The Horace Mann Record JUNE 5TH, 2018 || VOLUME 115, ISSUE 30
HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903
RECORD.HORACEMANN.ORG
THE END OF YEAR ISSUE 2017-2018
YEAR IN REVIEW PAGES 2-3
NEWS
PAGES 6-8
FEATURES PAGES 4-5, 19
OPINIONS
PAGES 9-11
ARTS
PAGES 12-15
EDITORIAL GOODBYES PAGES 16-17
VOLUME 116 PAGE 18
COLLEGE MAP PAGES 20-21
PRIDE MONTH PAGES 22-23
FACULTY GOODBYES PAGES 24-27
FROM THE ARCHIVES PAGE 28
MIDDLE DIVISION PAGE 29
SPORTS
PAGES 30-39
2
THE RECORD YEAR IN REVIEW JUNE 5TH, 2018
THIS YEAR IN THE HEADLINES Looking back at some of the most memorable and important events of the 2017-2018 school year...
September 2017
Athletic attendance policy change The school’s new athletic policy gives students two periods in Study Hall after one unexcused absence and a week in study hall after two absences, and removes students who miss five practices from team. Some students say they will struggle to balance work and other extracurriculars with the new attendance policy, and others say the policy will improve the school sports teams. School plans switch from trimester to semesters for ‘18-’19 school year Next year’s semester system will split the academic year into two periods instead of three. According to the administration, the change will work to decrease stress levels by spreading out assessments as well as reducing testing weeks; overall, it will better reflect a student’s improvement in their final grade. Anti-semitic vandalism in Riverdale The school worked with the NYPD police to identify the three criminals who spraypainted the word “Jew” on a house in the surrounding neighborhood. The incident forced some community members to reflect on their identity and the safety of their community. Community reflects on toll of recent natural disasters SBPs organizing clothing drive in wake of recent natural disasters. Hurricane Harvey flooded the homes of student and faculty family in Houston, while Hurricane Irma damaged homes and schools in Florida. Emily Bleiberg (12) leading Spanish Club fundraising initiative for Mexico City earthquake and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
October 2017
I’m an athlete, not a “female athlete” In her opinion piece, Isabela Watson (12) reflected on the sexism she has faced as a female athlete at the school, such as reduced footage in Lions Report films and fewer coaches or instructors for female teams, and encouraged readers to view female athletes without a gendered lens. Football players kneel during national anthem In the wake of the national movement to kneel during the national anthem of sports events to protest racial inequality, numerous members of the Varsity Football team, varying in age and race, opted to kneel during the anthem at the Homecoming game. Several others stood while placing their hand on the shoulders of their teammates to signal their support.
November 2017 Community responds to Manhattan terrorist attack Students and faculty reflected on the terrorist attack completed outside of Stuyvesant High School in which a rented pickup truck plowed through a bike path and killed innocent civilians. The attack, in the wake of the anniversary of 9/11, forced community members to reflect on the safety of their communities.
December 2017
January 2017 Student finds firearm in bathroom A security guard who left a firearm in one of the school’s bathroom was dismissed after a student discovered the weapon and alerted his grade dean. The incident demonstrated the school’s “zero tolerance policy” in regards to sensitive security measures. Living in a liberal bubble Students with conservative political beliefs expressed their hesitation to share their viewpoints in conversations in the classrooms and the hallways for fear of being judged within a primarily liberalleaning community. Gender identity and sexual orientation Students and faculty members shared their experiences as members of the LGBTQ+ community and commented on understanding their genders, sexualities, and identities. Conservative commentator speaks at
assembly Conservative political commentator Margaret Hoover spoke at an assembly moderated by renowned professor and historian Julian Zelizer. The assembly was organized in an effort to address the concerns of conservative students at the school, who felt their views often are left unrepresented. Exploring body image Females at the school shared their experiences with their body image, reflecting on how factors such as social events and social media create pressures and enforce body ideals.
Class created for students on B math track Next school year, the Algebra 1 class that students on the B-math track took in past years will be replaced by a “Geometry and Problem-Solving” class, which will eliminate the need to take a summer school course and feelings of separation from the traditional math track. How sleep affects wellness Students shared their various sleeping schedules, explaining how factors such as schoolwork, caffeine, and extracurricular activities affected their slumber patterns and providing their take on the phenomenon of “competing” with other students about who slept less. Tutoring Part 1 Students at the school shared their experiences with tutoring and the perceived advantages to receiving outside help, which over half of 342 polled students viewed to be unfair. An anonymous poll reflected that students receive tutoring in STEM more than humanities subjects.
3
HORACE MANN YEAR IN REVIEW JUNE 5TH, 2018
The One Acts Four students from last year’s playwriting classes premiered performances of their works, which ranged from tragic portrayals of mental illness as Zachary Troyanovsky’s Charybdis to light hearted comedies like Hareway to Kevin. Reevaluating our school’s definition of a holiday: making room for Lunar New Year Ben Hu (11) discussed his experiences having to attend school during the Lunar New Year and miss time with family celebrating the holiday. Hu expressed the need for the school to provide students with time off for the Lunar Year, a holiday universally recognized by public schools around the state.
February 2018
Testing center reorganizes, changes policies Changes were made to the testing center, including requiring students to schedule make-ups 24 hours in advance due to overcrowding and placing the proctor’s desk in the center of the room. Students also reported seeing cheating occur in the center. Acknowledging the role of censorship in art Binah Schatsky (12) shared her opinions on censorship in the arts when the music for a piece of her concert choreography was not allowed to play as she danced. She discussed the role of discomfort and alienation and the role they play in communicating an artist’s message.
March 2018 School follows bomb threat protocol after anonymous call After an anonymous caller to the school claimed that a bomb existed in the building, the school’s security team jumped into action, following protocol to comb the entire campus for a threat and protect community members until safety was ensured. Wellness Week In early March, the school celebrated Wellness Week, an initiative consisting of daily workshops and an assembly to promote the exploration of topics relating to its theme, Mind and Body. The event focused on managing stress, personal wellness, and mental health among many other related topics. Student walkout In the wake of the Parkland shooting and many other similar massacres around the nation, students at the school assembled outside of Tillinghast Hall as a part of a nationally-recognized walkout and shared their thoughts on the event and the movement.
Book day author presents at assembly Emily St. John Mendel, author of this year’s Book Day selection Station Eleven, spoke at an assembly about her writing process and her ideas and take on her own novel. Students shared their reactions to the assembly as well as the novel. Students and teachers attend March for Our Lives During spring break, many community members chose to attend the student-organized March for Our Lives protest in locations from New York City to Washington, D.C. to protest gun violence and school shootings. Chidi Nwankpa (12) elected valedictorian Chidi Nwankpa (12) was voted valedictorian by his classmates and will give a commencement speech at Upper Division graduation; his classmates shared their thoughts on and appreciation for the choice. Gender (In)equality conference discusses issues of intersectionality In early April, approximately 50 students, parents, and faculty attended the Gender (In) equality conference to discuss issues of gender inequality and intersectionality. Students and faculty offered their take on the workshops and discussion. Granmayeh and Kukreja elected as next year’s SBPs In this year’s elections, Nader Granmayeh (12) and Janvi Kukreja (12) were chosen to serve as the Student Body Presidents of the 2018-2019 school year.
May 2018
Prom tickets free for students This year, prices of prom tickets were eliminated, a change led by Student Activities Director Caroline Bartels and Head of Upper Division Dr. Tom Kelly. The change will accommodate more students and decrease stress surrounding the event. A loss in our community: Camille Miller The school reflects on the life and accomplishments of beloved community member and former Head of Middle Division Camille Miller, who passed away this past spring from cancer. Kelly to lead MD for 2018-2019 school year In the upcoming school year, Head of Upper Division Dr. Tom Kelly will lead the Middle Division supported by a cabinet of teachers and implement new changes to the division.
April 2018
4
THE RECORD FEATURES JUNE 5TH, 2018
The Rise of Juuling Megha Nelivigi Staff Writer “There are some people that if you see them in the bathroom, you sort of know why they’re there, or some people you see leaving class that you know why they’re leaving,” Christina* (12) said, discussing students Juuling at the school. Over the past year and a half or so, the popularity of the Juul, an e-cigarette, has skyrocketed among teenagers. Although Juuls, which deliver vaporized nicotine to the user, are marketed towards adults as a healthier alternative to cigarettes, they have found their way into the hands of many high schoolers at the school. Whether it is in the bathrooms, in the Senior Study Room, or hidden in students’ sleeves, Christina said, it is not uncommon to see students Juuling. According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in 2016, 11.3 percent of high school students are e-cigarette users, although the Juul itself has increased in popularity in recent years. As of March 2018, Nielsen data revealed that the Juul made up more than 50% of all e-cigarette retail market sales, although the Juul was only released in 2015. SCHOOL RESPONSE “The whole community is talking about and very concerned about the Juul,” Health teacher Amy Mojica said. The administration has taken precautionary measures due to concerns over its growing popularity within the student body. At a recent faculty meeting, one of the topics was the prevalence of Juuling on campus, Head of Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein said. Levenstein brought a number of Juuls to the meeting, had teachers pass them around, and played a PSA Mojica sent to her. The conversation stemmed from teachers either catching students Juuling, finding Juuls and thinking they were flash drives, or from reports students have shared with their teachers and advisers. “We’re doing our very best to increase the conversations about these products on campus with the confidence of knowing that our Counseling and Guidance Department in the Upper Division is capable of providing support and/or information to any student looking to either avoid or stop using a vape pen or Juul,” Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly said in an email. If and when students are caught with e-cigarettes, similar to if they are caught with drugs or alcohol, there are serious disciplinary consequences, Levenstein said.
Typically, the consequence is suspension, but if it happens a second time, it could potentially lead to expulsion, Levenstein said. Since the 2015-2016 school year, the Family Handbook states that the possession and use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices on campus is not allowed. The school is currently exploring hosting programs for parents, hopefully through a nonprofit which specializes in addiction education, Levenstein said. The school also plans to incorporate conversations about Juuling into the Horace Mann Orientation (HMO) curriculum. However, if students are not caught but rather go to the guidance office voluntarily to discuss the issue or seek help, no disciplinary action is taken, UD Director of Counseling and Guidance Dr. Daniel Rothstein said. In this situation, the guidance counselors would assist students in cutting down their usage or seeking outside help, as is the case with any other substance, he said. BEGINNING TO JUUL While many students opt out of using Juuls and illegal substances altogether, others are attracted to the Juul for a number of reasons. Ted* (11), who has owned a Juul for around eight months, began Juuling after trying his friend’s and deciding to buy his own, a pattern reported by many other students who Juul. Fred* (9), for instance, tried the Juul of an older friend who played on the same sports team. Although he threw out his personal Juul, Fred still juuls socially. Other students shared a similar experience. “I don’t use my Juul regularly at home,” Bob* (11) said. “It’s definitely mostly a social thing.” Sally* (11) began using a Juul around the beginning of her sophomore year because others around her were doing it, she said. “If you’re at a party, you can see a lot of people Juuling,” Bob said. Many other students reported using Juuls primarily in the company of others. Of 114 students who were asked where they use the Juul, 98 students reported using it socially, while 38 use it at home and only 18 claim to use it at school. “It’s the kind of thing that if you do it, you fit in,” Ted said. “I think the ‘headrush’ craze is kind of a fluke-some people get it, some people don’t-- it doesn’t matter that much, but more people just do it because their friends do it.” The “headrush” is the sudden feeling of lightheadedness or euphoria that nicotine users often experience. Other students, however, reported that their Juul habits are not limited to social settings. When she first
purchased a Juul, Mary* (11) used it infrequently and without inhaling the vapor-- users must allow the vapor to settle in their lungs to experience a headrush-- but after a couple of months she began to use the Juul much more often. Mary resists using the Juul at school but uses it nearly daily at home and even brings it on vacation. REASONS Other than using the Juul just to fit in, some of the most common reasons for the Juul’s popularity in high schools include its convenience, accessibility, sleek look, trendiness on social media, and because using it “looks cool and it’s badass,” Mary said. Some students reported using Juuls as a stress reliever, while others said they Juul out of boredom or like to have the Juul as a “social ‘coolness’ identifier.”
“There are a few of my friends that are really addicted. At that point, it’s like a lifestyle-- they don’t even do it for the feeling.“ People began using Juuls more, Mary believes, after seeing not only celebrities, but their own friends posting about them, “because it has some aesthetic appeal,” she said. Patrick* (10) believes the way the Juul is marketed contributes to its popularity. “I think it starts with advertisements,” he said, and he believes it is specifically marketed to teenagers. Its unique design also appeals to many students. “They’re concealable and super easy to use, and they also don’t seem bad for you compared to smoking something else-- they seem harmless,” Frank* (12) said. HARMS But they are not, in fact, harmless, Mojica said. “I think people believe that cigarettes are bad because of the smoke, but they’re also bad because of nicotine. Nicotine is a poison-it’s actually a pesticide-- and it’s not healthy for people, so e-cigarettes are still dangerous,” she said. According to Mojica, nicotine can have a number of negative effects. Apart from being an extremely addictive substance, nicotine is a stimulant, so it increases one’s heart rate and blood pressure, and can sometimes make people anxious. In the long-term, nicotine increases the risk of stroke, high blood pressure, and can damage your
Have you ever Juuled?
64%
36%
respiratory and vascular systems. It also affects your kidneys and liver, where nicotine is filtered, she said. The Juul, is however, less harmful than cigarettes in some ways, which is why some students feel that using Juuls is not as detrimental. According to scientificamerican.com, some psychologists and tobacco-addiction specialists have come to the consensus that “smoking is the killer, not nicotine.” However, allowing foreign substances in the body could be quite dangerous, Psychologist Dr. Ian Pervil said. According to cbsnews.com, a study done by the NYU School of Medicine showed that the vapor from e-cigarettes may potentially contribute to lung and bladder cancer, as well as heart disease. Although the company claims its Juuls are marketed for adults trying to quit smoking cigarettes,
yes no
90%
students should also be aware that “they’re being manipulated and targeted,” Pervil said. Companies are looking for trends in what teenagers find compelling, and then market products that appeal directly to those trends, whether that is in terms of flavors, the way the Juul looks, the fact that it is technologically savvy, or anything else, he said. Because vaping only just broke into the US in the mid-2000s, “we just don’t know, long-term, how severe vaping is,” Mojica said. “People who are using it now are the guinea pigs.” Instead of filling Juuls with oils or other liquids, users insert “pods” which contain flavored nicotine and come in options ranging from mango to mint. According to the National Institutes of Health, a Juul pod is four times more potent, in terms of nicotine, than a pack of cigarettes. Most students who use the Juul claimed they could go for long periods of time without using it and thus are not addicted, but others, including 12 respondents to the survey, do believe that they are or were addicted to nicotine. “There are a few of my friends that are really addicted,” Patrick, an infrequent user, said. “At that point, it’s like a lifestyle-- they don’t even do it for the feeling, they just do it and don’t even think about doing it. It’s like a really bad habit.”
“I guess I was addicted at one point,” Sally said, which is why she has not used a Juul in over three months. “I still sometimes struggle with quitting...it feels like withdrawal from an actual addiction and sometimes I want to go back to it because everyone else is doing it, but the side effects after a while turned me off,” she said. Fred stopped using the Juul as frequently because of his asthma and because it affected the way he performed in sports, he said. Mary continues to Juul despite the effects, and claims that the only negative she has experienced is a slightly upset stomach, she said. Ted also reported only experiencing a sore throat when he wakes up every so often, he said. Overwhelming evidence does, however, suggest that nicotine is addictive, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “You’re fighting an uphill battle against something your brain chemistry has a proclivity toward wanting you to do again,” he said. Because relatively very few of the students who reported they Juul believe they are addicted, Pervil does “wonder if people think that they’re not addicted because it’s frankly easier to do than smoking,” he said, because Juul users do not need to change environments, use a lighter, or interfere as much with other people. “You can do it so quickly and easily, it doesn’t feel like you’re addicted to it,” he said. Despite the statistics, many students are either unaware of the consequences or continue to Juul despite them. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 66% of teenagers believe e-cigarettes contain only flavoring. “The consequences of Juuling aren’t bad enough to want to stop doing it,” Mary said. Ted continues to Juul even with the consequences because “doing it gives you something to fill your time with,” he said. Regardless of students’ attitudes on Juuling, for Levenstein, this is just the latest iteration of an age-old problem. “It is in the nature of an adolescent to want to come right up close to where the rules are and see what they can get away with, and that’s not new,” Levenstein said. “This is the latest way to test that limit, but this is part of the job description of a teenager. We’re used to it, we understand it, but we do have to hold the line on what the rules are.” *Any name with an asterisk represents a student granted anonymity
Is Juuling harmful?
10%
yes no
5
HORACE MANN FEATURES JUNE 5TH, 2018
HM in Motion Update
Eve Kazarian/Staff Artist
Katie Goldenberg & Leonora Gogos Staff Writers The HM in Motion project’s forecasted additions to the school campus will alter student life as community members adjust to a host of new classrooms and amenities next school year. According to Director of Facilities Management Gordon Jensen, construction on the new building will be completed by the upcoming school year. The new space will be bright and airy with a focus on comfort, he said. “The space, ambience, and lighting definitely affects learning, and we’re lucky that even with current facilities at HM we have very attractive spaces with a lot of natural light, and I think that directly affects ability in a classroom and focus,” Upper Division Director of Counseling and Guidance Dr. Daniel Rothstein said. Community members will not have access to the new building until shortly before the beginning of the school year, Head of Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein said. The transition will “develop organically” as students gradually explore the features of the new building throughout the school year, she said. The building will feature a student center with a cafe and lobby space, classrooms and laboratory space, a new student publication center, and a new CCVA office. The gym buildings will also be renovated, Dean of Student Life Dr. Susan Delanty said. According to Upper Division Science Department Chair Dr. Stephen Palfrey, the building’s additional science classrooms and increased lab space will give the department more flexibility in the lab-related aspects of each course. Currently, each science class has
a set day in which they are able to use the lab space, which creates a limitation on when teachers can conduct lab activities, Palfrey said. However, with the new building, science classes will be able to use the labs without a scheduled time, he said. In addition, some physics classes and upper-level biology classes will have the opportunity to meet in the lab every day, regardless of whether there is a lab planned for the lesson. “There will be lots and lots of opportunities for doing cool work in the new space that goes beyond traditional classes,” Palfrey said. The labs themselves will feature different physical setups, with designs ranging from rows of workbenches, pods of tables, and open floor space for experimentation, he said. “Layouts of spaces have a significant impact on the way people relate to each other and interact with each other, and affect the way people think and learn,” psychologist Dr. Ian Pervil said. The building will also include spaces in hallways and between classrooms to meet with teachers, complete work or lab reports, and “increase [overall] collaboration, which is very important in science,” Palfrey said. Additional research space in the form of a science research lab as well as a “black box” in the basement of the building will give students room for projects and independent experimentation, he said. “I like science, so it’ll be nice to have a place to do science work that’s not surrounded by middle schoolers,” Sabrina Freidus (9) said. The new building will also give a “home” to the Center for Community Values and Action (CCVA), which currently shares a space with both the Guidance and Counseling office as well as the Alumni House, Levenstein said. “In addition to allowing us to do new things, the new space will fit
the initiatives we’ve already started to implement in the past few years,” Director of the CCVA Dr. Jeremy Leeds said. The CCVA will have a classroom and office space on the first floor in the new building, which will allow for more flexibility in scheduling Reflections and accommodating more guest speakers, Leeds said. “It’s symbolic of the fact that the CCVA is here to stay in this school and is now recognized as a central part of school life, and we’re very appreciative that that’s represented in this new space,” he said. In addition to the science classrooms and CCVA space, the new gym buildings will be air conditioned and have a new pool with proper ventilation and a movable floor that will allow different teams to compete at the correct height, Jensen said. The new spaces and student center will be particularly useful for students after hours when the library has closed and will provide a safe space to work in comfort for those who stay after the late buses, Levenstein said. “I think it’s going to end up being a kind of second hub at the school in the same way that the library is a hub now,” Levenstein said. “Break time in the library feels very cramped, and I think that we’ll feel as though we have a little bit more breathing room with that new space,” Delanty said. Oliver Keimweiss (10) is excited to use the new facilities, as he is looking forward to “watching the school expand,” he said. Sophia Zelizer (9) is also “excited for the new student cafe, because it’ll be a less cramped space to see my friends,” she said. “I hope that people who feel like they don’t have a place or home will come to find that they have a new space to adequately house their ideas, activities, and relationships, and will find a space that speaks to them,” Pervil said.
Courtesy of Gordon Jensen
Elizabeth Fortunato/Staff Artist
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW Photos from the new building.
6
THE RECORD NEWS JUNE 5TH, 2018
School removes AP courses for incoming freshman class Caroline Goldenberg Staff Writer
As a new class of ninth graders enters the Upper Division for the 2018-2019 school year, a new change comes with them. The school is preparing to transition to a system with no advanced placement (AP) courses offered for these incoming freshmen, who make up the Class of 2022, and for classes of students who will follow. Although the change will be implemented beginning with the Class of 2022, the consideration of removing APs from the school’s course selection has been in the works for the last eight to ten years, and more actively for the last four, Head of Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein said. “There has been a growing, clear dissatisfaction with the AP program among the faculty,” Levenstein said. “It’s been an open understanding that we think the school would be better without being tied to the AP program.” During the 2016-2017 school year, the year before Levenstein became Head of the Upper Division, she took part in more concrete discussions with Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly and Canh Oxelson, Executive Director of College Counseling, about such a change, she said. Levenstein knew heading into her first year as Head of the Upper Division that the future removal of APs would be her top priority to tackle, she said. A number of factors contributed to the decision, including the constraints of AP curriculums. “The most important thing for me is that, in the end, it felt like the AP program, for all its strengths, was holding us back from our potential as a school. We know that our faculty are unparalleled, and that they can construct courses that would be as challenging and rigorous, but could be more innovative, more responsive to student interest, and allow for deeper inquiry,” Levenstein said. “I wanted to make sure the faculty had the chance to develop those courses.” While Edith Herwitz ’16 believes the discontinuation of the AP system will allow more room for students to take courses they are particularly interested in, her experience with the AP system was positive, she said. Herwitz felt that the learning of topics she especially experienced
in her AP US History and AP Modern European History courses “enhanced her understanding of the material,” and allowed for exploration, while also preparing her for her AP exams at the same time, she said. According to an information packet of frequently asked questions distributed to members of the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees, the curriculum in some of the new upper level courses may resemble those of APs that they replace, but will allow students to grow in their academic learning more effectively than advanced placement classes, which focus heavily on the test taken at the end of the year. While students will still hold a strong academic foundation,
placement level will allow teachers to have more freedom with courses and curriculums, he said. “Students can often sense the tension that their teachers are feeling between wanting to honor the questions in the room, or the interest in the room, and wanting to prepare students for a test that’s not set by the school. Teachers are constantly trying to navigate that tension,” Levenstein said. The packet also noted that the upper level courses that replace APs will have requirements that differ by department, but “in many cases past performance and department approval will continue to be prerequisites to ensure that students in these courses have the skills necessary to thrive in class.” Other factors noted in the
– that was definitely on my mind. Who knows what my schedule would have been if that wasn’t a thought?” Chloe Bown (12) said. By the summer before the 2017-2018 school year began, the administration had put together a package of material to present to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees and had requested that teachers begin outlining possibilities of courses that could replace APs, Levenstein said. Beginning in the fall of 2017, the administration began to mention to prospective families at open houses that the school would possibly be discontinuing the AP program, and as the year went on, it became more and more likely that this change would be implemented, Levenstein said.
Zoe Vogelsang/ Staff Artist
the elimination of APs will allow for both students and teachers to be more interested and engaged, Oxelson said. Foreign Language Teacher Michael Dalo enjoys teaching both AP and non-AP courses, but believes that foreign language AP classes allow more freedom in terms of curriculum rather than other AP courses, he said. As the elimination of AP courses approaches, science teacher Dr. Megan Reesbeck looks forward to having more time to freely discuss topics that are not necessarily tested on AP exams, as well as assign projects during which students can explore scientific literacy, presentations, and self-initiated work, she said. Govind Menon (12) believes that the replacement of AP courses with honors courses at the advanced
frequently asked questions section included the pressure on students to choose AP courses over other classes that might align better with their interests, as well as the interruption to the academic curriculum during the two-week AP testing period and the decreased availability for teachers proctoring these exams to meet with students during this time. Josie Alexander (12) remembers feeling more inclined to sign up for AP courses due to the fact that colleges look for academic rigor on transcripts, she said. “For sure, APs have affected how I’ve chosen my schedule,” Menon said. “I remember, I did summer physics because I wanted to be able to take an AP science my junior year.” “I definitely think there was pressure on my part as I was choosing my senior year schedule
Many other schools around the nation have already dropped the AP curriculum, including Dalton, Fieldston, Spence, NightingaleBamford, Packer-Collegiate, Riverdale, Choate Rosemary Hall, Concord Academy, Germantown Friends, the Lawrenceville School, and Philips Exeter Academy. According to the packet, independent schools that are several years ahead in the removal of APs have reported no effects on admission results at selective colleges due to this change. Levenstein believes the discontinuation of APs to be more effective for the college process, as unique transcripts that reflect the true interests of students could make a bigger impression on universities, she said. Further, selective colleges have been growing less interested in
exempting students from courses due to AP credit, Levenstein said. “We surveyed over 50 colleges and universities that are very wellknown to HM students and asked them for their opinion on the proposed change and for any advice they might offer,” Oxelson said. The packet adds that placement exams in place of AP credit are either required or available, and more universities do not allow AP scores to replace placement exams. Iva Knezevic, a sophomore at Ethical Culture Fieldston School, enjoys that the non-AP system there allows for “teachers to teach the curriculum they want to teach.” Not having APs, however, does limit the number of scores students can submit on college applications, Knezevic said. Anabel Henick (12), however, wonders if the discontinuation of AP courses in combination with the recent elimination of final exams may alter students’ readiness for exams in college, she said. “Studying for APs is good preparation for studying for midterms in college,” Henick said. Oxelson believes that the move away from AP courses will allow students to be even better prepared for higher education, as students will gain more genuine interest in what they are studying, allowing them to be enthusiastic about and prepared for college courses, he said. The change will also extend the time period of teaching and learning to be extended by at least five weeks, as AP exams will not be administered, nor would review weeks be necessary, Levenstein said. Levenstein believes that this extension of teaching will increase motivation and interest in classes that has often been lost after AP exams, she said. For Dalia Pustilnik (8), a member of the Class of 2022, the change is not much of a concern. “The way we’ve heard it from other students, it sounds like APs are more centered around the test,” Pustilnik said. “I think replacing them with other advanced classes is better” because it allows for more exploration of the course, she said. “I really like learning for the sake of learning, and I have a lot of opportunities to do that at Horace Mann, but it is limited in AP classes,” Henick said.
Alumni share experiences and give advice to parents on second Alumni Panel Katie Goldenberg Staff Writer
Head of Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein and the Parents Association (PA) hosted the second Alumni Panel, which aimed to give parents the opportunity to listen to the perspectives and paths of former students as their own children progress through the school, Levenstein said. “The event has huge value, because it’s very informative and nice to talk to the alumni, who felt that HM had prepared them for the next chapter in their academic careers, and hear that at the end of the day our students end up okay despite all the stress,” First
Vice President of the PA Danielle Stennett-Neris P’19 said. Following introductions, the panel was held in a question-andanswer format in which alumni answered prompts from Levenstein as well as questions from the audience of parents. Alumni were chosen to represent a diversity of experiences both within and beyond the school, Levenstein said. Topics ranged from the transition to a college environment and reflections on the college process to how the school formed the paths of students and advice for parents. Levenstein and the PA’s decision to hold the panel stemmed from the success of last year’s event, she
said. However, many parents were previously unable to make the event, which was held at the school during the morning. As a result, this year’s panel was moved to its location at the Penn Club during the evening of May 23, Levenstein said. “The panelists were intelligent and articulate,” Laurie Zeppieri P’19 said. “I believe they provided valuable insight into the role educational and professional choices played in future success.” “I loved coming back and talking on the panel,” Emily Perelman ’10 said. “These events make me realize that Horace Mann never leaves you; the school is always a part of who you are.”
Courtesy of Katie Goldenberg
ALUMNI ADVICE Alumni speak to current HM parents about college process, transition out of HM, and more at Alumni Panel on May 23.
HORACE MANN NEWS JUNE 5TH, 2018
Teachers receive grants to create courses replacing APs Eliza Poster Staff Writer
This summer, the school will support several teachers’ pursuits in professional development, either as personal endeavors or in order to create new curriculum. Although the school offers grants for faculty members to participate in programs unrelated to their courses, the grants committee primarily supports teachers who are trying to enrich and develop their classes, Head of Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein said. “Most of the time we’re looking to see is this going to result in a new program at the school, or a new course, or an improvement to an existing course? How will this work manifest itself back on campus?” she said. Grants financially support teachers’ professional pursuits outside of the work which they are compensated for during the school year. Levenstein, a member of the grants committee, is focused mainly on offering grants to faculty members like Art History teacher Dr. Anna Hetherington, who will plan the curriculum for her studies class and determine whether it can be expanded into a course which will replace the AP over the summer. In order to develop Studies in Art History, a half-credit course in which students examine what constitutes a masterpiece, into a full credit
Sofia Gonzalez/ Staff Artist
course, Hetherington will have to double the curriculum. This means creating a globally inclusive program which covers important topics and ideas while also having a reasonable workload given the demands of other classes: a task which she only has time for over the summer, Hetherington said. “I really want to do this thoughtfully, I want to consult my colleagues, I want to do some reading. I really need days of uninterrupted time to
consider a meaningful course,” she said. Like Hetherington, math teacher Aaron Thompson also received a grant to plan the courses which the school will add after APs. Using the time which he does not have during the year, Thompson will attend the Joint Statistical Meetings, an international conference of statisticians and data scientists in Vancouver. He hopes to formulate how the Statistics program at the school should mature based
on what people in the field believe is most valuable, he said. “My objective is to gather information to see what are the best practices in the field, and try to see what we can implement in the school and how we can build a robust post AP curriculum for the statistics program,” Thompson said. He hopes to create several statistics courses to replace the AP in the future, such as an honors course and possibly a lab, with curriculum based around projects and the students’ interests instead of one that conforms to the AP test, he said. The school is facilitating several teachers’ efforts to broaden courses beyond traditional curriculum. This summer, English teacher Dr. Adam Casdin will lead the school’s trip to Stratford, England, where 25 teachers will be trained to incorporate acting methods taught by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) into their classes. Casdin believes that using techniques which animate plays in classrooms allows students to make sense of complicated texts on their own, he said. The school has been working with the RSC for three years, throughout which teachers have participated in day long training sessions in Gross Theater during the school year. However, people who have gone on the trip to Stratford have said that it was the most important part of the training because it deepens their understanding of the methods they
learned, Casdin said. “There’s something about being in Stratford, and around the artistic community that lives there full time, that adds to that experience. It reminds us that the work we’re doing is much bigger than Horace Mann School, much bigger than the RSC,” he said. Theatre teacher Ben Posner will also step out of the environment he typically occupies as a teacher, and will take on the role of a student. The school is sponsoring Posner’s enrollment in a week long improv course at the Upright Citizens Brigade this summer. Although he participated in a lower level course at the same company last year and has practiced improv throughout his life, performing in the genre still scares him, he said. “I think just the act of getting up in front of a group of people and performing is good practice, and it’s also good to remind myself what it feels like when I ask my students to do the same thing,” Posner said. Posner employs improv in a lot of his classes, and taking a course himself gives him the opportunity to be inspired to teach different techniques, he said. He believes that improv helps students advance skills, like following impulses and being receptive to others’ ideas, which are essential in acting, he said.
Faculty and students show off talents at final Venturing out: Rutter ‘16 founds showcase assembly of the year venture capital firm Jude Herwitz Staff Writer From an orchestral number to a Senior Reflection, students, faculty, and staff displayed their skills and talents in this year’s last Student Showcase Assembly. The assembly, which took place on Tuesday, May 22, featured a mix of performances by students and staff, such as Ella Anthony (10) and Max Chung’s (10) performance of Adele’s Hello and a dance performed by members of FLIK, the security team, and maintenance. One of Teyonce Allison’s (9) favorite parts was the video made by Adam Frommer (9) and Vivien Sweet (9) that highlighted the school’s LGBTQ+ students and faculty in honor of Pride Month, she said. “I thought it was really moving and it really brought attention to how people thought about different things in the LGBTQ+ community,” Allison said. “I love these student showcase assemblies.” Frommer and Sweet had little
experience with making videos before, so they spent a lot of time in the photography and videography studio in the weeks before the assembly, Frommer said. Maggie Brill (12) and Ethan Matt (12) along with various other members of the school community worked together on a rap music video, which followed the video they made earlier in the school year. “I honestly just thought that it was a fun community building moment for students,” Brill, who was responsible for the filming and editing of the video, said. Unlike for previous assemblies, Chair of the Library Department Bartels sent out an email to the Upper Division announcing most of the performances, she said. Bartels intends on sending out emails with the topics of future assemblies before they occur, she said. “I think it’s just good to remind kids of what they’re about to see,” she said. According to Bartels, there will
also be an attempt to have fewer assemblies next year, with a goal of at least two advisory periods for every assembly. Along with that, more of the assemblies which do occur will be “homegrown,” meaning they will not feature outside speakers. The assemblies that do feature outside speakers will be more spaced out, Bartels said. The decision came from student feedback about assemblies because “kids like seeing other kids on stage,” she said. Grace Ermias (10) also enjoyed the assembly, in part because she is “a sucker for anyone singing,” she said, In general, she enjoys assemblies featuring students much more than those with outside speakers, she said. “There’s a stark contrast between the student showcase assemblies where we have the maintenance staff dancing on stage versus someone comes here and talks to us about communism, for example,” Ermias said.
Courtesy of Yeeqin New
STOLE THE SHOW Maintenance, security, and FLIK staff dance in showcase assembly on Tuesday, May 22.
Jude Herwitz Staff Writer
Since graduating, Aaron Rutter ’16 has been exploring app development and venture capital. He recently founded his own venture capital firm, Tycho Ventures. Rutter currently studies at Georgetown University. The idea for his first app came to him while at an on-campus restaurant, he said. “I had noticed, since I came to college and started eating at less strict ‘lunch times’ and more so around my class schedule, that the restaurants would always be empty when I was there,” Rutter said. This experience inspired him and a friend to start Dynos, an app which maximizes profits for restaurants. The app offers discounts to consumers at off-peak hours and on products which might be less desirable, such as day-old bread, Rutter said. These discounts let restaurants make a profit on produce that otherwise might have gone to waste and attract more customers. Getting restaurants to participate was a hard task. “It was a huge amount of manual labor to go and get a restaurant, and I spent a lot of time on weekends doing that,” Rutter said. “I could get about a restaurant per hour, so five restaurants meant five hours of work.” To try and make connections for Dynos, Rutter started attending meetings for startups, where he met many other would-be entrepreneurs. Being around other entrepreneurs inspired him to pursue another business: venture capital, he said. Rutter established his venture capital firm Tycho Ventures in 2017 and filed for its creation in Delaware due to the state’s low taxes. His business model was to invest a little bit of money into many companies
7
with the idea that one out of about 30 would give him a return on all of the investments. Rutter felt prepared to explore venture capital because of his education at Horace Mann, he said. The school exposed him to many subject areas, and venture capital requires many skills. Rutter had to attract clients, synthesize information, and analyze documents as a venture capitalist, he said. “Aaron is quite literary in a way, a very sensitive and engaged reader. He was the type of student to come up to me after class or even in the hallway and ask a question about another poem by an author we were reading, for example,” English Department Chair Vernon Wilson said, who taught Rutter in two courses. Due to all Rutter’s networking for Tycho Ventures, word got around about his firm, and he was linked to more established companies with experienced leaders, such as Rumble Boxing, a gym that holds boxing classes based in New York, he said. He has also been invited to participate in venture capital related events at several top colleges, including Columbia University. “We’ve had just as many failures as success,” he said. For example, one company that approached Rutter had invented a more efficient syringe, but Rutter did not invest because they did not have a patent. Initial funds for Tycho Ventures came from friends and family, who decided to continue investing after seeing their money grow under Rutter’s lead, he said. In the future, Rutter wants to grow his company and continue investing, potentially with the help of the school’s students as interns, he said.* *Rutter invites anyone interested in interning to contact him at aaron@ tycho.ventures.
8
THE RECORD NEWS JUNE 5TH, 2018
Student Government Peri Brooks Staff Writer This year’s Student Body President (SBP)Daniel Posner (12) and the Community Council (CC) have taken on initiatives to improve the quality of student life and involvement. “At the core of the SBP role is the goal of creating and enhancing community. This is a mission that extends across student government and it is why student leadership brings so much value to the school,” Posner said. Student government achieved several important goals, according to Posner. “From assemblies that showcase student talent to the speaker series that brings new voices to campus to fun and celebratory events, I am very proud of all that the HM community accomplished,” Posner said. One of the highlights this year was when the school community stepped up in response to the natural disasters in Texas, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, Posner said. “In addition to donating food and clothing, we came together to discuss the environmental challenges we face and how we as a school community can be better stewards of the environment,” he said. Through the work of CC representatives, positive changes have been made to the school
ONE LAST TIME Senior members of the Community Council celebrate their work.
community. “One of my goals going into this year was to change the perception of student government because many people don’t think it is legitimate,” CC Chair Amir Moazami (12) said. “Most of that is on the CC, but part of that is on the administration for giving the CC less power than they had in the past.” He hopes that in the future, the CC will have a say in larger administrative decisions. Moazami believed that the CC’s efforts might change the perception that the students have that it is ineffective, yet that attitude remains, he said. “If you look at the number of initiatives, we did a good deal, but maybe we didn’t articulate it enough.” Another one of Moazami’s goals was to, “get students to be more
. . . and Natasha Stange Staff Writer Next year, the Community Council (CC) and Student Body Presidents (SBPs) plan on implementing initiatives designed to help students acclimate to the semester system and the opening of the new building in addition to improving student mental health. The newly elected CC Chair for the 2018-2019 school year is Jeren Wei (11), and the CC secretary is Julia Robbins (10). The new SBPs will be Janvi Kukreja (11) and Nader Granmayeh (11). To prepare for the upcoming school year, “Jeren and I will be collecting proposals for initiatives from members of the CC in order to start working and thinking about ideas over the summer. This will be one of our earliest ways to ensure that the CC is very productive next year,” Robbins said. Kukreja and Granmayen plan to address the initiatives included in their platform such as stress relief, increasing school spirit, and improving day-to-day student life, Granmayeh (11) said. They will also concentrate on tackling more complex issues such as mental health and giving back to the community, he said. One of the major changes that Wei plans to implement next year is
socially conscious and thinking about issues of equity and justice,” he said. A way that the CC addressed this goal was through the Rohingya Drive, which raised money for genocide victims in Myanmar, Moazami said. This year, Moazami and the CC Secretary, Janvi Kukreja (11), reimplemented a committee system, CC representative William Golub (11) said. Moazami chose a committee system, with the hope that committees would give the CC “more structure,” Moazami said. The three CC committees this year were Student Activities led by Govind Menon (12), Sustainability led by Gustie Owens (12), and Diversity led by Kyra Hill (12), Moazami said.
Today Courtesy of Mannikin
“The goal of committees was to divide work and to allow students to know who to approach if they had certain issues, whereas before everything would go to the CC Chair or Secretary,” Menon said. “Anyone in the CC could conduct an initiative and the head of the committee helped guide the CC members through the process,” Kukreja said. “Having people assigned to these committees helped to streamline the process,” she said. The Student Activities Committee held various school-wide events throughout the year, such as Project X, March Madness, and a baking competition, Golub said. “We were really trying to ignite the school with types of competition that involve collaboration,” he said. Kukreja was proudest of the
CC’s work on these grade-wide and school-wide events and initiatives, such as the several forums held and Project X, she said. Some students voiced appreciation of these events and initiatives. “Student government has made visible changes to help improve student life at the school,” Emily Zeppieri (11) said. “In particular, I’ve enjoyed their food initiatives such as bringing the Mister Softee truck on campus,” she said. Two accomplishments of the Sustainability Committee were providing cup sleeves in the cafeteria and a recycling bin for batteries, Moazami said. The diversity committee worked on leading productive conversations, in addition to showing videos in school-wide assemblies such as the whiteboard video and the LGBTQ+ pride month video, Golub said. “Everything done in the realm of diversity has been underclassmen led, which is different from years past,” Menon said. The CC still has work to do in publicizing their efforts, as some students remain unaware of their accomplishments. “It’s unfortunate that I don’t know what initiatives student government is involved in be-cause they have the potential to really change the school,” Shant Amerkanian (11) said.
Tomorrow
creating a new idea proposal system for CC members with an increased emphasis on accountability and transparency. In order to incentivize students to complete initiatives, he wants to create a proposal system in which students are required to create deadlines for completing each phase of their initiative and provide the names of the faculty members whom they plan to work with, he said. The CC will focus on improving efficiency, ethicacy, and involvement, CC member and co-President of the Class of 2020 Roey Nornberg (10) said. “We plan on making the CC more involved in student life and implementing more activities that can benefit student wellness and lower stress,” Nornberg said. “We are also going to have to try some initiatives to introduce students to the new building and make them feel comfortable in it,” he said. The newly elected CC representatives all have new ideas for improving the school, CC representative William Golub (11) said. Infrastructure-related initiatives such as installing solar panels or switching to soda fountains will take the longest to complete since they require working with several departments of the school, he said. As the school undergoes major changes, including switching to the semester system and using the new
building, Kukreja and Granmayeh plan to focus on increasing communication between students and the administration in order to ensure that everyone’s voices are heard, Kukreja said. “In past years, no one has had the opportunity to deal with these two big transitions that we are dealing with, and I think this is the perfect time and the perfect opportunity to get student influence and make real, positive change that can then impact people’s lives,” Granmayeh said. Improving student mental health, however, is a more complicated initiative, Granmayeh said. “Mental health is a more nebulous, less concrete issue that we want to address. We plan to concentrate on general means of decreasing stress systematically in addition to addressing mental health as a larger issue,” he said. “Raising awareness for mental health and our surroundings may require more effort because there isn’t one specific initiative that would solve the issues at hand, it is a combination of many,” Kukreja said. The Student Body Presidents have already begun to meet with various members of the administration and faculty to discuss the logistics of the changes they plan to make in the fall, and will return to campus prior to the start of the school year to tour the new building and meet with Dr. Levenstein, Granmayeh said.
Amrita Acharya/ Photo Editor
Freya Lindvall/ Photo Editor
LOOKING FORWARD Next Year’s SBPs (top) and CC Chair (bottom) prepare for the 2018-2019 school year.
9
HORACE MANN OPINIONS JUNE 5TH, 2018
Acknowledging ignorance: education is not a free pass
Yasmin McLamb It’s finally Spring at Horace Mann - flowers are blooming, ice cream is melting, seniors are graduating - and rap music blasts on the field. Last Thursday, one of those songs drifted through the window of my Comparative Race & Ethnicity classroom while I was presenting “This Is America” by Childish Gambino. My attempted questions to the class were: What if we considered the well-educated kid who attends a rap concert? If you’ve studied the history of an art form - for example, jazz - and continue to ignore its embedded social issues, are you allowed to partake in that culture? History has always been a touchy subject for me - I loved writing about social issues, but felt as if the narratives taught were extremely limited to simply reading about Black/Brown oppression. My individual experiences lined up with some of what I’d read, but the binary offered always seemed so black and white. Whenever I felt confident enough to share my own cultural backgrounds Hawaiian, Chinese, and Black - everyone seemed confused that I wasn’t sharing an experience that they had come to expect from the ‘average Black HM student’ - one that knew the answer to every “race” question, has had students come up to them and say “I’m so sorry about what happened during slavery,” and could offer the insight of what it “means to be from the hood.” Since I first arrived at HM, I’ve struggled with what it meant to be myself because
there was never truly a space for me, even within my friend groups. Even though I proudly identify as who I am, I’ve found that perceptions of me in a space were never in my control. I was always hyper-aware of my proper English and how both students and teachers responded to my comments differently than other Black students. I would watch year after year as outspoken Black
the question itself. At HM, I feel there are many people who are aware of how Black culture is everywhere due to popular culture. They have an intellectual understanding of the oppressive “Black experience” from English and History, yet never think about how it affects people beyond class discussions. Now, I feel too many people think that simply being
“
Surya Gowda/Staff Artist
At HM, I feel there are many people who are aware of how Black culture is everywhere due to popular culture. They have an intellectual understanding of the oppressive “Black experience” from English and History, yet never think about how it affects people beyond class discussions.
girls were patronized by our peers but would never receive adequate support from the administration. Paranoid about excluding other voices due to the privileges that came with my appearance and mannerisms, I retreated into myself for many years. There has never been a racial/cultural blueprint for me to follow - and I’ve begun to embrace it. Regardless of how careful I am about my tone, I’ve learned that the problem lies not with how I ask it but with
“educated” on the topic is enough. Often the box of being “socially conscious” is checked off, yet many aren’t socially conscious in the real world. You don’t need to go to every rally or protest. You just need to be aware of your presence in a space and how that affects people around you. And, most importantly, this affects everyone, regardless of background. We need to teach Black joy alongside Black suffering, such as modern-day instances of positive reform, like the
Volume 115 Editorial Board Editor in Chief Gustie Owens
non-profit “Social Works Inc.” by Chance the Rapper or Jaden Smith donating water from his eco-friendly water company, JUST, to the Flint water crisis. Or, if teachers wish to incorporate “academic” narratives - start with James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and Frantz Fanon. In too many history classes, Black history begins with slavery and ends with the Civil Rights Movement.
Managing Editor Eve Kazarian
Issues Editor Mahika Hari
Features Tiffany Liu Natasha Poster
News Sam Heller Yeeqin New
Opinions Seiji Murakami Rebecca Salzhauer
A&E Jonathan Katz Joanne Wang
Lions’ Den Peter Borini Ricardo Pinnock
Photography Amrita Acharya Freya Lindvall Abigail Kraus
Middle Division Ella Feiner Sarah Shin
Design Editors Nikki Sheybani Lisa Shi
Art Director Ariella Greenberg
Faculty Adviser David Berenson
Columnists Lutie Brown Amir Moazami
StuPub Manager Mimi Morris
There’s always been a visible disconnect between the past devaluation and now modern-day appreciation of Black music, dance, and culture. I know people who have opted to take different routes to school as to avoid passing through “the real Bronx” because their parents think it’s too dangerous. Reading textbooks in school that only reinforce those stereotypes don’t help. And as students drive to school reading their English/ History books, Bronx-
Staff Writers James Arcieri, Malhaar Agrawal, Betsey Bennett, Peri Brooks, Amelia Feiner, Elizabeth Fortunato, Leonora Gogos, Caroline Goldenberg, Katie Goldenberg, Surya Gowda, Will Han, Jude Herwitz, Edwin Jin, Solomon Katz, Janvi Kukreja, Madison Li, Connor Morris, Megha Nelivigi, Noah Phillips, Eliza Poster, Julia Robbins, Abigail Salzhauer, Nishtha Sharma, Sadie Schwartz, Tenzin Sherpa, Sandhya, Shyam, Becca Siegel, Charlie Silberstein, Lynne Sipprelle, Ben Wang, Jeren Wei, Robbie Werdiger, Simon Yang Staff Photographers Iliana Dezelic, Eva Fortunato, Miyu Imai, Abigail Kraus, Daniel Lee, Mimi Morris, Benjamin Parker, Tatiana Pavletich Staff Artists Elizabeth Fortunato, Sofia Gonzalez, Surya Gowda, Damali O’Keefe, Spyridoula Potamopoulou, Jackson Roberts, Zoe Vogelsang
invented hip-hop music plays through their car radios. Black communities have been left behind in exchange for their culture and have their experiences reduced to that of ‘victims’ in books. When we learn about race, do we even think about Black people anymore? Apparently we do, because everyone expects the Black kid in the room to have the answer. If we’re talking about Huck Finn or Their Eyes Were Watching God in English, I should not be the only one asked to read African American Vernacular aloud or recall the Jim Crow South in excruciating detail. I should not have to feel a wave of terror and disgust as students skip over the n-word while reading aloud in class yet continue to shout it while listening to rap music in the locker rooms. I should not have to be the holder of an encyclopedia of Black history - or, as another student accidentally called it, “Negro History.” If we don’t humanize history, it is much harder for people to find a connection to it. If the narrative offered simply remains historic wars, colonization, enslavement, etc - it makes you feel like an outsider unless it is your history. As a multiracial person, I have always had difficulty finding my humanity within the history that I’ve been taught. I’ve only been able to see parts of myself in other people, and its helped me become very perceptive of the world around me. So, the next time you listen to a rap song, think about it. Think about the humanity behind the history that created it. Think about how you fit into the dynamic the song was born out of. Are you helping, or are you hurting? Who might you be hurting, without even realizing it? Play it out loud, and let the voices of history be heard.
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.
10
THE RECORD OPINIONS JUNE 5TH, 2018
Modern dating: establishing your agency
Linda Hubschman Over the last several months, I have felt disheartened by reading and hearing so many stories of individuals who, whether on a single date or in a relationship, describe engaging in physically intimate behavior they did not want to engage in. These situations were definitely a problem for my generation. No one ever said to my friends or me anything like: “You might find yourself in an uncomfortable romantic situation like X and you might find yourself thinking Y. Here’s a way to handle it.” A lot of us learned what to do (and what not to do) by making mistakes, sometimes with consequences that were difficult to live with. I feel compelled to write this now – particularly to the seniors whom I have gotten to know and grown to care about for the last four years -- as you head off for college and the working world.
I know that for you – unlike the 18 year-old me – the issue of consent has come up in your classes at school and is addressed in the media. Whereas my health class in high school stuck to the biology of reproduction, you have an excellent health teacher who addresses such issues as this. Nevertheless, given the persistence of the problem, I would ask you to think about it
“
It can all happen so fast. The moment is suddenly upon you and it’s easy to freeze up, doubt yourself, or feel powerless.
some more. A quick note before I proceed: the stories I am most familiar with and most comfortable weighing in on are those in which a girl is on a date with a guy, and, partly for ease of prose, that is what I will discuss here. In doing so, I do not mean to exclude anyone, and I hope that what I have to say will be useful to others as well. So, from my generation to yours, I want to tell you: you might find yourself in a situation
like one of these:
(a) You go out with someone
you like. He’s done nothing wrong. Nonetheless, when it comes down to it, what you thought you would want to do just doesn’t feel right. (b) You’re really excited about being with someone. He’s really cool – everyone likes him. But once you’re alone, he turns out to be pushy, manipulative, or domineering. (c) You’ve flirted with someone because it was fun. You’re not really interested and you thought he understood that. He doesn’t. And now he wants more. Here are some things you might think (perhaps unconsciously): I’ve led him on; now I have to continue. I don’t want to hurt his feelings. I really want to be friends with him, and if I don’t continue, I’ll lose him. I don’t want him or his friends to think I’m a tease or a prude. Everyone loves this guy; he can’t possibly be a jerk. He keeps telling me that I want to be with him; maybe he knows what I want better than I do.
It can all happen so fast. The moment is suddenly upon you and it’s easy to freeze up, doubt yourself, or feel powerless. It can be tempting to suppress the nagging doubt, hesitation, and discomfort. Yet, I want you to remind you that you are stronger than you might feel, you have more control than you might think, and you know your own desires better than anyone does. In short, if you don’t want to be there, leave. Another important note: there are situations in which leaving would be more dangerous. I hope you never find yourself in one of those, and I believe in your ability to tell the difference. Though it is important to talk about these cases too, that is not
“
Be polite and direct. ‘I’m sorry. I thought I wanted to do this, but I don’t. Let’s call it a night.’
my focus here. It can feel awful to reject a nice guy, particularly after you have shown some interest. After all, you are a nice person and so is he. But it is actually kinder to cut
things short. (Would you want someone to be involved with you if he wasn’t actually into it? No!) Be polite and direct. “I’m sorry. I thought I wanted to do this, but I don’t. Let’s call it a night.” It can feel scary to confront or disagree with someone who seems so confident and in control. And, if we’re honest, it can be incredibly disappointing to realize that someone you really wanted to be with (for whatever reason, shallow or deep) is actually a jerk or someone you simply don’t like, and that by walking away you give it all up. But you can and you should. You and your friends can fill in more details and do so more realistically, and please include the role of alcohol. But I hope that what I have said motivates you to think through some possible ways to act in situations like these before you find yourself in one. Come up with some game plans while you’re thinking clearly. A final piece of advice: If you are having a difficult time knowing what to do in a situation, think about how you would want your own future daughter or best friend to handle it. If you see her getting up and walking out, allow yourself permission to do the same.
Dismantling the stigma: Creating the necessary toolkit to deal with catcalling
Annabelle Chan A feeling of sheer terror washed over my body, an almost debilitating and numbing feeling impossible to erase from my memory. There is a stigma around the term “catcalling,” a modern term that describes verbal sexual harassment. It’s a problem that the majority of women face at least once in their lifetime. Although it happens so frequently, it is rarely discussed for fear of sparking controversy about freedom of speech or feeling ashamed for bringing up a “vulgar” subject or “social taboo.” Because of the tremendous emotional toll that catcalling takes on a more than half the population, it is necessary for our student body to welcome conversation surrounding it in a classroom setting. Instead of pushing the issue under the rug we should raise awareness, hopefully halting the trivialization that usually results from lack of exposure to this reality. I decided to share my own story to spark a
conversation. Sometime last year, in eighth grade, I took a different route than usual walking home from school. I had this weird sensation as if every pair of eyes on the street were glued to me and sizing me up. And apparently enough, when I walked past a vacant garage, a man, who was roughly 40 years old, called out, “Hey, guys! Check her out!” I froze in my tracks, feeling my face go sallow and pale. The vulnerability I felt in that moment was unshakeable. I picked up my step, wishing the immediate feelings of fear and
Damali O’Keefe / Staff Artist
guilt would go away. By the time I knew it, I was sprinting down the street when I turned around to see the man following me with his two friends. They were menacing and considerably stronger than I was. They continued to follow me two more blocks, casually strolling behind me, prodding and joking with each other. Eventually after they’d had their fun, they merely walked away and I haven’t seen them since. But they left a lasting impact on my self-worth and comfort. I’ll never forget the utter anxiety and horror I felt that afternoon. One year later, and
the idea of walking that street threateningly hangs over my head. Some would claim being put in my situation would be flattering, that they’d become more brazen and outgoing. Others might say that maybe what I was wearing had something to do with it, that the man felt “obligated” to catcall because I was wearing something labeled as promiscuous and risky. And some might even say that I could have stood up for myself, that I had the opportunity to but I allowed myself to be victimized. For me, it is not flattering nor does it send my ego and self confidence
soaring. It instead, leaves me feeling incredibly vulnerable and with a heightened awareness of my surroundings. I didn’t know how to handle the situation I was put in for I had never been exposed or even educated about this social issue. I was only able to consult articles like one written by the New York Post titled “Hey, ladies-- catcalls are flattering! Deal with it,” which claimed I should feel blessed and honored by the comments. If catcalling were discussed in classes such as HMO, health class, or life skills, people at an earlier age would know how to deal with the potential situation. I could’ve then had a chance to share my own experience in a safe place and come to a conclusion about how I felt. I instead was influenced by a subjective article that convinced me to reject my previous reaction to the harassment. Classes could easily introduce this topic in the discussion by analyzing a personal statement of a victim of verbal harassment and gently easing the class into the concept. It shouldn’t matter what I’m wearing, how high I’m holding my head, or my response to the situation, because having someone put you in that uncomfortable position so nonchalantly is wrong. Not because it’s considered to be socially unacceptable or crass, but because it really leaves a lasting impact.
11
HORACE MANN OPINIONS JUNE 5TH, 2018
Reconsidering our biases: a critique on criticism speech and his ideas. The fact that my peers only criticized Trump has made me realize that Horace Mann students often think that in order to be intellectual, we have to be critical. For the past four years of high school, assemblies have often been followed by discussions. In many of my classes, these
Hoover spoke to our school, my classmates (from all sides of the political spectrum) criticized her, some based on her being too conservative and others on her not being conservative enough. Very few of my peers spoke positively about her presentation to the school. When my classmates are criticizing someone in this
Ruthie Yankwitt The day after President Trump’s first State of the Union address this year, my Global Cold War class had a discussion about his speech. My classmates spoke about their concern for President Trump’s immigration policies, and we moved throughout the class criticizing the various proposals mentioned in the speech. Although I disagreed with a lot of the president’s policy proposals, I mentioned that I supported his comments about lowering the prices of prescription drugs and criminal justice reform. My classmates seemed really surprised that I was willing to express my support for something that Trump said; I’m pretty outspoken about my dislike for the president and my liberal political opinions. My peers didn’t respond to Trump’s statements in the same way that I did. They mentioned the things that they disliked about his
Abigail Goldberg-Zelizer/Contributing Artist
discussions have started with students critiquing whatever guest speaker or student presented that day. One or two students will speak up in support of the presenter, but the majority of the conversation focuses on criticism. For example, when Margaret
way, I think it affects my own reaction and opinion regarding the presenter. If my peers are criticizing someone, I think I am more likely to then look for other aspects that I can criticize as well, even subconsciously. Of course, I think it is important for all students to speak up in class
don’t associate it with my name. It opened me up to another facet of my being that I never thought about. I felt comfortable enough to express my ideas with fear of humiliation from my peers, something that plagued me in ninth and tenth grade. It showed me how I could improve myself as both a student and a member of the school community. I saw how I could effectively create a safer space for my classmates and better express my appreciation for others. However, I understand why this class wasn’t popular with other
is its scheduling. We lose a free after the first trimester, but the problem is that the second and third trimesters are the ones where homework and the stress of college start to accumulate. While I understand that SOI in the third trimester focuses primarily on the college process, which helps to relieve stress and answer questions students might have, the class should have taken place during 1st and 2nd trimester so the juniors would have 3rd trimester with a “new free.” The mentality behind this is that instead of a free being taken away from us, it would be given (similar to HMO). I think that students would react positively to it and love the extra time at the end of the school year. Consequently, my peers would likely be able to appreciate more fully what SOI has to offer. The fact that students have an issue with SOI due to the space it takes up is understandable. However, it seems that another reason students dislike the class is the subject matter. Students who don’t experience some of the topics covered tend to be unappreciative of the class, saying, “...I don’t see why this this is prevalent…” or that “....it is so boring…” They blatantly ignore what the class tries to teach. Overall, I feel that SOI helps students learn about issues in our community and beyond. It helped promote sensitive ideas about race and culture that I rarely encounter in other classes. Until these topics are addressed in our regular classes, SOI remains a necessary part of junior year.
Significance Over Inconvenience
Eric Ohakam As September rolled around, I was not looking forward to my classes. The incoming school year indicated that our summer break was coming to a close. I dreaded the increase in work and the beginning of the college process that accompany junior year. I had two block frees, D & H, and I would use these to study. When I realized that one of my frees would be taken away by a class called “SOI,” I was annoyed and wished I could just get my free back. I felt that the school was trying to take time away from us. I thought of HMO (Horace Mann Orientation) in ninth grade, and how I felt it was a waste of time. A whole free, gone due to some class trying to teach me something I thought I already knew. This “Seminar On Identity” sounded like a repeat of HMO and a waste of a perfectly good free. But it wasn’t. SOI was a great class. We learned topics based on race, socioeconomic status, and the identity behind our names. The discussion behind the identity of names was fascinating, though, at first, felt strange to discuss with the rest of the class. It was informative nonetheless. When I think about my identity, I usually
“
I saw how I could effectively create a safer space for my classmates and better express my appreciation for others.
students. No one enjoys their free being taken away. Or maybe it was just how my class was structured. Having differing voices in one room can be difficult so while some students were aware of current events and had a better grasp on the terms, others struggled to understand. A lack of understanding creates frustration, something some of my friends felt, which ultimately led to students giving up on the class. I had an advisor who knew how to lead a discussion and create a safe environment for self-expression. Having it at the end of Tuesday served as a calm end to a chaotic day. The main issue I find with the class
with different opinions and ideas, but that’s a lot harder when you’re the one with the contradictory opinion. It becomes easier to just add another criticism than to support or compliment something. I’m not sure what compels Horace Mann students to start out being critical of someone. I am sure that there are times when students are speaking in support of someone or an idea, and someone in the classroom doesn’t speak up to criticize them because they feel outnumbered, but in my experience the conversation tends to lean toward criticism. I don’t mean to say that we should always agree with speakers and presenters, nor should we keep our opinions to ourselves when we do agree, but why, in order to be seen as intellectuals, do we feel the need to criticize? I have certainly felt that a comment I make in support of an assembly or presentation was not worth as much in the classroom conversation as a comment criticizing something about the assembly. I have also noticed this with opinion pieces in the Record and how we discuss them in my classes. We have more discussions about op-eds when we disagree with the ideas of the writer, than we do when we agree with and support what they have to say. I think it is important to consider articles and people and share why
we agree with their ideas as well, and to not only to speak up when we have a criticism to make. There is no “easy fix” to change the course of discussions in all of our classrooms. One way that we could try to open up the conversation for criticism and support is if there is an opportunity to speak on both issues. One of my teachers, whenever they were opening up the classroom for a conversation about an assembly or current events topic, would start by asking for people to speak up who wanted to support the subject. Once a few people had spoken, they would ask for people to speak up who wanted to criticize the subject, and the conversation would continue after a few people had spoken on both sides of the issue. I think that this model really worked to facilitate classroom conversations because it allowed for a variety of opinions to start off the conversation. No solution is perfect, but it would be a step in the right direction to allow for a variety of opinions at the beginning of a conversation without singling a student out or having them feel that they can’t speak in support because the majority of the class has already criticized the subject.
Editorial
Going Places: The College Map
In Volume 114’s Class Day Issue, Rachel Lee ‘17 wrote an opinions piece about the harmful implications of printing the college map, urging the members of our current editorial board to abstain from running the map. We deliberated over whether to include the feature in our final issue. We are aware that the college map can lead to judgement about whether someone “deserves” to go to a certain school and their perceived intellect. In a survey of the Class of 2018 120 out of 130 polled voted to publish the college map. Additionally, seniors are not required to submit their names and schools for the map. Ultimately, we have come to the decision that the benefits of celebrating our community outweighed the potential downsides of contributing to the toxic culture surrounding the map. Lee recommended focusing on the accomplishments and goals of members of the class, and we have implemented her ideas by printing profiles of artists and athletes in our class. Yes, the college map might label seniors with a college brand, but it also showcases the results of years of hard work and dedication to academic and extracurricular activities. We have heard about the college process for much of our lives, and have survived the rollercoaster that is this process. Furthermore, the spread serves as a reference guide– seniors can see their proximity to fellow classmates, and underclassmen can find future contacts at various colleges. Parents and alumni can celebrate the class, while nostalgically reflecting upon their own journeys. For our college map, we chose to pay homage to Dr. Seuss’ “Oh the Places You’ll Go.” Our amazing art director, Ariella Greenberg, captured the signature imaginative whimsy of Seuss’ illustrations, demonstrating our excitement and pride for our classmates as they embark on the next chapters of their adventures.
12
THE RECORD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 5TH, 2018
Inside the music studio the nexus of technology and musicianship Julia Robbins Staff Writer Many students at school know how to play piano or guitar, but only a select number are learning how to merge music with the digital age. Upper Division music teacher Doug Epstein teaches students how to digitally create music in the Music Technology and Advanced Studio Production classes. Several students, including Arjun Swarup (12), said that Epstein is a great mentor and teacher. After completing the school’s two music production courses, Swarup now considers himself proficient in Pro Tools, the software that students use to produce music in class. “One of the great things about digital music production is that no matter what type of background you
have, it’s really easy to get into it and get good at it,” he said. Studying music production has allowed Michael Truell (12) to integrate classical piano and computer technology, two of his favorite interests, he said. Truell often finds inspiration for his music production pieces from classical music that he has played before. Armand Dang (12) first became interested in music production after joining Glee Club in ninth grade. Dang is now in the Advanced Music Production class where he has been able to hone his production techniques and develop his knowledge of Pro Tools, he said. Jake Sanders (12) has enjoyed learning how the music he loves listening to is created, he said. Multiple students have applied skills learned in Music Production
to other classes. Olivia Kester (11) used the knowledge she gained from Music Production to create an interpretive song for a creative project in English class. Sanders is using Pro Tools to create a cover of Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” for his senior initiative project. The third trimester project for the first level Music Production class is a complete remake of the audio for the movie “The Princess Bride,” including a new musical score and voice overs for actors lines. By the end of their first year in class, students are able to independently run music sessions, Epstein said. Students are almost entirely self-sustained in music production by their time in the advanced class. Coming from a family of musicians, Epstein was raised playing music from an early age, playing the tonette and
clarinet in elementary school and later learning the bassoon, baritone sax, and guitar. His early professional career included producing music for Sesame Street, the Macy’s Day Parade, and the Diet Coke rollout campaign of the 1980’s. With the founding of Doug Epstein Productions, Inc., came Grammy winning albums and awardwinning advertising campaigns. Epstein helped build the school’s first digital studio center as an outside consultant in 1999 and then expanded it into the creative workshop it is today once he was hired in 2012 as a full-time teacher. “I had some great mentors and great teachers when I was coming up, and I’d like to be that for all these kids.” Epstein added that teaching has been a great way to pass down his experience to a new generation.
Gabby Fischberg/Staff Artist
Abi Kraus/Photo Editor
Abi Kraus/Photo Editor
Abi Kraus/Photo Editor
ARJUN SWARUP
ETHAN MATT
BEN JACOBS
Un, deux, trois. Not only is that how to count to three in French, but those are also the names of three songs produced by Arjun Swarup (12). Swarup describes his music as something that one might listen to on a rainy day: a piece that is dark, moody, or sometimes jazzy. Swarup used to make music that was similar to hip hop but has since transitioned to creating pieces that his friends can rap over, he said. Swarup’s friend, Ben Jacobs (12), first exposed him to music production during middle school using an iPad and helped inspire Swarup to continue producing music, Swarup said. “A lot of what I make depends on the mood that I’m in,” Swarup said. “If I’m feeling a little down, that’s sometimes when my best sadder sounding tracks come out.” Swarup has collaborated with Ethan Matt (12) and produced the music for Matt’s single, “Digital Love.” The message that Swarup would like to get across in his work is that he is having a good time making his music, he said. In college, Swarup plans to continue producing music for fun and looks forward to being able to use his university’s music resources and recording studios, he said
Ethan Matt (12) is in the midst of creating his first album. His passion for music production began in eighth grade when he noticed that his music idols were both producers and vocalists for the music they created, Matt said. Matt ended up taking Music Production and Advanced Music Production as two of his arts credits in high school. Sharing his music and connecting with people through music are incredibly important to him, Matt said. Matt has already released several singles onto the music streaming platform, Soundcloud. Matt’s favorite single that he has released is called “Digital Love,” which he worked on with Arjun Swarup (12). Swarup does a lot of the instrumental work for Matt’s music, and Ben Jacobs (12) helps with the precision and technicalities of the music, Matt said. “I’m very privileged because I have someone else to be able to pull emotions out of me,” Matt said, referring to Swarup. “[Swarup] can make something for me and present it to me as a somewhat finished product, and all that I have to do after that, is add [lyrics],” Matt said.
“I like making happy songs,” Ben Jacobs (12) said. While many modern artists produce music in the minor key, Jacobs prefers creating music in the major key out of personal preference, he said. Jacobs’ music style is a mix of electronic music and hip hop with inspiration from singers such as Avicii and Zedd, he said. His background in piano has allowed him to use a keyboard to create the chord progressions in his songs, Jacobs said. One of the most time-consuming parts of the music production process is looking for new and unique beats to implement in songs, Jacobs said. Some of the more unique noises that he has included in his music are sounds of a ping pong ball dropping and the bark of his dog. “I work best personally as a solo artist, but I love helping other people’s projects and giving advice,” Jacobs said. Jacobs sometimes helps his friends Ethan Matt (12) and Arjun Swarup (12) crystallize the levels of instruments in their songs. While Jacobs does not collaborate with other students at school on his own songs, he does often collaborate with his camp friends to create his music, he said. On Jacobs’ upcoming album, his camp friends do a lot of the singing, he said.
13
HORACE MANN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 5TH, 2018
PURSUING THE ARTS DAMALI O’KEEFE Damali O’Keefe (12) will attend the film school at Purchase College next year. The BFA preprofessional program includes classes in producing, writing, cinematography, and the core curriculum allows for students to explore all areas of film before deciding a professional path. O’Keefe’s desire to pursue film began in the video production course she took in 11th grade. During the application process, O’Keefe applied to all kinds of schools, unsure if she wanted to go to film school. “As the year went on my heart became sold on it.” Since the film school does not solely include cinematography, O’Keefe submitted a portfolio of artwork and a portion of a script
from playwriting class. “I don’t think I have really developed a style yet, but part of what I like so much about some films is how attractive the world is,” she said. “It really helps in that specific style of filmmaking with vibrant colors.” As an artist, O’Keefe hopes to make unique films, taking popular styles and inverting them.
ARIELLA GREENBERG Ariella Greenberg (12) is getting a BA in studio art at University of Southern California. Her drawings and paintings are bold and colorful, as she places realistic objects in abstract backgrounds. Greenberg plans to take classes in printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics, she said. “Before dedicating yourself to painting, I can see everything that the school
Amrita Acharya/Photo Editor
SEIJI MURAKAMI Although art has been part of Murakami’s life for a long time, he only started pursuing the visual arts the past four years and will be attending Carnegie Mellon next year. “I knew I wanted to find a program that can feed to my art side and my more traditionally academic side,” he said. Carnegie Mellon will provide him a balance between a traditional academic atmosphere and continuing art. For Murakami, the application process was particularly rigorous, as he was required to include short essays, a portfolio of 10-12 pieces, and an on-campus interview, Murakami said. “I would sit down with an art teacher, and she would go over the pieces that I had. This was all separate from the regular application process.”
“It’s great because we have such great art facilities, such great teachers and faculty, and everything you could possibly ask for,” Murakami said. “I usually go [to the art studios] during my frees to paint, and at home as well I find time to relax and do art.”
Courtesy of Rivers Liu
SYDNEY PERGAMENT
Courtesy of Ben Parker
BINAH SCHATSKY Binah Schatsky (12) will be studying for a BA in theater at Northwestern starting this fall, where she will work in musical and straight theater as a performer, but also in devising, directing, and choreography, finding her niche in the theater world. At Northwestern, Schatsky hopes develop her style for as long as possible to stay open to all different types of theater before becoming specialized in one. Applying to Northwestern was a mostly academic application. Schatsky sent in a supplementary video along with her resume. For other schools where being accepted solely relied on auditions, she had to submit pre-screenings of herself singing, reciting monologues, and dancing before booking. Doing theater in college was a
has to offer.” During the college process, Greenberg made sure she applied to liberal arts schools with strong art programs or large universities that had art schools within them rather than solely art schools, she said. Half of her classes will be in general academics and half of her classes will be in art. This same reasoning brought her to the school rather than LaGuardia when she was selecting her high school, she said. “I draw from current situations and emotions, but sometimes you can overthink things and when you are looking for inspiration specifically; it is hard to get inspired,” Greenberg said. Greenberg was 12 years old when she first got into art, and has been taking classes at school ever since. Her mom held a Kids V Cancer benefit by selling art. “I thought I could do better than the art there,” Greenberg said. “In the beginning, it was all about getting the art to be super photo realistic, but now I think it looks boring,” Greenberg said. “Anybody if they work hard enough can do that, but now it’s more about what I can do to look different and create
natural next step for her. “By the time it came to apply to colleges, theater had become a big part of my life, and I was very much not myself without it,” Schatsky said. Schatsky plans to stay in Chicago after college, experimenting in different types of performance. “I am less interested in the commercial broadway aspect of theater and more interested in the creative process part of it,” she said. “Because in Chicago it is more easy for people to alternate between
Sydney Pergament (12) will be pursuing her passion for art and design through a Bachelor of Arts at University of South California. A Bachelor of Arts is “an ideal situation for someone who wants to combine an interest in art with other major,” she said. “I’ve practiced mostly painting and drawing at home, and it wasn’t until recently that I decided that art should be a core part of my
college experience,” Pergament said. “Art is my tool to express and examine feelings and emotions. Where words have fallen short, art has filled in that space.” While art has grown to become a predominant factor in her life, art was more of a hobby in her younger years, she said. “When I was little, art was something I did when I was bored. Now, it is a way to de-stress. Until this year the only training I had was art classes at school. Now, every Saturday, I travel to Huntington Long Island to the Huntington School of Fine arts to take classes.”
Courtesy of Binah Schatsky
Courtesy of Sydney Pergament
14
THE RECORD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 5TH, 2018
An interview with Maggie Brill Musical performance groups go to Hawaii Henry Owens Staff Writer
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION Maggie Brill (12) (center) directs film.
Arts and Entertainment Editor Jonathan Katz sits down with student director Maggie Brill The Record: How did you get started with filmmaking? Maggie Brill: I kind of stumbled upon filmmaking by accident through Horace Mann. Little eighth grade me was deciding what half credits to sign up for in high school, and some friend just mentioned to me, “You should take Video Production 1.” I had never done anything filmmaking-related before - I obviously loved movies - but it never really occurred to me that that was something I could do. Then starting that class freshman year with Mr. Taylor, after we made our first film, I was completely hooked. TR: Do you think Mr. Taylor has been a mentor? MB: One hundred percent. Mr. Taylor has definitely had a huge influence on me, and Mr. Do and Ms. Rathus, who are also film teachers that I’ve had, have really impacted who I am as a filmmaker and have pushed me to grow. There was one instance with Mr. Taylor that I remember. It was sophomore year and he’d already had me for a year and a half at this point, and I brought him this final project I’d made, and he watched it, and he basically said, “This is a complete project, probably at the par of what other people will hand in, but I think you can do better and create a better storyline here.” I think that him pushing me to do that in particular moment really stuck with me, making sure I was putting forward my best work. TR: What projects have you worked on for Horace Mann? MB:I think the work I’ve done outside of the classroom and for the assemblies really started junior year for me, when I kind of became more comfortable doing more outreach stuff with the community, and that started with doing the Book Day videos with Ms. Bartels. That was the big catalyst moment, those were the big projects I had to do that were later screened at a schoolwide assembly, and I think I learned a lot from those Book Day videos. There were two my junior year - one was focused solely on interviewing faculty about “Between the World and Me,” and then the second one was interviewing solely students. Then, going forward, so many people would come up to me and ask me to do things for various clubs and events, and I was more than happy to do them. I made promotional videos for Relay for Life, the dance concert, and Pippin. Last year I did the “Letting Go” ceremony for the senior class, and this year again I did Book Day trailers - similar vein. And then of course the Alma Mater rap video this year and the sequel to that - I think those have been the big projects I showed at assemblies, and all of them were very rewarding in different ways. TR: Do you think filmmaking has given you a special perspective on the school and on the school’s events? MB: I definitely think that I’ve met people here and gotten to work with people that I never would have interacted with otherwise. Dr. Amir is a great example, someone I had never met before but then through the Alma Mater rap video I got to know him, and he’s such a fascinating person to talk to. I also think doing the 2018 class music videos pushed me out of my comfort zone to interact with some people in my own so I definitely would say it’s given me a different perspective on the Horace Mann community and pushed me to be more involved and learn more about various things like the Music Tech department or people working in the Art Studio or all these different groups of people. TR: Have there been any directors that stood out to you and influenced your work? MB: Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarrantino, Steven Spielberg, particularly for me, had a huge impact on me when I was a child. I think directors who have a very distinctive style definitely stand out and I think it makes me question what I want my style to be and how I want to stand out from other filmmakers. TR: What is the next step for you? MB: Next fall I’ll be attending Northwestern, and I’ll be majoring in radio television film there, which I’m super excited about. I might combine that with some other study in a double major, but I definitely want film to be my primary focus. Anything else would just be adding to what I want to do in film, and I hope to pursue some career in the film industry in the future. TR: Any tips for aspiring filmmakers? MB: Each film you make should be the best film you’ve made up until that point. I think you always want to be learning from your past projects. An example that sticks out to me was the first Book Day video I made, I tried to do a green screen and it ended up being a disaster - it took hours and hours to get the green screen to look normal- and so going forward I knew that wasn’t the way to go, but definitely don’t be afraid to try things and then learn from those mistakes moving forward.
On Thursday, June 14, nearly two hundred students from orchestra, band, steel drums, and choir will depart from NYC for a week-long music trip to Hawaii. The trip will consist of musical performances, learning opportunities, and visits to cultural sites. The group will stay near Waikiki beach on the island of Oahu. Chair of the music department and choir director Timothy Ho played a large role in organizing thetrip. As a native Hawaiian, Ho has often incorporated Hawaiian music and culture in his teaching. “I think there is no better person to visit Hawaii with than Mr. Ho,” Glee Club member Joshua Doolan (12) said. “His expertise and his experience with the Hawaiian culture is going to make this, I believe, the most special trip throughout my entire Horace Mann experience,” he said. “The trip serves to really expose the students here to what it means to be a native Hawaiian,” said Ho. “For me, it’s personal because I feel like I have been met with such warmth and understanding and love from my students here. My students have taken any sort of Hawaiian music or knowledge to heart, and they’ve taken it very seriously. This trip is really the next step, understanding me and my culture from the most
intimate and specific way possible, by actually taking them to the community of people I was raised in.” Lauren Smith (12) will attend the trip and has been a part of Glee Club her whole high school career, she said. “I’m really excited to be able to go with Mr. Ho because this is something that has meant so much to him,” Smith said. Recently graduated seniors, some of whom have worked with Ho for years, are looking forward to the trip. “There’s something really great about having this experience,” Smith said. “Starting your summer, but also feeling connected to a community that has really meant a lot to you.” There will be multiple performances for each of the many ensembles spread across the seven days. Performance venues include senior centers, shopping malls, church services, among other places. In addition to performing, the ensembles will get the chance to learn about Hawaiian culture at a number of events during the trip. Students will visit ‘Iolani Palace, from Hawaii’s monarchy in the 18th and 19th century and take a guided tour of the palace and learn more about Hawaiian history. At the palace, Glee Club will sing “Makalapua” and Concert Glee will sing “Ku‘u Pua I Paoakalani.” Both of these songs hold significance for the venue. “Makalapua” was written for Queen Liliuokalani, who was
imprisoned in ‘Iolani Palace, and “Ku‘u Pua I Paoakalani” was written by Liliuokalani herself during her imprisonment. Later in the trip, students will go to the Paepae o He‘eia fishponds, which was one of the highlights of the last trip, according to Ho. Since the site is entirely run by native Hawaiians, the ensembles will follow traditional Hawaiian protocols before entering. “We’ve had a chant written for us specifically for this trip. It’s a beautiful chant,” Ho said. Kapena, a Hawaiian language specialist, conducted interviews at the school and used research from an indigenous first nation perspective in order to write a chant in Hawaiian for Horace Mann to use as identification in traditional Hawaiian protocols. Other highlights of the trip include a visit to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona memorial, a day at Ala Moana Beach Park, a stop at the Dole Pineapple Plantation, and a cultural exchange with the Kamehameha School, Ho’s alma mater. This trip has been in the works since the last trip to Hawaii, which was in 2013, Ho said. “We identified this year’s senior class when they were still in Middle School,” Ho said. Ho also mentioned that because of the success of the last trip, this trip will follow a similar itinerary.
Out on the Town: Summer Theater Recs by Opinions Editor Rebecca Salzhauer (12)
Sweeney Todd This Off-Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s dark epic musical transferred from London last season is about what a barber loses in his spiral of revenge. This production of Sweeney Todd, which is set in a struggling pie shop, is staged in a functioning restaurant similar to the fictional one of the show. As you sit in your worn down, painted wooden booth, you’ll become fully immersed in the world of the story. Actors use all parts of the theater as performance space, creating an intimate and inventive experience. The score by (my fave) Sondheim is a complex and chilling masterpiece, and I couldn’t help but feel completely transported into the story when I saw it.
Once on this Island
This revival takes the musical Once on this Island, a retelling of the Little Mermaid story set on an unnamed island in the Antilles, and sets in in the wake of a natural disaster on an island. The show is at Circle in the Square, so it’s in the round, meaning that the seats are all around the stage situated on the floor in the middle of the room. The stage is a sandy beach and the actors, who initially portray a community of people cooking food and crowding around a fire after the storm, take on the roles of their characters as the begin to tell the story. Director Michael Arden’s staging is inventive and impressive. The cohesive company of actors make a hurricane, a speeding car, and more as they sing and dance through the exuberant and emotional score. Also the actors are INCREDIBLE! Hailey Kilgore, who plays Ti Moune, the female lead, was nominated for a Tony Award and she’s only 19.
Angels in America This play, which is presented in two parts, is 100% worth the nearly eight hours it runs. This incredible production of Tony Kushner’s play set at the height of the AIDS epidemic, in anticipation of the new millennium, is extremely current. It deals with issues of identity, acceptance (or lack thereof), loss, philosophy, politics, spirituality and pretty much anything else you can possibly imagine. Kushner’s incredibly human characters along with truly masterful acting and direction will have you laughing, crying, nodding in agreement, and challenging your own beliefs. The intricate rotating set trimmed with neon lights and the technical execution of the play’s supernatural elements add so much to the production. I really enjoyed this show, and I would highly recommend it.
HORACE MANN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 5TH, 2018
Photos courtesy of HM Flickr
HMTC & HMDC Year in Review
Marina Kazarian & Gabby Kepnes Staff Writers
From Rappaccini Variations in the fall to Pippin in the spring and student choreographed dances throughout the year, both the Horace Mann Theatre Company (HMTC) and the Horace Mann Dance Company (HMDC) have had a year filled with diverse opportunities for students to get involved in performances. While both companies are distinct, many of the members overlap, Theatre, Dance & Film Studies Department Chair Alison Kolinski said. The theatre company has produced a variety of major shows this year. This includes the student written one acts, by the playwriting and production class, which HMTC co-President Rebecca Salzhauer really loved because it brings student work to the stage, she said. “The students who are involved in all the backstage work are often times then used in many other capacities for Gross Theatre because they’ve developed this skill-set that is very much needed. Our crew gets involved in assemblies and they run Middle Division shows as well,” Theater Arts Teacher Alexis Dahl said. “Even though we have many advisors and teachers, there is that student-run aspect of it,” HMTC co-president Benjamin Rosenbaum (11) said. Members of the HMDC can choreograph and dance in pieces. “The HMDC is an environment in which people are really able to participate in dance in any sort of way,” HMDC co-president Lauren Smith (12) said.
Once every four years, there is a faculty dance concert and for the other three years, there is a student choreographed dance concert. This year was the student choreographed dance concert. Members of the HMDC also performed during Homecoming, Buzzell, and various assemblies this year, Smith said. A typical rehearsal day or practice consists of a group warm up, a work list from the director, and then actually starting to rehearse, Dahl said. In preparation for their shows, members of the HMTC rehearse on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays after school. Before they start their scene work, they do fun warm ups that include playing games and bonding, Rosenbaum said. Yana Gitelman (9), who has been dancing for most of her life, just joined the HMDC this year. “HMDC is where I’ve made some of my closest friends,” Gitelman said. “Most of the members are upperclassmen, which has helped my transition to high school with less pressure on joining clubs since I knew this was what I wanted to be a part of,” Gitelman said. The HMTC allowed Rosenbaum to express his true self and explore his artistic side, he said. Student voices played an important role in this particular season. Student’s voices were heard through the plays they wrote and the discussions they had about performances, Dahl said. After the shooting that ocurred at a concert in Las Vegas this year, Salzhauer and Rosenbaum decided to prepare a staged reading of “Bang Bang You’re Dead,” Salzhauer said. In honor of “V-day” and speaking out against the abuse of women, there was a staged reading of “A Memory, A Monologue, A
Rant, A Prayer” from the Vagina Monologues, Dahl said. Besides performances held at school, HMDC had numerous field trips where the company bonds and gets together, Kolinski said. “For MLK weekend, the company went to Dorr to work on choreography for the Student Choreographed Dance Concert,” Kolinski said. During the Dorr trip, the HMDC members danced all day and watched dance related movies with no pressure, Kolinski said. In May, the company also saw “Carousel “at Lincoln Center for yet another chance to bond and become closer, she said. “Something that we are trying to start is a service learning component to the theatre and dance clubs on campus. I would love to see us bringing our knowledge and experience with theatre as well as the resources that we are lucky enough to have to people who might not have exposure to them,” Salzhauer said. “Similarly to HMTC, in the future for HMDC, we hope to incorporate a service learning project where we would be able to perform for different kinds of groups and teach dance to other kids in the community, expanding HMDC outside of HM,” Smith said. This year was unique because the HMTC reached out to the school community as a whole more frequently and tried to provide more opportunities for people to participate in the performances by spreading information about auditions and staged readings, Rosenbaum said. The company plans to do this in the future, he said.
15
16
THE RECORD FEATURES JUNE 5TH, 2018
Editorial Goodbyes
Gustie Owens Editor in Chief
Volume 115 Board: I have no doubt that I just spent endless hours brainstorming, trello-ing, crosswording, over-caffeinating, and reporting with future Nobel Prize winners, devoted senators, incredible doctors, and reigning hot dog eating contest champions. And although I am certain you will obtain those and many other accomplishments, working with you all this year has transformed my understanding of what success is. In our Unity Week issue and coverage throughout the year, we were able to elevate voices, celebrate differences, and pin-point where our school can improve, from starting conversations about sexual harassment through op-eds or leading the school to change testing center policy through our news coverage. Without needing to be the loudest people in the room, our ability to listen and diligently report on our community affected change. The Record gave us a unique opportunity to learn an incredible amount about Horace Mann, for better and for worse, and to contribute to an illustrious 115-year legacy. Lynne and Volume 116: At the end of the day, you need to be a community to serve a community. Listen to everyone’s ideas, support each other in taking risks, pursue difficult stories, and make sure to laugh along the way. I’m so excited to subscribe to The Record and see more people have the incredible opportunity to contribute to the school. And I hope you all look forward to receiving numerous Letters to the Editor from a crazy alumna on the Upper West Side, because I promise, they’re coming!
Eve Kazarian
Managing Editor I joined The Record because I wanted to contribute to the process of writing and preserving a community’s story. After all The Record is a record of the school for over a century. Since my first article, I have interviewed alumni that have become New Yorker cartoonists, pilots, artists, and coaches. I learned about my classmate’s hidden talents and watched friends perform in musicals. By writing each piece, I was able to learn a new story and share it with the community. So my first thank you goes out to the students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Thank you for making each piece possible, and sharing your voice. I know finding interview time in your busy schedule is difficult, but hopefully the joy of seeing your ideas in print makes up for it.
I would also like to thank Volume 115. You guys have been my family. I know each board is unique, and I am so glad to be part of this group. Even though we had some crazy moments (the Hamilton dances, Trello background debates, ridiculous puns, among others), we produced some amazing pages this year. To Gustie: Thank you for being the best Editor in Chief I could hope for. I am always stunned by your ideas for the paper, even if they involve considering a 48 page issue or comparing Volumes from decades ago. To Betsey: I cannot wait to see what you do to the paper. You are diligent and dedicated; you never hesitate to accept a last-minute assignment or swim an extra event. It is shocking how you are able to balance so many commitments with grace. I am sure these qualities will get you, and the paper next year, very far. And thank you and farewell to The Record. Volume 115 has hung up every issue this year on the board in the Student Publications office. Most of them have yellowed by now. As I look at these pages, I feel content that these issues will forever be preserved in the school’s archives, waiting to be discovered by generations to come.
Mahika Hari Issues Editor
Each year, I’ve watched the seniors graduate and the new classes rise to take their place. But now, just like clockwork, it’s the Class of 2018’s time to leave and the Class of 2019’s time to take our place as seniors. Weirdly, I never really thought this day would come. No more first days filled with nervous excitement, being late to the bus in the morning, rain or shine trips to Dunkin’, snacks in the Lib during break, sitting on the bleachers on the main field with my friends, “mandatory” grade meetings, FLIK’s chocolate chip muffins, Slearn site visits, and no more Records causing a stir all over the school each Friday. Joining The Record in 10th grade was one of the riskiest things I did in my 11 years here. Before, I’d always tried to play it safe, only applying for things I knew for sure I’d get and staying well within my comfort zone. When I got my first article, I was actually terrified. Reaching out to new people and interviewing them, walking into the StuPub and talking to the editors - it was all so scary!! After that, I remember holding my breath while checking my email every weekend, hoping I wouldn’t be assigned an article that week. But after writing a few more, I fell in love with it. I began to understand the value of being on a school newspaper beyond sharing news with the community. Every article I was assigned was a chance to meet someone new, to hear
a stranger’s story, and to give someone a voice and recognition. Being a part of The Record has shown me the multidimensionality of HM, provided me with a family full of incredible people whose talent and hard work I’m stunned by every week, and given me a kind of confidence and assertiveness I will forever carry with me. And now as I’m getting ready to end my journey as a student at HM, I realize this is all I could have asked for from my time here. Thank you Record!! I’ll miss you.
Yeeqin New
News Editor
I can still remember the first article I had ever written– it was a review of a student art show in Fisher gallery– and the anxiety I had before each interview for that piece. But that nervous energy has long faded, and I can’t imagine high school without the Record. Although all my frees were taken up with interviews and Tuesday nights were filled with frantic, last minute article writing, I loved every second of my time as both a writer and an editor. Thank you Volume 115 and Mr. Berenson, for making Thursdays nights the highlight of my week. I can’t imagine a more engaging, hilarious group of people to work with, and you all teach me something new each Press Night. Gustie, I’m grateful for your patience and dedication to making this newspaper the best that it can be. It’s a miracle that you can somehow balance being chill and a friend with making sure we put out an issue each week. You are one of the most impressive people I know, and your creativity amazes me constantly. Sam, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner through all the canceled articles, last minute photo requests, and scrappy layouts. Thank you for driving me home, for making me laugh, and for being genuinely caring every week. To Surya and Katie: managing the News section will be hard at times, but know that it is completely worth it. Surya, your positivity and enthusiasm shines through in every article you write, and I know you will bring that much needed energy to the News section. Katie, I always look forward to the dedication and attention to detail in each of your articles, and that drive will make you a fantastic News editor. I am genuinely excited to see where you two will take the News section.
Sam Heller News Editor
To board Volume 115: Most of you guys I hardly knew going into the record, and yet by the last sophomore press night I couldn’t wait to
spend the rest of junior year with you guys. There is not a single person on the board who does not add something to making each press night more enjoyable. Even though I have to put up with constant comparisons to Toby and have to listen to you guys belt out Hamilton, I still have looked forward to every thursday for the past 2 years. I’m gonna miss procrastinating my Record work with you guys. Gustie: You have left an extremely large impact on the Record and made changes that will affect the paper for years to come. Your constant push to try to make the paper better and have inspired me and the others to work harder. You have helped be out so much this year and I am so happy to have work with you on the record. Yeeqin: I honestly could not have asked for a better news editor. You always made press night a lot of fun and somehow seemed to have the same extremely odd sense of humor as I do. I cannot recall a time that we weren’t on the same page with how we wanted the new pages to look and never had any trouble splitting up the work. Most impressively though, you were somehow able to put up with me which without too much trouble, and that is honestly the most impressive skill. Even though I constantly tell you how much I hate you, I can’t imagine having run news this year without you. To Surya and Katie: You guys did an amazing job running the news section your week and I know you guys will do an even better job working together next year. Good luck and make sure to have fun with it!
Nikki Sheybani Design Editor
I’ve spent 88.2% of my life at Horace Mann. I’ve reached this staggering number in no small part because of the 18 hours I’ve spent each Thursday at HM, starting swim practice at 6 am and finishing press nights at 12 am. But I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else. If you’re wondering why press nights trumped sleep and studying, you haven’t met the board I’m proud and lucky to be a part of. Despite scuffles over the aux, botched Tierney’s orders, spreads in color instead of registration, I wouldn’t trade those weekly six hours for the world. To the 2018 board: witnessing your ceaseless hard-work, unparalleled enthusiasm, and genuine passion for our paper has truly been awe-inspiring. I never thought a little computer lab, two boxes of FreshDirect, and unwavering sass could bring together a disparate group of people, but I’m forever grateful that it did. Thank you for filling my senior year with laughs and memories (both fond and traumatic). Friendly reminder, I love you guys.
17
HORACE MANN FEATURES JUNE 5TH, 2018
Seiji Murakami & Rebecca Salzhauer Opinions Editors
We never thought the time would come when we would have to say goodbye to this crazy, sometime mind-draining, mostly wonderful thing called The Record. This year has been a wild ride. We won’t lie and say that balancing the senior year work, the college process, extracurriculars, a multi-million dollar tech start-up, a sizable butter-churning business, and a hit reality T.V. show all the while trying to get out at 8:03 p.m. like a manatee has been easy. But that’s not to say it wasn’t worth it. Every writer we worked with, every editorial we started way too late, and every painstakinglychosen headline has made our experience so rewarding. The opinions section is unique for rarely having the availability of the experienced Record staff, but it was more than worth it to work with students of all ages this year for every piece that was published. We have a rare connection with the community that the other sections don’t, it has been a privilege. But the real reason we’ve loved our time with The Record is the group of people we’ve gotten to share it with. We truly love this hysterical, caring, cohesive, zany bunch of Record Kids™. We don’t know what we’ll do without your press night shenanigans. We’ll miss you all. We hope that Volume 116 can find the same kind of joy in each other that our group has. To Abigail and Becca– Don’t be afraid to pursue controversial pieces, stay vigilant when things get rough, and know how much potential this section has to make concrete change. The voices of everyone should be heard, and you have the power to help make that happen. The opinions section is in such good hands next year, and we’re so excited to see what you do. To Mr. Berenson - Even though we had our fair share of squabbles, you always maintained your sense of humor and dedication to the paper. We can’t thank you enough, and we really do appreciate your unwavering support. To Gustie - Thank you for being the best EIC, mother, and hedgehog pal we could ask for. We can’t imagine anyone else having done your job. Your constant creativity, innovation, and collaborative leadership skills are what made this volume happen.
making sure that we are being good journalists and helping the younger students become better journalists. Also, please never stop wearing the bedazzled sweatshirt that I made. Volume 115, we made it!
Jonathan Katz Arts Editor
I joined The Record because wanted to know how the newspapers materialized seemingly out of thin air every week like clockwork. What followed was a progression of emails sent to half the student body, frees packed with interviews, and extensive edits that lacerated my verbose drafts in half. I even waited outside the offices of administrators to ambush them for quotes. It was exhausting, but I loved it: I was learning about my new school through reporting. It wasn’t until junior year when I truly realized why The Record has its cult following: press night. I got to spend all of Thursday with my friends singing, brainstorming, and stuffing my face with Tierney’s chicken pesto paninis. The stress of 11th grade melted away for one night a week. Now, as the editor of The Arts and Entertainment page, I get to develop stories about my favorite artists and the latest theater productions, all with the most fantastic co-editor I could hope for: Joanne Wang. I could not be more grateful for you, Joanne. You have pushed me to be more creative with my layouts, saved me with new ideas, and made me laugh ceaselessly while spending hours on spreads. Thank you Mr. Berenson for always offering insights into my articles and for being objectively the best Secret Santa I have ever had. Your wisdom and wit have made The Record the strongest high school paper in the country. And finally, thank you Gustie. You have created a collaborative and fun-loving atmosphere that not only consistently produces professional and up-to-date journalism, but also creative and fresh content. Jeren and Peri, I know the page is in great hands. Don’t be afraid to push the boundaries of “Arts and Entertainment”: this is your chance to get creative and make this section take any direction you want. I hope writing your Record goodbye makes you as nostalgic and grateful as I feel right now.
Natasha Poster
Joanne Wang
Features Editor
Arts Editor
The moment I read the goodbyes from last year, I knew how difficult writing my own would be. The Record has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my Horace Mann career, and I am forever thankful for all of the memories I have made with this board. The Record has expanded my appreciation for my community. It has shown me how passionate and dedicated Horace Mann students and faculty members are. It has forced me to check my facts, to dig deep, and to understand that two sources are never enough. The Record has become a family. In high school, it is easy to get caught up in a small group of friends, and sometimes it is hard to branch out from something that you feel so secure in. We have defied this convention. I am so lucky to be a part of such a diverse editorial board. We all have different friends and do different things throughout each day, but every Thursday we come together to lay out the newspaper, laugh, sing, dance, and just talk with no tension at all. Board 115, I love you all and I am going to miss our Thursday nights so much. You are all so creative and passionate, and I have no doubt that you will all go on to do amazing things. Tiffany, I’m so proud of what we have done this year and I couldn’t have asked for a better co-editor. Gustie, your creativity and drive as EIC is something I admire so much about you. You push us all to try new things, and this volume will go down as one of the best yet because of how much care you put into every detail. Mr. Berenson, thank you for putting up with us every Thursday and for
Being the Arts & Entertainment co-Editor has been amazing, as the position gave me the power to highlight the ample student talent and include these spotlights in the primary written records of our school’s history. Jonathan Katz and I focused the attention to only two to three stories each week to allow thorough appreciation of what individuals and clubs accomplish inside and outside of school. In addition to the Editorial Board that has become a second family to me and all those who have written or drawn for me this year, I would like to thank several specific people: Gustie Owens: You have been an amazing EIC this year, always striving to improve The Record with new and creative additions. Thank you for trusting me each week to finish my layout, even though I always start at press night. Your dedication is unquestionable, as you literally dream about The Record. Ariella Greenberg: Thank you so much for being the insanely talented artist you are and sharing your abilities with us each week. Without you, Jonathan and my abstract idea for Rappaccini Variations would never have become a reality. And guess what? We would like to thank the academy at Columbia Scholastic Press Association because our centerfold is now best in the country. Being a part of Record and Volume 115 has truly been an integral part of my high school experience, and I am proud that you guys will continue to devote your time to preserve the quality of our paper.
Ella Feiner
Freya Lindvall
My freshman year, I soon realized that The Record was special. It didn’t just attract a particular group of participants based on a shared interest or talent. Instead, it pulled a broadly diverse sampling of students from each grade. Instead of being united by our passions for certain activities or sports, we all shared a love of writing and a desire to contribute to our school community. Being a part of The Record editorial board has been one of the highlights of my senior year, and I am so grateful to have had the unique opportunity to be a part of this unique community. Thanks to all of Volume 115 for providing me with three years of laughter and Aoyu-filled Thursday nights. Whether we’re brainstorming puns, arguing about whether regular or hint of lime Tostitos are better, or running through the pouring rain in Van Cortlandt Park, I’ll always be grateful that The Record has allowed me to form bonds with each and every one of you. To *insert MD editor(s) for next year* here, I know you’ll do an incredible job with the section next year. Make sure to finally run that bar and bat mitzvah exposé and get all the scoop on 8th grade Dorr!
As the year winds down, I write to you on behalf of the photo editors, Amrita and Abi, for the Record Volume 115. The year has flew by but in a weird way I’ve always looked forward to my late nights spent in the StuPub with friends who I’ve come to call my family. Record is something I signed up for as a freshman just to have an excuse to take more photos. Over the years, however, I’ve learned a lot more about the specific type of photos that are needed to make a publication like Record so exceptional. To be a photo editor means I’m partially in charge of the photos that go out every week. It’s Amrita, Abi’s, and my job to make sure all assignments are sent out each week to photographers, contributing or staff, who understand what shot is needed to make an article come to life. In my opinion, it’s the visuals that make this newspaper so exceptional. Without them, there is no Record, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to make sure every Friday there are excellent visuals to accompany the variety of articles for that issue, even if it means sacrificing some sleep Thursday night. From goofy cult-like photos to picnics ending in thunderstorms I’m glad I spent all the time I did with this board and couldn’t imagine a better group of people to recreate the Office with. I wish my best to the board as well of the Class of 2018thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me and helping me grow.
Middle Division Editor
Sarah Shin
Middle Division Editor Four years ago, I never imagined writing for the Record. It seemed intimidating, time consuming, and frankly, a lot of work. Looking back, I realized that although most of my suspicions were true, the Record was also incredibly fun and rewarding. Thank you to the Record for helping me break out of my shell, even if it was only a little bit, and for giving me an opportunity to explore the unfamiliar world of journalism. I was so honored to have been able to work with such a kind, hardworking, and energetic group of people for the past year. Thank you Volume 115 for creating such a fun and active environment at every Press Night, making it one of the most memorable parts of senior year. A special thank you to Gustie for having been the best EIC ever-- I can’t imagine having worked with anyone else. And lastly, of course, an extra big thank you to Mr. Berenson for all the time and effort you poured in to making our paper so amazing. Finally, to Sandhya: I have complete faith that you will make MD great next year. The section is truly what you make of it, so don’t be afraid to try new and cool things out. Have fun! It’s so bittersweet finally saying bye to the Record. I am so proud of having been part of Volume 115, and I’ll always treasure my time spent working on the paper. I can’t wait to see what the Record will look like next year-- Good luck, Volume 116!
Ariella Greenberg Arts Director
I’m not going to lie, the school newspaper was the last thing I expected to be a part of - but I feel blessed to be put into this position. I’ll miss press nights with you all, and rides back from Sam, and just seeing the same five of you in the stu-pub every day at school. This board (and room) has made my high school experience into something I never envisioned and also showed me the different experiences my art can open me up to. I can’t wait to see what every single one of you is doing in the future because you are all so tremendously talented and hardworking. Gustie thank you for being so amazing and having hilariously weird and unusable drawing ideas 11pm on press nights. And thanks Mr. Berenson for asking me to draw for the record when I was in 10th cause I wouldn’t have gotten to be a part of this great board if it wasn’t for that.
Photo Editor
Ricardo Pinnock
Lions’ Den Editor
I don’t mean to trash the other sections, but no section is as fun as Lions’ Den. Lions’ Den, which for the 2017-18 school year basically included the photo editors and Nikki, probably sped up the rate at which Mr. Berenson gets gray hairs. We have the best love triangle in Record history, thanks to Abi, Peter and NIkki. I’m not gonna lie and say that the year went by in a flash, nor would I ever call my time as a Record senior “easy;” but press nights with the #RecordFam were, without a doubt, some of the best nights of the year. In my humble and biased opinion, The Record is the best publication at the school, so you know you have it all when you are part of the funnest section in the school’s best publication. The best piece of advice I could give you is to enjoy your time as an editor to the best of your ability. Trust me, enjoying the moment won’t always be easy. I urge you to power through the first trimester and the hell weeks because the paper means so much to the school. The Record means so much to me that I don’t care about the stupid criticisms because those people don’t know how much goes into running one of the only student-led award winning weekly papers in the country. People really don’t know how much work we put in week in and week out, and nothing feels better than seeing your hard work come to fruition on a weekly basis. I coined the hashtag, #RecordNeverSleeps, which honestly is one of the truest things a Record editor has ever said. You only get one day of rest, Friday, where you can relish how good the paper looks, then you have to get right back to work to plan for the next issue. Because of The Record, I was able to interact with some many people on their turf, talking about activities that they took part in. The reporting aspect of writing was my favorite part of my time on The Record, as it actually renewed my love for HM. As an editor, I missed the reporting process, but I loved being behind the scenes because I found out the news before it became news to the rest of the community. Finally, to Will, Brody, and Natasha/Jeren, I am so much faith in all of you! I’m not lying when I say that you have what it takes to do it! Carry on the LD torch proudly. Much love, Ricardo
18
THE RECORD THE NEW BOARD JUNE 5TH, 2018
HANG IN THERE, BABY Get ready for Volume 116 You got this!
Abigail Goldberg-Zelizer Opinions Editor
Abby Kanter Features Editor
Abigail Kraus Senior Photo Editor
Ahaan Palla Junior Photo Editor
Allison DeRose Design Editor
Becca Siegel Opinions Editor
Betsey Bennett Managing Editor
Brody McGuinn Lions’ Den Editor
Caroline Kaplan Design Editor
Jackson Roberts Art Director
Jake Shapiro Junior Photo Editor
Jeren Wei A&E Editor
Juli Moreira Art Director
Katie Goldenberg News Editor
Lynne Siprelle Editor-in-Chief
Megha Nelivigi Features Editor
Natasha Stange Lions’ Den Editor
Peri Brooks A&E Editor
Sadie Schwartz Issues Editor
Sandhya Shyam Middle Division Editor
Solomon Katz Columnist
Surya Gowda News Editor
Tenzin Sherpa Columnist
Will Han Lions’ Den Editor
David Berenson Faculty Adviser
19
HORACE MANN FEATURES JUNE 5TH, 2018
Investigating the phenomenon of students applying...
Betsey Bennett Staff Writer
Why did you decide to apply early? To get the process
11
OVER WITH
33 It seemed like it was
more applications for fewer spots,” Oxelson said. “And that’s why it’s okay if kids go into regular decision, but they have to understand what The number of students applying that means, that their chances at a to early action and early decision school that they really like could have schools has increased significantly actually gone down.” over the years, according to Executive Among the seniors polled, which Director of College Counseling Canh may differ from the official college Oxelson. matriculation statistics, 60 percent Around 90 percent of seniors apply reported that they plan to attend a to a college before December 1st each school that they applied to early. year, Oxelson said. And additionally, According to Smith, there was in a recent anonymous poll conducted pressure from the school community by The Record, 97.3 percent of 113 to apply early. seniors who responded, reported “I didn’t even think twice whether applying to one or more schools it was an option or not or whether under an early admissions plan. to apply early,” Smith said. “It’s just Almost half of all respondents something that you do, it’s what applied to more than one school early, people have done in the past, that’s with 48.2 percent of seniors applying what I’m going to do too and I didn’t to one early decision school and one give it a second thought.” or more early action schools. Chloe Bown (12) had similar “Kids are thinking it would be nice motivations when applying to her to have this over with, and one of the early decision school. ways to do that is to be admitted to “I’d love to say that it was just purely an early school, early action or early because I was obsessed with the decision,” Oxelson said. school that I applied to, but I definitely Brooke Hailey (12) had this in think knowing mind when applying everyone else “Early on there were rumors of people making early to Washington applies early University in St. lists of where other people were applying early and i n f l u e n c e d Louis. me, especially “I think just the things like that.” because I am the idea of being done - Jazmine Smith (12) oldest sibling and early was really, didn’t have much really nice,” Hailey to base off of,” Bown said. said. “I think I could’ve gone for a than wait,” Smith said. This increase in early applications The early decision process incited harder school and given it a shot, is happening on a national scale. competitiveness between some even if it was a shot in the dark, but An article published in the New students, Smith said. then I knew that I would’ve had to go “Early on there were rumors of through all of the other applications.” York Times on April 10th revealed 33 percent of seniors polled said that some colleges accept nearly half people making lists of where other that they decided to apply early of their freshman class through early people were applying early and things decision programs. For example, like that,” Smith said. “People wanted decision to get the process over with. According to Oxelson, applying Duke University reported last year to know who else applied to their early does not mean that your GPA that they accepted just under 51% school and how many kids and what or test scores can be lower, despite the of their freshman class in the early their information was.” decision pool. The regular decision round created misconceptions of some students. “That’s one of the reasons we say a more relaxed atmosphere between “The difference between regular and early decision is just the size of that you have to make a good decision students because many students had the applicant pool,” Oxelson said. early, because if you do end up in gotten in somewhere, Smith said. Some students would like to change “You just have a smaller group of regular decision, you have to know that it’s going to be more competitive, the culture of the school community applications, so it’s easier to stand surrounding the early application process. “I think that the emphasis ED has gotten has made it kind of a tricky subject at school, because everyone here is aware that people have gotten in early and no one realizes that most people don’t get in early,” Hailey said. “It created this climate that is kind of dangerous for the community, and people don’t know how to act.” Rahmin wishes that students would minimize the buzz around the subject and instead focus on what is best for them, she said. “I think that in the few months leading up to early decision, it’s really all people talk about: it’s in the library, it’s in the hallways, it’s in the locker rooms,” Rahmin said. “I think it’s important to try to minimize that buzz and view the process for what it is: you are thinking about what educational institution will best fit you in the next chapter of your life.” Bown and Smith, both of whom did not get accepted to their first choice schools, felt some disappointment in the winter, especially surrounded by many students who were admitted. “Everyone is going through it at the same time so you can’t really escape it, everyone’s talking about it,” Bown said. “The week that decisions come Spyri Potamopoulous/Staff Artist
out.” Parul Sharma (12), who was accepted in the early decision round at Emory, paid close attention to this difference in application pool size. “Early decision for any school definitely does increase your chances and for me that definitely played a role in my decision to apply early,” Sharma said. “I knew that if I applied regular like a lot of students, I might not have gotten in.” According to Oxelson, the number of early action applications has increased dramatically. “For early action, kids used to apply to a couple of early action schools, but now we see kids applying to five early action schools sometimes,” Oxelson said. Jazmine Smith (12) chose to apply to her first choice school, Harvard, via their restrictive early action program. Smith also applied to two state schools through early action. “UNC and UVA were two schools that I liked, so I figured I could find out about some colleges early rather
EXPECTED
out, it can be really tough if you don’t get positive news and a lot of people around you did.” According to Oxelson, some students have regrets about where they applied early. “It’s almost a fear of missing out regret,” Oxelson said. “Are you really disappointed? No, but I think you’re wondering what would have happened had you decided not to apply early decision to this school and apply regular decision to some of these other schools.” Sharma, for example, had doubts initially about her early acceptance to Emory. “Some people would question it and be like ‘oh but you’re so smart, why didn’t you apply here?’ or ‘you could have applied to an Ivy’ or something like that,” Sharma said. “I got that from a lot of people, so it definitely made me question my decision, but now that I’ve gotten in and it’s been a couple of months I definitely don’t regret it at all.” In the end, Sharma was happy to be done with the process early, she said. Armand Dang (12) had a similar experience after being accepted early to the University of Chicago. “Definitely after ED I thought about ‘maybe I could have applied to other places,’ but I think that UChicago is a pretty good fit for me so no regrets really,” Dang said. From a developmental standpoint, forcing students to make a choice in November about where they will be spending their next four years is unreasonable, Oxelson said. However, he understands why colleges offer the choice. “It’s not like the process is built around the development of teenagers, it’s built on what the institutional needs of the colleges really are,” Oxelson said. “It’s not because they think kids at that age are best equipped to make the decision, it’s because colleges want some certainty.” According to Gettysburg College
Percentages based on an anonymous survey of all seniors, to which 113 responded.
To apply to a
41 REACH Senior Associate Director of Admissions Darryl Jones, early decision is very beneficial for colleges. “The yield on acceptances to enrollees is one to one, admitted early decision students build enthusiasm for colleges at their schools and on social media, and we love admitting students who are competitive and who love us,” Jones said. Another important factor that many students must consider when deciding where to apply early is financial aid. According to Gabi Sheybani ‘17, applying early requires you to lock yourself into the financial aid package at one school before seeing how much aid other schools can offer you. Sheybani was accepted in Early Decision II to the University of Chicago, but she had to back out of her commitment after discovering that the financial aid package the school was offering her was not enough for her and her family. “What you can do regular decision that you cannot necessarily do early is that you can compare financial aid packages amongst schools, which is really important,” Sheybani said. “I had a few other options and I ended up choosing the school that was both the best fit for me and had a relatively good package.” Sheybani wishes that she had had more access to information about financial aid earlier on in the process and that she had understood the important role that financial aid would play in her college decisions. “I think the College Counseling Office is really good with financial aid once you reach out to those resources, but that’s not something that’s necessarily talked about from the get-go, which is kind of a problem,” Sheybani said. “I think that then some students don’t necessarily understand the magnitude that it can have on the decisions that they are making.”
20
THE RECORD COLLEGE MAP JUNE 5TH, 2018
! h O
!
the Places l l ’ y e h T Go
California
Connecticut
District of Columbia
Illinois
Louisiana
HARVEY MUDD
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
NORTHWESTERN
TULANE UNIVERSITY
Eve Kazarian Nora Nickerson
Teddy Keegan Jonah Newmark
George Loewenson Charlie Hayman Mari Nakagawa Grace Sander (‘23)
Maggie Brill Charlie Wallach Sam Heller James Arcieri Binah Schatsky
Anna Yarosh Valerie Maier Grant Kaufman Chloe Bown Helena Adler Isabela Watson Nicky Rile
STANFORD UNIVERSITY Kayla Thomas UNIVERSITY OF SANTA BARBARA Jivan Khakee UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Sydney Pergament Zoe Vogelsang Ruby Wertheimer Devin Kleiner Alex St. Jean Ariella Greenberg
YALE UNIVERSITY Aurora Grutman Elizabeth Raab Honor McCarthy Rebecca Salzhauer Ethan Finley Thelo Coleman Daniel Posner
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Isabel Adolf
Georgia EMORY UNIVERSITY Phoebe Williams Stephen Angelakos Parul Sharma Arriana Serrano Julian Dubeck
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO Kyra Hill Daniel Kramer Samuel Stephenson Mahika Hari Sanford Kim Yeeqin New Armand Dang Evan Frommer William Hah Arjun Voruganti Jacqueline Lee (‘23) Joshua Abbott (‘23) Zoe Mavrides Ben Jacobs
Maine COLBY COLLEGE Lutie Brown Zaie Nursey
Massachusetts AMHERST COLLEGE Maya Scholnick Sophia Fikke
21
HORACE MANN COLLEGE MAP JUNE 5TH, 2018 Drawing by Ariella Greenberg
New Hampshire DARTMOUTH COLLEGE James Baumann
PRINCETON
CARNEGIE MELLON
Beatrix Bondor Ella Feiner
Seiji Murakami Govind Menon Sarah Shin
New York
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE
BARD COLLEGE
Freya Lindvall Sofia Gonzalez
Neal Tolunsky
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Radhika Mehta Gigi Lee Joanne Wang Jordan Kinard Nora Burke Heath Bleustein CORNELL UNIVERSITY Joseph Peracchia Luca Koval Liam Bodurtha Radhika Poddar Philip Zweck-Bronner Jake Sanders Ben Parker Arjun Khorana Noah Rubinstein Haylen Rosberger Samuel Stein Carolyn Chun Teddy Rashkover IONA COLLEGE Narendra Beepat NEW YORK UNIVERSITY Arjun Swarup Jada Yang Peter Borini PURCHASE COLLEGE Damali O’Keefe SKIDMORE COLLEGE
MA cont.
MA cont.
Minnesota
BABSON COLLEGE
TUFTS
CARLETON COLLEGE
Emma Jones
Ruthie Yankwitt
UNION COLLEGE
BOSTON COLLEGE
Ben Goldberg Spyridoula Potamopoulou
Alejandra Leon
WELLESLEY COLLEGE
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
Lucinda Li
Missouri
Eric Blum
WILLIAMS COLLEGE Emily Bleiberg
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS
Joshua Doolan Jason Oh Arianna Laufer Jenna Freidus Alexis Bolner MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Aman Sanger Benjamin Spector Michael Truell
SMITH COLLEGE Naomi Cebula
Michigan UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Sarah Sirulnick Ethan Matt Jonathan Cohen Noah Simon
Louis Toberisky Brooke Hailey Oliver Chonoles Michael Benacerraf Alexander Chang (‘23) Josie Alexander
Lauren Smith
Pennsylvania
Natalie Raum Gustie Owens Nikki Sheybani
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
KENYON COLLEGE
New Jersey
BARNARD COLLEGE
Liana Moroshko
Ohio
Grace Hill THE NEW SCHOOL
Chidiebere Nwankpa UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Billy Lehrman Gabrielle Rahmin Evan Megibow James Chang Brian Song Ben Heller Pippa Adelman Sarah Finley Zarina Iman Jahmire Cassanova
Rhode Island BROWN UNIVERSITY Rachel Okin Anabel Henick Jonathan Katz Bliss Beyer Emma Kelly Zahra Thiam Lily Mayo
Scotland UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS Cameron Chavers Anya Swift Sam Harris
Tennessee VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY Eric Suh
Caroline Troop
Texas
VASSAR COLLEGE
RICE UNIVERSITY
Rivers Liu Mimi Morris
Lisa Shi
North Carolina
Virginia
DAVIDSON COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
Ricardo Pinnock DUKE UNIVERSITY Tiffany Liu
Olivia Becker Jane Frankel
22
THE RECORD PRIDE JUNE 5TH, 2018
Rivers Liu/Staff Writer
Sharina Gordon I’ve long associated Pride with the hot, sticky summers in the city. I attended my first official Pride March with my best friend Zach. We climbed the scaffolding along 5th Ave to get a better look at the decked-out floats and deathdropping dancers as they twirled away. When same-sex marriage became legalized, I could hear the masses cheer at StonewalI from my summer housing. I left my room in a daze, following the sound to celebrate with strangers among whom I was struggling to find Family. My journey to queerness has been a fraught one. During high school, my GayStraight Alliance was made up mostly of well-meaning allies (including myself at that time) and the rare one to two students who were out and faced rampant homophobia from both students and faculty alike. My two white LGBTQ+ teachers were eventually forced out. I grew up learning that queer was a word that could be associated with other people, but never with folks who looked like me and it was never a ‘good’ thing to be. Fast forward to college. Starting to question my sexual orientation, I ran around campus simultaneously scared and excited about all the new possibilities that were suddenly opened up for me. However I quickly realized that not all LGBTQ+ spaces were built with my Black-Brown body in mind. Affinity spaces were populated by the super thin, white, cisgender gay men who came mostly just to find their next hook-up partner. The far fewer queer women spots were similarly dominated by white, butch lesbians. In gay clubs, men would grab my hair and body as if they couldn’t be sexist since they weren’t attracted to women. Folks of all backgrounds would try to mimic the stereotypical speech patterns of the Black Woman to seem en vogue - all while not caring about actual Black women and other people of color in the LGBTQ+ community. I began questioning if I was “queer” enough. Similar to the saying ‘not all skin-folk are kinfolk’, not all queers are Chosen Family. It wasn’t until my junior year that I found my people one late night studying in the Student of Color Center. I found other queer and trans people of color who were as vibrant and confident and beautiful as could be. Here I didn’t have to explain my Black-Brown, raised-by-immigrants, femme queer body. Here I could be all of me. Here I found my home.
Dora Woodruff I identify as bisexual, and I’ve known it since middle school, but it’s taken me a long time to come to terms with my sexuality, and even longer to open up to others about it. I officially came out to my parents and closest friends about a year ago, but I’ve still struggled with my identity over the past year: I’ve avoided talking about it, even with my best friends, I’ve had a lot of trouble coming out to people who don’t already know, and whenever my parents accidentally say something like “You’re going to find a great husband someday,” I won’t say anything, and then feel uncomfortable with myself for the rest of the day. However, over the last few weeks, I’ve started to feel more and more proud of my sexuality: this is going to sound like the most Horace Mann thing ever, but I found this new pride through a history paper. At the end of 10th grade US history, students choose a topic to research and write a paper about, and for my class, one of the options was the LGBT+ Movement. This topic came with a forty page packet of sources, and I read them all in one sitting - not because I wanted to get work out of the way for the weekend, but because I loved learning about it. It wasn’t just interesting to me - it made me feel like a part of a community and a movement. Even though most of the events I read about took place decades ago, I felt involved, accepted and connected to something larger than myself. My friends had been very supportive and kind, and I love them for it, but everyone has their own way of coming to terms with who they are, and for me, reading about the iconography, the Anita Bryant protests, the LGBT+ musical groups, the subculture of lesbian bookstores, the movies and TV shows that advanced visibility and more, gave me the feeling of decades worth of history supporting and validating me. For the last few weeks, I’ve spent a huge percentage of my time doing more research on the history of the movement outside of the paper, talking with my friends about it, finding LGBT+ role models like Barbara Gittings to idolize and totally falling in love with everything about the LGBT+ community. I really recommend that everyone, whether they identify as LGBT+ or not, take the time to learn more about the history of the LGBT+ Movement. Not only is it relevant to today’s current events, but it’s also a beautiful story of an oppressed group coming together and forming a community based on trust, love and acceptance to overcome political and social obstacles. I know that the story, as well as my personal story, aren’t over yet. However, I’m slowly learning to embrace who I am, and I feel like in some very small way, by writing this, I am creating history.
Ennis Smith It happened after one of the first Pride Marches I attended. After a day of cheers, tears and bonhomie, our group was about to disperse, and as we said our goodbyes one of us sighed and said, “Well, that was nice. Too bad everything goes back to normal on Monday.” During the parade we’d felt enclosed within an invincible bubble; upon our return to real life that bubble would burst, leaving us vulnerable once again to persecutions, slights, and homophobia. It’s no longer a big deal to stroll our streets holding your lover’s hand. But the privilege feels surreal when you pick up the paper and find there’s been another attack on gay rights somewhere in this country, or in the world. A pride march in New York means little to the kid who’s being bullied in the middle of the country, or a man whose life is threatened in Russia or the Middle East. Marches are potent symbols of protest, and empowerment; we must take up our banners and raise our voices, but let’s not lose sight of reality. Somewhere outside of the Big Apple, it’s still Monday for thousands of men and women who live in lands less tolerant.
23
HORACE MANN PRIDE JUNE 5TH, 2018
With the arrival of pride month, it is important to recognize how far the community has come with accepting LGBTQ+ individuals while also keeping in mind how there is still work left to do. The Record chose to examine the climate of the school as a space for LGBTQ+ students and faculty by weaving together the perspectives of numerous LGBTQ+ alumni and current students and faculty members.
HISTORY “Among the students, there was zero “gay” anything at all. I was kind of afraid to talk about it,” David Grotell ‘82 said. Carolyn Grose ‘84, who identifies as lesbian, was not “out” when she was in high school. “It was not an environment where that was in any way accepted. It was the 80s, so Ronald Reagan had just won and the conservative movement was just rearing its head, and there was a series of Supreme Court decisions restricting gay rights,” Grose said. English teacher Dr. Deborah Kassel ‘84 said that no one would have dared to come out during her time as a student at the school. “It was the middle of the AIDS epidemic, which unfortunately at the time was associated erroneously with being a “gay” disease,” Kassel said. “It was a different era where what we would now regard as hate speech had not yet entered into the collective unconscious as something problematic.” “The culture in the society was quite different than now. It was potentially dangerous to be open. Faculty were typically ‘in the closet.’ For many, many years I was the only “out” lesbian teacher,” former photography teacher Karen Johnson said. “Once I came out at the assembly, with administrative support, I felt that I wouldn’t be fired for my identity.” When Ben Balter ‘94 approached Johnson with the idea of gathering faculty support for starting a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), it was
a very emotional experience for her to realize that students felt they were without faculty support, Johnson said. “When you’re at a school that celebrates diversity of all kinds and for some reason LGBT issues aren’t at the forefront and not discussed, this contributes to this silence and taboo culture,” Max Moran ‘12 said.
something I wanted to blast in front of the whole school,” he said. “When I started here, there were teachers who were closeted. I was already out, [and] I certainly was not going to be closeted here, and right from the beginning, the community was very supportive of me,” History Department Chair Dr. Daniel Link said. “Coming out that young requires a whole collection of personal, familial, institutional and cultural The school has gone support, much of which we’re through waves when many seeing a lot more of now, but more people felt more then there was very little of it,” comfortable coming out and Jordan Roth ‘93 said. then there would be times when, for some reason, it didn’t feel okay anymore and far fewer students were “out,” Dean of Students Dr. Susan Delanty ‘79 said. Moran came out in the class president election assembly during his junior year because Tucker Caploe ‘11 recalls he was “fed up with how the walking away from a group of LGBT identity was being represented at Horace Mann,” friends and someone saying “he’s such a faggot because he he said. Noah Shapiro ‘17 came out does theatre,” Caploe said. After this encounter, Caploe at a Unity Week assembly wrote an op-ed in The Record during junior year, he said. “You have all these images about the issue of people using floating around in your head, the word “gay” as a pejorative. from media, locker room “Students would say ‘that test conversations, and rumors was too gay’ when they really of other people coming out,” meant ‘that test was too hard.’ Shapiro said. “It feels like I remember saying to people this secretive, uncomfortable at HM at the time: ‘Why thing you can’t really tell a lot are you using this word to describe something you don’t of people.” “I think the big reason like when it has nothing to do why I came out was because with value?’” Caploe said. Shapiro once overheard his knowing there are other kids out there like you is really own friend saying they didn’t understand how gay people comforting,” he said. Siona Gupta (11) came could be fighting for marriage out in September of her and how they couldn’t just freshman year through a post be satisfied, he said. “It’s on Instagram. A lot of the just weird things like that feedback she received was that make you rethink your immature and even negative relationships with people.” When Armus-Laski was at because she was one of the an away conference for Model first people in the grade to be open about sexuality, Gupta Congress as a freshman, he said. “I had a couple of close was assigned to a room with friends that I couldn’t be so two other male students, but close with after [coming out],” there were only two beds. One of the students said, ‘I she said. Teo Armus-Laski ‘14 wrote don’t want to share a bed. his college essay about his fear That’s gay,’ so someone ended of coming out, he said. When up sleeping on pillows on the people asked him about what floor. That student ended up he was writing about, he coming out as gay after high would instead tell them it was school, Armus-Laski said. “To be honest, I was bullied about him watching Disney in middle school. When I channel at a late age, ArmusLaski said. “That probably joined the wrestling team I goes to show that it wasn’t was called a lesbian a lot, and I wasn’t even out yet,” Dagmar
LGBTQ+ History at Horace Mann
COMING OUT
HOMOPHOBIC EXPERIENCES IN HIGH SCHOOL
Hillel ‘15 said. Allison Derose (11) hears “stupid” comments sometimes such as ‘that kid’s a fag’, ‘that’s gay, or how when someone says you should date their one gay friend when they find out your sexuality. “The damaging thing I’ve found is that you have to deal with these kind of ignorant or uneducated comments rather than addressing them and ending them,” she said. Students have said that they are often on the receiving end of homophobic comments, but the difficult thing is that those happen when adults are not present– locker rooms, school trips, in the hallway. That’s obviously incredibly hurtful for them and has caused some students to remain closeted, which has a negative effect on students’ emotional health, Link said. Harrison Haft (11), who has been “out” since the end of his sophomore year, hasn’t experienced any direct attacks, but feels judgement when he expresses himself in ways that would be considered stereotypically homosexual by those “who seem to think that their heteronormative, milquetoast gender expressions are the only valid option,” he said.
GAY PRIDE “Contradictions continue even now, but step by step, a greater sense has evolved that LGBTQ+ students and faculty are valued members of the community, as with all manifestations of diversity, our presence enriches our community,” Johnson said. Throughout the years, many community members have participated in gay pride events, such as National Coming Out Day, GLSEN’s Day of Silence, and pride parades to show their allegiance to the cause. “The school has been very supportive and we do our best to help our students feel comfortable here. We want school to be their safe place,” Delanty said.
Sadie Schwartz Staff Writer “There were students who always observed National Coming Out Day. I remember a bunch of friends of mine came to school decked out in purple -- purple nails, scarves. We certainly celebrated whether the school had an event or not,” Caploe said. “[Being gay at Horace Mann] has been really great, actually,” Test Center Coordinator Jesse Shaw said. “It’s very accepting, very open. It’s one of those things that no one really brings up or asks, and that’s the way the world should be--accepting and acknowledging of it.” “GSA actually marched in New York City twice when I was in GSA. That was a really great experience, and I’m glad that we were able to do that,” Hillel said. “In our grade, I think there are under five “out” queer people. There are not a ton of ‘out’ people but I think there are enough for there to be a queer community,” Elizabeth Chung (11) said. “I haven’t heard anything negative, especially having pursued a gay relationship within the school and being really open about it.” Conversely, Gupta has not noticed a queer presence at the school, she said. “The thing is that, when you’re queer, you’re [known as] the queer kid, but at Horace Mann, there’s space to [also] be [known for] other things,” Chung said. “Originally, ‘coming out’ was coming out of a place of restriction, of limitation, of hiding. But it’s also coming into a place. And preparing that place is the work of all of us. That is active work that we can all do everyday,” Roth said.
24
THE RECORD FACULTY GOODBYES JUNE 5TH, 2018
Faculty F alexis dahl
drew mccann C C VA
T h e a t r e A r t s Te a c h e r
Next year, the Center for Community Values and Action (CCVA) will be left without the friendly spirit of Drew McCann ’13. McCann is leaving her position as the head of the HM 246 Service Learning program to pursue a dual master’s degree in elementary and special education, CCVA Director Dr. Jeremy Leeds ‘72 said. McCann will teach at a charter school, where she will use some of the skills she developed from working with HM 246 mentees, McCann said. Every Wednesday after school, the HM 246 program coordinates student mentoring for young children from partner institutions in fields including drawing and painting, ceramics, entrepreneurship, fashion design, and journalism. McCann has participated in service learning since joining the school’s Service Learning Team in high school, she said. Initially, McCann began service learning when she did not make the varsity level sports teams, but still wanted to enjoy a team environment, she said. “It became the origin of how I got to where I am now.” Though only heading the program for a year, McCann has left her mark, Associate Director of the CCVA Kimberly Joyce-Bernard said. McCann helped expand the program dramatically, attracting more student tutors and mentees than ever before, Leeds said. This past March, McCann established the first annual showcase for children in the HM 246 program. She was meticulous in the planning of events and made sure that students knew what to do and supported them in their classrooms, Joyce-Bernard said. “[The showcase] is hopefully something they’ll remember for a while,” McCann said. “It was the culmination and representation of what I’ve been doing at 246.” Janvi Kukreja (11) recalls a time when her Women in STEM program was far overstaffed, but McCann personally adjusted the lesson plan to accommodate the situation, she said. “She always kept a good spirit and sense of humor. Even when decisions had to be made or we hit a roadblock, she was willing to take the next step,” Leeds said. “[McCann] left a lot of her presence and identity on the program and I think that’s something that will sustain into the next school year,” JoyceBernard said. “She should feel very proud of the work that she did.”
- Edwin Jin / Staff Writer
Theatre Arts teacher Alexis Dahl will be leaving after four years at the school. Dahl began teaching in the middle school. Her first show was “All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Being a Zombie.” She also acted as a middle school advisor, and when Chair of the Theater, Dance and Film Department Woody Howard left, there was an opening for her to transition to the Upper Division, she said. In the Upper Division, Dahl taught courses ranging from Acting Seminar to Playwriting and Producton to Performance Workshop. She directed the all-school production of Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Upper Division One Acts Festival. “When I came [to the school], there was a curriculum that was set. As time went on, I was able to adapt it to my strengths and students’ interests,” Dahl said. One tool Dahl used frequently in her classes was improvisation, as it improved students’ confidence as performers, she said. An improvisation activity she did frequently was called “asides” where students would freeze in the middle of a scene and tell the audience about their internal monologue in that moment. “It was a great way for them to understand text and subtext in characters,”
Dahl said. In Playwriting and Production, Dahl has helped students write 40-page one act plays by discussing how dialogue, staging, and character development influence a piece, Priyanka Voruganti (11) said. “I’m really going to miss how students here have so much initiative and ambition,” Dahl said. “It has been an incredible experience to see students have passions and then help work towards fulfilling those dreams and goals because they are so driven.” Next year, Dahl will be teaching at a school in Switzerland, in the countryside outside of Zurich.
- Eve Kazarian / Managing Editor
philly williams M a t h Te a c h e r
For the second time in five years, Math teacher Philly Williams is leaving the school. Williams worked at the school for a total of seven years, initially for four years starting is 2010, then for another three years beginning in the fall of 2015. In the interim he worked for a year at the Bentley school outside of San Francisco. Williams’ career as a math teacher began at the Knox school, right after he graduated college. “It was a tiny school, and I didn’t know what my place there was or what I wanted to do with my life,” Williams said. Math Department Chair Charles Worrall and math teacher Chris Jones discovered Williams through a headhunting service. “We got to know each other, and when they offered me a position at HM, they showed me an entire universe of possibilities, creativity, enthusiasm, and a genuine love for math,” Williams said. From being relatable to innovative in his approach to math, he checked off all the boxes for what the school looks for in a teacher, Jones said. In the years Williams has taught at the school, he has been awed by the brilliance of his students, he said.
“They made me feel like I would be doing a disservice if I did not work as hard as they did, and that pushed me to teach at a much higher standard,” Williams said. “Students don’t really think about where the worksheets they receive in class come from, but it is often the work of Mr. Williams, creating problems to evoke critical thinking,” Jones said. This summer, Williams will return to California, and will teach math next fall at the Bay School, located in the Presidio neighborhood of San Francisco. Though Williams will miss New York and HM, he looks forward to starting at the Bay School. “You can actually see the Golden Gate bridge from the campus on clear days,” Williams said.
- Solomon Katz/Staff Writer
helen feldman C C VA F e l l o w
After a year of dedicated service with the Center for Community Values and Action (CCVA), CCVA fellow Helen Feldman ‘10 plans to depart from the school to pursue a master’s degree in psychology at Columbia University. While Feldman has only been with the CCVA for a year, she made a significant impact on the community, Director of CCVA Dr. Jeremy Leeds said. “In the short time that she has been here, I’ve been amazed and grateful of how much she has contributed and how much she has grown through the CCVA fellowship, and I know that she will continue to do great things,” Leeds said.
Many of the students as well as her fellow faculty members consider Feldman to be a thoughtful member of the community with a strong work ethic, Leeds said. “Once she took on a project, there was never any question that she’d get it done in the most thoughtful way possible,” he said. Feldman has brought a great deal of enthusiasm and spearheaded several projects, Associate Director of CCVA Kimberly JoyceBernard said. “I am so excited that Ms. Feldman has been on our team this year,” she said. Feldman is always positive and her joy is infectious, Gabi Rahmin (12) said. “She has been an amazing go to person and is
always so on top of everything,” she said. “Coming back eight years [after graduating], it’s been an extremely healing experience and has given me a different perspective on HM as an institution,” Feldman said. “It has been a very important gift for me to have another chapter at Horace Mann, as brief as this one was,” Feldman said. It has been a pleasure and an honor to work in the CCVA with all the students and staff, she said.
- Jeren Wei / Staff Writer
25
HORACE MANN FACULTY GOODBYES JUNE 5TH, 2018
Farewells john eckels
Tu t o r i n g O f f i c e
John Eckels, a valued member of the school community, is leaving the school. Eckels entered the school as a long-term substitute in several 10th grade U.S. History classes, and soon became the humanities tutor, assisting students with History or English classes, he said. “With those I see more frequently, it is incredibly rewarding to see students develop and become more independent. It takes a lot of hard work and commitment on their part, and I am there to support them,” he said.
Eckels has helped numerous students. Eckels is incredibly encouraging, knowledgeable, and always available, Diana Shaari (10) said. “He gave me a lot of tips on essay structure,” Shaari said. Max Chung (10) learned as much as he could due to Eckels being a tough critic. “His comments on my essay helped me improve a lot,” he said. Although the students put in a lot of hard work, Eckels does as well. Almost always staying from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm, Eckels encouraged and supported students in the Tutoring Office, Director of the Upper Division Tutoring Center
Lionel Garrison said. Eckels’ friendly and cheerful greetings every morning help make it a pleasure coming to work, and his conversations with students are always interesting,” Garrison said. Eckels bonded with students outside of class as well. Chung loved talking with Eckels about Tottenham, an English soccer team, Chung said. Eckels will be missed, Shaari said. “I wish him the best in all of his future endeavors.”
- Benjamin Wang / Staff Writer
robin ingram
Head of Middle D iv i sion After fourteen years of hard work, Head of Middle Division Robin Ingram stepped down from her position this year. Next fall, Ingram will take on the role of Associate Director of Middle & Upper Division Admissions, and Head of School Tom Kelly will serve as the interim Head of Middle Division while the school conducts a nationwide search to fill the position.
Ingram served as a sixth grade science teacher for five years, and in her third year, she was chosen to serve as the department chair, she said. During her time as the science department head, Ingram started a number of exciting activities - “Super Science Day,” the sixth grade trip to the American Museum of Natural History and the introduction of a
Ingram has worked diligently and carefully with a talented bunch of teachers on crafting a Middle Division experience that thoughtfully engages our students.” Though Ingram looks forward to her new responsibilities, she is sad that this September will be the first time she is not teaching a class, she said. In addition to changes from her previous
EARLY YEARS
Ingram had several teaching jobs before working in the Middle Division. Before her time at the school, she taught in Philadelphia public schools and was the head of a small academy in Philadelphia. She was also a science teacher and the assistant principal of Devereaux, a school in Pennsylvania for students with disabilities, she said. Ingram was the first hired head of Project Learn, a small private school started by professors at Temple University and University of Pennsylvania. She served as the head of Project Learn for eleven years, and her time there exposed her to the admissions process which will help her in her new role in the Admissions Office, she said. Ingram’s journey at the school began when she decided she would work in New York City so that her husband would not have to commute for his job, she said. “I was hired to be a sixth grade science teacher for September 1999, which was the year that Rose Hall opened, and they were bringing the sixth grade over from the Lower Division to become the Middle Division with grades six, seven, and eight,” Ingram said. “In the classroom, Mrs. Ingram is not only a very knowledgeable teacher, but also a wonderful role model for the students in terms of her personal interactions, her organizational skills and her positive attitude,” MD science teacher Jodi Hill said, “Every student matters to her. She makes sure that each student has every opportunity to succeed, matching her teaching to unique learning styles when needed. She has always valued every student for their individuality.”
Courtesy of HM Flickr
new sixth grade science curriculum, science teacher Donnett Bryan said.
HEAD OF THE MD
“My third year, I became department chair in science, and then in September of 2003 Marion Lindon announced her retirement,” Ingram said. The school decided to perform a national search and Ingram put her name forward. “I was selected by a committee to become division head,” Ingram said. While Ingram has been the Head of the Middle Division for fourteen years, most heads only keep the position for about six years, she said. “She has made the MD a more friendly environment for the students. Knowing that MD students have all this energy, she fought for the construction of the playdeck, a place where they could safely play on the campus,” Bryan said. “From top to bottom, left to right, Mrs.
routines, the new position will likely be a greater time commitment. “I could jokingly say I was looking forward to having a little more free time, but I think that admissions has its busy season and there are still open houses and weekend things,” Ingram said.“My husband is teasing me because I didn’t choose something that will give me more free time.” Kelly and Ingram decided that she should move to admissions instead of going back to being a full time teacher so that Ingram would not be in the way of the new Head of Middle Division, she said. She will replace Chris Garrison, who will be the school’s new registrar next year. “When I knew that Garrison was moving up to the high school it was a mutual solution,” she said. “I look forward to watching Mrs. Ingram’s work in our Admissions Office as she continues to help our school welcome students to the Middle and Upper Divisions.
I know she’ll be a valuable contributor to our Admissions efforts,” Kelly said. However, Ingram will miss spending the day with kids as well as with her coworkers, she said.
INGRAM’S LEGACY
Ingram will be remembered as a great teacher as well as administrator, said Natalie Baer (10) who was a student in Ingram’s infamous Forensics science elective when she was in eighth grade “She was very knowledgeable but she also wanted to make it fun and interactive for us so we could not only learn the information but have an interest in it,” Baer said. Kelly also agreed that Ingram was an incredible educator. “My daughter, Emma, had Mrs. Ingram as her sixth grade science teacher. I can still remember Emma recording a song about the science behind black holes to a Justin Bieber song! That unto itself sums up the type of experience one has when enrolled in Mrs. Ingram’s class! She’s a masterful teacher, one who does not shy away from taking creative and even non traditional instructional risk, and her understanding of her students is second to none,” he said. Catherine Mignone (8), Ingram’s advisee, also agrees that Ms. Ingram was a great outlet for students in the Middle Division. “Ms. Ingram has been an amazing advisor to me. She gives me advice, leads engaging conversations during the advisory period, and keeps all of her advisees updated and aware of events at school,” she said. Though Ingram will be missed in the MD, she looks forward to taking on her new roles when she returns in August, she said
- Amelia Feiner / Staff Writer
26
THE RECORD FACULTY GOODBYES JUNE 5TH, 2018
Deborah Stanford
28 years and many annotated Toni Morrison novels later, English teacher, friend, and mentor looks to her next chapter Gustie Owens Editor-in-Chief Years later, Director of Admissions Jason Caldwell ‘97 still recalls English teacher Deborah Stanford’s thoughtprovoking comments when he was a student in her class. Once, he was so moved by a point that she made that he said, “That was amazing. Ms. Stanford, you’re the s---!” Stanford, taken aback by the comment, approached Caldwell. He explained that among his friends, the phrase was the highest compliment you could give someone. “You would think that story would be memorable, but I’m not even sure that it’s in her top five,” Caldwell said. “I’m sure everybody has a Deborah Stanford story. She had that big an impact on that many students.” A teacher, mom, “mom,” colleague, mentor, and friend, Stanford will leave the school after her 28th year. There is not a student or alum who will ever forget the first time they heard Stanford’s commanding voice or her signature remarks “good deal” and “damn straight.” Stanford first joined the school as an English teacher after teaching at a public school in the South Bronx. Stanford was not initially interested in teaching at Horace Mann, but eventually decided to join the faculty; she was impressed by the school after touring on a pleasant spring day and seeing students playing outside. Her son, who would soon need to consider his options for middle and high school, was another important factor. Though she’s received faculty appreciation in the Mannikin numerous times, Stanford’s accolades from the Class of 2002 are probably the most descriptive of her impact: “We appreciate her sly humor and genuine kindness, and we hold the greatest respect for her because she is always ready to share her own experiences with us.” When reading last year’s Book Day novel, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Stanford presented many of her own experiences to her classes, former student and advisee
Isabella Zhang (10) said. “Part of [Stanford’s] great strength is that she allows herself to struggle. [She’s] not afraid to show that struggle,” Director of the Center for Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity (ICIE) Patricia Zuroski said. “For the students at Horace Mann, there is so much pressure to not let people see that struggle. For students, it’s important to have adults who are willing to show that side of their humanity.” In choosing to share her stories, Stanford thinks about her own education. “I think about my own process as a student and how many teachers were distant and cold when I really needed a personal connection,” she said. “[For me,] high school was difficult; I buried myself in the academics and felt isolated from student contact,” Stanford said. “Teaching enables us to self heal and to do it again. Teaching is also acknowledging who the student is, and I think there is something remarkable about being an adolescent.” “Because she’s so open about her story, she is really open to other people’s stories and extremely sensitive to making sure all of those other stories get heard,” history teacher Dr. Elisa Milkes said. Caldwell’s classmate, Greg Van Voorhis ’97, was inspired by Stanford as well. Though he was never a top student, Stanford inspired him to love literature and writing. Van Voorhis is now a teacher and largely credits Stanford, he said. When he first began teaching, Van Voorhis was choosing between becoming an English or language teacher. “But then I remember thinking of Ms. Stanford and thinking ‘I want to be an English teacher,’” he said. “I want to do for a kid what she did for me and for so many others. It sounds too perfect for the article, but it really was Ms. Stanford; the memories, what she had done for me, the literature we read together, and the rich discussions that we had.” Now, as a high school English teacher in the Bronx, Van Voorhis teaches one of Stanford’s signature
Courtey of Mannikin
INTO THE TEXT Stanford dives into a book with a student in 1992.
books, Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” to his students. Ricardo Pinnock (12) thinks Stanford’s Toni Morrison elective will be missed sorely when Stanford leaves. “I can’t imagine another teacher taking that role. She’s read those books for so many years that no one can teach it as well as she does,” he said. “Delving into the novels and all of their nuances was exciting, disturbing, and eye-opening, and I would not have had such a meaningful experience without Ms. Stanford’s deep understanding of the text,” Natasha Poster (12), who was also in her Toni Morrison elective, said. Stanford began teaching her Toni Morrison elective in 1992 or 1993, and she has been teaching both Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” and “Beloved” ever since, reading each book at least 26 times. For Pinnock, Stanford played a nurturing, maternal role. “For Stanford it comes off as tough love because she wants the best for us and she doesn’t settle for a student’s second best,” he said. Pinnock first worked with Stanford on the Gender (In)Equality conference two years ago but was excited to sign up for her senior English electives after hearing how incredible they were from his friends, he said. Pinnock always labeled himself as more of a STEM student. Before taking her class, he would always complete the reading for his humanities courses but rarely participated in discussions. Stanford would never let him go through a class period without saying something. “It definitely helped me in the long run. She puts enough pressure on a kid until they reach their potential,” he said. “You come out [of Stanford’s electives] a different person,” Pinnock said. In middle school, Cameron Chavers (12) hated English class, but her ninth grade class with Stanford radically changed her perspective. Since then, Chavers has worked with Stanford in a number of ways. In her Acting Seminar class last year, Chavers was assigned a project to interview someone and turn their interview into a monologue, replicating their phrasing and mannerisms. She chose to interview Stanford. For Chavers, it was fascinating to hear about the school when Stanford first started compared to the school now. Chavers ended her monologue with something Stanford shared with her that really stuck, she said. When Stanford’s joining the school was announced in a Record article, the blurb under her name said “Deborah Stanford, minority but qualified.” “It’s just common language, and it’s common language today, nothing has changed,” Stanford said. “When I share a story with students, often the first thing they say is ‘it was then, it’s not present day.’ This is true for many young people, there is this belief that the world has changed so dramatically.” Stanford also spoke to Chavers about how when she was approached to be hired, the school was trying to recruit more faculty of color. “The faculty did not look the way it did now; you could count the faculty of color on one hand,” Caldwell said. When Stanford was interviewing at the school, they suggested that she
Freya Lindvall/Photo Editor
DAMN STRAIGHT Stanford speaking to one of her English classes.
would be a good leader for students of color, Chavers said. “And I loved her response that she hoped she could be a leader to all students on campus.” During her 28 years at the school, Stanford has witnessed its evolution. According to history teacher Dr. Kalil Oldham, Stanford has been both a representative of change and an agent of change in the school community. One of the early groups Stanford was involved with was the Valuing Difference Committee, an ad hoc committee of faculty committed to social justice and equity, Stanford said. If students felt disenfranchised because of something that required equipment or a camera, the committee would work to provide students with necessary resources. “I remember learning that the expectation was that if [students] wanted financial assistance, they had to return their books from the given year,” Stanford said. “This is the point in life where you should be building your library, not giving back something that has been part of your existence.” After the Valuing Difference Committee took on this issue, the rule was changed. Stanford always thought about students within the context of their cross-departmental experience, not just as English students, Zuroski said. In 1998, the school created the job of Director for Diversity, and Stanford was central to its creation, Zuroski said. Her energy around important issues of equity and social justice has continued, Zuroski said. She is a powerful voice in the development of Unity Week and the Seminar on Identity (SOI) course. Stanford has encouraged the English Department to consider to a wider range of authors and think about whose stories are getting told and how, English teacher Dr. Wendy Steiner said. In her demo lesson for the school, before she was hired in 1986, Stanford read Mexican writer Octavio Paz’s translated short story The Blue Bouquet with students. When Stanford first came to the English Department, staff members frequently debated whether reading Latin American stories in translation was worthwhile. Stanford pointed out that the school had been reading Oedipus and the Odyssey for years. Last week, Stanford read The Blue Bouquet with her senior English
elective classes. In addition to incorporating diverse voices, Stanford chooses to focus on interesting themes within classic texts. When teaching The Odyssey, one of her favorite texts to teach, Stanford focuses on what it means to be ‘other’ and how the text can be seen through the lens of being a woman. Despite her many years at the school, Stanford is always willing to adapt. Even during her final trimester at the school, Stanford has been teaching new books, she said. Stanford has also had a significant impact on her colleagues. When English teacher Rebecca Bahr was hired, Stanford was her assigned mentor. However, they became close when the two began commuting to school together. From giving advice about how to handle issues in the classroom, to discussing their personal lives, Stanford is an incredible friend, Bahr said. When Bahr’s son came to school, because he loves to play with swords, Stanford ran up and down through the halls with Bahr and her son, challenging students to sword fights. Milkes has worked with Stanford primarily through their co-advisement of East Wind West Wind. According to Stanford, East Wind West Wind was a very important club for students who were struggling to find their place at the school. Milkes especially appreciates Stanford’s sense of humor. “There’s a way she can deliver a story-- the most mundane incident can become incredibly poignant and also hilarious at the same time,” she said. Stanford’s decision to leave the school was not easy, she said. Although there were a series of events that provoked her departure, she views these as catalysts. “You have that every year, there are always events, but me and my needs are different,” Stanford said. Stanford has not yet decided what she will do in the coming years. “I know I am not going to teach high school, because if I were to teach high school, I would stay here,” Stanford said. “I need to work on finding a place for my voice, I want to think about my voice and how to best use it.” It is a voice that the school will miss. Additional writing by Betsey Bennett and Megha Nelivigi.
27
HORACE MANN FACULTY GOODBYES JUNE 5TH, 2018
Faculty Farewells mitchell francis Caroline Goldenberg Staff Writer
the warmest, friendliest, most caring people in this school, and he is one of the people I most enjoy scrapping it out with, knowing that our friendship is solid.” Francis is “funny and intuitive, and he brings to our math department an expectation that great teaching comes from great relationships with kids,” Mathematics Department Chair Charles Worrall said. “I think people are really going to miss his pure happiness,” Kyra Hill (12), a member of Francis’ AP Calculus AB class, said. “He’s such a happy person, and you can see that
This year, the high school will bid farewell to Mitchell Francis, registrar, mathematics teacher, and infamous creator of the Horace Mann Probability of a Snow Day Index (HMPSDI). Next year, Francis will consult for the school and teach the new registrar how to complete all necessary responsibilities. He and his wife will live at the John Dorr Nature Laboratory, and in two years, they plan to move to Burlington, Vermont, he said. Francis has been part of the school’s community for 29 years. Since 1991, Francis has been producing schedules for the school’s students, and in 2008, he was appointed as the first registrar of the school. Francis has had the opportunity to teach most of the mathematics courses in the Upper Division at some point during his time at the school, although he has taught AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC Courtesy of the Mannikin most often. THROWBACK Francis in 1993. Francis will miss his students and the friends he has made in the school all the time—whenever he’s walking community, he said. “I call it ‘teacher down the hallway, and you say ‘hi’ to heaven,’” Francis said, referencing the him, he will say ‘hi’ back, no matter school. “The students want to learn, who you are, whether you know him and the students are very smart. It’s or not.” just a pleasure to teach them.” Hill did not know Francis before “Mr. Francis is very good at what this year, but it took her only one day he does. He is quite good at solving of class to see the deep care he has problems.” Head of the Upper for his students and his excitement Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein said. to share his knowledge of math, she Levenstein will miss the “goodsaid. natured argument” she often has Gabi Rahmin (12), another with Francis, she said. “He is one of
student in the class, believes that Francis’ positive spirit is “contagious” and would describe him as “smart, caring, and knowledgeable,” she said. For Beatrix Bondor (12), Francis’ willingness to answer many questions in class helps her learn the material clearly, she said. Bondor also appreciates that Francis does not plan his classes to the minute, but rather teaches the material for as long or short of a time as needed, allowing his students to understand the skills they learn, she said. Hill also believes that the community will miss Francis’ devotion to the school, she said. As registrar, Francis is a significant part of students’ lives at the school without many realizing it, she said. Producing schedules for the school’s students is “like a puzzle, only harder,” Francis said. Francis had already been teaching for about 15 years before he came to the school, mathematics teacher Christopher Jones said. Ever since arriving at the school, Francis has been an instrumental leader in the math department, Worrall said. The math department will miss “the humor and humanity that [Francis] brings to our team,” Jones said. “That’s a really valuable resource, and it makes you feel like you’re part of a community. And also, when you lose someone with that much experience, you lose somebody who is a resource because of their experience.” Francis also created and has managed the HMPSDI on Twitter for around eight years, providing snow day predictions and probabilities for students who have anxiously
Amrita Acharya/lPhoto Director
refreshed his Twitter page, which now has 1,444 followers, every hour the night before a snowstorm. For Oliver Keimweiss (10), the trustworthy snow day predictions on the HMPSDI Twitter page kept him excited and hopeful on nights before snowstorms, he said. One of Francis’ standout memories from his time at the school was when his students FaceTimed him while he was in the hospital earlier this year due to an injury, he said. When Francis was in the hospital during that period of time, his class realized just how much they missed him and his love for teaching math, Hill said. Hill remembers that many students in her class were “ready to cry” when Francis informed them he would be retiring in the coming year, she said. “I think that really demonstrates the
impact that he had on us this year because we were so emotional about it. That just goes to show that he is big part of our lives here.”
Ms. Barlaz, we didn’t only learn about science, but we also learned about what we could do to help the environment,” Megumi Iwai-Louie (7) said. “She sees her role not just as a science educator but as a citizen who has a responsibility to the world around them and a responsibility to make the world better,” Wallenfang said. As an example, Wallenfang cited a time when he first arrived and Barlaz worked out a system of stickers on the Rose hall windows to stop birds from hitting the glass and dying. “She really wants to make meaningful changes around her,” he said. Barlaz used to travel to the ends of the earth on all kinds of expeditions every summer, she said. This exploratory nature inspired the name of the popular children’s TV
show Dora the Explorer, created by Barlaz’s friend Eric Weiner, she said. “I don’t get royalties or anything, it’s just one of those funny things,” Barlaz said. “It’s fitting, as someone who views herself as a lifelong learner and lover of the world around her,” Wallenfang said. “I’d like to leave while I’m still young and healthy enough to really enjoy all the rest of life,” Barlaz said. She wants to use her retirement as an opportunity to travel with her husband, train her dog, and potentially do something at the Museum of Natural History. “I’ll be very busy,” she said. Barlaz hopes to stay involved in school life and still “get the fun part of teaching, without the grading and the disciplinary,” she said. She is looking forward to potentially being a substitute teacher or chaperoning field trips.
Courtesy of the Mannikin
CLASS TIME Francis teaches a math class in 2000.
dora barlaz Sam Keimweiss Staff Writer Science Teacher Dora Barlaz is retiring after working at the school for 26 years, she said. During her time at the school, Barlaz taught seventh and eighth grade science. She also taught Science and Public Policy until it was replaced by AP Environmental Science in 1997. Barlaz has taught AP Environmental Science every year since then, she said. “She’s really passionate about what she teaches,” former student Zaie Nursey (12) said. “Not only does she know about the topic, but she’s very invested.” Barlaz took geology in college by accident. “I thought I had signed up for some history class,” she said, “but I loved it the first day and I thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to stick with this; this is great.” “During graduate school I was very close with a team of ecologists,” Barlaz said. “They probably got me into [environmental science].” “She is one of the few teachers who really cares about environmental science,” Margot Rosenblatt, a current student of Barlaz, said. “She’s such a wonderful colleague,” Middle Division science teacher Jodi Hill said. Hill was “surprised and sad” when she found out that Barlaz was leaving, Hill said. “I’m happy that she has gotten the chance to have some time to herself, [but] I’m definitely sad for the future
students of the class,” Nursey said. During the 2016-2017 school year, Barlaz took her AP Environmental Science class to a wolf sanctuary, Barlaz said. “They talked a lot about rehabilitating wolves that had been either mistreated or orphaned or somehow came into a position where they needed help from humans,” Barlaz said. The wolves were then released back into the wild in places that needed them, Barlaz said. “They’ve basically restored the whole ecosystem of Yellowstone.” “Seeing her reaction when the wolves came out, it was insane,” Nursey said. “It really clicked that she cares about the class and that she cares about the science so, so much.” Trips like that one are “some of the highlights” of Barlaz’s career, Barlaz said.
Courtesy of the Mannikin
BACK IN TIME Barlaz in 2003.
“She is the person that I think personifies life of the mind,” Hill said. “She is always wanting to learn more. She is a true academic” “She is a tireless promoter of continuous learning,” Dean of Faculty Matthew Wallenfang said. “She really embodies this idea of a teacher as a lifelong learner.” “Here we’re promoting for [students] to be lifelong learners,” Barlaz said. “We should be modeling that.” To do this, Barlaz goes to lectures, conferences, and exhibitions all the time, she said. “She was clearly very passionate about environmental sciences, and that was clear even in her seventh-grade class. It was something that she would bring up often,” Nader Granmayeh (11), who had Barlaz in seventh grade, said. “The level of passion and dedication to environmental protection that Ms. Barlaz brought to the AP Environmental Science course is what made the class so important and impactful. Her class reaffirmed my own interest in environmental science and started me on the road to my current job at the Natural Resources Defense Council,” Heather Delanty ‘10, former student of Barlaz, said. Many Middle Division students spoke glowingly of Barlaz and her teaching. “Ms. Barlaz really made me think about the world, and what we can do to provide nature with the same amount of respect that it provides us with. With
Amrita Acharya/Photo Director
1971
THE RECORD FEATURES JUNE 5TH, 2018
The history of
co-education at Horace Mann
Archives of The Record show the slow progression of coeducation at Horace Mann from 1971 to present day. Our history starts with the announcement of Co-education in 1971 that also revealed students would be tested in elementary school to decide who should be removed to make room for female students. Co-education officially began 1975, and in 1989 the school had its first female Student Body President. However the school wouldn’t see another female SBP until 2013.
2013
1989
1975 1990
28
HORACE MANN MIDDLE DIVISION JUNE 5TH, 2018
HM Lead: A Year in Review Eliza Poster Staff Writer
HM Lead concluded a successful year featuring a movie night, a dance, and the founding of the Horace Mann Broadcasting Network (HMBN). The program trains MD students in leadership by giving them opportunities to improve the school community at large, Program Coordinator Caitlin Hickerson said. HM Lead is composed of several different committees between which members alternate every trimester based on what they want to participate in during that time, Hickerson said. Before every trimester, Hickerson and the four other faculty facilitators meet to determine what committees should be formed to best service student interests. “I like that we get to choose the committees we work in and work on something to make the school better, something you’re actually interested in that isn’t boring,” Rhea Patel (8) said. Some of the committees, such as the Surveys Committee and the Eighth Grade Committee, focus on communicating the desires of the student body to the administration. “We created surveys about what people wanted to change about the cafeteria, what they didn’t like about certain storage areas where they could put their bags, stuff like that,” Tomoko Hida, a member of the Surveys Committee, said. During the first trimester, the Halloween Movie Night Committee planned an event where middle school students could stay after school to watch a movie. Students who attended
LETS GET IT POPPIN’ HM Lead successfully plans movie night in November 2017.
had a choice of five movies and could play games, win prizes and enjoy snacks before the movies started, Riya Daga (7) said. Before the movie night, the committee sent out a Google form where students voted on the films they wanted to watch so that the event would accommodate the demands of the student body, Daga said. The members of the Social Events committee during the third trimester wanted to plan a dance this year, while others wanted to hold a trivia event, so they ended up merging the ideas to make an activity which was fun for everyone, Zachary Kurtz (7) said. The students who planned the dance discussed what food they wanted to be served with the Cafeteria
staff and determined the music being played by choosing a DJ to perform, Kurtz said. For the trivia portion of the event, Kurtz and several other students made Kahoots which people who attended played in the Faculty Dining Hall, he said. HM Lead held a bakesale the day before the dance, and the money they earned was donated, Kurtz said. “It was a really great thing to have a chance for kids to hang out together after school,” Hickerson said. The event ended at 5:30 p.m. so that students could make the late bus. This year, Avi Kumar (7) initiated the HMBN, which is a student run program in which students deliver school news, such as upcoming sporting events, and updates about the
Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor
construction, in the form of six minute videos to the larger community. The committee made about four episodes this year, including a Shake it Up special, which were showcased at Atrium meetings or sent out to the middle school over email. “Over the year, what started out as a raw first effort has gotten more and more sophisticated,” Hickerson said. The HMBN committee developed different segments in the program and eventually started using a green screen “to simulate the idea of being in a news studio,” Kurtz said. Kurtz, who was involved largely in the tech and editing roles in the production of the videos, used it as an opportunity to pursue something that he doesn’t do outside of school,
29
he said. “In school I like to get involved in as much I can so that was something I felt like I really wanted to do within that, to try and make the HMBN episodes as good as it could be,” he said. He is looking forward to participating in HMBN next year, he said. Patel was a member of the Laser Tag Committee, the goal of which was to plan an event where students would play laser tag on the Grasshopper Field. Planning this event required members of the committee to research companies which could assist them and meet with Head of Middle Division Robin Ingram to discuss scheduling to ensure that the event didn’t interfere with schedules of the Lower Division, the athletics department, or testing days, Hida said. Although the event did not occur this year, Patel learned about how much work it takes to get something done, she said. “It’s not just ‘Oh, we’ll have a laser tag event,’ because it never actually happened since we didn’t have everything we needed, so it’s a lot of work that people might not realize,” she said. HM Lead creates a sense of ownership and empowerment in the community. It creates opportunities for students to come together socially, and for service, to represent the interests and the voices of the students to the administration, Hickerson said. Putting the power in the hands of the students is one of the attractive qualities of HM Lead, Tomoko Hida (8) said. “I really like the aspect that HM Lead gives students a chance to become leaders and change parts of the school,” she said.
Summer Reading Recommendations Restart by Gordon Korman -Christine Tao (6)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury -Andrew Ogundimu (7)
The hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy by Douglas adams -Tom petras
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion -isaac brooks
Project 1065 by Alan Gratz -Ryan Ko (6)
Long walk to Freedom by nelson mandela -dr. Rhashida Hilliard
Surya Gowda/ Staff Artist
30
THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN JUNE 5TH, 2018
One year in: the athletic attendance policy
Jackson Roberts / Staff Artist
Lynne Sipprelle Staff Writer After one year, the athletic attendance policy remains a controversial topic among students and a source of debate for members of the Athletic Department. “The policy was originally created to address what we thought was a significant number of absences that we were seeing at the practice and contest level for athletes,” Director of Athletics, Health & Physical Education Robert Annunziata said. According to Head of the Upper Division Dr. Jessica Levenstein, “the administration supports holding students accountable for the obligations they take on, particularly when their participation has an impact on their fellow students.” “As a general idea, I appreciated Horace Mann cracking down and saying, ‘We’re taking sports more seriously,’” Kyra Kwok (11) said. Many students were more critical of the policy. “The policy makes students have to go through leaps and bounds to attend the athletic events and practices,” Joshua Doolan (12) said. Levenstein is aware of student concerns about the policy. “Given that students are pulled in many directions, I understand that there are times when
“
they need to make a decision to prioritize one obligation over another,” Levenstein said. Student athletes saw mixed results from the policy in terms of attendance. Elizabeth Raab (12) believes that attendance at Girls Varsity Tennis practices improved; they had more time to practice together and bond, she said. However, Girls Softball and Girls Volleyball never had attendance issues to begin with so their practices were not affected, Kwok said. Boys Cross Country also never had attendance issues, so the only effect was increased stress about missing practice, Doolan said. As the Athletic Department never collected all the information on each team’s attendance before this year, they cannot compare this year’s attendance to attendance in years past, Annunziata said. The athletic attendance policy was originally built to mirror the academic attendance policy, Annunziata said. “To me, athletics are just as important as the classroom because they teach you how to work hard and be committed, showing up when you have to show up,” Fall Associate Athletic Director Rawlins Troop said. “Our feeling is at the athletic level, no absence is really acceptable except
The policy will be re-examined based on the feedback the Athletic Department receives, Annunziata said.
the one that the student athlete communicates with the coach about,” Annunziata said. “They’re stricter with sports teams than they are with actual academic classes,” Jordan Kinard (12) said. The policy puts pressure on sick students to come to school just for sports practice, worsening the school culture and potentially creating more need for the sick days in both of the past two years, Doolan said. Eunice Bae (11) thinks it makes student athletes consider their commitment to their teams more seriously because of the tougher consequences for missing practices or games, she said. Alternatively, it can discourage students from participating in sports because the time commitment is exaggerated by the new policy, Kinard said. For example, Raab was discouraged from going to Debate tournaments. “Having such a strict attendance policy may dissuade students from discovering new extracurriculars, and I think high school should be a time to explore many different interests,” Raab said. After being on the Track team for four years, Arjun Voruganti (12) was kicked off the team near the end of the season, he said. He had prioritized his last Model Congress conference over the team, he said. James Chang (12), who also does Model Congress with Voruganti, quit the Track team before winter break because he was unable to resolve the conflicts created by Model Congress conferences, Voruganti said. For Helena Yang (9), the policy limited how many Debate tournaments she could attend because either she had to fence or her partner had to attend Girls Varsity Basketball practice, she said. The attendance policy makes the spring particularly difficult for seniors because of frequent field trips and college visits, Doolan said. “While at first each one of these seems small and is perfectly excused by the Upper Division office, from the perspective of the athletic department each one of these would have required them to take action.” 85 students missed practices in the spring this year, Spring Associate Athletic Director Ray Barile said. Out of the 85, 30 students missed three or more practices, he said. Student athletes disagreed about whether the new attendance policy
improved their respective teams or not. Yang believes that the policy helps to make teams fairer at school, she said. In the past, some fencing team members missed lots of practices but were still made captains, which wasn’t fair to fencers who worked harder, she said. However, Bae thinks the attendance policy makes suspending athletes easier, which hurts the team more, she said. Since Voruganti specialized in the 600 meter on the Track Team, an uncommon event, it was difficult for the team to find anyone to fill his spot after he left, he said. The swim team was also affected because many out-of-school swimmers could not attend both school and club practices and were suspended from meets, Malka Krijestorac (11) said. These outside-of-school swimmers normally contribute a great deal to the team at meets, Swim Team Coach Michael Duffy said. Colin Mark (11), who swims outside of school, had to attend five practices on the school swim team in addition to seven outside of school practices each week of the winter season, he said. “One sport we looked at closely was the swim team,” Annunziata said “They had disproportionate commitment expectations compared to all the other teams.” Students’ varied reactions to the policy are also due to the fact that coaches on different teams enforced the athletic attendance policy to lesser or greater extents. “For softball, if you miss a game without having let Barile know really far in advance, then you miss the next game and have to sit on the bench,” Bae said. However, on the much larger fencing team, coaches were more lenient and more athletes missed practice, Bae said. Missing meets, however, did decrease an athlete’s likelihood of starting at the next meet, she said. Since Girls Volleyball has an outof-school coach, the attendance policy was not really enforced, Kwok said. In contrast, Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey followed the policy strictly; missing a practice meant not playing in the next meet, Krijestorac said. Ultimately the attendance policy created more communication between student athletes, coaches, and the associate athletic directors, which was a positive outcome, Annunziata said. Kwok believes team coaches still
have significant control over team management because they decide the consequences athletes receive, she said. Doolan believes that some coaches were frustrated by the
“
“As a general idea, I appreciated Horace Mann cracking down and saying, ‘We’re taking sports more seriously,’” -Kyra Kwok (11)
new system. “I know that for some of the coaches it could feel a bit overreaching that the control of their sports and how they manage their teams was being taken away from them and placed into the hands of members of the Athletics Department who were not members of their teams,” Doolan said. On the swim team especially, Mark believes coaches were discouraged with their lack of control. “They tried to do what they could overall to work with it, but it was just a frustrating experience,” he said. Krijestorac hopes that the Athletic Department will return to the old attendance policy next year, she said. “I feel like it drags you down so much, and it is just not that reasonable,” she said. There will probably be a simplified attendance system that creates less paperwork in the future, Barile said. There should be different consequences for excused and unexcused absences, and students excused from school should also be excused from practice, Doolan said. The policy will be re-examined based on the feedback the Athletic Department receives, Annunziata said.
Athletic attendance policy: a disservice to the school’s athletics
Nikki Sheybani & Honor McCarthy For us, the pool and the field have always been a playground and a home. Playing sports has indubitably been one of our most rewarding experiences at Horace Mann. The only thing greater than the number of hours we’ve spent at practice is our love and gratitude for our coaches. Their unwavering dedication and support - in athletics and beyond-
embodies what it means to be good athletes and better people. With 27 seasons of HM sports between us, we know firsthand the benefits of sports and want all HMers to share that experience. We feel the current attendance policy contradicts HM’s culture of support and does a disservice to our community. In the past, coaches have helped us navigate three trimesters of sports with our extracurricular commitments. Nearly every Wednesday during Mannikin meetings, Nikki would lace up her cleats before running to practice to finish warming-up with the team. Honor often sprinted from swim meets to debate tournaments, her hair still dripping wet. Whether on or off the field, our coaches have made compromises that allowed us to pursue all of our interests and exercise leadership and teamwork in different arenas. The attendance policy makes this balancing act even more difficult, without making players
or teams better. While all teams strive for competitive success, sports are fundamentally a welcome reprieve from the intellectual workouts of the day, an outlet for stress, and a group of friends. And we think sports should be fun – HM isn’t a “Friday Night Lights” style breeding ground for professional athletes. Any effort to get students away from their desks, albeit temporarily, is a win. The more students who play sports recreationally the better, but the rigid attendance policy dissuades students from participating at all. It’s virtually impossible for students to balance traveling for extracurriculars or taking a needed breather during a “Hell Week” with the inflexible consequences for missing practices. When forced to pick between sports and clubs, our school’s culture encourages most students to opt for the latter. But the policy paints a false dichotomy between the two; it’s better for someone to attend 90% of practices
than none, especially when the few practices missed are spent serving another team - be it The Record or Model UN. The values our coaches have instilled in us - hard work, camaraderie, and responsibility for others - are just as relevant at a lacrosse tournament as they are at a debate one. Being captain of a team and president of a club work in tandem. We should celebrate that our school is a place where you can be a swimmer and a writer and an actor, even if you can’t do it all in one afternoon. Adulthood requires managing conflicting commitments. To prepare for the world outside of HM, students should practice planning ahead and compromising - having frank discussions about their busy schedules with coaches throughout each season. The attendance policy strips us of this responsibility. Beyond deterring participation, the consequences for missing competitions run contrary to the mission of the
athletic program. This policy has had tangible, negative impacts on students like us. After Honor discussed with her coach which debate tournaments she would skip for swim meets and vice versa in November, she was benched for her second to last meet. Fundamentally, it’s counterintuitive that the “punishment” for missing one competition is missing another one. We think that a better policy for missing sports would be coaching a middle school team or spending more time at practice. We understand that there must be a standardized, minimum threshold for attendance. However, the primary responsibility for determining the specifics should rest with athletes and their coaches, who have a better sense of what best serves the team. A topdown, one-size-fits-all policy hurts the very students it claims to help.
31
HORACE MANN LIONS’ DEN JUNE 5TH, 2018
recruited varsity athlete tracker Nathalie Eid ‘17 Swimming
Chichi Ikwuazom '16 Volleyball
Yale University
Sofia Aisiks '15 Tennis
Williams College
Michael Farinelli ‘17 Baseball
Alex Baumann '16 Baseball
Dan Heintz '16 Ice Hockey
Amherst College
Chidi Nwankpa ‘18 Track and Field
Lafayette College
Brad Goodman '16 Crew
Georgetown University
Yale University
Stephanie Tilneac '16 Swimming
Freya Lindvall '18 Track and Field
Williams College
Swarthmore College
Franklin & Marshall
Sophia Fikke ‘18 Soccer
Hamilton College
Emory University
Michelle Nam '16 Fencing
Aaron Schein '15 Soccer
Bucknell University
Michael Stier '15 Soccer
Northwestern University
Sophia Friedman ‘17 Track
Princeton University
Stanford University
Alexandra Banin '16 Fencing
Brown University
Ailee Mendoza ‘17 Swimming
Kayla Thomas '18 Crew
Amherst College
Hannah Seckendorf '16 Squash
Middlebury College
Tufts University
Caltech
Calvin Chung ‘17 Tennis
Middlebury College
Jackson Najjar '15 Soccer
Dillon Holder ‘17 Baseball
Columbia University
Jack Miller ‘17 Baseball
Cheer on our Lions playing for schools across the country
Maya Scholnick ‘18 Soccer
Amherst College
Jimmy Wasserman '15 Tennis
Princeton University
Amherst College
Aman Sanger '18 Squash
Jason Oh '18 Fencing
MIT
Harvard University
Recruited athletes honored at ceremony
Lynne Sipprelle Staff Writer
Last Monday in Fisher Rotunda, recruited athletes and their families and friends attended the school’s first ever celebratory signing ceremony for recruited athletes. The student athletes opened bags of apparel from their respective colleges, signed their recruitment letters, took photos, and enjoyed refreshments. Sophia Fikke (12), Freya Lindvall (12) Jason Oh (12), Chidi Nwankpa (12), Aman Sanger (12), Maya Scholnick (12), Kayla Thomas (12), and Nora Burke (12) have all been recruited this year, although Burke could not attend the ceremony. Director of College Counseling Initiatives Beth Pili organized the event. “Part of it was in our office
we know of other independent high schools that have a similar ceremony celebrating and acknowledging scholar-athletes who are making a commitment to play a sport in college,” Pili said. “I think it’s recognizing their love of a sport but their commitment still to academics and to balancing both as a college freshman,” Pili said.
Sanger, who has been recruited to MIT for squash, thought the ceremony was great, he said. “It was really well put together,” he said. “It was a great celebration of the sacrifices that all the athletes made, and I think it was great for them to be publicly acknowledged,” Varsity Squash Head Coach Ron Beller said. Beller is very proud of Sanger, he said. “It’s like seeing someone grow up from a young adolescent to a man now.”
“It’s really nice to recognize the athletes of Horace Mann, especially since people who do sports outside of school are usually not recognized,” Thomas, who has been recruited to Stanford University for crew, said. Thomas “has turned into this major athlete,” her family friend Claudia Knafo ‘80 said. Knafo was screaming on the phone when she found out Thomas had been recruited, she said. “It’s really a dream.” Nwankpa, recruited to Lafayette College for track, was excited for the ceremony as well, he said. “It just feels like all my hard work paid off,” Nwankpa said. Although the college process for student-athletes hoping to be recruited depends on the league, the sport, the division, and the timing, the process often begins earlier, Pili said. Lindvall, recruited to run cross
country and track at Franklin & Marshall College, began reaching out to coaches, asking to meet with them, sending them her times, and visiting schools between her sophomore and junior years, she said. “The good thing about having a child who’s being recruited for athletics is that the coaches don’t want to hear from parents at all,” Carolyn Fikke P’18 said. Fikke was recruited to Amherst College for soccer. The pressure to actually make those communications with coaches is left to the students, not the parents,” Carolyn Fikke said. “My effort was really just to help Sophia work her way through what’s a good match academically and socially, more from a fit perspective.” Oh, recruited to Harvard University for fencing, met with the Harvard fencing coach February of his junior year and committed to the school, he
said. “When I officially got notified I was in was October of my senior year,” Oh said. “It was a huge relief because there’s an idea that when you’re recruited you’re done, but there’s always the possibility that something could go wrong,” he said. Oh’s mother, Jeemi Song Oh P’18, really appreciated the ceremony, she said. “I hope everyone enjoys it,” she said. Pili hopes to continue holding the signing ceremony each year in the future as a tradition, although it depends on how many athletes are recruited, she said. This year the number of seniors recruited, usually between one and five, was unusually high, she said.
SPRING SEASON AWARDS SOFTBALL
MVP Jane Frankel (12)
Coach’s Award Alex Peeler (11)
BASEBALL
MVP Ben Metzner (11)
Coach’s Award Ben Heller (12) Stanley Shaer Ethan Matt (12)
GIRLS CREW
MVP Zaie Nursey (12)
Coach’s Award Sofia Del Gatto (10)
BOYS CREW
MVP Vaughan Doty (12)
Coach’s Award Sam Harris (12)
GOLF
MVP Shant Amerkanian (11)
Coach’s Award Jonathan Oshrin (11)
GIRLS LACROSSE
MVP Sophia Fikke (12)
Coach’s Award Nikki Sheybani (12)
BOYS LACROSSE MVP Koby Ginder (10)
Coach’s Award Harrison Winter (9)
GIRLS TRACK
MVP Zahra Thiam (12)
Coach’s Award Freya Lindvall (12)
BOYS TRACK
MVP Chidiebere Nwankpa (12)
Coach’s Award Paul Wang (10)
Bob Buzzell Medal Taeang Moon (12)
BOYS TENNIS
MVP Robbie Werdiger (10)
Coach’s Award Connor Morris (11)
ULTIMATE FRISBEE MVP Jonah Newmark (12)
Coach’s Award Jake Sanders (12)
BOYS VOLLEYBALL MVP Ricardo Pinnock (12)
Coach’s Award Sam Benchimol (11)
32
THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN JUNE 5TH, 2018
FALL SPORTS
Girls Volleyball
Laura Bae Staff Writer
With a record of 4-11, Girls’ Volleyball had an incredibly constructive season this year, where players learned more and more every game and had a good time, Anna Yarosh (12) said. The highlight game of the season for most of the players was the Homecoming game, where “everyone got to play and the team was supporting each other in new and amazing ways,” said Kyra Kwok (11). At Homecoming, the team played against Grace Church instead of Riverdale, their usual opponents. “It was nice to play a new team we had never seen before because with Riverdale, we pretty much always know what is coming. Even though Grace Church was a lot like Riverdale it was nice to play a team we had never seen before,” Yarosh said.
Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor
Girls Cross Country Sam Singer Staff Writer
In a self-described successful season, the Girls’ Varsity Cross Country team was made up of players, most of whom beat their personal records, while maintaining their close bonds and helping each other to garner success. According to co-Captain Aurora Grutman (12), “it is very hard to measure records for CrossCountry.” “Regardless of our team’s performance, however, everyone
This year, the Lions had a new coach. “I think he was a really great coach. He brought in new ideas and techniques we hadn’t been given before and also a new coaching style that I think worked really well for our team,” Yarosh said. A star player was Brittany Jones (11), who team captain Emma Kelly (12) said, “was one of my co-captains this past season and continuously did an amazing job and stepped up in practice and in games.” Others key players were Zoe Swift (9), who “stepped up to be a skilled middle despite only being a freshman” and “brought a level of game to the court that inspired her entire team,” Kwok said. She also described Yarosh, as a “great libero who was reliable throughout the entire season.” “Everyone was and is still a star both on and off the court,” Kelly said. “All of the captains, Brittany Jones, Emma Kelly, and Caroline Troop, carried the team on and off the court,” Kwok said, “The captains made sure to get everyone’s heads into the game one hundred percent, ensuring that even the players on the bench would focus on the game and cheering the court players on.” “I think one aspect of the team that made this season really special was that we were all close friends before the season even started,” Kelly said. “That comfort that we all felt with each other really contributed to our cohesiveness on the court and in practice.” The season next year is bound to be just as impressive and successful, if not even more so. The seniors and captains leave with confidence, knowing that rising JV players and current Varsity members will uphold all of the lessons they’ve taught them and make them proud.
earned a personal record and did exceptionally well,” Grutman said. “The team was made up of excellent runners displaying outstanding sportsmanship who powered through the season and made the team better,” she said. This sentiment was echoed by Coach Meredith Cullen, who said that “everyone’s personal goals contributed to the powerful success of the team as a whole.” Cullen believed that even lowerscoring runners still added to the team’s overall ability and aided the team in becoming one of the “best and most known teams in the world of cross-country,” she said Cullen also found that the group’s strong cohesion allowed
Freya Lindvall/Photo Editor
Football Sam Singer Staff Writer
The Varsity Football team won the championship, capping off an undefeated season with a revenge win against Dalton. At the conclusion of their season, the Lions’ final record was 5-2, after receiving a record of 4-0 in their regular season followed by a win in the championship game and a record of 0-2 outside of their league. The Lions’ record can be attributed to the fact that the team felt like a “brotherhood” and truly acted as a unified force, co-Captain Michael Sun-Huang (11) said. The team members attended a sleepaway camp during
preseason. “It was a great bonding experience,” Sun-Huang said. Backup Quarterback Brody McGuinn (11) stepped up during the championship after the starting Quarterback was injured, further boosting the team and its efforts. The team was successful because it “left its heart on the field,” co-Captain Billy Lehrman (12) said. The team “would not be the team it is without him,” Lehrman said, referring to co-Captain Teddy Keegan who was injured throughout the season. “His presence, in practice, and at games allowed us to only let up one touchdown the entire year,” he said. Matt Russo, Head Coach for the Offense, said that the team was a
Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor
“very cohesive group. They played very hard to help other succeed,” he said.
Girls Soccer Emily Shi Contributing Writer
This year, the Girls’ Varsity Soccer team won the Ivy League Championship for the third year in a row and finished with a winning record of 11 wins and three losses. After losing six seniors last year, the Lions were able to “bounce back” and succeed again, Kiara Royer (10) said. The teams’ most exciting accomplishment was winning the Ivy League Championship after beating Riverdale, co-Captain Maya Scholnick (12) said. At the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) tournament, the team won the quarterfinals game against Marymount in overtime, which was significant because the team lost to Marymount in the NYSAIS
Courtesy of HM Flickr
tournament the year before, Royer said. All of the members of the team were motivated to win, Scholnick said. “We all had a really big passion for the game and an energy to beat every team,” she said. The seniors worked together to run practices and lead the team, Royer said. “There wasn’t just one star player. We really all thrived off
our team dynamic...that’s what made this season really unique to others,” Frankel said. Since 10 members of the team this year were seniors, the lineup next year for Girls Varsity Soccer will be completely different, Becker said. “We’re confident that the juniors and seniors next year will step up and continue the legacy of GVS, even if that doesn’t mean winning,” Frankel said.
NYSAIS while having fun. This year, the Lions had a very successful season due, in part, to the success of some younger runners, co-Captain Joshua Doolan (12) said. Eddie Jin (10), Masa Shiiki (10), and Jack Sendek (9) put their running experience to good use in practice by providing the team with running tips and encouragement, Doolan said. According to Max Migdon (9), this year’s captains, Michael Truell (12) and Doolan, made sure the team stuck together and kept meets fun. Truell and Doolan always coordinated team spirit outfits the day of a meet and brought carrot cake afterwards, keeping the team in Natalie Sweet a good mood, Migdon said. Staff Writer For Shiiki, the highlight of With a strong team dynamic and tough practices, the Boys’ the season was Mayor’s Cup, a Varsity Cross Country team was competition between runners from able to participate in challenging public and private schools in New meets such as the Ivy League York City. Shiiki came in third place Championship, Mayor’s Cup, and in his heat with time of 14:23 for the
2.5 mile course, a personal best for him. The team placed sixth in Ivy League Championships, and went on to finish eighth in the NYSAIS tournament. The future is looking bright for the Lions, Coach Jon Eshoo said. There will be several returning underclassmen from the team’s top seven runners and they hope to finish higher in 2018, Eshoo said.
for the team to perform better in its races, she said. Grutman agreed, saying that, “the carrot cake after each meet truly brought the team together.” Grutman was elected the team’s Most Valuable Player, although the Coaches’ Award was given to Amrita Archarya (12) for aiding a sick runner on another team during a key race. According to Cullen, Archarya “sacrificed her own time and place to make sure the runner was safe and got the help she needed. It was amazing.”
Boys Cross Country
Freya Lindvall/Photo Editor
33
HORACE MANN LIONS’ DEN JUNE 5TH, 2018
Girls Tennis
Natalie Sweet Staff Writer
This past fall, the Girls’ Varsity Tennis team went undefeated in all of its matches, becoming the Ivy Preparatory School League Champions for the fourth year in a row. Because of the construction that is currently taking place on Prettyman Gymnasium and the removal of the tennis courts, the Lions had to walk to Van Cortlandt Park (VCP) every day, which contributed to a loss of practice time, and did not have as many courts to play on, Chun said. However, the daily walk to and from VCP only brought the team closer together, co-Captain Rachel Okin (12) said. “When we walked to and from the Van Cortlandt Park courts for practice, we’d blast music and talk about our days,” she said. “We were all super excited about team spirit, which
definitely helped get us excited for matches,” Hannah Long (11) said. Additionally, this year’s captains really helped bring the team together with pep talks before matches and celebrations afterwards, Agarwal said. “I always had something to look forward to at the end of the day, and I’m still close friends with my teammates today,” Sabrina Freidus (9) said. According to co-Captain Kyra Hill (12), the highlight of the season was during the Ivy League Championship, when Gibby Thomas (11) won the final point, which clinched the victory for the lions. Thomas also qualified for NYSAIS, where she advanced to the finals, Thomas said. Okin is confident in the team’s success next season. “Next year’s seniors, Gibby, Hannah, and Natasha Stange (11), are amazing players and leaders, and they will lead an amazing team next year,” she said.
Field Hockey
Mark Fernandez Staff Writer
Reflecting on the fall season, the Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey team had three months that contained big highlights and hard work. Led by the co-Captains Anya Swift (12) and Devin Kleiner (12), the team finished 11-4 losing to Rye Country Day in the NYSAIS tournament. The focus of this year was “leading by example and being hyped about every game,” Swift said. “We were a very tight knit team,” Kleiner said. The team would go out for lunches and dinners, Swift said. “The leadership on the team was really important. Their emphasis was on making the team a team outside of field hockey also,” Julia Roth (11) said. The biggest highlight of the season was beating Hackley on Homecoming according to Roth, as the team had made that the goal coming into the season. The
Boys Soccer Mark Fernandez Staff Writer
Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor
Water Polo Emily Shi Contributing Writer
Despite a record of four wins and five loses, the Water Polo team won the Ivy League Championship for the tenth year in a row this season, only losing to one Ivy League team. A highlight of the year’s season was winning the Homecoming game, when the school beat Trinity, co-Captain Parul Sharma (12) said. It was a dramatic game, but a last-minute backhand goal from co-Captain Armand Dang (12) secured the victory. “Armand scored in the last 30 seconds and everyone went wild,” co-Captain Honor McCarthy (12) said. “Everybody contributes to the team in their own way,” Varsity Water Polo Coach Michael Duffy said. Many players such as Ben Hu (11), Lorenzo Hoss (11), Leonard Song (11), and Jeren Wei (11) were standout swimmers, which helped them perform their very best, Sharma said. Josie Alexander (12) said she formed special friendships throughout her years on the team.
Courtesy of Flikr
“There was never any tension. Everybody was really happy to be with each other, work with each other, and play with each other,” she said. The team worked well together in the pool, Dang said. “We would be direct with each other and tell each other what to do better. Huddles were very helpful,” he said. “I was proud of the way the team carried themselves. During each and every game, they played extremely hard,” Duffy said. Next year, many Sea Lions will return to the team, so there will be more competition, Duffy said. “That should help because competition generally breeds success,” he said.
The Boys Soccer team came inches away from making NYSAIS this fall as they were “one point away,” co-Captain Arjun Khorana (12) said. The team made big strides this year as they finished 2 places higher than the year before. They had two players, Evan Buonagurio (11) and co-Captain Noah Simon (12), on the first allIvy team, and had another player, Philippe Boulas (11), land a spot on the second all-Ivy team. Simon was a big part of the team as he averaged only 1.75 goals allowed per game, which led him to be a premier goalie in the Ivy League. Khorana believes their improvement was due to the “culture change” that occurred and how the team was very close. ”It wasn’t a big team mentality,” Khorana said when asked about the team in comparison to those of seasons past. In fact, the team still talks today, Khorana said. Khorana felt “buying into the system” did “wonders” for the team as everyone started playing for each other instead of themselves. Another key to their success
Courtesy of HM Flickr
team had a season long battle with Hackley for the top of the Ivy league, but Hackley eventually took the top spot. A big part of the team’s success is Coach Caroline Surhoff. “She’s very passionate about what she does. [She] is always coming to us with new ideas on how to win games,” Roth said. For seniors, ending the season means ending their run with Coach Surhoff, who has been coaching players like Kleiner since 6th grade. “We will miss
her,” Swift said. Looking onto next year, Kleiner and Swift believe Roth and Caitlin Goldenberg (11) will be key players. Losing 9 seniors will be tough on the team, but Roth believes that they will compete for the top of the Ivy league next year. The one big position that will need to be filled next year for the team will be Bliss Beyer’s (12) goalie position, which she played extremely well this year according to Kleiner.
was their youth. “There were a lot of sophomores. On defense it was me and three sophomores.” Jonny Cohen (12) said. Cohen also felt that the captains, Khorana, Simon, Julian Dubeck (12), and Michael Benacerraf (12), “led by example.” “They were role models for the younger players,” Cohen said. Cohen also gave praise talking about how being captain is tough, and the captains pulled it off. For the upcoming season, Khorana and Cohen feel Chris Ha (10) and Buonagurio are primed for a stellar season as
they both progress in their time on HM soccer. Since 8 seniors are graduating this year, there will be many open spots up for grabs in the coming season. “We were very impressed with the attitude, excitement, and enthusiasm,” said Coach Berniker describing the preseason meeting. There were 30 kids who showed up with many more signed up, but couldn’t make the meeting. Berniker used the word “rejuvenated” to describe their team next season and says they are all very excited for the fall.
Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor
FALL SPORTS
34
THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN JUNE 5TH, 2018
WINTER SPORTS
Girls Swim
Sasha Snyder Contributing Writer
The Girls Varsity Swim Team had a great year, ending the winter season with a 5-2 record and placing third at the Ivy League Championship, co-Captain Nikki Sheybani (12) said. The team was led by Coach Oleg Zvezdin and captains Honor McCarthy (12), Josie Alexander (12), and Sheybani. “Our seniors were great leaders as well as tremendous swimmers,” Zvezdin said. The eight senior swimmers excited the team at meets and worked hard in the pool, Zvezdin said. Eve Kazarian (12) said that a significant part of leadership was encouraging team spirit. Wearing togas for team spirit the day of the Ivy League Championship, for example, was a highlight of the season, Kazarian said.
“No matter which lane you swim in, each member will go out of their way to yell a teammate’s name across the hall just to say hi. We are a team that turned into a family and in between swim team dinners and sleepovers, we somehow became a cult and we wouldn’t have it any other way,” Sheybani said. Nina Gaither (9) said she felt welcomed and embraced by the upperclassmen despite being new to the team. Next year, with the new pool, Zvezdin is excited to be able to work with eight lanes instead of four, saying that the additional space will allow for more focus on individual swimmers and specific strokes. Sheybani is also confident that the team has excellent prospects. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the team’s unparalleled spirit and unwavering dedication to each other will be upheld in seasons to come,” she said.
Courtesy of Ben Parker
Boys Swim
Sasha Snyder Contributing Writer
The Boys Varsity Swim Team finished the season with a 4-3 record, with impressive wins against Fieldston and Poly Prep. Led by Coach Duffy and Captains Ben Parker (12), Jonny Cohen (12), and Armand Dang (12), the swim team developed into a tight-knit family by the end of the winter season, Dang said. “This year the upperclassmen made an effort to make sure the underclassmen never felt left out,” he said. Maurice Campbell (9) said that no matter your skill level, you were welcomed on the team and received encouragement from the juniors and seniors. Fun traditions like the pasta party the day before the Ivy League Championship, during which the swimmers loaded up on carbs,
contributed to the closeness of the group, Dang said. One of the highlights of the season for Campbell was William Han (11) breaking the Ivy League record for the 50 Freestyle at Ivies. “The best thing was touching the wall and knowing that I won it, and then looking over at my teammates, which was the first thing I did, and seeing everybody smiling and screaming,” Han said. Although disappointed to lose the seniors, Han is excited and has high hopes for next year, as he anticipates having some great incoming freshmen. Looking back on the year, Han said, “We didn’t have the tools to have an incredibly great season. Considering what we had, we overachieved and every single one of us was proud of the entire team by the end of the season.”
Courtesy of Ben Parker
Squash Josh Underberg Contributing Writer
The Varsity Squash Team placed second in the Ivy League with a final record of 12-3 and placed at Nationals. “We had a lot of young kids step up,” Head Coach Ron Beller said. Sofia Jiang (9), Kush Malhotra (9), and Sam Chiang (9) improved tremendously throughout the season, he said.
Several experienced upperclassmen including Captain Aman Sanger (12), Captain Connor Morris (11), Siddharth Tripathi (12), and Pippa Adelman (12) contributed to the team’s leadership. These particular players played a great role in keeping the team together and ensuring that everybody was always focused, while also having fun, Beller said. “At first [the team dynamic] was a little rocky, but as the
season went on you could see that they were cheering for each other and they really liked being around each other,” Beller said. Some of the team’s high points of the season included its 7-0 victories against Fieldston as well as its various matches against Poly Prep. Although the team will lose its senior players next year, the combination of all of the young, rising talent makes for a bright future, Beller said.
Courtesy of Connor Morris
Boys Basketball
Sam Keimweiss Staff Writer
Even though the Boys Varsity Basketball team went 5-16 this year, they built a strong base and are excited about next year, Darius McCullough (10) said. “Our record wasn’t great, but we definitely made a start,” Jaden Kirshner (9) said. “We had a lot of players and in a couple of years, maybe next year, we’ll be really good and eventually have a chance to win the league.” “We were very young,” Courtesy of HM Flickr
McCullough said. “We had five freshmen, five sophomores, and three upper classmen.” Starters Robert Mantz (10) and Kelvin Smith (10) were injured for most of the season, McCullough said. “It was a struggle without both of them on the court a lot of the time,” he said. “We had to work on really getting our rebounds and filling the offensive spot that [Smith] had,” Kirshner said. Mantz missed the first five games, after which Smith was out injured, McCullough said. Throughout the season, Coach Tim Sullivan supported the team, Ben Chasin (9) said. “Coach
Sullivan is a really hard worker, and I think that the plays he has for us are good,” Kirshner said. “Even though we had a disappointing season he kept his head high,” Chasin said. “He kept giving us the right mindset, to go out there and leave it all on the floor.” Despite the team’s record, there is plenty of positivity, McCullough said. “A lot of the freshmen are going to get bigger, and everyone is going to get bigger and stronger,” he said. “Everyone likes each other, everyone’s cool, which I think is a great thing for next year, going forward,” Chasin said. “Next year is going to be much better.”
35
HORACE MANN LIONS’ DEN JUNE 5TH, 2018
Boys Track
Ranya Sareen Contributing Writer
The Boys Indoor Track team ended their season as both Ivy League and New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) finalists. During the Ivy League Championship and NYSAIS, the 4 by 200m relay team, composed of co-Captain Chidi Nwankpa (12), Grant Kaufman (12), Melchior Lee (11), and Paul Wang (10), ran really well and placed second, Simmons said. Masa Shiiki (10) and Eddie Jin (10) also ran well and greatly improved since last year and it showed during the season, Charles Simmons (10) said, and even though he got injured Daniel Chang (10) was a good performed
Girls Track Ranya Saren Contributing Writer As a team of only eight, the Girls Indoor Track team ended its season as Ivy League finalists. Girls Varsity Indoor Track Coach RJ Harmon said he was very pleased throughout the season. “Everyone was committed to the sport and didn’t solely compete as a team, but rather supported each other as individuals in their own events,” Harmon said. NYSAIS was a big event for the Lions this year as they had freshman, Lauren Gay (9) qualify in two events: the 55m hurdles and long jump. She went on to finish second in hurdles and to compete in Federations, an all-state meet, Harmon said. Freya Lindvall (12) also competed in the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) meet, running in the 3000m and 1600m events.
during meets, and looks to improve for next season. The senior leadership this season was special, Charles Simmons (10) said. The seniors really brought the team together and helped the lions bond, he said. Co-Captain Chidi Nwankpa (12), was a vocal leader, making sure everyone was always on time and ready for practice, he said. His determination and example motivated the younger runners, Paul Wang (10) said. Looking ahead to next season, Wang is excited for more freshmen who will hopefully be fast runners who can replace Nwankpa and Kaufman. Wang will especially miss the leadership from Tae Moon (12), but knows that Lee and Solomon Katz (11) will step up and be great leaders next year. “We are really going to miss our seniors, but we have a lot of great guys and tons to look forward to.” Simmons said. “Seven out of nine events the girls ran at the Ivy League Championship meet were personal bests of the season,” Harmon said. “Although we are losing three seniors, it will be important to build on the positive season we had this year,” Dana Jacoby (11) said. Jacoby, a hurdler, mentioned how the seniors led the team during stretching, which helped everyone bond, and diminished a sense of hierarchy. Lindvall said how being one of three seniors helped her form a close relationship with her cocaptains. Jacoby said she liked how the team was small and tight this year, but is also interested to see if people from outdoor track join indoor track. “Having a really close, small team was nice and the constant support from Harmon was encouraging as we ran in our meets.” Lindvall said. Lindvall said she is excited to see how the team will turn out next year, and hopes more people interested in track will join.
Freya Lindvall/Photo Editor
Girls Basketball
Sam Keimweiss Staff Writer
Due to the team’s strong bond, the Girls Varsity Basketball team had a very successful season, going 19-6, Natalie Sweet (9) said. “It was a great season, definitely one of my favorites to be a part of,” captain Jane Frankel (12) said. “The girls on the team this year clicked almost immediately. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to lead this year,” Frankel said. The team made the semi-finals of the Ivy League tournament, Frankel said. “Starting from a disjointed group of girls and ending where we did end, as a family, was just awesome to see.” “Our senior captains did a really good job making sure that everyone felt included and that they had a part to play on the team,” Robbins said. Aside from the team’s dynamic, Girls varsity Basketball Coach Ray Barile was pivotal to the team’s success, Frankel said. “Barile was a really good coach,” Vivien Sweet (9) said. “He really understood all of us.” Also important to the team’s success were Assistant Coach Brian Casey and Junior Varsity Basketball Coach Chris Nelson, Frankel said. Next year, the team’s goal is to win the Ivy League Championship, Robbins said. “That’s what we had in mind this year, and although we didn’t achieve that goal, we came really close, and I think next year we might actually be closer,” Vivien Sweet said. Courtesy of HM Flickr
Freya Lindvall/Photo Editor
Wrestling
Josh Underberg Contributing Writer
The Varsity Wrestling team had a successful season, finishing with an overall record of 10-5. However, the its record fails to adequately demonstrate the team’s success Liam Futterman (9) said. The relatively small wrestling squad worked hard to compete against teams with a much larger number of wrestlers, Futerman said. A highlight of the season was the team’s win against Trinity. “Their whole roster was filled out, and we ended up getting just enough points, basically winning all of our matches,” Futterman said.
Other notable matches this season include the team’s 54-24 win against Hastings on Hudson and the 47-9 win over Collegiate. The juniors on the team-- Jamie Berg (11), George Verdelis (11), Michael Ortiz (11), and Davis Parzick (11)-- were integral to the team’s success, Head Coach Greg Quilty said. In addition to the terrific individual performances, the team also thrived as a cohesive unit, Quilty said. At certain matches such as the 54-24 ‘Hastings on Hudson’ win and the 47-9 win over Collegiate, it was evident that the lions made an effort to support their fellow teammates. With all of its top wrestlers returning next season, Quilty said the future is looking bright for the team.
Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor
WINTER SPORTS
36
THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN JUNE 5TH, 2018
WINTER SPORTS
Boys Ski
John Mauro Contributing Writer Horace Mann’s Boys Varsity Ski team engaged in victories on and off the mountain. The lions not only won multiple races, but also bonded well to form a cohesive team, Adam Frommer (9) said. Although rigorous, the
team was incredibly fun and rewarding, Frommer said. “There were many intense, long races, many long hours after school, but it was so much fun skiing under the lights at night. It was a totally different experience and really a blast to do.” There were many talented racers on the team this year, such as co-Captains Samuel Harris (12) and Charlie Hayman (12) Head Coach Morgan Yarosh said. Although not generally ranked
as a team, within the individual placings, four of the top seven racers were usually from Horace Mann, and Harris earned first place in nearly all of his races, Ryan Leung (11) said. Despite excellent performances this year, the Lions were unable to join in the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) competition because the team was not technically part of a league, Yarosh said. Courtesy of Mannikin
Girls Ski
John Mauro Contributing Writer The Girls Varsity Ski team performed incredibly well throughout the winter season, consistently placing in the top five at its meets, Captain Ruby Wertheimer (12) said. Aside from their success on the slopes the team bonded well, creating a support system that ended up being an unexpected but valuable asset, Wertheimer said. The team consisted of both experienced and novice skiers from all four grades who worked together to conquer the snow capped mountains, consistently defeating the handful of four to five
public schools they faced, Coach Morgan Yarosh said. Emma Djoganopoulos (9) was a great asset to the team this year, placing first in nearly all of her races, Yarosh said. The other freshman on the team, Catherine Zhang (9) and Kelly Troop (9), also made great improvements. Troop appreciated the upperclassmen’s attitude toward the younger skiers. “I’ve played sports all three seasons and the seniors on ski were the best. I thought they were all very welcoming,” she said. The Girls Varsity Ski team brought together students from all grades to both ski and become a tight knit community. Together, the team advanced both their skiing and their bonds with one another, Troop said.
Courtesy of Mannikin
Girls Fencing Henry Owens Staff Writer Due to Head Coach Rafael Western’s more formal and rigorous training, the Girls Fencing team had an excellent season, co-captain Emma Jones (12) said. Epée finished the season with a 10-6 record, saber finished 13-1, and the foil team went undefeated with 14 wins. Jones, who fences epée has been on the fencing team all four years of high school and is a captain for the second year in a row. “We had a lot of new talent on the team and our coaches also really upped their game training everyone and implementing things that were
really helpful,” Jones said. “We had a really good season. I was really happy with how it went.” “I’m really proud of everyone,” co-Captain Lucinda Li (12), who also fences epée, said. “Everyone put in a lot of effort and we did a lot of training and conditioning and practice bouts.” Some students who fenced especially well this season were Alexia Gilioli (11) and Eunice Bae (11) from the foil team, Emma Jones (12) from epée, and Celine Owens (9) from saber. The team gained several new freshmen including Rachel Zhu (9). The team had a great dynamic and it was a good way for underclassmen to get to know some upperclassmen Zhu said. “The freshmen have a really kind, empathetic attitude towards each other,” Jones said. “It is really nice to see, and makes me feel good about the direction the team is headed in.” Mieu Imai/Staff Photographer
Boys Fencing Henry Owens Staff Writer
The Boys Varsity Fencing team had a mixed season this year. Epée did rather poorly, finishing 4-10, foil won half of their meets, but saber did quite well, finishing 10-2 Faijul Rhyan (11) had a great season and won the team’s MVP Mieu Imai/Staff Photographer
award. Some other fencers who performed well this season include Phillip Chien (10) from the saber team, Mahdid Uddin (12) from epée, and Ben Jacobs (12) from foil. Ethan Kim (11) fences saber, and said that the season “went as well as other seasons.” Kim mentioned that next year will see the loss of co-Captain Jacobs, but he said that he is hopeful because of the talent of many current juniors and the potential of the
large number of freshmen who joined the team. “We all felt pretty welcomed to the team,” said Andrew Peak (9). “It was definitely a fun, hard fought season.” “I feel like we got together really easily, even though there was a large influx of freshmen and we lost a lot of seniors on the team, it still felt very natural and it was a very close knit team,” Jacobs said.
37
HORACE MANN LIONS’ DEN JUNE 5TH, 2018
Girls Lacrosse
Boys Lacrosse
Suraj Khakee Staff Writer
Isabella Zhang Staff Writer
After losing a number of core players last year, the Boys Varsity Lacrosse team had a 4-9 season. “I knew we were going to be in the rebuilding stage,” Coach Scott Berniker said. The team had a young rooster and a goalie new to the position, but “they turned out better than I had thought, and we showed that we have a good foundation to build on,” he said. Though they may not have had the best record in the league, the players all had a good time, coCaptain Davis Parzick (11) said. The season started out rough for the team but towards the end of the season the team started to click, MVP and co-Captain Koby Ginder (10) said. “The team remained positive throughout the season and showed that we have the skills to field a competitive team,” Berniker said.
Courtesy of Mannikin
Our win against Trinity was a highlight for the season, and the team really came together during that game, Parzick said. The pre-season trip to Orlando was also a highlight for the team. “It gives the kids, especially the underclassmen, a great opportunity to bond with one another,” Berniker said. Berniker hopes for a record of at least .500 in the Ivy League next year. “This means we need to work hard in the off-season and show up and work hard at every practice,” Berniker said.
The Girls Varsity Lacrosse team had a season full of ups and down, finishing the season at 7-9. Many of the losses that came later were by less than three goals, meaning the team was competitive some of the best teams in the league. “We played really well in the Poly Prep game, which is a game that is really tough each year, and we competed and eventually lost 13-16,” Tess Lehrman (10)
said, “but playing in that game is definitely my favorite moment of the season.” “That Poly game was one of the best I’ve played in all my four years here,” co-Captain Sophia Fikke (12) said. “Towards the end of the season, many of our seniors had to miss games because of tests and college visits,” Fikke said, “but what was good about it was that it left the door open for freshmen like Kelly Troop (9) and Leyli Granmayeh (9) to get on the field and prove themselves.” Even through the late season struggles, there were many
proud moments. The camaraderie and hard work ethic of each girl on the team was what made the season such a huge success, co- Captain Nikki Sheybani (12) said. “I knew that as a captain I and the other seniors - had to lead by example and get serious when necessary,” Sheybani said. Although the year may not have ended as many on the team hoped, there is no shortage of pride and memories from this past season. Thanks to games where the results were determined by a few close plays, there was a lot of experience to gain, Sheybani said.
Courtesy of Joshua Kraus
Boys Crew
Sam Keimweiss Staff Writer
Courtesy of Mannikin
Girls Crew Isabella Zhang Staff Writer The Girls Varsity Crew team started off the season slow. However, with hard work, the team shifted into high gear. The team made it to the semis of the New York State Championship, and finished 16th in the state. “This is something that has never happened before,” Zarina Iman (12) said. “I was blown away by our team this year,” Zaie Nursey (12) said. “The level of dedication I saw from each and every one of them was outstanding.” The seniors did a impressive job as leaders, the juniors showed up to practices and races even with a tight academic schedule, and the underclassmen also did a good job learning from the upperclassmen, Nursey said. I tried to teach the techniques and the basics, but you can only get so far on land. We had three weeks of land practice and were not able to get on the water. Once we were on water, it was almost like hitting the restart
After a slow start to the season, Boys Varsity Crew finished strong this year, with two boats in the top 20 in the state, Coach Chelsea Ernst said. The Novice Four boat placed fourth in the state, and the Junior Four was ranked 18th, she said. The team had trouble getting off the ground and had to cancel their first race, co-Captain Vaughan Doty (12) said. “We had to teach new people how to row and had to remind everyone else,” Ernst said. “There just wasn’t enough time.” “We do have a lot of new members on the team, and at the beginning of the season it takes a while to get adjusted to rowing on the water,” co-Captain Sam Harris (12) said. Two of the new freshmen, Eli Scher (9) and Sullivan
Smith (9), were on the boat that placed fourth in the state, Scher said. They rowed with Nelson Gaillard (10) and Griffin Smith (10). The addition of two new assistant coaches from Manhattan College, Vince Doherty and Liam Wiedmann, really helped Coach Matthew Boller and Ernst run the team, Doty said. “Coach Ernst knows how to support her players and know their needs, but she also really pushes you,” Ben Doolan (10) said. “She was able to get us in shape.” “I think this year’s seniors really stepped up, really helped out. There are so many different moving parts of crew, and I think they really tried to teach people,” Ernst said. “We came off a hard year last year,” Ernst said. “I think this year is a big improvement.” “I know from the beginning of the season we were kind of a wreck but by the end it was very much inclusive, and everyone seemed to know what they were doing,” Goodman said.
button, Coach Matthew Boller said. “The vast majority of our team is new to rowing. It was a lot of teaching the sport, and how to be efficient in water. However, we finished really well, and made lots of progress towards the end of the season,” Boller said. This year the coaches asked for more dedication towards the team, and it forced us to try our best, Mayanka Dhingra (10) said. The girls worked hard, had fun, and improved drastically, Dhingra said. All of our races were overnight, so there were times where I’ve spent all weekend with the team, Nursey said. “I think the overnight trips are such an unique experience, and it is certainly something other teams do not get,” Iman said. Because of the overnight trips Dhingra felt closer to the people on the team, she said. To end the season the crew team did a hat race and senior’s farewell, Nursey said. “Everyone picked positions and boats out of a hat. We raced in different positions then usual, and it is very fun.” After the hat race, all of the seniors jumped into the water at our boathouse, Dhingra said.
SPRING SPORTS
Courtesy of Mannikin
38
THE RECORD LIONS’ DEN JUNE 5TH, 2018
SPRING SPORTS
Boys Volleyball Nishtha Sharma Staff Writer
The Boys Varsity Volleyball team ended its season with a 4-7 record and is proud of its great improvement from last year, Saif Moolji (10) said. “Our first home win was definitely a highlight,” Captain Ricardo Pinnock (12) said. “I knew that we were progressing…and the win was definitely coming,” he said. Two key elements contributing
to the team’s success were defense and serving, Coach Jason Torres said. This season, the team had many new players join the team, Moolji said. “Since most of the guys didn’t play before, we spent a good amount of time getting back into the swing of things and learning the basics,” Pinnock said. “Practices became very busy with 22 people on the court,” Torres said. “We spent a lot of time on repetition and focusing on particular skills, but we also tried to mix it up every once in a while with small games.” However, the team still lost
seven games throughout its season, but was able to learn from each one, Pinnock said. “Every loss, even in a set, showed us something we could work on and exposed some part of the game that wasn’t very strong,” he said. The team is impressed with its significant improvement from last year, Pinnock said. “Coming into this season, we had humble hopes after our 0-8 record last season, so we knew the only way we could go was up,” he said. This season, the team qualified for The New York City Athletic League (NYCAL) and New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) championships. “Being the first HM team to make the state tournaments was really exciting,” Moolji said. “I think it was quite an accomplishment to make it to the playoffs, and I hope to repeat that,” Torres said.
Courtesy of Mannikin
Although the Boys Varsity Baseball team Oliver Steinman had a 5-12 Staff Writer record and lost in the playoffs, many players described the season as a successful one. The goal before the season was to change the culture of the school’s baseball team, co-Captain Ben Metzner (11) said. Co-Captain Charlie Wallach (12) said that this season was not about making a championship run. Rather this season was about ingraining the positive “team first” mindset into the program. Ethan Matt (12) described the team dynamic as fun and loose. “We are very much a family and have fun playing baseball like we should, but when it’s time to flip the switch, we compete,” Metzner said. The team’s season ended with a 1-3 loss against Poly Prep in the NYSAIS quarterfinals. The Lions took Poly Prep, a team with numerous division one commits, down to the wire in the playoffs, Metzner said. “Mark Fernandez’s (10) performance against Poly in the playoffs was one of the gutsiest pitching performances I’ve ever seen, at Horace Mann or outside of school,” he said. “It was really special watching guys like Metzner, Fernandez, and Suraj Khakee (10) step up in big time situations. Ben hit great all season, Suraj was our most reliable fielder, and Mark
Baseball
bounced back from one our most deflating losses to pitch one of the greatest games I’ve seen in four years,” Wallach said. Another key moment to the season was “Phillip Zweck-Bronner’s (12) walk-off double against Fieldston and walk-off home run against Loyola in the play-in game stand out,” Metzner said. Even though it hurts to lose seniors, especially when they are the driving force behind baseball team’s culture shift, Metzner is excited for the future of the baseball team’s young core, featuring Adrian Arnaboldi (9), Ryan Webb (9),
Softball
Nishtha Sharma Staff Writer
The Girls Varsity Softball team had a steady run this spring, concluding the season with a 7-7 record, Ashna Jain (11) said. The team began its season with its annual training trip to Florida, where the team established closer bonds, Ragan Henderson (11) said.
Courtesy of Mannikin
Courtesy of Mannikin
“Our seniors were the main reason I wanted to continue playing just because they acted as genuine role models,” Henderson said. “While our captains would be playful and bond with us, they also pushed and encouraged us at the same time.” The lions are especially proud of their performance against some tough teams within the league, co-captain Jane Frankel (12) said. The team was also proud of its unexpected 22-19 victory against Fieldston, Jain
Courtesy of Mannikin
The Ultimate Frisbee team may have only gone 9-7 this year, but that record did not define their season. Coach Chris Nelson sees onthe-field play as secondary. The most important part of the team to him is bonding and growing into a solid unit of skilled players, he said. The team graduated a large number of seniors last year that left many roles to fill. The team consisted of a mix of returning players and a large number of players learning the sport for the first time. Many individual players solidified their skills, and the team became more solid, Nelson said. The team had a steep learning curve and many players didn’t know some of the rules at the start of the season. “At the beginning of the season, I was more stressed about my level of play in comparison to the returning players. But as we grew together as a team, I became more comfortable
around my teammates, and my level of play improved in conjunction,” first-year player Victor Dimitrov (10) said. The responsibility of teaching the new players fell to Nelson and the captains, Jivan Khakee (12), Jake Sanders (12) and Jonah Newmark (12). “The underclassmen did a great deal of learning this year, but possessed a lot of natural athleticism,” Khakee said. Several younger players like Daniel Lee (10) stepped up and made great diving catches consistently this season. The team grew closer throughout their time together largely due to their good spirit at games and practices and sportsmanship, two things that Coach Nelson takes pride in, he said. After every game, the team would partake in “spirit circles” with the other team and award a spirit award winner and MVP for the opponent, Khakee said. Nelson sees significant promise in the team going into next year. He looks forward to growing the team around the really good players who just started playing the sport, he said.
said. After losing five seniors from last year, “It took a little bit of time to get into the flow of things but everyone stepped up, grew to be better players, and had a great time doing it,” Frankel said. The new players on the team were pivotal to the team’s success, Jain said. “Mandy Liu (9) became our pitcher, and we were all incredibly impressed by her skill.” “As the season progressed, we eventually became more
focused and started working harder during practices,” Jain said. “A big problem was the weather, which forced us to do a lot more batting practices, and gave us less actual practice time once we began having 3-4 games a week,” she said. Nonetheless, Frankel said she was impressed with the team’s development as players throughout the season, she said. “It was amazing to see how [the girls] learned to care for one another, for our coaches, and for the game itself,” she said.
Ultimate Frisbee
Andrew Cassino Staff Writer
39
HORACE MANN LIONS’ DEN JUNE 5TH, 2018
Girls Track Andrew Cassino Staff Writer The Girls Varsity Outdoor Track team had an incredible season culminating in athletes finishing at the top of most of their events. Their consistent hard work throughout the season led them to a strong finish in Ivies and in New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) meet on May 23rd. Co-captain Freya Lindvall (12) views NYSAIS as an event that brings out the best in all the players, she said. The team’s hurdling group was particularly strong this season
consisting of Lauren Gay (9), Eva Fortunato (11), and Arianna Laufer (12). All three consistently took top spots at each developmental meet. At NYSAIS, Fortunato and Laufer placed second and third, respectively. Gay also placed in the Ivy finals in the 100. The girls 4x100 team came in fourth in NYSAIS. Lindvall sees Ava Merker (10) as one of the most improved players on the team since her freshman year. “She really stepped it up and realized the potential she had. She is now one of our best 400m runners,” Lindvall said. Though the season ended with great success at Ivies and NYSAIS, it had a rocky start due to weather.
Conditions were often cold and raining. co-Captains Zahra Thiam (12), Laufer, Lindvall along with coach Jon Eshoo were pleased that everyone was still outside cheering and running their hardest despite the harsh conditions. All the captains expect is for the team to go out and have fun competing. Lindvall believes the team dynamic and chemistry will push them next year to practice hard and perform at their best level, she said. She hopes the captains have established a mentality that “will resonate with the team and carry on through next year so they can continue to progress and become an even stronger team,” she said.
Boys Track
Freya Lindvall/Photo Editor
Boys Tennis
Andrew Cassino Staff Writer
The Boys Varsity Outdoor Track team’s season was filled with success, thanks to teamwork at every meet and hard work during practice, co-Captain Chidi Nwankpa said. Captains Nwankpa, Ty Moon (12), and Coach Meghan Marro led the team to New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) finals on May 23rd with one runner setting a new school record. The team’s hard work all season really showed at NYSAIS. Jack Harris (10) set a school record after running the 110M hurdles in 16.10 seconds. As a result of his performance, he will be competing at states. Jeffery Chen (10), Charles Simmons (10), Harris, Eddie Jin (10), and Jack Sendek (9) all set personal records at NYSAIS. Nwankpa was proud of his team’s success and work ethic. The team this year was slightly smaller than usual, and he emphasized giving 110% at every meet and practice, he said. “I think the team chemistry was really good,” Nwankpa said, “We were especially focused towards the end of the year.” Everybody got to know each other very well, including the new freshmen, he said. The captains know that for the team to have success, everybody needs to feel like they are valued, they said. The team
Suraj Khakee Staff Writer
Freya Lindvall/Photo Editor
bonded during a few practices where they barely ran at all. They had a practice where all they did was play capture the flag, and Nwankpa views this practice as one of the highlights of the whole season, he said. Chen praised the captains, “Chidi really helped us all with our starts and was a really good captain. He motivated us and made us work harder,” he said. The captains believe the team will still succeed next year despite graduating some extremely talented seniors, they said. Nwankpa views Marro as one of the best coaches at the school and believes she will guide the team to more success in years to come. He has confidence that the freshmen and sophomores will take a big step next year and grow into better, more dedicated runners, he said.
Golf
Oliver Steinman Staff Writer The Varsity Golf team had a strong season, finishing with a record of 9-6. Their season ended on May 23 at the New York State Association of Independent School (NYSAIS) championship. Out of the 16 schools that competed in the tournament, the Lions came in fifth. According to Coach Robert Annunziata, the season went as expected. After losing five seniors, four of which were starters, the season was about rebuilding and creating a new culture. Jonathan Oshrin (11) did not expect a lot of success this season and winning Courtesy of Mannikin
The Boys Varsity Tennis team continued its dominance over the Ivy League for the second year in a row, defeating Riverdale a few weeks ago complete their undefeated season and to become back to back champs. “I was most proud of the fact that we were able to go undefeated throughout the regular season as well as the Ivy League tournament without our long-standing number one player, Calvin Chung ‘17. Everybody had to step up in a bigger role this year,” Coach Patrick Westoo said. Sophomores Ishaan Kanaan (10) and Robbie Werdiger (10) assumed important
roles, being the number one and two singles players respectively. “The singles players definitely had the best seasons, especially after Werdiger went undefeated at the two singles position and third singles player Connor Morris (11) went 9-1,” Sidh Chawla (10) said. Each starter on the team was voted onto either the first or second all-Ivy team, but each member of the team credited their teammates when talking about their awards, Westoo said. “Our team gets along as a family, if one of us has a bad day and loses then other positions step up and win important matches. We always encourage each other to work harder and to be the best tennis players we can be,” co-Captain James Baumann (12) said. The journey for this team ended at the Mayor’s Cup, held on May 31st and June 3rd, which brings the best teams in the city together to compete for the title. The team, however, didn’t lack confidence when it comes to the biggest challenge of its season, Westoo said. During the first day of the Mayors Cup, co-Captain Ethan Finley (12) and Chawla won their match in historic 6-1 and 6-0 sets, Finley said. Similarly, Kanaan also performed very well in the Mayors Cup, Finley said. “The core of our team is young and I am looking forward to see what we can accomplish as everybody continues to grow and improve,” Westoo said.
Courtesy of Mannikin
nine games this season was better than expected, he said. “I think we have definitely been a lot closer this year than we have in past seasons. We all want to play the best we can individually, but the players on the team realize that golf is a team sport as much as it is an individual one, and there has definitely been a new level of camaraderie between our team,” Oshrin said. “Starting the season off by winning five of our first six definitely showed our potential to compete with the best teams in our league,” Oshrin said. “The level of play that Shant Amerkanian (11) and Jack Blackman (10) held themselves to this year really helped our team hold our own against some of the tougher lineups we
faced this year.” Oshrin said that the main disappointment this season was falling apart towards the end of the season. Losing five games in a six game stretch was rough on the team’s morale, Oshrin said. The primary rival for the school’s golf team this year has been Fieldston, Annunziata said. This year, the Lions beat Fieldston twice, winning 8-1 and 6-2. Annunziata is impressed with Amerkanian and Oshrin’s leadership ability, as well as the way Blackman and Jackson Stinebaugh (11) played. Oshrin said that next year, the team will not change very much because they are not losing any players but he does expect to see improvement in each player during the offseason.
SPRING SPORTS
HAVE A
GREAT
SUMMER!
Photos Courtesy of HM Flickr and Abi Kraus