Lamplighter, March 2018

Spring Issue

March 9, 2018

LAMPLIGHTER Student Newspaper of The Derryfield School

Students Across the Nation To Walk Out for Gun Control

By Livi Burdette Since the February 14th school shooting in Parkland, Florida, students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have rallied together to say “#NeverAgain” to mass shootings. A rally held at the Florida State Capitol Building has set off a nationwide trend of protests and school walkouts to implore lawmakers to set stricter gun control regulations. Thousands of high school students students across the country have been inspired by the activism of the Parkland survivors, and are planning to leave class at 10 a.m. on March 14th for 17 (cont. on p. 8)

Photo by Sydney Chodosh

Pippin: How Does Everything Seem to Happen in “No Time At All?”

By Caroline Desmarais As we all crowded around the edges of the tables in the Gateway Seminar Room that first day of rehearsal, there certainly was a palpable energy of anxiety and excitement present while we flipped through our scripts. Ready to dive into the read-through without any expectations or notions of what our version of the show would be like, we waited to hear the beginning of the notorious “Magic to Do” introduction through the speakers.

We heard whispers of “What do you think this scene will be like?”or “How do you think this person will embody this character?” As junior Emma Tierno skimmed the script in front of her, she said to me, “This feels like an actual, professional table read.” realize that this statement would hold true in so many more ways than imagined throughout the entire production process of Pippin (cont. on p. 5)

Photo from Orlando Weekly Lamplighter

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March 9, 2018

A Later Start to School: Could It Lead to Improved Learning?

One Student’s Proposal For a 9a.m. Start Time

By Erica Moore

By Jenna Bolduc

If you ask almost any high school student if they are tired waking up in the morning while the school year is in full swing, the answer will most likely be yes. Go on to ask how many hours of sleep they are getting per night, and the majority of the time, they will respond with a number that is lower than the recommended amount for adolescents, which is 8 ½ to 9 ¼ hours according to the National Sleep Foundation. Instead of getting even close to that number, NSF continues, teens average in fewer than seven hours of per school night by the end of high school.

The tiredness that most students report feeling can be attributed to many factors. For one, earlier start times take a toll on our internal clocks that run on circadian rhythms.

With puberty, a shift begins in circadian rhythm, called a “sleep phase change.” According to the UCLA health department, the need for sleep during this period is shifted two hours later, making most teenagers feel tired closer to 10 or 11 PM. Naturally, this results in a need for sleeping later to complete the necessary number of hours still accounting for the later internal clock.

According to a study by Dr. Mary A. Carskadon, Director of E.P. Bradley Hospital Research Laboratory and professor in Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University School of Medicine, melatonin starts to turn off later in the morning in adolescents, making waking up earlier (cont on p. 5)

Sleepy Seniors siesta in the forum…Would a later start help? Photo by Rylan Morgan Lamplighter

What if you didn’t need to be at school until 9 am? What if you were able to get an extra hour of sleep during the week? For my United States history project, I was given an assignment to explore an issue that affects me and make a change to it. I decided to explore the issue of lack of sleep in teenagers. I had heard that teachers have been having an ongoing discussion about a schedule change, so I thought this was the perfect time to get the conversation out there. I decided to explain my plan to the whole Derryfield community at an assembly, asking students to support my idea by signing a petition and listing the average amount of sleep they get nightly.

I will include the Derryfield students’ signatures and data about sleep habits in a letter to Dr. Carter along with the individual research I have done. I strongly believe that high school students would benefit tremendously from a later start time.

I realize that with a later start time, there may be some issues. Both students and teachers alike is the concern that with starting later, we will end later.

While I acknowledge that that may be the case, I would like to open up other suggestions about how our day might go.

Instead of doing a waterfall schedule like we currently have (having 6 classes and dropping 1 daily), it is possible that we could have a block schedule, also called an even/odd schedule. This block schedule would mean that some classes may meet on only few days of the week, but not every day. It is possible that we could do three classes a day that are a bit longer and still get out of school at the same time than we do now. (cont. on p. 8)

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March 9, 2018

Group Work: Is It Worth It?

By Julia Tilton We have all been in class and heard our teacher say, “For our next assignment, we will be working in partners,” and then have immediately proceeded to make desperate eye contact with our closest friend in the room, regardless of whether the groups are to be assigned or not. At some point or another, we have all been assigned to work on a project with a group, and consequently, have had to deal with the sometimes stressful, sometimes productive, and sometimes irritating situations that ensue.

We all have stories to share about group projects--whether we were the one team member who did “all the work,” or we were that other member who did nothing and were able to skate by, riding on the hard work of others. For some, group projects are an excuse to kick back and let others take charge of the workload. For others, these projects help build up confidence and encourage collaboration.

In larger group projects, it is not unexpected to

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find a few leaders emerging from the crowd.

Especially when academic success is on the line, there are typically a few students who step up to the challenge of corralling the others into a set plan or strategy in order to get the work done. These leaders come in all different styles, which is arguably what makes group work so interesting. For example, there are those who take full charge and disregard for what others in the group have to say or want to contribute. Then there are those who approach group projects with an open mindset and who listen to the thoughts of others, only then to integrate the ideas of everyone into the finished product. Clearly, some leadership styles seem to be more aggressive than others, but all seem to make sure the work gets done, in one way or another.

Leadership, is of course, the coveted “21stCentury Skill” that Derryfield has decided we all need to develop. Over the past few years, the word has evolved into a theme which (cont. next page)

Students collaborate in the library. Photo by Rylan Morgan

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Group Work (cont.) has been integrated into our curriculum in all aspects of study. But what do these group projects have to do with building leaders? Do these projects actually have a hand in developing the strong leaders Derryfield is suddenly so eager to produce?

Students do not seem to be entirely convinced of the benefits of group work. When speaking to a group of sophomores, I was surprised to find that many of them prefer individual projects over group projects. The reason for this, Brady McGinley told me, is because group projects are stressful and often fall apart easily. Tyler Critz agreed, and shared some of his own experiences from working with others on assignments.

“I feel like I always get singled out as the ‘bad guy’ when telling other people to keep up with their share of the work,” he said.

Critz went on to explain that in these situations, his intent is not to be aggressive or overbearing, but rather to keep the group on track and encourage an equal share of the workload. This miscommunication between group members seems to be a common theme -- and a common struggle -in collaborative work.

Grace Valvano explained that when group members disagree or don’t distribute the work evenly, it “creates tension within the group.” This tension is not productive and fuels stress, especially with a due date looming. When asked why they prefer individual assignments, Valvano answered, “I get to work on them on my own time and at my own pace.”

McGinley agreed, saying “I don’t have to worry about different opinions that potentially distract or get off-topic from the project’s original goal.”

When I explained some of the benefits of group projects, such as learning to communicate and work well with others, the group admitted that group projects can be successful, even fun, when the team is committed and everyone does their fair share of the work. They emphasized that it is only when the group is led astray that the projects become stressful and unorganized.

After hearing the strong opinions from students, I was curious as to what teachers think about group work, and, more importantly, why they assign it in the first place. I asked Mr. Powell, Lamplighter

March 9, 2018

teacher of Environmental Studies and Global Issues: Sustainable Development who assigns group projects in all of his classes. He told me that he believes groups projects are a gateway to the real world, a place where we are expected not only to work with others, but to work well with others and in teams.

Mr. Powell has long held a fundamental belief that we produce better work together than alone, and that this is not only in school, but in collaborative work across all spans of learning and living.

“Part of our job [as teachers] is to build skills and habits of mind… that prepare kids for college and life beyond college,” he said.

When I told him about some of the concerns I had heard from students I interviewed, he said he understands the struggles that often arise with group work.

“I try to design group projects to respond to what I see as the problems,” he said. Mr. Powell devotes lots of class time to group work because he understand that it is difficult to find time to work together outside of school hours. However, in the age of Google Drive, Facetime, and texting, Mr. Powell said that those types of digital communication skills are a “viable bridge” worth developing.

Mr. Powell also addressed the students’ struggles with team dynamic by explaining his view: without group experiences, students would not be prepared for what comes after high school. He said that navigating team dynamics is oftentimes just a part of life and that group work struggles happen in every workplace.

We ended our conversation by discussing the lack of transparency that often occurs between student work and participation on projects and teachers’ interpretations of that work. Even when we put all of the pros and cons of group work aside -- including the advantages of collaboration and disadvantages of academic stress -- many students still walk away from group projects feeling confused, frustrated, or dissatisfied with their grade as a reflection of their input.

Mr. Powell and students alike agreed that teachers and students must have more honest conversations about individual participation. Despite some students’ opposition to group work, it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon, so perhaps we should view this as an opportunity to speak truthfully with our teachers in hopes of creating compromises we can all agree on. LL

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Later Start (cont.) harder. Due to these factors, earlier wake up times cause sleep deprivation for students across the US and globally.

Carskadon responds to this issue saying, "Given that the primary focus of education is to maximize human potential, then a new task before us is to ensure that the conditions in which learning takes place address the very biology of our learners."

To further address the issue, I asked for opinions from both a student and a teacher at Derryfield. Julia Tilton, a busy tenth grader, was enthusiastic about the idea of a later start time. When asked, she replied, “Yes, a later start time would be helpful. I think it’s important to target the time of day when students are most aware so as to better their

“Research done on this subject all points to later starts being beneficial. If it was only a matter of the students it would be a no-brainer.” performances and attention spans.”

Ms. Boesch, Director of Academic Support, has a packed schedule of helping students deal with a wide range of work during their school days, and works with tired students on a daily basis. She said, “Research done on this subject all points to later starts being beneficial. If it was only a matter of the students it would be a no-brainer. However, some consideration has to be put into the schedules of parents dropping off kids before work, transportation, and other factors. Overall, an extra hour or two would make the kids more awake and alert in the mornings.”

Of course, having a later start time would not solve all problems. Students would still be busy balancing extracurriculars, homework, free time, and much more. High schoolers would still be incredibly busy people. It would take careful consideration and would impact not just the students, but faculty, staff, and families as well. However, a later start for the school day would be beneficial to better align with melatonin production and sleep cycles, and to improve health, brain development, and performance in the future. LL Lamplighter

March 9, 2018

Pippin (cont.)

In preparation for the 2018 Upper School Musical, director Jim Speigel began to sort through different visions of how Pippin has been presented on stage. In the original 1972 production of Pippin on Broadway, the theme was harlequin-based and was quite abstract, set to the pop/rock influenced music of Stephen Schwartz and featuring direction and choreography of the legendary Bob Fosse. In the 2013 Broadway revival, however, Pippin was reinvented with a circus theme that represented the troupe of performers portrayed in the show, under the direction of Diane Paulus, with circus choreography and acrobatics by Chet Walker and Gypsy Snider (influenced by Bob Fosse’s original work).

Very loosely based on history, the musical follows the life of Pippin, the son of King Charlemagne, in his quest to find the true meaning of his life through different passions and interests. Throughout the show he is guided by the Leading Player, the head of the group of players that enact the show of Pippin, yet he may not be all that he appears to be on the surface. Over the past 40 years, Pippin has been reimagined with varying themes from punk-rock to modern, but Mr. Speigel decided that The Derryfield Players would go for steampunk.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, steampunk is “a style of design and fashion that combines historical elements with anachronistic technological features inspired by science fiction.” In terms of relating this somewhat foreign idea to Pippin, Mr. Speigel says, “I think the message of Pippin is that no matter what time period you’re in, the same kinds of things happen: you’re trying to find yourself, you’re trying to find your way in the world… and I think that’s kind of what steampunk is like. It’s a little confusing, like life, but in the end it works out.”

With Pippin and steampunk both being entities that have a timeless feel and don’t suggest a distinct setting, the style of Derryfield’s production will be executed through an elaborate set of scaffolding, gears, and lights.

The vision will also be (cont. next page) 5

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Pippin (cont.) apparent in the extensive makeup and costuming in order to transport the audience into a steampunk kind of world. When analyzing the execution of this new vision on stage, too, I began to make parallels between this scenario and the professional theatre world outside of high school and Derryfield.

In recent years, Broadway revivals have been presented in very innovative ways. One example is Deaf West’s 2015 Broadway production of Spring Awakening which featured several deaf actors and actresses. In seeing The Derryfield Players reimagine Pippin in a unique way, I thought of how our production process prepares students to pursue professional careers in the arts.

First off, the rehearsal process begins with the classic table read, and then continues to build from there with music, choreography, and blocking rehearsals. Our music rehearsals are run by Mr. Hunton and directly mirror those of regional theatre music rehearsals I have been in. It’s exciting to see how all of the DS students involved in the production come to rehearsal with just as much, if not more, passion and investment than some professionals.

Senior Jakov Schwartzberg, who plays Pippin, says, “Even if you’re not trying to pursue musical theatre, you’ve been able to learn how to use your music to tell stories … Looking at Jim

Speigel as a director, he really tries to focus in on allowing students to explore their instincts as performers in a way that some youth theatre directors don’t. He really wants to create something with you and wants you to be a part of that process.”

No matter if you wish to pursue theatre in the future or follow a completely different path, the Derryfield process can be a great foundation for discovering how you wish to present yourself to the world as well as learning how to work cohesively as a group to produce something together.

With all of these ideas in mind, The Derryfield Players invite you to come see the Upper School Musical, Pippin, on March 9th at 7 p.m. and on March 10th at 2 p.m and 7 p.m. As Mr. Speigel says, “The community can learn a lot about life [through the show], and a lot of people who come to see it will sit there and nod their head and realize ‘Yeah, that happened or is happening to me’, and hopefully they can learn how hard we work in the performing arts here.”

This show encompasses so much of what it’s like to try and find your place in the world, and will not only have its relatable moments, but will be very entertaining, as well. In the words of senior Nick Briccetti, who portrays the Leading Player, “It’s all about education, ultimately, and it’s all about finding your place, but I think it’s just going to be a really great time for any high school class to see.” LL

The steampunk-style set design of Pippin.

Photo by Sydney Chodosh.

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March 9, 2018

Woman of the Month: Ms. Shutz A Student and Teacher Discuss Feminism

By Serina Li The Derryfield community is filled with extraordinary and successful women. This month, I would like to focus on Ms. Shutz, for she is someone that I would call an activist for women’s rights, empowering other women to be their best and to stand up for what they believe.

Growing up, Ms. Shutz remembers that although she admired most of the women that she knew well who were considered “stay-at-home” moms, she was really interested in doing things that they didn’t consider the norm. She began to explore different paths by reading biographies about working women from different time periods.

Ms. Shutz believes that standing up for women happens both on a public and a private level.

Publicly, she votes for people who share her values and advocate for women’s rights. Privately, she tries to speak up when she witnesses sexist attitudes, rather than just letting them slide. She elaborates on these kinds of situations, saying, “When girls are being slut-shamed, or when women are talking about a political leader running for office, and they talk a lot about her appearance. I’ll try to ask questions like, ‘Do they speak like that about male leaders?’”

After listening to her answers, it made me realize that for most women, you can’t be like Sheryl Sandberg, Beyonce, or Michelle Obama. You can’t always be someone that can influence the whole world. However, if every woman has the opportunity to contribute within their own reach, it counts as something. For me, I think that, as Ms. Shutz said, voting and just being “vocal” when needed is what one individual can do to stand up to their beliefs.

lity Equa il 14 r e d Gen Apr s the Saturday, s i m Don’t ce at DS! eren Conf

As we move on, Ms. Shutz articulates her inclusive view of feminism: “I’m always puzzled when I hear people say that they are not feminists. Because for me, that’s sort of saying ‘I don’t believe in humans.’”

The official definition for feminism according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” In the simplest form, it is the belief in equality for all.

Ms. Shutz’s analogy of believing in humans is another way of looking at what feminism means. Furthermore, she explains the reasoning of people who do not identify as feminists. She maintains that they believe that there is limited power in the world, so if others gain that power, they will lose it.

I have often wondered how we as individuals can stand up to people who have (cont. next page)

Photo by Andrew Lombardozzi.

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March 9, 2018

Woman of the Month (cont.)

Student Perspective (cont.)

the mindset that women are not and cannot be on an equal level with men. This can be especially hard at school, where there’s peer pressure to go along with and and be “cool” with the guys. Ms. Shutz’s advice is to “Ask questions.” Some of these questions might be: What made them believe what they believe? What happens if women get paid equally? What happens if women enter a certain professional field? Ms. Shutz feels that asking these kinds of questions can have a bigger effect on others because it forces them to rethink what they believe, rather than just being stubborn about those beliefs.

My takeaway from our conversation is that if you believe in equal rights for all genders, then it is worth being accused of overreacting by “the guys.” The worst someone can do is to stay silent and allow immoral behaviors to go on. At the end of the day, you are the only one that can stand up for yourself. LL

Another issue that has been raised is how parents would be able to handle this new timing; parents who go to work at a set time every weekday might struggle transporting their children to school if the time school started suddenly changed. To address this issue, I envision the possibility of a carpool system where a parent or an upper school student with their license takes turns bringing other neighboring children into school. It is possible that these parents and students using their extra gas to get around could get compensated for their work. I acknowledge that there are challenges to be overcome, but I am convinced that a later start to school would be incredibly helpful to students’ health, studies, and overall lifestyle. LL

Walkout (cont.) minutes in a statement of their desire to stop gun violence in schools. Will Derryfield join them?

Senior Henna Malik believes we should. “High school students should be in a safe environment, getting an education, but instead they’re having to grieve the loss of classmates from an event that should never have happened in the first place,” she said in an interview.

There have been eighteen school shootings so far this year, which has left some students feeling hopeless that policy steps will be taken to prevent people like Nikolas Cruz, the alleged perpetrator of the Parkland shooting, from getting semiautomatic and automatic rifles. “How many more kids will die?” read one sign at a rally in Montgomery County, Maryland.

But Henna said that demonstrations like this could possibly be the event that finally sparks real change for gun reform. “This is about kids, which I think makes it more emotional,” she said. “These are their classmates. They’re supposed to be growing up together in a safe environment but that’s been tainted by the shootings. Still, you could have a million people in this walk-out but nothing will change unless our political leaders take action on gun control.”

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Ms. Llewelyn, Director of Student Leadership and Service at Derryfield, stressed the idea that even students who are not of voting age can make a difference through demonstrations like the March 14th walkouts. “Even if you’re not voting right now, you are in politicians’ faces right now as thousands of people saying ‘we’re sick of this,’” she said.

And soon, high school students will be of voting age, able to influence the outcome of political elections and possibly change gun control policies.

But until then, Ms. Llewelyn says, the power of teenagers can be “focused on communicating with the people who can make that change faster than your vote can.” And that’s why thousands of teenagers are choosing to walk out of class next Wednesday morning.

Concord High School plans to use their 17 minutes to walk to the close-by State Capitol building, as the students in Parkland did. However, if Derryfield wants to participate, we’ll need to find a place a bit closer to school to make our stand. Should it be calling and emailing our senators and representatives for 17 minutes? Should it be signing a petition? Should it be a memorial for the victims of the Parkland shooting? If you have input or ideas on what Derryfield’s walkout should look like, fill out Bella Hoang ‘18’s survey, or email Mr. Dougherty at bdougherty@derryfield.org. LL 8

March 5, 2018

Lorum Ipsum Dolor

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Lorem Ipsum Dolor

March 5, 2018

Lorum Ipsum Dolor

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