The Hotchkiss Record – May 24, 2018

Vol. CXX, No. 5

The Hotchkiss Record Thursday, May 24, 2018

The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT, 06039

Dear Liu ’19 and Ian Gill ’19 throw colored powder over Dylan Kalaydjian ’19, Nick Adams ’19, and Alisa Ghura ’19 as they pass the finish line at the Color Run last Sunday.

St. Luke’s Organizes Day of Service Victoria Chen ’21 Contributing Writer Students dedicated their time last week to numerous community service initiatives. Sponsored by St. Luke’s Society, the school’s oldest community service organization, and the Alumni Student Relations Team, this year’s eighth annual celebration included the presentation of the King Constantine Community Service Medal, student volunteer work for local charities, and the annual Color Run. On Tuesday, May 15, Mr. Craig Bradley, head of school, presented the first Round Square King Constantine Community Service Medal to James Lewitt ’18. The Round Square schools, a group of institutions that organize exchanges and conferences amongst one another, each award the medal to one member of their community to recognize exemplary spirit and devotion toward service. This year’s medal recognized Lewitt’s work as the youngest member of the Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service (SVAS), a local medical organization that provides free, 24-hour emergency service to the community. As a trained emergency medical technician, Lewitt has responded to more than 100 calls this year alone. Dr. Jared Zelman, medical director and fellow member of the SVAS, said, “James provides his skill with calmness, gentleness, and

warmth. He is looked up to by others for what he has accomplished and for his volunteerism to the town of Lakeville.”

Following the award presentation, student volunteers participated in service opportunities with Trade Secrets and Feed the Need last Saturday.

The 18th annual Trade Secrets event, run by Women’s Support Services in Sharon, Connecticut, featured flower and antique vendors. This year, 15 student volunteers joined the event to help organize vendors’ products and welcome guests. Students continued their volunteer efforts with the Feed the Need initiative, cooking lasagna for soup kitchens in Torrington, Connecticut. Mrs. Caroline Burchfield, faculty advisor of St. Luke’s Society, said, “We decided to sponsor the event because St. Luke’s has undertaken several initiatives this year to fight food insecurity, beginning with the most successful Crop Walk ever, and including volunteering at two soup kitchens, making, delivering, and serving food several times for a soup kitchen in Canaan, collecting food at Christmas for a local food pantry, and connecting our dining hall with the Millerton Soup Kitchen.”

In addition to volunteer opportunities, the Color Run made its return to campus last Sunday after a one-year hiatus. The Color Run is a world-wide event where runners participate in

a five kilometer, un-timed race. Introduced to campus by Stephanie de Lesseps ’16 in 2015, the event partners with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a non-profit medical research institution, which conducts research on autism spectrum disorder. While de Lesseps organized the first Color Run on her own without any affiliation with a club, St. Luke’s Society took on the event this year with support from the Blue and White Society, the school’s spirit club. In total, the run raised over $2,500 with people volunteering or participating in the events.

On Sunday evening, the HotchQuiz Bowl, run by Noah B. Smith ’19 and Aaron Stone ’19, in conjunction with St. Luke’s Society, hosted the final round of an ongoing trivia tournament. The leaders of the event donated the money raised from team entrance fees and donations to the EXTRAs program at Salisbury Central School, an after-school program for elementary students.

In total, the Day of Service efforts raised a total over $2,500 with more than 150 people volunteering or participating. Dear Liu ’19, board member of St. Luke’s Society, said, “The events were an embodiment of school spirit. It’s a lot more show of dedication and love for the community than just ‘I’m just doing this for the sake of doing community service.’ ”

OPINIONS | PAGES 4-5

SPORTS | PAGES 7-8

A Case for Universal Healthcare

Girls Tennis Aces Founders

An economic and moral imperative.

No Justice for Affirmative Action

Affirmative action in college admissions harms Asian applicants.

FEATURES | PAGE 3 How to Get into Hotchkiss Investigating the process from application to acceptance.

ARTS | PAGE 6

Admission by the Numbers

The Film Festival recognized student filmmakers on Saturday, May 12.

A look at admission statistics in the 2017-2018 application cycle.

7th Annual Film Festival

Seniors Inducted into Alumni Association Mame Balde ’20 Staff Writer Once a bearcat, always a bearcat.

Before the time comes to drive out the main gates with packed trunks, Seniors gathered in the dining hall on Friday, May 11, to be welcomed into the Alumni Association. The annual event, organized by the Board of Governors and Alumni Association, treated the Seniors to an induction ceremony, dinner, and speeches by peers and faculty members.

At 6 p.m., the Seniors commenced the induction ceremony by exiting main building through the center doors of the main entrance and circling Senior grass. Members of the Board of Governors shook hands with the students and congratulated each newly inducted alum with an alumni pin. After the ceremony, students entered the dining hall and sat with alumni, Board of Governor members, faculty, and friends to enjoy dinner provided by the school’s dining services. Q Zhang ’18 said, “The induction dinner was another landmark

Girls Varsity Golf Finishes Undefeated Girls Varsity Golf wins final match against Choate on Saturday, May 12.

of my time at Hotchkiss. My time is going to end soon, so it made me pay more attention to the last few days and to every single moment.”

Attendees also enjoyed several musical acts, including an original composition by Sarah Du ’18 and a vocal performance by Jayla-Whitney Spidell ’18. Senior members of Calliope and Bluenotes, the school’s a cappella groups, then led the room in singing “Fair Hotchkiss,” the school song. Justin Ghaeli ’18 and Emma Knight ’18, Senior-class presidents, stepped up to the podium to address the room, commemorating the class’s time at Hotchkiss. To conclude the evening, David Schwartz ’18 and Saylor Willauer ’18, student body presidents, commemorated the class’s time at Hotchkiss by introduced a time capsule, a box made by the school’s carpenters containing memorabilia from each Senior, to be opened at the class’s fifth reunion in 2023. Mrs. Christy Cooper, dean of the class of 2018, congratulated the class, saying, “The Seniors belong to a really special family, the class of 2018, and that will always be true.”

Ultimate Wins State Championship Charlie Knight ’20 Sports Editor

Girls Varsity Tennis wins Founders on Wednesday, May 16 and New England’s on Sunday, May 20.

Photo | Nicholas Lorentzen ’20

Varsity and JV Ultimate Frisbee had a landmark month. On Saturday, May 12, Varsity Ultimate won its second Division I Connecticut State Championship ever, beating the #1 ranked Wooster School. JV Ultimate placed 5th at the Division II State Championship, its best performance at the tournament in team history. The following weekend, both teams traveled to Northfield Mount Hermon for the NEPSUL championship tournament, where Varsity placed 2nd and JV placed 10th.

Last year, Varsity Ultimate came in second at the D.I. State Championship, losing a tight finals match against Middletown High School 10-9. This year, after a loss in the regular season,

Hotchkiss came out victorious against that very school on Saturday, May 12.

After a 3-0 start in round robin pools, the team defeated the Blue Dragons with a score of 10-6 in the semifinals.

Ultimate player David Vega ’20 said, “We now have Middletown’s number, because we were able to focus in on some of our major mistakes from our loss against them.”

After advancing to the finals, the team then went on to beat top-ranked Wooster 9-6 to win its first State Championship since 2015.

The Varsity squad nearly secured another championship the following weekend. At the NEPSUL Championship, held on May 19, the team advanced to the finals before losing to the host, NMH, 4-6. The team took second place for the second year in a row.

Continued on Page 7

2 | NEWS

THE HOTCHKISS RECORD

Thursday, May 24, 2018

News

Board of Governors Visits Campus Reece Yang ’21 Staff Writer

Mr. Scotty McLennan ’66, the newest recipient of the Alumni Award, addresses the student body in Elfers Hall Photo | Colleen MacMillan during the award ceremony on Friday, May 11.

Scotty McLennan ’66 Receives Alumni Award Ally Fertig ’20 Staff Writer

tensive research on each of the nominees to select the final recipient.

This year’s award recipient, Mr. McLennan, is a Lecturer in Political Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Dean of Religious Life at Stanford. During his time at Hotchkiss, Mr. McLennan was on the cross-country, hockey, and track teams. He was an editor for the news section of The Record, as well as a senior editor of The Mischianza, the school’s yearbook. Mr. McLennan previously served as a professor at Harvard University and as the university chaplain at Tufts University. He has also published a variety of books on ethics and religion.

Looking back on his time at Hotchkiss, Mr. McLennan said, “An English teacher took me under his wing, on an extracurricular basis, as I struggled with my childhood religion, conservative Protestant Christianity, and I sneaked essays to him for private discussion about each of the world’s major religious traditions. I was assuming at the time that I’d eventually go to law school, as I did, so I was also trying to think about religion and its pragmatic ef-

Honoring the school’s alumni network, the Alumni Award Ceremony recognized Mr. Scotty McLennan ’66 for his endeavors in the fields of religion and politics. On Friday, May 11, the community convened in Elfers Hall to congratulate McLennan on receiving the 85th Alumni Award.

The school has presented the Alumni Award annually to notable alumni since the award’s establishment in 1931. Chosen by the Nominating Committee of the Alumni Association’s Board of Governors, the recipient of the award demonstrates a lifelong commitment to excellence.

Past winners include Allison Brooks Janney ’77, the award-winning actor who starred in Mom and The West Wing, and Forrest E. Mars Jr. ’49, the former co-president of Mars, Inc. Each year, the committee searches for alumni who have made significant contributions to their fields and earned recognition for their work from their peers. After reviewing nominations from members of the board, the committee completes ex-

fect on the world and not just abstractly.”

Mr. McLennan hopes that the school will strengthen its inclusion of all faiths and religions. Learning of the new multi-faith room at the school, Mr. McLennan said, “It’s imperative for Hotchkiss to support all endeavors of its students in this realm — certainly by actively accommodating all forms of religious expression but also by fostering active interfaith dialogue on campus — through a variety of programs and opportunities.”

Following the award ceremony, students had the opportunity to speak with Mr. McLennan at “Biscotti with Scotty,” where they talked over coffee, donuts, and biscotti. The more intimate discussions endeavored to strengthen relationships between alumni and students.

Tanami Penfold ’20, a board member of the Alumni Student Relations Team, said, “To connect with alumni, it’s important that we continue to invite and welcome back alumni to campus to encourage them to share their experiences after Hotchkiss and [for them to] understand what Hotchkiss is like today.”

AP Exams by the Numbers Number of AP Exams Taken

799

500

750

748

709

144

Number of students who took the English Literature Exam

1

...

2011

2016

Year

2017

2018

Number of students who took the German Language and Culture Exam

Out of the 38 AP Exams offered by the College Board, Hotchkiss students took 27 APs.

Graphic | Tina Deng ’21

As Seniors approach the end of their time at Hotchkiss, the Board of Governors weekend reminds students that the community continues to provide support even after graduation. On Friday, May 11, the Board of Governors arrived in Lakeville to connect with the school community during the annual Board of Governors Weekend.

The 28 members of the Board of Governors act as the executive body of the Alumni Association and spearhead engagement initiatives with over 10,000 fellow alumni.

The Board meets three times a year and consists of several committees, including the Alumni Services Committee, the Alumni of Color Committee, the Communications Committee, the Gender Committee, and the Nominating Committees for Awards and Membership. Working together, the committees select candidates for the annual Alumni Award, host class reunions, and connect alumni to one another and to the school.

The main purpose of the weekend was to help board members gain an understanding of current student life at the school. Ms. Caroline Reilly ’87, director of alumni relations, worked with Mr. Tom Seidenstein ’91, president of the Board of Governors, to plan the weekend’s events.

Various meetings with the administration provided an opportunity for the Board of Governors to learn

about recent changes to the school, enabling the board members to adjust their advocacy for the school accordingly.

The schedule also allowed time for members to attend classes and interact with students. Mr. Seidenstein said, “Understanding what the student experience is like today is meaningful to me, and there’s no better way to find that out than to speak with students.”

The Board of Governors started off the weekend with the Alumni Award Ceremony. Mr. Scotty McLennan ’66 received the award in recognition for his dedication to service in the fields of religion and politics. Each year, a committee on the Board of Governors nominates the recipients for the Alumni Award.

The committee considers thousands of candidates before arriving at a single recipient. Mr. Seidenstein said, “It’s very inspiring to understand all the great things people are doing in the world, and we set the standard for people being the top of their field[s].”

After the award ceremony, the Board of Governors attended the Senior Induction Ceremony to officially welcome the Senior class into the Alumni Association. Members of the Board of Governors conversed with the Seniors during the dinner that followed the ceremony. Ms. Reilly said, “It’s really important to instill in [the Senior class the knowledge] that once you leave Hotchkiss, Hotchkiss doesn’t leave you.”

Amelia Smith ’18 sells postcards, elephant cookies, and elephant pants in the MAC for the Humane Society fundraiser.

Photo | Paula Smith

Humane Society Fundraises for the World’s Gentlest Giants Diana Reiss ’20 Staff Writer Students jumped into the Hixon pool with inflatables on Sunday, May 13 to fundraise for the Elephant Nature Park, an animal sanctuary in Northern Thailand, and to raise awareness of cruelty toward elephants.

Founded by Ms. Lek Chailert in the late 1990s, the sanctuary rescues elephants from abuse and captivity and provides them with a healthy environment where they can live freely.

Ms. Chailert has saved a total of 200 elephants from physical and psychological trauma.

Amelia Smith ’18, head of the Hotchkiss Humane Society, visited the sanctuary in 2015, the summer after her Prep year. Smith helped care for and bathe the elephants, harvest grasses, clean wounds, organize diet schedules, and conduct diet studies. She also shadowed veterinarians and worked

with behavioral specialists.

This year, Smith spearheaded the Humane Society fundraiser. She said, “Elephants have this amazing capacity to love and grieve, just like human beings would. This draws a lot of people to elephants, including myself.”

At the fundraiser, the Humane Society sold elephant-printed pants made in Thailand by single mothers who are employed by factories but work at home. The club sold so many pairs that they exhausted their supply and had to order additional pants. The fundraiser also attracted donations with elephant-shaped cookies and postcards designed by Olivia Gee ’18.

Additionally, the Humane Society ran a Go Fund Me page, which has raised a total of $1,025, surpassing its goal of $1,000. Though the total amount raised is still growing as students purchase the extra order of elephant pants, the fundraiser has currently raised $4,593 for the sanctuary.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

THE HOTCHKISS RECORD

FEATURES | 3

Features All About Admissions

This week, the Features Editors explored the work done in the Admission Office. Meghan Annamaneni ’21, Zoe Bank ’19, and John Shin ’20 spoke to admission insiders to learn about athletic recruitment and other aspects of the admission process.

How to Get into Hotchkiss

Admission Statistics: 2018-19

Zoe Bank ’19 Editor-in-Chief Meghana Annamaneni ’21 Contributing Writer

Every Hotchkiss student remembers walking through the big blue door into Harris House for an interview and a tour. Some even remain connected to the Admission Office by serving as tour guides once they are enrolled. But what happens behind the scenes in the Admission Office?

Although applications are not due until January 15th, the Admission Office works throughout the year to prepare and execute a successful admission cycle. Ms. Amy Rasner, associate director of admission, said, “We do a ton of planning and foundation-building in the spring, a lot of interviewing in the fall and winter, and just when we are tired from that, we turn to reading applications. We [then] turn to revisits and more planning for the next year.”

During the summer, the office also works on professional development alongside planning. Last summer, the office read Be Our Guest, which explores the customer service experience at the Walt Disney resorts, in order to learn how to improve the admission experience for families. Mr. Erby Mitchell, dean of admission, said, “We sent Ms. Mosher [admission visit coordinator] to the Be Our Guest Institute at Disney.

She got tours of Disney and attended workshops on how to improve customer service. One thing she took back was [the idea of] creating a survey that we send to every family who visits campus.”

After prospective students have toured, interviewed, and submitted their applications, the admission office thoroughly evaluates each student in order to gain a better understanding of how they might contribute to the school community. Regardless of the number of the applications received, the Admission Office still maintains a commitment to reading every single application.

This thorough review includes not only student essays, but also input from parents and teacher recom-

18%

Acceptance Rate

Admissions Officers greet a parent in Elfers Hall. mendations. After multiple officers consider the file, the entire admission team gathers to discuss the application in a process known as “going to committee.”

When evaluating candidates, the Admission Office takes a holistic view of each applicant’s profile. One of the most important qualities they look at, beyond the student’s academic credentials, is whether the applicant will not only take full advantage of the opportunities available at Hotchkiss but will also contribute to the community. Admission officers define contribution broadly, including the ability to speak multiple languages or play an instrument.

They seek out students who would be willing to go out of their comfort zone to explore all areas of community life. An important step the Admission Office takes when reading applications is considering whether a student is genuinely interested in attending Hotchkiss or whether they were pressured to apply by relatives or peers.

In addition to grades and test scores, the essay is an important element of an application. However, there is no perfect essay or essay topic for which admission officers look. Ms. Rasner said, “It is hard not to write what you think the reader wants to read. The students [who] really stand out are the ones [who] have some degree of self-awareness and humility, and who are really being themselves in their writing.

They’re not over-reliant on a thesaurus or trying to package themselves.”

The Admission Officers’ work does not stop once students are admitted. Revisit days highlight the aspects of Hotchkiss that might appeal to each prospective student. Mr.

Photo | Wendy Carlson William Boscow ’11, assistant director of admission, said, “All of us in admission, we would be lying if we said we aren’t a little competitive, right? When it comes to revisit days, you’re having specific conversations, you’re tapping. If a kid likes fly fishing, I will go to Mr. Frankenbach and say, ‘Hey, can you spend some time with this kid. Because I think you would really connect with him.’”

The school purposefully admits more students than will matriculate in the fall. Boscow said, “The school would be totally overpopulated if every one of those kids said yes. There are numbers behind [the admission rate] that indicate ‘okay, if we’re looking at this pool, we project this many kids to say ‘yes’ to Hotchkiss.”

Estimating the number of students who will accept their offer of admission is called “enrollment modeling,” which is essential to maintaining an optimally-sized student body. Mitchell said, “We look at the past five years of yield, and we look at yield by grade and gender. We try to understand what’s happening in the climate. Are there issues financially in the world? Is the stock market down; are people losing money?”

This year, the school’s yield (the percentage of students accepting their offer of admission) was 47%.

While most of the officers’ time is spent crafting the school’s future student body, their relationships with applicants do not stop after decision day. Ms. Rasner said, “After finding, selecting, and placing students, I am able to watch students grow up in the institution, take on leadership roles, and have a real impact on the community. Knowing that I played a small part [in] that is my favorite part of the job.”

15%

International Students

$ 100%

Demonstrated Financial Need Met

47% Yield

1888

Total Applicants Graphic | Amy Wang ’19

Demystifying the Recruitment Process John Shin ’20 Staff Writer

Mr. William Boscow ’11 poses outside of Watson dormitory.

Photo | Harry Roepers ’19

Mr. William Boscow ’11, assistant director of admission, answers common questions related to athletic recruitment in the Admission Office.

What is recruitment in admissions?

Recruitment in admissions, generally speaking, is our desire as an office [and] as an institution, to find the best kids, no matter where they are. That could mean the best flute player, that could mean the best soccer goalie.

We are looking for talented kids to come in and add to the school.

We are a unique size in relation to our peer [schools] - we’re not massive and we’re not super tiny, so the kids that we have here all need to contribute in different ways.

Do you recruit for areas other than athletics, such as the arts?

There are definitely times when I am going to watch a hockey game in Chicago, because I want to see if this kid could come in and help us play hockey. There are also times, during Summer Portals, for example, when I am sitting at piano recit-

als and talking to Mr. and Mrs. Witkowski about the kids they are interested in for the future of the piano program. We’re looking across programmatic needs for the whole school. I’m not siloed into one region or one sport specifically. Again, we are all just looking for the best kids.

How much weight does a coach or a department head’s recommendation have in the recruiting process?

The most important part of any applicant’s file is their academic profile. Has the student been putting forth their best effort in the classroom? That’s the part of the process that has the most say. Coaches are certainly able to tell us what their ranking list is, and that’s helpful to us in making our decisions. Ultimately, it’s not like coaches can come in and say, “You better take this kid.” [We look] at it as building a class. If our judgement aligns with what the coaches want, that’s awesome, and it’s great when that happens.

Are recruits treated differently from other prospective students?

I wouldn’t say [recruits are treated] differently at all. It’s not like anybody gets a free pass.

Again, if the student isn’t going

to contribute to the school in a number of different ways, first and foremost, in the classroom, that student won’t make it far in the process. If somebody said they only played golf and had to sit through class everyday, that would be pretty miserable - to be unable to contribute to the classroom and for their only thing to happen in the Spring. We want to make sure the kids are going to contribute to our classes, which are small and interactive.

How much do a recruit’s academic accomplishments weigh into your choice?

Our job is to make sure that we’re setting up the kids who come to Hotchkiss for success.

If we’re taking a kid who, for whatever reason, won’t be able to perform at a solid level in a classroom, we’re not helping that kid. If somebody comes here and struggles, that doesn’t do anyone any favors. We also give a personal rating and that comes from teacher recommendations. What do the people that work with them now have to say about them? Do they work well with others? Are they a leader? Do they show concern for others? Things like that are tough to quantify, but certainly are important when you look at any applicant or any recruit.

4 | OPINIONS

THE HOTCHKISS RECORD

Opinions

Thursday, May 24, 2018

What it Means to

“Bleed Blue” Gemma Tung ’19 Opinions Editor

If you watch any scene in an American high school movie, there will be at least one scene with an athletic event featuring a rowdy fan section.

Posters, noise-makers, cheerleaders, and a marching band all work to create a unified community. Spirit and pride at athletic events is a defining feature of American high schools. However, students at Hotchkiss need to show more school spirit in order to improve our athletics, as well as our sense of community.

When we have visitors on campus for tours or revisit days, we pride ourselves on our inclusive community and the support we offer each other. But if you attend any home athletic game, you’ll realize that it’s all talk. We sing “Fair Hotchkiss” on holidays, graduation, and matriculation when it’s necessary to show our commitment and spirit. But when members of our community need support for the smaller things like athletic events, we fail. We wonder why our athletics aren’t as successful as we’d like them to be. Athletes complain about losing games, and while school spirit isn’t the only factor, it certainly is a big one.

The student body must show much more school spirit at home athletic events than we do now. Other than Taft day and a few major rivalry or championship games, I have been extremely disappointed with the spirit and support we show for our athletes. In order to show a united front to other schools, we must show support at every sports game.

Coaches often say that their teams feed off the positive energy of the crowd. However, when there is no crowd to feed off, it becomes very difficult to make a comeback or win a close game. As one of the Boys Varsity Basketball managers, I definitely think that the games where we had a larger fan turnout were the games where we played our best. It is no doubt that when players feel supported, they will have a higher chance at success.

Not only would more school spirit increase our success at athletic events, it would also unify the students. Recently, there has been a lot of talk about separation, exclusion, and division between the classes. Coming together as an entire student body for the success of athletic teams can create a sense of unity. When we all have a common goal, we can put aside differences and put our energy into a common goal: supporting our athletes.

The Blue and White Society does a great job getting people excited at games. They cannot force people to go to games. It is on us, the student body, to make an active effort to show support and school spirit for our athletes. If not for the athletic success of Hotchkiss, we should do it in order to become a more united student body.

Cartoon | Tina Guo ’19

A Case for Universal Health Care Carter Moyer ’20 Contributing Writer

Enacting a universal health care system in the United States is an economic and moral imperative. The U.S. is one of the only industrialized nations where citizens do not have access to universal health care, a system where all citizens are ensured affordable health care by the state. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Austria, Australia, and Switzerland all have some degree of universal health coverage. Yet the U.S., one of the wealthiest nations in the world, has no public health care system for the majority of its citizens.

In fact, the U.S. has the most expensive health care in the world. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, in 2012, the U.S. spent $8,233 per capita. The nearest competitor is Norway, spending $5,388 per capita. However, the U.S. does not provide the best health care for that price. We have fewer trained professionals, higher infant mortality rates, and fewer and more inaccurate medical scans. Furthermore, drugs in the U.S. are extraordinarily expensive; when people import drugs from other countries, cost savings average 56%. These imported drugs are the exact same drugs from the exact same companies, and yet they are significantly more expensive in the U.S., with some drugs costing twenty or thirty times more than what one would pay in Canada. National Public Radio reported that, in 2016, 19 million Americans imported drugs from other countries.

High drug prices are only one of the many problems with the current system.

The number one reason for bankruptcy among individuals in this country is medical expenses. Most Americans have $1,000 or less in their bank account; yet, according to a 2016 report from PBS Newshour, the cost of a trip to the doctor can far exceed that without insurance.

The U.S. health care industry is not one in which everyone can shop around for the best prices or treatment.

According to the Center for Disease Control, over 28 million Americans were uninsured in 2017, meaning that all of their health care costs were coming out of pocket. For these million of Americans, health care is out of reach, as they cannot afford most medical procedures or prescriptions. During an emergency,

a person is not afforded the luxury of choosing how much they want to pay for treatment, and prices can vary greatly between hospitals for similar procedures. In fact, many choose not to seek care because they do not know the cost of treatment before accepting it. Hospitals almost never advertise the cost of a visit or procedure, so competition is moot.

When it comes to costs, public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid are often the cheapest option, as their enormous patient base enables the programs to negotiate lower prices. Private insurance is also able to negotiate prices due to collective bargaining. Uninsured patients, however, are on their own and often end up paying the highest health care costs. To combat high costs, some countries have a system where healthcare is provided by private companies, but none of them charge more than a price determined by the government.

Private health care companies pay over $150 million annually on congressional lobbying; they would likely oppose such a price control system. At the very least, it would be a step in the right direction, because it would limit the amount people could be charged and help standardize prices.

The best immediate solution is expanding Medicare to cover vision and dental care and then enabling every American to opt in. With such a sizeable patient base, the government could more effectively negotiate prices down, and people would be given the choice between which health care plan they think is most beneficial: the public health care option or a private insurance plan.

Medicare and Medicaid taxes would go up, but when choosing between an insurance premium and a government tax for healthcare, the choice should only be based on which is cheaper and which offers more coverage. Whether you call it a tax or a premium, health care is essential in today’s society.

The economic benefits of a universal health care system are not restricted solely to individual patients but extend outside the health care industry. As a society, we fund universal, public education because we know that a well-educated populace benefits us all.

It means greater international competition, entrepreneurship, and innovation across all industries. The argument is the exact same when it comes to health care.

Having a healthy population that isn’t burdened by debt increases economic productivity. At the very least, when someone is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, or a serious medical condition, they should only have to worry about staying alive; and not about their ability to pay.

New Friends in North Korea?

Cyrus Farman-Farimidian ’21 Contributing Writer Throughout my life, I have viewed North Korea as the enemy.

Its citizens have limited freedom, are led by an unpredictable tyrant, and its mission has always seemed to be the ultimate destruction of the United States. While I still do believe many of these ideas, it is refreshing to see the strides that have been taken recently to ensure future peace between the two countries.

For the first time, a North Korean leader entered South Korean land when Kim Jong-Un crossed into South Korea on Tuesday, April 27 and met with Moon Jaein, announcing a tentative plan to lower tensions between the two countries. North Korean leader Kim has agreed to meet President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon for a historic nuclear summit in Singapore on Tuesday, June 12.

The blithe tone of the April meeting gives me some sense of confidence in the agreements made by the leaders. At the end of the meeting, both leaders signed the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity, and Unification of the Korean Peninsula. This monumental declaration brings hope to many around the world by announcing an official end to the Korean War that began in 1950. The peaceful initiatives outlined in this declaration, such as lowering the number of annual military operations, make me believe that we can reach the goal of denuclearization on the peninsula. This is historic; not only are the two countries beginning to help each other, but North Korea is agreeing to U.S.-led cooperation, as shown by Kim’s promises of “eventual denuclearization through cooperation with t h e [United] States.”

These attempts at diplomacy and peace should be supported and praised, even if South Korea has to make concessions in the process. The price of South Korea losing its nuclear capability is small when weighed against the alternative - an unpredictable nation with the capability to strike all Western North America with Nuclear Weapons. North Korea’s nuclear weapons program must be destroyed for the safety of the U.S.and the world. Having these initial peace meetings is the first step.

Yes, I still remain wary of Kim and what is really happening in North Korea. All throughout 2017, North Korea tested nuclear-capable missiles, threatening annihilation by the month. However, these tests abruptly stopped before the summit, and Kim has made it clear that he is willing to give up his nuclear weapons. Additionally, he has promised direct lines of communication with the Trump administration, which was an unexpected result. Even with this, I still think that we must still tread carefully.

Despite my uncertainty about the sudden attempts at peace, the actions taken by all sides recently have been positive. Hopefully, these initial steps can lead to more substantial changes on the Korean peninsula, and maybe, just maybe, in the next few years, students like me won’t view North Korea as the enemy anymore.

Cartoon | Tina Guo ’19

Thursday, May 24, 2018

THE HOTCHKISS RECORD

OPINIONS | 5

A Challenge to College Admissions Gemma Tung ’19 Opinions Editor

College is on everybody’s minds: we worry about our grades, standardized test scores, extracurriculars, and leadership positions. But for some, there’s even more to the college process.

How can I stand out among the plethora of Asian-American students who have the exact same grades, test scores, and leadership positions I do?

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed “Executive Order No. 10925,” which required that government contractors take affirmative action to ensure fair job employment for everyone, regardless of racial or ethnic background. The term “affirmative action” was soon used in the college process, to indicate colleges’ acceptance of certain students of racial minorities over others. When affirmative action was created, it benefited students of color, so colleges wouldn’t discriminate against them as they had in the past.

However, today, it has evolved into something different.

Expecting Asian students to have higher SAT scores not only makes the admission process more difficult for them but also plays into the stereotype that Asians are smarter than the rest of the applicants.

America.

These universities are admitting or denying students based on their race, which is not something anybody can control.

Expecting Asian students to have higher SAT scores not only makes the admission process more difficult for them but also plays into the stereotype that Asians are smarter than the rest of the applicants. Take Michael Wang, current sophomore at Williams College, for example.

Wang had a 4.6 GPA and a perfect ACT score in high school.

He came in second in his class of 1002 students, sang at Barack Obama’s inauguration, got third place in a national piano contest, was in the top 150 of a national American Mathematics Competition, and was in several national debate finals. However, despite his impeccable test scores and extracurriculars, Wang received rejection letters from every Ivy League institution except for the University of Pennsylvania. Asian-American applicants get higher scores and grades than others, but are rejected in favor of students of different ethnicities who have lower test scores and grades.

The President of the Asian-American Coalition for Education, Jack Ouyang, argues that Ivy League institutions use racial quotas, making the col-

In 2014, Students for Fair Admissions filed a lawsuit against Harvard University for discriminating against Asian and Asian-American students. A 2009 Princeton study showed that on the SAT, accepted Asian-American applicants have to score 140 points above White applicants, 270 points more than Hispanic applicants, and 450 points above Black applicants. Similar numbers exist at many other universities in

EDITORIAL

Considering the Placement of APs As May comes to a bittersweet end, students across campus are laughing at Advancement Placement (AP) Exam Memes and celebrating the end of AP Week. Have you ever wondered how APs came to be?

After World War II ended, The Ford Foundation, created by Henry Ford and Edsel Ford, a Hotchkiss alumnus, endowed money to the “Kenyon Plan,” a program at Kenyon College to research education in the United States. The program conducted studies at Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, the Lawrenceville School, Phillips Academy Andover, and Phillips Academy Exeter. The study concluded that high school Seniors should be allowed to study college material and take placement exams to earn college credits in high school. So, in 1955, the College Board, a non-profit organization based in New York City, created the Advanced Placement exams to establish college level curriculum for students to earn college credits.

Last year, about five million students in the U.S. took AP exams, a number that has been rising rapidly as students get more competitive about college and academics. Students take AP classes for many reasons, such as the chance to learn college material, experience rigorous classes, or demonstrate their competitive and hard-working abilities to balance the coursework.

However, since the early 2000s, an increasing number of private schools and prep schools in the U.S. have decided to eliminate AP classes from their curriculum. Several New York City private schools ,including the Dalton School, have moved away from AP curriculum because teachers must “teach to the test” which hinders their ability to teach more in-depth material or encourage creativity. Additionally, studies conducted at these New York City private schools have shown that students focus so much time and energy on AP classes that they become less well-rounded and do not take part in as many extra-curricular activities.

Our peer schools, Choate and Exeter, do not teach AP classes and offer more in depth, rigorous courses instead that are not tailored to the AP exam but still teach college-level material. As the school administers its curriculum review over the next few years, students and the administration must ask themselves if AP classes are best suited for our own faculty and students and what the value of AP classes is to the school’s education. Especially in the wake of two weeks of rigorous AP testing and dozens of resulting absences and missed homework assignments; it is up to us to weigh the harms and benefits of the AP curriculum and decide what is best for us.

lege admissions process more difficult for Asian American students. These quotas would go against the 1978 Supreme Court ruling in the case Regents of the

University of California v. Bakke that universities and other government institutions could not set numbers or limits based on race for employment or admissions.

The college admissions process is not one to be taken lightly. Whether or not we like to admit it, the college you go to will affect what kind of jobs and essentially the kind of life you will have after college. Colleges accepting or denying students based on their race is putting their future at stake based on something they can’t control.

What applicants can control, however, is their grades, extracurriculars, and test scores.

A counter argument is that revisiting this process might cause less diversity in universities. Some might also say that the resulting homogeneity could be negative for colleges. However, denying students admission based on their race not only affects individual students’ future, but also the college experience of other students at that university. Accepting students solely based on their merit creates a university with people who all truly belong.

Cartoon | Carolyn Ren ’19

Stop Tweet Tantrums Toby Pouler ’20 Staff Writer Everyone tweets. Our current president does it several times a day, whether it be about United States foreign policy or what’s for lunch on Air Force One. Recently, Kanye West, one of the world’s leading rap artists, tweeted an image of himself wearing a “Make America Great Again” [MAGA] cap. The slogan of course, belonged to Donald Trump’s campaign for presidency. In the wake of this tweet, West has experienced significant backlash from his fan base and lost many followers. This negative response raises the question: should celebrities, such as West, use their public prominence to present political viewpoints?

Celebrities should present their political viewpoints if they feel strongly about them. However, they should not make careless political statements just for publicity. According to Dahleen Glanton, a writer for the Chicago Tribune, “There’s a good chance the recent Twitter fest between West and Donald Trump has nothing to do with politics. Most likely, it’s about television ratings.” Hundreds of thousands of people own MAGA hats, and some of them don’t even support our president.

Cartoon | Tina Guo ’19 These people only wear them for the novelty and recognition. West probably had the same idea in mind; his twitter feed and popularity would blow up in the ensuing weeks. West has had a history of making accusations and tweeting images and claims that often rile up his supporters as well as twitter users in general.

If this is the case, Kanye is in the wrong and should be ashamed of himself. One’s political opinions are not something to use as a device for popularity. Even though many of West’s supporters were angered by his tweets, many more filled their place in his long list of Twitter followers. According to the site, his followers have fluctuated a great deal in the past few weeks, yet the total number has remained.

Most public figures who reveal their political opinions treat the decision more seriously. For example, Cardi B shared her discontent with the tax system in the United States a month ago. Clearly, from the video she released, it was her opinion, not a publicity stunt. Kanye West should not be posting images of himself in a MAGA hat without a real passion for his political beliefs. While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, sharing them with millions of people is a different story.

If a celebrity plans to open themselves up to society, they must ensure that the opinions reflect their serious convictions, worthy of the public’s consideration.

The Hotchkiss Record President Editors-in-Chief

News Editors Features Editors Opinions Editors Arts & leisure Editors Sports Editors Photography Editors Layout Editors Design Editor Faculty Advisors

Priyanka Kumar ’19 Zoe Bank ’19, Harry Roepers ’19, and Gregoria Serretta Fiorentino ’19 Amanda Hill ’19 and Hannah Liu ’19 Liz Koobatian ’19 and Isabel Tracey ’20 Justin Choi ’20 and Gemma Tung ’19 Adalyn Ngo ’19 and Tamsin Nottage ’20 Britney Douglas ’19, Charlie Knight ’20, and Maura Thompson ’20 Jiahua Chen ’20 and Jerry Sheng ’20 Tina Guo ’19 and Amy Wang ’19 Nicholas Lorentzen ’20 Ann Villano and Emma Wynn

Staff Writers Mame Balde ’20, Sam Charlton ’20, Dillon Cleary ’20, Jordan Feast ’18, Ally Fertig ’20, Nick Fleisher ’18, Emily Heimer ’21 Bea Kiggen ’19, Hayeon Kayla Lee ’19, Kat Namon ’18, Toby Pouler ’20, Diana Reiss ’20, Augie Rice ’18, Abby Sim ’20, Reece Yang ’21 Staff Cartoonists Nicole Morikawa ’21, Carolyn Ren ’19, Cathy Wang ’19 Staff Photographer Edward Guo ’19 School population: Students, 613; Faculty, 124. Distribution: 1000 papers are printed. Free papers are distributed on campus. Subscriptions mailed first-class are available at an annual cost of $25.

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Arts & Leisure

6 | ARTS

THE HOTCHKISS RECORD

Thursday, May 24, 2018

ARTIST OF THE ISSUE

Christine Deng ’18 Emily Heimer ’21 Staff Writer Christine Deng ’18, a four-year music student and flautist, plays in The Hotchkiss Orchestra.

Mr. Fabio Witkowski, head of the visual and performing arts department, said, “The minute [Christine] commits herself to something, you can expect an amazing result. You can see that from her orchestra work, her recitals, and [the] competitions that she goes [to] and wins. She’s enthusiastic, talented, and charismatic. Really an impressive student - a joy to work with.”

Ms. Karen Bogardus, instructor in flute, worked with Deng for the first time this year. Ms. Bogardus said, “Working with Christine has been a wonderful experience for me. She is an exceptional flautist and musician and a quick study; she is very responsive to new concepts in style and phrasing, even subtle shadings and nuances.”

When and why did you start playing the flute?

I started playing the flute in 4th grade [as] part of my elementary school band program. I was actually thinking about playing the clarinet, but my mom told me that she had always wanted a child who played the flute. So, I figured I would give it a try.

What, or who, inspires you to continue playing?

My first teacher mentored and helped me develop as a player. I grew to love the instrument because of her.

She was with me at my first recital [and] my first competition. She supported me through everything, so she really inspires me to keep playing.

What is a memorable moment you’ve had as a flautist?

One of them was recently, actually, when I went to play at Carnegie Hall with Hotchkiss. I like to move a lot when I play, and when I was on stage, I hit the piano of Carnegie Hall with my flute. You could hear noise, and I heard an audible gasp in the audience. I froze for a second and then kept playing. I’m

just never going to forget that I hit the piano of Carnegie Hall with my flute.

What has been your greatest challenge so far?

I have two. One is definitely controlling my nerves when I perform, especially when it’s a large-scale performance. When I get nervous, my stomach gets really tight, and I get butterflies, so it messes up my breathing.

Another challenge is time management.

At Hotchkiss, [students are] expected to really value [their] academic classes, so it can be difficult balancing my classes with a good amount of playing and practicing. I sometimes have to miss classes for recitals and performances, which has definitely caused me stress in the past.

Will you continue to play after you graduate?

I’m definitely going to continue. I’ve already met with the conductor of the orchestra at Princeton, and I’m really excited. I’m not going to major or minor in music, but I’m going to try to keep it an integral part of my life.

Photo | Jerry Sheng ’20 Christine Deng ’18 plays the flute during a musical interlude in the annual Hotchkiss Chorus Concert on Sunday, May 13.

Chorus Highlights French Composers Ada Ngo ’19 and Tamsin Nottage ’20 Arts and Leisure Editors

Photo | Terri Moore T. Klacsmann ’01 works with Zoe Wilson ’19 and James Li ’19

Voices echoed off the columns of the Chapel as the Hotchkiss Chorus celebrated French choral music. Twenty four students sang 13 songs at the annual Hotchkiss Chorus Concert on Sunday, May 13. The performance offered an evening of music for students, faculty members, and attendees from the area hoping to indulge in hand-selected choral music.

The chorus sang works such as Marcel Duruflé’s “Notre Pére,” Gabriel Fauré’s “Sanctus, from Requiem (1887),” and “Dirait-on,” a piece created by the only non-French composer in the program, Morten Lauridsen.

Mr. Jack Brown, director of the chorus, sought to challenge his students with the task of learning French choral songs composed specifically for an ensemble like the Hotchkiss Cho-

rus. Many of these pieces were motets and madrigals, sacred pieces sung by multiple voices, which featured both passages from the Bible set to organ music and contemporary French works sung without accompaniment.

To help his students learn the music, Mr. Brown began by teaching the pronunciation of each syllable and then began to combine them slowly until the ensemble learned the entire text.

Mr. Brown said, “There were a lot of students who seemed to speak French well, but learning the text was a little bit difficult for some of the others.

Fortunately, we have a lot of time to rehearse, and I find that young people are typically very receptive to language – they get it pretty quickly.”

Jillian Cudney ’20 reflected on her experience working with the other vocalists to learn these texts in a new language. Cudney said, “I don’t speak French at all, so learning pronunciation and getting new mu-

Alum Juxtaposes Nature, Art, and Technology John Shin ’20 Staff Writer T. Klacsmann ’01 made his debut in the Tremaine Gallery on Saturday, May 5 in the exhibit Ex Animo, which will remain in the gallery until next Saturday. Fusing multiple media, Klacsmann’s works explore the relationship between the natural world and technological evolution.

Klacsmann’s artwork has previously been exhibited in permanent collections and archives nationally and internationally. His art consists of relief printmaking, a technique where an artist carves on a surface to create an image.

This print is then enhanced with color to make a simple representation of both natural life forms and new man-made technologies on one canvas.

Ms. Terri Moore, instructor in art, organized and curated Ex Animo after meeting Klacsmann at last year’s Becoming: 30 Hotchkiss Artists exhibit. Ms. Moore said, “It’s beautiful work when you spend time in front of [the pieces], there’s actually a lot going on there. It can be simultaneously intimate and monumental. You really start to see how he’s relating to the world.”

Klacsmann’s work is influenced by 15th century wood-cutting techniques and observation of nature from his residence in Hudson, New York. In reference to his decision to create images that place the natural world in an artificial and unnatural setting, Klacsmann said, “There is evidence of encroaching human actions, and it tends to be negative. So it’s this mix of beautiful, delicate animals, but then also the more threatening helicopters and planes and things that are on fire. It’s never clear whether that’s an actual threat or a perceived threat. I like that mystery about them. It’s beautiful, but a little bit unsettling.”

Several Hotchkiss students attended the opening of Ex Animo.

Zoe Wilson ’19 attended the event to reconnect with Klacsmann’s work, which she first saw in last year’s Becoming: 30 Hotchkiss Artists exhibition. Wilson said, “It’s interesting how there’s always technological or anthropogenic things in his pieces. Yet nature is at the forefront, which I think really calls attention to the purpose of the pieces.”

In an ever-evolving world, Klacsmann’s artwork in Ex Animo brings to light the impact technology can have on nature and its life forms.

Photo | Jerry Sheng ’20 Bonnie Dana ’19 and Skylar Kim ’19 pose on the red carpet prior to the screening of student films on Saturday, May 12.

Festival Celebrates Student Filmmakers Yitong Wu ’20 Staff Writer Lights flashed as students clad in formal attire posed on the red carpet and gathered in Walker Auditorium for the 7th Annual Hotchkiss Film Festival on Saturday, May 12. The festival, hosted by the Hotchkiss Film Club, showcased 13 short films made by students from Hotchkiss, Milton, Sacred Heart, Forman, and Williston Northampton.

Carla Frankenbach ’12 and Brian Ryu ’13 founded the Hotchkiss Film Festival in 2012. Ryu, who is currently studying at the Tisch School of the Arts at New

York University (NYU), returned to Hotchkiss to attend the festival for the fourth time. Ryu said, “I think Hotchkiss students’ films are getting better and better each year. I found myself amazed by the students’ creativity.”

Frankenbach and Ryu’s aim was to provide young filmmakers from different high schools an opportunity to communicate with each other. Participants are also able to interact with judges, who are invited from collegiate institutions with reputable film programs. This year’s judges were Ms. Madeleine Carter ’79, former Executive Producer for the National Geographic Channel, Ms. Christine Choy, Ryu’s

sicality built-in through the way in which French music is written was a good experience.”

Mr. Brown also invited four student instrumentalists - Angela Choi ’21, Christine Deng ’18, Gemma Tung ’19, and Brian Wong ’19 - and two professional musicians - Ms. Teresa Mango, instructor in harp, and Mr. Joe Rose, organist - to perform with the chorus. Mr. Brown said, “Harp and pipe organ, in particular, are a terrific combination, because the organ is very sustained and the harp is very rhythmic. Put them together with the chorus and there is this magic, this heavenly kind of sound.”

Daniela Clejan ’20, one of the many Hotchkiss students who supported her peers by attending, acknowledged the merging of multiple voices in the chorus’ singing. Clejan said, “The student vocalists worked well together, and the harmonies and different lines all coincided perfectly.” professor at NYU Tisch, Ms. Sophia Harvey, a specialist in Southeast Asian films from Vassar College, and Ms. Yi Liu, an actor in China and the United States.

The Hotchkiss Film Club selected the showcased films from a total of 30 submissions, which included dramas, comedies, and documentaries. Bonnie Dana ’19, Ali Heros ’18, Skylar Kim ’19, Shine Lee ’20, and Augie Rice ’18 each exhibited films at the festival.

The judges presented awards to the best films in several categories.

Kim’s film Under the Lamppost won an “Honorable Mention,” Heros’ film Numb won “Best Performance,” and Rice took home the “Audience Award” for his film, The Audition. A submission from Sacred Heart received the “Grand Jury Prize” and “Best Cinematography” went to a film from Milton.

After receiving their awards, the filmmakers reflected on the process of composing their films. Rice said, “The most fun part to me was seeing my [actors] taking on their roles. Sometimes it was hard to film, because we would all be laughing really hard.”

Many students and members of the surrounding community attended the festival to support the young filmmakers. Abby Sim ’20, who attended the screening, said, “There were several films that I really enjoyed, and watching these films directed by my peers [inspired me] to make one of my own.”

Sports

Thursday, May 24, 2018

THE HOTCHKISS RECORD

SPORTS | 7

Track and Field Tackles Founders Connie Cao ’21 Contributing Writer Despite a strenuous morning of Saturday classes, the Track and Field team showed up ready to compete. On Saturday, May 12, the Boys and Girls Varsity Track teams traveled to Westminster to compete in the Founders League Championship. With many students placing in multiple events, both the Girls and Boys Track and Field placed top five in Founders.

The girls team finished only three points behind Taft, coming second out of the six teams. The boys team finished fourth, falling behind Avon, Choate, and Loomis Chaffee. Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff ’19 finished third in the 3000 meter run; Obi Okoli ’20 and Meszion Ramsden ’20 finished second and third in the 110 meter hurdles; CY Cheng ’18, Aadi Kulkarni ’18, Ryan

Pinckney ’18, and Kyle Roshankish ’20 finished third in the 4x400 meter relay; and Dubem Anwunah ’20 finished first in the Boys pole vault.

On the girls team, Gabby Coffy ’18 and Hyla Mosher ’19 finished first and second in the 300 meter hurdles; Grace Bristow ’18 finished first in the 1500 meter run; and Frances Astorian ’18, Louisa Essuman ’20, Oyin Fasehun ’18, and Hyla Mosher ’19 finished second in the 4x100 meter relay.

Dr. Richard Kirby, head coach of Girls and boys Varsity Track and Field, worked with the students throughout the season to prepare them for important meets like the Founders League Championship and to help them break personal records. Kirby said, “Our students are amazing. They try their hardest and when they have done that, it is good enough. We [coaching staff] usually say, ‘if you have done your best, you try to jump an inch farther, an inch

higher, run a little bit faster, go for your PR, and the scoreboard usually takes care of itself.’”

It has not always been smooth sailing for the track team. Cold and rainy weather forced the team indoors for the beginning of the season. Pinckney said, “The bad, wintry weather kept us from doing too much outside on the track and stalled our season a little bit. But once we got outside, the team put in the hard work, and it showed.”

“If you have done your best, you try to jump an inch farther, an inch higher, run a little bit faster, go for your PR, and the scoreboard usually takes care of itself.”

–Dr. Richard Kirby, Girls and Boys Track and Field Head Coach

Denzel Bullen ’19 sprints the 100m dash at Loomis on Saturday, April 28.

Photo | Edward Guo ’19

Despite this obstacle, the track team had a number of highlights during the season. Pinckney, sharing one of his favorite moments at a meet, said, “The 4x400 meter race at the end of our meet against Berkshire [was] a highlight. The race was very close for the first three legs, but I received the baton slightly behind Berkshire’s final runner. I spent the final lap chasing him down. At the finish line, we both dove, and our team ended up beating the Berkshire team by three hundredths of a second.”

Out of the 12 teams that competed at New Englands, the Boys team placed 8th while the Girls team placed 7th. Co-captain June Perteet ’18 said, “Our performance [at Founders] was only possible because of the hard work every single member put in.”

Handler I Lok U throws a forehand downfield in a game. Photo | Jerry Sheng ’20 Continued from Page 1 The JV Ultimate team took part in the Division II State Championship, held on the same day as the Division I tournament, which was attended by 11 Varsity teams and 5 JV teams from throughout the state. It took down Middletown High School JV 9-3 to earn 5th place at the tournament, best among JV teams.

“Several players on our JV roster could and did outplay other Varsity players on those teams.”

–Toby Pouler ’20

The JV Ultimate team also competed in this tournament as one of only two JV teams to do so, with the other being Choate’s

JV team. Despite the strength of the competition, the players were undeterred. Toby Pouler ’20 said, “We did not feel intimidated once we easily defeated the number one seed in Division II, which was a Varsity team. Several players on our JV roster could and did outplay other Varsity players on those teams.”

In the six seasons of attending this tournament, this year marked the JV team’s best performance. It went undefeated in pools, beating Choate and The Cambridge School, but fell to Minneapolis Prep and Concord Academy to place 11th. The team improved on its performance last year, when it failed to make it out of pools.

As both levels of Ultimate Frisbee bring their seasons to a close, both still have lofty goals to accomplish for the future. Varsity, though it won the CT State Championship, could not secure New Englands, and JV will look to improve its finish in both States and NEPSUL.

Inside the Mind of Managers Maggie Ryan ’19 Contributing Writer David Schwartz ’18 and Henry Wilmont ‘18 have managed the Girls Varsity Lacrosse team for the past two years.

Why manage a sport?

David: I wanted to do a non-real physical activity for my Senior spring. I’ve played JV Lacrosse for half of my Hotchkiss spring career and I wanted to take a break. The team was a great group of people whom I wanted to get to know. Now I’m just senior springing it. This is my second year managing the team, and over the course of these two years I’ve been able to meet so many new people and even befriend Ms.Traggio [Girls Varsity Lacrosse head coach].

I’m also very good at filling water bottles.

Henry: I’ve been managing alongside David since Upper Mid year, so he’s my top priority. But also for the love of the game and competitive spirit. But mostly David.

What is your most important job as a manager?

David: Probably our role as statisticians and morale boosters.

We keep stats for every game: goals,

shots, shots on net, turnovers, assists, fouls, and saves. We also get involved in the drills sometimes, warming up the keepers by practicing shots on net. That’s our favorite part.

Henry: Our most important job as a manager is being there when the team needs us no matter what. Any task they ask of us we will carry out to our best ability. But honestly, every single day, when they get out there and they’re on the verge of tears after doing at least a hundred laps, man, the look on their face. That is the reason I go out there every day and do what I do.

How do the two of you split up the work and what are your roles on the team?

Henry: It’s kind of a ‘not-it’ situation, day to day. I do it one day, David does it the next.

David: If you ain’t first, you’re last.

What are some misconceptions people have about managing?

Henry: They think it’s just running water bottles. In reality, we do a lot more than that. I like to think of us as the spider’s web that keeps all the flies in one place. Breaking boundaries for managers everywhere is something we strive to do.

David Schwartz ’18 and Henry Wilmont ’18 after one of the last practices of the season.

Do you feel like you are included with the team?

David: We catch a football with the team before practice everyday.

However, we were not given psych sister, [a teammate given a task of making another team member a psych card,] which was unfortunate, but we are actually eachother’s psych sisters which isn’t really that fun, but in every other aspect we are very in-

cluded. I thoroughly enjoy team dinners.

Henry: We’re also not in the group chat, but we’re over it.

How do you feel the mental strain of your job matches up to the physical strain the players go through?

David: Our job is to make their physical strain as minimal as possible. In every way, shape, and form,

Photo | Jerry Sheng ’20 the girls care a lot about the game and put in the time and effort for it.

We want to make things easier for them.

Henry: There is no comparison you can make between what we do and what they do. They have put in years of hard work to get to this point in terms of skill level and discipline. Every single player on that team works much harder than we do.

Every day.

8 | SPORTS

THE HOTCHKISS RECORD

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Girls Varsity Golf Finishes Undefeated Maura Thompson ’20 Sports Editor

Captain of Boys Varsity Baseball, Noah Martinez ’18, Photo | Harry Roepers ’19 pitches during a game against Newbridge Academy last Thursday.

Varsity Baseball Finishes Strong Szilveszter Palvolgyi ’19 Contributing Writer

Boys Varsity Baseball has finished strong with three wins in the past five games. It secured its best finish in the past three years.

In a season where the team has struggled to find its groove, it has redeemed early losses with recent wins in the final stretch against Kent and Trinity Pawling. Its win against Newbridge resulted in the team’s first back-to-back win since Saturday, April 12.

The team is 3-2 in its past five games, with wins against Kent, T.P. and Newbridge and losses against Avon and Loomis. The team beat Kent and T.P. despite losing against both earlier in the season. Their “next game” mindset kept them from dwelling on the losses against Avon and Loomis.

Boys Varsity Baseball Head Coach Tyler Wosleger said, “The team has tried to always focus on the next game and not look too far ahead.”

Strong starts by pitcher Dillon Cleary ’20 and Jebb Vincent ’19 contributed to the team’s success.

Cleary has pitched two complete games in that span, against T.P. and Kent, allowing just two runs in the latter. Vincent was on the mound against Newbridge Academy, limiting the team to four runs.

The batters provided offensive support, averaging 7.4 runs over the five-game span. Wosleger said, “We had a great weekend in three phases: pitching, defense, and hitting.”

The back-to-back wins against Newbridge and Kent, on Wednesday, May 16 and Thursday, May 17 respectively, were special for two reasons. The win against Newbridge was the first victory

on Hoyt, Hotchkiss’s home field.

The win against Kent, Hotchkiss’s fourth win this year, marks an improvement on last year’s record of 5-11. Returner Max Quinn ’20 said, “I think the returning team has put in a lot of work over the past few years just to get to where we are now.”

The team’s steady improvement is poised to continue given the large number of lowerclass players. New lowerclass students such as Nuno Parache ’21 and Matt Tullo ’20, along with returners Henry Wilder ’20 and Cleary, headline the young talent on the team. Co-captain Thomas Rockett ’18 said, “As a whole, the team is pretty young, and there are a lot of different pieces coming together.”

“The returning team has put in a lot of work over the past few years just to get to where we are now.”

–Max Quinn ’19

To finish off the season, the team had two more home games in the span of three days on its home field against Salisbury and Westminster. The home stretch provide a chance to use home-field advantage to end the season on a high note. The team’s late success has guaranteed its best finish in years.

Despite rainy weather, Girls Varsity Golf won both of its matches against Choate Rosemary Hall and Sacred Heart 4.5-0.5 on Saturday, May 12, bringing the season record to 18-0-1.

The home match saw many girls play their personal best. Head Coach Tiffany Lim said, “[It was] a great day of golf all around. Helena Park shot her personal low and had the best round that she’s ever played on this course. Then Courtney Breen shoot 2 under par, which is possibly her personal low as well. We had a great showing by those two seniors.”

Later that week, the team placed second in the Pippy O’Connor Tournament and Silo Ridge Invitational Tournament, its highest ever finish.

With these wins under its belt, the team turned its focus towards the Founders League Championship, its last game of the season yesterday.

Lim said, “The team’s been playing well the whole season. Next week, we’ll play in Founder’s and I think the team has a good shot at doing well. We have high expectations and the team is working hard to meet

those expectations.”

In terms of preparation, both new and returning members spent the last few weeks bonding as a team, practicing hard, and concentrating on smaller technicalities. Co-captain Helena Park ’18 said, “Unlike the past couple years, we had new players join the team. They brought such positive energy to our team and contributed to creating more depth. Meanwhile we also got new coaches, Ms. Lim and Mr. Bolmer, who worked so hard all throughout the season to push us and keep us on track.”

The team has balanced its hard work and tough practices with fun on and off the golf course. Lim said, “On top of playing golf the girls will bake together and have team dinners almost every day after practice. We took them to Fudgy’s for ice cream and went over to the Canaan golf course to play. I think it’s nice to see the kids in a setting outside of the golf course, matches, and practice.”

The team won all home and away matches, giving it an undefeated season. However, this Founders League Championship was the last for many members of the team. Seniors Sophie Ahmed ’18 and Amanda Kang ’18 and co-captains Courtney Breen ’18, and Helena Park ’18 will

graduate this year. The team must also say goodbye to its Head Coach of three years, Ms. Tiffany Lim. She said, “I’ll miss the girls and the team culture that they’ve built. I think they have a really positive relationship with each other, and I’m going to miss being part of that.”

Photo | Jerry Sheng ’20

Daphne Chao ’20 works on her bunker shot during practice.

Girls Varsity Tennis Aces Competition Girls Varsity Tennis Head Coach Jackson Marvel is very proud of his team. He said, “We have many of returners from last Girls Varsity Tennis’ season year’s team, so we have a lot of has been a smash-ing success. This experienced players in the lineup year, the team’s 12-1 record is one of who’ve played really well.” the best in its recent history. After The girls achieved their second losing 4-5 to Phillips Academy An- straight Founder’s League Chamdover in late April, the team pulled pionship after defeating Kingoff with eight consecutive wins, five swood-Oxford on Wednesday, May of them 9-0 victories. Last Satur- 16. With the Founders title in their day, May 19, the team was crowned possession, the team set its sights New England Champions. on the New England Tournament last Saturday.

In preparation for the tournament, the tennis squad performed training activities during its practice. Twoyear manager Elijah Stone ’20 said, “The girls have been playing with the boys a lot, which has been a good chalPhoto | Jiahua Chen ’20 Emily Rose ’18 follows through after lenge because a a backhand return last Saturday.

Toby Pouler ’20 Staff Writer

lot of the matches haven’t been as challenging as some of the matches in competition will be in the New Englands Tournament.”

Practice matches with the boys has increased their level of play and have also been fun for both teams. An increase in fitness drills has also kept the team on its toes and ready for any challenge that comes their way. Co-captain Emily Rose ’18 said, “We’ve been doing a ton of fitness throughout the whole season, and that’s one thing from last year that we wanted to improve upon.”

Seniors Ameneh Arsanjani ’18, Jordan Feast ’18, and Emily Rose ’18 led the Girls Varsity Tennis team to victory at the New Englands Tournament last Saturday. Confident in the team’s ability, Coach Marvel is not concerned about the heavy loss of Seniors.

Marvel said, “Obviously, graduating Jordan, Ameneh, and Emily will be tough, as they’ve done a great job this year as leaders on the team. We have a strong young core of players coming back, so I think we’ll have a competitive team next year.”

ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE

Tommy Whittemore ’18 Tommy Whittemore is a four year member and co-captain of the Varsity Sailing Team. This issue, we are featuring a reflection about his sailing experience. Elissa Ito ’19, member of the sailing team, said, “He’s a skilled sailor and dedicated captain. He does subtle things for the team without expecting credit.”

When I was eight years old, I began sailing at a small yacht club in Westerly, Rhode Island. I enjoyed sailing a few days a week and spending time with my instructors and peers. Sailing was convenient and fun, since the yacht club was only a short bike ride from my house. At this young age, I perceived sailing as more of a hobby than a sport; it was a nice way to cool off and relax on a hot summer day.

However, my perception of sailing quickly changed when I was introduced to racing. Soon I was racing all over New England and the country in a small boat called an Optimist. By the age of twelve, I had solidified a spot on the United States National Team and began to create relationships with sailors

from all around the country. At the age of 13, I traveled to Hayama, Japan to compete in the Optimist Asian Championship, where I sailed against some of the best young sailors in the world. Traveling around the world to pursue something that I loved was a great privilege, and I am extremely thankful for the opportunity.

By the time I was accepted to Hotchkiss, I had just concluded my career sailing the Optimist. Before coming to Hotchkiss, I had only raced individually, focusing on how fast I could make a small boat go. I was drawn to the fact that Hotchkiss had a sailing team, as it would be an excellent way to expose myself to different types of sailing and a team dynamic.

Sailing at Hotchkiss has been an incredible experience for. I have been a part of some of the best teams in New England, and I have sailed with and against some of the most impressive young sailors. I credit not only Coach Roger Rawlings but also many of the previous captains, such as Russell Clarida ’15

and Chrissie Klingler ’16, for helping me shape my school experience and further my love for the sport.

And yes, sailing truly is a sport.

Sailing here has not only taught me to be disciplined and determined through tough practice days on the water, but it also has instilled in me the importance of time management and organization. Managing work on weekends spent in Maine or in Boston is challenging, but well worth it when the team is able to have success on the water. Despite numerous excused absences from missed Saturday classes, I have enjoyed every year with the team. I believe this year, though, has been one of the best.

With my co-captains Tatiana Whitman ’18 and Anton de Lesseps ’18, I have sought to improve our team dynamic that has been far from positive in previous years.

Along with a great morale, many impressive new members of the team, have joined improved returners to help the team become the most skilled it has been during my time at Hotchkiss.

Tommy Whittemore ’18 and Liz Koobatian ’19 round the wind- Photo | John A. Lever ward mark at the Mallory Championship for Fleet Race Nationals.