The Index Eutαxia Swzein Dokei
January 2017
Volume LXXVIII, No. 5
Haverford, Pennsylvania
www.havindex.com
Trust the process: basketball battles for Inter-Ac title
P.J. Rodden ‘18 “Being the first team to win the Inter-Ac in seventeen years is something which we think is achievable. We are all hungry for it,” said Fifth Former Bobby Stratts over two months ago in an Index interview. Halfway through the month of January, this motivation has set the tone for their season, resulting in an astounding 14-1 record. The team shows no signs of slowing down. In the Inter-Ac league, what started off as a goal back in November could now become reality. So far this season, they have dominated teams like Episcopal Academy, Springside Chestnut Hill, and the toughest opponent in the group, Germantown Academy. These victories are a testament to the team’s potential. “We’ve been defending and rebounding really well, and we’re scoring in a variety of ways. That is what has brought us the most success,” said Head Varsity Coach Bernie Rogers. The beginning of the season demonstrated how the Fords could perform under immense pressure from Philadelphia’s best teams. Notably, the Fords learned from their first loss against the Catholic League’s top team, Roman Catholic. Reflecting on the game, Coach Rogers said, “I think we played very competitively with Roman. We had a chance to win. Roman was a high-level program that we played with and we had a chance to win. I think, although it was a loss, the players realized that they could compete against anybody when they’re playing the right way.” Since last season, transitioning to a revitalized team with no returning Sixth Formers and a
handful of key players has shown how the Fords can quickly adjust and adapt under the leadership of Coach Rogers. Fifth Form Manager Alex Ciardi said, “One thing that we struggled with last year but now we’re able to do really well now is closing out games. There were periods last year where some teams would take advantage of our lack of experience in fourth-quarter situations. Although we had some great seniors last year, none of them never had the amount of playing time before to lead a team.” With talented Fifth Formers and a strong group of underclassmen, the team is in its top shape. “This year our key players have more experience and have really grown not only as players but as people,” Ciardi said. “The whole team has really matured over the last year. Being able to sustain leads has been a huge factor for our success this year and the fact we have been able to keep up with the toughest opponents.” The team is fully focused in the gym and dedicated to get better within each practice. “During practice there is a sense that everybody needs to focus and work. Coach Rogers does a great job at not letting any of his players fall through the cracks. This is one of the reasons he has done so well in developing our key players,” Ciardi said. Stratts said; “We often like to drop strategies and find ways to shut down some of the opposing team’s best players,
cont. page 10
“Oh, he didn’t deserve it” Judging peers on college Jared Holeman ‘17 With fierce competition to get into prestigious colleges, acceptances often breed contention. Where one might expect a supportive environment filled with students proud of peers accepted into their first-choice schools, instead lies a much less encouraging student body. Discussions about college can be heard everywhere in the upper school these days. In almost all of these, students critique the merit of different applicants. Sometimes, students are quick to say that a certain accepted applicant does not deserve it. Often students say that someone’s race, socioeconomic status, family connections, and sexual orientation were the deciding factors in a decision. When people hear of a classmate’s acceptance to a prestigious college, some people “automatically
assume that something shady [is] going on,” said Sixth Former Drew Weiss. While colleges try to create diverse and wellrounded classes, they start to evaluate applicants on more and more factors. This increases the mystery of why an applicant is accepted or denied. Sixth Former Jack McKnight said, “A lot of college acceptance right now is about extremes. They’re looking for extremes. If you’re incredibly wealthy or incredibly poor, that might help you.” Wealth as a factor in college decisions has always been a controversial topic. “Every once in awhile there’s a case of someone buying their way into a college,” Drew Weiss said. Exactly how large a role these factors play in cont. page 4
Sixth Formers Relaxing in “the street”
JARED HOLEMAN ‘17
Christian Ray hits the boards in a 69-56 win over Shipley
Social life or straight As?
Evan Haas ‘17 For any upperclassmen, grades, athletics, extracurriculars, and social lives mean more than they ever have before. Students begin to search for their perfect college or university, most turn eighteen years old, many are in relationships, some get their driver’s licenses, and for most students, their lives change drastically. College emerges as a focal point of student aspirations, and sometimes, balancing schoolwork and college applications can be tedious. Director of Information Services Ms. Lisa Snyder said, “The stress is sometimes, not really from within, but without. So, people put stress on you, and it turns into a big ball of stress. Some people express their stress in physical ways. Some people get loud or noisy, and some withdraw.” Students often struggle to manage their lives and Fifth and Sixth Form workloads. Teachers continue to raise class expectations, while students also juggle college applications. Students may distance themselves from their classmates and friends because they are so consumed with academic work. Some feel as if they have no spare time, and others grow loud and irritable. In addition to academics, social gatherings and events can grow more intense and uncomfortable for students, which may lead to drug and alcohol abuse. “If you want to be extremely successful [academically],” said Sixth Form Student-Athlete Teddy Fitzgerald, “it takes away from your social life. If you want to have a successful social life, it takes away from your extra curricular and academic activities. It is definitely possible to balance the two, but it is certainly challenging.” Some students let go of their strong grades in order to relax and strive socially, while others completely avoid socializing outside of the school
day to maintain, and even better their academic resume. Some parents push their children to finish stronger than ever, and some allow their children to slack off because they have worked so hard, and so long for these past ten to twelve years. “Maintaining academics, extracurricular activities, and an outside social life is a definite challenge but one that can be overcome by prioritizing commitments and choosing your battles wisely,” said Fifth Former Samuel Turner. “A Games of Thrones marathon or weekend party is often just as important for your mind as a study session for succeeding in your academics, athletic, and extracurricular pursuits,” said Turner. Taking a mental break can either be extremely beneficial or detrimental to a student. For some, a few hours of down-time at a party or bingewatching Netflix can have a refreshing and revitalizing feel. Upperclassmen can pause from the mind-throbbing college supplemental essays and catch up on some dearly missed Breaking Bad episodes. Many students would argue that academics outweigh social life, but some would argue otherwise. “I would rather get Bs in school and have a life, than just get straight As and have no social presence,” said Fitzgerald. Although it can be difficult for high school students to balance their academic and social lives, some make it work. Sixth Former Mohid Khan said, “It takes a toll being involved in robotics, a bunch of honors classes, and couple sports and other clubs on the side, but it’s manageable. You just need to recognize when maybe missing a robotics practice may not be a bad idea to finish
Also inside this issue... The election divides the Sixth Form: page 5
PETER SOLOMON ‘17
Squash hopes for national title: page 10
MR. JIM ROESE
RICHIE SOUDERS ‘17
cont. page 4
havindex.com exclusive Haverford’s best kept secret: peer counseling
Page 2
The Index
Announcements
January 2017
Letter from Student Body President Evan Scott Hey! You! Yeah, you. This is it! Or maybe you’re not a Sixth Former, in which case this is only it for now! But no matter who you are, if you’re reading this and relating to it, then you are at Haverford, and the 2016-17 school year has reached it’s halfway point. There are two ways of looking at the rest of the year. Maybe there are more (I have no idea), but the two I can think of are as follows: “This year sucked, I have nothing more to give the second semester, I can’t wait for summer. Please, for the love of all things happy and healthy, give me Summer and SET ME FREE!” “I have five months left. Five months, baby! The first four were great. I made friends, I treated myself right, and I feel like I’m just warming up. Come at me, finals!” I really hope that none of you just want this year to be over. As a Sixth Former, I sort of want this year to last awhile longer… A goal that I set for myself was to know as many of you I could. I’d like to meet all of you, talk with all of you, hear your stories, hear you all out. But I’m not
“I’d like to meet all of you, talk with all of you, hear your stories, hear you all out.” sure if I can do that! There are 400 of you, and only one of me. I’m going to keep working on it, but it may get harder as the year comes to a close.
So with that possible roadblock in place, I’d like to request a favor from those of you whom I do not meet. In the last four months of school, try to do my job for me. Talk to and meet the boys that you don’t know. Make some lasting connections, because after we’re all done with Haverford, the only thing we’ll have left from our experience is one another.
“In the last four months of school, try to do my job for me. Talk to and meet the boys that you don’t know. Make some lasting connections, because after we’re all done with Haverford, the only thing we’ll have left from our experience is one another. We’re all equally important to the school, and so we should all be equally important to one another. We Sixth Formers don’t have much time left. We hope to leave the school in a good place, and in order for us to do just that, we’re trusting and relying on you to keep the Brotherhood tight and very much alive. It’s real if we allow it to be; it’s real if we love one another and love ourselves enough to become a family. Get together as one, boys, and show the Second Semester you mean business.
January Service Board announcements
JOHN NOSTRANT ‘17
Will Henderson ‘18
Toys For Tots/Share The Warmth Updates The Upper School raised nearly five full boxes of toys for the Toys For Tots campaign and filled the
space next to Mrs. Loos’s office with coats, hats, gloves, scarves, etc.. The toys were donated to children whose parents are in the armed forces, and the warm clothes were donated to people in need throughout the Philadelphia area. We are hoping to carry this success into our service events
for January and February.
Rowan House Tutoring The Rowan House Tutoring project has been headed by Alex Ciardi for the 2016-17 school year. Students go into West Philadelphia every other Friday to tutor children. We have a large list of students volunteering for this, and we can always add more. Contact Alex Ciardi, Ms. Loos, or any other Service Board member if you are interested.
“Gently Used” Collections (MLK Day) The Service Board will collect slightly used books for infants to eighteen-year olds. The books will be given to public schools, shelters, and CHOSEN 300 in Philadelphia. In addition to books, students can also drop off clean, gently used clothing (for men, women, and children), which will be donated to Life Centers, Our Closet, and an orphanage in Romania. Besides clothing, people may also bring blankets, sheets, towels, etc. People should drop these off in the Lower School lobby between January 4-18.
Volunteer For The Lower School’s MLK Day Lower School Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 2015
MS. DAWN BLAKE
The Index’s
2016-2017 Staff
Connor Lees ‘17, Editor-in-Chief George Rubin ‘17, Editor-in-Chief Samuel Turner ‘18, Editor-in-Chief Bill Wu ‘17, News Editor Will Henderson ‘18, Opinions Editor P.J. Rodden ‘18, Sports Editor Grant Sterman ‘18, Politics Editor David Bunn ‘17, Photography Editor Harper Weigle ‘17, Website Technician Andrew Lengel ‘17, Outdex Editor Will Pechet ‘17, Outdex Editor Mr. Thomas Stambaugh, Faculty Advisor Ms. Alicia Evans, Faculty Advisor
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.
Martin Luther King Day of Service and Celebration on Monday morning, January 16. A wdie variety of activities took place for this event, and the lower school boys loved to have the upper school students engage with them in doing good for others.
Bowl Painting For Empty Bowls (US MLK Day) The Service Board has been working on its biannual Empty Bowls event to spread awareness about hunger, poverty, and homelessness in the Philadelphia area. In preparation for the event, Upper School students helped paint bowls from 1:00 to 3:00 on MLK Day in the art classrooms. The bowls will be given away at the event this spring, representing an empty bowl of food — a problem that people in our own community face every day.
Back On My Feet Shoe Drive Upper school students can donate sneakers/ athletic shoes (without spikes) to the Back On My Feet Shoe Drive. The shoes are given to people in the Philadelphia area, allowing them to begin a program to get a job, education, and independence. Contact Ms. Loos or Neetish Sharma if you have questions.
Upper school students ran the lower school
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. The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed on Mac OS X, using Adobe InDesign CS 2015. 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.havindex.com/ (610) 642-3020 x. 1222 Volume LXXVIII, No. 5 - January 23, 2016
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The Index
News
January 2017
And the three hardest classes are... Neetish Sharma ‘19 Students often debate about the most difficult courses at Haverford. Haverford provides many courses ranging across a spectrum of study with a class to fit the needs and interests of every student. So, what are the hardest classes that our school has to offer? A recent online poll of 134 current students seems to answer this question. Although different classes provide various levels of difficulty, three options evidently outshone all others: Chemistry*, United States History*, and Biology* (in order of most challenging to less challenging). Offered to our school’s Fifth Formers and taught by teachers Dr. Daniel Goduti and Mrs. Kara Cleffi, Biology* captured third place in this poll. Although the course is not mathematicsheavy, it has earned its reputation due to the heavy memorization required and the in-depth interconnection of ideas presented throughout the textbook. “The abundance of information is definitely a hallmark of this course. The class goes at a fast pace, so if you miss a day or doze off, it is tough to get back on track,” Sixth Former Tucker Matus explained. “Mrs. Cleffi does a great job, but the information is always dense, and there is a lot of memorization. If you aren’t willing to study, you will probably struggle.” U.S. History* is offered to our school’s Fifth Formers and is taught by History Department Chair Ms. Hannah Turlish. The course is demanding, as it requires insightful analysis
of historical documents, difficult writing assignments, detailed multiple-choice questions, and significant memorization. Reflecting on his experience, Sixth Former Anthony Calvelli said, “Many of the questions were very specific, and there was a lot of material we were responsible for, including quotes from primary source documents.” The importance of writing skills takes precedence as well: Calvelli explains, “If you didn’t do well on the term paper, it was hard to recover from. Some also seemed to have trouble with the document-based questions. It was hard to provide historical context for the quotes and blend them into a well-formulated argument.” At the top of the list resides Chemistry*. Taught by Science Department Chair Mr. Tom Trocano, the course requires in-depth understanding of every concept taught, a strong mathematics background, an ability to understand and recognize relationships between ideas, and quick thinking. Sixth Former Aaron Hudson said, “What made the class hard for me was the material, the work at home, and definitely the tests in school. In all honesty, Mr. Trocano was great; he was always willing to help during free periods, but at the end of the day, the material was really challenging.” One must not forget that the experience of academics varies from student to student within our community. Our school is filled with talented students, and so what may be difficult for some
Students in Honors Chemistry
may be easier for others. These three are simply based on popular opinion of the student body, and they do not reflect the true experience of every individual student. Likewise, these courses are not the only demanding courses offered: many classes ranging across different subjects demand
DAVID BUNN ‘17
diligence and effort. Regardless of what courses one may take, hard work is always crucial; one cannot underestimate the power of a good work ethic.
Examining the mandatory Sixth Form spring exam policy Jack Molitor ‘17
Do students work out of incentive or do they work in pursuit of knowledge? For generations, educators have grappled with
ways to make schooling less about the grade and more about knowledge. During the 2014-2015 school year, the upper school administration
INDEX STAFF
made all sixth form exams mandatory, regardless of semester grades. Students initially decried the change because they had looked forward to the possibility of a week off before beginning sixth form projects. “I think ultimately, philosophically, we couldn’t see any reason why a semester and a course should end differently than seven other semesters,” Head of Upper School Mr. Matthew Green said. “These are courses; these are legitimate courses. The school has determined that capstone projects or assessments are valuable exercises...and to sort of suddenly decide, ‘but not for these courses,’ nobody could come up with a good reason.” Contrary to what many students believe, the administration did not care about grades or incentives to do well, instead, they insisted the policy change was instituted to promote a culture of academic rigor. Sixth Form English Teacher Mr. Daniel Keefe said, “Any sixth former who scored below a B had to come back, and the final encounter with the student ended up being rough. It was not a pleasant experience for those kids that had to miss out, because most of them would take a trip together in that off week… For me there’s no empirical evidence that there was any grade shift when we moved back to taking the exams.” Both Mr. Green and Mr. Keefe cited improving class culture as opposed to grade-based reasons
for the policy change. Some students disagree. “I think it would make me work a little harder, do a little better, if I know I wouldn’t have to come in and sit for two hours at the end of the year,” said Sixth Former Jack McKnight. Plenty of students echoed McKnight, claiming that the possibility of a punitive exam would help them work hard. Yet, teachers and faculty claim that is just the type of culture the rule change is trying to avoid. Sixth Former Drew Weiss said, “I think that that’s smart because it gives students an incentive to perform well, especially with the second semester sixth form slump that most kids go through. Once you take that incentive away, students aren’t going to be as motivated.” It appears there is a disconnect between student and faculty when it comes to the rule change. While the administration clearly hopes that the rule change will promote a culture of appreciation of knowledge, many students see the change as little more than another opportunity for busy work. “I understand the concern that you’ll be too transactional if you’re just going for the grade, but I feel like kids that have the idea of doing it for the grade are going to do it for the grade whether or not you have that option,” said McKnight. “Because it’s more of a mindset, and that won’t differ from one policy change.”
feels the pressure of applying to places right now because he has already done so. “During the first semester, I probably spent about twenty hours applying to various colleges. Because I have
finished all of them, I’ve dropped a lot of stress so far this year. But I’m still feeling pressure about getting into those schools I applied to.”
The double-sided Sixth Former Freddie Hammer ‘17
Some Haverford students are quitting school work. Many Sixth Formers know where they are going to school next year and many seniors don’t, which explains the difference in academic effort between the two. A lot of Haverford students applied “Early Decision” to the one place they loved. If a student gets into a school early decision, he is obligated to attend. Early decision applicants also hear back early, usually before Winter Break. Sixth Former Chris Delaney was recently accepted early decision to the University of Pennsylvania. “My nights are definitely more calm and relaxed because there is not enough work and especially because there is no college stuff,” Delaney said as he compares his typically more relaxed second semester evenings to his first semester nights. Delaney is not the only one who is expecting a rather light second semester in terms of workload. Some students, like Delaney, said they often worked until 11:30 p.m. or 12:00 a.m. at night. Sixth Former Fig Gowen, who has committed to attend the University of Richmond, is another
student who said that he is expecting to work fewer hours this semester. “A typical night for me was about four or five hours of work. It’s still really early in the year, but I’m anticipating that number to be a lot smaller until I get to college,” said Gowen. Other senior students haven’t been as lucky when it comes to getting into their top-choice university. Many students who still do not know where they will be attending still feel the pressure, which may give them a stronger drive when it comes to academic effort. Those kids still have to put in the work to apply to other places. “The number one pressure in my life is balancing all of my priorities,” said Sixth Former Tyler Dunbar, who still does not know where he is going next year. “Balancing things from school work, to athletics, to social life, to college applications is a really stressful part of my life right now.” Then there are other students who are done applying to colleges but still either don’t know where they will be attending or haven’t heard back from their first-choice schools. Sixth Former Will Towle currently faces that situation. He no longer
FREDDIE HAMMER ‘17
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The Index
News
Inside the death of DECA Daniel Chow ‘20 A controversial topic that sparked heated debate last year was the cancellation of funding for the DECA club. DECA, Distributive Education Clubs of America, is an organization that teaches high schoolers and college students about business, marketing, and finance. In previous years, DECA was a popular and active club, with our students participating in various competitions at the highest levels. However, last year, to the astonishment of many students, the administration cut funding for DECA, thereby deactivating the club from an official standpoint. The reason behind this decision? Head of the Upper School Mr. Matthew Green said, “As a collective opinion of the group [the faculty advisors], the benefits of DECA participation do not outweigh the costs… transportation, room and board, and time away from school for students and faculty.” In Mr. Green’s view, DECA also puts too much of a burden on other classroom teachers who must catch up their students who miss school or must cover classes for DECA’s faculty chaperones. He further elaborates, “until students reach the Internationals, the field is not particularly competitive and prizes and advancement are awarded, in my opinion, too liberally.” Similar to what Mr. Green mentioned, Sixth Former George Rubin said, “It helps a little bit with public speaking, but overall it seems like a money-making scam.” While it may seem that DECA’s large costs outweigh its benefits, many students think otherwise. To Sixth Former Connor Lees, DECA has been a transformative experience that taught him valuable lessons. A member of DECA since his Third Form year, Lees said, “DECA has given me a foundational understanding of business areas like marketing and finance, so once I enter college, I have an idea of what to expect if business is the right career path for me.” Connor stresses the fact that, “DECA fits Haverford’s mission of
‘preparing boys for life’ and Haverford should strongly reconsider funding DECA.” He feels that with the strong student interest in business career paths, DECA should be funded to expose students to the business world and prepare them for the future. One of our own alumni, Eli Wachs ’16, former DECA president and a current student at Stanford University, is disappointed in the changes and feels that DECA should be funded once again. Qualifying for internationals all three years he competed, Wachs feels that it has greatly benefited him. “For those interested in law, there is mock trial. Athletes have a variety of teams they can join, and future engineers have our wonderful robotics team,” Wachs said. “In my opinion, DECA does the best job of filling the void in exposing students to potential careers in business, entrepreneurship, economics, human resources, and so much more.” To Wachs, the skills he learned from DECA were far from unbeneficial. “DECA gave me the tools I needed to launch my non-profit High School HeroesX. Using the skills DECA gave me, I was able to raise $40,000 and operate incentivized competitions in multiple continents.” DECA has played a key role in helping Wachs explore the business world, and in his opinion, should undoubtedly be funded to continue to allow our students to explore possible careers in business. Wachs said, “If students at Haverford have a passion, it gets funded most of the time. Having the pleasure of having an active role in mock trial, debate, and the service board, I know that the school pays to help cultivate those academic interests, and I would hope an academic institution of our prestige would also help cover costs for those students interested in business.” All in all, the DECA controversy still remains a subject of debate, but as for now, the administration is not looking into bringing back DECA.
January 2017
College admissions cont. from p.1 acceptance decisions remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that colleges look at many different aspects of an applicant’s profile. “There’s a lot to it, more than just grades and scores,” Drew Weiss said. “There’s all of your academics and all your extracurriculars and clubs. I don’t think that colleges go out of their way and accept a student [who] wouldn’t have otherwise gotten accepted were it not for their race.” Not everyone looks at the decisions this way. Some doubt these factors hold any weight in decisions whatsoever or refuse to judge or speak on the merit of another. Sixth Former Jack Roarty said, “If the admissions officers believe that they deserve it, then they deserve it.” As to whether or not race, or other factors play a large role in decisions, Roarty said, “I don’t really
know, because I’m not an admissions officer.” Some people were more open with their negative opinions about their classmates. When asked whether most students deserve to get into the colleges they are admitted to McKnight said “No, and that’s a common opinion. I have heard a lot [of negative talk about those accepted to college].” While those interviewed disagreed on the extent and motivation of disparaging comments, no one denied having heard them. Sixth Former Phil McCutcheon said, “[whether or not someone speaks negatively about others] depends on whether or not they got into the college they wanted to go to or not. They’re just motivated by their personal opinions of the person. Oh, that person’s not as smart as I am, they probably didn’t deserve to get in.”
all your work or getting a head start on your homework over the weekend to have more time for robotics during the week.” Some students use the weeknights as their freetime, and cram on the weekends. Some
do the opposite. Khan said, “It took me three years to find a system that worked. I found that having lists of stuff I need to do helps me stay organized and focused.”
Social life cont. from p.1
Wilson Hall nears perfection Joe Block ‘17
Wilson Hall, the Montgomery Awards for Excellence in Planning and Design’s winner of the 2009 Land Development Award, has proved to be more than adequate in giving Haverford students an environment in which they can prosper. Now eight years later, the old Wilson Hall seems a distant memory for students and faculty alike. The new building, with design features in environmental stability and structural adaptation, has done a lot right, but there are suggestions to make it even better.
Chris Williams ‘17 and David Neidzwiki ‘17 pose with trophies at DECA Districts, 2017
Long-serving Art Department Chair Mr. Chris Fox held the building in high regard, but he had much to comment on. When asked about the art studios, which Mr. Fox took a part in designing, he said, “Pretty good. Especially based on the old Wilson Hall. If I have a complaint is that we don’t quite have as much space as I had recommended. I wanted to build the spaces based on national standards for studio spaces and shop spaces. I wanted to build them for eighteen students. We wound up building our spaces for sixteen
students.” Mr. Fox said that certain popular classes did not have the necessary space to hold enough students based on the demand for that class. In one case, the problem was addressed and solved. Engineering has been a popular class, mostly among Sixth Formers. Two years ago the plan to implement a Design and Engineering Studio on the ground floor was completed. The new space, which is much larger and holds more equipment, has pleased both students and faculty. “Dr.
INTECH ARCHITECTS
DEAN MANKO ‘17
Cox wanted to build the classrooms for sixteen students and that would make the class sizes smaller,” said Latin Teacher Ms. Sara Adkins, “But for the Engineering class, the classrooms did need to be bigger.” Part of what made Wilson Hall successful was the implementation of partition walls, which Mr. Fox said were “Walls that could be knocked down without having to change the foundation or structure of anything else.” The partition walls allowed for a rather quick retrofit for the Design and Engineering Studio. The issue of class size doesn’t stand alone, as students brought up a few different opinions. Sixth Former William McDevitt said, “First they should save up money for the garage, because the happiness and livelihood of the students should come as first priority” Fourth Former Thomas Russell said, “I don’t like how there’s so many stairs. I find it often troublesome, if I have theater and then I have to go to English it’s a couple flight of stairs. I also don’t like how it’s so far away from the Athletic Complex, that makes getting there and back kind of tough. It could also use more outlets. There’s only a handful of outlets in each class, and when my computer is dying, often they’re taken up by other students already.” Although there were a few negatives, both large and small scale, the general feeling was that Wilson Hall was a good if not great Upper School Building. When asked to rank it on a scale of one to ten, the responses from both students and faculty members were right around eight or nine. Sixth Former Vince McNamara said, “Wilson Hall is visually pleasing when I drive by. Inside it has everything I need. They’ll probably keep adding stuff. When they make specific rooms like [the Design and Engineering Studio], it increases the atmosphere and experience you get in that class.” “The building is well equipped with technology and there’s plenty of space for students,” said Sixth Former Grayson Nunnelee. “You can learn and be comfortable, because [Wilson Hall] is more than just classrooms.”
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The Index
News
January 2017
Benefits to procrastination? Nick Pippis ’19 It lies to us, it cheats us, and it gives us a false sense of security. Still, we come back to it. Procrastination is single-handedly the most common studying habit seen at Haverford, and students argue whether it hurts or helps. Procrastinating creates varying effects on students’ overall grades. According a recent online student poll, procrastination is practiced by 98% of the student body. Recent studies find that procrastination has a negative effect on a student’s grades. One study in particular, from online adaptive learning platform Knewton Enterprise, looks at college students in an advanced chemistry course. Knewton found a direct correlation between low grades and more time spent procrastinating. Of course the study does not consider the outlier students who are able to crank out ridiculous amounts of quality work in little time. One example of a student like this, at Haverford, is Fourth Former Andrew Kickline, who estimates spending eighteen hours per week procrastinating.
When asked about how procrastination affected his work, Kickline said, “Procrastinating makes me work better because it gives me less time and puts me under pressure. I perform better under pressure so this puts me at an advantage.” Fifth Former Bobby Stratts only procrastinates two-to-three hours per week. He found that his habit had little effect on his grades. Fourth Former Barrett Spragg is the Goldilocks of time spent procrastinating -- he is right in the middle. Spragg procrastinates about eight hours a week, and he thinks that although it might have some negative effect on his grade, it is so insignificant that he does not feel the need to do anything about it. Spragg said, “I really don’t see the need to do anything about lessening my time procrastinating because I am currently satisfied with my grades, and I still get to enjoy procrastinating.” Eight hours a week comes down a little over an hour of procrastination a day. That seems to be the perfect amount of time to let a Haverford student detox from a long, hard day at school.
Sixth Formers playing the new trendy game: generals.io.
DAVID BUNN ’17
Administration analyzes 13-year-old schedule Nick Chimicles ’19 Great change is coming to Haverford. For over a decade, students have followed the same schedule composed mostly of 45-minute periods in a “block-schedule” system. With a belief in “continuous improvement” as well as a fear of “the risk of stagnation,” Head of Upper School Mr. Matt Green and the rest of the administration have decided to revamp the scheduling system -not only in the upper school but also in the lower and middle schools.
“Expect to be surveyed, invited to participate in focus groups, and otherwise communicated with.” - Mr. Green As of now, the process is still very much in its infancy. Mr. Green said,“We have not begun to consider, formally, any iterations.” Mr. Green did confirm that some form of community time will remain with the coming schedule modifications, but when asked about the late-start on Wednesday mornings, Mr. Green said, “There are very few sacred cows.” Along with some logistical issues such as “Fourth Formers often dropping electives in order to manage their Health and Physical Education requirement, early morning extra help periods being underutilized and music ensembles not meeting at the optimal time,” Mr. Green stated that the “real reason” for the scheduling changes is that “you, the students, your lives, this program, and the world you live in and will enter, these are just not the same as they were in 2002-2003. But our schedule is.” According to Mr. Green’s recent e-mail message to the student body, the creation of the new schedule will not be entirely in the hands of the administration: “I
want you, the student body, to know that your feedback is important to us and will formally be gathered at strategic intervals. Expect to be surveyed, invited to participate in focus groups, and otherwise communicated with.” Despite most teachers expressing that they are content with the current scheduling system in a recent poll, it seems that most would be glad for some sort of improvement. Though 80% of the faculty find that they are able to cover an adequate amount of content in the 45-minute schedule, many teachers commented proposing different reinventions of the system. Some, especially members of the math department, would care for shorter blocks and to meet their students every day. Others, especially those in the history and English departments, would prefer longer classes in order to have more effective classroom lessons. Because many teachers foresaw this conflict of interest, many stated in the survey that it would be best to have a flexible schedule that will satisfy the demands of all teachers from all departments. Math Teacher Mr. Robert Upton said, “I would hope that we could develop a schedule that allows for courses that want longer blocks to have them and those that want shorter periods can also be accommodated.” With the flexibility of a new schedule, some teachers would argue that the duration of periods should be based on students’ ages as well, claiming that because the attention spans and maturity of Third and Sixth Formers differ so greatly, their schedules should not be the same. Some teachers would also enjoy more time for informal student collaboration. In a student survey, the overwhelming majority (75%) voted that they were content with the current scheduling system. Though most (67%) were indifferent to the revamping of Haverford’s
Sixth Formers Jack Roarty and Bryan Hyland engage in a respectful debate.
PETER SOLOMON ‘17
Dialogue of a divided class Peter Solomon ’17 Every year, Haverford-EA week is meant to bring the student body together during the middle of November. The second Tuesday of the same month held an unconventional election that split up the students of the Sixth Form based on whom they supported. The split led to much dialogue between members of the Sixth Form. “I usually don’t see the school talking too much about politics,” Sixth Former Jack Molitor said, “but with the election, even if it was divided, it brought a lot of discussion, and by the end, I think people were a lot more civil. In my Government and Politics class, people on both sides of the spectrum were having really good conversations on what was going on.” Some students do not think that everything is as civil as it should be. The pseudo-anonymity of the internet allows students to say inflammatory comments about the results of the election, enraging many other students. Sixth Former Jack Roarty said, “I’m torn because a lot of times, I’m silent about it, but if someone says something outrageous or misogynistic that goes unopposed, then I have a tendency to tell people that it’s disgusting to be sexist.” These offensive comments have eluded some students. Some students felt as if the outcome of the election was beneficial to the school community for sparking debates amongst the student body on political ideas, allowing them to get an alternate perspective they may not have been exposed to. “I don’t think anyone has said any derogatory comments to someone else just to put them down. I do think that they have argued in a civil
way for why Secretary Clinton or Mr. Trump is better than the other, and I think that is just good dialogue,” Sixth Former Bryan Hyland said. The Sixth Form is not exempt from the nationwide left-right divide. Haverford’s Strategic Vision states: “Every aspect of our program fosters lasting friendships among the boys, as well as meaningful relationships between the boys and their teachers.” Haverford preaches that the student body is one entity and hopes that a divide does not occur. But not everyone feels Sixth Form unity is important. “I would say that there is no inherent problem with a divide,” Government and Politics teacher Mr. Tim Lengel said. “As long as both sides are, again, hopefully using facts and being respectful of one another. There is nothing that says we all have to agree; that’s the entire point of this country. But, if one side or another is putting down the other side, and trying to harm them or shame them, that is obviously not a good thing.” While everyone agrees a dialogue is beneficial, being respectful and not using offensive language is important in these debates. Students in the Sixth Form may disagree on political issues, and encouraging dialogue could be beneficial. But being respectful is an essential part of good dialogue. Mr. Lengel said, “I have seen guys doing the Haverford busting on each other, which I would caution people against, because I know you’re just talking to your buddies, but you never know what someone else is thinking, and that can get very tricky and very problematic.”
Fifth Formers Xavier Dorn and Scott Deck check the Haverford TV for the daily schedule.
schedule, about a quarter of those polled disliked it because they saw no need for a change. Haverford has enlisted the support of consultants from Independent School Management (ISM) to lead what is called “schedule analysis” wherein ISM’s experts examine a school’s values and curriculum in order to produce a creative schedule that meets the school’s requirements. ISM’s mission is to design a schedule that will not only fix the logistical problems Mr. Green mentioned but also maximize learning potential in every class. As Mr. Green wrote in his e-mail, “A representative from that organization will be on campus in the spring getting to know how this place works, what the nuances of its
WILL RHODES ’18
particular culture are, and what we value.” The information gathered will then be used to craft an optimal schedule for all. ISM offers scheduling options that will allow for teachers to have classes in the upper, middle, and lower schools and accommodate early dismissals and morning meetings. If Haverford’s administration chooses to implement longer periods, ISM has courses which will instruct teachers on how to best maintain the attention and participation of their students during their lengthy classes. It appears that ISM and the administration are focused on creating a schedule that best fits Haverford, satisfies the demands of students and teachers, and will allow for our school to be at its best.
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The Index
January 2017
Arts
Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS - An insider’s take Will Pechet ’17
AMAZON.COM
Have you ever asked yourself why the United States is involved in the Middle East? For many millennials, the conflict in the Middle East has occupied most of their memory. To countless members of the next generation, questions like why did we invade Iraq and where did ISIS come from are often left unanswered. Black Flags: the Rise of ISIS tells the often unknown story of what happened during the past decade and a half on the other side of the globe. Joby Warrick follows Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian street thug turned hardened terrorist, on his rise to become the founder of al-Qaeda in Iraq. Warrick uncovers the previously unknown and classified inner-workings of the United States government in its response to insurgency and the symbol of terror in this decade, the black flag of ISIS. Joby Warrick, a reporter for The Washington Post since 1996, has always had an interest in the Middle East. From the supposed weapons of mass destruction to the attack on Camp Chapman and now to the Islamic State, he has a knack for providing the inside scoop on stories that dominate the news. Part of Warrick’s appeal is his intrinsic to seamlessly weave facts with eloquent storytelling. He directly quotes from wrongly freed prisoners out of Jordan’s notorious al-Jafr prison. Writing about the spread of jihadist websites, Warrick
chooses powerful propaganda like, “If we are not violent in our jihad and if softness seizes us, that will be a major factor in the loss of the element of strength” to ingrain his point in the reader’s mind. For a brief moment, Warrick loses his higher level readers in the middle of the book. By placing pictures of characters and locations halfway through the narrative, he briefly falls into the veteran-cashing-in-on-his-action-packed-warstories mode. It brings to mind Howard Wasdin’s Seal Team Six. When coming across this break in the text, it feels as if a ghost writer has stepped into Warrick’s place. This additional detail is necessary, but it should be placed alongside the list of principal characters at the start of the book. It seems that Warrick is making an attempt to have a less educated reader pick up his book. What makes a dense text such an easy read is the effortless transitions between descriptions of events and the thoughts of the people experiencing the events. “Nada Bakos sat silently in her chair, listening but not believing. Plenty of good reasons existed for going after the man who helped facilitate the Millennium Plot. But a cabal including the radical jihadist and the fiercely secular Iraqi leader -- a man who routinely tortured and killed Islamist in his country? Was Cheney serious?” Warrick moves from the physical description of Nada Bakos to the inner workings of her mind in the blink of an eye.
The timing of the release of this book is one of its best features. Rarely is history recorded as it is being made. Black Flags is no Boys in the Boat, written nearly 100 years after the fact. The closest this book comes to anything covering the conflict in the Middle East is videos posted on the internet. As the Arab Spring was unfolding, videos from protestors on the ground were posted in real time. Warrick occasionally plays into aspects of American hatred and xenophobia when describing the men who fill the ISIS ranks. Warrick refers to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as the “sheikh of the slaughterers” and provides out-ofplace details like him “acquiring a third wife -- an Iraqi, believed to be in her mid-teens.” Like many historians from the winning side, Warrick paints a biased view of the opposition. Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS is a wellwritten factual narrative of the recent past and current situation in the Middle East. This book should be a required read for any millennial. A captivating narrative paired with translated alQaeda documents and phone calls makes it hard to put down. Warrick writes, “The idea for this book about ISIS began taking shape before there was a terrorist organization called by that name.” Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS is unparalleled in its timing, accuracy, and readability.
Mr. Raeder’s new spin on ceramics class Neetish Sharma ’19 Mr. Jacob Raeder sits a metal chair surrounded by students pounding clay and crafting clay cups. He is the new ceramics teacher, and is, along with the rest of the Art Department, molding a new vision for the arts at Haverford. “There’s certainly a kind of environment that is fostered here of something more social, as in I can tell the difference between people being in my class versus being in a more typical classroom environment,” Raeder said. He noted that this unique dynamic is a welcome change. “I feel lucky to be in an environment, from administrative to staff, that is trying to expose the student body to as diverse a set of ideas as possible. I feel entirely encouraged from that in my own endeavors,” Raeder said. As for changes he has brought to Haverford Ceramics, “there is a lot of ‘institutional’ change within the ceramics classroom.” For example, he noted how he would “switch over glazes and clay,
which can feel somewhat mundane, especially for the Sixth Formers. I came in and change it fairly dramatically. For me, it does feel like a big change, and I think if you ask them, they would probably agree.” In his future work, Mr. Raeder is excited to integrate ideas from other classrooms: “Being interdisciplinary is a bit of a hot, in vogue ideal. I would like to work with my colleagues in the Art Department—Mr. Greg Ressler, Mr. John Fox, and Ms. Zoë Blatt—and do some large, multi-week projects that would combine classes. I think that is something that everyone would be excited about.” For example, Mr. Ressler, working in conjunction with Mr. Raeder, said that he hopes to “do a lot of stuff across the board with our upper-level Sixth Form thesis guys . . . we’re basically taking guys’ ideas and floating with them to get the best possible projects out of them. What I see growing in this department with Mr. Raeder
is the use of open doors—if a kid has an idea, we’ll work together to get that idea to fruition as best as possible. It’s more about the idea coming to life than about selling what you’re teaching to the student.” As for the type of teacher he is inside the ceramics studio, Mr. Ressler said that “Mr. Raeder is a teacher who has a lot of intelligence in ceramics. I think that he really brings some high level skills, and he’s excited to teach the guys these skills. He still pushes them and gets them excited for the work they’re doing.” Fifth Former Harrison Fellheimer said that he has allowed students to “develop their own unique styles and techniques as opposed to teaching them the ‘ideal’ way. For example, he’ll show us a demonstration of how one might go about throwing a cup, but then he’ll help them develop their own style.”
“The magic still works”: Fantastic Beasts
DAVID BUNN ’17
Mr. Raeder joined the Art Department this year.
Grady Nance ’18 The newest installation in the Harry Potter universe takes place in 1926 New York, where magic has been suppressed and hidden from the outside world. Witches and wizards have gone into hiding, but as we learn from the Magical Congress of the U.S.A., America’s version of the Ministry of Magic, more and more sightings of magic have occurred recently, and anti-wizardry sentiment is growing. Enter Newt Scamander, a clumsy, awkward, magic zoologist from England, coming to New York with a case filled with a
variety of magical creatures. But when his case is accidentally opened and his creatures are released into the streets of New York, it will be up to Newt and his friend Jacob to retrieve them from around the city before they cause too much trouble. However, when they are finally able to gather up the creatures, they encounter an even greater magical foe that they must stop before it sparks a war between wizards and humans. This movie is driven by stellar performances from an exceptional cast led by Eddie Redmayne.
Fantastic Beasts premeired on November 18, 2016.
As soon as he is introduced in the film, he establishes himself as the best character in the movie, and he is backed up by solid performances from Colin Farrell, Katherine Waterston, and Dan Fogler. And not to spoil anything, but Johnny Depp’s brief appearance provided enough of a threat to get me excited for the upcoming four movies J.K. Rowling has in store. The film provides plenty of easter eggs and callbacks to the previous Potter films for Potterheads like myself to be satisfied. Hogwarts
FANTASTICBEASTS.COM
is mentioned on numerous occasions, and we learn via Newt’s backstory that he attended Hogwarts but was expelled for the endangerment of other students. In another scene, when asked what he is seeking, Newt replies “I’m really more of a chaser,” which was sure to get a chuckle out of any Quidditch fan. As for the titular Fantastic Beasts, Scamander’s diverse collection of creatures provides the majority of the film’s wonder, as well as a touch of comedy. The Niffler, a mischievous, mole-like creature, provides a welcome dose of comedic relief. On the other hand, creatures like the Thunderbird and the Occamy are two beautiful beings that headline this film’s astounding visuals. The secret formula to this movie’s success is its ability to allow audiences to relive the wonder of magic without becoming repetitive. The magic behind Fantastic Beasts is that the film amazes with magic, without ever overdoing it. Overall, this movie is a solid addition to the Harry Potter universe that sets the foundation for more daring movies ahead. The plot was somewhat generic and didn’t take too many chances, but it still managed to keep audiences interested. The most important takeaway is that the magic still works for J.K. Rowling and that Potterheads have another series to get excited about.
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The Index
Arts
January 2017
Hop on the Westworld train to the Wild West Ben Warden ’18 The trailer was decent, but Westworld is an HBO show. HBO is the top provider of compelling television shows, over Netflix and cable TV. From The Sopranos to Game of Thrones, any show created under HBO would most likely be great. But this is not a review about HBO, this is about the network’s newest hit-drama, Westworld. Westworld tells the story of a futuristic theme park for adults taking place in the Old Wild West. The park is filled with different towns and hosts, or artificial beings that live in pretend towns and have different occupations around the park. For forty-thousand dollars a day guests can do just about whatever they want to in the park. From touring about the western lands to gunslinging and living out any of their fantasies, Westworld is a theme park like no other. But everything shifts when a host’s malfunction drives the park in a different direction. Westworld is very complex and in order to understand completely and also enjoy the show, undivided attention will be needed to make sure nothing gets ignored or forgotten. Aside from that, the program has a great cast containing a only a few big names, but a lot of talent within. Some big names include Anthony Hopkins, who plays Dr. Robert Ford, the man who created Westworld, and also Ed Harris, the non-law abiding gunslinger who wreaks havoc among the park. These two, along with many others, are the ones who make the show compelling. If
you enjoy shows or movies about cowboys and the Old West, the show is for you. Westworld is a complex show with phenomenal acting and a great storyline, so hop on the Westworld train too. Give it a try and watch the first episode.
“We can’t define consciousness because consciousness does not exist.” - Robert Ford
The Critics: Rotten Tomatoes: 89% Fresh IMDB: 9.1/10
Maeve Millay (Thandie Newton) and Hector Escaton (Rodrigo Santoro) meet in a dramatic scene.
HBO.COM
The Grand Tour: the superior car show Vincent Scauzzo ’20 Jeremy Clarkson. James May. Richard Hammond. Say those names anywhere in the car community and people will start cracking up. These three people might be the most successful television presenters of a niche show in history. The trio first started on Top Gear, a British car show based outside of London with an old airstrip as a test track and a hanger as a studio. The show had been on the air before, but with a different cast that went off the air in the late ‘90s. When the show came back on in the early 2000s, the BBC was producing it, which meant the show had more resources and a bigger budget. As the show grew over the years, people all over the world began to watch it. Once people started to watch it, they were hooked. Globally, Top Gear had 350 million viewers. The reason it was so popular was because it was extremely funny. The three presenters had a chemistry that provided the viewer with insightful information and laughs. It was also not just show where they reviewed cars. They also had cheap car challenges where they had to buy a sports car for under 1000 pounds, modify it, and then drive it for hundreds of miles across a foreign country. These were always the high points in the show because some of the problems they would get into were hilarious.
Their reviews were some of the best in the game. Top Gear had the best photographers and filmers to shoot for the show and that made for some epic reviews. Clarkson eventually realized how successful the show had become and began to think of himself as bigger than life. He had all the money he could ever want and had one of the most powerful names in the automotive business. That meant he had access to just about any car, or other vehicle, in the world. Sadly, power goes to the head. During the filming of season 22 of Top Gear, Clarkson punched a producer because he could not get a hot meal. He was suspended from the BBC, and later, got the ax. Hammond and May were unsure of what was to happen to the show, but they eventually quit because they believed the show could not run with only two presenters. The three-person dynamic was part of what made the show successful, and the trio being able to riff off each other added to the humor. Now, take it all in. Three of the most well-known people the car world are on the market. At first, people were blogging about the events that had taken place and were telling the BBC to bring the trio back. The BBC never did. Instead, they brought on a new cast and tried
The Grand Tour premiered on Amazon on November 18, 2016.
to reinvent the show with a new studio, test track, and “audience.” Coming from watching Top Gear with the old trio, it was difficult to watch the new group try to accomplish the same goals without bringing up the elephants in the room. It was too awkward, and to be honest, the new presenters were not very good. The script was too forced and the show did not flow very well. If someone watched Top Gear for their first time ever and saw the updated version, they would probably think it was fine, but for viewers of the old show, it is just too much change. As for the trio, they signed a deal with Amazon to produce their new show called The Grand Tour. It was supposed to pick up where they left off on the BBC and to continue their usual shenanigans and reviews. When the Internet first heard the the trio was going to be on Amazon Prime, there was just question: When does it air? Well, at the time news broke of the new show, there was no answer. They did not even have a name for the show until about four months before the day it released. Just a side note: The weekend the show launched on Amazon, the weekend of November 18, Amazon got more Prime subscribers than had ever gained in that amount of time. Still, rumors spread about what was going to be on the show
AMAZON.COM
and what would be different from Top Gear. Well, it turned out that not a whole lot changed. They still have a test track, though it is at a different location. They still have a test driver to perform timed laps, although, he will never be able to take “The Stig’s” place (That was the name of driver on Top Gear), but, because of legal reasons, they could not have a studio. To compensate, the trio decided to film each episode from inside a large event tent, and each episode, they film in a different country. The audience could fit inside the tent, and the studio atmosphere would still be present. As for the show itself, it is fantastic. The reviews are excellent, the trio is still funny as ever, and the challenges and drives are all very creative. On Top Gear, they used to do a segment in the studio called “The News,” where they talked about what was happening in the car world. This was one of the most entertaining segments of the show. The trio wanted to do that on The Grand Tour, but, again, because of legal reasons, they could not. Instead, they worked their way around the problem and called the news segment “Conversation Street.” They still technically do the news, but it is just under a different name. They also used to have a segment on Top Gear called “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car.” Jeremy would bring on a celebrity guest, talk with them, and them send them out onto the test track to do a lap in a cheap, little Euro-box. They wanted to continue this segment on The Grand Tour, too. But again, because the BBC owned the rights to that idea, they could not. Instead, they came up with the idea of “Celebrity Brain Crash.” It is supposed to be the same concept as “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car,” but instead of actually bringing on a guest, the celebrity dies. Well, obviously the celeb does not really die, but they pretend die by falling off a bridge into a river or get lifted into the stratosphere by balloons. Suddenly there is no guest and the show moves on. This part of the show because it seems pointless. They make an unrealistic joke when the guest dies and then just react nonchalantly and move on. The show still needs a little work. When the trio was on Top Gear at their peak, they were clever but still made quality episodes and provided useful information. Although the script still seems a bit too planned out, I would still highly recommend it. Props to the presenters for not going off the air. If the show ever comes to New York, Washington D.C., or even Philly, get
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The Index
Opinions/Politics
January 2017
I’m not ready to “Get Over It”
A response to Will Henderson’s December piece
Grant Sterman ’18 Dear anyone who read December’s article written in response to the protests of the 2016 election, Two months ago, the United States 2016 Presidential election concluded in a cascade of chaos. When such a shocking event (Presidentelect Trump’s victory) occurred, it came as no surprise when poor behavior was displayed by both the “winners” and the “losers.” And then came last month’s opinion piece titled “Get Over It,” well-written and clearly expressive of common feeling across the country. The exact definition of a conservative is one who aims to conserve. Therefore, it is understandable that the article lacks the reasoning that just because something is the way it is does not mean it should be that way. In other words, the status quo is not necessarily ideal: why would changing the Constitution be so tragic if it would clearly benefit the country? However, despite this clear undertone of arrogance (“Next time your party loses, and I’m quite confident it will in the next election”), my greatest issue with the article is the level of hypocrisy embedded in the article.
“The “Get Over It” article ... attacked these protesters with the same naivete and assumption that caused Hillary Clinton to lose her campaign.” Hypocrisy can often appear with those who themselves were once attacked and had not planned on winning. The “Get Over It” article embodied this notion: it attacked these protesters with the same naivete and assumption that caused
Hillary Clinton to lose her campaign. Clinton and many other Democrats were notorious for falsely categorizing supporters of her opponent. Many of her supporters took the immigration policy of the Republican candidate as a onelayer display of xenophobia. Likewise, this article conveniently overlooks quotes like “a basket of deplorables,” which worked more as a rallying cry for Republicans than a catalyzing agent for the undecided. “Get Over It” again falls short by labeling all these protestors as “those who do not understand the laws of our country.” And the similarities to Secretary Clinton are not the only layer of absurdity to this line. The First Amendment not only guarantees the right to peaceably protest, which admittedly not all the “Not My President” protests were, but it also guarantees the right to “petition the Government for a redress of grievances” — an exact description of what all of these protests are. The article quickly deems the line “Not My President” to be a call for democratic upheaval. Instead, this message showed that whatever the future actions of the President-elect may be, those dissenting can live with their consciences at rest knowing they stuck to their principles. Even so, the people protesting a leader who represents the minority of the country and an electoral process severely outdated is also, quite literally, one of the most democratic and American things that can be done. The point of all this is not to bash the contents of the article, as rallies for both political campaigns often got out of hand. Rather, it is a mere attempt to show that the truth is always somewhere in the middle. Sincerely, someone who hopes your opinions are never berated by another.
Trump’s First 100 Days Robert Esgro ’19 The first 100 days of a presidency may be the most important of a term because they mark when a president is most influential and has the most support. President Donald Trump has made several historic promises throughout his campaign which have garnered various opinions throughout the country and at Haverford. In a speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, then Republican Nominee Trump outlined what he measures he will take in order to“Make America Great Again.” “Build a wall” has been a focal point of Trump’s 2016 campaign. The issue is based on an influx of immigrants coming from Mexico or other countries without passports or legal certification to enter the country. President Trump suggested that, in order to pick up the slack for border patrolmen, a wall be built. One student said, “I think it is unfair for people to enter the country illegally if there is a legal way to enter.” Although the idea of having a wall seems to be well-intentioned, the cost of it is another issue. The Washington Post estimates the wall will cost $25 billion. President Trump has promised that he will force the Mexican government to pay for it, but to some that does not seem possible. Fourth Former Sean Clark said, “It is not worth the money. Tightening border control would be much more effective.” Even some Republicans do not find “The Wall” a realistic proposition. “Honestly, I don’t think the wall will be built,” Fourth Former Carter Karinshak said. “I do know the border will be much more secure and that is all that matters.” President Trump has most vehemently supported the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
Trump argues that although “Obamacare” was well-intentioned, it was poorly executed, too expensive, and too intrusive on the common American. For example, the Affordable Care Act requires almost all Americans to have healthcare or pay a fine. President Trump promises the prompt repeal of Obamacare, a point on which Fourth Former Nick Parente agrees. “The idea of Obamacare was there, but poorly executed.” Trump promises that Obamacare will be repealed and a better plan will be simultaneously set into place. Third Former Sam Reisbord said, “If they have a good enough replacement, why not repeal it?” Trump promises to “propose a Constitutional Amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress.” Through this act, Trump says he will “drain the swamp,” a term he uses to describe the careerism and special interests that run rampant in Washington. By creating a Constitutional term limit on members of Congress, there will no longer be Congressmen who have been working in the Capitol their entire lives. The act may force new faces, and more importantly new opinions, into the legislative branch. Third Former Aidan Lowe said, “I think term limits are, in general, a good thing for our country, because they protect democracy and the interests of the population.” Trump’s “contract with the American voter” goes even further, lowering the corporate tax rate from 35% to 15%. He believes the reduction will repatriate corporate tax money, currently overseas and not taxed. Also, Trump states he will work toward school choice. “I will work with Congress to introduce the following broader legislative measures and fight for their passage within the first 100 days of my Administration,” Trump said.
“See No Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak No Evil”
Aditya Sardesai ’20
JOHN SNAPE
Does the administration listen to its students?
Haverford’s strong infrastructure and tight-knit community allows students to address concerns about the world, the community, and the school. Facebook groups, faculty advisors, and student council representatives all provide open ears for students to raise grievances. Whether or not “the administration listens to students enough” is a difficult question to answer. Does “listening to students” require some sort of action taken and how does one even define “enough”? Whether or not the administration listens to students depends on how students approach the administration with their concerns. Although they may often overlook it, students play an important role in school policy: they elect their representatives. In order for change to happen, students need to bring up their concerns to their student council representatives, and then the representatives need to bring them to the administration. However, it is not enough to simply point out a problem. Providing solutions lends credence to the issue and increases the likelihood of action. On the tail end of this process, the administration should analyze the concern and come up with a plan to address the issue, either explaining why the status quo is suitable or taking specific
measures. The administration must consider the broader implications of the suggestions, and so it is unrealistic for the administration to accommodate every student demand. As a result, student dissatisfaction to the response may often arise from them overlooking or not being privy to additional information about the long-term effects of certain suggestions. However, the real magic happens when students and administration come together to make the school a better place. There needs to be a constant pulse-check between the students, student council representatives, and the administration. Representatives need to be able to sense the concerns of the students, and there needs to be a constant dialogue. The perception that the administration may not be listening to students “enough” suggests that the dialogue between the two bodies is lacking. Student Body President Evan Scott said, “All the power is held in the students.” It is our job as students to use this power. The administration does listen to students when their concern affects many -- something that does not happen much. Administrators strive to make Haverford a wonderful place for all its students, and it is our responsibility as students to help them do so.
DONALDJTRUMP.COM
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The Index
Politics/Sports
January 2017
Understanding Obamacare, and what’s next Bill Wu ‘17
“Obamacare is a complete and total disaster.” “Our health care is a horror show.” Almost everyone has heard President-elect Trump’s harsh criticisms of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the law better known as Obamacare. The ACA went in effect in late 2013. It has aimed to increase the quality, availability, and affordability of health insurance for the millions of previously uninsured Americans. It employs various new taxes, regulations, mandates, and subsidies to achieve those goals. Health insurance is typically categorized under three groups:
“Four out of the five largest health insurance companies, UnitedHealth, Anthem, Aetna, and Humana, have each lost at least $300 million” employer, government, and private. Employerbased health insurance is largely funded by the company that one works for. Governmentbased insurance offers subsidies and services like Medicaid, which gives health coverage to those that fall below a certain income level. Private health insurance is provided by private, for-profit insurance companies. These companies collect monthly “premium” checks from its clients, and when people get sick, the insurance companies pay for the expensive hospital stays and medical costs. So far, Obamacare has prohibited insurance companies from dropping coverage or hiking premiums based on people getting sick, having a pre-existing condition, or due to gender discrimination. Young adults also can now stay on their parents’ plans until age 26. Obamacare has also introduced a health insurance marketplace that allows people seeking private insurers to
compare prices for the best plan. Furthermore, Obamacare mandates that many employers provide coverage for their employees and a tax fee for anyone who does not have an insurance plan. Among Republicans, there is a consensus that Obamacare’s tax penalties for those without an insurance plan are hurting American citizens. They point out two major problems with the tax penalty: indirectly driving up insurance premiums and directly violating the Constitution. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, annual health insurance premiums reached $18,142 per family in 2016. The Obamacare tax penalty currently in place mandates, whichever being greater, a 2.5% increase to one’s tax bill, or a flat rate of $695 per adult and $347.50 per child, to a maximum of $2,085. According to Dr. David Hogberg from the conservative National Center of Public Policy Research, 61% of young adults between the ages of 18-34 who are single and without children have at least a $500 incentive to choose the tax penalty over an Obamacare exchange. A further 49% of young adults have at least a $1000 incentive. Without the healthy young adults supporting the insurance companies with premiums, the exchanges will enter what Dr. Hogberg calls a “death spiral,” in which only the old and sick participate in the insurance exchanges, and premiums will soar. Some Republicans argue that these tax penalties are not enough of an incentive, proposing higher penalties. This could lead to angering the youth population, however, since they would have to endure yet another blow imposed upon them. Other Republicans argue that forcing Americans to buy health insurance even overreaches the powers laid out on the Constitution. According to a Washington Post opinion piece by conservative lawyers David Rivkin and Lee Casey, there should be a judicial recognition that “the Commerce Clause does not allow Congress to regulate noneconomic activities merely because, through a chain of causal effects, they might have an economic impact.” In other
PUBLIC DOMAIN PHOTO - HARRIS&EWING VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The Supreme Court in Winter 1939
words, the government is not allowed to police the decisions of Americans to buy health insurance, which may or may not affect economic activity. On the other side, Democrats generally agree that due to Obamacare, the number of uninsured Americans has plummeted, which has been supported by the Census Bureau and Gallup polls. They also believe that Obamacare has slowed overall health spending, citing the White House’s report that per capita health care spending has grown at 1.3% from 2010-2013, one-third of the long-term historical average stretching back to 1965. Critics argue that this slowdown began years before Obamacare was enacted into law, and that it has a large influence from the recent economic recession. Democrats also argue that Obamacare has brought about an increase in rights, benefits, and protections, as well as a more affordable health insurance for the majority of Americans. Hillary Clinton had
expressed unconditional support for Obamacare, and she planned to expand the program to illegal immigrants as well. Setting aside political biases, the direct impact of Obamacare has been a population that is overall better covered under higher quality health insurance. Still, many of the largest insurance companies are withdrawing Obamacare exchanges from a majority of states. Four out of the five largest health insurance companies, as measured by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, UnitedHealth, Anthem, Aetna, and Humana, have each lost at least $300 million on their Obamacare plans in 2016, with UnitedHealth especially suffering, losing $850 million. As a result, UnitedHealth has cut its offers of insurance exchange plans from thirty-four states to just three. Humana is exiting eight out of the nineteen states, and “reducing its presence to just 156 counties, from 1,351 a year ago,” according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Aetna stopped selling plans in eleven out of its original fifteen states, and its C.E.O. Mark Bertolini remarked that, “The exchanges are a mess as they exist today. They’re losing a lot of money for a lot of people.” The massive retreats of major health insurance companies will spell trouble for those counties in which one or no health insurance companies are present, since market competition fights to keep prices and premiums low. The multi-faceted issue of Obamacare has incited a huge amount of debate. This issue is not one that can be easily solved through political means, as there is a giant mess of conflicting interests from different parties in Washington D.C. We can only keep our fingers crossed that under a Trump presidency, hopefully “Trumpcare” will borrow from policies that already have been demonstrated to work and will build on the successes and failures of Obamacare.
Are Winter Break practices destroying your body? Richie Sounders ‘17
Many winter athletes give their blood, sweat, and tears over winter break. Depending on the sport an athlete plays, the commitment level over winter break varies widely. This variation may have an effect on an athlete physically and mentally. Practices and tournaments scheduled over the days off interfere with other obligations and plans athletes may have over the break with friends and family. Whether that be religious obligations, vacation, family gatherings, holiday plans, etc., some coaches give athletes a hard time when they attempt to attend those instead of practicing. A strong commitment over the break can help an athlete keep the edge they have worked for over the course of the season, but it can also restrict them from taking a physical and mental break from the hard and stressful work they have put in the classroom and on their respective athletic fields. In past years, Haverford has had tremendous athletic success. With success comes pressure to do well in upcoming years. Sixth Form Varsity Track and Field runner David Hogarth said, “At Haverford, coaches expect a lot from our athletes and hold them to a high standard to make sure that Haverford continues its athletic success.” Maintaining that success comes longer practices and less rest time throughout the season, Hogarth said, “[Track] can be manageable for the most part” but “[athletes] don’t get a lot of recovery time.” During winter break, most athletes are expected to be at practice and work out every day. Too much practice with not enough rest greatly increases the chances for someone to get injured. Assistant Athletic Director Mr. William Wardle said, “I see the injuries of guys pulling muscles, having sprains that wouldn’t normally occur, but just because they are working so hard doing double practices, going 6-7-8 days in a row without a break, you are going to get burnout, and then that leads to injuries.” Maintaining a social life helps to escape the
Fig Gowen hitting a forehand during a Winter Break practice
atmosphere of hard work for a couple days during slotted times of break. When a varsity athlete is faced with this, they do not take any of these breaks. If there is practice, Mr. Wardle said, “Families are going to have to plan around that, or it will affect the student athlete and his place on the team. It’s just the sad truth.” Sixth Form Squash Captain Duncan Joyce said, “When they are doing it for that long, a lot
of kids eventually hate doing that sport because they get too tired of it, and it’s too stressful.” Even though athletes have this big commitment, there are some positives. “I never really felt like I got out of the swing of things here at Haverford,” Sixth Form Swimmer Ross Harryhill said. “While it is necessary, the downside really is that it kind of got my mood down, having to go in and do all this work every day, but I realize now that it’s
RICHIE SOUNDERS ‘17
worth it.” Mr. Wardle said, “There is also the emotional and psychological burnout. Some athletes can handle it, and they just want to do that sport all year round, but some athletes don’t have the mental, emotional stamina for it, and they are just gonna burn out, and by the end of the season they are just done.”
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Joyce, squash take Inter-Ac. Next up, national title. Samuel Turner ‘18 Most Haverford winter athletic teams are approaching the bulk of their regular season, with the rare practice embedded in strings of competitive games. And until this year, squash would have followed suit. However, on January 11, Varsity A clinched the Inter-Ac title in a convincing 6-3 victory over Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCHA). In the first three matches of the season, Varsity A downed Conestoga A, Episcopal Academy, and William Penn Charter each in a dominating fashion of 9-0. Varsity A’s victory over SCHA in front of their home crowd of forty completed their undefeated run in the regular season. Director of Squash and Varsity A Head Coach Asad Khan wants to capitalize on the practice sessions over the next few weeks so that both Varsity A and B teams will be in top shape before heading to MASA (Mid-Atlantic Squash Association) Regional High Schools Team Championships on February 3rd and The HEAD 2017 U.S. High School Team Championships the following weekend. Coach Khan said, “I want to emphasize the most important thing that I believe in as a coach: team chemistry and unity. Practicing more will allow the boys to spend more time together and learn to believe in each other.” While the Varsity A team only dropped three individual matches this season, Coach Khan has diagnosed potential areas of improvement: “I would really like for our boys to work on being more patient in the rallies: the matches we have lost, we lost because our boys have made more unforced errors and because we need to improve speed and endurance.” Sixth Form Co-Captain and current #1 Duncan Joyce agreed, “There’s a bunch of guys that could work harder on their fitness and spend more time on court and in the gym,” Joyce said. “It’s not always enough, at the high school level, if
Basketball, cont.
you’re just naturally talented: you need to put in the time.” Increased endurance and speed will provide the team with the tools to outlast their opponents and think more clearly under pressure, a hallmark of top squash players. Mental toughness is widely acclaimed as the differentiating characteristic between good squash players and great. Joyce said, “Mental strength is something we’ve really struggled with a lot in the past. It’s part of the reason that we fell short in nationals last year -- because of pure mental toughness of the players on Brunswick team, we had a couple five-game losses.” The team is seeking revenge over its Greenwich rival The Brunswick School, and so over the coming weeks before nationals, Joyce offered some advice to his teammates. “The best way to strengthen yourself mentally is to every time you step on court, pretend you’re in the fifth game and envision yourself winning in those tough situations,” Joyce said. “If you’re playing a challenge match, pretend like it’s the finals of a tournament: that’s the only way you’ll get anything out of it.” Come time for Haverford to face Brunswick, Coach Khan said, “We need to be in better shape [than our competition] to seal the deal. Otherwise, if we played [Brunswick] today, it could go either way. Number one area to work on is mental: having a strategy to apply and being mentally strong enough to enforce that strategy. Number two is physical training: they need to be in shape.” Coach Khan has drawn up extensive plans to perfect these two areas of the sport “I want to get in touch with Matt Rosko and see if we can use some stationary bikes (very little, if any, chance of injury). We are also going to do some more plyometric/explosive workouts and footwork, speed, etc. I want to have each component of
fitness worked on separately,” Coach Khan said. After training for several weeks, the Varsity A and B teams -- each composed of seven players and an alternate, instead of the nine during the regular season -- will travel to Hartford, Connecticut for High School Nationals, where they will face the likes of the Brunswick School, Avon Old Farms,
each player will face immense pressure as he steps onto court. Keeping this in mind, Joyce said, “The most important thing to keep in mind throughout the tournament is for everyone to stay really focused not just on your individual matches but on the team as a whole. The only way you can win the match for the whole team
Mr. Jim Roese
P.J Rodden hitting a backhand drive in Squash’s match vs. SCHA on January 12th
and even Belmont Hill. Joyce said, “This is definitely the strongest team Haverford has ever fielded, especially for nationals. We are definitely going in for the first time ever as the favorites for nationals.” With heavy expectations, likely top-seeds, and rallying cries from teammates and opponents,
DAVID BUNN ’17
is if you get the win for yourself, and if everyone is doing it for the team, then you get the match.” With renewed mental and physical fortitude, the Fords will look to do exactly this come February 10th and capture the national pennant for the first time in school history.
Swimming, diving set sights on Malvern Matt LaRocca ‘18
whether this means double teaming or jumping the gun on some plays or just not letting them get the ball.” This dynamic and aggressive play style allows the Fords to adjust during games. Most notably, the Fords emphasized this aggression and high pace during their matchup against Germantown Academy. Inter-Ac champions for the past four years, GA looked poised when facing off against Haverford in one of their biggest games. Focusing on individual players like GA’s biggest scorers, McCluskey and Longino, enabled the team to isolate the two and keep the aggression on defense high. Stratts states, “GA didn’t have anything else besides those two players and once we did that, everything else fell in place. We kept scoring, and they didn’t.” Ciardi said, “Another thing I find we do really well is the ability to create plays out of nothing. Coach Rogers preaches a ‘team play’ system which emphasizes passing and not just looking for your best player but to find the best shot.” While the season progressed through the winter months, the Fords brought back stronger and better results each week. “As we kept winning, the players got more and more excited, realizing that we have the chance to be pretty good. We’re getting more competitive in each practice,” Coach Rogers said. The team’s success has lead them to an impressive 14-1 record, and their results can only get better with this level of play. At 3-0 in the Inter-Ac and a near perfect record overall, Stratts said, “there will be teams that want to come after us, and we have to answer by playing just as hard as we’ve been playing in any of these games.” Later in January, the Fords will take on Malvern Prep, in addition to Episcopal Academy at home as they look to continue their stellar season. The past two months of Haverford basketball proves why no other team is more determined than the Fords to bring home the Inter-Ac title for the first time in over seventeen years. The hunger to win keeps them going.
Last winter, the Haverford swimming and diving team finished with a 5-1 record (4-1 in the Inter-Ac), culminating with a second place finish behind Peddie at the Easterns Prep Championships at LaSalle University. While the team lost several key members from their 2016 team, the 2017 group still has sky-high expectations. The team returns many key swimmers from last season including Sixth Formers Charlie Ryan, Ross Harryhill, Joe O’Brien, Chris Callegari, and Will Russell. The team also brings back Fifth Formers Alex Boratto, John Nelligan, and T.J. Brooks. Like previous years, underclassmen have made a huge impact. Fourth Former J.R. Leitz and Third Formers
Brian Brennan, Antonio Octaviano, and Anton Crescente should be massive point scorers for the Fords this season. Because of the numerous returning key swimmers from last season, the Fords have big goals for this season. “We want to win the InterAc,” said O’Brien. Haverford swimming has not won the InterAc league since 1945. All five of the Inter-Ac teams are talented and have been working hard, so they could prove trouble in the Fords’ quest for their first trophy since World War II. While O’Brien’s goal may be difficult to achieve, the team knows it is possible because of all the hard work they have put in during this long season. To win an Inter-Ac championship, the Fords
Charlie Ryan supporting a 61-17 win over SCHA on January 6, 2017
recognize they must beat Malvern, which has defeated Haverford to win the Inter-Ac for the last few seasons. “Malvern, for the past few years, have been a team built around their depth. Our top guys should be able to win more races than their top guys.” said O’Brien. The Fords’ strong underclassmen will be key in the Friday, January 27 matchup. “The key to beating them this year is winning those third and fourth places over them,” O’Brien said. “I’m pretty optimistic because they graduated some very important swimmers last year. While we did too, we have a stronger third form class coming up.”
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Wrestling off to strong start to Hagel Era Neetish Sharma ‘19 The wrestling team has kicked off to a strong start. Under the Sixth Form leadership of Chris Kober, Richie Souders, Danny Grobman, Chris Hervada, and Joel Trucksess, the team looks to make even more of an impact this year. Placing first at the New Hope Solebury Tournament and just recently sweeping Germantown Academy with a score of 48-24, the team looks to dominate even more this year. Key wrestlers such as Fourth Formers Ryan Shephard and Connor Tracy, Fifth Former Chase McCollum, and Sixth Formers Richie Souders, Danny Grobman, and Chris Kober have helped pave the way for team victories. Under the leadership of new head coach Mr. Greg Hagel, the team has been able to be exposed to many more opportunities. Coach Hagel has had significant coaching experience at
the St. Paul’s School in Maryland, and that has opened doors in terms of competing schools for this team. This year, the team has been able to compete at Mt. St. Joseph High School’s Mount Mat Madness tournament, where they placed 10th out of 32 schools (one of which was the #1 ranked Blair Academy). The team will soon compete in Maryland at The Gilman School’s signature Gilman Duals. “I’ve been very proud with our team,” Coach Hagel said. We’ve had a strong season so far, and I’m looking to make it even stronger as we progress. As with any team, there’s a lot of stuff we need to work on. This year, the focus has been on details. I make sure we pay attention to them, as that can be the difference between a win or a loss. Hopefully, we’ll be able to make it happen this year.” Richie Souders pinning his opponent in a Wrestling match
Joel Trucksess closes in on a pin in a convincing 48-24 team win over Germantown Academy on Friday, January 13
DAVID BUNN ‘17
JACKSON OVERTON-CLARK ‘19
Winter track sprint towards States George Rubin ‘17 The winter track team starts the season strong, with relay teams qualifying for the state meet. Many runners have qualified for the Meet of Champions, which is the final and most important meet of the year for those who do not qualify for the state meet. “The first few meets were all about getting qualifications out of the way, especially in the relays, so that guys would be free to try and qualify for individual events later in the season,” says senior distance runner Anthony Calvelli.
“It is hard to run fast indoors, so we use it as a base period to prepare to run fast when the spring rolls around.” -A. Calvelli According to head coach Luqman Kolade, runners have performed as planned, consistently, with no surprises. Despite some of the distance runners taking slower times, Calvelli is confident that they are on track to succeed at the end of season championship meets and be prepared for spring track. “The top few distance runners have had a decent season thus far. We’re not running as fast as we did last spring, but the purpose of the indoor season is to get back to running the times we did last year. It is hard to run fast indoors, so we use it as a base period to prepare to run fast when the spring rolls around.” Members of the distance squad or “D-squad” as its members affectionately refer to it, are all clear on their goals. Calvelli says, “My personal goals are to match my PR from last year in the mile (4:37) and to help my relay team break the school record in the distance medley relay at the Meet of Champions.” Despite a successful start to the season, some runners have backtracked due to health issues. “One challenge we have had is injuries,” Calvelli said, “So as the season progresses, the team needs to focus on staying healthy so that we can reach our potential at the important late-season meets.”
What are you doing on Friday night? Basketball plays EA, 7:30, at home, in the gym.
Be there. Solomon Dorsey airborn in action at Haverford College Invitational last year
MR. JIM ROESE
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January 2017
Sports
After thriller vs. EA, hockey confident, ready for GA Connor Lees ‘17 “On paper, we’re stronger than almost every team in the league, and we’re working to capitalize on this.” In his first season as head coach, Dr. Dan Goduti is right to be confident about his squad. Following a semi-final run to the Independence League semi-finals last year, the hockey team and its coach have high expectations. Nearing the halfway point in the season, the team is tied for second place in the league standings and are in contention for the playoffs. But ANC, Episcopal, and Germantown Academy stand in between the team and that elusive Independence League title. Coach Goduti’s focus in his first season has been to establish a new culture within the program. “That is a tall order for anyone,” Coach Goduti admitted. “But they are working hard to figure out how to leave a positive legacy for years to come” The culture change has not gone unnoticed. “We have improved on a lot of things because of [the coaching change]” said Sixth Former Parker Henderer. Coach Goduti’s new coaching style “allows the team to put all our energy into the game instead of not knowing what to do on the bench right before a shift.” After finishing the non conference schedule undefeated, the hockey team ran into Germantown Academy. “‘The [7-2 loss] to GA was a tough one,” said Coach Goduti. Henderer said, “We did not play our A-game versus GA. The Sixth Formers and the coaches knew something had to change after that loss, and we talked it out.” After the game, Henderer predicted “big things to come from the hockey team.” Hockey fans did not have to wait long for those “big things.” The team rebounded from the loss with a thrilling 4-3 win at the Skatium versus EA.
Max Brooks skating with the puck, looking to score
The Skatium is ten minutes from school, so the team got more fans than normal. “‘It’s always awesome to get to play at the Skatium,” Henderer said. “We get a crowd of kids out there to get rowdy and support us.” The team scored four quick goals in the first period, but late penalties let EA back in the game. The
MR. JIM ROESE
Fords held on for the 4-3 win. “Haverford hasn’t won it in some time, but we’ve been in the playoffs for the past three years, so we think [a championship] is a real possibility,” Sixth Former Kirk Oliver said. With games left against GA, EA, and ANC, the team still has some work left. “If we can
make it to the league championship, we have a secret weapon,” Coach Goduti said. “The league has scheduled it to be a night game at the Skatium - and I know we can count on all of our fans being there to cheer us to victory.”
The Outdex Editors: Andrew Lengel, Will Pechet Contributors: Chris Delaney, Jose Martinez, Jack McKnight, Ed Garno, David Bunn, Grayson Nunnelee, Mohid Khan, Jack Brown
Andrew Lengel Common App Activity #5: Head of School Newspaper (joke section). Jeremy Stern did a reflection on how he didn’t do anything and this year’s seniors STILL got nothing. Rumor has it Jose didn’t write a “Why Harvard” essay, rather they wrote him a “Why Jose” essay. The Haverford School~ preparing boys for The University of Pe... *cough cough* I mean life. “Sadly, I’ve found that the National Geographic channel makes me laugh more than the jokes in the Outdex do” -Jose Martinez. When asked “what’s your favorite memory” for the video at the Sixth Form blazer fittings, Dan Heffernan answered with “so this one time...” and proceeded to talk for ten minutes. Some notable proposals for Senior Projects include:
Jack Brown proposed he will do “something probably” and the administration just shrugged their shoulders and let it pass in hopes he will actually do something.
Evan Scott will be delving into an independent study on how to get the upper school to take your unique, cool speeches seriously.
Karl Eckert and Tucker Matus having some intergalatic fun.
Tucker Matus walking into school, actual photo.