The Index Eutαxia Swzein Dokei
Volume LXXVI, No. 4
January 2015
Haverford, Pennsylvania - haverfordindex.com
Haverford’s Gender & Culture Team Combats Lack of Awareness Around Issues of Gender, Sexism, & Misogyny Sixth Former Kyle Bowman examines the committee’s goals, its procedure, and reaction from the Haverford community. Kyle Bowman ‘15
Recently, the question of how Haverford School students treat and interact with women has been raised among students, faculty and the broader community. Sixth Former Brendan Burns entered this conversation on gender when he authored an article in the Agnes Irwin student paper, The Wick, in which he summarized what he believes are the distortions and misconceptions related to the concept of feminism. The article was successful in compelling many Haverford School students to engage in broader conversations around interactions between men and women, feminism, and the feminist movement. In the fall of 2014, a committee, comprised of Haverford faculty members and administrators, was formed in an effort to understand and combat sexism and misogyny within the community. The committee members include Mr. William Brady, Ms. Carmen Epstein, Mr. Kellen Graham, Mr. Matthew Green, Ms. Rachael Jennings, Ms. Hannah Turlish,
Ms. Janet Heed, Mr. Elias Rodrigues, Ms. Rebecca Smedley, and Mr. Thomas Trocano. According to the committee’s guidelines provided by Ms. Jennings, the group is intended to “establish a nonconfrontational, open dialogue about gender issues and what we can do to help solve the human problems that affect our communities, large and small.” Mr. Trocano, Science department chair and member of the Committee on Gender and Culture, summarized the goals of the committee when he stated, “I don’t think anyone on that committee is saying that anyone is bad or wrong. I think they are saying that this is a problem that exists throughout the world. We must do something about it [sexism and misogyny] if our whole premise is to prepare students for the future.” The teachers and administration fear that students may initially doubt the assertions of the committee. They would like the student body to understand that they are not punishing them, but instead they are attempting to make the students aware of the larger issues are present outside of
Haverford and may be present within the school itself. Misogyny is the dislike, hatred for, and stereotyping of women. ” It is a word with harsh connotations in the modern English language, implying said “misogynist” truly harbors hatred for women. In a recent Index interview, English teacher and gender and culture committee member Ms. Rachael Jennings defined sexism as, “bias that assumes the incompetence and inferiority of women,” phrases like, “Women should stay at home,’ ‘she’s only going to college to find a husband,’ ‘women are naturally happier doing housework,” would thus constitute sexism. Ms. Jennings’s definitions of sexism and misogyny align with those expressed by journalist Naomi Wolf in a 2012 Guardian article in which Wolf stated, “I object to more heightened words being appropriated carelessly to make political points: sexism is not in fact misogyny; someone can like women quite a lot in person but be very happy to support systematic...
Kyle Bowman’s article is the most recent entry in an ongoing conversation about gender issues at Haverford. The Index invites your feedback on these or any of the issues found in the paper. To submit a letter to the editor for the February issue, email your thoughts to index@ haverford.org.
Continued on Page 3
The State of the Department: A Look at the Future of Haverford’s Academic Departments On the heels of President Obama’s “State of the Union” address, Arnav Jagasia ‘16 sat down with each department chair to examine the issues and plans that he or she has. Arnav Jagasia ‘16
Students always wonder what goes on behind each department chair’s closed doors on Wednesday mornings. What, in fact, are departments doing each and every week? Even though it may not be apparent to students, who mainly interact with their teachers in individual classes, teachers in each of the departments work closely with their colleagues to create cohesive departmental goals each year and work even harder to execute them. Departments create short-term, year long, and multiyear long goals, all of which they are constantly trying to achieve. These goals, most of which were established before the fall semester began, have been at play for more than half of a year and are all representative of every department’s overall, ultimate goal: to enhance the students’ classroom experience (whether it be through curriculum changes, consistent departmental grading policies, or new course materials) and to produce boys that the school can take pride in.
Also inside this Issue...
Mathematics Department “Our goal as a department,” stated Mathematics Department Chair, Susan Mitchell, “is that every boy that leaves this school is completely prepared for their next mathematical challenge.” The Math Department strives to create students primed to tackle wherever their mathematical journey takes them after they graduate Haverford. The Department plans to do so by continuing to evaluate their curriculum, building relationships among the faculty members, and creating a streamlined long-term departmentlevel plan. “Evaluating curriculum,” said Mitchell, “is an ongoing challenge that never stops. We are always looking for opportunities to strengthen our courses.” Recently, this curriculum evaluation has led to the further use of technology in several of the math courses. “In the Math Department,” said Mitchell, “we do have opportunities to use online technology. We now have online textbooks in a lot of our classes.” For next year, the Mathematics department will be making a few curriculum changes. Economics will be transferred to the Math department because
Calculus is a requisite and “the course demonstrates that [the students have] a strong interest and ability in applied math.” Furthermore, the department will be offering a standard level statistics course. Additionally, over the past few years, the Mathematics Department has been in flux; there have been three different department chairs (Mr. Joseph Sweeney, Mr. Zach Murtha, and now, Mrs. Mitchell) over the past three years. Therefore, this year, Mitchell wants to “get to know the members of the math department and learn about the culture here at Haverford,” allowing her to design a long-term plan for the department. “Next year,” Mitchell said excitedly, “we are going to hit the ground running.” Continued on Page 4
Science department chair and lifelong Browns fan, Mr. Tom Trocano.
The Index was interested in understanding the politics of Haverford’s faculty, so we polled many of them on relevant global and domestic issues. You can find the results and a brief analysis on Page 5.
Dawn Blake
Article Page Letter fron the Editors 2 Construction Plans 6 Changing College Process 7 The Arts Requirement 8 Fords Focus 9 Sam Hinkie’s World 10 Fords Basketball 11 French Racial Tensions 14 Outdex Special Edition 15-16
Page 2
The Index
Editorials
Letter from the Editors Dear Reader, Last Friday, Mr. Fifer reminded the Fifth and Sixth Formers that the school does not sanction students attending the local event known as Wing Bowl, nor has it ever. That is for a good reason: to do so would fly in the face of everything the administration has done over the last nine months to deal with drug and alcohol use within the student body in the wake of the Main Line Takeover Project. Haverford students are not going to South Philadelphia at five in the morning just to eat wings, and the administration knows that. Everyone familiar with the event, however, understands its depravity. It appeals to the basest sentiments in society and is an event that may be fun and entertaining but is morally objectionable. A more subtle issue that the school faces, however, is parents who call their children in sick on that day so that they can attend Wing Bowl. Per school policy, administrators cannot punish students
The Editors-in-Chief feat. Mark Gottlieb.
Dawn Blake
whose parents call them out, even if it is obvious that it is Wing Bowl fever, not the flu, that has caused them to miss school. This puts Mr. Fifer, Mr. Green, and the rest of the Upper School administration in a bind; the students who do the right thing and do not have their parents call them out will get in trouble, while those who lie and deceive will get off scot-free. Parents who are willing to lie to the school so that their children can break the law ought to reexamine their priorities, but it is up to the students to realize that going to Wing Bowl destroys the trust that we have between
Letter from the President Dear Student Body and Faculty, I hope everyone is enjoying the cold weather like I am. There’s nothing better than slippery roads, frosted fingers, and losing feeling in your toes. So far, there has only been one snow day this year when we should have had a two-hour delay, and one two-hour delay when we should have had a snow day. Still, I am not complaining. —This is the farthest I’ve made it all year without someone clapping for no apparent reason. It feels good— In my state of the school address, I mentioned that this is the most difficult time of the year. The tail end of the winter is filled with bad weather, a vast amount of work, and a tunnel that appears to have no end. Trust me, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and it is called Spring. But we’re not isolated in the snow like Jack Nicholson in The Shining— we have our classmates around us to support us.
Student Body President Nick Greco.
playersoftomorrow.org
Empty Bowls is an event hosted by The Haverford School, The Agnes Irwin School, and The Baldwin School on Sunday, February 22nd at the Agnes Irwin School. Empty Bowls
is the culminating event for our year long themes of hunger, homelessness, and poverty. These are topics that are much closer to home than one may think, found everywhere from city hall to where our schools preside on the Main Line. The statistics are sobering,
The Index
2014-2015 Staff
Manav Khandelwal ‘15, Editor-in-Chief Brendan Burns ‘15, Editor-in-Chief Arnav Jagasia ‘15, News and Features Editor Alex Sanfilippo ‘16, Opinions Editor Jack Henderson ‘15, Sports Editor Ethan DeLehman ‘16, Arts Editor Eric Petersen ‘15, Politics Editor Otis Baker ‘15, Outdex Editor Drew Sterman ‘16, co-Web Editor Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘16, co-Web Editor 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 policy, and Haverford’s place in world affairs. The Index presents new ideas and aspires to influence constructive change.
January 2015
students and administrators at Haverford; when the administration considered implementing a random drug testing program, opponents in the student body often cited the erosion of this trust as a main reason why random drug tests were bad for the school. Those same people would be hypocritical to turn around and have their parents call them out for Wing Bowl. A second topic of interest in recent weeks occurred when Headmaster Nagl implored Haverford students to “Man up” during an Upper School assembly. That presentation outlined the findings of the student life survey we took in the Fall, and a speaker from the group Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD) discussed those results with the Upper School. Near the end of the talk, an emotional Headmaster Nagl took his microphone, stood up, and began explaining that it was better to call the Brother’s Keeper hotline now and protect a friend than to go to his funeral in a few months or a few years because we did not do enough. Suddenly, while exhorting the students to use the hotline, he proclaimed “Man Up!” While some in the audience
may have taken offense to this statement, I do not think it was sexist in any way. In fact, it brought more light to a side of masculinity that often goes unnoticed: emotional toughness. It requires courage to call the hotline and help a friend because of the potential “snitch” label that one could receive because of it. That courage, the willingness to help a friend even at one’s own peril, is something every Haverford man should leave this school with. Dr. Nagl made it clear what he expects out of his men; this is a single-sex institution, after all. The issue, however, is that the administration has yet to prove that the hotline is the best way for a Haverford student to help a friend. Until the hotline proves to be a trustworthy outlet, students will feel uneasy about its use.
At the beginning of the year, I discussed what I wanted to see happen. I talked about being your brother’s keeper and doing the right thing when no one is watching. These ideas and practices still pertain to today. While it may be second semester, it is still school. Everything you do represents your character; who you are and what you stand for. That is why I look at second semester as a whole new ballgame. Everything I said at the start of the year still applies to today. If I can do it (a second semester senior), then you can too. As I was watching the Super Bowl Media day coverage (what to do on snow days), I watched Marshawn Lynch give some riveting answers to journalists in the audience. What else is new? As I was looking for Manav Khandelwal, I noticed that Marshawn Lynch answered one of this many questions with, “I’m just here so I don’t get fined.” Hearing this come out of
his mouth made me angry, but I could not understand why. After pondering Lynch’s compelling choice of words I realized that this man is at the Super Bowl, and taking the situation for granted. Marshawn Lynch was doing the bare minimum that day and, in all honesty, should get fined for what he did. Lynch’s comments, however, made me think about what we’re doing at school. I want everyone in school to make the most of their opportunities and not come in everyday saying, “I’m just here so I don’t get fined.” Be the best you can be everyday and try to keep pushing forward to the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s time for all of us to get our swagger back.
but we hope that through Empty Bowls, that we can not only help the thousand of hungry, destitute people in our community, but can also transform our own students at the school who have primarily lived lives of privilege. At the event, please enjoy soup
from Chef DeMarco of 333 Belrose, silent and live auction items from local shops and teams, and a great communal event. We hope to see many of you there!
Service Board Empty Bowls Announcement Eli Wachs ‘16
Sincerely, Manav Khandelwal ‘15 and Brendan Burns ‘15 Editors-in-Chief
Sincerely, Student Body President Nick Greco
All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at index@haverford.org. The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed on Mac OS X, using Adobe InDesign CS5.5. Its surveys are conducted via SurveyMonkey and are advertised on Facebook to current Haverford students. Southern Dutchess News prints 200-400 copies of each issue, and its editorial staff distributes them in the Upper School on the day of release. The Index serves the needs of a total school population of 1091 community members, consisting of 975 students and 116 faculty members. Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 index@haverford.org Twitter: @Haverford_Index http://www.haverfordindex.com/ (610) 642-3020 x. 1222 Volume LXXVI, No. 3 - December 1, 2014
Page 3
The Index
News
Investigating the Gender Committee (continued)
Continued from Front Page
discussions occur without anger and fear, and instead are as commonplace as any discrimination against them (sexism) or intellectual discussion. The largest problem the administrators to used gender stereotypes against them and teachers are attempting to combat (sexism).” Some students, however, find it hard to with the committee on gender and culture, differentiate between sexism and misogyny, however, is the lack of understanding and as Sixth Former Dan Borine summarized, knowledge students have of what is sexist “It seems like the lines between the two and what is not. Mr. Trocano stated that it get blurred, and young men are put in a is difficult for many students to, “find the situation where we don’t know and can’t line between being a normal teenage boy tell the difference, and sometimes things and being offensive.” He continued, “It can be so confusing and so hard to distinguish happen that we’re not aware of.” The conversation about gender issues between right and what society labels as and feminism predates Burns’s article. appropriate.” In a recent survey, 73% of polled students In February 2014, English teacher and committee member Mr. Kellen Graham voted that they feel the school does an delivered a Reflection assembly on these adequate job when it comes to discussing issues. In particular, Mr. Graham argued gender issues. However, Sixth former Ian that, as members of an all-boys school, we Riley is worried that this education is not must be especially vigilante in the fight to leading to the desired effect of creating an combat sexism because, as he put it, “our open conversation within the student body: all-boys environment promotes gender “Listening to a few teachers preach about stereotypes and discriminatory behavior feminism does not instill a great deal of towards women.” Elsewhere in his speech, importance to the topic. No one wants to Mr. Graham drew attention to the human hear about a time in history when people tendency “to mythologize, or create stories, like them [men] were subjugating others about people with whom we have little or [women]. This becomes a big issue in an all male institution, because suddenly no no direct contact with.” English Department Chair and one wants to hear it.” Data suggests that most Haverford Haverford School alumnus Mr. Stambaugh pointed out one of the most well-known students do not feel there is a misogyny parts of the Haverford community, The problem at the school. In a recent poll Gentlemen’s Club, as an example of proposed to 100 members of the Haverford sexism in the school. “A ‘Gentleman’s School student body, 85% of respondents Club’ is a euphemism for a strip club, and stated that they did not believe that if that is a hidden meaning of the group’s Haverford has a problem with misogyny. Ms. Jennings stated that the committee name it is certainly sexist and possibly misogynistic. When they started the club, wants to address any misunderstandings I asked the guys who ran it to change [the around these issues. “I believe that we name], but they did not want to destroy one would be doing our students a disservice of the great bits of Haverford pride, and I if they don’t understand what sexism understand that, but we could change the and misogyny are and if they don’t know about some of the catastrophic human name, couldn’t we?” Another issue the committee is trying rights issues that exist—and exist around to combat is the fear and anger that some a gendered axis. We would be doing you a students feel when topics such as gender, disservice if you didn’t know that you, as feminism, and feminists are invoked in leaders, will play a crucial part in facing school. Mr. Trocano understands this point, these societal problems.” Ian Riley, a member of the Student as evidenced from this comment that,, “if [discussions of gender] bothers you, but Leadership Group on Gender and Culture, you should try to adjust that perspective.” summarized this student view best when he Some students immediately recoil when told The Index, “I think it is fair to assume hearing of feminism and respond with no one at Haverford hates women. No one anger and immediately stop listening. wants to subjugate them or oppress them. It is the hope of this committee that the No one thinks they deserve worse treatment community can reach a point that these than men. Misogyny is such an extreme concept, if there was any at Haverford, it would have likely been amassed and dealt with.” It is possible that these issues go largely unnoticed due to the lack of time Haverford students spend working with women of the same age. Borine offered up a possible plan that the school could implement in order to give students more exposure to their peers from sister schools: “I personally don’t see much of a problem, but if they want to integrate us and give us experience and give us ways to work with women, I think they need to have joint days in which Haverford students work with One of the committee’s key figures, English teacher Ms. Rachael Jennings. haverford.org peers from sister
schools.” Single-sex education has frequently been cited as a root cause for sexism and gender stereotyping amongst young men. In the 2011 Science Magazine article, “The Pseudoscience of Single-Sex Schooling,” published with the intent of giving readers an unbiased scientific perspective into the debate surrounding the relative benefits of single-sex education, the authors conclude that, “there is evidence that sex segregation increases gender stereotyping and legitimizes institutional sexism.” Mr. Stambaugh agreed with this same conclusion when he stated, “Some think that any time you get men together—this is not scientific, that all male institutions like the military 40 years ago, fraternities, the prison systems—you tend to get higher levels of homophobia, sexism, and perhaps misogyny.” He continued by acknowledging the difficulty students may have when acknowledging the sexism and misogyny amongst the community: “It is particularly hard for the privileged person, in this case the males in this community, to see this issue with crystal clarity. It is, perhaps, more likely that female members of our community see sexism more clearly than the student body.” This phenomenon led to the creation of a group of student leaders, students selected by the faculty leaders of the committee on gender and culture. The newly created Student Leadership Committee on Gender and Culture is a 26-student group tasked to meet and discuss issues of culture at Haverford, specifically in regards to gender. These students were selected for their “conversation in class, your work as a discussant, and the leadership your teachers see in you,” as stated in an email sent to all selected members of the student commission. As Ms. Jennings puts it, “We want to meet students where they are, hear from them— with and without adults present, as we have done—and figure out short-term and long-term goals that will set the frame for meaningful, productive conversations.” Some members of the student body have questioned the authenticity of the teacherappointed Student Committee on Gender and Culture. Borine stated, “I feel as though there is not enough diversity [of opinion] on the panel to get a true understanding of the student population. To me it appeared as though a majority of the students were content to sit silently while only a select few led the discussion.” Fifth Former Drew Sterman stated that he believed the faculty leaders of the committee on gender and culture should have selected members differently: “I believe that the students participating in the meetings should be selected jury style, in a random selection process, for the whole feelings of the Haverford community to be represented.” At this point the school does not have any specific plans when it comes to changing the culture, but the faculty and administration’s goals have been laid out, and it is only a matter of time until they create a path to achieve these goals. Ms. Jennings summarized their goals, and some plans, when she stated, “We can talk, we can confront the difficult conversations, we can stand up and be positive bystanders when we overhear a sexist joke, we can listen to our sister schools’ leaders and innovators and athletes in captains’ meetings and consortiums and co-curricular activities, we can try to understand pertinent issues, we can ask questions. We can be okay that the conversations are uncomfortable. They are necessary.” Mr. Trocano stated that the
January 2015
one of future goals of the committee “is to expand the student committee as creating a conversation.” When asked what the school can do to combat misogyny, Riley stated, “The largest issue is lack of exposure. We don’t work with girls. We have no real venue to interact with them in a professional environment. If there is any issue, it goes to the structure of the curriculum more than the atmosphere.” Mr. Stambaugh added, “This is an educational institution, and we are trying to produce exceptional boys and exceptional boys need to have a full range of appreciation, respect, and advocacy for women. 51% of the world are women. You are going to be in professional situations with them. You are going to be in classrooms with them. Absolutely, it is part of the schools mission to have boys who are pro-feminist males who believe that women are just as strong, powerful, skilled, etc. as they are. Does our current set-up lend itself to that education? Probably not.” The committee hopes to be able to find new ways to utilize the current schedule, community awareness meetings, advisory meetings, and whole-school assemblies, to generate an open conversation about gender interactions and sexism. Although Haverford is experiencing gender relations issues, like much of the outside world, the school as a whole is just as strong—if not stronger—than it ever has been before. Mr. Stambaugh ‘90 discussed the remarkable change that he has already noticed from his time at Haverford to now, “Yesterday, a student stood on Centennial Hall stage and said that ‘Haverford is an accepting place.’ If somebody had said that in 1988, we would have laughed him off the stage, but the fact that this student was able to say that without anyone laughing shows how Haverford culture has changed. However, it still has room to grow.” Ms. Jennings stated that although they may have their flaws she is constantly amazed by the students at Haverford. “Time and time again, Haverford boys have proven empathetic and courageous. Think about the enormous capacity for empathy here. I see it when the community struggles and comes together stronger. I see it when students share in my fiction seminar. I see it when you stand up for each other. The committee and these conversations are not here because we doubt you. We are here because we see how capable you are, and we know that this is an issue worth your time, your attention, and your empathy.” Haverford is a strong, caring community, one that is able to come together in hardship and celebrate together when it comes to the accomplishments of our peers, but that does not mean that the community cannot improve. One of the largest problems the school faces is sexism. However, the school is on the right path in regards to correcting these issues. The creation of both the student of faculty committees on gender and culture is a genuine step by the administration to foster an open dialogue amongst the students about the ongoing and widespread conversation of gender relations. It is the goal of the committee to assuage the fears of the student body in regards to discussions of sexism and make these conversations a daily part of Haverford life. Haverford is a unique community, one with a faculty, a staff, a student body that truly love the school; one that accepts all students regardless of sexual orientation, race, or creed; one that prides itself as a brotherhood, but there is still room for the school to improve.
Page 4
The Index
News
Analyzing the Departments (continued) Continued from Front Page
History Department In the fall, the History Department had a significant short-term goal: to pilot the elective honors course, Conflict and Genocide in Contemporary Africa. In the course, students were able to choose whether they followed the standard course curriculum or the honors curriculum, which included supplementary readings and additional projects. According to History Department Chair Hannah Turlish, “the Africa elective was successful in two ways: one, it was something that a lot of kids signed up for and found interesting, and two, kids, some honors and some regular, were all in the same room together. I think it just completely worked.” Additionally, the History Department welcomed a new member, Mr. Thomas Kates; Turlish commented that he was a “seamless addition and blended in really well with our department.” Additionally, Turlish remarked that “there was a huge improvement to the Form V History Field Trip,” which took the form of a scavenger hunt across Philadelphia’s Old City. When asked about challenges for the upcoming semester, Turlish remarked that “there are some certain fundamentals that we as a department feel very strongly about: research, writing, etc. [The challenge is] how to adopt new technologies and new initiatives and still hold on to what our department holds very dear.” The History Department, which Turlish labels as a “group of fascinating, quirky individuals,” is poised to wrap up the year with the Form IV World War I Trials and the Form V Madison Meetings.
one year of each physical sciences, earth sciences, and biology, but with the new approach, the department plans to do all three disciplines every year. Trocano stated that this new method highlights the “connections between the subjects and gets away from the compartmentalized stuff in middle school.” The department also seeks to further collaborate with the mathematics department, with Trocano remarking, “we are really looking for ways to connect the two departments such that students see that they are really intertwined, that what you learn in one place can transfer to the other.” In regards to the second semester, Trocano conveyed, “it is always a goal to incorporate as much relevant and current material as possible. We have always incorporated aspects of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) into our curriculum, but we are looking for different projects and maybe shift to a more frequent projectbased learning.” In addition, Trocano pointed out that no science teacher (except for him) has his or her own classroom, indicative of the collaborative nature of the department. In closing, Trocano, hopeful of what his department will do in the coming months, enthusiastically said, “I think the department is honestly trying to get better everyday. Literally.”
Modern and Classical Languages Department “One of the number one things we have been working on,” remarked Modern and Classical Languages Department Chair Sara Adkins, “is working on scope and sequence, what we are really doing in every level of the program.” The Language Department, ultimately divided among the three languages (Spanish, Latin, and Chinese), set a goal to come up with an overall strategy, trying to find the thread
Chinese restaurant in Ardmore, to practice ordering food in Chinese in an authentic and delicious setting. Furthermore, Adkins noted that Upper School Latin teacher Dr. Andrew Fenton “is trying to do a gladiator presentation-assembly-mock battle for the middle school,” which stemmed from a similar experience when Fenton led a trip to Italy last spring. Additionally, Adkins said that the department is also doing “an exercise of shared grading of tests, using the midterm exams.” The Spanish department has worked together to create a shared rubric for presentations, which allows for all of the Spanish teachers to have a uniform method for grading. Adkins joked saying, “what if one teacher penalized heavily for not using accents and another does not at all.” She hopes that such a system could cross-pollinate from one language to another, allowing for more communication and consistent grading between Haverford language teachers. In regards to challenges, Adkins said, “one of the toughest parts was Sra. Mateos not being there.” Sra. Carmen MateosHirshman is one of the senior members of the Spanish program, who, according to Adkins, changed the Spanish curriculum from being very “drill and kill” to something more organic and authentic with the help of Sr. Andrew Poolman. Moreover, every language class has transitioned to a new textbook in the past few years. The Spanish program, both honors and regular, use the same textbook. Adkins noted that now in Spanish classes, “we can have the breadth and pace with the same book,” and it makes transitioning between regular and honors classes significantly easier. The Latin department is also on its fourth year of their new textbook, and so far has found success with it. Additionally, the Chinese program has transitioned from using a curriculum that was custom-created and did
Science Department The Science Department had several goals going into the first half of the year. Science Department Chair Tom Trocano stated that the department is “always looking for what is best for its students. We always set a goal to make sure instruction is as excellent as possible.” Also, the Science department piloted Organic Chemistry, with both standard and honors in the same room, much like the elective in the History Department. Furthermore, the Science Department is “looking at making additions to the Form III physics program.” This year, the Science Department piloted a physics extension option, in which “boys who are interested are coming to a special session in the second half of their double block study hall,” where they can do additional challenging problems. Mr. Gary Kan, the Chinese teacher, at last year’s trip to Hunan restaurant, part of the department’s focus on practical application. “The problems they are being asked to do,” noted Trocano, “are between each level of the language. Adkins not involve a textbook to a more traditional relevant to the material that they are doing commented, “we are also finding more curriculum with textbooks and workbooks. at that time.” Additionally, the Science authentic materials and experiences that Lastly, the Language Department seeks to Department welcomed Mrs. Golecki, who are grade and level appropriate,” alluding support the Global Studies Program, which is currently bringing some of her expertise to some of the opportunities that Haverford will be taking some students on trips to Language students have to use their Nicaragua and China, and hopes to further to the engineering electives offered. In the middle and lower school, the Science language skills in an authentic manner. integrate the program’s work into language department has incorporated robotics For example, some Spanish students get classrooms. into the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade curriculums. the opportunity to travel to Philadelphia’s Furthermore, Trocano mentioned that the Italian Market, an area predominantly English Department “The major current in education right department “has started to revamp the inhabited by Spanish speakers, and use middle school curriculum, by creating a their Spanish skills to interact with the now,” began English Department Chair more spiral approach.” The middle school local shopkeepers. Additionally, Mr. Gary Tom Stambaugh, “is for STEM skills. The science curriculum used to consist of Kan’s Chinese II class goes to Hunan, a E, however, does not stand for English.”
January 2015
Nonetheless, the English Department has several long-term and short-term goals to promote literary culture in and out of the classroom. As Stambaugh put it, “words matter and Haverford boys should be able to use language to express themselves in personal capacities. We value that, and we are happy and fired up to fight the culture.” In an effort to discuss how to evaluate writing, the English department has started to look at anonymous student writings during department meetings, and grade them together to ensure consistent grading among Haverford English teachers. Furthermore, this is the second year that the English and History departments have met with each other, primarily discussing Form III writing. The most prominent activity in the English department is reevaluating texts for each of the grades. Stambaugh commented that the department has “agreed on a philosophy of values and is revisiting each grade’s texts, using that philosophy to guide our choices.” In the spring, the English department will be discussing each grade’s curriculum textby-text and also making selections for Honors English IV. Moreover, in regards to large curriculum goals, Stambaugh stated, “we are trying to tighten up our grammar program for grades 5-10.” Stambaugh noted that the progress of the English department and students’ development as writers, readers, and thinkers can be seen by the “strong student newspaper, strong literary magazine, and strong first few steps in developing ‘Poetry Out Loud’ as a celebration of the word.” Additionally, in terms of smaller goals, the English department is trying to get more student writing visible in the building, most of which is currently located on the third floor. When discussing some of the challenges the English department has faced, Stambaugh commented, “the best part of an independent school is that a teacher brings his or her own passions, knowledge, and experience. The challenge is that you have four very different people teaching the same course. There needs to be some unity to it.” The English department strives to allow for freedom among teaching styles and certain texts, while holding the curriculum up to the same rigor and standards. “The tension between being unified but also allowing for individual preference or approach is important,” Stambaugh noted, quickly joking: “You can’t make someone teach something they hate. It won’t go well.” Each department evidently creates goals for the entire year, most of which revolve around the same thread and theme. Every department at Haverford strives Ms. Dawn Blake to improve students’ day-to-day academic experience while also adding newer, current materials and resources into the curriculum. As English Chair Tom Stambaugh said, “we are all really fired up to do what we are doing, but we have to work together to do it.” Now more than ever before, departments are working with each other to highlight connections between all of the academic disciplines, and this cross-disciplinary collaboration is surely promising for Haverford’s academic future.
Page 5
The Index
News
January 2015
Survey: Looking at the Politics of Haverford’s Faculty Brendan Burns ‘15 and Eric Petersen ‘15
Introduction to the Faculty Survey Where do Haverford Teachers and Administrators stand on the political spectrum, and is there a diversity of opinion within that group? The political leanings of Haverford faculty are important to understand because they ultimately shape the education of every Haverford boy. For the first time, The Index conducted a survey of Upper School teachers and administrators. Conducted anonymously via SurveyMonkey, the data is statistically imperfect – although the poll received 45 responses, many faculty abstained from taking the survey. Participants were asked ten questions, none of which required an answer for the survey to be completed. Despite these imperfections, this survey is nonetheless the first (and only) public record of how Haverford faculty view contemporary issues. The results – with commentary from Editorin-Chief Brendan Burns ‘15 and Politics Editor Eric Petersen ‘15 – are below. Q1. Should the United States increase or decrease its current levels of defense spending? Increase - 23% of respondents Decrease - 51% Neither - 26%
More respondents (27%) agreed that the United States should draw back military ties with Israel than said that the US should increase support to Israel (18% of respondents). 55% of respondents said that the US should do everything in its power to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. 45% of respondents agreed that “it is our responsibility to prevent widespread genocide overseas, even if American lives are not threatened.” Only a minority of respondents (30%) believed that President Obama managed American foreign policy better than his predecessor. This speaks to Mr. Obama’s weakness on foreign policy, as George Bush left office with a 27% approval rating, mostly due to his handling of the Middle East. A majority (55%) believed that the United States should do everything in its power to stop the development of a nuclear Iran. Most Americans feel the same about the oil-rich country, even though the US-led sanctions on Iran have taken a backseat to other conflicts in the region. The group was split on whether to intervene in all possible acts of genocide overseas, mirroring a national trend of fatigue towards American military intervention. - Eric Petersen
About half of respondents think that the United States should decrease its defense spending, while the other half are split between maintaining current levels (26%), and increasing total spending (23%). This is somewhat representative of what most Americans believe. While the majority of Haverford faculty surveyed want to decrease defense spending, only a plurality of Americans wish to do the same. - Eric Petersen Q2. On the whole, do you support the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (‘Obamacare’)? Yes - 76% of respondents No - 24% An overwhelming majority of faculty support the Affordable Care Act (76%), while only 24% are against the controversial law. This is in stark contrast to the split consensus of Americans today. Voters who know more about the law tend to support the ACA, which might suggest that Haverford’s teachers know more about the law than the average citizen. - Eric Petersen Q3. Do you support the legalization of same-sex marriage? Yes - 92% of respondents No - 8% of respondents This question evoked the least division of any question in the survey, as 92% of faculty expressed support for same-sex marriage, with only 8% opposing. Support for genderneutral marriage laws have been rising in popularity for the past few years, and our faculty might function as a harbinger of future public opinion. - Eric Petersen Q4. How should the United States alter its involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts? 30% of respondents agreed that Barack Obama has handled American policy in the Middle East better than George W. Bush did.
Q6. Is there enough government oversight of large financial institutions in the United States? Not enough oversight - 64% of respondents Sufficient oversight - 32% Too much oversight - 4% In the wake of the 2008 recession, which was caused in part by irresponsible banking practices, trust in Wall Street institutions has remained low, both among the American populace and Haverford faculty. Since Dodd-Frank was passed in 2010, many amendments (often slipped into the fine print of other legislation) have been added to weaken and defang what was already a lenient law by some standards. With little evidence to suggest that Wall Street has changed its ways, it’s no surprise that many Americans support enacting a law similar to the Glass-Steagall Act of 1934, which, until repealed in 1999, prevented mergers between banks and securities firms. - Brendan Burns Q7. Would you support a ban on high-capacity firearm magazines (more than 10 rounds) for the State of Pennsylvania? Yes - 89% of respondents No - 11%
Q5. On the topic of Immigration: 69% of respondents agreed that “Creating a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the US is the right thing to do.” More faculty agreed that deportation of illegal immigrants is usually unfair and inequitable (28%) than those who agreed that deportation is usually just (19%). One-third of respondents (33%) agreed that Border Security should be a top priority. 39% of respondents agreed that “US-born children of illegal immigrants should be granted citizenship.” The vast majority, (69%), support a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, more than the national average. More faculty agreed that deportation of illegal immigrants is usually unfair than those who agreed that deportation is just. This trend does reflect the national mindset, as more Americans are uneasy at the thought of mass deportation. The most surprising result is that only 39% of respondents responded in favor of birthright citizenship, a characteristic of the United States since its founding. The policy has been under attack in recent years, as Latino immigrants, with high birth rates, have avoided deportation to their country of origin due to concerns over deporting the parents of US-born children. - Eric Petersen
Americans are evenly split on the topic of gun control. Support for gun rights has risen in the past decade. In a Pew poll conducted in December 2014, 52% of Americans said that protecting the Second Amendment was more important than controlling gun ownership. However, the vast majority of Haverford faculty surveyed (40 of 45 respondents) said that they would support a ban on high-cap magazines for the State of Pennsylvania. Nationwide support for a ban on said magazines has been measured at 65%, but never at the nine-tenths majority seen at Haverford. - Brendan Burns Q8. Hydraulic Fracturing, also known as “fracking”: Should be more tightly regulated - 71% of respondents Is the answer to our energy problems - 3% of respondents Is not the answer to our energy problems 56% of respondents Is a boon for the American economy 38% of respondents Increases pollution and endangers the environment - 56% of respondents Is a beneficial technology as it reduces reliance on foreign oil - 50% of respondents Haverford faculty are not particularly bullish about fracking and its prospects for America’s economy and environment. A majority of respondents said that fracking should be more tightly regulated, that it endangers the environment, and that it is
not the answer to our energy problems. Evidence shows that it just might be the solution to our problems, however – at least in the short term. As we burn more shale gas as a country, we burn less oil and coal, both of which are dirtier fuels. This trend is partly responsible for the United States’ 12% decrease in carbon dioxide emissions since 2005. In addition to decreasing emissions, fracking has created thousands of jobs, reduced American reliance on imported oil to the extent that the United States is on the path to becoming a net exporter of energy, and halved the price of that same foreign oil. That is nothing short of a miracle. - Brendan Burns Q9. Increasing economic inequality among Americans: Should cause us great concern - 83% of respondents Is hurting the economy - 39% Is the most important issue facing our nation today - 19% Haverford Faculty, like the President and a majority of economists, believe that increasing economic inequality is a problem that should not be looked over. One problem is that our current economic “recovery” has primarily been the result of increased asset purchases and speculation fueled by the Fed’s low interest rates and QE. Rising stock and real estate prices have benefitted those that own such assets – the rich – and left everyone else behind. Some economists, like Princeton’s Paul Krugman and Columbia’s Joseph Stiglitz, argued that more federal stimulus was required to boost the US economy in a healthy way. Instead, the American economy is being pumped up by Bernanke’s “wealth effect,” which is arguably the largest use of trickle-down economics in American history. - Brendan Burns Q10. What is your opinion on Affirmative Action? Affirmative Action is a just means of altering patterns of discrimination - 21% of respondents agreed Affirmative Action is imperfect, but it has an overall positive effect on society - 68% of respondents agreed Affirmative Action is racist - 18% of respondents Colleges should favor economically disadvantaged students to a greater extent instead of focusing on minorities - 50% of respondents agreed While only about one-fifth of Upper School faculty agreed with no reservations that affirmative action is “just,” a majority believed that affirmative action does have a positive impact on society. Half of respondents agreed that colleges should focus on giving preferential treatment to applicants with economic disadvantages. This opinion reflects the trend that the student bodies of elite colleges may be racially diverse in terms of skin color, but remarkably un-diverse in the sense that the majority of students are the children of lawyers, doctors, successful businesspeople, and politicians. - Brendan Burns
Page 6
The Index
News/Opinions
January 2015
There is Room for Improvement in Sodexo’s Efficiency Third Former Will Henderson argues about problems that have reduced Sodexo’s efficiency and ways they plan on addressing those issues. Will Henderson ‘18
Students often complain about the cafeteria’s inability to be economical, offer popular meals more often, and its overall inability to operate quickly. With only half an hour for lunch, students must hurry from their classes, all the way to the cafeteria, travel halfway across the cafeteria, and then finally get in the first of several lines. Next, students must wait several minutes for the action station in one of two lines for nearly two hundred students at a time. Once they get their meals, students must wait for people to clear the area around the beverage fountain to obtain their drink. Then, students must get their eating utensils, and finally, head to the checkout line. If a student forgets his key card, he must wait in the line for students without key cards, which, oddly, is not run by Erin Bryne, the cashier who knows the name of nearly everybody in the school. Once a student is finally checked out by a cashier, he may eat his meal with only several minutes remaining before he must go to his next class. Students often complain about the efficiency of the cafeteria, the meals that are served, and the seating arrangements. In this article, cafeteria manager, Garrett O’Neill answers questions about all of the aforementioned topics and explains how and why the cafeteria operates the way that it does. Students already have a limited amount of time to eat lunch, but they still must wait in lines for over ten minutes just to get their lunch. However, it does not seem that the cafeteria utilizes its space efficiently because it often only uses the two “a la carte” lines and not the empty space next to the deli bar. However, when the empty space next to the deli bar is used, the usual action station either has just one line running or no lines at all. Although it may be more difficult for the cafeteria to operate
a third station every single day, they could just come halfway and operate the third station on days when popular meals like Blackjack Chicken or Blackjack Burgers are served. The third line would not only make the lines shorter, but it would also allow the cafeteria to make more money by serving students that would normally give up on the long lines. When asked why the third station is not used, cafeteria manager, Garrett O’Neill said, “the third action station is used primarily to alleviate congestion at the main action station for days like smoothie day or specialty salads. ” If the third action station is used for meals like specialty salads, then it should also allow for hot items like Blackjack Chicken to be served. Not only does the cafeteria need to make changes to food lines, but it also needs to change the food that is actually being served. The food that the cafeteria serves is always the same — Mexican food, salad, sandwich, Mexican food, salad, sandwich. Of the nineteen days of school in January, twelve of the days were either Mexican foods, salads, or sandwiches. Not only are the meals the same categorically speaking, but they are also the same each month. The Mexican food is either a burrito, taco, or fajita; the salads are always Southwest Salad, California Salad, or Caesar Salad; the sandwiches are always roast pork, roast beef, or carved ham. The cafeteria needs to realize that the people buying the food are tired of the same thing, especially the unpopular meals like footlong hot dogs or gyros. More importantly, the cafeteria should serve the most popular meals like Blackjack Chicken or Blackjack Burgers much more often. And why wouldn’t they? By serving the popular meals more often, the cafeteria would make more money and people would be more satisfied with the food being served. When asked why the cafeteria doesn’t serve the most popular
meals more often, Mr. O’Neill says, “The menu was created by students over time. I am designing a student culinary focus group for 2015.” Because footlong hot dogs and gyros are so unpopular, they will hopefully be removed from the menu sometime this year. Additionally, the focus group may provide students a chance to let the cafeteria know that students would like things like Blackjack Chicken or Blackjack Burgers to be served more often. The cafeteria will hopefully change soon so that it caters more to what students want. The action stations, however, are not the end of the line for students; the checkout lines are the last obstacle for people before they can finally eat their lunches. The checkout lines in the cafeteria are almost as bad as the action station lines. With a total of four registers and nearly two hundred students each lunch, the cafeteria runs only two or three of the registers. Accompanied by a new rule forcing students without keycards to only go in one line, those students without keycards must wait in the longest line and are not even checked out by the cashier that knows everybody’s names. In this particular aspect of the lunch hour, the cafeteria is completely at fault and needs to fix this. The solution to this difficulty can be solved in two simple steps. First, the cafeteria should abolish the keycard rule. And second, the cafeteria should open all four registers, all the time. Mr. O’Neill was asked why all four registers are not opened all the time, and he responded saying, “All four registers are only open during highpeak times of the lunch hours.” Obviously, it would be more convenient for people to have all four registers open all the time, but the cafeteria is currently in the process of hiring a new employee so that they will have extra personnel. With the extra people, more registers may be opened, allowing the lunch lines to speed up. After proceeding through the lengthy checkout lines, students can finally use the last few minutes of their lunch period to find a spot to sit (hopefully not at the long table) and eat their lunch as quickly as possible to make it to their next class on time.
The seating arrangements in the cafeteria are a bit awkward at best. The students that sit down early fill up any seat that is not at the long table. But for students that are attacked by the inefficiency of the cafeteria, they must sit at the long table and struggle to just hear their friends speak. The long table makes lunch a bit awkward because students might end up sitting next to people from a different grade in a completely different conversation, rather than sitting closely to their friends and engaging normally in a conversation. When asked why the long table exists, Mr. O’Neill replied saying, “The dining hall was originally built to accommodate 25% of the students that we currently have. The long table allows us to maximise space for seating.” Clearly, some of the inefficiencies of the cafeteria are not Sodexo’s fault. The ideal cafeteria would be one that is much larger to accommodate all of the students that Haverford currently has. The cafeteria needs to listen to the opinions of the people using it. First, students and teachers must travel through the very long lunch line at the action stations. Then, students and teachers must eat the same, boring Mexican food, salad, or sandwich that the cafeteria serves. Next, people must wait in one of the four checkout lines. However, only two or three of the checkout lines are ever used, so students and teachers basically must wait in one of the two or three checkout lines. Finally, students and teachers can eat in the awkward seating arrangements and eat their food as quickly as possible to get to their next class. The cafeteria needs to improve. Third Former Tim Scheuritzel agrees as he says, “I think the cafeteria is capable of speeding up and it, obviously, would be nice if they did so that people could have more time for lunch.” Although it is quite impressive when compared to other schools, the cafeteria can still improve. The cafeteria needs to listen to the opinions of students and teachers in order to improve because it can and should.
lower school. Crosman Hall will continue to function as a middle school until the new one is built. Another perk of the new middle school is that it frees up any space that Crosman Hall has to offer. With this space, the school plans to extend the cafeteria, thus allowing more students and faculty to eat at once, eliminating the tedious A and B lunch system that we currently have. As of now, the school still has the idea for the new parking garage in its mind, designed after Shipley’s successful
Naturally, after hearing this huge figure for a new middle school, I had to ask the question, “Where is the money for these projects coming from?” Dr. Nagl believes that a majority of it is going to have to come from the support of alumni and parents of current students. To gauge the support that he will get for this ambitious project, he hopes to convene a meeting with the parents and alumni of the school in one year’s time, in which he will unveil all the specific details of the new Middle School. It will be so detailed, he says,
Update on Haverford’s Construction Plans Cameron Miller ‘16
Last year, The Index’s Brendan Burns gave the student body its first look into the school’s new construction plans in an interview with Dr. Nagl. The plan’s main feature at the time was a brand new middle school, as well as ideas for smaller projects including a multi-level parking garage complete with tennis courts on top and a turf field in place of the problematic Eagle Field. One year later, Dr. Nagl updated me with the latest reconstruction plans. As of now, the school has hired a company called Agis to manage the process of finding architects for the new middle school. Through Agis, the school has sent out a request to architects, and more than 25 different architects responded, stating that they wanted to undertake the project, each complete with their own qualifications. Of the 25, eight architects were selected largely based on their previous work with independent schools. The two-story art spaces in Centennial Hall will become the location of the new middle school; however, the difficulty of the project lays in the foundations. As of now, Centennial’s foundations cannot support the ambitious project of building up on it because the original designers of Centennial did plan it
as such. As a result, the building will have to come down to make way for the new foundation. Dr. Nagl gave me a look into his book of ideas for the new middle school and, as of now, he believes he has the broad details down. The sixth grade will be on the bottom floor, an entire floor of art rooms will be on the second floor specifically to connect with the backstage of the auditorium, First Form students will be on the first floor, and the top floor will house the Form II students. Dr. Nagl also envisions a glass walkway from the top floor of the middle school to the upper school to help Second Form students get acclimated to upper school life. The main entrance to the middle school will be near where current middle schoolers go to their art classes. One of the perks of building in its current location is that the middle schoolers will not have to suffer through a few years in trailers, much like how many current upper schoolers did ten years ago in the
A Hogwarts-esque depiction of the new building’s general layout.
construction, but that is less of a priority than the new middle school, which is estimated to be a 25 million dollar project.
Courtesy of Dr. John Nagl
“that we know exactly where all the light switches will go.”
Page 7
The Index
News/Arts
The College Process: Then and Now Connor Lees ‘17 compares applying to college back in the day with today’s more stressful, competitive process. Connor Lees ‘17
The process of getting into college is a major focal point in students’ junior and senior years, and includes standardized tests, applications, research, recruitment and tough choices. Past Haverford classes underwent a relatively different process. In the classroom and on the athletic fields, the system is no longer the same. Simply put, it is harder to get into college today. An accurate barometer to assess the difficulty of getting into college are acceptance rates. “In the past twenty years, America’s most selective institution’s acceptance rates have dropped 15%,” says Mr. Neal Cousins, one of Haverford’s college counselors. Increases in the college-age population and rising enrollment rates have contributed to an increase in college enrollment. Between 2000 and 2012, the 18-24 year old population rose from approximately 27.3 million to approximately 31.4 million and the percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college also was higher in 2012 (41.0 percent) than in 2000 (35.5 percent), according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Acceptance rates are trending downwards because the applicant pool is growing. Present-day students are better connected to colleges compared to Haverford’s alumni. A transition in college advertising has changed the college process for today’s generation. The Internet and email marketing provide students with unlimited information about colleges. Current students can research college majors, location, sports, campus life and more using the Internet. The flip side to the Internet’s emergence is that colleges are increasing the difficulty of the application’s essay questions to compensate for all the information available. It has become expected that students research their top schools to ensure the school is the right fit. Email marketing has altered the landscape of college advertising. “It used to be printed pamphlets and catalogs,” says Mr. Cousins. “Now colleges are reaching out via email.” The Internet has made it possible for colleges to gather more of a high school student’s information. The information helps colleges reach out to students they
want at their schools. “Over the past few years, I have gotten about 2500 college emails,” says Sixth Former Tim Maguire. Globalization has made getting into college more difficult. An increase in information technology, trade, and travel in the past twenty years has made the world a more connected and smaller place. A more connected world makes college an option to students everywhere. Modern day travel has made it possible to apply to college thousands of miles away. Correspondingly, colleges have changed their classes to reflect the world’s population. According to the Institute of International Education, the number of international students in the US colleges has grown 72 percent since 2000 to over 900,000 students. Haverford alumni were just competing against their classmates for spots in college, but the Class of 2015 is competing against the world. There is also an increasing number of different ethnic backgrounds attending college. Between 2000 and 2012, the percentage of college students who were Black rose from 11.7 to 14.9 percent, and the percentage of students who were Hispanic rose from 9.9 to 15.0 percent, according to the National
Center for Education Statistics. Colleges use demographics to measure diversity to ensure everyone is represented. As a result of globalization, demographics have taken precedence in college admissions. Students today are also applying to more colleges. “I applied to ten or eleven schools”, says Sixth Former Cheyse
Almost everyone has experience with Studio Ghibli, whether they know it or not. Hayao Miyazaki’s production company has been responsible for some of the most impactful animated films ever made, ranging from minimalist classics like My Neighbor Totoro, to grand expansive epics like Princess Mononoke to IMDb’s number one animated film Spirited Away. Ghibli has made countless classics, and Disney later took it upon themselves to release them in America, to huge acclaim. One Ghibli film that goes largely unknown, however, is the 1988 film Hotaru no haka or Grave of the Fireflies. Based on a semi-autobiographical book of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka, Grave of the Fireflies was written and directed by Isao Takahata, released simultaneously with My Neighbor Totoro in Japan as a double feature, and produced largely as a method to get funds for Totoro. It went largely underappreciated in it’s original release, as viewers would watch Totoro then leave, not wanting to
be brought down by the admittedly bleak Grave of the Fireflies. The film follows two siblings, Seita and Setsuko, as they struggle to survive in the latter days of World War II. Subject to constant firebombing, they are quickly left to fend for themselves in a time when food and medicine was scarce. The film is a grim depiction of the effects of war on civilians (is begins with Seita narrating his own death), but it is not, as many claim, an anti-war film. It, in fact, takes a very neutral stance on the war, at no point criticizing it, Seita is an outspoken nationalist and at no point blames the war for his situation. The story is simply an account of two children trying to survive through tough times. Watching Seita mature as he cares for his younger sister is incredibly powerful. He is constantly trying to fight on and be independent, refusing to accept help. It is also very emotional watching him try to spare Setsuko the grim realities of war. His trying to face the grief and challenge on his own is difficult to watch, and when the darkness does seep into Setsuko’s life, his response is heartbreaking.
January 2015
Johnson. When asked about the process of completing an application, current English Teacher Mr. Thomas Stambaugh, a Haverford and Kenyon College alumnus, said, “I wrote my application in one day at home sick from school. It took 2-3 hours and I wrote it right up against the deadline about how I wanted to be teacher.” A big difference between Johnson and Mr. Stambaugh in applying to college is the Common Application. With one click, Johnson applied to ten or eleven schools using a standardized application. Mr. Stambaugh, on the other hand, sent several different applications to his schools. Johnson used the Common Application, a standardized application used by over five hundred colleges. The Common Application has increased the amount of applications sent per student. “The average today is about six or seven, and growing steadily,” says Mr. Cousins. The heightened popularity in youth sports has increased college recruiting’s prevalence today. Youth sports has grown into a seven billion dollar industry with over thirty five million kids according to CNBC. Families are also becoming more involved. These families are investing more time and money with the goal of turning out a free college education or a professional athlete. Parents are financing this dream with expenses associated with travel, practices, coaches and equipment. Landing a scholarship and going pro, however, is very unlikely. 1 in 90 high school soccer players will receive a full ride to college this year while 1 in 6,000 high school football players will go pro, according to a study done by Michigan State. Despite the evidence, parents are still all in on youth sports. Colleges are increasingly more competitive about landing the top recruits in athletics. Unlike professional sports, the success of college sports programs relies on recruits. For this reason, a coach who is a good recruiter is very valuable because it ensures a program will field a competitive team. To insure a competitive team in the
future, college coaches are reaching out to freshmen and sophomores to lock up top recruits. “[Athletic] recruiting has changed a great deal in some sports” says Mr. John Nostrant, Haverford’s athletic director. One major change in athletic recruitment is the increase in students committing early to college. “If a student athlete commits early it’s only a verbal commitment,” commented Nostrant. He went on to say, “If the athlete and family find it to be a good fit then I think it’s fine. The school or athlete could change their mind.” Ms. Janet Heed, a Haverford mom and teacher, said “I notice kids today are over booked and busier. Students are spending many more hours in a week chasing a resume to be more competitive.” She notices “an increase in the number of [college] showcases and overall time spent [in] preparing for college; it’s more consuming [now]. Students are seeing five to ten of their classmates committing to college and feel [the] pressure” says Ms. Heed. When asked about how kids committing early affected other Haverford athletes, Mr. Nostrant said, “I believe [the] boys and families feel pressure when others commit but feel in the end most times athletes end up at the school that is the best fit.” Additionally, preparing for standardized tests didn’t exist twenty years ago. “I didn’t study or [use] a review book,” says Mr. Stambaugh. Alumni did not have tutors and review books like we do today. “There’s more emphasis on scores and the way people are talking about it [has changed]” says Mr. Cousins. Test prep books has become normal and a necessity. “None of my boys did Test Prep” said Ms. Heed. “It was much less common back then. You were an outlier if you did, but today it’s the otherway around.” There are still outliers.“I didn’t study at all” says senior Tim Maguire. In line with the emergence of test prep, the ACT has grown in popularity. “I found the ACT was easier, [and] more science and math oriented,” said Maguire. The college process has been remodeled in the past twenty years. A changing world has called for the college process to adapt. As a result, acceptance rates have plummeted, the number of applications have increased and athletic recruitment is growing. In the midst of all the change, one thing has remained constant. Then and now, college is a tough choice for students and their families, and that is unlikely to change.
One of the benefits of Grave of the Fireflies is its atmosphere. Many animated films are victim to being overly saturated with motion or dialogue. Grave knows how to pace itself, and will not shy away from lingering shots, or moments of complete silence. The animation proved to be an evocative method of storytelling. It allowed for the gorgeous visuals expected of a Ghibli film, but also of great character moments. The serious subject matter is made more palatable when animated, while not losing any of the emotional impact. The film is only an hour and a half, but manages to pack in a great deal of story and atmosphere while never feeling rushed. It is paced masterfully, and I was almost upset when it ended. The critical response, as is to be expected, was overwhelmingly positive. Legendary critic Roger Ebert wrote “Grave of the Fireflies is an emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation… it belongs on any list of the greatest war films ever made.” He was not alone in this belief, it received a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and
Total Films ranked it #12 on its top 50 greatest animated films list. The film is available both subtitled and dubbed, and the general consensus is that the subbed version is better. I couldn’t bring myself to watch the whole film twice, so I watched it dubbed first and had no issues, but having skimmed the subtitled version I can say that, while most of the english performances are on par, the Japanese Setsuko is head and shoulders better. This film is a definite recommend. It has a powerful message and conveys it with top notch storytelling and breathtaking visuals. Unlike many Ghibli films, though, I wouldn’t call this a “family film.” There is a great deal of death and grim imagery, and it is an animated film in the same vein as Watership Down (okay, not nearly that scarring). Also, be aware, this is a really sad movie. I try to avoid spoilers, but as I said, the film opens with Seita dying and reuniting with Setsuko so the film kind of spoils itself in that regard. Depressing nature aside, Grave of the Fireflies is a must see for fans of drama, war films and anime alike.
Film Column: Revisiting Grave of the Fireflies Ian Riley ‘15
Page 8
The Index
Arts
The Art Requirement and Where It Stands With arts programs being cut elsewhere, Alex Sanfilippo ‘16 discusses the benefits and drawbacks of Haverford’s requirement, including potential improvements. Alex Sanfilippo ‘16
Haverford prides itself on being an institution that prepares boys for life. But, how exactly does the school achieve this lofty goal? Recently, during the latter stages of Joseph Cox’s fifteen-year tenure as the eighth Headmaster and continuing on to the present day with the school under the helm of Dr. John Nagl, the importance of being students who excel in the “Three A’s” has been repeatedly preached. These “Three A’s” heard frequently are academics, athletics, and arts; students, faculty and administrators seem to have come to a tacit consensus that by being successful in all three of these areas, a student will graduate from Haverford fully equipped for the world ahead of him, and thus, prepared for life. While it is certainly up for debate whether these three intrinsic elements of Haverford are the most important areas to develop– some might suggest that an understanding of gender, culture, and relationships is equally important– they all nonetheless carry significant weight for the college process, and more importantly, each respective “A” helps develop necessary skills for success in the future. All three are unique and should be treated as separate areas of study that all eventually become intertwined as the Haverford School student matures and begins to make connections between the concepts and skills he learned in each of the three respective areas. For this reason, academics, athletics, and arts are required areas of study and/ or participation. As it currently stands in the Upper School Handbook, one year of Fine Arts study is required to graduate. However, a significant number of students at Haverford take more than one language. For these students, the Course Catalogue states that they can fulfill their Arts Requirement through a selection of “Arts Credits Activities” such as being an actor or crew member of three school productions or being a member of the school chorus for one full year. Every
January 2015
other academic field of study at Haverford is required for at least two years, with the majority being three or more. Additionally, all students are required to participate in two sports or more demanding academic extracurriculars such as the Speech and Debate team every year they are enrolled at Haverford, which equates to at least eight full seasons of athletic competition or a satisfactory replacement. When comparing the magnitude of requirements for the “academic” and “athletic” components of school to the relatively insignificant one year for arts, the question begs: Why is the Fine Arts requirement so seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme of an Upper Schooler’s time at Haverford? After all, if there is such an emphasis placed on fostering students who excel in academics, athletics, and the arts, isn’t a more comprehensive requirement necessary? Simple logic and a quick comparison are all that is necessary for some within the confines of Wilson Hall to justify a more stringent requirement. On the other side of the spectrum, there are certainly students who have voiced their displeasure at being forced to spend a year trapped in the Ground Floor classrooms or in Centennial Hall, the two locations where the Arts at Haverford are brought to life. To these students, the arts requirement is often seen as a pointless nuisance. This notion is reinforced by the number of students who are “one and done” in their artistic study at Haverford. So, the questions persists: Is the Arts Requirement a motivator that should be made more rigorous, or is it a pointless nuisance that could be removed? As a student closely associated with the Drama Department, I would be the first one to champion how beneficial the lessons and skills the Arts have taught me are to my intellectual and emotional development. Head of the Upper School Mr. Matthew Green voiced his support for the creative development the Arts provide by saying, “The Arts are uniquely positioned to deliver on certain skills: to make something out of nothing, of improvising, editing, finding solutions
The Notables at this year’s MS-US winter concert.
to seemingly intractable problems.” Mr. Green did continue to say that these skills are not necessarily confined to the Art rooms, but the focus and curriculum of many of the Arts classes makes them apt for being the most effective at delivering these important life skills to students in a more relaxed classroom setting. Mr. Green acknowledged that this type of classroom environment is appealing to some students: “A lot of students love the release. There’s a lot less get this homework in, write this paper, study for this test, and instead there is a focus on the process over product.” One of the easiest things, and also one of the most common, to succumb to as a high school student is feeling overwhelmed by the number of assignments due to the point where the students just “goes through the motions” while completing the assignment. Often times the structure of school makes us far-sighted; we become goal-oriented in the wrong way by continually concerning ourselves with the next task that must be completed as we lose sight of the more important things school and faculty try to instill– that understanding and appreciation for the work outweighs the number or letter assigned to it once it’s finished. Success in the Arts and many other careers thrive off of an individual’s ability to understand the process required to create a certain product. Once a student thoroughly knows the steps of how an end result comes about, he or she truly understands that topic; That is the true process of learning. Mr. Green described our requirement as being “standard to modest” based on his experience working in other schools. The arts clearly have tremendous upside in the growth of students, and many are involved in the arts for more than just one year. However, the consequences of requiring all students to be involved for more than one year could potentially outweigh the benefits. Mr. Green reinforced this by saying, “We don’t want to lock kids into the arts given that most kids studied art through Lower and Middle School and after having had one year of Upper School art are making an informed choice.” By not locking students whose passions lie elsewhere, this gives both students and faculty who are committed to the arts freedom to do more progressive and purposeful work.
Mr. Green affirmed this sentiment when he stated, “Those who choose to continue to pursue the arts are the right ones to have in the class.” Unnecessarily keeping kids in art classrooms would most likely hinder the progress of the students who plan to study art in the future and would certainly prevent the teacher from providing the most wisdom and guidance to those particular students. Many Haverford students are content with the arts requirement as it currently stands, and rightfully so. Fifth Former Dan Kielty commented that, “I like the requirement. I think it gives people a taste of what they could pursue during a relatively relaxing freshman year and then gives them the option to pursue further or focus their interest in other places.” Sixth Former Louie Brown echoed Kielty’s statements when he said, “[The arts requirement] gives an opportunity for people who might not have found that one passion in theater or drawing the chance to do so.” Since most take their art during the Third Form year, I believe the objective of our arts requirement should be to act as an exploration of student interest during his most raw time in the Upper School that students need to treat seriously and take advantage of. It is my conviction that the requirement should be at least one year, and Mr. Green echoed my sentiments when he stated that, “It shouldn’t be any less than it is now.” However, if it were to be slightly modified, I would suggest the implementation of a policy that requires students to engage in at least one semester length course in two of the three art realms at Haverford: visual, performing, and music. I recommend this for multiple reasons. First, there would be a caveat that would allow students committed to one area to complete their requirement, but only after two full years of study. This is because a student who chooses to continue art after freshman year most likely has a passion for that particular art, making the required two years not the least bit daunting. The added year compensates for the fact that the student did not have to pursue a second artistic area of study. Second, requiring students to participate in different art courses could spark interests that had yet to be discovered in addition to developing a wider variety of skills. Although students studied multiple arts in middle school, experience and different instructors in the Upper School may have reshaped a student’s interests. One of the most commonly heard remarks about art classes is that students had found a class or an interest that finally attracted them in a unique way, since art classes differ greatly from the assignment intensive curriculum of the core subjects. This modified requirement gives students an opportunity for more exploration while still allowing those students intensely devoted to one area of study to remain committed, since an added year would essentially not affect that devoted art student and only serves to balance out the modification of the new requirement. In regards to the questions proposed earlier, evidence and examples suggest that the arts requirement is neither a nuisance nor fervently in need of being made more stringent. As Mr. Green stated, “I want creative thinkers.” The requirement we have is suited to give students an Ms. Dawn Blake opportunity to become just that.
Page 9
The Index
Sports
Fords Focus: The Class of 2015 Commits Manav Khandelwal ‘15
“For some people, they have had their eyes set on one school their whole life, or they go to their parents alma mater, but I had no idea where I was going to go, ” says triple jumper Reggie Harris (Bucknell). Before any schools send the shiny acceptance envelopes to Haverford students, many members of the senior class already know where they will be spending their next four years. The athletic recruitment process is one that provides academic, financial, and social opportunities to Haverford students who might not otherwise attain them. At least 27 student-athletes in the Class of 2015 will be continuing to practice their trade in college, one of the highest numbers in recent memory. This group is also one of the most diverse recruiting classes in recent years, spanning across nine different sports: crew, track and field, wrestling, lacrosse, baseball, swimming, tennis, squash, and basketball. This crop of Sixth Formers has achieved many tremendous feats: back-to-back InterAc football titles, top finishes at wrestling nationals, a baseball state championship, the school’s first invitation to tennis’ national championship, and rising atop the lacrosse rankings are just a few of the feats that the Class of 2015 has accomplished during its time at Lancaster Avenue. Now, many of those same student-athletes will be hoping to achieve similar levels of success at the collegiate levels, one of the allures of being recruited. Lacrosse defender/ midfielder Jack Doran (Dickinson) says, “What excites me about college sports the most is probably the road trips and chance at playing for a national title.Being a national champion is definitely a goal for all athletes and the idea of being able to possibly win a championship is very exciting.” Wrestler LJ Barlow (Harvard), one of the most dedicated in Haverford’s history, added, “[One of the reasons I chose
Harvard] is its ability to possibly make me a national champion if I work hard enough.” Beyond winning national championships, Fords are merely excited to compete with other top athletes for another four years. Grant Ament (Penn State), one of last year’s lacrosse team’s top goal-scorers, told The Index, “I am excited for playing college lacrosse because I will be able to play the top teams in the country which means I will be playing the top players in the country. This is pretty cool to think about.” Just the thought of being one of the top athletes in the nation excites many of Haverford’s best, including rower Jordan Siegal (Dartmouth): “ I considered playing a sport in college because I knew I could excel at rowing and I wanted the opportunity to compete on that level.” A few Fords will definitely get the opportunity to compete for a championship in different sports. Drew Supinski (Johns Hopkins), Lane Odom (Johns Hopkins), and Noah Lejman (Penn) are all joining programs that were in the NCAA’s lacrosse tournament last year. Squash phenom Jay Losty (Yale) will be on the nation’s sixthbest team, one that is sure to challenge for the national title a few times during his tenure there. Penn State’s tennis team is improving, and with the additions of Ben Lieb and Zach Lieb, the Nittany Lions could rise even higher from there already impressive position at 26th in Division I. Many Fords may be some of the best at what they do in the high school game, but everyone knows that transitioning to compete in college athletics is difficult. One of most important improvements that nearly all players must make is in building muscle and getting stronger overall; the players at top college programs are simply bigger than their high school counterparts, a reality every Haverford student-athlete must take head-on. Doran adds, “My greatest challenge will definitely be getting bigger and stronger in the weight room. College is a different game than high school and it
is a necessity to be physically dominant on the field.” Siegal belies a similar sentiment, saying, “I won’t be as tall as some of my teammates so I need to make sure that I am as powerful as possible through the stroke.” Even some of Haverford’s most prolific athletes, like basketball superstar Levan “Shawn” Alston (Temple) and Supinski, could stand to get stronger before starting their college careers. Another common thread among studentathletes is the difficulty of balancing a rigorous academic course load with the demanding practice and game schedule of a varsity sport. This problem may seem to only affect athletes who will attend traditionally strong academic schools, especially in the Ivy League, but many of Haverford’s students are heading off to schools that will push them academically, from a technically demanding state school like Michigan to the taxing liberal arts environment at a school like Dickinson. Barlow remarks, “My greatest challenge will be juggling the demanding academics and the demanding sports schedule,” a sentiment echoed by Siegal and others. Shima, the Michigan commit, said, “Sports can open doors to a university that you may not have been able to get into without the sport . . . [it will be difficult] finding an even balance between academics and athletics, while still maintaining a life outside of both.” This is especially true at service academies, where the physical and mental challenges extend far beyond the classroom and playing field; two lacrosse players, Brendan Jacob (Navy) and Colin Bosak (Navy) will get a taste of that going forward. Bosak recognizes that, saying, “The greatest challenge for me would be balancing my grades along with my sports and military duties.” He also believes, however, that his academics will see a boost during the season: “I’m excited to play a sport in college because I feel it helps with time management. During the
January 2015
winter when I have no commitment I notice my study habits and organization tends to take a dip due to the amount of free time I have.” Lefty slugger Kevin McGowan (La Salle) agrees, saying, “[Baseball] will also keep my focused and it will push me to have my grades up all year. Ultimately, Haverford athletes are excited to join new communities within their larger schools that will help them form life-long friendships. Some will transition from playing individually to being part of a larger team with collective goals. “I am excited to be a part of a team,” says Ben Lieb. “After playing ten years of individual competition, it will be an awesome experience to finally be a part of team.” Others will relish the chance to stay on a sports team and enjoy the camaraderie that accompanies the experience. Lacrosse player Peter Rohr (Sewanee) says, “Playing a sport in college excites me because I get to be part of a team for four more years and make new relationships with guys.” Shima puts it in context, citing one reason I think Haverford sports teams are so tight-knit: “I wanted to play a sport in college because the team is a brotherhood on campus.” In addition to the Sixth Formers, mentioned above, many other studentathletes will be continuing in college. Swimmers Luke Ryan (Towson) and Ben Nelligan (Fairfield) represent one of the school’s strongest swimming classes to date. Ryan Fuscaldo (Dickinson) joins McGowan as one of two baseball recruits and Doran and Corey Richards (Dickinson) as one of three players headed to the central Pennsylvania school. Lacrosse players Chris Sabia (Mount Saint Mary’s), Sam Denious (Bowdoin), Brian Casey (Ursinus), Jake Hervada (Delaware), and Shane McBride (Franklin and Marshall), Tucker McBride (Franklin and Marshall) round out the class.
Those athletes on hand for National Letter of Intent Day pose for a group picture in the Nostrant Pavilion. Back row (L to R): Corey Richards, Sam Denious, Jay Losty, Jordan Siegal, Noah Lejman, Shawn Alston. Middle row: Jack Doran, Kevin McGowan, Ben Nellligan, Ms. Dawn Blake Ben Lieb, Brendan Jacob, Chris Sabia, Brandon Shima, Drew Supinski, Peter Rohr. Front row: Brian Casey, Grant Ament, Luke Ryan, LJ Barlow, Colin Bosak, Philip Poquie, Lane Odom, Jake Hervada, Zach Lieb.
Page 10
The Index
Sports
Hinkie’s World: The Future of the Sixers Fourth Former Connor Lees stares into the crystal ball of General Manager Sam Hinkie, predicting what 2016, 2017, and beyond will hold for the 76ers. Connor Lees ‘17
It is safe to say the Sixers are in a slump. A slump that has lasted fourteen years and continues today. Aside from making the playoffs a few times as the #8 seed and being eliminated in the first round by the #1 seed, the Sixers have been nothing more than mediocre. It would be wrong not to mention the one exception. By a stroke of luck, Derrick Rose’s ACL tear gave out for the first time and the Sixers moved past the #1 seed Bulls to the Eastern Conference Semifinals where they lost in 7 to the remains of Boston’s Big 3. Having won their first playoff series in years, things were looking up in Philadelphia. Since Moses Malone and Charles Barkley left after winning championship for the Sixers in 1983, the team has had a “second star problem.” Even with Allen Iverson, the Sixers were never able to add a complementary star — the 2001 NBA Finals team’s second best player was Eric Snow. At long last, the old front office saw their chance when Dwight Howard wanted to play basketball with Kobe in L.A., and the Lakers had one too many big men. The Sixers traded for injury prone big man
to bottom, everyone on the Sixers roster fits the mold. The 2014-15 Sixers represent the foundation for Hinkie’s diabolical plan. Hinkie built the team not with wins in mind, but highlights instead. And it all Andrew Bynum, who single-handedly makes sense. pushed the team back into rebuild. The Hinkie cannot get the No. 1 pick if his irony here is that the Sixers traded away team is winning games. To make sure they a healthy and developing big in Nikola don’t, he put together the worst offensive Vucevic who today is posting a double- team ever because if you can’t score, you double every game. The old front office’s can’t win. It’s simple. But Hinkie needs plan to find the Sixers a star failed, and the fans to stay along for the ride, and fans consequently they all lost their jobs. Then a love highlights. Fans love KJ McDaniel’s miracle happened. Sam Hinkie happened. dunks, Tony Wroten’s steals, and when Who is Sam Hinkie? He was the Nerlens Noel and KJ throw the occasional assistant under Daryl Morey, a statistical block party. The team loses, the fans mastermind who built the Houston Rockets stay put, and the Sixers get the top pick. like Moneyball 2.0 basketball edition. So Hinkie’s plan is very logical. what, if the Sixers’ new GM was the Jonah This year, the Sixers are a below average Hill to Houston’s Brad Pitt? Nobody cared defensive team at 24th in the league letting back then. Not until Sam Hinkie’s coming up 103.0 points a game. However, the real out party, codenamed the 2013 NBA Draft. story is on the offensive end. The Sixers Hinkie’s first move? Blow everything up. have a chance at becoming the worst He didn’t make too many friends in the offense in the history of the NBA. The city of Brotherly Love after trading away team ranks, not surprisingly, 30th out of 30 Jrue Holiday for injured and offensively teams in scoring at 90.3 points per game challenged big Nerlens Noel and a first and in assists per game at 19.8. The team’s round pick who later turned into Dario leading scorer is Tony Wroten, a guy who Saric. averaged 2.6 points per game two seasons Billy Beane went after switch hitters ago in Memphis. Along with his fellow with high on-base percentages. Sam PG Michael Carter WIlliams, the tandem Hinkie goes after lanky athletes who average four turnovers per game. If you happen to be either offensively challenged, turn the ball over, you can’t win games. It’s foreign, or injured big men who sit out an all apart of the plan. entire year before playing in a game. Top Philadelphia is the 4th biggest media market, so there’s a chance, if they really overpay, maybe someone, just someone, will come to Philadelphia. The benefit to building through the draft is cheap talent, so they can throw money at big name free agents. Over the next few years, big name free agents are coming onto the market, like Kevin Durant, Joakim Noah, Lebron, Chris Paul, Chandler Parsons and Lance Stephenson, among others. After building through the draft, Philadelphia might even get a star in Dario Saric or Joel Embiid. This year is a tryout of sorts. Nobody on the team is safe. Even their “star” MCW has trade rumors— they want two firsts for him, but with the point guard depth in the league, no one is biting. I like this a lot. They can see what they’ve got. It’s cheap. They can store talent and get a draft CBS Philadelphia
January 2015
pick. This whole thing works because of rookie contracts. They are much cheaper than regular contracts, fixed based on draft position, and the best part, non-negotiable. Since most of the team is on rookie contracts or playing on the NBA equivalent of minimum wage, they can keep players who prove valuable as role players for the team down the road. Now they can go after big name free agents, who will be attracted to Philly by talent acquired from the draft. So that’s the plan. Is it necessary? Absolutely. In a five person sport, one star or two stars on a team changes everything and great teams today are built through the draft. Draft picks are also great assets. Other teams have had great success using this method — it just hasn’t been done so deliberately and long term as the Sixers are doing it. So maybe that will reap even more rewards? We won’t know until 2017 or so. Sixers best case scenarios are the Thunder, Warriors and Pelicans. The Thunder acquired MVP Kevin Durant through tanking along with MVP candidate Russell Westbrook, big man Serge Ibaka, MVP candidate James Harden on the Rockets and Reggie Jackson. The Warriors have the splash brothers, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and also Harrison Barnes while the Pelicans hit it big with Anthony Davis. Here is a realistic prediction for the Philadelphia 76ers’ future rosters: Roster Going Into 2016 PG: MCW SG: Lance Stephenson SF: McDaniels/Jordan McRae PF: Jahlil Okafor C: Joel Embiid Noel (6th man) Tony Wroten KJ McDaniels Robert Covington Roster Going Into 2017 PG: Chris Paul SG: Lance Stephenson SF: Dario Saric PF: Jahil Okafor C: Joel Embiid Nerlens Noel (6th man) Tony Wroten McDaniels Robert Covington (Draft picks and FAs)
Michael Carter-Williams (left), Joel Embiid (center), and Nerlens Noel (right) are the team’s top assets.
Squash Chases Elusive National Title Sam Turner ‘18
Originally created by the boys at the Harrow School outside of London in 1830, squash was dubbed “baby racquets” after the Harrow boys sawed off the butts of their racquets to soften the pace of the game. Since then, squash has been pegged as the world’s healthiest sport by Forbes Magazine and is played by nearly 17 million people, on nearly 50,000 courts, throughout 185 countries worldwide. Although squash failed to achieve Olympic status in the 2020 Olympic Games, its widespread members and proponents are actively supporting the campaign for squash to become an official Olympic sport in the near future. Today, the United States hosts one of the most flourishing junior squash programs to encourage this nation’s growth as a global and dominant squash competitor. One of the most anticipated aspects of the junior campaign is high school nationals, the ultimate competition between rival high schools all vying to capture the
prestigious national title. Since its birth, high school nationals has hosted heated feuds between leading teams across the country. Haverford’s team is characterized by its unreal ability, sportsmanship, character and respect on and off the court. At every team’s practice, there is a positive flow of energy that permeates throughout the squash courts. Though seedings have not been publicly released yet, the team and all of its widely dedicated fans are optimistic about the opportunities that lay ahead. The Fords A team is comprised of the top 7 varsity players that will contend for the Division I title: Sean Hughes, captain Jay Losty, Duncan Joyce, Justin Shah, Will Means, Will Glaser, and Jimmy Tricolli. Coach Andrew Poolman, Spanish teacher by day and squash coach by night, claims that “we have a good shot of winning, but there are some really good teams out there: Belmont Hill and Brunswick will probably be the top two seeds.” Coach Poolman mentions two fierce competitors with Haverford, but continues, “On a good day,
I think that we can knock them off.” Another vying program is the Springside Chestnut Hill team, who has been locked in a neck and neck rivalry with the Fords for decades. Led by senior captains Jay Losty and Arjun Dravid, and with a likely and unprecedented win at the #1 position by junior Sean Hughes, the Fords’ depth will do the rest of the work. Haverford squash alumnus Jim Buck ‘77 mentions a state of mind critical to achieving this glory, “You are not there until you are holding the trophy. Be businesslike and don’t let yourself get too psyched up. Don’t let a win to Chestnut Hill get you too high or a loss to Brunswick too low.” A positive mentality is the foremost aspect of the game, yet is commonly underrated as second to physical perfection. When asked his opinion on the principal qualities of a successful squash player, Buck responds, “Resilience, the ability to isolate the pressure, and the ability to not let your emotions take control are all key. Continued on Page 12
The team’s chances at winning it all may rest on the shoulders of Yale commit Jay Losty.
Mr. Jim Roese
Page 11
The Index
Sports
January 2015
Basketball Season in Review: Analyasis of the Fords’ Roster Austin Krell ‘15
winning three-pointer with fifteen seconds left in a gigantic road win against Imhotep, is a big time scoring threat who can get buckets any way he pleases with his long
rebounding. There is no question that Lamar Stevens has played a giant role in every single victory the Fords have had this season. With a number of 20-point
players and men. Although Levan is not having an excellent season shooting the ball, he has single-handedly won games After a disappointing home loss to rival for the Fords throughout the season. Shizz Episcopal Academy, Fords basketball will continues to make smart plays for need to win all of the remaining the team down the stretch of games games on its schedule and pray and has never let his guys give up for some losses for Episcopal and when times get tough. As a senior, Germantown Academy in order to Alston is playing with the thought contend for the Inter-Ac title this that this is his last chance to lead the year. With Cam Reddish being Fords to an Inter-Ac title. available full-time this year now Freshmen Joe D’Ignazio and that he is a freshman, the Fords have Kharon Randolph are two more key arguably their best team since Head pieces to the success of the team after Coach Henry Fairfax and Assistant Shizz Alston, and maybe even after Coach Joe Corbett captured the Lamar Stevens, leave. Although Inter-Ac title in 1999. sometimes turnover-prone and a bit Along with guard Cameron of an over-dribbler, Joe D’Ignazio is Reddish, the core of the team a spunky point guard with an array includes junior forward Lamar of skills on the offensive end. This Stevens and senior guard Levan kid can shoot and pass with the best “Shizz” Alston, who is committed of them. His speed and athleticism to play at Temple. This trio of talent make him incredibly hard to defend and athleticism is joined by Sixth and very hard to beat on offense. Form swingman Derek Mountain Kharon “Bunk” Randolph is a and junior guard Micah Sims. natural scorer at the guard position. When looking at the Fords 13-9 Bunk can shoot the lights out from (5-2 Inter-Ac) record, it is obvious deep and can carve a path to the that the team would not have its cup as well. With some work on success without the presence of the his game and conditioning over five players mentioned above. Each the summer, Randolph will be key player brings something different. contributor for the Fords over the Micah Sims has quietly been one next three years. of the team’s most valuable players. As the season moves towards Although Sims does not get his the end, Alston and Mountain are minutes because of his statistics (1.3 playing their final high school points, 2.4 assists, 1.7 rebounds per games ever and are fighting for their game), his relentless, suffocating shot at an Inter-Ac championship. defense has shut down some bigLamar Stevens, with his dominance name guards known for their scoring anywhere between zero and fifteen and speed. His heart and never-sayfeet from the basket both on offense die attitude has saved many balls and defense, is making his case going out of bounds, given the Fords to some of the best basketball more possessions, and prevented programs in the country. Cam other teams from scoring on fast Reddish, with an immeasurable breaks. Sims also leads the team amount of canned potential, is as in charges taken, resulting in more lethal an offense player as you will defensive stops and floor-burns. find, and he still has three years left After struggling to make shots to learn and improve before college. with consistency early in the Micah Sims has undoubtedly been season, Mountain has picked up on Mr. Jim Roese Alston goes for a layup against SCHA. Despite fielding offers from programs like VCU and Notre Dame, he is following in his the spark plug to help the Fords offense and made a number of key father’s footsteps at Temple. come back in many of their close wins. three-pointers late in games this season. and 10-rebound performances this season, His relentless and fearless style of play has Mountain has also been a key leader and body, extreme skill, and athleticism. Lamar Stevens has made a large Stevens is certainly in the running for the gotten the Fords stops and extra possessions experienced veteran of this team. Although in almost every game this season. he has not been the player to score thirty impression on college coaches and various team’s most valuable player. Levan “Shawn” Alston, although no At 5-2 in Inter-Ac play, the Fords will points every night, he has made some influences around the region with his play very important plays and smart decisions during his second season with the Fords. longer carrying the pressure of playing need to win out for the rest of the season in many of the team’s close games this Stevens is always a lock to get buckets in for a college scholarship, has played this as well as some luck with other Inter-Ac the paint and has racked up a number of season with the purpose of proving why contenders losing must-win games. No season. Reddish has had a very successful rookie earth-shaking dunks thanks to his height he deserves to be a Temple Owl. Shizz matter what happens, through the bad campaign for the Fords and has offered and athleticism. With his strength and has been a leader on the court as well as in and the good, the Fords have had a fairly bright lights in the future of the Fords. never-back-down style of play, he has the locker room, energizing his teammates successful and an extremely exciting The deadeye sniper, who made the game- been a force to be reckoned with when while making those around him better season during the 2014-15 school year.
Cutting Weight: The Challenge of Being a Wrestler Drew Sterman ‘16
The wrestling program is often overlooked, yet has become one of Haverford’s most successful athletic teams. Led by Sixth Formers Jack Gola, Jake Hervada, and Harvard commit LJ Barlow, the Fords have only lost one match as of mid-January and are challenging for the Inter-Ac title. However, there is an underlying issue within the team and the sport at the high school level. Cutting weight before a match is a problem that virtually every wrestler faces, but teens often disregard this health risk. Wrestlers are categorized by weight class, so that the matchups are balanced and fair. Equal weight makes the battle on the mat based on skill and ability, rather than size. Wrestlers that are stronger will want to drop weight classes, because a
smaller opponent makes for an easier the contest. If a wrestler is all muscle, with little to no body fat, they can have a big advantage by qualifying for a lighter weight class. Wrestlers often justify their choice of weight class with the belief that they have excess fat to lose. On a weekly basis, rapid weight loss in high school and collegiate wrestlers has been shown to average 4-5 pounds and may exceed 6-7 pounds among 20% of the wrestlers. One-third of high school and collegiate wrestlers have been reported to repeat this practice more than 10 times in a season. Fifth Former Freddy Corradetti, on the concept of cutting weight, commented: “Once you cut out all of the junk food, and all of the soda, and start eating healthy (light foods like salad and chicken), it is not that difficult to cut weight.” Wrestlers attempt to cut weight
through extreme physical exertion to sweat away the nasty pounds. Before the race, some cut their water intake to shed a pound or two. “It’s around a five-pound range; that’s normal for everyone,” says Katherine Zeratsky, a specialty nutritionist and dietician with the Mayo Clinic and coauthor of “The Mayo Clinic Diet.” In some cases, wrestlers can go to extreme measures, resorting to bulimic practices in order to lose weight. Although this seems like a smart tactic to outperform the opponent, cutting weight can often have negative repercussions. Corradetti goes on to say: “Most wrestlers do it in the off season to stay in shape, but doing it before matches isn’t uncommon. Sometimes you can get a bit tired, but when you’re eating healthy, you feel a lot better. You get a lot of natural
energy rather than artificial or caffeine energy.” Wrestlers and coaches may not be aware of the true hazards of rapid weight loss. The most worrisome dangers are hyperthermia, dehydration and the development of eating disorders. The risk for hyperthermia is heightened when the athlete is already in a state of dehydration. Hyperthermia places the athlete at risk for various forms of heat illness, ranging from heat cramps to heat stroke. Wrestlers also are at risk for disordered eating. Although wrestlers don’t typically practice purging behavior year round, binging and purging during competition season qualifies as disordered eating and could set wrestlers up for lifelong eating disorders. Although the cases are very low and rare, there is a significant risk in doing so. There seems to be a small line between risk and reward.
Page 12
The Index
January 2015
Sports
Wrestling Crushing Opponents Across Pennsylvania Eusha Hasan ‘18
Since the beginning of the season, the wrestling team has realized the benefits of hard work during practice on and off the mat, leading to great performances during dual-meets and tournaments. Every wrestler on the team shows a level of commitment that surpasses loyalty to any other sport, considering all wrestlers must show up to every two-hour practice, meets after school, and all-day tournaments almost every weekend. Not only do wrestlers have to be available and stay committed, but every practice must be a time to improve and stay in shape because the intense competition creates a fine line between representing the team and sitting out. Wrestling takes physical and mental toughness to push through the pain and suffering, unwilling to let down the team without a fight. “Mental toughness is crucial in succeeding in wrestling,” explained LJ Barlow, one of the team’s captains. “If you do not give it your all when you are gasping for breath in the third period of a match while losing, you will lose the match and be unsuccessful in the sport. In wrestling, things happen during a match, and there will be moments when you are exhausted and feel like you can’t move anymore. You have to push through it or you will fail.” Most wrestlers can unanimously agree that the most mentally challenging aspect of the sport is looking at the clock and realizing how slow it is moving. Wrestling does, however, take a level of commitment that transcends most activities, as everybody on the team shows a deep dedication and sincere appreciation for the game. Everyday the wrestlers don’t leave practice until after nightfall. Every Wednesday morning and Monday night,
the team does a grueling workout with Rosco. The deepest disappointment for teenage wrestlers is having a limited diet. Every wrestler has to control what he eats, so that he can qualify during weigh-ins before matches. The wrestlers all are going through the same problem, so they have an easy time bonding and strengthening their relationships. In practice teammates help each other learn new moves and replicate live matches. The varsity division has shown a great performance during dual-meets and tournaments because of great work during practice. “This season has been one of the most successful starts in school history,” wrote Mr. Bruce Kennett, one of three Haverford wrestling coaches. “We have taken 1st at the New Hope Solebury, Radnor and Hill School tournaments, and finished 2nd by one point at the Battle at the Beach tournament in Delaware. We also won the Towanda Dandy Duals tournament and finished 2nd to national power Easton at the Easton Duals. We are currently 11-1 in dual meets and 1-0 in the league.” Along with these victories, Haverford also recently won its biggest dual-meet in this season against Germantown Academy, one of the highest ranked schools in the nation. Most of the Varsity guys assume leadership roles, from freshman Chase McCollum, who provides inspiration to many novice freshmen onto the team with his spectacular capabilities on the mat, to senior captain LJ Barlow. “Take a look at the kids we have involved in the program today,” wrote Mr. Kennett. “Mickey Kober, L.J. Barlow, Jake Hervada, Jack Gola, Steven Tornetta and Ben Quan, just to name a few. These guys all have ascended to leadership positions within the school through hard work and discipline.”
In a recent match against SCHA, Gola became the second member of the team to reach 100 wins for his career in a victory over Jackson Bistrong. He joins Barlow in that prestigious club; Hervada is nearing the milestone with 95 career victories. Fifth Former Freddy Corradetti is well on his way with 84 wins. JV has also shown great potential during practice and stands up well to some of the team’s most formidable opponents. The JV squad is made up of many young wrestlers that are new to the sport and still trying to learn the techniques and skills. The JV wrestlers have the results to prove their drastic improvement from the beginning of the season. At the most recent Hill School tournament, everyone mostly ranked 1st or 2nd. Many kids on the JV squad have been performing at a high level since the beginning, such as Cameron Hanssens, who has won ten of his eleven matches this season. Although wrestling may seem like an
individual sport, there are so many aspects beyond a singular match that require an accumulated team effort in order to succeed. “The wrestling team is very close,” said Barlow. “We all are in it together and have a great time hanging out and working hard towards an Inter-Ac title. For a team with a small amount of wrestlers interested in pursuing the sport later in college, the team works very hard and is dedicated to each other in the process.” After every wrestling match, the winner acquires points for the team, the amount varying whether the winner pinned his opponent or if he won with more individual points at the end of the match. These accumulated points determine which team wins at the end of a dual-meet, so every member of the team affects the result. The wrestling team still has another half of the season to win dual-meets, tournaments and honor the name of Haverford. We wish the team only success in the months to come.
Gola, seen here at the 2014 Buckley Duals, became the newest member of the 100-win club with his recent victory. Ms. Dawn Blake
Squash Hopes to Reclaim National Glory
Continued from Page 10
And so is the ability to get into your zen moment.” An unregarded aspect of the game is honing perfected skills under immense pressure, and thoroughly concentrating on the now. All of these skills are key to individual victories, which are technically the sole composition of a team win. So, when each player seizes his racquet and steps onto that gleaming white court, as Haverford squash alumnus Sachin Patel ‘11 says, “You are playing for something larger than yourself, [and] it makes it that much more meaningful. When I am in that huddle, looking at those guys, I don’t want to go out there and play badly because I would be letting
everybody else down.” Patel emphasizes the dedication, teamwork, and camaraderie that are essential to winning for “that something larger than yourself.” As the team reaches the conclusion of its season, the players strive to dominate every aspect of their game - physical, psychological, and mental; however, it is equally important to reflect on the past in order to dominate in the future. Poolman emphasizes that “we are a talented group and a top 3 finish is what we should strive for.” The players on Haverford’s current team act in perfect symbiosis - “they can really benefit to feed off the energy from each other and train really hard with each other.” Unlike teams in years past where “there were times where there was a hole,
this [year’s team] has strength the whole way down the ladder, from the bottom to the top.” Against teams nationwide, this strength can be a critical game-changer. Teams like Springside Chestnut Hill, Belmont Hill School, and Brunswick lack the depth of skill that Haverford boasts. Yet, when it comes time to play, Patel ‘11 advises the players to “never go on court scared. Never walk on court scared of your opponent. Play to your strengths and see what happens.” No matter the predictions, the seedings, the expectations, or any of it, it simply comes down to winning like gentlemen, with respect for your opponent and true sportsmanship, and that is exactly what the Fords plan to do. The team’s No. 1, Sean Hughes.
Americans Need to Take a Stand for Liberal Principles In the wake of Islamist and North Korean attacks on freedom of speech, Brendan Burns ‘15 argues that Americans need to actively protect fundamental rights. Brendan Burns ‘15
situations to compromise our identity.
As a nation, we need to learn how to respond to crises and challenges without giving up our fundamental rights, even when “national security” is invoked. We have a long history of making mistakes in this area, from the Alien and Sedition Act of 1798 to the Scopes Trial. All too often in recent memory, we have allowed difficult
We preach tolerance in our universities and schools. The vast majority of Americans are receptive to diversity of race, religion, and sexual orientation, but tolerance to diversity of opinion remains out of reach. We tolerate people as long as their opinions don’t offend us. We recently learned that the French – people with a tradition of democratic government much younger than our own – exercise a greater freedom of speech than we do
It’s time Americans took a stand for liberal principles.
Mr. Jim Roese
(burqa bans notwithstanding). As David Brooks said, “If [Charlie Hebdo] had tried to publish their satirical newspaper on any American university campus over the last two decades it wouldn’t have lasted 30 seconds. Student and faculty groups would have accused them of hate speech.” Major American news organizations also declined to reproduce Hebdo’s cartoons in its coverage of the Paris attack. The efforts radical Islamists – to stifle freedom of speech succeeded in the United States. Meanwhile, Charlie Hebdo published seven million copies of its next issue, undeterred by an attack that killed its Editor-in-Chief.
The cover of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo following the Paris shooting.
nypost.com
Page 13
The Index
Opinions
January 2015
Workload, Procrastination Leading to Lack of Sleep Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘16 examines the recent trend of less sleep among Haverford students and some of its factors, talking to faculty about what they have done in response. Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘16
During each school night that passes by, many Haverford students sit in their rooms vigorously typing away at the homework, paper, or project they have due the next morning. And on almost every day that follows, when these students are asked why they were up so late the previous night, he assuredly states that he just had too much work. However, are these students’ workloads the reason why they find themselves groggy and laggard throughout the day after a late night? While the argument may be convincing at first, I would contend that the argument is very misguided. While exceptions can be made for those who arrive home from school later than the average student, the vast majority of the student body has adequate time to complete their work at night and still get to bed at a reasonable hour. I would attribute the lack of sleep to other factors. I am not suggesting that the workload at Haverford is light by any means. In fact, in many situations, the workload does have an effect on the amount of sleep a student is able to get. The majority of the situations in which abundant workloads begin to affect sleep is generally confined to students enrolled in multiple honors classes. Why does this distinction matter? It matters because by enrolling in an honors course, one is enrolling under the impression that he will be held accountable for a higher volume workload. What’s the point? The point is that while correlations can be made between a student’s workload and his subsequent lack of sleep, these situations, for one, do not affect the majority of students at Haverford
and two, should be expected by the student before taking the class. Sixth Former and infamous late-night grinder, Paul Harryhill, seems to agree: “Yeah [teachers] definitely do [give a lot of nightly homework,] but I take the hard classes and I expect to have to put a sizable amount of time into each class. I can’t knock any teacher for assigning a lot of work in an honors class. It may mean staying up until 3am, eating very little in a day, and lots of stress, but those are the sacrifices that I [and others] have chosen to make by taking these classes.” Try to stand in the shoes of a teacher. The same concept applies; if the class you teach is an honors class, you will be more inclined to assign more nightly work than you would if you were to teach a standard class. It is simply the logistics of honors versus regular. However, more often than not these days, honors teachers are making attempts to eradicate their system of excessively demanding and time-consuming nightly homework because of the noticeable correlation between the strenuous workloads and the resulting sleep issues. While difficult in some math, science, and history courses, English teachers have begun to implement this system. Mr. Keefe, a teacher of both honors and regular english students, has implemented the “new homework system” in not only his honors, but also his regular classes. He explained his system by saying, “When I first started at Haverford, I equated difficulty of the course with the amount of work that I gave...My course has changed to allow for daily reading that culminates in larger papers and projects. I essentially abandoned the model that students should have an hour of reading or homework per
night. By moving to major assessment model, my hope was that students would have a week or more to chip away at the work...” But has the system been effective? The pleasing answer would be yes, however, quite the opposite has happened. With more time, Haverford students wait until the last minute to do their work, they procrastinate. And with a system, procrastination is just about the worst thing that could happen because it embodies the “study” tactic of cramming. Is procrastination effective in the shortterm? Maybe. Long term? Absolutely not.
“I essentially abandoned the model that students should have an hour of reading or homework per night. By moving to major assessment model, my hope was that students would have a week or more to chip away at the work.” - Mr. Keefe Not only does procrastination ultimately lead to sleep deprivation but also can have detrimental effects on a students’ academics. By cramming, a student is not truly learning the material but rather simply forcing the facts into the short term memory “valves” of the brain. Facts that, only hours later, are more often than not forgotten.
So, if procrastination is what leads to lack of sleep amongst the significant majority of students, how can we at least mitigate the issue at hand? There are a few possibilities. Some suggest that there should be a system limiting the amount of honors classes a student is allowed to take rather than just allowing students to put themselves in the situation for procrastination. While I agree that this honors class reduction system has the potential to prohibit procrastination, it allows for other issues to come into play such as the increased competitiveness for college and the credentials needed to even be considered. To others, Mr. Keefe notably, mental health days are the solution, serving as a panacea for the soul. Once again, I feel as though this system is also flawed in that students would be inclined to take advantage of the system, thereby, further encouraging procrastination and setting a bad precedent by giving students the freedom to choose when to attend school. I would suggest that students simply force themselves to stop procrastinating and instead establish a nightly regimented approach to studying. While harsh, the logic behind this solution is pretty simple. If teachers are willing to be flexible with their nightly assignments, students should learn to be accommodating and adhere to the system because, when it comes down to it, new systems are made so something positive can come out of them. Although a lot to ask, my suggestion is really the only reasonable, utilitarian option there is to solve the epidemic of procrastination. As an epidemic, procrastination is not just a simple virus but will continue to ravage away at student populations, not just at Haverford but around the world. Whether or not it has a true cure has yet to be discovered at our school. The question is, are students ready to accept the challenge?
Americans Need to Protect Fundamental Rights (cont.) theinterview-movie.com
Continued from Page 12 The Charlie Hebdo shooting wasn’t the first time that we’ve compromised our liberal principles when faced with a profoundly illiberal enemy. In September 2001, the United States was attacked by a group of people that forbid girls from going to school and imprison men with beards not meeting the required length. Our national response to 9/11 was incredibly disturbing. In addition to starting two wars (one of which has turned out to be a profligate use of money and American lives), we built a massive surveillance state around the PATRIOT Act and FISA Amendments Act. Our solution to the epidemic of terrorism was to deprive Americans of their Fourth Amendment rights and spend their tax money on overseas conflicts. Many people will claim that our surveillance state is necessary to preserve “national security.” This is simply false. In the decade following 9/11, 238 Americans were killed by terrorism. More Americans were crushed to death by their televisions. During the same period, more than 5,000 Americans were killed by police. Bees and wasps will kill twice as many Americans this year as terrorist attacks. The American response to North Korean threats about showing The Interview are similarly problematic. I can personally attest to the fact that The Interview is no masterpiece of modern cinema, but that
doesn’t mean that we should submit to any threat demanding it to be pulled. Sony and American theater owners pulled the movie before the FBI could assess the credibility of the threat. North Korea was pleasantly surprised to learn that freedom of speech in the United States could be suppressed almost as easily as in Pyongyang. The common theme is that we don’t place enough value on our fundamental rights. The fact that the Constitution is a “living and breathing document” doesn’t mean we legislate away its protections. Despite what you might have learned in history class, our Bill of Rights and Constitution weren’t just created for peacetime. They are arguably most useful and important in times of crisis. We don’t get to selectively adhere to our founding principles when we find it convenient to do so.
The Economist
Page 14
The Index
Politics
January 2015
French Ethnic Tensions Behind Recent Violence Eric Petersen ‘15
As the world moves on from the catastrophe that unfolded in Paris, many observers are content to say “Je suis Charlie” and move on to the next crisis. The unity march in Paris was a glowing success, and it is becoming more clear that the splinter group responsible for murdering 17 people was an isolated network. However, there have been deep social tensions building in France for the past few decades that cleave the ethnic French and French citizens of immigrant background. Since the end of the Algerian Civil War, France has been a nation grudgingly accepting of immigration, allowing former colonial citizens to settle in France yet providing little help to assimilate into its society. Many in France not ethnically tied to their country have been born and raised in cities like Paris and Marseilles, yet are considered by many as foreigners. This stigma permeating society is not necessarily a European dilemma, as France’s EU peers like Great Britain and Sweden have more or less embraced multiculturalism as the present and future for Europe. This is a French problem that has divided society and isolated people of immigrant origin, especially Muslims. One of the main reasons why the French bemoan the slow integration of North and West Africans into society and how Muslims refuse to assimilate is because of mass segregation. France was one of the first nations in Europe to admit permanent immigrants in the 1960s, yet assimilation has been almost non-existent in the subsequent decades. This is because France, unlike many other European nations, built neighborhoods and sprawling
apartment complexes specifically for new arrivals. What became known as the suburbs in France is far different from its American counterpart. While the suburban life often conjures images of whitepicket fences and the middle-class in the United States, the French think of poor urban planning and crumbling concrete apartment complexes built between the 1960s and 1990s. Around the picturesque and historic city centers of French towns and cities, vast apartment blocks were made as temporary and affordable housing to those new to French society. The construction of these buildings signaled to native residents that immigrants would be arriving, and politicians like Nicolas Sarkozy gained fame by attempting to block their construction in their own localities. Since their initial creation, little has been done to improve the aging apartment blocks, and this neglect has trapped many in increasingly poor housing away from ethnic French. While French governmental policy has failed many in the immigrant community, Muslim immigrants and their descendants have clashed with French society and been slow to embrace European values, like tolerance and secularism. One of the classic fights between mainstream society and devout Muslims is the use of the hijab. Seen by the French as a danger to a woman’s rights, the full headscarf has been banned in public. What is seen as liberating to many in France has been interpreted as an attack on Islam to many in the immigrant community. Some women have simply refused to comply with the law, which has polarized the two communities even further. Old laws created to combat
Catholic dominance over public life, like year. a ban on public religious worship, have The violence by Islamic extremists also been shirked by many practicing against the Jewish French has also been Muslims. Prayer services in some cities used by the far-right, itself often antioccur in public, and although the police semitic, as an excuse to further exclude avoid arresting praying citizens, the act has the Muslim population from society. “Le provoked outrage on the right. Beyond the suicide français” was a No. 1 bestseller in clash over traditional Muslim values that to France last year, in which it bemoaned the do not fit into French life, many Muslims decline of French culture and the creeping have also expressed varying degrees of threat of Islam. Just days before the Charlie intolerance, and youths of North African Hebdo attacks, another popular novel with origin have been responsible for many hate the title “Submission” was published. Set crimes against France’s Jewish community. in 2022, it imagines a France so overrun In fact, violence against Jews in France with Muslim immigrants that Sharia Law has seen a sharp rise in the past few replaces the secular French ones. This fear decades. Although Jewish French citizens of immigrants among the ethnic French has comprise around 1% of the population of worked to isolate disillusioned Muslims France, nearly 40% of hate crimes target of immigrant origin, slowing integration the minority group. The vast majority of with French society and pushing some to these hate crimes have been committed fundamentalist Islam. Although the attacks by young French citizens of immigrant in Paris were perpetrated by a splinter background. This, by no means, reflects group of extremists, the terrorists involved the attitudes of the majority of French were all born and raised in France, a society Muslims, however many Jewish people no that refused to accept them. longer feel safe in their home country. After a shooting at a Jewish school in Toulouse killed three children and a rabbi earlier this year, thousands of Jewish French decided to immigrate to Israel. 7,000 Jewish people left France for Israel in 2014, and more moved to safer countries like the United States and United Kingdom. Around 10,000 are expected to flee this Prechi-Pracha The run-down apartment blocks that house France’s immigrants.
systems: our immigration system. As soon as news of the protest spread around the country, it sparked partisan debate over who was to blame for our broken system and what we could do about it. So what was the problem? Despite the popularity of the issue in the media over the past summer, the problem has been persisting for decades and current immigration crisis of undocumented children is only a small part of a bigger problem. Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, are being shipped to the United States border and turning themselves in to the United States border patrol officials. Because of a bill passed with bipartisan support and signed by president Bush with the purpose of protecting children against human trafficking, unaccompanied children from countries not adjacent to the US must receive a trial in immigration court before they are deported. Since getting a trial could take three years or longer, the children are put in the custody of family members who live in the United States while they await their trial. Their ability to stay in the US with family members for years creates rumors in the children’s home Associated Press countries that if children turn themselves in at the border, they can stay here. Conservatives argue that the crisis is President Obama’s fault because he set a bad example by halting deportation decisions, in 2012, for immigrants who arrived here as children before the year
2007. Democrats argue that the 2008 bill that prevents the children from being immediately deported is to blame for the out of control situation. Despite recent lack of coverage by the media, this issue has not been solved and remains one of the bigger issues behind our broken system. The crisis of unaccompanied children just brings to attention the even larger problem of millions of illegal immigrants who are currently in the United States. It is unrealistic to deport all of them or make them all citizens. Yet now, they have to live in fear, they are able to be abused by their employers because of fear that their employers will have them deported, and they don’t have to pay taxes nor do they get government benefits such as health care under the Affordable Care Act. Partisan conflicts made it almost impossible for the congress to pass a bipartisan immigration bill to reform this broken system. In June 2013, the Senate was able to pass a monumental reconstruction of our immigration system with bipartisan support. But John Boehner, speaker of the Republican-led House of Representatives, refused to even put the bill to a vote on the grounds that it could ruin their chances for reelection. After the midterms, during which Republicans won a majority in the Senate, Boehner again refused to bring the bill to a vote in the House. After getting no bill to sign from Congress as well as not getting the $3.8 billion he asked Congress to better secure the borders and to expedite deportation and trials in the immigration courts, Obama decided in November to take executive action. What this meant was that President Obama would take whatever actions he could without the authorization of Congress in order to reform the system. On November
POTUS Takes Executive Action on Illegal Immigration George Rubin ‘17
On July 1 2014, a group of 140 immigrants, consisting mostly of women and children, were loaded onto three Department of Homeland Security busses, and headed for processing in Murrieta, California. When the busses arrived, they were greeted by a group of dozens of protesters dressed in red white in blue, some without shirts, hoisting american flags in the air, blocking the busses’ paths and chanting nasty antiimmigration slurs. In the end, the busses were forced to turn around and bring their frightened inhabitants to a holding facility back on the edge of the US Mexico border while the protesters, feeling empowered, would come out again on July 4th & 7th, protesting every 72 hours when a new wave of undocumented immigrants were shipped into Murrieta; they even had the nerve to spit on a pro-immigration advocate who came to argue with them. Soon, however,
The Murrieta protestors.
dozens more pro-immigration protestors came and the protest became full fledged clash of ideas. Although the protests in Murrieta were an issue unto themselves, they were just the spark for the media to delve into one of the most controversial and broken government
20th, Obama addressed the nation about the executive actions he would be taking because of congress’s inability to pass immigration reform. During his speech, he announced that people who have been in America for the past 5 years or longer or whose children were citizens of the United States would have deferred deportation. Those who qualified amounted to about 5 million who wouldn’t be deported but they also won’t get any government benefits including health care. Basically, it meant that they could come out of the shadows and cease living in fear but that’s it. There were a mainly three different reactions to the executive action. The first was support that our government finally did something to improve the system. In CNNs public poll on Obama’s actions, 41% of Americans said they were pleased or enthusiastic about the actions. The second reaction was a conservative opposition to the actions. Republicans in Congress were not pleased with the executive response and many said Obama was acting like an emperor and abusing his power. About 43% of Americans were angry or displeased about the presidents executive actions. The rest of Americans thought that the president didn’t go far enough and that this country really needs comprehensive immigration reform through congress. As of now, the 114th Congress is in session and both the Senate and the House are dominated by the GOP. Although they made little progress otherwise, Republicans ended their retreat in Hershey, PA by talking about making another attempt at fixing our broken immigration system. Republicans acknowledged that they have not handled this issue well. But one thing’s for sure: They need to pass a bill by the 2016 election.
Page 15
The Index
January 2015
Outdex
Tech Department Still Kicking Butt and Taking Names Ian Riley ‘15
A real hot-button topic this past year has been the technology aspect of the Haverford school. Obviously, technology is advancing at a rapid rate. We are mere months away from such innovations as hoverboards and self-tying shoes (if we are to trust Robert Zemeckis). It is the responsibility of Haverford to prepare the students for these zany new times, and they have been on the cutting edge since day one. Whether it is instituting a new oneto-one computer policy, then forbidding computers in virtually every class; or installing state-of-the-art Smartboards and then failing to instruct anyone on how to use them, Haverford has been equipping their students and faculty for the twenty -first century in leaps and bounds. The real challenge is to predict where the next internet trend is going. Six months ago, no one knew what a fitbit even was, now it’s the ambiguous tech flavor of the week. Even harder is telling what’s going to kick off and what will fail. The joy I felt at receiving my first Zune was quickly stomped out when I realized that literally no one would ever use a Zune. Technology is constantly in flux, disappearing as quickly as it arrives. One such aspect of these new times
that is on the tip of everyone’s tongues is something called Wi-Fi. A nifty new technology that allows access to the internet from anywhere, without using a landline connection. Gone are the days of clunky dial-up. And you can fax your thank yous straight to the wonderful Tech Department. Evidently, this Wi-Fi trend has been picking up steam for quite some time, most laptop computers and macintoshes even come with built in Wi-Fi capability now. Even more astounding, most mobile phones now have internet abilities. How often have I wondered, “who starred in Teen Wolf 2?” Now, I can simply whip out my Apple brand internet-phone, connect to Haverford student or Haverford guest, and open my IMDb app! Within 12 short minutes, I can know it was Jason Bateman! Amazing! But the Haverford Tech Department isn’t just looking out for our convenience. They are protecting us from grossly inappropriate internet material like Netflix or Youtube links on Google. On many an occasion I was harmlessly browsing Canvas, when, like Alice down the Rabbit Hole, I found myself in the lawless wasteland of Imgur. And now that virtually every novelty website is blocked, those long double frees seem even longer! And to responses that the internet is too
slow, I remind you of the parable of the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady wins the race. Our internet may feel like a hindrance, but it is only preparing us for wherever we find ourselves, for example, rural Cambodia. Even more impressive, the tech department will be enhancing their Wi-Fi capabilities even further, starting after New Year’s at some point in the future, every problem with the internet will be instantly fixed. And, if you may see some new faces in the salad line, it is likely due to the fact that the entire Tech Department has been gutted like a Curran Browning “Eureka! I found the router!” trout and completely Am I confident in the new direction of the revamped. Think of it as Tech Department 2.0, new and improved! tech department? Sure as the Haverford Equipped with their Apple TV and Wireless password is “haver4dd”! The reclusive natures, they are ready to tackle future is now! the problems of the Twenty First Century. Truly, technology has been getting greater and greater as the time goes by.
reflection of the Islamic faith as a whole, or of the KKK or Westboro Baptist Church reflecting on Christianity. Indeed, many movements have been undermined by radical outcroppings, think of the Black Panthers during the Civil Rights movement as another example. In every legitimate political movement, there is bound to be an extremist parallel, it is an inevitable aspect of human nature. A student committee has been assembled to discuss the issue, and truly every voice is being reflected, running the gamut from socially liberal to extremely socially liberal. The first meeting was an astounding success, dealing with the biased nature of many misogynistic comments flowing freely the patriarchal autocracy called the Haverford School. Things like, “man up,” “be a man” and “what’s up, man?” are only reinforcing the pro-masculine bias that pervaded culture since the dawn of time. In order to break away from these hatefilled comments and sentiments, I believe that Haverford should introduce a course entitled “Introduction to Feminism.” The course would not be an elective, as few students would break away from the patriarchal culture and take it, so it would
be a mandatory course, possibly replacing Ancient World History. The course would take students through feminism in history, beginning with Joan of Arc and working their way up to Nicki Minaj. This course would educate the young men of the Haverford school that they are directly responsible for the continuous, hateful suppression of a massive group of people throughout the entirety of human history. While of course, few if any Haverford students would actively oppress women, they should be aware of the dangerous history of misogyny that they are passively assisting by not actively participating in feminist actions. Some argue that “feminism” has a negative connotation in and of itself. They believe that a movement promoting equality should not favor any organization in its title; they should be called “equalists” instead. However, it is well known that “equalist” is the name of the villains from season one of Avatar: Legend of Korra, so obviously that name is off the table. “Feminist” was the next best thing. They are trying to elevate females to be on the same level as males, like an elevator from the ground floor to the penthouse apartment
The Real Solution to the Epidemic of Misogyny Ian Riley ‘15
Recently, there has been a great deal of back and forth in the school about a controversial topic. Feminism has been on the front of everyone’s mind, and the Index has been the outlet for the many conflicting ideas surrounding it. Brendan Burns recently wrote an article discussing how he believes many Haverford students are reluctant to identify as “feminist” due to many of the negative connotations associated with the word on account of many of the “social justice warriors” who take feminism to an extreme. Two AIS girls, Mercy O’Malley and Katya Smith, responded to these articles. O’Malley took a great deal of offense to it, while Smith seemed more interested in simply educating people about the textbook definition of feminism. All three of the debaters made valid points in their arguments. For many Haverford students, feminism has a negative connotation due to the incredibly outspoken proponents of it, but these individuals are indeed just a radical few. We should not base a valid movement on the extremist subsects of it. It would be like taking the actions of ISIS as a
where we males have been partying for hundreds of years. The course would be an instant solution to problems that have plagued society for all of recorded history. Educating young men about feminism is a fresh new thought that has never been attempted before. I am only proposing the quick, efficient solution to misogyny that the school has been looking for. People may believe that the best way to solve the problem is to create an open forum to discuss it, making a wide array of opinions available. Then, the administration could use this information to find an efficient way to promote profeminist teaching in future years. Those people would be wrong, the best option is obviously to shove single minded feminist theory down our throat like a oversized horse pill (prescribed by a doctor, of course). Introducing a mandatory, year long course looking at whatever issue is currently the hot topic of the Index opinion page is the easiest, most sure fire solution to ensure that students have legitimate opinions regarding the topics, rather than become jaded towards actually important topics. It’s the only logical solution.
Recently At The Haverford School... When asked why he was not in school prior to Thanksgiving break, Austin Krell surprisingly declined to comment, saying that he would rather nobody know. Bags of fertilizer keep disappearing from the maintenance shed, and Cole Smith rises on the suspect list as his hair grows even longer. Manav Khandelwal is publicly claiming that it is actually the quality of Philadelphia sports teams that is resulting in his loss of hair rather than the college process. When asked how he built his bridge, which held 720 lbs (a new school record), Chris Sabia responded, “Yes.” Continued on Page 16
Page 16
The Index
January 2015
Outdex (cont.) Ian Riley ‘15, Will Solmssen ‘15, Curran Browning ‘15, Miller Joyce ‘15, Brendan Burns ‘15, Gabe Newton ‘16, Arjun Dravid ‘15, Chris Ley ‘15, Kyle Bowman ‘15, and Otis Baker ‘15
Continued from Page 15 Upon learning that VI Former Will Solmssen would be directing the spring musical Spamalot with minimal faculty supervision, Mr. Green quietly got up from his desk and left the school, weeping. His current whereabouts are unknown. After getting kicked out of the library, several students took to lying down outside the door in order to irritate everyone, bring awareness to nothing, and make everything worse. Haverford students, inspired by recent protests, have informed Mr. Sassu that they will stage a ‘park-in’ the next time the Red Lot is closed. In their attempts to improve the WiFi over winter break, the Tech Department accidentally disabled every TV screen in the upper school, and failed to repair them in time for the new semester. Absolutely no part of this is a joke.
Curran Browning
Many students’ complaints about missing the Cox Coins have been answered with the new Nagl Nickel. Many freshmen were surprised to see a midyear transfer, before learning it was just a clean-shaven Mr. Graham. Things that people respect more than the state of Haverford’s WiFi: Chef Kenny’s Catch of the Day The child leashes that that the daycare uses Consecutive carved turkey days Preme Green’s Rap Game High School HeroesX Dr. Gottlieb’s Yellow Card Mr. Walters performance on quiz bowl math questions Senior driving sign out sheet The Patriots are under fire for allegedly cheating; equipment manager Forry Smith has denied all allegations. Students have yet to embrace Mr. Fairfax’s plan of tanking for a better draft pick.
Local teen interviewed after a string of Rita-related car “accidents.”
Upon learning the Packers had lost in the playoffs, Mr Sassu closed the red lot forever.
MC Snail’s debut album about to drop (feat. Honest Ghost, prod. by Francito Cool)
Curran Browning