The Horace Mann Record, Issue 17

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FEBRUARY 8TH, 2019 || VOLUME 116, ISSUE 17

Speaker discusses social infrastructure Bradley Bennett Staff Writer Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University Eric Klinenberg visited the school this Wednesday to discuss his work in the field of social science and infrastructure.

Director of the Center for Community Values and Action (CCVA) Dr. Jeremy Leeds invited Klinenberg because Leeds believed students would be interested in Klinenberg’s perspective on social infrastructure and his book, Palaces for the People, Leeds said.

“Palaces for the People is a standard foundation for the service learning and ethics that are important to us in the CCVA,” Leeds said. “One of our emphasises is how important

institutions are, not just individual people, and this book exemplifies that idea.”

“I want to help students recognize the power of social scientific thinking, which we urgently need if we want to rebuild the world better and smarter,” said Klinenberg. He also looked forward to speaking to students about ways to repair some of the world problems they have inherited, he said.

During his visit, Klinenberg held an open discussion at the CCVA office during D and E periods in addition to visiting Leeds’ B period ethics class.

“Since I had never previously discussed social infrastructure, it was eye opening to learn about how drastically your neighborhood conditions can affect your own life,” Lindsey Cheng (10) said.

Maxwell Shopkorn/Contributing Photographer

BUILDING BRIDGES Professor Eric Klinenberg visits with students.

Maxwell Shopkorn/Contributing Photographer At the discussion, Klinenberg spoke about his book , ways to improve social infrastructure in Chicago and New York City, and how social infrastructure effects the health and longevity of individual communities.

“I believe that you can learn a lot about what works and what doesn’t work in the world by looking closely and thinking scientifically,” Klinenberg said. “I’m speaking to students directly involved in civic life, who are thinking about what it means to be part of a community and to contribute something to life.”

After Klinenberg’s visit, students internalized his message and now hope to apply it to their own lives.

“One of the major points that I took away from Dr. Klinenberg’s discussion was that communal spaces and an inclusive society are critical for various different groups of people, yet corporate culture, economics, and politics consistently make them inaccessible,” Alex Gerstenhaber (10) said.

“Dr. Klinenberg taught the importance and value of having connections with many different people in your neighborhood,” Cheng said. “I will try to take advantage of the community spaces near me and talk to those who live in my town.”

After listening to Klinenberg, Lauren Port (12) will be more conscious of her cell phone use in public spaces such as libraries and school, she said.

“I believe it is difficult for any one individual to make a large impact on an issue like this, but merely going to public spaces like libraries or athletic fields more often can have a positive effect on my life, and marginally improve the health of these locations,” Gerstenhaber said. HANDS ON Klinenberg engages audience.

End of the AP World: school discontinues course Abby Salzhauer Staff Writer

Due to drastic curriculum changes made by the College Board, Advanced Placement (AP) World History will no longer be taught at the school beginning next year after being offered for nearly 20 years.

The change, announced by the College Board in July of 2018, will move the starting date of the curriculum from 8000 BCE up to 1200 CE, eliminating several hundred years of history, Upper Division History Department Chair Dr. Daniel Link said. As a result, the course will be framed from a more European perspective, and will eliminate the study of many of the Afro-Eurasian ancient societies, he said.

According to a report posted on the College Board website in July, the current course covers too large a span of time, and teachers were not able to adequately teach each time period. As a result, “students’ essay scores on the end-of-year AP Exam have reflected that overwhelming challenge,” the College Board reported.

The change has been met with pushback from history teachers nationwide, history teacher Dr. Ellen Bales said.

The new course eliminates very important time periods and considerations of geographic areas and civilizations, and these eliminations are problematic, Upper Division History Department Chair Dr. Daniel Link said.

“Starting the class with Europeans increasing global contact places Europeans at the center of the narrative and disregards the fact that societies flourished in Africa and Asia before European contact,” Mayanka Dhingra (11), a current AP World student, said.

“The problem with this for anybody who has been thinking about world history at all is that it then becomes a class about how Europe takes over the rest of the world,” Bales said.

The changes would also require teachers to completely restructure their curriculum, history teacher Dr. Susan Groppi

INSIDE

Jackson Roberts/Art Director

HM Experience

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“Lifers” and students who transitioned from other schools discuss growing up here.

King Charles III

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The latest on the winter play from fashion to British accents to casting.

said.

Given that the school is moving away from APs over the course of the next few years, the department believed it was fitting to discontinue the course now, Link said.

“Discontinuing the class is a bittersweet feeling, but teaching the class the way the College Board is currently envisioning doesn’t fit the educational needs of our department or our students,” Groppi said.

Margalit Patry-Martin (11), a current AP World student, believes that changing the curriculum contradicts the objectives of the course.

“Through studying ancient history, we have been able to study alternative ways of living and alternative governments, and we have been able to study trends that are thousands of years old,” Patry-Martin said. “Without starting at preagricultural societies, we would not get to learn the wide variety of perspectives that world history offers,” she said.

Grace Ermias (11), a current AP World student, believes the shift in focus will narrow student perspectives on history, she said.

“The new timeline means that it’s a Eurocentric world history, which is unfortunate because my experience with the class is that it changes the way that you think about things, particularly in your context of understanding world events,” she said.

Next year, AP World will be replaced by the elective course Global Environmental History, which will survey the history of the human relationship with non-human nature, beginning with hunter-gatherers and continuing up to present-day.

The course will center on four major turning points to study the human race’s relationship with climate change on a global scale.

Abigail Kraus (12), who took AP World last year, believes shortening the time period studied diminishes understanding of how civilizations formed.

“You end up missing landmark events in the development of human society,” she said.

Buzzell

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Girls and Boys Varsity Basketball get ready for the Saturday showdown.

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THE RECORD OPINIONS FEBRUARY 8TH, 2019

Red Fish, Blue fish, stop playing big fish

On January 12, I made a meme and posted it on Facebook in which I deemed anyone who played Big Fish “a fool… [who wastes] time playing a game that does not add to… intellectual capacity… does not require strategy, and annoys others.” William Golub (12), who spearheaded support of Big Fish, replied to said meme in a semi-sarcastic manner, writing: “The great Schlector [sic] once wrote ‘the purpose of life is the achievement of happiness. Don’t let someone tell you you [sic] shouldn’t be happy.’ “ Although I initially took a humorous tone with my meme, I wanted to explain why Big Fish was such a problem in our school’s community. Even though its popularity has tapered off, this argument remains relevant because similar games and activities often take hold of students.

One can clearly see the pointlessness of Big Fish by looking at Aristotle’s discussion of happiness in his book, Nicomachean Ethics, written around 340 BC. Aristotle defines happiness as the “aim of political science… equivalent to living well and acting well.” (Book 1, Chapter 4). The constant messaging of Big Fish referral links is annoying to others, and players’ addiction to the game is harmful, making people constantly play at the expense of other activities (e.g., sleep, socializing, concentration during class). These, along with the money-making structure of the game, all lead to a life lived and acted less “well” than before.

This aspect of Big Fish is especially dangerous. Aristotle writes that “wealth is clearly not the good we are seeking, since it is merely useful for getting something else” (Book 1, Chapter 5). The money-making nature of Big Fish, in fact, is

Lorenzo Hess detrimental not only because wealth in general does not lead to a “good” life, but also because the in-game form of wealth (coins) that one accumulates is not even “useful for getting something else.” By playing the game, people further ingrain themselves in a money-making mindset and cannot even use the coins they receive for material gain.

Aristotle states that “the complete good is thought to be self-sufficient... [it] makes life worthy of choice… We think happiness to be such, and indeed the thing most of all worth choosing, not counted as just one thing among others.” Big Fish, by contrast, is a “thing among others.” It is simply a game and does not make “life worthy of choice.”

After posting this analysis on Facebook, Arul Kapoor (12) jumped in, arguing that Big Fish is at the Aristotelian Golden Mean, because “huge fish is too much” and “no fish is too little.”

I presume that this means that whatever quantity represented by a “big” fish was greater than “no fish” and less than “huge

fish,” and that this mathematical inequality somehow falls in line with Aristotle’s notion of the Golden Mean, that states of virtue come with balance and “are corrupted by deficiency and excess.” (Book 2, Chapter 3) Big Fish, though, is exactly contrary to the Golden Mean. The game “involves the pursuit of an essentially infinite resource, an unattainable extremity;” while there does technically exist a final fish, it takes a while to reach it. The steps required to reach it are all about players collecting an excess of currency, spending it all on the next fish, finding themselves in a deficiency of currency, thus needing to collect more, then arriving at another excess, and spending it all again on the next fish. Upon reaching the final fish, or the greatest possible excess, one has the ability with the click of a button to completely reset their progress, arriving yet again at the greatest possible deficiency. Aristotle writes more about excess and deficiency, stating that “the impulses of incontinent people carry them off in the opposite direction.”

(Book 1, Chapter 13) Big Fish is a game of extremes and incontinence. It leads its players away from the Golden Mean. It is a watered-down version of more sophisticated technologies that entice us with happiness and lead us down darker paths. The tactics used to lure people in to Big Fish are used by social media networks, which have people striving for likes, upvotes, and false validation. The craze over long Snapchat “streaks” sends users on the impossible goal of trying to reach infinity. These technologies may provide some short-term gratification, but will never create a true meaningful existence.

Art by Katie Goldenberg/News Editor

Addressing the State of the Union

Solomon Katz President Trump gave his second State of the Union Address on Tuesday. As an informed student body, it is essential to look and understand what our current president has deemed important. And while many of us automatically criticize, if we do so indiscriminately, the construct of the complaint loses its power.

So when we look at Trump’s State of the Union Address, let us criticize where its faults and look at the rest with objective eyes that don’t blind us to its positive aspects.

The speech followed a government shutdown during which Trump stated that he wanted a budget resolution including a plan for the infamous wall.

Trump made a variety of claims during the speech, detailing plans for the future and tackling issues like the spread of HIV, new infrastructure projects, and high price of prescription drugs. I commend these initiatives because of their utilitarian value. Not only do these plans fall into the sphere

of Democratic platforms, but setting a fixed price on drugs has created backlash from the Republican party. To skip over this deviation from the partyline like it is nothing would be naive.

Trump also made claims about his past two years in office during the speech; many major news outlets are jumping at the chance to prove him wrong. If one were to go to the New York Times website, where many of us watched the speech, for a fact check analysis, you would see a list of statements by Trump followed by the sentence “This is true.” or “This is false.” in bold. To the New York Times’ credit, they give a more detailed description underneath, but for many people who get their news online, the bold writing is all that is read. That black and white analysis leaves out the context necessary to make accurate assessments. Others make the mistake of using the Facebook account NowThis as their means of getting a recap of the event because it is a quick video with good production value, but outlets like these also give easy answers without any additional description underneath. For example, one claim Trump made was that 5.3 million jobs have been created under his presidency. The exact number is actually 4.87 million jobs, which allowed outlets to put the word false at the forefront, which the set up viewers to miss the sentiment of the statement.

The economy did grow at a peak

rate of 4.2% during 2018, a rate higher than before, and actions by the Trump administration such as sizable cuts to corporate tax should not be overlooked as unrelated factors.

Okay, I know you’ve all been waiting for it, so here I go: the wall. As Trump approached the topic of the wall, he made claims that correlated undocumented immigrants with violent crime, false and inherently racist statements.

Politicians often use sophistry in an attempt to evoke emotions that will warrant support.

Trump is not wrong when he states that in the past, border security has been a bipartisan issue. Unfortunately, Trump’s insistence on a wall above all makes productive bipartisan discussion impossible.

A major theme throughout the speech was bipartisanship.

Pelosi applauded sarcastically at the notion, which has gone viral. But just like in the Obama administration, when Democrats refused to work with Republicans, nothing gets done.

In this case, the stalemate is causing government shutdowns of historic proportions. Maybe if Trump moved away from his divisive wall rhetoric, it would create an opening for actual bipartisanship, and Democrats would be forced to address the legitimate issues surrounding undocumented immigrants.

Unfortunately, like Pelosi, the entire internet scoffs at the possibility of bipartisanship.

Volume 116 Editorial Board Managing Editor Betsey Bennett

Editor in Chief Lynne Sipprelle

Features Abby Kanter Megha Nelivigi

News Katie Goldenberg Surya Gowda

Lions’ Den Natasha Stange Brody McGuinn William Han

Photography Abigail Kraus Ahaan Palla Jake Shapiro

Faculty Adviser David Berenson

Issues Editor Sadie Schwartz

Opinions Rebecca Siegel Abigail Goldberg-Zelizer Art Directors Juli Moreira Jackson Roberts

Middle Division Sandhya Shyam

Crossword by Ryan Jonas

A&E Peri Brooks Jeren Wei Design Editors Allison DeRose Caroline Kaplan

Online Editor Henry Wildermuth

Across 2. Son of Darth Vader 5. Medium-sized motor vehicle 6. Part of a compass 9. Famous canal 10. Italian astronomer and physicist 11. Blitz 13. Part of Newton's First Law of Motion 14. Snake-like fish 16. Name for the Horace Mann Athletic Teams 17. Venomous Amphibian with an Exponential Growth Rate 20. Sana'a is the capital of this country 21. Currency in China 23. Capital of Hawaii 27. Gold, Zinc, or Tin 29. Weekly publication 30. Falls in love with Daisy 33. Partner with Even 34. Relative of the Cantaloupe Down 1. Shakespeare King with 3 Daughters 2. Amor 3. Member of the marsupial family 4. Fuzzy fruit 6. Recipients include Albert Einstein 7. Montague family member 8. Mends 12. First Name of Clock in London 15. Actress in “A Star is Born” 18. Former First Lady of Argentina 19. Author of Matilda 20. First man to travel in outer space 22. Washington D.C. Baseball Team Name for Short 24. Taper 25. Irate 26. Floating water flower 28. Second largest bird on the planet 31. Also 32. Important Pollinators

Staff Writers Malhaar Agrawal, Laura Bae, Andrew Cassino, Mayanka Dhingra, Victor Dimitrov, Amelia Feiner, Mark Fernandez, Nelson Gaillard, Leonora Gogos, Jude Herwitz, Edwin Jin, Spencer Kahn, Samuel Keimweiss, Gabrielle Kepnes, Suraj Khakee Madison Li, Darius McCullough, Noah Phillips, Eliza Poster, Julia Robbins, Kiara Royer, Abigail Salzhauer, Ranya Sareen, Nishtha Sharma, Griffin Smith, Benjamin Wang, Robbie Werdiger, Simon Yang, Isabella Zhang, Bradley Bennett, Sogona Cisse, Jack Crovitz, Jackson Feigin, Adam Frommer, Andie Goldmacher, Julia Goldberg, Marina Kazarian, John Mauro, Henry Owens, Emily Shi, Samuel Singer, Sasha Snyder, Vivien Sweet, Natalie Sweet, Joshua Underberg, Talia Winiarsky Staff Photographers Eva Fortunato, Iliana Dezelic, Griffin Smith, Harrison Haft, Andrew Cassino, Julia Isko, Julia Robbins, Daniel Lee, Ava Merker Staff Artists Elizabeth Fortunato, Alexandra Crotty, Gabrielle Fischberg, Annabelle Chan, Julia Roth

Across 2. Son of Darth Vader 5. Medium-sized motor vehicle 6. Part of a compass 9. Famous canal 10. Italian astronomer and physicist 11. Blitz 13. Part of Newton's First Law of Motion 14. Snake-like fish 16. Name for the Horace Mann Athletic Teams 17. Venomous Amphibian with an Exponential Growth Rate 20. Sana'a is the capital of this country 21. Currency in China 23. Capital of Hawaii 27. Gold, Zinc, or Tin 29. Weekly publication 30. Falls in love with Daisy 33. Partner with Even 34. Relative of the Cantaloupe Down 1. Shakespeare KingEditorial with 3 Daughters Policy 2.ABOUT AmorThe Record is published weekly by the students of Horace Mann School to3. provide the community with information and entertainment, as well as various Member of the marsupial family viewpoints in the forms of editorials and opinion columns. All editorial decisions regarding content, 4. Fuzzy fruitgrammar and layout are made by the editorial board. The Record maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and National 6. Recipients include Albert Einstein Scholastic Press Association.

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HORACE MANN NEWS FEBRUARY 8TH, 2018

Poetry Out Loud advances to state competition Nelson Gaillard Staff Writer

Priyanka Voruganti (11) and Claire Yoo (12) competed in the regional competition of Poetry Out Loud (POL) on Monday and both advanced to the state competition in March.

“Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation competition where students perform the work of other published poets,” English teacher and POL faculty advisor Sarah McIntyre said.

Yoo founded the school’s POL club during her sophomore year to get other people who were interested in poetry to find an environment in which they feel comfortable to explore a new Courtesy of Claire Yoo

YOO WISH YOO WERE HERE Claire and Priyanka pose at contest.

way to enjoy it, she said.

“Last year, Priyanka was a runner-up at regionals and went to states, but it’s the first year that both winners of the competition are from the same school in more than four years,” Yoo said.

Voruganti joined POL because of her love of acting and finds reciting poetry on stage familiar to acting, she said. She also wanted to find one club within the school that she was passionate about, she said.

“I’ve always considered myself an artistic person and poetry is one way that I choose to express myself artistically,” Voruganti said.

In the competition, participants are required to choose, memorize, and recite one poem written before the 19th century, one poem that is under 30 lines, and one in any category, Liliana Greyf (9) said.

“It’s such a joy as an English teacher to hear someone has committed a poem to memory and has delivered it with style and posh and understanding and commitment,” English teacher Rebecca Bahr, one of the judges for the school competition, said.

Similarly, McIntyre became a part of POL because students who demonstrates an independent love of poetry warms her heart, she said.

Bahr chose Voruganti and Yoo to move to the regional competition because they have so much sophistication in their reading and were really invested in their poems, she said. “[Priyanka and Claire] were both really clearly able to communicate the ideas and the emotions of the poems in a way that I could actually feel,” English teacher Andrew Fippinger said.

“I think that [Priyanka] and Claire won deservedly those spots because both of them selected poems that they relate to personally,” McIntyre said.

This year, Voruganti chose poems based on the universe, compared to last year, when she chose poems on the subject of women, she said.

Yoo likes to recite poetry that tells a story and has specific imagery that makes it easier for the listeners to understand what is happening, she said.

Greyf and Mekhala Mantravad (9) participated in the school’s

Courtesy of Claire Yoo

SPEAK UP, SPEAK OUT Regional competitors pose after performing.

POL competition this year but neither was chosen to continue to the regional competition. However, this will not stop Greyf from pursuing her love of poetry, Greyf said.

Outside of school, Greyf reads and writes poetry and applies to many different competitions, and plans to compete in POL again next year, she said. “I’m going to be looking forward to competing again because I think I’ll have a better shot at making it farther.”

Yoo is looking forward to the state competition and possibly the national competition in Washington DC and is excited to hear poems from passionate participants, she said.

Voruganti is eager to compete in March because of the tougher competition, she said. “I really want to win.”

Parents Institute hosts Digital Lives talk Sam Singer Staff Writer

Internationally recognized clinical psychologist Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair spoke to Middle Division (MD) parents Thursday about the “Big Disconnect” between parents and students regarding their online lives and how to properly monitor children’s online behavior.

The objective of the talk was to teach parents how to be both empathetic and authoritative surrounding their children’s use of technology, Steiner-Adair said. “It’s important that parents are in control and able to monitor their children’s online life,” she said.

“Many of the concerns brought to the school surrounding parenting issues are those of technology and how to monitor it, so it was important to bring in an expert,” President of the Parent Association Grace Peak said.

Steiner-Adair began the talk by summarizing data she had compiled from polling MD students about their online presence.

According to Steiner-Adair’s data, students reported that 15% see nude images online while 46% see racist content, 24% see homophobic content, and 23% see online bullying. “Their

entire adolescent experience has been through technology, meaning they see things that they wouldn’t see in real life at their age,” she said.

Steiner-Adair also emphasized the negative impacts of technology on MD students, including increased anxiety, lack of independence, and decreased confidence from artificial social interactions.

“Many middle schoolers treat technology as a coping mechanism for life problems but become overdependent and need to use technology to not only stay connected but feel connected,” Steiner-Adair said.

Later in the evening, Steiner-Adair advised parents about how to help control their children’s online behavior. Such strategies included using parental control apps when children should be phone-free and using a standard “Family Media” agreement to help families set guidelines and regulate internet use.

She also advised parents to set limits on technology use around the house by teaching children to fall asleep without their phones and setting time limits for their gaming apps.

“Middle school is the time when you can set limits with kids; at that age they want faceto-face help and advice from you, which is

Courtesy of Barry Mason

PARENT PREOCCUPATION Parents listen intently to Steiner-Adair speak.

something that they desire less as they grow older,” Steiner-Adair said. “They’re exposed to the whole world through their high tech tools, and your job is to teach them how to use that power for good and not for harm,” she said.

Parents expressed various reactions to the talk, many were encouraged to use new strategies regarding their childrens’ digital

“It’s important that parents are in control and able to monitor their children’s online life.”

-Dr. Catherin Steiner-Adair lives.

“I think access to constant social media has become very harmful to our teenagers because kids are not getting enough time to relax and disconnect from a constant assault of communication and social chatter,” Jonathan

Cohen P’23 said.

“They’re digital natives, so they know so much more about what’s happening and what’s current, so we’re on the outside, so coming to something like this we get a little glimpse of what we should look for,” Lauren Smith P’25, 26 said.

The event was a part of the Parent Institute program, which offers informative talks to provide parents a greater appreciation of Middle Division student’s adolescent journeys in an increasingly complex world, Middle Division Director of Counseling and Guidance Wendy Reiter said.

The program is spearheaded by a team including the Parent Association, Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly, and Reiter, and plans to organize further talks surrounding familial pressure, success in middle school, and stress, Kelly said.

“Through speeches throughout the year by experts, the program will create parent involvement by allowing students to have conversations with personnel and experts relevant to their school lives and social lives,” he said.

Additional reporting by Isabella Zhang.

Courtesy of Barry Mason

HOLD THE PHONE Steiner-Adair teaches parents how to regulate their children’s online behavior.

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THE RECORD FEATURES FEBRUARY 8TH, 2019

Samuel Keimweiss Staff Writer

13 years and counting

When Destiny Wright-Butler (12) leads prospective families around campus as a Student Ambassador, she has an interesting fact to share with them. “I tell people ‘oh, I’ve been here for 15 years,’” she said. “I literally am a product of the school.”

Wright-Butler is a “Lifer,” someone who has attended the school since kindergarten or nursery.

Lifers make up a significant portion of the school community, with 55 graduating last year out of a class of 183, according to The Mannikin.

“Spending nine months out of the year together for 13-plus years now, there’s this unspoken pact or bond that ‘I’ve known you since I was five years old,’” Adam Fife (12) said, who came to the school in kindergarten.

The school becomes a second home for students, Director of Middle Division Guidance Wendy Reiter said. “They feel very anchored to the culture of the school and the expectations and most importantly the relationships that they create over the whole timeline,” she said.

Sophia Friedman ’17, who also entered the school in kindergarten, said that “shared memories” help Lifers bond. “All these specific memories come to mind when you’ve been at Horace Mann and you have that sense of what all the traditions were in each grade,” she said.

The Lower Division emphasizes the “Rules We Live By,” Associate Director of Middle and Upper Division Admissions Robin Ingram said. The values--Show Kindness, Be Polite, Don’t Be Hurtful, Listen Respectfully, and Take Responsibility--are interwoven into all divisions of the school, Ingram said.

“It’s a really intimate, sweet Lower Division that takes really good care of you and really prepares you well for Middle School and Upper School,” Ingram, who was the MD Head for 14 years, said.

One of the things that the school emphasized throughout the years is the importance of that community, Chloe Bown ‘18 said. “It makes me think critically about everything I want to do to make a positive impact,” she said.

“I was always prepared to work hard, and I was always taught to respect my peers,” Zarina Iman

Mann to thank for that friendship,” Friedman said.

Fife also met his closest friend, Gavin Delanty (12), when they were in kindergarten. While they were friends from the start, Fife said, some of his other LD friends have grown apart over time.

“People change. There was never any big fight, just some people whom I used to be super friendly with I’m now kind of friendly with,” he said.

Although students usually have expansive friend groups, “very frequently there is always that small core group of their friends that they may have met all the way going back to nursery years, kindergarten, first, or second grade that remain a constant for them,” Reiter said.

“When you’re younger, you just grow really close to someone and over time you just keep building on that foundation,” Morgan Joseph (12) said. “It’s more of a sister kind of thing as opposed to a friendship.”

Joseph, who came to school as a three-year-old, has been close friends with Bebe Steel (12) for her entire time at the school, she said.

Friedman credits the school for making sure she understood the privilege of being a Lifer.

“Having the opportunities that I had from a very young age because of Horace Mann is something that I have not taken for granted and that I hope to have acknowledged at each step of the way,” Friedman said.

“It’s been a privilege for my kids to be here, for them to go to a private school like this, and I think they realize that now the more they get older,” Admissions Associate and Physical Education teacher Rawlins Troop P’06, P’07, P’10, P’18, P’21 said.

Joseph has occasionally felt pressure from her parents to use the privilege she has in a positive way, she said. “It’s like, we’ve invested in your education so show us what it’s really like, what you really learned here,’” she said.

“As a Lifer, you’ve had more opportunities to take advantage of all the opportunities here,” Friedman said.

The privilege of the LD experience can be negative for self-esteem, Friedman said. On occasion, being the student who did not have to take a difficult test to get into the school made her feel like she was not as smart as a newcomer, she said.

Courtesy of Adam Fife

RECESS BUDDIES Adam Fife (12), Kamaal Watts (12), and Ethan Tym in the Lower Division. ’18, who came to the school in Kindergarten, said.

Ben Rosenbaum (12) had a different experience in Lower School. Faced with bullying and body shaming, he became numb to students who did not reflect the school’s values, he said. “It’s very difficult for students to create safe spaces and be considerate and care for other people,” he said.

Most of the time, however, being a Lifer allows students to form strong friendships. Friedman met her best friend, Sasha Bader ’17, in Lower Division. “I have that long time I spent at Horace

Kindergarten Butterflies

Applefest

“Being someone who has been here for a long time and got in when I was way younger, I had felt, many years ago, that maybe I wasn’t good enough to be in this new part of the school, this new middle school part,” Fife said.

Though he occasionally had the same thoughts, Weber disagreed with the idea. “The Lifers, by the mere fact that they’re still there, means that they are just as skilled as the people who come in in sixth or ninth grade,” he said.

“If they didn’t belong here, we would have let them know that,” Ingram said. “If a student wants

Lower Division

Kite flying day Dorr Dogs Pumpkin (kindergarten) Fun Fridays (fourth grade) (second grade) fairy

Gingerbread man hunt

Courtesy of Sophia Friedman

BFF’S SINCE DAY ONE Sophia Friedman ‘17 and Sasha Bader ‘17 in LD (left) and graduation (right). to be here but it’s going to be really hard work for because I had never transitioned schools before,” them, they just have to be aware that that’s going to Weber said. “I think that’s part of the reason that possibly change their quality of life in high school,” I decided to take a gap year, which made the she said. transition to college a lot easier.”

Troop, who works in admissions for sixth Leaving the school is also sad, Friedman said. grade, said that newcomers are helpful to the older “It took a lot of time to process leaving this place students. “It picks up the whole grade to be better,” that I had been at for 13 years.” he said. In addition, the strong friendships that Faculty and administrators talk constantly students form in the LD help them navigate the about how to best help students in both the LD move to the MD, he said. and the MD, Ingram said. By looking at test scores Often, sixth grade provides students with the and talking about each student individually, the opportunity to grow developmentally and socially, school makes each Lifer’s path smoother, she said.

Reiter said. The social challenge of new students allows Lifers to “become inclusive, rather than exclusive,” she said.

“I could not rely on an older group of friends,” Jivan Khakee ’18 said. “I ended up making a lot of new friends in sixth grade, and some of those have remained my friends throughout the rest of high school.” When Khakee moved up to sixth grade from the LD, two of his best friends left the school, forcing him to make new friendships, he said.

“Another way to look at Lifers is that sometimes when they transition to middle school, they are looking for new friends,” Reiter said. Although most students remain close to their old friends, they take the opportunity granted by the influx of The education extends beyond the classroom, students in sixth grade to form new connections, Joseph said. “Our dialogue outside of the she said. classroom is equally as important as the things For some Lifers, the length of time at the school we learn inside the classroom. I don’t think other can create a feeling of monotony, Jane Frankel ’18 schools are talking about stocks in their free time,” said. “Some of my peers, they definitely felt the she said. hardships of being in the same place for too long Lifers have also had the opportunity to observe and getting tired of it,” she said. many of the school’s changes over the years, Rosenbaum felt this way at times and is ready Wright-Butler said. “To be able to say that I’ve for a change, he said. “I’m incredibly grateful for been here that long to see a lot of changes that the all the resources the school has offered me, but I’m school has gone through, I think that’s very cool,” ready to move on,” he said. she said.

Wright-Butler seriously contemplated leaving “We’ve focused on diversity a lot more in the past the school, she said. “I was having a lot of issues few years,” Joseph said. “When we were younger it at home and there was a lot of work put on top wasn’t really a conversation, but now in the Lower of that,” she said. “I don’t think I could have ever Division they’re having more conversations about followed through with that. I don’t think that I diversity, inclusion, and thinking and talking could leave something that I had been a part of for about different types of people.” so long.”

The school isn’t the only thing that changes, Being at the school for so long can make it hard Frankel said. “I got to see my grade evolve into to leave, Friedman said. “Horace Mann is kind of people, not just kids. I saw them change and grow a bubble and having spent a really long time there up, and we grew up together.” you get used to the routine of things,” she said.

As Wright-Butler gives tours as a student “You’re going to get out of the hilltop schools ambassador, she is doing more than showing and it’s going to be so different,” Fife said. As a people around her school. She is showing them senior, Fife believes that he is more nervous about around her home for the past 15 years. “I’ve the transition after HM than other people might established myself not only physically but also in be because he has been in one place for so long, the community,” she said. he said.

“The foundation of my life came from Horace “I think I was nervous about transitioning Mann,” Friedman said.

737

of the Upper Division students, 30% came in kindergarten or before

Middle Division Eighth Color war and Egg drop Grade Dorr (sixth grade) field day Middle Mania

Chicks hatching Estimation Washington, DC Halloween Trip (first grade) (second grade) parades (fifth grade)

Courtesy of Sophia Friedman

Williamsburg trip Middle Memories (eighth grade) (sixth grade)

Upper Division HMO

Buzzell

Senior Scream

UDO Homecoming Decades Dance Senior Dorr (12th grade)

5

HORACE MANN FEATURES FEBRUARY 8TH, 2019

Gabby Kepnes Staff Writer

A different education

Whether coming from a school 7,000 miles away or from just across the Hudson River, students have found different ways of adjusting to Horace Mann’s academic, cultural, and social lifestyle.

“Academically, [the transition] wasn’t bad, but socially, it was hard because Horace Mann was where I first met white people,” Faijul Rhyan (12) said.

at first, Claire Yoo (12), who also came from a public school in New Jersey, thinks that the school does a great job with helping students transition to a new group of people, she said.

At HM, “people come from all over New York City, so it’s interesting to see how other people’s lives and experiences differ from mine,” Yoo said.

To make the transition as easy as possible, the school has a number of methods in place.

“In addition to our rather unique orientation programs up at the John Dorr Nature Lab, the

Courtesy of Faijul Rhyan

PREPPED FOR HM Faijul Rhyan (12) with friends at Prep for Prep.

Rhyan participated in the after-school program “Prep for Prep” for 14 months before he came to HM. The program is located in New York City and offers students of color access to a private school education that they may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend.

“When I came to HM, people had a lot of money which was weird to me,” he said. He was surprised to hear that people were spending thousands of dollars on certain events like birthdays which he never thought were such a big deal, he said.

Rhyan also felt the need to reduce the use

41%

school also begins the process of inviting new students to join our community by having several admissions events that provide access to the community,” Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly said. “For example, students and parents are welcome to attend any number of our open houses, which include tours of our campus and contact with both employees and students.”

Maya Nornberg (9), who switched from a small Jewish school in the city, said that the transition was easy because she met new people during pre-season and Upper Division Orientation (UDO) at Dorr, she said.

of all UD students came to Horace Mann in the Middle Division.

of slang in his everyday vocabulary in order to fit in, he said. He noticed that people at HM started to give weird looks to kids who used slang words they weren’t familiar with, he said.

“People were using more slang around me than with their other friends, and it made me uncomfortable,” Rhyan said. “From that, I decided to tone it down so certain people would stop being awkward and weird.”

At Grace Ermias’ (11) previous public school, there was greater economic and racial diversity, she said.

Compared to his New Jersey public school, Taimur Moolji (11) noticed that HM is a lot more liberal and that many more people are willing to engage in conversations about topics like race and ethnicity, he said.

“My old school was in a very republican district where all everyone ever mentioned was ‘MAGA, MAGA, MAGA,’” he said.

At Natalie Sweet’s (10) previous school in Queens, she and her sister were the only two girls on the co-ed basketball team. The fact that she could play with other girls at the school was a nice change for her, she said.

Janvi Kukreja (12), who went to a small public school in New Jersey, came to the school when she was in sixth grade. Because everyone at the school was willing to help ease the transition for incoming students, Kukreja never felt rattled when she first arrived, she said.

Even though she felt an increase in workload

Programs like Horace Mann Orientation (HMO) and UDO provide a highly specialized look at the ins and outs of different aspects of life at HM, Dr. Kelly said. “They also remind new students that they’re all in this together,” he said.

Mikayla Benson (10), who came from a small private school in New Jersey, was not used to having to make friends because at her previous school; she knew all her classmates since she was three years old.

“Creating new friendships felt different, and it felt exhausting to create my own friend group,” she said. “It’s hard for people to come to a new school because everyone that is already at this school has friends that they’ve known forever.”

It was not until Benson started participating in the school’s shows and musicals that she found a group of people she feels really close to, she said.

Michael Ortiz (12), who came from a public school in the South Bronx, was also startled by the already well-established social groups he encountered when he entered the school, he said.

Nornberg had to adjust to a larger amount of people around her, she said.

“There are some people in my grade and I don’t even know their names,” Nornberg said.

“This is what’s considered normal, but it’s definitely different than what I had before.”

Rhyan found that having a diverse group of friends was important to him, as most of

his friends from Prep for Prep were people of color, he said.

Amman Kejela (11), who came to HM from a grade of 30 people, feels that rumors and gossip are a much bigger part of life at the school.

“At my old school, a rumor wasn’t a rumor if all 30 people knew each other,” he said. “You couldn’t get mad at person A and tell person B because everyone was friends with each other.”

In addition to gossip, many students experienced shifts in the topics of discussion at HM. “Everyone at Horace Mann was constantly talking about their mental health,” Benson said. “I wasn’t used to an everyday discussion about stress and how much work we all have.”

The idea of being stressed out and talking to other people about it was completely foreign to Benson because at her old school, everyone was stressed so no one felt the need to talk about it, she said.

“There are things people say at Horace Mann that I probably wouldn’t have heard at public school,” Sweet said. “For example, complaining about your personal elevator being broken or that your nose job appointment got cancelled.”

For some, the transition mainly revolved around academics, including a change in workload, a competitive culture, and a multitude of resources provided at the school.

After transitioning last year from YCIS, an international school in Shanghai, Gabriel Banks (9) noticed a number of differences in the academic culture of HM. “In my other school you made friends by doing well and getting good grades,” he said.

“Instead, people at HM will notice you more if you’re outgoing.” Hard work and achievement were highly recognized at Banks’ old school, he said. “If you succeeded, the school made sure everyone knew you were the best,” he said.

“This motivated me to be the best.”

“All the teachers at my old school emphasized those two specialties whereas at Horace Mann, in addition to academics, they also care a lot more about athletic ability and personalities,” he said.

Amishi Desai (10), who went to an international private school in London, took many more classes at her previous school, including multiple languages and histories.

She also took courses such as geography and religion.

“Even though I was taking biology, chemistry,

speakers, my old school had to slow down the English curriculum for them,” he said.

The biggest change for Ermias, who transitioned to the school in ninth grade, was the number of resources available to students at the school, as well as the resources students had on their own, such as books and electronic devices, she said.

“There was limited funding at my school whereas here, the school has tons of ways to fund the amount of resources,” she said.

Ortiz felt that one major change was the school’s expansive campus, he said. “The school

24%

of UD students came to Horace Mann in the Upper Division.

is designed to look lively, which is pretty nice considering my old school looked like a prison: dark floors, gated windows, walking in lines,” he said. “The freedom to go anywhere on or off campus was super liberating.”

Matthew Aponte (9), who came to the school in sixth grade from a public school, felt that if a student was struggling at his old school, it was harder to catch up on what he had missed, he said. It was rare to meet with a teacher since there was one teacher for all the subjects at his previous school, he said.

“You would ask them one question in the middle of class but otherwise it was more catching up by yourself at home rather than with a teacher,” he said.

Another change Ermias felt was the jobs that faculty were assigned to, she said.

Ermias also noticed that teachers are more focused on the jobs they are assigned to at HM. “At my public school, a lot of teachers might be taking on different jobs where one teacher could be teaching an English class, a math class, and at the same time might also be the head of the English department.”

Ortiz felt similarly about the level of engagement teachers have, admiring their

Wilder Harwood/Staff Artist

and physics at the same time at my old school, I like how there’s more focus on specific classes here,” she said. “I have gotten more advanced in the sciences I’m doing right now.”

Sarah Acocelli (11), who went to a small NYC private school similar to HM, said that since she was in a small environment, her school was already really competitive, she said.

Acocelli noticed the frequent discussion and comparison of grades when she arrived at HM, she said.

Even though YCIS has a more advanced math program, Banks feels that the humanities at HM are a lot more challenging, he said.

“Since there were many kids that weren’t native English

motivation and investment in students’ success.

“Teachers at HM aren’t just going through the motions. Everyone is over-qualified and pretty much experts at what they do,” he said.

Once Yoo moved to high school she felt she could be herself, something she could not feel at her old school, she said.

“People here celebrate you and what you want to do,” Yoo said.

Kukreja would be a very different person if she stayed at her old school, she said.

“The culture and the environment of HM changed and shaped me, but not in a bad way,” Kukreja said. “I’m very glad that I came to Horace Mann.”

All statistics were gathered from the ‘18-’19 UD Division of Entry Summary.

6

THE RECORD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FEBRUARY 8TH, 2019

King Ch

Chess pieces drawn by Juli Moreira /Art Director

Genderless casting Amleia Feiner Staff Writer When director Benjamin Posner was casting The Horace Mann Theater Company’s (HMTC) production of King Charles III, he left out one notable casting criteria: gender. Four main, male characters in the script were changed to females characters.

In fact, the original production of the play featured only two principle female characters, Jordan Ferdman (10) said. She plays Jane Reece, the press secretary to the royal family. However, her character was originally named James Reece.

“There’s a part of the show where I talk to Harry’s girlfriend about an intimate photo of her that has been leaked to the public,” Ferdman said. “Talking to her girl-to-girl makes my rudeness to her a bit more personal, because it’s less that I don’t understand and more that I don’t care.”

Another originally male character is Prime Minister Evans, played by Amelia Feiner (11). When cast as the role, Feiner did not know what gender she would perform as.

“For a little while, Mr. Posner and I experimented with not assigning a gender to my part and keeping my gender unimportant because it doesn’t define who the character is, but when costumes came in it started to get kind of complicated,” Feiner said. Now, she plays Ms. Evans instead of Mr. Evans.

One of the consequences of the switches was the change in power dynamics of the entire play, because in the original version, women occupied very few of the influential positions, such as the prime minister, Ferdman said.

“In the original production, [the king and the press secretary] are both older white men, but here, you can very clearly see the power imbalance and that the king is the one making the final decision,” she said.

A particular moment that demonstrated the importance of the difference in gender was the need to cut parts of a monologue by Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, regarding the roles of power occupied by men, Ben Rosenbaum (12) said.

Posner did not plan on specifically switching any roles before casting, but specified in the casting call announcement that he would be open to doing so, he said.

When Posner switched a role’s gender, he said it was because he thought a specific actor or actress would play that role the best. For example, Feiner was one of the few who were passionate about the talkingheavy role of Prime Minister Evans.

“We’re not doing it as a political statement,” Posner said. “It’s more important to me that [the actors] understand what the character is saying and doing and representing in the play than whether or not they can convince me that they are a man or a woman.”

Student Review Sam Keimweis Staff Writer The Queen is dead, the new king is upending the status quo, and England is collapsing into chaos. Thrust into the setting of the Tony award nominated predictive play King Charles III, the Horace Mann Theater Company (HMTC) produces a brilliant performance full of emotion, thought-provoking themes, and conflict.

This week’s production of King Charles III, a play written in 2014 by Mike Bartlett, portrays and speculates about the familial drama of the British royal family that ensues after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The play follows King Charles III, played by Andrew Caosun (12), as he grapples with his newfound power after the death of his mother.

Swearing to enact change rather than serve as a national figurehead, Charles refuses to sign a bill that would limit the power of the press. This surprising move leads to nationwide protests and conflict between Parliament and the royal family. Meanwhile, Everett Kagan’s (12) Prince Harry must decide between his familial obligations and his love for a commoner, Jess, played by Charlotte Pinney (12).

Theatre teacher Ben Posner chose to direct the play because of its size. The play has a huge cast and set, but most significantly it grapples with incredibly important ideas and issues, he said.

Through an exploration of the dynamics between parliament and the royal family, the play poses several questions regarding the

nature of political power. “What is power held if never used?” Caosun asks. The king should not hold the titleof king if he does not want to effect change. In attempting to answer this dilemma, the king creates a constitutional crisis that threatens to destroy the very country he is determined to better.

The play is written in modern language, but uses Shakespearean iambic pentameter and blank verse. Much like Shakespeare’s works, Charles III creates conversation, but doesn’t answer any questions, Posner said. The blank verse provides Posner with an instruction free text, which he warped to create an ominous play fringed with humor, while the rhythmic lines creates a natural flow to the dialogue and conflict.

Much like Shakespeare’s iconic work, King Lear, Charles III explores the personal ramifications of decisions made in power.

Charles’ refusal to sign a bill limiting the access of the press immediately puts him in conflict with his son Harry, as Jess has been caught by a sex scandal. In addition, Charles’ stance puts him at odds with his previous positions on the media, particularly when pertaining to his ex-wife Diana, who died in a car crash while attempting to escape from paparazzi.

Beyond these themes are deeper seeded discussions of tradition, protest, sensibility, and ambition, which can only be found on a close watch or an analysis of the plot.

Posner weaves these subtler themes into the play through thoughtful blocking, creative timing, and a playlist full of 1980’s British pop.

Juli Moreira /Art Director

The music in particular is impressive, as they play in transition and perfectly set the theme for the upcoming scene. For example, “London Calling” by The Clash opens the fourth act, a scene of protest. This successfully sets the focus of the scene on the people and the protest as opposed to the monarchy, before the actors even get on stage.

Caosun is a force to be reckoned with.

Broadcasting his voice with authority and maintaining a royal façade, he manages to deliver his numerous lines with enough gravitas to convey a deep emotion and accurately portray the struggles of a misguided ruler.

Using this careful balance of importance and vulnerability, Caosun turns a character whose lines often come off as disaffected or unaware into a complex Shakespearean case study of the effect of power on the person who wields it.

Caosun is backed up by a large supporting cast, headlined by Spencer Kahn (11) as the calm but determined Prince William, Bebe Steel (12) as his ambitious wife Catherine, Kagan, Pinney, and nearly twenty others.

In particular, Amelia Feiner (11) delivered an inspired performance as the resolute Prime Minister Evans, while Dylan Chin (11) performed beautifully as her cunning adversary.

Charles III also makes frequent use of Shakespearean theatrical elements such as the soliloquy and monologue. For example, Catherine’s monologue at the beginning of act four scene three established her as the cynical, power-hungry feminist Steel

portrays her to be. Steel’s performance, which is starkly reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth, is especially memorable. The energy she puts into her part and the bite with which she says her lines steals the show.

Maya Dubno’s (12) dramatic set turns Gross Theater into a palace, with decorative linings giving a royal feel to huge walls that make the actors look small. The characters are dwarfed by the history that surrounds them as they attempt to make history of their own. In addition, the layered structure of the set is a reference to the many layers of the plot, while the layout creates limited movement and an echo that simulates the Shakespearean Globe theater.

The walls are painted a gradient gray that both evokes the imposing nature of the set and “provides a canvas for the actors to paint on,” Dubno said. Sophia Reiss (12) took these walls and ran with them, using purple hues to symbolize royalty and lighting changes to show changes in setting in her lighting design.

Even with the difficult topics, challenging script, and complicated storyline, the HMTC s¬¬till manages to have fun. One scene features protestors mooning the crowd with fake rear ends. Others, such as the press conference in Act IV, seem to become dance numbers.

The result is a masterpiece of intrigue and excitement that tackles huge intellectual problems with poise and Shakespearean drama.

7

HORACE MANN SPECIAL FEATURE FEBRUARY 8TH, 2019

harles III British accents in theatre Ben Wang Staff Writer

Abigail K raus/Pho to Editor

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Imagine having a robin’s egg resting on your tongue; that’s what the actors in the winter play, King Charles III, have been practicing for weeks. During four of their rehearsals, dialect coach Kate Villanova helped the actors prepare for their roles as British people, and one piece of advice she gave was pretending to have a bird’s egg in their mouths.

With the help of Villanova, all of the students in the play learned the specific type of British accent that fits the socioeconomic status of their character. There are three main types of accents used in the play: Received Pronunciation (RP) which is used by royals and upper-class Britons; standard British, which is semi-formal; and popLondon which is the most casual of the three.

“They’re [playing] members of the royal family and I thought it would be strange if we didn’t at least try to use a British dialect,” Director Benjamin Posner said. “I thought dialect would be a great way for them to access their characters.”

The purpose of using accents is to transport the actors to a different place- one where there is a King, a Parliament, and an overall different culture than America, dramaturg Isaac Brooks said. Teaching the actors how British people speak made the actors more engaged and thoughtful, he said.

“A lot of people went from not actually knowing how to use an accent at all, to being able to use it very well,” actor Ben Rosenbaum (12) said. The majority of actors could already speak with a basic accent and what they learned during rehearsals just

helped polish their inflection and make their speaking more realistic, he said.

“It definitely helps us get into a different character,” actor Dylan Chin (11) said.

“Having the accent is a costume piece of sorts that puts us in character, much like a crown the King would wear.”

To develop their accents, actors employed a variety of methods: practicing saying sentences with a lot of “oh” sounds and vowels, watching British speakers’ face and jaw movements, and viewing British television and movies.

Actress Bebe Steel (12) watched the show ‘the Good Place’ because an actor in the show has a RP accent, much like her character in the play, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.

“A couple of months later, I’m amazed at how some have really taken to it,” Brooks said.

Through the help of the accents, the audience will feel closer to the world of England’s politics and culture, Brooks said. The accents are especially important in this regard because the set is very minimalistic, he said.

While the accents helped the actors feel more connected to their part, and hopefully draw the audience members into the story, several obstacles arose due to the use of accents.

Unlike in the other plays that Posner directed, in King Charles III, he decided that the actors need to use microphones so that their accents don’t get in the way of vocal projection, he said.

“The other difficult thing is not focusing too much on the accent because then your acting can become less natural and more static because you’re focusing so much on the words,” Rosenbaum said. “But getting it into our bodies and getting it into our systems early on with the dialect coach was really, really helpful.”

Moments after an ensemble member strides off the Gross Theatre stage, they are engulfed in the backstage ambiance which play director Benjamin Posner described as “controlled chaos.” Actors rush to designated changing areas, swiftly swapping garments, pulling off wigs, smearing a new shade of lipstick across their lips, and reemerging to the audience seconds later as entirely different characters.

The school’s production of ‘King Charles III’ features one of the most abundant collections of costumes shown in years, with cast members donning up to eight different outfits throughout the play.

Costumer Wendy Kahn said the cast members act in multiple roles throughout the play. “Most of the people in the cast are representing [many different characters], and they change from commoners, to parliament members, to servants,” Kahn said. “So we have to think about how the costumes can telegraph who they are quickly.”

Sifting through the school’s vast accumulation of garments in the costume shop, Kahn and fellow costumer Vera Zamdmer amassed a collection of clothing, which mirrors the true appearances of contemporary British monarchs and commoners, while also conveying the sentiment of the play.

Posner said a character’s clothes are extensions of their personalities, and that elements like color scheme evoke

emotion and contribute to the play’s tone.

It’s about matching the outward appearance of the character with the way the actor is characterizing them, and the way the playwright has created them,” he said.

Yana Gitelman (10), who plays the ghost of Princess Diana. believes that her costume embodies her role.

“I have a long, flowy skirt, and I have to walk really slow, and I feel awkward doing that in sweatpants and sneakers,” she said. “Even things like different shoes helps you stand a certain way and feel a certain way.”

Head of makeup design Tiger Lily Moreno (11) worked with Posner to develop stage makeup that amplifies the presence of every character and makes the royal family members easily recognizable, she said.

“I’ve been doing research on what British people look like and what their beauty standards are,” Moreno said.

A month before the play, she started designing looks, browsing YouTube tutorials, and researching special effects makeup techniques to age and alter appearances, she said.

Unlike in productions Posner previously directed, makeup design plays a crucial role in this play, as the royal family is very conscious of how they are perceived, and there are references to the characters’ distinct physical traits throughout the dialogue, such as the size of Prince Charles’ ears, he said.

After experimenting, Moreno developed a technique where she contours the ears of Andrew

Caosun (12), who plays King Charles, adding tissue paper, makeup adhesive, and foundation in order to heighten them, she said.

Moreno also consulted dramaturg Isaac Brooks about the British royal family’s natural makeup tendency, while lower class women often wear heavy eye makeup, a trend which Brooks called “a rite of passage,” he said.

Moreno applies striking, smoky eye makeup to Charlotte Pinney (12), who play’s Jess, Prince Harry’s non-royal love interest. She said this enriches the character’s personality, an art student who doesn’t have a lot of money, she said.

After discovering that Queen Elizabeth II does her own makeup, Moreno had the actresses who portray British royalty do the same in order to create an authentic appearance and help them get into character, she said.

“They’re supposed to emulate something very natural, so I took that and said, ‘They should do their own [makeup],’” she said. “I give them detailed instructions and come to them right before they go on and see what I need to touch up or blend out or add.”

Posner encourages actors to think about their transformations before they go on stage. “It helps you be a little mindful of the transformation you’re about to go through,” Posner said.

“Sitting in front of the mirror, applying the makeup, having a moment when you’re thinking about your character, if nothing else gives you a moment by yourself, is a helpful meditation.”

Lions’ Den Record Sports

BUZZELL GAMES FEBRUARY 8TH, 2019

Girls Basketball

UPDATE: Girls Varsity

Basketball ranked #1 in the statewide class B division by the New York State Sportswriters Association.

8

Jackson Roberts/Art Director

“It’s my senior year Buzzell, and we have won every year, so I hope that we win again this year.”

Co-Captain Kate Golub (12)

Ranya Sareen Staff Writer

Jake Shapiro/Photo Editor Jake Shapiro/Photo Editor

“We’ve all worked so hard this season to get where we are: We were just ranked #1 in the state, Ella Anthony just hit 1000 points and we have a 19-1 record, so Buzzell is a way to get our student body to really recognize that.”

Co-Captain Olivia Kester (12)

READY FOR GAME DAY Captains pause for photo during practice.

“I am looking forward to the bigger gym, bigger crowd, and I hope that we have a strong start and good first half.”

- Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Ray Barile

Boys Basketball

Jake Shapiro/Photo Editor

“I am definitely looking forward to the big crowd. The team always loves seeing everybody’s great energy.”

Co-Captain Kelvin Smith (11)

“I’m personally looking forward to the crowd and experience since I am the captain my senior year and this is my last Buzzell.”

Co-Captain Kyle Gaillard (12)

EAGER TO WIN Big game ahead for the Captains.

Jake Shapiro/Photo Editor

“We are looking forward to a great day. Buzzell is a fun day for the players and we hope to play well in front of our always incredible crowd.

I hope we play our best and the game is exciting for everyone.”

- Boys Varsity Basketball Coach Tim Sullivan

Ella Anthony (11) reaches 1000th career point Joshua Underberg Staff Writer

In a game last week against Poly Prep, Ella Anthony (11) reached the career milestone of scoring her 1,000th point as a Girls Varsity Basketball player.

The accomplishment adds to the superb year Anthony has been having, performing at an intense level and leading the team in scoring, Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Ray Barile said.

“That’s the big point in basketball, breaking the 1,000 point mark, and there’s not that many people who can do it,” he said.

Anthony is the fourth girl ever in school history to reach the 1,000 point mark, Barile said.

This season, Anthony has averaged 22.2 points, seven steals, seven rebounds and five assists per game. Not including this afternoon’s game, Anthony has scored 444 points this

season alone.

“I was just so happy, and it was all just pure joy in that moment,” Anthony said. The energetic atmosphere of the gym added to her joy. “I’ve never really gotten a standing ovation for anything before, so all of the people clapping only made me happier and more excited,” she said.

“The atmosphere was great, and everyone was happy to see Ella succeed,” Ethan Irushalmi (10), who attended the game, said. “I was totally shocked. It was such a special moment for her, and even the other team was proud for her and congratulated her. It was a special moment, and I was happy to witness it,” he said.

Anthony’s teammates were quick to embrace her during her special moment.

“I just broke down crying, and my teammates came and hugged me,” Anthony said.

Girls Varsity Basketball co-Captain Kate

Golub (12) attributes Anthony’s hard work as the leading factor of her success.

“Ella is one of the best basketball players I know, and her raw skill, her dedication, passion, and work ethic is why she has gotten this far,” Golub said. “She spends hours in and out of school putting up shots and working on her game, and she has improved so much.”

Even when practices are cancelled, Anthony will go to the JCC to work on different components of her game, Girls Varsity Basketball co-Captain Olivia Kester (12) said.

“Something that is very telling about her personality is that she watches her turnovers after each game in order to elevate her playing even further,” Halley Robbins (11) said.

“I feel lucky to have the experience of playing with Ella because she wants to have fun.

Basketball is a sport after all, but she also helps

our team lock in mentally and execute well,” Robbins said.

Anthony is not only a high achiever on the court, but also she is a great person, Barile said.

“She loves playing with her teammates, and she is always smiling.”

Anthony always makes herself available to teammates for any questions they may have, Kester said.

Anthony looks to improve whenever she can, and her goals extend beyond scoring 1,000 career points, she said. “We ultimately want to win the league championship, and outside of school I want to do really well with my AAU team,” Anthony said. “Beyond high school my goal is to play high major Division I basketball and maybe even play professionally, depending on how I do in college.”