Issue 4 - February/March 2020

the Standard February/March 2020 | Volume 45, Issue 4

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

News 3-7

AP art curriculum revamped

New options will be unveiled for students interested in taking AP Art courses with hopes that there will be more flexibility in the structure.

PAGE 3

Opinions 8-12

Bernie Sanders is dangerous choice

Editor-in-Chief John Towfighi explains why the nomination of Bernie Sanders would harm the Democratic Party.

PAGE 10

Features 13-24

Grants bridge between community and creativity

Community Connection Grants are a program offered by the school that enables students to take action and give back to Greater London.

PAGE 22-23

Culture 25-27

When art crosses the line

Culture Editor: Online Raunak Lally analyzes works of art that cross the boundry between artistic and offensive.

PAGE 27

Sports 28-32

A decade on the field promotes perseverence Sports Editor: Print Lily Whitman describes her love of softball and how it has affected her life.

PAGE 30

The pull of extreme ideas Lea George | Lead Features Editor

Mia George | Staff Writer

Story on pages 20-21 PHOTO BY LEA GEORGE

Online

NEWS - SCHOOL COMBATS CORONAVIRUS THREAT The Standard is covering all updates regarding the school’s response to the coronavirus.

Check our website to stay informed.

• Alternatives, Music Tour canceled over fear of coronavirus • All ISSTs canceled due to coronavirus concern • Global Festival postponed due to coronavirus fears • Administration takes proactive approach to combat threat of virus

In case you missed it... standard.asl.org OPINIONS • Weekly Politics Update every Friday • Hypercriticism hurts activism movements

SPORTS • The ugly side of the beautiful game • Video: Inside varsity basketball game days against ACS Cobham

FEATURES

• Panzers serves international community • Social Studies Teacher Lanting Xu’s experience growing up in communist China

CULTURE

• Controversial film awards highlight flaws of Hollywood • Vintage Kilo Sale provides great opportunity to buy cheap clothes

PHOTO JASMIN TAYLOR

People look to buy vintage clothes at the most recent Vintage Kilo Sale Jan. 17-18.

@TheStandardASL

2 Online

The Standard

News

AP art curriculum revamped The College Board has altered the requirements for all AP art courses portfolios, removing the breadth section. This change has affected the way teachers and students approach their classes.

Kira Crutcher Staff Writer The 2019-2020 school year has seen changes to AP art classes, bringing forth various reactions from the faculty and students body.

Previously, AP portfolios had three different sections: five selected works, 12 digital images for sustained investigation, 12 works for 2D and Drawing, and eight works for 3D in the range of approaches (breadth) section.

The College Board removed the Range of Approaches section of the portfolio AP art students are required to submit. The Board wrote on their Updates for 2019-20 page that it allows students to focus on “in-depth, inquiry-based art and design making.”

Visual Art Teacher Anthony Gow, who teaches the AP 3D Art and Design course, thought the change is beneficial in order to enhance students’ ability to process their work.

“The AP, in its previous iteration, had a disconnect between what students were doing in relation to their thinking behind the work, so I was really looking forward to the change,” he said.

Gow said that he disagrees with the focus the AP course had put on the final product.

“Philosophically, it is more about how an artist’s thinking changes over time,” he said. “That is

on developing your own ideas.”

Additionally, Esmeralda Montgomery (’20), who also takes AP 2D Art, said that the new requirements enable students to show how they change and develop their style as an artist throughout the portfolio.

One part Zellar values about the class is that it “is fine tuned for the individual, [allowing] students to pursue what they want to in terms of their content and their long term personal project.”

For students who choose to submit their portfolio to AP, classes are adapting to help them meet AP requirements.

Edwards said that, with the new curriculum in place, there is “no norm to the structure yet” and that “there is a big difference in what College Board wants and how the teacher interprets that.”

Montgomery said although it is new for the students, most have never taken an AP art class before, so the change isn’t too impactful.

Yet, Montgomery said it leaves confusion as the teachers are learning the new structure, making it “harder for them to instruct [the students] on what [they’re] doing and what the AP wants.”

De Giorgi, who did not have the breadth section before, enjoys taking time to focus on one main topic.

“There’s about two and a half months to go,” he said. “And I’m essentially just starting [to] explore my idea.”

*Maarya Adil contributed to reporting

ILL US S ON ATI

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There is a big difference in what College Board wants and how the teacher interprets that.

one of the most important things for people who want to be involved in the arts to develop.”

Because of this change, some AP art classes have had to refocus their curriculum to account for the removal of the breadth section, and the new requirements of processing.

Along with the AP art classes, ASL also offers Portfolio Development, a photography class currently taught by Visual Arts Teacher Robyn Zellar, where students have the option to submit a portfolio to AP. This year, about half of the students chose to do so.

Zellar said that, from her observations, the breadth section presented “a time where students could show the other things they could do well,” in the 12 images previously required to show variety as part of that section.

“For my students that was really a joy.

That’s the part that I really miss,” she said.

Ludo De Giorgi (’21) said that there are some difficulties in building a collection of images for his Portfolio Development class without the breadth section because work has to be more focused.

“It’s a lot harder because you need to know your artwork, plan your shoots, make sure you’re on top of it,” he said.

Delaney Edwards (’20), who takes AP 2D Art, said she thinks that the removal of the breadth section allows for more “flexibility for a student’s work schedule and in general, promotes creativity and process by [leaving more time to] spend

Delaney Edwards (’20)

February/March 2020

News 3

The last straw: government tackles plastic pollution Come April, there will be a ban on certain plastic products, their sale in shops and use at establishments. With certain exceptions, the move is being made to decrease what the English government deems unnecessary plastic waste.

Isabel Link News Editor: Print Eight and a half billion. That is the number of straws being thrown away annually in England, according to the BBC in 2018.

However, Environmental Secretary Michael Gove said in a press release that, as of April this year, there will be “a ban on plastic straws, drinks stirrers, and plastic stemmed cotton buds in England, following overwhelming public support for the move.”

This announcement came May 22, 2019, and was published on the official gov.uk website as part of the Waste and Recycling updates page.

While many people support the ban, students like Sarah Geron (’23) want there to be additional changes.

“Small things lead to big change,” Geron said, “but we should start doing more than just banning plastic straws.”

“Some things right now can only be made of plastic, [according to] some people, but I don’t believe in that,” she said. “We have so many resources on the Earth that we can substitute [for] plastic with all of these resources.”

Geron, who often goes diving in the Red Sea with her father’s ocean clean-up foundation, Save Our Seas, said that she sees where so many plastic products can end up.

“I just see plastic at the bottom of the ocean,” she said. “It’s damaging the corals and the marine life. Turtles, sharks, manta-rays, they’re all choking on plastic right now.”

To try to minimize this pollution, Geron goes on trips and dives to collect plastic that has gotten into the habitats of those animals.

“If we see plastic on the surface we’ll pick it up,” she said. “Or if we go diving, sometimes we’ll bring these big bags with us, these big nets ... we’ll just pick up plastic, and put it back in our

purchasing and using the products. It also concerns the continuous production and stocking of products in stores.

The impending ban is set to officially phase out the sale of plastic drink stirrers and cotton buds made with plastic. Meanwhile, plastic straws will still be sold in select pharmacies.

Additionally, straws are seen as a necessity by disability organizations that advocate for people who require them, such as those with restricted mobility or paralysis, to better maintain hydration.

This is different than when people purchase plastic straws for ease of use and the availability of the products in shops and restaurants.

Furthermore, Preiser said that changing the minds of consumers is an obstacle in lessening the effects of pollution and climate change.

“People aren’t willing to give up convenience for sustainability,” Preiser said.

“PEOPLE AREN’T WILLING TO GIVE UP CONVENIENCE FOR SUSTAINABILITY.” MAX PREISER (’20) Likewise, Max Preiser (’20) said there is already a significant push to reduce the use of plastic goods such as straws and coffee cups, which usually have a plastic layer in them, so the ban will not make as big of a difference.

“I don’t think it will have that much benefit necessarily,” he said. “[But] a move in the right direction is probably positive even though it’s more valuable to make big change.”

However, Preiser said finding nonplastic alternatives for some products is currently “very difficult” because there are not readily available options.

“There [are] some things that it’s inevitable that [they’re] going to be made out of plastic, or at least have an unrecyclable component,” he said.

Similarly, Danna Rubesh (’22) said that she notices how plastic has become the default material for manufacturing, as it is easily found in any day-to-day experiences.

“There’s so much [plastic], and it packages everything, and so you have to try really hard to avoid it,” she said.

On the other hand, Geron said that it is not that difficult to avoid most plastic. Instead, she said consumers should search for alternatives, using what the planet has to offer.

4 News

bags, and carry it back and throw it in the right recycling bins.”

Additionally, Rubesh said that she and her family members try to involve themselves in issues such as plastic waste by staying aware and making lifestyle changes.

“If you care about the planet, it’s kind of just that you care about living, ... about being in a safe environment,” she said.

When people continue to use unnecessary plastic products, Rubesh said that it makes her feel “really sad.”

“It shows that they don’t care about our Earth and the environment,” Rubesh said.

Even though Preiser said there are people committed to helping minimize pollution, individual decisions by consumers are not enough. Instead, he said that in the future there should be “an outright ban mandated by the government,” including all plastic and not just certain products or types.

“There aren’t enough people who are passionate about the issue to make a difference,” Preiser said. “And even for people who are, again, it’s hard to give up those conveniences.”

Although, plastic waste is more than an issue of consumers simply

To the same point, Geron said that, in her household, each generation is taught the same habits surrounding topics like plastic, making them even harder to break later.

“I was born with an Italian family, so I do things their way,” Geron said.

“And they always keep the same way for decades.”

When Geron is in Italy, she said she notices that many people “don’t even use tap water because ... you can’t drink it.”

This means that they turn to bottled water, and therefore, they help the plastic industry grow while continuing to contribute to pollution.

In many communities nowadays, Geron said it is expected that water is clean and plastic products are readily available to the general public.

Yet, Preiser said that this attitude is one of the most harmful ideas that consumers hold.

“We today are used to this level of convenience but it’s not necessarily something that should be the status quo,” Preiser said. “And without a better option, it’s more important to prioritize protecting the environment than the convenience of going to the high street and getting a coffee.”

ILLUSTRATION BY ISABEL LINK

Students & Plastic

35.3 %

do not bring reusable straws when going to buy a drink

39.7 %

agree with banning plastic straws

18.1 %

disagree or strongly disagree with the ban

Data collected from an online survey conducted by The Standard Feb. 27 to 28 with 116 student responses.

The Standard

New courses to begin next year Following review from the Academic Leadership Team, feedback from Student Council and final revisions and approval, there will be multiple new design and film courses next school year, as well as a robotics class.

Ella Podurgiel Staff Writer Next year, the administration is adding new courses and changing existing ones to widen the options available to High School students.

The new courses will include a teaching course, three visual arts courses and a robotics class.

Madeleine Hatzmann (’23) said she is looking forward to the option of having extra film and arts classes.

“I really like the electives I’m in already, and all of these new courses open up so many more options for high schoolers,” she said.

One of the upcoming classes is Design Thinking Apprenticeship, organized in conjunction with the teaching apprenticeship program.

Students will work in the MILL with younger members of the school to teach them different ways of thinking about design.

Next year, Design Thinking will be a separate course available for Grade 12, with a goal of thinking about creativity, but also how to help others to broaden their creativity.

In addition, there will be three new classes added to the visual arts department including a semesterlong class called Video Art. This class will focus on kinds of art that may be in museums, creating multimedia, graphic design art pieces, installations and learning about the technology behind those types of art as well as using new design tools.

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These new courses open up so many more options for high schoolers.

Madeleine Hatzmann (’23) Visual Arts Teacher Erik Niemi was involved in designing the new courses, and will be teaching the new film courses as well.

“We want to give students more options to do something with film

and video where they’re able to create their own pieces that show their individual interests and focuses,” Niemi said.

Additionally, the current Film Video and Animation class will be split into two semester-long classes instead of a year long course. Now, students who were not able to take the class because it did not fit with their whole schedule, can take it one semester at a time.

Now, Digital Animation will be in semester one, which is an introductory level course, and Film Production in semester two, which is considered a higher level course.

The last new class to be added is a robotics course. As of next year, there will be a new Robotics Director at ASL. Part of their job will not only be leading the robotics program, but also teaching one Middle and High School robotics class.

The High School robotics course is year-long and open to all grades.

The class is separate from the robotics extracurricular program, and no previous experience is required to take it, as it is a different supplementary course that concerns STEM.

Assistant Principal Natalie Jaworski said that deans, college counselors and students were all asked for feedback on the proposed courses.

Part of the role that Student Council fulfils when they occasionally attend committee meetings is to give their opinions on the academics and give feedback when needed, such as with these courses.

After that, the final decision was made by the Academic Leadership Team. The members of this group consists of Head of School Robin Appleby, the High School principal and assistant principal and Head of Technology Nadjib Aktouf.

During the process of choosing courses, the team considered the impact on the High School but also how it would fit into Middle and Lower School learning.

Jaworski said not all courses proposed for feedback get approved for the following year. The planning of a creative writing in language course was extended until next year to allow more time to develop the course.

There are also proposals to have two separate film and literature classes in the future.

Other proposed courses might not be added in the end if any party in the decision-making process decides that they do not match the rest of the curriculum. Furthermore, the time taken to develop each course differs depending on feedback and its content.

Some courses are immediately approved and added to the class options, while others may go through different iterations before being deemed fully formed. All of the courses offered for next year are under constant review, depending on what appeals to students.

Jaworski said that she hopes that these new courses will have an overall positive impact on the members of the High School community. “[In the visual arts], it offers a chance for students to build their learning that they haven’t been able to do before, as the previously offered courses were only introductory,” she said.

“With the other two offerings, we’re really trying to think about how we’re bringing design, engineering and creativity into our school in a more meaningful way.”

Implementation process of new courses

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Teachers propose new course ideas

2

Deans, college counselors give feedback

3

Any necessary revisions made

4

Student Council gives input

5

Final decision made by Academic Leadership Team

PHOTOS BY CAMERON SPURR

Top: Serra Yetkin (’22) works on a project for Film Video and Animation. The class will be split into two semester-long courses next year. Bottom: Student Council holds a meeting Feb. 27. StuCo members discussed the introduction of the new courses for next school year. The Council then gave their feedback to the Academic Leadership Team to make the final decision.

February/March 2020

News 5

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News in Brief Coronavirus concerns cause trip cancelations School-sponsored trips have been cancelled due to safety concerns around the coronavirus.

At the time of publication, over 30 trips across all divisions have been canceled.

The student body has received e-mails from administration advising how to stay safe against the virus. In an e-mail March 5, students were informed that in the event of the closure of the school, students would still be required to complete course work through an online system.

Follow the story and see up-to-date information on standard.asl.org.

Music ensembles to perform during would-be Alternatives week The Concert Band, Concert Choir and Orchestra will all perform at the school and at venues during what would’ve been their Music Tour. The Band trip to Prague, Czech Republic, and the Choir/Orchestra trip to Loires Valley, France were canceled due to safety precautions taken against the coronavirus.

The Band kicks things off with a concert in the School Center at 2 p.m. March 22. The Choir and Orchestra have a joint performance at St. Mark’s Church in Marlyebone at 6 p.m.

March 25.

There will also be performances during the school day, with the Choir and Orchestra performing for students during conference time March 25 and the Band performing during conference time March 26.

Students participate in YoungPower conference Members of the High School co-hosted the annual youngPOWER conference March 6 at Westminster Academy. The High School sent 30 students to the conference, including eight students who helped organize the event.

Overall, six schools participated and about 100 students attended. The conference was a social-justice-oriented event focusing on the theme “Healing our Communities.”

At the conference, there was a panel discussion which included knife crime activists Temi Mwale and Shanea Oldham, domestic abuse advocate Talia Kensit and LGBTQ+ activist Tanya Compas.

Participants then joined their discussion groups in order to share a story about their identities or experiences, and discuss pressing social justice issues.

The conference concluded with activism workshops, focusing on giving students the tools they need to take action on social issues important to them.

6 News

SusCo combats fast fashion The council will host its first sustainable fashion show to raise awareness about the detrimental impacts the fashion industry has on the environment.

Members of the community volunteered to run the show.

Cameron Spurr News Editor: Print Isabelle Lhuilier Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Print John Towfighi Editor-in-Chief The Sustainability Council has taken note of what they see as an environmental problem students in the High School could address: fast fashion. In order to combat the issue, SusCo is hosting a sustainable fashion show March 16. The event, titled “Sustainable Fashion: The Future of Fashion,” will take place at 6 p.m. in the School Center and is open to any member of the community to attend.

SusCo Co-President Kenzie Morris (’20) said the council started planning the event in late October 2019. Morris said the idea of a fashion show was kickstarted by Thalia Bonas’ (’20) and Lindsay Harris’ (’20) post-AP project on sustainable fashion. Morris said their research provided a “jumping off point” to run the event.

“

We really want involvement with everyone.

Victoria Figueroa (’23) Ritesh Kapur (’23), a Grade 9 SusCo representative, said that SusCo’s goal for the fashion show is to spread awareness about the fast fashion industry with hopes of reducing students’ impact on the environment.

“I hope they understand how just changing clothing to something sustainable is not going to make your life miserable,” he said. “[And] you’re doing something good for the environment.”

SusCo representative and member of the Fashion Show Committee, Victoria Figueroa (’22), said the fashion show is a way for SusCo to actively engage t h e student body.

“I jumped on this because one thing I know is that whenever you tell someone to be sustainable, it is really hard,” she said. “But clothing is something that everyone participates in and it’s really easy like when you’re shopping to make sure it’s sustainable.”

Morris said the fashion show is a “community wide event” that requires student vol-

unteers. Students will est danger to the environmodel, do hair and ment. He also said that it’s makeup, adjust lighting easy to avoid buying leather and music and work as products by choosing other the backstage crew for materials and brands. the show.

“Before I knew about Figeruoa said this is the [state of the] enviimportant for SusCo ronment, I used to buy to connect with stuleather, but as I became dents. older I [saw]these news “We really want reports, so I started involvement with buying environmeneveryone, not tally friendly clothjust SusCo,” ing. And I don’t noshe said. tice the difference,” The fashhe said. ion show will Echoing Kapur, feature clothing from Figueroa noted both members of the denim as a parPHOTOS BY IMOGEN WEISS community who shopped ticular “toxic” piece at thrift stores and pieces sourced from exter- of clothing in regards to its effect on the ennal sustainable fashion brands Filippa K, Very- vironment. At the fashion show, the company an and more. Figueroa explained that the show Active Denim will be worn to raise awareness will be split into two sections: brand clothing about their approach. and thrifted clothing.

“They really target how they can make it as During the event, there will be three speak- sustainable as possible,” Figueroa said. “Eco ers from within the world of fashion comment- friendly dyes, the way they wash it.” ing on the industry’s role in climate change, Morris said that the outcome of the fashion and what they are doing individually to reduce show will determine whether or not it takes the carbon footprint of fashion businesses. The place again but she envisions it becoming an speakers include members of companies like annual event.

The Sustainable Angle and Chantuque.

“I feel like there is a lot of interest within Kapur, who is volunteering to help in the our ASL community and I can definitely see it backstage crew, said that he recognizes the happening again in the future,” she said. danger that fast fashion poses to the environFor Figueroa, the show will be a success if ment. The fashion industry alone produces students can begin to expand their thinking on 10% of all global carbon emissions, according how they can be sustainable. to Business Insider. Additionally, Kapur said “As long as you’re not buying fast fashion, that dressing sustainably does not mean that you’re doing something,” she said. consumers need to sacrifice comfort or style.

“You can dress just as well by buying envi*Isabel Link contributed to the reporting of ronmentally friendly clothing, and there’s an this article. advantage: it helps our Planet Earth,” he said.

Similarly, Morris said that since many students are in the position where they can shop frequently and may not consider the impacts of fast fashion, the event will both help raise guest awareness of the issue and off speakers sustainable alternatives.

“People can realize that coming maybe you don’t actually to the event need that extra shirt or you can go thrift it and get an outfit that’s entirely original and sustainable at the same time,” she said. students Figueroa highlighted how on SusCo’s fashion is popular in the High School, so the event Fashion poses a feasible way for stuShow dents to practice sustainability. committee “I feel like now with Extinction Rebellion and everything, everything just seems a lot more radical,” different she said. “So we wanted something brands being that was a lot more appealing to more people represented and I know fashion, clothing, at ASL, everyone’s obsessed [with it].” at the show Kapur said that the show will help highlight materials such as leather that pose the great-

By the numbers

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The Standard

Community reflects on new conference format Parent-Teacher conferences were altered this year to include students. Following this new experience, students, parents and teachers assess its impact and their feelings about the change.

Elliot Nilson Guest Writer High School students attended Parent Teacher Conferences for the first time Feb. 6 - 7. This allowed parents, teachers and students to participate in a conversation together about the students’ learning to date.

Administrators had considered and planned for this new conference format for over two years. Based on feedback from these conferences, they plan to continue this format next year. October conferences will continue to consist of just teachers and parents and the February conferences will include students along with parents and teachers.

Going into the conferences, students had mixed feelings about how effective the new format would be for all parties involved. Yet, following the culmination of this round of conferences, some of these concerns have been put to rest.

In a survey conducted by The Standard prior to the conferences, 69% of 179 students said that they believe their education wouldn’t be benefitted by the change.

Some students were concerned by the potentially uncomfortable situations they might encounter during the event. Afterwards, the general feeling was a positive one despite some lingering concerns.

Before the conferences, Minos Papadopoulos (’22) said he felt the anxiety among his peers to do with the conferences.

“Depending on your relationship with your teachers, parents and how you’re doing in certain classes, there’s stress surrounding [the conferences],” he said.

Yet, when the conferences had finished, Papadopoulos said he had a good experience and said he felt that it “established communication between students and parents” about their progress.

“It gave students an outlet to communicate with teachers about academic progress,” he said.

Assistant Principal Natalie Jaworski said she believed the new format of conferences was a success which the community gained from.

“

It gave students an outlet to communicate with teachers.

Minos Papadopoulos (’22) “The biggest benefit is to have all of the people involved in students’ learning sitting at the table together so that the student, who is at the center of everything we do at ASL, is with their parents and with their teachers so nothing is lost in translation,” she said.

Lisa Kolaja, parent of Jonas Kolaja (’21), echoed this view.

“It was really positive that students got to hear feedback directly from teachers instead of having it filtered through their parents,” she said. “This helped students, parents and teachers be on the same page.”

The new form of conferences not only saw many students taking responsibility for their learning, but in Jaworski’s view, also “embodied our mission about empowering our students to thrive.”

“My favorite thing was that I saw a handful of seniors who came without their parents who said

February/March 2020

‘this is my second semester senior year and I’m in charge of my own learning, so I’m the one who needs to be able to have this conversation with my teacher.’ So their parents said ‘we don’t need to be there for this last conference.’ I thought that was incredibly special,” she said.

Another unexpected plus Jaworski said she observed was parents seeing students and teachers together in the same setting.

“It was wonderful for parents to see how teachers and students interacted with each other because parents often don’t get to see those interactions,” Jaworski said.

Kolaja said she also noticed this unexpected, yet welcome benefit.

“It’s great for parents to see their child actively engage with their teacher,” she said.“This is something parents of high school students don’t often get to experience.”

Similarly, English Teacher Miles Dunmore said that he believes the conferences were a success.

Dunmore was also pleasantly surprised about how the conferences went for students of all ages.

“I had thought that before [the conferences] it would make more sense for the Freshman and the Sophomores than it would for the Juniors and Seniors, but I was actually very pleased to find that we had good, meaningful conversations with juniors and seniors,” he said. “It was collectively thinking about students’ progress and future and, in my experience, it happened in a very respectful way.”

Dunmore also noted the benefits for underclassmen attending the conferences.

“For the younger students, it was both about what they had achieved and also reassuring the students that Parent Teacher Conferences would be okay,” he said.

In addition to the benefits of the new format, there were also several difficulties associated with the new layout. To start with, there were sometimes long waiting times to see teachers because they were set up in confined areas.

These problems were tackled by spreading teachers to locations including the Mellon Library for the first time. Jaworski said this may have causedan inconvenience to those who went to the Academic Advising Office, Library, Commons and gyms.

Another challenge faced was that it became difficult for faculty who had children who had their own conferences to attend, but this is something which will be addressed in the future, in accordance with feedback and further changes.

Oriana Natsis (’21) found the new format of the conferences to be “beneficial overall” but also found fault in the way “the teachers hold back a little bit” with students present. “[Teachers] don’t talk how they normally would to your parents and if you weren’t there they would be more honest,” she said. “But if you’re right in front of them it would be a little weird for them to be completely truthful.”

Overall, Jaworski saw the conferences as a success, and said that other faculty members felt that having teachers, students and parents at the same meeting created a unique environment. “[Social Studies Department Head Christopher] Wolf pointed out the moment when parents walk up to the table and the teacher shakes their hand and there’s that moment to shake the hand of the student as well,” she said. “We often don’t break that barrier with each other and I thought that was really special to see everyone sitting together at the table as equals.”

Was speaking with teachers at conferences uncomfortable?

41.5% For the most part, no 26.3% No 16.1% For the most part, yes 16.1% Yes

Did conferences allow you to take charge of your learning?

55.1%

No

44.9%

Yes

Data collected from an online survey conducted by The Standard from Feb. 27 to 28 with 118 responses.

PHOTO BY CAMERON SPURR

Computer Science Teacher Livia Piloto conferences with Evan Emery (’22) and his parent Feb. 6. Students and teachers worked together to lead the conversations.

Teachers could also use computers to talk about grades and the curriculum.

News 7

EDITORIAL As the hype comes and goes, and March rolls around, it is considerable to question whether any sense of spirit lingers on in the High School.

School spirit should extend beyond one week The combination of winter and school can be dull and dark. The dreary weather makes classes feel longer, and coming off of Winter Break makes it hard to readjust to work. However, there is one event each year that pulls students out of the winter blues: Spirit Week.

This week of themed days and lively grade rivalries brings an energy to the High School that is not seen otherwise. It is a time when the majority of students, at least to some extent, display school spirit. Those who you’d expect to show their spirit, and even those who you wouldn’t, all come together under the goal of celebrating the student body.

Though taking place just five days out of every school year, Spirit Week is a time where people get invested in their grade. The week is light-hearted, and does legitimately unite students under their own grades. However, as the hype comes and goes, and March rolls around, it is considerable to question whether any sense of spirit lingers on in the High School.

After returning from February Break, there has been little spirit felt throughout the school. This is

not unique to this year. Every year, the feeling of joy from Spirit Week is lost as students return to a regular schedule of school. Although good spirits come around toward June, and graduation, there is more that could be done before then.

Seeing so much energy and joy in the school during Spirit Week makes it easy to wonder if the High School could be more lively. There seems to be missed opportunity in enhancing the environment of the school.

For example, winter sports events like varsity basketball games and the recent Writer’s Seminar reading were poorly attended. The students who do go out and show love for their friends should be commended. High School only lasts so long. It is important to be active in making connections and engaging with others in the school.

Faculty can only encourage students so much.

In the end, it is up to the student body to define what their social environment is like. Currently, when not Spirit Week, the High School does not always feel inclusive and well-rounded.

The High School has lots of social cliques.

There is not always a strong sense of school community. Yet, when Spirit Week comes around, it brings a different aura. It can be cliché to prompt students to appreciate the school more, but Spirit Week is a reminder of the practical positive effects that come with increased interest and excitement from each grade.

Ultimately, it’s every students’ choice as to what degree they participate in the school. When it comes down to it, it’s important to make school about more than just work – what makes it special is the interactions that occur between different individuals.

Sometimes, it may feel as though people don’t appreciate the school. But, as each grade approaches its graduation year, students begin to realize they’re going to miss all the people they see every day and all the memories they’ve made.

Spirit Week can’t be every week of the year. We can’t rely on one week of the year to reaffirm our spirit. Yet, showing school spirit is an easy task.

Grade 12 students are encouraged to wear their apparel every Friday. Grade 9 students are encour-

aged to get involved with extra-curriculars and explore the High School. Grade 10 students are encouraged to support their StuCo representatives and attend movie nights and formals. Grade 11 students should reach out to each other, and take time to look after each other during an infamously stressful year.

Each school year, there are trips that serve as breaks from time at school. This year, there will be no Alternatives. The added time we will spend at school makes it all the more important for students to bring good energy to the High School. All students and teachers are experiencing the same frustration about not getting a break from school.

There are about three months before this school year ends. While winter moved slow, spring will move fast. Don’t miss out on opportunities to celebrate your grade and your peers. Getting more engaged with people in the school takes on different forms for each individual. Think about how the social climate of the High School could be improved. Bring some sort of spirit to each and every week.

JOHN TOWFIGHI Editor-in-Chief ISABELLE LHUILIER Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Print JONATHAN NOVAK Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Online CAMERON SPURR News Editor: Print ISABEL LINK News Editor: Print LUCAS ROMUALDO News Editor: Online ALLEGRA ALBANESE Opinions Editor: Print SAL CERRELL Opinions Editor: Online LEA GEORGE Lead Features Editor ZAINAB SHAFQAT ADIL Features Editor: Print HELEN ROTH Features Editor: Online EMILY FORGASH Culture Editor: Print RAUNAK LALLY Culture Editor: Online LILY WHITMAN Sports Editor: Print MICHAEL FLAHERTY Sports Editor: Online IMOGEN WEISS Media Director MADDY WHITMAN Media Editor ROHAN HAARMANN Video Editor

CARTOONIST Zainab Shafqat Adil

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GRACE HAMILTON grace_hamilton@asl.org

“

Depression and anxiety have become problems that teenagers consider to be trends.

I can’t seem to spend a day at school without hearing at least one conversation between my friends about how little sleep they got the night before, the number of times they’ve cried in the past week or how they are slowly being crippled by their stress.

When talking about mental health, depression, anxiety, OCD and panic attacks are the first things that come to mind. Though conversations on these topics often seem competitive.

As soon as someone mentions their challenges, another person immediately compares it to their own struggles to try and prove that their situation is worse.

Mental health among teenagers needs to stop being a competition.

The issue has become a more popular and current topic, especially among teenagers in high school. According to Mind, a mental health charity, awareness and public attitudes towards mental health have spiked since 2013, but this increase has seemingly had a nega-

tive impact on society.

However, the line between mental health issues and more temporary problems, such as stress and sadness, is often blurred.

In the past few years, the percentage of teenagers that have felt pressured by their environment to exaggerate or talk more about mental health issues has increased. According to a survey conducted online, 51% of High School students feel that the school environment has prompted their behavior towards mental health issues in a negative way, meaning that it has increased students’ likelihood to overexaggerate their mental health issues and view mental health issues negatively.

Depression and have become problems that teenagers consider a trend and something that makes them seem cool, which creates the misconception that mental health issues are common and almost everyone experiences them.

There have been countless conversa-

Do you think mental health is considered a trend?

Do you believe the school normalizes mental health issues?

No 21.7% Yes 78.3%

56.5% Yes

43.5% No

Data collected from an online survey conducted by The Standard from Feb.10 to Feb.12 with 184 responses.

tions where my friends have privately expressed their battles with mental health. This culture invalidates others who genuinely struggle with depression and anxiety. When people behave as if they have poor mental health, and compete with others about it, someone who is actually struggling will feel more guilty about dealing with those issues and thus be less likely to seek help.

This means for teenagers who are struggling with mental health disorders are greatly affected by the standard of so-called “normal issues” and treat their own issues as comparable with others.

Additionally, according to the same survey, 78% of students believe that the school environment contributes to the idea that mental health issues are normal. This shows that we live in a society where having mental health struggles is nothing less than the expectation. While not every student is actually struggling with these issues, the environments that teenagers are a part of give the impression that this is true.

If one person shares similar feelings with someone who is seemingly depressed, the other person is more likely to self-diagnose themselves too.

Not only does this invalidate students’ struggles, but it also prompts others to join in or compete with them.

Arguing with someone else about how much sleep they’ve gotten or how sad they are is not only unhealthy, but can also give the idea to others that they

OPINIONS

Mental health competition poses risks

should compete with each other too. It can make someone who is involved in this competition feel as if they do not need help or support because everyone else is dealing with the exact same problems, as if it’s “supposed to be this way.”

While the increase in discussion about mental health may have actually benefited society and helped spread awareness about issues, it has ultimately created more problems than it has solved. The constant competition has created an immense amount of cultural acceptance and stigmas that harm teenagers’ views on mental health.

If teenagers continue to compete with their friends about who has the worse mental health, misconceptions will continue to spread and serious issues will continue to be considered as jokes and insignificant.

Not only will students around the world be affected, but the environment in the High School will continue to be a place where students feel the need to exaggerate, talk and lie about their mental health.

Mental health will become even more competitive, normalized and problematic. Next time someone tells you about how many hours of sleep they got or how much they cried last night, don’t try to prove that you have it worse. Instead, acknowledge that they are struggling and support them.

Age should not dictate electability

LUCAS ROMULADO lucas_romualdo@asl.org

“

Old age is not necessarily a disqualifying factor for office.

February/March 2020

The 2020 U.S. presidential election has raised the question of how old an American president should be.

All of the three leading candidates for the Democratic nomination are over the age of 70.

The issue of age in politics is important. People should have confidence in the physical and mental states of their leaders. However, it is worth noting that other countries have elected people well over 70 years old and younger than 40. As such, it is irresponsible to discount political candidates solely on the basis of age.

Perhaps the best example of a successful young state leader is 33-yearold Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. He has served in Austria’s highest office since 2017 and has led his center-right Austrian People’s Party to two decisive electoral victories.

Although his first premiership came to an end after a scandal impugning his far-right coalition partner’s collaboration with Russians while in Ibiza, Kurz won a snap election and returned to office in 2020.

While his term was engulfed in the fallout from the Ibiza Affair, he passed many of his policy objectives.

His policies are undoubtedly controversial, especially his aggressive approach to immigration, but he has nevertheless achieved much of his reforms and upended Austrian politics.

This is a remarkable achievement for any politician, made even more so by Kurz’s young age.

Looking to the past, former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt took office at 42 years old, the youngest in American history. He was considered a champion of progressive reforms and is famous for his expansionist foreign policy and relentless regulation of monopolistic companies. He is widely viewed as one of the most successful presidents in U.S. history.

Successful leaders on the higher end of the age spectrum are also common around the world. Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, at nearly 80 years old, provides, perhaps, the strongest case for the value of older leaders. Pelosi has been an expert foil against Trump, holding her own in the recent impeachment inquiry and demonstrating a mastery of congressional procedure, a rarity among American politicians.

While effectively leading the Democrats’ opposition to Trump, Pelosi has also garnered a great deal of media attention around her ability to respond to Trump’s petty actions and statements, such as her infamous clap back at the 2019 State of the Union and her forceful rebuttal at a 2019 meeting with Trump on the government shutdown.

Meanwhile, though both Kurz has formidably executed his goals, he has encountered significant obstacles. Kurz’s aforementioned Ibiza Affair collapsed his first government, forcing a snap election, and his rightwing immigration policies are very

controversial in Austria and in other European countries.

This isn’t to say that certain components of age are irrelevant. Sanders, for example, suffered a heart attack in 2019. This raises the issue of candidates’ health, and whether they could physically withstand the burdens of leading a nation.

However, it is worth noting that many older candidates for president, such as Joe Biden and incumbent President Donald Trump, are in decent shape and are classified by their doctors as “super-agers”, people who have above-average health in their later years. Old age, therefore, is not necessarily a disqualifying factor for office; health, rather, is the important factor that voters should consider.

On the younger end of the spectrum, candidate experience in government or having responsibility in general, is called into question. French President Emmanuel Macron, for example, served in the cabinet for just two years before running for president, while his prior career experience was limited to investment banking. His lack of qualifications for the job was evident in his lackluster performance, continuing a long streak of ineffective French presidents.

Meanwhile, young politicians in the U.S. such as Pete Buttigieg and

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have demonstrated charisma but a less-thanappreciable aptitude for successful governance. Someone with so little exposure to the process of governing would be a poor choice to lead a large bureaucracy and nation.

These metrics of experience and health are undoubtedly important considerations in electoral politics.

Despite that, numerous contemporary and historic world leaders prove that age as a metric alone should not affect voters’ choices for high office.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLEGRA ALBANESE

Opinions 9

Bernie Sanders is dangerous choice JOHN TOWFIGHI john_towfighi@asl.org

For quite a while, I avoided political conversation. The 2016 U.S. presidential election cycle had created a toxic climate, and I felt that extreme stances on every issue were creating a sense of polarization that was difficult to overcome.

As the current election cycle came around, I had initially felt a breath of fresh air in the presence of a new beginning – a chance to begin bridging the divides that were created. A new President could bring the U.S. back to a state of political normality; one devoid of drama and undemocratic practice.

However, as the Democratic candidates scramble from state to state trying to win votes for the nomination, one more reason for concern has arisen: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Sanders is a divisive candidate. He is a democratic socialist, and his campaign, built on promises like free public college and halted deportations, is overreaching and illogical. More importantly, his policies would create major division, and cause as much political po-

“

Sanders’ divisive, farleft policies are driving away the moderate voters that Democrats need to beat Trump.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLEGRA ALBANESE

larization as the election of U.S. President Donald Trump did.

Sanders’ campaign talks about a revolution in the U.S. – a chance to overhaul Trump’s America with progressive policies that would prioritize economic and social reform. At first, this seems easy to get behind. Sanders is charismatic to younger generations and his justicedriven policies like Medicare for All are appealing to those who are tired of the likes of Trump.

However, Sanders is the opposite of what needs to happen. His far-left stance on each issue is creating a split within the Democratic party’s voter base. In order to beat Trump, a strong coalition is needed. Elections are won by appealing to voters in as many states as possible.

Sanders is too committed to the extremes of political policy that he is driving away moderate voters. Compromise is not always desired, but it is the most effective way to get things done.

Sanders takes his stance on each issue as far left as he can. According to the Washington Post, he supports an outright ban on all fracking. While noble, fracking is a major part of Pennsylvania’s economy, and his hard-left stance could result in moderate-swing voters moving back across the aisle instead of supporting a Democrat against Trump.

Also, what is often overlooked is the effect of the Democratic nominee on down-ballot elections. Members of the House of Representatives will be up for election in November. A Sanders nomination will fare poorly for House Democrats vying for reelection.

In 2018, Democrats were able to win House seats in contested, right-leaning states by targeting the outlandish ways of Trump. It is naive to think Republicans won’t have a field day taking back these seats by fear-mongering about the fact a socialist is going up to bat with their beloved president.

House Democrats have been vocal that Sanders is not the nominee their constituents want, and have begun distancing themselves from him, opting for a focus on moderate policies.

Republicans will undoubtedly emphasize the Democratic nomination of a socialist, using Medicare for All as the subject of attack-ads against the vulnerable 2018 class of Democratic House members. This will all but cede Trump and the GOP another four years in the White House.

After all, Trump thrives in a field of divisive politics. His populist rhetoric is only strengthened by the absence of practicality and logic that is present throughout Sanders’ progressive platform. This is most notable in the case of Medicare for All. It is moral to provide health-care for all citizens. However, Sanders’ Medicare for All plan immediately aims for the end goal, and doesn’t consider the practical steps that need to be taken to get

there. Sanders’ plan will eliminate private health insurance,resulting in the loss of a market that provides thousands of jobs for citizens. Furthermore, hundreds of millions of Americans would lose their current private health insurance plans.

The country is not in a state where it is ready for a shift like this, both politically and economically.

Sanders is not the best option. Rather, former Vice President Joe Biden is the party’s best bet at taking on Trump and returning the U.S. to a state of decent politics. Biden has had a recent surge to become a favorite of the party after his exceptional Super Tuesday performance where he won 10 out of 14 states. Sanders only won 4.

This surprising victory for the Biden campaign has changed the trajectory of who the front-runner for the nomination is. All other moderate candidates have dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden. It is clear that Democrats are certain that Sanders should not become the nominee.

The U.S. is not in need of a revolution. The country is in need of a President who will prioritize unity over polarization and take logical steps toward keeping the country on course. Biden has the legacy and the appeal to secure a nomination. He will be able to motivate people against Trump in a way that Sanders can not.

When it comes to the Democratic Party, there are a lot of questions to be answered. Yet, there is one thing that I feel certain about: Bernie Sanders is not the answer.

Age of technology comes with a price ANABELLE FOX anabelle_fox@asl.org

“

Our behaviors and thoughts should be in our sole control, not altered by our devices.

10 Opinions

The age of technology has bred a time of great innovation and forwardthinking. Our society has developed tools to uplift our livelihoods and create more technological opportunities.

Innovation has positively manifested itself into the pharmaceutical industry, creating easier access to healthcare records and new ways to treat illnesses.

Companies have also developed apps that can help track your physical and mental wellbeing.

However, while the utilization of technology can have a positive aspect on our society, it can also simultaneously negatively impact our emotional and physical wellbeing. Recently, a number of studies have been conducted, revealing negative consequences of technology.

For one, phone addiction has become very common among teenagers today. According to a 2016 Common Sense Media Report, “50 percent of teens ‘feel addicted’ to mobile devices.”

With the amount of work that teenagers are given today, phone addiction is nothing but a distraction.

In addition, according to the American Optometric Association, the excessive use of technology can lead to eye strain, dry eyes, headaches and upper back pain. According to healthline.com there is “a clear association between self-reported addiction to smartphone use and neck problems.”

The other crucial and more last- hoods and has become something that ing flaw of technology is its impact on we can’t function without. teenage sleep schedules. I sleep with In recent years, contrary to most, my phone on my night table, meaning I have seen my phone usage plummet it is easily accessible at any time. For even as social media and broader conthis reason, the last thing that I do be- nectivity has been enhanced. Technolfore going to bed is check my phone, ogy has negatively impacted the way I only further aggravating the problem. do my homework, my sleep schedule Consistent with the argument is and much more. Yet, despite these The Sleep Foundaalarming disadvantages, EE tion’s assessment that teenager’s cell-phone use “using electronic dehas continued to increase. vices before bed delays The reason for this inTuesday March 10 your body’s internal crease lies in the hands MESSAGES clock, suppresses the of app developers today, the Standard release of the sleepmost notably both Insta10 more messages inducing hormone gram and Snapchat, commelatonin and makes monly used by teenagers.

INSTAGRAM it more difficult to fall But, truthfully, their aims @thestandardasl asleep.” stretch beyond entertain6 more notifications With all these negment or wasting our time. ative impacts at play, In reality, apps have why is that we keep specific algorithms deSNAPCHAT thestandardasl using these devices, signed to influence our be12 more notifications which only perpetuhavior and keep us hooked ate the problems deand make no meaningful GRAPHIC BY ALLEGRA ALBANESE effort to counter the inscribed above?

According to time managment crease in addiction underscored in the blog nirandfar.com, “just like an ad- numerous published reports. diction to gambling and the alluring According to businessinsider.com, sound of slot machines, we addictively Randy Nelson, an analysis for app inreact to the sounds our smartphone telligence said “push notifications are makes.” This scary truth is prevalent the first line of this strategy. They adin our society today. Phone usage has dress you directly and say, ‘Hey, come evolved into an addiction. Their con- back to the app’.” Ultimately, busitinued presence defines our very liveli- nesses use strategies to endorse user

17:38

engagement, playing a role in smartphone addiction.

Another method used by companies is referred to as the “variable ratio.” According to buisnessinsider. com, the variable ration is a concept where an action was taken by a user is rewarded. By clicking on an app, users are anticipating the reward of notifications from their friends or peers. This creates a feeling of recompense which sometimes we are rewarded and other times not The new popularity of Snapchat “streaks” has changed the way that companies view user engagement. A streak is a tracker within Snapchat that notes your engagement with a certain user through the number of days that you “snap” back and forth. Today, consequences can derive from losing a streak such as a friend getting mad or a feeling of loss.

Streaks have enabled Snapchat to tap into our emotional responses and underscore the extent of the influence corporations have over our generation.

Our behaviors and thoughts should be in our sole control, not altered by our devices.

So in theory the rise of technology has lead to the age of great innovation and invention, but in truth, our society has become dependent on technology, while remaining unaware of its broader impacts.

The Standard

What I learned from my semester abroad neither of the two protagonists had a race assigned to them and yet the class had readily assumed their skin color.

I tiptoed around this fact, attempting to write about setting and even clothing, but was ultimately pulled back to face the reality of my subconscious racial coding.

What I learned when faced with writing an essay about my subconscious racial prejudice is that humans, like myself, tend to racially code to simplify the world around us. However, in doing so, we are constructing assumptions and stereotypes, making it more difficult to understand the community around us.

This is just one example of a complicated concept that I had to decode and process for the most part on my own. I did a lot of thinking while living in Vermont, perhaps in some instances too much thinking.

Besides uncovering truths about

One year ago, I set out on an adventure far from home, not knowing where I was going, who I would meet or what I would do. My semester abroad at the Mountain School was an unexpected experience in Vermont.

I decided to apply to the Mountain School spontaneously halfway through Sophomore year. I had done barely any research on the school but knew that I wanted to get away for a small period of time to meet new people and have new experiences.

I showed up on the first day in Nike airforce sneakers and thin cotton sweatpants, neither of which agreed with Vermont’s -20 degree fahrenheit temperatures. However, this was the least of my problems.

I had an accent and was foreign to rural American culture. I was an excessive consumer surrounded by environmentalists. I was an independent individual suddenly tied down by school rules and dorm parents. I was a city girl afraid of getting her hands dirty in a farm crew. Most of all though, with my three nationalities, I was a cultural nomad searching for a place to fit in.

The Mountain School pushed me beyond comfort in places where I needed to be pushed, not least of which included my beliefs and perspective. The second English essay I wrote was about Toni Morrison’s short story “Recitatif.”

The theme of the essay could be whatever the student desired, however, it would have been wrong to ignore the main takeaway of the piece–that

ALLEGRA ALBANESE allegra_albanese@asl.org

“

The Mountain School pushed me beyond comfort in places where I needed to be pushed.

PHOTO BY ALLEGRA ALBANESE

The sun sets as clouds roll in at The Mountain School in Vermont.

This is where Opinions Editor: Print Allegra Albanese spent a semester abroad.

Progress Report ALTERNATIVES

STUCO

BIDEN

the world, I was forced to finally listen to my inner self and respond. I found some darkness within me, including anxiety and fear, two things which I had always considered myself exempt from.

In the same way, I found resilience and positivity in healing the areas which had grown to hurt overtime. I had to become my own best friend in certain situations and I had to learn to never stop trying, no matter how paralyzing things felt. Though in the end, I did finally open up to close friends who eased my worries.

In helping myself heal, I discovered new passions, including nature, Mary Oliver and planting seeds in the greenhouse, pastimes that I would have made fun of anyone for enjoying prior to my semester.

Living on my own taught me accountability. I was responsible for two chores a day whose execution was re-

lied on by the whole community. If I didn’t get them done, everyone suffered in some way.

When I returned from my semester, almost every person I encountered asked me how it was. I didn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t that I hated the experience but I also didn’t love it.

I struggled an immense amount.

Being back in London was all I had dreamed of when in Vermont, but when I finally returned I felt lost and confused. Nobody could understand what I had just experienced, and honestly I myself couldn’t understand it either. On the outside I was the same person, but on the inside I felt fundamentally different.

I am writing this piece one year later as it’s taken me this much time to process my experience. At the Mountain School, I stepped into the portal that led me into the adult world, a parallel universe filled with difficult questions and topics. I still struggle with many of those topics, not to mention anxiety and fear.

However, at the Mountain School I had to deal with my problems head on and find ways to make sense of things without losing focus of my studies and relationships. I know from my experience away that I am strong.

I am reminded of this as I prepare to embark on my daunting journey through college. Though an experience, such as this one, may not initially seem worthwhile, it can sometimes be revealed as an essential part of your life story.

1. SCREEN SHOT SCHOOL EMAIL 2. PHOTO BY MADDY WHITMAN 3. PHOTO

BY JASMIN TAYLOR 4. PHOTO BY ISABELLE LHUILIER 5. PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM FLICKR/CARTERMARKS 6. PHOTO BY ISABELLE LHUILIER

SLEEP

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canceled (C) Should’ve just kept them in October...

Year (C+) It’s never ending.

This Editorial Board of 1. Alternatives 4. Junior Isabelle Lhuiller Lea George The Standard gives the Spirit Week: (B-) Still bitter about the musical chairs loss.

Super Tuesday: (A) Watch the Joe-mentum carry on.

2.

5.

Helen Roth Cameron Spurr school its fourth progress Sleep: (F) I haven’t gotten any and it’s been pretty rough.

Council: (A+) Excited to see what they do...going to 6. report of the school year. 3. Student Lily Whitman miss LR’s voice on the announments tho :( John Towfighi

Post Scriptum: shawty

February/March 2020

Opinions 11

Why do I have to play the victim?

GUEST WRITER

LAURA BOYLE laura_boyle@asl.org

“

I don my cloak of presumed innocence everywhere I go.

My family is driving to the city. I’m 7 years old. We’re going to meet some family at a restaurant on the San Francisco wharf; I’m excited to escape our tiny town. We drive past the confines of Walnut Creek, and then we go in the tunnel and come out of the tunnel and into Oakland and my mom rolls up the windows and locks the doors.

We’ve been transported into a new world, a world where the exit and entrance are marked by tent towns of homeless people. But the way I remember it is in those locking car doors and the clutch of my mother’s hand on the roof handles, the way my dad’s eyes squinted and his forehead furrowed as our speed went up, only slightly, but noticeably to a restless seven-year-old.

All I knew was Oakland was not safe, that, as my dad warned me, “pretty girls” like me shouldn’t be out there alone. So I grew up fearful of that city, fearful of what might happen to me if I even dared step outside the car.

I could walk by myself through the dusty hills of Walnut Creek, but I couldn’t ever go out alone in Oakland.

With that, my internal bias against black people was strengthened. The roles were delegated: the perpetual white victim and the perpetual black trigger-holder.

In his book “Between the World”

and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates writes, “Fear ruled everything around me, and I knew, as all black people do, that this fear was connected to the world out there, to the unworried boys, to pie and pot roast, to the white fences and green lawns nightly beamed into our television sets.”

As a white person, I know that my place in this world, in those “white fences and green lawns,” is safer than the ghettos and hoods that I drove by in a locked car. Once again, I am forced to confront the neatly packaged costume of a victim I was forced into, one I continue to wear, mostly without my consent.

I don my cloak of presumed innocence everywhere I go.

I also know I face my own share of struggles. As a woman, fear rules everything around me, especially past 9:30 p.m., when the tube stays open but not for young women like me, who must take cabs to avoid the catcalling, who must hide from the fear of assualt and rape and murder that chases us like an odious shadow.

Yet, a crucial part of my iden-

tity is my whiteness, and it affords me certain undeniable privileges – no one would move out of a suburb if I were to start living there.

Coates writes that “the power of domination and exclusion is central to the belief in being white, and without it, ‘white people’ would cease to exist for want of reasons.”

So much of being white is built upon being in power, power that directly feeds off of the systematic oppression of people of color. Paradoxically, as a white woman, I am forced to be a victim; to play this role, I must trade in my dignity and sovereignty for security.

This trade-off, however, only reinforces existing sexual and racial hierarchies, and any protection I gain comes at the cost of black lives and liberty.

While it’s been ingrained in my brain since the day I stepped into school that the American Dream is the beauty of my nation, I would argue that America’s storied greatness does not guarantee the ability for anyone in the

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLEGRA ALBANESE

country to achieve anything if they work hard enough.

America is great because it’s uniquely capable of change at the hands of its citizens. We must be willing to look internally and externally, to confront biases of ourselves and others, and patch up the holes in the American fabric.

The American Dream isn’t some forgone paragon; rather, it is a fundamentally unattainable utopia that pushes us to resist stagnancy.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m tired of fighting, tired of struggling against the invisible forces that hold myself and others back, tired of fighting both my battles and those of people who are not voiceless, but rather cannot be heard.

I’m ashamed to admit that sometimes, in moments of weakness, as I sit in the dark of the night and confuse my beating heart for the footsteps of an intruder, I allow myself the fantasy of accepting the position I’m in, accepting the manacles that fasten black men, blinding myself to my invisible shackles, and allowing myself to revel in the idea that I’m safer this way.

Like Coates, I want “to escape into the Dream, to fold my country over my head like a blanket.” I know I’d be safer if I thought that way. But I cannot retreat into the Dream, for in all its security, that notion of silent acceptance is more fatal to me than death could ever possibly be.

Trump peace plan far too one-sided GUEST WRITER

ADNAN BSEISU adnan_bseisu@asl.org

“

The Palestinians would be legitimizing a plan that is so detrimental to the Palestinian people that it is beyond salvageable.

12 Opinions

What if you were tasked with solving a 103-year-old conflict? Not many people could draft a viable solution regardless of the amount of time given.

While the task seems impossible, especially considering the religious, historical and political forces that have propelled the war since its inception, most people would at least begin by fairly including both parties in peace talks.

In November 2017, the Palestinian Authority sternly warned Jared Kushner, a senior advisor to President Trump and the architect of his Middle East peace plan, said that moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would “have disqualified [the U.S.] from playing any role in the peace process.”

Nevertheless, Trump haughtily announced the Embassy move Dec. 6. A few months later, as if his original message wasn’t clear enough, he made the decision to close Palestine’s mission in Washington D.C., removing all Palestinian diplomats from the country.

Following the Embassy move, the PA had no interest in engaging in and legitimising negotiations with the Trump administration. So, when wondering whether the Palestinians should have come to the negotiating table after the announcement of Trump’s infamous “Deal of the Century,” one has to first ask themselves whether the rest of the negotiating table is even willing to listen

to Palestinian needs.

In order to provide some context to the plan, one must understand those who designed it: namely, Israel PM Benjamin Netenyahu. Shortly after his prime-ministerial election in 2009 he established his parameters for a potential deal with the Palestinians.

His demands for a fully demilitarized Palestinian state, Jerusalem to become the undivided capital of Israel, and for Palestinian refugees to be denied access to their Arab relatives in Israel were all scarily similar to the recent 53 pages of Trump’s peace plan.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLEGRA ALBANESE

Netanyahu has been pivotal in dictating the tone of the lengthy document, and it’s clear that instead of writing the plan themselves, Kushner’s team handed Netanyahu full reign over the terms.

Yet, Mahmoud Abbas’ demands, the President of the PA, were nowhere to be seen on any of the document’s 181 pages. In fact, Abbas himself has admitted that Kushner urged him to “wait until the plan is announced” before giving input (he didn’t send him an advanced copy of the plan).

Over the past three years, the Trump administration has actively stifled Pal-

estinian voices from the deliberative process. Not only have they denied the right of the Palestinians to have a seat at the negotiating table, but they have also cut $65 million in funding for Palestinian refugees, promising to reinstate the funds only when the Palestinians unequivocally embrace Trump’s “Deal of the Century.”

Despite this, the Trump administration continues to publicly argue that the Palestinians can “come and tell us” what minor details they would like to renegotiate, refusing to see that Abbas would need to renegotiate the whole plan.

For the sake of changing a few formalities, Abbas doesn’t see the value in subserviently yielding to Netanyahu, who was formally indicted for bribery and fraud in Israel on the day the deal was announced.

Even if Trump had unveiled a plan perfectly suited to the needs of the Palestinian people, how could Abbas accept a deal knowing that they were disregarded in the process of its formation?

Another reason why the Palestinians should not go to the negotiating table is that they would be legitimizing a plan that is so detrimental to the Palestinian people that it is beyond salvageable.

The map of a two-state solution in the document – which loosely resembles my third grade scatter art project – divides the Palestinian state into fragmented neighborhoods connected by thin roads, bridges and tunnels.

The map is best understood next to

a map of South Africa’s Bantustans, but that would be assuming that the map is actually enacted. Under the deal, a semiautonomous Palestinian state — its territorial waters, airspace and crossings would all still be monitored by Israel — would only be achieved subject to Israel’s approval of it “in good faith”; that phrase only springs to mind when looking at Israel’s foreign policy, especially its ever growing illegal settlements in the West Bank.

According to the plan, Jerusalem, a city that holds religious significance for Islam, Christianity and Judaism, would solely be under the political jurisdiction of Israel. This defies the United Nations and its countless resolutions that implore Israel to retreat to its pre-1967 borders.

Trump claims that “East Jerusalem” would be designated as the capital of Palestine. However, the implication of that is the Palestinian people would only be given the suburbs that are located east of Jerusalem.

For a conflict that has endured for several generations, it is hard to see how the exclusive negotiations and harsh rhetoric of the “Deal of the Century” could possibly reassure the Palestinians that the deal is in their best interests.

While the duration of Palestine’s continued struggle for self-determination is uncertain, it is certain that this autonomy will never be achieved if the Palestinians come to a negotiating table that bullies them into signing on the dotted line of a predetermined deal.

The Standard

Bruno’s Deli has been serving the St. John’s Wood community for two decades. However, in recent years, it has lost business from High School students. With no exit available from Loudoun Road, students have made the High Street their main lunch destination.

Features

Loudoun Road closure affects local business John Towfighi | Editor-in-Chief

B

ack when current Grade 12 students were still in Middle School, and the High School was comprised of an entirely different student body, the Loudoun Road entrance of the school was open for most hours of the day.

As an alternate entrance to Waverley, Loudoun allowed students to exit onto another side of St. John’s Wood.

While seemingly simple, this entrance was a staple pathway for the wave of students who would flock to Bruno’s Deli during lunch.

Bruno’s Deli, on the corner of Abbey Road and Springfield Road, was a place frequented by students for more than a decade. A local, family-friendly Italian deli that served homemade food, Bruno’s was a popular lunch time choice for students.

As the school has directed traffic out of Waverley, students going out for lunch have lost contact with the deli’s side of St. John’s Wood. Berenguer said he has lost the sense of a vibrant community that he loved.

“I used to have 30 kids [for lunch], and now I maybe have two kids,” he said. “Loudoun Road closed, it gives all the business to the High Street.

For nothing.”

Andrew Shaffran (‘20) lives down the street from the deli. His family has been going there for years. Most notably, his older brother would often go there for lunch with his friends when he attended ASL. “That was basically their place to go for lunch every day,” Shaffran said.

“It was convenient; you can pop out of Loudoun and you can get really

“

Fennelly has lived near the deli since she moved to London six years ago. She described it as a personal favorite in the neighborhood.

“I would go there for lunch or my family would get pasta for dinner,” she said. “Since I live only a street away I still go there quite often.”

Berenguer said that the St. John’s Wood atmosphere has become more boring in recent years. He’s worked in the area for around 20 years, and during his time he has seen local pubs close, familiar people move away and rent prices change. He said that most economic activity is centered around the area near the tube, whereas his area of St. John’s Wood is left out.

“Lately, the community has been changing every six months,” he said.

“I always advertise for my business,

I used to have 30 kids for lunch, and now maybe I have two kids. Loudoun Road closed – it gives all the business to the High Street. For nothing.

Bruno Berenguer, Owner of Bruno’s Deli However, in recent years, Bruno’s has seen minimal student customers.

This is related to the closing of the Loudoun Road entrance in 2015.

Head of Security Roi Yefet explained that the school “changed our policies and procedures” and the entrance had to be closed.

“I can’t go into detail,” Yefet said.

The owner of the self-named deli, Bruno Berenguer, said that since the entrance closed five years ago, his ASL customers have gone down tremendously. As I sat down in his deli and drank coffee with him, Berenguer was openly frustrated with the way the school has neglected to try and reopen the entrance.

“It does affect 75 percent of the business because [ASL] closed Loudoun Road,” Berenguer said.

Berenguer said the closing of the entrance coincided with the 2015 Paris Terrorist Attacks, and an increase in general security around London. While he recognizes the concern, he said it isn’t practical.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “[They closed the entrance] because of all this happened in Paris.

But it doesn’t have anything to do with London.”

February/March 2020

good food at this small Italian place.

They were a large part of the business at Bruno’s.”

Shaffran said that despite being an old favorite, Bruno’s has been losing popularity within the High School.

“I’ve noticed way less activity at Bruno’s,” he said. “People in the High School don’t really know about it unless they live near it.”

Catherine Fennelly, who also lives near Bruno’s, agrees with Shaffran.

She said that people should see it is a viable lunch option.

“It’s really good and also it’s just a fun place to go with friends,” Fennelly said. “Especially in the spring when it’s warm out.”

Despite losing the school’s business, Berenguer has remained in touch with his local and loyal customers. He said parents from the school still try and visit him. Yet, he said it does not feel the same.

“In one way, I’m happy actually because the parents, they come here, they call me, they order stuff for the kids,” he said. “But, in the other way, the kids should come here for lunch.

They should open the door and I want to hear this. I want the kids to come back here and eat healthy, good food.”

but I don’t see any progress. [People] always end up investing their money in the High Street.”

A large part that Bruno said he misses is his connection with the students. He said he prides himself on his care for the community.

“The kids, they always ask for takeaway and they sit here,” he said.

“I charge take-away prices and they eat ... It’s £10 [worth of food]. This is the way it is supposed to be, and it has always been like that for 20 years.”

Yefet said that there are currently no plans in place to re-open the Loudoun entrance.

“No,” he said. “They’re not going to reopen it.”

To Berenguer, the school has overlooked the direct downsides the Loudoun Road closure has had on all parts of St. John’s Wood.

“I don’t feel comfortable,” he said.

“I always give more and more and more to my locals. I’m devastated.”

Fennelly said that there is value in students trying to support local places like Bruno’s.

“I think it’s important for them,” she said. “It’s important for a lot of other people to know to know it so they can see what it is like.”

PHOTOS BY JOHN TOWFIGHI

Top: Bruno’s deli is situated on the corner of Abbey Road and Springfield Road.

The Italian deli serves homemade food and used to be a popular place among High School students.

Bottom: An employee serves customers as Bruno’s Deli. Each morning, pasta, sandwiches and other foods are made which are put out to be sold throughout the day. Fresh food is made each morning by employees at the deli.

Features 13

School cultivates close alumni connections The ASL alumni network consists of over 16,000 former students living in 90 countries. Since the first alumni coordinator position opened in 1993, the Advancement Office has worked tirelessly to promote connections between current and past members of the school community.

Isabelle Lhuilier | Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Print

H

aving spent eight years working in the Advancement Office, Alumni Director Libby Jones manages and oversees a wide network of former students. The alumni network spans over 90 countries and includes former faculty and staff as well as alumni parents.

ASL defines an alum as someone who has spent any amount of time at the school regardless of whether or not they graduated. With such a broad definition, the entire alumni network consists of over 16,000 former students.

“You could have spent 14 years here or one semester and you are still an alum to us,” she said.

However, Jones said that the number of contactable alumni–those who have given the alumni office consent to be contacted–is closer to 6,000.

“There is a big gap between how many students are under our umbrella and how many we are actually able to connect with,” she said. “It's a wonderful challenge to think about the ways that we can engage with such a broad and diverse community.”

In the month leading up to graduation, the

Advancement Office will reach out to the Grade 12 class to encourage students to maintain contact with the school. This will allow the office to invite them to alumni events and receive future ASL news and communications.

In particular, all contactable alumni receive London Calling, a biweekly newsletter run by the Advancement Office that focuses on alumni news. Jones said she sources news stories, profiles alumni and plugs upcoming events into a bulletin.

“News stories are a really good engagement tool for me as I'm looking to promote the cool things that our alumni are doing,” she said. “I reach out to them, take them for coffee and learn about what they are doing.”

The journalism aspect is what Jones enjoys most in her role as alumni director.

“I have an interest in storytelling and I love hearing alumni’s ASL stories and learning what was the aha moment how did they start this company or build this career,” she said.

Jones said that one of her main goals is to

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LIBBY JONES

Athletics Director John Farmer (’97), standing second from right, participated on the varsity boys volleyball team during his time at ASL. Farmer played in the 1994 ISST tournament when he was in Grade 10.

bring these stories in front of the current student body, whether that be through articles, Q&As or inviting them as guest speakers.

On the other hand, Jones also works to make alumni aware of current news stories at ASL. This year, the Advancement Office started a recurring feature called Five Questions For, which consists of a quick interview with a current faculty member. Jones said that questions include “everything from what is your favourite meal at ASL to what do you do on Saturdays.”

“The draw for [alumni] is your teachers, the people who were formative in your ASL experience,” she said. “If I have a story about a beloved faculty member, people are going to read it.”

In order to find interesting stories, Jones said she does extensive research online and often sends out calls to the community asking for any alumni updates. Moreover, this school year there are 32 alumni who are also parents at the school.

Jones refers to this group as her “first responders” as they have a unique dual perspective and often share information about their classmates.

Additionally, Advancement runs a weekly section called Alumni Roll-Call in the staff newsletter Headlines which is a brief shout out about an alumni story. Jones said current faculty are asked to share any alumni updates they may have as many are still in contact with old students.

“They often hear about their former students who are running a marathon, or won an award at their college, or just got married so that has helped cultivate some of those stories,” Jones said.

When searching for alumni information, Jones often turns to Database and Gifts Coordinator Steve Townsend, who will do a deep dive into the alumni database and help pull potential news stories.

Townsend has worked in the office for 19 years and said that his main role is to keep the ASL database up to date by adding in new community contact information when necessary.

The database includes information on anybody connected to the school, including 1,586 former faculty and 6,791 alumni parents.

For Jones, social media is also a valuable tool for sourcing alumni stories. She said she uses ASL’s Facebook and LinkedIn aswell as an unofficial Facebook group called Friends of ASL which

Actress Kathleen Turner (’72) in the 1970 yearbook. Turner has won two Golden Globes and has been nominated for an academy award. an alum welcomed her into.

“I studied journalism in high school and college and can always put my reporter hat on and do my own digging,” she said.

Jones said the office recently created ASL Switchboard, which she describes as a combination of Craigslist and LinkedIn for members of the ASL community. The interface currently has 720 members, however, Jones said it is often hard to maintain momentum on the platform.

Townsend said that his favorite part of his role as database coordinator is doing the alumni research as he enjoys hearing what alumni experience when they leave the school.

“It’s really valuable,” he said. “It's part of the history of the school and it keeps us connected to the outside world.”

Although many alumni are working in fairly traditional fields, Townsend said he enjoys coming across alumni career paths that are particularly unique.

The ASL Database

0 0 0

16,428 Student alumni 6,791 Alumni parents 1,586 Former teachers 5000

10000

15000

20000

5000 5000

10000 10000

15000 15000

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14 Features

16,428 6,091

Total student alumni Contactable alumni STATISTICS FROM LIBBY JONES. GRAPHICS BY ISABELLE LHUILIER

The Standard

“IN MY EIGHT YEARS HERE I HAVE RARELY HEARD TESTIMONIES FROM FORMER STUDENTS WHO DID NOT HAVE A POSITIVE ASL EXPERIENCE.” ALUMNI DIRECTOR LIBBY JONES “One that stood out to me is there's a guy that runs a hot air balloon company in the Pacific Northwest which I thought was fantastic,” he said.

Moreover, Jones said that something that fascinates her is just how many alumni marry their high school sweethearts. She said that there are currently 67 alumni couples.

“There was an alumna in the class of 1961 who met her husband in Algebra class and they have been married for 53 years,” Jones said.

Although many couples dated in the High School and then stayed together, Jones said that some couples connected after graduation.

“There is a couple in Michigan and they didn't overlap while they were in high school. They met at an alumni event two decades later,” she said.

Jones said there is a strong emphasis on maintaining an extensive alumni network in order to build a community of those committed to supporting the school. She said that so many alumni are passionate about their education and want to pay it forward, either monetarily or by donating their time, so future students can receive the same education.

“Alumni have a lot to offer the community,” she said. “In my eight years here I have rarely heard testimonies from former students who did not have a positive ASL experience. They feel very grateful for the education they have received and become invested in the school.”

Jones works to connect alumni to both the school and each other and build partnerships within the alumni body.

“My chief goal is to help alumni leverage their status as ASL affiliates to make meaningful personal and professional relationships because it is such a unique common denominator to have with someone else,” she said.

This school year alone, ASL has had over 50 alumni visitors. Jones said she finds it “remarkable” how many alumni value showing their family the school they attended.

“I'm not joking when I tell you that I gave a tour to an alumni couple that just got engaged,” she said. “He proposed at the St. Johns Wood tube station. A couple will literally be in London for 12 hours on their honeymoon and they will come and have a tour.”

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LIBBY JONES

Top left: Journalism students met former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (’08) during the 2016 publications trip. Jones contacted Luck’s press team before the trip and organized a private tour of a Colts practice facility not open to the public. Top right: Associate Director of Advancement Margaret Pringle met Tarek Malouf (’91), founder of Hummingbird Bakery, during his visit to ASL. There have been 50 alumni visitors to ASL this school year. Bottom left: Steve Glover (’92) poses with former Access Control Officer Bhupendra Patel during a visit to ASL. After graduation Glover starred in the American television series “Jackass.” Bottom right: Head of School Robin Appleby traveled to Los Angeles February 2019 for a West Coast Alumni event. She met Andrew Pease (’97) and Patrick Raymond (’86).

For the past

5

67 Current alumni couples February/March 2020

The largest concentration of alumni outside the U.K. is in the tri state area

years the commencement speaker has been an alum 32 alumni are current ASL parents Features 15

Insight into individuals

F

“

rom a young age, I had this instinct to protect him,” Helena Hansen (’21) said, speaking about her brother, Christian.

Though Christian is three years older than Hansen, she passed him in mental ability at around the age of 8, according to her father, Jakob Hansen, due to Christian being autistic.

Helena said Christian is high-functioning.

“He’s mild to moderately disabled,” she said.

“He functions academically on a low level, but his social function is actually quite high.”

Helena laughed.

“He’s better at making friends than I am,” she said.

Though Christian’s autism holds him back on an academic level, Helena said he is musically intelligent.

“He’s a drummer,” she said. “That’s his passion.”

Christian attends the International Community School in London – a mainstream college which also provides a parallel program for students with learning differences.

Helena explained that, since attending ICS, Christian has won multiple merits and distinctions, become the second best musician in the school and drummed for four bands.

Helena remembers confronting kids who teased Christian when she was just 8 or 9 and was proud to do so because of Christian’s talent of drumming.

“He had this one thing that made him so strong and I admired him for that," she said.

That made me proud to protect him."

For Matthew Sherman (’23), having younger twin siblings who are autistic has shown him that even though they function differently, they are still capable.

“They’ve definitely been different, but in a good way,” he said.

Katie Stone (’20) echoes Sherman in that people with autism are different, but in some ways,

are even more capable than neurotypical people.

Stone, who previously lived in Park City, Utah, before moving to London, was a part of the National Ability Center, a program that, according to their website, empowers “individuals of all abilities by building self-esteem, confidence and lifetime skills through sport, recreation and educational programs.”

“

To Director of Student Support Services Belinda Nicholson, this view of seeing the world differently is what enriches a community. Her job is to offer support and guidance to the ASL community in areas such as learning support, counseling and physiological service.

“When we talk about diversity, it also has to be diversity in how we see the world, and how

All I can really do is embrace the unique perspective I have and use it to my advantage.

Addie* While working there, Stone taught autistic people how to ski and let them “understand that they are able and can do things that anyone else can do.”

Stone coupled her time at the National Ability Center with her passion for science. For Advanced Independent Research Colloquium, Stone is studying “how people with autism respond to certain chemical signals in comparison to people without autism.”

Through her study, Stone wants people to understand that “science can drive certain differences” and “even when people with autism operate differently, they’re just as capable and in some ways more capable."

When Addie* was little, her parents noticed that she would not let anyone touch her hair, she would “freak out,” if there were labels on her socks, and that she struggled with overstimulus.

She discovered she was mildly autistic and on the Asperger’s spectrum in Grade 9. Her mother describes Addie's learning difference like “when someone is in a garden, all they see is a tree," she said.

"But I see the tree, the bark, the leaves, the color of the leaves, the lines on the leaves, the snails on the branches, the roots, the grass. I see everything."

people with special learning differences see the world,” she said.

For Addie, having this learning difference can be exhausting and hard.

“Sometimes I just really hate the way that I am,” she said. “All I can really do is embrace the unique perspective I have and try to use it to my advantage."

The spectrum to the National Autistic Society, auAtalccording tism is defined to be a “life-long, developmendisability that affects how a person communi-

cates with and relates to other people, and how they experience the world around them.”

Autism falls on a spectrum, ranging from mild, to moderate, to severe. Though some people with autism can exhibit physical symptoms, such as abnormal body posture or tone of voice, others do not.

For Addie, she describes herself as looking and acting like a “normal” person. However, her brain does not function the same way as the people around her. Not having any physical symptoms, in turn, makes “it really frustrating

because I’m at this weird space where I don’t fit into the mold that people usually envision when they think of someone who is autistic.”

Unlike Addie, Jakob said that if one paid attention, they would be able to realize Christian is autistic in the first 15 seconds.

To Director of Teaching and Learning Robin Chapel, this range of both physical and mental difference means that “autism is not a helpful diagnosis because it’s such a wide range.”

“I can think of several students at our school who have Autistic Spectrum Disorder and have a high IQ,” she said. “But then you can have students who have a high IQ and [their autism] manifests itself much more severely.”

Especially when a person who is autistic does not show any physical signs, Addie recognizes that people forget that everyone's minds function differently.

“No one ever thinks about the way people see things,” she said. “Everyone expects you to take away the same things from a situation, but the truth is that not everyone does.”

To Addie, these assumptions of neurotypical people, as a result, lay the foundation of predetermined beliefs of people with learning differences.

“The way society considers autistic people is far too binary and one-dimensional,” she said. “Disabilities aren't always visible."

The culture P

“ hobia” is the word used by Jakob to describe the result of neurotypical people not exposing themselves to people who have special learning differences such as autism.

“It becomes a fear of the unknown," he said.

"If you’ve never had exposure to anyone with a handicap, then you don’t know how to deal with it when you finally do."

Helena said that more severe learning differences are not discussed enough at the school.

“The only reason I have any knowledge about

*Indicates that a source has chosen to remain anonymous.

GRAPHICS BY HELEN ROTH

16 Features 16 Features

The Standard February/M

Study of the spectrum

Learning is different for every individual. Members of the community discuss their own experience with learning differences, as well as how to stay aware of each individual's approach to learning in each aspect of the spectrum.

Helen Roth | Features Editor: Online learning differences is because of Chris,” she said. “As global citizens, which ASL wants to raise us to be, it’s something that we should be aware of, have an understanding of.”

Addie echoes Helena, hoping that in the future, the school will do a better job of educating the community. By doing so, the “preconceived notions” about people with learning differences will no longer be present.

“I don’t really feel comfortable telling people [about my autism] because I don’t want to be judged," she said. "Most people aren’t very sensitive to it just because they don’t understand it more than anything else."

Stone feels similarly to both the Hansens and Addie. She said that “at ASL, there’s a lot of judgement towards people with autism and other disabilities.”

Yet, for Chapel, being exposed to severe learning differences when she was growing up was normal, due to attending a school which was a “site for students who had down syndrome or students who are physically disabled.”

She was assigned a buddy who had downsyndrome, which she said was a very positive and beneficial experience, as when people go into the workplace “you’ll be working with people who have some kind of difference,” she said.

To Jakob, by mainstream students lacking exposure to people with autism, people start to have a biased idea of what is “normal” in society.

When describing Christian's physical appearance, Helena said he looks like a “normal” kid.

Jakob interrupted, saying “you’re not allowed to use the word normal.”

He went on to say that students who have no experience with non-neurotypical people think they live in a “perfect bubble,” which consequently “doesn’t prepare you to interact effectively with the whole part of the world that is not high-functioning.”

Similar to Jakob, Nicholson said that she believes a community is enhanced when there is

February/March 2020 March 2020

diversity of learning differences. “‘Normal’ assumes a hierarchy, and I strongly disagree with that,” she said. “The truth is that none of us are normal.”

For Addie, though it’s not intentional, her learning difference is such a big part of who she is, yet “so concealed from everyone around me.”

However, Nicholson said that part of her job is to help kids with learning differences “find their voice, feel empowered, and feel valued in whatever educational space they are in.

Learning in education akob attributes Christian’s resilience and hard Jsources work to where he is today, but also credits the reprovided by the schools in which Christian

has attended.

“We’ve seen [programs for students who are autistic] in London, Brussels, Singapore, where schools with large resources are able to create small, parallel programs ... and special needs students would flow in and out of the mainstream curriculum,” he said.

It’s these programs which Christian was placed into that allowed him to be successful.

“You never know where people will excel,” Jakob said. “They need the opportunity to access a

“

fair that Christian hasn’t been able to have access to a school that I’ve had access to," Helena said.

"He could have benefited from being a part of the school,” Helena said.

Sherman agrees with Helena, saying that due to ASL being “such a prestigious school, it would be better if they had a [more developed program] to help kids, even if they had ASD,” he said.

Furthermore, Jakob said that the school should not be allowed to operate unless they have a resources dedicated to a parallel program for kids with severe learning differences.

“The argument is not that ASL should become a special needs school,” he said. “It’s that they should have a special needs department.”

However, Chapel said that the school actually does serve students who identify as having mild to moderate learning differences through the SLD department.

She said the admissions policy also must be taken into account: students “must be comfortable in an academically challenging environment.”

Chapel said that when students with mild to moderate learning differences attend ASL, there is an individualized education plan for them, and “within them, there will be accommodations, whether that’s being closer to the board, taping notes, a huge variety of things that someone might need,” she said.

As global citizens, which is something ASL wants us to be, it is something we should be aware of.

Helena Hansen ('21) well-functioning institution that embraces diversity of learning, instead of just shutting them out.”

For the Hansens, their hope is that ASL will cater more to students with autism and severe learning differences in the future.

“I’ve had a great experience at ASL and it’s un-

Additionally, Nicholson said that if a student identifies as being more severely on the spectrum, they may need more structure that the school is not set up to provide.

“That’s something you can’t do in a lesson after school, it has to be integrated in the school day;

that’s something we aren’t set up for right now,” she said.

Chapel said though approximately 10-15% of the school population has special learning differences, there are more students who apply to ASL with diagnosed learning differences than they can admit.

“We already have problems with space,” she said. “Other sites I have seen when they have programs that are more inclusive, they just have way more physical space than we have.”

Though she recognizes that ASL is focused on inclusion, Chapel said the school “would never want to accept students that we can’t serve.”

Addie agrees with Chapel, acknowledging that the school is also academically rigorous.

“You don’t want to place a kid who can’t keep up in an environment that’s too stressful and too straining, because that would destroy their confidence,” Addie said.

Nicholson echoed both Chapel and Addie, and said that it’s not about just “being at ASL, but that kids are developing so they can thrive in their life afterwards.”

Nicholson said that key questions to consider when deciding if a student should be admitted to ASL would be: “What does that child look like when they graduate from ASL? What are our hopes and dreams for children who come through our educational program?”

On the other hand, Helena said that with the school not providing an established program for kids with autism, not only is it "backwards,” but students don't understand that special learning differences are so important to consider.

“People need to say something; it’s something nobody talks about” she said.

At the end of the day, for Helena, Christian’s autism is not what defines him.

Though it's "definitely an 'I take care of him' type of thing, we’re equals," she said.

*Isabelle Lhuilier contributed to reporting.

Features 17 The Standard 17

Classroom dynamics shape learning experience Students spend the majority of their school life in the classroom alongside their teachers. Therefore, the relationship cultivated between students and teachers can largely dictate a student’s overall academic experience and shape the way they view their classes.

Polina Dashevsky | Staff Writer

Student teacher bonds student spends approximately seven AThistypical hours a day at school for 180 days a year. averages to approximately 1,260 hours at school, barring absences, out of the total of 8,760 hours in a year.

Students such as Arhan Sarma (’22) think that powerful student-teacher bonds are essential in developing strong learners and are extremely neccessary in school.

Sarma said that such relationships in the High School are generally productive.

“For the most part, student-teacher relationships are positive, and teachers often go out of their way to make sure that our learning is sufficient,” he said. “They really care for our well being.”

High School World Languages and Culture Teacher Ghislaine Rose said that establishing a positive classroom environment is essential in encouraging friendly relationships not only between the student and the teacher, but also among peers. In the French classroom, students are exposed to an inclusive environment, in which they are able to get to know each other whilst simultaneously learning a new language.

“I try to engage with the students with matters that they can relate to, asking questions

about their experience and getting to know them, but also students getting to know each other,” she said.

Rose said that creating an amiable environment creates opportunities for the whole class to interact with one another, which in turn builds a positive classroom environment.

Likewise, Ella Stapleton (‘20) said that being exposed to a favorable classroom environment directly influenced her learning. Stapleton said that teacher support for students is pivotal, as students feel comfortable with their learning even in demanding classes.

“I wasn’t very good at a class, but the teacher was very supportive of me,” she said. “He understood that even if I didn’t necessarily achieve very high grades, I tried super hard.”

Challenges in relationships mid positive professional relationships, stuArelationships dents can equally relate to having adverse with teachers.

Stapleton recalled a rough student-teacher relationship, which prevented her from participating and engaging with the subject.

“I felt that [my teacher] didn’t listen to me.

She didn’t make the classroom a place where we could talk,” she said.

Similarly to Stapleton, Ava Milazzo (’21) related to having an uncooperative relationship with a teacher who affected her motivation to perform well in class.

“I think that when teachers and students don’t get along, it makes it a lot harder to want to do well,” she said.

Strong connections with teachers are proven to correlate with student’s success in the class.

Research Papers in Education’s meta analysis of 82 correlational studies, which were published in journals from 2000 to 2018, depicts that a strong student-teacher relationship correlates with short and long term improvements.

Milazzo said that sometimes, students can unfairly blame the teacher when a disagreement occurs, as the student’s initial lack of interest or poor quality of work inherently leads to a worsened grade.

Andrea Stephen (’21) said she thinks that a biased relationship between a student and a teacher has greater implications that meets the eye. For instance, Stephen said that an unjust relationship impacts not just a single student, but an entire class.

“In an instance that I felt last year, a teacher has been targeting a specific person. It’s not even just that they are targeting them, but it’s also humiliation in front of their peers,” she said. “I think that it is very unjust to be pub-

licly humiliated.”

Stephen said she thinks that a teacher’s unequal treatment of students is often driven by favoritism and other personal prejudices.

Favoritism in the classroom to Cambridge Dictionary, favoritAsonccording ism is the “unfair support shown to one peror group, especially by someone in author-

ity.”

Stephen said that favoritism can cause intense discomfort for the student, who consequently can begin to doubt their academic capability and success.

In such situations, students often become oblivious to one of the foundational core values of the school: the courage to act.

Ruhan Bhasin (’23) said students are hesitant to report unfair or biased teacher treatment as they often mistakenly assume that their teacher’s reaction will be confrontational.

“If the students expose teachers, they could do something to retaliate, which I don’t feel like many teachers would do,” he said. “A lot of teachers at ASL are very understanding about this, so people need to stand up more often.”

High School Health Teacher Bambi Thompson said the perception of favoritism varies dif-

ILLUSTRATION BY ZAINAB SHAFQAT ADIL

18 Features

The Standard

“WHEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS DON’T GET ALONG, IT MAKES IT A LOT HARDER TO DO WELL.” AVA MILAZZO (’21±)

ferently among students and even teachers.

“Sometimes, actions that are individual with the student may come across as favoritism, even if the intention was to connect with a certain individual,” she said.

Stapleton said she thinks that for the most part, favoritism occurs during the grading process. She said that she believes in an unspoken rule, which states that the grade in the class can be predetermined by the relationship with the teacher.

Therefore, Stapleton said that she feels that students feel even more vulnerable when confronting an issue, as they believe that their grade in the class will plummet.

“A lot of times kids don’t speak up about the issue that they have in class because it’s not really a spoken thing, but they feel it will impact the grade,” she said. “Many feel that the teacher ultimately grades you on your test scores, how you participate in class and whether they like you.”

However, Thompson said teachers try to remove subjectivity in the grading process.

She said that the Approaches to Learning, the standards teachers use to reflect on students’ learning process, are meant to help separate behavioral comments and other possible sources of partiality from concrete academic scores.

High School English Teacher Christopher

Moore said that in the English classrooms, teachers attempt to guard their students’ work from prejudices by creating detailed rubrics.

“It’s [the grading] really just focused on the work, the standards, the quality of the writing, the clarity of the writing, the depth and cohesion of the analysis, depending on the type of writing that we are doing,” he said. “We have the criteria and we let that drive how we assess student work.”

Moore said the grading is completed in accordance with the rubric designed for a particular assignment. Likewise, each class has specific rubrics that target the skills and knowledge expected from the student in that particular subject.

According to “Yes, Looks Do Matter ‘’ article in the New York Times, people make subconscious judgments on the basis of someone’s appearance, age, gender and background in a matter of seconds.

Therefore, some schools and universities began to take further measures to protect students from being victims of bias.

High School Administrative Assistant Shahira Moola said that during her time at university, students had to put numbers instead of names on all submitted tests and assignments.

Thus, teachers were unaware of whose paper was being graded.

“I guess it meant that you know that you were graded on what you did and not who you were,” she said. “It took out the question of whether you got that grade because of the work or because [teachers] didn’t like you, [even though] I never experienced that before.”

Establishing dialogue hasin, who has had an unpleasant experience Bhimself with a teacher, said that tackling the problem through dialogue is the most successful

and practical form of action.

Bhasin said that a conversation is an essential step in rebuilding the relationship between both parties, regardless of what the root of the conflict is.

“Starting with talking is always a plus, and then if you need to file a complaint then go for it, but always talk to the person because maybe they didn’t mean anything at all,” he said.

Bhasin said that a one-on-one conversation with a teacher usually defuses tension and restores the trust in the relationship.

Even though the extent of a problem varies in every individual relationship, Moore similarly said that having a one-on-one sit down with a student is the most important way a teacher can try to restore the connection between them.

“When situations occur, it’s a two-way street and there are two parties,” he said. “So, the resolution has to account for the fact that both sides have an opportunity to express themselves, feel heard and be a part of offering a solution.”

Stephen, however, said that most students would often rather continue ignoring an issue with a teacher than go address it themselves due to personal concerns and fears of poor academic performance in the class.

Nonetheless, Stephen was reminded by her advisor that all students are provided with a right to confront unfair, flawed or biased student-teacher relationships.

Students have an option of resolving the issue through informal dialogue with the teacher in question or with formal meetings with senior members of faculty.

Even though the school implemented courage to act in their core values slogan, Stephen said that she believes that this message needs to become more widespread.

“I have a great advisor that made it very clear that she will help us if she witnesses as teacher being unjust towards a student,” she said. “However, I don’t think a lot of advisors have echoed this sentiment. We need that support system from teachers to help them because otherwise no one is going to go and speak out.”

70.1% of students feel that a teacher has been unfair toward them.

57.6% of students do not feel like they can speak up about unfair treatment from their teachers.

42.4% of students feel that community bonding is emphasized at ASL.

92.5% of students think that positive student-teacher relationships are essential in school.

Data collected from an online survey conducted by The Standard on Feb. 26, 2020 with 146 responses.

February/March 2020

Features 19

Extremism tensions pull society apart <?xml version=”1.0” encoding=”UTF-8” standalone=”no”?> <!-- Created with Inkscape (http://www.inkscape.org/) --> <svg

Extremism can take on many forms. Regardless of the type of extremism being expressed, radical speech in general has accompanied an increasingly polarized society. However, the definition of extremism and the implications of its use remain unclear.

Lea George | Lead Features Editor

Mia George | Staff Writer

W

ith the current political and social prets extremism as “adopting and pur- defines extremism as “the misinterpre- such mindsets without a feeling of ac- fect your everyday life, your economic xmlns:dc=”http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/” climate, extremist ideologies have suing a set of ideals without rational tation of an idea” and “taking that idea countability or worry of repercussions. status, all those things affect your views xmns:cc=”http://creativecommons.org/ns#” recently received extensive me- examination of what the consequences to the extreme,” said that extremism “[The internet] provides the perfect and consequently whether or not you xmlns:rdf=”http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#” dia coverage as they appear to become are or how it is justified.” rises when education falters and vulbreeding ground for testing how your hold extremists views,” she said. xmlns:svg=”http://www.w3.org/2000/svg” more prominent in society.

Wolf referenced political philoso- nerable people are taken advantage of. ideas are accepted and taken by other Wolf said that extreme ideologies xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/2000/svg” For example, an article published phers who state that individuals de“[Extremism] comes from the expeople,” he said. often “damage the social fabric of socixmlns:sodipodi=”http://sodipodi.sourceforge.net/DTD/sodipodi-0.dtd” byxmlns:inkscape=”http://www.inkscape.org/namespaces/inkscape” the Center of Strategic and Interna- velop extremism “out of intellectual ploitation and alienation of people to Moreover, James said that based on ety and disrupts the network of intertional Studies in October 2019 found immaturity.” the point where they are looking for an the way people use the internet, indi- action, and the ability for individuals version=”1.0” that right-wing extremists in the U.S. He further said that humans rely extreme ideology which gives them a viduals can surround themselves with to communicate with one another.” width=”1200” were found guilty of nearly 50 kill- on people with authority for an answer sense of belonging,” Muecke said. a community of users that ultimately He said that individuals who upheight=”800” ings, resulting in a 26% increase over when faced with difficult times.

Nicolas Lockhart (’22) said that have one mindset, contributing to a hold extreme ideologies cause other viewBox=”0 0 600 480” the previous two years.

Similarly, in “As a result, you don’t have to reextremism comes from the way people lack of diversity of views and, thereindividuals to feel pressured, and often id=”Flagge” Europe, attacks made by right-wing flect on it or contextualize and under- deal with “touchy” conversations. fore, simultaneously brewing extremist end up being “brushed aside or hurt.” xml:space=”preserve” extremists have increased by 43% in stand the deeper level,” he said.

“People will tend to lean really far ideas.

Lockhart said that the primary imsodipodi:version=”0.32” the past three years.

James said that the rise of extremon either side and I think when people “[There is] no counterbalance plication of extremism is that it leads to inkscape:version=”0.46” At the heart of these events lies the ism stems from individuals finding begin to lean really far on either side of through any of [the extreme] ideas,” he a society where certain conversations sodipodi:docname=”KKK-Flag.svg” essence of extremism. However, the themselves in isolating or difficult situ- the spectrum they form groups ... it said. “And with a lack of people to shut are not entertained. inkscape:output_extension=”org.inkscape.output.svg.inkscape”><metadata definition of extremism, not only as a ations where they feel the need to ad- becomes really polarizing,” he said. some extreme ideas down then it just “These extreme ideas lead to closed id=”metadata9”><rdf:RDF><cc:Work termrdf:about=””><dc:format>image/svg+xml</dc:format><dc:type but in relation to societal compo- here to a type of mentality.

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“It comes from great He said that the anonymity that ground. quence of extremism is the normalizardf:resource=”http://creativecommons.org/ns#Reproduction” /><cc:permits Similarly, Social Studies Departstrife more than anything.” comes with using the internet can al“How someone was raised, your tion of radical rhetoric. rdf:resource=”http://creativecommons.org/ns#Distribution” /><cc:permits ment rdf:resource=”http://creativecommons.org/ns#DerivativeWorks” Head Christopher Wolf interHowever, Cece Muecke (’21), who low individuals to express and cultivate social status, your race, things that afHe said that if extremism prevails, /></cc:License></rdf:RDF></metadata><sodipodi:namedview inkscape:window-height=”693” inkscape:window-width=”1014” inkscape:pageshadow=”2” inkscape:pageopacity=”0.0” guidetolerance=”10.0” gridtolerance=”10.0” objecttolerance=”10.0” borderopacity=”1.0” bordercolor=”#666666” pagecolor=”#ffffff” id=”base” showgrid=”false” inkscape:zoom=”0.31996582” inkscape:cx=”896.8763” inkscape:cy=”681.98895” inkscape:window-x=”0” inkscape:window-y=”23” inkscape:current-layer=”Flagge” /><defs id=”defs9”><inkscape:perspective sodipodi:type=”inkscape:persp3d” inkscape:vp_x=”0 : 240 : 1” inkscape:vp_y=”0 : 1000 : 0” inkscape:vp_z=”600 : 240 : 1” inkscape:persp3d-origin=”300 : 160 : 1” id=”perspective11” /><inkscape:perspective id=”perspective2448” inkscape:persp3d-origin=”216.3 : 144.2 : 1” inkscape:vp_z=”432.60001 : 216.3 : 1” inkscape:vp_y=”0 : 1000 : 0” inkscape:vp_x=”0 : 216.3 : 1” sodipodi:type=”inkscape:persp3d” /></defs>

<g id=”g3333”><rect id=”rect3291” style=”fill:#ffffff;fill-opacity:1” y=”-2.8421709e-14” PHOTO GRAPHIC BY LEA GEORGE

20 Features

The Standard

“PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS HAVE OPPOSING OPINIONS, AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO REFLECT AND THINK ABOUT PEOPLE’S OPINIONS TO COME TO A BETTER SET OF DECISIONS.” SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT HEAD CHRISTOPHER WOLF

it will become normalized and unidentifiable in society.

“Other ideas in comparison may normally be considered extreme, but they would become normalized just because of the comparison to the extreme ideas making them seem less extreme in comparison,” he said.

He said that this is reflected in today’s politics. As the times have changed, what society constitutes as an “extreme” viewpoint has shifted.

This leads to certain extreme views in politics to be left unnoticed, appearing almost moderate as more radical language is used.

James highlighted groups such as the Westboro Baptist Church as extremists organizations.

“A good example would be some of SA</dc:description><cc:license the radical Christian groups that have been advocating for complete hegemony and against abortion,” James said.

“By making these ideas so extreme, other ideas that are less extreme but

still seen as unacceptable would become more acceptable in comparison.”

“

[Extremism is] any set of ideas taken to an extreme point.

Dexter James (’23) Wolf said that extremism plays a larger role in politics. He said that political parties “almost always enforce extremism because it is rewarded by power.”

He identifies this through the “mechanisms by which a democratic society operates.”

He said that polarization is represented in a democratic society.

“People will always have opposing opinions, and we have to be able

to reflect and think about other people’s opinions to come to a better set of decisions,” Wolf said.

However, Muecke sees the role that extremism plays in politics differently.

She said that those in positions of power such as the government and politicians, are more likely to, “impose their extremist views on others” due to the influence and authority they have on society.

Regarding radical views in the context of the High School, James hasn’t noticed extremism within the school.

“Here, people are exposed to a wide variety of people and ideas, and many people haven’t truly experienced the hardships that would bring about such extremism,” he said.

James said that the best way to deal with extremist ideologies is to ignore them.

“If you ignore the attention that

they so desperately seek, they’ll be starved off of this attention, and so they’ll gradually diminish,” he said.

However, Wolf said that it is often reflected through students’ interpretations of what the purpose of education is.

As a teacher, he notices that students generally have extreme mindsets as they think of life after High School.

“There is extremism in the way students think about their futures and the hierarchical way they think about university and further studies,” he said.

Wolf said that students assume the sole reason for their school education is to get into a good university.

“These are assumptions, and without challenging them, it remains a form of extremism,” he said.

“We know plenty of very successful dropouts in a variety of different fields.”

Both Mueke and Wolf said that

the most efficient way to reduce extreme mindsets is through education.

“Exposing the truth and having people connect with people that they wouldn’t normally, brings people together,” Muecke said.

James said that the best way to deal with extremist ideologies is to ignore them.

“If you ignore the attention that they so desperately seek, they’ll be starved off of this attention, and so they’ll gradually diminish,” he said.

On the other hand, Lockhart said that extremism can be fixed through an increase in conversations.

“To put it simply: converse with people and be open,” he said. “You don’t have to agree with someone, just having an understanding of where people are coming from and just talking about it will help get rid of this problem. It is a problem because polarization and extremes aren’t good for anyone.”

Photos used with permission from Wikimedia Commons/Emerson Begolly, Wikimedia Commons/KAMiKAZOW, Flickr, Wikimedia Commons/Khamenei.ir, Wikimedia Commons/Mdog27/, Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Commons/David Holt

February/March 2020

Features 21

Grants bridge community, creativity Community Connection Grants allow members of the school to pioneer their own projects that link the school to the wider London community through community service.

Maddy Whitman | Media Editor

DOOR STEP

CHICKENSHED THEATERE

THREE ACRES PLAY CENTRE

SJW CARE HOME

ASL KILBURN PARK SCHOOL

THE WINCH

“IT’S SO RARE TO BE IN A SCHOOL WHERE YOU’RE GIVEN THIS SORT OF FREEDOM.” THALIA BONAS (’20) 22 Features

The Standard

C

ommunity Connection Grant Commitee Board director Lala Rafiq, parent of Zain (’24) and Ayla (’27), started community action at a young age. Rafiq is “still involved in some of those organizations.”

Since getting involved in helping the outside community, Rafiq said community action became “something that is such a part of me.”

The CCG program is run by the Parent Community Association, and provides the opportunity for students, faculty and parents to pitch community action projects ideas that can receive funding up to £1,500.

Former CCG Commitee Board director Dina Dacy, parent of Aaron (’25), started several projects with funding from grants. These projects include an art gallery at the St. John’s Wood Elder Care Center and a Music and Memory project that aims to help people living with dementia.

Dacy also started her own charity, called Free Cakes for Kids Camden. There is now a High School club that works alongside Dacy as well.

“I started a charity about five years ago,” she said. “It’s a birthday cake charity, so we bake birthday cakes for families who can’t provide them in the North West London area.”

Dacy’s interest in community service stemmed from her experience working with non-profit agencies who serve communities in New York.

Thalia Bonas (’20) received both a Community Connection Grant and PCA Mini Grant to start various initiatives within the school community. Bonas had the idea for her Barrow Hill Dance Community Partnership at the end of her Grade 9 year, and later worked with Director of Community Action Brandon Block to create a CCG application.

Bonas received a PCA Mini Grant for an in-

ternal community project in the Middle School.

The project involved funding the Middle School literary arts publication Papaya, which is “a little sister” of the High School’s magazine Jambalaya. “[The grant] was instrumental because I couldn’t have started the publication without it,” Bonas said.

“

I’m such a strong believer in community action starting from a young age.

Lala Rafiq, Community Connection Grant Board Chair Block is also a recipient of several grants where he’s been able to broaden the opportunities for High School students to get involved in the community. Block said that many of the recent after school community partnerships have been started through CCG grants.

Block said that in the past he has aided students in creating CCG pitches for what have now become successful annual community service projects.

“For youngPOWER... There was a student who was working with me on it and they wrote a CCG proposal and that proposal gave us money to start,” he said.

Projects started through these grants like youngPOWER have inspired change throughout the school.

“Two years ago, some middle schoolers came to the youngPOWER program,” Block said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GIGI WELCH

The West London Model United Nations conference took place Feb. 1, 2020 at school. Grace Gerwe (’20), Solenne Jackson (’21) and Mateo Farina (’21) took part in the conference.

February/March 2020

“They said ‘this is so great, we want to start a middle school one,’ so they put in a CCG proposal last year and started youngERpower for middle schoolers.”

When projects like youngPOWER and youngERpower are successful, the school provides funding.

After two successful years of a project started through a CCG, the school absorbs the cost and supports the program financially.

From her own experience, Rafiq’s early involvement in community action prompted her to get her kids involved early to make a difference.

“I’m such a strong believer in community action starting from a young age,” she said.

Rafiq said that when the importance of community service is instilled early on, people will continue to get involved throughout the rest of their lives.

“The kids, adults now, who started out as young kids doing community action projects, have always made it a part of their lives,” Rafiq said. “It becomes a part of your bloodstream.”

Similarly, Dacy said that in order to get more applications and participation in the CCG program, there needs to be an earlier interest in community service among Middle and Lower School students.

“If the attitude [of seeing the world from other’s perspectives] is created in middle school, then the kids get to high school and it’s already part of who they are and they’ll be able to identify places where they could use the CCG grant,” she said. “It just becomes part of who they are.”

To increase community service opportunities in the Middle School, Block said he will be working with Grade 7 Aide Sean Ross in a role similar to his.

Ross will have some teaching responsibilities, but the vast majority of his time will be dedicated to developing community partnership opportunities.

The pitching process for a CCG entails an initial proposal form, which is submitted to the board. Rafiq works with the applicant to improve any areas that need clarification, and then the application is sent to the six other members, made up of a teacher and a parent from each school division. They review the proposal, noting the positives and negatives as well as any questions, and eventually vote on whether the idea is plausible to make a reality.

Rafiq said that her main role is helping students refine their idea to make it as successful as possible in the review and voting processes.

Rafiq acknowledges that sometimes students can be apprehensive to bring forward their ideas.

“Students sometimes might be scared if they have an idea and feel that ‘Oh, maybe this doesn’t meet the criteria’ and maybe ‘This is embarrassing to put forward,’” Rafiq said.

To combat the fear that some students may have about bringing forward their ideas, Rafiq strives to be as supportive as possible.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GIGI WELCH

Quinn Link (’20) and Raquel Dawson (’22) help put soil in plant pots at the Adventure Playground. Spring Community Service Day took place March 26, 2019.

“I want to encourage anyone who has an idea about a project that they could do with an organization outside ASL not to be scared to bring it to us, and then, if it might not exactly meet the criteria, we could work together to try to make it meet the criteria,” Rafiq said. “At the end of the day, we want to support every application that comes in.”

Rafiq said that the opportunities and support the school provides are very generous compared to experiences she’s had at her childrens’ other schools.

“A lot of private schools in London don’t have these sorts of resources,” she said. “There’s no such thing, so we’re so lucky to have it.”

Similarly, Bonas is thankful for the opportunities and encouragement from the school to engage with the community.

“It’s so rare to be in a school where you’re given this sort of freedom and just the fact that [we] have access to these resources is really incredible,” she said.

Bonas also praised the convenience of entrepreneurship and creativity for students, and said she feels that with more awareness of programs like the CCG, more students can get involved.

“We’re all so young and the fact that we can get involved in making the changes we want to see so early on is really empowering,” she said.

“The more students who know about this and how easy it is to get involved will be inspired to make a change, and then start their own programs about issues they find pressing or interesting.”

Features 23

Students balance work, school There are students who have jobs as well as attend school during the week.

Five students reflect on their experience so far in the working world and how and why they got a job.

Zainab Shafqat Adil | Features Editor: Print

A

s of a year ago, Malachy Doherty (’21) has woken up every Saturday at 5:50 a.m. for his weekly shift at a Whole Foods in Clapham.

During his shift, he spends his time stocking shelves in the fruits and vegetables department.

“I wanted to have a job so I could actually have money, because my parents never gave me any kind of pocket money or anything like that,” Doherty said.

Doherty said that the reason he decided to work at Whole Foods was because his father worked there and was able to get him an interview.

Other students at school, such as Abby Dichter (’23) and Sydney Chapman (’23) also began working a year ago. The two started working together as babysitters for both ASL families and friends of their parents.

When they started babysitting, they worked shifts simultaneously. However, they have now begun splitting jobs between each other instead.

Both Dichter and Chapman said that they had wanted to start working so that they could have some pocket money.

“I just wanted to earn money, so then I could go shopping, or go to the high street more often, and [babysitting] was the only thing I could really think of,” Dichter said.

Chapman said that Dichter’s mother gave them both the idea to post an advert on the PCA Bulletin Board telling others about their babysitting business. After hearing about the idea, both Chapman and Dichter wrote an ad, and Dichter’s mother posted it on the site.

“

I don’t need to rely on my parents if I want money.

Malachy Doherty (’21)

“We put an ad up for ASL families because we thought that would be the safest and the best way to do it,” Chapman said.

Dichter said she and Chapman began babysitting because it’s “easy, and it’s one of the only jobs you can actually get paid for” at their ages.

Anna Heindrich (’20) has been working as an umpire for London Sports in Wormwood Scrubs for five years.

“We have to set up the fields when we get to the pitch,” she said. “We make sure parents know where they’re going and stuff, and we umpire the extra games, and we clean up at the end.”

Similarly to Heindrich, Lily Ferragamo (’20) has been working as an umpire for London Sports since Grade 9 as she said that she wanted to continue being a part of the team despite being too old to play softball anymore.

She said that working a job has made her feel more responsible.

“You learn responsibility [when you have a job],” she said. “I had to wake up so early and get to a place that was really far away. I feel like I wouldn’t have planning skills if I didn’t have a job.”

24 Features

ILLUSTRATION BY ZAINAB SHAFQAT ADIL

Moreover, Doherty said that having a job and being able to work for his own money has made him feel much more independent.

“I don’t need to rely on my parents if I want money if I want to do something,” he said. “I’m just like ‘I’m going to buy this thing because I want to,’ or ‘I’m gonna go to this thing because I want to and I have the money to do it myself’.’”

Furthermore, another reason Doherty works is to pay for his education. He said that the fact that he is contributing to paying for his tuition has also made him feel more independent and self-reliant.

Similarly to Doherty, Chapman said that having a job has made her feel independent.

Additionally, she said that it has helped strengthen skills that she said she will need in the future, such as “how to save the money and meet new people.”

“When you’re going to babysit, it’s not always the same people, so introducing yourself and being in that situation is a good way to enhance future skills,” she said.

Dichter said that for her another benefit of babysitting is simply just being able to spend time with younger people.

“It’s a good way to spend time because you also get to hang out with little kids, which is actually sometimes really fun, because you don’t get that kind of energy in high school,” she said.

Despite the various benefits to having a job as a student, Doherty, Dichter and Chapman cited some challenges as well.

When he first began working, Doherty felt that his young age made it “kind of hard to connect with people, like coworkers.”

“Since they were all at the very least four, five years older than I was, at first it was kind of hard to hold a conversation and make friends with my coworkers,” he said.

He said he has overcome this issue, as he has “good conversations” with his coworkers now, despite still being the youngest employee.

Both Heindrich and Ferragamo also faced challenges when working due to their ages. For Heindrich, working in an environment where parents are present was intimidating at first.

“You’re used to being put in a situation where you’re not the one in charge, so when you have power over the adults in your lives, especially people you know, who are members of the ASL community, it’s a challenge to be confident enough in yourself to tell them off when you need to,” she said. “It’s a lot of responsibility, and it’s challenging, but it’s good to learn how to deal with that.”

For Dichter, age doesn’t play a part in her work challenges. She said “as long as you’re mature enough to look after a certain number of kids, then I think it’s OK [to babysit].”

However, Dichter said that sometimes babysitting can be hard, especially when she has to look after children when they’re “difficult.”

In addition, the fact that he has a shift early in the morning can make scheduling other things harder for Doherty. He said that occasionally a plan with his friends may be taking place either on Saturday morning or Friday night, and therefore Doherty said he will have to cancel.

“I can’t just say ‘Hey I can’t come to work today.’

You can’t do that … If a friend wants to hang out [on Saturday morning], I’m like ‘I can’t’,’” he said.

Despite the various challenges that having a job as a student may bring up, Chapman said having a job at a young age can help people in the future by providing them with useful life skills.

She said if she were to advise other students who also have a job as a student, she would say they should “save the money that [they] make.”

She said saving their money now will not only help them in the present, but will also be a good skill to use in the future as well.

“

You learn responsibility when you have a job. I had to wake up so early and get to a place that was really far away. I wouldn’t have planning skills if I didn’t have a job.

Lily Ferragamo (’20) Both Dichter and Chapman said that traveling to the homes of the families that they babysit for can be challenging as well.

Dichter said that “occasionally parents ask [me] to pick [the children] up in an Uber or something, and I don’t know my way around London very well … so that’s sometimes a bit challenging.”

Chapman said that sometimes her babysitting shifts tend to last a long time, and that can “they go very late,” which can be frustrating for her and can make traveling back home more difficult if it’s dark outside.

Heindrich said that it’s important for students who are considering getting a job to remember that “it’s a responsibility.”

“If you take it on and you decide you want to do it you have to commit to it and do it well,” she said. “It’s very easy to quit, but if you quit that has consequences for everyone else.”

Ferragamo echoed Heindrich’s advice about responsibility by saying that one must do their best in their job as others are relying on them to do so.

“You’re taking these jobs because people need you to do these jobs,” she said. “You can’t just flake.

You have to care about what you’re doing.

The Standard

The popular clothing line has fallen under criticism for its one size branding, which has become infamous for triggering body image issues among its teenage demographic.

CULTURE

Brandy Melville excludes with one size clothing Gabrielle Meidar | Staff Writer COMMENTARY

ILLUSTRATION BY ZAINAB ADIL AND EMILY FORGASH

I am 5 feet, 9 inches tall. If I go into a Brandy Melville store and want to try on a skirt, I can predict before even putting it on that it will be inappropriately short. Yet, no matter how much I like it, there is only one size for me to try on. I still search through the hangers checking to see if there might be anything that I’d feel comfortable in, yet, to my dismay, there isn’t much.

Brandy Melville – a well known clothing brand among teenage girls – has an endless selection of casual wear offered in only one size, which attracts young, impressionable girls. However, not all can fit into their magic size.

Although some of Brandy Melville’s jeans come in two sizes, small and medium, the small size is equivalent to a U.S. size two. This lack in size range blurs the reality that there are a variety of body types. One size does not fit all and Brandy Melville must recognize that.

Brandy Melville’s message is not only displayed in their single size stores where the shop assistants must fit the body mold and model the clothes, but also on their website. The models

online all appear to have the same skinny body type, and because there is only one size on offer, they are advertizing that this is the only right size.

This hidden message incentivizes teens to try and emulate the look of the model, even at their own physical and mental detriment.

While I recognize that my height is out of my control and is not something that makes me particularly insecure, my experience at Brandy Melville made me realize how the feeling of not fitting into the sizes could impact girls.

Not finding anything at a store where many of your peers seem to be purchasing clothing can not only trigger disappointment, but can also persuade these girls into thinking that because they don’t fit this size; there is something wrong with them.

For generations, women have looked in the mirror and struggled with body image, not accepting what they see. Platforms such as Instagram create an environment full of unrealistic norms. Our generation, Gen-Z, has been bombarded with the extra pressures of social media on top of this sudden urge to “fit in.”

It is estimated by the National Institute of Healthcare and Excellence that between 1.2 and

3.4 million people are suffering with eating disorders in the U.K., and, terrifyingly, the average age that anorexia begins is between 16 and 17 years old – the exact age of the target demographic of Brandy Melville. By only offering one size in most of their clothes, Brandy Melville runs the risk of triggering these obstacles in their targeted customers to an even more extreme level.

According to The Guardian, there has been a significant increase in hospital casualties for “life threatening eating disorders” throughout the last year, which arouses concerns about this crisis expanding even more.

The one size fits all body standard molds teenage girls into one exclusive box. The ones who don’t fit in because of their natural body type are prone to developing mental health problems.

They feel the need to try and fit into the size, which is unhealthy and can be damaging towards their self confidence. Instead, girls should be focusing on the realistic diversity in body types.

Teen brands should focus on promoting body positivity through providing clothing for all shapes and sizes. This means everyone can go into a store and leave feeling great, accepting their bodies and not feeling like they need to change.

Musicians create their brand through stage names Teachers and students reflect on the authenticity of musicians who use stage names and the factors that go into creating a new persona.

Imogen Weiss | Media Director

A

s a teenager in high school, English Teacher Mark Mazzenga said he felt disillusioned as he watched Snoop Dogg’s music video for “Murder was the case that they gave me.”

“There’s a tombstone in that video that says ‘Calvin Brodious,’ which is his real name,” he said. “I remember being a bit disappointed and thinking ‘Snoop Dogg’s name is Calvin!’”

Mazzenga said he thinks the disappointment he felt when finding out that the artists he listens to use a stage name stems from the notion that “we want to consume [the stage persona], and then to hear that they’re just like us is disappointing,” he said.

Laura Boyle (’20) agrees with Mazzenga that there is an aspect of dissatisfaction when she finds out that an artist she listens to uses a stage name, but she also thinks that when an artist uses a different name “they are saying ‘this is a version of me.’”

“Whether it’s accentuating a certain part of your identity or showing a large part of yourself, that depends on how honest the artist is trying to be in their music,” she said.

Nevertheless, Boyle accepts that while artists make music because they love their craft, “it’s also a business and they are selling a product.”

“Most artists are presenting a marketable, polished version of themselves,” she said.

February/March 2020

Ruhan Bhasin (’23) also said that “a stage name is a big part of [an artist’s] brand.”

“The stage name is a way to hook people,” Bhasin said.

Bhasin said that artists such as Travis Scott would not be who they are or maintain the success they have attained without the usage of a stage name, despite the fact that “he makes really good music.” “[Travis’] name is a big part of why he’s so successful because it’s such a catchy name,” he said. “I saw his name and thought ‘he looks cool, I’ll listen to some of his songs,’ and then I got really into his music.”

Likewise, Mazzenga said that artists use stage names for reasons related to their business and brand, but he also said “they are cultivating their identity because they believe that who they really are or what their name would project otherwise wouldn’t be accepted.”

Mazzenga cited mid-20th-century singers and actors Dean Martin and Tony Bennett who anglicized their traditional Italian names in order to fit in with American culture.

“They wanted their listeners, who were predominantly Americans, to associate their music with this all-American story, but I also think there’s something defensive about it that they think ‘my ethnicity doesn’t sell,’” he said.

In other words, Bhasin said “sometimes people are insecure about their actual names.”

However, English Teacher Phoebe Krumich said that she thinks that when an artist uses a stage name, “that person has more confidence than other performers.”

“A stage name suggests [the artist is] cultivating this image and wants recognition for it because [s/he is] a good performer,” she said.

Krumich said that having a stage name is useful for artists as it creates a “distinction” between the artist and the actual person.

“An attack on the performance isn’t necessarily an attack on the person,” she said.

“To have a stage name would allow for an awareness and a break between the actual person from the fans and their craft,” she said.

However, Boyle said that the use of stage names can make it confusing for the listener to connect with the artist.

“You don’t know these people, but you feel like you know them through their music,” she said. “I don’t think, in most cases, artists that use a stage name are trying to lie and deceive their audience, but it’s easy to forget that they’re showing a certain side of themselves.”

Mazzenga also said that, in the consumer’s desire to indulge in the “fantasy” the artist has curated, “the line between what becomes real

and what’s not for the artist and consumer can become really blurred.”

Krumich agrees with both Boyle and Mazzenga and said that the authenticity of artists has “morphed into something different now with how artists can cultivate their personas so directly through social media.” “[Artists] are controlling the narrative so much that it’s hard for young people to see the difference between the person and the artist,” she said.

“

An attack on the performance isn’t an attack on the person.

English Teacher Phoebe Krumich Krumich said that, moving forward in a social media-heavy society, “we all have a moral responsibility [to share] what we’re really experiencing, not just the artists.”

“We should all represent our real experiences on these platforms,” she said. “If not, we’re creating a reality that isn’t real and then the music is not as authentic.”

Culture 25

Review

‘Three Daughters of Eve’ raises complex cultural questions Elif Shafak’s renowned novel presents topics of religion, God, the Middle East, family and love in a unique and unprecedented manner, pushing the reader to acknowledge the different dimensions these themes have and how they affect the individual.

Emily Forgash | Culture Editor: Print REVIEW

Filled with moral and internal conflicts, “Three Daughters of Eve” follows Peri, a confused Muslim woman who has led nothing short of a tumultuous life. Peri attends Oxford University as a student and later lives as a wealthy housewife and mother in Istanbul.

Shafak seamlessly blends together two storylines set over a decade apart.

The book starts at the beginning of a regular day in Istanbul in 2016, with Peri and her daughter Deniz stuck in brutal traffic.

Alternating chapters follow Peri throughout this day as she describes Istanbul and its culture through a runin with a thug and a politically charged dinner party.

The eclectic guest list of the dinner party helps Shafak show the many ways Middle Eastern culture influences the socio-political climate. Peri describes the women at this party as fearful: Godfearing, husband-fearing and disgracefearing women who submit to their seemingly restrictive religion and culture to different extents.

Earlier in the day, Peri’s handbag is stolen by a homeless person on the

highway from the back of her car, and she uncharacteristically chases the thief down to get it back. During the scramble, a picture falls out of Peri’s wallet from her time at Oxford. This picture releases the figurative dam that Peri had set up to keep memories of this part of her life at bay.

which leads to numerous arguments, her parents can’t bear to interact with one another and separate to their own floors of the house.

The physical and spiritual divide between her parents leaves Peri suspended in what seems like religious free-fall. She pinballs back and forth

“

merous loops. This excites some and angers others. He adamantly separates God from religion and forces Peri, who is fiercely searching for answers to her confusion, to relish her questions and ask new ones.

I can’t help but relate to Peri’s frustration as I too don’t have clear answers

Those who surround Peri throughout her life pull her in so many cultural directions that, at a certain point, she snaps under the pressure.

The other chapters follow Peri as a child living in Istanbul all the way to Oxford. Religion dictates this younger period of Peri’s life, as she’s confusingly suspended between her parents’ polar opposite beliefs.

Peri’s mother, Selma, a devout Muslim, chooses to completely cover herself and prays often. Antithetically, Mensur, Peri’s father with whom she usually sides, scoffs at what he sees as outdated religious practices, leaning more towards facts and science.

In Peri’s teenage years, one of her brothers gets arrested for rebelling and joining the Marxist movement, a band of socialist activists. After this incident,

between her parents’ beliefs until she lands at Oxford, where she meets professor Azur.

Peri describes Azur as a tangible “god” and rebellious teacher. He gives an infamous and mysterious lecture titled “Entering the Mind of God/God of the Mind.”

Azur believes very little in syllabuses and plans, and forces his 11 students to sit in a circle so that they are all equidistant from the center. It is also important to Azur that his students remain curious and open-minded, pushing away dogmatic tendencies.

Azur challenges each and every student, throwing them through nu-

when it comes to my beliefs and I find it difficult to exist in my own confusion surrounding God and religion.

Through “Three Daughters of Eve,” Shafak has given me the opportunity to explore my own religious uncertainty through learning how to isolate God from religion.

Peri’s religious hesitation is furthered by the friends that she makes at Oxford.

Peri meets Shirin and Mona, the Sinner and Believer, as Shirin defines them.

These new friends are reflections of Peri’s parents, as Shirin aggressively pushes against religious customs and Mona pushes back, keeping her hijab firmly on her head.

Those who surround Peri throughout her life pull her in so many cultural directions that, at a certain point, she snaps under the pressure. The effects of this breaking point follow Peri throughout her life into the present day scene.

Throughout both story lines, Shafak expertly gives insight into differing experiences based around religion, God, beliefs, culture and biases. She raises more questions than answers, thus proving how further questions can sometimes feel like the answers we need in order to understand ourselves and our place in the world.

Shafak’s ability as a writer is highlighted in the way she not only crafts Peri’s complex character, but also describes the cultures that surround her.

Her use of metaphors paints a vivid and electric picture of Istanbul and the madness that, in her words, courses through it like a drug.

“Three Daughters of Eve” is a mixing pot of thought-provoking themes melded together through stunning imagery and an enticing plot. Through her novel, Shafak has taught me that it is important to be confused about such unanswerable topics like religion and God, and in what way beliefs are uniquely shaped by experiences.

Emily’s Bookshelf All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr

Promised Land Martin Fletcher

The Woman in the Window A. J. Finn

Just Mercy Bryan Stevenson 26 Culture

ILLUSTRATION BY ZAINAB ADIL AND EMILY FORGASH

The Standard

When art crosses the line When interpreting the meaning of an artwork, no individual’s opinion on the piece is incorrect, whether they decide that it is groundbreaking or offensive. However, art becomes truly evil when the processes behind its creation are unethical.

Raunak Lally | Culture Editor: Online COMMENTARY When I first saw an image of “Brick Gun” by artist David Turner on BBC News, I was drawn to the article because of the captivating art rather than the harsh headline.

Upon first glance, I thought that the multicolored replica of a gun was supposed to be a statement highlighting the issues with gun laws in certain nations. For example, children and teenagers often face the repercussions of how easy it is to access guns in the U.S. due to factors like the lack of thorough background checks.

Since 2013, people have even been able to 3D print working guns; I assumed that the Lego bricks used to create the artwork were a nod to how accessible weapons are and the severity of this safety issue.

However, according to the associated article from BBC News, “Brick Gun” had instead received numerous complaints regarding its supposed glamorization of guns.

My initial impression of the art was clearly the polar opposite compared to what a portion of its audience thought, but that does not make either of our opinions invalid.

After all, there have been numerous guns in various colors and materials depicted in art for years, yet I have never come across any being significantly campaigned against.

In the case of “Brick Gun,” despite the subjectively valid criticism it has received, there are no outright unethical issues that went into the making of the artwork, nor is it necessarily explicitly promoting the use of guns to children, as critics have claimed.

“

work, “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living” created by Damien Hirst in 1991 and last exhibited in 2012, displays a dead tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde in a tank.

While tiger sharks’ conservation status is not of immediate concern, they are still classified as “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Continuing to kill tiger sharks, especially

When people or animals are exploited or harmed for the sake of a sale, the piece seems to solely exist for shock factor rather than a display of artistic expertise.

In contrast to the aforementioned work, some artists are instead creating their work using unconventional and highly questionable media.

For instance, one of artist Wim Delvoye’s most infamous types of work involves tattooing live pigs and piglets, which he first started doing in 1997.

Delvoye is known for creating art for shock factor, though this art style skips that category and is instead straightforward cruelty.

Because the tattoos he inks on pigs are not what create the backlash, as many

For more information on artists crossing boundaries, visit standard.asl.org for an exclusive online continuation.

February/March 2020

are colorful designs of characters and icons, this is not a matter of interpreting a deeper meaning, but instead of animal cruelty. These animals never asked to go through the pain that many people cannot even withstand.

However, what makes the matter more horrific is that, according to Culture Trip, Delvoye specifically purchased a farm outside of Beijing, China, where there are virtually no laws surrounding animal rights.

Evidently, he had to make a conscious effort to get away from other countries that could have given legal notice that his work is inhumane.

The same article also said pig skins are considered to be valuable in China.

By purchasing an entire farm to fill with what will eventually become his canvases, Delvoye is essentially guaranteeing that he will create more of these problematic works.

Unfortunately, Delvoye is not the only artist who repeatedly practices cruelty for profit. An arguably more famous

for trivial uses such as art, does not help their status.

Furthermore, Hirst’s original version of “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living” was not his first offense against the same species.

According to an article by The New York Times, Hirst sought out a second tiger shark to replace the original, which had decayed over time due to subpar efforts to preserve the work.

Art is entirely subjective when it comes to deriving its meaning and what it represents. However, when people or

animals are exploited or harmed for the sake of a sale, the piece seems to exist for shock factor rather than a display of artistic expertise.

As one of the most successful and wealthiest artists today, Hirst has access to more audacious materials, some of which can be inappropriately obnoxious when showcased to the general public.

His work “For the Love of God” – one of the most expensive modern art pieces ever made – was created in 2007 using 8,601 diamonds, and was last on display in 2015. Consequently, this work can be admired by many, but only few can truly relate to the cost of its creation. Regardless of its meaning, the work appears to be a medium through which Hirst can flaunt his personal wealth to the masses.

Many of these works, which I find to be unethical, are aesthetically pleasing to look at, whether it be because of their originality or because their shock factor adds a whimsical appeal.

Nevertheless, even if anyone’s interpretation of pieces created from ignorance is not necessarily offensive or controversial, they cannot deny the hard facts that lie behind each work. Artists trying to put lipstick – or tattoos, in this case – on a pig cannot mask the issues of their methodologies when “creating.”

ILLUSTRATION BY RAUNAK LALLY

Culture 27

Sports

Winter sports wrap up As the winter athletics season comes to a close, members of the varsity teams reflect on the season. Despite the lack of an ISST tournament, students discuss their team’s success.

Michael Flaherty | Sports Editor: Online

Lily Whitman | Sports Editor: Print

CREW

D

uring the winter season of the year long crew program, the team has had a number of practices and races canceled. Performance crew member Alice Bake (’20) said that although cancellations can be difficult on team attitude, she believes the season is going well.

“Unfortunately, in the winter, just in terms of weather, we’ve had a lot of practices and the races cancelled,” she said. “That has been hard for morale, because we’re training and then a couple of days before the race it gets canceled. But right now,

it’s actually working quite well and I think the team dynamic is really nice.”

Bake said that is is important to keep training through the winter despite difficult weather in order to be prepared for spring races.

“You really have to train through the winter and make sure that you’re keeping up with your training so that you prepare for the spring races,” she said. “Especially when it’s dark and it’s cold, it’s really hard to maintain motivation. Probably the biggest challenge is maintaining motivation

and knowing that the spring races are around the corner, we need to be training.”

In regard to the team dynamic, Bake said that she feels like the team is unified towards one goal of improving their rowing times.

“We’re working really well together and definitely trying to make positive changes in the boat,” she said. “We’re going ... to do some testing on different combinations [in the boat] and how we can get the most powerful combinations [of rowers].”

The team has had a couple of races in December like Scullers Head, but unfortunately, due to weather and caution over the coronavirus, a couple of their future races have been canceled “We had a race in Bedford that was canceled. We tried to reschedule

this telemetry is when we decided the best power dynamic of combinations that was also cancelled and had to be rescheduled,” she said.

Bake said that for the remainder of the season, the team’s goals are to continue training in preparation for races in the spring.

“So as a team in general, [our goal is] doing as well as we can at Nationals and the bigger races in the spring season,” she said. “In each boat, for the boys [it’s] going to Henley and getting through time trials. [For the girls it] is going to women’s Henley.”

“The biggest challenge was because three out of the four of us had very little dance experience,” she said. “So trying to find a style that we all could do productively was kind of difficult.”

She said the team was quite close which made it easy to progress.

“We work together really well as a team and we kind of know each other’s limits,” she said. “I think that’s the best part.”

Furthermore, she said that although the team is small and the members are younger, they work hard toward one goal.

“The team dynamic is quite good and we all work together quite well,” she said. “We are pretty shy, but we get along with each other.”

Bond said that as a result of the team being close it was easy for them to progress.

“We finally learned how to do lifts without dropping anyone,” she said.

Because they have been able to learn new moves, Bond said that she feels like the team’s performances have gone well overall.

“We’ve had three performances so far and they’ve gone well,” she said.

“We haven’t had any major errors in them. And we’ve performed three different dances.”

“It’s incredibly fast paced [and] incredibly physically taxing,” he said.

“It’s a very, very quick sport, whereas rugby fifteens is a lot slower,” he said.

like you’re not really a part of the action as much and you can feel lost on the pitch sometimes,” he said. “Rugby sevens, everyone who’s out there needs to be doing their very, very best and doing everything they can because of the limited number of players.”

In regards to the switch, he said he believes that the team has adapted well to the situation.

“Overall, the season’s been good, we have had to adapt to new coaching staff and a new type of rugby,” he said. “We’ve really adapted and we’ve played [a lot], you play mostly tournaments when you play rugby sevens,” he said.

Although the team has been quite new, Snizek said that the team has been successful, both in their gameplay and socially.

“We have a lot of younger boys, and a lot of boys in there [never have] played rugby,” he said. “Everyone’s been working really hard. And there’s a general consensus on what our overall goal is and that’s to work as hard as we can for each other. That’s showing on and off the pitch.”

Snizek said that the team feels quite connected, and as a result that has made the season smooth.

“Because we’re becoming teammates, we’re becoming friends,” he said. “Sports teams [are] always a great chance to meet people you don’t normally get to meet and couldn’t have asked for a better group of boys.”

“

We’re working really well together.

Alice Bake (’20)

DANCE A

lthough the team only has four members, Evelyn Bond (’22) said that the group has worked together well and progressed over the season.

“The dance season this year has gone really well over quite well as a team,” she said.

Specifically, Bond said that an initial lack of experience in some team members created an environment where they were able to grow.

RUGBY

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PHOTO BY EMILY FORGASH

Danna Rubesh (’22) strikes a pose during a dance performance March 4. The team performed during halftime of the varsity girls basketball game.

28 Sports

s a result of the varsity rugby program being changed from a fifteens format to a sevens format, the team has had to adjust to playing the game at a faster pace and in a smaller structure of play.

Varsity rugby captain Ethan Snizek (’20) said that the change has posed a challenge for the team.

“Besides the number of players, rugby fifteens and rugby sevens are more or less two different sports,” he said. “It’s the same size, pitch and similar rules but rugby sevens is seven players on each team and seven minute halves and it’s more than half [the] players [as fifteens].”

Also, Snizek said he believes the fast paced nature of the game requires the team to maintain a high level of fitness both in practice and in games.

“

Everyone has been working really hard.

Ethan Snizek (’20) “There’s a lot more focus on individuals as well as fast passages of play and quick movements.”

Snizek said he prefers the creative nature of playing on a seven-man squad rather than having 15 players on the pitch at the same time.

“Rugby fifteens can sometimes feel

*Jonathan Novak contributed to reporting.

The Standard

BASKETBALL F

or Amelia Learner (’21), the varsity girls basketball team developed over the season.

“At the beginning of the season, our team was a bit disconnected, but as practice and the games went on we were able to bond,” Learner said.

Learner said the team was always willing to work hard because they knew they were doing it for the team.

After finding out ISSTs were cancelled, the team was disappointed as they hoped for a challenge in the tournament and chance to win gold.

“

The team lived up to these expectations by winning all of their first 13 games.

As the season went on, Lewis said there was not a feeling of rookie versus veteran players as everyone maintained a high level of dedication.

We all knew what our goal was from the start, so we all picked each other up realizing there would be some growing pains.

Nate Lewis (’23)

PHOTO BY EMILY FORGASH

Jasper Towleh (’23) goes up for a layup during a game Jan. 10. The varsity boys basketball team beat Lakenheath 57-48.

The team had seven new members this year. Learner said that they spent time together outside of basketball, which helped them build chemistry.

They did not have much competition this year only losing their first game of the year. Despite the lack of competition the team continued to work hard in practice over the course of the season.

T

he varsity boys basketball team started off the season with a challenge, as they had a team that had a lot of younger players.

Despite starting the season with nine new players, Nate Lewis (’23) said that the team had high expectations for what they could achieve.

“Even though I am new on the team I knew that we had something special from the start,” Lewis said.

“We all knew what our goal was from the start so we all picked each other up realizing there would be some growing pains,” Lewis said.

ISSTs were canceled for both the girls and boys teams due to fears about the coronavirus. Before the season is over, the boys will have a chance to play ACS Egham, the only team that has beaten their team twice this year.

PHOTO BY EMILY FORGASH

Olivia Lang (’22) shoots the basketball during a game against Lakenheath Jan. 10.

The team won the game 62-9.

SWIMMING V

arsity Swim captain Piers Rajguru (’22) said that the team has had a successful season despite losing a lot of older members of the group.

“It’s been a good season,” he said.

“We have younger captains this year because a lot of seniors left or are not swimming this year.”

The team has had three home meets and two away meets during this season. Their ISST tournament was canceled. Member of the team Mckayla Hyman (’20) said that the cancelation was definitely hard for the team.

“I think the season has been going well, but since ISSTs got canceled, I think a lot of the people meant to go were disappointed,” she said.

She explained that there will be a substitute meet held at ASL. “I think that everyone is getting excited knowing their hard work this season is going to pay off,” she said.

Being one of three captains as a Grade 10 student, Rajguru said the position has offered him a chance to experience a leadership role.

“It’s different because I am a sopho-

more as a captain, but it’s been interesting to express my leadership skills,” he said.

He explained that the team is closeknit, which has helped him as a captain.

“I already have a lot of relationships with people on the team,” he said. “I know them better so I can be more captian-like.”

Hyman said that there has been a strong team dynamic.

“People go just to swim and stay in shape,” she said. “It’s a great group

“

It’s a great group and it’s been fun getting to know different people.

Mckayla Hyman

of people and it’s been fun getting to know different people depending on when I go to practice.”

Because the team is small, Rajguru said that the team has bonded quite a lot.

“I really enjoy the meets because we have a lot of fun and we just get to know each other because we’re spending five hours a day together,” he said.

*John Towfighi contributed to reporting.

Piers Rajguru (’22) swims butterfly at the ASL home invitational meet.

PHOTO COURTESY OF COLIN BRIDGEWATER

February/March 2020

Sports 29

Decade on field promotes perseverance Sports Editor: Print Lily Whitman describes the impact that softball has had on her confidence and personal identity since she started playing in 2009.

Lily Whitman | Sports Editor: Print

M

y heart beats at a nervously fast rhythm.

I can feel it all the way through into my fingers as I step into the on-deck circle and wrap them around the neck of the bat, hearing the crinkle of my batting gloves press against the tightly wound grip. I can’t even focus on the batter ahead of me; I concentrate on my swing, taking three fast practice swings. Then, it’s my turn.

At this point, I don’t know the score, but I see the runners on first and second and know it’s my job to bring them home. I start my routine of walking up to the plate. I’m not usually superstitious, but my walk-up routine is always the same.

Taking my bat in my left hand, I swing it around three times vertically as I walk in front of the umpire and the Frankfurt International School catcher. Then, I place my right foot in the box, screwing it into the dirt, pick it up, and grind it into the earth. I pick up my back shoulder, hoisting my bat up, and begin staring down the pitcher, ready for the pitch that is about to come.

Before she winds up, I rock back and forth on my left foot, letting my weight fall on the right. I feel the nervous rhythm in my heart come back, but this time, I let it steady my nerves and focus directly on loading up.

She throws the pitch, and my heart starts to beat in slow motion. I see it coming in, perfectly in the zone and begin to swing. I pick up my left foot, loading power down through my right leg and swing through the pitch, connecting with the ball.

Right away, I feel it. The swing feels like nothing I have ever felt before, the bat feels light in my hands, and I know right away that the pitch hit the sweet spot of my bat.

As hitters, we are taught not to watch our hits, but I can’t help myself this time. I watch my hit sail above the left-field fence. I can barely believe it, but I let myself trot around the bases, soaking it in. One of the best parts of this game was the support from my teammates as I step on home plate, and felt incredibly happy. It was one of the best feelings in the world.

It’s hard to describe the feeling that comes with playing softball–the rush of excitement running the bases and sliding into second, or running from first base to help get a runner out from a pickle, or the sheer nervous feeling whenever a ball is hit my way–it’s just something that comes with playing the sport.

My passion for playing began when I moved to London in 2007. When I lived in New York, I had been introduced to Super Soccer Stars but had never been incredibly interested in soccer, especially given that I was not good at it from the start. Playing baseball for London Sports was just different. It was a journey from then until now, but swinging a bat just felt right in my hands.

My dad taught me everything I know. I spent many weekends in the garden by my house, although we were technically not allowed to play ball games there. I remember taking out my glove, small rubber tee and as many baseballs as I could fit into my little glove. I learned to bat right handed, even though I am left handed, and to this day, I still bat the same way.

Every weekend during the season in 2009, I would eagerly await the trip from Knightsbridge to Wormwood Scrubs, putting on my blue tracksuit pants, white sweatshirt, Blue Jays jersey and sneakers, just waiting to get out on the field. Fond memories flood my brain of

my brother and me on the same team before I aged out of baseball and had to play softball, back when I didn’t care what others thought of me or my skills.

During softball seasons at Wormwood scrubs, my dad used to try and give my sister and me incentives to get the first place trophy like Major League Baseball trips to Los Angeles to watch the Los Angeles Angels after I played on the team one year.

I have pretty much played any position that my glove has allowed me to. I fondly remember playing in the outfield, first base, second base, catcher and even pitching. The only position I haven’t played is third base, which is unfortunate because my idol, Nolan Arenado, plays third, and I model everything after him.

“

Swinging a bat just felt right in my hands.

Softball has taught me a lot about myself and my values. From watching baseball and idolizing baseball players, to playing first base for the varsity softball team, I have learned how to hold myself accountable for my actions, as well as knowing when to take the team on my back and put myself last, focusing on the goals of the team rather than being selfishly devoted to my own goals.

Following individual Major League players also helps me realize the importance of how to act professionally and respectfully in all aspects of the game.

Playing throughout Middle School and High School has both weakened and grown

my confidence. I have had incredibly amazing moments, like hitting back to back three-run home runs in the heat of our ISST tournamentv in May 2019 against FIS. However, I have certainly had my share of low moments. In a game against TASIS in Grade 10, I remember a shallow hit coming my way in right field. I ran towards the ball, but wasn’t quick enough to catch it and I missed it completely.

That missed catch caused runs to score and was one of the reasons that we lost to TASIS in extra innings. I try quite hard not to hold that memory with me, but every single time I am in the outfield, whether it is during practice or warm-ups, I can’t help but remember, and it plagues me a little.

With the knowledge I have gained throughout my experience as a student-athlete, I realized that these memories I carry with me, both good and bad, have an impact on my mental state. I feel like I have grown and understood the weight of my expectations. Sports have taught me to strive to exceed my expectations, but to not be hard on myself when I don’t.

Softball has become a source of personal growth. It functions as a team sport, but is also quite individual in itself. For my own sake, I want to make sure that there is a source of positive pressure to perform at my best, but not negativity associated with the results of the game, a score or a batting average.

I have become more confident in myself and my abilities, which has trickled down into my everyday life. Through experience, softball has affected me more than I can ever put into words. It has fueled my passion for both playing and following sports and sports have become a significant part of my identity.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LILY WHITMAN

Lily Whitman (’20) plays for the Red Sox during a junior softball first-place playoff game against the Chicago Cubs June 8, 2013, at Wormwood Scrubs. The team won the game and got first-place in the Junior Softball league.

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Lily Whitman watches the pitcher during an ISST gold medal game versus Zurich International School in May 2019. The team won the game 18-12, winning the gold medal. The varsity softball team won gold for the second year in a row.

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Harris hits n the court Lindsay Harris (’20) has played volleyball for five years. She shares how the commitment that she makes to playing both club and varsity volleyball affects her daily life.

Lily Whitman | Sports Editor: Print

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s fall ISSTs approached in November 2019, varsity volleyball captain Lindsay Harris (’20) was focused on getting the gold medal. The team had faced ACS Cobham twice before during the regular season and was about to face them again.

“Playing Cobham [was memorable] even though we lost, we took a set from them, which nobody had done,” she said. “In the season, we beat them, and we hadn’t done that in four or five years. We beat them twice, actually.

So that was a really great feeling because that was always our goal.”

During the season, Harris said she felt like she was able to lead the team.

“I got to be the captain that I always wanted to have,” she said. “I really got to bring in my mental attitude surrounding games and especially ISSTs to everybody else.”

“So this year ... we really focused on positivity and if someone made a mistake, [we didn’t want to] scream at them or anything,” she said.

Harris said she felt proud being an example and leader for the team.

“It was just fun being captain,” she said.

“It’s nice having other people look up to you and being able to share my volleyball wisdom with other people.”

Club–as well as a division three team [in the National Volleyball League] called Ashcombe Volleyball Club,” she said. “I had practice four times a week and then games both for which I had to manage.”

Recently, Harris switched to playing for just one club volleyball team called Richmond Volleyball Club.

“They are division one [in the National Volleyball League], [and we are] hoping to move up to Super League next year, which is the top league of preprofessional volleyball in England,” she said.

During the school season, Harris juggled multiple club sessions with an already vigorous school volleyball schedule.

“It was really hard in the beginning of the year because I also had school volleyball,” she said. “The club season started in August ... which was extremely difficult, so I had to manage those practices, which [were] twice a week and then a game on Saturday or Sunday, plus ASL practices and games which were almost every day. So I was playing volleyball practically every day, if not twice a day on Sundays.”

Along with juggling her practice schedule, Harris dealt with differences in team dynamics. Although she said she feels involved and an

“I GOT TO BE THE CAPTAIN I ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE.” LINDSAY HARRIS (’20)

Prior to becoming captain of the volleyball team, Harris has played many other sports over her years in London and New York. Before she was solely focused on volleyball, Harris was involved in club soccer, basketball and lacrosse.

Harris started playing volleyball because she wasn’t allowed to try out for her school’s soccer team as she was already playing club soccer outside of school.

“I ended up really liking [volleyball]. So that year, I also played club volleyball ... I really enjoyed the sport, so I decided to just go with it.”

On top of playing for the school’s varsity team, Harris plays club volleyball and has had to balance a busy schedule of sport and school.

“Last year, I played on two club volleyball teams–the one I was playing for since eighth grade, which is called Westminster Volleyball

important part of the club team, she can sometimes feel like she has to constantly perform at her best to prove herself, which can negatively affect her.

“All the girls on my team are really good, it’s definitely a much higher level of playing,” she said. “When you make a mistake, and you see all of these other girls not making mistakes as often, it really does hurt your self-confidence.”

However, Harris said that this has greatly improved her own skill level.

“It’s obviously made me a better player by playing at a higher level,” she said. “It’s like two steps forward one step backwards in terms of self-confidence [in] that aspect.”

One aspect of volleyball that Harris enjoys is the individuality within the team sport, which can have both positive and negative aspects to it.

“Even though it is a team sport, if one person messes up, it’s not like another person can save you,” she said. “If you miss a serve, the ball’s just out and you lose the point and that’s it. So it’s as much ... a team sport as it is an individual sport, which I like.”

Harris said she also enjoys the fast-paced nature and mental aspect of volleyball in contrast to other sports she has played previously.

She said that although soccer and lacrosse were so fast paced, volleyball created a different kind of dynamic.

“A lot of things in volleyball can happen. You can win a point in half a second, and that’s really cool. It’s a lot more concentration and a lot more mental focus.”

One of Harris’ favorite memories was during her fall ISST tournament in November 2019 when the team reached the final without losing a single set.

“There’s this girl on [the American School of the Hague] who I’m friends with who’s a really great player,” she said. “She’s a middle. She’s so good at hitting, our goal for the entire game was just to block her. Me and one of the middles on my team, Hadley [Bridges (’21)], managed to block her once and their team was awestruck, they had no idea what had just happened.”

Harris also recalled a tournament she played with her club team last year.

The team was in the last eight’s tournament of the Under 18 Women’s National Volleyball championships, just missing out on the final.

“We got third place overall in England, which was disappointing, but it was a really fun tournament,” she said.

Harris said she is thinking of playing in college as she doesn’t want to give it up being involved in sports.

“I was recruited for Division Three ... [but] I decided to give up my offer to apply to a different school which is Division One, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to play volleyball for [that school],” she said. “I’m looking at either walking on to the team, or if I don’t do that, because it’s a really big time commitment, I will most likely end up playing club just because I love playing it. I don’t think I could just give it up.”

PHOTO BY EMILY FORGASH

Lindsay Harris (’20) goes up to hit in a game versus Frankfurt International School Oct. 18, 2019.

The team won three sets to one.

February/March 2020

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Grade 12 wins spirit week The spirit assembly Feb. 14 wrapped up the annual spirit week with activities such as dodgeball, musical chairs and a dance off between grades.

Grade 12 won with 882 points, followed by Grade 11 with 732 points, then Grade 10 with 498, and Grade 9 with 470 points. To read more about how the week unfolded, visit standard.asl.org.

Students participate in various activities during the spirit assembly. Grades dressed in their corresponding grade colors for the last day of Spirit Week.

PHOTOS BY MADDY WHITMAN

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