May 2021 Index

the index The student voice since 1888

The Haverford School · Haverford, PA 19041 · May 2021· Volume 88, No. 8 · thsindex.org

Second String brings theater back to Centennial Hall JEFFREY YANG ’22

Drew Loughnane ’21 video calls Libby Ronon in “Second String” Tyler Zimmer ’21

S

econd String more than marked the long-awaited return of Haverford School theatre productions; it pioneered an innovative approach to theatre in the Coronavirus era. Many events work around the Coronavirus, but Second String worked the new reality into its foundation.

“Let’s go!” Performing Arts Department Chair Darren Hengst said, met with an eruption of applause before the performance.

About two minutes after the curtains closed, Hengst and his students let out a sigh of relief. They had just written, memorized, and delivered a show of nearly ninety minutes in just one-quarter of class time. But Second String was not an ordinary performance.

“We integrated ourselves into the story,” Fifth Former Ian Rush said.

Rush played the character Carson, a stereotypical nerd who serves a key part in

Zach’s transformation from egotistical jock to a thoughtful friend, played by Sixth Former Drew Loughnane.

“It almost seemed like improv because I was acting similarly to how I am in school,” Rush said.

Watching Second String unfold, each actor was perfectly cast. But this was no coincidence.

“We wrote the story in mind of who we

wanted each guy to be,” Sixth Former Liam Harkins said.

“Everyone told me to just be myself up there,” Sixth Former Amari Campbell said.

Yes, you heard that right. The students in the Theatre III* course not only performed Second String Thursday and Sunday in the second week of May, but they wrote cont. on p. 16

Mixed reactions surround the new Inter-Ac tournaments Ryan Rodack ’22

A

JACK SUTER ’23

A drone shot of Sabol Field

Vaccination clinics, p.3

JEFFREY YANG ’22

CHOCOLATELR18 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Coronavirus in India, p. 14

s the spring sports season comes to an end, lacrosse, baseball, and tennis athletes will compete in the newly formed Inter-Ac postseason tournaments. The nine Inter-Ac Heads of School and Athletic Directors unanimously approved these events to be held from May 17th to May 23rd.

“We did not want to commit our teams to PAISAA [Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association] tournaments,” said Athletic Director Mr. Michael Murphy.

“So, we said, if we’re not going to participate in those, let’s have a format that if conditions improve with COVID, we can at least give our teams an extra type of competition that we would put on within our league only.”

While the tournaments are sure to bring intense competition, the winner of each

AAPI actors, p. 17

CASI MOSS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

“We did not want any one person to feel the pressure of a championship, and to put that overtop of their health. ” MR. MURPHY tournament will not be the official Inter-Ac champion.

Mr. Murphy said, “We did not want any one person to feel the pressure of a championship, and to put that overtop of their health. We never want, for example, a lacrosse goalie to be in a situation where he’s cont. on p. 20

Andrew Minnis, multi-sport athlete, p. 18

JEFFREY YANG ’22

the index · editorial

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the index 2020–2021 Staff Agustin Aliaga ’21 Editor-in-Chief Matthew Schwartz ’21 Editor-in-Chief Tyler Zimmer ’21 Editor-in-Chief Mitav Nayak ’222 Managing Editor Ryan Rodack ’22 Managing Editor Jeffrey Yang ’22 Managing Editor Quinn Luong ’22 News Editor

May 2021

editorial

Lay the groundwork and seek new roles

T

he adage April showers bring May flowers seems dated, but it applies directly to the transition Haverford students face during this time of year. Whether it be Honor Council, spring sports, or student led clubs, Sixth Formers are handing the baton off to younger students.

For those younger students, the month of May can define the year to come. For the Sixth Formers, May is the time to choose the right peers to continue their legacy.

We have noticed that Sixth Formers truly care about the students who will follow in their footsteps. For example, when we

return to Haverford as alumni, we want to feel assured that the future editors-in-chief continue The Index standards. The same goes for sports captains, club presidents, and any elected position. But Sixth Formers’ time to find their role within the Haverford community has come and passed, so this message is to those hoping to take on leadership roles.

Put yourself out there, because that is the only way you can determine if a certain position is meant for you. The three of us, as Third Formers, thought that being an Index editor would be an exciting role to have.

Joey Kauffman ’22 Features Editor Jingyuan Chen ’22 Academics Editor

Being vulnerable is the most powerful way to incite change within yourself... any advice, let it be this: apply for the role.

If you are rejected and are worried about social shame, nobody will remember that.

If you are accepted, it can be a gateway to opportunities you do not even know that exist.

April has been one of those grind months where we see college students home from sc hool, but we still have over a month to go. May brings flowers, representing change.

Put yourself out there for a leadership position, because it not only helps you develop, but it also fuels the next generation of students to follow in your footsteps.

Connor Pinsk ’23 Neighborhood Editor Austin Zhuang ’22 Campus Opinions / Design Editor Michael Tallarida ’21 Off-Campus Opinions Editor Kethan Srinivasan ’21 Arts Editor Jake LaRocca ’22 Sports Editor Ms. Emily Harnett Faculty Advisor Mr. Thomas Stambaugh Faculty Advisor

The Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles the daily struggles and accomplishments of the Haverford community. The Index also provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues, such as student culture, academic policy, and Haverford’s place in world affairs.

The Index presents new ideas and aspires to influence constructive change.

In three years, we have transitioned from hesitant Third Formers to confident Sixth Formers, and we attribute that transition to the role we applied for.

Being vulnerable is the most powerful way to incite change within yourself, and applying for a position is a prime place to be vulnerable. You are putting yourself in a position for acceptance or rejection, and that can be hard. But if we can give you

RYAN RODACK ’22

2020-21 Editors-In-Chief Matthew Schwartz ’21, Agustin Aliaga ’21, and Tyler Zimmer ’21

All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at index@haverford.org.

The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed using the applications of Google Suite and Adobe Creative Cloud. Its surveys are conducted via Google Forms and are advertised on email to current Haverford students. Graphic designs are created by Index staff via Canva. Southern Dutchess News prints 200-400 copies of each issue, and its editorial staff distributes them in the Upper School on the day of release.

The Index serves the needs of a total school population of 1152 community members, consisting of 952 students and 200 faculty and staff members.

Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 index@haverford.org Twitter: @Haverford_Index Instagram: @Haverford_Index Volume 88, No. 8 - May 19, 2021

COURTESY OF CYRIL LEAHY ’21

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news

May 2021

School opens vaccination clinic to community members Jeffrey Yang ’22

W

alking into the wrestling room on April 19, you would have seen tables, distanced chairs to the side, and a line of boys eagerly waiting to receive their first shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. For a quick one-day event, the planning behind the scenes was a prolonged effort, led by Ninth Headmaster Dr. John Nagl.

Ever since the beginning of vaccine distribution, Dr. Nagl was eager to hold a clinic on campus to make it easily accessible for students and their parents. So, when everyone over the age of sixteen was qualified to receive the vaccine Dr. Nagl sprung into action, contacting Springfield Pharmacy.

“I told the board that once the shots [the vaccines] available, I wanted to do it [hold a clinic]. Then, I called the people at Springfield Pharmacy, and we set up a time to hold the clinic,” Dr. Nagl said.

From there, the rest of the process was quite smooth. In whole, fifty six qualifying

“We cannot confirm anything yet, but... it may be that if you are fully vaccinated a mask will be optional HEAD OF SCHOOL DR. JOHN NAGL Upper School students, including a small group of their parents, received their first shots in the first clinic held in April. Though this number may not seem large, Dr. Nagl explained why he is still pleased with the outcome.

He said, “When I did a general survey to roughly see how many students who qualified for the vaccine [as of April] were already vaccinated, I found that much more than a majority of them were. So this number reflects the rather small number of qualified students who were not yet vaccinated.”

Due to the amount of appointments, only the owner and the pharmacist at Springfield Pharmacy were required to vaccinate everyone there. Aside from a delay due to traffic, the vaccines were injected at a fast pace and without complications.

“Once [the vaccine administrators] arrived, everyone was in and out quickly,” Dr. Nagl said.

The success of the first clinic, combined with the timing of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) approval of the Pfizer vaccine to be administered for children twelve to fifteen years old, has led into a much larger second clinic, which is scheduled to happen on May 20.

“For this next one, we have more than 200 boys signed up: this includes the older guys getting their second shot, but also many

JEFFREY YANG ’22

Jack Suter ’23 recieving his COVID vaccine Middle School guys and Upper School un- “But, for our Lower School students, masks derclassmen,” Dr. Nagl said. will likely still be required—the same would The clinic is set to run in the same fash- go for Lower School faculty in that case.” ion as the previous one; however, due to the Depending on when vaccines are tested increased number of appointments, more and approved for children eleven years old vaccine administrators will help the process and younger, another vaccination clinic may be just as efficient as the first clinic. To en- be held before school starts for the 2021sure that minimal delays occur, Dr. Nagl ad- 2022 school year. vises parents to not arrive too early or too Dr. Nagl said, “If we can get them into late. the younger guys, I would definitely look “Come fifteen minutes early. No ear- into holding another clinic. But that all is lier, no later, because we can’t just have peo- based on when the shot is approved for those ple showing up one hour early [from their guys.” scheduled appointment time], expecting to For those in the community who are get the shot out of line,” Dr. Nagl said. still hesitant to receive the COVID vaccine, Looking into the future, these vaccina- Dr. Nagl had the following message. tion efforts are certainly a step toward looser He said, “Please, please, I urge you to COVID restrictions next year. For one, the get the vaccine, to take your children to get mask policy may be revised. the vaccine. We’ve made it easy for you to “We cannot confirm anything yet, but, do so. Please do it for yourself, your family, with the recent CDC guidelines on masks, community, the school, the country, and the it may be that if you are fully vaccinated a world.” mask will be optional.” Dr. Nagl continued,

Art teachers react to non-fungible tokens Connor Pinsk ’23

N

FTs (non-fungible token) have been popular for quite a few months and as time goes on, the excitement does not seem to be dying down.

An NFT is any form of the digital medium that can be bought and sold. An artist can choose to make 100 copies of his or her art or to just make 1 copy.

“NFTs are a part of the business of art which is necessary when you are trying to sell something as easily reproducible as digital art,” said the Head of the Art Department Mr. Fox. “But they are a good thing because digital artists have a way to make some cash.”

Artists such as Beeple have sold collections of their digital art for a ridiculous amount of money.

Before getting into NFTs, Beeple was uploading his digital art for free. However, he recently sold a collection of his works for 69 million dollars.

“Beeple was not making much money as a graphic designer and when he started he was only selling his NFTs at 50 dollars,” digital art teacher Ms. Brown said. “Now those pieces are worth millions, and every time they are resold, he gets a ten percent cut.”

Ms. Brown went on to speak on the reselling of NFTs. “Usually after an artist sells their work it is out of their hands and it is no longer theirs, so when an auction house resells, the artist doesn’t get any money from it,” Ms. Brown said. “NFTs are a game-changer because every time the art is resold, the artist gets a cut.”

Ceramics teacher Mr. Raeder had his thoughts on the NFT situation.

“NFTs do seem to represent the most tangible example of the commodification of art, a piece of art as an asset that gains or depreciates in value. All art does this, but NFTs seem designed to accelerate this relationship,” Mr. Raeder said, speaking on the rapidly changing prices of NFTs. “The worry, if there is one, is that NFTs will drag down the quality of all art, gamify it. I don’t necessarily think this is true, and certainly, the whole of art history tells us when new technology or ideas come about, artists and curators and galleries can be quick to cry ‘this is the death of art’ when it’s just the next evolution.”

The rise of NFTs may lead to a decline in real auction houses, and according to Mr. Fox, the auction houses may have a need to cry.

“If auction houses do not get involved in NFTs then they are threatened by NFTs. It is similar to how companies like Napster hurt the record business,” said Mr. Fox. After Napster began uploading music for free, record businesses naturally were frightened by their new opponent, NFTs are appearing in a similar situation with auction houses.

“When photography was introduced to the art world traditional painting had to move over a little and allow photography room,” Mr. Fox said. “NFTs are on the business side of art but it is still the same concept. The auction houses will have to move over to allow NFTs to shine.”

A part of looking at the business side of art is considering art as an investment. Many collectors invest in art expecting that it will rise in value. Once those collectors believe it is high enough then they would sell it.

Ms. Brown expects NFTs to be treated as normal artistic investments.

“In the past art collectors have resold their art as an investment anyway. Art has always really been seen as an investment and NFTs are just a different form of that,” Ms. Brown said.

Mr. Fox on the other hand is skepti-

cal about the fluctuations of NFTs, saying, “Someone who pays 6 million for an NFT of a tweet either has money to burn or they think that it is going to increase in value which I find a little hard to believe, but I am no expert.”

The artworld is certainly changing and artists, auction houses, and buyers may have to change with it.

Like Ms. Brown said, “The jury is still out because NFTs are something new, but so far they are a positive thing.”

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Everydays: The First 5000 Days, a collage of 5000 digital images, sold for $69.3 million

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May 2021

Senioritis hits seniors hard in final weeks of classes Agustin Aliaga ’21

“O

nly got so many more days of high school left. You don’t want to look back and regret skipping one of those last days,” read a message from one Sixth Former in the class’s GroupMe chat. Yet the sentimental value of each passing day of school to the Sixth Form is rarely enough to overcome the heavy burden that is senioritis. With a single swipe of the finger down the screen, a prior message reads: “We have thirteen days of school left.

Honestly who cares at this point. This conversation perfectly encapsulates the attitude of the graduating class: not apathetic but tired; not detached but separated by a year of restrictions and lack of tradition.

This difficult year has given the Sixth Form little power or choice over what it might normally control. It is largely because of this that senioritis has found alternative sources for the typical “senior experience” manifested in an abundance of attendance sheet “tardies,” unorganized skip days, and unenergetic classes.

“I think senioritis has been more prevalent this year due to some of the daily struggles that are unique to this year,” Sixth Former Ethan Diamond said. “For example, the extended school year/shortened senior project time frame, masks, constant distancing, and much longer classes to just name a few.”

Sixth Former Max Ferracci agreed, saying, “With all the restrictions such as limited interaction with a majority of the grade and no lunch in the dining hall might be some factors to why some seniors are getting se-

nioritis even more than ever this year.”

But perhaps the idea that the senior slide is larger than before is an illusion.

“I believe that senioritis is not more prevalent than previous years but rather the volume of work is much more in proportion to the work usually given to seniors at this time of year,” said Sixth Former and Student-

“With all the restrictions such as limited interaction with a majority of the grade and no lunch in the dining hall might be some factors to why some seniors are getting senioritis even more than ever this year.”

MAX FERRACI ’21 body President Cyril Leahy. “People perceive heightened senioritis because, for example, my English class has had multiple projects, an in-class essay[s], and multiple multi-page in-class worksheets in the last two/three weeks, and students are simply burnt out.”

A possible source of this “heightened senioritis” or perception of it has arisen with

Notables practicing outdoors

seniors eager to get started on graduation projects finishing out the last days of the fourth quarter. With teachers rushing to finish out courses and seeking to keep disconnected classes engaged, the typical gradual Sixth Form transition is nowhere to be found.

Diamond said, “What we have seen is all sorts of projects and tests pushed until the final days of school. It appears there is a disconnect of standard senior quarter-four assignment levels than in previous years, possibly due to the quarter system.”

Leahy said, “I think that fourth-quarter teachers have been tough on seniors, but it is mostly required by the schedule the school has implemented due to COVID. While fourth-quarter seniors are used to little homework and few major assignments, it’s impossible to create an entire class that usually takes a semester to teach and not have more assignments with fewer days.”

However, some seniors have not had the difficult experiences of most.

“I believe that the teachers have been pretty fair with the workload so far during this fourth quarter,” Ferracci said.

This sentiment has been met, not with understanding and new senior traditions and privileges, but with an administrative backlash against the one way the Sixth Form has found any sort of control over––or at this point, relief from––its defining high school year.

“I think the school has somewhat mishandled the second-semester senior sched-

ule,” said Leahy.

Sixth Formers agree that the problem now present was not only foreseeable but solvable.

Leahy said, “The higher faculty have shown less compassion than I would have hoped. The predicament of fourth-quarter seniors is a situation that was predictable months before this, but I see little active thought and interest in our experience as we get shuffled out the door. It really feels almost disrespectful, especially as a student who joined student government to initially help the student body. I have not been able to accomplish many of my goals due to COVID, but I have not once been contacted in regards to making plans for seniors.”

“I think the school has somewhat mishandled the secondsemester senior schedule.”

AUSTIN ZHUANG ’22

CYRIL LEAHY ’21

Definitively, senioritis has not come to heightened levels, nor has this Sixth Form class acted in any kind of unprecedented manner. Perhaps an inconvenient schedule has pushed the Sixth Form struggle to new levels, causing a gross misperception of their

“What we have seen is all sorts of projects and tests pushed until the final days of school. It appears there is a disconnect of standard senior quarter-four assignment levels than in previous years, possibly due to the quarter system.”

ETHAN DIAMOND ’21

A lone Sixth Former at the start of first period, May 17, 2021

AUSTIN ZHUANG ’22

situation. A tough fourth quarter, not a lazy senior class, has caused empty 8:45 a.m. classrooms.

Leahy concluded, “It’s [a] shame teachers are being put in this position, as I do not blame them at all. Rather, I think the administration and the school at large have not taken enough time to thoughtfully plan out seniors’ schedules in the fourth quarter.”

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May 2021

Notables to perform live for the first time in over a year Austin Zhuang ’22

W

ith less than a month left in school, school activities are winding down, and classes are beginning to wrap up a disjointed, unorthodox year. But if you happen to walk by the baseball field during lunch, you might see the Notables hard at work.

“It’s obviously been a challenging year of unprecedented precedents, and yadda yadda,” Notables Director Mr. Mark Hightower

jokingly said, “but we have successfully sung together.”

The group has been practicing to get ready for live performances at Commencement and the Mother-Son luncheon, both in June. They also just recorded their part of the Spring Concert as a group and are continuing to rehearse each week with the intensity ramping up.

Earlier this year, they were forced to

Notables practicing outdoors on April 27, 2021

AUSTIN ZHUANG ’22

rehearse in small groups for only around twenty minutes at a time to practice their unison and harmony. Each Notable was also required to record their part of the Winter Concert separately, a hindrance to the overall quality.

“What we’ve had to do, what a lot of people have had to do, is you get a track you have to sing along to at home, which is really not the collaborative art form of music ensembles,” Mr. Hightower said. “So, just being alone by yourself and singing along with a click track isn’t very satisfying and it doesn’t lead often to an awesome final product.”

For the Notables, practicing together has had some minor changes due to COVID-19 restrictions. Social distancing is still required, so the members must learn to sign spread apart instead of together. New equipment has also added to the learning curve.

“It’s something we usually don’t do, is work with sound systems, like with mics and things like that, and record,” Fifth Former Elijah Lee said. “Usually if we record something, we’d all record it in one room, and we’d have a mic picking everyone up, but we can’t do that this year.”

The lack of live performances this year adds to the difficulty of preparing for the two end-of-the-year performances. Normally, the group has hours of performing experience before the school year is over, but the members this year have to put on a show without the same amount of time on stage.

Regardless, it’s an exciting last few weeks, especially for the Sixth Formers who had most of their upper-class years impacted by the pandemic.

“One of the great things about how the year has turned out, in the end, is that we’re able to sing for the Mother-Son luncheon for the seniors, which is in June, and we also get to do a song for graduation,” Sixth Former Cyril Leahy said. “People will be excited, and I know the group certainly is.”

The Sixth Formers in the Notables unfortunately will not be able to go on tour in another country this summer, a letdown

for the members graduating that hoped to have one last experience with the singing group. Disappointments aside, the Sixth Form members are still recognized through the song they chose to perform at this year’s Commencement, as well as its performance.

“One of the parts of the graduation song, and this is a mainstay for any graduation that happens at Haverford, but the seniors usually have a more prominent role in the song.”

CYRIL LEAHY ’21 “One of the parts of the graduation song, and this is a mainstay for any graduation that happens at Haverford, but the seniors usually have a more prominent role in the song,” Leahy said. “They have a small solo for each one, or they have just the parts where seniors come in specifically and sing a portion of the song.”

The continuation of this “senior song” tradition at Commencement brings back a sense of normalcy for the group, but the strangeness of this year is not lost on the members, many of whom are looking towards the impact this year has on the future.

But the present is now, and the members are grateful to have the opportunity to perform.

“Last year, some of the most dedicated Notables we had in years were unable to get a true sendoff,” Leahy said. “But this year we get an opportunity that is frankly unmatched, and we have the opportunity to not only send off ourselves and to send off the class of last year but to send off the school from a time that feels like, after this school year, will be behind us.”

Robotics preparing for an unusual virtual tournament Arsh Aggarwal ‘24

A

fter receiving the disappointing news last year that the VEX Robotics World Championship was cancelled due to the pandemic, the robotics team had been itching to get back to Louisville, Kentucky to compete with the best teams in the world. Sadly, 169 would have to wait another year, as the raging pandemic caused yet another cancellation of the event.

Despite the cancellation of the in-person event, VEX introduced a new format of competition to accommodate the pandemic, called “Live Remote Tournament” (LRT). In LRT, two alliances composed of two teams play against each other to see which alliance can score the most points. Each team will work separately on their own fields to score points, and each alliance’s score will be averaged. Whoever has the most points wins the match.

LRT keeps the same two-versus-two aspect present in real tournaments, but the similarities end there. Odd and ambiguous rules for scoring in LRT enable any team to build robots that find ways to manipulate the rules.

Fourth Former Arnav Sardesai said, “[The virtual format] is not ideal. It takes away much of the hype around worlds and in terms of the matches, it takes away a good amount of the strategy and all of the

defense.”

The lack of similarities between real and virtual competition caused apprehension and annoyance among team.

“I believe that if they really tried hard enough they could host Worlds, but I don’t really have a say in it.”

ARNAV SARDESAI ’23 “They were very limited with what they could do online. What they came up with was trying to keep it as competitive as possible,” Fourth Former Ronan Wood said. “I believe that if they really tried hard enough they could host Worlds, but I don’t really have a say in it.”

After making finals at the Pennsylvania State Championship, 169A and 169E are preparing to compete in the virtual competition taking place on May 17-22. After a season of working from home, the teams will return to Wilson Hall to compete in the last tournament this year.

MS. VICTORIA KREIDER

(Clockwise from top) Arnav Sardesai ‘23, Owen Gormley ‘21, Maxim Kreider ‘21, and Ronan Wood ‘23 at the Vexmen Finale tournament, March 28, 2021

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May 2021

features

Artist, athlete pursues his dreams Joey Kauffman ’23

M

ost Haverford students walk by the outdoor basketball court next to Virtue Village every day. As they pass it on their way to class, they probably admire the two murals on the wall. If they pay close enough attention to the wall, they’ll notice that there are murals depicting spring and fall sports but a blank space where a winter sports mural should be.

Many probably daydream about painting that missing winter sports mural.

Yet, only one person this year—Fifth Former Peter Kaplan—has had this daydream and then actually decided to enter the long process of designing a mural, getting approval for that design, and then painting it.

“It’s a lot of work to produce [a mural],” said Art Department Chair Mr. Christopher Fox, who has helped Kaplan throughout the process.

Kaplan first got the idea to paint a mural from his father. Last year, the two of them were walking on campus when his father noticed that the basketball court wall lacked a winter sports mural.

“He [my father] was just like, it’s kind of crazy to me that there’s not another [mural] there. Somebody should do something,” Kaplan said.

When the world shut down last spring and Kaplan, who has loved both sports and art since his childhood, suddenly found himself with lots of spare time, he took matters into his own hands and started on a design.

“In the spring and the summer and fall, I was just working through a lot of different designs. And then that’s how I came to [one of my current designs]. I just thought it took a lot of the elements from my various designs and combined them,” Kaplan said.

After working on designs, he took his ideas to Mr. Fox, who helped Kaplan, while also making sure that he trusted his artistic

Peter Kaplan’s mural design vision.

“Unless I see something really out of whack, I prefer it be the vision of the artist,” Mr. Fox said. “Haverford guys tend to be pretty clever, have good ideas, so I try to support their ideas.”

Kaplan currently has two functioning designs for the mural, and he is waiting for one of them to be verified by the “aesthetics committee,” which is made up of school leaders who make the final decision on what the campus should look like.

PETER KAPLAN ’22

“Often, I find coming to [the aesthetics committee] with more than one proposal works better,” Mr. Fox said. He added that after meeting with the committee, artists “continue to develop the idea based on that feedback.”

Kaplan and Mr. Fox hope to get a design approved and finish the mural by the time winter sports start next year. Historically, students have painted murals at Haverford as a graduation project. Kaplan, though, is a junior and doesn’t have the free time that a Sixth Former would. So, he and a team of other painters from the honors 2-D art class will get to work on the mural, working before and after school, painting on panels that will later go on the wall and form the mural.

“We can get it started [this year], maybe start painting some panels, maybe put them up in the hall out here as we develop them,” Mr. Fox said.

As the mural begins to take form in the hall, Kaplan’s sustained effort in this project will finally be tangible for the whole school to see. Further, Kaplan’s devotion is even more remarkable because he arrived at Haverford in his sophomore year, later than most of his peers.

“Coming to the school late, you know, it’s harder to really make a big impact in certain ways and develop a really interesting area that’s going to last,” Kaplan said.

Even though it was hard, Kaplan will do just that: make a big impact by developing something that will last. According to Mr.

“I definitely see, for the rest of my life: I continue to paint, I continue to draw, to design.”

PETER KAPLAN ’22

Peter Kaplan ‘22 poses in front of Wilson Hall

COURTESY OF PETER KAPLAN ’22

Fox, the murals on that wall typically last for upwards of five to six years depending on how well they’re maintained. Kaplan’s mural may not last forever, but during those years, it will undoubtedly have an impact on the

visual landscape of the campus.

“Having a piece of artwork like that is, I think, such a cool thing,” Kaplan said. He added that the mural combines two of his favorite things, art, and sports, and “makes them into a nice piece that [he] can look back on.”

Kaplan will not only be able to reflect on the physical achievement of the mural itself, but he will also be able to look back on his whole-hearted commitment to all aspects of his school life. Kaplan is a three-sport athlete—water polo, hockey, lacrosse—but also an impressive student in his digital art class.

He is a Renaissance man, equally dedicated to the mind and body, and he relishes the contrasting elements of his education. “[Peter Kaplan] has been a true leader in that class,” digital art teacher Ms. Kristin Brown said. “He pushes himself and learns new things so that he can keep expanding his knowledge base.”

Kaplan’s experience may speak to the benefits of a Haverford education. He is a Renaissance man, equally dedicated to the mind and body, and he relishes the contrasting elements of his education.

“Sports and school are both very intense, and very like, your mind is really focused when you’re doing those two things. And I feel like my art class is a great chance to relax and focus on a lot of different things and just let loose and be a little bit more creative,” Kaplan said.

Although he doesn’t see himself pursuing a career in art, Kaplan will take his skills in art with him for the rest of his life.

“I definitely see, for the rest of my life: I continue to paint, I continue to draw, to design,” Kaplan said. “I think it’s something that’s going to be a part of my life that I’m never going to give up.”

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May 2021

Kethan Srinivasan to take the stage with classical Indian music concert Christopher Schwarting ’23

W

ith the end of the school year quickly approaching, the senior class has welcomed its annual tradition: the graduation project.

While most are no longer in the virtual setting, pandemic life continues to present obstacles to those rendering the final details of their senior plans.

Despite the challenges, Sixth Former Nachikethan Srinivasan plans to combine talent and heritage into an enriching pre-recorded concert experience.

Srinivasan will perform a concert composed of a repertoire of classical Indian music.

“I have been in the process of creating a concert list comprised of the different songs that I have learned over the past eighteen years, and I plan to put [them] together into a full-on concert list with the help of the music and theater departments to set up for a recorded performance on the Centennial Hall stage,” Srinivasan said.

Well-versed in the school’s stages, Srinivasan has always been active in the fine arts, especially the vocal and performing arts. A

dedicated cast member to theater productions and an active member of the Notables and Glee Club, he has accumulated an appreciation and understanding of performance.

Srinivasan also draws from much experience beyond his singing at Haverford.

Off-campus, he has streamed various performances and has dedicated much time to developing his skills in a different type of vocal art form.

This will serve as the backbone for his graduation project performance.

“I am singing a form of Indian classical music from the Southern region of the country, called Carnatic music,” Srinivasan said. “It’s a type of music that includes different songs in a system of music that primarily uses south Indian languages and Sanskrit.”

Growing up with exposure to Carnatic music, Srinivasan developed a passion for the art form.

“I have had the opportunity not just to perform, myself, but also to see others perform. How I’ve grown into being able to perform on livestream or live in front of peo-

Nachikethan Srinivasan ’21 in an interview

COURTESY OF NACHIKETHAN SRINIVASAN ’21

COURTESY OF NACHIKETHAN SRINIVASAN ’21

Nachikethan Srinivasan ‘21 (center) gives a Carnatic music performance at a venue in Chennai, India, December 27th, 2018

ple is a result of what I have seen and what I have learned and what I have been able to implement in my way of singing and how I practice,” Srinivasan said.

Furthermore, Carnatic music has allowed him to build relationships with those inside and outside the Haverford community.

Srinivasan said, “I have been able to forge connections with my music to people at Haverford and within the South-Asian community in the Delaware Valley region.”

While Haverford students are no strangers to the vocal arts, Carnatic music may be unknown to many in the student body.

“Carnatic music is unique to my experience,” Srinivasan said.

He explained that in the West, many are unaware of the vast diversity contained within the music community. This allows him, however, to teach others about Carnatic music.

“I get to tell [others] that I study this form

of music. I built up these relationships with faculty to the point where senior project brainstorming was needed, this concert that I aspired and planned to make could come to life,” Srinivasan said. “I am very grateful for that.”

Above all, Srinivasan is looking forward to his project as an opportunity to share a little-known piece of the music world that he appreciates. He wants to use Carnatic music as a tool to showcase his identity and his passion for the school.

“I want to bring out something that is unique to my experience,” Srinivasan said.

“It is unique to how I have managed to venture into music, to begin with, and was something that was really telling from the moment that I was able to enter Haverford in the first place. This is to showcase just how much nuance and just how [many] differences that you will find between the different worlds of music.”

Mindfulness keeping students focused Owen Yu ’23

T

he end of the school year is finally in sight. With summer seemingly moments away, students are finding it more difficult than ever to remain focused. Thankfully, one thing remains consistent at helping both students and faculty stay in the present: Mindfulness Club.

At first glance, mindfulness may seem complex. Associate Director of College Counseling Ms. Heather Stinson, who helps lead the club, explains that mindfulness is not as complicated as one might think.

“Mindfulness—very simply—is the ability to pay attention to the present moment,”

said Ms. Stinson. “It is being aware of what is happening in your mind, body, and surroundings at any given moment.”

Mindfulness Club meets every Monday virtually during lunch from 12:40-12:50.

While their sessions seem short, simply practicing mindfulness for a few minutes can make a big difference in one’s life.

“The time period is short, but it still gives the opportunity to invite a few moments of stillness into someone’s very busy day,” Ms. Stinson said. “Having the chance to pay attention to your thoughts, sensations in the body, and your breath is very important.”

A virtual meeting of the mindfulness club

COURTESY OF MS. HEATHER STINSON

Ms. Stinson typically leads the practices, but anyone is welcomed to lead. Throughout the sessions, importance is mainly placed on one’s breath.

“A lot of what we do is pay attention to the breath, and then just practice turning our attention again and again to the present moment,” Ms. Stinson said.

Fifth Former John Zhang, the student club leader of Mindfulness Club, highlights benefits through reflection.

“By focusing on your breath, you’re able to separate yourself from everything that surrounds you,” Zhang said. “It helps you reflect on your own feelings and emotions.”

In addition to reflection, Zhang also uses mindfulness to mitigate stress.

“One of the reasons I personally started mindfulness was to relieve stress—specifically, academic stress,” Zhang said. “Taking a brief five minutes out of your day to practice mindfulness really relieves the tension that’s built up in your body, especially when you don’t even realize it’s there.”

Fourth Former Arnav Sardesai, a regular Mindfulness Club attendee, agrees.

“It gives me an opportunity to use time during lunch that I wouldn’t be doing anything else to focus on myself,” Sardesai said.

While Mindfulness Club is aimed towards students, faculty and staff are both welcomed and recommended to join. In fact, Ms. Stinson emphasizes the advantages of teachers practicing mindfulness as much as she does

for students.

“I don’t think practicing mindfulness differs much between students and teachers,” Ms. Stinson said. “Mindfulness helps [teachers] with patience, it helps them with stress reduction, and it helps them maintain a calm classroom.”

Mindfulness amongst teachers was more popular in the past. Before COVID-19, faculty were more involved in weekly practices.

“When we were in person in school, we had a regular faculty mindfulness practice every Tuesday morning at 8 o’clock in Ms. Kenna’s room,” Ms. Stinson said. “There really was a big push for faculty to have a mindfulness practice.”

But because of the changes of this school year, faculty participation has dwindled.

Overall, teachers having other obligations during the time slot seems to be the main cause.

“We did a lot better with it last year, both when we were in-person and when we were virtual than this year,” Ms. Stinson said, “and I think a lot of it is because teachers are in their advisories watching over students.”

Still, the advantages of mindfulness— calm, focus, relaxation—are clear. Ms. Stinson hopes more community members will participate in the future.

Ms. Stinson said, “My sincerest hope is that we can get more faculty and staff involved in an in-person practice with students a couple of times a week starting in the fall.”

the index · features

Page 8

Sophomores play frisbee during a mask break

JEFFREY YANG ’22

Case of “sophomore-itis”?

Jeffrey Yang ’22

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s we enter the final stretch of the year, it is customary, though not condoned, for Sixth Formers to cruise to the finish in a laid-back mindset.

For underclassmen though, in previous years, this month of school has been all but the cruising zone; it is a hasty hike to learn the remaining curriculum with finals looming on the horizon.

But many underclassmen, including Fourth Former Jack Suter, have derailed from this pattern.

“I’m just not motivated to do school work now. My procrastination levels have

gone up. I wished it was summer already; I’m looking forward to going sailing,” Suter said.

Even though this quarter is his “easier” one, he finds it harder to get started on homework and to stay focused.

“Everything takes more effort than it used to,” Suter said, “but it’s not like [the homework is] really hard.”

Suter and other students pin the decreased enthusiasm during this May on the schedule. The quarter schedule has created a situation where students are returning to one-half of their classes from earlier in the year and have already finished the other half of their classes.

“I’m just tired of having the same daily routine: I have the same classes, the same type of homework, and everything is feeling monotonous,” Suter said.

Last year, each day presented a more varied collection of classes with different period durations. As a result, the amount of homework also fluctuated. This year, since every class is the same duration every day, students already expect what their night will be like in terms of completing assignments.

“I guess there’s less excitement too because I’ve done the same amount of work every night,” Suter said, “and nothing’s really new.”

Nothing fresh after three quarters has finally boiled up into this final month of restless inactivity for many: the desire to do well is still present, but the grind has halted with the end of classes in the previous quarter.

Suter said, “It felt like the year was over a few months ago, so this last quarter has been even more difficult. The year feels longer, and doing the same things every day really has not helped.”

Checked out and more ready for summer than ever, some underclassmen are eyeing the upcoming final projects—which, for many classes, are replacing final exams— with concern.

“I think it’s going to get harder in the next few weeks; things are going to ramp up,” Suter said.

But, with the weather getting warmer, staying inside to work on projects seems less and less appealing. For final projects, the responsibility to do work in manageable increments is more in the student’s control than

May 2021

an exam where teachers often assign required study assignments or review in class. Further, with COVID restrictions easing and vaccines being distributed, students’ eagerness to go out is reaching a breaking point.

Suter said, “I just want to get outside, also because the COVID situation is getting better, and we haven’t been able to go anywhere for the past year.”

Yet, the stakes with final projects are still high, and underclassmen recognize them.

Despite the lack of eagerness for homework, students are still looking to finish strong— just with the thought of summer pervading their minds.

“I just want to have a nice run at the end, going into the summer,” Suter said, “I’m just ready for the year to be over.”

Young alumni spotlight: FuzeMee trial Tyler Zimmer ’21

A

s Sixth Formers make the transition into a college environment, a daunting task unrelated to the classroom lies ahead: finding friends. What seems like an elementary undertaking consumes the minds of eager soon-to-be graduates. But three recent Haverford alumni— David Graham, Jon Krouse, and Chris Tsetsekos—are attempting to calm this sea of uncertainty.

“We were sitting in ‘The Tank’ one day after lacrosse practice, and we bounced ideas off each other. After coming up with the concept, we looked into how to make an app,” Chris Tsetsekos ’20 said.

In pre-COVID days, “The Tank’’ brought together students in the Enrichment Learning Center to complete home-

COURTESY OF FUZEMEE

Example of a profile on FuzeMee

work and converse in a casual setting. These three young alumni spent their time innovating and fifteen months later, they have raised $250,000 and counting for their startup social media platform, FuzeMee. “We realized how difficult it was to meet our future classmates,” David Graham ’20 said. “We would spend hours scrolling through large unorganized discussion boards on Facebook of everyone trying to introduce themselves.”

On these apps and group chats, there is no way to filter for students of similar interests or locations, making the roommate process a comparable challenge to the application process. Additionally, colleges and universities struggle to spread awareness of community events.

“I’ve seen firsthand students continuing to search for companionship. Oftentimes, they text through Zoom chat and even stay after class to connect and meet new people,” Graham said.

So what did these three entrepreneurs do about the problems they experienced firsthand? They solved them.

“FuzeMee is a mobile application for the whole college experience,” Chris Tsetsekos said. “Our app allows students to connect based on similar interests, find compatible roommates, and discover events on and around campus. We plan to release FuzeMee publicly on the App Store in June.”

While the app is not out yet, these three have been far from idle. From writing the application design book to administering over one hundred modifications to the app, FuzeMee is more than a work in progress.

As they work to perfect their platform, they have also been raising capital and organically building a user base of over 1,300 students by sharing a private testing link.

Fundraising is difficult, but the FuzeMee creators have brought together an advisory board of world-class industry leaders from top universities and firms. They have raised

COURTESY OF FUZEMEE

FuzeMee co-founders (left to right): Jon Krouse ’20, Chris Tsetsekos ’20, and David Graham ’20

over $250,000 with a target of $500,000.

They are still looking to find the right investors to join them on this journey.

“This is a great opportunity to make an impact that will forever help rising college students,” Krouse said.

Many entrepreneurs find a niche with potential, but many times, they are not directly involved in it. The FuzeMee founders are different because they are the audience; they are college students who experienced the social adaptation struggle firsthand.

In early March, FuzeMee was tested at Ohio State and Wake Forest Universities. On average, students engaged with the platform 14.4 times per day. The student engagement provided clear feedback: FuzeMee is valuable to the students who have had the opportunity to use it.

“FuzeMee is made by students for students, and our outreach is growing. Our ambassador count is 1,300 with a digital reach of 8.1 million,” Tsetsekos said.

According to FuzeMee’s business model, they have four routes to generate revenue: event feed subscription, university subscription, paid media, and student offerings. For these offerings, FuzeMee has already partnered with Juno, a national student loan provider, who will advertise its loan structure directly on the FuzeMee platform.

“On average, Juno will save each stu-

dent $15,000 on student loans. This revenue stream for FuzeMee provides a tremendous amount of value to our users,” Tsetsekos said.

In short, FuzeMee’s second revenue stream tailors advertisements to student needs, and they are in talks with several companies similar to Juno.

Apart from the financials, the FuzeMee founders used a unique and effective way to spread the word.

“Right now, we have over 1,250 students across the country as FuzeMee ambassadors,” Tsetsekos said. “That’s how we plan on growing our user base organically when we launch.”

Despite their expansion, Graham, Krouse, and Tsetsekos have not lost appreciation for the environment that fostered growth and opportunity. Tsetsekos is the former Co-President of the Entrepreneurship Club who preached the value of meaningful connections during his weekly club presentations. And now, FuzeMee is following up on the premise they preached while at Haverford, extending an opportunity to Haverford students to become involved in the startup.

Graham, Krouse, and Tsetsekos have one final message for their former classmates: “If you want early access to FuzeMee before we launch, want to be an ambassador or get involved in any way, please email us at team@fuzemee.com.”

the index · academics

Page 9

May 2021

academics College Counseling prepares for Fourth and Fifth Formers Matthew Schwartz ’21

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hough their door is no longer open and the room sits in uninhabited darkness, the college counseling office is working as hard as any year to help navigate Haverford students through the college admissions process.

Although it would have been possible for the department to come into school, it makes more sense for them to remain home as most students are without any free periods during the day and parents are unable to enter campus buildings. Therefore, a bulk of the workday for Haverford’s college counselors actually occurs at night, when practices are over and students are finally available to meet.

As the year winds to an end and Sixth Formers have chosen where they are spending the next four years, the college counselors shift their focus to the current Fifth and Fourth Formers, the latter of which have just begun discussing colleges for the first time.

“We had a really great turnout for the fourth form parent discussion,” said Ms. Karen Ley, Senior Associate Director of College Counseling, “One of the things we talked about was how much colleges have online for them. You can visit colleges from the comfort of your living room now and I think many realized that’s a lot easier than what they might have done with their older kids.”

The pandemic has changed the way our college counselors are approaching admissions and it’s been part of their job to prepare the Fifth and Fourth Form for these adjustments. At the beginning of the school year, Sixth Formers participated for the first time, in essay writing lessons from a service called Prompt. The current Fifth Formers will begin those lessons much earlier, during the second week of June, as the college counseling office hopes to jumpstart essay

Jaamir Shaw ‘21 and Associate Director of College Counseling Ms. Heather Stinson writing over the summer so students don’t feel overwhelmed when returning to school in the fall.

Another improvement gained during the pandemic was a directory of over 100 different Haverford alumni currency attending schools across the country. These college students are all willing to speak with current Haverford students to help them get a better understanding of what their school is like.

With the inability to visit most campuses, having students to talk to who can compare their experience to Haverford will be very beneficial.

“I think parents have really appreciated that brotherhood component, seeing how you guys are really there for each other,” said Ms. Ley.

“I think parents have really appreciated that brotherhood component.”

MS. KAREN LEY Even when things go back in person, much of the changes will become permanent. For example, meeting virtually will make it significantly easier for the college counselors to communicate more often with parents as they don’t have to take time driving to Haverford during the day, but can now meet from their home whenever.

This past year, Shipley was unable to

MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ’21

hold their college fair, but have transitioned it to become fully virtual and Fifth Formers will have the ability to attend that event to explore more schools. The pandemic has forced schools to enhance their online resources and created many more opportunities for students to learn about what a school is like when classes are in session.

“I do think that their supplemental essays will be much richer this fall as far as the research students have,” said Ms. Ley. Fourth Formers have just begun meeting with their respective counselors and the process for Fifth Formers is beginning to kick into high gear as they attend seminars hosted by the college counseling office to fill out the Common Application and get ready for the fall.

College acceptance rates hit all-time lows Bowen Deng ’22

T

he time between the end of the Fifth Form to the first half of Sixth Form is one of the most stressful periods for a Haverford student.

As the school prepares to bid farewell to the graduating class, college counselors shift their focus to the rising Sixth Formers, who will soon find their inbox bombarded with invitations to seminars, workshops, college fairs, and private meetings. Much effort and dedication are required in the college admissions process—taking standardized tests, asking teachers for recommendation letters, creating a college list, and writing essays. It will no doubt be at the forefront of most Fifth Formers’ minds as they prepare to begin the month-long process as the year winds down.

“I am a little apprehensive about the college application process.”

PATRICK CORCORAN ’22 “I am a little apprehensive about the college application process,” Fifth Former

Patrick Corcoran said. “It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the number of choices, and for someone like me who hasn’t really given it any previous thought, it can be easy to drown in your own options.”

The Class of 2021 faced—you guessed it—unprecedented circumstances in their admissions process. With the pandemic putting standardized testing in jeopardy, many colleges—including every single Ivy League school—made submitting SAT or ACT scores optional. The result was a surge in applications for prestigious colleges; the University of Pennsylvania had its largest application pool in history: 56,333 applicants.

“What you had were applicants thinking, ‘Hey, what’s there to lose? I have a strong transcript, and I don’t even need a test score,’” Senior Associate Director of College Counseling Ms. Karen Ley said. “They weren’t just applying to one or two of these schools, they were applying to a lot more.”

Yet, top colleges remained as selective as ever.

The combination of increased applications and stubborn selectivity in top colleges resulted in record-low acceptance rates. Penn accepted 5.7% of its applicants (3202), compared to last year’s 8% (3404). Though most colleges are continuing their test-optional policy, it remains tough to predict if admis-

sion pools will be as large as they were this year. As colleges have yet to release detailed breakdowns of their 2021 admissions, it remains tough to predict the Class of 2022’s chances at these elusive schools. The College Counselling Office hopes to obtain relevant data from this year’s admissions so they can paint a picture of what admissions will look like for next year’s Sixth Formers.

“Most schools are still figuring out their admitted class, and they should have data on how many were test-optional,” Ms. Ley said. “If we get numbers like the percentage of test-optional kids accepted vs. kids who submitted testing, we can tell kids ‘Hey, X percent of test-optional applicants were accepted to this school.’”

Still, it is important to keep in mind that your standardized testing score is not the end for all of the application process. It is just as, if not even more important, to have the transcript and recommendation letters to back up your SAT/ACT scores—if you choose to submit them, of course.

“Listen to your college counselors, look at data from last year, and try to be a more informed applicant,” Ms. Ley said.

Finally, rising Sixth Formers should not stress about the recent acceptance rates of selective colleges, nor should they trick themselves into thinking that good education is

only found in colleges with acceptance rates in the single digits.

“The admit rate is the most overused and misunderstood metric in college applications,” Ms. Ley said. “It doesn’t speak for the quality or the value of the education you can get at any institution. There are plenty of other factors that determine a college’s selectivity.”

MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ’21

Undergraduate Admissions at Dartmouth College

JUDAH CANON ’22

NOBLE DEMARCO ’22

Mr. Fox’s Fourth and Fifth Form Painters AMANI NDEGWA-BROWN ’22

WILLS BURT ’23

HENRY GOWAN ’23

ALI ISLAM ’22

Page 12

the index · neighborhood

May 2021

neighborhood Managing neighbor relations Matthew schwartz ’21

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nside Haverford lies a brotherhood, outside, a neighborhood. Residential buildings surround the school on three of its four sides meaning that keeping good relations with its neighbors is always a priority.

“I think it helps when you’re working with the community to be a good neighbor.

Caring about the community is really important,” said Mr. Brian McBride ’82, Associate Head of School for External Affairs and Enrollment Management.

Prior to the pandemic, Haverford hosted recurring on-campus meetings with those living directly next to the school. During these gatherings, Mr. McBride and other faculty give updates on various projects the school is undertaking such as summer events, construction, or perhaps the next EA Day. This time was also used to discuss any complaints raised by neighbors. During one meeting in particular, neighbors were concerned whether contractors for the middle school construction would be parking on the streets. The school acknowledged the problem and made sure that they would park on campus instead.

Unfortunately, grievances over parking are not always handled so easily.

“We get feedback from neighbors when they’re unhappy with what’s going on and most often, it’s around parking,” said Mr. McBride.

One neighbor on Buck Lane has complained about students using their driveway to turn around because when pulling out, they often drive over the curb and atop her grass.

The largest problems occur when neighbors are frustrated by students who are parked in legal spots.

“If there is a neighbor who is dissatisfied with how our students are parking, we try to message the students, reminding them to be

respectful when engaging with the community,” Head of the Upper School Mr. Mark Fifer said.

In order to get proposals approved by local commissioners, the school must be considerate of all neighbors. The school falls directly in between two counties: Montgomery and Delaware. If the school isn’t being kind to all of its neighbors, then that will reflect in the way both the Montgomery County Commissioner and Delaware County Commissioner work with the school.

Haverford alum Chris Strawbridge ’86 lives next to the school on Buck Lane but was also on the board of the Friends School Haverford down the street and recounted similar stories about dealing with local officials during his time there.

“When we contemplated doing construction or anything that had an impact on the street, streetscape, or the neighbors, we needed to make sure that we could show the commissioners that we were good neighbors or at least making an attempt to do right by the neighbors. It makes a difference in their consideration of what’s happening,” Mr. Strawbridge said.

The one area Mr. Strawbridge feels that Haverford needs to address is speeding down Buck. While he acknowledges that it isn’t always Haverford students, there are still many times when he sees young drivers going too fast down a tight road filled with pedestrians and parked cars. Mr. Strawbridge even recalled the gruesome story of a dog being killed a few years ago by someone speeding between Haverford Road and Lancaster Avenue.

Despite some of their gripes with the school over parking, Mr. Strawbridge and other neighbors also appreciate what Haverford has to offer. Having access to a state-ofthe-art track for running, outdoor basketball courts and nice walking paths is largely ben-

Neighbors on Buck Lane eficial. During the holidays, in close proximity to the Christmas tree sale also makes their celebrations that much simpler.

Communication is the key to any relationship and different types of communications are more effective for different audiences. Mr. McBride is always striving to keep the neighborhood updated, even giving out his cell number to those who want to have direct access when things come up. The administration also sends out letters to give neighbors a “heads up” when things are occurring on campus that might affect traffic or people around the community.

These types of messages are appreciated by those who receive them.

MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ’21

“The times when the school knows it needs to speak out to the neighbors, like with construction, they do a great job in letting us know how that will impact the neighborhood,” Mr. Strawbridge said.

Still, Mr. Strawbridge feels that the school could do more, “I think a regularly scheduled letter at the beginning of the school year, or to new neighbors who have moved in would build some excitement. It could say, ‘Here’s what we’re about, and here are the games we have scheduled.’ I think that could be done cheaply, and it would build a closer bond with the neighbors.”

Margaret Kuo’s, a twoterm cuisine Chase Shatzman ’24

A

restaurant that has been there through the good and the bad times would have to be Margaret Kuo’s located in Wayne, PA. There are two sides to the dining experience in this establishment, as it contains both aspects of Chinese and Japanese cuisine.

Every piece of fish that I put into my mouth melted before I could even get the chance to swallow.

Originally I dined in the lower Chinese portion of the restaurant but throughout the pandemic have branched out to the upper floors of the Japanese side. Besides the main difference in the food, there was a difference in the ambiance of the two floors. The Chinese side was particularly beautiful and very well presented as opposed to the Japanese

Ahi tuna and pork soup dumplings from Margaret Kuo’s in Wayne, PA side, which had a less appealing look to the scenery.

However, the food made up for its outside look as the menu had every Japanese dinner item that you could imagine. After careful consideration, I ended up choosing ahi tuna as well as a generous portion of sushi for my main course. Every piece of fish that I put into my mouth melted before I could even get the chance to swallow. I would have to argue that these were some of the freshest pieces of fish I have ever had! Overall I would give the Japanese portion of this res-

taurant a 7.5/10 because although the food was quite remarkable, it was hard to enjoy it with the unappealing decor.

However, this restaurant did not stop there, as the Chinese portion of the restaurant was everything that you could imagine and more. On top of the fantastic scenery, the food was remarkable. The soup dumplings or “Xiaolongbao” made me feel as if I was in bed, wrapped in warm blankets. Inside the dumpling, there was a perfect ratio of the soup broth to pork, which made the flavor pop. Along with the soup dumplings,

CHASE SHATZMAN ’24

I also ordered the mandarin shrimp, which was not as visually appealing as the soup dumplings, but the seasoning was so spectacular that it would not have mattered if it was served on a paper plate.

If you ever have the chance to come and visit Margaret Kuo’s, I would highly recommend that you first visit the lower floor Chinese side of the restaurant and work your way upstairs to the Japanese side.

I would have to say bravo to Margaret Kuo’s and recommend that you come and taste it for yourself.

the index · campus opinions

Page 13

May 2021

campus opinions Why the Muslim holiday Eid should be a day off Ebaad Khan ’23

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ne thing that has always surprised me is the fact that Haverford does not give any days off for Muslim holidays. Although there is some work needed to be done, I believe Haverford is a fairly equitable and diverse space in which I can freely voice my opinion and enjoy my time with my teachers and peers. I do not feel oppressed at all here.

Haverford has dedicated days off from school for many holidays of many religions including Christianity and Judaism. Having no break for such a global and important

I

t’s become cheap fodder for outspoken student leaders in the community: “We are more divided than ever… COVID, blah blah… heated national political discourse, blah blah…” Yuck. But solutions to these problems are rarely, if ever, proposed.

Sure, the student council will inevitably whip up some inter-form activity in an attempt to jog our collective memory of what Haverford can be, or at least what we were before COVID. But despite these wellmeaning efforts, if divides in our community exist, compulsory fun is not the way to solve them. We need to look elsewhere.

So came to me the perfect solution one night: a satirical news section at the end of The Index, à la The Onion. It would be tasteful, relevant, and, most importantly, hilarious. But my initial burst of motivation soon faded when I learned that The Index previously had a satirical news section, aptly named The Outdex, that was purged from the paper a number of years ago. I immediately filled with violent rage: “How could they not see the awesome potential of such a section?” I lamented to myself. Over that weekend, I turned my emotions down and let them reduce into a thick, hearty sauce that I could bring into school on Monday.

When the day finally came, I made it a mission to seek out the first Index editor I could find: “Why aren’t you guys running The Outdex anymore?” I could see the color drain from his face when he heard those words. I saw beads of sweat begin to pour down his face, soaking his mask in what one

holiday as Eid at the equitable place Haverford claims to be is something that I could never understand.

For Muslim students—who are probably a larger section of the student body than you think—we are forced to decide between our faith and our school. When workload is high, stress can cause the joyous spirit of the holiday to wane.

Haverford closing school on Eid would also be a step forward in dismantling the Islamophobia present in our community. According to the FBI, ever since the 9/11 terror attacks, hate crime rates against Muslims and

other anti-Muslim sentiments in the United States have skyrocketed. It has not calmed fully either: the FBI reports that 2016 had the highest reported number of assaults towards Muslims, even higher than 2001.

The state of New York and many schools in Philadelphia have already given this day off, so why is Haverford not able to?

Does the school not recognize the growing Muslim student body?

It is hard to imagine any plausible reason for not having the day off.

In a 2015 press conference, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio stated, “We made a

pledge to families that we would change our school calendar to reflect the strength and diversity of our city.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslim families will no longer have to choose between honoring the most sacred days on their calendar or attending school. This is a common-sense change, and one that recognizes our growing Muslim community and honors its contributions to our City.”

Recognizing Eid with a school holiday would hopefully lead many other schools in the area to adapt the same process, creating equality across the Main Line area as a whole.

The month of Ramadan is a time in which Muslim Haverford students may feel isolated; there are not many other Muslim students at Haverford who are abstaining from food and water with them.

Giving the day off along with being more equitable to students who are fasting would not only show that Haverford is taking a stance against xenophobia, but would, more importantly, allow Muslim students to feel as if their existence is recognized.

Satire: Demand for The Outdex Sam Kohl ’22

can only classify as shame. His eyes seemed to dart about the classroom, as if the pencil sharpener would find him an adequate response. Then, all of a sudden, he seemed to switch to some sort of autopilot mode; it was like I was watching a movie and he was one of those Soviet sleeper agents who had just heard his triggering phrase. He quickly uttered: “It is at this point that I must exercise my Fifth Amendment right to protection from self-incrimination as well as my Sixth Amendment right to have an attorney present during any and all questioning.” Damn.

I returned to my seat, defeated. I thought this idea if it did die, would do so in a grander fashion than this. I hoped that it would go down with a fiery explosion, a blast heard round the world. But it seemed to have ended, right in front of my eyes, with nothing more than a whimper. But I wasn’t done just yet. I knew I only had one or two more good attempts to get this idea off the ground, so I decided a change of scenery

would be most advantageous; the new target: la clase de español. One afternoon, I went to work: during a five-minute break, I began talking: “Hey guys, did you know The Index used to have a joke news section? We should totally bring that back.”

A satirical news section at the end of The Index, à la The Onion.

It would be tasteful, relevant, and, most importantly, hilarious.

The Index editors in the room eyed each other knowingly, as if security guards ready to remove disruptors at an event. They immediately interjected: “Sure, it sounds like a great idea on paper, but in practice, kids begin to make fun of each other and it becomes toxic.”

Unbeknownst to them, the viral DNA of The Outdex had already entered the class’s collective unconscious: there was no escaping the idea. “Outdex now!… Outdex now!” the class began to shout in shocking synchronism. It was at this point that I realized that the conspiracy to destroy The Outdex ran much deeper than just Index editors. Were the faculty in on it too? Seemingly right on cue, the teacher sprung into action: “¡Chicos! Un descanso de máscara. ¡Vámonos!” (A mask break, let’s go).

This seemed to calm the class down. I then saw the Index editors and the teacher exchange nods, as if to say, “Crisis averted, good work.”

I was thoroughly disgusted, but not surprised.

However, I was surprised to see this article idea appear on the Index’s list. Do they have sinister, possibly hellacious ulterior motives? Likely. But here I write to them, the wardens of the intellectual prison in which I am held captive: please bring back The Outdex.

Haverford needs to better support lower-income students Ali Islam ’23

H

averford struggles to support students from financially struggling families.

At a school where technology is used every day, the devices students use are essential. While our neighboring schools supply students with Macbooks, Haverford only has Chromebooks for students that cannot afford their own laptops. Macbooks are ex-

pensive, but one of our competitors, Shipley, provides students with Macs if needed. This might seem like a slight burden for the student, but with virtual school, it can be difficult for students to load up a Google Meet and another tab simultaneously.

My parents both work, which forces me to stay home and watch my brother some days. This requires me to not only monitor my brother’s Zoom classes but also to pay

attention to my own. You can imagine how frustrating this situation can be by itself, but having a barely functional laptop only makes things worse.

There have been numerous times where I was forced to beg my teacher for extra time on a quiz because my laptop had taken up most of the time loading Canvas. Students are also asked to download certain apps, which cannot be done on Chromebook. You

can imagine how that can affect motivation to complete assignments.

The school needs to support lowerincome students with better technology.

Students without the money to pay for their own laptops are put at a disadvantage and are expected to perform the same way as other students. Despite Haverford preaching brotherhood, academic equity may only apply to those who can afford it.

the index · off-campus opinions

Page 14

May 2021

off-campus opinions The roots of India’s hubris-driven second wave Nachikethan Srinivasan ’21

I

n a speech, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi once referred to the war from an ancient Indian epic, The Mahabharata, saying the war against the coronavirus would be won in 21 days compared to the epic’s 18 days. That was the 25th of March, last year.

Hit the fast-forward button, and the country has been hit hard by the second wave of cases from the COVID-19 pandemic, spawning horrifying new images of illness and death. As reports from the BBC depict scenes of the withering elderly awaiting precious oxygen and rest away from the glare of the sun while makeshift funeral pyres line the Delhi skyline with smoke pillars, the country is reporting numbers of deaths reaching 3,500 on a daily basis, with one person dying every four minutes in Delhi alone. Many people stateside with family in India—myself included—are checking in on each other, hearing the news reports inside the country and the updates on relatives who have fallen victim to the outbreak.

This relapse could only be described as a blow in the face for the prime minister and for much of the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But for a government with a rickety track record for lockdown implementation, and having just months ago passed a resolution that praised the government’s “defeat” of COVID-19 while investing its focus on vaccine diplomacy, it’s hard to empathize with governmental ambition when it has culminated into irresponsibility.

So, where to begin?

This irresponsibility could be sensed

from the very beginning, when the government’s insistence on running disaster management straight from the top in Delhi through a last-minute lockdown, leading to patchy results instead of delegating to state governments to prepare in time for safe and secure repatriation, shutdown and quarantine.

Crowds of migrant workers were left to fend for themselves in finding transport, taking long periods to catch rides home, sometimes days at a time.

As the pandemic raged on, India began to establish itself as one of the largest manufacturers of vaccines worldwide. The “Vaccine Maitri” program, which helped supply affordable vaccines to lower-income regions elsewhere in the world, has helped supply over 60 million vaccines for exportation.

But the government was not seen taking any major steps to scale up production for the two available vaccines they purchased, as they were not enough to inoculate even a fifth of their population.

Foreign vaccines were allowed to be imported by the government, but none of these vaccine makers could apply for emergency use licenses, leading the country into a nationwide shortage. Patients who register for appointments (if they’re lucky) may receive cancellations due to the shortage faced.

Yet amongst all the cries and the shortages, the antics of Modi and his own party continue.

Mahabharata references aside, the BJP has been criticized rightfully for exacerbating religious tensions in some way or another.

D

espite being in a D+30 state, Governor Gavin Newsom is no stranger to the criticism of California Republicans. In less than three years, he has faced five unsuccessful recall attempts.

The sixth recall attempt, fueled mainly by Newsom’s pandemic restrictions (and his breaking them at a French Laundry dinner party in November) in addition to the usual partisan talking points, looks likely to succeed.

The petition has already garnered over 1.5 million signatures, above the threshold needed to trigger a recall election. Sometime during the fall of 2021, California will face its second recall election in 18 years. On the

In Bangalore, a BJP member of Parliament made headlines for insinuating that Muslims recruited by civil services were accepting bribes in exchange for hospital beds.

Meanwhile, the government fell silent at the continuation of mass Hindu celebrations including the Kumbh Mela, a major pilgrimage festival that has been recently been marked as a “super-spreader” event, contributing to the already high case figures in the country.

Combined with continuing mass rallies, attacking political opponents, and cracking down on social media, the BJP has found itself in the same corrupt position of Indian

A line outside a medical shop in India

governments past, even paying the price by losing out in legislative assembly elections in the state of West Bengal despite making good gains.

There’s an old Turkish proverb that goes, “the forest was shrinking, but the trees kept voting for the axe, as its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them.”

If there is anything that has happened during this pandemic where this old saying applies, look no further.

For in India, the axe seems to get a thrill from its swings while the trees must bear the pain that is felt from it.

CHOCOLATELR18 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

California Republicans see a chance, but it’s a tall order to recall Newsom Bowen Deng ’22

ballot, voters will be asked two simple questions: “Should Gavin Newsom be recalled?”

Those who answer yes will pick from a list that could be very long; for example, 135

GOVERNMENT OF CALIFORNIA VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

California Governor Gavin Newsom signing a law allowing child care workers the right to unionize

candidates were on the 2003 California recall ballot, and ultimately Arnold Schwarzenegger won.

Though California Republicans have the signatures needed, the fact that the recall election will likely happen doesn’t correlate to its popularity. For a recall election to go through, “signatures must equal a percentage of the total number of votes most recently cast for the targeted office”—12% of the votes in the 2018 gubernatorial election. In other words, the 1.6 million signatures on the recall petition only represent 12% of the voters of California’s 2018 election; just 6% of California’s registered voters (22 million) and roughly 30% of registered Republicans (roughly 5 million).

From here, the efforts to replace Newsom only get harder. According to an April poll conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Government Studies, just 36% of 10,289 registered voters want Newsom recalled,

while 49% do not (the final 15% are undecided). That margin will most likely continue to grow as the pandemic winds down.

While Newsom’s popularity floundered earlier on in the year, his approval ratings have stabilized at 52%. The governor now finds himself with a massive $76 billion budget surplus and has already announced tax rebate checks for over two-thirds of Californians.

Sure, Newsom is far from a perfect governor and California has its fair share of issues (homelessness, housing costs), but it is a fact that Californians overwhelmingly favor Democratic policies over Republican ones.

con’t on p. 15

the index · off-campus opinions

Page 15

May 2021

Biden’s First Joint Address offers an ambitious agenda, but will it be fulfilled?

Bowen Deng ’22

F

orty years ago, Ronald Reagan took office amid an economic crisis and lack of faith in the government.

His inaugural address touted a less overarching government for recovery: “In this present crisis, the government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

President Biden’s first joint address offered the complete opposite message: in the current crisis, the government is the solution to America’s problems.

“America is on the move again,” Biden said, touting his administration’s progress on the recovery efforts of the pandemic: vaccinations, economic growth, and job creation—which the President cited as results

sive—policy initiatives that would further expand the federal government to help the lower and middle classes, such as the American Jobs Plan, the American Families Plan, and the PRO Act. Additionally, he also called upon Congress to renew the Violence Against Women Act and pass the Equality Act to protect LGBTQ+ Americans and pass H.R. 1. I will not go into detail about every single one of these, as there is simply too much to discuss.

If there should be any takeaway, it is that the era of “big government” is back. President Biden is perfectly willing to use the federal government to transform the American economy and American society as we know

President Biden offered a glowing vision of America’s future through the expansion of the federal government. grams like the Public Works Administration and Tennessee Valley Authority; the former contracted private companies to improve on and construct new public facilities and infrastructure, while the latter provided elec-

unionize, while the latter will make a college education much more accessible.

If Biden is able to fulfill even half of these proposals, he will have earned his spot among the likes of FDR and LBJ, who saw how much governmental power could do to improve the lives of Americans and set out to make it happen.

Still, major differences between Biden and Roosevelt/Johnson must be acknowledged.

Though Biden has a vision, he does not have the tools to fulfill them. Both Roosevelt and Johnson had supermajorities in the House and Senate; they could overcome any filibuster and be basically handed blank checks by the American voters. Additionally, the Republican Party of their time was much more moderate and in line with the Democrats than those of the Republicans today.

Biden faces a Republican party that will be 100% against any of his proposals, who have already deemed his speech “radical” or “socialist” or any other buzzword you can think of. He has razor-thin margins in the House and Senate, with two of the more moderate Democratic Senators in Manchin

Biden discussed many ambitious— and sometimes progressive—policy initiatives that would further expand the federal government to help the lower and middle classes, such as the American Jobs Plan, the American Families Plan, and the PRO Act. THE WHITE HOUSE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

President Joe Biden arrives to address a Joint Session of Congress, April 28, 2021 of the American Rescue Plan. Any fear from Democrats that Biden would be too moderate were dashed; Biden gave a strong repudiation of Republican tax cuts for the rich and “trickle-down economics.”

President Biden offered a glowing vision of America’s future through the expansion of the federal government. Biden discussed many ambitious—and sometimes progres-

it, and his agenda has been compared to that of two previous administrations: Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson.

Those making this comparison would not be wrong; Biden is essentially calling for the most governmental action since Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society. The proposals for infrastructure improvement in the American Jobs Plan draws parallels to New Deal pro-

tricity to rural southerners in addition to building dams around the Tennessee River to prevent flooding. H.R. 1 is the most sweeping proposal for voting reform since the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and it does not just encompass voting, either. The PRO Act and American Families Plan both target the working and middle class; the former seeks to protect and strengthen the right to

and Sinema perfectly willing to oppose his agenda.

Overall, Biden’s first joint address offered much to look forward to for those on the left. Still, the passage of his proposals will be a long and strenuous trek.

For Biden, it is crucial that the Democrats expand their margins in the House and Senate during the 2022 midterms: if a single one of the aforementioned bills (or any other that Biden has expressed support for) is passed, it would be a huge momentum boost for the Democrats.

California election recall, cont.

For the California Democratic Party, it is all about throwing unilateral support behind Newsom and ensure that there will not be a significant split vote among multiple Democratic candidates on the replacement list.

It must be emphasized that Republicans are attempting to unseat a Democratic governor in a deep blue state.

Sure, Schwarzenegger won the last one, but California (and the country) is much more partisan than it was 18 years ago. Even Democrats dissatisfied with Newsom are far more likely to vote for him over a Republican due to his party affiliation (provided that there are no prominent Democrats on the ballot, of course).

Furthermore, the Republican field so far has been relatively uninspiring with no clear

frontrunner: it is mostly former gubernatorial candidates and representatives.

The notable include John Cox—back for another try after his landslide loss to Newsom in 2018—Kevin Faulconer—former mayor of San Diego — and Caitlyn Jenner, who has easily received the most attention from the media following her announcement.

The career politicians have mostly proposed conservative policies that will likely

As it stands, Newsom will most likely survive the recall.

never reach the governor’s office in the Golden State, while Jenner has been all talk, no solutions, and unable to capitalize on her celebrity status.

The same Berkeley poll found that just 6% of those polled would support Jenner replacing Newsom.

As it stands, Newsom will most likely survive the recall.

For the Republicans, their best chance would be hoping something happens in the next five months or so that hurts Newsom, place their unilateral support behind one candidate (a split Republican vote is even worse than a split Democratic vote where conservatives are already a minority), and somehow find a way to draw in Democratic voters.

GOVERNMENT OF CALIFORNIA VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Governor Gavin Newsom speaking at the California Economic Summit in 2019

the index · arts

Page 16

May 2021

arts Jazz Band resumes rehearsal outdoors Ethan Lee ’24

W

ith many activities returning to normal, Jazz Band has begun to resume practices outside. Although some jazz instruments need breath to produce noise, school musicians have been able to safely gather and practice weekly with proper precautions to protect themselves from COVID-19.

The main change is that all players wear a bell covering their instruments. This acts as a mask for the instrument to reduce the risk of spit and other particles spraying from instruments.

“It doesn’t make too much difference to the sound of the instrument.”

MITAV NAYAK ’22 “It doesn’t make too much difference to the sound of the instrument,” Fifth Former

Mitav Nayak said.

Another change are the masks that the players are using.

“Each mask has a flap that allows players to play their instruments while keeping their nose and mouth relatively covered,” Nayak said. “With all of the precautions, there is very little risk of the virus spreading.”

“A lot of jazz is listening and that is incredibly hard to do virtually.”

MITAV NAYAK ’22 “I think it’s pretty safe,” said. “We are following all the guidelines we can.”

These outdoor rehearsals have been helpful because musicians can finally hear how they sound as a group—a quality essential for jazz, as it requires all players to listen to each other to stay on time and make harmo-

JEFFREY YANG ’22

Ryan Rodack ’22 (left) and John Zhang ’22 (right) during the Sunday, May 16 show

Theater play, cont.

and directed it as well.

“I came up with the idea during class one day. Then we all put our heads together and wrote the script,” Harkins said.

In short, the plotline surrounds Drew Loughnane’s Zach, a remarkable Haverford quarterback with limitless potential. This prodigy is caught partying without a mask on and faces a three-game suspension, where Liam Harkins’ Blake steps into the spotlight. Through a series of altercations over the quarterbacks’ egos, Zach’s girlfriend and past brother issues, and locker room tension, Zach overcomes his inability to own his mistakes, while Blake inversely becomes the egocentric, selfish athlete Zach was to begin with.

“It was truly genuine.”

MR. DARREN HENGST

While the story centralized around the inverse dynamic character development of Zach and Blake, many supporting roles brought Second String together.

“We got to watch everybody’s personally really come out in this,” Mr. Hengst said. “It was truly genuine.”

Genuine is an understatement. Sixth Former Amari Campbell’s sincere but downto-business attitude shined through in his portrayal of J.C., the star wide receiver who takes the moral high ground in the quarterback drama. In his role of Wilson, the assistant coach, Sixth Former Trevor Pettibone embodied everything a mentor should be.

The cast did an extraordinary job given their limited time, numbers, and resources.

“This has always been a goal of mine,” Mr. Hengst said. “I’ve never been able to, but I’ve always wanted to have my students write and perform their own work.”

To put this in perspective, Mr. Hengst planned this experiment for an entire semes-

MR. DARREN HENGST

Jazz Band during a Wednesday afternoon reherasal nious music. do virtually. This is as close to a live perfor“The plan is to record multiple songs as mance as we are going to get this year.” our ‘concert,’” Nayak said.

Director Mr. Philip Giangiordano is For the winter concert, Jazz Band members working hard with the Jazz Band to produce recorded their parts individually and sent some quality jazz. them to Mr. Hengst to be mixed.

If you want to have a listen, look for them “The winter recording was good, but this in the amphitheater or listen to their recordwill be much better,” Nayak said, “A lot of ings in the Spring “Concert.” jazz is listening and that is incredibly hard to

ter. They delivered it in one quarter, but this did not hold these students back.

“Tonight went awesome. I thought it went so well,” Mr. Hengst said, describing the first of the back-to-back performances.

Putting together a successful show in such a small amount of time was no easy feat, and it came down to the wire.

“This was the first time we fully ran the play from start to finish. So it was very hectic, a lot of anxiety going around,” Rush said.

“But that’s what I loved about it. The entire time, it was just so exciting because we were all kind of figuring it out as we went on.”

Audience members enjoyed the performance, both from Centennial Hall and the YouTube live stream. That’s right. For the first time, people could watch the performance from the comfort of their bed, or in Rush’s case, out of state.

“My grandma and best friends in Florida were able to watch. Shoutout to Mr. Hengst for having the idea to live stream,” Rush said.

Not only did this crew use a new platform to display their talent, but they also integrated technology into the play itself. For example, Upper School Dean Luqman Kolade played the head coach from his office, broadcast from the projector. Shipley senior Libby Ronon appeared on the big screen

as Zach’s girlfriend Nicole in two separate scenes. Fifth Form director Jake LaRocca, projected images of iPhone messages and backdrops to enhance the play and emphasize key moments.

This Theatre III* class took the challenges posed by the pandemic in stride, innovating new ways to incorporate the current reality into their play with technology, creativity, and a hint of improvisation.

“We adapted to everything, we worked hard on our lines, and the result was everything we hoped it would be.”

DREW LOUGHNANE ’21 “I’m so proud of this class,” Sixth Former Drew Loughnane said. “We adapted to everything, we worked hard on our lines, and the result was everything we hoped it would be.”

Five cast members in the play on Sunday, May 16

JEFFREY YANG ’22

the index · arts

Page 17

May 2021

Commemorating Asian-American Pacific Islander contributions to film and television Christopher Schwarting ‘24

T

he continuing surge in AsianAmerican hate crimes has sent a clear message to those in the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and reminded many of the dangers of targeted discrimination and systemic oppression faced by the Asian-American community.

But AAPI Heritage Month is about more than continuing the fight against Asian-American hate.

It’s also a time to celebrate the accomplishments, successes, and victories of AsianAmericans and Pacific Islanders, especially in a society that is in many ways built against these communities.

The AAPI community has always made significant contributions to the film industry.

Within the last decade, the status quo of Asian depiction has been slowly dismantled through the continued presence of AsianAmerican and Pacific Islanders in new films.

While there is still much to achieve to reach equality and fair depiction for the presence of AAPI figures in film content roles, recent achievements signal a move in the right direction for AAPI representation in the film industry. In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, here are some of many AAPI figures ushering in a new era of AAPI depiction on screens across the nation.

Sandra Oh Sandra Oh is an Asian-Canadian-American actress best known for her work in longrunning television series.

The recipient of two Golden Globe Awards and twelve Primetime Emmy nominations, she has solidified herself as a dominant actress known for her vivid emotional depictions and witty, humorous expressions.

She is well regarded for her depiction of Dr. Christina Yang in the long-running medical drama series, Grey’s Anatomy, as well as her captivating performance as Eve Polastri, a British intelligence officer tasked with finding the assassin Villanelle on Killing Eve. Oh also speaks about Asian-American isolation in the film industry, especially in Hollywood.

Most recently, she was heard voicing a passionate speech at a Stop Asian Hate rally this past March.

CASI MOSS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Awkwafina in a 2018 portrait

Hasan Minhaj Hasan Minhaj has built a reputable presence as a comedian, producer, commentator, and television personality. Beginning in stand-up, Minhaj gained notice on Comedy Central’s hit The Daily Show, where he served as a senior correspondent.

He would then present his one-man show, entitled Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King, in which he described his personal experiences as an Indian-American Muslim and highlighted the immigrant experience in the United States. Following his successes, he would then go on to announce his very own weekly show on Netflix, entitled Patriot Act. Looking into the modern political foreground with a hint of satire, the show concluded this past June.

Awkwafina An actress, rapper, author, and comedian, Nora Lum, whom many know by her professional name, Awkwafina, has established herself as a multi-faceted artistic talent. Known for her strong supporting movie roles in productions such as Ocean’s 8 and

Crazy Rich Asians, she was also awarded a Golden Globe for her featured role in The Farewell, which achieved the highest box office average per screen for the summer of 2019. The film, which also embraces a bilingual and multicultural environment into a plot and emotional-rich film, set her up for revolutions in Asian-Amerian film development, including that of Raya and the Last Dragon on Disney+, in which Awkwafina is a key voice. Beyond her film triumphs, Awkwafina is also a co-creator, producer, and featured character in Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. She has also released two rap albums.

Kumail Nanjiani An actor, comedian, screenwriter, and podcaster, Kumail Nanjiani is regarded by many for his role on the HBO series Silicon Valley as well as his original film The Big Sick, which was co-written with his wife Emily V. Gordon. Winning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, Nanjiani, who is Pakistani-American, has established himself as a prominent voice for dismantling stereotyping and promoting cultural diversity. His work has set the stage for addressing stigmatization of the South Asian male image, homegrown Islamophobia, and the continu-

ation of judgment regarding interracial relationships.

Auli’i Cravalho While Auli’i Cravalho may not be a name many recognize upon reading it, but most will recognize this artist’s voice. The native Hawaiian actress and singer is the famed voice of Moana, the animated Disney movie based upon Polynesian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander influences. In her latest film, All Together Now, she plays the role of a struggling teenager in temporary homelessness. She is widely quoted for her fight in bringing more BIPOC voices to the film industry.

Constance Wu Asian-American actress Constance Wu made her breakthrough on the comedy series Fresh Off the Boat, which detailed the family dynamic of life through assimilation into American culture while maintaining pride of their own. Following her role on the revolutionary near-all Asian cast, Wu also centered as the star for Crazy Rich Asians, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award, the latter nomination being the first for an Asian-American female in forty years. Beyond her work on films, Wu is known to be a harsh voice for representation and equality on Hollywood sets. As a fighter for diverse representation, she has called out the systemic biases of having white actors and actresses portray Asian characters.

Jon M. Chu

Hasan Minhaj hosting an episode of his show, “Patriot Act,” on May 23, 2018

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

A growing pioneer in film production, Jon M. Chu is a director, screenwriter, and producer, regarded as a visionary for Asian Pacific American inclusion in the film industry. Recently collaborating with Lin Manuel Miranda on the upcoming production of In The Heights, he is best known for his directorial role of Crazy Rich Asians. Released in 2018, the film was the first to feature a primarily all-Asian cast in twenty-five years, and grossed over $230 million globally, making it the highest-earning rom-com of the 2010s.

Portraying Asian and Asian-American culture beyond traditional stereotypes, many credits the film with sparking a new wave of Asian American representation in film and television.

the index · sports

Page 18

May 2021

sports Andrew Minnis ’21: from squash star to tennis menace Austin Zhuang ’22

M

any may not know him because this year is his first and last and Haverford, but Sixth Former Andrew Minnis is a force to be reckoned with in any racket sport. After playing near the top of the ladder for the undefeated Haverford varsity squash team this winter, Minnis moved onto tennis where he is also

at the top as the second highest player on the team.

His success in the two sports and his smooth transition between the two comes from his background as an athlete and the team’s practice.

“Tennis used to be my main sport until probably seventh or eighth grade, but I

haven’t really played seriously since then, but this transition in school has been easy,” Minnis said. “We had this month-long period at the beginning of the season where we didn’t have any matches, so because of that we all got to practice, we all kind of found our games.”

“As a team captain, he gets us all motivated, cheers for us, cheers for everyone while playing, and we can cheer for him while he’s playing,” ADAMYA AGGARWAL ’22

ETHAN LEE ’24

Andrew Minnis ’21 plays a match against opponent from Penn Charter

The Haverford tennis team has had great results this season, with only two Inter-Ac losses to Germantown Academy and Episcopal so far. Contributing to this success is the strong chemistry between the players, built during the hard practices and in part through Minnis’ contributions.

“As a team captain, he gets us all motivated, cheers for us, cheers for everyone while playing, and we can cheer for him while he’s playing,” Fifth Former Adamya Aggarwal said. “I think that’s the real important team dynamic he brings out in us and we bring out in him.”

Besides his ability to rally the team together, he contributes with the wins he gets over the opposing team through his unorthodox play. He uses techniques from squash

often in his tennis matches and puts the ball in strange places, a game strategy that almost always results in triumphs and flustered opponents. “[Last week], he beat the EA one singles, and apparently in between one of the points the EA kid was like: ‘What is this tennis?’”

Aggarwal laughed.

But the success Minnis has had on the team is not the reason he joined. As someone who came to Haverford for their last year of high school, his goal was to meet as many people as possible.

“I met a ton of kids on the squash team, and I loved interacting with all of them,” Minnis said. “And so I think the tennis team was just an opportunity for me to meet more people in all the grades and then just to have a good time for my last semester as a high schooler.”

The season has not disappointed, and the only key difference from last year is the mask-wearing requirement when playing.

Matches and practices are still in full swing, and the team is gearing up for the Inter-Ac tournament. And at each Haverford match, Minnis will make sure no point goes uncheered for.

“In games, he’s always very loud for cheering,” Aggarwal said. “You can hear him across the courts as he’s cheering for you in a match.”

Minnis also keeps his teammates motivated when they lose a point, shouting ‘come on, get the next one’ or ‘keep your head up’ right next to the fences surrounding the courts. He makes sure his presence is known, whether he’s baffling opponents on the court or getting rowdy on the sidelines.

Sixth Former Beau Christopher reflects on his crew experience Mitav Nayak ’22

S

ixth Former Beau Chirstopher started rowing during the summer before he began upper school.

After four years of dedicated work, he has grown into his position as a decorated rower, teammate, and leader.

His first rowing experience was one to remember.

“I did the Conshohocken rowing program with the Haverford coaches,” Christopher said. “And I just fell in love with the sport, so I decided to continue into that fall and spring and then all throughout my years of high school.”

After joining the team, Christopher began to appreciate the sport even more.

“There is the competitive nature of going out there and putting all of your strength into the oars, but there is also the camaraderie of the team,” Christopher said. “You have all your boatmates, and they’re all putting in the same amount of effort as you, and it all pays off when you do well.”

Over the years, Christopher believes one thing that has allowed him to improve so quickly has been the support from his coaches.

“In practice, we do a lot of race prep, and our coaches prepare us really well for our races,” Christopher said. “Our coaches all rowed, and they are so knowledgeable in the sport . . . it works out for the better when you take their advice, [implement it] on the water, and put all you have into every practice, which is pretty much what I did.”

Beau Christopher ’21 and Bryson Bernhardt ’21 prepare to launch for their race He explained that Fords Crew has a sort of “work hard, play hard” culture, which is something he has completely bought into.

“There’s always a sense of brotherhood on our team,” Christopher said. “We all get along and it’s always a fun time—even though it’s hard work, it’s fun.”

The nature of the sport itself is something else that Christopher will carry with him as he moves forward.

“Rowing has definitely taught me mental toughness, like being able to push over that barrier and go harder,” Christopher said. “It taught me how to be coachable as

well; you have to make quick changes on the water to benefit your boatmates, and that’s definitely taught me how to be coachable and how to take advice to your head but not to your heart because it affects everyone in the boat. It makes you a better person as well when you’re able to be coachable, listen to the coaches, and learn from them as well.”

While Christopher has learned a lot already, his rowing career is far from over.

Next year, he will be rowing in the warm weather of Rollins College.

“I’m excited to carry on the Haverford legacy. I’m going to try to win some med-

@HAVERFORDCREW INSTAGRAM

als for my college, but at the same [time] I’ll be winning them for my coaches that started me in the sport,” Christopher said.

He looks forward to this next step, but he stated that there are many parts of his Haverford experience he will miss.

“The whole atmosphere every time I step into the boathouse—I’m always greeted with camaraderie and brotherhood from the coaching staff and from my teammates too,” Christopher said. “Overall, I just really want to thank the coaches and my team for an amazing four years.”

Page 19

the index · sports

May 2021

Boyle opines on NFL Draft results AIDAN BOYLE ’22

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very year, the National Football League is greeted by new young talent. Some of these college stars succeed while others find themselves overwhelmed by the amount of talent in the league. Last year, sixth-overall-pick Justin Herbert tore up the gridiron, throwing for over 4,300 yards with a passer rating of 98.7. Meanwhile, 26th overall pick Jordan Love hasn’t stepped foot on the field. 2019 first-overall-pick Kyler Murray is already hearing MVP talk and 2018 32nd-overall pick Lamar Jackson already won himself an MVP. In those same classes, 15th-overallpick Dwayne Haskins and third-overallpick Sam Darnold have already been run off their team’s roster. Every year there is a wide disparity in success between every first-round draft pick, especially at the quarterback position, and this year will be no different.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Trevor Lawrence is excellent, setting the record for career quarterback wins in Clemson history. He won the College Football Championship in his freshman year and then made it back there in his sophomore year before being taken down by the LSU juggernaut squad. He’s been ranked as the best quarterback in his class since he entered high school and is 86-4 in all his games since then. As a three-year starter at Clemson and a high school standout, Lawrence has a great sample size to judge him off of. Lawrence’s elite size and athleticism as well as his poise under pressure in the pocket will help him become one of the next great quarterbacks in this NFL. However, before he becomes a star quarterback, he will need to improve his deep-ball placement and become more selfsustainable outside of play action play calls.

While the Jaguars were out picking their quarterback of the future and face of the franchise, the Chicago Bears decided to trade two first round picks, a fourth round pick, and a fifth round pick for Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. Fields sat behind former 5th round quarterback Jake Fromm for a year at Georgia and decided to transfer when he learned he would be spending his sophomore season behind Fromm as well. Fromm went on to be drafted by the Bills and has yet to play a snap in an NFL game. Like Lawrence, Fields has been a top recruit since high school. He has never lost a Big Ten game as a starter and has led the Buckeyes to a National Championship appearance. In this National Championship

Trevor Lawrence alongside Travis Etienne Jr. after the 2021 NFL Draft against Alabama, Fields and his stacked a bigger football and tighter coverage. Justin Buckeyes roster lost 52-24, in a game where Fields will not succeed in the NFL and will he completed 17 of 33 passes for 194 yards go down as yet another Ohio State quarterand only one touchdown while running for back bust as well as another terrible Chicago another 67 yards. quarterback.

In his Ohio State tenure, Fields failed While we are on the topic of NFL busts, to go through his progressions and complete it is appropriate to mention Jordan Love, passes to his second read. Fields stares down who may be seeing the field for the first his target for entire plays, resulting in a lot of time this season now that Aaron Rodgers is unnecessary sacks considering his elite ath- unhappy with his situation in Green Bay. If leticism. He heavily relies upon good protec- Rodgers is not traded, it is very possible that tion and holds onto the ball for far too long, he sits out the 2021-2022 football season which will not be effective in the NFL when which would leave Love with the responsibilhe is no longer behind an outstanding offen- ity of maintaining the Packer’s long history sive line like OSU’s. If he is lucky enough to of legendary quarterbacks. see pressure coming, he locks his chin to his Last season, Packer’s General Manager chest and runs without stopping to look at Brian Gutekunst tried to jump the gun by his check down or keep his eyes downfield drafting a first round quarterback in anticiwhile scrambling outside the pocket like so pation of the decline of 36 year old quarmany of the great NFL quarterbacks do. terback Aaron Rodgers. Now that Rodgers Fields often throws off poor footing, has a is ready to move on from the Packers at the sub-par feel for edge pressure, terrible field same time Gunekunst expected, albeit in vision especially against a blitz, and stares unforeseeable fashion, the Packers are very down his first read the same way Connor hesitant to let him go. Rodgers is forcing McGregor stares down his opponents in Gunekunst’s hand and basically making him pre-fight press conferences. His deep-ball tell the world that he does not have faith placement is below average and, even on in his first-round quarterback Jordan Love. short and medium throws, he does not lead Due to COVID-19, media and press have his targets up field. He throws a lot of balls not been allowed to attend team practices, behind and short of their targets which will resulting in a severe lack of NFL film on Joronly become more apparent in the NFL with dan Love. Also, when Coach Matt LeFleur had the opportunity to give Love some playing time in real games last season during weeks 16 and 17 when the Packers led the Titans 40-14 and led the Bears 35-16.

LeFleur had a golden opportunity to debut his rookie quarterback and decided it would be best to hide Love’s NFL talent, perhaps to maintain his trade value and protect him from fan criticism. The Packers organization is subtly telling us that they do not have faith in Jordan Love’s abilities. Love was seen as a project quarterback who would need guidance coming out of the draft. He received one offer coming out of college and that was from the Mountain West football team, Utah State. In 2019, Love and the Aggies achieved a 7-6 win-loss record.

Love threw for 20 touchdowns and led the FBS in interceptions with 17. He ranked 54th in FBS with a completion percentage of 61.9% and 20th in passing yards with 3,402 yards in the air. Love does not make up for these lack-luster stats with his feet either.

His 4.74 40-yard dash time and otherwise below-average NFL draft combine performance does not help his case. Love drew playstyle comparisons to Blake Bortles coming out of college and was seen by most as a second round talent. In the NFL, Love will be punished by NFL defenses for his looping MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ’21 The entrace to the NFL Draft in 2017 in Philadelphia windup, which slows down his release. Also,

VIA DECATURDAILY

Love only completed 31.8% of his deep throws which is concerning since he is supposed to be a deep ball specialist. In Love’s defence, he ran his 2019 campaign with no help and a new coaching staff. Since then, he has been thrown into an uncomfortable Green Bay quarterback room, which has stunted his growth as a quarterback. Love is a talented prospect: he can throw the ball in a tight spiral from many different throwing angles and has elite arm strength. He could succeed with another team with great coaching but it would be hard for him to do so with Green Bay. I think it would be best for the Packers to fire GM Brian Gutekunst, keep Aaron Rodgers, and see what they can get for Love on the trade market. Love has fallen victim to too many poor situations which has stunted his growth as an NFL prospect.

Finally, on a brighter note, second overall pick Zach Wilson will exceed expectations with the New York Jets. Coming out of BYU, Wilson posted an outstanding 11:1 touchdown:interception ratio in 2020. He had an enormous jump in production in his junior season. He ranked second in the FBS in completion percentage (73.5%), third with 33 passing touchdowns (and just three interceptions), and tenth with 307.7 passing yards per game (3,692 total). Wilson also rushed for 10 touchdowns and led his Cougar squad to a 11-1 record as a starter.

Wilson is able to keep plays alive outside of the pocket and keep his eyes downfield to find open receivers. He showcased good arm strength when throwing off balance and was unafraid of making tight-window challenges.

He is an athletic play extender with a big play mindset. This is appropriate because he had a 54% completion rate on deep throws last season and a 68% completion rate on medium throws, according to Pro Football Focus. Wilson senses pressure off the edge and maintains a strong base inside the pocket.

With a running game to keep defense honest and an arm that will compete with the best of the best, Wilson is primed for success. Unfortunately, he will be thrown into a dumpster fire New York organization where he will have to make the best out of what he is given. However, new head coach Robert Saleh seems like a good hire and the Jets added a few weapons to their offense this off-season such as Tevin Coleman and Corey Davis. This and the improving offensive line will help support Wilson’s confidence and swagger as a rookie.

This rookie class is full of talent—only time will tell how that translates to the big league.

the index · sports

Page 20

May 2021

A.J. Sanford leads mid-distance runners Adiyan Nayak ’24

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s the spring season comes to a close, teams are working hard to perform at the highest level during their final opportunities together. Senior athletes are entering a mood of reflection on their high school years, while also preparing for the next phase of their athletic careers.

For the track and field team, Sixth Former A.J. Sanford has made a great impact.

The electrifying runner was selected as the Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week in January, and he has carried his excellence into the spring season, leaving a lasting mark on the athletic program while impressing his teammates and coaches. Despite Sanford’s magnificent performance, the track and field team’s season has not come without adversity.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries during the season that have held us back a bit, but for the most part, we’ve stayed contenders in a lot of categories,” Sanford said. “People are training hard, and our athletes are perform-

ing really well when they do compete. So, if we had a fully healthy team, I think there’s no doubt we’d be very good right now.”

The season has also included a coaching change, with new Track and Field Director Mr. Ron Hunter leading the team. Sanford feels that the coaching style has had a positive impact on the group’s camaraderie.

“Since we got new coaching, the team dynamic changed a little bit,” Sanford said.

“The sprinters and the distance runners usually don’t get to interact very much, just because we’re on different schedules and workout regimens, but this year we’ve had a chance to bond through a couple of different workouts.”

As a senior, Sanford has experienced an increase in his leadership role, and has used the position to help his teammates improve.

Sanford said, “I think as a leader, the most important thing is just working with your teammates and holding them accountable, but obviously still having fun and being

part of the team.”

Being part of the team has developed Sanford both physically and mentally, and he attributes a large portion of his success to the school’s running programs.

“There’s no doubt in my mind: I wouldn’t be at the level that I’m at without Haverford’s coaching staff,” Sanford said.

“They’ve always done a really good job of being positive and also holding me accountable. I can say from my freshman year to now, I’m definitely a more disciplined athlete.”

Over the course of all his years running, Sanford has not lost any of his competitive spirit.

“My favorite part of competition is just getting in the zone,” Sanford said. “People don’t really attribute track and field to being a hype sport, but that build-up to the race, and getting ready to compete at a high level—it’s a feeling that’s indescribable.”

Sanford is looking forward to the future,

where he will continue his athletic career at the collegiate level.

He has committed to Lafayette College, a Division-I program in the Patriot League.

Until then, Sanford still has his sights set on

“So, before I graduate and go off to college, the goal is to hit some of those records.”

AJ SANFORD ’21 high school excellence.

“I hope to excel when I get there, but as of now I still have some school records that I want to get, and know that I’m capable of getting,” Sanford said. “So, before I graduate and go off to college, the goal is to hit some of those records.”

JEFFREY YANG ’22

A.J. Sanford ’21 running in a meet against Malvern and Springside Chesnut Hill April 17, 2021

Inter-Ac tournaments, cont. from front page

Fans watch varsity lacrosse vs. Gilman School

JEFFREY YANG ’22

in a championship and not feeling well, but doesn’t want to let his team down so he does not reveal his symptoms.”

As a result of the COVID precautions, the winner of the Inter-Ac tournament will simply be named the “Inter-Ac Tournament Champion.”

Amongst the athletes, there is a mixed attitude towards the newly formed tournaments.

“Personally, I would rather have the state tournament,” Fifth Form baseball starting pitcher Ryan Reed said. “ I think it brings more competition, and makes the strategy different because you are playing teams you may not have seen before. I feel like we still could have had the state tournament because we have played teams from other conferences already this year.”

Amongst the Fords’ pitchers, a disapproval of the tournament seemed to be the consensus. Fifth Form starting pitcher Aidan Welsh said, “With the new tournament, I think lots of Inter-Ac teams didn’t really care that much about the Inter-Ac ‘regular season,’ and instead were just waiting for the tournament to begin.”

While some athletes were disappointed,

others like Fifth Form tennis player Damian Ferraro were excited to have the opportunity to play some extra matches.

“I think that an Inter-Ac tournament is a great addition for the competitive nature of a school like Haverford,” Ferraro said. “It makes the season more exciting and interesting and allows all teams to start out fresh, regardless of their regular season record.”

Fifth Form lacrosse player Teddy Malone agrees.

“Although I would love to participate in a state championship with non league teams and exhibit our talent on a larger scale, an Inter-Ac postseason has so much history,” Malone said. “The Inter-Ac often has the best teams in the state so the competition is always great.”

While the Inter-Ac tournaments should add some extra competition to the end of the spring season, Mr. Murphy and the other athletic directors have begun to look towards next year as well.

“The one thing it has caused us to do is look at those sports that don’t have endof-the-year opportunities, and say, is there something we can do that might make sense for that sport?” Mr. Murphy said.