Cycle 5 April 2018

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PAGE 7

PAGE 14-15

PAGE 19

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National Health Service crisis

Editorial: Censorship

On the outside looking in

Cycling through fashion

Life through the coaching paradigm

Examining the corruption behind the National Health Service, and how these issues are harming the quality of care provided

The Editorial Board responds to a censorship case from Issue 4, and discusses the importance of student voice and opinion

Exploring the possibilities of the future of fashion, and how styles inspired from past decades effect modern day looks

A look into the life of varsity softball coach Randolph Richardson as he shares his intertwined passion for teaching and coaching

PAGE 3

the Standard

Students and faculty explore the presence of exclusivity in the High School through venue parties, social media and inherent cliques

News 3-6 | Opinions 7-11 | Features 12-18 | Culture 19-23 | Sports 24-28

Cracking college tuition

With the average tuition cost of college rising 129 percent in the last 30 years, students consider other paths to manage the increasing financial strain of higher education.

Michaela Towfighi | Editor-in-Chief: Print

Story on pages 16-17

April 2018 | Volume 43, Issue 5

The American School in London | One Waverley Place | London NW8 0NP U.K. | standard.asl.org

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FEATURES

The Standard

The Standard sits down with Alexandra (Haggiag) Dean (’97), an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Dean discusses her upcoming documentary, Bombshell: the Hedy Lamarr story.

Lily Noel (’19) and Caroline Harms (’19) have been elected as Student Council President and Vice-President respectively for the 2018-2019 school year. PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA GERS.

NEWS

| April 2017 Left: Alumna Alexandra (Haggiag) Dean (’97) second from the right as part of the Jambalaya staff. Right: Dean meets her former English Teacher Keith Millman.

PHOTO FROM ASL.ORG

SPORTS Girls-only gym session provides comfortable hour to workout Athlete spotlight: varsity baseball player Drew Erdei (’21)

Q&A with new Student Council leaders First Amendment (1A) Society: a space to discuss dissenting opinions Discussing power, privilege and identity at the YoungPower Conference The evolving cost of the SpaceX exploration

In case you missed it...

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CULTURE Book review: When Dimple Met Rishi

Students merge interests in fashion and entrepreneurship to create clothing lines

Hoodies sold by Chris Von Daehne’s (’18) clothing line, Parlays on Payphones.

PHOTO FROM PARLAYSONPAYPHONES.COM

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April 2018 standard.asl.org

Teaser 1 U.S. Incarceration rates Teaser 2 Cambridge Analytica

NEWS

National Health Service faces criticism Despite the National Health Service’s benefits, the program has recently come under criticism for a lack of funding and shortage of staff and resources.

ISHAAN RAHMAN STAFF WRITER The National Health Service (NHS) was founded in 1948 as a source of free medical treatment accessible to every U.K. resident.

The NHS ensures the wellbeing of the public, plays a role in the training of doctors and nurse and, according to the Office for National Statistics, it is also the single largest employer in the U.K. However, there has been a drastic shortage of staff, namely doctors, midwives and nurses according to The Guardian. In addition, experts point out that healthcare funding simply isn’t meeting targets. The English population are desperate to improve the current situation, with The Independent reporting that people are willing to raise taxes to fund the universal health system.

Indeed, accident and emer-

patients...especially during the winter,” he said.

Social Studies Teacher Duncan Pringle believes that there is a gross oversimplification of the NHS crisis due to rampant politicization. “The health service has been politicized from left to right and from one government to another government,” Pringle said.

The Labour Party’s plan for the NHS had been to invest more money into the service to help it recover from cuts pursued by the government. Despite agreeing that the NHS needs a drastic increase in funds, Pringle feels that there needs to be more specific reforms regarding how the money is being spent.

Former NHS employee and nurse Adam Bonnington said he is concerned about the investment in part-time jobs rather than full-time ones as The Telegraph reported in May that the

migrants arriving in the U.K. since 2000 contribute 34 percent more to public services, such as the NHS, than they take out. In addition, according to a 2016 Full Fact report, the money that immigrants cost the NHS is insignificant to the costs of new medical technologies.

Pringle believes that a reason for these oversimplifications could be people’s emotional attachment to the NHS. Free general healthcare is desirable so it is a sensitive political topic that no one can talk about without applying simplistic labels.

Bonnington also believes the lack of compensation of doctors and nurses could be the source of dissatisfaction among NHS employees. “From my experience of working in the NHS I feel that the pressure that nurses and doctors work under isn’t really reflected in the rewards they get financially,” he said.

“From my experience of working in the NHS I feel that the pressure that nurses and doctors work under isn’t reflected in the rewards they get financially.”

ADAM BONNINGTON, NURSE

gency (A&E) waiting hours are at their worst levels on record as Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt admitted that it had been the hardest winter for the health services.

Marie Ogino (’20) relies on the NHS for annual check-ups and has noticed the ongoing crisis particularly when compared to private hospitals. “I know that there aren’t enough staff members...and a shortage of flu vaccines,” she said.

In fact, The Guardian reported that there is a shortage of vital flu vaccines in parts of the U.K. Although John Nation (’19) doesn’t use the NHS often, he is aware of the situation. “I have heard that some hospitals not being in proper operating condition to serve

NHS spends £3.7 billion on parttime workers. “That obviously feels like a waste of funds, rather they could invest in a permanent nurse who wants to stay and work and take pride in their role,” Bonnington said.

Additionally, Pringle believes the same oversimplifications on the right of U.K. politics. The U.K. Independence Party had stated many times that immigrants have put excessive pressure on the NHS restricting local access. “It’s incredibly simplistic to state that the NHS is straining under the weight of immigrants and therefore, the local population cannot access it,” Pringle said.

However, a 2013 study by University College London stated that im-

Similarly, in 2017 HealthTimes reported that nurses working in the Australian public health system earn a comparatively average salary equivalent to £38,000. NHS Health Careers reported that nurses earned an average of £26,565 in 2017. Even for doctors there is a gap as NHS Health Careers reported that GPs in the U.K. earn a maximum of £85,298 whilst Business Insider Australia reported in 2014 that their GPs earn the equivalent of £119,200.

Pringle and Bonnington also agree that the NHS crisis is much more complex than what politicians make it out to be. “We have to depoliticize the NHS and have a national conversation on healthcare,” Pringle said.

NHS over time: By the numbers

General hospital beds available

110,568

100,466

2010

2018

Operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons

12,548

18,588

2006

2018

Nurses per 100,000 people in England

604

2009

576 2016

Statistics from Unison.org and The Independent

4

news

TheStandard Standard The

Tech firm harvests Facebook users’ data ALLEGRA ALBANESE | STAFF WRITER

CAMERON CAMPILI | LEAD NEWS EDITOR

ISABELLE LHUILIER | NEWS EDITOR

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On March 17, The Guardian and The New York Times uncovered that a British software company, Cambridge Analytica, was releasing Facebook accounts data. It was reported that more than 50 million Facebook users’ data had been given to Cambridge Analytica to create digital propaganda on the site through advertisements.

Moreover, allegations were made that the company had used Facebook users’ data to influence recent political elections, including the 2016 Presidential election and the 2016 Brexit referendum.

news

April 2018

5

Following the exposure, Facebook Chairman, CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg testified infront of the U.S. Congress on April 10 and 11. Zuckerberg faced questions posed by members of the Senate regarding the scandal and proposed regulations.

H

aving learned about Cambridge Analytica a year ago through reading articles and researching the company, Will Fox (’18) was shocked to hear about the way Facebook misused users’ data. “I felt a bit surprised and unsure about Facebook’s integrity,” he said. “[Also] the integrity of other technology firms that store so much of our data and have tons of our personal information and what they’re willing to do to make a profit.”

On the other hand, Grade 11 Dean Rodney Yeoh was “not surprised” upon learning about the scandal after teaching lessons about data privacy in his Topics of Government and Law class. “It wasn’t like I knew that it was going to happen, but it was something that could always happen, there’s always that risk,” he said.

Similarly, Technology Coordinator Mariam Mathew also feels that in some sense, users should know that Facebook would like to use their information for alternative purposes. However, she believes that this does not excuse their actions.

Regarding the Facebook user agreement and Zuckerberg’s Senate Hearing, Fox will be looking into changing his own privacy settings and how he utilizes Facebook generally. “In the testimony I heard that Zuckerberg said that you can change a lot of the Facebook settings yourself to protect your own information and that’s on the users’ end. It’s their [the users’] responsibility to do that, so I will be looking into my user information and what I make public and what my friends and non-friends can see,” Fox said.

Even before the scandal Liam Hamama (’20) has always been careful about what personal infor-

mation he shares online. “I don’t post my political opinion on public threads just in case,” he said.

“I think it’s better for my political opinion to stay off of public forums so I will just keep doing that.”

Yeoh also only uses Facebook to keep in touch with friends and never posts personal information.

“I think because I am so aware of data privacy I hardly post information about myself,” he said.

Following the aftermath of the scandal, Hamama believes Facebook should not receive legal sanctions as users agreed to information access through accepting Facebook’s terms and condi-

“

I think the Cambridge Analytica scandal has been a wake up call for people to remember that what you do on social media is not private and it could fall into the wrong hands.

Liam Hamama (’20) tions. Although, Hamama does feels that the scandal was unethical. “I don’t think the government should punish [Facebook] because they haven’t broken any specific laws,” Hamama said.

“But I think there’s a moral issue with using people’s information in order to gain money, especially by covering it up in hundreds of pages of a user agreement.”

Agreeing with Hamama, Mathew believes that there is a difference between ethical and legal infractions, and what Facebook has done is ethi-

50 million $6.2 million

cally wrong, but not illegal. “What Facebook absolutely knows is that no user of Facebook has actually read [the user agreement] to that level to know that they have the right to give their information in such a manner to third parties,” she said.

Mathew also acknowledges that regardless of what happens legally with Facebook, reform is needed in the world of social media. By adding in a regular monthly payment system, similar to Nextflix, Mathew feels that this would cut out a huge empathise on targeted advertisements and would prevent future data scandals.

In response to the allegations that the scandal may have influenced events such as Brexit, Hamama does not believe that the votes should be reconsidered.

“People still voted. You can’t just reverse a referendum based on a Facebook scandal. I think that’s not democratic so I don’t think it’s going to have an effect now, but I think it will certainly impact what Facebook does,” he said.

For Yeoh, the lack of data privacy is playing a worrying role in politics. “[It’s] very alarming because now politics is not just about issues [and] policies, but it’s beyond that,” he said. “The other layer is we have access to your private digital data and we can manipulate it to give you the news that you want to hear.”

Despite the scandal, Hamama will continue to use Facebook as he believes the company should make changes to adapt to what users want. “It hasn’t worried me personally because I don’t mind being advertised to based on what I search and what I view, but I think some people will take issue with it,” he said. “Social media platforms are going to have to adapt to what people are calling

users’ information was shared with research firm Cambridge Analytica.

STATISTICS TAKEN FROM THE GUARDIAN.

paid by the Trump campaign to Cambridge Analytica in 2016.

Facebook’s new guidelines to help users understand how companies use advertisements and how users can control them.

PHOTOS FROM FACEBOOK.COM for because otherwise someone else is going to make a new social media platform that doesn’t sell information to advertisers.”

Although Fox believes that this scandal probably won’t do much to effect Facebook in the short term, he does think that Facebook is a platform on the decline. “All social media platforms start to age, some of the people even at ASL a few years younger are starting to not even have Facebook already they’re migrating to Snapchat and Instagram. I think it will

be fine in the short run, but in the long run I think it will lose a lot of support,” Fox said.

Additionally, Hamama believes that a similar scandal could occur on any other social media platform.

Because of this, Hamama feels that people have now become more wary of what they post on these platforms. “I think the Cambridge Analytica scandal has been a wake up call for people to remember that what you do on social media is not private and it could fall into the wrong hands,” he said.

6

news

TheStandard Standard The

Locked up: unjust incarceration rates An exploration into the bias of America’s judicial system and how it has led to prejudice against American minorities.

EMILY FORGASH STAFF WRITER

Stephon Clark was in his grandmother’s backyard when the police found him on March 18. They were searching for a suspect after receiving a call about car break-ins in Sacramento, California. Upon seeing Clark, a 22-year-old black man, the police shot him 20 times, taking his life, on the grounds that he was holding a gun. However, the only item he was holding was his phone.

Criminal justice activist Danielle Phillips believes that the criminal justice system in America is a major issue for civilians. “The [2.2 million] people that we’ve incarcerated, that we’ve put into state prisons and into federal prisons, and the [reasons] that we put them in there is basically this massive human rights abuse issue,” she said.

Phillips grew up in Madera, California, in what she calls a “prison town.” She didn’t realize that it was abnormal for an 8-year-old to tour a women's detention facility until she started reading about the justice system in the U.S. Seeing crowds of people in prison confused Phillips; at a young age she couldn’t comprehend the reason behind their imprisonment.

Phillips further explained the deep rooted problems that the U.S. criminal justice system brings to light, such as the biases at every level of prosecution and control. “I think that we desperately want to believe that it’s a fair and just system. We all want to believe the good guys are good and the bad guys go to prison,” she said. “The reality of that is that we as a society have decided that certain types of people should be policed.”

Another statistic Phillips included in her presentation is that one in every three black males born today in the U.S. can expect to go to prison at some point in his life whereas one in every six Latino males, and only one in every 17 white males can expect the same thing.

In studying racial bias and wrongful execution in Human Rights Seminar, Anya Syed (’19) came to similar conclusions as Phillips.“There is this concept called ‘cognitive associations’ [where] people make associations based on the color of someone's skin. So, for example, if a black man walks into court he's more likely to be wrongfully executed and wrongfully convicted for this reason,” Syed said.

In Phillips’ Aequitas Day presen-

tation with her husband, Principal Jack Phillips, she included some statistics to help people understand the severity of the issue. One statistic showed that more African-American men are in prison, jail, probation or on parole than were enslaved in 1850, before the Civil War began. According to The Washington Post there are currently 1.7 million African-American males under some form of correctional control, whereas there were 870,000 African American males enslaved in 1850.

For Social Studies Teacher Todd Rooks racial bias is increased in his everyday life. One day around

“

Whether you’re Black, White, Asian [or] Hispanic, Black gets attributed with bad...and so it changes your reactions and the way you approach things.

Todd Rooks, Social Studies Teacher Christmas about 12 years ago, Rooks, his mother and his brother were driving in the Best Buy parking lot in Newport News, Virginia when the police suddenly them. “[The police] stopped us because they said that they had reports that this car was stolen or this type of car had been stolen, which is just any excuse they give any black person whenever they want to stop them and suspect something is wrong,” he said.

Simularly to Syed, Rooks believes that everyone develops preconceived ideas about people based on their appearance.

“We stereotype things because it's our nature, and race just happens to be the biggest thing that you can see other than gender. We have such a stereotyped view that black is bad, evil and negative,” he said. “Whether you're Black, White, Asian [or] Hispanic, Black gets attributed with bad... and so it changes your reactions and the way you approach things.”

Rooks was reminded of this racial divide when recently he and some friends stopped to ask three young adults how to enter a club on a night out. Two of the boys were black and one was white.

The white boy joked that they needed to break the glass and walk through the door. The two black

boys politely said that they didn’t know. Rooks believes that the black boys thought they needed be respectful because they were representing black people whereas the white boy was less concerned with this.

Due to the media, cases of police brutality have been brought to the world’s attention. “Over time [the racial profiling issue has] gotten a lot more prevalent in society especially over the past 50 years. People are starting to realize that people of color are being marginalized against and are always prejudiced against,” Syed said. “Lack of police training, lack of accountability, all of that culminates with this racial bias in the judicial system.”

Phillips explained that the crimes racial minorities are often conflicted for are common, undisputed actions for those in the racial majority. She believes many of the crimes that minorities are serving long term sentences for happen on college campuses every day. “I can walk to the store right in the middle of the night with a hoodie on and get skittles and no one is going to run me down,” she said. “We don’t realize that we’re not criminalized for it because of where we live, because of the color of our skin.’”

Despite the fact that this issue isn’t directly affecting everybody in the ASL community, Phillips

Photo of prisoners in Los Angeles county state prison in California. The U.S. currently has the largest incarceration rate in the world. PHOTO FROM CHANNEL 4 NEWS believes it’s still an issue that this community should pay attention to and care about. “The Civil Rights Movement didn’t actually affect a lot of [white] people.

Those lunch sit ins and those people drinking from separate water fountains, there was a big part of the country that it didn’t affect at all,” Phillips said.

Syed believes unjust incarceration rates will be an incredibly difficult issue to fix. “I think the only thing we can do is wait for people to become less biased and more impartial in general, and I think the only way to do that is to create a new foundation for the judicial system instead of one that's built on racism,” she said.

On May 31 students, including Syed, who are enrolled in the Human Rights Seminar class will be holding a symposium. It will be centred around the theme of ‘Cruel and Unusual Punishment’ and each student will organize their own seminar.

United States incarceration 2.2 million prisoners overall 800 prisoners for every 100000 people 38% of prison population is black Contains 25% of the world’s prisoners Contains 5% of the worlds population 1 in 3 black men can expect to go to prison 20% of population has a criminal record STATISTICS FROM DANIELLE PHILLIPS’ AEQUITAS DAY PRESENTATION “THE CAGING OF AMERICA”

April April2018 2018

Hard Brexit School dances

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OPINIONS news

7

Editorial

As student journalists, we strive to embody the courage to act. At the forefront of our work lies the core values as well as our mission statement. In every issue we produce, we publish our goal to “[create] a collaborative, open forum that cultivates productive dialogue within the school community.” However, this environment cannot be fulfilled when we lose the ability to use our voices.

As a voice within the community, we feel it is our duty to explain the censorship issue we encountered when we interfered with the administration in our March 2018 print issue. We have always taken pride in our strong relationship with the administration and appreciate the trust they hold in us to report and write honestly, accurately and respectfully. Yet, in Issue 4 of The Standard, a

Letter to the Editor was censored and completely removed, requiring us to reprint the paper. We understand that there was rational reasoning behind the decision to remove the article, but that underlines a greater issue: as a paper that is school-funded, the administration will always get the final say.

As a publication that embodies the voices of the students, the courage to act by speaking up for ourselves and others, is crucial. It is important for the community to know that we value these unheard voices and that our publication is a platform for their opinions. With the recent censorship, we are worried that this aspect of student voice was lost, and students’ courage to act was restricted.

We do not take our positions as student journalists lightly. We appreciate the free-

dom we have received in past issues to consistently publish our work and opinions both in print and online. We know we are student leaders in the High School and it is essential to embody all values the school maintains. It is a privilege to share our articles and those of other students with the community.

Whether or not we, as an Editorial Board, agree with the articles censored does not factor into our disappointment. We solely argue that censorship as a principle is wrong. No members of our community should be barred from speaking their mind based on fear or pressure put onto them by others.

Furthermore, this is not The Standard’s first encounter with censorship. This was the most abhorrent case as it was not our voices which were silenced, but the voic-

es of members of the student body who wished to share their opinion. This sets an alarming precedent. We are unable to provide a platform for students if the administration is so easily intimidated by external pressures to silence its students. This Editorial Board firmly believes that the administration should defend its students before catering to the demands of parents.

As students, we make mistakes, yet only when we recognize these mistakes are we able to move on from them. However, this cannot happen when there is no dialogue or room for conversation.

As an Editorial Board, filled with students who are both journalists and concerned community members, we cannot stress the importance of autonomy of the press, and trust in student voices, enough.

Standard MICHAELA TOWFIGHI Editor-in-Chief: Print SOURNA DANESHVAR JR. Editor-in-Chief: Online ANANYA PRAKASH Managing Editor: Print CHRISTINA LEONARD Managing Editor: Online CAM CAMPILI Lead News Editor ISABELLE LHUILIER News Editor SOPHIE ASHLEY Opinions Editor ALEXANDRA GERS Lead Features Editor MARTHA DUFF Features Editor JOHN TOWFIGHI Features Editor PHAEDRA LETROU Culture Editor QUINN WHITMAN Culture Editor JONATHAN NOVAK Sports Editor JONATHAN SHEVES Sports Editor OLIVIA ABRAMS Print and Online Media Editor MICHAEL FLAHERTY Online Editor IMOGEN WEISS Online Editor SHANNON MILLER Adviser CARTOONIST Gaby Iwegbue STAFF WRITERS Maya Ariburnu, Amaan Zafar, Anastasia Ruimy, Rohan Haarmann, Jonathan Philips, Ishaan Rahman, Allegra Albanese, Taylor Anderson, Sal Cerrell, Emily Forgash, Lea George, Helena Hansen, Izzy Harris,

Estee Jorgensen, Lena Levey, Uma Mokhtarzadeh, Liz Merryweather, Eli Nilson, Lucas Romualdo, Sara Short, Elijah VanderMolen, Lily Whitman STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Emily Forgash, Piya Garg, Addie Griggs, Eliza Blakemore MISSION STATEMENT The Standard staff and adviser are dedicated to creating a collaborative, open forum that cultivates productive dialogue within the School community by publishing exemplary student news media according to the strictest standards of journalistic integrity.

CONTENT The Standard covers news related, but not limited, to the School community. Issues-driven coverage that aims to explore ideas, themes, concepts, trends and recent developments beyond the campus that are relevant to members of the community are also included.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send submissions to the journalism lab, room P-101, or to the_standard@asl.org. These must adhere to the same set of ethical guidelines that all staff content is held to, and will only be published at the discretion of the editorial board and the adviser. The Standard retains the right to edit letters for length and AP/Stan-

dard style. All letters must be signed in order to be considered for publication.

EDITORIALS Articles published without a byline and presented in the same location issue-to-issue represent the majority opinion of the editorial board. They are unsigned.

COMMENTARIES Articles with a byline and a photo of the author are opinions articles. They represent the view of the writer only, and not necessarily the staff of The Standard or any other individual or group in the community.

CORRECTIONS POLICY Readers reserve the right to call attention to an error in print or online stories. Any queries regarding potential corrections can be emailed to the_standard@asl.org or be reported to P-101. The corrected version will appear online with a note indicating that the article has been updated since it originally appeared. If the article originally appeared in print, a note about the correction will also be printed in the following issue.

ENGAGEMENT WITH READERSHIP The Standard encourages all readers to submit their thoughts through letters to the editor, guest columns, online comments and story ideas. Contact the appropriate section editor(s), or the online staff through the

“Contact Us” box on our website, for submissions.

DISTRIBUTION Press run is 800 copies. Copies are provided free of charge to students, faculty and staff in The American School in London; current enrollment 1,380.

Printed by Mortons Print Limited, 01507 523456 ONLINE VIEWING The Standard can be viewed online at standard.asl.org.

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The Standard is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

8

opinions

The Standard

Uncovering the roots of extremism ISHAAN RAHMAN ishaan_rahman@asl.org

“

By tackling issues with isolation within Muslim communities, allowing the spread of liberal, western values and continuing the offensive against ISIS, and those who defend them, in the Middle East, a world free of radicalism can be achieved.

Prevention of radicalization of muslims has been a topic of much debate in western politics, whether it be the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election or the many elections across Europe, where the migrant crisis is escalating. Most far-right populists have called for immigration bans and supervision of Muslim communities, while most liberals believe that there is little connection between Islam and extremism.

Neither of these pose as a genuine solution to terrorism, nor do they fully demonstrate understanding of the motivations for why young men, who could have bright futures, leave their homes to go fight for the brutal, monstrous organization known as Islamic State (IS).

It is undeniable that the Quran, along with many other religious texts, have views that, by modernday standards, would be unsavoury.

However, ancient religious books are not the soul or initial cause of Islamic extremism. In the Middle East, the radical ideology was able to spread because of major political changes that have negatively affected many in the region.

Dissatisfaction with oppressive Arab dictatorships, which have since collapsed, have allowed for extremist ideologies to break chaos without a central authority to stop them. In Iraq, for example, where Saddam Hussein was in power until 2003, research by the U.S. Institute of Peace reported that a decline in

opinions

government services and a sense of injustice amongst citizens, specifically during Hussein’s rule, had fueled support for violent radical groups. At the time, Hussein’s regime had violently suppressed action by such radical groups. However, after the collapse of the regime following a U.S./U.K. intervention, these groups proliferated due to a lack of central authority. Likewise, despite other religiously-related issues, Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia, which are fullyfunctioning democracies, have an infinitely smaller problem with ISIS fighters, with barely one violent extremist coming from the country.

In the west, there are a multitude of causes of extremism and many are not what those in power, both on the left and right, suggest.

While the far-right’s allegation that traditionalist Islamic beliefs (e.g. verses in the Quran and other religious texts) are the sole cause of extremism is ludicrous, the left’s assertion that it has “nothing to do with Islam” is also inaccurate.

In fact, according to those who have been radicalized, it is isolated communities that have allowed violent crime and unsavoury, radical views to proliferate, leading to sympathy with extremism groups.

In the U.K., British Muslim are some of the most economically deprived ethnic groups. According to the Muslim Council of Britain, 46 percent of British Muslims reside

in the most deprived communities in the U.K. Isolated communities have lead to the spread of two main social pathologies: crime and radical ideology. According the Huffington Post, Muslims make up 15 percent of prison inmates, while being barely 5 percent of the U.K. population. Crime rates amongst men arriving from Muslim countries, specifically rape, is also quite high. Radical ideologies have also begun to proliferate in these communities – polling of communities that are over 20 percent Muslim confirms this. What is important to note, however, is that these views are not necessarily Islamic and cannot solely lead to radicalization.

In addition, known terrorists, including Omar Mateen, the Pace Nightclub Shooter in Florida, were alcoholics and addicted to drugs, both of which are violations of Islam.

That said, according to a Channel 4 poll, 52 percent of British Muslims think homosexuality should be illegal, 39 percent said that women should always obey their husbands and 23 percent support the introduction of Sharia Law in parts of the U.K. Most troubling, however, is that 4 percent also sympathize with those who take place in suicide bombings.

The Quran does hold many of these views, however, the Bible isn’t exactly a champion of social justice either. However, ‘radical Christianity’ is not a major issue right

now because of the integration of Christians into society. We must now apply that to Muslims. In the Middle East, combating extremist groups militarily is necessary, the U.S./U.K./France Intervention in Syria is a step forward in that respect. After the 2003 Iraq Intervention, the US was able to partner with the new Iraqi government to combat ISIS, and have since made substantial gains. This could also work in Syria with the removal of the Bashar al–Assad Regime. In the west, moderate immigration controls on the flow of refugees and economic migrants from MuslimMajority countries are also necessary. This means increased vetting and limits on the amount of refugees allowed in, which is also necessary for economic reasons.

Religiously-affiliated schools (not just Muslim ones) that are publicly funded should also be abolished and replaced. With regards to security, policing of areas with known terrorist activity should increase.

The problem with Islamic Extremism in both the West and Middle East is complex. The solution is equally challenging. However, by tackling issues with isolation within Muslim communities, allowing the spread of liberal, western values and continuing the offensive against ISIS, and those who defend them, in the Middle East, a world free of radicalism can be achieved.

Combatting the opioid epidemic ISABELLE LHUILIER isabelle_lhuilier@asl.org

“

As medicine continues to advance it is important that we continue to question and monitor the substances we are putting in our bodies.

In recent years an issue plaguing a vast number of Americans has remained relatively under the radar: the opioid epidemic.

According to CBS News, in 2016 in the U.S. 37,757 people died from motorized accidents, 36,252 died from gun related accidents whereas 52,404 died from opioid overdoses. Many of these resulted from the use of legal drugs and thus one of the greatest causes of death in America sits on the shelves of pharmacies.

Opioids are highly potent drugs which relieve pain by impacting the opioid receptors in the brain and nervous system. This effect on the brain makes them highly addictive Although not all opioids contributing to this pandemic are legal for purchase, a vast majority are. That this should be the cause of much more concern. According to the New York Times, of those addicted to opioids in the U.S. 75% percent began with a prescription painkiller given to them by a friend, family member

or dealer. Additionally, in 2014, overdoses from opioid painkillers killed more people than heroin, cocaine or marijuana.

A key reason behind these alarming results is the fact that these drugs have often been prescribed unnecessarily. In the 1990s American doctors start prescribing opioids to many patients complaining of chronic pain. Pharmaceutical companies insisted that drugs such as OxyContin were less addictive than other medicines and should be used much more frequently. Although we now know these claims to be false, but according to Vox, by 2001 doctors had prescribed over 259 million people with opioids.

In 2011 the U.S. government began to take notice of this epidemic and put regulations on prescriptions.

However, this had negative impacts on those who were already addicted as they turned to other drugs, most notably heroine, as an alternative.

Since opioids provide such an effective pain relief they continue

being used to treat patients involved in major accidents or with particularly invasive injuries. Unfortunately, many of these are still over prescribed or patients are not fully aware of their effects.

In October 2017, American musician Tom Petty passed away from an overdose of multiple forms of opioids. Suffering from intense pain as the result of a hip fracture, Petty was prescribed different opioids to help him cope.

In a statement, the singers family said that they believed Petty had not understood just how potent the medication he was taking was.

Additionally, American rock-star Prince, who died in 2016, was another victim of the opioid crisis. The singer had suffered many injuries from on stage stunts and was taking opioids. He is believed to have been killed by an accidental fentanyl overdose, an opioid 100 times more powerful than morphine.

In order to prevent tragedies such as these from occurring in the future, more effective meas-

ures must be put in place to limit access to opioids. When administered properly and for a short period of time these drugs can be beneficial to those suffering from extreme pain. However, it is paramount that they are only used when they are absolutely necessary. Doctors need to monitor opioid–receiving patients very carefully and immediately take them off the drugs when they are no longer needed.

It is also essential that, when they are prescribed opioids, the general public are made fully aware of their potency. People tend to always have faith in the opinions of medical professionals but it is also important they remain fully informed on the medication they are taking.

As medicine continues to advance it is important that we continue to question and monitor the substances we are putting in our bodies. The opioid epidemic is a prime example of the dangers of a lack of precaution when prescribing medication.

opinions

April 2018

9

Celebrities are not qualified politicians LUCAS ROMUALDO lucas_romualdo@asl.org

“

The era of partisan politics means that celebrities have a real shot at holding high offices.

And their lack of qualifications should scare us all.

On March 19, actress Cynthia Nixon announced a campaign for Governor of New York against Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary. Running on a platform of economic and social equality, much further to the left of Cuomo’s centrist campaign, Nixon poses a serious threat to the future of the Democratic Party, and she’s not the only one.

Over the past year, many liberals have touted celebrities, and other people unqualified for office, as potential candidates. People suggested Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Tom Hanks or Oprah Winfrey to run for president in 2020. People were desperate for Michelle Obama, whose “qualifications” were a good speech and being First Lady and a lawyer, to run. Other unqualified people have reportedly considered presidential runs, like billionaires Mark Cuban and Tom Steyer, and Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Not only are these candidates unqualified, but they are also wildly out of touch with lives of the average American. When was the last time that Oprah went grocery shop-

ping? When was the last time Steyer or Hanks filed their own taxes, paid their bills, or mowed their lawns?

On The Ellen Show, Bill Gates, the second-richest person in the world, couldn’t name the prices of some basic grocery items. These prospective candidates undoubtedly share those same issues. They’re all just as rich, just as influential and just as aloof.

With their new cadre of celebrity candidates, the Democratic Party risks something far worse than the Tea Party Movement, and what it did to the Republicans. In the 2010 and 2014 election cycles, Republicans turned away from the moderates that failed them in 2006 and 2008.

Instead, they turned to less experienced, more conservative, ideologically “pure” candidates.

The Tea Party movement, which defined the modern Republican Party, turned farmers and small business owners into powerful legislators.

Meanwhile, small-time state legislators were swept into higher office.

People like U.S. representative Kristi Noem went from interns to gubernatorial candidates in a decade.

The Tea Party Movement made Ted Cruz a Senator, Michele Bachmann a presidential candidate, and Paul Ryan a Speaker of the House.

Moderate Republicans, like Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst of Texas, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor were forced out of office by littleknown candidates whose conservative credentials were more appealing to energized Republican voters. The Republican Party was all but purged of their moderates, centrists, and even their liberals. The most popular slogan for a candidate became “I’m not a politician.”

Despite the obvious shortcomings of the Tea Party candidates, at least they were, for the most part, average people. Ted Cruz was a lawyer, Paul Ryan was a political staffer and personal trainer, Michele Bachmann was a lawyer, religious counsel and mother. They paid their bills, mowed their lawns and cooked for their children. They didn’t have butlers, maids, chefs and valets. They understood many of the issues that faced their constituents. The same cannot

Progress Report EARTH WEEK

1 4 4

HEAT

STAFF

PHOTO 1 FROM PUBLIC DOMAIN PICTURES PHOTO 2 FROM PHOTO BOOTH, PHOTOS 3 AND 6 FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, PHOTO 4 COURTESY FROM INSTAGRAM.COM/ ASL_CHOIR, PHOTO 5 FROM PIXABAY

MUSIC TOUR

2

3

5

6 4

London Heat Wave: (A+) Warm weather! Sun! Spring!

4.

1.

Olivia Abrams This Editorial Board of

The Standard gives 2. the school its last report. 3.

be said for the Democrats’ billionaires and actors.

In 2016, the Democratic Party touted itself as the party of experienced, qualified legislators, contrasting with Donald Trump’s candidacy.

They prided themselves on their leaders, like Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden and Harry Reid.

They wouldn’t dream of mounting primary challenges against qualified leaders, like Senator Dianne Feinstein or Governor Cuomo. Instead, Democrats have chosen to throw that reputation out the window. For the sake of the nation, for the sake of their party, and for the good of the American people, they cannot afford to make such a mistake.

Celebrity candidates have a lot of appealing features, to be sure: people know who they are, people tend to like them, and they don’t have records that could work against them in an election. But, despite those benefits, the era of partisan politics means that celebrities have a real shot at holding high offices. And their lack of qualifications should scare us all.

Music Tour: (B+) Very few of the appromixated five elderly audience members stayed until the end, but at least we got some beach time. Sophie Ashley

2017/18 Staff: (A+) It’s been a good run.

Michaela Towfighi

5.

Royal Baby: (F) Three first names? Yeah right.

Cameron Campili

Earth Week: (B) I’m all for the environment but I do need to have the lights on when I’m in class.

Jonathan Novak

6.

PE Classes on Waverley Park: (D+) A serious safety hazard for those trying to get fresh air on their way to the arts building. Quinn Whitman

Post Scriptum: You are what you write.

10

opinions

TheStandard Standard The

School dances are key student experiences SARA SHORT

sara_short@asl.org

“

We should fully commit to the full American experience of dances rather than ASL’s current partial attempt.

When I was younger and living in the U.S., I remember Homecoming week. Even in elementary and middle school, I knew about this important event for older students. There was a parade and a football game against our rival school, all leading up to the Homecoming dance.

I remember going to the mall with my sisters and helping them pick out dresses and shoes. What would the theme of the dance be? Did they have a date? It was the first real taste of high school for me. In Grade 8 I remember fantasizing about going to a dance with all my friends and how fun it would be, it would be like all the high school movies I watched.

Then when I moved to ASL and found out there was no Homecoming week like the one I had expected, I was disappointed. There was no foot-

ball game, so there was no Homecoming. Although the school has tried to replicate it with a basketball game, ultimately, that falls flat.

The American tradition of Homecoming is based on the football game and the celebration of alumni returning to their school to see how it has changed. The ASL Homecoming game was labelled as so, but featured none of the celebrations leading up to it.

This year it was the week after returning to school after the winter break. It was not nearly enough to meet expectations.

Even though there was not a fall dance, I still held out hope that there was a possible winter dance.

Winter rolled by and Homecoming came and went and no dance. No Sadie Hawkins? Not even Cotillion?

This year there was a winter formal for freshmen, but again, it does not compare to Homecoming where the entire school comes together. Dances brought unity to my old school in a way that doesn’t really happen at ASL right now.

The school should do more to create a high school student body instead of one that is divided by grade level.

Bounce is the underclassman social event that is supposed to be a prom replacement. The gym filled with bouncy castles is not an experience to replace a quintessential aspect of American high school culture. I would much rather attend a dance with my friends than an event that felt hastily put together in the school gym.

I feel that my high school expe-

rience has been invalidated thus far because I didn’t have a dance.

Prom is supposed to be special because only upperclassman and their dates get to go, but it’s not special if it stands alone. There’s no other comparison to make and it feels weird to try. Having a semi-formal dance to compare prom to makes prom makes seem grander and more elaborate.

American high schools were defined by dances and ASL tries to replicate American culture with Homecoming celebrations and prom but it fails to accomplish this.

Although we are an international school we have inherently American cultures and traditions. We should fully commit to the full American experience of dances rather than ASL’s current partial attempt.

opinions

Changing North Korea negotiation tactics LENA LEVEY

lena_levey@asl.org

“

The U.S. needs to change their strategy with North Korea, or else it will be too late to keep them from getting the technology needed to directly threaten the U.S. and its allies.

The U.S. has used sanctions to pressure North Korea to dismantle their nuclear program for more than 20 years. During that time, numerous deals have been made, but North Korea has never followed through on their promises to stop their nuclear weapons development. In the past year, missile testing has caused tensions between the two countries to escalate even further, as this is forbidden under international law. If the U.S. wants a deal with North Korea to succeed, they must demand tangible evidence that North Korea is dismantling their nuclear program before rolling back any sanctions.

In a step that could be a breakthrough in relations with North Korea, President Donald Trump agreed to meet with leader Kim Jong un this spring. Since this would be the first time in history that leaders from these two countries will meet in South Korea, it is possible that this meeting could move the countries towards a more peaceful relationship. However, since both countries are in possession of nuclear weapons, the stakes of the negotiations will be high. North Korea has proven to be unpredictable in the past, so it is important that the U.S. proceed with caution, and with a new strategy that is more likely to get North Korea to agree to a deal.

North Korea has been dishonest during negotiations before. In 1994, they agreed to halt and eventually dismantle their nuclear weapons program. In exchange, the U.S. allowed North Korea to receive two Light Water Reactors (LWRs), in addition to annual shipments of fuel

oil. This seemingly ended a crisis during which North Korea had announced their intention to produce nuclear weapons. However, they still continued to develop nuclear weapons secretly. When this was discovered, the U.S. imposed harsh sanctions, and North Korea again promised to halt nuclear weapons development. More sanctions were partially lifted in 2007, but North Korea once again did not follow through with the agreement.

On April 29, Kim Jong Un said that he would be willing to give up their nuclear program if the U.S. agrees to formally end the Korean War and promise not to invade. This is similar to a claim that North Korea made in 2007, where it agreed to disable all of its nuclear facilities in return for economic concessions. North Korea did not follow through on this. The U.S. cannot let its desire for a deal cloud its judgement, and must keep the past in mind as these events unfold.

The closest North Korea has ever been to making a lasting deal with the U.S. was in 2005, when the Treasury Department implemented sanctions on Banco Delta Asia, a Macao bank that was laundering money for North Korean businesses. This had huge consequences for the North Korean economy, as it was their primary conduit into the international financial system. This made them more receptive to making a deal. However, once the U.S. agreed to loosen their sanctions, North Korea broke the deal and continued to develop nuclear technology.

Rising tensions are dangerous not only for the U.S., but also for the U.K.

As an ally of many of the countries threatened by North Korea, a conflict would likely involve U.K. intervention. In October, British defence officials were reportedly asked to come up with a potential plan in case of a conflict with North Korea. Even if the U.K. was not directly involved in a conflict, they would likely use money and resources to aid their allies. This is not just an American and North Korean issue; this is a world issue that everybody should be invested in.

History has shown a pattern of North Korea making promises in exchange for the U.S. loosening sanctions without following through.

The only way this meeting between Trump and Kim Jong un has a chance of leading to lasting change is if the U.S. refuses to make a deal unless North Korea shows evidence of dismantling their nuclear program prior to any sanctions being lifted.

However, this is unlikely in the current political climate. Right now, American sanctions are not affecting North Korea enough to make them desperate for a deal, and as a country whose actions indicate that they are not interested in peace or diplomacy, there is no obvious incentive for North Korea to dismantle their nuclear program.

These agreements will be even more challenging now than they were in 2005 as North Koreans have improved at evading sanctions, and have more points of access to the international financial system. So at this time the U.S. does not currently have enough of a reward to offer the North Koreans in exchange for dismantling their nuclear program.

If the U.S. cannot impose harsh enough sanctions that put pressure on North Korea, then another option would be to threaten war. However, due to North Korea’s close positioning to U.S. allies such as South Korea and Japan, and massive conventional military capabilities, especially the ability to inflict tremendous damage on Seoul, the U.S. would be unlikely to follow through, and North Korea knows that. A war between the two countries would cause immense damage to South Korea in particular, and would ultimately be disastrous for every country involved.

This should not be a partisan issue.

Both the Clinton and Bush administrations have made the mistake of trusting North Korea too much, so it is clear this is a problem for everyone, not just a particular party. Despite anyone’s opinions on Trump, it is hard to deny that these negotiations going well is in the world’s best interest.

The U.S. cannot currently promise a reward or punishment significant enough to require North Korea to show evidence of dismantling their nuclear program. This means that currently, any deal would likely be similar to the ones of the past, where the U.S. rewards North Korea before they take meaningful action to dismantle their nuclear program.

This strategy has proven to be ineffective, and the U.S. cannot allow this volatile country to have weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. needs to change their strategy with North Korea, or else it will be too late to keep them from getting the technology needed to directly threaten the U.S. and its allies.

opinions

April 2018

11

Advocating for a hard Brexit

JONATHAN PHILIPS jonathan_philips@asl.org

“

A bad deal may cause the U.K. to end up in a worse situation than before the vote. If the EU comply with all of their legislation for access to the single market, then it will not be worth it.

For better or for worse, the U.K. voted for Brexit. Firstly, everyone has to get over it. A majority of the people spoke, and they were heard.

There will not be a second referendum. The U.K. is leaving the European Union. For whatever reason, the delusional belief that this can be reversed still lingers.

However, this does not need to be a divisive topic by itself. It does not matter if you were the most ardent supporter of “Remain” or have been an Eurosceptic for decades, we all must come together and hope for the best “divorce” deal possible.

We must further understand that there may come a point in the U.K– EU negotiations where the EU is offering unacceptable deals. Whether it be terrible trade terms or anything less than full control of our borders, we must be prepared to walk away.

We should not walk away because it may be an effective negotiation strategy, but because, as Prime Minister Theresa May so eloquently puts it, “no deal is better than a bad deal.”

The EU referendum focused on sovereignty: the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) was the Independence Party after all. Surrendering our independence to an overly

bureaucratic, unelected organization again would be unfaithful to British voters and downright undemocratic.

Furthermore, a bad deal may cause the U.K. to end up in a worse situation than before the vote. If the EU demands that we comply with all of their legislation for access to the single market, then it will not be worth it. Before Brexit, no matter how overreaching and un-British the EU legislation was, we still had a say in its crafting.

Going forward, this will not be the case. If the goal of Brexit is to restore national sovereignty, then this situation will be a failure and national humiliation. No citizen wants the U.K. to become an obedient subject of the EU. ASL Students seem to agree.

According to a recent poll of 145 students conducted by The Standard, over 10 percent more students agreed that a no deal scenario would be favorable if the EU was being unreasonable.

The U.K.’s future without a deal, however, is not a bad scenario Our trade with the EU is important, but we can still maintain that trade without a specific trade deal with the customs union; the U.S. does and, until recently, Canada did too.

Frankly, statisticians and most economists underestimate the resilience of the U.K. economy, and cannot anticipate any policy put in place by our government once we leave. For example, if there is a concern about losing workers from the EU, a solution is to open up the U.K. to those workers again or others, but through our immigration system rather than a superstate.

Among youth, particularly in London, Brexit is regarded with such negativity. I will be the first to admit that membership within EU did have some benefits, and that leaving will have its drawbacks. But we should greet this new opportunity with excitement instead of pessimism, for there is so much to gain: we can have trade deals suited to our needs rather than Europe’s, endeavor to change our nation without the input of a massive bureaucracy and decide who can live within our borders.

An exit without a deal could have implications for the student body. If the U.K.’s immigration policy is not dictated by the EU, and EU citizens are not granted the right to remain, many students and students will have to get visas or leave. Businesses may also deem the U.K. as inconven-

ient for holding a European office and decide to move inside the common market. However, these two outcomes depend not on a hard Brexit, but on the government’s policy after a hard Brexit.

With all of the speculative negatives it may be hard to stay optimistic. But underestimating this country is indeed a mistake. For this is the country that sparked the industrial revolution, that ruled over a third of the world, that birthed modern liberalism and then defended those values in two colossal world wars.

For a small island off of the biggest landmass on Earth, that is a pretty thorough résumé. Britain has and will continue to thrive; her people have proved resilient, adaptable and successful time and time again.

The EU drags down the U.K. It is dysfunctional, has massive regional imbalances, is faced with an immigration crisis and its currency, which is very much at the center of the organization, is a disaster. Furthermore, the EU is incapable of handling any of these issues. Be glad we are leaving, and be optimistic about our future. Let us remember that while we are leaving the EU, we are not leaving Europe.

Students need to inspire change LEA GEORGE

lea_george@asl.org

“

The question of whether one can make change does not depend on their age or their experience, rather the amount of will they posses to work towards what they want to achieve.

When I was younger, I would listen intently to my parents discussing politics and the news. I did not understand much of what they were saying, but I can recount the solemn expressions on their faces.

On television, I would see the recurring tragedies and hear of the injustices spreading through our world like a virus. I felt helpless, believing that I was in a position where I could only watch and grieve for the subject of these foreign conversations.

Even as a young child, I felt discouraged and lost. I was lost because I had given up on my generation and the hope that I could change what I deemed needed to be changed. A mindset had been fixed into our society where people of my generation were believed to be ignorant and oblivious about the world around them, and the catastrophes our civilization is facing.

However, in recent years I have come to understand that I was wrong about my ability to make change. I was inspired by my friends and other children around the world to stand up against this prejudice and fight using my voice for the change of our world.

Now, I firmly believe that regardless of one’s age, change in today’s society can be made on all terms.

Change in any platform requires persistence, determination and passion. These are qualities that are not obtained at a certain age, and they live inside people of all generations.

There are currently endless amounts of programs that are designed for youth to inspire and raise changemakers. One program, Model United Nations (MUN), is an organization that simulates the work of the United Nations (UN) but for youth. The work of the UN is often deemed impossible for our generation to accomplish. We can feel like we need to be quiet, to sit down and listen. We are told that we do not know enough about politics, or the way that different governments work. However, through MUN, I feel encouraged to continue to fight for my opinions and my will to make a change in our world. MUN provides an opportunity to break the stereotypes that ageism subjects our generation to. I believe it is crucial for our elders to understand that we, too, want to collaborate in efforts to change our world.

Additionally, youth inspire one another. When one voice speaks, millions will follow and walk alongside them. Many youth activists have led their generation

towards what they believe is right.

Malala Yousafzai, Marley Dias and David Hogg are three of many examples where activism and change has been present in adolescence.

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist working for the education of women and children in her home village. She was the youngest person to be awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of only 17. Marley Dias is a 13– year–old American activist and feminist. She released a book, “Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!” which talked about her 1000 Black Girl Books movement, where she tries to find 1000 books whose principal character is a black woman.

David Hogg is an 18–year–old activist whose purpose was to fight for gun control. He has led the “Never Again MSD” organization along with other students, and has inspired many others to follow. These three activists have shown young people that they too have the ability to create a difference if they speak up for what they believe in.

When we speak, we impact the way others think. We have made the news and television shows, speaking to thousands of viewers about our opinions. Although it

can be argued that the younger generation cannot make solid change due to the age constraints, our voices are enough to shape the opinions around us. Little change is better than none at all, and if this is simply in the form of shifting one person’s opinion about something, movement has been made in the efforts to fight for the change our generation wishes to see.

When younger members of societies participate in social activism, they bring in a new perspective to be considered. The mindset is different, and often has a different outlook on life. Therefore, when we discuss politics, or ideas we have to make a change, we have new ideas, new ways of thinking about the problem, and a new opinion that should be valued and taken seriously.

It is our responsibility as the future generation to stand up for our voices and opinions. The question of whether one can make change does not depend on their age or their experience, rather the amount of will they possess to work toward what they want to achieve. I would encourage all those who have identified something that needs changing in our societies to act, regardless if they are 7 or 75.

FEATURES

12

opinions

TheStandard Standard The standard.asl.org

College Finance Grading

Highlighting voices of ASL Inspired by journalist Brady Dennis’ 300 word stories, The Standard sought to capture the stories of those who often go unnoticed: the members of the maintenance staff.

Maritza Sanchez

| April 2017

with Staff Writer Helena Hansen

M

aritza Sanchez wants noth-

hearts and straying from genera-

ing more out of life than to

tions of tradition.

see her three children well-

With a smile so contagious

educated, successful and happy.

my cheeks began to ache, Maritza

Motivated by this desire, about 10

spoke of her children. “My daugh-

years ago Maritza moved to Lon-

ter Michelle, she is 24 now, she is

don from Cali, her native city in

studying medicine, she is going

Colombia, where she had lived her

to be a doctor in the future. I’ve

whole life.

got Diego, he’s 16 and I’ve got Jun-

Reminiscing on her sweetest memories from

Colombia, she

recalled relishing her mother’s

ior, he’s 11,” Maritza said.

Ensuring that her children retain their Colombian

cultural

homemade food: the spices, the

identity has been a struggle for

flavors, the colors. “I remember

Maritza and her husband over the

how Mami was cooking.” She

past near-decade. “Once we came

quickly corrected “Mami” to “my

to this country, [our children] are

mother,” snapping back to real-

running faster, everything they

ity, the far-away look in her eyes

do, they want to do it very fast.

vanishing.

We say, ‘hey, calm down, take it

Maritza spoke slowly, carefully

easy,’.” As her children became

selecting the words that would do

increasingly engulfed in the pace

her mother’s character justice.

of life in metropolitan London,

“My mom, she is an example for

Maritza reminds them to not let

all of us, my sisters and my broth-

moments in life breeze past them

ers. Everything was really diffi-

unaware, and to keep their Co-

cult in her time, but she always

lombian roots in mind.

tried to fight for us, to find everything we needed.”

“Maritza’s life in England is different to her life in Colombia, but the same spirit for giving... and motivation for success remain close to her heart.”

Colombian culture is central to Maritza’s life. “I am a Latin Amer-

She was simultaneously and un-

ican woman, you know Latin

knowingly describing herself: Mar-

American people love music and

itza quit her job as a teacher, a job

dancing.” She giggled, gleefully,

that made her happy, and moved

as she tells me about how she

to a foreign country, all to give her

and her husband dance around

dance,’.” A day in her home is

cook, we use all the same ingredi-

life in England is different to her

children an opportunity to learn

her house together, without a

filled with movement, whether it

ents as England.”

life in Colombia, but the same fam-

English. To learn with

care in the world. “My children

is the merengue, salsa or bachata.

She was talking about home

ily values, motivation for success,

Maritza, the youngest of five

say, ‘Mami, papi what is that?

She returns to what reminds

cooking in Colombia when she

spirit for giving, and fun-loving na-

siblings, took a leap and left

Stop it,’ and we say ‘Come here,

her of home: cooking. “Even

said this, but I couldn’t help but

ture remain close to her

home,

come, come, lets move,

though it is different what you

notice the connection. Maritza’s

matter where she’s living.

breaking

freedom.

her

family’s

let’s

heart, no

opinions features 13

April 2018

Abdul Yusef

“Abdul’s wide

with Managing Editor: Print Ananya Prakash

T

here is something resem- is about something bigger; somesmile never drops bling fondness in the tilt of thing part of his identity, part of his as he describes Abdul Yusef ’s smile as he re- home. “If you see any two [people] the new people members his childhood in So- standing up outside, 70 percent they he has met in malia. The loud cafés filled to are Somalians. That's our environhis 21 years in the brim with people standing ment, the chairs are always empty.”

London.”

shops, we have our cafés, we have our restaurants.”

Abdul’s wide smile never drops as he describes the new people he has met in his 21 years in London.

Even with a hectic life, Abdul knows

outside in the sun. School chil-

He runs his finger through his

he must take time to stop and just

dren sprinting down the streets

hair, suddenly looking more tired,

be. “You need that little bit gap to

kicking footballs.

as he goes on to talk about life in

just be yourself. People must talk,

It is the relationships in So-

London. “When you come to the

must communicate, must learn

malia that Abdul doesn’t think

West, it’s a different environment.

from each other, must be friendly,”

he can ever forget. “Our life is

Everyone by themselves. Life is just

he says, gesturing to the space be-

mostly in the home and street.

keep going, keep going, working.

tween us. “We lose nothing, we just

Always we are in the cafés,

There is no closeness in things.”

increase our

we just talking, playing some

But Abdul is not one to let him-

happy.

positivity in life, our

energy and it’s good.”

games,” he said. “We love peo-

self be anything less than

ple, always helping people,

He explains he still manages to

and content. It radiates through

very good with the guests, very,

find home and comfort in this city

his words and his warm eyes that

very good.”

where everything is a little too

lose focus as he talks about the past.

With a little laugh, he tells

distant. “The good thing about

Clasping his hands tightly on the

me that Somalians love to stand,

London, that there is a lot of my

table, he leans forward as though

and that if they have the option

community, a lot of different com-

telling a secret and says, “People

to sit, they will still stand. Abdul

munities. I learn a lot from that,”

are wealth. Some people think

tells it as a joke, but the look in

he said. “You feel little bit like

wealth is money, but people are re-

his eyes make it clear that this

you are home because we have our

ally the wealth.”

Abdul is full of something light

Paulo Vagos

with Staff Writer Helena Hansen

F

or over two decades, Paulo Va-

of the sea as he speaks. I envisioned

“we are good friends, a friend, a

gos was a fisherman in Peniche,

a monstrous wave suspended above

wife, it’s good.”

Portugal, a peninsula on the

a little boat full of fishermen. One of

west coast of the country. His life

them is Paulo.

I asked about the rest of his family. “My son, sometimes, he thinks

was the sea. He would go away on

Paulo explained how hours, even

he’s like superman.” He recalled

excursions out to the deep sea, for

a day could pass with no fish in

stories of his son’s childhood in

one to two months and never see

sight. “Sometimes we have to go to

Peniche. He starts

land during the journey.

different cities for some fish. Some-

kind of laughing that makes you a little short of breath.

Fishing in the summer is pleas-

times, we find nothing, it’s bad.”

ant, he shared. “The sea, the water is

Fishermen are only paid when they

like that,” he said as his hand traced

bring fish back.

the calm ripples etched in his mind.

laughing, the

He recalls the time his son’s great-grandfather bought him a

Yet, Paulo loved to fish. “I like

new bicycle. “He took the paint,

Fishing in the winter is “very dan-

to see a lot of fish in the net.”

and painted his bicycle.” He is

gerous” he stressed. For a minute,

These

clutching his side now, tears be-

his smile began to falter. “I feel very

cess gave him the satisfaction to

afraid, it’s very cold. Sometimes I

remain afloat.

blissful moments of suc-

ginning to pool in his eyes.

Paulo loves Peniche. He talked

Whenever the fishing net tore,

about Peniche coming alive on

Paulo would go to the repair shop in

the weekends. He talked about

He shivered as he spoke, like he

town to get it mended. This is where

the colorful buildings, and the

could feel the ocean’s winds whip-

his wife worked a summer job. “One

clear, blue water and the “best

ping through the English pod. “Then

or two times,” he said. It was only a

surfing in the entire world.” He

the water comes, sometimes 10 me-

matter of a few meetings. “Peniche

pulled up pictures on his phone

ters or more,” he said.

is very small. Whether you see peo-

and his eyes flicked between me

ple on the

and the photo, relishing in our

can't work, my hands can't move, it’s impossible.”

Being a fisherman for 20 years

beach or some other

“Paulo loves Peniche, Portugal. He talked about Peniche coming alive on the weekends.”

entails being a fisherman through

place, you’ve seen them.” Speaking

admiration. “It’s my city,” he said

20 winters. He paints a vivid picture

of her with an unyielding grin,

with a slight grin.

PHOTOS BY EMILY FORGASH

On the outsid

Students and faculty discuss the presen and the ramifications it has on Sophie Ashley | Opinions Editor

Clique Culture

W

hen former student Kathryn Rickert (’19) chose to move to St. Andrew’s School, a boarding school in Middletown, Delaware, at the conclusion of her sophomore year, she cited the negative aspects of her social life at ASL as a factor in her decision. Throughout her 10 years at ASL, she noticed a “clique culture”: where there were concrete friend groups, and students who existed outside of them

often felt excluded.

While Rickert felt she had many friends across several friend groups, she never felt as if she belonged to a concrete group of her own. “By not really being in one friend group, I felt that at times I was somewhat excluded or couldn’t really hang out with certain friends just because I wasn’t a member of that group,” she said.

High School Counselor Stephanie Oliver agrees with Olsher and sees cliques as an issue for the majority of high school students. “I don’t think [exclusivity] is a bigger problem here than it is anywhere else. I don’t think it is a special thing that is worse at ASL,” she said.

In addition, Oliver has become aware of the social groups in the High School and an inherent so-

cial hierarchy amongst these groups. “[Hierarchies] exist within every microcosm of society,” she said.

“I think that everyone knows who is in the popular group, who is in the next level of popular, who’s on the bottom and who the outsiders are.”

Max Olsher (’21), who attended an all boys school before coming to ASL, believes cliques are an aspect of student life that happen naturally and are not exclusive to ASL. “Unintentionally, [ASL] becomes exclusive because we hang around the people who we want to hang out with,” he said. “I don’t think [cliques are] necessarily an ASL thing because we are social animals. We find people, we bond with them and then we stick with them.”

Although Olsher has not been intentionally excluded at ASL, he explains that “at my old boys school I was very intentionally excluded, and now I am excluded but not intentionally, so I guess it’s a little bit better.”

However, Olsher has seen and noticed that students naturally “get quite upset about [being excluded] and then try really hard to reconnect with people.” While he believes this can be a positive thing, as students make more of an effort to have an

active social life, it can be hard for them if their efforts are unsuccessful.

New student Markos Vardinoyannis (’19) believes that although cliques do exist at ASL, they are welcoming to new students. “I think the students accept new students very well because there are many groups of different types of people that people fit into,” he said.

Rickert disagrees with Vardinoyannis, noticing that the clique culture is particularly damaging to new students and discourages them from attempting to meet people and find friends. “For new people, that hesitation [to socialize] comes from two things. One could be the fact that people are comfortable with their friends, and at a school where a lot of change happens it can be nice and more comfortable to stick with what you are more comfortable with… and [secondly] there is a fear of what other people would think of them,” she said.

In order to combat feeling excluded, Oliver believes “that it is important for students who are having a hard time breaking into a group or feeling like they are not a part of things to start their own [groups], because there are a lot more students who are sitting around waiting to be invited to something.”

Venue Pa

A

significant aspect of A students is venue partie clubs or venues around L tive guest lists and an entr ert, venue parties were on parts of the social scene those parties got to the p per grade weren’t being those people, venue parti sive and a lot more impor hype they got by other peo In addition to the exclu men from these parties, th entirely excluded from su thinks that in most cases to venue parties because the underclassmen and t purposeful exclusivity. “I clude the fact that some p with [other grades],” he s vite someone to somethin who they are.”

de looking in

nce of exclusivity within the High School n members of the community.

Martha Duff | Features Editor

arties

ASL’s social life for some es: events hosted at bars, London, often with selecry fee per grade. To Rickne of the most exclusive at ASL. “A lot of times, point where only 20 or so invited,” she said. “For ies felt a lot more exclurtant just because of the ople.” usion of many upperclasshe freshman class is often uch venue parties. Olsher s freshmen aren’t invited of a social gap between the seniors, rather than feel like we forget to inpeople just aren’t friends said. “It’d be weird to inng if you just don’t know

In addition, Helen Craig (’18) remembers the competition that spurned amongst underclassmen prior to venue parties. “Freshman and sophomore year when you were invited to venue parties it was always the ‘cool people’ who got invited,” she said.

“There was that time in freshman and sophomore year when you were trying to climb your way up to be cool enough to have the seniors invite you.”

However, Vardinoyannis believes that freshmen are not invited to venue parties simply because their age is not appropriate for the party culture present and the mature activities at these events.

“I find that [freshmen not being invited] is reasonable because of age… at their age people should not be going out that late, they are not as mature as juniors or seniors,” he said.

Although Vardinoyannis acknowledges the negative aspects of venue parties he believes that “the people who are invited… are people who are naturally social, not shy and are outgoing.” In addition, he believes “that [venue parties] definitely bring people together… and at the end of the day the peo-

ple who are invited to parties fit in very well with the ASL [social] environment.”

Recently, Oliver has seen many underclassmen, including freshmen, talk to her about not being invited to a venue party. “I have heard very specific comments about feeling left out about not being invited to a venue party, especially from freshmen that wouldn’t normally be invited,” Oliver said.

In order to include more underclassmen and upperclassmen in school-wide events, Oliver believes it is important for ASL to promote and plan more socials.

“I think it would be cool if there were more events that everyone was invited to. For example, I always thought it would be nice if we had dances here at this school… a social event where everyone is invited,” Oliver said.

Craig believes that there is a way to solve this issue of underclassmen feeling socially excluded.

She suggests that upperclassmen students hosting the parties should be “inviting all of the seniors and all of the juniors and cutting it off there, and having sophomores and freshmen have to wait until they get their time.”

Social Media

C

raig, who has deleted all of her social media accounts except Facebook due to distraction and unproductivity, believes that social media can also contribute to a culture of exclusivity. At times, she notices that social media can aggravate the fear of missing out that many students have. She notes that this happens especially “[in] Snapchat stories when you see all of your friends hanging out and you’re not there.”

Olsher agrees, explaining that social media is somewhat of “a Catch-22 because it has a good side and then it also has a bad side for people who are left out because they are seeing what they could be a part of but then they aren’t.”

In agreement, Rickert believes that Snapchat is the most harmful form of social media. “Snapchat stories are often just another reminder that you’re not there and a lot of your friends are,” she said.

ILLUSTRATION BY GABY IWEGBUE

16

features

TheStandard Standard The

MANAGING With private four year undergraduate tuition averaging nearly $50,000 per year for some schools in the U.S., a college degree comes at a high cost. Students discuss ways to offset the daunting price tag.

Michaela Towfighi | Editor-in-Chief: Print

$

46,950. According to Statista, this is the average price to attend a non-profit four year private university in the U.S. per year.

For most ASL students, this price is expected – the natural progression after their high school education.

However, for some, this price tag presents a more complicated situation, and one in which various financial plans will dictate the next four years.

I ARTWORK BY MICHAELA TOWFIGHI

Reserve Officer Training Corps

t was always clear for Brodie Craig (’18) that finances would play a role in his college choices. “I knew for the more competitive schools I was looking at, even if I was able to get into them, it was likely that I wasn’t

going to get enough financial aid to attend them,” he said.

As a result, Brodie decided to pursue a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship. Brodie spent the majority of the summer between Grade 11 and Grade 12 filling out the application, which required information similar to the Common Application, in addition to writing three essays and completing an interview. “I decided to pursue [ROTC] to give myself more options and also because it was an interest of mine,” he said.

After applying for Navy and Army scholarships, Brodie was awarded an Army and Navy scholarship to Duke University, where he will attend in the fall. Brodie is committed to serve upon graduation, in return for free tuition for all four years.

D

The application process

irector of College Counselling and Academic Advising Anne Richardson explained that for a student who needs financial aid, there are many options available.

However, this process is dependent on a student’s citizenship, as there is more financial aid available in the U.S. for citizens. “If you are a U.S. citizen or green card holder vs. a non U.S. citizen, those are completely different processes,” she said.

For U.S. citizens, the first step is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The FAFSA requires an application that asks a student to input

features 17

April 2018

TUITION WITHOUT A MONEY TREE all institutions to which they are applying, before supplying the student with an Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC indicates how much a family is able to contribute towards tutition.

Richardson explained if a family was given an EFC of $0, then that student would require a full scholarship to university.

Once the FAFSA is completed and the applicant is provided with their EFC, Richardson said that is when a student and their family can begin to look at different schools and options for financial aid.

For Richardson, financial aid options break down into a few paths: the first being applying to need– blind schools where all need will be met without question. Other options to offset tuition cost include work studies, where students work on campus, as well as various loan options. Richardson explained that loans can come in various forms, whether it be federal student loans, private student loans or parent loans.

However, Richardson also encourages students who require financial aid to apply to schools where the student can qualify for merit scholarships. “That often is a new concept to parents in part because we are looking at schools that may not usually be in the usual ASL list of schools,” she said. But if you are in the top end of the pool you are likely to qualify for things like presidential scholarships...so your [financial aid] package can be a little bit better.”

For Brodie, looking at “financial safeties” where he would get scholarships was essential prior to receiving his ROTC scholarship. “My parents

and my college counselor talked to me a lot about not only having safety schools that were going to be easier for me to get into, but financial safeties that would hopefully give my family enough merit aid on top of normal financial aid to entice me to [attend that university],” he said.

In-state

A

nother option Richardson highlighted was in-state schools, where loans are not included as a part of the financial aid package, and the tuition at public schools within that state is significantly less for state residents.

For Helen Craig (’18), an in-state school proved to be the most cost effective, and she will attend the University of Maryland next year where she has residency. “I looked in state for Maryland because it made sense. It had the programs I wanted,” she said. “In-state is $20,000 and with FAFSA it is going to be $18,000. That was a no brainer.”

Canada

H

owever, before settling on Maryland, Helen also considered schools in Canada, where she also holds citizenship. According to Statista, in Canada the average cost for an undergraduate degree, not including room and board and other school fees, is averaged at 6,571 Canadian dollars per year.

Similarly to Helen, Monet Streit (’19) has decided to only apply to schools in Canada, where she is from, despite encouragement to consider U.S. schools. “For me, it is home and America doesn’t have

anything that is way better than Canada,” she said.

Aside from returning home, applying to only Canadian schools also provides financial incentive for Streit as she holds Canadian citizenship.

“If you are citizen it is more affordable and there are a bunch of financial aid opportunities,” she said.

U.K.

F

or Karthik Balasubramanian (’18), applying to both universities in the U.K. and U.S. highlighted the discrepancies in cost between the two.

“For the U.K. in general it is cheaper overall. You apply and in total it costs £24 [to apply to] five schools, versus the U.S. where you have to pay a set fee to every school. In the U.S. I spent $1,000 applying for schools,” he said.

Although finances weren’t a main factor in his college decision process, Balasubramanian recognizes the ability to study a specialized subject in the U.K. for a lesser price in only three years. “Finances wasn’t a big concern, but to me I am saving money, I am more focused on a subject I like, I’m saving time if I stay here,” he said.

As Balasubramanian is an Indian citizen, he applied to his U.K. schools as an international student, meaning he would have to pay increased tuition. However, even with his increased price in the U.K. the overall cost of education is substantially less than a Bachelor’s degree in the U.S. “In the U.S. on average you are spending $50,000-$60,000, depending on the school you go to. Over here, I am an international so I pay three times the amount of what a U.K. citizen pays and it is about £18,000,” he said.

By staying in the U.K., Balasubramanian hopes to apply for his British citizenship, which he sees as another advantage to remaining here. “There are a bunch of other benefits other than just financially, for example you can get a passport here,” he said.

Additionally, Balasubramanian highlighted the number of years required in school for U.K. universities versus U.S. In the U.K., students are able to receive a Bachelor’s degree in three years, and a Master’s degree in four years, whereas in the U.S., a Bachelor’s typically is awarded after four years, and a Master’s after six. “Best case scenario, if I stay in London, I am saving two years, I am already paying less than an average school and my parents calculated that two years of fees in the U.S. would equate to my masters here,” he said.

Defeating the stigma T

hroughout the process of applying for a ROTC scholarship, Brodie knew this was not a typical college process for ASL students. “It is something that ASL doesn’t have to deal with as much as some other schools do. I may have had a unique case because I know not a lot of kids pursue ROTC and not a lot of kids are in the situation that I was in,” he said.

Helen believes there are many assumptions amongst peers regarding the college process, due to the prestigious nature of ASL. “I am sure some people will question why I am going to Maryland,” she said.

Helen also explained how in her process she had to consider other factors many students wouldn’t

think about such as transportation required to visit family. “I can’t be that far away from home. Because some schools are so far away, transport would be ridiculously expensive for the four years,” she said.

To help relieve these assumptions and normalize the process of applying for financial aid, Richardson believes it is best handled individually with students and parents on a case-by-case basis. “It is definitely something we are conscious of, it’s definitely something we are talking about, but really within the walls of this office in order really to be sensitive to parents and to students,” she said.

The main point, however, that Richardson emphasizes to all students and parents is the necessity of having an honest conversation if a student is going to need financial aid.

“Parents should not be hiding from their students that there are only certain schools that they can afford because that sets up a really problematic dynamic that can culminate in some real disappointments in about April of the senior year,” she said.

For Helen, openly talking about financial aid also desensitizes the situation. “If you talk about it more then people won’t assume that people have the same amount of money,” she said.

Similarly for Brodie, financial aid was not something he was shy about. “I always had in the back of my mind that I might get into some schools and not be able to go because of money, which people wouldn’t understand. At ASL they just assume if you get into a school you are going to be able to go,” he said.“It was just a reality for me that wasn’t a reality for other people and that was OK for me.”

18

features

TheStandard Standard The 10 Mastery Content

9 Proficiency

8 7 Approaching Proficiency Lacking Proficiency

“

A well written rubric should not be a tick box, it should be asking about the nuances of what you are thinking.

Social Studies Department Head Natalie Jaworski

Context

“

Claim

Even if I’m not biased, students could have that perception, and anonymous grading just takes that away.

Conclusion

Social Studies Teacher Duncan Pringle

features

Equalizing the playing field of grades Providing clarity about expectations and preventing bias are the first steps to a fair grading process. Teachers and students shed light on how they maintain trust within the classroom.

Estee Jorgensen | Staff Writer

I

n any classroom, having trust and a level of clarity between the teacher and students is essential to a fair grading process.

Disagreements are inevitable, but limiting confusion and feelings of inequality are possible through a variety of strategies.

Social Studies Teacher Duncan Pringle began using anonymous grading, a process where the student’s name is replaced with a number or pseudonym, to avoid misconceptions of bias. “Even if I’m not biased, students could have that perception, and [anonymous grading] just takes that away,” he said.

Maggie Brosnan (’19) believes that when students sense that there might be a presence of a bias it makes them “feel that they can’t be held accountable for their work.” She believes that anonymous grading is effective as it eliminates the potential for bias,

Social Studies Teacher and the feeling of resentment and distrust within the High School.

When Grade 7 English Teacher Tracy Steege was a social studies teacher two years ago, she frequently employed anonymous grading. Steege began to use anonymous grading when ASL switched to standards-based, rubric-based grading, where students are expected to meet certain standards, and their grade is based on whether or not those standards are met.

Most students are familiar with these standards and their appearance on rubrics, but rarely take the time to think about the effect they have on ensuring a fair process. Head of the Social Studies Department Head Natalie Jaworski is an avid supporter of these rubrics, saying that “[they] actually equalize the playing field” and that with common grading standards, students understand what it means to achieve an “A” or a “D.”

Jonathan Phillips | Staff Writer

When formulating a rubric for a summative assessment, the Social Studies Department uses a process called norming, where the teachers of a class will grade an essay anonymously, “then compare how each other scored it.” Finally, teachers sit and debate the fairest standards to hold the students to. Jaworski believes that it is important teachers understand exactly what they are marking for when grading papers, and thinks that rubrics and norming helps achieve this.

However, Jaworski acknowledges that there are some problems with rubrics. “Some students look at rubrics as a tick box, they have to do these things to get an A. A well written rubric should not be a tick box though, it should be asking about the nuance of what you are doing and how you are thinking. So, it’s not ‘I used three examples therefore I get an A’ it’s ‘how

well did you use those examples’...

I don’t want assignments to be tick box activities, I want you to use your brain,” she said.

Echoing Jaworski, English Teacher Miles Dunmore believes that instead of being seen as specific levels of success, rubrics should serve as a starting point for discussion between students and their teachers. “There is a good place for rubrics tailored to specific assignments, however, the rubric must be in the service of open, crafted, thoughtful conversation between the teacher and the student,” he said.

Dunmore wishes to foster creativity and believes that rubrics can make students fearful of thinking outside the box.

Similarly, Steege had to adapt to relying on rubrics when she switched to teaching English as she was no longer able to grade anonymously being able to tell

who the author of the work was based on their individualized style of writing.

Looking to follow the development of her students’ skills, English Teacher Kim Zeineddine believes that rubrics are more effective than anonymous grading as anonymity does not allow her to see how her students’ work is improving and what her students are finding challenging. “You should be thinking about your students progress,” she said.

However, Brosnan feels as though anonymous grading should be used in every class to maintain confidence in the grading system. “Even if people don’t think that teachers at ASL are grading with a bias, I think that all classes should have that anonymous grading system because it forces everybody to feel that it’s their work that’s being graded and not them as a person,” she said.

April April2018 2018

American Culture Hillbilly Elegy

standard.asl.org

CULTURE

features 19

Cycling through fashion trends Exploring how past styles affect the current trends and a glance into the future of fashion.

Maya Ariburnu | Staff Writer

U

nlike most school commutes, a typical conversation Ella Stapleton (’20) has with her mother on their drive to school in the morning involves an in-depth unravelling of the roots of fashion trends.

Stapleton explains that the way fashion trends come and go is influenced by an almost cyclical pattern. “Right now the ’90s [are trending] and a decade ago it was the ’80s.” However, she still observes many decades in the fashion world today. “A lot of models right now are very vintage and a lot are really future-y.”

While Stapleton appreciates the modern direction fashion is taking, she prefers to revive some of her mother’s old garments. “Ninety percent of my clothes are my mom’s hand-me-downs,” she said.

Agreeing with Stapleton, Kyle Dubin (’18) also believes fashion continues to cycle over time. “I think past trends resurface a lot because people always find the past interesting,” he said. Dubin also noticed that the resurgence of past trends is a common theme in the fashion industry, but believes it is derived from a fascination with history. “I feel like a lot of it might be nostalgia for earlier decades. We romanticize times that aren’t ours because they seem better or different than what we have,” he said.

Stapleton draws ideas for her evolving style from many different platforms. “I spend a lot of time online and I collect little magazines... I.D. magazine, Plastik.” She also frequently visits vintage stores, usually purchasing clothes that don’t fit well. “If I go in and I see something weird, or something cool, or that I really like, then I’ll pick it up,” she said.

Stapleton’s interest in past trends is connected to how she likes to wear “things together that aren’t really known to go together.” Stapleton believes that this leads to a more unique and personal fashion sense, adding that “it’s much cooler because no one else is wearing it.”

Meanwhile, Gigi McQuarrie (’19) seeks inspiration from stylists and

fashion week updates. “You have to actually dig around to find who the stylists of these people are because a lot of the people you see on social media don’t actually dress themselves,” she said.

However, on a day-to-day basis, she likes to develop her style according to how she feels.

“My style will either be really feminine and pretty, or kind of androgynous or sporty, it

Phaedra Letrou | Culture Editor

While Dubin believes his own style does not conform with mainstream trends, as trends go in and out quickly and are usually endorsed by a designer, he still enjoys looking at the ongoing streetwear

one will start wearing ’70s style clothes,” he said.

Dubin believes that prominent figures are able to influence the fashion community and also society at large. “Usually trends start with a celebrity who starts endorsing a designer, and then a bunch of people catch on to that and it makes its way to the ‘fashion forward’ crowd.

E ve n t u a l l y it ends up with some

“

“A lot of [past trends] might be nostalgia for earlier decades. We romanticize times that aren’t ours because they seem better or different than what we have.”

Kyle Dubin (’18)

depends,” she said.

Similar to Dubin and Stapleton, McQuarrie draws inspiration from previous decades. “I really like the ’70s, but mostly I would say, ’60s or ’90s because I like the sort of mod, baby doll dress, those cat eye sunglasses, big hair, big earrings, some patent leather, that kind of thing,” she said.

For Dubin, much of his own style is inspired by looking to the past, but he is also largely influenced by different cultures. “A lot of times the designers I follow get inspiration from looking back to certain cultures, like rock music, and the ’70s and ’80s aesthetic. Other times it’s art in general,” he said.

culture and how it has adapted overtime. “It’s interesting because a lot of fashion is trendbased, it’ll go in and out of style really quickly, with streetwear especially,” he said.

Dubin also highlighted the prominence that a single designer can have on fashion culture, and the domino-effect that can leave on society. “Sometimes it’s just that one designer... will do something ’70s related and then every-

h i g h street brands like H&M and Zara copying those trends,” Dubin said.

McQuarrie believes that this has led to a lack of fashion diversity in society. “Something that’s really sad in fashion is everybody is wearing the same stuff,” she said. She describes today’s fashion as “very standardized” and having a preference of looking “regular rather than individual.”

To combat this she tries to wear “a lot of really weird and kind of eclectic pieces” in an effort to ensure a degree of distinctiveness.

McQuarrie also believes that the uniqueness of fashion will contin-

ue to dwindle because of social media following and how shopping is now at the click of a button. “The discrepancy is a lot bigger now because you can copy anyone’s style that you want,” she said.

She explains that this is the reason fashion is beginning to lose its uniqueness and its platform for self-expression. “There are going to be the leaders and the followers as there have always been,” she said.

In contrast, Ludovico De Giorgi (’21) considers his style to be more modern by thoroughly keeping up with social media trends, however he has noticed that there are several negative aspects to fashion. While De Giorgi appreciates fashion for what it is, he said he spends countless hours looking online for inspiration and describes how it can act as a distraction from school and work, as well as a means of proving oneself in society. “I just think that the fashion industry takes up a lot of time nowadays,” he said.

Consequently, De Giorgi predicts that “a lot of the future is going to be filled with people trying to overcompensate and buy things that don’t really matter, because I do that a lot. It’s just overpriced.”

McQuarrie believes that the future of fashion is going to become solely online based. “[Companies] make it so easy to purchase things at the click of the button. You don’t want to go to a store anymore... [fashion] is going to rely now, more so than ever, on social media,” she said. McQuarrie has observed this in comparing how much is sold online to how much the stores hold. She explained how stores have a lot of unsold retail right now. “It’s just sitting there because nobody shops in stores,” she said.

However, McQuarrie ultimately predicts that the main shift to future fashion will be visionaries. “[Stylists and designers] are coming up with new things everyday, and that I think is going to be the future more than anything,” she said.

CARTOON BY GABY IWEGBUE

20

culture featurescommentary

The Standard

Producing a political dialogue The reactions of political groups towards certain films and how that has impacted the film industry.

Ishaan Rahman | Staff Writer

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ontroversy has recently circled around the inclusion of a more diverse set of actors in popular franchises. The 2016 Academy Awards were widely criticized for not including any nominations for black people. Chris Rock, the host, dubbed the event “the White People’s Choice Awards.”

However, the portrayal of black people in films has drastically improved in the 20th and 21st centuries. We now have a black man as one of the main characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and a virtually all-black cast superhero movie, Black Panther. Women have also been put at the forefront of action movies with the release of Wonder Woman and The Hunger Games.

However, accompanying these improvements is criticism from the alt-right and far-right groups that say that these movies are imposing “liberal propaganda” on an audience who is simply trying to enjoy a film.

The same backlash often happens with those on the far-left who are intent on ensuring that every single movie is perfectly ethnically representative of society and accuse any movie of not doing so as racist. So-called politicization usually takes the blame, however, such politicization is almost always the fault of audience members rather than the actual film.

While the new Black Panther film enjoys a solid 79 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, over one-fifth of moviegoers who didn’t enjoy the film had something to say about the film’s inclusion of politics and “social justice warrior propaganda.” Some online reviewers, claimed that the film tried to be a “political flick.” One reviewer said that, in a “politically correct manner,” the film attempted to portray Africa in a positive light while overshadowing the problems that the continent faces today.

This is wrong on so many levels. Firstly, the best action movies are more than just explosions and dramatic dialogue, they have an important messages as movies should do. Black Panther is never a politically affiliated film, rather it stimulates a discussion. (Note, minor spoilers for Black Panther are ahead). The villain Killmonger believes that Wakanda, the home of Black Panther, should use its advanced technology to help black people around the world rise up against the non-black governments. Black Panther refuses and says he has a duty to protect Wakandans not all Africans.

The film ends with a compromise, T’Challa agrees to set up a community center in the U.S. for African-Americans, but rejects the idea of a violent uprising. This is not po-

liticization, this is raising awareness about a reasonable discussion that is taking place today. If action movies want to remain relevant to a group other than under-12s they must factor important issues, not necessarily political ones, into the plot. This is not propaganda, this is awareness.

With regards to the portrayal of Africa, wouldn’t it be just as political to highlight the issue of poverty in Africa? In all parts of the world there is a major discussion on methods of ending poverty, for the film to highlight this would be just as political as pretending Africa is a high-tech utopia.

The same message was echoed

by British Far-right provocateur, Milo Yiannopoulos argued against the same liberal politicization in the new Star Wars saga. “Women have ruined Star Wars” he hailed on his weekly podcast. An article in the publication American Greatness also addressed the controversy surrounding Laura Dern’s character, Vice Admiral Holdo.

(Minor spoilers for the Star Wars: The Last Jedi ahead). In the film, Holdo ends up devising a plan, which Oscar Isaac’s character Poe Dameron impulsively ignores, in favor of his own agenda. However, Holdo’s plan ultimately ends up working, while Dameron’s fails.

The article, written by Wayne Isaac, argued that the film wanted

us to interpret Dameron’s ignorance as “toxic masculinity” and that the success of Holdo’s plan is feminist propaganda. Regardless of one’s views, this is not propaganda nor any sort of political statement for a female character to be right, while a male character is wrong.

The plot would have been the same

“

Such politicization is usually the fault of audience members who chose to interpret the film in a political light. even if the genders of these characters had been reversed. Isaac’s character was simply impulsive, not overly-masculine.

Again, the problem is not the film itself, but rather the interpretation of an audience member who sees that as a political attack. A woman being correct and a man being incorrect or vice-versa should not be considered political.

Ironically, the same complaints that the alt-right is pursuing about these films, were also present by those on the far-left. Both sides of the political spectrum are obsessed with identity politics, the idea that some political positions are based

on values of a specific religious or ethnic group. The left has also been obsessed with gender, race and religion in films.

A Daily Beast article by Marlow Stern argues accuses Marvel of being “obsessed with white guys” and was fearful of a minority superhero (Note: This was before the release of Black Panther). He also said that it sends a message to minority viewers that they cannot save the world.

In a Variety article Maureen Ryan criticized the Star Wars franchise after a statistic came out saying that 96 percent of the creators of Star Wars were white.

A great piece of entertainment whether it be Star Wars or Black Panther remains great regardless of the skin color of its creator. Black Panther is a film that non-black viewers can enjoy as much as black viewers, equally a predominantly white film can be enjoyed by all audience members, who choose to associate a political message with race.

The most fascinating part of this is that people from all sides of the political spectrum choose to politically interpret a film. This politicization is merely the fault of two sides of the political spectrum, the far-right and the far-left, who are obsessed with identity politics and race and are intent on applying it to social aspects of our lives.

PHOTOS LEFT TO RIGHT FLIKR.COM/JEANGENIE, FLIKR. COM/ VCULIBRARIES, SUTTONHOO.BLOGSPOT.CO.UK

culture 21

April 2018

Defining the culture Exploring the presence of the American cultural identity abroad and the misconceptions that can accompany it.

Quinn Whitman | Culture Editor

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hen Eugenia Cavarretta (’18) lived in Sicily, Italy, she consistently heard talk from others about the American Dream: a thriving culture with constant opportunity for all embedded in the country’s ethos. “Being Italian, I always saw America, specifically New York, as some place that was insane. It was overwhelming with opportunities and an amazing life,” she said. “When I was younger, I would hear a lot [about] America as this elusive place where some people had never been able to reach.”

Cavarretta believes that her time in Sicily formulated a onedimensional perspective of Amer-

culture, in my opinion, is a hub of creativity and free expression.”

Yardley also believes that another foundation of American culture is the ability for individuality and the expression of one’s self.

“In the U.S., more than anywhere else in the world, you can create a revolution off of your own voice,” he said. “You really have free reign to do whatever you want there without fear, because you can truly speak out about your beliefs and spread your opinions.”

Social Studies Department Head Natalie Jaworski, who is also American, believes that this idea of free expression can be seen in the music and film industries.

can come from anywhere and do anything and you can still work hard.”

Jaworski echoes Colucci in that she believes the idea of American culture can also transgress into work ethic. “We think about identity when we think about the way that Americans tend to work really hard and innovate a lot which is really good, but we don’t value our down time very much,” she said.

“We just want to fill our down time with work and I think that is an aspect of the culture which is replicated very distinctly at ASL, like no other school I have worked at, even in the U.S.” Despite these positives, Yardley still believes that the country as a

reotyped to the American culture doesn’t always feel the best. It is frustrating because I haven’t lived in America so I don’t feel as connected to the country,” he said.

“For an American person, it is hard, because a lot of the stereotypes aren’t positive.”

Agreeing with Yardley, Cavarretta believes that these generalizations can mask parts of what makes up the American identity. “I think a lot of the prejudices towards the American culture means that people don’t always see who Americans truly are,” she said. “Grouping people to an idea is always going to be negative. You are classifying them as how you see a part of the group.”

Jaworski believes that many Americans have kept inside an American bubble. “I definitely think there is a high level of American culture here. It is quite interesting because you can come into class and you can hear people talking about American football and baseball and then when people step outside they think, ‘oh, I am in London’,” she said.

Jaworski believes that being more removed from America allows her to truly understand what it is like to be outside of a dominant group. “Anywhere where you are taken out and you are not in the majority, whether it be in race, gender or nationality, there is that feeling of otherness,” she said. “I

“Being Italian, I saw America as this elusive place where people had never been able to reach.”

EUGENIA CAVARRETTA (’18) ica prior to her arrival at ASL in Grade 5. “Sicily is a very closed off place and I have had a very glorified perspective of America,” she said. “Now I feel like being around Americans my perspective around America, especially being Italian, has been normalized.”

As a result of American student George Yardley’s (’21) exposure to Italian, Indian and Chinese culture by living in those countries, he believes that American culture is a fusion of people and identities from around the world. “I would say American culture in so many ways started with different cultures coming together and becoming one greater thing, but from that it has developed into one thing of itself,” he said. “American

“Hollywood is a major cultural influence. Music is a major cultural influence, and that is what makes America dominant around the world,” she said.

Similarly, Grace Colucci (’18), who is American, finds the media and pop culture to be central to the identity of America.

Although this focus on media can make people more aware, Colucci believes that it can also be harmful to the American identity.

“There [are] a lot of idealized people [in the media] and it is hard to live up to that expectation,” she said.

Colucci believes that it is necessary to understand the multitude of identities that are represented in America. “The American identity isn’t just one particular thing. You

whole can fall under common stereotypes. “Stereotypically America is defined by guns, right now our president, he is a big part of our media culture and unhealthy food filled with carbs and saturates,” he said.

For John Castello (’18), the stigma of Americans being loud was especially noticeable when living in Japan, a country whose people Castello described as quieter and more reserved. “For example in train cars, you are not supposed to speak, it is supposed to be silent,” he said. “And that was something that is very different to the U.S., so it was especially noticeable there, the outgoing and outspoken characteristics and stereotypes of an American.”

For Yardley, these stereotypes can be frustrating. “Being ste-

Similarly, Colucci believes that the current political climate of the U.S. causes people to generalize about the lack of variation of thought in America. “I think people see a very polarized image of what American culture is,” she said. “I feel like people don’t always see the variation that there are in terms of ideologies.”

Castello agrees that the political status of the U.S. has become a focal point of American culture today and is especially noticeable when living abroad. “Any time someone hears you are from America, they are like ‘what do you think of Trump?’ It is always the first thing that people tend to associate with it now,” Castello said.

As a result of living abroad,

think it is important for everyone to experience it. Not just experience it, but live in it, so that when you are back in your home culture, you understand what it is like to be the other and that is an experience every human should have.”

As a result of his time both in America and interacting with other cultures abroad, Castello has felt that this has allowed him to become more appreciative of his own culture. “When people are really appreciative and proud of where they are coming from and what the country they are from does for them, it is very noticeable,” he said. “I think it makes me appreciate more being from America and having the cultural background that I have.”

22

culture commentary

TheStandard Standard The

Understanding America’s rust belt: A review of J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy Michaela Towfighi | Editor-in-Chief: Print

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hen I read Hillbilly Elegy, a memoir by J.D. Vance last year, I was simply enthralled. Packed within the 264 pages lies the story of a part of the U.S. I briefly read about in Advanced Placement United States History. Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, some said it provided answers and an explanation as to why President Donald Trump drew the voter population he did.

Vance states it himself in the opening chapter that this is the story of a boy from Middletown, Ohio who happened to “make it big” and attends law school at Yale University. Yes, it is impressive Vance came from nothing and is one of few to graduate from college in his town. But what was more impactful was the way he introduces you to his family, his community and shows his pride for his “hillbilly” background.

From the start of the memoir, it is easy to understand that Vance did not live an easy childhood. The term “sibling” was hard to understand, as he had numerous half-siblings from his birth father, as well as from various men his mother was with. His grandparents, Mamaw and Papaw, struggled with alcoholism, while his mother battled a drug addiction. Yet throughout this instability lay sound Appalachian values: unconditional love and loyalty for your family.

Vance and his sister Lindsey were raised by Mamaw and Papaw, as their mother struggled to care for them. It was through this tribulation that Vance developed

an appreciation for education, as Papaw would ensure he always had a book to read at home. It was clear to Vance that if he wanted to ever leave Middletown, education would be his way out.

In describing life in Middletown, Vance draws us into the Rust Belt of the U.S., the home of Armco Steel, a steelmaking company in Ohio. Similarly to Mamaw and Papaw, many uprooted their families in the 1940s to follow Armco to Middletown. The steel industry provided jobs, schools and hope that this region would be on the social and economic rise.

Yet Vance described how his community’s dependence on Armco led to Middletown’s downfall. He recalls a classmate who declared he always would be able to find a job at Armco, and didn’t need to be worried about employment now. For Vance, who worked as a grocery store cashier at the

Vance uses the term “learned helplessness” to describe the mentality of his community.

Vance defines learned helplessness as a sense of complacency. Residents of Middletown have not been faced with change throughout their lives, and therefore believe that change will never come. Combatting this idle state was something Vance struggled with throughout high school, ultimately joining the Army and enrolling at Ohio State University

PHOTO FROM BOOKS.GOOGLE.COM

the same cycle of helplessness, with no follow through on the promised change and opportunities.

That was until Trump posi-

places like Middletown. After years of disappointment and static social standing, residents of the rust belt were once again enthralled by the prospect of change.

Trump was not your typical candidate and Vance’s people were simply sick of the typical candidate.

Although Vance’s story proved to be a breakthrough memoir during the 2016 election cycle, his story is timeless, holding lessons that are applicable regardless of the political climate. Vance’s pride for his hillbilly roots is admirable and is a reminder to always remember where you come from no matter your current position. I hold his values of dedication to one’s community and family close to my heart, and as cliché as it might sound, this book was a pleasant reminder to be grateful for what you have, where you came from and where you are heading.

Through this explanation of learned helplessness, Vance highlights his community’s distrust in the political landscape of America. time, these words were painful.

Industrial decline hit Middletown in the 1970s and 80s and swiftly transformed an industrial powerhouse into a ghost town.

Vance wrote in 2014 that more people died from drug overdose than natural causes in the county in which Middletown is located.

After a life of instability, drug abuse and domestic violence,

to escape this destructive cycle.

Through this explanation of learned helplessness, Vance highlights his community’s distrust in the political landscape of America.

For years, president after president promised change for the Rust Belt: new jobs, a new regulated economy and, simply put, new opportunities.

Yet time after time, these were false promises. The rust belt remained in

tioned himself as a candidate for president. Trump ran an infamous campaign, one of new ideas, new tactics and a new perspective for the working class. With this alternative presentation, he wooed those in Vance’s community.

While I may not agree with Trump’s policies, Vance’s tale has lead me to understand why he captured the attention of those in

culture 23

April 2018

‘Coming out’: Love, Simon A look into how the film Love, Simon has revolutionized the portrayal of LGBTQ+ people in the media and the positive representation that has resulted in the film industry.

“W

hy is straight the default?” asks 17 year-old Simon Spier. In the film Love, Simon, Simon Spier, an average teenage boy who is stuck in the closet has to confront his sexuality. It is an adaptation of the Becky Albertalli novel, Simon vs. The Homo Sapien Agenda, which was published in 2015.

According to The New York Times, it is 20th Century Fox’s first feature length film to headline a gay character as the featured role.

The release of this movie was anticipated both in the U.S. and the U.K., already taking in approximately $54.69 million in box office revenue internationally since its release on April 6, making it the 20th highest grossing film of 2018, as of May 2.

The lack of representation in the media prior to the release of Love, Simon hindered Denise’s* (’21) ability to come to terms with her sexuality, something she found challenging. “I think it was really hard because I didn’t see it [in the media], so I didn’t realize [being bisexual] was a possibility, or that it was normal,” she said.

For Denise, who is not out to the ASL community, believes that the representation of LGBTQ+ charac-

Izzy Harris | Staff Writer

ters in movies and TV is necessary in order for them to feel accepted in society. She believes that for those who don’t see themselves fitting into the norm, it’s hard to envision a future where they can thrive.

Denise believes that when people see their own representa-

“

One of the reasons that Hollywood always shows the same kind of people, the same kinds of couples, like straight, white, very attractive people, is because they are afraid.

Counselor Stephanie Oliver tion in the media, whether it be through sexuality, ethnic background, or socioeconomic status, it makes them more confident in themselves. “If 8-year-old me saw a movie with two guys who fall in love, it would help me a lot because it would have made me realize [be-

ing gay] is not abnormal, people are happy,” she said.

Counselor Stephanie Oliver predicts that the release of the movie will promote the production of more LGBTQ+–centered movies.

“One of the reasons that Hollywood always shows the same kind of people, the same kinds of couples, straight, white, very attractive people, is because they’re afraid [to lose money],” Oliver said.

Oliver believes that if the reception of the movie is successful, Hollywood will see it as an opportunity to make profit, and continue to produce LGBTQ+ content.

Similarly, Martyn Loukes, founder of Transport for London’s #RideWithPride campaign believes that Love, Simon is a step towards LGBTQ+ inclusivity. “This is very much a mainstream movie aimed at families and young people. Its release was timed to coincide with the [British] school holiday, which is really positive,” he said.

Loukes also explained that the representation of gay people in media is stereotypical: thin, white, and flamboyant. By having the movie display Simon’s love interest as someone with an ethnic and religious background, Loukes

thinks such representation will help the media break from the current vision of gay people.

When director Greg Berlanti chose roles for the principal characters, he chose Nick Robinson as Simon, knowing he was straight.

Despite his sexuality, Berlanti felt like Robinson was perfect for the role, and persuaded him to take it.

According to an interview from MetroWeekly, Berlanti describes his reasoning for the casting choice, saying that although Robinson identifies as straight, “we still can create our own closet in our heads.” Due to Robinson’s appearance in other films, Berlanti also felt like this would be an advantage to the Simon character. “I have a deep respect for him that at his young age he’s so focused and dedicated, in terms of how he portrays a role, and the kind of energy he puts into that portrayal.” Berlanti said in an interview.

However, Olivia BenjaminMcDonald (’21) was disappointed to find out there were fewLGBTQ+ cast members. “You can’t just get someone to play something when they’re not actually, because then the representation wouldn’t be 100 percent [accurate],” Benjamin-MacDonald said.

However, Denise thinks that the actors’ sexualities should not affect their role in a movie, “It’s important to see [LGBTQ+ actors], but I don’t think it’s crucial. If this actor is going to be best for the part, and portray the character, then they should be cast,” Denise said.

As a result of the outpour of support for the LGBTQ+ community through the production of the film, Keiynan Lonsdale, who played Bram, came out as LGBTQ+ during the filming process.

“Even though this is a Hollywood film, the more types of people we see, the more of a picture of real life it is too,” Oliver said. After all, “everyone deserves a great love story.”

*To protect the identities of some students, names have been changed in this article.

To read more on Love, Simon and the impact it has had, see Staff Writer Sara Short’s article on standard.asl.org

Above: Various promotional posters for Love, Simon released over Instagram.

PHOTOS FROM INSTAGRAM. COM/LOVESIMONMOVIE

24 sports culture

TheStandard Standard The

Commitment beyond the classroom A look into the struggles and rewards of choosing to combine teaching requirements with coaching athletics teams.

Jonathan Sheves | Sports Editor

continued from page 28

World Languages Teacher and JV Girls Tennis Head Coach Whitney Nuchereno, who played tennis as a student at both high school and collegiate levels, finds herself returning to the tennis program because of the bond that she’s built with the athletes. “[I return because of ] the team itself, especially the last few years, as I’ve been working with a bunch of the same players who continue with the sport, and that’s been really wonderful.”

A father of two, McGowan has had no choice but to incorporate his family life into coaching. “During baseball season, my daughter goes to practice with me because there’s no child care,” he said. “There are times, like [when] I was away in Germany, it was her

birthday. I think it’s virtually impossible to find [a balance] while coaching and teaching. The family is going to suffer and have to give up certain sacrifices.”

This year, the balance between sports and family proved too much for McGowan and he opted out of the opportunity to coach basketball. However, later in the year, McGowan decided to continue his tenure for the baseball team. “The reasoning [was] that my wife moved into a new position where she travels more [and] has longer work hours so we just knew, as a family, something had to give,” he said. “We went over it a lot and it just seemed like giving up coaching was the answer.

In the middle of basketball season [my wife and I] talked about how

World Languages Teacher Whitney Nuchereno celebrates a first place finish in the LSSA tournament alongside the JV girls tennis team in 2016. PHOTO COURTESY OF WHITNEY NUCHERENO

“During the baseball season, my daughter goes to practice with me because there’s no child care. I think it’s virtually impossible to find a balance while coaching and teaching.”

MIKE MCGOWAN, SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

Social Studies Teacher Mike McGowan addresses the varsity baseball team after their back-toback ISST victories on May 24, 2017, beating ACS Cobham 10-1. PHOTO BY JONATHAN SHEVES

much I miss coaching, so there was still the opportunity to go back to baseball.

The challenging hours of teaching and coaching is something that McGowan has gotten used to over his years of experience. “I show up to work at 7:30 a.m. I might walk to the High Street to get coffee. Most of the time I’m working during lunch.

Class ends at 3:05 p.m. Practice starts at 4p.m., ends at 6p.m., [I get] home at 7ish, try to get the family organized, usually the kids are in bed at 9:15. Usually I’m working from 9:15 until midnight,” he said.

Nuchereno began coaching at the school after she had done it in previous years of her career. “At my other schools, it was something that was required of me but I really enjoyed doing it,” she said. “When I accepted the job here it was on a condition that I could coach tennis because that’s something I wanted to continue whether it was mandated or not.”

With regards to interference with her social life, Nuchereno believes “it definitely does have

an effect” and that she doesn’t plan anything for some nights as there would be no time.

Nuchereno often finds herself planning course work months in advance to ensure that she stays on top of her work. “At least a month or two before the season, I’ll have my Haiku page almost done with the homework [ready] for the rest of the year, start planning the assessments and that helps a bunch,” she said. “It’s a lot of work, but it makes everything much easier in the long run.”

Nuchereno has recognized the decrease in numbers of teachers that double as coaches over the years, and accredits that to the overwhelming amount of work.

“I think that sometimes it’s hard enough during the year [to balance] a work life and personal life and it’s even more and more difficult with the coaching, so I think teachers probably feel more and more overwhelmed, and when that happens, generally they want to take a step back a little bit to manage the demands of the current job which keeps growing,” she said.

sports 25 culture

April 2018

Life through the ‘coaching paradigm’ Teaching and coaching go hand-in-hand for Randy Richardson, both the Varsity Softball and Varsity Field Hockey Coach. Taking on a variety of roles as an educator, in both academic and athletics fields, Richardson speaks on the power of sports and necessity to take hold of opportunity.

John Towfighi | Features Editor PHOTO BY MICHAELA TOWFIGHI

I

“

’m a country boy in terms of my beginnings” Varsity Softball and Field Hockey Coach Randy Richardson remarked as he reminisced over his childhood in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. Living his childhood in a preAmerican Revolutionary War farmstead that was “half way up what was called a mountain but was really a tall hill,” Richardson, a new coach and substitute teacher this year, grew up in “a little island of nature and farm animals,” where “the nearest neighbor was one mile away as crow flies.”

Now far from these pasture lands, Richardson has been forced to adapt to the busy and active city of London, as his arrival in England and the ASL

pursuit in coaching originally began with alpine skiing. “Growing up in that farm house, there was a ski tow nearby and I have been skiing since I could walk,” he said. “I began coaching my first year in college to continue my involvement in the alpine racing community and to supplement my meagre student income.”

Richardson is an accomplished alpine racing coach, having received a USSA Regional Coaching certificate after working with a variety of schools and clubs.

While employed as an English teacher at Hamden Hall Country Day School in Connecticut, Richardson began coaching softball as the school did not offer a skiing

Initially confused and wondering how to get out of this situation, it was at the first practice where Richardson began to explore what was to become one of his main passions. Messing around with a ball on the sideline, while the team worked through their conditioning exercises, he found immediate interest. “Having been given a stick, I started applying it to the ball and hitting it around…and it was as if I had found a new home,” he said. “It was transformative.”

Through coaching, Richardson has been able to keep these sports close to heart, and in doing so his knowledge about the fundamental ideas of sports has grown tremendously. Engaging with sports

you still have opportunities to shape your essential foundational personality,” he said. “You have opportunities to test the beliefs that you had when you were much younger with the experiences you are currently engaged in and the realm of sport is a safe realm where you can fail with safety and learn from failure.”

Richardson’s focus on improving the wellbeing of students has weaved its way into his work through both coaching and teaching. Before coming to London, he spearheaded a project in Maine to develop an alternative school for children whose circumstances in life, whether financial, social, or familial, were “interfering with

tended for three years before leaving for London. Now working as a substitute in the High School, Richardson continues to aid the ASL community while upholding the same values he worked toward in Maine.

Learning more about one’s self has been a vital part to Richardson’s career in both the athletic and educational fields, and he sees coaching and teaching as synonyms in terms of the effect on the psyche of students. “Coaching is another form of teaching and in my humble opinion the best kind of teaching is through the coaching paradigm,” he said.

Able to explore his own interests through the work of his profession-

“SPORTS IS A SAFE REALM WHERE YOU CAN FAIL WITH SAFETY AND LEARN FROM FAILURE.” Randy Richardson, Varsity Softball and Field Hockey Coach community came by following his wife, Director of College Counselling and Academic Advising Anne Richardson, for her new role this year.

During the interview process, Richardson stumbled upon an opportunity to coach field hockey and softball, two sports intertwined with his life since his days teaching around the East Coast of the U.S. Involved with coaching since university, where he took a course on the psychology of coaching, Richardson has balanced being a coach and teacher throughout his professional career. While field hockey and softball occupy his time in London, his

team. This passion for softball is still in full flourish today, yet while this duo of skiing and softball was well suited for Richardson, it was field hockey that made its mark on his life. Lightly laughing as he told the story of what was “a completely coincidental love,” Richardson found a passion for the sport after being mistakenly put down as the assistant hockey coach while teaching at this school. “I went to the athletic director and said, ‘excuse me, there’s obviously been a mistake here. I’ve never played field hockey’,” he said. “And he said, ‘that’s OK we’ll get you a book’.”

as a player, coach and student, Richardson has seen the impact of participation in athletics on the development of many people in a variety of circumstances. “When one involves him or herself with sports, their values and their personalities are revealed, especially to the degree that they are committed to the game,” he said.

This scope into how athletics “reveals the character that you have” intrigues Richardson, and he feels that coaching enables him to help students bring out their best selves and take hold of chances. “The beauty of when you’re in high school is that

their ability to continue with their education.”

The project worked with students across all grade levels and saw tremendous growth alongside its success in helping individuals within the community. Assisting families based on the situation, for example bringing children back into educational programs. offering support services, or more extensive involvement with providing tutoring, Richardson worked with a team to “ensure that children who wanted another opportunity to come back into the school system had a chance to do so.”

His participation in the project ex-

al career, Richardson has put his beliefs in the power of athletics and coaching to the test over the course of his life. Side by side with Anne Richardson, and now following her lead at ASL, Richardson remarked that while invested in all aspects of his life, his home lies not in the Berkshire Mountains, classroom, nor field hockey pitch, but rather where his wife resides. “Home for me has changed, for a while it was a place,” he said. “But ever since I met Mrs. Richardson it has been where Mrs. Richardson is. It is absolutely, fundamentally and in every way possible, true.”

26

culture sports

Tearing the season apart

TheStandard Standard The

Three athletes with torn Anterior Cruciate Ligaments discuss their injuries and how it’s affected life inside and outside of sports.

Jonathan Novak | Sports Editor

R

unning down the center of the rugby pitch Russell Cornelius (’20) was tackled by an opposition player, as he does tens of times each match. However, this tackle was different, as he lay on the ground trembling in pain, he knew something was seriously wrong.

Cornelius, who earned his first varsity rugby appearance in Grade 8, suffered a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), along with a torn meniscus in his right knee on September 17. Cornelius is one of several student athletes this year who have torn their ACL and consequently have had to miss parts or all of their athletic season.

Unlike most ACL injuries, Cornelius wasn’t initially diagnosed with an ACL tear when he visited the doctor following the injury.

Instead, he was diagnosed with a crack on his right femoral condyle, a bone in the same vicinity of the ACL. He originally received an estimated recovery time of four weeks.

After two months Cornelius was examined by his uncle, who is a knee surgeon, and was then diagnosed with a torn ACL. Jake Perelmuter (’18) also tore his ACL this year and similarly wasn’t initially diagnosed with the injury. In the quarter-finals of the varsity boys basketball ISSTs

against ACS Cobham, Perelmuter went up for a lay up and landed awkwardly on his knee. Initially after the injury, the athletic trainer at the tournament told Perelmuter that it was simply a hyperextension and Perelmuter “thought there was a chance that [he] was going to play the next day.”

However, the pain was too severe and he received a MRI scan after the tournament and was told he had completely torn his ACL. Perelmuter will now have a 9- to 12-month recovery time, missing the spring baseball season. “It’s hard to miss the season.

That’s the worst part about this, [missing] my senior year baseball season. Especially with this team and having so many people back from last year, with so many friends, and trying to go for a third straight ISST, that’s been really hard,” he said.

Cornelius proceeded to get surgery, but the whole recovery process has taken its toll on him both physically and emotionally.

“I’ve never felt more atrocious in my whole entire life than having to [live life] and feel like I didn’t have a purpose because I didn’t have rugby,” he said.

Cornelius had a similar reaction to Perelmuter after hearing the news that he would miss the

An example of what an injured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) can look like on a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. The ACL provides the main structure and support to the knee joint and a tear can lead to a four to 12 month recovery.

PHOTO FROM RADPOD.ORG

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I’ve never not been able to walk, I’ve broken ankles and had other small injuries but I’ve always been able to get through it.

However, this time, I physically was unable to.

Russell Cornelius (’20) season, especially since it was his brother, Ryleigh Cornelius’s (’18), final year on the team. “It was honestly the worst feeling of my whole entire life, I’ve never felt more sad than missing playing senior year rugby with my brother,” Cornelius said. “It’s kind of been my dream since my dad told me about his times playing rugby in high school[at ASL].”

When Cornelius tore his ACL and he knew something was wrong immediately. However, Can Suyur’s (’20) injury was more of surprise. He injured his ACL in a JJV basketball game for ASL and Athletic Trainer Jenny Newell originally didn’t think of it as an ACL injury when it happened.

“It wasn’t the typical mechanism of injury and his responses and testing was a little funny,” Newell said. Suyur, similarly to Perelmuter, has a 10 to 12 month recovery ahead of him.

Cornelius, on the other hand, only has a six month recovery due to the different type of surgery he received. Perelmuter and Suyur received a hamstring tendon autograft, a surgery that uses a tendon from a hamstring to replace the torn ones in the ACL. Cornelius, however, still had strands of his ACL left and was able to use the ACL of a donor who had recently died.

Although the surgery can be daunting due to the length and complexity, Cornelius wasn’t worried going in, but struggled more with his physical setback directly afterwards. “I’ve never not been able to walk, I’ve broken ankles and had other small injuries but I’ve always been able to get through it,” he said. “However,

Jake Perelmuter (’18) drives by a ACS Hillingdon defender in the Farmer Family Gym on December 6, 2017. Perelmuter injured his knee against ACS Cobham in the ISSTs quarter-finals on March 9. PHOTO BY EMILY FORGASH this time, I physically was unable to walk which was a new experience for me.”

Suyur, who plays volleyball and basketball for ASL, has also noticed how the recovery from surgery can be really difficult and disabling.

“Being on crutches, I can relate to people who recently broke their legs or even lost their legs. It’s really a bad feeling, you rely on others because you can’t do anything by yourself,” he said.

Although the surgery was rather serious for Cornelius, he is not concerned with his ability to play sports again. “I was confident that my doctors would do their job and get me back on the pitch,” he said. “However, there were points where it seemed like a recovery was really far away.”

Newell believes that part of what makes the ACL so daunting is the

reputation of the injury. “ACL injuries are different because of the stigma. Everyone knows about an ACL tear. It takes a minimum of four months [to recover] and four months isn’t really realistic to come back to full contact play,’ she said.

“A full recovery normally takes around six to nine months to get to a point where you don’t have to worry about your injury.”

Moving forward, Cornelius, Perelmuter and Suyur all plan to get healthy again as soon as possible, mainly for their love of sports. “Sports are my favorite thing. They [are] a release for me, it’s how I socialize... I just really want to get back playing sports again,” Perelmuter said.

(Staff Writer Amaan contributed to reporting)

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sports 27

April 2018

Lacrosse program continues to lack participants

Following their last appearance in the 2016 spring season, interest in the lacrosse program continues to dwindle, forcing its suspension for a further year.

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nthusiasm for lacrosse among students has depleted in recent years, and this trend continued this spring resulting in the cancellation of the program for another year.

Athletic Director John Farmer has watched students’ passion for the sport intensify and then dwindle since his arrival in 2014. “[Four] years ago, I was dead wrong when I predicted that lacrosse was going to be our biggest growing sport, and that other spring sports were going to fall by the wayside,” Farmer said.

Lacrosse was both a boys and girls varsity sports offering during the spring of 2015 and 2016, but there hasn’t been enough student interest to crate teams the past two seasons. “Sign ups dictate what we do and don’t have... If there’s no one who wants to play [lacrosse], I’m not going to sit there and bang a drum telling people they need to come play it,” Farmer said.

When the lacrosse program was thriving, practices were held regularly at Canons Park and both teams played games against TASIS and British club teams, as well as participated in tournaments.

Middle School Director of Student Life Payson Bullard coached the varsity boys lacrosse team during its existence, and believes that the teams never reached their desired level. “We didn’t get enough momentum to make [lacrosse] an ISST sport, and I think that ultimately hurt the development of the game at ASL,” Bullard said. “The legitimacy of the ISST tournament and potentially being competitive in that tournament is a real magnet for kids wanting to play the sport.”

Another issue the lacrosse teams faced was the range of abilities present on the field. “We would have kids who had 10 years of experience and kids who had 10 minutes of experience,” Bullard said. “It’s not a game like basketball where kids might have early and frequent exposure… Lacrosse is a much more specialized skill set.”

Caroline Kopfler (’15) was instrumental in creating the girls lacrosse team in 2013 before it became a varsity sport. “It was exciting to see that many people interested, trying and challenging themselves,” she said.

Ryan Lazar (’19) played on the varsity girls lacrosse team her

Liz Merryweather | Staff Writer

Neil Meehan (’17) looks for an open pass in a varsity boys lacrosse game against Reading in 2014. The team hasn’t registered as a spring sport since 2015, and has never participated in an ISST competition. PHOTO COURTESY OF PAYSON BULLARD freshman year when there was enough interest to have one, having never played before. She originally did it to try a new sport. “I did it as a learning experience and to try something new,” she said.

“It was a pretty developmental team, so a lot of players were going through the same process [as me]. There was a similar team dynamic, that made it feel more welcoming.”

However, Lazar began playing softball the following year, as many of her friends were switching from lacrosse as well.

One of ASL’s experienced lacrosse players, Jack Severino (’19) who has played lacrosse since Grade 3, and loves the sport because of “the creativity and freedom behind it. [Lacrosse] takes aspects from every other sport that I can think of and it puts them together in [one] game.

There’s so much you can do.”

Severino was an assistant coach for the Grade 7 and 8 girls lacrosse team last school year. This winter he helped coach the Grade 5 and 6 lacrosse after school program. He hopes that by helping to build the program at a younger age, it will eventually be revived. “Those basic

skills, they’re not very natural, so you have to work on them for a while.

That’s why I’ve been helping out the younger kids. Once you get them started younger, it encourages them

“

I was dead wrong when I predicted lacrosse was going to be our biggest growing sport.

John Farmer, Director of Athletics to keep with the sport,” Severino said.

Bullard believes that the best way to promote lacrosse in middle school is to have a prominent high school program. “If a kid wants to play basketball in the Middle School, they can go to the Farmer gym and see a really fun High School basketball game, and they can picture themselves on

that court in two years,” he said.

However, when a middle school student decides to play lacrosse without a future high school program, Bullard believes that “it’s like choosing to go down a dead-end road… It’s a little bit of the chicken versus the egg because in order to get the high school program we need to develop the middle school program.”

Although Bullard believes that not having a High School team affects the Middle School students’ motivation, Severino thinks that some of the Middle chool students he’s been working with could take it on themselves to restart the program. “I’ve been working with some of the kids both years consistently so that shows some interest there,” Severino said. He hopes that the middle school students he coaches will eventually become high school lacrosse athletes.

Without an ASL team, Severino currently plays for a club lacrosse team called Spencer Lacrosse London, but believes that playing on a school team is optimal. “It definitely isn’t the same experience as a varsity school team,” he said.

Severino plays with adults rather than students his age, and he ex-

plained that he is less motivated because he isn’t representing his school. When Severino applied to ASL in 2016, he assumed the lacrosse program would “pick back up again,” since he had competed against the vibrant ASL boys team when he previously attended TASIS. When Kopfler was organizing the first girls team, she put posters on the walls, made morning announcements, and collaborated with the athletic department as well as having meets with prospective players in order to make a comprehensive and official team. “You have to be proactive and... motivated,” she said.

“It just takes people with leadership and people advocating for another program.”

Severino believes that more could have been done to create teams this past spring, and he envisions starting a lacrosse club early next year to let both male and female students become acquainted with the sport.

Farmer and Bullard are willing to help students who are passionate advocates for lacrosse and restart the program if there is enough interest. “If the kids want it to happen... we would do our best to make sure we could accommodate that interest,” Bullard said.

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sports

TheApril Standard 2018

Coaching commitment ACL injuries

standard.asl.org

Commitment beyond the classroom W

aking up to pitch black skies and spending limited time with his family was something that Social Studies Teacher and Varsity Baseball Assistant Coach Mike McGowan had to get used to.

McGowan is one of few teachers that double up their employment requirements to coach athletics at the school. For the most part, McGowan relishes the opportunity to continue coaching every year and further his personal connections with students. “I really value relationships with students and I know that those relationships can only go so far in a classroom, especially here where every other week you only see students two times a week,” he said. “The opportunity to coach allows you to build deeper relationships with students.”

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continued on page 24

I think it’s virtually impossible to find a balance while coaching and teaching. The family is going to suffer and have to give up certain sacrifices.

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Mike McGowan, Social Studies Teacher and Varsity Baseball Assistant Coach

McGowan addresses the team following their 2017 baseball ISSTs triumph at Canons Park last May. The team won gold in both 2016 and 2017 and are looking to make it three in a row later this month.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN SHEVES.