The Index Eutxia Swzein Dokei
Volume LXXIII, No. 5
January 2012
Haverford, Pennsylvania
So, How were “mid-terms”?
Jake Pechet ‘15
When Haverford students learned there would be no midterms this year, most were elated. Yet, as more was revealed about the administration’s plan to replace traditional assessments with cumulative tests or innovative projects during the eighty-five minute double periods, elation became frustration, anxiety, and, in some cases, anger. Explains Upper School Head Mr. Matthew Green, “You have a period of time between the day we leave for Thanksgiving and the day the second semester starts. It’s approximately sixty days. When you return from winter break, you have midterm exams a week and a half to two weeks into the month of January. You end up being in school, learning new material, for about fifteen to eighteen of those sixty days. We’d gear up for about a week and a half and then really...as an institution, kind of shut down. So there was Thanksgiving, then winter
break, then students an exam did not see period it that way, that really especially disrupted as they curricular discovered continuity.” more about The idea the new behind the system as new system, the plan in which, was further for one developed. full cycle Some had (A-G day), particular assessments qualms and with the homework removal of a A Fourth Form chemistry class prepares to do a lab experiment as the “mid-term.” could be review week. Photo by Gray Warden assigned only on the night before that class’s Essentially, what they saw were midterms double block, was to allow for more time to being condensed into one double period with learn, rather than to assess students’ cumulative no time to study beforehand. Says Sixth knowledge of the subject. The plan appeared Former Scott Warren, “The debate was always to be a plausible solution. However, many whether to change it so that [midterms were]
the week before you went on winter break, or [if] they should remain in the middle of January. They left it at the same time, and all they did was get rid of the week in which you have a bunch of free time to study for your midterms. They’re forcing you to take a midterm in your double period, which is really tough on students.” Mr. Green recognizes issues with the new system, admitting, “I can’t confidently say that I anticipated every single variable. I certainly have been listening to concerns on the part of the student body that to both take tests and tend to all of [their] other responsibilities has been really hard for [them], and I need to listen to faculty, students, and parents and try to figure out how much of the difficulty is ‘it’s new and it’s change,’ or ‘we really did like having all that time,’ or, three, ‘you put me in a situation that I couldn’t do my best work in.’ ” Continued on Page 4
More than just art: Mr. Fox strives to remodel education Peter Thompson ‘13
Mr. Fox has always been regarded as a teacher who is constantly observing, assisting, and on the cutting edge of next generation ideas. His most recent activities at Haverford
have only reinforced these traits of his. During the first semester, Mr. Fox worked with the English Department to help it progress in the area of creative and personal writing. The main focus: How does one evaluate subject matter in which each student comes up with a different answer? In creative writing, for instance, how would a teacher create boundaries for a student without inhibiting him from doing his best, all while simultaneously maintaining the ability to grade a unique piece of writing from each individual student? To this point, the analytical essay has been the department’s focus. Students are taught how to map out an essay, create a thesis, define terms, organize each individual paragraph, analyze quotations, and conclude formally. Haverford teachers have a universal rubric with which they can critique a student’s work. However, when will students be prompted to perform a task such as this one later in life?
Teachers are beginning to realize this reality more and more; however, when they decide to assign a creative writing piece, they have no rubric to grade from. It is at this point in the English Department’s struggle that Mr. Fox offered his two cents. He brought the English Department down to the art studio where he had them all choose an object and draw it - a basic art process for all beginner art students. After five minutes of drawing the teachers stopped, content with their work for the most part. That is, however, until Mr. Fox inquired as to what their goals were. Together, Mr. Fox and his new art students created a rubric. Everyone agreed that a drawing would only be successful if it included varying lines and patterns, was drawn from an interesting angle, filled up most of the page, and other restrictions, all of which were decided upon by the “students.” Unsurprisingly, immediately after deriving this rubric, the teachers asked to restart their drawings. The point of the exercise was to demonstrate ways in which a teacher can create a rubric with his/her students that leaves room for creativity but still has boundaries, or “checkpoints,” from which he/she can evaluate
a student’s work. “Usually letting go [from Haverford faculty a few summers ago, Pink any sense of restriction] is complete chaos,” argues that right-brained thinkers will “rule the states Mr. Fox, but “art is [simply] letting go a future.” Pink makes the case that the M.F.A. little more.” (Master of Fine Although Arts) will be more there still necessary than the exists a M.B.A. (Master sense of of Business direction Administration) and final for future success destination, in the business there are world. If the multiple M.B.A. stands for routes one learning how things can take to are done and the arrive there. M.F.A. stands for This is the learning how things exact type could be done, Mr. of mentality Fox wholeheartedly that the agrees. Having an English M.B.A. no longer Mr. Fox and his diagram depicting “the creative process.” Department assures a job like Photo by Index Staff is trying to nurture in the classroom. it used to. Instead, creative thinkers, problem Mr. Fox strongly believes that “you own solvers, and people with interdisciplinary skills your own success if you write down your may actually be better prepared to succeed in own rubric. Your own words are a powerful the next generation. motivator.” In Daniel Pink’s book A Whole New Mind, which was required reading for Continued on Page 3
Mr. Kolade continues to analyze his neverending library of music. See the latest edition of “Mr. Kolade’s Music Recommendations” on Page 5.
Also Inside the Issue... Letter from the Editors, pg. 2 Dangers of Student Driving, pg. 2 Pattison Medals, pg. 3
Crosman Hall may soon be renovated.
Sabermetrics Club, pg. 4
Photo by Index Staff
Third Former Logan Atkins investigates future Haverford renovations on Page 2 Can Haverford students be trusted in terms of academic integrity? Read about it on Page 4.
Davis’ Book Review, pg. 5 Sixth Former Andrew Helber in a meet against Malvern. Photo by Mr. Mike DiTrolio
Haverford Swimming is having one of its best seasons in recent memory - coverage is on Page 7.
Squash Surges, pg. 6 And much more...
Page 2 The Index - News & Features
Construction Projects loom
buildings on Haverford’s campus and is the only major building that has not been re-done in the past several years. Plans may include Haverford takes pride in keeping its incorporating some of the features found in technology up to date, maintaining its the new Upper School (e.g. double-paned beautiful facilities, and having faculty and staff that provide the highest form of education windows or pods), but the main idea is to increase the size throughout the of the building. school year. Although it is However, in on deck to be a growing re-done, the world there Middle School is only one may not be way to move: touched for at forward. least another Haverford is four-five years. no exception Another to this interesting goal principle. So for Haverford where is that is to renovate promised the dining hall. parking lot? In the past, the When is the dining hall has The middle school - also known as Crosman Hall - may soon be redone. middle school Photo by Index Staff gone through minor going to be improvements, but it has never been totally redone? What is this so-called “New Palmer re-done. With the prospect of a new Middle House?” In the next 10 to 20 years, Haverford School, a new cafeteria does not appear farwill undoubtedly develop in many directions, fetched. Haverford’s cafeteria is one of the some of which will lead to success and others most advanced cafeterias in the area, but there will be forgotten. are still areas where a makeover is needed. Unfortunately, Haverford’s next major For example, the long lines that form could plans are often kept a secret, coming as a be shortened, benefiting the students who surprise to the public. In addition, Headmaster try to get lunch as quickly as possible before Dr. Joseph Cox is playing a role in when attending other engagements. It would make students can expect to see new developments; sense if the building was redone while the his upcoming departure will most likely push Middle School is getting renovated, but such back all building plans indefinitely, so as to changes are five-to-ten years in the future. provide time for the new head to settle in The final area of interest that has caused before starting a new project. Due to these much debate is the prospective student parking factors, there is little information released garage. Parking is extremely limited due to by those who manage the monetary and the fact that there are only a few areas where expansionary policies of the school. We do students can park legally. Students are forced know a little about where and when these Logan Atkins ‘15
Could Centennial Hall be in line for some sort of renovation? Photo by Index Staff
additions may appear. The obvious new building on our campus that has been a work-in-progress for the past nine months is the new Palmer House. The refurbishing of this building will not change any of the offices, but rather will give the place a touch-up. The biggest change will feature a “sky-box,” or a viewing room, from which one will be able to overlook Sabol Field. Palmer House plays a key role in development and alumni relations that will only be improved with the completion of this new building. The facility provides a location for pick-up after school and is a comfortable spot that people tend to go to when trying to enjoy athletic events occurring on the football field. The construction on Palmer House is expected to end some time this spring, with expectations set on a more spacious, aesthetically pleasing facility. For quite some time now, rumors of a new Middle School have been tossed around the Haverford community. This project would be immense and possible plans are still unavailable for the community at the moment. However, improvements on the Middle School are long overdue; it is one of the oldest
to race to school in the early morning in order to get a parking spot long before school begins. This situation is not only dangerous, but calls for some kind of improvement. However, possible building sites are not as bountiful as one might think. The place that first comes to most people’s minds is the grass field near Dr. Cox’s house. Unfortunately, Haverford does not actually own this land, and therefore building on it would require Haverford to make a purchase. The next reasonable place would be somewhere on Lancaster Avenue. However, trying to obtain parking spots in that area is extremely difficult, and it is unlikely that anything would work out. A final possibility is the construction of a parking garage in the Red Lot. This idea is plausible, but it is questionable as to whether or not a significant amount of space is available there, and if the effort is truly worth it. Haverford’s new buildings are bound to be exciting and helpful to the community. They could take a few years to complete, but in due time they will make a difference. So what will 2025 look like? Will Haverford take on a completely new look? Keep an eye on Haverford’s progress in the decade to come.
January 2012
Letter from the Editors
Dear Reader, With half a school year behind us, many will begin to count the days leading up to summer. For Sixth Formers, that means a bittersweet end to their Haverford careers. For everyone else, a muchdeserved and long-awaited break looms. Whatever your situation, make the best of this semester. If it is your last, use it to leave that lasting impact on the Haverford community that will be remembered for years to come. Do you want to Photo by Index Staff be known as just another student in Haverford’s past, or might you form a new club that you will still find when you make a visit twenty years later? Even if you are not a Sixth Former, a head start on leaving your mark is never a bad idea. Better yet, perhaps you can use The Index as a tool in influencing some change or bringing about a new sentiment within the community. The real potential for The Index comes to fruition when the paper acts as an outlet for student issues and concerns. As we close out the new “cumulative testing” cycle, many of you possibly have some rather powerful opinions on a notable school issue - the new “mid-terms” system. We here at The Index invite you to take advantage of the paper as a school resource. Perhaps you may want to add a comment online at haverfordindex.com to Third Former Jake Pechet’s article about the system. Or instead you may want to write an opinion piece about your experiences throughout this cycle for the February Index. Whatever you decide to do, we hope you enjoy this issue and choose to contribute to school discussions on important topics. Grayson Sessa ‘13 & Tadas Antanavicius ‘12 Editors-In-Chief
Student drivers in danger
next second I’ll be on another road,” explained Ruch. “When I’m awake, I can easily remember where I’ve driven, but when I’m The majority of students who drive have tired, my memory seems to jump around.” experienced it - trying to navigate from home Occurrences like this one present an to school through a maze of roads, stop signs, obvious question: What happens during four-way intersections, traffic lights, yield these time lapses? Ruch has had no trouble signs, and worst of all, the inevitably bad arriving to school safely, but what he described drivers who tear through the streets on a daily certainly begs further questions: Is his body basis. However, as preposterous as it may actually working solely from muscle memory? sound, are Is he getting you one of lucky? these “bad Other drivers?” students Surely the have devised thought tactics in has never order to drive crossed as safely as your mind, possible. but it is not Fifth Former outside of Austin the realm of Merritt possibility commented that you saying, may be “Sometimes unaware in the of your morning I am mistakes at so tired that I times. The A student glances at his phone while driving. have to blast reason: lack Photo by Sanjay Narayanan music or turn of sleep. the heat up all the way to keep from dosing off. Driving through this “Main Line maze” on Occasionally I become so tired that I actually little sleep is downright dangerous. feel myself becoming slightly dazed.” Sleep is essential to performing just about Unfortunately, driving while drowsy for any daily task. Driving - arguably one of the Haverford Students is somewhat unavoidable. most dangerous - is no exception. Regardless, Most of the students who drive do so in order students often drive to school after just rolling to give themselves flexibility in the afternoon out of bed when they have not yet truly woken when the length of their respective practices up. is open-ended. Others work better at school, Fifth Former Mike Green has an interesting and therefore use the quiet time to finish up perspective: “Every morning I wake up at homework from the previous night. Either 6:00am and drive to school by 6:30. I’m the way, students have reasons for driving and first one in the dining hall but I don’t really cannot simply choose when to do it and when realize I’m there until about 7:00am. I wake not to depending on how tired they feel. up and do my normal routine without realizing The best course of action drowsy students I’m awake…including driving.” can take before getting behind the wheel in the Green’s situation is somewhat unsettling; morning is to make themselves aware of their however, he has never been in an accident or fatigue. Although this tip sounds obvious, pulled over during his morning drive. This is constantly thinking about how tired one is surprising, considering driving while drowsy subsequently leads to an active mind, and one results in over 100,000 accidents a year, which that is less likely to fall asleep. Other than in turn makes it the third leading cause of all this strategy, students are left to their own accidents on the road today. devices in discovering tricks that will keep Green is not the only one who drives in this them awake. Merritt plays music loudly and condition. Fifth Former Tyler Ruch mentioned turns up the heat because these settings keep many equally unsettling symptoms. He him from dosing off. Essentially, the goal is to described how most mornings he suffers from create an environment in which sleeping is not “short-term memory loss,” or something of an option. the sort. “I’ll be driving down a road and the Peter Thompson ‘13
Page 3 The Index - News & Features
January 2012
News & Features Special: Pattison Medals provide view of Haverford history Will Tackett ‘14
When a family friend, Mrs. Pat Howse, stumbled upon her brother’s old track medals while cleaning her house, the rich story lines surrounding them were little known. The medals offered some clues: I knew who gave them to me, and who had earned them, and that her brother, Robert Pattison had gone to Haverford. From this base, I began a search for the identity of this former Haverfordian, in which I learned a great deal about the rich history of not only Haverford but also of Pennsylvania and even the world. To begin, he is not the only Robert Emory Pattison. It is the name of both his father and grandfather. The first Robert Emory Pattison graduated valedictorian of his class at Central High School and worked his way up the political ladder to become one of the youngest governors in the history of the United States. Sometime along the way, he decided to send his son, Robert, Jr., to The Haverford School. The elder Pattison was known for being incorruptible, which helped him become governor for a separate, second term, but left his family with little money when he died in 1904 at the age of 53. His death forced his son to “give up a promising college career and go to work,” according to the Narberth Our Town’s obituary for the governor’s widow, Anna. Like his father did for him, the junior Pattison sent his son (the medal-earner) Robert Emory Pattison III to Haverford. He started in first grade in 1925, making him one of the original members of the Class of 1936, and he would have been a lifer, had it not been for a two-year hiatus from Haverford during which he attended Tredyffrin-Easttown High School.
According to his Haligoluk page, he was known for his “care-free spirit and engaging personality.” His only hobby was “hookey” (his son, Robert E. Pattison IV, says he was also interested in English, Math, and debating), and he planned on attending West Point after he graduated. For whatever reason, he did not go to West Point but instead went to West Chester State Teacher’s College (known today as West Chester University) where he majored in English and was the Class President. He left West Chester to join the army on June 6th, 1941. During World War II, he fought mainly in France, Luxembourg, and Germany, where he was wounded. He was the commanding officer of Battery B 129th AAA Gun Battery, an antiaircraft unit that was a part of General George S. Patton’s Third Army. This unit played a major role in the Battle of the Bulge, especially during the Rhine River Crossing, as it was one of the first units to cross. General Patton himself commended the 129th:
“In addition to their primary twenty-fourhour-per-day mission of furnishing antiaircraft protection for critical Third US Army installations, these units hauled vitally needed gasoline and personnel reinforcements to forward armor and infantry elements during the critical period of operations when the Army swept to the Rhine River.” He was a modest man, though, who seldom spoke of the war and would always remind people that the real heroes were the ones who lost their lives, recalls his son. Soon after the war, he joined the Curtis Publishing Company, which published the popular Saturday Evening Post, where he was a manager of agents before leaving the company in 1963. He then joined Allbrook Advertising and opened an office in North Carolina, his wife’s home state, in 1967. He lived there until he passed away in 1982 from lung cancer. He loved to read and bowl and was among the founding members of Trinity United Methodist Church in Havertown.
Continued from Page 1 Mr. Fox’s work has not been limited purely to the English Department, but has expanded into the study of history. Here, in classes such as those of Dr. Ehrhart, the focus is on visual learning and interdisciplinary teaching. A few years ago, Mr. Fox began working with Dr. Ehrhart to introduce visual art into the history curriculum. This year he decided to discuss Picasso’s Guernica painting, which depicts the bombing of Guernica by German and Italian planes during the Spanish Civil war on an immense 11’ x 25’ canvas. “History manifests itself not only in books, but in art as well,” stated Mr. Fox. Recently, Dr. Ehrhart’s students were told to research historical events relating to their studies. However, rather than writing a paper or presenting a power point to the class, the students were instructed to create
a collage of images describing their chosen topic. They were “responding to a historical event, visually,” said Mr. Fox contently. “They were using the visual language instead of the English language.” Mr. Fox has also been working with the Moore College of Art for the past four years by giving lectures on how art teachers can help schools teach students twenty-first century skills through visual art, explaining that if there were ever a time for art to be part of the core curriculum, it would be now. This interdisciplinary mindset, like blending art and history or art and English, is an idea very close to Mr. Fox. He believes that the one subject per one room method is outdated: it was modeled during the Industrial Revolution. Most teachers are confined to textbooks that specify in one area of study. Mr. Fox sees it as an art teacher’s responsibility, and ability for
that matter, to take the lead in this so-called “paradigm shift.” The idea is extremely interesting. Why are classes not intertwined? Why are students grouped together based primarily on age? Why should a student progress if he is not ready? “I think there is certainly specific content you should learn,” stated Mr. Fox assuredly. “However, the real skill for the twenty-first century is what you do with [what you learn], not just [what you learn]. In today’s society, everything is available online, and schools should be the places to perfect skills or put them into practice. In the past, schools offered the content. The only place where one could actually receive new information was at school. Seeing as this situation has changed, they way education is approached today needs to change as well.” Mr. Fox admires the present work of Mr. Sweeney and Mr. Murtha
The Pattison Medals. Photo by Will Tackett
The Index
2011-2012 Staff Tadas Antanavicius, Editor-in-Chief Grayson Sessa, Editor-in-Chief Erich Prince, Head of Photography Peter Thompson, News and Features Editor James Shecter, Sports Editor Amar Patel, Arts & Entertainment Editor Fisher Pressman, Opinions Editor Jonathan Smith, Outdex Editor Keenan Mosimann, Visual Editor Graham Gaddes, Website Manager Mr. Thomas Stambaugh, Faculty Advisor
The Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles the daily struggles and accomplishments of the Haverford community. The Index also provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues, such as student culture, academic policy, and Haverford’s place in world affairs. The Index presents new ideas and aspires to influence constructive change.
But what are the medals for and how did he earn them? They are clearly track medals, with things like “50-yard dash” and “broad-jump” carved on them. Each medal also has the words “Class C” on them. Haverford’s archivist, Mr. Alexander “Sandy” Mercer, who lent a hand with the research, believes they were won at the Annual Spring games, later known as Phillip Bishop Day, which consisted of mostly track and field competitions. The medals have the date 1932 on them, Mr. Pattison’s Form II year. Before World War II and up until the fifties and sixties, the entire school competed in Phillip Bishop Day. That tradition began to change, however, as new sports like lacrosse came on the scene and gained prominence while track’s popularity faded. Athletes wanted to focus on their respective sports and not a seemingly unimportant, intramural competition, so the Upper School eventually ceased involvement in Phillip Bishop Day altogether. The words “Class C” on the medals refer to Mr. Pattison’s age group. There were four classes: Class “A” was open, Class “B” was for those between fourteen and sixteen, Class “C” was for those between twelve and fourteen, and Class “D” was for those under twelve years of age. Robert Pattison III is certainly not the only past Haverford student whose story is intertwined with history. Consider all the Haverford students who have walked these halls in past decades and remember all their unique stories, some even more fascinating than others. Special Thanks Mrs. Winifred “Pat” Pattison Howse Mr. Sandy Mercer Mr. Robert E. Pattison IV in the Math Department. They are designing a way in which students can be exposed to new material at home and then “coached” on how to perfect their skills during class. Progress would be individual and online tests would determine if a student was ready to move on to the next area of study. This strategy ensures that no student is left with weak “building blocks” that will crumble the instant new material relies on them. These ideas are surely what the future has in store, and Mr. Fox has had a huge role in taking the first steps at Haverford. If students wish to discuss these ideas with him, he would love to have a conversation. He is truly passionate about making Haverford the best place it can be in terms of expanding student creativity with respectable boundaries and creating more interdisciplinary classes.
All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at hsindex@gmail.com. The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed on Mac OSX, using Adobe InDesign CS5. Its surveys are conducted via SurveyMonkey and are advertised on Facebook to current Haverford students. School Publications Company of Neptune, N.J., prints 200-400 copies of each issue, and its editorial staff distributes them in the Upper School on the day of release. The Index serves the needs of a total school population of 1091 community members, consisting of 975 students and 116 faculty members. Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 hsindex@gmail.com http://www.haverfordindex.com/ 610.642.3020 x. 1222 Volume LXXIII, No. 5 - January 25, 2011
Page 4 The Index - News & Features
January 2012
News & Features
Mixing baseball Do Haverfordians and Math: practice academic Sabermetrics Club integrity? Manav Khandelwal ‘15 Most Haverford students have probably never even heard the term sabermetrics used before. They are probably thinking: is that some kind of fencing match? Some kind of new international measuring system? In fact, it is not. Sabermetrics is the lost (and now found) art of looking at baseball based on entirely empirical evidence. Before it was invented, people measured baseball players by their raw numbers (i.e. home runs) and did not factor in any outside information. If Player A had a higher average than Player B, then Player A was automatically the better hitter.
The Sabermetrics Club.
But a closer look Photo by Sanjay Narayanan into the manner of baseball led “sabermetricians,” or people who study and create sabermetric statistics, to understand that there are many other ways to compare players than simply raw stats. That is how sabermetrics was born. Stats such as ERA+, OPS+, and WAR are supposed
to measure the effectiveness of a player accurately, devoid of ballpark factors, team support, and strength of schedule. The Sabermetrics Club was created at Haverford for students who want to look deeper into Major League Baseball and ask, “Who are the best players in the MLB?” With sabermetrics, that answer can be more accurate than ever before. The founder of the sabermetrics club is Third Form baseball enthusiast Nick Greco. According to Greco, “The most interesting part of looking at baseball from the point-of-view of sabermetricians is using the WAR statistic. WAR allows you to combine stats to determine how valuable a player is to his team [in terms of victories]. When the [sabermetrics] club meets to discuss different aspects of the MLB, determining how valuable a player truly is can be extremely important in accurately making arguments.” The faculty advisors are Mr. Rory Hart and Mr. Justin Gaudreau, and the club meets during clubs period in Room 143, Mr. Gaudreau’s math classroom. Everyone is welcome to join.
Students in world affairs: Model UN Greg Boyek ‘14 Model UN is a club activity at Haverford for students interested in international politics and current events. Haverford Model UN attends two conferences a year, one at Chestnut
have, and I am excited to see how they do at the Ivy League Model UN Conference.” Mr. Hart also expresses that in the future he looks to gain more underclassmen interest and expand the club to be a forum in which “to have debates and discussions about
Tadas Antanavicius ‘12 Respect, Honesty, and Courage. Every Haverfordian has heard these words uttered countless times by faculty and peers alike. And for good reason: they are the foundation of the Honor Code, a concept that strives to supplement the exceptional academic education provided by Haverford with an
equally robust moral education. While few would deny that the presence of an Honor Code is a positive influence on Haverford, many questions can be raised about the extent of its effectiveness. When academics with all of their pressures come at odds with honor, which of the two sides prevails? English teacher Ms. Rebecca Smedley laments, “Sadly, I’ve had a student plagiarize a paper [in my classes] each year I’ve been here…I’ve also gone to the Honor Council [to advocate for] someone else who is not my student, so I know it’s happening [in other classes too].” Ms. Smedley is not alone in believing that The Haverford Honor Code. Photo by Gray Warden academic integrity is an issue. Sixth Former these assessments? While the former issue of Kelly Mao notes, “If we have something like a plagiarism indeed seems to be concentrated take home test…a lot of students might [not do within a tiny minority of students, the latter it honorably], although the people who would issue of trust-based assignments might be just copy a paper and say ‘this is my work’ much more prevalent. are a very small amount of the student body.” How often might this issue be raised? Ms. Similarly, Smedley often advisor to the gives her students Honor Council the opportunity and Chair of to make up tests the Language or quizzes that Department Ms. they have missed Sara Adkins outside of her believes, direct supervision, “Academic and she even has honesty is all her students an issue sign Honor [not only at Code statements. Haverford, but] Economics and everywhere. Mathematics It’s based on teacher Dr. Mark some extent Gottlieb does give to the kind Fifth Former Scott Jaster’s signature that he did not “give or receive aid” on take-home tests of assignments Ms. Smedley’s test. Photo by Index Staff regularly, although we’re giving.” he notes that he It seems as if supplements them with appropriate amounts of there are two parts to this story: on one hand in class assessments. Chairman of the Honor we have the traditional issue of plagiarism, Council and Sixth Former Jonathan Smith an issue that plagues many schools all around notes that he has had teachers give numerous the country. On the other hand, we have take-home tests for the purpose of saving class trust-based assignments that have a much time. grayer area in terms of academic integrity. To what extent is collaboration allowed? Continued on the next page What resources can a student use when doing
The Model UN Club.
Photo by Index Staff Hill/Springside and The Ivy League Model UN Conference at the University of Pennsylvania. The goal of these conferences is to emulate the proceedings of the United Nations General Assembly and sub-councils on various topics related to current events. Model UN has a new advisor for this year: History teacher Mr. Rory Hart. Mr. Hart says that Model UN is a “very enthusiastic club… the performance at the Springside/Chestnut Hill Conference was a great representation of the creativity and knowledge that the students
Continued from Page 1 Not only is change onerous for the student body, but for the teachers as well. Mr. Matthew Deasey says, “I think it’s not ideal. I think the intent is good, but the execution is difficult given the time of year...I don’t know that [the system] hasn’t [worked]; I think that it probably has in a lot of cases. I know in Physics we’ve been able to cover new material since the break, which is great, but I don’t know that that’s necessarily happening everywhere, and I think...it’s very difficult to
international affairs and world news more often [than it does now].” He also expressed a long-term interest in hosting a Model UN conference at Haverford at some point in the future. The Model UN conferences “do a fair job [of mimicking the actual UN proceedings] … one of the hardest things for a high school Model UN club to do is to teach its members about proper parliamentary procedures.” Model UN certainly allows students to engage in the same discussions that occur at the United Nations, and the students take it very seriously. Even so, Mr. Hart quipped, he “hasn’t seen a teach a course without assigning homework.” These challenges may be the foundation for such student concern. A myriad of whispers has been heard throughout the halls of teachers blatantly disobeying the rules to better suit their classes or inadvertently breaking a specific guideline. Laments Sixth Former B.G. Lemmon over the inconsistencies, “I am not even sure if the teachers are 100% sure what the guidelines are because a lot of things have happened over the past two weeks with my assessments. I had one teacher cancel an entire paper while I had another one decide to give me a paper, and I have another teacher who is
shoe thrown yet,” referencing Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s famous incident at the UN General Assembly in 1960. Mr. Hart says he enjoys seeing the students interacting and trying to “standardize their interactions [according to the official procedures] while trying to speak out and get their message out [to the rest of the assembly].” Model UN is not only for those students considering a future in international affairs.
Model UN builds many different skills for those interested in “a wide variety of careers or future courses of study,” according to Mr. Hart. It helps build expertise in “formal social interaction and using political and current event examples to help build an argument, and to learn how to compromise with other parties. It helps broaden the knowledge you have of the world. It gives you greater skills of informing yourself and applying that information in discussion.”
in between [our] doing a video and preparing a response to a 25-page article.” Not everyone lacks such confidence in the system. Math teacher Mr. Justin Gaudreau says, “I’m using this week [to have] my students do a hands-on activity that explores what we’ve been studying for the past month. It’s probably class time that I normally wouldn’t have had, and it’s allowed me to find a new activity and way to assess their understanding on another level than a sit-down exam.” But when asked what he thinks of this alternative, Mr. Gaudreau smiles and says, “the jury’s still out.”
Regardless of the success or failure of the experimental system, the process is not set in stone. If the plan fails, Haverford can always revert back to the old system or try a new one. Mr. Green says, “what I’m going to do on January 25th, which is the Wednesday after [the cycle concludes], I’m going to set up in the Big Room from 9 [AM] until 4 [PM] and just get my computer and do my work there, and I want students to come and talk to me and sit down and tell me what the experience was like for them. Hopefully, they won’t come with pitchforks and torches,” he says with a booming laugh.
Page 5 The Index - News & Entertainment
News & Entertainment
January 2012
What’s Mr. Kolade listening to? Mr. Luqman Kolade To begin the year, I decided to do a semi wrap-up of a few of my favorite songs I loved but did not review over the past year. Tyga – “Reminded (ft. Adele)”: There weren’t many things more omnipresent this year than Adele’s voice. Tyga, the Young Money crew member, capitalized on Adele’s ability to touch her listeners with this ode to lost love. Sampling her smash hit “Someone Like You,” (Who doesn’t love an Adele sample?) Tyga reminisces on a relationship gone wrong from the point of view of someone that seems to be better off without it. A smoothed out and mellow track that didn’t get much publicity, it was definitely one of the better tracks from the Young Money camp and a great use of a timely sample.
John West – “Lovely (ft. Pusha T)”: It’s hard to hear this young crooner and not think of Justin Timberlake or Robin Thicke, as he has that same mellow, soulful sound about him. While he does share a few of the musical traits that make them successful, he still manages to have his own distinct voice and sound. The Los Angeles product, originally from Baton Rouge, had been singing and playing his guitar on the famous Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica before he was discovered. This song, a favorite of the patrons from his street singing days, was redone after he signed a deal and given the major label treatment. It features a solid and at times surprisingly affectionate verse from one of my favorite rappers and is sensual without being overly suggestive. He is someone to definitely look for throughout this New Year.
Action Bronson – “Back 2 The Future: Action Bronson” seemed to come out of nowhere with the tenacity of a rap veteran. With a delivery and style that many fans of classic Hip-Hop would appreciate, Action Bronson and his Ghostface-like flow deliver head nodding punchlines that cover everything from gourmet food to designer clothing. He is clearly very knowledgeable about popular culture, and this song along with the mixtape it appears on, The Program, are a great introduction into his entertaining brand of witty and at times humorous Hip-Hop.
The Weeknd – “Rolling Stone”: Another artist that seemed to just appear and have a huge impact on the music world, The Weeknd and his brand of sparse and darkly euphoric R&B was all over the musical blogosphere this past year. Co-signed by fellow Canadian Drake as one of his biggest musical influences, the young singer and producer delivers a song about his adventures through the night life and his dealings with women. From his free album Thursday, the second in a trilogy, the song paints the melancholy picture that reminds many of Drake. Though he may not be the best singer or songwriter, there is something attractively disturbing about his songs that capture the listener.
Continued from the previous page Trust within the Haverford community is implied, but is the community aware that there might be inconsistencies when it comes to academics? “A lot of kids come to academic pressure, especially if they have a chance on a take home test. [It happens because] there’s such an emphasis on grades and students are provided with a chance to get ahead,” claims Smith. Of her nightly translation assignments in her Latin classes, Ms. Adkins says, “There are translations online. I can’t stop them from looking online, but I can explain to them the value of doing it themselves, they won’t have access to that when taking a test or working in class, and that it’s hugely important for them to do the hard work of translating on their own.” Cheaters are not the only ones who can find themselves in less-than-ideal situations if students are given opportunities to be dishonest. If a peer asks you for a hint on a take home test, what do you do? An anonymous Fourth Former responds, “It’s easy to say, ‘Oh, just wipe the pressure away,’ but when it comes down to it, it becomes really hard.” Not only are the typically honest students pressured into choosing between friends and honor, but by remaining honorable they can find themselves at an unbearable disadvantage. “If you see someone who you know has cheated in some way, and they end up with an A – even if you end up with an A too… it’s [rather] demoralizing [because of all the work you put in to get that A]. It’s always the worst when you do poorly and you see kids [getting good grades] who normally wouldn’t do well, but end up getting an A because they cheated… You could have cheated but you chose not to, yet you see other kids getting away with it and getting good grades - that’s where it really comes into play,” opines Smith.
Ms. Adkins agrees with Smith, elaborating, “That’s where you take the measure of a man. When nobody is looking, what are you doing? When everybody else seems to be collaborating and then get a better grade than you, how do you not?” The problem is clear: the Honor Code does not always translate into unconditional honesty when students are entrusted with takehome assessments. This flaw results in less enrichment for those choosing to be dishonest, a conflict between friends and morals for those on the fence, and an agonizing experience for those who manage to avoid the allure to cheat. The solution to the problem? “I think the heavy lifting needs to be done by the teachers,” says Ms. Adkins. “We need to be really, really intentional and thoughtful and explicit about the directions we give to kids when we give them any assignment outside of class…And I think that’s creating a level of trust and understanding of how you do the work in the class itself. But that can be such a gray area that I would hope that [teachers are] really specifying and not just assuming ‘Oh, you’re not going to talk to anybody.’ What if somebody comes to talk to you? I need you to be in a position, based on directions I’ve given and work I’ve given, for you to be able to say ‘no man, this is mine.’” At the root of the issue is merely awareness. Despite the Honor Code’s valiant and commendable efforts to create a trustful community, there will always remain outliers. It is worth it for teachers to consider what effects those outliers can have on the rest of the community before assuming that everyone will give assignments their unconditional honesty. And when a take-home test or a make-up quiz is simply ideal, at least provide students with the explicit tools and guidelines needed to ensure as close to complete honesty as possible.
Davis’ Book Review Niticon Davis ‘13 A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is a World War I novel loosely based upon Hemingway’s own experience in the Italian army as an ambulance driver. The novel is written from the perspective of the American Frederic Henry, who serves as a lieutenant in the ambulance corps of the Italian
army. The story begins with Frederic talking with a friend who makes plans for them to meet up with a few nurses. Frederic soon meets a British nurse by the name of Catherine Barkley; he begins to pursue her and thus their romance begins. Frederic and Catherine eventually separate when he is sent back to the front, so he spends much of the novel longing for her. Eventually, Frederic is able to return to Catherine. They make plans to marry, and their romance continues until the end of the book. I do not want to reveal the ending so as not to spoil the book, but I will say that it is pretty sad. Sadness and longing are some of the major tones in the novel. When I read passages about
the characters’ feelings for each other, I was able to empathize with them. Major themes in the novel include the brutality and futility of war. Throughout the novel the war destroys lives and also wreaks havoc on Frederic and Catherine’s relationship. They are forced to go to great lengths just to avoid the war and its effects. As the title would suggest, both Frederic and Catherine spend a lot of time trying to put the war behind them. This is probably the most interesting aspect of the story because they both try to use love to forget all of their problems. They first see their relationship as a diversion but it eventually becomes genuine, making for a very interesting dynamic in the story. Hemingway’s use of understatement makes this book very interesting to read. You will find him simply stating things as opposed to going into detail about them, and this is due mostly to his background in journalism, a field which calls for objective, factual statements. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good war or romance novel.
Page 6
The Index - Sports January 2012
Sports
Haverford squash squads - Varsity and JV - surge Rudy Miller ‘14 The Haverford School Varsity and Junior Varsity squash teams have enjoyed great a season so far and are expecting to continue their success for the remainder of the winter. The Varsity squad has thus far solidified its reputation as one of the best squash teams in the country with a 6-1 overall record while competing in the Inter-Ac, one of the toughest squash divisions in the country. In addition to Haverford, it contains squash powerhouses such as Chestnut Hill Academy (CHA), who has a team still going strong after their third-place finish at the High School Squash Nationals last year, and Episcopal Academy, who are two-time high school national champions and are looking to repeat this year. The Junior Varsity team has done even better as they have a 6-0 record thus far and are looking to go undefeated for a second consecutive year. Varsity’s first half of the season was highlighted by a close 5-4 win over CHA, who the team had not beaten for over two years. Head Coach Andrew Poolman called this a “good win for [the team],” and he “hopes to beat them again” in the rematch taking place on January 26. The team also defeated Inter-Ac rivals Malvern once and Penn Charter twice, by decisive scores of 9-0, 9-0, and 8-1, respectively. Shipley and Conestoga also both fell to Haverford 9-0. The lone loss of the season came against Episcopal, in which Haverford fell 7-2 in many hard-fought matches. Poolman looks forward to the rematch at Episcopal on January 24, saying that he hopes that the team’s work ethic and perseverance will allow them to “come together as a team and pull out a big upset.” Sixth Form Captain Sam Henderson is also optimistic about the upcoming match, saying that the team “will be [in] good [shape]” for
Sixth Former Scott Warren reaches for a shot against Fourth Former William Ye. Photo by Josh Pau
the upcoming throwdown. The feature of the Junior Varsity squad’s season so far was a 6-3 win over Episcopal that included many clutch wins, such as Fourth Former Henry Ortmeyer’s hard-fought fivegame win over Episcopal. The JV team also defeated CHA twice, each time by a score of 8-1, and they defeated Penn Charter 9-0 as well. Like the Varsity team, the JV squad also played Shipley and Conestoga, and they followed in the wake of the Varsity, beating Shipley 9-0 and Conestoga 8-1. Head JV Coach Sam Walters is very pleased with the results thus far, saying that the team is “looking pretty strong” and is “playing good squash.” Walters also says that he “likes [the team’s] chances” not only to defeat Episcopal
Fords’ hockey expecting success
overall with players on our team [along with] keeping our emotions in tact. If we can fix This year’s Haverford Hockey season has those things, we will be successful.” had its ups and downs. With big wins against There is no clear way to fix these problems. The Hill School, AI Dupont, and Pennington, Coaches for decades have struggled with the the number-one team in the league, it seems same situations, but the only cure for a team like nothing can bring the Fords squad down. with a penalty problem is to encourage the But, a disappointing loss against Ridley and team to play clean. No amount of practice can tie to Germantown Academy put things in fix this tricky dilemma. perspective. In both But the fact that the Blynn games, the Fords brothers have pointed lost their lead in the this out is a harbinger third period after for success. Third Form dominating earlier goaltender Otis Baker in the game. The said, “I’d like to see us team is nevertheless take fewer penalties, but I practicing hard and also think that we’ve been is not afraid to go playing well as it is, so back to the drawing there isn’t much we need to board if the current change.” strategy is failing. Henry Blynn remarked, Currently, Fords Fifth Former Tyler Miller goes after the puck. “The league that we are Photo by Mr. Bill Miller Hockey is on a fourin is very tough, especially this year with us being about in the middle of game winning streak. Sixth Form Captain the pack, so we play some good teams that we Henry Blynn commented on this attempt to do have a chance to beat, but we will have to turn the season around, saying that, “Our team play our best in order to beat them.” Looking has been having higher quality practices than forward in the season, this is exactly what ever, so I think we will improve...in the near appears to be the case. There are teams on the future.” Practice has been a problem in the schedule that the Fords should blow out, but Haverford Hockey program in the past, but there are also teams that will require effort and now the practices are top notch, and the results a hint of luck to get the W. Reid Blynn stated, “This season has been a are showing in games. blast, and if our team can learn from the past So what does the team have to work on and fix some simple mistakes, then we will to get more games in the win column? Sixth end with a successful season.” Fords Hockey Form captain Reid Blynn claims,“The one is expecting nothing but success for the rest thing that I feel we can improve on is penalties. of this season, and all Haverford students Controlling the controllables is something that should follow Baker’s advice: “The team this we need to work on more, and playing clean year has been great, and I guarantee that other hockey is one of them.” Henry Blynn agreed, guys would enjoy watching our games. People saying, “The big changes we need to make, as should definitely come out to one before the Reid said, are the penalties and the discipline season is over.” Austin Merritt ‘13
in the January 30 rematch but also to finish the season undefeated again. Varsity has continued to roll, beating Penn Charter 8-1 and Lawrenceville 7-2. JV beat Malvern 9-0 twice and Penn Charter 9-0. JV then suffered a tough 5-4 loss at the hands of the Varsity team from St. Andrews, a private school in Deleware. In this match, 5 of the 9 matches went to the maximum 5 games, exemplifying the closeness of the competition. JV was playing a Varsity team to attempt to get a ranking to compete in an appropriate division at Nationals. There is an abundance of individual effort that has arisen over the course of the season that has let the team improve exponentially. On Varsity, Fourth Former Sean Kenny has done
a terrific job coming back from an injury that prevented him from playing for most of last year, and he just cemented his role as the 2nd seeded player on the team through challenge matches. Fifth Former Josh Collins is also on the rise as he fought his way onto the Varsity ladder and is seeking to improve further. Sixth Form captain BG Lemmon, the top seeded player on the team this year, has filled his role as a marquee player very well; he is 5-1 in matches this year and is looking as strong as ever. Fourth Former Thomas Walker has shown his strength in the past few weeks since he not only won his match versus Episcopal, bringing his overall match record to 4-1, but also has won two challenge matches in a row, making him the fourth-seeded player. The Junior Varsity team also has some rising stars, such as this reporter, who has won three challenge matches in a row and has not lost a match thus far in competition. Another surging JV player is Fifth Former Peter Thompson, who has moved up eight places from last year and has a 5-0 match record thus far. He looks to become a Varsity player next year. Both Varsity and JV players have many upcoming events in the next few weeks. Both squads have rematches against Episcopal at the end of January, which may define their season as a whole. Varsity also has another match against CHA at around that time, which will also be a very important match for the team. Both teams, however, are ultimately looking forward to the High School Nationals at Yale on February 3-5, in which the JV team plays in the 2nd division and the varsity squad plays for the national championship, attempting to avenge the relatively disappointing 6th place finish last year. Can they do better? “We have a lot of depth,” Poolman says. “[The team members] really work hard…[we] can hope for some good results.”
Wrestling off to great start
pool of over 32 wrestlers and Ron Tassoni made it to the second day. During the same The wrestling team is excited to report period, the rest of the team competed at the that its hard work has paid off thus far. The Radnor Holiday tournament where both Varsity season kicked off on December 3rd with a and JV finished well. Other big matches solid third place finish as a team at the tough included a close but unfortunate loss to Glenn St. Benedict’s tournament with Third Former Mills, a 42-36 win over Malvern Prep, a 57Jake Hervada, Sixth Former Zach Rego, Sixth 21 win over Former Penn Charter, Ron a close loss to Tassoni Lawrenceville, and Third and finally a Former 51-23 win over L.J. Bonner. Barlow The team all placing is still in high second swing of and one competition. The first place team went 4 and finish. The 1 at the annual following Buckley Duels, week the losing a close team took match to the second tough Northern Fifth Former Dante Clementi takes down Sixth Former Nick Alexander. at the New Photo by Josh Pau Lehigh Team, and Hope beating Harriton Solebury tournament - finishing only a point handedly, Central High School, and Radnor and a half behind the first-place winner. Third in a close match. Following the EA matchup Former Jack Gola and Barlow represented the on the 24th, there will be a tri-meet with Fords with first place finishes, and Hervada, Georgetown Prep and St. Mary’s Academy Vince Bellwoar, Feinman, Rego, Tassoni and in D.C., then the Hill School, Germantown Sixth Former Chris DiBello all took second Academy, Westtown School, ANC, and place. On December 13th the Fords wrestled Cardinal O’Hara. The team’s final opportunity St. Joe’s Prep at home and beat their opponent of the year will be at the Pennsylvania Prep handily with a 51-21 win. States tournament on February 17th and 18th, The team pushed on through break and and those who qualify will proceed to Prep through tough practices. Barlow, Tassoni and Nationals on the 24th and 25th. Rego represented the Haverford School at The wrestling team looks forward to the prestigious Beast of the East Tournament, continued success and hopes to see continued where elite wrestlers from all over the country student support in the second half of the come to compete. Barlow took seventh in his season. Go Fords! Dean Feinman ‘12
Page 7
The Index - Sports January 2012
Sports
Fords’ basketball looks to build on solid start to season
Connor Atkins ‘15
This year’s highly anticipated basketball season is finally here, and the team is living up to the hype. After three days of intense tryouts in November, the varsity team was set. The team is comprised of three Third Formers: Sean Alston, Sam Foreman, and Derek Mountain; two Fourth Formers: Eric Anderson and Kamari Peel; four Fifth Formers: Trevor Atkins, Sema’j Reed, Darren Watson, and Tao Xu; and four Sixth Formers: Eric Close, Ray Hollman, Will McNamara, and Zach Thomas. Director of Admissions Mr. Henry Fairfax took over as head coach this year. Mr. Fairfax is a 1999 Haverford School graduate. He is currently the all-time leading scorer for the Fords and helped lead the Fords to their last Inter-Ac championship in his Sixth Form year. That year, he was a McDonald’s All-American Honorable mention and then went on to play collegiate basketball at Drexel. The season opener finally arrived when the Fords took on New Beginnings. Needless to say, the Fords came ready to play. From the start of the game, the Fords took control with Sixth Form guard Thomas and Fourth Former small forward Anderson leading the way. The team looked both organized and energized while they broke away from New Beginning. The Fords ended up winning the game by almost 30, taking home their first win. Next, the Fords went on the road to their first away game against Academy New Church. From the beginning of the game, the Fords’ shots just did not seem to fall although ANC was very well-prepared and quick down the court. Unfortunately, the Fords went on to lose the game, which ended up being a good learning point for the Fords. The Fords then came back home to play against the exceptional Hill School. The Haverford School student section came prepared wearing their Christmas sweaters and cheered their fellow students along. Both
Third Former Sam Foreman making a shot. Photo by Mr. Jim Roese
teams went back and forth all game long, and at half time it was tied at 18. Then, as the game came to a end, it was 40-40 with only a couple of seconds left. Haverford had the ball and after a time out and a designed play broken down by Coach Fairfax, Foreman hit a buzzer-beating fade away jump shot from
Swimming & Diving making history
There have been many great individual performances throughout the year as well. Second Form diver Alec Tyminski has stepped This is the Haverford School swimming into the role of Varsity diver, leading the diving team’s year. Led by Sixth Form captains team in points so far this year. Fifth Former Connor O’Prey, Jimmy Jameson has Kevin Zipf, been a dominating Andrew Helber, force for the Fords and Jimmy swimming butterfly Orsini, the team while Sixth Formers has completed Jimmy Ryan and its Inter-Ac Max Whitehead have season with a added huge wins for second place the team throughout finish - the Sixth Former Connor O’Prey in a meet against Malvern. the year. Photo by Mr. Mike DiTrolio highest placement The Fords have during the tenalso set multiple team records. Sixth Former year tenure of Head Coach Sean Hansen and Matt Luminais bested his school record also the highest placement in over forty years. in the 100-meter freestyle and has broken The team began the Inter-Ac season in Eddie Barnard’s (Class of 2009) 100 meter December with two dominating home victories breaststroke record. Helber also broke over Penn Charter and Episcopal Academy, the school’s oldest standing record in the which the Fords had won before the last 200-meter individual medley. The relay of three events took place. After a tough winter Helber, O’Prey, Jameson, and Luminais also training trip, the Fords traveled to Germantown broke the 200-meter medley record by over 3 Academy where they took their first - and only seconds. Expect many more records to fall as - loss of the season to the national powerhouse the season progresses. Patriots. In their final and closest Inter-Ac Looking to the final stretch of the Ford’s meet, the Fords took on the Friars in a battle season, the Fords will battle St. Joe’s Prep, for second place. In a contest filled with close Lawrenceville, and Haverford High in three races, Haverford put a beating on the Friars, close meets. In mid-February, the Fords will winning in the end by a score of 103-83 while also send their swimmers to the Inter-Ac capturing first place in all three relays and Championships, hosted at Malvern Prep. five of the nine individual events. Captain On February 24th and 25th, the swim team Zipf commented on the meet against Malvern: will travel to La Salle University for their “We had a huge win over Malvern. Everyone championship meet, “Easterns.” The team swam really well and everyone put up fast hopes to capture their first “top-6” finish in times. After a four point loss against Malvern school history at this battle of the best private in a duel meet last year and a two point loss school swim teams on the East Coast. O’Prey to them at our championship meet, everyone is “very excited” to see what the team will be wanted to win, and that was evident due to the able to do at this meet because he “expects the number of close wins we pulled off.” team to pull off our first ever top-6 finish.” Andrew Helber ‘12
about 16 feet away to bring Haverford its second win of the season. After this close win, the Fords traveled down the road to play in the Shipley Tournament. The Fords first took on The Phelps School in the first round, and Alston led the way with 14 points as the team rolled
over Phelps with a 78-50 win. Then, the Fords went on to play Shipley in the finals of the tournament, and Fords’ fans came ready, all wearing black. However, the Fords could not seem to get anything going because Shipley responded to every shot, rebound, and block. Although Haverford went on to lose the game and the tournament, this was another game that the Fords used to become a better overall team. After easily-obtained wins over Bonner and Gospel of Grace, the Fords had bounced back from their loss and were prepared to square off against a stellar Boys’ Latin team. After a very strong first quarter, Tao Xu and Sam Foreman led the Fords to a 56-46 win. After practicing almost every day over Christmas break, the Fords went down to play two games in Maryland prepared and yearning to play. Their first opponent was Mt. Carmel, who kept with the Fords for the first half. However, Fifth Former Sema’j Reed helped the Fords pull away in the second half with 16 points and carried the Fords to a 67-51 win. The next day the Fords took on Gilman in a highly anticipated game. Although the Fords ended up losing the game 60-40 (and some might say they were not mentally ready), in the end the loss can be attributed to the fact that Gilman hit their shots while the Fords simply did not. After their trip to Maryland, the Fords came back and had one last game on their schedule before the break ended: a game against a very athletic Prep Charter team. The game was very fast paced and upbeat right down until the final whistle. Even when the Fords went up almost double digits, the game came down to the line. But, all of the hard work paid off as the Fords pulled away with a three-point victory. Currently, the Fords sit at 3-2 in the InterAc with notable wins over EA and Penn Charter. Although the season has been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, it has been a successful one, and the team is looking forward to the rest of the season.
Winter Track finding success
Even though everyone on the team works to their limit every day on the track, there are some standouts. Sixth Former Geoff Bocobo The Haverford School winter track team has been “very solid this year,” having already has been exceptional throughout the current qualified for the Meet of Champions in the 2011-2012 season. Despite the fact that the 200 meter and States in the 400 meter. Chris season is just about halfway over, the team has Morgan collected already qualified in three medals in three events for the three separate events Meet of Champions during the DELCO and one event for the Championship and has State Championship. done outstanding during In almost every other meets. Lucas Elek meet, the runners already “shattered” have brought home the school’s 800 meter medals because their record, good to qualify “times are dropping for the 800 meter in both each week,” according to Coach Matt Cook (Form V), Mostafa Seliem (Form VI), Matt Galetta States and the Meet of (Form V), and Alex Vaccaro (Form VI) warm up. Champions. Dr. William Ehrhart. Photo by Josh Pau However, everyone on the team should be He adds, “We are as competitive this year as recognized: “every one of our guys has proven we’ve ever been.” his mettle,” says Dr. Ehrhart. Each runner Almost everyone on the team seems had various answers when asked what the team positive about winter track so far this had to do to continue this success through the season. One asset is the team’s cohesiveness. rest of the season. Griffiths said that “everyone According to Fifth Former Lucas Elek, [needs] to continue to come to practice with winter track has “had a lot of team spirit a good attitude, and push themselves,” While and enthusiasm.” Even Dr. Ehrhart added Elek’s response was more simple: “keep that “there is a team spirit, a real sense of working hard.” This is crucial for success as camaraderie I’ve never seen before in my ten “it can be easy to slip a little bit as the season years of coaching winter track.” continues.” There were multiple key losses of Dr. Ehrhart has nothing but praise for the graduating members of the Class of 2011 that team at this point in the season. “Man for man, many believed would hurt the team; however, this is the best team I’ve had the opportunity this was negated by returning members to work with at the Haverford School. Not working even harder and the arrival of “first necessarily the fastest, but the best: tough, year winter track guys who have made positive willing to work, [and] no complainers.” When contributions,” said Sixth Former Kevin asked how the team could continue their Griffiths. Indeed, Dr. Ehrhart added that “all success, he said “Work hard, race harder, of the boys are working hard and getting good stretch often, stay hydrated, and always results” with a determination to improve week remember: Winter Track Rocks!” in and week out. Matt Larson ‘14
Page 8 The Index - The Outdex January 2012
The Outdex Guest Writers: Sam Bloch ‘13 with the help of James Tarte ‘13, Noah Cutler ‘14, and Grayson Sessa ‘13
In the News... Joe Cilio has not been seen since his speech two weeks ago. Mr. Fifer is being held as the prime suspect. DNA tests have confirmed that Jack “Strong Arms” Armstrong is actually Mr. Fifer’s son. Jesus can walk on water… Mr. Fifer can swim on land. Mr. Fifer has already been to Mars; that’s why there are no signs of life. The hockey team recently held a practice on the Winter Classic ice at Citizens Bank Park. The team spent most of the practice taking pictures of captain Reid Blynn skating with the wind moving through his fabulous flow. Kevin Griffiths will take the SAT for the 13th time on January 28th. Wish him luck. The votes have been tallied and the cutest couple of 2011 as voted by you is Grace van Arkel and Harry Rosenberg. Tim Tebow’s interpretation of John 3:16 – If Tim Tebow loves God, then God will give Tim Tebow a massive chest and allow him to win many football games. Dr. Cox has given basketball superstar Tao Xu three “Cox coins” already, one for each time Tao has dunked. Third Former Manav Khandelwal was forced to drop out of the DECA fashion show because of a wardrobe malfunction. Manav has vowed to return to the competition next year with a dress that the judges deem appropriate. The “Race of the Century” taught us two things; Marcel Logan is really slow and Dave Harris is even slower. Jackie Moon and the Flint Tropics have sued former student body president Joe Cilio after Cilio stole Moon’s “Everybody Love Everybody” or ELE™ speech. The play was so bad that I would have rather died of ARSENIC poisoning. Get it?
Sixth Former Connor Bailey shows off his mustache. Photo by Chris Vattima
Dante Clementi has recently been struggling with roid rage. If you see Dante, turn and run. Have you ever noticed Ryan Hughes’s eyebrows? Complex Clothing, a new clothing store run by Alexander Dawejko and his crew, has taken the fashion world by storm with their new street style clothing. Their signature design consists of them writing their logo on clothing that they bought from real clothing stores. Mr. Patrylak will head to his homeland, “The” Ukraine, over spring break to rediscover his heritage. After deliberating for months, Will Schwartz has finally decided that he will play his college baseball for Hamilton.
Fourth Former Kamari Peel ‘ballin hard.
Photo by Mr. Dwayne Peel Mr. Tryon Zach Rego has promised to let his hair grow out long enough that he cannot be confused with Mr. Tryon anymore.
Third Former Manav Khandelwal happily watches a video of the incident. Photo by Chris Compendio
Contrary to popular belief, Kamari Ballhard Dos-Uno (Ballhard’) does in fact “ball hard.” In a recent JV game, Kamari received 17 seconds of playing time and was able to get 7 people to like his status.
Mr. Green explains new “mid-year Assessments” This year, changes were made to the midterm schedule. In fact, Mr. Green decided to get rid of midterms completely. The week that is usually midterm week has been replaced with a “cumulative assessment week.” The Outdex caught up with Mr. Green to ask him about the changes. Outdex: Why did you decide to get rid of midterms? Mr. Green: Last year’s exam schedule was just not great. For a week, students came to school at 9, took a test and left. I felt that this was way too easy on the students, as they went nearly two weeks without learning anything new. So, I got rid of exams in hope that students would learn more. Overall, I think that this was a very successful last two weeks. Outdex: Overall, the sentiment about the exam week has been negative. How do you feel about that?
Mr. Green: Well, the students are not looking at the past two weeks the same way as I am. They not only got to take all of their exams, but they also got to spend around 30 hours with their teachers that they did not get last year. To me it sounds like a win-win situation. And the week really wasn’t that hard for anyone. At worst, students had six tests that covered half-a-year’s worth of material with very little time to study because they were sitting in school all day. This is truly preparing the boys for college because in college they could easily be put in a similar situation. Outdex: Do you have anything else you would like to say to the student body? Mr. Green: There will be a robotics tournament here at Haverford every day through spring break. I would really like to encourage everyone to go out and support the team because they have spent so much of their time supporting your activities.
The Outdex is The Index’s humor page and is neither true nor intended to offend anyone. Please email hsindex@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.