The Horace Mann Record, Issue 24 - Junior Issue 1

The Horace Mann Record HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903

APRIL 26, 2019

Dalo to replace Delanty as Dean of Students

Agarwal and Nornberg elected SBPs

Andie Goldmacher and Rowan Mally Staff Writer and Contributing Writer

Ahaan Palla/Photo Editor

TAKING CHARGE Isha Agarwal (11) and Roey Nornberg (11) pose as SBP elects interest in bettering the community, she said.

Nornberg set his sights on becoming Isha Agarwal (11) and Roey Nornberg SBP because of the ability to bring about (11) were elected Upper Division (UD) Student Body Presidents (SBPs) for the bigger change, he said.

Rosy Arora (10) voted for Agarwal 2019-2020 school year. and Nornberg due to their combined The race was between six pairs of experience of five years in student candidates and kicked off on Monday government, she said. “Not only are afternoon with an I period forum, where they already familiar with student each of the pairs presented their platform government system, they also are both in a Q&A style assembly facilitated by current SBPs Nader Granmayeh (12) involved in different sets of activities, allowing them to connect with a broad and Janvi Kukreja (12).

In previous years, an assembly base of student body,” said Arora.

Agarwal and Nornberg’s platform was dedicated to the candidates rested on three main pillars: diversity, presenting their platforms. Last year, student life, and a caring community. the administration decided to replace To celebrate the community’s diverse it with an I period forum to avoid the demographics, Agarwal and Nornberg process becoming about “who put on the proposed a World Expo day that best show,” Stephanie Feigin Dean of the will teach students more about other Class of 2020 said.

Granmayeh and Kukreja emailed the cultures, in addition to initiatives to first forum question to the candidates enhance student life such as increasing last weekend for the pairs to begin school spirit and promoting intramural considering why they chose to run with sports.

For Chandler Reyes (9) a good SBP their partners. needs to have a strong personality. Their “I chose to run with Isha because most challenging, yet important job, is she is kind and responsible,” Nornberg making themselves known and standing said, “She’s involved in many clubs such as representatives not just for their grade, as East Wind West Wind and Science but for the whole upper school, he said.

Olympiad, and she has served on the CC Agarwal and Nornberg also hope to for three years.”

For Agarwal, Nornberg was the right use their positon to bring about change running mate due to his public speaking that comes directly from the students skills from Model UN and leadership themselves, Agarwal said.

In order to achieve this goal, Agarwal experience in programs like Horace and Nornberg proposed holding public Mann Orientation (HMO), Upper forums, providing student feedback Division Orientation (UDO), and his services, and working with student past two years as co-president of the governments at other schools.

Class of 2020, she said.

For Delanty, working closely with the In order to be considered, each candidate pair had to recieve 25 student SBPs provides her with constant updates signatures from each of the four grades, about what students are thinking and “the pulse of the school,” in general, she according to an email from Feigin.

Feigin believes that this year’s election said.

Spanish teacher Michael Dalo, who in particular stood out due to the variety will be stepping into Delanty’s position of different students who had teamed up as Dean of Students next year and has to work together, each with a real vested taught Agarwal for 2 years, said he is

INSIDE

Mayanka Dhingra Staff Writer

Notre Dame

2

Ava Merker (11) discusses appreciation of nonWestern monuments.

impressed by Agarwal’s dedication, maturity, and organization, and looks forward to helping to implement the SBP’s new ideas for fostering more growth, unity, and enjoyment in the community.

English teacher Adam Casdin said what struck him about working with Nornberg in 10th grade English, was Nornberg’s joy in tackling tough questions, a quality that will serve him well as SBP. The SBP’s play a really important role in setting the tone for the school year and its important that they bring all grades together from the start, Kukreja, said.

Suraj Khakee (11) voted for Nornberg because of his personable character and efforts to reach out to members of the UD community, including underclassmen, he said.

“The new elects should also remember that role of SBP is not just random initiatives, but at its core it’s being the people that adults, inside and outside the school, look to and say this is who represents the student body,” said Kukreja’s co-SBP Nader Granmayeh (12).

“SBPs lead by example. At their best, SBPs embody what it looks like to care deeply about the HM community, addressing student needs and adding positively to the student experience,” Head of the Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstien said.

Agarwal and Nornberg already have plans to address the issue of stress at the school by increasing communication between students and the administration and continuing traditions such as Project X in addition to other fun games throughout the school year, Agarwal said.

“With being SBP comes a certain level of responsibility in communicating effectively with students and administration, and it’s a responsibility that we want to take on,” said Nornberg.

Class Sizes

4-5

Students reflect on the various effects of class size.

JUNIOR ISSUE #1

After over a decade as Dean of Students, Dr. Susan Delanty announced that former grade dean and Spanish teacher Michael Dalo will take over her current position in the 2019-20 school year.

She is returning to the classroom after 22 years in the Deans’ Office.

Delanty will likely teach chemistry and the new biochemistry elective next year, depending on the school’s needs, she said. “My favorite part of everything I do here is actually working with students and their families,” Delanty said.

As Dean of Students, Delanty pioneered many Dorr initiatives for the Upper Division, including Upper Division Orientation (UDO) and Senior Dorr. “Dr. Delanty loves Dorr, and she has done a lot to ensure that the Upper Division spends as much time at Dorr as possible,” Head of School Dr. Jessica Levenstein said.

Levenstein has joined Delanty at Dorr for both UDO and Senior Dorr.

Her favorite memory with Delanty was during a Deans’ Office overnight trip, during which she got lost in the woods with Delanty and grade dean Stephanie Feigin. “We kept seeing the same tree over and over again, and then we just got hysterical,” she said Delanty frequently coordinated initiatives with the Community Council (CC). “Dr. Delanty always brought a level-headed atmosphere to the CC,”

stressed,” Levenstein said.

Dalo’s current and former students, Ryan Jonas (11) and Annabelle Xing (10), said that Dalo is a caring and compassionate teacher. “He cares about us in and out of the classroom, and his dedication to the students will make him an amazing Dean of Students,” Jonas said.

“His most important quality as a teacher is understanding how student life is. I appreciate that he tries to lessen the burden of tests and quizzes,” Xing said.

While Dalo does not officially assume his new position until July 1st, Delanty and Dalo have already been working closely together, and Dalo has helped plan events for the coming year.

Dalo is looking forward to implementing the school’s upcoming curriculum changes and diversity initiatives, he said.

“Going back to the Deans’ Office is going to give me an opportunity to interact with students outside the classroom that I lost once I stepped down as a grade dean,” he said.

Dalo hopes to thoughtfully reflect upon and “discuss the advisory program from both the faculty and student standpoint,” he said.

“I also want to take a deeper look into student government, and ensure members of different positions are working cohesively for a conjoined purpose,” he said.

This is not Dalo’s first time in the Deans’ Office, as he was dean of the Class of 2017. “[Being a grade dean] helped me gain a deeper understanding of what students are dealing with at

Daniel Lee/Staff Photographer

NEW YEAR NEW DEAN Current Dean Susan Delanty poses with Michael Dalo class president Madhav Menon (10) said.

“She is always open to meet and does not run CC meetings like a monarchy,” Menon said. “[Delanty’s] points always made us rethink ideas and refine our goals as a group. She has such a wealth of knowledge and great guage of the HM community, so she has always been a great sounding board to test ideas on,” CC member Adam Frommer (10) said.

While students are sad to see Delanty leave the position, both students and faculty said they are excited for Dalo to take over and implement his new ideas.

“Mr. Dalo is creative, well organized, has a great connection to the school and faculty, and is optimistic even when

Sophisticated Ladies

6-7

A dazzling HMDC production lights up Gross Stage.

Horace Mann and all the things they have on their plate,” he said.

As Delanty’s time as Dean of Students comes to a close, the immeasurable impact she had on the student body has become increasingly clear, Menon and co-student body president Janvi Kukreja (12) said. “I absolutely love Dr. Delanty, and as sad as I am to see her leave the Deans’ Office I know how much she loves teaching and I am excited she will be able to do that full time,” Kukreja said.

Levenstein expects the change to be seamless and positive for everyone, she said. “[Dalo] will look at the possibilities and figure out how to modify and change things so they work for him. He will find places where his new ideas can

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

2

THE RECORD OPINIONS APRIL 26, 2019

Notre Dame sets media ablaze. Why?

Ava Merker Notre-Dame de Paris is undoubtedly a significant historical, religious, and cultural monument that holds a lot of importance to a lot of people, and the fire that devastated the cathedral last week has rendered an outpouring of emotional support from the global community. However, in the wake of the fire, my unease has not been centered around the destruction of the cathedral itself, but more about the incongruity of our concern for upsetting news regarding one historic monument than that of other significant sites.

As Notre-Dame burned and its iconic spire collapsed, my Instagram feed began to overflow with stories and posts, images of the cathedral with the caption “heartbroken” or “devastated.”

My friends asked in passing, “oh my gosh, did you hear about Notre-Dame?” My grandmother sent me emails with links to news articles about the fire.

I did not know that on the same day that Notre-

Dame burned, a small fire broke out at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, nor did I know that between March 26 and April 4, a white-supremacist set fire to three historically black churches in Louisiana. My Instagram feed did not show any posts about the accidental fire at the mosque or the purposeful fires at the Louisiana churches. My grandmother did not send me any emails.

Clearly, I am not alone in recognizing the discrepancy in the media coverage of these three events. The results of The Record’s anonymous survey sent out earlier this week reveal that roughly 92 percent of participants had heard about the Notre-Dame fire through either the news, social media, or family and friends. On the other hand, 35 percent of participants did not even know about the Al-Aqsa Mosque’s fire. Similarly, only 32 percent of participants were not aware of the fires at the Louisiana churches. To be clear, it is not necessarily our fault that most of us were unaware of the destruction of these four religious structures. The results of the poll reveal that American media did not cover these events as often or as thoroughly as they did for Notre-Dame.

Although Notre-Dame’s history and religious importance transcends religious, cultural, racial, and ethnic differences (it remains a symbol of religious unity for Christians around the world), when white, Christian communities are harmed, Western media outlets flock to express their overwhelming support and sympathy. However, when tragedy targets traditionally non-white, non-Christian communities, the same media sources seem only to quietly lament. In this particular case, I am

especially bothered by the fact that although the fires at the three Louisiana churches were hate crimes, the stories did not receive nearly the same amount of support and sadness as Notre-Dame. Shouldn’t we be at least equally heartbroken by a white-supremacist burning down three historically black churches as we are by a beautiful cathedral accidentally catching fire? Shouldn’t our equal heartbrokenness be represented in the media?

I realize that the fire at Al-Aqsa Mosque was quickly put out and the building suffered minimal damage, and the three Louisiana churches did raise more than two million dollars for support (ultimately because Notre-Dame burned at around the same time). But neither of these incidents received the same outpouring of support from millions of celebrities, politicians, and everyday media users as Notre-Dame did. At least within the school community, we should make an effort to seek out and disseminate information that we think is being overlooked. I believe that it is important that millions of people care immensely for Notre-Dame and are genuinely hurt by the damage to the cathedral. However, I think that damage done to any religious or cultural site, regardless of the communities associated with it, needs to be met with the same support, sympathy, and solidarity.

projects, has become a twisted odyssey of confusion, misinformation, and misogynistic internet trolls.

Although all of these elements are concerning, for me, the most pertinent issue regarding the black hole photo is the lack of recognition that Bouman has received for her work. So returning to my first question: Have you ever heard of Katie Bouman? Unfortunately, for many of us, the answer is probably no. I had come across the photo many times on various media outlets before ever hearing Bouman’s name.

Bouman is a Harvard post doctoral fellow who was instrumental in creating the code which developed and produced the spectacular image. An obvious cause of Bouman’s lack of recognition would seem to be the sexism that is prevalent in STEM fields. Although I do not disagree that sexism is a factor, I would argue that the primary reason for the general ignorance around Bouman and her role in the project is caused by how the image gained recognition through social media.

And the photo did take the internet by storm. I believe the photo’s popularity comes from the public’s fascination with black holes themselves.

Who wouldn’t be fascinated with a massive and ravenous object, roaming the depths of space, gobbling up matter indiscriminately and reducing it to a singular point? I know that I am. I believe that this lore and popularized perception of black holes contributed to the wildfire spreading of the photo across not only the internet but also across specific social media platforms.

In general, the greater degree of accessibility

and comprehensibility of the image would be regarded as a positive feature; more people have access to the information, and it manages to reach a younger audience who might not otherwise be interested in scientific discoveries of this nature. However, as a generation accustomed to information in swift, immediate doses, most of us probably did not look for information beyond the image; we might have simply read the headline or caption and carried on with our day as I did the first time I saw the photo online. This aspect of our media consumption definitely troubles me, as this kind of glance-over comprehension tends to lead to misinterpretation of facts and details.

I have seen many headlines, and Bouman and her team are seldom mentioned in these brief descriptions circulating with the image. In other words, even though many people may have seen the photo, few of us actually know who is responsible for procuring it. I myself have heard many people discuss the topic in my classes without once mentioning Bouman. It was only when I saw an article entitled “The Dark Saga of Katie Bouman” that I made the connection between the name and the photo. Unfortunately, even beyond the lack of credit, there is another darker layer to the story.

In the depths of the web, there unfortunately happens to be some people who have recognized Bouman as the face of the Event Horizon Telescope Project: right wing internet trolls.

Although they definitely know Bouman’s name, they have used it only to question her role in the research. This group of anonymous commenters, bloggers, and posters have been quite vocal about the impossibility of a woman leading the project to success, claiming that her involvement in the image processing has been

Rachel Zhu/Staff Artist

The black hole of sexism and misattribution

Junior Issue #1 Editorial Board Managing Editor Julia Robbins Features Gabrielle Kepnes Madison Li

News Abigail Salzhauer Edwin Jin

Lions’ Den Isabella Zhang Ranya Sareen

Photography Ahaan Palla Jake Shapiro Griffin Smith

Faculty Adviser David Berenson

Staff Writers Malhaar Agrawal, Laura Bae, Andrew Cassino, Mayanka Dhingra, Victor Dimitrov, Mark Fernandez, Leonora Gogos, Jude Herwitz, Spencer Kahn, Suraj Khakee, Noah A&E Phillips, Eliza Poster, Benjamin Wang, Robbie Opinions Werdiger, Bradley Bennett, Sogona Cisse, Jack Nishtha Sharma Nelson Gaillard Crovitz, Jackson Feigin, Adam Frommer, Andie Simon Yang Kiara Royer Darius McCullough Goldmacher, Julia Goldberg, Marina Kazarian, John Mauro, Henry Owens, Emily Shi, Samuel Design Editors Singer, Sasha Snyder, Vivien Sweet, Natalie Sweet, Art Directors Joshua Underberg, Talia Winiarsky, Lauren Ho Euwan Kim Gabrielle Fischberg Staff Photographers Eva Fortunato, Iliana Reena Ye Annabelle Chan Dezelic, Harrison Haft, Andrew Cassino, Julia Isko, Daniel Lee, Ava Merker Online Editor Staff Artists Elizabeth Fortunato, Alexandra Henry Wildermuth Crotty, Julia Roth

Editor in Chief Amelia Feiner

Issues Editor Samuel Keimweiss

rt Director

Rachel Zhu/Staff Artist

A rg/

Have you ever heard of Dr. Katie Bouman?

Well, even if you haven’t, chances are you have come across the first ever image of a black hole which has been circulating the internet for the past week. We have Dr. Bouman to thank for it. Her story, one that should be a celebration of scientific discovery and new horizons, not to mention successful female-led

be

Wilder Harwood

greatly exaggerated. They have gone so far as to present another scientist on the telescope data collection team, Andrew Chael, as the man behind the mask, arguing that he deserves the little credit that Bouman has received.

Chael himself has come out in support of Bouman, but the trolls only went quiet upon the realization that Chael self-identifies as gay and therefore doesn’t represent the straight white male who they believe must be responsible Gabby Fis of the project. for the success ch To me, it is deeply disquieting that people with such antiquated beliefs are able to spread conspiracies so rapidly and widely.

Although largely disregarded as sexist jargon, their questioning of Bouman’s position has definitely shaded the victory of Bouman and her team. It greatly saddens me that even when she is acknowledged, the female computer scientist still does not receive the respect that she deserves.

So what can the story of Katie Bouman teach us about how to avoid similar situations in the future? I believe the only way to learn from this dark episode is to know about it. By knowing what an incomplete or sexist narrative looks like, I would hope that as a generation we will be able to recognize when things don’t quite look right in the future. In other words, having seen and understood how social media and the internet can leave out or dispute important pieces of information, we will be able to look beyond the one line descriptions and cynical comments to dig a little deeper and make our own judgements about stories like these.

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.

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3

HORACE MANN NEWS APRIL 26, 2019

Students spring into Green Action Talia Winiarsky and Chloe Choi Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

Bright neon notes displaying startling statistics about the global environmental crisis lined the school walls. These warnings were a part of last week’s Green Action Week, coordinated by the school’s Sustainability Committee to introduce an array of initiatives to decrease the community’s carbon footprint on the environment.

Nick DePreter, Dorr teacher and co-chair of the school’s Sustainability Committee, said the Committee planned the week to direct the community’s focus towards the environment. “There are ways, as a community, to make a difference if we come together and care about the environment,” he said.

Green Action Week began Monday with a campaign to decrease food waste.

According to an email sent on April 12th by music teacher Michael Bomwell, who largely coordinated Green Action Week, “Each day, we will monitor the number of trash bags that go out on the curb, and we’ll get a sense of how we are doing. The goal is to reduce our trash output each day from the previous amount.”

Despite the Committee’s oversight, the number of trash bags used in Tillinghast Hall increased throughout the week, from 26 bags on Monday to 35 bags on Thursday, Bomwell said.

One reason the trash campaign did not meet expectations was its lack of publicity, Dalia Pustilnik (9) said. It would have been more effective to publicize the consequences of food waste, rather than only the statistics on how much the school wastes, she said.

At the UD assembly on Tuesday, the Upper Division (UD) gathered to hear Ryan Andrews’ presentation “Eating to

Prevent the Apocalypse.” Andrews, who teaches courses about food and water at SUNY Purchase, urged students and faculty to make conscious food choices, minimize waste, and to lower meat consumption.

After hearing Andrews’ speech, Jamie Berg (12) tried to eliminate dairy from his diet and reduce his livestock consumption,

pledge vowing to not take a car to school on Thursday.

The pledge inspired Paul Wang (11) to walk to school instead of driving, his usual mode of transportation. Walking was his way of participating in the initiative and an enjoyable experience that he will continue beyond Green Action Week, he said.

The changes that Green Action Week

Gabby Fischberg/Art Director

he said.

Others felt that asking students to change their diets is unrealistic. “It’s not an alternative I would consider, especially because I’m still growing,” Euwan Kim (11) said.

Wednesday’s focus was to limit the amount of energy consumed. In an email to the entire school, Bomwell asked teachers to “please consider conducting classes with the lights off.”

Danielle Paulson’s (10) English class met in the dark. “It demonstrated that making a small effort to change an ordinary routine can make a difference,” she said.

Green Action Week concluded on Thursday with a crusade to reduce transportation emissions on the commute to school. 60 students and faculty signed a

tried to implement were not always statistically measurable, Bomwell said.

Rather, the importance of the week is to ensure that sustainability is a topic in conversations and that people are aware of the issue, he said.

To increase the effectiveness of Green Action Week in the future, Liliana Greyf (9) said sustainability needs more attention.

“The level of engagement that students receive through emails is minimal,” Berg said. He suggests that future Green Action Weeks be introduced in the classroom.

The Committee hopes that the efforts begun during Green Action Week will continue beyond the week. “Sustainability affects every single person, so how can we not pay attention to it?” DePreter said.

Yang and Mathur make national robotics Dean’s List Vivien Sweet Staff Writer

Reha Mathur (11) and Jayer Yang (11) received nominations for the First Dean’s List award, a national robotics competition dedicated to members of the robotics community who have shown exemplary work on their school’s robotics team.

Before advancing to the national competition for the award, Mathur and Yang were selected as two of three candidates from the New York City region. Both students, along with Computer Science and Robotics Department Chair Danah Screen, will travel to Detroit for the First Dean’s List award ceremony today Mathur has been an integral part of the school’s First Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics

whether it was getting an engineering notebook together in operations or learning how to put together the robot.”

Mathur said she herself was quite surprised when she heard that her team had nominated her.

“It was really nice of the team to do that, and I’m sure there are other people who deserve it more,” she said. “But I have a real compassion for robotics and I love working hard on it.”

Her love for robotics is very apparent in her work, said Chen. “Her contributions to the team have won us championships this year and in previous years,” he said.

Yang joined the school’s First Robotics Competition (FRC) robotics team in sophomore year, and has been heavily involved in both the school’s

Annabelle Chan/Art Director

Annual Shakespeare week takes school by storm

Bradley Bennett Staff Writer

Last week, Upper Division students shook up the school by participating in the second annual Shake It Up event, performing Shakespeare scenes in all three divisions.

In previous years, Shakespeare has been spread throughout the divisions through pop-up performances, planned scene sharing between English classes, and a school-wide production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, English Teacher Dr. Adam Casdin said.

The English Department wanted to take a new, more intimate approach to Shake It Up week, he said.

“We took scenes that we had developed in class and develop them for a very particular audience to create a much more intimate connection between audience and actor,” Casdin said.

Although Shakespeare is often discussed inside the classroom, the goal of Shake It Up week is to “allow Shakespeare into the social and the everyday life of the school,” he said.

“Shake It Up week is a time for faculty and students to see their work in class come to fruition through performance,” English Department Chair Vernon Wilson said.

Luke Weber (11) performed the “Advice to the Players” scene from Hamlet with his English class, which was recorded and appeared in a video presentation at last week’s assembly.

“Having that experience and working with my character and my mind was really powerful, and it made me see Shakespeare and theatre in a new light,” Weber said.

“I was able to put myself in Hamlet’s

shoes and by doing so gain a deeper understanding of the play,” Weber said.

Eli Scher (10) performed a scene from Much Ado About Nothing with his English class.

“I think Shake It Up week is a great opportunity for students to explore Shakespeare because his plays were meant to be performed and not just read,” Scher said.

“appreciate that Shakespeare is not just on the page, and must be inhabited, livid, and acted in a dynamic way,” English Teacher Dr. Deborah Kassel said.

Emma Djoganopoulos (10) participated in a performance of a scene from Othello.

“It was cool to see the other classes do the same scene and compare it to how we interpreted the scene,” Djoganopoulos said.

Griffin Smith/Photo Editor

ACTING IT OUT Students perform Shakespeare scenes “This year not as many students were aware of Shake It Up week, however many of the students were still able to engage with Shakespeare by seeing the performances on video around campus,” Wilson said.

Shake It Up week helps the community

“Performing forces you to think about where the characters are standing and their body language, which gives you a deeper understanding of the scene,” she said.

“With the help of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), we can learn how to treat

team and was unanimously nominated by her teammates, Arden Chen (11), a fellow member of FTC, said.

Mathur’s teammates wrote an essay about her, detailing her position on the team and what leadership qualities she has, Chen said. Mathur sets an excellent example as a team leader for younger members to look up to, he said.

“I’ve come to see not only have I seen her incredible work ethic, but also her ability to teach a lot of the new members of the team important skills,” Chen said.

Screen described Mathur’s nomination as a “no brainer.”

“She’s set a standard for all the underclassmen that you can do more and the seasons can be more of a challenge if you put in the work,” Screen said.

Mathur has incorporated her skills into other aspects of the team, especially assisting younger members, Screen said.

She thinks that this added to Mathur’s growth in terms of her leadership in the last three years.

“She’s been very intentional in making sure that everyone on all levels felt comfortable with software,” Screen said.

“Not only that, but she has also helped with the other divisions,

team and the national robotics league ever since, co-president of FRC Arul Kapoor (12) said.

According to Kapoor, Yang has been working with the national FRC organization to help plan robotics events in New York for students of all ages. Additionally, Yang is the assistant safety captain on the school’s team.

“No one got hurt this year, thanks to the safety culture that Jayer helped build,” Kapoor said. Like Mathur, Yang is a mentor to younger members on the team and is always reaching out to them with advice, he said.

Yang was also surprised to receive the nomination and has the seniors to thank, he said.

“Robotics has helped me grow as a person and work with other people for a common goal,” Yang said. “It’s nice to be a part of something that I enjoy doing so much.”

Yang thinks he was selected in part because of the time and energy he put into the club, which was probably noticed by the team captains, he said.

“It’s a combination of his mentorship, technical ability, and motivation to help FRC in New York that put him on the top of this list for this award,” Kapoor said.

4

THE RECORD FEATURES APRIL 26, 2019

Gabby Fischberg/Art Director

Julia Goldberg, Liliana Greyf, and Marina Kazarian Staff Writers From 8:25 to 3:15, classrooms around the school are teeming with students working, learning, and growing. However, sometimes these classrooms are not so full. In fact, the school’s average class size is only 13 students, Registrar Chris Garrison said.

“Typically the smallest classes tend to be high-level arts and high-level language classes. The largest classes are around 20 students, but the deans and I try as best as we can to keep classes under that,” Garrison said.

“Our priority in scheduling is to accommodate as many student course requests as possible, so we are, of course, balancing that with whatever the ideal class size might be for that course,” he said.

Brigette Kon (11) has noticed that class size varies with the subject, not just the level, with STEM classes being much larger, she said. During her freshman and sophomore year, her math classes had 20 and 19 students, respectively, she said.

“My ideal class size would be around nine to 11 students for a humanities class, but around 12-15 for a math class,” Natalia Mason (10) said.

English teacher Jennifer Huang prefers to teach her English classes on the lower end, finding around seven to 10 students to be a sweet spot. “Too small of a class can put more stress on the students and the teacher to keep the conversation flowing. However, in too large of a class, students may begin to feel as though they need to fight for the time necessary to air everything they want to say,” she said.

Science and math classes are often larger, since you can effectively use a lecture-based style to give information, and humanities classes take advantage of an understanding and discussion-based environment, Jaden Piccirillo (9) said.

Students and teachers have indeed taken note of the link between the size of the class and the style of teaching.

“I think for discussion-based classes, it is better in a smaller class,” Madhav Menon (10) said.

History teacher Ricardo Alvarez-Pimentel similarly believes it is ideal to have a smaller number of students, especially because his classes are so discussion-based. “In a larger class, discussion is very difficult to have, especially because it leaves out some kids’ perspectives,” he said.

“I feel like smaller classes cause discussion-based classes, and if you have a larger class than it leads to a more lecture-based conversation,” Uddipto Nandi (9) said.

Huang also has noticed that there’s less of a need for very structured activities in smaller classes. “In a larger class, in order to have everyone be involved, especially shy students, it’s often best to break the class into smaller discussion groups. In a class where

there are already only eight students, though, it can function as one big discussion group,” she said.

“Ideally, you want to have a smaller number of students because these are discussion classes, so in one that is too large, discussion is very difficult to happen. It leaves out certain kids if you have strong personalities in a class,” Alvarez said.

Piccirillo said that ideas can be shared more often in larger classes and more thoroughly in smaller classes.

Many students and teachers agree, believing that teachers have more individual connections with students in smaller classes.

“If there is a smaller class, the teacher can give more time to each

Alexandra Crotty/Staff Artist

student. Students can often understand things better, because each student gets more time to ask questions,” Nandi said.

Kon also feels more connected to her other classmates in smaller classes since those classes allow her to hear everyone speak almost every day, she said.

Huang also noticed that it’s easier to keep track of how every student is feeling at any given moment in a smaller class. “In a larger class, it can be harder to detect if a student is struggling because they may try to hide their lack of participation behind others who are more vocal,” she said.

Isabella Abbott (10) similarly found that because there are only eight students in her English class, taught by Huang, she’s become more acquainted with her peers and teacher. “I really like how small our English class is, because every student brings something distinctly different to out conversations. There’s a lot of variety in what students are saying, but because the class is so small, it also allows us to become closer,” she said.

Dallas Dent (11) noticed that she tends to meet with a teacher of

average class size (12 to 14 students) larger (15 or more students) smaller (11 or fewer students)

What’s your preferred class size?

“Smaller because more intimate classes produce a better environment for learning and collaboration”

one of her larger class more often. “I try not to add too much in the class because sometimes that takes away from the main lesson and confuses other classmates,” she said. “So, when I can, I meet with that teacher to either get clarification on something or to let the teacher know that I know what is going on.”

Mason, who is in the same eight-person English class as Abbott, finds that as a result of the size she’s been able to connect with her English teacher during class. “It becomes easier to build a relationship with teachers outside of a smaller classroom as well.

If there are fewer students in a class, the teacher will tend to have more availability,” she said.

7.1%

Percentages from 112 students polled

“Larger because I like having a lot of different opinions and view points at the table.”

“Average because with too many people, I feel afraid to speak up in class, but with too little people, there aren’t enough opinions.”

“Smaller classes allow for closer teacher to student and student to student relationships. I enjoy a smaller class dynamic better because everyone is able to share their thoughts to a greater extent.”

Still, many students prefer larger classes. Dent said she feels more comfortable in a larger classroom because there is less attention on each individual. She also appreciates the cultural aspect of being around more people in the classroom setting, she said.

Kon believes that students do not participate as much in large classes, she said. “I think that in large classes I tend to drift off more because the teacher gets distracted with the other students and I don’t really pay attention during those times,” she said.

Mason also finds that it’s far harder to get distracted in a smaller class. “In a smaller class, there are always less side conversations, and everyone priorities participating,” she said.

Overall, teachers and students agreed that there were numerous positives and negatives of all class sizes.

“The advantages [of teaching a small class] are that you feel like you can connect with each student individually on a deeper level, and you have a closer relationship as a class. However, having a class of a too small size can cause kids to feel as if they are put on the spot,” Alvarez said.

“With student discussions we can share our thoughts and ideas and we are not limited to a certain agenda. Also, at a school with so many students who all have so many great ideas it can be helpful to share them with one another.”

“I like a good balance of both. However, I enjoy classes which feature good, quality lectures.”

“The teacher has a college degree for a reason. I want to hear their insight, not the insight of my peers.”

“I prefer lecture based classes because I’m not good at speaking, so it helps me deflect having Percentages from 112 students polled to talk too much.”

Do you prefer lecture-based or discussionbased classes? lecture (minimal student engagement with a structured class)

discussion (thoughtful student-based conversations that steer the class)

5

HORACE MANN FEATURES APRIL 26, 2019

Gabby Fischberg/Art Director

AP LATIN

Imagine that you and your friend walk into a teacher’s office to discuss the material you’ve reviewed in class. Now instead, imagine that the two of you are the class. Ava Merker (11) and Sam Mayo (11) are the only two students in the school’s smallest class, AP Latin.

“It’s a pretty anomalous situation,” Latin Teacher James McCaw said. In past years, the class hovered around an average of 10 students, but the two person class emerged because of a number of scheduling conflicts. This caused Latin 3 to fragment, preventing what normally would’ve been a larger AP class, he said.

Generally, for Latin, classes can fall as low as five to six students and as high as around 14, though McCaw prefers classes with around ten students, he said. “10 seems to be the number which ensures daily participation; it grants everyone a voice in the class,” he said.

“When a class is this small, though, it becomes much more personal. There isn’t the same separation you’d get in a larger class,” McCaw said.

“I’ve enjoyed the experience of having a two person class because especially in junior year, everyone is dying to participate. To have the opportunity to be almost solely one-on-one with your teacher is special,” Merker said.

In a smaller class, a teacher can play to

the specific needs of a student. “It’s more targeted towards how the individual students learn best,” Mayo said.

“Last year, I had a larger class of around eight students. We didn’t have the same type of time to ask as many questions for our own individual clarification,” Merker said.

On the other hand, a smaller class puts way more pressure on the few students present.

“In this case, there’s far more of an onus on the students,” McCaw said. “The students have more work placed upon them, such as larger chunks of translation, which can be tough.”

There’s no longer any leeway in terms of preparedness, Merker said. “If you’re not completely prepared, McCaw knows, and that ensures we’re always on top of our workload.”

McCaw likes when both students understand the material at the same pace, he said. “The class can move along quite quickly, and we can dive into issues that are interesting to the few individual students,” he said. “Issues only occur when, or if, one student struggles to pull their own weight.”

By the end of the year, these two students will have experienced more interaction with the language and a greater exposure to larger selections of work, McCaw said.

Griffin Smith/Photo Director

ACTING II “It’s about creating a healthy buzz of energy and a collection of supportive and creative artists,” theatre teacher Benjamin Posner said.

Posner teaches a seven student section of Acting II, an intimate class that hones in on actors’ ability to develop characters and analyze text.

“I think that the higher level studio classes naturally shrink in size as students focus in on areas of interest,” he said.

“Most of my arts classes have been relatively small,” Acting II student Dylan Chin (11) said. “In eighth grade, I had a theatre tech class that was three people.”

Chin said the acting class is the perfect size, but if he were to change anything about the class size, he would make it an even number of people in order for partner work to be achieved more easily.

“I definitely prefer small arts classes; they allow you to genuinely learn from the teacher and have a dialogue with them that would be harder to maintain in a larger class,” Chin said.

“I think it’s especially helpful to have small class sizes for classes like acting because in those classes, the teacher can really only work with one or two kids at a time. If you have a small class, you can spend a lot more

time working with the teacher,” Lara Hersch (10) said.

Posner also prefers teaching the small class because performance work is about time and attention, and the smaller the class, the more time he can spend with each student’s work. Nevertheless, Posner thinks that there is such a thing as a class that is too small, he said. With their group now, students are still able to benefit and learn from each others’ work.

A conversational approach to the class allows the teacher to be able to spend more genuine time with the students, Chin said.

“With a smaller class size, you get to spend more time with each student, learning more about them as students and actors,” Posner said.

“With a larger class size, you may not get to know them as well, or some students might take advantage of the size and hide amongst the group.”

Although she prefers being in a small acting class, Hersch thinks that working with a larger group of students would be better than working with the same few people each time, she said.

“Honestly, I would only prefer a larger class if I thought the class was boring and I wanted to check out and let others talk for me, but that is very rare,” Chin said.

Annabelle Chan/Art Director

DOUBLE TROUBLE Two students participate in AP Latin class discussion

HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY ART

The 19 pupils in the History of Contemporary Art class grapple with making their voices heard in the large, lecture-based class.

Mika Asfaw (11) said that the main disadvantage of being in a large class is feeling drowned out by everyone else. “There are so many people who want to give their opinions that it’s usually the people with the strongest will to give their opinions who control the class,” Asfaw said.

Gabby Fischberg (10) agrees with Asfaw. “A large class does lead to many opinions. The downside of that is that many of those opinions can’t be shared,” Fischberg said. Personally, Fischberg enjoys a smaller class with a larger student to teacher ratio.

She believes that the direct mentoring and guidance found in a smaller class setting is integral to her education, she said.

“I think bigger classrooms make it so that students feel like they can’t ask as many questions,” Eliza Becker (9) said.

This lack of questions makes it more difficult to accommodate different kinds of students. “It’s hard to get to all of the learning styles when you have a larger class,” Art history teacher Avram Schlesinger ‘90 said.

The size of a class also tends to affect the learning of introverted students, Schlesinger said. “I think that with a larger class size students who view themselves as introverts have a better ability to hide in ways that make them comfortable,” he said.

Schlesinger typically hears more from the outspoken students, so he makes an effort to bring introverted minds into the discussion as well, he said “For introverted people, it might be scary to start off in a class that is really large,” Madhav Menon (10) said. “The best way to get out of your comfort zone is by literally pushing yourself out, and I think that is what large classes end up doing.”

However, specifically with art history, many students believe thaat it can actually be better to have a larger class. “It’s fine to have a larger [art history] class since there aren’t as many discussions. I like having a really large class because it allows for a lot more ideas,” Menon said.

Fischberg agrees that the size of the class does not affect her learning as much as it would in other classes. “I think Art History in general tends to be a little bit more of a lecture-based class, rather than group learning or a discussion class, just because there are a lot of specific dates and specific things and concrete subjects that you have to learn and hit in each class,” she said.

Nonetheless, students receive the opportunity to collaborate with lots of different people in group projects, especially with people that you may have never met before or that have different ideas, Becker said.

The students have found that Schlesinger has created a more discussion-based learning

environment, even in a large class like History of Contemporary Art. He often lets the kids take over to teach their peers instead, often through presentations or analyses.

The lecture-based style of the class is changing, Schlesinger said. “I have done a lot of what they call ‘flipping the classroom,’” he said.

“I believe that we are in a moment where we are capable of getting all the information we want,” Schlesinger said. “So, we no longer have to be the ‘sage on the stage’ as we call it. We have to teach you how to find the information, be critical of the information and present the information. That’s my belief.”

Courtesy of Avram Schlesinger

BIGGER & BETTER Large class takes on the city

6

THE RECORD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 26, 2019

HMTC Pre

Sophistica

Featured faculty shine in production Julia goldberg and nshera tutu Staff Writer & Contributing Writer Not only are the school’s faculty devoted to our academic community, they can also get down to the rhythm of the Duke. Since February, ten faculty members have dedicated hours of their out-ofschool time to the Upper Division production of Sophisticated Ladies.

The faculty include science, foreign language, English, and theatre teachers, as well as employees from around the school. Some of these cast members are experienced performers while some have never stepped foot on a stage.

“As a former theatre professional, I know how much work a musical takes, and I’ve never before done a musical and worked a full time job simultaneously. The challenge of the music, though, is irresistible,” Administrative Assistant Ennis Smith said.

“When we do a musical, each actor, singer, and dancer has to be present for every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday rehearsal, but when it comes to the dance concert, we may work on a dance piece and then move on to another dance piece and not see the first one for several weeks,” Theatre, Dance and Film studies Department Chair Alison Kolinski said.

“I was sweetly encouraged to join by [codirectors] Denise DiRenzo and Kolinski,” English teacher Rebecca Bahr said. “It’s so much fun to see what goes on in the production, and the talent of the students and faculty is impressive.”

Bahr and theatre teacher Benjamin Posner are working together in a duet, as are Gibby Thomas (12) and Smith. “We’re all working as equals, and that builds a sense of deep admiration and community,” Bahr said.

“When I heard about the show, I was intrigued, as it was a revue of Duke Ellington, whose music I really enjoy,” Dean of Faculty Dr. Matthew Wallenfang said. Wallenfang previously learned swing dancing in college and graduate school. He volunteered for the swing number in this production, and will perform it with Dean of Students Dr. Susan Delanty.

Delanty was drawn in by the show’s emphasis on singing and dancing, as well as the opportunity to work side by side with students. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be working on this spectacular production with these students; they’re fabulous,” Delanty said. “Sometimes I, or another faculty member, ask them for help with a specific move. It’s a shift in dynamic; they then have the opportunity to teach me,” she said.

Preparation was neither an easy nor a quick task: for Delanty, the most difficult aspect was the scheduling, she said. “We had to squeeze a lot of rehearsal into what was not a lot of time. I practiced the choreography outside of rehearsal hours, and Wallenfang and I even came in a few times over spring break to rehearse our number.”

Bahr, too, found scheduling difficult, especially because of childcare. “It resulted in long days, but by the end, you feel proud of yourself for putting in the time. The production brings the community together, and that’s wonderful,” she said.

“We have so many talented students, who are just so amazing, and then there are some of us faculty, who are just there freelancing, for fun,” Wallenfang said. “You quickly realize that you can’t become a good dancer with just a few hours a week…you need to find the time to perfect everything, and that can be a challenge,” he said.

To prepare for the role, Smith intently listened to music from the period, including Ellington’s work

Courtesy of Mark Liflander

THE BOYS ARE BACK! Faculty pose at the end of a number.

as well as others’, he said. “You listen to the notes on a tape recorder at the beginning of rehearsal, and then you listen to it every day…the only way to achieve expertise is to live with the music,” Smith said.

Smith recommends that faculty participates in productions because it is wonderful to put yourself in a situation where the roles are not strictly just student and faculty, he said. “In the rehearsal hall performers are equal. Whether you’re a teacher or a student doesn’t matter; the process demands that you fail in front of each other before you succeed.”

It’s inspiring to see the diversity of interests that students have, Wallenfang said. “For any of us who are involved in this [production], coaching, robotics, or in whatever it may be, it’s really eyeopening to see aspects of our students’ lives outside

of a typical academic setting.”

“The show was chosen to highlight the talent we currently have, keeping the number of quality dancers and singers in mind, and it does just that,” Delanty said.

Horace Mann Dance Company (HMDC) copresident Juli Moreira (12) feels that having faculty in the show is fun for the faculty, the student performers, and especially for the audience, who have the chance to see their teachers or co-workers perform on stage, she said.

Students, too, can view their teachers through a new lens. “I’ve learned that having a teacher in a certain subject doesn’t mean they don’t have other interests. We have an incredibly talented faculty cast and I can’t wait for everyone to see them in the show,” Moreira said.

Gabrielle Fischberg/Art Director

Jack crovitz Staff Writer Over the course of its one-and-a-half hour run time, Sophisticated Ladies creates an energetic, effervescent, and highly entertaining celebration of both Duke Ellington’s superb work and the diverse talents of the production’s cast and crew.

The jazz’s discordance produces a harmony of its own– its twanginess adds energy to the air, and the enormously talented performers make it the best executed production I have seen during my time at the school.

Sophisticated Ladies is an homage to musician and composer Duke Ellington, a giant of the Harlem Renaissance. His unique flavor and style is clear in every song, though the school’s company

Courtesy of Mark Liflander

JUMP FOR JOY Ben Rosenbaum (12) clicks his heels

adds an individual twist to every performance.

At first, the show’s diverse themes and stories seem nearly impossible to reconcile. It includes a melancholy farmer singing about unrequited love while sweeping the floor, a ‘20s flapper teasing her companion, and even a skat ode to the “swing” of jazz music.

Somehow, the talented cast and crew of Sophisticated Ladies make it all work. The show’s most defining feature is the way it melds its diverse elements into one unique performance. The music never stops. The band is always jamming out on stage beside the performers. The uninterrupted music make the production feel less like a collection of performances and more like a single show accentuated by different melodies and dance routines. This cohesion is accomplished in large part due to the incredible work of the stage and lighting crew, who change the theme and emotion so subtly and swiftly that you don’t notice the transition until the next performance starts, such as when the joyful, green-themed skat song “Bli-Blip” flows into “Take the A Train,” a slower ode to Harlem.

The entire production is immensely impressive; it’s just about impossible to be bored. Certain performances are especially memorable and compelling. For example, Gibby Thomas’ (12) soaring alto punctuates all the numbers she performs in, especially “Love You Madly” and “Take the ‘A’ Train.” Mikayla Benson (10) and Ben Rosenbaum (12) sing a moving and highly entertaining performance of “Satin Doll / Just Squeeze Me,” although all the songs they participate in are just as noteworthy. Amelia Feiner (11) performs a passionate and lively rendition of “Hit Me With A Hot Note,” once again adding more energy and emotion to the show.

The sets and music, for example the taxi cabs in “I’m Just a Lucky So & So” make Sophisticated Ladies perhaps the most unique

Courtesy of Mark Liflander

SOPHISTICATED LADY Akida Joseph (12) twirls to the tune performance to ever grace Gross Theater. Other particularly striking acts include those by the barbershop choir, made up of entirely Horace Mann faculty, and the energetic lines of skat (“Bliblip Varthy Flam flam flam Hipideedleada Baaaaaaaaaaimp!”) that are scattered throughout the show.

While, Sophisticated Ladies does not have a single plotline, it certainly tells a story of love, ambition, and undiluted joy. The performance is storytelling at its finest– the dances are art in three dimensions, and the voices resonate throughout the theatre for two entire acts. I highly recommend attending the upcoming performances, both tonight and tomorrow at 7:30. Sophisticated Ladies is a production that will resonate with your heart’s jazziest melodies.

7

HORACE MANN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 26, 2019

esents,

ated Ladies Natalie Sweet and Yotam Hahn Staff Writers The Horace Mann Theater Company (HMTC) and Horace Mann Dance Company (HMDC) approached the production of Sophisticated Ladies eager to celebrate the music and talent of Duke Ellington. The original 1981 production featured a predominantly African American cast, and though the school’s production is not as diverse as the original, HMTC and HMDC, along with the Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity office (ICIE) have worked to remain respectful and authentic to the source material.

In order to achieve their goal, however, several adjustments were made to the original production of Sophisticated Ladies. The legacy and celebration of Duke Ellington’s music is still enthusiastically displayed by a tremendous number of talented students and faculty, Dean of Students Dr. Susan Delanty said.

These adjustments were orchestrated by the show’s co-directors Theatre, Dance & Film Studies Department Chair Alison Kolinski and Dance Teacher Denise DiRenzo, Direnzo said. There were also Anabelle Chan/Art Director

several meetings between HMTC, HMDC, and ICIE, as well as a Sophisticated Ladies open house in January, ICIE Co-Director John Gentile said.

There were numerous steps taken in the process to make the

show more inclusive. “We updated some of the concepts and we eliminated the dated material. We also cut the dialogue from the script to make it more of a musical revue,” Kolinski said.

One such revision was the removal of a problematic portrayal of an Asian woman in the number “Drop Me Off in Harlem.”

During their meetings, members of HMTC and HMDC reflected critically with ICIE about how to make Sophisticated Ladies more inclusive and thoughtful, Gentile said.

Some students feel that they were not given enough opportunity to discuss the challenges of the show, however, Kolinski and DiRenzo offered numerous opportunities for students to come in discuss their concerns, DiRenzo said.

Cast member Mikayla Benson (10) wishes that the cast of Sophisticated Ladies had a discussion about any issues in the original show in comparison to the school’s. However, she was extremely impressed by the leadership and inclusivity of the HMTC and HMDC leaders, she said.

Yana Gitelman (10), another cast member, feels that she is in a similar position as Benson, as she was not fully informed about all the issues Sophisticated Ladies may come with, she said. However, she believes that the company leaders did what they could to address any problems, she said.

Sophisticated Ladies comes with the opportunity to learn about different perspectives of productions, such as sorting out any issues that may come with the production choice, ICIE Associate Candice Powell-Caldwell said.

“As a community, we have to ask ourselves what will work, and what won’t,” Powell-Caldwell said. “Everyone who is involved in Sophisticated Ladies has done a fantastic job of answering these questions,” she said.

The meetings were a great example of how departments can intersect to collaborate on tough issues, Gentile said. He was very proud of how the student leaders stepped up to understand the complexities of Sophisticated Ladies.

HMTC co-president Ben Rosenbaum (12) reached out to the Union, the school’s African American, Afro-Latinx, and AfroCaribbean affinity group, to talk about how Sophisticated Ladies could be made more inclusive for people of color, HMDC copresident Alison DeRose said.

“As leaders of HMTC and HMDC, we feel like the companies are not really representative of the student body, which we realized has been an issue for a while,” DeRose said. “For a show like Sophisticated Ladies, which is really about diversity and inclusivity, there has been a noticeable increase in diversity,” she said.

Gabrielle Fischberg/Art Director

These efforts by co-directors Denise DiRenzo, Kolinski, and the student leaders, are apparent in the show itself. “Given the circumstances, the seniors who hold positions of power in the HMTC were very concerned with making sure Sophisticated Ladies was a reflection of HMTC’s values,” cast member Jordan Ferdman (10) said.

Administrative Assistant Ennis Smith, an ensemble member and soloist, thinks that any issues raised about the difference in diversity from the original production to the school’s were

“The show is about lots and lots of dance, a wonderful collaboration between students and faculty, and people who love Ellington’s music and want to share that love.”

addressed properly by the school’s production leaders, he said.

Moreover, the show is meant to transcend typical boundaries and bring people together, he said.

“The show is not about the racial makeup of the cast,” Smith said. “Rather, the show is about lots and lots of dance, a wonderful collaboration between students and faculty, and people who love Duke Ellington’s music and want to share that love,” he said.

Faculty cast member Pilar Valencia feels that the HMTC embraced the differences of the cast members. “When Ms. Kolinski invited me to sing a musical number, she made sure to ask me to translate and sing one verse in spanish, my native and beloved language. That gesture by the HMTC truly embraced who I am,” Valencia said.

“The number one thing discussed for casting was that anyone can be in Sophisticated Ladies if they rock to the rhythm to the blues, and that certainly drew me into the show,” Benson said.

“Ms. Kolinski and Ms. DiRenzo have done an excellent job as pitching our show as a production that involves everyone,” ensemble member Dean of Faculty Dr. Matthew Wallenfang said.

Sets and lights: a look backstage Marina Kazarian and Adrian Arnaboldi Staff Writer & Contributing Writer Behind the scenes of the school’s production of Sophisticated Ladies, members of the crew and set design team have been setting the stage for an exhilarating show with their work on set and lighting design. Their designs will be front and center during the performances of Sophisticated Ladies.

Typically, school shows only have one lighting designer; however, since this was a dance show, the design was a community effort, Sarah Sun (10) said. It included seven lighting designers, each of them working on three or four numbers.

Sun designed light queues, better known as transitions, for four Courtesy of Mark Liflander

PEERLESS PIANO Gibby Thomas (12) dazzles on stage

numbers from the show. Light designers sat in on tech rehearsal and have since been working on queues for their numbers, she said.

The queues for Sophisticated Ladies are different than traditional theater queues. This show is very music intensive, so queues were built off the music, Technical Director Naomi Kenyatta (11) said.

In addition to lighting, students worked on physical set pieces.

“The directors for Sophisticated Ladies wanted the band to be on stage playing the music with the actors dancing,” he said. “That was the first criteria in terms of designing the set,” Lorenzo Hess (12) said.

Along with the student crew, the directors of the show chose the designs that the students drew for different set pieces.

“Mr. Sherry, my teacher, gave each of us a layout plan or blueprint of the Gross Theater stage and told us to design a staircase that would leave room for an orchestra,” Milen Nelivigi (10) said. “He left the rest of the artistic choices up to us.”

The choices made for the set are well informed and researched.

Nelivigi designed the grand staircase that is the centerpiece of the set. “I based my design off of horns on a viking helmet,” Nelivigi said.

Hess designed the portal, a large opening on the staircase through which actors enter the stage. When Hess designed the portal, he delved into the musical “She Loves Me” for his creation of an arc with piano keys. The production had a scene where the actor pretended that he was dancing in Radio City Music Hall, Hess said.

“I looked up pictures of the Radio City Music Hall and some of it was inspired from that,” he said. “I think the piano arc came out really well and I also think people did a great job designing and

putting together the sign, which I helped with.”

For many members of the crew, this was their first time stage designing. “I was a stage manager but I’ve never designed for a real show,” Sun said. Kenyatta has been doing crew since freshman year, but this was her first time designing a set that actually got built, she said.

Sun looks forward to her light queues helping establish the appropriate atmosphere for the show, she said. “I think lighting is very important in a production and I want people to enjoy the show as best as it can be.”

The crew looks forward to seeing their hard work pay off throughout the production.

Courtesy of Mark Liflander

ALL HANDS ON SET! Design draws the eye

Lions’ Den Record Sports

APRIL 26, 2019

8

Girls Rugby tackles first two games in school history Emily shi Staff Writer

The Girls Rugby Team has officially joined the cohort of sports teams at the school after a year of planning by Catherine Mignone (9). The Lions had their first two matches of the season against the Harvey School last Thursday, losing the first match 5-10 and winning the second 15-5, Leah Sepiashvili (9) said.

The team was pleasantly surprised with their win after only practicing for three weeks, Kate Feiner (9) said. During the first game, the team had to adjust to some unfamiliar new rules, but they were still able to succeed, Feiner said.

The team is composed of freshmen and three juniors, which allows for an environment to break down the expected barriers between upper and underclassmen, said Sepiashvili.

“As juniors, we try to take initiative to lead by example while remaining a close-knit team that always focuses on positive reinforcement,” Irati Egorho Diez (11) said.

“In such a tough sport like rugby, the team’s supportive attitude is incredibly important,” Girls Rugby Coach Joseph Hunt said.

“That positivity really carried over into the game and even when things didn’t go as planned, everyone kept calm and helped each other,” he said.

Thinking about the future of their season, members of the team discussed group and individual goals to improve their skills for their next game on May 2nd, Mignone said.

“Almost no one had prior experience with rugby, but we thrived in using the basic rules and strategies Coach Hunt has taught us,” Sofia Del Gatto (11) said.

“Communication is especially important for the team as only seven players span a full-sized football or soccer field,” Feiner said. “If everyone isn’t aware

Courtesy of Isabel Mignone

READY, SET, TACKLE! Isabel Mignone (11) runs with the ball while fending off an opponent in first game of the season. of everything that is going on, you won’t be able to score,” Mignone said.

The team initially practiced at Van Cortlandt Park by experimenting with complicated game exercises to get acquainted to rugby, Mignone said.

Now, practice is more tailored to the team and players are able to focus more on technical aspects through practicing skillwork and fitness, Egorho Diez said.

In the upcoming weeks, Hunt will be working with members of the team to fulfill their personal goals, Mignone said.

As the fly-half, the quarterback equivalent in rugby, Mignone seeks develop more unique plays for the team, she said.

Feiner is the kicker for the team, a position that requires many passes and strategic decisions,

Squash for the common good Alison Isko & Lauren Ho Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

Six members of the Varsity Squash team participated in the Ninth Annual Street Squash Junior Cup on April 13th and 14th, a charity event was dedicated to supporting city athletes, Nora Balidemaj (10) said. Although it was the school’s first time sending students to the competition, the team raised $2,600 in donations from friends and family, Sam Chiang (10) said.

The tournament, run by the Street Squash Program, raised money to provide academic support for city kids, while encouraging the kids to play squash, student participant, Chiang said. “The event attracted more than 100 nationally ranked junior squash players from around the city,” he said.

Players came from eleven different schools and many prestigious private clubs in the city, such as the Harvard Club and the Yale Club, Peter Lehv (11) said The program supports students from middle school through college, providing resources and after school programs, Chiang said. “I play at Street Squash every Sunday and tutor students with other

members of the Varsity Squash team,” he said.

“Participants in the tournament emailed and texted friends and family to ask them to support the cause,” Balidemaj said.

One of the highlights for students who attended the event was winning the award for the highest amount of individual donations, Jiang said.

“During the event, we did not play as well as we hoped because there were tons of great teams,” Tommy Kagan (11) said. “However, the experience was very fun,” he said.

“Since I have been volunteering at Street Squash for a few years, I have developed a nice connection with the program,” Kagan said.

Lehv participated three times previously and decided to continue his involvement this year because he wanted to play for a great cause and have fun with his teammates, he said.

While Chiang previously participated with an out-of-school squash coach, this year, he wanted to share the experience with his friends and teammates from school, he said.

“We have a really strong sense of camaraderie, so it was fantastic to play,” Chiang said.

Courtesy of Sam Chiang

SQUASH SQUAD Lions pose for a picture at the Street Squash Junior Cup.

she said. “I personally want to work on my kicks, playing with grit, and ensuring that we all stay organized,” she said.

Before the creation of the team, Mignone, who has experience with rugby, would travel to New Jersey to play with a club team, she said. “I thought it wasn’t right that there were no opportunities to play rugby in New York, so I started the team along with my sister and encouraged a lot of girls to join this year,” she said.

After developing the idea of creating a girls rugby team, Catherine and Josephine Mignone (7) drew up a petition, proposed the idea to the athletic department, and worked closely with Director of Athletics Robert Annunziata, Catherine Mignone said.

Catherine Mignone spent time researching other

rugby teams in New York to create a list of schools that the Lions could compete against, she said.

“Finding people interested in playing the sport proved to be the most difficult part of creating the team for me, as some girls had a fear surrounding the stigma of a contact sport like rugby,” Catherine Mignone said.

Del Gatto joined after learning more about rugby because the sport seemed unique, she said.

“I like that rugby is the only sport where the tackling rules are exactly the same for men and women,” Feiner said.

Hunt is hopeful that the current team will keep improving their rugby environment and help spark interest in new students looking to join next year, he said.

Additional reporting by Gabby Chong.

Varsity Baseball strives for success Oliver Steinman & Sam Chiang Staff Writer & Contributing Writer The Boys Varsity Baseball team traveled to Poly Prep Country Day School last Wednesday for one of their toughest games of the season, Mark Fernandez (11) said.

Though the final score was 2-3, the team hopes to beat Poly Prep during their home game on May 13th by fixing their mistakes, he said. The team currently has a record of 5 to 3 and an impressive streak of four wins.

“The main reason we lost is because we left too many men on base,” Avi Kapadia (10) said.

“The team this year is very hopeful that the season will be good,” Ryan Webb (10) said.

Despite losing a few players to injuries and the team’s less than ideal start to their season in Florida, they were able to turn things around and regain their composure, Fernandez said.

The Lions beat Riverdale, a team that started off the season as the second best in the league, Fernandez said. “We really showed who we were as a team in that game and battled through the entire seven innings,” he said.

“We played for each other and trusted each other, so we were able to walk off the field proud,” Fernandez said.

“The team this year feels like a brotherhood,” Andrew Rosen (12) said.“We’re a very young team overall, so naturally, the younger guys became key players that drive the game,” Rosen said.

“We have a very strong sophomore and junior class and the seniors allow the younger players to showcase some of their talents,” Boys Varsity Baseball Head Coach Matthew Russo said.

“I feel that the seniors bring the experience, the junior bring the energy and a team orientated presence, and the sophomores bring the fire and hunger that we need for every

Courtesy of Mark Fernandez

WIND UP Mark Fernandez throws a pitch. game,” said Fernandez.

“The role of the upperclassmen on the team is to lead by example and prepare the younger players before we become leaders next year,” Webb said. Part of the team’s success also comes from reshaping the team’s culture both on and off the field, Russo said.

“In previous years, upperclassmen haven’t been the approachable leaders they need to be to the younger guys, but this year, there’s a stronger sense of camaraderie and family on the team,” Rosen said.

The team’s desire to succeed has fortunately translated into wins on the field, Adrian Arnaboldi (10) said. The team is not satisfied with losing and is constantly striving to achieve better results, he said.

Many players feel the same way with goals of beating Poly Prep and making a deep run in the NYSAIS tournament, Webb said.

“Everyone has been working harder to do their job and help the team suceed,” Russo said.