The Pingry Record - Commencement Issue June 2021

FOUNDED 1895 • THE NATION’S OLDEST COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Volume CXLVI — No. V

record.pingry.org

COMMENCEMENT 2021

Seniors Embark On ISPs After completing their classes in

impacts that humans have on them. She

Guide to the DHLab,” which documents

explored their shared interests in biology

Russian language proficiency in the

early May, 139 seniors pursued

will be presenting her experiences in the

the programmers’ protocol and offers a

and fishing by conducting a study of

cultural context of Russian folktales.

form of a journal.

brief review of the digital humanities as

water quality in their local watershed.

a research discipline.

They did this by collecting a variety of

BEGINNER LUTHIERY:

fish and benthic macroinvertebrates.

BUILDING OUR FIRST GUITAR

Independent Senior Projects (ISPs).

These projects ranged from working in a multinational rail firm, to

3D CHARACTER MODELING,

beekeeping at Pingry, to starting a

RIGGING, AND GAME

TODAY I’M DRIVING

After gathering this data from different

After buying a kit, Christian

food blog. These projects allowed

IMPLEMENTATION

Aidan Boylan combined his interest

bodies of water, they compared it to

Colella & Sandy Friedman built a

seniors to explore their interests in

Lily Arrom’s interest in 3D character

in cars and filmmaking into an ISP

research done by the Raritan Headwaters

Telecaster electric guitar, with only a

the final months of their high school

design in video games inspired her to

where he produced car review videos.

to make conclusions of their own.

body, a neck, electronics, and all the

careers.

create a controllable 3D character of

Channeling inspiration from Top Gear,

necessary nuts and bolts. They then

her own. Throughout her project she

Doug Demuro, and other car reviewers,

EXPLORING BIOSTATISTICS

WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND

used two programs, Blender (for 3D

he ended up creating four short review

Monica Chan worked with a mentor

Sandra Adablah, Carolyn Coyne,

modeling and animation) and Unity

videos on different cars where he

in the field of biostatistics, where

& Narayan Murti went to 6 different

(a game engine). Her final product

expressed his impressions on a car’s

she learned the different types of

COVID-19 WORLD

New Jersey towns and interviewed

was a Unity file where her character

handling, build quality, sportiness,

statistical concepts and programming

Lauren Drzala was able to explore

random people on the streets, asking

is able to run, jump, dance, and wave

and more.

implementations of mathematical

her interest in the medical field by

them about their lives and about

in a 3D environment, all controlled by

models to help interpret data. The data

shadowing a doctor throughout her

how they are feeling. They recorded

user input.

RIDING ON AMSTED RAIL

specifically is related to health, such as

time in her office and in meetings. She

performed live with it at the ISP fair.

THE LIFE OF A DOCTOR IN A

Marcus Brotman was fortunate

testing a type of toothpaste’s efficacy.

was able to observe the many roles that

the towns to create a 15-minute film

EMMY AND RYAN’S A-Z GUIDE

enough to combine his passion for

She learned concepts including Analysis

go into making a doctor’s office function

celebrating the diversity of New Jersey.

TO COOKING FOR BEGINNERS

geopolitics, logistics, and business

of Variance, Analysis of Covariance,

in a pandemic. These observations were

each interview and filmed B-roll of

Each week of ISP, Emmy Baird &

strategy into his ISP. He interned for

Mixed Models with Repeated Measures,

transcribed in a written report at the end

UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS

Ryan Davi traveled to different towns

Amsted Rail, a Chicago-based rail

as well as how to process categorical

of the month as part of her deliverable.

& WANTS OF UNHOUSED

and cities that offer various types of

manufacturing firm. His main project

data. The biggest takeaway from

TEENS

cuisines and cultural experiences. New

was to identify and evaluate acquisition

these weeks was that she realized how

EXPLORATION OF EDUCATION

Josie Alston worked underneath the

York City, Princeton, NJ, and New

targets in Europe. He focused on small

much collaboration is involved in this

REFORM/TRANSFORMATION

Volunteer Coordinator and head of Fund

Hope, PA were all stops that inspired

European rail suppliers that aligned

particular field, since the statisticians

Zara Jacob explored educational

Development for Visions and Pathways,

their weekly themes, ranging from

with Amsted’s strategic ambitions in

have to consult with one another in

reform through the lens of both her

a nonprofit that houses and supports

farm-to-table to high-end dishes. After

the region. Through this internship,

order to determine which tests are most

personal experience at Pingry and

unhoused and/or at-risk youth in New

visiting a restaurant in each location,

Marcus was able to develop an in-depth

relevant and applicable for the situation.

Afrofuturism. She primarily dove into

Jersey. She worked within their shelters

they would then plan and recreate the

understanding of Europe’s rail industry,

and offices cleaning, sorting through

dish or dishes they had, often adding

the drivers and problems facing freight

RUSSIAN FOLKLORE, WRITTEN

channels, and seminars focused on

donations, and creating databases

their own personal touch. These recipes

rail, and how these movements might

AND CODED

the transformation of their current

for the non-profit’s various needs.

were then put into a cookbook.

fit into the larger geopolitical landscape.

Rhea Kapur delved into Russian

educational system. She also took

media ranging from books, YouTube

and Slavic folklore by studying the

time to expose herself to books that

KAYAKING AND

A LAB WITHOUT WALLS

SPYTHON

structure, composition, and variations

would never be found in the typical

CONSERVATION IN THE NEW

Pingry’s Digital Humanities Lab, DHLab,

Joe Castagno & Matthew Fallon

of its famous folktales. For the creative

American literature classroom. As a

JERSEY COASTAL AND INLAND

is a website that Noah Bergam created

used the powers of the Python

writing aspect of her ISP, she applied

result, she expanded and challenged her

WATERWAYS

two years ago that enables humanities

programming language to model data

what she learned by writing two original,

personal preconceptions of what

Katarina Andersen spent the month

students to adapt statistical thinking

gathered from the S&P 500 index

modern tales grounded in Russian

successful, beautiful, insightful, and

of May exploring New Jersey’s natural

to their writing process. He spent his

fund SPY and draw conclusions about

current events and culture. For the more

innovative creations look like.

environments by visiting lakes, rivers,

ISP finalizing the website, presenting

the impact of COVID-19 on the fund.

technical side of her ISP, she focused

bays, and the Atlantic Ocean. She

it to the English Department, as well

learned a lot about the biodiversity of

as teaching students how to use it. His

FISHING FOR QUALITY

into her free iOS application, “Skazki:

different aquatic ecosystems and the

main deliverable was the “Developer’s

Sophia Cavaliere & Chris Halada

Learn Russian,” which builds

on coding robust search functionality

CONTINUE READING on Page 17

THE PINGRY RECORD

2

SENIOR REFLECTIONS JUNE 13, 2021

On Glorifying the Last Semester NOAH BERGAM (VI) A freshman approached me one spring day after school with a question, “When does senior year get easy?”

I immediately knew the implication. I could see it in his eyes: a premature half-longing, half-excitement at the prospect that there really is an end to the college preparatory grind. I knew the feeling. I almost wanted to reassure him. Instead, I said “Never.”

It was an honest, spur-ofthe-moment reaction, if not somewhat melodramatic. At the time I didn’t feel free from the admissions process. I had a difficult college decision to deliberate. I had waitlist letters to write. As high school was wrapping up, I had a thousand things to do inside and outside the classroom,

and still no sense of closure, no sweet senioritis to speak of.

After four years of high school at Pingry, I get the sense that the second semester of senior year has an unduly gilded reputation.

As an underclassman, I remember talking with my peers about what we would do in that final stretch of high school: what spring sports we would try, what clubs we would promptly quit, how much more sleep we would get at night. “We talked as though that final semester is where our lives would finally begin, as if the prospect of college applications was this dark storm cloud which, after early decision results and regular admission deadlines, suddenly gives way to a bright blue sky of life’s possibility.

I cannot speak to the experience of every senior, but I know in principle that glorifying the final

semester is unhealthy. For one, high expectations pave the way for disappointment when things don’t go smoothly. Pretty much everyone wants their college process to be a sprint with a glorifying finish in December — but for most seniors, it’s a marathon that can drag well into the spring. In this marathon, it’s not always clear when the run becomes a jog, the jog a leisurely walk. Many keep up the pace in an ongoing race for holistic, external validation. With every step, the second semester of senior year feels as demanding as, if not more demanding than, any semester at Pingry. By putting that semester on a pedestal, we allow ourselves to be woefully unprepared for the marathon. We set ourselves up for bitterness.

Even if everyone’s senior year met

or exceeded expectations, there is something wrong with acting as though you can only explore and enjoy what you do in your final semester. Of course, there is much more pressure to “succeed” in the first seven semesters, but aren’t we most successful at the things we enjoy doing? Isn’t genuine passion what colleges want to see in the first place? To echo Groucho Marx, “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong.”

There is wisdom in this annoyingly glib piece of advice. You have to consider how you feel about every class and extracurricular in the moment. Do you lose track of time or do you hungrily watch the clock?

Do you walk out feeling enriched or drained? If you are not loving it, you are less likely to put in the requisite work to win recognition or innovate. Thus the unenjoyable

often doubles as inefficient.

The final semester should not be the redeeming experience of high school. It should be a semester like any other, not necessarily better, freer, or happier. Happiness is not something you anticipate into existence; it arises spontaneously from your circumstances, your choices, and your perspective.

You have a degree of agency over your present satisfaction, and that is something you have to contend with well beyond senior year, well into your career. If you always look forward to the idyllic eighth semester, you procrastinate on perhaps the most important assignment of high school: learning about yourself, about what you want.

To All the Clubs I’ve Loved Before MONICA CHAN (VI) “How do you figure out what you enjoy doing?” was the question a usually timid freshman asked me during an Asian Student Union meeting. This question struck me, not because it was particularly difficult, but because it felt like only yesterday I was asking the same question myself. I smiled and said, “You talk with people who introduce you to things they enjoy doing, and you might find yourself interested as well.” I shall now use this quick interaction to justify me writing soppy paragraphs about all the student groups I’ve loved in my time here.

The Pingry Record is one such group.

As a freshman, I never saw myself writing for the Record or contributing artwork. I thought that the editorial staff took the Record way too seriously for what seemed like just a simple student publication. However, as more of my friends joined the editorial staff and as I started writing in my sophomore year, I realized the Record is something that is a) routine and b) consistently high quality. I find in my time at Pingry that those two points are something rare of a student group: too often students will have a fleeting passion for a certain topic or movement, and then after those students graduate or become too busy, those groups die off. The Record is one of a few exceptions to the rule. The students on the editorial staff have a deep care and interest for what is published, down to the very nitty gritty details. Readers may take a quick glance over the paper if anything, but many don’t know that the staff spends weeks agonizing over every little minute detail of the paper: be it the little lines of the layout, the colors of the boxes and headers on every single page, or even whether the date on the top should say “April 4th” or “April 4.”

I also enjoy robotics for similar reasons to the Record: it is a routine project that also manages to stay consistent. Robotics has taught me about how to manage a team and a larger-scale project more so than anything else. I’ve learned how to (but more importantly how not to)

incentivize a team to work together,

And finally, the Asian Student Union.

speaking up, and feel less restricted by

your time here. Prestige chasing that

how to put together marketing materials

We’ve become somewhat of a support

the prevailing aversion to trouble that I

extracurricular won’t take you anywhere

for our team, and most importantly:

system for each other, which has been

know many Asian students at Pingry felt

on your path, which took a lot of time for

how to build a robot with a group of

the most rewarding thing to be a part

when trying to stand up for themselves.

us to realize. Surrounding yourself with

engineers who love working together.

of in my time here. I’ve realized the

The ASU has come a long way since our

people who are passionate about what

Bonding with the team and spending

importance of having a space to have

inception last year, and I am confident

they do, even if it’s not something you

time together at large competitions are

productive conversation and give and

that our underclassmen will continue to

may think you will enjoy, might just be

the best memories I have of high school.

receive advice from each other regarding

lead it headstrong into the future: Julia,

the best thing you can ever try. And above

I’ve learned so much about engineering,

all things pertaining to our identities as

Franklin, and Kevin, you guys are going

all, as the ASU underclassmen will have

perseverance, and most importantly,

Asian-Americans at Pingry. The ASU

to do great!

heard hundreds of times by now, the

friendship through being a part of this

underclassmen have very much become

The best advice I could ever give to

key to all of this is: manage your time,

amazing team. Alina, Jemma, and I

“our underclassmen,” and Guan, Jeremy,

the freshman who asked me the original

but most importantly, be a good friend.

have really seen it all. I’m going to miss

and I have really been so happy to watch

question is that it’s very easy to lose

you two more than you could ever know.

all of them grow more comfortable

your way in terms of how to spend

Peace out Pingry.

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Olivia Hung (V)

THE PINGRY RECORD

SENIOR REFLECTIONS JUNE 13, 2021

Bee Creative With It ANEESH KARUPPUR (VI) Whenever I tell people that my Independent Senior Project involves beekeeping, I always get the same two questions: first, “Have you been stung?” (to which the answer is no, the bees are truly quite pleasant); and second, “Did you get to make honey?” I finally got to answer the second question a few Thursdays ago, when I spent several sweltering hours with a few other students working on sustainability-related ISPs performing a honey extraction using honey from Pingry’s beehives.

The honey was, as expected, delicious (and I’m sure it’s full of helpful nutrients and antioxidants).

Most importantly, it was really sweet, as sugariness is the true standard by which all food should be measured.

But beyond the little jar that I got to take home and share with friends and family, extracting honey feels a little bit emblematic of what Pingry has offered me and what I hope to see Pingry become as I leave.

My ISP was not born out of years working on the Green Team or numerous nights studying environmental science; in fact, I didn’t know where Pingry’s bees were until April, when a friend showed me. But despite my lack of knowledge entering this project, I found faculty who were willing to teach me, beekeeping equipment and facilities open for my use, and considerable freedom to decide what I wanted to do with my beekeeping knowledge. The honey extraction that I performed produced a lot more than just liquid honey—it was an opportunity to ponder the preservative-free long-term storage methods of honeybees, the construction of the honeycomb, and the comparison between different simple mechanical technologies for sucking out the maximum amount of honey. None of these were things that I genuinely thought about until they were applied in a context that I could understand.

Frankly, bees and their corresponding ecological factors are not topics that I would have studied if Pingry had politely told me that I needed more experienced or more demonstrated interest in beekeeping. The connections that I was able to make to economics and

organizational models and complexity are all results of the fact that Pingry is small and can accommodate the special fascinations of each student.

Numerous students and faculty provided input on why my model wasn’t working and how it could be improved. These purely curiositydriven interactions are results of the fact that Pingry encourages openness in intellectual pursuit. My ISP would have been very different—and far less interesting—had I decided to stick with what I knew and just work to satisfy a graduation requirement. Pingry’s open culture played a part in ensuring that that stagnation didn’t occur.

However, these bastions of meaningful learning are things that Pingry cannot simply assume to be true. The number of faculty and administration who leave, year after year, does negative work for the familiar relationships with students that allow me to ask advice from teachers who have never taught me.

Expanding class sizes only serves to push students away from each other as they face increased competition.

At a time where Pingry seems to be closing off academic paths, Veracross updates from the administration do very little to assure a curious student that they could pursue a beekeeping ISP even if they had no previous experience. It’s not enough to create institutions that students can use— Pingry needs to make sure that all extracurriculars have an aggressive outlook towards offering students a more rewarding experience. There is no point to having resources that are underutilized or suffer from a lack of adult guidance and motivation. Even things that on their face seem to be experiential learning cannot really be called that if they aren’t maximized.

Every student should be able to experience their own honey extraction, their own bee suit, their own economics-and-honeybee crossover research project. Every student should be able to leave Pingry considering new avenues to their potential college major. Every family should be able to justify all the ever-increasing costs of Pingry with the rationale that the student has become more intellectually curious. None of this will happen if Pingry continues to turn its back on the farm in favor of the factory.

3

Some Poems...

MEGHAN DURKIN (VI) For my final editorial, I want to share a small piece of myself: my poetry. I am typically one to shy away from sharing creative pieces; I would much rather publish pieces detached from myself. Yet, I love the melodic, rhythmic feel of poetry and its space to hold unraveling thoughts. So, I’m trying something new this last time. The following are original poems written over the past year or so. They’re about a little bit of everything; I hope you find something that resonates with you.

The Flame at the Edge of my Desk

Monotony

Sitting on my desk, the flicker of a flame grows higher Creating shadows on the blue walls The shape of a flower, a wave, the sun The smell of a sunny day, a holiday night Its life and hope, a circle of each year Light the flame, blow it out An end and a beginning, the burning of the past’s shadow Wait for it to die out, and find a new smell A new memory, over and over again

monotony possibly honestly taking me somewhere else a fallacy the palace sees a one way sky to magistry in totality the casualty of ability to try agility flexibility sensibility some pride allowing constant hostility humility capability fragrant cries putting tears at ease please appease this guarantee of stable stability tranquility an endless monotony

Realities lie in the scent of a moment The crisp air of a summer day, spices of a holiday dish The crinkle of leaves on a long walk, the end of an autumn day The smokey haze of late night smores and backyard games My grandma’s perfume, lingering after a visit My brother’s deodorant, a warning he’s coming from away Endless memories, fixed nostalgia I’m an image of my past A combination of senses, of life at its best and worst

A Short Ode to Pingry First day stuck in an elevator First laughs with new friends First cafeteria coffee to keep me awake First long talk with a teacher Last December decorations lining the hallways Last virtual meetings from the comfort of my bed Last embarrassment from crooked parking in the lot Last class and assignment, last moment Now that it's passed The past feels shiny And all the first and lasts can’t help but remind me

Volume CXLVI, Number V

Editors-in-Chief Noah Bergam Meghan Durkin Senior Assistant Editor Eva Schiller Assistant Editors Aneesh Karuppur Brooke Pan Brian Li Layout Editors Emma Drzala Justin Li Digital Editor Andrew Wong Photography Editor Rhea Kapur

Cartoon Editor Monica Chan Junior Layout Editor Kyra Li Copy Editors Keira Chen Saniya Kamat Sarah Kloss Dean Koenig Sarah Gu Mirika Jambudi Kate Marine Milenka Men Rohan Prabhu Emily Shen Evan Wen Faculty Advisors Dr. Megan Jones Mrs. Meghan Finegan Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Keira Chen (III)

THE PINGRY RECORD

4

INVESTIGATIVE JUNE 13, 2021

Can Normalcy Be Achieved Next School Year?

ANJOLA OLAWOYE (IV) Despite being merely three months away, the status of the 2021-2022 school year is still uncertain. Questions include: Are we going to wear masks? Will we still have to test for COVID-19 every single week? Will Pingry Anywhere still exist? Will there be plexiglass and “less separation” in the commons and dining room?

With New Jersey’s COVID-19 cases at an all-time low since last summer, the prospect of returning to a somewhat “normal” school year appears to be feasible. While no one is really sure of the degree to which the pandemic will impact our school next year, predictions can still be made.

Pingry’s COVID-19 guidelines and Health and Safety protocols are guided by the New Jersey Department of Health and local health departments (Bernards Township for Basking Ridge Campus and Livingston for the Short Hills Campus). Whenever there are too many COVID-19 cases on either campus, Pingry confers with these health departments.

Their recommendations are then implemented by the school.

The questions about wearing masks and keeping distance next school year still remain.

On Thursday, May 13, the CDC announced updated public health recommendations on masks for

Students at the Short Hills Campus during COVID-19

vaccinated individuals. As of now, “fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”

In response to this statement, Pingry issued an email stating that the “mask and social distancing policies remain unchanged for now,” because the New Jersey Department of Health had not yet updated their health policies

accordingly. This status will possibly change next year as more people are vaccinated. As of now, New Jersey’s vaccination rate is above 50%. Many eligible Pingry students have also received vaccinations, mainly due to multiple vaccination clinics at school. The CDC has also issued an important statement stating that children who are 12 and older are permitted to receive the Pfizer vaccine, removing the 16 and older requirement before.

Unfortunately, not everyone in the Pingry community fits the eligibility for a vaccine at this time. Nearly all

of the Lower School students and some Grade 6 students cannot get a vaccine. Luckily, there are Pfizer trials happening for children under the age of 12, which may be approved during the summer or early fall. Vaccinations would help us all return to a normal school year.

Pingry started COVID-19 testing once a week last fall. Throughout the winter, there were two testing collections every week. This protocol changed in early May, with the school returning to testing once a week. Six weeks have passed

since Pingry has seen a positive coronavirus case. This success can be attributed to the number of vaccinated people at school. As a result, testing may not be necessary next academic year, depending on both the number of cases in New Jersey as well as the amount of positive cases at Pingry.

On a separate note, Pingry Anywhere has been our current school model as a result of the pandemic. The model is flexible: you can choose to come to school in-person or remotely, depending on your preference each day. As we return to “normalcy,” will this model still be in effect? On May 17, Governor Murphy announced that: “schools in New Jersey will be required to provide full day in-person instruction for the 2021-2022 school year and fulltime remote learning will not be an option." This statement may impact Pingry’s decision to only offer in-person instruction, even though Pingry is not a public school and run by the state. As a result, it is possible that we will all be learning in-person next fall. However, the status of Pingry Anywhere is currently up in the air. Only time will tell when we will be truly back to normal as progress is made.

Hopefully, next year, we will not have to learn behind plexiglass or socially distance from one another during lunch and flexes.

Word in the Halls

What are you doing this summer?

Sarah Gagliardi (V)

Aneesh Karuppur (VI)

“Hot scholar summer”

“Relaxing and maybe working at the tech office. Maybe working a bit more on my ISP work and hanging out with friends”

Katie Lin (IV)

John Annis (IV)

“I’ll be competing in NACs and going to fencing camp. In my free time, I’ll be working on my garden”

“Mostly just sleeping in and working at my job”

Jules Amorosi (III) “I don’t have that many plans, but my family is road tripping to Rhode Island. And I also have soccer pre-season”

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communication, Emily Shen (V)

THE PINGRY RECORD

COMMENTARY JUNE 13, 2021

5

Athletics Commitment Versus Student Life SARAH GU (III) Pingry’s serious commitment to athletics aids in achieving the mission of fostering individual growth and social responsibility in the student body. The athletics program comprises a myriad of different, well-organized activities, including, but not limited to, weekend practices, competitive meets, conditioning days, banquets, and two hour practices every weekday. Dedicated coaches accommodate each individual’s skill level, and hold their athletes to the highest standard possible.

The athletics facilities at Pingry also offer an exhaustive collection of equipment free for students to utilize at their discretion. However, after taking advantage of the exceptional athletics program, is there enough room for students to balance their extracurricular activities and academics?

Many students have stated that their coaches try their best to accommodate the practices to the academic workload. The official start and end time for weekday practices are 3:30 and 5:30. Generally though, studentathletes are let out slightly earlier.

“Schoolwork takes priority over sports, and the coaches are understanding of that,” crosscountry runner Diego Pasini (IV) said. Although some students feel that the two hour weekday practice allows for a solid amount of time to develop their athletic skills, others, such as Pasini and Leon Zhou (III),

that starting pre-season practice earlier in the summer would allow him to get into better shape faster and earlier. Nevertheless, there has been some opposition to the athletics program. Nationallyranked fencer, Jessica Lin (VI), found that the participation requirement hinders her ability

have thought about extending the practice time. Zhou, a squash player, mentioned that he believes an additional fifteen minutes would be beneficial for providing time to play more matches, do extra drills, or to meet together as a team before a big game. Pasini stated

to go to club practice. “I definitely want to [be a part of the fencing team], but it would be great if students can choose to cut days,” she said.

Students have also voiced their concerns in regards to the academic consequences of the participation

Congratulations New Student Government Representatives!

policy. Emily Gao (III), a water polo player, swimmer, and track runner, noticed that after-school practice decreased her performance level during swimming club practice and affected her sleep schedule.

“At times,” she noted, “sports caused me to stay up late, but it did not affect me grade-wise.”

Eddie Kirschner (III), a lacrosse and football player, also observed that school practice affected time spent on schoolwork. However, not everyone feels the same way.

Zhou, Pasini, and Lin found little effect on their sleep schedule and were able to maintain a healthy academic-extracurricular balance.

Overall, students expressed a common theme that it was really a matter of prioritizing which activities to include in their schedule. Jemma Kushen (VI), a cross-country runner, swimmer, and lacrosse player, noticed that the demanding athletics program has caused her to lean towards clubs and activities with flexible hours.

Despite the regimented schedule, she chooses to use her time for sports because they "not only provide [her] with daily exercise, but also with the opportunity to socialize, destress, get competitive,

and push [her] limits – all things [she] would have to get elsewhere if [she] didn’t do sports."

Overall, Pingry athletes have found that the sports program certainly has a significant effect on their daily schedules. However, that is not to say that participation should be completely optional; in fact, all of the students have noted that time spent with the team creates lasting friendships and promotes cooperation and responsibility. A possible solution to some of the issues presented is to adapt and lessen the participation requirements based on the purpose of the student’s enrollment in the athletics program. It may allow athletes to expand their pursuits elsewhere or recognize their serious commitment to a sport at school. Kushen, while observing her student-athlete friends, saw that “as a consequence of having to fulfill the attendance requirements of two teams, club athletes are both mentally and physically over-stressed.” In other words, developing a more accommodating athletics participation requirement will lead to a healthier student body.

Congratulations Honor Board Members!

Student Body President

Form V

Giles Burnett Form VI

Form V

Jacob Abdi Form VI

Camille Collins

Form IV

Emmet Houghton

Franklin Mau

Niles Luke

Julia Covello

Emily Gao

Jack Martin

Luca Pizzale

Alexa Drovetsky

Mark Mason

Maureen Schwarz

Form IV

Olivia Telemaque

Ethan Boroditsky

Ashleigh Provoost

Shaan Lehal

Ally Smith

Sabrina Schneider

JP Salvatore

Sebastian Talarek

Katherine Marine

Evan Wen

Leon Zhou

Divya Subramanian

Spring Sports Records

Spring Sports Photos

Baseball: 16-9 Softball: 3-19 Boys’ Golf: 11-4 Girls’ Golf: 11-5

Marc Bliemel (V) - Boys’ Golf

Boys’ Tennis: 15-0 Boys’ Lacrosse: 11-1 Girls’ Lacrosse: 10-5

Thomas Santana (V) - Boys’ Baseball

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Milenka Men (IV), Pingry Communications

THE PINGRY RECORD

6

Why You Should Care About Coinbase Going Public

INVESTIGATIVE JUNE 13, 2021

The Paycheck Protection Program: How Did Pingry Use It? AVA KOTSEN (IV) & KELLY CAO (III)

CAYDEN BARRISON (IV) Cryptocurrency has become a popular fixture of economics within the past decade. Given this surge in popularity, many companies are hoping to capitalize on the market’s success. One of these companies is Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States. Coinbase allows people to easily buy, sell, transfer, and store a multitude of different cryptos, such as Bitcoin or Dogecoin. On April 14, Coinbase went public on the stock market, becoming the first major cryptocurrency company to do so, a huge development for the future of crypto.

Coinbase entered the Nasdaq as an IPO (initial public offering).

Barring the complicated definition, an IPO is when a private company sells stock to public investors for the first time in its existence. A company needs to meet eligibility requirements to become an IPO or to “go public.” Therefore, the Coinbase IPO not only legitimizes the company as a whole but also the cryptocurrency industry.

Cryptocurrency has often been considered a risky investment, but investors can now be certain that the industry is here to stay for the foreseeable future. The volatility of the crypto market over the past few years has dissuaded many from incorporating it into their portfolios, but the Coinbase IPO could give the final stamp of approval for these investors. The validation of a cryptocurrencyrelated company tells the world that the market of crypto will survive, even if challenged by outside factors.

This still begs a major question: Why should investors care?

Coinbase going public will certainly have a lasting impact on the stock market: crypto companies are like a train that one has to jump onto early enough in order to not miss it pulling away from the station. Coinbase is on a similar trajectory to that of the early days of the internet in the 1990s.

Perceived as shady or “just a fad,” the internet was often viewed as an unimportant trend. Just like Coinbase, the early internet had

only a few practical uses that the majority of the population regarded as insignificant. But as we know, the platform of the internet exploded into something we all use, which could very well be something that Coinbase and cryptocurrency morph into one day. The Coinbase IPO is just the beginning of the beginning as an era of digitalization progresses.

Cryptocurrency still too risky at this stage? No problem. Coinbase finally offers the prospect of investing in crypto without really dipping entirely into it. The company, dealing exclusively with cryptocurrency, closely reflects the market value of crypto. If an investor is not willing or unable to buy crypto, Coinbase gives them the opportunity to invest in a company rather than a digital asset.

Oftentimes, stock presents a safer bet to timid investors than the deep unknown of the crypto market.

With every investment comes risk; Coinbase is not a completely flawless investment option.

Coinbase’s revenue is still highly dependent on brokerage fees, or the company’s “cut” of converting and storing crypto. Their profit may fluctuate as trading on the platform experiences highs and lows.

Although crypto is not deemed a security, the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) still threatens to regulate the asset, which may lessen the profits of Coinbase. Of course, the biggest concern for investors is the company’s potential for extreme volatility. All nascent stocks suffer from uncertainty, but look for Coinbase to steady itself over time as it becomes more in-tune with the market.

Taking every angle into consideration, the positives likely outweigh the negatives for investing in Coinbase. If anything, now is the perfect time to join the crypto train, as Coinbase is just gaining its footing in the stock market. Coinbase may not have the easiest road to stock market success, but the crypto industry is constantly growing and it's just a matter of time before the company takes off.

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a $600 billion loan program issued by the federal government and funded by the CARES Act, was created to generate two months of cash flow for small businesses. Although initially recognized as one of the most essential COVID-19 relief programs, public outcry began when prestigious private schools with millions of dollars in endowment funds began taking loans. Since the government is funded by taxpayer money, many Americans felt cheated, believing that private schools were not only stealing money from mom and pop businesses, but also stealing funding from public schools.

While these are reasonable frustrations, the pandemic has also hit private institutions. For example, while Pingry does have an $80 million endowment, at the time of the lockdown they were unable to withdraw money from it to pay

faculty and staff. In addition, most of the annual budget goes towards programs, such as financial aid, which cannot be cut. Pingry, along with other private schools, has seen a decrease in essential revenue streams: donations, summer camps, and afterschool programs, while an increase in expenses needed for materials such as hand sanitizer, plexiglass, masks, and trackers to ensure safe operations at the school.

Without the PPP, Pingry as an organization found itself in a difficult position: it could either choose to furlough dozens of employees in order to cover its expenses, or raise tuition in the middle of an economic downturn in order to keep employees and cover its expenses. However, with the PPP, the School would not have to make this difficult decision. Pingry, as reported by Patch New Jersey, took out a loan between $2-5 million from the PPP and used it to prevent the furloughing of 280 employees due to the COVID-19 shutdown. CFO Mr. Olaf Weckesser said that Pingry’s

loan from the PPP was well within the bounds of the program, seeing how the goal of the loans is for businesses to “keep as many people employed as it did before COVID-19”. Once the school reopened in September, Pingry also used the money from the PPP program to hire employees and companies for new jobs, such as contact tracing and weekly saliva testing.

As Mr. Weckesser notes, “because of PPP, we were able to say early on, ‘Yep, don’t worry. Your job is safe; take care of other life issues.’” He is delighted that the government was able to take charge during this time of need, and that Pingry was spared from needing to make a difficult decision between staying open or furloughing staff. The PPP has been a key part in why Pingry as an institution has been able to remain open throughout the pandemic to provide safe full-time instruction, while other schools in the state have been stuck in remote school for the majority of the year.

Retail Investing Booms Among Gen Z and Pingry Students ANDREW WONG (V) In May, Fidelity Investments announced that they would be rolling out “Fidelity Youth Accounts,” a service that would allow teenagers from ages 13 to 17 to have their own personal investing and savings accounts. The creation of these youth investing accounts is a first in the brokerage industry. Teenagers using the service can now invest in a variety of stocks, ETFs, and Fidelity mutual funds, provided their parents have their own Fidelity accounts. The hope for these accounts, according to Fidelity, is as an educational tool, allowing “teens to learn how to spend, save, and invest.”

This news reflects a new reality in the world of investing. The unique confluence of factors such as the COVID-19 lockdowns, distribution of stimulus checks, and events such as the February 2020 short squeeze of stocks, such as Gamestop and AMC, have caused a massive jump in the number of young retail investors in the US. Since the start of 2021, according to data from Fidelity Investments, nearly 4.1 million retail investors have signed up for investment accounts on their platform alone. 1.1 million of these investors were under the age of 35.

Millions more of these young retail investors have flocked to stock trading apps such as Robinhood. Today, the ability to invest in the stock market has become so democratized that anyone with an internet connection and a sum of money can do it. As our generation, Gen Z, comes of age, we now have the ability to create wealth like never before in human history.

It is an opportunity many students at Pingry have just begun to explore.

Walking through the halls of Pingry today, you’d be hard pressed to find a conversation not about finance going on amongst our student body. In the wake of the February meme stock short squeezes, students from all grades have jumped into the market.

Joshua Stevens (V) explains how he and his friends got into investing in

the midst of the squeeze, saying “we originally were just chasing trends, but we soon realized that there was a lot more to investing than just YOLOing a meme stock and praying it would go to the moon.” After the craze was over, however, Stevens began to seriously invest in March, hoping to learn more about the world of finance while generating returns. Today, he runs his own personal investment portfolio and offers stock tips to his friends.

Alongside the February meme stock short squeeze, the recent spike in interest in cryptocurrency has also drawn many students into the market. Anton Volchenkov (V) entered the crypto market seriously in his freshman year, hoping to see what sort of returns he could make, as well as learn about this novel commodity. Volchenkov describes how he discovered the potential of cryptocurrencies only a couple months in, saying how “I had times where I made 300% of my portfolio in one week. Conversely, there were also times where I lost 60-70% of my portfolio in 1 day — these served as valuable learning moments for me.”

Since freshman year, Volchenkov has expanded his portfolio and become the point person to ask for advice on crypto investments in his class. He has helped dozens of his friends to get started with their investments in cryptocurrencies. Mauricio Choussy (V), one of those friends, says “while I’m still new to the world of cryptocurrency, with the advice of my friends, I’ve had a really great start in investing with solid returns!”

The surge of Pingry students into the market has not gone unnoticed by teachers. Math teacher Brad Poprik, himself a former investment banker for Deutsche Bank before teaching at Pingry, says he is extremely heartened to see students take an interest in the market. He also sees a learning opportunity for students investing in the market, saying “because there is so much risk and uncertainty in the markets, probability and statistics are essential foundations for sound

investment decisions. I encourage interested students to deeply explore those topics in their math classes.

Pingry teaches the building blocks, and you can take the topics to the next level if you have the passion and the desire.”

For those interested in investing in the market, there are a couple of essentials one should know before getting into the market. Luke Cela (IV) encourages all students to do their due diligence before buying a stock, as he says “before investing, look at your stock’s fundamentals such as its debt, earnings. Figure out whether the stock has a reason to go up.” Mr. Poprik echoes this sentiment, warning students that “the stock market is risky. Think about your goals and your tolerance for risk before you invest. You should not get into the market without accepting the fact that you can lose your money” What we are witnessing today with a wave of students rushing to invest in the market is only the beginning of a wider generational trend. Gen Z has come of age at precisely the right time.

With the advent of new technologies enabling greater access to markets, the coincidence of society-shaking events, and a collective desire to strike it rich, retail investing has become the latest and perhaps greatest trend for Gen Z; a trend that has the power to define our generation. It’s a signal that our generation is choosing to take the issues of personal finance into its own hands, perhaps a sign of our generation’s staunch individualism and self-reliance.

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Google Images, Andrew Wong (V)

THE PINGRY RECORD

SCHOOL NEWS JUNE 13, 2021

Senior Prom 2021 MILENKA MEN (IV) On May 14, the senior class of 2021 gathered in the newly transformed BAC for prom. Working within COVID-19 restrictions, the Pingry faculty decorated the BAC to the max, keeping the annual excitement and energy of prom alive. Some seniors busted some moves on the makeshift dance floor, like Adelaide Lance (VI), who said that she “really enjoyed jamming to songs with friends.” Others preferred to relax on couches in the designated lounge areas.

While certain seniors hung back in the BAC under the web of string lights, many preferred to spend their time outside with their masks off, sipping their refreshments, such as soda, water, or punch, and laughing together on the Pingry campus for perhaps the last time. Francesca Rainuzzo (VI) mused that she drank three delicious “pineapple float punch drinks,” which made up for the lack of food. The open garage

door allowed people to leave the gym when it became too hot or too loud. At 7 p.m., the sunset provided the perfect lighting to memorialize the event. Later, everyone received special goodie bags to celebrate the end of their high school years, COVID-19 style.

Within the goodie bags were some fuzzy socks, special prom masks, and custom M&Ms. Lily Arrom (VI) commented, “Even though it wasn’t necessarily as fancy as going to a hotel as you normally would, it was really well put together.” The night felt like a typical prom to most seniors because of the immense Pingry spirit everyone carried.

The teachers also joined in on the fun, despite their chaperoning

duties. Señora Margi Dillon took the first step onto the dance floor, breaking the ever-so-awkward ice to encourage students to join her and get loose. In addition, Dr. Delvin Dinkins and Ms. Julia Dunbar were observed competing in a match of cornhole.

Due to the COVID-19 shutdown, prom was canceled last year, making this year’s prom even more special.

Arrom noted, “I know last year, [the seniors] didn’t get one, so I’m really grateful that we had it. I think we needed it, especially after the year we’ve had.” With the sun setting on prom night and the seniors’ time at Pingry, everyone will remember this year’s Senior Prom as a remarkable end to a strange year.

Form VI at the Senior Prom

7

Form III Enjoys Their First School Dance JULIA ENG (III) On May 17, the Form III Spring Fling was held in Bristol Gym. With Homecoming and Snowball cancelled due to COVID-19, the freshmen were finally able to experience their first Pingry dance. The highly anticipated event had the freshman class buzzing with excitement throughout the school day, as students had been itching for a grade-wide social event the entire year.

Upon arrival, students were required to show their contact tracers to the chaperones at the door. They were greeted by large balloons, spelling out “Spring Fling.”

Bristol Gym itself was transformed into a bass-pumped atmosphere, complete with a DJ, dance floor, and photobooth—students equated it to walking into a club for the first time.

Eventually the gym began to fill up with guests, some dressed up in blazers and dresses, others in casual attire. All students were required to wear masks, and many saw this

as a chance to further accessorize, matching their masks to their outfits.

Pizza and soda were served in Hyde Watson Gym. An ice cream truck was also brought in, where students lined up to receive cold popsicles and ice cream bars. Daniela Karnaugh (III) noted that “the ice cream truck was the best part.”

Dance circles were soon formed, and the DJ played teenage party classics, including “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus and “22” by Taylor Swift. Partygoers were able to show off their dance moves to the fun, upbeat music. To close the night, the DJ played “Sweater Weather” by the Neighbourhood, an indie-pop hit from 2014.

Class President Ally Smith (III) said, “We lacked a lot of bonding events in the beginning of the year, we felt like our grade wasn’t as connected as we could’ve been… that’s why we decided to push the dance.” The freshman class is grateful for their Student Government Representatives, and the Pingry faculty who organized the event.

Juniors Dance the Night Away at the Junior Formal SARAH KLOSS (V) On May 21, the Junior Formal was held at Pingry in the Bristol Gym, and will be one for the books, especially after the long, extensive year of social distancing, maskwearing, and overall inconsistencies due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was the first event where the Class of 2022 could spend time together as a full grade in a relaxed setting. Dissimilar to years prior, the week leading up to the formal acted as a spirit week exclusive to the Junior Class. There was a different theme for each day of the week: Hat Day, Twin Tuesday, Tropical Vacation, Hollywood, and, finally, a Blue and Silver theme.

Due to the pandemic protocols in place, this formal was extremely different from the dances that occured in previous years. Students were required to participate in Pingry’s weekly COVID-19 test collection or provide a negative PCR test in order to attend the formal. Additionally, all juniors had to bring their contact tracers

and wear masks throughout the entirety of the dance. Another significant change to this year’s formal was that it was held for only students in Pingry’s Class of 2022. Form V students were not permitted to bring dates from outside the school or from different grades. Although there were many changes to the junior formal, students were still thrilled and thankful for this special night.

The annual promposal and dressshopping times were quickly brought back to life, reminding everyone of the simpler times prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the day of the Junior Formal, the school was filled with anticipation. Students were picking up corsages and boutonnières, and girls enthusiastically prepared for their hair and makeup appointments (no need to worry Ms. Chatterji, nobody left school early). At 7 P.M. sharp, students eagerly headed towards Pingry to share a night of fun with their classmates. As the students walked through the streamer-lined doors,

they were in awe of the transformed gym. The student government, along with other volunteers, helped decorate the gym prior to the dance.

From 7:00 P.M. to 9:30 P.M., juniors danced the night away.

Balloons, glow sticks, a photobooth, and, of course, a DJ, embellished the gym floor. Throughout the night, the gym was filled with an infectious energy, and it seemed that, for the two and a half hours, everyone’s troubles melted away.

Franklin Zhu (V) commented, saying, “It was great. People were dancing and hanging out.

The music was really good too.”

When students needed a break from the music and dancing, they could wander out to either the parking lot or Hyde and Watson Gym for refreshments. Catered

by SAGE Dining, students could eat a variety of foods from chicken fingers to egg rolls.

The juniors consider themselves lucky to have enjoyed the formal this year. Due to COVID-19, Snowball had been cancelled for all students this year, and juniors

doubted the possibility of a prom.

However, behind the scenes, student government worked extremely hard to get the class a dance. Zhu, a student government representative, said, “We started making plans for a formal about two months ago. We brought it up, and then we just had to figure out a date. Dean Chaterji’s enthusiasm in helping us get a formal was a major reason in the success of this event, even in the middle of the pandemic.” The hard work of the student government paid off, as most students will remember

the night fondly; Emma Drzala (V) said, “The dance surpassed my expectations. I wasn’t sure how fun it would be in the gym at school, but I ended up having a really good time. It was a lot of fun!” It is obvious through pictures and shared memories that the juniors truly enjoyed their formal.

The Class of 2022 would like to thank the student government, but most importantly, the chaperones: Upper School Dean, Ms. Ananya Chatterji; Dean of Students, Mr. Graham Touhey; and Junior Class Dean, Coach Doug Scott.

Form V Students at Formal

Pingry Gets Vaccinated EVAN XIE (III) Thanks to the vaccination clinics hosted on campus, numerous members of the Pingry community have recently started to receive COVID-19 vaccines. These clinics have been Pingry’s latest effort — following masks, plexiglass,

saliva testing, and sensors — to fight the pandemic and maintain a close-to-normal school year.

This initiative started March 4, when Mrs. Margherita Cardello, a parent from the Lower School and a Rite Aid executive, reached out to Pingry. After expressing her willingness to collaborate with

Pingry to vaccinate community members, Mrs. Cardello started working with Mr. David Fahey, the Director of Operations and Safety & Strategic Initiatives.

Alongside Ms. Erin Carannante, Associate Director of Operations, and Systems Manager Apu, a collaboration between Pingry and Rite Aid was formed. Pingry would set up vaccination sites and coordinate appointments, while Rite Aid would provide pharmacists and vaccines.

The first clinic, held on March 26 at the Upper School, administered the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines to faculty, staff, and immediate family members who were healthcare personnel. A similar clinic was hosted at the

Short Hills Campus on April 1 and April 16 for first and second shots.

Because these first two clinics proved to be very efficient, Pingry and Rite Aid decided to hold additional clinics. On April 17, Rite Aid provided the Moderna vaccine to family members of the Pingry community and the general public. The next week on April 24, Rite Aid distributed the Pfizer vaccine to Pingry students aged 16+. Individuals from both these clinics received their second doses on May 15.

As a result of these clinics, over 750 vaccines have been administered to the Pingry community and the general public. Since Pingry hosted the first clinic, there were only 11 cases of COVID-19 among students,

faculty, and staff. Furthermore, the four weeks after the student clinic on April 24 saw zero cases.

Undoubtedly, Pingry’s partnership with Rite Aid has been a major success. Because of the many community members now vaccinated, positive cases are drastically decreasing. The end of this school year has felt vastly more “normal,” especially with the absence of school-wide quarantines and stringent restrictions. We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it seems like the pandemic is slowly coming to an end. Hopefully, with more of the community getting vaccinated this summer, next school year will see a return to normalcy.

Pingry Faculty Receiving COVID-19 Vaccines

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Julian Lee (VI), Emily Shen (V), Pingry Communications

THE PINGRY RECORD

SENIOR PAGES

JUNE 13, 2021

Senior Awards Academic Awards

Cum Laude Society

John R. Whittemore ‘47 Biology Award Lily Arrom, Luc Francis Ernest C. Shawcross Chemistry Award Guanyun Liang Physics Award Noah Bergam, Katherine Overdeck Science Book Award Sanjana Biswas, Emma Huang Science Research Award Rhea Kapur, Julian Lee Science In Society Award Katarina Andersen, Jessica Yatvitskiy Emma Huang, Julian Lee Whitlock Prize for Math Advanced Math Prize Sophia Cavaliere, Sean Lyons Computer Science Prize Rhea Kapur, Julian Lee Economics Prize Marcus Brotman, Helen Liu, Robotics Prize Monica Chan, Jemma Kushen Union College Casmir A. France Award for Excellence in English Noah Bergam, Eva Schiller Paul H. and Sarah Rouslin Excellence in English Award Carolyn Coyne, Rhea Kapur Martin B. O’Connor ‘26 Journalism Award Noah Bergam, Meghan Durkin Yearbook Award Sanjana Biswas, Brooke Pan Jean S. MacDonald History Prize Aneesh Karuppur, Augusta Winterbottom Psychology Prize Massa Godbold Language Prize Chinese: Matthew Mandel

French: Jessica Lin

German: Alina Irvine

Latin: Carolyn Coyne

Spanish: Sandra Adablah Advanced Language Prize Chinese: Helen Ma

French: Jacob Morin

German: Teodora Kolarov Latin: Christian Colella Spanish: Lily Arrom

Arts & Drama Director’s Award for Achievement in Dramatic Arts Cal Mahoney Drama Department Award for Musical Theatre Meghan Durkin, Alex Kaplan Drama Department Award for Technical Theatre Mia Shum Michael E. Popp Photography Prize Christopher Ticas Brendan J. Donahue ’79 Memorial Prize for Fine Arts Anushka Agrawal, Thomas Henry Brendan J. Donahue ’79 Memorial Prize for Pottery and Sculpture Walker Johnson Barbara Berlin Prize in Art History Helen Ma Music Award Sanford Friedman

School Service and Leadership Community and Civic Engagement Award Paul R. Leary ‘90 Award John Taylor Babbitt ‘07 Award Student Government Achievement Award

Katarina Andersen, Zara Jacob Kaley Taylor, Walker Johnson Justin Li Nolan Baynes

Anushka Agrawal Lily Arrom Noah Bergam Joseph Castagno Sophia Cavaliere Monica Chan Christian Colella Carolyn Coyne Meghan Durkin

Luc Francis Emma Huang Rhea Kapur Aneesh Karuppur Claire Keller Dean Koenig Teodora Kolarov Julian Lee Justin Li Guanyun Liang

National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Students

National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists Noah Bergam Joseph Castagno Monica Chan Zara Jacob Rhea Kapur

Aneesh Karuppur Dean Koenig Jemma Kushen Julian Lee Justin Li

Advanced Placement Scholars Alex Kaplan Jemma Kushen Jason Lefkort Emerson Lubke Hope Maultsby

Alesia Paliwoda Abigail Parrish Amanda Piña Sumant Sagar Augusta Winterbottom

Advanced Placement Scholars with Honor Anushka Agrawal Meghan Durkin

Helen Ma Brooke Pan

Jessica Yatvitskiy

Advanced Placement Scholars with Distinction Noah Bergam Monica Chan Christian Colella Micah Elwyn Matthew Fallon Emma Huang

Zara Jacob Rhea Kapur Aneesh Karuppur Teodora Kolarov Julian Lee Justin Li

Guanyun Liang Helen Liu Eva Schiller Avidan Shah Hugh Zhang

National Advanced Placement Scholar

Noah Bergam

Matthew Fallon Aneesh Karuppur

Justin Li

Advanced Placement Scholar Designation based on 2020 testing

U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidates Jason Lefkort

Guanyun Liang

Jessica Yatvitskiy

National African American Recognition Program Josephne Alston

Luc Francis

Sydney Stovall

National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program Anushka Agrawal Noah Bergam Joseph Castagno Zara Jacob Rhea Kapur Aneesh Karuppur

Dean Koenig Julian Lee Jason Lefkort Justin Li Guanyun Liang Jessica Lin

Guanyun Liang Helen Liu Katherine Overdeck Eva Schiller Avidan Shah

National Merit Scholarship Finalists Noah Bergam Joseph Castagno Monica Chan Zara Jacob Rhea Kapur

Aneesh Karuppur Dean Koenig Jemma Kushen Julian Lee Justin Li

Guanyun Liang Helen Liu Katherine Overdeck Eva Schiller Avidan Shahr

National Merit Scholars Julian Lee*

Katherine Overdeck**

*National Merit Scholarship Recipient, **National Merit University

Pingry School Parents’ Association Women’s Sports Award Olivia Volpe Centennial Cup — Gift of the Class of ’61 Matthew Fallon Sandy Apruzzese Big Blue Award Narayan Murti Class of ’26 Reese Williams Award Ryan Davi C. B. Newton Pingry-Princeton Scholarship Prize Jessica Lin The Elizabeth Allan Smith ‘83 Memorial Pingry-Duke Scholarship Prize Meghan Durkin Faculty Prize Nolan Baynes, Massa Godbold Charles B. Atwater Valedictory Prize Noah Bergam

Josephine Alston Katarina Andersen Carolyn Coyne Lauren Drzala Jill Dugan

Ethan Mannello Hope Maultsby Kevin Parnham Sophie Pollard Mia Shum Alexander Vilarin Olivia Volpe Henry Wood Jason Xiong Jessica Yatvitskiy Hugh Zhang

Thomas Henry Emma Huang Alex Kaplan Claire Keller Teodora Kolarov Anna Kovacs Jason Lefkort Ariel Li Jeremy Lin Jessica Lin Matthew Mandel

Anushka Agrawal Lily Arrom Aidan Boylan Marcus Brotman Christian Colella Rosemary Collins Carolyn Coyne Ameera Ebrahim Micah Elwyn Matthew Fallon Luc Francis

Aneesh Karuppur*

Special Awards

Jessica Lin Helen Liu Matthew Mandel Narayan Murti Eva Schiller Sydney Stovall Olivia Volpe Jessica Yatvitskiy Hugh Zhang

Helen Liu Matthew Mandel Avidan Shah Mia Shum Jessica Yatvitskiy Hugh Zhang

National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars Lily Arrom, Christopher Ticas, Alexander Vilarin

Scholar-Athlete Awards

Cipriano Family Scholar-Athlete Award Somerset County Scholar Athletes Skyland Conference Scholar Athletes NJSIAA (State) NJISAA (Independent Schools)

Claire Keller, Matthew Mandel Sophia Cavaliere, Matthew Fallon Olivia Volpe, Luc Francis Jessica Lin Jill Dugan, Christian Colella

Athletics Awards Girls’ Cross-Country Award Alina Irvine Boys’ Cross-Country Award Henry Wood Andrea Montague Field Hockey Award Carolyn Coyne Tom Boyer Football Award Oliver Haik, Thomas Robertozzi Michael Jupka, Jr. ’76 Football Award Oreoluwa Shote, Noah Morris Timothy C. Cornwall ’64 Boys’ Soccer Sportsmanship Award Aidan Gaynor Dick Gradwohl Boys’ Soccer Cup for Most Team Spirit Anthony Ramlochan, Tristan Sampedro Elizabeth Allan Smith ’83 Girls’ Soccer Award Sophia Cavaliere John R. Dufford, Jr. Tennis Trophy Caeley Feeney Water Polo Award Justin Li Frank L. Romano Boys’ Basketball Award Ethan Mannello, Reese Swittenberg Joe LaValley Boys’ Basketball Award Nolan Baynes David M. Allan Memorial Girls’ Basketball Award Olivia Volpe Massa Godbold, Rohan Pande Virginia Nazario Fencing Award Varsity Boys’ Ice Hockey Award Jared Kordonsky Grace Nugent, Julia Spinelli Girls’ Ice Hockey Award Girls’ Ski Team Award Rosemary Collins Boys’ Ski Team Award Narayan Murti Girls’ Squash Team Award Mahek Hemani Boys’ Squash Team Award Jason Lefkort Boys’ Swimming Award Matthew Fallon Ashley G. Marsh and Family Swimming Award Lily Arrom Michael Jupka, Jr. ’76 Wrestling Award Sean Lyons Girls’ Winter Track Award Ryan Davi, Carson Shilts Boys’ Winter Track Award Christian Colella, Henry Wood Class of 1935 Graham Churchill Baseball Award Thomas Henry Boys’ Golf Award Gerhard Mennen Girls’ Golf Award Zara Jacob Richard C. Weiler Boys’ Lacrosse Award Thomas Robertozzi Jill Dugan Pingry Girls’ Lacrosse Sportsmanship Award Pingry Girls’ Lacrosse Cup Claire Keller Pingry Softball Award Anna Kovacs, Grace Wang Boys’ Tennis Award Walker Johnson, Hugh Zhang Boys’ Track Award Oreoluwa Shote, Henry Wood Richard G. Gradwohl Girls’ Track Award Ryan Davi, Alina Irvine

THE PINGRY RECORD

SENIOR PAGES

JUNE 13, 2021

The 1902 Emblem

The Class of 1902 Emblem is awarded to Carolyn Coyne of the Class of 2021, who, while at The Pingry School, by the efficiency and the amount of service and loyalty of attitude has done the most for the school, and who has been judged therefore by schoolfellows and faculty to have shown of them all the greatest amount of school spirit.

The Class of 1902 Emblem represents the highest ideals of The Pingry School. The nominees chosen by their classmates and faculty are considered to embody the very principles of integrity and service that lie at the heart of the institution.

Thus, even to be nominated for this award is regarded as a paramount honor.

E, M

Years at Pingry: 4 Trademark Characteristics: Energizer Bunny™, bubbly, caring, says “cutini” a lot Activities: HiRT, field hockey, other sports like ski, Handbells, Student Government, Outing Club, Green Team, PAC, Writing Center, photography College Plans: Pomona College Career Possibilities: Something with people and the environment, maybe oceans… honestly I don’t know, but I would love conducting coral reef research coupled with humanistic journalism and underwater photography!

Senior Year Song: “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield or “Slide” by Calvin Harris feat. Frank Ocean & Migos Favorite Memory at Pingry: Playing “Piano Man” on the harmonica on the boat in Belize, our junior year whitewater rafting trip, or senior prom What I’ll Take Away: A deeper understanding that everyone has really cool stories, if you just take the time to ask questions and really listen to them.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?: Be kind - to others and to yourself. Don’t worry too much and enjoy life. Try talking to new people - at least once a week. Go to the events, embrace what others care deeply about. Stand for something greater than yourself.

CAROLYN COYNE

The Magistri Laudandi Award In every class, there is one student who graciously gives of him/herself to help the school and fellow students, who demonstrates a personal integrity and generosity that inspire the best in others. This person’s own achievements are many, yet his/her sense of purpose is to the greater good. While others may be identified as "the student most likely to succeed," this person is prized as "the student who helps all succeed.”

The Magistri Laudandi Award is awarded to Matthew Mandel

M

Years at Pingry: 7 Trademark Characteristics: Honorable, hardworking, committed, analytical Activities: Honor Board, Peer Leadership, Peer Tutor, Varsity Football, Basketball, Golf College Plans: William and Mary Career Possibilities: Something relating to math, econ, and/or stats Senior Year Song: “24” by Money Man Favorite Memory at Pingry: Beating Immaculata in basketball this year What I’ll Take Away: “He will do this because he believes in it and wants to do what is right-now, and later in life, when he takes his place in the larger community of the world.”

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?: Be yourself, be smart, work hard, but, most importantly, find time to have fun.

MATTHEW MANDEL

SENIOR PAGES

THE PINGRY RECORD

JUNE 13, 2021

Nominees for 1902 Emblem (E)

KATARINA ANDERSEN E, M

Years at Pingry: 3 Trademark characteristics: Adventurous, passionate, thoughtful, ginger

Activities: Pingry Girls Soccer, Community and Civic Engagement Council, Anti-Racism Task Force, Outing Club, Green Team College Plans: University of California Santa Barbara

Career Possibilities: I’m not sure! I might look into marine biology or global studies or something that’s not even on my radar yet.

Senior Year Song: “Más De Lo Que Aposté” by Aitana, Morat

Favorite Memory at Pingry: Both the backpacking trip and the ski day I did with friends come to mind but I also will always remember being part of such a successful soccer program.

What I’ll Take Away: People - I am so incredibly grateful for the people and the relationships that I will take away.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen? High school is hard and it can take a toll on your wellbeing. Finding and maintaining your own happiness is so important - so much more important than prioritizing someone else’s idea of success.

LUC FRANCIS M

NOLAN BAYNES E, M

Years at Pingry: 7

Trademark Characteristics: Short, leadership, enthusiasm

Activities: Student Government, Buttondowns, Peer Leadership, Basketball, Football, Artists’ Initiative

College Plans: THE ILLUSTRIOUS Howard University

Career Possibilities: Music Marketing, Music Programming or Artist Management

Senior Year Song: “Sky” by Playboi Carti. I listen to this song

MEGHAN DURKIN E, M

Years at Pingry: 4

Trademark Characteristics: Compassionate, honest, always laughs

Activities: Honor Board, The Record, Winter Musical, Peer Leadership, HiRT

College Plans: Duke University

Career Possibilities: Probably something journalism related,

but we’ll see

every morning before I go into the building.

Senior Year Song: “Daylight” by 5sos

singing Sunday Candy. It made me step outside my comfort zone in a huge way but I was glad I got to sing with my friends and be myself on stage.

pick, soph chem/junior year physics with Mr. Burns

Favorite Memory at Pingry: My first Buttondowns performance

What I’ll Take Away: Learning how to succeed and more importantly, be myself, in an unfamiliar and highly stressful setting.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Favorite Memory at Pingry: There’s too many but if I have to What I’ll Take Away: At Pingry, I’ve developed confidence in

my voice. I’ll take away knowing that my voice has power, even if it doesn’t feel like it.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Speak up for yourself and for others.

HAPPINESS OVER EVERYTHING. When you’re doing the things you love and putting yourself first, everything else will follow. Do what makes you happy and don’t let this school change who you are.

MASSA GODBOLD E

ZARA JACOB E

Years at Pingry: 7

Years at Pingry: 4

Years at Pingry: 10

humorous

my enthusiastic smile, my kindness, my ability to stand alone (my stubbornness), and my creativity.

more of a listener

Trademark Characteristics: Inquisitive, analytical, creative, Activities: Black Affinity Group, Swimming, IRT, PAC

College Plans: I will be attending Cornell University’s College of Engineering. I plan to major in biomedical engineering and I will also be swimming on the Men’s Swimming & Diving Team.

Trademark Characteristics: My bright and sunny disposition,

Activities: Learn Japanese Club, Glee Club, Track and Field, Creative Writing Club, Fencing, Drama programs, Green Team

College Plans: Tuskegee University for animal science and

Career Possibilities: Lab Researcher/Lab Management, Patent

agriculture.

Senior Year Song: “Campfire Story” by DC the Don

Senior Year Song: “Voracity” by Myth and Roid

What I’ll Take Away: Strong work ethic, strong sense of per-

the XC team on a bonding trip. It was a lot of fun, and I will never forget the first time I jumped off of a cliff and into the water many feet below.

Lawyer, Biomedical Engineer

Favorite Memory at Pingry: French with Madame Changeux sonal identity

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Ask questions, especially if they don’t have answers.

Career Possibilities: Holistic Veterinarian Favorite Memory at Pingry: During my freshman year, I joined

What I’ll Take Away: From going to Pingry, I have learned the

importance of always putting your best foot forward. Even when you are bone tired, it is important to still put your best out there.

You may surprise yourself and your teachers!

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Go for it. Whatever it is, try it. Pingry offers a lot of opportunities for students to explore themselves and whatever they are interested in. Take advantage and go for it.

Trademark Characteristics: Curly hair, awkward small talk, Activities: SDLC, Varsity Girls Golf, Peer Leadership, Afrofuturism HiRT, Vital Signs, Community and Civic Engagement Council

College Plans: University of Michigan

Career Possibilities: I’m still figuring it out, but I like listen, think, and create. Let’s see how far I can get with that.

Senior Year Song: Lizzo’s Glastonbury Speech/Performance combo of “Good as Hell”

Favorite Memory at Pingry: There are too many people I want to spotlight for this answer. Laughing with my peer group, winning (and tragically losing) with the golf team, imagining with my HiRT, creating with my drama class, catching up with my advisory—the list goes on.

What I’ll Take Away: The importance of being curious about yourself, others, and whatever else is out there for you to explore.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Just know your worth. Know that you are uniquely equipped to contribute to your community in a meaningful way, whatever that looks and feels like to you, trust it.

THE PINGRY RECORD

SENIOR PAGES

JUNE 13, 2021

& Magistri Laudandi (M) Awards

NARAYAN MURTI E, M

OREOLUWA SHOTE E, M

Years at Pingry: 4

Years at Pingry: 13

Activities: Golf, Ski Team, Covenant House, Outing Club

Encouraging, Leadership

Trademark Charcteristics: Positive, Energetic, Ski Team College Plans: University of St Andrews, Scotland

Career Possibilities: Not sure, but I am into Math and Philosophy.

Senior Year Song: “Boogie Wonderland” by Earth, Wind & Fire

Favorite Memory at Pingry: The first snowfall of Senior year

was during the middle of the school day, so the entire grade went outside during second flex to have a massive snowball fight.

What I’ll Take Away: The ability to both put myself out there and

to support others unconditionally. I’ve learned through experience how to make true connections with people and find joy in that.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

You will find your people by pursuing what you love and always being willing to engage with new activities - say ‘yes’ to an opportunity that you know has potential for fun and I promise it will be worth it.

KALEY TAYLOR E, M

Years at Pingry: 13

Trademark Characteristics: Considerate, resilient, outgoing, generous, kind, and ALWAYS smiling

Activities: Black Affinity Group, Pingry Allyship Collective, Outing Club, Pingry In Action: Saying it How it Is, Film Club, etc, Soccer, Wrestling, Track and Field, the musical, The Balladeers, and Peer Leadership College Plans: Babson College

Career Possibilities: Not sure yet, could be... entrepreneur, educator, psychologist, etc.

Senior Year Song: (maybe) “Ok Love You Bye”/”The Hardest Part” (Olivia Dean), or anything Billie Eilish/Whitney Houston

Favorite Memory at Pingry: I have too many to count. Probably LeBow, peer leadership as a whole, or just being at school making memories and connections.

What I’ll Take Away: I learned a lot about myself; I can be kind

and generous but strong within myself. I learned that you don’t have to fit into one box but can be a part of many aspects/genres in life.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

As cheesy as it sounds, be true to yourself and live in the moment.

Staying true to your morals/yourself is really important especially if they’re being challenged.

Trademark Characteristics: Amiable, Reliable, Considerate,

Activities: Track and Field, Football, Anti-Racism Taskforce, SDLC, CASE, PAC College Plans: Bowdoin College

Career Possibilities: Mental Health/Psychology

Senior Year Song: “Working On Me” by CalledOutMusic

Favorite Memory at Pingry: Playing Billy Flynn in Chicago

What I’ll Take Away: What I will take away from Pingry are the experiences that opened my eyes to white America, along with the ability to navigate and find my voice in a white dominated space.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

The sooner you realize that Pingry is a community of students, faculty, staff, administration, parents, and alumni that all have a part to play to make everything work, the sooner you will come to understand yourself and where you fit in the community and how you can contribute.

SYDNEY STOVALL E, M

Years at Pingry: 4 Trademark Characteristics: Deep intellectual conversations at

3 am, having an intense love for Sage Dining, being affectionately named “Stovall!” by the Pingry Drama community Activities: SDLC, Black Student Union, Pingry For Girls’ Empowerment, Glee Club, Drama and Musical Productions, Writing Center, Afrofuturism HiRT College Plans: Brown University Career Possibilities: Not sure. I just want to help people and explore the world in whatever way I can. I could see myself pursuing a career in education or international/national policy, but I’m open to anything. I’d definitely like to attend law school after college.

Senior Year Song: “Everything is Everything” by Lauryn Hill Favorite Memory at Pingry: Every single time I participated

in the pre-production traditions with my cast mates before every Pingry show. The feelings of camaraderie and genuine joy felt between the cast and crew truly cannot be described in words.

What I’ll Take Away: The incredibly special bond students have with teachers and administration. Pingry has also taught me how to be a leader both inside and outside of the classroom.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Every second is a learning experience. Both the positive and negative aspects of your high school experience will shape you into a stronger and more self-aware individual.

Congratulations to the winners, the nominees, and all the members of the Class of 2021!

THE PINGRY RECORD

SENIOR PAGES

JUNE 13, 2021

Class of 2021: Off to College

AMHERST COLLEGE

GETTYSBURG COLLEGE

SWARTHMORE COLLEGE

BABSON COLLEGE

HAMILTON COLLEGE

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

BATES COLLEGE

HOWARD UNIVERSITY

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY DUAL BA PROGRAM

BOSTON COLLEGE

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

TUFTS UNIVERSITY

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

LAFAYETTE COLLEGE

TULANE UNIVERSITY

BOWDOIN COLLEGE

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY

BROWN UNIVERSITY

MARIST COLLEGE

BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY

CARLETON COLLEGE CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY COLBY COLLEGE COLGATE UNIVERSITY

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER

COLLEGE OF THE HOLY CROSS

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

COLORADO COLLEGE

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

PITZER COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND

POMONA COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY

VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY

SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

SKIDMORE COLLEGE

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CORNELL UNIVERSITY DARTMOUTH COLLEGE DUKE UNIVERSITY ELON UNIVERSITY EMERSON COLLEGE EMORY UNIVERSITY GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

SPELMAN COLLEGE

GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY YALE UNIVERSITY As of May 27, 2021

THE PINGRY RECORD

FACULTY DEPARTURES JUNE 13, 2021

13

Upper School Director Ms. Ananya Chatterji Leaves Pingry BRIAN LI (V) After 25 years, Upper School Director and Mathematics teacher Ms. Ananya Chatterji P ‘25 will call an end to her Pingry career, leaving a legacy of unparalleled accomplishments, steadfast dedication to her goals, and the memory of a leader with an everlasting influence.

Prior to becoming part of the Pingry environment, Ms. Chatterji worked as a systems analyst for AT&T after earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Bucknell University and a Masters of Science degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Describing her time at AT&T as “very boring and very dry,” Ms. Chatterji was immediately intrigued when she received a phone call from former Headmaster Mr. John Hanley, who asked if she would be interested in joining Pingry, initially in the Tech Department. Despite “going into education on just a whim,” Ms. Chatterji greatly enjoyed her first years at the school and decided to stay.

Throughout her years at Pingry, Ms. Chatterji has held a wide variety of positions, such as Upper School Director, Mathematics teacher, and Form IV Advisor this year, as well as Swimming and Lacrosse Coach,

Mrs. Allie Brunhouse Leaves Pingry After 14 Years KEIRA CHEN (III) Director of Institutional Advancement Allison Brunhouse ‘00 P ‘31, a beloved member of the Pingry community, has made the difficult decision to leave after the 2020-2021 school year.

While at Pingry, Mrs. Brunhouse has assumed many roles: student, Director of Admissions and Enrollment in 2010, head of the Office of Communications beginning in 2015, and Upper School Advisor. Mrs. Brunhouse has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees Financial Aid Task Force in 2008 and 2019 and acted as co-chair of the 2015 New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS) SelfStudy for Accreditation.

Mrs. Brunhouse’s journey at Pingry started as a student. She graduated in 2000 and attended Hamilton College as a creative writing major. She then worked at CBS and FOX Broadcasting Company in their commercial clearance departments, located in New York.

One year after moving from New Jersey to New York for her job, Mrs.

Brunhouse received an email from Pingry’s Alumni Relations Team for a position in the Admission Office. “I didn’t love commuting [for work],” Mrs. Brunhouse said, “so I submitted my cover letter and resume and got the job as Assistant Director of Admission and Coordinator of Financial Aid in 2007.”

When asked what her favorite memory of Pingry was, Mrs. Brunhouse said there were “too many to count.” However, she takes the most pride in the relationships she’s built with members of the Pingry community, whether they are fellow colleagues, students in her advisory, or other people she’s met around the campus. “Being the advisor to the Brunhouse Advisory, an extraordinary group of girls from the Class of 2021, has been a true highlight these last four years. They are the absolute best.”

Regarding her plan for life after Pingry, Mrs. Brunhouse said she’s excited about her next adventure and is looking forward to taking some time off. In one last message, she exclaimed, “Take care, Pingry! I will always be a cheerleader!”

college counselor, Academic Dean, and Assistant Dean of Students. In fact, the role of a coach still stands out to her after so many years; “I loved it, especially JV lacrosse.” Even after taking up an administrative position, her leadership style never changed: decisions need to be made with other people, not for other people.

“In order to be someone who runs this division, you have to be all the things your colleagues are (advisor, teacher, coach, counselor), because that’s the only way to get to know the students the best.” However, Ms. Chatterji views being a teacher is most important. “I think of myself as a teacher first. It’s the best part of the day. Out of all the things in the day, class is still the best.”

In spite of such an accomplished and influential career at Pingry, Ms. Chatterji’s favorite memory at the school is not one of her major achievements, but is the changeover between classes instead. “Getting to see everything: students, faculty, the facilities team at work, the school in motion. Walking in the hallways during a change in classes allowed me to feel like part of the community.”

Similarly, the accomplishments that Ms. Chatterji will cherish the most are the relationships she has made

over the years. “Families, students, faculty; I feel lucky that I can interact with so many different people at Pingry. That’s what I’ll miss the most.”

Nevertheless, changing the school day start time from 8:10 AM to 8:30 AM also registers as one of her favorite acts. “That was a lot of work: changing the whole schedule (flexes, lunch, etc.) takes a lot more work than people realize. I believe it’s a good thing to leave behind.”

Learning has always been an integral part of Ms. Chatterji’s life, and still influences her Pingry career. One such lesson she learned was that in order for students to grow from their mistakes, “you must model that yourself and grow from your mistakes as well.”

As a side effect of teaching, students have also given Ms. Chatterji valuable advice, such as “how to handle strife effectively.” In addition, Ms. Chatterji has learned the importance of being a self-advocate, especially for students once they enter college, where they must advocate for themselves and make decisions individually.

Despite her departure from the Pingry staff, Ms. Chatterji will “still be around” the community through her daughter as a Pingry parent. We will miss you and we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!

Mr. Graham Touhey Leaves Pingry After 8 Years MEGHAN DURKIN (VI) & RHEA KAPUR (VI) After eight years at Pingry, Dean of Students Mr. Graham Touhey will be leaving at the end of this school year. Mr. Touhey has contributed to our community in numerous ways throughout his years here, from teaching Chemistry and serving as the advisor to the Honor Board to coaching JV and Varsity basketball and the thirds soccer team and working with Outing Club as the faculty advisor.

Prior to Pingry, Mr. Touhey earned his B.A. in chemistry with a chemical engineering focus at Lehigh University. Mr. Touhey’s journey to teaching began in Wichita, Kansas at a chemical engineering internship. He shared this memory: “It was a wonderful internship, and [I was] guaranteed a job afterwards. It was kind of everything you would hope for.

[But] I’m sitting at this desk and thinking: no, this isn’t it . . . I went out and I called my mom, and she asked me what I wanted to do. I said I want to go teach.” So, Mr. Touhey pursued teaching, and ultimately received his Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.

Reflecting on his time at Pingry, Mr. Touhey recalled his favorite memory, one he described as small yet “indicative of Pingry.” He spoke of the following story: “We had switched to the new schedule and I happened to lose track of the day.

I was 25 minutes late to class and I went down [to class] thinking [the students] would be gone. Every single one of them, all sixteen, were there. Just waiting . . . the fact that they didn’t leave: that’s Pingry. We didn’t even end up having class, we just talked about the fact that they all stayed. It ended up being great.”

When asked for a student

perspective, Aneesh Karuppur (VI) reminisced: “When I visited Pingry as a rising freshman in early 2017, I sat in on Dean Touhey’s Chemistry 9 class. I remember that he tried to convince me that his name was spelt “2E,” and that he allowed me to follow along with his class despite my absolute lack of knowledge on Lewis dot structures. Even though I never had him as a teacher, I knew Dean Touhey as energetic, humorous, and an effective teacher; I got all of those attributes in just one brief 65 minute period way back at the end of my eighth grade. Dean Touhey

was a fixture of student life long before he became Dean, and so I truly appreciate the impact he’s had on the School. He will be sorely missed.”

There is no doubt Mr. Touhey has had an invaluable impact on our community. Look no further than his office, where you will find short notes from students left on his whiteboard. From “I couldn’t have done it without you” and “Pingry will never be the same” to “you are the bomb” and “you’re my favorite person ever,” students celebrate his impact on them. Mr. Touhey, thank you; you will be greatly missed.

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications

THE PINGRY RECORD

14

FACULTY DEPARTURES JUNE 13, 2021

Longtime Health Teacher Mrs. Sue Marotto Departs MILENKA MEN (IV) After 36 years of teaching and coaching, Health Department Chair Mrs. Sue Marotto is saying goodbye to the Pingry community.

Before Pingry, Mrs. Marotto graduated from Gettysburg College with a major in Health and Physical Education. The following September, she started working at Pingry. Originally, Mrs. Marotto was the Head Coach for Varsity Softball and Varsity Basketball. In the spring season, she was Assistant Coach for Varsity Field Hockey. She officially coached softball for 17 years and basketball for seven. After stepping back from high school sports, she has coached Middle School Soccer, Track and Field, and Tennis.

She acted as the Health and Physical Education Department

Chair for 29 years until 1992, when it split into two separate departments and she took over the main Health Department.

Since coming to Pingry directly from college, she has considered the school a second home. Throughout her time at Pingry, Mrs. Marotto has seen generations of students grow up. When asked what she will miss the most, she responded, “Definitely the students… It’s just been an honor to be able to teach life skills — the kinds of skills that students will use the rest of their lives. I’ve also enjoyed teaching legacy students. That’s really very special when I see a student in my class and I’ve taught one of their parents.” She also commented on her colleagues in the Health Department and thanked them for helping her foster the special Pingry environment.

Mrs. Marotto cannot remember a time when she didn’t want to be a teacher. Simply put, it has been her life’s passion since she was a little girl. She defines teaching as a “calling” and the “feeling that you need to contribute.” Her interest in health and physical education stems from her life as an athlete throughout high school and college, and she loves learning about how the body works in conjunction with the impact of sports. She will be sorely missed by the faculty, students, and even alumni. As of now, she has no plans for after Pingry, but is looking forward to wherever life takes her next. She is now stepping out of her comfort zone — Pingry is what she describes as her “life’s work”— and we wish her luck on her next journey.

Mrs. Samantha Schifano JULIA ENG (III) After working for almost ten years at the Basking Ridge campus, Mrs. Schifano is leaving Pingry. Before joining the school, she received her B.A. at Villanova University and shortly thereafter began working at a talent agency with newscasters, producers, and even the “Real Housewives” media franchise.

She originally heard about an opening at Pingry through her sister-in-law, an alumnus, and began working with the community in 2011. During the 2020-2021 school year, Mrs. Schifano served as the Director of Middle and Upper School Admission and Director of

Financial Aid, working alongside Ms. Sheila Ramirez at the Lower School. Her goal was to make the admissions process as exciting and seamless as possible, often asking herself, “How do we make it interesting for both the students and the families?”

In addition, Mrs. Schifano is the Form III Dean, planning events for freshmen students and helping them navigate through their first year of high school.

When asked about what she’ll miss most about Pingry, Mrs. Schifano said, “I’m going to miss… working with people who are happy to be here.

It’s exciting being able to enjoy what you do.” To her, the experience is incredibly

rewarding. Additionally, she enjoys watching kids grow and learn at school. “It’s amazing to watch the students transform.”

Mrs. Schifano is looking forward to the next chapter in her life, which includes working for her family business and stepping back into the business world.

When asked about what message she wanted to leave the Pingry community with, she said, “Be open to change… The more open you are, the more opportunities unveil themselves to you. Just know they’re out there, you just have to set [doubt] aside and trust what you think.”

We thank Mrs. Schifano for her work at Pingry and wish her the best of luck!

Dr. Colleen Kirkhart MIRIKA JAMBUDI (IV) After six years at Pingry, Dr. Colleen Kirkhart will be leaving to take the next step in her career with her family. She will be relocating to Providence, Rhode Island, where she will teach chemistry, cancer biology, and neuroscience at The Providence Country Day School.

Dr. Kirkhart received a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California Berkeley.

Before coming to Pingry, she was researching memory formation in Drosophila Melanogaster for her dissertation and teaching undergraduates at Berkeley.

However, Dr. Kirkhart found

teaching more rewarding than the laboratory, so she decided to transition to the classroom setting after graduating. Pingry was her first teaching position, and she has taught Biology 1, Honors Biology 2, and the Introduction to Research class.

Dr. Kirkhart has also been the head advisor for IRT and a coadvisor for the LGBTQ+ affinity group. In the past, she also ran Journal Club and the GSA. Dr. Kirkhart will fondly look back at her favorite memories of Pingry, especially seeing “when students get excited about topics we learn in class,” noting that there is nothing better than that for a teacher. She recalled an encounter during her first year of teaching when a student stopped

her in the hallway to tell her that she “just can’t stop thinking about tyrosine kinase receptors —they are SO COOL!!” She will forever cherish her memories with her students and colleagues and is proud to have been part of such an incredible community these past six years. In a parting message to the community, Dr. Kirkhart would like to share that she will “miss [her] students and colleagues tremendously,” and if you are ever in Rhode Island, to “drop her a line!”

Thank you, Dr. Kirkhart, for your contributions to Pingry— you will definitely be missed!

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications

THE PINGRY RECORD

FACULTY DEPARTURES JUNE 13, 2021

15

Mr. Mike Wang EVAN WEN (IV) After two years at Pingry, the community will say goodbye to Mr. Mike Wang. During his time at Pingry, Mr. Wang taught all levels of Chinese, from Chinese 1 to Chinese 7. He also led an advisory group of seven students and was a strong voice for the AAPI community.

Before working as a teacher, Mr. Wang received his B.A. at Beijing University for Astronautics and Aeronautics and then acquired his M.B.A. at Plymouth State University.

Afterwards, he taught at the St.

George’s School in Rhode Island for 18 years. When asked about his inspiration to become a teacher, he cited his fourth grade math teacher: his teacher’s enthusiasm and dedication for working with students inspired Mr. Wang to become an educator. Mr. Wang, reflecting upon his time at Pingry, notes that working with a variety of students inside Pingry’s classrooms has been extremely fulfilling. He says that he enjoyed watching the eagerness and sincerity of students, whilst also witnessing the progress they made.

Moreover, he described seeing his

students’ dedication as “the best experience I could get as a teacher.”

Next fall, Mr. Wang will be returning to the boarding school environment.

He will be working at the Kent School in Connecticut, where he plans on advising, coaching, and assisting with dorm life in addition to teaching. In his parting words to the school, he said, “The Pingry community is a good environment for teaching and learning. I’m sure the school will continue to prosper in the next days, months, and years.”

Ms. Bria Barnes GRACE FERNICOLA (III) This year is Ms. Barnes’ 5th and final year at pingry. She has taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English throughout her time at Pingry. Ms. Barnes received her undergraduate degree at William Paterson University in early childhood education.

This past May, she finished her graduate degree in education, culture, and society at Rutgers.

Before coming to Pingry, Ms. Barnes volunteered as a teacher for AmeriCorps. She recalls loading up her car with supplies and activities to teach children in 10 different locations. She loved her

volunteer work, and also taught at Plainfield Public School for a year.

Ms. Barnes’ favorite memory of Pingry was the 2020 Black History Month assembly, held just a few weeks before Pingry went virtual because of COVID-19.

She cherished the performances, stating it was a “vibrant and lively experience,” an “entire community undertaking,” and a way to express “what joy and happiness can be celebrated around people.”

Throughout her entire experience as a Pingry English teacher, Ms. Barnes found that A Raisin in the Sun was her favorite book to teach.

She stated that she loved the richness

in the story, and that she connected with its characters in their identity.

As the only black female teacher in the Middle School, she explained that it was a chance to share her culture and bring the story to life.

Ms. Barnes has learned a lot about herself at Pingry, working not only as a teacher, but also as the 6th grade camping trip leader and assistant director of the Middle School plays. She will be the Assistant Head of School for Community, Equity, and Belonging at The White Mountain School in Bethlehem, New Hampshire next year. We wish her the best of luck in the future!

Ms. Emily Glatter GRACE FERNICOLA (III) After four years of working as a Middle School history teacher, Ms. Emily Glatter has announced her departure from Pingry. She plans to move to Providence, R.I. in order to be closer to her family and to raise her newborn child.

Ms. Glatter received her B.A. in Latin and Classical Civilizations from Wellesley College. Upon graduating, she moved to California to begin her teaching career at the Pacific Boychoir Academy where she also served

as the Dean of Academic Administration. Prior to joining the Pingry community, Ms. Glatter taught at the Tuxedo Park School in New York. At Pingry, she taught 7th and 8th Grade History; she was also the 8th grade team leader. Her favorite topic to teach in class was 20th century U.S. history, with a special emphasis on watershed events such as the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and Cold War. Ms. Glatter’s favorite memory of her time at Pingry was planning and running the first Middle School

Project Week. She described it as “both challenging and rewarding” as it was “wonderful to see it all come together and see the students succeed”.

When asked to reflect on Ms. Glatter, her co-workers and students noted that they were always left in awe of her deep concern for those around her. In addition to her patience and kindness while teaching, her deep understanding and love for history was always apparent to those around her.

We will miss you Ms. Glatter!

Ms. Haley Kost KELLY CAO (III) After two years, the Pingry Faculty must sadly say goodbye to Ms. Haley Kost, who has made the decision to depart Pingry to be closer with family. During her tenure, Ms. Kost has taught Form I history, becoming a beloved member of the Middle School.

Before arriving at Pingry, Ms. Kost worked at King’s Academy in Jordan, teaching tenth, eleventh, and twelfth-grade History, as well as Economics and English.

She decided to join Pingry because of its “innovative middle school” and “great community.”

Upon her arrival, she immersed

herself in Pingry life, becoming the Rainbow Club advisor and helping with the Debate Club.

She additionally coached the soccer and basketball teams.

Ms. Kost graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with a focus on history at Northwestern University. She found history to be her most difficult subject; however, she also found it to be the most interesting, and as a result, she now understands learning history enables people to “reflect and see how they can impact our future.”

Following her graduation, Ms. Kost decided to teach internationally, seeking the excitement of travel.

After Pingry, Ms. Kost intends to continue educating middle and high school students in history.

Her favorite memories from her time at the Middle School are the events that she attended, such as the Middle School faculty and student basketball game. She will miss the students’ energy and questions the most, which contributed to her growth as a teacher. Ms. Kost is very grateful for the faculty and students, who have welcomed and supported her throughout her tenure. We will miss you, Ms. Kost, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications

THE PINGRY RECORD

16

FACULTY DEPARTURES JUNE 13, 2021

Beloved Lower School Teacher Mrs. Homa Watts Retires

Longtime Lower School English Teacher Dr. Joan Pearlman Retires

EMMA DRZALA (V) After working at Pingry for thirteen years, Mrs. Homa Watts has announced that she will be stepping down from her position as a second grade teacher. Throughout her time at Pingry, Mrs. Watts has taught kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.

Mrs. Watts earned her B.S. from Tehran University in Iran, and her Masters Degree from Western Illinois University. After completing her education, Mrs. Watts taught at both the Sundance School in North Plainfield and the Kent Place School in Summit before teaching at Pingry starting in 2006. In 2013, Mrs. Watts opted to take two years off to live in the United Arab Emirates. She continued her teaching career in the UAE at a local school for the first year and privately tutored for the second year.

She returned to Pingry in 2015.

Mrs. Watts has greatly enjoyed her time teaching at Pingry. She says that she has “never regretted making the choice of being a teacher. [She] considers teaching an honorable profession” and “would like to help new teachers to become even better teachers than they already are.

Mentoring young teachers is not only [her] passion, it is [her] responsibility”.

Mrs. Watts looks forward to spending time with her grandchildren and traveling throughout Europe and Canada with her husband and current music teacher, Dr. Kenneth Watts.

Looking back at her time at Pingry, Mrs. Watts cherishes the memories she has made with her students and

colleagues. One of her most notable memories was when a family of foxes declared the area under a slide as their own, and consequently, students were not allowed in the playground for nearly two months. She believes that instances like these show how seemingly insignificant moments make the biggest impact.

Mrs. Watts’ retirement is a bittersweet occasion for many of

us at Pingry. She is a great teacher who leaves behind a monumental legacy, and she has touched the lives of a generation of students for over fifteen years. As a former student of hers, I look forward to seeing her again and hearing about all of her future endeavors. We thank you for your dedication to the students at Pingry and we will miss you greatly Mrs. Watts!

Lower School Music Teacher Ms. Patty Finn Retires EMMA DRZALA (V) As the 2020-2021 school year comes to a close, Ms. Patty Finn has announced her retirement from the Lower School. After teaching at Pingry for thirty-seven years, Ms. Finn affectionately describes the Short Hills music room as her “happy place”: throughout her time at Pingry, she has worked with students ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 3, as well as with Grade 4 students learning the flute and Grade 5 handbell players.

In her years at Pingry, Ms. Finn has worked with numerous colleagues in the Arts Department, including fellow lower school music teachers Mr. Thomas Berdos and Ms. Emma Liu and high school teachers Dr. Andrew Moore and Mr. Jay Winston.

Prior to working at Pingry, Ms. Finn studied at both Douglass College and Rutgers Graduate School for a degree in musical education. Her studies were augmented by multiple Orff workshops, a session at the College of Piping on Prince Edward Island, and additional classes at the Gaelic College in Nova Scotia. Her extensive studies serve as proof to her students that a person’s education is not limited to just college and graduate school, there is always more to learn. This past year, Ms. Finn has been playing the flute at her church, as well as continuing to teach music through her local library.

She has found herself giving private lessons to those looking to explore and expand their musical capabilities.

Looking back, Ms. Finn found it hard to choose a single moment that defined her time at Pingry, but she said she will always think back fondly to the annual performance of “This Day of Peace” during the holiday concert.

Ms. Finn explained her love for this performance, expressing that “there

is nothing better than the voices of 300 children raised in song”. She will forever cherish the relationships she forged with the students and faculty at Pingry and considers herself fortunate to “have spent [her] life making music.” As a former student of Ms. Finn’s, I will say that she will be greatly missed as a valued member of the Pingry community, and we all wish her well in her future endeavors!

RHEA KAPUR (VI) Dr. Joan Pearlman leaves Pingry this June after 38 years of teaching English in the Lower School. She will be pursuing retirement in Savannah, Georgia.

Dr. Pearlman graduated with a B.A. from NYU in 1968 after transferring from Michigan State University. In 1969, she received a master’s degree in remedial reading from NYU while teaching full-time in the Westfield public school system. From 1971 to 1980, Dr. Pearlman started a toddler storytime program at the Parsippany Public Library while also teaching literature as an adjunct professor to undergraduates at NYU. Having started at Pingry in 1983, Dr. Pearlman received her doctorate in literacy from Rutgers University in 1986. “My red robes!” she exclaimed, referring to the iconic bright red Rutgers robes she wears at Convocation each year.

Lastly, from 2000 to around 2010 (while still teaching in the Lower School), Dr. Pearlman resumed her adjunct duties at NYU for two nights a week. In 2008, Dr. Pearlman became a member of Pingry’s Magistri Faculty and, since 2010, she has taught solely at Pingry full-time.

Dr. Pearlman’s classroom is well-known and well-loved by those who have gone through the Lower School. Vocabulary and grammar games are a staple— their whimsical names range from “Grammar Ghoulies” to “Winter Wobblers!”—and Jolly Ranchers often arc through the air toward those in the hot seat or those who correctly answer questions. For many, however, her impact has extended far beyond this.

“Dr. P was one of the teachers who really cared very deeply about her students,” said Monica Chan (VI), who took her class in fifth grade.

“But most importantly, she let us know—she let me know—that she believes in us. She told me that I could do better in my classes when I was struggling, and she helped me work through the issues I was having in class. I will forever be grateful to her for that.”

Having spent over three decades at Pingry, the connections and relationships Dr. Pearlman has formed with both the School and its people are extensive. “I can go anywhere in the world, and I will meet a Pingry person somewhere,” she said. “In Hawaii, getting on a helicopter—“Dr. P!” In Italy, entering a hotel… and I go to King’s Market every Sunday. I’m guaranteed that I’m going to see somebody there!”

Asked what she’d cherish and what she’s happy to leave behind, Dr. Pearlman said: “I’m going to miss the people. I won’t miss writing report cards! And I enjoyed calling carpool all those years.” She continued: “I stay up every night— it’s the Grammar Ghoulies, and with 64 kids, I have 128 exercise sentences that I read each day before I start doing anything else— that I won’t miss. But reading what they’re writing, what they’re passionate about? That I’ll miss.

Some of them are born to write.”

The Record wishes Dr. Pearlman a happy retirement and thanks her for her venerable contributions to Pingry. Good luck, Dr. P!

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications

THE PINGRY RECORD

ISPs JUNE 13, 2021

17

FRESHMAN BIOLOGY

collected interviews and photographs of

long. Each story was centered around

and the Meaning of Life” by Dr. Armand

the numerous benefits that our natural

TEACHER’S ASSISTANT

restaurant owners in the local NYC/NJ

a question or idea that she had been

M. Nicholi Jr., and “Why Do People Do

resources offer. The pair built bridges

Luc Francis prepared a lesson called

area and chose to explore the following

thinking about for over half a year

Bad Things in the Name of Religion?”

and marked trees to make the path easy

“Overview of the Human Genome”

three cuisines: Italian, Korean, and

now. Liu aimed to vary writing style,

by Richard E. Wentz in order to gain

to follow and look forward to many

and presented it to the majority of

Afghan. Their stories are shared in

character voice, and conflict type;

more of a personalized perspective on

members of the community using it!

the Freshman biology classes. He

the form of an Instagram account

in the process, she learned how to

various religions and their connections

also provided extra help to kids in

created specifically for this project.

SEA BRIGHT BUSINESS PERSEVERANCE THROUGH

Biology 1 and the Honors Biology projects.

EXPERT CHOICE NFL DRAFT

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

OPTIMIZING THE FIN-BASED

MODEL

Jason Lefkort interviewed business

PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR

Matt Mandel worked with the CMO

owners in Sea Bright, NJ about their

UNMANNED UNDERWATER

and a senior consultant at Expert Choice

responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

VEHICLES

to create a unique model analyzing the

Sea Bright’s unique history and

To continue diving deeper into

2021 NFL draft. From the combination

geography made it an incredibly

computer science and machine

of objective data points coupled with

interesting area to examine. He

learning, Julian Lee conducted

other subjective assessments, his

compiled what he learned from his

research remotely as an intern at the

model follows an analytic hierarchy

interviews as well as some historical

Laboratories for Computational Physics

process in determining which players

and geographical context into a report.

and Fluid Dynamics, a lab within

should be selected by a certain team

the Naval Research Laboratory. His

based on their positional needs.

ROMEO PAPA APPAREL Kevin Parnham and his partner

team is studying fin-based unmanned underwater vehicle propulsion,

SAMPLES FROM THE WORLD

explored business management and

which can allow these vehicles to

For his ISP, Sumant Sagar created 4

clothing design by creating their own

effectively traverse through shallow and

songs in which he did all the production.

apparel company. They used social

clustered environments. Lee developed

Each song sampled or was influenced

media and word-of-mouth advertising to

preliminary models that can be used

by the musical style originating from

market and sell the clothing they created.

to predict fin-based UUV propulsion.

India, Brazil, France, or Cameroon.

BIAS IN BINARY: REDUCING

Hopefully, iterations of these prediction models can eventually be used on a

ONCE UPON A TIME

RACIAL BIAS IN FACIAL

control system for UUV navigation.

For her ISP, Chloe Mason has been

RECOGNITION

mentored by pediatric neuropsychologist

Eva Schiller continued her research

A STITCH A DAY

Dr. Laura Philips. She learned about the

on machine learning ethics from

Massa Godbold improved her sewing

evaluation process for children, the

Governor’s School of the Sciences last

skills, ultimately creating pants, a dress,

different neurological domains, and

summer, exploring whether racial bias

and a shirt. After this experience, she

how to support children’s needs based

in facial recognition could be reduced

became more confident in my ability to

on their results. The goal of her ISP

create clothing for myself and others.

was to create a children’s book about going to the neuropsychologist for

NO NEED TO FRET

the first time. Mason has been deeply

With his experience in cello and music in

passionate about this project because

general, Jeremy Lin wanted to enhance

of her medical history. She has spent

his musical education by learning a new

countless days in doctor’s offices and

instrument: the guitar. The guitar is

knows how comforting it would have

one of the most popular instruments

been if she knew a little bit more about

and often people tend to self-learn

what to expect. As a result, her book is

the guitar. His goal was to learn its

designed to help children conquer their

rudiments, solidify his foundations in

fears about medical unknowns. With

the guitar, and create a duet with him

support from Dr. Phillips and time

playing the cello. He planned to play

to study and understand the role of a

“Hallelujah’’ by Leonard Cohen, arrange

neuropsychologist, she has been able

the duet of cello and guitar by himself,

to write a book about evaluations for

and ultimately learn and perform it.

children. Mason is especially grateful for the exposure she received through

THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE

her ISP, especially as she pursues a

IN THE CULINARY INDUSTRY

career as a pediatric neuropsychologist.

This project, created by Jessica Lin, documents the journey of immigrants

THOUGHT BUBBLES

in the U.S. who have made careers for

Helen Liu wrote, edited, and compiled

themselves in the restaurant industry. I

three short stories, each 10-20 pages

Justin Li Playing the Organ write quicker and more effectively.

without compromising overall accuracy. to atheism and agnosticism. For the journalistic component of her ISP, she interviewed 16 individuals to learn

M(ORGAN) STANLEY

about their religious identities. Stovall

For the first part of Justin Li’s

interviewed those who are devout

ISP, he learned about the securities

believers in a god/god(s), ministers who

industries by studying for the SIE

have devoted their lives to preach holy

(securities industries essentials)

words, agnostics who question god’s

exam as an intern at Morgan Stanley.

existence, and atheists who actively

He also attended client calls, read

believe in the absence of a god. For

research papers, and corresponded with

her deliverable, she compiled all of her

other MS employees about his work.

interviews into a podcast series, and

For the second part, Li practiced the

recorded her own introductory and

organ in Hauser for around an hour a

conclusory episodes to highlight her

day and received instruction from Dr.

research and discuss her perspectives.

Andrew Moore to prepare a piece which he recorded for the ISP Open House.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COURT

CLOSED END FUND

As an intern at the Chatham Club,

INVESTMENT ANALYSIS

Simon Muller furthered his knowledge

Rohan Pande’s ISP was centered

of squash by helping instruct clinics for

around researching and decoding

his ISP. He adapted his instruction

the closed end fund puzzle. During

for different age groups and different

his ISP, he utilized R and Python

skill levels. Following his time with

to build and manage a high-quality,

the Chatham Club, Muller created a

easily maintained data pipeline for

video packet including demonstrations

CEF data sets. He also used statistics

and information regarding all the

to figure out how to exploit the closed

different drills he helped lead.

end fund puzzle and predict future

Following his stint at the Chatham Club,

fund prices using their net asset values.

PARADISE IN OUR BACKYARD:

Bruschetta from Jessica Lin’s ISP Instagram Account

TWO SIDES OF ONE

PINGRY’S WILDERNESS

COIN: EXPLORING THE

For their ISP, Alex Vilarin and Chris

INTERSECTION BETWEEN

Ticas surveyed the Pingry Wilderness

ATHEISM AND RELIGION IN

and identified potential areas to

CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

expand the existing trail network.

Sydney Stovall’s ISP consisted of both

They mapped out various routes that

a research and journalistic component.

would allow Pingry students easier

She read a variety of books and essays

access to nature, and a greater variety

to learn about the historical and

of choices once they were already

contemporary information related to

out in the woods. They eventually

Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism,

settled on one trail from the outdoor

and Buddhism. Throughout her research

classroom area by the picnic tables

she has also read a few novels such as

that connects campus to the existing

“The Question of God: C. S. Lewis and

gravel path in the woods. This will allow

Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex,

students and classes faster access to

To do so, she learned how to implement image generation to supplement training data for underrepresented minorities. She wrote a research paper to record and analyze her findings.

CREATIVITY DURING COVID-19 For Olivia Volpe’s ISP, she delved deeper into her Humanities Independent Research Project “Creativity During COVID”. Her project revolved around studying the lasting impact of COVID on poetry, fiction, theater, and film in the years to come. Volpe spoke with five different artists, who work with different mediums, and live all over the United States. She was able to learn about each of their respective industries, where she discovered the struggles of things such as the strain of the pandemic on the importation of materials from other countries and the way in which free time either enabled or hindered their professional working schedules. She gleaned insight into the ways different states approached the pandemic and how the jurisdiction of public health to state governments allowed for some of these artists to pick up their work a lot sooner than others.

ROMAN-GRECO STUDY: THE DEPICTION OF THE CLASSICS For his ISP, Jason Xiong read and analyzed Vergil’s Aeneid and Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. He specifically looked at how certain myths and characters were more prevalent across different eras of literature.

BIKE TRAILS IN NEW JERSEY Will Beatty researched the bike paths of New Jersey. Riding these trails after completing his research, he took photos and notes regarding his impressions to include in a final guide.

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Justin Li (VI), Jessica Lin (VI)

THE PINGRY RECORD

18

ISPs JUNE 13, 2021

TREEHOUSE CONSTRUCTION

competitive review, which included

COZIES FOR KIDS

Oliver Haik, Jordan Mandel,

information regarding target audience,

Ryan Salerno and Kayla Morriello

Noah Morris, and Jack Fahey

customer segmentation, and value

have been making blankets and staying

planned, designed, and built a safe and

propositions, he helped the TessaB

in constant communication with

functioning treehouse. The treehouse

marketing team launch a digital

hospitals in the hope that they will

consists of a 10x10 cabin with a tin roof

media campaign to refresh the way

lift the spirits of those they go to and

and a 6 ft deck. Building the treehouse

younger audiences look at the buying

offer some comfort in their troubling

took the group through the engineering

and selling of used smartphones.

times. In the near future, they will be

design process as they learned how to

delivering these blankets to hospitals

create a design and bring it to life as a

ANALYSIS OF

physical structure. By taking pictures

DECARBONIZATION IN THE

in New Jersey and Philadelphia.

along the way, the group created a

TRANSPORTATION SECTOR

ST. JUSTINE PRESCHOOL

final slideshow documenting the

Micah Elwyn read consulting

Avery Kirby’s & Thomas

progress of the treehouse’s construction.

reports, economics papers, and

Robertozzi’s ISP involved working

financial/sustainability disclosures

with Pingry Alumni Mr. Birotte at

UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD

in order to analyze how effectively

his Preschool St. Justine Preschool

OF DANCE

several companies are decarbonizing

in Newark, New Jersey. There, Kirby

For her ISP, Emily Stass shadowed her

and write recommendations for

and Robertozzi taught gym class to

dance teacher before eventually teaching

potential methods of improvement.

the preschoolers and participated

some dance classes by herself. She was also able to lend a hand with tasks

in many activities with them.

AN ARTISTIC CONCLUSION TO

related to organizing a recital and helped

MY TIME AT PINGRY

PINGRY BOYS’ SOCCER 2021 -

expand the dance studio’s branding.

Thomas Henry concluded his time

HUMBLE AND HUNGRY

at Pingry by making artwork to add

Tristan Sampedro filmed and edited a

CREATING CRAVOSITY

to his portfolio. At the heart of the

documentary following the Boys’ Soccer

Mahek Hemani’s ISP involved

assortment of pieces he created is a

team during this COVID-19-impacted

working at a startup called Cravosity,

12-foot-long American flag triptych. He

season, featuring game highlights,

a company that is trying to simplify

dedicated the majority of his ISP time

along with player and coach interviews.

reservation-making and scheduling

to creating this large charcoal piece,

at restaurants. She helped create the

which will be on display with the rest

BIG BLUE SPORTS SHOW

app design and was the company’s

of his work during the ISP art show.

Ethan Manello, Jason Petruzzi, Peter Korn, and Jake Friedman

marketing head. As marketing head, she helped create posts for their

WASTE IN NJ PARKS

recorded and edited a weekly

Instagram to promote the company,

Harper Cohen and Sahdev Patel

podcast about sports; in addition,

whose app is planned to launch in July!

travelled to different parks at the local,

they created a YouTube channel and

state, and federal level, collected trash,

Instagram account to promote it.

Aneesh Karuppur beekeeping

drawings into a “garden journal.”

performed several hive inspections, hive combinations, honey extractions,

HOW IT WORKS - THE KETO

and maintenance on Pingry’s bees

DIET

under the guidance of Ms. Tandon.

60 SECOND PAINTING

and then audited what they found. They

Guan Liang was always interested in oil

sorted the garbage into seven different

THE DEVIL DOESN’T

Jill Dugan applied her interest in

Second, he adapted a model of

painting, but had never actually done it

categories and compared and contrasted

ONLY WEAR PRADA: AN

biology to understand what happens

honeybee task allocation algorithms

INVESTIGATION INTO THE

on a keto diet when the human body

to a perfect competition market, and

before. As a result, he followed Bob Ross’s

the proportions of the trash from the

painting tutorials to learn how to paint,

different parks. For their deliverable,

FASHION INDUSTRY

enters the metabolic state of ketosis.

analyzed the efficiency of such an

and combined it with his interests in

they created a slideshow with all of

Meghan Durkin started a blog

She studied the mechanisms, benefits,

approach from an economic standpoint.

current events to make painting Tiktoks

the information we had gathered.

in order to expand on her love for

and consequences of the diet to

Thirdly, Aneesh produced a small

fashion and journalism. On her

discover scientific truths about health

documentary discussing his experience

claims in the media. Following her

with beekeeping and his work.

with educational voiceovers about the latest international developments.

research, she created an in-depth FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN

presentation and video recording for

GRADUATION ALBUM

For her project, Brooke Pan chose

the freshmen Introfit curriculum.

Reese Swittenberg and Hugh Zhang explored the album making

to shadow film producer Chris Bender. Throughout the month, he

PHOTOGRAPHY: UP CLOSE

process and made many songs together.

taught her the logistics behind how

Gia Kalro focused on developing

The two learned about the production

an idea gets brought to worldwide

her photography further by focusing

aspect of songs, while Reese developed

audiences and had her listen in on

on three main themes: people, water,

his skills as a vocalist. They both

Zoom conferences with writers of

and objects up close. Kalro has

ended up creating more than 6 songs

developing films. Pan also watched

always found capturing subjects in

all from scratch, and will continue

iconic films to discuss the structure of

motion the most challenging. As a

their work throughout the summer.

them, why they were successful, and

result, during the last part of her

what parts of them stay influential.

ISP, she worked on photographing

LOWER SCHOOL PE TEACHER

one particular subject to create a

Claire Keller and Elsa Korn

THE DARK TRUTH BEHIND

sequence of movements which ended up

worked alongside the Lower school PE

LOCKDOWNS

becoming the main theme of her project.

teachers to set up/run class activities and games. They spent the first half

Nic Gambello created a documentary investigating the detrimental impacts

ENTER THE GAUNTLET

of their time helping to prepare for

the COVID-19 lockdown had on

Avi Shah and Jacob Morin began

the Short Hills Campus’s annual Field

different groups of people. Using

developing a video game from scratch.

Day. After Field Day, they helped with

an approach that allowed him to

They used the Unity game engine and

fitness testing, lacrosse, and played

made their own character art as well,

lots of dodgeball and Capture the Jack.

see the issue from various angles, Gambello delved into topics ranging

Thomas Henry making his triptych

blog, she wrote reviews, uploaded

using the Aseprite pixel art editing tool.

“photoshoots,”

By using C#, the pair were able to create

REACTIONS TO CHANGE

from the impact of the pandemic

BUSINESS

on teens to unemployment rates.

Aidan Gaynor wanted his ISP to be

scripts to allow our character to move,

Jonathan Marsico wrote, memorized,

something that put him into a business

shoot, and fight enemies. Through this

and workshopped four monologues.

DIGITAL MEDIA MARKETING

environment. As a result, he interned

GARDEN JOURNALING

project, they learned that game design

He spent most of the month writing

INTERNSHIP

at a private equity firm that deals

Since Hope Maultsby wanted to spend

is much more difficult than it looks -

the monologues and memorizing them

and there’s a lot of math involved too!

and then spent the last week of ISP

and

more.

During Flavio Mansi-Cerisola’s

mostly in real estate. This gave him

time outside during her ISP, her group

internship at TessaB, he learned

projects such as researching markets

explored various botanical gardens,

about the different aspects of digital

for potential companies that may be

arboretums, and plant nurseries. At

BEES AND BUZZINESS: THE

advertising and social media marketing.

renting spaces, as well as other office

the various locations, they took pictures

ART OF BEEKEEPING AND

He was able to apply his newfound

duties like designing clothing apparel

and drew some of the plants that they

THE ECONOMICS OF NATURAL

knowledge by creating a competitive

for the company he was working for.

thought were interesting in addition

RESOURCES

review of TessaB’s competitors and

to learning more about how the places

This project, created by Aneesh

their media marketing campaigns and

functioned. Throughout their ISP,

Karuppur had three parts. First,

web platforms. After completing the

they collected research, pictures, and

Karuppur learned beekeeping and

workshopping them and recording them.

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Aneesh Karuppur (VI), Thomas Henry (VI)

THE PINGRY RECORD

CROSSWORD JUNE 13, 2021

19

THE PINGRY RECORD

20

Brood X Cicadas Emerge EVAN WEN (IV) As the end of the school year and summer approaches, expect to hear and see cicadas outside. This summer, billions of cicadas will appear after spending 17 years underground.

This cycle of cicadas are from the Brood X group, which has spent the years tunneling and feeding beneath the soil since their last emergence in 2004. Whilst underground, cicadas obtain nourishment from tree root sap, before emerging once every 13 or 17 years from the ground by making little holes in the soil and crawling through. They emerge as nymphs before climbing up plants (mainly trees) and shedding their exoskeleton to release their wings. Once in the open, the noises these cicadas make are mating calls released by males.

The simultaneous calls of cicadas combine to create a sonorous drone that drown out even the loudest of sounds. Even passenger planes that fly overhead cannot produce the same intensity of sound as the cicadas.

Following their season of singing and mating, the adult cicadas will die

and leave their shells on the ground.

This year’s Brood X group will mostly congregate in cities in the Midwest and East coast. Cities such as Philadelphia, Washington DC, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and New York City are likely to field cicadas. When the soil reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit, the rampant emergence of cicadas occurs. However, as of recently, the cicadas have shown up less in their historically prevalent areas. The use of pesticides, introduction of invasive species into the local environment, and human development has taken its toll on many cicada populations.

As a result, cicadas may not appear in some of the expected areas. Human architecture often traps cicada populations underground, making them unable to emerge. Forests, a main source of cicada’s food, have suffered from deforestation, also contributing to the decline in cicada populations. While it remains to be seen what impact humans have had on the cicada population, everyone should go outside at least once to see (and hear) the cicadas this summer.

Brood X won’t come back until 2034!

COLUMNS JUNE 13, 2021

Cadences, Chords, and Chorales: On Music Theory at Pingry RHEA KAPUR (VI) &

techniques and terminology in a logical

for nine years and picked up the cello

ZOE WANG (V)

order and really be able to understand

in third grade. Although I stopped

their interconnections, and that was

piano to focus on the cello, my love for

Oh, music theory at Pingry. Simply

exactly what I needed given where I

the instrument never faded. Regarding

put, it’s a gem of a class. Tight-knit

stood as a composer and musician.

music theory, I knew my scales, but that

(our class had just six students this

Fast forward months later: I’ve

was pretty much it. Hearing Dr. Moore

year!) and taught by the dynamic Dr.

finished the course, taken the AP exam,

play chords, pieces from his seemingly

Andrew Moore, AP Music Theory is the

and am concluding my section of

endless repertoire, and the occasional

epitome of “work hard, play hard,” in

this column with hindsight at my

Jeopardy jingle, I was comforted by

that you must learn the material—every

side. All in all? AP Music Theory lived

the piano throughout the course. There

dominant seventh, circle progression,

up to my expectations. In fact, I’d

are many methods to building chords

and nonharmonic tone you can think

say it exceeded them! I’ve come out

and deciphering dictations, but for

of!—else you’re called on, clueless,

of the course with a stronger sense

me, I envision the black and white

and screwed, but once you do know it,

of musical pattern, an intuition for

piano keys in my head and go from

Block 3 becomes your everyday musical

how phrases should end, that I didn’t

there. I ultimately took Music Theory

meet up between the best of friends

have before. I’ve looked back at old

to gain a deeper understanding of

(Wait… you mean those don’t happen

compositions and laughed at how much

music beyond just learning to play the

often? It can’t be!). Anyway, as two

of what I learned in class I’d written in

music and following the dynamics.

girlfriends who took the class together

subconsciously versus how many of

Now, if I wanted to for fun, I can notate

this year, we teamed up for this column

those opportunities I’d missed out on.

a whole concerto’s worth of chords!

to offer our homage and gratitude through mini-reflections. Enjoy!

Jokes aside, I can discern an augmented Zoe:

chord from a diminished chord, a

I was actually interested in taking

plagal cadence from an imperfect

AP Music Theory as a sophomore, but

authentic cadence, and distinguish if the

I first learned of the AP Music Theory

I decided to wait until my junior year

nonharmonic tones I hear are passing

class my junior year—quite late, I’d say.

to take the course. Like Rhea, I was

tones or neighbor tones; the possibilities

It’s not incredibly well known, but I

surprised by the diverse backgrounds

and combinations go far and beyond.

had a handful of friends who decided

of the students in our class this year.

After completing Music Theory, I have

to take it together and had a blast. I

Although our class is only six students —

gained a deeper connection with the

was impressed by what a mixed batch

four juniors and two seniors—altogether

music I play. I no longer look at the

their class was: you had the diehard

we are a rich, variegated bunch. I come

notes on the page as just black dots

musicians, of course—Sandy Friedman

from a musical family. My mom has a

with stems. I see the meaning behind

(VI), Pingry’s resident impeccable

background in piano and passed on her

them and understand the composer’s

guitarist, comes to mind—but then

musical penchant to my older brother

choice to insert a chord where it

also the vocalists, the composers of

and me. I played piano competitively

is or end a phrase the way it ends.

Rhea:

electronic music, and even those without any exposure to instruments at all.

However different, they all seemed to be united by a desire to learn more about the structure and shape of music at a fine-tooth, theoretical level. I felt I, too, shared that same desire, and so I resolved to take on the class as a senior elective. Not to mention—I have been a pianist and composer for years, but strangely enough, I never actually took a formal music theory course! Rather, I was mostly ear-trained and picked things up on the fly. I’d learn only the concepts I needed to be able to write what I came up with when fooling around on the piano into my sheet music, or just those techniques that would express a particular emotion or personality trait I wanted to weave into a composition. AP Music Theory seemed like it would both teach me structure and give me structure—I’d learn all the

A Brood X Cicada

Amazon’s Antitrust Adversity VARED SHMULER (IV)

services, has been open to an investigation

with Amazon’s vast online presence,

it does not outweigh the violation within

Amazon. On a more personal level, I have

concerning their treatment of third-party

but surcharges and fees ever so slightly

the boundaries of Amazon’s online retail

heard, on countless occasions, questions

Over the past several months, Amazon

sellers and, more importantly, their

pick away at the profits of those that

and shipping services. Based solely on

of whether any given product will be

has experienced a prolonged period of

possible neglect of antitrust regulations.

choose to reluctantly comply, further

the information provided, regarding

less costly or ship faster on Amazon in

persecution due to their alleged violation

Although Amazon is most notably known

shattering their likelihood of surviving

Amazon’s predatory business practices

comparison to a third-party seller, which,

of antitrust laws. However, before diving

for their extensive online retail store, they

the corporate food chain. Whereas in the

and methods, I believe that if Amazon is

as every member of the clientele knows,

into the subject matter, there are several

also provide a myriad of other utilities.

sector of streaming services, the situation

not in violation of antitrust laws now, they

is considered impractical. These examples

questions and factors that must be

For example, they deliver their streaming

dilutes. With competitors such as Hulu,

will be in the near future. They not only

simply show the extent to which Amazon’s

addressed. Firstly, what is an antitrust

and newly acquired food services via

Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus, and

hold the majority of online sales and have

influence reaches. In short, I believe that

law? Could it be a breach of a contract?

Whole Foods. However, in which of these

several others, Amazon Video is not at

millions of loyal customers, but they also

due to Amazon’s predatory business

Or is it a violation of trust between

services could they be persecuted for their

all in control or infringing on the terms

create an inhospitable environment for

practices that they are in violation of the

people? To the surprise of many, the

violation of terms? Due to the explanation

of antitrust laws. In short, Amazon’s

small businesses. They drive away many

set antitrust laws. As a result, they will

term antitrust is not a cognate. Rather,

of an antitrust law that states that any

reign of online services can be limited

sales opportunities from the lesser known

face repercussions for their corporate

this term refers to the regulation of the

company must adhere to non-predatory

to only their retail and delivery platform

and have extremely competitive prices,

actions.

concentration of economic power for a

business practices, Amazon should be

as there are sufficient competitors in all

leaving consumers wondering whether

single company, particularly with regard

no exception. Their mass amount of

other categories of Amazon’s domain.

or not they should buy the product on

to monopolies. More specifically, an

popularity forces small businesses to

However, based on the information

antitrust law can be classified as a statute

use the Amazon platform to sell their

stated above, the question that remains

that is specifically developed by the

product with the hope of sales and

is whether or not anything will happen

government to protect consumer interest

publicity. However, Amazon indirectly

to the company of Amazon? Will they be

and to ensure fair competition in any

destroys their business’s credibility and

persecuted in a court of law or continue

given sector of the American economy.

strengthens their undesired dependence

their technological advancements?

However, in more recent times, Amazon,

on the platform. Not only are these

Although Amazon’s overall holdings

and their expansive empire of goods and

smaller corporations unable to compete

in between sectors balance one another,

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Google Images, Emily Shen (V), Google Images

THE PINGRY RECORD

COLUMNS JUNE 13, 2021

21

How the Yankees Can Capture Their 28th Ring SAM BENTON (V) The New York Yankees are off to a strong start in this year’s MLB season.

Going into June, the Yanks sit at third place in the AL East with a 30-24 record. This year’s team may hold the most potential Yankees fans have seen in recent years. However, even with these favorable statistics, the Bronx Bombers still face an uphill battle this year: the AL East has been the best division in baseball to date, with the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays continuing to dominate, and the Red Sox and Blue Jays providing stiff resistance.

While winning the pennant would be a massive boost to the Yankees’s quest

to obtain their 28th ring, they do not necessarily have to do so in order to win the World Series. To be victorious, the Yankees have three things to do over the course of the season.

First, the Yankees have to stay healthy. It seems that every year the Yankees struggle with injuries, which sets them back greatly in the postseason. The Yankees desperately need to keep both right fielder Aaron Judge and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton fit. Judge, who has missed 92 games in the past two seasons, has only missed 3 games this year.

He is also having yet another allstar-caliber year, batting .301 with 13 home runs and 29 RBIs. Stanton,

who has missed 171 games in the past two seasons, was removed from the injured list in late May after missing two weeks. In his 35 games this season, Stanton has been a stellar player batting .266 with 9 home runs and 24 RBIs. The duo of Judge and Stanton is without a doubt one of the best in baseball and keeping them in the lineup together will keep the Bronx Bombers bombing.

Second, the Yankees need their bats to be consistent. As a team, the Yankees are currently batting a subpar .230. Normally consistent .300-plus batter DJ LeMahieu has been hitting .267, and he continues to struggle to meet his quota.

Shortstop Gleyber Torres and third baseman Gio Urshela are batting .265 and .264, respectively. Second baseman Rougned Odor, catcher Kyle Higashioka, and left fielder/ center fielder Brett Gardner are all batting below .200. The Yankees need to get their bats going if they want to win games. Every hitter needs to bat above .225 at a minimum, and DJ LeMahieu has to get back to batting .300. If the Yanks can get their bats going with a good level of continuity, they will easily be within

the top five offense in the MLB. Finally, the Yankees need their bullpen to continue their high-level pitching. The Yankee bullpen has been terrific to date, ranking within the top five in quite a few categories: a 3.20 earned run average (ERA), 1.09 walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP) average and 2.14 opposing batting average. These stats rank 5th, 2nd, and 4th in the MLB, respectively.

The Yankee bullpen is led by their ace, Gerrit Cole. Cole is having a Cy Youngworthy year with 6 wins, a 1.78 ERA, and 97 strikeouts. Cole also broke an MLB record for most consecutive strikeouts without a walk with 63 straight strikeouts. The Yankees’s second option, two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, is bouncing back this year. Kluber currently has four wins, a 3.04 ERA, and 55 strikeouts in his seven starts. Kluber, who has only started eight games in the past 2 seasons due to injury, solidified his comeback by pitching a no-hitter on May 19th against the Texas Rangers. Kluber struck out nine batters and was one walk away from the MLB’s 24th perfect game ever. Kluber is currently on the injured list for a few weeks, but if he

can come back strong, he will play a key role in the Yankees’s bullpen while also remaining a favorite for the American League Comeback Player of the Year award. In addition to their starters, the Yankee closers have been phenomenal this season.

Aroldis Chapman is on pace to win his second American League Reliever of the Year award. The award, named after legendary Yankee reliever, Mariano Rivera, is given to the best reliever in the American League.

Chapman has been nothing short of that. Chapman is currently 4-0 this year with 11 saves. In his 20 innings pitched, he has a 0.45 ERA and 38 strikeouts. His 100 mile per hour fastball remains unhittable, and his breaking ball has shown improvement. If the bullpen keeps this pace, opponents will continue struggling against the Yankees.

To say the least, the Yankees have a World Series-worthy roster; they simply need to play up to their potential. This should be an exciting season for Yankee fans. If all goes right, this team is World Series-bound.

Hope at One Jets Drive EVAN HAIDRI (V) “Just remember this,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh tells newlydrafted quarterback Zach Wilson before he passes on the phone, “This organization is going to lift you, not the other way around.”

The Jets’ former QB, Sam Darnold would have scoffed at the rookie head coach’s words; in Darnold’s three years with the Jets, he was consistently given the bare minimum amount of support.

Year after year, New York fielded a bottom-tier offensive line, a poorly run game, and subpar playmakers — a horrible support system for a young quarterback. Even then-head coach Adam Gase himself served as an impediment to Darnold’s development.

However, in the four months since Robert Saleh replaced Adam Gase, it appears that a new era has begun at One Jets Drive. From as early as his introductory press conference, it was apparent that the hyper-energetic Saleh would bring to the Jets a culture of passion and accountability, a culture that was utterly absent from the organization during Gase’s tenure.

Robby Anderson, a former Jet who flourished in his first season with the

Carolina Panthers, recently spoke about what it was like playing for Gase’s Jets, stating, “It was like losing was acceptable… losing should never be acceptable and okay and used as a stepping stone because it’s taking steps back.” Robby later continued, “I just don’t feel like everyone was buying into being champions.”

On the other hand, during an appearance on the Michael Kay Show, Saleh unflinchingly made clear his expectations: “One thing I know is that we’re going to win championships…

We embrace the past, we embrace the expectations, and we are excited to fulfill that promise.” The words are a stark contrast to Anderson’s words and, potentially, a promising sign of things to come.

After all, if the head coach wholeheartedly believes in the future of the team, it makes it infinitely easier for players to buy-in. Saleh’s sentiment reached the ears of players all across the league, most notably DE Carl Lawson, formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals. The star pass rusher signed with New York this past March after looking up Saleh’s interviews on YouTube. “I came away with how impressive he was with the message he was preaching, even in a

video,” said Lawson. “I felt like he was talking to me.” Other players, like WR Corey Davis, DT Sheldon Rankins, and OL Dan Feeney also cited Robert Saleh as an essential factor in why they signed with the Jets this past offseason.

The turning tide does not stop at Saleh, though. General manager Joe Douglas was appointed in June 2019, nearly a month after Mike Maccagnan was abruptly fired. He spent the first year and a half of his tenure reversing the financial damage done by Maccagnan, methodically releasing aging players with inequitable contracts. At the same time, he made underrated additions in his first offseason, adding free agents C Connor McGovern and OT George Fant while drafting potential franchise cornerstones in OT Mekhi Becton and WR Denzel Mims. He also traded the loud-mouthed Jamal Adams to the Seahawks for a boatload of future draft picks with which he planned to rebuild the team.

Douglas’s patient approach shifted in 2021, when the Jets had the secondmost cap space in the league, as he signed the aforementioned Lawson and Davis to expensive contracts of $30 million and $27 million guaranteed, respectively. The moves showed a

distinct willingness to spend assets to secure the players he desired. Likewise, this philosophy carried over to the draft, when he surrendered the 23rd overall pick, as well as two thirdrounders, to trade up and draft G Alijah-Vera Tucker from USC. Now that he had accumulated so many draft picks via trades, Douglas was willing to part with them to acquire a vital part of the future offensive line.

Most prevalent of all additions were talented #2 overall pick Zach Wilson, whom the front office believes could become the elusive franchise quarterback that the Jets have searched for since Joe Namath’s playing days in

the 1960s. While Wilson has a similar playstyle to Sam Darnold, the most recent Jets quarterback who ultimately flamed out in New York, the hope is that an increase in surrounding talent will bring out the best in the young gunslinger.

Since the Jets concluded a pathetic 2-14 season in January, Joe Douglas has improved the roster at almost every position, and Robert Saleh has infused the organization with much-needed positive energy. With these changes, the team is primed for a turnaround in the fall.

It’s about time.

New Jets Quarterback Zach Wilson

Benton Breaks Down the Giants SAM BENTON (V) If you are a New York Giants fan like me, then you understand the recent frustrations of our fan base.

The Giants finished second atop the NFC East, now known as the “NFC Least,” with a below average 6-10 record. However, the recent 2021 NFL draft brings the Giants some much needed talent. Giants General Manager Dave Gettleman made a brilliant move trading down to number 20, while also receiving the Chicago Bears’s first and fourth rounders next year. The Giants picked Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney,

a pick that Giants fans are quite proud of. Toney, at 6’0 and 194 lbs, is an electrifying slot receiver. Last year at Florida, Toney had 70 receptions for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns.

His combination of size and speed makes him tough to guard 1 on 1, and he is a tackle-breaking machine.

If given too much space, other teams’ defenses could be torn apart by Toney. In addition, the Giants have been improving their offense, landing the biggest wide receiver on the market in Kenny Golladay. The Giants could easily have a top five receiving core this season with the additions they have made. On the

other hand, the running game last year was strong despite Penn State phenom Saquon Barkley’s right ACL tear in Week 2. Barkley, who is on pace to be back for Week 1 of this season, will likely see the majority of the carries, but the Giants now know that Wayne Gallman is a legitimate second option. However, the Giants’s offensive success is contingent upon Daniel Jones stepping up. Jones has yet to prove himself, but I believe next year could be a breakthrough year. If Jones fails to perform well, the Giants are likely going to use those two first round picks to select a Quarterback next year. Shifting

towards defense, the Giants have been a solid defensive team in the past few years led by all-pro snub cornerback James Bradberry. In the minds of many, the Giants stole Azeez Ojulari at 50th overall. A 6’3 and 249 pound outside linebacker, Ojulari recorded 118 tackles and 11 sacks last year at Georgia before suffering an ACL tear. Ojulari’s incredible explosivity will allow him to continue being a dominant pass rusher and run stopper. He will bring some much needed pressure up front for the Giants. As the Giants approach this season, they’ll be a much better team with definite playoff potential.

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Google Images

THE PINGRY RECORD

22

SCHOOL NEWS JUNE 13, 2021

2021 Balladeers Benefit Concert SANIYA KAMAT (III) On May 27, the Balladeers had their annual Benefit Concert to showcase the songs they learned this year and raise money for charity. This year’s selected charity was WhyHunger — the same charity that half the profits from the charity single “We Are the World” went to. Mr. Jay Winston and the Balladeers worked extremely hard to make this concert possible.

Introduced by Shannen Gallagher (V) and Stephanie Ticas (IV), the concert started with a video recording performance of “Sweet Dreams.”

The soloists for this song were Ajuné Richardson (VI), Anika Govil (V), Natalie DeVito (V), Sejal Patel (IV), and Ticas. The original plan was to record this song live outdoors, but when the difficulties of having people remote were realized, it was decided to record parts separately and edit them together virtually.

“Sweet Dreams” was then played.

Next, Alexis Matthews (IV) spoke about how the Balladeers created recordings for each of the winter carols, which normally would have been performed live at the shopping mall Bridgewater Commons. The six carols from this year were “Carol of the Bells,” “Hark!

The Herald Angels Sing”, “Winter Wonderland”, “Angels We Have Heard on High”, “Bidi Bom”, and “Seven Principles”. A part of each carol was played for the audience.

Alivia Clark (V) then explained how Valentine’s Day Serenades, a long lasting tradition in Balladeers, were carried out this year. This year’s serenades were “Bad Romance”, “Electric Love”, “Valerie”, “I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)”, and “Easy Love”, (which was written by Clark herself). Since singing indoors was not a possibility during this time, the Balladeers had to record each serenade separately. The serenades would then be shared through

“Zoom bombs” during classes.

Following this explanation, Brielle Marques (III) spoke about how the serenades were edited together, as she had done a good chunk of both the audio and video editing for this past year. “Being fully honest, not being able to do regular serenades wasn’t discouraging, but rather fascinating. It gave me a chance to really explore the world of audio mixing and video editing!” she said.

The serenade compilation was then played for the audience to enjoy.

The serenade compilation segued into the introduction of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” delivered by Sabrina Schneider (V) and Govil. This song was arranged by Sophia Lewis (V), audio edited by Mr. Winston, video edited by Govil, and the soloist was Marques. Each of the Balladeers shared something they thought would be nice to do if it weren’t for the pandemic, and then the recording of the song was played along with a montage of the Balladeers doing activities that are not possible during COVID-19 (such as travelling, hugging friends, or singing inside without masks).

After that, Saniya Kamat (III) introduced one of the slower, heavier pieces of the year — “Take Me to Church”. This song was also arranged by Lewis, and the chosen soloists were Co-President Kaley Taylor (VI), Clark, Govil, and DeVito. This was the first song in which the Balladeers tried to include more choreography. Ananya Sanyal (III) and Taylor worked together to create movements, but it proved to be quite difficult to learn formations with people being online. In the end, it had to be modified, but the final result was still amazing! The audio recording for “Take Me to Church” was played, and the Balladeers stood up and performed with it.

Lastly, Meher Khan (IV) and Patel introduced one of the biggest

The Balladeers with Mr. Jay Winston

projects the Balladeers worked on this year. The Balladeers joined forces with the High School Glee Club and Middle School Choir to recreate a huge rendition of “We Are the World”. Each of the Balladeers took on a solo and Mr. Winston audio edited all of the voices together. There were approximately 100 voices merged together on one track. Patel edited the video, which was a compilation of the Balladeers’ solo videos. The video also featured pictures of people volunteering, both before and during COVID-19, as well as photos of doctors, nurses, restaurant owners, and others who gave their time to make this year better for everyone.

At the very end, the Balladeers went outside to give live performances of “God’s Gift to Women” (with

alumni), “Send Me On My Way” (the senior tribute song), and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”. Natalie arranged the senior tribute herself, saying “The senior tribute was for our four seniors, who have been there for us throughout the year. They were never afraid to try new things or lead us in a new direction, and I hope they enjoyed our sendoff!” Throughout the concert, Mr. Winston gave a speech for each of the departing seniors — Co-President Rosemary Collins (VI), Co-President Taylor, Lauren Drzala (VI), and Richardson.

As part of tradition, the juniors spoke about the seniors as well.

Overall, the Benefit Concert was definitely a success. “I think it was one of our better benefits!” Taylor said. “Everything was put together and it was great to see all the hard

work and effort we put in over the year. It was a great night and I’m glad to have spent it with all of those lovely people who happen to share a common passion.” The Balladeers wanted to give a big thank you to Mr. Winston for everything he did for them throughout the year. Emilie DeVito P ‘22 shared his thoughts on the concert: “As a parent, I want to say that the girls were able to cram a whole year of joy into just those few minutes outside in the courtyard. They had such feeling and expression and I loved hearing them perform at last.” The Benefit Concert was the perfect ending to yet another wonderful year for the Balladeers.

all the other individuals from TDP for their continuous support and assistance with the organization and execution of the event.

Though the gala was held virtually, members of the community learned about The Denan Project’s mission and “took home” an understanding of the importance of global

engagement and connectivity.

With the success of the virtual event, the club hopes to have an in-person event next year and raise more money for the organization!

Denan Night MIRIKA JAMBUDI (IV)

Since 2015, students have partnered with The Denan Project (TDP) to support its sustainable development of isolated and rural communities in Mongolia, Ethiopia, and Peru. Along with raising money, students have also gone on service trips to Peru with TDP, met with local community leaders, visited cultural sites, and volunteered at TDP’s clinic in Uratari, Peru. The Pingry chapter hosts an annual Denan Night gala to get the broader Pingry community involved with the organization, as well as spread awareness regarding the importance of global citizenship and connection.

Due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic, the Denan club hosted its second virtual Denan Night on April 23. This year’s event was organized by club leaders Mirika Jambudi (IV) and Meher Khan (IV).

The planning committee included

Daniela Karnaugh (III), James Thomas (IV), and Ainsli Shah (IV).

More than 50 people attended the virtual event, and over $1,200 was raised for TDP through the generous donations of attendees.

The night started off with founder of TDP, Dick Young, who described how his experiences as a filmmaker eventually led to the establishment of the organization. The ultimate goal of TDP is to make impoverished communities self-sustainable, with a focus on healthcare, agriculture, clean water, education, and economic development. Jarrett Schecter, an active volunteer with the organization, was also present and discussed the organization’s newest project: establishing a boarding school in a remote region of Peru.

Other keynote speakers included Mr. Gilberto Olvera, Director of DEI at Pingry, and Ms. Julia Dunbar, Director of Global Education and Engagement. They each discussed

the importance and enrichment of global education to high schoolers. Ms. Dunbar emphasized how being exposed to “diverse perspectives and insight into the lives of others worldwide” could have a life-changing impact on individuals. Mr. Olvera shared a story from his childhood, describing how his cultural background allowed him to view the world in a more thoughtful way.

Wrapping the night up were the founders and former presidents of Pingry’s Denan Project chapter, alumni Miroslav Bergam ‘19, Ketaki Tavan ‘19, and Ethan Malzberg ‘19. They each shared how their experiences with TDP had an impact on their high school and collegiate experiences.

Finally, Jambudi, Khan, and the planning committee shared their plans for the organization, expressing their gratitude to Ms. Shelley Hartz, Director of Civic Engagement, and

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications, The Denan Project

THE PINGRY RECORD

A YEAR IN REVIEW JUNE 13, 2021

23

HITS AND MISSES THIS YEAR HITS

MISSES

IN-PERSON SCHOOL!

TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS LEAVING

FOOD & ICE CREAM TRUCKS

AP EXAMS

PROMS & FORMALS

JUNIORS TAKING THE SENIOR AREA

IN-PERSON GRADUATION

JUNIORS TAKING THE SENIOR PARKING LOT

BIG BLUE BASH

BEING THE ONLY REMOTE PERSON IN YOUR CLASS

OLIVIA RODRIGO’S NEW ALBUM

PLEXIGLASS

CASTAWAYS

FACE SHIELDS

VACCINES!

THE PINGRY-ISSUED PROM FACE MASKS

ISP

SUDDEN SCHOOL CLOSURES

LEBOW SPEECHES

NO SNOWBALL COW PRINT CLOTHING

Pingry Haikus MIRIKA JAMBUDI (IV) & MILENKA MEN (IV)

Pingry Anywhere Recapped

Pingry Library Cubbies and sofas My favorite nap time place Chess between classes Senior Area Ping pong and poker Plexiglass tables and chairs No underclassmen Finn the Dog Bookstore resident My favorite dog ever Very fluffy friend

Franklin Zhu (V), Emily Shen (V), & Belinda Poh (V) in class

Swimming I’m going to throw up My tears blend into the pool The five hundred free Squash Very much not a sport Should have got AC instead I dislike veggies

Finn

Spring Fling Spikeball and cup pong BBQ truck and ice cream Sophomores had fun

Sage Dining Cookies Perfect pick-me-up Grabbing cookies from Engel Chocolate chip goods

Commencement Awards given out Seniors are graduating Dressed in caps and gowns

Senioritis Your classes are done They have given up all clubs College here they come

Pingry Anywhere: Pingry WiFi fail Scared to interrupt the class Sleeping probably

Spikeball Spikeball nets outside Pingry’s official sports game Hit a passer-by

Fly-IRT The flies are scary We’ll miss you Dr. Kirkhart Fly food smells so bad

SOUR-Olivia Rodrigo:

Backpacks Weighing my soul down Need a chiropractor ouch Thirty eight lb

Pingry Fashion Patagonia Vineyard vines and quarter zips Golden Goose sneakers

Those rubber things on the plexiglass: All torn down somehow Sir: to fence, to fight, to feud Only one survives

Aneesh Aneesh Karuppur Pingry quizbowl genius Football MVP

New-age Pingry Fashion Pingry masks on brand FOB visible all the time Casual dress code

Taiko Concert:

Summer Summer is a break Feeling free till September See you all next year!

Major teenage angst Streaming for days on end now Teenage talent oof

Icon Leone Commands the Fields of battle Patadon-don-don

A socially-distanced Morning Meeting

Seniors in the hallway

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications

24

THE PINGRY RECORD

A YEAR IN REVIEW JUNE 13, 2021

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): Pingry Communications