June 2019 Index by The Haverford School Index

The Index

The student voice...

since 1888

Ευταξια Σωζειν Δοκει June

Volume LXXXVI, No. 9

Haverford, Pennsylvania

2019

Farewell, Class of 2019 SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

Sixth Form fans and their underclassmen friends cheer on EA Day, November 9, 2019 Neetish Sharma ’19

look at the man in the mirror. The man in the arena. Who loves unconditionally without fear. Who won’t back down, no matter how bleak the circumstances. Who lives with honor. I see myself, but more importantly, I see Haverford. I see the Class of 2019. We stand together — not as boys anymore, but as men. The Class of 2019 has left its legacy, from the lower school multipurpose room to the basement of Crosman Hall to the corridors of Wilson Hall. Our class is unique. We’ve distanced ourselves from outlandish senior pranks or a grade-wide senior week. In our uniqueness, the Class of 2019 is a pivot point in Haverford’s history. This year, we pushed the envelope for the entire school by delving deep into Haverford’s racial tensions, sparked by incidents of explicit racism but also a climate of closet racism, all too commonly brushed

aside by most. But the Class of 2019 said no. Through activism, determination, and a sense of equity, we pushed Haverford to do more. We have begun the much-needed conversations about how we can make the word “brotherhood” ring truer in the ears of each and every Ford, regardless of race, gender, creed, sexual orientation, or ability. We have set the groundwork for even more progress. Let’s not forget our achievements. This year, we snatched back The Sweater from Episcopal’s cold blue-and-white dungeon back to its warm maroon-and-gold home. Our Sixth Form class reclaimed EA Day with a 4-1 win. Our basketball team was the best it has ever been. With an undefeated 28-game win streak, the Fords took both the Inter-Ac and the State Championship title. In a historic finals match, the team triumphed over The Westtown School in overtime, finishing 6762 with Sixth Formers Christian Ray and

Jameer Nelson, Jr., each contributing seventeen points for the Fords. After all the smoke cleared, an unprecedented 28-0. The first undefeated basketball team in school history. The Sixth Form took the helm in Vex Robotics, with 169A making a name for The Cavalry. Made up of Will Vauclain, Scott Shaw, and Will Clark, our Sixth Formers made 169A third in the world. In the spring, the Notables knocked it out of the park at their Inter-Ac competition. David Hurly sang a mashup of Ed Sheeran’s “Love Yourself ” and Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry,” Luke Follman performed Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” and David Pomeroy, Christian Sarian, Mickey Fairorth, Will Vauclain, and Sam Gavula supplied the stage antics that make the Notables who they are. Tennis made its mark yet again, captained by Sixth Formers Nikhil Chakraborty and Thomas Ward, as they brought home a tenth Inter-Ac title. Our musical Sweeney Todd

made a stand, as the Class of 2019 brought home six awards from The Philadelphia Independence Awards, with Best Actor going to David Hurly. Mickey Fairorth devoted himself to his Catholic faith, as he prepares to become a priest at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. We also boasted nine National Merit semifinalists. And all the while, Jake Weinstein toiled away in his little basement art room, producing some of the most magnificent visual art that plasters the school’s walls, all from his fingertips and a pencil. What about the senior prank? Where did that go? Yeah, we skipped it. And we weren’t afraid to break tradition for the better, easing the burden on the janitorial staff that works so hard to keep our school clean. Instead, Haverford became home to its first student-run wing eating competition next to our Walk of Virtues, with ex-student George cont. pg. 9

Poet, teacher, Haverford legend Mrs. Kasmen retires, leaving an organized upper school and warmer hearts Dr. Ehrhart Vincent Scauzzo ’20

Vincent Scauzzo ’20

ince 2001, Dr. William D. Ehrhart has inspired young men through his articulate, poetic phrasing and personal stories. He is an artist, a coach, a historian, and a friend to many. Dr. Ehrhart came to Haverford in 2001 as an English teacher, but before that, he had worked with some future Haverford faculty. At West Point, he taught English for a short time with eighth headmaster Dr. Joe Cox. Primarily, though, he was a self-employed writer, making “very little money” while his wife paid for most of their expenses. This all makes his employment at Haverford unique. Dr. Ehrhart said, “I’ve had this job six times longer than any other job I’ve ever had in my life. I have a long history of not doing jobs

I’m not enjoying.” His job allowed him to share his poetry with his students. One of his favorite memories comes from a Poetry Club reading. In 2011, Dr. Ehrhart was supposed to recite his poetry with a friend at the Milkboy Cafe in Bryn Mawr, but his friend could not attend for health reasons. Dr. Ehrhart invited the school’s Poetry Club, managed by English teacher Mr. Dan Keefe, to the café. He said they packed the house and everyone enjoyed it. The times he spends with the kids are his favorites, he says, and he will miss the boys the most out of everything at Haverford.

eloved by many, Mrs. Adele Kasmen keeps the peace in the Haverford School, and after seventeen years of work in the Upper School office, she is retiring. Throughout her time here, she made many friends with the students and the staff. Mrs. Kasmen’s job title does little to describe her total impact on the school. “Assistant to the Head of Upper School” is her official job title, but her friendliness and high standards give hope to the students and faculty; she is an example of what it means to be a genuine, kind person. From her office outside the most traversed area in the Upper School, she watches with interest all that

cont. pg. 8

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Scott Shaw’s “Logo Abstraction”

SCOTT SHAW ’19

Kevin Thomas jumping at the Kellerman Invitational

Mrs. Adele Kasmen

DR. MIKE NANCE

INDEX STAFF

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The Index’s

The Index

- Editorial

June 2019

2019–2020 Staff Yan Graf ’20 Editor-in-Chief Ryan LaRocca ’20 Editor-in-Chief Toby Ma ’20 Editor-in-Chief Daniel Chow ’20 Managing Editor Matthew Schwartz ’21 Managing Editor Tyler Zimmer ’21 Managing Editor Obaida Elamin ’20 Design Editor Quinn Luong ’22 News Editor Jeffrey Yang ’22 News Editor Matt Mignucci ’20 Features Editor

Promoting awareness inside and outside

he Index has always sought to impart a sense of awareness among Haverford men: an awareness of oneself, an awareness of others, and an awareness of one’s community. Why is this awareness important? This awareness tells the stories of the students who navigate this institution. The Index celebrates athletes, artists, and many other distinctive members of this community; it includes opinions of Haverford men on politics and world events to entertainment and popular culture. The depth of stories and perspectives ensures that everyone’s voice is heard in these halls — and that is great.

But why stop there? Why restrict ourselves to the viewpoint of the Haverford community, the nation, and the world? It is easy to forget that ineresting stories lie right outside Haverford’s borders. Why not inform Haverford men about events on the Main Line? Or in Philadelphia? Learning about these events will enhance a man’s understanding of the greater community, and his place in it. While it is important to celebrate the extraordinary departing staff members and Class of 2019, The Index must also look towards the future for further improvement. Hence, the 2019–2020 editorial board has

vowed to reinvigorate The Index this issue. We have implemented “Neighborhood” and “Academics” sections, both of which will extend The Index’s scope. These sections will highlight issues outside our community’s borders, issues that will remind Haverford men of the communities around them. The Index has also expanded its team of editors to help achieve its goal. As a result, we hope that The Index will be one of the many factors that helps Haverford succeed in Preparing Boys for Life.

Agustin Aliaga ’21 Academics Editor Vincent Scauzzo ’20 Neighborhood Editor Cole Stecker ’20 Campus Opinions Editor Jon Krouse ’20 Off-Campus Opinions Editor James Wang ’21 Off-Campus Opinions Editor Jake LaRocca ’22 Sports Editor Mitav Nayak ’22 Sports Editor Ryan Rodack ’22 Arts Editor Sebastian Bilash ’20 Staff Photographer Ms. Alicia Evans Faculty Advisor Mr. Thomas Stambaugh Faculty Advisor

The Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles the daily struggles and accomplishments of the Haverford community. The Index also provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues, such as student culture, academic policy, and Haverford’s place in world affairs. The Index presents new ideas and aspires to influence constructive change. All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at index@haverford.org. The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed on Mac OS X, using Adobe InDesign CS 2018. Its surveys are conducted via SurveyMonkey and are advertised on Facebook to current Haverford students. Graphic designs are created by Index staff via Canva. Southern Dutchess News prints 200-400 copies of each issue, and its editorial staff distributes them in the Upper School on the day of release. The Index serves the needs of a total school population of 1156 community members, consisting of 956 students and 200 faculty and staff members. Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 index@haverford.org Twitter: @Haverford_Index (610) 642-3020 x. 1222 Volume LXXXVI, No. 9 - June 6, 2019

INDEX STAFF

The 2019-20 Editorial Board (left to right): Editor-in-Chief Ryan LaRocca ‘20, Managing Editor Tyler Zimmer ‘21, Editor-in-Chief Toby Ma ‘20, Managing Editor Daniel Chow ‘20, Editor-in-Chief Yan Graf ‘20. Missing: Managing Editor Matthew Schwartz ‘21

Letter from the student body president Vincent Scauzzo ’20

entlemen! I am so psyched for our next year together. From athletic success to robotics getting ever closer to becoming World Champions, the 2019-2020 school year is sure to be great. With this in mind, I have high expectations. We are capable of creating one of the greatest years the school has ever seen, and in order for that to come to fruition, we all need to work together. Underclassmen: do not be afraid to get to know the older students. The class of 2020 is kind, and we have more in common with you than you might think. I promise you, no upperclassman belittles a freshman or sophomore because of his age. All you have to do is engage with the school — make yourself known — and you will have friends in every grade. Upperclassmen: you are coming to your last years on this campus. Be visible in the community. Now, school is more about legacy and making a name for yourself, so get out there and provide yourself a great reputation. Some key faculty and staff members are leaving this year, which means a lot of new

INDEX STAFF

Student body president Vincent Scauzzo ’20 staff will come in the fall and will have big world can throw a lot at you sometimes, so shoes to fill. Make sure they feel welcome and keep on your toes and don’t forget to live in give them feedback about their performance. the moment. Enjoy the summer, guys. You Build good relationships with these new earned it. teachers — they might become your friends. As always, men, keep an open mind. The

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The Index

- news

June 2019

Home Run Derby raises over $1000 Tyler Zimmer ’21

DR. HOLLY GOLECKI

Josiah Somani ’22, Alexander Greer ’20, Bram Schork ’22, Elijah Lee ’22, Troy Barnes ’19, Yan Graf ’20, Bryce Broadus ’19, and Calvin McCall ’19 (left to right) at Langley Research Center

Students work with NASA scientists Jeffrey Yang ’22

ASA calls to mind legendary space missions, aeronautic discoveries, and undisclosed government experiments — it is not the place where one would expect to find a group of eight Haverford boys. On May 14, the Soft Robotics team traveled to NASA’s Langley Research Center in West Virginia for three days. The team’s award-winning submissions to the the annual Soft Robotics Toolkit Competitions caught the attention of professionals in the field, including NASA researchers experimenting with soft robots for either a future lunar or Mars mission. “I got a call from a person there, and he said that they had found our students’ work online and were trying to replicate it,” Director of Robotics Dr. Holly Golecki said. “He wanted to talk with the students about their approach and what they had done — just basically trying to gather information.” The soft robotics team spoke with NASA engineers in a video conference in March. In hopes of continuing the collaboration, the team travelled to Langley in order to participate within the Engineering Design Session (EDS) held last month. When the group arrived, they spent the first two days at this event. “It was a small conference where we were with other experts to provide and receive feedback and suggestions for both their work and our work. The EDS we participated in was mainly about the applications of using soft robots on the lunar surface. Our team

“Our team contributed to discussions about high-level infrastructure and the progress needed that would make this project practical” contributed to discussions about high-level infrastructure and the progress needed that would make this project practical,” Third Former Elijah Lee said. Many of the experts Lee mentioned were

adult professionals. For many on the team engaging with soft-robotics specialists was the most rewarding. “It was great that we had the opportunity to contribute to an EDS at such a high level,” said Fifth Former Alexander Greer. “The engineers we worked with truly valued our perspectives, which goes to show how important a diverse array of ideas can be

bout a month before Major League Baseball holds its All-Star Week Home Run Derby, the service board hosts one of its own. The May 23 derby marked the year’s final fundraiser. “The event brought in just over a thousand dollars this year,” Director of Service Learning Ms. Jini Loos said. The student body raised most of the money. The dress-down day, hot dog station, and other snack options each brought in over three hundred dollars. The Thursday morning before Memorial Weekend looked promising. The temperature was comfortable, the wind kept the audience cool, and everybody planned on spending an extended community block down by Memorial Field. “Some serious preparation went into getting ready for it,” Math teacher Ms. Barbara LaPenta said. “I went to Tee’s Batting Cages and worked on my slow pitch softball skills. I wanted to compete because female teachers haven’t participated in similar events like the basketball game this year.” Even if not hitting home runs, other faculty members participated in the event as well. Departing iconic chemistry teacher Mr. Thomas Trocano was the voice of the event, announcing the play-by-play over the loudspeaker. “Seeing all the faculty and student participants putting on an awesome show for the community and a great cause, I consider it

a real privilege,” Mr. Trocano said. “I enjoy having a great time, telling a joke or two, and again, being part of a great cause.” Baseball simply doesn’t feel complete without hot dogs, and Dr. Andrew Fenton held down the grill. Over one hundred students and faculty took advantage of the hot dog deal: two hot dogs for three dollars. Dr. Fenton said, “I worked the grill for the last five of six years. Mr. Upton was always in charge; this is the first time I was the lead griller, and I did my best to make him proud, hamming it up a little and joking with the guys lined up. Hot dogs are pretty core to the baseball experience, I think, and I’m glad that Haverford has this tradition.” “It was one of the most fun community blocks this year,” Fourth Former Trent Davis said. “I had a great time, and I think all the other spectators did as well.” Fifth Former Griffin Spahr said, “There was Rita’s [water ice]. I love Rita’s!” Through what Sixth Former Thomas Ward called “pure luck, some skills I had from tennis, and the rain that cut the event short,” Ward came out on top. Although he maintained a humble outlook on his victory, his eleven home runs impressed the crowd and made for a climactic finish. The event was not completed, though, as the rain turned into thunderstorms which brought on lightning. Grabbing any and all food that remained, students bolted into Wilson Hall.

“The engineers we worked with truly valued our perspectives, which goes to show how important a diverse array of ideas can be throughout innovation.” throughout innovation.” And for Dr. Golecki, watching her students partake in such a unique experience was just as rewarding. “I think it really speaks to the quality of work being done by our students here — it’s well-respected by practicing engineers,” Dr. Golecki said. “It was really unique, and I think it was unusual for a student group to be invited to one of these events. And seeing my students being able to hold their ground when talking with experts and seeing them being able to facilitate an authentic engineering experience was really cool.” The team at NASA plans to publish a white paper outlining the topics the group discussed during the session, and the researchers ultimately aspire to have soft-robotic hardware on the moon by 2024. On the third and last day of the trip, the team toured the facility. They saw wind tunnels, makerspaces, and even a gantry — a structure involving a crane used to throw objects and simulate crashes or conditions such as or the gravity on the moon. Astronaut Neil Armstrong used one to practice his moon landing. “The trip was inspirational to see the cutting edge of technology,” Third Former Bram Schork said.

The Home Run Derby this year was a major success, despite rain

INDEX STAFF

DR. HOLLY GOLECKI

Science teacher Mr. Chris DiBello, McCall, Broadus, Barnes, Graf, Greer, Somani, Lee, Schork, and a NASA employee (left to right) at the NASA Landing and Impact Research Facility

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The Index

- News

Student entrepreneurs enter the Shark Tank

Randy Park ’21 and Ryan LaRocca ’20 present their product, Seat Treats, which allows moviegoers to order concessions with their ticket

June 2019

JEFFREY YANG ’22

Jeffrey Yang ’22

group of student entrepreneurs faced hungry investors in the annual Shark Tank on Friday, May 24. The Entrepreneurship Club presented five unique products. First to enter the Tank were Fifth Former Ryan LaRocca and Fourth Former Randy Park. They faced a panel of faculty “sharks,” including Mr. Nathan Bridge, Mr. Mark Fifer, and Ms. Brooke Kenna, as well as an audience of peers. Their product, Seat Treats, appeal to those who hate waiting in concession lines. Seat

Seat Treats is an app that allows movie-goers to order food at the same time they order a ticket. Treats is an app that allows movie-goers to order food at the same time they order a ticket. Prior to the film, as customers select their seats, they are given the option to buy food, and then the theater sends an employee with

food, so that it is already by his seat before the customer enters the theatre. “This way,” as LaRocca and Park said, “shoppers would not have to wait in lines, the theatre would need to pay fewer employees, and more people would be inclined to buy food from theaters, as 85% of the profit theatres make is through snacks, rather than from an outside store.” Mr. Bridge seemed to value their idea and added that the collectible data of which snacks are popular with which movies could be valuable. Next, Fourth Formers Tyler Zimmer and Drew Loughnane presented their product Locked in Laces, a chemically engineered, water-resistant sticky spray. The spray keeps laces from becoming undone and allows the wearer to keep a pleasing aesthetic. While there was some confusion regarding the water resistance and washing of the product, Zimmer and Loughnane assured that they had confirmed their research. “We asked [Chemistry Teacher Mr. Thomas Trocano] when we were choos-

ing the chemical, and he told us the product wouldn’t come undone unless you used warm water and actually rubbed it,” the two entrepreneurs explained. The next product to meet the sharks was Fifth Former Chris Tsetsekos’ Speak 2 Script. Tsetsekos found the inspiration for the product after meeting with a sports figure. “I recorded the interview on my phone and tried using a speech to text app. But after the conversation, I found that the words were all jumbled and completely useless,” Tsetsekos said. Speak 2 Script is an app which accurately puts dialogue to script for journalists and other interviewers. Tsetsekos plans for the app to sell for $3.99, and also mentioned selling bulk to big media companies, such as NBC and CNN, to help aid their interviewers. Third Formers Fisher Bond and Bryon Li next presented their Auto Brella — an automatic umbrella. Their umbrella automatically tilts toward the sun based on sunlight intensity levels. It contains solar panels, a

charging station for phones, and a wireless speaker. “We would market this product to resorts, hotels, and country clubs for them to use by the pool or beach, not only for the umbrellas but [the solar panels] also act as a cheap source of energy,” the two Third Formers said. Though they originally planned for the umbrella, priced at $779.99, to be for larger companies, Mr. Bridge suggested that, with all the features, the price tag was not too high for the personal-use market. Last were Third Formers Zach Hoyt and Conrad Reller. Their product, the DUI safety wheel, is implemented within cars’ steering wheels to detect the driver’s intoxication levels. If the wheel detects that the driver is unsafely conducting under the influence of alcohol, the car will not start. “If the car is already moving, the car would safely navigate off the road, park in a safe area, and safety officials would be notified,” Hoyt and Reller said.

New middle school forming on tennis courts Evan Brabson ’20

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

The first rows of mobile learning units in place on the tennis courts

ith the school year closing out and exams looming, middle school teachers prepare to move out of Crosman Hall. Stacks of boxes line the hallways, and everything is labeled for organization. Interior demolition will begin next week, and the building will be removed shortly after graduation. Over the next year, a new building will take its place. In the meantime, the middle school will move to its temporary home on the tennis courts. The “Virtue Village,” as students chose to call it, has already taken shape. Mobile learning units (trailers) sit in two rows: one row of solely classrooms and the other, a central hallway with classrooms on either side. Over the summer, teachers will move in. There will be no lockers in the trailers, a “luxury” that current middle school students enjoy. Limited space in the trailers compounds the issue. Sixth-grade history teacher Mr. John Suter said, “I think the biggest challenge will be what do we do with sports equipment and bags.” Because students will not have lockers in “Virtue Village,” Mr. Suter wonders if stu-

dents will be allowed to carry backpacks to class. Carrying backpacks is currently prohibited — teachers instead encourage students to store books in lockers. To help solve this issue, classes can move away from physical textbooks and papers to digital content on class computers. Another challenge will be the location of the trailers relative to other buildings on campus. Students will no longer enjoy close proximity to the Dining Hall. The trailers are also far from Centennial Hall, where students have art, music, and drama classes. They are also far from Ball Auditorium, where students gather for assemblies. The distance between other community spaces raises questions about how students will spend free time during lunch and recess. Of course, these changes will only be temporary; the new middle school is scheduled to open for the 2020-2021 school year. According to Mr. Suter, the company doing the work has a proven track record of completing projects on time, so the completion should not be delayed. The final part of the project will be a new tennis court for the school’s ten-year InterAc champion tennis team.

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The Index

- Features

June 2019

Bridging the Gap (Year) Matthew SchwARTZ ‘21

chools challenge students to learn and stretch themselves, so that one day, hopefully, they will be admitted to the college of their dreams. Fourteen years of work and high expectations can be draining. While most students continue right away with four more years of schooling, others take extra time between high school and college to recharge and reflect, hoping to gain new experiences that would not otherwise be available to them. “[Students] have gone through all these emotions of doing all the stuff to get into a college and then it’s like, ‘I’m exhausted from this,’” College Counselor Mrs. Karen Ley said. Planning for a gap year can start in the Fifth Form year, after students have begun the process of looking into schools and discussing their future. An interested student would continue along the same path as all their fellow classmates, visiting and applying to different colleges. Once he has chosen a college to attend, he would inform the college of their decision to defer admission to the next year. “Everybody grants it [deferral] really, I’ve had nobody turned away,” Mrs. Ley said. “They’re [colleges] thrilled to have you a year older and wiser and more refreshed.” One of the hardest parts about gap years is deciding what to do. Haverford cosponsors a gap year fairly every January where students can explore different programs and opportunities that are available to them. Gap years provide students, who are becoming adults, a chance to look back on their childhood and to look ahead to their future.

GRAPHIC BY YAN GRAF ’20

Nick Chimicles’ packed gap year schedule includes going to the Rockies, Southeast Asia, and Europe Several current students have decided to dia, Thailand, and Vietnam for nearly four will have the unique opportunity to take a take a gap year. months. They will join ten other high-school step back from life and really analyze who I “I want to write a novel about Haverford, graduates on a Where There Be Dragons am and where I want to be.” but also life on the Main Line in general,” trip. Most of the South East Asia trip conSixth Former Nick Chimicles said. “As I’m sists of living in homesteads, exploring local getting away from this place, I can kind of languages and cultures, and learning the poreflect on it through writing.” litical history of each country. Chimicles and fellow Sixth Former Will “My parents view my gap year as an opClark will travel to South East Asia, visit- portunity to better understand not just mying countries such as China, Laos, Cambo- self, but the world I live in,” Clark said. “I

Mrs. Blatt moving on after four years wedding technology and the arts Jonny Sonnenfeld ‘20

ince 2015, Philadelphia native Mrs. Zoë Blatt has transformed enthusiastic and creative boys into artists capable of creating works on par with many professionals. Sadly, this will be Mrs. Blatt’s final year at Haverford, as she moves on to another art teaching position at Friends Select School in Center City. In her new position, Mrs. Blatt will still be working with teenagers, something she prefers. “I love working with adolescents who are kind of figuring out who they are and what they care about,” Mrs. Blatt said. “The art space can be the perfect place for that to happen.” Haverford boys also create a perfect laboratory environment for Mrs. Blatt’s passion for new art technology. Mrs. Blatt has helped usher in a new age within the Art Department, one which reflects the modern, technologically advanced world. From an art environment that centered on the traditional foundations of 2D and 3D painting, drawing and sculpture, she has spent significant effort expanding the scope of course offerings to include digital platforms, animation, photography, and 3D printing techniques. The options for students interested in the arts have blossomed with her openness to new forms of artistic expression. Mrs. Blatt said she continually asks herself: “Are my students engaged with the material?

Are they developing their project-management skills? Are they being challenged? Are they challenging themselves? Taking risks? Reflecting? Pushing themselves creatively?” Mrs. Blatt demonstrated not only her passion for teaching, but also her sincere care for each student’s well-being. Mrs. Blatt can almost always be found in her studio-classroom on the ground floor, where her door is always open. Mrs. Blatt said, “My favorite moments are just chatting with students about whatever is on their mind.” There is rarely a time when there are no students in Mrs. Blatt’s room getting help on a project, asking for advice regarding any aspect of life, or just having a conversation. This coincides with her list of things she will miss most about Haverford: “The students, my colleagues, the parents.” She adds that “the people at Haverford are what make this school so special and difficult to leave.” Mrs. Blatt thinks that her position here allowed her to become more familiar with new mediums of creation that she can incorporate into her own pieces. “I bring my own artistic practice into the classroom, and what is happening in the classroom directly influences my practice,” Mrs. Blatt said. Mrs. Blatt hopes to continue teaching digital and other “new” art forms rather than shifting to more traditional methods. Mrs.

Blatt was adamant that technology would remain the cornerstone of her curriculum, “I feel that working with technology is more challenging, forces me to learn constantly, and keeps me on my toes!“

Mrs. Zoë Blatt

Mrs. Blatt said, “I hope that I have fostered a love for the visual arts in some, encouraged others to see the world in new ways, and helped many navigate the challenges that come with being a teenager.”

COMMUNICATIONS

Page 6

The Index

- Features

Ms. Evans shakes hands goodbye

June 2019

Quinn Luong ‘22

SEBASTIAN BILASH ‘20

Ms. Evans moves on after three successful years teaching English

nglish teacher Ms. Alicia Evans paved the way for classroom discourse within her English II and III classes and challenged her students to question the status quo. After three years, Ms. Evans will leave Haverford for Germantown Academy. Students will certainly miss shaking hands with her at the end of each class. Ms. Evans’ unique classes challenge students to interpret literature through their own perspective, rather than as a societal view. Ms. Evans shares her devotion to literature to her students, and she hopes her students learn something new every day. “I enjoy the opportunity to do the right thing every day,” Ms. Evans said. “Reading literature provides the opportunity to build empathy, which correlates to building character.” “I will miss a lot of things. It is exciting to see the seniors graduate this year, as I previously taught them sophomore year. I will miss the faculty putting up with me

and their work ethic. But most importantly, I will deeply miss the sense of humor,” Ms. Evans said. Ms. Evans also advised and supported the American Sign Language Club, or ASLC. Fifth Form SLC founder Conor Wood said, “Ms. Evans is like another advisor to me. I want to thank her for proactively building meaningful conversations within the American Sign Language Club and in our English class. It is great to involve students in these conversations in order to understand each other and form their own opinion.” Within her English classes, Ms. Evans inspired many students to pursue creative writing and other forms. Outside of class, she prioritizes helping students with their writing, on their own or in after-school conferences. Fifth Former Sebastian Bilash said, “I am going to miss most the amount of effort Ms. Evans would constantly put into helping me improve my writing.”

Mr. Trocano alters the equation on his way to San Diego Nikhil Chakraborty ‘19

hroughout our careers as students, we usually get good teachers. Sometimes, we get great teachers. But occasionally, we get a teacher who embodies scholarship and character, who enhances the lives of everyone he works with, colleague or student. Science Department Chair Mr. Tom Trocano, instructor of the infamous Honors Chemistry course, diehard Browns fan, and Star Trek fanatic, is one of those teachers. “Honors Chemistry was the hardest class I’ve ever taken at Haverford, but Mr. Trocano was extremely supportive,” Fifth Former Brennan McBride said. “You could go see him during your free period, before school, whenever. He even left his home phone number for us to call if we had questions.” He has not only been a steady influence in the lives of his students, but also his colleagues. “If you have a new idea or want to try something, he will always help,” Mrs. Kara Cleffi said. “He’s brought the Science Department together in many ways, and he insists on collaboration. For example, if two faculty members are teaching the same course, he has us work together to lay out the curriculum. The culture he’s built has made us better at what we do, instructing and imparting a passion for science in students.” Mr. Trocano started teaching here in 2005. Before Haverford, he was Science Department Chair at the North Carolina School of Science and Math. He spent a year teaching at Haverford before assuming the role of department chair in 2006. “I knew from the start that the faculty, school, and mission were things I could support wholeheartedly. I was impressed when I came for my interview, and my feelings for the school have only grown over time,” Mr. Trocano said. Since then, he has taken part in building almost every feature of the Science Department we see today. He founded one of Haverford’s most unique programs, the Advanced Laboratory Research Cooperative (ALRC). “A few years after he arrived, Mr. Trocano came to me and suggested a model for a research program, based upon what he’d seen at the previous school he worked at,” said Ms. Cleffi, who is currently in charge of the ALRC. “He helped me pilot the program with four students, and we placed these students in university labs. We’ve kept running the program, and it’s been an amazing experience.”

SEBASTIAN BILASH ‘20

Mr. Trocano departs for San Diego Mr. Trocano has also led the creation of most of the science electives we see today, including Engineering, Electronics, Environmental Ethics, Physiology, Astronomy, and more. “The last year we taught AP courses here was 2005. After that, we were charged with developing these electives that would replace the AP courses. So different teachers suggested ideas, and from those ideas, we were able to create new courses,” Mr. Trocano said. But Mr. Trocano’s greatest passion, by far, is teaching. “I grew up swearing I would never teach. My mom was an English teacher for 30 years, and I saw how hard she worked and how little she got paid. But I realized shortly thereafter that teaching was my best destiny. I love working with young people, and I love not only teaching students a particular topic, but also the relationships you can build at the high school level.” Mr. Trocano started teaching Honors Chemistry as soon as he arrived at Haverford. Over the years, it really became his signature course. “The expectations that I set, the way I go about supporting my students, my persona in class, it gave Honors Chemistry a reputation. Although I think the reputation’s been a bit beyond reality sometimes, there’s no question that it’s still a challenging course,

and I do expect the students to reach. But I also think I’ve been there for the students when they need it, whether it’s calling at 9 at night or spending most of my free time working with them.” Anyone who has taken Honors Chemistry knows that Mr. Trocano is a diehard fan of both the Browns and Duke basketball (one of which has seen many terrible seasons in the past 30 years). He insists on assigning a pop quiz every time one of his favorite teams loses. “There is actually a method to that madness. It’s a rallying point. We get 60 new Cleveland Browns fans every year. It may only last one year, but suddenly there’s a new crop of kids who are rooting for the Browns every Sunday.” To students in his class, rooting for the Browns seems like a nightmare. But it does bring the class together as they hope that the team can finally pull off a win. For Mr. Trocano, rooting for these sports teams has brought him closer to important people in his life. “My fascination with the Browns is really about a connection with my father. My father and I rarely got along, and I was not the most easy son to work with. We rarely saw eye-to-eye, but the one thing we did no matter what was watch the Cleveland Browns. Every time I watch them, every time I read

about them, every time I hear them, I feel like he’s right here next to me.” Mr. Trocano has given much to Haverford. He also says that Haverford has taught him a lot of life lessons. “I’ve learned about the power of collaboration among faculty. I’ve learned the resilience and determination of students to meet the challenge when it comes from a place of encouragement and support. I can’t just tell you to do something hard and leave you there. But if you know it’s a reach and there’s someone there to help you, it gives you motivation to get there. And finally, I would argue when an institution puts the students first, the faculty first, the mission first, that leads to successful outcomes.” As he departs, we wish Mr. Trocano well and thank him for all he has given to our school. He is moving to San Diego, where he will be Upper School Head at La Jolla Country Day School. “What I would tell all future generations of Haverford students is, find your best destiny. If you’re lucky enough to find the thing you really love, don’t worry about money, don’t worry about prestige, don’t worry about status. Find the thing you love, do it every day, and you will get what you need and what you consider important. You work too great a portion of your life to not love what you do.”

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- Features

June 2019

An athlete’s tribute to Coach John Nostrant

Chris Tsetsekos ‘20

8 years. As a seventeen-year-old, I literally cannot comprehend how much time Coach John Nostrant has been here. I speak for hundreds of people in saying how fortunate we were to have him as a lacrosse coach and mentor throughout these years. It’s hard to put words down on paper, but we all have a distinct image of Coach Nostrant. Perhaps

words like wise, honest, and respected may be good places to start. Coach Nostrant’s impact on the Haverford community and beyond is undeniable. His accolades are many and impressive. In this decade alone, two Haverford lacrosse teams have gone undefeated and earned national championships. Coach Nostrant was named the National High School Coach of the Year

in 2015. He has accrued 492 wins as a head coach against national powerhouse teams, many of which were ranked in the Top 25 in the country. Before I met Coach Nostrant, I knew he was a great lacrosse coach. What I did not know was how personable he is, how much he cares about his players, or how much I would learn beyond lacrosse. I’ve learned to pay attention to detail.

To communicate effectively. To prioritize the important things in life. Although I have only known Coach Nostrant for two years, he has already left a profound impact on my life, and the experiences he has given me will certainly last me a lifetime. For hundreds upon hundreds of former athletes, we thank you, Coach Nostrant.

DR. MIKE NANCE

Coach John Nostrant shares a moment with his players

Dr. Golecki returns to academia Matt Mignucci ‘20

r. Holly Golecki will leave to pursue the opportunity to be an educator at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. During her time at Haverford, Dr. Golecki has taught many difficult, fun, and iconic classes. She also led our worldrenowned robotics program. Q: How long have you been at Haverford and what have you taught? A: Five years. I’ve taught Engineering, Engineering*, Biology, Freshman Physics, and Advanced Physics* Q: Where are you going and what will you be doing there? A: I accepted a faculty position at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I’ll be in the Bioengineering department. Q: Was it hard for you to decide to leave Haverford? A: After completing my Ph.D., it was a natural time for me to explore new options. I’ve really enjoyed working with the exceptional students at Haverford and the creative freedom I’ve had here to explore new fields like soft robotics. Q: What is one of your favorite memories from your time Haverford? A: The cardboard canoe project, bridge assemblies, collaborating with lower grades on catapult projects, STEM day in 2015, and I really enjoyed collaborating with Ms Lewis

COURTESY OF DR. HOLLY GOLECKI

Dr. Golecki with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she recently received her Ph.D. on the science and cooking course last year. I most enjoy anytime I can bring my classes outside the walls of Wilson Hall and collaborate with colleagues. I’m so happy to have ended my time at Haverford with the soft robotics team’s trip to NASA and the Lilly

Pulitzer senior project collaboration. Q: Will you ever visit Haverford? A: The academic world is surprisingly small. I imagine I will see many of my former students at academic conferences and in other

professional settings in the years to come. I very much look forward to keeping students and colleagues in my professional network. I just saw Sam Gavula this week in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Harvard’s graduation.

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Ehrhart, continued from the front page... “I love hanging around with you guys. It’s the next best thing to never growing old,” Dr. Ehrhart said. “I get older every year, but every September, I walk into that classroom, and the kids sitting there are the same age they were last year.” On the subject of age, Dr. Ehrhart believes he is retiring at the right time. He said it is his time, and old age is finally catching

“I love hanging around with you guys. It’s the next best thing to never growing old. I get older every year, but every September, I walk into that classroom, and the kids sitting there are the same age they were last year.” up to him. “I’m seventy. I can feel myself slowing down. Other people haven’t seemed to notice yet, but they will start to see soon.” Over the last few years, technology has taken up a more prominent role in the school. Dr. Ehrhart has no teacher Canvas page, no online calendar, no online files — everything is written on the whiteboard. His biggest fear is that one day, “I’m going to have a board member’s son in my class, and the board member is going to go onto my Canvas page to see what is going on in the class, and the board member will see that I don’t have any Canvas pages, and then the board member will go to the Upper School head and say, ‘What’s that dinosaur doing here?’” While Dr. Ehrhart might be “old school,” plenty of students will attest that the lack of technology has not interfered with the quality of his classes. Outside of the classroom, Dr. Ehrhart is a dedicated Winter Track coach. It takes a lot to do this job — waking up early on

- Features

June 2019

Saturdays for Lehigh meets, braving the cold practices, dealing with a lot of grumpy runners — but Dr. Ehrhart’s enthusiasm for the sport keeps morale high and the runners fast. His appointment to Winter Track was rather unusual. Dr. E grew up as a swimmer, but he did not want to coach swimming because “ you’re up on the deck in that stinking, humid, chlorinated, awful, hot air — I didn’t want to do that. I had started jogging when I was just about to turn thirty, and Dr. Cox and I had gone jogging together up at West Point when I was up there, so he just assumed that I had a running background. And the year that I came here, Jay Wright was taking over here as the head coach and needed an assistant, and Joe just said, ‘Do you want to do winter track?’ And I said, ‘Ok!’ I didn’t tell him about the swimming. I didn’t know anything about running when I started. I’ve learned a few things in seventeen years, but I didn’t know anything about running.” During his tenure, Dr. Ehrhart has seen the school change into a more tolerant, friendly place. He watched it become more diverse and inclusive. “I hope that the community can maintain that kind of openness and warmth. I worry a little bit about racial

“I hope that the community can maintain that kind of openness and warmth. I worry a little bit about racial tensions on campus. I hope that you all manage to find your way through that. We need a diverse community” relations on campus. I hope that you all manage to find your way through that. We need a diverse community.” Dr. Ehrhart’s Hallowell Literary Lecture in April was a high point for him and the

Dr. William Ehrhart leaves his legacy on the Fords school. On Tuesday, April 23, he spoke about his poetry and past. The next day, he talked about his life as a writer and read some of his poetry to the students from his new book, Thank You For Your Service: Collected Poems. Students sat silently as Dr. Ehrhart spoke of

EUSHA HASAN ’18

vividly about his life. “It was the culmination of my teaching career and the high point of my writing career,” Dr. Ehrhart said.

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- features

June 2019

Kasmen, continued from the front page... occurs in the building. She learns about every student, and she loves it. The most wonderful things about Haverford, she says, are the boys. She loves “getting to know them all, watching them grow. They come in as Third Formers, young and scared, and then they become young men.” Many graduates come back to visit, and that is the highlight of her job. While the boys bring her much joy, sometimes, her constant care-taking becomes tiresome. Originally, taking attendance was not part of her job, but it eventually moved from one of Mr. Mark Fifer’s many duties to her. Teachers are supposed to submit each class’s attendance online, but sometimes they forget. People might not call when their son is

out for a day, and it worries Mrs. Kasmen. Her true opinion about keeping track of every boy, every day? She said, “It’s a real pain in the neck!” Once she retired, Mrs. Kasmen will spend time with her family and attend the gym some more. Still, she does not want to be forgotten, and she has a message for the boys. She says she cares deeply about the students here. “I want them to realize life goes very fast,” Mrs. Kasmen said, “and I want them to not worry so much about what school they are going to get into.” She emphasizes that things have a way of working out. When Mrs. Kasmen attended high school, she also wanted to leave and go into the world, so she could, “get a job

and make money and buy records, and all the things you did in the ‘50s.” Now though, looking back, Mrs. Kasmen wonders why she rushed. She says, if she is remembered as someone who cared, then that would be great. And care she does. Students have always valued of her constant affection, most notably in 2008 when students awarded her the Haligoluk Appreciation. The prize is given to those that have a job that is crucial to the school, but in the eyes of the students and staff does not receive sufficient credit. Class President Michael Green ’13 drew attention to Mrs. Kasmen’s humble and considerate work ethic in his Rosettes speech. Mrs. Kasmen appreciates all that the boys

and the school have done for her over the years, and she believes that is what makes it so hard to leave. Mrs. Kasmen said she might have retired earlier if she had worked for an office. “But because you feel such a connection here to everybody you work with, to all the boys, it’s very difficult to think about not being here.” And so, after seventeen years of making friends and spreading her good will, Mrs. Kasmen departs. She might leave the school a little colder without her warm heart, but her morals and character traits will stay with students for many years to come.

Farewell, continued from the front page... Rengepes making a comeback as he scarfed down plates of hot wings — no blue cheese needed. But perhaps our greatest accomplishment is our boldness to be who we are. We are the pivot point. The Class of 2019 always had the reputation of “that class.” That class that broke tradition. That class that did what they wanted. That was belligerent, rebellious, and didn’t listen. We were all that, but we were so much more. Men of fine character willing to go to the ends of the earth for those they care about. Men who have been gritty, determined, passionate, and unbreakable. We taught ourselves never to give up and to continue pushing norms — that true suc-

cess is unapologetically being yourself in a world that’s constantly trying to make you someone else. Each and every second, we are surrounded by individuals who inspire us, friends who will stop at nothing to help their peers blossom. We have shown the school that the effect we have on one another is the most valuable currency there is. On Friday, June 7, 2019, a group of fine young men who have known each other for a minimum of four years — some for most of their lives — will say their goodbyes. They will listen to commencement speakers, accept their diplomas, and take pictures, donning maroon and gold blazers as they cherish every passing second as something grand and

potentially unparalleled. Their futures are to an extent decided, yes. But the majority remains unknown. None of us knows the course the rest of our lives will

None of us knows the course the rest of our lives will take us on, but really that’s the excitement of it, isn’t it? take us, but really that’s the excitement of it, isn’t it? Each day — each moment — provides us with infinite wisdom. The memories we have

made in these halls are invaluable, and as as our beloved former Upper School head Mr. Green preached from The Brothers Karamazov, “If a man carries many such memories with him into life, he is safe to the end of his days, and if one has only one good memory left in one’s heart, even that may sometime be the means of saving us.” Let each day at Haverford be one full of love, kindness, and brotherhood. We, the Class of 2019, feel more prepared than ever to change the world for the better.

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- Academics

June 2019

INDEX STAFF

Schedule of a candidate’s visiting day during the hiring process

A look into the hiring process Austin Zhuang ‘22

t a school full of talented faculty, finding a replacement for a teacher is challenging. With teachers either departing or retiring, the school needs suitable candidates to fill the holes. Most students, however, do not know how the administration finds and hires quality teachers. For most, the big reveal comes on the first day of classes when the teacher begins a lesson. This new teacher, however, had a competitive journey to the classroom. Art department chair Mr. Christopher Fox explained that there is a general description made by Dean of Faculty Mrs. Rebecca Davis that describes the needs of the school and what is required of a teacher who wants to apply. There are also more specific descriptions for each department that describe general skills for the subject as well as more specific skills for the job of the teacher he or she will be replacing. When making these descriptions, the school must first determine whether they need experience or not. All good schools need a balance between veteran teachers and less experienced candidates. These descriptions go out through multiple mediums, including the school website, a partner agency that pairs the school with candidates, and the networks that many of the hiring faculty have in the area. Once the descriptions are sent out, potential candidates are put on a list and people

such as Director of Human Resources Ms. Michele Todd, Mrs. Davis, and the chair of the appropriate department look through the list. Mr. Fox estimates around seventy to one hundred candidates are considered for each position. Each individual must have a resume and cover letter, or a piece telling the school more personal information as well as why they want to come to Haverford. For the art department, candidates are required to send in a portfolio of both their own and student work, an indication of their skill in the subject and as a teacher. “When looking for an art teacher, we want to make sure they are both good artists and art teachers. We want a candidate who can both create art and teach it to students.” Mr. Fox said.

“When looking for an art teacher, we want to make sure they are both good artists and art teachers. We want a candidate who can both create art and teach it to students.” After all the resumes and cover letters are looked over, only six to ten candidates receive a video interview. The lack of interaction with the countless individuals is a bit

impersonal. Mr. Fox believes the sixty to ninety people they dismiss on average each year there could have contained a strong candidate that failed to obtain an interview. Regardless, the video interview gives more information on what kind of person an individual is, as each of the six to ten candidates are asked the same set of questions. Once these are completed, only four to five candidates come in for a day and teach a lesson. During this day, the potential candidate meets with many people involved in the early parts of the process, such as Ms. Todd and Mrs. Davis, as well as other faculty, such as Athletic Director Mr. Michael Murphy and Director of Diversity & Inclusion Mr. Brendon Jobs, to gauge their overall ability to integrate into all aspects of teaching at the Haverford School — from interacting with students of all walks of life to potentially coaching sports teams. A sample lesson gives the school a better sense of how the teacher will actually perform in a classroom setting with students. After all this is complete, each individual involved with the hiring process — Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Todd, etc. — chooses two candidates they find appealing, and one teacher is ultimately chosen from the two. New English teacher Ms. Rachel Wortham heard of the school before because she is from the Philadelphia area. She found the job description through Carney Sandoe & Associates, the company partnered with

Haverford. “It was actually quite fortuitous for me as I was looking for jobs in the area. I found the description on [Carney Sandoe & Associates’] website and contacted them.” Mrs. Wortham said.

...the video interview gives more information on what kind of person an individual is. After passing the seventy to a hundred competitors, she had a phone interview with English Department Chair Mr. Thomas Stambaugh and former Upper School Head Mr. Matthew Green. Ms. Wortham found the phone interview fast-paced, but it gave her a good sense of the school and increased her interest, as she could see herself working at the school. The most nerve-wracking and exhausting part of the process for her was the formal interview. She started at around 8:30 in the morning and had little time to rest. She was constantly talking and answering questions. While exhausted by the end of the day, she believed there was merit to this extensive interview. The 8:30 start and continuous activity throughout the day helped simulate a real school day. In addition, the interview day showed her that Haverford puts much care in finding qualified individuals to teach.

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- Academics

June 2019

Advanced History Research Program finds its feet Matthew Schwartz ‘21

ith each new school year comes new teachers, new students, and new courses. Run by Upper School history teachers Dr. Bridget Gurtler and Mr. Tim Lengel, the History Research Program will officially become available to Sixth formers during the 2019-2020 school year. “This is a chance for some of our top historians to really flex and create something academic. Ultimately what they’re going to wind up producing is a 30-40 page paper...a really deep dive on a subject of their choosing” Mr. Lengel said. After sending out an application to the student body, Mr. Lengel and Dr. Gurtler ultimately decided on six inaugural students. Mr. Lengel and Dr. Gurtler will work closely with each student to come up with a topic that they want to pursue during the yearlong course. “Starting over the summer, the current crop of guys are going to read from a reading list of books that the history department is going to put together based on their topic,” Mr. Lengel said. During the summer, each student will have weekly graded check-ins about the

notes they have been taking and questions identifying a more narrow research focus. Once they return to school in the fall, with this more defined topic, each student will begin to do more research about its details. Then in the winter and spring, they will write the paper in chunks. Mr. Lengel said, “The classes will shift more towards a thesis writing course.” During this portion of the year, each week a different student will share a section of their paper to be debated and critiqued by the class. The large amount of work does not seem to deter those who are interested, explained Fifth Former Yan Graf. “I’m not really worried,” Graf said. “I have time over the summer and [Mr. Lengel] said the work will be manageable next year.” One of the parts that excites Graf the most is the possibility of working alongside professional historians with experience in the field. “I think working with the Philadelphia Historical Society, which Mr. Lengel said we might be doing, sounds really exciting. Specifically working with people who are really knowledgeable and high level,” Graf said. “My hope is that these guys learn a lot

Some of Mr. Tim Lengel’s books about the subject and learn to challenge themselves,” Mr. Lengel said. “We don’t really, in the history department, ask for students to write a paper that long or that in-

INDEX STAFF

tense, so this is a chance over the course of a year to really see if you can become an expert in something, which is pretty cool.”

Students and teachers reflect on the new schedule ryan Rodack ’22

fter extensive discussion and a trial run last year, the upper school implemented a new schedule for the 2018–2019 school year. Each day, the schedule consists of three long blocks, two short blocks, a community period, and a lunch block. Each class meets either four or five times out of every seven days, instead of six out of every seven before with shorter class periods. Some subjects meet four times in the seven-day cycle, with three extended blocks and one short block, but the majority of courses meet five out of every seven days, with two long periods and three short periods. Mr. Thomas Trocano, Chair of the Science Department, was one of the many people who created the new schedule. “We wanted to have an opportunity to have our schedule support some of the more creative, more project-based, more interdisciplinary ideas that had been floating around, and our previous schedule did not fit that as well as we would hope it would,” Mr. Trocano said. The amount of homework per night is another factor that inspired this new schedule. “We tried to reduce our demands on student time spent outside of the framework of the school day... to address student wellness,” Mr. Trocano said. “In previous years, I have gotten emails from a number of students at 2:30 in the morning trying to finish their assignments. That is just not healthy.” The new schedule is beneficial for classes such as theater, where more class time is needed per day. Theater Department Chair Mr. Darren Hengst said, “I like the new schedule because the long blocks allow each student to get significant time on stage each day.” Still, some teachers feel differently about the new schedule. “This schedule has too many days in between some classes, which is not particularly good,” said Geometry Teacher Mr. Samuel Walters. “I also think that the lack of passing time creates issues, and I don’t love it.” Other teachers and students have also concurred that the absence of passing time in between classes creates a hectic environment at the start of each class, with students getting settled into the class at different times

depending on when they were let out from their previous class. Additionally, classes do not meet every day, which creates a challenge for teachers when they need to give out tests, teach all the necessary material, and determine how much homework to assign. After a year of the new schedule, students such as Fourth Former Agustin Aliaga have noticed a change in the homework schedule compared to previous years. “I don’t think that there is necessarily less homework… It is more spaced out and separated into blocks,” Aliaga said. “I think this is a much more effective system in terms of learning the content because it gives me more time to think about the lesson and prepare how I will do my homework. I like the way the new schedule works in that after a double block, in which more content is covered, you have an extra day to do the corresponding assignments. “I think this schedule has furthered my education experience at Haverford and has made it much easier to learn more content.” Another way Haverford has attempted to make the school day more comfortable for the students is through flex blocks. Once in every seven-day rotation, each class has a block that is cut short by a flex block, a time that ensures students are free at the same time as their teachers and are allocated sufficient time with each teacher outside of class. While it is not mandatory that students see their teacher, this time can be used to ask questions, review difficult material, get homework done, work on group projects, or make up a quiz or test. “I think the flex blocks are a good time to meet up with teachers and finish up some work that one may be late on or may have to complete. I also enjoy the flex blocks because I can complete work and also have time to unwind after a busy day of school,” Third Former Haroon Naz said. “I like the idea of the new schedule, and I think we as faculty and students have a lot of room to grow into it,” English Teacher Mr. Jesse Sataloff said. “It offers a lot of opportunity for deeper study and deeper learning. However, we still have a long way to go in terms of figuring out how to utilize it.” A student looks over his schedule

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

Page 12 & 13

The In

Scott S pointill Ryan Rodack ’22

hose who have passed through the art rooms may have seen Sixth Former Scott Shaw’s pointillist art paintings. By forming patterns through tiny dots of paint, Scott creates art which allows the human brain to imagine a larger picture from the use of concentrated dots. After Art Department Chair Mr. Christopher Fox introduced this style, Shaw began to dig deeper and gain more knowledge about certain pointillist artists. “I immediately became interested in these styles because of how different they were from what I had done previously. Additionally, when I began to research these styles, I realized how detail oriented they were, which really appealed to me,” Shaw said. “I find the color theory aspect of pointillism enjoyable and engaging. It makes me think about what colors I am using and how they will appear when next to each other.” Shaw said, “What I like most about the style is how rewarding it feels to complete a piece due to the great amount of detail, time, “Logo Abstraction”

“Tomb of Ninus”

COURTESTY OF SCOTT SHAW ’19

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- Arts

June 2019

Shaw’s list art and planning required.” Shaw’s passion for pointillism has led him to pursue a new project. “I am now working on an abstract-pointillist piece that is five feet by five feet. It is made up of nearly 40 individual wooden pieces. Each of these pieces is painted in a pointillist style and arranged in an abstract style. With this project, I have combined the two styles that I have been working with all year, and I am very excited to see how it looks when it is finished.” Shaw’s dedication to his artwork has paid off in his first abstraction piece. “Logo Abstraction” was displayed in Wayne Art Center’s Annual “Teen Works” exhibit, which is an annual exhibition of original artwork submitted by area students ages 12-17. Shaw’s first pointillism piece, “Wilson Hall,” was also displayed in the Inter-School Art Exhibition. Regarding Shaw’s future with pointillism art and art in general, he said, “I definitely want to make more pieces like these and would like to make the time to do so.” “Pointillism Abstraction”

“Wilson Hall”

COURTESTY OF SCOTT SHAW ’19

The Index

Page 14

- Neighborhood

June 2019

Ms. Turlish wins primary, but fight continues Ryan Larocca ‘20

n Tuesday, May 21, History Department Chair Ms. Hannah Turlish made a huge step in her campaign for public office. With a large voter turnout, Ms. Turlish won the Democratic Party’s primary election for Haverford Township’s 7th Ward Commissioner. For the past 28 years, Republican James E. McGarrity has served position. McGarrity performed duties such as approving budgets, overseeing the Ward’s spending, and hiring township employees. McGarrity’s retirement from the position, which will happen at the end of his term in November, has opened up the position for Ms. Turlish and her competitors. As a result of her victories in the Democratic primary elections, Ms. Turlish’s name will appear on Ward 7 residents’ ballots this November. Ms. Turlish ran unopposed in the primary elections for this position, meaning that there was no Democrat in her ward vying for the position. At the surface, this uncontested victory might seem to lack significance. Still, Ms. Turlish’s high voter turnout in the primary election warrants recognition. “It was very important to see the number of people who turned out to the primary election. The turnout for the Democratic Party in the primaries was higher than for the Republican Party in the entire township,” Ms. Turlish said. “For Ward 7 specifically, 111 more Democrats voted for me than Republicans who voted for the person who will be my opponent in November.” Haverford Township’s Ward 7 is split relatively evenly in politics. Ms. Turlish’s 111 more voters suggests that her campaign is exciting Democrats in Ward 7. Although this high voter turnout for the Democratic Party spotlights Ms. Turlish’s popularity, it could also have negative effects. “The results of the primaries could

energize the Republican party to ‘go after it’ in November,” Ms. Turlish said. In the next few months, suggested Ms. Turlish, the Republican party could be more inclined to campaign and ensure that their candidate wins the actual election. Before November’s general election, Ms. Turlish has to elicit attention from her community. As she did in the weeks prior to the primary elections, Ms. Turlish will engage with her community’s voters by knocking on their doors. By meeting members of her community individually, Ms. Turlish is likely to gain more support for her campaign. “One of my major activities this summer is to knock on all of those doors and try to get to know them personally and see if I can convince them to go in the Democratic direction,” Ms. Turlish said. “But I want to meet everybody that I can, and I’m hoping some Republicans might vote for me.” Despite its political purposes, Ms. Turlish highlighted other benefits of knocking on doors and meeting a wider range of people in her community. “I actually enjoy knocking on doors and meeting them. Sometimes people are rude or make it clear that they don’t want to be bothered. So I certainly don’t try to linger with those people. But at other times, people are really fun and interesting,” said Ms. Turlish. “It’s pretty interesting to meet these people I never knew existed before this, which makes it an even more awesome experience.” “I’ve met people that I would’ve never known live in Haverford Township — people that have really interesting lives,” Ms. Turlish said. “I met one of Haverford’s assistant lacrosse coaches who happens to be an alum; I just happened to knock on his door, we started talking, and he got a lawn sign.”

Coming soon…

Jamaal Shaw’s book of original poetry

The World and Your Copious Compositions

COURTESY OF MS. HANNAH TURLISH

Ms. Turlish speaking to Haverford Township Comissioners on May 13

Page 15

The Index

- Campus Opinions

June 2019

Will Honors Chemistry ever be the same? Samuel Reisbord ’20

or the majority of sophomore year, my bathroom mirror was covered at the eye level. Tenth grade Samuel had thought it’d be more useful to see an annotated copy of Mr. Trocano’s semester comments than his own face every morning, and, speaking retrospectively, it’s hard to blame him. Three full years in this building has taught me that navigating any facet of student life without hearing the words “Honors Chemistry” might actually be more difficult than passing the class itself. Furthermore, you’d be hard pressed to find kind things said about it outside of the student-masochist club meetings on Fridays. But most people don’t see the beauty of the stress. Honors Chemistry is the most difficult class offered at Haverford. Fully grown men shudder at the mere mention of a Browns quiz, and my particular section was made to endure a perfect sixteen of them. Throughout the most depressing winter of my (admittedly brief ) life, the only nightby-night motivation I received came straight from the outstretched hands of my teacher.

Honors Chemistry will obviously be taught next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. Scientifically speaking, the sun will likely engulf our planet via fiery inferno seven billion years from now before Haverford stops offering it — but there is always a catch. There is no Monday chemistry quiz without a Sunday-night email recapping just how terrible Cleveland sports are. There is no room 253 without a photo of the USS Enterprise illuminating sleepdeprived fifteen-year-olds faces at 8:30 in the morning, every morning. There is no B-period chemistry class without Mr. Trocano standing over my lifeless, beaten body, like Ali over Liston, stretching out his hand as if to offer round two. I doubt any student will ever share in the joy of taking his report card off the mirror, drawing one last big fat letter A all over it, and dumping it into his trash can mere minutes after receiving his graded final, only to see his face for the first time in months. Not without Mr. T.

Students react to exam schedule Jake LaRocca ‘22

ith the conclusion of the 2016-17 school year, a normally-scheduled Haverford School student would never have to take five midterms/finals ever again. Instead of the traditional exam schedule, the administration decided to take a new approach that consisted of every major class giving either a final or a midterm, not both (with math being the outlier). When looking at what most students tend to score on exams, it is usually around or below the student’s semester average. By changing the number of exams, students are able to dedicate more time to the exams they have, theoretically setting them up for more success. “It is a lot easier to master the material when the exams are split into two groups,” Third Former Jack Masse said. “It takes a lot of stress off, and I don’t have to worry about the four other exams I have while studying for one.” Despite what seems like a more relaxing exam schedule, some students complain about non-exam classes piling up work the week before the exam period. Masse argues that teachers who are not

giving an exam should provide their students with study periods and assign no homework. “The exam schedule is great and all, but it annoys me how I have work for other classes due the week before my exams. I wish I could just have time to study,” Masse said. In addition to work due days before exams, some students claim to have midterm/final-sized tests, or huge projects due just before exam time. After talking to students in the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Forms, multiple students seem to run into similar problems. It aggravates students that teachers give these huge assignments, even when they are not allowed to give an exam. By assigning colossal tests or projects that do not count as an exam, but require a similar time investment, students have unnecessary stress which distracts them from succeeding. Fourth Former Tyler Zimmer said, “The split exam schedule makes it easier to focus on every exam rather than cramming for all of them. At the same time, I feel like teachers without exams assign final tests and projects that take up a similar amount of time that typical exam prep does.”

Students at work in Honors Chemistry Friday, May 31

INDEX STAFF

Too many salads? Yan Graf ‘20

he subject of school lunches often lands on the pages of The Index. Spicy mayo vs. barbeque ranch? Or blackjack burger vs. blackjack chicken? This time, the dining hall review may not be positive. In recent months, many students have noticed the increasing frequency of salads. Whether it is chicken strip salad, the California salad, or just the classic Caesar, it seems that every other day the cafeteria is serving up salads. This draws the ire of many in the student body. Indeed, the line for the main dish is always shorter than on days a student favorite like blackjack chicken is served. The dilemma was only compounded after the student lunch survey was sent out, with many students deciding that it was finally time to air their grievances over the prevalence of salads in the lunch rotation. There are a couple of basic arguments that have been used against the salad takeover. Some, like Fifth Former Mike Barr, think that salads as main lunches are just a waste of time. Barr asks, “Why would I want to wait in line when I can just make myself a salad at the salad bar?” Indeed, the salad bar does have salads on a daily basis and features more ingredients than any of the main salads. Still, many in the community don’t see this issue as quite black and white. Others, like Fifth Former Aidan Lowe, see the merit in some salads, but not others. Lowe says that he believes the school should limit

salads to being served just, “once or twice a month, and only Caesar salad.” Fifth Former Chris Hyland believes that the school should, “keep some of the salads with unique ingredients, like the southwest salad and chicken strip salad. Those are good. Get rid of things like the California salad though.” Another common argument is that salads are not filling enough. But the salads offered as main items are more than large enough to feed most people’s appetite, including Fifth Former Toby Ma, who says, “In general, they are a really good meal.” As an avid salad bar regular myself, this is a conclusion I echo. Overall, the place salads take up on our lunch menus seems to be just right. We don’t have salads once a week, meaning that they are a rather rare occurrence. Even when we do have them, the salads offered as main menu items often beat those you can make at the salad bar on that day. For those that go to the salad bar on a regular basis, main menu item salads offer variety and something new. Salads offer unparalleled nutritional benefits. They demonstrate the kitchen staff’s commitment to making sure we are healthy. The salad drama at Haverford seems to overblown. Salads definitively command a spot, although a small one, on our lunch menus.

Page 16

The Index

- Off-campus opinions

June 2019

U.S. on the verge of losing the race to 5G Agustin Aliaga ‘21

“T

he race to 5G is a race America must win,” President Donald Trump said in a press conference on April 12. The race to 5G is the new space race. China and the United States are vying in an increasingly competitive manner for what could be the most important technology of twenty-first century because it concerns global politics. But what is 5G? 5G is the successor to 4G, our current standard of wireless connectivity. While 4G seemed revolutionary when it was first developed, the hypothetical speed of 5G would blow 4G out of the water. Let’s compare the download speed of a movie using 3G, 4G, and 5G; according to CNBC, this action would take 26 hours on 3G, 6 minutes on 4G, and a mere 3.6 seconds on 5G. While the speed of 5G may seem astounding, it is far from the most important feature of this race. The race to 5G is also critical for the economic well-being of both countries. Similar to how the U.S. observed a 100 billion dollar increase in GDP after winning the race to 4G, a loss in the race to 5G could mean a lost opportunity for a 2.8% bump in GDP totalling to about 500 billion dollars, according to The Imperial College of London. But this impact may not carry the greatest implications for global politics. According to PBS NewsHour, the country that possesses 5G will have the ability to interfere and observe the flow of data in other countries. The current leader in the race to 5G is the privately-owned Chinese company Huawei.

Because the Trump administration thinks the company is subject to government pressure, the president has barred Huawei from any interaction with the U.S. government or any contracts it may want to have. President Trump placed Huawei on what is called “The Entity List” for companies that need a distinct license to conduct business with American companies, which could take a huge toll on the company’s output and consequently its funding for research into things like 5G. However, this solves no problems permanently. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged allies to follow the president’s actions. “This is exactly what China wants. They want to divide Western alliances through bits and bytes, not bullets and bombs,” Secretary Pompeo said. While it is not confirmed that Huawei has been cooperating with the Chinese government, the president acted defensively. This could be because the U.S. is clearly falling behind in the race. Not only is Huawei closer than it has ever been to developing this crucial technology, but American companies are falling significantly behind. AT&T, a large American cell provider, has begun to label their best quality 4G LTE as 5G E. The “E” in 5G E stands for “evolution” or “evolving,” meaning that this is not actually 5G, but just a high-quality 4G. China seems to be far ahead in this race, and the U.S., other than restraining and hurting its competition, does not seem to have a plan to win.

PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA

The KYLY-TV, the US’s tallest cell tower at 2063 feet in Blanchard, N.D.

Google vs. Huawei, a symptom of a larger trade war Mitav Nayak ‘22

ince January 2018, the United States and China have been locked in conflict. What started with a tariff here and a ban there has escalated into a full-fledged trade war. The conflict between Google and Huawei is only one event in this saga; one symptom of a much greater malady. When two countries trade with each other, there is an implied understanding that both countries will engage in fair practices and have equal rules for businesses operating in the other’s country. This is not the case between the U.S. and China. U.S. businesses face many hurdles in China. An automobile company such as GM or a financial company like Fidelity can only operate in China as a joint venture with a local Chinese company; there are no such restrictions for Chinese companies wanting

to do business in the U.S. In addition, any U.S. company that wants to do business in China needs a license, which requires giving out confidential information on their products, such as how they are manufactured, packaged, and sold. Meanwhile, a Chinese company has to fill out a brief online application to start doing business in the U.S. Finally, some websites — including Bloomberg, Twitter, Facebook, Google, Snapchat, and Spotify — are simply banned from doing any business in China. As a result of these bans, Chinese tech companies such as Alibaba and Tencent now have a captive China market without any international competition. With business increasingly moving online and becoming tech-centric, this has serious long-term implications for American companies. Google has become the latest company

to become embroiled in the trade war. Apart from its ubiquitous search engine, Google also provides the Android operating system to mobile phone manufacturers like Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, and others to make their own versions of Android phones. The U.S. accused Huawei of posing a threat to national security on account of covert spying for the Chinese government through its devices. As a result, the U.S. government recently placed Huawei on a trade blacklist, which bans the company from acquiring any technology from U.S. firms without government approval, and prevents U.S. firms from using equipment made by Huawei. Following this, Google decided to restrict all Huawei phones from Android apps like Google Search, Chrome, Youtube, and Google Play. While these apps are banned in China,

Huawei also distributes its phones globally, and is the second largest maker of Android phones. Without these popular Android apps, the Huawei phones will likely lose market share, as customers will choose Android phones from other manufacturers like Samsung. However, Google is also likely to lose with their decision, as some Huawei users may switch to Apple and the iOS platform. Huawei is also working on its own operating system, and other phone manufacturers may also develop their own apps to reduce reliance on Google services. Economists like to say no one wins in a trade war. In the case of Google and Huawei, there are only losers.

Page 17

The Index

- off-campus opinions

June 2019

India in the wake of Modi’s re-election NachiKethan Srinivasan ’21

he sounds of cheers and drums and the splashes of saffron amplify the euphoria in Delhi, India. After a seven-week voting process, the world’s most populous democracy has concluded in another landslide victory for the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA). This confirms that the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set for another five years in the position. What about India’s election makes it so important, and to what extent will this impact the country as a whole? Here’s what you should know. Over 900 million eligible voters — 15 million of whom are new voters — had the chance to visit polling stations across the

“Over 900 million eligible voters — 15 million of whom new voters — had the chance to visit polling stations across the country from mid-April to May” country from mid-April to May. The electoral battleground is the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament with 545 seats. With 543 seats up for grabs — two other seats are reserved for the Anglo-Indian community by the President — India’s main national parties, the BJP and the Indian National Congress, fought tooth and nail for as much support across the country’s twenty-nine states and seven union territories through alliance partnerships with other regional parties — such as Tamil Nadu’s DMK and Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena — in an effort to receive a majority vote. The incumbent BJP is often seen as a nationalist party that appeals to the massive Hindu population, but also more trustworthy and appealing with Prime Minister Modi at the spearhead of the campaign. However, this Hindu platform has also alienated Muslims across the country, with hate crimes

Indian citizens lining up to vote at a polling station in the state of Odisha against them rising in recent years. The INC, a party known for leaders like Mohandas Gandhi, has existed since independence in 1947 and is more progressive, running on a diverse and liberal platform. Despite this, the party is largely seen as a political dynasty largely run by the clan of Jawaharlal Nehru and has been mired in many political and economic scandals throughout India’s political history. This has damaged the INC’s reputation, becoming a deal-breaker to many voters. So, what’s at stake for these parties? Since the BJP’s election in 2014, support for Narendra Modi has been substantial, particularly amongst the youth. Despite this, numerous problems have plagued Modi’s premiership in the last five years. In the wake of economic growth, India has suffered from high unemployment despite promises to create 10 million new jobs. Demonetization in 2016 to prevent black money circulation affected small business, and farmers have begun committing suicide

over mounting costs and income decline. However, other problems in Indian society have grown so large that they cannot be ignored: women’s safety and religious rights. A 2018 poll by Reuters ranked India as the “world’s most dangerous place for women,” citing sexual violence and slave labor as serious issues. Hindu nationalists have also capitalized on Muslim suffrage as a part of BJP policy, alluding to the Gujarat riots of 2002 — in which Modi was implicated — and attacks on Muslims for beef consumption, the so-called “pink revolution.” Modi’s party has vowed to strip Muslim immigrants of voting rights in the eastern state of Assam in 2016, in a bid to form a new government amongst the mass entry of Muslim migrants from Myanmar. These issues have largely been capitalized upon by the opposition parties and the INC, and Modi has promised to address much of these issues properly. But it isn’t certain at this point whether if this will work out, considering both his and the BJP’s stance on religion.

SOUMENDRA KUMAR SAHOO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Such an analysis barely scratches the surface. What remains to be seen now is if Modi’s “muscular nationalism” will be feasible enough to swing more citizens despite many issues, and if the INC will be able to bounce back and champion a cessation of division, rather than to be discouraged by electoral politics. But it may not be enough. India was largely founded on the principle of secularism in order to safeguard personal freedoms for ethnic, religious, and caste groups. With a tonal shift in social politics and the rise of Hindu nationalism under the BJP, the future for more liberal Indian politicians around the house is uncertain, as the country’s enshrined secular roots could start to crumble with this uprising. And with the rise in awareness of social and religious issues across the country and the world, India will have to decide whether if they want to unite as a diverse country or begin a partition of its’ own making.

Tensions simmer between US and Iran James Wang ’21

n May 12 four oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman were attacked. Sizable holes were left in the ships. On May 30, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister urged Muslim countries to confront the attacks in The Gulf allegedly directed by Iran with quote “all means of force and firmness.” Washington and its allies accuse Tehran of the underwater attack on the tankers, drone strikes on Saudi-owned pipelines, and a rocket strike near a U.S. embassy in Baghdad. On May 29, the U.S.’s Defense secretary said, “Some 900 troops are being sent to The Middle East over this perceived Iranian threat to reinforce the tens of thousands already in the region.”

President Trump, earlier that week, said he was willing to talk with the Iranian leadership. Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani responded by saying he would be willing to talk if the economic sanctions were lifted. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was not willing to talk to the U.S., saying, “it carries no benefit and only harm.” This tension began to build at the beginning of May. Washington ended exemptions from sanctions from countries still buying from Iran. The decision was intended to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero, curtailing the government’s main source of revenue. Are we going to war? Two narratives arise. The first, which is

favored by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, is that Iran is up to no good. Preparations are said to have been seen for a potential attack on U.S. targets, though little detail has been released. The second narrative blames the crisis solely on Washington. Unsurprisingly Iran holds this view, but so do other many do-

Are we going to war? Two narratives arise. mestic critics of the Trump Administration. The idea here is that the “Iran Hawks” in the Trump Administration — people like

National Security Adviser John Bolton, or Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — sense an opportunity. As the theory goes, the “Iran Hawks” want a regime change in Tehran. Does the Iranian conflict hold merit? Many U.S. strategic experts say no. Fourth Form students who have studied Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis can draw connections to this current conflict and what they learned about Iran’s history. Readers have a more well-rounded stance on this conflict, understanding possible past perceptions of where the two viewpoints stand.

Page 18

The Index

- Sports

June 2019

Final lax games fuel next year’s leaders Ryan Ngo ’21

s the year comes to a close, spring teams celebrate the end of their seasons. The lacrosse team, however, is already seeking vengeance for next year. The Fords suffered a heartbreaking loss to Malvern in double overtime under the lights in the Inter-Ac Championship. The Fords started the game well, scoring two goals, until Malvern came back and extended a fourgoal lead. The Fords were relentless, coming back from the deficit and were uplifted by a goal from Sixth Former Mac Costin. With one second left in regulation, Costin’s goal sent the game into overtime. Unfortunately, Malvern emerged victorious. The season was not defined by this one game. The Fords played nine of the top-25 teams in the nation, one the hardest schedules in the country. The team celebrated victories over ranked powerhouse programs such as Maryland’s Boys’ Latin, Florida’s IMG Academy, and New York’s Ward-Melville among others. The team’s talented Fifth Formers helped the team secure these victories. Playing such a competitive schedule created a high-pressure environment for the team. Still, leaders such as Sixth Former Peter Garno did not shy away from the pressure. He was one of the many players who tallied high points for the Fords all season. Garno also played a vital role against Malvern and carried the team with five goals in the championship game, leaving it all on the field despite the loss. “Obviously, that last game is a really tough way to go out, not only because it was the final game of my career, but it was also Coach Nostrant’s,” Garno said. “That was one of the most hard-fought games I’ve ever played in.” Garno capped an exciting career alongside fellow Sixth Formers.

“Being done with Haverford hasn’t fully hit me yet,” Garno said. “I’ve been here for fourteen years, and I would never trade a second of it away. The school and lacrosse program has taught me everything it takes to be a good man. I wouldn’t be half of the player and person I am today without the guidance of Coaches Nostrant, Dawson, and the rest of the coaching staff.” Garno will continue his career playing Division-I lacrosse for the most recent National Champions, the University of Virginia. In Charlottesville, Garno will join Haverford alum Dox Aitken ’16, a huge contributor to the Fords’ national championship in 2015 and to Virginia’s NCAA Championship this year. Alongside Garno, fellow Sixth Former Adam Salvaggio shared a similar perspective. He too quarterbacked the Fords’ offense this season and tallied one goal in the championship game. “It’s really weird to think that I’m done with Haverford lacrosse. It’s been such a huge part of my life… I know all of us seniors are immensely proud of all that we have accomplished over the last four years.” Salvaggio will play Division-I lacrosse at Colgate University. As Salvaggio, Garno and other Sixth Formers conclude their careers, they have advice for future generations of Haverford athletes. “Take advantage of every moment,” Garno said. “Enjoy every moment you get to suit up with your brothers. Embrace the rivalry games. Playing against Malvern or EA are among some of the best memories I have.” “Playing for such a competitive program can be a grind,” Salvaggio said, “but try to embrace the experience. There’s nothing more special than the experiences and rela-

DR. MIKE NANCE

Gavin Burke ’19 picking up a ground ball in a 5-4 win over Malvern on April 12 tionships you form with your teammates.” revered Coach Nostrant next season. AssimiThe team wasted no time dwelling on the lating himself into the program this season, past as Fifth Former Brennan McBride and Coach Dawson has formed vital relationother members of his class prepare to take ships and respect from his players to ensure the helm for next year. success next year. “The preparation for next year started “It was an honor to work under Coach the day the season ended. Everybody, includ- Nostrant and a lot of fun this year,” Coach ing myself, was left with a bad taste in our Dawson said. “To me, a way I can succeed mouths and a sense of motivation. The se- in taking over the program is to be myself niors built a ton of camaraderie amongst the and coaching the way I’ve always felt most team and we hope to do the same,” McBride comfortable with. This season allowed me said. to earn each player’s trust. For me, success Assistant Coach and Assistant Athletic comes down to challenging the guys next Director Brendan Dawson will replace the year, and I think they’re ready to work hard.”

Netmen triumph in tenth-straight league championship Aditya Sardesai ’20

he tennis team cruised its way to a tenth Inter-Ac championship by beating Springside Chestnut Hill Academy 6–1. Sixth Former Captain Nick Chakraborty and Fifth Former Cole Wolf picked up wins at first and third singles, respectively, while Sixth Former Captain Thomas Ward and Fifth Former Aly Ba, Sixth Former Jared Hoefner and Third Former Adamya Aggarwal, Fifth Former Aditya Sardesai and Second Former Joaquin Arias, and Fifth Former Lachie Alexander and Third Former Christian Crowder picked up wins at first through fourth doubles. Team success did not stop there, as Ward, the first doubles player, came second in the 2019 Inter-Ac Singles Tournament, winning against Episcopal Academy’s first singles — the one seed — and second singles players along the way. “The singles tournament was a real shock. I never thought I would get second place… because I’m mainly a doubles player,” Ward said. No one anticipated this much success. The team lost the entire top half the lineup to the Class of 2018, including stars like John Walsh ’18. “We didn’t have any internationally

Jared Hoefner ’19 returns a volley at the net this spring ranked players like in previous years,” Ward said, “[but we] practiced more than we ever have and our dedication led us to victory.” “Everyone worked hard and believed in the mission, so we won,” Chakraborty said. The goal for the season was to win the InterAc again and that “focus…grit and deter-

MR. JIM ROESE

mination” led the Fords to another Inter-Ac championship. Along with losing many graduates, there was a lot of pressure to not break the winning streak. “I’ve been a part of the team for four years now, and I didn’t realize how much the

previous years meant to the record until this year,” Ward said. Keeping the streak alive energized the team. “The pressure forced us to work harder,” Ward said. Ultimately, winning meant more than just the streak. “It was truly a hard-earned victory. Our raw skill was close to the other teams, but because we worked harder than anyone else, that gave us the edge,” Chakraborty said. Everyone had to step up to compete this year. “The guys that used to play third and fourth doubles last year really worked on their games so they could play first and second doubles well,” Chakraborty said. “We practiced a lot outside of school and worked hard on our fitness to make sure that we could compete at the level.” “Everyone’s role on the team mattered,” Ward said. Beyond simply hard work, the team relied heavily on underclassmen to secure the victory. The team’s depth was the main contributor in the championship. “Having incredibly skilled people like cont. on pg. 23

Page 19

The Index

- Sports

Sixth Formers take Diamond Fords to second in the Inter-Ac

Calvin McCall ’19 about to make contact in a 10-0 win over Upper Darby on April 17

June 2019

DR. MIKE NANCE

Tyler Zimmer ’21

nique to the baseball team is its match-filled schedule — the season included over thirty games between March and May. Such an extensive season can lead to players burning out, wearing down, or even giving in. The Fords did not buckle however, beating talented teams throughout the course of the season and having players improve dramatically. Heading into the season, the team laid out goals that were challenging but attainable — win the Inter-Ac, make a strong run in the PAISSA tournament, win the statement games that define the team, and create a legacy. Such high-reaching goals were challenging due to the high level of competition in the Inter-Ac. Rival teams have athletes

“There were ten seniors this year, which is probably one of the highest numbers in the history of the program. This group decided to devote ourselves to the program, get in the weight room, communicate with the coaches, involve the younger guys, and believe that we could succeed. We had fun, messed around, but knew when to get serious — and we did it all as a group which bred our success.” committed to Virginia, Duke, Richmond, Notre Dame, and Clemson. Additionally,

three Fords, Sixth Formers Calvin McCall and Zak Summy, along with Fifth Former Pat Toal, will be going on to play at the collegiate level. “Nobody expected us to make noise this year, but we took the challenge and gave it everything we had,” Sixth Former Luke Kania said. Despite being difficult, the team’s goals were attainable because of talent, work ethic, and upperclass leadership. Many players stood out not only on the team, but across the entire Inter-Ac. Kania held a batting average of .452 the entire season, hitting nearly .500 in Inter-Ac competition. His performance earned him, along with Toal and Bonini, a spot on the All-Inter-Ac First Team. Sixth Former Jesse Goldman led the team with six home runs and two walk offs. One of these walkoffs was in a game during the team’s Florida trip. Goldman described that game as “a true test of our perseverance.” “The team we were facing took two different eight-run leads on us, but we were able to come back from both of them,” Goldman said. “We could have very easily packed it in both times we went down big, but we knew our bats were good enough to come back and win.” Goldman describes the Sixth Formers as extremely dedicated. “There were ten seniors this year, which is probably one of the highest numbers in the history of the program,” Goldman said. “This group decided to devote ourselves to the program, get in the weight room, communicate with the coaches, involve the younger guys, and believe that we could succeed. We had

fun, messed around, but knew when to get serious — and we did it all as a group which bred our success.” Two of the underclassmen the Sixth Formers included were Jacob Stacey and Eric

“[The Sixth Formers] were not only inclusive to the whole team regardless of class, but they were excellent leaders. They always picked the young guys up and gave us confidence in ourselves. They constantly preached to the team that we could beat anyone if we played our game, and that helped us.” Genther, the only two underclassmen to earn the roles of regular starters. “Jake Stacey is about to go off next year,” Kania said. “You all heard it here first!” Fourth Former Stacey said, “I expect the future team to keep competing in a tough league and compete for a state championship.” One of the reasons the team had such great chemistry was due to Sixth Form leadership. Fourth Former Eric Genther said, “They were not only inclusive to the whole team regardless of class, but they were excellent leaders. They always picked the young guys up and gave us confidence in ourselves. They constantly preached to the team that we could beat anyone if we played our game, and that helped us.” These standout players led the Fords to back-to-back wins over the Malvern Prep

Friars. The games against the Friars were statement wins for the team, and pitcher and third baseman Pat Toal believed that this was his “favorite game of the year, and my second favorite would be beating them again at home a few weeks later.” Despite beating a top team in the Inter-Ac twice, the Fords placed second in the league, trailing Springside Chestnut Hill Academy by a single game. Toal stated that his “least favorite game was the GA game at home because we had many opportunities to win that game, and if we did, we would’ve won the Inter-Ac.” Goldman agreed that their “first game against GA turned out to be the one that really hurt us.” Although the Fords failed to win the InterAc, Toal believes that “the future of this team is very bright.” Toal said, “We have a great group of juniors, along with lots of talented sophomores and freshmen who will impact the outcome of next year’s season.” The Fords made it into the PAISSA tournament, advancing through a bye in the first round and winning the quarterfinals game against Episcopal Academy in a blowout. They fell to the Friars in their third matchup in the semi-finals. “We got so close to our goal this year, and the loss to Malvern will push us to work even harder next year and help get us to where we want to be,” Toal said. Fourth Form player Michael Tallarida believes that there is a bright future ahead. “We have three returning varsity pitchers, four returning starters, and a talented group of young players ready to fill in the missing roles.”

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- Sports

June 2019

Oarsmen finish well at Stotesbury and Nationals Evan Brabson ’20

he crew team finished its season strong, with several boats winning medals at both the Stotesbury Cup Regatta (May 17-18) and the SRAA Nationals Regatta (May 24-25). The team looked to build on its success at the Philadelphia City Championship regatta earlier in this month, where three JV/Varsity boats finished third, and two Freshman boats finished first. The team entered seven boats in Stotesbury; six of them advanced to semi-finals, and four moved to the finals. The Freshmen Quad (Jake Brewington, Wyatt Johnson, Jack Payne, Wells Benson) entered as the reigning Philadelphia City Champions. They got third in the time trial and second place in their semi-final. In the final, however, they battled for third place, but the leading crew caught a crab in the last two-hundred meters and stopped rowing. The Fords ultimately finished in second place. The JV Four (Sen Zelov ’21, Owen Vanderzwan ’20, Henri Waché ’21, Brian Williams ’21, coxswain Andrew Tornetta ’20) raced in one of the more competitive events, with over fifty boats entered. They finished third in the time trial and first in their semi. They battled through a tough final with a strong start but came up just short after an intense sprint. They finished in third place, just .8 seconds behind first place St. Albans and .06 seconds behind second place Christian Brothers. The Lightweight Four (Beau Christopher ’21, Johnny Sonnenfeld ’20, Magnus Weissenberger ’21, Bryson Bernhardt ’21, cox Nelson Liu ’19) looked to improve its previous third-place finish with a new lineup. They finished ninth in the time trial and second in their heat before a fourth-place finish in the finals. The Varsity Quad (Aidan Leavy ’19, Jeff Pendergast ’19, Thomas Laporta ’20, Thomas Russell ’19) came off a third place finish in Cities with a revised lineup. They got third

MR. JIM ROESE

Varsity quad stowing their shell after a workout this spring in the time trial and first in the semis before a second-place finish in the finals behind firstplace Conestoga. To finish the season, the Fords traveled to Nashport, Ohio, for the Scholastic Rowing (SRAA) Nationals. The team carried their momentum from Stotesbury and Cities to end the season well. The Freshmen Quad started with a strong heat, finishing well ahead of the other boats. They ultimately got fourth in the finals to finish their rookie season. The Lightweight Four battled through a tough heat but failed to make the finals to cap off a fantastic season.

The JV Four entered the weekend with a chip on their shoulder from their tight race at Stotesbury. They faced the toughest schedule of the group with both a heat and a semi-final before the final race. They dominated their heat and semi-final, finishing with open water on the other teams, earning them a good lane for finals. In the final race, they battled for first throughout the race but ultimately fell to second, finishing just two seconds behind first-place Culver. The Varsity Quad finished out the weekend for the Fords. The boat started with an uninspiring third-place in their heat, falling closely behind Conestoga and Malvern Prep.

In the finals, however, the Fords fought in a back-and-forth race with Conestoga for first place. They ultimately fell to second place, just 1.8 seconds behind Conestoga and ahead of third-place Malvern. The four Sixth Formers will continue to row in college. Thomas Russell will attend the University of Pennsylvania, Jeff Pendergast will go to Trinity College, Aidan Leavy will row at Navy, and Nelson Liu will cox at Georgetown. As for the rest of the team, a large freshmen group will graduate to the JV/Varsity level, adding much-needed depth and skill to the future group.

Fords’ 4x100 blazes through the finish line at Penn Relays

DR. MIKE NANCE

Kevin Thomas ’22 in flight at the Kellerman Invitational, April 20, 2019 Sam Reisbord ’20

019 served as a coming-of-age moment for one of the school’s underappreciated teams. For a variety of reasons, track and field

has not always been the most popular sport at Haverford. As one Sixth Form distance runner put it, “It’s a very hard thing to follow or check-in on. No one can exactly ask

you ‘What was the score last night? What is your record?’ Outside of our close-knit team, almost nobody understands it or appreciates it.” Leave it to a group of determined runners to change this attitude. The 2019 track and field team improved on last year’s third-place finish to capture the Inter-Ac championship victory they had been chasing for years. With it, they shattered the previous 4x800 record by fifteen seconds and won the 4x100 relay as well. The sprint team shone bright as Fifth Former Daiyaan Hawkins took the 100-meter sprint by nearly a half of a second, as well as the 200-meter event by over twice that. Lleyton Winslow broke two minutes in the 800 meter, or half-mile event, while Third Former Kevin Thomas placed first in the 300-meter hurdles. When accomplishment like this arises, it is easy to feel like school sports have a dichotomy between unforgiving work environments that succeed and light-hearted cultures that do not, but anybody on the track team will assure you that this simple distinction does not apply to them. Fifth Form hurdler Caleb Reed said winning the championship was entirely a communal accomplishment. “For me, since I have been on the track team for three years now, the support has just gotten greater and greater. Each runner, whether the fastest or not, is always there to cheer and support the team. Again, not to state the obvious, but winning the Inter-Ac was great, as was feeling like the work we put in over the season payed off,” Reed said. It wasn’t just about winning meets, ei-

ther. For many runners, the 2019 season was marked by individual success in a uniquely positive way. In particular, several underclassmen made big strides across multiple kinds of events. Fifth Form distance captain Vincent Scauzzo singled out the growth of Third Former Ben Szathmary as one such example. “[Ben] put in a ton of work in winter and spring with guys who have been on varsity for a long time,” Scauzzo said. “He is developing a resistance to pain that usually only older guys have, but he still has room to get better. I’m looking forward to watching ‘Szath’ and the other young guys continue to make that leap next season.” Ultimately, after months of hard work, hill workouts, and core exercises, the accolades of the spring running squad culminated in a much-needed change of attitude on campus towards the end of April. Idle clapping at assemblies turned into thunderous applause when records continued to break, while the mythos surrounding certain athletes exploded as contemporary names replaced school legends on the gym’s record board. Looking forward, nobody can really know how a group this impressive will manage to improve, but that does not seem to stop anyone on the team. Sixth Former Mickey Fairorth said, “There’s no doubt in my mind that every time the track team announces another win or takes home the Inter-Ac trophy, more respect will be gained.” “With the talent we have and may be getting,” Reed said, “I think we look really good going into next year. Win or lose, it’s going to be a great season full of laughs and sweat.”

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- Arts

June 2019

Game of Thrones’ final season disappoints Toby Ma ‘20

used to think that it wouldn’t be a bad thing if George R. R. Martin never finishes A Song of Ice and Fire, the ongoing book series that serves as the basis for HBO’s Game of Thrones, because at least there would be a satisfying ending to the television show. I was wrong. Very wrong. The series finale of GOT is possibly the most disappointing conclusion to a television show. Although many TV shows have suffered from weak finales and enraged fanbases, perhaps no show has failed so spectacularly and generated as much controversy and fury as the final season of GOT. The final episode, “The Iron Throne,” drew 19.3 million viewers on all platforms, a new record for HBO, but also drew harsh criticism from viewers, with a 49% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 2.5/10 rating on Metacritic. Currently, there’s a petition to HBO on Change.org to remake season eight. As of now, it has over 1.6 million signatures. It’s not hard to see why so many people are angry. GOT’s distinguished drop in quality this season would anger anybody who appreciated the show’s worldbuilding, character work, and complicated political schemes, aspects that have been all but ignored in the final season in favor of spectacle and “subverting expectations.” I should mention that apart from the show’s writing and direction, almost every other aspect of this season had been phenomenal. The actors have done impressive work given the material they had to work with; I was enthralled by many of their performances, especially Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister and Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen. In addition, the production crew has been amazing, from the impressive set and costume designs to the CGI and cinematography. Apart from the stray coffee cup and the poorly lit, hard-to-discern battle sequence in “The Long Night,” the look of GOT in season 8 has never looked more impressive, which I wish could also be said of the season’s plot and writing. The effort that these people put into creating the look and feel of Westeros does not deserve all the negative feedback from the finale. The conclusion to GOT would always be challenging. The series showrunners and primary writers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were faced with the herculean task of tying together long-running plotlines as well

SUZI PRATT VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Game of Thrones showrunners D. B. Weiss and David Benioff at the Season 3 Seattle Premiere, the people who are primarily responsible for the show’s rushed, unsatisfying finale as hundreds of subplots, concluding the arcs part, Benioff and Weiss were wonderfully insanity over several episodes, this sudden of the show’s major characters, and someadept at adapting the first five books of A personality shift may seem more logical, how delivering a finale that would satisfy Song of Ice and Fire, but when it came time instead of contrived. fans. This is no easy task — just ask Martin, for them to march beyond Martin’s words, This rushed, lazy storytelling is also who’s been struggling with this exact same they were far less successful. compounded with errors in continuity from problem in A Song of Ice and Fire. Martin While it’s understandable that Benioff episode to episode. For example, how was has been writing the next book, The Winds and Weiss were not expecting to finish the the Iron Fleet able to take down Rhaegal of Winter, for eight years, with no release story of GOT, I do not forgive them for with scorpions from miles away in one epidate in sight. If even the creator of GOT making the final season only six episodes sode — showing the power of the scorpions cannot work out a conclusion to the series, long. as a dragon-killing weapon and showcasing Benioff and Weiss can hardly be expected to In an interview with Entertainment Euron’s superhuman aiming ability — but do so successfully. Weekly in April 2019, before the premiere in the next be completely incapable of To make things worse, because Martin of the final season, Benioff said, “HBO hitting or even firing at Drogon coming has not finished the book series, Benioff would have been happy for the show to straight at their ships? and Weiss have little material to work off keep going, to have more episodes in the In addition, characters such as Jaime of besides a basic outline of the ending that final season. We always believed it was Lannister and Jon Snow were given awful Martin provided them. From about season about 73 hours… As much as they wanted conclusions to their series-long arcs. Not five onwards, the show has relied on original more, they understood that this is where the only does Jaime throw away seasons of plot development. story ends.” positive character development to die with Benioff and Weiss are not to blame for “[HBO] said, ‘We’ll give you the Cersei, but Jon Snow’s parentage, a secret the challenge of finishing A Song of Ice and resources to make this what it needs to that has been alluded to since the beginFire, and they were surely expecting that be, and if what it needs to be is a summer ning of the series and serves as a pivotal Martin would finish more books to adapt tentpole-size spectacle in places, then that’s role in the final season, is unceremoniously within the show’s eight-year run. When Bewhat it will be,’” Weiss said. swept under the rug in the finale — it’s not nioff and Weiss began producing GOT, I’m In light of what transpired in these six even addressed when the lords and ladies of sure that they intended to adapt Martin’s final episodes, Benioff and Weiss’ statements Westeros appoint the next monarch. book series, not finish it for him. On their are baffling. They clearly could have used GOT’s finale, meant to be a capstone in more time to develop major plotlines and television history, was highly disappointing. easily resolve subplots along the way. Each I should have felt some sense of satisfaction of the major plotlines in GOT — the battle as the show entered its last minutes, but I against the White Walkers, the final showwas left with emptiness. Benioff and Weiss down against Cersei Lannister, Daenerys’ threw away seven seasons of good television descent into madness, and the ascension of to produce an aggravating finale that falls Bran Stark — could have easily taken an en- far short of Martin’s original vision. With tire season to develop and resolve. Instead, this finale, they have disrespected everyone Benioff and Weiss skimmed through them that has invested a part of themselves into in just over seven hours, covering all the the show and its characters, giving an endbases but failing to do justice to any of these ing that leaves viewers betrayed, annoyed, storylines. and confused. As a result, these plot points feel How will the legacy of this iconic show undeveloped. In “The Last of the Starks” fare with the baggage of this absolutely and “The Bells,” the viewer is subjected to abysmal final season? Only time will tell. a sudden character transformation, where For now, I’ll be waiting for the release of the compassionate Daenerys suddenly The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, SUZI PRATT VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS turns into a mad tyrant that burns down an the final two books in A Song of Ice and Fire, A crowd of viewers at the Game of Thrones Season 3 Seattle Premiere; hoping that they will offer The Ending That the show’s popularity could not save it from harsh criticism following the entire city and kills thousands of people. If there was more time to develop Daenerys’ Was Promised. final season

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- Arts

June 2019

INDEX STAFF

Tyler McDonald ’19, J.R. Leitz ’19, Thomas Ward ’19, and Jeffery Bozzi ’19 (left to right) working on the mural

Sixth Formers create new spring sports mural Daniel Chow ‘20

he wall beside the outdoor basketball court will soon receive a new mural. The 20.5 by 11.2 feet acrylic canvas painting will depict an action shot of all five spring sports. Sixth Formers Thomas Ward, Jeffery Bozzi, J.R. Leitz, and Tyler McDonald created the painting. After being approached by Dr. Nagl and Mr. Murphy to create the mural, Ward brought the idea to the group, which will complete the mural as graduation projects. Painting more than 220 square feet of canvas is no easy work, but careful planning

has made the task manageable. “The process was broken up into two parts: preparing and setting up to paint followed by the actual painting,” Bozzi said. “We spent the first week designing what the mural would look like along with gathering measurements and cutting out square panels for different sections.” The canvas is divided into twelve parts (eight large square panels along with four thin strips) in order to make the painting process possible. Since the first week of planning, the group has been coming into

Panels of the new mural in the art hallway

The only current mural on the field house wall

INDEX STAFF

school nearly every day to bring the blank canvases to life. For each panel, the team started out by painting the simpler areas (background, tennis net, track hurdle, etc.) before getting into specific details (facial features, jerseys, etc.). Bozzi said, “The entire process was long and tiring because we painted certain things over and over again with multiple coats of paint, and we wanted everything to look as real as possible.” Although tedious, painting has still been “by far the most fun of the project,” Bozzi

said. Each artist has taken pride in the sections he was assigned to paint, and the shared sense of wanting to produce the best work possible has made the entire experience enjoyable for the group. This year’s choice to highlight spring sports was part of the idea of creating a “trilogy” of seasons. Members of the class of ’17 created a mural of the fall sports, so the team decided to shift the attention to the spring sports season. They hope that artists from a subsequent class will create a winter sports mural to complete the trilogy.

Detail of lacrosse panel on the new mural

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SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

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June 2019

Netmen, continued from page 15... Thomas Ward at first doubles and not losing the quality even in fourth doubles made us a difficult team to beat,” Chakraborty said. A strong doubles lineup meant even if singles players had tough matches, “[the team] could always count on the doubles teams to clinch points for the team.” The new crop of talented Third Former — and one Second Former — the team received allowed the team to dominate at third and fourth doubles. The senior captains elevated

the game of the underclassmen. “They showed their knowledge of the sport and their desire to win. The underclassmen took note and displayed those same qualities on the court when it was their time,” Ba said. The team is young, and this depth makes the team a contender next season. “We have so many underclassmen with so much potential who are ready to step up next year, which is phenomenal,” Ba said. Having lots of underclassmen in the start-

ing lineup has boosted confidence for the future. “The underclassmen have been invaluable to our team this year, and I expect that they will remain highly skilled assets in years to come,” Chakraborty continued. Despite losing another batch of talented seniors like Chakraborty, Hoefner, and Ward, Ba is confidence the streak will continue. “We have the Inter-Ac next year and many

years after that,” Ba said. The season marked by anxiety and doubt proved to be a successful 11–2 season, capped off by an Inter-Ac championship. “I was really glad to be on the team and have the chance to take a leadership role in the winning season,” Ward said. “We proved everyone who said we couldn’t do it wrong, and it feels great to say we did it with this group of guys,” Ba said.