Hackley OnLine:
Antigone review:
The different strategies teachers use to assign homework creates confusion among students.
Dial
The autumn play, a modernized Antigone, held successful performances on Nov. 4 and 5. page 7
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the
Hackley School
Tarrytown, NY 10591
November 2011 Vol. 113, No. 4
Cedar Manor
Neighbors Link Blythedale
Relay for Life
Boys and Girls Club
Senegal
Habitat for Humanity
ASPCA Cedar Manor
Elmsford Animal Shelter
ROAR
YSOP Pleasantville Cottage
Food Pantry
For Julie, helping Hawthorne is also helping Hackley. “Our friends who have autistic relatives should be able to see the support of their peers and be recognized for their efforts,” Julie said. Sophomore Abbott House Sophomores Meghan Philpott and Peter Patapis have been working closely with sophomore dean Jenny Leffler to forge a partnership between Hackley and an Irvington, NY-based orphanage called Abbott House. “We hope to create an ongoing relationship with the orphanage and the children there by doing visits and mentoring,” Peter said. The project leaders will also organize grade-wide toy and clothing drives for the children. Last year, the sophomores conducted a survey to see what types of projects the class would be interested in, and “most said that they would like to work with kids,” according to Meghan. “The main goal of our project is to have our grade gain perspective on how there are less fortunate children and young adults just like us, right in our area,” Peter said. “I do think that this could kick-start the less proactive students to get involved,” added Meghan. “I think that once they go to hang out with the children, they’ll want to go back again.” “If this were to be a grade project, more people could get involved and more groups of friends, [too],” she said. “Most people would probably prefer to do community service with their friends.” Freshmen TBD The freshmen have not yet decided on a project, but the ninth-grade community council representatives are in the process of choosing. Freshman class president Claire Descamps wants to choose something that was popular with their grade last year, possibly Blythedale Children’s Hospital. Before deciding, the freshmen will most likely wait for the return of their class dean Melissa Abraham, who is out on maternity leave until mid December at the latest, according to interim freshman dean Margaret Randazzo. “Bringing back the projects is a great way to unify the class behind a good cause,” Ms. Randazzo said, referring to the earlier projects that were phased out about five years ago. The grade projects have been reinstated with the hope of students getting involved in a more active way. “Any fundraising done will be linked to service and action—not just fundraising as the only action,” Mr. King said. “My primary agenda is to create more opportunities for students to get involved and interested in community service in the absence of a graduation requirement,” he said.
Peru Student Teaching
Soup Kitchen Hawthorne Project
editor-in-chief Senior Relay for Life While Hackley has never had a community service requirement, as recently as the mid-2000s, each grade level chose a project that all students were encouraged to join. As more students began to take the initiative to participate in community service on their own, there was no longer a need for such grade-level projects. But those projects are back for 2011-2012. “We’re harnessing the positive power of peer pressure,” Upper School Director Andy King said. Each grade can try to have everyone in their class participate as a goal. “It’s another forum for student leadership for kids who aren’t involved in, say, Community Council.” For senior dean Anne Longley the choice of project for her grade level was easy. “Relay for Life was the obvious choice for the seniors because of the level of investment we’ve had over the years,” she said. Relay for Life is an event held by the American Cancer Society. Students create fundraising teams and spend one night in May on Akin Common to celebrate the fight against cancer. “Sophomore year, our grade took off with Relay,” Ms. Longley said. “It’s a true leadership model of the class of 2012.” Senior Brad Roberts thinks Ms. Longley made the right choice. “It’s something a lot of seniors are passionate about,” he said. Agreeing that Relay for Life was the right project for the class of 2012, senior Natania Greenspan thinks the selection process could be improved. “I would like to have been able to vote for our class project,” she said. Junior Hawthorne Project The juniors have taken on the Hawthorne School as their grade project. Located in nearby Hawthorne, N.Y., the school educates children who have serious disabilities, such as autism and other spectrum disorders. About a dozen students of all grades already volunteer at the school once per month, playing games and doing arts and crafts with the Hawthorne children. Originally proposed by juniors Julie Piscina, Dilsia Olivero and sophomore Daniel Shaw, the Hawthorne project will continue its monthly visits but hopes also to initiate a first-ever spring carnival on the Hackley campus. The aim will be to raise autism awareness amongst Hackley students. Julie thinks that the educational process goes both ways. “People are a little uneducated about how widespread [autism] is, and no one is telling them,” said Julie. “A lot of Hackley kids take for granted who we are, but many members of our community have been affected by autism—whether seeing it firsthand in their families, or volunteering with the kids.”
Malawi Project
Breakfast Run
Lupus
randikramer
Midnight Run
Help USA
Go Pink
united we help others
Design by Rachel Chan and Randi Kramer.
2news
Voice of the student body.
H
ackle Onlin y e
Senior David Dronzek expresses his frustration on a Goodhue computer when he has trouble locating his homework for the day. Photo by Dorothea Trufelman.
rebeccaslutsky
staff writer Homework is a little like medicine: how you receive something unpleasant is as important as what it is. While all teachers are supposed to post homework assignments on Hackley Online (HOL) in some fashion, many have also developed other ways to get the message out. English teacher Raegan Russell writes homework assignments on the board in the same place each day. “Having assignments posted in the classroom reminds students to ask questions about the work while we’re in class,” she said. But since not everyone remembers to write things down, she also posts a weekly assignment sheet on HOL. Major and longterm assignments are also noted on a special “Dates of Doom” board in the back of the classroom. Math Department Chair Diane Kaplan posts assignments on HOL. But she also likes to hand out assignment sheets in class so that she can “make sure the students
16%
of students prefer assignments written on the board or given out during class.
are clear about what needs to be done if changes are made to the sheet.” Assignment sheets help teachers plan the week of work. Spanish teacher Diane Remenar gives her students an assignment sheet on Day 1 of every cycle. “I know what material we are going to get through every day, so I can assign a full week of homework with certainty,” she said. “Having a consistent method of posting assignments would be helpful,” English teacher Jenny Leffler said. “I think HOL is supposed to be that.” But “how a teacher posts information, whether a week or a cycle or a few days at a time, should be up to the individual teacher,” she added. Most students prefer when the teachers post homework assignments both online and in the classroom. “I really don’t like when my teachers don’t mention homework assignments in the classroom,” sophomore Laurel Cassidy said. “It should be mandatory to post
48%
of students prefer assignments given in advance on a physical assignment sheet.
homework assignments online and also mention it in class.” Junior Chad Malinowski agrees that homework assignments should be posted in the class and online “so that students don’t have an excuse not to do the homework.” He believes that there will even be “better class discussions because all the students will complete their homework and will be prepared.” Sophomore Gabby Troya agrees. “I think assignments should be posted in both the classroom and on HOL,” she said. “If someone loses their Internet connection one night or if their computer is not working, then at least they have their homework written down on an assignment sheet or in their agenda.” Even for the digital generation, sometimes low-tech is best. “The daily reminder in class is usually what students really want,” Ms. Leffler said.
24%
of students prefer assignments that are posted on Hackley Online.
Total does not add up to 100% due to incomplete or incorrect surveys. This survey has a margin of error of ±3%
Behind the gargoyle: Robert Carpenter marcbyrnes
H
dial online editor ackley students have gazed and lucky pennies. Originally there was going had during games and practices. “He’s very special. People were really up at the gargoyles around to be a larger penny in the background, but campus and admired the Headmaster Walter Johnson came up with moved by his training them over the years legends of Hackley’s faculty, the idea and acquired the actual lucky penny and his input… Forty years teaching, it’s a each with their own signature pose and props. from Coach Pickert, which was then used in life-time,” said Mr. Carpenter. Mr. Carpenter has also captured the The latest addition is Robert Pickert, who the sculpture as the button in the belt. Mr. Carpenter interviewed and took pho- likenesses of the three other former facserved on the faculty for 45 years. But who tos of Coach Pickert a number of times. He ulty members for their gargoyles. In science creates these statues? The man who creates these sculptures, said, “You try to catch their demeanor, their teacher Randall McNaughton’s gargoyle, he as well as the fountain in the courtyard and character.” In his gargoyle, Coach Pickert is put the stars in the background because of all the letter-work around campus, is master seen as he would have looked on a game day, his interest in astronomy and the hammer carver Robert Carpenter. Mr. Carpenter was with his headset on and hand on a football. since Mr. McNaughton taught geology. Mr. Always health conscious and in shape, Carpenter depicted him with his glasses on not always a sculptor, he began as an engineer Coach Pickert will be happy to know that his his head and tie loosened because that’s how who sculpted as a hobby His first experience with carving was gargoyle shows good muscle definition. Mr. many alumni described him and how he with the Boy Scouts at Camp Read. One Carpenter also tried to capture Coach Pick- looked during his interviews. Latin teacher John McAuliffe was seen boy carved “a little Indian.” Mr. Carpenter, ert’s stance and “glare” that he sometimes and described as a stern amazed, said he ran back to his teacher, so Mr. Carpenter campsite and used his “clunky Boy gave him a Caesar-esque Scout knife” to carve a tent peg laurel and had him pointing out of a block of wood which he into a book. still has. Walter Schneller was While working as an engineer, described as fun, relaxed Mr Carpenter took a chance and history teacher who cracked applied to a carving school in Gerjokes during his interview, many. When he was accepted and so Mr. Carpenter gave him given a free spot, he sold everything a “spoofy” quill with a lot he had, including his Porsche. of texture. Despite not speaking a word of Mr. Carpenter, who is German, Mr. Carpenter was able also responsible for the to learn techniques that have been fountain in the courtyard, used for hundreds of years by said that his goal is to have master carvers. his works accepted by athe One of the most important Hackley community. One things Mr. Carpenter learned in of his favorite things to Germany was “communicate and see at Hackley is students simplify.” To do this, he talks to sitting around the fountain, people, current faculty and alumni or a teacher having a class especially, who all have ideas about outside next to it. the subjects. For Coach Pickert, two The gargoyle of Coach Pickert in the process of being created in Mr. things kept coming up: green pants Carpenter’s workshop. Photo courtesy of Robert Carpenter.
November
dial
quotes
At a field hockey party while eating pizza: Mary Medure: I don’t get hungry. Sometimes I just like the taste of food in my mouth. Freshman to Mr. Van Leer at the end of study hall: Are you the Driver’s Ed teacher? Ms. Siviglia: If I ever give you a multiple choice test, it must be time for you to take me out and shoot me. Mr. Davies draws a triangle-shaped diagram on the board in Modern Latin America class: Will Johnson: Is that a Tostito? Matt MacFarlane: I get it, the top 1% get more guacamole! Mr. Davies: No... When the SmartBoard wasn’t working during Ms. Richardson’s Statistics class: Trish Gorman: Wait , the SmartBoard ran out of ink?? Mr. Pruitt: There’s a friend of mine who makes about $500,000 a year. Jhordane McNab: What’s his name? I’ll marry him! Will Johnson: Mr. Davies, Bobby and I are going out to lunch, so if you hear about any fires, explosions, or beautiful women getting into Volvos, it was probably us. Ms. Lyons: We could propose a day without technology. Isabella Berland: So does that mean we’d have the lights off? As Mr. Clark sees that Veronica Qu is studying for Ms. Bowers’ map quiz during Calculus: Veronica: I’m multitasking! Mr. Clark: Let’s not do any multitasking in this class. During Chapel Homeroom, Mr. King is talking about America Day. AJ Alexakos: Red, white and blue dress down? Mr. King: No, do not dress down. Matt MacFarlane: We would encourage you to dress down! Mr. King: This is a perfect example of a power struggle. Ms. Bowers: We’ll take a trip to Europe. Gabby Urken: Road trip! Angela Mauri: An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but that’s wrong because I’ve been to the doctor before. Mr. King: Ian, don’t laugh at me. I’m fragile.
editorial
November
Voice of the student body.
3
Driven crazy: parking plagues upperclassmen
C
old wind blows in your face as you trek down the hill from Pickert Field. On your long walk you pass by dozens of empty parking spots. This is the daily routine of any student who parks on the Hackley campus. Ask any senior or junior with a license—parking at Hackley is a chore. The Hackley campus is 285 acres, yet the administration cannot seem to find space for an adequate student parking lot. Students are forced to park in either of two parking lots. Juniors must park along a steep road leading to Pickert field. Seniors must park in the lot next to the main entrance. Both are poor sites. The senior parking lot is a significant distance from the Upper School, requiring students to endure a
Students are forced to park their cars in the senior parking lot, far from the Upper School. Photo by Melissa Warshauer.
long trek up to class early in the morning. The junior parking lot is slightly closer to the high school but is also inconvenient. On a steep hill with cars squeezed between each other, getting in and out of a parking spot is frustrating. nd yet the most irritating part of walking from the junior parking lot to the Upper School is seeing the countless empty parking spaces in the “visitor parking” area. The visitor parking area has a vast number of spaces, most of which appear to go without use all day. It seems strange that the school administration has prioritized parking for a few rare visitors during the school day over the parking needs of the student body. If the administration would allow even a fraction of these spaces to be used by senior and junior drivers, many of the troubles associated with student parking would be alleviated.
A
ules Driving R
l is a g to s c h o o in iv r D • privilege in visitor g in k r a p • No pots parking s
Another problem with parking at Hackley is the administration’s view of student driving. The parking rules clearly state that “driving to school is a privilege.” This privilege can be taken away at any time for the tiniest infraction of the driving rules. Yet for many students, driving to school is a necessity. Many students’ parents work and cannot drive them to school. For students with late-night extracurricular activities, getting home by bus is not always an option either. The right to drive to school should not be taken away for offenses as minor as parking in the wrong area. ecently these issues have been worsened by heavy snowfall and cold weather. Students have plenty of stresses with homework, sports, and extracurriculars; parking should not be one of them.
R
There’s no place like homeroom Students view homeroom as a burden, but when analyzed past the surface, there are more benefits to homeroom than costs. Yes, the first deadline of the day—getting to homeroom by 8:05—will always cause some groans. But homeroom was reinstated this year for good reasons, and the change created some beneficial knock-on effects. Homeroom takes time out from the first period class of the day. This in turn shortens all classes, other than the 70-minute class, to 45 minutes; there is no longer a 50-minute class period. Although only a five-minute difference by the clock, the 50-minute period always exerted a disproportionate toll on attention spans. Students who have first period free no longer have to remember to sign in, because they are accounted for in homeroom. This means fewer opportunities for students to receive DD’s. Homeroom also keeps students up-to-date on school announcements and the daily lunch menu. Some students say homeroom is a waste of time, and that it is boring to hear the lunch options for that day—but wouldn’t they rather hear about Marlene’s creations thsn take Miss Bowers’ reading quiz? Most importantly, homeroom is just a pleasant way to start off the day. Instead of jumping right into classes a minute after waking up from the car ride over, students get to acclimate and enjoy small talk with their friends, before plunging into the rigorous workload Hackley requires every day.
Sophomores talk in Spanish teacher Diane Remenar’s homeroom. Photo by Gianna D’Alessio
dialstaff Editor-in-chief randikramer Managing Editor ariannafirpo Assist. Managing Editor danielhoffman
Hackley School - 293 Benedict Ave., Tarrytown, NY - (914) 631-0128 - September 2011 - Vol. 113, No. 4 - www.hackleyschool.org Coordinating Editor mattmacfarlane Asst. Coordinating Editor leobarse
Sports Editor shaneweisberg Sports Editor dominiquealpuche
Op-ed Editor rolandrizzi
Asst. Sports Editor maxparauda
Lifestyles Editor halleyweinreb
Design Editor rachelchan
Feature Editor paulrapisardi News Editor jackieyang
Arts Editor nickhallock
Production Editor melissawarshauer
Politics Editor bobbygrusky
Politics Editor harrisonwetzler
Copy Editor annatskhovrebov Staff Artist mollykestenbaum
Op-ed Editor alexhersh
Adviser jennielyons Adviser scottboehnen
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.
4feature
November
Voice of the student body.
Hackley after hours
David Lee ’15 [Boarder]
’14
Joe
idt hm
Sc
Sh ala
bi ’13
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Phil Yoo ’14
samheyward
Staff Writer t’s 6:00 p.m., and the sun is setting on the hilltop. Students have long since left the crowded hallways for the comfort of their own homes. But some remain in school much past the end of last period. For them staying late is a way of life. Sophomore Camille Schmidt is one of the students who often stays—until about 6:30 every day. “I have field hockey practice until 4:30, and games can go later, so that fills some of the time,” she said. After getting out of sports, she spends her time doing homework and playing the piano or guitar. For Camille and her other friends who stay late, the admissions hallway has become a common hang-out destination, a home away from home. Admissions-hallway “regulars” find there are tips and tricks to staying late. “Sometimes after meetings there is leftover food in the Lindsay Room,” sophomore Thomas Wolfgang said. “When the meetings are over, we get the leftovers.” Junior Kieran McEvoy finds that there are more benefits than drawbacks to staying late. “I get to eat, talk to my friends,
and just generally relax before I take the train home,” he said. Food from the Lindsay Room is not the only food on offer. Dinner is served at 5:30 Monday to Thursday. “I love dinner,” Camille said. “It seems a lot better than the lunches.” For some students, the dinner served at school serves as a snack to tide them over until they get home. “I eat two to three plates of hot food, one plate of salad; and one bowl of fruit all at school, and then I go home and have my real dinner,” said Kieran. Dinner is mainly for boarders and teachers who live on campus, but students who need to stay late can sign up in the Assistant Headmaster’s office a day before to eat for free. They can also just sign in at dinner for a fee of $5.00. Students have various reasons for staying late. “Cross country practice ends too late for me to catch the bus,” junior Joe Shalabi said. Some, like Thomas, are faculty kids: students whose parents work at school and who therefore must wait until their parents are done working But there are also downsides to staying late. “It’s difficult to
not have a computer, and the library closes at 4:30,” Camille said. “It’s always tempting to just hang out with my friends instead of doing my homework.” For Thomas, just a few hours can seem like a lifetime while waiting to go home. “I get bored a lot when I’m just waiting around,” he said. Staying late can often be a burden. “I would like to go home earlier,” said sophomore Phil Yoo. “It would make it easier to get work done if I did it in silence.” Although it may at first seem desolate, the admissions hallway is often filled with life after school. According to Jennifer Moroney, the Assistant to the Assistant Headmaster, last year from February to March, an average of 10 students attended dinner every night. Apart from the “regulars,” there are often people who stay because of after-school clubs or sports games that run late. Several young children can also be found running up and down the admissions hallway on a typical evening. And twolegged creatures aren’t the only thing one can find in admissions after hours. “I saw a squirrel on the pipes once,” Joe said.
Homework reduction remains elusive at Hackley evanweisberg
Staff Writer For students at New York City private schools such as Dalton, Trinity, Horace Mann, and Hunter College High School, a dream is coming true: homework reduction. Recently, these rigorous schools decided to lighten the amount of homework assigned to students and to stagger big projects, such as tests or essays, over weekly periods. But Hackley students face similar situations with their testing and project schedules—with no alleviation in sight. “I feel as if every week it alternates from a hard week to an easy week,” said sophomore Gaby Mezzacappa. “Some [weeks],” sophomore Luca Aloe said, “I have a test in every subject, and then the next week I have none.” This is one of the reasons why these city schools are staggering their big projects. A 2010 documentary, Race to Nowhere, profiled kids who not only lack sleep, but also lack the joy of being young. “There’s no value in stressing kids out. You are robbing them of their childhood,” said Dalton parent Adam Gopnik. That documentary and the accompanying debate about stressed students motivated some of the changes in the New York
City independent schools. As in the city schools, it is not rare during the beginning of the day to find people sleeping in Hackley’s corridors. Sophomore John Wahrhaftig has had his share of sleepy mornings after late-night studying. Asked when he last stayed up extra late for homework, he said, “last night.”
“If less homework has a positive effect on learning and health then it would be beneficial to implement this tactic here at Hackley.” Excess homework can also be harmful, according to recent research. Denise Pope, a professor at the Stanford School of Education, has found that doing more than three and a half hours of homework or studying a night increases the risk for
physical and mental health problems, including ulcers, sleep deprivation, and serious headaches. Seniors claim to feel the homework burden—and the poor health effects—the most. Not only do they have to worry about staying up late doing homework and studying, but many also continue to write college-application essays and short answers. “When you have a lot of college essays and stuff, and then homework and tests on top of that, it can get really stressful,” senior Josh Pedowitz said. “But if you try to do most of your college stuff during the summer and before school, it isn’t really that bad.” Harris Cooper, a professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at Duke, claims that with the large amounts of homework students are doing anyway, giving an hour less homework would not be detrimental to students’ education. Senior Seth Konner agrees, saying, “If less homework has a positive effect on learning and health then it would be beneficial to implement this tactic here at Hackley.”
politics
November
Voice of the student body.
5
Occupy Wall Street stirs controversy gabyoppenheim Staff Writer
From comical political posters in the hallways to heated arguments in the history classroom, the escalation of the Occupy Wall Street movement in the past few months has influenced Hackley students to question the social and economic equality of the country. The “We are the 99%” movement, based in Zuccotti Park, has engaged students whose opinions vary on the structure, organization and effectiveness of the movement. Junior Angelina Xing called it “a society of its own.” She added, “The protestors formed their own communal living space. Everyone contributes to it.” Many, primarily seniors, have visited the park to observe the movement and to engage in conversation with the protesters. “Several already have [visited] and more probably will in the weeks to come,” history teacher Vladimir Klimenko said. “Why miss the opportunity to witness the spark of historical change up close?” Some maintain that the disorganization of the protestor’s opinions is a fault of the movement, possibly mitigating their complaints. The protestors lack explicit policy demands.
Senior Amelia Schwalb said, “There is a lack of focus and disorganization. It makes it hard to put forth a message, or get things done.” Senior Dorothea Trufelman believes, after visiting the protesters, that the movement is better physically organized than has been reported. “The media has been portraying ‘Occupy’ as a chaotic, rambunctious, unsanitary mess, when the truth is that it couldn’t be more the opposite,” she said. “I think I was expecting to see dangerous people running through the streets out of control, but what I did see was a relatively small, hyper-organized gathering in Zuccotti Park.” A survey by TIME magazine revealed that 23% of Americans nationwide have a negative impression of the protests. A survey conducted by The Dial indicates that 56% of Hackley students oppose the Occupy Wall Street movement. Senior Erik Bringsjord is one of them. “They know nothing about anything,” Erik said. “They are wasting their time… They’re going to have a pretty hard time accomplishing any agenda without a set of
A parody of Occupy Wall Street recently appeared in the Junior and Senior Hallways. Photo courtesy of LIFE Magazine.
Dial Poll
A protester asserting his role as a member of the 99% carries a sign in a procession.
shared goals.” Senior AJ Alexakos added, “I disagree with their Marxist and anarchist beliefs. It’s also hard to listen to their opinions when they can’t explain them.” Other students support the movement and understand their demands. Amelia believes “their message of protesting corporate greed is a very valid and pertinent one.” “This is definitely a revolutionary movement in exposing the 1% for writing the rules of an unfair global economy that is depriving our future,” Dorothea added. Some students, whether or not affected by the economy, believe that it is important to understand the protester’s concerns. “Most Hackley families are, to put it lightly, more well off than the majority. However, that’s not to say we can’t empathize with the protestors,” Angelina said. “People at Hackley can share common grievances with those of the protestors.”
Methodology:
The poll was distributed to Upper School students through their homerooms on November 7-8. The poll received 278 responses, representing approximately three quarters of the Hackley Upper School population. The poll has a margin or error of ±3%.
Do you identify with or support the Occupy Wall Street protesters?
?
Yes
No
Senior Kathleen Sullivan said, “I think kids should try to go see it for themselves if they have the time, so that they form their own opinion about [Occupy Wall Street] rather than believe the over-dramatized version the media has portrayed.” Even some of the skeptics of Occupy Wall Street believe that the protest has some merit. Erik believes that, even if the message is valid, they are in the wrong place. Erik said, “Protesting on Wall Street is not going to make anything change. “The original goal of Occupy Wall Street, which hardly anyone knows, was to increase government transparency when dealing with big businesses. “The only way to change this is to work with politicians.” If the protestors wish to exercise their freedom of speech, Erik says, “They should be protesting at the White House.”
20% 24% 56%
of students support the Wall Street protesters. of students either did not respond to the question or responded both “Yes” and “No.” of students do not support the Wall Street Protesters.
What are they protesting? “Wealth disparity among classes.” “They’re protesting the fact that 1% of the population is in control of the majority of the economy.” “Good question. Nobody knows, not even them.” “They’re jealous of the jobs that other people have. They’re too lazy.” “They protest freedom, capitalism, and all that America stands for.”
6lifestyles
November
Voice of the student body.
Healthy eating is easier than you think
sarahbonanno staff writer
It’s morning break. Students are ravenous. There’s only ten minutes, and they have a choice. An apple from the lunch room or a candy bar from the tuck shop. Sophomore Rachel Livermore admitted, “I would eat more fruit, but if I’m in the Tuck with my friends, I won’t say no to the candy bar.” Junior Stephanie Rubin and member of the Wellness club would rather eat the apple because, as she advised, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away!” Sophomore Aley Longo agrees with Rachel and would be more likely to eat the candy bar. Upper School health teacher Krystal Forsyth notices that the appropriate amounts of fruits and vegetables tend to be missing from a student’s diet. She said, “they are really important for athletes to be able to recover after practice and to be appropriately energized before games.” When students aren’t feeling well after practice, Ms. Forsyth commented, the most common reason is what they ate for lunch. Ms. Forsyth said, “students tell me that they had a plate of fries or of macaroni and cheese for lunch...which causes lack of energy and loss of concentration.” Although she confessed to a preference for the candy bar, Aley makes sure that she eats well before a game. “If I don’t eat all day before a game I’ll feel sick, or if I eat too much then I feel sick. So I like to eat lots of veggies and tofu, or a sandwich before games.” Rachel has to be aware of her eating habits so that she can excel in her main sport, crew. She said, “I row a lot and I can tell at practice that I do better when I eat better, and perform worse when I may not eat so well or not eat that much.” According to FLIK, students requested a variety of food last year; both healthy and unhealthy. These foods include curly fries on burger days, mozzarella sticks, and fried dough and cookies for dessert. However, students also requested more herbal tea, roasted chicken, and whole fruits during dinner. Ms. Forsyth reassured that, “as long as everyone is meeting the needs for the food pyramid, it’s okay to splurge.” Stephanie said, “I try to keep my lunch healthy by including a whole grain, a protein, and a vegetable...but if I have the urge to eat a brownie, then I’ll eat the brownie!” “I need to eat a lot of carbs at lunch because of swimming or else I crash,” sophomore Peter Patapis said, echoing the students’ request to FLIK for more specialty bread. “I try to keep it healthy by eating a salad at lunch, but I also love the school lunch because I think it’s grand everyday and mad classy.” Ms. Forsyth said, “Some kids are really sluggish if they haven’t eaten properly, or if it’s been a while since they ate...that’s why it’s a good thing when students eat snacks and even better when they’re healthy.” Peter takes many apples from the lunchroom during the day because he doesn’t have time to go to the Tuck Shop. Sophomore Cara Petrucci said, “It’s hard to concentrate when you have second lunch because you’re so hungry! I think it’s important to eat well and eat enough when it comes to school and sports, so you can do better and have more energy. I try eat healthily at lunch: if they have good apples, I’d definitely go for one.” For Stephanie, the advice is simple. “Good eating habits keep you focused and won’t lead you to crash,” she said.
Unhealthy Sandwhich White Bread American Cheese Ham Bologna Regular Mayonnaise
Healthy Sandwhich
Replace white bread with whole wheat Use low fat cheese instead of American Add vegatables for substance, like lettuce or tomato Replace ham with turkey and use two slices instead of four Try adding low fat mayonnaise instead of regular
Thanksgiving Tips: Courtesy of the Hackley Wellness Club The Hackley Wellness Club strives to better the lives of the Hackley community by spreading awareness in physical and mental health.
1. 2. Drawing by Halley Weinreb.
3. 4.
Use of fresh herbs to season your food instead of salt. Make apple crisps instead of apple pie. It eliminates the calories of the crust without sacrificing the delicious apple pie taste. Use whole grain breads in your Thanksgiving stuffing. Use whole weat flour when making cookies or cupcakes.
5
arts
November
Voice of the student body.
things to know about
OPERA
7
carolinechmiel Staff Writer
1. Short composers
Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and Wagner were all under five feet tall.
2. Fun for everyone
“You do not need to be fluent in a foreign language to understand Opera. There are subtitles provided either on the back of the seats or above the stage.” –Ms. Fogarty
3. Longest applause
The longest applause took place at the Vienna Staatsoper on July 30, 1991 for one hour and 20 minutes. (Placido Domingo singing Otello.)
4. Beware of whistling
Whistling means “boo!” at many European operas.
A true “work” of art 5.“Opera is the plural of the Latin word opus, meaning, ‘work’.” –Ms. Fogarty Hackley students went to a performance of “The Nose” at the Metropolitan Opera in 2009. Dial stock photo.
Thirty Hackley students will be among the 800,000 people attending a performance at the Metropolitan Opera this year. On Dec. 2 students will attend a dress rehearsal of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterly. Students will “hear some of the finest singers and opera orchestras in the world,” said music teacher Elizabeth Fitzpatrick. Famed opera tenor, Placido Domingo, is scheduled to conduct
the performance. The three hour opera, set in early 20th century Japan, tells the story of U.S. Navy officer Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton moving into a house with a geisha wife, Madame Butterfly. Pinkerton goes through with the marriage, but soon leaves, promising to return. The journey and emotions of these characters will be heard by an additional two million people listening to an HD broadcast.
Antigone: new take on a killer play nickhallock Arts Editor
With a new director comes a new take on an old story, and the Upper School performance of Sophocles’ Antigone was original and fresh. From the competition between the ancient Greek chorus and the modern narrators, to the pronouncement in an early scene that Antigone “dies in the end,” the play proved to be fresh and unconventional. The modernization of the play—for example the modern costumes and narrators—was a welcome change that helped to bring a nearly 2500-year-old story up to date. For audience members who were unfamiliar with the plot, the opening exposition where the characters were introduced by the narrators, was helpful although it slightly dulled Clockwise from above: senior Nadya Klimenko and freshman Jeffrey Guzman hold junior Mae McColl captive; senior Marc Byrnes playing King Creon yells at Mae, his niece; junior Charlotte May, freshmen Alexis De Pol, Sophia Bannister a n d H e a t h e r Ve g a argue over who gets to narrate the play. Photos by Chris Taggart.
Sophocles’ intended tragic ending by foretelling Antigone’s death. But while some tragedy may be good for the story, the introduction and the narrators helped add comic relief and ensure that the play did not become overly grim and depressing. But any faults with the introduction were easily made up for by the cast. Arielle Gordon’s overly-protective nurse was an easily overlooked yet well-performed role, and Mae McColl showed off her talent in her performance as the title character. But the real highlight was Marc Byrnes’ exceptional performance as Creon, king of Thebes. His argument with Antigone was truly terrifying and his predicament--should
he cave in on his obligations to benefit his family--was understandable. The theme of painful decisions and their deadly consequences was expertly shown, from Antigone and Ismene’s argument over whether to bury Polyneices to Creon’s visible grief at the finale once he sees his decisions have destroyed his family. The fall production of Antigone was well-directed and certainly wellacted and showcased the theatrical talent of the Upper School. The play’s modern direction presented it not as a play written by an ancient Greek thousands of years ago, but instead as a script made in recent times. Because of this, the play was, as advertized, “not your ordinary Greek tragedy.”
Upcoming Concerts: November 21: Jazz Combos Concert December 13: Band, Chorus, Jazz Orchestra Concerts
8sports
November
Voice of the student body.
1 AJ. Wolf, I. Parnell E. Bringsjord
AJ Wolf, I. Parnell E. Brinsgsjord
16 -‐-‐BYE-‐-‐
AJ Wolf, I. Parnell E. Brinsgsjord
8 B. Jurcic, B. BurkeN
3-on-3 Tournament
T. Wright, A. Alexakos ,1 M. D'Alessio A. Alexakos, M. D'Alessio A. Dave
A. Alexakos, M. D'Alessio A. Dave
B. Pundyk, M. Byrnes 8 A. Pundyk
W. Walker
9 J. Terry, P. Moran
P. Moran, L. Seebacher C. Meyer
J. Fripo, A. Rinzler G. Santangelo
L. Seebacher
AJ Wolf, Erik Bringsjord, Ian Parnell
AJ Wolf, I. Parnell E. Brinsgsjord
5 N. Colon, S. Konner N. Colon, S. Konner J. Konner
12 -‐-‐BYE-‐-‐
A. Disher, K. Dronzek O. Momani
C. Kilman, C. Breen J. Seim
N. Colon, S. Konner J. Konner
4 A. Bhayani, R. Cacace
A. Disher, K. Dronzek O. Momani
A. Bhayani, R. Cacace D. Dronzek
A. Disher, K. Dronzek O. Momani
13 -‐-‐BYE-‐-‐
6 D. Chung, T. Middleton
M. Parauda, L. Barse T. Henry-‐Reid
D. Chung, T. Middleton S. Alabaster
J. Israel, B. Seem C. Cacace
Andrew Wolf M. Dais, J. McDermoN J. Curland
3 M. Dais, J. McDermoN
J. Israel, B. Seem C. Cacace
M. Dais, J. McDermoN J. Curland
T. Jung, R. Hoch 11 M. TaranUno
C. Pidoriano, J. Ahmad 3 D.Yancopolous
L. Sweeney
14 M. Tracy, A Dave
A. Scherl, D. Garvey 13 E. Maynes
J. Israel, B. Seem 6 J. Ellis
S. Alabaster
11 J. Blackburn, Z. Walsh
-‐-‐BYE-‐-‐ 12
A. Disher, K. Dronzek 4 O. Momani
D. Dronzek
AJ Wolf, I. Parnell E. Brinsgsjord
J. Firpo, A.Rinzler 9 G. Santangelo
C. Kilman, C. Breen 5 J. Seim
Boys' Champion
J. Konner
-‐-‐BYE-‐-‐ 16
C. Pidoriano, J. Ahmad D. Yancopolous
-‐-‐BYE-‐-‐ 14
P. McDermoN M. Goldman, D. Norris C. Malinowski
7 I. Mook, A. Cortese
M. Parauda, L. Barse T. Henry-‐Reid
A. Newland, C. Kim 7 H. Molner
S. Sohmer I. Mook, A. Cortese S. Sohmer
10 J. Hogan, R. Walker
C. Kim, H.Molner J. Blackburn
J. Kaminetsky M. Goldman, D. Norris C. Malinowski
2 M. Goldman, D. Norris
M. Parauda, L. Barse T. Henry-‐Reid
M. Parauda, L. Barse 2 T. Henry-‐Reid
C. Malinowski
15 -‐-‐BYE-‐-‐
M. Goldman, D. Norris C. Malinowski
M. Parauda, L. Barse T. Henry-‐Reid
1 A. Coppola, T. Gorman* N. Yancopolous
8 -‐-‐BYE-‐-‐
5 A. Gordon, C. May
A. Firpo, S. Knoll A. Kaminetsky A. Copolla, T. Gorman* N. Yancopolous
3 K. McAndrew, N. Miller
6 -‐-‐BYE-‐-‐
7 J. McNab, M. Medure
S. Frolo, J. Dressler G. Mezzacappa
K. McAndrew, N. Miller M. Chervin
P. Hogan, V. TaranYno N. Greenspan J. McNab, M. Medure K. Daly
2 A. Mueller, L. Cassidy G. D'Alessio
D. Alpuche, C. King A. Ngbokoli
K. Gorman, S. Cassidy K. Maguire
C. Granoff
M. Chervin
D. Alpuche, C. King A. Ngbokoli
Girls' Champion
A. Copolla, T. Gorman* N. Yancopolous
4 K. Gorman, S. Cassidy K. Maguire
Allie Coppola, Nia Yancopolous, Trish Gorman*
A. Copolla, T. Gorman* N. Yancopolous
J. McNab, M. Medure K. Daly
S. Frolo, J. Dressler G. Mezzacappa S. Frolo, J. Dressler G. Mezzacappa
*Did not play due to injury
K. Daly
D. Shaw, S. Arnavat 10 G. Pinkus
-‐-‐BYE-‐-‐ 15
D. Alpuche, C. King 1 A. Rosenstein K. Grusky, M. Chaplin 8 S. Carpiniello A. Firpo, S. Knoll 4 A. Kaminetsky
-‐-‐BYE-‐-‐ 5
P. Hogan, V. TaranYno 3 N. Greenspan
-‐-‐BYE-‐-‐ 6
S. Frolo, J. Dressler 2 G. Mezzacappa J. Piscina, S. Rubin 7 L. Roberts
Bracket contest winner: Travis Henry-Reid ’13
Todd Smith starts a new era of boys’ basketball
dominiquealpuche
sports editor After a 5-15 season last year, the boys’ varsity basketball team is hoping to have a better season this year, and it will do so with a new coach. After 18 years as the varsity coach, Steve Frolo has stepped down from the position, and new head coach Todd Smith and assistant coach Ed Powell are ready to lead the team. The changes to the varsity coaching staff are not the only changes to the program this year, as Keith Gelardi, who coached the JV-B team last year, has moved to the JV-A coaching position, and Coach Aaron Washington, who played Division I at Rutgers, will fill the spot as the JV-B coach. Although he is new to the varsity team, Coach Smith is not new to Hackley. He began at Hackley four years ago at the JV-B level, and then spent the next three years with the JV-A. He was a very successful JV-A coach, with the team going almost undefeated the last two seasons. Coach Smith said he was originally shy about applying for the varsity head coaching job when he heard it was open, but “I went for it and it worked out to my benefit,” he said. Coach Smith’s familiarity with the players from his JV experience should prove useful during the upcoming season. Senior captain Tucker Wright is excited to work with the new coach. “Todd is great. I worked with him when he was the JV coach and all the players seem to work really well with him,” he said. As a new coach, there is always question about how much should be changed or what sort of adjustments should be made. Coach Smith said he’s “not going to change everything, because the foundation is there,” but he did say that he would transform to the team’s style of play. “We will play hard-nose, full-court-pressure defense that will put a lot of teams in a position they’re not comfortable [with]…and an up-tempo offense,” he said.
He believes that these changes will lead to the team being highly competitive in the Ivy League and will build a foundation for upcoming years, noting that the different style might take a year to get used to. Another change made to the program this year was how the team prepared for the season in the months prior to the first winter practices. In the fall, a number of players from Hackley participated in an AAU under-15 team, and workouts were also held three times a week starting at the beginning of the school year for any players who wished to attend. “One thing I pride myself on is getting the kids in the gym as much as possible,” Coach Smith said. This approach seems to be popular with the players. “The workouts were great,” Tucker said. “It got a bunch of the players shooting and getting back into shape, which is really proving to be helpful now.” These pre-season workouts allowed the coaches to take note of the challenges the team would face in the upcoming year. One thing Coach Smith noticed was the team’s height. A short, guard-heavy team, “we will have to play as a team and embrace our roles,” he said. Coach Smith has no doubt the players will be able to make up for what they lack in size. “The kids here are focused, hard working, and want to obtain their goals,” he said, adding, “[We want to] compete at a high level everyday in practice and bring that to the game.” With the team’s first scrimmage on Nov. 26th, Coach Smith will try not to overcomplicate things. He said they will be focusing on the fundamentals and not on memorizing a lot of set plays. “Myself and the coaching staff are going to make these kids confident and knowledgeable in the game of basketball. We will bring basketball to its purest form, and we believe that will equate to wins,” he said.
The new boys’ varsity basketball coach Todd Smith stands on the sideline. He wants bring the basketball team back to basics and focus on fundementals. Photo Paul Rapisardi.