Lamplighter 12-13-11
Model UN Goes to Princeton Roz Kennybirch The Derryfield Model United Nations team is a highly esteemed club not only for its superior solutions to international problems, but also for its excellent stories about the Harvard Model UN dances. However, this year Model UN is attending conferences at both
Harvard and Princeton, the latter of which occurred over the first weekend of December. According to Meg Huckaby, “The conference was a bit smaller, yet rather unorganized... they didn't have our badges until very late and then they accidentally printed
them in duplicate!” But she notes the team’s overall success: “I know both my resolutions got passed with me as a top sponsor... Becca [Manson], Alex [Michaud], Johnny [Cissel] and Andrew [Voss] seemed to have Continued on p 3
While Model UN was at their conference, another conference was also taking place. This one was about leadership and diversity, and it seems to have been a great trip. Hear what Cait Gillett has to report about the experience.
Cait Gillett
Photo courtesy of McCabe ‘13
Lamplighter
Student Leadership
Our experience kicked off by meeting 1500 students at the Student Leadership Diversity Conference from all over the country. After a six hour ride down to Philadelphia, Tempo Li, Kelly
McDonald, Lucas McCabe, Hannah Menakaya, Marybeth McKay and I were tired but excited. In our discussions, we talked about diversity in a variety of forms: race, sexual orientation, age, and social or economic class. When we got to the conference, we were divided into groups of sixty.
Inside this issue: Holiday Traditions
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Model UN cont
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Leadership Cont
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Sports
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Bachelor + Bachelorette
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Horoscopes
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Holiday Treats
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Because the holidays are coming up, Jake Smiley has brought some different traditions into the light. You can explore how some faiths, with which you may or may not be familiar, spend the winter months.
Holiday Traditions Jake Smiley The Pagan Traditions: Yule: a tradition coming from northern Europe, Yule was a holiday for the old Scandinavian chief god Odin (or Wotan for the Teutons / Germans). During the darkest days of the year, the clan or village would gather in the great dwelling of the chief to sacrifice a boar, decorate, drink, feast, dance, and generally make merry to fend off the darkness of the solstice in the hope that the world would last and spring would return. Many of these traditions were incorporated into Christianity as it spread north. The feasting was retained, though the drinking was toned down and the boar sacrifice turned into a Christmas Ham dish. The decorations of mistletoe, evergreens and candles remained, and the rowdy dances became scripted carols. The traditional Yule Goat (companion of the pagan gods and bringer of Yule, better known here as a reindeer) and Yule Log (centerpiece of a great fire now restricted to the chimney) have been retained under their original names in Scandinavia. Saturnalia: a Roman holiday celebrating the return of the sun after the darkest day of the year, Saturnalia was celebrated with feasts and parades. It was later incorporated into Christianity as Christmas (Christ’s Mass), combining the worship of the literal coming sun with the worship of the more metaphysical enlightenment that the coming of the son of God would bring. The Vedic Faiths:
NEWS
Hinduism: Hindu winter holidays (there are three) focus on the coming of Spring and are in some ways more similar to the Christian Easter than Christmas. The first is Mahashivaratri, occurring during the end of the lunar month Magh (January-February). This day is reserved for the worship of Shiva (god of destruction and the cycle of death and rebirth), with offerings during the early morning and fasting through the day. The first day of the month Phalgun (February-March) is the first day of spring, a holiday for Sarasvati (goddess of arts and learning). It is a day of music and festivities. Lastly, there is Holi, the day celebrating Krishna’s protection of the legendary Prince Prahlad from his heretical father and literally demonic sister, occurring on the full moon of Phalgun. Holi is celebrated with pranks, dancing, and bonfires (the means by which Krishna, famed avatar of the preserver god Vishnu, destroyed Prahlad’s monstrous sister). Buddhism: Buddhists hold varying holy days depending on their nation. Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Buddhists revere the enlightened woman Kuan Yin (China) or Kwannon (Japan and Korea). Her holy days are on the 19th day of the second, sixth, and ninth lunar months (one of which is in our February). Women pray to her for easy childbirth and divinations. In Tibet, Buddhists celebrate New Year on the new moon of February where monks chant and pray and the people light firecrackers to chase out bad luck lingering from the previous year. Continued page 3
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Model UN Continued an awesome resolution for their committee too (Social Humanitarian and Cultural)”. Alex Michaud, senior, had more to say about the dance, noting
there was “more moshpitting there was than at Harvard” and imploring readers to ask Michael Stone about the rowdy crowd. There will be more
stories to tell after the infamous Harvard conference, so stay tuned!
Holidays Cont. Other Faiths (far east): Sikhism: the Sikhs celebrate Hola Mohalla, a holiday at the very end of winter (FebruaryMarch, the day of the full moon in their month of Phalgun). Tied to the city of Anandpur where the Sikh Guru gathered the faithful in 1699 to form the Khalsa (an elite community of Sikhs who swear to defend the faithful and the weak), Hola Mohalla is marked by contests of athletics, horsemanship, and martial arts. Taoism: the Chinese New Year is celebrated in February. During this time, gifts are given and the statue of the house god are cleaned and refurbished to deliver good news about the family to the Jade Emperor in Heaven. The two warrior statues (the door gods who ward off evil) are also cared for in each home. The Derryfield Tradition: Santa Claus: an older tradition, now vanished, is the coming of Santa on the last day before the winter break. Dressed in red and white, bearded, and bearing gifts of candy, Santa would proceed to the senior forum, where he would listen to the wishes of passing students and record them for gifts on Christmas Day. At the end of the day he would vanish. The summoning of Santa has long fallen out of favor; none of today’s students experienced a visit from Santa at the school. Decoration Contest: An ancient tradition that has lasted to the present day is the decoration of the hallways. It has been through many changes over the years. In the beginning, there were real trees (due to the fire department ignoring our school) in the halls, but these vanished long ago. They were replaced by plastic and tinsel Christmas trees, and after a while the religious aspect faded away. The school entered a phase where the religious holidays were left aside, to be practiced at home, and the decorations shifted to scenes of winter and the cold. Recently, a small cabal of students began creating the old symbols again, disguised behind secular images. They then began to campaign openly for the return of religious symbols. This movement was known as the Lumberjack Movement for the protestors’ rallying cry “I support Lumberjacks!” (They disguised images of the Christmas tree in their pictures of logging). For two years they campaigned, and on the third year the administration welcomed the symbols of Christmas, Hanukah, and all other holidays back to the halls. Through these changes, the celebration of the holiday has remained the same: students organize by grade to lavish their hallways with decorations, hoping a secret committee will acknowledge theirs to be the greatest and most spirited of the school’s hallways. Sources: http://www.noelnoelnoel.com/trad/yulelog.html http://christmas-celebrations.org/261-yule-goat.html Religions of the World, by Elizabeth Breuilly and others; available in the School Library (look Mr. Holland (interview) Mr. Bouton (interview)
under 291 Bre)
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NEWSLETTER TITLE
Hallway Decorations Lindsay Pollock Last Monday, December 5th, the Hallway Decoration competition started between the upper school grades. Each grade has decorated their hallway with festive decorations, and the grade that wins will get a prize which is still undecided.
cil member. “But it really depends. Our grade is unpredictable.” According to Nick, religious symbols are welcomed and encouraged, but Mr. Bouton has the authority to take down any offensive decorations if someone talks to him about it.
“The junior class is… using lights, and maybe some fake reindeer,” said Nick Regan ’13, Class Coun-
So far, the freshmen have been working on their hallway as well. “We're planning on representing all
the holidays by not focusing on one in particular,” stated Sophia Allard ’15, Class Council member. “We have made lots of paper snowflakes and decorations to put up.” The competition will last until Winter break, and until then, grades continue to prepare for the competition.
Got An Opinion? We Want to Hear It! Email 12mcochrane@derryfield.org or rmmcoy94@gmail.com to have YOUR opinions published in Lamplighter!
Leadership Continued
These groups were called “family groups,” and the within these groups we had “home groups” of about ten students with a peer advisor in order to have smaller discussions. When we were not meeting with our family groups, we participated in an exercise called silent movement. The silent movement was done with all of the students in one room where the faculty called off identifiers and
then said to stand if you identified that way. While standing, we were asked to think about the significance of either standing or sitting. All students were lucky enough to hear Wes Moore, Zorra Stoari and Marcus Nesbit speak about their childhood and their views on diversity. Finally, we divided into affinity groups, categorized by race: African American, Latino/Latina, Middle Eastern, White/
European, Multiracial, Asian American, Native American/ Indigenous p e o p l e , a n d L.G.B.T.Q.Q.P. Each group had the chance to discuss issues that they have encountered while living in their different communities. To hear more about the trip, feel free to speak with any of the six students or Mr. Bouton or Mr. Raiford.
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Letter From the Editor Hello once again, readers. You have just read our holiday issue of the Lamplighter. Before Thanksgiving break I wrote about tradition. You’ve just read an article by Jake Smiley about holiday traditions (and if you didn’t you definitely should), and so I thought it would be a good time to follow up with a bit about personal traditions. Christmas and Hanukah and other winter holidays seem to have the most traditions. There are of course the Christmas trees and the Menorah and sometimes both. There are gingerbread houses and cookie making and latkes. But of course, families have their own unique traditions as well. My family and I go see a movie at the theater on Christmas Eve, my dad and I go to church to sing, we go to a friend’s house, go back to Church to sing again and then we go home. At the friend’s house, we have a tradition of tracking Santa on NORAD. It started when my friends and I still believed in Santa and our parents used it as a means of getting us to leave to go home. Then we did it for the younger siblings and then the young son of their next-door neighbor. This is probably the last year we’ll get to do this because next year three of us will be in college. However, one that I hope will continue in my family is the oh-so-traditional Christmas breakfast of bagels and lox- my mom is Jewish. I leave you now to think about your own family traditions. They are what make the holiday season fun and memorable, and maybe it’s time to start some new ones as well. Happy holidays! Rachel McCoy Managing Editor
Thanks to our Contributors! Editor in Chief: Maggie Cochrane Managing Editor: Rachel McCoy News Editor: Roz Kennybirch Human Interest Editor: Jessa Fogel Layout Editor: Lily Karlin Photography Editor: Raabia Malik Senior Writers: Jesse Fortier and Adam Gray Staff: Cait Gillett, Lindsay Pollock, Jake Smiley, Hannah Spierer, Celine Boutin, Leah DeWitt, Zoe Morgan Image from google
News Qs: What is your favorite part of the holidays? Jesse Fortier
“Definitely Jack Johnson’s Christmas songs! He’s pretty much the real messiah… of Christmas carols.” -Jamie Cordova ‘12 “The winter wonderland—it feels like you’re in a snow globe… like a quarantine, but cozy.” -Adam Gray ‘12
“My favorite part of the holidays is spending time with my family. It’s also nice having time off with no homework.” -Erin Jackson ‘13 “My favorite part about the holidays is seeing my family and the holiday spirit.” -Jim Larson ‘13 “I like seeing my family who live farther away, I like the snow and I just like hanging out. I am really excited about the musical.” - Peter Briccetti ‘14 “I really like the holidays because everyone is just really nice and happy, and family comes from different parts and we get to spend time together.” -Lainee Shaughnessy ‘14 “I guess I like how bright everything gets with the holidays, when everything becomes dull with winter.” – Patrick Critz ‘15 “I like the festive atmosphere and the snow and the fact that it’s a good excuse to get together with family and friends. I really like the spirit of giving.” -Ms. Moyer “No students… sleeping late… that’ll do.” -Mr. Anthony
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Independent Sport Spotlight: Gymnastics Ben Moll
SPORTS
Image from google
Griffin Antle ’14 is one of a few Derryfield students who participate in a winter independent sport. He is also one of an even smaller number who take part in their sports year round. On top of this, Antle is participating at the highest level of his sport. Antle says his interest started at about three or four years old, as a kid with “lots of energy, running and climbing around the house.” He ended up at Granite State Gymnastics and has been there ever since, much to his family’s surprise, after his brother quit after a year. Little did he know how his life would be consumed by this commitment. “Gymnastics never stops, each season of the year I am in the gym. Competition season runs from the winter and even a bit into spring,” says Antle. He practices every night after school, giving him about twenty hours per week, and competes in about eight events on weekends that take him as far as Pennsylvania. Antle’s favorite time of the year is “the spring and summer, when time is spent working [on] new
skills that will be integrated into routines. This is more fun for me because it is the time of the season where a gymnast acquires cooler, more interesting skills that are, though more scary, more rewarding to accomplish.”
These competitions culminated for the sophomore last year when he traveled to ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex in Florida at an open national level 8 competition. Antle also enjoyed when “this season [as a level 10 of the oldest age group] I won my division on the pommel horse, my favorite event. I had been struggling with this routine before the competition and was very excited to
do so well.” The pommel horse remains his favorite overall event because “that it is my best event, which makes me want to work harder to gain new skills and put together more challenging routines.” At this level of accomplishment, Antle is often bombarded with questions of national rank or Olympics qualification. However, he truly does not know the future of this sport and for now he is just “enjoying the ride.”
His first level 10 meet is coming up and could qualify him for national competition. Even if he does go on, Antle has made a promise to “continue to work hard and progress as much as I can.” As a disclaimer about his competition, Griffin advocates he only truly participates for about six minutes but if fans are dying to see him, then contact him. The sport means a lot to Griffin since he has “given up other passions of [his] to pursue gymnastics,” such as football and basketball. Could Derryfield soon have its first Olympic athlete in a sport it doesn’t even offer?
Do You Want to be a Sports Writer? Contact Ben Moll, Sports Section Editor, at 12bmoll@derryfield.org
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Zoe Morgan The Evolution of Senior Pages Maggie Cochrane The method and manner by which seniors have constructed yearbook pages over the years has changed drastically, and not just because of technology. It is true that with Josten’s software, seniors can create almost unlimited page designs. But students in the past found just as many designs with what they had. In a small cupboard of Ms. Jipson’s office lies nearly every yearbook the school has produced since its first. Originally, seniors got a double-page spread: they had a professional senior photo on the left page and space to decorate as they wished on the right page. In 1972, seniors were only given one page to decorate. Stu-
dents still managed to fit everything in one. Up through 1989, students would simply send their pages in to be printed in the yearbook. In 1989, one student used a picture of herself with bottles of alcohol her page. Needless to say, after 1989, students had to run their pages by the faculty advisor of Yearbook (at the very least). With the improvement of online software and image quality, the senior page building process has moved online. This has eased the management of pages, but at one point it was impossible to upload photos. So with each new method comes new troubles, but that seems to be part of any new technology.
Throughout the years, students have filled their pages with baby pictures, pictures of friends, inside jokes, and inspiring quotes. Ms. Jipson recommends that seniors do not fill their pages to capacity because it is hard to follow and it is not visually appealing. Finally, Ms. Jipson reminds seniors to put their names on their pages. It sounds silly, but it has happened in the past. If you can, try looking through some old yearbooks. You might be inspired or you might just be in for a good laugh.
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Bachelor and Bachelorette: Taylor Shomo and Jared Hammer
Taylor Shomo
Jared Hammer
Leah DeWitt and Celine Boutin
Images from facebook
What would be your perfect first date? My perfect first date would be a nice picnic on the beach or in a park. Either that or a gondola ride in Italy with lots of serenading
Going on a long drive with the windows open, followed by sitting on a bench in downtown Manchvegas, and peoplewatching—all while being filmed by MTV's reality show "Parental Control"
Describe your ideal significant other.
Describe your ideal significant other.
My ideal significant other would be able to make me laugh. He'd be supportive, attractive, athletic, and preferably have a foreign accent.
Risky; sassy; laughs at dumb things and makes dumb jokes; crystal blue eyes that I can get lost in
What are your best qualities? My best qualities are my caring nature and my sense of humor...and my legs. If you were stranded on a desert island what three things would you bring?
HUMAN INTEREST
What would be the perfect first date?
What are your special interests? Bird-watching; listening to country music while alone; doing chemistry (but actually); outdoor excursions; long plane rides; telling my dog secrets What kind of music do you listen to?
Tanning lotion, a towel, and some jams
Christian Rock Revolution
What is your favorite pick up line?
Favorite pickup line?
"What's cookin', good lookin'?" (shout-out to Peter Kosiarski...stole my heart with that line)
My love for you is like having diarrhea...I can't hold it in.
What is your favorite thing to do on a Friday night?
If you could date anyone in the world, who would it be?
My favorite thing to do on a Friday night is have a dinner party and cook with all my friends.
Rosie O'Donnell....well, maaaaaybe Megan Fox.
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NEWSLETTER TITLE
Horoscopes Hannah Spierer Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21): You’ve been a busy bee this month, trying to organize gifts and plan get-togethers. But let people come to you this time and spend as much time as you can at home. Capricorn (December 22 – January 19): It’s time for you to relax, Capricorn. Don’t try to overdo anything. It may lead to worse problems in your near future. Aquarius (January 20 – February 18): After a hard couple of weeks, it’s time for a little luck to come your way! All your hard work is paying off, so let the good times roll. Pisces (February 19 – March 20): Focus on spending time with your family during the holidays. Whether it’s reminiscing on the old times or watching a favorite movie, it never hurts to let your family members know you love them. Aries (March 21 – April 19): Pay attention to what you say to others. This time of year may get stressful, so keep a level head and avoid freaking out to your friends. It might save you from an awkward confrontation later on. Taurus (April 20 – May 20): You may find yourself wanting to give your friends meaningful gifts this holiday season. Just remember, keep it simple and it’s the thought that counts. Gemini (May 21 – June 20): Lately, you’ve been feeling rather opinionated, but watch what you say. It may cause more controversy or competition in the classroom than necessary. Cancer (June 21 – July 22): You’ve been juggling a lot with sports and academics recently, but it’s time to take a load off your feet! Take time to spend with your family and friends this holiday season. Leo (July 23 – August 22): You may find yourself in some last minute community service project to help those who are less fortunate for the holidays. Much recognition may come from the good deed, but it’s the job well done that will be the most meaningful to you. Virgo (August 23 – September 22): Being a perfectionist during the holidays may be your number one priority. Don’t try to do everything on your own. Instead, enlist some help from a family member or friend to help you with the decorating and party planning. Libra (September 23 – October 22): During this holiday season, get your shopping done early before all the good gifts are taken! You tend to wait for the last minute to go about your holiday business, but get ahead of the game this time! Scorpio (October 23 – November 21): As the holidays approach, make a goal to try something new before break. Even though you’ll be stepping out of your comfort zone, it could be incredibly rewarding!
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Holiday Treats: Homemade Oreos! Rachel McCoy With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time to think about gift-giving. A gift of cookies is always a good idea, but why not set yourself apart this year by making a batch of homemade Oreos instead of the traditional sugar and butter cookies? These homemade Oreos have a deep chocolate taste, and honestly taste better than the store bought ones. The recipe for these cookies is adapted from the one used by pastry chef Joanne Chang at Flour Bakery + Café located in the South End of Boston. When choosing chocolate to use, try and use the highest quality available. My preference is Callebaut chocolate, but it is not widely available. Check your local specialty food stores if you would like to use it. 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1. In a medium bowl, whisk the butter and the sugar until combined. Whisk in the vanilla and melted chocolate. Add the egg and stir until well blended. 2. In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to blend them. Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. The finished dough should feel like Play-Doh. Cover the dough with plastic, and set aside in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm. 3. Place the dough on a long sheet of parchment paper. Use your hands to shape it into a log shape, about 10 inches long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place the log at the edge of the parchment. Roll the parchment around the log. With your hands on the paper, roll the dough more tightly, keeping the diameter the same. 4. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or until it is firm enough to slice without crumbling. 5. Set the oven at 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 6. Remove the dough from the paper. Cut the log into 32 slices (in order to make 16 cookies). Set them on the baking sheets 1 inch apart. 7. Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, checking them often after 15 minutes, or until they are firm when touched in the center. 8. Cool completely on the sheets. FILLING 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted; 1 tablespoon milk; Pinch salt. 1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on low speed for half a minute. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth. 2. Beat in the milk and salt. The filling should be relatively thick. 3. Place 1 tablespoon of filling on the flat side of 16 cookies. Press the remaining 16 cookies on the filling, flat sides against the cream, to evenly distribute the filling. 4. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Enjoy!
A Candid Response to the iPads Proposal
Jake Smiley
Correct me if I’m wrong, but last year the Administration created a school website where teachers could post their class’s homework. Expected to save time, many faculty members felt it at best useless and at worst an aggravation (that’s what I remember anyway). Teachers in the science department had already created class websites and the school website was redundant. Teachers that did not use websites and instead printed syllabi or wrote assignments on the board continued to do so, the school website remaining an afterthought. Teachers have reacted the same way with their iPads: those that already used technology received an extra, superfluous item, and those that rely on whiteboards and paper continue to do so. If the Administration gives iPads to students or mandates them in class, the same situation will come about. Until they force us to take notes on school iPads and nothing else, students will continue to do what they have always done. They will go through school with the same notes and a little cash wasted on another piece of equipment. Then there’s the distraction issue. I myself have never understood why teachers tolerate laptops in classes today. I can sit in a class and see a girl checking Facebook and a guy scanning eBay, neither one paying attention or contributing to the class in front of them. With regards to the previous edition’s article about the traffic-light system, I am curious how they can claim such a design can actually reduce time-wasting on iPads. Just because students are not allowed to use iPads in certain classes does not mean they will use them responsibly when they are brought out. On a side note, I’d also object to such a childish system designating iPad use. The teacher doesn’t need to point to a traffic light to tell you how to take notes. I’m not even sure how people could take electronic notes in certain classes; how can you write chemical equations, alternating between subscripts? How can you draw diagrams for biology? The solution is not, by the way, more advanced programs, since they only aim to replicate the open surface already provided by a sheet of lined paper. Besides, constant typing only ruins your handwriting; keyboard characters remain the same shape even if used infrequently. My opinion doesn’t carry much weight in your decisions, since I’ll be gone before they make a decision about instituting the policy anyway. But I would urge you, reader, to consider the surprising lack of change school iPads will bring to your day. As a student, you will continue to use your old notebook or computer, or you’ll see this fancy rectangle as the new way to waste time. As a teacher, will you continue to allow students to use electronics in your class, as you always have, or will you make yours a “Red Light” room, invalidating the whole process? And as an Administrator, ask yourself whether you are really improving anyone’s education with this invention.
Letter From the Editor I must say, Jake’s editorial really got me thinking about the iPad issue. Arthur Krogman’s article from the last issue about iPads was a great way to start student discussion. I’d like to clarify: Jake’s opinion is well written and valid, but it does not mean that the entire Lamplighter staff feels this way. As the only newspaper in the Upper School, we have an obligation to express student opinions and act as the voice of the student body. That said, the Lamplighter as a whole remains unbiased: it is a platform upon which students can express their views. Maybe you are dying to have an iPad. If that’s the case, we would love to hear your points! Submit articles to 12mcochrane@derryfield.org. I hope you all have a fantastic winter break and celebrate your own holiday traditions! Thank you for reading! Maggie Cochrane Editor in Chief