The Index Eutαxia Swzein Dokei
Volume LXXV, No. 1
September 2013
Haverford, Pennsylvania - haverfordindex.com
Taking a Look at Haverford’s Seven Courses Policy Brendan Burns ‘15 explores Haverford’s policy of discouraging students from taking on a courseload of more than six classes. Brendan Burns ‘15
The question as to whether Haverford students can enroll in seven classes remains a gray area that is yet to be clarified. Haverford’s Course Catalog states that students may enroll in “no more than six” courses. However, in recent years, multiple Haverford students have exceeded this limit and have taken seven classes. Should Upper School students be allowed to do so? Proponents would argue that the students who naturally request the more difficult academic schedule are highly motivated and deserve the option of undertaking a more rigorous curriculum. Critics point out that enrolling in seven courses strips the student of his invaluable free period and is likely to cause extreme stress in even the most gifted students. Upper School Division Head Matthew Green acknowledges both sides. While Mr. Green states that “[Upper School teachers and administration] have established a six course load” to “ensure that students are safe and healthy,” he affirms that exceptions can be made for “the occasional student” who has “a demonstrated track record of academic success and curiosity” and the support of his teachers. Sixth Former Jonathan Paras, who is currently enrolled in seven classes, agrees with this policy, stating that, while he is a “firm
supporter of letting a student push himself, there has to be a level of oversight” and that
requests to take six academic majors”, and that this request is only granted by the “Director of the Upper School” to students who have already demonstrated the ability to manage the “exceptional workload.” In comparison, Haverford’s policy of allowing a few select students to pursue seven academic majors might seem accommodating enough. At the other end of the
Librarian Ms. Maureen Kirk placing a bottle in the recycling bin.
the option to take seven courses should be reserved for “students with the greatest desire for knowledge, coupled with the greatest capacity for learning.” How does Haverford’s course policy compare to those of Haverford’s peer institutions? At one end of the spectrum, the Baldwin School expects students to “study five major academic subjects and Physical Education each year.” Baldwin’s Course Catalog notes that “occasionally, a student
spectrum is Episcopal Academy, which expects students to pursue six courses – or obtain administrative permission to enroll in either five or seven. However, a sevenclass schedule is a much more prevalent occurrence at EA than at Haverford. I spoke to the Academic Dean of Episcopal’s Upper School, Dr. Catherine Hall. Dr. Hall explained that “students who are interested in taking a seventh course [at EA] are typically looking to add a second language, math, or science class.” Regarding the approval process, Dr. Hall
elaborated that “these requests would typically all be approved as long as the student has demonstrated successful management of their current course load.” Exactly how common is this phenomenon at EA? Dr. Hall estimated that “about a third of [EA] students take seven courses.” When asked if many EA students enroll in five courses, Dr. Hall replied, “We would rarely have a request for a student to take only five courses. It is difficult to complete our graduation requirements without taking six courses each year.” What accounts for these seemingly more rigorous requirements? It should be noted that Episcopal’s Upper School schedule is different – and substantially more conducive to a 7-course schedule – than Haverford’s. EA relies on a 12-day rotating schedule with 7 blocks per day. As each block drops once per week, Dr. Hall explained that an EA student enrolled in seven classes would still have five free periods during the course of a 12-day rotation. Maintaining Haverford’s current schedule prevents most students from remaining “safe and healthy”, without the threat of constant overwork and stress, while taking seven classes. A Haverford student taking 7 classes with no free period would likely find the amount of time he is able to devote toward social activities, extracurriculars, and sports seriously affected. The fact that the vast majority of Haverford’s most talented students choose to retain a 6-course schedule is Continued on Page 8
Students’ Scientific Research Teacher Profile: Mr. Zachary During Summer Break Bleckner The Advanced Research Cooperative offers students the opportunity to work in lab over the summer. Greg Boyek ‘14, himself a participant, reports on the experiences of those students. Greg Boyek ‘14
For the last five years, select rising VI Formers have been given the outstanding opportunity to participate in the Advanced Research Cooperative Program. This year nine students assisted in a wide variety of research at The University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. Collaborating with researchers, doctors, students, and other academic specialists, these students were involved in labs of diverse scientific fields, from genetics to neuroscience to mechanical engineering. According to Research Cooperative Program Director Kara Cleffi, “the goal of the program is to show students how real science research works. In class, students learn about the significant discoveries and not the years of hard and sometimes tedious work that is behind those discoveries. Even though not every student comes away from their summer wanting to make a career out of science research, every student says they found the learning experience rewarding.” Science Department Chair Thomas Trocano said that “the program is designed to give our best science and math students, who demonstrate a strong and sincere interest, the opportunity to experience scientific research first hand. Many students don’t experience a real lab environment until
Also inside this Issue...
their junior year in college, if ever. It has been my experience that motivated high school students are more than capable of doing high level work provided they have, or can acquire, the background. The results they realize never cease to amaze me.” “The success of our program has depended on several factors,” he went on to say. “First, we are very fortunate to have had local scientists who generously offered to provide mentors, resources, lab space, and meaningful work for our students. Second, the leadership, passion, dedication, enthusiasm, flexibility, and sheer intellect that Ms. Cleffi provides as lead instructor are amazing. She has been a perfect fit for establishing, sustaining, and nurturing the program.” Two students, VI Formers Will Tackett and Rudy Miller, assisted in research at the Gene Therapy lab of Dr. James Wilson of The University of Pennsylvania. The lab genetically engineered viral “vectors” which are used to inject DNA into unhealthy cells to treat a variety of genetic diseases. Rudy Miller described the project as “designing a novel variant of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) that targets the entire body… Hopefully this variant can be utilized in the future to genetically suppress or cure diseases that are spread throughout the patient, such as cystic Continued on Page 8
Check out our new column, Nagl Notes, written by Editor-inChief Manav Khandelwal. This month’s topics: Syria, GPA, Class Rank, and more. On Page 4.
Manav Khandelwal ‘15 profiles Spanish teacher Mr. Zachary Bleckner, who is returning to Haverford for his first full year. Manav Khandelwal ‘15
Mr. Zachary Bleckner is an unorthodox person. All you have to do is read his resume or sit in for one of his Spanish classes to know that. He is exciting, down-to-earth, and endearing, traits that students value in a teacher. After spending his early years in your “runof-the-mill” public schools, as he puts it, Mr. Bleckner applied to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art & Performing Art (LaGuardia, for short). He was accepted, a moment that changed the entire course of his adolescent life “To this day I am thankful for getting in. I decided to attend LaGuardia because I was looking for something different,” Mr. Bleckner told the Index in a recent interview. “I did not want to go where everyone else was going or do what everyone else was doing. It would have been too easy for me to follow the cleared path, and far too boring.” He’d always enjoyed arts, especially theater, but attending LaGuardia was a completely different atmosphere. Half of the school day was spent studying history, math, and science like most high school students do, but the other half involved a conservatory-style theater program, where Mr. Bleckner “perfected a handful of accents using the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), found out how to decipher
Shakespeare, choreographed stage combat scenes, learned to Clown and Mime, do improv, dance, sing, meditate, and all kinds of other crazy things.” In addition to being a star student and performer, Mr. Bleckner played on LaGuardia’s baseball and soccer teams and did hours upon hours of community work, in places as close as the Upper West Side, where he grew up, to spots as far as Mexico and El Salvador. He will be coaching baseball (third team) and soccer (junior varsity) this year. These exploits earned Mr. Bleckner a spot in Brown University’s Class of 2012, where he spent four years adjusting to Brown’s unique grading system, which gives students the option of taking most classes on a pass-fail basis and does not report GPA, allowing students to use materials that provide more nuanced measures of their knowledge and skills into their resumés. He also played Rugby at Brown, directed a number of plays, and studied abroad in Havana, Cuba, a continuation of his love for Latin American culture and the Spanish language. Of his experience at Brown, Mr. Bleckner says, “It was a bonafide wake-up call for me in the sense that all of my peers there were and are brilliant, motivated, and extremely well educated.” He learned to value “ the relationships I build with people both in and outside of my community and the deeds I Continued on Page 7
Haverford welcomes many new teachers this year! Read about who they are on Page 7.
Article Letter fron the President College Column Club Spotlights Teacher Introductions Drama Productions Fords Focus GPA and Class Rank Intervention in Syria Outdex
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