January 2014 Index

The Index Eutαxia Swzein Dokei

January 2014

Volume LXXV, No. 5

Haverford, Pennsylvania - haverfordindex.com

1-to-1 System: Haverford Expands Classroom Technology

Haverford students will now be required to bring computers to school; Jack Henderson ‘15 discusses that and more as he outlines the school’s new classroom plans. Jack Henderson ‘15

Starting in the fall of 2014, The Haverford School plans to establish its BYOD program, which stands for “bring your own device.” While more than half of students already bring a personal computing device to school, Haverford will require every student to bring a laptop or tablet with the intent of making each class more collaborative and organized. The school recognizes the tremendous technological advances in recent years and hopes to create a 21st Century classroom that is more connected and innovative than ever before. Head of Upper School Mr. Matt Green and Assistant Headmaster Mr. Mark Thorburn first acknowledged this program publicly in a letter they sent home on November 15th, 2013. The letter reads, “Already ubiquitous in the social lives of our students, technology is becoming an increasingly essential component of their professional (i.e. school) lives as well. Increasingly, your son uses technology as an in-school work management tool and as a means of communicating and collaborating, unimpeded by the confines of time and space, with classmates, teachers, and experts in the field.” The school feels a need for improvement; as many students have adapted to the new technology available, the school’s approach to teaching has not changed. Mr. Green explains, “Our delivery of instruction has not changed as quickly as have the tools that most students use to manage their work (not to mention their recreation). So it has been sort of the Wild

West out there for the past few years in terms of who is using a computer in class and for what purposes.” The school has fewer doubts about the practicality of the program due to the increase in the number of students who regularly bring a computing device to school. Mr. Green, Mr. Joseph Sweeney, and others involved in this initiative have observed various classes and taken class surveys, and they estimate that two years ago about 25% (one-fourth) of students brought a device to school while that number is closer to 75% (three-fourths) this year. So, the school isn’t starting to use computers next year. Most students already have them. Mr. Sweeney explains, “We have some of the infrastructure already to facilitate new modes of teaching and learning, but we don’t have enough of it to reliably predict if it’s going to be available, and, therefore, give teachers and students the opportunity to explore and experiment with what’s possible.” Mr. Green continued in his letter, “As we move away from hard copy textbooks and toward a blended model of e-books, open-source resources, and teacher-generated content, easy and quick access to a computing device will only become more important. And ultimately, emerging technologies may also offer teachers new opportunities to provide timelier feedback to each boy, collect data about his learning experience, and use what he or she has learned from it to tailor curricula to individual needs. We are excited to capitalize on these and other opportunities on behalf of your son.”

Both pictures from Haverford.org

Two of the leaders of this project, Oversight Committee Chair Mr. Mark Thorburn (top left), also Assistant Headmaster, and Mr. Joseph Sweeney (bottom right), Director of Innovation. Other members of the committee include Mr. Matthew Green (US Head), Mr. Jay Greytok (MS Head), Mr. Ron Duska (LS Head), Chairs of Departments, and other learning/technology specialists.

(continued on Page 4)

Train Trouble: Should Haverford Solve this SEPTA Issue? Editor-in-chief Manav Khandelwal ‘15 chronicles an issue affecting Haverford’s SEPTA users on the Paoli-Thorndale line, and how the school could deal with it. Manav Khandelwal ‘15

Transportation to and from school every day is a universal issue for which everyone has his or her own solution. SEPTA, in particular, is seldom discussed in the corridors of Wilson Hall but in many ways is an essential part of daily life for many students at The Haverford School. SEPTA, or the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, provides public transportation in the Philadelphia area, with buses, trolleys, and trains. There is a bus stop at the front of the Upper School lot and a train station one block down from the school. For students who live in the city or the more distant suburbs, SEPTA is one of the few ways they can get to school. Mr. Matthew Green, Head of the Upper School, remarks, “SEPTA is, for some students who can’t get driven to school, the only way to get to school. So we’re lucky to have one station that’s walking distance from school; I think it enables kids who have both parents who work or single-parent families or families without cars, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to come to Haverford, come to Haverford.” SEPTA provides a convenient and inexpensive medium of transportation without which some students would truly be unable to attend Haverford. Approximately one in every five students surveyed who take SEPTA say that they would not be able to attend Haverford

Also inside this Issue...

without that service. SEPTA provides opportunities to come to this school for some parents who may not have the time in the

morning to find an alternate way of bringing their kids to school. It serves a unique type of student at Haverford, people who live in the faraway suburbs or in the city. There have, however, been some issues on the Inbound train in the morning, which brings students from the Malvern/Paoli/Thorndale side of the Paoli-Thorndale Line to Haverford. For

The Bryn Mawr station, where students often have to wait outside for their train to come.

Editor-in-Chief Manav Khandelwal ‘15 profiles wrestler LJ Barlow in the latest Fords Focus, a Haverford-centric sports column, on page 6.

the purpose of “efficiency,” SEPTA often runs express trains directly to the city, or only to the Bryn Mawr train station. at least tried. There is no guarantee it will work, but the school cannot ignore the possibility of a big improvement in transportation to Haverford. (continued on Page 3)

Editor-in-Chief Will Tackett ‘14 explores issues of administrative restrictiveness at Haverford on Page 9, including censorship.

Main Line Media News

Article Letter From the Editors Arts Column Teacher of the Issue Wrestling Basketball Analysis Athlete of the Issue Individual Mandate Pope Francis Politics Column Outdex

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Page 2

The Index

Editorials

January 2014

Letter From the Editors

Editors-in-Chief Manav Khandelwal ‘15 and Will Tackett ‘14, with faculty advisor Mr. Kellen Graham in the back.

Dear Reader, We would first like to congratulate the staff of the Index, as well as the staff of Pegasus, on their awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The CSPA is an organization that evaluates student-produced newspapers and hosts conferences about student journalism, one of which editors of Pegasus attended in the

fall. The organization ranks publications in tiers, and the Index was ranked in the highest of these tiers, receiving a Gold Circle Medal. These awards are testaments to the increasingly thriving writing culture at Haverford that encompasses the styles of journalism, prose, and poetry. However, there is still much to be done to improve, at least from the perspective of

The Index

2013-2014 Staff

Manav Khandelwal ‘15, Editor-in-Chief Will Tackett ‘14, Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Narayanan ‘14, Head of Photography Jack Henderson ‘15, News and Features Editor Brendan Burns ‘15, Opinions Editor Jackson Simon ‘15, Sports Editor Gregory Boyek ‘14, Arts Editor Noah Cutler ‘14, Outdex Editor Graham Gaddes ‘14, Senior Web Editor Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘16, Junior Web Editor Grant Yu ‘16, Junior Web Editor Brendan Burns ‘15 and Manav Khandelwal ‘15, Graphics Editors Mr. Kellen Graham, Faculty Advisor

The Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles the daily struggles and accomplishments of the Haverford community. The Index also provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues, such as student culture, academic

the Index. For example, our website, www. haverfordindex.com, has unfortunately been dormant throughout much of the fall semester. We are fortunate to have a print copy of our newspaper every month, something which many schools do not have, but the future of journalism is on the web, which allows for much quicker circulation times for articles. In other words, a thriving website delivers articles readers in a much more timely fashion, ensuring that articles are completely relevant by the time they reach the reader. The Index’s team of editors is working hard to make sure that the Index website becomes the go-to place on the Internet for news about Haverford student life, athletics, and arts. It is the last area, arts, which poses another challenge to the Index staff. You may have noticed that the past few issues (EA Day issue excluded) have contained an underwhelming Arts section. This lack of coverage is a shame, as Haverford has a thriving culture of arts that sometimes does not get the attention it deserves. Haverford

Sanjay Narayanan ‘14

has a reputation, deserved or not, for being something of a sports-oriented school, and, while this reputation has improved in recent years, consistently having one, two, or even half-paged Arts sections in the school newspaper certainly does not help. While much of the responsibility lies on the editors, the Index encourages anybody who wants to write about a particular artist, event, or work to come talk to Mr. Graham, Editors-in-Chief Manav Khandelwal and Will Tackett, Arts Editor Greg Boyek, or e-mail hsindex@gmail.com. We at the Index are doing everything we can to make sure that Haverford artists are getting the recognition they deserve. Unfortunately we were unable to procure a Letter from the President for this issue. Sincerely, Will Tackett ‘14 and Manav Khandelwal ‘15, Editors-in-Chief

policy, and Haverford’s place in world affairs. The Index presents new ideas and aspires to influence constructive change. All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at hsindex@gmail.com. The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed on Mac OS X, using Adobe InDesign CS5.5. Its surveys are conducted via SurveyMonkey and are advertised on Facebook, Twitter, and through Google Apps to current Haverford students. Southern Dutchess News prints 300-500 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 1091 community members, consisting of 975 students and 116 faculty members. Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 hsindex@gmail.com http://www.haverfordindex.com/ Twitter: @Haverford_Index Facebook: facebook.com/haverfordindex (610) 642-3020 x. 1222 Volume LXXV, No. 5 - January 24, 2013

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The Index

Arts/News

January 2014

Arts Column: How World War I influenced Modern Art, Through The Eyes of Leger Arts Editor Gregory Boyek ‘14 discusses the newest exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Leger: Modern Art and the Metropolis in his latest Arts Column. Gregory Boyek ‘14

At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Leger: Modern Art and the Metropolis represents art in a very important but oft-underappreciated manner. While the exhibit focuses on only one artist in one era, it successfully examines the connections between different forms of art and the contemporary times. Developments in art do not exist isolated from changes in the political, social and technological climate. Rather, there is a constant interplay between the various art forms of a culture and the surrounding events of the era. Leger, an exhibit which in fact includes far more than the works of its namesake, captures some of these connections. In addition to the easel paintings of Leger, an avant-garde French artist of the interwar period, the exhibition includes stage set models, graphic design works, architectural designs, and film of 1920’s and 30’s Paris. The exhibit’s centerpiece is Leger’s The City, a cubist reaction to the bright, colored billboards of the time, some of which are represented in the exhibit. Leger and the other avant-garde artists felt that the high-speed life of the 1920s, as viewed through a car, train or airplane window, necessitated a new form of art. The paintings have the clear lines and primary colors of the memory of the brief glimpse from a moving vehicle. The City and Leger’s other works quite deliberately lack depth and cannot be comprehended as normal, three dimensional scenes. All parts of the painting compete for attention, as advertisements and activity do in a live cityscape. The shapes and colors of the works produce the same effect as viewing an urban landscape, while not copying a real image precisely. In fact, Leger’s easel works make up

only a small part of the overall concepts the exhibit seeks to demonstrate. While The City, at a large seven by nine feet, approaches billboard size, the exhibition also includes the artist’s huge backdrop painted for a ballet company, and the stage set designs of one of his contemporaries. Many of the artists seem fascinated by metal machinery, as abstracted by

Train Troubles (Continued) (Continued from Front Page) Bryn Mawr lies one stop before Haverford, which means students who arrive at Bryn Mawr at 7:25 a.m. or 8:08 a.m. have to wait anywhere from five to fifteen minutes for another train to take them to Haverford. With this added delay, many of these students are forced to arrive later to school than they would like, disrupting morning activities. In fact, only one train goes all the way to Haverford in the morning: one that arrives at 7:54. Not only does that severely limit the travel plans of students who may need to arrive early for a certain activity, like sports practice or a music rehearsal, but that train does not even

serve people who live in Zone 4, which includes Thorndale, Exton, and Malvern. In addition, the often long delays at the Bryn Mawr station are detrimental to students’ health, especially during the winter months. Standing outside in below-freezing weather for up to fifteen minutes is certainly not something from which Haverford students benefit. So, how big of a problem is it? According to recent survey data conducted by The Index, the express trains currently inconvenience approximately 48% of students who take SEPTA trains at Haverford. So, of the 25 students surveyed who take the train, 12 were inconvenienced. If you project that out on the almost 50 students who do take SEPTA train services, that is approximately 20-25 students

A shuttle would help Haverford SEPTA users take better advantage of their mornings.

Leger’s experimental film “Ballet Mecanique,” which appears to seek to dizzy its audience with surrealist kaleidoscope images of metal components. Once section of the gallery is devoted to the architectural developments of the era, including a model of a “utopian” house and an associated video. This film is projected on a wall as another “piece” in the exhibit. Other experimental films are also displayed. Leger stated that his paintings sought to convey motion as a film would. He and other artists of the time, including sculptors, used a series of broken forms to indicate movement, taking a cue from

Leger’s The City, France, 1919

negatively impacted by this unusual train schedule. The school has just two courses of action: either leave things as they are and force students who take that train to wait outside for a transfer, or provide a shuttle between the Bryn Mawr train station and Haverford. It is the latter option I would like to discuss in more detail. SEPTA has already said it will not start running the express train another stop down to Haverford, so that option can be disregarded. Haverford could request SEPTA to run that shuttle with their own vehicle and their own driver. There are tangible benefits to SEPTA: according to that survey, 19 out of 49 asked would take SEPTA more often if there were a shuttle to Haverford from the Bryn Mawr train station. And that is only the amount of students who answered the survey. There is a decent amount of possible financial gain for SEPTA. The major obstacle in that thought process is that SEPTA is a government entity. Government entities do not think about every dollar they can make; rather, they think about serving the general public as a whole. If SEPTA only cared about money, they would raise the fares 10 or 15% from what they are right now, but their goal is to serve the needs of the public reasonably. They will not go out of their way to create a shuttle for the services of 20-25 Haverford students that would take away resources from serving more numerous adults who are using their trains to go to work. The most reasonable solution to this issue is Haverford providing a shuttle back-andforth from Bryn Mawr twice in the morning, once for the 7:25 a.m. train and another for the 8:08 a.m. train—the times when the trains arrive at Bryn Mawr. One teacher would drive one school Sanjay Narayanan ‘14

stop-motion photography. The message of the gallery demonstrates that the pace of modern life is not only increasing now, but has been accelerating for over a century. Leger and the other artists represented in the gallery were pointing out the irrevocable changes caused by the First World War, radio news, and high-speed transit. Much of the same is discussion occurring now, as Americans come to realize the changes caused by globalization, the internet and social media. In this way, works which were avant-garde in the interwar years are still innovative today.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

van, ferrying the students from the station to school. The cost would be approximately $10 per day for the school, which includes the gas used. The school does not pay stipends to teachers for extra-curricular activities. Annually, that is approximately a $1800 cost, 6% of one student’s high school tuition. The biggest obstacle faced by the school is liability. When supplying a school employee and school vehicle to transport students, the school is liable for any and all damage costs in an accident. They could, however, get around that by providing a special waiver form specifically for students who would use the SEPTA shuttle. Do the benefits justify that cost? That point is a contentious one. Even if a little over a dozen students, only part of the group that is inconvenienced by these SEPTA routes, use the shuttle service, the cost would be justified. One of Haverford’s primary goals is to provide its students with ample extracurricular opportunities, both in the arts and athletics. Providing that shuttle would help it reach that goal, because students could get to school before 7:30 a.m. for activities like orchestra, Notables, and before-school workouts for various sports teams. It could, however, become burdensome and unwarranted if too few students take advantage of this service, which is a possibility. Fifth Former Tim Maguire, affected by this particular train issue, believes “that sounds like a great idea. The 7:32 train would especially help students who might need to get to school early to meet with teachers in the morning/” I advocate, at the least, doing a pilot program over the next couple months to test the practicality and potential effects of such a system. Perhaps there are unforeseen issues that cannot be predicted beforehand. The more likely roadblock, however, would be less interest in such a shuttle than anticipated. Regardless, a temporary shuttle that assesses the strengths and weaknesses of this program, which would instantly assist a good amount of Haverford students in their morning commute, ought to be considered and ultimately at least tried. There is no guarantee it will work, but the school cannot ignore the possibility of a big improvement in transportation to Haverford.

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The Index

News

One-to-One Community (Continued) (continued from Front Page) The school sees many benefits from this program, including a smoother transition between home and school, easier student access to online instructional materials, and improved communication and collaboration in the community. The BYOD program is created with the best interest of the students as technology may become more integrated into teaching lessons and enhance our academic curriculum. Haverford’s website explains that the school is pursuing this program “because it reflects a perspective about students as independent learners who use their own tools in their own way.” As Haverford’s students grow and mature in the 21st Century, the school feels that they must allow students to utilize the technology that we will need in future endeavors. It is the students’ privilege to have access to technology, and the school emphasizes that “under [teachers’] close supervision, the devices will be used to access information, and to communicate, create and publish well-crafted products, to collaborate unconfined by the limits of time and space.” The school realizes that it must offer students the opportunity to learn how to use the technology wisely and develop the technological proficiency required in this modern age. Regarding his thoughts behind this program and the greater purpose for such a program, Mr. Sweeney explains, “Pretend you hadn’t designed school yet, but what you wanted to build was an organization that facilitated a young person’s learning and computers were already in existence when you went to do it. What would that look like? We don’t have to go there right away, but we have to start thinking about the potential that’s available that I don’t think we’ve thought through all the way.” Back in the spring of 2012, various members of the administration, faculty, and others interested met to discuss the school’s current situation and develop the goals and strategy to achieve their vision for learning at Haverford. The group focused on the learning goals that would serve as “an overarching vision for teaching and learning, from JrK to Form VI.” The group published a technology plan for the next three school years, which lists the five C’s of 21st Century learning: Collect and Curate, Collaborate and Communicate, Contemplate, Create and Construct, and Champion and

Contribute. Accessing credible information and holding on to that knowledge is a necessary skill for virtually anyone living in such a technological age. Collection mainly refers to researching and evaluating sources, while curating is the ability to make meaning of our collections; how do we use the information we learn to improve others and ourselves? Much of learning t o d a y is based on shared experiences. G r o u p discussions are often powerful because students have the c h a n c e to listen to others’ viewpoints and build on their ideas into a more complex feeling or effect. The s c h o o l ’s technology p l a n explains, “ W h e n students and faculty embrace a culture of sharing, collaboration, as well as commenting, reflection, and global perspectives, they begin to adopt more of the skills and competencies required for a growing networked world.” The school sees that enhancing certain digital tools will enable students to comprehend and effectively communicate the curriculum. Haverford hopes to bring about contemplation, which allows students to think

critically about pressing topics, form questions, explore varying arguments, and sometimes make mistakes. This crucial piece of the learning process can be difficult for students and teachers, and the integration of digital tools, such as collaborative whiteboards or Google Apps, into the curriculum hopes to enhance the creative process. The school expects and encourages students to use their device both at school and home, so that the iteration o f

Under this policy, each Haverford student will have to bring a laptop. Sanjay Narayanan ‘14

technology from its continuous access will construct a level of technological literacy for the community. Mr. Joseph Sweeney often considers what is the best way t o communicate the knowledge that we learn. Mr. Sweeney explains, “It’s about asking ourselves, ‘If I knew that every student had access to a computer everyday in class and to the Internet every night at home, how would that let me change my classroom environment so that it was more productive, more engaging, and more intrinsically motivating?’” And he

January 2014

sees the answer as the collaboration, curation, creativity, and the other elements involved in 21st Century learning. Mr. Sweeney refers to the words of Alan November, an international leader in education technology, who once said, “The computer is not a $1,000 pencil.” The computer is instead a “universal machine in the sense that it can simulate other machines,” said Mr. Sweeney. “It can literally simulate what’s going on in a cell, it can simulate a typewriter, it can simulate a phone, and it can simulate video broadcasting like a video conference call.” Mr. Sweeney continues, “I sometimes wonder about the productivity gains that students could have if we asked ourselves how much more could they collaborate, create, and curate their own learning experiences if we stopped thinking of our personal device as a $1,000 pencil and started thinking of it as a tool that gives you ubiquitous access to information and real-time collaboration that’s not dependent on geography. For example, [the Director of Global Studies] Mr. Poolman is actually working with the Lower School to connect students to the people that they are learning about in their Social Studies units.” The Oversight Committee will lead this ongoing progress evaluation, and its Chair is the Assistant Headmaster, Mr. Mark Thorburn. The Oversight Committee includes the three Division Heads, Academic Department Chairs, Head of the Learning Support Team, the Teaching and Learning Team, the Lower School Technology Integrator, and the Registrar. The group meets monthly and has assigned a tech sub-committee to evaluate the plan’s progress. The Oversight Committee will refer to the subcommittee’s evaluation when considering any updates or revisions to the plan. None of us know what the state of technology will be in, say, five years, but the school believes that there are steps we can take now to improve the classroom environment and its impact on the boys. There will be changes in the future to adapt to the current situation, and there will be risks and experiments as the school tries to make the school more literate in the use of information and communication technologies. Mr. Sweeney believes, “To some degree we have to get a little more comfortable with trying new things and experimenting in an intentional way.”

(continued on Page 5)

Teacher of the Issue: Trio Lead Thriving Robotics Team Jared Welsh ‘15 profiles the three Haverford Robotics coaches who have helped transformed the team from a local underdog to a world powerhouse. Jared Welsh ‘15

The Haverford School Robotics team has been division champions at the VEX Robotics World Championship and won a significant number of other tournaments around the nation, including in Washington D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, in the last two years. However, none of the team’s success would have been possible without the tremendous coaches who together developed this program from its birth into one of the most successful VEX robotics teams in the world. This article is not a conventional “Teacher of the Issue” piece, as it is normally designated for full-time faculty members. However, while these guys are teachers in an unconventional sense at The Haverford School, they are doing fantastic work with our Robotics team and certainly deserve to be recognized. Chuck Glick, Eli Canavati, and Dan Troy have been working at this school for up to four years, but many Haverford students are unfamiliar with them and their achievements. Mr. Chuck Glick is currently in his last year of college, majoring in mechanical engineering at Drexel University. Mr. Eli Canavati is a junior at Penn State and also majors in mechanical engineering. Mr. Dan Troy is a senior at Temple University and is studying business. These coaches are dedicated to the program, as they frequently arrive at school as early as 11:00 a.m. on school days to prepare for practice, while still working late on Fridays and Saturdays to put the finishing touches on robots. The mentors have been involved in VEX or other types of robotics since they were teenagers and have accrued all of the tricks and tips necessary to create a “world class robot.” Chuck Glick and Eli Canavati work with the Upper School team whose objective is to engineer an 18in x 18in x 18in robot designed for optimal

performance in a game that changes every year. These games are altered drastically every year in order to promote new designs. The game pieces are varied to include everything from large plastic rings to bean bags to beach balls, with different obstacles such as gates, bumps and hanging bars. Coaches Glick and Canavati offer methods to overcome the various obstacles and pick up the game pieces as well as strategies to maximize scoring potential. They also help with the physical building of the robot as each robot requires ten motors. The coaches teach many important introductory engineering topics such as torque math, triangle supports, and other integral subjects which ensure the robots’ durability. Dan Troy works with the Middle School robotics team, known as VEX iQ. They play a game based on teamwork, in which two robots attempt to receive the maximum score. The Middle School program features smaller robots with different game pieces and materials in order to ease young participants into the program. The coaches work tirelessly during the weeks leading up to the Vex Robotics World Championship to make sure that all robots are in perfect working condition. Throughout their time in the program, they have impacted many of their students’ lives. When asked about how the coaches have changed his life, Fifth Former Mason Hall replied, “Chuck Glick has taught us so much about work ethic.” Mason reflected on all the goals that he has achieved over the past couple of years and said, “Chuck and the other coaches have really pushed us to excel in engineering. The work effort that I learned from robotics has bled over into my school work and greatly helped me overcome some of the challenges that school has provided.” Head Coach Chuck Glick also reflected on

his time spent with the robotics team. When asked how spending four years in the program has changed him, he explained, “Working as the head coach for the robotics team has allowed me to grow immensely as a leader and given me a greater appreciation for the

challenges that lie within management of an organization such as managing a budget and working with the administration.” Next year, Eli will be designing cars at Ford Motors while Chuck will be working at Innovation First, the company that makes the new VEX games.

Canavati (left) and Glick (right) posing at last year’s VEX World Championships.

George Hall ‘15

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The Index

News

January 2014

Haverford Creating 21st Century Classroom (Continued) (continued from Page 4) The school’s information technology organization understands that we must expand our wireless network access in order to provide faculty and students with the proper tools and services to assist and ameliorate the school’s curricular and administrative functions. The Haverford School currently provides a Gigabit fiber-optic network, with wireless capability in all three divisions and campus-wide Internet access at 100 Mb bandwidth level. In the last year the technology department also implemented a Google-based cloud solution for email, calendaring, and document sharing. As of June 2012, Haverford owns 866 computers, in addition to 50 iPads, 75 interactive whiteboards, 80 mounted projectors with sound systems, 62 networked printers, 11 multi-function copiers and printers, 30 flip cameras, and a digital signage system positioned in the Middle School, Upper School, and athletic building, among other technological systems. The implementation of this plan will require an upgrade in Internet access and the wireless

network. This year the school has plans to improve Internet connection in places like the Gym, Café, and athletic fields. The school is considering adding more personnel with the expected increase in the curricular use of various digital tools, and teachers will have to become technologically competent alongside students and coworkers. The Faculty Leaders and the Teaching and Learning Team have already held instructional sessions for teachers and hopes to better integrate technology into lesson plans. The school also understands the temptation for students to surf the web with every piece of information available at their fingertips. All students will be required to bring in a personally owned device just like they are required to bring in any other class materials. To facilitate proper usage of the devices, all students will complete an online course in digital citizenship in order to teach students about the appropriate use of technology in school. The school has published a BYOD Policy document, which details proper technology usage in school, but the school will also rely on staff and parents to teach students what it means to be an upstanding digital citizen.

A myriad number of distractions, including Twitter and Facebook, often divert students from classwork.

Index Staff

As classes become more interactive and lively, Mr. Sweeney expects dialogue to increase significantly as more classes will be more content-driven and focused on class discussions. “When I visit classes in which people are having a discussion, nobody is surfing the web, “said Mr. Sweeney. “It’s lively, engaging and productive. And teachers are still in charge of ensuring a healthy productive learning environment.” This program will not overtake Haverford as the only teaching style available to the faculty. While a digital device can be very useful for many lessons, it can sometimes be better to unplug. Mr. Sweeney explains that teachers have many resources at their disposal in order to deliver a superb learning experience, and the faculty will still have opportunity to ask students to close their computers. “We’re just saying now that we’re ready to experiment with what’s possible. We still have to be prudent,” said Mr. Sweeney. “It’s a balance.” The Oversight Committee understands that this is an ongoing process and, just like technology is adapting, the plan can also change according to the needs of the students and faculty and the current state of technology. Mr. Sweeney believes we must test different types of learning experiences to “see what works and see what happens to student engagement and learning outcomes. Were people going on Facebook or were they actually engaged in the activity? And then we need to try to make whatever we did, whether it’s a class discussion, simulation, or something else, increase positive learning outcomes.” Another concern about this program regards equity. The school is requiring each student to purchase his own personal device and the cost of such a purchase can be quite challenging for some families. Director of Community Mr. Chris Avery is helping to make sure that the cost of the machine is not prohibitive for anyone’s learning. Mr. Sweeney explains, “We will not let a difficult financial situation get in the way of giving somebody a 21st Century education.” The school asks families that cannot afford a computer and students who do not have Internet access at home to contact the Upper School Office. While the school attempts to integrate technology more into curriculum maps, it is important to consider the opinions of the

Latest Midterm System Is Here to Stay Last year, The Index ran a piece about the frequent changes to the format of midterm exams; Fourth Former Alex Sanfilippo reports that this latest midterm system is finally here to stay.

The new system of 120-minute examination blocks encompassing the week before winter break that Haverford students have adjusted to over the past two years drastically differs from the 2011-2012 school year “midterm week”. During this week, students were given projects, tests, and other various assessments in the final two weeks leading up to winter break. extended examinations over the course of a Alex Sanfilippo ‘16 This type of structure was an experiment by the double block. However, Ms. Sara Adkins, Mr. administration to see how it would differ from a Preparations for midterms and the examinations Matthew Green, and other Department Heads normal exam schedule. themselves consumed much of December for received negative feedback about this “exam” This system was not considered effective Haverford students, as it enveloped the final structure, which prompted the change last year by most involved in the process. As Mr. Green to a full week where students are required to sit two weeks before winter break. For the past remarked, “Students found the lack of clear two school years a structured midterm schedule for a midterm examination that is weighted as lines as to what he was supposed to do to be very has been the norm for Haverford students. The 20% of the overall semester grade. stressful”. The Department Heads discovered 2011-2012 school year was quite different; that This newly installed system, in which students that mostly Honors students, specifically year, teachers were free to give their students would have a week of exams prior to winter Fifth Formers, had their exams “stuffed into an assessment of his or her choice and exams break, received positive feedback from faculty the eighty-minute double block period.” Mr. did not require a full week of testing. Instead, and students alike, which means that the midterm Green continued by saying, “Several members the assessments were long-term projects or schedule is unlikely to change anytime soon. of the faculty found that a cumulative exam was nice closure, and that it was a good tool for review material and a beneficial way to connect the dots.” For these reasons the final two weeks of December were completely changed into the structured 120-minute periods that Haverford students have for midterms now and going forward. Haverford has midterm exams in the first place because, as Ms. Adkins stated, “Students have been tested on the particulars and specifics of each chapter or section, and the exam is a way to bring all of those pieces together.” And so, Haverford students should be expecting, and become accustomed to, the current midterm structure because it seems as though it is here to stay. The current system is as follows: students have exams for two-hour blocks from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the morning or 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the afternoon. New to this year’s schedule was the decision The new system allows students to rest/travel during winter break rather than study while also extending overall learning time. LibraryBib.com to make the Friday before break

Haverford community. English teacher Mrs. Rebecca Smedley understands that technology can be abused and that students must exercise a level of self-control to stay on topic. Mrs. Smedley will often ask students to close their laptops. Mrs. Smedley explains, “I want a discussion. I want eye contact. I want a human interaction. I want people to pay attention to each other because, if their heads are buried in their laptops, they are not learning from the kid who’s speaking. We teachers have to help remind kids how to use it. And if they abuse their power, the teacher has the right to say you can’t use it anymore.” There are some students who think the idea is promising. Sixth Former Graham Gaddes supports the program because “notes taken on laptops are harder to lose, it’s easier to collaborate with others on assignments, and it often helps students organize their materials.” Fifth Former Jack Soslow warns, “Computers are clearly a distraction, and I don’t bring mine for a reason. I’ve never seen someone go through an entire class without checking Facebook or playing a game.” Third Former Rajat Aiyer agrees with Soslow, “I would say more often than not it is a distraction because not all kids would be doing work on there. They could be on other sites which doesn’t relate to the class in any way.” Math and Economics teacher Dr. Mark Gottlieb sees computers as phenomenal tools when used appropriately. Doc clarifies, “If we use devices irresponsibly and incorrectly, they can degrade the learning experience. As long as we use them responsibly and correctly, they’re awesome.” These concerns will hopefully be resolved, the school feels, by the more engaging and interactive classes that will promote discussion and class engagement. Mr. Green supports the program, for students must be given the opportunity to learn how to use technology appropriately and effectively as they enter the digital age. Mr. Green believes, “A thoughtful professional development plan for faculty that includes a focus on responsible classroom student use will bring about a learning environment that is more reflective of the environment our students with be living and working in in the years to come. So, our collective goal is to shift from seeing a computer in the classroom from foe to friend of learning.” Contact Henderson: jackhend@haverford.org.

as a “conflict, snow, and grading day,” and the first Monday of midterms as the day with two scheduled exams. This broad description of the exam structure highlights the fundamental aspects of the exam week that Haverford students should expect in the future. The exam structure is a revolving system as the dates on which various subjects’ midterms are assigned will rotate year-to-year. Ms. Adkins astutely pointed out that “no matter what pairing I put together, there are a lot of happy students and a lot of unhappy students.” For example, Ms. Adkins stated that some students might be thrilled with the prospect of having math and science on the same day whereas other students might find that to be incredibly challenging. For this reason, the subjects will rotate from one year to the next. This revolving system ensures that students will have different subject combinations, which creates a system as equal for all students as the school can create. When school reopened for the second semester, Mr. Green and the other Department Chairs had a meeting during which they discussed how to improve our current exam structure. One of the major changes for midterms this year was the Friday before break when no exams were scheduled. Many students were able to enjoy an early start to winter break, while others were able to have a more convenient time to reschedule exams due to conflicts or illness. The school is constantly looking for ways to improve all aspects of life at Haverford, and after all the time and effort attempting to find the right system, the resounding praise for the current system from students and faculty tells Mr. Green and others that they have found the right system. When asked about the future, Mr. Green stated, “I wouldn’t expect that there would be any major changes.” Mr. Green also mentioned that our current exam schedule has received positive feedback from both faculty and students. This encouragement is largely the reason for no major changes regarding our current schedule. It would be best for students to familiarize themselves with our schedule because it is going to be an important two weeks in December for the foreseeable future.

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The Index

Sports

January 2014

Fords Focus: Barlow Turning Heads on Mats Everywhere Manav Khandelwal ‘15 profiles one of Haverford’s most prolific student-athletes, wrestler LJ Barlow, who recently made Haverford wrestling history. Manav Khandelwal ‘15

You could say wrestling runs in Fifth Former LJ Barlow’s blood. His dad, also one of Haverford’s assistant coaches, wrestled in college, and his mother was the first female All-American wrestler from West Virginia University. After attending Episcopal Academy in sixth and seventh grade, Barlow came over to Haverford because of its strong athletic and academic traditions. “My family and I both felt that Haverford would be a good fit for me,” he told The Index in a recent interview. “Being in a challenging and more competitive environment would be more beneficial for me.” He has certainly benefitted from a wrestling program steeped in tradition; in fact, all one has to do to see that tradition is walk into the wrestling room on the Third Floor of Ryan Gymnasium, and see the name written at the top of the wall: “Neil Buckley Wrestling Pavilion.” Under Buckley’s leadership from 1947 to 1994, the Fords went 646-110-8 (85% winning percentage) in dual meets and won the 1973 National Prep title. They also won 21 state

championships and 36 Inter-Ac championships. The team has also seen much success over the past 18 years under Buckley’s successor, Mr. Bruce Kennett, including 32 wrestlers placing at Nationals and one national champion. Since 2007, however, the Fords had not seen a single Pennsylvania State Prep champion in any weight class, a streak that could have been called a “drought” by Haverford wrestling standards. Then came 2013, and the tenacious Fourth Former Lawrence Barlow Jr., known by his friends as “L.J.” Barlow, who wrestles in the 195-pound weight class, dominated area competition all year round, and culminated his incredible season with the state championship. He then went on to wrestle very well at National Preps, finishing 3rd in the country in his weight class. He is 94-17 in his high school career, ranked 4th in the nation among Fifth Form wrestlers in his weight class, and recently became the first Haverford wrestler to win the prestigious Beast of the East Title. Just last week, he was named Main Line Athlete of the Week. Some would call Barlow a prodigy. It is not always a smooth ride for Barlow,

Barlow on the podium at Beast of the East with his 1st-place trophy.

FordsWrestling

despite all of his accolades and titles. Just this past month, he lost in the overtime of a quarterfinal matchup in the Walsh Ironman tournament as the highers e e d e d wrestler, finishing 7th overall, one of his lowest tournament finishes over the past few Ms. Dawn Blake Barlow on top of an opponent at last year’s Buckley Duals. years. Barlow (1st), Jack Gola (2nd), and told Main Line Media News, “My most vivid Stephen Tornetta (3rd) were all very successful memory [of Walsh] was losing in Ultimate Tie in their weight classes, while Third Formers Breaker in the quarterfinals because I could not Chris Hervada (3rd) and Richie Souders (3rd) hold the kid down. This tournament was crucial also competed well. This showed Haverford’s for my success down at the Beast because it was depth across the board. a wakeup call to get in better shape and train Of the team, Barlow remarks, “We are a harder.” That determination is something that team that is composed of dedicated boys who sets Barlow apart from most wrestlers. are committed to becoming better wrestlers. We He certainly came back much stronger at may not have the most raw talent, but we work Beast of the East. As mentioned earlier, he hard and consistently get better.” That attitude became the first Haverford wrestler to win the is one with which Barlow leads by example. tournament in any weight class, and had to do so Not only one of Haverford’s top athletes, a by beating some of the nation’s top competitors. nationally-ranked wrestler and varsity football After breezing through the earlier rounds, he player, Barlow is also a very strong student. He dismantled 20th-ranked Hunter Ritter, 13-3 in is enrolled in four honors courses, Calculus I*, the quarterfinals. He then faced a tough mental Spanish IV*, Biology*, and US History*. He is challenge against nationally-ranked wrestler also involved with Students Against Destructive Dan Hawkins, who had beat Barlow three Decisions (SADD). times in a row last season. Barlow, however, Barlow is as dedicated in the classroom as he overcame that obstacle and defeated Hawkins is on the wrestling mat, which has earned him a in a hard-fought 6-5 decision. He then defeated lot of interest from top colleges. He says many Burlington County’s Wrestler of the Year, Holy colleges have contacted him about wrestling, Cross’ Matt Correnti, by the same score in the but the ones near the top of his list are Harvard, finals. Barlow then won his 100th career match Princeton, Penn, Cornell, and the University of at the recent Buckley Duals. Virginia. Cornell has the top-ranked wrestling Barlow’s individual excellence is not the program of the five, 6th in the nation, but only thing that the Haverford wrestling team Barlow certainly has the option of joining a has had to benefit from. Ever since he joined the more up-and-coming program at a school that team, the entire unit has been wrestling better, would challenge him even further academically. winning more dual meets and finishing higher at For now, however, it is all about the next local/state/national tournaments. At the recent meet. “I am progressively working harder, Radnor Holiday Tournament, despite having learning new techniques, and wrestling better several wrestlers including Barlow competing competition,” says Barlow. “All of these things at Beast of the East, Haverford finished 3rd are a factor in me becoming a better wrestler.” overall. Fifth Formers Chauncey Simmons

Fords Wrestling Heating Up Entering Inter-Ac Play LJ Barlow ‘15 analyzes the Fords Wrestling team, breaking down the wrestlers one-by-one and discussing results. LJ Barlow ‘15 The Haverford School wrestling team is off to an exceptional start. After having favorable results at tournaments like Radnor Holiday, New Hope Solesbury, Beast of the East, and Battle at the Beach, the momentum is on the Fords’ side. The team has a solid varsity lineup with the potential to win the Inter-Ac. At 106 pounds, Third Former Daniel Grobman is one of the most enthusiastic wrestlers on the team, as he is always eager to improve. That has been shown by his progress this year, finishing

4th at Radnor and then winning his weight class at Hill. With a little more time to develop his strength, he will be a forceful wrestler. Until Second Former J.D. Pallante stepped up, there had been no one at the 113 pound spot. Despite his age, this talented and hard-working wrestler has managed to keep up with his much older competitors. At 120 pounds stands Fourth Former Freddy Corradetti, one of the most experienced wrestlers on the team. This year, at the Beast of the East tournament, he won three matches against some of the toughest competition in the country. He

Third Former Daniel Grobman (106 lbs) wrestles at Easton High School.

Fords Wrestling

also finished 3rd at the Hill Invitational, 3rd at New Hope Solesbury, and 4th at Battle at the Beach. Expect him to continue his success at the Inter-Ac tournament, the state tournament, and Prep Nationals. Fifth Former Jack Gola will wrestle at 126 lbs. Gola is another one of the more experienced wrestlers for the Fords and his technique is nearly flawless. If he can improve his strength a little, he will continue to rack up many wins for the Fords this year against even tougher competition. At 132 pounds wrestles Fifth Former Stephen Tornetta, who managed to place third at New Hope Solesbury in a thrilling match. He also finished 3rd at Hill. Look for him to bring his A-game to the Inter-Ac tournament. Sixth Former Nick Gallo will wrestle at 138 pounds. Unfortunately, Gallo has been battling an ankle injury, but once he fully recovers, Gallo will be hard to stop in the Inter-Ac. Gallo has the strength and stands to improve on his technical base. Third Former Chris Kober will wrestle at 145 pounds. Kober, who is one of the hardest workers on the team, is forecasted to have great success as he will only get better with time. Kober finished 4th at the Hill School Invitational and 8th at the competitive Battle at the Beach tournament. Third Former Richie Souders will be wrestling at 152 lbs. He is a very talented wrestler and has done very well this season, finishing 3rd at the Radnor Tournament. Fifth Former Jake Hervada will be wrestling at 160 pounds. Jake is great in the top position, and improving his neutral game will greatly improve his chances of success. He is one of the Fords’ best wrestlers who the team will be counting on for some extra points in the the Inter-Ac tournament. He has been very successful this season, finishing 2nd at New Hope Solesbury, 3rd at Hill, and 4th at Battle at the Beach. At 170 pounds is Sixth Former Chris Boerner.

Boerner is a hard worker and a great listener. His will to win is unparalleled on the team. At 182 pounds, Mickey Kober is having a great first season after coming off a back injury from last year. Since the beginning of the season, Mickey Kober has worked harder and harder as he looks to end the season stronger than ever. After finishing 3rd at New Hope Solesbury and 5th at Battle at the Beach, Kober showed his progress by winning his weight class at the recent Hill tournament. Fifth Former L.J. Barlow will wrestle at 195 pounds. Barlow is having a good season after winning the Beast of the East, and is looking to end the season as a Prep National champion. He has also won his weight class at Battle at the Beach and New Hope Solesbury. Elliot Avis wrestles at 220 pounds. He is a physical wrestler on whom the team will depend during the Inter-Ac tournament. He finished 3rd at the Radnor tournament. Fifth Former Chauncey Simmons will wrestle at 285 pounds. He is always working on technique and has improved significantly throughout the year. He finished 1st at Radnor and then 6th at Battle at the Beach. The Fords recently participated in the Buckley Duals, held in the gymnasium at Haverford, going 4-1 against some of the area’s toughest competition. After losing their first match to Coatesville, the Fords finished the day with four straight victories against Harriton, Radnor, Abington, and West Chester. The varsity line up is not what makes the team great, however. It is members of the team who are there to get better every practice. Each team member learns from his practice partner, especially when they push each other beyond their limits. The work ethic and desire to get better is what will propel the Fords (1-0 in InterAc dual meets) to the top of the league. Follow @FordsWrestling on Twitter for updates.

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The Index

Sports

January 2014

Breaking Down the 2013-2014 Fords Basketball Team: Alston, Anderson Lead Deep Haverford Squad Austin Krell ‘15 provides an in-depth look into this year’s basketball team, analyzing each player one-by-one and discussing what makes this team special. Austin Krell ‘15

As we begin the new year, the Fords embark on yet another strong and hopeful season of basketball at a high level. In this latest analysis of the basketball program, I give you the starting five and the key contributors off the bench. The Fords are currently 12-4 overall, with a decent 4-1 start in the Inter-Ac. Coming into this season, there have definitely been some losses and some gains. With last year’s Sixth Formers Chris “C-Morg” Morgan, James Tarte, and Sema’j Reed leaving for college, the Fords lost veteran leadership, very aggressive defense, lots of athleticism, and capable scorers. Sean Lloyd, who was a Fourth Former last year, also transferred to Imhotep Charter, an inner-city high school where Sean is sure to excel. With Lloyd gone, the Fords lose tenacity, athleticism, heart, and a great basketball mind. These losses, however, have been counterbalanced with another year of experience under the current roster’s belt as well as some new additions. Head Coach Henry Fairfax helped bring in current star players Lamar Stevens, Cameron Reddish, and Lukas Rosenbohm. Stevens brings power-forward height, exceptional strength, and superior offensive skills. Cameron Reddish, one of the highest-rated point guards in the state, resembles a smaller Kevin Durant. He has length, great offensive skills, and a great basketball mind. To cap it all off, he is playing at the varsity level as a second former. Additionally, Coach Fairfax helped secure soon-to-be star Joe D’ignazio. The Fords most recent victories against SCHA and Malvern have been extremely onesided. However, even more important was the stat sheet which showed balanced numbers from each player, signaling that the team has shared the ball appropriately. Balanced numbers have been a key to Haverford’s success thus far. There are definitely areas to improve, however, which was shown in a disappointing home loss to Germantown Academy, a well-coached team that was able to outlast Haverford in overtime despite losing 4 of its 5 starters from last season. Without further ado, here is my analysis of the 2013-2014 Fords basketball team: Levan “Shawn” Alston - PG: Alston is the center of success for the Fords. Last year, after the departure of starting point guard Sam Foreman, Alston stepped up to become a great all-around player. In terms of skill, Alston’s greatest strengths are his abilities to attack the basket, shoot, pass, and rebound. This is

all evidenced by his team leading statistics of 16.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 4.7 apg. Mentally, Alston always seems to have the game under control. He is always confident, composed, and willing to learn. Highlight reels of clutch, last-second shots to win games for the Fords confirm Alston’s mental fortitude, especially his ability to remain calm under pressure situations. Both the team, and the coaching staff share trust in him to make the right decision in pressure situations. His diligence and willingness to learn is indicated by the fact that he always takes the time to stop and listen to his dad’s advice. The one area Alston can work on is his strength, which is truthfully more of a concern than a weakness. Alston is a lanky guard with a very bright future. However, a lanky guard is also an injury risk. If Alston were to bulk up, it would do a lot for his ability to bully other lanky guards. This would allow him to become a Russell Westbrooktype player. If Alston continues to improved and get stronger stronger, he could have an even better chance to play at the highest level. Derek Mountain - SG: Mountain is a coach’s dream. He leads by example, is always doing what is right, and is very focused, both on the court and in the classroom. Mountain has developed very good fundamentals, an almostflawless shooting touch, and a great knowledge of the game. Mountain’s main roles are to spread the floor with his shooting on offense, and to stay aggressive on defense. When he is making his shots, which he usually is, Mountain presents a problem to all opposing defenses. He hustles, plays his hardest every possession, and does all that is asked of him. To add to the mountain of problems he presents to other teams, he is very athletic and remains aggressive in attacking the basket. Mountain does his job, is an all-around great athlete, and is pivotal to the Fords’ success. Lamar Stevens - PF/C: Stevens is obviously a key addition to Haverford’s program. What makes him great for this team is the way Coach Fairfax utilizes him. Stevens has the body of a power forward, yet is played as an oversized small forward. This allows Stevens to succeed on defense and offense, as he can out-muscle his man on both ends of the floor. His biggest attributes are his ability to score, rebound, block, and shoot. Stevens averages 15.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, and 2.7 bpg. Stevens has excellent potential to play professionally. However, one area he must improve in is in his decision-making when shooting the ball. From what I have observed, Stevens is a hit-or-miss shooter. When he is

Shawn Alston (#10) scored 2 of his game-high 18 points on this jump shot over 2 Prep Charter defenders.

feeling it from the outside, Stevens is virtually unstoppable. But when he is cold, he needs to learn to work inside or contribute in some other way. Stevens has established himself as an energizer for the crowd and the team. He has a highlight reel of tenacious blocks, ridiculously powerful dunks, and other ESPN-worthy top plays. The future is very bright for Lamar Stevens. All he has to do is continue working on his shooting touch and decision-making. Lukas Rosenbohm - PF: Rosenbohm is an all-around great big man. He possesses Dirk Nowitzki-like range on his shot, great passing ability, and the speed to run the floor on fastbreak. Rosenbohm is a team player and a great fit for the Fords. His shooting and passing abilities are evidenced by his 7.2 ppg and 3.4 apg. Rosenbohm creates big problems in the paint for opposing teams and is a force to be reckoned with when he shows his array of skills. When you can do all three of those things very well, and still be well over 6 feet tall, you are a very, very tough player to beat. The only thing he can improve on is being stronger with the ball under the basket. There have been multiple occasions when a stronger defender has smacked the ball out of Rosenbohm’s hands, causing a turnover. Not turning the ball over is a huge piece of success in basketball, and to turn the ball over right under the basket, where you are so close to scoring, especially as a big, cannot happen; that is especially true if Rosenbohm is going to have a future with the game. If he can get stronger, basketball will take Rosenbohm to great places. Eric Anderson - SG/SF: Anderson has been a favorite of the team, coaches, and classmates/ crowd for as long as he has been at Haverford. Having committed to play basketball at Yale, the future seems brighter and brighter for the senior swingman. He possesses a superb outside shooting touch, great ability to run the floor, athleticism, and fantastic knowledge of the game. Anderson averages 9.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 2.2 apg. Clearly, he is an all-around great player. Anderson’s greatest strength is his courtvision. He sees not just the next best player, but everyone else on the court. He trusts everyone, which makes him a fantastic team player. As a big, he possesses great strength, ball-handling skills, and court-awareness, as evidenced by his minimal 1.3 turnovers per game. The only area that Anderson could improve on, at least in my eyes, is his footwork when shooting the ball. Anderson does not always square up to the basket when he shoots. If he were to do so, he may see 53% (or more) of

Rosenbohm (12) watches on as Lamar Stevens (11) slams one home against Prep Charter.

Mr. Patrick Thomas

Mr. Patrick Thomas

his shots fall, as opposed to 49%. Anderson’s future is extraordinarily bright and he shares much of the responsibility in contributing to Haverford’s success. It will be very hard to replace him once he departs for Yale. Cameron Reddish - PG/SG (Bench): Reddish is currently in eighth grade, which is why we do not see him too often. He averages 6.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.6 apg, and 0.8 spg. Reddish is a top-ranked point guard in the state. Some argue that he is a future NBA player. To put it in perspective, his little brother, who is in Sixth Grade, would probably make our junior varsity team, and maybe even play. Following this logic, Cameron Reddish probably could have played high school basketball before he learned how to solve long-division math problems. He has very good fundamentals, and is very experienced. He has a Kevin Durant-like physique and style of play, especially his jump shot. He still does have some growing to do, which will make him all the better. He also needs to work on his passing, for point guards need to average more than 0.6 assists per game. He has a very bright future with the Haverford program and I cannot wait to watch him play more. Micah Sims - Guard (Bench): Sims was one of a few JV players to move up to varsity between last year and this year. In the beginning, no one was sure whether he would play meaningful minutes or not. Now, he is the only JV player from last year to play significant minutes in every game. Micah’s game mainly consists of strong, tenacious defense. He is never afraid to lock down on a bigger player, and most of the players he defends are much bigger than he is. He is a tough player to beat. His energy and defensive presence off the bench allow the starters to take breaks when needed. But, Sims has surely earned his way into a contributing role in this rotation. If Micah could just grow a few inches, he would be a star. He struggles to be a great offensive player because it is very hard for a small guard to attack a much bigger team. This forces him to shoot from the outside on occasions, but Micah is not the greatest shooter. If he could improve his shooting touch and grow just a little bit, Micah would be in contention to start. With the great starters that the Fords have, they can compete with the best of teams. They still have a packed bench of developing players. If some of the stars continue to do what they do, and improve in some small areas of their various games, it could mean a championship for Haverford. The future is oh so bright for the Fords.

Coach: Mr. Henry Fairfax Record: 12-4 (4-1 Inter-Ac) Captains: Eric Anderson, Peter Blynn, Brendan Burke, Shawn Alston Leading Scorers: Alston (15.9), Stevens (14.9), Anderson (10.6) Leading Rebounders: Stevens (6.8), Anderson (6.0), Alston (4.8) Assists Leaders: Alston (4.3), Mountain (2.9), Anderson (1.8)

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The Index

Sports

January 2014

Swimming & Diving Took Strides Over Winter Break Sam Dyer ‘15

Like many other winter sports teams, the Fords (3-1) Swimming and Diving team was hard at work over winter break. With the exception of Christmas and New Year’s, the team was either in the pool or in the weight room for three plus hours a day, preparing for the upcoming slate of January meets. After tough practices and careful preparation, both swimmers and divers should be ready for both dual meets in January and larger scale competitions at the end of the season. Typically, swim practices start with a warmup and stretch, during which coaches Sean Hansen, Brendan Jones, and Kevin Van Such explain the various parts of the day’s practice. Almost every practice has a specific focus, whether it be training for different events or tapering—planned reduction in practice to physically rest—for an upcoming meet. There are many different types of practices that can be done in any one day. Some days, swimmers

are broken into groups of sprinters, middistance swimmers, and distance swimmers, with individual workouts designed for each group. Tools such as power towers—pulling large buckets of water—fins, and paddles are all key to progress during these sets. Another type of practice is a “stroke” or IM practice, where swimmers focus on one (or all) of their strokes, depending on what they would usually race in a meet. Like many of the sets in non-distance practices, the intervals for stroke practices are mostly a series of quick, short distances (100 meters or less) designed to increase heart rate and endurance. Most of the other practices are freestyle practices, where every swimmer swims freestyle regardless of what they would normally swim in a meet. While not as physically stressful as an IM practice, freestyle practices are typically at faster intervals. Freestyle practices often emphasize either kicking or pulling, with tools such as pull buoys, kickboards, and sneakers used to add resistance. During diving practice, coach Justin Gaudreau and his divers spent

hours learning and rehearsing the dives they will perform in the upcoming competitions. Typically after two to two and a half hours of practice, the swim team would go to lift. Each lift focused on a different area, working to place extra emphasis on muscles not overly worked during swimming. Abs, upper body and legs were all improved upon during the lifts, which were led by either lifting coach Rosko or one of the swim coaches. Not only did the team focus on developing strength but it worked on increasing flexibility with a variety of stretches. The hard work over Christmas break seems to have paid off, with the Fords earning two huge wins against Germantown Academy and Penn Charter during the first week back from school. Matt Haigh set school records in the 200 Yard Free and the 500 Yard Free against GA, as well as school records in the 200 Meter Free and the 400 Meter Free against Penn Charter. The 200 Meter Medley Relay record was broken by the group of Second Former Alex Boratto (Backstroke), Sixth Former Dan McGrath (Breaststroke), Fifth

Former Ben Nelligan (Butterfly), and Sixth Former Alex Heldring (Freestyle). McGrath, Nelligan, Heldring, Boratto, Haigh, Fifth Former Luke Ryan, and Third Former Charlie Ryan have all placed first in either individual events or relays. Sixth Former Anthony Cirelli also placed first in diving at both meets. Unfortunately, despite strong finishes from Charlie Ryan in the 200 IM and Matt Haigh in the 200 and 500 freestyle, the Fords were unable to stay unbeaten as they fell to Malvern Prep. Thanks to extremely strong relays and more great individual performances from McGrath, Ryan, and Haigh, the Fords were able to right the ship immediately this past Friday by beating Episcopal Academy to improve to 3-1 on the season. With so many top finishers and great depth behind them, the Fords are in position to compete for a top spot at Easterns in February. Upcoming meets are against Woodbury High School on January 24th and Haverford High on January 31st.

Sixth Former Thomas Walker Leads Resilient Squash Squad Captain Thomas Walker has been a force all four years for the squash team, and looks to continue success during the final months of his Fords career, writes Rudy Miller ‘14. Rudy Miller ‘14

The squash team has a winning history, claiming three MASA (Mid-Atlantic Squash Association) championships in the 1990s, and has consistently been a national title contender for years, almost always finishing the season among the top ten teams in the nation and often finishing in the top five. This year, they boast a particularly stacked roster, thanks in part to the five experienced Sixth Formers in the top nine, and are looking to finish in the top three at the US High School Squash Nationals and possibly even contend for the national title. Four of these five Sixth Formers are captains. Alongside Ian Rothweiler, Dylan Henderson, and Jon Ruth stands Thomas Walker, the highest-ranking Sixth Former on the team. Walker is currently number two on Haverford’s Varsity team, and he is also successful outside of school, currently ranking #30 in U.S. Squash’s Boys Under 19 division. Next year, he will be playing at Brown University. He has been in a crucial leadership position due to numerous injured players, including #1 Sean Hughes and #3 Rothweiler. Despite having to play the toughest opponents in Hughes’ absence, he has held his ground in match play, going 3-3.

Walker has felt good about the Fords’ 4-1 season so far. He references the “good match against Chestnut Hill” (despite a 7-2 loss), considering that “[the team] hasn’t been at full strength this year.” He is “looking forward to playing Episcopal Academy next week,” since the team will “probably be at full strength then.” Regarding the upcoming MASA tournament over the last weekend in January, Walker feels that the team “has a very good shot at winning if [they] can take out Chestnut Hill.” The biggest tournament of them all, though, is the High School Nationals, at which Walker feels Haverford’s biggest opponents will be “the Belmont Hill School and Brunswick School,” in addition to SCHA. Walker is also confident about team camaraderie despite the numerous injuries to high-ranking players. He believes that “team camaraderie is great…all the four captains get along very well, and we’ve come together to do a pretty good job from the leadership point of view.” Also, “all of the underclassmen get along” with older players, according to Walker. Other members of the squash team agree that Walker is not only a formidable player, but a fantastic leader as well. Sixth Former Henry Ortmeyer states that while Walker is “one of the quieter captains,” he is “always vocal and encouraging...whenever he’s watching a

match.” Head Squash Coach Andrew Poolman team sport in college where I can hang out with agrees, saying that he is “a strong leader by the guys on the team more than in high school.” example” who “pushes himself to improve Before he moves on, though, Walker will focus during every practice and is one of the hardest on the present with the Fords, attempting workers during fitness sessions.” Walker also to bring home hardware from MASA and does not shy away from reaching out to lower- Nationals to end the careers of the legendary ranked players according to Ortmeyer, who Class of 2014 squash players on a high note. asserts that he is “one of the captains most invested in the guys lower down the ladder... he’ll always play with people other than the team members right around him [in the ladder].” While he likes to focus on the present, Walker was focused on the future earlier this year when he committed to Brown to play squash. When asked about his expectations for the team, Walker says that he plans to play “around the top six… depending on how my fellow recruits play next year.” Brown gained two other male squash recruits this year, “one from Canada, one from Milton Academy,” and he looks forward to playing with these “good guys.” Out of all of the allures of college athletics, Walker is “most looking forward to playing a Ms. Dawn Blake Walker will play collegiate squash at Brown University.

Fords Squash Looking to Overcome Injuries, End Strong Jack Henderson ‘15

As the squash team heads into the final stretch of its season, the Fords (10-5) are finally reaching full strength. The team has been hampered with injuries since the very beginning of the season, but after the the recent return of several key players, the team is poised to make a run in the final tournaments of the season. The Varsity A squash team is coached by Mr. Andrew Poolman, while the Varsity B team, comprised of the 10th through 18th-best players, is led by Mr. Sam Walters. The JV team has Mr. Gary Kan as their coach. This year’s team captains include Sixth Formers Thomas Walker, Ian Rothweiler, Dylan Henderson, and Jon Ruth. The team struggled out of the gate this season as four of the school’s top nine players, Sixth Formers Ian Rothweiler and Jon Ruth, along with Fourth Former Sean Hughes and Third Former Duncan Joyce, have all been injured over the course of the season for extended periods of time. When asked about the season thus far, Fourth Former Justin Shah feels that the team “has performed pretty well as a whole. With an injury-ridden season such as this one, it is hard to stay positive but the captains have helped us keep our heads high.” Sixth Form Captain Thomas Walker feels that the team has “played well despite many injuries. All of our losses have occurred when we were without our full squad. Despite that, we’ve definitely got a shot at winning MASA. And at Nationals I’m expecting at least a top 3 finish.” The team

could pull out a victory at Nationals as no one has seen what the team is capable of at full strength. As Varsity A Coach Mr. Poolman explains of the team’s season thus far, “We had a decent first semester and beginning to the new year, but injuries have prevented us from truly gelling as a team. Now we are getting our guys back to full strength.” And just in the nick of time, as the squash team held important matches against their top rivals SCHA and the Episcopal Academy in the final two weeks of the regular season. The team unfortunately lost to SCHA but looks to rebound against Episcopal at home

on Senior Day on January 21st. Fortunately, the team is finally coming together for the most important tournaments of the year, MASA and Nationals. The team will see familiar opponents in both events, but there are some schools from farther up north such as Brunswick that will come down for the U.S. High School Team Squash Championships. Instead of in New Haven, Connecticut, the national tournament is being held in Philadelphia this year. As it is such a big event, many of the matches will be spread out across the region, and many places have been generous to offer their courts for the event. These venues include Berwyn Squash & Fitness, Episcopal A c a d e m y , Fairmount Athletic Club, Philadelphia Cricket Club, Philadelphia Squash Club, and the University of Pennsylvania. The team certainly has the potential to accomplish great things this year heading into MASA and Nationals. Shah continued, “It is going to take a lot of concentration and mental Mr. Jim Roese toughness to beat Sixth Form co-captain Dylan Henderson hits a ball against Malvern last season.

tough opponents like CHA and Brunswick, but if all of our players are at the top of their game, we can beat any team out there.” The team will need the extra confidence, as there are several powerhouse teams that the Fords must defeat head-to-head if they are to win the national championship. The squash team must prepare themselves to be at their best when Nationals comes around, and Walker believes that “the team needs to be more aggressive on court and play fearlessly. At this point we have the talent and fitness to win, it’s just a mental game, believing that we are better than these other teams.” Shah agreed with Walker, stating these matches will be hardfought and may come down to the final match. Shah explains, “Our squad must continue to work on fitness and also continue to train to be the smarter player on court.” Mr. Poolman explained his plan for the team’s preparation heading into the season’s final matches, “A few of our guys are in top-notch physical shape and they work hard to maintain that form, but generally, as a team we can improve our fitness. Being able to outlast your opponent late in games is crucial. It is always something we are trying to improve.” Fitness is something that will make the difference in these close matches, particularly if the teams are tied 4-4 and the last match heads into the fifth set. The extra conditioning a team does often sways the outcome one way or another. This year’s national championship will be one of the closest in years, but keep your eye out over February 7th – 9th as the Fords may pull out a national championship.

Page 9

The Index

Opinions

January 2014

Students Facing Increasing Administrative Restrictiveness?

Editor-in-Chief Will Tackett ‘14 discusses pertinent issues relating to administrative restrictiveness, explaining areas he feels the administration is doing well and others where he disagrees with its policies. Will Tackett ‘14

The delicate balancing act between keeping order while letting students have freedom is one that every school administration faces. Of course, the nature of how students respond to their various liberties often determines these policies, and, thus, it is the duty of students to earn them. After attending Haverford for a long enough period of time, each student will have his own opinion of the administration, but it is important to have some perspective. Erich Prince ‘13, now at Duke University, has been exposed to both administrations and had this to say about Haverford’s: “The Haverford School properly balances a respect for tradition and recognizes the need for order within the student body, while, at the same time, actively encouraging the academic, personal, and social freedom of each student.” I mostly agree with Prince. Though it is tempting to point to this or that policy and claim that the administration is overbearing and does not give it students enough freedom, it is difficult to find evidence to support it. When I began this article, I thought it would be easy to find examples of administrative restrictiveness, but I found myself trying to force the evidence to support my thesis that the Haverford School could benefit from more lenient policies. One such point I tried to argue was that the new attendance rule was misguided. The new rule essentially means that if a teacher marks a student with an unexcused absence, that student must go to the Upper School office to resolve the attendance issue or face a detention. At first glance, this rule seems a little high-handed, as anyone who has been tracked down by Mr. Fifer knows. But, in reality, it is even more lenient than the previous policy. With the new rule, you have the chance to explain your absence; maybe you were late and the teacher did not change the mark, or perhaps you missed class due to an extracurricular and the teacher forgot. Aside from a few examples such as the aforementioned, there is really no excuse to miss class if you are not sick, etc. One model that would be tempting to support would

be a more college-based system in which attendance infractions were lightly punished, if at all. This rule system would entail a natural, academic punishment--doing poorly on an assessment because you missed the lectures, for example. This way, students would be given the opportunity to determine the drawbacks of skipping class themselves. This seems like an interesting, if not appropriate, idea, especially from the perspective of an academicallyminded student, and perhaps a college-based system would be more beneficial. Despite being a college preparatory school, however, Haverford is quite different from a college in some respects. Its classes are, in general, more participatory than lecture-oriented; for effective learning, its classes rely on participation by the majority of students. Furthermore, as a high school, Haverford is more responsible for the learning of its students than a college. Much of the student body, especially the underclassmen, are not mature enough to make significant decisions about their education. While those who decide that they would rather not attend class are primarily hurting themselves, Haverford, as an institution of education, is responsible for instilling an understanding of the value of education in such students. Another opportunity for the administration to have been overbearing the administration handled cell phone use in hallways and other areas. Yes, it is annoying and sometimes disheartening to see droves of students glued to their cell phones or, worse still, colliding with someone looking at his phone. It would have been easy to simply legislate against this practice, for lack of a better term. Aside from the impracticality of this policy (who has the time to keep track of who does and does not look at their phone and punish accordingly), it would likely have been ineffective. Simply telling students not to do something is meaningless if they do not understand why the behavior itself is forbidden. And it is the reason why phone use in hallways, etc. was discouraged that was made clear in Upper School Head Mr. Matt Green’s speech to the student body in December. The speech discouraged the behavior while

demonstrating why it is impolite to others but did not place a ban on the practice. This way, students can decide for themselves how to act using this new information and perspective. Additionally, the speech employed a tone of sarcasm—something any Haverford student can understand and appreciate. One policy that is often criticized but is actually quite reasonable is the rule that prohibits food in the Upper School building. The rule is far from an absolute; you are permitted to bring in food with permission from a teacher or for advisory. There are many reasons as to why this rule is in place. The unsupervised eating of food has the potential to lead to embarrassing messes, such as the one History teacher Mr. James Griffin spoke of at a recent assembly. Additionally, allergen-containing foods (such as peanut-related items) could be exposed without supervision. The real reason why the rule is so reasonable, however, is the level of punishment that is in place for violating it. A truly overbearing administration would punish an infraction of this rule with a detention or lunch-duty, rather than the simple reminder that is currently given. One area that the administration does receive justifiable criticism for is its handling of student-produced media. For example, the annual EA Day video was heavily revised, slowing down its progress and dulling its comedic edge. One of the head writers of the video, who wished to remain anonymous, said that “We had to check content every step of the way. It made the process a lot more difficult and time consuming. We often felt that censorship was taken too far and that the administration was far too sensitive.” Another head writer and producer, Sixth Former Jon Block

echoes that statement: “When first dealing with censorship, I was expecting the administration to focus more on the actual inappropriateness of content. The reality is that the administration is really only concerned with the image of the school. They don’t have problems with the actual content itself, just the opinions of parents, alumni, and others outside the school regarding this content.” Censorship of student media is one way in which the administration restricts student life, and the dress code is another such way. These areas could use improvement, but, on balance, the administration is really not that overbearing. Compared to students from other schools, Haverford students have a remarkable amount of freedom, though it may not always seem like it.

Gray Warden ‘14 eating food in Wilson Hall; the school’s food policy is great.

Ms. Dawn Blake

Obamacare Flawed: Problem With the Individual Mandate With the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a Obamacare, taking effect, Brendan Burns ‘15 outlines the issues with one of its elements: the individual mandate. Brendan Burns ‘15

On March 23, 2010, Democrats finally succeeded in their longstanding goal of implementing a health care law that would extend health insurance to uninsured Americans. Although frequently touted as a breakthrough piece of legislation, universal coverage had been a legislative priority on the to-do lists of American progressives since the days of Teddy Roosevelt. The votes on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, often abbreviated as ‘ACA’, or simply ‘Obamacare’) were exclusively on party lines. Not a single Republican in either the House of Representatives or the Senate voted in favor. Despite the bill’s endorsement by the American Medical Association and AARP, the bill was deeply unpopular with a majority of Americans, who took to the polls in 2010 to fuel a 63-seat Republican gain in the House of Representatives. Flying in the face of proven research on the nature of health care delivery and its costs, Democrats claimed that the ACA would subsidize coverage for 25 million uninsured Americans, improve quality of care, slow the increase of health care costs, and decrease the deficit at the same time. In 2010, then-Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi painted a rosy picture of Obamacare’s goals: “…it is legislation for the future – not just about health care for America, but about a healthier America…but we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.” The second part of that statement, although a gaffe that brought Pelosi widespread ridicule, has proven to be true. The 906-page law, rushed through at the last minute when Americans were

on vacation for winter break, is accompanied by a total of 10,516 pages and 11 million words of fine-print government regulations – almost nineteen times the length of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Four years after the bill was passed, we are beginning to find out what’s in it. Problems have emerged with many parts of the bill. The CBO’s fiscal projections (which indicated that Obamacare would decrease the deficit over time) for the law were exposed as deceptive by former CBO chief Douglas Holtz-Eakin. In its “beige book” reports, the Federal Reserve cited the ACA’s employer mandate frequently as one of the main factors discouraging hiring and sales growth. After millions of Americans saw their plans canceled, Barack Obama’s claim that Americans could keep their plans under the ACA if they wanted to was given the maximum rating of “four pinocchios” by the Washington Post’s Fact Checker. The rollout of the healthcare.gov website was so disastrous that it practically erased from voters’ memory the anger against Republicans over the government shutdown. Perhaps the most controversial provision, however, has been the individual mandate, which requires most Americans to buy health insurance. When the ACA was signed into law in 2010, there were between 45 and 50 million Americans lacking health insurance. In what is the largest expansion of insurance coverage since 1965, 24-25 million will gain coverage under Obamacare. Of these, 12 million people would gain coverage through an expansion of the means-tested Medicaid program. The ACA raises the maximum income to qualify for Medicaid to 133% FPL (Federal Poverty Level). About 24 million more Americans will receive subsidized health insurance on the newly created health insurance exchanges, which

offers subsidized health plans for households with income between 133-400% FPL. The Federal Poverty Level is adjusted for household size: for example, a family of four in the 48 contiguous states can qualify for some amount of subsidies with annual income of $117,760 or less. Of these 24 million Americans, an estimated 10-12 million will drop their EBHI (Employed-based Health Insurance) and buy plans on the exchanges instead, either because their employers will drop their coverage, or because they will find cheaper plans on the exchanges. The net gain in insurance coverage for previously uninsured Americans will be approximately 24-25 million, with a similar number (comprised of a plurality of illegal immigrants) remaining without coverage. Plans on the Obamacare exchanges are categorized into tiers by their “actuarial value” – the percentage of the consumer’s health care

costs that the plan will cover. There are four tiers – Platinum (90% actuarial value), gold (80%), silver (70%), bronze (60%), plus catastrophic. The latter offers bare-minimum coverage that will cover medical costs only in the event of a costly medical emergency (e.g. prolonged stay in the ICU); the actuarial values of catastrophic plans are well under 60%. Catastrophic plans on the exchanges are only available to those under 30 or those who qualify because of a “hardship exemption.” The creation of the insurance exchanges is accompanied by a well-publicized and oftcriticized provision known as the individual mandate. Although originally conceived by the Heritage Foundation more than two decades ago, the individual mandate was included in the ACA. (continued on Page 10)

Uncle Sam is not too happy with Obamacare’s projected growth (and therefore cost).

Daniel J Mitchell

Page 10

The Index

Politics

January 2014

Pope Francis: The Best Thing for Catholicism Pope Francis, with his open-mindedness and goal of helping the poor, is the best thing that could have happened to Catholicism, writes Drew Sterman ‘16. Drew Sterman ‘16

After Pope Benedict XVI shockingly resigned in late February, the Vatican and the Catholic church were left in a state of limbo. The Church had struggled with polarizing and controversial issues like homosexuality, premarital sex, and celibacy, and had come under fire for multiple acts of pedophilia by Catholic priests. As Benedict XVI was the first pope in over half a millennia to resign from the papacy, the papal conclave went into convent to elect a new pope. The Cardinal electors came out of the vatican having elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an Argentinean archbishop. Bergoglio took the title of Pope Francis, named after Francis of Assisi, a 12th-century Catholic saint who emphasized compassion and the renunciation of wealth. Much like the Saint he is named after, Pope Francis has embodied the values of compassion and the renunciation of wealth, as he does not wear fancy clothes and gold accessories. Underneath the traditional papal uniform, he wears the same clothes as an everyday priest, as he acknowledges that is what he is, just another priest. The pope’s most controversial opinion is clearly his stance on homosexuality and whether or not they should have the right to wed. In an interview he said that “If someone is gay, who searches for the Lord and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” What he most likely means no one has any right to judge that person as being unworthy of seeking God. This view has made many Christians unhappy, as some believe that homosexuality is sin. He sees above that in the fact that the main point of religion is faith in the same god or deity, regardless of race,

Pope Francis sneaking out of the Vatican at night into the city of Rome to visit the poor, which is not new for him. When he was still Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, Francis was known to sneak out at night to break bread with the homeless, sitting with them on the street and eating with them to show that they were loved. In less than a year, the Pope has evolved from an authoritative religious figure into a role model, a man that can be admired regardless of what religious background one pertains to. In an ever-progressing civilization, these

gender, or most importantly, sexual orientation. Francis also spoke out against supposed “trickle-down” economics and capitalism as a practice. “There was the promise that once the glass had become full it would overflow and the poor would benefit. But what happens is that when it’s full to the brim, the glass magically grows, and thus nothing ever comes out for the poor,” Pope Francis stated in an interview in December 2013. This is incredible insight into the world we live in today, especially as it comes from a Pope whose predecessors embraced and relished in the wealth of being the Pope in past years. For example, he swapped out Benedict’s golden throne for a wooden chair, something much more apropos for the disciple of a carpenter. Although many followers and journalists, particularly right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, have accused Pope Francis of advocating for Marxism, he said in the same interview that “the ideology of Marxism is wrong.” Francis has changed the Catholic church into a humanitarian organization that is primarily focused on helping the poor. There Pope Francis, seen here presiding in the Vatican, has been a progressive yet stabilizing figure for the Catholic Church. have also been reports of

Individual Mandate Issues (continued) (Continued from Page 9) Its function is simple - ensure that all Americans – not just those who are sick – sign up for health insurance. Giving subsidized insurance to millions of uninsured Americans, many of whom were previously excluded based on preexisting conditions, is extremely expensive. The ACA dictates that insurers cannot deny coverage to those with preexisting conditions, and that insurers cannot set premiums based on gender, health status (if the patients are sick), claims experience (if they were sick in the past) or genetic information (if they are likely to get sick in the future). These restrictions give insurers less opportunity to accurately price risk. To insure that Americans other than those with an adverse risk profile sign up for health insurance, an individual mandate was implemented. With an individual mandate, healthy Americans are required to buy insurance, which, in theory, will help pay for the cost of subsidizing insurance for poor and unhealthy Americans because those in good health will not incur as many costs and thereby represent a net gain for the insurer. One of the groups most heavily targeted by the government are young people between the age of 18 and 35, known as “young indestructibles.” Young indestructibles are often uninsured, as the likelihood that young adults will require care is often more than outweighed by the high (and rising) cost of health insurance. However, the efficacy of the individual mandate relies on the young indestructibles coming out en masse to sign up for insurance in order to balance out the higher costs of older, sicker enrollees: adults in their 60s use $6 in health services for every $1 tallied by young adults. Barack Obama has gone to extreme lengths to market his healthcare law to the young indestructibles. In a rush to create a publicity buzz that would trend across social media, the Obama Administration reached out celebrities to pitch the insurance exchanges. Olivia Wilde, Lady Gaga, John Legend, Pearl Jam, Amy Poehler, and Pharrell Williams were among the figures using the #GetCovered hashtag on Twitter in October. Barack Obama’s Twitter account posted a photo of a 20-something man with hipster glasses in a plaid onesie, cradling a mug in his hands. “Wear pajamas. Drink hot chocolate. Talk about getting health insurance,” the ad read. Although some Democratic strategists claim that young people are not

steps play a huge part in the modernization of the Catholic Church in its attempt to remain relevant. This has been a struggle for the Church ever since the beginning of the Scientific Revolution in the seventeenth century. Francis’s views on homosexuality and capitalism are extremely liberal, particularly in comparison to his seemingly more conservative predecessors. Pope Francis has brought new ideas into St. Peter’s square, and hopefully a new era of religious acceptance, humanitarian ideology, and compassion along with it.

absolutely vital for the success of the new health law, the President’s marketing campaign would suggest otherwise. To milk as much money from the youngest Americans as possible to pay for older adults’ care, the ACA includes a law that regulates insurers’ “rating bands” – that is, the ratio between the cost of the most expensive and least expensive plans. The ACA sets the maximum ratio at 3:1, compared with the 5:1 ratio commonly observed prior, which lowers insurance costs for those with high risk profiles (older Americans) and raises insurance costs for those with lower risk profiles (the young indestructibles). This means that, to be fiscally solvent, insurers need not only to attract young Americans to the exchanges, but also ask them to pay more for their coverage.

The controversial “Pajama Boy” Ad.

To make it worse, the ACA includes requirements for services and benefits that all health plans must cover to qualify as insurance. Even catastrophic plans – which previously covered health care costs in the event of a disaster only – are now required to provide an additional slew of health benefits. These include 15 basic preventative health services (e.g. cholesterol tests, immunizations, etc) for all Americans and 22 for women (including contraception), 3 primary care visits per year,

and 10 “essential health benefits” (including prescription drugs and hospitalization costs). Since most young, healthy Americans will never use most or any of these benefits, the insurer reaps a profit and siphons off the cash to pay for older Americans’ care. Effectively, the ACA is supposed to function by making young Americans pay for coverage that they will never use. Why would the young indestructibles sign onto this? The ACA’s architects correctly assumed that young people would not voluntarily punish themselves, and so they put into place a penalty for those who choose not to buy insurance. For 2014, this fine will be the greater of $95 or 1.0% of income for individuals; these costs will rise to $695 or 2.5% of income by 2016. However, this incentive to buy insurance is more than counterbalanced by the much higher costs of health insurance. A recent search on healthcare. gov shows that a single, 27 year-old making $25,000/ year would see monthly premiums of around $90120 and annual deductibles of $4000-6000 for the cheapest bronze plans. For a “young indestructible,” a $250 fine (1% of $25,000) for lacking health insurance will be much easier to stomach than $1200 of annual premiums (let alone at least four grand in total medical costs before Barack Obama his/her insurer will pay a dime). In addition, the opportunity costs of buying health insurance at this age are immense. Many young people would be far better served saving up for a car or paying off student loans than pay thousands on insurance that won’t even cover the first $4000 in medical costs incurred. The choice between a $695 tax and $5200-plus in up-front insurance costs isn’t exactly a difficult one. A new national poll of 18-to-28 yearolds conducted by the Institute of Politics at

Mr. Aaron Blake

Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government found that a majority of young people – 56% – disapprove of the new health law. Fewer than 3-in-10 said they would probably or definitely enroll on an exchange if and when they are eligible. This common-sense logic seems to have evaded the White House. In a January 9 announcement, Humana said that it “now expects the risk mix of members enrolling through the health insurance exchanges to be more adverse than previously expected.” Recent data corroborate this. After assessing the composition of sustainable pools of insurance enrollees, the Obama administration put its target percentage of young adults at about 40 percent; however, young adults comprise just under a quarter of enrollees in most areas. In some states, such as Arizona and West Virginia, young adults represent just 17 percent of those who have signed up for insurance on the exchanges. Democrats have been quick to point out that this is natural – after all, those who sign up for coverage urgently are often those who are sick and were previously denied care. However, this is somewhat irrelevant. If the insurance risk pool continues to skew towards older Americans, insurers will not sit back and bleed green. They will be forced to jack up rates, which will make health insurance even less affordable for young Americans, and when even fewer indestructibles sign up, rates will continue to move skyward in a vicious cycle. This ‘death spiral’ would have the potential to scuttle the insurance exchanges altogether. In a December 2013 report, Kaiser Family Foundation said that an outcome in which 25% of enrollees were young adults would be a “worst-case scenario.” Government figures released in January show that 24% of enrollees through December 28 were between the ages of 18 and 35 – a full percentage point lower. With the March 31 enrollment deadline looming, the Obama Administration has renewed its efforts to market the ACA to the young and the uninsured. The White House will spend $52 million in an advertising campaign in the first quarter of 2014. TV ads featuring former NBA stars Magic Johnson and Alonzo Mourning will appear on ESPN, TNT, ABC, and on YouTube. President Obama has clearly not given up on the indestructibles. It remains to be seen whether they will respond to the marketing campaign, or spurn the insurance requirement and the individual mandate’s forced redistribution from young to old.

Page 11

The Index

Politics

January 2014

Politics Column: Debating New Senate Filibuster Rules

They Might Actually Get The Senate to Work Eric Petersen ‘15 Last November, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Democrats finally passed the “nuclear option,” changing established Senate rules so that many Presidential appointments no longer require a supermajority of 60 “Yea” votes to end debate so that an up-or-down confirmation vote can proceed; instead, the new rules require only a simple majority of 51 Senators. This historic and nearly unprecedented change in parliamentary procedure was a necessary step to keep the divided and partisan Senate working. The regulations that were altered allowed a minority party to filibuster against a Presidential nominee, blocking his/ her appointment. Its original purpose was to allow for an open debate about the candidate’s background, experience, and qualification for the position. After an honest debate ensues, the nominee can be approved and settle into his or her new position in the government. However, the intent of the procedures was completely ignored, beginning after the 2010 midterm elections, when radical Tea-Partiers took office for the first time. This new group of conservatives wanted to “shrink government to the size where we can drown it in a bathtub.” The number one priority for Congressional Republicans became making Barack Obama a one-term President. To do so, Republicans quickly began blocking circuit court justices and other appointees. By simply refusing to approve nominees, the Tea Party could fulfill its goal of killing off the government. Seats would be left vacant, and work would pile up. This change in the function of long-standing Senate rules forced many moderate Senators to

question the tradition of the 60-vote approvals. Many senior senators dragged their feet out of respect for tradition, but eventually Senate Democrats decided to take action against the Republican opposition. One example of the extreme obstructionism used by Congressional Republicans was the attempted confirmation of Representative Mel Watt. He was chosen by Barack Obama to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency, but was filibustered and blocked from his position. This was the first time that a sitting member of Congress was blocked from an administrative position since before the Civil War. During President Bush’s presidency, 87% of judicial nominees were confirmed, but during President Obama’s administration, the number has dipped to 43%. This number is actually skewed higher because it includes the two years of Obama’s Presidency in which he had a cooperative Democratic Congress. Barack Obama has also had less lower-court nominees approved since before the one-term presidency of Jimmy Carter. Sometimes, Senate Republicans refused to approve appointees because of opposition to some of the President’s policies that were completely irrelevant to the vote at hand. Qualified people who want to take an active and constructive role in government have been denied their goal because of political infighting. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), for example, promised to filibuster every Presidential nominee until more investigations into the attack on the US ambassador in Benghazi were started. Preventing the government from functioning properly has become a dangerous Republican bargaining chip that has undermined our judicial system’s effectiveness, and that is precisely why the rules needed to be changed. The level of obstructionism furthered by

the GOP has not been matched in modern American history and represents a startling trend. If partisanship to this degree continues unchecked, the government will be able to do less than it already can now. That is precisely why Harry Reid and Senatorial Democrats were forced to make this landmark decision. Even though the filibuster was established as a needed Congressional power, Republican Senators have essentially stripped themselves of minority party influence. While the House of Representatives functions as a body of majority rule, the Senate has historically been operated both through the simple majority and through a supermajority of 60 Senators. This complicated

measured by the speed in which nominations (or legislation, for that matter) is rushed through Congress. And given the fact that many Presidential appointees (e.g. judges) serve for life, careful deliberation is extremely important in the confirmation process. A more unfiltered, populist body already exists in the House of Representatives, whose 435 members are up for election every two years, and where no right to extended debate exists. Former Senator Robert Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat who served in Congress from 1952 until his death in 2010, warned that “emasculation of the cloture rule would mean that minority rights would cease to exist in the U.S. Senate.” As former Michigan Senator Arthur Vandenberg said, “If a majority of the Senate can change its rules at any time, there are no rules.” Perhaps the most eloquent arguments that have been made in favor of the filibuster as a Constitutional minority right were made by Democrats in 2005. Senate Democrats filibustered the appointments of ten Bush appellate court candidates in the Republicancontrolled 108th Congress. In response, former Senate Majority leader Bill Frist (RTN) threatened to use the “nuclear option” if Democrats continued to persistently block nominations. When Republicans gained three more Senate seats in the 109th Congress for a 55-45 majority, the threat became real.

Democratic Senators made impassioned arguments in favor of preserving the filibuster. Harry Reid, who would exercise the nuclear option eight years later, argued, “For 200 years, we’ve had the right to extended debate…Some in this Chamber want to throw out 217 years of Senate history in the quest for absolute power.” Similar sentiments were echoed by thenIllinois Senator Barack Obama: “…what I worry about would be that you essentially still have two chambers – the House and the Senate – but you have simply majoritarian absolute power on either side, and that’s just not what the Founders intended.” Senator Charles Schumer, who voted for the 2013 change in Senate rules along with his colleagues, warned that “We are on the precipice of a crisis, a constitutional crisis. The checks and balances which have been at the core of this Republic are about to be evaporated by the nuclear option– the checks and balances which say that if you get 51% of the vote you don’t get your way 100% of the time.” The most ironic argument came from Joe Biden: “I say to my friends on the Republican side: You may own the field right now, but you won’t own it forever. I pray God when the Democrats take back control, we don’t make the kind of naked power grab you are doing.” In 2005, a change in Senate rules seemed imminent, but instead, a bipartisan group of Senators, consisting of seven Republicans and seven Democrats and nicknamed the “Gang of 14,” reached a compromise. This remarkable group of moderate lawmakers, including Robert Byrd, Daniel Inouye, and John McCain, among others, managed to avoid disaster through concessions on both sides: the seven Democrats agreed to vote for cloture on at least some nominations, and Republicans agreed not to invoke the nuclear option. Blame for failing to replicate this compromise in 2013 can be assigned to both parties. President Obama and Majority Leader Reid have assigned responsibility entirely to Senate Republicans, claiming that they have abused their minority right to the filibuster. Obama proclaimed the change necessary to deal with Republicans’ “unprecedented pattern of obstruction.” The charge that Obama’s appointees have been baselessly blocked by Republicans is itself baseless. The total number of nominees defeated by filibuster during Obama’s Presidency stands at two, compared to three in that of George W. Bush and two during Bill Clinton’s administration. 30 of Obama’s 42 Federal Appeals Court

the decision for this seemingly simple rule change, but it passed nonetheless because it was necessary. Tradition sometimes needs to be replaced under the necessary circumstances. Over the past few years, the Democrats and Americans in general have had to cope with sluggish progress in passing anything in the Senate. Most Democratic senators hope that as the Senate evolves, it can regain some of its lost effectiveness. Senatorial Republicans had proven time and time again that they could not handle their full responsibilities as the minority party. Although the rule change was a break with tradition, it was a necessary step to keep the Senate functioning.

Democratic majority leader Harry Reid led the charge to change the filibustering rules.

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They Will Undermine the Purpose Of The Senate Brendan Burns ‘15 On November 21, 2013, Senate Democratic leaders, led by Majority Leader Harry Reid (DNV), invoked the “nuclear option.”After a 52-48 vote, with all 45 Republicans and 3 Democrats voting “Nay,” Senate rules were amended to eliminate the use of cloture votes and prevent filibusters by the minority party. Prior to this rule change, a supermajority of 60 senators was needed to end debate on a nomination (cloture) and proceed to a vote, which would be decided by a simple majority. If 40 or more senators felt that a candidate’s nomination (or a piece of legislation) had not been examined thoroughly enough, they could “filibuster” that bill or nomination by refusing to end debate. Under the new rules, any Presidential nomination can be pushed through immediately with only 51 votes. This change fundamentally undermines the purpose of the Senate. The Founding Fathers recognized the value of a slow-moving, cumbersome upper body, with six-year terms of office and a slower election cycle (only onethird of Senators are up for reelection every two years). The Senate was designed to insulate legislative actions from popular passions and the “tyranny of the majority,” not confirm nominees and advance the President’s agenda at the fastest possible rate. Progress is not

These new rules have hindered the Senate’s ability to fulfill its reponsibility with regards to approving nominees.

Denver Post

nominations have passed the Senate, compared with 35 of 52 for Bush. The Senate has approved 143 out of 173 Federal District Court Nominations as of November 2013, compared to 170 of 179 in George W. Bush’s first term, 170 of 198 in Bill Clinton’s first term, and 150 of 195 in George H.W. Bush’s tenure as President. Although there is no question that Republicans have made good use of their right to the filibuster, it has not prevented positions from being filled. The vote to eliminate the cloture rule and end filibusters on nominations has nothing to do with obstructionist Republicans and everything to do with the President forcing his political will through Congress without the nuisance of any opposition. Following the rule change, the Senate began confirming the President’s appointees at an alarming rate. Alejandro Majorkas was appointed to be the secondranking official at the Department of Homeland Security, even as he is currently the subject of a federal probe – the first time the Senate has knowingly confirmed a nominee under investigation by an inspector general. Obama’s nominees for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals were immediately confirmed, consummating the President’s scheme to pack the nation’s second-highest court with liberal judges who could insulate his administration from potential legal trouble (besides being a stepping stone to the Supreme Court, the D.C. Court hears constitutional challenges to executive orders and rules). These nominations were made even amid evidence that the D.C. Court is one of the most underworked (i.e. its judges have the lowest workload, and therefore it needs new appointees the least) in the nation. The change in filibuster rules is a disingenuous political tactic that has the potential to completely undermine the Senate’s functioning if left unchecked. Says Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN): “This diminishing of the Senate is tragic for a country with large problems to solve and whose system of checks and balances and self-government are the envy of the world.” Those who argue that a rule change was necessary because Obama’s nominees had to face additional hurdles are missing the point. The purpose of the Senate is not to advance the President’s agenda as quickly as possible. It was designed to be deliberate, a filter for the populist ideas of the House and the excesses of the Executive branch. With the potential for a Republican takeover of the Senate for 2015, Democrats should be careful of the precedents they set as the majority part.

Page 12

The Index

Outdex

January 2014

Noah Cutler ‘14, Ian Riley ‘15, Will Solmssen ‘15, Christopher Ley ‘15, Otis Baker ‘15, Sanjay Narayanan ‘14, Brendan Burns ‘15, RJ Meiers ‘14

Dr. Nagl refuses to take on his responsibilities as Headmaster until Slim is returned. Apparently, Slim has been missing the entire year.

No longer a part of the Outdex, Fifth Former Manav Khandelwal decided to make his own comedy page called Khandyman Sports.

Clip-on bow tie stock plummets after Mr. Luqman Kolade deems them “uncool.”

Inspired by the “Other Wes Moore” Assembly, Haverford alumnus Jon Smith has decided to write “The Other Jon Smith”; the book will be three thousand pages long and tell tragic tales of phone book misidentification.

While Dr. Gottlieb will be teaching a seminar on love and relationships, students are also looking forward to the elective “Commitments; and How to Follow Through” taught by Dr. Rutter. That symposium really left the entire student body thinking, What does the T in Joseph T. Cox stand for?

Committed to academic improvement in his 2nd semester, 6th Former James Ekhator requested that he be the only student in Mr. Stambaugh’s Page and Stage course in order to avoid distraction in the classroom.

Second semester underway and Zack Geriak is still out on his school-funded trip to the Amazon Rainforest.

The real reason Mr. Green doesn’t want seniors going to the Wing Bowl.

Noah Cutler ‘14

Students returning from a winter break filled with fantastic food were excited to return to the healthy Sodexo diet of carved turkey and carved turkey.

Mr. Green back in the day.

Christopher Ley ‘15

“I especially liked the sidestoreys with the FBI agent or the Swiss Banker” - Roger Ebert

Sanjay Narayanan ‘14