Hopkins School 986 Forest Road New Haven, CT
Vol LXV, no. 3
February 14, 2019
www.therazoronline.com
Hopkins Introduces New Courses Zoe Kim '20 Assistant News Editor This February, Hopkins released the 2019-2020 Course Guide. As Hopkins students prepare to start planning their course schedule for the upcoming year, many know little of the actual process that goes into adding new courses. Although students begin their course selection well into the second term, the actual process of creating a new course begins long before that: all the way back to the summer before. Ideas don’t only come from the teachers and faculty. Hopkins students also have a large influence in the process. History Department Chair Elizabeth Gleason jokingly said, “Student input matters quite a lot, especially for electives, because if students aren’t interested, they don’t run.” In addition, students often have new creative ideas for potential classes. “Sometimes students will come to us expressly to ask for or very strongly hint at the fact that they wish we offered something that we don’t,” Gleason added. History teacher Zoe Resch noted the influence of research papers and other projects: “Topics that we see people wanting to do over and over again are strong indicators for us in what students are interested in and the potential classes we can create from that.” Resch went on to state that often in electives, teachers who teach related topics notice a certain unit or specific questions in which stu-
dents continue to show interest. The idea for the new history course of Asian Studies: Buddhism, came from History teacher Ian Guthrie’s Comparative Religion class. Guthrie noticed the popularity of the Buddhism unit and how students wished it were longer. Resch stated is meant to “replace the previous course of Asian Studies with a narrower approach." It will dive into the narratives of countries such as India and Tibet, and examine the changing nature of ideas, communities and cultural traditions from a global perspective. Once a new course idea solidifies, it then goes through a series of steps in order to make it onto the guide. The idea is first discussed within the department. Once it receives departmental approval, it must go through Director of Academics David Harpin. From there, it is pitched to the Academic Policy Committee. If it makes it through that, it is then brought to a full faculty vote where it is decided whether the course will run next year or not. The History Department also added a Russian History class, which will trace Russian attempts at enlightenment, rapid industrialization, and modernization in Imperial Russia and the USSR. The Art Department is adding two new courses. Acting II is a new name in the course guide. Art Department Chair Bobby Smith stated, “The class, in essence, is replacing the old course of Acting for Film.” (Continued on Page 2)
George Wang '20 George and Jake Wang '20 mercilessly beat elementary school children 11-0 in a chess exhibition
Check Mates Host Chess Tournament While most of Hopkins spent the weekend after exams sleeping in and recovering before the second term, the Hopkins Chess Club hosted the third annual Connecticut State Grade Chess Tournament on January 19. Hundreds of eager young chess players filled the tables lining upper Heath and spent the day playing chess. The tournament was organized by George and Jake Wang '20, who, along with Cole Markham '20 are the heads of the Hopkins Chess Club. The tournament has grown considerably since Hopkins first hosted it in 2017. In the inaugural year, there were 120 participants, and that number has since grown to over 400 players from schools all over the state. Some Hopkins students also participated in the tournament. The Hopkins Junior team won the Eleventh Grade Connecticut State Chess Championship title with a standout performance by Cole Markham '20, who got second place. Ian Dalis '20, tournament participant, said playing chess “really challenges me to have unwavering focus for hours at a time.” The Wang twins, who organized and ran the tournament, did not compete. After the tournament, they held a chess exhibition, where the (Continued on to Page 2...) duo simultaneously played against eleven of the competitors.
Hip-Hop Activist Jasiri X Launches Black History Month
Sarah Roberts ’20, News Editor Sophia Cerroni '22 “They say Jasiri X you preach too much, I'm like Black people we asleep too much, A Black President but he doesn't speak for us, Another Black body lynched is not unique to us.” Jasiri X is a hip-hop artist and political activist who uses his platform to speak on racial inequity in the United States and around the globe. At Assembly on February 1, Jasiri shared his journey with the Hopkins community, from explaining his mother’s profound influence on his path as an artist to the creation of 1Hood, an artist and activist collective that he co-founded in Pittsburgh to promote peace. As Rehab Senanu ’20 put it, “He spit nothing but facts, and not everybody can do that.” "As a young Black Muslim man, Jasiri uses his art to interact with his community and I thought he
Jemma Williams Jasiri X Opens Up Black History Month in Assembly Inside This Issue: News.........1-2 Features......2-3 Op/Ed......4 Arts......5 Voices..........6 Sports........7-8
Features, Page 3: Faculty Profile: Learn Mrs. Gerstenfeld's past as an architect.
would be a great person to show us what that back and forth between the individual and their community is like,” explained Becky Harper, the Director of Equity and Community. Mikiko Coakley ’23 was amazed to hear how Jasiri connects with his community and realized “since most of us don’t have his background, it was eye-opening to hear about his experiences and how they can apply to us.” Other members of the community appreciated this change of pace as well. Elizabeth Roy ’20 said: “Although Hopkins alums can be incredibly interesting people, I tend to be less engaged in their presentations. It feels more productive to listen to people who have had different experiences than us, like Jasiri X, and to appreciate their stories.” In the opinion of Jamie Donovan ’19, “he’s the best speaker we’ve had all year.” Jasiri explained that his message to students is twofold: “One: follow your passions, your dreams, your conviction. Two: tell your own story and don’t let anybody else do it for you. Do it for yourself.” The presentation from Jasiri X was the first of many initiatives to kick off the celebration of Black History Month at Hopkins. In an effort to strengthen the celebration and collaboration of Black History Month at Hopkins, Students United for Racial Equity (SURE) and the newly reinstated Black Student Union (BSU) came together to plan an even more comprehensive month of events. This planning committee consists of BSU heads Lizabeth Bamgboye ’20 and Michael Christie ’19 and SURE heads Sana Patel ’19, Elena Brennan ’20, and Rayane Taroua ’20. Bamgboye explained why she pushed to revive the BSU, which had been dissolved a few years ago, “While we all appreciate that space and discussion that SURE provides. Michael Christie and I believed that the Black students on campus deserved a space to discuss experiences relating to them.” Last year, Bamgboye and Christie sent out a survey to members of the Black community asking Op/Ed Page 4: Diversity at the University? - Exploring the lack of political diversity at college institutions.
Voices Page 6: Every Meter Earned: A personal essay about the satisfaction of rowing.
if they would want a support system at school and the response was a resounding yes. This lead to the reformation of the BSU, as well as the Black Alumni Network. The next Black History Month speaker will be Sylvia Chan-Malik, a professor of American, Ethnic, and Women's Studies at Rutgers University, on February 21. February 21 is Martyr’s Day, the day Malcolm X was assassinated. Professor Chan-Malik is of Asian background but married a Muslim man and converted to Islam. “Through personal stories, Professor Chan-Malik will be able to speak on American Islam through the eyes of women of color,” shared Dante Brito, another adviser in the Office of Equity and Community. Her presentation will focus on Malcolm X, his life, and his importance. Although the knowledge and experience these speakers bring to campus seem immeasurable to some members of the community, the BSU and SURE recognize the importance of looking inwards. “Bringing outsiders in is extremely valuable, but we also want to stimulate intimacy in our own community and to understand how students on our campus feel,” commented Taroua. To accomplish this, Taroua and the rest of the Black History Month committee have organized a fishbowl discussion for February 27. It will take place in upper Heath during Activities Period. The discussion will be very informal, with the primary goal of creating an open space where students can feel comfortable asking questions and understanding how their peers feel. In addition to the fishbowl discussion, there will be a Black History Month Showcase on February 20 to “spotlight both Black artists within our community and the United States in general,” said Brennan. “The showcase will strive to show the emotion and heart of Black History Month through all types of art.” The showcase will feature a performance from Dance Crew, Jam Club, and (Continued on Page 2) couple of individual songs. Sports Page 6: Team Chemistry in Sports: A Valentine's Day tribute to all teammates.