The Index Eutαxia Swzein Dokei
Volume LXXV, No. 7
March 2014
Haverford, Pennsylvania - haverfordindex.com
The Clubs Funding Process: How Haverford Goes About Supporting Student Activities Thanks to detailed interviews with the school’s top brass, including the three most involved in the clubs funding process, Manav Khandelwal ‘15 examines how Haverford allocates resources to student activities. Manav Khandelwal ‘15
When potential applicants and their families come to The Haverford School for a look into one of the nation’s premier single-sex preparatory schools, several things about the school are likely on their minds: the rigorous curriculum, well-renowned arts groups, like the Notables, and its excellence in athletics. What may evade the minds of many outsiders, and even faculty and students at this school, is the importance of academic extra-curricular activities, like VEX Robotics, DECA, Mock Trial, Debate, and even The Index. In addition to being essential to supporting the curriculum with more practical applications of skills and knowledge, these teams bring a lot of prestige to the school: Robotics, which supports 32 high school students, consistently sweeps awards at local tournaments and has made waves at Worlds while DECA, which has 42 members, has cultivated several international champions and even more international finalists. The Index, which has 15-25 contributors, has grown to be considered an elite high school newspaper, and Debate, with its dozen or so members, has begun to see much more success at national and district-level tournaments. This focus on success in and out of the
classroom stood out to Headmaster Dr. John Nagl, who noticed when he applied for his current position: “One of the things that drew me to the Haverford School is that it seemed to put equal value on academics, arts, and athletics. More than any other place I’ve seen or been affiliated with, accomplishments in whatever arena seem to be recognized and celebrated.” The administration of Haverford has certainly begun to appreciate just how vital these extracurricular activities are in supplementing a student’s course load and providing him opportunities to pursue more specific interests than may be offered in the curriculum. With extra-curricular activities, however, comes the need for more funding. So, how does Haverford go about acquiring and appropriating resources for these clubs? Mr. David Gold, Chief Financial Officer at Haverford, touts the successes of the school’s system for budgeting, which he refers to as “zero-base budgeting.” He says, “I meet with 40 different financial managers, from division heads to the athletic department to faculty advisors, and ask what their goals for next year are. We set up a list of assumptions to predict how much money will be needed in certain areas while predicting enrollment and tuition revenue, which drive spending.”
The theory behind zerobase budgeting is its yearto-year flexibility; it takes into account the money that is actually needed in every area. For example, if a certain student organization no longer needs the same amount of money because it has become more efficient, the school can effectively allocate those resources to another club instead of having rigid budgets for each student activity. This process always begins with the faculty advisors for each club and activity. They are asked to meet with Mr. Matthew Green, Upper School Division Head, to discuss their projections for the upcoming school year. Each club advisor is asked to determine approximately what they will need with regards to supplies, registration fees, and travel expenses. For example, Robotics must predict how many parts they will need, how many mentor hours will be required, Continued on Page 4
Three of Haverford’s clubs, from top to bottom: The Index, Mock Trial, and DECA. Index Staff
Politics Column: Examining Presidential Candidates From Across The Aisle
In this edition of the Politics Column, Brendan Burns ‘15 and Eric Petersen ‘15, who lean right and left respectively, step outside of their comfort zones and examine the opposition’s 2016 presidential candidates.
The Democrats
The Republicans
The 2016 Presidential race has taken on a completely different character on each side of the aisle. By all indications, the race for the GOP nomination will be extremely competitive. Many Republicans desperately want to avoid a repeat of the snafu that was the 2012 primary race, in which eventual nominee Mitt Romney was forced to run through an obstacle course of assaults from both Democratic groups, who successfully portrayed him as a paperchasing, blood-sucking corporatist, and fellow Republicans, who weakened his candidacy by mounting challenge after challenge to his conservative credentials. This time around, the Republicans are playing to win. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus has planned a low-key primary round for 2016 with fewer debates to avoid another “traveling circus.” However, there is no avoiding the fact that the Republican field is wide open (see Eric Petersen ’15’s article on the possible GOP field). In stark contrast, the Democratic outlook for 2016 is remarkably basic. Whereas there is no clear leader among Republican Presidential hopefuls (with Chris Christie having fallen back to earth following “Bridgegate”), it could reasonably be said the only barrier between Hillary Clinton and the White House
The Republican field for the 2016 nomination is crowded to say the least. Hometown heroes and nationally known figures alike are bristling to become the first Republican president to help prove the post-Tea Party Republican Party can field a viable candidate. Politicians moderate to semi-anarchist have expressed interest to receive the conservative endorsement for the Presidency. This batch of possible contenders are also far different from Democratic and even earlier Republican fields. This group has less experience in politics, as many rode into office in the conservative wave of 2010. Another feature of this batch is the recent stream of new scandals that have plagued many. The media already seems to be vetting these men to see if they can stand the test of national scrutiny. After several years building their resumes, some feel ready to vie for the Republican nomination. This list of candidates is by no means official, but represents the frontrunners with higher name recognition. Maybe the most likely candidate is Marco Rubio. The son of Cuban immigrants, he was born and raised in the United States. Marco Rubio has lived his entire life in Florida, even attending college in the Sunshine State. He also has the incredibly appealing traits that some of
Brendan Burns ‘15
Also inside this Issue...
is herself. When she stepped down from the position of Secretary of State at the end of Obama’s first term, the 66 year-old Clinton was removing herself from the public sphere after 20 consecutive years in politics. Clinton had served as First Lady, then as a Senator from New York, and finally as Secretary of State under her former nemesis, Barack Obama. As the nation’s top diplomat, Clinton visited more countries – 112 – than Secretary of State in history, and presided over the American response to the Arab Spring and Libyan Civil War. After her grueling tenure in Obama’s Cabinet and being treated for a blood clot in her head, Clinton decided to step down. Hillary’s long track record of service has made her one of one of the nation’s most popular politicians (Benghazi scandal notwithstanding), yet she has remained undecided as to whether she will make a second presidential bid in 2016 (she has claimed she will announce her decision at some point this year). Hillary has earned top marks for her performance at the State Department, and for burying the hatchet with Obama after a heated primary race in 2008. Clinton has topped Gallup’s poll as America’s most admired woman for each of the past ten years. Continued on Page 10
News and Features Editor Jack Henderson ‘15 reviews the incredible story of this year’s Parker lecturer, Ms. Kimberly Dozier, on Page 4.
Eric Petersen ‘15
the most successful political candidates have. He is smart, charismatic, handsome, and has a large family. He is also Christian, but not evangelical, which has turned many voters away from otherwise attractive presidential hopefuls. One of the most obvious aspects that Rubio can claim is his race. Although he is white, the descendants of Spanish colonials in the Caribbean, he is Latino. He speaks English as his first language, but is still fluent in Spanish, which an increasing number of Americans speak as a first language. He can also gain support from the Hispanic community, a key demographic that has been elusive for the Republican leadership. In 2012, over 70% of Latinos voted to reelect President Obama, a margin that represents disaster for conservatives. With a Latino at the top of a national ticket, the GOP could assuredly receive more votes from the growing ethnic group. As mentioned before, Marco Rubio has spent his entire life in Florida, and can call no other state home. This is important for a few reasons. The first is that some candidates have claimed too many “home states”. In his 2012 campaign, Mitt Romney called Utah, Massachusetts, and Michigan home. He ended up losing two of the three. Having a state solidly behind a candidate Continued on Page 10
Brendan Burns ‘15 outlines his issues with the new SAT, including dilution of the standardized testing process, on Page 9.
Article Letter fron the Editors Joseph Review All-School Reading Fords Focus Crew Preview Test Calendar Issues Ukraine Brinksmanship Putin vs Obama Outdex
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The Index
Editorials
March 2014
Letter from the Editors
Editors-in-Chief Manav Khandelwal ‘15 and William Tackett ‘14 with Faculty Advisor Mr. Kellen Graham.
Haverford students, faculty, and parents, Spring break is now upon us. After we all get back from our vacations (to Italy or Costa Rica perhaps), college visits, or time spent simply relaxing, it will be April, and we will have a mere two full months of school left until summer vacation. For seniors, this time will undoubtedly go quicker than for others, as it is packed with college decisions, prom season, and senior projects. For now though, The Index is pleased to provide you with some commentary on several key student life issues. In the Opinions section, these issues include those of ID card access after 5:00, in which Alex Sanfilippo ‘16 examines why these security measures are set in place and ultimately argues that the time should be extended at least half an hour to allow students coming back from athletics practices to easily retrieve their books from the Upper School.
Another topic examined in the Opinions section is the Upper School test calendar. Cyrus Rostami ‘17 argues how the calendar can be used most efficiently, addressing problems such as students’ lack of knowledge about the existence of the calendar or how it is operated, and the fact that not all teachers utilize the calendar. Another opinions piece by Brendan Burns ‘15 criticizes the College Board over its changes to the SAT that will officially start in 2016. In the News section, several articles shed light on topics pertaining to student life. Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘16 offers a look into how the administration is handling this year’s exceptional amount of snow days and how it might prepare to deal with such an amount in future years, rather than attempt to solve the problem on the fly. Manav Khandelwal ‘15 reports on a subject that many Haverford students know little about: how the budget is constructed. Khandelwal’s
The Index
2013-2014 Staff
Manav Khandelwal ‘15, Editor-in-Chief Will Tackett ‘14, Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Narayanan ‘14, Head of Photography Jack Henderson ‘15, News and Features Editor Brendan Burns ‘15, Opinions Editor Jackson Simon ‘15, Sports Editor Gregory Boyek ‘14, Arts Editor Noah Cutler ‘14, Outdex Editor Graham Gaddes ‘14, Senior Web Editor Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘16, Junior Web Editor Grant Yu ‘16, Junior Web Editor Brendan Burns ‘15, Graphics Editor Mr. Kellen Graham, Faculty Advisor
The Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles the daily struggles and accomplishments of the Haverford community. The Index also
article was particularly focused on how the budgets for different extracurricular activities and clubs are determined. Jack Henderson ‘15 provides background on this year’s Parker lecture, Associated Press journalist and war correspondent Kimberly Dozier and discusses some of the ideas she talked about in her speech. Finally, Rudy Miller ‘14 investigates how the all-school read (this year was The Other Wes Moore) is determined, offering some student suggestions, as well as how effective it is given the percentage of students who actually read the book. In Arts, Alex Sanfilippo ‘16 provides a recap and review of the spring musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Also in the Arts section is De Libris, the monthly book review column by Ethan DeLehman ‘16. In this installment of his column, DeLehman discusses Pale Fire, a novel by Vladimir Nabakov that is centered around a poem of the same name.
Grayson Sessa ‘13
In the Sports section, each spring sports team (lacrosse excluded), from Tennis to Frisbee, has a season preview and prediction. The Politics section includes some world politics involving Venezuela and Ukraine, as well as discussion of the 2016 presidential candidates in the politics column by Burns and Eric Petersen ‘15. There were plenty of politics articles this issue, so if you feel like a topic in politics should have discussed , it probably was, but was simply placed on our website, haverfordindex.com, as we did not have enough space this issue to feature all of these articles in the print newspaper. We hope you enjoy this rich array of content that we have worked to provide you. Until April. Sincerely, Manav Khandelwal ‘15 and Will Tackett ‘14 Editors-in-Chief
provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues, such as student culture, academic policy, and Haverford’s place in world affairs. The Index presents new ideas and aspires to influence constructive change. All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at hsindex@gmail.com. The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed on Mac OS X, using Adobe InDesign CS5.5. Its surveys are conducted via SurveyMonkey and are advertised on Facebook to current Haverford students. Southern Dutchess News prints 200-400 copies of each issue, and its editorial staff distributes them in the Upper School on the day of release. The Index serves the needs of a total school population of 1091 community members, consisting of 975 students and 116 faculty members. Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 hsindex@gmail.com http://www.haverfordindex.com/ (610) 642-3020 x. 1222 Volume LXXV, No. 1 - September 6, 2013
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The Index
Arts
Haverford Theatre Shines in Joseph Alex Sanfilippo ‘16 reviews Haverford’s musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which featured a Haverford administrator, great choreography, beautiful vocals, and state-of-the-art lighting. Alex Sanfilippo ‘16 The Haverford School’s rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph of the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was an entertaining spectacle with scintillating lighting displays, rhythmic choreography, and an unremitting energy from the cast. The script of Joseph was inspired by a Bible story in the book of Genesis. In the story, Jacob, played by Upper School Head Mr. Matthew Green, the patriarch of the family, along with his wives and twelve sons are living happy and prosperous lives. One fateful day, Jacob decides to give his favorite son, Joseph (Will Solmssen), a vibrant coat made up of a multitude of colors. Joseph’s eleven brothers (Chet Bickhart, Justin Chermol, Max Gold, Jake Cohen, Ryan Conway, Louis Brown, Eamon Glavin, Michael Somkuti, Troy Trauger) are angered and jealous by this display of affection as well as Joseph’s strange ability to interpret dreams, so they decide to conspire against him. The brothers sell him into slavery and tell their father that Joseph was killed. Joseph is sold to Potiphar (JR Pender), a wealthy Egyptian, and after gaining a positive reputation within the household, Joseph is eventually sent to prison for having an affair with Mrs. Potiphar (Julia Hopkins). While in jail, Joseph makes the acquaintance of two men, a baker and a butler (Stephen Boyd, Henry Ortmeyer), and he astonishes them by clarifying their puzzling dreams. The first act ended with a pom-pom filled extravaganza as the entire cast urged Joseph on in the singing of ”Go, Go, Go Joseph”. Act two introduces the Pharaoh (Ian Riley), who seeks Joseph’s assistance to elucidate a perplexing dream. Joseph successfully does so, and Pharaoh rewards Joseph by appointing him as his second in command. Meanwhile, back in Canaan the future looked rough as a famine devastated Joseph’s brothers’ crops making them hungry and desperate. Searching for a
solution, they decide to travel to Egypt, which is enjoying bountiful harvests. When they arrive, Joseph immediately recognizes them, however they fail to see their brother through his newly found grandeur. The brothers implore Joseph to feed them claiming that they are honest men. Joseph, knowing the evil they once possessed, decides to test their word. He plants a golden cup in the food of one of the brothers, Benjamin (Phil Gregory, Toney Goins), and puts him in jail when Joseph notices it had been “stolen.” The brothers continue to reaffirm that Benjamin would not do this and they ask that they be imprisoned and beaten instead. Joseph recognizes their sincerity and releases Benjamin, finally revealing to them his true identity. In the finale of the show, Jacob comes to Egypt and the family is reunited once again. Haverford’s production was successful on all fronts. Stage crew did a fantastic job creating a wonderful set while also managing the innumerable lighting displays, which helped to highlight the actors and progress the story. The story, told only through singing, made this Haverford musical distinct and entertaining. The absence of dialogue replaced by only singing and dancing proved to be a delight for the audiences. The musical talent the cast possessed was another one of the highlights. Will Solmssen and Paige Davis (The Narrator) both have a tremendous talent for singing, and they both successfully command the attention of the audience through the clarity and volume of their voice. The energy of the cast and crew really benefitted the final performances. Everyone in the cast was fully devoted to making the show a success and as VI Former Toney Goins remarked, “It is such a joy seeing everyone onstage having a great time.” That energy helps the audience to sit back and relax, making the
show more enjoyable to watch. Joseph was very different than previous Haverford musicals and as director Matthew Cloran mentioned regarding its uniqueness, “Joseph was different compared to other THS musicals in regards to its lighter subject matter, its lack of satire or cynicism. Pippin and Hairspray were both more dark, or had dark undertones while Joseph is what it is: a song and dance extravaganza, fun and very entertaining”. When asked about performances he thought went above and beyond Mr. Cloran replied, “Some of the successes of Joseph were Will Solmssen as Joseph, the Brothers (how well they worked together), and Ian Riley as Pharaoh.” Adding on to those stellar performances, Toney co-choreographed much of the show with Mr. Cloran, and having his choreography in the show only enhanced each song. Toney said that he was, “so proud of the dancers and the cast for making my visions into a reality.” After reading through the thirty-two Cappies reviews of the show, it is clear that the show entertained the audience each and every night. Cappies are high school theatre awards, similar to the Tony Awards in professional theatre,
March 2014
for schools throughout the Philadelphia area. Through its tremendous success, Joseph should be a contender for multiple Cappies. One Cappie that is almost guaranteed to go to Haverford is for lighting. The Stage Crew did a phenomenal job creating not only the sets, but also managing the lights as well. Actors have to put in many hours of work as show week approaches, but the members of stage crew work just as hard often staying at Centennial until 9:30 P.M. The work stage crew does often goes unnoticed or is taken for granted, but as Toney and Mr. Cloran both agreed, “The set and lighting really brought some character to the show and to each of us onstage. Both aspects helped us feel like we were really in Canaan and Egypt. “ Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat proved to be another successful Haverford School show by entertaining everyone involved and making the hourand-a-half exciting for both the audience and cast. Through the guidance of director Mr. Matthew Cloran, the Haverford School Drama Department should continue to be successful, and I encourage you all to support the fall play as well as the musical next year!
The cast of Joseph posing for a group photo.
Ms. Dawn Blake
De Libris: ‘Pale Fire,’ The Essence of Excellence in Prose Ethan DeLehman ‘16
In 1962, after completing nine novels written in Russian and four in English, Vladimir Nabakov successfully crafted one of the most exquisite pieces of prose ever written in the form of “Pale Fire”. The novel is centered around a poem of the same name written by the fictional author John Shade with a lengthy forward and commentary on the poem written by his apparent associate and close friend, Charles Kinbote. This division of the story proves not only to enhance the masterfully written centerpiece of the novel, the poem, but also allowed for there to be two fascinating characters covered in depth by the varying authors. While Shade is described as this intelligent, gifted author whose life had oftentimes been marked by tragedy, shaping an engaging and beautifully told tale of a man’s life in the twilight of its existence. Within Kinbote’s forward to Pale Fire, the reader is provided with a considerable amount of the necessary information in order to understand Poem itself. We are given an introduction to the character of John Francis Shade through the eyes of Kinbote who, in this case, acted almost as a crazed fan would. Gushing over his previous realization that he had found himself in the same company as Shade, an enthusiasm that would then translate into ridiculous over-assumptions regarding his relationship with Shade stating that “The calender says I had only known him a few months but there exist friendships which develop their own inner duration, their own eons of transparent time, independent of rotating malicious music.” This is only the first of such statements to tip off the reader that Kinbote is hardly the passionate friend that he views himself as. Instead we begin to develop an understanding of the fact that Kinbote was desperate to latch on to Shade in order to exploit him however he could. A desire for exploitation which eventually manifested itself in the form of his contribution to the poem itself. Instantly an endlessly interesting character is exposed to the reader, as is a plethora of background
information of potentially fictional origin. It is from this jumping off point that the reader is then exposed to the work of John Shade and it certainly does not disappoint. Pale Fire, split up into four cantos with the first and fourth being of equal length along with the second and third being of equal length, begins with the child-like sentiment of being mystified by how the window can reflect the items within the house as though they appear outside. It is the alluring beauty of the prose that engulfs the reader within the childlike vision that is the first cantos. It is from these images of his perception of nature as a young child that Shade then alters his focus to the darker confines of childhood memories. He begins this trend by mentioning the death of his parents at a young age. This being described as “I was an infant when my parents died,...I’ve tried so often to evoke them that today I have a thousand parents. Sadly they dissolve in their own virtues and recede, But certain words, chance words I hear or read, Such as ‘bad heart’ always to him refer, And ‘cancer of the pancreas’ to her” This transition from great beauty to spectacular representations of his own suffering within his writing is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the quality of writing and imagery. He uses the vehicle of childhood to then transition once more into a discussion of the after-life and man’s understanding of the word and how all of these concepts impacted his own existence. Concepts which are then once again applied to his own experiences in life. From the love of his wife to the loss of his daughter to those haunting moments each individual experiences within their lives. This combination of truly breathtaking prose coupled with ideas of life and death and suffering is what entranced me within Pale Fire and is what made the poem something that I found myself reading time and time again simply to try to begin to understand the layers of beauty hidden within it. Of course the shining gem of “Pale Fire” is the third cantos, a meditation on the potential of the afterlife. It was the fourth verse of this
cantos that revealed to me that I was reading something absolutely incredible, with my personal favorite passage being “I’ll turn down eternity unless/ The melancholy and the tenderness/ Of mortal life; the passion and the pain;/ The claret taillight of this dwindling plane/ Are found in Heaven by the newlydead/ Stored in its strongholds through the years. Instead.” Once again, the undeniable beauty of Nabakov’s writing wins out above all else while still retaining the essence of the subjects he discusses. In my mind, one of the many purposes of literature is to expose the reader to different elements of the human experience in such a way that will provoke new thought. In this case, Nabakov invariably succeeds as he supplies the reader with a portrait of one man’s
existence as thorough and honest as I’ve found. Of course, the majority of the novel then comes after the poem in the form of Kinbote’s increasingly odd and rambling commentary which goes from a genuine commentary on Shade’s work, albeit from an odd narrator, to a perfect example of the narcissistic, arrogant, self-focused individual we so briefly glimpsed in the foreword. While the poem itself it brilliant enough to be published on its own, it is the addition of the fictional Kinbote that adds exceptional prose and above all else, pure entertainment value. As a whole, Pale Fire is a read well worth recommending on the quality of its poem alone, however it is the rambling commentary of a fictional character that keeps you reading for another 200 pages.
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The Index
News
The Clubs Funding Question (cont.) Continued From Front Page
and the number of competitions they plan on entering. Debate and Mock Trial, however, are generally more low maintenance, planning the budget around one or two major events throughout the year. Each faculty advisor’s goal is to procure the maximum amount of resources he or she can for his or her students without breaking the school’s bank. Mrs. Megan Connolly, Director of Technology and Head of the VEX program at Haverford, puts it nicely, remarking, “You forecast what’s going to happen. You put an upper limit on what the school can afford to do while keeping the program viable.” The next step in the process is the most important: Mr. Green reviews proposals and, with input from Headmaster Dr. John Nagl and Mr. Gold, prepares his version of the Upper School budget. What exactly goes into choosing how much money the school will appropriate for each activity? As the clubs that are offered constantly change from year to year, the school has to decide where and when it wants to allocate its valuable resources. Success of the particular program is certainly a factor to be considered; when clubs are bringing home world championships, it not only brings prestige to the school but also drives interest in those activities. The most important factor, however, appears to be breadth. Mr. Green tells The Index, “I review the extent to which each budget request is a responsible use of school funds, much of which are generated through tuition. To do so, I assess how many students are being served and to what purpose. The smaller the number of students and/or the larger the expense, the less likely I am to fund it at the requested level. The ideal activity gives the most kids the best experience.” Mr. Gold adds, “We value the one that will get you the biggest bang for the buck, which impacts the most kids. There are
unfortunately, may require a level of funding the school cannot meet. Dr. Nagl’s thoughts on that issue are clear, and they seem to reflect the broader direction of the student activities budgeting committee: “One of the jobs of the headmaster is to balance competing needs. My objective is to make everyone equally unhappy. Nobody gets everything they want, everyone gets what they need.” This approach seems as fair as possible, allowing the administration to meet virtually everyone’s needs while staying under budget and not favoring any club unfairly. Now that we have gotten the opportunity to look deeper into how budgeting decisions are made, an essential question you might be asking is, “Does Haverford have enough money haverford.org Mr. David Gold, the man who runs Haverford’s budgeting. to support continued some value assessments in the decision-making growth in the field of academic extraprocess.” The toughest decisions obviously involve curriculars?” The short answer is, maybe not. Haverford successful clubs with high interest that, does not release budgeting specifics on
March 2014
account of financial responsibility, so I cannot independently examine the amount of money being spent on individual sports, certain events, or academic programs, but I imagine that Haverford is currently spending its money as wisely and efficiently as they can. The budget capacity, however, is not what it could or should be for a school of Haverford’s caliber. In fact, over 90% of school costs are paid through tuition, which is surprisingly high. On that topic, Dr. Nagl remarks, “The Haverford School, as wonderful as it is, doesn’t have the endowment that a school of this age and quality probably should have, and so I’m working hard to increase the endowment.” To continue the rapid expansion of extracurricular organizations, Haverford must begin to raise additional funds to help pay for related expenses. How exactly can it go about doing that? The first is general fundraising, which Dr. Nagl plans to accelerate over the next few years through greater alumni outreach and a more focused fundraising campaign. The second, which is more interesting and specific, would be corporate sponsorships of extra-curricular organizations; for example, Dr. Nagl believes several local technology companies would be willing to sponsor the VEX Robotics team in exchange for publicity associated with the team. While school bylaws may make this difficult, it could provide a revenue source that could help make a resourceintensive club like Robotics more sustainable. Clubs like The Index have considered paid advertisements, but in today’s day and age, such revenue streams are drying up fast. What is clear, however, is Haverford’s current commitment to extra-curricular excellence; the school spends tens of thousands of dollars yearly on student clubs and activities, and is consistently looking for ways to integrate ideas into the curriculum and support clubs’ success even further.
Parker Lecture: Kimberly Dozier’s Inspiring Story of Perseverance News & Features Editor Jack Henderson ‘15 reviews the 24th Parker Lecture, featuring former Iraq War correspondent and IED survivor Kimberly Dozier. Jack Henderson ‘15
Kimberly Dozier attended Haverford for a day last week as part of the 24th annual Davis R. Parker Memorial History Lecture, named after Haverford’s fifth headmaster. Parker’s tenure as headmaster ranged from 1966 through 1987, during which he planned the construction of Centennial Hall in 1984. Parker was a passionate historian, so after his death in 1989, it was his predecessor Leslie Severinghaus who founded the lecture “ to better prepare students for positions of power when they are going to lead this country,” as Dr. Nagl explains. Unlike in-class experiences, the class website details, “the annual Parker Lecture gives us a unique opportunity to learn, reflect, interact, and engage in healthy discussion about topics of historical importance.” As a war correspondent Kimberly Dozier covered live war zones for much of the last twenty years, until Memorial Day, 2006 when she and her team were hit with a car bomb. Her cameraman Paul Douglas, her soundman James Brolin, a US Army captain, and his translator were some of those killed instantly
Parker Lecturer, Ms. Kimberly Dozier.
kimberlydozier.com
from the lethal blast. Dozier was fortunately spared, but was in critical condition after her skull was smashed and her femoral artery was severed. After a strenuous recovery of over three months, Ms. Dozier came back to cover war zones again. Ms. Dozier currently works for the Associated Press and covers the intelligence and counterterrorism community. Haverford’s headmaster Dr. John Nagl refers to her experiences as a story of “courage, perseverance, determination, and honor.” Retired US Army General Stanley McChrystal says on the back cover of Dozier’s book Breathing the Fire, “This story reminds us all that courage is often most evident after the battle when the unwavering commitment of people to each other shows us what true heroes are.” Ms. Dozier, at her lecture with the students on Thursday, March 13th, discussed her life as a war correspondent, having to enter dangerous combat zones to shed light on various global events for millions of people back home. Dr. Nagl believes that Ms. Dozier has an “extraordinary facility with language and words... She can speak, she can write, she can tell stories, and she can do it while people are trying to kill her.” As can be seen by anyone who views her reporting, she has an incredible tenacity and passion for what she does because she wanted to represent the people who could not fight for themselves. Ms. Dozier said, “If I can explain why people feel something over there to people back here, then you all can make an educated decision as to what policies should be put in place.” From a very young age Kimberly Dozier was meant to be a journalist. She is the adopted daughter of an overseas contractor, so her family “hopscotched from Hawaii to Guam to Iran during its revolution” when she was eleven years old. She had to abide by curfews and could even hear gunshots in the square on a nightly basis. Her school bus would get hit by bricks on the way to school as people screamed to her,
“Go home, Yankee!” After a period of time, it became clear that they needed to leave the area for their own safety, so she and her family drove to Tehran just as the Shah left and Khomeini came in. An innocent American eleven year old girl was witnessing the uprising as the city “convulsed in celebrations.” Once she made it out of the country safely, she explained, “I was bitten. I wanted to be a reporter and go back to these places.” By the time she was in high school she had already applied for an internship at a local television news station. She received a thoughtful response from the station explaining that the internship is only for people with majors in journalism, but Dozier in a reply wrote that once she became a journalism major, they would be hearing from her. The news station felt that her reply took a lot of courage so they would make an exception and told her that the job started the following Monday. This is just one example in the early stages of her life of the perseverance and determination of Ms. Dozier in her work as a journalist. After attending Wellesley College with experience as the news director for a radio station, she earned an internship in Israel, during which she was introduced to the sometimes deadly battles with molotov cocktails and rubber bullets. “It is at that moment,” said Dozier, “that you want to seek cover immediately.” Dozier had a fair amount of experience at this time, but she still needed more schooling to be considered for some of the top news organizations. She bartended her way through a Master’s degree from the University of Virginia, although she now wishes she had just focused on learning Arabic as she had to struggle with a translator during much of her overseas reporting. She earned a $10,000 grant from UVA to start her foreign correspondent career in Cairo, Egypt. All at once she was working for five different news stations, making $47 per article for some stations. There were not many in Egypt at the time who spoke English, so after one bombing in particular, she herself was providing the information to the American public. “I was the same person who six months earlier in D.C. no one would give the time of day,” explained Dozier, “but now I was broadcasting to millions of people. I was the right person in the right place at the right time at the right price.” After the fateful Memorial Day in 2006
when she lost her friends Paul Douglas and James Brolin, Dozier found it challenging to recover borh physically and emotionally from the trauma she had experienced. She had many wounds to heal up, but she also felt guilty that she had survived while her friends had perished. The recovery was notably difficult for the first few months, but Dozier admits that “the hypervigilance, the flashbacks, the nightmares all stopped. I suffered from survivor’s guilt for a very, very long time. I still feel horrible every Memorial Day. I think that my friends are gone and I am still here.” While it took some time, she eventually “got itchy feet to go back.” Dozier found motivation in watching the global news from afar and not being a part of it. She felt she could not “let a terrorist car bomb end my career, that is letting them win. I did not want to give up.” But her boss at CBS felt differently. CBS was afraid to let her go back, and she was angry at first. She then began to think it was out of protection. Dozier thought that “they could only see the image that we in the media had mostly projected to the public which is someone that you should feel sorry for, rather than someone whose experiences you should respect.” She realized that CBS was also experiencing survivor’s guilt, and she could not blame them. She accepted the decision, but realized that it was time to move on to the Associated Press. For the last few years Dozier had been working with US special operations forces in Afghanistan, but she admits that when she went outside the safety of the base for the first time after the bombing, she was “shaky.” She eventually came to realize that James and Paul chose to be with her the day of the bombing and that it was not her fault. To be angry with herself or anyone else involved was to “dishonor their memory and everything they had set out to do.” The wife of one of Dozier’s fallen friends came to grips with that as well after the two discussed their feelings about the situation openly with each other. They hugged, and Dozier believes the wife’s acceptance is “one of the reasons I am able to sleep at night, pay it forward, and share this story.” Ms. Dozier believes if those who go through traumatic experiences can come to “understand what they have been through and come out the other side, they are the people that hopefully set a good example for everyone else.”
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The Index
News
March 2014
The Improvement of the All-School Reading Program
Rudy Miller ‘14 explores the changes being considered for the all-school reading book, including making the book more relatable for Haverford’s students. Rudy Miller ‘14
The all-school read is a tantalizing idea for many students and even more teachers: the ability for a freshman and a senior to discuss the same book and its values is a rare one in a high school. However, do students actually care, and how can the system be improved to mitigate students not reading the book? Earlier in the calendar year, students and faculty at Haverford listened to this year’s author, Wes Moore, discuss his book, The Other Wes Moore, which deals with the similar yet shockingly divergent paths of two men, both named Wes Moore, who both grew up in poor Baltimore neighborhoods. Moore was the second speaker in the recently founded Cox Leadership Series, and he was chosen to speak by “a small committee of teachers and students,” as noted by Head of the Upper School Mr. Matt Green. The individual is chosen first, and the book that the student body reads is “the book he or she is most noted for.” The theory that Haverford uses for this allschool read is that all students are supplied with a copy of the book to read over the summer, and students and teachers alike can all discuss the book and its message once they return to school. English teacher Mr. Kellen Graham states that the function of the read is “to unite every person in our community around a set of questions or important issues…it creates opportunities for dialogue, for collaboration.” This only works in practice, however, if a vast majority of students actually read the book in question, and that appears not to be happening with enough students. In a poll that I conducted with 52 Upper School students, 54% stated that they read the entirety of The Other Wes Moore, while 15% read some of it, 6% read a summary or SparkNotes on the novel, and 25% did not ever attempt to read it. These numbers are rather poor for a novel that everyone should be able to discuss. Many teachers, though, appear to be aware of the low participation, as a recent faculty meeting
highlighted the issue and revealed the general concern of a low participation rate. When asked, Mr. Graham correctly guessed that “about 50%” of the student body reads the entire book. Mr. Graham also commented that since “teachers…[and] the administration would like [the participation rate] to be at 100%… we are game planning ways to enhance student interest in the book. These methods include “bringing students into the selection process” and “improving the marketing of the summer reading book, such as committing an assembly to introducing the book, why we chose it, and why we are excited about it.” According to Mr. Graham, “right now…to some students, the book is just another summer reading book tacked onto their other assignments.” Is this accurate? I surveyed several students about their thoughts on the all-school reading book, and Mr. Graham’s assumption was generally accurate. Fifth Former Steven Tornetta believes that the all-school read currently is “not involved enough in the school curriculum…since there are other reading books, I’m not sure if there’s room for it in the summer reading schedule.” Sixth Former Charlie Battersby concurs, stating that “for a lot of people, it’s just another book we have to read.” However, the vast majority of people I interviewed face to face, as well as 62% of people in the aforementioned survey, believe that there should be an all-school read. Sixth Former Matt Larson says that “the books themselves, even if they are not read by everyone, can still be enjoyed by the people who decide to read them,” and Fifth Former Alex McCutcheon states that while “a lot of people don’t read it…[students that read the book] can still have some pretty good discussions about it.” Others believe that, while an all-school read is a good move, The Other Wes Moore was simply not the right book to choose. Third Former Dan Resnick believes that next year’s all-school read “should be chosen better [as] one that everyone could relate to.” Fourth Former Samuel Keith also holds this viewpoint.
He did not read the book, citing that he “wasn’t month. While many student opinions conflict interested in it…I read the back and browsed on the helpfulness of the book itself in the through it, but I just wasn’t interested.” He curriculum, the one generally concurrent asserts that the all-school read should be “a opinion is that those who read the book enjoy book that is really interesting and fun to read.” it. Thus, the hope for next year would be that However, most who read the all-school the book is enticing and, as Battersby stated, reading book appeared to enjoy it. Sixth Former “has a good enough meaning that can apply Stephen Boyd was intrigued by the book, to the student body as a whole.” Ms. Smedley stating that “the concept interested me…the fact stated that a read like this is “as helpful as the that two people with the same name lived in that students allow it to be,” and that definitely same neighborhood, and their lives turned out appears to be the case. As someone who read completely differently…I’ve never thought of and enjoyed The Other Wes Moore, I hope people where I live having that much difference that more students will take part in the allin their lives, and it brings perspective to school read in the coming years to have their my life.” Larson thinks that “it was a good horizons broadened and their eyes opened. experience to read it…it was a good perspective on the city [of Baltimore, Larson’s hometown] and definitely not something kids from here encounter every day.” In addition, according to my poll, out of the 36 students who read The Other Wes Moore in some capacity, 55% gave the book a four or five star rating (out of five stars), and only 6% gave the book two stars (no one gave the book one star). Based on this, students are intrigued by the book, but only when they begin to read it in a serious capacity. As it has been months since Moore talked to the student body, the eyes of the selection group are now on possible books for next year. Choosing a book is no easy task, but some students have suggestions. Resnick would choose Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, because he believes that “it is the best book on the face of the planet” and a more relatable title than The Other Wes Moore (however, the book is already featured in the school’s Form III summer reading curriculum). Boyd stated that he would pick The Book Thief by Markus Zusak or Marley and Me by John Grogan. These books are all viable options, ones that would, as Mr. Graham stated, “allow the school to broadcast to students and families what our values are.” The all-school read, at least for now, is here to stay: next year’s read This year’s all-school book, The Other Wes Moore. National Public Radio will likely be announced in the coming
Snowpocalypse: The Impact of the Recent Snow Days Given the unprecedented number of days off due to inclement weather this winter, Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘16 details how the school plans to deal with missed school. Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘16
Eight. That is the number of school days that Haverford has cancelled due to snow this school year. Yes, you did read that right, eight snow days (in addition to a few two-hour delays). While at first glance this number would make many jump for joy, it soon becomes apparent that the number is more or less a burden than something to celebrate.
Furthermore, usually when school is called off Haverford almost never makes it up. Why? Because private schools are not subject to the same regulation as public ones. However, as the snow days began to pile, it became inevitable that school would have to be made up eventually because all of the missed school led to a series of delays in the scheduled curriculum. In other words, with the amount of time students were not in the classroom, teachers were forced to move back lessons and assessments, thus
While we all love snow and this beautiful look of Haverford’s campus, it disrupted the curriculum.
Ms. Dawn Blake
changing the curricular agenda for many. When Dr. Fenton, one of the school’s Latin teachers, was asked on how he thought snow days affected the curriculum, he answered, “It’s been tough. We have to compress some of the material and maybe go a little faster through other parts of it. The biggest challenge has been to introduce something new, then not see the class again for four or five days. I’m looking forward to the spring and being able to motor through a bunch of material.” However, when Mr. Green was asked about how he thought snow days cut into the curriculum, he commented, “We feel reasonably comfortable about the curricular trajectory. I think probably we are a little anxious in our courses that typically dovetail with the SAT II. In saying this, I think that teachers in these individual classes are taking opportunities to invite students in for extra meeting times, classes, etc.” However, Mr. Green did acknowledge that the degree of depth may not be the same as in previous years. So the question that everyone is asking is, “What’s the plan?” As of now, the administration plans to hold school on Monday, April 21st, that is, the Monday of “Easter Break.” When Mr. Green was asked about the possible scenario of more school cancellations by inclement weather, he responded, “If we were to have another snow day, the make-up day would probably be that Friday. This would obviously be challenging for folks with religious observations on that day but we would certainly be available to help kids.” Like many, Mr. Green is by no means in favor of adding school days at the end of the school year in June. In his opinion, those days would not be “productive learning days from a psychological standpoint.” The classes would likely not be as focused or efficient as a regular school day as many students, particularly Sixth Formers, will have “checked out” by then and begun to look towards summer vacation. Although a few believe that some of the days off should not have been cancelled, the reality is that there is no surefire way to predict the weather and driving conditions. The school can at some points feel a responsibility and pressure to err on the side of caution because
they have to weigh the detriments of yet another cancellation with the possibility of putting the lives of students and faculty in danger. When Dr. Fenton was asked for his opinion on the administration’s decisions to cancel school, he had the following to say: “I think the administration handled snow days as well as could be expected. It’s a tough call, anticipating what the weather will be. The nightmare would be if somebody got hurt because of a missed call, or if kids got stuck at school, and I appreciate that they avoided those.” From the perspective of many students, snow days at first were a great time to take a load off. However, as the snow days continued to come in bunches, many seemed to find themselves miserably slouching on their couch at home. Additionally, in this particular winter with the many power outages that students have faced, many feel that keeping school in session would have been the better option simply because it usually had power. Sixth Former Graham Gaddes disagrees with this logic. When asked to comment on whether the added snow days were the right decision, he said, “Frankly, I would rather have more days off throughout the year than a few concentrated days off in spring break.” Like Dr. Fenton, Gaddes mentioned how it is a tough call to cancel school due to the inconsistency of the weather and the necessary safety precautions. Contrary to what many members of the community think, the multitude of snow days will have a lasting impact on the rest of the year and years to come. Specifically, it will serve as a catalyst for change in terms of planning the year. From the perspective of Mr. Green, he acknowledges that the “administration is learning a lesson from this particular winter.” When asked about his opinion on a future plan, he said, “We need to have a pre-published plan in August about which days are ‘recapture’ days because the extent to which we have had to do that on the fly this year has been challenging.” In the coming years it will be important for everyone to acknowledge that while snow days are great, they eventually come with a steep price.
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The Index
Sports
Fords Focus: Class of 2014 Athletic Commits In this edition of Fords Focus, the monthly sports column centered around Haverford, Manav Khandelwal ‘15 discusses this year’s Sixth Form athletic commits. Manav Khandelwal ‘15 After discussing the athletic recruiting process last month, I felt it would be appropriate to cover this year’s Sixth Formers who have had the opportunity to go through that process and play their sport at the college level. Last year around this time, I wrote about the same topic and the Class of 2013’s 24 committed studentathletes. Haverford’s athletic recruiting success has continued, with at least 14 student-athletes planning on competing at the varsity level in college. As usual, the coaching staff of Fords lacrosse, led by Head Coach John Nostrant, also Director of Athletics, did an excellent job of giving student-athletes the opportunity to attend prestigious institutions and play at the college level. Six of Haverford’s fourteen studentathlete commits will be playing lacrosse; Sixth Form captain Peter Blynn (Harvard) is the most high-profile commit of the group. In 2013, he had 15 goals, 34 assists, and 33 ground balls as one of the team’s starting midfielders. Blynn was named to the All-State, All-Delco, and All-Main Line teams for 2013. Of his future in Cambridge, Blynn remarks, “Athletics will not dominate my life at Harvard because of the way the Ivy League rules are set up. This aspect is one of the reasons that I decided on Harvard originally.” He also reflects positively on his time as a member of Haverford Lacrosse, touting the lessons he will take in to his collegiate career: “I take away so much from my career at Haverford. Most importantly, I take away the idea of team lacrosse: it takes the right chemistry, mental toughness, resilience, and talent to win.” He hopes to get playing time early in his Harvard career and help the Crimson reach the NCAA tournament. Blynn is joined in the Ivy League by defenseman Connor Keating (University of Pennsylvania), who led the Fords with 56 ground balls last season and will be a key part of the Fords’ road to repeating as Inter-Ac Invitational champions. The third Division I lacrosse player is midfielder Jack Appiciafuoco (Lafeyette), who missed most of last season due to an injury but is set to make his presence known this year for Haverford. Jack App is looking forward to his time as a member of the Lafayette lacrosse team, saying, “Athletics will be a huge part of my college experience. Playing any division 1 sport is a major commitment. I think that playing a sport in college will be an awesome experience and will help and challenge my time management skills.” Three Fords lacrosse players will also be competing at the Division III level. Starting attackman Jeff Odiorne (Bowdoin) is set for a breakout year; after not playing much last season he has become an integral part of the Fords’ top-ranked squad. Bowdoin is often among the top 20 lacrosse teams in Division III, and Odiorne figures to continue his success when he arrives in Maine. Odiorne thinks he
will relish the Division III athletic experience, predicting it will also help him academically: “Academically, I think playing a sport will actually help me because we have mandatory study halls every Friday morning at 7 am and our coaches pay very close attention to all of the players on the team’s academics. These two things combined will force me to be a better student.” Odiorne, a prime example of hard work paying off under Head Coach John Nostrant, has taken away much from his experience at Haverford, saying, “cliché as it may sound, the thing I primarily take away from my lacrosse career at Haverford are the relationships Ive made on the team, playing at an amazing program like Haverford I’ve gotten to play with and against some of the best players in the country and form friendships with guys
Rothweiler with Coach Poolman and his parents. Ms. Dawn Blake
older and younger than me who I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten to know.” Defenseman James Holston (Wheaton) and goalie Elliot Avis (Denison) will also be continuing playing in college. Avis envisions himself mentoring young lacrosse players like Haverford’s staff has done for him, telling The Index, “I hope to play just at the college level, but once I’m done college I would like to continue to coach lacrosse.” Fords Basketball will be seeing one of its longtime stars migrate to New Haven, Connecticut to continue his career at the Division I level. Starting small forward Eric Anderson (Yale), a two-time 2nd-team All-Inter Ac selection, will assume a familiar role as Yale’s swingman this upcoming winter. A perimeter sharpshooter who crashes the glass, Anderson averaged 11.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game this season. He also made 53% of his free throws while knocking down 37% of his three-point shots. An equally hard worker in the classroom, Anderson committed to play at the prestigious Yale University this Fall. Unlike many of Haverford’s studentathletes, Anderson entertains the idea of playing professionally, saying, “My goals at Yale are to win the league and play in the NCAA tournament. After college, I would love to play overseas. Any chance to make money playing would be awesome.” Like Blynn, he is excited for the academic possibilities just as much as the athletic opportunities provided by his letter
of commitment. Haverford squash, which finished 4th in the nation this past season, will be sending Haverford’s 4th and 5th athletes to the Ivy League. Co-captains Thomas Walker (Brown) and Ian Rothweiler (Cornell) will be representing Haverford at the Division I level next year. Walker was second on Haverford’s latter, often playing against the nation’s top competitors every match. He is ranked 49th in the nation in the U19 age group. Rothweiler spent much of the season at No. 3 for the Fords before ending the season at No. 4; he is currently ranked 43rd in the nation. Rothweiler hopes “to make a significant role on the Cornell team and help achieve a national championship over the course of my four years there.” Of his high school career, Walker remarks, “From Haverford squash, I have learned what it means to make squash a team sport and always put the interests of the team first even in such an individualized sport.” Rothweiler echoes that sentiment, saying, “Squash has always been a solo sport for me, so what Haverford squash taught me was that it is very much a team sport. Learning the aspects of playing for and with a team is an invaluable thing that I will certainly hold with me as I move onto Cornell.” After sending rowers to both MIT and Stanford last year, Haverford Crew brought back another strong senior class, led by Gavin Adams (Bucknell). After starting his Fifth Form year as a coxswain, Adams worked extremely hard to move up the ranks of the crew team and was a member of the varsity lightweight four that finished 2nd at SRAA nationals last Spring on the Cooper River. He figures to join the freshman 8 boat his first year at Bucknell, but hopes to move up the varsity 8 soon after. Adams looks forward to the rigid schedule that comes with Division I athletics, saying, “I think that rowing at Bucknell will help me to manage my time much better. Since my days will be very structured (morning practice, classes, afternoon practice, etc), I will have to make sure you use the available time that I do have to do my work, whereas if I didn’t row, I would have a lot of free time, and knowing me, would probably end up overestimating the amount of time I had and would continue to push off my work until another time.”
March 2014
One year after sending Jimmy Jameson to UPenn, Haverford Swimming & Diving has yet another Division I swimmer, Dan McGrath (Lehigh). Co-captain of this year’s team, McGrath was wildly successful in the 50 freestyle and several breaststroke events, and looks to continue his success up in Bethlehem. The three major Fall sports, golf, soccer, and football, will each be sending one player to compete collegiately this year. Safety/running back Christian Giubilato (Rutgers) has preferred walk-on status for next year. Coach Bill Brady’s Inter-Ac champion soccer squad’s leader, midfielder Sander Yu (Drexel), will also be competing at the Division I level next year. Yu led the Fords with 12 assists this year and quarterbacked the team’s lightning-strike offense; he believes “soccer will be a great way to meet new people and connect with the Drexel community, especially for academics.” All-state golfer Cole Berman (Georgetown) will be representing Fords golf and Coach Gerard Rooney this fall. Berman, who was named Delaware County Golfer of the Year for 2013, has anchored Haverford’s wildly successful golf team for the past few years. He was No. 1 on the team this year and No. 2 last year behind Dartmouth-bound Scott Jaster. Berman, however, is not close to done with his aspirations for golf; he tells The Index, “At Georgetown, I’d like to win four straight Big East team titles, help the team reach the National Championship and win a tournament individually each of my four collegiate years. My ultimate goal is to play in The Masters, whether I am a professional or an amateur. I am very realistic when it comes to playing professional golf as I’ve seen first hand those that have made it and those who have not.” Like Rothweiler and Walker, Berman thanks Haverford for teaching him how to play on a team in an individualized sport like golf, saying, “High school golf is typically the only time junior golfers get to play the sport as team before college golf. Haverford Golf taught me how to be on a team and how to lead one.” Haverford athletics will have to say goodbye to another incredible group of seniors this June, committed or not, and we all hope that the underclassmen will be able to fill the subsequently large void this upcoming school year.
Sixth Former Dan McGrath signing his letter of commitment to swim at Lehigh University.
Tennis Looking to Extend Historic Winning Streak Jackson Simon ‘15
Fords Tennis looks to continue its 49-game winning streak as well as defend its Inter-Ac title in the upcoming season. This season’s schedule, however, is noticeably more competitive than that of the past two years. In the first match of the season on April 2nd, the Fords will take on Princeton Day School for the first time in history. If the Fords pull off a victory against the Princeton Day School, the winning streak will extend to 50 and Assistant Coach Dr. Mark Gottlieb will shave his beard as promised. The team has even signed a contract under which the season will not resume until after Dr. Gottlieb makes good on his promise. On April 17th, the Fords are scheduled to match up against a formidable Haddonfield Memorial High School team who went 27-5 last season in the New Jersey Conference. In addition to these two new opponents, the Fords will face its typical rivals: Episcopal Academy, Conestoga and Lower Merion. EA will only lose one Senior from last year’s team but that loss will be outweighed by the addition of Freshman Tristan McCormick. Although Lower Merion’s number one singles player Alex
Fennel matriculated to Penn State, the team will still be difficult to beat with the Vernier Twins at the top of the lineup. Regardless of the variables on the other side of the net, the Fords have the season in their control. Whether or not they perform under the pressure of the two and a half year winning streak is up to them. Despite losing Sixth Formers Jordan Lieb, who now plays at Bucknell, James Shecter and James Tarte, the team will be stronger than ever with the addition of two talented Third Formers: William McDevitt and Connor Lees. Sixth Formers John Zipf and Naryan Rustgi will captain the Fords in the upcoming season and Fifth Formers Zach and Ben Lieb will secure the top two singles positions. With regards to the upcoming season, Captain Zipf commented, “We’re looking forward to continuing the tradition of playing great tennis representing Haverford. We have some amazing talent on the team, and I know that team members have the commitment to work hard. We need to keep the momentum going throughout the season and practice hard every day.” The team certainly has the talent and work ethic to pull off its goal of having another
undefeated season but like last year, the team must execute under pressure. On the upcoming season, Captain Rustgi predicts, “We will continue with our dominance and keep up the undefeated streak. It’s going to be a long season, but with new opponents like Princeton Day and Haddonfield, I’m excited for the new challenges.” Because tryouts have yet to finish, the third singles spot and double positions are uncertain. What is certain, however, is that the team is in its peak physical condition. Because of all the snow on the tennis courts, regular workouts have been held on the squash courts and in the gym. Coach Fink has assembled a wide variety of exercises to enhance player’s foot speed, core stability and endurance so that they can keep up their high level of play in a third set tiebreak. What has kept the team’s lower body strong and flexible are court suicides, jumps and lunges. Now that the team is fitter than ever, they are ready to take the courts and embark on what it hopes to be another undefeated season. Regardless of who plays in what position, the Fords have the depth and talent to outperform just about every team in the Northeast. For this reason, expect a year just as successful, if not more, than last year.
Fifth Former Ben Lieb, No. 2 singles.
Ms. Dawn Blake
Mr. Jim Roese
Page 7
The Index
Sports
March 2014
Haverford Track & Field Looks to Fill Shoes of Class of 2013 James Greytok ‘15 The Haverford Track & Field team is looking to carry its momentum from the winter season and build on it as it heads into the Spring. With a revamped schedule and new faces of the team, the Fords have lofty goals for the season. After finishing third at the PAISAA State Meet last year and third overall at the InterAc Championships, the Fords look to improve upon those standings in the upcoming months. Many familiar faces and point-getters have since graduated from last year’s team, including Lucas Elek, Andrew Wiener, Chris Morgan, Josh Collins, and Niticon Davis who all contributed heavily to the team’s success last year. Although the departing talent is immense, the runners are not fretting because of the depth and youth that this year’s squad has. Led by Sixth Form captain Josh Walker, along with
Fifth Form captains Derek Mountain, Alex Keszeli, Alex Kim, and James Greytok, the team feels like it can run with the best despite their lack of experience. Keszeli, Walker, and Mountain all echoed that the depth and youth of the team gives an opportunity for the team to reach its true potential and compete at a high level. Keszeli also stated that, “Most importantly this year we have a shot at doing well at Delcos and the State meet, as well as Inter-Acs. Also we have a different schedule giving us a better chance to compete at a higher level.” The Fords won the small school division at the Delaware County Championship Meet, a feat no previous Haverford track team had accomplished, and they certainly plan on repeating as champions once again this year. The new schedule features more invitational meets against Central League teams such as Haverford High and going to high caliber meets such as the West Chester-
Henderson Invitational. This puts the Fords head to head with much tougher competition than just the Inter-Ac. To call the track team the youngest varsity level team at Haverford would be a correct statement, as the team boasts only one four year runner in Josh Walker. The team is carried by its juniors and sophomores, all of whom look to improve individually along with competing against each other to make the team faster as a whole. The distance events look solid being led by Alex Kim, who seems never to get tired. Sophomore, Charlie Scales is also looking to compete highly in events like the 2 mile, 3000m, and mile, while juniors, Paul Harryhill, Seamus O’Connor, Alex McCutcheon, and freshman, Anthony Calvelli looks to contribute. The hurdlers are slim with only Greytok having run hurdles for more than a year, but freshman Zakee Hawkins looks to improve and compete in the hurdles as well. In the
field, Reggie Harris, Micah Sims, and Brandon Walker lead the jumpers, while Avery Callahan looks to improve on his high jumps. Pole vaulter Spencer Rappaport shows promise to compete in the Inter-Ac and pole vault enthusiast Jimmy Boyle is the heart of the vault squad. The sprinters are the deepest level of the team with 400 runners Mountain, Keszeli, Max Arias, Nick Biden, Dan Kielty, and Greytok. A valuable trait that the track team has is how many of the runners can run in many different events which is something that other Inter-Ac teams can not boast. The shot putters are looking to fill the big hole left by Matt Galambos with Chauncey Simmons, Julian Jamgochian, and newcomer Eric Follman. Led by coaches Avery, Kolade, Skelly, Fernandez, and Primus the team looks like they are ready to grind through a short but exciting season.
month of the winter season, 2k season began. A 2k on the erg is a 2000 meter piece that tests a person’s maximum strength and endurance capabilities. A 2k pushes a rower’s body past his limits, and ultimately is used to gauge how hard someone will pull in a boat. In deciding boats for the spring, the coaches evaluates erg scores, technique, and coachability during the winter season. Rowers are competing every day for a spot in a boat. Erg workouts are a chance to prove to the coach that you can move a boat and not give up on your teammates. With a conditioned and optimistic team heading out of the winter season, the spring could bring many positive results. The addition of two new coaches, Nate Shils and Brian Mulholland, adds to the individual attention every rower will be able to receive on the water. Around twenty Third Formers have joined the team, hoping to win medals in the later spring races under the guidance of assistant coach Jackie Wagner. Fourth Formers Andrew Lengel, Andy Leith, Luke Green, Daniel Lee, and Guy Wuollet hope to bring home some hardware in the JV 4+ this year. As a Fourth Form rower Andrew Lengel said, “We are very competitive with the local rowing powerhouses since Coach Stephanik arrived. I am looking forward to see just how well we can do in the next few years.” The team is led by Sixth Form captains Chet Bickhart, Gavin Adams, and Eamon Glavin, all of whom want to leave their mark during their last year on Haverford’s crew team. The Fifth
and Sixth Form class will see a lot of mixing and matching in order to produce the fastest boats possible. With the priority boat being the Varsity 4x, the team hopes to win against competitive programs such as Roman Catholic, Malvern, and Conestoga. An emphasis will also be made on the JV 4x, which will be primarily
comprised of Fourth and Fifth Formers. As Coach Stephanik said during one practice on the water, “Second place isn’t good enough anymore. We want to dominate every race.” Every year Haverford crew comes out hungry to win races. The team looks positioned to bring home some well-deserved medals this spring.
Following Grueling Winter, Fords Crew Primed for Success Jordan Siegal ‘15
Last year, Haverford Crew saw many changes as Jonathan Stephanik entered his first season as head coach. With a strong first season under Coach Stephanik, the crew team looks to win even more races this spring. During the past summer, many kids on the team rowed for Undine Barge Club, which is located on Boathouse Row on the Schuylkill River, the same boat house from which the team rows during the school year. After a successful summer of improvements in technique and racing, the team headed into the fall season ready to work hard. With a young team, the fall season consisted mostly of steady state drills and perfecting technique. Assistant coach Tom Henwood, with his valuable sculling input based on many years of experience, will bring a new energy to Haverford’s rowing program. The winter season started out very strong for the team. Demanding body workouts during the long, grueling winter helped to build muscular and cardiovascular endurance. Led by coxswains Greg Narzikul and Berkeley Melvin, the team was pushed to the edge during erg pieces and core exercises. Toward the middle of the winter season, the team saw some setbacks as kids were unable to practice because of sickness or dehydration. In a sport as mentally and physically challenging as rowing, it is important to keep hydrated and stay healthy in order to perform at a high level. During the last
Success in 2014 will require strong performance from the team’s numerous Fifth and Fourth Formers, some pictured here.
Mrs. Ann Glavin
Baseball Hopes to Repeat as State Champions in 2014 Kenny Fitzpatrick ‘15
Although the snow has fallen incessantly, the Spring time has finally arrived with it comes a promising baseball season for the Fords. The squad enters the season with a full head of steam, coming off of a 24-10 record and a strong 7-3 victory over Malvern Prep in the PAISAA Championship Final. However, this is a much different Fords team because it graduated eight Sixth Formers last
season. Additionally, the team lost a key asset in their coaching staff, Kurt Kebaugh. Coach Kebaugh was always someone who was able to throttle the squad with energy, something the team will need throughout the course of the season. With these losses came a series of voids to fill. Unlike last season, the team only has three Sixth Formers and will be heavily dependent on its Fifth Formers. Furthermore, the team will supplement its roster of upperclassmen with some new young talent brought in. Some of these new faces include, Third Formers Tyler Dunbar, Tommy Toal, Dave Hogarth, and Bryan Hyland. When asked to comment about the fresh batch of talented freshman, Fourth Form catcher, James McConnon responded, “...Three games into the season, I can already see the new freshman will have a huge impact. Dunbar pitched well in keeping the game close yesterday, Toal and Hogarth are really talented defensively and came up with some clutch at-bats. I think that they can impact the team in a positive way this year...” This is not to forget new Mr. Jim Roese
Fifth Formers, Ryan Fuscaldo, Danny Borine, Jack Gola, and Devin Wilkins. Additionally, the team was able to bring back former coach, Kyle George. Coach George should be a major part of the Fords program this year and is hoping to fill the shoes of Coach Kebaugh. When asked about the differences between this years team and last year’s team, Fifth Form outfielder Nick Greco responded, “Definitely one of the major differences is the departure of all of our seniors. They really helped lead the team last year. It’s also tough when you lose a coach like Kebaugh. Both the seniors and Kebaugh helped lead the team with high energy. This season is going to be a good one. I can’t promise anything, but the diamond Fords are definitely going to be at the top of the pack by the end of the season.” It was a tough offseason for baseball players everywhere as the winter brought layers upon layers of snow, a baseball player’s worst nightmare. The Fords, however, did not stagger as they hit the cages every Wednesday morning before school to prepare for the long season ahead of them. Even when the team could not hold tryouts outside at length, the wheels continued to churn as players were evaluated inside. Thanks to the help of many the field was eventually plowed, allowing the team to get reps outside, something opposing teams would
die for. As always, the team began the season with a host of outer-league games. To open the season the Fords hosted Germantown Friends’ School. The team found little trouble crossing the plate, scoring 12 runs en route to a “mercy rule” victory. The win featured promising offensive firepower for the Fords and should show opponents that the team is for real. Four days later, the squad prepared for a double header. The first team the Fords were set to play was the St. Paul’s School. The unorthodox game can be summed up by a combined run total of 30. None the matter, the Fords unfortunately fell short of a win and prepared for their next opponent, Bishop O’Connel. Despite fatigue, the Fords edged out the Knights: 5-4. Looking ahead on the schedule, the Fords have a long stretch of games. Specifically, following a week of practice the Fords will take on six opponents over Spring Break, including a double header the Saturday before returning to school. Look out for the Fords baseball team to make some waves over the course of the year. They may not have the experience, but they certainly have the potential.
starts later than others, mainly for mud and temperature reasons. We only just began training this past week, and, despite our few days of practice so far, things are looking good for the season ahead. Many returning players such as Sixth Formers Anthony Cirelli, Aaron Lankford, Nate McManus and Stephen Boyd and Fifth Former Louie Brown will have a strong presence. There are also a fair amount of new faces, players who have just recently taken up the sport and who are ready to continue with
the Haverford Ultimate Frisbee team throughout their high school years. This past Saturday morning, the games for the season were scheduled. Currently we have games scheduled with a multitude of teams such as Haverford High (HUDA) and Radnor, to name a few. In total, we have twelve games scheduled for the varsity team. We are playing in division 1.5, meaning that we have scheduled games with both division 1 and division 2 teams. So far, by the looks of it, it will be a very
promising year for the team. Dr. Fenton and the Captains, McManus, Brown, and I, would also like to announce the formation of the Haverford Ultimate Frisbee B team. It is a junior varsity extension of the Ultimate Frisbee team that will play games and hold practices, but on the division 2-3 level. Now, new recruits can join the B team to get in-game experience without so much pressure to succeed. It will be a great way to train our newest players.
Revamped Frisbee Team Excited for Upcoming Campaign Christman Henderer ‘14
This year, the Ultimate Frisbee team is looking to do big things. We’ve been to the championship twice in recent years, and have come just short of winning both times. Now, however, with a strong lineup and an even stronger showing of new faces, the ultimate frisbee team will finally have a real shot of winning. The Ultimate Frisbee season at Haverford
Page 8
The Index
Opinions
March 2014
Breaking Down Haverford’s 5 PM ID Card Policy Alex Sanfilippo says why ID cards should be extended past 5 PM while acknowledging safety and supervision issues. Alex Sanfilippo ‘16
Harrowing violence within schools across the nation has raised widespread concern over the safety of children during the school day. The tragedies in Newton, Connecticut, and on the campus of Virginia Tech University have sparked debates regarding gun control laws as well as the security of students while they are attending school. Haverford is fortunate enough to have a security team, directed by Mr. Pierro Sassu, that works tirelessly throughout the day and into the evening to ensure our safety while we are on campus. One aspect of ensuring our safety is restricting access through most of the doors, and students are only able to access these doors through their ID cards, or through the generosity of another student. While this may present a problem for students stuck outside of the gym on a cold day, it is a successful way to ensure our safety at school, especially considering Haverford is an open campus. An “open campus” means that anyone can simply walk into our parking lots or through the pathways without a security member being alerted of his or her presence. Having restricted access to the buildings provides students in all sections of Haverford the comfort of knowing that, for the most part, they are safe. Although there is a tremendous upside in the security aspect of having student ID cards, the convenience and after school accessibility factors highlight the argument against having the ID cards. While it is certain that students will continue to require these cards to access the buildings, the after school accessibility is a more relevant issue. The ID cards do not permit students to enter the school past 5:00 P.M. This causes an inconvenience as well as a potential inability to enter school for students who have after school activities such as Debate or Mock Trial. Students returning from athletics also face this conundrum as many students leave or forget their school paraphernalia inside of Wilson Hall. As V Former Manav Khandewal, who is involved with various extracurriculars pointed out, “I often have to come back from
Test Calendar
the athletic building or off campus to enter the Upper School, and there are times I have had to wait fifteen to twenty minutes in the winter.” Numerous other students share Manav’s grievances, and to many the 5:00 time seems early and very inconvenient. However, there is in fact a reason behind this time. Head of the Upper School Mr. Matthew Green commented, “Five o’ clock is the established time because that is the last time a faculty member is officially contracted to be in the building. Anyone here afterwords is only responsible for supervising their specific group, Mock Trial, Debate, etc.”. While this time seems very inconvenient, there is little that can be done to drastically change the time from 5:00 to around 6:30. When asked about whether or not this process could be alleviated through assigning a faculty member to allow kids in Mr. Green stated, “It does not seem like a good use of faculty time, and it is not a good use of limited human resources.” To most students, the security and safety issues of letting the cards go past 5:00 seem inconsequential. However, as Mr. Sassu pointed out, “The school has a legal and moral obligation to the students on the campus who use the facilities to do as much as we can to ensure their safety and security.” This entire situation can be stripped down to two concerns preventing the extension of the 5:00 time: safety and supervision. Supervision is the more prevailing and relevant of the two because for the most part, students are safe while on campus. If the policy were to be extended Mr. Sassu mentioned that, “We would have to be assured that the students who have later access would be supervised by a responsible adult.” As mentioned earlier, Mr. Green commented that providing a faculty member to supervise students after school would not be a good use of faculty time. Instead, what the administration and faculty have done to ameliorate the inconvenience to students is they have not asked kids to leave the building, which is what should technically happen. As Mr. Green said, “Now, what we haven’t done is start throwing kids out at five o’ clock.” Since
Cyrus Rostami ‘17 discusses the untapped potential of the Upper School test calendar. Cyrus Rostami ‘17 The Haverford test calendar is a tool teachers have been using in order to help them choose dates for their assessments according to when other assessments have been planned. Another common use of the test calendar has also been for students to provide evidence to a teacher that they have too many assessments scheduled for a day and that they need one rescheduled. While the test calendar serves as a useful tool for this aspect of student life, it is not a perfect system, which asks the question of how efficiently it is actually being used. One problem identified with the test calendar had been that some students (mostly III Formers) did not know how to access the calendar as of March 2014. These students were mostly under the impression that either the test calendar was only accessible by teachers, or that they just could not find it via Google apps. However, this is an issue that can easily be solved because Mr. Green sent a couple emails out in October 2013 including links to access the test calendar. Since this email was sent a while ago, the activation of this calendar may have slipped from some students memory, causing the confusion about it. The reason III Formers could not access the calendar is because it needed to be shared manually. So any III Formers that still did not know how to access it probably did not pay much attention to the email. Another more prominent issue faced with the test calendar is the actual content of it. One problem for the content is that only assessments appear on the calendar, not large assignments such as essays, research papers, lab reports, and etc. Even though it is called the ‘test’ calendar, large assignments have the capacity to serve as much, if not more of a time commitment than the assessments themselves. When asked his opinion about putting large assignments on the test calendar, Mr. Rooney said, “There should be a difference where if a major paper or lab report is assigned with less than one week’s notice, it
should be incorporated into the calendar.” He also added, “if it is long notice, the students should learn time management skills so they can learn to manage their workload.” This is a reasonable solution considering that a short notice large assignments would require a compressed amount of time spent on it while a
there are no contracted faculty present students students returning from Coach Matt Rosko’s should technically not be allowed to wait in the program as well as students in sports that end lobby or work in the pods, but due to the access early the opportunity to return to the Upper restriction at 5:00, the administration is more School. Though security and the safety of lenient about students remaining in the building Haverford School students is a priority for the after five. administration and the security staff, the 5:00 So, the overarching question remains, restriction time should at least be marginally “Are the security and supervision concerns extended to allow more students with significant enough to deny students access extracurricular activities or students hoping to past 5:00?” This issue affects essentially every avoid the cold or rain the ability to return to the Haverford student, yet changing the policy Upper School. would be virtually impossible. This is a complex issue with many factors in play, and while there are few security concerns, although they are still significant, the supervision issue is warranted and prevalent. However, I believe the supervision issue is not threatening enough to deny students access at 5:00. Although it would be difficult to change, I would advocate for the time to be extended marginally to at least 5:30. The system that controls all of the cards would be able to be modified to allow students this longer access, and the number of students that would benefit from the extension of this time outweighs the safety concerns of an additional thirty minutes. While supervision would still be an issue, most of the students returning from athletics are simply hoping to avoid having to wait in frigid temperatures outside. While this would not benefit students with the later extracurriculars too much, the addition of an hour or more to the 5:00 time is unattainable. Adding thirty minutes would at least give Entering Wilson Hall after 5 PM requires waiting for someone else to come. Mr. Tim Stay
it can be frustrating if a student has multiple school assessments the week of their testing. Even though standardized tests should be studied for overtime and not crammed for, it is important that the student has enough time to rest and make sure he knows his material before his standardized test. When asked about putting on standardized testing dates, Mr. Fifer agreed that this would be a positive change to the calendar. He said that even though “[he was] not sure this step would lead to a change in the
The test calendar is only used by some teachers, and is also obscure to many students.
far due date assignment can be managed much easier, and should not be a factor in rescheduling an assessment. Another issue more pertinent to the upperclassmen is the inclusion of standardized testing dates (for SATs, ACTs, SAT II’s, and AP exams) on the test calendar. The test calendar does not include standardized testing dates, and
policy of no more than two tests in a given day”, he thought that “it would provide the teacher with greater awareness which may impact when they schedule their assessments.” Besides adding large assignments and testing dates, there really is no need to add any different type of event to the calendar. This means that athletic and club competitions should probably not be
added for a couple reasons. One is that this would be too much information on the calendar, which would detract from its simplicity. Also, students should still learn to discuss their extracurricular impediments with their teachers, along with time management as Mr. Rooney mentioned. The last issue with the content of the test calendar is that not all of the teachers are using it. While this has not served as a major problem for students or teachers, it takes away from the value of the test calendar. It is important that all teachers post on it because every assessment matters (with the exception of brief pop quizzes and writing exercises). Also, the chances are that if it became known by the entire US student body that all the teachers were using the calendar, more students would use it. While it is the student’s’ responsibility to organize what assignments they have, the calendar is main system for teachers to see what other teachers are assigning. Also another issue mentioned by Mr. Maley is that he believes that a date (of posting, not due date) should be supplied when a teacher posts an assignment. He believes this because the policy states that the assessment posted last is the assessment that is to be Manav Khandelwal ‘15 moved (when the situation allows). Therefore, adding the date when something is posted would help determine which assessment to postpone. Overall, it is fair to say that the test calendar is an eminently convenient system that our school has. However it has copious amounts of potential for improvement, and that potential should be fulfilled as soon as possible.
Page 9
The Index
Politics/Opinions
March 2014
New SAT An Ill-Advised Change in Standardized Testing Brendan Burns ‘15 outlines the changes to the SAT, discussing the effects and why he believes it constitues another dilution of the standardized test. Brendan Burns ‘15
Earlier in March, the College Board announced sweeping changes to its SAT test, which will first appear in the Spring of 2016. The College Board and its President, David Coleman, decided to rebuild the test from the ground up instead of merely improving it. Facing criticism over the economic disadvantages for students who can’t afford test prep and tight competition from the ACT (which surpassed the SAT in popularity two years ago), the College Board gutted its existing model and completely changed the identity of its signature test. The changes to the SAT are primarily geared toward addressing four concerns: first, that the current test is not an accurate measure of college readiness; second, that the current test doesn’t test material and skills that students learn in high school classrooms; third, that the current test breeds inequality by rewarding students whose parents can afford large outlays for test preparation, and perhaps most importantly, that the current SAT has been losing ground to the ACT for the last two decades. In accordance with these goals, many of the least popular features of the SAT will be removed or significantly altered for the 2016 edition. Vocabulary questions will no longer feature “obscure” words (think Wordly Wise material) that are rarely used outside literature and formal writing, and will instead be focused on testing knowledge of words that will be used in the classroom and workplace – “synthesis” and “empirical,” for example. In a move to match the ACT, the guessing penalty – which means that students lose 1/4 of a point for each incorrect answer – is also going the way of the dodo. While students who are skilled at systematically eliminating wrong answers have typically performed well on the SAT, the new test will encourage guessing instead of discouraging it. The essay, which currently heads off every SAT as a 25-minute section that asks students to draw on their own experiences to respond to
a prompt, will also be completely revamped. To more closely replicate the analytical writing skills that are learned in high school, the new essay will be a 50-minute affair, with an essay prompt that will be “shared in advance and remain constant,” but with changing source material, per Lee Bierer of the Sacramento Bee. The essay, which will no longer be required and which will not factor into the main test score, will include a passage that students will have to analyze and cite evidence from to build their argument. Instead of featuring three sections, the new SAT will feature two – Math and “EvidenceBased Reading and Writing” – and a total score out of 1600 instead of 2400. The new math section underlines a change from math sections that cover a broad variety of high school math topics to a narrower range of more “useful” problem types. According to the New York Times’ Tamar Lewin: “The math questions, now scattered across many topics, will focus more narrowly on linear equations, functions and proportional thinking.” Many math problems will test students’ ability to use their computational skills to solve problems in scientific or work-related contexts. And among other changes, the new test will also feature one non-calculator math section. The new, amalgamated reading and writing section is also completely overhauled. Both the source material and questions will be changed. Instead of being sourced from little-known literature, the new SAT passages will include a variety of texts from science, history, and social studies in an effort to better replicate the material students will study in school. Tests will also include founding documents (e.g. the Declaration of Independence) and other material with historical significance (e.g. a Martin Luther King speech). Test-takers will have to cite specific textual evidence to support their answers, closely mirroring the analytical skills taught in English classes at many schools, including Haverford. The current SAT requires students to read text and think critically, but not
analyze data. The new test will require students to do less of the former and more of the latter. What positive impact will these far-reaching changes have? Bob Schaeffer of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing points out the current test’s flaws: “[The SAT] is supposed to predict college academic performance accurately and fairly while resisting short-term coaching. Independent research shows that the current SAT fails all those tests.” Unfortunately, the 2016 update promises to solve none of these problems. First, it is generally accepted that standardized testing in general is often a poor indicator of college performance. Not only do standardized tests not assess the abilities that are often needed in college classes, but they also give colleges a distorted picture of applicants’ real ability because there is a strong incentive for wealthier parents to pay for expensive test prep for their children – at prices that can sometimes approach more than $500 an hour for tutoring. This system disadvantages first-generation and low-income students who cannot afford this advantage. The notion that aligning SAT material with schoolwork instead of reasoning skills would alleviate this problem is deeply flawed. At the most basic level, those who have the financial means to put their children at an advantage will always exercise that option, and a massive change to the SAT could quite possibly spike demand for test preparation services as students try to familiarize themselves with the new format. “People will always want an edge, and test changes always spur demand” says Seppy Basili, Vice President at Kaplan Test Prep. More importantly, the idea that a test more deeply rooted in students’ high school education will be fairer is fallacious. If anything, poorer students will be at an even greater disadvantage, notes Randolf Arguelles, a UC Berkeley admissions officer. “It should also concern us,” Arguelles writes in the Wall Street Journal, “that the College Board says the new SAT will more accurately reflect how well students are learning in their high-school classrooms. Even the most sanguine education observers acknowledge the inherent inequality in curriculum and pedagogy among the nation’s high schools. As a measure of academic skills derived from classroom curriculum and teachers, the new
SAT will amplify, not bridge, the education gap between well-resourced suburban and poorly resourced inner-city public schools.” To excel on the current test, students don’t have to have had a superb history or English teacher who taught them to analyze passages of literature in an evidence-based fashion. All that is required are strong analytical skills and an ability to decipher the SAT’s logic puzzles. Aligning the new test with “practical” knowledge will very possibly have a detrimental on students who were disadvantaged in the college admissions process from the beginning. The changes to the SAT also represent the culmination of a decades-old movement: the gradual eradication of testing that assesses intelligence and reasoning ability in favor of assessing proficiency at school-related tasks. Although the motivation for this change is largely the need to compete with the increasingly-popular ACT, the changes to the SAT support the notion of the classroom as the source of all important knowledge. A well-rounded student who knows the meanings of “perspicacious” and “perfunctory” will not be rewarded for his or her proficiency in literature on the new SAT. The student whose intellect allows him to solve the current test’s creatively-worded math puzzles will have a much smaller advantage over a less creative, less talented student who happens to have learned the same basic skills in school. The new SAT format offers no reward for students whose knowledge and breadth of education spreads beyond the general-issue high school curriculum. Effectively, the new test levels the playing field between truly brilliant students and students who simply excel at the rat-racerunning contest that high school often is. Just because knowledge of “obscure” vocabulary words isn’t in line with today’s STEM craze doesn’t mean that they no longer manner. Whether the new SAT has a positive effect on the College Board’s bottom line and its competition with the ACT will only be seen come 2016. However, the new test’s credentials are questionable at best. The College Board seems determined to retain its hard-earned reputation as a standardized-testing cartel that prioritizes its own bottom line over the quality of its products.
all major media outlets in the country. This, coupled with widespread allegations of voter fraud, caused many to question the legitimacy of Maduro’s victory. Further complaints of corruption persist to this day, with nearly half the country in strong opposition to its presidential representation. Inflation is also an enormous problem in Venezuela, with a rate nearly triple any other South American country. This can mostly be attributed to a huge expansion of the money supply, heavily outpacing economic growth in the country. Since November 2012, the money supply in Venezuela has doubled. President Maduro insists that this problem is largely due to an “economic war” waged by opposition leaders against his regime. Detractors are quick to cite rigid currency and price controls enacted by the socialist government as more relevant factors. State-imposed exchange rates make it nearly impossible for Venezuelans to import raw materials, leading to a thriving black market for foreign currency within the country. Furthermore, the government often dictates at what prices businesses are able to sell, forcing goods to be sold for less than their cost of production. Critics of Maduro are largely in support of a more effective economic model that would cut inflation and facilitate trade between Venezuela and the outside world. The most universally impactful of all grievances a g a i n s t Maduro’s government would be the food and product shortages the country has experienced in recent years. Basic consumer
goods are widely unavailable in stores. Protests themselves have exacerbated this problem, slowing food deliveries and forcing many stores to close. Hoarding due to uncertainty about the situation has also contributed to the issue. Perhaps the largest factor influencing the shortages is the large amounts of food smuggled to nearby Colombia, where it can be sold for a higher price (almost 800% more). Be it economic mismanagement or an opposition ploy to increase government dissatisfaction, the Venezuelan people are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain the basic commodities they need to survive. Although the situation in Venezuela is complicated and incredibly unstable, major international media outlets, most notably those in the United States, have largely turned a blind eye. Recent events in Ukraine have garnered far more media attention, perhaps because of Venezuela’s apparent lack of a comparable geopolitical narrative to encite audiences. Also, state censorship in Venezuela has made the flow of information from the country somewhat unreliable. Maduro’s imposed domestic media blackout prevents news from spreading to larger audiences, suppressing many pertinent stories about the conflict. Foreign correspondents within Venezuela are also at great risk, often being harassed and dispelled from volatile areas by police and pro-government groups. This relative lack of intelligence regarding the situation has allowed for a limited international response. The United Nations has called for a peaceful dialogue between both sides in an attempt to resolve the conflict. Still, most of the world simply has no idea what is transpiring in Venezuela, making events inside the country more a battle of attrition than an effective unified attempt to facilitate change. As the situation in Venezuela nears a boiling point, things could very well come to the forefront of international attention, putting pressure on the Venezuelan government to listen to its people. If not, the conflict between antigovernment protesters and law enforcement personnel promises to be prolonged and damaging to both sides. Either way, the Venezuelan people will suffer as a result.
Venezuela: The Forgotten Revolution? In one of the less politicized global events, Venezuela is immersed in ongoing turmoil in the aftermath of longtime president Hugo Chavez’s death, writes Walter Paiva ‘16. Walter Paiva ‘16 Just over a year ago, longtime president of Venezuela Hugo Chávez died from complications relating to his struggle with cancer. Today, the streets of Caracas are in flames as anti-government protesters line up in droves against incumbent president Nicolás Maduro. These protesters are mostly students, members of an increasingly dissatisfied middle-class that is worried about the future of its country. They are speaking out against widespread government corruption, a yearly inflation rate of nearly 60%, and scarcity of basic products such as sugar, oil, milk, toilet paper, rice, and coffee. While many of these young activists seek a diplomatic solution to these problems, others have chosen to incite riots and resort to violence in order to be heard. The response of the Venezuelan government to these examples of public disorder has also been anything but peaceful. Riot police have been out in numbers, hoping to curb what president Maduro has referred to as a “coup” attempt. Still, the shocking figures of 30 deaths and over 300 injuries have only served to skew the perception of an already volatile situation. What many external news organizations label as the state-sponsored use of violence against peaceful protesters is actually a far more complex issue. Reports about the use of deadly force by police only tell half the story. Reality on the streets of Caracas and other major protester hotbeds falls into a grey area, with both sides overstepping their bounds to convey a message. Sadly for proponents of a peaceful solution to this civil unrest, public displays often end in violence. Protesters hurl molotov cocktails, while law enforcement often resorts to tear gas and rubber bullets to deter unhappy assailants. Looting and destruction of property is also prevalent in these areas, taking away from the true purpose of
these demonstrations. Although many criticisms can be made of Chávez’s 14-year presidency, Venezuela’s overall economic and social development during his rule is undeniable. In the final decade of his life, from 2003 to 2013, the poverty rate in the country dropped by more than half. Even more notably, the rate of extreme poverty decreased by 72%; unemployment also dropped by 7.7% during his presidency. Despite the numbers, some feel that the country underachieved economically during this time, citing the nation’s vast oil reserves as more of a reason for growth than Chávez himself. Still, both sides of the Chávez spectrum are equally dissatisfied with recent happenings under president Maduro. Reasons for this divide can be traced back to the 2013 presidential election, an event that epitomizes the utter turbulence of the political climate in Venezuela. Maduro narrowly edged out opposition leaders with only 50.6% of the vote, despite having complete control over
The situation in Venezuela is incredibly volatile and unstable, with continuous protests.
Associated Press
Page 10
The Index
Politics
March 2014
The Democratic Field (cont.) Continued from Front Page Although she might have taken a break from politics, Clinton hasn’t left the grid entirely. Like her husband, Hillary accepts frequent speaking engagements and earns healthy six-figure sums for each speech. She also operates a nonprofit foundation with her husband and daughter, Chelsea. Hillary’s supporters, however, have been far more active. In a turn of events with no precedent in American history, Democrats have built Hillary a political machine before she has indicated whether her candidacy will materialize or not. A majority of Democratic primary voters – 65% – want Clinton as their nominee. Democratic strategists have not ignored this popular demand. A new Super PAC, Ready For Hillary, raised $4 million in small gifts in support of Hillary’s expected candidacy in 2013. This is the first time that a Super PAC – itself a relatively new invention – has been formed and operated to support a politician who has not announced intentions
as a candidate. Several former Clinton White House staff members, including James Carville and Craig Smith, are actively advising the new PAC. Although the $4 million that Ready For Hillary raised last year is small relative to the total amount that will be spent on any Presidential campaign, the PAC’s significance should not be underestimated. Thanks to Ready For Hillary, Clinton will have a massive head start against prospective opponents in terms of both small-scale fundraising and local support. Grassroots operations can’t be built overnight. TIME analyst Mark Halperin reports, “There is now talk among [Ready for Hillary] officials about finishing 2014 with 5 million supporters and 2 million active volunteers, numbers that would likely dwarf the assets of all the GOP wannabes combined.” Says PAC adviser Craig Smith, “Our goal is to build the Ferrari of grassroots operations. All we need is a driver ready to hit the gas.” Although Ready For Hillary is a very valuable organization, The real financial muscle behind Hillary’s candidacy will come not from her
Without even having officially declared her candidacy, Hillary has financial and popular support with “Ready for Hillary.”
The Republican Field (cont.) Continued From Front Page
can do wonders for a candidate, and Florida may well be the most politically important state in the country. It is the largest swing state, and the Democrats only won Florida by less than a percent in 2012. Besides these obvious good omens for Rubio, he also has been an active member of the Senate since being elected in 2010. He has been an active opponent to the Affordable Care Act, fighting against specific points and trying to defeat the law as a whole. Although he was elected as a Tea Partier, Rubio holds more moderate positions in the new Republican Party. He is socially conservative, but emphasizes the importance of fiscal matters over social issues. He also spearheaded the Republican effort to provide a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Marco Rubio seems ready to run for President, but will only be 45 in 2016 with one term in the Senate; Rubio may end up running in 2020 or 2024. The second most likely candidate for the Republican nomination is Rand Paul, the near identical son of Ron Paul. His father ran for President three times, and many of his views are shared with his son. Many claim that Ron Paul’s 2012 Presidential campaign was solely to gain name recognition for his inexperienced son. Like Rubio, he was a Tea Party candidate elected in the anti-Obama wave of 2010. While both Rubio and Paul both caucus with the Tea Party, they represent two very different Republican futures. Marco Rubio is staunchly pro-business, but Paul has emphasized that his power comes from the people. Rand Paul represents the more libertarian wing of the GOP, but he does not condone views as extreme as his father’s. Paul has focused on the total repeal of the Affordable Care Act through much of his tenure, along with an uncompromising opposition to the NSA. He also has been historically strongly against immigration, even floating the possibility of revising the 14th amendment so children of illegal immigrants born in the United States would not be American citizens. Since becoming more of a national figure, he has changed his stance on that issue along with many others. He also has claimed that many of his unpopular beliefs, like his support for legal marijuana and opposition to samesex marriage should be left up to the states.
Since the Tea Party has faded in prominence, it seems that Rand Paul has drifted closer to center in an attempt to appeal to voters outside of Kentucky. It seems that although a relatively new politician, Rand Paul has been angling for a Presidential run for quite some time. Another possible Presidential candidate is Scott Walker, who also rode the GOP wave of 2010 to office. He is not well known nationally, but is very popular in his home state, Wisconsin. He is most famous for crushing the collective bargaining rights of teachers’ unions and forcing pay and pension cuts to help balance state budgets. He also recently survived a recall election, which due to heavy petitioning put Walker’s tenure as governor up to a referendum. He managed to weather the storm and emerged stronger. One threat to his candidacy is one of the many scandals that have plagued Republicans. His growing national figure has been blurred by a scandal involving aids misusing government property. Further emails during his 2010 campaign reveal racist and homophobic jokes that were affirmed by Scott Walker’s chief of staff and other high ranking Wisconsin Republican officials. Whether or not Scott Walker knew of the vulgar humor used by his staff is unknown, but it has cast a shadow over his respectability. Although he suffers from lack of name-recognition, Scott Walker could fire up the Republican base with a run in 2016. Chris Christie was a politician that nearly every political pundit believed would run for President in 2016 up until last December. He was one of the first politicians to be elected in the anti-Obamacare conservative wave. That is when so-called “Bridgegate” surfaced. A bizarre weeklong episode over the summer resulted in the halting of traffic over the George Washington Bridge, linking Hoboken and New York City. One of the busiest bridges in the country, the GW Bridge was reduced in the number of lanes causing huge traffic jams. This was orchestrated by Christie officials to punish the residents and local politicians of Hoboken who were largely liberal. Further scandals included slanted allocations of Hurricane Sandy aid to more conservative communities, representing huge conflicts of interest for Christ Christie. Although he threw a few of his highest ranking officials under the political bus, he still sank in national polls. Long seen as a bully for his handling of teachers’ unions, he now has
namesake PAC, but from another, massive Super PAC – Priorities USA Action. The largest Democratic PAC in the nation, Priorities USA Action spends money contributed mainly in six and seven-figure sums by wealthy donors. Priorities USA Action has already announced its intention to devote the resources of its entire political operation to ensure Clinton’s election. Priorities, like most Super PACs, will spend most of its cash on TV and radio ads come election season. The New York Times’ Nicholas Confessore wrote in January that “Donors and others involved with Priorities said that they would look to far surpass the $67 million that Priorities spent on attack ads against Mitt Romney during the 2012 election.” And to underline just how united Democrats are in support of Hillary, Priorities USA’s cochairman, Jim Messina, served as Obama’s White House Deputy Chief of Staff and managed his 2012 reelection campaign. While Obama has avoided overt displays of support for a Hillary candidacy to avoid snubbing his own Vice President’s Presidential aspirations, the Democratic political machine has already made its pick. Hillary is not completely untouchable. Although not as aged as Biden, Hillary will be 69 years old come November 2016. Many of her potential opponents, such as New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, are decades younger. The assassination of Ambassador Stevens on her watch in Benghazi in 2012 will likely serve as a constant Republican refrain. But between her credentials, popularity, and base of support (and barring a wildly successful Chris Christie campaign), it’s hard to see Clinton losing in 2016. It might be apparent now why the claim that the Democratic race (if not the whole election) belongs to Hillary Rodham Clinton. Vice President Joe Biden Politico
is the Democrats’ distant No. 2 choice. He has neither the support of a majority of Democrats nor Hillary’s popularity. Although the Vice Presidency offers him a unique platform to pursue the nation’s highest office, Biden has limitations that would solidify his place as a runner-up in a race against Clinton. First is his age: Biden is already 71, and was first elected to the Senate more than four decades ago. Biden would certainly be the Democratic field’s senior citizen, which will probably play to his disadvantage, and, if elected, he would surpass Ronald Reagan as the oldest inaugurated President in American history. Biden has also arguably failed to use his eight years as Vice President to raise his political profile or boost his popularity. Much unlike his predecessor, Biden did not exert heavy influence over White House policymaking. Add these factors to his penchant for inopportune gaffes and it is clear that Biden’s chances of winning his party’s nomination aren’t great. Several other Democrats who are perceived as prospective 2016 candidates have either explicitly disclaimed the possibility of a Presidential run (Andrew Cuomo and Elizabeth Warren – two of the Democrats’ most popular politicians) or would possibly only mount a serious campaign if Hillary Clinton’s absence left a gaping void in the field (insert any other prominent liberal politician). Whereas the Republican field requires an incredible amount of analysis as to who will run, and as to which candidate would be able to emerge from the GOP field unscathed and defeat a Democratic opponent, the Democratic field can be boiled down to two scenarios: Hillary and no Hillary. And with rank-and-file Democrats, Democratic PACs, and former Democratic Presidential staff all lining up behind Hillary, the only remaining piece to the puzzle is Hillary herself. Democrats should expend whatever resources are necessary to ensure that she decides in favor of another Presidential bid, for without her candidacy, the Democratic Field will look a lot more like the Republican field, and this article will have to be completely rewritten.
been relegated to the political periphery. This for the Presidency himself. moderate Republican who won in a blue state The last nationally known possible candidate has almost certainly met his political demise is Ted Cruz, although many have questioned over the scandals of the past few months. whether or not he could legally run for office. There are also many other candidates who are Half American and half Cuban, Ted Cruz was less likely to receive Republican nomination. born in Canada because of his father’s career One is Mike Huckabee, the 2008 candidate who in the oil industry. The Constitution states that saw himself become the frontrunner for several the President must be a “natural born citizen”. weeks in the Republican primary. This former Given that Cruz’s mother is American, many say Arkansas governor was a leader of the Tea Party that regardless of his place of birth, Ted Cruz movement, and recently even hosted a late night was given American citizenship without any show on Fox news. His comments on same- legal process. To most Republicans, this seems sex marriage seem to be what will torpedo his to be enough to be able to run for President. All chances of becoming President. After hearing of this is assuming that he could actually win about the Supreme Court’s decision to strike the nomination. Cruz gained national infamy down Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage after filibustering the budget for hours and Act, Huckabee tweeted “may God forgive us forcing the government to shut down for over a all.” Inflammatory statements like that may month in a desperate and misguided attempt to fire up the base, but by 2016 any candidate defund the Affordable Care Act. Earning scorn that talks so openly against homosexuality from both sides of the aisle, it seems unlikely will probably fare badly in a general election. that Cruz could unite the Republican Party, Jeb Bush was considered to be a possible and instead has just been riling up the base. Presidential contender in the 2012 Presidential race, but decided not to run. An incredibly intelligent politician, he could provide his experience of managing Florida and expertise on immigration policy. He is a moderate, and could convince the center to vote Republican. He has expressed little interest in running for office, and much attention has shifted onto his halfMexican son who seems to be a few election cycles away Time Magazine Rubio appears to be the most electable GOP candidate. from running
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The Index
Politics
March 2014
Brinksmanship in Ukraine: The Political Endgame Following Russia’s Annexation of Crimea Arnav Jagasia ‘16
Before March 2014, many had not heard of Crimea, a peninsula jutting into the Black Sea. With the majority of its population ethnically Russian, Crimea has recently been the scene of wide-scale pro-Russian protests and secessionist movements. The turmoil in Ukraine began in November 2013, when Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych announced that he would be abandoning an agreement to strengthen ties with the European Union and instead chose to strengthen ties with Russia. On February 22, severe protests in Kiev prompted Yanukovych to flee Ukraine. Russia later labeled this as an ‘unconstitutional coup’, and Yanukovych is currently exiled in southern Russia. In the four days after Yanukovych fled, thousands of Russian troops entered Crimea. Ukraine is currently being led by interim President Oleksandr Turchynov and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. On March 6, the Crimean parliament voted to hold a referendum on March 16 to vote on secession from Ukraine. President Obama spoke to President Putin reinforcing that the Russian invasion of Crimea undermines Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty, but Putin defended his actions arguing that he holds the right to advocate for Russians in Crimea. As a result, the United States imposed sanctions on select Russian officials, as part of a three-tier program. The visa bans target political figures, policy advisors, and military officers who played a direct role in the movement of Russian troops into Crimea. Additionally, President Obama signed an executive order, which outlined further sanctions such as freezing financial assets. Aside from the sanctions, the US canceled an upcoming high-priority meeting regarding the Group of Eight (G8) Summit. Also, the US did not send a delegation to the Paralympic Games, which is currently being held in Sochi, Russia. In addition, NATO increased its military presence over the Baltic States and Poland by deploying reconnaissance planes. The US Congress has also advocated
for a resumption of a missile defense system in the Czech Republic and sanctioned $1 billion in loan measures and financial support for the Ukrainian government. The United States once again formally condemned the referendum because it infringed on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and was not conducted by the Ukrainian government. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, have been in constant communication about how best to solve the crisis in Crimea, but according to CNN, they “have failed to reach common ground”. The Department of State strongly urged Russia to talk with the government in Kiev, withdraw military forces, and allow international observers into Crimea. Nonetheless, nearly 9,000 Russian troops (in addition to the nearly 25,000 troops already in Crimea) continue to perform military exercises close to Ukraine’s eastern border. On March 14, Lavrov and Kerry met again, but after the meeting, Kerry stated that Russia and the United States had “no common visions”. The referendum in Ukraine has put the United States and Russia on a collision course evocative of the Cold War era. While tensions between Russia and the West are rising, Russia must balance its actions carefully, for it has too much to lose economically. When Russian soldiers occupied Crimea, the Russian stock market fell drastically, and the Russian currency (ruble) collapsed. The US and the European Union have also created a three-level program of sanctions. The firstlevel, which was implemented within the first few days of Russian occupation, included the aforementioned suspension of select visas. The second level includes further visa-bans and the freezing of assets of individuals deemed responsible for the crisis. If Russia continues to refuse international talks, this second level will then go into effect. The third tier involves more drastic economical and trade-related sanctions, which would limit Russia’s ability to import manufactured goods and export resources.
The third-level sanctions, however, can harm the European Union as well because the EU is the biggest trading partner of Russia. The US and European Union have already emphasized that they wish to avoid wide-scale harm to the Russian economy, but as these sanctions progress, Russia will be definitely be forced into an economically risky situation. The US has already reiterated that the referendum violates Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty as well as international law. Obviously, the interim Ukrainian government views the referendum as a blatantly unconstitutional act. The Ukrainian Constitution states that any matter, even if it only concerns a particular region, must be voted on by the entire nation. The Crimean referendum strictly offered two choices: join the Russian Federation or provide greater autonomy to Crimea; there was no option to maintain its current political status within Ukraine. Before the referendum, the Ukrainian government declared that the result of the referendum would be deemed illegal,
On March 16, the referendum resulted in an overwhelmingly partisan vote in favor of joining the Russian federation. Even before the results were officially announced, pro-Russian demonstrations occurred in the Ukrainian cities of Donetsk and Kharkiv, both of which are located in the eastern portion of the nation. On the other hand, the referendum spurred the largest anti-government demonstrations in Russia since 2012. Nearly 50,000 people marched in central Moscow near the Kremlin with Ukrainian and Russian flags. Nevertheless, due to the landslide pro-Russian vote, Crimea declared autonomy and has asked Moscow to formally join the Russian Federation. The Russian government has planned to vote on the inclusion of Crimea in the next few weeks. This, however, does not even come close to resolving the established crisis. Nearly 12% of Crimea’s population consists of pro-Ukrainian Muslim Tartars. The Tartar’s resistance to Russia stems from a long history of oppression under Russian rule. A member of the Ukrainian parliament was warned that the Tartars would fight the Russian annexation. Furthermore, Russia agreed to a short truce from March 16 through March 21, but after the truce expires, it is possible that the Russian military in Crimea may use force to move out the Ukrainian army. Crimean citizens voted to join Russia in what the US calls an “illegitimate” vote. Politico The US, EU, and Ukraine irrespective of what actually gets chosen. Russia will have to face vexing challenges in the maintains its stance that pro-Russian president upcoming weeks. The Ukrainian government Viktor Yanukovych was illegally ousted, which has set democratic, nation-wide presidential therefore ended the constitutional authority of elections for May 25. A “diplomatic war” has the Ukrainian government. The US reinforced already begun between the interim Ukrainian the Ukrainian views, deeming the referendum government and Russia. Now it is really up to unconstitutional. The US Ambassador to the the United States, European Union, and rest United Nations, Samantha Power, stated that of the world to determine punitive sanctions Yanukovych fled to Russia on his own volition, against Russia for its belligerent encroachment and an un-constitutional coup never occurred. on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Putin vs Obama: The Growing Trend of Imperialism and 21st Century Diplomacy Ethan DeLehman ‘16
On April 23rd, 2007, Barack Obama, seeking the Democratic nomination for the presidency gave his first speech in which he outlines his intentions in terms of The United States’ Foreign Policy. He stated that he would take a five-pronged approach, with the first of those five key points being that he would first bring an end to the Iraq war while seeking other potential solutions to the challenges being faced within the Middle East. The second of the points was that he intended to build the first truly 21st century military and to deploy it with wisdom in order to ensure the world of America’s ability to assist in conflicts beyond our borders. The third was his plan to lead a global effort to meet the threat of potential weapons of mass destruction that could be present globally. The fourth, to rebuild alliances crucial to facing common threats, and the fifth, to recognize that while America can help to build more secure societies, it is up to the people of these nations to sustain them. It is within these five points that we see the makings of what would eventually become the foreign policy of the Obama administration, however the actions taken that could be defended by the ambiguously worded five points of focus will have eventually garnered more criticism than praise. The Obama administration has, in more ways than one, continued the trend of 21st century imperialism put into place by the previous administration, a concept which was taken the form of far more U.S. Intervention than initially suggested by then-presidential candidate Obama, and several blatant failures in regards to the protection of freedom. Within the last year alone, The United States has intervened in various international affairs for the sake of maintaining the interest of our nation abroad. An example of this which occurred as recently as September of 2013 was the U.S. Response to the issue of chemical weapons in Syria. As a result of the ongoing civil war within Syria, the struggling Syrian regime had, in early 2013, elected to utilize chemical weapons in order to try and put down the rebels with as much efficiency as possible,
regardless of human rights or the Chemical attempting to utilize it’s reputation and it’s world through his words, and another through Weapons Convention. As a result of this, several military might in order to achieve what it views his actions. It is undeniable at this point that this countries became involved in talks with the as necessary in a given situation. However, if underlying desire for extended foreign influence Syrians in order to apprehend and destroy any you expand the actions of The United States is present in all global powers, although it seems potential chemical weapon stockpiles, with two beyond just the current administration and as though it is these specific nations, particularly of the primary nations involved in these talks recognize the occupation of Iraq as a similar The United States and Russia, who in the being The United States and Russia. The United military venture to Russia’s currently planned 21st century have taken it upon themselves to States, following a system that has become incoming invasion of Crimea, then it could become all-encompassing leaders of the world, tradition within the administration, began by be said that Russia’s imperialistic tendencies recognizing their own interests as the only trying their hand at international diplomacy hardly differ from those of The United States. valuable interests and stopping at nothing to in an attempt to peaceably follow through Based on the division of blame for any ongoing realize them. So what is it that separates us from with their intentions of removing all potential military efforts in the Middle East, the Obama this government who we choose to demonize so chemical weapons from Syria. However as administrations foreign policy could be just as drastically? Name and reputation. A reputation talks began to stalemate and as little progress worthy of question as Putin’s Russia is. which in the coming decades seems as though it continued to be made, the impatient beast that This ever-growing trend that the United is on a current trajectory towards being further is The United States’ government began to States has established in regards to intervention and further aligned with a nation such as Russia show it’s true nature in the form of threats of in the conflicts of other nations seems to be on and for good reason. This is what it comes down aggression. It is at this point that Russia stepped par with the actions and intentions of Putin’s to, the 21st century in geopolitics in a nutshell: in, seemingly against character, and pieced Russia. In both cases, we are supplied with a a battle of name-calling nations attempting to together a diplomatic agreement that allowed leader who has consciously decided to extend achieve maximum imperialism while blackfor International inspectors to move into Syria one set of intentions to his people and to the listing any potential opponents. and begin to dismantle their chemical weapons. It is through this incident and the ongoing events unfolding now in Ukraine that a comparison must be made between the actions of The United States under Barack Obama and the actions of Russia under Vladimir Putin. In both cases, the intentions, to an extent, are similar. The desire for imperialism is clear for both nations, with the U.S. Serving it’s own interest in Syria, protecting it’s position as a global military force capable of intimidating any nation. In Ukraine though it is a more direct path to imperialism as direct military conflict is being had as opposed to the threat of direct military conflict. This then begs the question, are the actions taken by the United States in order to sustain this image of an all powerful nation able to take on any military force any different than those being taken by Russia in terms of direct military intervention for their own personal interest? Potentially, as in both cases you are witness The Guardian While the US labels Putin as imperialistic, the same questions could be raised about Obama’s administration. one of the global powers of the word
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The Index
March 2014
Outdex Recently at The Haverford School... Noah Cutler ‘14, RJ Meiers ‘14, Sanjay Narayanan ‘14, Ian Riley ‘15, Will Tackett ‘14, Will Solmssen ‘15, Brendan Burns ‘15, Jackson Simon ‘15, Otis Baker 15, Manav Khandelwal ‘15
AS SEEN ON TWITTER What happened to the mysterious Rick Rod? Just want to give a quick s/o to Kim Jong Un for winning 100% of the votes in the North Korean Election #PerfectlyLegitimate I never realized how many songs in my iTunes library describe Drew Sterman Some buhls from Chester tried to steal a bike from our shed, but what they didn’t expect was a shirtless LBuddy to bust out and chase them down It might be difficult taking my senior photo seeing as my two best friends are Netflix and Wawa To anyone my mom followed on twitter… I apologize… she does not understand the concept yet I’m going to be the guy that’s scared to answer questions in college because there’s girls in the class #ThanksHaverford
Along with the Film and Relationship seminars, another has been added to the Haverford curriculum called: How to be happy in life - Making the best of every situation. The course will be taught by Sodexo’s very own Chef Kenny. Few students remember the subject of Bob Ley’s Honors Day speech, but his smooth baritone will stay with us forever. A serious problem has arisen at the Haverford school. There is only one usable urinal. The problem occurs because you don’t want to be the guy that goes in the middle urinal but the other end urinal is a mini, and it is a disgrace to use that one too. You would think that an all boys school would buck up to fix such a significant men’s issue. While celebrating his acceptance to MIT, Leith Dennis was arrested for “swervin’” as he described it. Fortunately, schools in Massachusetts do not require applicants to report their first non-violent offense. Unfortunately, Leith was arrested again shortly thereafter for attempting to get the K-9 unit to “turn up”. In hopes for yet another snow day, an unknown assailant was spotted icing over the Nagl property. Haverford security is still trying to find the perpetrator, but all they have to go on is this unaccredited photo from Facebook that they were tagged in 32 times.
Author of “Expect the Unexpected” Lonni Nosahanni will be hosting a book signing and sassy reading of excerpts from her award winning novel. Word on the street is that supporting character Definitely Not Anthony Cirelli will be making an appearance at the event. Things that are more reliable than Haverford’s Wi-Fi: 1. Bi-partisan cooperation in Congress 2. Adam Sandler movies that don’t suck 3. Dwight Howard at the free throw line 4. Days in which the cafeteria does not serve salad or Tex-Mex 5. Public transportation 6. Josh Walker’s Bus “Can seniors come to the freshmen formal?”- Chris Boerner