Issue 2

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HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903

SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2019 || VOLUME 117, ISSUE 2

New year, new changes for PE

Josh Underwood

Staff Writer

The Physical Education Department has implemented several policy changes for the upcoming school year, including a new quarter system, a uniform requirement, a new grading system, and a new health requirement.

“The members of the PE Department having been discussing these changes for the past two to three years,” Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly said.

As the new Chair of the Physical Education Department, Amy Mojica has helped to make these changes, Coach Ray Barile said.

The new quarter system will allow for the physical education courses to match up evenly with each athletic season and the high school semester system, Mojica said.

Starting next year, students will be required to participate in two different levels of Health Education, one as an underclassman and one as an upperclassman.

“People are at two different levels of maturity in high school, so it will be helpful to be able to teach two separate curriculums,” Mojica said.

With two quarters rather than one trimester of health, there should be an additional ten extra classes, which will allow the teacher to cover material in greater detail and add multiple days of self-defense to the health curriculum, Mojica said.

After many years of struggling with what students are wearing in their physical education courses, Mojica has implemented a new dry fit tee shirt that must be worn in class, Head of Upper Division Dr. Levenstein said.

“Without the uniforms, it is difficult to tell whether or not students are wearing the same shirts that they wore to school in physical education class,” Mojica said.

Several students oppose the new requirement with the belief that it is not necessary and a step too far. “In most classes of physical education you do not sweat much, and often, going to the locker room to change will make you late for your next class,” Max Dauer (11) said.

Especially for students who have gym class later in the school day, it makes no sense to change because even if they are sweaty they will be not sitting through classes after, Madhav Menon (11) said.

Alexei Le (10) said he hopes that the dry fit shirts will

encourage students to be more active in class because of how comfortable they are, he said.

“The dry fit shirts are very useful because if we sweat, they will absorb it better than the old cotton shirts used in the Middle Division,” Ethan Irushalmi (11) said.

“They feel great and the change was much needed.”

The new shirts are also aimed towards helping people to feel more comfortable with their body image in the pool, Mojica said.

“A lot of people did not want to go in the pool last year partly because of their opinions on their body image so the shirt cancels out that thought,” Bryana Guerrero (12) said.

Finally, the physical education grading system in the Upper Division has been changed from a pass/fail system to a high pass, pass, low pass and fail system.

“Students can now have a grade that more specifically matches what they are earning in class,” Mojica said.

“Last year with a pass or fail system the kid who was getting a 99 was getting the same grade as the kid who was getting a 66 when there was truly a difference between those two students.”

The new grading system will encourage students to participate more in their physical education classes, Guerrero said.“I think the new grading system and the new shirts are a step towards the school making people want to participate more.”

“The new grading system is great because it gives more opportunities to students, and with the possibility of a high pass students can show that they really care about the class,” Le said.

With more possible grade outcomes, however, there is now less room for error, Oliver Lewis (10) said.

“Personally, I believe that with a more open grading system and more possible results, it could come down to who is better athletically, which I do not think is fair.”

“The changes within the Physical Education program are designed to encourage and reinforce participation and effort at a higher level than previously observed,” Kelly said in an email. “All of the changes speak to the PE Department’s desire to further enrich the physical education experiences for our students, 6-12, and to discourage students from thinking that our PE program is not a course to be taken seriously,” he said.

Maxwell Shopkorn/Staff Phtotographer

PHYS ED FASHION Students pose in new uniforms.

BUMP IN THE ROAD The culprit car after crashing.

School bus hit by speeding car

Sam Singer

Staff Writer

“Turning around to see a car with a crushed hood and a motor up in smoke before being carted off to the hospital was certainly a crazy way to start my Monday morning,” Emily Marks (11) said.

11 students were taken to Saint Joseph’s Medical Center early Monday morning as a result of a currently unidentified Kia driver rear-ending a Scarsdale bus above the speed limit on the Cross County Parkway. While there were no injuries, one student had a headache and multiple felt carsick after the accident.

The bus, chartered by Scarsdale Union Free School District (SUFSD), provides transportation to Scarsdale residents who attend Riverdale schools free of charge, Supervisor of Transportation for SUFSD Gerson Katuemutima said.

Mark became aware of the collision around 7:54 am when the bus jolted forward and suddenly applied the brakes, she said. “The bus slowed down and pulled over and that’s when I knew that we were in an accident.”

After the collision, SUFSD bus driver Jean Emile called 911 to seek emergency healthcare for himself and the students on the bus, Emile said. The trip to the hospital seemed sensible to Emile, even if there were no major injuries immediately after the accident, he said.

Yonkers police and first responders arrived and asked the bus to proceed to the local Saint Joseph’s Medical Center. “We couldn’t refuse medical care as minors, and Jean also elected to go to the hospital, so the cops instructed the bus to drive directly to the hospital,” Marks said.

Almost immediately after students arrived at the hospital, Head of School Dr. Thomas Kelly arrived along with the Head of the Lower Division Deena Neuwirth and Director of Transportation Robert Forcelli, Ishaan Kannan (12) said.

Kelly’s visit to the hospital was in accordance with school protocol for accidents and bus incidents, he said. “Any bus incident

triggers a call to Mr. Forcelli and, in turn, Mr. Forcelli calls me and the Public Safety Officer on duty,” Kelly said. “Depending on what is shared, different actions are called for.

Monday, for example, warranted Mr. Forcelli, Mrs. Neuwirth and I taking a trip to the ER to confirm that all was well and to assist with getting students to HM.” “We knew that the students were going to be in the ER by themselves, and wanted to make sure that they were okay and relieve any anxiety that they may have had,” Forcelli said. Because of Horace Mann transportation and aid at the hospital, students arrived at school by 11:30am on the day of the crash, he said.

A group of parents of students on Scarsdale buses are writing a letter to the SUFSD Board of Education to express frustration with the Scarsdale bus system.“The responsibility was entirely on the kids to reach out to the school, their parents, and get help for themselves, which is simply unacceptable and not the case with other bus companies,” one parent, who requested to remain anonymous, said.

Emile told students on the bus to put on their seat belts after the accident occurred but before the police arrived to inspect the bus, another anonymous parent said.

“The district is under pressure from the law as well as both our students and drivers.

We are working to balance a lot and ask that parents consider the years of seamless transportation they have experienced instead of this one accident,” Katuemutima said. “We do our best, both our drivers and administrators, but parents often complain about these things.”

Notwithstanding of criticisms of the SUFSD, Kelly was proud of students’ courage and camaraderie during the incident, he said. “From the good cheer in the ER, to the sharing of rides back to school, to refusing to leave the ER until a friend was cleared, to parents waiting to see if anyone needed a ride, to our Public Safety Officers on hand, this experience was a healthy example of how thoughtful and resourceful we can be when we stick together.”

English department officially recognizes they/them/their pronouns Julia Goldberg

Staff Writer

INSIDE

As of this year, the English department will recognize a student’s choice to use the gender-inclusive pronouns they/them/theirs as singular, non-binary pronouns in place of he/him/his and she/her/ hers.

“On one level, it’s a profound change, but on another, it’s really not that different from what we were doing before,” Head of the English Department Vernon Wilson said.

The shift is profound because of its ramifications in personal identity, but grammar rules such as the matching of pronouns to their antecedents will still be taught, Wilson said.

“As English teachers, who teach pronoun/antecedent agreement rules, we had to confront the issue, and we agreed that supporting

Toni Morrison

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Jordan Ferdman (11) writes about the great late writer Toni Morrison.

the ways our students choose to identify themselves was of paramount importance to us,” English teacher Dr. Wendy Steiner said.

“I myself use they/them pronouns, and something I’ve been told by people is ‘Oh, I don’t know if I’ll have an easy time adjusting to that, because they/them is for multiple people, and you’re only one person,’” Dylan Acharjee (10) said. If an English department accepts the use of they/them, they’re validating the pronouns and showing that the pronouns can indeed be used for singular people, they said.

“It’s a big moment when an aspect of the community authentically decides to let people be seen,” Co-Director of the Office of Identity, Culture and Institutional Equality (ICIE) John Gentile said.

“We teach grammar in ninth and 10th grade in varying ways, but this seemed like a perfect way to show that language is always

FirstClass

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A deep dive into the school’s history with the email server and student opinions about it.

changing,” Wilson said. “We tell [students] that, but it often seems theoretical and abstract… but here, you can see it actually changing,” he said.

The change signifies that the department is teaching students in profoundly different and new ways, Gentile said. “It’s an opportunity for us to participate in a larger cultural moment that is sustained; it’s not just a trend, but the future,” he said.

Gabby Fischberg (11) said that she thinks some people might protest the breakage of grammar rules but believes that grammar can change and evolve over time. “[Grammar] is a social construct; we created it, so there’s no reason why new rules can’t be added,” she said. Wilson hopes that through this shift, students will form a better understanding of the flexibility of language, he said.

see English Gender Announcement on pg. 3

Sports Collaboration

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Learn about how Manhattan College students coach at Horace Mann.

@hm.record @thehoracemannrecord Horace Mann School 231 W 246th St, Bronx, NY 10471

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THE RECORD OPINIONS SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2019

Don’t cut slactivism any slack: act meaningfully

Talia Winiarsky On a frigid January morning, picket in hand, I made my way down Columbus Avenue with thousands of others during the Women’s March and felt a rush of excitement.

Young activists, however, are substituting their pickets for hashtags as they engage in social media activism.

In 2019, it’s easier than ever to become a self-proclaimed activist using hashtags, recently including #CancelKavanaugh and #NotMyPresident, and posting screenshots of photos and tweets.

These posts feature a range of topics including sexual assault, the horrors of war, starving children, and ineffective thoughts and prayers posts after senseless acts of violence.

While the motivation behind social media activism may be benevolent, such activism can be problematic and may undermine the online activist’s good intentions.

I have never voiced my opinions online because I try to limit my time on social media, and I don’t believe that I am capable of creating significant positive change online. I do, however, acknowledge that in some cases, posting on social media can aid a cause by spreading information on how to get involved in protests or rallies, or providing guidance on how to contact legislators.

Additionally, posting to raise awareness can be helpful if the post is about a crisis that isn’t garnering coverage in the media. In June, many of my peers took to posting news about the political crisis in Sudan, which, unfortunately, large media sources did not cover extensively.

These types of posts are often not helpful because when someone shares something on social media, the people who see the post are mostly in the same demographic as the sharer, and because of this, they are already aware of the problem.

Social media activism is especially detrimental because some people feel that posting a screenshot of a photo or Tweet to their story is a way to fulfill their obligation to help, absolving them from taking any further action. Some people resort to the easiest option by posting online, instead of engaging in a form of activism that requires more effort and potentially reaps significant results.

Posting online is also unproductive because viewers can easily disregard the calls for change. Because of the fast pace of social media, viewers flick their thumbs before they can think about the meaning of a post. Social media doesn’t allow for the necessary time and space to process an issue. Online posts undermine the meaning of tragedy; without time to ponder an issue, it’s difficult to care. This lack of time has caused me to be unfazed when I see something horrific. Because I’ve seen so many social media activism posts, their meaning has become diluted for me.

It’s difficult to ignore a movement in real life, especially when it catches the attention of the media. In 2017, stunning photos of Obama’s 2009 inauguration, in contrast to Trump’s inauguration, circulated online. If people had stayed at home and posted on their social media to commemorate Obama’s inauguration instead of attending, the stark contrast of photos wouldn’t have occurred.

I agree that engaging in activism is noble. When I see an issue in the news that particularly speaks to me, rather than taking to Instagram, I conduct research and write a letter to the editor of the New York Times. For example, I wrote a letter to the editor about Stacey Abrams’ fight for improved voting rights.

I see this as a more effective strategy than posting because I find trustworthy sources on a topic and summarize my opinion. Even

Ferdman (11) reflects on Song of Solomon

Jordan Ferdman I have little interest in romanticizing my experience of reading Song of Solomon. I didn’t fall head-over-heels in love with the story, or even Toni Morrison’s writing, for that matter. Reading a chapter or so per night was yet another academic chore: skimmed through quickly on the subway or, yes, a summary read on Sparknotes. I wrote mediocre essays in caffeinated hazes and had rushed meetings with my teacher about extensions.

I didn’t have a transformative experience of any kind reading the book, nor was it my favorite book of the year. I’d found class discussions interesting - or, as interesting as they could be during B period - but I didn’t find myself pondering a character’s intentions or beliefs when I wasn’t in class.

Upon hearing of Morrison’s death, I found myself rereading an essay I wrote about Song of Solomon. It was, by no means, well written,or even well-argued, but my thesis stuck out: “Morrison paints Milkman’s limited view of women as just that; by switching narratives throughout the novel, she illustrates a fuller picture of women in the story while demonstrating Milkman’s internalized misogyny.” I don’t think my essay fully proved this point or

successfully argued much of anything substantial, but I am struck by the nuance of the thesis. Even in my half-hearted essay, I wasn’t able to identify what Morrison was doing in a few words; instead, it took a sentence with different intricacies and contradictions.

I’ve begun rereading Song of Solomon again and am enjoying it more this time. Reading for pleasure is increasingly difficult as a student, but if anyone’s writing is worth making time for, it’s Toni Morrison’s. In an increasingly polarized political climate, the discussion of legacy and how public figures should be remembered is common. A person’s death doesn’t negate their actions in life, positive or negative, and Toni Morrison’s writing epitomizes that.

It is difficult to understand why her work impacts me now, and it would be disingenuous to pretend that there isn’t a small part of me that, unlike when I read it for school, wants to feel connected to her and her work. Using iconic literature as a vehicle for education comes with benefits and detriments, but the analysis and discussions I’ve retained from English class deepen my understanding of the text and its cultural influence. That said, any piece of literature has the ability to impact the reader differently in respective contexts. In Morrison’s case, the nuance and modulation in her writing lends itself especially well to second, or even third, reads.

For me, the defining factor of her writing is its ambiguity - both the moral obscurity of the characters and the cryptic nature of her verb choice or punctuation placement. My English class could spend an entire period debating an outwardly straightforward action.

There are, of course, some aspects of her writing that I feel confident in concluding. I don’t think that Milkman, the main character of Song of Solomon, is supposed to be a particularly sympathetic character. He lacks empathy and affection and is, in large part, only concerned with himself and his own short-term satisfaction. But Morrison’s masterful storytelling allows the reader to, if not root for him, then feel for him. Empathy and literature have always been intertwined, and its effect has always been important.

Morrison was a prime example of that, and the immortality of her words serve as a strong reminder.

Editor in Chief Julia Robbins

Issues Editor Jude Herwitz

Lions’ Den Darius McCullough Mark Fernandez Andrew Cassino

A&E Eliza Poster Eddie JIn

Middle Division Ben Wang Isabella Zhang

Art Directors Annabelle Chan

Design Editors Euwan Kim Reena Ye

Faculty Advisor David Berenson

Photography Griffin Smith Ahaan Palla Jake Shapiro

Features Nelson Gaillard Gabby Kepnes Kiara Royer

News Madison Li Sam Keimweiss

Opinions Abigail Salzhauer

Editorial Considering 9/11, 18 years later On Wednesday, some members of our community gathered on Alumni Field to commemorate the lives lost and impacted by the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001.

As New Yorkers, the legacy of 9/11 remains present in our lives and confronting the violence and loss endured by our city is always painful.

That does not give us an excuse to turn a blind eye to the ways it has irreparably altered our lives. We are the first generation that only knows a post 9/11 world. As the day transitions into the realm of American history, the school curriculum needs to reflect our commitment to never forgetting the losses of that day and understanding the ways in which it has defined the past 18 years of the collective American psyche. Be it through our country’s longest war which only last week dominated headlines, unending waves of Islamophobia, or even just the requirement to take off shoes before getting on planes, it has irreparably altered our lives.

Discussing one of our city’s hardest days is emotionally challenging. But its never-ending impact necessitates that we do.

Corrections Issue 1

On page one, Alena Underwood’s grade was mis-stated. She is in 12th grade.

On pages eight and nine, the writers of articles about Claire Griffin (12), Lowell Finister (11) and McKayla Widener (12) were mis-identified. Staff writers Hanna Hornfeld and Marina Kazarian wrote them. Sorry.

Please email record@horacemann.org with any complaints or corrections.

Gabby Fischberg/Art Director

Volume 117 Editorial Board Managing Editor Mayanka Dhingra

though the letter is not likely to be published, because I have done research on the topic, I can tell others about the issue in person.

Giving someone information personally is more likely to resonate with them than a random tidbit they scrolled past online.

Moreover, many students are involved in issues that they are passionate about, such as climate change and gun control. Call your legislators, write letters to people in power, boycott companies whose values you don’t agree with, volunteer at organizations, and attend rallies to create change. You’ll find an activist community that doesn’t exist online.

If you aren’t sure how to get started and want to improve your activism on social media, try writing your own posts online rather than reposting something that someone else wrote. Research a few facts, and then generate a few sentences that capture your opinions.

It will be more meaningful for yourself because you’ve spent time thinking about the issue. Others may be more convinced as well because they are more likely to be swayed when someone they care about is passionate about an issue.

With the array of problems that our generation has to face, including gun control and climate change, it’s going to be necessary for us to voice our opinions effectively.

Staff Writers Izzy Abbott, Adrian Arnaboldi, Abby Beckler, Bradley Bennett, Sam Chiang, Sogona Cisse, Jack Crovitz, Adam Frommer, Andie Goldmacher, Julia Goldberg, Andie Goldmacher, Alison Isko, Avi Kapadia, Marina Kazarian, John Mauro, Yesh Nikam, Henry Owens, Oliver Steinman, Emily Shi, Samuel Singer, Natalie Sweet, Sasha Snyder, Vivien Sweet, Joshua Underberg, Talia Winiarsky, Chloe Choi, Emma Colacino, Yin Fei, Lucas Glickman, Claire Goldberg, Liliana Greyf, Lauren Ho, Walker McCarthy, Maya Nornberg, Morgan Smith, Patrick Steinbaug, Katya Tolunsky, Nathan Zelizer Staff Photographers Harrison Haft, Julia Isko, Daniel Lee, Ava Merker, Kelly Troop, Halley Robbins, Sophie Gordon, Amanda Wein, Maxwell Shopkorn, Emma Colacino, AJ Walker, Lucas Glickman, Lauren Ho Staff Artists Wilder Harwood, Katya Arutyunyan, Rachel Zhu

Editorial Policy ABOUT The Record is published weekly by the students of Horace Mann School to provide the community with information and entertainment, as well as various viewpoints in the forms of editorials and opinion columns. All editorial decisions regarding content, grammar and layout are made by the editorial board. The Record maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and National Scholastic Press Association.

EDITORIALS & OPINIONS Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the senior editorial board. Opinion columns are the sole opinion of the author and not of The Record or the editorial board.

NOTE As a student publication, the contents of The Record are the views and work of the students and do not necessarily represent those of the faculty or administration of the Horace Mann School. The Horace Mann School is not responsible for the accuracy and content of The Record, and is not liable for any claims based on the contents or views expressed therein.

LETTERS To be considered for publication in the next issue, letters to the editor should be submitted by mail (The Record, 231 West 246th Street, Bronx, NY 10471) or e-mail (record@horacemann.org) before 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening. All submissions must be signed and should refer to a Record article. Letters may be edited for grammar, style, length and clarity.

CONTACT For all comments, queries, story suggestions, complaints or corrections, or for information about subscribing, please contact us by email at record@horacemann.org.

Annabelle Chan/Art Director

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HORACE MANN NEWS SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2019

from Gender Announcement page 1

Gabby Fischberg/Art Director

School attempts new cell phone policy

Yin Fei Staff Writer

A new policy regarding the use of technology, specifically cellphones and other mobile devices, has been introduced for the 2019-2020 school year in an attempt to limit the amount of screen-time that students spend while on campus.

Upper Division Administration and Head of the Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein designed the existing policy, which can be found in the updated Family Handbook.

The rules listed include: restricting cell phone use while in the Gross Theater or Recital Hall during assembly, not taking pictures, filming videos or recording audio-especially within the bathrooms and locker rooms-and never texting or posting recording of any of the people involved without their consent.

There an emphasis on discouraging students against using their cellphones while in the hallways, stairwells, or when passing from class to class.

“It’s dispiriting to walk through the halls or enter a classroom where students are engaging in their separate digital universes and not interacting with each other or with the adults,” Levenstein said.

“There are still so many places where people can be on their devices– the library is one such place–walking in the halls and across campus and sitting out on the field are just not

places that needs to happen,” Library Department Chair Caroline Bartels said.

Violation of any of these policies can result in consequences such as phones confiscation or even disciplinary action, depending on the extremity of the infraction.

However, the new policy was not implemented to punish or to make students feel guilty, Student Body President Isha Agarwal (12) said. The idea behind it is to shift the culture of the school by looking up and saying ‘Hi’ to one another, instead of walking through the halls with our heads down, she said.

The policy sparked a wide-range of reactions, largely because it addresses such a polarizing topic today: teenagers and the lure of social media, Levenstein said.

“The restrictions are unnecessary because we don’t have time to talk to each other in the hallways between class anyway, and people say hi in the hallways regardless of the policy,” Uddipto Nandi (10) said.

The policy is, to an extent, rather pointless since the restrictions are only in certain areas and it is still more freedom than the middle school last year, Harris said.

On the other hand, there are a number of students who agree with the reasoning behind developing the guidelines this year, and who support the structure of the policy as well as the message behind its creation.

“I actually like the concept of it, since I still get to use my phone and I’ve always thought that people were on their phones too much in school,” Sadie Hill (11) said. “It’s reasonable that it exists right now since it seems more like a broad suggestion than an actual policy.”

Some teachers have also altered their personal methods or previous policies in an effort to effectively adhere to the new emphasis in their own classrooms.

“I now have students turn their phones off when they come into class, and then put the phones in a cell phone depository for the remainder of class,” history teacher Dr. Ellen Bales said. “They can then pick up their phones as they leave the room.”

Whatever the reactions may be, there still exists a collective hope that the cell phone policy will eventually lead to a less digitized, closer, and healthier environment for all students.

“Students will feel closer to one another when their peers flash them a smile instead of seeing a flash on their phone,” Agarwal said.

The new policy empowers and challenges the school to be present for one another, Bales said, and to gradually chip away at the aspects of phone use that approach an addiction.

On their first day of English, Acharjee’s class went around saying their names and pronouns, they said.

“In [other] classes, I haven’t announced my pronouns, just because it’s really awkward to bring up and there’s never a right time,” they said. The policy makes them feel more safe, Acharjee said.

“I think once you write something down, you have to make sure you’re practicing it consistently,” Gentile said.

The policy is not just about the written aspect, but also about how it will impact the larger student life experience, he said.

Throughout last year, Wilson had been working on a statement explaining the change, he said. Some months back, a colleague of his mentioned that certain students had said their English teachers stated that students were not to use gender neutral pronouns, he said.

“I told him that there was probably a misunderstanding, and I doubted that the teachers were saying that that was incorrect grammar,” Wilson said.

“However, that made me think that maybe we should have a statement about what we’ll be teaching, in regards to what is, culturally speaking, a changing landscape.” Before this year, aside from the teaching of pronoun usage as a part of general instruction, there was no real policy, he said.

In the statement, the department noted that the Chicago Manual of Style and the Associated Press Stylebook both affirm the use of “they” in reference to a singular antecedent.

“The major way in which the policy has affected my teaching is that at the beginning of the year, I ask all of my students their preferred pronouns,” Steiner said. The topic of pronouns can also lead to some interesting discussions about the assumptions made about a speaker’s gender identity in a poem, she said.

The document expressing the new policy has stated that the Upper Division English department finds it important to “embrace the commitment among a growing number of students and scholars to use language that mirrors both their own identities and their hopes for the creation of a more equitable and caring society.”

“Handing the letter out to students was never the idea, as this communication is, in the spirit and the letter, aimed at parents,” Wilson said. “Often parents are somewhat unaware of what their kids are learning, but because this is a fairly meaningful change, we wanted parents

to be aware of it.”

Though Wilson considered distributing the document last year during either a fall parent night or a later point, he did not want the change to feel like a monumental one, he said. Instead, he decided to wait until the start of this year and simply use an email blast to notify parents, he said.

“The shift had a good amount of significance, but I feel like it could’ve been announced in a bigger way,” Acharjee said. “That’s not to say [the department] was not accepting before, but a public show of acceptance can really go a long way.” For example, the change might’ve had a more significant impact if the English department sent the email out to students as well as parents, they said.

Cecile Caer P‘19‘21’24 said that she thinks that it’s progressive of the English department to adopt the policy to be more inclusive, and that it’ll give more freedom for students to express themselves.

“I respect people who want to be referred to with different pronouns, and if I am aware of it, I will try to honor their wishes as much as I can,” she said.

Jack Blackman (12) thinks the situation is more complicated than it seems, he said. “You obviously want to make sure that everyone feels safe and included in the classroom, but I fear a situation where a student gets in trouble for assuming or forgetting one’s pronouns.”

Upper Division Parent Association Secretary Amy Federman P ‘21 supports the new policy, she said, as it institutionalizes the values of the school’s community.

“As a PA member and a parent, I want all students, regardless of race, gender, or economic diversity, to feel included, valued, validated, and respected; that’s the only way students will reach their full potential in and out of the classroom,” she said.

Fischberg said that this shift is a positive marker of a step towards recognition of the fluidity of gender and LGBTQ+ rights in general. “I think it’s pedantic to use old rules ‘just because,’ and it’s not much work to adjust your speech to make people more comfortable with their gender identity,” she said.

“I hope that students will see our shift in policy as indicative as a broader change in culture, which requires all of us to see each other in our full humanity,” Wilson said.

Annabelle Chan/Art Director

Street Photography NYC students fine-tune photo skills and shoot street photos Avi Kapadia Staff Writer Students of the Street Photography NYC course captured the life of the city through their camera lenses this summer.

According to the course description from the school’s website, Street Photography NYC teacher Aaron Taylor taught the class’s four HM students from July 8 to July 26, “taking pictures in different boroughs, visiting landmarks, historical blocks, and hidden gems throughout the city.”

The class was free of charge “thanks to the amazing generosity of Dr. Kelly and Ms. Bartels,” Taylor said.

“I gave a few street photography assignments throughout the year and I wanted to go [shoot

photos] with the students,” Taylor said. “It’s hard to do field trips during the year, so I wanted to do something during the summer.”

“The goal was to go into this beautiful city that we love and get to know some people, learn about their cultures, see different things, take amazing pictures and really explore the city, our own backyard,” he said.

Taylor wanted his students to learn how to take candid pictures in order to capture the iconic moments of the city as well as to improve people skills such as learning how to engage with strangers, he said.

“I think I have learned more in this class than in any other photo class I have taken,” Liam Futterman (11) said.

According to the course description on the

school’s website, the class began with “three days of foundational technical and creative instruction [in the classroom] as well as a refresher on street safety so that students will feel competent and comfortable photographing in NYC.” “I had taught everybody in the class before, so we didn’t need to go into so much detail on the technological side of it, so instead, we went into the creative side,” Taylor said.

After the days of preparation inside, the class continued its journey outside. According to Taylor, the class went to Times Square, Grand Central Station, Bushwick, Coney Island, the World Trade Center, the Manhattan Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, Dumbo, and Queens.

The class environment was very laid back, Futterman said. “Most of the time we didn’t have

a set itinerary— we just let the photos find us,” he said. “We would walk around and when we saw people, an event or something that we wanted to take a picture of, then we would stop.”

“I feel like I learned the difference between taking a regular photo and capturing a moment and story,” Ailill Walsh (10) said.

The class’s impact also extended beyond the camera: “It opened up my eyes to other parts of the city and how other people live their lives by being able to travel with the class, talk to people and learn about their cultures,” Walsh said.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Photos taken on the streets of NYC by Allyson Wright (9), Liam Futterman (10), and Allyson Wright (9).

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THE RECORD NEWS SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2019

CoCo Moves to Temporary Home Sam Singer Staff Writer

The College Counseling Department will move into a temporary space in Pforzheimer this year before moving into a permanent office next to the Business Office on Tibbett Avenue.

The counselors will have fully moved into their interim home before school starts, and aim to be in their final office by early 2020, Executive Director of College Counseling Canh Oxelson said.

Director of Facilities Management Gordon Jensen, who supervises all facilities and construction, is excited for the new space the change will bring, he said. The College Counseling Department’s office will expand by over 50% in square footage, and counselors will have upgraded offices to meet with students, he said.

Oxelson agreed, saying that the move will benefit students.

“Our new permanent home will by light, airy, and much more functional than the old space,” he said.

“Parking for parents and admissions reps will be much easier.”

The new space will feature more functionality through convertible conference/office spaces, larger meeting and waiting spaces, and an open-concept floor plan.

Jensen said he thinks the move will cause students to feel less stressed about the college process.

“The new College Counseling spaces will be more open, accessible, and provide comfort to students entering the college process,” he said. “We will look at these changes as opportunities to rethink how our physical spaces are used to support our students.”

“The moves will be worth it and exciting because Mr. Bates’ office is literally a closet, so it’ll be nice to have more room,” Nick Potash (12) said.

In the meantime, the College Counseling office will adapt to the short-term offices and make students feel comfortable, Oxelson said.

College Counselors will detail the plan to juniors and seniors in the fall, Oxelson said. The college process for seniors will not change.

Some students, such as Jack Eagan (12), believe that although inconvenient, the

Annabelle Chan/Art Director

Multicultural Center Opens For Business Patrick Stinebaugh and Claire Goldberg Staff Writers

moves will not affect the quality of counseling they receive.

“It is imperative to work with the counselors, especially given this year’s minor road bump,” he said. “However, the quality of counseling seniors receive should not be affected.”

According to Potash, the College Counseling Department is more about the support the counselors provide than its’ physical location.

With the College Counseling Department’s move, its old office is being returned to the Middle Division, Oxelson said. The Middle Division will be expanding and using the new space for conference rooms, teacher spaces, and new classrooms, he said.

This year marks the introduction of the Multicultural Center (MC), a new room “devoted to multicultural concerns,” Head of Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein wrote in an email to the Upper Division. The room is planned to open in the former Middle Division Reading Room shortly after the start of the new school year, and will be open to all students, Levenstein said.

The idea for this new room was voiced by a group of UD students from BLEx, an affinity group for students who identify as black, at a meeting with Levenstein last spring, said Justin Burrell (10), who was one of the students present at the initial meeting with Levenstein.

The students felt that they needed a space that could house “socializing and dialogue, specifically surrounding issues of diversity and multiculturalism,” Dean of Students Michael Dalo said. Dalo will coordinate the room’s hours during and after the school day.

No teacher is permanently assigned to the room, but different teachers will be

MD Gets a Makeover Lucas Glickman and Abby Beckler Staff Writers Over the summer, the school renovated Pforzheimer Hall classrooms, the deans’ offices, and the interiors of Lutnick Hall, Prettyman Gym, and Friedman Hall.

Once spread throughout the floors of Rose Hall, the MD deans’ offices will now be consolidated on the ground floor, to the side of the atrium. This new suite will include the guidance counselors’ offices and meeting rooms.

“You have a lot of space now where you can have a private meeting or private conversation,” Head of the Middle Division Javaid Khan said. “Also, all your support folks are located in one place.”

The science labs in Pforzheimer Hall also lacked the modernity of those in Lutnick Hall.

“As identified in the school’s last decennial accreditation,[the school’s science facilities] were no longer adequate for the growing number of students studying the maximum number of credits in science, and then some. Also, we were

Rachel Zhu/Staff Artist

Rachel Zhu/Staff Artist Rachel Zhu/Staff Artist

struggling to find the appropriate lab spaces to meet the on campus needs of a growing number if independent research projects in the area of science,” Head of School Dr. Thomas Kelly said.

In these new Pforzheimer labs, all classrooms will have new lab tables and sinks which will allow for more complicated experiments during class. The more spacious classrooms will also feature new lighting and new equipment to allow for future curricular changes.

Another change will be the addition of a new MD Reading Room located in the old MD main office in Pforzheimer Hall, replacing the one in Katz Library. The old reading room will be converted into a multicultural space for the Upper Division.

The purpose of these renovations was “to make a more middleschool-friendly building so kids aren’t always trekking all over the place, and so they can find everything they need in the newly available spaces,” Khan said.

The sidewalk around the entrance of Pforzheimer was also redone over the summer with the ability to melt snow during the winter, instead of maintenance staff putting down salt for

in and out throughout the day, Levenstein said.

Students in the past have felt that a space like the MC should be created, Co-Director of the ICIE John Gentile said. The idea was put into action this summer because of the persistence of UD students as well as the vacancy of the room becoming due to the MD reading room moving to Pforzheimer.

“Attending a predominantly white school can sometimes be really hard for students of color,” Jayla Thomas (12) said, who was also at the meeting with Levenstein. “A lot of the time I’ve felt uncomfortable just walking in the hallway.”

“I feel like it’s important to have a space where students of color feel welcomed and empowered,” Thomas said.

“The Center will host both formal and informal gatherings throughout the day and after school, and can be used by any UD groups for a variety of events,” Dalo said.

Possible events include lunch conversations, drop-in discussions about current events students would like to unpack, guest speakers, affinity group meetings, and more, Dalo said.

“On a day to day basis it will be a space for students to hangout and spend time,” Gentile said.

“When clubs, affinity groups, ICIE or other departments want to run a program that fits into equity and inclusion frameworks the multicultural center will be able to accommodate those needs,” he said. “It is an example of making an institutional shift toward a more inclusive and equitable community where support and care at the center of that.”

So far, the design of the room and decorations are up to the students, Dalo said. “We will be asking all multicultural and diversity student organizations to let us know what they would like in the space,” Dalo said. The room has not been altered as the MD Reading Room has not yet been relocated, and the only change currently being made is the removal of shelving, said Gordon Jensen, head of facilities management.

“I hope we can develop a library of texts that could be of interest to the many diverse groups in the school, and I imagine the walls decorated with student photography or other student art,” said Levenstein.

Charles Simmons (12), a student who helped create the MC, said “the MC room definitely was the product of the vibrant and unique atmosphere that our diverse community has to offer.”

Jacob Shapiro/Photo Editor

FRESH FEEL First Look at Phorzheimer Lobby. the ice, Khan said. The sidewalk will heat up and the snow will be able to be swept or shoveled away with ease.

While this new sidewalk is currently only in the Pforzheimer Hall area, the school will hopefully incorporate more of these sidewalks throughout the rest of the campus in the coming years. “The ability to preclude the buildup of snow and ice will be added under all campus walkways around Alumni Field as additional improvements to the walkways are scheduled,” Kelly said. This will happen when the next round of renovations occurs within the next few years.

The renovations, which are part of Phase II of the HM in Motion capital campaign, were designed to improve the school as a whole with large-scale projects such as the Middle Division buildings, and smaller projects such as the new sidewalks, Kelly said. These renovations will benefit the school community overall, he said, as they help complete and modernize the school’s facilities.

5

HORACE MANN FEATURES SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2019

Is FirstClass really so “first class?”

Emily Shi and Patrick Stinebaugh Staff Writers

“I’m not sure I’m even exaggerating when I say that one of the saddest parts of returning from summer was realizing that I had to start using FirstClass again,” English teacher Dr. Andrew Fippinger said. FirstClass, the school’s email server of choice, is used by students and faculty for tasks necessary in the classroom and greater community but has recently provoked grievances due to its dated interface.

The school’s history with FirstClass stretches back about 25 years when Director of Technology Adam Kenner originally installed and implemented the email system. “In the early 1990s, it was the only system that we could have installed that would have worked to let us install and manage it ourselves,” he said.

According to an article titled “Horace Mann’s innovative computer technology among New York’s best” in Volume 91, Issue 16 of The Record, the school was one of the first in the Ivy Preparatory School League to integrate technology into education, as they equipped all computers at the school with email and allowed students to individually request email accounts. In the 1994 issue, Kenner was cited saying he believed that “email would eventually become the primary method of communication at Horace Mann.”

Kenner’s prediction proved to be correct, as FirstClass is now used by all students for everything from scheduling meetings with teachers to communicating with clubs, Kimberly Dutta (11) said. “It’s a unified platform that our entire school uses and makes it easier to reach out to different members of the community,” she said.

For Charlotte Allinson (9), having a functional email system has been one of the most essential parts of her experience in both middle school and high school, as she regularly uses the app to view emails from teachers, schedule meetings, and check for homework assignments, she said.

Math teacher Charles Worrall regularly sends homework assignments and PDF materials to students through FirstClass in certain classes, he said.

In addition to regular email features, Kareena Gupta’s (11) FirstClass account serves as a calendar connected to her Google Classroom account, where she can regularly check appointment times and due dates through FirstClass, she said.

One of the most beneficial aspects of FirstClass is that it allows the Technology department to create hundreds of specialized email addresses, including those shared between multiple people, Kenner said.

One such email is the Student Body President (SBP) email, designed for each year’s SBP’s to send unified announcements regarding various initiatives. “The designation of a specific account is a symbol of unity between Roey [Nornberg (12)] and I,” SBP Isha Agarwal (12) said. “The process of using the SBP email is made easy through the email-list feature of FirstClass, where mass emails can easily be sent.”

“FirstClass makes it easy to schedule conferences [non-personal emails], and link other accounts to yours,” Nornberg said.

Apart from specialized email addresses, regular student email addresses also allow for

creating email lists for different clubs or student organizations with ease, especially due to the feature that allows you to auto-fill names after typing in a few letters, Malhaar Agrawal (12) said.

Erin Zhao (11) also uses the auto-fill feature, as well as the “class directory,” in order to confirm the names of people at the school who she needs to reach for clubs or projects, she said.

Two other features unique to FirstClass include the “unsend” and “history” buttons, which allow students to backtrack on emails sent by mistake and view if someone has opened their email, Benjamin Lee (12) said.

For Gupta, the “history” feature of the email remains one of the only reasons that she prefers FirstClass over other email systems. “It’s probably the most helpful feature for me, as I rely upon it heavily to know when to touch base with teachers by following up on emails,” she said.

In a similar vein, Yana Gitelman (11) likes the ability to tell if another user is online, which allows her to contact others knowing that they’ll respond soon, she said.

Fippinger said that the “history” feature of the app can be useful but is concerned that it can sometimes “feel a bit too much like living in a surveillance state.”

Despite the support for having a unified email system, many members of the community have recently encountered major drawbacks of the application, Kenner said. The main complaint from faculty and students alike revolves around the fact that the system is simply outdated, he said.

“The layout of the website is very 1980s-esque,” Agrawal said. His main complaints regarding the email system include the faulty search function, the auto-deleting of emails after 30 days, and the need to log-in or retype the server every time one checks email, he said.

Luke Harris (9) found the interface especially challenging to navigate when he began middle school, as he lacked prior experience with an email application similar to FirstClass as he was more comfortable with Gmail’s interface, he said.

For Samuel Korff (9), a transition to using FirstClass more in high school made him focus on some of its flaws. For example, Korff is unable to receive phone notifications from the app, which has inconvenienced him in high school as he now has to remember to open the app four to five times a day rather than three to four as he did in middle school, he said.

“On a computer, simply logging into the app takes at least two minutes because of the number of buttons one has to click even to see their inbox,” Dutta said.

Many of the complaints students and teachers discuss with the Technology department focus

on the functionality of the mobile app, Kenner said.

Many seemingly simple tasks take much longer when using the FirstClass mobile app compared to Gmail, such as emailing multiple people at once or adding the CC or BCC features, Gupta said.

One issue that Dutta faces is a glitch in the app that causes it to lose connection and erase email drafts, which often forces her to rewrite emails multiple times, she said.

“Every time I use the app, it feels like messages I create are in constant danger of getting wiped out,” Worrall said. “Also, if you make a message that’s longer than a few lines, I stop seeing the text I’m typing, since it scrolls under the bottom of the screen without letting me see where it’s gone.”

Apart from minor inconveniences, the old interface of the app has led students to lose access to the FirstClass application for long periods of time. Kyra Stinebaugh (7) uses a Google Pixel and regularly needs to visit the Technology department to update the email server.

Prior to a major iOS update from Apple, FirstClass had planned to stop updating their mobile app altogether, posing a problem for iPhone and iPad users. Due to incompatibility, the app would not have run at all under the new iOS version. The company reconsidered and released an updated app, but it was riddled with obvious and easily fixable bugs, some of which the company addressed with further updates and others that have still not been addressed, Kenner said.

“FirstClass becomes less and less effective as time goes on, and they haven’t kept the apps up to date as well as they should,” Kenner said. “As more and more people depend upon mobile devices, FirstClass becomes less and less a usable tool.”

For the time being, the school is staying with FirstClass due to their long investment in the email system and the files stored within the system, Kenner said. However, Kenner began to think about a potential server switch since the rise of Gmail over 10 years ago, he said.

The Technology department foresees that the school will be forced to make a transition in the near future, as an increased number of complaints regarding the outdated interface of FirstClass arise every year, Kenner said.

In fact, many other New York City independent schools have already moved away from the email system. Danielle Paulson (11) previously attended The Spence School, which had already shifted from FirstClass to Microsoft Outlook when she began middle school, she said.

According to the 1994 issue of The Record, The Dalton School was originally praised as

one of the first schools to provide 24 hour email communication between students and faculty, “leading the pack.” However, it has remained one of the only other schools that continues to use FirstClass.

Fortunately, the school is well equipped to transition to a new email system if need be, as the company that manages Firstclass for the school also specializes in transitioning to different email systems, Kenner said.

The possibility of a switch generated mixed responses within the school.

Jaden Piccirillo (10) said he felt indifferent regarding the possibility of change.

“I don’t think there’s a big difference between FirstClass and other email servers, and FirstClass includes all of the most important features that I need on a day to day basis,” Piccirillo said.

Allinson, however, would prefer to stick with FirstClass over Gmail in order to keep her schoo lemail and personal email on different servers, she said.

On an individual level, some students have already shifted from FirstClass by forwarding their emails to their personal Gmail account.

Agrawal spent around 45 minutes configuring his FirstClass settings to forward all emails to Gmail at the beginning of his sophomore year and has experienced much greater efficiency with the system, he said. “The original impetus was the auto-deleting emails feature, as I missed important emails,” Agrawal said. “Over time, I’ve seen how Gmail actually has additional features like auto-login and better search tools that have caused me to stay [with Gmail],” he said.

Gitelman also went through the same process in order to combine her personal and school emails together. “The only issue is that I have to remember to open each email in FirstClass and respond there,” she said. “One bad habit is that I’ll open an email in Gmail and forget to respond through FirstClass for a while, so I have to remind myself to immediately respond or set reminders on my phone.”

With a transition to a different email system, Gitelman hopes to be able to both send and receive emails within Gmail instead of sending emails through Firstclass, and receiving them through Gmail, she said.

Fippinger would prefer a transition to Gmail over other potential systems, he said. “Switching would make our email much more useful in addition to faster and prettier, and it could also integrate with other Google apps that would add great benefit,” he said.

“Using email is an intrinsic part of every activity at the school, so although I’m not sure of which interface would be best, it’s really important to arrive at a consensus and compromise for each member of the community,” Lee said.

Art by Annabelle Chan and Katya Arutyunyan/ Art Director & Staff Artist

6

Julia Robbins Editor-in-Chief Jake Millman ‘15 was a co-Class President, a leader in Middle Division mentoring and Horace Mann Orientation, and a captain on his tennis team.

He is also a self-described introvert who earned the Mannikin superlative of “Talks least, says most.”

It might surprise some people that Millman was both an introvert and a leader in the school.

That surprise would largely come as a result of the American Extrovert Ideal. To understand the effect that the idealization of extroversion has both inside and outside of the classroom, it is worth first noting why so many people in the U.S. started to regard extroversion as the superior personality type.

‘The Extrovert Ideal,’ which author Susan Cain describes in her book “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” has only been prevalent in the United States since the mid-20th century when the American population shifted to cities from more rural areas. Unlike in small towns, city inhabitants did not know everyone they engaged with to the same extent, so salesmen had to start selling themselves to customers through their gregariousness.

Partly as a result of these salesmen, Cain notes in her book that America moved from being a Culture of Character to a Culture of Personality. The 20th century saw a rise in self-help guides “chang[ing] their focus from inner virtue to outer charm,” Cain wrote. Advice guides shifted away from words like ‘duty,’ ‘integrity,’ and ‘work’ to words such as ‘magnetic,’ ‘dominant,’ and ‘forceful.’

While this ideal might at first seem inconsequential, it can be harmful to the onethird to one-half of the population of the U.S that identifies as introverted. While there are many definitions of introversion, the definition used in a survey sent out to Upper Division students last year contained some of the following information, as taken from the ‘Myers & Briggs Foundation’ website, an organization that conducts research and outreach about personality types.

In the survey, the explanation of personality types described introverts as people who get “energy from dealing with the ideas, pictures, memories, and reactions” inside of their own heads, versus getting “energy from active involvement in events and having a lot of different activities.”

As Millman articulated in his final paper for ‘Educational Psychology’ at Princeton University, shyness and introversion are not the same.

Introversion refers to a tendency to lose energy when faced with higher levels of stimulation while shyness has more to do with having social anxiety.

In the survey, of the 100 people who responded to the question: “Do you identify as more extroverted or introverted,” 47 percent said they identified as more introverted. While results may be skewed due to the self-selecting group who took the survey, the fact that nearly half of respondents identified as introverted shows the prevalence of introverts in society and the school.

It is also important to note that introversion and extroversion lie on a spectrum and that many people share different characteristics of both personality types.

Introversion is a cluster of traits that hangs together, but any given introvert will not necessarily have every one of those traits, Counseling and Guidance Psychologist Dr. Ian Pervil said.

Additionally, students’ comments may not be exclusively tied to their level of introversion and are likely the result of a combination of different personality factors.

As personality types are complex themselves, there is no way that a classroom environment can meet the needs of every individual student at all times. However, there are practices that teachers could implement to cater to their more introverted students.

“If [shy or introverted students] are being mistreated, misunderstood or undervalued, then that is a serious problem not just for the students themselves, but for educational institutions at large as these places of learning should be supporting and welcoming all of its students,” Millman wrote in his paper.

Many of the ideas that students shared in the survey in response to the question “Do you think that there are ways in which your teachers could help encourage your participation or engagement in the classroom?” overlap with a section called

THE RECORD FEATURES SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2019

“Tips for Educators” that Cain outlines in her book.

“I work better in smaller groups,” Elizabeth Fortunato ‘19, who identifies as introverted, said.

“I feel more energized around a smaller group of people regardless of how exciting they are.”

Fortunato’s comments fell in line with one of the “Tips for Educators” that Cain noted in her book, which is the practice of breaking up students into pair-shares or small group work instead of only holding large group discussions.

Additionally, small group work helps meet the needs of introverts who, as Cain explains in her book, are likely to be more cautious than extroverts to comment in large group settings.

“Introverts think to speak, and extroverts speak to think,” Millman said. He further built upon this point by quoting Cain in his essay: “The archetypal extrovert prefers action to contemplation, risktaking to heed taking, certainty to doubt” whereas “introversion-along with its cousins sensitivity, seriousness, and shyness-is now a secondclass personality trait, somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology,” Cain wrote.

“Just speaking with two or three people is less stressful than speaking in front of a larger group of people because I don’t have to worry as much about if I make a mistake or if there’s something that I say that I don’t really mean to say,” Mia Sebastien ‘19, an introverted student, said.

Alex Rosenblatt (10), who also identifies as an introvert, echoed Millman’s idea. Generally, introverts put more focus on how they speak than on just speaking for the sake of it, he said.

“Extroverts think out loud and on their feet,” Cain wrote in Quiet. “[Introverts] listen more than they talk, [and] think before they speak.”

“I want to make sure that when I am speaking in class and making a point that it’s a perfectly formulated response,” Fortunato said. “And I’ll go over it like 20 times in my head and so obviously it will take me

longer to say something, and then I always get nervous that my point still is not going to make any impact on the conversation.”

“I definitely think that having more time to for mu l ate what I want to say would make it easier to Kiara Royer/Features Editor

participate,” Sebastien said. “I like to fully get a hold of what I want to say before I say it instead of

One other way that teachers can potentially help students in the classroom is to meet with them individually at the beginning of the year, Millman said. He “I feel more energized around a smaller recommends this idea so that students can feel less group of people regardless of how exciting intimidated by their teacher, they are.” he said.

This new level of comfort -Elizabeth Fortunato ‘19 through a meeting during the beginning of the year would thinking help introverted students be more about it as I say it.” willing to speak off the cuff because they wouldn’t One way for teachers to address this common be thinking as much about how their teachers are introvert characteristic is to wait a few seconds perceiving them, Millman said. longer before calling on students than they might “An introverted do normally, Millman said. Waiting just kid could be a few more seconds can give some Do you identify as more of an overstimulated introverted students the time to by whatever introvert or an extrovert? become comfortable enough with is going 47% Introvert their thoughts to raise their hands on around 33% Extrovert and share their ideas, he said. them and 20% Completely unsure “I feel like many people would also by their contribute more to class discussions if they internal thoughts were given the chance to process their thoughts and regarding how tame the wild beast that is their brain,” Rosenblatt their teachers might perceive them,” Millman said. wrote in a followup message. “Because of all that is 62 percent of students responded “Yes” to the going, it could detract from their being able to think question, “If you were given more time to formulate through what they want to think through before your thoughts in class, would you raise your hand speaking. Basically, comfortability with teachers more?” Of course, there is not an endless amount can help silence some of that noise that can go on of time in any given period and teachers can’t wait in introverts heads,” he wrote. minutes between calling on people, but according The relationship to Cain’s book, even waiting five seconds could help between a people feel more comfortable to talk. teacher and Another idea for addressing how introverts often a more like having more time to formulate their thoughts introverted is to allow for more time to s t u d e n t write individually in m i g h t class. Teachers take longer can have to develop if the students student isn’t very vocal in class, and this can create anxiety for the student if they feel their voice is going unheard, Pervil said.

In ninth grade, one of Sebastien’s teachers asked to meet with her at the beginning of the year because he felt that she had more to say in class than what she was contributing at the time, she said.

“He basically talked to me about how he knew, based on my written assignments, I had a good grasp of the material,” Sebastien wrote in a follow-up message.

That one meeting helped Sebastien feel more comfortable in the class because she knew the teacher better, she wrote. “It takes a little of the pressure off knowing that the teacher isn’t really there to judge you and they’re only there to help you learn the information,” she said.

Not every one of these ideas needs to be implemented in classrooms, but there is a notable need for at least some change in the way classes run. Out of 99 responses in the aforementioned survey, 22 students said that they have felt overlooked in the classroom due to their personality type. So even if 55.6% of students have never felt this way, the numbers prove that overlooking more introverted students’ needs is an important issue to tackle.

While introversion has not been the primary w r i t e topic in the recent past in faculty development d o w n meetings, the idea of class participation and their thoughts acknowledging different types of participation is to a question and discussed, Dr. Daniel Rothstein, the Director of then ask who would Upper Division Counseling and Guidance wrote like to share their ideas, in an email. Teachers at the school are sensitive to Rosenblatt said. different personality types and know that quieter The Association of students can be really engaged in their own way, he American Educators said. recommends The nuanced lenses of teachers in how they Rosenblatt’s approach regard different personality types may be present, of having students but many students still feel that there is work to be write down thoughts done. as part of their “The school system, which favors group “Tips for Teaching discussions and packing back-to-back activities, I n t r o v e r t e d definitely favors extroversion,” Rosenblatt wrote in Students” article on the survey. “It’s a problem, and we need to solve it.” their website.

7

HORACE MANN FEATURES SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2019

Marina Kazarian & Chloe Choi Staff Writers “Sksksk and-I oop” is a phrase Bryana Guerrero (12) often hears when wearing friendship bracelets, oversized t-shirts, and scrunchies in her messy buns, she said. She did these things before they became part of a trend that are now leading many people to call her a ‘VSCO girl.’

TikTok, a social media platform created by the Chinese Company ByteDance, has grown in popularity with 500 million people using the app. 66% of users are under 30 years old, according to Sensor Tower, an app analytics platform. The platform has sparked several trends such as the term ‘VSCO girls’ which describes people who wear items such as shell necklaces and carry Hydro Flask water bottles, and the sayings “and I oop” and “sksksk.” The app features short videos, called TikToks, that range from comedy and dance to video blogs and cooking tutorials. The “For you” page is filled with videos that the app curates for users based on the content they have watched in the past.

Vine is a popular social media platform which allows users to upload short comedic videos, but the app was shut down in 2017, so many of its users turned to TikTok to post and view similar content. “TikTok is filled with videos that emulate Vine-like comedy and is similar to Instagram in the sense that you’re able to follow people and view the content they’ve posted,” Madison Four-Garcia (10) said.

Dalia Pustilnik (10) originally downloaded the app as a joke - many of her peers thought it was “cringy,” especially because there’s a stigma around the platform being used by younger kids.

However, she began to love the app after discovering its funny

and relatable content, she said.

Similarly, Bethany* became addicted to the app, especially during her downtime in summer, and uses it when she’s bored or wants to procrastinate, she said. Bethany used to turn to Instagram for procrastination, but all of the videos in her Instagram explore page are now TikToks. “Why not just go on the TikTok app and get a larger variety?” she said.

Using the app is embarrassing because it has negative connotations and is mainly for little kids like middle schoolers, Bethany said.

“When I first heard of the app, I thought it would just be another quick trend that middle schoolers are hooked on,” Guerrero said.

“After months went by and after months of me refusing to try the app, I downloaded it to give it a look.”

Users post videos with their friends and use the app in many of their social interactions. Pustilnik uses the platform in her free time and makes carefree videos with friends, she said. “We don’t take it seriously, but it’s just something fun for us to do together, and we’re all familiar with the dances.”

“Sometimes my friends and I will get carried away and end up spending an hour or so just learning a ‘TikTok dance’ for fun,” Guerrero said.

While Bethany uses the app as a joke, she said, some other users who make videos only claim that the videos are ironic, she said. “People who make TikToks, not usually from Horace Mann, say ‘Yeah, I make them as a joke,’ but they’re not; they’re trying to impress people and show themselves off,” she said.

Rory* downloaded the app last year to make videos with her teammates during tournaments and practices, she said. She only used it during her sports season after downloading it last year,

MIDDLE SCHOOL “Middle school students are avid TikTok users,” Ariella Frommer (8) said. “On the bus, and before and after school, I see people in the hallways, mostly sixth and seventh graders, doing TikToks.”

Nia Huff (8) downloaded the app as a joke to make funny videos, she said. While she does not post often, many of Huff ’s friends post frequently and she looks at their posts to watch new dance routines.

Ellie Nathan (8) posts frequently on her account and thinks “middle school students feel less embarrassed about making TikToks because most do, but high schoolers probably think it’s embarrassing,” she said. “I feel like we have a different mindset than most high schoolers. We feel more comfortable.”

“TikTok has really become super popular in the middle school, and I think particularly the eighth grade has really made TikTok a fun activity to do with friends or by yourself,” Huff said.

Damon* will often talk about, watch, and laugh at TikToks with his friends, he said. TikTok is more of an activity that Damon does outside of school, he said.

“TikTok has played a significant role in my social interactions with my friends because usually, when we are with each other, we make TikToks,” Nathan said.

Users can easily get distracted by the app, even if they do not post often. “It’s extremely easy to get distracted watching TikToks because there are so many on the ‘For you’ page,” Huff said.

“Sometimes I watch TikToks and don’t realize how much time I have spent on it,” Nathan said.

Huff has had Musical.ly, TikTok’s predecessor for a few months, she said.

“I don’t really do them as much as I did when it was Musical.ly, but once in a while, I do make one,” Damon said.

Huff thinks the platform became popular because it “allows you to be yourself and just have fun,” she said.

“Compared to other apps, it requires less and everyone knows that it’s just a joke.”

* These names have been changed to preserve the anonymity of the sources.

so the app has not had a significant impact on her life, she said.

Pustilnik, on the other hand, often posts when she is with her friends.

“I think it has some effect on my social interactions,” Pustilnick said. “Nothing dramatic, but when my friends and I are hanging out, we’ll often scroll through TikTok together or make some of our own. We love watching the funny videos or attempting the dances.”

One attraction to TikTok is the connection its users feel with the people in the videos. The videos are very relatable since they do portray common high school stereotypes such as ‘VSCO girl,’ Bethany said.

The app has become so popular, Rory said. “Every major Instagram influencer uses it and their fans like to follow them on all social platforms,” she said. “Also, it is a fun way to connect and have fun with your friends.”

VSCO GIRL The term ‘VSCO girl’ arose from TikTok and has become a part of students’ slang. Four-Garcia believes that being a ‘VSCO girl’ is about aesthetic, she said.

It’s associated with puka shell necklaces, scrunchies, hydroflasks, and vaguely being an environmentalist, she said.

In addition to products, two popular phrases define ‘VSCO girls’: ‘and I oop ,’ which is used when something surprises them, and ‘sksksksk,’ which is said when one is excited.

“VSCO started off as simply a photo editing app but has somehow transpired into a personality trait for many teen girls,” Four-Garcia said. “Some take it seriously, but I feel that most take it as a joke, and it has pretty much turned into a meme on TikTok and in real life.”

“I personally don’t find the term demeaning –– I know that there are even girls who want to be a ‘VSCO girl,’ also no one seems to be getting hurt by the term,” Pustilnik said. “So as long as it maintains a playful and light hearted joke, I don’t see anything wrong with using it.”

Students in the Middle Division have caught onto the common association of certain items with the “VSCO girl” stereotype.

“I think in the younger generation, especially in the middle school, they all think ‘VSCO girl’ is their standard, and then one girl is a ‘VSCO girl,’ and so they all want to be that girl,” Bethany said. “My sister, who is a middle schooler, is a ‘VSCO girl.’”

Though, sometimes, users can be branded as pretentious ‘VSCO girls’ even if they only have a Hydro Flask or a metal straw, Huff said.

“I think that if some people buy trendy clothing or a Hydro Flask just because they want to, people associate them as trying to be a ‘VSCO girl,’ even if they had the item before it was part of being a ‘VSCO girl,’” Frommer said.

FACULTY Fitness Center Director Kevin Valluzzi’s TikTok account, which he opened as a joke with his kids, proves that the app can be for all ages, from tweens to parents.

Valluzzi noticed his son and daughter making TikTok videos while they were on summer vacation and made a bet with them that he could make a video that would go viral, he said.

Though Valluzzi is no longer active on his account, the video he made for the bet got 450,000 views and almost 50,000 likes. “My daughter was not happy!” he said.

Beyond TikTok, Valluzzi’s only social media presence is a Facebook business account that helps him with his online fitness training business of 10 years, he said.

TikTok was a one-time thing for Valluzzi, he said. “It was fun while I was on vacation with my kids, but that was it,” he said.

Since Valluzzi is a parent and much older than the students who are TikTok users, he has a different perspective on social media apps. “I’m always first thinking of safety and making sure my kids aren’t giving out personal information and that sort of thing,” he said.

Valluzzi also understands that the app can turn into a “time waster” like many other social media platforms.

Although Valluzzi no longer uses TikTok, he understands why children enjoy using it so much. “My daughter was showing me that there are all kinds of dances and routines that people do,” he said. “It seems like a way for kids to be creative and do things out of their comfort zone.”

All art by Annabelle Chan/Art Director

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THE RECORD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2019

Lights, Camera, Action!: HMSFI 2019 Ryan Reiss Staff Writer

For the second year, the school offered the Summer Film Institute (SFI) course for students to explore their interests in filmmaking.

Taught by film teacher Jordan Rathus, the free four-week course was offered to any incoming Upper Division student, and aimed to “teach you everything you need to know to start making movies,” according to the course description.

“HMSFI is such a great opportunity for students who love film to get serious handson time with every aspect of filmmaking, from meeting screenwriters, directors, and producers, to putting that knowledge they

would specialize in a different topic, and that Varjabedian was particularly helpful for his own film.

Rathus also invited Ken Sanderson, president of acquisitions at Bleecker Street Media, to discuss the film industry. “It’s interesting how people turn films into a business,” Rathus said.

The students then each shot their own films, which ranged from Jason Xia’s (9) “Black Hat” featuring time-traveling cowboys, to Janet Christian’s (11) “Calix: The Vampire in Town”, to Micaiah Chang’s (10) and Sam Siegel’s (9) psychological thrillers.

The filming was hectic at times because students only had one day each, Rathus said.

“There were some films in which a student

that this course would teach me everything important about filmmaking in four weeks, and it was no brainer,” he said.

On the other hand, some students, like Khorana, had no prior experience in film before taking the course.

“Overall, my experience at the Horace Mann Summer Film Institute (HMSFI) was definitely a good one. I went from not knowing anything about filmmaking, to making my own short film,” she said.

Alexandra Peeler ’19 decided to return to the school for the summer as a teaching assistant for the course.

Peeler was one of two teaching assistants, the other being Ruby Ryan, one of Rathus’ Courtesy of Jordan Rathus and Barry Mason

Eliza Poster/ Contributing Artist

gather into really tiny gems. So many of the films, which I hope to feature throughout the school year when there is time, are really funny and well thought out,” Caroline Bartels, Director of Summer School, said.

Six students took the course, and the curriculum covered story development, preproduction, filming, and finally, a student showcase of each student-made film. Each student was tasked with writing, producing, directing, and filming their own film.

The first week covered writing, and Rathus invited her friend Randy Blair, a professional musical theatre writer. “Randy hosted an idea workshop that got students to come up with creative ideas,” Rathus said.

The second week focused on directing and producing. “Communication skills are extremely important to develop for directing,” Rathus said. “After you write the story you ask yourself ‘how do I turn my idea into something I can actually conceive?’ It’s really a group effort.”

Rathus’ friend, cinematographer Saro Varjabedian came to discuss lighting, props, and other aspects of directing.

Sam Siegel (9) said that each speaker

would have another student in the class act in their film, but everyone also had off-screen roles. For every shoot, someone would be in charge of sound, another person would be in charge of lighting, and the director would control the camera,” Avani Khorana (9) said.

“The biggest takeaways from the course were what we learned through experience…

While the process itself was stressful, coming out the other end with something that I was not only content with but proud of, and being able to say ‘I made this’ was worth taking the class in and of itself,” Morgan Frances-Cohen (10) said.

“I was intrigued by the work ethics of the students I was working with. All of them were on the same page, they knew what their roles were, and they all had one goal: to make good films,” Luke Weber (12), who helped out with filming, said.

“I decided to help with the summer film program this summer because I love acting and working with people, and this was a great opportunity to do both,” he said.

Siegel, who has already shot films on his own YouTube channel, decided to take the course to explore film classes at the school. “I saw

former students at Rutgers. “They helped from everything logistically like managing equipment, clearing locations, and managing schedules… They also come with unique artistic perspectives and provide experience and creative strengths,” Rathus said.

“I TA-ed the HMSFI course this summer, but last summer I was a student in HMSFI. I loved writing and making my movie so much that I enrolled in the filmmaking elective this year,” Peeler said. “It was so amazing!

My main focus was screenwriting, so during my senior year I did my independent study working closely with Mr. Caldwell writing my feature film. The HMSFI course made me realize that I wanted to go into film as a career and was a truly life-changing experience for me.”

Rathus hopes that this year’s students will walk away more willing to take creative risks, she said. “It’s important for me that they push themselves to take risks. They can have one idea that’s super strange and turn it into a mini masterpiece that they can share with the world for forever. I think that’s pretty cool,” Rathus said.

Summer students learn musical theater history

Jack Crovitz Staff Writer

This year’s session of summer school offered a larger variety of classes, including the new summer course History of American Musical Theater (HAMT), taught by theater teacher Benjamin Posner.

The class, which is also taught during the regular academic year, covers “operetta, vaudeville, and burlesque… early American musicals...the Golden Age, Sondheim, and the 90s,” Posner said. However, the class never gets that far.

“There’s just so much to talk about and listen to,” Posner said.

Students who elected to take the summer class share a love for musical theatre. “I chose to take this class because I love all things musical theatre,” Athena Spencer (9) said.

“I thought it would be very interesting to learn about the origins and inspirations for musicals today.”

“I took it because I was interested in how musical theater has evolved throughout history,” Ross Petras (9) said.

Posner hoped to impart not just an understanding of musical theater’s history, but also an understanding of its significance to other fields of study and to American society, he said. Musical theater is “a uniquely American art-form. It is a patchwork of many artistic disciplines. It was built largely by immigrants or their children,” he said.

Petras said that his greatest takeaway from the course was “that musical theater will never stop changing or adapting to the different popular cultures of the time period.”

The weekly field trips to see musicals were an especially enjoyable and memorable component of the class, Spencer said. “My favorite part of this class was going to see a musical every week. Not only because going to see musicals is really fun...I learned about lots of other musicals that I normally wouldn’t know about,” she said. “My favorite was Come from Away.”

Posner decided to offer HAMT as a summer class because “it seemed like the demand was there, and I thought it would be fun to teach it as an intensive,” he said.

The class was relatively small, with only four students. “I liked it because it gave the teacher more time to help each person and answer everyone’s questions,” Petras said.

Taking the course during the summer “definitely feels a little bit rushed because we’re trying to fit a whole year’s worth of class into three weeks,” Spencer said. “I’ll definitely remember what I learned when I see shows on Broadway today and compare them to older shows.”

Nonetheless, students say they walked away with a deeper understanding of the history of musical theatre.

“I think the biggest takeaway from this course is just how much content from modern musicals are influenced by shows from a while ago,” Spencer said. “I think my students walked away with a deeper appreciation and understanding of Musical Theatre…. Mission accomplished,” Posner said.

‘She Persists’ gallery explores female artists’ impact on New York City history Chloe Choi Staff Writer New York City’s history has been decided inside the canary walls of Gracie Mansion, as it has been home to the city’s past mayors, as well as current mayor Bill de Blasio, since 1943. However, a different history is currently chronicled through art at the Upper East Side landmark: the story of New York’s women.

Open to the public most Mondays since early January, ‘She Persists’ is a gallery that features a collection of art by more than 40 female artists from the past century, all of whom have a strong relationship with the city.

The interior of Gracie Mansion resembles a lavish 1900’s home; antique wooden furniture fills the space, a polished piano sits in the corner of one room, and an ornate hutch holding extravagant china stands in another.

Various shades of blue, yellow, and floral print wallpaper adorn the walls, and rusted, golden mirrors and crystal chandeliers enhance the luxury and splendor of the space.

The atmosphere inside the gallery is tranquil; the only sound heard is the tour guide’s voice and the faint footsteps of patrons moving from piece to piece. Perhaps in order to preserve the serenity of the space, staff ask patrons not to take photos or videos.

The works of renowned artists such

as Theresa Bernstein, Faith Ringgold, and Betty Blayton-Taylor adorn the walls, all of which were selected by curator and art historian, Jessica Bell Brown.

The collection of art is diverse, whether it be in genre, composition, or underlying significance. The artwork ranges from modern to contemporary, and features photography, paintings, sculptures, and even a set of of handcrafted dolls.

In the minimalist painting ‘Yesterday,’ a compelling white zig-zag pattern lies on a black canvas. Despite the simplicity of the piece, the striking contrast between the two colors makes the work eye-catching. The 1987 painting was made by Carmen Herrera, who has lived in New York City since the mid-1950s. Herrera faced a lifetime of discrimination due to her identity as a Cuban immigrant and turned to modern art, where she discovered the geometric and abstract style that has since become popularized.

One of the exhibition’s most alluring pieces is a chromatic quilt pinned against the wall. Artist and activist Faith Ringgold’s ‘Tar Beach II’ features painted images which portray the lives of an African American family living in Harlem. Upon a rooftop overlooking the vibrant Manhattan skyline, the family engages in normal tasks: sleeping, eating, playing, and

doing laundry.

Yet, to contrast such routine activities, Ringgold also depicted a young girl soaring over the George Washington Bridge in a euphoric dream of freedom. Along the border

Annabelle Chan/Staff Artist

of the quilt, an intrcate pattern of squares and triangles is sewn in the traditional style of the Kuba people of Central Africa, celebrating and exposing patrons to a culture that does not receive wide representation.

‘She Persists’ is the third installation of a series aimed at emphasizing the civic and cultural importance of Gracie Mansion in the greater New York history. Each exhibition tells a different story about New York City’s history throughout different time periods. In 2015, the first exhibition, ‘Windows on the City: Looking Out at Gracie’s New York’ featured artwork from the 18th century which gave a glimpse into the lives of the diverse communities living in the city during that time, including Irish immigrants, African American slaves and Freedmen, and Chinese traders. And in 2017, Gracie Mansion opened ‘New York 1942,’ which showcased art and historic artifacts which reflected the turbulence of city culture during the Second World War. “She Persists has undeniably equally, if not greater popularity,” Farah Alvi, an art major at Baruch College who also visited the last art gallery, said. “Many of my friends loved the exhibition despite not all typically being big fans of art.”

The exhibit not only brings to light the talent of great female artists, but also the cultural impact their art has made. In addition to sharing their

personal experiences and struggles, these artists use their works to expose the international community to new cultures –– all to further embrace diversity. “As a woman, it’s extremely encouraging and inspiring to see the struggles women had to face in the past, and how they’ve turned that suffering into something substantial and beautiful,” she added.

One of the more contemporary pieces is Jennifer Packer’s 2017 painting of a radiant flower bouquet, ‘Say My Name.’ The work is meant to honor Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old African American woman who was found dead in her jail cell following her arrest over a traffic violation. Bland’s death ignited controversy and added further to the national conversation regarding racial profiling and unjust treatment of African Americans by police. Packer believed that this case was not given the recognition and sympathy it deserved, so she chose to raise awareness with the best way she knew how –– through her art.

Despite its emphasis on femininity and the complex individual identities of the artists, ‘She Persists’ offers something for all New Yorkers, regardless of age, race or gender, patron Joel Montoya said. “I greatly appreciate that not each piece of work has a conspicuous meaning, so you’re truly able to create your own interpretation of the art,” he said.

HORACE MANN MIDDLE DIVISION SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2019

Welcome, new MD faculty

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Marina Kazarian & David Maydan Staff & Contributing Writers

Courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Rosa

Mary Elizabeth Rosa

Mary Elizabeth Rosa is a new Spanish teacher. She will be teaching 6th and 8th grades this coming school year. Rosa’s experience teaching at both independent and public schools across a wide range of grade levels from nursery to 8th grade enables her to meet the developmental needs of all her students. As a Spanish teacher, she seeks to equip her students with the linguistic tools and cultural knowledge essential to actively engage within the global Spanish-speaking community. For Rosa, understanding the cultural diversity of the Spanish-speaking world is a crucial part of learning Spanish.

As a new member of the HM community, she is “most looking forward to fostering healthy friendships among faculty, staff, and students in addition to learning more about the HM community,” Rosa said.

Outside of teaching, Rosa enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Courtesy of LinkedIn

Anil Sookhoo

Anil Sookhoo will be joining the Middle Division Mathematics Department this school year. He discovered his love for math as a child when he enjoyed solving puzzles, and later decided to pursue the subject as a career. In college, he studied math, and in graduate school, he studied math education.

As a mathematician, Sookhoo especially enjoys geometry and proofs.

As a sixth grade teacher, Sookhoo seeks to inspire both math-loving students and previously uninterested ones, and he hopes that every student will leave his class passionate about some math topic.

Sookhoo looks forward to not only inspiring his students, but also collaborating with his colleagues in the math department.

“I didn’t often get a chance to collaborate with teachers at my old school because I was often the only math teacher, so I am looking forward to picking the minds of other math brains,” Sookhoo said.

Outside of teaching, Sookhoo enjoys collecting Disney and Mickey Mouse memorabilia, playing video games, and experimenting with new technological gadgets.

Courtesy of Emma McFarland

Emma McFarland

Emma McFarland, one of the two faculty members joining the Middle Division history department, will be teaching sixth and seventh grades this school year. McFarland studied history in college, where she became particularly interested in the history of art collection and American history. After graduating, she “worked in the museum education departments at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art,” McFarland said.

Outside of teaching, McFarland enjoys attending the theatre, visiting art museums and galleries, and traveling internationally.

McFarland feels very privileged to be joining the school community, she said. “I cannot wait to collaborate with my students and colleagues.”

Courtesy of LinkedIn

Justin Baker-Rhett

Joining the History Department in the Middle Division, Justin Baker-Rhett will be teaching sixth and eighth grades this school year. After discovering his passion for history early on as a middle school student, BakerRhett majored in history with a concentration in American history and eventually came to teach the subject at an independent school in the California Bay Area.

“I love the way in which history allows us to draw deep and meaningful connections between our past and our present and how our understanding of history continues to expand as we provide space for narratives that previously have been underrepresented in historical study,” Baker-Rhett said. As an educator, Baker-Rhett hopes to establish meaningful connections with his students in order to instill within them this same love for history.

An avid sports fan, Baker-Rhett enjoys rooting for the Warriors, the Giants, and the 49ers. “I’ve never worked at a school with a football team before! I’ll have to check out a game,” he said.

Courtesy of Dennis Bogusz

Dennis Bogusz

French teacher Dr. Dennis Bogusz will be teaching both the sixth and eighth grades this school year. He originally developed his affinity for French in middle school. After developing this interest, Bogusz went on to study and work in Paris for several years. He also spoke French while working in French companies and international organizations in the United States, and most recently, he taught French at The Chapin School.

Aside from teaching, Bogusz likes running, hiking, plane spotting, and reading.

Bogusz is excited to share his love for the French language with more students.

“Learning a language is like growing a garden,” Bogusz said. “First, you plant the seeds and then, you give them plenty of care.

In time, you will have an entire garden of knowledge. My goal is to get my students to become really good gardeners.”

Courtesy of LinkedIn

Stephanie Davidow

Stephanie Davidow will be teaching English to seventh and eighth grade students.

Davidow has prior experience at the Stanwich School in Greenwich, Connecticut and was Head of the English department at Corpus Christi School in Morningside Heights, New York.

Davidow’s mother is a teacher, so she spent the majority of her childhood in a classroom environment, which sparked her interest in teaching. She loves English because the potential for an array of understandings allowing readers to develop multidimensional liturgical connections and facilitate “spirited discussions where there are multiple right answers,” she said.

Outside of school, Davidow enjoys visiting museums, listening to live music in the East Village, and reading at dog parks with her dog.

As a teacher, Davidow hopes to help students become stronger readers and critical thinkers. “I’m a firm believer that the skill set you gain in school should have a practical application, and sometimes that practical application is using rhetorical appeals to convince your parents to buy you that new iPhone,” she said.

Annabelle Chan/Art Director

10

THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2019

Manhattan College students aid school sports teams Natalie Sweet Staff Writer

While many Upper Division students can be spotted making daily trips to Manhattan College (MC) for Starbucks, MC students make the trip to their neighbor school, Horace Mann, for an entirely different reason: to coach a variety of the school’s athletic teams, ranging from JV Basketball to Track and Field and Crew.

The coaching fellowship program was created between the school and Manhattan College in the fall of 2017 and has led to the addition of many young coaches to the school’s athletics program since. The mentorship program was created with the need for more coaches on the school’s teams, Athletics Director Robert Annunziata said.

Before becoming a coach, MC students set up a meeting with Annunziata where they discuss their athletic backgrounds and availabilities, which includes a five day per week required commitment to the program, he said.

“A big part of my first meeting with the Manhattan College students is seeing how they will form relationships with our athletes,” Annunziata said. “It’s all about finding the right fit,” he said.

After this initial meeting, the MC students are introduced to the HM coach that will become their mentor for the season, Annunziata said. They shadow the coach for the season, and if they wish to continue with the program after that, they receive a fellowship that includes a stipend, he said. From there, the MC students may be promoted to assistant coach, he said.

For the MC students, the program provides an opportunity for them to learn and grow as a physical education student, Annunziata said. “It’s a way for them to measure where they think they might want to continue their career,” he said.

One of the first MC students to join the program was Angelio Grutton, a Cross Country and Track and Field coach who started coaching at the school in the fall of 2017.

Grutton found out about the opportunity from an email sent by his department chair, he said. Since then, he has coached all three seasons of running sports at the school since 2017.

Grutton was interested in becoming a coach because he was a runner himself until getting injured in college, which forced him to retire prematurely, he said.

“It’s another way for me to use my skills to help athletes and engage in a different aspect of the same sport I love,” he said.

Grutton helped other Manhattan College students become involved in the program through sharing his experience coaching at the school. For example, Gabby Montez started her fellowship at the school in the winter of 2017, shadowing the Girls Varsity Basketball Coach: Ray Barile.

During the shadowing fellowship, Montez talked to Barile after

Courtesy of Jasmin Ortiz

HUDDLE UP Coach Gabby Montes gives assistance in a huddle. games to get insight about his philosophies and what it’s like to coach, she said. After shadowing Barile for the 2017-2018 season, Montez became the Assistant Coach of Girls JV Basketball the following winter season, she said.

To Montez, the main difference between shadowing Barile and being a coach herself is the change from learning to teaching, she said. “When I came to JV to coach, I was the one teaching the students instead of learning from someone else,” she said. “During the JV season, I was in a bigger coaching role, where I was helping plan practices and figuring out plays,” she said.

“After our games, Coach Gabby and I would speak to the team together,” Barile said. “Since she shadowed me during the Varsity Basketball season, she was able to take what she learned to coach JV Basketball the following year,” he said.

While the program does not fulfill any academic requirements, many coaches do find the job beneficial for their major, Annunziata said.

Coaching at the school has made him more engaged in his own career path, MC student and Track and Field Coach Will Cruz said.

“Through helping the runners stay uninjured and stretching with the team, this job has helped me get very involved in physical therapy, which is what I want to do,” Cruz said.

Since almost all the coaches previously played their sport in high school, many students find their experience helpful too.

Working with Grutton in both cross-country and track and field was extremely beneficial because of this quality, Natalia Mason (11) said.

“Since [Grutton] was a runner himself in high school and

college, he was really able to help me with my running form and technique,” she said.

Manhattan College coaches are also able to help with workouts by participating in them. Matt Kovalchuk, who coaches football and JV basketball, often scrimmages with the basketball team, Jake Federman (11) said.

JV Football and JV Baseball coach Liam Hallinan says that this aspect of training with the athletes keeps practices enjoyable.

“During the football season, I covered receivers and defensive backs,” he said. “When you make it fun, everyone stays engaged,” he said.

Varsity Football, JV Basketball, and Varsity Baseball Coach Tommy Morales finds that being a young coach is very beneficial to his relationship with the players, he said. “Since I played all of those three sports which I coach during high school, I can connect with the athletes better,” he said.

Many student athletes are extremely grateful for Manhattan College coaches, from their supportive attitude to their helpful tips for the team.

“In practice, I was super tired and wasn’t feeling well, but then Liam gave me an amazing motivational speech and [I] killed the rest of practice,” Zachary Brooks (12) said.

Ben Goodman (12) appreciated Hallinan’s coaching help, since Hallinan taught him how to long snap a football, he said. Goodman also enjoyed how Hallinan was able to keep the mood on the team light, he said.

“I remember Liam dancing with all of us,” he said. “We had an amazing time and we will miss that.”

Recruited athletes train over the summer

Adam Frommer & Rowan Mally Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

Notable school alumni Pedro Alvarez ‘05 and Harrison Bader ‘12 have taken their games to the highest stage and become successful in Major League Baseball. Bader was recently called up from Triple-A to the St. Louis Cardinals and Alvarez has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles.

This year, athletes of the class of 2020, such as Kiara Royer (12), a member of the Girls’ Varsity Soccer Team, Ishaan Kanaan (12), a member of the Boys’ Varsity Tennis Team, Stephen Sloan (12), a member of the Varsity Golf Team, Julian Rabkin (12), a member of the Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse Team, and Ella Anthony (12), formerly a member of the Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team, who has transfered, all played on the school’s teams and hope to be recruited.

The process of college recruitment often starts early in their high school careers as athletes attend showcase camps and clinics where college coaches look for potential recruits. Students then communicate with college coaches to show their interest and to learn more about the coach and team. These coaches then decide who to recruit to the team, an action that involves helping a student-athlete through the admissions process.

Most student-athletes of the school, such as Royer, who has played soccer for 10 years, strive to continue playing their sport in college but may not play at a professional level. “I don’t plan on playing soccer seriously after college, so I really want to commit to a college soccer program that allows me to take the sport seriously while also having fun like a regular college student,” Royer said. Royer started attending clinics the summer after her freshman year, and has attended around 15 clinics in total, she said.

Unlike Royer, Ishaan Kanaan (12) hopes to someday play tennis in professional or international tournaments and improving in college is an important step for reaching an extraordinarily high level, he said. Kanaan has been playing tennis for over eight years both in out-of-school tournaments and on the middle and high school teams at the school. “I’ve put in a lot of work to improve,” he said. “At this point, it means a lot to me and I don’t want to

give it up.”

Sloan has played golf since he was little, but started to practice more and play competitively once he was in high school, he said. “The game is huge in my family. My dad and grandparents exposed me to the game at a very young age, and I have been passionate about it ever since.”

Regardless of the extent to which student-athlete looks to pursue their respective sport, they must go through the recruitment process if they wish to continue playing on a collegiate level once they graduate.

Anthony joined her first basketball team in fifth or sixth grade but decided to take basketball seriously in eighth grade, she said.

“I began to love it so much. Working out every day, I had dreams of playing in college but I didn’t know if I could.” In the summer before her sophomore year, Anthony realized she would be good enough to compete at a high level.

Anthony made the decision to move schools for this year, she said. “Leaving [the school] was a hard decision, but I realized I had to make sacrifices to accomplish my dream.” She mostly Annabelle Chan/Art Director Courtesy of Google

decided to leave in order to surround herself with more serious players, she said. “In order to be the best, you have to play against the best.”

Maya Scholnick ’18, a former member of the school’s Girls’ Varsity Soccer Team, knew she wanted to play soccer in college when she was in eighth grade. While the process was timeconsuming, she committed to Amherst College in February of her junior year. As long as she kept her grades up and achieved a certain ACT score there wasn’t much to worry about going into senior year, she said.

While the recruitment process is vital in order to continue competing at a high level, the system can be incredibly difficult and stressful, Sloan said.

For Royer, being recruited to play soccer and other team sports is a difficult process because every team is looking to recruit athletes specifically for certain positions in the game, such as goalkeepers or specific types of defenders, she said. “While I may be talented enough to play at a certain school, they may not need my position and therefore they don’t need me as a player and I won’t get offered a spot,” Royer said. The recruitment process can be difficult to manage when balancing schoolwork, contacting coaches, staying fit, and attending soccer practices, she said.

So far, Rabkin, who has been playing lacrosse for seven years, has created a video showcase of himself, attended recruiting events, and created a student profile of himself for colleges to look at.

While coaches at the school are involved in students’ athletic careers, students tend to work with their out-of-school teams and coaches for the recruitment process, Kanaan said.

On the other hand, Chidi Nwankpa ’18, a former member of the Boys’ Track Team, enjoyed his recruitment process.

“Talking to coaches and visiting schools and teams was a super fun experience,” he said. “I wanted to run in college so I could alleviate the stress of paying for it and getting into a good school,” Nwankpa, who attends Lafayette University, said.

For Scholnick, choosing schools wasn’t simply about the athletic department. “It was all about the balance between academics and athletics, as I wanted to be able to engage in other things during college while still playing at a competitive level,” she said.

11

HORACE MANN LIONS’ DEN SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2019

Girls Varsity Soccer puts their best foot forward despite disappointing results Maya Nornberg Staff Writer After a disappointing last season, the Girls’ Varsity Soccer team hopes to turn a new leaf this season with strong energy, improvement, and teamwork. The team has started off the season with two games, a draw and a loss, but has begun to care less about the results and more about the effort and room to improve, Captain Kiara Royer (12) said.

“In the game against Trinity, we tied, and we were really proud of each other,” Rachel Kuhn (10) said. “Not necessarily because of the tie but just because our energy as a team was really good.” The team worked really well together, and everybody put in their best effort, she said.

Kuhn also added that the whole defense is made up of returning players, which has proved successful in their recent games, an improvement from last year.

Emma Djogonapoulus (11) had an exciting experience playing forward in the game against Trinity on Friday, her first time playing this position, capping it off with a goal.

“We lost every game last season, so it was really nice to come into the season with a tie, and that was my first time playing forward,” Djogonapoulus said. “I scored a goal, which was really exciting.”

The team was very excited about their first tie, reflecting their improvement and team chemistry that they’ve gained since the intense preseason.

There are seven new freshman players this year, adding skills and new faces to the team. Royer believes that an important part of the advancement comes from establishing a relationship throughout the teammates, both old and new, she said.

“I’ve definitely seen a lot of improvement in the team since preseason,” Royer said. “I think we’ve gotten closer as a team, which helps us on the field. Since we have a lot of freshmen, it’s important to

get them integrated so that we play well all together.”

On Monday, the team suffered a disappointing 0-6 loss to Poly Prep, last year’s state champions, but were more concerned about maintaining a good mentality than worrying about the score.

“I think we need to improve our mentality when we’re losing,” Royer said. “We kind of got down on ourselves when Poly just continued to score, so I think we just have to be more united as a team and stay positive.”

“We know what went wrong in the game. We had the right attitude, and we were definitely able to learn from that game and our playing,” Ellery Lapin (10) said. “We’re building experience that we can apply to our next games.”

In the team’s most recent game against Riverdale, the heat had a noticeable impact on the players’ abilities, but they were still able to work hard and enjoy their time and energy. Their strong defense

allowed the team to maintain a tie until the second half, eventually finishing the game in a 0-3 loss.

“The Riverdale game really proved how losing doesn’t have to slow us down,” Kuhn said. “We came back strong, gave it all we got, and did the best we could considering the tiring weather.”

With the current levels of passion and teamwork, the fall has certainly started off on a high note. The team surely knows that by working hard and by learning from past experiences, they’ll be able to get a lot out of this season.

“I’m not sure what our goals for the team are right now,” Royer stated. “But I hope that we can play the rest of our games with the same intensity as how we played against Trinity.”

As the season continues, the team hopes to see their effort and excitement pay off in scores, as to break a streak of losses from last year.

Courtesy of Yuko Royer

HEADS UP Laila Farmer (10) boots the ball upfield.

Boys Varsity Soccer aims to learn from defeats John Mauro Staff Writer Boys Varsity Soccer kicked off their season last Wednesday with a 4-0 win against Loyola on Alumni field. The team began the season with a strong 4-0 win against Loyola, before falling 6-1 and 6-0 against Trinity and Riverdale respectively.

The team started off with a draw against Edgemont, an out of league team. “The game really got the team to focus for our practices ahead and our next game against Loyola,” Chris Robinson.

“We are used to beating Loyola every year,” he said. “So we were going to make sure that we kept that streak going, and we beat them 4-0.”

Last Friday, the team played against the reigning champions of the Ivy league, Trinity, Robinson said. “We were down 1-0 at the half, and the game slipped away from us as fatigue and the conditions definitely got to us, letting the final score reach 6-1,” Robinson said.

Rain during the game made it difficult for the players to stay warm and be prepared to go head to head with Trinity’s fastest players, Robinson said.

Trinity’s players were also taller and stronger than many of the school’s players, Robinson said.

“We played really well against both teams, but got unlucky a couple of times against Trinity,” Co-Captain Jeffrey Chen (12) said.

“We look forward to facing them and beating them the next time we play,” he said.

Since preseason, the team has gotten stronger as a unit, Robinson said. “We’ve gotten better with our passing, both in [the] midfield and to our strikers. I’m not saying that there isn’t room for growth,

but it is a big improvement.” Robinson said.

As a result of the feedback from the team leaders and coaches, Robinson’s skills are improving as the season gets on, Robinson said. “Playing with this selection of players makes me want to work harder,” he said.

The team’s chemistry has also improved as they figure out each other’s strengths and weaknesses, Co-captain Daniel Lee (12) said.

“We’ll keep going at our opponents as a unit,” Robinson said.

“Winning the game relies on our goalies giving it to our defenders or midfielders, who pass it to our strikers who then score,” Robinson said. “If one of those links fails, then scoring is out of the question.

The team is trying new formations in the early games of the season, Devin Hirsch (11) said. “Since it’s new, it’s something we’ll have to work on, but I think that our communication is improving,” Hirsch said.

“Our goal is to win. We just need to keep improving our communication and spreading the ball to the sides,” Hirsch said.

The captains for Boys Varsity Soccer this year are Lee, Chen, Chris Ha (12), and Jack Harris (12).

Lucca Correia (10), Kri Galvan-Dubois (10), Logan Dracos (10), Julian Silverman (10), Jayden Siegel (10), and Owen Stafford (9) are all underclassmen on the team.

“The team is pretty widespread this year as we do have underclassmen.” Chen said. “They all possess a lot of potential and I look forward to seeing how they grow throughout the season.”

Unfortunately, Stafford was injured in practice, but he is likely to return in three or five weeks, Lee said. “He was a starting defender for us, and we’re very excited for his future with the team,” Lee said.

Although the team is facing a tough schedule this season, the

Wednesday, 9/4 Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Loyola - H (4-0) W Girls Varsity Volleyball vs. Hunter H [Scrimmage](3-1) W Friday, 9/6 Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Trinity - H (1-6) L Varsity Water Polo vs. Trinity - A (12-14) L Girls Varsity Volleyball vs. Trinity - H (3-1) W Boys JV Soccer vs. Trinity - H (1-5) L Girls Varsity Tennis vs. Fieldston - H (2-3) L Girls JV Tennis vs. Fieldston - A (2-3) L Saturday, 9/7 Varsity Football vs. Riverdale - H (0-27) L

players are already aiming to make it to the NYSAIS tournament, Chen said.

Last Wednesday, the Lions played an away game against Riverdale. “We were practicing really hard in anticipation,” Jackson Feigin (11) said. “We’re all looking forward to it and want to show results for the home fans.”

According to the school’s athletic page, the team will play nearly twenty regular season games.

“We’ll be looking to give 110% in both practice and the rest of our games,” Feigin said.

Alill Walsh/Staff Photographer

TEAMWORK The team huddles up before a big game.

SCORES IN THE DEN

H - Home A - Away

W - Win L - Loss

Monday, 9/9 Girls Varsity Tennis vs. Convent of the Sacred Heart - H (6-0) W Girls Varsity Soccer vs. Poly Prep - A (0-6) L Wednesday, 9/11 Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Riverdale - H (0-6) L Girls Varsity Soccer vs. Riverdale - A (0-3) L Varsity Field Hockey vs. Riverdale - H (1-2) L Varsity Water Polo vs. Riverdale - A (11-9) W Girls Varsity Volleyball vs. Riverdale - A (3-1) W Boys JV Soccer vs. Riverdale - H (1-2) L Girls JV Tennis vs. Riverdale - H (7-1) W

Gabby Fischberg/Art Director

Lions’ Den Record Sports

12

SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2019

Girls Varsity Volleyball serves their way into new season Henry Owens Staff Writer The Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team began their season with an away win against Riverdale on Wednesday. This was only their third game of the season, bringing them to a total of two wins and one loss.

The game was played to four sets, with Riverdale winning the third, and the school winning the first, second, and final. Each of the sets were close, with both teams scoring in the 20s.

Despite winning the game, some players felt that it was not their strongest performance.

Prior to Wednesday’s game, the Lions had defeated Hunter and lost to Trinity.

“Riverdale isn’t as good as Trinity or Hunter, so we actually played down,” Brigette Kon (12) said. “We had our good moments, but majority of it was lacking our usual skill level.”

“We weren’t excited; our energy wasn’t there,” Rosy Arora (11) said. Another possible factor behind the

team’s sub-par performance is a large number of players out due to injury. This was also the first away game of the year, which had a negative impact, Arora said.

The serves were a particular high point of the game, Arora said. Serving has been a major focus of Coach Lynford Foreman, she said.

Kon mentioned blocks from team captain Zoe Swift (11) as another highlight of the game.

“So far, we’ve come together as a team really well, which is surprising for this early in the season,” Swift said.

“When we work together as a team, when we’re all energetic, it just makes it a better time and it makes it easier to actually accomplish things,” Arora said.

“Yesterday, we didn’t see that.”

Swift attributes the team’s good dynamics to bonding inside and outside Annabelle Chan/Art Director

Girls Varsity Tennis roars to 1-1 start Talia Winiarsky Staff Writer A viewer standing on the sidelines of last Friday’s Girls Varsity Tennis match against Ethical Culture Fieldston School (ECFS) could hear the powerful smack of first-singles player Sofia Allinson’s (11) serve as it hit the court, and then watched the ball leap back into the air to challenge her opponent.

The match against Fieldston was the team’s first of the season, which they lost with a score of 2-3.

Since it was the opening match, Coach Rawlins Troop had to create a new lineup, he said. The team graduated two seniors last year: Gibby Thomas ’19 and Hannah Long ’19, who played first singles and first doubles, respectively, so Troop had to decide which players would move up to fill the empty spots, he said.

“There are new players in the second and third singles spots.”

The players that Troop designates as the top three singles players and the top two doubles partnerships can score points for the team, Amiya Mehrotra (12) said. The other six players play exhibition matches that don’t count toward the final score, she said.

Troop decides which players will play in which bracket by measuring the players’ skills, he said. “What I’ve learned over the years is that the team needs consistency. It’s the kids who can consistently serve first and second serves, and who can consistently stay in a point and be patient,” he said.

The first match of the season offers an opportunity for the teammates to get to know each other better as players, McKayla Widener (12) said. “This season was a big shift for us because we lost two of our best players. We’ve been learning to work with each other, which takes more than just a few practices.”

Last Friday’s roster had Allinson playing first singles, Lita Crichton (11) playing second singles, and Amelia Feiner (12) playing third singles.

Ryu and Agarwal played first doubles against ECFS and won their match 6-1 for both sets, Ryu said.

On the court next to Ryu and Agarwal, Crichton played second singles in a match that lasted two hours.

The entire team walked over to watch the final sets of the match, and cheered Crichton on after every point, whether she won or lost.

Crichton appreciated that the team watched her play, because it helped her stay focused despite the stress, she said. “The match, especially the first set, was high pressure because it kept going into deuce, 40-40, and most times I lost that point, which was pretty frustrating for me.”

After the final point of Crichton’s match, the team huddled together, as they did before the match began, preparing to do it all again in just a few days.

On Monday, the team played Convent of the Sacred Heart, and won the match with a score of 5-0, Allinson said.

Because Ryu played second singles instead of first doubles, Bella Colacino (10) stepped up to play doubles with Agarwal, Colacino said. Colacino and Agarwal defeated their opponents with a score of 6-0, 6-2, she said.

Monday’s match was the first time that Colacino played a match that counted in the team’s score, but she had been practicing for that moment, she said. “I try to do the best shots that I can during practice. I channel the same mental thinking when I’m in practice and when I’m in a match.”

Allinson also pretends that she is playing a match when she practices, she said.

Allinson won her match 6-0, 6-1 against Convent of the Sacred Heart’s first singles player, she said.

The team will conclude their eventful week with a match this afternoon against Poly Prep Country Day School.

“I hope we all win our matches on Friday,” Allinson said. But whether they win or not, the team will cheer Annabelle Chan/Art Director each other on at the end, she said.

Halley Robinson/Staff Photographer

SPIKE Team celebrates after a point. practice, especially during pre-season, she said.

This year’s team is very close, Kon said. “We’re such an odd group of kids, but we get along really, really well.”

Varsity Water Polo makes a splash against rivals Nathan Zelizer Staff Writer

The Varsity Water Polo team lost to Trinity in a double shootout last Friday, after tying at 7-7. The game was a nail-biter, culminating with the two teams remaining tied after two three-minute overtime periods. A tie leads to a shootout where both teams have five free throws against only the goalie. After two of these shootouts, Trinity was able to clutch the win.

The game was Water Polos first of the season, with some kinks that needed to be ironed out.

“We definitely need to be working on communication and our level of endurance,” Walker McCarthy (10) said. These qualities can be easily improved upon through practice. he said.

One of the the team’s biggest problems was that Trinity had a pool that was deep on one side and shallow on the other. This troubled the team as Horace Mann’s pool is all deep. In a shallow pool, there are certain spots where you cannot make certain plays which really affected the pacing of the game. “It changed where and how we use the pool for leverage which threw us of a little,” Donny Howard (12) said. The Water Polo team hopes that in the future they won’t have to play in pools like this again.

One standout player was Howard. He plays goalie and truly had an amazing performance which kept the lions in the game for so long.

“Donny played great, he was making saves no one expected him to be making,” McCarthy said. Howard not only leads the team with his skill, but he is truly a leader in the team and sets a great example for the younger kids on the team.

While Howard was making great saves in goal, Ari Salsberg (11) was racking up points for the Lions. Salsberg scored six out of the seven goals.

“Ari has a great ability to finish which is great for the team,” Head Coach Michael Duffy said. Many people on the team have high hopes for Salsberg and believe that his performance will be this good every game, he said.

The game looked especially grim for the Lions near the end of the second overtime as they were down 5-7. In a final move to score, Howard came out of the goal to try to take a shot. Unfortunately, this failed but the Lions recovered the ball and gave it to Salsberg in the middle of the pool. He was able to score which gave the team the momentum to quickly pull one more goal out of the bag in the last minute of the game. This great turn of events put the Lions in the shootout.

The shootout was a tight match as both teams struggled to score. “We forgot about our fundamentals and went for speed and power instead of accuracy,” McCarthy said. The Lions were able to tie with Trinity in the first shootout. The second round turned out worse as Horace Mann lost to Trinity.

The team learned a lot about what they need to work on before next week. The team was upset about the loss but also energized to realize their potential. Coach Duffy and all of the team members plan on practicing hard throughout the season to improve and win games down the line, he said.

Katya Arutyunyan/Art Director Courtesy of Donald Howard

Courtesy of Amelia Feiner

ACES Mckayla Widener (12) leaps to hit a serve to her opponent.

SEA LIONS Donny Howard (12) gets ready to make a save.