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The Index Ευταξια Σωζειν Δοκει
February 2018
Volume LXXXV, No. 5
Haverford, Pennsylvania
www.havindex.com
A house divided: racial tensions fester
Nick Chimicles ’19 INDEX STAFF
Calvin McCall ’19, Jesse Goldman ’19, Dan Whaley ’19, and Jackson Overton-Clark ’19 stare down racial divides.
It’s twenty-five minutes into B lunch. In the Sixth-Form corner in the back of the library, laughing and shouting white kids toss printer paper at each other in a dry, indoor snowball fight. The yearbooks of ’82 and ’87, with the “most likely to be a
terrorist” and “most likely to be deported” superlatives, excite some “make Haverford great again” spirits. Out of the library, down the central, concrete steps to the ground floor, outside of Ball Auditorium, the black kids speak on
Call me Father: Mickey Fairorth VINCENT SCAUZZO ’20
the latest white use of n——, hushed and unwelcome. Some angry, some indifferent, some betrayed — all brought their lunches here, the hidden corner of Wilson Hall. Over the past year, four uses of the harshest racial epithet by non-black students
have reached the Honor Council the latest
resulted in the expulsion of a student whose racial attack of a black Instagram personality leaked to the Haverford community and the public.
Mrs. Thomas: in memoriam
cont. pg. 5
VINCENT SCAUZZO ’20
By the time Mickey Fairorth graduates from Seminary in 2028, he will not be known as “Mickey from the Cross Country team,” or “The kid who really likes math,”
or even, “that guy who got the award for the PennDot project.” cont. pg. 3
COURTESY OF MICKEY FAIRWORTH ’19
Mickey Fairorth ’19 with his seminary acceptence and Bible.
MR. JIM ROESE
Winter track catapults towards new records pg. 19
“Full of energy and loved life.” That is how Director of Lower School Learning and Support Dr. Carol Ann Luongo described former Lower School Librarian Mrs. Nancy Thomas. The school mourns the loss of Mrs. Thomas, who was the Librarian for 29
years and retired in 2018. She passed away on January 30 unexpectedly, leaving behind a legacy and a love of reading in all boys who went through the Lower School. cont. pg. 10
Mrs. Nancy Thomas poses with Simon Dombar ’25.
QUINN LUONG ’22
Pan-Asian Alliance emerges pg. 10
INDEX STAFF
Page 2
The Index - Editorial
February 2019
Haverford needs to attack racism with true brotherhood As we head into the new year, we have much to focus on for the upcoming 2019. The ebbs and flows of Haverford’s timeline are not immune to misunderstandings betwee various demographics. Racial tensions remain. Considering the limited diversity in our student demographics, our student body has continued to experience intolerance. With issues such as the n-word carelessly used, the blind eye to racism against Asian and South Asian Americans, and the occasional lack of empathy, our school can do much better. And we will. The Index hopes to dive deep into the underlying sources of student body struggle. A lack of empathy and basic respect is evident in our community. Especially regarding political issues, the student body can grow divided. Certain groups choose not to listen to others simply because they see “fake news” or “softness,” while the opposite is also problematic: opposing perspectives refuse to believe that finger-pointers have any moral stance, blinding them from an open mind. Here at The Index, we recognize the importance of representing many sides through respectful discourse. Recently, the administration has been working to take action in order to target these tensions and foster acceptance within the student body. A couple of weeks ago, Haverford hosted its first Sixth Form Leadership retreat, in which influential Form VI student leaders of our community
convened to discuss the state of our community and leadership goals. Leaders looked to take action against the problem, and more can be found in “‘A Haverford Divided’: racial tensions fester” by Nick Chimicles ’19. In addition, crucial student organizations have been pushing for a diverse voice within their leadership. The Honor Council, one of our most integral judiciary institutions, is partnering with our Diversity Alliance to include a Diversity Liaison, who has the ability to mediate and influence discourse during hearings, but not make voting decisions. Nikhil Chakraborty ‘19 delves deep in his news story. We describe ourselves as a brotherhood,
with our all-boys environment being one of the reasons why Haverford succeeds at what we do. However, as we chip away at the surface of this “brotherhood,” we start to discover pockets of untrustworthiness and cliques, as evidenced by incidents of group exclusion as well as intolerance. At times, we don’t know if we can really trust our “brothers” or be vulnerable in certain situations, as many note a “toxic atmosphere” sometimes suffusing our halls. Finding a community that not only transcends racial boundaries but also fosters a core of trust is a goal that The Index has for our student body this new year. Let’s make this brotherhood a reality, one
where we can not only accept but celebrate our differences and what makes us who we are as men. The Index has an exciting future in store for you. In this issue and our subsequent issues, you will find provocative opinions, interesting experiences, suggestions for change, and, of course, your traditional stream of news and analysis. Disagree with an opinion? Have a better experience or idea to share? Notice something newsworthy that we missed? We hope to see an article from you in the next issue.
Index Editors-in-Chief Nick Chimicles ’19 (left) and Neetish Sharma ’19 (right) and Managing Editors Toby Ma ’20 and Yan Graf ’20.
INDEX STAFF’
The Index’s
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.
2018-2019 Staff
Nick Chimicles ’19 and Neetish Sharma ’19, Editors-in-Chief Yan Graf ’20, Managing Editor Toby Ma ’20, Features Editor Obaida Elamin ’20, Design Editor Matthew Schwartz ’20, News Editor Vincent Scauzzo ’20, Features Editor Daniel Chow ’20, Features Editor
Nick Chimicles ’19, Head Web Editor Lleyton Winslow ’20, Head Web Editor Noah Rubien ’20, Web Editor Aditya Sardesai ’20, Web Editor
The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed on Mac OS X, using Adobe InDesign CS 2018. Its surveys are conducted via SurveyMonkey and are advertised on Facebook 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 1156 community members, consisting of 956 students and 200 faculty and staff members.
Robert Esgro ’19, Opinions Editor Yeshwin Sankuratri ’20, Asst. Opinions Editor Jon Krouse ’20, Off-Campus Opinions Editor
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.
Tyler Zimmer ’21, Arts Editor Augie Aliaga ’21, Arts Editor Ms. Alicia Evans, Faculty Advisor Ryan LaRocca ’20, Sports Editor Mr. Thomas Stambaugh, Faculty Advisor
Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 index@haverford.org Twitter: @Haverford_Index http://www.havindex.com/ (610) 642-3020 x. 1222 Volume LXXXV, No. 5 - February 7, 2018
Page 3
The Index - Features
The man behind the glasses
by Tyler Neave ’21
Dr. Nagl showing off a picture in his office on January 29, 2019.
TYLER NEAVE ’21
Everyone knows Dr. John Nagl as the man in the hallways, walking to the dining hall, or sitting in his office working through all the problems a school could have. He is the man whistling Christmas carols while walking through the wintry weather, the man that gives you a friendly smile and firm handshake as you pass him in the hallways. But what we students see is just the tip of the iceberg of what we know about Head of School Dr. John A Nagl. Lt. Colonel Nagl (ret.) graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1988 as a Second Lieutenant in the Army and then spent twenty years serving his country. He served as a Tank Platoon leader in the 1st Cavalry Division in Operation Desert Storm. He also spent time as a teacher at West Point as a Captain. After his time as tank commander and teacher, he led his career towards the Pentagon, where he served as a Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, where he helped Wolfowitz understand the war in Iraq and Afghanistan against Al-Qaeda. Dr. Nagl did not leave the Pentagon without dipping his toes into politics. He is quite willing to share his opinion, whether it is through his Twitter page or articles published by The New York Times. He has covered
February 2019
subjects ranging from President Trump to the resignation of the Secretary of Defense. Dr. Nagl called the recent government shutdown “appalling” and said that it is “a grievous self-inflicted wound.” He believes that as a superpower of the world, the United States should start acting like one and relieve itself of internal conflict. In Dr. Nagl’s New York Times article about the retirement of former Marine Corps General and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, he writes that General Mattis retired because he believed President Donald Trump had been negatively affecting the United States and its allies. Dr. Nagl thinks Mattis believed that Trump was ruining the social and economic systems in the United States, and he did not want to be a part of that anymore. Some students believe that Dr. Nagl is a mighty power, strutting through the hallways like a god, commanding everything that happens. But Dr. Nagl is just as much of a person as every one of us. You may seem his name underneath an article about generals, but he is the same guy who sends emails congratulating sports teams, announcing dressdown-days, and yelling “BEAT NAVY” after every Army-Navy game. Dr. Nagl is just a man, but he is our man.
Call me Father: the story of Mickey Fairorth continued from the front page... He will be “Father Mickey” — a young man who will perform baptisms, confirm Catholic youth, and be able to recite Bible passages from memory… in Latin. Next year, Sixth Former Mickey Fairorth will attend St. Charles Borromeo Seminary at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to become a Catholic priest. And yes, it will take nine years. Becoming a Catholic priest takes much determination, patience, and sacrifice, and Fairorth will learn all about this during his time there. But a person does not just wake up one day and decide he wants to be priest — it takes a lot of thought and inspiration for someone to take on such a commitment. Fairorth, having grown up Catholic, decided in eighth grade he wanted to advance his faith and “make it his own.” In high school, he really started to commit to it, “investing time in praying and going to [his] parish youth group.” By the time junior year came around and the college process was beginning, Fairorth had to stop himself and ask where he was going next in life. “As I thought and prayed about it more,” he said, “it just became clear to me the next step in my life would be the priesthood.” He added that another inspirational factor was “the actual application process itself. There’s a lot of steps to it, one of them writing a seven-page autobiography about yourself, and another was a seven-hour psychological evaluation.” “Despite all that, it felt right and peaceful,” Fairorth said, “whereas the college process was more stressful and always this thing bogging me down.” Fairorth did look at some traditional colleges and actually applied to Notre Dame, where he would pursue religious studies. Still, he said he only applied there based on when he would hear back from the Seminary. Having applied for Seminary in September, he figured it would be a good idea to put
his name down for an early decision college, just because he would hear back from both places at the same time. As one might expect, the curriculum at Seminary is quite different from a traditional college. It takes five years at Seminary to get a degree in Philosophy. “The reason it’s five years is because for one year, there are no academic classes,” he said. “Throughout that time, I’m supplementing that with theology, Latin, Classics — all along that same trend. The next four years are theology, and after that, I would get one or two Masters. One would definitely be a Masters in Divinity, which basically means theology specifically about Jesus.” Fairorth will graduate as a Diocesan Priest — one who serves the region he lives in as opposed to one specified by a religious order. Asked about moving up the religious hierarchy (like a Bishop or Archbishop), Fairorth replied, “It’s not something I have a lot of control over. It’s more the high authorities picking you to be a Bishop and keep moving up. It’s not so much that you earn it or do certain things that qualify you, but if certain Bishops have seen that this person is doing a good job or that they are really good at running an administration, then that would qualify. To answer your question, it would be far off, but I could see it.” When Fairorth takes on this role, he must reset his priorities around the Church and his community. Having been asked what this lifestyle would hopefully do for him, Fairorth gave a revealing answer. “The broad and overall answer is for me to become holier and eventually get to heaven,” said Fairorth. “Although, I think it’s less about what I want and more about what God wants.” As a Christian, Fairorth has allowed God to guide his life. He let that faith influence his decision regarding applying to Seminary, and he felt God was there “in a lot of small
ways, being quiet in prayer and feeling my heart pulled certain ways.” Fairorth stressed how he felt so at home and at peace on the Seminary campus. “I can just picture myself there more than a college,” he said. “When the time for deciding came around, I found out I would be hearing back from the Seminary December 12th, and then Notre Dame December 14th. Going into that, I knew if I got accepted to Seminary, then I would be going, even if I got accepted to Notre Dame. So, sometime in November or December, I knew going into that week what I was set on.”
As for Fairorth’s interest in science and math, there will not be much room for that at the Seminary. “The curriculum is pretty set, so it’s not really an option to get a degree in that or even take classes in that. I would like to, on my own, keep that hobby alive in some sense. There are some priests who end up specializing in something like that.” When Fairorth joins the Seminary this Fall, he will be one of only five kids from the region, and twenty from around the country in his “freshman” class at St. Charles. It will be a long, but peaceful journey.
COURTESY OF MICKEY FAIRORTH ’19
Fairorth holding his acceptance letter from Father Charles Borromeo Seminary and a Bible.
Page 4 The topic of immigration remains on most American minds. The increasingly interconnected world has made immigration accessible to all corners of the planet; modern transportation has enabled an easier, cheaper, and faster means for searching a better job, education, and opportunities. Nevertheless, conflict, poverty, inequality, and a lack of sustainable life necessities compels and forces people to immigrate. Immigrant stories are sometimes joyous and successful, but other times feature the adversities and complications immigrants face in their journey. While we may know of some narratives that spotlight members of the global community, some are unaware of the Haverford community’s stories. Sra. Lambour finished her education in Guatemala, not the United States. “I was never necessarily migrating,” she said. “That was never one of my goals.” During one of Sra. Lambour’s visits to her mother’s two sisters, one of whom lives in Pennsylvania, she met her husband. Having family in the States was helpful throughout the process of immigration since, even though she traveled and moved to America without anyone from Guatemala, her husband was with her throughout the immigration process. He was also a U.S. citizen and provided protection and security for Sra. Lambour. Sra. Lambour then returned to Guatemala as she was finishing college while her husband was in New York. Prior to FaceTime, the two could only communicate by calling each other. With a tourist visa, however, she was able to travel back and forth as many times as she wanted; this freedom is not necessarily the case for those with student visas. Sra. Lambour visited her husband several times before the two moved to Asia for a year, since her husband found work there. Eventually, they decided it was time to move back to the United States and get married. At that time, Sra. Lambour was determined to stay in the U.S.; she was 26 years old at that time. The marriage happened in August 2004 and after that, Sra. Lambour was able to work full time in the US. “During that time [before I was married] I volunteered a lot, but I couldn’t work,” she said. “Once I got my green card, it was fairly easy. My immigration story, I mean it’s great, it’s a love story, whatever, but it’s not really a struggle. Things happened relatively quickly.” Nevertheless, the process was still stressful. “When you submit your paperwork, it’s a complex form, and you’re not sure, and it says in big letters ‘You’re swearing that everything you say is 100% accurate,’” she said. “They ask you ‘When was the last time
The Index - Features
you left the country, list every single time you’ve come and gone,’ and then you’re trying to remember the dates and looking at the passports and the stamps.” During the interview for the green card, Sra. Lambour had to prove that she was truly married and that obtaining legal status was not the main goal of the marriage. She described her anxiety and preparations for the questions she thought the interviewing officer was going to ask about her husband’s behavior. “So I studied his tooth-brush, the size of his shoes, and I created all these pictures and picture albums to prove we were together,” Mrs. Lambour said. “They didn’t ask for it though, they don’t care. So much so that at the end of interview, I told the guy, ‘Look, I made all these pictures for you, do you want to see them?’and he was like, ‘No,’ and I said, ‘But I insist, they’re good pictures!’” An advantage Sra. Lambour had was her education at a bilingual school in Guatemala. With this, she felt comfortable reading the forms that used to only be widely available in English. In April of this year, Sra. Lambour earned her citizenship. She was not sure if she wanted to become a citizen because she would be forced to give up her citizenship to Guatemala. “It’s not just the technicality of the passport, you pledge allegiance to the United States. I love this country, it’s my home now, but I didn’t know how I felt about that,” she said. However, after the 2016 election, Sra. Lambour’s kids started to feel anxiety over that fact that their mother did not have citizenship. “They were scared that perhaps I wasn’t going to be allowed to live in the country,” she said. “I didn’t feel like that was a healthy thing for them to be feeling.” Another factor for her decision to become a citizen was her feeling of powerlessness. Sra. Lambour felt that it was important for everyone to voice in democratic processes like the election. Her family in Guatemala did not have any opinion of her decision to stay in the U.S., partly because two of her aunts already lived in the United States. “They were already used to it and thought, ‘Well, somebody in the generation is going to move there,’” Sra. Lambour said. “They did have a little bit of a scare when we moved to Asia before; that terrified them because that was too far. It’s more about the distance and access thing, than anything else.” Sra. Lambour does miss her relatives at home; however, she is able to travel back and forth and has the ability to see one another using FaceTime at least a couple times every
February 2019
Jeffrey Yang ’22
Fords immigrants under the spotlight: Sra. Lambour Upper School Spanish teacher Sra. Susana Lambour’s complex journey through the immigration process
week. She also sees pictures of them on Facebook and Instagram. “So, you still feel like you’re part of their life. I think that if that part wasn’t there, I would miss them terribly,” she said. One cultural difference Sra. Lambour misses from Guatemala is the less pressure on the students to juggle many activities at once, including sports. In addition, she yearns the time for family gatherings built into the culture in Guatemala. “You get together with everyone all the time; not just for Christmas or Thanksgiving,” she said. “That’s something that I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to.” Lastly, other than her family, she misses the fruit found in Guatemala the most.
“I try to encourage my students to try multiple methods to find solutions. I want my students to leave my class as flexible problem solvers.” “The fruit, oh, my gosh, the fruit there is so good!” she said. “There’s this little Guatemalan fruit that’s only in season
Sra. Susana Lambour enjoying time with her husband, Rick Smotkin, in Long Island, New York, in April 2002.
INTEL CHEN ‘19
for like four or five months of the year. It’s called jocote and literally it’s a big giant pit with a little bit of fruit around. So it’s kind of time-consuming to eat it, but they’re so good!” On current immigration topics, Sra. Lambour emphasized the uniqueness in every immigration story. “I think there is danger in grouping the immigration experience to one experience,” she said. “People tend to hyper focus on the biases when the news tell the stories.” “By no means do I think criminal activity is okay, but seeking asylum is a legal right. And so, I don’t think we’ve done a good job in educating our people as to what the rights of somebody seeking asylum are and what the process is like,” Sra. Lambour said. “We wait until there’s some sort of catastrophe to have the news come out and give people a very skewed version of what the reality of the process is like,” she continued. “I wish that we could welcome everybody, and I understand the necessity of the process. It’s emotional for me to see the news; I try to understand both sides of the story by hearing and reading, but it’s definitely not easy.”
COURTESY OF SRA. LAMBOUR
Page 5
The Index - News
February 2019
A house divided: racial tensions fester continued from the front page... “I’m used to it at this point, numb to it,” Jackson Overton-Clark ’19 said, a black “super-lifer” who first heard n—— at Haverford in the third grade. “Ignorant things are said on the daily. Oh, the times I’ve wanted to say something, but I knew that it wasn’t a great idea because I was going to be outnumbered anyway. Even though we were in the same classes, there was always this added layer that made it harder for me to be happy at this school, to stay at this school,” Overton-Clark said. Calvin McCall ’19, another member of the black community, described his encounter with the n-word at a house party: “There were two white students saying the n-word to each other right next to me; it’s like they didn’t remember I was black. Put in this situation, other white kids were asking ‘what are you going to do about it?’ They told me to punch one of the students, but I couldn’t do that, even though he deserved it. ‘Best thing we can do now is blow it off and act like it never happened,’ they said. But, no I can’t blow it off. I’m not going to forget it.” Some informal social events have been epicenters for racist language and segregation. “We saw a divide of black and white kids at parties,” Dan Whaley ’19, member of the Diversity Alliance said. “[I heard that] kids were getting kicked out, saying they weren’t wanted. [White students] were using the n-word and saying ‘We don’t want you here.’ It’s the first time racial tension came up for me.” Such incidents have noticeably split black and white students onto different sides of the bleachers, of Wilson Hall, of Haverford, contrary to Haverford’s Principles of Community, which call for a “supportive, inclusive, and diverse community.” “What [the administration] would aspire to have is broad connection across racial lines, across socioeconomic lines, across interest lines,” Dean of Students Mr. Mark Fifer said. “We recognize the fact that it’s certainly normal for individ-
uals with similar backgrounds to want to be with one another. There’s a certain level of comfort that comes with that. I wouldn’t want to send the message that that’s wrong or bad: it’s normal, it’s positive. But, I’d like to see more spaces in the school in which there are connections across lines of difference.” Despite these inclusive objectives, Jesse Goldman ’19 said, “In our overarching culture in some parts of our community, whether it’s racism, political discussion, or any interaction with another human being, we fall short of a common, basic idea of respect. We reward humor about making people feel different . . . Predispositions and stereotypes, they are part of what makes us human, they are protective methods. But, I think that sometimes we’re afraid to make the unpopular decision. We need to be less afraid to do that. We’re gonna have to get a little bit better at feeling uncomfortable standing up for what’s right.” With national anthem protests in the NFL, police shootings of black men, and people in blackface and KKK garb on the Virginia governor’s medical yearbook page, the nation itself is racially divided. After the 2016 election, OvertonClark saw that division fester in his own school’s culture. “Whether or not you like the current president, he’s enabled people to hate; not that there wasn’t hatred before. I’ve seen that trickle into our community,” Overton-Clark said. “After the election, when everyone’s going around high fiving and black people are ‘in their bag,’ no one thought to ask. [I was thinking,] ‘I’ve been in your class for fourteen years, but you still don’t care about my opinion.’” Few black students lead Haverford clubs and institutions such as the Honor Council, Student Council, or the Character Mentorship Program, the Diversity Alliance being an exception. “There is not enough representation for African-Americans in Haverford institutions,” McCall said. “Some black kids aren’t outgoing enough, but also Haverford doesn’t cultivate a sense
Data from haverford.org.
of belonging for these kids in those institutions. Black kids assume they won’t be welcomed, so they don’t want to be a part of it. So they keep to themselves to get an education and get out. They don’t think the institutions and fitting into the social structure will benefit them as much as they do a white kid.” “Sometimes it’s us being teenagers. I’ve heard a lot of my friends say, ‘I really just don’t care,’” Whaley said. “Other times, there isn’t as much of a connection with the Haverford community.” Overton-Clark takes issue with how the administration has handled disciplining of racial issues and regulating of the school’s racial climate: “The administration doesn’t know how to handle these situations. If you’re not of a certain demographic, you aren’t going to understand what it’s like to be there. But when you’re the administration of an entire school, you’re not the leaders of just one group or one type of student. You’ve got to use the resources you have at school to understand the other perspective. Some people are afraid to ask, afraid to ask ‘What’s it like to be black?’ and then they just assume. It’s not that we don’t have the resources or the peo-
NICK CHIMICLES ’19
A Diversity Alliance leadership meeting on February 5. This board plans inclusivity conferences and fosters empathetic communication at Diversity lunches.
AUGIE ALIAGA ’21
ple; it’s that we’re afraid to talk to each other.” But, according to Mr. Fifer, the administration has tried to foster a diverse community: “I try to learn, try to put myself in spaces that will help me learn, try to talk to people who help me build perspective on some of the issues our community is dealing with. Broadly, there is a team of faculty and a team of administrators who want to make sure that this community is inclusive and safe and that all students feel valued. We’re trying to get there.” Some white students criticize black students for not following the dress code, despite wanting to feel included in the Haverford community. “[The administration] says, ‘In order to be allowed at the school and be welcomed, you need to wear the dress code,’” Overton-Clark said. “For me, you’re saying we need this to feel welcome in the community, but you as an administration aren’t doing the things for me to feel valued in the community, so why should I wear the dress code?” Feeling divided, unsupported by the administration, and being of similar background, Black Fords have always banded together independently and in organizations like BSU and Diversity Alliance. “Black is a grade,” Overton-Clark said. “Back when I was freshman, black people of every grade would hang out after school and play basketball. It was one of the coolest things as a freshman and a sophomore to hang out with the older kids, and feel included, and play ball, and feel appreciated. [We do it] because we need each other, especially for the ones who feel like they aren’t valued. There’s not that many of us, we need to have each other’s back, to care about each other.” “We have identified this racial issue as a school crisis,” Goldman said. “What convinces me is that people come to school every day feeling a certain hurt. School’s a place to learn and to make friends, and nobody deserves a school where that’s not what’s going on, where that’s not in the front of their minds. You don’t have to be personally involved to realize that.” cont. pg. 16
Page 6
The Index - News
February 2019
Baoer Li helps pre-med Penn students JAMES WANG ’21
A University of Pennsylvania medical professor contacted Fourth Former Baoer Li, seeking help. The professor wanted to give her premedical students the opportunity to gain some experience in a functional hospital. Pre-med students need the experience so that they can move on to become medical students. In America, it is difficult for premed students to gain experience because they lack a license, which is required to work in a hospital. When an opportunity arose in a Chinese hospital, the professor wanted help planning the trips. She reached out to someone she knew was knowledgeable about China. Li, having lived in China, got down to work. “Planning the trip is not that easy, because
there are a lot of technicalities,” said Li. Because this trip was not a Penn-sponsored program, Li had to manage funding and communications with the hospital. Last year, the organizers were not ready to register the trip as a Penn program, so they had to get the funding on their own.
Li gathered some Chinese international students, and the pre-med students who were going on the trip all became part of the group. The international students shared a lesson on Chinese culture and language, while the pre-med students gave one on American culture. During their discussions, the professor
grew interested in Chinese culture. The students needed to know about Chinese culture and traditional medicines, so the professor decided to start a group where Chinese and American culture could be exchanged. Li gathered some Chinese international students, and the pre-med students who were going on the trip all became part of the group. The international students shared a lesson on Chinese culture and language, while the pre-med students gave one on American culture. They met every weekend nearing the trip and now they meet every two weekends. Sometimes they invite guest speakers who discuss the Chinese medical system, go to museums to view American history, or do service projects in Chinatown. Li and another international students organize the planning for the group meetings.
They contact the pre-med students at the beginning of the year to set up a schedule. “I think the most important things is balancing the Chinese international student part and the pre-med student part. You really have to plan the time to interest both of the parties,” Li said. The meeting would be split up: for example, the first half would be teaching the pre-med students about how Chinese use Alipay to pay with their phones, while in the second half the pre-med students would help the international students by giving a mock interview. Li believes that “the communication is important, you have to really talk to the two groups and find out what they want and what you can give.”
Sixth Formers sick with “senioritis?” JOE BONINI ’19 & SHANE FORDHAM ’19
Many students would say they experience “senioritis” even when they are not on the cusp of graduating. But some Sixth Formers may deserve the term because of their lower motivation left in school. It affects teachers as well, because they to have to try to energize students. Typically “senioritis” causes tension between the teachers and the students. However, “with the reputation of [the Sixth Form] over the past few years, I have been impressed with the focus and how you’ve been able to apply yourselves,” said science teacher Dr. Holly Golecki. Through her interaction with the Sixth Form, Dr. Golecki has not seen students slacking off. She handles the problem by constructing her projects around the Sixth Formers’ energy. Her students do the popular bottle-rocket project for the last unit when they feel the most “done” with their career. Teachers have different ways to handle Sixth Form effort levels. Some would rather exhibit no change to keep the students accountable. Dean of Students Mr. Fifer said, “‘Senioritis’ [is a] slippery slope to have students take a year off then expect to be able to pick up when they’re in the collegiate environment.” Sixth Former Troy Barnes, Jr., is not suffering from senioritis. Barnes said, “I have a very grinding mentality. I have information that I want to learn. I have courses that I have selected for the second semester that I want information from, so I am going to work to get the information and get the grades I want.” While Sixth Formers acknowledge senioritis, art teacher Ms. Zoë Blatt describes
it as a “myth,” meaning it is not something she believes to be real. Still, she has noticed students are not completing assignments on time and not focusing during class. “[They are] not pushing themselves to be their best selves,” said Ms. Blatt. Perhaps because she has fewer Sixth Formers this year, she is not seeing any signs of senioritis so far. Ms. Blatt said that sometimes senioritis begins to surface once Sixth Formers are accepted into college. “The most committed students will change their attitude towards their work, their attitude towards the class, their attitude towards school in general,” Ms. Blatt said. According to Ms. Blatt, these shifts in attitude are mostly seen during the first period, after socializing with friends during lunch, and at the end of the day. Mr. Fifer understands why Sixth Formers lose focus, but he would like for students to still feel accountable for their work. He hopes students will use the graduation project in a constructive manner rather than using it as an excuse to close up shop early. Mr. Fifer also disagrees with the term, “senioritis” and wishes to “take it out of the vernacular,” he said. On the other side of “senioritis” are the students. “I started to lose motivation to do work because I have submitted to all the colleges I wanted to,” Sixth Former Alex Sun said. “Junior year was the grind year, and now it’s done.” Students start to lose focus after submitting or hearing back from their top choice. While tending to grow frustrated at teachers, Sun acknowledged that teachers are simply doing their job when they hold their expectations at the end of the year.
Sixth Former Junius Jones, IV, crashes on a coach on the gorund floor of Wilson Hall.
SHANE FORDHAM ’19
JOE BONINI ’19
Sixth Formers in the senior corner of the library, January 30, 2019. Tetris, chess and social media occupy their time.
Sixth Former Sam Gavula said, “I experienced [senioritis] a little, but I just feel less stress.” Comitting to The University of Pennsylvania took pressure off Gavula, but it did not force him to stop trying in school. Penn is prestigious and still requires good grades in the second semester, so Gavula understands the need to continue working. Gavula also acknowledged that teachers are doing their job towards the end of the year. “It’s a very exciting time, second-semester senior year because everyone is excited about getting into college,” Dr. Golecki said. “I enjoy the energy.” English teacher and Head Track coach Mr. Kolade said for this semester, it is too early to tell whether or not senioritis is present within the Sixth Form. “Part of the reason that we have the senior English electives is to help eliminate that idea because you’re choosing to be in a class,” Mr. Kolade said.
Because seniors get to pick what classes they are interested in and what classes they take in the new semester, Mr. Kolade thinks that senioritis is less likely to make an appearance because students will want to be involved in their classes. Although he has not witnessed many signs of senioritis in class so far, Mr. Kolade recalls noticing more of a change of attitude in track and in other sports. “I have seen it in the past on the track,” Mr. Kolade said. “Kids not showing up, kids quitting. Kids who have been part of the team for a couple years deciding they don’t want to do it, kids saying well I am not going to run this, I’m not going to do this in college, so why does it matter?” Sixth Former Bryce Broadus said, “If I’m committed to a sport, I’m going to work at the sport regardless.”
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Over the last two months, the administration has called into question fan behavior at sporting events. After the events of EA Day, Head of School Dr. Nagl even went so far as to question the future role of the student fan section in school culture going forward. But recent developments have given many reasons to believe that the student section is alive and well, having seen the error of its ways. Coming on the heels of an EA Day marred with unruly fan behavior, and a follow-up piece by Sixth Form Index editor Nick Chimicles who brought to light the flaws of student fan behavior, many students felt the eyes of the administration looming as the basketball matchup with Malvern approached. Leading up to the January 18 showdown between the two Inter-Ac powerhouses, Sixth Formers and underclassmen alike were sensing the gaze of Dean of Students Mr. Mark Fifer, Athletic Director Mr. Mike Murphy, and Upper School Head Mr. Patrick Andrén, as the game would mark the first significant home game since EA Day. The game, a heart-pounding 93-90 overtime victory, provided a platform for the reformed fan section to show their spirit. “The behavior was better, of particular note was there seemed to be more self-regulation by students of other students, which is always ideal. It was a pretty charged environment as I understand, obviously Malvern being a peer boys school, and us having a significant competition with them made it a charged environment, but I heard it was, for the most part, pretty good, ” Mr. Fifer said. Many students believed the EA Day backlash and coinciding Index article to be a shot across the bow, advising the
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student body of the revised fan expectations moving forward. “I think the behavior has had a little to do with the Index article,” Sixth Form crowd stalwart Will Griffiths said. “But I think it also has had a lot to do with Mr. Fifer talking to student leaders such as myself, Ben Gerber, Student Council President Biagio DeSimone, just to name a few. He spoke to many people, just to check in and make sure we all keep it in check and make us aware with what’s going on with the school, and letting us know that we are under a microscope with the school, and especially with EA moving forward.” A large, yet informal aspect of the Haverford community, the fan section
February 2019
is designed around student-led chants and cheers, usually corralled by the designated student “Field House Phanatic.” This Sixth Former is picked by his predecessor, and with the moniker comes the weight of keeping the crowd in line at events. This year’s Phanatic, A.J. Aivazoglou, said, “I think it [fan behavior] has changed in the way that we understand the community guidelines and really what we can and can’t do about things we can say explicitly and things we can’t say… There has been more attention put on watching us at the games. I feel like we always kind of keep each other in line during the games when things get crazy, so I think everyone has kind of
continued as always to keep things settled, especially with Mr. Murphy and the faculty around us at all times.” Among the administration, Mr. Andrén has been the most pleasantly surprised at the improved behavior of the fans since EA Day saying, “I think that it is a prime example of seniors taking a helm of leadership. That there was an article, or something surfaced, and seniors took this mantle of leadership, and made it a point to make a positive change in school culture. So, was it the Index article in and of itself ?” Mr. Andrén said. “Maybe that was an inflection point, a point for you all to reflect on, but really, I give the credit to you all.”
Fords fans refocus
Sam Walker ’19 Players and fans at the 2018 Don McBride Basketball Tournament on ‘Silent Night.’
DR. MIKE NANCE
After confusion, administration clarifies lifer photo BEN GERBER ’19
Haverford School is a highly touted academic institution. It is known as a tight, efficient, and high-functioning school. So, when something isn’t working, it stands out. During the week of January 21, upper school students and parents responded with passion to a rumor that the administration was against putting a lifer/superlifer picture in the yearbook. After a week of discussion and confusion, Dr. Nagl gave discretion to the yearbook staff to decide if the picture would be
included. The conflict spread throughout the student body and incited conversation questioning why the school would keep the picture out of the yearbook, and lasted through the beginning of the week of January 28. By early Monday morning, Director of Human Resources Ms. Michele Todd said there was still much confusion regarding who is supposed to be the decision maker, also saying that “Ms. Montgomery was out last Thursday and Dr. Nagl was out on Friday, so no decision was made.”
Lifer and superlifer student-organized photo taken on January 31.
INTEL CHEN ’19
Within the hour, Ms. Todd quoted Dr. Nagl’s email to the faculty saying that “It is the opinion of the Administration that the editors of the yearbook, with the advice of the faculty advisors, should decide what is in the yearbook.” Dr. Nagl’s decision was made after several students and parents spoke out in support of the picture being in the yearbook. “Even though it doesn’t pop in my head every day, I do consider being a super lifer a pretty big deal because it has been a struggle not only for me, but for my parents, so if I do take home a yearbook and there’s not a section for super lifers… I’d be bummed out,” superlifer Tyler Rippie said. “It’s like an accomplishment, an achievement. I’ve been here my whole life, so I think it’s a pretty big deal. It may not seem to everybody, but it is.” With concern like Rippie’s coming from students, coupled with impassioned emails from Sixth Form parents, the administration stumbled to make a decision before last weekend. By Friday, January 25, Assistant to the Headmaster & Board of Trustees Ms. Candy Montgomery, who is in charge of Commencement activities, did not know if a decision had been made. “The picture of the lifer and superlifers is the issue: whether it should be one picture or two separate pictures, and the timing of when the picture is taken. The pic-
ture normally is taken just as one picture, not two separate pictures, and it is usually taken the day of graduation, so everyone is in their school blazers and tie. It’s never been in the yearbook because the yearbook is already passed out before graduation. If it’s going to be in the yearbook, then it needs to be taken sooner rather than later,” Ms. Montgomery said. The following Monday, the administration made its decision. Prior to the decision, yearbook coadvisor Ms. Zoe Blatt said, “we certainly have room for [the picture], so I don’t see why not,” and that she is “happy to put in the book,” and would even “take the photograph and edit it.” On Monday, after Dr. Nagl made the decision to give the yearbook committee discretion in regards to the picture being in the yearbook or not, Ms. Blatt reiterated her willingness to help. “I’ve heard some rumblings about a lifer/super lifer pic for the yearbook. Of course, we can include this in the book! We go to print in a few weeks, so we need to get rolling,” Ms. Blatt said. “I am happy to take it if you tell me when and gather all the guys.” On January 31, Will Griffiths ’19 organized super-lifers and lifers in their white shirts, navy blue blazers and Haverford ties and recruited Intel Chen ’19 to take the yearbook picture.
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february 2019
Vaping, the common cold of drug addiction JOHN WILLIAMS ’19
You have talked with someone who has vaped today. You probably didn’t know and maybe didn’t care. In recent years, incognito vaping has rooted itself in daily student routines. “I’ll do it before school, on the way to school, couple times during school, and then most of the day after school,” a Sixth Former said. “Weekends are an all-day binge.” Although the administration might consider vaping a dying fad, three anonymous Sixth Formers tell a different story. “I’d say every day. Not too frequently, I don’t really do it during school. I go through a pod every four days,” said another Sixth Former.
“Say I want to quit, right? And I go to hang with my friends who are all doing it in front of me, what do you think is going to happen? Do you think I am going to succeed? Nope.” Although some students have accommodated vaping into their daily routine, many view the trend from the outside. Some underclassmen see vaping as a futile attempt at social acceptance. “There is an assumed personality for people who vape: they’re the annoying freshman trying to fit in, trying to be cool, while at the same time trying to do too much. They attempt to take on this ‘I’m so badass’ type of personality,” said Fourth Former Kieran Dias-Lalcaca. Another Third Former said, “If you feel the need to do stuff like that in order to fit in, something needs to change. Whether it is your attitude, the people you hang around with, or how you perceive yourself socially.”
Social pressure lies at the core of the vaping epidemic. An anonymous Fourth Former acknowledged its power when he said, “If I was chilling with my friends if they were being irritating enough, just to shut them up, I wouldn’t see a problem in doing it once in a while. The problem is when kids are by themselves taking down a pod a day.” With undeniably addictive qualities, occasional use of nicotine eventually leads many unsuspecting victims down a path of addiction. This was the case for another anonymous Sixth Former who said, “I was like, ‘I don’t really want to do it, it’s not who I want to be, I heard it’s addictive.’ It felt good, and I said, ‘I guess everyone is doing it now.’” Not only does social pressure lead some into vaping, but it also serves as a negative reinforcement loop. The first Sixth Former interviewed said, “Say I want to quit, right? And I go to hang with my friends who are all doing it in front of me, what do you think is going to happen? Do you think I am going to succeed? Nope.” Social pressure may lead many down the path of addiction, but it serves as deliverance for others. “If you get you and your four other friends to quit, and you’re sitting there empty-handed,” the Sixth Former said. “We’re not going to do that because we’re quitting together.” Although some cannot or do not want to stop vaping, they still recognize the effects of attending Ms. Heed’s support group. The Sixth Former said, “She has a major confidentiality agreement. It’s just nice to have an adult figure who will listen and understand you. Actually talking side effects, why you do it, how you can quit, and who you can talk to is really helpful.”
A vape pen in a school classroom.
JOHN WILLIAMS ’19
It’s not all black and white: faculty reactions to racial tensions ERIC HOYT ’19
No one likes to talk about racism, but healing starts with listening. In December 2018, a student direct messaged vulgar, racist, comments on Instagram. The provocative words left many in shock, others angry, some just confused, and left everyone upset. Students immediately voiced their opinions. They began the process of reconciliation. In small huddles in corners and hallways, boys shared their thoughts. In a larger public forum, Dr. Nagl led an assembly on tolerance, and some boys gave moving speeches afterwards. It was an emotional time. Missing from this dialogue were teach-
ers. They share the halls and classrooms. They are mentors and educators but also members of our community. “My initial reaction was, this sucks, but I wasn’t surprised by it,” English teacher Mr. Luqman Kolade said, “but not that the school is problematic, but that’s the way the world is. People say and do things that they don’t always know the impact of. It sucks that it happens in a place where I work and a place that I like.” Many teachers had a similar feeling of sadness. The disappointment also brings a fear of not knowing the full scope of racist sentiment or of the possibility of it spreading.
History teacher Mr. Brian Long said, “Yes, I am worried it might spread, but first
or students. They worry for their students’ well being and the reputation of the school.
Mr. Luqman Kolade teaching his Fifth Form English Class, January 29 2019.
ERIC HOYT ’19
Sixth Form students Thomas Ward, Nate Whitaker, and Garrett Johnson in art class, February 1 2019.
and foremost I don’t think we have a true picture of what the current populace of student is that feels this way.” Not knowing how deeply rooted the issue is has many teachers worried for their students. Spanish Teacher Ms. Brooke Kenna, said, “As a teacher, we do not always know what is going on outside of our earshot. We simply don’t hear everything. We don’t see everything.” Teachers don’t want these issues to continue any more than the administration
OBAIDA ELAMIN ’20
When a teacher is able to say that he or she works at The Haverford School, it is meant to be a badge of pride, but that prestige can be ruined by rumors. Teachers want each of their students to feel cared for and safe in the school community. “I feel very sad too,” English Teacher Ms. Evans said, “because as much as it is hurting me, I know it is hurting the kids here whom I love.”
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February 2019
Fords clash on local game show JAKE LAROCCA ’22
On January 14th, 2019, three Haverford School students competed against their teachers on the Fox29 game show, The ClassH-Room. On that show, Second Formers Ryan Dirocco, Nate Miran, and Isaiah Shuchman earnestly competed against their opponents, teachers Mr. Grossman, Mr. Newman, and Ms. Brown, in a series of quizzes. Host Richard Curtis enjoyed the presence of the Haverford students and teachers.
Beginning with a competition entitled “Pop Quiz,” each competition possessed a unique and school-related name. With the winning team of the game set to receive 500 dollars to donate to a “good cause,” both teams fought for respective causes. The students decided that, if they won, they would use the money to help fund their annual service trip to Puerto Rico. The teachers decided to donate their winning money to local
food pantry Saint Barnabas. Throughout the entire game, the scores remained within just a couple of questions, and the lead went back and forth. After “Pop Quiz,” the score was tied. When “Detention” finished, the students led 90-50. The next competition was “Spell Check,” where the teachers earned back 30 points to the students’ zero. After “Picture Day,” the score was 110-90 as the students led.
Mr. Andy Grossman, Ms. Kori Bown, and Mr. Josh Newman at the beginning of the show, ClassH-Room
FOX 29
The game ultimately came down to the final question of the “Final Exam.” The final question asked “Tea was thrown into the harbor to protest ‘taxation without representation’ in what city?” Both teams answered Boston, but due to the teachers’ 20-point lead, the teachers came away with the 390310 victory and the 500 dollars. Teachers and students from the Middle School smiled as they enjoyed the whole experience. Shuchman has stood in front of a lot of people before. He has played lead roles in the middle school plays during his time in Crossman Hall. “Being on a game show was a lot like performing on stage,” Shuchman said, “It was hard at first, but as time went on, I got more comfortable with the game and in myself. It became fun, and I almost forgot the fact that I was being filmed. It was also easier because I had a great team of guys up there with me who I knew really well. I knew that even if I messed up, it would be fine. The anticipation of the taping itself was way worse than the actual thing, and it was a huge relief after, to be able to relax and watch the taping. Overall, it was a super fun experience that I learned a lot from.” Shuchman enjoyed the whole experience and the opportunity to represent his school. “Representing Haverford on Fox29 was amazing. Our students and teachers also seemed a little more comfortable on the show than some of the other schools that were present. I felt that my teammates and the teachers represented the school extremely well, and we made a good impression on the network.”
Students quibble with new furniture’s practicality DAN CHOW ’19
It has been a month since Wilson Hall experienced its furniture makeover. With the start of the new year, fresh furniture replaced the stained, outdated old furniture. As students adapt to the change of scenery, opinions about the new furnishings are beginning to show. The most prominent change took place on the second floor, where all previous furniture was replaced. Both the admissions area and the “Street” were completely redesigned, decked out with unfamiliar and modern-looking appliances. Despite the well-intentioned notion, the renovations were not entirely welcome. To Fifth Former Cole Stecker, a frequent user of the space, the changes were counterintuitive. “The new changes give us a lot less space to actually do work,” he said. “Haverford wants the street to be a spot to get actual work done, yet they give us less space to do the work.” Fifth Former Vincent Scauzzo said, “I miss the high tables and the open environment. It was nice to have a big group together in the mornings and during lunch to actually do work.” Fifth Former Toby Ma noted that the spaced-out high tables were better suited to the student’s needs. “I don’t really like the space. If you are actually trying to work alone, it is a lot harder to find a place where you can work by yourself and not be forced to sit next to somebody,” Ma said. “I like the look, but not necessarily the function,” said Fifth Former Jack Ballenger. “I don’t think the furniture is really that comfortable either, and there’s not enough sitting room. I appreciate the gesture, but not necessarily how it came out.” Fifth Form opinions stand in strong contrast to the Fourth Formers’ views. “It’s pretty cool. Nice. Definitely newer and cleaner, and overall positive I guess,”
said Franklin Dai, a Fourth Former who frequents the area. Other Fourth and Third Formers expressed gratitude for simply getting rid of the stained and dilapidated furniture, referring to it as an “eyesore.” Perhaps the difference in feelings can be attributed to the precise sections of the Street that the different forms occupy — the Fifth Formers claim control over the left wing while the Fourth Formers rule over the right wing, and the design of each wing is
distinct. Down the hall from the Street, a renovated admissions area (now the Admissions Suite) can be observed with new individualized pods, couches, and more. However, the area is not devoid of student critique. “I think that it is disappointing that we have such nice spaces near the admissions offices, but unfortunately they are reserved for those taking the admissions tests,” Ballenger said.
“I would like to have more of those kinds of spaces for the students [individualized pods].” Ballenger said, “I really liked working in there one time, but was asked to leave.” Down by the Durham Community Room, Third Formers’ occupied territory, dozens of new chairs lay scattered. The opinions regarding these changes were rather simple, with most responses being “nice” or “pretty cool.”
The new “clubhouse” on the Street, Augie Aliaga’s ’21 natural chess habitat.
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First year of Pan-Asian Alliance promotes inclusivity QUINN LUONG ’22
Asians have been marginalized in American society for too long. The Haverford PanAsian Alliance’s objective is to communicate the opinions to people who are not aware of the issues the Pan-Asian community faces. “Inclusion lessens the pressure for competing interests, experiences, or realities to battle for dominance,” says Director of Diversity and Inclusion Mr. Brendon Jobs.
“It’s a matter of having open conversations with those who might not speak frequently or openly about personal familial issues within Asian lives or publicly in modern-day America.” The Haverford Pan Asian Alliance (HPAA) creates an environment where everyone feels comfortable to share their stories and experiences as Asian students. With the help of Mr. Jobs, the new affinity group is off to a strong start. HPAA strives to create a place for all members of the Haverford community to learn and have conversations about the Asian community. During meetings, students have critical
February 2019
Why do kids get sick when they come back to school? JOHNNY FLIEDER ’21
dialogues, plan ideas for events, and interact with other schools’ Asian Affinity Groups. The goal is to create a space where everyone is encouraged to be themselves and share stories about their experiences. “The Haverford Pan-Asian Alliance is a safe space for everyone, especially Asians, to listen and tell their experiences,” Fifth Form HPAA founder Sunny Yu said. “It’s a place of acceptance not exclusion.” Fourth Form active HPAA member Kethan Srinivasan said, “It’s a matter of having open conversations with those who might not speak frequently or openly about personal familial issues within Asian lives or publicly in modern-day America. [We] tie it back to families’ immigration and experiences,” he said. In modern society, Asians are discriminated against in areas like college admissions, cultural appropriation, representation in film, and negative stereotypes. What started as an idea among a small group of students became a community that grew to broadcast the issues of Asians that might otherwise be marginalized. The PanAsian Alliance meets Fridays during clubs and discusses key topics that educate members about the Pan-Asian community.
It’s a few degrees below freezing. You look down at your hands. Your knuckles are bleeding. You try to breathe through your nose, but you can’t. It’s too stuffy. A coughing fit grabs hold of your lungs, or what remains of them. It’s a feeling that many have experienced, especially during the few weeks following winter break. For many students, winter break is the highlight of the school year. After powering through midterms, a full two weeks with nothing to worry about except how the Eagles fit into the upcoming playoff picture lays ahead. So wouldn’t it make sense that everyone would come back from the long break feeling fresh and rejuvenated? Sadly, not so much. In the few weeks that have followed winter break, students have been catching plague-like colds. For those fortunate enough to go on vacation, there are a few different factors which could lead to sickness. For one, the air on an airplane is dry. This low humidity can irritate the throat and nose, making it tough on the body to fend off bacteria. Traveling between two different climates is also bad for the body. Coming back to Philadelphia after five days on a toasty beach
is a drastic change. As a result, you may have brought home more than just your luggage from the airport. Even if you stayed at home during the break, the stress of the holidays and family visits could be having a larger effect on your body than you would think. School Nurse Ms. Jaime DiZio acknowledged the unintended effects of family gatherings, noting, “We did see an increase in viral illnesses because families are passing it around to each other. At the end of the day, it really just depends on what is happening outside the community.” The thought of going back to school brings stress as well. Everyone gets that feeling of “Sunday night blues” before returning to school. This stress weakens your immune system, which works to keep germs out of the body, and increases your chances of getting sick. Obviously, the cold weather doesn’t help either. If you’ve stayed healthy, “good job,” Ms. Dizio said. “Just remember to wash your hands, cover your mouths when you’re coughing, be smart,” Ms. DiZio said. “And don’t come to school sick, even if you have a test.”
Mrs. Thomas, lower school librarian, in memoriam continued from the front page... Lifers and Lower School graduates agree Mrs. Thomas changed the way they felt about reading. She made opening a book feel like opening a secret door into the imagination, making characters and worlds from the pages come to life. Many in Wilson Hall say their love of reading came from what Mrs. Thomas showed them. She pushed kids to read above their comfort level, always wanting them to challenge themselves with new texts.
A lover of books, boys, and friends, Mrs. Nancy Thomas will live in spirit for many years to come. Having worked at the school for so long, and because she was such a kind person, Mrs. Thomas befriended many teaching colleagues during her career. “Nancy’s love of books inspired me to get kids to love books as well,” said Third Grade teacher Mrs. Deborah Gavin. “She loved the library and she loved the kids. She knew them all by name. When they would come down, she would try to encourage them to
be better readers.” “On a personal level, Nancy was such a friend. When I was out sick, she would call just to check up on me. I talked to other colleagues and found out she did that with everyone. She really cared about everyone she was with. She just had a wonderful spirit,” Mrs. Gavin said. “I think Haverford was an extended family for her.” “Mrs. Thomas was a genuine person who liked to help people,” Dr. Luongo said. “She would extend herself to anyone in need and try to help him in any way.” The school already missed Mrs. Thomas after she retired, but now there is an especially empty feeling in the Lower School. A lover of books, boys, and friends, Mrs. Nancy Thomas will live in spirit for many years to come. “Mrs. Thomas brought the love of reading — it sounds cliché, but she really did,” Dr. Luongo said. “She would let the boys take out as many books as they wanted: she just promoted the love of reading in these boys. She really enjoyed reading to them.” Mrs. Nancy Thomas poses with Simon Dombar ’25.
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Robotics prepares for Florida test SAFA OBUZ ’21
Looking ahead to larger tournaments, the Haverford Robotics team has recently been preparing for an out-of-state powerhouse tournament in Florida. Since early September, the team has been building and refining robots to accomplish tasks in a competition game provided by VEX Robotics, Vex Turning Point. Alongside a major product release, dubbed ‘v5’, new hardware and intense competition challenged the team this season specifically, alongside a new addition to the new tournament system: The Signature Event. These massive and professional tournaments attract competitive teams from all over the world, as they provide a chance to qualify to the VEX world championships directly. This new early qualification system has led the Haverford team to attend two tournaments, the one in Virginia and another in Florida. Building up to the Florida event, the team has prepared by competing at two locals, in addition to the Virginia event, in which team 169A (Sixth Formers Scott Shaw, Will Clark, and Will Vauclain) competed. At the Great Valley High School local in December, Haverford emerged victorious as tournament champions. After a series of randomized qualification matches that determined rank, 169X (Fourth Formers Maxim Kreider and Joey White and Fifth Formers Aditya Sardesai, Bennett Twitmyer, and Brandon Windle) seeded rank one with a 7-1 record. In VEX tournaments, seeded teams ‘alliance’ with another team to play in eliminations, in which 169X picked 169A as alliance members. “Our first tournament went pretty well, we learned a lot. It was our last tournament with the older generation cortex, so we
played the game very different compared to our second tournament,” noted Twitmyer. Fifth Former Toby Ma said, “After the first tournament, we decided that certain aspects were not as important as others, so we rebuilt our robot to optimize our game at our second tournament.” On the same weekend, multiple Haverford sub-teams competed at Knights’ High School Qualifier and 169A at Night at the Museum. At Knights’, sub-team 169Z
“It’s just a harmless prank,” said one student. “I don’t care, it’s pretty funny,” said another. Recently, the school’s sticker problem has risen to the administration’s attention, regarded as a form of vandalism. Earlier in
At Virginia, we were able to learn what we had to work on for the rest of the season. Going into the tournament we had the right design, but it wasn’t refined enough and we were rushed going into it.” After a series of tough luck and learning, the team is pursuing another chance at Florida, this time sending sub-teams 169B, (Fourth Formers Owen Gormley, Michael Volpi, and Sam Slane) 169X, and 169Y (Fourth Former Safa Obuz, Fifth Formers Daniel Chow and Toby Ma, and Sixth Former Jared Hoefner) alongside 169A. Mentor Eli Canavati pointed out, “Florida
Will Vauclain ‘19 (center) and Scott Shaw ‘19 going over results with a judge at Great Valley High School, December 1, 2018.
(Third Formers Ethan Saddler, Adamya Aggarwal, Josiah Somani, and Joshua Ricefield) won the tournament. Sardesai said, “The second tournament was a clear example of how there are some things in life you just can’t control; there were a lot of field connection issues and static electricity buildup which would lead everyone’s robots at the event to be immobilized for a portion of the match. Regardless, it was a good experience for the freshman team to win, and that its awesome that a Haverford team won. But for
Stickers don’t stick with the administration DAN CHOW ’20
our personal performance and others, it was a little disheartening.” Twitmyer agreed, noting, “The freshmen winning shows they understand the program and are learning very quickly.” In reaction to his victory, Somani said, “It was an unexpected victory. The whole team was ecstatic after the tournament win. The win really means a lot to me and opened the door for more competition.” By the time the first night of qualification
February 2019
matches passed, 169A was seeded rank one. However, a tough loss in their final two qualifications left them seeded sixth moving into eliminations. When the turn to pick their alliance came to them, they picked another local Pennsylvania team, 91A. Sardesai continues, “Teams in the region have definitely been increasing in quality since my freshman year.” Another streak of bad luck and robot failure happened during their first elimination match, and they lost. Shaw said, “Virginia was the first time we had real competition.
MR. MICHAEL SHAW
will be a great experience for our team, and it’s gonna be a new challenge for us to overcome. In Pennsylvania, we don’t get many chances to compete with higher level teams, and Signature Events are a good chance for the guys to push themselves.” Students also agree. Kreider said, “We’re all poised to make a great run, and everyone is looking very strong right now. There’s gonna be some tough competition, great competitors, but we will prevail.”
the year, students began placing customized stickers all over campus, targeting inconspicuous and hidden locations. Many students have been dismissing it as a harmless prank, but Mr. Fifer would beg to disagree. “Yes, I do think that this is a problem and I do consider it vandalism,” said Mr.
INDEX STAFF
The most infamous sticker of Brandon Windle ’20 stuck to a paper towel dispenser in the first floor men’s bathroom.
Dan Chow ’20 showing a collage of stickers proudly displayed along The Street.
INDEX STAFF
Fifer. “The stickers are extremely difficult to remove. It is unfair to our facilities team to have to spend their time removing the stickers from various places on campus.” Some students agree, as one student said, “I think it is defacing Haverford’s property. I don’t think it’s really that helpful that it’s something the school hasn’t mentioned — they should make it clear and announce that it should stop.” The stickers depict various types of memes, ranging from anime scenes, crying cats, and even one Haverford student’s yearbook picture. Mr. Fifer especially sees the latter as a potential issue. “The other problem I have is that the stickers are of a Haverford community member and one could reasonably interpret the stickers as an attempt to isolate or disrespect,” said Mr. Fifer. On the contrary, Fifth Former Brandon Windle, the face of the sticker, sees no problem with the portrayal of himself. “I’m the face the sticker, and it’s pretty funny,” said Windle. “I’m glad it’s my face, if anything.” Other witnesses of the prank don’t seem to mind either. “I think it’s pretty funny, but at the same time I understand why the school administration wouldn’t want them around,” said
one student. Regardless, the issue of removing the stickers remains problematic, as the stickers are extremely adhesive and difficult to cleanly remove. Mr. Fifer said, “I wish whomever was behind putting the stickers around campus would think about the individuals who need to remove them. It seems presumptions and a bit entitled to think that someone else will take care of cleaning them up.” The students who first started the trend have since stopped hiding the stickers around campus. The trend began as a simple prank due to a “cheap bulk deal offer” online for stickers, but has slowed down. “I think it used to be funny, but I think a lot of funniness has fallen off though,” said one student who was involved with the sticker prank. “After break, once they redid the street, it’s sort of gone away. Some of the stickers are still here though,” said another student. The decline in sticker appearances has not gone unnoticed by the administration, as Mr. Fifer said, “I have spoken to several students and asked teachers to alert me when new stickers are found. It is my understanding that new stickers have not surfaced since we have returned from winter break.”
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NICK CHAKRABORTY ’19
The Index - News &On-Campus Opinions
Diversity Alliance liaison bridges racial disconnect
Conflicts across race and other lines of difference have led many to look within our own community, investigating how we can make it more inclusive. The Diversity Liaison is a new position, elected by the Diversity Alliance, that will sit in on Honor Council hearings and participate in deliberations, but will not take part in the final votes. One Fifth and one Sixth Former will occupy the position, alternating every case. The Fifth Form representative is Tyler Rippie, and the Sixth Form representative is Jackson Overton-Clark.
“We’ve gotten the decisions right. There are differing opinions, but many people don’t have all the specifics of the case that we had. If we were to share everything, more people would agree with our decisions.” Diversity Alliance faculty advisor, Mr. Brendon Jobs; member of the Diversity Alliance and Black Student Union leadership teams, Jackson Overton-Clark ’19; Honor Council faculty advisor, Mr. Jeremy Hart; and president of the Honor Council, Jeff Pendergast ’19, all played key roles in creating this new position. “It was really generated from conversations that were happening in both groups.” Mr. Jobs said. “There was a concern that the diversity of the Honor Council didn’t represent the diversity of the student body. And that’s when they started talking about, well, what if there was a liaison? Especially when cases that involve social conflict across lines of difference come up.” Overton-Clark expressed the importance of providing a different voice when deliberating these types of cases. “When it comes to plagiarizing, cheating, lying, stealing, that’s something all Haverford students can relate to,” said Overton-Clark. “They all know how it is to be up late at night, debating whether or not they should finish the assignment or just get something off Wikipedia. But not everyone knows what it’s like to be called ‘the n-word.’ That’s why there needs to be more representation across lines of difference
on the Honor Council.” The idea for a Diversity Liaison was first proposed by Pendergast and a few others at one of the Diversity Alliance morning meetings. “Conversations began early fall and even last spring. After one of the incidents early this school year, where I think we were actually lucky the jury pool turned out the way it did, we realized we really needed to make sure that voice is always heard,” Mr. Hart said. “We were just finalizing how the Liaison would work when the events in December happened. So, to dispel any thoughts, this was not a knee-jerk reaction, but rather a well-discussed idea.” Even with the numerous positives expressed about the Diversity Liaison, some students say the Honor Council should refrain from overselling the position. “There were several racial cases starting last spring, with, for example, kids using ‘the n-word’ in some context. Many never exactly targeted a black person, but the messages disseminated through the school and hurt many people,” said Honor Council member Nick Chimicles ’19. “And then, since the Honor Council is [currently] less diverse, people are saying that we have a lack of perspective.” “But here’s the thing,” Chimicles said. “I think we’ve gotten the decisions right. There are differing opinions, but many people don’t have all the specifics of the case that we had. I think that if we were to share everything, more people would agree with our decisions. But I get that there’s a danger in having an all-white Honor Council, and the Diversity Liaison would be a good way of protecting against that.” “Bringing another set of eyes in, being more visible, knowing that it’s not just conversations that happen behind closed doors, I think this will be good for the reputation for the Honor Council,” Mr. Hart said. “This is new territory, and there will be growing pains, but that’s healthy. I’m hoping the Diversity Liaison will be a good be the first step to foster a larger conversation about inclusion and how our community comes together.”
February 2019
Why we don’t need a Diversity Liaison WILL CLARK ’19
The key principle behind any well-formed democracy is the ability of its citizens to vote and appoint members of its governing body. If we at Haverford strive to create an atmosphere of true equality and democracy, we should not give in to allowing unelected members of the community to judge our
or Code should be added, “Does this action racially or sexually violate another student’s self-identity?” If the school truly believes in its ability to produce virtuous men of high moral standards, it will not add a quota of a racially diverse member to the process. They will
NICK CHAKRABORTY ’19
The Honor Council deliberation room on the fieldhouse’s third floor where the liaison will participate in hearings.
students on their wrongdoings. While I sympathize with the concerning rise in hate speech on campus, I am more than hesitant to allow the democratic process to go by the wayside. If we are to believe that all Haverford School gentlemen, elected Honor Council members of all people, should be able to tell the difference between right and wrong, then what is the need for an unchecked addition to the Honor Council? Why must the color of your skin be a shade darker than white to know what racism and hatred sound like? It is the opinion of myself and many within our community, that the unchecked oversight of a Diversity Alliance member on any and all Honor Council hearings to be an overreach of power. While there may be the precedent for a member of the D.A. to sit for all race-related incidents, there is no such argument to be made on cheating, stealing, or really any other such affairs. In place of an added member to the Honor Council, I argue for a reform of the Honor Code. An additional line to the Hon-
instead add a line to the Honor Code, that makes it clear that all racial slurs are not to be used by anyone. However, I feel it would be disingenuous not to mention that all students must stop from using all racial slurs. Haverford has built a community around the teasing and bullying of fellow students that now seems normal but, in reality, must be stopped. The culture will continue to move from generation to generation until Haverford stops covering up and protecting those who need to be exposed. The school’s unfortunate legacy of antisemitism and racial intolerance will continue no matter who is added to the Honor Council because the school fails to punish students for their mistakes. Our administration questions why we still have racial problems at Haverford, but I question why Haverford still protects students that our own administration says have no place here.
I hate Instagram: social media pitfalls CHRIS TSETSEKOS ’20
As a person who has over 200 posts and 3,430 followers on Instagram, you may say I am fond of the app. However, I believe the disadvantages of Instagram outweigh the benefits. I have had Instagram for seven years now. I follow 1,822 people. I hate Instagram. It is the most unproductive use of my time. Every time I go on Instagram, I think to myself, I could have done my homework in that time, or What if I had that much more time to sleep? Yes, Instagram has connected me and kept me in touch with many people around the world, but how often do I use Instagram for this purpose instead of aimlessly scrolling through my feed? Not very often. On any given day, there are hundreds of new posts to see; if I want to view every post,
I would have to spend a substantial amount of time just to view these new posts. I do not want to see these new posts. It gives me zero satisfaction to see new posts. I want to use Instagram less, yet I average 22 minutes of use per day, which is about 134 hours per year, or 5.58 days. My journey towards using Instagram less began about a year ago when I averaged over an hour on Instagram per day. I realized I was wasting days of my life on something I do not gain enjoyment out of, I figured something had to change. I started adding limits to my screen time on Instagram, periodically allowing fewer amounts of time per day on the app. I am still striving to use Instagram less, but the main problem I have identified is the “fear of missing out,” or FOMO. FOMO gives individuals anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website. Many individuals believe so strongly in FOMO that they believe
spending weeks per year on Instagram is not a waste of time. Fifth former Anton Crescente said, “I feel like I haven’t wasted time. Even though I use Instagram for over two hours a day, it never happens in one sitting.” Fifth Former Patrick Toal, who has spent over 33 hours in the last ten days on Snapchat alone, said, “it is a great way to interact with friends.” The majority of students, however, believe that Instagram is an unproductive use of their time. Fifth Former Griffin Spahr noted, “Everyone I have spoken to told me they think Instagram is a waste of time. I definitely want to use social media less, but I feel like I’m missing out on some posts sometimes.” After asking over sixty Upper School students their opinion, it is clear that the FOMO is a problem. I am a believer in the usefulness of social media. Instagram has connected me with hundreds of people in
my life. We can use Instagram more effectively instead of wasting our time on things we do not enjoy.
SEN ZELOV ’21
Fords check their social media accounts.
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The Index - On-Campus Opinions
February 2019
“In your face”: college acceptances on social media ROBERT ESGRO ’19
NEETISH SHARMA ’19
Flags outside the college counseling office displaying colleges that have accepted Fords
It could be described as the “prying times” of the Haverford School. Midway through Sixth Form year, many students are accepted into notable colleges, and feel pressure to share the results of their acceptance with a broader audience. More often than not, these announcements take place on social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Recently, posts detailing the next year’s college plans have been met by the Upper School’s student body with increased scrutiny. The College Counseling Department has made their stance clear. “We are hearing that some of you guys are talking about colleges and who is applying,” said Director of College Counseling Mr. Neal Cousins in a speech to the Sixth Form earlier this year. “We urge you not to publicly post news or comments on social media sites… College admissions should not be a spectator sport,” Mr. Cousins said. Many students agree. “I really don’t like to see those posts,” said Fifth Former Yan Graf. “They seem pretty cocky, and when I see the same one
on multiple platforms, it gets annoying.” Students who agree with Graf contend that the posts are not only insensitive to other members of the community that may have not been accepted to schools of their choice, but posting college acceptances on multiple platforms is unnecessary. “Just one is enough,” Graf said. Conversely, students who decide to post their acceptances argue that their hard work deserves some sort of recognition from their peers. One such student is Sixth Former Jackson Overton-Clark, who will attend the University of Chicago this fall. “I posted a picture of myself on Instagram as well as text on Facebook,” said Overton-Clark. “I wanted people to know, but I wasn’t trying to be showy. It was just that there were people on one platform that weren’t on the other that I wanted to reach, and vice versa.” However, Overton-Clark added that sometimes for others, posting on social media may not result in attention that the poster desires. “I think that for some people, making
sure people know where you’re going to college is kind of like a big ‘in-your-face.’” Many students remain indifferent to the happenings of other students, such as Sixth Former Andrew D’Arcangelo, who has not yet come to a decision as to where he will attend school in the fall. “I don’t really care about the posts,” D’Arcangelo said. “I think people should be able to do whatever they want.” D’Arcangelo is currently unsure of how he will deliver his college decision. “I’ll more likely than not post on Facebook, but honestly, I’m not really sure right now,” he said. D’Arcangelo believes that while it is true that hard work deserves recognition, the students who post on social media are responsible for understanding how much is too much and being aware of any adverse reaction that may occur as a result of overly flamboyant posts. “It’s ultimately up to them,” D’Arcangelo said.
Verbal kombat: Debate vs. Mock Trial
INDEX STAFF
Yan Graf ’20, leader of the debate team, squares off against Robert Esgro ’19, head of Mock Trial.
The case for Debate: YAN GRAF ’20
Let there be no debate: Debate is the superior extracurricular activity. Why? To put it simply, Debate demands more. “What does that mean?” you may ask yourself. Good question. The answer is that a Debate team consists of only one or two people. This simple fact means that you, along with your partner, must do all your research, compile all your evidence, write your case, write your rebuttal, and face against your opponent in cross-fire. The responsibility of dismantling your opponent’s argument, defending your own, and convincing the judge that you have won falls on your shoulders. Mastering Debate means you master all of these skills. In Mock Trial, these responsibilities are distributed amongst different people like lawyers and their witnesses. Debate demands you to examine topics of all different scopes and types. Whether it is debating the deployment of antimissiles in South Korea, the carbon tax, gun control, or the efficacy of price controls in the pharmaceutical industry, Debate topics are as varied as they are short-lived. Every month, new topics are selected, meaning that new arguments, new evidence, and new cases have to be written habitually. This rapid-fire approach allows debaters to learn more about all kinds of topics, expanding their knowledge. Often, those with preconceived beliefs about certain issues may find themselves changing their mind after using
the evidence in debates. The fast-paced nature of Debate also demands quick thinking and cat-like reflexes from its participants. If your opponent runs a case that you have never encountered before, you must find a response quickly. Rounds take forty-five minutes, and you only get ten minutes to write a four-minute speech. If you ask no questions during crossfire, you may lose the round. If you cannot use all four minutes of your rebuttal, the judge takes points off. If you partner messes up, you must help. Debate leaves no second to rest until it is over. Good debaters never run out of things to do. Debate prepares its members for life, regardless of career path. While Mock Trial focuses on the specifics of law and how to work as a lawyer, skills acquired in Debate can be applied anywhere. Applying for a job? Speech and Debate improves your improvisation skills and your confidence. Working as a journalist? Gathering sources and putting your ideas and arguments down on paper is something Debate stresses heavily. Want to become a politician? Debate helps you develop your rhetorical and persuasive skills. Debate is an activity that stretches far beyond mere 1v1 or 2v2 competitions. As an activity it teaches you to become a more confident speaker, to react quickly, and to think logically, all while exploring complex topics all around the globe.
The case for Mock Trial: ROBERT ESGRO ’19
Your Honor, opposing counsel, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the core of the matter at hand is a simple question: “In what ways is Mock Trial superior to Debate?” Nothing can describe the feeling of walking to the center of the courtroom toward a one-on-one dogfight with a witness. As a lawyer, I learned how to synthesize all of the information in a case briefing and adapt arguments as the trial progressed. Embodying a fictional character as a witness was the ultimate practice of improvisa-
tion and empathy. If nothing else, Mock Trial introduced me to the legal world, an education of importance to any responsible citizen and aspiring statesman. In the ancient world, orators such as Demosthenes and Cicero defended peoples’ lives in courts and practiced law before assuming positions in government. The material we learned, from objections and court proceedings to case formation, is the same methodology that statesmen use in the pursuit of equality and justice.
MR. JAVIER LLUCH
Yan Graf ’20 and Aditya Sardesi ’20 in a heated debate against a team from Walt Whitman at Columbia University.
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The Index - Off-Campus Opinions
European immigrants: “second class” minority YAN GRAF ’20
It seems that our societal discourse, whether on a national or local level, is becoming ever more dominated by discussions of race, xenophobia, and discrimination. Hardly a week goes by without a new discussion about inclusion, diversity, and racism occupying the national spotlight. Discussions about diversity and cultural appropriation have come to include people of almost all heritages and ethnicities, whether it be African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, or Native Americans. However, there is one group that is often left out — purposefully or not — from these discussions: modern European immigrants. In fact, this term is so arcane that any
services like Ancestry.com and 23andMe, the ability for white Americans to discover their ancestry has improved. Indeed, almost anytime I or other European immigrants try to discuss our experiences, it seems that many assert that they know precisely how we feel because they are “38% German” or “23% Irish.” I don’t think I need to explain why these sorts of comments, while undoubtedly true, are not very helpful in any conversation. There is a marked difference in terms of cultural proximity to one’s homeland between someone who themselves or whose parents came to this country, and those whose ancestors arrived seven generations ago. For this
HARPER’S WEEKLY VIA WIKIMEDIA
“From the Old to the New World” shows German emigrants boarding a steamer in Hamburg and arriving in New York, published by Harper’s Weekly on November 7, 1874.
Google search will yield only one article related to it on the first page. Very few people even acknowledge their existence. Yet, according to the Migration Policy Institute, European immigrants make up eleven percent of the current immigrant population in America, totaling about 4.8 million people. Included in this 4.8 million people are some members of the Haverford community, including my own family. But before we can begin to examine the story of modern Europeans in America, it is important first to define what a modern European immigrant even is. Nearly every white American can trace their heritage back to Europe, and thanks to
article, I think it is fair to classify “modern” European immigrants as those whose family came to America in the last forty years. In fact, some say this inability to distinguish between one group of immigrants and another is the biggest problem European immigrants face in America. Fifth Former Matej Sekulic, who was born and raised in Serbia, says that “The main issue we face is that we are categorized with the majority white population, but we sometimes struggle to identify with them.” This is a sentiment I personally agree with. It is often hard in America to find a space that recognizes and celebrates your culture and history, in a way that many other mi-
nority groups do not have to. While cultural and religious events and celebrations of cultures and history of other minorities in this country have become very mainstream and recognized, the same cannot be said about many European groups. For me, the only outlet in which German culture is celebrated is in Oktoberfest. However, similar to St. Patrick’s Day for modern Irish immigrants in America, these parades and events are often crude caricatures of the actual culture of our home countries. The Germany that is presented during Oktoberfest is in many ways almost a mockery of the Germany that I know, and the one my family knows. The lederhosen, food, and music may as well be from a completely separate country from me as they are not in any way representative of what I see when I visit my family in Germany. Thus, it is hard to find a space that actually represents the Germany of today, not the Germany of the 1890s. The “invisibility” many Europeans, including Sekulic and I, feel often carries over into conversations about diversity. Europeans, despite coming from a culture completely separate and foreign to America, are not included when we talk about diversity. It does not matter whether you speak a completely different language, grew up eating different food and following a different religion, as Sekulic did; your contribution to diversity is overlooked because you are labeled as “white.” For me, it can be alienating to see my Asian side recognized as “diverse,” but my German side not to be treated the same way, though they both contribute to my diversity. Another problem I and others have experienced is stereotyping. In an age where racially and ethnically loaded stereotypes of minorities in media are constantly being challenged, as most recently seen with the character Apu from The Simpsons, it seems that those same stereotypes about Europeans go unchallenged. While it has become socially unacceptable to mock other cultures, such as Asians or Latinos, for their stereotypes, the same cannot be said about Europeans. This is something I, being half-Asian and half-German, have experienced personally. Calling me a
February 2019 dog-eater, a common stereotype for Chinese people is deemed racist and insensitive. But calling me a Nazi, whether jokingly or not, is totally fine and hilarious. There seems to be a double standard that continues to go unchallenged. Sekulic confirmed this, saying “When you come from Europe, you are immediately categorized. For me, being from Eastern Europe, it was vodka and potatoes, even though Serbia was never controlled by the Soviet Union.” This is not to say that I believe these kinds of jokes about my heritage are completely racist and unacceptable. In fact, sometimes, I can find the humor in them and laugh along if they are friendly. However, there does seem to be a problematic double standard that comes with these jokes and stereotypes, and it seems to be something that is only allowed to happen with impunity when directed at Europeans. And these kinds of stereotypes are only fueled by many Americans lacking knowledge about modern Europe. Sekulic continues, “Many Americans get their knowledge about Europe from history class or from memes, but these are very different from actually what Europe is like today. Europe today is very different, and so I feel people can be a bit misinformed.” This is a sentiment I can only sadly confirm. This lack of knowledge about modern Europe is what fuels stereotypes and the kinds of things I see at Oktoberfest. It doesn’t help that when many Americans go to Europe, they only stay in cities like London, Paris, or Rome, and only see the historic districts or attractions. This gives many Americans an incomplete picture of the modern realities of Europe and only further feeds the negative stereotypes and simplistic view many have of our countries. To clarify, I am not complaining and ranting about how “hard” it is to be a EuropeanAmerican. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Europeans in America do not face the systemic discrimination and racism many others face. However, many Europeans in America feel “invisible” at times, their culture, customs, and heritage erased from their identity, as many in America, white or non-white, often forget or downplay their experiences as immigrants and first-generation immigrants. Their unique status of white-but-not-really opens Europeans to stereotyping and stigmatization in a way that few other minority groups really face. The fact is, as our nation continues to wrestle over issues of diversity and inclusion, it is important to recognize their stories as well.
Catholic kid faces off against Native American drummer SAM KOHL ’22
When you watch the video, it seems clear enough. A bunch of teens wearing MAGA hats mock a Native-American man. One teenager, in particular, is smiling at the man in a mocking manner.
One Buzzfeed writer went as far to link smiling — referring to the boy in the video—to a so-called “white patriarchy.” However, a deeper look paints a different picture. A separate video shows other groups hurling racial slurs at the African American students in the group, and the Native-American man approaching the group of students rather than being surrounded by them. This is not the only thing the media got
wrong, however. In an interview, CNN labeled the NativeAmerican man, Nathan Phillips, a Vietnam War veteran. In reality, Phillips was in the Marine Corps reserve for four years and remained stateside for the duration of his service. This false reporting led to a social media firestorm, where celebrities, political figures, and everyday people weighed in on the story. Comedian Kathy Griffin tweeted a picture of Covington Catholic basketball players holding up the “ok” sign with their fingers after their teammate had made a three-point shot with the caption, “Covington’s finest throwing up the new Nazi sign.” One Buzzfeed writer went as far to link smiling — referring to the boy in the video—to a so-called “white patriarchy.” Even
U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar weighed in on the situation, saying, “They [the boys] were taunting five black men before they surrounded Phillips and led racist chants.” While many news sources did recover well by putting out articles rescinding their earlier statements, this series of events goes to show how fast the media will pounce on a story, and how easily events can be misinterpreted. The teenager in the video and his family have received hate and death threats after this incident. The idea to take away from this article is not that mainstream news sources are “fake,” but rather that one should not automatically believe everything the media says. For the full context of the story, I urge everybody to check out the full video of the confrontation before making opinions.
INDEX STAFF
A student viewing the Catholic kid vs. Native American drummer Cavalier Daily article on his iPhone.
Page 15
The Index - Opinions
February 2019
Poetry Out Loud needs to change JACK SANFILIPPO ’20
“Poetry Out Loud”: a name dreaded by some Haverford Upper School students. There are many problems with the current Poetry Out Loud curriculum. In the current system, students are given a limited amount of time to find and memorize a poem and then present it in front of his class. All Upper School students also have the option enter a school contest, after which a number of finalists present two poems to the entire school and possibly advance to the regional competition. The point of Poetry Out Loud is to practice memorization and public speaking skills and to learn how to analyze poems. The first issue shared by many students is the fact that they must present their poems to the whole class. This presents an inherently unfair grading system. Many teachers factor presence and style on top of accuracy during the presentation of the poems.
AGUSTIN ALIAGA ’21
This puts students who are not good public speakers at a disadvantage compared to their more extroverted peers. “When Poetry Out Loud comes around, I can see the panic in people’s eyes. Everyone is on edge and anxious because they know their English grade is going to be affected a lot, and it is just a really unhappy time of the year,” said Fifth Former Sunny Yu. Some students even go as far to say that when they present their poems, they make fools of themselves. “I am sacrificing my dignity for an English grade,” Fifth Former Thomas Laporta said. While one of the main points for having Poetry Out Loud is to practice public speaking, there are courses and extracurriculars at Haverford dedicated to honing this skill like Mock Trial, Theater, and Debate. Another major issue is that Poetry Out Loud suspends the standard English curriculum for a few days. In English III, Fifth Formers were studying early American lit-
Twitter, the place for political engagement
President Donald Trump has employed Twitter as a way to contact the American public while bypassing the press. Since he launched his campaign in 2015, Twitter has blown up. According to Fortune magazine, Twitter resurrected its profits from a loss of 61.6 million dollars to an increase of 61 million a year after Trump came into office. This raises the question: has Trump made Twitter the new place for political debate? Other than an increase in profits, many other indications of Trump’s influence on Twitter have been noted. Twitter reported that it saw a six-million user increase in the quarter after Trump’s election. New Democratic Representative from New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, taught the United States Congress how to use Twitter to promote the public’s political participation. Twitter user since 2009 and Upper School history teacher Mr. Brendon Jobs has also been using Twitter to encourage political dialogue. “For me there’s no point in engaging in ideas unless I can share them with someone else,” Mr. Jobs said. “It keeps me connected to what’s happening in the world in tweeting out social commentary.” He, like the new political generation,
has begun to teach his students about the different manifestations of Twitter. He explains that he’s “noticing that a lot of guys at Haverford don’t actually know or have a sense of what is happening in the world. It’s a great space to plug into what’s happening in the world, not necessarily to participate but to understand what is happening.” “Twitter gives an opportunity to explore on our own that my generation never got,” Mr. Jobs said. “We used to just listen to what our teachers told us. Twitter is putting your perspective on blast that no other device can.” Mr. Jobs also explains how Twitter has created a place for ignorant political rhetoric but still is a useful tool as long as we are cautious. “[Twitter] operates as an echo chamber,” Mr. Jobs said. “People use it to confirm their own ideas of how the world works. That’s the bad part. But there’s always a both/and. The good part is for people, especially Generation Z, to find themselves in political discourse and find their own voice in it. People are really beginning to practice democracy.” “That’s the beauty, the both/and. The skill that one needs to live in a democracy,” Mr. Jobs said, “is to be able to negotiate perspectives.”
PRES. DONALD TRUMP TWITTER
President Donald J. Trump’s Twitter account which he has employed to engage his electorate directly and quickly.
erature, including Walt Whitman and his poems. This offered a smooth transition into Poetry Out Loud, but the time memorizing poems would have been better spent learning how to analyze poems, and how to hone poem-writing skills, which was being done before Poetry Out Loud. For Poetry Out Loud to have an effect on the students’ abilities to analyze poems, more time needs to be spent on the subject. Learning how to analyze poems and how to analyze literary texts are completely different skills and are of arguably equal importance. The English Department should either scrap the reciting facet of Poetry Out Loud and
lean into teaching how to analyze poems or spend more time on teaching how to memorize poems and how to present them to the class in a theater-class style. As of right now, the current Poetry Out Loud curriculum tries to have the best of both worlds but, unfortunately, falls flat. The last and probably largest grievance of Poetry Out Loud is the unnecessary stress that it causes students. Memorization, for some people, can be an extremely time-consuming process. “The process of memorizing can take multiple days, and then you need to focus on the presentation,” said Fifth Former Ethan Brodie. Many people feel the short-term pressure of memorizing poems and end up attempting to memorize their poems last minute. In its current form, Poetry Out Loud does not benefit the student. Still, it has the capacity to change and be a huge benefit to the English curriculum.
INDEX STAFF
Poetry Out Loud finalists speaking with program director Ms. Taylor Smith-Kan after the assembly.
Faults of the viral Gillette commercial COLE STECKER ’20
In this world of modern advertisements, brand recognition is usually the most important aspect. If a customer hears about a certain product from a TV commercial or a Youtube ad, they are statistically more likely to purchase that item over a non-advertised one, which is the principle behind most advertisements. In addition, the more attention-grabbing the advertisement, the more views and publicity it gains. We are no stranger to controversial ads that skyrocket companies into the public’s eye, usually in a negative sense. The most recent of these commercial fiascos is the newest Gillette commercial. If you are like me, you never gave a thought about what razor to buy. I just use the razor that I have, and when I run out of blades, I run down to the CVS and buy a new set. My choice in razors was something I never questioned until viewing the Gillette commercial. The commercial focuses heavily on themes of sexual harassment and toxic masculinity, depicting these phenomena through a series of intertwined skits. The skits depict assorted topics, the most prevalent being bullying and sexual assault. My problems with this commercial are not with the issues that it depicts — I want to make that fact clear. I understand that bullying is a real problem in our society that negatively affects a wide range of individuals daily. I understand that sexual harassment in and out of the workplace exists and should be dealt with accordingly. My problem with the commercial was that it made too many generalizations about men, while simultaneously relating the whole to the few. Not all men are sexual harassers. Not all men are bullies. The Gillette commer-
cial failed to clarify this. Good men who carry themselves with honor should not be grouped with those who do not. The Gillette commercial references a small fringe group of men who partake in such deplorable actions, and it uses that small group to instill a sense of guilt. We, as honorable men here at The Haverford School, should have no connection to such behavior, and yet the aim of this commercial is to make us feel guilty. Why should we feel guilty for the actions of the few, while we are the many? The Gillette commercial also makes multiple references towards the notion of toxic masculinity. This is portrayed in the scene where two boys are scuffling at a barbeque, and the men watching the fight recite the well-known line, “boys will be boys.” This scene is my greatest problem with the commercial. The scene is framed as a negative. As the viewer, we are supposed to feel anger towards the men who stand idle while the boys continue to brawl. The commercial even claims that the phrase, boys being boys, is an “excuse.” I believe that boys having a fight is part of their nature. The nature of boys is to fight, and for the most part, it is harmless fun. I for one subscribe to the Emersonian beliefs of following one’s nature. Why should the new societal norms change the behavior of young men? These norms are determined to strip men of their true nature, and if more and more men set aside their instincts and emasculate themselves, they will only be bullied and harassed by those who have not. The Gillette commercial aims to instill a sense of guilt in men through its depiction of mainstream progressive ideologies. We, as men, need to ignore such deterrents and be proud of our own accomplishments.
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The Index - Off-Campus Opinions & news
A long government shutdown HAROON NAZ ’22
A government shutdown is indeed what it sounds like. Much of the federal government receives funding from Congress and some agencies’ funding expired on December 21. Because funding was not enacted for these agencies, they were partially shut down. In addition, all “essential” employees must continue to work without pay while “nonessential” employees are furloughed. Also, there are some agencies that are exempt from the shutdown as they do not receive their funding through the congressional appropriations process. One of these agencies is the U.S. Postal Service. As many may know, this particular government shutdown is due to Democrats refusing to fund Donald Trump’s border
February 2019
Self-driving cars hitting the streets JON KROUSE ’20
wall between The United States and Mexico. The border wall, one of Trump’s key points during his campaign, is quite a controversial topic, especially among Republicans and Democrats. Democrats firmly refused to fund Donald Trump’s wall, so Trump retaliated by shutting down the government. Of course, there have been government shutdowns in the past, but this is the longest one in history lasting 35 days long. After the government shutdown ended, America is left with the question: “How will this nationwide divide be resolved?” All questions regarding our country’s future will be answered in due time. All we can do now is leave it to our government.
Imagine one day you are driving down the street and a traffic light brings you to a stop. In order to pass the time while waiting for the light to turn green, you look at the people in the car next to you to see what they are doing. Yet there is no one in the drivers or passenger’s seat. In a state of confusion, you frantically search the car to see if there is anyone in it. You see just a single child in the backseat of the car, and as the light turns green, the car speeds away. When is this going to be possible? When are fully automated cars going to be a reality? Driverless cars used to be the sort of thing one would see in sci-fi movies or TV shows, but in this day and age, they may soon become a reality. We are on the precipice of a transportation revolution, where driverless cars can not only be an option but an essential option of travel.
“Car to car and car to infrastructure communication is essential for enabling autonomous driving.” For example, companies like BMW and Audi paid $3.1 billion for the Nokia Here mapping service, which will be used as a platform for cars so that they can sense their environment.
MOUNT RANIER NATIONAL PARK VIA WIKIMEDIA
The Federal Government shutdown has closed most government facilities including National Parks.
Self-automated cars are being developed by companies like BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Tesla, Google, and Apple. Even the government is getting involved with the
making of driverless vehicles. In the United Kingdom, the government invested £20 million into the technology. In order for the future of self-automated cars to become a reality, the cars must have an abundant amount of knowledge such as the connection between other cars and traffic infrastructures. According to an article on alphr.com, Christoph Reifenrath, a senior manager in technology marketing of Harman’s infotainment division stated, “Car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication is essential for enabling autonomous driving.” For example, companies like BMW and Audi paid $3.1 billion for the Nokia Here mapping service, which will be used as a platform for cars so that they can sense their environment. So what are the benefits of these autonomous cars? The cars will reduce traffic congestion, reduce CO2, increase the lane capacity, and reduce accidents. According to Forbes, “[self-driving cars will] eliminate the 90 percent of traffic accidents attributed to human error.” However, there are also negative effects. Automated cars will always be heavier, and thus, less efficient. In addition, there is always a possibility of technological failures with the cars. Overall, the prominent use of autonomous vehicles are coming around the corner and there is no denying that; so the question is, “Is the world, let alone America, ready for this change?”
A house divided: racial tensions fester continued from pg. 5... On January 23, Sixth Form leaders thought they were meeting to address these racial rifts over breakfast in the Big Room. But a luxurious breakfast did not prevent the retreat from turning into the butting of the school’s most opinionated heads. Several students walked out. “We hoped that what would come out of the retreat would be what it means to be a leader and also a conversation about the current challenges in the community,” Mr. Fifer said. “In reflection, we could’ve been more clear about those objectives. We had students coming in only thinking the retreat was about one thing, and we thought that it should be more broadly about defining what it means to be a leader at Haverford.” At the beginning of the meeting Mr. Brendon Jobs gave a presentation and led the senior leaders through part of a autobiographical identity activity, before several students complained that they wanted to attack the racial issue head on. “I think it had a lot of potential, but I think it got derailed,” Whaley said. “We were just going back and forth, not going anywhere. When we used to have breakouts around sophomore year, we would just go back and forth, and I felt like we were just going back to that. But, before the derailment happened, I felt like we were starting something different.” “It’s a bit of a loss that we didn’t get through [the activity]. [The derailment] showed these rifts, just how hard it is for people to have conversations they aren’t used to having, to engage perspectives they aren’t used to engaging because it’s not something they’re practiced in doing. People wanted an answer: what do we do, what do we do. But
nobody has an answer.” “I thought it was productive,” Goldman said. “These conversations are going to be hard. We’ve got 25 guys in the room from all different aspects of our school, not everything is going to go seamlessly.” Some see conversation and empathy as starting treatment for Haverford’s racial wounds.
“We just need to talk, just listen to someone else’s story and not argue about it, just try and realize what it’s like to be that other person.” “I think we need to bring both sides together outside of the classroom, to educate the younger grades with conversation,” said McCall. “Without that, nothing will change.” “This is always where we fall apart, when it comes to actually talking,” Overton-Clark said. “If I were to go, and I have, to try to explain to people what it’s like to be racially profiled where it’s detrimental to your health; I’ve just gotten one of those: ‘Oh well you shouldn’t’ve been wearing sweatpants.’ It’s always about being right at the end of the argument.” “We just need to talk,” Overton-Clark said, “just listen to someone else’s story and not argue about it, just try and realize what it’s like to be that other person.” This work has started with Black Student Union and Pan-Asian Alliance as healing spaces in the Upper and Middle schools for minority communities, Diversity Alliance lunches and winter retreats for discussion and empathy practice, an emerging Gay-
Straight alliance, the Human Relationships seminar, and regional conferences such as Speak Up! “There are so many spaces, but—white students have started talking about this, diversity alliance has started talking about this—the question is how to get [white students] to show up to these spaces. People don’t come to the table,” Mr. Jobs said. “Because we haven’t practiced [racial
literacy] enough in the lower levels,” Mr. Jobs said, “by the time people are seniors there are rifts that seem intractable because we are not practiced in thinking about how to manage those problems.” “It’s weird if you do go [to these spaces] and you’re not person of diversity or a minority,” Ethan Browdi ’20 said. “But, honestly, I haven’t given it that much thought.”
NICK CHIMICLES ’19
Mr. Brendon Jobs, Director of Diversity & Inclusivity, discusses diversity objectives with Khalil Bland ’19 (left) and Connor Wood ’20 (right).
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The Index - Sports
February 2019
Lacrosse grinds towards spring season TYLER ZIMMER ’21
While a good number of students hit the snooze button for the third time, making every excuse to shut their eyes for a few more minutes, the lacrosse squad is running sprints and doing burpees. Being highly ranked on the national level comes at a cost, but these Fords are up for the challenge. With the season not yet in sight, there are rules about when scheduled team practices can be held. Because of this, Sixth Formers such as, but not exclusively Mac Costin, Peter Garno, and Gavin Burke (when not with the basketball team) have been conducting their own training sessions to get the team in shape. With minimal intervention, except for safety measures, these Sixth Formers create an inclusive training environment for all players to improve. “Running [practices] without coach guidance is pretty easy because the leaders on the team step up,” Costin said. The regimen takes place from 6:45-8 a.m. “Conditioning is key,” Sixth Former Gavin Burke said. “There is lots of running incorporated throughout the workout.” Only rarely do the athletes employ static exercises. Push-ups are often joined with army crawls to continue moving and keep the heart rate up. With no coaching guidance in these offseason training sessions, one may wonder how well the team functions or how strong the dynamic is. Impressively, the seniors have stepped up to increase inclusiveness. Costin made it clear that the Sixth Formers “communicate the workouts to the team, and if the younger players are confused or doing something wrong, a senior leader will step in and show them how to do it correctly.” “At the beginning of the year [the workouts] always feel impossible but as the year goes on they get easier,” Fourth former Quintin Campbell said. “Hard work
DR. MIKE NANCE
Peter Garno ’19 strides away from a McDonogh Eagle in a March 9, 2018 match. Garno along with the rest of the lacrosse team has grinded in the winter to prepare for the spring season.
with teammates who are making the same sacrifices you are make the workouts much easier.” With the practices increasing in intensity from week to week, everybody’s stamina and strength increase as well. Along with the workouts, Campbell feels that the little things such as “shooting and throwing against the wall together contribute to a good team environment.” The chemistry between players is integral to on-the-field success in lacrosse. “While nobody wants to work out Wednesday mornings before seven o’clock, we want to be the best we can be,” Costin said. “We’re all willing to do it.” Fellow Sixth Former Peter Garno said
“the feeling of accomplishment and how much it brings our team together makes it worthwhile.” The brotherhood that comes from working through difficult situations prepares the team for success. It also comes from the “great senior leadership within our team,” Fourth Former Geordy Holmes said. “Underclassmen and upperclassmen all get along. As the season progresses we only get closer.” The season seems distant now, but several senior leaders already have their goals set high. Some of the “fuel to the fire,” as Costin said, “was coming up short on our goals last year.” The goals as spring approaches are the
same as always: “go undefeated, win the Inter-Ac, win a national championship.” To complete these challenging but tangible feats, especially the latter, Sixth Form leadership is crucial. Respected senior leaders passing down their experience to the underclassmen creates a dynamic unique to this team. This dynamic, strengthened by the offseason workouts, places the Fords in prime shape to not only meet their high standards but exceed them. Garno noted that this season, unlike many others, “all of the seniors have played throughout their high school careers and are valued members of our team.”
time since 1999. Everyone has been impressed with the team’s efforts. Head Coach Mr. Bernie Rogers said, “Being undefeated is pretty exciting. We’ve found different ways to win and
different guys have stepped up each game.” Coach Rogers is in only his fourth year in charge of the program, but his players respect him. “He is a great coach,” Third Form guard Jameel Brown said. “We are having a great season so far, and it’s been that way because of him. He keeps us together and keeps our heads straight.” Coach Rogers has led many teams throughout his career, but in his personal rankings out of all the teams he has coached, this team is “up there pretty high and making a case for number one,” he said. The biggest contributor is six-foot, sixinch forward sixth former Christian Ray. Coach Rogers recruited Ray three years ago knowing that he would be the key to Haverford dominating the league. Ray scored one-thousand points at Haverford in just his second season with the Fords, and he recently scored his two-thousandth point. Ray will likely hold the new points record by the end of this season. “When your best player works extremely hard, it’s easier for other guys to follow,” Coach Rogers said.
Sixth Form center Asim Richards commented on Christian Ray: “He is a fantastic leader for all of us and he leads by example.” While Ray knows that his leadership is important, he believes that the chemistry on and off the court is what makes this team so special. “We get along really well,” Ray said. “If you ever visit Haverford, you will always see four or five basketball players sitting together. We are always together.” The Fords look to remain undefeated as they finish the regular season. Still, the perfect record is not their main goal. Last year, Haverford lost in the state championship game. All of their hard work and preparation is dedicated to getting back to that game and coming up on top. Based on how well things have been going for the Fords so far, they just might have what it takes to win it all. “On the court, we play as one, and we move the ball around so everyone gets touches. We share the ball and get lots of assists, and that is why we put up a lot of points. I am playing with my best friends out there,” Richards said. “I love them all.”
A goose egg in the loss column LUKE KANIA ’19
The Varsity basketball team is on the path to historic success. With only a handful of games left in the regular season, the Fords remain undefeated. Last year, the Fords won the Inter-Ac title for the first
COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN RAY
Jameer Nelson ’19 dunks against SCHA on January 15, 2019. The baller Fords triumphed 74-60.
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The Index - sports
February 2019
Fords faithful: existent or inconsistent? CHRISTIAN SARIAN ’19
The inconsistency of fan support for Haverford’s athletic teams is noticeable. While the attendance for athletic competitions has generally been strong, weak spots are obvious. Football and basketball gain most of the attention during the fall and winter seasons, while the wrestling, squash and soccer teams make it difficult to gain attention from students. Many factors are at play. First and foremost, students who participate in their own activities after school are not able to attend many games. These problems are yet to be solved. “For particular sports, attendance is really strong and seems to be at all-time high levels. It does seem to be only for particular sports though, such as football, soccer, and basketball, and it’s unfortunate that we don’t have guys coming out for other sports,” Upper School Dean of Students Mr. Mark Fifer said. “I’d love to have broad fan support for all the sports, but some sports just lend themselves to having more fans attend.” In the past, upperclassmen made up the majority of fan attendance. Recently, more underclassmen have been showing up to these contests, a sign of progress. Sixth Former A.J. Aivazoglou noticed this positive trend but also identified why the fan support is unbalanced. “I think the time of the year and the game definitely impacts attendance, specifically for the spring and how the weather is going to be better since the outdoors for watching games is much better than bundling up and watching games in the arena,” Aivazoglou said. The Fieldhouse Phanatic has called for most of the Upper School to attend these home games, and upperclassmen have been
Fords Fans on EA day shouting during the football game. The fan section is somewhat inconsistant in its attendance.
able to drive underclassmen to away games in order to support our teams. “I’ve been able to attend more than half of the games and haven’t found any reason not to complain,” Fourth Former Beau Christopher said. “I know that some of my friends choose not to come to these games, and they’re missing out. It’s truly a fun time and an awesome experience.” Recently, the basketball team played a game against Episcopal Academy away,
and the 4 p.m. start time for the game was initially thought to be a problem for many students. Still, many upperclassmen and lowerclassmen found a way to support their brothers, using that needed support to fuel one of the most exciting, down-to-the-wire games of the season. Sixth Former Seamus McCloskey understands the one issue that coincides with the other problems. “I think that the scheduling makes it
MR. JIM ROESE
tough for our students to come to the games, especially ones that follow right after school,” McCloskey said. “I think our Fieldhouse Phanatic is doing a good job getting the word out, but better support could be there for the games that follow right after school, but it really depends on how can they fix the scheduling for those sports.”
Jack Deppen ’21, dedicated to success RYAN LAROCCA ’22
“We’re still here!” chanted Haverford’s Swim Team, as Fourth Former Jack Deppen extirpated his opponents in the 200-yard freestyle at Inter-Ac championships. A North Penn Aquatic Club swimmer, Deppen began swimming at the age of six. Still currently a North Penn School District resident, Deppen’s commute to school each morning includes a forty-minute ride when devoid of traffic. Despite the long commute, Deppen still clearly wanted to come to Haverford. “When I first visited Haverford, I met some of the swim coaches such as Coach Hansen and some of the team’s members.
Later, I took my shadow day there, and I ultimately decided that Haverford presented an environment unmatched by any other schools I had seen. I immediately sought to become a part of the Haverford brotherhood,” Deppen said. As a Third Former, Jack improved developed as a student-athlete and teammate under the influence of the Sixth Form leaders. They prepared Deppen to inherit the throne as one of the team’s top contributors and leaders. “It was pretty obvious that we had multiple great seniors, and we knew it was going to challenging to lose them this year.
Some people needed to step up; I tried to do my best, both in the pool and on the deck, helping some of the other younger guys,” Deppen said. Despite conceding three of four of its league dual meets, Deppen placed in the top two in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle events all three times he swam them this season. Sometimes unsung yet always an integral part of the team, Deppen has been willing to sacrifice his desire to swim some of the shorter events for the team’s benefit. “I am just trying to help out in any way I can; whatever is needed, I am there for,” Deppen told The Index.
Jack Deppen ’21 stroking towards the finish in a meet against Malvern on January 8.
MR. JIM ROESE
A star swimmer willing to compete constantly in the endurance-mandating distance events for the sake of the team; a component that Fords Swimming has lacked since the departure of now University of Pennsylvania swimmer Matt Haigh ’15. Although one might assume that this ability to swim these distances races emerges from natural ability, a large portion of Deppen’s success can be attributed to his consummate work ethic. While Fords swimming only hosts required morning practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays in-season, Deppen also sometimes completes additional practices on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at North Penn Aquatic Club. In addition, per Deppen’s request, his father wakes and drives him to 6 a.m. morning practices throughout the rest of the year, including the summer. During these morning practices and other additional afternoon and night practices, Deppen always exerts his greatest effort, striving to improve each day. “Deppen is consistently relentless at practice,” said Head Coach Sean Hansen. “He has the best work ethic on the team. He tries the hardest out of anyone on the team, and that is all we could ever ask for,” Sixth Form Captain J.R. Leitz said. Deppen, along with his teammates, eyes the impending Easterns Swimming and Diving Championships spanning from February 15-16. The interim between the present and this championship meet will be fraught with hard work for Deppen and the Fords.
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The Index - sports
February 2019
Winter track rocks Ryan LaRocca ’20
JIM ROESE
Coach Kolade shares a laugh with Dan whaley ‘19 at a Lehigh meet.
Known for notorious outdoor practices, winter track has experienced unprecedented success this season. Although the winter track team lacks the recognition received by other teams such as basketball, they complete daily workouts in order to achieve success. If one looks outside on what they perceive to be one of the coldest days of the week, winter track is still outside practicing. “You have to be mindful of the weather, if it’s too cold, and just be creative,” said Head Coach and English teacher Mr. Luqman Kolade. Fords Winter Track’s 4x200 relay team of Sixth Former Dan Whaley, Fourth Former Guillame Laforest, Third Former Kevin Thomas, and Fifth Former Daiyaan Hawkins, received an unprec-
edented invitation earlier this season: to compete in a world-renowned meet later in the season. “Recently, we’ve been invited to a meet that’s an invite-only professional meet… probably one of the biggest indoor meets in the world. It’s called the Millrose Games. It’s really prestigious, and will probably be televised,” said Coach Kolade. “It’s the first time it has ever happened since I’ve been at Haverford, and I would imagine ever. I can’t think of any other Inter-Ac teams that have been invited.” In an interview at the Ocean Breeze Invitational, the relay’s anchor Daiyaan Hawkins emphasized the team’s aspirations for the Millrose Games. “If we all have fresh legs [for the race], I can
think we can go at least 1:27 and maybe 1:26 (current time is 1:29). The top is… 1:25. That’s what we’re aiming for,” said Hawkins. Coach Kolade also highlighted the success of the relay’s individual members. Despite an injury that sidelined him last winter, Fourth Form relay member Guillaume Laforest has bounced back this season. In addition, Sixth Former Dan Whaley, returning Inter-Ac champion in the 400-meter run, qualified for states in the 200 meter run with a time of 22.53 seconds on January 26. Like Whaley and Laforest, the third member of the relay, Third Former Kevin Thomas, has transitioned into one of the top runners in the state in the hurdles. The relay’s “anchor” Daiyaan Hawkins has
achieved success on the national level. With his time of 6.45 seconds in the 55-meter dash, Hawkins advanced to number 1 in the state of Pennsylvania. Hawkins’s success on the national level is likely due to his hard offseason work and his ambition to be the best. “Daiyaan is doing really well so far.” Mr. Kolade said. “He is nationally ranked in the sprints.” Hawkins and the rest of his 4x200 relay team seek to capitalize on their opportunity at the Millrose Games, and ultimately a personal best time. The private event is set to occur on February 9, at the New Balance Track and Field Center at the Armory in New York City.
Gavin Buckets sinks buckets RYAN RODDACK ’22
The Haverford Schools Varsity Basketball team has had an electric season thus far, beginning the season with a perfect record of 22-0. The Fords have had many players contribute to success, including 6’1” Sixth Form guard Gavin Burke. Burke starts alongside guard Jameer Nelson Jr, forward Jameel Brown, forward Christian Ray, and center Asim Richards. Burke also plays lacrosse and will attend Villanova next year to do so.
“Since freshman year our team has been on an upward trend, and each year we try to elevate to another level.” Burke began playing basketball at a young age. “I started playing basketball as early as I could, probably around first or second grade,” Burke said. “I joined the varsity team freshmen year when I came to Haverford.” Throughout the year, Burke must manage his training and workouts between basketball and lacrosse. “A lot of the strength and conditioning workouts are similar for basketball and lacrosse,” Burke said. “In the fall, I workout
with [Coach Matt] Rosko and with the other lacrosse and basketball guys that don’t play a fall sport. Then during the season playing the one sport really helps to condition for the other. Playing basketball has definitely helped me to stay in shape for lacrosse, and vice versa.” Ever since Burke’s Third Form year, the basketball team has developed and improved. “Since freshman year our team has been on an upward trend, and each year we try to elevate to another level. We have great chemistry this year, and everyone on the team has put a tremendous effort to pull out wins,” Burke said. Sixth Formers Jameer Nelson, Jr., and Christian Ray have also contributed to the team’s successful season. “It’s been awesome to play alongside great players like Christian and Jameer. It’s great to play with guys that compete so hard and can play at such a high level,” said Burke. With a few Inter-Ac games remaining and the PAISSA tournament approaching, Burke knows what he and his teammates must do in order to finish out the season strong. “I think we have to keep playing the same way we’ve played all year,” Burke said, “and keep playing the toughest defense we can play.”
Gavin Burke ‘19 drives to the hoop in a 75-55 win over Shipley, December 27, 2018.
DR. MIKE NANCE
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The Index - sports
February 2019
Coach Dawson leans into lax leadership
Robert Esgro ’19 New Associate Head Coach Brendan Dawson knows lacrosse. Dawson was a West Chester East High School graduate. At Salisbury University, Coach Dawson was a two-time NCAA National Champion, receiving honors such as becoming the captain as a senior, selection to the first-team All-Capital Athletic Conference in 2002, and becoming a member of the Seagulls’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. After graduating from Salisbury, Coach Dawson started the lacrosse program at Aurora University (Ill.) in 2010. After an 11-win inaugural season with the Spartans, Coach Dawson was named Midwest Lacrosse Conference Coach of the Year. Coach Dawson came back to Philadelphia in 2011 to help Widener University win the Commonwealth Conference in 2012. Coach Dawson’s Lions qualified for the conference playoffs every year he coached there, and he was named Commonwealth Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016. He was the 2018 Centennial Conference Coach of the Year at Haverford College, leading the Black Squirrels to their first postseason appearance
Coach Brendan Dawson, Assistant Athletic Director will lead the lax Fords in 2020.
in seven years in 2018. Now, Coach Dawson will coach under Head Coach John Nostrant for the 2018-19 season.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to learn from Coach Nostrant in this coming year, and motivated to work at continuing the tradition of excellence that is Haverford School lacrosse.” “My family and I are eager to join The Haverford School community in this exciting new role,” Dawson told Philly Lacrosse. “I would like to thank John Nagl, Mike Murphy, and John Nostrant for their faith in me.” Coach Dawson told the Index that he is excited to begin his career with a strong Haverford team for the 2019 season. The team will be led by Sixth Formers such as defenseman Seamus McCloskey, who has a personal connection to Coach Dawson. “In the summer of 2017, Coach Dawson led me on my club team, HEADstrong Quakers,” said McCloskey, who will play
for Dickinson College next spring. “With his coaching abilities, he helped me strive to work and be a better player that I could be.” As a result, McCloskey, like many others on the team, is more than confident in Coach Dawson to lead the Fords to great success in 2019 and beyond. “I am excited about Coach Dawson coming to Haverford and taking a new position as head coach of the lacrosse team. I feel great things are going to come in the future. I can’t wait for this upcoming spring season with Coach Dawson.” In his last season, Coach Nostrant will help Coach Dawson become acclimated to Haverford lacrosse as he transitions into the next chapter of his life. Coach Nostrant has coached the Fords for over 25 years and has certainly made his mark, including two undefeated, National Championship teams. Coach Dawson told The Index that having Coach Nostrant by his side this season will prove beneficial. “Coach Nostrant obviously is a guy who has had tons of success, not only in the Inter-Ac but also in Pennsylvania and the entire country. As the incoming Head
INDEX STAFF
Coach, you always try to learn as best you can from the outgoing guy—especially if he is successful—but sometimes you can’t do that because he is gone before you even get there. I am humbled by the opportunity to learn from Coach Nostrant in this coming year, and motivated to work at continuing the tradition of excellence that is Haverford School lacrosse.” The 2019 season will be filled with close games and one of the toughest national schedules in years as the team wishes a heartfelt goodbye to Coach Nostrant. Despite the challenge of the games ahead, the team is ready to make it his best, as well as to help Coach Dawson with his transition into the Haverford School. Coach Nostrant and Dawson have both been phenomenal resources and leaders in preseason work, giving much reason to be excited about the 2019 Fords Lacrosse season.
Boring Super Bowl? Or a defensive masterpiece? MITAV NAYAK ’22
Seventeen years ago, the Patriots won their first Super Bowl, beating the Rams in a close game which came down to the last possessions. On February 3, the Patriots looked to repeat history, while the Rams looked to rewrite it. Most people were hoping for the latter. Approaching the big game, the Patriots and the Rams were expected to put on an electrifying offensive display. The wily Belichick and the seasoned Brady faced off against the young phenoms of the Rams: McVay and Goff. However, no one predicted the game as it played out. Some would describe the game as humdrum, while others called it a defensive masterpiece. The defensive genius of Belichick and Wade Phillips prevailed through the first three quarters, showcasing a game no one saw coming. In the end, New England’s experience triumphed 13-3, as Brady and Belichick hoisted their sixth Lombardi trophy. The Haverford student body rooted heavily for the Rams. While a total of 85% of students wanted the Rams to win, many were not Rams fans. “[It is] less of a ‘go Rams’ and more of a ‘go not Brady,” explained Sixth Former Carson Rooney. This “who do you not want to win” mindset seemed to be prevalent among the students, as many were disappointed at the
matchup. “It should be Saints vs. Chiefs,” said Fourth Former Daniel Curran. Nevertheless, only a handful of students rooted for the Patriots, as many wanted to
see new faces dominate the league. This was perhaps reflective of how the country viewed this game as well. The Patriots, however, overcame the antagonism and captured their sixth title in
less than two decades. Although it was not the way everyone expected, the game ended in true Patriots Super Bowl fashion, coming down to the last few possessions.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, host venue of Super Bowl LIII.
WIKIMEDIA
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The Index - Arts
Sweeney Todd to sweep audience off their feet MATT MIGNUCCI ’20
From Shakespeare classics to West Side Story, the Theater Department has performed just about any play genre imaginable. But this year, singers and actors are taking on their most challenging production yet, Sweeney Todd. Widely known in the theater and musical worlds as “one of the hardest plays of its genre.” The musical is a thriller about a “demon barber” named Sweeney Todd, who terrorizes the streets of nineteenth-century London by cutting the throats of his customers in order to turn their corpses into meat pies. Fifth Former Pearse Glavin plays Anthony, Sweeney Todd’s friend who eventually falls in love with his daughter. Glavin said, “Oliver! and West Side Story had serious messages and even some disturbing undertones, but Sweeney Todd is practically reaching into the audience and slapping people in the face with its gore and brutality… Our goal is to get people lost in the story and to make them forget that they interact with us in Wilson Hall every day.”
Music Director Mr. Mark Hightower has been hard at work since the beginning of the new year learning the music and helping the actors involved learn their parts and gain confidence. Mr. Hightower is excited to take on the production. “It is easily the hardest play we have attempted during my time at Haverford, but that being said, we have the talent to pull it off,” Mr. Hightower said. “It is very ambitious of us, and it requires a lot of hard work and a lot of effort, but I believe that we have the cast to do it.” Sweeney Todd is played by Sixth Former David Hurley in his final performance. Reflecting on his roles with Haverford Theater and the challenge of his latest role as Sweeney Todd, he says, “This performance is definitely going to be meaningful. It has always been my favorite show, and to get the opportunity to not only be a part of it but also be the lead in my senior year is special.” Director Mr. Hengst also acknowledges
February 2019
the difficulties that can come with such a challenging play but believes that the cast will be able to pull it off. “Mr. Hightower and I are so impressed with our cast and their ability to rise to this great challenge. They are supportive of each other and extremely prepared on a nightly basis. I would not attempt to produce this musical if we did not have the actors and singers to pull it off,” Mr. Hengst said. With the high expectations going into the show, the cast is feeling some pressure, but are staying calm. “With such difficult mu-
sic,” Glavin said, “it’s easy to get frustrated and overwhelmed, but I think the cast has definitely embraced the challenge. It is a talented group and if it were any other group, Mr. Hengst likely would not have picked the show.” With all this hard work, it can be easy to lose yourself in stress and mayhem. “Although at first, the cast was a bit taken aback, especially because the music is so difficult,” Hurly said. “Everyone is embracing the challenge, and everyone is having a good time.”
MR. DARREN HENGST
Mr. Mark Hightower, Shipley’s Libby Ronon, Caleb Reed ’20, David Hurly ’19, and Pearse Glavin ’20 rehearsing the music for Sweeney Todd.
Nate Whitaker takes on Spiderman now in 4D his first film TOBY MA ’19
DAN WHALEY ’19
With the football season behind him and winter and spring seasons ahead of him, Sixth Former Nate Whitaker is directing his first film, Secret Bi Secret. “I like to see the world from different perspectives, technically, angled perspectives,” Whitaker said. Whitaker decided to use members of the Haverford and Agnes Irwin community for his recent work. You can find Whitaker and his cast filming and acting after school hours around various parts of Wilson Hall. Sixth Form lead actor Anthony Hands said, “Whenever we rehearse or we record, a few days a week, we have a lot of funny people around, so it’s hard to stay in character all the time.” Whitaker acknowledges that this is something different for his cast. “I have to work with people that aren’t used to doing these roles on a normal basis, so pulling them out of their comfort zone is a little challenging,” Whitaker said. Though most of his cast is new to the acting scene, some actresses in the film are comfortable in front of the camera.
“My dad was an actor before he met my mom,” Agnes Irwin senior Lauren Weigle said. Weigle has participated in many plays at both Agnes Irwin and Haverford since middle school. Though most of Whitaker’s cast members are students, he also utilizes English teacher Ms. Alicia Evans. “As a sophomore, [Whitaker] would very much delay making a decision, and then when he would make a decision, he just had a really hard time, going back and forth,” Ms. Evans said. “He would just want things to be over with. So I feel like this is a testimony of his growth. He goes back and forth with it. He will make decisions, he will take out decisions.” Whitaker also has other work in his film portfolio, as he has recorded players on the basketball team. “It’s never gonna look the way I envision it, and I know that,” Whitaker said. “Then I know I can sit there and look at it and be like, ‘this is something I enjoy and I can watch it myself.’ That’s when I know I’m satisfied.”
Nate Whitaker ‘19 filming Secret Bi Secret on January 30, 2019.
Despite releasing in a year with many ground-breaking, box-office-shattering superhero films, such as Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War, and Black Panther, Into the Spider-Verse breaks new ground for the genre with its animation, story, and characters. Spider-Verse is a story about Miles Morales, a teenager from Brooklyn who is bitten by a radioactive spider and forced to become Spider-Man to stop Kingpin, who built a particle accelerator that can access parallel universes and threatens to destroy the city.
With its usage of the multiverse, Spider-Verse states that you do not have to be Peter Parker to become Spider-Man: anybody can be Spider-Man, whether you’re a boy, a girl, or an anthropomorphic pig. Because of the particle accelerator, Morales is joined by spider-people from alternate dimensions, such as Peter B. Parker, a sad and tired version of Spider-Man; Spider-
DAN WHALEY ’19
Woman, from a universe where Gwen Stacy acquired spider-powers; and Spider-Ham from an anthropomorphic cartoon universe; alongside many others. Morales learns how to use his newfound powers and grows into the hero he once admired. What sticks out most in Spider-Verse is its unique design and animation inspired by the comic book medium. The movie combines both traditional 3D animation with comic book techniques and elements like halftones, text boxes, and colorful imagery. Compared to the other animated superhero film released this year, The Incredibles 2, Spider-Verse stands out with a far more innovative and interesting art style that pays tribute to the roots of the character. The movie also features a thrilling soundtrack that ties neatly into the story beats of Spider-Verse and complements the character of Miles Morales. Another interesting aspect of Spider-Verse is its story and characters, most notably its use of multiple spider-people. While previous Spider-Man films have focused on only one Spider-Man, Peter Parker, Spider-Verse introduces us to seven different versions of Spider-Man, each with their own backstories, but united by their identity as superheroes and defenders of peace and justice. With its usage of the multiverse, SpiderVerse states that you do not have to be Peter Parker to become Spider-Man: anybody can be Spider-Man, whether you’re a boy, a girl, or an anthropomorphic pig. Morales’ arc in Spider-Verse takes a whole new path. Previous adaptations of the webslinger have shown how Spider-Man learns to master his powers and defeat the villain on his own. In Spider-Verse, Morales has the guidance of other spider-people to follow, and in the end, they work together to defeat the Kingpin. You can’t always save the world alone.
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dictable movie with a fairytale ending, into one that provides a realistic look into the life of an African American and the lingering racism in America even after the Civil Rights Movement. BlacKkKlansman does not fully succeed when it comes to character development. The movie is filled with clear-cut villains and clear-cut heroes who lack the depth that makes characters somewhat relatable or understandable, even if their actions seem insane. Nominated for six Oscars overall such as Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role and more, BlacKkKlansman seems assured to walk out of the Dolby Theatre with at least one piece of hardware, but it most likely will not be from winning Best Picture. Bohemian Rhapsody The number of recognizable and industry-changing songs beautifully crafted by the members of Queen is remarkable, and Bohemian Rhapsody makes sure you know it. From the name itself, it’s obvious the movie will focus on the songs themselves and it does not disappoint, ending the movie with an almost 20-minute long scene, near perfectly recreating Queen’s famous Live Aid performance from 1985. Rami Malek’s Golden Globe-winning performance as Freddie Mercury is easily the best part of the movie. The well-cast and well-acted supporting cast help out as well. Where this movie falls short is its changing around of events, which do not allow it to stay completely true to the story of Queen. If it were not for the amazing acting or the rights to use Queen music, this movie would feel very much like any other biopic out there, but those two things help it stand out from the rest. With surprise wins of Best Drama and Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama
Poster for BlacKkKlansman directed by Spike Lee.
Welcome to the 91st Academy Awards. Following one of the more controversial lead ups, we finally have the nominations for the night’s biggest honor, Best Picture. Between moving forward with no host and the decreased viewership during recent years, this year’s Oscars have become more important than most probably realize. Much rides on a successful night. SPOILERS AHEAD Black Panther As the first superhero movie to ever be nominated for Best Picture, Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther is a sign of how the Academy is attempting to appeal to a broader audience. Undoubtedly the most popular of all eight Best Picture nominees, Black Panther does not completely hold up its end of the bargain. Black Panther is the eighteenth movie Marvel has produced, and it helped set up many of the events for the next movie in the Marvel Universe, Avengers: Infinity War. Black Panther is about T’Challa, the rightful heir to the throne of the fictional land of Wakanda, after the passing of his father. On the outside, Wakanda is seen as a struggling third world country, but in reality, it is well beyond the rest of the world in terms of technology and its supply of a precious metal called Vibranium. The plot follows T’Challa as a stranger, named Erik Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan), who believes he is the true heir to the throne, comes to Wakanda to challenge T’Challa for his place as ruler. From a critical perspective, Black Panther is closer to an average Marvel movie, than one deserving of Hollywood’s highest honor. The movie is held back by many of the cliché
The Index -
Oscar-nomin revie
MATTHEW SC
at the Golden Globes, Bohemian Rhapsody is no longer a movie cast off by most predictors as one that would never win the Oscar but is now an increasingly popular dark horse candidate to take out the big prize. Bohemian Rhapsody is nominated for five Oscars overall including Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role and Best Motion Picture of the Year. The Favourite Tied for the most nominations of the night with ten, The Favourite details the life of England’s Queen Anne during the early 1700s. Anne’s friend and closest advisor, Sarah Churchill, begins to feel threatened due to the arrival of her cousin Abigail Masham. Abigail begins to create a relationship with the Queen that generates tension between the cousins. Aside from being an extraordinarily interesting part of history most likely unknown to the general population, The Favourite also sports three stellar female leads in Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Colman, all of whom are nominated for their performances. The style implemented by director Yorgos Lanthimos, also nominated, creates for an almost humorous peek into the events of the time, with the characters expressing much more emotion than what might have likely taken place. The care in which each scene is shot, with bits of subtle symbolism throughout, all leads up to a final scene that will stay
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tropes of any superhero movie, such as disposable armies and large CGI boss battles, which meant that Black Panther was not allowed to be unpredictable or completely out of the box. One of the spots where Black Panther does exceed movies in its genre is in the acting department. Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan are both fantastic on screen, especially in the scenes where they go head to head. Black Panther is on the higher end of total nominations with seven across all categories. These nominations include Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score), Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song), Best Achievement in Costume Design, and more. BlacKkKlansman If there was any film that would grant Spike Lee his first ever and well-deserved directing nomination, it is the masterpiece that is BlacKkKlansman. Releasing during one of the most tension-filled times of the 21st century, BlacKkKlansman could not have been any more timely. Beginning in the 1970s, the movie is based on the true story of Ron Stallworth (played by John David Washington), the first African American police officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Together with the help of one of the department’s white officers, Flip Zimmerman (played by supporting actor nominee Adam Driver), Ron infiltrates the ranks of the Ku Klux Klan all the way up to David Duke himself. With action and suspense in every scene, BlacKkKlansman does a surprisingly good job of turning what could have been a pre-
Poster for Green Book which tells the story of a black musician touring the deep south in the 1960s.DREAMWORKS
- Arts
nated movie ews
CHWARTZ ’21
with you for days after being watched. The scene incorporates the complexity of each character and the specific emotions their decisions and circumstances have led them to. Though not the immediate favorite (or favourite!) to win Best Picture, The Favourite does have a good chance of some success in part thanks to its large amount of nominations. It is increasingly likely to take home the Oscar for Production Design as well as Costume Design, which were both wonderfully done and supposedly quite accurate to the period. The other award which might find its way into the hands of The Favourite is the Oscar for Original Screenplay. Green Book Based on a true story, Green Book follows the experience of pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and his driver, Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen). Dr. Shirley is an African American musician in 1962 who must travel into the deep South to perform for one of his music tours. His label instructs the assistance of Tony Lip, your typical New York Italian tough guy, bodyguard, driver, to help Dr. Shirley get from place to place. Though on paper this might sound as if it’s going to be a cliché movie dealing with racism during the 60s that ends with a feelgood scene showing how we’ve progressed since then, Green Book has a lot more to offer. The duo of Ali and Mortensen makes every scene ten times better. Their chemistry together is undeniable. Besides not having a good justification for its name, and still including many of the clichés of this type of movie, director Peter Farrelly twists the usual dynamic of two char-
February 2019
acters in a movie into one where they both grow and change as the movie progresses, instead of just one teaching the other. Green Book is nominated for a total of five Oscars. Both Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali are nominated for their roles in the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories respectively. After winning at the Golden Globes, Ali has one of the best odds of anyone to win his category, giving him his second Oscar in three years. Overall, Green Book has as good a chance as any movie to win Best Picture, especially as it falls into the area where it’s not too far out there to push people away, but also not too plain to disinterest voters. Roma The favorite to win best picture might not be what you expected. With its hopes to become the first foreign language film ever to win best picture, Roma tells the story of a family’s maid during the early 1970s. The entire movie is shot in black and white and is also completely Spanish with English subtitles. The story is very similar to the life of the director himself, Alfonso Cuarón, and his own housemaid when he was growing up, who the movie is based on and dedicated to. Roma is filled with stunning landscape shots that are mixed in with the rambunctious day-to-day life of caring for four different kids. These cutaways give a nice break from the action and give the viewer time to reflect on what they are witnessing. Roma is not a typical movie. It doesn’t have a high-stakes payoff, an evil villain, or even large amounts of drama, but what it does have substitutes just fine, realism. There isn’t really a plot and that is the point. There is nothing in Roma that exaggerates the real aspects of life; nothing taking away from the fact that you are simply watching a family and their maid and the movie never makes you want more. All in all, Roma is a cinematic masterpiece that might disinterest the
20th CENTURY FOX
Poster for Bohemian Rhapsody starring Remi Malek which has been nominated for best picture.
Poster for Vice in which Christian Bale stunningly portrays former Vice-President Dick Cheney.
average moviegoer due to lack of structure. Tied with The Favourite for ten total nominations, Roma is hoping to cash out big in many of its categories such as Best Original Screenplay, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Directing, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role and more. A Star Is Born There’s always that movie every year that from the moment it gets released immediately gets thrown to the front of the Oscar race. Last year it was Shape of Water, two years ago, La La Land. These movies are often the most mainstream of the movies released that year, and this year is no exception. Starring two household names in Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, A Star is Born is the fourth rendition of the original 1937 movie of the same name. The story takes place in the present day as famous musician Jack Maine (Bradley Cooper) one day stumbles drunk into a bar where he hears the voice of Ally (Lady Gaga). Jack helps Ally gain stardom and the two even get married, but things don’t go as they had hoped. The ending of this movie comes as a shock and leaves the audience absolutely stunned and heartbroken. This movie is particularly interesting when it comes to its place in the Oscars. What began as a two-way race between A Star is Born and Roma has since opened up to include many of the other films nominated. This is as a result of poor showings from A Star is Born in other award shows such as the Golden Globes (only won best song), and the SAG awards. With eight total nominations, this movie comes in third for nominations overall but is tied for the most amount of nominations for acting with Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, and Sam Elliott all receiving nomination nods. The one spot where A Star is Born is nearly guaranteed to win is in the category of Best Original Song for “Shallow.” The song has been consistent at the top of the charts and has a chance to become the first feature film song to win Record of the Year at the Grammys since 1999’s “My Heart Will Go On”
ANNAPURNA
by Celine Dion, the inescapable hit from Titanic. Vice As the most unorthodox of all the movies nominated this award season, Vice tells the story of former Vice President Dick Cheney. It focuses on his time from the Nixon Administration all the way to him as the Vice President under George W. Bush. Though based on facts, the way Vice is told, specifically by its director, Malvern native Adam McKay, gives it a distinct personality. It strays far from the average biopic, mixing humor where it often wouldn’t be expected as well as taking some of the seriousness out of important scenes. In one scene in particular, McKay plays out an entirely fictional ending that even begins to play the credits, a sum 40-odd minutes, before the movie is actually supposed to end. All of these quirks do contribute to the peculiarity and mysteriousness surrounding Dick Cheney, on whom the movie struggled to find a huge amount of specific details, even disclaiming at the beginning of the movie, “we did our (expletive) best.” Christian Bale is completely unrecognizable in his performance as Cheney, gaining close to 40 pounds total for his role, and is close to a shoo-in to win Best Actor. The other performances are all fantastic as well, including two more, Amy Adams and Sam Rockwell, who were both nominated for Academy Awards of their own. With eight total nominations, Vice appears to have a solid chance of winning in some category yet may push some of the traditional members of the Academy away due to its uncommon storytelling methods. With one of the more closely packed races for Best Picture in recent memory, the 2019 Oscars look to be an increasingly exciting event to watch. As we’ve seen in years prior, anything is possible making for a suspenseful and dramatic night. Don’t forget to tune in. February 24th at 8:00 p.m. EST on ABC, hosted, for the first time since 1989, by nobody.
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The Index - Arts
February 2019
Garrett Johnson art blends East and West TYLER ZIMMER ’21
A diverse range of student interests, talents, and hobbies is one of the most appealing aspects of the Haverford community. Sixth Former Garrett Johnson embodies this, as his fascination in the art studio has lead him on a path unlike any other student. “After seeing my dedication to art, the school was gracious enough to allow me to do an independent study,” Johnson said. He worked on a comic book issue that integrated his original work onto every page. While his illustrations were impressive, Johnson kept a humble attitude about it, stating that it was only his “latest experiment.” This next digital work spawned from his childhood interests of kung fu movies and anime. Johnson prefers Eastern media because it is “normally about trying to live a happy life, while Western media is about living to beat up bad guys.” Furthermore, this Asian-style artwork alludes to Johnson’s vision for his own life: “To be an exceptional person living a normal,
happy life.” While on the surface, this vibrant and complex piece seems to be illustrating two friends sharing a picnic, Johnson’s underlying message may lead to a second impression: the intertwining of American and Asian cultures. His goal in this design was to create a “visual representation of this cultural symbiosis.” This selection only scratches the surface of Johnson’s many comics and graphic designs. He uses his work not only to further his own artistic career but also help other local entrepreneurs and artists. His ultimate goal is to work on collaboration pieces with popular artists, expand, and operate his own business centered around original graphic designs. Johnson’s website receives around two hundred views each month and brings in sales without any advertising. Some of the sales, along with money he has raised independently, go towards growing his and other talented artists’ names.
Several Garrett Johnson ’19 works of comics and graphic designs. The picnic scene depicts the fusion of American and Asian culture.
IMAGES COURTESY OF GARRETT JOHNSON ’19