Pingry Record March 2017

ON THE WEB:

The Nation's Oldest Country Day School Newspaper

www.pingry.org/ record

Volume CXLII, Number 4

The Pingry School, Basking Ridge, New Jersey

March 10, 2017

Career Day: Connecting “Curtains” Winter Musical A Great Success Alumni and Students

By YELENA SALVADOR (VI)

On Friday, January 27, 2017, juniors and seniors attended the annual Career Day event in which alumni returned to give advice and share their experiences in their respective fields of work.

The upperclassmen started the day off by listening to the Keynote Address presented by “accidental entrepreneurs” and siblings, Arlyn Davich ’99 and Eric Davich ’02, in Hauser Auditorium. Both graduated from Bowdoin College’s music program and unexpectedly ended up starting their own businesses. Arlyn is the Founder and CEO of PayPerks and Eric leads Global Artist Marketing for Google Play Music.

Their presentation was different than that of previous years since it was very audience-interactive. Three seniors, Parth Patel (VI), Jimmy Topor (VI), and Jessie McLaughlin (VI), sat on stage to participate in a competition to guess the moral of the stories that each sibling shared.

Students walked away with some valuable lessons: the importance of resilience, the necessity of shifting focus, the significance of questioning the status quo, and the need to be proactive. Arlyn said, “Failure is inevitable in any career, especially in entrepreneurship, but you can use that failure to fuel a more successful business.”

These messages were shared in the classrooms across the many different disciplines that students had the opportunity to explore throughout the rest of the day.

Victor Vollbrechthausen (V) commented on the Architecture and Engineering sessions, saying, “The speakers were all really successful, but what stood out the most to me was their passion. They truly loved what they were doing and it really made me feel like I could accomplish anything when I’m older.”

Other students agreed. Raena Lebourne (VI) enjoyed the Medicine session, adding, “I loved meeting the plastic surgeon in my session.

It was really exciting for me to learn more about the field I hope to

Pingry Communications

pursue in my future; I was even able to land an ISP shadowing him at his own private practice in West Orange. I think Career Day is a great opportunity to establish connections and further explore your interests.”

Overall, the upperclassmen agreed that Career Day was enjoyable and informative. Some students were set on the careers that they wanted to learn more about. Others, however, stepped out of their comfort zones and gained exposure to different subjects that ended up surprising them. The student body will be looking forward to another great event again next year.

To sum up the engaging day, Sofia Briones (VI) said, “Not only does Career Day let us explore the professions that we are interested in and to even try something new, which was the Law Session for me, it also gives us the opportunity to connect with professionals who have lived the ‘Pingry experience’ and to see how they used the lessons they learned at Pingry to their advantage.”

By MEGAN PAN (V)

The cast, crew, and pit orchestra of this year’s winter musical Curtains, which ran from Thursday, February 23 to Saturday, February 25, was comprised of over 50 dedicated students. Directed by drama teacher Mrs. Stephanie Romankow, the musical comedy “whodunit” features music and lyrics by the famous Kander and Ebb duo, which also wrote the music and lyrics for Chicago and last year’s winter musical, Cabaret. Ensembleoriented and dance-heavy, this year’s musical posed a unique challenge for the cast members involved.

Set in Boston in the 1950s, the story simultaneously follows the plight of “Robbin’ Hood!”, a new musical attempting to make it to Broadway, and the mystery surrounding the death of its talentless leading lady after opening night. Faded film star diva Jessica Cranshaw, played by Kristine Fu (IV), could neither sing, dance, nor act. As such, no one in the cast is sorry to see her gone.

However, when Boston detective Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, played by James Robertson (VI), arrives and reveals that Jessica was murdered, the cast members all become suspects and are held under quarantine. The race begins

Hudson Taylor Inspires LGBTQ+ Inclusivity

By RACHEL CHEN (V)

After Hudson Taylor’s assembly on his organization Athlete Ally in October, student leaders have worked tirelessly to promote LGBTQ+ allyship across the school, especially in athletics.

Among his other messages of tolerance and awareness of LGBTQ+ issues in the locker room and on the team, Taylor hoped to inspire students to actively work as allies on their campuses. Following his visit, he met with a group of around 60 student leaders from a wide variety of areas, including the Student Diversity Leadership Club (SDLC), the Gay–Straight Alliance (GSA), Honor Board, Student Government, Peer Leadership, and sports’ team captains. Together, they brainstormed some ideas for projects that would reinforce his message.

Students were then divided into groups to plan, coordinate, and carry out each project. Katie Ho’s (VI) group is creating an

Athlete Ally Pledge Wall. She said, “During the week of March 27 to March 3, our goal is to have every sports’ team captain bring his/her entire team to the wall.

Each team member will write a pledge to the community on a post-it note and stick it to the ‘Pride’ wall. Our hope is to have the wall full of pledges that prevent homophobic slurs and encourage inclusivity in our community.”

Miro Bergam’s (IV) group is organizing a panel for the middle school. “I’m going to be on a panel that combines sports leaders and GSA leaders just to talk about these topics before middle schoolers enter high school,” he explains.

“I’m really excited because I know I would’ve wanted to see something like this when I was in middle school. Also, panels are fun!”

Other projects include a video in which students respond to the prompt “I am an Athlete Ally because…” and a pride game featuring pride colors and wrist-

Pingry Communications

bands to promote awareness.

Dr. Diana Artis, Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Department, feels encouraged by the work students are doing. “I think it’s going great. The informal feedback I’m getting is that some feel there have been real changes while others think that there is still work to do, but we’re moving in the right direction and

not only to discover the murderer before more people are killed, but also to fix the show before it is re-reviewed by the Boston Globe’s theater critic Daryl Grady, played by Rajeev Doraswamy (IV). His approval would mean a future on Broadway.

Meanwhile, many members of the company are facing other more personal challenges.

Producer Carmen Bernstein, played by Jessie McLaughlin (VI), works to salvage the show while forced to put up with her unhappy marriage to co-producer Sidney Bernstein, played by Andrew Cowen (IV), and belittling her daughter Bambi Bernét, a talented and ambitious performer in the chorus played by Raena LeBourne (VI).

When director Christopher Belling, played by Lucas Vazquez (IV), puts lyricist

Georgia Hendricks, played

by Dorothea Miller (IV) in the role of the leading lady, she must overcome her difficulty readjusting from songwriting to the stage.

Without his Georgia, his ex-partner in marriage and in music, composer Aaron Fox, played by Connor Beard (VI), struggles to write as he becomes jealous of Georgia’s apparent budding romance with her cast mate and former sweetheart, choreographer Bobby Pepper, played by Giancarlo Castillo (V).

Behind the scenes, general manager Lucille Shapiro, played by Emma Claire Marvin (VI), is simply trying to get a return on her investment, and stage manager Jenny Harmon, played by Meghan Salamon, does her best to keep the company in line.

While investigating the the-

Pingry Communications

ater, Cioffi becomes enamored with Niki Harris, played by Katharine Matthias (VI), who, despite her naïve front, seems to be hiding some secrets of her own.

For many seniors, Curtains was their last Pingry production, and they can be proud of a legacy that will truly be a tough act to follow. Lauryn Rodney (VI) was a featured dancer, and Kayla Thau (VI) was part of the ensemble.

Production manager Katherine Trejo (VI) and spotlight operator Nancy Lu (VI) served as techies, while seniors Chris Varvaro, Tracy Cooper, and Sean Wang supported the pit orchestra on the drums, violin, and trombone, respectively.

Ultimately, Pingry’s production of Curtains was considered a smash hit by students, families, and faculty alike.

From Energy To Climate Change: The Project 80 Mission

By ETHAN MALZBERG (IV)

Science - when you read the word, a plethora of ideas might come to mind. Whether you think of chemistry, biology, physics, or more intersectional issues like energy sources, psychology, and nanotechnology, Project 80 aims to educate the Pingry community in these areas and all other areas of science with relevant, unbiased, and understandable research.

The Project 80 logo is everywhere around the Pingry halls - TV monitors, flyers, and many students’ and teachers’ laptops proudly display the DNA double helix which represents Project 80. This is conistent with Project 80’s goal of making science accessible and understandable to all members of the Pingry Community, regardless of preI’m excited with the students’ energy.”

Ketaki Tavan (IV) agrees.

“The type of behavior that Mr. Taylor spoke about was not foreign to a lot of us sitting in the audience, and his presentation helped to get people thinking and hopefully sparked a change.”

“I hope that students will not only become more aware of these issues in our community at an institutional level but also at a personal level so that they can recognize their own language and biases,” Dr. Artis said. “Hopefully, they can come to appreciate that being an ally requires actions—allyship is a verb, not a noun.”

vious scientific knowledge, while also presenting factual and neutral data from research journals.

Project 80 connects with the Pingry community by presenting scientific issues that are of interest to the school in entertaining formats. The student body looks forward to video presentations made

by Lindsey Yu ‘18 and Josie Cummings ‘18 at morning meetings that occur every month. These videos, ranging from topics of BPA, alternative energy sources, and sleep, exemplify Project 80’s ability to connect with its audience.

They choose topics to create short 2-3 minute videos with visuals to aid understanding.

Project 80 also effectively resonated with the student body through its campaign on sleep during the beginning of the school year. The project

Google Images

emerged due to an understanding that many Pingry students are far behind on the suggested hours of sleep per night. Project 80 educated students about applications such as “Nightshift” and “F.lux” which turn off ‘blue lights’ in electronics that otherwise deter people from falling asleep in a timely manner.

Besides these posters and Continued on Page 5

Inside The Record

Op-Eds Emma Claire Marvin (VI) and Josh Metzger (VI) share their opinions on the Women’s March P. 2

Art Gallery and Green Group P. 7

Career Day Profiles Students interview Career Day Alumni P. 5

Word in the Halls Students respond to the question: “How can we move forward as a community despite our differing beliefs?” P. 7

Music and Film Columns P. 6

Sports P. 8

2

THE PINGRY RECORD

FIND YOUR PASSION, GET INVOLVED

By KATIE HO (VI)

Females and males of a range of ages were gathered at Grand Central Station, many of them wearing pink hats, pink shirts, pink jackets, pink sneakers. From where I stood, I saw signs that read, “When they go low, we go high,” “American women will not be silenced,” “Let’s build bridges not walls,” and “I stand with planned parenthood.”

Standing at the Women’s March in New York City, surrounded by people who wanted to come together to raise their voices about ending violence and fighting for reproductive rights, LGBTQIA rights, worker’s rights, civil rights, disability rights, immigrant rights, and environmental justice, I felt empowered.

According to The New York Times, a crowd scientist calculated that half a million people went to Washington for the Women’s March, and another professor at the University of Connecticut reported that between 3.6 million and 4.6 million people went to a Women’s March across the United States.

As Emma Claire Marvin said in her opinion piece, “The ability of an incredibly diverse group of thousands of strangers to form a community and make each other feel comfortable reinforced my understanding that there are other people with similar concerns for our nation and our people – that’s why the Women’s Marches were important.”

To me, the Women’s March represented involvement. I saw people’s willingness to be involved in the political process, and I saw my own engagement as well. Prior to the election, I had never signed up to protest in marches, read The New York Times Opinion Section every single morning before heading to school, or had open discussions with my peers about politics during lunch.

When I participated in the march, I felt a sense of unity with those around me; together, we were standing up, taking part in a movement to inspire change in our country.

I apparently wasn’t alone. One of the results of the election and the inauguration of President Trump was an increasing involvement in politics. As columnist Timothy Egan wrote in a New York Times Opinion piece on March 3, “A Great New Accidental Renaissance,” “Now students are clamoring to talk about government and politics. The kids are demanding that their teachers do something to prevent another generation of politically illiterate citizens from coming of age. They are also marching in the street, along with their parents, who have already pulled off one of the largest political demonstrations in American history. In stepping on American values, Trump has prompted people to find out more about those values, and ultimately to defend them. The high to his low is an unexpected renaissance.” Knowing that people are doing something to stand up for what they believe in is reassuring and hopeful.

Although there are ongoing divisions in our country and school regarding the election, awareness, open discussion, and taking action is exactly what we need. Listening to both sides has helped me see situations from various perspectives, and has further shaped my core beliefs and values.

Josh Metzger wrote in his op-ed piece, “Many pro-life supporters at the march had their signs battered and destroyed, being berated and chastised for holding a view supposedly divergent to the autonomy of women. Therefore, although purporting to an open and inclusive demonstration, the march was not entirely so.”

Interestingly enough, I had this exact conversation with a college alumnus the other week. Although I attended the March, fighting for all human’s rights, I can see why the Women’s March was exclusive towards people who wanted to be a part of the March but shared a different opinion from a majority of the marchers.

As a community, there is no way that every single person will share all of the same opinions, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t move forward together. Attend a Pingry Politics meeting to share a thought or to listen, write an article for The Record about your political viewpoint, or make an effort to talk to peers who share different views.

Get involved with the greater community, no matter how big or small that involvement may be. We all need to stand up for what we believe in, support each other and take action. That’s the way to honor one another, enrich our country, and help us work towards a healthy future.

-Katie Ho

EDITORIALS March 10,

Was the Women’s March Really Fair, Inclusive, or Effective?

By JOSH METZGER (VI)

In a time of emotional paralysis and civic dissolution, the women’s march aimed to foment resistance to a new administration that appears to be permissive toward discrimination. A coalition of diverse women nationwide organized the “March on Washington” refusing to attune or acquiesce to an enduring marginalization of females, deemed to be a dire concern in light of Trump’s election win.

The hundreds of thousands of women protested through public demonstration -- a historically effective function of free speech of western democracy. Although the objectives of the march were noble in nature, without a clarity of purpose, the mass mobilization lacked a lucid vision.

The movement could potentially allow Trump to depict his critics and dissenters as overwrought hysterics, thereby minimizing the genuine concerns of other targeted groups. Although Trump has previously stated some horribly sexist things, he does have somewhat substantiated ground to posit the claim that these opponents are just insurgent troublemakers, as he has made considerable effort to extend an olive branch to women and some feminist causes.

He has favored gender wage parity, government-mandated maternity leave, and child tax deductions in spite of his own party’s aversion to these propos-

Assistant Editors Rachel Chen Megan Pan

Website Editor Lindsey Larson

Column Editor Alexis Elliot

Sports Editor Will DiGrande

inclusive demonstration, the March was not entirely so.

The March wrongly illustrated protest as the most effective medium to enact change.

Within our societal and political apparatuses, there is so much more to be done than marching en masse with iconography condemning our commander-inchief. Contacting your respective representative or senators, holding fundraisers to contribute to The Trevor Project, the ACLU, or Planned Parenthood, writing influential letters to local newspaper editors, contributing

up-to-date social me-N. Lu (VI) dia updates about administrative developments, and pushing for progressive policies on the local and county levels (to ultimately serve as models on the state or even national scales) are consistent and practical ways to serve as a bulwark against prejudice and inequality. By organizing the march, women efficaciously proved their resistance to Trump

and the overall brand of mistreatment.

Nonetheless, if this bloc of people does not remained galvanized and resolute in its efforts, the administration can merely brush this incident aside as a sensational reaction driven by faux concerns by a hyperfeminist lobby. In order to launch a serious resistance movement, the classic grassroots methods of expressing one’s concerns aforementioned will be the best way to do so.

Although the March may have given one “hope” or a sense of solidarity, if its goal was to engender real change, its occurrence alone is not enough to produce this. Although I agree with Emma Claire on many of the arguments she puts forth, I believe that the March is exclusive in many regards -- not only toward prolife supporters but also toward other potentially targeted groups such as immigrants, Muslims, and the LGBT community as it does not put their concerns at the forefront of the proclaimed main missions -- sensationalizes to the extent to which President Trump is lethal toward certain classes of people, and (besides a quasi-coordinated and incentivizing “10 Actions/100 Days” plan) foregoes further resistance on a smaller scale that would catalyze progressivism in the future.

act of solidarity — a reminder to the millions of marginalized individuals that they too have equal, unalienable rights. It was neither solely about feminism nor exclusively for pro-choice advocates, but rather took place in an effort to defend human rights for all people, “recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us.”

On Saturday morning, consequentially the same day as Snowball, I made my way into New York with my mom and a group of our friends to participate in the Women’s March on New York City, one of the 673 subsequently organized marches worldwide. The 400,000-person event was surprisingly peaceful; each person there was spirited and full of energy, with a common understanding that what we were doing was important. The ability for a diverse group of strangers to form a community reinforced my understanding that I have counterparts in both my fear and my determination - that’s why the Women’s Marches were important.

I have never felt so unsafe in my own country than I have in the past few months. Every day I wake up wondering what frightening news update I will receive. A man who is politi-

cally and morally unfit to hold the highest seat in our nation’s government has managed to cause thousands of people to lie awake at night in fear, while still maintaining his infamous Twitter account. His acts are frighteningly comparable to those of many historic fascists, as he recently proved with the immigration ban. Executive order 13796 barred immigration from seven Middle Eastern countries in order to exclude possible terrorists, but was perceived by many as more of a Muslim ban than a terrorist ban.

The Women’s March was the first thing in a long time that made me feel safe. While many people nationwide called us hysterics, as Josh mentions, in his op-ed, we really felt like champions. I agree with Josh’s statement that many marchers hailed their noble pursuits as the be-all end-all of defending human rights, which isn’t the reality. Although we made our voices heard, the marches alone will not effectively guarantee real change, which is why the official Women’s March on Washington committee started a “10 Actions/100 Days” campaign.

The campaign recognizes that while yes, 5 million people made history on January 21st,

the marches were only the beginning. The campaign is an initiative to take action every ten days for the first 100 days of the Trump presidency. Participants are encouraged to write postcards to local government officials, donate to threatened organizations like the N.E.A, the Human Rights Campaign, or Planned Parenthood — which, contrary to popular belief, is not exclusively an abortion haven but actually has been providing services like general health care, health education, cancer screenings, and family planning for men and women for over 100 years. It’s time to put our sneakers away and start taking action in new ways.

I proudly marched for future generations of children in the hope that they will have a healthy planet to live on. I marched for the women that marched before me, and so that every diverse member of our country’s community knows that their beliefs and opinions are important. I marched for my friends who are members of the LGBTQIA community, who are Muslim, who are black, who are disabled, who are immigrants — for all of those who make this country great, and who will make it great again and again and again.

By EMMA CLAIRE MARVIN (VI)

On January 21st, the day after President Trump’s inauguration, an approximated 5 million men, women, and children around the world came together and marched in support of human rights of all kinds.

This historic “Women’s March on Washington” started out as a single march for women’s rights in Washington, D.C, but grew to be an incredibly inclusive event defending the rights of all groups of people who have been insulted or threatened by dehumanizing rhetoric throughout the 2016 election season.

The predominant mission of the organization, as stated on their website, is to “stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families — recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country.” The march was not only in protest of President Trump’s election, but was an Number 4

Editor-in-Chief Katie Ho

als. He also recently signed the Inspire Act, directing NASA to promote STEM fields to women and girls; under this legislation, NASA will be given three months to present to two congressional committees a bona fide plan to position STEM leaders in front of elementary and secondary school girls.

I further disagree with the inclusivity that the march averred to possess. Although the main organizers of the march did form liaisons with LGBT+ associations and embrace partnerships with other groups that strive for equal protection for marginalized groups, it remained singularly hostile toward pro-life organizations and believers. The organizers booted a pro-life group from their list of partners and subsequently issued a three-page policy statement that advocates for the reproductive freedom for women.

Along with this, many pro-life supporters at the march had their signs battered and destroyed, being berated and chastised for holding a view supposedly divergent to the autonomy of women. For deviating from the core ideology of mainstream feminism on a sole issue, these civilians -- who were advocating for the same noble pursuits such as equality and justice -- received undue reprimand. Therefore, although purporting to be an open and

This Is What Democracy Looks Like

Volume CXLII

Copy Editors Alyssa Chen Will DiGrande Mackinley Taylor Mariam Trichas Yelena Salvador

2017

Layout Editors Ryan Fuentes Mary Nussbaumer Photo Editors Brooke Murphy (Head) Tyler Williams (Assistant) Faculty Advisor Dr. Susan Dineen Layout Advisor Mr. Tom Varnes

All rights reserved. All contents © 2016 The Pingry Record. Printed on recycled paper. Please recycle after use.

N. Lu (VI)

3

THE PINGRY RECORD EDITORIALS March 10, 2017

Honesty: The Best Policy in a World of Cutthroat Competition

By MIRO BERGAM (IV)

All of us have experienced it in some capacity. You are on your way to be interviewed for a position on a research team, your friend asks you where you’re going, and you either dodge the question or flat-out lie. You are writing an application for a competitive program outside of school, your friend asks if you can Facetime, and you tell them you are busy with “homework.”

You want to text your group chat about a funny thing that happened at a club meeting, but you’d rather not draw attention to this particular extra-curricular. Perhaps you have been on the receiving end.

One day, you find out one of your friends is on Project 80 or is a website designer for the Record, and you ask yourself, “Why didn’t I know about this…?”

Maybe it’s driven by the fear that someone will take your spot.

The insecurity that your friend will thrust a knife in your back and join your club or apply for your position. Maybe your friend already has too many things going for them; you need this title for your application, they don’t.

Yes, it’s a classic honor versus excellence debate: is it okay to lie by omission — or just flatout lie — to advance yourself in academics or extracurriculars?

From discussions I’ve had with friends about this topic, I’ve gathered that many people at Pingry respond with a resounding yes. The idea itself that we are obligated to share these things seems inherently nosy, pushy even. After all, it is our lives, right? Why should we have to tell anyone what meetings we are attending, programs we are applying for, or paths we are pursuing?

To this, I must specify that I’m not

requesting we should constantly publicize our aspirations and accomplishments to everyone without being prompted. Doing this creates a whole new flock of issues in terms of bragging and comparing ourselves to one another. However, purposely avoiding questions, lying about where we are and what we are doing, or putting any amount of effort into concealing a piece of our agenda is where I, personally, must draw the line. Whether you think it’s acceptable or not, many of these instances are inarguably lying and being deceitful.

I’ve found that in the context of friendships, this issue becomes particularly weaponized. When you discover a friend has hidden an activity, program, or title from you that they’ve recently joined or obtained, you begin to wonder what the value of your friendship really is. Does it take the backseat

the entire school. Everyone has a right to what they feel comfortable sharing and who they feel comfortable sharing with.

That said, when we put effort into withholding information and concealing aspects of our lives from even our friends, we are feeding into the exhausting, cutthroat environment of Pingry about which we all simultaneously complain. Friendships are the building blocks of a school community. Your friends are who you seek out when you just got a bad grade on a paper or when your crush starts dating someone else. Aside from being an absolute staple to all of our lives, friendships salvage joy in an environment and system that, more often than not, seems to be working against us. So when we let the air of paranoia that pervades academic institutions get in between even our friend-

N. Lu (VI)

to a club, a trophy, or a college application? In addition, distrust has a snowball effect. Once you discover one thing that has been concealed from you by a friend, the mind plays Mad Libs with what else they may be hiding.

Obviously, I am not asking students to reveal the happenings of their academic life to

ships, we put our community as a whole at risk. Instead, let us lead our lives and friendships with an emphasis on honesty, the greatest combatant to the competitive and suspicion-inducing world of research teams, summer programs, and college applications that we live in.

than a student who worked tirelessly for a worse result. When we view education through this prism, actual learning is cast aside in favor of measurable “metrics” of success. Because outcome is easier to measure than effort or progress, our school has inadvertently emphasized the product over the process.

When we cast aside effort for mere achievement, we succumb to the mortal temptation of permanence. Our insatiable desire to be remembered, to have an acknowledgement of our existence, stems from our own mortality. We will not live forever, but maybe if we get more awards, recognition, or better grades, we will somehow elude oblivion. We naively seek this permanence in troves of accolades. However, even the “noblest” awards we are given

ing our own impermanence, we should realize the importance of helping other temporary beings.

We must sensitize ourselves to the people around us, and lift our hooded eyes from the confines of cubicles. The brevity of our lives is not a call to stack up awards, but a call to better the lives of other temporary beings.

The popular movie The Help tells the stories of African American maids working in white households in Mississippi during the 1960s. One maid in particular, Aibileen, has a profound impact on a child she raises, Mae Mobley.

Acting as her mother, Aibileen raises Mae Mobley to live with upstanding morals. Unfortunately, after Aibileen is accused of stealing silverware, Mae Mobley’s mother, Aibileen’s employer, heartlessly fires Aibileen. In a heart wrenching goodbye scene between Aibileen and Mae Mobley, Aibileen imparts her final wisdom to the child whom she sees as her own: “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”

Even though this scene is incredibly heartwarming, as it transcends the boundaries of race in southern America, I’d like to respectfully disagree with Aibileen. You might be kind. And you might be smart. But even so, you are not important, at least in the grand scheme of history. This impermanence should not instill a fear of purposelessness, but rather it should fill us with a firm resolve to help others. While we might not be important in the grand scheme of things, we can be important to someone else.

Rethinking Our Education Equation

By JENNY COYNE (V)

Last year, Harvard’s graduate School of Education published a study that encouraged colleges to shift their admissions criteria away from achievement. The study explains how today’s college-centric culture cultivates personal success rather than a concern for others.

The study concludes that the college admissions process must reform in such a way that grants genuinely good individuals access to institutions that would otherwise be cluttered with selfish “intellects” who prioritize the result of academia over the process.

Pingry defines itself as a college preparatory school. But in trying to prepare the next generation of “inspired minds,” our school sometimes seems to value achievement over character. Pingry distributes numerous academic awards every year, but only few awards commend character or moral integrity.

Through award ceremonies and even everyday interactions, it is clear that our mission of “Excellence and Honor” is not fully embraced by all members of our community.

But why does our commitment to character seem to be no more than a gilded facade? Why does our moral high ground disintegrate when pressured to achieve?

As students in a college-preparatory school, we have been told that the value of our efforts is dictated by the outcome. If you got a 75% on a test, it does not matter if you work hard; you still “failed.” If you aced a test, without studying, you deserve more praise

If all our achievements are forgotten, then how do we secure a legacy? are lost in time, and eventually all achievements are forgotten.

If all our achievements are forgotten, then how do we secure a legacy? How do we satisfy our need for permanence? The answer is simple: The way to find meaning in a temporary life is to give meaning to another life.

The appropriate response to our temporary existence is not to disregard ambition completely, but to recognize that your greatest achievements are rooted in helping other people . In recogniz-

An Eternity of Preparedness Gets You… Where?

By KETAKI TEVAN (IV)

career, they would be grossly underprepared when they entered Day One of their experience in the “real world.”

While seemingly trivial, this Rutgers representative’s statement spoke to a harmful mindset that we all subconsciously possess. As students and as people at large, we are force-fed the principle of preparedness. Every stage of our lives is spent preparing for the next one, and the impending stage is always painted as daunting and unpleasantly mysterious.

Kindergarten is meant to prepare you for elementary school, which prepares you for middle school, which then prepares you for high school. College comes next, then graduate school, which finally leads to the so-called “real world.” Training wheels are meant to prepare kids to ride a “real” bike. The five-paragraph essay structure is meant to prepare students for the “real” pieces they will create in the future. The PSAT is meant to prepare students for the SAT. It seems as though every stage of our lives, every leap we take, no matter how big or how small, requires preparation. There’s always one more step that needs to be taken before reaching the big leagues, but with that mentality, any possibility of taking risks or living in the now seems to vanish.

I found myself at Rutgers University a few weeks ago, when something an admissions representative said about their business N. Lu (VI) school struck me: “One thing I love about the business The fact of the matter is that we school here is that we require have been conditioned to be afraid you to come to class everyday of the unknown, so we spend evin proper business attire. In the ery second of our lives attempting real world, you can’t just roll out to eliminate it.

This mentality stems from the of bed and show up to work in your pajamas and slippers, and myriad situations we face every we want to prepare you for that.” day in which we feel like we’re Why she thought this would constantly being evaluated on convince students to attend the our preparedness, the degree of school in the first place was which translates to quality of beyond me, but that wasn’t the work. Daily bombardment of reason I took issue with her grades, ratings, and evaluations statement. What dominated my bring insecurity, questioning of thoughts at that point was the self-worth, and fear of failure. implication that if a business We have become so afraid to take student did not practice dressing risks and to explore the unknown up for the entirety of their college that our new, exciting experiences

are being limited.

The problem with constant preparation doesn’t end there.

I’m sure we’ve all been in a situation where we’ve been at a party but have been unable to enjoy it because we were consumed with the work we hadn’t yet finished, or we constantly find ourselves cancelling something enjoyable to do work instead.

The pressure of constant evaluation and the obligation that we feel to be prepared for what’s to come removes us from the present. When can we stop to just breathe and be happy?

When will kids ever get to be “just kids”? If we can’t help but worry about what’s to come, then when do we find time to appreciate the present?

While reshaping the way our society approaches success is seemingly impossible, if we don’t pause and reconsider our mindset, we will have missed all of the moments that we should have been savoring. We can’t radically alter the way the world operates in a day, but we can regain some control over our priorities.

Maybe that means deciding to not check your email for a day, or to just be a kid for a day, or to give your family your undivided attention for a day.

When you’re constantly afraid of failure, and therefore thinking five steps ahead at all times, you may feel as though making this change is a huge mistake. But in reality, the biggest injustice we could possibly burden ourselves with would be to look back on our lives, full of regret for the relationships that we didn’t preserve or the experiences we never had.

Critical is the New “Cool”

By RACHEL CHEN (V)

The Culture of Negativity first hit me at lunch.

The lunch table was awkward, like a little bubble of silence in a sea of friends chattering and forks clanging. I was friendly with the girls in the way that you’re friendly with your mailman — I might wave at them in passing, but the deepest conversation we’d shared was about the unseasonably warm weather.

I opened my mouth to fill the silence: “Wow, this chicken could not be dryer.”

What? Rachel! The chicken is fine!

But somehow the words kept coming. In a single conversation, we managed to rag on SAGE dining, our teachers, the kid who actually sings in Glee Club, and even the girl that no one likes (silently, through subtle eye rolls when she pulled up a chair). The words leaving my mouth didn’t sound like my own. All of my enthusiasm for other people’s efforts disappeared in lieu of purposeful disdain and faked high standards.

I left the table feeling ashamed and relieved. I was angry at everyone for pressuring me to fit in and talk smack, and I was angry at myself for contributing to the very environment that had made me do so.

Once I noticed the negativity, I couldn’t seem to stop noticing it. It’s everywhere! Have you noticed that we go into assemblies or activities determined to be unimpressed? “God, I’m definitely falling asleep during that. Every

year, this assembly is the worst.”

Or that we laugh at the people who actually love what they do?

Because it’s honestly sad how we turn people into actual memes just because they love cello or theatre or anime instead of soccer. Even outside of school, have you ever spent two months planning a birthday party and then had one person ruin it with snide little comments like, “Well, the DJ could definitely be better,” or, “God, this cake is way too sweet for me!”? (I have. It sucks.)

So that’s how I discovered the Culture of Negativity. From the habit we’ve developed of being

The temporary high of seeming “cool” has a price... discouraging and disengaged to look “cool.” From the defense mechanism we use to feel invincible.

But the temporary high of seeming “cool” has a price: Pingry’s environment becomes judgemental and unreceptive when people take risks and share their non-mainstream passions.

Our interests lose their diversity, color, and inspiration; we become passionless and critical, neither willing to encourage those who try new things nor try new things ourselves.

So there are two ways to fight this Culture: 1. If you’re like me, and you’ve succumbed to the temp-

tation of saying hurtful things that you don’t mean just to fit in or fill silence: live and let live, man!

Even if you don’t like something, respect the fact that someone else does. Someone put time and effort and hope into this thing that they love — don’t rain on their parade just because you’re afraid to throw one yourself.

2. If you’re like me, and you’re afraid to out yourself as someone with — gasp! — real passions: Do what you love, and be as extra as you want while you’re at it!

As Teddy Roosevelt said and I quoted in my speech, “It is not the critic who counts… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena… who knows great enthusiasms, who spends himself in a worthy cause...” I know that takes bravery — a special kind of bravery that is difficult to find in the face of purposeful negativity and deliberate apathy. But throw yourself into what you do, then try new things and throw yourself into those too.

I’ll be completely honest. It’s terrifying, and the LeBow Competition is a perfect example. I didn’t think I could talk for six and a half minutes in front of the entire school.

But I did, and somehow, I was lucky enough to have won twice in a row — plus I discovered a love for public speaking that I never would have found without taking the risk of putting my name on the sign-up sheet.

Dare to put yourself in the arena. Know great enthusiasms and spend yourself in a worthy cause. You won’t regret it.

4

THE PINGRY RECORD

CAREER DAY March 10, 2017

Lisa Kleinman ‘02 Tells Her Performing Arts Story

By MEGAN PAN (V)

Since graduating from Pingry in 2002, Ms. Lisa Kleinman has had a successful and variegated career as a performing artist, currently working as the Senior Director of Development in the Comedy Division for North South Productions.

Having gone to Pingry from kindergarten through twelfth grade, Kleinman credits the school’s drama program with helping to kindle her love of theater, particularly the Upper School Drama Department led by Department Chair and Drama Teacher Mr. Albert Romano.

“Mr. Romano has a really amazing curriculum that I think mirrors a course you would take at college,” Ms. Kleinman said. “You learn a lot of the fundamentals, so without that, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today.”

After high school, Ms. Kleinman attended a conservatory program concentrated on theater at Boston University, where she earned her BFA in Theater

Arts. She then moved to Los Angeles and started auditioning, but found that she was not performing as much as she would have liked.

“I was auditioning for bit parts like ‘girlfriend’ or ‘girl at party,’” Ms. Kleinman said, “so I started doing improv comedy at a theater in LA called iO West.”

At the iO West theater, Ms. Kleinman performed long-form improvisation, which involves creating comedic plays on the spot, and there she discovered her passion for comedy.

When she moved back to New York, she decided to continue her work with comedy and became an actress at the UCB Theater, where she remains a regular performer for the comedy sketch show Maude Night.

“I really wanted to devote my energy to the comedy community and to be a comedy performer and writer,” Ms. Kleinman said.

As her career progressed, Ms. Kleinman

branched out from being a traditional actress and took a job in producing and writing. Although she was not familiar with writing and producing prior to taking the job, she decided to “jump in full force” with a “fake it ‘til you make it” mindset, and she went on to write and produce for companies such as MTV, E!, and Hud:Sun Media.

On an average day, her work consists of meetings with actors, writers, agents, and managers and brainstorming ideas, and active production work, such as going to set and supervising a shoot. After writing and producing for a whole day, she takes on her role as a performer and heads to rehearsals for a sketch comedy show or a stand-up performance.

To get to where she is today, Ms. Kleinman started out working many odd jobs, from waiting tables to serving as a receptionist at a law firm.

“After a year of being a really good reception-

Mr. Sean McAnally for music and orchestra, really built the foundation for his interest not only in extracurriculars, but also in his career endeavors.

One of his English teachers, Mr. Dean Sluyter, asked what everyone wanted to be when they grew up. Although Mr.

Honor Board and orchestra, and was a German enthusiast.

On top of all of these activities, Mr. Barsamian managed to juggle soccer under Coach Miller Bugliari, wrestling, and track and field.

According to Mr. Barsamian, “Whether in sport or

ist, I asked the law firm if there was another position I could take that allowed me to go out for auditions,” Ms. Kleinman recounted. “They gave me the job of ‘facilities manager’ — in other words, I was a janitor. I cleaned up after meetings, replaced light bulbs, and even cleaned the stains from the ceiling tiles.”

Reflecting back on her own career path, Ms. Kleinman urges aspiring performing artists to “not be afraid to fail and keep moving forward.”

“Be a collaborator, and stay curious,” Ms. Kleinman advises. “Learn new skills. The more you learn about every little bit of performing, the better you will be, and the more opportunities will come your way.”

Chaz Barsamian ‘01 Offers Entreprenurial Wisdom

By ALEXIS ELLIOT (V)

Career Day speaker Mr. Chaz Barsamian ’01 holds many job titles, including entrepreneur, attorney, and feature film producer. However, before he oversaw aspects of film, finance, and music production for movies such as Whiplash, Fury, and Sicario, he was a well-rounded lifer at Pingry.

Mr. Barsamian recalls his experience at Pingry as being a full one. Being a lifer gave him the chance to enjoy three different environments all under the same school; it not only gave him the opportunity to experience the various aspects of Pingry but also gave him the chance to make friends with whom he is still close, even 28 years later.

Mr. Barsamian also credits many of his teachers as being influential to his success. Having teachers such as Herr Norman LaValette for German, and both Mrs. Patricia Finn and

“Value your time. Take risks, but be smart with your risks. Enjoy your Pingry experience. Figure out what you want to do and what you don’t want to do, which is just as important. And be honest with yourself in your pursuits.”

Barsamian envisioned being a rockstar, his extracurriculars and high school pursuits somewhat clarified the path towards achieving his current employment. Mr. Barsamian was Student Body President his senior year in 2001, ran the Student Activities Committee (SAC), was a member of the

onstage in some capacity, entertainment was part of the equation.” Graduating as a dual Political Science and History major from Rice University in 2005 and receiving his Juris Doctor from the New York Law School in 2009 before joining the New York State

about the field was the Coriolis force, a force on rotating planets that causes fluids to behave differently from what one intuitively expects from one’s experiences with fluids on Earth. The phe-

exist, it is a force that exists since we are in an accelerating frame.”

This interest in the Coriolis force can be traced back to Professor Edwards’ childhood.

“When I was a kid, I used to look at weather maps in the newspaper,” he said.

“They often show pressure fields, and what’s funny is that the fluid moves along the contours of constant pressure. As a child, that doesn’t make any sense, because if you have a pressure gradient, like a mound of gradient in a bathtub, the water moves away from that mound.

But in the atmosphere, if you have a mound of gradient, the fluid moves around the mound, and it never moves the fluid to a flat scape. And that is because of the Coriolis force.”

Professor Edwards’ decision to pursue oceanography was also influenced by his visit to the MIT/WHOI program.

“What was exciting was that the students were incredibly excited about their work,” he recalled. “They were travelling all over the world to collect data to test ideas about how and why the

Bar in 2010, Mr. Barsamian found his calling as a lawyer. He had always enjoyed the legal industry because it was a basis for utilizing a number of various skills, blending many components into a career in which no two days are the same.

Mr. Barsamian remembers, “The legal business is inherently entrepreneurial. In addition to providing the service, the lawyer is responsible for securing clients, establishing a reputation, and marketing the business. This was certainly attractive when considering the career and applicable whether working to affect legislative policy, working in-house, or building a solo practice.”

This is exactly what Mr. Barsamian does today. He has overseen the deployment of over $100 million to finance the music of over 300 motion pictures in addition to providing the production music services on an impressive repertoire of films including Whiplash.

However, Mr. Barsamian is not only confined to the music and film industries. He currently operates as a content producer via his LA-based media com-

ocean worked. And the questions weren’t all that complicated. I could understand the questions, and they didn’t require ten years in the field to understand the questions that were being asked.

It was really the enthusiasm of the people that got me so excited about it.”

At UCSC, Professor Edwards’ position not only involves teaching undergraduates and graduate students and also research in oceanography. He teaches a variety of courses at different levels.

“At the introductory level, I teach a course called Introduction to Oceanography, which is a broad overview of the subject for people who are not necessarily science majors but for people who are interested in learning about the ocean which they swim in or fly over or take a boat on. I teach more specialized classes; one’s called Introduction to Physical Oceanography, which is for graduate students, and gives an overview of my field.”

Along with more introductory level courses, Professor Edwards teaches more advanced classes such as a class on data analysis in geophysical sciences and another class on geophysical fluid dynamics, which relates to the counterintuitive Coriolis

force.

Outside of teaching, Professor Edwards performs research in physical oceanography, a field that relates to ocean circulation and fluid movements. His work currently studies the California Current System, the ocean’s circulation off America’s west coast extending from Washington State to the Baja Peninsula in Mexico.

“I work with chemical oceanographers and biological oceanographers to understand how circulation also affects the things that live in the ocean,” said Professor Edwards. “I do a lot of computer modelling of the ocean, but I use data that is collected by other scientists and by agencies like NOAA and NASA, and that data is collected off the coast here.”

At Pingry, Professor Edwards fenced foil as captain of the fencing team, sang in the Buttondowns and Glee Club, played soccer, and partook in the drama department’s musicals and other productions.

“I have very fond memories of all of those activities,” Professor Edwards said. “One of the great things about Pingry is that it does offer so much in the way of both academics and non-academics. Its extracurriculars are outstanding.

What’s special is that it does such

pany Exit Strategy while also running a private entertainment transactional law practice based in New York.

Nevertheless, Mr. Barsamian attributes his achievements to his Pingry experience. Being

a member of the Honor Board, Mr. Barsamian still practices and upholds those principles he learned from the Honor Code.

He states, “The spirit of the Honor Code speaks to a person’s core values and informs a general sense of right and wrong. When you get further into the world, things aren’t necessarily black and white, and the Honor Code continues to serve as a compass when deciphering between shades of gray.”

Praising Pingry for its approach of putting its students first, he believes that Pingry gives students the best introduction to the world ahead.

His advice for current students? “Value your time. Take risks, but be smart with your risks. Enjoy your Pingry experience. Figure out what you want to do and what you don’t want to do, which is just as important. And be honest with yourself in your pursuits.”

Chris Edwards ‘84 Explains His Work as an Oceanographer

By ALYSSA CHEN (V)

After graduating from Pingry in 1984 as part of the first graduating class from the Martinsville campus, Career Day speaker Professor Chris Edwards majored in Physics at Haverford College in Pennsylvania and worked in optics, deciding at the age of 24 to pursue a PhD. in Physical Oceanography at the MIT/ WHOI joint program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Currently, he works as a professor of the Ocean Sciences at the University of California at Santa Cruz and specializes in physical oceanography.

Professor Edwards first discovered the field of oceanography through a hiking friend.

“On our hikes, he would tell me about his research. I thought it was an interesting field,” Professor Edwards said.

What interested him the most

nomenon can be explained by thinking of other fictitious forces: “Probably the best, but imperfect, analogy,” Professor Edwards explained, “is what one feels when one goes around a bend in a car — the centrifugal force does not

a great job of getting people who are not necessarily the absolute best in any area and offers them these opportunities to learn about them. For example, I was a terrible singer, but I found the music to be very rewarding.”

A few teachers who have been influential for him were Mr. Peter Cowen, his English teacher; Mr. Gordon Rode, his physics teacher; and Mr. Ted Li, his fencing coach.

“Out of a large number of teachers whom I interacted with, there are many whom I think back to and think that they taught me good lessons, either in the subject area or in life,” Professor Edwards said. “The people are what make Pingry special, and there are a lot of special people there.”

As advice for students at Pingry, Professor Edwards encourages students to take chances.

“It’s okay to fail, not so much by being a bad employee but by trying something that doesn’t turn out to be something that you are ultimately interested in,” he said. “Trying a few things helps narrow your scope a little bit — there are just too many opportunities in the world, and you don’t really know where to begin unless you try things.”

THE PINGRY RECORD

CAREER DAY and SCHOOL NEWS MARCH 10, 2017

5

Chandra Davis ‘89 Shares Her Passion For Law

By MACKINLEY TAYLOR (VI)

Chandra (Cain) Davis ‘89, Pingry Class of 1989 Alum and co-founding Partner of The Employment Law Solution: McFadden Davis, LLC (“ELS”), discussed her work in the legal profession at this year’s Career Day. She credits her mother and her roots at Pingry for giving her the initial motivation to strive to achieve her full potential.

Recalling her second grade teacher at Pingry, Mrs. McGinley, Mrs. Davis spoke of how “she had high expectations for me and told me that I was worthwhile, that I had the ability to do whatever I wanted to do.” Davis’ desire to be a lawyer was recognized early in her childhood.

“My mother said I argued well and was persuasive. She was always the law in the house – she allowed me to speak my mind and wanted to hear my opinion about things.” With this support, Mrs. Davis learned how to articulate ideas and express herself, making law a natural profession to choose.

After graduating from Pingry, Davis attended Emory Univer-

sity in Atlanta, Georgia, where she majored in International Studies. This decision was partially based on her desire for more diversity – at Pingry, Davis was one of two black students in her class. Addition-

ally, the Emory campus was in a warmer climate – “a little bit of north in the south,” as she put it. Davis credits her writing skills to her Pingry education.

However, Davis explained, “At Emory, I began realizing I

wasn’t sure if law school was what I wanted.” She explained that the various requirements for one to enter law school — LSATs, teacher recommendations, knowing where to apply — were things that she had not been focusing on. She enjoyed her extracurricular activities and student organizations and became aware of herself as a “people person” who liked engaging with and teaching people.

After graduation from Emory, Davis became a Hall Director for Columbia College of South Carolina. During her year there, she was accepted into a Master’s degree program at the University of Georgia in Student Personnel and Higher Education, one of the top three programs in the country for that degree. While pursuing her Master’s, Davis took a Law in Higher Education class in which she “read case law, applied it to facts in student affairs, and realized I really did want to go to law school and practice law.” Following a motto told to her by the Director of Student Affairs at Emory, “You should enter all education

with experience,” Mrs. Davis worked for three years, including a position at Virginia Tech as Coordinator of Multicultural Programs, where she met her husband, and later worked as Coordinator of Student Organizations for The Georgetown University Law Center, before finally attending law school.

David attended the University of Michigan Law School.

After earning her law degree, she clerked for two federal judges, district court in Houston, Texas and then on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia.

After her clerkships, Davis became an Associate at McGuire Woods, LLP. Davis says she chose to work for this firm due to her mentor and friend, Curtis Mack. “He told me, if I came to work for him, he would make me a great lawyer,” she said. From her time there, she learned about the management side of employment law, and after four years and the birth of her first child, she began working for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as a Trial Attorney.

When Davis turned 40, she

making immediate change.

So that’s where medicine came in.”

In her junior year of college, she enrolled in postbaccalaureate night classes to fulfill her pre-medical course requirements and was accepted into Georgetown Medical School.

Between undergraduate and medical school, Dr. Braunstein spent a gap year as a caseworker in a residential facility for men with schizophrenia. “It was a lot of responsibility for a 22-yearold. Lessons I learned about patient advocacy and the challenges that some people face within the system have informed and greatly influenced the way that I practice medicine.”

She recalled one of her clients’ struggle for a winter coat. “One client really needed a coat in the Boston winter, but the process to obtain one was so difficult — I had to prove his income, his need, and his background. We spent three months when all I wanted to

do was just go to the store and buy one for him myself!”

At Georgetown Medical School, she decided to specialize in orbital ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery, which involves cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the brow, eyelids, lacrimal system, and orbit in adults and children.

“I was having a hard time deciding between ophthalmology and ENT, and oculoplastics is a beautiful marriage of both,” she said. After a transitional internship at St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center in the West Village, NY, and an ophthalmology residency at Columbia University, Dr. Braunstein completed an oculoplastics fellowship between University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Ohio.

She currently works at her own private practice in Morristown, NJ, while teaching residents and working in the underserved clinic at Columbia University. “I love teaching,” she said. “I have so much

fun with the residents. They’re so bright, and their questions keep me on my toes and challenge me. You’re forced to think about procedures so differently when you need to explain them, and that helps me be a better surgeon.”

Dr. Braunstein’s favorite aspect of her job is her patients. “I have the privilege of interacting with people at a very vulnerable time in their life, and the trust they give me — to lie down on a table and allow me to operate — it’s a huge responsibility and a remarkable honor.”

She has plenty of advice for aspiring doctors. “I would say to only do this if you love it.

I’m not going to lie. It’s a long road, and medical school is arduous and expensive. I love what I do and that has made the challenges worth it.”

She also encourages them to pursue other interests. “Try to avoid tunnel vision. You’ll really connect to your patients more if you have other interests and it is important to be a well-rounded individual.”

looked at her life – married with a husband and two kids, previous work at a large law firm, current work with the government, and being in a solid financial situation – and asked, “What’s next?” Davis realized that if she was “going to do something entrepreneurial like [owning my own firm], I needed to do it now.” And so she did.

In owning their own law firm, Davis and her Law Partner, Jamala McFadden, a fellow University of Michigan Alum, wanted to do practice law their way, including charging reasonable prices to give companies of all sizes “white shoe law firm” representation.

They also wanted the flexibility to still have a family life and an opportunity to be committed to the community.

Especially important to Davis is “being a role model for young black females, to tell women and minority women that you can do this, you can go to law school, one of the best law schools, you can go to a large firm and can leave it, you can do it your way if you want to.” At her firm, Davis focuses on em-

ployment law, which deals with employees and their conflicts, how you resolve their conflicts while remaining compliant with the law. Davis chose this section of law because, as she said, “I like stories and people.”

To her, employment law offered the opportunity to affect a large group of people.

Today, the parts of Davis’ work she finds most engaging are “the relationships that I build with my clients and also my colleagues and my team.”

Additionally, she loves being able to “train management and employees on how to work in a diverse environment and stay on the right side of the law.”

Her remarkable path to her current position as partner in her own firm is filled with unique tangents and supplements, and it is easy to say that Davis’s insight into law is incredibly valuable and greatly appreciated by all in attendance at Pingry’s Career Day. Davis is happily married to George Davis and has two children, Carter (9) and Brielle (6), who are fluent in Mandarin and Spanish.

Alexandra Braunstein ‘97 Gives Insight in Medicine

By RACHEL CHEN (V)

After graduating from Pingry in 1997, Dr. Alexandra Braunstein became an oculoplastic surgeon whose work includes running her private practice in Morristown, teaching at the Columbia University Hospital, and serving in underserved clinics.

Dr. Braunstein first attended Tufts University before transferring to Georgetown University, where she graduated with a degree in International Relations and minored in Theology.

“My first dream was actually to go into international human rights law or diplomacy,” she said. “I didn’t really know what that meant at the time, but I knew I wanted to help people and I was fascinated by different cultures and religions.”

However, her dreams shifted after she spent time interning with Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). “I saw firsthand how cumbersome the process can be for making and changing policy. I wanted to be in the driver’s seat, to be the one

Energy To Climate Change: Art Students Visit The Brooklyn Museum FromThe Project 80 Mission

By OUARIDA BENATIA (V)

On March 1, students in the AP Art History and Architecture classes visited the Brooklyn Museum to further expand their knowledge of art and culture.

The day started off with a morning bus ride to New York, in which students caught up on sleep and assignments. Upon arrival at the third largest museum in New York, however, the mood completely changed, and students were buzzing with excitement over the works of art they were going to see.

The Brooklyn Museum is currently undergoing major renovations in many of their galleries, so Mr. Nigel Paton devised a tour that allowed students to view subject matter that was relevant to their class while being mindful of the restrictions from the renovations.

The students first visited the African gallery, where students had the opportunity to see works of African art they had been learning about all year. Students were excited to see the Bundu masks of the Sande Society, because they

had done presentations on the untraditional- traditional masks prior to the visit. Bundu masks are to be worn only by women in the Sande Society, and are used in traditional tribal dances. It is common to think of tribal dances as only a man’s ritual, so learning that women in the Sande Society wore Bundu masks was especially interesting.

The museum also provided a TV screen with video footage of traditional masks that were used in tribal dances. Mr. Paton noted that this was very helpful to explain the nature of the usage of these “works of art,” and he explained that these were everyday objects for people across the world.

Students also got to look at a sculpture created by Yinka Shonibare, an Nigerian artist raised in England whom they had learned about in class just the day before.

His works challenge the subject of race, and his sculptures are headless, not showing features of any race. He blends African textiles with European styles, and his sculptures are very thought

Alexis Kinney (V)

provoking.

After the African gallery, students got the opportunity to explore the Infinite Blue gallery, in which every work of art was a shade of blue. Students walked around admiring the cornucopia of vibrant and dull blues within paintings and pottery, noticing how the entire gallery blended together beautifully. The most interesting part of the gallery was a piece in which museum-goers could sit on blue beds and watch a film projected in front of them.

It was a very fun and interactive piece, and very popular amongst everyone in the museum.

Next, the students went to the Feminist Exhibit, where they saw

amazing works of art made by women. One of the most interesting ones was Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party.” In this enormous work of art, a room-sized, triangular dinner table holds placemats for famous women in history, including women such as Emily Dickinson and Sojourner Truth.

This work of art involved another 999 names of women inscribed on the floor in gold below the table.

After the feminist exhibition, the students were set free to explore the rest of the museum.

The AP Art History students all ate lunch together in the museum’s cafe, then sat under the chandelier in the middle of the Beaux-Arts Court, where they shared memories from their class and bonded over stories from their lives. The students ended their day on the beds at the Infinite Blue gallery, and spent the entire bus ride home laughing about and revisiting their day.

As Alexis Kinney (V) said, “It was so fun to hangout together and see the artwork that we are learning about.”

Continued from Page 1

videos, Project 80 also releases blog posts, podcasts, surveys, and PowerPoint presentations. Project 80 uses platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube to further engage the student body. One of their goals for the year is to expand upon their pre-existing social media presence.

Unbiased data is an integral part of Project 80’s goals. As such, they do not force the “choosing” of a side over current controversial issues such as climate change, vaccinations, and genome editing. Instead, Project 80 merely presents enough facts to inform people on these issues so they can decide their own positions.

An example of this data “without a stance” was seen during the aforementioned video about alternative energy sources.

Climate Change was a heavily contested issue during the recent U.S. Presidential Election, and rather than presenting Climate Change as either fact or farce, Project 80 chose to solely focus on facts known about the issue, which then allowed students to decide their own opinion about its validity.

Jeremy Newman, who joined Project 80 last month, said, “As a new member of Project 80, I hope to see the entire Pingry community—students, faculty, and parents—get something out of the research we present, whether it motivates them to pursue science in the future or just teaches them a new perspective on something they thought they knew everything about before.”

Make sure to check out Project 80 on their website (www. project80.org) or any of their social media platforms, and come see them in action at the Research Exhibit on Sunday, April 9th!

6

THE PINGRY RECORD COLUMNS MARCH 10, 2017

New Music Not to Miss: New Film “Get Out” Tackles Racism in Horror From Pop to Icelandic Rock

By ALISON VERDESCA (V)

There are two main reasons why I watch the Super Bowl.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome to see two teams duke it out for eternal football glory, but it’s usually the creative commercials that advertising types get paid oodles of money to dream up that really get me pumped for game day.

By halftime, though, they get a little tedious, which brings me to the second reason why I love the Super Bowl. The halftime show. One hundred eleven million people watched Super Bowl LI on February 5th, and that means one hundred eleven million people witnessed Lady Gaga’s epic performance.

In the last issue I wrote about Lady Gaga’s new album, Joanne, anticipating it would be a smash hit. Well, thanks to her glitzy halftime show at the Super Bowl, the album gained even more publicity. Gaga performed an amazing set, starting with a beautifully patriotic rendition of “God Bless America,” and, after leaping off the top of the set in a harness, jumped quite literally straight into her performances of “Edge of Glory,” “Poker Face,” and “Telephone.” Gaga also sang her first real smash hit, “Just Dance,” followed by the more soulful track from her new album, “A Million Reasons.” To cap off the show, Gaga made all her little monsters proud by belting out the iconic “Bad Romance” in her brassiest vocals. It was quite the star-studded performance, and it offered an amazing glimpse of Gaga’s talent in both performance style and vocal quality.

Besides Lady Gaga’s new album and her Super Bowl debut, several up-and-coming artists and bands have been releasing some awesome tracks in the past few months. Singer Jon Bellion recently rose to popularity with his song, “All Time Low,” despite having been recording since 2013.

“All Time Low” is a catchy song with an upbeat rhythm and infectious lyrics, and lots of sound effects incorporated into it, a common theme in Bellion’s songs. However, Bellion’s real talent shines through in the stripped down one-take acoustic covers of his songs, which are available on Youtube. Bellion has made many of these acoustic videos for songs on his album, The Human Condition, including another one of my favorite

songs of his, “Guillotine.”

Bellion’s voice is so lyrical and smooth, and with his stellar range, his rise to popularity is well-deserved.

If you’re looking for a band that’s a little more obscure but with a similar bluesy vocal tone, the group Kaleo’s song “Way Down We Go” has made it onto the Billboard Top 100 List, which is quite the feat for an Icelandic rock band.

Kaleo has soul, and in every one of their songs, you can feel the emotion in lead singer JJ Julius Son’s voice as he wails out over simple guitar chords.

“Way Down We Go” has been featured in an Orange is the New Black trailer, and their second album “A/B,” was released at the beginning of the summer. Other good songs by them include “All The Pretty Girls” and “I Can’t Go On Without You,” a heart wrenching song with amazing vocals and a simple instrumental accompaniment.

Finally, it wouldn’t be right to ignore the anticipation that surrounded Ed Sheeran’s new album, Divide, which was released on March 3rd. Sheeran’s song “Shape of You” has

By OUARIDA BENATIA (V)

Get Out is the already one of the most wildly popular movies of 2017. It has become one of the few movies that has received a 100% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, currently holding 135 Fresh and 0 Rotten reviews on the popular movie review website.

In the movie, a young black man - played by actor Daniel Kaluuya - visits his white girlfriend’s family, and experiences increasingly strange behaviors from the people around him. The film addresses racism by exposing common stereotypes of black men and horror films. It masterfully blends comedic and satirical undertones with horror to bring viewers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and deep thought.

Jordan Peele, the director of the movie, is best known for his comedy. With this film, he has broadened his reputation and skill set as a director in showing how horror lies underneath the normal surfaces of daily life. In his words, “It just seemed to be a very taboo piece of the discussion to talk about something so horrific as racism in any type of genre other than a film about slavery or something.”

With this movie, he has helped continue the discussion on the stereotyping of people, especially black men, within the film industry and in real life. The movie leaves viewers questioning what they subconsciously

believe and why they believe what they do, which seems to be intentional. Peele says he “knew that the only way to make this movie work, besides getting the tone right, was that the plot would have to reveal that the judgments and the presumptions we would have about the movie are in fact our presumptions.” He

Get Out, is one of several fine films that offers hope that more people of color will be featured in Hollywood films in future years. Another recent cinematic success, Hidden Figures, honors three black women working for NASA in the 1960s, also recognizing black actors and actresses in Hollywood. The movie tackles

has indeed achieved this goal.

Daniel Kaluuya has also been praised for his tremendous talent in playing the lead role. One fan on IMDb applauded him for “[showcasing] his acting chops with an impressive range of emotions; it’s not necessarily what he says but what he doesn’t say that has the biggest impact” (Bardiamoose on IMDb).

racism as well as sexism in the workplace in the 1960s, and was nominated for several prestigious awards in the movie industry.

A few months ago, around the same time Hidden Figures was released, Loving also came out.

Loving addresses interracial marriage in the 1950s, a time where segregation was so prevalent in

places like Virginia that the black protagonist is thrown in jail for marrying a white man.

Combined with Viola Davis’s Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in August Wilson’s Fences; Mahershala Ali’s Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance in Moonlight; and Moonlight’s win of the Best Film of the Year, it’s clear that films about African American experience are finally getting the attention they deserve.

As more and more movies are being released and praised in dealing with the “uncomfortable” subject of race, they expose society’s preconceptions and the shameful history of racism in our country. Most importantly, these films make it more normal to have discussions about race, providing a sharp contrast to previous years reflected by “#OscarsSoWhite,” in which the Academy was criticized for only putting forward white actors for nominations.

However, there is still progress to be made; for example, Dev Patel was the only Asian actor to be nominated for an Academy Award in 2017, and the lack of nominations for people of color in the history of Oscars can never be erased.

Although Black History month is officially over, I encourage you to seek out all the films mentioned above as well as others that expose our history: A Raisin In the Sun, 12 Years A Slave, The Help, and Malcolm X.

ful and filling.

I have visited Pisticci a few times. Due to its proximity to a music school program I attend weekly, I have had the chance to experience many of the dishes, and at different times of day.

The trattoria is located on a relatively quiet street on the border of Morningside Heights. It might be useful to note that parking is relatively easy, and the restaurant is accessible from subway stations both on 125th and 116th (Columbia University). The restaurant also accommodates reservations, both through telephone and through their

website (http://www.pisticcinyc. com) - I booked a table for eight with ease two days before a meal.

Again, take the time to visit Pisticci if you can. The well-designed menu offers meals that are filling, tasty, and priced very reasonably.

The atmosphere is cozy, though it can verge on being too crowded for those looking for a quiet atmosphere. The restaurant even offers live jazz on Sundays, though I am sad to say I have not yet had the chance to enjoy the music. All in all, Pisticci offers a wonderful experience for a casual and delectable meal for the exploring student.

Google Images

Italian Trattoria Gem in Morningside Heights

By ALYSSA CHEN (V)

Google Images

been a chart-topper, due to the singer’s melodious and iconically British voice fronting a simple beat. Also released from Divide was the more free-spirited and motivational “Castle on the Hill,” which shows Sheeran’s impressive range. From these two singles, I can tell that Divide will be an album to watch, something very different than what Sheeran released on X or +.

As we head into the spring, these new artists and bands will refresh your ears and, like the season, give your music playlist a restart.

Students often find themselves, on a day off or perhaps during summer and winter breaks, travelling to the city to escape the suburban student life that can be monotonous.

They might go to concerts or events, or perhaps just wander around the city’s attractions and streets. I’d like to offer a bit of advice to the exploring Pingry student: if you ever find yourself in Morningside Heights, perhaps visiting the many Pingry alum studying at Columbia University or Barnard College, I would highly recommend visiting the small but wonderful Pisticci, a dining establishment offering classic Italian fare.

Upon entering, one experiences immediately the bustling and cozy atmosphere of the restaurant. The layout and closeness of tables and chairs give the impression of the whole restaurant being small and close, though it is not in reality too small: there are actually four main seating areas, along with a bar. Service and seating may be a little slow on busy nights, especially since the seating is somewhat limited, and it is a popular restaurant. However, the staff are, for the most part, welcoming and accommodating.

The menu contains a selection of appetizers, entrées, salads, and a wide variety of pastas, all at extremely reasonable prices given the restaurant’s quality and location in the city. Most entrées and pastas

range from $15 to $20, and appetizers are generally under $10. A few dishes that stand out to me are the Roasted garlic bread with warm goat cheese, the Maltagliati with ricotta, spinach, and lamb, and the Penne Pisticci.

The garlic bread is crispy at the edges and soft on the top, as garlic bread should be, and contains a tinge of honey that is balanced out by the addition of soft and tangy goat cheese. The maltagliati is generally a very heavy dish that may only suit some diners, but it cannot be ignored that the lamb ragu and spinach, combined with quality pasta, add up to a delectable dish. Finally, the penne, named after the restaurant, is redolent of penne vodka, except with less cream and a heap of mozzarella. Personally, I have found that though the dish is overall refreshing, the addition of a heavy layer of melted cubes of mozzarella often overpower the fresh tomatoes and sauce and provide a disproportionate, rubbery burden to the otherwise flavorful dish.

A few dishes I might warn you about, from hearing from others, are the Prosciutto e Spinaci and the Meatballs with Polenta. The former is often too salty due to the prosciutto and should be ordered with less salt. The latter can be unfilling at times, unlike other dishes, especially if one is expecting a large portion of meatballs and might not be used to eating polenta. Overall, however, the dishes are both flavor-

Google Images

Finalists Tackle Contemporary Issues in Annual LeBow Assembly

By MEGAN PAN (V)

On Friday, February 24th, both Upper School and Middle School students and faculty gathered in Hauser Auditorium to watch the six finalists perform their speeches for the 2017 Dr. Robert H. LeBow ‘58 Memorial Oratorical Competition. Founded in 2005 in memory of Dr. LeBow, who spoke to audiences worldwide on the need for healthcare reform, the competition invites sophomores and juniors to compete by writing and delivering original speeches on any topic they choose.

As the first speaker, Meghan Salamon (V) shared her personal story, “Bursting the Bubble,” talking about her struggle with keeping a healthy weight and her journey into veganism. After

learning more about the ethics of animal consumption in the food industry, Salamon urged her audience to question conventional wisdom and to find topics that they are passionate about to which they can likewise dedicate themselves.

Next, Alyssa Chen (V) explored the prominence of college athletic recruitment and the emphasis placed on athletics in academic settings. In a speech titled “Academics Turned Athletic,” Chen noted that significantly more money is spent on college athletics as opposed to academics and art programs. She invited her audience to re-examine the role athletics should play in schools and other academic institutions.

Third, Jordan Taylor (V) encouraged the audience to remain focused and take control in the

face of adversity in “Training for the Second Half.” Citing examples such as the comeback victory of the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl LI and her own brother’s inspiring recovery from a serious injury, Taylor

Courtesy of Pingry Communications

reminded the audience that the game does not end at halftime and to stay mentally tough in the face of difficulties.

Next, Rachel Chen (V) delivered “An Open Letter to the Class of 2020,” imparting her advice

and personal experiences to the freshmen in the audience. Chen recounted her own desire to make friends as a new sixth grader in Pingry and how she was able to make a lot of friends by suppressing her interests and blending in, but she noted how these friendships were ultimately shallow and unfulfilling. She advised the audience to build friendship based on genuine support and to “do what you love, love what you do, and love each other for all doing the same.” (An expanded version of the speech is on the Op-Ed page 3).

Fifth, Jenny Coyne (V) discussed how technology was negatively impacting the way people communicated with each other in “Our Fantastical Frictionless World.” Comparing social media to the simplified

frictionless surface in physics, Coyne explained that technology can make communication easier at the expense of real social interaction.

As the final speaker, Avery Didden (IV) gave her speech “My Cousin’s Stories” through the first-person perspective of her cousin Madison Marmo, who has autism and a chromosomal disorder. Through Marmo’s voice, Didden shared the difficulties her cousin experiences and emphasized “telling stories for those who can’t tell them.”

In the end, the panel of judges could only choose one victor, and they decided on Rachel Chen and her “Open Letter to the Class of 2020,” making this her second LeBow victory. Avery Didden and “My Cousin’s Stories” was named as the runner-up.

THE PINGRY RECORD

7

SCHOOL NEWS MARCH 10, 2017

21st Annual Student Photography Keeping Up with the Green Group Show Features Pingry Students

By KETAKI TEVAN (IV)

By AVERY DIDDEN (IV)

Pingry’s Hostetter Art Gallery is an indispensable source of exposure to new perspectives for members of the Pingry community. The gallery showcases a wide range of work from the beautiful masterpieces of world-renowned artists to the equally brilliant work made by Pingry students and faculty.

Until March 7 the gallery was home to the 21st annual Student Photography Exhibition. Over 200 photos submitted by students from 15 schools, including Pingry, displayed a wide range of subjects.

The photos ranged from light and happy images to deeper documentations about the current state of the world.

Judged by professional photographer Michael Endy, 25 pictures were selected as “winners” of the show.

Pingry’s student winners

were Rose Beatty (VI), Alice Berndt (V), Rikki Borkowski (VI), Kamal Brown (IV), Hailey Cernuto (V), Sophie Morris (VI), Jamie Parker (VI), and Caroline Stillitano (VI).

Taking part in this exhibition was a special adventure for all student participants because of the unique opportunity to view different perspectives on the world. Regarding her experience with the show, Photo I student Abigail Jay (IV) said, “Being a first-time participant in the Photo Show, it’s not so much about winning an award, but seeing everyone’s photos and seeing everyone coming together to put their best work in.”

Fine Arts Department Chair and Art Teacher Mr. Miles Boyd reflected that the gallery can be “an untapped resource” for students and faculty involved in many different campus activities.

We bring hundreds of students, grades 6-12, to the

So far this year, Pingry’s Green Group has held a variety of activities to promote environmental conservation and raise awareness.

The group has hosted their annual garden lunch and a garden crêpe party, and conducted green community service projects at seven different sites on Rufus Gunther Day. Green Group also partnered with the Sustainability Club in their visit to Duke Farms and is planning a trip to the Lakota Wolf Preserve.

This spring, Green Group will also be collaborating with the biology department to propagate seedlings for the Pingry garden. According to Mr. Peter Delman, the faculty advisor of Green Group, other major initiatives will aim to “develop our back campus and woodland areas as a resource for teaching and learning and make Pingry’s commitment to sustainT. Williams (V) ability visible.” exhibitions, not just “serious These initiatives include inart students,” he said. stalling shade sails and a storage “For our students, it’s phe- shed in the garden, building a nomenal because they actually boardwalk in the marsh in front get to see, meet, and work with people whose photos, in many cases, have been shown all over the world,” he said.

“We have brought work in there that is museum quality.

I think it is one of the most exciting teaching rooms we have because we teach a little of everything in there.”

With this amazing resource right at our fingertips, Mr. Boyd urges Pingry students to take advantage of the opportunities the gallery presents: the opportunity to see and appreciate amazing art, the opportunity to learn new stylistic techniques, and the opportunity to gain perspective about the world.

Greek artist, Zoe Karamea, who showed at Pingry 12 years ago, will be exhibiting a second second Gallery show next month.

of the Arts Wing for studying science and art, and improving the trail loop to the campsite so it can be used as a cross country route.

To expand Green Group’s reach within the Pingry community, the club plans to help develop a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) summer course to be offered at Pingry, help develop an experiential education curriculum for the Middle School, and partner with the Lower School Green Team.

The Green Group is also collaborating with minds outside of the Pingry community. Architects Scott Loikits and Anthony Sblendorio are donating their services towards working on site design for the back campus in collaboration with Pingry’s Green Campus Design team, led by Lily Cao (VI), Josie Cummings (V), and Nick Ladino (V).

Mr. Loikits was a Pingry graduate who has gone on to design major buildings worldwide, including playing a major role in designing the new Whitney Museum. Mr. Sblendorio was the lead landscape artist for the Willow

School campus in Bedminster, New Jersey.

These two talented architects are working on a site plan for a major redesign of the green space behind Pingry’s cafeteria to include a woodland garden, meet-and-eat areas, and improvements to encourage a smoother transition from indoor to outdoor spaces. They are also developing a proposal for an all-season, net zero outdoor classroom and conference building as well as a tree canopy walk for scientific study and unique access to the natural world. The walk would be located near the campsite.

Isabel DeVito (IV), one of the student leaders of Green Group, says she believes Green Group and their projects are important because they have the ability to “push the school into more ecofriendly and sustainable practices as well as raise awareness about environmental issues.”

She added, “We hope to get students to think about how their actions impact the environment and to come up with solutions that can make a positive impact.”

N. Ladino (V)

“

Word in the Halls How can we move forward as a community despite our differing beliefs?

Josh Thau (III)

Avery Didden (IV)

Melissa Tungare (V)

James Robertson (VI)

Dr. DeSimone

“We have to learn to take everyone’s

“We have a large and diverse community

“Love each other, listen to what other

“It all links back to understanding that

“One thing that would be good to do is to

beliefs into account, even if you don’t

with different views on different aspects

people have to say, learn from others’

each person grows up with their own

recognize that people are going to have

believe in them yourself.”

of life - it’s important that everyone has

points of view.”

background and influences, whether that

differences in viewpoints. Sometimes,

be cultural or religious, and that is going

underneath what appears to be difference,

can respectfully disagree sometimes, but

to influence how they think, what their

there’s common ground; but other times,

mostly hear what others have to say.”

moral compass is going to be, what they

people just have different perspectives. I

prioritize. It is important for all of us

would say one of the biggest difficulties

not to discount other people’s opinions

we face is that people don’t listen for the

just because they come from a different

differences OR the common ground -

background that’s not yours.”

sometimes they’re just looking for a flaw in

a form to voice their opinions, so that we

the other person’s argument that they can attribute to bad motives and prejudice.”

8

Page Volume CXLI, Number 4

By SAMANTHA BURAK (III), MIRO BERGAM (IV), PATRICK GILFILLAN (VI), PAIGE MAULTSBY (IV), MARTHA LEWAND (III), TYLER WILLIAMS (V), KAYA LEE (III), WILL DIGRANDE (VI), JOHN CHEN (IV), HANNA DAVIS (IV), MADDIE PARRISH (V), RACHEL CHEN (V)

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

The girls’ basketball team currently holds a solid 13-13 record as the season comes to an end.

The team has had numerous strong performances and standout moments.

Captain Mary Pagano (VI) said, “The two highlights of our season were defeating Morristown High School [64-63 on February 7th] and having the fans rush the court, and also watching Meg Horn (V) score her 1,000th point.” Along with Horn, the team’s top scorer, Kelsey Ransom (III) has been another outstanding performer this season, leading the team in rebounds.

With each passing month, the team has picked up steam. They have won five out of seven games played so far in February, which shows a strong im-

SportS The Pingry School, Basking Ridge, New Jersey

have always been my favorite aspect of hockey. Getting ready together in the locker room, spending time together on long bus rides, and playing together every day after school are times that always tend to shape teams. We all got really close by the end of the season and I really enjoyed the time I spent surrounded by my teammates.”

Beatty also added that her “favorite memory was the final game.” She said, “Although we didn’t win, stepping off the ice as a senior reminded me of the opportunity the program gave me. Playing on a competitive team and witnessing positive growth has been really awesome.”

The team hopes to continue to make major achievements as they look towards the future.

GIRLS’ WINTER TRACK

The girls’ winter track team, led

by Head Coach Sarah Christensen and captains Victoria Watson (VI), Allison Bisgay (VI), and Julia Dannenbaum (VI) had a very successful

season. Not only did the team capture the group state relay championship title, but they also earned the NonPublic “B” state championship title.

When asked to reflect about the team’s performance, Watson said, “I am really proud of the accomplishments our team has achieved this year, particularly winning two state championships. The other captains I hope our team continues this BOYS’ ICE HOCKEY and winning streak in the years to come.”

With an 8-8-5 record, the boys’ On February 26th, ten members ice hockey team has just wrapped up of the team competed in the Meet of another impressive season, yet again Champions. The highlight of the meet improving upon the year before it. was when Julia Dannenbaum took Led by captains Greg Naratil (VI) and home the gold in pole-vaulting with George Enman (V) as well as Coach an impressive 12’0” vault. Caroline Garrow and Assistant Coaches Ross Dannenbaum (III) and Carol Ann and Magadini, the team generated Perry (III) also finished top 10 in the some impressive wins and ties against pole vault out of top athletes from all some very tough competition. across the state.

“The highlight of the season for GIRLS’ FENCING me was beating Hunterdon Central,” With a current 9-7 record, the remarked Joe Beatty (IV). He said, “They had been first in the standings girls’ fencing team’s season is drawfor a while and it was a big deal to up- ing to a close. The team placed set them.” In another eventful game, in the top eight of the State Team the team narrowly lost to Ridge, the Championships and had two of their top seed in the Skyland Conference, squads, epee and foil, compete in the almost achieving their goal of playing Squad State Championships. Before the season wraps up, four fencers in the tournament’s final.

“As a junior, this has been the best will compete in the State Individual team I’ve played on at Pingry with Championships, including two mema really great core group of seniors bers from the girls’ team, Rebecca Lin leading the team,” reflects Enman.

“Plus, with only one year under his belt as coach, Coach Garrow has already built upon the culture that Coach Magadini set for the team and has done a great job,” he added.

Looking to next season, returning captain Enman believes the team can further improve with “returning talent such as Daniel Schnack (IV) and Matt Keller (IV) on offense and Austin Parsons (V) and Jack Hepp (III) on defense.” provement over the previous months.

Pagano is extremely proud of how far the team has come over a short period of time. She said, “The team is finishing the season really strong and I think it’s amazing that we are still improving day by day,” she said. “I am so happy I continued to play until my senior year to experience these great things with my amazing team.”

GIRLS’ ICE HOCKEY

The girls’ ice hockey team finished their season on a positive note.

Ending with a 11-13-1 record, the team achieved their goal of being the most successful girls ice hockey team in recent school memory.

Captain Rose Beatty (VI) remarked, “We made a ton of progress with five new skaters as well as a new assistant coach, helping the team move in new direction.” When asked what her favorite aspect of the team was, Beatty responded, “The group of girls and the time spent with them

Hogan (V) qualified for the annual Race of Champions on February 28.

“Race of Champions takes the top 30 percent of skiers based on the results of all of the season’s races,” Leithead said.

Coach Julianne Coxe also commented, “We are really proud of Lindsey and Annie for making it to ROC’s. They worked really hard to earn their standing in the top third of the skiers in New Jersey.”

Besides Leithead and Hogan, the rest of the team finished their season at the PeTro Race on February 22.

“Everyone did really well and we had a full turnout of all of our healthy skiers,” Coach Coxe said. “It was a really great course that evening given the warm weather and potential for slushy conditions.”

This year’s graduating skiers include Captain Amy Kaplan (VI), Captain Jack Schiffman (VI) and Heba Syed (VI).

“We will miss their humor and their leadership contributions. I have enjoyed watching them grow as skiers and as leaders,” Coach Coxe said.

(V) and Aubrey Molloy (V).

Head Coach Ted Li, Coach Davidson Barr, Coach Dayn DeRose, and Coach Aye Thuzar praised captains Ellen Li (VI) and Maddy Shilts (VI) for their great leadership and facilitation of team building, without which the team would not have enjoyed the same successes. The coaches have already set goals for the following season. They plan to “focus on the fundamentals of speed, technical excellence and mental toughness, [and] continue to train fencers for a lifetime of ethical achievement.” Most of all, they intend to maintain the same spirit that has made working with the team so enjoyable in the past. As Coach Thuzar puts it, “We have a lot of fun fencing,” regardless of the record.

GIRLS’ SWIMMING

The Girls Varsity Swim team is off to a 4-4 record this year. Led by Coach O’Mara and all five senior captains Julia Robinson (VI), Caroline Marone (VI), Yelena Salvador (VI), Sofia Briones (VI), and Emily Tung (VI), the team is headed in exciting directions.

“We have depth, talent, and huge numbers,” Coach O’Mara noted. “Depth will be one of our biggest strengths this year.” Some of the highlights this season were winning Prep Championships, placing top five at counties, and everyone swam best times.

After former coach Judy Lee retired last year and many of the swimmers were lost due to graduation, the future of the team was uncertain. But based on how well the team has been performing, captain Yelena Salvador and the rest of the team are beaming with excitement and optimism.

“Although we lost a lot of our top swimmers last year to graduation, we have a lot of great freshmen who have joined and will add a lot of depth at our meets.” Salvador said.

“The season has been going really well. One of our highlight meets was against Mount St. Mary’s, one of our biggest rivals. We beat them all based on our performance in the last relay which was super exciting.”

Through team bonding and everyone putting in consistent effort, the swimmers have created a familylike environment and are striving to achieve the goals they have set their minds to. “I have a lot of confidence in our team going forward, especially heading into championship season.”

Salvador stated.

March 10, 2017

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

season, added that he was “excited to see such a dedicated and hardworking group of runners that stayed focused on continuing to improve and grow as performers.”

BOYS’ FENCING

The boys’ fencing team, led by captains Parth Patel (VI), Malcolm Fields (V) and Coach Davidson Barr used this season to overcome team challenges and showcase their talent.

Fields, leader of the sabre squad, was recently selected to be on the Junior World Team and he won the Somerset County Tournament. As Coach Davidson Barr noted, “Our sabre team has been pretty dominant this year against most teams that we fenced.” Most notably, they placed second in the Cetrulo tournament, one of the largest tournaments in the world for high school fencers.

four finish.

He said, “It was the feeling of 13 years of hard work, sweat, 5AM lifts, and late nights at wrestling clubs finally paying off over the course of one match,” and he called it a “truly breathtaking moment” to finally reach states. When asked what he will miss most about Pingry wrestling, Dillon responded, “The camaraderie between the guys. When you’re mentally and physically beaten, the only thing that keeps you going is the guy next to you.”

BOYS’ SQUASH

Looking back on the squash season, members of the top seven feel great in making this past season one the most successful in school history.

After winning their first match at

After losing 2 key players last year, the boys’ basketball team fought hard this season and finished with a 10-13 record.

A buzzer beater by Kyle Aanstoots (IV) in the second game of the season helped them off to a great start. Captain Michael Weber (V) stated that the seniors “displayed great leadershipthroughout the season, and were key players throughout.”

Weber was the leading scorer and Phito Jean-Louis (V) was the leading defensive player.The freshmen, Ray Fluet and Pat Stefurak, were exciting additions to the team and both hope to play a greater role on the team next year.

The team is looking forward to next season and hoping to bounce back and finish with a winning record.

Under the leadership of captains

BOYS’ WINTER TRACK

Pride is something that every athlete on the boys’ winter track team is filled with as the season comes to a close. The lack of new freshmen joining the team seemed like it would undoubtedly mean disadvantages that would put the boys out of competition. Instead, it showcased the talent of the remaining members. At the recent state championship meet, the team placed sixth of 11 teams despite only participating with six boys. Runners Ben Vasquez (V) and Sean Wang (VI) came in second and fifth, respectively, qualifying for the Meet of Champions in the 800 meter dash. The 4x400 meter relay made up of Robert Yu (III), Evan Taylor (IV), Vasquez, and Wang, also qualified for the Meet of Champions after placing second. Head Coach Grant remarked, “The athletes’ continued willingness to give it their best effort despite the odds resulted in relative success throughout the season.” Wang, also pleased with the outcome of the

Regarding the epée squad, Coach Barr said, “Our men’s epée team is very young. We had a couple of really good performances, particularly from Graham Matthews (V).” Earlier this season, Matthews placed third in the Somerset County Tournament.

Chris Yu (IV) and Apurva Memani (V) both qualified for state individuals this season. In addition, members of each squad competed in the Junior Olympics in Kansas City this February to wrap up the season.

WRESTLING

This season for the wrestling team was one filled with milestones.

Unfortunately, the team was plagued with sickness and injury for much of the season, so their final record of 9-11 does not reflect all the hard work they put in this season.

However, for the second straight year, wrestlers Brandon Spellman (IV), Aidan Dillon (V), Thomas Tarantino (VI), and Frankie Dillon (VI) advanced to the region tournament by finishing top three in their district. All four put up a good fight at Regions, where only the top four in each weight class advanced to states.

Ultimately, Aidan Dillon finished 6th at 132 pounds, Tarantino finished 5th at 126 pounds, and Frankie Dillon finished 4th at 152 pounds and became the first Pingry wrestler since 2005 to advance to the state tournament in Atlantic City. In the match he won to qualify for states, Dillon faced a wrestler he lost to at Districts, but won 7-5 in overtime to seal a top

the new courts in the Bugliari Athletic Center, the team never let go of the momentum. The team, led by Coach Ramsay Vehslage and Captains Sam Scherl (VI) and Daniel Hutt (VI), achieved one of their major goals, which was to retain their state title.

At high school nationals, which Hutt called the high point of the season, the team finished 10th, which makes them the 10th best team in the nation in the best division.

Krish Bhavnani (V) said, “Nationals was my favorite part of the season because it allowed the team to bond and offered an opportunity to go up against the best teams in the country.”

With strong leadership all around, the team looks back at a very successful season, the first in the new facility. Everyone agreed that having the new courts was a benefit, mostly due to the fact that the whole team can practice together.

Bhavnani said, “This season was the most successful in my years at the high school, and we hope to be better next season as we have the new courts for the whole year!”

The unseasonably warm weather

BOYS’ SWIMMING Henry Biedron (VI) and Victor Vollbrechthausen (V), the Boys’ Swimming Team capped off a historic season as only the third team in Pingry history to win the Skyland Conference, Somerset County, and Prep titles in a single season.

A definite highlight of the season was February 25th, when they beat Oratory Prep 131-39 in the NJSIAA Non-Public “B” finals to win the state title for the tenth year in a row. Other victories were closer. Junior Will Zhang said, “We matched up against schools way bigger than us, and we were supposed to be way out of our division, but we still managed to win a lot of those meets.”

Everyone swam their best to make this year one of the most memorable yet. Amidst blue hair dye and underdog victories, the team boasted not only a final record of 9 - 1 but also a close, fun camaraderie within the team. “It was an honor to carry on the legacy of past great swimmers at Pingry,” Zhang said.

SKIING

may have caused the snow to melt, but that did not stop the Pingry Ski Team from completing a successful season this winter. The boys finished 12th at the State Qualifier and the girls took home 7th place.

Among other accomplishments, Annie Leithead (IV) and Lindsey

All scores are current as of March 3rd.

Go Big Blue!

All photos are taken by Bruce Morrison.