The Harpeth Hall School • 3801 Hobbs Road • Nashville, Tennessee
LOGOS August 14, 2019 • Volume 42 • Number 1
Students seize campaigning opportunities BY DEVON CAMPBELL & SELA ANDREWS News Editors
This summer many Harpeth Hall students worked on local political campaigns, culminating in the Aug. 1 Nashville general elections for mayor, vice mayor and 40 metro council positions. As the city’s primary legislative body, the Metro Council is responsible for making or amending city laws, adopting a city budget, levying taxes and approving people appointed to boards and commissions by the mayor. In 7 of the 35 council districts in Nashville, no candidate was able to secure the required fifty percent plus one of the votes because more than two people ran. As a result, the top two candidates from each of these districts will compete again on Sept. 12 in the runoff election. Some in the Nashville community are unaware of the Metro Council’s responsibilities and accomplishments. Councilwoman Angie Henderson, mother of senior Eleanor Henderson and incumbent representative of District 34, which includes Harpeth Hall, cited “improved sidewalk and tree planting requirements” and “increased scrutiny and awareness about development incentives, such as tax increment financing” as recent achievements of the Metro Council. Councilman Bob Mendes, father of junior Claire Mendes and senior Katie Mendes, won reelection for his position in one of the five at large seats, which represent Nashville in its entirety rather than a single district. He earned nearly 11% of the vote, which was enough to secure his seat.
HAPPY FOURTH: Councilwoman Angie Henderson speaks with constituents on the Fourth of July at the Oak Hill parade with her daughter, senior Eleanor Henderson. Photo by Stacy Widelitz.
Now there are eight candidates vying for the remaining four seats during the September runoff. Eleanor Henderson was active during the election, knocking over 900 doors as a campaign assistant for her mother’s reelection campaign. “It is interesting to meet new people every day. I have learned to think and speak on my feet; I have learned to listen and understand why certain people believe what they believe and say what they say,” Eleanor Henderson said. “You’ve got people who are far right, far left, and everything in between; there is a wide spectrum of people who make up Nashville.” Four Harpeth Hall students helped
Eleanor canvass for Angie Henderson’s campaign: seniors Sela Andrews, LC Essary, Martha Grace Abel and Ellie Frist. “Local politics are supposed to be nonpartisan. But when I went up to doors, it was often ‘Is [Angie] a Democrat or a Republican?’ It tells me how important it is to understand local government,” Eleanor Henderson said. “It also tells me a lot about where we are as a nation, and how this party polarization has trickled down into local elections. We should make decisions about candidates based on their policy platform, not what party they are.” The mayor serves as the city’s chief executive, and is responsible for budget proposals, appointing department
directors, and signing legislation into law. Following Megan Barry’s resignation from office after pleading guilty to felony theft charges, Vice-Mayor David Briley took over her role and then was formally elected to the position 15 months ago. The August mayoral election resulted in At Large Councilman John Cooper leading with 35% of the votes, followed by incumbent Mayor Briley with 25%. Because neither won the majority, the mayoral election will also be determined in the Sept. 12 runoff. “I worked early voting polls, about 4-to6 hours a day and on election day,” senior Margaret Bone said. “I got to talk with David Briley; I just feel like local elections are much more personal than national ones. Since I can’t vote, I feel like it gives me the opportunity to directly participate in democracy.” Senior Margaret Kirchner worked for At Large Council incumbent Burkley Allen. “It was interesting and I learned a lot more about how our city works and how many organizations are involved in politics,” Kirchner said. “It felt like I was actually making a difference. I would recommend it to anyone because it gives you a better handle on how our government works outside of the classroom.” As in any election, voter turnout is critical. Only 2% of 18-24-year-olds voted in these Nashville elections, despite this demographic making up 13% of the population. For those of voting age, early runoff voting starts Aug. 30 and concludes on Sept. 7 and election day is Sept. 12.
New committee to kick-start civic engagement at HH BY JANET BRIGGS News Editor
With national and local elections under way, the faculty of Harpeth Hall has formed a committee to propose curriculum changes and encourage civic engagement within the student body. They want to inspire more effective discussion by understanding various viewpoints rather than silencing less popular opinions. This comes in response to polarized reactions in the Harpeth Hall community to the 2016 presidential election. Many members of the faculty felt that the aftermath of the election was not handled effectively and left students feeling unwelcome to participate because of their opinions. “We want to create safe spaces for ideas, not from ideas,” Upper School social
Meet the new faculty page 2
science Part of teacher Tony these shifts Springman may include and English a change to teacher Joe the 9th grade Croker said. history class. The goal is “We want to promote to work in more more of what inclusive we think is discussion missing in techniques our current into existing social humanities science classes, both DISCUSSION, NOT DEBATE: (From left to right) Teachers Joe Croker, curriculum, Bonnie Moses and Tony Springman meet on Friday, Aug. 9 to consider courses in primarily the curriculum changes to increase civic engagement. Many changes will be English foundations implemented this school year. Photo by Caroline Frederiksen, Photography Editor. and social of the US sciences, to welcome more views in the government system,” Adrianne Jacobs, classroom. Upper School social science teacher, said.
Is uniform out of step? page 3
HH fall sport preview page 7
“We are going to shift the focus of that class towards the deep history of that system.” Another part of this initiative is proposing new electives that focus on civic duty. These electives would complement the existing AP US Government class. Encouraging girls to lead confidently and be comfortable discussing difficult topics is the main focus of the proposed elective. These changes to promote a more supportive environment for all viewpoints to be expressed come in preparation for the upcoming national elections. Faculty hope to make the Harpeth Hall classroom environment empowering for all perspectives and conducive to more dynamic discussions.
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FEATURES August 2019 Nashville natives return as new Upper School faculty Page 2
BY MC CLAVERIE, NEVA BASS AND CAMDEN JOHNSON Features Editors
No need to fear, Harpeth Hall’s 20192020 new faculty are here. This year, four new females have joined the Upper School family and are eager to start their journey at the Hall, while the Communications Department added Elizabeth Floyd (‘09) as Communications Manager. The newest addition to the Upper School Fine Arts Department is Carolyn Benedict Fraser. Mrs. Fraser will be teaching AP Art and Design and Photography. A spirited photographer herself, she hopes to bring a new perspective to the photography and studio art courses. “I want to bring my passion for photography here,” Mrs. Fraser said. “I want my students to forget that the camera is even in their hands and just learn how to look and see the world differently.” Born and raised in Nashville, Mrs. Fraser attended Brentwood High School and the University of Mississippi, before transferring to Mills College, an allwomen’s college in Oakland, Calif. After college, Mrs. Fraser taught photography at Ithaca College; however, she does have a strong connection to Harpeth Hall. “I have cousins who went to Harpeth Hall and grandmothers who went to Ward-Belmont,” Mrs. Fraser said. Mrs. Fraser was thrilled to find out Harpeth Hall was hiring, even saying it was the highlight of her summer. “My husband and I have been wanting to come back here for several years,” Mrs. Fraser said. “We have been in Ithaca [NY] for five years and trying to find a situation that was exciting for us and a job that excites us and this came up and I was just thrilled to be offered this job.” A fun fact about Mrs. Faser is that she used to compete in barista competitions. “I competed in the Southeast Regional Barista Competition about 13 years ago. You are judged on your coffee making abilities,” Mrs. Fraser said. Mrs. Fraser is excited to join the Art Department and share her knowledge with her students this school year. Karre Sloan is stepping into the position of Academic Technology Specialist. Many Harpeth Hall students already know Mrs. Sloan either from her time at Oak Hill School, her work last year in the Middle School office or as the mom of freshman Gracie Sloan. “I worked at Oak Hill School where a lot of our students went to elementary school, so it’s great to see their faces,” Mrs. Sloan
RINGING IN THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR: (From left to right) Amy Dixon (‘06), Elizabeth Floyd (‘09), Karre Sloan, Carolyn Benedict Fraser and Olivia Doochin Heller posed for a photograph during faculty in-service on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. Faculty in-service started for new faculty on Thursday, Aug. 1. Photo by Maddy Corts, Photography Editor.
said. Balance classes and serving as the school This year she hopes to bring a new counselor for grades 10-12. flair to technology on the Harpeth Hall “I hope to be a confidante and support,” campus. “[I wish to bring] an openness, Ms. Dixon said. or willingness to try new things when Ms. Dixon is not new to the Harpeth it comes to tech for both students and Hall community. She graduated Harpeth faculty,” Mrs. Sloan said. Hall in 2006 and continued her studies at Mrs. Sloan attended Mt. Juliet High the University of Miami at Ohio. School before going to Middle Tennessee “Being an alum, I know that this is a State University for college. “I am a really special place,” Ms. Dixon said. “I unicorn,” also know Mrs. Sloan it can be “Being an alum, I know that this is a said. “Born stressful, really special place.” and raised and it can be Amy Dixon, Upper School Counselor right here in difficult. And Nashville.” so I just want After graduating from MTSU, she went to be a support for girls in any way that I on and received two Masters’ degrees: a can; and be a good listener, and just be a degree in Elementary Education from safe place for girls who need it.” Cumberland University and a degree in She is engaged to be married in Technology Integration from Lipscomb December and is returning from a University. summer spent scuba diving, snorkeling, Mrs. Sloan is also a self-proclaimed paddle boarding and ziplining through thrill seeker. She also enjoys spending the rainforests of Maui, Hawaii. time with her family, which was the Last but certainly not least, Olivia highlight of her summer. Doochin Heller returns to her hometown, She traveled to New York City with her joining the Upper School Social Sciences daughter and husband this past summer Department. in order to end the summer in a fun way. Ms. Heller will be teaching four sections Mrs. Sloan hopes to be seen as of World Cultures for the incoming approachable, helpful and resourceful, and freshmen along with assisting the Middle is ready to embark on her first year in the School tennis team. Upper School. After growing up in the Nashville Amy Dixon succeeds Dr. Rachel Cupit community, Ms. Heller attended as the new Upper School Counselor. the University of Texas at Austin for She will be teaching 10th grade Life undergraduate school and later attended
the University of Texas at Dallas for graduate school. She moved to Atlanta with her husband for three years where she taught history at Chattahoochee High School in Johns Creek, GA. Then, Ms. Heller moved to California where she also taught history at Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School in Irvine, CA. “Before work, my husband and I would paddleboard. We lived on a harbor which was very fun,” Ms. Heller said, “I also loved to take spin classes.” Ms. Heller’s favorite part of the summer was returning to her Nashville roots, and she is eager to begin working at Harpeth Hall. “I definitely want to bring excitement and a warm engaging classroom,” Ms. Heller said. “My first year, in particular, I’m really looking forward to getting to know the girls and for them to get to know me as well as a new faculty member and a positive energy.” Ms. Heller commented on how supportive and impressive the faculty has been with her transition to a new school. Upper Social Sciences teacher Tony Springman was Ms. Heller’s dad’s basketball coach at University School of Nashville. The Harpeth Hall community will welcome the new faculty on the first day of school on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019.
THE FAB FOUR: (From left to right) Carolyn Benedict Fraser, Karren Sloan, Amy Dixon and Olivia Doochin Heller rock their smiles on Souby Lawn on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. Photos by Maddy Corts, Photography Editor.
OPINIONS Putting Harpeth Hall’s best foot forward LOGOS
Handbook rules on shoes allow blending in but limit expression
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LOGOS
BY GEORGIA ELDER Opinions Editor
Students receive clothing. togetherness and unity, which is certainly one demerit every The exclusion of high-tops in the uniform achieved by our uniform. time they wear high-tops or colorful can be tough, especially if something “There is something really impressive shoelaces to school. “Our dress code serves happens to one’s only pair of in-uniform on day twos when we are all in our white as a basis of equity,” Upper School Dean shoes. Even if they own a pair of white or uniform and we all stand to greet a speaker. of Students Liz Stockdale said. “We are all grey high-tops, they would still receive a That’s what the uniform is all about,” Ms. coming to school with the same apparel and demerit. Stockdale said. the same resources so While our uniform that our attention and represents a greater focus can be on other sense of community, things.” having restrictions This stringent from head-to-toe shoewear rule is is frustrating for frustrating because students and limits it limits students’ creativity and ability to express expression. Although themselves and results standing during in demerits. school assemblies Having a uniform is very striking, no is useful because one can even see our it eliminates the shoes. Even when we need to wake up in are not at assembly the morning and and we are simply think about what having a conversation one is going to wear, in the Harpeth Hall but in doing so, it ODD ONE OUT: Harpeth Hall approved shoes - with one exception. Photo by Caroline Frederiksen, Photography Editor. community, people also creates a lack of are not distracted by originality. Having the opportunity to add “I think that aesthetics played a role in our shoelaces if they are black instead of fun shoe choices to the uniform creates that, where people felt like the low-top light grey. a healthy dose of individuality that is looked nicer with our uniform. It just looks It is unfair to have to go out of our way currently limited by the presence of a head- cleaner when we are consistent in our to buy shoes and shoelaces that fit the dress to-toe dress code. uniform,” Ms. Stockdale said. code when no one pays attention to our feet Although the board and administration There were also financial concerns when we are at school. create and enforce these rules to improve about high-tops, which are supposedly We are already covered head-to-toe productivity and focus, there are more expensive than low-tops. This is in uniform and receive demerits for statistics from a 2012 study that prove problematic because prices range from each disregarding just one of many meticulous otherwise. According to the Department shoe brand, and the handbook rules cannot rules dictating what we must wear to school of Educational Leadership at Northwest control what brand people will buy. daily. Missouri State University, the graduation Harpeth Hall’s main focus as a larger Community cannot be spelled without rate was the same for schools with uniforms community is inclusivity and equity which unity, but there is an extent to which one and schools without. Also, the cost of are the outlining characteristics of these should be able to retain their individuality uniforms is about the same as non-uniform rules. Our school strives for a sense of within a certain community.
Democratic debates fail to inform voters BY MAGGIE SULLIVAN Opinions Editor
I have no envy for the Democratic National Committee. They, along with NBC and CNN, have been responsible for the two debates in June and July that have kicked off the Democratic primary nearly six months before the first major primary event, the Iowa caucuses, begins in Feb. 2020. The goal of proper debate should be to allow candidates to show rhetorical skill and advocate their beliefs to the public. With 24 major candidates in the field, this is a nearly impossible goal to achieve in two hours. So the networks tried to achieve it in four. Twenty candidates were split into two groups of ten, with each group having two hours to debate. The groups were decided by drawing lots, with two tiers based on polling; the highest polling candidates were spread across both nights. This division prevented many high-profile candidates from debating with important rivals. Most importantly, having 10 candidates onstage necessitated a ridiculously short time limit. Instead of policy, the audience of millions received tiny scraps of real argument with a side of rehearsed oneliners designed to get applause. The structure of the debate rewarded attacking other candidates unnecessarily. Those who chose to attack another’s policy could then be rebutted, resulting in a cycle of rebuttal that allowed extra time to speak. This made audiences focus on the belligerent arguers at each
debate, rather than those who made sensible, self-contained answers. Further time was wasted at the debates in June by having each candidate deliver an opening statement, which many took as an opportunity to tout personal stories and meaningless platitudes. Even worse were the moderators’ questions as they facilitated this spectacle. The first debates, hosted by NBC, featured yes/no questions answered by a show of hands, with little followup time. Other questions focused on instigating fights between candidates that overshadowed some with higher polling numbers who’d barely spoken. The moderators in CNN’s debates were overzealous in enforcing time limits and failed to follow up with those candidates that dodged questions. Overall, these debates failed at allowing candidates to articulate their policies in a meaningful way. They may have been meme fodder on Twitter, but their focus on differences between moderates and liberals within the party (e.g., universal healthcare or decriminalizing border crossing) detracted from a crucial problem for any Democrat who plans on winning the White House: Congress. If the Senate still has a Republican majority in 2020, the ideas at the foundations of these campaigns will have little luck getting passed into law. This structural issue and the issue of defeating a Republican incumbent are among the most crucial problems facing a Democratic nominee, and they were rarely addressed in
Editors-in-Chief Sarah Cook LC Essary Eleanor Henderson
News Editors Sela Andrews Janet Briggs Devon Campbell
Features Editors Neva Bass MC Claverie Camden Johnson
Opinions Editors Georgia Elder Maggie Sullivan
A&E Editors
Annie Griffin Carter Hyde Madeline McGrew
Sports Editors Leelee Denton Tori McDermott Lily Wilmoth
Backpage Editors Maggie Hedera Margaret Kirchner
Copy Editors Eva Christopher Kathleen Kerr Grace Lee Lily Majors Lily Silvester
Photography Editors Stefanie Chiguluri Maddy Corts Caroline Frederiksen
Social Media Manager Celeste Maddux
Advisors
Adri Jacobs Adam Wilsman BEELZE-CHUCK: Chuck Todd of NBC’s “Meet the Press” faced backlash for his moderation at the June debate. Cartoon by LC Essary.
eight hours of television. Many solutions have been suggested to improve the debates. Among them are having hour-long debates with 5 candidates and single-issue debates to allow candidates to go deep on policy. These ideas, although reasonable, are unlikely to be realized. I am looking forward to September, when a third round of debates will occur. This round has more difficult requirements, and less than half of the candidates have reached them. Even if the debate structure remains poor, a thinning of the field will help give candidates a voice and help voters make an informed decision during primaries and in November 2020.
Logos is a student publication of Harpeth Hall. It represents the students’ voices, views and opinions. It is in no way reflective of the faculty, staff or administration of the school. Any questions can be directed to Sarah Cook, LC Essary and Eleanor Henderson, Editors-In-Chief, or Adri Jacobs and Adam Wilsman, advisors.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
August 2019
Students explore summer art opportunities BY MADELINE MCGREW A&E Editor
Many students think of summer as a break from school; however, some Harpeth Hall girls chose to challenge themselves this summer by taking classes relating to the arts. Sophomore Bella McKay had the opportunity to take classes sponsored by the Juilliard School and located in Windermere, Fla., while Juniors Maddy Corts and Lily Silvester attended classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. McKay took classes that focused on acting, singing and dancing. Not only did she take classes in the morning that focused on breathing, posture and diction, but she also participated in private voice lessons with different professors. Additionally, McKay took part in a dance class before attending lunch with students from all around the world. “I loved getting to know all of the people there and seeing what it would be like to have to train to get where you want to be for your profession,” McKay said. Although those she worked with were from different parts of the world, she created a special and individual bond with each of them. Some of the people whom McKay worked with did not even know much English, yet they were all brought together by the same love and passion for the arts. The next part of McKay’s day was spent at a studio class, in which she worked on music with several vocal coaches and participated in an acting rehearsal to prepare for the final showcase. “We don’t want you to be right, we
want you to be you,” Juilliard dance teacher Jeanne Slater said. The classes tended to highlight the importance of authenticity over technique. McKay really enjoyed this experience and plans to continue her involvement in the arts by taking Harding dance and Harpeth Hall choir. Juniors Maddy Corts and Lily Silvester also had the opportunity to take part in the arts this summer by taking classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. Corts participated in Digital Photography while Silvester took
Painting and Drawing. Every day, Corts would explore the city to take photos, later coming back to the classroom to edit and print them. Corts really enjoyed how the teacher taught the students to critique each other’s work in order for everyone to give their input and help. Meanwhile, Silvester and her classmates would spend the majority of their day painting. On average, Silvester would paint for seven hours each day. “I was so focused on painting that time flew by. Sometimes I would think only ten minutes had passed by, when
in reality a couple hours had,” Silvester said. One of Silvester’s favorite days was when she walked to Chicago’s famous sculpture, “The Bean,” in order to sit and paint a picture of the lovely landmark and her surroundings. “So many different people came up to me to talk about my painting. Many strangers began to surround me, which resulted in me learning about their experience in the arts,” Silvester said. Corts and Silvester found their classes at the Art Institute very different than those on the Harpeth Hall campus due to the help and input she received from art students around the world. “I got to see a lot of different sights, look at things from different angles and I had the freedom to explore the city,” Corts said. Both girls loved walking around the city and experiencing life in Chicago. Corts and Silvester also had the opportunity to participate in activities outside of the classroom, such as seeing a show, visiting the Willis Tower, and biking along Lake Michigan. Silvester also decided to jump into Lake Michigan to take a quick swim with the ducks. Both students learned and gained a lot of tools and skills. “I learned with the help of others and my teachers how to put all of my hard work and focus into one thing with the help of others and my teacher,” Silvester said. Corts and Silvester both learned so much about the different forms of art and discovered that they would like to become more involved in them as they think about their futures.
acting than singing. There are still big ensemble numbers, but it’s just more focused on acting than previous musicals have been,” senior and musical lead Molly Bacurin said. Rehearsals for the show are weekdays starting at 9 a.m. and finishing at 6 or 7 p.m. However, the students involved have been busy on Saturdays as well, rehearsing, doing tech calls and helping build the set for the show. Directed by Harpeth Hall theater teacher Janette Klocko, the musical is a hilarious story about love, lies, friendship and family. Choreography for the production is headed by Dance Company Director Stephanie Hamilton, and music
is coordinated by middle school music teacher Matthew Pyles. Set in the 1920s, the musical follows Nanette, a young teenage girl who rejects her ladylike life and strict upbringing to run away to Atlantic City to let loose and live a little before settling down to get married. Meanwhile, Nanette’s father is also secretly traveling to Atlantic City on business with the three women who he has been providing for. Similarly, Nanette’s mother takes a trip with her friend to Atlantic City while her husband is away, and the family members are shocked to run into each other. “This musical is set in the 20s, so for
the cast, we have had to learn a different style of dance, music and dialogue than we are used to,” Bacurin said. Harpeth Hall’s production will be performed starting Aug. 28 and end Aug. 31. Over 42 students make up the cast and crew, and they have been working tirelessly throughout this summer to get the production ready for opening night. “We’ve gotten a lot done very quickly. We have already finished blocking and choreography, and now we get to spend a lot of time running and perfecting the show. I think that means the final product will turn out spectacular,” senior Maggie Sullivan said.
FUN IN CHICAGO: Juniors Maddy Corts (left) and Lily Silvester (right) explore Chicago outside of their Art Institute classes. Photo courtesy of Lily Silvester.
“No, No, Nanette” returns to HH stage after 30 years BY ANNIE GRIFFIN A&E Editor
Although school doesn’t resume until Aug. 14, many Harpeth Hall and MBA students have spent a large portion of their summer on Harpeth Hall’s campus. This August, Harpeth Hall’s students are putting on a joint production with MBA of the famous early 20th century musical “No, No, Nanette,” which Harpeth Hall performed 30 years ago. Although practices will have lasted around a month by the time opening night rolls around, the cast and crew have put in many hours into making the musical perfect. “This play is a lot more focused on
BEHIND THE SCENES: (From left to right) John Thornton, C.H. Henry, Julia Rose, Isabel Long, Frances Bradford, Thomas Peterson, Margaret Bone, Lydia Crider and Molly Bacurin pose in character while in rehearsal for “No, No, Nanette” to prepare for their Aug. 28 opening night. Photo by Maggie Sullivan, Opinions Editor.
LOGOS
SPORTS
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HH fall teams gear up for upcoming seasons BY TORI MCDERMOTT Sports Editor
for their preseason training, As the start of the fall sports the volleyball team still puts season grows closer, the volleyball in work, officially starting the team meets with Strength and second week of July. On July Conditioning Director Jim 29, they start to incorporate Romero to build up their strength more game formats into their for their season before heading to practices. a regular two-hour practice. “We’ve had two They, as well as other fall scrimmages, ” Coach Asafoseason athletes, work on their Adjei said. “We kept them fundamental growth to build a more like a practice but it kind strong base for their season. of felt like a match format so “The beginning of the we kind of are getting a feel season is really focused on skill of our rotations and what our development, fundamentals and games are going to feel like.” really getting a lot of repetition The team won both with those skills before we make scrimmages against Summit it more complex with team High School and Franklin dynamics,” Varsity Volleyball Road Academy. Coach Hannah Asafo-Adjei said. Like the volleyball team, For the volleyball, cross the Harpeth Hall golf team country, soccer and golf teams, stays in town and participates the summer preseason represents in a few matches. They also a vital time for setting up the rest of WARMING UP: The soccer team stretches during training camp at DePauw University on Tuesday, July 31. Photo courtesy of Jeannie Pisano. train with Coach Romero to the season for success. team. closer to each other which was really nice. ” build strength while relearning Training starts up right after the end of the Both the soccer and cross country teams For soccer, they travel to Greencastle, the fundamentals to create a strong base for previous school year with workouts in the participate in an off-campus retreat. Indiana to work with Depauw University’s the season. weight room conducted by Romero. The cross country team sojourns to Head Women’s Soccer Coach Cristin Allen. “They do a ton of skill work,” Coach “Everyone is full-on in terms of Sewanee University on St. Andrew’s While in Indiana, the soccer team Sutton said. “It’s learning how to chip and preparing,” Athletic Director Karen Sutton campus where they work on building their scrimmages a local high school team to putt and number their clubs.” said. “Strength and conditioning, as you endurance and stamina. understand the feel for how to play with one The golf team works a lot over the know, happen[s] all summer.” These Although the team works on improving another and what the season might project. summer and implements many of these workouts focus on injury prevention and their athletic performance, a major goal of Team members that are unable to go to fundamental skills during their matches overall greater athletic performance by the camp is to promote team bonding. Indiana stay in Nashville and work with against Briarcrest, Girls Preparatory improving strength and mobility. This is achieved through activities like arts head junior varsity coach Meggie Lucas on School and Ensworth High School in a golf The Tennessee Secondary Schools and crafts, which the Harpeth Hall tournament July 6 and 7. Athletic Association (TSSAA) dead period, attempt to create campus. Overall, the work that Harpeth Hall’s fall “Everyone is full-on in terms of taking place between June 23 and July 6, healthy bonds Both groups sport athletes have put into their summer preparing.” prevented all athletes from being able to and set a positive further their preseasons shows their dedication to the Karen Sutton, Athletic Director practice with their teams. tone for the rest skills and abilities sport they play. Thus, July brings the official start to of the season. while building the “In the summer, people have really practices and training sessions that get Senior Camden Johnson enjoyed getting fundamental base necessary for the season stepped up to the challenge,” Coach Sutton Harpeth Hall fall athletes ready for their to grow closer to her younger teammates ahead. Each camp provides players, new said. season. during the camp. and returning, with an opportunity to grow The training that athletes have done this In some cases, the official start to a team’s “It was nice to get to know the freshmen closer as a team. summer conveys how they plan to set their preseason involves a team trip or camp to during the camp. We were all able to get Although they do not travel out of town season up for success. train with another coach or scrimmage a
Titans fans hold out hopes for return to playoffs BY LILY WILMOTH AND LEELEE DENTON Sports Editors
Sunday night football is back, and eager fans all around the country bear high hopes for their teams this season. Nashville is no exception; it is hard to miss the tangible excitement of Nashvillians anticipating how the Tennessee Titans will perform this year. Last season, the Titans finished with a record of 7-9, placing them third in the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, which consists of the Titans, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jim Denton, a football agent for the Creative Artists Agency and parent of senior Leelee Denton, is part of a team that represents multiple Titans players. Denton personally represents one player from the Tennessee Titans: Ben Jones, a center guard. Even as an avid Titans fan, Denton admits that, in such a competitive division, the Titans will have to work hard to beat their competitors. “The Houston Texans had a better than expected season last year, and with their quarterback returning in full health, you would think they would be hard to deal with.” Denton also believes that the Colts, who ended with a solid record of 10-6 last December, will be another big team to beat this season.
PREPARING FOR THE SEASON AHEAD: Titans players train at their practice field in downtown Nashville on Saturday, Aug. 10. Photo courtesy of Stefanie Chiguluri, Lead Photography Editor.
“Their division is really, really tough, and it’s going to be a dog fight. But hopefully they can get to a 10-6 or 11-5 record and make it into the playoffs. Really all you want is a chance in the playoffs. In the April draft, hosted in downtown Nashville, General Manager for the Titans, Jon Robinson, added players in needed positions: wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line and edge rusher. Robinson used his first round pick to fortify his defensive line, selecting defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. New players brought in to upgrade the Titans offense include wide receiver A.J. Brown and Nate Davis, an offensive lineman. For the next couple of weeks, the
Titans will begin to finalize their 53-man roster. The roster currently stands at 85 players. Many Titans fans are hoping for a breakout year for quarterback Marcus Mariota after an up-and-down four seasons leading the Titans’ offense. With Mariota heading into a contract year, it is crucial he play well in order to continue wearing the white and blue another season. “We need some consistency at the quarterback position,” Denton said. “For the Titans to be successful, they need to have this consistent play at this position.” Defensively, the Titans are looking to be a threat, but according to Denton, it is all about the pass rush.
“If you can rush the passer and put pressure on the passer, you can disrupt the passing game. You’ve got to do that in the NFL to win.” Luckily for the Titans, they recently signed a deal with Cameron Wake, a pass rush specialist, signing him from his previous team, the Miami Dolphins. To bring everything together, the Titans will need to overcome a number of early season challenges. The Titans, as many teams, are facing a number of injuries. Meanwhile, starting offensive tackle Taylor Lewan will miss four games from a suspension for violating the league’s banned substances policy. Nevertheless, many Titans fans remain optimistic. “They had a great year last year. You would think that they can just keep adding to that to get better,” Denton said. The Titans won their first preseason game of the year, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10. After three more preseason games, the Titans will play the Browns at Cleveland for their regular season opener on Sunday, Sep. 8. As for the rest of the preseason, the Titans will host the New England Patriots at Nissan Stadium Aug. 17, the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 25, and travel to Chicago to face the Bears on August 29.
BACKPAGE
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freshmen
go on the Freshmen retreat attend Homecoming mixer survive Sports initiations have fun at MBA football games Talk to the upperclassmen experience First winterim throw a Winter formal grade-wide dinner Join as many clubs as you can Sit at lunch with different people Sign up for a new sport
juniors
August 2019
TOP 10 LISTS
A GRADE-BASED GUIDE TO THE ULTIMATE HARPETH HALL EXPERIENCE
Sophomores
go to Kings island Survive chemistry Get your license sell Spring break t-shirts Run for a leadership position Park in the senior lot during winterim Throw an extravagant winter formal afterparty Stress about college way too early Think you’ve hit rock bottom
Hit rock bottom go on your First off-campus winterim live through Prom Build go to your First prom go on College visits Seniors Have an actual parking lot Paint the senior house pass the torch at step singing Senior Recognition go to Holiday World Eat off campus Be a junior buddy Take the elective you’ve always wanted to take Make it out alive Do something spontaneous with your best friends Give a senior speech Get into college show school pride on College T-shirt day Sign the wall Graduate
2019-2020
By Margaret Kirchner and Maggie Hedera