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What’s On The Horizon For The 2015-2016 School Year? Hackley’s Initiatives for the 2015-2016 School Year 1. New Health and Wellness Center in developmental stage that hopes to break ground by the end of 2016 2. A re-evaluation and revamp of the Health curriculum in both the Middle and Upper Schools
Charles Colten, Director of Health and Wellbeing, speaks to an AP Spanish class about the Health and Wellness program and solicits the students’ suggestions. Photo by Robert Hallock.
By Alex Meyer
In typical Hackley fashion, as one school year comes to an end, Hackley faculty and administrators are already focusing on what is ahead for the 2015-2016 school year. Hackley is specifically focused on expanding itself globally through the Round Square program, and building upon the health and wellness practices established this year. Led by Charles Colten, the Director of Community Wellbeing the Health and Wellness initiative is quickly becoming a growing movement spreading through the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. The vision for this program is to evolve the way that Hackley students view health and wellbeing, and to implement new health practices which will not only improve academic performance, but athletic performance, artistic abilities, maintaining interpersonal relationships, emotional control, and having positive psychology.
The Lower School hopes to build a garden, which would support science, nutrition, and sustainability needs, and add to the beautiful aesthetic that the Lower School already has. In the Middle and Upper Schools, adminstrators hope to integrate more wellness practices into the health curriculum, such as positive psychology, mindfulness, and nutrition. They also plan to re-evaluate the current health program and decide which units need to be shortened or removed in order to “revamp, streamline, and energize the health curriculum so that it attends to more of the students desires,” Mr. Colten said. The health and wellness initiative is beginning its venture to improve positive psychology by working with the University of Pennsylvania’s Resilience Program in order to do so. The goal of this endeavor is to help students build their mental strength “strong enough to deal with the crashing waves of life,” said Mr. Colten. In the spring of 2015, Hackley was accepted
as a global member of Round Square. This designation allows Hackley to increase the number of students allowed on trips from four to six, and allows them to attend conferences all around the world, rather than in just the Americas. This is a huge step for Hackley. The next Round Square conference that Hackley students will attend is in Singapore, at the United World Colleges. “There is much to Round Square that includes travel, but it also extends much beyond travel,” said Steve Bileca, who will become the Assistant Headmaster next year and supervise Hackley’s involvement in Round Square. These trips provide Hackley students with the opportunity to have serious conversations with students from around the world, and becoming global members of Round Square for next year and the years to come will allow for Hackley to extend its horizons and open up to new cultures all around the globe, both near and far.
3. Continued implementation of wellbeing initiatives such as Stress Down Days during exams and APs 4. Creation of a garden in the Lower School to support science, health, and sustainability initiatives 5. Emphasis on participation in diversity initiatives such as Round Square, where Hackley was just accepted as a Global Partner
Five Upper School Teachers Depar t the Hilltop By Sydney Monroe
Ms. Fenstermacher, Hackley’s longtime Latin enthusiast, teaching one of her last classes. Photo by Robert Hallock
There’s a certain bittersweetness that comes with our upcoming transition to summer break, as we must now bid goodbye to five Upper School teachers who are integral members of our Hackley community. The English department specifically is losing three of its teachers, Anna Abelaf, Melanie Greenup, and Raegan Russell. Also leaving Hackley are Upper School History teacher and Boarding Associate Jermaine Matheson, and Middle and Upper School Latin and Etymology teacher Rowena Fenstermacher. Whether it be Ms. Abelaf ’s knack for languages or Dr. Russell’s infamous movie nights, each teacher has left unique marks on Hackley. Another teacher leaving the Hackley community is Ms. Fenstermacher, after her 25 year-long impressive tenure as “the most passionate Latin teacher I’ve ever met,” sophomore Meghan Cunningham said. Aside from her accomplishments in the Classics department, Ms. Fenstermacher also coached fencing throughout her years
at Hackley, saying that it is “great to keep alive two great subjects in the 21st century!” Dr. Russell has passionately taught English at Hackley since her arrival in 2006. “It’s interesting how much the school has changed since I’ve been here. In some ways, Hackley today has almost nothing in common with the Hackley I joined nine years ago,” said Dr. Russell. “And yet the wonderful, engaged, and interested student body has stayed the same over the years — and that’s what’s kept me here.” “She made me see literature in a much more mature, unique, and interesting way than I had ever been taught before,” said junior JC Peruzzi, “Everyday I would look forward to her class in a way I never had before.” Ms. Abelaf leaves a similarly legacy on the Hackley campus, having been a member of our community since 1976. Many of Ms. Abelaf ’s students, such as junior Kat Cucullo, describe her as an enlightened teacher who “often would share stories of her childhood and leave us with messages of wisdom.” “This experience was unique; I’ll miss the
amazingly collaborative spirit between students and their teachers,” Ms. Abelaf said. Ms. Greenup is also bidding goodbye after teaching at Hackley for the past two years. “Ms. Greenup’s classes inspire deep thinking; she’s the best at fostering interesting class discussions,” junior Julia Medici said. Ms. Greenup shares in this sentiment, describing her fondest memories as “the very lively and spirited class discussions,” having “learned so much from my students’ insights.” Mr. Matheson leaves the Hilltop after a brief but memorable tenure, having just arrived this year. “He has really prompted me to think critically about what we learn in his class which has helped me to understand concepts on a deeper level,” junior Meghan O’Keefe said. Most students of Mr. Matheson’s remark on his signature sense of humor when remembering him most fondly. “His funny analogies always brightened up class discussion,” Meghan said. The feeling of respect is mutual, said Mr. Matheson, “I don’t know if I’ll ever be around such talented students and such accomplished colleagues again.”
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Students And Teachers Comment on APs
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The AP Program Is Valuable For Certain Students, But Merits Comprehensive Review
Did you take any AP Classes this Year?
By David Duerr
Hackley doesn’t need the AP exams to give yet another credential to kids who will do just fine at getting accepted to top-ranked colleges. This is not the case for students attending other high schools with a more academically diverse student population. In my experience, the AP classes are staffed with the best and most experienced teachers, which can be a boost to a group of students in more challenging setting. Indeed it is a perk for these teachers who might not otherwise continue to teach at these schools. What’s more, the AP Board, whatever you might think of their motives, is actively recruiting teachers to solicit more disadvantaged, but academically superior groups who don’t traditionally take AP classes, to do so. Taking the AP is just not on the radar of many students of color, placing them at a disadvantage vis-à-vis their white counterparts.
In addition to providing a meaningful credential to college-bound students, the AP fulfills another role: it allows students to advance to a higher level course in a given discipline once they reach college. It is a reliable and validated test on a national basis which allows administrators to place students at an appropriate course level. This might actually be valuable for Hackley students who consistently place in the higher levels of AP exams. They will have fulfilled a prerequisite that is accepted across a wide range of colleges. The criticism I hear about the AP exams is that the courses leading to them tend to be reductive, a curriculum driven by an outside agency, nothing more than glorified test prep classes. In some respects that is true. As an AP French teacher, my goal is to prepare the students to be as successful as possible on the exam. They expect this and so do their parents and my administrators. However, the exams themselves have changed over the years: our French exam has become much less about the
study of the language than about using the language to communicate effectively. Grammar has taken a back seat. The new exam also emphasizes the whole French-speaking world, not just “old Europe.” This approach certainly represents a broadening rather than shrinking of our curriculum and reminds both teachers and students that studying a language is meant to open one to the world. The format of the exam also asks the students to do the things any year four curriculum would want: read at a sophisticated level, write a persuasive essay from three sources and perform two impromptu speaking tasks. If this is a straitjacket, it is one with wiggle room. In the end I would say that APs at Hackley should be subject to the usual Hackley process: discussion with a conclusion that is open to a wide interpretation according to departments and individuals within those departments. David Duerr is the Eigth Grade Dean and AP French Teacher at Hackley. He has taught at a variety of private preparatory and public schools.
The AP Program Is Restrictive, Detrimental, and Unnecessary By Bill McLay
Over the course of my teaching career, I have undergone an interesting evolution in my view of AP exams. To begin with, in my first year of teaching, I was hired to be the only physics teacher at a school in Charlotte, NC. At the time, I was told I would be teaching two AP Physics classes as part of my load. I had no idea what that meant. Neither did my Department Chair, or anyone else in the department. I was handed a book literally titled College Physics, and told they would try to get me some copies of AP materials. So I went about teaching what I thought I should teach. It was not until late March that I finally got to see what was on the AP Physics exam, which of course would be held in May. Have you ever been given a major assignment, and then the day before it is due you realize that you lost the last page of instructions? That was how I felt. I had not covered nearly enough material. I felt bad for my students, and in the end, 68% passed the exam (the fact that the national average that year was 62% only made me feel a little better). That summer, I attended a weeklong AP Institute to better prepare for teaching that class. I learned quite a bit, and the next year I was better prepared. Yet still, by the time the exam hit, I had not covered light diffraction, and all of Modern Phys-
ics. My passing rate rose to 86%. Each year I got better at teaching the curriculum. I was able to get my students more practice, and by the time I was teaching in Atlanta, I was teaching 150 students AP Physics, with a 92% passing rate. In fact, AP Physics was the most popular class at the public school where I taught. I was a machine, pumping out these results. In addition, many of my students would visit from college and tell me how they were often tutoring other students in Physics. Many others were so happy to get their science credit taken care of because they were studying Business or a Liberal Arts major, and they did not want to take any other science. I always saw this as a great opportunity for those non-science kids to get that credit, and for the Science kids to be able to start higher-level classes as freshmen. To me, AP Physics was the greatest. Then a shift seemed to occur in the world of AP. I am not sure how or when, but the system changed. Suddenly there were AP versions of just about everything. Parents wanted their kids in AP not for the opportunity to learn something at a higher level, not even to get credit for a class, they wanted a resume builder to get into college. Often kids having no business in an AP class were there. They struggled, and they were miserable. Then colleges changed the game by no longer accepting certain scores, or would only take a 5, and even then
stopped counting it as credit for the class. In addition, the College Board wanted more material crammed into the exam than before. As it was, I could barely get through what already existed. As much as I loved teaching at the level required for the AP exam in Physics, I began to hate being pinned to its curriculum. If I wanted to do something interesting, yet outside the curriculum, I had no time. I no longer saw AP Physics as the greatest way to teach higherlevel Physics. By the time I arrived at Hackley, I no longer taught it. Now, I feel the entire AP Program needs to be scrapped. It no longer serves the same purpose it did 20 years ago. I am not saying to get rid of higher-level classes that teach things similar to the AP curriculum, but to jump through all of the College Board hoops takes too much away from the meaning and purpose of these classes. The fact that so many parents want their kid in any class that has “AP” in the name because they see it as the path to college means that the program is broken. If schools have a robust program run by well-trained and competent teachers, then the students will be well prepared for college. In the end, that should be our goal. Bill McLay is a physics teacher and former science department head at Hackley. He has extensive experience teaching AP Physics.
Ensure All Students Can Use AP Classes To Distinguish Themselves By Isabella Yannuzzi
I believe that Hackley should have an AP English class. Not only would an AP English class give students interested in the subject another opportunity to expand their knowledge, but it would also provide recognition for students who are applying to college. The class would be a way for students who want to pursue English beyond the required grade level classes to get the involvement they want without needing to add a specific minor to their schedule. An AP English class would also give students the opportunity to read and analyze new books and poetry. The books at Hackley change slightly from year to year, but some books remain the same. Having a class where the books are not completely set in stone would give students more insight into the literary world. It is amazing that all Hackley English classes are taught at an AP level, but when a student is applying to college it can be difficult to distinguish oneself from other applicants if one wants to major in English. At Hackley there are many opportunities to take an AP or accelerated Science or Math course. For example, Hackley offers
AP Stats, Calculus-based AP stats, AP Calc AB, Acc. AP Calc AB, AP Bio, Advanced Bio, AP Physics, and AP Chem, only to name some of the available courses. Yet, the Hackley English department doesn’t have an accelerated, advanced, or AP class. Because of this, it is more difficult for the Hackley student who is passionate about English to pursue his or her interests than for a more math and science oriented student. Yes, colleges will be aware that the student is applying from Hackley where all the English is at an AP level, but if a student chooses to take an extra English class, it distinguishes him or her from others. There are minors available, but an AP course would provide the opportunity for students to double up in English majors and really pursue their interests. Isabella Yanuzzi is an eleventh grade student at Hackley.
Have An Opinion on the AP Program and its Place at Hackley? Write a letter to the editor between 200 and 400 words, email it to dial@hackleyschool.org, and you could be published in the print or online edition of the Dial.
Would you prefer if Hackley did not offer any AP classes?
If Hackley offered them, would you take AP English and/or History Courses?
Poll methodology: Polls were distributed electronically through Upper School student emails, and was publicized on the Dial’s social media pages. This poll had 240 respondents, representing approximately 60% of the student body. This poll has a margin of error of ±3.9%.
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Dial staff
Hackley School 293 Benedict Ave., Tarrytown, NY (914) 631-0128 June 2015 Vol. 117, No. 6 hsdial.org
Editors-in-Chief............................................................Marc Rod, Sonia Singh Online Editor...............................................................................Benjy Renton Technical Editor............................................................................ Joe Lovinger Senior Section Editors News........................................................................................ Sydney Monroe Opinion........................................................................... George Wangensteen Politics................................................................................................ Neil Suri Feature.......................................................................................... Allie Molner Arts............................................................................................... Katie Bogart Lifestyles.................................................... Hannah Urken & Catherine Meyer Science & Tech...................................................................Kelly Castro-Blanco Sports............................................................................................. Chris Chon Photography............................................................Robert Hallock, Nick Rizzi Advisers Michael Bass, Anne Budlong, Wil Lobko 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.
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June 2015
Senior Internships Provide Valuable Experiences By Kelly Castro-Blanco
As the year winds down, the Class of 2015 has started their Senior Projects. This program is famous at Hackley for its ability to give students an opportunity to gain some “real-world” experience before graduation or pursue a passion they may not be able to explore as fully in college. However, instead of venturing outside of Hackley for internships or jobs, a few Hackley seniors have chosen to do their projects at Hackley. Senior Jules Oppenheim has been working alongside current teacher Melissa Brennan to teach the AP Computer Science class. A major element of his project involves working closely with Ms. Brennan to design a curriculum and learn teaching techniques that he can employ when he works with students. “Ms. Brennan helps me create a lesson plan and make it really interactive for the students so it’s a fun time for them,” Jules said. A math and science buff himself, Jules states that he chose this department “because I’m very passionate about Computer Science and I thought it would be great to do a project that involved it.” Ms. Brennan has also allowed Jules a considerable amount of freedom in what he chooses to teach. For many students, a deciding factor in doing a senior project at Hackley is its ease and familiarity. Jules does not seem to feel that he is missing out on anything by staying at Hackley for his project; in fact it is just the opposite. “When I chose my internship I knew that commuting is just horrible and I would never want to go to the city every day, especially if I have APs.” “I live fifteen minutes away so it’s a lot easier to come here.” Jules’ project is working out very well for him. “It’s just a lot of fun. I’ve made up my lesson plans and I’ll be teaching throughout the rest of the year.” Tristan Jung is also working closely with a Hackley teacher as a part of his senior project. Tristan is working with Mr. Klimenko to help teach the sophomore U.S. History course. Part of his job is designing a curriculum, composing and grading assessments, and leading class discussions. “I teach some mini lessons in class and then I’ll write quizzes and DBQs and other little assignments for them to do; I’m basically like an assistant teacher,” Tristan said. Tristan has also been working with Michael Rover on this project. Mr. Klimenko has been working closely with Tristan and Michael, giving them lesson plan ideas, movies to select clips from, and insight about particular students and class dynamics.
Clockwise from top left: Michael Rover assists sophomore US History class, Jules Oppenhiem teaches AP Computer Science, Lauren Fallon writes a memoir of her grandfather, Tristan Jung assists sophomore US History class, Amanda Flock gardens at Hackley. Photos by Robert Hallock and Max Chen.
Tristan’s project aligns nicely with his longstanding interest in history, giving him an opportunity to explore the teaching side of history at Hackley. He expressed his passion for the subject and feels that the curriculum at Hackley is very good compared to many other public and private schools. “Mr. Klimenko is also my advisor and we’re close so it made sense to do it with him,” he said. Hackley’s convenience and proximity was a deciding factor in Tristan’s choice to do his project here on campus. Tristan said, “I have track and APs, so the student teaching option made the most sense for me to do.” In addition to practicality, Tristan states that “Hackley is close enough that I can go home and take a nap which is great. The free food is also nice.” Though he does enjoy being at Hackley and doing his senior project on campus, Tristan also feels that he may be missing out in some ways. “I think the whole
point of the senior project is to expand your horizons and even though at Hackley teaching is really different from being a student, you are still with the same people, and you are not meeting as many new faces as you would be otherwise,” he said. Senior Lauren Fallon is writing a memoir on her grandfather, a project she says has been largely influenced by the skills she accrued during her time at Hackley. For Lauren, this is truly a passion project. “Besides the fact that I have a huge interest in journalism and writing, my grandpa is 92, so for me this is more than just a senior project. It’s a chance for me to spend time with him that I feel is running out.” Though Lauren’s project does not require her to be directly integrated into the Hackley campus, she cites her time as a student as a huge influence in her decision to write the memoir. She notes her time as a junior as especially significant: “I took a lot of stuff I learned as a junior at
Hackley and put it towards this memoir.” Lauren’s biographical account of her grandfather’s life connects with the Hackley Upper School History and English curriculums, both of which contain many elements of the “American dream” or the “American narrative.” Lauren’s academic advisor for her senior project, Dr. Russell, has been “really helpful” in ensuring that the memoir is different in structure and style from the numerous essays and Dial articles Lauren has written throughout her time at Hackley. Lauren explains that the objective is to tell a story, not argue a thesis like a typical paper would require. “Each time we meet, Dr. Russell reads my work and gives me feedback, tips, and different styles I can use for writing the memoir.” Lauren“loves history so I find all of the stories that my grandpa has to tell very fascinating. I am almost done with the memoir!”
Students Share Diverse Plans for the Summer
Hackley Students travel the world to these indicated locations. Map courtesy of infogr.am.
By Roya Wolfe
The clock is ticking and summer is on the horizon. Hackley students are anxious for their summer vacation, and excited for their activities. The students share a variety of interests, whether it’s attending a Hackley Camp, traveling, or spending their summer working. All throughout the summer, Hackley will be offering different camps and programs for their students. There are academic, athletic, and other types of courses available for high schoolers. Director of Auxiliary Programs, Sue Altman, is very excited for the upcoming summer.
“It’s a great time for students to dabble in interests. They’re less stressed out, and less busy... It’s a chance for kids to really try their hand at things, and go ahead and take risks,” Ms. Altman said. For example, math teacher Jon Gruenberg will be teaching a course on psychology, which is “designed to introduce students to the field of psychology through the examination of human behavior, social development, and mental processes.” This summer Hackley students are also taking over the globe, and there are 107 students traveling internationally. For example, sophomore Wyatt Khowsrowshahi will be traveling to Africa on a vacation with his family, and junior Nur Momani will be going to Spain, France, and Morocco. Sophomore Izzy Sellon will be combining her love of tennis and traveling this summer by attending a tennis camp in Barcelona, Spain. “I can’t wait!” Izzy said. Whether it’s on a Spanish immersion trip to Costa Rica, or to visit several National Parks, groups of Hackley students will be traveling as well. Both sophomores Andrew Chung and Seth Tilliss are looking forward to their Hackley summer trip in Costa Rica. “I’m looking forward to hiking in the jungle and seeing the unique animal life in Costa Rica,” said Andrew. Other Hackley students will be spending their summer close to home, by working or interning. Sophomore Jordan Schwartz will be teaching middle schoolers 3D printing through a New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) Program. “I’ll most likely be teaching elementary and middle schoolers how to use CAD design software, building circuits and
building things in general. I’m looking forward to seeing kids use math and science out of the classroom,” Jordan said. Jordan isn’t the only one spending a summer in New York City; junior Dom Meneses will be spending her summer doing an internship in Soho. She’ll be working with councilman Corey Johnson, working in his office on social media and organizing papers and meetings for him. “I’m very interested in pursuing a career in communications and this would help me get some experience and figure out if this is something I really want to do in the future,”Dom said.
A poll showing student plans for the summer. Poll methodology: Polls were distributed electronically through Upper School student emails, as well as publicized on the Dial’s social media pages. This poll had 240 respondents, representing approximately 60% of the student body. This poll has a margin of error of ±3.9%.
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June 2015
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Hackley Track and Field Wins Big at NYSAIS By Marc Rod
Hackley’s Track and Field teams won big at the NYSAIS championships. Both the Boys’ and Girls’ Teams took first place in the league, securing their third and seventh consecutive victories in NYSAIS championships, respectively. Many of Hackley’s individual athletes and relay teams also took first place in their events:
Julia Stevenson 3000m Greer Levin Steeplechase Alexis Arnold Discus, Shot Put Gabriella Zak Triple Jump Anthony Roderick Long Jump Elijah Ngbokoli 100m, 200m Girls’ 4x100 Relay Girls’ 4x800 Relay Girls’ 4x800 Relay
Hackley hurdler Fin McCombe places 7th in the 110 m Hurdles at the NYSAIS Championship for Track and Field.
Photo courtesy of Akash Samad.
Graphic courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user Oldbeeg.
Varsity Teams Bid Farewell to Senior Teammates
George Santangelo smacks a single. Photo courtesy of Chris Taggart
Sofie Alabaster evades a defender. Photo courtesy of Lori Carlton
Kent Sasada hits a warm up volley. Photo courtesy of Chris Taggart
Amanda Flock and Lauren Fallon pose before a match. Photo by Sonia Singh
By Max Chen and Irene Kim
It was only natural for Sofie Alabaster to join the Girls’ Lacrosse team, having a brother who played lacrosse for his whole life. She started playing lacrosse in 7th grade and began to fully commit herself to the sport during her sophomore year. Hackley Girls’ Lacrosse will be going to the Ivy League Championship this year for the fourth time in a row after losing in a close, thrilling, double overtime loss against Rye Country Day School last year. Unfortunately, Hackley lost in a close game with Fieldston, 13-12, and lost their bid to make the NYSAIS championship. But during the regular season, the Hackley Girls’ Lacrosse team was ranked second in the Ivy Preparatory League, only trailing Rye Country Day for the top spot. After committing countless hours to practices and games for the Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse team in her high school years here at Hackley, Sofie hopes to continue her career in lacrosse at least at the club level in college. Although she is not officially joining the lacrosse team at Duke University, she is looking to either walk on to the team or play recreationally. “Overall, I think the season has been really fun,” said Sofie, “The girls got along very well, and there was a real strong sense of camaraderie on the team. We had the level of intensity when we really needed it, but we also had fun with each other playing the sport. I am really excited to see how the underclassmen develop and wish them the best of luck in the future!”
Holding the league’s best doubles tennis record with his partner and fellow senior Josh Clark, Kento Sasada is a formidable opponent on the court. While he has many memorable achievements during his Hackley tennis career, Kent believes that the team’s greatest moment was when the Hackley Boys’ Varsity Tennis team defeated Horace Mann’s team this year, breaking their 67-year losing streak against Horace Mann. To Josh and Kento, this season was not only a total success, but also yielded a better outcome than they ever expected to achieve. “We have always finished second in the league, but we finally held the best record in doubles in the Ivy Preparatory League, an accomplishment I am very proud of,” Kent said. Kent attributes part of his success to his teammates and coaches. “I will miss my coaches, Sykes and Pawel, and my other teammates. They have made my experience as an athlete extremely enjoyable and I can’t see myself having a better team around me. But most of all, I am certainly going to miss all the Touch the Fence games we had at the end of practices.” In spite of leaving Hackley’s Boys’ Tennis team, Kent hopes to continue pursuing his passion for tennis in college.“Tennis has always been the way I can get away from school and relax. It has always been an important part of my life and I really hope I can continue it during my college years,” said Kent. “I wish the best of luck to all my teammates and coaches and am excited to see what the team looks like in the future.”
As the only two seniors on the golf team, Amanda Flock and Lauren Fallon always bring the energetic team spirit to the team. This season, as the most senior members of the team, Amanda and Lauren got close to the underclassmen and took on many new captain responsibilities and tasks. For example, for the away matches, they always brought speakers and music to every bus ride. With a successful season of 5-3-1 in the Ivy Preparatory League, Lauren recalled the challenges of this season. “We had tough competition, but our team has strong players in each grade, which helped a lot,” she said. Despite the loss of the two seniors, this success of underclassmen players this season gives the Girls’ Golf team hope for new seasons in the near future. “Our season was not our strongest but definitely our most fun. [I remember] when I was playing Sacred Heart and I hit my ball and it hit a tree, bouncing behind where I started, so I went backwards,” Amanda said. “That moment was definitely a low point in the season, although the season turned out great.” After their golf career in Hackley, the two seniors will follow different paths. Lauren, who had been playing golf ever since she was seven, will be continuing the sport on a college team. On the other hand, Amanda will not continue to play golf competitively in college, but will continue to play the sport recreationally. In her final words to the Girls’ Golf team, Lauren said, “I love Hackley Girls’ Varsity Golf and am very sad to leave, but I am also very excited to see all of the great things the girls will do in the upcoming years!”
Demonstrating leadership and tenacious spirit, George Santangelo has become an important pillar of Hackley’s Baseball program. While George has numerous awards during his baseball career, George believes that his greatest achievements as a player are the relationships he has formed and the growth in his personal character. “Baseball is just like other sports, in that it has been a major part of my life,” said George, “I grew up playing baseball all the time, and formed some of my best friendships playing it.” George believes that part of his success comes from his ambitious personality. “I am a very competitive person and baseball is a sport where I can express this competitive edge. The sport has helped me build a greater character within me throughout my life.” This competitive edge has helped seventhseeded Hackley defeat second-seeded Poly Prep and third-seeded Dalton to reach the NYSAIS championship. Unfortunately, the underdog Hackley Baseball team lost in a 3-2 extra innings heartbreaker to first seeded Rye Country Day. This incredible effort by the team ended a 10-year drought in which Hackley never made it to the finals for the NYSAIS championship. Leaving Hackley, George believes that he will miss his teammates the most. “We have a blast every time we take the field, and we have a great bond with each other. I will miss spending time with them everyday.” Although George will not be playing at the varsity level in college, he hopes to continue playing baseball at the club level.