The Pharcyde, 43.7

THE BENJAMIN SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

@thepharcyde_tbs

4875 Grandiflora Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418

25 March 2022

@thepharcyde_tbs Volume 43

Issue 07

Effects of Eastern Conflict Reverberate at Home Charlie Spungin Copy Editor

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been the world’s top news story since its beginning in late February.

A nearly unanimous global response opposing Russia’s actions quickly followed.

“Russians will see our faces, not our backs,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said prior to the Russian full-scale assault on the country on Feb. 24. For weeks before, Russia built up its military force on the border of the two countries and in Belarus, instilling a sense of worry in the Ukrainian population.

On Feb. 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of two breakaway, separatist regions in eastern Ukraine: the Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic. This action led to Ukraine’s declaration of a national state of emergency on Feb. 23. Putin employed a similar tactic prior to invading Georgia in 2008 by recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Given Russia’s past, many in the Benjamin community were not shocked that Russia invaded Ukraine three days later.

“Knowing Putin and his war tactics and the way that he goes about setting out to do what he says he’s going to do, it’s not a huge surprise,” social studies teacher Mr. Anthony Hoy said.

Following Russia’s invasion, nations around the world, including the United States, began to impose sanctions on Russia, effectively diminishing their economy. Nevertheless, most countries, including those in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), have been reluctant to get too involved with the conflict after Putin warned that involvement could result in “consequences you have never seen.”

However, the United States has

Russia and Ukraine have always had conflict, depicted by the fists pointed at each other. On Feb. 24, that conflict escalated to war with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Photo courtesy of tinyurl.com/52fumhx2

deployed troops to eastern Europe in case Russia attacks a country with membership in NATO. Additionally, the country is granting supplies and money to the Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine has put up a better fight than most imagined, holding off Russian forces, as protests against the war persisted in Russia. The result was a meeting between the two countries on Feb. 28, but that ultimately led to no resolution.

Even more controversy came when Russia began attacking civilians and civilian buildings with airstrikes on March 1. A day later, March 2, Russia overtook its first major Ukrainian city: Kherson, located in southern Ukraine.

About 350 miles northeast of Kherson is Kramatorsk, a city of about 150,000 residents. Among them is the family of senior Evan Liberman, who is both Ukrainian and Russian. Liberman notes that his family is safe right now, but in recent days “has seen an uptick in the shelling, with apartment buildings not two blocks away taking damage.”

Liberman’s family plans to remain in Kramatorsk for now, largely due to the dangers of traveling to a safe border. There have been over 2million Ukrainian refugees who have fled their homes in the effort to find safety, as of March 8, with the number increasing by hundreds of thousands by the day. The war has threatened many civilian lives, leading to Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since World War II. Liberman’s heritage makes the conflict quite complex to him; his personal ties and stakes to Ukraine with his family in Kramatorsk and half-Russian side are feuding, forcing him to reflect.

“In recent days, I’ve had to come to terms with my heritage since I am also half Russian. I’ve grown up speaking Russian at home. Now, Russian feels like the language of the invader, the language of the oppressor, so I’ve come to wonder in recent days whether I can still hold my Russian heritage close while throwing my weight behind the Ukrainian people. The war in Ukraine has been a

Prom 2022 is (Almost) Here and On Display at Norton Sophia Liporace Co-Editor-in-Chief After a long two years of traditional school events being altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prom Committee is ready to bring the school community back to normalcy as it hosts “A Night at the Norton” on Apr. 9.

Prom is overseen by French and Spanish teacher Ms. Colleen Donnelly and planned by a committee of juniors, led by Sky Jones. Jones is responsible for leading each committee meeting and approving any prom-related decisions. Other leaders of the prom committee include Chair of Fundraising Maddie Popilek, Decoration Chairs Kate Grande and Ella Ladd, Chair of Media Eden Donor, and Chair of Activities Grace Tighe.

Ms. Donnelly took on the task of planning prom this spring when she became chair of the junior class.

She received helpful advice from previous Prom Committee advisor and Arts and Innovation Department Chair Ms. Melissa Ford, but she also credits the success of this year’s planning to the dedicated and enthusiastic juniors.

“The Prom Committee has been an integral part of ensuring that Prom

2022 will be sensational and enjoyed by all. Right from the first meeting, this group of dynamic juniors busily shared thoughts on themes, activities and decorating. They showed great enthusiasm and no shortage of ideas, but what still stands out to me is the way the group works together to ensure our monthly fundraising dressdown days are organized, efficient and profitable, among other things,” said Ms. Donnelly.

Prom will be held at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach and will go from 8 to 11 pm. While planning the event, Jones noted the difficulty of putting together certain details that the diverse student body will enjoy.

“Planning prom has been a fun experience, but it also is hard trying to plan an event that everyone will enjoy because people may have different preferences on themes and activities. As a committee, it was also difficult to come up with fundraising ideas that the whole school will want to participate in and be willing to spend money on,” she said.

Seniors, such as Ali Brown, are excited to see what the class of 2023 will bring to prom having already experienced what planning the event is

like.

“I was on Prom Committee last year, and it was so much work to coordinate everything. The whole process is really difficult, so I commend the juniors for their initiative and appreciate their hard work,” said Brown.

Prom tickets will be available until Mar. 25, when both payment and any required forms will need to be turned out. Formal as well as appropriate attire is required for students and guests to be able to attend.

After a long year of hard work, Ms. Donnelly is excited to see everyone enjoy their night, especially after a difficult two years of uncertainty.

“I am looking forward to that moment when I can just stand back and quietly observe the outcome, seeing the students thoroughly enjoying themselves. The smiles, the laughter, the joy of being together to celebrate senior year along with our junior class is what this entire school year of planning has all been about. After the uncertain past couple of years of their high school experience, I am grateful that our senior class will be able to benefit from the recent transition to an increased normalization of daily life,” she said.

cultural reckoning for me and tested my limits on how I look at my background, what it means to be the son of immigrants, and what it feels like when your two cultures are at war,” Liberman said. He notes that he feels no malice towards the Russian people, merely its government.

Liberman has received support from the School community, as he has had faculty come up to him in order to express their support for him and his family, asking how his family is doing and if they can help.

In addition to reaching out to Liberman, the School has made an effort to inform the student population about the complexities of the situation in Eastern Europe. On Feb. 28, the faculty held a lunch in the Didsbury Learning Commons for those who were anxious, concerned, or interested in the conflict. No students attended, but faculty members held a discussion among themselves regarding the issue. Head of Upper School Mr. Carr, the organizer of the lunch, finds it important that students are educated about the conflict.

“As informed citizens, we’ve got to be able to unravel the complexity of actions like this and understand how and why they take place, so that, ideally, we don’t get to a position like this, which is really, in my opinion, the worst possible outcome of any geopolitical issue, being war,” Mr. Carr said.

Additionally, teachers in the Social Studies Department are carving time out of classes in order to discuss the issue. Mr. Hoy, who teaches the Cold War class, and social studies teacher Mr. Nicholas Cramer, who teaches AP Comparative Government, both have touched on the topic, as their the classes’ curriculums involve Russia. One of the causes for the conflict is the history of the region, so Mr. Hoy, while discussing the Soviet Union, has delved into the region’s history to educate the students about why Russia has interest in Ukraine. Students in the class, such as senior Dylan Bernstein, have found this to enrich their knowledge on the issue.

“With what’s happening today and before everything escalated in Russia, Ukraine was one of the main topics that we talked about in class because it has to deal with the class itself. [Mr. Hoy] did a great job by presenting us with present news and talking to us about what is going on in Russia and Ukraine dating back to the Soviet Union. I’m always keeping up with the news, but it was a lot easier to talk with some facts in there.

I now understand that Russia has always wanted to conquer Ukraine,” Bernstein said.

Just as the world community has united due to this crisis, the Benjamin community has come closer together to discuss the harsh realities of the situation. The world has seen conflict before, and one thing remains true: nobody knows when and how the conflict will end; all that can be hoped for is peace.

International Women’s Day: Celebrating the Women of TBS

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25 March 2022

The Pharcyde

Annual Gala Raises Funds, Honors Faculty NHS Inducts 39 Members Tvisha Goel Co-Editor-in-Chief BASH (Building a Scholastic Heritage) is an annual Benjamin tradition that allows the Benjamin community to come together to support the school. Building its roots from 37 years ago, the 2022 auction had a sweeping turnout, having been sold out since November.

The purpose of the BASH is to raise funds that offset the tuition required to attend Benjamin. The event is a large source of the funds that are needed to hold many of the events that Benjamin students enjoy. For example, the funds go toward retraining the best teachers at Benjamin, the maintenance of the beautiful campus, and programmatic enhancements of the school.

The chairs of the event were Steven and Heather Atkins, who are cochairs with Eric and Lisa Glasband.

Mrs. Glasband has been involved with BASH since 2015. When asked about her role as a co-chair, she said, “Basically it is to pick the venue, the menu, the theme and the decor. I was also a part of assembling a committee this year. We had actually one of our largest committees, with 70 committee members.”

Previous themes of the event include Havana Nights, Alice in Wonderland, and most recently last year’s celebration of the 60th anniversary of The Benjamin School.

This year, BASH took place at PGA National Resort and Spa, and featured the theme “NYC Meets Palm Beach.” Marketing efforts leading up to the event, however, spotlighted a common refrain heard around campus: “I Heart TBS.” The slogan helped remind the community of BASH’s overall intent.

Mrs. Glasband believes that BASH exemplifies exactly that.

“When I think of BASH, I think of my love for the Benjamin School because I really do love Benjamin. My son, Ethan, attends Benjamin, and I’m just really grateful for his experience. Co-chairing BASH really is a way that my husband and I can give back to the community that we love,” she said.

One way this year’s BASH brought the community together was by honoring some who were there to help with the very first BASH 37 years ago: honorary chairs Mr. Toby Harbeck, Mrs. Jane Higginbotham, Mrs. Joanna Hogan, Dr. Amy Taylor, Coach Ron Ream, Mrs. Sara Salivar, and Mrs. Anita Spassoff.

Mr. Harbeck described the first BASH, saying, “The day was introduced to us; we were in. We had a faculty meeting. Now back then, we were on the LS campus, and we could fit grades seven through 12th.

We only had 22 faculty members.

So we’re all in one room for faculty being at 7:30 in the morning, and our headmaster, Mr. Keel, along with Mrs. Babs Fisher and Mrs. Barbara Nicholas introduced to us what they planned on doing that year, starting the BASH. And it was really great.

It was pretty small, but it was a big deal.”

Now, the BASH has become much bigger in numbers with more volunteers bringing in more unique ideas. Mrs. Hogan described her 2022 experience saying, “The live auction during dinner was fun to observe, but my husband was very much relieved that I kept my paddle down. The ‘Call from the Heart’ was my personal favorite, and I love the balloons that lit up all over the room as people par-

ticipated.”

There are many auction items that are offered at both the live auction and the online forum including Spa Resorts, Golf Club reservations, and ice cream parties. Mr. Harbeck even recalled one of the most popular auction items in the earlier BASH events: labradores. “In the early days, one of the biggest things that they auctioned at the live auction was a labrador puppy every year, and it would go for thousands and thousands. One year it went for like $16,000,” he said.

Unfortunately, some of the honorary chairs said that they cannot bid on auction items. While Mr. Harbeck said, “As far as the live auction things go, I’ll never be able to afford those things. It’s really fun to watch people bid on stuff like that though”, Dr. Taylor joked, “There’s a lot of things I want to bid on, but I know better than to bid on them.”

Aside from teacher volunteers and the committee chairs and members, Mr. Juan Carlos Fanjul, the Chief Development Officer, plays a large role for BASH as well as he oversees the development team.

When asked which auction items tend to sell the fastest, he said, “The most popular items are the gift certificates to restaurants. And then on the higher end of things in our live auction, where the items are like $5,000 or more experiences tend to go for high value. So this year, we had a home for 10 people in Napa Valley that went for $50,000.”

Preparation for BASH 2023 has already begun as it takes extensive planning and organizing. BASH is just one of the many events that bring the school together for its improvement, so get ahead and start mapping out your auction items for next year.

The National Honor Society (NHS), welcomed 39 new members under its four pillars of values during its anual spring induction on March 24 in Benjamin Hall.

NHS consists of four pillars to be inducted under: scholarship, service, character, and leadership. Being inducted into the NHS is a feat that first requires an extensive admissions process and a show of valuable character. Additionally, NHS commends students for their hard work and representation of one of the four pillars, as well as the opportunity to work with other like-minded students.

An outstanding academic record must first be kept, with no lower than a GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale to be considered for the pillar of scholarship, however, chapters are permitted to raise the GPA minimum. At Benjamin, the minimum GPA in order to apply is currently at 3.8. To be inducted under the pillar of service requires contributions made through voluntary service without compensation to the community.

Leadership qualities can be found through school activities, such as clubs, or community activities when working with others. Leaders contain qualities that distinguish them from others, such as being resourceful, a problem solver, or an idea contributor. Character is the last pillar students are inducted under, requiring cooperation, respect for others, hon-

tral and peripheral nervous systems, as well as specific neuroscience podcasts from Max Planck, and we are advised by a teacher, Mrs. Franzen, as well as Ms. Szeliga, to watch certain neuroscience videos. There is also a website dedicated to quizzes on neuroscience. For the actual competition, there are three rounds, and after the first round, consisting of twenty questions, the best ten teams will progress to round two, with ten questions. The third round is sudden death, consisting of ‘Brain Buzz’ questions, during which the contestants are not allowed to converse with their team members about the answer. Spelling counts, since the answer to each question will be written down for the judges, who are neuroscientists at Max Planck,” said Hill.

Max Plank is an institute for neuroscience in Florida, located just down the road from The Benjamin School. Prior to the competition, competitors will receive a tour of the

campus.

The competition requires extensive studying of all areas regarding neuroscience. Preparations for the Brain Bee are already underway, with students dedicating time every week to their neurological studies. The first portion of the competition is scheduled to occur at the Max Planck Institute of Neuroscience on April 2.

“Students spend every Thursday meeting and double checking that they are on the right track, but they’re spending a lot of time working on facts about the brain and neuroscience, memorizing them, trying to figure out how to problem solve at the bee. On the second of April we will go to Max Planck for a tour and the Brain Bee; that’s when the competition will occur,” said Franzen.

The materials Mrs. Franzen and Ms. Szeliga have provided are being put to good use. Students are using a variety of study methods and materials to prepare to compete, with the

goal of expanding their knowledge on neuroscience to the fullest extent.

“I am currently working on completing all of the recommended reading and then I will begin listening to the podcasts. After I finish that, my group and I are planning on making a large study document and Quizlets of important concepts. This will make it easier to memorize information,” said Hodum.

Wells Funk, Hill and Guan have been working together as a team to help each other prepare for the upcoming competition.

“My teammates and I have already started to prepare for the competition. We have gotten together and assigned sections of the required material to each person. For example, I will be our expert on ‘Diseases and Disorders’ and ‘Treating Brain Disorders.’ While each person needs to have a general understanding of all the content, this method definitely makes studying less overwhelming.

Leah Klein Staff Writer

esty, and reliability.

Sophomore Zach Neidoff, who was inducted under the pillar of scholarship, describes the requirements and application process he faced before being accepted as an inductee.

“Besides the GPA requirement, you need to be in your second semester of sophomore year or older. If you qualify to apply, you need to fill out an application that includes your resume and a question to respond to, followed by an interview,” said Neidoff.

Being a part of the NHS comes with certain responsibilities. Members are expected to mentor other students when needed or attend and assist at events. Sophomore Harry Scarola, who was also inducted, believes that his induction will allow him to expand his impact on the community.

“I am very excited to be inducted into the National Honor Society. I am hopeful that I am able to accomplish a lot within the group. Being inducted to NHS means that I will be able to be a bigger part of the community and take on more service events to help people,” said Scarola.

NHS is significant for Neidoff too. His accomplishment will also allow him to be more involved in community service.

He said, “I feel honored to be inducted because I know that it is very difficult to get into and know that there were a lot of very qualified applicants that applied alongside me.

It means a lot to me because I know how much of an honor it is to be chosen for the society. This will help me in the future because it will enable me to become more active in the community in terms of community service.”

Upper School Sending Three Teams to Local Brain Bee Competition Leah Klein Staff Writer

Four teams of students have been busy learning about synapses, cerabella, hormone production, and Phineas Gage in preparation to represent The Benjamin School at the fifteenth annual Brain Bee competition. Social studies teacher Mrs. Anne Franzen is mentoring the three Upper School teams.

The first of the three teams is made up of freshmen Samantha Hill, Jia Guan, and sophomore Olivia Wells Funk. The second team is composed of senior Kat Scarborough and sophomores Atticus Fasnakis-Nosal and Keane Adam, and the final team’s roster is senior Jack Horgan, sophomore Matias Saiz, and junior Kiera Hodum.

After two years of competitions being held virtually due to COVID-19, the local stage of the Brain Bee will be held in person. The competitors, teams of three students from grades 8 to 12, all study neuroscience facts leading up to the competition. This year’s global championship will be held in Paris, France.

The International Brain Bee competition was founded in 1998 by Dr. Norbert Myslinski. Dr. Myslinski’s interest in the human brain began at a young age, as multiple members of his family suffered from neurological issues. He dedicated his life to teaching others about the brain in order to bring awareness to neurological and psychological disorders. The competition he founded has inspired many young adults to pursue medical careers.

Hill, eager to expand her knowledge in neuroscience, has found that Mrs. Franzen and science teacher Ms. Renee Szeliga have given her incredible advice.

“Max Planck provides for competitors a study guide on the anatomy, physiology, and diseases of the cen-

Members of the 2022 Brain Bee Teams gather with Mrs. Anne Franzen in the DLC on March 24. The group met to hear some strategies and words of inspiration from Brain Bee and Benjamin alumnus Isaac Wendler, ‘16. Wendler joined the group via Zoom conference.

(Photo by Charlie Spungin)

We will also create quizlets, take notes, listen to podcasts, and watch videos about the brain,” said Wells Funk.

Apart from the amount of studying needed, students must also possess a passion for neurology that drives their study.

“I chose to participate in Brain Bee because I have always been fascinated by the uniqueness of the human brain, how it works, and the different health problems that arise from a brain malfunction,” said Saiz.

Despite the competition being an exciting event for all teenagers competing, there are still different aspects to the event, including what may be stressful or difficult for students.

Guan shares what will be the biggest challenge for her, as well as the easiest task to overcome.

“The most challenging part of the competition process will be memorizing all the facts about the brain, and there will be ‘Brain Buzz’ questions, in which every member of a team has to provide an answer without talking to others. The easiest aspect of the competition process is that the study materials are very clear and straightforward, so we don’t need to find the study materials ourselves,” said Guan.

All nine Benjamin Upper School students that are scheduled to compete in the 2022 Brain Bee International neuroscience competition are praised for their dedication, passion, and hard work already put into studying neuroscience. For the competition to come, Benjamin students will surely perform to the best of their capabilities, exemplifying their drive to expand their knowledge about neuroscience in doing so.

25 March 2022

The Pharcyde

¿Hablan Español? Conferencia Team Competes at Annual Statewide Spanish Conference Joey Tomassetti Staff Writer

For the first time in two years, Conferencia, or the Florida State Spanish Conference, is back in the state of Florida. This year, it will take place in Orlando from Thursday, March 10 to Saturday, March 12.

Sra. Maria Gonzalez-Lopez, the advisor for Conferencia, explains what Conferencia is and what students will be doing at the competition.

“The FSSC is a state competitio that invites schools from all over Florida, and they bring up to 16 students to compete. There are two major divisions: One is called A and B, which is for kids that are non-native speakers. The other one is called C and D, which is for kids who are native or heritage speakers,” said Sra. Gonzalez-Lopez.

Within Conferencia, there are various competitions in which students participate.

“The students get to compete for two days in two different types of competitions. One is called Impromptu Speeches. You are given three of the 16 topics randomly, and you choose whichever one of those three that you want to do. In the second competition, you have to either recite a declamation or be a part of a play,” added Sra. Gonzalez Lopez.

Sra. Gonzalez Lopez also believes that Conferencia is a very good opportunity to boost students’ resumes and experiences.

“Students travel to Orlando and are a part of an amazing opportunity where they get to see students from all over the state preparing for the same thing that they are. It’s great to have kids work together, especially because they are students from different classes and different levels that may never work together otherwise.

I hear it is a big point for NHS. They really look for commitment, and we train for about three months,” noted Sra. Gonzalez-Lopez.

Sra. Gonzalez-Lopez also thinks that a majority of the students who attend Conferencia enjoy it rather than dislike it.

“Students like missing school.

They get to go to Orlando and have fun. Believe it or not, after all that preparation, the competition itself takes a short amount of time out of the students’ day, and the rest of the day they get to be with their friends and support them. In terms of academic perspective, kids who go to Conferencia tend to develop a stronger sense of security. They are able to look back and say ‘Wow, it wasn’t as bad as I thought, or look at everything that I was able to do,’ so it can really push a kid out of their comfort zone and make them a better language learner,” stated Sra. Gonzalez-Lopez.

When asked how she has enjoyed being a part of Conferencia, Gonzalez-Lopez notes how she likes the burden of having a leadership role and being able to connect with the students more.

“I was given Conferencia after the previous teacher was thinking of retiring, and I was handed this awesome responsibility, and I’ve been learning along the way. I like the fact that myself and Mrs. Gustafson get to

support the kids and we are able to be the ones who offer them this opportunity,” said Sra. Gonzalez-Lopez.

Freshman Vannessa Zito, who is new this year to Conferencia, has enjoyed being a part of it and thinks that it is important for other students to join Conferencia if they are interested.

“I have very much enjoyed being a part of Conferencia this year. I enjoy working with students from every grade level at our school and being able to create a cohesive system with the many different levels of fluency that we have. I think it is important for Benjamin students to attend Conferencia because of the experience in general and how we as a team can progress and advance our abilities in years to come. The diversity of students that will be attending will also be an interesting thing to engage in as well,” said Zito.

Benjamin competed well at this year’s Conferencia, with most of the student’s impromptu speeches being graded very highly.

Overall, Conferencia is a very enjoyable experience for all who are a part of it, and this new, young Benjamin team will be looking to compete at a high level for years to come.

After a one year hiatus, the Congrès team traveled to Orlando from March 10 to March 12 in order to compete in the annual French competition and represent The Benjamin School, placing fourth in their division.

Senior Grace Kearns, a returning veteran, explained that she began to participate in Congrès because her siblings participated in the event, thereby influencing her. “I did it because my siblings did it and it seemed like a lot of fun.”

Also speaking about the reason behind her decision to participate in Congrès, another veteran, junior Izzy Molnar, said, “I did it because I thought it would be a fun experience and I would be able to enrich myself in French culture.”

Sophomore Evelyn Peyovich,

Breaking News: Community Briefing • Sistine Chapel exhibit comes to West Palm Beach A piece of the Vatican City is taking up temporary residence in West Palm Beach, as a recreation of Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel has become a popular exhibit to visit. The exhibition, which opened on Mar. 11, features projections of frescoes comparable to that of the Sistine Chapel ceiling and walls created by Michaelangelo in the sixteenth century. The exhibition has been noted as COVID-19 friendly, entertaining for all ages, and breathtaking to the eye as it portrays the extreme detail that Micahelangelo originally intended. Tickets are $19.20 per adult, and the visit should take anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes. Just a short 20 minute drive away, the exhibition is open at Armory Art Center, 811 Park Place, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 until the end of April 2022.

• Increased levels of COVID-19 detected in state’s sewage In the state of Florida, and some other states across the country, wastewater is offering clues to COVID-19’s next move. Wastewater from most cities and towns travel through sewage wells and eventually enter a sanitary authority. The state of Florida has multiple sanitary authorities, located in different counties. COVID-19 is secreted in feces, and Florida’s health departments are beginning to analyze the sewage for the virus. A commercial lab in Florida currently performs the actual analysis. It takes about a week to get results on how much COVID-19 is in the water supply, then roughly another week to determine which variants are present. Waiting this long diminishes the information’s value to act as an early warning of a potential surge of the virus. Still, wastewater monitoring is a powerful tool, which is why health departments in Florida and other states want to start doing this analysis in-house.

• Local movie theater reopens following extensive renovations The movie theater at Downtown at the Gardens, formerly known as Cobb, was recently renovated to be a more luxurious version of itself. The movie theater has now been renamed CMX Cinemas and is of similar quality to another popular movie theater, Cinepolis, in Jupiter. Downtown at the Gardens has been under significant construction since 2020 and the newly renovated theater was recently revealed within the last couple of weeks. The seats now recline and there is an extended menu; furthermore, the seats have been modified to accommodate more luxury dining. Overall, the new renovation has made the average movie experience more enjoyable and will further benefit the community.

The Conferencia team, spearheaded by Sra. Gonzalez-Lopez, traveled to Orlando to compete in the Florida State Spanish Conference, bringing along team members ranging from Spanish 2 to AP Spanish.

(Photo courtesy of Tvisha Goel)

Au Revoir, Orlando: Congrès Team Places Fourth Tvisha Goel Co-Editor-in-Chief

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however, experienced her first time at Congrès, saying, “Congrès provides a place to learn and speak French in an environment where it’s not just a class. You’re not doing it for the grade, and therefore you can really get into the language without thinking about your GPA or anything.”

Madame Beverly Gustafson, French teacher, usually accompanies the team to Orlando. This year however, she joined the Conferencia team. Despite this, she rallies for the Congrès experience, speaking about how the event helps students in multiple aspects of their lives.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to use all the skills that they have been working on for so long. It brings them together as a group and instills confidence in them. It’s also just a wonderful experience. And it again, helps them to see that all that they’re doing and learning can be used in such hands-on realistic ways, I would

The Congrès team placed fourth at in their district after traveling to Orlando for the French competition for three days. Populatrity of this competition and the trip persists through the love and desire to learn about the French language and culture.

(Photo courtesy of Ms. Colleen Donnelly)

highly recommend it. It’s also great for preparing for college and university,” Gustafson said.

Congrès takes extensive preparation in order to excel the way that the Benjamin team does every year.

It has various categories under which students compete including a ‘lecture’, a test, ‘declamation’, a poem recital, ‘casse tête’, which is trivia, ‘projet’, a project, ‘album’, a photo album, ‘discours’, an impromptu, and more. While Kearns and Molnar had to memorize and recite a poem, Peyovich was a part of the ‘discours’.

Kearns said, “It takes weeks if not months of preparation; reading and rereading the poem, going to teachers and making sure I’ve pronounced everything correctly, as well as making sure I bring the poem to life.”

Similarly, Molnar prepared for three weeks practicing her pronunciations and memorizing the poem.

Peyovich spent her time understanding the language and becoming more fluent and familiar with French as she was unaware of the question she would be presented with the day of the competition.

These students have a soft spot for the language, it being one of the seven romance languages. Peyovich said, “French to me is the prettiest language out there. I tried Spanish and it did not click with me, but French just works with my brain in a way. It’s incredibly beautiful.”

Congrès gives students a great opportunity to further enhance their love and knowledge of the French language and culture, ultimately becoming a well-rounded person.

• “Don’t Say Gay” Bill passed by Florida House and Senate On March 8, the Florida House and Senate passed the Parental Rights in Education, coined the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill. This bill prevents much of LGBTQ discussion that happens from grades kindergarten to 3. This bill would also allow parents to sue schools or specific teachers that participate in or foster a conversation regarding LGBTQ topics. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has expressed his support for the bill whilst holding back whether or not he would actually sign the bill when it comes across his desk. Should he decide to sign it into law, the bill would go into effect on July 1. LGBTQ activists have voiced their disagreement and anger with the progression of the bill through the Florida House and Senate. Most recently, Disney employees have staged a walkout every day since March 15, from 3:00 to 3:15. On March 22, more than 100 employees from different departments of the company banded together for a full blown walkout and protest.

• Officer Badolati named Palm Beach PD Officer of the Year Detective Gabrio Badolati, spouse to Mrs. Lisa Badolati, was awarded Police Officer of the Year for the Palm Beach Police Department. Detective Badolati received this very special recognition not only because of his leadership within the department but also because of his two lifesaving commendations last year: saving the life of an unresponsive infant and rescuing a man who was struggling to stay afloat in the ocean whilst caught in a riptide. Mrs. Badolati said, “he was presented with a crystal award with his name on it and a check for $10,000. I am beyond proud and thrilled that my husband received this heroic award, but I am not surprised due to his incredible work ethic and dedication to his job.”

• Jupiter Mayoral Race Leads Local Elections Results The run-off election for the Jupiter mayor concluded on March 22. The original election was on March 8, but no candidate of the ten running exceeded the 50% needed in order to take office. On March 22, Jim Kuretski narrowly defeated Ilan Kaufer to win the three-year term. Of the 44,000 registered voters in Jupiter, about 10,000 showed up at the polls to voice their opinion for the next mayor.

Continued on pg. 4

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• Local gas prices continue to rise; average above $4/gallon As a result of the war in Ukraine--which resulted in strict sanctions against Russia, the third-largest oil-producing nation--and a tightening world oil supply, the price of gas has been steadily increasing over the past few weeks across Palm Beach County and the world. As of March 22, the average price of gas in Florida according to AAA was $4.14 per gallon and $4.31 in Palm Beach County, while the national average for the same day was $4.24 per gallon. However, some nearby gas stations have been undercutting these numbers: Sam’s Club in West Palm Beach and Costco in Palm Beach Gardens were selling gas for $3.92 per gallon on March 22, according to GasBuddy.

• Bridge Death in West Palm Beach On Thursday, March 17, West Palm Beach Police and US Marshals arrested bridge tender Artissua Lafay Paulk over a month after 79-yearold Carol Wright fell to her death over Royal Park Bridge in West Palm Beach. Wright was still walking on the bridge when Paulk gave the order to open the bridge, causing the grandmother to fall to her death.

Paulk has been charged with manslaughter after police discovered that she had lied to police and deleted incriminating text messages she sent to her supervisor, one of which said: “I killed a lady on the bridge.”

Evan Liberman Managing Editor Matt Morasco Staff Writer Women have long struggled to gain a social standing in the world, and while women have made long strides to achieve equality, they still have ways to go. Women’s History Month allows women to voice their contributions to the world and allows others to show their appreciation for all that women have done.

The celebration of women’s history started as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California before word spread around the country, leading to President Jimmy Carter proclaiming the week of March 8 as Women’s History Week.

When making his proclamation he exclaimed, “From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation.

Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America were as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”

In 1987, Congress passed public law 100-9 which made it so Women’s History Week would be changed to Women’s History Month. This was yet another monumental event in the celebration of how far the rights of women had changed in the 19th century.

Some events that led to Women’s History Month included the Seneca Falls convention, which was

the first women’s rights meeting. In this significant event, where women banded together, women’s rights activists such as Susan B. Anthony encouraged the other women to start boycotting society’s standards. This was inevitably the start of the women’s suffrage movement. Again in the early 19th century, Amelia Bloomer, boycotted the stereotype of the way in which women dress. Instead of women wearing corsets and dresses, which proved to be a safety hazard in the workplace of many women, Bloomer introduced the idea of pantaloons, or bloomers, coined after her.

Now, in 2022, women make up 46.8% of the labor force, 14.4% of the military, and 24% of Congress.

Women have come far, as they were previously only accepted in society to tend to their families and husbands.

However, women still have a long

way to go, and many more steps to take to achieve full equality, such as combating the gender pay gap, violence of all sorts, and reproductive rights.

At Benjamin, Women’s History Month is celebrated every year, usually spearheaded by the Diversity Council. Not only does the Diversity Council take pride in celebrating the month, most students also value the month, including sophomore Bella Baker.

“I think women’s history month is very important because it makes you realize what women have gone through throughout their history. I still believe it is important that we learn from the hardships that women before us experienced. Overall, I am excited to celebrate the many accomplishments made by women in history in March,” she said.

March has given the world an opportunity to celebrate the women that have greatly impacted every community for the better. Women have made strides in all aspects of life, ranging from the arts to politics to a multitude of other professions.

(Photo courtesy of https://www.pinterest.com/pin/106538347416319635/)

Biden Nominates Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court Leah Klein Staff Writer On Feb. 25, President Joe Biden appointed Ketjani Brown Jackson as a nominee for the United States Supreme Court. President Biden began searching for new qualified justice candidates when Justice Stephen Breyer’s intention to retire from the court was reported on Jan. 26 by a myriad of news websites.

Ketanji Brown Jackson was born in Washington, D.C, but raised in Miami, Florida. She was accepted into Harvard, where she received both her undergraduate degree and law degree.

At Harvard, she was an editor on the Harvard Law Review, a student run organization that publishes a journal on legal scholarship.

She began her legal career with three clerkships, including one with Justice Breyer, who she is expected to take place of in the Supreme Court.

She served for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia as a district judge for nine years.

For four years, she was the vice chair of the U.S Sentencing Commission, and the Harvard Board of Overseers for nearly six years.

Kelsi Corkran, a law professor at Georgetown University and previous clerk for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, comments on Judge Jackson’s extensive background and experience with the study of law.

“She is incredibly qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. In addition to her many years as a district court judge, she previously served as a public defender, representing indigent criminal defendants. None of the other Justices have done criminal defense litigation, so this background will help her bring an important new perspective to the Supreme Court,” says Corkran.

Additionally, those in the Benja-

min community agree with Corkan and believe that Judge Jackson is fit to sit in the Supreme Court.

“I believe Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is a qualified nominee based on her education and career accomplishments. The Constitution actually requires the least qualifications for the Supreme Court in contrast to the other two branches of government, so credentials tend to be compared to the other Justices. I think that Judge Jackson’s qualifications are on the same level as her new colleagues,” says social studies teacher Ms. Alex-

Page 5

The Search for College Roommates is On Hunting for a New College?

Breaking News: Community Briefing • Lockout over, Spring Training finally gets underway After about a month-long hiatus, the MLB’s Spring Training is back in full swing. Pitchers and catchers were supposed to report on February 15, with Opening Day slated for March 31. The delay was caused by a league wide “lockout,” which occurred because of the team owners and player’s association failure to come to an agreement on a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). Now, baseball fans can finally watch their favorite teams play again. In downtown Abacoa at Roger Dean Stadium, games have resumed and the turnout for each game has made it truly feel like baseball is back. The Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals are the two teams that call Roger Dean Stadium home. Spring Training will last until April 6, and then the regular season begins the day after on April 7. So, there is still plenty of time for the people of the town of Jupiter to catch a game if they have not already.

25 March 2022

The Pharcyde

andra Murray, who attended Harvard as an undergraduate and is applying to several prestigious law schools.

Judge Jackson received an endorsement from 59 previous Justice Department officials for her Supreme Court nomination. The Justice Department officials “urge the confirmation” of Judge Jackson in a letter written on March 9 and sent to Senate leaders. These officials stated Judge Jackson had an impressive background of academic credentials and is highly experienced in the study and practice of law. They believed

she would be a fitting replacement for Justice Breyer, who was known for his pragmatism.

“Judge Jackson is relatively similar ideologically to Judge Breyer, which makes sense. Though the Supreme Court is meant to be apolitical, the differing beliefs of each justice play a factor in their appointment.

In the last couple of years, we have seen the appointment of two conservative justices in replacement of two liberal judges which swings the court slightly to the right. I think that maintaining a balance of perspective and

Biden nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace Justice Stephen Breyer. She is currently amidst confirmation hearings among the Senate, facing questioning on past judicial decisions.

(Photo courtesy of https://www.lawfareblog.com/judge-ketanji-brown-jackson-national-security-law-readers-guide)

representing the views of the American public are integral to the success of the Supreme Court as one of our 3 branches of government,” says Ms. Murray.

Judge Jackson has already met with senators on Capitol Hill, as well as spoken to Senators Joe Manchin and Susan Collins, whose votes for her may be crucial for her official induction. They both seemed to have formed approving opinions of her.

Manchin called her a “very accomplished person” with a “very credible record”, and Collins noted that “her credentials and breadth of her knowledge are impressive”.

Judge Jackson attended hearings that began March 21. In order to be inducted, she will need the vote of 50 senators to be officially confirmed.

With liberal rulings in the past, the Senate seems to be in her favor with 50 Democratic senators and the Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote.

Corkran commends Judge Jackson for her ruling in a notable case in the lower courts in the past, noting her fairness and integrity.

“The government seized $180,000 worth of heroin from a drug dealer, and then attempted to seize an additional $180,000 from him as the amount he benefited from the crime. Judge Jackson held that the government could not seize another $180,000 after it already took the heroin, because that was ‘impermissible double-counting,’” said Corkran.

The outcome of these hearings and subsequent votes will determine whether Judge Jackson will become the first black woman to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court. Senate members and others appear to have formed approving opinions of her that recognize her for her background in law and notable qualities.

As seniors start to hear back from more colleges and begin to enroll, the question of how to find a suitable roommate has become an increasing concern for some. The Pharcyde spoke to several members of the Class of 2022 who have found or are searching for a roommate to gain a greater understanding of the process and all its moving parts.

In recent years, the development of technology has made it easier for high school students who have committed to a college to interact with one another. For instance, prospective students, and those looking for roommates, have begun to flock to ZeeMee, which describes itself as “the easiest way to connect and make friends at your school.” In addition to offering school-specific chats for all, once admitted, students can join smaller chat rooms specifically designed for those looking for a roommate before they step onto campus.

The app currently has 1 million users.

Some seniors, such as Grady Wolf, who will be attending the University of Chicago in the fall, plan to use platforms like ZeeMee to search for a roommate.

“Since I was just recently accepted under the Early Decision II program, I haven’t begun to search for a roommate yet. However, I’m planning on starting soon so that I have a definite housing arrangement and roommate come summer. ZeeMee is one of the apps I recently started using just to chat with other admitted students, and I’d like to use it to find a roommate for next year,” said a hopeful Wolf.

Although ZeeMee is one option for students to use when searching for a roommate, senior Robyn Duncombe, who next fall will be attending the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY, found hers through Instagram.

“A lot of colleges have ‘Class of 2026’ pages so you can connect with [other admitted students] and get to know them before choosing a roommate, but I will say getting to know someone over text can be awkward,” Duncombe told The Pharcyde. “I began looking for a roommate around November because that was when I knew I was going to the University of Kentucky. I wouldn’t change the way I went about it. I love my roommate, we have a lot in common, and I know we’re going to have lots of fun,” she added.

However, while some seniors are actively looking for a roommate (or planning what they will do with their newly-found roomie), others are pursuing a different strategy: waiting for official University action.

One such student is senior Casey Crawford, who will be going to Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. “Sometime this summer, Wake Forest will send a survey to all students about the things they’re interested in and what their habits are to match them with a compatible roommate. I’m just hoping for the best with the whole process,” Crawford noted.

Regardless of their methods, Benjamin seniors, such as Lauren Straub, who will be going to the University of Alabama, looked for specific attributes in their roommates in order to find the best match.

“When I was considering roommates I wanted girls who were similar to me and wanted to rush, go to sporting events, wanted to live in the same dorm, and would be people I would get along with and be able to talk to and who would be a real friend,” stated Straub.

However, Straub noted that she was worried that she wouldn’t find roommates who would share the same interests as her, and they would therefore not get along well once they moved in. Regardless, Straub is glad she found the roommates she did and is “very excited to live with them!”

Try The Road Less Travelled

Charlie Spungin Copy Editor

As many seniors begin to receive college news, those accepted have begun thinking about the next year ahead of them, especially the complex roommate situation. Freshman year is everything including awkward, but apps like Instagram, Facebook, and ZeeMee allow incoming freshmen students to connect and hopefully find their matches, which is definitely needed when students are confined to a 228 square feet room.

(Photo by Tvisha Goel)

Everyone’s favorite bear, Winnie, once opined, “Before beginning a hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it.” For those who are about to start their hunt for a college, that “someone” often seems to become “everyone”: college counselors, advisors, teachers, parents, friends, enemies, journalists, even fictional characters (Monsters University anyone?).

While nothing can beat the first-person experience of a college tour, no one could possibly visit all 5,300+ institutes of higher learning in the US, let alone even a handful of those international universities that may provide the perfect next home for a Benjamin graduate. Discussing your interests and hopes with a college counselor can provide another invaluable set of data, as these individuals are often aware of the special programs, nuances, and attributes that differentiate schools that may seem to be indistinguishable from each other.

For most students, though, the

I love books, but when it comes to the college search process, one really needs to sometimes take time to close the covers, turn off his computer, and have a face-to-face conversation with a trusted other: a counselor, a teacher, a parent, or a friend.

-Dr. Peruggia college search process falls heavily on internet searches and old-fashioned research. Each year, copies of US News and World Report rankings fly out of the doors of bookstores, news outlets proclaim the latest Forbes’ college rankings, and professional guides update their printed listings to reflect the latest reported data from a myriad of sources-- some official, some nefarious. For example, last April, the federal government brought an indictment against a former business school dean and two of his subordinates for allegedly cheating to affect their college’s ranking.

But as any future farmer knows, every tree produces even a few bad apples among its best. Among the most respected printed sources for college information, the annual Fiske Guide to Colleges and Rugg’s Recommendations on the Colleges each offer a compendium of insight on many of the best schools out there.

From hard data (tuition, enrollments, acceptance rates) to information (listings of majors and special programs) to lists of overlapping schools (identifying where students also applied) and preferences (“High Rank/ Low Board Colleges,” “Underrated Colleges,” “ Outstanding Programs for Helping and Advising Athletes,” “Best Buys,” and “Index by Average Debt,” to name a few), these two

sources alone can provide a solid start to the exploration process and give you a great way to head to counselor meetings with a rough idea of the college landscape you’re about to head out into.

The Pharcyde has scoured several sources over the past few weeks to offer a list of some schools that you may not have heard much about. We offer them to you here, in hopes that you may be inspired to look beyond the names you may be hearing whispered among the senior class or your parents’ next social gathering. The list is not exhaustive, and is not meant to supplant the work you’ll undertake over the next few years with your families, counselors, and advisors.

Some Colleges To Think About If you’ve been considering a large public school, you might want to look at UC Santa Barbara, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and George Mason University.

If you’ve been considering a large private school, you might want to look at Baylor University, BYU, and Drexel University.

If you’ve been considering a medium-sized private school, you might want to look at Santa Clara University, DePaul University, and the University of Denver.

If you’ve been considering a research university, you might want to look at Case Western Reserve University, the University of Toronto, and Quinnipiac University.

If you’ve been considering a small liberal arts college, you might want to look at the University of the South, Grinnell College, and Bates College.

If you’ve been considering a bigger liberal arts college, you might want to look at Ithaca College, LMU, Wesleyan College, Occidental College.

If you’re athletically-minded, you might want to look at the University of Notre Dame, Saint Louis University, Marshall University, and Xavier University (Ohio).

If you’re looking for a big school with a small feel, you might want to look at Miami University (OH), University of Delaware, University of Minnesota, and UNF. If you’re looking for some test-optional schools, you might want to look at Butler University, Macalester College, University of San Diego, and Union College.

If you’re looking for inexpensive schools, you might want to look at the University of Missouri, many of the SUNY schools, Centre College, and Guilford College.

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Student Voices

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EDITORIAL

Sorry Ed, But Not All Habits Are Bad, Some Are Healthy Spring officially began earlier this week, and if you’ve ever paid attention in English class, you’ll remember your teacher mentioning how the spring is often a symbol for growth and rebirth. While the end of the school year might seem close-just 64 days away-- habits that you build during the next few weeks will play a large part in deciding whether you reach your goals.

As students, we like to think that we have free will and can control our own destiny with the choices that we make; however, most of the actions in which we take part are not controlled directly by ourselves. Instead, they are controlled by our habits. Our bodies are wired to do what we are used to doing, whether the action be good or bad.

Whatever your end-of-year goal is, it will be hard to accomplish without examining your lifestyle and rewriting your habits. You will not be a better athlete by going for a run once a week, and you will not become a

better student by studying until 2:00 a.m. one night before a test.

In order to develop strong, positive habits, you must understand how habits work. In The Power of Habit, author Charles Duhigg analyzed the science of habits, and he broke the habits down into three main components: cue, routine, and reward. A cue is any aspect of one’s daily life that triggers a routine to take place, and by doing the routine, he or she experiences a reward that reinforces the “habit loop.” This simple code is what wires us to do most of our daily activities without even thinking about them.

When you drive to school, for example, you never need to actively remember the directions because this habit loop exists: Cue: See the sign for Grandiflora Road Routine: Turn west on Grandiflora Road Reward: Arrive at The Benjamin School

Without having to think about it, we rarely make a wrong turn. However, many habit loops can form to reinforce unproductive activity. Students may be familiar with this one: Cue: Arrive home from school Routine: Go on social media for an hour Reward: Decompress after a long school day because you are relaxed While scrolling on TikTok is not harmful in small doses, habits like these tend to become stronger and stronger until they are harmfully coded into your brain. All of a sudden, you may have a night activity and need to get homework done right when you get home, but, as soon as you receive the cue of arriving at home, your brain will automatically anticipate the reward of relaxing and draw you to the routine of social media and procrastination.

Habits may be hard to change, but with hard work, it is possible to turn the bad habits into good habits, if you understand how they work. Ac-

cording to Duhigg, habits are not broken; they are changed. The best way to change a habit is to keep the cue and reward constant while changing the routine. If you want to start doing homework when you get home, you can modify your habit loop to be: Cue: Arrive home from school Routine: Read your current English book for 30 minutes Reward: Decompress after a long school day and be done with some of your homework Conversely, if you are a night owl, here is another approach: Cue: Arrive home from school Routine: Take a 30-minute nap Reward: Decompress after a long school day and have more energy to do your homework As this year comes to an end, examine your strengths and weaknesses, and set aside goals that you want to accomplish with the time we have left. If it involves making a new habit, identify what you want your cue, routine, and reward to be. You may

need to use your willpower to begin a new habit, but once the habit loop forms, it will be hard to stop. If your goal involves changing an old habit, find a way to introduce a new routine while maintaining the original cue and reward. Once this habit starts, you will be more likely to pick it up again as you need to increase your productivity throughout your high school career.

It does not matter how motivated you are to get better grades, become a better athlete, become a better artist, become a better musician, or become a better person if you do not make it a habit. Without habits, you may only have half-measures.

*This editorial is the opinion of The Pharcyde and therefore is not attributed to one singular person.

Freshman Says: When It Comes to College, Not Enough In Memoriam Madeleine Albright Separates Family, Money in Admissions Leah Klein Staff Writer Oftentimes, people hold the view that wealth has a great influence on the opportunities presented to those who are affluent. Unfortunately, college admissions is no exception, and is one of the most important opportunities that opens the doors to many pathways for the next chapters of life.

Since 2011, a considerable number of college admission scandals have been uncovered. Federal prosecutors have charged more than fifty parents of violating the honest services law, which is an intangible right that protects the public from an artifice or scheme that deprives someone of honest services. At least thirty parents have pleaded guilty on account of this. In 2019, an operation took place under the code name of Operation Varsity Blues to investigate criminal conspiracies arising that influenced undergraduate admissions at prestigious universities across the United States.

Among the millions paid by parents to obtain acceptance by top-tier colleges for their children, Full House actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli paid William “Rick” Singer a great sum of $500,000 to admit their two daughters. They are only one of the nearly 800 families that Singer worked with, making more than $28 million from his frauds.

Bribery involved with college admission processes is clearly honest services fraud. It is neither ethi-

the

PHARCYDE

cally or morally right for parents to use their wealth to heavily influence their child’s acceptance to a college.

Not only is it just outright unjust, but it deprives another student’s right to being accepted, therefore depriving them of honest services. Applications would fail to be merit-based, and some students would instead be admitted as a result of their parent’s wealth.

However, it is not to say that even without bribery, college admissions is not already influenced whatsoever by wealth. It is undoubtedly laced with favoritism for the rich, both in subtle and unsubtle forms. Those related to major donors, including alumni, already receive favorable treatment from colleges. Legal forms of influencing college admissions with wealth exist as well. Private college-admissions counselors can be hired for high prices to edit, rewrite, and even write student’s admission essays or coach them intensively through the admissions process.

There are colleges that do not meet full need-based financial aid so that those who are unable to pay for college can go. This additional wealth of families already increases the chances for students to get admitted to a college. “​​A family’s ability to make a substantial donation is one of many admissions factors, in addition to grades and test scores, that schools typically consider,” says the Los Angeles times. “The practical considerations that lead schools to prefer applicants from rich families are real. Univer-

sities’ costs have risen dramatically over the past few decades. Colleges compete more vigorously for students, and the quality of facilities can affect enrollment decisions,” wrote Ralph Richard Banks.

Despite parent’s attempts to ensure success in their child’s life by using bribery to gain acceptance into a renowned school, success does not only originate from prestigious schools. Many people of remarkable achievements have come from colleges that are not commonly heard of or considered reputable. In addition, a spot in college does not guarantee students will, without exception, pass all of their classes. The contributions that students make to a university in terms of purpose and commitment is also more important than simply the acceptance there. “Buying” a spot in a school undermines the student’s ability to succeed based on their own merit and abilities.

Students who are accepted to a college on account of their admissions being influenced in any way by wealth’s presence at colleges are based on fraud, preventing other students with legitimate credentials from being accepted, violating the honest services fraud.

The many wealthy and celebrity parents that have been uncovered to have been involved in college admissions scandals by bribing the admissions processes or coaches to lie and commit fraud in order to have their child accepted serve as a lesson to show that bribery does not go without consequence.

William Singer is being held accountable for his actions, now facing up to sixty-five years in prison with a fine of $1.25 million for his part in the Operation Varsity Blues criminal conspiracy. Lori Loughlin was sentenced to two months in jail with a $150,000 fine after pleading guilty to the scandal she was involved in.

Her husband, Mossimo Giannulli also completed time in prison, and was also given two weeks of home confinement for his collaboration in Operation Varsity Blues.

Not only is it unfortunate that the lack of equal opportunity is caused by many systemic issues such as racism and the issues that come with an already implemented socioeconomic status, but the latter is further fostered by those who have the potential to change this divide. As Uncle Ben once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Those who are wealthy have the power, now, they must fulfill their responsibilities.

EDITORIAL BOARD

GENERAL

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Founded in 1980 as The Spectator

Tvisha Goel, Co-Editor-in-Chief Sophia Liporace, Co-Editor-in-Chief

25 March 2022

Evan Liberman, Managing Editor

Volume 43, Issue 7

The Benjamin School 4875 Grandiflora Road Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418

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Gerald Bissell Catherine Civitella Leah Klein Matthew Marasco Morgan McKenna Shea O’Donoghue Ollie Olsson-White Lucy Rubin Joey Tomassetti

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MISSION STATEMENT

The Pharcyde, the Upper School newspaper of The Benjamin School, is published seven times a year. 1,200 copies of The Pharcyde are distributed to 398 students and 57 faculty members and are available in the Upper School office.

The Pharcyde encourages submission of Letters to the Editor. Send your feedback, criticism, or outside opinions in 150 words or fewer to tvisha.goel22@thebenjaminschool.org or sophia.liporace22@thebenjaminschool.org.

The Pharcyde reserves the right to edit all letters for length, grammar, and clarity.

The Pharcyde is a student newspaper produced to foster an open dialogue about topics that relate to The Benjamin School. The issues that appear throughout our pages may be light-hearted or serious, but regardless we aim to reflect the diversity of opinion within our school that we value so deeply.

Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright passed away on March 24 at the age of 84. Albright was the first female to hold the position, paving the way for Secretaries Condoleezza Rice and Hilary Clinton.

The price of a quarter-page advertisement is $30/issue. The price of a business card advertisement is $15/issue.

If you or anyone you know would like to place an advertisement in The Pharcyde, please contact Sophia Liporace, sophia. liporace22@thebenjaminschool.org.

OPINION

The opinion articles in this paper are the opinion of the writer or the majority opinion of The Pharcyde Editorial Board. They are not the opinion of The Benjamin School or our advertisers.

1937-2022

Sophia Liporace Co-Editor-in-Chief Madeleine Albright, the first female US Secretary of State, passed away on Wed. Mar. 24. Her family noted the cause of death as cancer.

An influential part of the Clinton administration and a significant contributor of Western policy in the aftermath of the Cold War, Albright first served as the US ambassador to the United Nations before becoming Secretary of State in January of 1997.

President Biden paid tribute to her on Wednesday night, saying that,” Madeleine was always a force for goodness, grace, and decency – and for freedom.” While in office, she most notably pushed for the expansion of NATO, sought to reduce the spread of nuclear weapons, and championed human rights and democracy across the globe. An admirable female leader and figure of power, Albright will certainly be missed and remembered.

English Department Chair Mrs. Sharon Wendler noted how deeply saddened she was by Albright’s passing.

“She’s an American treasure especially from a woman’s point of view, and as an AP Language teacher, I often read her speeches. She’s just so bright and so smart and it’s such a big loss; she had such charisma and a sense of humor,” she said.

An admirable female leader and figure of power, Albright will certainly be missed and remembered.

Student Voices

The Pharcyde

Editor Takes On Internal Culture War, Describes His On-Going Experience

Evan Liberman Managing Editor “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, … because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept,” declared President John F. Kennedy at Rice University in 1962.

In the past few weeks, as I’ve followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting global outrage, I’ve reflected on Kennedy’s words--also spoken in a time of great tension between the West and the Soviet Union.

His statement reminded me of the words of Col. Sviatoslav Stetsenko of the Ukrainian Army’s 59th Brigade, as reported by The New York Times. “Few expected such strength

I can be both Ukranian and Russian and still denounce the actions of the Russian government.

-Evan Liberman from our people because, when you haven’t slept for three days, and when you only have one dry ration because the rest burned up, when it’s negative temperature out and there is nothing to warm you, and when you are constantly in the fight, believe me, it is physically very difficult. But our people endured this,” he said.

What have I, an American of Ukrainian descent, endured in this already bloody conflict? Not very much.

I remain several thousand miles away from the invasion in the safety of my home. I have never heard shelling; I have never heard the ominous wail of an air raid siren; I have never felt the ground shake underneath my feet as cruise missiles struck the houses of my neighbors. But my grandparents, who live in eastern Ukraine, have.

The battle for freedom from Russia is being fought not far from their Soviet-built apartment building. The irony is not lost on me.

As a very much external fight raged on, at one point, I felt helpless because I could do very little to support the country of my ancestors ex-

cept check in on my grandparents and donate to the Ukrainian cause. I also felt a tinge of guilt.

In recent weeks, I have also seen and felt a different kind of fight emerge: an internal one. I am just as Russian as I am Ukrainian--if not more. I speak Russian at home; I attend a Russian summer camp; I eat Russian food. In light of the atrocities of the Russian military and the unprovoked nature of the Russian offensive, I’ve come to wonder which culture defines me and what it means to have the two sides of my heritage, which are so closely intertwined, at war with each other.

Sometimes when I talk in Russian, I feel like I am speaking the language of the invader, but then I remember that millions of Ukrainians, such as in the besieged city of Kharkiv, speak Russian too; they eat Russian food too. Thus, if I “renounced” my Russian heritage because of my horror at the Russian actions in Ukraine, by proxy would I not be renouncing the other part of my heritage as well?

That I cannot do.

So, I must embrace both sides of my heritage, no matter how much I cannot take another day of this war.

I can be both Ukrainian and Russian and still denounce the actions of the Russian government.

As a student of history, I must have perspective, though, and realize my cultural plight is not the first of its kind nor is it the most painful. During World War II, Americans of Japanese ancestry were forced into internment camps and had their assets frozen by their own government. My situation is nowhere near as serious, and I will never experience such an inherently un-American stripping of my civil rights and liberties. Today, the topic of Japanese internment is a rarely talked about blip on the radar of American history.

During his speech at Rice, President Kennedy challenged Americans to consider the scope of human history if it were condensed into just half a century. In this time frame, “Last month electric lights and telephones and automobiles and airplanes became available. Only last week did we develop penicillin and television and nuclear power,” he stated. These points are merely blips in the history of man, but noteworthy enough to be mentioned. I wonder whether the war and cultural reckoning presently occurring in Ukraine will be a blip that everyone remembers or one that fades away, becoming the part of human history Kennedy did not mention.

QUOTATION POLICY

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A Ukrainian man inspects the rubble of a building damaged by Russian shelling on Feb. 25. Russia invaded Ukraine under the guise of a “special military operation” on Feb. 24 in an attempt to “denatsify” Ukraine.

(Photo courtesy of creativeboom.com/palinchak)

25 March 2022

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Should HSB Really Remain a Graduation Requirement?

Brett Salach and Peter Cenci share a table during an intense Human Systems Biology lecture led by Mrs. Amanda Pierman. Also at the desk is the dissected eyeball of a cow, one of several specimens students encounter during the course.

(Photo courtesy of Mrs. Pierman)

Joey Tomassetti Staff Writer At the Benjamin Upper School, there are some classes that students are required to take at some point during their four years of high school.

Human Systems Biology, a.k.a. HSB, is one of these required classes.

HSB is only a semester class, but it is offered both during the school year and in the summer. During the peak of COVID, students were allowed to take the class virtually, but that is no longer offered.

HSB is a class that falls under the Science category at Benjamin. It goes in-depth on how the human body works and all of the components that help it function on a daily basis.

Watching childbirth and protecting

an egg for a week are just a few of the things that students do in the class.

HSB should no longer be a requirement here at the Upper School.

No one is saying that HSB is a “bad” class, but if students are not enjoying the class and would rather do another class that interests them, then keeping it as a requirement seems pointless.

What if a senior wanted to take Photography, but has not taken HSB yet during their tenure at the Upper School? Every other one of their class spots is already filled, except for where HSB would have to go. With the current academic policies at Benjamin, this student would not be able to take Photography, even though it really interests them. Instead, they would have to take HSB, which does

not interest them in the slightest.

Doesn’t it just seem silly?

According to the US National Liberty of Medicine, students who did not take a Human Systems Biology or “Anatomy” class at their school still went on to become a successful kind of doctor. Out of 224 students who were surveyed, in medical school, and did not take an HSB typeof-class at their high school, 84% of the students adopted a strategic or deep understanding of the human body.

Despite the statistics and voices of students, there are still some people that believe that HSB should stay as a requirement and it is vital for the students to take it during their high school years. So they ask, “Why get rid of it?”

With this point of view in mind, does it really matter if HSB is kept as a required course? Do they really lose anything from taking the class?

Yes, they lose quite a lot. The class should not be removed from Benjamin’s curriculum entirely, but rather let students choose whether or not they want to take the class instead of forcing them to. If a student is interested in HSB, they will surely take it at some point during their tenure at the Upper School. But why do people have to pretend to like the class, just because they didn’t have a choice in taking the class in the first place?

All in all, why keep HSB as a requirement when a majority of the students dislike the class? It just doesn’t make sense to force students to do something that they don’t want to do.

With the support of the student body, maybe we can make a difference that will benefit everyone’s happiness, and save people from taking an entire semester of Human Systems Biology.

Community Block Period Needs to Persist As a Staple of the Schedule Evan Liberman Managing Editor 80 minutes: the length of time devoted to Community Block every week. While this figure may seem insignificant to some, the benefits students can reap from community block, and the implications of keeping the period in place, necessitate its presence in the School’s weekly schedule.

Community Block is a relatively new term used to describe what was once called the “activity period” prior to COVID-19, and it allows for students to meet for clubs or relax in between classes.

In recent months, as health restrictions have come and gone, the designated time for Community Block has shifted from after lunch to after school (2:18-2:58) back to after lunch. These changes have led some to question the necessity of the period, especially if some students were not taking advantage of it for its intended purposes.

Community Block needs to stay.

It’s not on the chopping block.

The Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS), one of the organizations that accredits Benjamin, mandates that each independent school in Florida have 900 hours of instruction time for grades 4-12. According to a statement made by Dean of Students Mr. Kevin Jacobsen at assembly, if Community Block was done away with, the School would

not meet the requisite number of hours. To make up for this deficit, another week of classes would need to be added to the school year.

Certainly 80 minutes a week sounds better than an extra week of school when everyone is already impatiently waiting for summer vacation to begin, right? Community Block needs to stay now so that all members of the Benjamin community can benefit later.

Hard data aside, Community Block gives students who wish to participate in clubs the opportunity to both reinforce and expand upon what they have already learned in class.

For instance, one day a student could learn about the merits of a democratic republic in government class and the next apply this knowledge to a real-world debate in Political Club.

This ability to seemlessly apply what is learned in Community Block to a student’s day-to-day life makes the period important for students to use to its ability. Community Block allows students to work on their critical thinking skills and develop a more nuanced perspective on an increasingly complex world.

While the main focus of Community Block is for students to engage with their peers through clubs, these 80 weekly minutes provide students who are not participating in a club on a particular day to engage with their peers in a non-academic setting. According to Mental Health America,

research indicates that social connection can be beneficial by providing greater happiness, a greater life span, and even better overall health (blood pressure in particular). Community Block provides students with the social interaction--whether it be a game of frisbee on the lawn or chess in the learning commons--they need to grow and thrive in an otherwise demanding environment.

Despite these benefits, some say that not all students are taking advantage of Community Block properly and, as a result, believe it is not serving its purpose of bringing the Benjamin community together. With this in mind, “why keep it?” they ask.

With this logic, shouldn’t the School get rid of everything that doesn’t work perfectly? And should things be taken away to the detriment of those who actually take advantage of them? Certainly not. The right step is not to take away because of the few who misuse the time, but rather to incentivize these people to make better use of it. Benjamin has 57 clubs.

There really is something out there for everyone, and most clubs would be happy to have another member.

There’s plenty to do outside of clubs as well.

Students: take advantage of Community Block. It has been organized to benefit you, and embracing it makes everyone, both students and teachers, happier and healthier.

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25 March 2022

The Pharcyde

Women Who Lead

25 March 2022

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I

Sydney Steinger, President of Student Council Life lessons I can share are to do what you want and not be afraid of what others think because, in the long run, you will only be mad at yourself.

Additionally, it would be to keep pushing towards your goals regardless of your doubts and fears. An example of this for me would be running for student council president. Although I was afraid and had doubts, I knew it was something I wanted so I did not let those fears and doubts get in the way.

n honor of Women’s History Month and the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, The Pharcyde spoke to female leaders in the Benjamin School community to hear their life lessons, stories, and the proverbs they live by. These faculty members and students are exceptional in every sense of the word-they are women who lead.

Dr. Amy Taylor, Director of Student Services At the end of the day, you have to be able to look at yourself in a mirror and know that you have done your best, whatever the situation.

Dr. Kristen Sheehan, Head of Lower School “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover.” --Mark Twain. I try to live by these words so that opportunities do not pass me by. That doesn’t mean I chase every dream. It means that I do the things that are meaningful and challenge me to be a better person.

Mrs. Amy Jablonski, Director of Enrollment Management

Mrs. Leslie Downs, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

Always admit when you are wrong or when you’ve made a mistake. Like many competitive women, I struggled with perfectionism in grade school through adulthood. It is so liberating to understand that even the people you most look up fail here and there and that you will too. It’s ok to acknowledge the failure, learn from it, sometimes laugh it off and move on.

Try to find a job that you love. Being the CFO/COO at TBS is my dream job. I love coming to work every single day. Nothing feels better than helping others.

Mrs. Caroline Guzman, Upper School Academic Dean

Lily Valentini, Captain of the Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse Team

I think as you graduate it is easy to write off your time here and be anxious and ready to move on to the next thing. And while I think it is important to be excited (and a little nervous) for the next big thing in your life, be careful not to live just for the next phase or next part of your life. You really have to enjoy where you are, who you are, and more importantly, who you are surrounded with, in the moment as best you can. Each part of the journey has something to offer for the next, take it in and live in the moment.

Always keep your option open, since you never know what opportunities they may bring to you. When I was first on the call with West Point, I couldn’t imagine myself being in the military and wanted no part in it.

However, I had a gut feeling that this was an opportunity that I could not pass up, and when I learned more about it and became more familiar with West Point I knew that it was the place I should be. Another thing I learned in high school is to always put yourself out there since opportunities will start coming to you once you gain more confidence and experience.

Robyn Duncombe, President of the Diversity Council There is light at the end of the tunnel is more so a saying that I live by because the past couple of years has been extremely tough but I am motivated by a small glimmer of hope every day. My dad always tells me “This too shall pass.” The hard things in life don’t last forever.

Ms. Anna Wright, Director of College Counseling One of my favorite quotes [is] by the educator, Kurt Hahn. He wrote, “There is more to us than we know. If we can be made to see it, perhaps for the rest of our lives we will be unwilling to settle for less.” I believe that education at its best helps students see themselves in this light. I hope every Benjamin student has at least one experience here that shows them just how extraordinary they truly are.

Danielle Lancaster, Co-President of Spanish Club and Yale Model United Nations I try to live by the maxim “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” I think it’s really important that everyone takes risks and explores new ideas because this is how you become inspired and, in turn, successful. I think I was prompted to live by this because there was a period where I was consistently doing the same things repeatedly and felt stagnant. Once I began to exit my comfort zone, I began to thrive.

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Eden Josza, President of the Jewish Student Union Learn to be comfortable doing things alone. I feel like by doing things alone you gain a lot of confidence and learn that it’s ok to not be surrounding be friends 24/7. Personally, I love just going on little adventures by myself like going up to Stuart and finding little thrift stores. It makes me weekends so much more fulfilling than just laying in my room and hoping a friend is available to hangout.

Mrs. Lola Arbuzow, Executive Assistant to the Head of School You get to choose your friends, not your family. So be selective and they will be your friends for life. Same moral compass? Same values about family? Distance doesn’t diminish friendship. You just have to work at it. My closest friends have been in my life for over 50 and 60 years. I regularly talk to a friend who lives in Oregon and we have “seen” our children grow up, marry, and have their own children.

Women in Media

Lauren Straub, Editor of the Upper School yearbook: Treasures Doing things at the last minute is very insufficient. Especially in yearbook if I wait till the last minute to get things done, the final product is not great and I always regret not starting earlier. This has affected all aspects of my school life, and I now start assignments when I get them and I do my homework when I get home from school rather than waiting until 9 pm.

Tvisha Goel, Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Pharcyde There’s this saying that means a lot to me and it goes: “Don’t underestimate me. I know more than I say, think more than I speak, and notice more than you realize.” Not only do I believe that this pertains to others but it also pertains to me. I want people to know I will always shoot for the stars, and I want to have that expectation for myself.

Sophia Liporace, Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Pharcyde I try to live by the idea that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes we too often caught up in things we wish we had happened or opportunities we wish we had pursued, but at the end of the day, no good comes from that. We make the best out of imperfect situations by being positive and putting forth as much effort as possible.

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The Pharcyde

Benjineers Robotics Team Makes Their Way to the World Stage Evan Liberman Managing Editor Tvisha Goel Co-Editor-in-Chief If there was a competition for the coolest club name on campus, the Benjineers would surely win. Despite this, few know exactly what it means to be a Benjineer.

The overarching goal of the Benjineers is to build robots and rockets for competitions--not only to bring glory to the school but also to give Benjamin students the chance to become familiar with engineering.

“The great thing about Benjineers is the fact that much of what we do involves problem-solving: there’s never an easy way to solve a problem we face. Allowing students to experiment and grapple with engineering problems gives them the resilience they need for the real world and prepares them for future engineering projects,” said senior and Benjineers Co-President Ryan Riutta. He and fellow senior Jack Horgen head the club’s two divisions: robotics and rocketry, respectively.

According to Riutta, the Benjineers’ work begins on the computer rather than at the workstation, which is a large desk on which robots are assembled.

Through a program called Computer Assisted Design (CAD), the Benjineers experiment with designs and tinker with imported robotics models, allowing them to save time (nearly 10 hours per machine, according to Riutta) since the program allows the Benjineers to figure out how all the parts of their machines will function without having to do any physical construction. “Instead of having to prepare a saw and cut metal over and over, you can just use CAD and, in two computer clicks, you get the same thing,” explained Riutta.

Next, each division gathers and

constructs the design they created on the CAD program. After weeks (and sometimes months) of refining their robots and rockets, the Benjineers are finally ready to compete.

“We participate in roughly 2-3 competitions a year, though there were a lot more before COVID-19 hit. Each competition gathers 40-60 teams from the area in a bracket format where teams face off in matches.

[The competitions] really are a team sport for us: together, we look for the best strategies to employ and ways to improve our machines based on the competition. It really is a lot of teamwork for us,” stated Riutta.

Normally, the Benjineers arrive at their competition, which is typically held in high school gyms in Miami, at around 8:30 AM on a Saturday.

They then ensure that their robot complies with the competition’s requirements. After a bit of waiting, the team then heads into their first match of the day and, afterward, assesses their mistakes and tinkers with their robot. This process repeats over and over again until around 2:00 in the afternoon. Then comes the elimination bracket, which is where each of the remaining 32 teams forms an “alliance” with another team. These “alliances” square off until a winner is declared. All in all, the Benjineers spend nearly 12 hours at each of these competitions, but, according to Riutta, the process is exciting and invigorating.

Despite the Benjineers’ being popular since their inception in 2017, Ms. Debra Peretta “reinvented” the program when she became its faculty advisor in 2019. She said: “We started our robotics program which is pretty robust and we started a rocketry program which was non-existent when I got here. It’s a lot of work but I learn every day. It’s fun and we have a lot of laughs. We’ve got a great group of kids.”

As the month of April approaches, here are some hilarious pranks to play on your friends and family members.

1. Snake in a Box: This prank is as simple as it seems. Take a fake snake and place it in what seems like a gift box. Give it to your friend or family member and get ready to see them flip out.

2. Spider Jumpscare: You can buy a fake spider and tie it to the inside of a drawer or cabinet to make it jump out at your unsuspecting victim.

Just be sure to record their hilarious reaction.

3. Fake Cut Finger: This is a simple prank that requires some fake blood and a carrot. What you do is get a cutting board and place the “blood” covered carrot next to your curled finger, and simply just call for help desperately. Your victim should rush over and fall for your trap. Just be sure to let them know it’s fake before they freak out too much.

4. Putting Googly Eyes on Everything: This prank is quite simple and very funny. Take your victim’s possessions and place googly eyes on them. Although this prank might be tedious, it is well worth your victim’s reaction, and it will take time for them to remove them.

Now, the Benjineers’ VEX Robotics team, spearheaded by Riutta, is on their way to the World Championship in Dallas, Texas, from May 4 to

May 8, where the team is ranked 229 out of 4285 in the world. Of 86 teams in the region, only 14 are awarded sports on the world stage.

The Benjineers Program, on the rise, will continue growing to surmount great things.

Mother-Son Duo Brings Meaning Spring Program Ready to Showcase MS and to the Term Benjamin Family Charlie Spungin Copy Editor Sophia Liporace Co-Editor-in-Chief Facilities technician Mr. Juan Jaramillo has been working at the School since 2011 and has helped to keep Benjamin in a productive environment. Along with him, his mother, Ms. Josefina Garcia is an integral part of the Benjamin community, similarly keeping the school organized, as she helps clean around campus.

He has various necessary tasks at the school that include shipping and receiving packages as well as doing work orders throughout the day. He started working for the cleaning company that Benjamin employs in 2009 and specifically for Benjamin two years later. Before that, he was a subcontractor for metal frame, drywall, and finish. Ms. Garcia is currently employed by the cleaning company that Mr. Jaramillo used to work for.

“She makes sure the school grounds are clean. She makes sure everything is in order. She checks the bathrooms and makes sure it’s not a mess. I know it’s hard, but she does her best,” Mr. Jaramillo said of his mother.

Because they work for different companies, they do not necessarily work with each other all that often.

“I only get to work with her when we have an emergency response, and we go to solve the issue. That’s the only time we interfere,” Mr. Ja-

ramillo said. However, they still see each other every day when they cross paths, according to Mr. Jaramillo.

Additionally, Ms. Garcia appreciates what Benjamin has offered her. While she admits that they do not necessarily work together, she still enjoys being in his presence and seeing him while working around campus, cleaning the doors and glass.

She finds the community accepting, appreciating her work.

Mr. Jaramillo feels the students have an immense impact on both his everyday work and his mother’s.

He stated that he does not think the meaning of his job would be the same without the impact of students.

“When we come to work and are around the students, they are very helpful to us and motivate us to do more for them,” Mr. Jaramillo said.

“We see a lot of respect from the students. We see the students appreciate what we do for them, and that’s our goal: to serve them and have a good

school.”

Mr. Jaramillo loves working at Benjamin because of the impact he feels he has on the community.

Whether it be faculty, students, or other staff members, Mr. Jaramillo enjoys helping as many people as possible.

“I chose to work at The Benjamin School because they value and appreciate what I do for the school. My favorite part about my job is that I’m able to do things like building sets and helping out when the students and faculty need me. I think I contribute to the school community by doing what I’m supposed to do with my work and being on task,” he said.

Both Mr. Jaramillo and Ms. Garcia have made a great effort to keep the school clean and functioning.

Their hard work has not gone unnoticed by the students that see and interact with them every single day, creating an amazing work environment for them both.

US Dance Legends

The Benjamin School Dance Ensemble proudly presents

Featuring:

Middle and Upper School Dance Ensembles The Sparklers  The Dazzlers

Friday, April 1, 2022 •7:00 p.m.

BENJAMIN HALL ~ UPPER SCHOOL ~ FREE ADMISSION ~ OPEN SEATING

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April 1st Looms: The Best Harmless Pranks To Pull Ollie Olsson-White Staff Writer

The Benjineers VEX Robotics team consists of freshman Ollie Olsson-White, junior Jack Hilzenrath, senior Ryan Riutta, freshman Kate Hilzenrath, and freshman John Lacy. This successful team won the State Championship, and is on their way to the World Championship, where they will compete with 4284 other teams.

(Photo courtesy of Ms. Peretta)

25 March 2022

The Pharcyde

5. Fake Ice Cream Spill: This prop is a very realistic container of melted ice cream that you can place anywhere to make your victim panic.

6. Water Bottle Pie Face: For this prank, tell your victim to hold their hands out flat in front of them and then place two heavy water bottles tied together over their hands.

Then place a plate filled with whipped cream on top. Tell them that this is a challenge to see if they can hold the water bottles in one hand and the plate in the other without using the ground or anything for support. Before they have a chance to react, snip the line and watch as they slap themselves in the face with the whipped cream.

7. Classic Jumpscare: This prank is most likely the oldest in the book.

Get yourself into a position where your victim cannot see you, like in a dark room or around a corner, and jump out and them while making a loud noise. It is almost foolproof.

8. Plastic Wrap Doorway: This popular prank is super funny and easy to recreate. Simply take saran wrap and wrap it tightly around a door frame and make it transparent as possible or simply turn off the lights to make the illusion work right. Then call your victim into the room (preferably make it seem like an emergency), and watch the scenario you created pan out before.

Care Crew: A Benjamin Initiative Looking to Better the Community Lucy Rubin Staff Writer A student organization that is truly making a difference, the Care Crew is a nonprofit started by Benjamin students who wanted to help strengthen their community. Originally a girl scout group led by Benjamin mother Mrs. Natalie Marx, Care Crew was created when some of the girls in the scout group were more committed to community service than just selling Samoas and Thin Mints.

Mrs. Marx noted that the Care Crew has the mission to “focus on hunger, homelessness, personal care, and recently the added aspect of loneliness.” The volunteers of Care Crew are mostly Benjamin students, as the Girl Scout group that helped create the group was exclusively Benjamin students. However, as the group and organization has expanded, more students from schools around the Palm Beach Gardens community have joined and decided to help. The objective to get more students involved, both in and out of the Benjamin community, has been one of the values of the organization as they look to improve the overarching community.

Since the overarching objective is to help those Care Crew hopes to spread their awareness in both membership and charitable work from local work in Palm Beach County to internationally like helping those in Ukraine. The members of Care Crew have worked on multiple projects to help the community since its inception in 2019.

The work of Care Crew has been broad in their efforts and have shown help throughout many different facets of the community. Some of the nonprofit work that the Care Crew has completed includes collaborating with Dunkin Donuts to bring donuts

and hundreds of books to Highland Elementary in Lake Worth, creating hygiene kits to provide for a mobile shower, working monthly at a soup kitchen and supplying food there, a water bottle and backpack drive for foster kids, and decorating a nursing home for Halloween. As time goes on, the Care Crew plans on continuing to help the community with charitable activities that help to spread care and kindness throughout society.

Although COVID-19 halted the club’s work for some time, the group has recently revamped and has begun to help raise awareness and charitable donations to groups of people who are facing less fortunate circumstances around the world. The members of the organization are very hands-on in raising awareness for local and global causes.

As Mrs. Marx explains, “this is a youth run group, so they make decisions. We adults just help them execute.” On the same note, freshman and founding member Leah Klein discussed that the Care Crew has currently undertaken some important projects in their attempts at spreading care and kindness throughout the community. One of the most recent projects that the Care Crew has taken on is their working on raising awareness and money for those suffering in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion that started in late February.

Care Crew’s goals for the future, as Klein discussed, includes helping the community and encouraging other students to participate in the charitable efforts made by the organization.

The organization, led by Mrs. Marx, Klein, and more, has already helped many, both in the local community and the worldwide community, and they will strive to continue doing this for years down the line.

9. Water Bottle Squeeze: This prank requires you to be a good actor. You have to pretend that there is something in your plastic water bottle and convince them to take a look through the top. While they look down at the bottle, squeeze the bottle and the water will fly into their face.

This is a prank you might not want to do in public, as it will cause quite a mess.

10. Upside Down Hot Cocoa: For this prank, place a mug of water face up and a plate on top. Then, flip it and place some whipped cream on top. It will seem like a normal cup of hot cocoa until they lift the cup and are splashed with ice-cold water everywhere.

If you are interested in any other pranks that are easily purchasble and accesible, you may want to visit https://abracadabranyc.com/collections/practical-jokes. The site, one of many that specialize in pranks and gags, offers a myriad of gadgets and gizmos made to delight and entertain.

Pictured to the right are just some of The Pharcyde’s favorites.

• • • • •

Walking Chattering Teeth With Eyes Whoopee Cushion Tiny Hands Blasting Air Horn Toilet Paper: Jokes for the John

The Benjamin School Drama Club Proudly Presents

Music and Lyrics by WILLIAM FINN

Book by RACHEL SHEINKIN Conceived by REBECCA FELDMAN

Director: JASON PECK Music Director: KIRKLAND SCHULER Choreographers: SARA SALIVAR and CARLOS DE BARROS

FRIDAY, April 22 - 7:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, April 23 - 1:30 p.m.

BENJAMIN HALL

The Benjamin Upper School Campus 4875 Grandiflora Rd.

Tickets can be purchased in advance beginning Monday, April 4, 2022 online at www.thebenjaminschool.org $10.00 Reserved Seating Benjamin Students Free

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25 March 2022

Benjamin Community Catches Wordle Fever Morgan McKenna Staff Writer Evan Liberman Managing Editor The game Wordle has taken the world by storm with its addicting and thought-provoking nature. In fact, some members of the Benjamin School community have caught the “Wordle Bug,” and play the game regularly.

Wordle puts a creative twist on the classic crossword puzzle. Each day, players are given six tries to guess a different five letter word. After each guess is made, Wordle will indicate whether any of the letters used in the guess are in the day’s winning word and if they are in the correct tile. A tile lights up in green if the letter is found in the word and is in the correct spot; a yellow tile indicates that the letter appears in the word but in a different place, and a gray tile means that the guessed letter does not appear anywhere in the word.

Wordle was initially released in October 2021 but only began to gain traction around the world once the New York Times, which hosts other games on its website, purchased the app in January 2022. Thanks to the New York Times’ advertising and to Twitter, Wordle caught on quickly amongst the public.

Some speculate, such as reporter Rachel Hall of The Guardian, that the popularity of Wordle stems from the fact that it is quite different from most of today’s games and apps. “Wordle’s popularity is thought to be partly because, in an era of apps aggressively competing for your attention and time, the game was deliberately built to be played once a day, and with-

out features designed to promote its growth such as push notifications and email sign ups,” Hall wrote in a Jan. 11 article.

To this end, in recent months, Wordle has become a small part of the day for many at Benjamin.

Mathematics Department Chair Mr. Mike Ruggie, for example, told The Pharcyde that one of his friends got hooked on the game and told him about it, so he decided to join in on the fun. There is also an aspect of competition to the game, as Mr. Ruggie noted that he and his friends try and one-up one another to see who can uncover the day’s word in the fewest guesses.

Similarly, senior David Erulker has become a committed user of the app during its meteoric rise to fame.

“I first heard about Wordle from a few friends who were talking about that day’s answer. I though it sounded interesting, so I tried it out for myself and it was pretty fun,” said an excited Erulker. “It’s super satisfying to solve the Wordle every day,” he added.

The popularity of Wordle reminds some faculty members of verbal crazes from years past: Scrabble, UpWords, Wheel of Fortune, Words With Friends, Wordscapes, and the ever-popular Hangman.

The Pharcyde

Who Will Walk Away From the 2022 Oscars Victorious?

Beach Volleyball Spikes Its Way Into Benjamin Athletics

Shea O’Donoghue Staff Writer

Charlie Spungin Copy Editor

The glitz and glamor of Hollywood will be on full display March 27, 2022 at the 94th Academy Awards. After four years with no host for the award show, this year’s show will be hosted by Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall, and Amy Schumer, making the event a must watch.

This year’s nominations are stacked and include many “must watches’ you should see before the big day. Overall, if I had to pick 6 movies you must watch before the Oscars they would be Netflix’s The Power of the Dog, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst, Apple TV’s Coda, which follows a girl who is the only hearing member of her deaf family who dreams of singing, Steven Speilberg’s adaptation of the hit classic musical West Side Story, Belfast, a coming of age drama set during the 1960s in Northern Ireland during the ‘Northern Ireland conflict’, tick, tick…BOOM!, Lin Manuel Miranda’s adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical starring Andrew Garfield about a struggling artist in New York City, and finally, the biopic King Richard starring Will Smith as the father of champion tennis players Serena and Venus Williams and his plan for their success.

When it comes to who is favored to win, Variety Magazine’s Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis has some predictions. Davis predicts that in the category of Best Supporting Actress the most likely pick will be Ariana Debose in West Side Story. In Steven Speilberg’s adaptation of the 1957 classic musical, Debose plays

The newest addition to Benjamin’s athletic program, beach volleyball, has kicked off its inaugural season. It began with a 5-0 sweep against North Broward Prep, and because of this excellent start to the program’s history, the team has high aspirations as the season continues.

According to Assistant Athletic Director Coach Alex Clarke, the reason that Benjamin brought beach volleyball to the school is because the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) recognized beach volleyball as a sport this past year.

Prior to this, local schools played beach volleyball as a club sport, not as a recognized one. The Athletic Department, made up of Athletic Director Mr. Ryan Smith and Assistant Athletic Director Mr. Dave Bailey,

Anita, a friend of Maria’s. Davis states she is “heading into the ceremony with a Globe win. She’s the only nominee in her category to be recognized at every televised awards ceremony”, making her a likely winner.

In the category of Best Actress many believe that Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Fae is set to win.

Chastain plays Tammy Fae Bakker, a woman in the 1970s who created one of the largest religious broadcasting networks alongside her husband. The film accounts her rise and fall from grace. The Eyes of Tammy Fae proves to be a strong Oscar contender as it has received great reviews since its debut at the Toronto Film Festival.

In the category of Best Actor, Davis suspects that Will Smith will bring home the Oscar for his role in King Richard. Smith has already won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role as Richard Williams, and if he

wins the Oscar, he will be the fifth Black man to win an Oscar for lead actor.

However, the most prestigious award of Best Picture is very much up in the air. While some believe that Focus Features’ Belfast will win- as insiders in the Academy said it performed well on preferential ballots--others believe that Netflix’s The Power of the Dog will win, as it has been expected to perform the best among the lineup of films. Finally, there is Apple TV’s Coda which proves to be a strong contender as it took home the award for Best Cast Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Overall, the lineup of nominees this year is stacked, and many of the films are definitely worth a watch in your free time. Tune into ABC at 8:00 pm Sunday, March 27 to see who reigns supreme and takes home the prestigious awards.

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had long discussed bringing beach volleyball to Benjamin.

“We, in this Athletic Department, had always talked about if [beach volleyball] becomes an FHSAA sport, we will add it here at Benjamin, so as soon as the FHSAA made that decision, we were able to move forward with our plans,” Coach Clarke explained.

With it being the School’s first year in the sport, there’s an element of uncertainty for the team. The competition level is unknown, and the schedule was merely made based on availability, per Coach Clarke.

Senior Addie Bounds will be attending California Polytechnic State University this fall for beach volleyball, so she has quickly embraced a leadership role for the rather youthful team.

“As the only senior and one of only three full-time beach players on

Junior Riley MacDermott serves up a ball during a home match. The Miller Volleyball Courts are brand new this year and are home to the School’s debut beach volleyball team.

(Photo by Tvisha Goel)

the team, it has taken patience and concise communication to help everyone lock-in. Even though our team is pretty young this year, the girls all seem very excited to learn and compete,” Bounds said.

Despite the team’s youth, Bounds sees potential in the group and thinks that if the team continues to work hard, they “could be very successful”. The future collegiate athlete does have high aspirations for the season with the young players’ development, hoping to win states.

In the fall, Bounds played on the volleyball team, coached by Coach Clarke. While not the coach of the beach volleyball team, Coach Clarke still had high praise for Bounds for stepping up on the sand, crediting her for helping quickly establish a positive culture for the program. Head Coach Kent Culp was unavailable for a response.

The current roster feels like they can build something special for the beach volleyball program this year, which will set up an incredible future.

Starting on day one, all the team had their eyes set on was building a positive atmosphere and to win.

“One of the coolest things about being a part of the inaugural team is getting a say in the legacy that we build,” Bounds said. “On the first day of practice, we all talked about what type of environment we wanted to build this year. I’m hoping Bucs beach volleyball will be known for being good humans and hard workers.”

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spring. TRAINED.

The warm weather has brought out the best in Benjamin athletes as they head outdoors and begin to assert their dominance on the beach volleyball courts, the lacrosse field, and the baseball diamond.

(Photos by Erika Sousa)

It’s March: Madness Returns With Upsets All Across The Bracket Joey Tomassetti Staff Writer Besides spring break, March is a very exciting month, for college basketball fans, at least. After last year’s March Madness was played in a “bubble” in Indianapolis with limited fans, normalcy returned this year for the first time since 2019.

Sophomore Zach Neidoff is rooting for Michigan because of his brother and believes that Gonzaga will win the title.

“I’ve enjoyed March Madness so far, and my favorite moment was watching Michigan beat Tennessee because my brother goes to Michigan. I think Gonzaga will win because they have the most talent and when they get in a rhythm, they’re unstoppable,” said Neidoff.

Sophomore Andrew Lappin is rooting for Arizona because of his bracket, and he also believes that they are the most likely team to win it all.

“March Madness has been really fun so far. I’m rooting for Arizona because I picked them to win in my bracket. They are so big and strong and have established a great defensive presence all season long. I think Benedict Mathurin is one of the best players in the tournament. He is very talented and steps up in the clutch,” added Lappin.

The first round began on Thursday, March 17, and continued through Friday, March 18. Then, the second round was played on Saturday and Sunday, March 19-20. Along with the first and second rounds came a fair share of upsets and expected victories. Here are some of the biggest upsets from the rounds of 64 and 32: First Round: #12 New Mexico State Upsets #5 UConn, 70-63 - Led by guard Teddy “Buckets” Allen and his 37 points, New Mexico State took down

UConn and ended all of their title aspirations. New Mexico State was in control for pretty much the entire game. Every time UConn tried to make a run, they matched them with a run of their own. They would go on to lose to four-seeded Arkansas in the next round, but it was still a great win for the New Mexico State basketball program. #11 Notre Dame Gets Its Revenge Against #6 Alabama, 78-64 - Over the last eight or so years, Alabama’s football team has dominated Notre Dame’s football team whenever they have matched up. This time, Notre Dame dominates on the basketball court. After a grueling double overtime game against Rutgers in the First Four, Notre Dame upsets Alabama in the first round. Guard Cormac Ryan led the way with his blazing 7 for 9 from three point range, and accounted for 7 of the teams 10 threes overall. #15 Saint Peter’s Shocks #2 Kentucky in a Historic Upset, 85-79 - Not many people knew of Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, New Jersey before their upset over one of the nation’s top basketball programs.

With an enrollment of under 2400 students, Saint Peter’s put themselves on the map with their overtime win over Kentucky. The Wildcats entered the tournament as a heavy favorite to make it to the Final Four, or even to win the national championship.

Despite a 30 point and 16 rebound performance from one of the nation’s top players, Oscar Tshiebwe, the Peacocks pulled off the best win in their school’s history. #11 Michigan Muscles Its Way Past #6 Colorado State, 75-63 Since Juwan Howard was hired as the head coach of Michigan, they have become one of the country’s top basketball programs. This year, they

have struggled to find consistency and finished with a 17-14 record. Led by big man Hunter Dickinson and his 21 points, Michigan played like the superior team and pulled off the upset to help them advance to the second round. #5 Iowa Stymied by #12 Richmond, 67-63 - Entering this matchup, Iowa was ranked as one of the top offensive teams in the country.

They rely heavily on their three point shooting, which is led by guards Jordan Bohannon and Patrick McCaffery and forward Keegan Murray.

In this game against Richmond, Iowa shot just 6 for 29 (21%) from three.

Richmond was no better, shooting just 5 for 17 (29%), but were fueled by hard-nosed defense and desire to win. They would go on to lose to four-seeded Providence in the next round, but nonetheless a great victory for this Richmond team.

Amidst Scandal Allegations, #11 Iowa State defeats #6 LSU, 59-54 - LSU head coach Will Wade was fired on Saturday, March 12 after being accused of illegally paying recruits. Many people speculated how this loss would affect the SEC powerhouse, and it turned out to hurt them more than motivate them. The credit goes to Iowa State and their stifling defense that held LSU to just 54 points on 37% shooting and 21% from three point range.

Second Round: #8 North Carolina Dethrones Reigning Champ #1 Baylor, 93-86 - Following the retirement of Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams, it’s a new era for this UNC team. Defeating one of the top teams in the country is a great way to start this era. UNC led Baylor 67-42 with just over ten minutes remaining in the second half, and then starting forward Brady Manek, who had 26 points, was ejected from

the contest. This gave Baylor all of the opportunity they needed to storm back into this game and force overtime. Then, guard RJ Davis stepped up, finishing with 30 points and leading the Tarheels to the Sweet Sixteen. #15 Saint Peter’s, a True Cinderella Story, Upsets #7 Murray State, 70-60 - When Saint Peter’s punched its ticket into the tournament, they had no plans to be eliminated early on. Despite their lowly fifteenth seed, the Peacocks continue to impress with their victory over Murray State. The Racers had only lost two games the entire season before this matchup, but unfortunately, it only takes one loss in March to end a season. Saint Peter’s guard Doug Edert and his 1970’s style mustache are quickly becoming a fan favorite.

Along with the popularity, he is one of the best players on this team and continues to contribute on a night-tonight basis. #11 Michigan Stealthily Advances to the Sweet Sixteen, Defeats #3 Tennessee, 76-68 - Coming off of an Elite Eight berth last season, people knew that this Michigan team had what it takes to be a champ, but they might not have thought they were a champ this year. Tennessee had just won the SEC Championship for the first time since 1979, so they had all the momentum on their side going into the tournament. To say it simply, Michigan was just the better team in this game. Again, big man Hunter Dickinson shined for the Wolverines with his 27 points and 11 rebounds. Michigan will look to get its revenge against Villanova on Thursday, March 24 in a rematch of the 2018 National Championship game. #11 Iowa State Uses Its Defense Again to Take Down Wisconsin, 5449 - Coming off its worst season in school history in 2021 (2-22 record),

the Cyclones are the newest Cinderella story and are heading to the Sweet Sixteen. Wisconsin, led by star guard Johnny Davis, is one of the top teams in the nation. However, Davis and Badgers looked nothing like it in their loss to Iowa State. They were held to just under 30% shooting and 9% from three point range, which are almost video game numbers. Davis was also kept in check, scoring 17 points but on a lousy 4 of 16 shooting.

Stellar Guard Play Lead the #10 Miami Past #2 Auburn, 7961 - Miami entered the tournament with a very respectable 23-10 record, yet only was given a ten seed by the selection committee. In this game against the Tigers, they proved why they should have been seeded higher.

Miami runs a unique four guard lineup that features Isaiah Wong, Charlie Moore, Kameron McGusty, and Jordan Miller. All were contributors in this victory. The game was close at halftime, but then Miami ran away in the second half. It felt like the Canes just wanted to win more, hustling after loose balls, outrunning Auburn on fastbreaks, and playing some of the best defense that Auburn has faced all season. A high quality win for Miami advances them to the sweet sixteen.

This year’s tournament is turning out to be a great one, with many unexpected teams advancing from the first two rounds. March Madness resumed yesterday with the Sweet Sixteen, featuring teams competing to move to the Elite Eight.

Tonight’s matchups include #3 Piurdue vs. #15 Saint Peter’s, #1 Kansas vs. #4 Providence, #4 UCLA vs. #8 North Carolina, and #10 Miami vs. #11 Iowa State. Each team is vying for a National Championship, and the next step to get closer to the Final Four in New Orleans is a win tonight.

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Baseball Team Swinging With Dedication, Eyeing States Sophia Liporace Co-Editor-in-Chief After a successful 2021 season, the baseball team, coached by head coach Matt Lynch and assistant coach Anthony Lucido, is ready to knock their 22 games of the season out of the park.

The captains of the team are seniors Gerald Bissel, Jake Haggard, and Max Joy, who have each been on the team throughout their time at Benjamin. Sophomore Nick Banner stated their ability to lead by example and created a positive environment.

“Our captains are very straightforward and are great leaders. They will hold you accountable for the mistakes but also build you up. They will always praise you for something good. They are great examples to learn from and they unite the team as one. My role on the team as an underclassmen is to learn. As the seniors and juniors have more experience at the higher level, I want to take a more learning role and watch what they do as they have more experience, ” he said.

The team won their first game of the season against Lincoln Park Academy on Feb. 23 with a score of 10-5. After a few tough losses against Saint Andrew’s and Palm Beach Central, the boys were able to bounce back for consecutive wins against Pine Crest and Saint John Paul II Academy.

Bissell hopes that the team has the ability to make it to the district championships and plans to do what he can to help them do accomplish this goal.

“I think my biggest goal of the season is to help lead the team to districts. I’ve been apart of teams my whole career here at Benjamin that we’re too good to get knocked out of the playoffs early. This year is no different, and there is plenty of talent to make it far,” he added.

With these goals come challenges for the team, and Coach Lucido has found a few difficulties with the first few weeks of the season; however, he is confident that the team can find a way to pull it all together for a successful next few weeks.

“We’ve struggled in the first act of our season going into spring break.

We still have a lot of work to do and are learning more everyday about what this team is made of though I believe if the team buys in to what we are doing and comes together behind our common goal the sky is the limit.” he said.

While the team hopes to have a successful season in terms of wins

and losses, they are already having success with the close dynamic that has been created.

“Our team dynamics this year are very close. On and off the field, we get along really well, and I think that translates into us playing good baseball,” said Bissell.

Banner noted the positivity that the team has brought him throughout his time at Benjamin.

“I’m most looking forward to the bonds and friendships I create with these group of guys. This group of guys will see me progress through the ups and downs that come. These guys will be life-long friends and I can’t wait to create such a great bond with my teammates,” he said.

The team is more determined than ever, practicing five times a week with optional batting practices on the weekends. The team believes success comes with dedication, a motto they will live by for the entirety of the season.

The varsity baseball team is pictured celebrating a successful play during one of their home games. The team is lead by seniors Gerald Bissell, Jake Haggard, and Max Joy.

(Photo by Erika Sousa)

Tennis Teams Aim For Advantage Point in 2022 Season Joey Tomassetti Staff Writer Tennis, along with all of the other spring sports, are already underway here at the Upper School. With the postseason on the horizon, the Bucs are looking to establish themselves as one of the top tennis programs in the district.

Varsity tennis player and sophomore Canyon Rauch is pleased with how the team has performed so far this season. He also harps on how the team has better chemistry compared to last season.

“I think the team has performed great. We have had some trouble in some matches which we maybe should have won by a greater margin, but the team is a closer and a more bonded team then last year, which I think is good for rebuilding for years to come. My expectations going into this season were to build the team closer, but that came quicker than I expected and now we can focus on getting better,” said Rauch.

Rauch also mentions how he believes the team could improve with more individual skill. This would be instrumental in guaranteeing further success for the team.

“Everyone on the team is good at different levels and shots, but everyone needs to put in the time to focus for next year so we are a strong team in the district and in most matches,” added Rauch.

Varsity tennis player and senior Danielle Lancaster is also happy with the team’s performance. She believes that the team is living up to the expectations that she had entering the season.

“We have a really cohesive and

close-knit team that knows what to do to win and usually does that.

Lately, we have been playing some really difficult opponents which have proven to be a challenge. I think I had high hopes for the team this year; we have lots of new, young players that have been very successful thus far,” says Lancaster.

Lancaster believes that Benjamin has what it takes to make it to states.

“I think our end goal is always to make it to states as a team. To do that, we have to win regional finals, which are usually against Holy Trinity. I think we definitely have a chance to do that this year,” says Lancaster.

Another varsity tennis player, freshman Chester Coles, thinks that more practice will help Benjamin be able to further compete with the best of the best.

“We have had such a great number of matches against other schools, and I feel that more time to practice would give the team the possibility to improve in both singles and doubles,” says Coles.

Coles is also holding high hopes for the team, with his eyes on regionals as his first major goal for the team, noting that it is a bar that the team can certainly exceed.

“Our ultimate goal this year is to get to the regional tournament later this season, and I think that’s a realistic goal for us at this point,” says Coles.

The players on this year’s Benjamin tennis team all are very talented and have what it takes to win a lot of matches. Combine that with a wave of confidence and a hunger to be the best, the team may just be able to achieve the goals that they have set for themselves throughout the season.

Track and Field Running and Jumping Towards Another Excellent Season Evan Liberman Managing Editor

After a successful 2020-21 season, the Track and Field team is looking to run, pole vault and high jump into even better results--and the team’s results so far indicate they’re on their way to doing just that.

Last year, both the men’s and women’s teams, after winning the district competition, saw several people make it all the way to the FHSAA state competition. This included noteworthy performances from junior Sophia Buller, who finished fourth in the Girls 400-meter race, and junior Darrell Sweeting, who secured second place in the Boys Long Jump.

In just a few meets so far this season, both the boys’ and girls’ teams have secured several high-placed finishes, including at the Dwyer Invitational on Mar. 2 and the 17th annual Jupiter Warrior Invitational on Mar. 5. Among these meets were a couple of first-place finishes for the boys’ team, who, on their path to victory,

Sophomore Kori Haggard throws a javelin at a track meet. The team has two upcoming tack meets in the next two weeks.

(Photo courtesy of Sophia Buller)

beat out larger public schools like William T. Dwyer High School.

Commenting on part of the team’s performance so far, Matthew Postman, captain of the distance team, was optimistic about the team, but also saw some areas for improvement.

“The team overall has done fantastic so far this year, but we have to work on the number of points the distance team gets per meet. I feel responsible for this, and it has to be a goal for me and the rest of the distance guys to come together and make sure we do more for the team,” the senior noted.

Similarly, sophomore Savannah Maynard, who competes in the 800-meter race and the 4x800 meter race, explained that the team can be successful at every event, but that when people participate in multiple events in a single day, it becomes difficult for them to perform their best in each one.

However, echoing Postman, she noted that this year’s team is strong and has many great athletes. “We also mesh well together, so it’s easy to work with each other,” she explained.

The overall goal, according to Head Coach Barrett Saunders ‘03 is to improve every meet. “While it sounds like a cliché, it’s important to be constantly improving or [the team] won’t reach its long term goals,” Saunders said.

While some of the success is driven by this team spirit and the athletes’ motivation to compete, “it really all comes down to coaching,” according to Postman--referring to both Coach Saunders and Assistant Coach and Social Studies teacher Mr.

Nick Cramer. “Coach Saunders is so knowledgeable about the sport and has taught me so much. It’s incredible to see a Benjamin alumnus be so successful in coaching current Buccaneers. I’ve also really grown a lot under Mr. Cramer--he has personally made me a better runner by setting higher standards for me every day,” he added.

Looking ahead, Postman believes that due to the team’s immense skill, they should make it past districts and regionals and return to the state competition. “It isn’t going to be easy, but we all have to work hard to make it to where we want to be,” stated Postman, who typically runs in the 1600 and 3200-meter races.

Coach Saunders believes that the success the team hopes to achieve later on in the season will come from the team’s several bright spots in various areas. As it relates to the girls’ team, he noted sophomore Kori Haggard’s versatility and junior Sophia Buller’s athleticism--she is ranked the fifth-best in the county. Saunders also highlighted portions of the boys’ team--specifically the throwing group “The throwers have really stepped up this season. [They are] led by Calvin Bowens, Jackson Hamilton, and Quinn Broderick; however newcomers Landon Rapkiewicz, Chase Malamala, and Sean Rooney have also helped give us more depth and thus made our throwing group one of the best in the county,” Saunders told The Pharcyde.

Coach Saunders believes that if the team continues to improve throughout the season and keep their competitive spirit, they will have a great season.

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Boys’ Lacrosse Off To Great Start Despite Obstacles Tvisha Goel Co-Editor-in-Chief Despite sustaining many injuries over the last couple of years, the boys’ lacrosse team maintains its determination and perseverance to achieve high goals.

Three of the seniors on the team, Jack Horgen, Jack Regnery, and James O’Neill have had to deal with injuries in the last few years of their lacrosse careers. Currently, O’Neill is out of the season due to a leg injury, but while he may not be able to support his teammates on the field, he is their champion on the sidelines, cheering them on through the season.

We have the talent so we just need to continue to come together as a team.

-Jack Horgen Additionally, Horgen, who has received an opportunity to play D1 lacrosse at MIT this fall, is also pushing through impact taken to his ankle, but still wants to be there for his team.

“It’s my last year playing lacrosse on the high school team, and I want to make it count, and I don’t want to let this stop me. It’s very exciting to play as a senior. I think the finite aspect that being a senior makes you realize makes the experience that much more fun,” said Horgen.

Last year, Regnery faced injury to his knee, which caused a hiatus in his participation in the sport. However, it taught him important lessons like the importance of a strong work ethic, which he has applied upon getting back onto the field. “Gaining confidence again after my injury was hard, but over summer I played a lot,

so I feel good playing now. I hope we win a state championship, and I really think we will be able to. I want to continue to work hard throughout this season and carry that work ethic with me to the next level,” described Regnery, as he is on track to play D3 lacrosse at Tufts University in the fall.

As the season progresses, the team is able to get a better handle on the team dynamic as well as the improvements necessary in order to reach their collective goal of reaching the state championship.

Horgen stated, “We have the talent so we just need to continue to come together as a team. I think that attitude and focus are something a team can always improve on.”

Junior Brady Quinn affirms the seniors’ leadership on the team saying, “I like the leadership because all the seniors are closely bonded, and it makes people respect the seniors more.”

The boys’ lacrosse coach, Coach Peter Cordrey has been coaching the team for four years. Before coming to Benjamin, Coach Cordrey coached at Saint Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, New Jersey. He continuously sets high standards for the boys as a way to foster improvement among the team, such that each member pushes each other to be better in any way they can.

“This year’s Benjamin team is doing a great job becoming more cohesive.

As winter athletes have joined the team, we are gaining more depth and competitiveness,” he praised.

Hoping to continue the momentum from the excellent winter sports season at Benjamin, the boys’ lacrosse team has started off very strong, as they intend to run the state championship straight down to the goal despite the injuries sustained through the season’s opening weeks.

The boys’ varsity lacrosse team gathers during a game to discuss the recent plays. The team has a record of 8-3 and has their next game on March 29 at Miami Country Day. (Photo by Tvisha Goel)

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Best NFL Draft Landing Spots For Benjamin Alum Charlie Spungin Copy Editor Kaiir Elam ‘19 was a three-sport varsity athlete during his time at Benjamin, starring on the track and basketball teams. However, his niche was football, as he lined up on both sides of the ball, playing wide receiver and cornerback, for the Bucs.

His stellar play on Theofilos Field led to him becoming a consensus four-star recruit and a top 60 senior across the country for those in the Class of 2019. He had garnered offers from the University of Georgia, the University of Notre Dame, The Ohio State University, and more, but ultimately, on Feb. 6, 2019, Elam committed to the University of Florida to stay in Sunshine State.

Just three years later and after three amazing seasons at UF, Elam finds himself preparing for the NFL Draft as one of the top cornerbacks set to be selected on April 28.

Elam is considered to be a midlate 1st or early-mid 2nd round pick in late April. He brings the size that teams are looking for in an elite cornerback, standing at 6’2”. Combine that with his 4.39 40 yard dash time from the NFL Combine, and the physical tools are there for Elam to become a star in the league.

Teams would love to find the next lockdown press corner like Los Angeles Rams superstar Jalen Ramsey, but that type of player is extremely difficult to come across. Elam is built like Ramsey physically, but scouts have some criticisms of Elam that could hold him back from becoming as elite as Ramsey. Concerns about Elam being too physical when pressing and causing penalties have worried organizations, along with his lackluster tackling.

As the NFL Draft approaches, it’s no surprise that fans across the country are wondering who their team will draft and where certain prospects will end up. The Benjamin alum will find himself as a prospect that many teams want to get their hands on, but that begs the question: what landing spots make the most sense for Elam if he finds himself picked on Day 1 of the draft? #19: Philadelphia Eagles After making a shocking play-

off push, the Eagles are looking to round out their roster with three top 20 picks. The Eagles cornerback room doesn’t have much depth currently, and adding Elam to a defense that already was borderline top 10 in passing yards allowed could help elevate the Eagles secondary to an elite one. Darius Slay is already one of the league’s top cornerbacks, and adding a developing Elam to the opposite side of the field would be a scary sight for NFL offenses. #21: New England Patriots The Patriots rebuild was a short one, making the playoffs just two years after Tom Brady’s departure from Tampa Bay. Following a crushing defeat in the Wild Card Round at the hands of the rival Buffalo Bills, the Patriots are looking to continue to load up their roster. Star cornerback JC Jackson just left to sign a massive deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, so the Patriots could seek immediate and long-term help in the secondary after just having the second best defense in terms of passing yards allowed in the league. Elam would also have the luxury of being coached by arguably the greatest defensive mind of all-time, Bill Belichick.

#30: Kansas City Chiefs The Chiefs are set to be perennial contenders with Patrick Mahomes and company at the helm. All the front office has to do is guarantee that talent is around Mahomes and the team. One of the biggest struggles for the Chiefs this past year was their secondary, and with that group already being poor and adding the fact that Charvarius Ward departed, the Chiefs seem prone to look at cornerbacks. Elam could provide the team with a lockdown corner for the future that a team with such high aspirations for the next decade would love to have. #31: Cincinnati Bengals Perhaps the best story of the past NFL season, the Bengals, led by the beloved star quarterback Joe Burrow, proved that they are an elite team in this league. Now, the front office must patch up the holes in the roster to guarantee that this team remains a Super Bowl contender. Adding Elam to one of the league’s worst secondaries could be one way to do this. He can make an impact on day one and for the future for a team that will look to contend for as long as Burrow is running the show.

Girls’ Lacrosse Aims to Cradle Their Way to States Tvisha Goel Co-Editor-in-Chief

Winter athletes pose for a photo after being celebrated at assembly for their achievements. Four out of the five winter sports teams were district champions and advanced far into the playoffs.

(Photo courtesy of Benjamin Athletic Department)

The girls’ lacrosse team has started off winning the draw and hopes to maintain their momentum throughout the season with their eye on the end goal: state championships.

There are four seniors on the girls’ lacrosse team: Lily Valentini, Ella Hayes, Catherine Civitella, and Ainsley Mitchell.

Many of the underclassmen appreciate the leadership that their seniors exhibit on the field. Junior Grace Tighe said, “I really like the leadership from the seniors this year because they truly care about everyone on the team and only want the best for us. They are great at hyping everyone up and making sure we stay focused at practice.”

Similarly, freshman Kenzie Feiner praised the leadership of the upperclassmen, saying how they work hard to bring the team together as one.

Mitchell has been on the high school lacrosse team since her fresh-

man year and has conflicting emotions regarding her last year on the team. “It’s bittersweet playing my last year. It’s exciting to be a captain and build a strong team, but it’s also sad that this is my last season with my teammates,” she said.

Mitchell is no stranger to team dynamics and, while the girls have come together closely as one team, she explained that the team bonding and chemistry will always have room for improvement so that they “can operate as an elite team.”

Many of the players are also very accustomed to the sport, helping to add more lacrosse knowledge and experience to the field.

Tighe said, “I’ve been playing lacrosse since I was in second grade. I love this sport because I love being a part of a team and being able to make great memories with my friends. As I grew up playing lacrosse, my love for the sport has only kept growing.”

Feiner has also been playing lacrosse for a long time, saying, “I have been playing lacrosse for quite some

time now. I started playing in Kindergarten, but I didn’t get serious until I joined my club team in fourth grade.

I love lacrosse because of the team dynamic and all the opportunities the sport has to offer.”

The team’s experience should be instrumental in leading them to a successful year. Additionally, a large part of becoming an even better team is recognizing where a team, and its individual players, can improve to guarantee continued success.

While Tighe said that she would like to improve on her shots, Feiner said, “I hope to improve on my leadership skills this year. I want to do my job and help the team as much as I can so we can make it very far this season.”

The girls’ lacrosse coach, Coach Quinn Roe, is in her inaugural season with the team this year and has many plans for the girls as their season progresses further. She said, “My plan to help the team reach our goal of making it to states is to hold everyone accountable to our values and standards

through providing constant and clear feedback. If we are disciplined in our standards and keep focused on our goals, I believe we can beat anyone in the state championship.”

Despite having a coach in her rookie season with Benjamin, the

team’s common passion for the game, great chemistry, and immense talent bring a high level of optimism for an exceptional season for the girls’ lacrosse team that has their eyes set on nothing other than a state championship.

Senior captain Lily Valentini fights her way towards the goal. The girls’ current record is 8-1 with 4 games approaching in the upcoming week.

(Photo by Tvisha Goel)

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