The Dial - December 2018

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Dial

The voice of the student body Vol 121, No 3

#MeToo in Health

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Student Businesses

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Hackley School, Tarrytown, NY 10591, December 20, 2018

Hackley’s Strategic Plan: a new vision for learning and academic growth

By Will Goldsmith

Change is difficult, but it is also necessary. Like the great British statesman Winston Churchill once said, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”

Headmaster Michael Wirtz made the strategic plan public to the entire Hackley community on 15 October 2018. The new strategic plan seeks to alter Hackley’s current conception of excellence by emphasizing the importance of a limitless learning in its students and faculty.

In the future, Headmaster Wirtz wants excellence at Hackley to be an appreciation for “the learning that comes by doing, [as well as an appreciation for] the learning that comes through experience …”

This new direction for Hackley rests on four pillars: a redefinition of the Liberal Arts, establishing Hackley as a center of learning, preparing for the future, and fostering and sustaining institutional wellness.

A redefined notion of the liberal arts entails, among other things, interdisciplinary learning, civic engagement of students, and the evolution of assessment practices.

A reinvigorated liberal arts program also entails the expansion of interdisciplinary engagement at Hackley.

Specifically, the plan calls for the potential creation of a January Term, or “J-Term,” a period of the year in which students would take engaging classes on a pass-fail basis.

Such classes would take place for a brief period of time, and would entail discussion of topics spanning different academic disciplines.

Many strategic goals ranging from the creation of a universal service learning program at Hackley to more frequent use of the Hackley forest and a new center for creative expression fall under the purview of establishing Hackley as a hub of learning. In addition, the plan calls for the establishment of an “artistin-residence” system, a system in which artists from outside the

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Photo courtesy of Kaitlyn Qu The Strategic Plan focuses on four pillars: a redefinition of the Liberal Arts, establishing Hackley as a center of learning, preparing for the future, and fostering and sustaining institutional wellness. They are planning to give more attention to the arts department including a construction project turning the Zetkov building into a new center for the arts.

Hackley community would be invited to the Hilltop to teach students their craft.

“I’m really excited to see where Hackley is going, especially [the fact] that they’re paying more attention to the Arts. I think that that’s really great,” senior Ingrid Lauerwald said.

Preparing for the future includes the affirmation of Hackley as an institution of teaching excellence.

The plan seeks to make Hackley a place where faculty can teach while also providing faculty members the opportunities to pursue their own intellectual ambitions. The plan also aims to foster increased cooperation among teachers through the implementation of a teaching mentorship program.

Building wellness at Hackley socioeconomic heterogeneity within entails a potential redesign of the community. both the academic calendar and Wirtz and his leadership team the school day are seeking to itself. Growing implement and sustaining I’m really excited to cer tain par ts wellness at of the plan at H a c k l e y i s see where Hackley different times n o t m e r e l y is going, especially d u r i n g t h e about students. years ahead. [the fact] that they’re B u t c h a n g e , Wellness includes faculty paying more attention especially and staff, too. change on an to the arts.

Financial institutional wellness is yet level, is hard Ingrid Lauerwald to carr y out. another part of the the Students also macro wellness of the Hackley had a mix of reactions to the idea community. The plan calls for the of change. growth of Hackley’s endowment.

“It’s great that Hackley is looking But it also affirms the vitality of to prepare for the future. It just doesn’t seem like much is going to get done,” said junior Mitch Einhorn.

Students, teachers, and community members in general will be prompted to express their thoughts on the plan moving forward. The strategic plan is by no means a stagnant, solidified document.

The plan marks a new chapter of Hackley’s history. While Ian Symmonds & Associates, the consulting firm that assisted the Steering Committee in the crafting of the plan, observed an overall satisfaction with Hackley on behalf of various constituents, the plan seeks to broaden the school’s educational opportunities for students and teachers.

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The Four Pillars of the Strategic Plan:

Infographic by Ying Ku

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Students Take Action When Immigration Issues Hit Home

By Max Rosenblum

Since President Trump’s election in 2016, the immigration issue — ranging from the controversy over the proposed border wall to the separation of families — has taken center stage in American politics.

Although the issue is important for many, it remains impersonal for most. But its implications grow exponentially once the issue moves past the realm of the impersonal and into the realm of the personal.

This transition is exactly what the 150 members of Hackley’s Hudson Scholars program experienced this past summer. It began when senior Amy Chalan, the program’s founder and also a co-Editor-in-Chief of The Dial, discovered at a proimmigration march this summer that scholar Chrissy’s father was to be deported the next day.

Fr o m t h a t p o i n t o n , t h e immigration issue became a personal one for many in the Hackley community; the deportation of Chrissy’s father, Cristobal Paute, caused both the Hudson Scholars program and Hackley’s Progressive Action League to take action on what they viewed as poor immigration policy throughout the rest of the summer.

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Varsity Soccer Teams Turn Seasons Around

By Hadley Chapman

The Hackley Varsity Girls Soccer team, led by captains Ismene Germanakos, Belle Thomas and Katy Robertson, were looking to push the team into this year’s NYSAIS championship tournament.

“The team’s motto, ‘FEARLESS appropriately describes their mentality this year.” said Head coach Natalie Hopp.

The team experienced every outcome possible during their season. “Whether positive or negative, the team continues to prove they are not afraid of any of their opponents,” she added.

According to Coach Hopp, the team has “seen tremendous growth...from gaining more confidence, increasing skill level, increasing soccer IQ from watching film, becoming physically and mentally stronger, and being able to adapt to changing strategies, and implementing drills from practice into game scenarios.”

The team turned their season around from their initial losses against Riverdale and Poly Prep.

Midway through the season, the team pulled off wins against those very same teams.

T h r o u g h t h e i r h a rd w o r k throughout season the girls soccer team hoped to secure their goal of winning NYSAIS. Continued on page 8

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Chapel talks promote empathy and unity on campus

By The Editorial Board

While King Chapel is no longer used for religious purposes, the chapel is still a place in which individuals come together as a community.

Chapel talks, short speeches given by seniors to underclassmen, occur throughout the year and provide anecdotal but significant lessons to younger students.

Chapel talks help guide underclassmen through their time in high school, unite the Hackley community, add an element of wellness to the Upper School, and enable seniors to grow as communicators and speakers. Therefore, the Dial Editorial Board applauds Hackley’s historic chapel talk tradition.

Seniors cover a range of topic in their talks. This year, seniors have discussed such topics as taking part in enjoyable activities and embracing identity. In their most cogent form, chapel talks are instructive for younger students trying to forge successful paths through the Upper School.

“Ben Moscow’s chapel talk on branching out, meeting new people and trying new things was impactful for me. [His talk] resonated with me as a freshman who was new to the Upper School with so many options and clubs and classes to take,” said sophomore Lara Schecter.

Chapel talks enable freshmen and sophomores to find friendly older faces within the Hackley community. Of course, it should be noted that not all underclassmen and upperclassmen engage with one another on a personal level at Hackley.

Photo by Benjy Renton Chapel talks like this one provide rich out-of-classroom experiences. Here, a rapt audience listened to Hope Weisman ‘17 deliver a compelling talk. Chapel talks range in subjects as diverse as Euro-centric beauty standards, to managing multiple deadlines.

Yet chapel talks do bridge the divide between younger and older students to an extent.

“I think [chapel talks] are good because [they] bring the community together. [They] help to let the sophomores and the freshman get to know the seniors a little bit and [they] also [help] because of the general advice that [seniors] give,” said sophomore Winslow Griffin.

Many chapel talks are thoughtprovoking for underclassmen. But chapel talks themselves are not simply pedagogical in nature. Sitting down and listening to older students talk about their experiences in days filled with assessments

and stress is both an enjoyable and a relaxing experience. Chapel talks are not always serious, but they are instruments of providing wellness at Hackley.

“There’s a lot that can be learned [from chapel talks], and also a lot of fun that can be had. I’ve heard some [chapel talks] that are really serious and some [chapel talks] that are really hysterical,” junior Oren Tirschwell said.

Despite the fact that many younger students enjoy chapel talks, other students are skeptical about the relevance of some talks to their own lives. Talks are, however, not designed to be unanimously relatable.

“I guess a drawback [of chapel talks] is that if you can’t relate [to the talk] or [the talk is] more personal to that senior then [the talk] is kind of pointless for you,” freshman Logan Oscher said. However, Oscher did note that she appreciates understanding the “journey” of senior speakers as well.

Aside from the wisdom imparted onto younger students during chapel talks, such talks are also learning experiences for seniors who give them. Specifically, the creation and presentation of a speech is a life skill honed in seniors who give talks.

And public speaking should be developed by students. A large part of

success in life is, after all, contingent on sound communication.

“While public speaking is obviously super nerve wracking, especially when you’re being super vulnerable to people you don’t know too well, [my chapel talk] was a really, really rewarding experience overall,” senior Mikhaila Archer said concerning her experience as a senior delivering a chapel talk.

Chapel talks are the foundation of empathy and unity in the Upper School. They are conducive to the sort of growth and self-reflection present in the aspirational vision of a Hackley student. They make Hackley, Hackley.

Are “Safe Spaces” necessary on high school campuses? the Dial staff

Hackley School 293 Benedict Ave.Tarrytown, NY (914) 631-0128 December 20, 2018 Vol. 121, No. 3 hsdial.org Editors-in-Chief Amy Chalan

Raghav Chopra,

Will Goldsmith Managing Editors Jordan Miller

Sydney Stoller Social Media Editor Sofia Graziano Section Editors

News Lauren Ahern, Yingshyan Ku Opinion Ella Jones, Tommy Larson Arts Roya Arjomand, Tyler O’Brien Feature Matthew Traum, Kylie Morrison Lifestyles Natalie Sukhman, Katy Robertson Politics Max Rosenblum, Jimmy Hefter Science & Tech Cory Gorczycki, Samantha Rosenstein, Jared Tilliss Sports Cole Wyman, Julia Thomson, James Sexton-Holtmeier Advisers Michael Bass, 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.

Contact us at dial@hackleyschool.org.

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.

IIllustrations by Hadley Chapman and Ethan Yablon

By Eki Uzamere

Last year, the president of the University of Chicago, Dr. Zimmer, was invited to speak to Hackley students to address his decision to eliminate safe spaces from his campus. Dr. Zimmer wrote a letter to the students of the University of Chicago saying, he does “not condone the creation of intellectual safe spaces where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own.” Raising the question, are safe spaces appropriate on school grounds?

A safe space is to acknowledge that we inhabit a world where biases, prejudices and other ills, when actualized, have the effect of creating victims.

Getting rid of these places, or attempting to restrict these victims from further expressing themselves amongst similarly affected people is tantamount to stabbing a wound that remains unhealed.

According to the dictionary, a safe space is “a place or environment in which a person or category of people can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment, or any other emotional or physical harm.”

Sadly, groups like these are under attack in the educational world due to the argument that they keep students sheltered, unreceptive to new ideas, and thus unable to expand their worldviews.

Safe spaces have long been associated with black student unions, feminist organizations, and gay-straight alliances. Such groups of marginalized minorities can meet without discrimination, bigotry, and stereotyping from historically dominant groups in safe spaces.

“[At Hackley] We try to be true to our mission, providing students with the opportunity to hear different perspectives and make sure any voices that are heard are providing that opportunity as well,” commented Upper School Director Chris Arnold.

The question remains, however, as to whether safe spaces are further restricting the constitutional right of free speech for the rest of the people who are not represented in these groups.

School administrators may argue that safety, critical thinking and productive discussion cannot coexist; that safe spaces pose an imminent threat to the principles of academic freedom because in an educational setting, safe spaces will prevent students with offensive or controversial views from sharing their opinions or even from speaking at all. Without this vital opposition of opinion, unrestrained debate and discussion within the school will cease to be.

A safe space is not intended as an “echochamber” where discussion is restricted to those who share common opinions and debate is ruled by what is perceived to be politically correct, rather, they are intended for those students whose perspectives and ideas may have been crippled within the general population as a channel to band together amongst themselves.

A widely held, but false belief is that safe spaces are only manifested as a single race, political view, economic status, or sexual orientation.

To that end, I would remind them of the variety of people represented in their own safe spaces. At Hackley, students are

encouraged to find clubs that suit them and create their own. The conservative club, for example, has there own safe space on campus.

The conservative club offers a safe space for conservative people who can meet and share their views without the fear of being harassed for their opinions. Many have even faced physical and emotional harm for their opinions, “People have threatened me” says conservative club member, Adam tannenbaum, “People have denounced my views.” Members of the conservative club often join because they recognize that the “wide majority of the school is liberal.”

This fall, Madison Carter, Zaya Gooding, Isabelle Thomas, and Mikhaila Archer, four black senior girls, formed Hackley’s first Black Student Union. Their mission: “provide a safe space for black students at Hackley to discuss current issues regarding blackness in our community, and in the world.” Many students, of all ethnicities, have already joined and are looking forward to this new installment.

Allowing affected groups like these to band together enhances their ability to exchange ideas outside of their respective groupings because it bolsters and empowers their confidence and sense of self. One simply cannot have the freedom to explore a wide range of ideas, without also having the freedom to discuss ideas that pertain to one group that might otherwise never be discussed.

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December 20, 2018

Me Too Movement Influences Health Classes

By Jordan Miller

One of Hackley’s purposes as an educational institution is to adequately prepare its students for college and the challenges they may face beyond Hackley. Unfortunately, it is likely that some graduates may face sexual harassment at some point in their life.

According to the United States Government’s Office on Women’s Health, one in every five women will experience some form of sexual assault. Furthermore, according to a study done by the US Department for Justice, eighty percent of assaults go unreported.

“It’s a super pressing issue on college campuses and that’s where we are all going,” Junior Emmy Wenstrup said. “I think a lot of the time on college campuses the consent lines can seem blurry when they are actually not and a lot of people don’t understand that.”

Freshman Mira Zaslow echoed E m m y’s c o n c e r n s . “ I d o n’t think consent is a very complex concept” Zaslow said. “People just disagree when consent becomes inconvenient.”

Photo by Hadley Chapman Health teacher Cassandra Sekkas teaches sophomores about a variety of issues including stress management, proper nutrition, and healthy relationships. Ms. Sekkas finds it important to emphasize consent in the curriculum, since the Me Too Movement highlights a troubling pattern of inappropriate sexual behavior.

Health teacher and coach Cassandra Sekkas is well aware of these problems. This year, she started to weave in mini-lessons about consent during the communication and relationships unit.

“I’m starting to plant the seeds about consent earlier so when we get to the sexual health unit it’s not as new to the students and they are used to the idea and the terms,” Ms. Sekkas said. “The more I talk about certain things and the more

Support Resources for Victims Who you can talk to at school

Who you can talk to outside of school Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network 800-656-4673 www.rainn.org/

Dr. Sadler Director of Support Services Ms. Sekkas Upper School Health Teacher Your advisor or dean

National Sexual Assault Resource Center www.nsvrc.org/saam

it’s threaded throughout the entire school year the bigger the impact will be.”

Ms. Sekkas also introduced more consent lessons into the curriculum.

Instead of one full lesson dedicated to consent, there are three.

However, Junior Tahrayam Toure thinks additional lessons are unnecessary at a place like Hackley.

“I feel like if you’re logical you’ll understand consent,” Toure said.

“Just don’t be an idiot.”

Ms. Sekkas disagrees because with these additional lessons she will be able to give more information about when a person is no longer able to consent due to their level of intoxication and how to determine that. Ms. Sekkas also wants students to leave her classroom knowing when they need to ask for consent and how to assure that consent has been given.

“We need to start teaching people to become upstanders. We need to teach people how not to assault and how not to take advantage of someone.” Ms. Sekkas said. “We need to teach people how to tell when someone is too intoxicated and to encourage that person to go

home, go to sleep and make sure they are safe.”

However, Hackley’s health program constantly struggles with limited time. High school health at Hackley is only taught in tenth grade, twice per cycle, which significantly limits the depth and breadth of the topics covered.

If Ms. Sekkas were to extend the consent lesson she would need to cut part of the lesson on drugs, eating disorders, or other important issues.

“It’s hard to make that call every year, what’s going to stay and what’s going to go,” Sekkas said.“I look to what’s going on in the world to help me decide.”

A potential solution to time’s limitations are the health electives Director of Health and Wellness Ms. Pabst and Ms. Sekkas may be offering in the coming years.

This would provide students the opportunity to educate themselves further not only on consent but also on nutrition and other aspects of their health.

“When I think about the Me Too movement and Enough is Enough I think about it at multiple

levels. How do we teach it in the classroom? How do we help our parents have conversations about it? How do we help our faculty have conversations about it? But also, what do our policies look like here? Do our students feel they can report and feel supported and safe?”

Ms. Pabst said.

Adding some aspect of consent to the Lower School character development program and teaching is also being discussed.

“I think you could teach age appropriate consent K-12. You’re not teaching consent in the same way in second grade but you are getting kids to share and ask; Can I borrow something? Can I use something? And respecting a no is a really important thing at a young age,” Ms. Pabst said.

Ms. Pabst hopes to not only teach consent but to also make sure students know that at Hackley, they will be supported if they report sexual harassment and violence.

She wants to ensure that students know who they can go to and what will happen if they come forward, creating a safer environment for students.

Elimination of year-long English paper gives seniors more freedom, less stress, and room for growth as writers

By Yingshyan Ku

A group of Hackley seniors are crouched around a library table, rushing to make the final revisions to their paper and meet their last deadline in the Upper School. Until last year, this may not have been an uncommon sight.

Prior to the 2018-2019 school year, “theory papers” for seniors used to be a multi-stage process for an essay in the twelfth grade English class which incorporated literary and cultural critical theory. Previously, the theory paper was a year-long paper with its earliest deadlines in October and the final draft due in mid-May. This essay was required in addition to other theory-based essays assigned to students each trimester.

Now, however, students only need to write essays incorporating theory in each separate trimester.

With the elimination of the year-long process for the paper, the English department aimed to move students’ focus away from the writing of the actual “theory paper” and to encourage them to concentrate on their growth as writers and thinkers through the work distributed over all three trimesters.

“We hope that the move will support students in focusing upon their work in

the moment and thus support their growth as readers, writers, and thinkers,” English Department Chair Richard Robinson said.

Many students enjoyed the free choice and approach that the theory paper allowed them.

It invited students to choose a topic from any work they desired, including texts, film, television, or any literary theory studied over the course of the year. The new process allows students to do the same, but, unlike with the theory paper, essays will no longer stretch to a length of twelve pages or more.

Seniors had a mix of responses to the change. Some students felt that it would reduce the amount of stress for them while others were apprehensive about the change.

Senior Will Crainer said, “I’m glad in the sense that it relieves the stress of having to write one long paper at the end of the year, and the new process incorporates the same concepts as the old paper, but I also feel that college requires you to complete papers of similar lengths and the theory paper was our only real experience with that.”

On the other hand, senior Joshua Zhang said, “I’m afraid that this will only mean more work for us in the long run.”

Despite differing opinions, the course of the following year will fully determine the effects of the new process on students.

Photo by Matthew Traum Seniors, such as Ben Monroe, work hard to balance the academic pressure of being a senior with writing their applications and other responsibilities. Previously, seniors had started their theory papers in the fall, adding to the workload of college applications. Since the theory paper has been replaced with a series of shorter papers, seniors have more time to balance their work.

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Students engage with local community and immigration issues through Hudson Scholars and Progressive Action League continued from page 1 At the march, many affected by the influx in deportations and ICE raids around the nation spoke, and Chalan realized soon after arriving that one of the speakers was Chrissy’s aunt (his father’s sister), who held up a poster with an image of Chrissy’s family while speaking. She pleaded for help to the media and the public just as Chrissy did when he arrived, but nothing could be done due to his father’s deportation the next day.

Chalan spoke with Chrissy and his family at the march and knew she had to take action.

The day after the march, Chalan and Matt Fisch, both co-leaders of Progressive Action League (PAL), brainstormed how to act. They recognized that finances would be the most pressing issue for Chrissy’s family as the main breadwinner had been taken, so they promptly set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family.

“We shared the link to the GoFundMe page on Facebook ourselves, to politically active Westchester Facebook groups, and encouraged other members of the Hackley community to share as well,” Fisch said. “Due to the generosity of Hackley’s community, we were able to raise $12,000 for food and rent within just a few days for the family, and gave all proceeds to Chrissy’s mom.”

The next step for PAL was partnering with a community outreach organization called Hudson Valley Community Coalition (HVCC). Through HVCC, PAL continued to work with Chrissy’s family through their paralegal, Luis Yumbla, who performs much of his work in helping immigrants who are targets of raids.

Yumbla also helped PAL organize a rally in White Plains, Westchester’s county seat, in late July. PAL’s leaders and many of the Hudson Scholars mentors attended the

Photo courtesy of Maria Vacacela Members of the Hudson Scholars program attended an immigration rally in White Plains last July. The rally was planned by PAL leaders Amy Chalan and Matt Fisch along with paralegal Luis Yumbla to garner support for families affected by deportations. The rally was meaningful for Hackley ‘s mentors after scholar Chrissy’s father was deported earlier this summer.

rally, which was organized to garner support and media attention for four other local families who had family members with scheduled deportations.

In continuing to work with HVCC, Fisch and Chalan were accompanied by Yumbla in attending a Town Hall in the Bronx hosted by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Their attendance at the event mattered: Yumbla, Fisch, and Chalan were able to successfully stave off the deportation of a Peekskill native for another two weeks after talking to Senator Gillibrand and her team and handing them a letter with the case details.

While PAL’s work with the immigration issue throughout the summer took multiple forms, the issue was most impactful for Hackley students during the week of the Hudson Scholars summer term when Paute’s deportation became

public. Chrissy was spending his days on the hilltop interacting with Hackley’s student mentors, who could not help but feel personally connected to the situation.

One mentor, junior Emmy Wenstr up, had developed a particularly close relationship with Chrissy.

“I met Chrissy P. during my first summer of Hudson Scholars,” said Wenstrup. “For the first week, we didn’t really have a special connection…until Mr. Sykes pulled me into his office one day…and explained that Chrissy put me as his inspiration on a form the scholars had to fill out asking who their inspiration was. Obviously that was super touching, and from then on we became really close, and apparently, he cried when I wasn’t able to be at the final campout. This summer, we were close as well, and when I heard about what happened,

I felt awful, so my family chose to help out financially.”

However, throughout the days following at the program, Wenstrup felt as if the situation became dramatized to an extent at which it negatively impacted Chrissy.

“He did look upset at the program,” said Wenstrup. “While the community did gather around Chris, I did feel that everyone was maybe making too big a deal about it and drawing too much attention to it, and I think that from knowing Chris, he probably would have preferred to have just stayed with his classmates… I do think drawing attention was beneficial to some extent, though, since it got the mentors motivated to donate and to go to the rally.”

Whether or not Paute’s situation became too overblown at the program, the connection it forged with the Hackley community resulted in the community uniting to provide support and resources to someone facing a tragedy, and similarly ignited months of immigration related volunteer work from PAL. This, therefore, demonstrates the power that a personal connection can have in causing members of a community to focus on a political issue, act, and engage in important social work that yields measurable results.

As for Cristobal Paute (Chrissy’s father) his arrival in the United States during his teen years made him DACA eligible. Now in his 30s, he has lived in the States for approximately 20 years. Today, because of his deportation, he is currently in Ecuador (the country from which he emigrated). After arriving there, his family flew down to visit — yet the Paute family will remain divided by the 2800 miles that separate New York and Ecuador.

Sophomore Emmy Wenstrup was able to observe educational New York Times program about immi own experiences at the border, helping her find a

A Closer Look Along America

By Emmy Wenstrup, Guest Contributor

Photo courtesy of Emmy Wenstrup The current border fence along the beach in Tijuana, Mexico ventures out into the Pacific ocean. Some portions of the wall around the beach contain murals and messages, many of which are political. The fence along the beach also tends to be a common tourist attraction for those wanting to examine the infrastructure along the United States-Mexico border.

This summer, I attended a 2-week program sponsored by the New York Times that focused on American immigration in California. Throughout these two weeks, 10 other high school students and I participated in a road trip that travelled from San Francisco to San Diego.

In San Francisco, we watched a detained immigrant’s bond hearing and learned about the detention system. In the San Diego area, we visited the border, and saw the prototypes for President Trump’s proposed border wall.

For me, the most significant aspect of our trip was our visit to the border city of Tijuana, Mexico. A friend and I were looking at one mural on the Mexican side of the border fence that depicted an American flag painted with names of deported veterans when a man came

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Torn Apart: How a Deportation Deeply Affected My Religious Community

By Sydney Stoller

Each Monday I trudged up the steps and pressed the buzzer.

It beeped, and the woman at the desk asked who I was.

“Sydney Stoller, Armando Rojas I’m here for religious school,” I responded.

It beeped again, and the door unlocked. I entered the lobby and Armando smiled. “Hello, how are you?” he said, just as he did each Monday and Wednesday, September through June, from the fourth through seventh grades.

Now, whenever I enter Bet Torah to pick up my little sister from religious school, I am met with silence. Armando is gone, and with him is the friendly and welcoming environment of the temple I knew so well.

Armando Rojas emigrated from Atlixco Puebla, Mexico in 1986 at age 18, and eventually made his way to New York where he found a job at Bet Torah. He has worked there as the head of the custodial staff for twenty years. Before his deportation, Rojas lived in Mount

Kisco with his wife and two sons, who he encouraged to explore their love for learning and soccer.

Eight months ago, Armando was arrested at night and taken from his wife Sylvia and two sons without warning. He was subsequently deported to Mexico without a wallet, phone or identification of any kind. A group from Bet Torah flew to San Diego, CA and met Armando in Tijuana, Mexico.

They spoke to border control and helped Armando to begin the process of seeking asylum in the United States.

The group from Bet Torah convinced border control to transport Rojas across the border, where he was first held in the San Luis Detention Facility in New Mexico. After a few weeks, however, Armando was transferred to the Albany Correctional Facility in Albany, New York where he has been incarcerated since the end of June. He is currently waiting to find out the date of his final appeal in front of an immigration court judge in Batavia, New York, where he will be represented by his lawyer. Supporters of Rojas have banded together to try to prove his value as a community member to the judges determining his fate.

On October 16th, my temple held a rally in support of Armando and his family. I attended along with my mom, dad, little sister,

grandparents, and hundreds of concerned members of our community. Armando’s fifteen year-old son, Ulises, spoke about how dramatically his life has changed since his father was deported. He was crying. He said that each day after his father was deported, he heard his mother Sylvia crying in her bedroom. He said that their family was ripped apart. I was crying.

As a person whose parents were both born in the United States, I was always aware of the political controversy surrounding immigration to the United States, but I had no personal experiences to make me passionate about the cause. After Armando, my view has shifted dramatically. The image of Ulises standing on the stairs of the temple crying and begging for his family to be reunited remains ingrained in my memory.

It’s hard to put into words the frustration that I felt that night.

I felt the need to do something.

The need to act, to somehow, in some way, make a difference. At the rally, we signed petitions and wrote letters to Congressmen, but it didn’t feel like enough. In order to lessen the dizzying hopelessness that envelops me each time I think about the present state of our government, I try to zero in on one thing: bring Armando home.

Photo courtesy of Emmy Wenstrup border patrol agents at the US-Mexico Border. Her experience at the border was part of an igration policy in the United States. She also spoke with local residents who shared their a new awareness for the treatment of immigrants in the United States.

k at the Infrastructure a’s Southern Border

up to us and introduced himself as one of the men whose name was painted on he fence. After talking to him, he told us that after suffering a severe injury n the Vietnam War, he was sent back o America for treatment–only to be deported after being pulled over while driving.

In Tijuana, we also saw the eight prototypes for President Trump’s proposed border wall. Most striking about these was the fact that they look different from the Mexican side than they do on the American side. For example, one had razor wire pointing out at the Mexican side, but was painted sky blue on the American side. During our visit o the prototypes, I was struck by what perceived as the uselessness of the project. Only one-seventh of immigrants nter the country by crossing the border llegally – most simply overstay their visas. Given this, it seems unlikely that a

border wall would significantly diminish the number of immigrants crossing illegally. Moreover, if its goal is to prevent drug smuggling, the cartels have massive networks of underground tunnels which also make an above-land wall ineffective.

During the trip, I also found myself to be blown away by my own ignorance. I tend to think of myself as a well-informed person relative to some of my peers, and still do. Some details regarding detention centers literally made me sick to my stomach, especially because I had not heard any of them before -- and wouldn’t have had I not gone on the trip. This new awareness of my ignorance towards thousands of people suffering inspired a personal need to at least try to create change and I think that starts with education. If more people know about the horrors of the U.S. immigration system, I believe that they too will want to enact change.

Photo by Max Rosenblum The already existing fences in urban areas along the United States-Mexico border have seen recent additions of barbed wire, placed to potentially deter migrants from climbing over the border.

Infrastructural alterations such as this one come in the wake of President Trump’s recent executive decision to send troops to the Southern border. These troops have also engaged in military exercises at nearby military bases.

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December 20, 2018

Students and faculty show off their costumes at the annual parade

Photo by Cole Wyman Senior Thomas Dewey poses in his throwback 70’s Halloween costume including a very fun Hawaiian shirt.

Photo by Cole Wyman Mr. Wright, Mr. Lobko, Mr. Teacher, and Mr. Gruenberg channels the friend group from the popular TV show “The A Team.”

Photo by Cole Wyman Junior James Distefano dresses up as the infamous Sleepy Hollow legend, the Headless Horseman.

Photo by Cole Wyman Senior Daamiya Mir dressed up as Jasmine from the Disney movie Aladdin and Senior Katherine Gonick dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

Photo by Cristina Paz Seniors Maddie White, Zoe Naughton, Jordan Wade, and Kit Greenberg dressed up as the Disney Princesses Cinderella, Aurora, Belle, and Snow White.

Photo by Jordan Johnson This group of sophomores dressed up as vintage skiiers in their bright and colorful costumes.

What are students opinions of the new house system?

Photos by James Sexton-Holtmeier

“The houses are a good attempt at school spirit, but they are not effective. Nobody is invested in the system. I think that if there were more events, the student body would enjoy the houses much more. To be honest I don’t even know what house I am in” Maggie Broaddus

“I feel that as high schoolers we have outgrown things like the houses.

Maybe if the system was more serious I would be open to it, but as of right now I am fully against them. We have not had one event involving the houses, and nobody seems to care. My friends and I don’t even know what house we are in.”

Hackley seniors give advice on how they deal with college stress

By Katy Robertson

1.

2.

and

Natalie Sukhman

Exercise! Getting outside and being active with a friend or alone can be a great way to relieve stress and do something you love.

Find a creative outlet. Try painting, drawing, photographing, or even knitting. This can be super relaxing and fun. Many seniors say that working on their AP Art concentrations is their favorite way to unwind after a hard day at school. Senior Lilly Yerkes said, “I always look forward to when I get to work on my concentration because I get to relax while still being productive.”

Enzi Teacher

“They are a great way to revitalize team spirit from middle school.

I think it would be cool if they made the houses more like the hives from middle school. I really hope that they work out, but this will only happen if people buy in. We need lots of support from the community.”

Benjamin Marra

“I think that the houses bring grades together not just by advisories.

We need to be more spirited if we want them to work.They have a lot of potential, but there needs to be more going on involving the houses.”

Campbell Johnson

3.

Spend time with friends. Sometimes it’s hard to balance your social life with everything else going on. Getting away from your books and computer to spend some quality time with your peers is a perfect way to take a break after a long week.

4.

Get out of your house. Your bedroom or wherever you study can feel suffocating after long periods of time.

Take a walk, a drive, or just a quick visit to your local park for some much-needed fresh air if you feel stressed.

5.

Bake or cook something delicious. Trying out a new recipe or baking up a batch of your favorite cookie is one of our favorite ways to destress. You can do this alone or with your friends. We suggest trying recipes from Buzzfeed’s ‘Tasty’ app if you want an easy, quick, and shareable treat.

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December 20, 2018

What we are reading:

By Jordan Miller

A collection of books that members of the Hackley Community are reading

Photo by Amy Chalan Jordan Wade handmakes all of the bracelets, necklaces, and earrings sold by Simple Strings. Although she gets dozens of orders over Instagram Direct Messages, Jordan has to find time to balance her passion for her Simple Strings and her schoolwork. She typically works on her designs over the weekend and on school breaks.

Jordan Wade finds her passion and success in “Simple Strings”

By Sophia Thomas

It all started the summer before freshman year, when Jordan Wade and her mom were looking for an art project to fill the day. They decided to head to Michaels, and after circling the store for a little bit, they found themselves in an aisle filled with small rounded beads.

They decided to make necklaces with these beads, so they bought the beads and other materials necessary to do so. Little did Jordan know, but it was in that moment that her life would be changed forever.

Simple Strings, a jewelry business run by senior Jordan Wade, has grown in popularity over the past three years, within the Upper School and the larger Westchester community. You don’t have to look far to see some of her creations, whether it be a pair of earrings on the ears of upper school girls or the beaded choker-like necklaces

she made for some of the girls at Irvington High School. She has been making these “Simple Strings”, since her freshman year and her passion has resulted in success.

Even though Jordan made necklaces before starting her business, the demand for her creations started during her sophomore year, when her friends started asking for them. After that, friends of friends started asking, indicating the opportunity to turn her hobby into a business. “I realized that a lot people wanted to buy it and it was so fun to make, that I couldn’t just keep these necklaces to myself,” Jordan said.

What started as a simple summer pass time turned into a business, showing how artists can take their creations and profit off them in a meaningful way. Even though Jordan has experienced a lot of success, she still stays true to the art by investing time in finding

new creations to make. She spent this past summer in a jewelry studio working with metal jewelry, giving her the ability to refine her craft.

She’s constantly finding new things to make in order to keep up the demand for product. Most of her advertising is done through social media.

Instagram plays a huge role in Jordan’s ability to make a profit. Her routine consists of posting photos of her products every so often, and then her followers see them and request products. Customers order jewelry through the Instagram Direct Message feature. She fills orders mostly on weekends but most of her work is done during the summer when she has more time.

Jordan works to manage senior year stress with her business by not overcommitting, “I’m very honest with people who buy necklaces and tell them [if i have

a lot of school work], I will make it over the weekend,” she explained.

Jordan believes Instagram plays a large role in the success of her business. She follows people from outside of the Hackley community and has the ability to take orders from people she doesn’t even know.

Jordan anticipates continuing her business after graduation.

“I definitely want to do it through college and it’s a really easy way to show school spirit,” she said.

While the profit she makes off the jewelry is a plus, her passion comes down to her ability to create art and share it with others. She loves the idea of being able to spread her creations within her community and others. “It’s a really fun thing… [especially] seeing something that you made on a bunch of other girls at school… [it’s] a really proud moment for me,” Jordan said.

Louisa Thompson uses her Photoshop skills to start an online business

By Hannah Ostfield

L

Photo courtesy of Louisa Thompson One of Louisa’s style of edits includes collages made from cut out magazine photos. She recently made a collage focused on model Bella Hadid using her recent Vogue covershoot paired with inspirational words to creat this piece.

ouisa’s passion for collaging started in middle school, when she would look through piles of magazines finding cool pictures. She began to cut out photos of celebrities, models, or even interesting quotes and glue them onto paper making collages.

During her freshman year, Louisa rediscovered her knack for collaging in art teacher, Mark Green’s Studio Art class, where she was exposed to “Photoshop”. For a class project, Louisa created a surrealist piece by layering, cropping, and editing different photos.

Louisa’s Photoshopping ability allowed her to create collages like she did when she was younger, but on her computer. Now, sophomore Louisa Thompson has turned her interest in “Photoshop” into a small business called “Collaged”.

After her art class in 9th grade, Louisa began making collages during her freetime. “It really varies. Some days I'll make a lot and other times weeks will go by without me doing any.

Honestly, it depends on my mood and if I have inspiration. I don't really rush myself because the more spontaneous they are, the better,” she said.

Louisa started putting some of her collages on the photo editing app VSCO, and one of her collages got 1,000 republishes. Many people on VSCO found Louisa’s Instagram account and direct messaged her for their own, personalized collage. Before she knew it, many of her friends and members of the Hackley community began asking Louisa for collages.

“ [ Te l l t h e M a c h i n e Goodnight] is a cool contained way of looking at tech equals happiness.”

- English Teacher James Flanigan

“ [ K i l l e r s o f t h e Fl owe r Moon] a wonderful example of narrative nonfiction, which I t h i n k i s a g e n re t h a m a ny s t u d e nt s wo u l d really enjoy...For me as a h i s to r y te a c h e r a n d student I’m really excited to keep reading on this.”

- Head of Upper School Andy King As her collages gained more attention, Louisa

started an Instagram to advertise her work. The Instagram account allowed Louisa’s friends, members of the Hackley community and even people all over Westchester to contact her and ask for collages.

“I realized I could profit off their desire for my artwork so I started charging people,” she said.

Louisa made money from some Instagram collages, but mainly through hand-made, customizable canvas collages. “I didn't really expect my collages to turn into a profitable business, however as long as I'm having fun I will continue to make them,” she added.

Although her talent grew into a business, Louisa still collages for fun during her free time. When asked to recall some of her favorite works, she noted, “I think my favorite one is either a collage I did of vintage divers jumping out a plane or one of a car driving into a scene from the lorax.

It sounds crazy when describing it but I guess that is kind of what happens when you let your imagination run wild.”

The best part of Louisa's skill is that she makes collages when inspiration comes to her. The organic nature of her work makes her collages special and personal for each person. For her, the creativity is the most important part. “I like that I have the capability to bring crazy thoughts to life.”

Louisa’s works can be found on her instagram @colllaged

“[The female protananist] is like anyone else and is relatable in some ways...I like a book that makes you forget whatever else is going on.”

- Freshman Sophie Miller

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Coach Kuba brings experience to revitilize Boys’ Basketball

By Tyler O’Brien

After a few tumultuous years that did not meet the standards in terms of record and culture for the Hackley basketball program, new head coach Zachary Kuba strives to turn things around for the team. Coach Kuba spent the previous five years coaching at Poly Prep, a job that gave him familiarity with the Ivy League and what it takes to be successful in it. Despite the loss of guard Enzi Teacher to a hip injury, the team has a talented group of returning players including forwards James Sexton-Holtmeier and Matt Wiele, giving coach Kuba an exciting young roster to work with.

Kuba grew up playing basketball in the Pittsburgh area at a five-day boarding high school called Shady Side Academy that was “similar in size to Hackley.” After a successful high school career, Kuba moved on to play his collegiate career at New York University.

Playing at both the high school at Collegiate level has helped shaped Zachary Kuba to become the coach he is today.

“I think you know what you like and you don’t like as a player. There has to be a certain level of respect and you have to know that some days guys may be tired or have a test the next so you have to try and get something out of them and make the most of it. I think being in tune with how guys are feeling playing all those years helped me,” the new head varsity basketball coach said.

After graduating from NYU, Kuba embarked on a coaching journey that would span both the high school and collegiate levels, leaving him with many coaching contacts that helped influence the type of coach he is.

He began his career working at as an assistant at his old high school, which made him realize that coaching was what he wanted to do with his life.

“It was almost like it was going to happen no matter what. I was thinking about doing something else while I was living at home coaching for a year but as I was coaching I told myself why would I want to do anything else?” Coach Kuba said.

After working for his high school, Zach Kuba worked in the player development and video coordinating at IMG Basketball Academy, UCLA, University of Pacific along with various developmental camps such as Hoop Group. Most recently he has coached JV basketball at

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December 20, 2018

Fall Sports Team Results

By Julia Thomson

Football

Despite many injuries this year, the team finished 6-2 this season. They won both the Ivy League and the MIFL bowl.

Captains for next season are junior Conor McMahon and sophomores Jordan Johnson and Will Kneisley. They are excited to lead the team next year for another successful season.

Cross Country

The girls took home third place in the Ivy League this fall. In the NYSAIS tournament, Olivia Curran, Eve Spencer, and Frances Schaeffler finished with the fastest times from Hackley for the girls, and Jonah Gorevic, Brendan DiStefano, and William Crainer finished fastest for the boys.

Girls Tennis Photo by Julia Thomson Coach Kuba explains a drill to the team. He emphasizes quick ball movement to the team in practice. This is Coach Kuba’s first season coaching the boys’ varsity basketball team.

Poly Prep for the past four years and worked for the Riverside Hawks basketball program.

At UCLA Kuba got know Ben Howland, a highly successful Division I basketball coach who has reached the Final Four, and considers him to be a friend and mentor. “I’ve learned a lot from him especially in terms of defense and tactically how to guard,” Kuba said.

Coach Kuba has gotten off to a great start at Hackley, with many of his players immediately taking a liking to his personality and coaching style.

Star guard Enzi Teacher describes the new coach as “a family man who treats the team as if it [were] his own family. He is dedicated to improving the program as is seen through his work ethic.”

Coach Kuba also understands how to go the most out of each player. “Kuba is an understanding coach who motivates you to work harder though positive reinforcement rather than negative reinforcement. He brings the team together and creates a sense of unity through his positivity and personality,” said Senior Ben Monroe.

The team finished the season with an 8-5 record, losing 2-3 in a close match against Horace Mann in the semi-finals of NYSAIS. Doubles partners Maggie Broaddus and Leah Holmes finished undefeated in the Ivy League this season, closely followed by senior Kit Greenberg and her partner Sadie Nipon, a sophomore, who only lost one match.

Field Hockey

Winners of the Ivy League for the eigth year in a row, the team finished the season with an impressive 13-4 record, entering the NYSAIS tournament as the second seed. They fought a tough game in the finals, losing 4-2 to rival Rye Country Day.

Girls Soccer

The team finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, entering the NYAIS tournament as the fourth seed. They defeated Dalton, two time tournament champs, 2-1 to advance to the semifinals. Their season came to an end at Randalls Island in a 3-1 loss against Trinity, the number one seed.

Boys Soccer

The boys advanced to the NYAIS tournament as the sixth seed.

They were eliminated in the quaterfinals by long-standing rival Riverdale, who the team beat twice during the regular season.

The road to NYSAIS: Soccer teams turn seasons around Continued from page 1

The road to NYSAIS did not appear to be easy at first, especially after graduating 8 seniors — including their starting goalie, key defenders, midfielders, and a forward.

In light of these significant losses, through weeks of intense drills, scrimmages, and intense conditioning, new and returning players stepped up to fill the shoes of their former peers.

As for the team dynamic,” it is unlike anything that I have ever experienced before,” senior captain Belle Thomas said. “This team was closer than any other team I have been on. We spent a lot of outside of school time together and it showed on the field.”

Last year, the team didn’t make it to the NYSAIS championship.

Coach Hopp compared last falls’ girls soccer team to the team this year, saying that, “every team has different strengths, but I can say that this group of players continues to amaze me with their level of pride, heart, intensity, and willingness to do everything possible in order to be successful.”

The team headed into the tournament with a strong momentum, with a win streak of four games. They placed into the tournament as the number four

seed, and they played Dalton on Wednesday, October 31. They won the game with a final score of 2-1.

That Friday they took on Trinity at Randall’s Island. After a hard fought game the team lost 3-1. Although the season came to a close with a loss, the team made memories and friendships that will last throughout the rest of the year and high school.

“I am 100% proud of us. We really pulled together and managed to beat Dalton out, no matter how hard that game was.” Thomas said.

However, “In our last game, we did everything right beforehand, a good warm up and keeping the energy high, but to their credit, Trinity came out really strong and got a couple goals in early.”

The team was disappointed after the semi-finals loss. Yet, Thomas says, “overall, I am very proud of our season. We beat every team in the league at least once, except for one team, and we grew substantially over the course of the season and as a program as a whole.” “ This team was something incredibly special and I’m sad to see our time together end.” Thomas said. “Of course we’ll still arrange hangouts throughout the year, but in reality, our time together is over.”

Hackley Varsity Boys Soccer has made tremendous progress this season, despite the loss of Senior captain Patrick Wertimer due to a

foot injury in the first week of the season.

According to Coach Gillard, this success can be partially attributed to the mentality of the team. “The team’s mentality is incredibly positive. The team loves playing soccer and are enthusiastic about every part of the program,” Gillard continued, “Practice is fun and the games are incredibly tense and exciting.”

“The team dynamic this year was really fun.” Senior Matt Braver said.

“There were 10 seniors who were all very close and team was very similar to the one last year so most of us knew each other well.”

Gillard had high hopes going into the NYSAIS tournament. “Matt Braver has twenty-six goals already this season and will certainly add to this in the postseason making him a real threat to all opposing defenses. Our win over Dalton should guarantee us a tournament seed so it is now a question of who we are to play. The team is confident that they can advance and the team is well prepared,” he said.

The boys soccer team placed into the NYSAIS tournament as sixth seed and played Riverdale on Wednesday. They unfortunately lost after a hard fought game, with a final score of 3-1.

“NYSAIS did not go as we had hoped.” Matt Braver said. “We lost

Photo by Max Rosenblum Boys’ soccer lost a tough, widely anticipated game to Riverdale in the NYSAIS Tournament. They had beaten the Riverdale team twice previously in away game on their turf.

Photo by Amy Chalan Recent Dartmouth graduate and soccer player Sherine Collins joined the Hackley community this year as a lower school teaching assistant. She helped the girls soccer team make it to the NYSAIS playoffs. Sherine played defense and forward in college and brought a lot of insight and fun to the team.

a tough game to Riverdale who is our main rival. We had already beaten them twice earlier so beating them a third time would have been especially hard. Going down to Riverdale for the game to play them added more difficulty and the crowd was a large factor.”

The boys soccer team made history this season. “We did two things I’d never done in my four years,” Braver continued. “We beat Riverdale twice this year and won away at Poly.

There was a lot of success this year so even though our season ended early it was still a great one.”