Acorn: June 2012 by Eddy Wang

ACORN

June 2012 1

Table of Contents

Acorn

From the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Desk By Caitlin Richard

Food Committeeby Katherine Phillips

Pixar: The Best and Not-Quite-as-Best by Zach Palumbo

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11Inspiring People at Harley-

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Inabiliity by Corey Beale

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Mr. Rogers Interviewed by Zoe Rankin

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Artist of the Month Featuring Devon Cunningham

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The Yellow Jackets by Emily Hanss

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Upper SchoolBy Seeley Taylor

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Easy Breakfast SmothieBy Sarah Kingsley

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What I Like to Write AboutBy Jeffrey Sun

ACORN Editor-in-chief: Rose Vacanti-Gilroy’13

Dear Acorn readers, This is my first issue as editor-inchief and I could not be more excited! I have learned so much since I joined Acorn two years ago, and I cannot wait to continue my journey with Acorn as editor-in-chief. I must thank Eddy Wang for starting Acorn; he truly built this magazine from the ground up and it would never have happened without his dedication and hard work. Since Eddy first created Acorn it has evolved into a true magazine and become a wonderful contribution to the Harley community. Without Eddy Acorn would not exist and I would not be writing this letter today! THANK YOU, EDDY! This issue of Acorn is not our largest ever; it is a transition issue since Zoe, Sarah and I are still learning what it takes to create a newspaper. However, size will not hold the Acorn back. This issue is full of great articles from a message by our new Upper School President, Caitlin Richards, to a short story by Corey Beale, a recipe from Sarah Kingsley, and much, much more! Thank you to all the wonderful writers---Acorn would not be possible without you. Happy reading! ~Rosie Vacanti-Gilroy’ 13

Executive editors: Zoe Rankin’14 Sarah Fink’15 Art Director: Leandra Caprini-Rosica’13 Student Advisor: Eddy Wang’12 Advisor: JAM Editing Advisor Dr. Dolan Artistic Advisor: Ms. O Facebook: Harley Acorn Twitter: HarleyAcorn Email: theharleyacorn@gmail.com Online: issuu.com/harleyacorn Blog: harleyacorn.tumblr.com The Harley School 1981 Clover Street Rochester, NY 14618

We care about you! If you have an article, experience, or event you want to share, submit it! Send submissions to theharleyacorn@gmail.com 3

From the President’sDesk: First, I’d like to thank you for voting for me. It was a hard fought campaign battle, but I’m glad you saw through my opponent’s lack of credentials. In any case, I have been thinking long and hard about next year, and of all the exciting things I can do with my power. Please, do not be concerned. Contrary to what some of you may think, I actually have the school’s best interests in mind. One huge thing we’re planning for next year is changing the first day of school to include less class time and more ice cream. The purpose (besides the obvious) is to allow students, especially those new to Harley, to visit all of their classes and still have time to meet with new friends and teachers. In addition, the teachers will just go through “first day business” and not have to worry about actually teaching something in the awkward remaining fifteen minutes of class. It’s pretty much a win-win situation. In addition, something that we started this year was having committees on student council. Although it never really took off, it’s something I’d really like to incorporate into student council so that more people can be involved and more things can be done. For example, there could be a separate committee for dances and fun activities like that so we can have something to do on the weekends. Making sure more people are involved in the student government is going to be a huge part of next year. Other ideas include: changing up morning meetings, setting up a peer tutoring program, having more cheering squads at sports events, and even things like AP tests. Overall, I want to make high school enjoyable for all of you, which I know may be quite an ambitious task. I want to improve the school as a whole and the only way I can do that is with input from you. If you have any concerns, comments, ideas, or you just need someone to talk to, (although I’m not known to be very comforting), just come and find me. I’m a pretty loud person and can usually be located via the sound of my laughs. I will try not to bite. Looking forward to next year!

Madame “C-Rich” President Acorn

FOOD COMMITTEE By Katherine Phillips

Imagine an artfully displayed salad or a perfectly blended soup or a smoothly frosted sugar cookie… Actually, you don’t have to imagine these delights, because the Harley Kitchen already has them covered. What you can imagine are the changes and additions you would like to see in the future. The Food Committee is a really fun group that is filled with awesome people. We have been meeting all year discussing the food at Harley and how it can be improved and/or changed! There are so many more parts to the food process than we originally thought. We thought we could start changing foods in a matter of meetings. As it turns out, there are a lot of restrictions as to what the kitchen can and cannot do! For example, did you know that with every single meal, there must be bread and meat? Did you know that all of Harley’s meals have to be approved by the government? When we propose a new meal or a change in a lunch, all of these restrictions have to be met to even consider the idea we have. We have learned so much about how this process works and are starting to learn how to make

change happen so everyone can be happy! At the meetings, we talk about how lunches can be improved and made more accessible for everyone, especially vegetarians. Notice how almost every soup is vegetarian on a meat-based lunch day? That is just one of the changes the Harley Kitchen has made this year! Right now we are in the process of trying to change the American grilled cheese to a cheddar grilled cheese. If you haven’t already noticed, we have run a couple of trial runs with the cheddar cheese. We also conducted an Upper School survey that was all but one vote unanimous to switch to cheddar cheese. We have high hopes for Food Committee next year and hope to see you at a meeting.

“Food CommitteeWhere your food dreams may be possible!”

Pixar :

The Best & Not-Quite-as-Best by Zach Palumbo In anticipation of Pixar’s upcoming BRAVE, I thought it would be nice to do a little retrospective on the studio. I will be ranking their films, starting with my least favorite and finishing with my favorite. Because Pixar is one of the most consistently brilliant film studios currently alive, this will not be your typical best and worst list; rather, it will be a best and not-quite-as-best list, since Pixar’s weaker films are still normally leaps and bounds above most others. 12. Cars 2 (2011)

This is the only one of the studio’s films that I genuinely cannot recommend at all. Most of the jokes fall flat, the sentimentality all rings false, and we are forced to listen to Larry the Cable Guy almost nonstop. It’s not that the film is offensively bad; as children’s movies go, it’s just about average. Pixar, though, usually makes films for the family. It’s difficult for me to imagine anyone but small kids getting much enjoyment out of this film. I know I called this a Best and Not-Quite-As-Best list, but in this case I’ll say it: Cars 2 is the worst Pixar movie.

11. Cars (2006)

Ah, that’s better. While Cars is by no means a great movie, it’s at least a good one. The characters are likeable (even Mater, who is relegated enough that Larry the Cable Guy isn’t quite annoying here), the plot is fun enough (even if it is mostly Doc Hollywood with cars instead of people), and the humor hits more often than it misses. That said, this is easily one of Pixar’s weakest outings. It lacks the strong emotional core that typifies most of the studio’s work. We get what seems like the framework for an emotionally engaging tale, but none of the characters are interesting enough for us to take much interest in them, since they are all essentially archetypes that develop in precisely the way we expect them to. The big-shot sports star learns the importance of friendship and love, the jaded old man has his heart warmed... You’ve seen this all before, and probably framed better. Cars is good for what it is, but it’s nothing special.

10. A Bug’s Life (1998)

The year 1998 produced two films centering around anthropomorphic ants and featuring political overtones. One of these films, the fantastic Woody Allen-helmed Antz, decided to play mostly to the older crowd with edgy humor and dominant themes of socialism and fascism. The other, A Bug’s Life, focused more on the youngsters in the audience. Its political themes take a back seat to a classic tale of adventure and hero-

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ism. Even with its witty script and loveable characters, it never quite manages to transcend its fairly standard plot, which is why it is ranked as low as it is.

9. Toy Story 2 (1999)

This is my least favorite of the Toy Story trilogy. Such a statement should not be construed as an insult to the film’s quality, however. Make no mistake; Toy Story 2 is a great movie. The plot centers around Woody being abducted by a toy collector who intends to display him in a museum. Buzz and his friends all vow to rescue him, but Woody begins to think that maybe being immortalized in a museum wouldn’t be so bad. Plus, he befriends a group of toys whose futures seem to hinge upon his decision. Woody’s internal conflict is extremely compelling, and it’s the film’s best element. All of the scenes involving Buzz and company journeying to rescue Woody are riotously entertaining. The problem is that the toys Woody befriends are simply not all that entertaining most of the time, and the sections focused on them tend to lag. This is, however, when the series begins to bring in more the melancholic theme of children growing up and getting too old for their toys. This would become the basis for Toy Story 3, which I will discuss later.

8. Up (2009)

I adore the first two acts of Up. The film features some of the most mature themes Pixar has ever tackled. The story is set up beautifully; after a short clip of Carl’s childhood, we are treated to what is surely one of the most moving montages ever produced, in which we see Carl’s life with his wife pass by in a mere five minutes. When the montage ends, we find Carl a lonely and grouchy old man, still mourning his wife after years. One day, a boy named Russell comes onto his doorstep, and the two are swept off on an adventure to Paradise Falls, a journey he and his wife had always wanted to make. Here, the film takes on a lighter tone, but it’s one that works wonderfully. We see Carl and Russell begin to form a bond; Carl becomes a surrogate father for Russell, and in doing so, he finds someone to love and care about once again. Meanwhile, the expertly timed comedy hits all the marks and keeps the audience engaged and entertained. The two then encounter an old childhood hero of Carl’s, Charles Muntz. This is where the film misses the mark. There was so much potential to make Muntz a complex and layered character, but Pixar throws it out the window and turns him into a cookie-cutter villain. This causes Up to devolve into a pretty standard adventure film, where the heroes must defeat the villain and return home safely. Despite its third act problems, Up is still a moving, sweet, and funny film that I would not hesitate to recommend.

7. Monsters, Inc. (2001)

This was my favorite film as a child. It takes place in a corporate world where monsters must scare children to collect the energy of their screams in order to power their city. The universe of Monsters, Inc. is one of the most utterly inventive I’ve ever seen, and it’s one that will capture the imagination of any audience member. Younger viewers will delight in the fantastical character designs and the wild mechanics of the world, while older viewers will take great amusement in the corporate framing of the tale as well as the quick and clever dialogue. Everyone should appreciate the heartwarming story, which centers on two monsters attempting to return a child home. Also worth noting is that the film features perhaps the best theme song of any Pixar film, Randy Newman’s “If I Didn’t Have You.” Featuring great characters, a delightfully imaginative universe, and sharp wit, this film has something for everyone.

6. Ratatouille (2007)

Even as a 12-year-old, I was incredulous when I saw the trailers for this film. A movie about a rat who wants to be a chef? I thought, how are they going to make that work? Well, I don’t know, but I have a feeling Pixar is just about the only studio on the planet that could have pulled it off as brilliantly as this. The film’s protagonist is Remy, a rat who has long dreamed of becoming a chef. He finds the perfect opportunity in Linguini, a boy who has just begun working at Remy’s dream restaurant. The two develop a mutually beneficial system through which Remy gets to live his dream of being a chef (despite being a rat) while Linguini gets the job and recognition of being a fine chef (despite being a horrible cook). The two also form a friendship that begins to become strained as the events of the film progress. The plot also incorporates romance, a conflict involving the inheritance of the restaurant, and the pressure of an upcoming review by one of the most infamous culinary critics in all of France which will make or break the restaurant’s future. All of these elements mix together to create the entirely delightful blend that is Pixar’s Ratatouille.

5. Finding Nemo (2003)

It is often said that everyone has three addresses memorized: their own address, their best friend’s address, and P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney. Indeed, this film was seen by most everyone, and to this day it remains the second-highest grossing Pixar film yet (the first being Toy Story 3). Its success is well-deserved. It features what is perhaps the best cast of characters in any Pixar film, and that’s saying something. Almost every character the protagonists meet along the way, from Bruce the shark and Crush the turtle to a passing school of moonfish, are extremely memorable and frequently hilarious. Speaking of the protagonists, Dory may be the best character in the whole film. Her short-term memory loss and generally ditzy nature lead to some absolutely hysterical exchanges, and she is voiced to comic perfection by Ellen DeGeneres. Finding Nemo may even be Pixar’s funniest film, and best of all, the humor comes with a healthy dose of heart. We feel for Marlin as he journeys to save his only son, and we’re right there with him through all of the highs and lows. By the time the credits roll, the film has delivered everything that a great family film should and more.

4. Toy Story (1995)

The studio’s first film still stands as one of its best. Toy Story is an undeniable classic. It revolutionized the industry by introducing computer animation, but more importantly, it set an extremely high bar for modern family films that would seldom be reached, even by Pixar itself. It’s essentially a buddy film, and it’s one of the best ever made, with Woody and Buzz complimenting each other perfectly and developing an extremely strong friendship over the course of the film. Even better, the character development actually feels completely natural. Too often these films feel like they suddenly force two characters to like each other. In contrast, the development of the relationship between Woody and Buzz feels dynamic to the plot, and their friendship feels about a hundred times more genuine because of that fact. It’s also got plenty of laughs; Pixar’s proclivity for creating memorable supporting casts was evident from the very start. My favorites are the aliens in the claw machine, who worship “the claw” as some sort of deity. With its great character arcs, memorable supporting cast, and plenty of laughs, Toy Story still stands as a superlative example of family film done right.

3. The Incredibles (2004)

In addition to being one of my favorite Pixar films, The Incredibles is also one of my favorite superhero films. It’s an epic action film glued together by the emotional core that Pixar is so expert at crafting. It takes place in

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a world where superheroes are forced to hide their powers and live quietly in society. But the Parrs, a family of “supers”, are soon drawn back in when a new villain emerges. This is easily Pixar’s coolest film, featuring a myriad of spectacular action scenes with choreography and visual flare rivaling the genre’s best. That’s only part of the package, though, it is also a wonderfully delivered tale of a dysfunctional family’s desire to achieve balance. And let’s not forget Edna Mode, the fashion designer behind the family’s super-suits and possibly the most hysterical character Pixar has ever devised. If you are a fan of superhero films, this is absolutely essential viewing. Even if you’re not, you will find more than enough here to love.

2. Toy Story 3 (2010)

Quite often while I am watching movies, I think to myself, I can see how I would cry at this if I had as many emotions as a normal person. Toy Story 3 is one of the only films I’ve ever watched that has genuinely made me cry. What’s more, it wasn’t a simple sad cry; the tears were brought on by the most bittersweet emotion I think I’ve ever felt watching a movie. I was intensely happy, intensely sad, and intensely nostalgic. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about the final scene. I’ll admit that this film probably won’t pack the same emotional wallop for those who haven’t grown up with this series as I have, but it’s so perfectly crafted that I don’t think those people will mind much. As the film opens, Andy is now heading off to college, and he decides to store his collection of toys in the attic. A mix-up leads to these toys ending up on the side of the road, where they think they have been dumped. Feeling neglected and hurt, the toys decide to head off to a daycare center, where they know they will get attention. Woody, who saw the mix-up, goes to the daycare to explain what happened and to get the toys to return, as he is loyal to Andy. The daycare turns out to be like a prison, and Woody, Buzz, and the others must all escape in a very clever riff on prison break films. It also focuses on a theme touched upon in Toy Story 2: What happens when kids get too old for their toys? It takes the time to explore this theme with a good amount of depth, and the film’s final scene pulls at the heartstrings in every possible way.

1. WALL-E (2008)

WALL-E takes place in a dystopian future where all humans live in space and Earth has been abandoned. The film’s striking opening shots sweep over a city comprised entirely of cubes of garbage. These heaps are being added to all the time by WALL-E, a robot designed to clean up the trash on the Earth. One day, a spaceship descends, and from it emerges a sleek robot named EVE, with whom WALL-E seems to be infatuated. The two begin to bond, and then suddenly EVE, after seeing a plant, seems to lock up. This first half hour is one of my favorites in all of cinema. With virtually no dialogue, the film manages to introduce WALL-E and his relationship with EVE perfectly. There’s not a wasted frame; the segment is packed full of visual treats and humor. This silent portion was an extremely gutsy move by Pixar, and it paid off in spades. Once the film enters space, it takes on a different tone. The pace picks up, but the irresistible charm from the first section carries through, thanks in large part to the infinitely loveable and emotive title character. The relationship between WALL-E and EVE is probably the film’s best element; it’s still one of my favorite movie romances, and the fact that Pixar managed to pull it off using robots is nothing short of astonishing. In addition to the obvious environmental message, the film also delivers some humorously framed social critiques; people in space are all extremely obese, hovering around on chairs instead of walking, and talking to each other on computer screens even when they are directly facing each other. The film’s main plot, which revolves around an attempt to bring life back to Earth using the sapling recovered by EVE, actually takes a back seat for most of the ride, and that’s just as well; it gives the audience more time to soak up all of the other wonderful stuff. When the plot does kick in, it’s definitely exciting, but it’s also gripping, because the film has done such a great job developing its protagonists. All of this contributes toward my opinion that WALL-E is Pixar’s crowning achievement, a beautifully animated and terrifically directed masterpiece with a heart of gold.

11 Inspiring People at Harley Mr. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Lily Frye Mr. Wilcox Mr. Kane Eddy Wang Dr. Kuebel Robert Doat OB Angelique Santiago Mr. Soanes & Mr. Thorley Ms. O 10 Acorn

Mr. O’Brien By Fedric Yu ‘14 The One Who Inspires Me I’ve had an amazing year at Harley. I’ve made lots of new friends and done SHFTEW and all kinds of other things. I have a lot of friends who inspire me to work harder, and they are all very important to me. Here, I want to talk about one of them, an awesome teacher: Mr. O’Brien. If you are a tenth grader, I bet you still remember how much homework Mr. O’Brien gave you every week in the beginning of the year (Sorry to say that, Mr. O’Brien!). One of the books we read was so dry that I couldn’t really focus on reading it. I used to complain a lot about English class. Meanwhile, the only period I saw him was English class, so we didn’t get much of a chance to chat during first Tri. When I received my schedule for second Tri, I realized that I had an elective class with him, Wisdom in the Information Age. I said to myself, “No way!” I didn’t want to

spend one more period learning boring stuff! But when second Tri actually started, I found out that he is completely different from what I previously had thought. We talked about everything in class and Mr. O’Brien had some great arguments with us. Although we had many reading assignments and projects, most of them were very interesting. Wisdom in the Information Age was one of my favorite classes this year. Not only was it fun, it made me start enjoying English class as well. Mr. O’Brien’s teaching style is so different from any other teacher’s style. Apparently, he knows a lot from reading so many books, but reading is not all he does. He is an absolute fan of movies and basketball (I really want to play basketball with him!). It’s truly amazing when you find out that your teacher is good at many other things besides academics. One thing I really like about Mr. O’Brien is his humor. He is

not very good at making jokes, but that doesn’t affect his humor at all. In what class does the teacher quote Mean Girls with the whole class? In 10th grade English class. In what class does the teacher give students “life points” and tell them to use their “life points” as a bonus on other tests? In 10th grade English class. In what class does the teacher criticize Disney World when 99.9% of the people in the class love Disney World? In 10th grade English class. Who is the center of 10th grade English? Mr. O’Brien is! When people talk about inspiration, they always say something like: “He told me to work harder because I have the potential to do better, and his words really inspired me.” But what I want to say about Mr. O’Brien is this: I try my best in his class just because of his awesomeness. The truth is: You will never fail a class if you enjoy it. And I have come to enjoy my English class greatly.

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Robert Doat By Mr. Wilcox When I started at Harley in the fall of 1969, I found I was in a school populated by some very interesting faculty. Harley had a way of attracting interesting (read “eccentric”) people to the faculty. Some of the names may be familiar to current students who have spent their school lives at Harley, for example Gail McGuire, Bud Ewell, and Mike Lasser, to name but a few. All of those teachers were at Harley when I started here. But there is another name, perhaps not as widely known, who captured my imagination from the very first day. Robert Doat was (and still is) French. Very French. Despite decades in the U.S. he still has a thick, almost impenetrable accent. He was raised in a small village in southern France, and that rural culture has been with Robert his entire life. Robert was a great storyteller. The faculty room at Harley was much more of a social gathering spot then than it is now, when we all don’t seem to have the spare time to go there. In those days, we would spend free periods there, discussing politics, literature, word origins, you name it. It was civilized, in a schoolish kind of way. When Robert entered the faculty room, we all sat up waiting to hear a good story. He rarely

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disappointed. Sometimes it was his memories of being a young boy in rural France during World War II, looking up to see the sky grow dark as wave after wave of American bombers headed to Germany. At another time, a slightly older Robert would lie on his bed listening to the radio to see how his favorite cyclist, Jacques Anquetil, was faring in that year’s Tour de France. And there was one particularly frightening story about him skin diving (similar to scuba diving and free diving) off the coast of Spain as a young man and getting trapped under a pier. He found a pocket of air just as his lungs were running out of oxygen. Robert’s stories riveted your attention. He was not just telling a story, he was reliving them as he told them. He was living his life as he wanted to live it, far from a homeland that he still loved. Robert and I were friends

outside of school, sharing our love of biking. He retired several years ago, and we lost touch. I spoke to him on the phone a few weeks ago and was delighted to discover that he has not changed at all. He loves his simple life of riding, reading, and raising a few farm animals. I am looking forward to seeing him again soon. Our reunion is way overdue.

Mr. Kane

By Carolyn Rumrill ’13

Where to start? Mr. Kane is one of the most inspirational people in the Harley community. It is so hard to use words to describe a man like him, a man who means so much to so many people. When you see him in the halls, he is always going somewhere with a purpose. He always has a mission to complete that you know will somehow make a person’s life better. Yet, he always takes some of his precious time to offer a friendly greeting or joke.. He has a drive that is unparalleled and an energy that could light up New York City. He has done so many incredible things, not just here at Harley, but all over the world. I admire his commitment to making the lives of anybody he meets just a little bit better. Whether it’s teaching students the insights of hospice work, enlightening them with a token of his wisdom, or holding the hand of a patient on his final journey, Mr. Kane is a steadfast symbol of pure goodness and inspiration. I was a part of the last English class Mr. Kane taught at Harley. Our English class had a profound effect both on him and the class of 2013. We shared many laughs, a few tears, and delicious treats every Friday. As last year was coming to a close, Mr. Kane wrote each of us a letter. A year later, I still have my letter and will probably keep it forever. In my letter, Mr. Kane did not only express deep admiration for the experiences we had shared with him in class. He also shared with me some of his most potent words of wisdom. I will never forget what he wrote me. In 2006, Mr. Kane was beside a man named Ed, who had almost lived to a hundred years. Ed was dying. He was asked some words of wisdom. And what Ed shared was, “Pay attention,” two simple words that hold so much power. But, in the modern era, it is not easy to follow this command. We get bogged down by Facebook and Twitter, getting lost in a virtual world that’s not real. But I try my very best to take Ed’s advice and hold it close to my heart. I try to pay at-

tention, watch my world evolve, and remember all the people who have helped me grow as a person. Mr. Kane is someone I will hold close to me forever. When things get rough, and school and stress seem to get the better of me, I know I can talk to him. He will put a smile on my face with friendly banter. When we go to a hospice unit and I’m nervous about finding the right things to say, I know he’ll be right there to help me. He is someone I can trust, someone who I can go to for anything. He inspires me every day to work hard and dream big. Mr. Kane is not someone who holds back. He gives the world everything he’s got, even when the odds are not in his favor. He is not only an inspiration to me but to everyone else who has the good fortune to meet him.

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Dr. Denise Kuebel Eddy Wang

By Ms. McDowell

By OB Dear Eddy, You are inspiring. I have tremendous respect for your sense of commitment, excellence, humility, and balance. The work you put forth to restart the Acorn was impressive, and the first few editions were engaging and entertaining. Students often have great ideas, and some have the dedication and talent to pursue an idea, but few demonstrate the commitment you have with the newspaper. For two years, regardless of what was going on in your life, you made sure that a great edition of the Acorn was published. Your commitment is inspiring. Eddy, you are a man of excellence. You perform in the academic and musical fields at exceptional levels. You are obviously extremely gifted and your work ethic, combined with your talent, leads to an excellence that few can accomplish. Your achievements in both fields are remarkable. Eddy, you are social and kind to people of all types at Harley. Even in our community, many students get caught up talking to only a few select individuals. ou are unaffected by high school popularity dynamics. It’s fun to see you wander the hallways chatting away with people of all ages and backgrounds. You are the mayor of Harley, in part because of your great humility. Finally, like many Harley students, not only do you find time to succeed in academics, but you participate in so many activities, like music, the Acorn, and golf. You were one of the first people to welcome me to Harley and treat me like a member of the community. I will never forget that, and I respect you for who you are and what you do.

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If you’ve ever found yourself in the Upper School hallway between the ACR and the faculty lounge immediately after lunch, you’re very likely to have brushed by a faculty member wielding a toothbrush. A former dental hygienist, Dr. Denise Kuebel is a stickler for clean teeth and healthy gums. Even if she breathes fire—which is highly unlikely!—it’s certain to smell minty fresh. Since I’ve known her, Dr. Kuebel has achieved many things, not the least of which is her title, “Dr.” This she earned upon the completion of the requirements for her Doctorate in Education at the University of Rochester. Her dissertation, a study of motivation, informs her one-on-one work with students in the SSP room. Organization, one sign of motivation, is crucial for classroom success. Not surprisingly, Dr. Kuebel is a master when it comes to helping students organize their planners, their notebooks, and their essays. From index cards to post-it notes to color-coding and graphic organizers, Dr. Kuebel helps students discover which learning tools work best for them.

While finishing graduate school, Dr. Kuebel simultaneously finished raising her daughter, Sarah. Balancing the demands of higher education and the duties of single-parenting is indeed a tightrope! Throughout this time, moreover, Dr. Kuebel aspired to improve the work she does with students. To that end, she took—alongside Harley students—full-year math courses from Mr. Wilcox and Dr. Vinton. Just like the other students, Dr. Kuebel did homework, took tests, and earned grades! In short, you should never doubt her ability to help you solve for “x.” When she’s not teaching, tutoring, or surrogate parenting Leo, a Middle School exchange student, Dr. Kuebel is always engaged in something worthwhile. She babysits her grandson to enable her daughter to work. She gardens, entertains, plays tennis, bikes, and takes her beloved canines for brisk walks. An animals rights activist who wouldn’t dream of putting one on her plate, Dr. Kuebel has

taken in cats from Lollypop Farm, ridden horses in need of exercise, and worked with a local “Deer Committee” in an attempt to balance hunters’ and animals’ rights. The reflectors aimed to discourage deer from crossing Route 65 - Clover Street south of The Harley School - were installed thanks to Dr. Kuebel’s efforts. Even if it’s literally closed, Dr. Kuebel’s door is always metaphorically open. Whether or not you’re a designated SSP student, the next time you’re suffering from writer’s block, need advice on approaching a teacher, or want to practice some SAT questions, consider stopping by Dr. Kuebel’s office. You’re sure to leave with a good dose of encouragement, confidence, and inspiration.

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Mr. Wilcox By Meghan Dewan ’13

Lily Frye By Eddy Wang ’12 It’s hard to believe we’ve been math buddies since freshman year. Our desks have always been side by side, and her pencil case only a hand’s reach away in case I came to class unprepared, which was often. I feel a bit more comfortable in math than in any other class. Maybe it’s because Lily gives me a warm smile every day as I slide into my seat. Maybe it’s because I feel I can be goofy and there’s someone next to me who will rein me in. Maybe it’s because Lily always gives me her homework answers when she’s done with them. Maybe it’s because of the friendly chiding I get whenever I forget to bring my calculator. What inspires me about Lily is her character and how I feel when I’m around her. I feel relaxed. I feel like I can be myself. Acorn Math class in college won’t be the same.

Mr. Len Wilcox Four Haikus for a guy who Teaches more than math ‘Quation-solving rogue Plucked from the cover of Vogue Wearing a straw hat Olive sunglasses Foolproof formula for style Can’t go wrong with plaid If math class was a Banana, his puns would be Part of the appeal. On good days and bad He never stops powering through on his bike, yo.

OB By Rosie Gilroy ‘13 OB is the best cross-country coach ever. When I run past him standing on the sidelines, he does not scream “Get moving, that’s not running; faster, faster!” like all the other coaches. Instead, he just claps and says, “Good job, Rose.” This is the kind of encouragement that makes me speed up and love running.

Angelique Santiago By Alissa Wells ‘15 Angelique Santiago is one of the most inspiring people I know. She is also one of the nicest, friendliest people I have ever met. I first became friends with her during first Tri gym class. She was my running partner and one-man cheerleading team. Whenever I see her in the halls, she has a warm smile and comforting hug to give. And it is not just me: Angelique seems to be friends with students in every grade. She treats everyone like a close friend and never has a problem cheering me up on a bad day. She can start a conversation with anyone and make you smile with just a minute’s worth of conversation. She is an inspiration to me because of her compassionate and thoughtful personality. Anyone who is willing to befriend an awkward new freshman truly should be an inspiration to us all.

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Mr. Soanes & Mr. Thorley By Katherine Phillips ‘13 “Soanestastic” Chemistry When I first started Chemistry, I was convinced I had encountered my least favorite subject. It was confusing, time-consuming, and required a lot of work! Mr. Soanes, however, made each day worthwhile. When confronted with a stream of questions, which was frequent, he always answered them thoroughly. He told us we would be “just fine,” although my view of “fine” and his were not always the same! The thing I admired most about Mr. Soanes was his reaction to student evaluations. We all know how those go. Some comments are constructive and others are not. The day after we had completed our evaluations, Mr. Soanes went about enacting the changes we (those who weren’t venting of course!) had written about. Even after decades of teaching and in his last year, as a teacher, he still cared enough to go the extra mile. I have been impressed and amazed by his dedication. There was no reason to change anything at that point in his career, but he did. I will always look back fondly on this memory and be reminded of Mr. Soanes’ dedication and caring. It was so inspiring to see someone who really cared about our success.

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“Thor-o-ley Great” Physics I first started Physics this year with confidence carried over from Chemistry! I had great success and aced every test! Well, not quite. Actually, I thought I had encountered my least favorite subject - of all time. Physics requires a whole new type of thinking than chemistry, one that I found difficult to master (and still do sometimes!). Thorley has done an amazing job teaching me how to “physics think.” What I appreciate and what inspires me the most about Thorley is the enthusiasm he brings to class every day. The entire class gets excited when he does demos to introduce each new topic. You cannot help being curious when a big Hot Wheels track or a strobe light is pulled out. But even without the demos, Thorley is so excited to be talking about physics that it makes me want to learn it! He is constantly explaining the same problems over and over to us, but each time, it seems he is hearing the questions for the first time. When it comes time to start looking for a job, I hope I can find one that I feel as excited and enthusiastic about as Thorley feels about his.

Ms. O By Simone Macirella ‘14 The photographer Ansel Adams once said, “There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” Ms. Olivier has always been my most trusted viewer, whether it be for my photography or for my life. Without her, I could not have mastered the art of cropping or the art of letting life take its course. She has taught me and many others not only the right angle to shoot from, but the right angle to look from. It is rare that you find a teacher who can transcend into a mentor or a friend. Ms. Olivier has been more than a teacher to almost every student she has worked with. I know no other teacher who would walk around the canal with you in the middle of January, searching for the “perfect shot.” No other teacher would take you to Starbucks, no questions asked, read you her poetry, lend you her dog, or put up with that temperamental Yearbook staff hour after hour. Ms. Olivier does that and more. Whether it be consoling her advisees or pointing out that, yeah, “She totally looks photoshopped,” Ms. Olivier’s advice is something that I, and many others, take to heart. She takes her time with her work, making sure every photo is perfect. She encourages us to do the same, in every aspect of our lives. The art room has its mess, the glass studio has its color, and the photography room has its noise. There is a constant din of “Ms. O, who’s doing page six?!” or “Ms. O, how do I do this?!” Photographers are not quiet people. Ms. Olivier will shout right back, giving instructions, calming people down, or telling Eddy to stop swearing! Yet, she does this all with a smile. Dolan and Schara may be known for their laughs, but Ms. Olivier’s will be louder than anyone else’s in the room. She is so full of spirit and excited about everything she does. I don’t know many teachers whose clothes and vigor for life I covet as much as hers. Ms. Olivier has taught me how to sharpen an image, pick my best picture, always be passionate about my art, and how to handle things with grace. I have also learned that when she leaves, we will be losing an irreplaceable member of Harley. Ms. Olivier has taught me enough to fill a book. The most valuable thing she has taught me is to see the world, not just look at it.

Inability by Corey Beale

magine that everyone could fly except you. Everyone could effortlessly and instantaneously leave the ground and zip any which way they desired. Think about walking down the center of the hallway, while on both sides, people fly past you. The only footsteps are yours, and with every tap of your shoe, people raise a confused brow. One day you’re playing in the front yard with friends. You decide to go to the back yard, where the sun is. All your friends jump up and soar over your house. You sigh. You close your eyes and try to focus. You jump, and like the thousands of times before, you crash down to the ground, lower than ever before. You walk around the house and get to the back yard, where a conversation has already started. They are your friends, but friends that can fly. To them, you just aren’t trying hard enough. But you do try. You try so hard to fly. Every day, you jump up with the hope of reaching the heavens, only to fall back down to Earth. You wonder if you are thinking about the wrong thing when you try to fly. So you ask your friends, “How?” They shrug, look at one another, and say, “We do what we were told in school: think, bend, jump, and soar. Don’t you remember?” You close your eyes, half of you trying to remember the past, half of you trying to conceal the tears.

It’s the first day of kindergarten. The instructor comes out of her office in the back of the room. She introduces herself with a warm “Hello.” You line up with your classmates in a row facing her. It’s hard to see over the heads in front of you. After a while, you have almost reached the front of the line. The classmate in front of you steps forward and says, “Hello, Ms. Dave.” She talks to him quietly, and after she’s done, he says, “I’m ready.” He closes his eyes, and to your amazement, he slowly lifts off the ground. He proudly thrusts his arms out and floats toward his classmates who had already gone. Now it’s your turn. You look up in her rosy face, and she tells you to think, bend, jump, and soar. You say, “I’m ready.” You jump, and for a second, you are weightless, unaffected by gravity. But everything jolts as you hit the ground. The color slowly drains from Ms. Dave’s face, and she stiffens. The room has become quiet. Your chin quivers rapidly and tears are spilling onto the ground. Your friends stop talking and look at you. You turn and run, around the house, through the front yard, and away. You want to hide. You don’t want anyone to find you. You crumple behind a large boulder in the woods and bury your face in your hands. You are broken. You are different. You will never fly.

Photo source: http://www.thequietmouthofcaroline.com/tag/wings/

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WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL T. ROGERS WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CLASS TO TEACH? The students in the class are more of a factor than the subject. My favorite classes are enthusiastic, creative, and have a sense of humor. Those classes seldom happen early in the morning. The best is when all that happens in the glass studio. WHAT CLASS DID YOU LIKE BEST IN HIGH SCHOOL? My favorite class in high school was Government and Economics, with Mr. Osborne, during my senior year. It seemed like the first class that required me to think, outside of memorizing some things and repeating them back. It was the first time I had permission to an opinion. If we were in class and participated we automatically had a grade of 65%. He handed out a sheet with ten or fifteen assignments ranging from writing papers, conducting interviews, drawing posters, and community service. Each assignment was worth five points and you could chose to do as many assignments as you liked. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF HIGH SCHOOL? During my senior year I went to trade school for commercial art illustration. I left school after fourth period and spent the rest of the day drawing, painting, and studying art history. WHAT WAS YOUR MOST LISTENED TO MUSIC? In high school I listened to rock music - AC/DC, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead. During my senior year grunge bands started showing up like Pearl Jam and Nirvana; I listened to a lot of that stuff then. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOIRTE MEDIUM OF ART? Mostly glass, but I still love clay and drawing with graphite. TELL ME ONE INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF. I love to read cookbooks. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve probably read more cookbooks than novels in the last couple of years. My family rolls their eyes every time an Amazon Box shows up at the door. Interviewed by Zoe Rankin

d e v o n r i c h a n n e c u n n i n g h a m Acorn

The YellowJackets

by Emily Hanss

On April 30th, The University of Rochester YellowJackets performed on the Harley stage to benefit Golisano Children’s Hospital and the YellowJackets’ projects in Kenya. The men’s a cappella group competed on NBC’s “The Sing Off” last year, and they went to Kenya last May to help schoolchildren in a small rural town. The group was established in 1956 as a part of the Men’s Glee Club, and it is the oldest a cappella group in Rochester. They have performed at the White House and on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. The concert was organized by a group of middle school girls who are big fans of the YellowJackets. They did a wonderful job organizing an event that brought the Harley community together to experience excellent music while giving back to those in need. Before the YellowJackets took the stage, the Harley Vocal Chords opened with several songs. They looked dapper in matching dark green vests, and they sounded great, as always. No matter what they sing, The Vocal Chords always bring a smile to my face and amaze me with their outstanding talent. When the YellowJackets entered the theater, I could immediately tell they were full of enthusiasm and talent. I was amazed that there were no instruments being played because it sounded just like there was background music! Every singer was dancing and full of energy, which contributed to their chemistry as a group. It was evident that these young men were doing what they loved to do, and I was impressed with their ability to perform with so much confidence. The concert was filled with many different types of songs, from Lady Gaga to songs from Disney soundtracks. I especially enjoyed the medley of Jersey Boys songs because I had seen the show at the Auditorium Theater a few weeks before. I even thought that several of the singers from the YellowJackets were good enough to be on the Broadway show! The concert included something that everybody could enjoy because The YellowJackets sang a variety of songs. The YellowJackets were also very good at interacting with the crowd and keeping the audience entertained. In several songs, the main singer would walk to audience members and sing directly to them. This was amusing for everyone else watching, as well as the recipient of the serenade. Towards the middle of the show, they called up volunteers from the audience to sing and dance with them. This was definitely one of the highlights of the show and it was quite entertaining to watch the young volunteers dance on stage. The concert concluded with the song “Wave Your Flag” by K’Naan. This song had a lot of meaning for the YellowJackets because they sang it with the schoolchildren they worked with in Kenya. When the song started, the whole theater was filled with arms waving in the air and it didn’t take long before people got to their feet and started dancing. It was a great ending to a great concert! After the concert, the gallery was filled with people buying t-shirts and taking their pictures with the YellowJackets. Acorn I bought their CD because I wanted to be able to listen to them again, and I took several pictures with members of the group. I was very glad I went to this concert because it was a fantastic evening and a really fun event for the Harley community.

Upper School by Seeley Taylor

At some point in your life, you have either attended high school or will sometime in the future. So you can imagine how nerve-racking it is for us “little” eighth graders. My class (class of 2016) and I will be joining the Upper School next year, so I asked my classmates what they were afraid of! Many are nervous about the academic pressure they will experience in classes such as math, English and science, and whether or not they are in honors classes. Everyone is already tense and uptight about colleges. There is already talk of what colleges students want to go to and how hard it’s going to be to get in. But I thought we were still in 8th grade and had time to enjoy our child-

“My class (the class of 2016) will be joing the Upper School next year and we have TONS of questions!”

hood... or what’s left of it anyway. But I guess society has other plans. And transcripts. How can a piece of paper be worth so much? Will our tests and grades be up to standards? We still have two or three years though, right? There are TONs of questions. “Can we really only have one independent study?” Because that’s totally not okay. “What are community service hours, and how many do we have to have?” Everyone, however, can’t wait for the new freedoms, and of course, those long anticipated and long awaited free periods! We are excited to meet the people in the grades above us that we haven’t had the chance to get to know. And we can’t wait to reconnect with our old friends from Lower School and Middle School. However, I just want it to be summer for now!

Blossoms of Snow by Ray Chang

I see outside through the bare window White silk fell upon everywhere over night Even a tree is covered with the blanket May blossoms of snow bloom and grow Let’s pick one to send her with my kind hope No more wish if it will melt on her palm My wish warms her heart without a blanket

Easy Breakfast Smoothie By Sarah Kingsley This is a great breakfast for summer mornings, and split in half it makes a great snack to share or to have two days in a row. It only takes about five minutes and clean up is super easy. As a bonus it’s really healthy, too! People always add their own spin to smoothies and I invite you to do that as well. This base recipe is really good just by itself, but you can experiment by using different combinations of fruit, adding a tablespoon of maple syrup, or a small splash of vanilla extract. I have even heard of putting in instant expresso powder for those of us who are addicted to caffeine! Ingredients: 1 cup vanilla yogurt (I use nonfat but whatever you have is fine) ¼ cup fruit juice 1½ cups (6½ oz) frozen fruit (ex. blueberries, rasberries, pineapple, peaches, etc.) Put the yogurt and the fruit juice in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running add frozen fruit. That is it! If you want it thinner add more juice and if you want it thicker add more fruit. Also, whatever kind of yogurt you have is fine; I use vanilla because it is sweet. If you want the smoothie sweeter just add syrup. Hope you enjoy!!! 355 calories; 0 grams fat (if nonfat yogurt); 4 mg cholesterol; 74 g carbohydrate; 14 g protien; 6 g fiber; 170 mg sodium; 559 mg potassium Vitamin C (80% daily value), Calcium (46% dv) Potassium (16% dv) Source:Hendley, Joyce. “The EatingWell Diet.” Woodstock: The Countryman Press, 2007. Print.

Cartoon by Shayne Hollands

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What i like to write about By Jeffery Sun

henever I write something, I generally think of a few things that have had an impact on my life. One of them is video games, my favorite pastime. My favorite type of game genre is FPS (First Person Shooter). It inspires me to write action-packed stories from the first person perspective. Whenever I write such stories, the scenes I envision in my mind give me a surge of adrenaline like nothing else. For example: “ He jumped out of the plane, instantly feeling the cold rush of air hit his face, blowing his hair back. The feeling of free falling all too familiar to him, he sighed as he adjusted his shades. “3…2…” He mentally counted. An ear-deafening explosion went off behind him, pushing him even faster toward the ground. Seeing

the clouds part, his eyes widened as he saw the ground approach faster than he expected. His right hand automatically trailed to a handle on his vest, pulling it. His legs kicked out in front of him as his body was forced into a vertical position.” The text written here can be imagined in a few seconds to be one in a movie or picture, but when I write something like this, each detail I imagine makes me feel… like it is happening to me. Adrenaline rush. But sometimes, writing action scenes bores me. When that happens, I take up writing about everyday teenage things, like drama, a view on daily life, and on rare occasions, comedy. Such writing allows me to take into consideration what life around me is like. Sometimes I write: “The familiar sound of an alarm blaring into my ears and

pulling me out of paradise comes too soon. It ALWAYS comes too soon. Sighing, I roll out of bed, falling onto the ground, lazily inching to my pile of clothes. After what seems like hours, I finally manage to get out of my room with all my clothes on. I walk into the bathroom and fill up my water cup while I stare at the monster I see before me. Brush my teeth, wash my face, both done.” When I write pieces similar to this sample, it makes me think about what life is like for me and what life is like for the people around me, especially my friends and family. It makes me think about what I can change and what should be left the same. I write. I write things about what I like to do and what I like to think about. For me, writing’s something to do when I still have free time in this busy, busy life.

theharleyacorn@gmail.com

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