Issue 11

Record The Horace Mann

NOVEMBER 15TH 2019 || VOLUME 117, ISSUE 11

RECORD.HORACEMANN.ORG

HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903

Alumni veterans share experiences Liliana Greyf and Ayesha Sen Staff & Contributing Writers “George Orwell said it best when he said, ‘People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf,’” Daniel Katz ‘00 said during the Veterans’ Day Assembly on Tuesday.

The assembly featured a discussion with alumni Seth Morgulas ‘89, John Martin ‘96, and Katz. The event was organized by Eddie Jin (12), Simon Yang (12) and Daniel Lee (12) as part of the work they have done to receive the Capelluto Award.

Following his graduation as a Distinguished Military Graduate from John Hopkins University in 1993, Colonel Morgulas became an Army Officer.

Morgulas has received several awards and declarations including the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal. He is currently the Commander of the 369th Sustainment Brigade, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters, an infantry division famous for being one of the first African American divisions to serve in World War One. Lieutenant Martin enlisted in the Navy Reserve after graduate school in 2003. Martin later enlisted for active duty and served in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2008 during Operation Enduring Freedom as part of the Office of Naval Intelligence. He spent some time following that as an intelligence officer

based out of Fort Dix and is now a reservist once again.

Katz enrolled in the US Army through the Special Forces Recruit program during his senior year at the University of Pennsylvania. He served two tours in Iraq, specializing in providing medical care to captured targets, including high value terrorists. In 2009, Katz finished his second tour of duty and left the army to pursue a master’s degree. He is now Director of Decision Support for Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest defense contractor.

Jin, Yang, and Lee started bringing awareness to veterans’ issues at the end of junior year by providing hands-on support in partnering with veterans’ organizations.

“The military, as an institution, is something we often neglect at Horace Mann,” Jin said. Because the military is voluntary rather than mandatory, many students do not consider it as a career path, he said.

Jin, Yang, and Lee all have personal connections to the military, and Jin recently applied to an officer commission program with the intention of joining the armed forces.

“We felt that there was a lack of awareness about veterans, which we wanted to change, and we thought this was the best way of doing so,” Lee said. “Sometimes it may feel that Horace Mann is kind of isolated and that this issue doesn’t really affect us, but I think that this will help to lift this misconception.”

The assembly began with questions asked by Jin, Yang, and Lee, and was

Samuel Siegel /Contributing hotographer

SOLDIER STORIES Morgulas, Martin and Katz share their experiences in Gross Theater. then opened up to questions from the audience. All three guest speakers voiced support for the school’s efforts on behalf of raising awareness about the contributions of veterans, as they had never learned about the military when they were in high school.

Jin hopes that because the alumni graduated recently, their message was more accessible to the school. “People have heard from graduates that think a lot like we do, but they made the decision to join the military,” he said. “We just want students to hear about what that is like from someone they see more eye-to-eye with.”

“I wasn’t aware of the community of Horace Mann alumni that serve in the military, so it was really interesting

Brown ‘18 wins election Hanna Hornfeld Staff Writer “I have always enjoyed politics, but I never expected to be the face of something,” Lutie Brown ‘18 said. On Nov. 6, Brown, a sophomore at Colby College, was voted onto Waterville, Maine’s Charter Commission.

Brown has been involved in politics at Waterville since the fall of her freshman year. She worked on the campaigns of local municipal, state, and federal candidates. Brown spent a lot of time knocking on doors, listening to what residents have to say, and thinking of ways to help them, she said. Now a sophomore, she has been appointed Chief of Staff for Maine College Democrats and Local Engagement Chair for the Colby College Democrats, connecting students and Democrats in the state.

Last spring, about 150 Colby students were sued by a group of Waterville residents who felt that the students should not be allowed to vote in their city. The residents lost the suit, but Brown took note. “I thought that was a direct insult to my rights as a resident of this community and how much time, effort, and love I put into Waterville,” Brown said. “That galvanized me to hit the ground running this year and work even harder.”

Every seven years, Waterville residents elect representatives to potentially revise the city’s charter. In September, Brown was involved in the campaign for a representative of her ward.

Two days before petitions were due, Brown’s friend sent her a text saying her candidate had dropped out. Brown’s friends and neighbors immediately encouraged her to run. After sleeping on the matter, she decided to run. “It was never the plan going in, but I really do care about this community, and I’d love to represent them and make a difference,” she said.

Courtesty of Alex Champman/Colby Echo

FOR THE PEOPLE Brown at a polling place.

Brown had less than 48 hours to get the 25 signatures she needed in order to appear on the ballot. She spent all of Thursday afternoon knocking on doors, and wound up with 50 despite the time limit, Brown said.

Brown has several ideas that she hopes to bring up at the first charter meeting, which she believes will be in December or January. She, along with most of the other representatives, is passionate about preserving the city’s ward system, which gives all neighborhoods a voice, she said.

Brown is also considering reevaluating the necessity of the mayor’s position. Waterville currently has a mayor, city manager, and council chair, with significant overlap between their duties. Brown has seen other towns function well without all three positions. She still has to do more research on the topic, but she knows of other representatives who agree that it is at least worth a discussion, she said.

Juggling college and her political involvement in the community can be overwhelming, but is ultimately worth it, Brown said. “Anybody at Horace Mann would know that throughout my time there I had a tendency to pour my entire heart and all my time into extracurriculars and the community,” she said. “But I’ve gotten better at managing my time, and I really love all

see Election on pg. 2

to hear stories from their perspective,” Tomoko Hida (10) said.

For some students, the assembly raised questions about the career paths of the speakers. Dalia Pustilnik (10) asked if there was a specific moment that the men knew they wanted to join the military. Morgulas answered her question by explaining that he felt pressured to be a lawyer but decided that it wasn’t his passion, and turned to the military instead, she said. Pustilnik said it was interesting that even with external and relatable pressures, Morgulas still chose to serve.

Another student asked if there were specific steps that the school as a community could take to honor veterans.

The alumni acknowledged the benefits

of the initiative started by Jackson Feigin (11) and Peter Arvanitis (11) which donates students’ coats to veterans in need. The coat drive began last Wednesday.

Jacques and Karen Capelluto chose to award this group because they felt that the work they had done was both important and honorable. “We look for a passion and a real sense of commitment to the project, something that Eddie, Simon, and Daniel definitely had,” Jacques Capelluto said. The seniors showed their dedication to their project at the assembly, bringing together the school’s current community and its alumni to commemorate and honor the veterans, he said.

Alumni Association honors Gelernt ‘80 Talia Winiarsky and Julia Goldberg Staff Writers

On a cold January night on the steps of a federal courthouse in Brooklyn in front of thousands of people, Lee Gelernt ‘80 announced that a judge had issued an injunction blocking the deportation of all people stranded in at numerous airports under the Trump administration’s travel ban.

The Horace Mann Alumni Association presented the 2019 Award for Distinguished Achievement to Gelernt on Wednesday, Nov. 6 to honor his groundbreaking work. As the Deputy Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Immigrants’ Rights Project and Director of the project’s national Access to the Courts program, Gelernt has appeared in front of the US Supreme Court, testified as an expert before both houses of Congress, and argued major civil rights cases at all levels of the federal court system.

“My job always involved long hours, was hectic, and had high stakes, but during the current administration there has been a focus on scaling back the rights of immigrants, so I am far busier than I’ve ever been in my career,” Gelernt said.

“Virtually every month there has been some major initiative coming from this administration that we’ve had to challenge.”

“There has never been a more important time for the ACLU or tireless public servants like Lee Gelernt who are advocates for society’s most vulnerable,” President of the Horace Mann School Alumni Council Samantha Brand ‘01 said.

The decision to honor Gelernt was unanimous, Ephram Lustgarten ‘96, Co-Chair of the Distinguished Alumni Award Committee said.

When searching for candidates, the committee sought out alumni who have distinguished themselves through career success, community impact, or academic achievement, criteria which Gelernt

fit, Lustgarten said. “Gelernt serves as an inspiration for what students can grow up to be.”

The process of selecting an honoree began last January when the committee began to look meticulously through short biographies of alumni from all decades, Brand said. Once the committee selects the candidates, they vote on who they believe is most deserving of the award.

“The Alumni Council awards an honor to an alumnus who best embodies the value of a Horace Mann education: living life with curiosity and passion, and contributing to the community and the legacy of the school,” Brand said. “All honorees are trailblazers in their own ways. They all give themselves to their community and share an enthusiasm for Horace Mann.”

In the past, honorees have been authors, composers, inventors, builders, scientists, and storytellers. “I would say the one common thread I’ve seen throughout the last seven distinguished alumni events is the desire, determination, and ability of the honoree, through his or her profession or talent, to make the world a better place,” Director of Alumni Relations Kristin Lax said.

After the alumnus is chosen, the Alumni As Courtesy of Barry Mason

SPEAKING FOR US Gelernt shares his story.

see Award on pg. 2

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Arts&Entertainment

THE RECORD NEWS AND ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT NOVEMBER 15TH, 2019

Editor-in-Chief Julia Robbins Managing Editor Mayanka Dhingra

from Award page 1

from Election page 1 the work I’m doing.”

Ancient Greek and Latin teacher Dr. Cornelie Ladd, Brown’s high school advisor, said that Brown was always extremely engaged in the school community and beyond. “Lutie stood out because she was a giving person,” she said. “She made a place for herself by developing and improving activities that would make this a kinder and more giving community.”

Brown’s art history teacher and Visual Arts Department Chair Dr. Anna Hetherington backed Ladd’s sentiment. “Lutie was an outstanding student and I was always very impressed by her genuine care for others,” she said.

At the school, Brown was an active member of the Service-Learning Team, founded Sunshine Mail, and was President of the Happiness Club.

Director of the Center for Community Values and Action Dr. Jeremy Leeds got to know Brown because of her involvement in Service Learning. Brown was constantly looking for ways to make even the smallest changes that could have a positive impact, Leeds said. “She exemplified what it means to be a community member and a leader.”

“I’m excited, but not surprised, to learn that she has taken this step,” Leeds said.

“I’m sure she is going to continue to make a difference.”

Issues Editor Jude Herwitz Features Nelson Gaillard Gabby Kepnes Kiara Royer News Amelia Feiner Madison Li Sam Keimweiss Simon Yang

Gabby Fischberg/Art Director

Opinions Victor Dimitrov Abigail Salzhauer Lions’ Den Darius McCullough Mark Fernandez Ranya Sareen Andrew Cassino A&E Nishtha Sharma Eliza Poster Eddie Jin Middle Division Ben Wang Isabella Zhang Design Editors Euwan Kim Reena Ye Chris Ha

Student and professional artists assemble collaborative gallery Liliana Greyf Staff Writer

It may seem unlikely, but professional artists who work at the prestigious New York City Blue Mountain Gallery and Drawing and Painting students have a lot Art Directors in common. Art made by memAnnabelle Chan Gabrielle Fischberg bers of both groups are displayed Katya Arutyunyan in a collaborative showcase which opened on October 30th in the Photography Fisher Gallery. The show was orGriffin Smith ganized and run by Visual Arts Ahaan Palla Teacher and Curator of Student Jake Shapiro Art Kim Do, who takes part in Faculty Adviser Blue Mountain, a nonprofit gallery David Berenson in downtown mountain, outside of school.

The gallery, appropriately titled Staff Writers ‘Ways of Seeing,’ displays works Izzy Abbott, Adrian of a variety of artistic styles. From Arnaboldi, Abby Beckler, Bradley Bennett, Sam trichromatic landscapes made by Chiang, Sogona Cisse, Jack students, to intricate scenes deCrovitz, Adam Frommer, Andie Goldmacher, Julia picting the intersection of humans Goldberg, Andie Goldand nature, such as artist Pamela macher, Alison Isko, Avi Kapadia, Marina Kazarian, Berkeley’s painting of the radiant John Mauro, Yesh Nikam, flame of a candle illuminating a Henry Owens, Oliver snowy landscape, a spectator sees Steinman, Emily Shi, Samuel Singer, Natalie Sweet, the world through the eyes of Sasha Snyder, Vivien many artists.

Sweet, Joshua Underberg, Talia Winiarsky, Chloe “There are some similarities Choi, Emma Colacino, through the gallery, but most peoYin Fei, Lucas Glickman, Claire Goldberg, Liliana ple have very individual visions, Greyf, Lauren Ho, Walker ways of perceiving and processMcCarthy, Maya Nornberg, ing,” Do said. “Artists either look at Morgan Smith, Patrick Steinbaug, Katya Tolunsky, the world directly or invent things.

Nathan Zelizer The struggle and difficulty to creStaff Photographers Julia Isko, Daniel Lee, ate an image is something really Ava Merker, Kelly Troop, special.”

Halley Robbins, Sophie Gordon, Amanda Wein, Do conceptualized the gallery Maxwell Shopkorn, Emma last spring, and since then has Colacino, AJ Walker, Lucas been working on bringing it to Glickman, Lauren Ho Staff Artists life. “I thought it would be interWilder Harwood, Sarah Sun, Rachel Zhu

sociation sponsors a dinner held in their thinking, and courage.” suffering has occurred.” honor, Lax said. Major donors, the graduat During his speech, Kelly also led Gelernt recalled several instances of times ing class of the honoree, and the honoree’s 60 seconds of peace to honor the late Wil- that he has interacted with those he repfamily and friends are invited. liam L. Nightingale ‘49. Nightingale was resents. The crowd quieted as he spoke about “It used to be an informal ceremony but an “enthusiastic and tireless member of the the time a nine-year-old boy in Tijuana couhas developed into a much-anticipated affair Alumni Council for several decades,” ac- rageously thanked Gelernt for reuniting him that the entire community looks forward to,” cording to this year’s program. with his father after five months of separaLax said. “It’s a perk and a ‘thank you’ to our “He dynamically contributed to every as- tion.

Maroon and White donors who support the pect of the work of the alumni community,” “The numbers tell one story, but I think Annual Fund and ultimately make it possible Brand said. “He had so much pride in his it’s the human dimension for me that is the for our students to draw upon their Horace Horace Mann identity.” most important,” Gelernt said. “There are Mann education to achieve great things in After accepting the award, Gelernt dis- some policies this administration is carrythe world.” cussed his work throughout the Trump ad- ing out that I personally believe should not

The night began be partisan issues and Courtesy of Barry Mason with a cocktail reception they should transcend and continued with greetthe conservative, liberal, ings from Brand and Head republican lines.” of School Dr. Tom Kelly.

Gelernt’s academicalBrand then presented the ly rigorous time at the award to Gelernt, who reschool has proved useceived a standing ovation ful in his current job, he as he walked toward the said. “You’re constantly stage. During Gelernt’s forced to reexamine speech, he spoke about his issues and test assumptime at the school and his tions, [which is] defiwork as Deputy Director nitely something that of the ACLU Immigrants’ has helped me through Rights Project. my career.”

“It was a privilege for me “Lee has always been to [hand the award] to Mr. a leader and has always Gelernt,” Brand said. “He been an independent is such a revered attorney thinker,” Darryl Lindsey and he is at the forefront ‘80, who has been Gelof these immigrant moveernt’s friend since high ments.” Granting him the school, said. From Gelaward this year felt right, AWARDED ALUMNI Gelernt with the Alumni Association after recieving award. ernt’s time at the school she said. to his work in immi“I can hardly think of gration policy, he has anyone more appropriate than Lee to repre- ministration on the family separation case, always been incredibly bright and unique, sent HM’s own idea of ‘striving to maintain a in which he is incredibly invested, he said. Lindsey said. safe, secure, and caring environment,’ for our “We brought a lawsuit to challenge the pracAt the end of the speech, Gelernt urged the students, an environment where ‘mutual re- tice [of separating children from their par- crowd to make an effort to take more time spect and life of the mind’ thrive,” Kelly said ents] and we prevailed, but now we’re still to consider prevalent social justice issues. in his speech. “Reviewing our core values, trying to locate all of the families that were “Even for adults, a critical thing in my view I can match their various aspects to every- separated, some of whom are all over the is not to feel that the problems are so big that thing that characterizes Lee’s work: critical world,” Gelernt said. “That has been the most you can’t do anything about them,” he said. inquiry, creativity, authentic self-expression, important case — maybe in my entire career, “If everyone is doing one little thing that they analytical skills, intellectual range, critical but certainly recently — given how much think can help someone, that’s great.”

esting to bring in artists from the gallery that I recently joined,” he said. “The goal was to bring these artists in and have them work with students on, quite literally, different ways of seeing.”

A prominent theme of the gallery is “the way we see nature and the way we interact with it,” Gabby Fischberg (11) said. “A lot of the artists that are involved with the gallery have an appreciation for the world around us and are able to capture that in a way that expresses it,” she said.

Nature is inspires the work of Jane Beckwith, an artist from Blue Mountain Gallery that Scarlett Goldberg (10), who is in Do’s Drawing and Painting class, chose to collaborate with. “Beckwith bases a lot of her work around nature and animals,” Goldberg said.

“I chose to interview her because I was really inspired by her art.”

Do hoped that the communication that students had with artists would help to answer the questions that they had. “By them talking to artists, they get direct access to that artists’ point of view.

I felt it was a wonderful opportunity to have that interchange,” Do said.

Many students felt that the opportunity for students to be exposed to artists and their work was a great source of inspiration. “The Blue Mountain gallery is a very well established gallery in New York, and we are lucky enough to have them come and set up a gallery to display some of their artwork. I think since they are such well-established artists it’s very

interesting for students to see their artwork and attempt to mimic it in Jake Shapiro/ Photo Editor class,” Fischberg said.

The artists felt that they also benefited from their exchange with students, Do said. At the opening of the gallery, each artist spent time explaining their work to students. This experience was so enriching that they have decided to continue it in future galleries.

Additionally, some students were influenced by the display of the gallery, not just the artwork in it. “Creating a gallery and choosing a set of pieces that you want to display in a certain place in itself is art,” Fischberg said. “It’s an amazing opportunity for students and artists to think critically not only about the work they are cre- NATURE’S HOLD Kim Do’s artwork hangs in the foreground. ating but also about the way they display it.”

“It’s a pretty rare opportunity to have someone from the proJake Shapiro/ Photo Editor fessional art world to come in. It’s important specifically for the arts, in order to break down the stigma that art can never be a profession. I think that it’s very valuable for students to see how artists work and their techniques,” Katya Arutyunyan (12) in Do’s Drawing and Painting class said.

Growing up, Do had the same stigmatized view of art culture.

He hopes that because of this experience, students will realize that artists are people just like them.

“I hope that students will consider involvement with art beyond school, becoming part of the art world in some way,” Do said.

“Even if it’s just as a banker who PAINTED PERSPECTIVES Blue Mountain artists’ contrasting expressions. also paints.”

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HORACE MANN FEATURES NOVEMBER 15TH, 2019

TAKING YOUR BREATH AWAY The Record investigates the dangers of vaping Marina Kazarian Staff Writer “Somebody I know juuled a lot one night, and then the next day, she went to work out, and she couldn’t run because she was coughing so much,” Sadie Schwartz ‘19 said.

The United States is now faced with a life-threatening epidemic: vaping. The illnesses are called EVALI, e-cigarette or vaping associated lung injury.The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported an alarming 1,604 cases of EVALI along with at least 34 deaths. Among those deaths is that of a 17-year-old teenager from the Bronx who is now the youngest victim of vaping-related deaths in the United States, according to a New York Post article published on October 3rd.

According to an anonymous poll conducted by the Record, out of 231 UD respondents, approximately 24 percent answered yes to the question “Have you ever vaped/juuled?”

“People are having infections and fluid in the lungs from vaping because your lungs are not meant to soak up fluid; they’re meant to transfer oxygen,” Health Teacher and Upper Division Physical Education Department Chair Amy Mojica said.

“My mom is an ER doctor, and she recently had a patient who had unidentifiable calcifications in their lungs and it hurt when they breathed,” Karina Iman (11) said. “She hadn’t seen anything like this before, and when she asked the patient some questions, she found out that it was because of his juuling habit.”

To try and counteract the popularity of vaping in New York, state officials proposed a ban on the sale of all flavored e-cigarettes, except for tobacco and menthol, that would have been enacted on October 4th, according to AM New York, a daily newspaper. The New York Post reported that one day before the ban would have been put into effect, it was postponed until the court reconvenes - a victory for e-cigarette companies selling their products.

E-cigarette companies and investors try to stop the spread of information and regulations regarding vaping so that they can continue to make money from the large number of people who vape and don’t think about the harmful consequences, Mojica said.

Marie* (10) said that a flavor ban might be helpful in terms of raising awareness regarding how harmful e-cigarettes are. The ban could also make people consider the long-term effects of vaping before deciding to do it, she said.

Mojica said that if the ban were to be enacted, she would be in favor of it, as it would make vaping less accessible and less enjoyable for adolescents, Mojica said.

On the other hand, Holly* (11) and Stacey* (11) said that putting a ban on specific flavors might not be effective.

Banning certain flavors of juul will not stop teenagers from vaping, as they always find a way around things, Stacey said.

“The problem I have with the flavor ban is that the people who are suffering from these illnesses to the point where they could die are those who are incredibly addicted to nicotine,” Holly said. “When it comes down to it, when you’re addicted, it’s no longer about the flavor and just about getting the nicotine in your system. If you’re going to make a ban to prevent these illnesses, you have to go all in and ban them completely, because addicts are just going to switch over to the other flavors.”

46 percent of poll respondents said that the recent news about vaping-related illnesses affected how often they vape.

“I hope the fact that vaping, and the potential health risks associated with it, being in the news recently means that students would think twice about choosing to vape,” Dean of the Class of 2020 and Science teacher Stephanie Feigin said.

“Being a biology teacher, I worry about the impact vaping has on the long term heath of my students. As a Dean, I also worry about the disciplinary consequences that could be imposed if a student were to be caught on campus with paraphernalia related to vaping.”

Along with being detrimental to the health of students, vaping can also lead to expulsion if the student is caught using, buying, exchanging, or selling drugs in the neighborhood of the school, on campus, or on school trips. Vaping is illegal for people who are under 18 years old in New York. The vaping cases at the school are taken very seriously, and the minimum consequence is a suspension, Upper Division Dean of Students Michael Dalo said.

The Honor Council would handle these situations by first determining if there has been a violation of the school’s Code of Conduct, Core Values, and policies, and then by recommending a consequence to Head of Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein, Dalo said.

The council’s cases are also meant to be informative moments for the students involved. “We ask them questions to help them think about what they did, how maybe they would do things differently; it is meant to be a reflective moment so that it does provide the opportunity for a learning experience, and for a student to consider how they may act differently in the future,” he said.

The consequences put in place by the school and other authority figures, along with the health problems that vaping poses, have given students a lot to consider when deciding whether or not they want to vape.

The poll indicates that 91.5 percent of respondents have quit or tried to quit vaping.

Stacey stopped vaping because of the recent cases of vaping-related illnesses. She used to bring her juul to school before quitting altogether, she said.

Karson* ‘18, who does not want to be quoted in an article about vaping because of its p ot e nt i a l ly harmful effects on his career,

does not vape because he has always been against cigarettes and juuls, he said. “I always thought of it as kind of disgusting and [I] knew it would just be killing my body.”

“Following

All art by A nnabelle Ch an

/Art Direct or

these recent deaths, I know a number of people who quit vaping all together,” Holly said. “The news definitely delivered a wake up call to those w h o didn’t truly know the dangers. As for

me, I was always careful about how often I vape, and so in comparison to other people, I’ve found that the news hasn’t impacted me as much.”

Similar to Holly, Schwartz rarely vapes, as she does not really like it and is aware of its detrimental effects, she said. Nevertheless, Schwartz has vaped before, as several students around her do it now and she wanted to experiment with it, she said.

Despite the news of the dangers of vaping, many students continue to do it.

Compared to last year’s first trimester of health class, students who reported a 20 percent use of e-cigarettes, this year’s first quarter students reported a 30.9 percent use, a greater than 50 percent increase.

Both students and faculty members are weary of how impactful the recent news will be in terms o f getting s t u dents to stop vaping.

Although the news

has done a good job raising awareness of the issue, Angelina* (11) believes that news sources do not specifically point out blatant dangers of vaping. “Having an article title that says ‘vaping is bad’ doesn’t get the point across because most of the evidence stated in these articles has nothing to do with the broad category vaping; most times it’s only about weed cartridges or one specific case where evidence is loosely linked together,” she said.

“Once you’re addicted to something, it’s very hard to overcome that,” Schwartz said.

“I also think there have been so few people that have actually been seriously affected by it. People don’t really take it seriously, and they might just think ‘Oh, you know, that’s really rare. I’m not going to be like that rare person who that happens to.’ I think it’s startling, but I don’t think it’s really causing major changes.”

In any health issue, people tend to think that they won’t be affected, Mojica said. “The embarrassing thing is we’ve seen this roll out with smoking. It’s like smoking all over again, and shame on our government and community for not getting rules in place earlier when you see it all happening all over again.”

“If we just look at the amount of information that is out there, I think students and adolescents are generally aware of the dangers of substance abuse, whether it be cigarettes, alcohol, or other drugs,” Dalo said.

“I don’t know how much that does to deter students from using those substances.”

People vape usually because they think it is cool, but now that it has been shown to be detrimental to your health, it has lost its appeal in a way, Brigette Kon (12) said.

Another factor that may affect whether or not students start vaping is peer pressure in social situations.

Holly only vapes with other people, she said. “I definitely think peer pressure plays a role when it comes to vaping. Often times, I find that people do it in social situations in which they just want to have fun and use vaping as a means to ‘let go.’”

While he has never felt pressured to vape in a social situation, Karson has witnessed other people be pressured into doing it, he said.

Mojica said the percentages of students who vape generally increases throughout the year as students go to more parties and get together with their friends more often.

Angelina tried vaping because her friend had a juul, she said. “I think that there is some peer pressure at parties to vape because a lot of people have juuls, but unless you own a juul, I think it’s hard to gain a dependence on it at home.” she said.

Stacey said she eventually developed an addiction after originally just enjoying the feeling.

“I tended to vape more when I was particularly overwhelmed,” she said.

Schwartz said that college is not very different from high school since vaping is a popular trend for both.

Karson also said the main reason why his college classmates vape is related to school and stress.

“People, especially myself, are always looking for something to fidget with and distract them from working, so I believe stress from school is a large factor for why people start in the first place,” he said.

“Despite knowing that vaping does nothing to relieve stress or reduce anxiety, I think the primary reason I did it is because I thought of it as something that would calm me,” Stacey said.

“It’s an easy release, and many of my friends have to juul or use a nicotine device when they study to ground them and keep them focused,” Karson said. “With school being very competitive, people are looking for any edge to help them do better, and it has become a large part of people’s study routines to juul.” *Names changed due to the school policy on vaping and the illegality of students under 18 using e-cigarettes.

Lions’ Den Record Sports

NOVEMBER 15TH, 2019

Girls Varsity Basketball takes their talent to South Beach Bradley Bennett and Maurice Campbell Staff Writter & Contributing Writer After a 24-2 record last year, the Girls Varsity Basketball team will travel to Florida this season during winter break in preparation for the NYSAIS playoffs The Boys Varsity Basketball team used to take the same trip over ten years ago; however because of the strength of the Girls team this year, they are taking the, Barile said.

“I’m very excited for our trip to Florida because it’s a huge

opportunity to compete against some top national talent, which we wouldn’t get to do otherwise,” Anthony said.

The team will compete in a tournament lasting from December 26th-31st, in which will compete in the fourth out of six brackets, Barile said.

“I think going to Florida will be amazing practice for our team as well as a great bonding experience. The team is very close so I am extremely excited,” Colacino said.

Arora said, “Not only am I looking forward to the basketball aspect, but as well the chance to bond and be together outside

Ahaan Palla/Photo Editor

HOLD THAT ARC Julia Robbins (12) takes a shot during practice.

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of school.”

The Lions hope to continue their streak as the Ivy League Champions and to win the New York State of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) title this year, Bella Colacino (10) said.

“Although we had an incredible season last year, we are all hoping to accomplish that and more this season,” Colacino said.

“It’s tough to do the same thing two years in a row, and we had a great record last year,” Coach Ray Barile said. “We’re motivated because we want to get back there and win.”

This is Rosy Arora’s (11) first year playing for the school but she wants to help the team any way she can, she said.

Aside from the ultimate goal of winning the NYSAIS title, the team also has smaller team goals for each game, such as executing an improved zone defense, Ella Anthony (12) said.

In the offseason, most of the team members participated in an AAU basketball tournament team during the spring, where they were able to improve upon their weaknesses, Colacino said.

“All the girls that were on the team last year improved because they played all spring together, and I’m excited to see what they can do on the court,” Barile said.

For Anthony, basketball training never stops in the offseason, as she works out twice a day every day, she said.

However, not every member of the team had the opportunity to play basketball outside of school during the offseason. Arora (11) plays volleyball outside of school, but has made time in the last year to work with a basketball trainer to prepare for the season, she said.

The Lions will start their season next week with two scrimmages against two of the best teams in the state, Albertus Magnus and Holy Child.

Mia Calzolaio (10) believes that the team’s results in these scrimmages will depend on how fast the team can come together.

Colacino appreciates the motivation and leadership of the seniors and believes that they make other players better, she said.

“Not only are they incredible players, they have the ability to help the other players on the team learn and improve.”

Most of all, the team is looking forward to success on the court and developing friendships off the court.

“The girls on the basketball team are some of my very close friends,” Anthony said. “Spending time with them makes our already thrilling season even more enjoyable.”

Boys Varsity Basketball hires new coach

Abby Beckler Staff Writer

After making it to the quarterfinals of NYSAIS last season, the Boys Varsity Basketball team plans to build on their success with the arrival of their new coach, Tony Wright.

Former Boys Varsity Basketball coach Tim Sullivan realized that he had been taking on too much responsibility by coaching both the golf team and the basketball team, and he decided that he could no longer coach both teams, Athletic Director Robert Annunziata said.

To find the right coach to fill the open position he left behind, a committee consisting of members of the Athletic Department interviewed potential candidates.

Wright has significant prior basketball experience. He played and coached college basketball, in addition to starting the NYC Wizards Basketball Program in 2011, a youth basketball program which promotes athletic development, community service, and strength of character for young children, according to their website.

He also coached at several boarding schools and colleges including Christian Academy and Howard college, he said.

“I think what we were looking for was someone who would have an immediate impact,” Annunziata said. “It was important to have someone who had a background and experience

HUDDLE UP Coach Wright addresses the team.

to walk right in and really take over the program and have a positive impact on this team.”

“There were a few applications that were impressive, and Coach Wright’s was one of them,” Committee Member RJ Harmon said. “I was impressed with his knowledge of basketball and his approach to coaching.”

Wright’s coaching record is just as impressive in terms of the players he has worked with. Of Wright’s former players, 50 of them have earned NCAA Division I scholarships, and three of them went on to play in the NBA, according to the NYC Wizards website. Many of his other players are playing professional basketball overseas in countries ranging from Canada to Turkey.

“We were very impressed by what we thought [Wright] could bring to the program here,” Annunziata said. “He’s all about basketball, and we’re thrilled that he’s going to be doing that at school.”

Although switching coaches might change the existing team dynamic, many of the team’s returning players believe that this switch will have a positive effect on their performance.

Jaden Kirshner (11) said that even with a new coach, the team’s chemistry will remain as solid as it has been in previous years. “I think that for some teams, getting a new coach could really mess them up, but I think it will actually help us because [Wright] seems to know a lot about basketball.”

“I think that Coach Wright is going to be more intense and tougher which is good because that usually gets the best out of players, and I know that we are going to be a really hard working team,” Ben Chasin (11) said.

One of Wright’s main goals for the team this year is to increase the skill level of each individual player, thereby increasing the skill level of the team as a whole, Ailill Walsh (10) said.

Wright’s plans to improve the team through skill development include starting training as early as in middle school to prepare young players for success at the varsity level, he said.

“We’re going to be starting a lot of our practices working on our individual skill sets: shooting, ball handling, and other things,” Chasin said. The goal of these practices is “to make us better individually, which will help us as a team, because if everyone continues to improve throughout the season, the team will get that much better,” Chasin said.

After ending last year’s season with an 11-9 record, the Boys

Varsity Basketball team is preparing to increase its winning streak this year.

“He is definitely going to help us win a lot of games this season,” Chasin said. “We’re going to become better basketball players because of him.”

“If they put in the work this year and believe in themselves as a unit, I think it will be a great year,” Wright said.

Ahaan Palla/Photo Editor

NEW COACHES Coach Wright on the left.