Hopkins School 986 Forest Road New Haven, CT
Vol LXVI, no. 2
October 18, 2019
www.therazoronline.com
Hopkins Students Balance Google Classroom and New LMS However, some students, think Classroom procides the most unifying experience. Prairie Resch ’21 said, “As a school, we're already using Google Suite for our email and [D]rive, and everything is already connected to Google Classroom. With Classroom, students can make class posts, ask questions privately or publicly, and unsubmit work.” Faculty and students alike complain the new LMS's lack of efficiency. According to Melchinger, “the website require[s] more time for me to program,
get to assignment sheets, especially on [her] phone.” While the new website does have a notificaAnushree Vashist '21 tions option, some suggest that Classroom better perNews Editor formed that function. Cameron Murray ’22 is disappointed “that the website doesn’t tell students which Hopkins adopted a new learning manageteacher made an announcement when an email notificament system (LMS) that, while universally adopted, tion is sent out.” Resch agrees, saying the website “is less is controversial in the Hopkins community. Some efficient at communication than Classroom notifications.” features of the new website include the integration The LMS demands signing in multiple times of the schedule, attendance, class pages, an assignbefore accessing materials. Resch explained the inconvement center, and grade book under a single program. nience: “If I close my computer for a time, The Technology Committee, a I don't need to click at all for Classroom to group of students and faculty that recSarah Roberts '20 get back to the page whereas I have to sign ommends technology policy on campus, back into the website and navigate back to decided the new LMS aligned with the the page I was on.” Sonnenfeld explained overall interests of the Hopkins Coma similar tedious process when logging munity. Director of Academic Technolin on a smartphone, saying she, “ha[s] to ogy Ben Taylor explained the goals inmess around with the Hopkins website on clude a “motion towards consistency Google, then sign in, then scroll through in communication of assignments.” To everything to look for a class, and then this end, teachers now must include click on links to find assignment sheets that dates on assignment sheets, announce take you through a million different Google major deadlines, and online work in the apps.” She hopes, though, that “a way to calendar, and decide whether they will download a Hopkins app” could help. use the grading option. Taylor emphaAdditionally, Classroom offers a specifsized that teachers can continue to use ic grading feature the new website does not Google Classroom, Hopkins’ previous possess, as Taylor acknowledged: “There is LMS: “We’re not saying you can’t use one advantage to Google Classroom which Google Classroom. We want...to be flexis very important to teachers. That's the ible and allow people to try new things.” ability to comment and look at your work, Math teacher Kathryn Chavez and for that not to be seen by students unagrees, emphasizing that she can “take til they are ready to hand them all back at attendance, look up grades and assignall at once.” Melchinger, who writes “a lot ments, and pull [the LMS] up on the of coaching comments on papers, like[s] Juan Lopez '22 visits Mr. McCord's Math 48 Bulletin Board on the new website board and teach kids how to use it. It’s Classroom's functions for dealing with comall in one location and I don’t have to switch screens.” and the results aren't 100% clear. I think the Assign- ments on Google-Docs.” He continued, “I want writing to The experience is similar for some students, like Soment Center is keeping some of my students on task be a conversation about improvement, not just a grade-judgphie Sonnenfeld ’21. She thinks the website is “an efwith more confidence. But we don't know if it's re- ment dropping into a spreadsheet. That's a benefit I don't ficient way to keep all [her] information for classes, ally teaching students to organize their time better.” want to lose, so I chose to stick with Classroom for papers." athletics, and school updates together in one place.” Jenny Gidicsin ’21 “dislike[s] how inefficient it is to Continued on Page 2
College Board Changes AP Policy Juan Lopez '22 Assistant News Editor The College Board decides not only the content of Advanced Placement (AP) exams, but also the fees and registration deadlines. The changes to the AP exam registration process for the 2019-2020 school year is shifting the way Hopkins students and teachers prepare for the exams. The new deadline for registration is November 15. Previously, the deadline was February 19. Any change between the new November date and March 13, 2020 adds a $40 fee per exam on top of the original $94 per exam. The change in the deadline to November forces students to make their decisions with less information. Jeremy Cheng ’22 says “Last year I had much more time to think about taking the AP exam; with that extra time, I was able to decide to take the exam based on how well I understood the material. This year I registered to take an AP exam for Physics. However, based on how I comprehend the material of the class I am then going to decide to either pay the fee and cancel it or take the exam.” The College Board claims the new changes to the registration deadlines and costs create a more organized Inside: News........1-2 Arts..........2-3 Features....4-5 Op/ED.......6 Sports........7-8
process. Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Academics Elaine Plante disagrees, “Right now it does not seem that way. I am basically doing everything I have done in the spring, now in the fall and adding in the online piece.” AP Mathematics teacher David McCord says “Many students feel like taking it in September but, for seniors, in April, with college acceptances in hand and maybe the AP not even acknowledged by their future school, some begin to feel less inclined to take it. They can still back out, but now it costs them $40.” The registration and fee changes also create challenges for students new to AP exams. Sam Mason ’22 explains, “Being this is my first year taking an AP class, it is difficult for me to decide whether or not to take the exam this early in the year. I am not sure what to expect and making the deadline earlier does not help at all.” Plante echoes Mason’s concerns, “I have gotten a few [AP exam registrations] but I think it is hard for the students to make these decisions now.” Nick Wilkinson ’21 says “The earlier deadline doesn’t play a role in my decision at all. I 100% know I want to take Continued on Page 2
Arts Page 2: Hopkins Drama Association Performs Hamlet
Political Primary Primer for Fall 2019 Sophie Sonnenfeld ’21 Op-Ed Editor On Tuesday, November 3, 2020, current Hopkins juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to vote for the first time in the presidential election. As of October 1, 2019, our Hopkins student voters have 19 Democratic and 4 Republican candidates from which to choose. Although the election is more than a year away, the heads of Young Democrats and Young Republicans are already planning a joint Political Discussion Series. For the Democrats, Former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders emerged as the three main front runners in recent polls. The September 22 Politico poll placed Biden at 32%, Warren at 20%, and Sanders at 19%. Other Democratic candidates that made it in the top ten include: California Senator Kamala Harris; Mayor of South Bend, Indiana Pete Buttigieg; former Texas Representative Beto O’Rourke; Entrepreneur Andrew Yang; New Jersey Senator Cory Booker; Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar; and Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard. Of these candidates, there are a record number
Features Page 4: Students March for Climate Action
Features Page 5: New Faculty Profiles!
of women and people of color running. In 2018, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) slated 12 DNC debates to take place, six during 2019 and the remaining six for the first four months of 2020. At the time this article was written, some logistics including an offical candidate list and timing of the next debate on October 15 were still being determined. The debate was moderated by CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett as well as New York Times National Editor Marc Lacey. CNN, The New York Times, BBC, and other news analysts disagreed over who won and lost in the debates, but candidates differentiated themselves in terms of strategic attack and defense, public speaking and debating ability, and policy. For this election, there will be 50 primaries and seven caucuses in Iowa, Nevada, Wyoming, and four territories. The primaries and caucuses lead up to the 2020 Democratic National Convention which is scheduled to take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from July 13 to 16, 2020. Aaron Gruen ’21, said he feels the Democratic primaries are important in order to determine the direction of the Democratic Party. “There are so many monumental issues, Continued on Page 2
Sports Page 8: Faculty Spotlight: Former Soccer Stars
The Razor: News/Arts
Page 2
Reflections on the Primary Elections
said he does care about primaries. “[The Primaries] allow the viewer to experience what each candidate offers in a much more specific scenery than a presidential debate.” Amoedo said he thinks debates are sometimes the best way to learn from other people and is always interested to talk with friends who have different political opinions. While Amoedo has political discussions with peers during activities or free time, some of Amoedo’s classes have discouraged talking about politics after the 2016 elections. “I think certain teachers are very outspoken about their beliefs in class and sometimes that scares away kids from expressing their opinions if they are not the same.” Head of Young Democrats Nate Meyers ’22 said his classes have not talked about politics either. “I understand why teachers don’t speak about it, but I still think discussing politics leads to some vibrant and fun debate. When it’s controlled, [it] can be very beneficial in introducing contrasting points of view to the world.” To get involved in politics at Hopkins, Amoedo suggests students join Young Democrats or Young Republicans. “Young Democrats and Young Republicans are a great way to get involved in a political scene. The Political Discussion Series will be coming back, so people with different ideas can discuss as well.” Gruen said although most Hopkins students can’t vote, “we can inspire others to vote on our behalf for the issues we care about. I’ll be able to vote in 2020, but regardless of the Democratic nominee, I have plans to knock on doors, make phone calls, and volunteer in any way I can.” In Connecticut if you are 17 years old and turn 18 on or before election day, and have a current and valid driver’s license, learner’s permit, or non-driver photo identification card issued by the CT Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), you can use the online voter registraDemocratic canidates introducing themselves at the first tion system at voterregistration.ct.gov. debate
Continued from Page 1 such as climate change, healthcare, and taxes, and every candidate has a different take on each. I think it’s important that we debate and discuss in these early stages of the primaries, as these candidates are the future of our country.” Environmental activist Julia Kosinski ’21 said she is not in support of any specific candidate at the moment but feels the primaries are important because “it allows a political party to unite behind a candidate.” Similar to the Democratic Party Presidential Primaries, states and US territories will hold 2020 Republican Party presidential primaries and send delegates to the 2020 Republican National Convention, which will be in Charlotte, North Carolina on August 24 to 27, 2020. In September, Kansas, South Carolina, and Nevada state committees, as well as the Arizona and Alaska Republican Parties, decided to cancel their primaries and caucuses. “As a general rule, when either party has an incumbent president in the White House, there’s no rationale to hold a primary,” said South Carolina GOP Chairman Drew McKissick. Head of Young Republicans Alessandro Amoedo ’20 is a Trump supporter but
October 18, 2019
Changes in LMS Cause Controversey Continued from Page 1 Despite these setbacks, many appreciate, in the words of Jack Kealey ’21, the “easy to use” format of the LMS. Chavez agreed: “It’s so organized. My kids can find whatever they want, unlike Google Classroom, where you have to cursor back and try to find what was posted. It’s not a running feed; it’s a big bulletin board that everything is pinned to.” Additionally, all of Chavez’s materials from last year transferred to her current pages; thus, she doesn’t “have to remake the wheel.” Taylor explained an additional feature that teachers felt strongly about: the website’s access to support from the Technology Department. “I can’t go into other teachers’ Google Classroom pages. We have to be able to have a physical meeting, which I think we all know how difficult that is to schedule. With hopkins.edu, I can go in and fix it.” Among students, online
access to grades was a popular feature of the LMS. Some, like Spanish teacher and Head Adviser of the Class of 2021 Marie Doval, now allow students to see their grades online. Although aware of “how it could perhaps create a little more anxiety,“ she reported that her “small sampling [of students] likes it.” Zoe Smith ’21 appreciates this function, suggesting that it actually reduces “some of the stress of getting an assessment with a not-so-great grade back by making [her] realize how little of an effect it really has.” Taylor, for one, who “can already see an appreciation for unification growing,” is hopeful that students and faculty alike will understand the website’s functioning better in the future. “Even if you don’t love the interface, with the way our schedule works, you need to go there. And the more time you spend there for other things, the more familiar students are going to get, [so] it’s going to become easier to navigate.”
AP Registration Deadline Continued from Page 1 it. It’s a no brainer to take the AP exams. It doesn’t make any difference to my preparation. If anything, I think it even makes it easier because there is more time for me to prepare.” Colleges vary in what AP Exams they take for credit or placement, and most seniors will not find out what college they will attend until after the AP Exam registration deadline passes. Serena Ta ’20 believes “the College Board only changed the registration date to suck money out of us. Their ‘non-profit’
setup doesn’t fool me. They’re exploiting us of value by quantifying our worth, and vacuuming up our bank accounts in the process.” Plante remains optimistic that the new registration model will lead to some positive changes: “My hope is that in May this is all easier because I won’t have to keep track of the AP Booklets and there will be less to do, like complete my own rosters.” Plante adds, “The most important thing is remembering the due dates for this year and that I need the paper registration forms and online registration.”
Hopkins Drama Association Performs Hamlet Zach Williamson ’22 Assistant Arts Editor On October 17, 18, and 19, the Hopkins Drama Association (HDA) will perform the fall show Hamlet, Shakespeare’s renowned tragedy, directed by Hope Hartup and Assistant Director Leah Miller ’20. Hamlet follows its titular character (Petey GraLeah Miller ’20
Petey Graham ’20 acts out his role as Hamlet for a photo. ham ’20) on his path to avenging his father’s death. Hamlet encounters his father’s ghost (James Jeffrey ’22), feigns madness, and works to get revenge on his father’s killer, his uncle-turned-stepfather, Claudius (Griffin Congdon ’20). This production comes after a pair of much more humorous
Shakespeare shows put on by HDA: the spring show, As You Like It, and Shakespeare on a Shoestring: The Comedy of Errors! performed at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Ellie Doolittle ’20 (Gertrude) commented, “As You Like It was lighthearted and very much in the genre of romantic comedy, while Hamlet is a tense tragedy. The content is intense and there are a lot of moving parts.” In a show with such intensity and depth, Hamlet’s characters are equally as complex. Congdon remarked, “All the characters in the show have mixed motives, so it’s really fascinating to try to figure out why my character is doing what he’s doing, and then work on subtly showing that to the audience.” Sawyer Maloney ’21 plays the role of Laertes, a character who deals with immense grief after the death of his sister Ophelia. According to Maloney, “the hardest part of this production has been understanding Laertes’s grief and replicating it into something an audience can feel. It has been a really good feeling to slowly understand more and more how to grapple with his anguish, and after particular rehearsals, just feel like I’ve improved.” Hamlet’s emotional depth has been challenging yet rewarding for Graham. He said, “Playing someone with this much emotional turmoil, the challenge is keeping it separate from your own life: getting really in character when it’s in the moment but coming off stage and being able to separate that from reality. I got memorized pretty early, so Hope and I were able to have more conversations about the script and about what things meant. It’s a process of thinking about what’s actually being said and why one would act a certain way.” This show has also presented actors with a challenge beyond the material within the script: Hamlet is performed in the round. The last HDA show presented in this style was 2016’s Othello. Hartup sees theater in the round as an exciting format that offers actors intriguing new challenges: “Working in the round is incredibly freeing for an actor. Onstage movement works different lines than proscenium staging and encourages the actor to make more physical adjustments. In doing so, the stage picture can feel more natural. For those student performers who have only worked on the regular
school stage, performing in the round has offered them a new experience where they can move and relate to each other in new ways and explore a new stage vocabulary.” Corinne Evans ’20
Students enact a short scene put on within Hamlet, entitled “The Murder of Gonzago.”
Graley Turner ’20 (Guildenstern) found that this unique setup “really changed the cast’s whole perspective on acting. Now that there’s audience on all four sides, we constantly have to be aware of our actions. Anything we do can cut off somebody’s view of the play, so we have to learn how to keep sight lines open.” Maloney agreed with Turner: “doing a play ‘in the round’ really makes acting feel more immersive. You no longer worry about ‘cheating out’ for your audience. Instead, you can have conversations head on, walk around the stage and turn whatever way you feel like.” This show has been a great opportunity for all involved. Graham commented,“Playing Hamlet is every actor’s dream. It’s amazing; I look forward to every part of it,” said Graham, “it’s what gets me out of bed in the morning, knowing that I get to try new things and play this really emotionally vulnerable and multidimensional character.” Hamlet is sure to be a unique experience for actors and audience members alike, with impressive performances and an exciting setup unlike what students typically see at Hopkins.
ARTS
October 18, 2019
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Q+A With Student Band Omnia Ella Zuse ’21 Assistant Arts Editor Omnia is a band made up of three Hopkins students: Alexis Chang ’21, Steven Broun ’21, and Alejandro (Ale) Lopez ’21. Their most recent performance was at Back to School Bash where they performed “Goodie Bag” by Still Woozy, “Some” by Steve Lacy, and “River” by Leon Bridges. How did Omnia form? Chang: The first version of our band started in October of our freshman year. Alejandro and I were taking Italian 1 together, and, that year, the annual Italian dance workshop finished early. We decided to go to the band room and play together for the first time because we had brought up in conversation that I played guitar and he played bass. We had a short-lived band with Elio DiMauro [’22] and his brother Giovanni [’21], but Alejandro and I stuck together and started to look for members. Miya [Segal ’21] came to us about two days later asking about the singer/pianist position. We had her do a small audition in the practice rooms to see if we sounded good together, and after a couple of minutes we said YES. Steven joined about a year later, in September of 2018. We needed a drummer to play with us in the Back To School Bash, and he sounded perfect. That night was so successful and fun, so the next day we asked him if he wanted to officially join the band. Steven: Yeah, they texted me asking if I wanted to see if I could fit with their band cause they needed a drummer, and I gladly agreed. Luckily they liked how we all sounded together (I did too), so after BTSB, they asked me to join officially and I said yes.
How did you choose the name Omnia? Chang: Alejandro and I are both huge fans of the show Stranger Things, and one of the actors, Finn Wolfhard, has a band called “Calpurnia” that we both love. We decided that we wanted a short band name like that one, one that is cool, unique, and does not have just one definition. Either Ale or Miya, I don’t remember who, had come up with the name “Omnia” because it means “all” or “everything” in Latin, and, like our band, we enjoy playing all types of genres.
How often do you rehearse? Where do you rehearse? Broun, Chang, and Lopez: Rehearsals depend on our weeks, and how much the year permits. The majority of our practices take place in the music rooms of Thompson. Freshman year practices were pretty much every single day after lunch, up until about January. After that, it was about once a week, which was still fun and enough for us. Before we play at Back to School Bash, we meet a ton; pretty much every time we are all free to work together. We will probably try to meet twice every week or something like that this year. What is the process like for choosing your set list for performances? Chang and Lopez: Usually, we try to find songs that are well known and will get the audience excited, but, at the same time, songs that we love and enjoy make our playing so much better. All together, we have a variety of tastes in music. Because of this, we try to do one song that each of us chooses and likes. We also like to finish with a slow song. Broun: We often have a list of songs that we want to play/we think would sound really cool, and then from there we focus on the ones that we can solidify before a
performance. After that, we try to go back and work on the others from that list. I think we have four different Spotify playlists of songs that we all want to work on. What experience do you have with music? Lopez: Before Omnia, I played the bass guitar for all of eighth grade and ninth grade. My music knowledge comes from Jazz Rock Ensemble and Omnia. Playing jazz standards in class is easier than playing in front of a crowd but my band mates make it fun.
that have inspired the music I try to create today. I started playing piano when I was four, and when I was in sixth grade, I found a ukulele in our basement that I
Talia Chang
Broun: I started playing piano in third Omnia members (from left to right) Alexis Chang ’21, Alejandro Lopez grade, then picked ’21, and Steven Broun ’21 after performing at Back to School Bash. up the saxophone in sixth grade, drums in seventh, and actu- learned to play. I started playing guitar in ally started learning guitar this summer. the summer after sixth grade, which then Music is just something that surrounds led me to start writing music. I love explormy life: whether I’m working on home- ing new genres with Omnia that I probawork or trying to write some music of bly would not have gotten into otherwise. my own, I can use my background to really try and make everything sound good. What are your hopes for the band this Omnia has been really helpful with this: year? we all have such great ideas about how the music can sound better, and we can Chang and Lopez: We would love to perwork ideas off of each other. We’re also form more this year! Last year we only percollaborative, which makes it super fun. formed at Back to School Bash, so we want to try to expand from that because it is so Chang: Music has been a part of my life much fun to play for Hopkins students. for as long as I can remember. It’s probably the area I’m the strongest in, and most Broun: We‘re also working on creating some passionate about as an artist. I grew up original songs that could turn into an EP or listening to many different types of music an album, so we’re super excited about that.
Making the Most of a Hopkins Arts Course Lily Meyers ’20 Arts Editor The new school year offers an opportunity to either spend more time learning about and practicing an art you love, or to try something new. Either way, by considering how you approach the class and the work you do for that class, you can make the most of an Arts course at Hopkins. Many students who love their Arts courses approach their classes as a time to step back from the other courses they are taking. Eva Illuzzi ’20, who is currently taking Fine Art III, said, “My art course has always been a 55-minute escape from all the academic stress of each day. I do not think I would be able to go a term without it (and I haven’t). I think Hopkins offers such a wide variety of art courses that finding a class that can draw your attention away from that test next period should be no problem.” Orly Baum ’22 agreed: “For me, Concert Choir is a fantastic opportunity to let go of my stresses for an hour and spend that time doing what I love most, which is singing.” The connections people make in Arts courses are one of the aspects that create a rewarding experience in the course. Kyle Shin ’20 said of his time in orchestra, “Instead of thinking about it as another class, I try to enjoy the time I get every day to play music with my friends.” Baum agreed:, “Arts like Concert Choir and Orchestra are great opportunities to meet the most people you can because there are upwards of 50 musicians in each class and they’re from all grades.” Peers are only one part of the community that can make Arts courses more rewarding; connecting with teachers is just as valuable. Cici Liu ’20 said, “The Arts teachers are super friendly and would love to help you work on any project you want. Come up with many ideas and your art teachers will help you narrow down the options.”
Jemma Williams
Visual Arts students work on a project in a Thompson studio. Some classes ask for students to put in time outside of class to continue working on what they learn during the school day. Although it may seem like extra work, the extra time outside of class will help you improve on whatever art you choose to pursue, and will prepare you to be more engaged during class. Ava Cho ’22 said, “practicing and doing homework helps with learning music” for Orchestra. Many students stress that picking the right arts course for you is a crucial part of the process. Cho is currently taking two Arts courses: Orchestra and AP Music Theory. The two courses have worked together to
give her a multi-faceted approach to learning music. In Orchestra, she said, “Mr. Smith teaches the class various techniques and coaches us on our playing (fingerings, bowings, dynamics),” while Music Theory “helps broaden my musical knowledge for violin (general playing, sight-reading, etc.).” Liu ’20 suggested picking out a variety of Arts courses: “I highly recommend taking different art classes from fine art to pottery-- explore your options and there will definitely be something for you.” Because there are so many options, students can pick a course that fits into their schedule as well, to ensure that the course is a time to be enjoyed rather than a burden. Baum explained, “Many Hopkins art classes are one term, so if you play a sport in the fall, you can take a second-term art, or, if you want, you can take a second-term art and a first-term history elective you’ve been waiting to take since ninth grade.” One of the most important aspects of fully embracing any Arts course at Hopkins is going in with an open mind and not worrying about how much experience you have at the beginning. Sawyer Maloney ’21, who enjoys taking drama courses, said, “It doesn’t really matter if you’re good or bad, as long as you think you’re growing.” Liu agreed: “It doesn’t matter your skill set, I promise you will have a wonderful time.” Baum emphasized that if you are willing to put in work and enthusiasm, there is an Arts course that “appeals to everyone. Every course is designed to take beginners and to take people who want to study that art for the rest of their life: Hopkins art courses are open to anyone who wants to try something new. Because of this, you can learn just the basics of any art form, or you can stay on a track and further immerse yourself insomething you enjoy.” Maloney said that Arts courses are a time to be “with friends and let creativity take its course.”
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FEATURES Hopkins Marches For Climate Action
October 18, 2019
activists, scientists, and politicians are now embracing climate alarmism. When asked what the term ‘climate crisis’ means to him, Ridky shared: “I think it’s my first experience with a genuine existential crisis. We’re talking in very real terms about whether or not tens of thousands of different species will continue to exist, whether entire cultures and populations will continue to exist, and whether humanity will continue to exist in the way we know it.” Michelle Grutzendler ’22 offered her interpretation: “The climate crisis is the most pressing issue of our time because it concerns the safety of not one social class, race, or nationality, it continues to affect all of us with complete environmental destruction.” t it will continue to
ists around the world to unite in orchestrating their own strikes on Sep 20. The New Haven Youth Climate Movement, made up of local highschoolers, organized the strike On September 20, over four million stuin New Haven. The march featured speakers from the lodents around the globe skipped school to take to the cal chapter of the Sunrise Movement, Yale students from streets and demand that lawmakers take immediate acFossil Free Yale, Climate Justice speakers from rural Nition to address the climate crisis. Several Hopkins stucaragua, and New Haven youth. Isabel Melchinger ’21 atdents participated in this historic day of climate activtended the strike because “at this point, raising awareness ism at New Haven and New York City climate strikes. and supporting the cause is a lot of the fight.” The global climate strikes were organized by the Protestors marched around the New Haven youth-led organization Fridays for the Future. Swedish Green until they reached City Hall. Pausing at each corclimate activist Greta Thunberg founded this organization ner to discuss one facet of the climate crisis, speakers on August 20, 2018 and it has since gained a huge foltouched upon transportation, agriculture, displacement, lowing. Students participatand justice. At the end of the march, ing in Fridays for the Future the crowd was invited to participate in skip school every Friday, a die-in, a spectacle in which everyone sacrificing their education to sat in silence for two minutes to recogcall on officials to take the nize the destruction wrought by climate climate crisis seriously. The change. Sophie Sonnenfield ’21, who global September 20 action attended the strike as a reporter for The was initiated by Fridays for New Haven Independent, commented: the Future to align with the “It was incredible to see the enormous September 23 United Nations show of support for the New Haven CliClimate Action Summit in mate Movement. My favorite part was New York City to call youth the die-in: I feel like that really showed throughout the world to acthe passion of the crowd.” As the crowd tion. As Geneva Cunninggrew, strikers began to over fill the sideham ’21 described, “For0 Julia Kosinski ‘21 walks and block the street. When asked Julia Kosinski ‘21 the [September] 20, my Inif political activism should be brought to Julia Kosinski ’21 and other New Haven Youth hold stagram feed was flooded Michelle Grutzendler ’22 and Chase Stevens- the streets, Ridky responded, “Absolutethe banner in the New Haven Climate strike. with posts from massive school Scanlan ’22 hold up posters at the New York ly. It’s a spectacle, but that’s exactly the strikes from around the globe.” point. Sometimes, in the best way possiCity Climate strike. With youth activists taking the lead in the crucial affect all of us with complete ble, you have to make a scene to be seen.” fight for climate action, English teacher Brad Ridky feels environmental and climate destruction.” Sophie SonnenStevens-Scanlan and Grutzendler also took to “hopeful and a little bit saddened at the same time.” Ridky feld ’21 defined the crisis as: “calling on individuals, law the streets to demand climate action at the New York City added that when he was younger, “research had already makers, and strong community voices to practice, enforce, climate strike. Grutzendler admitted that while she “went established the science behind climate change” and since and encourage change to save our world.” At a local level, partly to hear Greta Thunberg speak in Battery Park,” she then “the numbers have gotten way, way worse.” Chase governments are beginning to adopt alarmist terminology. also “wanted to be a part of one of the biggest marches Stevens-Scanlan ’22 reflected on the youth leadership: “I This summer, after pressure from the New Haven Climate in the world that day.” Stevens-Scanlan also mentioned think the youth are doing awesome, especially in the age Movement activists, New Haven joined hundreds of gov- why she skipped school to attend the march: “As kids, where social media can spread awareness. That is how I ernments around the world when they became the sec- it’s hard to directly affect policy. We can’t vote. Taking stay informed about climate change and the environment.” ond town in Connecticut to declare a climate emergency. activism to the streets and disrupting everyday life to While in the past, many deemed climate scientists In order to recognize the climate crisis, Fri- show how much we care is going to make the change.” as ‘alarmists’ for discussing the dangers of climate change, days for the Future organizers called on climate activJulia Kosinski ’21 Features Editor
Students Embark on Class Trips Emmett Dowd ’21, Anjali Subarmanian ’22 Assistant Features Editors
On September 27, students in grades seven through eleven went on trips for Class Day. This year, the seventh, eighth, and ninth grade trips concentrated on meeting and getting to know new people, while the tenth and eleventh grade trips focused on topics studied in class. Seniors had the day off to work on college essays. Students in grade seven went to the Durham Fair, an agricultural fair with music, food, and rides. According to Carrie Shea, Head Adviser of the Class of 2025, they started off the day by “looking at the animals and agricultural displays, and completing a scavenger hunt.” In the afternoon, students had “time to play games and go on the rides.” They “eat lots of fried oreos, win stuffed animals, and go on roller coasters such as Zipper and Scrambler.” This trip has been a “seventh grade tradition for over twenty years,” and Shea hopes it will continue. Eighth graders did not leave Hopkins for their trip, as they spent the day on the Adam Kreiger Adventure Course. Although the activity has been a tradition, Jocelyn Garrity, Head Adviser of the Class of 2024 considered changing the trip. She decided against it because she recognizes “the value of the students experiencing our own adventure course.” She believes this trip allowed students to “know and appreciate more of their peers.” Similar to seventh and eighth
grade trips, the freshman trip to the Big E focused on forming friendships. They spent the first half of their day in advisor groups, and the second half with friends. Daniela Rodriguez-Larrain ’23 enjoyed the trip: “For the first hour, my advisor showed us the fair and the different parts. Then we split off into groups and hung out with friends.” Ashley Sjolund
Ninth graders in Ashley Sjolund’s advisor group spend time together at the Big E. She continued, “It was fun! I got to hang out with friends and meet new people all while playing games and taking pictures.” The sophomore class traveled to Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, experiencing first-hand life in 1800s New England, and even participated in a town hall at the Meeting House. Each sopho-
more was assigned a persona to formulate got to choose which gallery I got to go to an argument based off of their person’s instead of having to split time between life. Talia Chang ’22 stated, “I enjoyed the two.” Head Advisor of the Class of seeing the animals living an authentic life 2021, Marie Doval explained, “This is a on the Sturbridge farm and seeing people multi-department trip where art and engworking the farms just like they did in lish are combined to offer the students 1800.” History teacher Ian Guthrie pro- a way to see art and then write about it.” vided an explanation for what he hoped According to Shea, class trips students got out of the trip: “The goal of are an “engaging tradition.” They althe tenth grade trip to Old Sturbridge Vil- low students to “get to know each other lage is to provide Hopkins students with outside of class.” Garrity feels that stuan immersive opportunity to explore the dents “get a lot out of the day and have world of America at the time of the indus- a valuable and memorable experience.” trial revolution. By talking with village performers amd exploring the town itJocelyn Garrity self, students have the opportunity to take in the sights, sounds, and society of small town life in the United States.” When asked about how to improve the trip, CJ Maiurro ’22 stated, “The Town Hall meeting was fun but also seemed kind of unnecessary, like something we could have done in class.” The junior class traveled to New Haven to tour, the Yale Art Gallery and the Center for British Art. The students were split into tour groups and had facilitated discussions about specific pieces. They went out for lunch in New Haven, and came back to the galleries to analyze and write about a chosen painting. After their visit to the galleries, the juniors worked on writing pieces during the following week in their writing semester class. When Eighth graders perform a bonding exercise asked about how to improve the trip, Adon the Hopkins quad. die Priest ’21 stated, “I would prefer if I
October 18, 2019
The Razor
The Razor: Features
Welcome to The Hill! Megan Maxwell
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. I was an English department faculty brat at Lawrenceville, a boarding school there. What is your academic background? I received my bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and my master’s degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. What are you teaching/coaching/advising/etc. this year? I’m teaching Atlantic Communities II and AP European history. I’m advising Per Annos and the Student Council, and am really looking forward to both to see how Hopkins works. Who or what has inspired you most in life, and why? After I graduated college, I worked for two years at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project. Besides the joy of working with people who dents to icons of the Civil Rights Movement. I got to eat lunch with men and women I’d read about, written about, and seen in documentaries. They were young, irreverent, dedicated, and focused. And all they wanted was for my generation to keep the torch burning. What particular tidbit we should know about you? I like to craft, so in my downtime, I’ll likely be knitting or making jewelry. I began beading in 2000, took some classes in soldering and setting stones in the mid 2000s, and most recently discovered the siren song of making chain maille. I have succumbed. Also, my 22.5 minutes of fame came in 2007, when I didn’t bet enough on Final Jeopardy! to win. I didn’t think I knew enough about poetry. Do you have a pet? I have a labradoofa named Tuppence. No one believes me when I say that she’s eight years old because she behaves like a wayward puppy. She insists that I get out and meet new besties—human and beast—for her. She is afraid of thunder and vacuums, but tries to play with lawn mowers and snakes (non-venomous!).
Megan Maxwell
Sam Stockton
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Washington, D.C. What is your academic background? I graduated from Dartmouth College in June, where I majored in English Literature. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on the relationship between language and race in a few of William Faulkner’s major novels. What are you teaching/coaching/advising/ etc. this year? I will be teaching English 8 and coaching Junior School football this fall. What was your favorite experience as a student? My favorite experience as a student was a class on Stream of Consciousness literature, which I took in the fall of my junior year of high school. In Sam Stockton that class, we read Ulysses, To the Lighthouse, and The Sound and the Fury, and I recognized that I wanted to pursue a career studying literature. Are you a sports fan? I am an avid fan of the Washington Capitals. I an Applebee’s in a small town in Maine; it is among my fondest memories. Do you have a pet? While I do not have my own pet here in New Haven, I spend most of time thinking about my family’s beagle Lucky. She will turn 14 in late September, and pictures of her occupy most of my phone’s storage.
Josh Zelinsky
Where did you grow up? I grew up in New Haven. I was a student at Hopkins. What is your academic background? I did my undergraduate degree at Yale and a PhD at Boston University. What are you teaching/coaching/advising/etc. this year? I’ll be teaching pre-calculus and the senior seminar. I’ll be assistant coach for the Junior School wrestling team. Who or what has inspired you most in life, and why? There’s a temptation to say Moggs Wright and David McCord, both teachers here at Hopkins (although Mrs. Wright theirs. Outside people from Hopkins, my own attitudes and interests in mathematics very easy to state and explain but aren’t necessarily easy to solve. I’m hoping that when I teach the senior seminar to pass some of that sort of interest down to the students. What particular tidbit we should Josh Zelinsky know about you? Major hobbies include Dungeons and Dragons and other roleplaying games, as well as gaming in general. Tell us about a book, that has impacted you and why? One book that had a major impact on me is Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature about the decline in human violence levels over time. In general, the book gave me a much more optimistic view of where humanity is going.
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Mike McManus
Where did you grow up? Hamden, Connecticut. What is your academic background? Notre Dame West Haven, University of Connecticut What are you teaching/coaching/advising/etc. this year? I am Advising seniors as a shadow for Susan Bennit. I coach squash, informal weight training, informal tennis and squash, and will be starting my seventh year with the Girls Varsity Tennis Team. We are seeking
Mike McManus
Who or what has inspired you most in life, and why? My grandfather Francis V. McManus. He was one of the longest tenured Chief of Police in New Haven history. He was a very strong, driven, serious head of our family. Looking back, what stands out most is not how strict he was but how he shared his love. I try to follow the example he set of inspiring people through hard work, discipline and truly caring for others. What particular tidbit should we know about you? I am married with three young boys. They are: Murphy (8), Michael (6), Myles (almost 2). My greatest joy is seeing them grow and learn. I am surprised every day at how smart, loving, and open my boys are. I have proud moments every day. Are you a sports fan? Sport? Team? Participant in? I am a very big sports fan. My favorite sports teams are Green Bay Packers, New York Knicks, UConn basketball, and the New York Mets. I played high school basketball and tennis. I was a scholarship member of the UConn Huskies tennis team. I still play golf, tennis, and basketbal, l and I compete on the professional platform tennis tour throughout the winter/spring months.
Meghan O’Neill
Where did you grow up? I grew up in White Plains, NY What is your academic background? After graduating from White Plains High School
Missouri for college, where I attended Washington University in St. Louis. After completing my undergraduate degree in math and secondary education, I enrolled in the UPenn Residency in Teaching Program, earning my MA in education while concurrently teaching at Riverdale Country School in NYC. What are you teaching/coaching/advising/ etc. this year? I am teaching Math 30 and Math 45 this year, advising freshmen, and eventually coaching Junior School SwimMeghan O’Neill ming and assistant coaching Girls Water Polo! What particular tidbit we should know about you? I like to create art in my spare time! I like to think of myself as a very amateur illustrator, but I have dabbled in a number of other areas of craftiness as well, such as knitting, crochet and cross-stitching. Are you a sports fan? Sport? Team? Participant in? I am not a big sports fan, but I will blindly support the New York Yankees and New York Giants— much to the detriment of some of my personal relationships. Do you have a pet? I have a cat named Pip— I named her after Pippin in the Lord of the Rings, because sometimes she can be a bit of an airhead, and she’s also very upset that I am not familiar with second breakfast.
Jenny Roach
Where did you grow up? What is your academic background? I went to high school at Nichols School in What are you teaching/coaching/advising/etc. this year? I’m teaching tenth grade English, assistant coaching Thirds Soccer in the fall and Junior School Girls Lacrosse in the spring. What particular tidbit we should know about you? I spent the last academic year traveling. First I went to South America and backpacked; then in January, I started working as an au Are you a sports fan? Sport? Team? Participant in? I am a fan of all soccer, basketball and lacrosse in high school and lacrosse at Williams. Do you have a pet? My parents got a black lab puppy last summer and we are all obsessed with her. I’m also trying to convince my housemate to get a puppy and it seems like she might be on board so stay tuned.
Jenny Roach
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS October 18, 2019
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Understanding Environmental Injustice Sarah Roberts ’20 Managing Editor As the climate crisis intensifies and more is at stake, the tangible effects of climate change become alarmingly disparate on both the local and global scale. Far too often, it’s the communities that do the least to contribute to the problem whose livelihoods bear the most substantial burden of climate disaster. This disparity became most apparent to me when I was looking at the weather forecast in the car with my dad a couple of weeks ago. On Monday, there was a high of 84 while Wednesday had a high of 64. When he jokingly said “Well that’s climate change for ya” it struck me: for most of
us living in semi-suburban and urban Connecticut, that is the closest we’ve gotten to any firsthand experience with climate change. Although these drops in temperatures exemplify one narrow side of the issue, climate change is also pollution and hurricanes and extinctions: things that are quite foreign to most of us at Hopkins. Our distance from the problem shields us from the difficulty of the solution. Cutting our CO2 emissions, while albeit effective, would have drastically different ramifications for a teenager attending prep school in New England and a middle-aged man working in coal mines in Kentucky. More generally, at both the individual and national levels, the wealthiest people are responsible for the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions, but the least affluent are the most vulnerable to its repercussions. Large industries and corporations are the main perpetrators of CO2 emissions, but are incredibly distanced from its effects. This leads to a sort of double penalty, where those who
bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change are those who contributed least to the problem. In order to rectify this, our activism and movements for change must address the needs of those most impacted by fossil fuel pollution. This disparity also prevails in relation to race. Study after study indicates people of color face disproportionate risks from pollution. This is often a result of polluting industries being located in the middle of their
lihood. It would, therefore, be overly simplistic to bring up the economy as the only factor to analyze in reducing emissions. To ask a large portion of our population to change their lifestyles instantly would be unreasonable. The social impacts of climate change mitigation must also be brought into consideration during this transition. To maximize the benefits of climate change mitigation policies, policy makers and their supporters need to be aware of the often complex social impacts these policies may have. As countries ramp up their climate policy ambition, this understanding will become crucial. We
“In order to rectify this, our activism and movements for change must address the needs of those most impacted by fossil fuel pollution.”
Cartoon portrays Amazon burning a tree
communities. Pollution sources, like emissions from factory farming and cars on highways, impact the communities located closest to them. More often than not, these communities are poor communities of color, exposing already discriminated against populations to more harm. Regardless, it is incredibly difficult to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, specifically CO2. Fossil fuels are the foundation of our societies and economies. What we eat, how we get around, how we produce consumer goods, how we heat our homes, and so on. All these habits rely on fossil fuel combustion. Many lower-income laborers also rely on fossil fuels as their jobs and their live-
must ensure new strategies to reduce emissions do not exacerbate existing situations of energy insecurity as we move forward through this crisis. In addition, we must ensure that communities who bear the greatest burdens from climate change help shape the solutions to achieve environmental justice. Regardless, it is increasingly apparent that a lack of action will only undermine existing environmental problems. Consequently, controlling global warming must be a prerequisite for sustainably raising living standards. Unless justice and equity are central aspects of our climate agenda, the inequality of the carbon-based economy will be replicated as we build a new renewable energy economy. Many of us at Hopkins are far removed from this situation and any direct effects of climate change, simply as a result of our social, geographic, and economic demographics. However, this doesn’t change the gravity of the issue and the importance of our involvement. Our privilege as Hopkins students allows us the opportunities to be the people who can shape the future. Yet, this privilege comes with responsibility. We must avoid the mistakes of our predecessors by working with the communities impacted by climate change to ensure an environmentally just future.
Religion is Not the Enemy
In a school that emphasizes STEM-based knowledge, religion is not a prevalent topic of discussion on campus. The prevailing view in academic communities is to see religion as a collection of myths. We value ethnic diversity, yet often discount religiosity. Declaring belief in a god can result in classic arguments like, “What about evolution?” and “There’s no proof,” along with “If there is a God why do bad things happen?”
These days it is almost trendy to be spiritual; trending on Instagram, Urban Outfitters, and yoga studios. It’s true, science often contradicts traditional religion. Why believe in a concept with no proof in a culture driven by facts? As said in my Philosophy class by Sarah Roberts ’20, humans are “meaning making machines.” There is no proof of a God, there is no proof of Heaven, and the entire basis of traditional religions are on outdated text written as long as thousands of years ago. Why should people believe? Have we replaced traditional religion at Hopkins with a different sort of ideology: one based on performance, grades, and overt success? We glibly reject religion. However, I worry we embraced a meritocracy where there are winners and losers. Are we really happier people because we are so “enlightened”? What about grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation? These concepts draw their power from a deep religious well. Living in liberal New England, political conservatism cast a negative light on Christianity. Controversial topics of homosexuality and abortion are condemned, or not discussed at length in various religious environments. The entire basis of many religions is accepting all people, regardless of backgrounds, identities, and past experiences. Religion gives people community and comfort. There are various studies conducted - Pew Research Center, American Psychological Association, and the National Bureau of Economic Research - that show students who practice their religion get better grades, have lower depression, and even better economic prosperity in the future. Perhaps this is due both to the intrinsic beliefs of students, and the supportive effects of religious community to handle if/when setbacks occur. Practicing religion or spirituality of some sort is good for your mental well-being. Perhaps extremists claim an outsized share of religion, which has given the topic a bad name to mainstream culture. Some may say that religion is responsible for wars, repression, and terrorism. I submit there is some truth to that. But, so are secular movements of government tyranny and dictatorships that have killed untold millions more. For the most part, religious folk of all traditions practice within a peace-loving, kind-hearted, reconciling community. I realize this is a complex topic. People will have strong feelings on both sides of this issue. I also think that it is safe and trendy to automatically dismiss the concept of a higher power, as it cannot be explained. Blind faith is daunting in a fact based culture. It may be acceptable - even “enlightened” - to be against religion. But isn’t that just another form of racism or sexism? The values of grace, forgiveness, reconciliation can often go missing in religion-less climates. Perhaps it would benefit everyone to leave a little room for wonder and belief in something that can never be proven, instead of adopting an ideology based on provable knowledge and performance.
SPORTS October 18, 2019
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Energetic Eighth Graders Play Varsity Sports
there, although we came up short in the semi-finals, I got to the incredible prep school talents who threaten our goal.” see what the best of the best looked like, and I really started Though the eighth graders have to work harder to develop a deep love for the game.” Hill to suppress the age gap between the oldest players and themselves, they also have bePlaying a Varsity sport as a junior schooler is a spe- also traveled with his other football teams, come good friends with the older members cial opportunity at Hopkins. This fall, several eighth graders going to Florida for a nationals game and of their teams. Hill said, “I became friends were given the chance to participate in high school athletics. this season he will travel to Ohio for an All-American Hall of with a lot of the older kids and they are great. Eighth grade Varsity athFame game. Ava MacSince I started practicing with them and letes have to keep up with their caro ’24, Varsity Cross playing JV in the seventh grade, I had two work while also having afterCountry runner, on the years to create a good bond and be able to be school practices. Carson Hill other hand, said she normal and fun around them.” Girls Soccer ’24, Varsity football player, said, didn’t run much before captain Anna Simon ’20 shared similar sen“Since the school year started, Hopkins: “I have been timents: “I think Taylor is super mature and balancing schoolwork with afrunning for three years talkative although we are more protective of ter school commitments has been Peter Mahakian (since sixth grade), but her because she’s younger and smaller, and easy. Everyday I go to school, go I only ran with my mid- Henry Glover ‘24 looks to there are a lot of huge girls in our league. to football practice, workout afpass up the field dle school before HopBut, Taylor is really good at bouncing right ter practice, then end up getting kins,” she commented. back up with a smile on her face after a foul.” home around 6:45.” Taylor Jenkins Peter Mahakian Despite varying levels of preThese eighth grade athletes are looking forward ’24, Girls Varsity Soccer player, commented, “I try to get most Ava Maccaro ‘24 runs at a FFA Sher- vious experience, all these eighth to a successful season. Glover said, “Although I canwood Island grade athletes have not personof my work done during the day ally predict in my study halls so that I’m not working late at become strong contributors to their teams. where our night because it can get a little hectic and crazy.” Head Cross Country coach, Miguel Pizarro, commented, team will Jenkins is Peter Mahakian “Maccaro is a great end up this playing for another runner and teammate. season, we club soccer team, She works hard and did set some outside of Hopkins, has already helped the high goals, this fall and she team tremendously. which I fully has played for sevAt the Canterbury Inbelieve we eral premiere teams vitational she was the can achieve. prior to Hopkins. first Hopkins runner Each game, Henry Glover ’24, overall.” Owen LaJack ConBoys Varsity Socmothe ’22 shared simisiglio ’20 cer player, said he lar praises for Glover: says, we also played for other Peter Mahakian “He has been an instrukeep improvteams before HopCarson Hill ‘24 prepares to run a play mental part of our deing, which is kins. For one team, Taylor Jenkins ‘24 outruns her defender fense. As someone who is 100 percent he said, “I traveled to Colorado for Nationals, after winning the state cup. Out younger than most on the team, he works hard to combat accurate. I believe this year’s team can do big things.” Abby Regan ’22 Assistant Sports Editor
The Razor Sports Trivia: Who is the only player allowed to touch the ball with both hands in Water Polo?
From Milan to New Haven: Consiglio Conquers the Field role as an older player seriously: “Be- fiery attitude, work ethic, and skill set ining the younger player on my U-21 team stills confidence in his players and coaches. in Milan was difficult, and the older This season, Consiglio and the guys took me under their wing. Now, be- Hopkins Boys Varsity Soccer team, hope ing the oldest on the team at Hopkins, I to win the FAA championship for the third take the underclassmen under my wing.” year in a row. Teammate Teddy Glover ’21 Consiglio’s leadership and work explained: “Jack’s strength and size gives ethic set him us a good tarapart on and off get man gothe field. Coach ing forward Joe Addison exif we want plained: “Jack is a to 3-PEAT.” physically imposNext year, ing target player. Consiglio He can hold up would like to the ball and bring play Division his teammates into I soccer, but the play. He is also he is unsure if an exceptional finthe sport will isher in the box. be his main If you give him a focus. He sight of goal, he advises anywill make sure it one to “Grab goes into the back a ball, two of the net.” Teambackpacks, mate and captain and play with Luca Richo ’20 your friends. said, “Even though Soccer is very he hasn’t been accessible Peter Mahakian at Hopkins for a and a super while, we have Jack Consiglio ‘20 uses his strength and fun game.” developed such a size to dominate opponents on the field. close relationship that I was not expecting. He is passionate, funny, and a good friend.” Consiglio’s
Answer: The Goalkeeper
soccer for fun with his friends, but also for an Under-21 team in Milan. Consiglio said, “As an 18-year-old on a team with Soccer is a huge part of life for grown men, playing in the worst part of the Jack Consiglio ’20, a new senior on the city, I always had to stick up for myself.” Consiglio served as the assistant Boys Varsity soccer team from Milan, Itcaptain on his U-21 team, voted on by his aly. He said, “After every goal I score, I teammates and kiss my grandcoach because father’s initials of his “leadon my tattoo ership skills, and point at the ability to speak sky. He was one up in the locker of my biggest room, and selfrole models and accountabilitaught me how ty.” Consiglio to carry myhas drawn on self with honor his experience and respect as an assistant for others.” captain in MiConlan in becomsiglio first ing one of the touched a socleaders of the cer ball when Hopkins Boys he was four soccer team. years old. He Coach Josh explained, “In Brant said, Italy, every Peter Mahakian “Jack has little kid grows i n t e g r a t ed up playing soc- Jack Consiglio ‘20 dominates the field with his expert e x t r e m e ly soccer skills cer. The first well with his gift is a ball.” His friends, family, and classmates all teammates. He is charismatic and made played during free periods, after school, friends easily. With his big personality or on the weekends. He not only played and smile, he makes it hard not to want to be around him.” Consiglio takes his Maeve Stauff ‘21 Assistant Sports Editor
The Razor: Sports
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October 18, 2019
Faculty Spotlight: Former Hopkins Soccer Stars social weight then than it does now. Students seemed to be more recognized for athletic achievement back then whereas Josh Brant ’88, the Boys Varsity academics seem to lead the way today.” Soccer Assistant The Peter Mahakian Coach and School relative Psychologist, and imporBecky Harper ’07, a tance of Spanish teacher and athletics Director of Equity in Brant’s and Community Hopkins at Hopkins, were days may both members of be atthe soccer program tributed during their time at to the Hopkins. The two success were standout athhis team letes, and, as such, enjoyed. remember HopIn his jukins soccer fondly. nior year, Athletics B r a n t ’s has always played t e a m a central role in “was the Boys Varsity Soc- Coach Josh Brant discuses strategy during half-time. first Hopcer Assistant Coach kins team to and School Psychologist Josh Brant’s ever make the WNEPSSA tournament.” life: “As long as I can remember, I have Becky Harper, a Spanish teacher and Diidentified as an athlete. For others, they rector of Equity and Community at Hopidentify as pilots, teachers, musicians, kins, also made the New England playlawyers, and doctors. Being on the playoffs with her Hopkins soccer team. She ing field always felt right. I was, and am, recalls this playoff push fondly: “Hands safe, confident, and fully self-expressed.” down my most memorable moment was At Hopkins, Brant played goalkeeper scoring the winning goal in the quarter fifor the soccer team. But to him, sports nals of New England’s to send us to the at Hopkins have changed drastically: semi finals- the farthest the program has “There seemed to be more school spirit ever been. I remember that moment like back then. Sporting events were better it was yesterday. We came back to beat attended and the rivalries seemed to matWestminster who had upset us at home ter more. Being an athlete carried more the year prior. We played our hearts out.” Teddy Glover ’21 Sports Editor
That sense of pride for Harper and Brant partially came from the community around Hopkins soccer. Harper most remembers the family-like aspect of Hop-
a larger community when his team played Hamden Hall, Hopkins’ perennial rival, under the lights down at East Shore Park in New Haven. Brant recalled that “there seemed to be a Peter Mahakian thousand people there. The atmosphere was electric. I was proud to represent Hopkins!” Athletics have been essential parts of both Harper’s and Brant’s life, before, during and even after their days as a Hopkins student. Harper played college Coach Becky Harper talks to Ella Zuse ’21 and Julia Kosinski ’21 soccer and now coaches the Girls during a break. Junior School Sockins Soccer within her team: “The Girls’ cer team. Of her commitment to sports, Varsity Team, during my four years, was she said, “Athletics and being an athlete like family. We had team dinners every was a major component in my time at Friday, made sure everyone could attend, Hopkins, and in my life overall. Regarddecorated the locker room without fail less of homework and my other commitwith secret psyches, and dressed up bements, soccer was a priority and I made fore games. I also remember our hilarious it work. Skipping practice wasn’t an opwarm ups and team bonding games. My tion for me. Playing and being with the freshman year we all wore rubber bands team brought me joy.” Brant, like Harper, on our wrists that said ‘TOGETHER.’ We played in college, and now, while coachwore them every game. We won and lost ing the Boys Soccer team, still looks to together. We fought for each other. The sports to ground him: “I look to sports team spirit was undeniable. I’ll never forto feel a sense of safety, belonging, get that.” Likewise, Brant felt like part of confidence, and full self-expression.”
Fantastic Fantasy Football with betting and cash prizes. However, for many, fanscoring system, as they also see the benefit of using PPR. tasy football is not about the money, but rather for the Those who have never played fantasy football enjoyment of following the sport more closely. Cooper might wonder why someone like Tom Brady, six-time Bucklan ’21 said, “It is for fun and mostly for Professional football season has once again bragging rights.” People even find that playbegun, and so has the start of fantasy football. As ing fantasy enhances their watching experience. the Hopkins community begins to create its teams, Max Gordon ‘22 said, “I get to watch a ton of the heated debate over which players to pick arises. teams, while keeping track of some of my favorFantasy football allows fans to create teams conite players.” However, this view is not shared by sisting of players from different NFL teams and positions; everyone. Head Football Coach Tim Phipps disteam owners then gain points based on their players’ real likes fantasy: “I never really got into it, I felt it performance. Points are determined by yardage, touchtook the fun out of watching it, always having to downs, sacks, etc. The typical team consists of seven keep track of your team.” While fantasy football positions: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight is an interactive way to follow teams and favorend, flex, a defense team, and kicker. The person manite players, for some it is more of a job than a aging the league decides how many draft picks everyhobby. A fantasy football team owner has to study one gets and in what order. After each person has chosen and watch each game. If you just want to watch and filled a roster, each participant’s team in the league and relax, then fantasy football is not for you. Newsweek will face each other, and the winner of that week is deThere are two main systems of scoring in fantasy football, PPR (Points per RecepBleacher Report tion) and standard. In standard scoring, a sack, Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants evades a defender. touchdown, interception, and yardage gained by either passing or rushing correlates to a set amount of points chosen by whomever is in charge of Superbowl champion, isn’t the first pick. It is because the league. The main difference between standard and quarterbacks almost all earn similar amounts of points. PPR is that in PPR every reception a player makes Also, leagues will often have only one position for a gains a set amount of points. This means that in stanquarterback on a team, therefore the demand is inherdard, players tend to earn fewer points than they do in ently small. This causes many first picks to be running PPR. Ezekiel Elliot for example, one of the best runbacks and wide receivers. Saquon Barkley, a running ning backs in the NFL, only averaged 16 points per back for the New York Giants, was the average numbergame in standard last year. In PPR, Elliot averaged 21 one pick across ESPN, NFL Fantasy, and Yahoo Sports points. According to Dominic Roberts ’22, “PPR is betwith a projection of nearly 30 points per game. Barkley ter because it means higher-scoring fantasy games, so, was the highest pick because of his ability to score and if you’re down, it’s easier to come back”. Some pregain yards like no one else. Charlie Fischer ’23 chose fer standard because it is more “balanced.” Brandon Le’Veon Bell, running back for the New York Jets: “I did Smith ’20, a captain of the Hopkins football team this some research, and saw that he had super high projected year, said, “Standard is much better than PPR, because points.” Fantasy websites have a sheet of all the players, New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell celebrates after a each position has similar value, and PPR gives receivers ranked, and with their projected points for each week. touchdown. credit even if they lose yards.” Unlike PPR, each posiAs long as there is NFL football, people will termined by the amount of points scored by their team. tion roughly earns the same amount of points. This means likely gather with friends, family, or co-workers to battle Sometimes betting accompanies fantasy footrunning backs and wide receivers are not the most imeach other with their fantasy teams. Juan Lopez ’22 said, ball, with one of the most popular websites, DraftKportant anymore. Websites like ESPN and Yahoo have “All of my friends and family watch and play every weekings, hosting weekly and sometimes daily competitions already made the switch to PPR, making it their default end, and we have fun together, although it’s competitive.” Nick Hughes ’22 Assistant Web Editor