Tower Issue #2 2013-2014 by Tower

Tower The Masters School

November 8, 2013

Volume 70, Number 2

The Masters School, 49 Clinton Avenue, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

CFO Bob Rooney brings different approach and mindset

Photo by Daniel Barnett

CFO BOB ROONEY comes with over 18 years of experience with independent schools. His radical approach of fixing things before they break down has reinvigorated the campus.

by Teerin Julsawad Editor-in-Chief

From installing air conditioning to beautifying the

campus, the school’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Bob Rooney seems to be working beyond what his job description

calls for. While his primary role as the “numbers man” remains, his dedicated involvement in other aspects of the school

has not gone unnoticed. “I have been here for 16 years, and I have never seen a CFO so invested in so many aspects of the campus life: faculty, staff, students and facilities,” science teacher Elisabeth Merrill said. In Merrill’s tenure at school, Rooney is the fourth to serve as the CFO. He has worked for over 18 years with independent schools and 10 years as a CFO. Rooney’s responsiveness to requests highly impressed Merrill. She said, “When one of the science teachers asked for some new equipment, he came to meet with her and the Department Chair, and got the equipment, seemingly just like that.” Additionally, he has also approved Merrill’s request to install plants and flowers near the boys’ dorms. “I got sick of

looking at the hill of dirt, so I asked him, if I bought the plants, if he would pay for it, and he said yes,” she said. “And not only did he pay for it, but he went with Tanya (Richard Simon’s wife) to the nursery and bought more plants to put out.” She continued, “In the past, the answer to various requests was frequently “no” but Mr. Rooney seems to be listening closely to the requests of faculty and staff and, quite often, responding affirmatively—a real pleasure!” While recent projects, such as the tennis courts construction, were all in place before Rooney began his role as the CFO, his arrival has brought many other changes, such as the installation of air conditioning in both the middle school and Strayer Hall. Additionally, new office

spaces have also been added for faculty members in the middle school. Head of the Middle School Everett Wilson has described Rooney as a creative and proactive problem-solver. “He has made a tremendous positive difference,” Wilson said. “It [the various changes in the middle school] has made students and teachers feel validated. He addressed it right away. The amount of goodwill that was created and morale booster was obvious from the very beginning.” Despite his certainty in dealing with things that, he believes, need improvement, Rooney admits that money is still one of the biggest factors that he cannot afford to ignore. “It’s a balancing act,” Rooney said. “When I continued on page 10

Proposal for constitutional amendment passes Executive Committee by Rajan Cutting Op-Ed Editor

Executive Committee has created and passed a new constitutional amendment. Junior class presidents, Abigail Costigan and Brandon Schneider, conceived the co-chair secession proposal, which was recently passed in Executive Committee. Schneider said, “This amendment says that any senior in good academic and disciplinary standing is eligible to run for cochair, and the reelection period shouldn’t take any longer than eight weeks.” In addition, a potential candidate must have attended three executive meetings in the last 18 months. Ten years ago, the school’s constitution was revised to suite a growing and changing population. The school had

recently become co-ed and lacked an ideal document. Chris Frost, former Head of the Upper School, played a role in writing the current constitution. He said, “Our Constitution of Community Government wasn’t appropriate for our school when I first came to Masters. We had male students but no reference to a male co-chair, things needed to change, to bring the document up to date.” Rewriting the constitution took about a year. Frost said, “It was important that we took our time to carefully think about what issues we needed to address in our government.” The writers of the constitution left out key information, such as re-election plans for a missing co-chair. Brian Pugh, a former student and contributor to the constitution said, “I

don’t recall us anticipating something like this.” Matt Ives, current Head of the Upper School who was a history teacher at the time, also played a role in constructing the document. He said, “Part of the reason, ‘how to replace a co-chair’, wasn’t included was the re-election process takes too long and depending on the time of the year, isn’t always practical.” Senior male chair Henry DuBeau has been very optimistic about his solo role. He said, “In the beginning of the year I was worried, but Christina has been great about helping out with co-chair responsibilities alongside being secretary.” Apart from not including a co-chair vacancy plan, the constitution also leaves out class president succession plans.

Photo by Bob Cornigans

SECRETARY CHRISTINA GUARIN tied the theme of water to the challenges in life as a journey on the river. This is the second year in a row where the secretary gives the female co-chair’s speech.

Frost said, “I suppose these things were left out because our student

leaders are generally outstanding school citizens. After the current co-chair

Opinion

Features

Sports

Gender stereotypes running our education

Water theme makes a splash

Cross country races towards success Photo by Vincent Galgano

Photo by Sofia Linden

Photo by B.F. Herzog

Page 4

Pages 6&7

issue is resolved, it would be a good idea to address this and other missing parts.”

Page 12

newsbrief NO HOT WATER IN GIRLS’ DORMS This year’s theme of valuing water was driven home when the hot water in the girls’ dorms went out on Sat., Oct. 19 and was not restored until six days later. Residents of Cole, Ford and McCormack Dorms had intermittent or no hot water for a week, despite many hours of work on the plumbing system by the school’s contracted plumber and Al Ghiotti, Plant Maintenance Manager. On the fifth day of troubleshooting, the school hired a new plumber to fix the problem. As a result, the next day, hot water was restored. Still, as of press time, at least two sinks in Cole Dorm have only hot water. - Daniel Barnett

NEW HERRICK ROOM TO BE BUILT IN LIBRARY Because the old Herrick Room has been transformed into a dance studio, the school has decided to create a new meeting room for faculty and staff in the back left corner of the library. Renovation will begin in early November and continue over the weekends of that month. According to librarian Judy Murphy, some books are being “weeded out” to make room and improve the collection. Some of the outdated books will either be given to faculty or relocated to the Estherwood library. The room will only be used until the Masters Athletics & Arts Center‘s (MAAC) completion in roughly two years, which will open up room availability on campus.

NEWS

TOWER/NOVEMBER 8, 2013

Government shutdown affects Washington D.C. trip by Ariel Censor with reporting by Phil Minton Managing Editor/Copy Editor and Contributing Writer

49 international students boarded a bus on Friday, Oct. 14 for a long ride to Washington, D.C. for the school’s annual international students’ trip to the nation’s capital. The trip occurred on the 13th day of the government shutdown, but the trip continued nonetheless. Because of the shutdown, the length of the trip was adjusted to accommodate the revised schedule. “We’ve shortened the trip by one day because we can’t see many of the national monuments and museums,” Mary Holton, the school’s international student advisor, said. The closure of historical sites was not correlated to student boredom, though. “We had busy, action-packed days visiting a lot of different places,” Horton said. The students were able to go to the Building Museum, the Newseum, the Arlington National Cemetery and were able to explore the grounds of the U.S. capital and see the exterior views of the Supreme Court and

the Library of Congress. Junior Bradley Chen See, an international student who went on the trip, said he still learned from the trip. “Although the trip was affected by the government shutdown, I still learned a lot at places like the Newseum,” he said. Ellen Cowhey, World Religions teacher and

chaperone on the trip, said that tripgoers directly witnessed some of the effects of the shutdown. “There were thousands of American War veterans, some in uniform, protesting the war memorials being shut down. They came with signs and flags and actually carried the barricades away,” she said.

On the whole, the trip was a major success. “It’s a bonding trip,” Holton said. “It gives international students the opportunity to do something special while getting to see our country’s capital.” English teacher Miguel Segovia, another chaperone on the trip, agreed. “The D.C. trip was really

Photo by Ellen Cowhey

THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TRAVELED to Washington D.C. on Oct. 11 through 13. From left to right, Yujia “Yvonne” Su, Wenxi “Cici” Song, Can “May” Zhu. Xingjia “Sheila” Wang, Yige “Cindy” Wang and Liuchang “Kree” Zhang are shown. These six students shown above enjoyed their first trip to the nation’s capital.

The school makes accommodations for surplus in students by Rachel Saunders News Editor

From the crowded hallways at break to the packed theater during Morning Meeting, one can easily see that the school is overflowing with students. The Upper School has 172 new students, which

includes the freshman class This massive influx affects every aspect of life at the school: Teachers must stand at morning meeting, senior boarders don’t have lockers and sports teams have twice as many players as needed. One noticeable changes the lack of class space. Conference

Room A and Estherwood have both been transformed into classrooms. After the office of Karin O’Connor, Chief of Staff and Assistant to Maureen Fonseca, Head of School, underwent renovations to accommodate an admissions waiting room, Fonseca’s adjacent office was transformed into a classroom,

Conference Room B. The surplus of students has also affected athletic trainer Kenneth Verral, whose office isn’t big enough to hold those who come to him on a daily basis. Just before practice, a foreboding line forms outside of Verral’s office. “I go to his office to get my leg wrapped,

- Tony Rosenberg

FINAL TOUCHES BEING MADE ON TENNIS COURTS After six weeks of construction, the new hard tennis courts are completed. Construction was supposed to begin during the summer, but because the courts were being heavily used by the Dobbs Tennis Association, construction had to wait. Additionally, new basketball hoops have been installed. Director of the Alumnae and Development Office Tim Kane said, “The anonymous donor and the school felt it was important the tennis team feel proud to represent this school, and the new courts add on to the excitement of the team and the anticipation of the season.” - Rajan Cutting

great,” he said. “It about people getting to know each other, so even though the government shut down, we still accomplished the trip’s goal.” Although the trip was certainly inconvenienced, chaperones and international students alike are still grateful for the experience.

Photo by Sang Bae

STUDENTS FILL THE AUDITORIUM SEATS for a Morning Meeting presentation while faculty now stand on the side of the theater to accommodate due to the excess of students. Other areas of the school have expanded as well, such as class locations, boarding situations and the new split lunch on Mondays and Fridays.

and a lot of the time there’s a long line,” said Junior Wendy Zhang. “There are more kids, more injuries… and a few more teams, so they all play a role,” Verral said. Additionally, with the construction on Reunion Field, teams are spread out from Clark Field to Greene Field. This is not ideal for Verral, who is expected to present himself whenever called upon. “When the new facility [MAAC] gets in, or maybe before it gets in, I’m hoping we’ll have somebody new to help out, just to place us in different locations so we’re not running around as much,” Verral said. Crowding has also had a significant effect on dorm life, said Cole Dorm proctor Jasmine Esparza. “Overall, it’s harder to live with three more people than we’re used to. There’s more crowding and more sharing,” Esparza said. The 15 additional boarders (six male, nine female), create more responsibility for the dorm parents, who have to keep track of additional students in the dorms. Nothing better illustrates this phenomenon than the freshman Halloween assignment: Despicable Me minions.

TOWER/NOVEMBER 8, 2013

NEWS

Delta vs Phi competitions expand beyond tug of war newsbrief By Gabby Davies Wed Content Manager and Ad manager

With the start of a new school year, the Dobbs Athletics Association (DAA) has sprung into action by actively making the Delta and Phi rivalry more competitive than ever. Unlike previous years, the competitions did not end with the annual tug of war at Founder’s Day. So far, DAA has held three house competitions in Morning Meeting. Each win awards Delta or Phi with house points. A trophy will be handed to the house with the most points at the end of the year. The last time Delta and Phi have been this competitive was back in 1954.

In a 1954 issue of Tower, it was reported: “There was no lack of spirit or effort in the Deltas, but with unusual ability, the Phis have completed undefeated seasons in hockey, soccer and volleyball.” Sophomore Hannah Weiss was very pleased with the reintegration of the Delta and Phi contests. She said, “I really like the competitions, I think it’s really fun to compete with the other team, especially since we didn’t do it last year, it’s also fun to watch at morning meetings.” She continued, “I think it’s great for the community, especially the boarders. I think the only reason they [the competitions] left in the first place is because they could have

PHOENIX FC GOALKEEPER HIRED AS NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER COACH

Photo by Sang Bae

SENIOR ISIAH HAYDEN AND JUNIOR BRADLEY CHEN SEE cheer on their respective teams during Founder’s Day. So far, Phi has won two competitions while Delta has won one.

made unnecessary rivalry through out the school.” The new enthusiasm

for school spirit has not only brought back one of the school’s oldest

traditions but has also made Morning Meetings a little more interesting.

Executive Committee creates subcommittee for club proposals

Photo by Gavin Koepke

TO HELP ORGANIZE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE and its multiple tasks, Chair Henry DuBeau proposed a subcommittee to prepare proposals before they are discussed or voted on.

Wen-Xuan Ni Features Editor

The days where students can impulsively create clubs are long gone. Now that Gillian Crane is the Associate Head of the Upper School, club managing and proposals will have to go through Executive Committee. On Oct. 8, Executive

Committee passed a proposal to create a new subcommittee to deal with club proposals. Chair Henry DuBeau wrote the proposal with the intent of reducing Executive Committee’s workload. “There should be some sort of body that helps people out in constructing a club proposal before coming into the Executive

Committee,” DuBeau said. DuBeau said that Executive Committee simply does not have time to go through club proposals. He said, “Given the fact that a number of clubs are waiting, we need a system right now.” Head of School Matt Ives said, “The 40 minutes in Executive Committee every Tuesday is so limited

that we cannot spend the time on going into all details of the club proposal.” The subcommittee will also assist club founders on writing their proposals. Sophomore Chris Brakey and senior Catherine Sufiyarova will lead the subcommittee with Crane, Dean of Students Jessica Nuñez and several voting members of Executive Committee. Nuñez, who has extensive experience working with clubs, believes that the subcommittee’s formation is necessary and beneficial. Nuñez said, “It is really a great way to use Executive Committee meeting times more effectively. Subcommittees will do the legworks behind the scenes and streamline the process.” Additionally, clubs will also have the opportunity to justify their budgets. Nunez said, “In the long run, the Committee

will be well established and understand what running a club in an effective way mean. Then, at the end of the year, the clubs will submit the budget proposals for the following year to the Committee.” DuBeau said, “Clubs are going to report to us how much budget they need, and we’re going to sort out all requests and send it to the administration, asking how much we can get, instead of going the other way around.” Two other subcommittes have been created: the Homework Committee and the co-chair Committee, These committees will focus on investigating the issues at hand and report back to the Executive Committee with a recommended resolution. Ives said, “Ideally, creating these subcommittees will help Executive Committee to run more smoothly and to get more done.”

Music Department opens new opportunities for students by Sofia Linden

News Editor

As our community expands, so too must the departments. Equipped with great tools and great teachers, the music department is one of the departments undergoing radical changes. After Jennifer Carnevale replaced Nancy Theeman as chair, she soon went on a maternity leave, and Gilles Pugatch took over as Interim Chair. Guitar teacher John Alec explained that while his individual time with students remains the same, protocols have definitely changed, especially involving lesson planning. Head of the Orchestra Kurt Ebersole, who also runs Musical Mondays, Orchestra and humanities classes, now manages

all of the music lessons. When Theeman worked at the school, some teachers could get involved in the coordination of lessons with their students. Alec said that although it leaves Ebersole with a large and significant task, this change in lesson planning also benefits the community. “We’re using it as an opportunity to get more organized.” Pugatch talked about all the details Ebersole works with regarding lesson planning, including teacher, student, instrument and room availability, as well as working with both the middle school and upper school schedules. “He has an amazing mind and spirit to grapple with that kind of project,” Pugatch said, “I love to see the work he’s doing with the freshman, he im-

mediately engaged them.” Pugatch ran the cocurricular Studio Composition this year, which he recently changed to Open Music. “I wanted a title that reflected what was actually taking place.” With different students having different interests, needs and ideas, he decided open music would be more suitable. The lack of available space for the increase in students this season has been the concern with the co-curricular, especially considering it conflicts with student’s lessons. Change that regards lessons includes a recently developed application for students who want to take more than one lesson. “This is to see if they’re being realistic,” said Pugatch. The Music Department faculty wanted to make sure all students were

able to balance academics and practice they’re instruments outside of class. “We’re all getting

a chance to look at the program and how we do things,” said Alec. “Next year we can only improve.”

Photo by Sofia Linden

JUNIOR ASHER BERKSON-GOLD practices piano with his teacher. Students who don’t have instruments at home can now practice after school during Open Music.

Professional soccer is brought to the middle school. Sheldon Parkinson, a goalkeeper on the Phoenix FC in the USL Professional Division, is a coach for the boys’ middle school and upper school third division soccer teams. Parkinson signed for Phoenix FC in Feb. 2013. Previously, he played for the New York Red Bulls in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a national amateur league. Athletic Director Kevin Versen said, “He works with a younger age group when he’s coaching clubs, so he’s used to kids. Also, because the middle school team is at such a developmental stage and still learning how to play the sport, it’s helpful to have someone who can actually demonstrate the sport rather than just teach the tactics.” - by Ariel Censor

TURF FIELD STIRS CONTROVERSY IN HASTINGS Masters isn’t the only local community to recently have a turf field as an addition. The Hastings Board of Education has been pushing to renovate Reynolds Field, a sports field in Hastings, into a Geo-Turf. This contains polyurethane, polyethylene and polypropylene and has a synthetic base and is non-recyclable. The turf is only being advocated by the board, as residents of the town think that it’s not environmentally reasonable to cover the field in plastic. Others voice concerns for the access of the field for children and local teams during this time. The Geo-Turf would cost $8.1 million and use $500,000 of the district’s capital stock. Some protestors argue that the turf would be 15 degrees hotter than the area surrounding it, meaning that on hot summer days, the turf would be unbearable to play on. Advocates of the turf insist that it’s the opposite, and that the turf field would make athletes more comfortable. The advocates believe that the turf will eliminate the strain of wet grass on an athlete in the colder months. Both protestors and supporters voted for the renovation of the field on Oct 22, although disagree on what this “renovation” implies. All residents over the age of 18 are eligible for voting. The fate of the field still remains unknown for now. - Gabby Davies

Op-Ed

TOWER/NOVEMBER 8, 2013

Keeping your own voice, in a room shared with boys By Abigail Costigan Op-Ed Editor

Photo by B.F. Herzog

THE SCHOOL FIRST ACCEPTED boys in 1996. However, statistics show that this switch to co-education deters girls from signing up for science and math courses.

Many of us are concerned about the recent culture changes of the school. We complain about the ACR, question recruiting and wonder about the MAAC’s symbolism. Yet only 17 years ago, in 1996, the school underwent its most radical change: the acceptance of boys into a school that had been all girls for 12 decades. The reason was simple: remain financially afloat. We’re so quick to criticize change, yet at least 49 percent of our school would be enrolled elsewhere had the school not gone co-ed. According to an article published by PBS, “Boys made twice as many contributions as girls, and talked for longer. This may have been in part because they were getting more encouragement

from the teacher. The teacher was videotaped and her eyegaze monitored—she looked towards the boys for almost two thirds of the time, and in particular, she looked at the boys when she wanted an answer to a question.” According to this experiement, yes, boys control the conversation, but we have also grown accustomed to this fact that we tend to become numb to its effects. Initially, I thought, “There is no way that boys talk that much more than girls.” So I tried a similar experiment. In English class, every time someone spoke I made a note. Ultimately, boys spoke more. When I asked my classmates which gender was more vocal in discussion, most said it was equal. This inaccuracy proves we’re insensitive to the issue. Amie Servino ’95, current Director of Alumnae/i

and Parent Relations was told boys would be admitted into the school the day after her graduation. “Even though the demographics have changed, the core values have stayed the same,” Servino said. Gillian Crane ’92 and Assistant Head of School agrees with Servino. Initially upset that the school went co-ed, she later realized that the things she loved about Masters were unrelated to the all-female student body. . Catherine Walters ’82, is still not sold on the idea of boys at the school. Walters said, “I was very disappointed and sad to learn boys were enrolling in Masters. I thought it was a very special place for female energy to blossom into whatever it wanted to be.” Walters explained her concerns: “Our society is set up for boys, it’s hardly anything you can even help. The

whole point of Harkness is to have everyone equal, but that can’t happen when there’s gender mixing,” Walters said. According to the National Association for Single Sex Public Education, the benefits of single sex education fall under three main categories: expanded educational opportunities, gender specific learning and greater autonomy. The study clarified that in a co-ed classroom, girls are more likely steer away from math and pursue creative writing, whereas boys tend to avoid creative writing. Our society tries to cram us into gender stereotypes, and it’s a hindrance to our growth. Girls and boys: don’t let your high school education get robbed by the gender roles thrust upon you. Take this opportunity to speak up, challenge yourself and, most importantly, countinue to take risks.

Hitting the books is breaking the bank: Textbook prices soar beyond affordability By Rajan Cutting

Op-Ed Editor

When the Academic Office sends a student his course list for the year, attached are instructions on how to purchase the appropriate books. It’s the school’s expectation that you provide your own books for the courses you take. However, I believe that the school should include the cost of books in our tuition. The older I get, the more expensive my school materials become. Each of my textbooks, on average, range from $90-$150.

That’s roughly $600 per academic year, and they’re used books. In my four years here, I’m anticipating paying approximately $2,000 on books. The school, as a private institution, has the resources to find the optimum book for the optimum price. Instead of telling students, “Oh, try Amazon,” or “Buy it used,” it would be less of an economic burden on students if books were loaned. Last year, I purchased a textbook for roughly $100, though the amount that course spent on the concepts and opinions in

the text was significantly less than the price. The school should provide books because it has the knowledge to determine in advance how effective each text will be to the course they are for. If I had known my class wasn’t going to be textbook-based, I could have saved $100. Academic Dean Chris Goulian believes that it wouldn’t be practical for the school to loan books. He said, “The primary reason why we require students to purchase their own books is because we want students to have a personal

relationship with those texts. We want students to write in their books, highlight, annotate and respond to them, and by doing so, personalize their interactions with them. Students would not have the freedom to do so if they were only loaned the books.” I understand this is a controversial topic, butthere are pros and cons to any solution. In the end, we need to ask if we as students are willing to relinquish what tends to be a useless annotation or a distracting doodle for a cheaper book loaned from

The Masters School 49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 Volume 70, Issue 2

Distribution Process Tower is hand-delivered on the day of publication to the Upper School. 500 copies are printed, and one is put in each faculty member’s mailbox. In addition, a copy is sent to each of our advertisers.

Scholastic Press Affiliations and Letter Policy Tower is an award-winning member of the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), Journalism Education Association (JEA) and Quill and Scroll. E-mail TowerEditors@MastersNY.org to send Letters to the Editor. See the subsequent page for information regarding letters to the editor. Published approximately eight times a year, Tower, the student newspaper of The Masters School, is a public forum, with its Editorial Board making all decisions concerning content. Unsigned editorials express views of the majority of the Editorial Board.

the school. There can’t be any change until we

all work together in ending senseless spending.

AS I SEE IT..

Tower 2013-2014 Editor-In-Chief: Teerin Julsawad News Editors: Sofia Linden and Rachel Saunders Opinion Editors: Abigail Costigan and Rajan Cutting Features and Arts Editors: Sang Bae and Wen-Xuan Ni Sports Editors: Tyler Jarecki and Tony Rosenberg Managing Editor: Ariel Censor Copy Editor: Ariel Censor Contributing Editor: Lucy Price Photo Editor: Daniel Barnett Web Content Manager: Gabby Davies Advertising Designer: Gabby Davies Columnists: Henry DuBeau, Mary Jac Heuman, Angaelica LaPasta, Lucy Price and Benjamin Sibley Contributing Writers: Alex Minton and Phil Minton Staff Photographers: Bob Cornigans, Linkon Duong, Gavin Koepke, Sam Miller and Ken Verral Contributing Photographers: Vincent Galgano and B.F. Herzog Faculty Adviser: Ellen Cowhey

Photo by Sang Bae

AS STUDENTS MOVE UP in grade level, the price of books goes up up the usefullness doesn’t. Instead of nurturing our minds, books eat up our bank accounts. The school should loan books out to students.

by Lucy Price

THE ENTITLEMENT OF DISNEY CHARACTERS Overheard at Disney: “See how the handicapped are escorted to the front of lines? What if we faked claustrophobia or rented a wheelchair? Better yet, what if we paid a handicapped kid to act as our son?” When they say truth is stranger than fiction, I think they’re referring to the recent issue at Disney. For decades, it has committed itself to those with handicaps, accomplished through the “Guest Assistance Card” program which escorts the disabled to the front of lines. But recently, Disney was forced to terminate the program because conniving guests took advantage of the policy. Are people in this world so disgustingly self-centered that they’re willing to dupe the system and manipulate the disabled? If that’s what modern America stands for, I want out. It’s interesting that Disney eradicated the program at the same time our government shut down. At the

conclusion of every fiscal year—September 30th— congress must agree on a federal budget for the following year. When that doesn’t happen, the government closes until congress reaches an agreement. The current controversy concerns our nation’s financially burdensome entitlement programs—of which Obamacare is only one. What were once simple insurance programs have transformed into entitlement programs, in which many are granted privileges they wouldn’t be eligible for under simple insurance plans. For example, social security once existed to grant monetary aid to the impoverished elderly. But with the advent of modern entitlement programs, social security also changed, and now provides financial backing to everyone—except those with no employment record—over the age of 65— street vendors and billionaires alike. What is Warren Buffett to do with monthly

checks? Buy new cufflinks? Entitlement programs have created a society that fosters takers, rather than workers or, more importantly, makers. From this springs an attitude of “Gimme, gimme, gimme.” The logical conclusion of these measures is the Disney phenomenon: people believe they’re entitled to everything, regardless of eligibility or morality. Isn’t it paradoxical that the programs which are supposed to help Americans are hurting us? Our morality plummets as our avarice increases. I propose we revisit these entitlement programs, now that our debt escalates and population ages. We can no longer sustain the systems that were once plausible. There should be a safety net for America’s most vulnerable, but it shouldn’t support the abled. The more government acts like the overbearing parent, the more Americans act like spoiled children— like the line-cutters at Disney.

TOWER/NOVEMBER 8, 2013

Op-Ed

Editorial: Establishing a culture of procrastination A swift Henry DuBeau struts down the steps that separate the juniors and seniors, forcing the entire student body to wonder whether he could outrun Ronnell Canada. This scene would be even better if DuBeau had a sidekick, an equally swift female companion with whom he could swagger into Morning Meeting. The school is ridiculously fortunate that Secretary Christina Guarin has assumed parts of the co-chair’s responsibility, such as giving a speech at Convocation and assisting with announcements in Morning Meetings.

It’s to our advantage that the school’s secretary has volunteered to act as co-chair. It’s also convenient that she’s a female, which means that Executive Committee can decide to avoid a re-election altogether for this academic year. However, the fact that the school can afford to put the situation aside this year does not mean that the same can be said for a future situation. What were to happen if a female co-chair didn’t return to fill her position, and the secretary happened to be a male? The school’s constitution doesn’t state what is to be

done when a co-chair’s position is left vacant. To avoid gender dominance in the student govern-

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ment, a re-election may very well be necessary— and this would require a constitutional change. Luckily, Executive Committee has finally

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The concept of a “Jeans Day” puts a spin on a fashion struggle. To wear jeans, one has to cough up a dollar every Friday. That dollar often goes to a cause or an organization sponsored by a student. For the last two years, I volunteered at Spectrum for Living, a rehabilitation center that treats cerebral palsy patients. While I enjoy working in its recreation department, the place clearly needs serious renovations. Tattered board games and dusty VCR tapes serve as the main form of entertainment; the art supplies are caked with grime, and their “specialized computer” is a broken PC that has lived longer than I. So last Spring, I decided to take an initiative by sponsoring a Jeans Day. Maybe I could raise a few hundred dollars and buy some new equipment for the facility, I thought. But sadly, that was

Illustr ation by Sa n

Features Editor

just wishful thinking. It turns out that there’s a waiting list for every Jeans Day—one person for every other week. When I requested a spot, I was told I’d have to wait till the end of my senior year to present my cause. In the midst of cancer societies, non-profit organizations and rehabilitation programs, Spectrum for Living was placed at the end of the line.

Thankfully, Amy Atlee, Coordinator of MISH, bumped my spot to early December. While I’m lucky enough to speak at all, some may not have that opportunity.

The process of obtaining spot on the list borders on supernatural foresight. Freshmen have to reserve a spot now just to earn a chance to present their organization as upperclassmen. Jeans Days are supposed to allow the school to give back If those opportunities are limited, organizations lose the chance to make a lasting impact on our students and faculty. Jeans Days in their current state have one or two problems. With an inflexible dress code and enough morning meeting complications to jam a locker, the school can realistically handle 16 Jeans Days. However, rather than devoting twenty minutes to a single speaker and cause, we should divide the time into two or three organizations, doubling or tripling the opportunities to 32 or 48 Jeans Days. While this won’t provide as many funds for each organization, it definitely opens up opportunities for more students.

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Calendar days are holding back Jeans Day possibilities by Sang Bae

passed a proposal last week for a constitutional amendment. However, its failure to resolve an

exasperation? issue they have known about since June poses the greatest concern. As of press time, the school has endured nine painful weeks of school

without a female cochair. It remains unclear to the community whether this year’s vacancy is permanent. There are almost no signs of development pertaining to this year’s situation. As high school students, we have become deaf to teachers urging us to not procrastinate. Yet, when those who sit around the makeshift circle in the Glee Club Room listen to voting members of Executive Committee, especially faculty, debate semantics, the procrastination argument has come full circle. But at the same time, is it right that we, as

students, complain about the lack of progress surrounding the infamous co-chair secession? One of the most amazing lessons we can learn at Masters is to take action on our own—to not rely on others when we ourselves are capable. Why are annoyed and passionate students not jumping through the open windows of the Glee Club Room and ringing the Senior Bell in exasperation? Students, gone are the days when we should complain about the lack of progress and blame it on the teachers. Let’s move this school forward with our own, youthful might.

Open letter from Alex Minton: From one co-chair to another Being chair doesn’t come with an instruction guide, here’s some advice to get you through the year. My Dearest DuBeau, It has been two months now that I hear you have been standing on your own as the school’s one and only “chair,” (sick title, I’m jealous) and taking on the tough task in stride and general awesomeness. Like Miss Masters, I am never really planning on leaving Dobbs. I would much rather secretly walk the catwalks in the theater and mysteriously wander the halls in a fancy purple dress until I’m pruned and grey (well, grey-er). Anyways, I am writing you from 500 miles away because I have a feeling that right about now you could use a good old-fashioned pump-up. Being co-chair comes with the structural dilemma of being elected (mostly) by students, yet being responsible also to the administration. This

is not a bad thing, it can just get a bit frustrating and policy-constrained at times. I hear you and the Committee are having some difficulty agreeing on a standardized plan of action regarding the unexpected loss of an elected co-chair and that you may be on your own for the rest of the year. My only thought about this problem would be to keep in mind the importance of having a counterpart of the opposite gender to work with. It is really nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and share some of the tedious duties with. Let’s face it, not every co-chair of the future will be as organized and on top of things as I am sure you are. Most importantly though, I just wanted to let you know that I have no doubt that you are doing awesome work this year (In fact, I know you

are) and if it comes to you flying solo, I am sure that the community will greatly benefit from having you all to themselves. Last year I often thought that “co-chair” was just “compromise” spelled incorrectly. It gets tough trying to please everyone involved while trying to achieve (through the constraints of the position) what you personally think is best. Often times, I found that the latter is what is really most important in the end; the former will follow. But then again, you probably know all of this already. Case and point: keep doing you, DuBeau. The rest will come naturally. Best wishes for a killer year. Your friend, -Alex Minton P.S. Never play Charades. EVER.

Split lunch causes more problems than it could possibly solve by Rachel Saunders News Editor

One of the most noticeable changes this academic year is the split lunch on Mondays and Fridays in order to stifle crowding in the Dining Hall. Split lunch has been a tough adjustment. The change is causing scheduling dilemmas for clubs and teachers, making it harder for students to join clubs they’re passionate about. Because Mondays and Fridays are now unrealistic for lunch club meetings, the Honorary Photo Society and Gay Strait Alliance (GSA), Poetry Club and Executive Committee, Panache, Writing Club and Masters Interested in Sharing and Helping

(MISH) all have meetings that overlap on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. “Now that I’m trying to figure out when to hold meetings for the new book club, I’m having trouble finding a time that’s not already booked with other club meetings,” sophomore Paige Titus said. The split lunch periods may encourage students to sit with and meet new people, but many have found themselves sitting alone while their friends go to a different lunch block. As a result, some students avoid going to lunch altogether. “A lot of kids will grab something quick or won’t eat,” said Associate Head of the Upper School Gillian Crane. However, upper school

academic dean Chris Goulian believes the scheduling change has led to a decrease in crowds and waiting time. While returning students may appreciate the shorter lines, the first lunch block takes place during the middle school’s lunch period, which doesn’t minimize the number of students by much. “I have lunch during the first block of the split lunch and I feel that it has not had a positive side so far because our block eats with middleschoolers, so if anything I find it even more crowded and chaotic,” Titus said. Students have the unique opportunity to confront any problems they have by proposing it to the Executive Committee. There is more

Photo by Sang Bae

SPLIT LUNCHES ON HAVE BEEN implemented to decrease wait time. Because students have different lunch periods, they lose the opportunity to meet with clubs and committees on Mondays and Fridays.

than just one idea to fix the crowding in the Dining Hall, and all members of

the community are encouraged to share their opinions. Though the split lunch is

here now, that doesn’t mean it’s forever. Students have a voice and it is time to speak up.

TOWER/november 8, 2013

FEATURES

School immerges into water projects

by Sofia Linden

Photo by Alvin Henry

Many grades, clubs, classes and faculty members have begun to brainstorm ways to initiate and incorporate the theme of water into the school. Some have already begun projects. Associate Head of School for Faculty Affairs and Program Development, Adriana Botero brought up the theme. “The idea was to wet the students’ appetite,” she said. She also hopes to connect the water theme with universal responsibility. This theme was brought to life after many students and faculty read the book “Last Call at the Oasis” over the summer. This book highlighted the need for more drinkable water sources and conservation of water. The book suggests that we are already in need of more water sources and our current water supplies are slowly vanishing. Librarian Judy Murphy and Botero met with the book’s editor, Karl Weber, to discuss prospects of having various experts speak and answer questions for the student body in the spring. “He just loved the idea,” Murphy said. “We’re a school, not a large corporation. We’re interested in educating.” “I like the idea of acting locally but thinking globally,” said Botero. “Everything is connected to water. The more we leave the lights on, not only are we using energy, but we’re also using water.” One hour of light uses 1.4 gallons of water.

Bottled H2O proves unpopular by Y.A.C. by Tyler Jarecki

The goal of the Young Activists Club’s, Y.A.C. for short, is to get kids involved in political and or social activities which are relevant to our community but that they might not have otherwise gotten involved in themselves. On Oct 2., the club prepared a water taste test. The Y.A.C. members thought this was an important endeavor based on the school’s water awareness theme. The Y.A.C members filled three coolers with water, and labeled them cooler A, B and C. Cooler A was filled with bottled water, cooler B was filled with filtered water and cooler C was filled with tap water. They displayed three coolers and asked the student participants to taste each type of water. The students evaluated and ranked the drinking samples based on taste. The results were: 13 percent of the students preferred cooler A, the bottled water, while up to 23 percent preferred cooler C, the tap water.

Classes dive into the water theme World Religions World Religions teacher Jane Rechtman spoke of water as a symbol for all religions. “I would say that we’ve always—and will continue to—incorporated water to a degree,” she said. “Religions have always recognized that water is essential to life. So we look at purification, cleansing and renewal rituals in different traditions. ” World Religions teacher Brian Cheney related religion to two forces, the large organized religions as well as the individual. “One common refrain in “Last Call At the Oasis” that I would agree with is that the solution requires really broad international changes and changes of the individual.” He relates that to what he talks about with his students regarding religion, and said that he hopes they make the connection between the two in an attempt to make them more aware and active.

Ninth Grade English Currently, English Department Chair Miguel Segovia’s class is reading Zora Neale Hurston’s “There Eyes Were Watching God,” a novel in which a hurricane devastates a community very much as Katrina did in New Orleans. Segovia will assemble footage from the historical event to explore it alongside a literary treatment of a hurricane for two lovers in Hurston’s 1937 timeless classic. Additionally, the ninth graders are reading Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and several biblical stories to observe waters historical as well as metaphorical significance in different contexts and cultures. “Literature gives us a perfect venue to explore water because it enables us to consider not only its positive and negative effects, but also human responses to them,” he said. “Often, it’s not until we’re faced with a cataclysmic event, that we come to confront ourselves as persons or as a society.”

Graphic by Wen-Xuan Ni Data from http://www.thepeoplespeak.org/blogs/world-water-by-the-numbers.html

TOWER/november 8, 2013

FEATURES

School immerges into water projects

by Sofia Linden

Photo by Alvin Henry

Bottled H2O proves unpopular by Y.A.C. by Tyler Jarecki

Graphic by Wen-Xuan Ni Data from http://www.thepeoplespeak.org/blogs/world-water-by-the-numbers.html

Features

TOWER/NOVEMBER 8, 2013

Plagiarism offers two-click solutions at costly consequences by Abigail Costigan

Op-Ed Editor

Simple as one, two, three; copy, paste, print. Plagiarism is using another’s work and calling it your own, and has grown increasingly easy. But is plagiarism as easy as it seems? Or does it come with a host of underlying consequences, whether or not you’re caught? Students who get caught plagiarizing get sent to Disciplinary Committee (DC). Kristen Tregar, science teacher and one of the DC chairs, said, “From DC’s standpoint, the goal is

to offer students a punishment to reflect and re-build trust with the community.” However, junior Susan Aracena had a Disciplinary Committee case last year for plagiarizing on an essay and her experience was less positive. Aracena said, “I felt cornered, worthless, and like I had no say. It was just hurtful.” One solution to plagiarism that many schools use is a website called TurnItIn.com. The website is designed to detect plagiarism by cross checking a student’s words with the Internet and revealing how

original their words are. It can be used both as a deterrent from plagiarizing and as an educational tool.

The school does not use TurnItIn. Chris Goulian, the Academic Dean, said, “We [the Academic

Image courtesy of CartoonADay.com

Department] would prefer to err on the side of trust rather than suspicion.” Instead of being automatically suspicious of every student, the school wants a culture where trust exists between teachers and students. Even though reported incidents of plagiarism did not rise above normal levels last year, the cases that did come up received wider notoriety among the student body. Cheryl Hajjar, art teacher and a Disciplinary Chair said, “We all have a piece of responsibility in the plague that it felt like we had last year.” Tregar believes the

solution is communication. She said, “It is really important that there is communication between students and teachers so that in that overwhelmed moment, the student will contact their teacher and say listen, I need help. None of the faculty here are out to get students.” However, that message is sometimes hard to trust. In Arcena’s case, she had already asked for several extensions that year, and she was reluctant to ask for yet another. “If I didn’t hand it in on time, I felt like he’d [her teacher] keep looking at me worse and worse.”

Sacco fights for hungry teenagers and longer hours in Dining Hall By Gabby Davies

Ad Manager and Web Content Manager

With students busy with work and other activities, it’s hard to fit in the time to get a healthy meal during lunch. Assistant Athletic Director Mikelle Sacco plans to make eating a meal less of a struggle. Sacco has been pushing for the Dining Hall to be open with food out (outside of mealtimes) for the last two years. “I want to get food in the Dining Hall because it’s healthier for them,” Sacco said. “There are kids that aren’t eating breakfast, so then

they’re not going to function as well during classes, so at least if they can get in a healthy snack during break they won’t be starving by lunch.” The school workload can sometimes be overwhelming, meaning that a student may need to cram for a test during the lunch period, which can cause students to miss out on lunch entirely and go into the test with a low amount of energy, resulting in a higher percentage of getting a lower grade. “Many kids skip lunch because they’re studying for exams, or they have meetings to go to, and they just don’t

tend to think that they need to eat well,” Sacco said. “If they are available to get something healthy during the course of the day then they are going to do better and learn, and do better in practice and they will be able to continue through the day without having a problem.” Junior Hazel Kalderon agrees and believes that food should be made available. She said, “I think food being available at break is a good idea because if you get hungry during break it’s a long time before lunch.” However, Chief Finance Officer Bob Rooney said that it would cost

more to have food out. “It would definitely cost more, because Aramark services is based upon the number of students and cost per lunch, so there’s a specific contract out for that,” Rooney said. “I will listen to proposals from faculty and staff and work with Aramark if there is a real need to make a change in the food program. There Photo by Gabby Davies is a small committee of concerned parents and staff work- THE DINING HALL is chained off when closed. The only available options for food during those hours are fruit, condiments and ing with to examine the entire Crystal Light drinks. menu selection. This is in an effort to increase awareness The wait for lunch is long, active throughout all of their for students/staff with food al- and time allotted for lunch classes. With food up for grabs lergies and provide the healthi- is short, making it harder for for the whole day, the classest possible meal choices.” students to stay energized and room may just become livelier.

TOWER/november 8, 2013

Arts

‘Metamorphoses’ literally brings theme of water to school theater By Daniel Barnett Photo Editor

This year, water takes center stage in the play as well as the Upper School. “Metamorphoses” by Mary Zimmerman mimics the Upper School’s academic water them in terms of plot, theme and sets. According to choreographer Janie Wallace, the decision to perform this play was inspired by water. “Water symbolizes transformation,” she said. “When an actor gets wet, he or she is changed or transformed into something new. The pool is utilized in all the individual vignettes and stories in one way or another,” Wallace said. Assistant Technical Director Kristen Tregar explained the distinctive structure of the play, in that there is not a conventional lead actor or actress, but rather, a variety of actors working together to portray multiple stories. “There are anywhere from two to four actors in each scene that seem significant.

Everyone has the capability to shine,” Tregar said. Sophomore Karina Ceron, who plays a plethora of characters including the role called “Women by the Water” and Narrator Six, believes the story would not make sense without water. She said, “The point of ‘Metamorphoses’ is the transformation of the characters. The second he or she gets out of the water, he or she is not the same person as before.” The pool reflects the play’s theme of water and transformation. One of the biggest highlights of this year’s fall play is the inclusion of a real swimming pool in the performance. Tregar said that utilizing a pool has its obstacles, and can be prone to problems or complications. Tregar is going to be particular about the temperature of the pool to keep it not too warm or cold, but hygiene is the priority. She said, “Last year we recreated an old Kabuki theater where there were

fragile rice paper and high leveled windows above the stage but this year we have a pool. The technical aspects from “Throne of Blood” are the same as “Metamorphoses” because a lot of work is put into each to captivate the audience as well as insuring the actor’s safety.” Tregar has to find ways that the actors will not become distraught after coming out of the pool soaked in water and for them to be able to go on with their lines. According to Tregar, “Metamorphoses” is similar to “Throne of Blood” in terms of challenges for actors as well as technical performance benefits. Junior Grace Brewster plays “Hunger”, a character that requires her to enter the pool once during the play. Despite the challenges, she keeps a positive outlook. “I am lucky, I know somebody who has to fall into the pool and get completely wet from head to toe and it weighs down the costume,” Brewster said.

Hipster Nonsense by Mary Jac Heuman

Reflektor reflects Arcade Fire’s records On 9/9 at 9 p.m., following a viral guerilla marketing campaign in which buildings around the world were decorated with Haitian veve drawings, Arcade Fire dropped their new single. The drawings, done in chalk to evoke the traditional voudou beacon, called not spirits but the band’s latest venture. Named by Rolling Stone as “the most important band of the last decade”, Arcade Fire is now about to release their fourth and what could be their most important album. The band’s last album, The Suburbs, won the 2010 Grammy for Album of the Year. After overwhelming critical and commercial success, the band continues to evolve. Produced by James Murphy of LCD

Soundsystem, Reflektor manages to take influence spanning every decade, and yet evades categorization; in doing so, it crafts a sound suitable for the 2010s. It’s a double album, featuring a plethora of references to the Greek myth of Eurydices and Orpheus (including the statue on the cover), and drawing inspiration from time the band spent in Haiti and Jamaica (co-founder and frontwoman Régine Chassagne is of Haitian descent). The first single, which shares the name of the album, is a groovy and haunting meditation on love in the age of the Internet. Win Butler asks us, “We’re still connected, but are we even friends?” The song’s video, an interactive web short directed by Vincent Morisset,

Public Domain Image Photo by Ellen Cowhey

APOLLO’S SON, PHAETHON played by freshman Samantha Coppola, convinces his father, Apollo, played by senior Alex Broekhuijse, to give him the keys to his “car” also known as chariot of the sun.

AUGUSTE RODIN’S SCULPTURE of Orpheus and Eurydice, of two young lovers fated to be seperated forever, is featured on Arcade Fire’s newest album cover .

allows the viewer to connect their smart phone with their computer, creating a powerful, immersive experience. “Here Comes the Night Time”, a 22-minute long music video directed by Roman Coppola, takes a more whimsical stance on contemporary culture. The quirky, sometimes self-effacing and completely absurd video features the songs “Here Comes the Night Time”, “We Exist”, and “Normal Person”. Set in a surreal “salsathèque”, “Here Comes the Night Time” creates a bizarre, future-disco world dominated by familiar faces like James Franco, Michael Cera, Ben Stiller and more. Coppola’s vision premiered following the band’s Saturday Night Live performance, providing a complement to their pop culture exposition. Reflektor’s importance lies in its relevance. If three years has left the 2010s still searching for an identity, this might give it something to cling to. Arcade Fire calls ours “the reflective age”: from what we’ve seen thus far, Reflektor might be a reflective album, with us on the other side. Reflektor was released on Oct. 29.

Rainy Rocktoberfest “rocks” campus for its second annual performance By Sang Bae Features Editor

It was nine o’ clock in the evening. Voices and screams for an encore echoed over the Quad. The ground once shaking with fierce intensity stood silent. Under the glowing lights and humming sound equipment stood Eleven XI. Tousled hair, sweat gleaming against their bodies, these four rockers faced a resounding applause. Just when they picked up their instruments to strike a chord, the heavens drizzled against the stage. The show ended as the raindrops softly kissed the pavement. Despite an intermittent power outage, Rocktoberfest managed to please the crowds. Gilles Pugatch, with help from seniors Angaelica and Francesca LaPasta, managed to reconnect a blown power fuse by extending a large

extension cable from the Student Activity Center. “It was hectic in the moment,” Angaelica said. “In the end though, I thought it was spectacular how we all managed to get it together and make for a show that was really excellent and had beautiful lighting.” What began as a way to satisfy popular demand for another live band performance, it only grew as groups like Rhythm Society, Eleven XI and Anthony Flammia participated in the event. Pugatch also attests part of the show’s growing success to the addition of a stage, which he believes gives legitimacy to the event. “The stage really elevated the art form,” Pugatch said. “By elevating the artists, audiences regard them with a much greater respect.” With the show long over, the stars of Rocktoberfest

moved on. The main duo of Eleven XI, Nick Flammia and Will DuFault, have a gig with Mic Check

Wednesdays with DJ Spynfo on November and Anthony Flammia released his new album Round and Round.

Nick Flammia looks back at Rocktoberfest as he gave his concluding thoughts. “That’s the dream bro,”

Nick Flammia said. “That’s what we want to do for the rest of our lives, and I speak for all of us by saying that.”

Photo by Sang Bae

SENIORS NICK FLAMMIA AND WILL DUFAULT playing during Rocktoberfest. While Evan Vietorisz and Lorenzo Luongo are not officially part of Eleven XI, they often jam out with the group at Masters’ outings.

Continuations

TOWER/NOVEMBER 8, 2013

CFO role involves more than simply crunching numbers continued from page 1

look at it, I look at the cost factors to see if it’s a reasonable improvement. I meet with different department chairs to see what’s going on. I try to think about the students’ experience and what it’s going to be like, and whether or not we have the money for it.” He continued, “At the same time, there’s a certain dollar amount set aside for capital projects, and we don’t want to overspend.” Nevertheless, Rooney welcomes suggestions and requests with open ears.“I am more than willing to listen what fits. I never say no right away.” According to Rooney, the budget process, which is when the school determines its budget for the following academic year, begins in September. During the process, Rooney works closely with budget managers and collects feedback from different departments. Then, in early November or December, the Finance Committee approves a draft of the budget, which is then passed to the Board

of Trustees. They have the final say on the school budget (which includes faculty salaries and tuition rates). As a result, Rooney’s role of ensuring financial sustainability and providing financial information complements the Board of Trustees’ role of envisioning the school two or three years ahead. He said, “My goal, as an accountant, is to provide accurate financial data to the Board, so that they can make long-term decisions.” Looking ahead, Rooney believes that his objective should include much more than just making sure that the school is financially secure. “In addition to financial sustainability, which the school is now and continues to be, our facilities have to be in tiptop condition as well,” he said. “So one of my goals with the Head of School [Maureen Fonseca], by next year, is to provide a facility audit.” This means that there will be an assessment of the physical condition and functionality of every building at school in order to determine long-term plans.

THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ACTS out an Alice in Wonderland themed skit for Halloween. The teachers sit around a “classroom table” while trying to explain the fantasy world to a confused Alvin Henry.

THE FRESHMAN CLASS GATHERS in the streamer-decorated theatre to watch their first high school Halloween festivities unravel. The minions got into their theme, making the right side of the theatre a bright yellow color.

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TOWER/November 8, 2013

Sports

Canada racing to break school records in America by Wen-Xuan Ni Features Editor

by Ben Sibley

THE YANKS SHOULDN’T SIGN CANO Robinson Cano is the best player on the Yankees and the best second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB), but the Yankees should not sign him to a long term deal. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Cano is reportedly seeking a 10 year $310 million contract. After the Alex Rodriguez catastrophe, Brian Cashman (General Manager) and Yankees executives should know better than to cave and give a player an absurdly long contract. With Cano posting a 315 batting average, 27 home runs and 106 runs batted in, it may be tempting. But for the long term success of the Yankees, executives can’t dish out another crazy contract. Financially, the Yanks are in peril. In order to avoid huge luxury taxes, they want to get under a self imposed $189 million cap, yet their payroll currently sits at a whopping $203 million. Unfortunately, the Yanks don’t have much wiggle room in terms of salary. They are contractually committed to three players

whose production doesn’t match their salaries (Alex Rodriguez, who is signed to a 10 year $275 million contract, CC Sabathia, who is signed to an 8-year $186 million contract, and Mark Teixeira, who is signed to an 8-year $180 million contract.). That’s over $20 million a year per player. Because of this problem, it will be extremely difficult to get under the cap if they sign Cano. The Yankees roster is an aging one, with an average age of 30 which is the highest in the MLB. Signing Cano (age 30) to a multi-year deal would only continue the cycle of signing old players past their prime, a system that has recently been a problem for the Bronx bombers. With aging stars and decreased chances of a World Series appearance in the next couple of years, the Yankees’ best option is to simply let Cano sign with another team and begin a rebuilding process based on acquiring young and promising minor league talent.

Senior Ronnell Canada started running in seventh grade and won his first onemile race. Feeling quite confident, he continued running. Now in his fifth year running, he aims to break the 17-minute bar for the five-kilometer run before

“I feel confident when I have purple jerseys surrounding me. The other teams see us like a pack of panthers and they get a little frightened.” graduating high school. Canada started his season by breaking his personal best from last year. He cut off 40 seconds from his 18-minute record for the five-kilometer run and now has a new record of 17:20. Canada came first in the 10th Annual O`Connell Invitational at Cheshire Academy and continues to consistently place in the top three along with freshman Gene Perry and junior Jason McLeod in other meets. Last year, Canada suffered from injuries that prevented him from performing his best. According to Vincent Galgano, head coach of cross-country

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team, his injuries were because Canada trained all summer before season. In addition to his recovery from leg injuries from last season, Canada also has a strong pack of three other runners. Galgano said that he distinctly remembers Ronnell’s words after his first win, “I couldn’t have done that if I hadn’t had my pack.”

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All four runners in the pack, Canada, McLeod, Perry and sophomore Chris Brakey boost the team’s speed. Canada said, “I feel confident when I have purple jerseys surrounding me. The other teams see us like a pack of panthers and they get a little frightened. Then it becomes harder for them to beat us while it is easier for us to beat them.” According to McLeod, Canada serves as an important figure to the pack and to the team. He said, “He’s a huge encouragement and you can tell he wants us to win when he says ‘You guys, come on we got this.’ He

Photo by Vincent Galgano

RONNELL CANADA (‘14) SPRINTS towards the finish line at the Convent of the Sacred Heart Meet.

goes out and crushes it. This truly makes him an irreplaceable part of the team.” His life as a runner will continue after the

season. He said he wants to run as fast as he can so that years from now he can look back and say, “I was able to run that fast.”

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SPORTS

tower/November 8, 2013

SPORTS

Varsity cross country wins their first ever FAA track meet by Tyler Jarecki Sports Editor

To agree with Thin Lizzy, the boys are back in town. The arrivals are not “them wild-eyed boys” that Thin Lizzy refers to, but rather the seven varsity players who comprise the boys varsity cross country team—seven boys

who have brought back to school the pride, accomplishment and triumph. On Oct. 16, the team sped through the Fairchester Athletics Association (FAA) meet and emerged triumphant. Freshman Gene Perry, who won the meet, said, “We all ran extremely well at the FAA meet and

showed what perseverance and persistence can accomplish. I’m so excited to be part of such a strong and successful team.” This year’s boys varsity cross country team has proved itself as a force to reckon with, bringing home consistently strong results: its top three runners have placed in the

Photo by Vincent Galgano

THE VARSITY PLAYERS celebrate their success after the big win at the Convent of the Sacred Heart Meet. From left to right: Ronnell Canada (‘14), Jason McLeod (‘15), Henry Littlewood (‘16), Matt Donovan (‘16), Christopher Brakey (‘16), Gene Perry (‘17) and Connor Linehan (‘14).

top five at every meet. Head Coach Vincent Galgano said, “The top three runners this year are Ronnell Canada, Jason McLeod and Gene Perry. What’s cool about that is they’ve won different races at different times. In our first meet, Ronnell was first, Gene was second and Jason was third; our next meet Gene won, Ronnell was second and Jason was third; and then this past week Jason was third, Ronnell was fourth and Gene was fifth.” Galgano continued, “This is the first year that we’ve had depth in definitely three runners that can all race the same times, then a fourth that’s very close. I think being able to train and race as a pack is a huge part of our success.” Meanwhile, sophomore Paulina Aue placed third overall and also broke a school record for the 5K, originally set in 2008. The cheers of success have reverberated throughout the cross country team. The enthusiasm is pervasive and contagious.

Photo by Vincent Galgano

FRESHMAN GENE “THE MACHINE” PERRY on the move at the Convent of the Sacred Heart Meet. Perry has been racing since middle school.

State champs look forward to another successful year on the court Sports Editor

are trying out for varsity to be in some sort

With a victorious and historic 2012-2013 season, the boys’ basketball team hopes to start the upcoming season on a positive note. Having won the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) Class “C” state championship (commonly referred to as “the state championship”), the team has most definitely set the bar high. The returning players on the team have been practicing year round, as if they never won a championship title. Kammrath said, “They play on AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball teams, which are like club teams. In the spring and summertime, they have a very heavy practice schedule. I know that this usually tends to keep them in shape.” Coaches expect the players to be in shape no matter what the circumstances. “We do expect all serious players who

VARSITY HEAD COACH MATT KAMMRATH AND ASSISTANT COACH TOM WETHINGTON talk to their players during a time out in the championship game against Staten Island Academy. They eventually won this game 56 to 37.

by Tony Rosenberg

of shape for the season,” said Assistant Head

Coach Tom Wethington. During the tryouts, the

coaches’ main focus concerns the players fitness

Photo by Robert Cornigans

and overall technical skill. These technical skills include the ability to pass and shoot and dribble. Kammrath said that several new students have expressed an interest in basketball. “Everyone has an equal opportunity to come out to tryouts and fight for their position on the varsity team,” said Captain Tim Reitzenstein. Team supporters and the team itself have noticed the improvements made last season. The team manager, senior Jazmine Figueroa said, “Last year there was a lot of chemistry. In the past, they never played as a team.” Kammrath said, “I know the players’ strengths and weaknesses from coaching them in the past.” The close pact shares many of the same traits, of which one is determination. Reitzenstein, aware that expectations for this year’s team have increased tenfold, remains unfazed. He said, “We expect to win the FAA tournament this upcoming season.”