February 2016 Issue

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A Personal Look into Islamophobia Kicking Exam Procrastination and Stress Great Eats in Tarrytown

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The voice of the student body

Hackley School, Tarrytown, NY 10591

February 17, 2016

hsdial.org

Seniors Hone Skills in Summer Internships

By Alexi Sandhu

While most students at Hackley spend their summers going to camps, swimming in pools, and vacationing with family, a few of our seniors spent last summer immersing themselves in amazing working opportunities, getting a head start on life after college. Seniors Arielle Stern, James Mattei, Zach Shalett, and Katie Bogart are just a few of the seniors who spent their summers participating in incredible internships in everything from local biotech companies to startups on the other side of the country.

Arielle and James both worked at Regeneron in what they call a “mentorship,” one step below the college student interns. Regeneron is a biotechnology company based in Tarrytown, New York that specializes in pharmaceuticals and focuses on the proteins responsible for the growth and care of neurons and their regenerative abilities. Both

Continued on page 8

Meet the Model UN Club: The Diplomats of Hackley

By Alex Meyer

Hackley’s Model UN is on a mission to “rewrite history” while now also creating its own. Students in Model UN role-play leaders of countries in the United Nations to delegate conflicts from the past and recreate their results at conferences around the region.

There are a few sections per conference, and they each have a different topic that to discuss.

For the past few years, the club has been relatively small, with only eight members last year. Model UN now has 30 members, and sophomore Alex Wenstrup predicts that Model UN will only get bigger. “I am amazed by how quickly the team is growing… I hope to continue the growth of the club, and in doing so I can see us easily hitting 50 members next year,” he said.

The Club’s reputation has also been growing with its membership. Hackley’s Model UN club attended a conference at Pelham Public school and walked away with numerous accolades for each section of the conference.

The Arab Spring section discussed the moral and ethical aspects of the conflict as well as developed a solution to end the violence between the governments and civilians in countries affected by

Continued on page 8

Photo by Alex Meyer Kennedy Odede addresses the Upper School in the 2016 Wendt Lecture about his work with education for girls in Kibera, Kenya’s largest urban slum.

Odede and Posner Shine Hope Through Wendt Lecture & Visit

By Benjy Renton

At the age of 15, Kennedy Odede founded Shining Hope for Communities with 20 cents, a soccer ball, and a passion. With the help of an American girl from Denver, he created the opportunity for girls in Kenya’s largest urban slum to receive a free education. Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner, Hackley’s 2016 Wendt Scholars, spoke to the Hackley community on Thursday, February 4 about their work through their organization Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO). Every Upper School student was given a copy of their new book Find Me Unafraid, which details both Kennedy’s upbringing as a child in the slum of Kibera and his partnership with Jessica, when she was on an exchange program as a student at Wesleyan University.

Kennedy’s experiences in his life on the streets (or “Kibera University,” as he affectionately called it) enabled him to build his “raw leadership” skills.

Combined with his love of soccer, Kennedy created a grassroots movement helping the most vulnerable parts of Kibera. “What I love about soccer is the idea of discipline and teamwork.

You have to be organized and you cannot do anything alone,” he said in an exclusive interview.

In Find Me Unafraid and in his lecture to the Upper School, Kennedy said that figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Marcus Garvey, and Rosa Parks were his role models. Growing up in Kibera, Kennedy took any money he earned and used it to buy books, teaching himself how to read and write. With no formal education, Kennedy was invited to attend Wesleyan University on a full scholarship, from which he graduated in 2012 with honors. At Wesleyan, he learned how to analyze, write, and organize his thoughts. “Wesleyan is my core, my foundation, of who I am now,” he said.

Originally only in Kenya for a few months to study abroad, Jessica has since partnered with Kennedy to develop Kibera School for Girls, where parents of schoolchildren volunteer for five weeks a year in exchange for their child’s free education. In addition, SHOFCO has also built a health clinic and Kibera’s largest clean water tower. She felt both “overwhelmed and comfortable” in Kibera when she first arrived, but has since used her fluency of Swahili to connect with people. “I feel like it’s an investment on my part; that I’ve invested learning the language to be

a part of things in a more organic way,” Jessica said. Currently, Jessica helps raise money and spread awareness for SHOFCO’s programs, while also planning for a new school building, health clinic, and community center in the near future.

Jessica and Kennedy envision their grassroots movement spreading to other communities in Kenya and beyond; in fact, another slum in the Nairobi area called Mathare established its own school for girls in the fall of 2014 with the help of SHOFCO. As words of advice to students wishing to give back to their communities, Jessica suggested that they should “start small... It’s easy to feel so overwhelmed by the problems or the challenges, but don’t let that stop you.”

In addition to visiting the Middle and Lower Schools (including Kenyan Lower School teacher Rachel Mwakitawa’s first grade class), Kennedy and Jessica hosted a popular lunch for Upper School students during the day. “The purpose in life is to understand privilege and take advantage of all its opportunities,” Kennedy said. Senior Alex Gluckman, president of Hackley’s Round Square club, said that “Kennedy and Jessica’s story reaf-

firmed my firm belief that, with courage, tenacity, openness and a passion to inspire others, young people can make a positive difference in the world.”

English teacher Nicole Butterfield, also a Wesleyan graduate, said that Kennedy and Jessica’s lecture served as “a great reminder of how many kids worldwide are in a situation where they can’t get access to education... It actually brings me back to why I became involved in education to begin with,” she said. “When you see that enthusiasm and desire to learn in a little kid, you realize that that has nothing to do with where they’re born or how much money they have.”

Junior Meghan Cunningham has a special connection to Kennedy and Jessica, having spent much time in Kibera due to her dad’s Kenyan background. “Kennedy and Jessica have taught me that any dream is possible no matter where you come from or what your situation is,” she said. “With hard work, ingenuity and collaboration, anything is achievable.”

“My mission was not about me,” Kennedy chuckled. “If we can all do this together, we can make this community a better place.”

Photo by Sydney Monroe Sophomore Demetra Yancopoulous delves into “Find Me Unafraid,” Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner ‘s account of their fight together against poverty and hopelessness.

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Hackley Should Reconsider Zero Tolerance Drug Policy The community will benefit from a policy that is more flexible

By The Editorial Board

Last issue, The Dial published an editorial encouraging Hackley to re-examine its drug disciplinary policy in light of the required withdrawal of two students for a drug policy infraction. While reconsidering the entire policy still makes sense, there is one area of the policy that needs immediate attention: the school’s policy on marijuana use.

Forming school disciplinary policy is never an easy task. The school has the difficult job of having to act, effectively, as a parent of hundreds of different kids from hundreds of different families during the school day and do as much as possible to ensure their safety.

But while it is rational and responsible for the school to take a very strict disciplinary approach on marijuana use, American culture at large often treats the drug very differently. Marijuana is often celebrated in popular culture. This past April 20th, Billboard ran an article entitled “4/20 Songs: 20 Smokin’ Tunes About Weed.“ ‘Smoke-outs’ are regularly held at college campuses to support ‘cannabis culture. We smell weed often when we walk through New York City at night, and Facebook even displays us advertisements for “magic herb grinders,” a not-sosubtle euphemism for marijuana paraphernalia.

Most strikingly, four states in our union and our nation’s capital territory have all voted to explicitly legalize the recreational use and cultivation of marijuana. Even in our home state of New York, marijuana use has been largely decriminalized; first-offense possession of up to 25 grams of marijuana in New York States is a civil

Illustration by Olivia Weinberg

violation – like a traffic ticket, and not a ‘crime’ (misdemeanor or felony) - with a maximum punishment of a $100 fine. The future likely holds further decriminalization; a 2015 Gallup poll showed that a real majority, 58%, of Americans support the legalization of marijuana use, including 71% of those polled that were born in or after 1981. Fittingly, its use among young people has become almost commonplace: while data pertaining to Hackley students specifically was not available to The Dial, nationwide data sourced from government agencies suggest that around half of Americans between ages 18 and 20 have tried marijuana at some point in their lives. Even if Hackley students significantly ‘beat’ this average, it stands to reason that a not-insignificant minority of young adults in our community have experience with marijuana.

Of course, there is a very great difference between marijuana use by a minor and that by an adult. Let’s be clear: marijuana seems to pose risks to developing minds and has been associated with changes in the teenage brain, lower memory and intelligence, and some other risks - its overall safety has yet to be settled. A recent survey of the available data by a professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine concluded that “When someone asks me whether I’d rather my children use pot or al-

cohol, after sifting through all the studies and all the data, I still say ‘neither.’ … But if I’m forced to make a choice, the answer is ‘marijuana.’”

With all of this in mind, it becomes impossible to justify Hackley’s policy on marijuana use. The policy is by no means totally draconian, and includes commendable exemptions from major disciplinary action for students who seek school support in dealing with a drug problem or are in an immediate, lifethreatening situation. Yet Hackley still maintains a policy that, in practice, too harshly punishes students for engaging with a substance that our culture sends mixed signals about.

Hackley says in no uncertain terms that students who possess or use either drugs or alcohol on campus should expect to be required to withdraw from the school – a gentle expulsion and has historically issued the same punishment even for off-campus marijuana use. While it may seem that such a policy is necessary to maintain the integrity of the school environment, this assumption should no longer be taken as a rule.

Some, such as Taft School in Connecticut, have an effective ‘two-strike’ policy on marijuana use – meaning students are not asked to withdraw after first use, even on campus. Taft’s handbook instead states that “Students who violate the Alcohol/Drug Rule will be required to undergo

a formal assessment by the school counselors and agree to participate in ongoing work with those counselors if recommended” - such a policy takes away the looming threat of automatic withdrawal, leaving specific consequences ambiguous and in the hands of counselors.

Moreover, some of Hackley’s regional dayschool peers, like the Riverdale Country School, do not mirror Hackley’s zero-tolerance like policies, even for on-campus use. Riverdale’s handbook states that “the school seeks to prevent the use, possession, and distribution of chemical substances or so-called drug paraphernalia on campus or during school events, activities, or trips. Use, possession, or distribution may result in strong administrative disciplinary action leading up to and including expulsion.” Again, specific consequences are left unclear - allowing administrators to mete out punishments short of required withdrawal for pot-smoking.

No one is asserting, of course, that Hackley should tolerate drug use on its campus. But considering our culture’s mixed signals on marijuana and the fact that our contemporaries do not make expulsion the immediate expectation for such an offense should give us pause. Removing required withdrawal as the automatic consequence for casual pot use would put Hackley in step with many of its peer institutions, and allow the school to deal more fairly and sensitively with a subject that is under constant debate in our society.

Illustration by Lei Anne Rabeje

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Dial staff

Hackley School 293 Benedict Ave. Tarrytown, NY (914) 631-0128 February 8, 2016 Vol. 118, No. 5 hsdial.org Editors-in-Chief Marc Rod, Sonia Singh Online Editor Benjy Renton Technical Editor Joe Lovinger Section Editors News Sydney Monroe, Alex Meyer Opinion George Wangensteen, Lucy Barse Politics Neil Suri Feature Allie Molner, Roya Wolfe Arts Madison Chen, Joy Dracos Lifestyles Hannah Urken, Catherine Meyer Science & Tech Kelly Castro-Blanco, Grace Henrich Sports Chris Chon, Hope Weisman Photography Robert Hallock, Nick Rizzi, Max Chen, Christian Riegler Advisers 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. 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.

M y Experience Is a Warning Islamophobia Must Be Confronted

By Akash Samad

Islamophobia can lead to vicious discrimination, something that I personally experienced in middle school. When I moved to New York in 2007, I adjusted and made new friends and everything was great for a time. That is until the day after bin Laden was killed, May 2, 2011. On May 3, when I opened up my locker, bin Laden’s photos came streaming out, covering the floor--someone had put photos through the slit at the top of my locker. This is the day when my friends ostracized me and when students began chanting Osama’s name around me, belligerently ranting that I was a “Jihadist out for vengeance.” Their eyes lit up every time they did so, and I was forced to accept that I would be and was alone.

Unlike Hackley, my previous school was not diverse, and because I was naive, I did not tell my parents nor teachers about what had happened or what was occurring. Every day it got worse; sometimes I was punched in the stomach, sometimes cornered to get kickballs hurled at me, and a day would not pass where I was not called a terrorist, Jihadist, or Bin Laden. Islamophobia resulted in real trauma for me while I growing up; it came to the point where I contemplated my life’s worth.

Over the years, individuals would find me during public school track meets or see me around town and catch up on what we have been up to.

Most importantly, all of them have said sorry. One acquaintance in particular, let us call him Rick, said his reason for bullying me was because he saw other students doing so. Rick wanted to fit in when he moved to Valhalla and this was his way to do

so. He than proceeded to tell me that he wanted me to know that anything he had said was never meant to attack me. After Rick, I came to realize that those that took part in bullying me did not bully me because they disliked me, but rather they only knew how to associate Muslims with terrorists and radicalism.

I believe their remarks were influenced heavily by media networks such as Fox News, who have effectively portrayed Islam in a negative light since 9/11. Cal Thomas in a segment of DEFCON 3 for Fox News on August 14, 2013 stated, “Islamism is a virus. It is penetrating every area of society.”

According to an ABC poll in October 2001, 47% of Americans viewed Islam favorably, but by 2014 that number had dropped to 27%. It also does not help that a Pew Poll found that 60% of Americans do not know a Muslim personally. Recent remarks from politicians such as Donald Trump, who has proposed to ban Muslims from entering the United States and monitor those who are already in the country, only spread damaging Islamophobia and misconceptions about Islamic society - the same Islamophobia that affected me so strongly.

The media and politicians identify radical Islamists in many ways, such as with the word jihadist.

The word is now associated with it with extremists who use it to rationalize killing others when really the Quran and Hadiths, a collection of Prophet Muhammad’s teachings, state that the word Jihad should be used to refer as much to internal efforts to be good Muslims as any external efforts to defend the faith. In essence, Jihad is about protecting the Islamic faith from sin, with military force as a last

resort; after all, the word “Islam” is derived from an Arabic word meaning “peace.”

We should remember the words of President George W. Bush, who in the aftermath of 9/11 said, “… Islam is peace … The terrorists are traitors to their own faith…”

The contrast between these words, and those of Bush’s brother and current presidential candidate Jeb, who has insinuated that the US should discriminate between Christian and Muslim refugees from Syria, demonstrate how Islamophobia has grown and festered over the years. We must remember that the vast majority of Muslims are people who just want to seek pleasures of God (faithful), to be in love and peace with themselves, maintain harmony with all creations, and exemplify the attributes of prophets and saints. Radical Islamists who claim they act in the name of Islam are blasphemers in the eyes of the true Islamic community for disregarding the teachings of the Quran.

If one Muslim child like me underwent this experience, who is to say it has not happened to another? Islamophobia has lead to discrimination against innocent Muslims, including children.

They are unjustly blamed for the actions of radical Islamists, who are heretics themselves. If people understand Islam for what it is, rather than associate the entire religion with the extremists, then maybe the situation I found myself in can be avoided by the majority. Islamophobia is damaging to both non-muslims and the muslim community; life would be better without it. There will always be some arrogant people, so the best thing to do is to stand up for those who are being discriminated and learn a little more about Islam yourself.

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February 2016

Illustration courtesy of Pixabay

A Year in Review: Catch up on Movies, TV Shows, and Plays Downton Abbey Quantico How to Get Away with Murder

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia author ElijahLeeP

Photo courtesy of Deviant Art user Psysym

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia author Richard Munckton

By Joy Dracos

By Joy Dracos

By Georgia Panitz

This new TV show has had a smashing first half of the debut season. This thriller stars breakout actress Priyanka Chopra and co-stars Jake McLaughlin. The series switches off between following FBI trainee Alex Parish (Chopra) through her journey to becoming an agent, and Parish as a present day fugitive. When a bomb explodes in New York City it is up to Parish, who has been presumed to be the bomber, and her team to figure out who did it before it is too late. Alex must convince her friends that she has been framed for this act and that if they do not find out who really did it, more people would die. So far the series has drawn in a copious amount of viewers and has many more plot twists in the episodes to come. Quantico returns March 6.

Shonda Rhimes has yet again produced an outstanding, award-winning show. How to Get Away with Murder, starring Emmy Award winner Viola Davis, is only in its second season and has already acquired millions of viewers. The second season opened with Professor Keating (Davis) bleeding out from a gunshot wound. However, the show is constantly flipping back and forth from past and present, so how Keating obtained the wound remained a mystery until the mid-season finale. Professor Keating continues to fight cases with her team of five college students, right-hand man Frank, and assistant Bonnie. The thriller has many more shocking twists in store for the second half of the season. It is not too late to catch the second half of the season, which started January 29th.

Season five of Downton Abbey has proven to be the strongest season thus far, as characters navigate postWorld War I modern England and innumerable scandals such as two wrongly accused murderers, an illegitimate child disguised as an orphan, and a dramatic house fire.

Throughout the season, an array of surprising characters make their way to Downton, all of whom stir up trouble in a number of jaw-dropping moments. The producers stick to Downton’s roots with continued time period-inspired magic and original cinematography to create an exciting, elegant, and fulfilling fifth season.

Be sure to tune in to the final season of Downton Abbey, currently airing every Sunday at 9 p.m. on PBS.

The Force Awakens is Out of this World

By Hope Weisman

On December 18, 2015, Walt Disney Pictures released the highly anticipated seventh episode of the Star Wars franchise, The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams. The film made over one billion dollars in a record-breaking 12 days, becoming the third highest-grossing film of all time internationally and is on track to be the highest grossing film of all time in North America.

The film is set 30 years after the end of the 1982 episode Return of the Jedi, and chronicles the epic search for the last Jedi, Luke Skywalker, after he disappeared for unknown reasons. A new droid, BB-8, holds a key piece of the map to find Skywalker that both the First Order (the next generation of the Galactic Empire) and the Resistance (the successors to the Rebellion) want to get their hands on.

Along with BB-8, this first installment of the new trilogy of Star Wars sequels is loaded with new characters. Perhaps the most intriguing is Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, a scavenger who lives on the planet Jakku and appears to be strong with the force. The film doesn’t let on much about Rey’s family, just that

they told her long ago that they would one day return to Jakku.

Meanwhile, Stormtrooper FN-2187 (John Boyega) struggles with his life as a First Order stormtrooper. When the leader of the Order Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) captures resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), FN-2187 feels it the right thing to do

Mayhew), hoping to restore the key piece of the map to the Resistance.

Also returning from episodes IV, V, and VI are beloved characters Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), R2-D2, and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). The return of the old characters gives the film a strong sense of nostalgia.

Senior Levi DeMatteo was one of the first people to see the film at its midnight premiere, and was just as pleased with it as the rest of the world. “It was a really awesome installment in the series,” he remarked. “It established great characters, the effects weren’t too over the top like they were in the prequels, and it definitely borrowed its fair share of plot from A New Hope, but that doesn’t make it any less ~ Senior Levi DeMatteo entertaining. Not to mention that the memes this to aid in his escape. The two fly out movie has spawned are absolute fire.” on one of the empire’s ships, only to As clearly shown by the box-office suffer a crash landing on Jakku. FN- figures, tickets for The Force Awak2187, now called “Finn,” courtesy ens were in high demand. Fans of of Poe, crosses paths with Rey and all ages support this new classic BB-8, and the three travel around the and the reception of it has been galaxy as fugitives, eventually joined mind-blowing. It has overshadby returning favorites Han Solo (Har- owed most other movies of its time, rison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter and will continue to draw in large crowds from all around the world.

“It was a really awesome installment in the series. It established great characters, the effects weren’t too over the top like they were in prequels, and it definitely borrowed its fair share of plot from A New Hope, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining.”

Hamilton Takes Broadway by Storm

By Sydney Monroe

Trust us - you want to be in the room where this happens.

Broadway’s newest breakout hit is Hamilton, and rightfully so.

The rap retelling of Alexander Hamilton’s life story lives up to all its hype with its sharp-as-a-tack lyrics, entrancing acting and killer beats. American history has never been more enthralling than when told from the perspective of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s beat-spitting Hamilton, who does everything from spar in raps with Thomas Jefferson over economic reforms to serenade his newly born son with poignant and emotional lyrics.

There’s a little something for everyone in Hamilton. The almost three hour performance is chock full of romance, infidelity, humor, violence, politics, and passion, all told by an extremely diverse and talented cast who do not look exactly like the historical figures they are portraying.

“This is the story of America then, told by America now,” said Miranda, in an interview with CBS News.

And ironically, never has a musical felt so relevant to our lives today. Though set in the late eighteenth, early nineteenth centuries, the verses sang by Hamilton and his fellow patriots could seemingly be inserted into today’s modern vernacular without strain. There are particular lines which seem to speak to some very specific struggles of today, with many jokes cracked about immigration and partisan policy. The music is great, and will leave you head-bopping long after you have left the theater, but Miranda’s witty lyrics are the true stars of Hamilton. They are profound and thought-provoking, funny and devastating, all at once.

“Winning was easy, young man. Government is harder,” utters Hamilton’s George Washington after a particularly intense rap battle. What an applicable phrase to today’s political climate. Hamilton is full of little nuggets of wisdom like that, that will leave you excited, impressed, but most of all, thoughtful.

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Alexis Finds Her Home on the Stage

Photo courtesy of Alexis Arnold

Alexis Arnold feels at home as she performs with her cast in The Winter's Tale.

By Georgia Panitz

Senior Alexis Arnold began to participate in theater productions at six years old, so it only seemed natural for her to take the Acting I minor course as an incoming freshman at Hackley. Little did she know that she would continue acting for the next four years and become an influential member of Hackley’s incredibly talented and tight knit acting community.

Now in her final year at Hackley, Alexis has spent more than her fair share of time on stage. One of her fondest memories

of performing at Hackley was participating in the Poetry Out Loud competition her Freshman year. “It was really my first Hackley performance and it was just a big moment for me because I realized this is something I can do well and I really enjoy it, so I can keep going with it,” said Alexis.

As a senior taking an Independent Study in Advanced Acting, she will be performing in a Spring Showcase with the other seniors in her acting class. The class has the op-

portunity to decide what play they want to perform and to make a lot of important decisions regarding the performance. This year the Advanced Acting Independent Study class, taught by Willie Teacher, is planning to perform their show Off-Broadway alongside experienced outside actors.

In addition to her intensive acting schedule, Alexis has managed to balance schoolwork, sports, and extracurriculars throughout high school. She is a member of the fencing team, the spring track and field team, and she holds school records in the shotput and discus events and the NYSAIS record in discus. Alexis is also a Unity Club leader and a member of the AGSA club. It seems safe to say that Alexis applies unreserved effort in all her endeavors.

While taking years of acting and participating in numerous plays at Hackley, Alexis has found that the other actors have made the experience incredibly fun as well as rewarding. “It is a very a big teamwork effort, we learn to work together as one… all the people around you who are supportive help in that process,” she said.

The actors spend a lot of time together, often having to stay after school until as late as 8 p.m. in the weeks leading up to a show. “We are a very tight knit group just because we spend so much time together and we do a lot of team bonding activities when we are in the play.”

She also credits a lot of her success to Upper School Drama teacher Mr. Willie Teacher. “He came my sophomore year and it was a whole different side of acting that I had never seen before… he is also the head of Diversity club, which I am a part of, so I have gotten to know him better and he has also guided me as a person,” said Alexis Now nearing the final scenes of her high school career, Alexis intends to participate in theater in the future, and plans to take all of her experiences and memories with her as the curtain closes on her acting career at Hackley.

Lila Sings Through Her Musical Journey

By Bridget Barsanti

From coffeehouse to social media, students and faculty may already be familiar with Hackley’s talented singer, songwriter, and musician: Lila Wolfe.

At a young age, Lila was introduced and exposed to music. “When I was younger my parents would always have music playing. Days would start with one record and end with three more. My mom and dad had a very eclectic taste in music, so I was influenced by many different genres,” Lila said.

When she started to get older, around eight or nine years old, her parents took her to concerts. “I’d be the only person under thirty there,” Lila said. She often waited after concerts for signatures and meet-and -greets for artists such as Dr. John, Dave Mason, Aaron Neville, and Don Felder.

In sixth grade, Lila started to sing and play guitar. In seventh and eighth grade, she started writing music and taking everything more seriously. She now plays guitar, piano, and ukulele, in addition to singing.

Lila’s biggest inspirations are people who sing with raw emotions. “One of my biggest inspirations is probably Amy Winehouse.

She had so much to say and did such a great job of saying it through the lyrics that she crafted. I also am very inspired by classic jazz singers such as Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Nancy Wilson,” Lila said.

She also stressed the importance for vocalists to listen to music without vocals,

such as instrumental jazz and classical music, in order to learn from that as well.

“Honestly, I’m still figuring my style out, I don’t want to fit into a category just yet,” Lila said. “When I write music, it is more on the alternative, indie side, but I love to sing rock, blues, and jazz as well.

When I do figure it out, I want to make sure my style is something that hasn’t been done, I don’t want to be a repeat.”

Over the summer, Lila attended the fiveweek Performance Program at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

“One of my favorite experiences was singing and recording with my jazz ensemble at Berklee. The group was extremely talented … I couldn’t have been happier to be able to have worked with so many musicians. That being said, I love performing originals as well. It’s cool to put something out there that you created and see people’s responses. I want to make people feel things with my music. I want them to react. I want to inspire other people, while being inspired at the same time,” Lila said.

Lila often performs at Hackley Coffeehouses and with the jazz band. She enjoys the feeling of being part of a band, rather than singing alone with her guitar. “It’s cool to collaborate with different people,” Lila said.

“I love performing my original song ‘Glitter’ that I performed at the third coffeehouse last year. That’s probably one of my favorites. I also love performing anything by Amy Winehouse, or George

“ I want to make people feel things with my music. I want to inspire other people, while being inspired at the same time.”

~ Lila Wolfe

Lila’s Top Picks My Funny Valentine by Richard Rodgers

Glitter by Lila Wolfe We're Still Friends by Donny Hathaway Some Unholy War by Amy Winehouse Sally’s Song from The Nightmare Before Christmas

Lila performs one of her numbers with the Jazz Band.

Harrison, my favorite Beatle. Jazz standards are always a favorite of mine as well, they’ve withstood so much time, it makes me want to be a part of them,” Lila said.

Lila admitted to getting nervous before performing. “I think nerves are good, it means you care. Once I get on stage the nerves usually go away because at that point I am doing what I love, it’s right before I get on stage where I start to shake,” she said.

Lila recently went on vocal rest for six weeks. “My vocal chords weren’t closing properly, so I had the choice of going on a steroid or a more natural, longer Scan code to hear Lila process,” said Lila. Rather

Photo courtesy of Roya Wolfe

than taking steroids, Lila chose the more natural process, keeping her from singing for six weeks. She was put on a vegan diet and wasn’t allowed to eat processed sugar or caffeine. She went to vocal therapy once a week and had three sets of exercises everyday.

Although she said it was rough, it worked.

“I think it’s really important to put things into perspective. The first couple of days after I found out was rough, but then I decided to put my energy into other things.

Instead of singing, I practiced a lot of piano and guitar and got better instrumentally. I focused on school, listened to a lot more music, and exercised," Lila said. She realized the importance of knowing that "life keeps going", and focused on recovering.

"I’m still not 100 percent but it feels great to be singing and writing again,” Lila said.

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February 2016

Games to Play on a Snow Day

Graphic by Joy Dracos

Graphic by Joy Dracos

Word Bank Blizzard Fireplace Peppermint Snowday Wonderland Cozy Flurry Pinecone Sweater Evergreen Gingerbread Snowball Winter

Across 4. Have it with marshmallows, whipped cream, or nothing at all!

5. After playing in the snow, this will keep you warm.

6. Make sure to keep your head warm.

8. Strap on your boots and grab your poles!

9. A nice ice castle.

10. It’s the shortest month, but it feels the longest.

11. “Oh, would you look at that, I’ve been impaled.”

Down 1.When you think your hands are going to get frostbitten, put these on!

2. A 6 a.m. call from Mr. Variano means that this is in store.

3. A common brand for all winter gear.

7. Fire away!

8. Your favorite white, fluffy stuff.

Can You Spot the Seven Differences?

Photo Courtesy of Chris Taggart. Illustration by Kelly Castro-Blanco

For the differences in the pictures, scan the QR code here and check out The Dial Online!

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Stressed about Exams?

The Dial is here to help!

By Patrick Walker and Claire Sukhman

Exams are a taxing time for everyone and can easily cause excessive stress and worry for Hackley Upper School students throughout February and into March. We talked to our own Director of Health and Wellness, Charles Colten, for some of his tips on how to stay organized and focused during these hectic weeks in February.

He’s a fan of the “deliberate practice” method; he recommends that students should study bits and pieces of the guided material each night as opposed to trying to cram everything the night before. This method helps students absorb the material in order to make sure it sticks. Another method he suggests is “chunking,” or dividing up work and breaks into units of time to relieve stress and enhance productivity in preparation for the upcoming exams. “Important research also shows that exercise significantly improves academic success. It oxygenates the brain and relieves stress, both of which improve performance,” said Mr. Colten.

To reduce stress levels as much as possible, students should figure out which techniques and strategies work best for the individual and employ them: “Identify your strategy and do it regularly. Put it on your schedule, set an alert on your phone, and do it,” said Mr. Colton Some strategies that Mr. Colten

recommends are exercise, listening to music, through years of experience with exams here taking a shower or bath, taking a walk, medi- at Hackley. tation techniques, yoga, and laughter. “It is When to begin studying for exams is a big important to recognize that a certain amount topic of debate in our Upper School. Senior of stress can be good for your success in exams Grace Carroll starts studying about two weeks but that too much reduces your performance. before exams, while senior Will Larkin says Any stressor to your biological system will the amount of time he spends studying differs, impact your brain depending on the and fortunately, “It is important to recognize subject. “I’m pretty you can control at history, so I that a certain amount of stress good some of them,” don’t start studying he said. Dr. Karen can be good for your success until a week and Reivich, a leader in in exams but that too much re- a half before the the field of psycholexam. For math, I’ll ogy at University duces your performance. Any start studying two of Pennsylvania, stressor to your biological sys- and a half weeks noted that “the an- tem will impact your brain and before because I’m tidote to anxiety is not as strong there,” purposeful action.” fortunately, you can control he said.

Mr. Colten is some of them,” Senior Alexander around before and Delia agrees. He ~Mr. Colten recommends trying during exams, and always places stuto stay as organized dents as his top priority. He is available for as possible. “I try to do as much work as possessions with individuals and small groups, sible in the weeks leading up, and then get as well as full-size workshops. Grab a group a good night’s rest and a healthy breakfast,” of friends, pick a time you are free, and reach he said out to him at ccolten@hackleyschool.org.

For underclassmen who are nervous about “Take action…book it…let’s practice,” said starting this process, senior Ally Pettiti sugMr. Colten. gests they could “try not to study for too many Several seniors also had helpful tips on how things at once, so you can make sure that you they stay productive, which they have gained don’t study the things that you already know,”

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and “narrow it down to the things you are having trouble on.”

Study aids can sometimes be helpful to change up the way students review and can be essential to absorb the material better. Senior Nur Momani uses study guides, flashcards, and Quizlet to help her review for history.

Ally finds that by “go[ing] through all of [her] notes and rewrit[ing] them,” she can memorize things better. After she writes everything out, she will take a day off and then go back and reread it. “I’ll star the things that I know and circle things I don’t know so that I can go back and go over those things again,” said Ally.

To combat the stress that comes with exam weeks, Hackley has a “Stress-Down Day”, where things like dark chocolate and tea are available in the Grille Room and students can dress down.

Junior Kristen Bringsjord said that she thinks “all of the days [of review and exams] should be dress down days, because then [she] can focus more on studying and doing well on [her] exams than trying to look nice for school.” Junior Kevin Kim added that “it’s cool, but the whole concept of [the Stress-Down Day] is pointless.” However, many students agreed that the way the exam schedule is structured is helpful and makes studying for all these tests much easier.

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BRAIN FOOD

Fueling your body for good concentration and brain power is equally as impor tant as studying f a c t s a n d d a t a f o r yo u r e x a m s . H o w c a n yo u p r o p e r l y d o s o ? Tr y t h e s e s n a c k s a n d m e a l s !

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6 Photos by Hannah Urken and Alex Meyer

1. AVOCADO TOAST Not only is avocado toast a very trendy food right now, but it is extremely beneficial in enhancing brain power while you study. Avocados have healthy fats and aid in absorbing nutrients; avocado toast is a great option to pair with other foods high in nutrients since they increase their effectiveness.

2. GREEK YOGURT AND GRANOLA Greek yogurt is lower in sugar than other types of yogurt, but still has tons of protein. The result?

Longer lasting concentration and staying fuller longer. Pair it with

a high protein granola and some fruit for a highly nutritious breakfast or snack.

3. COFFEE According to a publication from Harvard Medical School, caffeine found in coffee may boost memory, thinking skills, and overall mental function. Not only does it provide an energy boost, but you can make it at home or stop by a nearby coffee shop, also which provide great working environments (see The Dial Online for suggestions).

4. DARK CHOCOLATE If you’re looking for one of the best sources of antioxidants, look

no further. Dark chocolate is known as a brain booster as well as a stress reliever; it increases blood flow to the brain, and even contains some caffeine. Both (somewhat) healthy and delicious, dark chocolate is a great study snack to have on hand, especially if you have a sweet tooth.

5. GREEN SMOOTHIE To any amateur smoothie maker, a bright green kale or spinach filled drink might seem daunting. However, the flavor is easy to mask with fruits and fruit juices like pineapple, orange juice, and mango. Another great way to add

flavor and protein is by adding nuts – cashews and peanuts/peanut butter are great options. Smoothies are easy to personalize and there are tons of easy, simple recipes online.

A good option for vegans, the natural sugars and antioxidants in smoothies make them great boosts for your studying diet.

6. TURKEY SANDWICH If you’re looking for a more substantial snack, turkey makes a filling protein boost. You can make turkey roll ups with sliced cheese and turkey for a gluten free option, or a turkey club sandwich for a fueling meal.

Top Twelve Your Stud

For many students, a music pla your work while also containing e success. The Dial polled Hackley Songs to listen to while they stu

1 2 3 4 5 6

The Scientist

by Coldplay

Roses

by The Chainsmokers

Love Yourself

by Justin Bieber

Photograph

by Ed Sheeran

Sugar

by Maroon 5

Hold Back the River

by James Bay

Poll methodology: Polls were distribute student e-mails. This poll had 166 respon of the student body. This poll has a marg

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February 2016

Exam Review &

Exam Review &

English Classes

English Classes

(no homework)

(no homework)

Exam Review & English Classes (no homework)

Math Exams

Science Language Exams Exams

History Exams Math, English, History, and minors resume

Exam Review & English Classes (no homework)

Math, English, History, and minors resume

Illustration by Olivia Weinberg

De-stress with Dr. Sadler Q:

W h a t s o r t o f t i p s c o u l d yo u give to underclassmen on how to succeed during exams by creating a stress-free environment?

Illustration by Olivia Weinberg

e Songs for dy Playlist

aylist that keeps you engaged in enjoyable songs is key to studying students on their Top 10 Favorite udy, and here is what they said:

7 8 9

Young and Beautiful

10

Hands to Myself

11

Unwritten

12

Perfect

by Lana Del Rey

Work Song

by Hozier

Let It Go

by James Bay

by Selena Gomez

by Natasha Bedingfield

by One Direction

ed electronically through Upper School ndents, representing approximately 41% gin of error of ±5.8%.

A:

Planning ahead and staying organized are two ways to avoid stressing out.

Give yourself plenty of time. Plan out your study time on a calendar, so you can visualize when you will study for each subject.

Plan some time for breaks and ways to treat yourself after study sessions. Planning breaks will help to prevent procrastination (which can create a lot of stress!). For example, plan on watching a movie after you have covered a certain amount of material for history.

Knowing that you have a treat coming to you may help to keep you motivated and on task. Be sure you get plenty of sleep, eat well and exercise. Staying up late or cramming all day can create stress. Drink plenty of water when you study, eat healthy snacks and regular meals. Plan to do some exercise during your breaks. Go for a walk or a run, dance around your room, shoot some hoops.

Q:

What kind of study strategies would you recommend for students throughout the Upper School?

A:

For ever y student throughout the Upper School, I recommend starting with organizing all of your stuff. Start early (the first weekend in February) and start organizing. Check that you have every handout and reading packet. Be sure you have every quiz and test from every unit you covered in each class. This will give you enough time to get anything you are missing. Make a master list for each class of every unit you need to review, and cross off as you go. After you are done organizing, begin redoing every quiz and test for each class. Focus on the material you are most unsure about. Make a list of questions and mark the test problems you need to

Photo by Robert Hallock Dr. Sadler discusses testing strategies while advising a proactive student. She sits in her office, which is located near the alumni offices. Easily accessible, Dr. Sadler’s office is a great place to go for advice and direction for all facets of student life; she has increased focus on her role with the academic aspects of student life this year.

review. Be sure to ask questions about these problems during review days or meet with your teacher to go over them.

Review the notes from each unit as you go through the tests and quizzes. If you find gaps in your notes, ask your teacher for the missing information or check a classmate’s notes. Make lists of terms, equations, formulas that you will need to review and memorize. Make flashcards for vocabulary. These ideas are the main strategies I recommend, but there are still more!

Q:

Are there times when you are available to allow students to seek help and assistance before and during exams?

A:

Yes! I am always available to students to help figure out ways to lower stress, stay organized, plan their time, or study more effectively. Stop by anytime or e-mail me to set up a time to meet. If students are interested, we can have group sessions to organize their study materials, or talk about ways to manage time or lower stress. I love to help!

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Mrs. Candelora Professes Her Passion for the Arts

Photo by Roya Wolfe After her career in theater and arts education, Mrs.Candelora takes on the role as Director of the PAC.

By Roya Wolfe

T

o say that the Director of Performing Arts, Bettie-Ann Candelora, loves the performing arts would be more than an understatement.

Mrs. Candelora, the Director of Performing Arts at Hackley School, has been surrounded by the arts for her entire her life. Her mother was a music teacher and while her father was not that musical at all, he loved that his wife was. Mrs. Candelora started at a very young age by taking piano lessons.

“My first real instrument was the flute in seventh grade, and once I started playing the flute, I realized how much I loved music. At that point, I thought this is what I’m going to do,” she said.

In high school, Mrs. Candelora took part in all of the plays and sang in the choir. “I feel like it’s more of a pull than a drive. I am just attracted to it. If I go too long without doing something [involved with the performing arts] there is a hole inside of me; there is a need to do it. If I walk into a house and there’s a piano, I just want to go to the piano and I want to play,” said Mrs. Candelora, of her dedication to the performing arts.

After Mrs. Candelora graduated from Clemson University and received her master’s degree from Goucher College, she tucked music away and spent the next 18 years of her life as a professional actress. She began her career in theater, and performed in a number of plays and musicals. Her favorite musical that she’s

ever been in was The Will Rogers Follies. “It was this super high energy, but light-hearted show. From the beginning to the end, you were just running and changing costumes and going back out. I’m not a dancer, but I got to dance in that show,” said Mrs. Candelora.

She and her husband eventually moved to where the film industry had moved: Florida.

“We made a living doing that, just film and TV for a lot of years,” said Mrs. Candelora.

The film industry was a fluid one - “Then it left as it tends to do, so then it was a typical example of how I had to readjust. I actually worked at theme parks for a number of years.”

She took part in an improvisation comedy for Disney World. Rather than being a performer who ran around in a costume, she was as an actress at the comedy club in Pleasure Island, a part of the Walt Disney Resort.

Today, Mrs. Candelora is still a member of the Screen Actors Guild and Equity Association, but, for the past 16 years, she has worked in education. “I just feel incredibly lucky because I get to have the job where students want to take our courses or else they’re not in there. You never get a student who’s uninterested or unmotivated,” she said.

Mrs. Candelora worked at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Florida. At Lake Highland, Mrs. Candelora was part of a campaign to raise money for a brand-new performing arts facility. “I loved doing that.

I loved helping with the design and bringing the faculty into the design,” she said.

Mrs. Candelora loves being at Hackley.

“From my first day, I felt like I was a part of this school. I am so thrilled to be part of this beautiful area at this gorgeous school,” she said.

As the Performing Arts Director, she has three priorities. Her first priority was to make sure people knew about the PAC and the events that were taking place. “I’ve been working to increase our visibility. We have these amazing teachers and this amazing

student body,” she said. Her second priority was to “create a real team” within the PAC. “The collage concert this year was an example of everyone coming together, and input from all of these different people to create this really beautiful performance piece,” she said. Her third “initiative is to help promote a new performing arts center.”

Mrs. Candelora believes that every child and “every teenager should seriously study some aspect of the performing arts. It plays into whatever you want to do later in life,” she said. Her affection and devotion to the performing arts and music is clear. “I think there’s something very deep that touches all of us with music on different levels,” she said.

Photo by Roya Wolfe Mrs. Candelora takes in the beauty of the PAC.

Seniors Reflect on Summer Internships

Photo courtesy of Peter Ruocco After a successful Model UN conference in Pelham, NY, filled with research and hard work, students celebrate their accomplishments.

Model UN Shares Achievements Continued from Page 1 the Arab Spring in the Middle East.

From this section, sophomore Connor Larson received Best Delegate, and sophomore Christina Wang Outstanding Delegate. In the Russian Revolution category, Frances Schaeffler received Honorable Mention, and freshman Raghav Chopra received Best Delegate.

The Star Wars category debated the effectiveness of diplomacy “which inevitably led to war, the outcome of which would be determined mostly by trade agreements,” said Alex. From this section, sophomore Max Tannenbaum received best delegate, sophomore Ben Ostfield received Outstanding delegate, and sophomore Alex Wenstrup received Honorable Mention.

While Model UN allows students to learn more about historical events and the politics behind them, it also provides students with confidence, problem solv-

ing skills, and speech skills that will both aid them for their time at Hackley and when they graduate as well. Model UN allows students “who are interested in diplomacy or other careers encompassing advocacy” to be exposed to “diverse viewpoints and perspectives in their conferences”, said junior Ashley Halloran.

Preparing for the delegation at conferences has a similar course load as preparing for a test. If you’re interested in joining, you should know that “there is research to be done for each topic and so the workload can be demanding, but definitely manageable if spread out over a course of time,” said Ashley.

Even though it may involve work, “preparation is also a pretty relaxing activity and I find that Model UN is great at keeping me up to date with current events,” said Alex.

To join the club there is “virtually a non-existent amount of research,

you get to make your own schedule, doing as much or as little work as you want. You get just as much out of it as you put in,” said Alex.

While Model UN serves as a good way to challenge yourself academically and stay informed with events around the world, it is also a way to meet new people and be a part of a great group.

“I’ve found that the kids who I’m surrounding myself with are going to end up shaping who I am as a person...

Model UN is a great community.

Everyone is supportive with research, and we really work as a team, even though we all represent different positions,” said Alex. The team is attending their next conference at Cornell from April 14 through 17 for a three day overnight, and is hoping to find the same success there that they found in Pelham. “I can personally guarantee it will be loads of fun,” said Alex.

Continued from Page 1 Arielle and James did lab work and experiments in the morning and later would organize their data and observations.

Arielle connected with Regeneron through Hackley. “I just remember Dr. Ying stood up at one of the chapel meetings last year and he said he had this great opportunity and if anyone was interested, come find him, so it was really easy to get involved,” she said.

James’ interest in science seems to run in the family. “My mom is a research marine biologist, one of my sisters got a PhD in cellular biology, and the other [sister] is in medical school,” he said. James was grateful for his lab experiences this summer.

“It may seem kind of daunting at first, but if you are into science then it’s definitely worth looking into.” he said.

On the other side of the country, Zach worked at The Appreciation Engine this summer, a social media analytics company based in Santa

Monica, California, alongside 40 other interns. The Appreciation Engine’s goal is to help a company market a product by using information from their customers with their permission. Some of the many skills Zach learned included search engine optimization, content audits, and competitor analysis. Zach said the experience “taught me what it’s like to start a company and set big goals while working on a small scale.”

Katie, an aspiring medical student, interned at the cardiothoracic surgery lab (CTS) at Columbia University this summer. Katie both worked on a computer, revising reports on pneumonia in lung-transport patients, and in the operating room, getting real hands-on experience. She also attended meetings and conducted personal research throughout the summer. “The year before I had done something at the CTS also at Columbia, but I did not get anywhere close to the same experience,” said Katie.

Photo courtesy of Katie Bogart Senior Katie Bogart rides in an emergency vehicle as part of her summer internship.

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Poetry Out Loud Competition Gets Fierce

Photo by Max Chen Freshmen and sophomores fill the chapel as they respectfully watch Kioni Marshall emotionally, comically, and passionately recite her favorite poem during the Poetry Out Loud competition.

By Max Chen

On Tuesday, January 5, Hackley students gathered in the chapel to compete in the annual Poetry Out Loud Competition.

Students, ranging from freshman to seniors, took turns reciting two memorized poems in order to advance to the regional competitions. The judges scored each performance based on six categories: physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, accuracy, and overall performance.

Sophomore Delia Tager stunned the judges, making her the first place recipient.

Since third grade, Delia has always had a love for poetry. It gave her the opportunity to express her freedom and emotion. She enjoys how “poetry is different. It’s more free... it is easier to interpret,” she said.

She relishes the fact that poetry can have multiple interpretations and have deeper meanings expressed through a few words.

In addition to her love of poetry, Delia enjoys theater. Poetry Out Loud was an opportunity to try “something new, something [she hasn’t] done before,” Delia said.

“I thought that this was a very cool thing to get back on stage,” she said. After this experience, Delia describes poetry as the art of storytelling, specifically sharing other people’s views, and now highly recommends her peers to compete in future Poetry Out Loud competitions.

“When you hear language spoken out loud, sometimes it changes your experience about that… I think poetry sometimes intimidates students, but when students hear a poem, they tend to be less intimidated.” ~Mrs. Butterfield Similar to Delia, Izzy Ampil also had a positive experience. She participated in this year’s Poetry Out Loud competition because she wanted to meet “amazing people who are also creative and really welcoming,” Izzy said. “I get to hear them recite poetry in new ways and so I get to understand

more about poetry,” thus not only growing her perspectives, but also her passion.

Izzy sees Poetry Out Loud as an opportunity to not only connect with poetry, but reach new levels of understanding different messages. “I think that hearing poetry…[exposes] you to all kinds of movements of poetry and the new rich language and understand more about … different perspectives and seeing the world,” said Izzy. After the competition at Hackley, Izzy felt accomplished because she learned different interpretations to poems she already knew and helped other Hackley students grow as a performer.

“When you hear language spoken out loud, sometimes it changes your experience about that… I think poetry sometimes intimidates students, but when students hear a poem, they tend to be less intimidated… So [Poetry Out Loud], I think is a way into poetry,” said English teacher, Mrs. Butterfield.

Through Poetry Out Loud, Hackley is not only able to inspire students to develop a passion for poetry and public speaking, but also motivate students to engage with literature outside the classroom environment.

Photo by Max Chen First-place recipient Delia Tager impresses the audience.

Diversify Your Palate: Tarrytown Restaurants Impress

By LiliAnna Khosrowshahi and Roya Wolfe

Photo by Roya Wolfe Unique Korean rice bowl with chicken, mushrooms, carrots, and radishes topped with teriyaki sauce.

Bibille

Chipotle got a run for its money when Bibille came into town. Bibille is a new 4.5star Korean fusion restaurant with a variety of foods, that can be combined into bowls and

salad. Bibille has a choose-your-topping bar with a fresh and flavorful food selection. An all around favorite is the purple rice bowl with spicy pork as the base. With such a tasty menu, and wide variety, it’s hard to imagine that every dish is just about ten dollars.

Photo by Roya Wolfe Delicious beer-battered Atlantic cod tacos, served with sliced radish, cilantro, and a hint of lime on a corn tortilla.

Taco Project

One of the newer restaurants to open in this hip town is Taco Project. With a range of burritos, salads, tacos and more, this casual restaurant serves up a tasty selection of

traditional Mexican food with its own personal twist. One side of the restaurant is lined with bar stools along a gigantic window wall, where people can enjoy their delicious food and the buzz of the town. You can’t go wrong with either the short rib tacos or fish tacos, and for a special drink, try the homemade horchata.

Lubins-N-Links Photo by Roya Wolfe Classic gyro served with spanakopita and a side of yellow rice sitting on the counter.

Lefteris Gyro

Adding on to the multiple cultures of food within Tarrytown is Lefteris. Lefteris is the only Greek restaurant in Tarrytown. It’s impossible to miss Lefteris’ blue awning and lights on the corner of Main Street and Broadway. The classic Greek salad is a fan favorite with a popular

and mouth-watering homemade dressing that is sold by the bottle. Another popular dish is the gyro platter, which can be customized to your liking. Lefteris has a huge variety of food, with over 70 meals on the menu. From American dishes, such as burgers and Philly cheesesteaks to Greek cuisine, like the gyro and tzatziki, Lefteris Gyro is one-of-a-kind.

Photo by Roya Wolfe Famous nacho dog featuring seven different toppings.

Lubins-N-Links has been on Main Street in Tarrytown for as long as anyone can remember.

It may be small in size, but its menu definitely is not. With over thirty different combinations of signature Lubin meat and flavorful hot dogs — not including customized choices, specials or sides — whatever you pick will be delicious.

One of the best parts of this hole-in-the-wall is that everything is less than five dollars. A house favorite is the chili link, which comes with cheese, onions, and chili, all topped on a hot dog and a warm bun. A heavier hot dog is the nacho dog, coming in hot with a total of seven toppings, a savory yet spicy combination.

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2016: The Year of the Hoverboard

Popular holiday gift raises safety concerns among users

By Christian Riegler

It’s 2016 and the Back to the Future Part II prophecy has been fulfilled: ‘hoverboards’ are here to stay. The tag, “#hoverboard,” has been used nearly 500,000 times on Instagram alone. The future is not all it’s cracked up to be though: according to Today, hoverboards were of the most popular gifts given during the holidays — but also one of the most dangerous. Recent incidents of people falling off of these devices and exploding batteries have sparked a debate about whether or not they should be banned from public spaces.

College students have found hoverboards to be a useful form of transportation around campus between classes. “Some [college] students need to travel across the entirety of a monstrous campus to get to class. Hoverboards are the life hack that enables them to cover ground at a faster rate,” said Junior Stephen Tannenbaum.

However, many schools such as Georgetown and American University have instituted bans as a safety precaution. The Chief Operating Officer of Georgetown, Christopher Augostini explained this decision in a recent e-mail to the students: “Until the Consumer Product Safety Commission makes a determination on the safety of these devices, we are prohibiting their use or storage on our campus.”

Other schools have banned the hoverboards in dorms and campus buildings

due to the risk of fires. Ever since the hoverboard’s release, the news cycle has been riddled with stories of batteries exploding while charging. Many of the pre-installed batteries come from overseas and have not gone through the same safety checks as batteries manufactured in the US. Certain schools, such as Ohio State University, told students that they can only bring hoverboards to school if they have a seal showing that it meets certain safety standards.

Has this new tech already become a bust?

“I think that hoverboards are really fun for the house when you have an area where there isn’t a lot of furniture around, but I have seen a lot of friends and family who have fallen off and if people were riding them in public with tons of obstacles I do not think it would be safe,” said junior Kristen Bringsjord.

As expected, hoverboards require lots of practice and a new rider could put themselves and others in danger. In fact, freshman Mirabel Mallett, fractured her foot while riding one.

“I fell, like riding a bike or scooter, and happened to get hurt,” she said. “Riding a hoverboard just needs to be done in a safe way and then it is really fun!”

Hackley has no official policy on hoverboards, but Upper School Director Andy King believes that hoverboards are “an attractive nuisance,” better off left at home.

495,387

posts tagged #hoverboard on Instagram

Photo courtesy of Malcolm Roesser Junior Malcolm Roesser and his sister skillfully use their hoverboards to travel around their house.

Grading Sites Designed HEAL Brings for Efficiency Fall Short Sustainability Conversation To Hackley

By Olivia Weinberg

By Grace Henrich

Illustration by Olivia Weinberg

With all the apps and websites available to “streamline” grading, it can be easy for students to become overwhelmed by the daily struggle to keep up with technology. Learning to manage time can be tricky as is, and can be complicated by sites intended to increase efficiency.

Sites, such as Showbie or Google Classroom, require teachers to set a due date and time for each assignment, a rigid system that often doesn’t account for outside circumstances like extra help or extensions. “I think the time constraints are exceptionally challenging and stressful...sometimes, I wanted to get help with my work during the day, and hadn’t finished it. When I got home, corrected my work, and then turned it in, the site would mark it late,” said sophomore Lucia Yanuzzi.

HOL can often be hard to manage as well. Along with the assignments tab on an individual class’s page, teachers can also post full assignment

sheets or messages elsewhere. This can cause students to feel confused as to which section they should check.

While students may dislike checking multiple sites for work, teachers share similar beliefs that the responsibility is on both parties. “Students should take the initiative to look for assignments on HOL where we are posting them or on alternative sites as the teacher indicates,” said Chemistry teacher, Jason Gilley.

History teacher William Davies believes that the purpose of the sites is to “function well and then get out of the way so that students and teachers can get at the interesting stuff, which is History or English or Math or Science or Language or Music.”

Other sites, where students do homework online, are very sensitive to mistakes. Website such as VHL, used

by Spanish students, allows students to complete exercises on their computers or tablets that are graded automatical-

ly. This method is eco-friendly and reduces the chances of an assignment being lost. However, many students feel these programs are far from perfect.

“VHL is my least favorite because if you make a small error, the site marks it wrong, and doesn’t tell you your mistake,” said sophomore Josie Pou. Not all students feel so negatively about technological incorporations of this kind. “I think sites like Showbie and Google Classroom are easy and effortless ways to submit work with little user difficulty. They make handing things in simple and straightforward and provide due dates and reminders,” said sophomore Michael Mezzacappa.

Senior Julia Stevenson, a former AP Chemistry student, remembers that WebAssign, the program used for the class,“took some getting used to at first but was effective because it made sure that we did a lot of practice problems for each chapter and were prepared for tests.”

A fellow member, Junior Camille Although the frigid winter air Butterfield, wishes the club will be may make you wish climate change “more organized about spreading was happening faster, the COP21 the word about it” in the future.

HEAL is, however, arranging for conference in Paris was another step forward in the prevention of climate a speaker to come to Hackley on change. Although the Paris Climate Earth Day, as well as a school-wide Agreement reached at the confer- Crayola Marker recycling project. ence is not perfect, “today it is the Camille also wants to tie in information most beauti“Today is the most beautiful from the ful and the sustainmost peace- and the most peaceful revoabilityful revolu- lution that has just been acfocused tion that has Round complished: a revolution for just been acSquare complished: climate change.” trip to a revolution ~ François Hollande Singapore for climate to HEAL’s change,” said next meeting.

French President François Hollande, On the Round Square Singapore in reaction to the agreement.

The agreement states a main ob- trip, Hackley students toured the jective is to “[hold] the increase in United World College of South East the global average temperature to Asia, which brags Singapore’s most well below 2 °C above pre-industrial advanced cooling system. A part of levels and to pursue efforts to limit this is the green wall — a section of the temperature increase to 1.5 °C.” the wall covered in climbing vines It acknowledged the international and hanging plants that shade the community’s need to reduce its hallways and reduce AC usage.

The sophomores who attended carbon footprint. the conference talked about issues Senior Karina Franke, a leader from women’s rights, to starvation, of Hackley’s Earth Action League, to education.

“We plan to find a HEAL, said that “like many others, I’m optimistic about the Agree- way to have [the leftover food] go ment because there seems to be an to homeless shelters and places with acknowledgement that while gov- people in need instead of wasted,” ernment regulations are important, said one attendee, sophomore Kioni Marshall. they will never be enough.”

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politics 11

February 2016

Hackley Seniors Eagerly Prepare to Vote in 2016

By Lei Anne Rabeje

As the United States presidential election on November 8, 2016 approaches, Hackley’s seniors are anticipating their first opportunity to vote. Many are enthusiastic about the idea of fulfilling their newfound responsibilities as legal adults, while others are excited for the experience of finally casting a ballot after years of waiting.

Enthusiasm among Hackley seniors for voting in the upcoming presidential election greatly contrasts with statistics provided by United States Census Bureau on voter turnout from past presidential elections. Overall, U.S. presidential voting turnout has been declining since 1976, with widening gaps according to age, race, education, and income. A recent data table published by the U.S. Census Bureau illustrates a spike in voter turnout for the 2008 presidential election, which drastically decreased during the 2012 election.

According to Journalist’s Resource, an average of 60% of qualified American voters have cast ballots in recent presidential elections. Turnouts in congressional, senatorial, and gubernatorial elections are even lower, ranging between 28% and 58% in various states.

Senior Phebe du Pont speculates about the lack of voter turnout in recent years. “Part of it definitely comes down to a lack of faith in our system. A lot of people are disillusioned with the current political situation and they find it pointless to vote,” said Phebe, “If everyone holds the opinion that their individual vote doesn’t matter, they become discouraged; nobody votes and you actually have a massive impact. I think a lot of it is how we perceive our votes and their impact.”

Attempts to reform the electoral college were made in 2007 when the National Popular Vote bill was proposed, which attempted to ensure that every vote in every state created an impact.

However, the reform has not yet significantly

affected the electoral process, with only nonswing states having signed the compact. Swing states — Ohio, New Hampshire, and Colorado — along with Florida, Virginia, Nevada, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania had a 98.6 percent chance of determining the electoral college winner in 2012, according to FiveThirtyEight. With such great influence exerted on the election by swing states, individuals in non-swing states may be discouraged from casting their ballots.

Senior TJ Gooley suggested alternative reasons for the declining voting turnout, ranging from lack of understanding to laziness. “It’s a lot easier for people to complain about things than to actively fix it and search for a solution to a problem,” said TJ. “A lot of people vote blindly:

Voting turnout has declined for all age groups, particularly for voters between the ages of 18 and 24. In the 2012 presidential election, approximately 38% of individuals between ages 18 to 24 cast a ballot versus 44% in 2008.

Senior Ella Charkes contemplates the lack of voter turnout for young adults, believing there is a disconnect between candidates and youth. “I don’t think a lot of candidates try to relate to younger people,” she said. “A lot of it is about the economy or things younger people may not understand, so they don’t vote because they don’t feel impacted by the candidates.”

Most of Hackley’s seniors are eagerly anticipating their first time casting a vote, but many feel that Hackley should have played a larger role in teaching students about elections and the voting process. “It would be good for Hackley to offer a course on skills necessary for living and are highly important as we enter adulthood,” said TJ. “Maybe teach us about the Illustration by Lei Anne Rabeje process of voting, how to register for they only go for a certain party or what their par- military drafts, filing taxes. Instead, we have to ents think, instead of thinking for themselves.” rely on learning from our family and friends.”

Senior Alexander Delia believes that such “A lot of us, as teenagers and high school dismal voting turnout rates can be attributed to students, don’t really see ourselves as adults or a combination of apathy and lack of understand- voting citizens — that’s kind of a grown-up ing. “Some people just don’t know or don’t care. thing. I think Hackley should have a workshop Some people don’t understand politics enough; for seniors or students in their history classes. they think that they are unaffected by politicians. I took the Government and Politics course They think, ‘It’s not my role or it’s not my field and Mr. Fitzpatrick spent a lot of time talking of expertise, so I shouldn’t be involved,’” he said. about how horrible voting turnout has been A study by Journalist’s Resource supports in the U.S. right now and how messed up the Alexander’s speculation, projecting that vot- system is,” said Phebe. “If we could find a way ing turnout rate varies with educational at- to incorporate that kind of teaching into regular tainment; the highest education group had history classes or an info session, that would be a approximately 78% voter turnout, compared good way to promote that sense of awareness. It to 60% for the middle education group is a civic duty to vote, but a lot of students don’t and 50% for the lowest education group. see it as our responsibility to fulfill that duty.”

Hackley Discusses Paris Attacks

Election Update • Ted Cruz won the Republican Iowa Caucus by a margin of 3.3%.

Illustration by Hunter Freedman Hackley students and faculty members gathered in an open discussion on December 10 to discuss the Paris bombings.

By Hunter Freedman

At 9:20 p.m. on November 13, 2015 in Paris and Saint-Denis, France, 130 civilians were killed by 13 terrorist attacks. Mass shootings and suicide bombings occurred, and 89 people were held hostage and many killed at the Bataclan Theatre in Paris. These attacks were the deadliest France has seen since World War II and they have had a lasting impact throughout the world. In December, a few of the history teachers at Hackley formed an open discussion for anyone who wanted to talk about the Paris attacks.

History teachers Bill Davies, Vladimir Klimenko, and Steve Fitzpatrick invited members of the Hackley community to come together and talk about the recent attacks in Paris during lunch on December 10 in an open discussion titled, “‘After Paris: A Discussion about Policy and Politics in the Wake of the Paris Bombings.”

This discussion was held in order to bring light to the situation and teach students and faculty more about the attacks. “We wanted to provide some historical context. To make sense out of this kind of news story, I think it’s important to have at least some kind of idea of who the main protagonists are, what their goals are, what their motives are, and what their past has been,” said Mr. Klimenko.

While the meeting was focused on the Paris attacks, discussion spread out to many topics. “We didn’t actually talk as much about Paris specifically, but more about the predominance of ISIS in Syria and what the US is doing to help Syrian civilians,” said junior Izzy Ampil.

Along with these topics, Donald Trump, refugees in Holland, and aid in the Middle East were discussed.

Many people believe that the discussion was a big hit and that Hackley should have more of these events because they get the community involved in current events. “I think the discussion encouraged members of the community by demonstrating that many people at Hackley are intelligent and concerned and capable of asking really good questions and bringing good ideas to the table,” said Mr. Klimenko.

Students enjoyed having a space where they could share and listen to other people’s reactions to the topic of the Paris attacks without being confined to a classroom. “The lineup of teachers was like the all-star basketball team.

It educated us on what’s really happening and why it’s happening. It’s a nice way to, kind of, relax during the day and step out of class,” said sophomore Max Tannenbaum.

Even though the Paris attacks discussion was successful, students believe there could be some improvements if Hackley were to host another event like this in the future.

“It definitely could have been longer because it took a while for everything to get settled and started and we ended up having a short discussion,” said sophomore Grace Rubin.

The Paris attacks discussion was just one of many open discussions Hackley has had throughout the years, including ones about Ferguson and the dangers of a single story. Students and teachers are hopeful that there will be even more events like this to come so the Hackley community can continue to be well informed about the world around them.

• Sarah Palin endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.

• Hillary Clinton won the Democratic Iowa Caucus by a margin of .3%.

• Donald Trump refused to participate in the January 27 Republican debate.

• Former NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg considers presidential run; will decide in March.

12 sports

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February 2016

Winter Sting Highlights Hackley Winter Athletes Find Success in 2016 Against Local Rivals

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Winter Sting Stars Darius Inzar Senior Basketball Player Sneaker: Kobe 9 EXT All League 2 years in a row; has not been done since 1993 Photo by Robert Hallock

Alexander Delia

Senior Basketball Player Captain Shooting 47% from behind the arc this season Photo by Robert Hallock

Sammy Mueller Senior Basketball Player 1,131 Career Points Has 54 steals on the season

Photo courtesy of Sammy Mueller

Maryrita Curcio Junior Gabe Welch waits for the right time to strike. He later went on to pin his opponent, solidifying his #1 spot on the Varsity Wrestling team.

Junior Basketball Player Averages 17 points a game H a s 6 0 4 c a re e r points Photo courtesy of Maryrita Curcio

Photo by Robert Hallock

Wyatt Khosrowshahi Junior Squash Player Loves hardball doubles squash 159th in the nation Photo courtesy of Wyatt Khosrowshahi

Alec Linden Senior Darius Inzar drives to the basket on a fast break.

Senior Squash Player Ranked #10 on the team Always rocks a lucky headband in matches

Photo by Robert Hallock

PhotobyRobertHallock

Megan Chen

Photo by Robert Hallock Senior Katie Bogart loads up to hit her final serve, winning the match 3-0.

By Chris Chon

Despite the cold weather and piercing winds, Winter Sting kicked off the 2016 athletic year with successful wins by Boys’ Swimming, Wrestling, Girls’ Basketball, and both Boys’ and Girls’ Squash.

The stands at each sporting event were overflowing with fellow students, fans, and loud cheer.

Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Squash led the way with stinging wins over Riverdale and Masters, respectively. Girls’ Squash had an amazing match, in which every Hackley squash player defeated their opponent in the minimum three sets needed to win a match. In impressive fashion, #9-seeded Hackley Senior Elana Stern defeated the #1-seeded girl from Masters in three matches.

Boys’ Squash also had a great day, going 7-0, winning every matchup. Junior Wyatt Khosrowshahi won his match against Riverdale’s best player who was recruited by Amherst late last year. Junior Tucker van Eck also beat his personal record of his shortest match ever, beating his opponent in a lightning-fast eight minutes. “I am really thankful to everyone who came out. The fans really created a great atmosphere for me and

Gabe Welch Junior Wrestler Currently leading scoring this season 20-5 with 15 pins Photo cour tesy of Gabe Welch

Hackley Swimming prepares for their water cheer ritual.

my teammates to come out and play our best. I’m really excited for the rest of the year as our team is definitely one of the strongest teams we’ve ever had in my time here at Hackley,” said Wyatt.

Next, Hackley Wrestling defeated Horace Mann in a nail-biting victory, winning 36-30, albeit not having their full, healthy lineup.

Senior Captain George Germanakos won his bout eleven to six, almost pinning his opponent multiple times. “Winning the Sting this year against our biggest rival, Horace Mann, was a very close match. Every match mattered a lot.

Jack Kneisley, our freshman at 126 pounds came up big with a pin that helped us clinch the win. Even with a lot of underclassmen on the team and losing important seniors this season to injuries and disciplinary reasons, everyone has really stepped it up. This year isn’t going as well as it could have, but we are making the best out of the talent we have. It’s exciting to watch all the underclassmen in their matches. They are showing a lot of potential,” said George.

Across from the Zetkov Athletic Center, Hackley Boys’ Varsity Swimming thrashed Horace Mann 109-63. Boys placed first in every event.

Spyridon Coffinas

Senior Wrestler 21 wins, 6 pins this season 21 takedowns, 11 reversals Photo courtesy of Spyridon Coffinas

Sophomore Ryan Schaum swam the 200 yard freestyle in 1:48. Sophomore Liam Bogart placed first in the 50 yard freestyle and 100 yard freestyle swimming times of 22.98 seconds and 49.41 seconds respectively. Girls’ Swimming improved, but fell short in their conquest for the win late Friday evening. One bright spot in their loss was Senior Sarah Schlesinger winning the 50 yard freestyle.

Girls’ Varsity Basketball continued their winning streak to three games, beating Riverdale 4626. With this victory, Girls’ Basketball is now 7-3 on the season. Despite losing to Riverdale 57-51, Boys’ Varsity Basketball had some promising moments with Senior Darius Inzar dropping dimes and Junior Jordan Patrick playing tough defense.

Junior Andrew Chung was frustrated, but hopeful with both his performance and the team’s performance after the game. “Even though we lost, I am still proud that the team never gave up hope and fought until the end. Despite the early blunders that we committed, our effort in coming back in the second half showed how good we could be. I think that with each game our team chemistry is growing and with more practice we’ll get even better,” said Andrew.

George Germanakos Senior Wrestler 25 wins, 14 pins this season Quickest Pin: 13 seconds Photo cour tesy of George Germanakos

Photo by Benjy Renton

Elijah Ngbokoli Senior

Wrestler 24 wins on the season over 100 career wins Photo courtesy of Elijah Ngbokoli

Sophomore Squash Player Ranked #2 on the team Favorite racquet brand: Harrow Photo courtesy of Madison Chen

Kelly Saxton

Senior Squash Player 5 wins this season Ranked #3 on the Girls’Varsity Squash Team Photo courtesy of Kelly Saxton

Ryan Schaum Sophomore Swimmer Likes Butterfly Set Brunswick Pool record: 100m fly with a time of 54.56 s Photo courtesy of Ryan Schaum

Sarah Schlesinger

Senior Swimmer All Ivy League since 2013 season National & Jr Olympic Competitor Photo courtesy of Sarah Schlesinger

Olivia Curran Freshman Swimmer Ivy Prep League 400 Free Relay Record Older brother is her biggest inspiration Photo courtesy of Olivia Curran