Issue VII

Standard

the

May/June 2016 | Volume XLI, Issue VII

News: 2-6 Opinions: 7-11 Features: 12-16 Culture: 17-21 Sports: 22-24

Advisory report Faculty and students discuss the successes and failures of this year’s advisory system, a survey of the High School also sheds light on the program’s performance this year.

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MEET THE

REAL

EDITORIAL

Finals: Revising cumulative exams The Editorial Board suggests revisions to end of year exams and considers their place in the curriculum.

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ASL’s first student Bob Crawford (‘58) talks about life at ASL when it first opened its doors in 1951.

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With transgender advocacy becoming prominent in the media, students and teachers discuss the nature of acceptance within our community

Lemonade: Album review

Michaela Towfighi | Lead Features Editor A closer look at Beyonce’s new album Lemonade, highlighting its influence on societal themes and issues.

Ananya Prakash | Features Editor

Story on pages 12-13

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

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News

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Advisory report Attrition declines

Teachers set to depart from ASL William Brummette | Staff Writer

Beatriz Cortes World Language and Culture Teacher Beatriz Cortes will likely move to Orlando, Florida, where she will be teaching at The University of Central Florida.

What’s your most memorable experience at ASL? “I enjoy working with the students because coming from my previous school my work was divided as a housemaster and a teacher, so I was not 100 percent teaching.

I enjoy being very close to the students and with the families and with the activities I get to participate in with the community,” Cortes said.

What are you going to miss the most?

“I am going to miss the students and the sense of community that they have, and the way we integrate our projects with the material we teach. Because when we work in the classes we always have this kind of connection of applying the learning in projects so we can really convert the class to a community like a small town in Spain,” Cortes said.

What is your kryptonite: “I am a very emotional person. I think my kryptonite would be everything you tell me that is very emotional makes me cry. And I know that saying goodbye to my students is going to be very hard for me,” Cortes said.

Which actor would play you in your life movie?

Maggie Smith.

Eileen Cancella After spending 12 years at ASL, High School Science Teacher Elieen Cancella and her family will move to Tokyo, Japan. Cancella will be teaching at the American School in Japan.

What will you miss most about ASL? Cancella is going to miss many aspects of the ASL community. However what Cancella will miss the most is the “students and the colleagues that [she] worked with.”

What’s your most memorable experience at ASL? “I would say the service trips to South Africa with Ubuntu. I would say that because it was a great experience to spend that amount of time with students. It was really intense and I could get to know students that I had never taught before, and even for students who I have taught before I could see this other side to them where they really showed compassion or showed life skills that we don’t always see in the classroom,” she said.

What’s your kryptonite?

Chocolate because it’s chocolate!

Which actor would play you in your life movie?

Emma Watson.

Jason Cancella After spending 12 years at ASL, Social Studies Teacher Jason Cancella and his family will move to Tokyo, Japan. Cancella will teach at the American School in Japan.

What will you miss most about ASL? “I mean I always miss the students, but they eventually graduate and move on. With the adults the reality is mostly with the ones that I’ll miss we’ve built a strong enough connection that will persist even when we move on,” Cancella said.

What’s your most memorable experience at ASL? “The Ubuntu trips to South Africa. I guess why they were so memorable is that it’s very hard to get anyone out of their bubble whatever that bubble is but particularly the ASL bubble and I found that bringing student to South Africa and engaging them with students from other communities, giving them some awareness of just how privileged life here is, is pretty powerful,” Cancella said.

What is your kryptonite?

My wife or my children being unhappy.

Which actor would play you in your life movie?

Bradley Cooper in American Hustle.

Christine Wilson After teaching at ASL for three years, English as an Additional Language [EAL] Teacher Christine Wilson will move to Loudon County, Virginia.

What’s your most memorable experience at ASL? “We’ve been working hard with these bilingual, bicultural students and it’s this year that I really felt the sense that the students I work with have gained a certain sense of pride about being bilingual, being bicultural and that they’re seeing it in the work that they do, the work that we do here in [EAL]. I am seeing a sort of confidence that has come out of the teaching and learning we’ve done together. I am so proud of that, and so excited that we’ve arrived to where we are now through the Heritage Language Club and developing a stronger clarity to the purpose of the EAL program,” Wilson said.

What will you miss most about ASL? “The personal relationships I have made with my students first and foremost, and the camaraderie, the deep respect I have for the teachers I’ve worked with. There is some incredible teaching going on in this school. And it’s been great to be a part of that,” Wilson said.

What’s your kryptonite?

“Its language. I am so into the idea of being somebody who can understand somebody’s language and becoming an insider in a community. So when I was a peace core volunteer in Kenya I learned Swahili and had a six month immersion in Swahili and [I] become a fly on the wall in someone’s community that [I had] no idea about,” Wilson said.

Which actor would play you in your life movie?

Meryl Streep.

Aitzi Delgado Hired this year to replace World Language and Culture Teacher Nina DeSimone, World Language and Culture Teacher Atizi Delgado will go to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to teach at The Dubai American Academy.

What’s your most memorable experience at ASL? “Meeting all the students. Seeing how the students develop a love for the language, and the improvement of their language skills,” Delgado said.

What will you miss most about ASL? “Meeting my students and seeing how they love the language and the improvement they made in the language,” Delgado said.

What’s your kryptonite?

Ice cream. I like hazelnut.

Which actor would play you in your life movie?

Penelope Cruz.

ALL PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE John Reilly BRENDSEL After teaching at ASL for five years, College Counsellor John Reilly will be moving to The Trinity School, in New York City.

What’s your most memorable experience at ASL? “Leading students on the South Africa trip for two years. Being able to be there with faculty members that I didn’t know as well before hand and with students I didn’t know as well before hand, and seeing how that experience transformed them, really spoke to me about the mission of ASL as a school,” Reilly said.

What will you miss most about ASL? “The kids, hands down. I love coming to work everyday. It’s the interaction with the students that really made it memorable. Again we have really smart kids, really thoughtful kids. Students who’ve had the opportunity to see places, have experiences that informs their world view, and by extension informs my worldview. I’ve been challenged here by the students, I’ve learned from the students. I hope they’ve learned as much from me as I have from them,” Reilly said.

What’s your kryptonite?

A good deal on a flight.

Which actor would play you in your life movie?

Neil Patrick Harris.

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

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Page 3

Leaving the booth

ANANYA PRAKASH FEATURES EDITOR

First arriving from Chicago to attend Kindergarten at ASL in 1972, School Center Manager Christine Rudolph is leaving after being at ASL for 39 years.

Spending 12 years as a student and working at the school for another 27 years, Rudolph has decided she needs a change. When the school year ends, Rudolph will be moving to the English countryside where she will continue to pursue her passions for photography and creative art at home.

Initially, when Rudolph's father transferred to teach at ASL, the family planned to remain in London for a short time. “We were only going to come here for a year.

My parents just wanted something interesting, something new and we stayed forever,” Rudolph said.

After completing art school at what was called the American College in London and Chelsea School of Art from 1987-88, Rudolph returned to ASL to work in the Media Services Department for 20 years.

However, she didn’t actually apply for the job, but instead was called in by her father, who was still teaching, to fill the media services job.

The school “really wanted an alum to work… [and] wanted someone who knew their way around and knew people,” Rudolph said.

Transitioning from being a student to a part of the staff after just four years was an uncomfortable experience for Rudolph. “A lot of [my colleagues] were my teachers and that was really weird. I couldn’t eat in the staff lounge for two years, I just couldn’t even go in there because it was too embarrassing,” Rudolph said.

Nevertheless, she soon became accustomed to being a member of staff. Rudolph found that some of the teachers she loved having as student, she didn’t enjoy being colleagues with. In contrast, some of the teachers she didn’t necessarily like as a student, Rudolph became great friends with when she transitioned to being on staff.

The year before the School Center was complete in 2007, Rudolph took a sabbatical in which she did a year’s worth of technical theater studies with set and lighting design, as well as theater and stage management at various art and theater companies. When she returned, the School Center was built, and she became the manager.

The School Center Manager position has “boring aspects”, but Ru-

News

In Brief Social Studies elective added

A new year-long Social Studies elective on Government and Political Theory will be offered next fall. The class will focus on the U.S. and U.K. governments and will be taught by Social Studies teacher Mike McGowan. After four students took an independent study on U.S. Government this year, an unsually large group for an independent study, the administration believed there would be enough interest in a class.

Though the class is not explicitly an Advanced Placement (AP) course, it will prepare students for the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam.

New Social Studies Department Head After two years as Social Studies Department Head, Social Studies teacher Todd Pavel will step down. Originally, Pavel took the position on an interim basis, but stayed on for a second year. After being at ASL for five years, Pavel does not intend to leave and will teach AP Psychology and AP European History next year. Social Studies Teacher Natalie Jaworski will be the new head of the department.

Travel policy update After 39 years as a student and teacher, School Center Manager Christine Rudolph will move to the English countryside.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE BRENDSEL dolph enjoys the job, particularly working with students in plays and shows. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s work that I get into,” she said.

When using computer programs, such as Qlab, that facilitate organizing videos and sound cues for plays, Rudolph spends hours working at her computer without realizing the time that has gone by.

Sydney Martin (’16), who has worked in the lighting booth with Rudolph, believes that Rudolph’s time as a student at ASL impacted how Rudolph works with her students. “She’s really honest with you and when you talk to her, she’ll treat you like a human being, and not just a student,” Martin said. “She knows what we are dealing with; the stresses that we are under from the school itself.”

Martin believes that Rudolph helped foster this quality of the school. “[Rudolph] is really patient

with you when you mess up… and [when] you are trying to learn the ropes of how the technology works. It’s just a very casual and friendly environment,” Martin said.

Apart from working in the lighting booth, Rudolph believes her entire experience at ASL since Kindergarten has influenced her, from her accent to her time management skills. “My whole life has been in this building, so it’s probably created me. I’m like Frankenstein's monster,” Rudolph jokes. “[The school has] made me a lot of things, it’s done a lot of things for me [through the] people I met, the teachers I had when I was a student here, plus the students I worked with.”

Retrospectively, Rudolph believes she will miss the atmosphere, “one of people trying to take care of each other, trying to

make sure people are OK,” most when she leaves.

Once the school year ends, Rudolph will be taking time to focus on her passions while being a caretaker of a countryside house, allowing her to work from home. “I [will] have the luxury of time and not needing a full time job, so I’m just going to explore. It’s very nice, it’s very lucky,” Rudolph said.

However, Rudolph is certain she will continue to visit ASL, whether it be to attend alumni events or watch a play. “There are a lot of connections that I wouldn’t want to miss,” Rudolph said.

While the sadness of leaving has “just recently [started] to kick in,” Rudolph is looking forward to not waking up to an alarm, enjoying the countryside and experiencing a change of pace and lifestyle.

“I’m pretty much stepping out of my career into the unknown.”

A team consisting of Head of School Coreen Hester, Director of Operations Jim Heynderickx, Head of Security Barak Favé and a security advisor from the U.S. Embassy created a security protocol for travel. In light of European terrorism attacks and the alteration of numerous school trips, the team wanted a more concrete protocol for future international travel.

2116 time capsule Next September, a time capsule will be buried for ASL students in 2116 to open. The capsule will include samples of writing, photos and other artifacts from students that represent life at ASL in 2016. Students can submit artificats to the Advancement Office for possible placement in the capsule. The 2016 capsule will be placed alongside the first capsule created by ASL students.

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THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

News

Student turnover rate decreases With ASL’s student retention rate reaching a high of 88 percent, the continuity in the student body impacts the community on many levels Sourna Daneshvar, Jr. | Lead News Editor By nature, an international school is transient. While this is true at ASL, the amount of students who stay one year to the next increased by six percent over the past decade.

In the aftermath of the 2008 recession, Dean of Admissions Jodi Warren found the jump from 79 to 81 percent for student re-enrollment between 2009 and 2010 most fascinating. Reasoning that the volatile economy encouraged families to refrain from adventurous moves, Warren expected change with a seemingly more stable economy, but that did not

people, faculty-wise and studentwise does create a sense of belonging. Familiar faces are always really nice and comforting,” Henrikson said.

Though Henrikson appreciates stability among peers and teachers, she equally sees the value in communal diversity.

“There’s the risk where if everyone here has been here all the time you are being exposed to the same conversations, same problems, same relationships between people. It’s nice to freshen things up,” she said.

Phillips welcomes new stu-

“Having a base of people, facultywise and student-wise does create a sense of belonging. Familiar faces are always really nice and comforting. ” Rebecka Henrikson (’17)

occur. “To be honest, I’m a bit surprised it stayed that high because it can dip a bit in cycles, but it’s pretty unpredictable,” Warren said.

Last year, the re-enrollment rate reached a summit of 88 percent. Warren attributes the peak to London being a hub for global business. “We have more families who are in London longer-term.

So, we did start to see a situation where families who came on an ex-pat assignment, when that assignment was over they didn’t leave,” Warren said. “London’s increasingly a center for lots of international companies.”

For Principal Jack Phillips, a primary advantage of less turnover lies in students’ ability to experience one school’s curriculum, rather than engaging in multiple curricula. “In general, school transition is not great for academics,” Phillips said.

Aside from academic continuity, Rebecka Henrikson (’17), who has spent the last 11 years at ASL, values the social aspect of greater re-enrollment. “Having a base of

dents for the “vitality and fresh perspectives” they bring, though he finds having a considerable core of students advantageous.

“Building a community is a multi-year process and any time you get someone new, it’s like we have to start over again,” Phillips said.

Having been at ASL since K1, Rohan Prasad (’18) believes reenrollment among students is only necessary for so long. “I’ve seen some friend groups utterly destroyed when friends leave and that seems bad, but on the whole it’s good for people to try and branch out,” he said.

In addition to the advantages of greater turnover, Prasad identifies a distinct ramification of decreased attrition. “When kids stay for a really long time, the grade can get cliquey and it kind of divides you more,” Prasad said.

Isolated friend groups and grades constitute Warren’s greatest concern with the re-enrollment rates, as she believes with new students, “we have to be more mindful of how we help them integrate.”

Arriving at ASL from the American School in Israel, Adam Hamama (’17) noticed the dynamic of the grade he just entered was starkly different from the intimate, 75-person grade at his previous school. “I felt like the grade was less connected with each other because people just stuck to their groups,” Hamama said.

Hamama already knew one of his peers upon entering ASL and realized the transition proved more difficult for new students who didn’t have connections to the school before arriving. “It was quite easy for me because I became friends with his friends. It seemed like for other new people it took more time for them to find a group,” Hamama said.

Not only among students, but for faculty as well, the turnover rate decreased. Two teachers left last year and six will depart this summer. “In all organizations you want a little bit of turnover, it’s good, you bring in new ideas.

What you don’t want is too much turnover where you lose institutional knowledge,” Phillips said.

“ASL is a busy place, there’s a lot going on and we have a very coordinated curriculum, so there is an amount of time that it takes for a teacher to get up to speed.”

Prasad believes he benefits academically when he spends consecutive years with a teacher.

“You’re more comfortable because you are familiar with the teacher... you have the connection and can embrace the subject matter even better because you are not also getting used to a new teacher,” Prasad said.

Beyond the classroom, Henrikson enjoys continuity with teachers. “It’s nice to see teachers in the hallway that you had and say ‘hi’ to them and they ask how you are.

It shows that people care about you and your learning experience,” Henrikson said.

For the 2016-2017 school year, the Admissions Department projects the re-enrollment rate will again hover around 88 percent.

With departures over the summer imminent, that number remains unofficial.

2004/5

82% 2005/6

82% 2006/7

84% 2007/8

84% 2008/9

79% Percentages indicate student retention rate.

INFORMATION FROM ADMISSIONS OFFICE

2015/6

88%

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

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News

A ringing melody

With an ever-growing music department, the lack of space for students and teachers proves problematic for comfort and safety Cameron Campili | News Editor

When Abbie Dillon (’16) plays her instrument with four fellow tuba players beside her and a blaring percusion ensemble behind her, she can’t help but shift her focus from the music she’s playing to the music blasting in her ear.

Due to the growing music program, specifically the concert band, the main rehearsal room Y–102 no longer accommodates the mass of student musicians.

While Dillon can’t avoid the noise, she only experiences the deafening level once every two days.

Performing Arts Department Head Bronwyn Harrison believes that music teachers experience the greatest effects.

“The risks for the students aren’t as much as you think they are. The risks are really for the teachers and they're all hearing risks,” she said. “If you're exposed to loud noise over a large period of time for a number of hours, you have risk of hearing loss.”

After the music department reported concerns with the noise of the room to Director of Operations Jim Heynderickx, acousticians from Gilleron Scott, an acoustic consultant, conducted a report in the first semester. The report showed that during certain rehearsals, the noise level reached extremely high levels, unsuitable for band teachers with repeated exposure to the noise, but not risking damage for students.

Providing an immediate fix for the problem, the facilities and maintenance team added acoustical curtains to the room over Spring Break, which should reduce the reverberation and decibel lev-

els in the room. “They’re designed to absorb sound instead of reflect in the back,” Heynderickx said.

Dillon appreciates the additions of the acoustical curtains. “It’s helpful just because it does give everyone a little more

I wouldn’t say it’s hindering our performance, but if we had a bigger space then we definitely would be performing better. We are able to perform just fine, but I think this year is really pushing it with numbers.

Abbie Dillon (’16) room to breathe and that will improve playing,” she said. “As with the curtains, as a band we do sound better and the sound is less dry, but just having a little more space and not being so cramped has made everyone a little more comfortable.”

Apart from the safety concerns, the noise level impedes the musical environ-

Sourna Daneshvar, Jr. | Lead News Editor

ment. “I wouldn’t say it’s hindering our performance, but if we had a bigger space, then we definitely would be performing better,” Dillon said. “We are able to perform just fine, but I think this year is really pushing it with numbers. Next year if the band keeps growing the way it has been, then they’re going to have a serious problem with the room.”

Band Teacher Gordon Graham concurs that students need more space for a greater musical product. “When there's that amount of sound going on, it needs space for it to literally travel and be absorbed in. If all they can hear is percussion really loudly in their left ear or the trombones, you're not getting the true musical information that a musician needs in order to learn, to be a better musician,” Graham said.

Though acoustics remain the main musical concern for the department, other issues hinder the room as well. “It’s not just the acoustics of the room, it’s the crowdedness... it’s not super comfortable just in terms of a space,” Heynderickx said.

Dillon finds the room “uncomfortable,” citing temperature control (or lackthereof ) as the largest contributor to the discomfort. “It gets hot really fast, I wouldn’t say people are really, really squished, but it would be more comfortable if there was a bit more space,” Dillon said.

Other music ensembles, such as the choir, face difficulty with space. Choir member Sophie Partridge-Hicks (’17) feels a discrepancy between the acoustics of the choir room and the School Center. “We always have to go to the School

Center to try to get better acoustics and it’s always not the same when we perform there,” Partridge-Hicks said.

Removing instrument storage lockers from the band room, which are currently held in the Gym Foyer, afforded an interim solution for the lack of space. “The goal of that was to increase the volume of the room. It also makes it more comfortable that they’re not packed so tightly together,” Heynderickx said.

Graham appreciates the improvements amidst the accoustic report. “[Gilleron Scott] did make some very strong recommendations and the school I think is now following through on some of those, looking at what they recommended, one of which is try and create more space so the sound has somewhere to go, and also lower the exposure of the band teachers.”

While the additional acoustical tools and space alleviated some problems, Heynderickx recognizes the need for more permanent progress. “The room isn’t perfect. There are still many other things that could be done to increase volume and to reduce the noise,” he said.

Heynderickx and the administration remain uncertain of a definitive time frame to resolve the concerns with space and sound level.

Harrison believes the trouble with the band room requires further swift and meaningful action. “It’s not something that we can put off. It's something that’s as important as anything that concerns the health and safety of the faculty and the students.”

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THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

News

Advisory: The first year

CHRISTINA LEONARD ONLINE EDITOR

The beginning of the 2015-2016 school year brought an advisory program to the High School. The program was founded in order to increase support for students through having an advisor build a more personal relationship with their advisees.

Director of Student Life James Perry believes that teachers, deans, coaches and administrators all help foster students’ growth. However, it’s hard for all the faculty to know each and every student personally. “[Advisory] is just another tool for us to make sure that every kid is really known and supported throughout the school,” he said. Perry believes the 10:1 ratio helps accomplish that.

Following the first year of the advisory program, Perry believes it has been effective, although he has some reservations about the program. Perry and Grade 11 Dean Jennifer Craig viewed the statistics and feedback from a recent survey of students and teachers about advisory goals for the upcoming school year, and think the school is in a better place than in the past years. “Kids seem happy and supported and things seem to [be] going well. I’m no fool, I don’t think that’s necessarily attributed to the advisory program at this point, but I hope in the next few years the program will have more of a role in helping that,” Perry said.

Based on the data taken from the survey, Craig is encouraged by the indicators that show advisory has been beneficial this year. “All the reports are up,

attendance is actually up, and discipline is down,” Craig said. “So [the] advisory program is just one vehicle of all sorts of ways to make student life improve then I would say yes it is a part of that. Did we always hit our goal? Was every advisory group stimulating exactly as it should be? No. But we are heading in the right direction. We are going to try and fix some things that we think didn’t hit the mark,” she said.

Data from the survey indicated that the personal connections teachers have with their students go beyond having

sentially kind of gave it a failing grade,” Craig said. “The majority didn’t give it a failing grade, but still that is too high.

That’s not how it should be.”

The survey results showed a positive difference from last year, especially with improved agreement to the statements: “I am an important part of my High School community,” “I feel supported by the teachers” and “Overall, I feel good about being in this High School.” Additionally this year the total number of missed classes has decreased by 35 percent from the 2014-2015 school year.

“Kids seem happy and supported and things seem to be going well. I’m no fool, I don’t think that’s necessarily attributed to the advisory program at this point, but I hope in the next few years the program will have more of a role in helping that.”

Director of Student Life James Perry them as students in their classes. This data has shown a positive increase from last year, especially with upperclassmen.

However, another part of the survey showed what marks students, teachers and faculty gave the program. Most returning students and parents marked it with a much lower grade than new families. “I think the thing I struggled with the most was almost a third of students and almost a quarter of parents... es-

Many students, such as Brian Robert (’17) see the benefits of advisory. “I think all students have really found it useful and it’s been a good way to connect with teachers that you haven’t had classes with before,” Robert said.

Echoing Robert, Jack Potrykus (’16) feels the program has improved his year.

“I think it makes students who don’t normally talk to each other more comfortable,” Potrykus said.

Monet Streit (’19) feels that advisory could be productive for her learning experience, but “we don’t seem to be using it to its full potential,” she said.

When entering Grade 11 and 12, she thinks it would help, but believes it has only helped in ocassional bonding with her classmates and choosing classes for the following year.

Science Teacher Kevin Conaty believes the program needs some work. “I’ll be honest, it needs some changes or adjustments to its curriculum,” he said.

Anya Syed (’19) believes in some ways the advisory program is effective. “We were able to get to know people we normally wouldn’t interact with on a daily basis,” she said. However, Syed does not believe the program outweighs the other ways conference time could have been used. “I would rather have the time to meet with teachers, or just have a full break,” she said.

Agreeing with Syed, Conaty is concerned that advisory “takes up time for students with academic teacher, and I don’t want to see anymore erosion of student time to meet with teachers.”

With clear successes and challenges of the program thus far, Perry anticipates the future of the program. “I think change is hard on everybody, and I think it is very natural to compare from one year to the next and ask yourself, ‘is this better than having this free time?’ But, you know, there are a handful of suggestions that everybody made that I think we’ll incorporate, and we’ll see what 2.0 is like.”

A survey was sent out to the ASL community which allowed parents, faculty and students to rate various aspects of advisory on a scale form one to five

The sucesses

The challenges

“I think it makes students who don’t normally talk to each other more comfortable.”

“I would rather have the time to meet with teachers, or just have a full break.”

Jack Potrykus (’16)

Anya Syed (’19)

16.8%

30.5% Students

Students

Gave the advisory program goals a 4 rating out of 5.

Gave the advisory program goals a 1 rating out of 5.

15.7%

24.7%

Parents

Parents

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THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Gender Discrimination Marijuana Legalization

Editorial

Page 7

Opinions

Refining the finals process

CARTOON BY GIGI MCQUARRIE The stress that students face at the end of the school year revolves primarily around the numerous and often unnecessary final exams that are mandatory for underclassmen and many Juniors.

In most instances, final assessments amount to slightly over 10 percent of a student’s overall grade in the course, which inevitably means they weigh heavily on the minds of students in the closing weeks of the academic year. In many classes, such as Chemistry and Biology, the exams are cumulative (testing students on their knowledge of material from the first unit of the school year to the last). This Editorial Board questions the validity and weight of final assessments of this nature.

Firstly, with only one week of mandatory review, cumulative assessments do not gauge a student’s mastery of a class’ content, but rather their ability to memorize information prior to the test. It is not possible for a student to relearn a semester’s worth of information in one week, es-

pecially with multiple exams taking place at the same time.

Secondly, most final assessments are not essays or projects, providing students with a very limited opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of content throughout the year. The obvious limitation of final exams is that they do not accommodate students who struggle with test taking. A few substantive changes that this Editorial Board proposes would make finals more effective for the coming years.

The type of assessment should be varied across departments. For some subjects a test is the most logical assessment type.

However, greater creativity with the type of final assessment, should a student need to take one, allows them to showcase their skills in a more meaningful way.

The purpose of a cumulative test should be to allow students to show complete mastery of the course material. When these assessments cover con-

necting concepts learned throughout the year, they do prove to be valuable. In these instances, often in math or history courses, a final test allows students to demonstrate their knowledge of the important skills rather than facts, learned throughout the year.

While this shows that finals can have value, it should not perpetuate the necessity for a final in every class. In departments where the skills from every unit do not relate, a cumulative assessment tests nothing more than a student’s ability to recall information. This emphasis on memorization highlights the state of finals in their current iteration.

For numerous language and science classes, the final assessment solely tests students’ ability to use each individual skill learned throughout the year, resulting in redundancy. Re-memorizing a year’s worth of material is unnecessary and archaic. An overwhelming amount of education research shows that this is not

an effective way to learn material in the long term.

This Editorial Board also believes finals should be entirely optional for students. A final for students provides little to their educational experience other than stress. By making them optional, finals would became an opportunity for opting students to improve their academic standings. This policy would further allow students to focus on the subjects they find more difficult in preparation for finals season. It will also provide additional motivation for students to maintain their academic focus until the end of the year.

We hope to alleviate the stress that dominates the final weeks of the year and enhance student learning experience during those times. Changing the requirements for final exams would minimize stress levels and allow for students to provide a more accurate representation of their academic growth throughout the year.

Standard

the TYLER SKOW Editor-in-Chief

STEPHANIE BRENDSEL Online/Photo Editor

CONTENT The Standard covers news related, but not limited,

the view of the writer only, and not necessarily the staff of the

YARRA ELMASRY Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

CHRISTINA LEONARD Online Editor

to the School community. Issues-driven coverage that aims

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Page 8

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Opinions Editorial

Reshaping Student Ambassadors In a community that is constantly changing, welcoming new students is a responsibility we all undertake. Often at the forefront of greeting these students, the Student Ambassador Program specializes in the orientation of new students and attempts to ensure that they feel welcome. However, there is room for the nature of this program to change. We, as an Editorial Board, recognize the importance of the work of Student Ambassadors, but also envision improvement and development in the application process and roles of those selected.

We believe that the position of a Student Ambassador is one of monumental significance.

The role should not be taken lightly, as Student Ambassadors are friendly faces for new students as well as the greater community. They should be the representatives of the High School

•••

Page 22

THE STANDARD | March 2016

Sports

Un

support

balanced

From fan support to trophies received, the inequality in recognition for girls and boys sports remains apparent Sourna Daneshvar, Jr. | Sports Editor

I

f there is an obvious example of gender inequality in the high school it is the imbalance of spectators between the varsity girls and boys basketball teams.

While for many the issue has become redundant, varsity girls basketball player Courtney Welch (’16) and the rest of her team watch fans fill the bleachers, like clockwork, after each of their games. “It is quite clear that after the girls game the crowds are suddenly filled with all these fans. It’s honestly something we’re used to,” Welch said.

Evaluating the merits of a high school sporting event on score, intensity, or other competitive measures seems enigmatic for Welch.

“At ASL, it’s something that surprises me more because I would think people are there more to support their peers than to watch an entertaining sport,” Welch said.

Empty bleachers don’t necessarily diminish her game, but Welch believes an energetic atmosphere would add to it “I don’t think it hurts my performance, but more support would definitely help it, and you see how fired up the guys get and a lot of their intensity is fueled off the support they get,” Welch said.

Certain effects of a loud crowd, including difficulty communicating with teammates, are clear. The benefits of an energetic crowd, like Momo Steele (’16) and the varsity girls volleyball team experienced when they hosted ISSTs in the fall season, remain more subtle. “It is that satisfaction of when you go up for a hit, maybe you hit a little bit harder,” Steele said.

Varsity Girls Basketball Coach Jessica Mazzenga appreciates the support her team receives. “I think the girls varsity basketball team is well-supported,” Mazzenga said.

Despite what Mazzenga finds ample support on a general level, she admits that certain games lack crowds. She attributes the dearth of fans to factors such as opponent, what day of the week the game is being played, or any notable event surrounding the game, such as

Homecoming. “For other games where there may not be as much of a rally behind it, there might be more numbers at a boys game than a girls game, or vice versa,” she said. “But I don’t necessarily see that as a gender issue.”

During such games with few fans, a greater onus is placed on bench players. “You have to, as a team, pump yourself up. You’re not going to draw on the energy of the

Tyler Skow | Deputy Editor-in-Chief

for us, but it didn’t seem very relevant for everyone else, and I know our team was a bit annoyed how it seemed like the boys were getting more attention for winning second,” she said.

The polarity in support for boys and girls extends to administrative support as well. After the boys varsity soccer team hosted ISSTs at Canons Park last year, the school day was cut short, encouraging

ments. Both teams won their tournaments, but initially, only the boys received a trophy. The girls trophy was ordered after the tournament, which Athletics Director John Farmer attributed to disorganization. “I can honestly [say] it was a mistake that we did not have a trophy in place,” he said. “We had every intention of having it there, and whether or not we ordered it before or after is purely something

Go Eagles!

Go Eagles!

crowd, so it just takes a different type of energy from the team than it does when there’s a big crowd giving you some of that energy,” Mazzenga said.

Some students feel the inequality of girls versus boys sports extends beyond crowd support.

Varsity girls soccer player Haley Kopfler (’17) felt the varsity boys loss in the finals last year overshadowed the recognition her team received after ISSTs. “Last year we won gold, which is a pretty big deal

students to support their peers during a semi-final game. During the spring season of the same year, the girls softball team hosted ISSTs at the same location. Varsity softball player Cammie Rosen (’16) hoped for similar treatment. “I know it is hard to cut school short, but it didn’t seem fair that one team got that and we did not,” Rosen said.

Another discrepancy between gender occurred between the treatment of JV boys and girls basketball after their respective LSSA tourna-

I was unaware of.”

Farmer also attributes the mistake to lack of communication within LSSA tournament organizers. Different schools hosted the two tournaments, and no formal process for awards exists. Farmer is looking to try and streamline the organization of tournament in the future.

Steele appreciated the support received when girls volleyball hosted ISSTs, though she believes the energy she and

“

teammates spent to advertise the event through posters and announcements would not be an investment necessary of the varsity boys basketball team if they were hosting ISSTs. The gender divide varsity boys basketball captain Jack Glen (’16) feels, transcends high school athletics, with the difference in popularity between the National Basketball Association (NBA) versus the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) proving prevalent examples. “It’s sad that people compare womens sports to mens sports. They are exciting in their own worlds, I don’t think we should be putting the two against each other,” he said.

While the popularity of female athletics increased with the rise of the U.S. womens soccer national team, the discrepancy of support remains concerning for Welch in terms of fixing this issue. “It’s a problem that goes beyond ASL. Basketball always draws a lot of fans, but boys basketball always draws a lot [more] fans,” she said.

Farmer has taken the issue of inequality in fan support to the Captains’ Council, but he has not “put any direct measures in place to try and solve the problem.”

Farmer believes the athletics department’s job is “the sports side of things, and while I like a good atmosphere, I don’t concern myself quite as much with making sure that people are in the stands watching,” Farmer said.

From the administrative perspective, Farmer sees the opportunities and treatment of boys and girls as equal. “I would like to think there isn’t [inequality] in that we have an equal number of sports and are trying to give the girls opportunity to play sports and, giving the boys opportunities to play sports,” he said.

Nonetheless Farmer still acknowledges the imbalance of support. “I went here and it’s an unfortunate reality that nothing has changed in almost 20 years,” Farmer said.

I agree that equity in student game attendance is important. I welcome feedback and ideas that students have for combatting this issue.

as well as their respective grade levels.

In order to select such a group, the application process needs to be uniform and rigorous, both of which the previous years applications have lacked.

Although there was an established application last year, this year’s process lacked consistency and rigor. Last year’s interested students were asked to fill out an application stating their desire and their intentions for the program. This part of the application should be a constant, yet, it was not required for this year’s applicants. Instead, students were simply asked to sign their name on a form and to attend meetings. If applicants cannot phrase why they are interested in the program, they likely do not have the right intentions and should not be Student Ambassadors.

Moreover, the simplicity of

the application process this year resulted in the oversaturation of the program, as the number of ambassadors is too large for the incoming new students. Having so many ambassadors detracts from the significance of the role, and ultimately weakens the level of intimacy between an ambassador and new student. Thus, we believe the number of ambassadors should be capped.

In addition to a written application, this Editorial Board believes teacher recommendations are essential for the application process. Not only should applicants require two teacher recommendations, teachers should also have the opportunity to suggest a given number of students per grade to be considered for the ambassador program. As teachers interact with students on a daily basis, they see first hand the student’s motivations and personalities. Although this rec-

ommendation will not guarantee a student’s place in the program, it should reassure their intent.

In addition, there should be no limits placed on the extracurriculars of the students applying, in order to produce a group of Ambassadors with unique experiences. If students are penalized because of time restraints, there will not be enough diversity represented in the group to provide the new students with a real idea of all their extracurricular options.

It should be through a rigorous process that students passionate about the Student Ambassador program can be chosen for the role. As a result, the Student Ambassadors will be dedicated and held accountable for their obligations within the group.

Along with the application process, the official role of the Student Ambassadors needs

some reform. Last year, many new students were paired with a Student Ambassadors in a different grade level. In some instances, freshmen new students were paired with senior Student Ambassadors. While older students can share their experiences of high school with the younger students, this Editorial Board believes it is more beneficial to pair new students with at least one Student Ambassador from their own grade level. This will ideally facilitate a more longstanding relationship between the new students and the Student Ambassador.

The school needs to be welcoming due to our transient nature. The Student Ambassador program helps promote that, but there is room to improve. Conformity and consistency in the application process would assist in increasing the effectiveness of the Student Ambassadors.

Letter to the Editor

Gender Equality in School Sports To the Editor, I am writing in response to the article titled “Unbalanced Support” in the March 2016 issue of The Standard.

I am pleased to work at a school where issues of gender inequality are raised by our students. As an employee, parent and alumnus/former student athlete of ASL, I am proud of our school and of our students for taking on important matters.

I was intrigued by the aforementioned article and would like to engage with students on the topics of inequality that were raised. I agree that equity in student game attendance is important. I welcome feedback and ideas that students have for combatting this issue. While, as it mentions in the article, I cannot take full responsibility as such for students attending competi-

tions, it is one area in which I am interested in seeing change.

In addition, there are items that I can control, and those were pointed out in the article. To that end, I would very much like to speak directly with students. In the article it mentions that we cut the school day short for the boys soccer ISSTs on the Friday of the tournament but not for the softball ISSTs. I would simply like to point out that the softball team played their semifinal game (the equivalent fixture of the soccer tournament) at 4 p.m., and we didn’t need to cut the day short, as people could easily get to Canons Park in time for the first pitch.

I wholeheartedly agree that our girls and boys teams should be treated equally. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to delve into these issues, and address them both in the short

term and in a substantially lasting way so as to enact long-term change, making sure these issues remain in the past.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a couple of things that the Athletics Department has done in the last couple of years on behalf of our female athletes. Last school year, for the first time ever, we had a second dance team (JV), allowing many more dancers to be a part of that program, which has been predominantly populated by females. Similarly, we added a JJV girls soccer team this school year, which has never been done before. Finally, for two straight years, we have created, organized and hosted the Cheer and Dance Showcase, and we are the only school of our colleague schools that has put on an event of this nature.

While these examples do not

nullify any dissatisfaction people may have, they hopefully illustrate the level of importance we place on our female athletics programs.

I welcome the opportunity to hear from and meet with individuals, student groups, teams, the Social Justice Council or anyone else who has ideas about the present issues. We share the same goal: Make things better for our ASL athletes. I look forward to further engagement in these important matters; I sincerely hope that our community will take me up on the chance to have fruitful, productive dialogue.

Thank you for raising the issue of fairness and equality in our Athletics program, and thank you, in advance, for working with me to make this right.

John Farmer Director of Athletics

•••

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Page 9

Opinions

Addressing entitlement

SOPHIE ASHLEY

sophie_ashley@asl.org

“

Although we have been ‘taught’ to be grateful for everything we have been given, is there some part of us that feels it is what we deserve?

Recently, my attention was caught when I saw that a boy from my former school was featured in the Daily Mail. He just finished his freshman year at the University of Michigan and has already secured a promising job at his father’s realty company after graduation.

However, the article is in no way related to those achievements. The article is centered around a video of the boy verbally abusing an Uber driver, notable quotes including, “While you’re working all day, guess what? I’m going to sit on my a** and watch TV.” As well as “They [Uber] don’t give a s*** about you. They don’t give two f ****. There are fifty of you, and there is one of me who spends the most money.”

This video went viral, yet, there have been no concrete repercussions for the individual. The incident was cleared up by his wealthy parents, allowing him to continue in university and his fraternity.

This instance is a clear exam-

ple of entitlement, the inherent feeling that one deserves or has a right to something, which can result from growing up in a wealthy family. This boy views himself as better than this driver, solely because of his family’s economic status.

Although this is an extreme example, I can see a toned down version of this same attitude reflected in myself and my peers. Many times, I have allowed my sense of entitlement to shade my thoughts and actions. I have slacked off and expected good grades to result from it. I have taken the leadership role in many group projects under the ruse of being helpful when I assumed that other students weren’t as capable as myself.

I have even prioritized my own happiness over the needs of others when my laziness has stopped me from running an errand for my family or picking up lunch for a friend.

This trend of entitlement

Progress Report ECON

PROM

VIEWS

amongst teenagers usually stems from living lives that are full of opportunities. We attend a very respected high school. We have had opportunities to travel to places, often times on school trips, that most people can only dream of visiting. The purpose of these examples are not means by which I can brag, but examples of how we cannot shy away from how privileged we are.

And, although we have been “taught” to be grateful for everything we have been given, is there some part of us that feels it is what we deserve?

When so much is handed to us, it can be hard not to feel a sense of entitlement. A lot of us are born into lives where it is easy to coast on the merits and material wealth of our families. In no way am I saying that every student is guilty of this, but it is a very real possibility.

In order to address our entitlement, we have to begin to make

PHOTO 1, 4, AND 6 BY SOPHIE ASHLEY; PHOTO 2 BY PHIL AMMON; PHOTO 3 FROM YOUTUBE.COM; PHOTO 5 BY CHARLIE VICTOR;

BANGERZ AND BASH

1

2

3

4

5

6 4

The Editorial Board of 1.

The Standard gives the school its last 2. report of the 2015-16 school year. 3.

Economics Final Projects: (A+) This needs to happen all year. The best part of my week was buying cookie dough in between classes and waffles after first block on a Monday. Alex Gers Prom: (A) The night definitely peaked at the actual Prom. They let you in even if you forgot your [school] ID! Martha Collins Views: (B-) Staying up until 4 a.m. is never advisable, but the least Drake could have done was deliver a hit.

Ankit Mehra

small efforts to change the mindsets we have grown up with. As small as these individual changes might seem to those around you, their eventual benefits are infinite.

A teacher or peer to whom you have been respectful and kind, rather than condescending, is much more likely to help you out of a tough situation that may present itself later on. If we learn to resolve our problems without, for example, relying on grade grubbing or a parent’s financial help, our adult lives will be made easier by eliminating the need to learn these lessons later on.

As such a fortunate student body, it is important that we keep these thoughts in mind as we progress through life. Until we can stop relying on others to clean up our mistakes, we will continue to make the same ones. Only when we learn to appreciate and work for everything we have been given will we deserve it.

4.

WrAP Prompt: (D) I already know how much homework I have assigned for tonight – I don’t need to be reminded of it. Olivia Abrams

5.

Bangerz and Bash: (A) Special mention to all the non-advisory related activities. Sophie Ashley

6.

Relaxation Room: (F-) In an overcrowded school, you would think we would be egalitarian with access to this room. Instead a lock and key limit the access of this space to only a few. #teardownthewall Tyler Skow Post Scriptum: Newbies

•••

Page 10

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Opinions

Temporarily fixing AP week

TYLER SKOW

tyler_skow@asl.org

“

It seems unrealistic to expect students to do well on exams when they are being pulled in so many different directions during AP week.

The most profane thing in the school right now is our unwavering academic commitment to the Advanced Placement (AP) system.

AP courses nurture memorialization and de-value the other non-AP courses that the school has to offer. However, today I am not arguing for the abolishment of AP courses, but instead the implementation of new guidelines to alleviate some of the stress students who take AP courses experience.

Having survived my first AP week, I have come to appreciate that AP testing is one of the most demanding periods of high school. On its own, preparing for a college level exam is strenuous, and with many students taking multiple of them, AP weeks are gruesome uphill battles.

In addition to the inherent difficulty of taking exams, most students have a natural desire to succeed on these tests, given that

they equate to the culmination of two semesters of studying and cost over $100 each.

At the moment, there is no formal ASL policy mandating any change to the intensity of coursework in non-AP courses during AP weeks. Thus, students have to rely on the awareness of their non-AP course teachers to assign a reasonable amount of work, or allow for extensions during their AP testing season.

In general, most teachers are incredibly accommodating.

Yet, conflicts with assessments in non-AP classes and the persistence of regular homework assignments during AP week caused a great deal of added stress to the already-strained students this year.

In my own experience, I had to juggle four non-AP classes assigning regular amounts of homework and assessments during my AP tests. My teachers allowed me to reschedule most of my work, but the pileup effect

that ensued post-AP week merely replaced one problem with another.

While I am certain that it is important for the integrity of the school’s academic offerings for students to do well on their AP tests, I am confused as to why non-AP classes are permitted to continue as if AP exams were not occurring. It seems unrealistic to expect students to do well on exams when they are being pulled in so many different directions during AP week.

In order to improve our AP system, I implore the administration to restrict the amount of work and assessments that nonAP courses can give during the AP exam period.

I acknowledge that the school is not centered around preparing students to do well on AP exams.

I also understand the argument that students opt to take AP classes and therefore it is our responsibility to manage our time.

However, I have reservations

with the argument that students simply elect to take AP classes.

Truthfully, I believe juniors and seniors experience a large degree of pressure to take AP classes, indicating that perhaps it’s less of a choice than it otherwise may seem.

In many ways I disagree with what I am writing. I find AP classes to be the worst way to learn subject matter, and so accommodating these exams at the expense of non-AP courses is slightly hypocritical. Of course, there are some students who elect to not take AP classes.

Nonetheless, students are being asked to juggle too many things at once. I cannot reasonably study for multiple AP tests, complete homework for other classes, practice sports and get enough sleep after a day of school.

Thus, I am requesting that the administration make next year’s AP weeks slightly more bearable by capping the course work nonAP classes can give.

Shattering the glass ceiling YARRA ELMASRY yarra_elmasry@asl.org

“

Our school has a responsibility to help create a generation of girls who feel comfortable voicing their opinions, and a generation of boys who do not feel threatened when a girl speaks out.

I was raised in a household where my parents encouraged me and my siblings to express our opinions and to stand up for what we believe in. I am eternally grateful for this because it has contributed to the person I am today.

I have always felt that I know who I am, what I believe in and what my passions are. However, my knowledge and understanding of who I am has definitely been strengthened over the past few years of high school, most notably during my tenure as Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of The Standard.

Holding a leadership position taught me immensely about gender equity. Many people fear and are made uncomfortable by powerful and outspoken women in society. The disparity in the treatment and perception of genders is prevalent in all organizations. Women in positions of authority are viewed as “aggressive” for asserting their power.

This labeling is nothing new.

Yet, what worries me the most is that the perception of women and girls on the world stage is also apparent at the high school level, as it has become ingrained in our society.

When I discussed female leadership with Head of School Coreen Hester, she alluded to an expectation of women’s roles at their respective schools. Hester experienced this when she attended a conference where she was one of four women there, alongside 50 men. A few men asked her what job she held at ASL, despite the fact that it was a specialized conference for heads of schools. Hester believes that there was an expectation for an influential co-ed school like ASL to not have a female head of school.

As the first female EIC in over 15 years, it has been an honor to create something that is such a driving force for discussion in our High School. It has been humbling for me to have a platform that enabled us to inform

our community and raise sensitive topics, and I have learned many valuable lessons.

This is why we, as a community, need to evaluate the way we perceive and treat women. I will admit: I am not entirely sure how to change this mentality – I don’t think anyone is. However, I think a large part of moving away from this mindset is by having discussions and talking about these discrepancies when we see them.

Simply acknowledging that they exist is an important first step.

I do know that our society needs more female politicians, CEOs and women in other leadership positions. As of June 2015, Fortune 500 companies broke a record for having the most female CEOs in history: A record number of 24. A mere 5 percent.

This massive discrepancy between male and female CEOs concerns me for my future. This glass ceiling needs to be shattered.

As an institution, our school has a responsibility to help cre-

ate a generation of girls who feel comfortable voicing their opinions, and a generation of boys who do not feel threatened when a girl speaks out. From my experiences over the past year, this is not happening.

Everyone – women and girls included – deserves strong mentors, and I challenge ASL to provide the support for the next generation of female leaders. We have many women in positions of leadership in our administration, as well as females leading student organizations. We should be using this to empower younger generations.

Supporting women and girls within our school, as well as explicitly empowering the female voice, is not yet something that is at the forefront of our community and embedded in our education, but it should be. Discussions, acknowledging where we currently are and where we need to be, will help us eventually achieve ridding our society of these toxic mindsets.

•••

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Point PHAEDRA LETROUPAPARMARKAKIS

The legalization of marijuana in the U.S. is a necessity. As a whole, society would benefit socially and economically.

Page 11

Opinions

Counterpoint The recreational use of marijuana should remain illegal as the potential side effects outweigh the benefits.

phaedra_letrou-papamarkakis@asl.org

The criminalization of marijuana has failed. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, the war on drugs has been unsuccessful in reducing drug use, despite the U.S. government spending $51 billion on it annually. American citizens should be aware of the money that is wasted on this approach.

In 2014, 700,993 people were arrested in the U.S. for marijuana law violations. This drain on police forces has an impact on the quantity and quality of the law enforcement allocated to more serious crimes. If marijuana was legalized, the police could focus their attention on more pressing matters.

In a 2009 New York Times article, Bob Barr, a former congressman, and Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, argued that each state should “dictate its own marijuana police” in order to “free federal law enforcement resources for the more urgent tasks of thwarting, apprehending and prosecuting international terrorists or murderers.” The fact that high-ranking officials have been addressing this concern for several years without seeing results accentuates the urgency for change.

To date, four states have legalized marijuana for recreational and medical uses.

During this time, Medical Daily reports that “teen marijuana use has been dropping throughout the country.” According to Forbes, usage by high school students in Colorado has dropped from 39 percent in 2011 to 37 percent in 2013 after cannabis

“

Through creations of new crime groups, we can see that banning it is also clearly not working. was legalized in 2012. As Canada prepares to legalize marijuana, the U.S. should strongly consider doing the same across all states.

The criminalization of marijuana has also exacerbated the problem of organized crime. If marijuana were legalized, this is-

sue would decrease substantially as users would no longer need illegal dealers. Consequently, dealers would no longer need to fight for territory to distribute their drugs.

Like the Prohibition during the 1920’s in the United States, in which the government initially set low taxes on alcohol, many criminals were driven out of business. Prohibition outlawed alcohol and created huge problems for the U.S., as illicit alcohol markets popped up all over the country. The prohibition of alcohol was not successful, as shown through the lengths people took to continue alcohol using.

As we watch history repeat itself through creations of new crime groups in reaction to the continued illegalization of marijuana, we can see that banning it is also clearly not working.

Even without this information, the legalization of marijuana would also positively impact the U.S. economy. If marijuana were decriminalized and therefore taxed and regulated properly, the U.S. government would be able to raise significant financial resources for other uses.

For example, if California were to tax and regulate marijuana, then it would make an annual revenue of $1.4 billion.

The government could also regulate the sale of marijuana, by placing age limits and disclosing health warnings similar to the ones surrounding the sale of tobacco.

It might even be possible for these taxes to be spent on raising drug awareness in educational environments. Through regulation, the government could also control the quality of the marijuana sold.

This could effectively reduce the health issues that can result from low quality or unflushed weed.

I am not advocating for the recreational use of marijuana, but I am emphasizing the ineffectiveness of current U.S. policy towards the drug. Legislation should reflect scientific evidence of the medicinal benefits of the drug, allowing patients to access it when necessary. Although stigmatized, there is little factual evidence to suggest that cannabis acts as a “gateway drug” in social situations.

Legalization would not be detrimental, but rather, it would be beneficial. Many aspects of society would improve, including the decline in organized crime, a deacrease in police budget spent on unnecessary arrests and increased access for the beneficial properties of the drug to be used for medicinal purposes.

The legalization of marijuana across the U.S. will cause more harm for the nation than good. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nearly 35 percent of U.S. Grade 12 students surveyed admitted to using marijuana at least once over the past year. Even with the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon, as well as the District of Columbia, we are seeing that the increasing popularity of recreational marijuana does not come without its consequences.

As a resident of the state of Colorado, I believe that the usage of marijuana comes with a stigma of being ethically wrong. According to the Denver Post, the 2012-2013 year saw a 22 percent increase in marijuana use in Colorado from the 2011-2012 year.

This means that the usage of cannabis as a recreational substance is rising. Now that

Side effects include: Confusion Paranoia Anxiety marijuana is legal, people are more willing to smoke and also consume marijuana as they do not have to worry about getting into legal trouble.

The increase in the popularity of marijuana yields major health issues for consumers. According to the American Lung Association, “smoking marijuana causes chronic bronchitis and marijuana smoke has been shown to injure the cell linings of the large airways, which could explain why smoking marijuana leads to symptoms such as chronic cough, phlegm production, wheezing and acute bronchitis.”

Marijuana is a dangerous drug, and its legalization would introduce health issues to the nation.

According to the National Health Service (NHS), marijuana usage can make one feel faint, sick, lethargic, sleepy, confused, paranoid or anxious, and can cause hallucinations and panic attacks. Due to the harm-

QUINN WHITMAN

quinn_whitman@asl.org

ful nature of this drug, it seems immoral to build an economic foundation by putting a tax on hallucinations and panic attacks. For the American government to utilize marijuana as a source of economic boost would be simply unfair to the American public – people’s side effects would be exploited for the better of the economy.

Another reason why the legalization of marijuana would be detrimental is its use as a possible alternative to cigarettes.

According to the Daily Mail, the damage caused by smoking three “joints” of marijuana is about the same as 20 cigarettes.

Even though cigarettes are a huge risk for developing lung cancer, marijuana smokers are at a greater risk of developing throat cancer as there are 50 percent more cancerous toxins in marijuana joints than in cigarettes.

“It seems immoral to build an economic foundation by putting a tax on hallucinations and panic attacks.”

Also, if marijuana was legalized across more states in America, drugs such as heroin, cocaine and Lysergic acid diethylamide could become more commonly used. This could occur if the symptoms of depression or hallucinations caused by marijuana motivated Americans to try other drugs as an outlet for stress and addiction. Because people can become depressed or anxious from the consumption of marijuana, this would mean that they might turn to illicit substances, which would ultimately cause more serious drug related issues.

It does not make sense for the U.S. to legalize the recreational use of marijuana because of the health issues that will result from the consumption of the drug. Americans need to weigh the moral and health consequences of increased marijuana consumption so that the legalization of marijuana will not become more commonplace around the nation.

M

HE

Ananya Prakash | Features Editor

I

North Carolina bathroom bill

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory passed the HB2 bill (“bathroom bill”) on March 23. It not only states that all transgender people must use the bathroom which corresponds with the gender on their birth certificate, but also prevents protection against LGBT discrimination. The supporters of the bill stated that they feared sexual predators and harassment in public bathroom, causing an uproar in the transgender community. This is voiding the dignity and safety of transgender people.

Introducing Themselves

n 2007, Jazz Jennings, formerly known as Jaron, introduced the world to her new female self. At the age of 3, Jennings was diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a disconnection between biological sex and gender identity.

However Jennings’ diagnosis came at a notably young age, and she is one of the youngest people documented to identify as gender dysphoric.

By the age of 5, Jennings was beginning to transition to a female and now is a strong advocate and activist for LGBTQ+ rights and motivational speaker for the transgender community.

Emma Rudesill (’19), who views Jennings as a role model, came out as a transgender female this year, after beginning to identify herself as female around two years ago. “It wasn’t just like one day I woke up and said, ‘yeah, I’m a female’.

It [took] over a gradual period of one to two years,” Rudesill said. As her transition was progressive, she waited until this year to come out to her friends and family.

Similar to Jennings, Rudesill experiences gender dysphoria. For Rudesill, this dysphoria is comforted by the comfort of associating herself with female attributes. “Gender dysphoria for everyone is different, but for me however, it’s like sure I’m a biological male even though I feel like I should be a female, and because of [stereotypically] connotated male things… [I] feel more validated with female things,” she said.

When Rudesill came out, she was not formally introduced to the community, unlike previous transgender students at ASL who introduced themselves in a high school assembly. “I kind of just came out as I went I guess… people just picked up on it. I came out to friends, that was obvious, and of course [to] the GSA. Everything else people just picked up on… when I was using a different name or they just asked.”

Community’s Response

W

ith Rudesill currently being the only openly transgender student in the High School, the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) served as a wealth of support. The GSA assisted her transition in many ways, with one being a clothing drive to help Rudesill tackle her gender dysphoria. “For lots of people, es-

Mi

pecially Emma in our c identify [to fit] societa tant to expressing your Rami Kablawi (’16) said ing that clothes drive wa Emma that she has supp ship, even in people sh before.”

This encouragemen groups such as the Soc and the Gender Equity C

I wish t of a big so nec about tra and c

nity is] a much more su since we do have GSA [c [students] who also un “Also, there are people my friends, and like m out here because I knew supportive.”

For those in the LGBT can come from the High whole. “It’s very impor dents to support under want to come out. Hig time for a lot of people students who have com as] a support network,” der Equity Club Victoria The gender advocacy

ME

ichaela Towfighi | Lead Features Editor

ase, looking the way you al norms is really imporrself,” GSA Co-President d. “[The GSA] felt like doas a good way of showing port, that she has friendhe didn’t think she did in

nt also expands into cial Justice Council (SJC) Club. “[The ASL commu-

dent organizations, Angie Kukielski (’15) former President of the Gender Equity Club and GSA member, began to raise awareness in the High School in recent years, for students like Rudesill.

“My senior year of high school, I think that there was definitely a prominent conversation happening about gender, particularly among the upperclassmen,” Kukielski said. “And that conversation led to further awareness and thus support for gender-based advocacy and activism.”

Despite the outpour of support, coming out

trans identity could be less g deal, but then again, it’s cessary to make a big deal ansness to raise awareness create new, trans-friendly consciousnesses Angie Kulkielski (’15)

upportive area, especially club], with other LGBTQ+ derstand,” Rudesill said. here who know me, and me. It was easier to come w people were going to be

TQ+ community, support h School community as a rtant for us as older sturclassmen students who gh school is tumultuous e and I feel maybe older me out already...can [act Co-President of the Gena Dreyer (’16) said. y initiated by these stu-

as transgender was still challenging and difficult for Rudesill, as she feared the stigma toward transgender people. She knew there could be “bad reactions” making her more hesitant to openly express her gender identity.

Kukielski understands the dificulty Rudesill faced. “It’s difficult to come out and be anything but cisgender [one whos gender identity matches their biolgical sex] in literally any school that I know of,” Kukielski said.

Although the administration was helpful in aiding Rudesill with her transition, the community had to become accustomed to using the correct gender pronouns. “You do not really need to know someone’s sexuality in everyday conversations to respect them, but gender, since we speak about it, when you are referring to a person, you need to

SHE gender dysphoria |ˈʤɛndər dɪsˈfɔriə| noun Medicine

the condition of feeling one’s emotional and psychological identity as male or female to be opposite to one’s biological sex. know their [prefered] pronouns if you want to refer to them correctly,” Dreyer said. Dreyer believes gender is “a more all-encompassing thing than even sexuality because it influences everything.”

While many immediately adapted to the change in pronouns and name, some still took time to do so. Rudesill understood if it was by accident, but not when it was intentional. “If you’re purposely doing it I kind of feel pissed off about it and like, ‘c’mon… [are] you really doing that on purpose?’”

Rudesill said.

D

Looking Forward

espite her fear of backlash from the community, Rudesill received minimal negative reactions after openly identifying as a female. “It has been actually [a] fairly good response. The administration has been taking pretty good care of it and people are dealing with it pretty well,” Rudesill said. “I didn’t feel like [being the only current transgender student] was a big issue to be honest...It was more about if the community would be accepting, and luckily they were.”

Gauging from experiences at other schools, Director of Student Life James Perry believes the ASL community is understanding of situations similar to Rudesill’s. “My experience at other schools in other parts of the world leads me to believe, and I hope it’s not naïvely, that this is a [safer] place to come out than a lot of places,” he said.

However, Kukielski believes the conversation can be expanded from recognizing that issues exist, to taking it a step further with advocacy. Now a student at New York University (NYU), Kukielski sees an increased interest in these topics on the NYU campus. Kukielski noticed this change specifically at orientation, when students were wearing “gender pronoun pins.” Through small actions like this, Kukielski believes the ASL community could “increase the volume on conversations about transness.”

While Kukielski believes it’s important to recognize such topics, Kukielski also hopes the conversation will de-sensationalize with comfort. “I wish transgender identity could be less of a big deal, but then again, it’s so necessary to make a big deal about transness, to raise awareness and create new, trans-friendly consciousnesses to get

to a point where we can all just stop caring because trans[gender] inclusion is just natural and normal,” Kukielski said.

Through consistent communication with Rudesill’s family, friends and teachers, Perry too hopes the school can help everyone adapt. “I’m sure it’s hard for friends, peers, teachers, family members, all to just adjust and so anything we can do to help all those folks. I know teachers, while they’ve had experience with this, it’s still a new thing for a teacher to know what’s the right thing to do,” he said. “It’s hard, but hopefully, we’ve had a lot of conversations with teachers, and coming together we decided what’s the best thing to do.”

The administration had been supporting Rudesill with her transition, whether it be by informing her teachers of the situation or dealing with more logistical aspects, such as name changes in transcripts and reports. “We realize this is a huge moment in that student’s life, so I think the first thing we do is spend a lot of time communicating with counselors, parents, faculty, staff and administration, to determine what’s the best way to support and protect this studentEW moving forward,” Perry said.

Similarly, Kukielski also believes that the community has to be educated first in order to fully understand. “A lot of the trans[gender] conversation is limited to young people nowadays… I don’t think most cis[gender] adults know about those conversations, so making sure all faculty members are informed and ready to put that knowledge to use in the classroom is important,” Kukielski said.

Perry also recognizes there are organizational issues that have to be considered during any student’s transition. “There are always some logistical things, like the little things that [other people] take for granted everyday, like what bathroom we use,” he said. “Taking a look at we have currently offered, and decide do we need more unisex bathrooms that aren’t associated with one gender?”

Apart from just conversations, Kablawi believes acceptance and support should be the community’s sole response. “I’ve said it maybe a hundred times… but there’s no number of times it’s enough to say it,” he said. “Once people understand the situation, there shouldn’t be any other reaction but I want to help this person.”

•••

Page 14

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Features

The working mother ASL mothers balancing life inside and outside of work Sourna Daneshvar, Jr. | Lead News Editor

A

t 4:45 p.m. on a Tuesday, K1 Teacher Jackie Hewett prepares to leave school.

She could keep working, but she leaves with her sons Ben (’17) and Joe (’22) to travel home. “I could stay until quite late working, but I have to be strict with myself and get that work-home balance right,” Hewett said.

That balance, which Hewett and other working mothers strive to maintain, challenged

with difficulties of being a rarity in her field: A woman, let alone a working mother. “I was one of the only women, typically the most senior woman involved in the organization and that’s where it’s more difficult because you’re just unusual and people can judge you,” Brunsberg said.

With an exhaustive work schedule, time to attend social events that ASL offers, such as parent coffees and guest speak-

know fewer people and fewer women,” Martin said.

Unable to attend the same social events as other parents due to the logistics of her job, Martin felt some “resentment” from moms who didn’t have the same structured work schedule.

Brunsberg shares comparable experiences to Martin with the divide between mothers who work full-time and those who do not.

“The parents are typically quite

through the school and you’re not going to be necessarily aware of them because you’re working.”

When the economy crashed in 2008, Brunsberg stopped working briefly and offered to help with an ASL auction, which was not met as warmly as she anticipated. “I think a lot of the women were afraid that they’d become friends with me and then I’d go back to work. There is a little bit of tension about are you a work-

think no that does not make me a bad person for being a working mum, that’s just the way of the world, people have choices to do that now,” Hewett said.

Despite the apparent challenges of balancing work and family, specifically in a school environment, the feeling Martin gets from working she fails to find elsewhere. “One thing that really inspires me that I get a lot of at work is being with a team,

“Back in the day when I decided I needed to be a working mum, you wonder how you’ll be judged. Does that make me a bad mother that I’m not staying home with my child? No that does not make me a bad person for being a working mum, that’s just the way of the world, people have choices to do that now”

K1 Teacher Jackie Hewett her the most when her kids were younger and her career as a fulltime teacher just begun. “Initially, it felt like a lot. You feel like you are spread into so many different places that you’re not doing anything well,” she said.

“You feel exhausted all the time.”

For Hewett, the greatest challenges of early motherhood arose when her sons stayed in Bedfordshire, where her family lives, while she traveled to work at ASL. “They were in childcare in our hometown and that was really hard because I was walking out the door early in the morning and coming back late at night. I did really feel that I was missing out on a lot, and missing their early stages of development and not being with them,” Hewett said.

Her sons studying at ASL where she worked at, reduced the struggle of the 6:20 a.m. wakeups and hour-long commutes.

“I love the fact that, as a working mum, I get that time with the boys travelling into school and travelling back again, so it’s not like I never see my children,” she said.

Ellen Brunsberg, an investment banker and parent of Sarah (’17) and Rebecca (’15), dealt

ers, often proves infeasible.

“Especially with my job as an investment banker, it was almost impossible to maintain the social activities, the coffees and the class meetings. You just had to pick and choose the events,” Brunsberg said.

Juggling around ten hours of work per day and not returning home until 8 or 9 p.m., Janet Martin, parent of Jarred (’19) and Sydney (’16) and tax lawyer, manages many commitments.

However, involvement with the school her children attend remains a pertinent one. “At any school the challenge is that it’s hard to find time to help the school in any way other than giving them money. It means you

involved in the American School, so as a working parent it would be very difficult to be the class rep, involved on a day-to-day basis in the school, so you’re actually a little outside this whole community of parents who are quite involved,” Brunsberg said. “Socially, a lot of relationships come

ing mom or not a working mom.

They were going to invest time to become a friend of mine and then I wouldn’t be able to be a friend at 11 [a.m.] at lunch,” she said.

When Hewett first began working, she worried about the societal view of being a working mother. “Back in the day when I decided I needed to be a working mum, you wonder how you’ll be judged. Does that make me a bad mother that I’m not staying home with my child?” Hewett said. “When you see more and more of your colleagues and people in the world in general; that’s the trend that’s going [on] in this day and age – you

working as part of a team and in a very creative process,” she said.

Though working moms are uncommon at ASL and have faced societal pressures as recently as a decade ago, Brunsberg values the ability to work, even though rare at ASL. “I think it’s really important for women to be visible and committed to a workplace for the younger and next generation to try to improve it and also to show people it’s possible. It isn’t so ridiculously hard.”

•••

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Page 15

Features

Lunch with The Standard

t s i t r a e h t :

i r o M o k i Mar

Alexandra Gers | Culture Editor

ASL parent discusses her experience as an internationally acclaimed Japanese contemporary artist

I

felt distinctly out of place walking into Mariko Mori’s all-white studio office wearing my black coat. Even Mori’s outfit was all-white, save for the two unmissable black buns sitting atop her head. She was humble and kind, offering me traditional Japanese matcha tea when I walked in. If I hadn’t known any better, I never would have guessed that the woman sitting across from me was one of the world’s leading contemporary artists.

Mori, mother of Manna (’19), was born in Japan at a time when contemporary art was not as established as today. “Although the art movement was there from the 60s and 70s [it was] still very minor in society, only supporting traditional style of paintings and sculpture,” Mori said. She felt that there “[weren’t] enough [chances] for students to learn

different materials such as technologies, which were becoming popular in the 90s, specifically the use of computers. While in London, Mori began to explore the medium of artwork she uses today: A combination of sculpting using glass, plastics and technology, which combine to produce a body of work with an extra-terrestrial feel to it.

Mori’s fascination with using technology in art originated while working in a computergaming center in Tokyo. There she discovered the use of virtual reality, a form of animation previously reserved for video games, and the ability to create three-dimensional works of art, such as her 2005 work Tom Na H’iu.

Tom Na H’iu is a 15-foot opalescent glass structure with LED lights inside. The lights change color upon receiving information, via the internet, when a

“When I exhibit the work in different countries, I feel it’s succeeding because it’s transcending different nations and culture and all the divisions that we see are gone.”

Mariko Mori contemporary art,” so she left Japan in 1988 to pursue her education as a contemporary artist at the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London.

Mori wanted to stray from the traditional art commonly focused on in Japan, and developed a new approach, using

neutrino is detected. A neutrino is a subatomic particle from a star that has died. Mori explains when the star dies, they release a massive number of neutrinos, which land on earth due to their atomic weight, a theory proven by a Japanese Nobel Science Prize winner.

This theory plays a key role in the Buddhist philosophy surrounding most of Mori’s artwork and research: Oneness. “It’s all connected,” Mori said. “The death of a star is the reason living beings exist on earth, so again I see the evidence of oneness and how we are all connected.”

Oneness has transcended into most of Mori’s work and research. One of her earlier creations, Wave UFO, a sleek interactive pod, uses brain-wave electrode headsets to project images of the wearer’s brain onto the ceiling.

However, the images combine into one, using the information from all three participants. “We look separated, but we are all one and we are all connected. People think individually, but in reality we are all sharing the whole world and we are equal, and we are the one,” Mori said.

Currently, Mori is working on a project for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her idea is to create a sixth Olympic ring, representing the “connection between human’s

Top left: Wave UFO , an interactive pod that projects images of a person’s brain on the ceiling Top right: Tom Na H’iu, a glass structure that changes color based on neutrino ativities Bottom: Mariko Mori TOP LEFT AND RIGHT PHOTOS FROM FLICKR, BOTTOM PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA GERS nature.” The ring is made up of many layers of clear acrylic plastic with a different color applied between each layer, so that the center is yellow and towards the outside it’s blue. A mirror has been applied to each layer so that when sunlight hits the front it’s blue and when it hits the back it’s yellow. Again, Mori hoped to symbolize oneness, completeness and eternity, specifically in humans being part of nature. “I really hope that future generations continue the tradition of honoring nature,” Mori said.

While Mori has achieved a lot on a personal scale, featuring in numerous galleries all over the world, she believes that art is more than just being featured in museums. For her, art can be used as a vehicle for change and can connect people all around the world. “I believe that art can take boundaries over cultures,” Mori said. “When I exhibit the work in different countries, I feel it’s succeeding because it’s transcending different nations and culture and all the divisions that we see are gone.”

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Page 16

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Features

Bob Crawford:

The first ASL student

W

Stephanie Brendsel | Online/Photo Editor

hen Bob Crawford (’58) applied to following year, when the school location ASL, he did not need to complete a moved again to Grovesnor Square, the curformal application. Instead, Craw- rent location of the U.S. Embassy. ford’s parents signed his name on a list, ofDue to the small size of the school, Eckard ficially enrolling him as ASL’s first student. and other ASL teachers were able to take stuIt was in the middle of Grade 4 in 1950 dents to many London landarks, including when Crawford moved to London from Al- the British Museum and St. Paul’s Cathedral. exandria, Virginia. Like most ASL students, These field trips were Crawford’s favorite it was a change in a parent’s job that caused experiences at ASL. “My fondest memory their family’s move. of ASL was the school itself in the middle In the early 1950s, when the Crawford of London,” he said. The teachers also took family arrived in London, the city was less them to Kensington Gardens for activities incrowded, significantly safer and lacked the cluding soccer, cricket and walks. diversity that exists today. His parents enAfter three years in London, Crawford’s rolled him into a smaller British boarding family moved to Rhode Island in 1953, folschool in Kent, as it was the only school that lowing the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. would accept him when he arrived mid- Moving around frequently was normal for year. Despite gaining some knowledge of Crawford, as he attended 10 schools between the British school culture through his time Grades 1 and 12, with at least two occasions at boarding school, Crawford was happy to of attending three schools in one year. leave after three months. “The school was Following his time at ASL, Crawford OK but there was one teacher, who was sa- completed high school in Virginia before distic and abusive. Although I had some enrolling in the U.S. Naval Academy. When fun, I was very unhappy,” he said. he graduated from college in 1962, CrawMeanwhile, Crawford’s parents met ASL ford was commissioned into the Air Force Founder Stephen Eckard, at a party at the as a computer programmer before leaving U.S. Embassy. During their conversation, to join the International Business Machines Eckard revealed that he was looking to start Corporation (IBM). Crawford returned to an American School. “After a couple of con- Washington D.C. in February 1963 where he versations, they signed me up as his first lives today. He retired five years ago and is student,” Crawford said. now 75 years old.

In April 1951, Crawford and eight other Despite having left the school after atboys began learning in Eckard’s apartment. tending for only a few years, Crawford’s The school was only an elementary school experience at ASL and time in London had with most of the subjects in the same room, a large impact on his life. “I would say that Eckard as the sole teacher. the most important impact that ASL [and ASL was the smallest school Crawford Stephen Eckard] had on me was fostering had ever attended. “It was not like ‘school’ my natural independence and confidence. in the traditional sense. If you can imagine That has helped me all of my life, he said. nine small boys in one room, it was very ac- That and the subsequent time in Germany tive and intimate,” [in High School], he said. gave me an appreHis favorite subciation of the world ject was science, that many Ameriespecially chemcans do not have,” istry and physics, he said. despite no lab facilDespite ASL’s ity. “I do remember impact on Crawworking [on] the ford, he did not dining table and maintain a promiother tables in [Ecknent connection ard’s] apartment in with the school unBob Crawford (’58) the spring of 1951,” til recently. He had Crawford said. He kept in touch with said the closest one of his friends, analogy is “a one-room schoolhouse.”

Tom Parker (’58), through his parents. CrawThe students studied together until the ford was browsing the internet a few years next fall when Eckard rented a house nearby ago when he came across ASL’s website. He on 58 Green Street and divided the students reached out to the school via email and has into separate grades in the house’s different been on the alumni mailing list ever since. rooms.

Crawford has visited London a few By this time, the number of students and times, but his schedule has prevented him teachers at the school had risen from nine from spending time at ASL. However, he is students in April 1951 to 135 students in traveling to London in 2017 with his famSeptember 1952. Further grade distinction ily and is hoping to spend some time at the and the addition of Grades 7 and 8 came the school.

“I would say that the most important impact that ASL [and Stephen Eckard] had on me was fostering my natural independence and confidence.”

Bob Crawford (’58) (front center), Tom Parker (’58) (front, second from left,) with founder Stepen Eckard, pictured at 17 Hans Place in 1951.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOB CRAWFORD

A day in the life:

Bob Crawford (’58) attended ASL from Grade 4 until Grade 7.

The school day started at Head of School and Founder Stephen Eckard’s apartment at 9 a.m. Crawford lived in the Lancaster Gate area and traveled by car, bus or tube to school at 17 Hans Place in Knightsbridge with his mother or alone.

The school day lasted until 4 p.m., where he learned at the dining room table in the apartment with eight other boys. As the school grew, the school split into grade levels.

At this time, it was right after World War II, so there were still rations on food. Crawford would eat his “brown-bagged” lunch in the classroom.

After school, there were no sports or clubs, so they went to the park to play.

Crawford and his younger brother would go to Kensington Gardens, in Hyde Park, to play or occasionally see band concerts.

On weekends, Crawford didn’t meet with friends, as students at ASL lived scattered around London at the time.

•••

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Page 17

Rise of Activewear Rolling Stones

Culture

SIPPING LEMONADE An analysis of how Beyoncé’s new album expertly comments on social issues

“Y

Alexandra Gers | Culture Editor

ou can taste the dishonesty it’s all over your breath,” Beyoncé said in her melodic voice as she introduces her surprise visual album entitled Lemonade. The screen opens to a series of visually stunning images, the most poignant being Beyoncé sitting center stage alone singing, “I pray you catch me listening.” It’s raw, emotional and powerful, curating the mood for the entire hour-long HBO special.

Lemonade is split into 12 parts, the first being “Intuition”. It opens with many powerful images that focus on the history of black women in the U.S. The images are combined with the provocative words of Somali-British poet Warsan Shire, “I tried to make a home out of you but doors lead to trap doors a stairway leads to nothing.”

Beyoncé reads Shire’s poetry as the screen goes black and reopens with her standing on the top of a building about to jump.

Not only is Lemo n a d e audibly

wonderful, it’s also filled with visual nuances and the stories of generations of struggles for black women. Beyoncé is joined on screen by many powerful and influential black women, including singer Zendaya Coleman, actress Quevzanhne Wallis, actress and activist Amandla Stenberg and professional tennis player Serena Williams. We not only see the hurt and angst of one woman, but of generations of women.

As “Intuition” left us unsure of what would happen next, the chapters which follow, “Denial” and “Anger” further the intesity Beyoncé feels, while questioning the trust of those around her, specifically her husband, rapper Jay-Z. The anger is palpable and the emotions and visuals on screen are tainted with this deep hurt and fury. Although the tune of her second song of the album “Hold Up” sounds cheerful, it is juxtaposed against the visual scene: Beyoncé emerging almost biblically from water and fire, looking vengeful. She walks around swinging a baseball bat with a don’t-mess-with-me attitude. It is cinematic moments like these where I’m grateful to have Beyoncé as a powerful female voice in the music industry. It’s only two songs into Lemonade and I already feel more empowered than when I started listeing.

Beyoncé’s choice of words aren’t light and listening to them made me feel uncomfortable, “I can wear her skin over mine. Her hair, over mine,” Beyoncé whispers “We can pose for a photograph, all three of us.” It didn’t take long for me to realize that Beyoncé purposefully uses this language to get, what I assumed was, her point across: Jay Z’s supposed infidelity has impacted

PHOTO FROM BEYONCE.COM

her greatly, however she will not be victimized. Not only are her words effective, they are contrasted to the very polished “pop star” image most of us picture and think of when we hear Beyoncé’s name, showing me that there is far more to her than meets the eye.

At first glance, we assume that all Lemonade is about is Jay-Z’s assumed infidelity. However, the visual album focuses more on the struggles of race and womanhood in modern-day America, and Beyoncé confronts these topics head on with an excerpt from Malcolm X’s 1962 speech Who Taught You to Hate Yourself, “The most disrespected woman in America is the black woman.

The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman,” Malcolm X said in “Anger,” chapter three of Lemonade. Beyoncé’s use of Malcolm X’s speech emphasizes the need for reform in America, specifically, how women of all skin colors are viewed.

“We not only see the hurt and angst of one woman, but of generations of women.”

Beyoncé has never been one to shy away from impactful performances, as exemplified with her 2016 Super Bowl Black Panther tribute, and Lemonade was no different. I was in awe of Beyoncé ability to tackle the issues of race and womanhood for all of Lemonade, however, one chapter had the most impact on me. The Black

Lives Matter movement is prevalent throughout the entire film, though in “Resurrection” it is undoubtedly strongest. The mothers of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner hold up images of their deceased sons, set to the song “Forward,” featuring James Blake. It was a heartbreaking scene, but it also made me angry and disappointed at the current state of racial equality in America and around the world.

The most amazing thing about Lemonade is that Beyoncé has used it as a vehicle for change. Here is a woman scorned, someone who has supposedly been cheated on by her husband, but rather than letting others use this to define her, she’s using Lemonade as an opportunity to tell the world what happened and how she feels. Not only is she taking charge of her own situation, Beyoncé is using Lemonade to tackle issues that are considered “taboo,” in a provocative and artistic way. Her encouragement to take charge and share personal stories is more than I could have hoped for in a role model as a woman in today’s society, and I hope to be seeing more of this side of Beyoncé.

•••

Page 18

Culture

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

1.

Olivogelo

28 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9RB Open 12 pm. - 10 p.m.

Sloane Square or Victoria tube stop Olivogelo is a gelateria in Belgravia which serves a variety of homemade Italian gelato. This shop is part of the Olivo Restaurants, a chain of authentic Sardinian restaurants. The gelato is authentic and tastes as if it was made in Italy. The prices range from £2.80 to £4.80, depending on the size. The pistachio and raspberry flavor combination is an odd, yet lovely mix.

TOP 10 SUMMER ACTIVITIES

Take advantage of London this summer with experiences that are off the beaten path Martha Duff | Staff Writer Phaedra Letrou-Papamarkakis | Staff Writer

PHOTO BY PHAEDRA LETROU-PAPAMARKAKIS

2.

The Color Run

Wembley Park June 12, 2016 Wembley Park tube stop The Color Run is a 5K run benefitting the National Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty (NSPCA), a charity which supports animal rights.

It weaves throughout Wembley Park with a unique factor of colored powder thrown as the runners pass by each kilometer. To celebrate completing the race, a concert is held at the end. It is for a great cause and the final colorful concert is a great way to listen to music and celebrate summer with friends. Tickets cost £27 per runner.

4.

PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA GERS

3.

Rough Trade

The Slide at the Orbit

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Pudding Mill Lane DLR stop

The Slide at the Orbit is a new art installation in the ArcelorMittal exhibition. The slide has been installed has an outstanding view of London’s skyline. At 178 meters above ground, the rider descends the Orbit in 40 seconds, weaving in and around the structure 12 times. The slide will open on June 24 and remain open for the rest of the summer. Tickets for students aged 16 and under cost £5 and £10 for adults. Tickets are on sale now!

91 Brick Lane, East London E1 6Q Open 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Aldgate East tube stop Rough Trade is a music shop that sells records, CDs and coffee with a stage for in-store gigs. This unique shop located in the heart of East London is guaranteed to be an interesting experience, so be sure to check out the diverse record collection, ranging from the late 60’s to modern and contemporary classics.

PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA

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THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Page 19

Culture

Orange Mozart Square Market

5.

Oxygen FreeJumping

Kendal Avenue, West Acton W3 0AF Open 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Park Royal tube stop Oxygen FreeJumping is a indoor trampoline park, which has a range of activities such as trampoline dodgeball, fitness classes and regular jumping.

Prices for all activities are £12.50, and booking in advance is recommended. Oxygen FreeJumping is perfect for birthdays or an afternoon with friends.

7.

Corner of Pimlico Road, SW1W 8LH Open 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Sloane Square tube stop

A farmer’s market is held every Saturday, selling fresh produce, juice, cakes, pastries and a range of lunch options.

Unlike other markets, all the venders are locally sourced and have been at the market for years, creating an established and unique range of options. Prices vary depending on the stalls, but are usually reasonable. Be sure to visit the strawberry and apple vendor who sells organic, sweet and fresh produce.

6.

Cooking Class at Atelier des Chefs

PHOTO FROM OXYGENFREEJUMPING.COM

8.

Oxford Circus tube stop 19 Wigmore Street, W1U 1PH Times vary depending on course Atelier des Chefs offers a large collection of cooking classes, ranging from macaroon and pastry courses to simple street food. The courses are suited cooks of all levels of experience. It is a great chance to spend time learning new skills and potentially discover a new passion for cooking. The classes vary from 30 minutes to four hours.

While it’s on the more expensive side at around £50 per person, it’s sure to be an experience to remember.

Leake Street Tunnel

PHOTO FROM LFM.ORG

9.

Clue Quest

169-171 Caledonian Rd, London N1 0SL. Open from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

King’s Cross St. Pancras tube stop At an average price of £25 per person, Clue Quest is a day of mind puzzles, riddles and solving problems.

Escape rooms, where a group of players are locked in a room and have to use elements and puzzles of it to escape, have been growing in popularity. Clue Quest is the first live escape room game in London. A fun but mentally stimulating game awaits the player. Three different missions are offered, but we recommend “Plan 52” because of its unique puzzles.

Lambeth, London Always open Waterloo tube stop

Leake Street Tunnel, known as London’s Graffiti Tunnel, has a tunnel covered in different forms of graffiti such as political statements, expressions of injustice and some are simply for artistic enjoyment. The world renowned street artist Banksy is known for his work here.

Afternoon walks through the graffiti tunnel are recommended, as street artists can be seen painting then.

BOTH PHOTOS BY JAGGER BOUSSUGE

10.

Taste of London

Regent's Park, London Open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Regents Park Ttube stop Taste of London is an annual event that takes place in Regent’s Park. Many different restaurants and food stalls come together to showcase their latest creations and best food. The event will take place from June 15 until June 19. The event will also feature renowned chefs demonstrating how to make their finest dishes, and will also include gourmet dishes. Highly acclaimed Asian restaurants Sushi Samba and Roka will be offering their iconic dishes such as kobe bacon nigiri and rock shrimp tempura. Standard tickets cost £16 and you can buy individual dishes with meal tickets.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE ASHLEY

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THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Culture

The R se Of Activewear Exploring the correlation between fashion and athletic performance in the High School Olivia Abrams | Culture Editor

J

ustin Hoyt (’18) has watched the sports industry continue to challenge the world of fashion in recent years. In 2012, Nike released the Air Yeezy II, a collaboration with hip-hop artist and producer, Kanye West.

“They were such a big thing because they were combining an icon with a sports wear company,” Hoyt said.

Hoyt believes that fashion is impacting the performance of individual players and that “sports haven’t been impacted by fashion as much until now.”

Recently, Hoyt has seen fashion impact sports, most notably when playing on the boys varsity basketball team. “My saying is that if you look good, you play good,” Hoyt said. With a limited space for creativity when wearing a uniform, Hoyt chooses to express his personal style through his sneakers. “If I am wearing cool shoes I feel like I will play better,” Hoyt said.

Similar to Hoyt, Caroline Dibble (’16) has had plenty of opportunities to let fashion guide the way she plays, whether it be on the soccer pitch, basketball court, or the track. However, for Dibble, fashion in sports has a more practical purpose. When playing basketball, Dibble

wears knee pads, which give her more confidence on the court. “I wouldn’t say I’m more reckless, but I’m more willing to dive after the ball,” Dibble said.

At all sporting events, Dibble pulls her hair back into a braid with a headband, as she believes this to be an essential part in improving her athletic performance.“It brings a sense of confidence in whatever sport you are playing, just preparedness; you are ready to play,” Dibble said. Feeling more put together boosts her mental state

a two-page spread on Beyoncé’s Ivy Park, explaining its objective and goal to impact women.

In an exclusive interview with Beyoncé in Elle, the singer talks about how her new fashion line teaches women to love their bodies. “It's really the essence: To celebrate every woman and the body she's in while always striving to be better,” Beyoncé said. “I was so specific about the things I feel I need in a garment as a curvy woman, and just as a woman in general, so you feel safe and covered but also sexy.”

After discovering the spread in Elle magazine, Aerin Agyei (’19) was immediately a fan. “Celebrities, in particular Beyoncé, have a p r e t t y big influence over the possible buyers [of athletic lines],” she said.

Agyei believes that this line was created to inspire many to take on fitness, and feel comfortable and confident while doing it, no matter the individual.

“I have looked at some of the ad campaigns which show a lot of different types of women, and different races and body types,” Agyei said.

Just like Agyei, Maya Matejcek (’17) sees the link be-

tween clothing and empowerment while being active. “I think there has been a lot of movement towards wearing sporty clothes out in public,” Matejcek said.

Matejcek thinks that with the popularity of athletic wear on the rise, more people have the opportunity to take on fitness as a whole.

“Celebrities, in particular Beyoncé, have a pretty big influence over the possible buyers [of athletic lines].”

Aerin Agyei (’18) and prepares her for the competition at hand.

Seen as a “way to encourage people to stay healthy and workout,” Dibble said, singersongwriter Beyoncé has found a way for any woman to empower themselves through dress. Her new activewear line Ivy Park launched on April 14. “It gives people more option,” Dibble said.

The May issue of Elle featured

Justin Hoyt (’18) feels that he plays better when he dresses the part of an athlete, especially with his choice of sneakers on and off of the court.

PHOTOS ON LEFT BY OLIVIA ABRAMS PHOTO ABOVE FROM TOPSHOP.COM

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

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Culture

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Michaela Towfighi | Lead Features Editor

A review of the Rolling Stones: Exhbitionism, which is running at the Saatchi Gallery through September 4

I

walked into the Saatchi Gallery to find the typical starch white walls embellished with a simple bold, bright message: Ladies and Gentlemen, a reference to the Rolling Stones 1974 documentary. The bright lights, bold images and decades of success encompassed in the documentary were now recreated in front of me, through Exhibitionism.

Encapsulating the Stones’ full journey and rise to fame, Exhibitionism tackles their stardom from beginning to end.

I am not oblivious to the Stones’ prominence, yet I don’t consider myself an avid fan. Still, the interactive features of the exhibition and details of the Stones’ rise to fame proved to be intriguing to me.

The exhibition lies over two floors and nine galleries, as the Saatchi Gallery transformed into a Rolling Stones timelapse. The gallery starts with a visual representation of the Stones’ success.

A world map composed of LED lights display the number of performances and attendance rates

the band has attracted. Skeptical of this introduction, I did not want to simply hear about their earnings and popularity, but see first-hand their growth and expansion. Knowing little about their origin, this is what intrigued me most, and this is what the Saatchi Gallery presented: A timeless recount of where

only exaggerates the contrasts of the extravagance and name the Stones later made for themselves.

The most important piece of all songs is the lyrics of course, and the next gallery highlighted just that. With collections of Mick Jagger’s old notebooks, the songwriting process was exposed in its rawest form. Although the

and unlike anything I had seen before. Small details added up and helped support the themes of each gallery such as quotes from the band members, providing candid insight. In addition, a replica recording studio was built to accompany this section, allowing me to visualize the process described .

ENCAPSULATING THE STONES’ FULL JOURNEY AND RISE TO FAME, EXHIBITIONISM TACKLES IT ALL FROM BEGINNING TO END. the Stones started, and how they came to be.

The second gallery, however, launches you back in time. I found myself transported back to 1962, at 102 Edith Grove, Chelsea, the band’s first flat. Greasy plates overflowed the sink and filth coated the small space; a gentle reminder that the band started without a glamorous beginning, as four men in an old, small apartment got together and wrote songs. The band’s humble start

notebook display resembled a museum installation rather than an art exhibition, to see the fundamental beginning of many of the Stones famous songs was art in itself.

Continuing on, the next installation covered the recording process and displayed instruments used by the band members. When I managed to glance over the crowded room, the execution of the exhibition and display of information was unique

Again, although the exhibition was not what I would consider a typical art gallery, the layout and composition of the Stones’ memorabilia was displayed in a visually pleasing way.

The artistic aspect continued to prevail as the exhibition revealed the full spectrum of the Stones’ appearance and branding.

With displays of their fascinating costumes to their various tour posters and logos, each piece of art was accompanied with a short

description. Although I would never advise Mick Jagger to wear velvet shorts, the exhibition described in full detail the outfit and reasoning behind most choices, making it feel as if I was a part of the decision making process.

Within another gallery, I found miniature replicas of the various stage sets for their concerts.

For every move they made, the Stones left a lasting impression, and again the immense detail and planning was highlighted. Yet, in order to create this substantial legacy, their execution was presented in an elaborate manner, as shown with all of their sets, costumes and lyrics. The exhibition came full circle, ending with a 3-D video of a live performance of “Satisfaction” and the exhibits of planning and preparations were put into context.

I could have spent hours in the exhibition reading every plaque, quote and description, but evenwithout doing so, it was almost impossible not to soak up the band and understand their success. The exhibition was big and bold: Everything that the Rolling Stones were, and are.

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THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

Sports

New Recruits ASL’s recruited athletes share their processes of recruitment Cameron Campili | News Editor

For most high school students, the summer provides some respite from the academic year, offering time to reflect on the past and shift ones focus ahead to the future. For aspiring athletes hoping to be recruited, the summer is a time-consuming period fraught with practice, dedicated toward honing technical and physical characteristics of the sport.

Ryan Farrell (’16) was recruited to play baseball at Wooster College. Whilst playing baseball in both the U.K and the U.S., Farrell has had to sacrifice countless days to achieve this feat, whether that be to meet coaches, create videos that display his skills, or play the sport itself. “A lot of my summer is spent playing baseball, and traveling for baseball as you have to meet the coaches, but I love it,” he said.

Wesleyan University recruited Elizabeth Vann (’16) to play soccer, and she believes that the environment of the college recruitment camps are vicious. Sports based on teamwork become individualized as students want to showcase their personal abilities. “Don’t get disheartened by the camps, they are very brutal environments. No one wants to pass because everyone is out to show their skills,” she said.

With all the hardships taken into consideration, playing sports in college is a dream of many student athletes. Vann feels that even though it is extremely difficult to get recruited for college athletics, the prospect of playing in college makes it worth the strenuous effort. “Sports have been a really big part of my life, and especially my high school career, so I wanted to continue that into college,” she said.

The aspect of living in a country outside of the U.S. alters the recruitment process immensely.

British and American styles of soccer differ greatly, making the transition to the U.S. a challenging one. “It’s harder being in London because you don’t have a lot of exposure [to US soccer], so it’s hard to get a sense of the skill level of everyone in the states,” Vann said.

Varsity Boys Baseball Coach Terry Gladis has worked closely with several recruited athletes at ASL. Farrell attributes his recruitment success down to Gladis’ assistance. “[He] knows so many coaches, and helped me out with making my videos and staying in touch with coaches,” he said.

Gladis doesn’t help every player with the recruitment process. He believes that certain individuals capable of participating in college athletics possess specific qualities that set them apart from others.

“First of all, they need raw ability,” he said. “Secondly, an athlete has to have a solid grasp of the sport they’re playing. For example, someone playing baseball needs that baseball IQ. Also, they need room for growth, and improvement.”

Several recruited athletes know that they will be playing in college during and even before their season. Knowing this alters athletes’ attitudes during their final seasons at ASL, and Gladis believes this shift in perspective is a positive one. “I feel that athletes become a lot more confident. I told Ryan that he’s a player with real quality and I think he could play in college and he didn’t even believe me, and for me it’s amazing to see that boost in confidence.”

Besides college recruitment al-

lowing Farrell to play baseball for the next four years, it offers him a built-in community. “When I visited my school [Wooster], I felt like I already had a community there. I didn’t have to worry about making friends as I already have a family waiting there for me. Knowing I have that support system is very important to me,” he said.

Lillie Atkins (’16) was recruited

by Middlebury College in December and looks forward to fulfilling her long-term ambition of playing soccer at the college level.

Throughout Atkins’ athletic career she has fully embraced the importance of team camaraderie.

Being a part of a team has offered her something unique. “Especially this last year at ASL, I was on a really good team and we had dance parties in the locker room,” she said. “It was just so fun and this was the experience I want continuing in the future.”

Knowing that she was going to play college soccer midway through the year, Atkins did not entirely share the sentiments of her teammates, as most will not continue playing in college. For her, it wasn’t saying goodbye to the sport. “I was not too sentimental about it as it’s not my last game,” she said.“I was happy that I at least knew that I was going to keep playing and being on a team.”

Instead of viewing this year as his last one playing the sport he loves, like so many other senior athletes, Farrell believes this high school experience is a stepping stone to similar future experiences. “I look at athletics differently as for a lot of guys it’s their last year, but for me I’m preparing for something bigger,” he said. “My intensity has gone up more and I’m taking it much more seriously.”

Top: Ryan Farrell (’16), Elizabeth Vann (’16) and Lillie Atkins (’16) were recruited to play at respective U.S. universities.

Middle: Farrell will play baseball for Wooster College.

Bottom: Vann and Atkins will play soccer next fall. Vann will be at Wesleyan University and Atkins will be at Middlebury.

PHOTOS BY ALEXANDRA GERS

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016

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Dark Horses

Page 23

Sports

Gauging the experience of underdogs at ASL following Leicester City’s heroic Premier League campaign Jonathan Sheves | Sports Editor • Ankit Mehra | Online Director

5000/1 : The same odds as it was putting together squads with less for Christmas to be the warmest money,” Nealis said. “Underdogs used to reflect the side with less tal day of 201 5. Also, the odds Leicester ent or ability but now that money City were faced with coming into is a direct correspondent to this, the P remier League football season underdogs are usually teams with to win the P remier Leh title. Leices less money.” ter City knocked off title favorites Revelling in success, oftentimes Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liv underdog stories enthrall audi erpool to complete what seemed ences, sometimes creating folklore to be the impossible. The team, with cult films such as Moneyball. nicknamed “The Foxes” clinched The film, which told the story of the first Football League title in the the Oakland Athelics during their 1 3 2 years of the club’s existence. To 2002 season. Underdog stories are heartwarming, and irrespective of put this in perspective, the P remier team affiliations, one tends to back League outfitwere ← favourites to be the dark horse. That acknowledg relegated into the second division ment even comes from famed ath of E nglish football back in August. letes such as B o J ackson, who once In a high school setting, stu dents witness underdog stories said “My favorite role is always -ei regularly, whether it be academi ther the bad guy or the underdog.” cally, or more prevalently in sports.

These heartwarming stories that garner the attention of the Mia Holtze (’1 6) cites underdogs public tend to get placed on a mul as teams with “less exposure to the timedia format. Whether it be in spotlight”, and thinks back to Midthe form of movies such as that of dle S chool where her club team, Hampstead Football Club faced Miracle that commemorated The off against Tottenham Hostpur’s Miracle on Ice where the United youth academy. “There wasn’t S tates beat the US S R in an Olym much pressure when I was in the pic match-up. Or even lower scale game as I didn’t expect to win, but underdog stories such as “Coach afterwards I felt a lot better. Once Carter” that depict the poverty we realised that we could do it, I struck lives of a high school basket wanted to win a lot more,” Holtze ball team in Richmond, California, said. Holtze’s team ended up win that overcame their roadblocks.

PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA ning the final, creating one of the Popular Disney P roductions greatest underdog stories in grass movie Cool Runnings which was Leicester forward Jamie Vardy celebrates scoring against Manchester United (December 2015) roots soccer. made as a commemoration to Former varsity soccer cap the J amaican B obsled team who tain J ed Alberts (’1 6) considers his participated in the 1 988 Calgary team’s IS S T campaign two years Olympics, served as motivation for ago as an underdog story even J amaican youth to participate in though the team didn’t go on to the sport, with the nation sending win gold. “I would say that IS S Ts of out a team to S ochi 201 4. Underdog 201 4, specifically when we played stories around the world have a dual purpose - they provide enter Munich International S chool (MIS ) tainment for sporting fanatics, but in the semifinal playoff match. Alalso motivate people to attempt to though we hosted the tournament, follow in the footsteps of their hethey were considered favourites to roes. win it all,” Alberts said. “The whole For Alberts, that sense of -at school came out and we beat them tention has come from YouTube, 2-0. We were so happy that we -cel ebrated coming third more than where he has re-lived the under other teams celebrated coming dog story of Chelsea’s 201 2 UE FA first,” he said.

Champions League run. “There’s On the other hand, both Holtze one Chelsea YouTube video I’ve (ODDS FROM BLEACHER REPORT) and Alberts believe that the team watched 1 00 times, “The Road playing against the underdog has an amazing team and the match When you’re playing against an un - story is largely based on wealth of to Munich”. It’s incredibly inspithe pressure stacked in their favor, would be considered a friendly. We derdog you can often be deceivedteams or franchises. “An underdog rational as it’s my team who did providing some advantage to the were down at halftime and ended by it as they will work a lot harder story in this day and age often -re something that seemed impossi less favored team. “About a year up drawing, but our coach was re fers to the money a team can spendble. That motivated me to think we - to try and win,” Alberts said. ago, we played against Quintin Ky - ally annoyed at us as we came out In regards to the scope students and teams that are underdogs -of [varsity soccer team] could do any naston Community Academy (QK) with a very arrogant approach witness in professional sports Ryan ten are these teams that are on thething unexpected too and we kind and we were told that they weren’t thinking we were going to win. Nealis (’1 7) believes an underdoglow end of the totem pole and are of did [in 201 5].”

“An underdog story in this day and age often refers

to the money a team can spend. These teams are often on the low end of the totem pole and are putting together squads with less money.”

Ryan Nealis (’17)

Top 5 Odd defiers in Sporting History: USA to win Gold in the 1980 Olympics (Ice Hockey) - 1000/1

Goran Ivanisevic to win the 2001 Wimbledon Championship (Tennis) - 150/1 Darren Clarke to win the 2011 Open championship (Golf) - 125/1 New York Giants to win the Superbowl in 2007 (NFL) - 80/1

Buster Douglas to Beat undefeated Mike Tyson in 1990 (Boxing) - 42/1

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Sports

The varsity boys baseball team celebrate their ISST victory after defeating The International School of Brussels 8-5 in the final. Zack Longboy (’16), Dexter Bohn (’16), Ryan Farell (’16), Jake Perlemuter (’18) and Alan Kohler (’18) received All-Tournament honors.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE BRENDSEL

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Underdogs at ASL College Recruitments

THE STANDARD | May/June 2016