The Pharcyde, 42.2

the

PHARCYDE

THE BENJAMIN SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

@thepharcyde_tbs

4875 Grandiflora Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418

16 October 2020

Supreme Court Loses Icon as RBG Passes Away

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg 1933 - 2020

By Molly Fried Co-Editor-in-Chief On September 18, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of 87.

A civil rights activist and femininst pioneer, Ginsburg, commonly referred to as RBG, dedicated her life to the American ideal of equality of opportunity. On the Supreme Court, she contributed to landmark decisions and, even when in the minority, never swayed from the principles she held dear. She wrote strong opinions, always following her best interpretation of the Constitution.

One of her most notable court cases was when she wrote the majority opinion for the United States vs Virginia, a case about the admissions policies of the state-run Virginia Military Institute. Ginsburg argued that the Institute’s male-only admissions policy, one by which they would not admit women even if they were

highly qualified, violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The decision, like many others she was party to, helped advance female rights in public education. She also wrote the dissenting opinion for Ledbetter vs Goodyear, arguing that women should be earning wages equal to their male counterparts.

Prior to her Supreme Court tenure, Ruth Bader Ginsburg worked hard for others. She co-founded the Women’s Rights Law Report, the first ever law journal in the US solely focused on Female Rights. She founded the Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, and as a lawyer there, argued and won five different landmark Supreme Court cases.

Her path, however, was not without roadblocks. Even after graduating as first in her class from Columbia Law School, she had difficulties getting a job. Despite having multiple letters of recommendation from professors at Harvard

and Columbia, she struggled due to her being female. Finally, New York district Judge Edmund L. Palmeiri hired her as a law clerk and from then on out, she used the experience to make sure no other person was discriminated against based on his or her sex.

Her colleagues in Washington DC have only good things to say a her and her legacy she has left behind.

The Trump Administration issued a statement saying, “Her opinions, including well-known decisions regarding the legal equality of women and the disabled, have inspired all Americans, and generations of great legal minds.”

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts said, “Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her -- a tireless and resolute champion of justice.”

With all of this in mind, her passing serves as an opportunity to let everyone know that she achieved what she did by standing up for what she believed in. Being a Jewish female from Brooklyn in the 1950’s wasn’t what people expected a lawyer or judge to be. Regardless of the misogyny and antisemitism she encountered, she persisted. She taught so many people that it doesn’t matter if everyone is telling you no.

If you believe in something, it is worth fighting for.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for all her influence and positive change, will forever leave an impact on this country. She is the first Jewish person, and also the first female to ever lie in state at the Capitol, one of the highest honors someone can receive.

@thepharcyde_tbs

Volume 42

Issue 2

Mr. Faus Installed as 13th Head of School

By Skyler Zur Co-Editor-in-Chief On Sept. 24, the School held an official ceremony to welcome Mr. David Faus as the new Head of School. With the current COVID restrictions, the ceremony was both streamed to classrooms in the Lower, Middle, and Upper School and shared via Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube so alumni and parents could watch as well.

The ceremony reflected on 60-years of Benjamin history and how the community has grown since Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin first came up with the idea to start the School. Benjamin started as a small two-room building with only 24 kindergarten students.

Shaped around the idea of creating a well-rounded student, the School began to expand from one campus to two, adding grades six through twelve as the years went on.

Based on Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin’s vision, the School evolved into the community it has become today.

Following the retrospective, Mr. Faus was introduced. For him, it was a very easy decision to become a part of the Benjamin community.

“What attracted me to Benjamin the most was the emphasis on the whole student, a philosophy that provides children with as many resources as possible that when taken advantage of enables them

to become proficient scholars, winning athletes, engaging thespians, or all of the above,” he said.

Following his talk, members of the Benjamin community presented Mr. Faus with a myriad of symbolic welcome gifts. Vanessa Zito, an eighth grade student, gifted Mr. Faus with two dog bowls for his pets on behalf of students in the Lower School, baskets of dog treats from those in Middle School, and a Jersey Shore throw pillow on behalf of those in the Upper School. Veteran Lower School teacher Mrs. Joanna Hogan, representing the faculty, presented Mr. Faus with a decorative campus map. Christie Sheehan, President of the Benjamin Parent Association, gave Mr. Faus a blanket of the Benjamin campus. Paul Lawler, President of the Alumni Association revealed a lime tree sapling had been planted outside of Mr. Faus’s Lower School office as a gift from the alumni. Finally, Darren Lowe, Chairman of the Board, presented a Tiffany’s clock to Mr. Faus on behalf of the trustees.

With the 60th year underway, Mr. Faus said, “I truly believe Benjamin provides the opportunities for our students to become the best versions of themselves. I am ready to lead this school in a way that will [emphasize] educational excellence with an eye towards what lies ahead.”

Remote Learners Find Difficulty Connecting with Classrooms via Zoom

By Skyler Zur Co-Editor-in-Chief Since the School resumed on-campus classes on Aug. 28, 33 percent of the students who originally chose to learn online have come back to school in-person.

With a third of the students already back after only one month, it raises a question: Why did so many students come back so quickly?

When the School first offered an in-person option to students, 57 students chose to study remotely for various reasons, such as being out of town or having a family member who was at higher risk. However, within the past month and a half, a third of those students are back in person already.

Senior Nichaela Williams was one student who started virtually but came back in-person on the Sept. 14 re-entry date.

“I did feel disadvantaged learning virtually,” she said. “Half of the time, my teachers could not hear me ask or answer questions. Sometimes audio cut out, making it hard to understand the lesson. However, that is only from an educational point of view.”

Although there may be factors of learning remotely that affect a student’s academics, mental health challenges have increased significantly across the country, according to an article titled “How online learning can affect student

health” in The John Hopkins News Letter. (https://www.jhunewsletter.com/ article/2020/04/how-online-learningcan-affect-student-health) Junior Sophia Buller said, “I have issues focusing, and being on a computer screen gives me extra room to zone out.

I also experience migraines, exhaustion, and depressive moods while online. I feel like I am constantly falling behind and missing important lessons.”

Although there are unavoidable downsides to remote learning, students recognize that the teachers have been working hard to make online learners feel included.

“Virtual school has been much better than second semester in the spring last year. Teachers have definitely become more comfortable with Zoom and have been so accommodating and patient through the process. Things are working smoothly,” senior Caitlin Degraff said.

There are a number of small steps the teachers can follow to improve the online learning process. Whether it means having the classrooms open when it is time to join so as not to waste class time, checking the chat more often during group activities and assessments or setting aside time for virtual students to ask questions in a smaller group setting, small adjustments could make a big difference for the virtual students, according to Williams.

The students also play an important

role in making the online experience better for the students. From pausing to allow virtual kids to answer or ask questions, relaying messages of technological issues to the teacher, and reminding teachers to keep the virtual students in mind when moving around the classroom, students also can adjust their normal class behavior to be a larger support system for the online students.

While many aspects of this pandemic are unable to be controlled, the School wants students and teachers to feel safe and productive whether they are working from home or are in-person.

Mr. Faus loves the many gifts he recieved from the Benjamin community.

(Screenshots courtesy of BTV)

R e m o t e

L e a r n i n g

Page 2

16 October 2020

The Pharcyde

School Moves from Naviance to Cialfo, Altering College Process

By Tvisha Goel News Editor For most Benjamin students, the college process was accompanied by one word: Naviance. This application and counseling organizer helped students begin the college search, giving them an overview of the schools they were interested in. Nevertheless, this past summer, the School decided to switch from its contract with Naviance to Cialfo, hoping it would prove more beneficial for students than its predecessor.

While Benjamin has had a contract with Naviance for well over ten years, the School felt that it was time to change systems as Naviance had started to become uncooperative with feedback given by college counselors.

For example, the system would not store or plot pre-ACT scores on scattergrams. College Counseling also asked for Naviance to add this function for over 5 years. The application also would not let users flag majors or programs within a college. Ms. Anna Wright, Director of College Counseling, says, “We had reached out to Naviance multiple times last year and said, ‘We’re thinking about switching, please tell us why we shouldn’t switch, please tell us what you’re going to do to fix these problems’ and they were unresponsive as they had been for twenty years.”

In contrast, she explains how Cialfo was quick in making the changes that she and her colleagues requested.

“They are fixing things all the time.

For example, they made it easier to navigate around and collect data; they added a feature where we can now see if a student has received and opened our email messages. They are [just] very reactive and meet [us halfway].”

In fact, Benjamin is not the only independent school to make a switch from Naviance. “I would say a lot of independent schools switched. I went on a tour of California high schools in February, and there were 50 college counselors who were making a switch to either Cialfo or one of the other two, which we also contemplated,” Ms. Wright says.

“One of the main benefits of Cialfo is how modern looking it is. The program is much easier to navigate that Naviance which makes the entire college admissions process much simpler.”

- Senior Kate Lower Cialfo was not the only system that Benjamin had on the table. In deciding to contract with Cialfo, the School decided against both Maia Learning and Scoir. While Maia Learning was too complicated and limited student interaction with counselors, signing up with Scoir at that time would have prevented students’ ability to link their applications with CommonApp, and College Counseling did not want to jeopardize the applications.

Very content with the decision the school made with the new system, Ms. Wright gives a variety of reasons as to why Benjamin has decided that Naviance was no longer up to their standards.

Primarily, Ms. Wright finds that Cialfo is more student-friendly than Naviance. “[Cialfo, for example] allows us to text students. Now, we are not going to blow up anybody’s phone, but we know that some people don’t read their email, so it’s a different way to communicate with

students. It [also] allows students to go in and set up a meeting with a college counselor without the back and forth [conversation]” she says. “[Cialfo] seemed to put more tools in the students’ box and we really wanted to have a program that students felt they could engage with.”

The student-friendliness of the new collegiate system was put to the test right as COVID-19 hit and students were forced to attend school virtually.

“We really dove into [Cialfo] right about the time that COVID happened, so a lot of our spring communications were done through Cialfo,” Ms. Wright says.

While Ms. Wright mentions that they did training with the new system in the spring toward the end of the year as well as training with the seniors who attended this August’s Boot Camp, the College Counseling team held an additional training day for other students on September 29th as an evening program. “We walked everybody through it and how to use it. And we recorded it, so if you couldn’t come on a Tuesday night at seven o’clock, you’ll be able to have access to it.

There are also lumens, which are short videos, so we might create a series of short videos of how to do a college search and other quick things.”

Senior students, who have received the training and are now using the system, find Cialfo more helpful in their search as well as their interactions with their college counselor.

Senior Kate Lower says, “One of the main benefits of Cialfo is how modern looking it is. The program is much easier to navigate that Naviance which makes the entire college admissions process much simpler.” She also mentioned that “it allows students to be able to schedule meetings directly, so the possibility of a counselor not

seeing an email from you is eliminated.”

Similarly, senior Alex Kahn appreciates the elimination of the back and forth that used to happen when the school was using Naviance. “The Cialfo scheduling system is really helpful because we can look to see Ms. Wright’s schedule and when she is available. We no longer have to email back and forth trying to find a time to meet because it is all laid out on the website.”

While Cialfo’s ability to increase interaction with students and college counseling, that is not the best part of this system. In fact, Ms. Wright says that she is most excited about the fact that Cialfo keeps getting better every day, updating and fixing features that may frustrate the college counselors, and because of that, both students and college counseling will constantly have a better experience during the stressful times of college research and applications.

After using Naviance (upper) for a number of years, the college counseling department decided to switch to Cialfo (lower) to make the process easier.

(Photos by Evan Liberman)

School Welcomes Kevin Jacobsen as New Dean of Students

By Nadia Poncy Social Media Director

Dean Jacobsen has already fit into the Benjamin community, and he is looking forward to getting to know all the students and faculty throughout the year.

(Photo courtesy of Dean Jacobsen)

Fall Play Heads to Big Screen Text by Sophia Liporace

Due to the restrictions set in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Drama Club is taking a new approach. Rather than their usual play or musical, they have decided to create a film of She Kills Monsters.

The Drama Club will be working with the BTV crew to film a movie-like production that can be sent out to Benjamin families to enjoy the cast’s hard work from afar. Drama Club officers Danai Makoni (president), Grace Myers (vice-president), and Victoria Porges (secretary) have been working alongside new drama teacher Mr. Peck to keep the production on schedule for its release on Nov. 13.

On Monday, Sept. 14, the Benjamin Upper School community welcomed Mr. Kevin Jacobsen as the new Dean of Students. The Upper School Dean’s responsibilities had been taken up by members of the Upper School leadership team for the month the school did not have a dean.

Following Dean Ball’s move to the Lower School, where she now serves as an associate teacher with the Second Grade, the Upper School’s administration began the new search for the new Dean. They quickly received materials from more than 40 qualified applicants.

A hiring committee of several administrators and led by Mr. Carr conducted a series of interviews before selecting Mr. Jacobsen.

“We believed that Mr. Jacobsen would best fit the role as Dean of Students as a result of his previous experience and strong skill set,” he said.

Mr. Jacobsen not only would make a perfect fit to the Benjamin Community as noted by Mr. Carr, but he also has a very experienced background.

His resume includes being Dean of Students for five years at Xavier High School in New York City, a Catholic, all-male high school of 1050 students. Previously, Mr. Jacobsen had served as an Associate Dean of Students at Gonzaga College High School, his alma mater in Washington, D.C, from 2007-2015.

As Dean of Students, Jacobsen’s role at Benjamin includes managing student affairs, overseeing Upper School security, and working as a key liaison among students, families, and the Upper School’s faculty and administration.

Over the last several weeks, Mr.

Jacobsen has made a strong impression. Senior Alex Michelon said, “I was really sad when I first heard that Dean Ball would no longer be at school. After meeting Mr. Jacobsen though, I was positive he’d fit right into the role of Dean. He is kind, has great energy, and at the same time will have enough discipline with students to maintain our amazing school image.”

English teacher Mrs. Sharon Wendler said, “I love that he’s filling the gap of the club hiatus because we had some logistial [issues], and he really has made that a priority so that the clubs can get back in business and [so that] we can start now that we’re in October. I also think he has been upholding [disciplines], and when I hear students complain, I think that means he’s doing his job [correctly].

I think he is supportive, but he has standards, and I think that he’s going to be a great fit.”

Mr. Jacobsen is similarly excited about joining the Upper School family. “I’m looking forward, most importantly, to getting to know the students, faculty, and administrators that make up the community. I think a real communal feel is of paramount importance to any successful school, so that would be first on my agenda.

Secondly, I look forward to experiencing the typical day-to-day interactions as well as the yearly traditions that make a school unique.”

Unfortunately, due to COVID, trying to meet students and teachers is a challenge which Mr. Jacobsen has acknowledged; nevertheless, he plans to try to learn as much as possible given the circumstances.

Mr. Jacobsen’s previous two schools were both single-sex institutions, unlike Benjamin. Mr. Jacobsen is aware of the differences between an all-boys school and a co-ed school

and knows he will need to make adjustments.

He said, “Any school that has been around as long as the other schools I’ve worked in (Gonzaga HS in Washington, DC and Xavier) have their own culture, and so does Benjamin. I think the role of the Dean of Students is to first understand that and act accordingly.” There is certainly a period of observation that should take place before trying to change anything. The rules that applied to other schools don’t apply here and vice versa, so I can’t say for certain what I will change. All I know is to treat everyone equally and with dignity and respect, so that will be my approach.”

Mr. Jacobsen already has several goals in mind for his time at Benjamin. “My goal is to become a real part of the community in a positive way. I know Deans can be looked at as the “bad guy,” but there is a way to convey rules and protocols that are in place for students to understand why they exist and why it’s a problem when they aren’t adhered to. I would never want students to feel that rules are in place just for the sake of having rules. I think Benjamin students will find that I will support them in any activity they are a part of, whether it be athletics, drama, speech and debate, or anything else outside the classroom,” he said.

In addition to his work on campus, Mr. Jacobsen is excited about living in South Florida. “I also have family in Miami as well as Hilton Head Island, so the location of the school was extremely appealing too. My wife and I also had our first child, Taylor, in May. We knew we wanted to raise her closer to family, so it really seemed like everything fell into place. We could not be happier so far,” he said.

16 October 2020

The Pharcyde

Page 3

Mrs. Denise Polidori Welcomed Chadwick Boseman Passes Away, Leaves Beto Benjamin as New Math Teacher hind Legacy of Iconic Performances

By Skyler Zur Co-Editor-in-Chief

Mrs. Polidori is the new math teacher, taking Mrs. August’s position. She is excited to be part of the Benjamin community. (Photo by Evan Liberman)

If you have walked past room 507 this week, you may have noticed a new face in the window. Mrs. Denise Polidori is now officially a part of the Benjamin community, and she is taking over for Mrs. Linda August’s math classes, teaching Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2 courses.

Having been a teacher for 20 years, previously teaching at Duncan Middle School and Gardens High School, she is excited to teach at a private school for the first time.

“In public school everything is taught to the tests,” she said, “In private schools, I feel like you get a better education. You are a little more free to learn the reasons why we do things. I was kind of burnt out from the public schools and teaching those types of classes, so when I had the opportunity to come here, I took it.”

Having not been able to bond as well with her public school students due to class size, she is looking forward to that aspect of teaching at

Benjamin.

She said, “It’s a little smaller based, more personal, and not so many kids in a class. Sometimes in my classes, I had 30 kids, and it’s just a lot to handle. Developing a relationship with teachers is extremely important so students are successful too.”

After less than a week at Benjamin, she has already felt the support of her fellow teachers as well as the respect of the students.

“Everyone is extremely friendly and helpful. Even the students are so kind and helpful and that means a lot to me. The students have been respectful and the staff has been incredible,” she said.

In terms of her online students, she plans to send out some surveys to get to know the students she does not get the opportunity to bond with in person. Throughout the year, Mrs. Polidori has one main goal for her math students.

“I want kids to be able to really know the material,” she said. “Because math builds on each subject, I want them to have a good understanding of the subjects so that they are successful in every class going forward. I have always enjoyed teaching but to really help someone and inspire them is amazing, and I used to get that when I taught at Duncan, so I miss it.”

Mrs. Sara Misselhorn has known Mrs. Polidori for a number of years, and after the math position opened up, she reached out to Mrs. Polidori to see if she wanted the job.

“I have known Mrs. Polidori for many years as she is the cousin of one of my friends who used to work at Benjamin,” she said. “She is a dedicated math teacher, and I look forward to her being here!”

By Matt Marasco Staff Writer “When you are deciding on next steps, next jobs, next careers, further education, you should rather find purpose than a job or a career.

Purpose crosses disciplines. Purpose is an essential element of you. It is the reason you are on the planet at this particular time in history,” said Chadwick Boseman.

Chadwick Boseman passed away on August 20th. Only 43 at the time of his death, Boseman had been suffering from colon cancer. He left behind Taylor Simone Ledward, the love of his life, and millions of fans.

Born and raised in South Carolina, Boseman attended Howard University in Washington, DC. While at Howard, he met his professional mentor Phylicia Rashad, who was a professor of his, Noticing Boseman’s potential, Rashad helped raise money for him and a classmate to attend an Oxford mid-summer program.

Boseman had an amazing acting career winning his first award in 2002 which was the Audelco award which is awarded to someone that honored African American theatre in New York City. He did not only act he also wrote plays and directed. In 2003, he got his first television role on the show Third Watch. After his first couple of roles, his career started on a huge upward slope as he got roles in episodes of hit television shows Law and Order, CSI, and NY In 2013, Boseman earned the role of Jackie Robinson in the hit biographical drama, 42. His portrayal of Robinson, who broke the color barrier as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1942 was met with near-universal acclaim.

Boseman was more than a great actor; he also had a great heart. He donated to several charities and ini-

tiatives, including those that sought a cure for the disease that took his own life. He also would surprise fans and put a huge smile on their faces. He was a role model for many people in our world.

Boseman’s career trajectory changed when he joined the Marvel Universe in Captain America: Civil War. 2018’s Black Panther earned over $1.3 billion at the box office.

Boseman was hailed in his role as

rights. He also would go to speak to schools in deprived areas to give the students hope that good things will eventually come with hard work and dedication.

At the time of his death, Boseman had been looking forward to the premiere of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, an adaptation of August Wilson’s play. Boseman plays trumpeter Levee in the film, which will be released this December on Netflix.

“When you are deciding on next steps, next jobs, next careers, further education, you should rather find purpose than a job or a career.”

- Chadwick Boseman T’Challa, ruler of Wakanda by the film critic Richard Roeper. He raved, “finely honed storytelling with a Shakespearean core; winning performances from an enormously talented ensemble; provocative premises touching on isolationism, revolution, and cultures of oppression, and oh yeah, tons of whiz-bang action sequences and good humor.”

Boseman revisited the role in both Avengers Infinity War and Avengers Endgame.

Boseman’s portrayals of heroes were not limited to the baseball field or the apocalypse. In a career cut tragically short, he also portrayed civil right’s activist Prince Jones (2005’s Deep Azure), NFL Hall of Famer Floyd “The Franchise” Little (2008’s The Express: The Ernie Davis Story), singer James Brown (2014’s Get on Up), and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (2017’s Marshall).

Boseman was not only an actor and a performer, but he was also a very prominent figure in the African American community speaking up for

Chadwick Boseman played a major role in many high-earning movies.

(Photo by Evan Liberman)

Genetically Modified Moquitos to be Released in Florida Keys

By Molly Fried Co-Editor-in-Chief Officials in Florida have approved the release of 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes into the Florida Keys. The project, which has been in the works for years, has been dubbed “the Jurassic Park experiment” by environmental activists, due to its similarities with the novel Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton.

The US Environmental Protection Agency gave permission to the British-based and US-operated company Oxitec to produce genetically engineered, male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are known as OX5034.

This mosquito has a special gene that prevents its offspring from surviving to adulthood. The hope is that over time, the number of Aedes Aegypti declines. After using the process in Brazil in 2015 and 2016 following the Zika outbreak, Oxitec claims to have dropped the number of Aedes Aegypti from 89% to 96%.

Here lies the similarity to Jurassic Park that many, such as the Miami Sun Sentinel and the International Center for Technology Assessment Mr. Jaydee Hanson, have made regarding the experiment.

The novel Jurassic Park is about genetically engineered dinosaurs that are produced in a lab such that they can’t reproduce. Chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (portrayed by Jeff Goldblum in the 1993 film adaption) predicts that the park will fail, as its simple structure is unsustainable when such a complex system with so many unpredictable variables is thrust upon it. Malcolm ends up right, and the park ends in disaster.

Mosquitoes, though seemingly less

dangerous than dinosaurs, actually kill more humans per year than any other animal according to World Atlas, as they kill around one million people annually through disease infusion.

Hanson in a statement said, “With all the urgent crises facing our nation and the State of Florida, the administration has used tax dollars and government resources for a Jurassic Park experiment.”

Additionally, he finds issues with the lack of information Oxitec has shared with the public.

“What could possibly go wrong?”

Hanson said. “We don’t know, because they unlawfully refused to seriously analyze environmental risks.”

Another main opposition to the “Jurassic Park Experiment” has been the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition. Their executive director, Barry Wray, also finds their lack of information troubling, as he said in a statement, “We have repeatedly asked for Oxitec to work with us to prove the technology is safe. Instead of receiving Oxitec’s cooperation to provide this confidence, we have witnessed a pattern of avoidance, misrepresentations, obfuscations and using marketing and political influence to persuade the regulatory and community stakeholders to proceed with what is truly a poorly designed experiment on our public and ecosystems.”

According to Oxitec, however, this system only suppresses the Aedes Aegypti, and other mosquitoes that are necessary to environmental growth in the form of pollination face no harm.

In addition, the EPA, after receiv-

ing backlash from approving the permit, published a risk assessment, focusing on the need to reduce disease carrying mosquitoes in a way that does not involve pesticides.

What will actually happen with these 750 million mosquitoes is impossible to say as of now, but they will be consistently monitored by Oxitec and other companies as they integrate with the natural population of mosquitoes.

With genetically modified mosquitos being released in the Florida Keys, the experiment is being compared to a modern world Jurassic Park. It is impossible to predict what might happen as a result, but the mosquitos will be monitored on how they interact with the nautral population of mosquitos.

(Graphics by Evan Liberman)

Page 4

Student Voices

16 October 2020

Pharcyde

Be Authentic. Be Better.

In times of uncertainty, it is more important than ever to promote honesty and transparency, even if that means showing flaws along with successes.

Over the years, Benjamin has built up an incredible reputation in every aspect, from sports to academics to theater. But when was the last time there was an announcement that talked about improvement rather than success?

According to Wisdomtimes.com in an article titled, “7 Reasons Why It Is Important To Embrace Your Flaws,” “the healthiest path to the optimal life is to embrace your flaws.” By accepting those qualities that make you imperfect, it allows you to see the right perspective because “you are framing your reality more soundly and not based on a false notion of self.” .

This concept of improvement is only possible if you truly understand what you have to improve upon, which comes from understanding where you might fall short.

Another article, “3 Reasons Our “Flaws” Make Us Better Humans,” from mindfulmeet.com, explains that accepting flaws not only allows people to make personal progress,

but it can also help you understand others for who they are rather than who society expects them to be.

“Someone who regularly celebrates their flaws has a greater understanding of who they are as a person. Appreciating the flaws you have not only benefits you, but also the people around you.” (https:// www.meetmindful.com/our-flawsmake-us-better-humans/#).

These qualities of highlighting your flaws to learn from them creates a new mindset that can lead to self-improvement, and it especially applies to students at Benjamin as well.

For freshmen, the transition from middle school to high school can be stressful; however, rather than hiding feelings and trying to get through it alone, coming to terms with those obstacles can make that transition easier. Understanding that other people are going through the same situation can create a community that builds itself up rather than a bunch of individuals who try to handle everything on their own.

The sophomores have so much pressure from social media, and seeing other high school students posting pictures with filters that hide

all their flaws adds to that pressure.

However, if they had the mindset of embracing flaws, it would be easier to understand that perfection is impossible.

The School puts such an emphasis on AP scores and announces the scores each year to show how well Benjamin students did on the AP tests, which creates so much pressure, especially for juniors, to do well on those tests. If the school broadcasted SAT and ACT scores as well, even if they were slightly less impressive, it would be a more accurate representation of the students because it would show some areas that students have the ability to improve on rather than only showing what the students are already good at. This would provide students with a wider perspective moving into the college process because they would see that while they may feel the pressure to get the right scores, that is not the reality.

For a senior preparing for college, one of the biggest aspects of the application process is the personal essay. This type of essay requires students to get vulnerable and personal about events and activities in their lives and requires students to

acknowledge their flaws and explain how they overcame them or learned from them. Yet, it is difficult to write about flaws having only grown up in an environment that hides or denies them. If students had the mindset that flaws were necessary and important to understand in order to grow from them and improve, these essays would be far easier to write because students could get real and honest about their lives without feeling ashamed of admitting their flaws.

Promoting this growth mindset not only provides a more realistic view of students, but it is also tied into the 12 Benjamin Core Values that are so highly regarded. Two of the traits are acceptance and responsibility. By accepting your flaws, the responsibility of growing as a person and improving yourself becomes possible.

For example, the Palm Beach Post reported about the Jupiter football team (https://www.palmbeachpost. com/sports/high-school-football/ despite-straight-losses-jupiter-football-team-remains-hopeful/jZrMJwNipduuectQavKCmL/). Rather than an article that merely praised the team’s hard work while ignoring their lack of on-field successes, the entire piece revolved around the

idea that the team had a streak of 30 straight losses, one of the highest losing streaks since 2009. This article was an accurate, factual article that explained the losses, but the overwhelming message was that the team was hopeful for a win and would continue to work hard throughout the season. By revealing the negatives, the team was able to focus on self-improvement, rather than try to hide its losses.

This article is a perfect example of how a negative situation can be turned into an opportunity to improve, and it shows so many aspects of the traits we uphold at Benjamin, such as perseverance, personal responsibility, and humility.

We do not know when the pandemic is going to end or what will happen in the future, but recognizing imperfections and improving as a whole is something we should be doing every day.

We can be more authentic. We can be better. *The Editorial is the opinion of The Pharcyde and therefore does not have a singular name attributed to it.

Amy Coney Barrett Nominated for SCOTUS Seat

Following Justice Ginsberg’s death, Trump quickly moves to fill position.

By Gerald Bissel Staff Writer

Following the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the president has announced his plans to fill the vacant seat, and contrary to arguments against his plans, the government has a duty to consider Trump’s nominee for the position.

At a Rose Garden event on Saturday, September 26th, President Trump announced his selection of Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee to fill the ninth seat on the Supreme Court. On the political Left, many argue that not only is Judge Barrett unfit to serve but also that the Senate shouldn’t even proceed with the nomination process with the presidential election only a month away.

Those on the Right think otherwise; Senator McConnell has made it clear that a nominee will be considered and confirmed before election day.

According to a tweet posted by Senator McConnell, the “ Senate majority will do exactly the same thing in 2020 that we did in 2016: Follow Senate history, follow the clear precedent in each situation, and do exactly the job we were elected to do.”

In response, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer of New York has stated “The American people should

the

PHARCYDE

have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”

As the Senate’s leaders’ comments suggest, there are two clear points of inquiry that now dominate the national dialogue: Should Judge Barrett be considered for office, and is she qualified?

In regards to the first question, since our Nation’s founding, there have been twenty-nine vacancies in election years; in all twenty-nine cases, the President has made a nomination. Of those, nineteen occurred when the President and Senate majority shared the same party and seventeen were confirmed.

Many compare the present to the 2016 vacancy when Senate Republicans blocked President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland. These critics fail to recognize that the Senate and Presidency did not share the same party. In history, this has occurred ten times; only twice has the Senate confirmed the nominee in such instances.

What about Republican senators who, like Lindsay Graham, said they wouldn’t consider a Supreme Court nominee in an election year? It’s politics. The nature of politics has been partisan since, well, Joe Biden was elected to the Senate 180 years ago.

Senators and representatives are

going to say things to please their constituents, whether hypocritical or not. In 1988, President Bush famously declared that he would not raise taxes; when he did just that two years later, it sank his bid for reelection. President Obama had a similar reversal, when he first decried-- then accepted-- public campaign financing.

Even Honest Abe himself, President Lincoln, changed his mind by acting contrary to his public positions by putting an end to slavery during the Civil War. Just as sure as the calendar changes, so too do the positions of elected officials. Remember that many Democrats touted #DoYourJob in 2016. We shouldn’t be surprised when Senate Republicans exercise their Constitutional duty to consider a Supreme Court nomination.

Chuck Schumer said, “Every day that goes by without a ninth justice is another day the American people’s business is not getting done.”

Similarly, senior Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California stated, “The court needs nine justices to function properly. It is vital to our judicial system.”

Republicans are merely now agreeing with the Democrats’ stance.

Instead of holding a successful touchdown party in a figurative “Senate Unity” endzone, the Democrats are running back to the opposite side of

the field!

History shows us that Judge Barrett’s nomination can--and should-- be taken up by the Senate; the national debate, therefore, can shift to whether she deserves the legislature’s consent.

Judge Barrett has had a short history on the Seventh Circuit, yet her tenured legal background that exhibits her judicial philosophy.

After graduating from Notre Dame Law School, she clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia with whom she shares many judicial principles.

Barrett is a textualist; she derives her opinion directly from the Constitution while withholding personal opinions from her judicial arguments and this makes her a great pick for supporters of originalism, regardless of political opinion.

It is easy to dissect each policy area one-by-one and criticize the nominee by linking it to her personal background; but, after one reads her rulings, it is evident that Judge Barrett is consistent with the law. She recently echoed this sentiment, saying that “a judge must apply the law as written.

Judges are not policy makers, and they must be resolute in setting aside any policy views they might hold.”

For example, earlier this month she joined colleague Diane Wood (appointed by President Clinton) in rejecting the Illinois Republican Party’s challenge to Democratic

governor J.B. Pritzker’s orders due to COVID-19.

In Box v. Planned Parenthood, she reached the same conclusion as sitting Justices Kagan and Alito did in their 7-2 ruling on.

While many will claim that Barrett asserted her Catholic background into the case, she interpreted the law in the same fashion as did seven of the nine justices on the Supreme Court, including Jewish Justices Kagan and Breyer. We can’t pick and choose when to attack justices and deem it acceptable to go after their faith.

Judge Barrett has also written extensively on the topic of stare decisis, the principle of accepting previous court rulings as law that cannot be overruled. In her thesis “Originalism and Stare Decisis,” Barrett dissents from Justice Scalia’s belief on the matter and argues that previous rulings may be overturned in the future if they’re inconsistent with the Constitution.

With a threat from Democrats to impose term limits on the judiciary and to pack the court, it is imperative for the Senate to appoint justices willing to defend a Constitution that has bolstered this great nation throughout much of its history.

Considering the increasingly politicized climate of American civics, Judge Barrett will be an important addition to the Roberts court.

EDITORIAL BOARD

GENERAL

ADVERTISEMENTS

QUOTATION POLICY

Founded in 1980 as The Spectator

Molly Fried, Co-Editor-in-Chief Skyler Zur, Co-Editor-in-Chief

16 October 2020

Sophia Liporace, Executive Editor

Volume 42, Issue 2

The Benjamin School 4875 Grandiflora Road Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418 Contact Information Phone: 561-472-5998, ext. 2119 Fax: 561-691-8823 Advisor Dr. John Peruggia john.peruggia@thebenjaminschool.org

MISSION STATEMENT

Tvisha Goel, News Editor Grace Kearns, Features Editor Evan Liberman, Photography Editor Charlie Spungin, Sports Editor Nadia Poncy, Social Media/Breaking News Director

STAFF WRITERS Gerald Bissell Catherine Civitella Matthew Marasco

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.

The Pharcyde, the Upper School newspaper of The Benjamin School, is published seven times a year. copies of The Pharcyde are distributed to students and 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 skyler.zur21@thebenjaminschool.org or molly.fried21@thebenjaminschool.org.

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

The price of a quarter-page advertisement is $30.00/issue. The price of a business card advertisement is $15.00/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.

Anyone interviewed by The Pharcyde will have the chance to correct and edit their quotations before the paper goes to press.

If they would like to change their interview before the quote confirmations get sent out, they can contact the student who interviewed them and ask to redo the interview.

MEMBERSHIP

The Pharcyde is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association, American Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

The Pharcyde

Student Voices

16 October 2020

Desantis’ Environmental Report Card

By Grace Kearns, Features Editor

Everglades Restoration

C

Blue-Green Algae

F

Pollution

C-

Animal Protection Oil

Plastic Waste Climate Change

C+ D BD-

DeSantis has proposed a hefty budget to help restore the Everglades. He helped get funding for the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir, but the functions of the reservoir do not benefit the Everglades in any way.

The Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir sends the polluted water into the Caloosahatchee River and the St. Lucie River. DeSantis has not taken any action towards dissolving the deals that are one of the main causes for blue-green algae DeSantis’ reservoir plans such as fracking and increase in burning oil, increase pollution and have no real impact on lessening the creation and spread of it.

DeSantis promotes the removal of Burmese pythons, which would greatly benefit the wildlife. However, he allowed for the building of toll roads, which destroy wildlife’s habitat.

DeSantis has voted to allow Tampa Electric Company to increase its burning of fracked gas. DeSantis has made no effort to stop this, despite openly speaking against fracking.

DeSantis has vetoed a bill that would ban plastic straws. At first glance, this veto negatively impacted plastic waste, however, the limitation of plastic waste was benefited by the veto.

DeSantis allowed for an increase in fracking as well as the burning of fossil fuels negatively impacts the environment and allows for growth in climate change.

Page 5

A Most Fond Farewell

Community reflects on Dean Ball and Mrs. August

By Evan Liberman Photography Editor

As students returned to campus this fall, two long-time faculty members departed. 21-year veteran math teacher Ms. Linda August embarked on a life of retirement, and Dean of Students Ms. Suzanne Ball shifted into a new role as a second-grade teaching assistant in the Lower School.

Ms. August leaves behind countless memories for students and faculty alike.

Veteran Math teacher Ms. Carol McGrath, who knows Ms. August well, recalls her unwavering commitment to teaching over a decade ago. “I remember when I first started teaching here that I came in early and always found Mrs. August had been here at least a half- hour before me. Quite often, I’d be leaving after coaching volleyball or cross country and her car would still be in the parking lot,” she notes.

Junior Trey Parker, who had Ms. August also remembers her in a positive light, especially when he had her as an underclassman. “She was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. She was always available before and after school to help her students. [All in all,] she wanted us to succeed, and she gave us a chance to do well,” he said.

Alumnus Nicky Amato, who had Ms. August as a teacher his freshman year, remembers her unwavering kindness. “[She] always gave us candy before each test, which was very thoughtful. When I decided to take Honors Pre-Calculus sophomore year, she helped me out with some of the material I needed to know. She’s a great person and an amazing teacher who truly cares about each and every student,” Amato said.

Ms. Laura Priola, a second-year Math teacher, was grateful for Ms. August’s presence when she first came to Benjamin. “Ms. August helped me out in so many ways last year… If I had any questions, she was right there to help out. Her sweet demeanor and genuine care for each student will always be remembered,” Priola said.

Math Department Chair Mr. Michael Ruggie has worked with Ms. August since he came to Benjamin 6 years ago. “I would always hear: “Hi, Honey!” Everyone was her “honey,” and she truly loved each and every one of her students,” Ruggie said.

Senior and President of the Jewish Student Union (JSU) Andrew Weisz is motivated by Ms. August, who was the faculty advisor to the club. “... [O]ne day when we had a meeting, she was sitting there, observ[ing], [while] we were having a great time. After the meeting, she goes up to me and says: “that was one of the best club meetings I have ever been a part of–that was amazing.” That message has stuck with me ever since. Because of it, I’ve tried to make JSU the best possible club,” Weisz commented.

Members of the School community also fondly remember Dean Ball.

English teacher Dr. John Peruggia coached with the former Dean of Students. “Dean Ball was my assistant basketball coach for the girl’s JV basketball team… I will never forget taking bus trips with her because she would always get mad at me for driving too slowly. One day we left [to get] Chipotle; I didn’t know where Chipotle was, so I had to look it up on my phone, and, as I was driving, she kept screaming “I’m hungry! I’m hungry! Go now.

I need food.” That is a good memory,” he said.

Continue reading on page 11

College Board Process for Accommodations is Flawed Editors discuss their experiences with College Board extra time accommodations.

By Molly Fried Co-Editor-in-Chief &

By Sophia Liporice Executive Editor

The College Board is the company that administers many standardized tests that high school students are advised to take, such as the PSAT, AP exams, SAT. When a student struggles with disabilities, such as visual impairments, learning disorders, and physical and medical impairments, he or she can apply for accommodations to ensure a testing experience that is comparable to other students.

The College Board grants accommodations of different types. The most common is extended time, with options such as x1.5 time and x2 time. On a 60 minute subject test, for instance, time and a half would be 90 minutes and double time would be 120 minutes. However there are other types such as larger fonts, two-day testing, and a scantron-free option.

The process to apply for accommodations differs from student to student based on disability, but it generally consists of a parent or guardian filling out a form that allows for the School’s counselor to open a request, the counselor entering necessary information regarding the accommodation such as details of student’s disability and the type of accommodation

they are requesting. Most times, there must be documentation to validate the disability. Finally, the College Board reviews the application and will either grant or deny the request. If he/she is denied accommodations, the student may reapply.

As we both have College Board accommodations, we have decided to share our experiences as they are different takes on what occurred.

Time Provides Focus for Fried I am pretty open about having ADHD, it’s common in up to 5% of adults worldwide. I lose focus, I get testing anxiety, and I have so much energy in me, it is hard to remain calm in a testing environment. These factors make me struggle, and academic tasks often become more difficult.

The biggest issue I faced in the process for accommodations was deciding I needed them. For so long, no one thought I might need help because I do well in school. There is, unfortunately, a stigma that surrounds things like accommodations in today’s society, and getting myself to talk to my doctor about my issues with testing and schoolwork was overwhelming.

However, once we decided that time and a half was right for me, I did not face any challenges in my application.

My process was relatively straightforward. I did the required testing in February of 2019, had my doctor do a writeup, got teacher recommendations, and provided all of the documentation to the College Board. By early May I had been approved for extended time.

There are, of course, downsides to making tests longer. For ones that tend to be lengthy, I often find myself having to run up and down the hallway for a minute before returning, or drawing in the margins as a method to refocus my attention. The SAT, for example, is around 5 hours and 10 minutes for time and a half, and so during the test I used the breaks given after each section to walk around the testing room and get out some of the anxious energy.

Another downside to accommodations is the backlash I sometimes face by my peers. People assume that because I am in higher level courses, I do not need accommodations, and I only have them to do better than everyone else. However, people fail to recognize that the point of accommodations is not to give an advantage, but rather to allow students with learning disabilities to have an equal opportunity to perform well.

Accomodations allow Sophia to See Things More Clearly I am also relatively open about having a congenital eye condition called Nystagmus as it is something that has affected my education since I started school; however, getting the accommodations necessary for me to succeed was nowhere near as easy as Molly’s process.

I started the process in October of 2018 when I applied for a larger font on my tests after struggling on the PSAT. That was approved instantaneously, but I decided this accommodation was useless and an

unnecessary hassle.

In March of 2020, I decided that extended time (time and a half) would be the best way for me to have a level playing field. With the help of Dr. Taylor, I submitted my application with all the necessary information including 2 letters from teachers.

Despite my efforts, I got denied the extra time and was asked for more information. I then reapplied, this time submitting numerous papers from my neuro opthamologist that validated my condition.

In May I was rejected for the second time. After a great deal of frustration with the process, I took matters into my own hands.

I submitted 3 letters from teachers and 1 letter from my ACT tutor who had administered a diagnostic test for me along with information from a doctor’s visit from July and all the other required paperwork. I also called the College Board, explaining my situation and was guaranteed a response in 2 weeks rather than having to wait another 8 weeks for a third decision.

After almost 5 months of applications and paperwork, I was approved

by College Board for time and a half on standardized testing.

While Molly and I each have different circumstances under which our accommodations were approved, the textbook process remains the same as explained by Head of Student Services Dr. Amy Taylor.

“The application process for extended time starts at the school site

when a student presents documentation for the need. That documentation must come from a licensed professional. Once it is established that there is a need, a formal meeting occurs. In terms of ACT and the College Board, I have to process the applications for extended time and provide the documentation, but all decisions are made independent of the school,” she said.

After handling these types of situations for nearly 30 years, Dr. Taylor agrees that accommodations are necessary to level the playing field in standardized testing. She said, “In our times, there should be no stigma for needing accommodations. Almost 25% of our students need some form of accommodation at Benjamin, ranging from medical to academic to emotional issues.

Under the [Americans with Disabilities Act], accommodations are a legal requirement.”

However, with accommodations so easily accessible, some students have found a way to manipulate the system so that they can gain an unfair advantage. As a result of this, Dr. Taylor says both the College Board and the ACT have become stricter in their requirements for accommodations.

While my condition is more objective than Molly’s which is more subjective, extended time is necessary for both of us to have a fair chance at success on standardized tests which is why it is imperative that resources such as extended time remain available.

Page 6

16 October 2020

The Pharcyde

Remote Learning Greatly Impacts Students’ Mental Health

By Tvisha Goel News Editor Amidst the School’s decision to implement a hybrid system of schooling, students are split on whether the effects of the virtual environment are detrimental to their well-being.

According to a February 23rd, 2018 Medical News Today article (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ articles/321019#Social-context-determines-healthful-habits), written by Maria Cohut, social interaction is key to good health. The article states that “when we communicate with people face-to-face, it could help to make us more resilient to stress factors in the long run.” While this is an example of the mental health benefits, the article also discusses the physical health benefits that result from social interaction.

“Being around people who encourage us to keep healthful habits or achieve challenging lifestyle goals could help us to remain mindful of our eating, exercise, and other lifestyle-related habits.”

Experiencing the negative effects of the lack of a social life while being quarantined from friends and participating in virtual school, junior Kiley Malmberg says, “I am adjusting to being online as best I can, even though it is tough with people now being in school. It has definitely affected my mental health. It makes me sad that I can’t be there with my peers, as I miss having that everyday interaction.”

Despite the difficulties and obstacles Malmberg experiences due to COVID-19 and the consequential hybrid situation, she acknowledges that “[her] teachers are doing their best to include [virtual students].”

Senior Madde Hart also feels as though virtual school has become detrimental to her mental health. “It’s a lot harder than I was expecting. When you’re a kid, so many of your actions are driven by conformity because you don’t want to be an outsider, but now we’re literally watching all our friends have fun from the outside,” she says.

“It reminds me of the Greek myth of Tantalus - it’s hard to stay happy in the face of these challenges when you feel like you’re being forced to watch what you know you can’t have.”

A report given by No Isolation (https://www.noisolation.com/global/ research/consequences-of-social-isolation-for-children-and-adolescents/) addresses the consequences of being in social isolation, which many students have resorted to due to COVID-19 enduring prominence in the country, and in Florida especially. It states how “humans are social beings.” The report cites a study conducted by scientists at the Norwegian Social Research Institute (NOVA) in which they compared students who had close friends to confide in and those who do not. The result showed that “a significantly greater proportion of those lacking a close friend reported having depressive symptoms than those with close friends.” While

College Experience Affected by COVID, Alumna Adjusts to Quarantine

By Sophia Liporace Executive Editor As the college semester begins, universities are putting forth their best effort to keep the outbreaks of COVID-19 under control which has caused some students to be put into a state of isolation for durations ranging from 1 to 5 weeks.

2020 graduate and current student at University of Mississippi Sarah Caroline Crall is among several of the School’s alumni to have their college experience heavily altered due to the pandemic.

While Crall never tested positive for COVID-19, she was put into isolation as soon as her roommate,who later tested positive for the virus, started having symptoms.

Some universities such as the University of Miami have chosen to use entire floors of dorms for quarantine, but others like Ole Miss have used hotels. Crall says she stayed in The Inn at Ole Miss.

Crall also added that being away from her social and academic life took a significant toll on her mental health.

“I was emotionally drained from sitting in my room all day and not having any in-person interactions.

It was hard especially towards the end of my isolation period, to find motivation to do anything other than sleep when I was stuck in the room.”

Even though she was away from her friends, Crall tried to find some

positive aspects in this experience.

“I tried to catch up on some Zoom classes I missed since I had no distractions in my room. I also had [sorority] rush during my quarantine, so I was fortunately able to have something to get dressed up for in the evenings and to be able to talk to the girls at night over zoom.

I ended up being able to pledge Tri Delta which I was very excited about.”

Faculty member Lisa Badolati also experienced the effects of students in quarantine when her daughter at the University of Florida tested positive for COVID-19 after spending time with friends that had tested positive; however rather than being isolated in Gainesville, she decided she would be more comfortable isolating at home with her family.

Crall has observed that both faculty and students have been sympathetic towards students in isolation and have even made gestures to make the students feel more comfortable.

“I was there for 14 days in total and several times, my family and friends sent me flowers and extra groceries and sweet care packages.

My friends even brought me Chick Fil A one day which was a sweet surprise. I was in isolation during Tri Delta’s bid day, so it was hard to see all the excitement on Instagram and be stuck in isolation and left out, but I am glad I could do my part to keep people safe.”

At Ole Miss, Sarah Caroline Crall was quarantined because her roommate tested positive for COVID. Although isolation was difficult, she was glad to have the support of her friends and family.

(Graphic by Molly Fried)

While learning virtually, one student is frustrated and stressed, while the other is unconcerned on her phone. Although some students feel more comfortable learning virtual for health reasons, it can seriously impact mental health.

(Photo by Evan Liberman)

COVID-19 will not keep students stuck inside forever, “school absence leads to less social interaction and can result in some children completely losing touch with friends.”

Although many studies have shown the negative side effects of social isolation, some students do not mind being at home, either due to the fact that they enjoy the comfort of their home or merely because they believe the magnitude of the situation outweighs the desire to be at school and with their peers.

Senior Crystal Pauldo enjoys the idea of attending classes at home. She says

that she is adjusting to online school easily. In fact, when asked about the effect of virtual school on her health, she said, “I feel my mental health is healthier at home then it was at school. I think Benjamin should have implemented an online option years ago. Some students find it harder to enjoy learning when being in the Benjamin Bubble, and it is nice to be able to do that from home.”

While Pauldo simply enjoys online school, Senior Aidan Le is more than happy to sacrifice his social life for the safety of his family and himself. “Often the benefits of staying home are enough to offset the worries of missing out on

{P}

people at school,” he says. When he was asked about whether seeing people attending school in person is making him contemplate his decision about remaining virtual, he said, “No, no it isn’t.

Maybe for ease of learning; however, I would like fully functioning lungs by the time I’m 30.”

Regardless of whether students are in favor of virtual school or believe that it is detrimental to their health, they acknowledge that they are in it for the long run, just as COVID-19 is.

You have a voice.

Share it.

See Dr. Taylor or Dr. Yates to sign up now to join The Pharcyde this Spring!

Benjamin Reflects on 9/11 with Live-streamed Ceremony

By Grace Kearns Features Editor September 11th, 2020 marked the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Despite COVID-19, alterations were made and both The Benjamin School and the U.S held annual ceremonies to remember the event and honor the lives lost.

Benjamin’s ceremony was remote, held by BTVNews, which allowed virtual students to also attend. The program was led by Student Council President Andrew Weisz and featured a screening of Boatlift, a 2011 documentary focusing on the boats that responded to calls from the U.S Coast Guard to help evacuate citizens after the attacks. It remains the largest maritime evacuation in American history, with 500,000 people being shuttled off of Lower Manhattan to safety.

The ceremony also featured senior Briley Crisafi, who did a reading of the poem “The Names,” written by Billy Collins. The poem was written about and was released less than a year after 9/11. Collins wrote about the grief he felt after the tragic event and the emotional toll it took on him. The name of the poem references the names of people whose lives were lost, and the poem remains a reminder of both the lives lost and the pain felt by everyone in the country. The poem was followed by a moment of silence to honor the lives lost on September 11.

While Benjamin decided to hold

a virtualized program, the nation remembered the events of September 11th by hosting an annual ceremony in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC, having people wear masks and social distance at each one to limit contact and spread.

A moment of silence was held at 8:46 AM ET at the site of the World Trade Center, as that is the time and location where the first attack occurred. In New York, the names of the victims were pre-recorded and played over a speaker, as opposed to what usually happens every year; the family members go on stage and read their relatives’ names. These precautions were taken to avoid close contact between people as the nation adjusts to the new normal.

In Washington, DC, Congress members stood in front of the Capitol to hold a moment of silence as well.

In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the attack on the Pentagon

occurred, two remembrance bells were rung to honor the lives lost in the event. President Trump attended and spoke at the event, giving a short speech about the bravery of the passengers on the planes, as well as the first responders who aided in the aftermath. Democratic candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden visited the memorial later that day and laid a wreath at the site.

While 9/11 marks the occurrence of such a tragic event in US history, it has defined terrorism in America.

Unfortunately, these incidents can occur at any time, any place, and by anyone. Although America, led by fear, accidentally fueled stereotypes and formed phobias and biases against certain groups and religions, the important aspect and result from incidents like 9/11 and other terrorist attacks, is the fact that the U.S came together as one, showing the emotional strength humans hold within.

To reflect on 9/11, Benjamin had a special virtual assembly where the School played a short film, Briley Crisafi read a poem, and the community observed a moemnt of silence.

(Photo courtesy of BTV)

6

0 IN

S I X T Y The Pharcyde gathered 60-word quotes from 60 people throughout the School’s history for the 60th anniversary this year.

Suzy Benjamin: “Growing up with the School was magic mixed with a lot of adventure. Benjamin will present you with the best of times, lifelong friends, and many memorable experiences. I think my parents would be very proud of the progress we have made as a school and say ‘Experience the thrill of the climb but stay true to who we are.’”

Conner Kempe: “Two overarching principles that I can attribute to Benjamin: education and community. By education I mean, the advanced, driving curriculum, the technology implementation in the classroom, and the one-on-one nature of the student-teacher relationship. By community I mean every nature of the word: the lifetime friends made, the influence of those individuals friends and families, and the competitive athletics offered.” Ron Ream: “I began teaching when The Benjamin School first opened the high school. The first day they opened a ninth grade was my first year of teaching. I would like to think one of the big impacts I had was as one of the original high school teachers, [and] I was a pillar to the school and helped set the foundation.” Marion White: “In the early years of BASH, the gym was always transformed for the big event. One year, the winds were so awful, the adjacent tent blew down and the festivities were moved into the classrooms last minute. It was amazing and a real testament to amazing people and all of our love for Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin and their school.” Kimberly August: “One of my favorite teachers was Senora Arpa. She set high standards for us and led a challenging Spanish class. While she accepted nothing short of our best efforts, she was also extremely caring. Not only did she help me perfect my subjunctive tense, but she also helped direct me on a path to seek out challenges within supportive environments.” Riley Burke:“PFP was my favorite part of Benjamin because I was collaborating with students and teachers as part of this larger artistic expression collective. I see the beginnings of myself as an artist, individually and as a member of the group, when I look back at rehearsals, Backdoor Cafes and Variety shows. These experiences have shaped my approach to music today.” Juan Jaramillo: “I have been working [at Benjamin] for eleven years. The best memory [I have] of Benjamin was the fifty year celebration. It was a good one. It happened in Benjamin Hall. It was great to see what Benjamin did for all the families and all the members. Being part of the group I work with is something I really appreciate.” Lisa Arline: “I’m thankful to have had the privilege of attending and teaching at Benjamin, where my passion for French began in kindergarten. My favorite thing about the school is how much the teachers, staff, and administration care and strive to make it second to none. The feeling of family permeates to the very core of who we are here at Benjamin.” Linda Twitchell: “After years of setting up the college fair and contacting representatives, I got to know them very well and we became friends. It became a great time to touch base, and learn what was going on with their colleges. It’s an honor to have the fair named after me, but I still think the highlight is the food parents make!” Amanda Pierman: “It was peculiar coming back as a teacher after being a student. The biggest challenge was working alongside the teachers that had taught me. I still can’t call them by their first names even though they have requested it many times!

This is my 15th year, but Mr. Feyk and Mrs. Salivar will always be Mr. Feyk and Mrs. Salivar!” Ryan Berube: “Coach Cavanah basically took me from where I was at fourteen all the way through my senior year and brought me to my first Olympic trials, so he was a huge formative piece of my career, and I couldn’t have made it without him. Preparing me for post-pool, he was about setting me up and preparing me well for college.” Bob Hohnadel: “Every year, we have talented kids who accomplish their goals and do great, and as a coach, it makes me excited. I only planned to be the cross country coach for three years, but every year, we kept getting great kids, and I kept saying ‘one more year’ and before I knew it, I’d been coaching Benjamin for 31 years.” Robyn Quaid: “Benjamin has always been about the lasting relationships students and their teachers built. Alumnae will cite building close, positive relationships with teachers as foundational to their successes at college and workplace. Knowing the teachers and staff as I do, I am confident students will always value the bonds they form with teachers, as three-year-olds on through their Upper School years.” Sandy O’Connor: “The School became our family, and our lives revolved around the School. The kids loved going to school every day. I loved being on campus everyday. I couldn’t do enough for the school because I just thought it was the best place for my children to be. It made them into such great people, and I wanted to give back.” Dave Bailey: “Day one, August 1998, two weeks after getting a phone call from Ron Ream, asking me to come work with him. One moment I remembered was seeing the assemblies and lineups. To me, these events are the essence of Benjamin comradery and community. We celebrate, mourn, cheer, and stand up for each other, creating memories from Lower School through graduation.” Marisol Tejera-Mede: “The biggest impact I have made at Benjamin is when I help students become the best they can be, and when they leave Benjamin, they still thank me for all I have done for them or ask me for my advice on some things. This makes me feel they value my tough love and appreciate my unconditional love for them.” Juan Carlos Fanjul: “I remember my senior year being cast as a member of the musical Fame. Sra. Salivar knew I couldn’t sing worth a lick, but gave me the character of “Joe” and turned it into a speaking-only role. I did sing in the chorus, but everyone knew I was awful. As a teenager, I appreciated how she made space for me.” Aidan Brown: “My favorite part of the Middle School is field day because it’s a day where I can just have fun with my friends without having to focus in school. I’m on the orange team, and my favorite event is the obstacle course because I like the slide. I think it might be rigged because it alternates who wins every year.” Nidhi McVicar: “One of my favorite Benjamin memories was the Homecoming assembly and competition every year. I loved the intricate dance performances that students choreographed and the dress up days. On ‘Twins Day,’ Miss Misselhorn and I dressed as twins and had signs pointing to my belly because I was pregnant with twins! The shared celebrations and community joy were absolutely fantastic.”

Jay Salvig: “To have had the chance to be involved in the planning, design and construction of the campus was very special. I recall being on campus the weekend after we had just opened and looking around, overwhelmed by the facility we had created. It was the first time I could admire the space without worrying about what had to be done.”

Mark Swift: “When our secret society of Benjamin Pranksters was caught senior year (our crimes were numerous, including filling the Dean’s office with 438 rolls of toilet paper and parking the yellow school bus on the football field), instead of expelling us, Dr. Ridgeway held a mock trial in our constitutional law class. Great teachers find a way to reach every student.” Sara Misselhorn: “I love The Benjamin School; I came in 7th grade. We did it all - sports, school, student council, yearbook - it was fun because it was so small. I was the first female senior class president at Benjamin. When I started as a history teacher, I was reminded of how I loved the students, the environment, and the achievable high standards.” Daniel Ditaranto: “My favorite thing about Benjamin is the time and dedication that my teachers gave me in my 14 years at the school. I would not be as successful in my legal career without the help they gave me before and after school hours. They taught me skills and fostered a strong work ethic that I use on a daily basis.” Carolyn Montini: “My retirement has given me time to focus on the many joys of my 45 years (1973-2018) teaching at TBS. Some of my favorites are producing approximately 135 various themed programs with my students, some of which I wrote myself, and I loved working with Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin during the start of my great career at the Lower School.” Meghan Steiner: “Respect for the environment is a Benjamin tradition I have maintained into adulthood. In high school and college I joined environmental clubs, and in college I helped start a recycling program in my dorm. I have passed down this love of nature to my children, and both of them enjoy being outdoors and have an appreciation for the natural world.” Phyllis Wissner: “I loved teaching at Benjamin. It felt as if you were part of a family working with great faculty, staff, and students. I have many fond memories. Some of the best memories were the Spirit Week activities. No matter what their theme was, the seniors always made sure they had a toga day! Every year was better than the last.” Chelie Casey: “I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to serve in leadership roles during my four years at the school that I know wouldn’t have happened elsewhere. Rise over run may not be something I needed in my career, but the enthusiasm and humor in which it was delivered in the classroom

by Mr. Ream has spilled into my career.” Kathleen Devine: “Benjamin truly rallied together after our tragedy on 9/11. The lower and middle schools came together and formed

When the sun breaks free of the sea, and dawn comes again, my Alma Mater fends me, beloved Benjamin. Like a ray of shining light, welcomes me back home. Keeps us in sight throughout the night, sweet Benjamin, her own. Nestled ‘neath the palms, glorious and green, ever she’s victorious, our Alma Mater Queen.

Through laughter and tears, we’ll stay ever true, we’re Buccaneers through all the years, we love you orange and blue. a map of the United States on Kennerly Field. Dressed in red, white, and blue faculty and students stood in designated places as Mr. Sanders and a few parents climbed aboard cherry pickers and took the photo that commemorated our loss.” Erlana Larkins: “My best memory from Benjamin] is winning my first championship as a seventh grader. [My coaches would preach] attitude determines altitude. It’s both an honor and a pleasure to be the all-time leading scorer after sixteen years. The education is key because without it, there’s no basketball, and it gives you something to fall back on once sports are done. Mrs. Jane Niebch: “When I was Marshall Benjamin’s assistant, we had that incredible Halloween parade. I was so impressed by people showing up--the parents came dressed up in costumes to the nines. They went out of their way: complete body makeup and outfits. Marshall used to get so excited about it. He was like Willy Wonka: he had a whole parade around him.” Amy Taylor: “When we were still on the other campus, during Homecoming, Head of School Rod Kehl was asked to make a shot from half-court. The promise was, if he made [it], we would have a day off. So, we all sat and watched the ball drop neatly in the basket; the [kids] erupted and swarmed the court in disbelief and excitement.”

Anne Kearns: “My family grew with Benjamin. It seems like yesterday when our baby, Grace, was born. I remember bringing her to the Olympics, and my students took turns holding her. This school has been a second home and family for me and my children. I will hold each and every one of my ‘Kearns Kids’ [her students] in my heart forever!” Ken Didsbury: “I miss my interaction with all the wonderful staff and the students. I miss the camaraderie of The Pharcyde staff; they were so much fun. We worked hard to produce a terrific paper. I also enjoyed finding and then convincing terrific teachers to come to work at Benjamin. Lastly I enjoyed solving problems so that Benjamin became a better school.” Lama Brothers (Gabriel, Roberto, Nicolas): “We are most appreciative of the opportunity to engage with incredible and passionate faculty and the bonds we forged with teachers throughout the years. One of our favorite memories is competing in Coach Cheatham’s 5th-grade family dodgeball competition. Playing alongside our dad and each other against other families in the Benjamin community was an event that we will never forget.” Sara Salivar: “When I came to TBS, I felt I had ‘returned home’, since I am also a product of an independent school. I attended an excellent school in Lima, Peru, and TBS, with its motto of ‘Nulli Secundus,’ reminded me of the education I had received. I wanted to be a part of preparing young students for a bright college future.” Anita Spassoff: “My fondest memory of Benjamin [is] of Mr. Benjamin standing in front of the school, bending down to shake each child’s hand, and saying, ‘Good morning, friend.’ He taught both of my sons to read. The Benjamins have built something truly important that is still so strong today, and I am proud to have been a part in its growth” Joanna Hogan: “I have spent more time at TBS than anywhere else in my life except maybe at home! I cannot think of a better place to be (especially in 2020!) and am grateful every day to Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin for having such a vision 60 years ago. Their legacy has lived on, and will continue to do so. Nulli secundus!” Perry Feyk: “The Tuesday after school reopened from Hurricane Andrew, which fortunately spared the school but hit Miami, Head Rod Kehl told us [in assembly] that our fellow schools down south were hurting, and said ‘we have to do something’. The next day the school maintenance staff and over half the seniors volunteered and headed south to help out our fellow schools.” Robin Ifft: “During the few first years at Benjamin I remember a few wonderful things, I remember after almost every year a new grade was added to expand the growing school. I remember how prominent Mrs. and Mr. Benjamin were in the classrooms. Not only did they care about the well-being of the school they cared about the education they were giving.” Barbara Nicklaus: “After moving from Ohio, we were getting ready to send our oldest to Kindergarten in 1966. A friend of ours had children at North Palm Beach Private School and told us we needed to go over and look at the school and meet Nancy and Marshall Benjamin, so that’s exactly what we did. Benjamin has come a long way since.” Grayson Murphy: “I remember when Mrs. Quaid, the former Head of the Lower School, retired. The whole Lower School got together at the playground to give her a going-away party. She moved to Australia. It was sad because we all liked her a lot. Now, there is a house at green dot named after her. It truly was a very cool experience.” Barret Saunders: “As both a Benjamin alum and current employee, the thing that makes Benjamin stand out the most to me is the people. Both in my time as a student and during my time coaching at the school, I have made life long friends and met some of the most genuine people I have ever met. Congrats on 60 years, Benjamin.”Jameson Mcgillicuddy: “My favorite thing about Benjamin is telling all my friends my favorite colors. I play ‘chicken nugget’ at recess with all my friends. Chicken nugget is when you’re the chicken nugget and someone chases you. When I grow up, I want to be a race car driver, so I can drive really fast! My favorite car is my shark car.” Tom Rooney: “As a freshman, I went out for football. One game, a penalty was called on me, and I lost the game. Afterwards, I met this old man in a wheelchair, who whispered, ‘that was a bad call.’ I was later told it was Marshall Benjamin. In one brief interaction, he encompassed all twelve character traits and that spirit lives on.” Charles Hagy: “The older I get, the more I can appreciate the special moments with students and colleagues. I try to step back at different times during the day to take in what is really happening around me. There just is no place I know of like The Benjamin School. Serving our students is one of the great joys of my life.” Richard Benson: “My favorite thing about baseball at Benjamin was playing with my high school best friends and growing up with their being my teammates. The many coaches I had taught me it is about having fun on the baseball field, and always working hard. Baseball is a game of failure, so you have to stay positive. They created a great atmosphere.” Kristin Sheehan: “I love so many parts of my job, but my favorite is when I go into classrooms and spend time getting to know the students. I try to get into every classroom each year to read exceptional books and choose a different book for each grade, so I share 8 books with them by the time they leave Lower School.” Peter Graham: “My favorite thing about The Benjamin School is that we didn’t just turn out students, we turned out fine young men and women. The most precious memories I have are the pride that I had to be associated with such an outstanding faculty and I think that faculty worked above and beyond The Benjamin School the best it could be.” Jeri Cole: “I joined in 1988, I did not intend to be here this long. My job truly became my ‘home away from home.’ I loved being here and did not want to leave. It was even more special because my husband taught here for 18 years and our two children, Joe ‘88 and Cheryl ‘96, provided many special memories as well.” Steve Hamel: “I started the Olympic program at Benjamin. The first year that we got the big, white tower with the flame, all the kids ran around the field passing the baton. The bleachers were full of parents watching the kids. To watch that for the first time and see these kids proud, and having parents crying, it’s something I won’t forget.” Tom Reid: Nulli Secundus/Was once a Buccaneer-/sadly, such a short year. /How proud the Benjamins would be/of the fruit of their labors I did see./From twelve values and one school room,/a mighty school did bloom./Vision achieved; work to be done for TBS to remain second to none./My year? Joy in every measure-/nothing matches my Buccaneer treasure.” Lisa Glowgower: “My favorite day of the year is definitely the Halloween Parade. The kindergarten children walk into class with anticipation and excitement and seeing this is priceless for me. In the blink of an eye, those starry-eyed children are now seniors parading around the football field in their last Halloween Parade, some in the same costume they wore in Kindergarten. Priceless.”Parker Heaton: “I have been going to The Benjamin School for six years. My favorite thing about Benjamin is the Fine Arts classes that it offers. As a fourth grader I get the opportunity to play the guitar in the band. I also appreciate how Benjamin keeps students safe. I feel safe knowing that there are guards and gates around our school.”

Mike Poncy:” When I think “Benjamin”, what jumps out is the gymnasium. I suspect it’s similar for other members of the Poncy clan, like my volleyball cousin, Adrienne (‘97), and basketball brother, Chip (‘89). Both enjoyed the roar of the crowd throughout their careers. The gym served us well because it stirred the strongest sense of what Benjamin is about: Buccaneer Pride.” Annelise Hillmann: “My fondest memories are from Layout Days, when we’d be inhaling Jupiter Donuts while furiously typing. By the end, we were delirious, but the time crunch always fueled crazy ideas, funny moments, and memories. The idea for the April Fool’s Issue came to us during one of these days, and I think it was the best issue we ever wrote.” Karen Basil: “My favorite thing about Benjamin is definitely the people. It was the people and the community we had there that made it a home for everyone. My favorite memories of Benjamin were all the days that brought us together as a community like the Olympics, reading and writing celebrations and greeting the kids everyday made it such a happy place.” Lila Remez: “In 10th grade, I had a favorite teacher, Dr. Peruggia, and even though I probably should’ve taken honors English, I opted for regular English because I really wanted to be in his class again. To this day, I still have a great relationship with him and even throughout my college career I would always send him essays for his opinion.” George Donaldson: “I’ll never forget the pageantry surrounding Homecoming; seeing the alumni in the stands and connecting with people in the network was really what made a difference to me. I met one guy who was back at school for the first time since his graduation 25 years ago, and it was really special to knowtheres a huge Benjamin community out there.” Wells Fournie: “One of my favorite moments from all of high school was the gambling themed prom from my junior year. It was something so new and different that I had never experienced before. It helped me find a bigger interest in gambling. It was a really cool experience that we had; I remember Doc planning it and he absolutely killed it.”

aks free of the sea, gain, my Alma Maed Benjamin. Like a , welcomes me back sight throughout the min, her own. Nestled orious and green, ever Alma Mater Queen. nd tears, we’ll stay ccaneers through all you orange and blue.

esignated places as Mr. Sanders and a few parents climbed aboard cherry pickers and took the photo thatPage comThe Pharcyde October 2020

11 s a seventh grader. [My coaches would preach] attitude determines altitude. It’s both an honor and a pleasure to ll, and it gives you something to fall back on once sports are done. Mrs. Jane Niebch: “When I was Marshall parents came dressed up in costumes to the nines. They went out of their way: complete body makeup and outso with thrift shopping, there e-waste.” also find pieces that are unique. popular than it already is. Referring Nadia Poncy my Taylor:By“When we were colors, theforother during Homecoming, HeadSmith of believes School Rod was asked isstill more ofon a variety a cheapercampus, Although thrifting can help you Junior Emeline to the hitKehl song “Thrift Shop” by Social Media/Breaking News price. I literally get more stuff at become more frugal and eco-conthat everyone, especially people who Mackelmore, Ms. Cohen explains, atched the ball drop neatly one inthrift thestore basket; the [kids] erupted and swarmed the and court disbelief and excitement.”

Director than I would walking scious, it is not without a downside.. love fashion clothes,in should try “If there is a song about thrift stores, Each month, the average person around the mall and probably spend Thrifting can take lots of time, esto go thrifting at least once; “I would that means it should be popular. emember bringing heralone to the Olympics, and my students took turns holding her. This schoolIf students has been a second spends about $160 on clothes at max $50.” pecially when having to go through totally encourage others to thrift. It here can [shop more at according to a publication by ClothChinese teacher Ms. Cohenmy numerous racks of clothing is sowonderful much fun and makes your style stores], they I canmiss help n my heart forever!”

“I Lei miss interaction withtrying allto the staff andconsignment the students. ingRic. These prices add upKen and can Didsbury: has also found some great deals in find items that fit your style and size. stand out.” save their parents money and get instead be spent elsewhere where it thrifting experiences. terrific “Once I Senior Tommy explains,to work Ms. Cohen agrees with Smith Lastly and itemsImore cheaply andsolving with the lso enjoyed finding and thenher convincing teachers toRose come at Benjamin. enjoyed is needed most. Rather than buying went to Goodwill and found a cotton “I’m not one to love to go through believes thrifting should be more same quality.” clothing directly from store white blouse. It is so racks ofincredible clothes for fun, so thrifting most appreciative of fronts, the opportunity tocomfortable, engage with and passionate faculty and the bonds we forged people can turn to consignment and I wear it all the time. It was only is not for me. I don’t buy a lot of shopsdodgeball for clothing of thecompetition. same quali- $4, but ifPlaying I bought it in aalongside regular clothes it is justand not worth my other against other families in the Benjamin family ourso dad each ty but for a fraction of the price. store it would have been at least time to go thrifting.”

In recent years, there has been a a $30,” she said. of an independent Thriftingschool. may also not appeal to d home’, since I am also product I attended an excellent school in Lima, Peru, and spike in the popularity of thrifting, Thrifting can not only help you many people because most consignthe act of shopping at thrift stores f preparing young students formoney, a bright college “My fondest memory of Benjamin [is] save but also help the envi- future.” ment shops orAnita thrift storesSpassoff: appear or flea markets where gently used ronment. The fashion industry is one more unkempt than regular stores, morning, friend.’

He taught both myinsons toas read.

Benjamins have built something truly important that is items are sold at discounted prices, of the mostof wasteful the world, but Ms.The Cohen believes students and the many benefits from thrifting clothes often wind up in landfills and should consider thrifting for other e at TBS than anywhere inof my life Thrifting except attheyhome! cannot think of a better place to be (especially can even be useful to the Benjamin else go out style quickly. and maybe reasons. “ If can [shop atI concommunity. consignment shops prevent clothes stores], they can help save acy hasSenior lived will continue to do so.them Nullisignment secundus!”

Perry Feyk: “The Tuesday after school reopened Hailieon, Millerand has saved from going to waste and allow their parents money and get items thrifting instead of to have a much longer use than if for cheaper with the same quality,” mbly] money thattofrom our fellow down south were hurting, and said ‘we have to do something’. The next day the going the mall.

“When I goschools to they were in turn thrown away. she said. the mall I end up spending over According to an article published There are onlyIsmall downsides ls.” Robin Ifft:almost “During the few first years at Benjamin remember a few wonderful things, I remember after a hundred dollars every

by Forbes Magazine, “A recent Pulse to pay in comparison to the many time. Some of the stores I go to are Of The Fashion Industry benefits whencare it comesabout to buying the well-being of the school they cared about Mr. Benjamin were in the classrooms.

Notreport only did they Bunulu, South Moon Under, Sephostated that fashion generates 4% of secondhand clothing. Thrifting ra, and Altar’d I have realized the waste each year, 92 mil-of ours allows you to findchildren good quality at North Palm Beach Private School and told d our oldest to State.

Kindergarten inworld’s 1966.

A friend had Students can save more money by buying recycled clothing. It is a cheaper and more that many of the stores in the mall lion tons, which is more than toxic clothing at much cheaper prices and friendly way to upgrade style.

(Graphic by Evan Liberman) sell the same trends just in different t we did. Benjamin has come a long way since.” Grayson Murphy: “Ienvironmentally remember when Mrs. Quaid, the former g-away party. She moved to Australia.

It was a lot.Friday: Now, there It’s is a house at green A Most Fond Farewell continuted from page 5sad because we all liked her Croc a Thing responsibility for students wearing currentAdmission employee, makes stand theaddition most to meByisMolly theFried people. Both in my time as a Associate the and Di-thingforthat Dean Ball’s time at Benjamin the Upper “she has been out a welcome Crocs to school as that was already a rector of Summer Programs Mr. School. “Dean Ball was a really to the Lower School. She has [also] Co-Editor-in-Chief I am proud to say Crocthing Friday genuine people I have ever unique met.educator.

Congrats years, Benjamin.”Jameson Mcgillicuddy:thing, “My favorite Christopher Nordland also crossed … [W]henon I first60 brought an infectious enthusiasm Benjamin Upper School Students is my contribution to the Benjamin paths with Dean Ball. “We worked got to the school my freshmen year and positivity to our team. And the have takenyou. to wearing Crocs, the I col-grow Community!” ds. Chicken you’re theshechicken nugget When up, I want to be a together fornugget 10+ years inis the when P.E. and knew no one, checked kids adoreand her!” someone chases orful clog shoes, on Fridays as a way Miller encourages students to emdepartment,” Nordland said. We in on me almost every day and Despite the fact that Ms. August add some fun to the School’s unient out for game, a made penalty was called onBallme, and I atlost toform. the game.

Afterwards, I met this old brace their individuality and letman go of spent a lotfootball. of time togetherOne in constantly me feel welcome. and Dean no longer teach The phenomenon, called “Croc their prejudice towards Crocs. the classroom and she became a Every student can testify that she the Upper School, they will always Friday,”on.” was started by senior Hailie nteraction, he encompassedhadallthe twelve character traits and that spirit lives Charles Hagy: older I get, “For“The so long, Crocs have been the wonderful mentor to me over the rare quality of being presremain a part of the Benjamin Miller when she saw some students subject of hate, but if you are reading years. I was and am always grateful ent and making you feel special,” family. wearing is Crocs to school. s during the day to take in what is really happening around me. There just no place I knowthis,of like BenjaI fully expectThe you to be wearing for her kindness and support as a DeGraff said.

“I saw a few people wearing Crocs Crocs to school this Friday.” colleague and friend,” he added.

Junior Lily Valentini had also throughout the week, and so I originalabout baseball at Benjamin was playing with my high school best friends and growing up with their If students want tobeing participate, my they Alumna and science teacher Mrs. had a positive impression of Dean ly just told my friends that we should can go onto Amazon or head to the Amanda Pierman also is shares remember myso freshman ng hard.

Baseball a many gameBall. of“Ifailure, you have to stay positive. They a Fridays great atmosphere.”

Kristin just startcreated wearing crocs on Croc store in the Palm Beach Outlets memories of Dean Ball. “They all year when I had just joined the and see how many people join in,” and buy their very own pair of Crocs. center around smile, her great I try swimto team and we had our first ng to know theherstudents. get into every classroom each year to explained read exceptional books and choose a difMiller. “While I can’t take laugh, and how much she cares for swim meet. Dean Ball came to supeveryone,” Pierman said. “[Dean about port [us] and was by far the most School is that we didn’t just turn out students, we turned out fine am: “My favorite thing The Benjamin Ball] was true to herself whilst enthusiastic and supportive one an outstanding I think thatthefaculty holding a standardfaculty for everyoneand to out there! I admire fact that sheworked above and beyond The Benjamin School the best it could live up to. She didn’t play favorwas always involved with student rom home.’ loved here did anot want to leave. It was even more special because my husband taught ites, she was Ijust genuinelybeing kind, life and and never missed Benjamin caring, and nice to everyone. For game. ve Hamel: “Iwould started the Olympic program at Benjamin. The first year that we got the big, white tower with the example, she always make With her new role on the other up kind messages for the staff campus, Dean Ball now goes by To watch forwiththe first time proud, and having parents crying, it’s something I won’t forand leavethat it for them treats Ms. Ball.and Secondsee Gradethese Depart- kids Dean Ball and Ms. August have been (always remembering to remove ment Chair Mrs. Jeanine Holland, an integral part of the Upper School s would be/of the fruit of their labors I did see./From twelve values and one school room,/a mighty school did anything that I’m allergic to)... Her with whom she now shares a community for many years. They will be heart is huge,” Pierman added. classroom, is “thrilled to have Ms. sorely missed. (Photo by Evan Liberman) nothing matches my Buccaneer treasure.” Lisa Glowgower: “My favorite day of the year is definitely the HalAdditionally, students, like Ball as a part of the second-grade Seniorfor Caitlin DeGraff, grateful team.” that starry-eyed children are now seniors parading around the football priceless me.

Inarethe blink ofMrs. anHolland eye,added those Heaton: have been to The Benjamin for six years. My favorite thing about Benjamin is the Fine Six“ISeniors Earngoing Commended ScholarSchool Distinction Scholars.

From the class of 2021, get at least a 209 out of 228 on the

By Molly Fried ate how Benjamin keeps students safe.

Ilastfeel safe knowing that there are guards and gates around our school.” who took the test fall of year, total test, which consists of two math Co-Editor-in-Chief students werevolleyball recognized as sections, a writing skills section, and membersEvery offall,the Poncy clan, six like my cousin, Adrienne (‘97), and basketball brother, Chip (‘89). Both the School administers Commended Scholars. The students a reading comprehension section. the College Board’s PSAT, a stanare MadelineBuccaneer Hart, Alex Michelon, Neer Annelise is surprised but proud of his sense dardized of what Benjamin Pride.”

Hillmann: “My fondest memories are from Laytest given to high school is about: Holden Neer, Hannah Perez, Nadia accomplishment. students across the country. Though Poncy, andideas, Emma Shirzad.

“I didn’t think I did memories. that well leavtime crunch always fueled crazy funny moments, and The idea for the April Fool’s Issue came freshmen, sophomores, and juniors Though these students did not ing the test, but apparently that was all take theBenjamin test, the juniors have reach the threshold be a Najust mythe nervespeople talking. I studied hardthe community we had there that made it a hing about isthedefinitely the topeople.

It was and chance to qualify for the National tional Merit Semifinalist, they still for the SAT, so I think all of that Program. This reading unity Merit likeScholarship the Olympics, andenough writing and mygreeting the kids everyday made it such a happy performed well to receive celebrations time ended up benefiting PSAT opportunity is made available to the a letter of Commendation from the score,” Neer said. “I think it’s excittop 1%honors of test takers,English, though the top I opted ve taken forScholarship regular English because I really National Merit Corpoing to be one of the students honored wanted to be in his class again. To this day, 3% are recognized as Commended ration. For the 2019 test, they had to with Commended Scholar!” ys for his opinion.” George Donaldson: “I’ll never forget the pageantry surrounding Homecoming; seeing the one guy who was back at school for the first time since his graduation 25 years ago, and it was really special to f high school was the gambling themed prom from my junior year. It was something so new and different that I eally cool experience that we had; I remember Doc planning it and he absolutely killed it.”

Want to Save Money? Head to a Thrift Store, Not a Mall

Ten different students pose while wearing their Crocs. Wearing Crocs has been a dress code-friendly way to add fun to the school day.

(Photos by Molly Fried)

Page 12

00 October 2020

The Pharcyde

Holi-DAY

SP RTS

Frights

Class Day

00 October 2020

The Pharcyde

Page 13

HOMECOMING 2020. . .

SAME NAME. NO GAME.

Athletes Find Collegiate Success Outside the Benjamin Bubble

By Catherine Civitella Staff Writer Many of our athletic achievements seem quite impressive from our 14 State championships and countless regional and district wins. How do our athletes perform outside of the “Benjamin Bubble” and our 7-school league?

You may have read about our recently graduated football players, Jordan Travis and Kaiir Elam.

Travis graduated from TBS in 2019 after playing 3 years on the football team under Coach Ream and Coach Kresser as the Offensive Coordinator. This year Travis is the starting quarterback as a sophomore for Florida State University. He led the Seminoles to a 41 - 24 win over Jacksonville State. He broke ahead with 210 passing yds., two touchdowns and 12 out of 17 completed passes.

Travis is not the only highlighted Benjamin sports alumni. Kaiir Elam plays for FSU’s arch rival, the Florida Gators. He is a starting cornerback wearing the number 5, drawing

eyes from around the country being spoken about as one of Florida’s top cornerbacks as a sophomore.

In the past few weeks, Elam and Travis have proved that Benjamin athletes continue to show up and show out in the college environment. Not only have these two been stars on their own, but when two players are being highlighted around the country in the Florida area it draws attention, and Benjamin has the honor to have both of them as alumni.

In addition to our impressive football showing lately at the college level, TBS has the privilege to have Isaiah Thomas as an outstanding athletic alum. Thomas graduated in 2018 and continued his baseball career at Vanderbilt University, despite being drafted as a 39th round pick by the Colorado Rockies. He has had a tremendous showing as a collegiate baseball player and has been labeled the SEC’s 26th best 2021 MLB draft prospect.

Thomas has shown tremendous promise seen by his teammates and coaches. Vanderbilt Baseball Head

Coach Tim Corbin had this to say about him, “IT continues to grow as a player in our program. He took full advantage of every opportunity that he earned in his freshman year.

He had some big hits for us and also played some very good defense. His tools are exceptional, it is a matter of him getting game experience and opportunities”.

With Travis, Elam, and Thomas all making names for themselves they are also motivating and inspiring athletes that currently attend TBS. The Benjamin Bubble fortunately has not stopped our athletes from performing at high level collegiate sports. Many other names that have been heard throughout the years have come from Benjamin as well further proving the high level of Benjamin athletes. Will Nicklaus (UNC Lacrosse), Gary Nicklaus (Former PGA Tour Player), Alex Vogelsong (Auburn Golf), and Christian Cropp (Yale Lacrosse) are just a few of the successful Benjamin athletes with whom Thomas, Travis, and Elam share a Benjamin pedigree.

Alumni Jordan Travis and Kaiir Elam are quickly making names for themselves as they transform the face of collegiate football in Florida. Both men are currently starting for their respective University teams: Florida State and University of Florida/

Page 14

Sports

16 October 2020

The Pharcyde

Boys’ Golf Team has High Expectations for Season as Districts Approaches

By Charlie Spungin Sports Editor The Boy’s Varsity Golf team has high expectations for its fall season.

As districts approach, the team feels like they can succeed.

In his 37th year as the coach, Coach John (Toby) Harbeck and company have started the season with a series of dominating performances on courses around the state The team holds an impressive record of 18-2-1 (88.1 win%), as of Oct. 10th. Last year, the Bucs finished the season 30-7 (81.8 win%) and were runner-ups for the State Championship.

The team’s success thus far is one of the primary reasons that the Bucs have expectations that are as high as they can get as the season continues.

“Winning the state championship is the goal for this season,” co-captain senior Sebastian Thrane said.

Although the program bid farewell to a pair of veteran leaders when Xander Kline and Blake Bowen grad-

uated this summer, the team remains confident. Returning players spent the off-season improving, and multiple new faces are joining them on the links as well.

“Last year was the last year for our four year and five year veteran players. The team has a much younger and newer feel with three team members in ninth grade or lower,” co-captain senior Sebastian Nachilly said.

Freshmen Aiden Miller and Luke Wise joined the team this year, and eighth-grader Pavel Tsar joined the team last year as a seven grader.

“I chose to be on the golf team because golf has been a passion of mine ever since I was about five years old, and I feel it is a great spot to be at on this team to help me achieve my goal of playing college/ pro golf one day,” Miller said.

Despite the youth of the team, they have still seen great success. Harbeck sees the youth as more of a positive

than a negative for the team. Both the upperclassmen and the underclassmen feed off of each other, he notes.

“There are quite a few underclassmen on this team, but that makes us look to the future with great expectations,” he said. “We are returning three out of five guys that were state champion runner-ups last year. We have experience, and we have youth.

[It’s] a good combination.”

The three returning state champion runner-ups that Tarbeck is referring to are Nachilly, (21st overall), Tsar (23rd overall), and junior James Key (33rd overall).

Given his experience from the prior season, Thrane has assumed a leadership role both on and off the golf course.

“As a senior, I am trying to motivate my teammates as much as I can.

I try and improve everyone’s game, and make our overall experience fun.

I am also trying to set an example for the rest of the team, showing my hard

work in practice but also academically, making sure everyone is on top of their school work before stepping on to the golf course.”

Districts began October 13, and the Bucs are optimistic about their chances of another trip to regionals.

“Everything we’re doing right now is preparation to win the State Cham-

pionship in November,” Nachilly said.

Entering the postseason, the team feels that they can go head-to-head with any team that they match up with.

“As long as we stay hungry to keep winning, I think we can compete with anyone,” Harbeck said.

The boys’ golf team poses for a picture on the golf course. They are working hard this season to win the State Championship.

(Photo by Evan Liberman)

Golf Team Finds Success Despite Shortage of Players

By Charlie Spungin Sports Editor The Girls Varsity Golf season has been rather unordinary this season compared to seasons prior.

The departure of last year’s seniors Sarah Bejaq, Jenna Fonda, Alexia Letsche, and Alexa Tiano left the team with a shortage of players.

The team’s lack of members has made it so that the team cannot play official matches. The team has merely three players, and four are required to play an official match.

The three players are senior Nadia Poncy and juniors Jane Boyland and Catherine Civitella. Junior Kiley Malmberg and sophomore Skyler Malmberg were planning on playing, but because the sisters decided to remain in virtual school, they did not participate in this year’s season.

Coach Josh McCumber, in his third year as the coach, has high hopes for the three girls.

“I’m confident our 3 girls will

have a good showing at districts,” he said. “They can individually advance to regionals then state championship.

We have a good week of practices and matches planned so they will be sharp and ready to play.”

Expectations seem to be high for all, as Civitella looks to be the best version of herself.

“My expectations for myself as the season continues would be to grow and mature as an all-around golfer and just get the kinks out since I didn’t play last year,” she said.

Civitella last played two years ago when she was a freshman.

She notes that quite obviously the biggest change was the number of people on the team.

Another change that is noted is the number of matches that the team has had this season.

“In years past, we have had an extremely busy season and we would constantly miss school in the fall,” said junior Jane Boyland. “This

year is so different because of how few matches and tournaments we’ve played and how little school we’ve missed.”

The team had merely four matches this year, but last year, they had eighteen.

Not only have there been issues with the number of people on the team, but there have also been complications revolving around other subject matters. “[I] didn’t know when we could start practice until really late [and] then didn’t have a facility because of all the private club restrictions,” McCumber said. “[I] finally found a place, but [since we] have had a lot of rain, they have canceled practices.”

Districts begin on October 12, and the girls, as well as the coaching staff, feel like they will be able to do well. Though they won’t be competing as a team, they will be there for each other as if they were one cohesive team.

En-route to a District Championship, Senior Skylar Ladd joined the squad so that the team would qualify for the tournament. The crew heads to Regionals with high hopes for a successful run at States.

(Photo by Nadia Poncy)

Athletes Wanted: Colleges Promote Lesser Known Sports

By Charlie Spungin Sports Editor

Sports like hockey and water polo may not be among the most popular collegiate sports, so there are positives to playing them, such as a higher chance to play collegiately, more scholarship opportunities, and less competition. Other uncommon sports are gymnastics, fencing, skiing, bowling, and rugby. According to the NCAA, the most common sport is football, by far, with over 70,000 players amongst participating colleges.

(Graphic by Evan Liberman)

The popularity of college sports like football and men’s basketball takes attention away from less popular college sports.

Though those sports are extremely well known for getting student-athletes scholarships into college, taking sports with less popularity can grant its advantages.

Sports like men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s fencing, women’s gymnastics, and men’s skiing all give high school athletes a higher chance to compete at the collegiate level compared to men’s football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s baseball, and men’s and women’s track & field.

Though the numbers confirm that less popular sports give a student-athlete a higher chance to get into college, there is certainly context needed to go into these stats.

“Less popular sports sometimes don’t have the scholarship budgets that bigger sports do,” Head of College Counseling Mrs. Anna Wright said. “It depends on the school and the program. If money is a factor

in a student’s decision, knowing if there is money out there is important.”

Furthermore, where some sports may be unpopular, some are popular. Those in the popular regions may be at an advantage of coaching and more.

“The location of that player doesn’t really matter as long as they have access to great teams, coaches, and competitions,” Wright said.

“So while hockey is not as popular in Florida, it is huge in New York State and other northern states.

Water polo is big in California. Students in less popular regions may have to travel more to compete and to be seen and noticed.”

Per the NCAA’s research from the 2018-19 school year, football is by far the most populated sports by college student-athletes. Football had 73,712 college athletes playing it, and the next closest was baseball with 36,011 college participants.

There are some sports where the numbers of college athletes don’t exceed 5,000, making it extremely unpopular. With that being said, that does mean that playing that sport in high school could make the odds to play it in college much higher due

to the lesser amount of competition.

Hockey is relatively unpopular.

Men’s hockey has 35,283 high school athletes, and a high amount of 4,323 college athletes. That means that 12.3% of high school athletes make it to college. 148 schools in the nation have men’s hockey as a sport, and 60 of those are Division 1 schools. Women’s hockey has 9,650 high school participants and an extremely high amount of 2,531 college athletes.

That high school to college ratio is 26.2, one of the highest among all sports. It has 103 schools that offer it. 23 schools in the country are Division 1 schools. Only for women’s hockey do Division 1 schools combine with Division 2 schools.

Water Polo is another sport that is fairly unpopular. For the men’s side, only 22,475 high school athletes participate, and there are merely 1,072 college athletes who play (4.8%). For women, there are 21,735 high school athletes and 1,217 college athletes (5.6%). There are 43 schools that offer men’s water polo, 22 of which are Division 1 schools. There are 65 schools that offer women’s water polo, and 34 of them are D1.

The Pharcyde

Sports

16 October 2020

Page 15

NFL Season off to a Successful Start After Coronavirus Concerns

By Matthew Marasco Staff Writer Through three weeks of the amazing NFL season, there is a lot to know about this season including COVID-19 precautions, the best teams, and the worst teams.

During quarantine, fans had nothing to watch, so as soon as football came back fans were more than excited. “ I was so bored during quarantine that I even watched a Browns vs. Bengals Thursday night game and was happy,” said freshman Joey Tomassetti.

Although football is back there are many precautions that the league is taking to ensure player safety.

Only two teams in the league are allowing fans in the stadium at 25% capacity (Chiefs and the Jaguars).

Another step the NFL is taking is to do weekly COVID tests on all players and team staff as well as temperature checks when entering the team facilities. During the game, every player does not have to wear a mask due to the fact that they are running all game, but they do have to wear a chip telling the experts who they have been around if they contract COVID. Coaches and staff on the sidelines have to wear masks all game, and if they don’t wear their mask, they are fined up to$250,000.

For the teams that are allowing some fans into the stadium, they all have to sit far apart from each other and wear masks. Currently, through week

three, only three players and five staff members (all on the Tennessee Titans) have got the deadly virus.

Although football is not the same due to COVID, the games are still going on and many teams are fun to watch, but some teams are the complete opposite. Some of the best performing teams right now are the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, and the Green Bay Packers, who are all undefeated with a record of 3-0.

The Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning champions, have started right where they left off with a stunning 34-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens. This was never a close game with last year’s Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes scoring four touchdowns and Chris Jones forcing two fumbles on the defensive side.

The Seattle Seahawks are also having a great season with MVP candidate Russell Wilson off to a great start ranking first in touchdowns thrown through three games.

The Seahawks have also established a very strong running game which has given them a deadly dual-threat offensive attack.

One last team that is having an amazing year is the Green Bay Packers, Quarterback Aaron Rodgers in his 16th season has 887 yards in the air while having 0 interceptions. The Packers have a very good offense because of their ability to also run and pass the ball with stars Aaron Jones and Davante Adams. Their

defense is also having a great year because their sophomore players are maturing and looking to be lockdown corners in a few years. Overall seven teams are undefeated, but in my opinion, the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Packers are the best three with standout seasons already.

Many teams are having good seasons but on the other hand, some teams are having some of the most awful seasons they have had in the past few years. Some of these teams are the Jets, the Vikings, and the Giants.

The New York Jets are 0-4 to start off the season, and it is looking like Head Coach Adam Gase’s job is in jeopardy. Gase is 7-12 with the Jets and is showing no promise of getting any better with first-round pick Sam

Darnold, who is also on a make-orbreak year. Darnold has three touchdowns and four interceptions which is the 29th worst ratio in the league.

He also only has 529 passing yards which ranks 29th in the league. After being picked in the 2018 draft with the third pick out of USC many football fans believed he would be doing better than he is right now. The Jets are in complete rebuild mode with a terrible offense and defense.

Another team that is not doing too great is the Minnesota Vikings.

Although rookie Justin Jefferson, who is the replacement for Stefon Diggs, who was traded last offseason, is not looking bad, the rest of the team is. The pass defense for the Vikings is close to the worst in the league after trading Xavier

Despite the fears of a postponed season, the NFL has started their 101st season. While navigating COVID-19 safety protocols, some teams have had a strong start, such as the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, and Kansas City Chiefs.

(Graphic by Evan Liberman)

Rhodes, and the rushing defense is not great either. After tough times in Minnesota because of the riots, it doesn’t look like football is going to make it better. Kirk Cousins, the quarterback for the Vikings, only has 623 yards and is tied for the most interceptions with six. One upside is the Vikings paid Dalvin Cook a lump sum of money over the offseason, and he is now third in the league with rushing yards.

One last team that is not doing great is the New York Giants. After bringing in head coach Joe Judge over the offseason, Giants fans had something to hope for, but after star running back Saquon Barkley tore his ACL in week two of this season, it is not looking promising. Sitting at 0-3 on the season and Daniel Jones only getting worse with the absence of Barkley, Giants fans are starting to think of it as just another year. Jones only has two touchdown passes on the season as well as four interceptions. The Giants are now injury-riddled with two stars, Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard out, and it is not looking like it will get any better for the team.

After three weeks of NFL football, some fans are more than excited for their team to have a great season and hopefully make it to the playoffs, and some fans are thinking of it as just another year of being awful. Hopefully, the league stays away from Coronavirus and will be able to play a whole season.

The Goalie with High Hopes: Junior Standout Draws Attention

By Evan Liberman Photo Editor Throughout her high school career, junior soccer-star Logan McGruder has stood out because of her dedication to the sport; however, the story behind her success, motivations, and her future plans are less well known.

McGruder got her start in soccer at an early age.

“I first started playing soccer on a team when I was 5 years old. The first experience that I remember is playing against another team in rec. soccer and my coach telling me to go in goal for a few minutes because the real goalkeeper was hurt. So I went in and I absolutely fell in love with playing goalkeeper,” she said.

As she fell in love with soccer, McGruder’s motivation to play only grew.

“What motivates me is where I ultimately want to be in the soccer world–I want to be on the US Women’s National Soccer team. I train in Pennsylvania a lot at The Keeper Institute. [There,] I see what it takes to be the best. It is a lot of hard work, but I know that one day it will be worth it,” she stated.

The Keeper Institute (TKI) is owned and operated by Maria Loyden and her wife Jillian, a retired United States women’s national soccer team player. Elite junior soccer goalies, like McGruder, travel from around the country to train there.

However, she only visits TKI when it doesn’t interfere with her schedule, so that she can effectively balance her schoolwork and soccer.

“I mostly go up there when [I] have 3 day weekends and I don’t have games for my travel team. I will

usually miss a little bit of [school on] Friday and then train when I get there [that day]. Then [I’ll train] two times on Saturday and two times on Sunday,” she noted.

Today, she maintains an elite level of play and, when she isn’t in school or at TKI, frequently plays with her travel team.

“I currently play for Sunrise Prime FC in Fort Lauderdale… I train in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Davie almost every day of the week. [This] usually takes up 5-6 hours of my day. On Fridays, I train at Bamford Sports Complex with my goalkeeper coach Giuseppe Weller. [I] travel almost every weekend to play against other teams mostly in Georgia and Alabama, but most of [my] tournaments are in California, Virginia, North Carolina and so many other places,” she noted.

This extensive travel to the Miami area, TKI, and around the country makes it difficult for McGruder to stay on top of her schoolwork, despite her best efforts. “Schoolwork is a struggle. That’s the main reason why I’m [not in] the higher level classes; it would be so hard to juggle. [Regardless,] I do most of my work in study hall, quickly after school, or before school,” she said.

Mrs. Suzanne McCambridge, Logan’s advisor, praises her for her drive. “Logan’s commitment is outstanding. She continues to achieve on the soccer field and in her academics simultaneously and has been able to continue in this way successfully with only minor shifts to her class schedule. I am so impressed!,” McCambrudge said.

Despite her already massive workload, McGruder is also the starting

goalkeeper for the School’s girl’s soccer team.

Commenting on the soccer-standout’s high level of play, Benjamin soccer coach Hillary Carney said, “Logan is one of the hardest working players I have ever [met]. She is always training and pushing herself to the next level. She [also] has very high goals, and has the work [ethic] to achieve those goals.”

Sophomore Cameryn Grissman, who plays on McGruder’s school and travel teams, echoed Coach Carney’s thoughts. “Logan is a great team player and is always there for others on the field. She helps others stay strong during all games. The best thing about Logan is that she is always trying her best in the goal and never gives up,” Grissman said.

The junior’s hard work, both on Benjamin’s and her out-of-school team, has resulted in numerous athletic accomplishments.

“I [participated in] the Olympic Development Program for four years, and I made the regional and national team. From there, I was invited to Id2, which is when the best 60 girl soccer players in the country are invited to play [together]. Currently, I am ranked the third best goalkeeper in the country and the best in the state of Florida,” she stated.

McGruder clarified that the ranking system isn’t as official or as public as one might think. Instead, she is evaluated every so often by different coaches who come to watch her play. They then assign her a rank in comparison to goalkeepers of the same sex and age.

This subjective and relatively secretive system means that McGrud-

Logan McGruder winds up for a kick. She currently plays for the School and Sunrise Prime FC. She aims to earn a spot on the US National Team.

(Photo courtesy of Logan McGruder)

er’s rank can fluctuate without her knowledge. It also means that she isn’t always aware of who is ahead of her. For example, McGruder is only aware of one girl, a Pennsylvania goalie named Mack Gress, who is ranked higher than her. But there could be others she is unaware of.

Not surprisingly, McGruder has big plans for the future.

“For the rest of my high school career I will continue to play for Sunrise Prime FC and the school team. Then, hopefully during my high school career, I get [called up to the National Team]. After high school, I want to play in college and hopefully go into playing professionally for a NWSL (National

Women’s Soccer League) team, the USWNT (United States Women’s National Team), or even play internationally.

Regardless of her future plans, McGruder’s long list of accomplishments has allowed her to provide helpful advice to girls looking to follow in her footsteps.

“People need to understand that the process is much harder than it looks. You have to put in work when nobody is watching. Don’t just play and train with a team and expect to get better. If you’re interested in doing well in soccer, you need to be strong mentally and okay with failure: it only makes you better,” she concluded.

Varsity Bowling vs Palm Beach Gardens Bowlero Jupiter Wednesday, Oct. 21

Varsity Football vs Chaminade Madonna Home Friday, Oct. 23

Upcoming Contests: Oct. 17-23 Varsity Cross Country vs Oxbridge Academy Home Saturday, Oct. 17

Varsity Boys Golf Regional Tournament Crandon Park Golf Course Monday, Oct. 19

Varsity Girls Golf Regional Tournament Crandon Park Golf Course Tuesday, Oct. 20

the

PHLIPCYDE The Benjamin Bubbles