September/October 2017

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Hurricanes hit North America

Editorial: Transparency

Robin Appleby Starts Tenure

Defined dimensions

Profile: Sergio Pimentel

After Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey, a look into the devastation and reaction from the ASL community members affected.

With a new year, new leadership and new opportunities, this Editorial Board believes it is time to address a pressing issue: administration transparency.

An introduction to new Head of School Robin Appleby, what she brings to the school and her vision for the future of ASL’s diversity and cultural competency.

Exploring the implications of Photoshop and the media on young men and how this makes them feel about themselves and their body types.

Catering assistant and goalkeeper coach Sergio Pimentel is leaving London at the end of the soccer season.

Pimentel discusses his passion for soccer and his life story.

News 2-5 | Opinions 6-9 | Features 10-14 | Culture 15-19 | Sports 20-24

r e d n e g

ethn icity

sexual orientation

race

socio-e conomi status c

religion

Constructing an identity Examining the School’s effort to increase teacher diversity in order to form a more representative community

Michaela Towfighi | Editor in Chief: Print

Ananya Prakash | Managing Editor: Print

Story on pages 12-13 September/October 2017 | Volume 43, Issue 1 The American School in London | One Waverley Place | London NW8 0NP U.K. | standard.asl.org

NEWS

The Standard

Hurricanes destruction Phillips leaving

Performing arts department splits Music Tour Students in Band, Orchestra and Choir will travel on separate trips for the first time in the history of music tour

JONATHAN NOVAK

tation in finding certain venues,” Graham said.

SPORTS EDITOR In addition, a core aspect of the ith 154 students, 16 fac- Music Department is the imporulty and staff and three tance of each individual musician. security personnel, the With a smaller tour, the hope is that 2016-2017 Music Tour was the larg- students will have an increased role est tour to date. This year, with the in their performances. This could numbers in Band increasing by 15 include giving chamber groups and percent, the Music Department smaller ensembles more opportunidecided to run two parallel tours ties to perform together.

Performing Arts Teacher Carowhere Band will go to one location lyn Stock-Chapin noticed the preand Choir and| April Orchestra2017 together vious format of the tour limited will go to another. The tours will student involvement, unless they take place at the same time in order were in multiple ensembles. “In to minimize the effect it has on the order for everyone to have that school this year. authentic experience... we split Multiple factors played a role in the tour,” she said. the change in format, one being the Without the complex setup of increased number of students who the and equipment, Graham hopes participate in music. K-12 Perform- there will be more performances ing Arts Director Gordon Graham for Orchestra and Choir on their has led Music Tour since joining tour. “Hopefully what we’re going ASL. He noticed an increase in par- to find this year is that Choir and ticipation, which Orchestra will be lead him to deleaner and meaner cide to split the and perhaps even tours. “We have play more conseen a considercerts,” Graham able increase in said. “There’s no the number of reason why they students enrollcouldn’t fit in two ing, for particuconcerts comfortlarly the Band in ably in one day.

Caroyln Stock-Chapin the High School.

We’ve never been Performing Arts Teacher able to do that in About a third of the population of the Band.” the High School However, one student body is enrolled in Band, of the drawbacks with the new tour Orchestra or Choir,” Graham said. format is that students will not be The main problem is there able to hear music produced by othsimply aren’t hotels and concert er ensembles. “What would be missvenues large enough to house all ing is that opportunity to travel with the students who partake as well your colleagues in the different disas to the chaperones needed to ac- cipline areas of the performing arts, company the tour. “There’s a limi- but we have something in place for

W

“

In order for everyone to have that authentic experience we split the tour.

There are 97 band members.

The entire band along with music teachers, chaperones and security will travel to a different destination than other ensembles.

Performing Arts Teacher David Papenhagen conducts the new-look High School Band. There are 97 members in the High School band this year. The Performing Arts department split the PHOTO BY CAM CAMPILI music tour into two separate trips to accommodate all ensembles. that as well with the new homecoming concert,” Stock-Chapin said.

The homecoming concert will involve all three ensembles and will take place at an offsite venue on May 22.

Additionally, for some students, the new format presents challenges as they must choose which tour to attend.

Russell Cornelius (’20) must decide between Band and Choir/Orchestra because he cannot participate in both tours. He will make a decision on which tour to attend with his music teachers considering factors such as which tour they will get the most out of and their role in each ensemble.

Cornelius is willing to go on either tour but the main factor in his decision is how much he is needed in each ensemble.

Cornelius understands the reasoning behind the change, but is disappointed about having to make a decision on what tour he goes on and not being able to go on tour with friends who are a part of different ensembles. “[Having separate tours] really divides us up more because last year I remember everyone hung out with each other,” Cornelius said.

“Obviously they did it for certain reasons but the Band is just not going to be unified with the Choir and Orchestra [this year].”

This tour format is the initial

idea as it is the first time having parallel tours. Looking forward, the Music Department does not expect there to be much fluctuation in numbers. Thus, they will continue to plan separate tours in order for students to have the best musical experience. “It’s very difficult to predict how big an ensemble is going to be but if this proves to be a positive experience for everyone particularly the students [we will keep this tour format],” Graham said.

Both tours are scheduled to take place from April 19 to April 22. Tour venues and locations are undecided as of now, however, the Music Department hopes to confirm in the coming weeks.

There are 43 choir members and 26 orchestra members. The choir and orchestra, along with music teachers, chaperones and security will travel together on one music tour.

September/October 2017

Creating a collaborative learning environment

news

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The renovations of the science facilities provide new additions, including a new shared learning space

ISABELLE LHUILIER NEWS EDITOR

A

s students walked through the hallways surrounding the Science Department at the start of the year, they were met with entirely new science facilities. Replacing the former science classrooms, updated lab spaces, a redesigned office and a new student research lab were

Heynderickx believes that the most challenging aspect of these renovations was constructing the plumbing infrastructure from the octagonal lab benches and pedestals. The pipes and wires for the gas, water and drainage had to come through the floor of the science rooms in the third floor. In order to construct theses pipes, the ceiling in the second floor had to be taken out. “Taking out all the ceilings in the Head of School

The new Science Learning Commons was completed on September 25. The administration hopes it will provide a space for students to collaborate and discuss ideas. installed over the summer. Additionally, the new Learning Commons and Computer Science classroom opened for student use on September 25.

The final piece to the New Frontiers campaign, the science renovations had been under discussion for the past two years as the administration examined the needs of the facilities.

The construction process was substantial as all of the floors, ceilings and most furniture has been replaced. Ed Toovey of Ed Toovey Architects, was the architect on the project. Toovey previously designed the reconstruction of the Middle School science wing and the Commons.

The first phase of the project, the renovations of the science classrooms and office, was completed over the summer, but a delay with the subcontractor postponed the second phase of the project. Due to the delay, the Learning Commons, student research lab and computer science classrooms were completed during the third week of the school year.

Director of Operations Jim

office, Admissions and the Mellon Library took twice as long as expected because when they took down the ceiling tiles they found it was going to be a lot harder to run the pipe work around all of the existing services.”

As a result of these renova-

“

We wanted a much more flexible collaborative environment for the science labs than what we had before.

Andrew Ringham, Science Department Head tions, the new facilities are more spacious with mobile furniture which meets the needs of the Science Department. “There was a request from the science faculty [to have] lighter and brighter and also would like to have more floor space,” Heynderickx said. The

previous fixed black top counters and cabinets have been replaced, to provide more space in the labs.

Science Department Head Andrew Ringham believes that these changes were needed to fit the new ways of teaching in the science department. “We identified as a faculty that the facilities weren’t providing the flexibility in learning spaces that we really wanted,” Ringham said.

Straying away from the previously lecture-focused classes, the science department is now incorporating more group work and practical elements into their lessons with the new spaces. “We wanted a much more flexible collaborative environment for the science labs than we had before,” Ringham said.

Ringham believes that the fixed nature of the original facilities made it difficult to adjust the classroom for different lessons.

“That provides us with the opportunity to try different things and to really develop different ways of using the space,” he said.

Amongst numerous other benefits, Ringham believes the renovations have significantly improved the lighting in the science facilities, giving it a more spacious feel. “It feels like a much bigger room,” Ringham said. “It feels like a much more open space just because the light is so much better and so much brighter.”

Science Teacher Deb Luheshi appreciates the mobility of the new furniture in her own classrooms. “In the physics lab... there is definitely a difference, we can move things around a lot more easily,” she said. “It’s going to be easier to facilitate group conversation and more of a collegial atmosphere within classes.”

Ringham describes the Learning commons as “the scientific answer to the Make Innovate Learn Lab (MILL),” a large open space for students to work on experiments, collaborate on projects and present designs and ideas. The space will be used during science classes but will also be open for students to use during their free time. Inside, there is furniture which can be moved around depending on student wishes, seminar seating, and large double sided white boards.

“We are curious to see what high school students think of the new furniture being a lot different to what we had on campus before,” Heynderickx said.

Construction took place in the Learning Commons over the summer and continued into the school year. The overall cost of the renovations to the science wing was approximately £1.8 million.

Another new addition is the actually test our rocket there,” research lab where students can he said. carry out experiments outside Ahmed looks forward to workof class time. “It’s really a space ing in the new facilities as he that’s dedicated to student-driven believes it will give students a inquiry,” Ringham said. This will designated area where they can be a single lab used for independ- conduct scientific research. “The ent student work, and there will idea of having a research facility be no classes scheduled in it. area, that’s really new, that’s cool One student who is looking because we have never really had forward to the new facilities is that before so, instead of just goAli M. Ahmed (‘18), who, along- ing to the MILL, we actually have side Lucas Pabarcius (‘18), is a science area where we can [run doing an independent study de- tests].” signing a hybrid rocket motor.

Although it may take time to Although he will be using the set up everything, Ringham beMILL to build the rocket, Ahmed lieves that the facilities will prohopes to use the research lab vide teachers with an opportunity and Learning Commons to col- to try new and innovative ways of lect and measure samples and to teaching. “Before the facility was run tests. “We are probably go- really a limiting factor and now ing to get test equipment from it’s not,” he said. “I am excited for [Andrew] Ringham and use that what the future holds for us in the in the new facilities so we can Science Department.”

W303 has been renovated in order to provide a more spacious feel for students and teachers. New furniture has been installed including new lab benches, chairs and white boards.

ALL PHOTOS FROM JIM HEYNDERICKX

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news

TheStandard Standard The

Principal Jack Phillips announces resignation After five years as High School Principal, Jack Phillips will step down from his role at the end of the 2017-18 school year, to support his wife’s career ambitions

“The school community has been welcoming and it’s become an extended family for us.”

JACK PHILLIPS HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

PHOTO BY MICHAELA TOWFIGHI

CAMERON CAMPILI LEAD NEWS EDITOR

ISABELLE LHUILIER NEWS EDITOR

I

n June 2018, High School Principal Jack Phillips will officially step down from his current role, after five years. Although Phillips was contractually obligated to give his notice

by June 30 2017, he and his wife, Danielle, had been discussing the move a few months prior to this deadline. Celebrating their 10th anniversary on a weekend away in June 23, Phillips and his wife were given the chance “to really do some soul- searching and really make some decisions. We knew we wanted to [take on new opportunities] and the key question was if it could wait,” Phillips said, “a] And the answer was no.”

At the moment, Phillips and his family are discussing what their next steps will be.“My wife is looking to apply [for a job] back

in the U.S. and that will determine where we are going to go. Once we know where our next step is, I’ll start looking for a job [in teaching],” he said.

Phillips will not be directly involved in the process of searching for a new High School Principal, but he will be as active as he possibly can in order to make the transition a smooth. “I will be involved in as much as I am needed and can be helpful as an advocate for candidates.” Phillips said.

Even though he does not believe the job will need much advertising as it is a desirable position, he would still like to be a “good sales person for the school,” to aid the process.

Phillips approached Head of School Robin Appleby to inform her about his decision before the upcoming school year. “He was incredibly respectful. He emailed me and asked if we could talk and we spoke over the phone about it,”Appleby said. “He had made his decision back in June before I had actually [started at ASL.”

Although Appleby is sad to see Phillips leave, upon listening to Phillips’ explanation for why he was leaving, she immediately understood and respected his decision. “I completely understood because his reasons for why he wanted to [leave] are family-oriented,” Appleby said.

“It was amazing to me how many things are staying the same and still moving forward. None of us are irreplaceable.”

Jack Phillips, High School Principal

Following Head of School Coreen Hester’s retirement, Phillips has observed much from her last year at ASL that he, too, wants to apply to his final year. “She handled her last year in terms of it is business as usual, it’s full engagement,” Phillips said. “I want to use that as a model.”

For Appleby, the change in principals now means that she will be spearheading the search for a new Phillips’ replacement.

At the moment, there have already been over 150 applications from across the world and Appleby believes the process is going very well. Despite the unexpected search, Appleby strongly believes that it has not affected her mindset for the current school year. “I don’t think it changed the way I am going to approach this year other than to make sure that I maximize the knowledge [Phillips] has and learn as much about the High School through him as well,” Appleby said.

Appleby hopes that the incoming Principal will embody ASL’s characteristics, believes that the perfect candidate would be one that understands “the type of high school ASL is”. That we are that sweet spot between an American curricular high school, but also someone who has an appreciation for the international aspect of the

school,” Appleby said.

After five years, Phillips describes his feelings toward leaving as “multidimensional,” as he is excited for new opportunities but will greatly miss his experiences at ASL. “Our entire family loves this school,” Phillips said.

“This school community has been welcoming and it’s become an extended family for us.”

Though the High School is losing a senior administrative member, Phillips believes that ASL is bigger than any one person, and the change doesn’t have to be disruptive, as seen through the smooth transition between Hester and Appleby. “It was amazing to me how many things are staying the same and still moving forward. None of us are irreplaceable,” Phillips said. “I have made so many relationships with students and teachers and families here that is deeply personal, and I’m really excited to stay in touch and see how people thrive.”

news

September/October 2017

5

Hurricanes devastate U.S.

Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma impact members of the extended ASL community.

SOURNA DANESHVAR JR. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ONLINE

CAM CAMPILI

LEAD NEWS EDITOR Math Teacher Tony Bracht grew up in the same house in Houston, Texas for 18 years. Bracht’s family, including his father, mother, sister and close friends, still live in the area recently devastated by Hurricane Harvey.

On August 19, the hurricane flooded his sister’s house and left his father stranded in a motel for nearly a week as a result of the flooded streets.

Days before the hurricane, Bracht called his family and friends.

They re-assured him that the impact of the hurricane would not emerge as forcefully as it was portrayed on the media. “It shocked them. Even though they were sort of prepared, they thought it was a false alarm,” Bracht said.

Not expecting “the hurricane of the century,” Bracht’s father was out with friends the day the storm hit most viciously. Soon he realized that he would need to return home, but by the time he began his journey home, he was blocked by the floods. While driving home, Bracht’s car started flooding on the freeway, so he got out and waited to be rescued. A nearby motel served as the only option for shelter until the road cleared almost a week later.

Similarly, the flooding forced Bracht’s sister and family to evacuate. “The water rose all the way up and flooded her entire neighbourhood. They had to get rescued by a boat,” Bracht said. “They didn’t have access to their house and their clothes and all of that stuff, but

their friends were very supportive and brought them food.”

Bracht explains that his sister remained safe while staying with a friend nearby, despite the flooding around the city. “That’s what’s strange about Houston, is that right down the street they would be fine because of the different flood levels,” he said.

Downtown Houston remained mostly unscathed while other areas were left in ruins. “I have some friends that own some businesses in downtown Houston and those seem to be ok, but literally a block away all of the businesses have flooded,” Bracht said.

The hurricane hit just as classes

“

Especially when it was going to hit bad I didn’t know how I was going to watch the news from Syracuse seeing a place I’ve called home for the last year and a half get destroyed.

Nick Muoio (’16) commenced at Rice University, also in Houston.. Kris Westgaard (’16), a student at Rice University, maintains that damage to the campus was limited. However, classes were cancelled for six days. “Overall, I think that most people at Rice were extremely lucky and privileged because everyone working on campus

Hurricane Harvey hit Houston on August 19. Much of Houston flooded. The hurricane unleashed 27 trillion gallons of water on the city, leaving Houston with up to $75 billion in damages, according to CNN. PHOTO FROM NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION took care of us and we constantly got food and clean water,” Westgaard said. “We weren’t the ones who were really affected by the hurricane. It was those whose houses were flooded and homes really just destroyed.”

Hurricane Harvey was not the only tormenting storm of the summer, as Hurricane Irma left Florida with similar destruction shortly after Harvey’s landfall. Emily Gossett (’16) and many of her University of Miami peers, were initially unaware of the danger that loomed over the city of Miami. On September 4, students attending the university were sent an email explaining that class would continue as normal, however, that was to change very soon.

For fellow University of Miami student Nick Muoio (’16), the next day the storm became a reality. “It started to pick up that this is actually going to hit us bad. There is

Trees have fallen in abundance on the University of Miami campus. The University told students on September 5 that classes would be cancelled until the wreckage was dealt with.

PHOTO COURTESY EMILY GOSSETT

a chance campus could get hurt.

There is a chance classes could get cancelled. It all happened so fast,” he said.

On September 5, the University of Miami announced classes were cancelled for at least the remainder of the week. The university also encouraged students to evacuate.

When Gossett received the email stating students should evacuate, she immediately began preparing. “I have impact glass in my apartment, but the biggest issue with the hurricane is the flooding. We nailed big water-proof tarps to our windows, put anything of importance up high in closets, removed everything from our counter tops, covered all of our furniture and then made X’s across our windows with hurricane tape in case the glass shattered,” she said.

Initially, Muoio drove with a friend to Orlando thinking that would escape the radius of damage. However, as news and threat of the hurricane grew he realized he needed to depart further, eventually staying with his brother Will (’14) at Syracuse University in New York.

Though Muoio fled to Syracuse, New York, some of his friends could not evacuate, leaving them in the eye of what was predicted to be one of the largest storms of the century.

“I was worried I was going to lose friends. That thought crossed my mind and it was really scary to me,” he said.

Although Hurricane Irma proved more tame than reported, watching the damage from afar with his brother in Syracuse was unnerving for Muoio. “Especially when it was

going to hit bad I didn’t know how I was going to watch the news from Syracuse seeing the place I’ve called home for the last year and a half get destroyed.”

“Considering it wasn’t as bad as [expected] made that feeling easier, but Saturday and Sunday I was still flipping to CNN seeing the reporters and seeing the damages,” Muoio said.

Classes resumed at the University of Maimi on September 25.

A month after Hurricane Harvey, the effort to help aid Houston has remained paramount for Westgaard and others. “I think that Rice as a whole has been phenomenal in terms of student help that they have given and they have gone and cleaned up houses and create shelters,” Westgaard said.

Now, Bracht’s loved ones and city focus on the recovery and formalities of insurance. However, he worries about the future of his sister’s house. “There’s always going to be that scar, there’s always going to be that lasting affect of what water damage does to foundation,” he said.

Bracht plans to return to his hometown during winter break, unsure about the city that raised him. “I’ll be there at Christmas and I’m curious about how it will still look, whether or not the damage will be there and how quickly they’ll recover and rebound,” Bracht said. “I think most of the people in Houston seem to be focusing on the bright side of things, the love and support that everyone is giving each other.”

OPINIONS

The Standard

K-12 relationships Forming our own opinions

Editorial

A call for trust and transparency | April 2017 A new year constitutes new relationships and opportunities. With new changes and faces within our school it is the perfect time for this editorial board to address a lingering issue: The relationship between the students and administration and the necessity for transparency for the year ahead.

Last year, when hiring a new Head of School, all high school students received an email with the opportunity to attend lunch meetings with the final three candidates. At the end of each meeting, students were asked to complete surveys providing their feedback, which was said to be taken into consideration in the final decision. However, said students were not updated throughout the process, leading them to question whether their input was taken into consideration. Although we acknowledge that the Board of Trustees has been making Head of School selections this way successfully for a long time, this editorial board believes that there is always room for more significant student involvement.

CARTOON BY GABY IWEGBUE A similar process was repeated for the hiring of Director of College Counselling and Academic advising.

The current principal spent a significant time with the students involved at the end of the third meeting. However, there was little understanding as to how much these students truly impacted the process. While we commend the opportunity to involve students in these decisions, we hope in the search for a new principal, students will be further involved and updated throughout.

Asking students to meet with prospective head of schools and principals represents great progress, but it has seemed like only token meetings and not as if students’ thoughts were genuinely considered. These meetings felt somewhat perfunctory on the School’s behalf.

Students often spent more time meeting with the candidates than providing their own feedback to the decision makers. It seems as if students served more as an advertisement to the candidates that the

MICHAELA TOWFIGHI Editor-in-Chief: Print SOURNA DANESHVAR JR. Editor-in-Chief: Online ANANYA PRAKASH Managing Editor: Print CHRISTINA LEONARD Manging 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 MADDIE SAYRE Online Editor SHANNON MILLER Adviser CARTOONIST Gaby Iwegbue STAFF WRITERS Maya Ariburnu, Anastasia Ruimy, Amaan Zafar, Michael Flaherty, Rohan Haarmann, Naz Ozturk, Jonathan Philips, Ishaan Rahman, Lorenzo Rasetta, Imogen Weiss

school cares about student involvement in these decisions rather than the students genuinely contributing to the decisions.

With these select students it is important for the decision makers to not only attend the meetings with students and candidates and listen to their questions, but to also spend meaningful, organized time with that student group as a whole and individually. This could be as simple as one 30-minute meeting with the group separate from the lunch meetings and 10-minutes, if even, with individual students in the process.

It should not stop with just the dozen or so lucky students who met with the candidates. Obviously, not all students can attend these meetings, nor do all have the desire to. However, by allowing the students involved to advocate clearly and directly what they want from these positions would enable all students, or as many as interested, to contribute to the conversation.

This is something that has not hap-

Standard

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Emily Forgash, Piya Garg, Addie Grigs 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/Standard style. All letters must be signed in order to be considered for publication.

pened in previous searches or thus far in the search for principal.

We realize that we are not experienced talent evaluators. However, we are acutely aware that this school is meant to serve its students, so it only seems right that the current students of the school remain as involved as possible in deciding its direction.

This disconnect between the administration and student body does not only present itself in their obscure decision-making process, but also their inability to trust us. As a group of 15-18 year olds, we should be trusted to make certain decisions for ourselves and the High School environment. This issue presents itself in many facets of the school, from the overly strict gym usage policies, to the removal of welcoming events, such as Back to School Bash, without consultation. These may seem like trivial things to be angry about, but they represent the larger belief that we, as high school students, can’t handle simple things on our own.

In addition, students are frequently encouraged to draft proposals for projects or provide suggestions for spaces or areas where they have ideas for improvements. Most recently, a proposal was drafted by last year’s Ecology class to create a garden behind the Community Arts building.

After multiple meetings and readjustments, it seems as if the proposal was lost in the dust of other plans and projects, with little explanation as to why. In order for students to be encouraged to suggest changes they wish to see in their school, it is essential the administration be thorough and constructive in their feedback and provide recognition and follow through with student’s ideas.

The editorial board believes the administration needs to communicate their process for coming to these decisions with the student population, beyond the representatives of the Student Council. We hope, after hearing our concerns and requests, the administration is able to consider the students more in future impactful decisions.

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opinions

September/October 2017

Building strong K-12 relationships At the beginning of every school year, all grade levels, faculty members and staff watch as the Kindergarten classes walk hand–in–hand with Grade 12 students into the Farmer Family Gym. As the oldest students lead the youngest, students age 4 to 18 come together to prepare for and celebrate the year ahead.

During this short time, Grade 12 students have the opportunity to spend time getting to know the youngest members of our community as they enter their first years of school at ASL, while Grade 12 enters their last. However, this is where the interaction between these grades ends.

As a K-12 community, it is essential we use all areas of our school to connect and grow together. At the basis of this lies

broader relationships between younger and older students.

These connections established with Lower School students should not be limited to a brief hour–long assembly, and rather should be available to all High School students throughout the course of the year.

This Editorial Board would like to see the establishment of a better relationship between the Lower and High School, and the implementation of a program that allows high school students to connect with lower school students on a frequent basis and foster new connections.

Throughout middle school, some students had the opportunity to have a Lower School buddy through their advisory program. This buddy system allowed middle schoolers to

be able to speak with younger students in varying grades and make new connections. Whether the advisory period consisted of recess time with the buddies, or a session to complete a project or help teach a subject, the Lower School and Middle School student developed a relationship over the course of the year.

This is the type of program we hope to see in the High School for all advisories, allowing all high school students equal opportunity to connect with the Lower School.

In the 2010 Strategic Plan, one of the main pillars was connecting all three divisions of the schools, as they appeared to be in separate silos. Although high school and middle school interaction is limited, connections are fostered between some stu-

dents through extracurricular activities. Due to the age difference between High School and Lower School students though, that connection is limited and harder to cultivate without guidance. This buddy program would further unify the community and bridge the gap between the three divisions.

For younger students, this buddy program would provide them with role-models that they can directly talk to and learn from. Whether that be in sports, the arts or as a new older friend, High School students can share their experiences and bond with younger students.

For High School students, interactions with younger grades provides multiple learning opportunities on patience, understanding and simply the ability

Progress Report MUSIC TOUR

BABY TRAV

WIFI

Editorial

to have fun playing with younger kids. It would allow older students a break in their day and a dedicated time and place to have fun getting to know someone who is much younger than they are.

One advisory can be taken out per month where students are paired with lower school classes and do various activities, such as playing outside, reading books, or arts and crafts.

By taking this short amount of time to spend interacting and connecting High School and Lower School students, the School would take a large step in the right direction in bridging the gap between divisions in the school, and enriching the experience for all students involved.

PHOTO 1 FROM ZIMBRA, PHOTOS 2 AND 4 FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, PHOTO 3 FROM FLICKR, PHOTO 5 BY MICHAELA TOWFIGHI, PHOTO 6 BY SOPHIE ASHLEY;

LEARNING COMMONS

1

2

3

4

5

6 4

The Editorial Board of 1.

The Standard gives the school its first 2. report of the 2017-18 school year. 3.

7

Music Tour Split: (D) Honestly, you’ve killed it.

Sophie Ashley

4.

Late Alternative Dates: (C-) I’m in desperate need of no homework, some sun and paella.

Jonathan Novak

Wifi: (F) I’ve heard “let me connect to my hotspot” too many times this week. Quinn Whitman

5.

NFL Protests: (A) Talk about a platform for change. Major props. Michaela Towfighi

Travis and Kylie’s baby: (A) Can’t wait for Baby Trav to hop on the mic with a Saint West feature and Asahd Khaled producing. For the culture.

Jonathan Sheves

6.

Learning Commons: (B+) This must be exactly what it’s like to work at Google (based on the very real depiction from The Intern).

Sourna Daneshvar Jr.

Post Scriptum: Farmer for principal

8

opinions

TheStandard Standard The

Cultivating our own opinions SOPHIE ASHLEY

sophie_ashley@asl.org

“

Rather than taking the initiative to do my own research or come to my own conclusions, I had relied on others to build my understanding of the world.

Recently, a friend asked me to explain the Israeli–Palestine conflict to them. Only afterwards, I realised that her knowledge of the entire topic would be based off the only explanation I could give her.

Her view is now one formed by years of me hearing my parents talk about Israel, one that was biased towards a country she had no connection to.

I realized then that I had been allowing the same thing to happen to myself my entire life.

I had made the mistake, many times, of letting the point of view of one person or group of people shape my entire opinion about a topic. Rather than taking the initiative to do my own research or come to my own conclusions, I relied on others to build my understanding of the world.

Before I joined The Standard, I never read the news. I had, and still do have, only very faint ideas of the true terrors in our world, and relied on the scraps

of conversation I picked up between my parents or teachers to keep me updated.

But, my introduction and subscriptions to weekly newspapers taught me more than basic information about current events; it taught me that there are so many different sides to a single story. It taught me that had I continued to rely on others for information, I would end up with a biased, western view of the world. In no way am I saying that view is wrong, or one I don’t believe in. But the reality is, I would have had no way of knowing. I had allowed others to form my view on the world when I had such easy access to cultivating one on my own.

There is a Ted Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie titled “The Danger of a Single Story” where she outlines a point similar to the one I am trying to get across.

While this is an argument many others apart from Adichie make, she happens to deliver it rather poignantly.

She tells the audience that she had preconceived ideas about America ingrained into her mind because of stories she had heard as a child, saying, “What this demonstrates, I think, is how impressionable and vulnerable we are in the face of a story, particularly as children.”

Adichie’s views about America only changed when she spent time there during university. The point she makes is that if she had never visited America, she likely would have never known the image she had of the country was not one that truly represented it.

Adichie’s experience only reaffirms the need for us to do our own research on a topic before forming permanent opinions on it.

Many of us will not have the opportunity to travel to every place we hear about on the news.

Many of us will continue to have the ideas that are ingrained into us by our parents, even after we leave the shelter of their homes.

It is the sides of the stories that

we hear repeated over and over by news sources, our parents, and our friends that we will take with us to form our opinions. Yet that information is not what we should be satisfied with. I am not telling you to read up on every news story you overhear in conversation, but we can not allow every view we have to be shaped by one other person.

We are so privileged to attend a school where our diversity is such that it seems we usually have someone willing to speak out on a conflict they feel connected to. We have a responsibility as the upcoming generation to not only listen to and embrace those points of views, but also to form ones that are completely our own.

Before forming an opinion based solely on the experiences of other people – whose biases aren’t always obvious and easy to determine – we must take the time to gain our own understanding. Your point of view is one of the only things that you control completely; don’t allow others to shape it for you.

Everyone can make a change IMOGEN WEISS

imogen_weiss@asl.org

“

Seeing how much of an effort those in Costa Rica make to be eco friendly, taught me any difference can still have a positive impact.

Sitting on the bare grass, I took in the Costa Rican scenery. I was in complete awe of the peaceful, picture-perfect mountains covered by the plush, white clouds. I don’t think I had ever seen so much greenery in my life.

The boy sitting next to me in the semi circle began talking about his experience on the Spanish immersion trip so far.

He remarked that because there will be enough snow in his lifetime to snowboard, he is not concerned about what will happen in the future.

I looked back at the mountains, letting his comment sink in. Because climate change and global warming won’t affect him or me in our lifetimes, we shouldn’t care about it? An uneasiness filled me as I look back at the mountains and think about how future generations are going to have to deal with the consequences of problems we created or exacerbated.

Something about his comment made me realize how badly we need to change they way we treat our planet.

Soon after I arrived in Costa Rica, I became familiar with the phrase “pura vida” (which

translates in English to “pure life”). At first I thought it was just another way to greet someone, but later realized it was a lifestyle that perfectly reflected the country’s ethos. Everyone makes a conscious effort to live harmoniously with nature and preserve its natural beauty.

I had always cared about the environment, but never made much of an effort to be eco friendly. The way the media portrayed global warming made me feel as if there was no point.

It was too late to reverse the effects, so why bother trying?

However, seeing how much of an effort those in Costa Rica make to be eco friendly, taught me any difference can still have a positive impact. Whether it be remembering to place a plastic bottle in the recycling bin, or not leaving the water running when you’re brushing your teeth. Even small changes make a difference.

While I was in Costa Rica, I learnt that 28 percent of the land is protected to preserve the wildlife, and only indigenous tribes are allowed to hunt, sustaining the diverse ecosystem. Additionally, the majority of products sold are local and

organic, meaning there are little to no chemicals used, which avoids harming the wild life.

People as a whole also try to reduce what goes to waste. My host mom would always bring her own bag to the supermarket to go grocery shopping.

It hadn’t occurred to me that something as simple as throwing away your plastic bag from the supermarket could hurt the environment.

Being in Costa Rica also helped me reflect on my time in California earlier in the summer. At the time, I wasn’t aware how badly climate change had already impacted the state. Until last year, there was almost a five-year drought. It shocked me that a drought caused so many other problems; if the soil is infertile because of the dryness, local farming suffers, forcing the state to import from larger corporations who have little regard for the environment and use pesticides on their produce, hurting the wildlife and therefore affecting the ecosystem.

Another thing I realized while I was in Los Angeles is that the only way to get around is by car, as there is no efficient

public transport system. According to Los Angeles Almanac, in 2015, it was estimated that 7.5 million people owned either a car, truck, or motorcycle in L.A. The thought of the amount of pollution and toxins emitted into the environment terrified me.

Even though there is now a growing movement to protect the environment in California, the majority of the state still chooses not to change their lifestyle and become more eco friendly. This increases the risk of forest fires, the extinction of certain wildlife, and adding to the overall deteriorating state of the ozone layer.

Having the opportunity this summer to see how much some people care for our planet showed me that my generation needs to be the one to have a shift in mindset and come together to protect and preserve the environment. Next time you do something as simple as throwing away a plastic bottle, remember to put it in the recycling bin.

Something as simple as that can make a positive impact. If we all make more of an effort to be eco friendly, just think of the impact that it will have.

opinions

September/October 2017

9

Being tolerant of intolerance JONATHAN PHILIPS

jonathan_philips@asl.org

“

It is imperative for all speech to be protected, both the (subjectively) good and the bad. Putting any restriction on the freedom of speech opens the floodgates for more limitations on this essential right.

To be intolerant is shameful.

It does not matter if the victim is hated for their race, creed, nationality or sexual orientation.

Intolerant speech of any kind is shameful, and every facet of society should maintain and act on that point of view.

The one exception to this is the law. There should be no impediment on free speech, even if that impediment is meant to stop hateful speech. In the United States, the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights ensures freedom of speech. The clause that permits free speech permits the freedom of all speech.

There has been recent controversy of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality. President Donald Trump has added to the controversy by saying that the players are disrespecting the anthem and the flag by kneeling and that the club owners should force them to stand or be fired. He clarified that he believes this is not about freedom of speech, and that players should have freedom of speech off the field.

However, freedom of speech and peaceful protest go hand in hand. Although the Trump administration has not legislated against the NFL players, Trump’s suggestion is certainly a government intervention on free speech.

It is acceptable for a company or

place of work to have rules about what speech or action is appropriate, but the government should not get involved in telling people what personal expression is right or wrong.

In an August 2017 article in the Boston Globe, Harvey Silverglate, a lawyer and First Amendment advocate, said, “Constitutional protection is not needed so much for someone saying, ‘I like you,’ but it assuredly is needed to protect someone who says, ‘I hate you.’”

Things are different in the U.K. Although freedom of speech exists as a broader concept, this particular freedom is not cemented in law. Simply put, free speech is not an absolute right in the U.K. It is imperative for all speech to be protected, both the (subjectively) good and the bad. Putting any restriction on freedom of speech opens the floodgates for more limitations on this essential right.

Examples of this have been seen in the U.K. According to the Huffington Post, the Public Order Act (POA) was created in the 1980s to regulate soccer hooligans and violent rioters and outlaws, and “the unreasonable use of abusive language likely to cause distress.” Although this seems benign and was almost certainly passed to be so, the POA has more recently been used to criminalize non-violent “offenses.”

According to the Telegraph and

the BBC, Dale McAlpine, a Christian preacher was arrested for violating the POA after giving a sermon atop a stepladder in Cumbria. After finishing his sermon, a policeman came up to McAlpine and mentioned that he, the policeman, was gay. McAlpine responded by saying that “the Bible says homosexuality is a sin.” The police officer proceeded to arrest McAlpine and detain him for several hours. His experience shows the danger of banning speech under the guise of stopping incitement, such as that the POA was intended for.

Thankfully, stories like McAlpine’s are all but unheard of in the U.S., as the freedom of speech is constantly reaffirmed to be absolute by the Supreme and lower courts. This example of the POA in the U.K. is relevant to the US because it shows what can happen if any restriction on free speech is created. There should continue to be no limitations on free speech because the freedom of expression is essential for a functioning democratic society. The law should not draw any lines as to what non-violent speech is acceptable and what is not, that is society’s job.

There is no equal to the POA in the U.S., and there should not be one. McAlpine’s story should serve as a cautionary tale to all free nations; no matter how vile and repugnant someone’s views

are, they are legal but not OK. Freedom of speech, like the other rights enumerated in the First Amendment, is essential to having a successful democracy. If the regulation of a “hooligan” soccer fan leads to the crackdown on the right to a personal opinion, then what is next?

The solution to curbing intolerant speech does not lie in the law; it lies in society. This responsibility is one given to parents, to teachers, to schools and to leaders. Whether it be attending counter-rallies, getting into a debate or simply forming a big enough group to say “we disagree,” social solutions to intolerance are the way to go. People need to advocate for what they believe in, and then eventually mainstream society will stop accepting morally repugnant opinions. Racists and NeoNazis are not part of mainstream society because law forbids them to be, it is regular people who do.

The way the five core values at ASL are employed is a perfect example of a social solution. While going to ASL, students are expected to be respectful, to be kind and to have integrity in their work and dealings with other people. Education can play an essential part in eradicating intolerance. If ASL’s core values are taken to heart and applied outside of school, then alums will be part of the social solution to tackle intolerant speech.

Importance of experiential education OLIVIA ABRAMS

olivia_abrams@asl.org

“

I want to create something other than a persuasive five paragraph essay. I want to explore my capabilities through action.

I have always loved to create. Arts and crafts projects and building Lego structures with my brothers were practically routine as a child. Many years later, I still feel the need to create something out of nothing, both artistically and with my learning. I enjoy classes that create purpose out of knowledge, and to me only one course at ASL seemed to satisfy this desire: Human Rights Seminar.

I walked into the first class, with 16 other anxious students, and it was clear that none of us knew what to expect; we were the guinea pigs in a previously unattempted experiment. We were told to prepare for “a Harkness discussion on steroids,” which made me feel uneasy and exhilarated all at once.

The first article handed out in class had a distinct quote that struck me: “Knowledge is most powerful when it is acted upon.”

Although I was not familiar with the author of the article, Jamilah

Pitts, little did I know, this would set the foundation for the course that would follow. International law, human rights theory and current events are only a few of the topics covered on a class-by-class basis. I am challenged to compare history to the present day. We read, discuss and debate, all while tackling profound, existential questions such as “At what point does freedom of speech turn into hateful speech?” and “Can the world coexist without war?”

Just as any other Social Studies class, Human Rights Seminar calls for analyzing and interpretation skills. However, the course takes it a step further than any other class or Advanced Placement course I have experienced.

While we are currently studying the foundation of human rights, we will be contacting organizations related to human rights work that hold our interest in the near future. The responsibility to coordinate with speakers of these organizations, plan simu-

lations and conduct independent research will soon become an integral part of our class participation. Rather than a traditional summative assessment, the students in this class will be held accountable for creating a Human Rights Symposium day – similar to Aequitas Day run by the Social Justice Council – comprised of workshops, speakers, activities and the participation of the rest of the High School.

Attending ASL for 13 years has given me enough time to reflect on my academic experience. Yet, it wasn’t until my final year of high school that I began to question the basis of our curriculum. Classes need experimentation. I believe that this is essential in receiving the best quality education that ASL is capable of giving.

This school has provided me with an incredible education, but I do believe, however, that there is room for the expansion and implementation of a more ac-

tion-based curriculum, or rather experiential education. I am not denying that we need to learn, in part, the way we currently learn; obtaining knowledge and understanding are basic principles necessary for success. I am, however, questioning what we do with this knowledge.

I believe that an education of this nature brings far more to the table than a traditional education, and entails skills such as communication and self-reliance: the kind of skills that can be applied to the real world outside the walls of our high school.

I want to create something other than a persuasive five paragraph essay. I want to explore my capabilities through action. Human Rights Seminar stands as the perfect model for this unsolved equation, but we should not be satisfied with just one class like this. The administration should properly consider altering our curriculum to better fit this model.

FEATURES

The TheStandard Standard

Teacher diversity Small towns to big cities

Meet Robin Appleby: A

| April 2017

Michaela Towfighi | Editor-in-Chief: Print

t 8:05 a.m. on most days, you will find Head of School Robin Appleby on the steps of Waverley Place, dedicating the first 15 minutes of her day to greeting students and faculty as they arrive at school. “It’s very much part of my personality to be involved in the life of the school because otherwise I forget why I’m doing what I’m doing,” Appleby said.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA ABRAMS

features

September/October 2017

11

The new Head of School A

fter spending two years as the director of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, Appleby applied for the Head of School position last fall. Prior to Chicago, she had worked as High School Principal at the American School of The Hague and Superintendent of GEMS Dubai American Academy.

It was during her time in the Hague that Appleby became familiar with ASL and hoped to work at the school. “I had come to know the American School in London both by reputation and by visiting it once or twice when I was at the American School of the Hague. I knew this was a place where I had aspired to work,” she said. “I had hoped there would be a really good fit between what I’m interested in, which is high-quality American approaches to education in an international environment, and that’s exactly what I found.”

Although her transition to ASL was long, as she accepted the position in October 2016, Appleby felt it was smooth as well. Additionally, Appleby spent a week on campus in April before officially moving to London and assuming her new role on July 1. “I felt when I got here in July that my feet were already on the ground, that I understood the things we have to deal with most immediately,” she said.

Unlike previous heads of school, Appleby wears a second hat within the community- a parent. Her daughter, Eden, is in Grade 6, and Appleby is the first rolled at ASL during their tenure.

“She’s used to it. Normally I get known as ‘Eden’s mom’ by people who are in her grade level and her friends,” Appleby said. “But she’s very independent.”

Being a school administrator and parent is something Appleby has always balanced, and gives her the ability to see the school through two different lenses. Additionally, her husband, John, is the Grade 5 and 6 soccer coach.

Whether it is planning who cooks meals or who is home after school, juggling family, work and school is something Appleby’s family has always faced. “I think it’s that our whole family balances it.

We’ve just figured out how to get stuff done,” she said. iven her extensive communication with Hester, Appleby

G

Initial Plans felt that she understood one of Hester’s flagship projects during her tenure: the New Frontiers campaign. With this, Appleby feels confident in her ability to maximize the spaces’ potential.

“I knew the areas we would have to settle into even more so this year. The swimming pool and the art building, [they’re] only really a year old. Sometimes you have to live in spaces for three or four years before you really feel like you’re embedded in them,” Appleby said.

Yet upon her arrival, Appleby had one plan set for the year: To

“There was a lot of agreement that I really need to spend the first year listening and learning about the school and not trying to make any major changes.”

HEAD OF SCHOOL ROBIN APPLEBY observe and to listen. Throughout her first year, she plans to adjust to ASL and learn about the makeup and atmosphere of the community before suggesting any adjustments. “There was a lot of agreement that I really need to spend the first year listening and learning about the school and not trying to make any major changes,” she said. “[This initial period is] a very good opportunity to hear from people about what’s important to them what they hope we could do differently, but not going into any formal planning process until at least a year from now.”

Appleby is also eager to build a relationship with the student. “I’ll

“I’ll be at as many sports events as I can, at music and theater [events] because that’s really why we all work here; it’s the lifeblood of the school.”

HEAD OF SCHOOL ROBIN APPLEBY

be at as many sports events as I can, at music and theater [events] because that’s really why we all work here; it’s the lifeblood of the school,” she said.

She hopes to observe various student-group meetings as well, and will be travelling with high school students on the Zen in France Alternative.

International Community B

etween her time in Dubai and the Hague, Appleby’s work in the international school community stretches over 12 years. To her, the identity and success of an international school comes from the school’s ability to embrace and celebrate diversity.

Incorporating diversity into the mantra of the school, Appleby looks to two questions: “How do we get along with one another and handle our diversity? How do we think about our responsibilities in the larger world?” she said.

To her, the best international schools contemplate these questions frequently, and are always pushing boundaries to expand their global engagement.

From her experiences across the globe, Appleby feels she brings an extensive understand-

ing of cultural competency. As the school community becomes increasingly diverse, Appleby believes the makeup of the school shifts, requiring readjustment and celebration of different cultures, ideas and beliefs. “It is one thing [for a school] to be diverse, it is another thing to really understand diversity and that is what the cultural competency work is all about,” she said.

At her school in Dubai, Appleby felt they excelled in celebrating all facets of diversity, whether it be various cultures or religious holidays, and hopes to implement similar routines at ASL. “We were extremely good there at celebrating diversity... without feeling that anyone was superior to another,” she said. “I hope that I bring that to my work at every place. I think I learned a lot from that and I am hoping to continue in those kinds of engagements.”

At the end of the day, however, Appleby believes her main job is to ensure ASL is as exciting and successful in 20 years time. Although her work does not feel like a “job” to her, as her passion for education is second nature, she knows her legacy will be defined by the long term success and development of the school. “Will there be things that we will need to innovate around in order to make sure we are ready for the future?” she said.

“If I can help the school figure that out and what the right innovations are, that will feel pretty good.”

“affinity groups"

D

uring Math Teacher Doug Poggioli’s first year at ASL in 1999, he made one promise to himself: He would be open regarding his sexual orientation. Happily married, Poggioli is open about being a gay teacher and has always felt accepted in doing so. “The school welcomed me from the very first day... and I’ve never felt in any way it’s been a problem,” he said.

At his previous school, Poggioli felt his sexual orientation was a private matter. Upon arriving at ASL, he felt this contradicted what he encouraged students to do. “How can I tell a student ‘you should be proud of yourself. You’re not going to feel threatened by anybody.

Life is going to be OK that you’re gay, that you’re not cisgendered’,” he said.

“How can I say that if I myself am embarrassed?”

Diversity amongst teachers

Returning to the Science department after a two year leave of absence in 1998, Science Teacher Jude Ruff noticed she was the only woman in the Science department. Although now she feels supported by her entire department, back then she heard a lot of sexist comments.

“I had to do a lot of pushing [back] for the kind of jokes that weren’t OK,” Ruff said.

As a woman in science, Ruff acknowledges she is in the minority regarding diversity of gender. “I think we females [in the Science department] have always worked in male-dominated spaces so I think there’s a lot of adapting that we do,” she said.

Interacting with other female-dominated departments, Ruff notices a different atmosphere. “There’s a different feel in the departments that have more women,” Ruff said. “I think of it as warmth… whereas we are very professional and we’re very collaborative. It’s not a problem for me, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t enjoy that [warmth].”

Throughout his many years at the school, Poggioli has constantly felt supported by the administration, especially

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el d o m e l o “r

SEARCHING FOR R with the creation of the LGBTQ+ affinity group for faculty and staff. “This is an actual group that the school has formed and they want us to talk to each other,” he said. “When new teachers come in, new people come in, we invite them so they know that this is a safe place for them.” n addition to the LGBTQ+ affinity group, there are currently two other affinity groups for faculty and staff: The people of color affinity group and more recently, the women’s affinity group.

Grade 9 Dean Neil Basu, who is in the people of color affinity group, believes the groups empower teachers.

“Affinity groups always serve a purpose for giving marginalized voices a chance to find each other, share experiences and be able to have an impact in a clear and positive way,” Basu said.

However there are no affinity groups presently for religious identity. Although Basu feels he can share his Hindu beliefs, he finds there is not much knowledge of his religion. “The understanding or awareness of Hindu cultural holidays or standards is lower than I would have expected,” Basu said.

English Department Head Eve Ellis believes she is able to share a lot of her identity with her colleagues. Part of this familiarity comes from teaching at ASL for many years. “As someone who has been here for a long time, that in a way definitely increases my comfort,” she said. Ellis also attributes this comfort to being part of the dominant racial group, which she recognizes shapes her perspective and experience at the school.

In the English department, Ellis believes the diversity amongst teachers can be analyzed in different ways. “In some ways, the English department is a diverse group when looked at through some lenses and identifiers,” Ellis said.

“Through some other lenses and identifiers, like race, we’re obviously not.”

Knowing this, Ellis and the rest of the department are increasingly mindful about their shared perspective in relation to the English curriculum and various student identities. “We want to be

I

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really conscious and thoughtful about ways in which we have a very broad perspective and ways in which, if we’re not careful, we might have a very limited perspective,” she said.

The hiring process

V

arious identities are essential to fulfilling the school’s mission statement, said Human Resources (HR) Manager Megan Gomm, who recruits new teachers. “Without diversity, that global perspective is not there,” Gomm said. “I think we recognize that diversity, the multiple experiences, is essential to [providing] a well-rounded education.”

The current process for hiring teachers ensures that in each pool for new faculty and staff, there is a candidate from a minority group as a finalist in every search. “That under-represented group might be a cultural background, an ethnic background,” Gomm said. “It might be that we are hiring in the Lower School and we see that there are way fewer male primary school teachers… [and] we want to make sure we have a male in this pool.” nsuring a more inclusive hiring process, the school launched a cultural competency committee for hiring, which includes a diverse base of teachers, support staff and HR personnel. “We get together and we strategize ways we can increase diversity amongst our faculty and staff,” Gomm said. “For example, we are working on bringing data to the committee to show the groups of people we are both interviewing, hiring and how we are retaining people.”

Basu works on the cultural competency committee and is a member of the Diversity Leadership Team along with Grade 1 Teacher Jennifer Abastillas and Grade 7 Social Studies Teacher

E

Darnell Fine. This team often works alongside Director of Teaching and Learning Robyn Chapel, the principals of the three divisions and the Head of School.

Since its creation during the 201213 school year, the Diversity Leadership Team have taken numerous initiatives to improve cultural competency, the set of behaviours and policies that allow an organization to work proficiently in cross-cultural situations. “We’ve done a variety of different things, like working with faculty, the entire [group of ] 350 people who work here, as well as people in our divisions or small teams,” Basu said. “[We] try to identify people who can be leaders in their own areas and have done professional development work with teachers. [We have also] done a lot of work with students in different ways and are beginning to do some of that with parents as well.” ecently, in another attempt to improve the school’s diversity, the administration created an organizational health committee, which comprises members of faculty, staff and the Head of School. One responsibility of this group is to scrutinize the recruitment practices as they relate to diversity.

This year, the HR department plans to create an online application and system to monitor and present their data. For Gomm, initiatives to maximize a diverse faculty is a continuous process. “We got to keep going. It’s not something you can say, ‘we’re done now, we solved it’,” she said. “It will always be growing and evolving.”

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She believes it is important to be exposed to different beliefs, as it allows her to not only appreciate varying viewpoints, but reaffirm what she believes in.

Former student Declan Wicks (’19) believes opinions are formed at a young age and having teachers of different backgrounds is essential in shaping open minds. “Having a diverse staff is the best for kids to learn that it doesn’t matter what you believe in or what you are, you’re still a person,” Wicks said. n the increase of teacher diversity, Wicks saw a growth in understanding within the community during his time at ASL. “If you grow up in an environment where you don’t see anyone who looks different to you, it can be shocking to see someone who looks different,” Wicks said.

Despite this, Wicks felt he did not have many teachers that could relate to his experiences of being a student of color. “Since there are so few black teachers that you know, it’s hard not to have someone who you see regularly, who you can share stuff with if you’re having problems and you need to go to an adult,” he said.

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Michaela Towfighi | Editor-in-Chief: Print

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“adapti

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rying to connect with teachers outside of a classroom setting is not always easy for Daniels as well. “If there were more black teachers or there were more teachers that were British or of dual ethnicity, I would feel like I could connect to them more in a sense that outside of the classroom, outside of questions about the homework, I could have a conversation with them and relate to them,” she said.

Math Teacher Livia Santos agrees with the importance of students knowing they have a teacher with similar identifiers to turn to. “At ASL I think it is even more important because [students] are coming in from different parts of the world, and [faculty] are too, and so we identify with each other,” she said.

As one of the only Brazilian teachers at school, Santos is proud of her nationality. “I know that I am probably one of

the few Portuguese speaking teachers, and I know I am the only Brazilian teacher, and so I do like to put my flag up at my desk,” Santos said. “A student who I didn’t even know... came up to my desk and was like ‘hey, how is it going’ in Portuguese.” et again, Ellis agrees and acknowledges how crucial it is for students to have themselves be represented through their teachers. “I think it’s hugely important for [students] to find someone in the community that they can look to and say, ‘I see critical aspects of myself reflected in that adult in the community and I have someone that I look towards as a role model or as a figure of support’,” Ellis said.

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“support system”

By being open with his sexual orientation, Poggioli hopes to guide students to do so as well. “I wanted them to see that there are gay teachers who are completely upfront. There’s a picture of my husband on my desk.

I want to model the kind of things that I’m telling them,” Poggioli said. “If I can make students feel less afraid that the world will accept them, that’s a good thing, I think.”

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14

features

TheStandard Standard The

Confronting an international identity Students compare the ASL community to different international schools Christina Leonard | Managing Editor: Online

D

uring Head of School Robin Appleby’s speech at the all-school assembly on September 1, she noted that 25 percent of the 295 new students this year came from international schools all over the world.

Amy Raiole (’19), one of the new students Appleby mentioned, attended both Quality Schools International of Sarajevo (QSI Sarajevo) and the International School of Brussels (ISB), finds that ASL is more competitive in academics than her past schools. She explained that because ISB offers both the AP and IB systems it diffuses academic competition. At ASL, where all students follow the same general course of study, Raiole finds comparisons between students are easy to make competition is inevitable.

For Greyson Hunsaker (’19), who most recently attended Hong Kong International School (HKIS), and the American School in Japan (ASIJ) before that, academics differ greatly at ASL. The international schools that Hunsaker attended were heavily focused on homework and exams; he felt there was no social environment.

“It’s more laid back here. At my old school in Hong Kong, everything was about grades and most kids you wouldn’t see out of school because they were always doing work and getting ready for tests,” Hunsaker said.

While the new high school students may have different opinions about ASL’s academics, their view of the school’s sense of community is consistent.

ASL is the ninth international school Caroline Harms (’19) is attending. She notes that international school communities tend to be “very accepting, they are very worldly, you get to know a lot of different people from different places with different backgrounds.”

Although Harms felt welcomed she decided to join the Student Council and field hockey to connect herself with the community. In her Student Council

speech, she emphasized strengthening the community through more grade and school-wide activities. “[The activities would] allow people who normally would not associate to get to know and talk to each other, and you get to work together, which leads to some bonding and [will help] bring the school community closer together,” she said.

Similar to Harms, Hunsaker believes that the sense of community could benefit from more grade-wide activities to promote bonding. “They bring everyone together in a fun way that really helps people connect to people in

and out of their grade,” he said.

Raiole believes that ISB and QSI Sarajevo both had more friendly and inclusive environments than ASL. She attributes this difference, in part, to the fact that the students in those other schools were much more culturally diverse. In a setting where many students were not native English speakers, everyone tried harder to communicate.

“I think that makes people more accepting because of their experience with people from different cultures [as] it gives you a taste of what happens when you’re in the real world,” Raiole said.

A l though having attended ASL for the past six years, Alice Bake (’20) previously attended the American School in Dubai (ASD) for five years and, in her view the two schools are quite similar academically. However, Bake has found that ASL’s lack of diversity has a negative impact on

the school’s sense of community. “[Because] we kind of live and lead similar lives, I think we kind of just stay with people we can easily relate to. . . we don’t really try to expand [our circles],” Bake said.

She finds the ASL community to be a lot more closed off than ASD’s, where there was a very strong sense of togetherness amongst the students.

Bake believes that ASD’s isolated location contributed to their students forming tighter bonds.

“In Dubai each little area is a lot more isolated [than in London], and you don’t really feel connected to the different areas [of the city],” Bake said. She explains how the school is the center of the students’ lives. In contrast, Bake believes ASL does not foster a community feel, as students tend to live in various locations throughout London. Nevertheless, Bake still believes that she can relate to other students, which allows her to feel a part of the community.

*Staff Writer Naz Ozturk contributed to reporting

Moving from small towns to big cities Students from small towns recount their experiences moving to London S

helby Roberston (’20) who lived in Houston and around the southern United States, had never applied for a passport before moving to London last year. “It was normal for me to have not left the country and I still don’t think it’s such a big deal to leave the country.

I mean there are beautiful things in Europe that you can see, but at the same time I enjoyed just traveling around America,” she said.

Road trips with her family throughout the U.S. in particular, is something Robertson remembers fondly of her time living in the States. “We used to drive to Colorado, California, or... Mississippi, where I was born. Traveling outside the country in Europe is amazing, but I miss driving around the U.S.,” she said.

Maddie Sayre | Online Editor Robertson is one of several students with roots in much smaller towns than London. Their previous experiences are hard to imagine for those students who have lived a cosmopolitan lifestyle overseas.

“

I took four school trips and I went to seven or eight countries my first year [in London] and I had only been out of the U.S. three times in 14 years.

Sam Holzman (’19) Sam Holzman (’19) moved to London from Montclair, New Jersey

before grade 9. It was a difficult transition at first because of the separation from his old friends However, Holzman said that over time, he has grown to appreciate the city and has learned to consider London home.

He recognizes how diverse London is and believes that living here has introduced him to new cultures and people. “You see more, you know more, it's more diverse,” he said. “I just had no idea that there were so many types of people.”

Holzman recalls his first year at ASL and how he traveled so often.

“I took four school trips and I went to seven or eight countries my first year [in London] and I had only been out of the U.S. three times in 14 years,” he said.

Similarly, Robertson now considers herself a world trave-

ler who has been exposed to many new cultures. “A year ago, when I lived in Houston, or hadn’t gone anywhere out the country, I only considered myself a U.S. traveler,” she said.

Before moving to London in Grade 5, Kenzie Morris (’20) had lived in Monmouth Beach, New Jersey. “When I first knew I was moving to London I was really excited, but when I got here and saw

how big the school and the city was, it scared me,” Morris said.

The school she attended in Monmouth Beach consisted of fewer than 25 students per grade. Although the numbers at ASL were overwhelming at first, the welcoming student body Morris met allowed her to find her place.

Coming from a seaside town with less than 4,000 people, Morris believes London has expanded her understanding of the world and has given her many opportunities, especially to travel. “Going everywhere in Europe is so easy,” she said. “Moving here has lead me to broaden my possibilities and see lots of parts of the world that I wouldn’t have if I had stayed in New Jersey.”

PHOTO FROM PIXABAY

September/October 2017

Nutrition commentary Effects of photoshop

CULTURE features 15

Album Review: Lust for Life In her fourth studio album, Lust for Life, Lana Del Rey reidentifies her music

Album cover for Lana Del Rey’s fourth album, Lust for Life.

PHOTO FROM NME.COM

ON M

A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Sean Lennon and Stevie Nicks. This expansion in genres of featured artists clearly symbolizes Del Rey’s embrace of modern pop music that is mostly dominated by the rap and contemporary artists that are featured with her in the album.

With all of these changes, it seems as if she has finally moved on from the contemplative, yet alluring music from her past and onto a refreshing new outlook of music and life, where it was just “enough to be young and in love”.

Del Rey’s most influential songs from the album, “Love” and “Summer Bummer”, both embody her past ideology and style while still incorporating aspects of modern pop songs. The two songs, although from the same album, are vastly different in their style due to different techniques Del Rey used to compose them. While “Love” has a more eerie and exuberant feel with its vintage tune and contemporary lyrics, “Summer Bummer” is a bit more eccentric with its pop rhythm, beats and rap verse, which makes the song an unconventional yet compelling substitute for Del Rey’s usual style.

Regardless of their differences, the two songs still embody Del Rey’s new ideology.

Her music has evolved and blossomed in the cradle of the new era of contemporary music, creating a beauty that moved on from her pensive angst and onto a new era of music that cherishes the past while accepting the future possibilities. As I listen to these songs, I see the smiling girl with flowers in her hair who was posted across the album cover.

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alking through the tube station, still with my headphones plugged in, I stop abruptly as a swarm of Londoners shove past me and make their way onto the Jubilee line at Bond Street. In front of me is an ad for “Lust for Life”, Lana Del Rey’s new album. I gaze at the poster in awe as I see Del Rey displaying a large grin on her album cover, instead of her distinctive melancholic expression. With this subtle clue, Del Rey makes it obvious that this time, her return to the charts is going to be different.

Making her debut in 2012 with the album “Born to Die”, Del Rey has since kept a constant and reliable style to her music throughout her career. Her own take on indie 70’s rock mixed with contemporary lyrics makes her a refreshing contrast to the pop artists often featured on the radio.

In her following albums, 2014’s “Ultraviolence”, and 2015’s “Honeymoon”, Del Rey stayed loyal to her distinct style as her music rarely transformed or changed, keeping her signature pensive and melodic beauty in every album.

“Lust for Life” is not like any of her prior albums. There is more than just a beautiful melody in her songs. The tone of the past is still present in her music, with her art deco videos and vintage melody.

Nevertheless, her music now is mixed with lyrics and beats that are present in modern rap songs. The lyrics of her new album still focus on the same ideals, desires and themes of her past songs, yet this time, they are altered and evolve with the addition of references to modern pop culture.

For the first time, her album features a diverse list of artists from many different genres and periods of music, including the Weeknd,

S

Naz Ozturk | Staff Writer

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Resurrecting the vinyl The comeback of vinyl records, and how this generation has shaped it

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Uma Mokhtarzadeh | Staff Writer

s Technology Support Assistant Luchano Bogdanov sits to have a cup of tea, he immediately opens his record player and puts on a vinyl. “When I listen to music on my phone I tend to multi-task and not listen to the lyrics,” Bogdanov said. “When I listen to a vinyl, I appreciate it...and really think about the music.”

A young generation of music lovers have started to discover vinyls. The vinyl record is a sound storage medium that was created in 1951. Mia Rasamny (’20) appreciates an authentic sound when she is listening to music. She is part of this generation who hopes to see a future that includes the magic of records. “I love that there’s a little rustic feel or sound to the music whether it’s modern or a bit older,” she said.

The record started to die out as cassettes, CDs and digital downloads started to replace vinyl as they were more convenient. Despite this, many still feel the digital listening experience is not the same. Alex Ferragamo (’18) is a musician who enjoys and values the sound quality on a record. “There’s much warmer sound on a record, you can hear a lot more frequencies, and really hear the paring. The sound quality is overall much better,” he said.

Other students have found that music is a gateway to identity and creativity. It is made even more special when experienced on vinyl.

“I feel totally inspired when listening to a vinyl, [it leads me to] create artwork, poetry, and writing,” Raunak Lally (’20) said.

As a new generation discovers vinyl, record stores are packed with young adults. “Vinyl are making a huge comeback,” Bogdanov said.

“Their sales are growing extensively, and there is definitely a market. I think vinyl will always be a part of our life.”

Fletcher Smith of Honest Jon’s Records, a record store on Portobello Road, said he has seen the clientele change quite a bit in the past 10 years. “I used to see music professionals look-

ing for rare recordings, but now I see young people looking for popular and vintage pop recordings,” he said.

Smith believes that albums can tell a story, the way one song flows seamlessly into the next or how one song can completely juxtapose the other. They all intertwine and complement each other, something that can be lost with the popular culture of creating playlists of songs from various albums and artists. The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ is full of transitions. The album is a work of art, and cannot be properly experienced as singles,” Smith said.

Album art is another reason why people find collecting records so special. It was a way in the pre-digital era, pre-music video era to know who you were listening on a visual level.

“I didn’t particularly like [the band, Roxy’s] music, but I would buy all their records just to see what crazy image was on their cover,” Smith said.

Lally, who is known to search for records online, at garage sales and in local shops, also believes that buying records can offer an overall experience for the music fan, ranging from the sound to the look of the album. “I think it’s interesting that records are bigger, they were interesting to look at, they can look like artwork,” she said.

Records take patience and care unlike the convenience of downloaded music. They can get scratched, need to be cleaned and to be turned over half the way through, but the vinyl is a treasure to true music aficionados. “Although [they are] much less convenient, they are true and authentic,” Rasamny said.

This authenticity of vinyls makes Bogdanov believe vinyls will not die out soon. “I think records will last a long time,” Bogdanov said. “A lot of music has been made specifically for vinyl, and there’s so much out there, you could never listen to all of it.”

16

culture

The Standard TheStandard Standard The The Standard

Confronting a dominant image Analyzing the issues men face today as a result of the media increasing body negativity and combatting its influence in society Sophie Ashley | Opinions Editor

Quinn Whitman | Culture Editor

defined facial structure

defined, muscular arms

broad shoulders leaner body defined chest structure six-pack tall, upright position

1966 G.I. Joe Action Figure

large, toned legs

2017 G.I. Joe Action Figure ILLUSTRATIONS BY QUINN WHITMAN

culture 17

September/October 2017

Unrealistic expectations

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s Tom Deagan (’20) scrolls through pictures on his Instagram feed or flicks through a magazine, it seems like he is seeing different variations of the same man over and over again. Although the faces change, almost every model has the same tall, lean, yet muscular body.

He believes that the popularization of that one body type creates unrealistic goals for boys and men.

“It just makes the world a little less open minded about what actual life expectations should be like,” he said. “It’s not like everyone you’re going to meet is going to be like that person from the magazine or on Instagram. There’s a much bigger range than that.”

Echoing Deagan, Lucas Achkar (’19) has also noticed and felt the effects of the publicization of similar male bodies in popular culture. “It makes you feel like you have to look a certain way to be a good looking or attractive man,” he said. “It obviously makes you feel self-conscious.”

Health Teacher Bambi Thompson believes that the media is one of the biggest culprits in the promotion of one body type. “When you look at the advertisements in what Western media holds to be, it is often looking at men that are very physically built so that ideal

of a six pack is something that boys and men will strive for,” she said.

Achkar believes that Photoshopped images are one of the most significant factors causing body insecurities. “In some cases, these images are the truth, but in most cases, [they’re] not,” he said. “They are Photoshopped and [the photo editors] enhance their arms, their legs, their shoulders.

It does have an impact on people and, in some cases, it can become an unhealthy obsession.”

Thompson references the evolution of the G.I. Joe action figures as a changing view on the male body image. “If you look at the body of G.I. Joe through the years, he has a different body for different generations of kids. The body has gone from being really muscular and fit and realistic to some that are not even remotely possible.”

Furthermore, Thompson believes that the evolution of the hero image combined with social media creates an image that resonates in people’s minds. “It [has] exponentially grown in recent years, so your generation is bombarded pretty much 24/7 [in ways] that we weren’t in previous generations,” she said.

As a result, Aryan Dhir (’19) believes this image of masculinity can be detrimental to one’s

“IT’S NOT LIKE EVERYONE YOU’RE GOING TO MEET IS GOING TO BE LIKE THAT PERSON FROM THE MAGAZINE OR INSTAGRAM.” TOM DEAGAN (’20)

self-image. “Men envision themselves being muscular and that’s not necessarily the way it should be. I think they expect too much of themselves and it can be really damaging to their self-esteem,” he said.

Dhir believes that social media can manipulate emotions to make men to feel unhappy about their bodies.

Dhir said that seeing the ideal male body on social media “makes me feel sad because it can lead people in the wrong path. I know I am smart enough not to follow the guidelines outlined in those posts, but I am afraid that other people might fall into that trap,” he said.

However, this body negativity also stems from real life encounters. For Deagan, sometimes it comes from “seeing people in my grade or the grade above who I see every single day and I think ‘I wish I could look like that, but I don’t’.”

“[MEN] HAVE THE POWER TO SHARE AND BE VULNERABLE. [AWARENESS] STARTS WITH AN INDIVIDUAL BEING ABLE TO PUT THEMSELVES OUT THERE.”

Defining the stigma

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lthough the insecurities surrounding negative body image are usually attributed to women, in today’s society, many men are faced with similar challenges.

Because of this, there is a hidden stigma for these men.

Achkar acknowledges that many boys struggle to speak up about their insecurities out of fear of differing from what society expects from them. “You don’t really hear about it that much, but there are lots and lots of guys who suffer from eating disorders,” he said. “They just don’t feel happy with the body that they have and so many people have different body types. People will always try to go one way and it can be physically impossible.”

Sharing Achkar’s beliefs, Counselor Stephanie Oliver agrees that it seems much harder for male students to talk to her about body image than it is for female students. She believes the first step to solving this is having one male take initiative. “It definitely starts with the boys and men themselves,” she said. “They have the power to share and be vulnerable. It just starts with an individual being able to put themselves out there.”

Consequently, Oliver believes that it is detrimental when people associate being healthy with a body type that is praised in the media. “Many people say, ‘I just want to be healthy’ and it becomes a disguise of ‘I want to be

STEPHANIE OLIVER COUNSELOR thin.’ There is still an underlying goal to look a certain way but they say it is about health and it can be more dangerous when it goes undetected,” she said.

Oliver believes that while people may act like being healthy will help them attain their ideal body image, it will still result in the same underlying behaviors.

“The language has changed, but the behaviors have remained the same.”

Media literacy

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or Deagan, improving his body image was as simple as adjusting his own mindset. “Just take the time to look at yourself and think that the only thing that really matters is what you think of yourself,” he said. “Nobody else is really thoroughly judging you based on what you look like. It’s a lot of self positivity and being able to say ‘I love the way I look and the way I’m living my life’.”

In Dhir’s case, despite comments that people have made about his body, he remains positive about the way he looks. “I am happy the way I am in terms

of my own body, but I have been made fun of for my skinniness.

People have not done it deliberately and as a joke,” he said.

“I would like to gain a bit more weight but I am not really too upset at the way I am.”

In order to encourage body positivity in men, Thompson believes that it is necessary to be “countering the negative messages and the unrealistic expectations and really just promoting and supporting who we are now and the best of our everyday look.”

She believes that this will allow differences in body types to be embraced.

Achkar agrees that the stigma surrounding male body image would improve if there was an understanding that there is just as much diversity among male body types as female. “There are always going to be people who look bigger and more defined than you, and there will always be people who look smaller and less defined than you. There is not one ideal body, all bodies should be accepted. You should never be unhappy or unhealthy inside.”

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mo ngr o Com

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELIZA BLAKEMORE

An introduction to the new student publication Commonground and their future plans Anastasia Ruimy | Staff Writer

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eatwave is the word to best describe the new student publication, Commonground. Fitting, as this is the name of their upcoming fall issue, it stands as perfect wordplay. At first, the magazine was unknown to the community, but later the members received feedback from students and faculty saying they had wished the issue was longer.

Founder and Editor-in-Chief

Each contributor played a different role in tying together the final product. Blakemore explained that she took photos for ‘Kids at Night’, a collection feature in the publication, and Deputy Editor-in-Chief Imogen Hare (’18) cr0eated prose to match them. Kian Tadjbakhsh (’18) took pictures and titled the collection ‘Back Garden’ where he styled different friends. Jules Savare de Laitre (’18) paired scripts with stage

These likings is at the core of their existence and purpose as a club, alongside their motto of being an artefact for the student body to “remember their youth,” Blakemore said.

“Heatwave,” their upcoming fall issue, will be centralized on the emotional phases associated with summer. “It is all of us reminiscing about the summer. Some sections focus on the days right

joined the project as it lined up with his extracurricular interests, especially as its focus was on fashion as well as photography.

Moreover, he shares that participating in the club has led him to gain a clearer perspective on what his career aspirations entail, which include working in the business aspect of the fashion industry.

In retrospect, Blakemore touches

will be left in the hands of Anderson to expand in following years.

“I think it would be cool to see [Anderson] continue Commonground [and] make it his own, however I understand that it is a huge thing to take on. That’s another reason our goal is to attract more underclassmen this year. We really want to represent a wider range of voices at the school,” Blakemore said. “I do hope that

“THIS MAGAZINE WILL ALLOW YOU TO GO BACK IN TIME AND REMEMBER YOUR YOUTH.” ELIZA BLAKEMORE (’18) Eliza Blakemore (’18), said Commonground aspires to continue to be “something raw that really captures our ideas and visions without feeling constrained by something that has been published before,” Blakemore said.

Last year, the club members worked on creating and publishing a 50-page issue of photographs, featuring the work of students involved in the creation of the publication (as well as some of their out-of-school friends) working to capture the essence of London.

directions and set descriptions around the images.

For their first issue, Commonground was launched as a club and later received a grant from the PCA to cover the cost of printing.

This year the club has become an official school publication, a title which Blakemore is proud to have.

The buzz of creativity around the club is their vital standout feature. For Issue I, Blakemore wanted to create a “tangible piece of work that showcased what [the club members] liked.”

after school gets out and everyone is in London with nothing to do but chill. Other sections focus on venturing to new places or finally returning home,” Blakemore said.

Hare finds that their collective accomplishments last year matched their goals. “I feel as though we achieved what we wanted to, in order to really show people what it is like to be a teenager, in its rarest form,” Hare said.

Nick Anderson (’19), whose photographs were featured in the first issue, said he originally

upon the fear and exhilaration that came with creating Commonground from scratch. “We were given so much freedom to create anything and none of us knew where to start.

So I just told people to get out and shoot,” she said.

Although the future of Commonground is uncertain, members are optimistic to continue the progress and development of the club. Due to Blakemore and Hare being seniors this year, along with a few other members who are greatly involved, the club

this year, now that we have gotten our first issue out, that we get other students to join,” she said.

Unsure about what will become of the magazine, Blakemore believes that regardless it will cause a lasting impact on the community.

“Five years from now, you may find Commonground inside the rummage drawer. But, it will not be a lost file on the internet. It will take up space and confront you when found. This magazine will allow you to go back in time and remember your youth,” she said.

September/October 2017

culture 19 culture commentary

Nourishing the mind

Understanding the connection between nutrition and the brain Phaedra Letrou | Culture Editor

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o most, a lecture may not sound like the most interesting thing.

But one on food and the misunderstood influence it has on our lives intrigued me. So when Dr. Tara Swart, a neurologist, life coach and medical doctor, gave a speech about new research and neurological advancements in September, I found myself in the audience at Founders Factory U.K. Swart focuses on educating people about nutrition and its connection to the mind, managing stress levels and having a healthy lifestyle. She has a PhD in neuroscience and a past career in medical psychiatry. Her talk about nutrition, where she addressed new research and advancements in the field of neurology, captivated me.

At first I expected to hear similar information to what I learned in health class: Try and have nine hours of sleep, stay hydrated and eat balanced meals. I had heard this advice countless times before and when listening to generic facts I find my attention span decreasing and the probability of implementing them into my own life quite slim.

But what Swart discussed was unlike anything I had ever heard before.

I was able to understand the detailed reasoning behind her recommendations, allowing me to consider the real implications food has on the mind, not just the body.

Swart talked about the deep connection between food and the brain and its influences on daily behaviors.

She explained that food not only is

lps e h urs tions o h two reac y r e v e snacking and s n o i t regulate emo

able to help with mental health, but also is a factor for the way we react to things. If one was to eat irregularly and go hungry between meals, they are more susceptible to accepting and acting on stereotypes. Individuals are also more likely to have stronger biases and have a decreased ability to be impartial in conversations if they are hungry or eat unhealthy foods.

Swart also stressed that food should be considered as fuel for the brain, as one third of what we eat is directly used to stimulate the brain.

The type of food and quantity has a direct impact on the brain’s functions. In a sense the phrase “you are what you eat” is a reality.

To be able to have the brain working at maximum capacity, Swart emphasized the importance of having a snack between meals. Snack-

ing every two hours allows the body to regulate emotions and understand information better. With this, I decided to apply some of her advice in my own life.

The first thing I tried was to eat a small and relatively healthy snack every two hours, such as a piece of fruit or some trail mix.

Alongside the snacks I also ate breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Within the first couple of hours into school I noticed a significant change in my performance. I was able to focus more in class and to understand the material I was learning better. I had a greater control over my emotions and the way I reacted to things just by eating every two hours.

The following day I tried to see what would happen without

the snacking, and instead only ate three simple meals in the day.

At around 11:15 a.m, I was already finding it increasingly more challenging to pay attention and to retain the information I learned in class. When I came home to do my homework, I noticed that it was not at the same quality as it had been after snacking, and it became incredibly easier for me to procrastinate. It was clear to me that my brain didn’t have the necessary fuel to sustain itself.

I realized that food has real implications in the way I act and behave. It’s not a matter of eating to be physically healthy, but eating to have the brain in shape as well.

To find out more about Swart and her research, visit http://www. taraswart.com/.

20 sports

TheStandard Standard The

Moving forward: Sergio Pimentel’s life around the globe General Catering Assistant Sergio Pimentel details his journey across continents and how he has managed to cope with loss throughout it all John Towfighi | Features Editor

A

change in scenery is nothing new to General Catering Assistant Sergio Pimentel. Born and raised in Angola, Pimentel has lived in Zimbabwe, Portugal, the Netherlands and now London – but these shifts in location have not always been that of personal choice.

Pimentel’s father worked as a farmer in the countryside of Angola until his family was forced to flee in 1975 due to the Angolan Civil War. Gathering their belongings, Pimentel and his parents left their home and travelled to Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe, with hopes of having a peaceful life. These hopes were short lived, as the Rhodesian Bush War forced them out of their home once again. “We had a second civil war in our life, so we had to run away from Rhodesia, and we went to Portugal,” Pimentel said.

Far away from all familiarity and their home in Angola, Portugal was a chance for Pimentel’s family

Top: Sergio Pimentel (far left) while playing as goalkeeper for Portugeuse club Vitória de Guimarães, in 1987.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SERGIO PIMENTEL Right: Pimentel serving lunch to high school students.

PHOTO BY JOHN TOWFIGHI MAP FROM WIKIMEDIA.COMMONS.COM

to begin again. It was in Portugal where Pimentel developed a passion for soccer. Playing as a goalkeeper, Pimentel began to attract attention of local clubs, and then received contract offers.

His undisputed talent was not his only motivation to play, as Pimentel used the sport as a way to keep himself occupied following the passing of his mother. “I lost my mother when I was 13, so I aimed for sports. I tried to be focused in sports, not to forget her but to keep on going, to have something good... moving [forward],” he said.

This passion for soccer occupied much of Pimentel’s teenage life, and when he was 18, his father passed away, leaving him on his own and with soccer as his best outlet to cope with the loss. Playing for the professional football club Vitória de Guimarães, Pimentel’s career lasted until when he was 26.

Despite his success in the sport, the intense environment and

pressure from those around him pushed Pimentel further away from putting his talents to use.

Frustrated with the business aspects of the sport, it was at this time when Pimentel felt he had to seek out another way of life. “I was alone in the north of Portugal playing football, and I don’t know if I [made] the right choice in the time, but I got tired of football, I got tired of the people, the pressure, and the whole...thing,” he said.

Putting soccer behind him, Pimentel took to running the business his dad left behind: a library.

Eventually he worked his way up to becoming an owner of a local restaurant that was affiliated with his family.

Experiencing a period of calm after what was a hectic upbringing, Pimentel lived for a while in Portugal, enjoying everything the country had to offer him. “Maybe because it’s sunny, it’s an easy life.

People are more happy, the beach is around...it helps you to put your problems far away,” Pimentel said.

However, he faced another unseen dilemma in 2007, as the global financial crisis had a direct effect on the success of his restaraunt.

Once again not pleased with the greed surrounding money and the “dirty work” of his co-workers, Pimentel sought to leave the business he referred to as “a big prison.”

Around the same time, he and his wife divorced, leaving Pimentel

isolated and without a sense of direction. “I really didn’t know what to do with my life,” he said.

Leaving his life behind in Portugal, Pimentel was on the move again. Following a brief stay with friends in the Netherlands, he stumbled upon a potential job that would change his course for the better.

“One day I sat down when I was looking for work, and I saw that the Olympics were going to happen in London,” he said. “I just had, like, £400, no more, in my pocket and I said to myself, ‘you know, this is my last shot’.”

“

“I lost my mother when I was 13, so I aimed for sports. I tried to be focused in sports, not to forget her, but to keep on going, to have something good... moving [forward].”

Sergio Pimentel General Catering Assistant Venturing to London, Pimentel was hired in catering for the 2012 Olympics, and then proceeded to live and work in the city. Finding work in places like Hammersmith and Putney, Pimentel had no interest in working in central London until his job-finding agency asked him if he would come to St. John’s Wood to work in the kitchen at ASL - a job that, unbeknownst to him, would set his life back on track. “When I came here, my life changed,” he said.

Not only was Pimentel able to continue working in the catering business as he had done with his restaurant in Portugal, but his admiration for soccer returned as he became the goalkeeper coach for the soccer program.

Spending his time between the

kitchen and the pitch, Pimentel settled into a stable life, and discovered a passion unknown to him throughout his entire journey. “Another thing I discovered here, is that what I really like to do in life is work with kids. I always was good with kids, but I never had that idea,” he said.

While his job at ASL was an opportunity to regain direction in his life, Pimentel’s work also served a more practical help to him. Following the decline of his business, Pimentel had filed for bankruptcy in Portugal with a list of people to pay off debt to.

Putting aside portions of his salary over the past few years, over the summer Pimentel paid the last person he owed and, while visiting Portugal, came across something of major surprise: his old friends had been looking for him to reclaim ownership of their restaurant business.

Coming to terms with his turbulent past in Portugal, and having changed as a man from when he left in search of work all those years ago, Pimentel decided to take up the offer and move forward with the next chapter of his life.

Departing the place that helped him make sense of his situation, Pimentel will leave ASL following the end of the soccer season, and return to Portugal. While he will be returning for his business, more importantly he will be coming home to be near his son. “It’s in my village, it’s near the sea and my son [Fabio] is there. He’s now 17, he’s in that stage of his life that he needs me there. Every time I [go] away, I see in his eyes that it’s not fair,” he said. “He’s my only boy, and while I’m here I make the other boys happy, but I make my boy sad. You only live once, you know? So I prefer to go back and be with my people.”

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September/October 2017

A spike in participation The 2017 fall season has seen an increase in female involvement in sports, causing a complete overhaul of each team’s dynamic Sourna Daneshvar Jr. | Editor-in-Chief: Online

Jonathan Sheves | Sports Editor

from page 24

The program, as in years past, prepared to field a JV team, which would yield approximately 24 players in total. However, with a surplus of nine moderately experienced players, Varsity Girls Volleyball Head Coach Dobi Dobos, JV Girls Volleyball Coach Marissa Haylett and Arrarte talked about the consequences of cutting the additional girls. “It was pretty immediate once we saw the amount of girls and the scope of talent within that group that it was a bad decision – if we could avoid it – cutting players was a bad decision,” Arrarte said.

As that number held true throughout tryouts, the coaches added Director of Athletics John Farmer to the conversation, asking

“There are girls on that JJV team who will be on the varsity team.”

Director of Athletics John Farmer

about the viability of adding a JJV team. “This was a group of volleyball-playing, experienced athletes, so it felt like the right thing to do was to try and make space and time for those players to have an opportunity to play,” Farmer said.

This is not a departure for Farmer, who launched a JJV team for boys basketball three years ago and girls soccer two years ago. Both teams did not continue beyond their inaugural season. Regardless, Farmer is not worried about the future viability of the JJV team. “I make no bones about the fact that I will put things in place because it feels like the right thing to do. I’m not as concerned about the overall, long-term impact because right now, we have 30 plus volleyball players who would benefit our school. ” Farmer said. “There are girls on that JJV team who will be on the varsity team.”

Due to the reshuffled structure of the girls soccer program, the JJV squad has been pulled, whilst numbers on the varsity team have grown.

Varsity Field Hockey Coach Randolph Richardson delivers instructions to his team prior to the game against Aldenham. The field hockey team lost 3-0. There are 25 players on the varsity field hockey team.

PHOTO COURTESY KAREN FIELD As a result, the JV team has been left with less players, requiring varsity players to play with the JV squad when necessary.

New Varsity Girls Soccer Head Coach Bruce Brown expanded the spots on the varsity soccer team to 18, meaning three players will be cut ahead of ISSTs. With 18 on the varsity team and a total of 30 trying out, that left only one substitute for the JV team.

Entering the season, Varsity Girls Soccer Captain Lily Noel (’19), who’s played for the varsity team since ISSTs her freshman year, was concerned with the enlarged roster. “We were worried that... it would cause a lot of competition and every practice would be viewed as more tryouts for ISSTs,” Noel said. “Being on the team before, a lot of us recognized that one of the best things about doing ASL sports is that relationship you have with your teammates.”

However, the issue has yet to materialize. “It really hasn’t caused any problems and we’ve really gotten close as a team,” Noel said.

Though competition within the varsity squad hasn’t divided the team, members playing with varsity and JV generates an awkward team dynamic. “Part of me is thinking I have this relationship with this team and I’m a leader for this team, but how can I be a leader when I’m not

at the game?” Noel said. “It’s hard adjusting to the idea that I’m going to be moving around and playing on different teams, but we’re going to make it work.”

Despite the need for players to swing from JV and varsity soccer, Assistant to Athletics Directors and former JJV Girls Soccer Coach Pranay Dhanani still believes in the popularity of the soccer program.

“We’ve had around 30-35 girls [tryout] each year so the strength of the program is still there. It’s good to see others doing the same thing, increasing their program as well,” Dhanani said.

Varsity field hockey, a team that has historically struggled with numbers, has experienced a similar uprise in numbers as the varsity girls volleyball team.

Varsity Field Hockey Head Coach Randolph Richardson admits that he doesn’t know what caused the sudden increase in players. “There are girls who are choosing to play this year either because they’ve had experience with the game itself, or with their friends who play the game. They want to be a part of the greater fun that comes from the pride of becoming more skilful,” he said.

Going into her first year as a high school athlete, Varsity Field Hockey Right Forward Madeline Bataille’s (’21) initial interaction with the sport came as a result of having friends on the team. “My friends encouraged me to do it and made it seem really fun,” she said. “I wanted to try a new sports.”

In spite of the surprising increase in numbers, Richardson believes that the team should remain as one squad rather than splitting into Varsity and JV teams, and will only consider the split if there are “30 plus” players. “[A varsity-JV split] can’t happen this year,” he said. “I was clear with Farmer that if he would have faith in me and my experience, I would do my utmost to make sure that all the girls fulfil their daily, weekly, and season long commitments for the team and the sport.”

Ava Crawford (’20) prepares to spike the ball on September 15. Varsity girls volleyballl won the PHOTO BY MADDIE SAYRE game 2-0 (sets).

22 sports

TheStandard Standard The

Introducing the

Cross country

With the fall season in full swing, what they bring to the program Jonathan Novak | Sports Editor

Boys soccer Phil Tiller

Cross Country Assistant Coach What do you bring to the program?

What I bring is lots of experience. I ran at [ACS] Cobham as a high school student, so I have a pretty good understanding of what it takes at that level and what it takes to get beyond that level and run division I at university. Beyond that, I ran fairly competitively on the roads. So maybe being able to offer advice and support to people on a more competitive edge and also helping the middle school and people who are maybe just getting fit or using sport for whatever reason.

How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I think if you asked that question to anybody I’ve coached, you’d find that they’d probably describe me as somebody who likes to have a lot of fun and a lot of laughs,” he said. When it’s work time I’m very serious. I try [to tell jokes] in the warm ups and on the jogs. I like it to be fun and easygoing. But when the workout starts or the race starts I kind of shift modes to being more serious and businesslike.

I’m also someone who is very patient and what I want most from athletes is for them to feel like they’ve done their best and that isn’t judged by me or anyone else; it’s just judged by the athlete on their own. Whether they feel like if they got last place and

that was everything they can do, I give them the biggest hug in the world and tell them it’s the best job ever. If it’s first place it’s the same thing, or second place and they feel like they could have done more, then I would offer advice.

But, I like to make people feel like they are the ones who judge their success.

What are your short-term goals for the season?

I don’t place a massive emphasis on winning, but like anybody, I like to be on a winning team. I like the hard work that coaches and athletes put in to pay off and many times that is judged by how you do at the end... From what I’ve seen [of the team] it’s capable of finishing in the top three at ISSTs and that would probably be a realistic goal.

What are your long-term goals for the program?

When I look at the time I spent at Cobham watching ASL, I would love to see [the team] in cross country win an overall championship. I know just about two years ago ASL won the overall track championship but it was only the first time in maybe 20 odd years. I’d love to be a helper to get that to be more frequent and I think we have the right people here, it’s just a matter of motivating and seeing what we can do as a team.

Akay Mustafa

Varsity Boys Soccer Head Coach

What do you bring to the program?

I bring a balanced perspective.

I’m someone who’s coached in [an] international school environment for 12 years. I’ve worked at professional academies and semi professional academies, so I have a viewpoint from both perspectives.

How would you describe yourself as a coach?

[A] term that is being bandied about in the states is ‘read and react style’. I would much rather teach [a player] how to handle a situation rather than give you a specific formula for how to take it on. I think that’s reflected in my coaching and management styles.

What are your short-term goals for the season?

Our goals [for] the season are to improve every week, win every game we play in, and to make sure [that] at the end of the season, we finish where we are supposed to finish.

What are your long-term goals for the program?

We need to create the feeling of continuation throughout the program. JJV players need to feel like they can play JV, and JV needs to feel like they can play varsity.

Danny Cook

Joseph Paul Wright

What do you bring to the program?

Hopefully some fresh ideas, because obviously I’m still quite young and I like to think I’m quite creative,” Varsity Boys Football Assistant Maybe spot something that’s a little bit different to what’s been done before. Also, I’m very enthusiastic when it comes to the sport itself. I’m very hardworking and very enthusiastic.

What do you bring to the program?

I bring in my ideas about competition. I think [that] it’s absolutely fantastic they way the school has everything setup. I think the bit that I have [over other coaches] is that I’m bringing a competitive edge and approach to competition.

Varsity Boys Soccer Assistant Coach

How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I would say I’m very much a man manager. I like to deal with the players on a personal basis, I’m not really the strict, I like to build a relationship with the players, get that development going. For me, it’s the personal side of things, I really want to get to know my players and use that as an advantage when it comes to playing games.

What are your short-term goals for the season?

As a team, we should be looking to try and win ISSTs. What are your long-term goals for the program?

From a personal point of view, I want to develop the guys as much as possible, develop their game, and hopefully turn them into pro footballers.

JV boys Assistant Coach

How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I think that my sessions are enjoyable; however, when it comes to competition time, it’s very serious and there’s no [joking around]. We have to enjoy the competition and enjoy the nature of competition, but at the same time not at the expense of doing our best.

What are you short-term goals of the season?

Problem solve first and foremost, Any issues that we have in regards to how we play we want to sort that out as quick as possible, and I think we’ve done a good job of that.

What are your long-term goals for the program?

I would like to at least have some influence on the program here,” he said. And help make the whole football program uniform.

September/October 2017

new appointees

sports 23

Field hockey

new sports coaches discuss and their goals for the future Jonathan Sheves | Sports Editor

Girls soccer Randolph Richardson

Bruce Brown

Varsity Girls Soccer Head Coach

Harry Sherman

JV Girls Soccer Coach

What do you bring to the program?

Massive amounts of experience. [I’ve coached] over 30 years of coaching girls this age at a very high level.

What do you bring to the program?

I think I bring fresh ideas, a different outlook on the way that I think football should be played, a new approach.

How would you describe yourself as a coach?

Demanding, But I’m fair. I treat everyone the same, [It] doesn’t matter if` you’re the best or the worst player. All I do is expect the best effort that you can give, but that sometimes can be demanding.

How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I am a coach that very much likes to be involved with the players. Having a relationship with the players is very important.

Nowadays, you see that the emphasis is on man management, as opposed to actually coaching the game. I like to build relationships with players, and use these relationships to progress.

What are your short-term goals for the season?

No matter where you come from, the end of the season is what you’re aiming for. Whether that’s ISSTs here, or a state tournament in the states. We’re trying to prep the team to be peaking at the time that we play that tournament.

What are your long-term goals for the program?

The history that I’ve been able to track down with ASL is that the soccer program is very strong. [I want to] ... increase the numbers because it seems to me that there are too few young ladies playing at this school for one that is especially steeped in tradition.

What are your short-term goals for the season?

To get the girls better at football than what they were at the start of the season,” Sherman said. “Ideally, from the first to the last game, I want to see an improvement in the way they play as a team.

What are your long term goals for the program?

I want to be more part of the set up. I love the way that ASL works, the kids, the facilities, the equipment, all great. I just want to continue to develop the students, helping them improve themselves.

Julia Harrison

JV Girls Soccer Assistant Coach

What do you feel you bring to the soccer program?

I think I bring an experience in the sport as I have previously played against international schools as well. I have an understanding of how the tournaments work. Also, I know a lot of the girls from previous sports like softball, and seeing them progress in sports and playing soccer.

How would you describe yourself as a coach?

Stern at times, but fair.

What are your goals for the season?

Definitely winning LSSAs, as well as building more of a team relationship between us.

What are your goals for the season?

I hope that we can develop having a program where there is a progression to move up from JV to varsity. It’s not just separate teams. We want a flow where when you are on JV, we’re training you up to varsity. It doesn’t matter what age you are, what grade you are, we’re trying to see a progress. Whether you’ve been playing for five years, or playing out of school, that there is a progression going up.

Varsity Field Hockey Head Coach

What do you bring to the program?

Love. I fell in love with this game, and I really cannot get enough of it. So if there’s anything that I bring more than anything else, it’s love. I picked up the game when I was in my 20s. I had to learn how to play and learn how to coach. I learned how to umpire it. I love it.

How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I’m a transformational coach…

By transformational, it means essentially looking at athletes and understanding a couple of things: You don’t get better unless you play. My approach is to try and develop teams and programs where everyone has a chance to play.

What are your short-term goals for the season?

To see how well coach K [Varsity Field Hockey Assistant Coach Kelly Isbister] and I can bring out the very best in the girls that choose to play,” he said. “That’s the most immediate goal. You have to understand, health and safety are always our number one priorities, and health has to do with fitness - which is out of our control until practice and the season begins. So, I’d love to get us to the end of the season without any major injuries or illnesses, and practice good habits. I’d love to see us generate more

offense, tighten up our defense, play not only with our strongest players but with our weakest links in a way that always demonstrates our very best efforts on the field.”

What are your long term goals for the program?

I would really like to help ASL be the school that everyone wants to play,” Richardson said. “They know that when we go to them or when they come to us, we’ll give them a really interesting, competitive game. We’re sportswomen. We understand that the game is the game, and yes, we’d love to win, but when it’s all said and done, we can find things in common with each other, and I hope that one thing we have with each other is the love of playing the game.

I want to build on the enthusiasm and the love that the girls bring to playing the game, so much so that those girls who are not yet playing a sport at all choose to play with [field hockey] next season.

PHOTOS BY OLIVIA ABRAMS, JONATHAN NOVAK AND CHRISTINA LEONARD *Alexandra Gers, Christina Leonard, Maddie Sayre, Michaela Towfighi and Sophie Ashley contributed to reporting.

SPORTS

The Standard

New Coaches Profile: Sergio Pimentel

September/October 2017

Growing involvement The shift in | April 2017

Popularity

W

ith the 2017 fall season underway, various sports have undergone structural changes. Varsity girls volleyball, varsity girls soccer and varsity field hockey have all made tweaks to their system that will impact the programs for years to come.

The Athletics Department added a third, JJV team to the girls volleyball program to maximize the talent and depth of the program after 33 players attended tryouts in August.

At any tryouts, there are typically up to five players who have never played volleyball previously. This year, however, Varsity Girls Assistant Volleyball Coach Lisi Arrarte found that nobody fit that description.

“

continued on page 21

It was pretty immediate once we saw the amount of girls and the scope of talent within that group that... cutting players was a bad decision.

”

Lisi Arrarte Varsity Girls Assistant Volleyball Coach

Lulu Linkas (’21) prepares to throw the ball back in to play during the varsity girls soccer team’s 7-0 win against Frankfurt International School on September 15. The team finished second at ISSTs last season, and will look to improve on their finish under new coach Bruce Brown.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA ABRAMS