Issue IV

Standard

the

January/February 2016 | Volume XLI, Issue IV

News: 2-5 Opinions: 6-10 Features: 11-15 Culture: 16-19 Sports: 20-24

EU reaching the breaking point?

Sugar

An analysis of the current situation in the European Union regarding immigration as well as the U.K.’s upcoming referendum.

Pages 4-5

EDITORIAL

Advisories: Striking a balance A look at ways for both students and teachers to improve the current Advisory system and ensure its future success.

Page 6

Nomad Will Sayre (’17), going by the name Nomad, talks about the beginnings of his rap career, the stigmas he faces and the upcoming release of his mixtape.

Page 17

Champagne Life: Exhibition review

An in-depth exploration of the hard facts about sugar, its health risks and its role within the school Yarra Elmasry | Editor-in-Chief

A closer look at the Saatchi Gallery’s new female-only exhibition.

Page 19

Tyler Skow | Deputy Editor-in-Chief

Story on pages 12-13 PHOTO BY YARRA ELMASRY

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

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News

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THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

European Union College acceptances

Robotics forms second team

TYLER SKOW DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The recently emptied art wing may be seeing its busiest period ever as the robotics team, numbering over 60 strong, has officially moved in.

Student artwork has been replaced with banners that read “2014 Champions” and “2015 Champions,” and the painting studios have been exchanged for power tools, as the robotics team, or perhaps teams, race against the clock to design, construct and program the robots they will send to New York in just a few weeks time.

ASL’s robotics team, known as the 1884 Griffins, split this year into two separate teams, the original 1884 and the new 1797.

Grade 8 Science Teacher Chris Goff, one of the mentors and founders of the robotics team, explained several elements that prompted the massive restructure. “The team has been growing spectacularly over the years. We have gotten to the point where we had 60 to 80 people signed up,” Goff said.

While increased participation strengthens the program, last year proved having only one team was impractical.

“The team is getting so big that it is getting difficult to have everyone involved fully,” Goff said. “[Last year] there ended up being a core group of people that were intimately involved in the robots, and then there were a lot of peripheral people who sometimes could not find work, who got lost in the system.”

Molly Loughney (’18) echoes Goff ’s sentiment and praises the restructuring of the team. With two robots to build it “means people can take a more active role in building it because there are less people per team,” she said.

Another reason for splitting up the program into two teams is to give more autonomy in the building process to experienced students. One of the build

while personally I don’t think there was too much mentor involvement last year, I understand why people would be [thinking] that,” Buckley said.

Buckley said. Conversely, 1797 is going to be student run, and will receive minimal mentor guidance in building the robot.

Buckley appreciates the reasons for

revealed in which direction we are stepping,” Buckley said.

The division of the robotics team is not the only change to occur this year.

Unlike previous years, the robotics team will not partner with Quintin Kynaston (QK). “In the early days of the team we had a mentor from QK that was fully involved in the same way the other mentors are, and the team was really well integrated,” Goff said. “We worked together, [but] with the change in administration over there and the loss of those teachers who had been with us, we lost our link to the admin and to the [Design and Technology] department.”

Regardless of the changes to the program, the ambition for the teams is still honed in on victory. Goff, Buckley and Loughney all agreed a successful outcome will be to have one robot that is on the winning team in New York, ideally two. “Our goal is to win. For both teams, that’s always our goal, we always want to build a robot that we think will win us the competition,” Loughney said.

Looking past New York, Buckley has slightly greater ambitions. “What will make me very happy will be to make it to the second stage in World Championships,” Buckley said. The team just made it to the the second stage of the competition last year, elimination stage but they did so with a robot not on the starting team of their alliance.

Next year will also see central changes to the organization of the robotics team as they will move into the new Builders Space, a part of the New Frontiers construction campaign. The Space will allow any students to experiment with build and design.

Goff believes the resources that the school has been setting aside for the robotics team speaks to a transition in the their approach of teaching. “There is a philosophical shift that is happening in the school,” Goff said. “The fact that the money was set aside, the plan was made for

IT’S DEFINITELY A STEP, BUT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IT WILL BE REVEALED IN WHICH DIRECTION WE ARE STEPPING TEYMOR BUCKLEY (’17) leaders of 1797, Teymor Buckley (’17), explained this certain team member expressed his concern in feedback surveys last year. “The whole idea is that students are meant to be designing the robot, and

As a result, 1884 “is where freshmen have to join and newer people are encouraged to join that team, mentors are going to be leading that group a lot, teaching everyone the basics that they need,”

the creation of a second team, yet he is not fully sold on its functionality. “I think that it’s yet to be seen if it is a step in the right direction. It’s definitely a step, but in the next few weeks it will be

that Makerspace and for the design center in the art building shows that the school is moving in a direction of incorporating engineering and design into the normal curriculum of kids across the board.”

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THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

News

WorkX application process begins WILLIAM BRUMMETTE STAFF WRITER ANANYA PRAKASH STAFF WRITER Until February 24, all sophomores, juniors and seniors have the opportunity to apply for Work Experience (WorkX), a program which exclusively provides ASL students with work experience.

Last year, 29 percent of the students who applied for WorkX were sophomores, 57 percent were juniors and 14 percent were seniors.

The WorkX committee, run by six parents, is part of the Parent Committee Association (PCA), and works closely with Director of Academic Advising and College Counseling Patty Strohm.

The WorkX placements range from banking and engineering

to sports and fashion. The internships are provided by ASL parents, friends of parents, and alumni.

ASL parent Enid Prasad, who is one of the parents in charge of WorkX, explained that the goal of the program is to “give students an introduction to work-

“Your experience can form the basis of your college essays and enhance your CV” ASL Parent, Enid Prasad

ing, to a work environment, and what might be required.”

The application process has also changed this year. A parent and student commitment letter are still required by the student as well as a CV and cover letter.

Certain WorkX options also re-

quire an interview and additional documents.

However, the submission of these documents has changed.

All documents are now required to be submitted in a document on Google Drive.

The students who take part are not paid for their help. The program usually takes place in June and July, and typically lasts between one to two weeks.

While WorkX is not mandatory, Prasad believes this experience offers students numerous advantages and opportunities.

A principal benefit of the WorkX program is its value for student resumes and college application. “Your experience can form the basis of some of your college essays and enhance your CV,” Prasad said.

In addition, doing WorkX can help students develop their interests and even decide what career they may pursue in the fu-

ture. “If you’re a 10th grader, and you [do] two work experiences a year, you have six different experiences by the time you graduate school. That should help you think about what you [might] like to do in the future,” Prasad said. By experiencing different areas of work, students can get a broader perspective of what is available to them once they graduate school, and where their passion lies.

Strohm also believes that, “[WorkX is] very helpful for people to understand who they are as a person,” Prasad also thinks that the program can be useful for students to understand who they are and how they work.

Prasad said that “[Work experience] can increase self-awareness about yourself.”

Ariel Calver (’16) participated in two WorkX programs last summer. Calver worked both at Toddler’s Inn Nursey and Style

Dabba (now Crossing Travels).

In Toddler’s Inn, she worked with children in the nursery, and in Style Dabba, she took pictures around London for the travel agency’s online blog. “With regards to Toddler’s Inn, it gave me this newfound appreciation for teachers because working with kids is so hard and tiring,” she said.

Despite the program not wholly translating to her school experiences, she felt that it taught her “quite a bit about social dynamics.”

In applying for WorkX, Prasad advises that students also step outside of their comfort zones and try different industries as “you don’t know what will really pique your interest.”

Strohm further encourages all students to do WorkX. “We would love it if every student would take advantage of these opportunities,” Strohm said.

Breaking down early applications 2015 marks the most successful year in recent memory for ASL early decision (ED) applicants, with nearly 1/4 of the 2016 graduating class earning ED college placements. Here are the numbers:

85

of 124 students sent in Early Action or Early Decision applications

47

26 7.4 30

students applied Early Decision

On average, students sent

different schools

applications each

of the students who applied Early Decision were accepted

STATISTICS COLLECTED BY STAFF WRITER DANIEL ZIMMERMAN FROM THE OFFICE OF ACADEMIC ADVISING AND COLLEGE COUNSELLING.

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THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

EU REACHING THE EU protocols regarding economic have been ignored and the U.K. Has the EU reached Lorenzo Maglione

S

ince 1958 the European Union (EU) has been on a 58-year run of uninterrupted expansion. Conceived as a simple common trade market that would help preserve peace between European countries who had fought three wars in under 70 years, the EU has evolved into a monolithic institution of ever-increasing centralization of powers, structures and authority well beyond its original concept. But today, the EU’s plan for an “ever closer union” seems to be in tatters. Stress and disagreement along three “pressure points” – economic stagnation, uncontrolled migration and an emerging revolt against EU centralization – are the principal sources of growing discontent and distrust within the EU, and they collectively threaten to dissolve the idealistic dream of a united Europe.

Unresolved economic meltdown

E

uropean countries have still not recovered from the economic crisis of 2008, with the lack of economic growth, unemployment and

debt straining the logic of the EU currency – the euro.

The creation of the euro in 1999 had seemed a major step in uniting Europe, but in the past eight years, the notion of vastly different economies sharing a common currency appears to be more of a hindrance than a benefit. Greece, saddled by unsus-

Yet the economic perils of Europe go well beyond Greece.

Most of the major economies in the eurozone are also burdened with high debt, unemployment and stagnant growth, and EU governments are reluctant to face the facts of Greece for fear of a domino effect on other EU countries in similarly precari-

at Italy, a huge chunk of their population are of the 75+ of their demographic, which is going to cause a lot of issues that are not so easily solved,” he said. “That’s why you see countries like Denmark who are advocating for couples to go on lovers retreats to get their birth rates up. Those issues are not as easily answered.”

THE EU PARLIAMENT DOES NOT REPRESENT THE U.K. LEO ARTUS (‘17) tainable debts, lies on the brink of an exit from the euro and requires an unending number of financial bailouts from the wealthier countries of Europe.

Social Studies Teacher Duncan Pringle sees no economic rationale for keeping Greece in the euro. “The reality of Greece is that the only thing holding it inside the euro is political will,” he said. “The conditions under which money has been loaned to them is completely unsustainable, they can’t possibly meet payments, and so their situation rationally, as an economist, is completely untenable.”

ous situations.

Pringle explains, “There are no mechanisms for countries leaving the euro, they don’t exist,” he said. “It’s a failure – it’s a huge failure. If Greece were to fall, could that lead us down a road that leads to the collapse of the European project? Yes, it could. Will that happen? I don’t think so.”

Social Studies Teacher Mark Mazzenga points to another issue: Low birth rates in the EU. “I think actually there are more pressing concerns for these EU countries, like ageing population. You look at Germany, look

Mazzenga is referring to the debilitating social effects of stagnant economies in Europe.

As Europeans see fewer economic opportunities, young couples resist marriage and many are pushed abroad in search of a better life. This “brain drain” of European youth only exacerbates the demographic unbalance with more negative consequences.

I

Influx of refugees

n the past year Europe took in just over 1.2 million refugees and migrants, mainly from the Middle East and North

Africa. The unprecedented wave of migrants has generated cracks in another great achievement of the EU: Its cherished no border policy – the Schengen Agreement. But this 20 year agreement permitting free travel within Europe’s borders is now under severe strain as various EU nations have suspended it due to the daunting prospect of handling what they view as an unmanageable influx of immigrants.

The migration crisis has led to anger and resentment as fingers are pointed at whom to blame. Many blame Germany, who under chancellor Angela Merkel took in over 800,000 refugees last year, even though doing so suspended EU rules.

As a result, pressure has been placed on neighboring countries to also accept high numbers of refugees, but most are reluctant to do so, especially after two of the attackers in the November Paris attacks posed as Syrian refugees to make their way through Europe.

The situation is worsening day by day since many Eastern European nations have either severely increased border controls to limit the number of refugees entering or have abandoned the Schengen Agreement entirely by closing

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THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

News

BREAKING POINT? matters and cross border migration is considering leaving altogether. its breaking point?

News Editor

their borders, drawing criticism from Germany as Merkel blames EU countries for not doing their part to help. Hungary, Austria and Slovenia have already closed their borders while Sweden, Denmark and even Germany itself are moving toward similar measures.

Social Studies Teacher Todd Pavel believes that the wealthier and more stable countries in the EU have a moral obligation to take in refugees. “On a fundamental humanitarian level, those of us who are in the more economically developed countries have a responsibility to help those who struggle coming from lesser economically developed countries or from places of conflict and persecution,” he said. “It’s part of [wealthier countries] responsibility in an increasingly interdependent world to provide opportunities for some of these immigrants, who are not fleeing because they want to come to the U.K., but because they can’t live in their countries because of persecution and war.”

But tensions were raised even in Germany when a mob of mainly Arabic and North African migrants went on a rampage on New Year’s Eve in Cologne. Over 800 complaints were registered, ranging from

theft to rape, sparking anti-Islam protests and calling for more debate over how the refugee crisis should be handled.

Nevertheless, Mazzenga remains optimistic that the immigration crisis will only strengthen the EU, bringing countries closer together to solve this problem. “The current immigration or refugee crisis is having a tremendous psychological and cultural impact on the EU. But on the political side of things, I really do believe that the response will only serve to strengthen the EU,” he said. “Conversations are already happening, as to how the EU, as an entity, as a union, can begin to create policies and programs to resolve or begin to answer some of the questions that the crisis is bringing up.”

Rebellion against centralization

A

major concern for several EU countries, in particular the U.K., is the increasingly centralized powers of the EU that overrule the decisions of local governments. Today’s EU laws and regulations preside over an increasing range of areas through Brussels-based organizations often led by unelected officials. This has led many to claim that the EU is undermining democracy and shifting too

far from its original concept of a free market.

Mazzenga believes that this power struggle between a centralized government and the individual governments of EU nations is just another example that points to Europe becoming more unified. “I do think [Europe] is closer to becoming a fully integrated nation than ever before,” he said. “What we’re seeing is the struggles of a new nation being born, and with any new nation there are going to be those stumbling blocks and there are going to be fumbles and mistakes.”

But this debate has hit breaking point in the U.K., where under pressure from anti-EU sentiment, Prime Minister David Cameron has demanded the EU change a number of rules and conditions insofar as the U.K. is concerned. Most notably, Cameron would like more control in domestic matters regarding immigration, economic freedom and Britain’s own justice system.

Leo Artus (’17), a British citizen, believes that although reforms could take place to strengthen Britain’s influence in the EU, there is no need to make a hasty decision. “The European Union parliament is not an accurate representation of the demographic of the U.K.,” he said.

“But leaving would have major consequences. We’re not headed for disaster as it stands and we have time to recover from the economic problems of 2008.”

Similarly, Sophie Clark, a British citizen, (’16) sees no reason to currently leave the EU. “It’s great that British people have the freedom to travel and work in any European country and vice versa,” she said. “We would lose a lot of good trade opportunities and a lot of influence in Europe.”

Clark’s opinion was echoed in a Standard poll that showed 81 percent of 143 High School students believe that the U.K. should remain in the EU. But opinion polls in the U.K. itself are far more divided, with support for the U.K. leaving the EU being around 40 percent, according to an Ipsos poll from late October. Cameron has set 2017 to be the deadline for a national referendum that will leave the matter to British voters.

From a purely economic perspective, Pringle sees Britain as more wealthy and capable as part of the EU. But he notes that there are political grey areas that undermine the credibility and strength of the bloc, complicating the “in or out” debate.

“There are huge political arguments... the lack of accountabil-

ity, the questions of democracy and how democratic the EU institution really is,” he said.

“At the heart, [the EU is] supposed to be a truly democratic organization, but the turnout for EU elections is abysmal, so how much accountability is there for all that money that flows from Westminster to the EU?” Ultimately, the vision of a unified and borderless Europe has been embraced by some, while rejected by others who claim it as the unwarranted centralization of powers whose reach has become too expansive.

Mazzenga, while understanding the fright that comes with the birth of a new nation, remains firm in his belief that a unified Europe is for the better. “I do understand when Italy talks about Italy for Italians, or when Hungarians are worried about having their culture marginalized, but I don’t think we’re going to lose goulash and pasta bolognese and our traditions and languages,” he said.

“We’re talking about political and economic integration and a world that is becoming more globalized and more fluid. It’s not the loss of culture, it’s the gaining of new perspectives.”

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Page 6

Opinions

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Teacher seminars Gun control

Advisory: Striking a balance

CARTOONS BY MICKEY SCHULKES The advisory system is one of the most contentious aspects of our High School right now. For some students, it offers a haven of casual conversation in the type of unstructured environment that is usually unprecedented within a classroom. Yet, for others, advisory activities feel overly forced and unproductive, merely wasting valuable conference time.

This disparity in experience exists not only across the entire student body, but also within the 13 members of The Standard’s Editorial Board. We believe that this variance is based on inconsistency in both the actions of the advisors and students: It is a twoway street.

The Editorial Board believes that the advisory program have a great potential for success. They provide an excellent forum for organic discussion and facilitate relationships across friendship groups.

However, we believe that there is a component of flexibility missing in some advisories.

Firstly, the rigid curriculum that has a chokehold around many advisories is not giving students a breath from their already rigid academic lives – precisely what we warned against in the January 2015 editorial.

A prime example of this occurred in mid-November: Following the tragic Paris and Beirut attacks, rather than discussing pressing global issues, many students were forced to take part in a pre-planned timeline activity, in which they mapped out their lives. Many had the attacks on their minds that day, but were not able to express their feelings about it in advisory.

There is no need for advisories to adhere to a strict curriculum, students already experience enough of that in their classes.

The advisory curriculum should

be used as a rough guide for advisors, as discussion and interaction should flow freely without interruption by constant directions or lecturing.

However, we do acknowledge that not every advisor has the training or aptitude to encourage meaningful conversations.

Thus, we think the curriculum should continue to exist, but it should be optional and thought of as only a suggestion – something to fall back on when all else fails and conversation slows. For instance, this curriculum could take the form of bullet-point discussion topics, rather than mandatory activities or worksheets for the advisory to complete.

We want an opportunity to craft our own discussion, not be force-fed talking points or worksheets.

We, as students, are an integral part of shaping our advisory experience. It is not solely the

Standard

role of advisors to make advisory better. For that reason, we must voice our feedback – both positive praise and constructive criticism – about our advisories, and advisors should give students the chance to do so.

To make the most of advisory, students should be active participants. If there is a consensus within an advisory that an activity feels forced or isn’t enjoyable, an alternative should be proposed to the teacher.

Another improvement – although this Editorial Board will be the first to admit it may be a logistical difficulty – involves the assigning of advisors. As advisors are meant to support students with academic and social problems, conflicts arise when an advisor is also a teacher of a particular student. Should a problem relate to the advisor as the teacher of a subject, the advisor must be able to fill both roles in the

student’s life. Students should be able to voice concerns to their advisor without conflict. This advisor-teacher dynamic can discourage students from direct, or even fully truthful conversation with their advisor and teacher.

When possible, the teacher and the advisor should be two separate roles filled by two different figures.

Yet, even with all the proposed changes, this Editorial Board would like to state: We believe in the potential that the advisory program possesses. A less rigid curriculum, more flexibility for individual advisors and no teacher-advisors are the tangible changes that will improve advisories.

The bottom line is that advisory is here to stay and we as students must make a concerted effort to buy in; none of these changes will take any effect if we do not.

the YARRA ELMASRY Editor-in-Chief

Micah Skariah, Quinn Whitman

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Page 7

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Opinions Let’s hear what you have to say MARTHA COLLINS martha_collins@asl.org

“

There are so many passionate teachers at ASL, and it scares me that the closest engagement I may have with some is passing them in the hallway.

Teachers, I want to know what you want to talk about, not what you have to talk about. Teach me about that niche subject matter that causes you heartbreak when you think about how it’s excluded from your syllabus. What would you say to a room full of high school students whom you don’t have to grade or assess?

I’m challenging you – if you were given 15 minutes to talk to me and my peers about any subject, what would you say?

We have the privilege of being taught by amazing teachers. And no, don’t worry, you are not about to endure 600 words of me kissing up to my teachers. In fact, this article is as much about the teachers that I don’t, or won’t have, as it is about those that I do.

There’s no denying it, everyone has a favorite teacher. Whether it’s a math teacher who finally explained a real-world application that was actually practical in your life, an English teacher who

helped you find your favorite author, or the social studies teacher with who you constantly debate politics after class.

Yet, you may never have had the pleasure of being able to sit in the classrooms of my favorite teachers and have the same experiences as me. The same is true vice versa: There is a good chance I may not even have held a conversation with that teacher who you are so inspired by. I want to change that.

I propose that teachers are given the opportunity to hold lunch and conference time seminars on topics of their choice. These sessions would run on a sign-up basis as a way of gauging interest levels to ensure that a teacher doesn’t end up speaking to an empty room.

Multiple teachers could hold back-to-back sessions; each teacher talking for as short or as long as he or she wants.

The “Race as a Social Con-

struct” breakout session that I attending during Aequitas day last month was a fantastic example of teachers collaborating to give a presentation about a topic they’re passionate about.

There is a multitude of passionate teachers at ASL, and it scares me that the closest engagement I may have with some is passing them in the hallway. I want to be able to experience the genius of those teachers that my peers rave about, and I want you to be able to experience the greatness of those that I rave about.

These seminars would not be extremely structured: Teachers having no obligation to hold one.

It would operate on a voluntary basis, thus, presentations and sessions on topics that teachers are authentically passionate about.

By no means do these seminars need to be of a serious or scholarly nature – however, those that are would be welcomed. A teacher could stand up and talk

Progress Report ALESSIA CARA

SECOND SEMESTER

GAILS

about leading stem-cell research, or they could discuss the history of rap music. Someone could discuss their all-time favorite song, dissecting it and explaining why they can’t listen to it without dancing, whether it’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” or “Rapper’s Delight.”

Why limit it to one teacher’s bias? Sessions could consist of two or more teachers engaging in an organic debate over a topic they disagree on.

At the same time, this doesn’t need to be exclusive for High School teachers. If there is are Lower or Middle School teachers that are yearning to speak to a room of high schoolers, I would love to hear what they have to say.

But, how do you ensure that students actually show up? I’ll answer that question with a question of my own: Do you really want those friends of your who attended to tell you those fateful words: “You had to be there”?

PHOTO 1 FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG; PHOTO 2 BY ZACK LONGBOY; PHOTO 3 BY JAMES PERRY; PHOTO 4 FROM FLIKR.COM/SPEKTROGRAF; PHOTO 5 FROM TWITTER.COM; PHOTO 6 BY YARRA ELMASRY

TWITTER FEUD

1

2

3

4

5

6

Cara: (A) Stop what you’re doing, put in your 4.

The Editorial Board of 1. Alessia headphones and listen to “Outlaws” and “Four Pink Walls.” You’ll thank me. Martha Collins The Standard gives the “Personally engraved water bottles”: (F) Mate, our 5. school its first report of 2. coach just wrote our initials on them in Sharpie. The conspiracy about boys basketball has gone too far.

Zack Longboy the second semester. semester senior year: (C-) Super anti-climactic 6.

3. Second and over-hyped...so far. Nadia Sawiris

Gails: (A) Can always count on a cinnamon roll pick-me-up. Michaela Towfighi Kanye vs. Wiz: (A) Wiz took a shot at WAVES, and Kanye had the courage to act. It was repartee at its finest. Ankit Mehra R.I.P. Lunchtime Spirit Assembly: (D) Since when does Lower School PE matter? Tyler Skow Post Scriptum: ShakeGate

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Page 8

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Opinions

Misconceptions about NSA

The

Buzz WITH OPINIONS EDITOR MARTHA COLLINS

THE VOICES

“I start thinking that any person [in America] could have a gun, and just take it out and start shooting...I don’t want that fear anymore.”

-Sophia Linkas (’17) “There’s a balance you need to find between too much control on selling guns, and too little right now we’ve got too little restriction.”

-Cooper Wilson (‘19)

surveillance program is called Personal Record Information System Methodology (PRISM). Essentially, data is shared from major companies, such as Google or Facebook, but only after a complex permission process involving the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FIFSA).

Furthermore, the NSA does not have unlimited access to all of the data floating around the web, as many people seem to think. Surveillance procedures cannot be used on domestic targets without a warrant, meaning that the U.S. government will not read through your Facebook chats unless they have probable cause.

Therefore, this concept of “giving up personal privacy for national security” is misinformed, because what privacy are you truly giving up? Popular misconceptions may linger from the post9/11 “warrantless surveillance” carried out by the NSA, during the war on terror, when the enemy was considered to be inside the U.S. But, in 2007, President George W. Bush’s administration ended the program after coming under fire from the public. This

change has forced all data surveillance to be monitored. There is little wiggle room for the NSA, as their every step is checked by courts to ensure adequate privacy for U.S. citizens.

The bottom line is that data surveillance is much more regulated and purposeful than it is commonly thought to be. The practice is a key component of national security and integral in the prevention of further terrorist plots as well as capturing terrorists. For example, the NSA recorded over 2,000 minutes of Osama bin Laden’s phone calls via satellite, which inevitably helped the U.S. government find where he was hidden. During a press conference, President Barack Obama stated that at least 50 terrorist threats have been averted because of the NSA’s collected information, both inside and outside of the U.S. Next time you hear heated, misinformed anger directed towards the U.S. government for “infringing on privacy,” think of the countless lives that have been saved through the NSA’s court-approved data surveillance process.

Do you believe the Second Amendment gives citizens unrestricted access to own guns?

Do you believe that heightened gun control will prevent suicide?

YES 45.1% NO 54.9%

YES 28.7% NO 71.3%

YES 50.8% NO 49.2%

YES 44.4% NO 55.6%

YES 14.8% NO 85.2%

YES 43.4% NO 56.6%

THE DATA Do you believe in completely banning firearms in the U.S.?

STUDENTS

“

It is all too easy to ignore the facts and motivations behind the NSA’s data surveillance projects by simply chalking all the organization does up to ‘infringements of privacy.’

National security is at the core of what the NSA does. However, it is all too easy to ignore the facts and motivations behind the NSA’s data surveillance projects by simply chalking all the organization does up to “infringements of privacy.”

This documentary was not the first misconstrued voice I have heard about U.S. government surveillance. According to a study conducted by Pew Research, roughly 54 percent of Americans surveyed disapprove of the government’s collection of telephone and internet data as part of antiterrorism efforts. In the same breath, however, 51 percent say that anti-terrorism policies have not gone far enough to adequately protect them. These paradoxical statements represent American popular opinion quite accurately: Citizens want to remain safe, but don’t want to give up any liberties whatsoever. This contradiction is both unfair and ridiculous – how can you ask for help and safety, but then denounce that help as exploitation?

The first step to clearing misconceptions is through information. The NSA’s current data

TEACHERS

RENATA WILSON

renata_wilson@asl.org

I was somewhat taken aback by a documentary I saw recently at the Big Bang Data exhibit at Somerset House. The documentary was a short, exposé-type film on the American National Security Agency (NSA) and its surveillance techniques.

According to the documentary, the NSA reads your personal emails and tracks for seemingly random “trigger words”, one example being the word “hurricane.” The film finished with the particularly bold statement that NSA surveillance projects are “an infringement of the 4th Amendment,” which states: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause.”

The amendment allows for just, monitored and warranted surveillance. The documentary even ventured to say that it is our duty as “freedom-loving citizens” to protest the NSA. It was clear to me that this overly simplistic and biased documentary was meant to spark anger in an ill-informed, easily swayed viewer.

DATA TAKEN FROM A SURVEY OF 255 STUDENTS AND A SURVEY OF 54 TEACHERS CONDUCTED BY THE STANDARD.

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Page 9

Point EVAN DACOSTA

evan_dacosta@asl.org

Banning guns is not a solution as owning one is a constitutional right. We need guns to protect ourselves from criminals who will continue to have illegal firearms.

I’d like to start by saying that we all have the same goal in mind: Reducing the number of innocent people killed every year.

There is a commonly held misconception that the solution to all of America’s violence issues is to ‘ban guns.’ Handguns, hunting rifles, shotguns and assault rifles are all currently available for purchase in the U.S., causing many people to think of the U.S. as a barbaric, backwards country.

The Second Amendment – which guarantees gun ownership as a constitutional right – was created for an unquestionable purpose: The United States, at the time, wanted to provide some form of national security without paying for a standing army, and their solution was civilian militias.

However, many people call into question why the amendment still exists. It is, after all, an amendment – able to be changed.

Yet, I would argue it is necessary to main-

leaving them incapable of fighting back.

At this point, the most we can do to reduce gun violence is expand FBI background checks, monitor private firearm sales more closely (i.e. gun shows) and crack down on irresponsible parents who leave their guns in places children have access to. If a child accidentally discharges a firearm, the parents of that child should be held criminally responsible and charged with child neglect.

As an National Rifle Association-qualified sharpshooter, I can attest to the profound sense of responsibility and safety displayed by most gun enthusiasts. It is wrong to generalize gun owners as irresponsible, just as it is wrong to generalize any other group of people who could potentially be defined by a violent minority.

Most gun laws that are being proposed by the left will do nothing to prevent gun violence, and will only strip the rights of law

Any laws banning guns will only cause one thing to happen: Criminals will keep the guns they already have and law-abiding citizens will have their guns confiscated, leaving them incapable of fighting back. tain this amendment because, just like in many other scenarios, as soon as something is outlawed by government a black market appears, causing crime and violence to multiply. We can see examples of this phenomenon with Prohibition in the 1920s and the current war on drugs. After Richard Nixon began the war on drugs, drug-related crime rose rapidly and taxpayers footed the bill.

The way I see it, there are too many illegal guns in the hands of criminals today to be able to make any truly meaningful change to save lives. Criminals have been able to easily purchase deadly weapons through dark websites like the Silk Road.

The nature of a criminal is, after all, to not follow laws.

Any laws banning guns will only cause one thing to happen: Criminals will keep the guns they already have and law-abiding citizens will have their guns confiscated,

abiding, responsible Americans, leaving them defenseless against criminals and delusional shooters.

The way to prevent mass shootings is to increase funding for mental health treatment – an entirely separate issue and one that needs to be discussed, considering California alone cut $587.4 million dollars from mental health funding in two years, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness – and increase the efficiency and thoroughness of background checks for potential buyers.

Although the gun violence problem in the United States has reached a terrible level, it cannot be stopped by banning guns. We must do what we can to stop drug-related gun violence and increase the efficiency of background checks, as well as increasing government spending on mental health.

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Opinions

Counterpoint A gun ban or gun buy-back is needed. Suicides and firearm ownership are linked, as these are deaths that gun control can prevent.

Normally this is where I start my column with an anecdote, a story that grabs your attention, keeps you reading. But to start this column with an anecdote would be to sensationalize and falsify the problem, something that journalists often do when covering the issue of gun control.

Banning guns, or at least instituting some form of buy-back system in the U.S., isn’t about the 26 people who were murdered at Sandy Hook or the five-year-old boy who shot his two-year-old sister in Kentucky. These are certainly powerful stories in that they galvanize popular support for gun legislation, but are not the heart of the problem.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there were 33,636 deaths by firearm in the U.S. in 2013.

Of these, 63 percent were suicides. While there has been widespread, passionate dis-

ZACK LONGBOY

zack_longboy@asl.org

themselves no matter if they have access to a gun or not does hold some merit, it is still far easier to kill oneself with a firearm.

At the most basic level, gun control will at least make it harder. According to the CDC, attempts at slitting one’s wrists or ingesting poison for suicide are only 67 percent successful, whereas with a firearm the success rate climbs to over 96 percent.

Suicides are, in large part, an impulsive action – meaning a more difficult method can often make all the difference in deterrence. As far as evidence of the relationship between legal guns and suicide, Australia provides an illuminating example. In 1996, Australia instituted a large scale gun buy-back scheme which eliminated about 20 percent of the country’s guns. In the ten years immediately following this buy-back, suicides decreased by 65 percent.

According to the CDC, in 2013 there were 33,636 Firearm suicides gun deaths in the U.S. 33,636 63 percent of these Total firearm deaths deaths were suicides.

21,175

cussion on both sides of the gun control debate, few politicians, if any, ever mention suicide. No matter what side of the conversation you fall on, the idea of saving innocent lives has yet to be challenged – we are all human after all. Yet, there are 21,175 lives that no one seems to care about.

These victims are the real benefactors of gun control.

Making change is a step-by-step process. We can only change what we can control. Gun enthusiasts are correct when they say criminals, by nature of being criminals, will not adhere to gun legislation. It is true that a large portion of homicides related to criminal activity cannot be solved with gun control. Yet, suicides – as compared to homicides – are a more controllable element of the equation.

While the argument that certain troubled individuals will find a way to kill

And as much as gun enthusiasts are tired of hearing about Australia, studies show this phenomenon also occurs in the U.S. In a study entitled “Guns and suicide: A fatal link,” the Harvard School of Public Health found that “in states where guns were prevalent – as in Wyoming, where 63 percent of households reported owning guns – rates of suicide were higher. The inverse was also true: Where gun ownership was less common, suicide rates were also lower.”

While I agree that accessible, high quality mental health treatment (as a part of the Affordable Care Act) is necessary, the first step for real gun control legislation – a step that can begin right now – is to extend the waiting time for gun purchases. However, in the future, a more comprehensive gun control, like a firearm ban or a large scale gun buy-back, is needed.

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Page 10

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Opinions

Shielded by our screens

OLIVIA ABRAMS olivia_abrams@asl.org

“

We are becoming robots who fear scrutiny and the practice of confronting our issues face-to-face.

Walking into a restaurant, I immediately spot children consumed by their parents’ phones and tablets. At the table across from me, a family sits in silence with an occasional question asked, but it is quickly blocked out by the sounds of text messages being received. There seems to be no interest in engaging in conversation.

At a younger age, I was forbidden to play on my gaming devices at the dinner table. Over time these consoles have morphed into Apple devices, and are no longer discouraged.

We stare down at our screens without realizing that they are isolating us from direct contact.

Children today are born into a society where it is completely

normal to scroll through social media feeds instead of facing reality.

Social media and technology usage is at an all-time high. Our phones are our safety nets, providing a sense of comfort. We are becoming robots who fear scrutiny and the practice of confronting our issues face-to-face.

The ability to create or hide behind an online persona is allowing people to gain confidence to text the words they would never say out loud.

This loss of touch with reality is a result of the online culture we are all so familiar and comfortable with. Our world is made up of people who text each other in the same room. Surprisingly, this is not seen as ridiculous.

I remember the first time I confronted someone over text, with fear and uncertainty of how to do it in person. I found myself falling into a pattern, hard to break because it was easier to address my problems from behind a screen. Hiding behind my phone, I lacked the ability to accurately express my emotions to others. My messages were lost in translation, and my feelings were substituted by emojis. The text I was typing on my screen didn’t do my emotions justice.

Face-to-face responses are immediate, occurring instantaneously. Yet, over text there is more time to craft a perfect response. It is understandable that there is comfort over text, but it can also create confusion:

Emotions are disconnected, as tone of voice and body language are almost impossible to read.

Complications and arguments over text are heightened. A message will never disappear and is impossible to take back.

If we are not comfortable having face-to-face conversations, what does the future hold? Everyone wants to be successful, but we will never get there without the communication skills necessary to do so. Hiding behind a screen is becoming a fact of life from an early age – this needs to change.

I don’t want to be at the silent table in the corner, staring at my phone, with only the sounds of text tones and cutlery scratching against my plate.

Letter to the Editor ELIOT KONZAL

eliot_konzal@asl.org

HSM was the right choice

To the Editor,

“

A good drama program builds the confidence and skills of its members, encourages teamwork and fosters friendship.

Any production that provides this to its participants is a success, regardless of its effect on the audience.

On behalf of the cast and crew of “High School Musical” (HSM), I would like to address the recent negative article in The Standard (Issue III “Plays should provoke thought”). Five sold out shows, standing ovations every night and cast members receiving compliments weeks later suggest HSM was a meaningful production.

The article stated, “without a real message, art is not art.” Yet, not every piece of art is created to provoke meaning. Many shows on the West End and Broadway, such as “Cats”, “Wicked” and “The Book of Mormon,” are produced sheerly for entertainment. When the audience leaves the theater and talks about how fun the big dance numbers were instead of discussing insightful themes, the show is still considered successful and enjoyable. A play can be successful and have value even if its sole purpose is to entertain.

Although a play doesn’t need a deep message to be considered art, HSM does in fact, have many messages. Despite its simplicity, the play talks about real situations in high school. Every day we experience cliques and social dilemmas, trying to balance love and life. Sticking to the status quo is discouraged at ASL. Like

Gabriella and Troy, we are encouraged to try new things. HSM highlights the reality that we are not always defined by what we do.

It touches on how to be the new kid and how taking chances and risks can change everything.

The messages of the play were even represented within the cast.

Students from all grades ate dinner together. The basketball team was willing to be a part of the production. Soccer and crew players skipped practices to try to make this show excellent. Students from all over came together to put on the show.

HSM is compared to Shakespeare in the article. It’s not fair to compare Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to Disney’s HSM. Although many works of Disney are genius, one cannot compare a play written by the most famous playwright of all time to a play written for high schoolers; both pieces of work have different intentions. A musical’s purpose is going to be different than a drama’s.

The article suggested that the show was too predictable and therefore, bored the audience.

Although the ending may have been predictable, it didn’t make the show any less entertaining. Many cast members already knew the entire script and songs before rehearsals began. Yet, after working on the play for over

200 hours, we still had a blast and never got bored.

In evaluating the quality of the production, I believe that it is irrelevant to talk about specific audience members who were present. When referencing the past High School production of “A Light in the Darkness, the article stated, “[the play] was strengthened by the presence of the actual Eva Schloss – the main character of the play – sitting amongst the audience.”

Although Eva Schloss is a respected and admirable person, I don’t believe that if a cast member from the original HSM sat in the Student Center during our play, it would make our production any better. The presence of certain audience members should not be part of a production’s value nor determinate its success.

Additionally, it is not fair to compare this production to past productions at all. In a school with a transient student population, every cast, every history and every process of a play is going to be different. Performing Arts Teacher Buck Herron emphasizes that he wants to give a variety of theatre experiences to his students who have been at ASL for four years of high school. Students who have been in “A Light in the Darkness,” “Avenue Q” and “High School Musical” have had a mix of theatrical experiences.

The quality of the show was not diminished for lack of meaning. By denouncing the script, the article undermined the accomplishments of the entire cast and crew. We all believe Herron made the right choice. Implying that the show was a waste of time or questioning whether it should’ve been staged at all misses the point.

A good drama program builds the confidence and skills of its members, encourages teamwork and fosters friendship. Any production that provides this to its participants is a success, regardless of its effect on the audience.

In this light, HSM was surely the right choice.

We put on a production that had important messages that we live through everyday. Our ability to sell out five performances, and to fill the Student Center with students, teachers and family who had travelled far, shows that the production was valued by the community. Standing ovations and compliments for weeks after the show, and the creation of lifechanging experiences, to me, are signs of success.

We built friendships and worked as a team. We made audiences laugh, dance and sing along. We put on High School Musical and are so proud.

–Eliot Konzal (’17)

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Page 11

Gap years Paper waste

Features

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Meet Alissa Mears:

The world traveler

From the USSR to the outback of Australia, English Teacher Alissa Mears has lived around the world

E

nglish Teacher Alissa Mears has been all around the world, from backpacking across Australia and New Zealand to living in the USSR. This year is Mears’ first in London, marking yet another destination she can call home.

Born in Richmond, Virginia, Mears left for Moscow after completing first grade.

In 1989, having lived in Moscow for three years, she returned back to the U.S. “mere months before the implosion of com-

Ananya Prakash | Staff Writer can Literature teacher, who had taught and travelled the continent. Mears “adored” her teacher due to how open and vulnerable she was with her students, a characteristic that Mears tries to emulate in her teaching today by being more direct with her students and giving her students more choice.

Even though Mears didn’t get to fulfill her ambition of going to school in Africa, her parents helped guide her to investigate other opportunities.

I remember my brother and I were called ‘commies’ at a certain point which was of course really awful ENGLISH TEACHER ALISSA MEARS munism.” Coming back to the U.S. as a 10-year-old was tough for Mears. Not only did she have to endure the rough transition from living abroad and returning to the United States, she was also returning at the end of the Cold War. “I remember my brother and I were called ‘commies’ [communists] at certain points, which was of course really awful then,” Mears said.

In high school, Mears was keen on attending a boarding school somewhere in Africa after being influenced by her Afri-

As a result, Mears found herself in Japan. “Mid-way through my junior year, I joined a magnet program at a city school that had a Japanese exchange program,” Mears said. She studied Japanese culture and history for a few weeks at an all-girls private school in the heart of Tokyo. She stayed with a family living in the suburban area of Tokyo, making the daily commute almost two hours.

The lifestyle change of living in Japan also translated to her academics.“It was

really different, it was very traditional Japanese—a lot of memorization.”

This glimpse into Japanese education actually gave Mears a further appreciation for American-style education, “While I appreciated the rigor of the school, I think American education is much more open and much more about the individual student,” she said.

Mears hadn’t always wanted to be a teacher going through high school and college. Despite her mother being involved in education, Mears was terrified of speaking in front of large groups of people. “I wrote off teaching and initially sought out professions that would allow me to be my more introverted self and wouldn’t challenge me out of [my shyness],” Mears said.

Even though Mears was not keen on becoming a teacher herself, she “liked the idea of it.” Her father’s background was an inspirational force: “My dad was pretty poor and he basically had to fight his way in the true American ‘up by your boots’ fashion,” Mears said.

As a result, she was very aware of her privilege, and wanted an occupation that involved helping someone else. “At the end of the day, I want to feel like I’ve done something and that I helped someone, or I’ve given myself to a greater cause than me.”

After college and with no science background, Mears worked in a liver clinic at the University of Michigan Hospital to save money to travel to Australia.

Although Mears felt this was “a blip” in her timeline, she joked that, “It was a good and terrifying experience of what cirrhosis looks like, what would happen

if you indulge too much in drink[ing].”

Consequently, Mears flew to Sydney later that year, taking a gap year to satisfy her wanderlust and to camp, hike and enjoy the outdoors.

“My brother and I were a little bit [of ] thrill-seekers and liked a sense of adventure and liked taking risks,” Mears said.

It was not easy finding a job in Australia, but Mears eventually got the opportunity to teach at an elementary school in the morning and serve as a waitress in a restaurant at night. She then went backpacking in the region. “I backpacked around Australia, and then went to New Zealand for a little bit, backpacked around there, and essentially went into some credit card debt,” Mears said.

“Australia was the first time that I travelled solo, and it was scary, it was really lonely, but that was cool because I had to learn how to sort of live in my own head for the first time, really, ever,” Mears said. This event taught her to be more responsible and independent, while also making her “appreciate other people and appreciate relationships with other people.”

Looking back over her life teaching in various schools and countries, there is one main thing that Mears regrets. “I regret not being as open to failure,” she said. “I think the thought of failure was crippling to me, and I had the tendency to give up before I tried if I sensed that I wouldn’t be successful at it.”

English Teacher Alissa Mears has lived in the U.S., Moscow, Japan, Australia, São Paulo and now London.

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Sugar has a bit

In 1982, the American Heart Association, United States Med encouraged a reduction of dietary fat consumption from 40 to with products like lard almost totally eliminated from the marke obese people in the both the U.S. and U.K. c

Yarra Elmasry | Editor-in-Chief

The professional scope

N

utritionist expert and holistic lifestyle coach from Move Three Sixty Sports Clinic Benjamin Cooper claims sugars have been a staple of the human diet for centuries. “Sugars are the quickest form of energy, so even when we were in the wild as hunters-gatherers, we would use vegetation, like berries, to give us quick energy to be able to do what we need to do,” Cooper said.

Yet, there have been several fundamental changes in the food industry resulting in a surplus of sugar in most diets. Cooper believes it was not until the end of World War II that the diets of Americans and Britons alike started to focus more on sugar with the profligacy of food supplies.

Diets changed once again when nutritionists advocated for the reduction of fat consumption. “If you take fat out of food it does not taste nice, so [the food industry] added the sugar, and they found out that there is a lot of money to be made from it,” Cooper said.

Today, Cooper believes sugar’s evolution has taken a more sinister turn. Cooper has observed the development of “hidden sugars” has exacerbated the obesity epidemic. “When the body eats something that contains either sucralose, aspartame, or high fructose corn syrup, it’s expecting sugar but it does not get it, so then your body keeps calling for sugar because it needs the energy,” he said. Common examples of foods with these ingredients include diet sodas and cereal products.

While Cooper works with many clients who experience an addiction to sugar, and consequently manage substantial weight gain, food industries beg to differ. “There is no association between sugar consumption

PHOTOS BY YARRA ELMASRY

and obesity” according to a 2003 report from the National Soft Drink Association.

Despite sugar’s vices, Cooper believes th body is apt to processing natural sugars. think the amount of hidden sugars have in creased over the last 10 years, which is more o a concern,” Cooper said. “Sometimes I recom mend to my clients that they actually go bac to a sugar-containing food if they are on substitute sugar because the body will recog nize it and will be able to handle it a lot better

Student consumption

W

hile some turn to caffeine to g through the day, Anna Graham (’1 consumes sugar. She used to drin at least one energy drink a day, usually Mon ster or Red Bull, but stopped when she foun she couldn’t sleep properly. “I find it difficu to go through a day without any caffeine o sugar,” Graham said. “If I don’t have any ca feine, I get a headache, or without sugar I g a headache, and just feel kind of tired and ill Because Graham drinks mostly diet soda the majority of her sugar intake comes from food like McDonalds, or snacks like Skittle “I just eat a lot of processed foods and stu that’s sugary, like fast food,” She said.

In juxtaposition to Graham, after bein told by a doctor and nutritionist to stay awa from wheat, lactose and gluten because of in tolerance, Virginia Galbraith (’16) took it to th next step to include processed sugars. Elim inating certain foods from her diet becam a “lifestyle choice” for Galbraith. Galbrait believes it to be hard to find foods that don

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thinks that it is very difficult to not be addicted to sugar. “I believe that everyone is addicted to sugar unless you are off sugar,” she said.

Before giving up sugar, Bell would have cereal every morning for breakfast, something she replaced with eggs. Although Bell doesn’t feel drastically different, she feels the most important aspect of not consuming processed sugar is the lack of wanting it anymore. “I feel like I don’t need sugar, and that’s the best part,” Bell said. “Now I’m starting to get to the point where I don’t even want any sugar, it’s just irrelevant to me.”

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dical Association and United States Department of Agriculture o 30 percent. As of the 1990’s, Americans had largely complied, et. Yet, despite this feat in nutritional engineering, the number of continues to climb. The primary culprit? Sugar.

Tyler Skow | Deputy Editor-in-Chief

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contain sugar, simply because it can appear in unexpected things. “There are so many things that you don’t realize have processed sugar in them,” Galbraith said. “So things like breads, for example, even if they’re gluten free or healthy, a lot of the time they have higher amounts of sugar than breads that aren’t gluten free because they have to substitute for the taste, so you have to make sure that you’re reading the labels.”

Similar to Galbraith, Andrew Noorani (’16) has become more aware about what he eats since he started cooking. “As soon as I started cooking I was more aware of ingredients and

In a contrast to Noorani, Stephanie Bell (’18) is in the midst of cutting out processed sugar from her diet for the second time. Her first attempt, - last year the summer before her freshmen year -, failed because she wasn’t “committed to it” and allowed herself excuses to consume sweets.

Rather than weaning herself off of sugar, Bell cut herself off of it completely, resulting in being very moody for the first few days. “It wasn’t a physical withdrawal, it was more of a mental kind of thing, where it felt like I needed it so badly,” Bell said.

The complete exclusion of cutting out pro-

Institutional response

S

oda, candy, everything with processed sugar, had to go. This was the scenario in Physical Education teacher Grant Hiller’s previous school in New Zealand.

Hiller’s past school was over-represented with regards to national obesity statistics.

Many of the students came from a “lower socio-economic background,” he said. Echoing Cooper’s previous assertion, Hiller found the lower price of usually processed products with high sugar content often overshadowed healthier, more expensive alternatives.

When Hiller started at his previous school he played an instrumental role in removing sugar from the campus. “In New Zealand the government had initiatives for schools dealing with obesity, and so one of those initiatives was the Healthy Schools project,” he said. “What that meant was schools get extra funding if they make certain changes within their school for instance, the cafeteria having less sugary products or less products with refined sugar in them, like colas or other sodas like that, fruit flavored drinks [and] candy.”

Despite school’s progressive attitudes towards sugar, Hiller cannot directly speak to

I do remember distinctly seeing students getting a two-liter bottle of soda at 7:30 in the morning and coming to school swigging on it Physical Education Teacher Grant Hiller what goes into food and what I’m putting into my body,” Noorani said.

Eating cleaner for Noorani means finding ways to incorporate vegetables into his cooking. Noorani currently doesn’t eat candy or juices, and stays away from pastas and carbs because of the sugar crashes he experiences after eating them. “If I have pasta I will crash two hours later, my body will just feel bloated and cramp and I can’t do sport or I can’t focus.”

23g 6 oreos

cessed sugars was prompted by her mother, who is also sugar free. as well as research Bell had read. “I decided to [cut out sugar] just because my mom told me about how good she felt and also I know how bad sugar is,” Bell said. “I’ve read the articles and I just figured, why put something in my body that’s going to do such bad things to me?”

Because of how ingrained and prevalent processed sugar is in the food we eat, Bell

25g 6oz

the success of the change. “Some teachers noted that their students’ behavior, especially after lunch times, had gotten better, however, there is no hard evidence that backs that up at all,” he said.

To a certain extent, Hiller believes the student’s relationship with sugar actually worsened. “There were some corner shops near the school,” Hiller said, and that’s where students started to get their soft drinks before school.

43g 16oz

The negative impacts of the sugar ban were clearly noticeable to Hiller. “I do remember distinctly seeing students getting a two-liter bottle of soda at 7:30 in the morning and coming to school swigging on it, whereas before hand we were less likely to see that happening because they could get those products in school,” he said.

Only three years ago BaxterStorey, the catering company that provides ASL’s food, in coordination with Head of School Coreen Hester, took a particularly austere route in limiting the sugar content of cafeteria items.

For roughly one year, milk and water were the only beverages sold in the cafeteria in an effort to reduce sugar consumption. “Really the reintroduction of the juices was because of the ground swell of feeling from particularly High School students, who felt that we had taken away so much, it was one thing that they wanted back,” Head of Catering Christine Kent said.

Juice, however, is only a stepping stone in the transformation the cafeteria has experienced over the past decade. Previously, students could purchase candy bars, Oreos and off-brand sodas.

Despite the school’s radical transformation that Kent believes has made ASL cafeteria “exceed” national benchmarks, the menu is still not all healthy. “You don’t want someone to have plain pasta, garlic bread and a jacket potato everyday, but the option is there because we give everyone from grade 5 upwards the ability to make their own choices,” Kent said.

Although the cafeteria has moved towards providing healthier options, Kent explained that the booster club does not follow the same guidelines. “The booster club should be a little bit more accountable. From a nutritional point of view, and my financial point of view as head of the catering, you kind of think its unfair competition. Sometimes in the afternoons if you have choices of chocolate bars and sodas as opposed to baked crisps and bags of nuts,” Kent said.

With mounting evidence, sugar is quickly muscling its way into a position of infamy.

“We have got 60 percent of adults [who] are obese in the U.K.,” Cooper said. “So you have got a big problem with sugar.” The problems Cooper works with on a daily basis extends beyond obesity, with research suggesting sugar has connections to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes.

It’s not easy to just alter one’s diet though, as Cooper has seen with his clients. “Sugar has a similar effect to the brain as say cocaine,” he said. Change will only occur if “people [receive] education, and as soon as they are educated they will switch to healthier alternatives and then that will change the industry because where there is no demand, supply will change.”

59g

Frappuccino

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Page 14

Features

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

G a p ye a r a d v a n t a g e

Zoe Barnes (’15) in Florianópolis, Brazil.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZOE BARNES

Sophie Ashley | Staff Writer

A

t a school as college-prep oriented as ASL, many students see going straight to college after graduation as their only option. The constant talk of “college next fall” can distractsfrom other opportunities, including a gap year.

The idea of a gap year started with British students, who believd a “gap” between high school an d college was beneficial. Now, more non-British students are doing gap years.

Andrew Noorani (’16) has decided to take a gap year next year before going to a culinary school in the U.S. to become a chef. “I toyed with the idea toward the end of junior year,” he said. “My mom [suggested it] almost jokingly, and then after a week of thinking about it I decided definitely to take one.”

The on-the-job experience that he feels is needed in the hospitality industry is something that Noorani hopes to gain from his

gap year. He plans on working in a restaurant for eight months – he’s thinking either Gotham Bar or Gramercy Tavern in New York City – and then spending his remaining time travelling around Europe.

“Since this year I’ll be living alone and experiencing real world things, I feel like I’ll build up my maturity level before going to college,” he said.

Noorani is following in the footsteps of several other recent graduates. Zoe Barnes (’15) is on her gap year in Brazil before starting at Tufts University in the fall. She spent a couple months in Imbituba, Brazil, a small fishing town, observing and helping with the surgeries and consultations of dogs and cats at a veterinary clinic, before moving North to the island of Florianópolis.

She will spend the remainder of her gap year working for R3 Animal in Florianópolis, an organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration of wild animals into their habitats.

She decided to take one because she felt like she needed a break from the rigorous academics of high school . “By the time I was getting ready to graduate, I was really worn out and thought it would be a good idea to take a break for a year and focus on something completely different,” she said.

In hopes of honing her language skills, Barnes is staying with a Portuguese speaking host family.

“I’m really looking forward to allowing both the amazing and mentally challenging times I encounter change me for the better in the long run,” she wrote.

Duncan Lambden (’13) also took a gap year in an attempt to figure out what he wanted to do in college. For half a year, he volunteered to work for Cancer Research, U.K. For the second half, he travelled to Japan and Australia.

Lambden has always been interested in Japan’s culture, partly because of his love for Japanese video games he played in his childhood.

Eventually, after three months travelling in Japan during his gap ear, he decided to major in Japanese and hopes to do his study abroad there while at Syracuse University.

The experience helped Lambden ease into his first few months of

college as he learned how to fend for himself. “I definitely became more confident and independent while I was traveling, as I had to be self-sustaining in a country where I didn’t know the language,” Lambden said.

Not only can gap years be a chance to explore interests, but they can also be beneficial to a student’s character and college experience. “It allows people to learn for learning’s sake and to explore for exploring’s sake. People can do things they want to do, not do things just to pad a resumé,” College Counseler John Reilly said.

Barnes hopes to experience even more benefits from her experience. “It’s so easy to get caught up in everything that’s happening around you, and stress out about things that happened in the past or that might happen in the future,” she said. “Being able to truly live in the moment, day by day, is something that not many people are able to do.”

Teachers: Then and Now

How ASL has evolved from the perspective of long-term teachers and alumni who’ve retured to teach Quinn Whitman | Staff Writer

T

he first thing Middle School Art Teacher Salma Raza (’93) noticed when she joined ASL as a student was the strong sense of community.

“ASL provided students with a shared experience [of being new],” Raza said. She believes this sense of community continues today.

She also acknowledges that the breadth of courses, including art and English, have continued to make students well-rounded individuals in all disciplines.

On the other hand, World Language Teacher Victoria Hamadache has noticed the change in ASL since she started 31 years ago. She notes that the facilities have changed rapidly over the years she’s been here.

“The school is always expanding; I have moved classrooms five times,” she said. The change in facilities, she believes, has played a large role in the quality of teaching and learning.

Hamadache recognizes that things have changed but she believes the students haven’t.

“Throughout my time at ASL, a lot of things have changed,” Hamadache said. “[But] the kindness, humor and the American curriculum keep me coming back.”

Social Studies Teacher Becky Mason (’95) has seen a large change in the school from when she graduated 21 years ago. She believes people travel much more extensively with their families as well as through the Alternatives program, which has given students a greater knowledge of the world.

When Mason was in the High

its when I was in the High School, it just wasn’t as easy. That was one of the reasons we had the Alternatives Program,” Mason said.

Hamadache and Mason have noticed that academic expectations have gradually increased as well. “People would usually take one or two APs while they were at ASL, rather than three or four in a single academic year [like many do now],” Mason said.

When Raza returned to teach at ASL, it was surreal. “It felt weird being a teacher,” she said.

“At first I felt like a student invading the teacher’s lounge.”

Mason was motivated to come back to ASL when she realized she wanted to teach. She returned because she knew the institutional history of the school and wanted to teach outside of the U.S. Mason also felt that she was able to relate her experience as a student to her students today.

“It felt weird being a teacher.

At first I felt like a student invading the teacher’s lounge” MIDDLE SCHOOL ART TEACHER SALMA RAZA (’93) School, travel was not as accessible as it is today. “People wouldn’t take weekend trips for college vis-

FROM TOP: Salma Raza (’93) today and at ASL graduation; Becky Mason (’95) at ASL graduation and today.

PHOTOS FROM SOJOURNER 1993, 1995 PHOTOS BY ARIEL CALVER (’16)

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Page 15

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Features

EAL: support for multilingual students ASL’s program that supports students whose first language is not English Martha Duff | Staff Writer

T

he English as an Additional Language (EAL) Program currently enrolls 58 students throughout the school, and has existed at ASL for more than 50 years. There are 48 languages spoken throughout ASL, and 20 percent of students are bilingual. EAL helps these multilingual speakers whose primary language is not English.

The program previously stood as an extra-curricular to help students gain proficiency in English. But, this is the first year that the program has formally become its own department and an official EAL class has been added to students’ schedules.

Gonzalo Pato Montemayor (’19), a native Spanish speaker, was at the top of his English class in Spain. At ASL, his English skills

were not at the same standard.

He believes EAL has been helpful in improving these skills. “At the beginning of the year I made more mistakes [speaking] than I do now.

The EAL program has helped me fix these. Even though I still make

tine Wilson described the goals of the program as “EAL is here to support students language, their culture and their identity,” she said.

Unlike Montemayor, Kian Tajbakhsh (’18) believes the EAL class

him to move on from the program and select other ASL electives.

Alicia Tolchinsky (’19) usually speaks Russian with her parents and brother. She recognizes the positive contribution EAL has had on her language skills but believes

EAL is here to support students’ language, culture, and identity HS AND MS EAL TEACHER CHRISTINE WILSON [mistakes], I make fewer,” he said.

The curriculum, similar to the World Language Program, consists of reading, writing, listening and speaking, with the majority of students doing well in speaking, and needing help with writing.

HS and MS EAL Teacher Chris-

is no longer useful for him. “I feel as if my English is fluent and that there are other people that need this program [more than I do] because they really do need help, and I feel I can speak English well enough,” he said.

Tajbakhsh believes it is time for

there is too much focus on grammar work. “We don’t do [as] much homework like as [I would like to].

We do half and half, but it always ends up [being] just grammar work,” she said.

She wishes that the class would allow more time for her to do her

English homework with the EAL teachers.

“I wish that we would do our English homework in the class, because then [our teacher coud help us with it,” she said.

However, Wilson believes the EAL program serves a different purpose than helping with homework. “This is not a study hall. The idea [of EAL] is skill- building with additional assignment support,” she said. This means that if certain homework assignments give students trouble, they can get help from the EAL teachers but they don’t get time to work on regular homework assignments.

The progam is tailored to a range of levels. Students are assessed on their level of English, on a scale of one to six, with one being students who are new to the language and six being fluent.

ASL’s 21,000 sheets of paper per day The facts on how much paper ASL uses and wastes

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ive palettes of paper per month, 50 boxes per pallet, five reams per box, 500 pieces of paper per ream. That makes 625,000 pieces of paper that are delivered to the school every month. And that’s just for use in the 128 printers around the school.

Anna Costello | Staff Writer

print outs, the school spends £120,000 yearly on ink alone, according to Bookstore Controller Antonia Nascimento.

Waste is the main reason students go through this much paper. However, the school didn’t always have a problem with paper waste, as students did not

The amount of paper that ASL uses in a month for printing and photocopying PHOTO BY MAYA JOTWANI In one school year, £27,500 is spent on printer paper ordered by the book store for use at ASL. Since ink is necessary for all the

always have access to printers.

“Only the people with access codes could use the machines so students couldn’t [use] the

printers,” Nascimento said.

Nascimento believes that the current misuse of printing is another part of the problem.

“I think one of the problems is instead of selecting how many pages they want, they print the whole document and paper gets wasted,” he said. On average, 21,000 pieces of paper are printed or photocopied daily.

Lily Noel (’19) believes paper is easy to waste because she doesn’t pay much attention to what she is printing, often because it is spread out over a long period of time.

“When I print out for just one subject it doesn’t feel like I’m using that much so I’m not aware of it because it’s over time,” she said.

Some strategies have been developed into as a way to combat the paper waste. Librarians have started using scrap paper found from the printer. At

the end of the day, the library’s scrap paper pile is roughly two inches thick. The librarians make notepads of these unclaimed papers. Head Librarian Karen Field explains that students and faculty are welcome to come and take one if they are available.

In the Middle School, there is a £3 limit that you can spend on printing per month to discourage students from wasting paper. However, Tech Coordinator Mariam Mathew thinks it would be difficult to put PaperCut, the program which allows only £3 worth of printing in the MS, onto all the technology in the High School. “In the High School we have student-owned [computers], so for us to put PaperCut onto all of the student machines is really difficult.”

The Technology Department has tested some new ways to address wasting paper through printing. They are looking to buy new printers that will only print the documents once a school ID card is placed onto the print-

ers sensor. “You would print... and then no matter where you go in the school you touch your ID card and then it will shoot out the print job at that printer.

It won’t print unless you tap,” Field said. With this printer in place, the school will be able to track the amount of printing and photocopying in the school and would prevent people from printing unnecessarily.

By next school year, Field hopes to have the new printers in place. “We’re hoping that something will be in place for the new school year, starting August next year,” ICT Manager and Trainer, Ashour Lazar said. “With the new system, hopefully [paper waste] will be reduced.”

Despite the large wastage, some students are vigilant about their paper use. Izzy Wakefield (’19) uses his laptop for most of his work. “I try to be as digital as possible, to keep my carbon footprint small.” He says he could go around his whole school day with just his laptop and be fine.

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Page 16

Culture

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Nomad Saatchi gallery

MARVEL’S NEW ADVENTURE: JESSICA JONES

ter ers | Staff Wri

Alexandra G

PHOTOS FROM MARVEL.COM PHOTOS FROM MARVEL

I

love Netflix. I become entirely immersed in the shows, clicking “next episode” without hesitation. It’s not until the screen goes black and I see my face staring back at me that I realize I’ve finished an entire season, completely engrossed. “Jessica Jones” was no different.

I had no idea that after the first episode of this superhero comic turned TV show that I would end up becoming hooked. “Jes-

classic good vs. evil plot line and great action-packed fight scenes.

Jones, who is played by Krysten Ritter, is quite the anti-superhero; her name is forgettable, her personality is rough around the edges and her dry humor and sarcastic attitude pushes people away. It is, for lack of a better word, awesome.

Having a great villain is key to all Marvel productions. “Jessica Jones” has the perfect villain: Kil-

powers, but not without consequence.

In the aftermath of her Kilgrave-induced nightmare, believing that Kilgrave is out of her life, Jones opens her own private investigation practice, Alias Investigations. She spends her time solving mysteries regarding adulterous spouses. Cooped up in her dingy NYC apartment, Jones turns to nursing her wounds with a steady stream of cheap whiskey,

ous relationships. One relationship is with fellow superhero Luke Cage, played by Mike Colter, a man with unbreakable skin and super strength. She also relies on the strength of her childhood best friend Trish Walker, played by Rachel Taylor.

Walker is a former model and child star turned radio talk show host, who is human, which creates a striking contrast to Jones’ superhuman character.

tween Jones and Kilgrave, the show also explores human issues. Discussing PTSD and rape, Netflix finds another way to incorporate real life problems and delves into the complexity of these issues, while still maintaining the crimefighting superhero agenda.

The emotional damage left on Kilgrave’s victims, who gather in a support group, is palpable. However, with Jones, she does such a good job hiding her emotional

[Jessica is] cutthroat, yet extremely human in her flaws and mentality, creating a nice change to Marvel’s “cookie cutter” superhero sica Jones” is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the same world as Marvel’s Avengers, “Thor” and “Antman”, where superpowers and aliens are plausible and even referenced.

“Jessica Jones” is the second TV show in Marvel-Netflix’s newest series, “The Defenders”, sequel to TV show “Daredevil”. In this series of comic book stories we see a collection of second tier superheroes whose personal and moral dilemmas are heavily ingrained into the plot line. The TV shows combine two things that I love about all Marvel productions: The

grave, aka The Purple Man. Played

by David Tennant and equipped with a haunting British accent, a maniacal laugh and the power to control your mind, I instantly loved to hate him.

Upon meeting Jones, Kilgrave is immediately enchanted with her abilities of super strength and flying, much like I was, and begins to control her mind. With no morality in sight, Kilgrave coerces Jones into complete capitulation, forcing her to do whatever he pleases, whenever he wants.

In a moment of freedom, Jones is able to escape Kilgrave and his

while trying to keep her PTSD in check, waiting for the inevitable return of Kilgrave.

The plot is a fluent mix of detective work, fighting crime and managing the relationships that surround Jones’ life. Despite all of this, Kilgrave still lingers in the back of Jones’ mind, creating chaos in her life.

In one of the first episodes, we meet Hope Shlottman, a track prodigy at NYU and a victim of Kilgrave’s powers who Jones can relate to.

In each episode we also see how Jones interacts in her vari-

The interesting thing about Kilgrave’s powers is the subtlety of his evil. He makes his victims believe they want to do the things he tells them to do rather than using brute force to make them do it. Through her past traumatic experiences with Kilgrave, she is driven to protect others from his evil means.

In the time they were together, Jones was raped, however nobody considered it rape as she was mind-controlled into believing she wanted it, highlighting the extent of his powers.

Through the relationship be-

scars that it was easy for me to forget what was done to her. She’s cutthroat, yet extremely human in her flaws and mentality, creating a nice change to Marvel’s “cookie cutter” superhero.

This is one of Marvel’s first productions featuring a female protagonist, a major leap for the company. Not only does it feature a strong female lead, but it is also created and directed by Melissa Rosenberg. When all combined, it amounts to a pretty big change for super-hero TV shows and movies in general. If you haven’t seen Jessica Jones yet, I highly recommend it.

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Page 17

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Culture

NOMAD Going by the name Nomad, Will Sayre (’17) talks about the upcoming release of his mixtape and the stigmas that he faces as an aspiring rapper Zack Longboy Deputy Editor-in-Chief PHOTO BY YARRA ELMASRY

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ill Sayre (’17) is not your average rapper. Pick an ASL student at random, put the words ‘rapper’ and ‘Will Sayre’ in the same sentence, and be ready for some strange looks.

“I always get the same reaction. People are really surprised. A lot of people when they see me don’t think that I could be a rapper because I’m not what they associate rapping with,” Sayre said.

In fact, Sayre isn’t a rapper. At least officially, not yet. He plans to release between one and three singles in coming months, followed closely by a six-song mixtape. These will all be released on SoundCloud, the free music sharing website.

Ever since middle school, Sayre has had a passion for the genre, starting first with consuming. In his younger years, his favorites were The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur, but recently his taste has shifted to more mainstream artists like Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole.

For Sayre, rapping really drew his attention when he discovered “rap battles” during his freshman year. He would often challenge his friends to freestyle rap, with or without music accompaniment.

Sayre was good at it too, his on-the-spot

rhymes and quick-thinking mind prevailing more often than not.

Yet up until this year, studio recorded rap and the idea of producing his own tracks was something he had only just thought about.

At least that was until he heard then-16-yearold Swedish rapper Yung Lean’s story. “I was just inspired by the age of some of these people. The guy who made ‘Watch me (whip/ nae nae),’ he’s only 16. [Martin] Ødegaard is only 16 and he plays for Real Madrid [Football Club],” Sayre said. “I realized that now was the time. If I wanted to do anything that I was thinking about it, I might as well.”

And that’s exactly what he did. First, Sayre got together a team, calling on the editing and Logic Pro – a software used for recording – talents of his friends, Ben Hewett (’17), David Charow (’17) and Rep Woroch (’17). They would edit his vocals, find him beats – most of which he purchased from YouTube users for £20 each – and he would write the lyrics.

While Sayre has no distinct plan to “get his name out there,” another close friend and former ASL student, Zeb Berg (’17), who has

1000 followers on SoundCloud, is his main marketing channel should he wish to go down that route. Sayre has also been loosely in touch with a Hip-Hop promoter who has offered to evaluate the mixtape, but Sayre’s primary focus at this point is the ASL community – including a few teachers who have expressed interest in listening to his music.

Sayre is acutely aware of how people view him as an artist. He’s seen, first hand, people balk at the notion that he, of all people, could ever be a rapper. Yet he often points to a transformation in modern rap as a kind of explanation. “Rap has evolved. Look at Hoodie Allen, he worked at Google, in Silicon Valley,” Sayre said. “Ten years ago I don’t know if I could have gotten away with it per se – people wouldn’t have listened to it.”

Even with softening race lines, he still must work to differentiate himself from thousands of other young artists. His attempts at inimitability include his pseudonym, Nomad, and the theme of his mixtape, both of which embody his transitory life that has moved him to six different countries.

Rap, however, the cultural icon that it is, always comes back to race. “Me being white does [make it more difficult],” he said. “It’s a big thing. It’s still a very racially divided music genre.”

For him, race and respect run hand-inhand. “Some people, if they find out it’s a white rapper, won’t listen or won’t take them seriously; it definitely changes the perception. That’s the thing, rap [is] a respect game,” he said. “After I showed people my early rap song, people said, ‘you’d be really good if you were black.’ That’s just the way it is.”

At the end of the day, however, Sayre isn’t trying to “change the rules”of rap. Rapping is something he has fun with, a glorified hobby if anything, and he doesn’t want to take it too seriously. No matter whether he is successful or not, rapping has at least served a basic purpose for him.

For him, rapping has been a stress reliever, the music keeping him in check. “I never had a diary or anything,” he said. “Rapping kind of acts as a diary in my life. I just get immersed, it’s an awesome feeling.”

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Page 18

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Culture

Broadcasting connections Phaedra Letrou-Papamarkakis | Staff Writer

W

hen Zoé Rose (’18) moved from Paris to London this school year, television became her coping mechanism. “I didn’t want to go outside, I had no friends here because school hadn’t started yet. I was just alone all the time, ” Rose said. Resorting to television, Rose said “[Television] definitely helped me because it gave me something to do. Something to become invested in, and it gave me something to talk about with people.”

Rose explained the comfort that Anime, a Japanese cartoon animation genre, has brought to her everyday life. “It’s made me closer to

before testing weeks I get extremely stressed. I need something that’s very brain numbing to get my mind off of things,” she said.

Rose feels involved in the programs she watches revealing that they can have an effect on her emotions. “I’ve cried. I’ve definitely cried,” Rose said.

Similarly, Luke Bandeen (’17) has become emotionally connected to television shows that he has been watching for years.

“One of the beautiful parts is that [television shows] can make you feel a range of emotions depending on their purpose. A good television show can make

from continually watching. “I got to a certain point where I was so into it that I was like ‘wow, I need to take a step back and I need to read a book or spend time with my family’,” Rose said.

However, not all students have such a deep emotional connections to the programs they watch. Despite watching shows such as “One Tree Hill” which is set in a school environment, Charlotte Kronfeld (’19) feels able to relate to characters without becoming invested. Unlike Rose and Bandeen, she is able to keep more of an emotional distance

A good television show can make you feel any emotion it wants to LUKE BANDEEN (’17)

people I know in real life who I’d never talked to,” she said.

This genre not only led to friendships for her, but also becoming a member of the online community. “Liking Anime has gotten me friends that I wouldn’t otherwise have had,” said Rose. “I talk to people online, and I’ve made friends online and without Anime I would have never met them.”

Providing an escape from reality allows Rose to detach herself from her everyday worries. “Sometimes

you feel any emotion it wants to,” he said.

Bandeen said that “Grey’s Anatomy” has been a part of his life since he was six and has become very familiar with the characters. “They’re so well developed in my mind that they’re kind of like real people to an extent,” he said. “For that reason I have to watch the show, it’s very hard for me not to,” he said.

Becoming aware of the emotional attachment Rose has with Anime, she has stopped herself

from the programs she watches.

“Even though it is very similar to my life, it’s a different world,” she said.

For Kronfeld, television is purely a form of stress relief.

“It’s destressing from my everyday worries.” Television forms a part of her daily routine. “Typically during a school day I try to keep it in between one and two [hours] so I can focus on my work, but on the weekends I’ll probably watch around four.”

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Page 19

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Culture

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Champagne Life: Review OS

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Running through March 9, a review of the Saatchi Gallery’s Champagne Life exhibition

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Michaela Towfighi | Culture Editor

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find myself frequenting the Saatchi Gallery less and less lately. While free art is always nice, the gallery’s reputation is becoming more about the Instagram posts taken there, rather than the art itself. Anyone who has been knows they are guilty of this, myself included.

When the Saatchi Gallery first opened its doors to the world of Champagne Life, my first reaction was sheer excitement.

The exhibition features 14 female artists, the first of its kind at Saatchi. Upon further research, this was quickly reversed, as I questioned owner Charles Saatchi’s intention with his decision to only display the work of female artists. Was it a message of female empowerment, or a simple feminist statement?

While Saatchi had the right idea to express opinions of femininity through art, I disagree with the way in which he did so.

Art is the perfect medium to express opinions on gender roles and empowerment, yet instead he attempted to use the artists genders to do so, taking away from the value of the art. Exemplifying the fact that all the artists are in fact female takes away from the art, as no other theme is apparent.

The only repetition within the exhibition is incoordination. As large scale paintings of elderly people

by Jelena Bulajic are accompanied by eerie wax dolls, I struggle to see the stylistic layout choice.

In addition to the layout, the conceptual interpretation of the pieces also ranges.

Exploring the concept of how media has influenced modern art, artist Julia Wachtel’s pieces reflect this idea. Titled Champagne Life, the source of the exhibition’s name, Wachtel’s main piece is an inverted large scale photo of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, accompanied by a painting of Minnie Mouse.

Yet, in another room, the pieces explored completely different ideas. A paper maché donkey lays on the ground, titled Jerusalem Donkey by Mia Feuer. Once explained in the exhibition pamphlet, the piece’s intention was clear. The idea behind the donkey represented Draconian rule over Palestine, such as the prohibition of motor vehicles, forcing the use of donkeys. However, staring at a blue donkey at first only created more questions than answers.

The b l u e donkey was accompanied by a wall of what seemed to be old kitchen pots and pans from the artist Maha Mullah. Encompassing the whole wall, Mullah uses 233 burnt pots, traditionally used in the Middle East. Visually, the donkey and pots are not coherent, yet the subtle commonality of Middle Eastern focus provides some similarity.

My favorite piece in the exhibition is Ljubica by Jelena Bulajic: A simple, yet detailed portrait of an elderly woman on a large canvas. Bulajic’s inspiration for these portraits comes from random people she sees, who she claims catch her attention due to their “character, look or empathy.” The detail in which Bulajic creates these portraits is incredible. From the small flowers on the shirt, to each wrinkle, the expression and emotion captured in the portraits is fascinating.

In addition to this, I also was interested in Bound by Alice Anderson. A colossal bobbin constructed out of wood and copper thread, the piece dominates the room due to its size and simplicity. By taking such a small item and recreating it in this gigantic state, I felt as if I was Alice in Wonderland after, she drank the “drink me potion,” as cliche as that might sound.

None of the pieces, however, reflect ideas of feminism or empowerment. While some pieces are pleasant on their own, when constructed together in an exhibition, the meaning is lost.

In no way does this exhibition take a stand on feminism. While the intention is there, the execution is lacking, providing disappointment for something that could have been revolutionary. As proved through this attempt, uniting female artists into one exhibition does not exemplify empowerment. Art is a tool, and when properly used it can open dialogue and awareness for issues. While Saatchi tried, I hope his idea will urge other collectors to explore the same concepts, and I look forward to seeing this evolve, if it ever does.

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Page 20

THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Sports

Pieces of the puzzle An ISST championship requires more than spectacular individual performances, with contributions from multiple team members proving vital Sourna Daneshvar, Jr. | Sports Editor

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inishing sixth in the 100m backstroke event at ISSTs fails to shine like the first place team finish. Neil Meehan (’17) and other teammates can attest firsthand to this from the past two ISST tournaments.

Competent in each stroke, but possessing no exceptional abilities at one specifically, Meehan views himself as an adaptable member of the team who performs best during relays. Often, this means finishing races with limited recognition. “I still contribute to the team getting that fourth place or that sixth place.

You get points. That’s what you want to do for the team,” Meehan said.

When facing swimmers committed to the sport throughout the year, podium placement remains a rarity for him and others. However, Meehan finds fighting for the highest places below them necessary for team success. “You’re still a part of it and you can still feel like you did your part,” Meehan said.

The irony of the dynamic is a consistent predicament for Mee-

“I still contribute to the team getting that fourth place or that sixth place.

You get points. That’s what you want to do for the team” Neil Meehan (’17)

han. Though he fails to capture the impressive scores of a medaler, elevating the team score with swimmers in similar situations to a narrow triumph means the most to Meehan. “If I can get into the top eight or top six, that’s motivation, that I helped win ISSTs last year,” he said.

Before ISSTs Meehan finds ways to help the team by building camaraderie. Whether lightening the mood during mundane practices or consoling

teammates after a disappointing performance, Meehan contributes with an increased social presence since, unlike the team’s top swimmers, he doesn’t collect multiple medals.

Other individual sports, including cross country, depend upon team performances for ISST success.

Cross Country Coach Grant Hiller facilitates social aspects of practices to improve the group atmosphere. “It can be seen as an individual sport, but it’s valuable for the team to realize that they’re

there for each other,” Hiller said.

At the start of the season, Hiller and other coaches commit practice time for runners to learn about teammates. While these times could be devoted to improving the individuals that compose the team scores, he sees value in the investment. For example, during ISSTs, when one runner struggled to finish her race, a teammate stopped to support her. “If she hadn’t had done that we wouldn’t have [finished third],” Hiller said.

Based on the ISST scoring sys-

tem for cross country, all runners, podium finishers or not, amount to the team result. A first place finish results in one point, a second place finish results in two, etc., with the lowest number of points winning. The top five places on a team earn points. While only five of seven runners constitute the score, the other two runners decrease the results of opposing runners, which depresses competing team’s scores. These runners are known as “push” runners for pushing down the remaining team’s scores.

Emma Abele (’16) believes that encouraging the two runners who don’t contribute to the team score hold an undervalued, but nonetheless imperative role. “Sometimes they feel like they’re not as important as the top five runners, but I know from experience that they’re a very big part of the team,” she said.

A leader of the varsity girls team, Abele realizes that team medals rely upon a group effort.

“I think their place is very important actually, because often they’re in a big group of runners where a few seconds can mean a lot of places. It matters just as much for them to come 21st to 18th rather than someone coming fourth to second,” Abele said.

For runners, Hiller finds understanding this notion is difficult until after the team scores are compiled. “The more athletes experience ISSTs the more they realize and start to appreciate that they are running not only for themselves, but the team and also that they are valued,” Hiller said.

Due to the rarity of top runners, Hiller focuses on boosting the majority of the runners, who finish closer to the average. “If we can lift all those middle runners, if they gradually improve and do better and better, that’s what makes a difference,” he said.

Investing large amounts of time in improvement to places that still lack medals seems inconsequential. It’s when the whole team learns of their accomplishment that Meehan understands the value of his role that he shares with others. “You’re contributing to the team more than you think you are. When you see people getting medals and you’re on the side, you think ‘oh, I could have gotten more points’, but when you look back on it and the team wins by a few points finishing sixth or eighth, you realize it’s pretty important,” he said.

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THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Sports

CaptaiNs Council Formed at the start of last year, the Captains Council serves as a forum for varsity captains, though not all captains reap the benefits Ankit Mehra | Online Editor

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very team needs a leader and every leader needs leadership skills. It sounds fundamental, but little time, energy, or resources are committed to the captains of varsity teams.

The purpose of the Captains Council is to fulfill such needs for captains during optional lunch meetings.

Captains set the topics discussed in these meetings, specifically the three leaders of the Captains Council, Bobby Collins (’16) Andrew Noorani (’16) and Elizabeth Vann (’16). Meetings focus on subjects ranging from integrating younger players on an older team to increasing communication within the team or improving players’ effort.

Varsity field hockey captain Annie Timbers (’16) appreciates what she learned from the meetings. “We gained insight on how to deal with these issues. I think it made me a better captain,” Timbers said.

When organizing the council, Athletics Director John Farmer

wanted “invested” members of the council to lead meetings. Collins, Noorani and Vann ran for the positions unopposed and were unanimously picked.

Farmer created the Captains Council in its current form at the outset of last year to support captains. “The goal is for them to learn from each other... and be able to work through problems and help each other understand things that have worked, things that haven’t worked.”

A positive aspect of the Council for Timbers is sharing similar concerns with peers. “It was pretty helpful just to see that other captains were experiencing the same issues that we might be experiencing,” Timbers said.

All former captains are invited to meetings regardless of their current status on a team or as a captain.

A varsity golf captain last season, Andrew Franz (’16) believes the timing of Captains Council meetings provided limited service. “As a spring captain, I don’t

Sourna Daneshvar, Jr. | Sports Editor

really see much value in [Captains Council], because even if we start the meetings at the beginning of the season, it’s already a short season. There is not a lot of time for change, especially if you are a senior, as a spring captain,” he said.

Questioning the Captains Council’s effectiveness, Franz, in his first season as a captain, did not attend meetings, believing that they did not open a useful forum to develop his leadership. “We only had two meetings scheduled in the spring season, so it wasn’t something that happened very often and it wasn’t something that I thought of as a way for me to learn,” Franz said.

Thus far, Timbers, not participating in a winter sport, has yet to attend a winter season meeting. “I didn’t go to it because I just didn’t really feel like I had that much to offer. I know I’m welcome to go, but I just didn’t really feel like it would help me and I didn’t really feel like I would help other people by being there,” Timbers said.

“The goal is for them to learn from each other... and be able to work through problems and help each other understand things that have worked, things that haven’t worked.”

Athletics Director John Farmer on the purpose of the Captains Council

Timbers doubts she will frequent future meetings. “I can’t really relate as much to a lot of the winter sports, especially with field hockey being such a small sport, I feel like it’s a very different environment on the other sports teams, so I probably won’t go.”

Other captains advised Timbers and her fellow field hockey captains Mimi Albanese (’16) and Emily Gossett (’16) on how to manage the team ahead of ISSTs, but the guidance lasted briefly.

“For field hockey, something we got out of it was that we were probably more disciplined with our team after Captains Council because [other captains] were saying ‘you need to let them know, we’re approaching ISSTs, you have to be intense’,” Timbers said.

“After Captains Council we did sort of maybe step up the intensity, but it wasn’t that intense.”

Though Farmer founded the council primarily for captains to lead, he attends all meetings. “I have a vested interest in our cap-

tains. I have a vested interest in our leadership, in the learning, in the conversations that are going on,” he said.

Dedicating time to “the art of leadership” may not manifest itself in tangible results such as wins, but Farmer believes greater impacts in the community, such as positive leaders and better team chemistry, develop from the Council. “I would like to think it’s had a great impact, but probably a subtle one,” Farmer said.

Membership of the Captains Council features few responsibilities.“You’re expected to go to the meetings when it’s your sport season and you’re encouraged to go when it’s not your season because you’re on it for the whole year,” Timbers said. “If you were captain for the fall sport and don’t play anything else you’re encouraged to go, but you don’t have to. So it’s pretty low expectations.”

A date for the next Captains Council meeting has not yet been set.

“I didn’t go to it because I just didn’t really feel like I had that much to offer. I know I’m welcome to go, but I just didn’t really feel like it would help me and I didn’t really feel like I would help other people by being there.”

Field hockey captain Annie Timbers (’16) on attending winter Captains Council meetings

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THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Sports

players at crossroads

An ISST age restriction prevents rugby players over 18 before September 1 from competing in the tournament, leading to individual and team questions

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ive days separate Fox Abrahams (’16) from playing in the rugby ISSTs. Based on ISST rules, which follow the International Rugby Board (IRB), any player who turns 18 before September 1 is ineligible to play in the rugby tournament.

Though Abrahams’ bears no control over the situation, he “feel[s] like I’m letting down the team. We’re putting the team at a massive disadvantage. It’s not my fault, but it’s something to do with me,” he said.

Jack Neblett (’16) turned 18 on May 10, 2015 and accepted the reality of his ineligibility to participate in ISSTs prior to the season.

Nonetheless, the helplessness Neblett feels not being able to compete alongside his teammates at ISSTs lingers. “The fact that it’s my final year, I’m a senior, I’m the oldest player, it’s the time when I should and want to be stepping up, but I can’t,” Neblett said.

Playing since his sophomore year, Neblett worries that his ISST replacement will be thrust onto the field during the team’s most important games. “I’m one of the bigger players on the team and I’ve had the same position for the past two years so suddenly having that vacant spot and having to fill it with a newer, less experienced player is going to negatively impact the team’s play,” Neblett said.

“I don’t like it.”

With two players unable to play this year and another three the year prior, the rule frustrates Athletics Director John Farmer. “I hate to be locked into a rule that doesn’t work for our community,” he said.

During his first meeting with fellow ISST athletics directors, Farmer proposed amending the rule, but faced heavy opposition.

His colleagues cited the need to follow IRB rules. Adhering to those guidelines prevents directors from an insurance risk or lawsuit should a player be injured.

Given the context of the rule originally created for club rugby, Farmer feels there’s some room to amend the rule, but recognizes

Sourna Daneshvar, Jr. | Sports Editor measures of safety are necessary with rugby. “I’m not convinced that we won’t be able to change it, but it will be met with some resistance,” he said.

The ineligibility of Abrahams and Neblett adds to Varsity Boys Rugby Coach Charlie Hughes’ preparation ahead of ISSTs. “I have to consider the two roles that the two boys are going to be leaving behind... I have to try and replace them, simply,” Hughes said.

To prepare Abrahams and Neblett’s successors, Hughes will position them differently from the incumbents, maximizing the development of the replacements and continuing to provide play time for Abrahams and Neblett.

“They will be greatly missed, but we’ll do everything we can to make sure the loss of them doesn’t have a massive impact,” Hughes said.

Despite an inability to participate in the culminating tournament, Neblett continued with rugby into his senior year for two reasons. “I love the team, I love all the players and I still have fun. I enjoy it. I can still play the regular season matches, so up until January/February when they start phasing in the ISST squad I can still play and enjoy and just have fun,” he said.

Though the rule only eliminates players from playing during ISSTs, it can cripple a player’s season well before the tournament and hamper the team’s ambitions at ISSTs. “It means that I don’t get as much game time because whoever is going to replace me in ISSTs needs to be warmed up for the position in as many games as they can, but I expected that,” Abrahams said. “I’m just hoping to get as much game time as possible.”

For Neblett, the prospect of finishing his last rugby game during the regular season rather than at ISSTs remains disheartening.

“Every game that we play is one less game, one game closer to my final game at ASL, which is true for everyone, but at least their final game will be at ISSTs.”

ABOVE: Fox Abrahams (’16) fights for the ball during a line-out in the same game. While Abrahams can play in the regular season at 18 years old, he is ineligible for ISSTs. BELOW: Jack Neblett (’16) leads the push against Zurich International School. The Pirates won the 31-0. Neblett turned 18 last year on May 10, while ISSTs prohibit players over the age of 18 before September 1 from playing. PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE BRENDSEL

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THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Sports

Dealing with Rejection A look into the drawbacks and benefits of not making the final cut for an athletic team Lucy Adams | Staff Writer

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t the conclusion of sports tryouts for every season, many students receive an email from the Athletics department notifying them that they have not earned a place on their respective sports team.

The email reads: “We have now reached the conclusions of the current trials for the... teams. Thanks so much for the tremendous effort you displayed at trials. We had a tremendous turnout and the quality of the athletes competing was really, really high. We regret to inform you that you have not been selected to be part of the ASL [sports] program for the current 2015 fall season. We strongly encourage you to contact any of the members of the coaching staff if you would like to know more about our decision, and more importantly what you could do between now and next season to put yourself in a position to possibly make a team.”

Though rejection can often be detrimental to a player’s progression, having a positive outlook is crucial. This fall, Kris Westgaard (’16) did not make the varsity boys soccer team after playing on JJV in Grade 9 and JV in Grades 10 and 11.

Even at tryouts, he doubted that he would make the team after evaluating his competition on the field. “I’ve always been aware that I haven’t been the best player, so when I didn’t make it, it didn’t come as too much of a surprise to me,” Westgaard said.

“I saw the people I was playing with, and I said ‘okay well, if I make it then it would be great, I would really enjoy it, but if I don’t it’s not the end of the

world’… I realized that [the] people who I was trying out against were really, really good.”

Though Kate Farrell (’18) earned a spot on the JV girls volleyball team this year and the JV girls softball team last year, she did not make varsity. “I think at this school a lot of kids expect to make varsity, so it can be a harsh blow,” Farrell said. She described her initial feeling of not making the team as disappointment, confusion, and a little bit of anger as she had some friends that did make the team.

For many students, not making a sports team has opened their eyes to other opportunities.

Juan Orive (’19), who was cut from basketball this year, remains optimistic and advises other athletes to look into different possibilities. “Now you have the opportunity to try something else…

You can keep on training, and try again another year, or try other opportunities and possibilities,” he said. Orive himself joined rugby, a no-cut sport, where he met new people.

Westgaard sees another silver lining of not making the team – more time for increasing workloads. “I was obviously disappointed, but I mean, since it was my senior year, I sort of saw it as a little bit of a blessing in disguise, because it meant that I could dedicate more time to my schoolwork, which I have done this year, and it’s paid off,” Westgaard said.

However, he said that the toughest aspect of not making the team was being unable “to be a part of the team spirit, because that’s obviously a big part of at least my high school career so far.”

Once the feelings of disap-

pointment and anger dissipated, Farrell turned the experience into a positive one. “After you get into the season and then you start being with your teammates, you stop focusing on the bad things, and you just focus on having fun,” Farrell said.

Farrell finds that JV teams offer a less stressful experience than do varsity teams. “Sometimes people who don’t necessarily fit in with the [varsity] team feel excluded, whereas on JV teams I think there’s basically no pressure, and everyone kind of gets along pretty well. And there’s not as much of a separation between people on the team,” she said.

Rejection can fuel the desire for improvement. Farrell said that not making varsity has motivated her to further improve her skills for next year when she tries out for the team. “I love the sports I do, and I wanted to keep going [after being cut]. And besides, I’m only a sophomore, so I’ve got two more years of probably making varsity,” she said. “I just figured if I’m already good at this, I should keep working to get better.”

Learning from personal experience, Farrell also believes that getting cut is important to the development of athletes. “You have to learn to cope with not getting what you want 100 percent of the time because you won’t always get what you want,” she said.

Westgaard’s outlook on getting cut remains positive. It’s not the end of the world,” he said. “Rejection shouldn’t be something you fear – it should be something that you can be disappointed in, but you should also embrace it and see ‘how can I develop from that?’”

PHOTO BY SEBASTIAN MAYR

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Sports

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THE STANDARD | January/February 2016

Captains Council Rugby U18 rule

Oliver Chene (’16) drives through three Westminster College defenders during a game on January 27. The Eagles won the game 59-31, progressing their record in the London Basketball Association College League to three wins and one loss.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE BRENDSEL