paper of the United States History* curriculum and the final mountain to climb for Fifth Form historians. Expectations are similar: eight pages minimum, ten pages maximum, and at least ten sources—five primary, five secondary. Through this paper, Fifth Formers explore any topic of their choosing (almost any topic is acceptable as long as it has connec-
tions to the United States history). By the end of the third and fourth quarters, they will have built valuable research skills along the way as they scour primary and secondary sources alike.
“I think doing a paper of this length is vital in the skillbuilding of the high school years.” MS. HANNAH TURLISH
MIKE KING ‘21
Bernie Rogers ‘21 looks over the term paper he wrote for U.S. History* last year
“I do think doing a paper of this length is vital in the skill-building of the high school years,” Ms. Turlish said. “If a Humanities concentration is in a graduate’s future, this paper will help him be successful.” With the exception of research days in the library, Fifth Formers are expected to work diligently on their papers independently. As they continue to venture through 20th century America, they must balance the paper out with the textbook readings, reading quizzes, tests, and DBQs. Still, Fifth Formers are no strangers to heavy workloads.
“I’ve looked over a little bit of my sources nearly every day and really try to focus my efforts on the weekends when I have more time,” Fifth Former Charles Witmer said. Though its requirements may seem daunting, the key is to pace oneself with the checkpoints on Canvas. Furthermore, the open-ended topic can and must serve as selfmotivation. “Definitely pick a topic you’re passionate about,” Sixth Former Franklin Dai said. “It beats something you don’t care about and made it all the more rewarding when I was able to put my entire paper together.” “The ability to pick my own topic is great and definitely makes me feel like I’m doing something I’m passionate about,” Fifth Former Pranav Dixit said. Ultimately, what a Fifth Former will get out of the term paper depends on how much effort he puts into it. If the effort is there, it is usually a memorable experience. “The topic and the paper itself is almost always the one thing a boy remembers best about Fifth Form History,” Ms. Turlish said, “and I hope many boys are proud of what they produce.”
the index · neighborhood
Page 11
February 2021
neighborhood
Savona delights restaurant-goers Chase Schatzman ‘24
A
fter a couple of takeout meals, my family and I decided that it was eventually time to eat out. Our destination was Savona in Gulph Mills. We had heard from a friend of the brilliant food served there. At first glance, it seemed as though the table was lovely and the ambiance was splendid. As the night went on, it came time to order. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that there was no outdoor seating as expected with a quarter-sized restaurant. For my appetizer, I eventually set my eyes on a salmon tartare. This included avocado and homemade chips on the side which were bursting with flavor. The main star in the course certainly was the salmon, and though slimy, the taste was a perfect combination of sweet and savory, which included little salt. Nevertheless, the saltiness of the chips made up for it. The only concept miss-
ing was the lack of attention to detail when it came to the plating. With each piece of food that was included in the meal on one side, it almost resembled a buffet on my plate. For the main course I ordered the filet mignon that I had heard so much about from their website. This mouth-watering entre unquestionably matched up to the images online when it came to presentation, and the taste was something else! Each piece of the filet melted inside of my mouth and was filled with juicy flavor. Nonetheless, there was little seasoning on the steak, however sometimes when it comes to a meal, less is more, and that was the case here. Savona’s combination of food and atmosphere is exquisite. If you ever have the chance to experience the beautiful restaurant that is Savona, it will be worth your while.
CHASE SHATZMAN ‘24
A plated Faroe Island Salmon Tartare served at Savona
The outside of Savona on in Gulph Mills
JEFFREY YANG ’22
Interested in the news? Have strong opinions about events on campus? Look for an upcoming email to find out how you can write for The Index!
Page 12
the index · on-campus opinions
campus opinions Grade-wide detention only unifies Sixth Form skippers Tyler Zimmer ‘21
I
enjoyed detention. I respected Dean of Students Mr. Luqman Kolade, and he respected me. I spent it writing, and he graded writing. He welcomed us into the Big Room and checked us off as if it was my fourth class of the day. “No games,” Mr. Kolade told the group of Sixth Formers. But we didn’t need games. We had each other. One student turned his head to see if Mr. Kolade was watching him. He was. They had this exchange of thoughts without uttering a word. I’m sure he was thinking, “Is he looking? Yes, he’s looking. Okay, fine. I’ll open a Google doc.” And so he did. The mood took a turn about ten minutes in. Spacebar clinks and divergent foot-
steps replaced smirks and giggles. As a howling wind crept through the top right window pane—a student must have left it unlatched in the fall—the sound transformed. I closed my eyes and listened. The sound would emerge and vanish, but after a few waves, I snapped back to reality. I could only focus on this noise because, simply put, it was the only noise. Everyone was so quiet. I enjoyed my three-by-four, imaginary glass house that surrounded my desk. I was on trial for my crime, and I could not post bail, so I had to wait. And wait I did. Haverford has never allowed me to do nothing, let alone forced me to. If I ever dozed off in class, I receive a figurative splash of water in my face—“Tyler, tell me what I just said about ultraviolet radiation.” Of course, I had no idea. But detention was no
I was on trial for my crime, and I could not post bail, so I had to wait. And wait I did. class. For me, it was a gift—more like a demand—to do nothing, and it forced me to be more attentive than I ever have. Who knew there is an exposed steel rafter? Why is the Big Room so illuminated? Out of twenty of my peers, who would have thought that almost all of them were getting ahead on their work? My brain wandered from insignificant details to the reason I was sitting there: group punishment. The purpose of this detention
Dear homophobic peers Quinn Luong ‘22
D
ear Homophobic Peers, I am tired of your blatant homophobia targeted to students like me and the Diversity Alliance. Over the course of the past weeks, I have now heard from several people who have told me what students at Haverford assume about Diversity Alliance and our logo: “Why do you have a rainbow as your logo? Diversity Alliance is full of gay people. I am not joining that gay club.” I was deeply saddened. I had this familiar lump stuck in my throat because it was difficult to process these homophobic comments. My sadness turned into exasperation. I was angered by the sheer audacity of my peers to gaslight our work in the Diversity Alliance. But I was not surprised because homophobia is not something new for this community. Incidents like these have been happening for a long time.
I remember begging my parents to leave at one point. Homophobia is a problem at Haverford. This is not about some misconstrued assumption about our logo with a rainbow on it. There is more than what meets the eye: institutionalized homophobia. The cycle of homophobia starts from little comments that seem “harmless.” That is so gay; you look so gay; stop being so gay, for example. These comments contribute to a toxic institutionalized homophobic culture. Peers have used these phrases to target students like me in this community who are different, exiling and humiliating them in front of their classmates. I have heard these comments ever since I came here in sixth grade.
I still hear them today. I am aware of people who were forced to leave this community in fear of trauma and abuse. I remember begging my parents to leave at one point. Trust me, it has been ugly. The recent history of institutionalized homophobia at Haverford dates back to 2004. A Black student approached the administration with the idea of creating a GayStraight Alliance (GSA), but it was struck down by the school board. Having a GSA was perceived as “too radical” by students and administration. It would take fourteen years for the first GSA to come about during my Third-Form year. This stigma has lasting ramifications. When the GSA was created just three years ago, few people joined because there was a toxic stigma associated with it. It still holds true today. You could not just be an ally in GSA because anyone who joined was seen as “gay” and immediately ostracized. I remember putting up GSA meeting posters all around the school. One day, I was walking down the stairwell after class among a crowd of students. Hurrying past a sea of bodies, I passed by one of the posters, and in the corner of my eye, I saw the “f–” slur visibly and unmistakably written on the poster. I remember standing there, shocked, scared for my life. Everyone walked past me, unnoticed and unbothered. I didn’t feel safe after that day. The vandalism is gone, but the student is not. I’ve experienced homophobia ever since I came to Haverford. After so many years, I am used to it. I should not be. I have worked so hard to build a safe and accepting space so that nobody would have to go through the torture and constant harassment I endured. Every time I lead a Chit-Chat & Chew, send a school-wide email, or write an article in the newspaper, I am conscious of the attention that is drawn
to me and the nasty things that I have been called. My peers have called me slurs behind my back, and now, they are targeting the Diversity Alliance with hateful and homophobic rhetoric. When it felt like the entire school hated me, I at least had a safe space to talk about it. The Diversity Alliance was that space. My peers attack and push back the Diversity Alliance in any possible way. It is either that we are too gay, too liberal, too boring, or that we are doing something wrong. I am tired of it. I have put my blood, sweat, and tears into making Haverford a more just and equitable space, and I am constantly scrutinized for my progressive actions. The Diversity Alliance Executive Team met various times, trying to change the logo because of the criticism we received. We thought the rainbow in the logo was the
February 2021
was to ensure that sixty or more of my peers attend school. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how low the bar was. And yet, this punishment was counterproductive. Every five minutes or so, I’d hear a muffled laugh from a student who, like me, was enjoying his detention, but didn’t want Mr. Kolade to find out. My peers would lock eyes, smirk, then turn away. This continued to happen intermittently. When my computer read “3:30,” and we were free, there was no sense of urgency. “You’re good,” Mr. Kolade announced, but students finished their paragraphs or problems before getting up. A handful of them remained seated and shared a laugh. It seemed as though everybody in the Big Room benefitted from detention. I made a few observations, my peers were more focused than I’d ever seen them, and Mr. Kolade had the chance to relax, as nobody made his supervising role overly difficult. Although I felt trapped in my small glasshouse for the hour, I did not feel alone. The twenty of us—the same can be said for the other rooms—were unified. If I am not alone in my opinion that Wednesday, February 10 from 2:30 to 3:30 was a pleasant and productive experience. I believe there was no punishment at all.
When it felt like the entire school hated me, I at least had a safe space to talk about it. The Diversity Alliance was that space. problem and people did not want to be associated with it. But we finally realized our community is the problem. Our peers were not just attacking our logo, but the Diversity Alliance altogether. Every day, I try to believe that Haverford is getting better. But every single time I do, I am reminded that it is not. My greatest fear is that all the work I have dedicated to Haverford will amount to nothing. I am terrified for the future generations of students who will have to bear similar traumas. I am not asking for your sympathy; I am calling for change. We must dismantle toxic masculinity within our community. We need to recognize that homophobia is a problem at Haverford, and unless we address it, nothing will change, and we all will be complicit.
A sticker in a language classroom window
PATRICK CORCORAN ’22
the index · off-campus opinions
Page 13
off-campus opinions
February 2021
Wall Street adjusts to a post-GameStop world Ethan Chan ‘23
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allstreetbets. Amateur daytraders. Reddit. Melvin Capital. Elon Musk. “To the
moon.” These are just some of the familiar names, companies, and phrases involved in the meteoric rise and fall of common stocks such as GameStop and AMC. Both stocks had risen over 500% respectively in a matter of days and caused over $400 million in losses for hedge funds such as Melvin Capital. Despite their near overnight success, what exactly fueled this phenomena? Earlier this year, a group of individual investors through a group better known as WallStreetBets planned to put a squeeze on several hedge funds on Wall Street. Hedge funds such as Melvin Capital bet on the fall of GameStop shares and WallStreetBets acted accordingly.
Both stocks [GameStop and AMC] had risen over 500% respectively in a matter of days and caused over $400 million in losses for hedge funds. Logically, this seemed impossible to pull off. These amatuer investors were going against analysts whose jobs revolved around the well-being of the stock market. Afterall, GameStop wasn’t a company that attracted investors. It was the type of store one would find on a strip mall. To exacerbate the poor returns of GameStop, it had been heavily affected by the pandemic. This was a dying company and only a miracle could save it from bankruptcy. The collective effort from these individual investors, small brokers, and others buying shares, this caused GameStop’s market value to sky rocket over $22 billion in less
than a week. The seemingly crazy increase in GameStop’s stock value caused an uproar in the business world, namely the younger generation with Wallstreetbets. In the eyes of many young GameStop investors, they
Elon Musk was seen as the dark horse in the GameStop scenario. His often sporadic tweets have resulted in the sudden rise and fall of Tesla shares. had leverage over these hedge funds and outsmarted them. Elon Musk was seen as the dark horse in the GameStop scenario. His often sporadic tweets have resulted in the sudden rise and fall of Tesla shares. By promptly stating “Gamestonks” on Twitter, the gaming company saw a substantial increase in stock price. At the time, there was no definite limit to GameStop and other common stocks that would follow suit, thus emerged the term “to the moon.” GameStop was very well on the course to the moon until Robinhood, a popular trading platform, stopped all trade for it and similar stocks. On the morning of January 28, Robinhood stated that it would prevent users from buying stocks such as GameStop in light of market volatility. In response, day traders and those involved went into a frenzy on the internet. Significant figures that advocated for the rights of the traders involved were not limited to Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Senator Ted Cruz. On Fox News, Portnoy firmly stated, “Somebody has to go to jail for this. This was intentional market manipulation.” Although no one knows who will be going to jail, CEO’s of Reddit, Robinhood, Melvin Capital, and Citadel Securities will testify before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee on February 18. After the
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Co-founder and co-CEO of Robinhood Vladimir Tenev speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2016 at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on May 10, 2016
(NASA/BILL INGALLS) WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Elon Musk, SpaceX Chief Engineer participates in a SpaceX Demonstration Mission 2 Launch Briefing on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 character in the 2013 film Wolf of Wall Street. Making his short-lived fortune off of “pumping and dumping” penny stocks, BelAlthough no one fort found success but was ultimately indictknows who will ed for security fraud and money laundering. be going to jail, Although many stockholders of GameStop and AMC won’t share the same CEO’s of Reddit, fate, there was a threshold that Belfort Robinhood, Melvin breached due to his greed that caused his Capital, and Citadel downfall. The urge to keep on holding for Securities will tesmany of these traders was a notion of greed and the unpredictability of these stocks. tify before the U.S. From these events, many lessons can be House Financial taken away. The rise of GameStop and other Services Committee. similar stocks were the byproduct of the united power of the people and the internet. events that occurred regarding Robinhood, Those who have a monopoly over the econoseveral stocks including GameStop saw high my and market can dictate to their interests. levels of short interest consequently dropGoing forward, the market is still unping the stock prices significantly. precedented in its next step. Will there be One can only think of former stock- a next GameStop? All we can do is see what broker Jordan Belfort, the infamous main will happen and “hold.”
the index · arts
Page 14
February 2021
arts
Notables in the COVID era Ethan Lee ‘24
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ne of the school’s distinctive groups, the Notables, stands among the many groups that have had to reformat operations in the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the a capella group is working hard to continue increasing their repertoire. To practice safely, no more than fourto-five boys are in Mr. Hightower’s room at once for rehearsal. The only times the group has actually “met up” is over Zoom. “We are doing four or five groups of boys in Mr. Hightower’s room at once because that is all we can do now,” Sixth Former Ben Fosnocht said. “We work in our voice parts as in a mixed group with one person from each voice part.” Additionally, Mr. Hightower created packages containing a microphone, microphone holder, and an audio interface for each person. There are microphone stands set up around the room where each singer puts their microphone on, all linking to Mr. Hightower’s computer in the middle of the room. “We are all spaced out so that we can be safe,” Third Former Render Ford said. “We use the microphones to hear each other instead of being near each other.” Members of the Notables also use the microphones at home to record songs. “The microphones allow us to have almost the same audio quality,” Fosnocht said. “It is good to have the technology that allows us to sound like we are still singing in
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The Notables in pre-COVID times, opening day, 2019 person.” Virtual students are still able to participate in the rehearsals. “[Mr. Hightower] has a Zoom projected on the board so that I can still participate in rehearsals even though I am virtual,” Fourth Former Harvey Penington said. Even though they practice in-person, about half of the group’s rehearsals are entirely online. “Every week we are in a different format,” Fosnocht said. “Any time we can rehearse in-person in sectionals or online over Zoom.” Unfortunately, The Notables have not been able to perform at all so far this year. Normally, they would have 40-50 perfor-
mances around different venues in a year, but they have only “performed” once this year in the virtual Winter Concert. But, the Notables plan to perform for graduation later this year. “A big part of being in the Notables is being able to perform,” Fosnocht said, “This year is just different.” Additionally, The Notables are working with Glee Club and Haverford’s sister schools to sing a rendition of “Non-Stop” from Hamilton. “I am really looking forward to both of these projects,” Fosnocht said. “I think they will turn out great.” Before these performances, the Notables released music for their cover of “Winter
Wonderland.” Filmed and edited by Third Former Pierce Laveran, the video was used as a way to publicize their Toys for Tots concert. “Since we don’t have any concerts this year, this video was a way to show people what we are doing,” Pennington said. “We only had a short amount of time to film, and I think Pierce did a great job efficiently shooting the entire video.” Even with all of these restrictions, members of The Notables are still happy with the work they are doing. “The whole group is committed to taking what we can get,” Fosnocht stated, “And making the time we have together as special as it always is.”
Architecture with a twist Jake Maddaloni ‘21
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ith awkward twists and turns, spectators might have to look twice at the “Dancing House” because, at first glance, the building looks like something from another world. Looking over land that was once the site of a bomb attack, the Dancing House’s contorted architecture cannot be compared to any other building in the Czech Republic, or the world, for that matter. Constructed in 1996, the Dancing House stands to memorialize the famous dancers, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The twists and peculiar features of the building symbolize the two legendary performers dancing.
The most distinct feature of this part of the building is the top of the tower, which has concrete scraps scultped to appear as Astaire’s hair. Initially, there was controversy surrounding the ethics behind the oddly shaped building because the general public believed it would take the attention away from the more traditional works of art located near the Dancing House. During the Dancing House’s origins, the public petitioned to stop the construction because it seemed out of place in a classic city like Prague. Still, the movement to assemble the building continued because famous architect Frank Gehry led and supported the cause. Gehry believed
that post-modern architecture needed to be unique and different from conventional buildings. “People ask me if I am an artist or architect, but I think they are the same,” Gehry said. The Dancing House is a complex twopart building, the left side of the tower represents Ginger Rogers and the right side represents Fred Astaire. The building’s left side displays twisted glass, which portrays Rogers dancing. One-third from the bottom of the building, a spectator can see the glass shoot out sideways with inclined columns jetting out from underneath. The glass flattening out represents Rogers’ skirt, and the columns serve to illustrate her legs. Alongside the contorted glass structure stands the second part of the Dancing House. Constructed purely with concrete, the right side of the building represents Fred Astaire. The most distinct feature of this part of the building is the top of the tower, which has concrete scraps sculpted to appear as Astaire’s hair. His side of the building has incredibly unique window architecture. The windows are non-linear to the ground, meaning the windows stick out towards the street. The feature of non-linear windows broke a barrier in post-modern art because instead of making something appear three-dimensional, art can genuinely be built three-dimensional. The Dancing House symbolizes more than one may think at first glance, which is why it is considered an authentic piece of post-modern art. The two dancers’ legacies continue into our time with the Dancing House. Despite the controversy that initially surrounded the Dancing House, it is now widely regarded as an architectural gem of
“People ask me if I am an artist or architect, but I think they are the same.” FRANK GEHRY Prague. Home to a restaurant with a 360-degree view of Prague, the Dancing House
offers world-class views within its unique deconstructivist-style building. Architects like Frank Gehry allowed the world of architecture to include structures that differ from the standard design. Still, many artists frown upon the idea of deconstructivism because some believe post-modern art is an eyesore. “Most of our cities built since the war are bland. They’re modernist, they’re cold, and now architects want to go back to that,” Gehry said.
The Dancing House, Prague, 2006
JAN SOKOL VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
the index · arts
Page 15
February 2021
Reflection of imperfection: Lucian Freud redefines the self-portrait Tyler Zimmer ’21
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r. Parker’s crossed legs and unblemished skin. Mr. Dixon’s luscious hair and relaxed shoulders. Dr. Cox’s content grin and professional poise. Down the hall from our beloved sweater hang eight flattering portraits of Haverford’s heads of school preceding Dr. Nagl. They highlight each man’s character and passion through facial expressions and still-life objects. Each portrait casts the man in his best light.
“The painter must give a completely free rein to any feeling or sensations he may have and reject nothing to which he is naturally drawn.” LUCIAN FREUD Portrait savant Lucian Freud took a completely different route in 1985—and his entire career—with his piece, Reflection (Self-Portrait). Characterized by harsh color contrasts and attention to unattractive detail, Freud redefines the typical portrait, favoring reality over illusion. “The painter must give a completely free rein to any feeling or sensations he may have and reject nothing to which he is naturally drawn,” Freud wrote in his autobiography. While many painters’ backgrounds influenced their work, Freud’s past defined his work. Grandson of Sigmund Freud—neurologist and creator of psychoanalysis—the need for a complete understanding of human emotion ran in the family. Oftentimes, Sigmund would leave Vienna, Austria, to visit Lucian’s family in Berlin. He gifted the young Lucian books, comic strips, and most importantly, paintings. Very quickly, Lucian Freud became an avid painter. “It is the only point of getting
up every morning: to paint, to make something good, to make something even better than before, not to give up, to compete, to be ambitious,” he said. But Freud did not take a conventional approach to painting. He became obsessed with the human body and portraits. Instead of focusing on the beauty of the human body, he brought out the truth. Benefits Supervisor Sleeping, his most profitable piece valued at $33.6 million, depicted a woman paying special attention to her burdened face and ample body. In order to fully understand Lucian Freud’s most famous portrait, his own selfportrait, you must think of him as more than a painter. His grandfather Sigmund studied the mind, and Lucian took Sigmund’s work one step further; Lucian Freud speaks about the same inner workings of the mind, just with a different medium: painting. Regarding his strategy on displaying real human emotion, he said, “The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes, and, ironically, the more real.” Up close, Reflection is made of large brush strokes. One would think large brush strokes take away Freud’s ability to capture small details, but this is not the case; it is purposeful. Freud uses large marks to create hard edges, ultimately casting a face that appears to have aged poorly. Rather than fading colors into a gradient, he uses chunky, blocked strokes that make his wrinkles more prominent. An escapee of Hitler’s Nazi regime, it is no surprise that Freud’s face reflects a difficult life. It follows the same pattern as his previous work, focusing on the hard truth. Nearing the end of his painting career Freud said, “Now the very least I can do is to paint myself naked.” Naked can be interpreted in one of two ways: nude, or revealing. While many of his portraits use the former—he said, “When I’m painting people in clothes I’m always thinking very much of naked people”— Freud uses the latter in Reflection. He reveals himself through the color palette.
Since the background is a cool, dull brown, Freud’s aging upper body appears directly in contrast. But just beneath his face is a shadow, not coincidentally the same color as the background. His olive skin tone darks contrast the yellow tinted brights, creating shadows within individual skin folds and furthering the wrinkle and old age premise. A handful of factors play into the title Reflection. Because of the contrast between contoured face and monochrome background, Freud appears closer to the viewer, hinting at the out-of-body experience we all
have when lost in thought. His eyes, notably disproportionate and asymmetrical, exist in non-parallel gazes, displaying both Freud’s imperfection as a man, but also his moment of self-reflection that the title insinuates. A portrait can be flattering, or it can be real; no man is as perfect as their pose. Freud never paints from a picture, and even allows his subject to move around; he painted his self-portrait in the mirror. Where many tell satisfactory and simple stories through their portraits and self-portraits, Lucian Freud aims to unsettle—he tells the truth. “It’s purely autobiographical,” he said.
sion. The show is named after its two main characters Wanda Maximov (Scarlet Witch) and Vision. WandaVision, like many other
Disney+ shows, is releasing one new episode per week, but, unlike The Mandalorian, this schedule may not be enough to retain their
viewers. The first episodes of the show did anything but make me want to watch the next one because I was so confused. Almost every episode of the show takes place in a different decade, with the first set in the 50s and the most recent episode taking place in the early 2000s. The show’s setting is a small town where everyone is in a trance, and the people in the trance are actors along with Wanda and Vision. Meanwhile, as everyone in the trance is acting in a show, the show itself is broadcast to the outside world. Eventually a government agency under the name of S.W.O.R.D. goes to investigate this phenomenon and discovers more of the broadcast. One of the major problems with this series is that there are many references to the past Marvel movies. If someone who had never seen a Marvel film began watching this show, they would be lost, and I cannot imagine that they would enjoy it. For Marvel fans, the show does improve as the puzzle pieces click together. WandaVision is just the first release of many Marvel television series that Disney+ has in the works, with Falcon and the Winter Soldier—a show that will most certainly trigger more excitement—debuting on March 19. WandaVision is most certainly complex and engaging, but I believe it is just a warm up for Disney+’s next move.
COURTESY OF GANDALF’S GALLERY LICENSED WITH CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Lucian Freud’s Reflection (Self-Portrait)
WandaVision challenges non-Marvel fans Connor Pinsk ’23
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espite a severe lack of advertising, Disney+ has released their newest TV series, WandaVi-
GAGE SKIDMORE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda) and Paul Bettany (Vision) at the 2019 San Diego Comic Con International
the index · sports
Page 16
February 2021
sports
Armed with a new coach, squash aims to maintan dominance Joey Kauffman ’23
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r. Alex Stait, the new squash coach, has operated at the upper level of his sport for quite some time. Born in England, Mr. Stait played professionally in the World Tour before he retired and started coaching. He
coached at Agnes Irwin for seven years before Haverford, where he watched the team go from 31st in the country to second. Mr. Stait also coaches the US men’s junior team in the world championships each year, an event in which he was able to
ETHAN LEE ‘24
Quintin Campbell ’21 in a match against Penn Charter on February 12, 2021
coach many of Haverford squash players. As Mr. Stait adjusts to Haverford, he hopes to continue the team’s success while fostering a strong sense of unity. “[Haverford] is one of the best teams in the country, which is a great thing, but also brings out other issues at times,” Mr. Stait said. “My role is really to make sure that [the competitiveness] doesn’t go over the top and to make sure that we’re all fighting together.” Indeed, the team has not only benefited from the extensive experience that Mr. Stait brings, but also from his leadership and team-building capabilities. His push for the team to “fight together” has transformed the culture from previous years. “Before, the team wasn’t that close together, but now, since Alex [Stait] and Coach Walters have come, we’ve really been able to become stronger as a team,” Sixth Form captain Matthew Wang said. The team’s recent match against EA, which they won 9-0, is one example of the benefits of the team environment. Wang said, “There were some tight matches [against EA], but that support that we’ve garnered together really pushes us to be an excellent team.” Still, team bonding alone does not win matches. Coach Stait wants the players to be at the top of their game, and one way he does this is by making sure they are physically the best they can be. “In my opinion, there’s no excuse for not being fit. You might not be as good as your opponent—they might be better than you—but fitness and that sort of thing is
just about hard work, and we won’t be losing matches because we haven’t worked hard enough,” Stait said. Team members have embraced the drills and focus on fitness. “I feel like [the drills and fitness] are really helping my game in general,” Fourth Form squash player Owen Yu said. “I feel like I’ve just been improving a lot more since school squash started.” In addition to coaching the upper school team, one of Mr. Stait’s more longterm goals is to make squash a more accessible sport. He described how, in England, squash is an inexpensive sport, with “a lot of different social demographics playing.” He said that it “couldn’t be any more different from here.” One reason for Haverford squash’s dominance is simply that we have access to squash courts and coaches while most schools around the country don’t. With US Squash, Mr. Stait is working to change that; one specific goal in the future is for the school team to partner with SquashSmarts, a free squash club in Philadelphia for public school students. At Agnis Irwin, Mr. Stait was able to coach three girls who had never joined a private squash club and turn them into varsity players. He wishes to do the same here and hopes that students “who aren’t members of private clubs will be able to come here and play.”
Swimmers adapt to new training Jake LaRocca ’22
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ollowing Winter Break, the swim team dove back into the pool for the first time since February 2020. The short season poses many challenges to the swimmers. A majority of the season is typically spent training, and the last month or so is dedicated to racing. This year, the team had its first meet on February 4, just one month after the start of practices. “The training we do as a team is usually broken up into three phases. Conditioning phase, power phase, and a taper phase,” Coach Sean Hansen said. “The first conditioning phase is four-to-five weeks long that focuses on the details of swimming: turns, stroke technique, underwater kickouts, and some aerobic conditioning to get into swimming shape. The second power phase is primarily the heaviest training of the year which takes place through winter break until we start our dual meet season in January. This consists of some anaerobic training, Aerobic Threshold training, and speed work. The final phase is our taper phase. The ‘taper’ concept is one in which you start to gradually decrease the amount of speed and power training while increasing your recovery time heading into a peak competition.” Instead, the team adopted a training style known as USRPT. The style shortens
Jack Deppen ‘21 at a swim meet on December 10, 2019 the lengths of practices but increases the intensity. “USRPT challenges our traditional training methodology of swimming slower all the time in hopes of building a big foundation and peaking after a rest or taper period. Instead, with USRPT, the goal is to swim fast all the time. If you want to swim fast, you have to train your body to perform fast. This training is combined with a complex dryland/lifting regimen that consists of both endurance and power lifts, all coupled with ample recovery time,” Coach Hansen said.
For practically all of the team, the training style is unique. However, the team seems to like the short, intense training. “I’m a huge fan of the training,” Sixth Former Koenig said. “As I am still recovering from a serious shoulder injury that had me sidelined for all of last season, I benefit from the training because I had to teach my body how to race again. The training has also given me an opportunity to ease back into it, as the lengths of practices are practically cut in half.” Despite the short season and other short-term obstacles, the Fords are still
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amped up to finish out the season. Sixth Former Jack Deppen is confident with how the team has done despite all the obstacles. “It seems like every single week there is something that gets in the way of our practices. Since we can’t practice on weekends or days off, we definitely have limited time in the pool,” Deppen said. “We’re definitely bringing the intensity to practices in the pool as well as in the weight room. I’m proud of everyone’s hard work and am confident we can finish our season strong.”
