Issue VI

Standard

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April/May 2015 | Volume XL, Issue VI Party: Natalie Bennet t Green a t r s c : o Nick Cleg l Dem g Libera e g i l N F : arage UKIP L a bo u

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r: Edward Miliband

ative: David Came

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An unspoken generation As the U.K. general election approaches on May 7, the ASL community reflects on the importance of voting Story on pages 4-5

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Maya Jotwani | Culture Editor Nadia Sawiris | Culture Editor Ian Scoville | Editor-in-Chief The American School in London | One Waverley Place | London NW8 0NP U.K. | standard.asl.org

News

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Students and politics New Frontiers update

Students break Guinness World Record Adam Romeih Staff Writer Ian Kohler (’18) and Ian D’Elia (’18) broke a Guinness World Record on March 21. The two students, along with their fathers, travelled to eight capital cities in Europe, breaking the world record for travelling to the most European capitals in 24 hours.

The pair travelled to Vienna, Prague, Paris, Budapest, Brussels, Amsterdam, Bratslava and London.

The previous record for the title was held by Barnaby Davies, who visited seven capital cities in one day in January 2015.

Kohler and D’Elia first had the idea to break the world record from their fathers, who originally had planned to make the trip themselves.

As the Guinness World Record is regulated to protect the safety of people, contestants need to be 16 or over. “We thought that there would be no point of us going but eventually we thought that if we didn’t get the name in the record book, it would be worth it just to do it,” D’Elia said.

However, D’Elia and Kohler found a loophole around being

able to have their names featured in the book. “Alan’s and my father have found a solution to include all six names: Since Alan and his father have the same name with the exclusion of II or III, they just did not include it at all so that both of their names could be in it.

Me and my father have fixed this problem by telling Guinness that my dad’s middle name is “Ian” so it will say John ‘Ian’ D’Elia,” D’Elia said.

Prior to making the trip, careful planning had to be done by arranging public transport and finding flight connections.

Kohler and D’Elia both recognized the importance of timing when trying to break the record for most visited capital cities and the cost of the planning of the trip. “Our fathers have been planning it for a year and a half since November 2013. So it was a lot of work to do it and it would be sad to not do it with so much planning.”

The trip had its setbacks as well. “It was a day before we were supposed to leave and our flight got cancelled. It was really important for the trip. Kohler’s dad replanned the whole first flight and the last city so we still visited

eight cities and ended up being 30 minutes more efficient than the original plan,” D’Elia said.

Friends and family stood proudly waiting for Kohler and D’Elia upon their arrival to London after they had visited the eight cities. “Our last capital was London so when we came back home from Paris, they were all waiting for us outside with our family banners and they were just showing D’Elia and Kohler traveled with their fathers to eight capital cities to break the their appreciation Guinness World Record. PHOTO COURTESY OF IAN KOHLER (’18) for what we had done. On some of the banners it is was impressive how much they tures in each of the eight capitals said ‘world record holder’ so it have done to work for it and I that and by putting together 100 video drew lots of attention from the work was worthy of winning the clips to send to Guinness World Record. public.” record,” Kohler said.

With the planning and uncerKohler and D’Elia believe that Another step in order to acsome records can be broken if quire a Guinness World Record is tainty of making their record ofcarefully planned. They feel that to have evidence, such as the pho- ficial and achieving their goal, anybody can break certain records tos from the trip. Proof is required Kohler is not opposed to try to that require careful planning if by the Guinness World Record in break more world records, “I don’t they are willing to do it. “After order to prove the breaking of a know if we will be breaking more they scheduled the transport, it world record. As a result, D’Elia records but I would certainly like was so conveniently arranged that and Kohler took hundreds of pic- to, if I can.”

Longstanding local pub closes down Alec Ashley Staff Writer Zack Ashley Opinions Editor Members of the community hoping to pay patronage to their neighborhood pub, The Star, for England’s final RBS Six Nations rugby match on March 21, would have found themselves bitterly disappointed. That morning the pub had been vacated and locked up, with banners reading Champion Estates in place of the pub’s logo.

The pub was sold to West End Investments in December 2013 for £2.1 million. The company proceeded to attempt to turn the property into a private residence, however planning permission was denied by the Westminster City Council. They were, howev-

er, able to find a loophole as the Council’s decision simply stated that they could not change the way the building looks, which allowed them to lease the property to Champion Estates, a real estate agency.

The 200-year-old pub is protected as an Asset of Community Value. Conservative MP candidate for the area, Lindsey Hall, has also been working with the City Council since the closure to try to reinstate the property as a pub.

The news has upset both students and faculty alike, who often enjoyed The Star’s hospitality. “The Star was a place where ASL students felt comfortable, unwinding after a hard day or week of school. It was convenient to get to and Mary [the former landlady and manager] always welcomed ASL students warmly,” Will Conway (’14) said. “I think we

totally took The Star for granted.”

Performing Arts Teacher Gordon Graham was also attracted to The Star due to the warm nature of both the pub itself and its landlady, along with the fact that it was the only pub in St. John’s Wood to serve real ale. “We got to know [Mary] and she has been there for a long number of years.

I’ve gotten to know her and she was very friendly. That was her career and job,” he said.

His colleague, Performing Arts Teacher David Papenhagen, soundly agreed. “I mostly go to the Elgin [a pub in Maida Vale] but I would pop over [to The Star] every once in awhile and say ‘hi’ to Mary. I feel that it is absolutely a community-valued asset and the fact that it’s gone away is a huge loss,” he said.

Tarush Gupta (’15) is another student who will look back on time spent at The Star fondly. “I

feel like The Star was a real hub for ASL students, everyone just went there and had a good time. It really did bring the ASL community together, it was a good place to bond,” he said. He also acknowledged the impact the pub had on the school community. “A little piece of ASL has gone away this year,” he said.

Graham didn’t mind the fact that students also went to The Star, and thinks it helped epitomize the community-building nature of the establishment. “We would bump into students occasionally and I didn’t find it embarrassing. It was nice to see students in a civilized setting outside of school,” he said. “St. John’s Wood is quite a schizophrenic place with a huge wealth gap between some residents, with huge mansions here and then council housing there. That pub brought these people together.”

Social Studies Teacher Becky Mason (’95), also a former student at ASL, faced a similar predicament during her senior year, as the pub she and other students frequently used, The Marlborough Tavern (now the Pizza Express on Blenheim Terrace), closed down. It was during this time that The Star become the local pub for ASL students.

“I never went to The Star during high school because it didn’t become an ASL place until after I graduated,” she said. “However, it did become a place where ASL alumni went to meet once they had left, so I went a few times.”

Knowing this information, Gupta sees a silver lining in all of this. “I will miss [The Star], but London has a rich history with a lot of pubs, so I’ll enjoy finding the next pub for ASL students to go to as those before us found The Star for us,” he said.

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Page 3

News

PHOTOS BY KEVIN MOFFAT The New Frontiers construction will continue until an estimated date of Spring 2016, with the new art building being completed in the Fall of 2015.

Construction project progresses

Charlotte Young News Editor

T

he end of the 2014-2015 school year brings with it the end of the first full year of classes while New Frontiers construction continues.

Currently, the construction project is in its second phase of building. The project was first approved by Westminster City Council in July 2012, with construction beginning in May 2014.

The groundworks construction team has completed their work and the art building has had its second floor filled in. “Now they’re [building] the ceiling and the floors of the art building in the next couple of weeks. After the structure is built, then there’s a special team that will come in and seal the buildings, such as installing the windows,” Director of Operations Jim Heynderickx said.

While there is no specific date set for the completion of the art building, it is expected to be finished between October and November. “In some ways, the time isn’t so critical, because we’re going to want to go in and do some cabinetry and fit out after handover. We really don’t plan to move in and start using it until January, so there’s a buffer there,” Heynderickx said.

Likewise, there is no set date for the full completion of the New Frontiers project. “The end date for the construction has changed a little bit, but it’s still to be determined,” Heynderickx said. “[The workers] might save some weeks in the

second part of the project that they lost in the first few weeks.”

“As the weeks have gone by, there were some weeks where things had to go more slowly because they found unexpected things underground, like the concrete under an old underground tank was a meter thicker than expected. Things have to be changed a little bit as we go along, mostly construction methods,” Heynderickx said.

“

Square footage is a premium here and I think it directly translates into programs and opportunities for students HS Principal Jack Phillips Additions to the school include a new art department, science classrooms, fitness center and a swimming pool.

Director of Advancement William Vaughan, who is in charge of raising funds for the Capital Campaign, a £22 million project, believes the campaign has been, “very successful.”

While £12 million of the Capital Campaign will go toward the construction project solely, the rest of the funds raised are reserved for endowment for financial aid. So far, the Capital Campaign has raised £20.3 million. “It’s one of the quickest campaigns I’ve ever been in-

volved with. The fundraising aspects of it has been about 24 months,” Vaughan said.

Donators to the Capital Campaign range from current parents and parents of alumni, however, “The bulk of the funds by far have come from current parents, which is terrific,” Vaughan said.

While there is approximately £2 million more needed for the Capital Campaign, “The money’s been pledged that we needed for the buildings, from the fundraising standpoint,” Vaughan said.

To raise the remaining funds for the Capital Campaign, the school will reach out to corporations, foundations and new parents. “Typically, corporations are going to give because the school is important to them so they can attract top executives,” Vaughan said.

Watching the growth of the project over these past few years, from the planning to the beginning of the construction process, has been a unique experience for Heynderickx. “It’s really special to work on a project this large. I’ve been involved in campus projects before, but to do one in St. John’s Wood in a conservation area, the challenge of getting planning permission, of making a building that the St. John’s Wood community is proud of, is a great challenge,” he said.

Likewise, disruption for neighbors of the St. John’s Wood community as a result of the construction has been minimal. “The feedback we’ve gotten from the neighbors is that we’ve done a good job in controlling the traffic and the noise and

following the regulations,” Heynderickx said.

During the building process, no specific changes have been made with regards to the construction. Heynderickx explained that this is because each time a change is made, it must be approved by Westminster City Council, which often is a time-consuming process. “Since we received planning permission, we haven’t made many exterior changes because that would have triggered additional planning permission applications,” he said.

It is expected that the new buildings will include more space for High School students, HS Principal Jack Phillips said.

“We anticipate that there will be a place for students to relax and hang out and a gallery space to display student work.”

As the building project comes together and continues to make progress, Phillips looks forward to what the product will mean for students. “I love the idea of a building, we need space. Square footage is a premium here and I think it directly translates into programs and opportunities for students. Whether they’re passionate about science, passionate about art, we’re honoring a lot of things that make ASL, ASL,” he said.

With 40 to 50 people working on the construction site daily, and the sheer scale of the project, Heynderickx believes the expected outcome of the project makes all members of the team, proud. “It’s going to be [a project] they will bring others to see and say, look at the work that we did on this’,” Heynderickx said.

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

News

Young voices in politics A look into the upcoming U.K. elections and the significance of political awareness for the ASL community

Maya Jotwani | Culture Editor

Nadia Sawiris | Culture Editor Ian Scoville | Editor-in-Chief

PHOTO FROM WWW.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

M

ax Barnett (’15) is nine days too young to vote in this month’s general election. That, though, doesn’t stop him from poring over the news and watching the parliamentary debates. Barnett believes that it is your duty to be educated and involved in politics, regardless of age.

“I think it’s almost a duty to yourself: If you want the world to be a place where you enjoy living and that is for you, then you need to go out and make the change and read up,” he said.

The School Barnett, in fact, sees the school as a place that is unusually active in its political activity. “A lot more people are more knowledgeable about U.S. politics, I think that it comes with [it] because almost everyone at the school has some U.S. connection [or] background,” he said.

Kris Westgaard (’16) agrees with Barnett and points to initiatives that have taken place in the past. In 2012, the Young

Democrats Club celebrated the U.S. elections with a mock vote, informational posters and mass decorations around the school. Westgaard points to efforts like these that make the school unique. “I was a freshman but I saw how everyone was interested and it changed my perspective on how people view things,” he said.

The school’s political activity may be different because of its position as both an American and international school.

Social Studies Teacher Sana Shafqat finds that the school’s international nature influences how the school experiences politics. “It’s clear that American kids often do have awareness of U.S. foreign policy, that in America, you might not have that awareness. I think there is that understanding that parts of the world aren’t just somewhere far away,” she said. “The advantage that children over here have is that they are able to access news sources and their friends who are from different places, who would be able to say ‘yeah, but didn’t you know that this happens?’”

The school’s international nature, Shafqat believes, does more than fuel a political awareness however. “I think it

makes it very unique and refreshingly inclusive and yet it gives more people a sense of belonging,” she said.

However, not everyone feels that way.

William Brummette (’17) feels that his political views are not welcome at the school. “The school has become quite politically correct. The school is very left-wing, everything from the history courses to whatever else they teach you, they are very left-wing,” he said. Because of this culture, Brummette sometimes feels uncomfortable voicing his opinions at school.

Many students, Brumette argued, are only politically aware because of their parents and peers. Brumette believes that many are not thinking for themselves.

“I think students are very influenced by others, there are very few students who believe because of their own research.

[Kids] haven’t challenged the thinking that school is putting on you,” he said.

Although students at ASL may be aware of U.S. politics, that doesn’t mean they know about politics in the U.K. “If you ask someone, no one is going to say ‘Oh I’m a Tory or I support Labour or Lib

Dem’ they’ll say ‘I’m a Republican, or a Democrat, or I’m Independent,’” Barnett said.

For Assistant Principal Karen Bonthrone, her role as a curriculum as a leader and a member of the community has allowed her to see opportunities to further educate students. “Because it’s been coming up I’ve been talking to kids in various different situations about it, and it does make me aware of how little sometimes the students at ASL do know.

And that has been, as a curriculum leader, that kind of makes me think, ‘well, is that something we should be addressing?” she said. “You know, should we have a sort of small unit on British studies? That everybody has to take. I mean it might not be in school, it could be in middle school, but at some point along the line should we be doing that?”

The Millenial Generation’s Role Although students may be politically aware, that is hardly the norm. Teenage

√√ √√√ √√ √√√√√ √√√ √√ 61% √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √√ √√√ √√ √√√√√ √√√ √√ √√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

of 111 students polled believe it is very important to vote

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Page 5

News voting in the U.K. has been less than the national average since the 1970s. According to the British Election Study, 51.2 percent of citizens aged 18-24 voted between 2005 and 2010, almost 15 percent lower than the overall rate of 66 percent.

Barnett can see why. He notes that U.K. politicians are especially oriented towards the elderly and often forget about the youth and their needs. “The fact of the matter is that one of the big policy things in the U.K. is catering to the elderly. A huge thing is that they’re giving out free bus passes, much more life support, easier gas bills, tax cuts, all this sort of thing to the elderly because they’re the ones who are going to vote,” he said.

Not only does Barnett cite the government gearing toward the elderly as a reason for the decline in votes, but he also believes that the younger generation does not believe that their vote matters.

“Young people think ‘oh, I can’t make a difference’ but you can make a difference and you have to put your foot forward,” he said.

Having younger candidates, Westgaard believes, could help solve the problem. “Younger candidates tend to be charismatic and they tend to appeal to the youth, they look up to them, and they are a beacon of what government should be,” he said. Westgaard sees Barack Obama, one of the youngest presidents ever, as a perfect example of this.

Through his charisma, Kris believes, he was able to reach out and engage young adults. Indeed, according to CIRCLE, in 2012 Obama was able to attain 60 percent

“

Young people think ‘oh, I can’t make a difference’ but you can make a difference and you have you have to put your foot forward Max Barnett (’15) of the youth vote – while his older opponent Mitt Romney only garnered 37 percent of the youth vote.

Even though teenagers are not eligible to vote until they are 18 years old, Westgaard believes it is still important to stay politically involved. “Before [eligible voting age] kids need to be aware and follow [politics], so when they reach that age

Key Policies

they can have say and be impactful,” he said.

“For us, we are getting into a new era of technology and things are changing in terms of political spectrum,” Westgaard said. “So I think it’s really important to follow this and so we can make adequate decisions based on what the country’s needs.”

The Importance of Voting For Bonthrone, politics – and by extension, voting – has been a way of life. “I came from a family where, coming [from a] very working class background, there was that interest and expectation that people would get involved, and that these things were important and [that people] were interested,” Bonthrone said.

Coming from a working class family – and one that was actively involved in trade unions – has always meant voting Labour for Bonthrone and her family. But as time elapsed, Bonthrone’s outlook on politics and her personal political views have changed.

“I’m a scientist, I want to look at things with different angles,” she said. “And so there is that question to me, that’s where my background where my heart lies but I also feel I’ve got that intellectual desire to at least look at the policies and question them.”

Traveling the world has had a significant impact on the way Bonthrone sees voting. “Because I’ve lived internationally and I’ve seen different systems at work, the fact that this is a democracy and it’s a democracy that’s probably pretty fair ... when you travel a lot you begin to realize how important it is to vote, because you have that opportunity, because it is denied to so many people,” she said.

Shafqat grew up in Pakistan, a country that has had a long history with military dictatorships. Growing up, she yearned for the right to vote and share her voice.

Only when she moved to the U.K. was she finally able to do that. To Shafqat, it was an experience like no other. “It was the biggest thrill possible. I felt like a charge going into a wooden booth to put a cross on the ballot,” she said.

Barnett is confident that a single vote has the ability to change and improve the future. “Every voice among the cacophony comes from a single person and so you have to shout for what you want and to do that you have to vote,” he said.

“In voting there is power, no matter what pessimists or skeptics will tell you.”

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Extra £2.5 billion for the NHS Raise minimum wage to more than £8 per hour by 2019

Ed Miliband Labour

No raise in Income tax Freeze energy bills until 2017

Key Policies Extra £8 billion for the NHS by 2020

David Cameron Conservative

Extend Right To Buy option for housing association tenants Abolish income tax for people working more than thirty hours on minimum wage Referendum on EU membership

Key Policies Invest £8 billion in the NHS Increase tax free allowance to £12,500

Nick Clegg Liberal Democrats

Education funding from nursery school to age 19 Regulations to protect nature and environment

Key Policies Referendum on the UK’s EU membership New, stricter, immigration controls

Nigel Farage UKIP

Invest £3 billion in the NHS Increased defence spending

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: PHOTO 1, PHOTO 3 AND PHOTO 4 FROM WIKIMEDIA. ORG; PHOTO 2 FROM FLICKR.COM/NUMBER10GOV

Opinions Committing t0 Academic •••

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Prom Mental health

U N I FO R M I T Y

The Standard’s Editorial Board has, in the past, called for uniformity in grading policies across academic departments. And, while the administration has agreed that this is important, we have seen no evidence ensuring that this uniformity is actually accomplished.

We believe that this lack of action comes simply because there is nothing that concretely states what these policies should be. The lack of rigid departmental guidelines creates unequal opportunities and experiences between students taking either the same or similar courses.

We believe that concrete academic policies need to be specifically written out for each department, detailing what is expected of students and teachers in each and every class. What is written in

this code should be at the discretion of the faculty members in that department as a whole, and not solely from the administration or the department head.

These statutes should not only apply to grading policies, but also to anything from whether or not homework will be entered as a completion grade or a letter grade, whether or not test or quiz corrections should be allowed, how Haiku pages should be organized, or even if classes in that department should allow their students 5 minute breaks.

We acknowledge that the World Languages and Culture and English departments have already made positive steps towards accomplishing uniformity in that sense, but we believe that this atmosphere needs to be more transcendent within the school.

There are already written academic guidelines at the school, but these are essentially unknown to the student body. New, written academic standings would be the best way to try to eradicate all issues regarding uniformity and obsoletism across classes. And beyond just writing these policies, they need to be as hammered into students’ and teachers’ mind as a document as the Code of Conduct.

In addition to adding clarity, it would limit complaints from the student body.

Not only would this allow each student to know exactly what is expected of them, but it paves the most ideal way for students to be on a level playing field when it comes to grades and general success in their classes.

With the school moving toward a

Standard

standards based curriculum, we think this is the ideal time to implement these guidelines.

We don’t want to limit a teacher’s freedom to teach in the style they deem best, nor force them into things they are uncomfortable with. We think that the diversified teaching styles at the school are what make our faculty so good at what they do. We simply want to ensure that all students have equal opportunity to achieve success under the same guidelines within a department. The current situation in departments allows for discrepancies between classes.

We believe that concrete departmental academic policies are the best way to eliminate these discrepancies, and holistically raise the bar for academic excellence.

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Page 7

Opinions

Prom’s place at ASL is outdated ZACK ASHLEY

zack_ashley@asl.org

“

Prom goes against everything ASL stands for in the way it promotes patriarchal values and superficiality

I’m not going to lie, I love a cute and romantic promposal as much as the next person. However, my love affair with prom ends there: I despise the event and all the values it teaches us.

The most obvious issue that many people bring up about prom is that, at least from what I’ve witnessed over the past few years, it is always the male students who ask the female students. Most people do criticize this but don’t really think much more about it.

When more carefully examined, there is something even more inherently disturbing about this particular courting process, a process in which male students get to ask, and therefore are the ones who choose their dates. When a guy asks a girl to prom it’s considered romantic, but if a girl were to try the same thing, she would be seen as desperate. Alternatively, if a guy doesn’t ask a girl to prom, or if he doesn’t do it in a “creative” enough way, he is somehow a terrible person because all of the sudden, promposals determine one’s character.

Meanwhile, females are almost always expected to say “yes,” allowing the men to simply come in and claim them. Additionally, this tradition makes prom a first come first serve situation.

In short, female students wait for which-

Progress Report SCONES

BUZZ CUTS

VIBE

JUICE

ever male decides to ask first, to come in and make her his, regardless of her feelings toward him. That doesn’t mean she won’t complain about it though, as the lament, ‘I hope my date looks good on social media’ is often heard from both sides.

Admittedly, I have no personal pain regarding the situation being that my gender is the one favored by it, but I know how angry I would be if the roles were reversed.

Apart from promoting blatant sexism, there is a whole other aspect of prom that I take issue with. This stems mainly from how the importance of prom paraphernalia is stressed. Kids are expected to stuff themselves into dresses and tuxedos, ones that are usually expected to be of high quality, or else we don’t really care about our dates.

And although, unfortunately, I am not part of the infamous girls’ dress Facebook group, many female friends of mine have mentioned the extremely judgemental ethos of the group regarding girls checking the price tags of others’ dresses, or flat out judging the girl for her preference of aesthetics. Additionally, we are expected to buy our dates some sort of wearable floral arrangement, which is also expected to be expensive and, being that everyone buys them, in my opinion rather impersonal. To

top it all off, the kids then hop into a limousine to ride to the actual event in a move that basically screams, ‘look how much money our parents have’.

But what does all of this say about what it means to be a good partner? That you’re only a suitable match for someone if you buy an expensive tuxedo (that all look the same), dress, or corsage? Or is it if that he or she doesn’t have a limousine to ride in they’re not properly cared for and their partner, therefore, has failed regardless if they sensibly decided this particular vehicle is a tad too flashy. Maybe even, shockingly, I know, maybe their parents don’t have their own reserve to splash out on a vehicle in this price range?

Prom goes against everything ASL stands for in the way it promotes patriarchal values and superficiality, and, not to mention, the extremely exclusive nature of the event as not everyone is asked to prom. Surely there must be a way to still have a nice formal event that doesn’t carry so many detrimental side-effects.

May brings us prom, and prom brings us adorable promposals and a few nice pictures we can look back on when we’re older. Besides that, it doesn’t bring us much.

PHOTOS 1, 2, 3, 4 AND 5 BY YARRA ELMASRY, PHOTO 6 FROM FLICKR/AKROCKEFELLER

1

2

3

4

5

6

General Vibe: (5) Between the good weather and Scones: (5) Pass the clotted cream and raspberry 1.

4. everyone’s collective good mood (or at least in jam, please.

Charlotte Young The staff of the senior class, my sympathy goes out to the juniors), I genuinely look forward to coming to New Frontiers Speech Dilluting SJC’s assembly: The Standard give the 2. (2) Social Justice Council’s brilliant and thought- school.James Malin provoking video was the saviour of one of our more assemblies of the year. A speech that was borschool its AP season drab 5. Juice: (1) Alright mate, allegedly. Zack Longboy ing in content, way too long and held suspicions Week Long Spring Break: (1) Probably one being done on the spot didn’t help its original progress report. ofcause.

6. One of the worst ideas since communism.

Zack Ashley

3.

Buzz Cuts: (4) No more conditioner and I feel as aerodynamic as a dolphin’s beak.

Tyler Skow

Nadia Sawiris

Post Scriptum: Thnks Fr Th Mmrs – Jámes, Savage, Señor and The Boss.

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Page 8

THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Opinions

Confronting the stigma

JAMES MALIN

james_malin@asl.org

“

of grandeur, unwarranted self-confidence, reckless behavior and an inability to sleep all tend to be byproducts of the phase – not endless happiness as it seems to be publicly believed.

The stigma is something that I regularly encounter within the High School, and while there is little to no malice in its perpetuation, it still exists. A lot of this stigmatization is because of a lack of education leading to misconceptions surrounding diseases like bipolar.

The most common manifestations of the stigma that I witness are casual references to mental disorders, and this is true for all mental illnesses, not just bipolar. When the term “depressed” is thrown about, it is trivializing a serious disease that many in our community struggle with. When a teacher’s short temper is referred to as “bipolar” by students, it is making light of a disease that defines many people’s identities and daily life.

This is something that needs to be actively, and aggressively, addressed. The administration is so greatly concerned with making the school’s environment as “safe” as possible, yet this problem seems to garner little attention. These microaggressions that occur on a daily, if not hourly basis, are an issue not only regarding mental health, but all other soci-

Buzz

etal ills, such as racism and sexism, where casual reinforcement of misconceptions is a large part of the problem.

The stigma surrounding mental health is rooted in the archaic belief that because the problems are less tangible than other illnesses, their existence is up for debate. Diseases such as bipolar are just as real as cancer or diabetes. That huge misconception regarding the legitimacy of the disorders can only be addressed through education, and said education must be authentic and come from those who speak from experience.

For that reason, I encourage anyone in a similar situation to mine to speak up: You are not alone, and your problems are not something to be ashamed of. By people who truly understand the struggle of mental illness being forthright and candid about their experience, others will listen, learn and, most importantly, empathize.

While at first I treated my illness as an illicit thing only my closest friends knew about, it is now something that has become central to my identity, and proudly so. People with mental illnesses are not the problem, it is the stigma that surrounds them that is the problem; and, together, we must fight that problem.

The

When I was diagnosed, my first thought was not of my health; instead, I immediately thought of the stigma surrounding the disease

On September 1, 2014, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Bipolar Disorder. When I was diagnosed, my first thought was not of my health; instead, I immediately thought of the stigma surrounding the disease.

Just to dispel any confusion: I do not go from happy to furious within 10 seconds, nor do I experience volatile mood swings on a daily basis.

The true effects of bipolar diverge from the widely held conceptions rather greatly.

In reality, people like me who have Type 2 Bipolar go back and forth between two phases known as the depressive phase and the manic phase.

During the depressive phase, it is essentially the same as being clinically depressed, and this tends to last much longer than the manic phase. Such is the extent of the depressive phase’s debilitation that I found myself unable to attend my Alternative trip at the beginning of the school year as I struggled with suicidal thoughts.

On the flip side, there is the manic phase.

There is a common misconception that this is a rather cheery, pleasant experience when in actuality it is the more difficult phase to manage. Typically, these phases last around a third of the depressive ones for me, and they can be extremely disorientating. Illusions

The Data

The Voices

Have you ever heard a mental illness being referred to in a degrading manner?

“I think those who suffer from mental illness in high school tend to hide their sufferings from others, even their closest friends, because of the stigma in the High School.” - Brian Robert (’17)

Yes 86.5%

No 13.5%

Do you believe mental illnesses to be as legitimate as physical illnesses?

“I think mental illnesses aren’t taken seriously enough, they are more seen as people trying to get attention and mostly people think only girls get it. With depression, which people don’t take seriously, I’ve heard examples of people talking about depression as if it is a joke, as if it is like I said something about it to get attention.” - Eden Schulkes (’16) “I don’t believe there is a stigma surrounding mental illness at ASL and I don’t think that it’s a really big problem and if it is then we just don’t see it.” - Rizal Zakaria (’16)

Yes 94.1%

No 5.9%

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ONLINE EDITOR ANKIT MEHRA AND STAFF WRITERS JACK JAMESON AND DANIEL ZIMMERMANN

DATA TAKEN FROM A SURVEY OF 185 STUDENTS CONDUCTED BY THE STANDARD

THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

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Page 9

Opinions

Why IS’s atrocities affect me NADIA SAWIRIS

nadia_sawiris@asl.org

“

What is happening in the Middle East and Africa right now is a genocide of a race and extermination of a culture that has been alive for thousands of years

SEBASTIAN MAYR

sebastian_mayr@asl.org

“

Netanyahu’s hypocrisies and consistent backtracking have alienated non-Israelis and non-Jews globally

During this past summer, through my computer screen, television, and newspapers, I was exposed to the atrocities committed by the Islamic State (IS) throughout the Middle East. I was particularly afflicted by the atrocities that had been occurring to the Yazidis, a predominantly ethnically Kurdish sect that is derived from Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam, whose 700,000 strong population is mostly located in Iraq.

Not only was I disturbed by the brutality of the actions, from murders to female trafficking of Yazidis, but I also felt personally attacked as I, too, come from a minority religion in the Middle East. Just the thought of the ancient culture of the Yazidi being destroyed by extremists truly terrified me.

As a Copt, a Christian minority in the majority Muslim country Egypt, I have grown up in an environment where I know I wasn’t accepted. I was marginalized for not being like those around me. I started learning this when, at the age of seven, I told my parents that I wanted to become President of Egypt, they replied, with a saddened tone, that I was not allowed to due to my religion.

Another encounter occurred three years ago when I was in Egypt for Winter Break and, unlike the tradition of previous years, my parents decided that it would be safer for us not to go to church on Christmas Eve

as there had been numerous church bombings in the past few months.

With every increase in number of deaths or kidnaps of Yazidis that was shown on the ticker on the bottom of the CNN screen on TV, I felt a deeper sense of despair. But at the end of the day, it was just a number to me, another hundred deaths in a region that had unfortunately become accustomed to them.

On February 16, 2015, my dejection turned into exasperation. The number on the ticker was no longer a distant thought but one that hit close to home. On that day, IS posted a video of the beheading of 21 Copts in Libya.

These men had recently migrated there in order to escape the economic and political instability in Egypt and to be able to send money back home to support their families.

This atrocity personally touched me because we shared the same history.

When my father was four years old, the Egyptian government nationalized most private companies, including my grandfather’s. For that reason, my grandfather had to leave his wife and three young children in Egypt and move to Libya in order to ensure my father and uncles were able to receive a high quality education. These 21 innocent, beheaded men left their nation in the same altruistic desire to support their families, just like my grandfather had, and make sure that their children have a brighter future

than their current ones. What awaited them was a slaughterhouse manned by irreverent, diabolical fanatics.

Since this incident, hundreds more Christians have been murdered. Most notably when Somali al-Shabaab militants stormed Garissa University College in Kenya. After a guns-blazing entrance, the fundamentalist terrorists filtered out Christian students from Muslim ones and executed them mercilessly. That bloody morning, 147 ambitious Christian students trying to wrestle a country out of its despondence were killed.

What is happening in the Middle East and Africa right now is a genocide of a race and extermination of a culture that has been alive for thousands of years. A culture that is sometimes heroic, sometimes valorous, but almost always innocent. The ethnic cleansing of Christianity in the Middle East and nearby Africa is a watered-down, but just as horrifying, revival of the Holocaust. What the world has been trying to do in assuaging the barbarity of some minorities has evidently not been working. I understand that these innocent people dying are miles away from (our idea of ) home and that there is no oil or resource that can be gained from helping them, but the world needs to open their eyes and acknowledge the atrocities occurring in order to find a truly viable solution.

The settlements in the West Bank have always been a pertinent topic when evaluating the current dispute between Palestine and Israel. While the former has often plead for their restriction, the latter has failed countlessly to address the current situation unfolding, as some 350,000 settlers now reside in the area.

Often times the center of the ongoing dissension between both groups, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has failed to palpably alleviate the issue during his tenure, further diminishing the probability of creating a viable solution in the region.

In a 2009 speech at the Bar Ilan University, Netanyahu addressed the Israeli people in an attempt to bolster his second campaign, laying out a tangible vision for peace entailing a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel. Citing the importance of mutual respect and amity, Netanyahu’s speech prompted a stirring response from many Israeli citizens, many of whom believed and welcomed the notion of recommencing relationships with their neighboring Palestinians.

Despite such optimistic professions, Netanyahu’s speech failed to provide any meaningful results, as his stance on the settlements and Israeli-Palestine relations have become increasingly stringent and uncompromising. In his most recent bid for a fourth term in office, Netanyahu effectively nullified the speech delivered at Bar Ilan, renouncing his commitment to a two-state solution with the Palestinians, and encouraging right-wing Israeli Jews to cast their votes to dilute the swaths of Israeli Arabs who were going

to the polls and voting against the Prime Minister’s Likud Party.

Regarding the settlements, Netanyahu’s options remain limited but essential to the potential of salvaging any remnants of an agreement between both parties. The Prime Minister must first and foremost accept a freeze on any imminent construction plans and recall his support for the growth of Israeli cities such as Ariel and Beit Horon in the West Bank. During his campaign, Netanyahu attested to the growing importance of Ariel, claiming it to be the “heart of Israel.”

Pertaining to his faltering relations with the Obama administration, the countries’ relationship has never been one of more pressing concern. In 2009, the Obama administration demanded a 10-month settlement freeze, an announcement which fell on deaf ears in Israel, and has yet to be implemented within the region. In order to assuage an infuriated Obama administration, entitle the Palestinians to their rightful territory as established by the 2003 Geneva Accord, and regain his international credibility, Netanyahu must gradually halt any further construction of Israeli settlements and respect the boundaries of the pre-1967 borders.

While Netanyahu’s decisions have, in recent times, been marred by controversy and stirred unprecedented anti-Jewish bigotry, the futile and insane war Hamas initiated last summer must, at the very least, be taken into account when evaluating the Prime Minister’s tentative stance on any imminent two-state solution. Launching rockets toward Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s commercial air-

port, Hamas and other terrorist groups continue to demonstrate the volatility of the region.

However, Netanyahu’s hypocrisies and consistent backtracking have alienated non-Israelis and non-Jews globally.

Recently proclaiming his support for the expansion of existing settlements, Netanyahu has appeased right-wing parties and citizens throughout the country, many of whom still hold the Prime Minister’s stance as too liberal. Having lived and been to Israel countless times, I wince at the current prospects ahead for the country. Netanyahu’s statements not only repudiated his past stance on Israeli-Palestinian relations, but also proliferated anti-Israel sentiments globally. How could I, or any other non-Israeli for that matter, possibly want to defend a onestate solution? The Prime Minister has only affirmed a burgeoning notion held by many of his skeptics: That his true position all along was one opposing a twostate solution, and that he wasted the Obama Administration’s time by feigning to endorse two states.

Netanyahu has proven his worth time and time again as a political tactician. Yet amid the euphoria of victory, and major reaffirmation of faith in his leadership, Netanyahu will need to take heed of the fact that a substantial proportion of European nations have relentlessly criticized his policies on the settlements and Israeli-Palestinian relations. His rhetoric often does beg the question: Will twostate solution ever come to fruition? Only time will tell, and until then, Netanyahu will have to rebuild and consolidate his relationship with the White House.

Regaining credibility

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Page 10

THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Opinions

Lessons from robotics

LORENZO MAGLIONE

lorenzo_maglione@asl.org

“

It was clear to me that half measures were not accepted: If you did a job, you did it right

“Alright guys, let’s call it a night.”

It’s 10 p.m. on a Tuesday, and I’m still at school. Exhausted and famished, the few students who remain slowly begin to clean the mess in the Design Lab. Most of them won’t get home until past 10:30 p.m., and all of them won’t be able to sleep until they have completed their homework.

This is a common scene for students on the robotics team. But with all the work and stress that robotics brings, the experience that it provides is invaluable.

I joined the robotics team in my freshman year. Although I had always been interested in building and problem solving, I had never participated in the Middle School Robotics program.

Almost immediately I understood the seriousness of the High School robotics team.

This was a no-nonsense world that I had never experienced before, but one that I instantly fell in love with. From the first day we went straight to work, brainstorming ideas, strategies and delegating duties. It was clear to me that half measures were not accepted: If you did a job, you did it right.

The first lesson I learned came from spending countless late nights in the Design Lab: There’s no escaping hard work. In any serious endeavor, if you expect good results, there is no substitute for devoting serious time to work on it. This goes for schoolwork, but perhaps even more so in real world applications. Students may cut corners to get good grades in school, but unfortunately, there is no such thing as SparkNotes in the real world.

Another lesson that I learned is how essential teamwork and communication are when working within a group. The robotics team is divided into three separate teams: Building, electronics and programming.

Part of the difficulty in building a functioning robot comes from integration: Everything has to work together. Building the robot requires constant communication and organized cooperation. I think this is

PHOTO COURTESY OF LORENZO MAGLIONE true for most real world applications. When look at every single team in the competiworking with a team, everyone has to be on tion and rate them so that we know exactly the same page with the same goal, and be what they are capable of and what they are equally informed. It’s harder to get things good at. By examining our records, we saw done efficiently if people work on their own. that the 4th place team was only in that posiAfter the first day, 13 March, of tourna- tion because they had been with great teams ment matches in New York City, our team in almost all of their initial matches. So we was quite demoralized. After a disappoint- respectfully declined their offer and chose ing 6 matches riddled with malfunctions to partner with a team that was in 18th place. in our robot, our team placed 28th out of 66 Through our research, we saw that deteams. With all the hard work we had put in, spite being out of the top 10, this team had it was demotivating to see our team ranked a proficient robot whose capabilities would so low. Nevertheless, we kept our spirits up pair nicely with ours. They had unfortuand the next day we went straight back to nately suffered from simple malfunctioning work, fine-tuned the robot and improved errors that had lowered their score. Our reour results drastically. By the end of the day search paid off, as they quickly turned out to we were ranked in eighth place. This put us be one of the best teams in the competition. in the position to become 1 of 8 alliance cap- This was another important lesson: The best tains – meaning we would now have to pick choice is not always the most obvious one. two other teams to join us in the quarter fiIn the end, to our euphoria, our team won nals. This reversal of fortune taught me an- the NYC regional. But just as important as other lesson: Don’t despair at the first sight the joy of success were the important lesof failure. sons that I learned along the way. Based on After our successes, when the fourth my experience, I would encourage everyone ranked team asked to become partners with to engage in some sort of after school activus, you might presume we said yes. But we ity. You will often learn skills that are invaludidn’t. An integral part of every robotics able in life – skills not always taught in the team is the scouting group. These people classroom, but just as important.

Fostering connections ANKIT MEHRA

ankit_mehra@asl.org

“

As of right now, the High School is a bubble. We live within it, and rarely venture out

Along with the current goals of both Student Council (StuCo) and the administration being to foster connections between all four grades in the High School through events such as the back to school bash in September, an additional initiative should be fostering connections between the international schools we play so often in sports.

Regardless of how often we compete against schools such as of ACS Cobham, ACS Egham, ACS Hillingdon or TASIS, we don’t have a connection with them outside of sports. ASL has a broad, informal version the American school system’s attempt to build uniformity by proximity, that largely revolves around athletic competition. It is time to take that relationship further between our High School and other international schools in London.

Think about this question: How many people do you know well outside of School in London?

From a personal account, I have played a sport outside of the school and built friendships through that. But for most people,

whether it be through trips such as the ISTA Drama Festival, the music tour, and of course housing during ISSTs, how many of those friendships formed are to get through the week and how many actually last? The answer to the latter is likely very few.

The solution to this problem is rather simple. Instead of having a barbecue at Canons Park at the beginning of the year where we invite the High School, let’s open it up to other schools. When we have Battle of the Bands, allow other schools to participate and attend the show.

Our current situation with QK and Model United Nations is an example of how we can foster connections outside of just the High School. Though the end goal wasn’t achieved, in theory it was an idea that would have created further connections between two schools separated by a crossing.

The benefits for an arrangement such as this one would be beneficial in any student's life. Being able to have friends that give you another perspective, while also

enduring the same day-to-day struggles as you is invaluable. Being able to talk to people who share similar interests as you can actually lead to meaningful discussions while also hanging out and sharing interests outside of the regular 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. school day.

To me, the importance of having friends outside of the school has been quite significant. I’ve found people who share similar interests as me and most importantly, people I share a connection with.

We have a large international school community here in London (or just outside of London) in Cobham, Hillingdon, Egham and TASIS and, as of right now, we are connected solely through sports. We should unite, whether it be through schools connecting, or students connecting.

As of right now the High School is a bubble. We live within it and r arely venture out.

This initiative would give us the ability to experience many new avenues while fostering connections with schools that share a similar ethos to us.

THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

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Page 11

Opinions

Religion’s role in the West CHARLOTTE YOUNG charlotte_young@asl.org

“

I continue to try to understand Hirsi Ali’s ideas and how we, as a society, can make a distinction between religion and important aspect of many people’s lives and western values

CAM CAMPILI

cameron_campili@asl.org

“

Something must be done to increase the minimum wage

Recently, a teacher recommended that I read Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Hirsi Ali, who is Somalian born and was raised strictly abiding to Islamic culture, became a refugee in Holland in 1992 in order to escape from an arranged marriage to a man she had never met.

Five years later, Hirsi Ali became a Dutch citizen and eventually rejected the values placed on her by her Somalian culture and the values of Islam, which she believed plagued her as she grew up in Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

From Hirsi Ali’s perspective, she saw Islam as an oppressive force on women. She detailed this idea in her memoir when she wrote, “many well-meaning Dutch people have told me in all earnestness that nothing in Islamic culture incites abuse of women...

In reality, these Westerners are the ones who misunderstand Islam. The Qu’ran mandates these punishments.”

I began thinking about what Hirsi Ali wrote in her book and was stunned. Many people practice Islam, but what I realized she was saying in her book is that when any religion is interpreted so strictly, suffering can occur. This in no way strictly abides to Islam, however, in this case, Hirsi Ali saw that Islam practiced strictly and making one’s life shaped by the Qu’ran, can often lead to degradation of women.

To a certain extent, I agree with Hirsi Ali. I began researching Sharia Law in the U.K. as part of an internship this past year. Sharia Law is an Islamic legal system and what I found shocked me. According to a report

by Civitas there are approximately 85 Sharia Councils in the U.K., which act separately from British law. These Councils offer advice to Muslims regarding various aspects of their lives, but the predominant amount of cases these councils receive are on marriage, or nikah.

Upon looking into the niqab further, I realized the discrepancies of this law for men and women. For example, the Islamic Sharia Council, which operates in the U.K., holds very different guidelines for divorce if a male is applying versus a female. They state on their website, “The right to divorce

PHOTO FROM FLICKR/ATHIESTFOUNDATIONOFAUSTRALIA in Islam is primarily given to the husband.”

The idea of marriage under Islamic law versus British Civil Law undeniably clash in this case. If a woman does not have equal right to divorce as a male does, how is this allowed to operate alongside British civil law or any legal system in a democratic like the U.K.’s?

Recognizing this problem, when Hirsi Ali was elected to Dutch Parliament, she worked to obtain refugee status for women who had Islamic marriages and wanted to escape them, but were in fear of being shunned by their family if they did choose to leave these marriages.

As her views toward Islam continued to evolve, Hirsi Ali decided to collaborate with filmmaker Theo Van Gogh to make a ten minute film titled “Submission: Part One” to detail the repressive treatment of women under Islam. Van Gogh was later murdered by a Moroccan man in response to this film, showing the often harsh line drawn between

freedom of speech (a Dutch and generally Western value) and the strict interpretation of certain religions.

The problems with Sharia Councils and the death of Van Gogh highlight a greater issue in current western society. From my perspective and what Hirsi Ali illustrated in her writing, is the constant battle between freedom of speech, equal rights despite gender and the strict interpretation of religion.

In some cases, these cannot all exist in harmony; there will be a clash.

At this time, I continue to try to understand Hirsi Ali’s ideas and how we, as a society, can make a distinction between religion, an important aspect of many people’s lives and western values.

Where is the line to be drawn between extremist thinking infringing upon the values of a democratic society? It’s a tough question to grapple with, but it is of the utmost importance as a wave of radical thinking has begun to appear in European countries.

Minimum wage is too low

The least a British man or woman can make in the U.K. is £6.50 per hour. That adds up to be £52 per day for the typical ‘nine to five’ worker, £364 per week and, for the average U.K. worker, £12,000 per year. This is an excruciatingly low payment. To put this in perspective, an ASL family pays two times that amount for the yearly tuition of a single child.

Many schools, companies and political leaders are trying to increase the minimum wage in the U.S. and the U.K.. McDonald’s is one of the many companies that have received complaints regarding minimum wage. Workers demonstrated for months until McDonald’s responded to the complaints by pledging to increase the legal minimum wage by at least a dollar.

Along with companies acting out against this agonizing problem, the U.K. increased the legal minimum wage by three percent

this past year. This is the biggest increase to the minimum wage since 2008, which shows just how slow the movement has been in recent years. With U.K. elections approaching, Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband has ignited a campaign concerning the national minimum wage. He stated in his new campaign that he will help add fire to the “latest chapter in the fight to end low pay.”

Aside from politicians, schools have also started to address the affair of minimum wage at their specific schools. One of these schools is Washington University (WU).

WU has raised the minimum wage to $11 per hour for all students, almost double the legal American minimum wage. If a college can do it why not try it on a global scale?

The school also offers jobs for students during the summer and breaks. Many students take part in jobs associated with the

school, such as London sports offiiciating.

Students who officiate basketball games on Sundays make around £25 per hour. This is a ridiculous amount of money when you compare it to the U.K. minimum wage (four times greater than the national minimum wage).

The massive amount of money spent and recieved in the school has taken its toll on students. Because of this, I believe they’re not ready for the real world. The school is not preparing students for jobs they may undertake in college and the outside world as they expect to receive large amounts of money when they may be only receiving this miniscule minimum wage.

Something must be done to increase the minimum wage, as it’s almost impossible for me to think U.K. workers live off £12,000 per year when many families spend that per month.

Features Page 12

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Students with jobs Skipping and repeating grades

An alternative education Lead Features Editor Zack Longboy reflects on his experience at the alternative Rudolf Steiner school

It was my first day of biology class, not to mention my first day at ASL, so needless to say I was nervous. It didn’t help that the teacher kept asking me questions. “Can you name three elements?” he said, moving to cover the large periodic table that hung on the wall. I was sweating. What was an element? I had never studied science extensively in my life. “Earth, air and fire?” I offered sheepishly, after a long pause.

My transition to ASL was a difficult one.

Coming from a Rudolf Steiner School (or Waldorf, as it is called in the U.S.), an alternative school predicated on holistic education, and buried in the English countryside, my little experience in a “traditional” education system certainly showed.

The concept of the Rudolf Steiner education itself is simple: A school whose aim is to educate all aspects of the student – “Head, heart and body.” But in practice, the curriculum is far from typical.

There are many Waldorf/Steiner schools scattered across the globe, each semi-adopting the curriculum of their host country (schools in the U.K. for example, will take GCSEs, whereas at U.S. schools, students will take the SAT). The curriculum is tailored not only toward English, Math, History (a course which would be more akin to mythology or religion than any history class

offered at ASL) French and science (which starting in Grade 6 met for only three weeks per year), but to other more “practical” courses.

For example, my Grade 8 course load included classes like Handwork, Woodwork, and Gardening. In Handwork we were taught to knit, crochet and sew while in Woodwork, our projects included the process of making a wooden table, from the cutting down of the tree trunk to the chiseling and lathing of the table legs. Gardening was by far my favorite class; in it, each student was given a small plot of land and expected to cultivate their own healthy allotment.

Finally, the strangest, if not the most famous, component of the Steiner education, is Eurythmy. This art form was immortalized by music artist Annie Lennox’s band, the Eurythmics, so named after she was enamored with Eurythmy as a child.

It’s hard to explain Eurythmy, but I guess it would be classified as an expressive or communicative dance. Set to music, it has an alphabet, but an odd kind of alphabet with sounds (for example there is no “t” but rather a “th” or a “ta”). It wasn’t like these classes were electives either; they were all core components of the curriculum.

So yes, I did have academic classes, but Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley (RSSKL) was a vastly different environment.

For a start, three staples of a standard education: Grading, textbooks and homework, are essentially obsolete. Grades are either loosely assigned – and then never referred to again – or simply not awarded at all: End of year “transcripts” are a short written report by each teacher. In terms of textbooks, at least in Grades 1-8, the “textbooks” are written and illustrated by the students. Finally, the homework load was incredibly light; 1520 minutes allotted for learning French vocabulary was the extent of my work outside

of school hours 99 percent of the time.

The academic culture, overall, was a stark contrast: A graduating class of around 10 students (generally around 30 students per class until the age of 17 where many dropped out), of which, in 2014, nine students matriculated into higher education, illustrates this divide.

Needless to say, I came to ASL in Grade 9 fresh and eager to learn. Beyond the lockers, the sports teams and cafeteria (it sounds cliché, but I relished in the fact that I felt like a “proper” American teenager) the transition was a sharp one. It was all so new, so different from anything I had ever experienced before in my life.

Believe it or not, I even embraced my homework, hungry to gain the theoretical knowledge which up to this point had never been the focus of my education. After years of little-to-no homework, I looked forward to every assignment.

I had left a school predicated on the development of the three “h’s” – head, heart and hands – and entered one that was undoubtedly dominated by the first “h.”

The mentality fostered at schools of high academic caliber like ASL, where even middle school students must complete hours of homework, can severely stunt the passion to learn. However, with my background, I was free from that. The hunger and passion to learn still burned brightly within me; I came with an open mind, without any of the negative stigmas attached to learning and working.

While at first I was behind, especially struggling in subjects like science, where I had little to no foundation, I worked as hard as I could. Looking back on my freshman year transcript, what some see as a non-assuming B-grade next to the word Biology, I see it as one of the most successful accomplishments of my high school career.

Farming (left), Handwork (right, second from top) Woodwork (bottom right) and Eurythmy (top right) are all staples of a Rudolf Steiner education.

LEFT: PHOTO BY ELLA CHISHOLM ALL OTHER PHOTOS FROM RSSKL.ORG

However, into my third year of high school, after two years in a fundamentally different system, I am starting to feel the strain; my passion for learning slowly dying. I no longer sit at my desk excited to log onto Haiku (computers had never been part of my educational experience before) or take pages and pages of – as I think back on it – unnecessary notes.

It has only been three years since I last set foot on the campus of the school where I spent my formative years but my memory is already fading – when I first came to ASL it had often been easier to describe my previous school as a “gypsy school” and leave it at that. However, the Steiner education has always been more than just a “gypsy school” for me.

Undoubtedly, it accomplished its goal of holistically developing me, as a student, and it has given me experiences that looking back on them now, were once-ina-lifetime opportunities.

PHOTO BY YARRA ELMASRY

•••

THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

2x5 Questions:

Page 13

Features

Unsung heroes

Alec Ashley | Staff Writer Where were you before ASL? Prior to ASL I had worked at a hearing aid company and a financial software company. When I left I took some time to consider my options and even though I was not in need of claiming benefits, I had to register myself with the unemployment office which lead to having the opportunity to do some Microsoft Accreditation Courses. By the end of it I had to do work experience and that’s how I came to ASL.

What are the differences between working in a school and in your field?

The difference is that the IT environment in a software company is very demanding because it is difficult to have a standard 9 to 5 type of job. Deadlines are also crazy to meet. Here at the school, the pace is more relaxed given that there are no overseas clients so the working hours are within the 9 to 5 frame.

What is your relationships with students?

Francisco Cárdenas-Peña HS Technology Assistant

When I started to work at ASL I noticed that contact with the technology department was very minimal so I decided to make myself more approachable and build up the confidence in students to ask for help with their devices. I also decided that I would reach out and see if anybody needed help or had a technical question. This gave me the opportunity to interact with students not as a teacher but as a member of the community that can help with little things like how we interact with other

Where were you before ASL? I worked in the media services [department]. Then when the theater was being renovated I took a sabbatical to take a course on set design, stage management and lighting. [I took] one short course at Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and City Lit. When I came back I was interested mostly in lighting design and after learning from two previous theater managers I was offered the job.

Did being a student at ASL influence your decision to come back and work here?

Originally my boss Keith Bing whom I knew from being a student [told me] someone had quit recently. He really wanted an alum to work here and I was in between jobs so after hearing about [the open position] from my father who was a teacher I got the job.

people regardless of social status. I do make it a point to ensure that the first thing I hear as soon as [a student] comes into the office is a “good morning, how are you” type of greeting rather than “Can I have this or that ?”

What are your interests outside of work?

My interests outside work are varied, but one thing that not many people know is that I practice meditation and relaxation of the mind and body as well as [performing] a monologue to the mirror from time to time. I do this not that I am an orator but mostly because of my hearing impediment where I lost 80% of my ability to hear high frequencies. Since I can’t hear the sounds I find it difficult to recreate them and so I have to “practice” how to make myself understood. My interest in meditation stemmed from a Mexican comics character, Kaliman, which impacted me at young age due to his philosophy and esoteric knowledge as well as his extensive knowledge in the cultivation of mind and body. It taught me many principles on how to remain calm and serene through out life.

Can you describe your personality?

I am a happy go lucky type of person and I have a very positive outlook on life in general, this helps me to keep an energetic and jovial attitude and sometimes I can be seen as being silly but its the way I make people get out of their gloomy, boring, sad or even infuriated state and be a little happier.

ing booth during the shows and joke around a lot.I have some insight into what life is like at ASL for students because I attended ASL for 12 years so I treat my relationship with students high school students as more of an older alumn friend, rather than an authority figure.

What is an interest of yours outside of ASL? I’ve done quite a lot of dance classes at night, either flamenco or swing dancing. I still do swing dancing every once in a while and that is quite fun. The V & A is my favorite museum and Shoreditch is my favorite area, although I am probably a bit old for it now. Shoreditch is what Camden used to be.

What is something you are looking forward to?

I am taking seven months off next year and I am taking

How would you describe your relation- a trip around the world as I never got to do that when I was younger. I am going to Dubai, Sri Lanka, Singapore, ship with the student body?

Christine Rudolph (’85) School Center Manager

As I don’t formally teach the students, I don’t know them as I’d like to. I mainly get to know the student actors in the plays and those who do the technical work on the plays. We usually have a lot of fun in the light-

Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Miami and then back to London and it is purely for pleasure.

PHOTOS BY YARRA ELMASRY

Depressio

Three students’ experience with depression battle and how they fight against the stigma surr James Malin | Issues Editor

S

hock. Perceived weakness. “You don’t act depressed” – these are all reactions that Paola Kalb (’15) encounters when she tells people she suffers from depression.

These reactions, Kalb feels, are indicative of the stigma surrounding her illness.

“People have this stereotype that goes with depression, and when my close friends heard what I was going through, they were kind of like ‘what the f ***!’” she said. “That needs to change, because anybody can have depression or some type of mental illness.

It’s not a certain type of people who are susceptible to it.”

a chemical imbalance

T

wo years ago, Jane* was in her bathroom, attempting to force herself to throw up. Jane had just attempted to kill herself by swallowing a “bunch of pills”. While her suicide attempt was unsuccessful, suicidal thoughts still linger.

There are days when Jane can’t move. She can’t eat. She can’t even talk.

It can hit Jane at a moment’s notice. “It was Saturday and I was just doing homework and then my mom told me something and I just completely collapsed and for all of Saturday night and Sunday I was just in bed,” she

said. “I couldn’t go to school on Monday because I couldn’t even talk to my parents; I was just laying there completely blank.

“It’s not like I didn’t want to [move], or wasn’t making an effort, I just couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t see anything other than blankness - I was just laying there. It wasn’t like I was conscious of how much time was passing by, I was just staying there.”

Jane’s suicide attempt was the nadir of her battle with depression. She has been fighting the illness for three years; in those years, she has never sought a formal diagnosis. “I’m too scared to go because I don’t want people to say that I do have anything,” she said.

Kalb, however, has been diagnosed with clinical depression. Her diagnosis came midway through her junior year, three years after she first noticed symptoms of depression.

asking for help

K

alb wishes she had sought help sooner, though. “I probably should’ve pursued a diagnosis earlier, but at that point I was just crying every night. I was angry, I would destroy my room at least once per week – I was having some pretty bad thoughts.” she said. This fact, combined with other challenges in her life, caused Kalb to seek out therapy.

Now that she’s sought help, Kalb takes anti-depressants daily. The search for the correct medication was not easy, though. Only now, after trying two others, has Kalb found a medication that helps her “get through the day.”

There is no set path for how students with depression seek help – whether help is a formal diagnosis, like in Kalb’s case, or another form of support. Sometimes, this support can be as simple as having a few conversations with Counselor Stephanie Oliver. “The most common thing that happens is a student will just come to me on their own and they’ll talk about feeling down,” Oliver said. “A lot of times we’ll just start meeting and talking and things will get better for the student, and they’ll move on.”

But other times, more intensive support is required – often times in the form of a student being recommended to see an outside therapist.

The school also has certain safeguards

Ian Scoville | Edito

in place to ensure that students who don’t come forward with their issues are able to be helped. “Say a bunch of teachers are coming to the Dean and saying [a student’s] grades are dropping, he was being really snarky in class the other day, I’ve seen him just walking around looking slumped over and his friend found him crying in the bathroom the other day. Then we’d be like ‘oh my gosh, what’s going on with [this student]’,” she said.

Oliver would then seek to investigate the situation, talking to the student’s teachers for information and consulting the Student Support Team – consisting of Oliver, grade level deans, college counselors and Psychologist/K-12 SST Department Head Helen Jackson – before deciding on an action plan. “We wouldn’t want that student to slip through the cracks or continue suffering in silence,” Oliver said.

Oliver insists, however, that a student’s privacy is always respected to the best of her

People [have] the perception that depression is just a short, upsetting time Kimberley*

a c p s t c w d

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y n a t ly t

s a a d t b

a p v

on

n, their ongoing rounding the illness

"[Having depression] is a fact of my life, it’s not really anything to be ashamed of” Paola Kalb (’15)

or-in-Chief

25% of people will experience some kind of mental illness within the course of a year in the U.K.

ability. “I wouldn’t want to take someone’s confidential problem to a large group of people. However, sometimes it would be necessary for the Dean to know, for example. Or the group of teachers [who brought forward concerns about a student]. And with that I would always get the student’s permission to do that,” she said.

stigma

W

hile there is no difference between how genders experience depression, there is a difference in how they confront the illness. “I bet you anything in this school that there’s not a significant difference between the amount of boys and the amount of girls that suffer from depression, but I’m realy sure that it’s not acceptable for boys to talk about it in this school,” she said.

Despite the school’s exhaustive process seeking to provide students with various avenues to seek help, Jane remains firmly against approaching the school about her depression. She feels that as soon as she tells one person about her problem, it will be repeated to other faculty members.

On the other hand, the school is fully aware of Kalb’s depression. The support provided by the school, she believes, is invaluable.

On October 25, 2014, Kalb attempted suicide. After her first attempt failed, she couldn’t bring herself to follow through with a second attempt after her “life flashed before her eyes,” and she realized there was more to live for.

Following her attempt, Kalb took two weeks off of school – thus prompting her to inform the school of her illness.

While she was initially wary of the school’s involvement, her fears were quickly assuaged. “[The school was] actually really, really good about it. I felt like I had so much support - [Assistant Principal Karen] Bonthrone herself called me even and when I got back [Principal Jack] Phillips talked to me, checked in with me,” Kalb said.

Coping, though, remains an ongoing challenge for both Kalb and Jane.

“Sometimes last year, at the end of the year especially, it was really bad. I would just cry for two days straight, and in between school I would go to the bathroom sometimes and just stand in the stalls and cry silently,” Jane said. “You don’t want to bring attention to it, so you just pretend it isn’t happening.”

It’s not just risk that prevents Jane from sharing her illness – it’s a stigma too. “If somebody was diagnosed with cancer at ASL, they wouldn’t have to tell the school and nobody needs to know about that. But with mental illness, people are scared of it, so they feel like their safety is also in danger,” she said.

STATISTIC FROM MENTALHEALTH.ORG

Kimberley*, who has a long history of self harm and suicidal thoughts, believes that the stigmatization of depression is rooted in a lack of knowledge and empathy from those not afflicted with the illness. “People [have] the perception that depression is just a short, upsetting time,” she said.

In her experience, it isn’t so simple.

Kimberley’s situation deteriorated to the extent that at one point she was hospitalized for the best part of a month and placed on suicide watch. “When it gets to the point when I had to be checked into a hospital, and I was checked on every five minutes, where I couldn’t do anything and it’s still everyday that thoughts of self harm and suicide are on your mind,” Kimberley said.

Kalb also finds a stigma towards mental illness exists at the school; a trend that particularly perturbs her is casual references to illnesses like hers, which she feels trivialize the true problem. “You’re not going to be depressed because you got a C on a test. You can be sad about that, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not depression,” she said.

Kalb’s main method of treatment is her

medication. Her daily dosage of 100mg of Sertraline is what keeps her going.

Without the medication, however, things go awry for Kalb. “[When I forget to take Sertraline] I am so cranky, I am so wishywashy. I can cry at the drop of a pin. I don’t eat - at all. I just sit kind of dazed, like a wounded animal in the corner,” she said.

Irrespective of the pain and torment Kalb’s illness has caused her, it is part of her. “It wasn’t until after I attempted suicide that I became very open about it, which is completely ironic. I feel as though it’s a fact of my life, it’s not really anything to be ashamed of - like diabetes, you take medicine,” she said. “Nobody says anything to diabetic people who have to take medication or inject insulin, so why do people with depression, bipolar [disorder] or schizophrenia get so much backlash when they need to take medication to get through the day?”

*Editor’s note: Names that are followed by an asterisk are aliases used to protect sources’ anonymity.

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Page 16

THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Features

Off the beaten path

Students who have gone through the process of skipping and repeating grades in high school share their experiences Alex Gandhi | Assistant News Editor

9

10

A

11

Jumping ahead

(x2)

All over again s the end of the year approaches, many students will be progressing grades as per usual, but this hasn’t always been the case for some students.

One such student, Brodie Craig (’18) is currently repeating his freshman year. “I repeated this grade because where I lived, it was customary for kids to do a first ninth grade year at what was called these junior boarding schools, which are like the prep schools, but they only go up to [grade nine].”

When Craig found out he was moving to London, he was accepting of it because he had been preparing for the move his entire year prior moving to London. However, when Craig came to ASL he noticed that he was alone in repeating his freshman year. “If I had [gone] to the other high school that I was originally going to, there would’ve been lots of kids who were repeating freshmen year, like me,” Craig said.

High School College Counselor Ivan Hauck, thinks that the school accepts students repeating a grade, with a few drawbacks at first. “Sometimes, there’s a stigma of ‘Why were you held back? Was it because you didn’t pass your classes?’”

Hauck said. “Sometimes students will have to deal with that which is unfortunate, but my feeling from talking to other students is that other students don’t see it as that big of a deal.”

Like Craig, Julia Leland (’16) also repeated her freshman year. In her first

12 M

freshman year at ASL, she took the second semester off and returned in the fall to repeat the grade again.

During her winter break of her first freshman year her parents thought it would be a good idea to take time off from school and return in new the semester.

“My parents thought I was a little bit too young for the grade,” Leland said. “It was just a nice time to repeat so I took the second semester off.”

When Leland returned to school, she found her social experience very challenging. “Socially it was just weird because there were still the left over rumors of why I left,” Leland said. “It was a little bit weird coming back into a new situation but still being known.

“During my second freshmen year I kind of just kept my head down,” Leland said. After not studying academics for six months, Leland was so excited to learn and be back at school, which resulted in her studying for the entire year. “It was kind of my choice because I did have a rough first freshman year socially, so I decided to just study, keep my grades up and figure out the social stuff later,” Leland said.

Hauck believes that there are positive and negative ramifications to repeating a grade. “The positive is that oftentimes students might feel a stronger sense of security whether it’s the academic material or even socially,” Hauck said. “I think the negative impact often times is students feeling like they are either wasting their time in particular classes, if they’ve covered the material, or they consider themselves more mature and everybody else less mature.”

Socially, Craig admits that he did not feel comfortable at first. “At the beginning of the year with meeting new kids and getting acquainted with the school, I spent a lot of my time in the first semester regretting repeating a grade,” Craig said.

Craig noticed “the maturity level of the students I found was very different between the other ninth graders and I,” Craig said. “It’s weird seeing tenth graders who are the same age as me, but then being treated like the typical freshman.”

Leland also experienced different social maturity when she returned to her new grade. “It’s weird when you enter because you feel a lot older than your peers,” Leland said. Particularly coming into freshman year she felt that her appearance and behavior was much different than her peers.

Although Leland feels that social adjustments were rough, she still believes that she made the right choice to repeat her freshman year. “I don’t have any regrets about repeating a grade,” Leland said.

“Because I was more mature, I just fell into the group of kids that were also mature,” Leland said. “It was a lot easier especially if you’re not as socially charismatic to be the older person rather than the younger one because you gain a boost in confidence.”

Like Leland, Craig feels that he has benefited from repeating his freshman year. “In terms of academics, maturity levels and leadership, a year of repeating can really benefit and give you confidence in the classroom,” Craig said.

While repeating grades can be beneficial in absorbing previously learned information, skipping a grade can offer different opportunities for students.

anu Gualandri (’16) did the opposite of Craig and Leland and skipped Grade 7. “ I moved from a school in Milan and once I got to ASL, I talked to admissions and they told me according to my age and if I was willing to work a bit harder, I could go on to the next grade.”

With the change of school, Gualandri was already going to have a drastic change in curriculum, so he decided to take on the additional challenge. “At the beginning, it was a bit strange,” Gualandri said. “I could really feel that the people in my grade were definitely older than me, but it really didn’t take long to adjust because I consider myself a pretty mature person.”

At first, Gualandri faced many challenges with school work, but he was able to overcome them with the aid of faculty.

“In the end, after working hard and getting used to the environment... I just found myself comfortable in the grade I was in, both in terms of social life and school work.”

Gualandri believes that skipping a grade exposed him to an environment where his peers were more mature people, which in turn made him more mature. “It was definitely a big jump mentally coming from sixth grade to eighth grade,” Gualandri said, also citing a feeling of greater “independence” as part of his learning experience.

As well as gaining independence, Gualandri feels he has gained many other traits that have helped him at the school.

“I definitely gained determination from skipping a grade,” Gualandri said.

“There was a determination from me to do better at school and make new friends, without compromising my identity.”

Socially, Gualandri observes that he is still able to connect with people from all grades, not just his own. “The only thing that [skipping a grade] dictates is what I do in terms of classes... it didn’t limit me from meeting other people,” Gualandri said.

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Page 17

Features

On the job Martha Collins | Assistant Culture Editor

Three students reflect on gaining experience in the working world while managing school and extra-curricular commitments

I

Top: Nick Muoio (’16) umpires a game during London Sports baseball. Bottom: Alexandra Dell’Anno (’15) models in a shoot for Hunter Magazine.

TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK MUOIO (’16). BOTTOM PHOTO FROM ALEXANDRA DELL’ANNO (’15).

f Alexandra Dell’Anno (’15) isn’t in school or doing homework, she’s working. Dell’Anno began modelling at the age of 16 when a family friend, who is a model, introduced her to a modelling booker at a modelling agency. Since then, Dell’Anno has signed with FM Model Agency London and works numerous jobs, ranging from commercials to test shoots.

In the modelling industry, agencies prefer if their models are working full time. This is an obstacle for Dell’Anno, as her work often conflicts with her scholastic commitments. “If people are calling you for jobs it’s really hard to just reject it,” she said.

Dell’Anno has to be available to work whenever she’s not in school as many shoots occur on weekdays.

In her industry, Dell’Anno is rare in that unlike many of her coworkers, Dell’Anno also has to manage the stresses and responsibilities of a being a high school student. “I’ve had to obviously give up some things because if I’m not doing school work, if I’m not somewhere else, I’m basically working; I’m modeling,” she said.

Dell’Anno is not the only student who is employed outside of school. Nick Muoio (’16) balances his school commitments with his job as head umpire of the London Sports Baseball League. “I will have to sacrifice some things, like going out so that I can focus because of that big time commitment, but it’s manageable,” he said.

Michaela Etre (’15) has also had to prioritize her babysitting job over her social life. “It’s difficult when

your friends want to do something and you’re always babysitting, it’s kind of annoying, but you have to prioritize,” she said.

Etre has been babysitting for three different families on a regular basis since she moved to London during her sophomore year.

She works up to four nights a week, between two to six hours per job.

Both Etre and Muoio have been working for three years. This season, Muoio has taken on the responsibility of head umpire. He is in charge of his fellow umpires and making sure that all the fields are set up for the youth baseball and softball league.

Muoio played in the London Sports Baseball League when he was younger, beginning in the TBall division. For him working with the league again is “almost like giving back.”

Dell’Anno and Muoio both feel that they’re at an advantage for having a job during High School.

Dell’Anno says that most of her peers won’t be able to experience adults working in an office environment. “It kind of foreshadows what people will do when they’re older. You get to see the whole complex of adults working, rather than students,” she said. “It has helped me mature.”

Being a model has forced Dell’Anno to “assimilate with how [the adults] act and what they want you to do.” She is often put on the spot in her role, when asked to improvise at shoots. On top of that, her organization skills have improved greatly since becoming employed. “You have to make [modelling] a really big time commitment, to be on time [and] organized,” she said.

Having a job has proved advantageous for Muoio when planning for his future. “I think it will teach me those lessons with dealing with other people, dealing with situations and just hard work in general,” he said.

Another benefit for Muoio is

gaining experience with money management. “While you’re making money... you also learn how to deal with it, what you’re going to do with it,” he said.

Similar to Muoio, Etre has found that with employment comes financial independence.

“Because you’re living in London and you have all this independence, you need to be able to have your own money supply without always relying on your parents,” she said. “I like to make sure that I make money for myself.”

Regardless of the money, Etre truly enjoys her babysitting job.

[Having a job] kind of foreshadows what people will do when they’re older. You get to see the whole complex of adults working, rather than students Alexandra Dell’Anno (’15) “If you can do a job that you enjoy while making money it’s ideal,” she said. “I would volunteer to do it without money because I think it’s fun.”

The income is not the sole motivation for Dell’Anno to be a model. Although modelling for commercial purposes, such as online shopping websites, provides more money, Dell’Anno prefers editorial work.

Editorial modelling can be seen in magazine spreads, whereas commercial is targeted toward advertising campaigns. “[In commercial modelling] you’re advertising more of a product, whereas in editorial maybe you’re advertising an idea,” she said.

“It’s something that has a bit more depth.”

Culture

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Page 18

THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Theaters Better Call Saul

NOT A TYPICAL WORKOUT A guide on the alternative exercise craze: Where to go and where to avoid Renata Wilson | Assistant Features Editor Virginia Gailbraith | Staff Writer

B rry’s Boot CAMP

Barry’s Bootcamp is the closest you can get to a military workout without actually joining the army. Think circuits of strength-training using weights, resistance bands, and even crunches. This is combined with cardio treadmill routines of varying speeds and inclines.

This workout is an hour long, and the whole time the instructors will be pushing you to do your very best. This workout is recommended if you are in very good shape and enjoy pushing yourself past your limits. -RW Address: A501, London NW1 2AE

0 1 / 7

Kayla itsines With a tight schedule, getting to the gym can be nearly impossible. Solution: Kayla Itsine’s downloadable circuit fitness guides. These guides are short and concise, yet I always feel as though we’ve worked hard after each session. You can also work at your pace and can do as much as you want to in each session.

With Kayla, there is no excuse for not working out as her circuits are easily accessible, lasting roughly 30 minutes a session. Kayla took social media by storm with 2.5 million Instagram followers who vouch for the success of her guides and how they has changed their lives. I would certainly recommend Kayla’s regime to anyone who wishes to exercise without all the hassle of finding a gym. For more information visit kaylaitsines.com or follow her Instagram, @kaylaitsines. -VR Address: Equinox, 99 Kensington High Street, W8 5SA

0 1 / 10

Hydrofit

Hydrofit is a combination of either running or cycling with water aerobics. Enclosed in your own cubicle, water fills to about waist height and exercisers can burn a minimum of 300 calories in just 30 minutes, whilst pedaling or jogging. The water is filtered and also contains Ozone which helps eliminate cellulite whilst encouraging muscle growth. This is a unique and rather different form of exercise but, it is certainly not strenuous and is not for athletes wanting an intense workout. Much like yoga, Hydrofit is perfect for days off of the gym as it is relaxing and enjoyable. -VR Address: 278 Fulham Road, SW10 9EW

6/10

barre core Barre is a full body workout that focuses on creating long, lean muscle whilst toning and sculpting your figure.

It’s a low impact form of exercise and does not put pressure on trouble spots like the knees and hips. Barre is a combination of yoga, pilates and ballet. I love Barre because it allows me to have time to relax but also pushes me so that I feel tired at the end of the class. Barre is great for those who want a hard workout but don’t want to feel completely shattered. -VR Varying locations across London.

8/10

PSYCLE This class takes the blah out of exercise with unique soundtracks, energetic instructors and a high-intensity, lowimpact workout. Psycle is a 45-minute class that takes place entirely on a stationary bike. The party-like atmosphere is intensified with flashing lights and loud music to distract you from how tired your body is. While the workout is primarily cardio-based, there is a short weights section. Not for the faint of heart, this workout is full-on and challenging. You will sweat, but it’s worth it. -RW Address: 76 Mortimer Street, W1W 7SA

0 1 / 9

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Page 19

watchseeread Book, play and venue recommendations from staff and students in the High School Lillie Atkins | Staff Writer

Everyman

Head of College Counseling Patty Strohm

For Whom the Bell Tolls

BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY

Royal Albert Hall Lucy Horgan (’16)

Rebecka Henriksen (’17)

PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA

PHOTO FROM NATIONALTHEATRE.ORG.UK

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he play is about a successful man that when confronted with death, needs to find someone willing to defend him. The medieval play has beautiful language and incorporates the perfect mix of poetry, dance, and music.

National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 9PX

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he book follows an American volunteer fighting in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. The plot is very complex, with conflict ranging from personal to ones of the battlefield. Hemingway brings the characters to life, creating unique, individual personalities.

T

he venue is beautiful, with its royal and decorative architecture. From classical music concerts to movie showings with soundtracks played live by an orchestra, this venue is perfect for a host of varying shows.

Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP

The Tidal Wave

Online Editor Ankit Mehra on why Tidal is bound to fail

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idal, the music streaming service created by Jay-Z, is becoming the talk of the music industry. While streaming services such as Spotify, Pandora and Soundcloud already exist, the immediate question that arises is: Will Tidal be the dawn of a new era in the industry? In my eyes, the answer is no.

I am a self-professed Jay-Z fan. I have been listening to his music since American Gangster came out in 2007, but in no way can I justify spending up to £19.99 each month. Cheaper alternatives, such as Spotify, are available at half the price of Tidal.

Two things about Tidal stand out: Firstly, Jay-Z has managed to get many big name artists to work on this project next to him.

Some of these artists include Kanye West, J. Cole and Beyoncé – who happens to be JayZ’s wife.

Secondly, Tidal has stated their desire to make the listeners’ experience the full force of their music, and with that they have introduced an improved sound quality of 1411 kbps on Tidal HiFi, which costs £19.99 in the U.K.. In comparison, Spotify has a sound quality of 320 kbps.

The numbers look striking, and could potentially sway you in favor of Tidal, but after sound quality reaches 300 kbps, the difference is minimal if anything at all, for anything above. Also, is it worth you spending almost £10 more (£9.99 for Spotify premium as opposed to £19.99 for Tidal HiFi)?

Again, I don’t think so.

As of right now Tidal is a good idea, but in its current state, it is not a streaming service everyone should spend money on. At the launch press conference, Jay-Z talked about “putting the power back into the artists’ hands,” and on paper, that is a fantastic idea.

Music has always been about empowering the public, and once the artists are back in power, not only will there be more music, but also more meaningful music once the corporate influence is minimized, thus providing artists with more creative autonomy.

Tidal has the opportunity to grow into something big. It has the fundamental framework to be something big, but if it

wants to appeal to mass audiences, not only will the price need to come down, but the incentives to use the service need to be raised. Jay-Z made a statement recently by taking down his first studio album, Reasonable Doubt, from Spotify, and other artists must follow his lead if Tidal is to take off.

As of right now, Tidal is for the hard core listener. That’s great for a minority, but until it does more to appeal to the general public, it will be nothing more than another streaming service that has risen and died within the space of a few months. Jay-Z’s, along with other star’s, affiliation only creates a short term aura around it; now, it must start delivering if it is going to survive in an already crowded industry.

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Culture

02-UK 4G

SOCIAl FAme 4.3m

437

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Edit Your Profile Yarra Elmasry | Photo Editor Virginia Gailbraith | Staff Writer

How and why we share, and its effects on the millenial generation

A

s her fingers scroll at a dizzying speed with her eyes fixed on her Instagram feed, Jackie Hess (’16) occasionally pauses to glance at a particular post. Her feed is full of photos from all types of accounts, ranging from fashion to food to celebrities.

Hess finds that the benefits of social media allow her to stay in touch with her friends that don’t go to the school or live in a different country. “We are at an international school, so people move a lot, so it’s nice to stay in touch with people,” Hess said.

Other students, such as Tara Advaney (’15), use social media to spread awareness. After climbing two of the highest mountains in the world, Kilimanjaro and Mont Blanc, Advaney used social media as a way to both update her friends on her progress, as well as to share information about her charity and to raise money. “It was a really good way to get that message out to people,” she said.

Applications such as Insta-

gram aren’t just a way for friends to stay in touch, they also allow people to use their own voices.

Social media has given normal people the opportunity to become a celebrity of their own. Comedian Josh Ostrovsky is a perfect example of this. Ostrovosky started @thefatjewish, an Instagram account that takes comedic photos and pairs them with entertaining captions. His humor lures as many as 3.3 million followers and has made Ostrovsky a social media celebrity.

Clothing lines such as Brandy Melville, a popular brand for teenage girls, have begun seeking out their models via Instagram. Instagram users grab the attention of other people, companies and brands in the hope of being discovered.

Hess has found that Instagram in general puts a huge emphasis on how people look and not so much on who they are as a person. “I think it’s definitely more physical first because mostly everyone who is ‘insta-famous’ falls under the same look

and style, and they’re all very similar and usually very pretty.

I think that’s how people [or brands] find them,” Hess said.

Advaney echoes this sentiment, as she finds that Instagram promotes a very “surface level” mentality that prevents people from “looking deeper”

“

Everyone’s trying to compete with each other and have cooler photos and better looking photos Jackie Hess (’16) into a user’s personality.

Although social media has now created an outlet for people to promote fashion and charities, drawbacks have come out of this development too.

Advaney feels that it is now easy for people to create a fake, new and improved version of themselves, something that she

has seen celebrities do. She has also seen the affect social media can have on herself. “For me, [social media] has not actually been good because I have become a lot more self-conscious of my image and how I project myself,” Advaney said.

Instagram accounts dedicated to fitness and workouts are believed to provoke both positive and negative reactions; positive in the sense that they offer motivation to workout, while negative in how these accounts are showing bodies that, at times, aren’t even real. In turn, these pictures can be suggestive and detrimental to teens and their self image.

Park Nicolett Melrose Center, a eating disorder rehab center for girls, cites that 53 percent of 13 year old girls are unhappy with their bodies. This number grows to 78 percent by the time girls reach age 17.

Christopher Von Daehne (’18) believes online social media has become a personality smorgasbord: You pick just the best bits.

Von Daehne finds that because of this, people almost create an alter-ego of themselves. “You post the best version of yourself, the most interesting version.”

Hess sees a relationship between emotions and the number of likes received on a photo.

“Everyone’s [posting to social media], so everyone’s trying to compete with each other and have cooler photos and better looking photos,” Hess said.

Hess feels that the purpose of pictures and images has now completely changed. “It’s no longer about the memories [in the] the photo,” Hess said.

“It’s like you’re trying to make a memory rather than saving [one].”

PHOTO ABOVE: 16 year old Charlotte D’Alessio became famous overnight after posting several photos on Instagram of her and her friends at music festival, Coachella.

PHOTO FROM INSTAGRAM. COM/CHARLOTTEDALESSIO

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

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Culture

g n i t n e v f n f i o e n R Spi e th Milo Rechler | Guest Writer

Exploring the unprecedented success of Better Call Saul, a prequel to the hit television series Breaking Bad It had been almost a year and a half since the heartbreak of the Breaking Bad finale. I was left in an empty feeling with my stomach after I finished the last episode and realized that the story of Walter White had come to an end.

However, in February, the creators of Breaking Bad released the first episode of Better Call Saul, centered on the character of Walter White’s lawyer, Saul Goodman. The show serves as a prequel to Breaking Bad and showcases the life of a lawyer, James McGill, before he became Saul Goodman.

After watching the first season I can now say with satisfaction that Better Call Saul has filled the void left by Breaking Bad. No longer am I left hunting for a new series to become completely enthralled in; I can watch one that I already know will be good. Best of all, Better Call Saul possesses almost all of the elements I loved about Breaking Bad. Both Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad are filmed in a way that no other broadcast television program would dare to experiment with. They have the same minimalistic lighting in many scenes and clever shots

from the obscure angle of an inanimate object. Both have wide establishing shots in the middle of the scene that allow the viewer to see a detail as small, but important, as the exhale of breath of a character and even the same occasional montage sequence.

I would go as far as to say that Better Call Saul has eclipsed its predecessor in that it has d e ve l o p e d an entirely new style of show. Walter White was the anti-hero that the viewers loved to root for even though what he was doing was wrong. Whereas, Saul, known as James McGill in this series as he is yet to change his name, is a good-hearted, hardworking lawyer who just can’t get a break. However, he is a bit of a rule bender and thinks he can talk himself out of situations most of the time so the viewer feels as though he has his misfortunes coming to him.

Saul wants to do the morally

right thing for the good people in the world while Walter White became an evil power-crazed drug manufacturer, yet we are able to root for them both as the hero.

While the show also shares the obvious similarities with Breaking Bad because of the overlap of characters, there

Jonathan Banks, is another character who has a very interesting past that wasn’t explained in his role as a hit man in Breaking Bad. Banks has developed this character in a way so compelling that I wouldn’t mind having another spin-off show based on him.

Better Call Saul is not only revolutionary in the way that it differs from its parentshow, but it also differs from the standard spinoff.

Norman Lear, one of the most famous situation comedy producers, set the standard for spin-offs in the 1970s. He was a pioneer in the way he could interweave shows into each other to create a legacy people would remember.

All In The Family, about a racist man called Archie Bunker from Queens, turned into The Jeffersons, in which the African-American family The Jeffersons strike it big with their dry cleaning business and move

BETTER CALL SAUL HAS ECLIPSED ITS PREDECESSOR IN THAT IT HAS DEVELOPED AN ENTIRELY NEW STYLE OF SHOW are still apparent differences.

Saul Goodman, played by Bob Odenkirk, was the character in Breaking Bad that would often provide witty remarks as comic relief in the crime drama.

However, Better Call Saul is a combination of a crime drama, a law drama and a black comedy, which has forced Odenkirk to turn Saul into a far more complex character than the viewers assumed he was in Breaking Bad. Mike Ehrmantraut, played by

next door to Archie Bunker.

Similarly, Maude, a sitcom about a divorced, opinionated loud woman, spun off to Good Times, in which Maude’s cleaning woman moved to a poor part of Chicago.

Vince Gilligan has similarly been able to create a legacy by taking a character like Saul from Breaking Bad, but he has done so without the typical spin-off stereotype that the character makes it big; things are not going well for James McGill in Better Call Saul. Therefore, viewers are far more hooked and want to continue watching to see what happens next just as they did with Breaking Bad. The beauty of art is in its scarcity, and in today’s day and age consumers have decided that they no longer want art in the form of television to have value. Companies like Netflix have allowed television to be cheap, unlimited and easily attainable. However, Vince Gilligan has established himself as a pioneer of the new generation of television. He has adapted and he is giving the people what they want, but doing so in a way that preserves his sophistication and artistic mission. He is our generation’s Norman Lear.

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Culture

THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Behind Tyler Skow | Features Editor

An inside perspective on the theater production process from both actors and directors

W

hen the curtains open, the quiet that spreads over the audience represents the zenith of hard work from the cues and stage direction to the actors’ careful enunciantion.

The road to achieving this is not a quick process. In fact, the extensive preparation for the November production starts in the summer, when the play is selected.

The much anticipated decision of which play or musical students will perform is always made by one man: Performing Arts Teacher and director Buck Herron. But he never takes the decision lightly. Having made the decision 35 times, experience is certainly not an issue.

When Herron chooses the play, there are two critical factors that ultimately shape the decision he will make. “I realize that this is a very sophisticated audience we have here [at ASL], so I feel that they appreciate innovative work.

At the same time, they are also extremely bright,” he said. “So there is part of me that thinks to myself, ‘well, how can we satisfy that unusual bit of curiosity about theater

and produce kind of an unusual work?’”

While the the audience always guides Herron’s decision, he also considers his cast size. “Not all great drama was written for plays

himself, “If they have had the experience of seeing some sort of comedic farce last year, then I better go for something different. For example, we had the seriousness of the Holocaust play this fall,’”

[I] have to figure out what the intention behind my lines is, like what you mean when you’re saying [something] and how much it means to you, or what you are trying to convey when you say that Rowan Yearley (’16)

of 20 people or more,” he said.

There are a great number of plays that have a more limited cast size, however, in order to include as many members of the student body as possible, Herron typically chooses a play with more roles to give out.

Variety is also something Herron describes as of the utmost importance. Herron reminds

Herron said. Indeed, the upcoming play, “You Can’t Take It With You”, will be of a more comedic nature than “A Light in the Darkness”.

After the play is selected, the next step for directors, like Herron, is to host auditions.

As Alex Harrington (’17), who directed “The Real Me”, found out this winter, auditions can often

prove to be one of the most difficult tasks a director has to deal with. When Harrington watched the play for the first time, her inclination was to give certain roles to her friends.

Breaking out of this mindset proved one of her greatest challenges. “Some of [my friends] ended up being [the characters they wanted] and some of them didn’t, because ultimately my decision was just what I saw when they read those lines,” Harrington said.

Also an actress, Harrington discovered that the mindset required to be a director is taxing, not just during auditions, but throughout the entire process.

“It’s different because you have to be very concentrated on your goal.

Your goal is making a show that people want to come and see,” Harrington said.

Both Harrington and Herron find they share many common responsibilities as directors.

Amongst a whole host of other things, Herron sees himself at the helm of the course the play needs to take. When Herron is directing his play, he cannot just direct it; he has think about how the audience is going to interpret it. “I have to keep my pulse on the audience, as if I am the audience and were

THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

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The Curtain

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Culture

After many months of preparation, High School students performed “A Light in the Darkness” this November. PHOTO BY YARRA ELMASRY watching it because that is key, they are expressing a story to the audience,” Herron said.

Unlike the audience, though, Harrington thinks that a director has “to bring leadership [and] concentration, which is really difficult. Especially after a day of school, they have to bring a work ethic.”

Once roles have been determined, the world of an actor starts to come to life. Rowan Yearley (’16), who has participated in more than seven productions in his three years of high school, takes getting into character very seriously.

Yearley goes through the process of becoming his character so when he delivers his lines, he is not simply reading the text from the script. “[I] have to fig-

ure out what the intention behind my lines is, like what you mean when you’re saying [something] and how much it means to you, or what you are trying to convey when you say that,” he said.

In fact, when the opening night approaches, even when Yearley is not in character, his moods are sometimes different. “Last year with ‘Avenue Q’, my friend did note an increase in flamboyance while I played Rod. So I think if you do really get into a character it can lead into your everyday experience,” he said.

On top of getting into character, the necessary preparations Herron puts his actors through are taxing for even the most dedicated. “We would rehearse from 3:20 p.m. to maybe 6:00 p.m. and for the leads that would perhaps

be all the way from September through November, but to also figure that they are spending a lot of time out of class getting their lines down,” he said.

While the commitments of an actor can often prove difficult, Harrington experienced a frustration she never would have anticipated when she first decided to put on a show as a director. Harrington often entered what she describes as “director mode”, which is “when you know something has to get done and you are not going to let up until it is done,” she said.

While Harrington admits sometimes going into this mindset can mean taking on a hostile character, she always does what is best for the play.

On Harrington’s opening night, one of her main actresses

was too ill to perform. She maintained, though, that “the show must go on.” So instead, one of her friends stepped in and read the ill actress’ lines off a script.

Even though problems do happen, Yearley cites that more often than not, the plays he has been a part of run smoothly. While most would find acting on stage in front of crowds, that sometimes exceed hundreds, paralyzing, it’s second nature to the actors and actresses who have dedicated up to three months to learning their lines. “It’s terrifying, but it’s also a rush… you just have to be in the moment and do what you have to in the show,” Yearley said. “It’s hard to describe, but it is a great feeling and afterwards you are dead and you are exhausted and you feel really accomplished.”

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Sports

Medicated and motivated Exploring athletes’ relationship with anxiety and painkilling medication

T

Maya Jotwani | Culture Editor

hree-season varsity athlete Maria Tavierne (’16) used to take Advil to deal with her body pain, until it stopped working. “I felt like I almost took too much so I became immune to it,” she said. She then started taking Aleve several times a week after practice, another over-the-counter painkiller that is only available in the U.S. Now, Tavierne feels stuck. She is worried about what her frequent use of painkillers might mean for her body long-term, but she feels that she needs to take them. “Sometimes, my mom gets worried because she thinks I take too much,” Tavierne said. “But I don’t know what to do now, because the pain is there and I don’t know how to get rid of it even though it’s bad for me.”

Zoe Barnes (’15) knows only too well how crucial a role medicine can play in sports. A cross-country runner, Barnes used to compete at Archbishop Spalding High School school in Maryland. The team was massive, with 70 athletes, and the top runners were put under tremendous pressure to win. “I really struggled with performance anxiety.

Weeks before races, I would break down and cry. When we had races during school days, I would freak out, I couldn’t concentrate on anything. I would literally cry at school,”

[medicine]. I didn’t feel like I was cheating, but I had a guilty conscience,” she said. But she didn’t really have a choice. “My coach would make sure before every race that I would take it. All they cared about was winning,” she said.

Without the coaches’ pressure at this school, Barnes no longer requires medication to compete.

Barnes feels that cross-country is unique in how its athletes relate to medicine. “More people feel like they need to take medicine for their mental state rather than their physical state. It’s really difficult getting through the races and I think if you know you are on the medicine, you feel better and you feel like you can get through the race,” she said.

Varsity basketball player Ryan Nealis (’17) knows first-hand the effects such medication can have on his body. This year, Nealis severely bruised his lower back after falling during a basketball game. With the guidance of his doctor, he started taking frequent doses of Advil to relieve the pain and soon felt the effects. “I could tell that I was feeling tired and more down, especially towards the end,” he said.

Nealis admits that before his injury, the effects of painkillers had never crossed

I didn’t really feel good about taking [medicine].

I didn’t feel like I was cheating, but I had a guilty conscience Zoe Barnes (’15) she said.

She soon started taking medicine to help her for the races. “I actually had to take medicine, it was something that my doctor prescribed that would calm me down before races.”

Barnes felt uneasy about taking medication. “I didn’t really feel good about taking

his mind and that he rarely talked about it with his teammates.

Similarly, two-season varsity athlete Nick Muoio (’16) believes that the prevailing mentality around painkillers is that of ignorance. “I don’t see people passing around the bottle or talking about it, so I assume that they don’t know why it’s bad for you. People

may not know the side effects or read the label,” he said.

Contrary to Nealis, Tavierne, who runs cross-country, swimming and track, sees medicine as a frequent topic of conversation in her teams. “I’ve heard people talking, ‘Oh, I took this amount of Aleve,’ it’s almost like a competition to see who has taken the most – to see who has the most pain,” she said.

can cause high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke and heart attack and even kidney failure.

Newell believes Homeopathic remedies have become an increasingly popular alternative to over-the-counter painkillers.

Nora Birch (’16) is a firm believer in homeopathic remedies. Although afflicted with back, knee and shin problems, Birch choos-

Advil is among the most commonly used medication for physical pain.

PHOTO BY YARRA ELMASRY However, Athletic Trainer Jennifer Newell has seen it much worse in the U.S. Three years into her tenure, Newell said she rarely had to talk to student-athletes about abusing medicine.

“I think maybe twice in my three years here, I’ve had the conversation about not taking too much. While compared to the States, [I had that conversation] very often,” Newell said. “I felt like I would have to have that conversation at least twice a season.”

Newell sees a stark difference in the use of medication between the U.S. and the U.K. She describes the U.K. as more wary of medication in general, from hand sanitizers to painkillers, and is more “on the natural side of things.”

She has even adjusted her own treatment techniques as a result of her move here.

“Since being here, I recommend taking medicine a lot less,” Newell said.

According to the National Health Service, common pain medication Ibuprofen

es not to use over-the-counter painkillers.

“I stopped [taking conventional medicine] in Grade 7 because I wanted to know when my body was healing rather than if my body was hiding the pain,” she said. “I did whatever I could whether it came to physiotherapy or herbal remedies so that I could tell when the pain was going away rather than just masking it,” she said.

While Birch thinks that some circumstances do necessitate over-the-counter medicine, she believes that some students seek medication too quickly as a solution. “I know certain people who are like ‘Oh, I have a tiny headache, let me pop two Advil’ or ‘Oh, I have a tiny cramp in my foot, let me take some Advil,’ [but] they don’t need to.”

Muoio can sympathize with turning to medicine as a way to quickly relieve the pain, and admits that that mentality could lead to overuse. “I can see it happening because it is so easy, you just need to take a pill and feel better,” he said.

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Page 25

Sports

Call for improved home support Daniel Zimmermann | Staff Writer

A

SL’s facilities offer students chances to attend the school’s various sporting events. But are the venues effective at establishing a student-led fan turnout?

Canons Park offers a premier stage for both athletes to perform and the student body to come and cheer on their fellow classmates.

Despite these advantages, its distance from school remains an inconvenient and deterring factor for many students attempting to attend games.

The tennis teams hold their matches at Finchley Manor – an hour tube ride from school. Field hockey plays its games at the University College School in Hampstead – a 30-minute tube ride from school. While yes, in London’s crowded infrastructure, it is hard to find facilities to accommodate so many teams, it’s hard to deny that these facilities make it simple for students to support these teams.

The swim team doesn’t even have a home-pool as of now, but

will be given a state-of-the-art pool, being built as part of the New Frontiers construction. However, until then, when swim meets will be held in London, they are usually held at Cobham. With all of these so far from campus, is it fair to say that the term “home game” is a strech?

“There are steps that could be taken to institute a much more student, fanfriendly atmosphere for home games” I would say so. The teams at the school are sometimes unable to get a home crowd and thus, leaving the squads without a true home-field advantage.

Peter Ryan (’15), a veteran of the varsity rugby and boys lacrosse teams, mentions that both teams don’t have consistent support.

“Occasionally some friends will come out and watch, but for the

most part there is no advantage to playing at Canons,” he said.

This sentiment is echoed by varsity field hockey player Annie Timbers (’16), who feels that the team doesn’t get a good fan turnout at their games. “[The fans] are pretty much all parents,” she said. “We probably have like seven or eight parents [at games], and occasionally we get a few students to come, but that is really it.”

It’s hard for students to get to games for students on the weekdays and having no efficient means of transportation to get to the venues discourages student involvement. While I am not advocating for the building of facilities on the school’s campus, although this has been partially achieved with the addition of a new swimming pool, there are steps that could be taken to institute a much more student, fan-friendly atmosphere for home games. Each sport having its own “spirit day” is a start, but emphasis should be put further on packing the stands

of home games with zealous supporters adorned in the school’s orange and black colors.

To do that, the facilities should be prepared not only to host athletes and produce a good, fair game, but they should also be prepared to host fans. This includes school-supported transportation to and from games along with bleachers and concession stands at all games. The school could also take action in improving school spirit and student attendance at sports games with incentives. Why not schedule more designated spirit days for sports? Or maybe award spirit points to grades that produce the most fans at sport events?

With that being said, the student body could be more involved in games and have more school spirit. Basketball games are a great example of the potential that students have when it comes to supporting their teams and the turnout at boys soccer ISSTs at Canons Park in

November was promising.

But it would be great if every sports team could get the feeling of having their own herd of supporters. That falls on the students as much as it does as the school. Just look at the Eagles Ultras, a band of friends who rose to the occasion and established themselves as a fan group for some of ASL’s sports.

That could be expanded or more groups like that could be created.

But the students should make a better effort to support their friends and classmates.

It is time to start letting the school’s high school athletes, other than the fortunate basketball and volleyball teams who play in the on-campus Farmer Family Gym, feel appreciated for what they do, no matter where they play their home games. Countless hours go into practice for every sport that athletes participate in at school, and it is time to have being cheered on by classmates part of the rewarding experience of the sports themselves.

Increased Participation O

ver the past two years the JV baseball team has shifted from a team fully comprised of Grade 8 players, to one carrying a much larger High School presence, with seven freshmen, two juniors and four Grade 8 athletes.

Tom Linkas (’18), who has played on the team for two consecutive years, believes the team’s main focus has altered from enjoying the sport to competitive success.

Similar to baseball, the JV softball team is currently comprised of ten high schoolers, contrary to last year, when the team consisted of Middle School students exclusively. The JV baseball and softball teams face comparable experiences as both have transitioned into teams dominated by High School students “We have more of a responsibility than we did being a Middle School team,” Ava Rose (’18) said.

Assistant JV Softball Coach Lisi Arrarte joined the coaching staff this year and believes that having a team made up of a majority of high school students adds renewed expectations to the season. “To have

Sourna Daneshvar, Jr. | Assistant Sports Editor

a mainly High School JV [softball] team is a new departure from last year and so I think there’s that desire to really prove themselves and have a good season,” Arrarte said.

The additional experience and skill gained from last year will bode well when playing teams of similar skill again. “We’d be more prepared to play other advanced teams this year just because we are older and I guess that extra year of experience did help most of us as players,” Rose said.

For Linkas, the transition to a High School team is most evident with the dimensions of the infield and batting against quicker pitches. Being able to hit fast pitching was at first a struggle, but improved gradually. “As the season progressed we became accustomed to that type of pitching and that type of playing and towards the end we were consistently able to hit off that type of pitching,” Linkas said.

Director of Athletics John Farmer attributes the increase of athletes as a whole to a “very athletic” freshman. Additionally, the few open spots granted by seniors on last

year’s varsity baseball and softball teams and open spots accompanying them led to larger JV teams.

With the Grade 8 students completing both JV rosters, full Middle School teams and the current freshmen, Farmer hopes that both JV teams will be completely comprised of High Schoolers in the near future. Despite the incoming additions, he doesn’t envision a JJV baseball team similar to those in basketball and soccer. “I’m not going to start worrying about getting a third baseball team when three years ago we only had nine varsity players in the High School and we had to bring eighth graders up to play varsity to go to ISSTs,” he said.

Alberto Orive (’16), a player on the JV baseball team and JJV basketball team, appreciates the experience both teams provided him. “[JJV basketball and JV baseball] was a medium, a resource to play these sports that I love,” he said.

The need for JJV teams will be evaluated on a “case-by-case” basis. JJV team’s – from the athletic department’s perspective – are intended to benefit students and

provide greater opportunities for athletes. Space, interest, game competition and budget, specifically for coaches are the main aspects considered when forming

[JJV basketball and JV baseball] was a medium, a resource to play these sports that I love Alberto Orive (’16) an additional team. “If I anticipate a huge influx of people in a given sport and we can provide [a JJV team], I think we should,” Farmer said.

The philosophy behind reducing athlete cuts across all sport teams stemmed from a desire to benefit students in multiple ways.

“Our goal isn’t and won’t be to win ISSTs as a program. Sure as an individual team if that’s what teams decide to be their goal, great, but we’re not trying to be just the ultra-competitive sports academy,” Farmer said. “I think that sometimes people lose sight of what ath-

letics is supposed to be, I mean at the end of the day the most important thing is fun and enjoyment.”

In certain ways, having more teams and more players trying out benefits the varsity team. “I feel like if there’s more people [trying out] there’s more competition to make varsity... makes people want to be better, improve, reach their best potential,” Orive said.

Due to the competitive nature of athletic teams and the inherent need to make cuts, not all players can be guaranteed a place on a team. “If we have to make cuts, we have to make cuts...we’re not going to keep creating and creating teams if it’s not going to be beneficial to that group in the long run,” Farmer said.

While coaches are forced to cuts players in certain situations, Farmer wants as few as possible so students can be active and play sports.“I want people playing sports and I hope that that view that I have, that the rest of this department has, has sort of percolated into the minds of the High School student body,” he said.

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Sports

Tales from the bench Exploring the stigma and implications of spending time on the bench as well as the positive impact it can have on student athletes Zack Longboy | Lead Features Editor

T

he gym is pitch-black and he can barely see the rim, but Will Sayre (’17) is still shooting. He moves swiftly to collect his rebound and shoots again.

His emotions are too confusing to figure out right now – all he knows for sure is that he needs to keep moving.

Sayre, a member of the varsity boys basketball team, is as used to the feeling as he is the setting. Earlier that night, the team had secured a victory against historic rival, ACS Cobham, in a hard fought contest, albeit one in which Sayre played very few minutes.

This was not the first time that Sayre, feeling restless, had taken his basketball and ventured into the dark confines of the gym after a game. The only difference was this time his emotions rendered him more uneasy than usual. “You kind of lose your sense of being on the team when you are watching the guys celebrate after a win but

you didn’t play,” Sayre said. “It’s kind of a selfish feeling, but it’s conflicting in that, yeah, you won the game, but you didn’t play at all – they would have won the game without you.”

That night, Sayre’s level of selfdoubt – the feeling that “there is a distance between yourself and the team,” which Sayre believes can be common for players who regularly receive less game time than their teammates – was more of an exception than a rule to his usual personality.

Contrary to the belief that a player can only provide for his or her team when they are on the field, Sayre can personally speak to value of a bench experience.

“While painful and frustrating, it is necessary in improving your game because you have to be able to observe and watch others, and watch great players play,” Sayre said. “I definitely learned a lot more about basketball this year, and I know that it’s necessary for moving on to the next level.”

Courtney Welch (’16), a member of the varsity girls soccer team, would agree that there is more to the bench than just waiting until her name is called.

“I was definitely there more to have fun, because I knew if I

“

I helped the younger athletes find their roles and feel comfortable and connected within the team Emma Hatheway (’15) wasn’t playing I didn’t have to be so mentally focused,” Welch said.

“During games I knew I was there to support the team and help people relax and be prepared.”

Like Welch, Andrew Skow (’17) has gone to great lengths

to ensure the bench is more important and more influential for his team, the varsity boys baseball team. “When I was on the bench I kept myself entertained and into the game by doing the pirate talk (the baseball team tradition of “heckling” their own players in a pirate voice), instead of just sitting back and watching,” Skow said. “It keeps me focused and although I may not be physically involved all the time, I am mentally engaged.”

However, without actively seeking an alternative, or a way to contribute to the team, Skow believes this perception – where the bench is “not involved” or “not useful” – is present. “It comes down to the mentality of the players to change the mentality of how that team views what a bench player is,” he said.

“If all they do is sit back and watch and aren’t really engaged, then the bench is still shrouded in this dark and scary thing that no one wants to do or be on.”

A mentality which Skow has tried to uphold, and believes is necessary for all bench players to thrive, is the belief that he is just as much a part of the team and just as influential as every other player. “Even if I am on the bench I can make a difference,” he said. “It might not be as easy to see as making an outstanding catch in the 9th inning to save the game, but I think every player on the team, if they are willing to be a team player, can make a difference.”

This mentality can often be reciprocal. Undoubtedly, “it definitely feels happier when you’re the one out there or you’re the one scoring the goal,” Welch said. But on her team, “we all got so close; no one treats me differently because I don’t play as much.”

Emma Hatheway (’15) echoed Welch’s sentiments. While not a starter on the girls varsity soccer team, she wasn’t treated any differently. In fact, she was looked to

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Sports “Should I be happy even though I didn’t really do anything? Or should I be upset after a loss that I didn’t really do anything in? Should I be crying as well?”

“I have taken it upon my- Sayre (’17) Will “I absolutely hate sitting on the self to make the bench more of an experience” Andrew Skow (’17)

for guidance by her younger teammates. “I helped the younger players to find their roles and feel comfortable and connected within the team,” she said.

Off the court, Sayre also feels “100 percent part of the team. If you’re a bench player there are obviously some more jokes thrown at you, but besides that, they are no less part of the team,” he said.

ing, it was like watching some other team play,” he said.

This feeling, for him, usually intensifies after the whistle has blown, when, regardless of the result, he often feels stuck in a kind of limbo. “When you don’t play but the team does well, oftentimes you don’t know what to do,” he said. “Should I be happy even though I didn’t really do

bench but it's something you just have to swallow and keep going” Will Sayre (’17)

experience, I hate it,” Sayre said.

“I absolutely hate sitting on the bench, but it’s something you just have to swallow and keep going. You’ll take what you can from it. No one enjoys sitting on the bench, the learning is just me trying to find a positive in what I’m doing.”

Welch would agree: It’s hard to be a bench player. “It’s not for

she is passionate about – something to keep them engaged and dedicated. For Hatheway, there were times when it didn’t matter whether she played or not. “At times the bonding that was being made and the experiences that came along with it were more important to me than [playing time],” she said.

For Welch, because she has oth-

“You have to know that even if they make a mistake – because you can’t be like, ‘look at John, he just fumbled that ball, why aren’t I playing out there,’ – you have to have the faith that your coach has made the right decision,” he said.

Ultimately, he believes the bench experience is only as fruitful as one makes it. “I have

It’s kind of a selfish feeling, but it’s conflicting in that, yeah, you won the game, but you didn’t play at all – they would have won the game without you WIll Sayre (’17) “[Off the court] it is a reassurance that you are part of the team. Everyone is put on the same stage off the court.”

However, it is on the court that Sayre feels “the distance” between the bench players and the rest of the team grows. “I know for me I would talk to guys, give pointers, be a motivator, but in reality it’s kind of an empty feel-

anything? Or should I be upset after a loss that I didn’t really do anything in? Should I be crying as well?”

And, despite the vast learning experience and enthused support that the bench can provide, Sayre is quick to correct the fact that spending time on the bench could ever be “fun”. “As much as I tell myself this is a learning

everyone, you have to enjoy the sport enough and not just be on it to have the glory of winning, because if you don’t love the game then going out to Canons Park everyday and not playing in the games isn’t going to be fun. The person has to be hardworking enough and dedicated,” she said.

Hatheway believes each player will find something that he or

er sports like basketball and softball, where she is relied on for significant amounts of playing time, she likes the fact that her role on the soccer team is “not as mentally stressful. It’s not the same feeling that you always have to perform your best, I like the balance.”

A deep trust in his coach and team is what helps Skow navigate his bench experience.

taken it upon myself to make the bench more of an experience,” Skow said. “Some players on the bench just sulk; they have that mentality of ‘oh, why am I not playing, why is he playing?’ [But] I’m just there to enjoy the game, I’m not there to question the decisions; I’m going to make the best of any situation that I’m put in.”

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THE STANDARD | April/May 2015

Tales from the bench Increased athleticism

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A look into the pervasiveness of painkiller usage by student athletes in the High School Maya Jotwani | Culture Editor Story on page 24 PHOTO BY YARRA ELMASRY