Issue 2

THE HILL NEWS VERBA VOLANT, SCRIPTA MANENT

Volume CXVIII, NO. 2 Volume CXIX, NO.2

September 16, 2020

REFLECTING ON REOPENING

PHOTOS BY: ANNA CARROLL ’23 , DIEMMY DANG ’24, ELIZABETH HUDAK ’21, NOLAN RICHARDS ’21, RYANN HOLLADAY ’24

Looking back on opening conditions, Hill prepares to enter new stage with lessened restrictions

By DIEMMY DANG ’24 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

The beginning of the 2020-21 school year has undergone many changes—masks, tracking wristbands, and daily wellness surveys being just a few examples. This issue of The Hill News will discuss the changes that this pandemic has inflicted on campus life as the school moves from the restrictions of “Opening Conditions” to Campus Wellness Level “Charlie,” which allows for a more open environment.

Lucas Kim ‘24, a new day student from Downingtown, Pa., described one of his biggest concerns as missing out on many of the important school traditions which have been cancelled or modified in order to fit the new social distancing guidelines.

“As a new student, I’m missing out on a lot of opportunities, like sporting events and dances that, since I’m new this year, I didn’t get to already do,” Kim said. He added that one of the biggest adjustments for him was remembering to wear his tracking bracelet and fill out the daily wellness surveys.

“Going into this year my biggest concern was, you know, not being able to teach in a quality way to the remote students and develop relationships with them that were beneficial to their learning,” explained Senior Master of English Ned Ide. He said that, in addition, one of the biggest changes that has impacted him is the doubled class time, since instead of teaching four periods a day he now teaches six.

For international students, the adjustments were even more drastic. “I

flew to Vancouver; I quarantined two weeks there, and then I flew to Toronto, and then I flew to Hill where I had to quarantine another two weeks,” said Elina Wen ’24 on the process she went through in order to come to Hill.

Wen is from Beijing, and she said that, even after getting to school, there is still the concern that China will close its borders. “There is the possibility that they won’t let planes fly from America to China, and I wouldn’t be able to get back home.”

Ellie Rice ’21, a boarding student from Schwenksville, Pa., explained that one of the many big differences this school year is the new shepherding strategy being implemented.

“You have to be socially distant, wearing masks, and the people you see are going to be different.

You’re limited to your flocks, droves,

Tik Tok takes on the U.S. government

Pottstown local schools reopen

How did this mostly lip-syncing, dance-trend starting, Vine-stealing, app for kids find itself in the middle of a cold war between America and China?

On August. 24, the Pottstown school district began its opening for the 2020-21 school year. All classes will be taught in a synchronous virtual manner throughout the fall semester.

It’s a dangerous one that has existed as long as the term itself, but has been especially exposed in light of the psychological and physical pandemics.

OPINION | Page B3

ARTS & LEISURE | Page F8

Campus Wellness Level Charlie includes a detailed plan of lessened restrictions: students will have more access to outdoor areas; day students may attend weekday dinner and select weekend activities; boarding students may use the library during Study Hall; dorm common rooms will open; students can interact unmasked while in their dorm and with their assigned “flock” (up to four students); and parent visits may be scheduled. The full set of guidelines can be seen at: https:// tinyurl.com/lehmanletter While the new guidelines will still require students to physically distance, they should not socially distance from each other, Baum said, emphasizing that it is now more important than ever to stay connected to the people around us.

Contents

Schaller ’22 named top 5 in the nation Will Schaller ‘22 was recently invited to the Under Armour Underclass Baltimore Boys’ team, and this past year, Inside Lacrosse named him the fifth best high school lacrosse player in the nation and a five star recruit.

Gratitude can be toxic

LOCAL NEWS | Page A2

or herds, which is all very new.” She mentioned that this has impacted life in the dorms and that boarding students are now more limited in the amount of people from their dorm with whom they can interact with.

Dean of Students Ari Baum echoed this statement, saying that it is one of the most prominent student concerns that he has heard. He explained that, in response to this, the school has drafted plans to allow more interaction between different student groups, but they cannot be put into place until Opening Conditions are over. On Sept. 14, Headmaster Zack Lehman announced that the school will move out of Opening Conditions on Sept. 16, following community-wide COVID-19 testing in which 527 students, residential employees, and student-facing staff tested negative.

SPORTS | Page E7

LOCAL NEWS.................. A2 OPINION........................... B3 COVID HILL...............C5-C6 FEATURES........................ D6 SPORTS.............................. E7 ARTS & LEISURE..............F8

Alumni teacher trainees return to campus This year, Hill welcomed five new teacher trainees from the classes of 2015 and 2016.

FEATURES | Page D6

LOCAL NEWS

A2 | LOCAL News

The Hill News

Pottstown local schools to reopen

By ANNIE LI ’21 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

On Aug. 24, the Pottstown school district began its opening for the 2020-21 school year. All classes will be taught in a synchronous virtual manner throughout the fall semester, according to the School Re-opening Plan Presentation delivered by Stephen Rodriguez, the superintendent of Pottstown schools. Mr. Rodriguez acknowledged that both students and faculties were unprepared when abruptly switching to online learning back in the spring and that there were many confusion and frustrations. However, for the upcoming school year, the administration has created better plans.

“No one was prepared for last spring,” Mr. Rodriguez stated in the recorded presentation, “but we were able to take some big steps forward.”

The Pottstown school district received $1.7 million of CARES grants from the states, on a condition that the money will be spent on COVID-related expenses. A part of the grants will be used to purchase Chromebooks for students from pre-K to high school to facilitate online learning.

Another major step taken by the school district is its new plan for food distribution.

“The pandemic has thrown a lot on our community, but we don’t want food and food security to be an issue, ” Mr. Rodriguez stated.

According to Mr. Rodriguez, the items in the food packages have improved a lot from last spring. The new plan included two options. Packages that include a week of breakfast and lunch for kids will be available to be picked up or delivered to families who have kids enrolled, on a weekly basis.

STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Pottstown classes are currently being held online. PHOTO BY CECILE WEGMAN ’23

“Even though mine and many of my peers’ senior year is not starting off how we expected it, we are still confident in our ability to persevere and push through,” Petal said.

“Virtual was not what we wanted to be in the spring, but I feel like this school year is going to be different.”

Mail-in voters face difficulties

Many local voters are expected to want mail in ballots. PHOTO BY CECILE WEGMAN ’23

By BELLA BASILE ’21 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

With the upcoming 2020 presidential election occurring in just a matter of months, the American people, including the residents of Pottstown, are relying on the U.S. Postal Service now more than ever for accessible, secure, private and safe communication through the process of voting via mail-in ballot. However, the USPS, which is often overlooked and taken for granted as part of everyday American life, is now facing financial instability and federal controversy that could affect its indispensable ser-

vice in an election and decennial census year.

As of May, the USPS has been the subject of heavy politicization, caught in the center of a political storm amongst Congress and the proposed $3 trillion coronavirus relief package, which included relief funds for the USPS and expanding postal voting. Without additional support, the USPS may not be able to meet deadlines for delivering voting ballots, which, as a result, could have an immense impact on November’s election as voters are expected to vote

Local NGOs feel the impact of the global pandemic

By JOJO ZHU ’22

While there are many challenges ahead, students are ready for the new school year.

In a Pottstown School District board meeting on Aug. 21, Kishan Petal, a student representative from Pottstown High School, reported that students were planning and organizing different club activities that aim to engage students in a virtual environment.

by mail in unprecedented numbers. Hence, the postal service is anticipating a barrage of absentee ballots, But how does this affect Hill students? Pennsylvania, a typical “battleground state” when it comes to elections, has been warned by the USPS that some mail-in ballots might not be delivered on time because of its inability to deliver in accordance with the state’s election deadlines. This has prompted not only election officials but the voters themselves to ask the state Supreme Court to extend deadlines and prioritize the mail-in ballots to avoid the disenfranchisement of voters.

“Because of the new COVID rules at Hill this year, it is uncertain whether or not students could go to an off-campus voting site, so my only real option is to utilize the mail-in ballot and to take the proper precautions such as sending my vote in early to create a better chance that my vote gets counted,” said Lauryn Fu-

dala ’21 about the circumstances in which caused her to register to vote via mail-in ballot.

Other community members, such as Student Life Coordinator Laura McConney, stated that while her choice to vote through the mail-in ballot was initially out of convenience in terms of the easy registration process and the physical location of voting centers, the concern of health and public safety this year was also at the forefront of her thoughts.

“I think that where we’re at right now in 2020, there obviously is a concern about being out in public with those who might not be following appropriate safety measures, but, regardless of what happens with the delays of the mail-in ballot, I will vote,” McConney said.

Don’t know how to vote?

Visit tinyurl.com/howtovotefromhill

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

Over the last several months, the spread of COVID-19 has posed a significant challenge for local nonprofits. A few summer programs and sports events have been forced to cancel. However, many organizations are not deterred by the situation.

They are responding actively with innovative ways to provide services and improved sanitary precautions.

The Lessig-Booth Family Residence is a shelter program with low thresholds of the Salvation Army. The shelter welcomes families in homeless situations and assists them in seeking jobs and permanent housing. The pandemic presents challenges and changes in the way the program works. As Director of Housing Programs Wendy Egolf wrote in an email to the Hill School in February, “It is difficult physically to maintain the six-feet social distancing with the limited space in the family residence and emotionally with families who work together to accomplish their goals.”

Initially, they encouraged families to shelter in their friends’ or relatives’ house for a few weeks, when their space dropped to half capacity. Since then, they have improved their sanitation procedures and routine health checks. For example, each room has been equipped with an individual bathroom; meals are served on disposable paper products; and families practice social distancing at all times. Gradually, they started to accept both new and returning families, for all of which quarantine is required at the shelter.

Having taken all those careful measures, Egold said, “We were the first shelter in Montgomery County to successfully bring back all of the families and have new admissions to our program. We have been operating at full capacity for months.”

Although the process was difficult, the organization, now

prepared against the virus, has acquired better hygiene and routines overall. COVID-19 has prompted the organization to become more aware of the health and safety of the participants and to improve housing facilities.

Another local NGO, Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities, provides material resources such as food, shelter and personal care items to the community. As the virus spread, their source of food donations from the grocery stores dried up. To overcome that discrepancy, they are purchasing more food than they used to, which places a burden on their budget.

Despite the financial challenge, they observe an increasing need in students’ families, especially single-parent ones, as schools shut down and stop providing takeaway lunch.

Therefore, the board and key staff of PCRC are putting together food boxes for distribution at the local area schools to alleviate the stress that many households are facing. In addition, COVID-19 has changed how PCRC approaches those who need food assistance.

Choice pantry experience was provided through an online kiosk selection and inventory system in the past. However, to ensure safety and efficiency during the pandemic, PCRC switched to distributing pre-packed boxes of daily supplies. Moreover, to grant easier and more open access, especially to the elderly, they are now providing online ordering and delivery services.

In conclusion, although the pandemic has created lots of problems and difficulties for the local NGOs, it has also inspired the NGOs to explore new services and implement better routine procedures. Barbara Wilhelmy, the executive director of PCRC, said, “I don’t think we will ever go back to how things work in the past. Because of COVID, we figure out new ways to make our service easier to access for people in the community.”

Montgomery County faces strenuous COVID-19 testing conditions as the need for extra capacity continues

By SARAH JIANG ’22 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

With more than 11,500 cases as of Sept. 14, Montgomery County has been a coronavirus hotspot for months. With heightened cases, the county faces a new challenge in testing community members in a feasible and effective way.

Testing was its hardest in mid-April. Tests were only made available to individuals who met at least one of five cri-

teria presented by the County Department of Public Safety, which also changed frequently according to test availability.

Those unable to be tested were placed on a daily waitlist as clinics couldn’t test enough people.

Many were left to self-isolate and care for themselves not knowing if they had contracted the virus.

However, by early June Montgomery County had im-

proved testing significantly. As of Sept. 14, there were a total of 19 community-based testing sites, six of which are financially covered by the CARES Act Fund.

The testing sites accept patients both through drive-throughs and walk-ins; appointments can be made over the phone or online, and results are returned anywhere between four to six days. Immediate care clinics are also readily available for those willing to pay or hold insurance coverage.

As testing increased

throughout the county, Montgomery County went from having the second-highest coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania to having the second-lowest positivity rate in cases as of mid-August. Testing is more available and convenient, but healthcare officials and doctors are still using kits sparingly. Those who call for an appointment or consult with their doctors have a possibility of being deemed at low risk and denied testing.

Therefore, Montgomery might not completely provide testing

for everyone, but circumstances have definitely improved.

Dr. Kristen Spencer, medical director at Hill, and the Wellness Center team have been managing the testing across our campus since students began arriving.

“There are a number of ways in which people in Pottstown can be tested. At Hill, we test students who have symptoms and send those swabs out to a commercial lab partner,” Spencer said. “Montgomery County has a testing site close

to campus. They have just contracted with a new lab partner, so their turnaround times are much shorter now.”

She also mentioned that there are still some small difficulties regarding testing in our community.

“They can test 100 patients per day, but at times it can be hard to get an appointment.

There is still not enough testing capacity across the county, particularly the hotspots.”

OPINION

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

The Hill News

B3 | Opinion

Biden is more progressive COVID-19 vaccine might than many voters think not be the final solution to the pandemic

By ALEKSANDER GLAMAZDIN ’21 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Healthcare Biden insists on expanding Obamacare. The proposed Affordable Care Act 2.0 ten-year plan (which would cost $750 billion) would automatically enroll every American whose income is below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level, and it intends to replace Medicaid with a “public option” – a government-run health insurance company that would compete with private insurance companies.

Economy Biden’s economic agenda focuses on increasing corporate taxes and taxes on the wealthiest. Biden also proposed a plan to spend $2 trillion to “build a modern, sustainable infrastructure and an equitable clean energy future,” an initiative to provide $10,000 in student loan debt relief, a raise of the federal minimum hourly wage to $15, and the “Made in All of America” plan to boost America’s manufacturing and technological strength at the cost of at least $700 billion. Overall, Biden’s plan is estimated to increase the government spending by a whopping $5.35 trillion and bring in only $3.375 trillion in additional tax revenue.

During the primaries, former Vice President Joe Biden appeared to be quite moderate compared to his opponents. But how progressive are his plans and what should we expect from his presidency?

Foreign Policy Throughout the spring of 2020, Biden constantly reminded the voters of his extensive foreign policy experience. The Obama-Biden administration’s foreign policy was extremely diffident when it came to Russia, China and the Middle East. The modern Democratic approach, in general, has been much softer, peaceful, and less aggressive than the GOP’s.

It is reasonable to expect Biden’s foreign policy to include less economic pressure as well as less decisive military intervention.

In addition to reforming the healthcare industry, introducing new government programs, and embracing globalism, Biden’s agenda includes more progressive ideas to appeal to Democratic voters.

To learn more about Joe Biden’s stance on healthcare, gun control, the economy, coronavirus and foreign policy, visit tinyurl.com/fullbidenanalysis

Discussing Minimum wage

By EDWARD DENG ’21 & MICHAEL SOLAND ’21 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS

The top 0.1% of Americans own almost as much wealth as the bottom 90%. Let that number sink in for a second. Just 0.1% have nearly as much wealth as the entire bottom 90% COMBINED. As of 2018, an estimated 40 million Americans are living in poverty. In a land of such freedom and opportunity, how could we let this happen? But much more importantly, how are we going to fix this?

“Increase the minimum wage!” You might shout. Two-thirds of Americans who favor a $15 minimum wage would be right there with you. It sounds perfect. The fat cat businessmen get their bulging pockets drained while the hardworking American gets their well-deserved higher salaries. We would lift countless out of poverty, spur on employee morale, boost worker retention, raise productivity, and, as an added benefit, the extra income would go back into the economy, making everybody richer. Right?

However, despite this seemingly straightforward answer, there are a couple of critical issues with a minimum wage hike. There’s a reason why 72% of economists surveyed by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center oppose a $15 minimum wage.

Labour is just like any economic factor: as the cost rises, the quantity demanded falls. As the price for labor in the United States increases, it is likely that firms will cut back on employment, replace workers with capital, and outsource to foreign countries with a cheaper cost of labor.

Economists from Miami and Trinity University found that a $15 minimum wage could wipe out up to 2 million jobs by 2020. (It is worth noting that both of the studies cited above have ties to the Employment Policies Institute, which is funded by Richard Berman, a lobbyist for the hospitality industry.) This number includes both youth and adult employment levels. It also disproportionately hurts youth that the minimum wage was initially implemented for. It limits the number of entry-level positions they have to gain experience and an initial foothold in the job market. A minimum wage increase would also hurt people of color and immigrant communities, who are often willing to work for less pay than your average White American.

The new competitive labor market would not

By JENNIE KI ’23 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

December 2019, after the The United States is preparing for its first COVID-19 vaccine.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams told the states that the COVID-19 vaccine could be ready by November. However, Trump’s administration stated that the United States will not participate in the global development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

This refusal has led to hostility with the World Health Organization, as well as 170 other countries.

In December 2019, after the first case in Wuhan, China, COVID-19 increased into a pandemic, affecting millions of people around the world. After the WHO declared a pandemic situation, more than 150 countries increased the time and energy on researching vaccine development. However, the new COVID-19 vaccine has a clear possibility of failure.

In the midst of the pandemic, the Russian government officially developed Sputnik

V, the first vaccine designed to prevent the novel coronavirus, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Research Institute. The new vaccine has some positive results; Russian president Vladimir Putin’s daughter also got the vaccine, resulting in a rise and fall in body temperature. Teachers, professors and medical professionals are planning to get their vaccination in late August to early September. After October, Sputnik V will be open for people around the world. Sputnik V is currently in its final clinical trial.

Would it then be possible for us to go back to our ordinary, happy lives? Sadly, I am afraid not. The first Russian COVID-19 vaccine might be ineffective and here’s why.

Malaysia, India and the Philippines discovered a mutant coronavirus, called D614G, that has ten times stronger infectious power. Noor Hisham Abdullah, the director-general of health in Malaysia, posted on Facebook that people need to be more aware and careful, as the virus can “spread easily if spread by an individual super spreader.” Due

to the mutant COVID-19 virus, Director Abdullah explained that the research on the vaccine might become a futile attempt for the 167 countries presently researching the early COVID-19 virus that occurred in Wuhan, China.

Furthermore, confirmed cases are rising dramatically in Japan, reaching 63,888 cases on Aug. 27. Researchers from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan collected about 3,700 samples about patients in Japan.

They found a coronavirus with a new genetic sequence.

With mutations occurring, can we be reassured by the arrival of the vaccine? Definitely not. No one is sure when it will end, but that depends on our effort. Therefore, we should always maintain the awareness of self-prevention. Wearing a mask daily when in close contact with others, maintaining physical distance, and using hand sanitizer after outdoor activities are crucial. Lastly, we should thank the medical staff suffering from COVID-19 and further hope for this pandemic to end.

Gratitude can be toxic

By IZZY FELDMAN ’21 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

ILLUSTRATION BY HENRY CHEN ’21

only put more people of color out of a job but could also lead to higher levels of crime and poverty as they struggle to make ends meet.

While other European countries, such as Denmark, have done away with a national minimum wage, they rely on industry-specific national unions to keep good working conditions. Aside from the obvious issue that the United States is much larger than Denmark, and the varying costs of living from region to region make minimum wage unequitable; there has also been a precedent of powerful unions in America lobbying local, state, and federal governments to give them more powers that ended up hurting the average American. Police unions, qualified immunity, and civil asset forfeiture are a perfect example of this. With this in mind, it is necessary to offer alternative solutions to Americans’ problems today. One solution would be expanding the benefits of Earned Income Tax Credits and refunding low to moderate-income individuals larger portions of their taxes, reducing the tax collected, or even giving monetary benefits. We should also implement more comprehensive welfare brackets and help reduce housing costs to raise the standard of living for all Americans.

Although increasing the minimum wage sounds like an easy and straightforward solution to the persistent wealth inequalities plaguing America, it is unfortunately not that simple.

This policy would only end up hurting the people it is meant to help. To bridge the chasm, we need to find alternative ways to lift Americans out of poverty. Only then can we truly make America the land of opportunity it was always meant to be.

There’s a common misconception about gratitude. It’s a dangerous one that has existed as long as the term itself but has been especially exposed in light of the pandemic.

To best understand the harm of this outwardly positive practice, it is important to recognize the present climate of the world.

There are many terms that come to mind when trying to describe the current global state, a few in particular being: overwhelming, disappointing and anxiety-inducing.

Perhaps the most important and necessary word to use, though, is traumatizing.

The very definition of a pandemic denotes something problematic as prevalent on a global scale and is therefore recognized as a serious and legitimate form of trauma.

For many on this campus, COVID-19 might be their first time enduring a traumatic experience. They might not have the tools to define what they are feeling, to identify their changed behavioral patterns, or to muster up the emotional courage to be vulnerable with their peers. It’s realities like these that make our words and actions as a community that much more crucial.

The misconception with gratitude is that it’s the first step to healing, rather than the final destination. We, as humans, have this tendency or instinctual desire, if you will, to rectify what feels wrong. For example, when we feel bad our first thought is wanting to feel good again. To translate that into modern terms with COVID-19, when things feel overwhelming, disappointing or anxiety-inducing, our minds go to this place of wanting to push those feelings away and replace them with thoughts of gratitude. These show up as general and often disingenuous platitudes such as: “I should be grateful right now” or “people worked hard to get me here.” These remarks aren’t bad, per se, as they can serve as worthy affirmations, but, when substituted for or used as a means of invalidating one’s grief and processing, they can be detrimental.

When asking Hill students if they’ve been reached by this notion of toxic grati-

ILLUSTRATION BY PORTIA SOCKEL ’22

tude, Lauryn Fudala ’21 said: “My roommate and I are prefects in Dell, so naturally we’ve been feeling pretty isolated this year.

We’ve been told by a lot of faculty that we should be grateful that we’re even here on campus, but the reality is that we’ve both been really struggling to come to terms with everything. Am I grateful? Absolutely, but I shouldn’t use gratitude to invalidate how I feel about my current situation.”

When asked what the ideal response from faculty and her peers would be, Fudala answered: “I hear you. I’m sorry you feel that way. Can you tell me more about it?” What it suggests is that what we need as a community isn’t to be fixed or advised, but rather empathized with, heard and validated.

At a school that prioritizes its close-knit community above all else, it’s most important that we dispense our energy trying to serve it, rather than trying to tell it how to feel. Yes, we should be grateful. I know I am, as are many of my peers, but it is possible to be both grateful and struggling. I pose to you not a question of which one’s more important, but rather which one should come first and the difference that prioritization can make. What if we as a community listened more? What if instead of telling others how they must serve we asked how we can serve them? What would that look like?

It’s possible that if we put these ideals and questions to practice, we could cultivate a very real sense of gratitude on campus, one that doesn’t require reaffirmations.

C4 | COVID Hill

The Hill News

REFLECTING ON REOPENING:

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

Chapel Talks undergo a virtual transformation

By RAINA SHAH ’21 OPINION EDITOR

Chapel, held every Monday and Friday, is a hallmark of a Hill School week.

In a typical year, the entire student body would gather in the Chapel twice a week in the morning. The service would consist of a school hymn, some prayers, and a reflective, motivational or personal talk from a current 6th former or faculty member. As students go through their time at Hill, many often try to imagine themselves standing at the podium.

“It means a lot that I will be able to have this experience and share what I have written with everyone, especially after watching so many other talks over the years,” said Ellinor Lagor ’21, who has grown up on campus and watched her own siblings stand at the podium.

Although this year’s speakers are not able to deliver their speech live, the tradition is being upheld in a new light. This year, Chapel is prerecorded and watched in a classroom with one’s advisory. The speaker records their

talk in the Chapel a week before it is released for the rest of the school to watch.

Both speeches for the week are recorded on the same day so that there is enough time to edit. With only a few present during the process, the speaker has a very different experience in delivering the talk.

Instead of addressing the community as a whole, they look out into the empty pews and are told to make eye contact with the camera lens.

Bella Basile ’21, reflecting on her experience, said, “I was nervous to look into

the camera, and it felt super unnatural at the beginning, but, besides that, I am very happy that I was still able to get my message out into the community.”

Despite the foreign situation and initial awkwardness, there are some benefits to having prerecorded Chapel. With the ability to have a proper recording with both audio and video, the talks are

ILLUSTRATION BY CLAIRE HARTEMINK ’21

able to be shared easily among family, outside friends, and the broader community, including alumni. Social media has taken on a new role as Hill’s spiritual life Instagram account is now able to post clips and behind-the-scenes shots. The community is also able to sit and reflect on the subject due to the extra built-in time in the advisory schedule.

“This is our chance

to continue to create community outside of the traditional spots like the Dining Hall and Chapel. I hope students will see this as an opportunity to honor each other in smaller spaces; that way they will appreciate the larger spaces much more later,” said Firestone Endowment Chaplain Rev. Khristi Adams.

It means a lot that I will be able to have this experience and share what I have written with everyone, especially after watching so many other talks over the years.

- Ellinor Lagor ’21 Chapel talks are now being filmed in an empty Chapel by school videographer Thomas Prettyman. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH HUDAK ’21

Dining Hall procedures change

By NARI TUNG ’21 CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

Seating in the Dining Hall is arguably the biggest visual difference in the extensive changes brought to campus by necessary restrictions. Whereas the entire student body and staff used to eat together in one room, students are now spaced out between much larger tables in both the main eating hall and a new tent on the Seal Patio. Accommodating for the 525 students (some online) and their everyday needs while social distancing can be challenging, but the Dining Hall staff has come up with creative solutions in aspects such as the preparation of food, traffic within the dining hall, sanitization, and accommodation of students.

“Every day it’s been better and better and better; you guys are getting to know what’s going on; it’s almost like everyone’s working together like a spoke in a wheel,” said Jimmy Fekelman, the support manager of the Dining Hall.

With the high possibility of contracting coronavirus, strategies have been designed to combat specific problems. The food prepa-

Students wait in a socially-distant line to enter the dining hall. PHOTO BY ANNA CARROLL ’23

ration process has changed to limit student contact with not only each other but also the food itself. Since food now needs to be individually packaged, the variety of options have decreased compared to last year to ensure student safety. The self-serve salad station and sandwich station from last year have been replaced with packaged fruits, salad, and sandwiches. The traffic flow, on the other hand, took on the concept of “one way” to limit the chances of students getting too close to each other.

Lunch service has also been altered. The lunch break now runs from 11:30 to 1:30, as opposed to last year’s 12:25 to 12:56, to accommodate the on-campus students within four rotations. The new fourblock schedule allows less waiting time and more efficient rotation. The Dining Hall staff, while having all hands on deck to guide the traffic flow, also take on the responsibility of sanitization.

The new cleaner kills coronavirus on the surface and needs a two-minute period to air dry. The rotation

schedule not only allows more efficient meal time but also ensures student safety with more thorough sterilization.

To help accommodate the more structured lunch schedule and rigid rules as well as maximize the limited seating arrangement, Dining Hall staff now have to assign seats in real-time.

“Sometimes I get separated from my friends, which is unfortunate, but it’s okay because it’s a fun way to meet new people I wouldn’t normally talk to. It’s like a blind date or something,” said Noorie Dhingra ’21.

According to Iha Chikala ’21, “The lunch schedule itself, I think, is confusing in the beginning, and I think it’s even more confusing now because there are four different sections. But I think what helps is that we have advisory groups, so, like, in a sense, our advisor is telling us what time to go at, and I think that makes it easier.

And even though it is more confusing to have four different groups, I think it’s better people don’t have to wait in the line as long.”

New stock fills the campus store

By ANDRES AREVALO ’22 guidelines of in-person classes STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Aiming to mitigate and prevent the COVID-19 outbreak, the school has combined the Grille with the Campus Store, creating the brand-new Hill-Mart. The goods available in this new store include clothing, snacks, instant meals, health and beauty products, school supplies, and much more.

Hill-Mart was conceived from the idea of making a unified store to battle COVID-19.

“Personally, I think [the protocols] makes it easier … there are more options; it gives them the chance to look at the entire thing [different from only going to the Grille],” said Hill-Mart worker Felicia London. Similar to many other places on campus, the store has a capacity limit and blue stickers to determine the appropriate six-feet for physical distancing.

In like manner, besides following the recommended health protocols, the Hill-Mart has a specific section for all the products required by the

and boarding students. The section includes alcohol wipes, face masks, and more.

In addition, the store shifted to no-cash transactions. “[Cash] is the only way I would have been able to buy anything last year … I do understand they want to minimize as much contact as possible,” said Kyle Murray ’22. Cash is one of the most transferred objects, making it a probable means of infection. A cashless shop prevents the transmitting of germs and COVID-19 and might also be considered easier and faster to many.

Although in Opening Conditions there are no cooked products like the once-popular quesadilla, HillMart is constantly attempting to improve. “[Students] love it … we upped our game,” said HillMart staff member Paul Fontana. Throughout the year, the Hill-Mart staff will be bringing new products from all sections to expand the range of possibilities and satisfy more students.

Store hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

The Hill News

C5 | COVID Hill

CAMPUS LIFE DURING COVID-19

The new way to prefect

By JASROOP DHINGRA ’21 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Although it might be more difficult to connect and maintain relationships with their prefectees due to the physical restrictions, this year’s prefects are getting innovative in finding ways to reach out to their prefectees. Head Prefect Aidan Dunn ’21 said, “In a unique situation like the one we are currently in, I have to be creative. Whether that means taking the hall to breakfast or playing nine holes with a few of the prefectees at Brookside.”

As a community, Hill relies on the pre-

fects to lead and discipline themselves as well as others. Head of Upper School East Jennifer Weisbach said, “It’s important to recognize how great of a job the prefects have done.

They’ve gone above and beyond on what’s been asked of them and have made every effort to be creative problem solvers.

That’s what we’re looking for.”

“Prefecting isn’t glamorous,” said Head Prefect Kiki Lange ’21.

“You must be willing to put other people before yourself. There are lots

of long nights and most of the time you’ll be no one’s favorite person, but at the end of the day the reward is much greater than the sacrifice.”

A common theme among prefects is that their reason for pursuing this leadership opportunity is to serve the community. Izzy Tabbarinni ’21 expressed that her motivation for becoming a prefect was to have the opportunity to help others and “be someone people could lean on.”

“It’s very simple: I am here to serve those around me,” Dunn said.

2020 brings a new, socially distant, look to the Club Fair

By CARRIE SHANG ’23 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Every year, in the beginning of the fall term, Hill hosts the Club Fair to showcase the diverse clubs the student body has to offer. It is an opportunity for students to explore their options and get to know each organization. This year, the Club Fair was held on Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. Each club created two-minute “sales pitch” videos to introduce themselves which allowed students who were not on campus to tune in as well. Though they were not stationed at their booths the whole night, club leaders were also there to answer any questions so students could get a better idea of which clubs they might have an interest in joining.

As a safety precaution, the club booths were spread across campus to avoid creating large crowds.

In previous years, the Club Fair was held on the Quad where each club would have

its own booth as the main opportunity for students to learn about the clubs. However, as with most aspects of this school year, the Club Fair needed to be a mix of in-person and online in order to accommodate remote students and day students who were not on campus. The two-minute videos act as an additional resource for students to find out what they need to know about all the clubs. For those who were able to attend the event in-person, having these videos will also be helpful in case they did not manage to get around to all the clubs that they are curious about.

Soon after the Club Fair, club meetings and activities will start up once again. According to Student Life Coordinator Laura McConney, meetings will likely be “a continuation of a hybrid model” similar to the type used in classrooms so

ILLUSTRATION BY BEAU STAFF ’22

that “remote students will be able to enjoy the same thing they would’ve if they were on campus.” These meetings will occur on Friday nights or the weekends. The school plans to take advantage of all the outdoor spaces as well, so that clubs can have more options when meeting in person.

“I think it will be very hard to hold events and meetings.

One of our most successful events last year was Diwali. Obviously, with COVID we will not be able to do that; however, we still hope to do some type of cel-

ebration whether it be in flocks or online,” said Mallika Saluja ’21, co-president of the South Asian Student Association. However, Saluja is assured that SASA will still find a way to meet despite new restrictions.

As life at the Hill School gets back into the familiar rhythm, clubs are going to play their part as well. “[This year will be] a transition year where the ethos around clubs in general is going to define in some ways what the school is about moving forward,” McConney said.

ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE HAN ’22

Diverse activities focus on overall wellness

By SELA MUTO ’23 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Music rings about the walls of the dance studio as dancers both new and experienced gather to learn and perform a variety of dance forms. Nearby on the hardwood floors of Sweeney Gym, sweat is the spin class’ favorite accessory. Out on the Far Fields, fall athletes remain focused on making the most of their seasons, while winter and spring athletes are taking advantage of newly offered training during their off-season.

This fall, students have been introduced to a unique list of afternoon activities, consisting of 10 new options to select from. These additions include Outdoor Education, Recreational Sports, Yoga, Cross Training, Spin, Dance, Recreational Squash, Gardening, and Eco-Action, Journalism / Hill News, and, for remote students access, Positive Intelligence.

“A lot of our students have different interests, so we wanted to offer some opportunities for recreational sports and general fitness,” said Athletic Director Seth Eilberg. “The other thing we wanted to do was slightly expand our non-athletic co-curriculars. One, because those are things that a lot of our students have an interest in and sometimes maybe don’t have a chance to pursue those activities. Secondly, they’re very accessible to our remote students, so we wanted to continue to have that co-curricular experience available to students who may need to be remote.”

As these new activities gain traction, favorites amongst students have been highlighted across campus and have received positive feedback.

“I think [spin] is super fun and a really good option for people who want to exercise but don’t do a fall sport,” said Sarah Kenvin ‘23. “I like that we rotate between spinning and other things too since we only spin three times a week.”

Much like Spin, dance has also made its afternoon activity debut this fall. Being an art of interest to many students around

campus, the enthusiastic response toward dance being offered as more than a class was inevitable.

“Afternoon dance has been great! This is our first opportunity at offering dance in the afternoon, and we are thrilled to have a great turnout,” said Adjunct Dance Instructor Laura Cobbs. “We have several new Hill dancers that have joined us for this term. As a team, they are committed, cohesive, and enthusiastic about learning new choreography. Although this group of dancers has mostly just met, there is a strong cohesion and support.

It is inspiring to watch and gives me momentum in advancing the Hill dance program. It’s exciting to think about what the future might hold.”

Along with the 10 newly activated afternoon activities, Hill is continuing to offer training to fall athletes who have lost their competitive seasons. “We wanted to ensure that our student-athletes, even if they weren’t going to have an interscholastic season, had the opportunity to train and develop fully,” Eilberg said.

In addition to implementing these new opportunities, Hill has garnered several cutting-edge pieces of equipment. “We really stocked up on a number of our ball sports, to make sure we had plenty of balls. We invested in 15 new bikes for spin, as well as our strength and conditioning equipment,” Eilberg said.

With the commotion surrounding the new afternoon activities, one question remains: Are these activities here to stay, or are they solely to accommodate the demands of the pandemic? Eilberg answered, “We’d like to continue where we’ve seen interest and health and wellness, but we also feel strongly that there is a unique value in interscholastic competition. We’re doing a study to observe what will best fit both what students are demanding and what we know to be best for our students’ health and wellness.”

Performers adapt to restrictions

By TIFFANY WANG ’22 LAYOUT EDITOR

Hill Orchestra and Jazz Band has undergone great changes during the 20-21 school year: restrictions posed by COVID-19 do not stop Hill musicians from practicing and performing.

According to Director of Instrumental Music, Margaret Neiswender, rehearsals divided up by instrument sections take place simultaneously in the band room and the CFTA theater. To meet the sanitation standards, Mrs. Neiswender has mandated that all students except wind players wear masks at all times, and wind instruments have bell covers to help reduce the size of aerosol particles dispersed.

Chairs are placed six feet apart like in other classrooms, instruments and working areas are sanitized after class, and each musician has a bottle of Steri-Spray made for instrument and mouthpiece cleaning and sanitization.

As for this fall’s concert, since live audiences are not permitted during this time, performances will be videotaped and shared with the Hill community. Remote students who cannot join as a full band will introduce each piece in the video.

“I’m really pleased with the progress of the Jazz Ensemble and with students in Class Piano.

We hope to share several

The Jazz Band practices on the CFTA stage. PHOTO BY HARLIV SINGH ’23

jazz pieces with the community by the end of the Autumn 1 Term. Everyone is working together to stay safe and healthy while keeping the music playing!” Mrs. Neiswender said.

Mr. Garrison Smith ’15, a teaching intern, also helps with the music and language departments. He contributes to conducting simultaneous rehearsals and organizing music for remote students. “I’m glad for an opportunity to report on our program as we manage protocols and safety measures,” Smith said

with pleasure.

“This year the Jazz Band will also learn music theory on musictheory.net so that our remote students can be included.

We are also using Flipgrid as a way to share everyone’s playing,” Henry Chen ’21, President of the Hill Jazz Band, said. “I think Mrs. Neiswender is doing a great job of adapting to this tough situation, and our TA Mr. Smith is also helping a lot to make things run smoothly. I would like to thank them both.”

I’m really pleased with the progress of the Jazz Ensemble and with students in Class Piano. We hope to share several jazz pieces with the community by the end of the Autumn 1 Term. Everyone is working together to stay safe and healthy while keeping the music playing!

- Mrs. Margaret Neiswender

FEATURES

D6 | FEATURES

The Hill News

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

ALUMNI TEACHER TRAINEES RETURN TO CAMPUS

By JASROOP DHINGRA ’21 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

This year, Hill welcomed five new teacher trainees from the classes of 2015 and 2016: Chris Gorycki ’16, Morgan Healy ’15, Taylor Lange ’16, Kurt Neumaier ’16, and Garrison Smith ’15.

“With all of the requirements that we have to be attentive to this year, such as furniture, more classes, fewer numbers, as well as a dismal job outlook for recent college graduates, we felt like we could get our

needs met while bringing back some great people to get work experience and exposure to the boarding school world while fulfilling a real need academically, athletically, spatially, etc. They’ve helped in literally every aspect,” said Academic Dean Katy Hudak.

Gorycki is involved in the Residential Life Office and helps with the weekend activities. Healey is working as a psychology trainee and is a teaching assistant in AP Psychology as well as working with the Eudemonia program. Lange is a teaching assistant

in computer science classes and is also working in the IT department.

Smith is working in the art department and the theatre program, and Neumaier is taking over George W. Perkins Instructor of History Shannon Zwoyer’s classes while she is on maternity leave through the fall.

All trainees are interested in pursuing a career in the area of their Hill appointment. Lange is enrolled in a master’s program and would like to work in the tech industry for some time before becoming an educator, while Healey is currently involved

in a graduate program. Smith, Neumaier and Gorycki have all expressed interest in working in the education field in some capacity.

“Any way to get involved in education is my focus, and Hill has been great,” said Gorycki.

A common aspect of each of the trainees’ motives for returning to Hill has been to be a part of the community. All five trainees expressed appreciation for the meaningful bonds being formed with Hill students.

“Interacting with the students makes me feel the most fulfilled,

actually forming a relationship with the students makes me feel useful,” Healey said.

All trainees have been able to experience Hill through a different lens as faculty members, now being able to take on the role of mentoring rather than being mentored. As of now, all five alumni are happy to be back a part of the Hill community as faculty members. Mr. Neumaier said, “The people here are pretty incredible, the teachers and the students.”

Taylor Lange ’16 chris gorycki ’16 garrison smith ’15 MORGAN HEALY ’15 KURT NEUMAIER’16

Favorite Memory My favorite memory from Hill was the L’Ville Pep Rally my senior year. I was one of the lucky few who got to light the bonfire that year, and it was just such an amazing experience.

Most Excited For As for what I am excited about when it comes to Hill, I am really excited to see the STEM programs take off with the addition of the Shirley Quadrivium Center, and I am excited to get to know more of the students I see on campus every day.

Favorite Memory

Favorite Memory

The first-ever preseason for the crew team in Philadelphia was a thrill. This was back when we were just forming the team and only had a few members with even fewer accompanying us on the trip. We had ourselves a time.

Most Excited For I am excited to see where the new and progressive changes the school is making will take our community.

I don’t have one memory in particular that sticks out. I just had my highs and lows concurrently? Sorry if that’s wildly unhelpful.

Most Excited For I’m excited to continue to get involved as the year is still unfolding. I hope we will get to stay safe and on campus for as long as we are able to so we can get the most from our time together on campus.

VOICES ON THE HILL

By MONIYAH PERSON-HENDERSON ’23 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Favorite Memory

Favorite Memory

I have a lot of really great memories, but I think the very beginning of the school year was always my favorite. Coming back to Hill after a summer away from my friends and getting to live with them again and participate in all the opening of school events was just always a great time.

Most Excited For I am excited to see how different events are going to be executed in the era of COVID. L-Ville weekend of course is one of the best events of the year and I am interested to see how we do that this year. I also love the Halloween seated dinner and the different dances that we used to have. I am confident that Hill is going to make everything just as fun as it always is, but it is exciting to think about what creative solutions we are going to come up with!

My favorite memory is just me and all my best friends sitting in my friend Raymond’s room, playing video games, talking, and laughing.

Most Excited For I’m excited about getting to be in charge of my own classroom! It’s super scary, but I’m already having so much fun, and I love the opportunity to, hopefully, make an impact on someone’s life.

Coming back to school can be pretty crazy, especially during a pandemic. Three different students voiced their thoughts on how they are dealing with the transition.

PHOTOS BY LAL YATAGAN ’21

CALLIE CONNELLY ’22 ELVERSON, PA What are you doing in your spare time?

I spend a lot of time riding my horses, playing tennis, going on walks, and, now because school has started, schoolwork.

What are the challenges of these conditions?

I recently got my driver’s license, and I was really excited to use it this summer and hang out with my friends, but, because of COVID-19, we couldn’t.

How has your situation impacted you?

Although my situation isn’t as bad as some other people, it definitely did impact us all differently. It taught us all a lot and being thankful for what we already have.

ANNA GUO ’22 ViETNAM What are you doing in your spare time?

During the summer I took a psych course and did some school work such as writing essays and studying for the SATs! I was stuck in Maine for 5 months so there wasn’t much to do other than that.

What are the challenges of these conditions?

It was hard seeing my friends in Vietnam having so much fun because in Vietnam they have been able to keep COVID-19 under control. It was also difficult not being able to see my parents for six months! I was supposed to fly back home, but then the borders closed and they weren’t letting anyone come through.

How has your situation impacted you?

When everything first started like Virtual Hill, it was fun and exciting, but then it quickly got boring. I’m an in-person learner, so with everything online it’s hard to keep track of. It was also too much screen time and not enough social interaction.

Noah Macielag ’23 rOCK HALL, mD What are you doing in your spare time?

I have been spending more time with my family and friends! I have spent a ton of time fishing and sailing down in Rock Hall and sometimes practicing sports!

What are the challenges of these conditions?

School definitely isn’t as fun as it used to be; masks limit my ability to get better in strength and conditioning. I also spent so much time with my family that I started to get annoyed haha!

How has your situation impacted you?

In Rock Hall, there are only 13 confirmed cases and the rules aren’t as strict there, so coming to Hill where it’s super strict is a little difficult to change to.

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

The Hill News

Future midshipman trains at Hill

By TESS GRAY ’21 SPORTS EDITOR

Leonardo Perez ‘21, a post-graduate from Cape Coral, Fla., is attending Hill in preparation for his future at the Naval Academy. He plans on continuing his soccer career playing for the Navy men’s soccer team. Perez has been playing soccer since the young age of 5 and has played other sports, including track and field, cross country, tennis and volleyball.

When posed the question, “If you had to choose another sport to play in college, which sport would you choose?” Perez answered: “I would play track and field; it helps me get in and stay in shape.” At Hill, he is enjoying practices with his team here on campus, participating in “flock work,” individual workouts, footwork, shooting and finishing.

E7 | Sports

Perez said, “Coming to Hill offers me the opportunity for higher academics, more accountability, and more focus on the field and in the classroom.” He not only wants to improve in the classroom and on the soccer pitch but he really wants to try and improve himself as a person too.

“I found out about Hill when I was applying to the Naval Academy and I was trying to figure out a way to get into the Naval Academy, and they gave me the option to go to a foundation school and it was The Hill School,” said Perez. The Naval Academy has been sending kids to Hill for years in order to give their recruits the foundation they will need to succeed at their rigorous school. Perez said Navy “told me Hill would be the best fit.”

Editors-in-Chief Elizabeth Hudak ’21

Tess McArdle ’21

Campus News Nari Tung ’21

Features Olivia Mofus ’22

Arts & Leisure Mofe Akinyanmi ’21

Local News Philippe Jin ’21

Layout Tiffany Wang ’22

Opinion Raina Shah ’21

Multimedia Efi Miller ’21

Sports Tess Gray ’21

Photography & Illustration Claire Hartemink ’21

Staff Contributors Jasroop Dhingra ’21 Annie Li ’21 Bella Basile ’21 Derek Schmaeling ’21 Izzy Feldman ’21 Michael Soland ’21 Edward Deng ’21 Marah Krick ’21 Sarah Wisneski ’21 Andres Arevalo ’22

Jojo Zhu ’22 Sarah Jiang ’22 Tina Wang ’22 Portia Sockel ’22 Beau Staff ’22 Aleksandr Glamazdin ’22 Carrie Shang ’23 Sela Muto ’23 Jennie Ki ’23 Luke Gerdeman ’23

Anna Carroll ’23 Cecile Wegman ’23 Harliv Singh ’23 MoniYah PearsonHenderson ’23 Ryann Holladay ’24 Diemmy Dang ’24

Adviser Ms. Elizabeth DeOrnellas @hillnews

@the_hill_news

/whatsoever thingsarenews

thehill.news

Want to contribute to The Hill News?

Come to our weekly meetings TBA or contact a member of our staff. To submit a letter to the editors or an opinion piece, email ehudak21@thehill.org or tmcardle21@thehill.org

Perez takes a break from soccer practice. PHOTO BY SARAH WISNESKI ’21

Club players go remote

By MARAH KRICK ’21 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Prior to this year, boarders were able to participate in off-campus club sports whilst still living on campus.

As a result of campus wellness concerns, however, it is no longer an option to leave Hill for such activities and later that night return to campus. Some students have instead elected to continue their education remotely in order to remain a part of their club teams.

Thanks to Hill’s purchase of Meeting Owls by Owl Labs, virtual students are able to have the experience of being in the classroom, despite being at home. This allowed student-athletes to decide the conditions of their return to Hill.

Gia Seravalli, a 6th former from Ivyland, Pa., is a student who has decided to remain home in order to participate with

her ice hockey club, the Boston Junior Eagles. While being able to play with her club team certainly played a role in her decision, Seravalli also notes that there were other factors. She plans to remain virtual for the entirety of the fall term, as she will be rejoining the Hill girls ice hockey program this winter.

“I’ve been driving up to Massachusetts on the weekends, and I practice with my team. We play one or two games, and I drive home,” Seravalli said.

Club hockey is especially important for Servali, as she hopes to continue her athletic career at the collegiate level. She notes that she is very grateful for Hill’s adaptation to a difficult time so that she is able to continue doing what she loves.

For international students who previously were part of local club teams, COVID-19 has been particularly

exhausting. Poppy Otten, a 6th former from Amsterdam, is one such student.

“I don’t really have a choice,” Otten said of her decision to return to campus. Without the ability to leave and return on a daily basis, Otten had no choice but to quit her club rugby team. This was particularly upsetting for her, since Hill does not yet have a rugby program for her to join. However, she knew this year would be difficult if she decided to learn remotely.

“I came prepared to adjust my desire to play rugby since I was aware that there was not a team here at Hill. But I’ll say this — the school before COVID-19 regulations was very accommodating in the sense that they were understanding with being off-campus and how I needed to get there,” Otten said.

Schaller ’22 named top 5 in the nation in lacrosse

By DIEMMY DANG ’24 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Will Schaller ‘22 has contributed a great deal to sports at Hill as a part of both the varsity ice hockey and lacrosse teams. He was recently invited to the Under Armour Underclass Baltimore Boys’ team, and, this past year, Inside Lacrosse named him the fifth best high school lacrosse player in the nation and a five star recruit.

Schaller got interested in lacrosse at age 4, inspired by his dad who played in college.

He plays the position of long stick defensive midfielder, and, in addition to playing for Hill, Schaller also plays for Team 91 Maryland, which is currently ranked fourth on Insider Lacrosse’s team rankings. He said that he loves the sport because of all of the amazing friends and coaches he has been able to connect with.

“I’ve made my closest friends through lacrosse that are like family to me now. It’s given me an opportunity to bond with so many people.”

Head boys lacrosse coach Michael Murphy described Schaller as an incredible play-

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILL SCHALLER ’22

er, person and teammate.

“Will’s all-in-all a really good person. I think that the best players are really good people, and they know how to help a guy who’s maybe not as talented as they are, and they know how to pick somebody up who might be having a bad day. I think Will is all of those things.”

Murphy also spoke of Schaller’s work ethic, which has not only allowed him to push for success but has inspired others on the team to do the same as well.

“Will is never one to shy away from the work; I think that’s a credit to him. And I think guys see that, and they

see the success that he’s having, and it makes them work harder ...You know, he can be a great motivator for his peers.”

Aidan Dunn ‘21, a teammate of Schaller’s, echoed this statement.

“He is probably one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met. He’s just on a whole other level.”

As a member of an Under Armour underclass team, Schaller competes with some of the best players across the nation. He also plans to play at the college level and has been in contact with several recruiters, although he has not committed to a school yet.

F8 | ARTS & LEISURE

ARTS & LEISURE The Hill News

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

TikTok takes on the U.S. government

By DEREK SHMAELING ’21 STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Almost everyone has it: TikTok, the short video platform that you spend way more time on then you would like to admit, is a fun escape from work. But how did this mostly lip-syncing, dancetrend starting, Vine-stealing, app for kids find itself in the middle of a cold war between America and China?

Founded in September 2016 and merged with Musical.ly in 2018, TikTok, a Vine clone created for the Chinese market by ByteDance, has become a global powerhouse boasting an impressive 800 million monthly active users: 100 million in the United States alone. Its influence is next to inescapable: a top trending song on TikTok typically translates to a top trending Spotify song, as seen with “Blueberry Faygo,” “Lalala,” and “Party Girl.” This power is just a small reason for the company’s staggering $78 billion evaluation, making it the most valuable startup in the world, surpassing

the crown’s previous holder, Uber, by $10 billion dollars. Yet, why is a company like TikTok so valuable when other platforms with the same format -- Vine, Musically, Mixer, Vine 2 -- all seem to unavoidably fail? The short and sweet answer is you.

TikTok is a data titan. Every single video you watch, link you share, or post you like is closely monitored and accounted for, and that’s a problem. This data collection practice poses a severe national security threat at the worst time: a highly contentious and controversial election. The current presidential administration’s choice to issue an order banning TikTok from operating after Sept. 15 if its Chinese parent company did not sell it was smart. The American government is not the only democracy banning TikTok; India recently banned the use of TikTok throughout the country. As cited by the White House, a statement by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology asserted that TikTok was “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an un-

ILLUSTRATION BY CLAIRE HARTEMINK ’21

authorized manner.”

One of, if not the biggest threat to democracy, is election tampering, and its most prom-

Students find new passion in woodworking class

By EFI MILLER ’21 MULTIMEDIA

As seemingly unexpected as it is, Diane Richard’s woodworking class has gained tremendous popularity with Hill students this past term. Hill has one of the oldest woodworking programs in the nation, and, when the Quadrivium was built, the program’s existence was in jeopardy.

“I decided I didn’t want to lose that history or the tradition of having this class that has been taught for so many years to just go away,” Richards said. She’s been teaching the class since last year. She knew that it would be a challenge to run it in the new Quadrivium, but she made it work. “I knew because of the limitations of the space that it would just be small, hand-held tools: we don’t have any big equipment, so it is a lot of wood carving, which is awesome because those things take a lot of time, and then it is more made with your hands than with the machine.”

Gavin Guerrette ’21 said he was initially attracted to the class because “it gave me the chance to work with my hands. I also felt that woodworking would provide a relief from any exterior stressors, allowing me to focus on something for 80 minutes and craft something that I really had to put some thought and physical work into.”

Even students who have already fulfilled their art requirement have become fans of the class. SGA Co-President Sasjha Mayfield ’21 said she took it because “it helps create perspective. I already completed my arts requirement, so I’m taking the course purely because it interests me, and I wanted to try something new.”

Some select students have even chosen to take the class for a second year in a row. Nate Whittemore ’23 explained, “I wanted to take it again because I really enjoyed last year and wanted to keep going with some unfinished projects.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MRS. DIANE RICHARDS

inent proponent today is social media. Social media can be a leading advocate for freedom, which is best illustrated in the Egyptian

revolution; but, adversely, it can taint it. With more than half of TikTok users in the United States being between 18-34 years old, TikTok commands a significant portion of potential voters. With the Russian tampering scandal still looming over Americas’ heads, why open ourselves up to another potential threat? This election will be one of the most unique ones in history, and, with all eyes focused on America, there is no room for interference.

Politics aside, the executive order to have TikTok sell off its American branch or be banned was necessary. Data security and data privacy are more important than ever coming into this election cycle. Though it may seem unfair, even if there is the smallest chance that TikTok may affect our election, it must be banned. We cannot accept a repeat of the smog that still clouds 2016. TikTok has not become such a staple in your day that you should accept potential election tampering; you can always find videos of Addison Rae doing the WAP on YouTube.

Comic Corner

COMIC BY TINA WANG ’22

Crossword Faculty Furry Friends Curated with the help of the Neese Advisory

Across 5 Bala 6 Borgeson

9 Dollhopf 10 Snyder 13 Hudak

15 Zwoyer 18 Eilberg 21 Hunter

23 McMains 24 Lake 25 Pearson

Down 1 Ruane 2 Steinman 3 Canosa 4 Notebaert 7 Benzinane 8 Courtney 9 Scully 11 Weisbach 12 Lehman 14 Yinger 16 Neiswender, Neese, Spencer 17 Chirieleison 19 Bessette 20 Adams 22 Ruane