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June 2012 Index

Page 1

The Index Eutαxia Swzein Dokei

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

Also inside the Issue...

The heart of Suburban Square. suburbansquare. com

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

Haverford, Pennsylvania

Ms. Dawn Blake

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

Page 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 5 8

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


Page 2 The Index - Editorials

Editorials

June 2012

Letter from the President Letter from the Editors Dear Student Body,

Dear Reader,

Thank you for giving me the privilege to be your Student Body President for next year. The Student Council and I are very excited. We have many fun and interesting ideas to bring the community closer together. Over the summer, I want everyone to take at least a few minutes out of his schedule and think about what you want out of the Student Council. I want you to do this because next year the Student Council will be listening and advocating for the Student Body’s ideas. We want to bring the community closer to the decisions made by the Student Council because our decisions affect you, and therefore you, the Student Body, should have the right to know what’s going on. Along with thinking about ideas to better the school, I want everyone Index Staff to remember what I mentioned in my speech about acceptance of the abnormal. As I said before, we are all weird in our own awesome ways. All of us, from the shyest Third Former to the oldest Sixth Former, are smart, talented, and Haverford boys. Wherever life takes us, we must always remember our past because it describes who we are and who we will be. I want to give special gratitude to Mr. Green, Mr. Fifer, and Ms. Kasmen for all they did this past year. I also want to thank those teachers leaving Haverford for all the hard work and amazing generosity they have given to the school. The most important goal I want everyone to take with them over the summer is to think about the mistakes and regrets you made this past year, and how you are going to fix and improve yourselves come next fall. As a community, we have made many mistakes and we have lost the qualities of friendship and trust that we previously thrived upon. Next year, I want us to bring those virtues and the Haverford bond back. We can and will strive to be the best that we can be. Thank you for electing me to this position, but I need help from all of you to persevere through the struggles we will face and celebrate the victories we accomplish. Enjoy your summer breaks, and remember to think about how incredible next year is going to be.

It is that time of year again: summer is here, and everyone is ready to be done exams and move on to the subsequent relaxing vacation. Remember, of course, to finish out the year strong so that summer can be enjoyable without nagging concerns. Here at The Index, we are happy to say that we hit Index Staff our quantitative goal: last June we set out with the desire to produce ten issues from back then till this June. Previous Index staffs had experienced computer shortfalls that prohibited certain issues from being released, but we were ecstatic to produce our nine regular issues and the special EA Day paper. Of course, for the coming year we have the same basic goal: to give the student body at least ten quality issues that inform them and raise concerns that some students may have. But we also have quite a few new ideas in store, and all of the staff is eager to hear the student body’s reactions. First, as you may have noticed paging through the issue, we split the former “Arts & Entertainment” section into “Arts,” which will contain information about the Notables and art shows as well as the Poetry Corner, and “Columns.” The Columns section, which will be edited by rising Fifth Former Will Tackett, will contain all of the regular articles you have grown to love, hopefully eventually in a “Wall Street Journal”-esque format. In the new section, you will see fanfavorites, such as Eating with Sam and Mr. Kolade’s Music Reviews as well as comparatively new pieces such as Scales Weighs In, in which rising Sixth Former Henry Scales reviews the situations described in prior articles, and Educational Insight, in which rising Sixth Former Chaney Jones talks about America’s education system. Be sure to check the new section out. Next year, rising Fifth Formers Greg Boyek and Matt Larson will also be spearheading a new section: “Politics,” which will combine stimulating opinion pieces with informative news reports that connect the political system to Haverford. Of course, the famous (some may say “infamous”) Opinions section, headed by rising Fourth Former Jake Pechet, will remain and continue to produce hard-hitting opinions on Haverford. The other big change you may see in the paper is advertising. With rising Sixth Former Fisher Pressman serving as the paper’s Business Manager, The Index hopes to bring targeted advertisements that will interest you and allow us to expand the paper (with color, for example) with the increased funds. As always, we look forward to serving you.

Sincerely, Michael Green

Sincerely, Grayson Sessa & Jonathan Paras, Editors-in-Chief

2012 Senior Projects: Find Out What the Seniors Are Doing Helping in the Library, Making a Movie, and much more! Sixth Former Dominique Town has been diligently working in the library on his Senior Project, helping Mrs. Maureen Kirk and the other librarians with their daily responsibilities. By the end of the project period, he will have completed an inventory of all library holdings, logged and systemically stacked the incoming books, and organized a “deaccessioning,” or exchanging of holdings, with Mrs. Gould of Swarthmore College. To accomplish these tasks, Town will learn the inner workings of the numerous databases utilized by the librarians. He considers this project the ideal form of community service because he can directly affect the Haverford community while working closely with faculty members he has developed relationships with.

Sixth Former Chris Compendio is creating a documentary on life at Haverford for his Senior Project. He is capturing footage of students throughout the day, interspersed with interviews of both students and faculty. Compendio intends to focus on Mr. Bill Palmer, Mr. Stephen Kim, and Mr. Matthew Cloran as key interviewees because of their influence on him throughout his Haverford career. They will be asked to comment on the Haverford community, the Class of 2012, and students as a whole. Compendio is paying special attention to the camera, lighting, and editing aspects of his project to create a professional, polished result. He will be supervised by Mr. Matthew Frock in his efforts.

The Index

2012-2013 Staff Grayson Sessa, Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Paras, Editor-in-Chief Erich Prince, Head of Photography Fisher Pressman, Business Manager Peter Thompson, News and Features Editor James Shecter, Sports Editor Will Tackett, Columns Editor Amar Patel & Manav Khandelwal, Arts Editors Jake Pechet, Opinions Editor Sam Bloch, Outdex Editor Greg Boyek & Matt Larson, Politics Editors Henri Mattila, Copy Editor Manav Khandelwal & Graham Gaddes, Website Managers Mr. Kellen Graham, Faculty Advisor

The Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles

Sixth Former Tadas Antanavicius will be working in tandem with fellow Sixth Formers Kelly Mao and Max Whitehead to initiate the development of Mr. Joseph Sweeney’s “Mathematics Department Project.” Mr. Sweeney’s project is an attempt to redefine and infinitely expand the boundaries of teaching through the utilization of technology. His vision is one in which students can sign up for pertinent lectures via their iPad or similar electronic device, participate in competitive simulations with peers, and subsequently attend the lecture, among a myriad of other activities. Antanavicius and Mao are programming the software while Whitehead concentrates on the graphics. Antanavicius views this as an excellent way to leave a lasting impression on Haverford before he departs.

Sixth Formers Frank Brown, Doug Lisk, Steven Molitor, and Andrew Han are making a short, thirty minute film. All four co-wrote the screenplay before the beginning of the project period, leaving only filming and editing to be completed. Brown handles the overall directing responsibilities, entailing storyboarding the film, composing shots, and directing lighting. Lisk is the project manager, concentrating on props, costumes, shooting locations, and actors. Molitor is the sound director and editor. He composed an original soundtrack which is mainly instrumental with a few vocals. Han is the director of editing. His duties comprise completing the majority of editing and assigning various post-production responsibilities. The film contains a variety of genres; each scene is filmed and edited individually. The boys’ burgeoning interest in film provided the inspiration, and this project serves as an exploration of potential passions.

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. All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at hsindex@gmail.com. The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed on Mac OSX, using Adobe InDesign CS5. Its surveys are conducted via SurveyMonkey and are advertised on Facebook to current Haverford students. School Publications Company of Neptune, N.J., 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 hsindex@gmail.com http://www.haverfordindex.com/ 610.642.3020 x. 1222 Volume LXXIII, No. 10 - June 1, 2012


Page 3 The Index

Plans for 2013

June 2012

To Which Colleges are the Sixth Formers Matriculating? Alexander, Nicholas U. Colorado Anderson, Dylan Bucknell Antanavicius, Tadas U. Pennsylvania Arronson, Nathan Lafayette Bailey, Connor Georgetown Bailey, Warner Georgetown Beatty, William Southern Methodist Bhagat, Deepak American Univ. Blumberg, Toby Connecticut College Blynn, Henry Brown Blynn, Reid Georgetown Bocobo, Geoffrey Davidson Brennan, Daniel Wake Forest Broomall, Matthew West Virginia Univ. Brown, Ethan U. Pittsburgh Brown, Franklin U. Pennsylvania Chakey, James Penn State Close, Eric Temple Compendio, Christopher Carnegie Mellon Costalas, Gus Syracuse Cuddy, Payton Kenyon Cummins, Colm St. Joseph’s DePietro, Zachary Bloomsburg Univ. DiBello, Christopher Hamilton Economou, Aris Emory Elkin, Jacob U. Chicago Feinman, Dean U.S. Military Academy Gaskill, Jacob Washington Univ. Giacobetti, Leonard Ursinus Griffiths, Kevin Southern Methodist Gural, William Brown Han, Andrew Johns Hopkins Schwenke, Davis Southern Methodist Gural, William Brown Han, Andrew Johns Hopkins Harris, David Yale Hatcher, William U. Virginia Helber, Andrew Princeton Henderson, Samuel Boston College Hollman, RaShaan West Chester Holsten, Kyle U. Miami Jamgochian, Grant Lehigh Kendall, Harrison Syracuse Kensey, Brennan U. Vermont Landolfi, Andrew Lafayette

Cum Laude Society

Dave Harris (VI) Sam Henderson (VI) Kevin Zipf (VI) Jonathan Smith (VI) Chris DiBello (VI) Andrew Han (VI) Jake Elkin (VI) Andrew Helber (VI) Brendan Purcell (VI) Wick Egan (V) Grayson Sessa (V) Scott Jaster (V) Josh Collins (V) Alex Dubow (V) Amar Patel (V) Trevor Atkins (V) James Shecter (V) Drew Field (V) Erich Prince (V) Ms. Carol O’Brien (Faculty) Mr. Andrew Poolman (Faculty)

Lee, Oliver U. Richmond Kim, Daniel Lehigh Koven, Eli Colgate Lisk, Douglas Trinity Logan, Marcel DeSales Luminais, Matthew Brown Lynch, Ryan Texas Christian Univ. Mao, Kelly U. Chicago McCarthy, Thomas Syracuse McNamara, William U. Virginia Meehan, John Wake Forest Meehan, Patrick Franklin & Marshall Moeller, Louis Franklin & Marshall Molitor, Steven Amherst Moore, Paxton U. Michigan Mueller, Charles Bucknell Nelson, Joshua Temple O’Prey, Connor U. Pittsburgh Orsini, James Washington Piccioni, Vincent Ursinus Pontecorvo, Matthew Syracuse Purcell, Brendan Lehigh Rego, Zachary Georgetown Rogers, Peter U. Pennsylvania Rohr, Samuel U. Pennsylvania Ryan, James Penn State Schanz, Michael Bucknell Schwartz, William Middlebury Schwenke, Davis Southern Methodist Seliem, Mostafa U. Sciences (PHL) Selverian, Mac Wake Forest Smith, Jonathan Georgetown Sun, Shao U. Virginia Tassoni, Ronald Washington & Lee Tepper, Fitz U. Southern California Terker, Ryan Carnegie Mellon Thomas, Zachariah Temple Town, Dominique SUNY-Purchase Trauger, Zachary Ursinus Vaccaro, Alexander Wake Forest Vattima, Christopher Syracuse Warren, Scott U. Virginia Whitehead, Maxwell R.I.T. Yang, Remi Harvard Zipf, Kevin Duke

Math Club

Presidents Paul Addonizio Matt Larson

Stage Crew Captains Paul Addonizio Chris Wong

Heads Lucas Elek Mike Green Tyler Brooks Amar Patel Henri Mattila

The Index congratulates all graduates this year and wishes them well in their endeavors next year. We thank the College Counseling Office for compiling this list.

This poll of 100 students was conducted by James Shecter ‘13 via Facebook during the week of May, 21, 2012.

Honor Council 2012-2013 Stewart Denious (VI)* Chaney Jones (VI) Jack Kling (VI) Jason Tabas (VI) Dylan Henderson (V) R.J. Meiers (V) John Zipf (V) Robbie Klein (IV) Jake Pechet (IV)

Diversity Alliance

“Approximately 70% of the boys were admitted to their 1st choice college, almost 80% were admitted to one of their top two colleges, and over 90% were admitted to one of their top three choices.” -Mr. Neil Cousins

*Chairman

This poll of 100 students was conducted by James Shecter ‘13 via Facebook during the week of May, 21, 2012.

Student Council Mike Green* Erich Prince Alex Dubow

Ross Tetrault* Terry Rossi Chet Bickhart Nick Greco* Louie Brown Will Solmssen *President


Page 4 The Index - Featured Columns

June 2012

Featured Columns

Eating with Sam: Goes to Ardmore Farmers’ Market Sam Bloch ‘13 continues his monthly reviews, this time visiting the Ardmore Farmers’ Market. Read about his favorite eateries in this staple of Surburban Square. Sam Bloch ‘13

Located in Suburban Square in Ardmore, the Ardmore Farmers Market offers a great variety of tasty foods. A farmers market is typically a group of vendors, usually farmers, who set up a market together to sell their produce and other products. The Ardmore Farmers Market is an atypical farmers market in that foods like pizza, pasta, Chinese food, sushi, sandwiches, and pretzels are sold in addition to the usual produce found at a farmers market. In this review, I’ll highlight some of the my favorite things to get when I go to the market. Pallante’s Pasta Company is a staple of the farmers market. They serve everyone’s favorite food: pizza. Even though I do not think it is anything so special, I find myself going back to Pallante’s often just because it is quick and easy. I don’t think the pizza is bad, but I just don’t think it is that good. I enjoy the light, sweet sauce that they use, and the cheese is not bad either. My big complaint is the crust. Personally, I am a thin, crispy crust kind of guy, but I don’t mind a softer, thicker crust. Pallante’s falls right in the middle, which is not a great place to be. I can enjoy a crispy thin crust or a chewy thick crust, but a limp thick crust pizza is not good. Pallante’s has not found a way to make the crust crispy on a consistent basis even though it is thin. I am not a chef, but I think they could probably bake the pizza just a little bit longer as I have also found that the pizza gets cold rather quickly. Despite my complaints about the crust, I still think that Pallante’s gets the job done and leaves me somewhat satisfied. A large portion of the store space in the

The Ardmore Farmers’ Market.

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market is taken up by various Stoltzfus stores. Stoltzfus has a poultry store, a meat store, a produce store, and a bakery. Even though I love meat, the store that I find myself at most often is the bakery. I don’t usually get cookies at the bakery even though they are above average cookies. My usual treat from the bakery is a pretzel. Stoltzfus pretzels are simply incredible. They are the perfect combination of sweet, salty, buttery, and chewy. If I were to design the perfect pretzel, it would be this one. The chewy bread melts in your mouth and oozes sweet buttery flavor that is like no other. The pretzels are always served steaming hot like they were just made minutes before. If you are in the mood for a real meal and a pretzel just won’t get the job done, you can always grab a pretzel dog. The concept of a pretzel dog is one that intrigues me. It combines a great snack food with a great dinner food. It is

De Libris: Book Review

Niticon Davis ‘13 reviews the epic, Atlas Shrugged, and urges readers to take a look at it despite certain reservations he has. Niticon Davis ‘13

Ah, Atlas Shrugged… Even the title of the colossal novel holds as much weight as the novel itself, which happens to be 1168 pages long! Atlas Shrugged was written by Ayn Rand and published in 1957. It is a dystopian novel that explores a United States in which the greatest minds in science and industry refuse to work under growing taxation and an economy highly regulated by the government, so they mysteriously vanish. The protagonist is Dagny Taggart, the system operator of a transcontinental railroad, who watches this dystopian society fall apart. Rand’s purpose in writing Atlas Shrugged was to expound on her philosophy, Objectivism, about which she had previously written other works. The principles of Objectivism can be summarized in this quote from Atlas Shrugged: “My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” Despite the fact that I strongly disagreed with Rand’s philosophical premise, I still found this book to be pretty interesting; however, it is not one of the most enjoyable books I have read. Surprisingly enough, this displeasure did not come from the lengthiness of the book, or my disagreement with its philosophy, but from the style in which it was written. The characters had many long monologues, which I coined as “Rand rants,” during which the characters would rant for

pages and pages about her philosophy. For the first half of the book, these rants turned out to be pretty interesting, but Rand spends quite a bit of time reiterating these points and it quickly becomes tiresome. By the last quarter

Index Staff

of the book I found myself literally saying out loud, “Oh my gosh, enough already! I got it the first three times you said it!” What I enjoyed most about the book was definitely its plot. Rand does a great job of keeping you guessing what will happen next and what the characters will do next. Still, her characters do seem to be a bit rigid: the main characters are either the embodiment of her philosophy or its polar opposite, very rarely anything in between. The rules of the novel’s world are also inflexible and do not quite mirror society… or reality, really, which is why this book should be taken as fantasy or science fiction, rather than realistic fiction. All things considered, I do not regret reading Atlas Shrugged. Rand lacks quite a bit of subtlety and does not leave much up to the reader’s interpretation, but this is not necessarily a weakness because it makes for a much easier read. I would recommend this book--in spite of its length and philosophy--to anyone looking for a summer read or wanting to know what all this Ayn Rand buzz is about.

tough to imagine that a restaurant would be able to pull off such a feat and combine the two foods successfully, but Stoltzfus manages to do it. The pretzel dog is a juicy, beefy hotdog wrapped in the same tasty pretzel. The flavorful juices ooze from the hotdog and the pretzel. These combine to create one of the greatest snack foods I have ever tasted. Stoltzfus pretzels alone are a great reason to visit the farmers market. The most recent major addition to the lineup at the farmers market is Di Bruno Brothers. Di Bruno’s has everything from steaks and pasta salads to sandwiches and cheeses. On most of my recent visits to the farmers market, I have gone to Di Bruno’s to grab a sandwich. I am a firm believer that the bread makes the sandwich. Di Bruno’s uses great fresh bread that is second to none. It is the only bread good enough to host their fabulous meats. My two favorite sandwiches are the meatball sandwich and the pork sandwich. I am stumped as to what adjectives I can use to describe the meatball. All I can say about it is that it is a ball of meat that tastes really good. My biggest complaint about meatballs in general is that many places serve them too dry. Di Bruno’s has never served me a dry meatball. The meatballs are topped in a fresh sweet red sauce that adds a great flavor. Overall, the sandwich is excellent. The pork sandwich is also something pretty special as well. The pork is incredible. On a scale of one to Tony Luke’s, I give it an 8. For those of you that have heard me rave about the pork sandwich at Tony Luke’s, you understand how good I think it is. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of listening to me talk about pork in person, I would be happy to describe my love of a Tony Luke’s sandwich to you anytime (I would write about it, but the written word cannot do the sandwich any justice). Di Bruno’s has great cheeses

DiBruno Brothers.

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and they put an excellent sharp provolone on the pork sandwich. They also top the sandwich with broccoli rabe or sweet peppers if you want them. I usually get the peppers because they complement the sharp provolone well. I find that the rabe can dominate the sandwich and dull out the flavor from the cheese and the pork. The pork, the cheese, the peppers, and the bread all come together to create a special sandwich that is worth trying as soon as possible. I am sure that if you try the Di Bruno’s pork sandwich, you will find yourself getting another one a short time later. These are just a few of the many great eats that the Ardmore Farmers Market has to offer. The great thing about a farmers market is that there is such a great variety of food that you are sure to find something that you will enjoy. So, if pulled pork sandwiches, pretzels, and pizza are not your cup of tea, you can always try out another one of the markets options like sushi or Chinese food. If you head on over to the Ardmore Farmers Market, I am sure you will be happy with what you find.

Arts in Philadelphia: Barnes Foundation

Each month Greg Boyek ‘14 reviews a different aspect of the Philadelphia “arts scene”; this time he focuses on the newly-opened Barnes Foundation. Greg Boyek ‘14

Albert Barnes was quite an American character. The University of Pennsylvaniaeducated developer of Argyrol, an antiseptic, was a Philadelphia native with strong opinions on art and billions to spend on accumulating works of art – a combination which created one of the most peculiar yet spectacular collections in the world. Born in 1872, Barnes created his foundation to “promote the advancement and appreciation of the fine arts,” according to Barnes Foundation mission statement. Despite his apparent democratization of art, Barnes opposed the viewing of art by those with untrained eyes and was known to humiliate many members of the arts establishment who desired to make the museum more public. The collection amassed by Barnes is among the largest and most important in the world. The gallery contains some 2,500 pieces estimated to be worth over $25 billion. The collection includes 179 works by Renoir, 59 by Matisse, 17 by Picasso, 13 by Modigliani, 4 by Manet, and 5 by Van Gogh. Barnes’ estate in Merion has been a fixture of Main Line culture since 1922. However, the Barnes Foundation launched a major project in the past eight years to completely relocate the contents of the gallery to a new structure built for the museum on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Philadelphia Campus opened on May 19th. Legal issues and debates relating to Barnes’ will raged for several years as Barnes asked that the works remain in their original positions. To resolve this, the Foundation performed an incredible feat in replicating the Barnes manor exactly within the new gallery on the Parkway. The new gallery features a sleek

modern design with plenty of natural light. The move was encouraged by Philadelphia officials, who desired to increase the cultural capital of the historic city. Mayor Nutter stated that the opening of the museum “is a momentous Leslie Poor day for the city, for the region, for the country and, I would suggest, the world. The world will be watching and the world will be coming to Philadelphia, the cultural capital of the United States of America.” The uniqueness of the museum and the cause behind the uproar surrounding the move stems from Barnes’ manner of presenting the works. Barnes purchased and arranged the pieces based on principles of light, color, line and space rather than traditional organization based on time period, place of origin, artist, or style. Continued on next page


Page 5 The Index - Featured Columns

June 2012

Featured Columns

Mr. Kolade’s Music Recommendations Mr. Luqman Kolade Yasiin Bey – “Bey”: Recently, the artist formerly known as Mos Def has been releasing a number of freestyles to popular songs under his new moniker. “Bey,” a surprisingly comfortable and adept performance over a beat atypical for the rapper, shows Bey (the artist – not the song title) delivering his thought provoking lyrics over Lil Wayne and Rick Ross’s “John/If I Die Tonight” and doing it quite well. The song dropped on what would have been The Notorious B.I.G.’s 40th birthday and is a tribute of sorts to the late, great rapper. “Bey” shows just why the former Mos Def has been able to last for as long as he has with a strong delivery that harkens back to his early Blackstar days, and it is a testament to how the name does not matter much when it comes to lyricism.

Logic – “Do Ya Like”: The young rapper from the DMV (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) is back with the follow up to one of last year’s sleeper mixtapes, Young Sinatra, with Young Sinatra: Undeniable. “Do Ya Like,” the standout song on his most recent endeavor, takes its beat from every hipster’s favorite rapper, Childish Gambino, and his song of the same name. That song samples one of my favorite Adele songs, “Melt My Heart to Stone” and is the young rapper’s plea to the women in his life. Full of both youthful swagger and young love, the song manages to take Childish Gambino’s version a bit further and fully uses the Adele vocal sample to add to its meaning. Logic is without a doubt a wordsmith, and his delivery is getting better with every outing. He will definitely be someone to look out for in the future.

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Meek Mill – “Amen ft. Drake and Jeremih”: In what is sure to be the next radio single from his highly downloaded mixtape Dreamchasers 2, the sequel to the much lauded Dreamchasers, “Amen” stays true to its name with the church organ driven, hand clapping, gospel beat. This is a far cry from the usual Maybach Music Group beat, and though his standard aggressive flow is seen, it is pared down a bit for a song that the ladies will definitely love. Don’t forget that the song also has Drake and the sensual crooner Jeremih, making it even more suited for radio play than anything Meek has done to this point. This is the first song I have heard by the young rapper that allows for the listener to keep up with his intensity, and it shows a slightly different way of delivering his rhymes that could benefit Meek greatly in the future.

Educational Insight

Chaney Jones ‘13 discusses some faults in the American educational system. Chaney Jones ‘13

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itself is failing. We are pushing a system for public education that the largest teacher union in America opposes. Teaching students for an entire year just to prepare for a test is inadequate and has not produced results in the 11 years since it was implemented. The point of school is to educate children so that they will be left with knowledge that they can use to compete in the real world. Assessment tests like the PSSA are not reflective of the real world, and it has done nothing but transform public school systems into test-preparation programs. If America truly wants to compete

If someone asked you to define American pride, what would you say? Personally, I think of it as our collective strive for “top-dog” status; our yearning to be the best and have the best. Whether in sports, entertainment, technology, or even the military, we are able to compete with the best from anywhere. So, if someone were to suddenly call the US “mediocre,” as I am about to do, I am sure most of you would vehemently deny it. Except...we are - at least in terms of education. Compared to other countries, the U.S. ranks 31st in math, 23rd in science, and 17th in reading. In a country that prides itself as a world leader, we have clearly fallen behind. According to CBS News, we spend, on average, $130,000 more per kid than countries like Finland just to get our students from kindergarten to 12th grade. We spend more than $95,000 more per kid than some other countries. We are spending more and getting worse results. Somehow, our educational system is failing, and our students are being left behind. Yet even with diminishing results, the amount of students A poll conducted by Chaney Jones ‘13 about Haverford students’ experiences with test review. flocking to the U.S. for higher education continues to increase. Last year saw on a global scale, we have to push towards almost three-quarters of a million international obtaining actual knowledge and not simply the students coming to the U.S. for college. I knowledge that students will need for a test. am sure any of the college counselors would So how does this apply to Haverford? We tell you that competition from international are not a public school, and the amount of students has increased, especially competition students we have going to Ivy League schools from China. But if China consistently ranks or getting high SAT scores is much higher than higher than us in math, reading and science, many public schools. But are we really that why are they coming here? Why flock to a much different? A recent fifty-person survey I failing American educational system? Despite conducted shows that about 75% of students bleak reports from various news sources, the receive a study guide or review test content American educational system is still strong at least half of the time before a test. While it and competitive internationally. According to is effective in letting students know exactly the rankings by U.S. News, American colleges what to study and review, it can produce the take up six of the top ten spots for the world’s same results as public school systems under best universities. Harvard, MIT, and Yale take NCLB. If we simply study what we know is up the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th spots, respectively. We going to be on the test and ignore any other also take up 13 of the top 20 spots. information, we fail to do our jobs as students. But while high-level, privatized education The same can be said for the inevitable preseems to be doing well, our public school test cramming seen in the Haverford hallways. systems are not. This year alone, the Sure, a quick last minute cram-session can Philadelphia School District has chosen four allow you to pass a quiz, but how much of that more low-performing schools to be converted information do you actually retain after the into charter schools. That is seventeen schools test? If we are simply studying to pass tests but in three years. Despite the unavoidable few not learning anything useful, then Haverford is students who simply do not want to learn, failing too. the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) system

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Arts in Philadelphia Continued from previous page Barnes manipulated these features in his wall ensembles in often esoteric ways, complemented and accented by pieces of metalworking and furniture. Further adding to the gallery’s eccentricities, the displays in the museum are almost always symmetrical. For example, one wall featured a Renoir portrait in one corner that highlighted peach colors, followed by a Matisse still life, and a Cezanne still life in the center. This pattern is then mirrored so that the complete ensemble left to right is Renoir, Matisse, Cezanne, Matisse, Renoir. One example of Barnes’s desire to have galleries that transcend time and space is the combination of Modigliani portraits with various African masks. Modigliani, a late 19th century Italian painter, was inspired by masks from the Ivory Coast region. Barnes has several ensembles which highlight the African influences in Modigliani’s work such as elongated faces and heart-shaped chins. The new museum building and grounds were exceptionally designed to allow more natural light into the galleries while exactly maintaining the original ensembles and layout. The building is very airy and open, removing the dark and claustrophobic feel that the old Merion mansion had. To achieve this, a “light

box” above the building was utilized. This “light box” utilizes reflective surfaces to direct and channel diffuse, natural light throughout the galleries and other areas. Thanks to this and other features, the building achieved a LEED Platinum environmental certification. Having attended both the Merion and Philadelphia campuses, I can attest to the remarkable replication of the gallery. The new museum has been surrounded by substantial trees and features interior gardens that reproduce the Merion campus, which had substantial grounds and plantings. This deception was so well executed that I nearly forgot I was in the city until I gazed past the trees and saw the silhouette of the Cira Center. Despite the controversy surrounding its move, the new Barnes Foundation Museum is an excellent location to house Barnes’ incredible collection of art. The new building brings a fresh, modern feel to the old galleries without sacrificing any of their distinctiveness. Barnes wanted to make art accessible to educate the population so that they would truly appreciate art. Furthermore, he wanted art to be presented in a way that discarded preconceived notions regarding certain artists, periods, or cultures, so that viewers would examine art for its individual worth and creativity. And that goal, however lofty, may have finally been reached with the new museum on the Parkway.

Scales Weighs In manageable study guides. Another result of this is that students have started their review much earlier than they would have otherwise; some Because of the new system in place this students started as early as the week of the year with no midterms, finals seem even more 21st. This may be because of the fact that they daunting. Students did not have the chance to also have either SATs or SAT Subject Tests see how in depth their teachers would go on a the weekend cumulative exam in between and now have to exams. try to piece it all Luckily, together. Another some struggle is that teachers some teachers have had are doing fullthe foresight year exams. to see this Although most problem and are weighted more have blocked heavily towards off not only second semester the two material, students designated will still have This poll of 100 students was conducted by James Shecter ‘13 via Facebook during review days to go back and the week of May, 21, 2012. to review but essentially reteach also the week before. So whether your end of themselves everything that they have forgotten the year is fizzling out or moving at a hundred from the first semester. miles a minute, it is still going to be lively This will cause study groups to become much more prevalent in an attempt to condense around school. With that being said, good luck to all in closing the year with your very best. the overabundance of material into more Henry Scales ‘13


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The Index - News

News

After 39 Years, Haverford Thanks Mr. Pearson Fitz Tepper ‘12

first and gracefully accepted a position that is known for its high levels of stress and multidimension. As a college counselor, Mr. Pearson was often the only point of contact between anxious students and parents and college representatives. He routinely guided students through the mysterious waters of college

Within the ranks of Haverford faculty, there are only a select few who have seen Haverford transform as much as Mr. Todd Pearson has. When he started at Haverford as a German language teacher in the early 1970s, the world was a different place. Nixon was president and we were fighting a war in Vietnam. Almost 40 years later, much has changed in our world. But one thing has remained constant at Haverford throughout that entire time: Mr. Pearson’s dedication to teaching and mentoring boys into men. Being a language teacher is no easy task in any school, but Mr. Pearson quickly worked his way into the ranks of Haverford’s beloved teachers. His classes were filled with discussion and discourse, and he always made sure to provide an engaging atmosphere for students. Mr. Pearson had the uncanny ability to make languages accessible to anyone. He could gently teach basic grammar to complete beginners but also provide fluent students with enough exercise to keep them fully stimulated in class. Out of the classroom, Mr. Pearson was just as loved. He was a thoughtful advisor who always put his advisees first, and genuinely cared about each and every one of them. Mr. Pearson routinely talks about former advisees as if they were family, even remembering important details, such as their senior Mr. Todd Pearson, who has served Haverford as a Third haverford.org project. Form Dean, Head of Upper School, German teacher, College Outside the classroom, Mr. Pearson Counselor, and Associate Director of Admissions. prided himself on being more than just admissions and was dedicated to finding the a teacher. He made sure to always keep up on “right fit” for each of his students. At the end the accomplishments of his students, often of the process, Mr. Pearson helped students congratulating them on various achievements overlook rejections and celebrate acceptances... as he passed in the hall. He made it a point all while preparing the Fifth Form for their to know students’ names and greet them upcoming busy senior year. When he leaves throughout Wilson Hall. In fact, Mr. Pearson this year, Mr. Pearson will not only be was known for his ability to make himself remembered for his 39 years of teaching but visible, often leaving his office to seek out more importantly as someone who truly cared students during their classes or free periods. about each and every boy he encountered This is the mark of a great teacher. during his time at Haverford. More recently, when Haverford asked him For all your service as a truly dedicated to step out of his comfort zone and become a educator, Haverford thanks you, Mr. Pearson. college counselor, Mr. Pearson put his students You will not be forgotten.

June 2012

Mr. Alford Leaves Behind Loving Legacy at Haverford Jonathan Paras ‘14

you and have a discussion on the formation of carbonic acid in the world’s oceans, on the “indifference” signaled by the bowtie, and or about his optimistic view of your future. He was able to instill such a sense of wonder when teaching science classes that many of his students were able to stay actively engaged in the activities. To hold the attention of excited teenage boys in itself is no small feat, but Mr. Alford always taught with a smile and a wave.

With the end of the 2011-2012 school year, the Haverford School dismisses its students and things begin to wind down for the summer. The teachers plan curricula over the summer and return in September fresh and ready to teach anew. Although there are many teachers that will not be returning to grace Haverford’s halls, the community will especially miss seeing Mr. Stewart Alford on a daily basis. It is with great thanks that we say farewell to Mr. Alford. Having taught at Haverford for 40 years, this polymath in the first floor biology room will not be there to guide young minds throughout the learning process. His presence will be deeply missed, for he had the mark of not only a teacher but a mentor. A teacher may be Index Staff Mr. Alford helping Fifth Former Aron Morgan with his bow tie. competent in a subject Among his passions, one favorite of his was and knowledgeable about its peculiarities, coaching the Quiz Bowl team. He was the but a true mentor is able to advise and guide faculty mentor to the Quiz Bowl team along students outside their singular class. Although with Mr. Maley, an activity in which students this quality is hard to acquire, Mr. Alford compete in a four-man team with buzzers. has certainly embraced it. Whether he is They were asked questions and the first team teaching students how to tie bowties or high to buzz in would be allowed to answer. The school biology, Mr. Alford forms a personal jocund nature of Mr. Alford’s personality relationship with all students. shone through in this activity as he happily ran He even managed to take his advisory on through question upon question of trivia. The a trip to a labyrinth in Bryn Mawr College. questions could be focused on any topic from He imparted wisdom about the contemplative literature to astrophysics; Mr. Alford’s passion journey one would make by simply and here reflects his inner curiosity and love for quietly walking through a labyrinth made learning. out of a recess in the grass. It was truly a To many, Mr. Alford is more than a teacher, reflective experience and spoke volumes of more than a guide, more than a man who the pertinence of such journeys. It also speaks assigns homework and lectures. He is a friend, to his desire to add such unconventional and it is with great sadness that we say one approaches to the teaching curriculum. Here final goodbye to Mr. Stewart Alford. is the legacy of a man who can sit down with

Haverford Says Goodbye To Mr. Dacque Tirado Connor Atkins ‘15 “Passionate teacher... dedicated advisor... helpful coach...and HFL... Haverfordian for life.” All of these qualities are by what Mr. Dacque Tirado wants to be remembered, but truly Mr. Tirado, you will be remembered for much more. Although he has only been at Haverford for four years, Mr. Tirado made an impact on both the students who know him and the entire community as a whole. He understands that each and every student is different and therefore uses different techniques to help his students understand the material. Throughout his four years, he has not only helped improve the History department, but he has also helped expand the Habitat for Humanity program and create the Diplomacy Society. Mr. Tirado has truly helped the school’s goal by preparing his students for life. “Life is not all about getting to the destinations, the journey along the way is just as important.” Mr. Tirado wants his students to learn more than just history, he wants his students to learn the skills necessary for them to succeed in all of their subjects and outside of school. He takes information and events from the distant past and relates them to his students’ present day lives which, although it may seem impossible, he does with ease. Having never taught at an all-boys school before, Mr. Tirado admits that at first he was nervous, but after his first year, he was a “convert.” “When I first got here...I was just...I had never been around an all-boys class before, and so I was a little nervous... By one year

Josh Collins

Mr. Tirado with a U.S. History* Class. in... I tend to think seen that boys take more the arts and risks and chances the community intellectually when it is just them in the class.” awareness begin to rival sports. He believes He is a role model for his students because he it is necessary for a school like Haverford thinks before acting and loves what he does. As to be competitive in all aspects. He is loved Sixth Former Will Hatcher puts it, “Mr. Tirado by his students not only because he makes will go down in Haverford’s history books as history relevant to their lives but also because the most unpredictable, entertaining, and funhe comes into class everyday with multiple loving teacher that has ever come through this ways of teaching the same lesson, so that every school. He made you want to learn, and that is single type of student will be able to learn. what made him so special.” Mr. Tirado is not an ordinary teacher because Mr. Tirado has had a passion and love he believes in “this idea that... history should for history since a young age growing up in [not] just be about events and dates, that... Manhattan, New York City. Before he came the most interesting part is to teach ideas.” to Haverford, Mr. Tirado had taught for seven This idea is why students love to come to his years at the Peddie School in New Jersey class everyday and why he will be never be and also received a degree in law; however, forgotten by Haverford. he always knew that he wanted to teach. He When asked how he will remember wanted to teach at a school that was both Mr. Tirado, Sixth Former Mac Selverian competitive in all three areas of academics, arts responded, “Mr. Tirado sparked my interest and athletics, so Haverford fit the bill. During in American History. His engaging demeanor Mr. Tirado’s four years at Haverford, he has always keeps his students on their toes, and

his enthusiasm for teaching is very noticeable. He will truly be missed by the Haverford community and Georgetown Prep is lucky to have him.” This demeanor and enthusiasm is what separates him from all other history teachers; not many teachers have the ability to make their students want to learn more every single day. When asked to describe Mr. Tirado, Fifth Former Stewart Denious says, “His trademark outgoing and friendly manner made everyone feel like he personally knew them. Above all, Mr. Tirado was the ideal model for a great Haverford school teacher: he truly cares for each and every student he has come to know, and his passion for teaching them not only history but important life lessons is truly amazing.” Fellow Fifth Former Trevor Atkins will remember Mr. Tirado for “The fun that he brings to every situation. Whether it be in class where he can surprise you with “history swag” or on a Habitat for Humanity trip where he comes up with a game to pass the time, everywhere he goes, joy seems to follow him.” All of his students will remember him differently, but it is clear that he has left a positive impression on each of their lives. Mr. Tirado, you will go down in Haverford history books not only for your trademark “history swag” but also for being a caring teacher who made a relationship with every single one of his students... for being a man for others. In just four years you have made an impact that has changed Haverford for the better, and for that we thank you. The Index would like to thank Mr. Tirado for the time he spent authoring articles for the paper.


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The Index - News

June 2012

News

Beloved Mr. Stairs Departs Andrew Helber ‘12

professional musicians, lawyers, teachers, doctors, star athletes, and sent them off to some of the best colleges in the country. I do believe this is in part due to the nurturing he gave each of these students. To me, Mr. Stairs is more than a mentor, a conductor, or even a friend: he is like a father. Mr. Stairs has helped me through the darkest moments of my life and has shown kindness

It is hard to imagine The Haverford School without Mr. Michael Stairs. It’s like imagining Haverford without benchball, the Episcopal Academy without girls, or even peanut butter without jelly. Mr. Stairs has taught at Haverford for a long time: 27 years, beginning in 1985, ten years before many of today’s graduates were born. For those who do not know him, he is extremely accomplished. In his prime, apart from his daily regimen of teaching, Stairs founded and conducted the Notables, the Glee Club, directed the musicals, gave organ concerts for the Philadelphia Orchestra and numerous other solo venues, and was the principal organist and musical director for the Church of the Redeemer. On top of this already hectic schedule, he hit the gym daily, found countless hours to practice the organ, and devoted Mr. Michael Stairs Mr. Stairs playing the organ circa 1970. time to fostering lifelong friendships with those around him. It is hard not to be impressed and compassion at every turn. His amazing fight with prostate cancer has shown me what with his résumé. a strong and amazing person he is with an Throughout his tenure at Haverford, he has admirable trust in God and in others around transformed every program he led. He raised him. His fight has even brought his PSA down the Glee Club to new heights, having led from in the thousands to an undetectable successful tours of Europe and annual trips to 0.0. He is one of the most amazing people I New York City. He helped make the musicals know, and in the words of Athletic Trainer Mr. some of the finest in the area and helped the Matthew Rosko, “The most jacked teacher at production team earn numerous Cappies. Mr. the school.” Stairs transformed the music theory program With the departure of Haverford legends from humble beginnings to leading nearly such as Mr. Edward Hallowell, Mr. Stewart every student to perfect “5’s” on the Music Alford, Mr. Todd Pearson, and Mr. Michael Theory AP. And of course, he created the Stairs, there is truly a change from the way of Notables and made them the most sought after the old to the way of the new. I am confident, a cappella group in the Philadelphia area. though, that the impact these men have had But what is most important to Mr. Stairs upon this community has forever changed it is not his own accomplishments, but the for the better, which is all they ever wanted. accomplishments and character of his students Mr. Stairs will truly be missed, although his and peers. He always puts the other fellow legacy will remain at Haverford for many years first. Throughout the years, Mr. Stairs has to come. However, to all who are concerned, impacted the life of nearly every Haverford Mr. Stairs will still be living only five minutes graduate due to his infectious personality. away from Haverford and will constantly be Whether they be in a singing group, in one back to help out with the music program and of his classes, or are just drawn to him by his stay in shape in the gym. friendly and lovable character, every person Finally, from every person who has been has a story involving Michael Stairs, even if it touched by Mr. Stairs throughout his amazing is just knowing he “couldn’t hear the organ” at 27 year reign, we would like to give you our the Rosettes Ceremony in 2010. Mr. Stairs has nourished his closest students to be conductors, many thanks and wish you good luck.

Farewell to Mr. Scibilia Austin Merritt ‘13

Mr. Scibilia has taught at the Haverford School for two years, and there is no way that any article can sum up what he has done throughout his time here. In that time Mr. Scibilia not only taught English but was also involved in a variety of clubs and sports. Most notably, Mr. Scibilia was one of the coaches for the Varsity hockey team. Mr. Scibilia stated that coaching hockey was one of his favorite roles at Haverford because “It is a sport that means a lot to [him], and it also gave [him] the chance to relate to the boys on a different level.” This relationship was clear throughout the season. He not only brought strategy and knowledge to practice but also brought a sense of humor and a caring attitude that served as an escape from the stress of practice and the preceding school day. On top of coaching, he mentored the Debate team and advised the Chess club. Mr. Scibilia will definitely miss Haverford as it has been a big part of his life over the past two years. He said, “I will miss the students. They are kind, thoughtful, and empathetic. I think it’s hard to find a school with guys like you. I will also really miss my colleagues in the English department. They are some of the smartest people I know and truly love what they do. I’m consistently humbled by them.” The relationship that Mr. Scibilia had with the school was one of mutual benefit. He gave so much to our community, both in the long run as a teacher, but also day-to-day by greeting students in the hallway or by giving off his friendly vibe and smile. Some of you might have had Mr. Scibilia

as a teacher, but others of you may know him through the frequently shouted “1..2..3.. Scibilia!” chant, but hopefully this short blurb on his time at Haverford will give everyone insight into what his time here has meant to students. Mr. Scibilia’s parting words cannot be summarized or paraphrased, for they are

Mr. Scibilia.

Index Staff

powerful and better served as they were stated. “It’s OK if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. I’m twenty-six and I still don’t know. I love teaching and I think I could be good at it. But there are other things I love, and I think I could be good at those things too. You will probably be good at whatever you decide to do.” Everyone should find Mr. Scibilia and thank him for all that he has done for the Haverford community.

The Great Rick: A Sit Down with the Candidate Himself Continued from the front page Rick has two favorite quotations to live by. These are found in The Stranger by Albert Camus and in Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, respectively. “I had been right; I was still right; I was always right. I had lived my life one way and I could just as well lived it another. I had done this and I hadn’t done that. I hadn’t done this thing and I had done another. And so?” – Albert Camus. “‘I say, Billy, what’s the use in playing croquet when you’re doomed?’ He says, ‘Frankie, what’s the use of not playing croquet when you’re doomed’” – Frank McCourt. Prince: “Values aren’t worth having unless they’ve been challenged. Therefore, experience is essential.” Prince strongly believes in community. It is an idea of great value to him, along with individual expression. He used the drinking fountain as an example of where a community at Haverford could use help. He said, “I see people drinking at the same water fountain who are unable to engage in chatting because they do not know each other’s name” He goes on to explain that since we all go to school together, and we all are supposed to share the same values of respect, honesty, and courage, then “why don’t we all just try to be a little [more friendly]?” The reason Prince walked around school trying to meet everyone was because he wanted everyone to feel like they were part of an important community, where they could be heard and appreciated. Prince has been addressed by an alternate name during his campaign. The “Rick O’Donnell” name came about when Prince was simply trying to pursue something to

keep himself busy. He decided that it would be fulfilling to have an alternate personality as a man from the North of Ireland. After a consultation with Fifth Former and Prince’s new-found friend Jake Mullin, the first name “Rick” came about because, when said the right way, you cannot help but smile. “O’Donnell” emerged because his last name needed to convey persona. The name was almost “Rick McClusky,” but Prince decided it was too humorous. O’Donnell is the name of an old ruling family; it is humble yet confident. What got the Rick O’Donnell campaign famous was its Facebook group. It was created by Fifth Former Tyler Brooks, along with fellow Fifth Formers Colin Meehan, J.J. House, and Max Freundlich, and numerous other gentlemen. With the Facebook group came memes and posts created by his followers that increased Rick 2012’s popularity such as Matt Galambos ‘13, “Mosquitoes don’t bite him...purely out of respect.”. More and more people were added to the group until it was all the buzz at Haverford. However not all this buzz was positive. There were students who were unhappy with the way Haverford students treated the election on the Rick 2012 Facebook page. Most commonly, it was called “a joke.” But Prince strongly disagreed, saying that he thought the posters and pictures brought everyone together while still providing a communal source of fun. As Prince remarked in his speech, “Rick O’Donnell represents a movement. The opposite of a joke. A movement towards getting things done while having some fun with it. The Rick movement brought us

One of Prince’s many campaign posters.

JJ House

together, there was chanting in the hallway and a lot of new Facebook friends. We shook some hands. I got to know so many of you that I didn’t know before - just as I envision us all doing next year and even starting today.” But Prince did not delete a single post - even the negative ones - in line with his two core campaign values of openness and respecting everyone. A few hours after learning of his defeat,

Prince wrote in the facebook group, “Gentlemen, Thank you for all of your support. We accomplished something. I still believe firmly in the ideas that I proposed, and I will do what I can to make each of them a reality. Let’s continue to build some community and get to know each other’s names. If you see someone in the hallway, especially an incoming freshman, just introduce yourself. Student Council will become more transparent and more open to your input. That I can assure you. That will be something to be proud of. We’ll do it together.” He humbly signed his note with “Erich.” “The Rick movement was about being [more friendly]. It wasn’t about being proud. I shook every hand and patted every back. Surprisingly few people were concerned to have a stranger know their name. That speaks to the fact that everyone enjoys being addressed by name. When you take the time to learn someone’s name, it means you care. I don’t need to be president to make an impression. It is possible to get everyone excited about the same thing at Haverford. Now, we just need to find that something.” Mr. Prince suggests that the Rick movement is more than a fad but a community-based group that anyone could become a part of. “All sorts of people yelled ‘Rick’ and made posters, but the underlying emphasis was on uniting everyone for something that was just a little different. A step away from that conformity we each fight to escape as we strive to create something unique and memorable. Something we value so much and can’t imagine losing or living without.”


Page 8

The Index - Arts

Arts

June 2012

Have You Met Mr. Michael What Performances Are In Brodine? Visit The Conservatory Store for Haverford Next Year? Steven Molitor ‘12 discusses his experiences with guitar instructor Mr. Michael Brodine. Steven Molitor ‘12

Mr. Michael Brodine has been a guitar teacher at The Haverford School for many years and has provided instruction, encouragement, and support to numerous Haverford guitarists. I have been taking guitar lessons with Mr. Brodine for two years now, and at those lessons I have had a great time

which chords are in the accompanying rhythm part. Mr. Brodine has also continued my education in music theory and history, specifically regarding the blues and jazz. Thanks to him, jazz songs that I first thought were beyond my ability (because they consisted of seemingly random chords and key changes) began to make sense to me,

Mr. Brodine teaching the guitar to Lower Schoolers.

and learned so much from him. My musical background on guitar consisted of mostly rock and metal when I started learning with him. Over the last two years I have both been able to improve my rock and metal guitar playing as well as expand the breadth of genres I am comfortable playing. One of the main focuses of our lessons is Scan this QR Code to sign up for lessons at the Haverford Conservatory. improvisational skills. Mr. Brodine has taught me to play more melodic solos in rock and metal songs and to make adjustments to my playing technique and note choices when improvising in a jazz song. This gives the improvisations more of a jazz sound. We have done much work with jazz soloing recently, which has involved work with changing the modes and keys being used depending on

Erich Prince

and as a result I usually have much less trouble playing through new songs with the jazz band than I ever used to. In addition, Mr. Brodine has greatly expanded my knowledge of blues guitar playing. I had the opportunity during my senior year to work with Mr. Brodine on a year long independent study called “Survey of the Blues.” Among other things, I have played several different varieties of blues with him, including some early 20th century blues songs that are played with fingerpicking instead of a pick, which was a new challenge for me. These are only a few of the styles Mr. Brodine can teach: he has also worked on classical guitar with me and recently showed me an improvised example of Elizabethan Era music. Mr. Brodine has also helped his students with their compositions and performances. I have recently been working on my senior project, which consists of writing, playing, and recording the soundtrack for a film, and Mr. Brodine has been incredibly helpful in guiding me through this process. Working with Mr. Brodine in several different contexts has been one of the highlights of my Haverford experience, and I encourage all Haverford musicians, especially guitarists and bass players, to seek out Mr. Brodine for lessons, guidance, and musical inspiration.

Manav Khandelwal ‘15 discusses the fall and spring plays that Haverford audiences can expect to see in the coming school year. Manav Khandelwal ‘15

by Haverford’s portrayal of the 1960s in the musical Hairspray? Well, folks, the play selection is out for the school year of 2012-2013, and the lucky scripts are One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest for the fall and Pippin for winter/spring. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a drama based on the novel of the same title by Ken Kesey. It is the story of Randle Patrick McMurphy, a man who fakes insanity to spend his prison sentence in a hospital. McMurphy constantly gets in fights and power struggles with the head nurse, Mildred Ratchet, and in the end tries to strangle her for causing the suicide of his friend, Billy. He is given a lobotomy and later killed by his cellmate, who did not want him to suffer. Pippin is a lively play that tracks the journey of its protagonist of the same name, the son of Charlemagne (King Charles). From gaily roaming around through the countryside to slaying his own father in a rebellious act, Pippin grows and learns how to live life in its simplest manner. Two actors to keep an eye on for next year are Fifth Formers Mike artstudios.com A playbill of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Green, the incoming student council president, and Fifth Former Tyler Brooks. They both had large roles in this year’s productions and look to take further steps in their acting careers. Both are excited for the opportunities to perform in these productions. Neither, however, overlooks the strength of this year’s crew. Brooks says, “On a scale of one to ten, I’d say I’m at a 9 right now [in terms of excitement]. The two productions for next year, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Pippin, are two of my personal favorites and will generate attention both within the student body as well as outside of it . . . I’m interested in a few roles which I’m still researching, but I’ll be happy so long as I can wikipedia.org be a part of what is sure to be a An advertisement for another showing of Pippin. Were you tremendous season.” Green adds, “I think all one of the many audience members blown the roles next year are gonna be awesome so I away by the emotional representation of 12 can’t wait to see how it goes.” Angry Men? Were you excited and mesmerized Neither can we.

Haverford Bids Farewell to the Class of 2012 Notables Manav Khandelwal ‘15 discusses the fantastic singers that graced Haverford’s halls for so many years but will now be leaving. Find out their plans for the coming years. Manav Khandelwal ‘15

It is always sad to see another group of Notables head off to whatever life has to offer, but this year is especially poignant due to longtime conductor Mr. Michael Stairs. Many of these Sixth Formers, especially Andrew Helber, Peter Rogers, and Rémi Yang, have some of the most special bonds that a singer could have with a conductor. This year’s crop is one of the more successful groups Haverford has had, getting the opportunity to sing in places ranging from Citizens Bank Park and the Kimmel Center to the Princeton University chapel. In addition, they are going to a number of different elite colleges where their singing talents will hopefully be put into good use in similar a cappella groups.

Being a part of the Notables is more than just a feat to put on your resume or simply belonging to another singing—or in this case, acapella—group. According to the so-called “Cap’n Helber,” it is becoming part of a tightnit, diverse group of friends which creates long-lasting friendships and memories. Helber says, “The most rewarding part about being a Notable is the camaraderie between each of the group members and [Mr.] Stairs. To see how such diverse people (star athletes, amazing musicians, great actors, stellar students, etc.) come together morning after morning over one common passion, singing, amazes me and brings me joy each day. It is great to see the amount of support and love seventeen boys can give to one another while having tremendous amounts of fun and doing amazing work.”

From receiving standing ovations for their rendition of Ave Maria to cheers and laughs for the song King of Spain at this year’s Spring Concert, this group is one to celebrate and one to bid a proper farewell!

Scan this QR Code to watch a video of the Notables singing “The King of Spain.”

Notables’ Matriculation Andrew Helber: Princeton University Rémi Yang: Harvard University Peter Rogers: University of Pennsylvania Zach Rego: Georgetown University Reid Blynn: Georgetown University Oliver Lee: University of Richmond Brennan Kensey: University of Vermont Patrick Meehan: Franklin & Marshall University


Page 9

The Index - Sports

Sports

June 2012

Tennis Team Secures Its Place in Haverford History James Shecter ‘13 Looking back on their perfect 19-0 season, the Haverford Varsity Tennis team is indescribably proud. Having tacked on a record-breaking 14 7-0 sweeps, the Fords’ closest margin of victory was not remotely close at all: only five times did the opposing team win one match. Not only did the Fords dominate all Inter-Ac and local competition, but they also bested Lawrenceville (6-1) and placed second at the North-Eastern/MidAtlantic (NEMA), which is a tournament for the top 20 independent schools of the Connecticut to Maryland corridor. Though they could not compete in the competitions for state championships, it is likely they would have won that as well. The Fords dominated both Conestoga (by a score of 6-1), who just clinched PIAA Class AAA championships for the second straight year, and Harriton (in a 7-0 sweep), who recently won the Class AA tournament. Thus, it is a fair assessment to call Haverford’s team the best in Pennsylvania. Several players on Haverford’s formidable line-up had undefeated seasons. Third Former Zach Lieb, who usually plays second singles behind older brother Fifth Former Jordan Lieb, did not lose a match except for a nailbiting three-set final at NEMA. Third Former Ben Lieb at third singles had an outright undefeated season: he not only beat all regular season opponents, but he also won his flight at

Jordan Lieb returning the tennis ball.

Ms. Dawn Blake

NEMA. First and second doubles (comprised of Sixth Form Captain Dan Brennan with Fourth Former Sam Kendall and Fourth Former Naryan Rustgi with Third Former Nathan Kidambi, respectively) went undefeated in all non-tournament play as well. Lastly, Third doubles (Fifth Formers James Shecter and Bradley Scherer) and fourth doubles (Fifth Former James Tarte and Fourth Former John Zipf) likewise bested all competition. For Scherer and Shecter, this undefeated season marks their third consecutive one: the two have both not lost a school match since joining the team their Third Form year. At the Inter-Ac Tournament held at Episcopal Academy, each position competes in their own flight for the top spot in the league

Saying Goodbye to a Legend: Crew Coach Barker Jack Henderson ‘15 recaps the Crew season and bids farewell to the beloved, long-time Haverford Crew coach, Coach Barker. Jack Henderson ‘15

regarded at Haverford and in the sport of rowing. Coach Barker may not know everyone It has been a successful year for The involved in the sport, but he will certainly Haverford School Crew team with a bright stay in contact with many going forward. future of young talent led by experienced Everybody knows him. Coach Barker is a upperclassmen. Every boat for Haverford member of the U.S. Rowing Hall of Fame and competed strongly throughout the season The Haverford School Athletic Hall of Fame. in the Manny Flicks, City Championships, Coach Barker coached two U.S. National and the Stotesbury teams and has coached many rowers Regatta leading up to to the Olympics. In 1962, Mr. Jim Nationals. The Fords Barker became the head coach at qualified five different The Haverford School. More than 35 boats to compete in of The Haverford School’s rowers Nationals held on under Coach Barker have competed the Cooper River in in several international events, including the Royal Henley Regatta, Camden, New Jersey. the Royal Canadian Henley, Junior Fourth Former Worlds, World University Games, Eamon Glavin and Maccabiah Games. During his and Fifth Former years of coaching at Haverford, Sam Blitzer, who the Crew team has won 160 City together make up the Championships, 100 Stotesbury Lightweight Double, Cup titles and 100 National finished in sixth place Championships. Coach Barker truly in the country. The is a legend that The Haverford School Lightweight Quad, will sorely miss. He will be in our composed of Fourth hearts forever. Former R.J. Meiers, Coach Barker. haverfordcrew.com With Coach Barker leaving, much Fifth Former Mario change awaits the crew team in the offseason. Maggio, Fifth Former Michael Maggio, and There is a spot for a new head coach that has Fourth Former Chet Bickhart, finished in not been open for 50 years. The hiring of a fifth nationally. Fifth Former Colin Meehan, new coach is an important decision for one of Sixth Former Pat Meehan, Fifth Former Max the most prestigious and historic high school Freundlich, and Sixth Former Jake Gaskill, crew teams in the nation. Designs for a new who make up the Varsity Four, likewise pulled boathouse have been planned out, which out fifth in the Petite Final. Third Formers could move the team’s practice location from Jordan Siegal, Eric Petersen, Cheyse Johnson, Boathouse Row to farther up river. However, and Jack Henderson finished in fifth in the nation in the Freshmen Quad, a promising boat this plan is in its beginning stages and could take some time. There are also two open slots for years to come. The Junior Quad, consisting for next year’s team captains as the team says of Fifth Formers Wick Egan, Gerard Hoeltzel, goodbye to its two Sixth Form leaders Pat John McMichael, and Jack Kling, also placed Meehan and Jake Gaskill. All experienced fifth in the United States. Every Haverford members of the team would be great leaders boat performed exceedingly well considering and would represent the team well. the immense competition and pressure. With the change and uncertainty about the This was the last season for Coach James J. future of the team, only one thing remains Barker, Jr., as a head coach for The Haverford the same: the Fords Crew team will come School Crew team. He will leave behind a back next year with the same resolution and long, storied history. He is the most influential determination that its always has to win more coach that The Haverford School Crew team victories and titles. has ever had, and he will forever be highly

(i.e. first singles competes with all other first singles, second singles with second singles, and so on). Haverford had already clinched the Inter-Ac title, but they showed up to fight their hardest and attain individual achievements. The Tournament consisted of a 5-game roundrobin, the results of which were then used to determine seeding for the first/second place match and the third/fourth place match. Fifth Form Captain Jordan Lieb was out with an elbow injury, so everyone on the team had to move up a slot. The new lineup was as follows: Z. Lieb, B. Lieb, and Brennan at the singles positions; Scherer and Kendall, Kidambi and Rustgi, Shecter and Tarte, and J. Zipf and Andrew Han at the doubles spots. Despite the adversity of missing their true number one player in J. Lieb, the Fords still won six of seven flights (all but first singles), clinching the tournament for the third consecutive year. To recap, Haverford won both their third consecutive Inter-Ac League title and their third consecutive Inter-Ac Tournament this year. And the team performed just as outstandingly inside the classroom: they were awarded with the Gordon B. Hattersley Prize, given annually to the Varsity athletic team with the highest academic average. Also at the award ceremony, Sixth Form Captain Dan Brennan was given the Coach’s Award, and Fifth Former James Tarte was awarded Most Improved Player. Additionally, Head Coach Mr. Antonio Fink received the Coach of the

Year Award for his incredible coaching ability, unparalleled intensity, and brilliant mentoring. The team This poll was conducted by James Shecter could not ‘13 via Facebook on May, 21-26, 2012. have been more proud of their coach, and they are ecstatic that they have finally been recognized schoolwide for their achievements. Haverford’s last loss came early in the 2011 season to EA. Since then, the Fords have won over 30 consecutive matches. That number is expected to grow as the majority of the team will be returning next season. Throughout the season, the tennis squad grew into brothers. Perhaps never before at The Haverford School has there been such a high level of camaraderie and teamwork in such an individualistic sport like tennis. The future of the tennis team is as bright as ever, but, as always, more student fan support next season will be much appreciated. The entire team would like to extend a gracious thank you to graduating Brennan, graduating Manager Kevin Zipf, and coaches Mr. Fink and Dr. Mark Gottlieb. The season would not have been the same if it were not for their countless contributions.

Track Team Soars, Winning State Championship

Despite losing so many Sixth Formers from last year, the Track team saw phenomenal success this year and even has athletes going to Nationals. Grayson Sessa ‘13

States, placing first. Just as the team had considerable success on the state-wide stage, many of the best athletes will be moving on to Nationals. Both the 4 x 200 meter relay team and the Sprint Medley relay team qualified. Bocobo and Sixth Former Brendan Purcell, a current captain, will go to Nationals for the 400 meter hurdles. Mountain will also compete at Nationals in the freshmen 400 meters event. Mr. Avery credits the team’s stellar performance to an undying work ethic through

The Fords Track & Field team capped off a truly successful season just a few weeks ago. What made the season so distinguished? Under the guidance of a fantastic coaching staff, consisting of Head Coach Chris Avery, Mr. Luqman Kolade, Ms. Christina MeierFernandez, Mr. Bryan Skelly, and Mr. Chris Fox, the team managed to break school records and gain key achievements. The most notable accomplishment of the year was one stemming from the hard work of all athletes on the team from distance to sprint and pole-vault: Haverford won first place at the Independent States’ Index Staff Championship. The relay team that set the new school record in the 4 x 800 meters. Because the season. He commented, “From the Haverford is a private school, this is the only Freshmen to the Seniors, the team showed true state-wide competition that the team competes resolve and continued to improve, culminating in, and the entire squad performed very well. in a state championship.” The tireless practice Some of the most notable accomplishments showed, especially in the performance of the include Sixth Former Geoff Bocobo’s first Third Formers. Both Kim and Keszeli were place victories in the 110 meter hurdles able to run sub-5 minute miles in what was just at States and the Inter-Ac Championship. their first year running on the Upper School Bocobo also ran the 300 meter race and broke Track team. Haverford’s long-time record. Fifth Former Some predicted that this may have been a Chris Morgan, who will serve as a captain tough year for the team given the accomplished next year, placed first in the Triple Jump at Sixth Form class that had graduated the year States. The distance team also saw success: before. But this year’s Sixth Formers filled the Fifth Former Lucas Elek, who will also be a leadership vacuum and helped bring the team captain next season, won first place in the 800 great success. Coach Avery said, “I was truly meter race at States and, in doing so, broke impressed by the leadership of the captains and the school’s record. Elek, along with Fifth the overall [leadership] displayed by the team.” Former Josh Collins and Third Formers Alex Bocobo summed up the brotherhood on team Keszeli and Alex Kim, broke the school record with, “Through hard work and determination in the 4 x 800 meter. A sprint relay, consisting up until the end, our team truly earned the state of Keszeli, Bocobo, Fifth Former Andrew championship title. I will really miss these Weiner, a captain for the 2012 season, and Third Former Derek Mountain, also did well at guys.”


Page 10

The Index - Sports

Sports

June 2012

Lacrosse Team Has Incredible Season Despite Odds Although some may characterize the Lacrosse season by the team’s loss to EA, Travis Chou ‘13 shows that the season truly was exceptional. Travis Chou ‘13

possible. This included playing in fall lacrosse leagues, having The Haverford shooting sessions, and School Lacrosse team, the grueling morning against all odds, has workouts during the finished an amazing winter. When asked season with a record about it, one player of 21-2. After losing said that “most times over 13 Sixth Formers [he] would come out last year, many of of a morning workout whom were headed completely dead to play D1 lacrosse, tired, but [he] knew most people thought that they would pay there was no way this off in the long run.” year’s team would do This proved to be true nearly as well as last as several players year’s team. Despite who did not even the adversity, the team play much last year found a way to have a emerged as significant nearly perfect season, contributors. People only losing to Landon such as Sixth Former in the beginning of the Henry Blynn, who did year and Episcopal not play much attack Academy at the Haverford going for the ball in a game against Penn Charter. Mr. Jim Roese last year, became the end. They may not leading scorer this have had the amount of raw talent as last year, year. Sixth Former Scott Warren worked hard but what they lacked in talent, they made up in the off season to become a starter on the for in teamwork and effort. defense. Another player said, “We didn’t really The team knew that this year was going to have an identity to the team,” so everyone be tough from the start, especially with one had to step up and be a contributor. Everyone of the hardest schedules, facing several top challenged themselves to be the best they 20 teams in the country. Therefore, the team could, both in practice and in games. This, began preparing for the season as early as along with everything else, formed one of the

Record-Setting Season Falls Just Short for Fords Baseball

Stewart Denious ‘13 recounts the Baseball team’s resurgence and the Fords’ playoff run. Stewart Denious ‘13

ride the Fords defeated Mercersburg Academy behind the arm of Fifth Former Pat Valentine The Haverford School Baseball team set the who threw a great game, as well as the bats of school record for wins this season compiling Fitzgerald with a long homerun, and Costalas a spectacular 24-15 record. The second half of with four hits. the season was certainly Up next in the semifinals the stronger one as the was Penn Charter, a familiar team found its groove, foe. The Fords had split winning seven straight the season series with the coming into the State Quakers, but in this game Tournament Finals the Fords quickly got up 3-0 against rival Malvern before a rain delay forced Prep. With strong the game to be continued the performances from Sixth following day at Haverford. Formers, including Eric The Fords managed to hold Close, Vince Piccioni, onto this lead, behind a Andrew Landolfi, Gus stellar performance by Close Costalas and Tom who pitched both days and McCarthy, the second got the win. half of the season saw Later that same day the the Fords in prime form. Fords faced the ultimate The team also got great test in the finals against contributions from Fifth their arch-nemesis Malvern. Formers Matt Galetta, Malvern had dominated the Steven Fitzgerald, and season series winning both Drew Field, Third Former games by large margins, Kevin McGowen, and but the Fords knew they others. could win this game, and Unfortunately the sure enough, Fitzgerald’s Fords early season two run single had the Fords Jack Armstrong throwing the baseball.Mr. Jim Roese struggles weighed them up 2-0 coming into the fifth. down too much as Malvern took the Inter-Ac However, Malvern responded in their half of title for the second straight year. However, the inning, hitting a two-run homerun to tie the the Fords looked to make a run in the state game, marring what had been a stellar pitching championship even as a lowly sixth-seed. The performance by Galetta up to that point. The two opening rounds of the tournament pit the Friars then took a 3-2 lead, and the Fords for Fords against two strong opponents. Friends all their effort could not come back to win, as Central had already beaten the Fords this year Malvern hung on in a nail-biter to win. and looked to repeat that feat in the opening The Fords have to look back at this season round. However, Piccioni and the Fords had with pride: not only did they set the win record other ideas. Piccioni pitched six strong innings for the school, but they re-emerged in the and held Central to no runs on only a few hits. second half of the season from a disappointing In the bottom of the seventh inning, Landolfi opening to show just how good of a team they singled home Galetta to win the game and sent were. In the end the team must say goodbye the Fords to Mercersburg for the next round of to some great Sixth Formers, but the future is the playoffs. bright for this team, and the goals will be high After a cramped three and a half hour bus for next year’s team.

Haverford Lacrosse making a catch in a game against Penn Charter..

Mr. Jim Roese

strongest bonded teams of the past several years. Led by the strong Sixth Form class, the players backed each other no matter what. They encouraged their teammates even if they may have caused a serious turnover. As Sixth Former Will McNamara says before games, “We’re a family. Everything we do, we do together, and we do it for each other.” This clearly showed in how the team played this year. Instead of individual efforts winning games, teamwork was what got the work done. Over 60% of the goals scored this year were assisted. Although they had such great success during the year, success does not last forever. Unfortunately, the Haverford Lacrosse team lost to Episcopal Academy in the InterAc Tournament Championship game. After going up 4-0, Episcopal quickly came back. Going into the fourth quarter, both teams were neck and neck, with Haverford on the verge of pulling ahead. EA then scored consecutive goals, ultimately winning 15-11. Everyone was stunned as EA, not Haverford, rushed onto the field after the game. The Fords felt as if their season was ruined, but they still had had an incredible showing. After the game, Warren said that it “was just one thing we missed - just one game,” and he was right. The Fords far exceeded everyone’s expectations, going 21-2 and staying undefeated in the regular Inter-Ac season while winning the Inter-Ac. They finished first in the state and second in the country, with McNamara and Sixth Former Sam Rohr making the Under Armour All-American team. Nine current Sixth Formers will be playing D1 lacrosse next year. It certainly has been a great season for the Haverford lacrosse program.

Frisbee Season Bounces Back After Sprints Introduced

Pat Somers ‘13 describes the Frisbee team, which had a rough start but soon found a four-game winning streak thanks to the introduction of endurance-focused practices. Pat Somers ‘13

catch in the endzone to help secure a tight win over North Penn. By the end of their third Losing five of the team’s seven starters game, the Fords kicked Holy Ghost back into to graduation last June, the Fords’ Ultimate the Jurassic Period when Holy Ghost saw no Team knew it had to make up a lot of ground. other option but to play, as they called it, a Coach Stephen Kim “Dinosaur Point.” and Coach Andrew In a rematch Fenton parted from against Penncrest, their typical laissez the team managed faire coaching to rebound from an style of running 8-1 first half deficit scrimmage-style to tie the score at 15 practices and played and force the game a much more active into extra points. role in teaching new However, in extra drills and a zone points Fourth Former defense. Key recruits Nate McManus this year were Fifth honorably overturned Formers JJ House, a foul call giving Henry Scales, and the frisbee back Jeff Green, who with to Penncrest and their athleticism allowing them to found their way into make one last throw the starting seven in for a touchdown and just their first year of end the game. play. At the end of the After losing in regular season, the a near shutout to Fords sported an 8-3 an equally-skilled regular season record Penncrest team in with their only losses the team’s season against Penncrest and opener, Coaches Cardinal O’Hara. The Kim and Fenton season is not over knew that stamina though, and the Fords Erich Prince Helber throwing the frisbee during practice. would continue to plan on carrying their act as the team’s Achilles heel if nothing were success into the postseason at City’s on Edgely changed. Working hard to build their players’ Field. There, the Fords will play public schools endurance, the coaches decided, for the first of similar talent and hope to seek revenge time, to implement sprints into everyday against Penncrest, their rival. practices. This change proved its effectiveness Looking ahead, next season appears in just the team’s second game as the Fords encouraging with only one starter departing won their first game, sparking a four game win and heading off to college. But, sadly, that streak. Highlights of that game included Sixth starter is Helber - the most accurate backhand Former Andrew Helber’s diving catch off of a thrower, who can throw the greatest distances, deflection and Green’s Santonio Holmes-like the Fords’ Ultimate Team has ever seen.


Page 11

The Index - Sports

Sports

May 2012

Kevin Brennan: Tennis Captain During Historic Season Will Tackett ‘14 profiles Sixth Former Kevin Brennan. He discusses Brennan’s fantastic season leading the team and his future plans. Will Tackett ‘14

The Haverford Tennis team had a legendary season this year, going 19-0, claiming the Inter-Ac title and winning the Tournament, placing second in the New England Mid-Atlantic Tennis Invitational (NEMA), and being the best team in the state. Leading the charge all season long was Sixth Form Captain Dan Brennan. Brennan was the longesttenured member of the team, having been on the Varsity squad all four years of Upper School, and therefore he provided veteran leadership that was crucial to the success of the relatively young team this year. As one of the three Sixth Formers and one of two captains, Brennan

established and maintained the team’s primary preseason goal: to go undefeated. Going undefeated is a rarely accomplished feat; even the tennis teams of the past few years, while almost as talented as this year’s team, could not manage it. The difference between this year and past seasons is, in Brennan’s eyes, something more intangible than on-thecourt talent: “What really made us successful this season was that we were all extremely focused and determined to become undefeated. We would not let anything get in our way of that [goal].” He also credits “the extremely close bond with one another” in helping the team to deal with significant challenges or adversities. Brennan attributes this kind of teamwork as key to the success of any tennis team: “I would urge all the younger guys to realize that, even though tennis is normally a solo sport, there needs to be great team chemistry and bond among all the players [in Brennan returning the tennis ball. Mr. Jim Roese order to succeed].” About his captainship, Brennan said

this: “It was an amazing experience this year being captain for such a great and talented group of guys.” Many team captains would feel enormous pressure to maintain the success of a season like the one the tennis team had this year, perhaps to the point of fearing being

Brennan preparing to swing.

blamed should something go wrong, but not Brennan. He trusted his team and had faith in them because he knew they could succeed. Now on to Brennan’s career. It began at the age of six, while playing and learning from his cousins in Florida, who were professionals. Across his four years on varsity, Brennan had an astounding record of 46-1 in Inter-Ac matches. He won singles titles in the Inter-Ac Tournament three out of four seasons. Despite

his success early in his career, Brennan still had room for improvement. Over the years, he has worked on the physical parts of his game - speed, strength, fitness, etc. - to push the boundaries of his ability; these are aspects of tennis that he feels are “always overlooked when coaches are trying to improve their players.” The most meaningful experience for him during his tenure was the team’s trip to the Sea Colony Tennis Resort this year: “My best experience with the team was this year at Sea Colony. We went there to train with each other and some of the best coaches in the Northeast. We not only grew extremely close as a team on this trip, but we were also able to improve our skills to be dominant throughout the Mr. Jim Roese season.” This is not the end of the road for Brennan but merely the beginning of a new chapter. The future is bright for his tennis career. Brennan: “I am definitely going to keep playing tennis my whole life because I really enjoy the sport.” He will be attending Wake Forest next year and plans to train hard this summer with his coach and will try to walk on to the tennis team in the spring. Said Brennan: “It is a daunting task, but I will give it all I’ve got.”

76’ers Fever at Haverford

Arjun Dravid ‘15 discusses students’ perspective on the Haverford excitement - or lack there of - over the Philadelphia 76’ers. Arjun Dravid ‘15

The Philadelphia 76ers is a team that has not been synonymous with success over the past few years. However, with their latest playoff run, the Haverford community took notice. Some fans hopped onto the bandwagon with the year-long fans, yet others remained unconvinced. One Third Former said, “I must admit that I liked the Sixers and would watch [games] every once in a while, but a real avid fan? No, I was not.” This situation can be used to describe many fans not only at Haverford, but in all

areas of sports. A casual fan will always begin to support a team when it begins to succeed; it is only natural. So how did Haverfordians feel about the Sixers recent run? According to Sixth Former Deepak Bhagat, “I think it’s great; I’m looking at a team full of young talent taking on teams in the playoffs like the Bulls and Celtics when no one really expected much of them.” Third Former Austin Krell said something very similar, “I feel that it was a great run and a huge development for the Sixers as a club, as a group of young players and for the city of Philadelphia. No one thought that they would win more than a game against the Bulls, let

The 76’ers in a game against the Celtics.

alone a whole series.” To sum it up in Paul Harryhill’s words, “I think its great.” Great it was as the Sixers beat the number one seeded Bulls and then pushed the fourthseeded Celtics

latimes.com

This poll of 100 students was conducted by James Shecter ‘13 via Facebook during the week of May, 21, 2012.

to seven games. Their run was very impressive for such a young team with very little postseason experience. So how was the excitement around Haverford? Students were mixed on this one. Third Former James Greytok remarked, “It’s lacking; it’s non existent” while Third Former Ryan Bowman said, “I feel there is excitement, and this excitement is prevalent in my art class where there are talks daily between the students about the recent games and who will win overall.” An anonymous source said, “I almost always hear something about the games whether it be from the Upper Schoolers, Middle Schoolers, and even the Lower Schoolers: everyone seems involved in it.” “Superfan” Krell said about the vibe at Haverford, “To be

honest, terrible. Not one of my peers has predicted the Sixers to win one game … Many say, ‘Okay, they beat the Bulls, who did not have Derrick Rose or Joakim Noah. No big deal.’” It seems as though some students see the school’s thoughts on the Sixers in polar opposite perspectives. A very hot topic in Philadelphia, after Kevin Garnett coined the expression, was “fairweather fans.” Are you a season-long fan or are you only excited by the playoffs? According to a recent Index survey, it seems as though Garnett may have been correct. Out of 83 students polled, only nine were year-long fans, 13 were season-long fans, 23 were only playoff fans, and 38 claimed not care about the Sixers. Nearly half of the students did not care about the Sixers, and just over a quarter of them were season/year long fans. This fact was further supported in interviews with only two of ten saying they were year-long/season-long fans. But people may start watching the Sixers as they are a young, smart team that can only improve.


Page 12

The Index - The Outdex

The Outdex

June 2012

Recently at The Haverford School... Starting in the fall of 2012, the red lot will be closed every day for visitor parking. All students will have to park in 2 hour parking on Booth Lane.

Gavin McBride, a walk on in the Kentucky Derby, is still wallowing in sorrow from his photo-finish loss to I’ll Have Another. Mr. Tirado recently took 9 students to Virginia for a kayaking and golf Habitat for Humanity trip. Did you know that you cannot hum when your nose is pinched shut? Don’t believe me? Try it. Everybody stop ripping on the Hagagagagilouk staff for the number of typos in this years edition. Editing a large publication is a lot of work and typos are bound to happen.

Peter Thompson on the Habitat for Humanity trip.

Alex Dawejko

Half of students reported not being able to sleep last Sunday night because Mr. Fifer did not send out the weekly schedule.

A recent poll shows that 97% of students know who Jack Meehan’s dad is. Due to their success at making home-run derby interesting, Mr. Murtha and Mr. Trocano have been signed by the Union as announcers in an attempt to attract more than 13 fans. At first for the lacrosse team, Fourth Former Connor Keating’s haircut has landed him a star role in American History X 2, in theaters Summer 2013.

Why does Sam Bloch feel the need to take off his shirt at every Haverford sporting event? In a stunning turn of events, Michael Green won the student council elections without promising dippin’ dots. Green’s approval rating amongst current freshmen is a meager 4% even though he has not officially taken over as president.

Is this Mr. Stambaugh or David Beckham?

David Beckham

Lucas Elek has promised to vote for Mitt Romney in the upcoming election if the school promises to hold a Ginger Awareness day sometime next year.

Wisdom from Josh Pau: “A penny saved is a penny earned!” Julia Fournier

Index Staff


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June 2012 Index by The Haverford School Index - Issuu