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In this Issue
Does our drug policy need updating? Coffee shops with the best brews
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The voice of the student body
Hackley School, Tarrytown, NY 10591
December 17, 2015
Park Avenue Project Fosters Westchester Community Bonds
Photo courtesy of Nicole Butterfield From left to right: Lexi Schechter, Grace Rubin, Jessica Feldman, Isla Parton, and Cosima Boettner outside of the Park Avenue School in Port Chester.
By Grace Henrich and Georgia Panitz
If you enjoy working with kids or want to improve your teaching skills, Hackley’s new community service program, the Park Avenue School Project is right for you. Each Tuesday, Hackley students go to the Park Avenue School in Port Chester, NY to assist with its after-school program. The project is organized by Upper School Community Service Coordinator Nicole Butterfield. Up-
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per School Director Andy King, who is a friend of the principal of the elementary school, also facilitated the creation and growth of the project. The Park Avenue School was chosen for this project because “the town has a level of financial and ethnic diversity not often seen by Hackley students,” said sophomore Lexi Schechter. The project is also very beneficial for the students at the
school. “[The Park Avenue] students are able to receive more one on one learning time than their teachers, who often are in charge of large classes, are able to provide,” said Lexi. While at the Park Avenue School, each Hackley student visits a class in each of the grades from kindergarten through fifth grade. “We sit in the classroom and help the students with their homework and we travel with them to the cafeteria for art, the gymnasium for P.E., and the computer lab or science lab,” said sophomore Jessica Feldman. Student volunteers also assist in classroom activities.“We help with basic addition and subtraction, tracing letters and words, or just singing songs and playing games with them,” said sophomore Grace Rubin. Sophomore Cosima Boettner finds working alongside the students to be a vastly rewarding experience. “Their eyes always light up when they discover something new and they always want to impress you,” she said. Grace finds the project similarly gratifying, and has particularly special memories of helping a student with an arts and crafts project. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kid as happy as he was Continued on Page 4
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New Director Brings Change to Hackley Summer Programs By Patrick Walker and Hunter Freedman
Are your summer plans not looking great so far? Do you have any interest in learning how music drives social change? How about freshwater fishing? Or maybe you’re looking to earn some quick cash this summer? If so, the summer programs at Hackley, directed by Peter Sawkins, could provide you with several different amazing courses to choose from or a well-paying summer job. Beginning on June 13, 2016, Hackley’s summer programs will offer academic and athletic courses for rising K-12 students. The programs are taught by Hackley’s faculty and will inspire kids through challenging, yet fun work and practice. Peter Sawkins, Hackley’s new Director of Summer Programs, wants to improve Hackley’s summer activities by offering new courses different from a typical school curriculum to guide students’ interests and providing college and professional insight. As well as this advancement, Mr. Sawkins has some other ideas up his sleeve. “I also plan to add some new services like lunch for half and fullday participants, as well as morning and afternoon extended care for younger participants,” he said. Students can not only take the courses that Hackley offers during
the summer, but also be involved in their planning, marketing, and operation. “There will be a range of jobs available from helping with some of the camp offerings, to supervision of kids as they move around campus, to extended day care, to social media and grassroots marketing,” said Mr. Sawkins. Mr. Sawkins wants to improve Hackley’s summer activities by offering new courses different from a typical school curriculum that will guide students’ interests while providing college and professional insight. Courses will range from comedy improv to camping and everything in between. “The summer also provides faculty with a unique opportunity to try new curricula, which is not always feasible during the normal school year,” said Mr. Sawkins. “I learned a lot about having patience with some of the little kids… but overall the kids were definitely fun to work with,” said sophomore Francesca Docters, who worked in the summer programs last summer. Make sure to check out Hackley’s selection of academic and athletic programs in January on Hackley’s website and email Mr. Sawkins for details on job opportunities.
Racial Conflicts Spark Conversation at Hackley Students Contemplate Recent University Incidents
Illustration by Olivia Weinberg
By Neil Suri and Lei Anne Rabeje
Protests in search of racial justice have taken college campuses by storm in the recent weeks in response to alleged administrative neglect, concerns about race relations and acceptance within the student body, and recent demonstrations at the University of Missouri, as well as many other colleges nationwide. After the University of Missouri fell under national scrutiny when multiple social media posts directing threats towards African-American students on campus were shared, movements demanding equal treatment for minorities have spread nationally, with waves of demonstrations sprawling across preeminent universities. Students at Harvard, Tufts, Yale, U.C. Berkeley, Dartmouth, and many other colleges staged protest rallies to show their solidarity with the Mizzou protesters and to highlight the racial problems in their individual schools. While many protesting students are upset by incidents of racial inequality like Mizzou, the protests seem to be targeted towards broader institutional change within the administration and student bodies of colleges. Senior Fesseha Michael responded positively to the protests, applauding the solidarity and active desire for change within
“I think it’s important that students and future leaders of America identify the problems that plague our society, and it’s our responsibility to bring any problems to the forefront of our attention.” ~Senior Alexander Delia the college communities across the country. “I think it was an expected incident. We are disillusioned with the fact that we live in a post-racial society, because we really don’t. Discrimination still exists,” said Fesseha, “One plus side is the traction the movement caught. It’s great to see how fast people want change. It’s not perfect, but it’s a symbol that as a society we are moving forward.” Hackley’s seniors express their concerns about racism in college campuses. Senior Nina Bethel voices her worries about possibly facing discrimination as a black student. “Mizzou made me a little more scared as a black senior looking at
colleges,” said Nina, “For all I know, I could be going to a college that is exactly like the University of Missouri before the protests.” Similarly, Fesseha expresses his concerns as a black man about to attend college. “I’m a little scared. It’s going to be different,” said Fesseha. “I understand the discrimination I’ve seen and experienced when it comes to the classroom or in public,”Fesseha continued. Nevertheless, he remains hopeful for a positive change in the near future and stated, “I’m worried, but I’m not going to let it stop me from taking a step forward. How else can we change as a society?” Recent Hackley graduate Josh Clark ‘15 and current freshman at Yale said that the protests were not just due to what happened recently, but “more so the buildup and the constant and ever-present institutionalized racism that exists today.” He explained, “These events and the resulting conversations have actually pushed me to take either a women’s/les-gay/black studies course next year.” Likewise, Russell Heller ‘15 said “the atmosphere on the Yale campus is very positive and people are not in any sort of Continued on Page 2
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‘Tis The Season To Be Jolly? Racial Protests By Phebe du Pont
Christmas carols are playing in the senior lounge. Ugly sweaters have returned, met with love and loathing in equal measure. I haven’t seen a snowflake, but I can confirm: it’s winter, and it’s not a wonderland. Winter is when we are most vulnerable to anxiety, depression, self-harm, and a host of other mental health issues. I’ve been dealing with depression and anxiety for my entire life. It’s a year-round struggle for me, an unrelenting uphill battle for which the slope is steepest in winter. But this kind of vulnerability isn’t limited to those of us with diagnoses. Trimester 2 is no piece of cake, and exams are lurking around the corner. Stress is high, skyrocketing for those of us applying to college. We are all struggling. And yet, to be depressed or anxious at Hackley is to be alone. There is no dialogue; there is little awareness. And so the silence of the season presses in on us, and the darkness shuts us down. Hackley, we need to talk about mental health. Now. Ideally, we would have this conversation year-round. But we’re a school that has trouble naming the issue, let alone talking about it. We need to break the silence and initiate a dialogue within our community. And that kind of change starts with the self. Take a moment and assess your own well being. Are you drowning in work, is home a source of stress and seclusion? Reach out. I’ve had a messy high school experience, but Hackley teachers have always been accommodating. If approaching faculty seems daunting, talk to your advisor. They can open up those channels of communication that will be vital to preserving your sanity. Moreover, we’ve got professionals! Dr. Sadler is amazing, whether you need to talk or you need to take a break. And she works (confidentially) with more of your peers than you think. The next step is interpersonal— check in with your friends and classmates. Are they afloat, or are they in need of a the
Dial staff
Hackley School 293 Benedict Ave. Tarrytown, NY (914) 631-0128 December 17, 2015 Vol. 118, No. 4 hsdial.org Editors-in-Chief Marc Rod, Sonia Singh Online Editor Benjy Renton Technical Editor Joe Lovinger Section Editors News Sydney Monroe, Alexandra Meyer Opinion George Wangensteen, Lucy Barse Politics Neil Suri Feature Allie Molner, Roya Wolfe Arts Madison Chen, Joy Dracos Lifestyles Hannah Urken, Catherine Meyer Science & Tech Kelly Castro-Blanco, Grace Henrich Sports Chris Chon, Hope Weisman Photography Robert Hallock, Nick Rizzi, Max Chen, Christian Riegler Advisers Mr. Michael Bass, Ms. Anne Budlong Policy Opinions expressed in staff editorials reflect the majority view of The Dial Editorial Board. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the author and do not represent the views of Hackley School, its administration or its staff. The Dial invites and encourages its readers to write letters to the editor or submit contributions. We reserve the right to edit any submission for clarity and brevity, and to correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation when necessary. We refuse to publish submissions which are unsigned, libelous, or plagiarized. Four hundred copies of each issue are distributed among the High School student body of about four hundred students and the faculty and staff. Letters and submissions can be emailed to: dial@hackleyschool.org. The Dial is the official student newspaper of Hackley School.
lifeline? A casual, earnest conversation will let them know that you care. One caveat: don’t make stress a competition. We’ve all done it; it’s part of the prep school environment. But you can’t win a game of brinkmanship. You’ll only end up hurting yourself and others. Instead, offer support as best you can. And when you can’t help your friends, get help for them. Faculty: initiate conversations about your students’ well-being. Be receptive to their complaints and concerns (and I know that’s a lot to ask, when you’ve heard it every year from every student). If there are kids who seem overworked and under-slept, follow up with them or their advisor. You can’t cut curriculum, but you can be understanding. The Socratic method is essentially academic group therapy, after all. Awareness is only part of the equation. As we begin to talk about these issues, we should also be taking action to bring about change. Hackley has excellent
resources, relative to most high schools. Maybe those resources need to come to us, before we’re ready to look to them. So what action can we take, what can we do to bring about change? The answer is, pretty much anything. Whatever works. A friend of mine commented that while free candy is nice, she still has five tests this week. I love tea, and free food (don’t we all?), but there are more effective ways to reduce stress and engage the community. Suggestions from students and faculty include offering free neck massages, like those at a nail salon, and guided meditation. Or another day — like First Friday — that brings us together for play, not work, offering a respite and an opportunity to bond over something other than a Doc Rob deadline. Workshops are great! What about one focused on stress relief, with Mr. Colten teaching coping strategies and time management? Many of these suggestions require time, planning, or funding. But in the meantime, we can also take action on a smaller, improvised scale. I’ve had teachers allot three minutes of class time to meditation every day, and (once) two minutes for an ’80s dance party. Solutions don’t have to be school-organized; what about movie nights, impromptu rock-climbing, even board games (remember those?)—the possibilities are endless and entirely up to you. Try something, anything. We need opportunities to let go of our stress before it becomes something we can’t manage. It might be difficult, but I have faith that we can raise awareness about mental health, illness, and the importance of well-being. So, take a step back from holiday cheer, if only for a moment, and think about mental health in our community. Think about each other, and how we can help one another. ’Tis the season, after all. Phebe Du Pont is a senior at Hackley who is the leader and founder of Dux Femini Facti, Hackley’s feminist club, and is an active proponent for better mental health resources at Hackley.
Provoke Discussions Continued from Page 1 direct conflict at all.” He agrees that the protests have provoked stimulating and important conversations, “albeit sometimes not entirely open conver“If people do feel threatened, it is absolutley necessary to take action towards your own - and your peers’ betterment. If it takes a large protest to create a change, then that’s what it will take.”
~Sophomore Alex Hayward sations as some are afraid of abjection as a result of their personal beliefs.” Senior Alexander Delia agrees with the protests in theory, but not necessarily in practice. “I think it’s important that students and future leaders of America identify the various problems that plague society, and it’s our responsibility to bring any problems to the forefront of our attention,” said Alexander.
Illustration by Anne Budlong
Yet, Alexander takes issue with the way in which the protesters are conducting themselves. “We must also make sure that students learning environment isn’t compromised with violence and aggression. The protest that took place in the Dartmouth library, when protesters verbally harassed classmates working in the library, served as an example of how bad a protest can be, and how protests can be violent and aggressive and hostile towards innocent people.” Sophomore Alexandra Hayward disagrees. “It’s one thing to see something via social media and another to act upon it. [Nevertheless], if people do feel threatened, it is absolutely necessary to take action towards your own — and your peers’ — betterment,” said Alexandra, “If it takes a large protest to create a change, then that’s what it will take” Looking to the future, Alexandra will factor the communities colleges have to offer into her decisions. “I’m just a sophomore. I think it’s important to find a college with strong academics,” said Alexandra, “But looking at a college’s background and what kind of community they offer will be just as important as the academics.”
Hackley Administration Must Carefully Re-evaluate Zero-Tolerance Drug Policy By the Editorial Board
The Hackley community was recently informed that two students are not able to continue their education here after a violation of the school’s policy on illegal substances. This news was devastating for not only students, but many faculty members and administrators as well. The decision was made by the administration based on the fact that Hackley’s rule on illegal substances on-campus is crystal clear and a violation of Hackley’s drug policy as stated in the Upper School Handbook: “Use or possession of illegal drugs will result in required withdrawal or dismissal.” If this rule is not enforced it loses its meaning, and if rules on drug use lose their meaning, then the school arguably leaves itself vulnerable to serious problems with drug use in the student body in the future. But despite this justification for the decision, the Hackley community still feels much outrage and sorrow. To many in the community, whatever the handbook may say, the disciplinary decision that was made doesn’t feel like justice. While the rule on the books was enforced consistently with precedent, that rule and precedent feels harsh. To many of us, it just no longer feels appropriate to expel two upstanding community members for violation of the substance policy. If the offense involved marijuana, this substance carries no extreme social stigma, and is now legal in multiple states in our union. And like it or not, mild experimentation with drugs and alcohol is a part of going through high school for many kids nationwide. This is not at all to say that Hackley must tolerate on campus drug use. Every member of the community is safer when we limit the extent of drug use in our school. But the ques-
The motto our school emblazons proudly on our crest, Iuncti Iuvamus, means united we help one another. But after allegedly violating schoool policy, two students were told that they could no longer be members of this united community that was supposed to support them. tion on the table here is not “did these students deserve to be seriously disciplined,” but “was separation from school and effective expulsion the appropriate punishment for this offense?” Again, while a violation of the school of the substance abuse policy is serious and must always be punished as such, to many in the community complete separation for this offense feels cruel; substance use is, unfortunately, a part of highschool life for many, many people in America. Was effective expulsion really necessary? This is not a question The Dial is yet prepared to answer; many questions of the efficacy of various disciplinary policies on drugs remain unanswered. But the feeling of indignation and anger we all felt upon hearing of the school’s disciplinary decision suggests that the schools effectively zero-tolerance policy is simply out of line with the Hackley community norms and standards on the issue. Why does Hackley have this policy? Is it more effective than competing two-strike or “second chance” policies on drugs? Is it deeply rooted in
some important school value? Answers to these questions could provide meaningful understanding to the community over the school’s recent decision. But they remain largely unanswered; while the administration has said publicly on several occasions that they believe these policies are best based on the word of certain consultants, there has been no real evidence given by the administration and, most importantly, no open and clear conversation between students, faculty, and administration on the efficacy and value and meaning of the school’s drug policy. The motto our school emblazons proudly on our crest, Iuncti Iuvamus, means united we help one another. But after allegedly violating school policy, two students were told that they could no longer be members of this united community that was supposed to support them. While the students involved certainly made an big mistake, the act of removing someone from Hackley’s community should only be taken when it is shown that failure to remove that student could be egregiously harmful to the rest of the Hackley community. It is possible that this condition was met in this instance; perhaps a non zero-tolerance policy would lead to greatly increased drug use. But the reality is, we just don’t know. The administration must provide a frank and straightforward answer on why its extremely strict, zero-tolerance policy is necessary, and if it cannot, it must open a dialogue with the rest of the community on what kind of drug policy aligns our values and community goals going forward. Drug policy has the potential to be devastating, as the recent case shows. The onus is on the school to make sure that our community has an open conversation to make sure the policy we have is the right one.
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December 17, 2015
Coach Dejan Maksimovic Finds Serenity at Hackley By Chris Chon
Moving from Serbia to the United States through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program in 2005, Hackley’s Track and Field coach and Buildings and Grounds member Dejan Maksimovic has had a long and arduous journey. Acquiring a highly sought and limited Diversity Immigrant Visa ten years ago, Dejan left his parents and sister in Serbia and came to the United States seeking new career opportunities, an environment where sports are implemented in schools, and a place where people live in harmony. As a child, Dejan grew up in Yugoslavia during a time of conflict which led the country to split into Serbia and five other countries. Living in Serbia during the time of the split, he was weary of the disagreement in politics in the newly formed country. As the second best javelin thrower in Serbia in high school, Dejan sought Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in physical education. He hoped to win a green card by passing all the educational and health requirements in the lottery of the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. “I knew it was a long shot, but hey, I threw a javelin 200 feet, second best in the nation of Serbia. How hard could it be?” After passing many days of rigorous health and medical examinations, multiple interviews, and educational requirements, Dejan was one of the lucky few from Serbia to obtain a green card and move to the United States. Before he moved to the United States, he was voted best JV high school track and field coach in Serbia, working at the Partizan Serbian Professional Track and Field club in the capital of Belgrade in 2004.
Photo by Chris Chon Coach Dejan Maksimovic bundles up in the cold weather for the upcoming winter track season, excited for the team’s success.
In the United States, Dejan got his first job as a basketball coach at Marymount High School in Manhattan and a track and field coach at Westlake High School in Thornwood, New York. In 2008, Dejan met Rob Pickert, Hackley’s former athletic director, and interviewed for an an opening for a track and field coach. After interview-
ing with Jason Edwards, Hackley’s Athletic Director, he accepted the job, becoming a track and field coach in 2005. Later in 2012, after being interviewed by Bill Smith, the director of B&G, Dejan became a member of the Buildings and Grounds team. Eight years after joining the Hackley community, Dejan enjoys every minute of
both of his jobs. “I love my two jobs, even though it is tough balancing both. For B&G, my favorite part of the job is that I get to keep the Hackley community organized and clean. I also have a great, supportive crew that helps me every day.” said Dejan. For track and field, Dejan’s role as a coach is something that is very personal and close to his heart. “As a coach, I believe that it is not just my job, but other coaches as well, to be good role models. To do so, I believe it requires discipline and desire... It really is not just a job that we [as coaches] have, it’s an education that we are helping to develop in future of this human society. That is why I believe that as a coach, helping athletes develop life skills like balancing and synchronizing social and academic lives and developing discipline and patience is important.” When asked about his greatest struggle so far, Dejan said, “I can’t find good movies on Netflix anymore as I’ve watched all the good ones. In all honesty, though, I haven’t struggled much. I have accepted my culture, my past, and who I’ve become. I think that everyone should take what they are given and improvise and take what life gives you. Life is a beautiful thing, just hang in there for the ride.” Dejan has come a long way from Serbia, and is very grateful to have found a community at Hackley that accepts all kinds of people of different backgrounds. “I love Hackley for its mature students, smart faculty and staff, and supportive and harmonious community,” said Dejan.
The Dial Reviews Neighborhood Coffee Shops By Claire Sukhman and Hope Weisman
Oren’s Daily Roast
Photo by Claire Sukhman Oren’s Daily Roast, with signature striped awning is dotted throughout the city.
Forget about the Starbuck’s across the street; Oren’s Daily Roast is open across Manhattan for good. Opened in 1986 in New York City, Oren’s has built up a strong fan base thanks to its potent, delicious home-roasted beans. The care with which the coffee is made is present
in every sip. Though the locations themselves are small, they provide a perfect place to sit and talk with a friend or relax and read a book. If you want to steer clear of coffee, their house chai tea blend is incredibly flavorful and hits the spot.
Joe Coffee: A NYC Favorite With nine locations scattered around the city, Joe Coffee is definitely the perfect place to grab a cup. Founded in 2003, Joe’s specializes in providing unique, high quality coffee to customers all over Manhattan at a reasonable price. Two years ago, Joe’s launched their own roasting operations in Brooklyn. If you’re looking for a gift for your favorite coffee lover, Joe’s offers gift cards, coffee subscriptions, and various classes and workshops. Joe’s relaxed ambiance combined with the delicious food and coffee makes for a consistently great experience. Be sure to buy enough of their flavorful lattés to get yourself a Joe’s loyalty card.
Photo by Claire Sukhman Claire stops to order a vanilla latte with Joe Coffee’s signature foam latte art.
Coffee Labs: Tarrytown Hotspot
Slave to the Grind
Photo by Alex Meyer Famous iced coffees from Slave to the Grind
There’s no place better to shop for the holidays than Bronxville, New York, but as the air gets colder, outdoor shopping gets a bit tougher. Slave to the Grind is the perfect place to stop when the wind starts to get to you. Located at 58 Pondfield Road, Slave to the Grind, or “Slave” as it has come to be called, offers hot chocolate, tea, lattes, and, of course, eight different types of “serve-yourself ” brewed coffee. The 18-year-old shop has plenty of tables to enjoy your cup, and the atmosphere is perfect for getting work done. You can’t go wrong with a cup of hazelnut coffee with a splash of milk, but if you’re in the mood for a treat, the s’mores hot chocolate is a fan favorite.
Photo by Roya Wolfe Leeahn, a longtime employee of Coffee Labs, brews an espresso for a customer.
Coffee Labs, on Main Street in Tarrytown, has become a staple of Hackley student life. Mike Love, a classically trained chef and professional coffee roaster, and his wife Alicia, own the small, independent coffee shop. It is Zagat rated, consistently wins the Best in Westchester title, and received the Best Espresso Award in 2013. Coffee Labs roasts its own beans from all around the world, boasting special blends from Africa, the Pacific Rim, South America, and Central America. On top of the delicious coffee, each weekend, Coffee Labs hosts live performances by local musicians. If you find yourself craving some of their house-roasted beans at home, the shop sells coffee by the pound in-store and online. Their website even has a detailed brewing guide to help you achieve their immaculate taste at home. Coffee Labs is known for their amazing variety of drinks, but if you can only try one, the Americano is top notch.
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Help Spread the Holiday Cheer Hackley With These Last-Minute Gifts Helps If you’re looking for a nicer gift for that special someone, a Fitbit Flex is a great way to stay in shape during the holidays and track your a c t i v i t i e s . T h e Fi t b i t Flex starts at $99.95.
Stuck on a fivehour road trip? You’ll never run out of battery again! A portable charger will be a guaranteed success. Best Buy has a variety of chargers all under $15.
For a simple and delicious holiday gift, you can’t go wrong with a box of chocolates. Godiva offers a range of gift boxes filled with different truffles, between the prices of $10 and $50. It’s available online or in stores.
Bond over some music or a movie this winter break with a headphone splitter. Amazon has options for good quality headphone splitters for under $10.
Out at Park Avenue School
Continued from Page 1 when he held his [art project] for the first time, and it just felt so good to give these kids special attention that t h e y d o n’t u s u a l l y s e e d u r ing the school day,” she said. T h e Pa r k Av e n u e S c h o o l Project is open to all students in the Upper School, and is ideal for students who take physical education classes. On Mondays and Wednesdays, students can attend their PE classes, and on Tuesdays, they c a n g o t o t h e Pa r k Av e n u e School and help with the after school program, which runs from 3:15 p.m. to around 5:15 p.m. “If you like working with kids and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with helping others, this program is definitely right for you. There’s no commitment to go every week, so feel free to sign up one week just to give it a try!” said Jess.
Illustration by Olivia Weinberg
Erin Jung’s Art Brightens Up Hackley Halls
Photo by Robert Hallock Ms. Moriarty’s daughter Anna takes a bite of a juicy strawberry in a piece from Erin’s AP portfolio.
By Bailey Griffen and Alexi Sandhu
AP art student Erin Jung’s work entices students with its brilliant colors and intriguing concentration. Turning the corner to go to the lunchroom, it is hard not to stop and admire her colorful portraits that adorn the walls. Entering the art room, a charcoal cat jumps out from a white canvas, and on Snapchat, the student-designed Hackley geotag created by Erin catches everyone’s eyes. This year as an AP student Erin has created some of her most sophisticated and creative pieces yet with her concentration which focuses on “the beauty of the human body” through double exposure including projections and distortions to the human figure. These unique portraits captivate all viewers with their bright colors and unique patterns which alter the human form. This theme was inspired by a desire to “celebrate the human body” and “challenge the viewer to see something different than what is
normally there,” said Erin. To achieve such captivating effects, Erin projects different patterns and images of anything from clouds to sequences of lines and shapes. Using digital skills and media like Photoshop, Erin distorts and highlights certain areas of her subject to create double exposure, which she then paints over through layers of carefully selected colors and different brushes that create beautiful details which come together to form an exquisite piece of art. “I chose those designs because I thought they were interesting...and I’m into detail because I like to exaggerate [the detail],” said Erin. This particular theme is exciting for Erin to work on as it forces her to work hard and is a culmination of her love for painting and digital art, both of which are areas she would like to work more on in the future. “Art has inspired me because it was always something I [have] like[ed] to do since I was little,” said Erin. Ever since kindergarten, she encouraged her artistic talent
through classes and crafts and developed a love for the subject because she “recognized it as something [she] could excel in and it was something different from what anybody else [in her family] did...it was a way to create things which was fun,” said Erin. Although she enjoyed crafts, she never took it seriously until she arrived at Hackley in ninth grade: “I didn’t really know that I wanted pursue [art] until I was in high school. Hackley really pushed me to what my limitations are and what I could do,” said Erin. She credits sher achievements and her increasing passion for art to the teachers she has had at Hackley, Greg Cice and Mark Green, and the motivation they instilled in her to work hard, be her best in the studio, and “further [her] art.” Erin believes that the other hobbies she has pursued have helped inspire some of her art, and on the flip side, the discipline she has had to show towards her art has helped her outside of the studio. As a runner on the cross country and track teams, Erin likened the determination that she has had to have during races to that which she needs to finish her art pieces: “Running teaches me to push through art pieces because in a race you want to give up but you don’t which I’ve applied towards my harder art pieces when I don’t think I can finish,” said
Erin. In both activities Erin has learned perseverance and patience, very important but challenging skills, which she has been able to apply to other areas like the classroom: “I have learned to pick myself up and continue [with what I’m doing],” said Erin. From the virtues that art has taught her, Erin believes that it has made her a better person. Erin has learned many skills from the Hackley community, especially from her art teachers, and has even managed to give back to the community by using her artistic talents to create art for everyone to enjoy. In addition to her paintings that brighten up the hallways, last year, she designed the popular Hackley geotag on Snapchat. In order to make Hackley a bigger presence on social media, a contest was held for the best student-designed geotag, which Erin won. The commonly used tag brings smiles and Hackley spirit onto Snapchat. Erin’s Hackley experience helped her to grow as a person and an artist. Her works have in turn brought unique ideas and colorful designs to the Hackley community. Art has become a huge part of Erin’s life and something plans to continue through college as she hopes to work as either an animator for children’s TV shows or as a graphic design artist for video games.
Photo by Robert Hallock One of Erin’s latest pieces of senior Julia Stevenson.
Photo by Robert Hallock Erin poses with one of her latest paintings.