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Volume LXXIII, No. 10
June 2012
Farewell to the Class of 2012 Tadas Antanavicius ‘12 There comes a time to walk up those steps, stroll down the stage, and pick up that Haverford School diploma. Some do so with great pride. Others do it with great anticipation. Still others feel a sense of sadness. For most, it comes down to a mixture of the three. Pride, anticipation, and sadness: three qualities that every member of the Class of 2012 should hold close to his heart as he walks down that stage. Pride for the accomplishments he has achieved, anticipation for the years that are to follow a Haverford graduation, and sadness that these fruitful years must come to an end. The Class of 2012 leaves behind a legacy of inspiring leadership and community. Despite its relatively small total of 90 students, the Class set a new standard of team and club success through its consistent achievement on nationwide and worldwide scales. Yet, these men would all be the first to say that it was due to their supporting cast, and not their own roles, that they brought home all the successes that they did. After all, “No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it,” as Andrew Carnegie once said. A familiar but nonetheless impressive accomplishment, the Lacrosse team and its leaders, Will McNamara, Henry Blynn, and James Chakey, continued their nationwide dominance to hover once again near the very top of all national rankings. A few months earlier, Andrew Helber, Connor O’Prey, Kevin Zipf, and Jimmy Orsini did much the same with the swimming and diving team as they cleaned the board with record times and gave the team its best year in Haverford’s history. The list of sports achievements goes on: Harrison Kendall and Nate Arronson’s soccer team made a surprising run onto the national scene. B.G. Lemmon and Sam Henderson’s squash team finished fifth in the nation. A group of wrestlers made their way to top national finishes, Ron Tassoni among them. Beyond sports, the Class of 2012 showed
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that leaders can help achieve greatness off the playing fields as well. The Robotics team settled in as one of the best programs in the entire world under the wings of Sixth Formers, such as Chris Compendio, Tadas Antanavicius, Kelly Mao, and Steven Molitor. DECA, spearheaded by Jonathan Smith and Fitz Tepper, proved that Haverford’s businessminded could compete with the best in the world as well. With the help of Dave Harris, the debate team too found itself with several members in far-reaching competitions. In one of the more remarkable feats of the year, Dan Brennan took the Tennis team to an unbelievable 19-0 record. Tennis, generally regarded as a very individualistic sport, was transformed into a true team sport by this group of athletes and its leaders. Fighting through every match and every point side by side, encouraging each other on, helping each other out, the Tennis team gave a real indication of what Haverford and the Class of 2012 are all about: community. Those successes do not just come naturally. It takes hard work, dedication, a love for what you do and the desire to get better at it – the rewards and achievements come as byproducts. All of this is made possible by a true community spirit. No underclassman is ever left behind, and everyone is sincerely proud to be a Ford. There is no greater motivation than the belief that you do what you do not for yourself, but for the man next to you – for the Haverford name. The year has proven that Haverford is a place where Haverford men stand strong – and respectfully – together, exhibited during the events following an unsportsmanlike showing by an opposing water polo team this year. Haverford is where men stand behind their school no matter what the case, such as when the community spoke out against the tirade of a Philadelphia Magazine blogger who questioned Haverford’s practice of hosting international students. Game after game, the so-called “Gentlemen’s Club” made its presence felt as the group of Haverford students made its way to cheer on sports of all kinds. These
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same rabid fans stood by with unfaltering and unconditional pride and respect when Haverford’s Lacrosse team happened to lose its final game of the season. A heartbreaker to be sure, but these Haverford men stood together to show that it was not one game that defined an outrageously impressive season. And at what other all-boys school is it acceptable – nay, greatly respectable – to get to school at 7AM to practice singing in an a cappella group? At what other all-boys school is it considered a shame if you did not spend your Friday or Saturday night watching a production of Hairspray? This article touches upon but a few of the Class of 2012’s influences as leaders of Haverford. The other influences also do nothing less than enforce the fact that being a part of Haverford is being a part of a brotherhood: a brotherhood made of leaders who not only excel themselves but also foster an environment that teaches their peers how to excel – and that is what it means to be a member of Haverford’s Class of 2012. It’s been a pleasure, Class of 2012.
In addition to the Class of 2012, many beloved faculty members are leaving Haverford. Read their farewells on Pages 6 and 7.
Check out the monthly fan-favorite column, Eating with Sam, on Page 4. This month he reviews the eateries inside Suburban Square’s famous Farmers’ Market.
The Great Rick George Hall ‘15 The campaign tactics used by Erich Prince, who is perhaps better known as Rick O’Donnell, and his supporters while he was running for Student Body President overshadowed his unique message. Prince’s priorities were, most importantly, making everything at Haverford based around a tightknit community. Along with that, he wanted to open up Student Council meetings to other members of the Student Body to listen directly to their ideas. Prince also wanted to spend less money and not charge students any more than is absolutely necessary. Finally, he wanted to learn everybody’s names, so that he could know everyone in the community. Just 23 votes edged him out, proving to be the difference between President and Representative for Prince; he lost the spot to current Fifth Former Michael Green. When asked if he would have changed anything about what he did, Prince says he regrets nothing. As Prince puts it, he wanted to “create something that was real, something that was more than just a building or words printed neatly on a wall, something providing an enduring enthusiasm that would acknowledge differences while emphasizing solidarity.” At the same time, he wanted to create something that is fun, where everyone is able to appreciate the simple fact that nobody is the same. Concerning financials, Prince had a different view than all other candidates. He wanted to charge no more than the bare minimum, as opposed to student council’s usual view. Mr. Prince said, “Rick was about getting stuff done, while having fun, while not being afraid to make a fool of yourself.” Continued on Page 7
Article Senior Project Blurbs Letter from the President Matriculation List De Libris Book Review Arts in Philadelphia Mr. Kolade’s Reviews Educational Insight Henry Weighs In Plays in 2012-13
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Article Page Notables’ Farewell 8 Mr. Brodine Profile 8 Farewell, Coach Barker 9 Historic Tennis Team 9 Track Soars 9 Baseball’s Playoff Run 10 Kevin Brennan Profile 11 76’ers Fever 11 Outdex 12