Ms. Lewis’s double life

Joey Kauffman ’23

Fifth Former Owen Yu knew the feeling all too well: walking into school in the morning and listening to music. All of the sudden, the music stops. The phone connects to the Haverford student wifi, and a firewall renders Spotify useless.

“When I first walked into school on the day that Spotify was unblocked, and my music just played the next song, let me tell you, it felt great,” Yu said. “It felt like I entered a new world.”

Fifth Former Matthew Kang echoes Yu’s sentiments.

“It was definitely a feeling of victory. All this hardship, all this suffering that all Haverford students have endured for years— that has finally come to an end. It’s vindicating. It’s just—I can’t put it into words how happy I am,” Kang said.

Kang, through all of his bliss, reveals a historical truth about Haverford: students have had to deal with firewalls restricting their internet use at school for a long time.

Ms. Andrea Drinkwine, the Director of Information & Instructional Technology, remembers such firewalls since the time she arrived at Haverford over eight years ago.

“I can’t really speak to what was going on before that, but from that point on [eight years ago], we had instituted a next-generation firewall that allowed us to be able to control what was open and was not open in a more efficient way.”

While blocking Spotify didn’t entirely restrict students’ ability to listen to music at school, the restriction sent a message of regulation to much of the student body. However, controlling how students spend their free time was never the goal of blocking Spotify.

“It was never the intent, like, oh, we don’t want students listening to music,” Ms. Drinkwine said.

In fact, Spotify was only blocked as a way to decrease the pressure put on the school wifi’s bandwidth and keep the websites that are essential for classes running smoothly. But this message hasn’t seemed to have made it to students, and many, including student body president Mitav Nayak, assumed there were different motives for the block.

“I thought that they didn’t want kids to listen to music, that’s why they blocked Spotify. And I think that it might just be because we’re thinking it’s ‘us versus them’ where it’s really not,” Nayak said. “I think it’s just miscommunication maybe.”

Nayak has served as the much-needed link between faculty and students concerning technology. When a group of students including Kang and Yu were upset with the school’s Spotify policy last year, they turned to the newly-elected Mitav. “I think we were trying to listen to music or something, and at one point we were all just like, man, it would be great if Spotify was unblocked,” Yu said of an advisory period last year. “So, we all had Mitav’s number, and we were just like, hey, why don’t we just message Mitav and ask?” Once Nayak received the feedback from the group of students, he got to work, bringing up the Spotify question at student council meetings dating back to the summer and sending out a poll with a question about it to the student body in the fall. Indeed, when

A student listens to Spotify while doing school work Mitav met with Ms. Drinkwine to present the request to unblock the app, he was prepared. “80% of kids said that they would benefit from Spotify being unblocked,” Nayak said. “[Ms. Drinkwine] said she decided that yes she can [unblock it], give it like a oneweek try.” Ms. Drinkwine hasn’t seen any negative impacts on the bandwidth from Spotify so far, and students all over the upper school are enjoying music once again. “I think [unblocking Spotify] is one of the greatest things a Haverford president has done in the last 15 or so years,” Kang joked.

Connor Rall ’23

Students walk into their classrooms not knowing the life of their teachers outside of school. While outside lives vary, upper school science teacher Mrs. Tashia Lewis leads quite the interesting one.

Mrs. Lewis has been living and working on farms since she was young. She has learned the intricacies of maintaining the animals and all the things that keep a farm running. In addition to Mrs. Lewis’ love for farm life, her grandfather also worked on a farm for quite some time.

MS. TASHIA LEWIS

“Well the interesting thing about it is that there are technically two farms—my grandfather’s farm has been there for 50 years, and his career before his farm was a chicken poultryman,” Mrs. Lewis said.

Ms. Lewis’ grandfather’s inspiration and her love of animals gave Mrs. Lewis motivation to start her own farm, where she currently resides.

Taking care of a farm is a lot of work. Mrs. Lewis carefully manages her time teaching and tending to her farm. To get all of the farm work done, Mrs. Lewis and her husband must work together so that she has the time to grade tests and complete other school-related work.

“So my husband does a lot of the morning stuff since I am usually out of the house by six o’clock, and he usually finishes by eight. At night, typically after the kids go to bed, I do alot of farm stuff, and then after that, I finish up the school stuff that I have to do,” Mrs. Lewis said.

Considering the majority of people don’t own a farm, most are unfamiliar with what an average day on the farm is like and all the hard work that goes into tending for the animals and making sure everything is in stable condition.

“The evening trough routine is—once the kids go to bed, we have to heat up the cow’s milk for bottles. The cows drink a gallon of milk a day. We heat up the milk and we put them in these huge bottles, then slide them on a wire holder for the cows to drink off of. Then, while I’m doing that, my husband does the rest,” Mrs. Lewis said.

As for the future of the farm, Mrs. Lewis has specific goals in mind.

She said, “I think a lot of it is, sustaining my own lifestyle. Having my own meat and eggs has always been the goal of the farm. What I’d like to do is make some money off the farm to provide for my family.”

Christopher Schwarting ’24

Lunch. You know when it’s happening—the swift travel of a congealed student mass exits Wilson Hall with haste to the dining hall. Arguably one of, if not the most, important part of an upper schooler’s day—students critically pick up the sustenance they need to refuel their energy reserves and keep up with their coursework.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the dining hall staff dropped off boxed lunches to advisory classrooms, delivering upon a commitment to safety guidelines. However, students also reconciled with a lack of hot menu items, smaller portions, and a consensus that such a system could not replicate the dining hall experience.

There was much excitement, therefore, upon the announcement that students would be returning to the dining hall for the 2021-22 academic year. Finally, students could once again look forward to a diverse array of menu items made available in a convenient fashion.

To account for persisting virus concerns, student diners had to be spaced safely. The result? Contrasted against the pale greens of the grass and leaves in the quad now sits a familiar sight to underclassmen: a large white tent. Pitched above several rows of outdoor tables, Third and Fourth Formers are expected to spend their lunch in the outdoor setting.

For many, the exterior arrangement of this year’s lunch is a welcome change from last year’s restrictions—a much-needed positive.

“Lunch this year has been pretty good for me,” Fourth Former Russell Yoh said. “We missed out on being able to get our food from the cafeteria last year due to COVID, so it’s really nice to be able to do that again.” For Yoh, the changes have been enjoy-

RUSSELL YOH ’24

They eventually parted ways when Ms. Slack and her family moved to Haverford while the Davises went to Virginia. But a few years later, Mr. Slack, then English Department Chair, persuaded Mrs. Davis to join Haverford, reuniting the two friends.

For Ms. Slack, the best thing about working with Mrs. Davis at Haverford was the conversations they had.

“She would come in [the library] pretty much every day [last spring] to have lunch,” Ms. Slack said. “And we’d have lunch and talk, and it’s a wonderful thing.”

The topics of their talks had no bounds. Smartphones were Mrs. Davis’ Achilles’ heel, so Ms. Slack was always there to help sort out any issues. Mrs. Davis also discussed her work, asking if something sounded good or if Ms. Slack had any thoughts.

“She was a great collaborator with everybody, with her students, with her colleagues,” Ms. Slack said. “She was a great connector of people, to all kinds of things, different ideas to people to people. ”

Mrs. Davis served as a steward of the faculty evaluation program. Every three years or so, a team consisting of the head of upper school, the appropriate department chair, and a peer evaluates a teaching faculty member. The program gives teachers a better picture of the good and the bad of their classes.

As the Dean of Faculty, Mrs. Davis constantly looked for ways for the faculty to be the best versions of themselves.

“She was on the front line of making sure the faculty were reflecting on their craft and making sure there was a constant improvement in their instruction,” Head of Upper School Mr. Mark Fifer said. “And she was also really on the front line of providing support to faculty members for various professional development opportunities.”

One way Mrs. Davis helped was through the SIGHTS program, which helped faculty find summer professional development opportunities.

Aside from her contributions to the institution, Mrs. Davis spent much of her time building relationships with other teachers. From the start, English teacher Ms. Taylor Smith-Kan felt welcomed by Mrs. Davis.

“When I first started working here, she told me where I should go to church in the community,” Ms. Smith-Kan said. “She saw me as a human being who also had needs outside of the school, and she wanted to make sure I was in the community of Haverford and Havertown.”

Mrs. Davis always offered support to faculty and helped whenever possible. For Ms. Smith-Kan, weekly chats were the norm last year.

“She would just give me a call, and we’d talk about Hamlet for like five minutes because we were both teaching Hamlet,” Ms. Smith-Kan said. “And then we would just talk about her kids and what they were doing, and she would ask about my pregnancy, and we would just talk about our lives.”

Her commitment to helping others was a large part of who she was as a person, positivity being another big piece of Mrs. Davis’ personality.

“She had such a positive outlook,” Ms. Slack said. “She was one of the great optimists. She could find great things anywhere, anytime, and I loved being able to see the world through her eyes sometimes.”

Mrs. Davis was a great mentor, friend, and colleague. Her job was her calling.

“She loved teaching,” Ms. Slack said. “She saw it as her vocation, and she couldn’t stop.”

“So far I’ve enjoyed eating lunch outside under the tents,” Yoh said. “It’s right outside the cafeteria, so it’s not a far walk, and it’s nice to get to be outside to eat.”

Third Former Lucas Sim agrees, settling under the tents with his friends each day.

“Overall, I’d say that sitting at the tents is a comfortable experience,” Sim said. “Personally, I sit at the same tables every lunch, and so my friends and I usually bring our bags just to lay claim to that area.”

Recognizing the present conditions, students like Sim accept the lunch situation as it is. For the time being, the conditions pose few obstacles to eating lunch and meeting with peers.

Still, open-air lunches are not problem-

free.

“Sitting outside can have its downsides of course, especially with allergies and insects roaming the area. That tends to be an annoying factor of sitting outside,” Sim shared.

Others in the community are less satisfied with the current organization of the outdoor lunches.

“It’s not particularly good,” Fourth Former Chase Shatzman said. “There are a lot of bugs around the whole place. And despite a [split lunch block], it’s very crowded during peak times. Though it’s outside, it’s on the grass, which is inconvenient, especially in the rain. It’s not the cleanest, either.”

The tight-packing of students limits distancing ,and a lack of physical structure can make it difficult for students to dine comfortably. In fact, seating becomes sparse at the peak of the lunch window.

“Some days I really want to sit outside for lunch, but there are few seats left,” Third Former Aaron Bonaparte said.

The tight schedule and seating plans can present challenges when one lunch period is more heavily populated. A concern that reigns paramount with the Third and Fourth Formers’ current outdoor seating arrangement falls on to the points of the weather. Without the protection of a sheltered building, the students are exposed to the elements and interruptions in their lunch plans.

“I know when it gets colder, it’ll become less convenient to eat outside,” Yoh said. “When that happens, we’ll probably be a little more uncomfortable when eating and will have to bring some more layers.”

Even before the colder temperatures of winter approach, the rain has already created disruptions to the tented facility.

“I do find it a little annoying when step-

JOEY KAUFFMAN ’23 Underclassmen eat lunch in outdoor tents on October 12, 2021

ping through the marshy dirt after rain, and when it rained to the extent where we had to relocate to the wrestling room, I found it bothersome,” Sim said.

The wrestling room is currently designated as the temporary dining location for inclement weather.

This distance creates long walking times and a disorderly operation of lunch between the cafeteria and eating spaces.

Surrounding environmental complications in the outdoor lunch periods, many simply feel as if they do not have answers.

“I find the uncertainty of not knowing where we could be due to inclement weather to be quite frustrating, and I know many Third and Fourth Formers feel the same,” Fourth Former Jai Bonaparte shared. “And while I’m aware that the school will come up with a plan for us as the weather gets colder and more inconvenient, the silence we are met with whenever we ask questions about the topic, I must admit, is not at all reassuring.”

In creating further improvements to the outdoor setting for Third and Fourth Form lunches, students have differing opinions. From increasing student autonomy to permit dining around campus like those of individual advisories last year to creating some spaces in Wilson Hall, and even placing false floors atop the Quad surface beneath the tents and enclosing the space for inclement weather, there are many ways students see a resolution.

“I would definitely love it if there were more places to eat around campus,” Bonaparte said.

Others think the existing system requires little to no modifications.

“I could go with a few more napkin dispensers here and there, and in times of uncooperating weather maybe the school could provide umbrellas if it’s not too much of an expense,” Sim said. “[Besides] seeing that I don’t see that much need for change.”

Largely, all students recognize the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Sim said, “The staff I think is doing a great job of accommodating our needs, and I understand [that] complications may occur.”

MS. CINNIE SLACK

Ryan Rodack ’22

The technology department provides each student and faculty member with a school Google account upon arrival at Haverford. We are all logged into this account throughout most of the school day, and maybe even in our free time, but some members of our community are not aware of the extent of access that the technology department has to our accounts.

“When an organization provides you with a Google account or email address, it is on loan,” Director of Information and Instructional Technology Ms. Andrea Drinkwine said. “You don’t own it. The school owns it and allows you to use it just like you use the athletic facilities and classrooms. So, in that sense, there should be no expectation of any kind of privacy… There are network monitoring tools and E-discovery tools that allow IT administrators to get into any account from any student or employee.”

From Google Docs, to Google Mail, to YouTube and Google Chrome searches, IT administrators have the tools to view a student or faculty member’s every move.

This access raises the question: are students careful of what they search, open, and write in their school Google Account?

“I’m always self-conscious about what I look up,” Sixth Former Andrew Johnson said. “I’m just worried that they [the technology department] might be checking to see what I’m doing. I really have no idea what they can and can’t see, and I’d like to know because it can be uncomfortable sometimes when I’m in my own house and I’m still selfconscious about what I am searching.”

Bryan Li ‘22 (left) and Alexander Colucci ‘22 (right) browse the internet in Severinghaus Library

Sixth Former Temesghen Irgau said, “I’m aware that our search history is probably being monitored, or at least they can have access to it, so I’m always more careful on school WiFi.”

Students have varying levels of expectations regarding online privacy, and many are unaware of the privacy agreement they’ve made with the school. When obtaining a school Google Account, each student signed a Responsible Use Policy.

Part of the policy states, “If users wish to protect the privacy of personal information or communication, do not use The Haverford School’s networked information technology resources to create, store, or transmit it. Students, faculty, staff, and guests should have absolutely no expectation of privacy when using Haverford’s information technology. Any and all activities performed on the School’s network can be monitored, with or without a user’s permission.”

While all students signed this Responsible Use Policy, few recall the specifics outlined or even actually signing it. For many community members, several years have passed since viewing it.

“I don’t really remember signing anything,” Sixth Former Jack Payne said. “I may have signed something, but I can’t say that I remember signing any agreement.”

To that, Ms. Drinkwine says, “This comes down to even when a student is buying an app. Do they read the policy? No, they just hit agree and keep going.”

After reflecting on students’ lack of knowledge regarding their online privacy, Ms. Drinkwine understands that confusion is warranted.

“This is something that we know we need to do a little bit more education around,” Ms. Drinkwine said. “This year, I want to progress education around digital citizenship, particularly starting with our youngest boys in the lower school.”

Ethan Lee ’24

Last year, Haverford worked hard to maintain in-person learning, resulting in a routine unique to the pandemic. Students sat through three ninety-minute classes each day. Following changes in the schedule this year, many students have noticed a shift in the academic climate.

One of the changes this year has been 75-minute class periods, in which students can pay attention in class for longer periods of time.

“I think a 75-minute class is just perfect,” Fifth Former Matthew Kang said. “Last year, classes felt way too long, and I knew I couldn’t pay attention for 90 minutes. With a fifteen-minute decrease in class length and a free period in the day, I feel much more refreshed and ready to focus.”

Even with the reduction of class time, some classes are still moving at the same pace.

“Because of mask breaks last year, the classes are generally the same length,” Fourth Former Render Ford said.

Perhaps the most prominent change this year has been the re-introduction of free periods. With the increase in homework, free periods have helped lessen the student home workloads.

“[The free periods] enable me to catch up with my friends and take a break from sometimes an overwhelming amount of school work,” Kang said. “They also take some pressure off the night before and the forthcoming night.”

“Homework has increased because we are sophomores now, and free periods are a great time to get homework done,” Ford said.

Students seem to appreciate the changes made to the schedule as they feel that the class length and amount of homework optimize their learning potential.

Kang said, “This tradeoff of class time and homework is worth it for me and my peers’ mental well being.”

Adiyan Nayak ’24

Mr. Bridge in a classroom discussion with upper school students, September 9, 2021

The fundamental purpose of teaching is to pass on knowledge to new generations. But that purpose is often obscured by the material needs of contemporary students. The exact definition of knowledge likely varies among people and institutions. The school’s slogan, “preparing boys for life,” suggests a priority on the overarching concepts of education, rather than minute, insignificant details.

By focusing on larger ideas, teachers at Haverford strive for deeper understanding. Few people have spent more time contemplating the meaning of this deeper understanding than upper school pre-calculus teacher Mr. Nathan Bridge.

“I’m trying to really provide the students with an opportunity to demonstrate to me what they actually know and understand about the mathematical material,” Mr. Bridge said. “So when I design an assessment, I want to eliminate any factors or variables that might interfere with that communication.”

For Mr. Bridge, getting the correct answer is only a portion of the understanding he wants from his students.

“Even if they don’t get the right answer, they still have plenty of opportunity to communicate all their thinking about the problem. If I want to know what students understand, it quickly becomes evident that we can’t put all the emphasis of the problem on getting the correct answer,” Mr. Bridge said.

Students in his class are appreciative of the multiple opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge.

“I think it’s really interesting the way that he grades it using so many different rubrics,” Fourth Former Luke Putter said. “There are just so many different ways that you’re able to get your grade up.”

Mr. Bridge has spent countless hours perfecting these different rubrics to optimize the growth potential for all of his assessments.

“In my class, knowledge and understanding means making sense of the problem and understanding what it requires, getting the right answer, using valid techniques, and having evidence of conceptual awareness,” Mr. Bridge said. “So you need to understand not just the techniques of how to do it, but also the concepts behind them, and why they’re appropriate for the given problem.”

As a result of these additional elements to the rubric, students obtain more information every time they step into the classroom.

“It’s a lot of fun taking his class because it’s very engaging, and I feel like I’m learning a lot more underneath the concepts,” Fourth Former Dawson Baker said.

Fully grasping the concepts is certainly important in mathematics, but the notion can also be applied to history courses.

Baker said, “Just memorizing dates can be utterly useless, to be completely frank. It’s a lot more important to know why something happened and everything that comes with it, rather than just a strict set of events.”

Ancient and Modern World History Teacher Mr. Jeremy Hart often preaches the importance of learning concepts as opposed to content, hoping that students will be able to acquire knowledge from his courses rather than just memorize it.

“Concepts and contents are on a spectrum,” Mr. Hart said. “On one end you have the larger ideas and principles, and on the other you have the real specifics of an item. I try to teach the concepts into the content.”

With this philosophy in mind, Mr. Hart designs his tests to evaluate his students’ conceptual understanding, hoping that they will prove their knowledge of the content along the way.

“Part of the way I assess is, I say, ‘Give me the idea’ or ‘Explain the concept to me.’ And by proving they understand the concept, they also show that they know some of the content that’s tied to it,” Mr. Hart said.

This pedagogy can enhance the teacher and student relationship.

Mr. Hart said, “The whole idea of Haverford is preparing boys for life, and I think when students understand the concepts, they are able to have a critical eye for some of the bigger questions in life.”

MR. NATHAN BRIDGE

MR. JEREMY HART

Tripp Ronon ’24

Lower Merion Township has approved the next big development for Ardmore. A few blocks from campus, one can buy a car, attend CrossFit classes, or order pancakes at the IHOP. Soon, an attractive five-story mixed-use project will occupy the same lot between Ardmore and Greenfield Avenues.

After months of board meetings and proposals, the Lower Merion Township Planning Commission has given real estate company Toll Brothers approval to build 279 apartments, 5 retail storefronts, and 594 parking spaces.

All of this will be “anchored” by a grocer, who will take up the majority of the ground floor storefront, at the corner of Lancaster and Greenfield Avenues.

There is a shortage of rental apartments in Lower Merion Township. Ardmore, as well as Bala Cynwyd, are the prime locations where new apartments are being built. Nearby to these “IHOP Apartments,” One Ardmore Place, a recently built 100-unit apartment development, was not well received by many neighborhood residents due to its lackluster appearance and the damaging effects to small businesses in the shadow of its imposing height.

By contrast, the IHOP Apartments will have a sleek design and an attractive appearance that extends and enhances the walkability of downtown Ardmore. The facade facing Lancaster Avenue is consistent with the height, scale, and setbacks to the streetscape of the Historic District. It is designed with high-quality building materials and landscaping.

This exciting new development comes at a cost of approximately 100 million dollars and the demise of this beloved IHOP. During a recent visit to this house of pancakes, Fourth Former Lucas Harrington had some comments about the establishment.

“My funny face pancakes came out piping hot and delicious, and the insufficient lighting of the restaurant was in stark contrast to the enthusiastic wait staff and the lively buzz from fellow diners,” Harrington said.

This community gathering spot for post-church brunches and the last day of school banquets doesn’t have much time left. The iconic blue A-frame structure, a piece of the Ardmore skyline, will be missed by many passing pedestrians and pancake connoisseurs.

There is a void to be filled. Will the next pancake entrepreneur occupy a storefront at the new IHOP Apartments?

The IHOP on Lancaster Avenue

Ethan Chan ’23

Nestled in Delaware County, which locals passionately dub “Delco, ” Media, America’s first fair-trade town, serves as one of the most popular places in the county. With great nightlife, restaurants, and more, Media seems like the place to be, but for Sixth Former Will Rubin ’22, he felt that there was something missing.

“For years, we felt that there was a hole in the community surrounding Media. My friends and I would aimlessly walk around the town feeling like there was nothing to do other than eat. In 2020, with the closing of a store, we realized that we had a huge opportunity to follow our dream of opening our own store where my family has lived for decades,” Rubin said.

A unique business venture in the homogenous sea of restaurants and businesses within Media, Rubin and his family founded Game on State: Everybody’s Arcade. Game on State is a juxtaposition of the nostalgic retro arcades and the modern trend of games; the arcade has a wide selection of classic retro games along with a custom-made virtual reality machine.

For such a business to emerge successfully, a thoughtful amount of time and hard work was put forth by Rubin and his family. “We started by planning out the whole business including modeling our profits and general business plan. Then we got the lease for the space and began on our demo of the space,” Rubin commented.

While the arcade has yet to open its doors, Rubin is hard at work. Contractors are at the arcade every day to prepare the business to open. If everything goes as planned, Game On State will be Media’s newest business by Halloween. As the arcade makes its final arrangements and ambitions run high, Rubin still emphasizes the sense of unity he hopes to bring about with the arcade.

WILL RUBIN ’22

“Ideally, we’d like to turn a profit. But we also want our arcade to be a place where everyone from across the Greater Philadelphia area feels they can come for a warm sense of community. In a time where it feels like everyone is so divided, we want our business to be a place where everyone is united by nostalgia and fun,” Rubin stated. Similarly, Rubin emphasizes his target

audience, whose shoes he was once in. “As of now, Media doesn’t have very many ‘fun’ places to go. So instead of kids having to walk around and get a slice at Little Anthony’s Pizza, they can come into the arcade and pay very little to have a great time playing games,” Rubin said. Despite the visions for Game On State, the business emphasizes its importance of inclusivity with equal employment. “What truly differentiates [us] from other arcades and, really, other businesses in the region is our commitment to providing customized employment for people with special needs. We are doing this through partnering with our local school district to have their special needs students work at our store. We really want to stay true to our mission,” Rubin said.

Ultimately, Game on State looks to cement itself within the roots of Media as not only a place to play games but also an environment where everybody can come together.

Game on State interior Ultimately, Game on State looks to cement itself within the roots of Media as not only a place to play games but also an environment where everybody can come together.

Colin Stewart ‘22

2016 Electoral College map

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Upperclassmen eat lunch in the dining hall on October 12, 2021

It’s a far too common occurrence: there I am at the Haverford College Nature Trail. I am not even a mile into my daily run but I can already feel a burning sensation creeping up the back of my throat. With every step I take, the taste of what I had for lunch works its way back into my mouth. I’m faced with two decisions.

The first: I ask my running partners to slow down as I work my way over to the side of the trail to throw up.

The second: I continue on with my run and do my best to ignore the near certainty that I will throw up.

I am sure that this is not a universal experience for all Haverford athletes, but the results of a B-lunch are far too pervasive. I can only imagine what a football player has to go through—being tackled while the remnants of an hour-and-a-half-old lunch slosh around in his stomach. Or a water polo player whose late lunch is combining with the chlorine-ridden pool water they may have swallowed. The seemingly inconsequential act of eating during B-lunch is far from that.

The idea that some students have only an hour and a half between lunch and a practice that the school requires us to participate in is ludicrous. Though B-lunch only ended five minutes earlier on the schedule from the 2019-2020 school year, students were allowed to eat in Wilson Hall. I know that some sticklers for the rules will point out that technically we could not, but teachers often let students snack on a granola bar during class as long as we did not make a mess. This meant that instead of eating a full lunch, students could eat smaller snacks throughout the day and eat less at lunch resulting in a calm stomach during that day’s practice.

With the addition of COVID-19 precautions, the prohibition on food in Wilson Hall is enforced more seriously this year. This means that a student with B-lunch will, on most days, remain without any sort of sustenance from 8:30 in the morning until 1:15—a ridiculous 4 hours and 45 minutes that does not account for the fact that most students do not finish breakfast at exactly 8:30 and most students have to wait at least five minutes for lunch once in the dining hall.

Not only has this led to problems during practice which I previously touched on, but it also leads to many other consequences. Possibly the most dangerous is the choice of not eating during B-lunch. One B-lunch day sophomore year, I decided to skip because I did not want to deal with the possible consequences during an important workout later that day. This decision was effective in preventing vomit, but it led to something much worse—my blood sugar bottoming out. I had not eaten anything since 8:30 a.m. which meant that I was deprived of the proper nutrition for a workout. Instead of finishing the workout, proud that I made it through it, I was sprawled out in the first lane of the track, blacked out. I eventually came to and a teammate helped me walk, more aptly stumble, to the trainer’s office. There, I was given a snack to bring my blood sugar up and within fifteen minutes I felt back to normal.

Another problem that is far more common is distraction during classes preceding B-lunch. Instead of focusing on the lesson at hand, we are often preoccupied by the primitive desire of hunger. The empty feeling in our stomachs distracts us from actively getting work done. It often leads to complaining and even sometimes bargaining with the teacher in order to get out of class and into the dining hall only five minutes earlier than usual. This wastes class time that would otherwise be spent learning.

These criticisms are not to discredit all of the hard work that the administration has done in allowing us to go to school and more importantly, eat with our fellow students in the dining hall during these dangerous times. I write this article merely to bring to light a fault in the current system that the administration might not have even known about. Along with the problems listed above, I am sure there are many more that other students can provide. I give the abbreviated version only to bring to the forefront what I and many others believe to be a problem with the current schedule—an easily fixable problem that should be addressed.

Connor Simpkins ’25

In my first month as a Third Former, I have met more of my classmates than I did during all nine months of my Form II year—my first year at Haverford. This fact best sums up how the COVID19-related safety precautions in the middle school last year differ from what Third Formers experience in the upper school this year.

Last year, the middle school’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was to implement a cohort system. Middle schoolers were each assigned to a group with approximately 8-12 classmates; cohorts spent the entire day

COMMUNICATIONS Mr. Steve Cloran welcomes Third Formers on the first day of school

in the same room. Every day, all day. Teachers would rotate into cohorts to teach.

Third Former Zack Oswald describes his Form II year as “very limited.” “We just didn’t have the freedom we have now,” Oswald said.

For the majority of the year, cohorts were not allowed to intermix or socialize. Every day was spent with the same group of guys. We ate lunch together, went to recess together, and did everything as a group. All year long. We wore our masks inside and outside, had a temperature check before entering the building each morning. There were no sports or clubs.

Third Former Kevin Covington, another student who joined Haverford last year, said the restrictions felt overbearing.

“We had like ten guys to talk to and that was it,” Covington said. “It’s more relaxed now; we get to do things.”

“I love being able to take my mask off outside, and going to the cafeteria for lunch is really nice,” Third Former Will Suter said.

The upper school’s safety protocols reflect the knowledge and lessons we all have learned about COVID-19 throughout last year.

Middle School science teacher Andrew Grossman, reflecting on the start of last year,

Arsh Aggarwal ’24

Iremember walking into Wilson Hall as a Form I student nearly every day after school to go to robotics practice in the library. Once the club ended, I usually had about an hour to kill until my brother was finished with his practice, so I waited in the community room and watched older students play Ping-Pong.

One day, I finally mustered up the courage to ask for a game. I could tell they were a little skeptical, but they let me play. I won, so I got to play again, and again, until I finally had to leave. It was exhilarating, so I played again the next day. As time passed, the original fear I had of approaching and talking to

the big, scary high school kids went away. I played and talked to people I would have never thought to interact with.

At the tables, age and social status was irrelevant. It was just Ping-Pong.

The school needs this kind of community space. A place for students from all different backgrounds to come together and bond. A place to escape the stress of high school.

Luckily, the student council feels this way too and is working with the school to try and get them back.

“Mr. Kolade and Mr. Fifer seem to be supportive of [bringing the tables back], so we’ve reached out to some of the people who deal with Haverford’s storage to see if they still have tables in storage somewhere, and if not, we’re going to look into where we can buy one,” Sixth Form Student Body President Mitav Nayak explained. “I think it should happen soon.”

“The Community Room right now is empty and kind of just a dead space. Previously, it was a fun place where people just hung around in the building and just played some Ping-Pong and got to talk to each other... It’s the Community Room so it’s supposed to build some community,” Nayak said.

If the tables return, it will be a great leap forward in the restoration of the brothsaid, “In terms of how it was going to spread in schools, we didn’t really know yet. We didn’t really know the effects it was having on children.”

The cohort system was not an ideal solution, but it worked. Mr. Grossman credits the middle school being in-person for the majority of the year to “incredible safety measures [Middle School Head] Dr. Greytok and the school put in place.”

The cohort system felt stringent and unreasonable at times, but it kept us in school and in-person most of the year. That was no small feat.

The cohort system has also had another benefit. As a class, Third Formers are now more optimistic and appreciative. We may still have to wear masks, and there are still worries about the Delta Variant, but this same time last year, none of us could have even imagined the freedom we now have.

While things may not be returning to normal as quickly as we might want, Third Formers are in the unique position of appreciating how much better things already are.

“We did the best we could last year, but the situation was far worse. In comparison this year feels easy and controlled,” Oswald said.

erhood we once knew. After an eternity of restrictions, we must rebuild the Haverford community to what we know it can be.

Chase Shatzman ’24

At the beginning of the school year, the upper school office announced that both the Third and Fourth Formers would spend their lunch period eating in tents outside of the dining hall.

While I understand that the administrators are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 in the cafeteria, there needs to be more variety for lunch seating.

First of all, students should be allowed to go off-campus for lunch. I do not see a reason to prohibit this other than concern over the safety of students. This would not be an issue if the administrative staff makes an age or grade requirement extending beyond the Sixth Form. In addition to off-campus privileges, underclassmen should be permitted to eat lunch at other outdoor spots on campus, which I do not see as a safety hazard.

What will happen when the weather starts to become more dramatic than the sun and clouds we are used to seeing? Are we supposed to just eat outside in the rain, snow, or hail? Especially when the weather changes, these other arrangements must be made for student sanity and safety.

The cleanliness of the tables and chairs have declined. Although the faculty has commended students for picking up after themselves, the outdoor tables are getting dirty with dead bugs, crumbs, and food residue.

I hope that the administration will make a change to the seating arrangements at lunch for underclassmen, because one cannot expect us to be thrilled with eating lunch with the bugs.

Owen Yu ’23

As I’m writing this article at my bedside desk, my phone sits inches away, constantly calling for me to pick it up. I wouldn’t say I’m addicted to social media; I consciously try to stay off it and even limit myself to a few hours a day on social media apps. But no matter how hard I try to suppress it, I can’t help but feel an urge to check my phone — a need to know what is happening in the world.

Social media is a defining part of our generation. It is our way of communicating, sharing, and connecting with each other and the world around us. But social media has drawbacks too, some of which can lead to detrimental results.

A recent Wall Street Journal investigation highlights how Instagram’s format of sharing the perfect image of oneself can impact the health of teenagers: “The tendency to share only the best moments, a pressure to look perfect and an addictive product can send teens spiraling toward eating disorders, an unhealthy sense of their own bodies and depression.”

The investigation focuses on girls’ experiences, but it also discusses the influence of social media on boys. As young men, it’s important to recognize that we aren’t immune to its effects. According to The Wall Street Journal, in 2019 Facebook’s researchers “found that 14% of boys in the U.S. said Instagram made them feel worse about themselves. In their report on body image in 2020, Facebook’s researchers found that

40% of teen boys experience negative social comparison.”

These findings are not unfounded in our community. On the condition of anonymity, Student A acknowledges that he has encountered similar things while browsing social media.

“I’ve seen groups that romanticize eating like 300 calories a day, and there are other groups, kind of like the same thing, that basically promote other forms of self harm,” Student A said. “If you really go deep enough, you can find a lot of groups and hashtags like these.”

Regardless of one’s use of social media, the potentially harmful influence is clear. Student A believes that Instagram’s system of ‘likes’ results in a desire for validation.

“The negative parts of social media, specifically Instagram, come from people seeking approval from their followers or people who they follow,” Student A said. “[Instagram] is a way to bring people together, but the problem with that is that it’s not always a good thing.”

Student B shares a similar opinion.

“Instagram isn’t so much about sharing cool things anymore,” Student B said. “It’s more about obtaining ‘likes’ to sort of boost your ego.”

Still, individual experiences on social media vary. For Student C, social media has led him to explore new activities.

“Social media was the driving force into me starting to workout, so that’s a positive,” Student C said. “It also helped me get a sense of fashion and exposed me to clothes [I would want to wear].”

Although Instagram’s ‘like’ system can promote validation-seeking posts, the process of choosing a photo can evoke enjoyment. Student C believes that finding the “right photo” can be a pleasant experience.

“A lot of people want to try and think of the best place to take an Instagram pic,” Student C said. “I think it’s fun.”

Social media, through its variety of applications and digital mediums, requires us to weigh its pros and cons. While we have access to many different communication networks, outside influence within the digital space poses a threat to our health. As members of different online communities, it is crucial that we do not equate digital statuses as representations of ourselves.

At its core, social media creates an atmosphere that simply brings people together.

Whether that connectivity is beneficial or not continues to be determined by us— the users.

A student logs into Instagram on his phone

Bowen Deng ’22

Last month, the conclusion of an election audit in Maricopa County, Arizona, affirmed what we already knew: President Joe Biden fairly won the state. Far from proving that the state (and election) was somehow stolen from former President Trump due to widespread voter fraud, the audit ironically increased Biden’s margin of victory in Maricopa County.

I want to reframe these efforts (and other similar efforts across the country) away from an audit, as that term would be inaccurate. It was more of a hyper-partisan effort to undermine faith in our election integrity. Any form of election review is usually conducted by bipartisan groups, but Arizona state Republicans hand picked the security firms that would conduct the audit; the main firm—Cyber Ninjas—had no previous experience in election review, and its owner had expressed support for baseless election conspiracies. Additionally, former Trump administration officials and Trump allies were the primary funders for the audit, providing a whopping $5.7 million for the effort that was doomed from the start.

Experts criticized the process for lack of transparency and communication. Indeed, the goal of this partisan sham was not to find nonexistent voter fraud and somehow flip Arizona red: it was to question American democracy in any way possible. The audit’s “evidence” of voter fraud quickly fell apart under scrutiny, but the former President repeated them nonetheless. Yet, even a hyperpartisan investigation did not find any evidence of voter fraud.

Pennsylvanian Republicans have begun a similar process. Last month, they voted to subpoena records of every registered voter in the state (records that include nonpublic information like drivers’ license numbers and Social security numbers) in what they call a “forensic investigation” of the 2020 election. Similar to the Arizona investigation, criticism lies in the lack of transparency and privacy concerns.

I urge everybody to examine this from a nonpartisan lens. Will this be the precedent for future elections? Will endless (and baseless) questioning of democratic results months after an election become the norm? Pennsylvania Republicans have cited trust in the election process as their reasoning, but what is there to investigate? President Joe Biden won Pennsylvania. There was no voter fraud. Across the United States, the results of a legitimate election are still being questioned nearly a year later. Republicans cite “election integrity” as their reason, but they actively undermine American democracy through these baseless, partisan election “audits.” In the past year, American democracy has proven to be fragile. The election of 2020 will never be overturned, but our generation may feel its lasting impacts.

Justin Fan ‘24

Many policies across the United States have led to heated disagreements over the ethics of vaccine mandates. The Los Angeles County School District decided to implement a controversial vaccine mandate for all public school students of age to receive a dose. It did so without religious or moral exemptions. New York has also implemented a vaccine mandate for all healthcare workers statewide that disregards exemptions characteristic of vaccine mandates in the past. Additionally, the New York National Guard is being used to supplement healthcare worker shortages largely exacerbated by the vaccine mandate.

Recently, President Biden issued an executive order for a vaccine mandate for all government workers. Most health system leaders and professional organizations have been supportive of the requirement, with some describing vaccination as “the logical fulfillment of the ethical commitment of all healthcare workers to put patients as well as residents of long-term care facilities first.” Hundreds of workers have been fired or left due to these mandates, creating even more stress on remaining workers. The government mandate has come at a crucial time in the fourth wave.

Although it has good intentions, keeping as many healthcare professionals as possible should be the priority to reduce the number of fatalities. Eventually, the mandate would have to be implemented on a national scale to stop the pandemic in its tracks, but placing additional strain on workers during this crucial time could be even more costly than intended.

The Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest school district in the United States with 600,000 students. On September 9, the board made a unanimous decision to mandate vaccines for eligible students between the ages of 12 to 17, making it the first major school district to do so and setting a precedent for other districts to follow. The board made the decision behind closed doors and informed the public in a meeting afterwards, angering parents with a perceived lack of concern for what the community believes is best and giving them a lack of options and increased distress about safety. Several parents claimed that the decision usurped their parental rights while ostracizing families from in-person learning.

Democrat Mayors Bill de Blasio of New York and Lori Lightfoot of Chicago said, “We just don’t think that’s the right thing to do.” Both New York and Chicago represent the other two largest districts in the country. Los Angeles Unified could serve as an example for other schools in the future but has left smaller districts conflicted on a course of action. The L.A district’s action “can provide the model for a comprehensive school response to COVID mitigation, so that schools can move on to student academic and mental health recovery plans,” Odis Johnson Jr., executive director of the Center for Safe and Healthy Schools at Johns Hopkins University, said. The impact of this, if successful, will demonstrate that these sort of large-scale policies can be implemented, at least in developed environments like Los Angeles, while also saving hundreds of lives.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has only been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ages 16 and up. For students younger than 16, the FDA has given the Pfizer vaccine Emergency Use Authorization or EUA. One consistent criticism from opponents of vaccine mandates is that the vaccine lacks any information about the long-term effects due to its novelty. Many parents of Los Angeles Unified are concerned about the side effects, but still the Los Angeles vaccine mandate is set to begin on November 21st.

As previously mentioned, the size and number of people in the district will create a large logistical hurdle as they begin administering vaccines and enforcing the mandate. Despite similar hurdles, towns, districts, and countries have been able to administer vaccine mandates with great efficiency and success. Already, LA country public health data tells us that 62.4% of LAUSD students aged 12-18 have been vaccinated. A key component supporting the vaccine mandate is the LA teachers union.

“[With] so many educators being parents as well, we understand that many questions and concerns exist around the vaccine,” Cecily Myart-Cruz, the union president, said in a statement, “But these questions should not take away from the critical step that will keep our schools safer and help protect the most vulnerable among us, including children too young to be vaccinated.” With President Biden wanting to speed up the FDA approval process, we might see more mandates across the country and a return to normalcy.

On the other side of the country, New York has also begun the process of implementing its own vaccine drive for health care workers. Governor Kathy Hochul recently released a plan to increase the workforce in case large numbers of hospital or senior home employees don’t meet the state’s deadline. Specifically, it could mean declaring a state of emergency to allow healthcare professionals licensed outside of New York, recent graduates, and other retired health care workers from New York, to practice there.

“We are still in a battle against COVID to protect our loved ones, and we need to fight with every tool at our disposal,” she said. Other options include deploying medically trained National Guard members, partnering with federally Disaster Assistance Teams, and exploring ways to expedite visa requests for medical professionals.

The labor shortage is due to pushback against the vaccine mandate, dismissal of unvaccinated employees, and emotional distress. An estimated eight percent of hospital staff are facing dismissal for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by the state deadline. The state’s labor department has also issued guidance clarifying that workers who are terminated because they refuse to be vaccinated will not be eligible for unemployment insurance. Short staffing will only continue to increase as COVID-19 hospitalization rates peak and medical professionals continue to quit. Surveys of doctors and nurses leaving their jobs cite overwork, disorganization, lack of agency in the workplace, and, most tellingly, the trauma of witnessing so much death. Overall, the vaccine mandate comes at a difficult time, creating many issues that have exemplified the stress on the healthcare industry.

The National Guard is the primary reserve military force of the U.S. and is funded by each state. It serves many roles in both the State and Federal level, but is generally called to assist in state-level emergencies. Deployment of the New York National Guard comes during labor shortages across the country. In addition to being deployed to shore up vacant medical staff positions, the National Guard has been activated to drive school buses and function as nursing home caretakers, construction workers, school cafeteria workers and meat processors.

The widespread mobilization of the National Guard to fill positions underscores the state policy of maintaining production and reopening schools despite the catastrophic spread of the pandemic throughout the country.

U.S . CENSUS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

COURTESY OF ARNAV SARDESAI ’23 Arnav Sardesai recieves his first COVID vaccine dose at the Montgomery Mall, May 13, 2021

With the many positions the National Guard needs to fill, it undermines the protection and law enforcement duties of the state while also taking labor from other parts of the economy. Crudely plugging in members to fill the holes in the labor pool will not only make it difficult for the National Guard to fluidly react to future disasters, but also put the members at a higher risk of infection, reversing the attempt to decrease infection rates. This attempt to supplement the skeleton-staffing at hospitals with military labor could create a detrimental ripple effect in other parts of the country. For example, the Guard may be required to work in other parts of the economy during a national emergency instead of enforcing order and helping the injured. Staffing shortages have led to the relaxation of standards all over the country. The standards that we have set during this pandemic may come back to haunt us in the future when we must reorganize our healthcare system.

A psychologically damaged healthcare workforce, a partly-experienced generation of staff, and frequent worker shortages are only a few of the outcomes of the current pandemic. The National Guard will need to play many different roles in the future due to their varied use in the current pandemic, creating the misconception that the National Guard is not an extra military reserve force, but an extra reserve labor pool.

This idea that they can be taken from the existing labor pool to fill gaps will not be able to serve as a long term solution to the labor shortage.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been devastating to us all, millions of people have been infected, their livelihoods destroyed, and loved ones gone. Communities across America have been in a tough battle with Covid for the last 2 years but now, we’re taking more proactive measures through vaccine mandates and vaccine drives. Though questions still linger if local governments or institutions have the authority to enforce these policies, actions have begun in the LA Unified School District and for NY health care workers.

Though we are unsure about the effects of our current events, hopefully these measures will expedite the end of the pandemic.

Charlie Keidel ‘24

Each time a United States President is elected, they have (from the time they are elected to about a year and a half into their presidency) a finite amount of political capital. President Joe Biden had a plethora of ways he could attempt to spend his political capital; ultimately, the President chose to introduce two bills in furtherance of infrastructure.

These bills fared differently. The smaller, one-trillion-dollar bill passed the Senate with bipartisan support. This was somewhat expected as it helps Republicans’ potential narratives. But for the much more expensive 3.5 trillion dollar bill, the Republican Senate will not vote for it because it would not be politically savvy to support the president’s two most politicized measures not involving COVID-19. The one trillion dollar bill mostly contained “physical infrastructure”: four hundred plus billion dollars are going to our roads, public transportation, railroads, airports, and other technologies to improve our systems of transportation. This bill was also heavily lobbied, so it includes a lot of smaller government contributions spanning from banning open alcoholic beverages in cars in a myriad of states to an allotment of funding for research on wildlife crossing safety.

The other bill introduced to Congress was a 3.5 trillion dollar social infrastructure, including 1.8 trillion dollars to working class family tax cuts and lowering the price of prescription drugs. This bill also includes 750 million dollars for education including universal preK and free community college. However, it has faced more of a struggle than the previous, smaller bill.

There is a lot to be said about the socalled “divide” in the Democratic party currently and the headache it results in when attempting to pass major legislation. You could liken it to walking up on a tightrope; balancing the wants and needs of the progressive and centrist wings of the Democratic party has and will continue to be a challenge for the President. For example, chair of the Progressive Caucus Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA.) has said that a majority of the 96 member caucus would vote down the 1.2 trillion dollar bipartisan bill in the House if the 3.5 trillion dollar package is not passed as well. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV.) has also been the persistent thorn in the side of the president’s agenda, saying that he believed the urgency for the bill was “not the same” as the American Rescue Plan, the President’s headline COVID-19 Stimulus Package, and asked the Democratic Senate and the President, “what’s the urgency we have?”

These hold-ups are natural in the Senate, and the President has many times asserted his confidence in the passing of both bills through the two legislative chambers. But the Democrats (and the President) have a much more volatile party, making passing major legislation more difficult.

President Biden cannot alienate progressives nor centrists, and in a year, he must appeal to both when voters head to the polls once again. The President has a quandary when it comes to applying pressure to the Progressive Caucus and more centrist Democrats, and unfortunately, there most likely isn’t a solution.

The one trillion dollar bill mostly contained “physical infastructure:”four hundred plus billion dollars are going to our roads, public trasnportation, railroads, airports, and other technologies to improve our systems of trasnportation.

Senator Joe Manchin addresses the media on February 6, 2017

Ian Rosenzweig ’25

The United States Supreme Court is exactly what it sounds like: the highest court of law in the country. Its nine justices interpret the U.S. Constitution and form opinions on cases that shape restrictions and allowances in legislative bodies. At its core, the Supreme Court is supposed to be an apolitical institution. Although justices are appointed by presidents (all of whom have been associated with a political party), they are required to perform their duties using their knowledge of judicial procedures and United States law without the influence of their personal political beliefs. But recent years have seen a more political court producing increasingly partisan decisions. The current court is composed of six justices who approach the Constitution with an originalist approach (which tends to align with more conservative ideals) and were appointed by Republican presidents. Conversely, three justices approach the constitution with a living Constitution model (which tends to align with more liberal ideals) and were appointed by Democratic presidents. Presidents are responsible for appointing justices, and the Senate is responsible for approving them, so it is understandable that justices will be seen as affiliated with a party or a president. Of course, the justices are people too. They are (or at some point may have been) registered with political parties. Yet, the court’s job is not to make political decisions, rule on which legislation it believes to be moral, or what the justices’ personal beliefs are. Its job is to interpret the Constitution and apply it to law. In recent years, politicians have viewed the Court as an extension of their power, turning the Court increasingly partisan. Debates about the Court became heated just before the 2020 Presidential Election. The Court had been relatively bipartisan at that time, consisting of a 5-4 originalist majority with Chief Justice John Roberts considered a “swing vote,” but liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in September 2020. The election was considered a toss-up at the time, with both candidates exploiting all available resources to better their chances. Incumbent President Donald Trump saw Ginsburg’s death as one of these resources. He had the opportunity to appoint a third justice to the court at a time when he was quoted as saying, “I think [the 2020 election] will end up in the Supreme Court.” President Trump’s supporters were ready to defend his nominee, Judge (now Justice) Amy Coney Barrett, and supporters of (now) President Joe Biden were determined to keep the former president from expediting the confirmation of his pick to cement a majority before the election. Former President Trump’s prediction proved accurate; he brought lawsuit after lawsuit to the courts and, after all of the cases were lost in lower courts, The Supreme Court declined to hear any of the President’s arguments. However, his attempt to use the Court to overturn election results left many Americans questioning the court’s role in politics. Furthermore, then-former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris were both asked about “court-packing” (adding justices to the Court to create a political majority) while campaigning. Court-packing dates back to the Franklin D. Roosevelt presidency. It’s inherent political agenda allowed politicians to exploit the Court for political means. During the FDR administration, President Roosevelt wanted to pack the Court to force his New Deal legislation through legal challenges. He created a win-win situation: either he added more justices (which the Constitution does not prohibit) to ensure his agenda was approved, or the nine justices on the court at that time were more lenient with their interpretation of the constitution thus allowing his legislation. Although he would have needed the approval of Congress to make any changes, FDR essentially attempted to strong-arm the Court into doing his will. This abuse of power may have been the beginning of the court’s partisan swings. In 2020, some liberal senators proposed what they referred to as “court reform” (but was a plan to pack the court) to protect legislation such as the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). President Biden and Vice President Harris were asked about their plans for the Court, but neither gave a clear answer other than that they were open to changes. The public was again shown how much influence politicians are willing to exert over the Court and the threat they pose to the checks and balances system of the United States government.

It is obvious that the Executive Branch of the government has too much power over the Judicial Branch, but is the Supreme Court itself a partisan institution? It depends. When hot-button issues in America’s political dialogue and cases with political overtones--such as abortion rights, voting rights, government size and overreach--the Court is extremely partisan. Decisions are made along party lines (except for Chief Justice John Roberts, whose “swing vote” is considered one of the few things keeping the court apolitical). Simultaneously, the Roberts Court has been unanimous (or close to) in its decisions relating to less political issues, such as land usage and debates over minor clauses in acts. Many justices remind the public that 25% of the Court’s decisions are made unanimously while another 25% are 5-4 decisions. Still, the Court’s partisan decisions in political cases are concerning. Is the Constitution so ambiguous that justices are forced to supplement their decisions with personal beliefs, or do the justices need to reevaluate their commitments to serving the Constitution without a personal agenda? Justice Amy Coney Barrett recently gave a speech in which she said that “[the Supreme] court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks” and that the Court is outlined by “judicial philosophies” which are “not the same as political parties.” Justice Stephen Breyer denounces those who refer to justices by the presidents who appointed them, saying that justices are not just “junior-varsity politicians.” But Justices Barrett and Breyer have voted with the conservative and liberal majorities, respectively, in two extremely political cases--one ending President Biden’s eviction moratorium, and the other denying a motion for an injunction of Texas’s restrictive new abortion law. Although neither of these cases was based on the constitutionality of their issues, but rather on authority and the path by which the issues were presented, it is hard to see how different “judicial philosophies” can coincidentally split the justices along the partisan lines of how they were appointed. The Court’s recent partisan turn is dangerous, but it is even more concerning that some of the leading judicial scholars in the country don’t see this issue the way the public does. Justice Barrett is aware that the public views the Court as overwhelmingly partisan, but she disagrees despite their two most recent consequential actions having been partisanly motivated. These justices should not let ideologies have any influence on their decisions if they are, as Justice Barrett says, motivated by “judicial philosophies.” While the justices struggle with their duties to the unbiased interpretation of the Constitution, the Executive and Legislative Branches have attempted to exploit the court and bend it to the will of politicians.

Can an American citizen have faith in the Supreme Court if its major decisions are motivated by partisan leanings? Can they truly say the court is nonpartisan when it is manipulated by government politics? With the resources and the education afforded by Haverford, it is not unimaginable that someday, any single Haverford graduate will be arguing a case in front of the court. This past summer, the Supreme Court heard and decided upon a case involving a minor defendant. B.L., as she is known on all official documents, won her case regarding students’ first amendment rights on and off campuses. Although the justices were able to come to an almost unanimous decision in this case, it is clear that both their past and future decisions can directly affect high school students; the partisan swing could directly affect you in the near future.

When hot-button issues in America’s political dialogue and cases with political overtones—such as abortion rights, voting rights, governemnt size and overreach—the Courth is extremely parisan. Can an American citizen have faith in the Supreme Court if its major decisions are motivated by partisan leanings? Can they truly say the court is nonpartisan when it is manipulated by government politics?

Ethan Lee ’24

As things slowly approach normal during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Notables have begun to return to a regular routine. Morning and evening rehearsals bring singers together, and calendars fill with concerts.

Still, performers still wear masks and practice distancing while singing in Mr. Hightower’s room.

“It is definitely better than last year,” Sixth Former and Notables Co-Captain Damian Ferraro said. “But it is still difficult to see other people’s mouths and their expressions while singing, which is important to the sound of the group.”

MR. MARK HIGHTOWER

Matching syllable sounds and mouth shapes is important, as it allows people to match the tone of others in the group.

“I find these masks to be very limiting,” Notables Director Mr. Mark Hightower said. “A huge part of choral singing is matching vowels, and one of the ways to teach that

The Notables in pre-COVID times, opening day, 2019 is looking at people’s mouths.”

Concerts are also back on the schedule, but Mr. Hightower is unsure of how they will be conducted.

“Define normal,” Mr. Hightower responded when asked if normal concerts were happening. “Everywhere you go, there are different standards for what ‘normal’ is. Some places I have sung at made people line up and face away from the stage and face away from the audience. Other places had no masks and no distancing.”

Despite the uncertainty of how concerts and programming may take shape this year, he is still optimistic about the state of the group.

MR. MARK HIGHTOWER

“If I’m being very honest, I was expecting more difficulty finding a good, choral sound. However, I am very pleased with the progress we have been making, especially with more new guys than normal,” Mr. Hightower said.

Ferraro agrees.

“[The first time] we sang together again was a very enlightening experience for me as a musician,” Ferraro said. “I think we are further along than some other schools, and we need to take advantage of the time we have together.”

Ethan Chan ’23

The man needs no introduction. Heralded as the catalyst for music’s biggest artists across various genres, Kanye West’s impeccable creativity and innovation into an era-defining sound have shaped modern music as we know it. With the release of his highly anticipated tenth studio album Donda, fans and musicians are delivered a unique masterpiece.

Since the release of his ninth studio gospel album Jesus is King, West has remained relatively under the radar, with fans questioning his return to the throne of the music industry. Followed by a series of cryptic tweets in 2020, a hint at another gospel album named after his late mother Donda West was up in the air.

After his failed presidential campaign last November, conflicts with the media, and personal issues, West found himself stuck in a messy situation. With only one way out, West did what he did best: make great music.

Regarded by many as the greatest album of the 2010s, West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy serves as West’s magnum opus, and, most importantly, what saved his career after his VMA incident in 2009. Following suit, the journey to Donda’s release garnered the attention of the entire music industry.

After delaying the album twice after two listening events, both at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the precedented hype for Donda grew exponentially. With features from music’s biggest names such as The Weeknd, Jay Z, and several others, his third listening event on August 26 served as the apex in this album rollout trilogy.

A testament to his mother and upbringing in Chicago, West roamed around a lifesized model of his childhood home with notable names as they joined him on stage. West strutted around the stage adorned with his black mask and spectacularly set himself on fire while wearing fireproof armor. Despite the acclaim for the third listening event, West delayed the album yet again. No one knew when it would come out. With no promotion or official announcement, on the morning of Sunday, August 29, 2021, West’s label Universal Music Group released Donda on all platforms.

Even without official promotion and within a week of its release, Donda made history as the second-highest streaming album of all time on Spotify and sold 327,270 album units in its first week.

“Kanye chose high risk, high reward; hype up the album with listening parties and delays, then have the album live up to the hype,” Sixth Former Judah Cannon said.

On Donda, West incorporates trademark sounds of all his previous albums into the themes that embody his album: faith, family, and fame.

Full of unique twists, every track shows quality yet minimalism in production. The chorus, ubiquitous throughout the album, closely resembles a Gregorian chant. Tracks such as “Jail” and “Junya” boast compelling guitar and synth lines along with West’s signature 808’s, coupled with accented ad-libs from artist Playboi Carti.

Other more faith-oriented tracks speak of West’s struggles and the loss of his mother. Tracks such as “Jesus Lord” and “Keep My Spirit Alive” movingly emphasize these aspects with a spiritual-like instrumental.

Juxtaposing gospel music and the genre that fans are so accustomed to from the artist, West innovates this into an entirely new sound.

“Kanye is already solidified as one of if not the best to ever do it, and Donda furthers that argument. It’s amazing how 17 years after his first album was released, he is still making quality music that breaks boundaries,” Cannon said.

Silence and simplicity mark the moving vocals of Don Toliver, Kid Cudi, and the choir West uses in the background. Tracks that are not limited to “Moon,” “24,” and “Come to Life” are masterfully produced to seemingly make you “float.”

“Moon is definitely one of my favorite tracks because of Don Toliver’s vocals and the collective rave from Kanye and music fans alike,” Fifth Former Arnav Sardesai said.

Even after listening to all 27 tracks on Donda, listeners need to understand the meaning behind some of them. The opening track “Donda Chant” represents the last heartbeats of his mother before she passed. Track 22, “Come to Life,” questions the meaning and purpose of his and others’ lives with phrases such as “ever wish you had another life,” “I don’t want to die alone,” and “You the air that I breathe, the ultra-ultralight beam.”

A simple phrase or several words can’t encapsulate the theme or meaning behind the rollout and message behind Donda. While Kanye speaks about his life and the themes that are apparent in his, the listener must discover how Donda speaks to them. Even with the release of albums from acclaimed artists from genres such as pop, rap, electronic, gospel, and more, West breaks barriers again with Donda.

It’s more than just a musical experience— it’s a spiritual awakening.