The Index Eutxia Swzein Dokei
Volume LXXII, No. 7
June 2011
Haverford, Pennsylvania
Congratulations to the Class of 2011
Photo Credit: Linda Walters Photography
under the guidance of captains Rameen Vafa and Jacob White, seized first-place trophies across all regional competitions and went to Disney World for the World Championships for the first time in the club’s history. With a record number of Sixth Formers committed to Division I colleges, the Fords lacrosse team entered the year with the title of number one in the nation. They have stayed there after 23 consecutive wins despite the incessant carpings of critics. DECA, under the tutelage of co-founders Sachin Patel, Nick Desatnick, and Ben Cutler grew into an organization that qualified more members to state and national competitions than did any other club chapter in Pennsylvania. The silverware they bring back to school has already proved a tripping hazard. And for the most part, we actually attended school right on the through to the end of the second semester. But I believe that the single greatest asset of this class was our underestimated ability to become a tight-knit brotherhood. As the last of the cramped, but cohesive “Haverford West” generations, it would seem appropriate that we would embody the virtues that make
Changhee Han ‘11 A friend once told me that everyone tries to live up to everyone else’s standards. And to a certain extent, this is true; we want to please everyone, whether it be a teacher or friend. But in a particularly competitive school such as Haverford, success is sometimes only measured by how much we exceed the norm. Bill Watterson makes light of this concept of over-achievement in his beloved “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strips by having the protagonist proclaim, “I find my life is a lot easier the lower I keep everyone’s expectations.” Before this year’s Sixth Formers were even able to step into the school, the entire class was subjugated to comparisons with last year’s graduating class. Joe Cilio’s rousing class speeches. Superior athletic and academic achievements. Raucous fan clubs for sports teams of all seasons. The Class of 2011 had to overcome these expectations the whole year, and we’ve done ourselves a good job at that. Captained by Joe McCallion and Vince Garman, the football team clinched the first outright Inter-Ac title since 1971. Robotics,
Where to Next?
Photo Credit: 2.bp.blogspot.com
The End of an Era
As our multi-talented Sixth Formers say goodbye to Haverford, where are they starting the next stage of their lives? The College Matriculation List is on on Page 3.
Survey Results The Index surveyed 87 Upper School students. Favorite lunches, hours of sleep, uses of Facebook - we have it all. See the results on Pages 7 and 12
After teaching at Haverford for an astounding 37 years, Mr. Edward Hallowell is retiring. Read the story on Page 5.
Lacrosse Team #1 in the Nation
Haverford what it is: a family. Armed with vuvuzuelas, togas, and cowboy gear, Sixth Formers transformed home basketball games into rallying grounds for the entire community. The Theater III class performed in front of a filled Ball Auditorium with an audience mainly composed of classmates. And with the support of the class, student president Armen Melikian easily filled the massive void left by Joe Cilio, matching the latter president in both humor and charisma. I can confidently attribute this sudden change in behavior to the collective realization that we are about to graduate. While teachers wonder why students cannot adopt the “seizethe-day” mentality earlier in their high school careers, we have to recognize that it will always be this way every year, everywhere. Maturity, after all, is a long road that everyone will forever walk. For us, we have been given a nudge in the right direction with our graduation date as the prodding stick. But because of this sense of impending departure and loss, our carpe diem mindset becomes all the more genuine, and for that, we can be forgiven for the frivolity in our
Photo Credit: haverford.org
Rising Third Form Sports Stars
The Haverford lacrosse team has done the unthinkable: after starting the season ranked #1 in high school national polls, it went 23-0 and held that ranking the entire year. That road was not without its tense moments. Read about the season and nail-biting 23rd game on Page 9.
With the departure of the Class of 2011, we welcome a new class to the Upper School the Class of 2015. They bring a selection of athletes that will shore up Haverford’s sports teams for years to come. Get the details on Page 11.
Photo by Ms. Dawn Blake
Photo by Ms. Dawn Blake
younger years. So where do we go from here? “Take care of each other.” This was the only requirement that Dr. Cox asked of the class before the prom. Regardless of whatever path in life we have decided on, the single most important thing that we can do is uphold the ideals that Haverford has instilled in us from the beginning. But if we had to condense Haverford into one virtue, it would be compassion. Respect, character, honesty, courage, and love are only derivatives of this trait, and if we took it a step further, all of this simply means “take care of each other.” Especially in a world that tends to be unforgiving, this compelling bit of advice can prove to be the greatest commodity that our community has to offer. I have had an incredible time here. Everyone around me has achieved an incredible amount of growth since the first time I met them back at Camp Conrad Weiser in the fall of 2007. And this is only the beginning. Class of 2011, it has been an incredible honor. I wish everyone success in their future endeavors. Class of 2012, good luck topping us.
Also Inside the Issue... Presidential letter, pg. 2 Graduation Projects, pg. 4 Gender Equality in the Curriculum, pg. 4 Farewells, starting on pg. 5 Artist of the Issue, pg. 7 Notables Recap, pg. 7 NFL Lockout, pg. 11 And much more...