Tower Issue #2 2017-2018

Tower The Masters School

49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. 10522

VOLUME 74, NUMBER 2

Editorial Masters is a Harkness school — and every classroom sports a table attesting to that, but the supposed importance of discussion is increasingly absent on report cards. The prevailing de-emphasis of participation gives no reason for students not to check out in class. Harkness needs to be reflected in grades and made a focus of every class.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017

tower.mastersny.org

Teacher cash swings left David Oks Opinion Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF DENNIS W. GOFF/US AIR FORCE

FIRES SWEEP ACROSS CALIFORNIA, destroying thousands of acres and endagering lives in the state. Climate change may be a factor in the blazes.

Wildfires blaze across California Drew Schott Features Editor

Creating​ ​skies​ ​of​ ​soot​ ​and​ ​charring​ ​ landscapes,​​towering​​forest​​fires​​have​​ ravaged counties​ ​across​ ​California,​ ​ leading​ ​to​ ​the​ ​destruction​ ​of​ ​at​ ​least​ ​ 220,000​ ​acres​ ​and​ 42 deaths.​ ​Burning​​since​​Oct.​​8,​​the​​fires​​are ​the​​largest​ ​in​ ​California​ ​since​ ​2013,​ ​when​ ​the Rush​ ​Fire​ ​scorched​ ​316,000​ ​acres.

Despite​ ​the​ ​fires​ ​burning​ on the other side of ​the​ ​country,​ ​Masters​ ​ felt the heat.​​Junior Elizabeth​​Forman​ ​was​ ​evacuated​ ​from​ ​Oxbow,​ ​a​ ​ semester-long​ ​arts​ ​school​ ​in​ ​Napa,​ CA,​ ​after the​ ​fires​ ​engulfed​ ​the​ ​land​​ surrounding​ ​the​ ​campus.

The​ ​October​ ​fires​ ​have​ ​destroyed​​ 8,400​ ​buildings​ ​and​ ​reached​ ​wind​ ​ gusts​ ​of​ ​up​ ​to​ ​79 mph,​ ​equivalent​ ​ to​ ​the​ ​speed​ ​of​ ​the​ ​recent​ ​Hurricane​ ​ Nate​ ​in​ ​Louisiana.​ ​​ ​With​ ​the​ ​fires​​

raging across​ ​California,​ ​a​ ​state​ ​of​ ​ emergency​ ​in​ ​eight​ ​counties​ ​has​ ​been​ declared ,​ ​along​ ​with​ ​the evacuation​ ​ of​ ​nearly​ ​100,000​ ​people.​ ​Because​ ​ eight​​of​​the​​10​​October​​fires​​have​​not​​ yet​ ​been extinguished,​ ​search​ ​and​ ​ rescue​ ​teams​ ​are​ ​facing​ ​difficulty​ ​in​​ rescuing​ ​civilians.​ ​To​ ​date,​ ​the fires​​ have​ ​resulted​ ​in​ ​the​ ​highest​ ​number​ ​ of​ ​wildfire-related​ ​deaths​ ​in​ ​American​ ​history.

As​​the​​fires​​burned​​across​​California’s​ ​agricultural​ ​sector,​ ​at​ ​least​ ​34​ ​ marijuana​ ​fields were​ ​scorched,​ ​creating​ ​a​ ​crisis​ ​for​ ​California​ ​marijuana​ ​farmers.​ ​With​ ​the​ ​drug​ ​beginning​ ​ legal rollout​ ​in​ ​California​ ​on​ ​Jan.​ ​ 1,​ ​2018,​ ​farmers​ ​are​ ​now​ ​pressured​ ​ to​ ​regain​ ​their​ crops ​of marijuana​ ​ plants.​ ​However,​ ​this​ ​will​ ​be​ ​difficult​ ​because​ ​the​ ​Federal​ ​Emergency​ ​ Management Agency​ ​(FEMA)​ ​does​ ​ not​ ​grant​ ​marijuana​ ​farmers​ ​federal​ ​ disaster​ ​assistance.

Estimated​ ​to​ have caused ​near​ ​$65​ ​

billion​ ​in​ ​property​ ​damage,​ ​the​ ​October​ ​fires​ are now ​the costliest​ ​wildfires​ ​in​ ​American​ ​history.​​ ​​Additionally,​ ​the​ ​recovery​ ​cost​ ​is​ ​predicted​ ​to​ ​ rise​​due​​to the​​fire’s​​full​​containment​​ being​ ​weeks​ ​away,​ ​according​ ​to​ Joel Meyers, president of Accuweather.

Recently,​ ​FEMA​ ​and​ ​the​ ​California​ ​government​ ​have​ ​collectively​ ​announced​ ​that​ ​they will​ ​grant​ ​public​ ​ assistance​ ​for​ ​debris​ ​removal​ ​and​ ​ emergency​ ​services​ ​to​ ​individuals​ ​ affected​ ​by the​ ​fires.​ ​Furthermore,​​ the​ ​Small​ ​Business​ ​Administration​ ​ (SBA)​ ​will​ ​hand​ ​out​ ​natural​ ​disaster loans​ ​to​ ​businesses​ ​and​ ​homeowner​ ​ wildfire​ ​victims.​ ​The​ ​combined​ ​costs of ​FEMA​ ​and ​SBA’s​ ​initiatives​ ​are​ ​ expected​ ​to​ ​top​ ​$30​ ​million.

The​ ​Napa​ ​Valley​ ​Community​ ​Disaster​ ​Relief​ ​Fund​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Sonoma​ ​ County Resilience are two of many newly​ ​formed​ ​organizations​ that are​ currently​ ​assisting​ ​citizens​ ​by​ ​providing​ ​immediate relief.​ ​These​ ​orga-

Backpack stacks cut back

nizations​ ​provide​ ​recovery​ ​services​ ​ and​ ​long-term​ ​planning​ ​for​ ​California citizens.​​ Online,​ ​GoFundMe​ ​pages​ ​have​ ​ raised​ ​thousands​ ​of​ ​dollars​ ​for​ ​crucial​ ​ parts​ ​of​ ​these efforts,​ ​including​ ​raising​​funds​​for​​local​​fire​​departments. ​Forman​watched ​the​​fires​creep toward​s ​her​​dormitory ​until​​the​​flames​​ halted​ ​almost​ ​two​ ​miles​ ​from​ ​Oxbow.​ ​​ “​On​ ​campus,​ ​all windows​ ​had​ ​to​ ​be​ ​ shut​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​air​ ​quality.​ ​We​ ​were​ ​ preparing​ ​for​ ​the​ ​worst,”​ ​she​ ​said.

In​ ​response​ ​to​ ​the​ ​mandatory​ ​ evacuation​ ​of​ ​students​ ​from​ ​Oxbow,​ ​ Forman​ ​was​ ​quickly sent​ ​home​ ​to​ ​ New​ ​York​ ​City.​ ​The​ ​junior​ ​has​ ​since​ ​ returned​ ​to​ ​Oxbow,​ ​however,​ ​​and ​she​ ​ and numerous​ ​others​ ​are​ ​waiting​ ​for​ ​ the​​fires​​to​​be​​extinguished.​​“I​​immediately​ ​went​ ​to​ ​see​ ​my roommate​ ​in​ ​ Rye​ ​after​ ​I​ ​got​ ​home.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​essential​ ​ that​ ​I​ ​did​ ​this​ ​because​ ​we​ ​needed​ ​to​ ​ normalize after​​seeing​​the​​fires,”​​Forman​ ​said.

Oks run is in limbo

Eric Dowd

Emma Luis

Sports Editor

News Editor

Every Monday, Tuesday and Friday, Upper School students and faculty meet for morning meeting inside of the Claudia Boettcher Theatre. In previous years, students dumped their bags in the halls outside of the theatre prior to morning meeting, but this year a new policy has been put into place.

Now, underclassmen are no longer permitted to leave their bags around the theatre, and following morning meeting they must outside around Masters Hall and enter by the front desk.

Freshmen and sophomores must either place their bags on the second floor, in the basement, in their first period class or in their locker before coming back to morning meeting.

According to a survey of more than 150 Upper School students, more than 58 percent of students agreed with the new backpack policy, and more than 55 percent of students believed that this system allows students to get to class faster and on time. However, there has been lot of pushback from underclassmen, who feel as though the new backpack policy heavily favors upperclassmen.

Though the purpose of the change is safety, many underclassmen believe that the new policy is unfair towards them. Sophomore Sophia Herzberg said, “I think that the new backpack policy wasn’t executed properly, like it would work if everybody followed it, which nobody does. It’s an inconvenience for a lot of students, and in my opinion, unnecessary. If upperclass-

As the rush of election day comes to a close, junior David Oks, potential mayor of the Village of Ardsley, awaits election results. Oks, a 16-year-old student, ran as an independent write-in candidate against his neighbor Nancy Kaboolian.

The election happened on Nov. 7, and the results will be announced early next week due to delays in certifying write-in ballots. Oks’ opponent, Kaboolian, who as a Democrat, served as deputy mayor under the reERIC DOWD/TOWER

BAGS THROWN IN THE hallways of Masters Hall cause major traffic before class and pose a safety threat. The new policy aims to resolve these issues. men can put their backpacks in the halls around the theatre, then why can’t we?” The same survey found that over 82 percent of the Masters student body believed that the new backpack policy benefits upperclassmen.

The main reasoning behind this change is safety. Backpacks clog the hallways surrounding the theatre, making evacuating Masters Hall during an emergency both slow and dangerous. Head of Upper School Matthew Ives said, “The end result was, I don’t think it was that much of a pain in the butt for the freshman and sophomores, and everyone got to class way faster. If it turns out that it’s not a big advantage, or that we’re pushing the danger somewhere else, to the stairwells or second floor, then we’ll reconsider.”

Masters students didn’t always have to place their bags in the hallways surrounding the theatre. In 2011, students took their bags into the theatre, until the fire marshall prohibited it. The student body then placed their bags outside of the theatre, which was also deemed a fire hazard.

In past years, backpacks have been pushed further away from the theatre, however some feel as though the system is still not safe enough. Science teacher Elisabeth Merrill said, “I think that kids should be aware that inconvenience is a small factor when you’re considering community safety, and some students try and get around it by bringing their bags into the theatre.

I’m sure people view it as a pain in the butt, but we have to look beyond the annoyance and think about the safety.”

Masters discourages faculty and staff from revealing political preferences, but to some the views of teachers seem overwhelmingly liberal. Publicly available data garnered from OpenSecrets, a project of the Center for Responsive Politics, shows that Masters employees donate almost exclusively to liberal causes.

The data, which includes all check and online donations, suggests that Masters faculty and staff have become increasingly politically active in recent years. From 1991 (the year the first donation was logged by OpenSecrets) to the end of 2011, faculty and staff donated a total of $4,925, a total average of $426 a year.

However, since 2012 and right up into 2017, faculty and staff donations have skyrocketed. They’ve donated an astonishing collective sum of $12,149— about $2,430 a year, more than fivefold their previous sum.

The beneficiaries of these donations are almost always liberal groups and candidates. Since 2000, just $120 has been donated to conservative groups, all from one former employee. Meanwhile, liberal groups and candidates raked in $15,429 from Masters employees. Particularly prominent was the exclusively Democratic/Liberal donation platform ActBlue, which allows donors to keep the recipients of their donations secret.

After ActBlue, the largest recipients of donations were former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign.

Above all, the Masters data suggests that the School’s employees fall into the broad trend of educators leaning to the left. While Masters donors seems to lean dominantly to the left, its percentage of donations to liberal candidates is similar to other private schools as well as to universities.

tiring current mayor, Peter Porcino.

Oks relied on his supporters writing him in after his spot on the ballot was revoked due to a challenge to his petition signatures, which were in an improper format. “Since day one, I was almost certain that I was going to lose,” Oks said. “I think that regardless of my status come a few days, I gained a lot from the election. I think I added to the Village of Ardsley, and I hope inspired people,” said Oks. For write-in candidates, each vote has to be hand counted. After a long race, Ardsley is still waiting. The final outcome of the election will be covered by Tower on Twitter, as well as on the web.

Terror strikes NYC Jacob Strier Copy Editor An Uzbek man drove a truck through a crowd of bikers and pedestrians in lower Manhattan on Oct. 31, killing eight and injuring over a dozen. 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov, a legal U.S. resident, described his actions as motivated by ISIS. His tactics, which mirrored those of truck-ramming attacks carried out by other terrorists in Nice and London, have been known to be promoted in ISIS related-media.

The attack had immediate political ramifications, as President Donald Trump was quick to use the event as an example of the dangers of current American immigration policy. Saipov had en-

tered the nation in 2010 as a part of a lottery-style green-card system, in which around 50,000 eligible immigrants per year from countries with lower annual immigration numbers are granted legal status to enter the United States.

Saipov is part of a new class of terrorists that commit crimes on American soil: home-grown and radicalized online.

In addition to the recent attack in Manhattan, the Boston marathon bombing, the nightclub massacre in Orlando, and the shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., were committed by legal U.S. residents and American citizens.

The attack, 30 miles from The Masters School campus, strikes close to home. Many students’ parents work in New York City, in addition to a number of students who live in Manhattan.

Opinion TOWER/NOVEMBER 10, 2017

2

OPINION

If Masters wants to advertise itself as a “Harkness school,” then it should grade that way Masters advertises itself as a Harkness school that places a significant value on interactive, discussion-based learning. While Harkness is physically manifested in every classroom, its importance is beginning to deteriorate. The Harkness method preaches the value of all students participating, but this philosophy is not reflected in grading.

Many classes at Masters are counting class participation for a lower percentage of students’ final grades than in past years. For example, last year Spanish IV gave no credit for in-class participation.

This is incredibly troubling, as language immersion classes should encourage students to speak more in class, in order to hone their foreign language speaking skills.

Without the incentive of a grade, students have no reason to speak up in class, and often check out of discussions, rather than participating. Although some students are quieter by nature, not having participation as an expectation encourages people not to pay attention in discussion, and the best way to learn a language is to use it

in context.

Harkness classroom does not properly function if all students are not participating. Many students find that instead of equal participation, conversations are often dominated by a handful of students replying to one another’s remarks. Even if teachers point this fact out to the class, this rarely leads to quieter students participation, as they simply are not motivated to speak. The Harkness method supposedly encourages every individual to speak up and discuss what they find interesting, but how can you encourage students if their class participation is barely reflected by their final grade?

Understandably, it is not always easy to incorporate Harkness into every subject. While there is a natural place for discussion in English, language and history classes, it is not as easily put into practice in math, science and other STEM courses.

We understand that students who are naturally less talkative are prone to disagree with our logic. While we sympathize with these

News Editors Emma Luis Henry Williams Opinion Editors Cedar Berrol-Young David Oks Features Editors Alex Bentzien Drew Schott Sports Editors Morgan Brettschneider Eric Dowd

Managing Editor Logan Toporoff VINCENT ALBAN/TOWER

THE HARKNESS METHOD DEFINES Masters, but often teachers don’t consider it in grading. For Masters to be a “Harkness school,” it must play a role in grading. concerns, one of the most important goals of the Harkness method is to make students feel comfortable speaking in groups, and if

Masters is not going to properly enforce the Harkness philosophy in the classroom, we should not call ourselves a Harkness school.

Convocation changes hurt Masters spirit Cedar Berrol-Young Opinion Editor During my last period Latin class on Friday, we derived the word convocation into its Latin roots. The word translates to “a calling together.”

Convocation has long been a time that we as a school can come together, celebrate our achievements and listen to members of the

community talk about what makes Masters such a special place.

At my first convocation, in 2013, that sentiment was carried through the whole ceremony. The entire board of trustees sat at the front, giving a face to many of the names we hear in passing at school. They sat with some of the administration and select students.

Although it made for a slightly crowded stage, the visual of different ranking members of our school,

THE INTERNATIONALIST

Homophobia riles Brazil Casey Li Brazil is known to many Americans as a land of beautiful vistas and joyous festivities, but it harbors something else: deeply-ingrained homophobia. Brazilian federal judge Waldemar de Carvalho recently approved conversion therapy as a legitimate medical practice, overruling a decision made by the country’s Federal Council of Psychology (CFP) in 1999 that prohibited psychologists from attempting to “cure” gay people. Though Brazil is a popular LGBT tourism destination that legalized same-sex marriage in 2013, homophobia is on the rise there.

On average, one transgender or queer citizen is killed each day in Brazil. A growing number of rightwing activists and evangelical Christians have protested gay art exhibitions and TV shows that feature gay or transgender characters.

This regressive reaction officially took off in April 2016 when people of the Free Brazil Movement (MBL) forced the impeachment of the leftist president, Dilma Rousseff, out of office. A right-wing leader, Michel Temer, succeeded Rousseff. Since Temer took office, right-wing politics has enjoyed a renaissance in Brazil.

Despite pushback from the international community, in 2016, Rio de Janeiro elected a mayor who called homosexuality a “terrible evil.”

Judge de Carvalho’s ruling was initiated by the case of evangelical Christian psychologist Rozangela

Justino, whose license was revoked in 2016 after offering conversion therapy. As early as 2009, the psychologist who claimed she was “directed by God to help people who are homosexual” said homosexuality was a disease and advised patients to seek religious guidance.

Celebrities, LGBT activists and others have spoken out against the judge’s decision. Many citizens expressed dismay that the government is focused on on limiting LGBT rights instead of improving the crumbling education system, improving healthcare access and reducing poverty.

The fact of the matter is that gay conversion is proved ineffective and unsupported by any reliable evidence. The American Psychological Association has suggested banning conversion therapy, which can include corrective rape, shock therapy, castration and institutionalization.

In 2015, twelve UN agencies and the World Psychiatric Association published a joint statement that condemned such practices.

Brazilian agencies and medical associations should condemn the atrocity. The CFP should call for a crackdown on gay conversion centers. The legalization of gay conversion is a human rights and medical crisis. Converting others’ sexual orientation should not be allowed, just like any other illegitimate, ineffective, and detrimental treatment or medicine.

Editors-in-Chief Michael Fitzgerald George Weed

unified, was important to show how invested the school was in every part of the community. Teachers were given awards and opportunities to speak to the student body, the parents and the trustees. Students were also given this privilege, as the two co-chairs were able to give a brief speech on what makes our school different from the many that surround it.

However, in the last couple of years things have changed and the most recent convocation was a clear example of this evolution away from a community oriented convocation. Instead of having administrators, the co-chairs of student government, the trustees and the guest speaker sit facing the crowd we saw only two people, Head of School Laura Danforth and the guest speaker Seth Godin.

We were briefed on Seth Godin’s past rather quickly by Danforth and then Godin continued to give a speech that resembled more of a TED talk or a motivational speech than an address to the student body of a school. He preached on topics of self-worth and the importance of disobedience before leaving to conduct a book signing in the Sharon Room.

Nothing about what was said or what was shown demonstrated the inclusive and unique commu-

nity that is Masters. To an outsider, this meeting would simply look like a man giving a motivational speech to a group of teenagers and their parents in formal attire.

This isn’t what convocation is or should be. It is a time to reflect on our school and see what we’ve been able to achieve as a community. It should be a reminder to all about what makes Masters the special place that it is. None of these sentiments were even remotely voiced.

It is important to recognize that this gathering has not always been a photo-op and a space for renowned speakers to talk at us for a half an hour or so, but rather an integral part of the relationship between the many members of our community.

As a soon-to-be alumnus, I hope that convocation reverts back to its inclusive and community-oriented past. At this point, convocation really serves little to no purpose for increasing the bonds between people at the school and instead stands as a good opportunity for photos and videos to attract potential students and donors. Convocation should not just be a public relations event. The school’s appreciation for its community should be reflected more in the convocation proceedings. If not, it should not be mandatory to attend.

Advertising Manager Elijah Emery Copy Editors Sophia Brousset Jacob Strier Web Editors Tyler Conway Sarah Faber Investigative Journalist Elijah Emery Photo Editor Vincent Alban Distribution Manager Jacob Strier Social Media Manager Sarah Faber Contributing Photographers Charlie Loigman Asli Noyan Faculty Advisers Matthew Browne Ellen Cowhey

Online Media

For more information, follow Tower on the following platforms: Website: Tower.MastersNY.org Facebook: MastersTower Twitter: @MastersTower Instagram: @MastersTower

Distribution Process

Tower is hand-delivered on the day of publication to the Upper School. 650 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, Letters and Editorial Policy

ASLI NOYAN/TOWER

FORMER CO-CHAIR TIMOTHY KAPLOWITZ speaks to the school at the 2015 convocation. Alterations to the ceremony have riled some in the community.

Tower is the winner of the Pacemaker Award for Overall Excellence, an award-winning member of the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), Journalism Education Association (JEA) and Quill and Scroll. We encourage Letters to the Editor, which can be submitted to the following email address: TowerEditors@MastersNY.org. Published approximately five times a year, Tower, the student newspaper of The Masters School, is a public forum, with its Editorial Board making all decisions concerning content. Commentaries and opinion columns are the expressed opinion of the author and not of Tower and its Editorial Board or its advisers.

Furthermore, the opinions conveyed are not those of The Masters School, faculty, or staff. Unsigned editorials express views of the majority of the Editorial Board.

TOWER/NOVEMBER 10, 2017

3

OPINION

Weinstein scandal topples Hollywood house of cards Sarah Faber Social Media Manager Aside from red lipstick and hair gel, the Hollywood of the 40s, 50s, and 60s was defined by the casting couch: the common practice of casting directors or producers exchanging roles for sex.

Unfortunately, this practice still exists today.

Recently, dozens of women have come forward with allegations against famed movie producer Harvey Weinstein. According to the accounts, Weinstein has been summoning actresses to his hotel rooms where they find him nakeddemanding a massage, offering actresses roles in his movies only if they have sex with him and oftentimes forcing himself on women.

Now that news of Weinstein’s behavior is public, he’s facing repercussions. The Producers Guild unanimously expelled him. He was condemned by the vast majority of the film industry; a “prominent male Hollywood producer” told The New York Times, “Literally everyone in Hollywood is taking marshmallows to roast at his burning

PORTRAITS COURTESY OF ELLIOTT FEDER AND HENRY WEED; GRAPHIC BY GEORGE WEED/TOWER

HARRASSMENT ALLEGATIONS ROCKING HOLLYWOOD have ended the careers of such former luminaries as producer Harvey Weinstein and actor Kevin Spacey. Weinstein was accused of serial rape, and Spacey of serial child molestation. corpse.” was publicly sued by his ex-wife, begs the question: how grotesque The most shocking part of Wein- Amber Heard, for domestic vio- does assault have to be for the stein’s case is that he evaded scru- lence, he scored a part in the up- masses to shun the abuser? tiny for so long. If Weinstein could coming Murder On the Orient ExWhether a male celebrity ashave a successful career after ha- press. Donald Trump admitted to saults dozens of young starlets or rassing so many women, we must grabbing women by their genitals just one, rape is rape. Anyone who ask: how many other famous men in a tape from Access Hollywood, uses his or her position of power out there have done the same, and yet he was elected president of the to inflict harm and threaten those when will they be revealed?

United States. below them on the social ladder deEarlier this year, after Casey The contrast between the way serves to be ostracized and reviled.

Affleck was accused of sexual as- Weinstein was treated by the meIn a show of solidarity for the sault, he won an Academy Award dia and the way Affleck, Depp and victims of Weinstein and any othfor Best Actor. After Johnny Depp Trump were treated by the media er sexual predators, thousands

of women have been using the hashtag #MeToo to share stories or simply to admit that they have been a victim of sexual harassment. The movement exemplifies how social media is being used to draw attention to important social and political issues.

Actor Terry Crews discussed being groped by a male Hollywood executive, showing that men can also be victims of sexual violence.

The movement seems to have had an impact on Hollywood. When actor Kevin Spacey was accused of molesting a 14-year-old actor, his career was arguably destroyed.

Not only was his reputation ruined, but he was fired from House of Cards, on which he played the main character.

The best way to combat sexual assault is to reject the culture that allowed Weinstein to harass women for decades. Speak up when you feel there is injustice around you, explain to your friends why their joke about rape isn’t funny and how it contributes to rape culture, and educate the next generation of young men to understand and respect consent—and we can hope to change our societal norms.

As massacres shake nation, factions clash over guns We need gun control, but don’t expect it any time soon Letter to the editor: protect, don’t attack, gun rights Elijah Emery

Dear Tower,

Investigative Journalist After each mass shooting ravages the American psyche, the nation falls into the same cycle: “prayer,” argument, forgetting. After the Las Vegas shooting on Oct. 1 and the Sutherland Springs shooting on Nov. 5, the same pattern is taking place. We issue our thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families, progressives call for tighter gun restrictions, and conservatives declare that gun control will not fix this issue.

America, which has only 5 percent of the world’s population, has had 31 percent of all mass shootings between 1966 and 2012, according to CNN. Though some believe that changes will be made, at a time when the National Rifle Association (NRA) suggests regulations on “bump stock” devices like the one used in Las Vegas, this optimism ignores the past.

First of all, while the NRA and some Republicans have agreed with Democrats on the need for tighter regulation on these devices, neither a ban, nor any regulation, has yet been passed, or even introduced by the Republican leadership. Moreover, the NRA suggests that bump stocks should be regulated by the Department of

COURTESY OF LAURIE TATE/PIXABAY

SEVERAL DOZEN GRAVEYARDS SIT near Dallas, Texas. Each day, gun violence kills 93 Americans, inflaming a fiery national debate about gun control.

Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco, which has suggested that bump stocks are and should be legal.

There is a clear connection between NRA political donations and support for gun rights in both Congress and local elections. Additionally, as Republican politicians are measured by their “A” ratings from the NRA, an increasingly polarized base continues to vote for those candidates extreme enough to refuse any legislation, whatsoever, in the name of “gun rights.”

Though the majority of Americans hope that Congress will pass gun regulations (though polls do not say which regulations the American people are hoping for),

another majority believes that this is increasingly unlikely, according to the same Politico/Morning Consult survey, with the number of Americans who believe Congress will pass any gun control legislation falling to just 26 percent.

The truth is simple: Congress won’t pass gun control.

But hope remains. Democratic states have moved closer to sensible legislation following past shootings, including New York, Connecticut and Maryland. Now, more than ever, activists must work to elect local and state candidates who will stand up to the NRA and fight for the safety of the American people.

Hamas/PA agreement hurts Israel Jacob Strier Copy Editor The recent reconciliation of two rival Palestinian factions will improve the quality of life for the people of Gaza, but may bode ill for Israel. The agreements mark a new period for Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. Yet the deal is ambiguous in its language, especially regarding how the two groups, now working as a single cooperative entity, will deal with Israel.

The Palestinian Authority (PA), which runs the Palestinian sections of the West Bank, has long denied Israeli peace offers. Hamas,

which is recognized by the United States as a terrorist organization, is infamous for indiscriminately shelling Israel from their base in the Gaza Strip. Hamas’ condition for demilitarization is the complete Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank. That can be boiled down to a simple phrase: “no Jews allowed.”

The deal cedes Hamas’ administrative control over Gaza to the more stable PA, expanding freedom of movement for millions of Gazans and help to improve the lives of Gazans. Besides the betterment of the lives of Gaza’s people, however, remains the darker reality: the presence of an armed Hamas. The group has indiscriminately bombed Israel, endangering

COURTESY OF FRIENDS123/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

FOUR ISRAELI SOLDIERS STAND amidst a gaggle of Israelis and Palestinians. A recent agreement may exacerbate the Israel-Palestine crisis.

the lives of Israelis, Jewish and Arab alike.

The deal between the PA and Hamas failed to address several key issues, including the relationship with Israel under a united Palestinian government, and the future of the military arm of Hamas. “Hamas has insisted on its right to maintain control of its arsenal—including thousands of rockets, missiles and drones—as well as its militia and its network of fortified tunnels,” according to The New York Times.

Inter-Palestinian peace agreements aside, the continuing armament of Hamas remains a threat to Israel’s security, especially since Iran is known to support Hamas financially. Iran has publicly promoted Israel’s “annihilation,” as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Twitter three years ago amidst mounting Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

It is not surprising that Israeli leaders remain apprehensive, and justifiably so, about the merger.

The agreement solves issues that have added inter-Palestinian volatility to the region, but the deal remains noticeably vague about how future cooperation between the two will play into Israel’s national safety.

I came across a story the other day about a gas station cashier pulling in to work, about to start his shift. He describes walking towards the shop and stopping dead in his tracks as he notices customers and his coworker frozen, held at gunpoint by a robber. The man, a concealed carry permit owner who happened to not be carrying his sidearm that day, backpedaled to his truck where he had a shotgun locked up in the back. He started to unlock the case when he “heard two shots, then another, then another, then another.

By the time he got his gun out and loaded it, the 17-year-old cashier was dead, her 16-year-old friend there to pick her up was dead, and a 32-year-old-mother of 4 was bleeding out. He rushed into the store, just in time to kill the shooter before he could finish off the remaining witnesses.

Gun owners are ordinary Americans just like you and me. They wake up every morning, shower, brush their teeth and go to work.

They aren’t crazy people itching to shoot their way out of every situation. They live by the old adage, “it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”

Americans have a right to defend themselves with firearms, but, following recent mass shootings, such as the Sutherland Springs attack and the massacre in Las Vegas, this right has come under attack.

Politicians have called for more gun control, their argument based on the idea that guns serve one purpose: killing people. Supporters of gun control argue that guns produce crime and let mass murder get worse. But the truth is that gun control will deter neither crime nor mass murder. Criminals don’t obey the law, and it’s impossible for guns not to flow into the U.S. illegally.

Even if the world’s best gun control is put in place, criminals will still find a way to get guns into their hands. The same is true of mass murderers: if someone really wants to kill scores of people, they’ll find a way to do it, regardless of the laws in place.

Legislator’s say they want to pass “common sense” gun control, but instead they pass pointless restrictions on firearm features and magazine capacity that endanger law-abiding citizens and do nothing to stop crime. The Second Amendment exists to protect the people against a despotic government and threats to their lives; with gun control, citizens will lose that integral protection.

The only people who stand to gain from gun control are criminals and mass murderers. Let’s not give them what they want.

Sincerely, A Masters student Name withheld upon request

COURTESY OF UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE/FLICKR

THIS ANONYMOUS LETTER ARGUES that guns are part of a longstanding tradition of family hunting. Gun control, it says, “give[s criminals] what they want.”

4

SPORTS ANAYLSIS

SPORTS

Opinion Editor Six years ago, when the athletic credit requirement (ACR) was first introduced to the Masters student body, it set out a goal to increase the amount of athletes and get more students trying competitive team sports at the high school level. The requirement being that incoming freshman will have to complete three seasons of a team sport before the send of their sophomore year.

This was all a part of the general feeling that Masters should be more competitive when it comes to athletics. For years our school was known as an art-centric preparatory school, meaning that people knew Masters in relation to its good arts and academic programs. Since then a lot has changed about Masters and one of those key changes was the ACR, a program that was met with a lot of pushback from students and faculty alike. But the real question that never got addressed by the administration or the students is whether the ACR worked and whether it made our community better.

Since its inception, sports like soccer, tennis and volleyball have been

PHOTO CREDIT HUMAN/POSITION VINCENT ALBAN/TOWER

WHILE MANY STUDENTS ENJOY participating in Masters sports, others are frustrated that they are required to fulfil the Athletic Credit Requirement. This policy mandates students to play at least three team sports before the end of their sophomore year. flooded with players. This has created a need for many non-varsity teams to account for all the new players.

Although some of these players have a real passion for the sport, many of them are just trying to get their ACR out of the way so they don’t have to play sports in the future. More teams

means more coaches, more equipment and more gear that the school must buy to make sure these teams can function properly. These are funds that the school is actively spending year after year are to give students opportunities that may not even be passionate about.

According to Athletic Director, Kevin Versen, this doesn’t pose as much as a problem as one might think. “The cost isn’t as much as everyone thinks it is. The coaches are mostly out-ofschool and get stipends meaning one full-time employee could cost me the same as 20 coaches,” Versen said.

Versen also pointed out the fact that being part of a team is something that is integral for a proper liberal arts education. Many students take some subject in high school that they don’t particularly enjoy but help to make them more versatile students and later employees. “It’s supposed to be a basis to a well-rounded education.

It’s learning how to compete, to lose, to win both as an individual and as a team.” Versen said.

Some students don’t see the ACR this way and even feel like it is an unfair way to make kids play sports that have almost no interest in it.

Dexter Kalderon, senior and starting striker on the boys varsity soccer team, is not pleased with the current standing of the ACR. “As an athlete I’ve had no problem with it but I still don’t think it’s fair. People who don’t play sports or don’t enjoy them shouldn’t be forced to play. To put it into perspective for myself, I often think if I were forced to do the play or the musical I would resent the rule and have an awful time.” Kalderon said.

FEATURE SPORTS

Teams shift to fairer, closer leagues Drew Schott Features Editor

Many​ ​of​ ​Masters’​ ​sports​ ​teams​ ​participate​ ​annually​ ​in​ ​league​ ​play​ ​against​ ​ teams​ ​from​ ​the Fairchester​ ​Athletic​ ​Association​ ​(FAA).​ ​Despite​ ​the​ ​FAA​ ​providing​ ​strong​ ​competition​ ​and​ ​a postseason​ ​ tournament,​ ​concerns​ ​have​ ​arisen​ ​from​ ​ within​ ​the​ ​Athletics​ ​Department​ ​about whether​ ​the​ ​FAA​ ​is​ ​the​ ​best​ ​league​ ​for​ ​ Masters’​ ​athletics​ ​to​ ​thrive.​ ​In​ ​response,​ ​ teams​ ​are beginning​ ​to​ ​increase​ ​play​ ​ with​ ​public​ ​schools​ ​and​ ​schools​ ​in​ ​the​ ​ New​ ​York​ ​State​ ​Association​ ​of Independent​ ​Schools​ ​(NYSAIS),​ ​a​ ​state​ ​organization.

The​ ​FAA,​ ​the​ ​main​ ​league​ ​for​ ​most​ ​ Masters​ ​teams,​ ​delivers​ ​a​ ​stable​ ​conference​ ​schedule and​ ​possible​ ​postseason​ ​ play.​ ​For​ ​example,​ ​boys’​ ​varsity​ ​soccer,​ ​winner​ ​of​ ​the​ ​FAA championship​ ​ last​ ​year,​ ​sees​ ​the​ ​league​ ​as​ ​beneficial.​​ According​ ​to​ ​Assistant​ ​Varsity​ ​Soccer Coach​ ​Brendan​ ​Barrios,​ ​“The​ ​FAA​ ​a​ llows​ ​the​ ​team​ ​to​ ​be​ ​competitive​ ​and​ ​ play​ ​in​ ​bigger tournaments​ ​like​ ​the​ ​​New​ ​ England​ ​Preparatory​ ​School​ ​Athletic​ ​ Council​ ​(NEPSAC) championship.”

However,​ ​fifth-year​ ​eligibility​ ​is​ ​a​​ concern​ ​that​ ​raises​ ​questions​ ​regarding​ ​ Masters’​ ​FAA membership.​ ​Fifth-year​ ​ eligibility,​ ​a​ ​policy​ ​which​ ​allows​ ​student​ ​ athletes​ ​to​ ​play​ ​an​ ​extra​ ​year​ ​of high​ ​ schools​ ​sports​ ​by​ ​repeating​ ​a​ ​grade,​ ​has​ ​ greatly​ ​impacted​ ​our​ ​sports​ ​programs. In​ ​ previous​ ​seasons,​ ​Masters’​ ​teams​ ​have​ ​ had​​fifth-years​​thanks​​to​​the​​FAA’s​​decision​​to​​allow fifth-year​​eligibility​​with​​no​​ penalty.​ ​Matthew​ ​Kammrath,​ ​the​ ​Head​ ​ Coach​ ​for​ ​boys​ ​varsity basketball,​ ​noted​ ​ that​​in​​the​​past,​​having​​fifth-years​​helped​​ level​ ​the​ ​playing​ ​field​ ​against​ ​other FAA​ ​schools​ ​with​ ​postgraduate​ ​athletes.​ ​ Kammrath​ ​specifically​ ​mentioned​ ​that​​ matchups​ ​against schools​ ​like​ ​Hamden​ ​ Hall​ ​could​ ​have​ ​anywhere​ ​from​ ​five​ ​to​​ eight​ ​postgraudates,​ ​which​ ​creates​ ​a difficult​ ​matchup​ ​for​ ​schools​ ​with​ ​no​ ​postgraduates.​ ​“If​ ​everyone​ ​you​ ​are​ ​playing​ ​ against​ ​in​ ​the FAA​ ​has​ ​bigger,​ ​stronger,​ ​

AND

Six years in, ACR remains controversial Cedar Berrol-Young

Politics

TOWER/DISTRIBUTION

FEATURES AND ARTS

FEATURES AND ARTS

OPINION

Freedom of speech is not a spectator sport Henry Williams News Editor

In the past few weeks, a tinderbox of public opinion has erupted over the quiet protests of dozens of NFL players, owners and teams, whereby they sit, kneel, link arms or otherwise fail to conform during the national anthem before football games.

After Trump lashed out at the protest, they greatly expanded. While initially started by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to protest the shootings of unarmed black men across America, the movement has now expanded to a more general protest in favor of the freedom of expression.

Vice President Mike Pence made his own protest after the controversy exploded, by flying out to a Colts game and walking out when players stayed in their locker rooms during the anthem. His wasteful stunt and Trump’s fiery rhetoric threaten to undermine the right to peaceful protest that is critical to our democracy.

Opponents of the protests primarily object under the banner of the kneeling being disrespectful to the United States Military, which in their minds is symbolized by the flag and anthem. Respecting the military is neither a civic duty nor a legal requirement in America, which is just as it should be, but more importantly, by ignoring the actual topic of Kaepernick’s protest, commentators are erasing the motivations of these players.

Another detail quickly forgotten by critics is the dialogue last year between Kaepernick and former Seahawks player Nate Boyer, who served as a Green Beret in Iraq . When the quarterback first began his protest, he actually sat on the field.

Boyer, as a veteran, felt hurt by Kaepernick’s seeming disrespect. After publishing an open letter with his feelings, the two met up and talked through the dispute.

“We sorta came to a middle ground where he would take a knee alongside his teammates,” Boyer said. “Soldiers take a knee in front of a fallen brother’s grave, you know, to show respect. When we’re on a patrol, you know, and we go into a security halt, we take a knee, and we pull security.”

In the minds of reactionaries who decry these peaceful protests, Kaepernick and others are desecrating a time-honored tradition. In reality, it wasn’t until 2009 that NFL players were required to come out of their locker rooms for the national anthem.

The key question at play is whether compelling players to displays of patriotism is morally or ethically righteous. According to a 2014 report by Republican

Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, between 2011 and 2014 the Department of Defense began a widespread effort to sponsor and require displays of military appreciation in the NFL. It concludes that the US Department of Defense paid the NFL $5.4 million in those three years to stage onfield patriotic ceremonies as part of military recruitment budget line items. The report terms these payments “paid patriotism,” a term which underscores the hypocrisy of this debate. Respect for a flag, a nation, a military, must be voluntarily given for it to mean anything in a free society.

By swearing to take retribution against the NFL, demanding that players be fired for exercising free expression, Trump, Pence and their lackeys are engaging in a different kind of falsity: “coerced patriotism.”

In these debates, the argument is often made that the First Amendment only applies to the government, and that one has no right to a freedom of speech from their employer, but this ignores two key points.

One is that by aggressively attacking players and even calling for a boycott of the NFL, Trump and Pence — members of the executive branch who are governed by the first amendment, are in fact exerting their authority in attempting to suppress speech.

The other is that employees should have every right to peaceful protest within their job. The NFL Players Union happens to be one of the weakest of any sport, but every American should have the freedom not to conform (politically) in the workplace. That goes every bit as much for conservatives at liberal companies as it does for NFL players not standing to protest mass racial injustice and the efforts of our president to silence and discredit them.

In 1943, Supreme Court Justices Hugo Black and William Douglas eloquently demonstrated the rank immorality of trying to coerce or compel speech. “Words uttered under coercion are proof of loyalty to nothing but self-interest,” wrote Black and Douglas in a concurring opinion. “Love of country must spring from willing hearts and free minds, inspired by a fair administration of wise laws enacted by the people’s elected representatives within the bounds of express constitutional prohibitions.”

5

OPINION

Respecting our nation honors our freedoms Jacob Strier Copy Editor

Vice President Mike Pence added fuel to an ongoing political controversy over free speech when he walked out of an NFL game. 8 because some of the players chose to kneel during the National Anthem. Although Pence was criticized by many, his emphasis on respect for our flag and country shows the importance of respecting the nation, political disagreements aside.

Pence’s reasoning for his quick departure resonates with the opinions of many Americans.

We believe that the national anthem symbolizes the freedom to voice our varied opinions. It represents the governmental system which imparts to us freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

It celebrates the country that gives us Americans the right to protest, unite, and catalyze change in a society plagued with deep, ingrained issues. Respecting the nation should be a non-partisan responsibility: regardless of our political views and motivations, we should be able to unite behind the anthem.

Kneeling players point to ongoing racial inequality and police violence as their motivation for kneeling, and these issues are valid and quite urgent. Yet, the national anthem is representative of the very nation in which we Americans must address those so-

cietal issues. It is this freedom to act which the anthem represents. In a country struggling with deep partisan, social and economic divides, protesting during the anthem is divisive. It gives a cold shoulder to a nation which, though flawed in practice, provides its citizens more freedoms than most countries in history.

Regardless of the important statement he made, Pence’s trip was an expensive way to make a point. The vice-presidential entourage was flown halfway across the country for the game. A less expensive option would have been voicing his opinions from Washington, instead of using taxpayer dollars to fund his brief Indianapolis visit. According to CNN, the excursion cost upwards of $200,000.

I certainly do not agree with President Donald Trump’s professed belief that NFL players who choose to kneel should be fired. To do so would be legal in a technical sense, given that the NFL is a non-governmental institution. But enforcing standing for the anthem would nevertheless be a deep moral violation of the players’ rights.

Regardless, I would argue that there is nothing wrong with emphasizing that participation in such kneeling is an inflammatory way to stir up media attention and insult some Americans that does little to tangibly address urgent social issues.

As a defender of free speech, I see no reason to say that players must not kneel: players are entitled to their own beliefs. Instead, I would say that a player’s choosing to stand or kneel and their right to effect change is precisely what the anthem embodies, and so the anthem ought to be celebrated and stood for.

OPINION

Major League Baseball fails to curb player racism Michael Fitzgerald Editor-in-Chief

fifth-year​​players​​and​​your​​team​​doesn’t,​​ you​ ​are​ ​at​ ​a​ ​disadvantage. And​ ​so,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​ essential​ ​sometimes​ ​to​ ​add​ ​fifth-years​ ​to​​ balance​ ​competition,”​ ​Kammrath​ ​said.

Although,​​if​​Masters​​selects​​fifth-years​​ to​ ​play​ ​on​ ​its​ ​teams,​ ​the​ ​school​ ​will​ ​be​ ​ banned​ ​for one​ ​year​ ​from​ ​the​ ​New​ ​York​ ​ Public​ ​High​ ​School​ ​Athletic​ ​Association,​ ​ also​ ​known​ ​as​ ​The Federation.​ ​Athletic​ ​ Director​ ​Kevin​ ​Versen​ ​said,​ ​“If​ ​we​ ​are​ ​to​ ​ play​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Federation,​ ​the​ ​school would​ ​ need​ ​to​ ​weed​ ​out​ ​postgraduates;​ ​The​ ​Federation​ ​has​ ​no​ ​teams​ ​with​ ​postgraduates,​ ​ creating a​ ​fairer​ ​balanced​ ​game​ ​than​ ​ matchups​ ​in​ ​the​ ​FAA.”​ ​Versen​ ​further​ ​ mentioned​ ​how​ ​the​ ​desire​ ​to play​ ​public​ ​ schools​ ​has​ ​grown​ ​because​ ​of​ ​their​ ​close​ ​ proximity​ ​to​ ​Masters.

Additionally,​ ​the​ ​travel​ ​time​ ​for​ ​FAA​ ​ matchups​​is​​difficult​​on​​athletes​​because​​ Dobbs Ferry​ ​is​ ​the​ ​farthest​ ​southern​ ​ school​ ​located​ ​in​ ​the​ ​league.​ ​Teams​ ​travel​ ​30-90​ ​minutes​ ​to​ ​FAA matchups​ ​in​ ​ Connecticut​ ​at​ ​schools​ ​such​ ​as​ ​the​ ​Brunswick​ ​School,​ ​Greens​ ​Farms​ ​Academy,​ ​ and Greenwich​ ​Academy;​ ​those​ ​schools​ ​ usually​ ​compete​ ​at​ ​Masters​ ​once.​ ​Travel​ ​ time​ ​for​ ​FAA​ ​away matchups​ ​makes​ ​it​ ​ difficult​​for​​students​​to​​return​​home​​at​​an​​ reasonable​ ​hour,​ ​delaying​ ​their​ ​time to​ ​ start​ ​homework.​ ​“It​ ​is​ ​important​ ​to​ ​have​ ​ athletics​ ​and​ ​academics​ ​in​ ​sync,”​ ​said​ ​ Versen.

This​ ​year,​ ​girls’​ ​varsity​ ​tennis​ ​has​ ​ become​ ​the​ ​first​ ​Masters​ ​team​ ​to​ ​begin​​ matchups against​ ​public​ ​schools​ ​in​ ​the​ ​

VINCENT ALBAN/TOWER

Federation;​ ​the​ ​girls​ ​tennis​ ​team​ ​has​ ​also​ ​ discontinued​ ​FAA​ ​play. Additionally,​​​ ​ Masters’​ ​teams​ ​for​ ​the​ ​2017-2018​ ​school​ ​ year​ ​contains​ ​zero​ ​fifth-years. Mary​ ​Sulavik,​ ​a​ ​senior​ ​on​ ​the​ ​team,​ ​mentioned​ ​ that​ ​besides​ ​a​ ​matchup​ ​on​ ​Long​ ​Island, the​ ​team’s​ ​travel​ ​time​ ​has​ ​decreased​ ​because​ ​of​ ​local​ ​public​ ​school​ ​matchups.​ ​Sulavik additionally​ ​said,​ ​“more​ ​teams​ ​are​ ​ now​ ​traveling​ ​to​ ​Masters,​ ​making​ ​matches​ ​easier​ ​on​ ​the players.”

Masters,​ ​as​ ​of​ ​now,​ ​still​ ​participates​ ​ in​ ​the​ ​FAA​ ​for​ ​numerous​ ​sports​ ​including​ ​soccer​ ​and basketball.​ ​However,​ ​public​ ​school​ ​and​ ​NYSAIS​ ​matchups​ ​create​ ​ fairer​ ​opportunities​ ​for athletes​ ​due​ ​to​ ​ their​ ​close​ ​proximity​ ​and​ ​equal​ ​age​ ​requirements.

On Nov. 2, the Houston Astros celebrated their first-ever World Series title.

Seemingly forgotten about during in their celebration, however, was a racist gesture made by first baseman Yulieski Gurriel in Game 3 of the World Series.

After hitting a home run off of Japanese-born Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish, FOX’s cameras caught Gurriel pulling back the corners of his eyes in an attempt to make a “slant-eye” racist gesture towards Darvish.

As a professional athlete, it should be blatantly obviously that when on or off the field, cameras are watching. In the MLB, there are easily seen cameras in every dugout, and players know that their actions are being recorded. This type of behavior is always inexcusable, especially on a platform as large as the World Series, with millions of viewers watching every game. After the game, Gurriel apologized publicly to Darvish, as well as tipped his cap to him prior to his at-bat in Game 7, but this cannot make up for his immature actions.

Gurriel was unsurprisingly showered with boos when in Los Angeles for Game 6, though his reception in

Game 4 in Houston was every much as disturbing as his racist gesture. While social media made all fans clearly aware of what had vhappened in the following game, they did not merely cheer him on as a member of their team. Instead, they inexplicably awarded Gurriel with a standing ovation the next time he came up to bat. This reception is equally perplexing as the gesture, as the fans of Houston were essentially stating that they condoned the racist actions of Gurriel.

Additionally, the MLB did not handle the situation properly, merely giving Gurriel a five-game suspension starting at the beginning of the 2018 season, but he was allowed to play in the World Series. The MLB stated that it was important Gurriel’s suspension include loss of salary, which only applies to the regular season, as well as the fact that it was unfair to punish the other 24 players on Houston’s World Series roster for one player’s actions. While the former statement is accurate, the second is incredibly misguided. In every team sport, individuals are a representative of their team, as well as their teammates.

Gurriel should have understood that his actions have consequences, especially on the game’s biggest stage. The MLB missed a large opportunity to curb racism, and make players aware of the fact that any negative actions on the field will have harsh consequences.

4

SPORTS ANAYLSIS

SPORTS

Opinion Editor Six years ago, when the athletic credit requirement (ACR) was first introduced to the Masters student body, it set out a goal to increase the amount of athletes and get more students trying competitive team sports at the high school level. The requirement being that incoming freshman will have to complete three seasons of a team sport before the send of their sophomore year.

This was all a part of the general feeling that Masters should be more competitive when it comes to athletics. For years our school was known as an art-centric preparatory school, meaning that people knew Masters in relation to its good arts and academic programs. Since then a lot has changed about Masters and one of those key changes was the ACR, a program that was met with a lot of pushback from students and faculty alike. But the real question that never got addressed by the administration or the students is whether the ACR worked and whether it made our community better.

Since its inception, sports like soccer, tennis and volleyball have been

PHOTO CREDIT HUMAN/POSITION VINCENT ALBAN/TOWER

WHILE MANY STUDENTS ENJOY participating in Masters sports, others are frustrated that they are required to fulfil the Athletic Credit Requirement. This policy mandates students to play at least three team sports before the end of their sophomore year. flooded with players. This has created a need for many non-varsity teams to account for all the new players.

Although some of these players have a real passion for the sport, many of them are just trying to get their ACR out of the way so they don’t have to play sports in the future. More teams

means more coaches, more equipment and more gear that the school must buy to make sure these teams can function properly. These are funds that the school is actively spending year after year are to give students opportunities that may not even be passionate about.

According to Athletic Director, Kevin Versen, this doesn’t pose as much as a problem as one might think. “The cost isn’t as much as everyone thinks it is. The coaches are mostly out-ofschool and get stipends meaning one full-time employee could cost me the same as 20 coaches,” Versen said.

Versen also pointed out the fact that being part of a team is something that is integral for a proper liberal arts education. Many students take some subject in high school that they don’t particularly enjoy but help to make them more versatile students and later employees. “It’s supposed to be a basis to a well-rounded education.

It’s learning how to compete, to lose, to win both as an individual and as a team.” Versen said.

Some students don’t see the ACR this way and even feel like it is an unfair way to make kids play sports that have almost no interest in it.

Dexter Kalderon, senior and starting striker on the boys varsity soccer team, is not pleased with the current standing of the ACR. “As an athlete I’ve had no problem with it but I still don’t think it’s fair. People who don’t play sports or don’t enjoy them shouldn’t be forced to play. To put it into perspective for myself, I often think if I were forced to do the play or the musical I would resent the rule and have an awful time.” Kalderon said.

FEATURE SPORTS

Teams shift to fairer, closer leagues Drew Schott Features Editor

Many​ of​ Masters’​ sports​ teams​ participate​ annually​ in​ league​ play​ against​ ​ teams​ ​from​ t​ he Fairchester​ ​Athletic​ ​Association​ (​ FAA).​ D ​ espite​ ​the​ ​FAA​ ​providing​ s​ trong​ ​competition​ a ​ nd​ ​a postseason​ ​ tournament,​ concerns​ have​ arisen​ from​ ​ within​ the​ Athletics​ Department​ about whether​ the​ FAA​ is​ the​ best​ league​ for​ ​ Masters’​ ​athletics​ t​ o​ ​thrive.​ ​In​ ​response,​ ​ teams​ are beginning​ to​ increase​ play​ ​ with​ public​ schools​ and​ schools​ in​ the​ ​ New​ Y ​ ork​ ​State​ ​Association​ o​ f Independent​ Schools​ (NYSAIS),​ a​ state​ organization.

The​ FAA,​ the​ main​ league​ for​ most​ ​ Masters​ teams,​ delivers​ a​ stable​ conference​ schedule and​ possible​ postseason​ ​ play.​ For​ example,​ boys’​ varsity​ soccer,​ winner​ of​ the​ FAA championship​ ​ last​ y ​ ear,​ ​sees​ ​the​ ​league​ a ​ s​ ​beneficial.​​ According​ to​ Assistant​ Varsity​ Soccer Coach​ Brendan​ Barrios,​ “The​ FAA​ a​ llows​ the​ team​ to​ be​ competitive​ and​ ​ play​ ​in​ b ​ igger tournaments​ l​ ike​ ​the​ ​​New​ ​ England​ Preparatory​ School​ Athletic​ ​ Council​ ​(NEPSAC) championship.”

However,​ fi ​ fth-year​ e​ ligibility​ ​is​ a ​ ​​ concern​ that​ raises​ questions​ regarding​ ​ Masters’​ FAA membership.​ Fifth-year​ ​ eligibility,​ a ​ ​p ​ olicy​ w ​ hich​ ​allows​ ​student​ ​ athletes​ to​ play​ an​ extra​ year​ of high​ ​ schools​ sports​ by​ repeating​ a​ grade,​ has​ ​ greatly​ ​impacted​ ​our​ ​sports​ ​programs. In​ ​ previous​ seasons,​ Masters’​ teams​ have​ ​ had​​fifth-years​​thanks​​to​t​ he​F ​ AA’s​​decision​t​ o​​allow fifth-year​​eligibility​​with​​no​​ penalty.​ Matthew​ Kammrath,​ the​ Head​ ​ Coach​ for​ boys​ varsity basketball,​ noted​ ​ that​​in​t​ he​​past,​​having​​fifth-years​​helped​​ level​ t​ he​ ​playing​ ​field​ ​against​ ​other FAA​ schools​ with​ postgraduate​ athletes.​ ​ Kammrath​ s​ pecifically​ m ​ entioned​ ​that​​ matchups​ against schools​ like​ Hamden​ ​ Hall​ c​ ould​ h ​ ave​ ​anywhere​ f​rom​ ​five​ ​to​​ eight​ postgraudates,​ which​ creates​ a difficult​ m ​ atchup​ f​or​ ​schools​ w ​ ith​ ​no​ ​postgraduates.​ “If​ everyone​ you​ are​ playing​ ​ against​ in​ the FAA​ has​ bigger,​ stronger,​ ​

FEATURES AND ARTS

AND

Six years in, ACR remains controversial Cedar Berrol-Young

Politics

TOWER/DISTRIBUTION

FEATURES AND ARTS

OPINION

Freedom of speech is not a spectator sport Henry Williams News Editor

In the past few weeks, a tinderbox of public opinion has erupted over the quiet protests of dozens of NFL players, owners and teams, whereby they sit, kneel, link arms or otherwise fail to conform during the national anthem before football games.

After Trump lashed out at the protest, they greatly expanded. While initially started by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to protest the shootings of unarmed black men across America, the movement has now expanded to a more general protest in favor of the freedom of expression.

Vice President Mike Pence made his own protest after the controversy exploded, by flying out to a Colts game and walking out when players stayed in their locker rooms during the anthem. His wasteful stunt and Trump’s fiery rhetoric threaten to undermine the right to peaceful protest that is critical to our democracy.

Opponents of the protests primarily object under the banner of the kneeling being disrespectful to the United States Military, which in their minds is symbolized by the flag and anthem. Respecting the military is neither a civic duty nor a legal requirement in America, which is just as it should be, but more importantly, by ignoring the actual topic of Kaepernick’s protest, commentators are erasing the motivations of these players.

Another detail quickly forgotten by critics is the dialogue last year between Kaepernick and former Seahawks player Nate Boyer, who served as a Green Beret in Iraq . When the quarterback first began his protest, he actually sat on the field.

Boyer, as a veteran, felt hurt by Kaepernick’s seeming disrespect. After publishing an open letter with his feelings, the two met up and talked through the dispute.

“We sorta came to a middle ground where he would take a knee alongside his teammates,” Boyer said. “Soldiers take a knee in front of a fallen brother’s grave, you know, to show respect. When we’re on a patrol, you know, and we go into a security halt, we take a knee, and we pull security.”

In the minds of reactionaries who decry these peaceful protests, Kaepernick and others are desecrating a time-honored tradition. In reality, it wasn’t until 2009 that NFL players were required to come out of their locker rooms for the national anthem.

The key question at play is whether compelling players to displays of patriotism is morally or ethically righteous. According to a 2014 report by Republican

Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, between 2011 and 2014 the Department of Defense began a widespread effort to sponsor and require displays of military appreciation in the NFL. It concludes that the US Department of Defense paid the NFL $5.4 million in those three years to stage onfield patriotic ceremonies as part of military recruitment budget line items. The report terms these payments “paid patriotism,” a term which underscores the hypocrisy of this debate. Respect for a flag, a nation, a military, must be voluntarily given for it to mean anything in a free society.

By swearing to take retribution against the NFL, demanding that players be fired for exercising free expression, Trump, Pence and their lackeys are engaging in a different kind of falsity: “coerced patriotism.”

In these debates, the argument is often made that the First Amendment only applies to the government, and that one has no right to a freedom of speech from their employer, but this ignores two key points.

One is that by aggressively attacking players and even calling for a boycott of the NFL, Trump and Pence — members of the executive branch who are governed by the first amendment, are in fact exerting their authority in attempting to suppress speech.

The other is that employees should have every right to peaceful protest within their job. The NFL Players Union happens to be one of the weakest of any sport, but every American should have the freedom not to conform (politically) in the workplace. That goes every bit as much for conservatives at liberal companies as it does for NFL players not standing to protest mass racial injustice and the efforts of our president to silence and discredit them.

In 1943, Supreme Court Justices Hugo Black and William Douglas eloquently demonstrated the rank immorality of trying to coerce or compel speech. “Words uttered under coercion are proof of loyalty to nothing but self-interest,” wrote Black and Douglas in a concurring opinion. “Love of country must spring from willing hearts and free minds, inspired by a fair administration of wise laws enacted by the people’s elected representatives within the bounds of express constitutional prohibitions.”

5

OPINION

Respecting our nation honors our freedoms Jacob Strier Copy Editor

Vice President Mike Pence added fuel to an ongoing political controversy over free speech when he walked out of an NFL game. 8 because some of the players chose to kneel during the National Anthem. Although Pence was criticized by many, his emphasis on respect for our flag and country shows the importance of respecting the nation, political disagreements aside.

Pence’s reasoning for his quick departure resonates with the opinions of many Americans.

We believe that the national anthem symbolizes the freedom to voice our varied opinions. It represents the governmental system which imparts to us freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

It celebrates the country that gives us Americans the right to protest, unite, and catalyze change in a society plagued with deep, ingrained issues. Respecting the nation should be a non-partisan responsibility: regardless of our political views and motivations, we should be able to unite behind the anthem.

Kneeling players point to ongoing racial inequality and police violence as their motivation for kneeling, and these issues are valid and quite urgent. Yet, the national anthem is representative of the very nation in which we Americans must address those so-

cietal issues. It is this freedom to act which the anthem represents. In a country struggling with deep partisan, social and economic divides, protesting during the anthem is divisive. It gives a cold shoulder to a nation which, though flawed in practice, provides its citizens more freedoms than most countries in history.

Regardless of the important statement he made, Pence’s trip was an expensive way to make a point. The vice-presidential entourage was flown halfway across the country for the game. A less expensive option would have been voicing his opinions from Washington, instead of using taxpayer dollars to fund his brief Indianapolis visit. According to CNN, the excursion cost upwards of $200,000.

I certainly do not agree with President Donald Trump’s professed belief that NFL players who choose to kneel should be fired. To do so would be legal in a technical sense, given that the NFL is a non-governmental institution. But enforcing standing for the anthem would nevertheless be a deep moral violation of the players’ rights.

Regardless, I would argue that there is nothing wrong with emphasizing that participation in such kneeling is an inflammatory way to stir up media attention and insult some Americans that does little to tangibly address urgent social issues.

As a defender of free speech, I see no reason to say that players must not kneel: players are entitled to their own beliefs. Instead, I would say that a player’s choosing to stand or kneel and their right to effect change is precisely what the anthem embodies, and so the anthem ought to be celebrated and stood for.

OPINION

Major League Baseball fails to curb player racism Michael Fitzgerald Editor-in-Chief

fifth-year​​players​​and​​your​​team​​doesn’t,​​ you​ are​ at​ a​ disadvantage. And​ so,​ it​ is​ ​ essential​ ​sometimes​ ​to​ ​add​ ​fifth-years​ ​to​​ balance​ ​competition,”​ K ​ ammrath​ ​said.

Although,​​if​​Masters​​selects​​fifth-years​​ to​ play​ on​ its​ teams,​ the​ school​ will​ be​ ​ banned​ for one​ year​ from​ the​ New​ York​ ​ Public​ High​ School​ Athletic​ Association,​ ​ also​ known​ as​ The Federation.​ Athletic​ ​ Director​ ​Kevin​ ​Versen​ ​said,​ ​“If​ ​we​ ​are​ ​to​ ​ play​ in​ the​ Federation,​ the​ school would​ ​ need​ ​to​ ​weed​ ​out​ ​postgraduates;​ ​The​ F ​ ederation​ h ​ as​ ​no​ ​teams​ ​with​ ​postgraduates,​ ​ creating a​ fairer​ balanced​ game​ than​ ​ matchups​ in​ the​ FAA.”​ Versen​ further​ ​ mentioned​ how​ the​ desire​ to play​ public​ ​ schools​ has​ grown​ because​ of​ their​ close​ ​ proximity​ ​to​ ​Masters.

Additionally,​ the​ travel​ time​ for​ FAA​ ​ matchups​​is​d ​ ifficult​o​ n​​athletes​​because​​ Dobbs Ferry​ is​ the​ farthest​ southern​ ​ school​ ​located​ ​in​ ​the​ ​league.​ T ​ eams​ ​travel​ 30-90​ minutes​ to​ FAA matchups​ in​ ​ Connecticut​ ​at​ s​ chools​ s​ uch​ ​as​ ​the​ ​Brunswick​ School,​ Greens​ Farms​ Academy,​ ​ and Greenwich​ Academy;​ those​ schools​ ​ usually​ compete​ at​ Masters​ once.​ Travel​ ​ time​ for​ FAA​ away matchups​ makes​ it​ ​ difficult​​for​​students​​to​​return​​home​​at​​an​​ reasonable​ hour,​ delaying​ their​ time to​ ​ start​ ​homework.​ “​ It​ i​ s​ ​important​ ​to​ ​have​ ​ athletics​ and​ academics​ in​ sync,”​ said​ ​ Versen.

This​ year,​ girls’​ varsity​ tennis​ has​ ​ become​ ​the​ ​first​ ​Masters​ ​team​ ​to​ b ​ egin​​ matchups against​ public​ schools​ in​ the​ ​

VINCENT ALBAN/TOWER

Federation;​ t​ he​ ​girls​ t​ ennis​ ​team​ h ​ as​ ​also​ ​ discontinued​ FAA​ play. Additionally,​​​ Masters’​ teams​ for​ the​ 2017-2018​ school​ ​ year​ ​contains​ z​ ero​ ​fifth-years. Mary​ ​Sulavik,​ a​ senior​ on​ the​ team,​ mentioned​ ​ that​ besides​ a​ matchup​ on​ Long​ Island, the​ team’s​ travel​ time​ has​ decreased​ because​ ​of​ l​ ocal​ ​public​ s​ chool​ ​matchups.​ ​Sulavik additionally​ said,​ “more​ teams​ are​ ​ now​ ​traveling​ t​ o​ ​Masters,​ ​making​ ​matches​ ​easier​ ​on​ ​the players.”

Masters,​ as​ of​ now,​ still​ participates​ ​ in​ the​ FAA​ for​ numerous​ sports​ including​ s​ occer​ ​and basketball.​ ​However,​ ​public​ school​ and​ NYSAIS​ matchups​ create​ ​ fairer​ opportunities​ for athletes​ due​ to​ ​ their​ close​ proximity​ and​ equal​ age​ requirements.

On Nov. 2, the Houston Astros celebrated their first-ever World Series title.

Seemingly forgotten about during in their celebration, however, was a racist gesture made by first baseman Yulieski Gurriel in Game 3 of the World Series.

After hitting a home run off of Japanese-born Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish, FOX’s cameras caught Gurriel pulling back the corners of his eyes in an attempt to make a “slant-eye” racist gesture towards Darvish.

As a professional athlete, it should be blatantly obviously that when on or off the field, cameras are watching. In the MLB, there are easily seen cameras in every dugout, and players know that their actions are being recorded. This type of behavior is always inexcusable, especially on a platform as large as the World Series, with millions of viewers watching every game. After the game, Gurriel apologized publicly to Darvish, as well as tipped his cap to him prior to his at-bat in Game 7, but this cannot make up for his immature actions.

Gurriel was unsurprisingly showered with boos when in Los Angeles for Game 6, though his reception in

Game 4 in Houston was every much as disturbing as his racist gesture. While social media made all fans clearly aware of what had vhappened in the following game, they did not merely cheer him on as a member of their team. Instead, they inexplicably awarded Gurriel with a standing ovation the next time he came up to bat. This reception is equally perplexing as the gesture, as the fans of Houston were essentially stating that they condoned the racist actions of Gurriel.

Additionally, the MLB did not handle the situation properly, merely giving Gurriel a five-game suspension starting at the beginning of the 2018 season, but he was allowed to play in the World Series. The MLB stated that it was important Gurriel’s suspension include loss of salary, which only applies to the regular season, as well as the fact that it was unfair to punish the other 24 players on Houston’s World Series roster for one player’s actions. While the former statement is accurate, the second is incredibly misguided. In every team sport, individuals are a representative of their team, as well as their teammates.

Gurriel should have understood that his actions have consequences, especially on the game’s biggest stage. The MLB missed a large opportunity to curb racism, and make players aware of the fact that any negative actions on the field will have harsh consequences.

TOWER/NOVEMBER 10, 2017

FEATURES

The Crucible conveys powerful political message Vincent Alban Photo Editor

The Crucible, the first production of the newly installed Department of Performing Arts (DOPA), is a 1953 play

by Arthur Miller. The performance is based on the Salem witch trials, which occured during the late 1600s. The play premiered at Masters on Oct. 27.

Chris Briante, the faculty director of the play, had waited four years to produce the play because until 2017, The Crucible was still a Broadway production. Since the play is no longer on Broadway, Briante had the permission to produce it privately at Masters. According to Briante, the play revolves around themes of intolerance, hysteria and religious righteousness. The play’s plot is an allegory McCarthyism, a mindset of the United States government during the 1950s which promoted ostracizing suspected communists.

“The production should make the audience uneasy in seeing hypocrisy and intolerance in the play’s plot that is still relevant today,” Briante said.

At Masters, The Crucible is required

reading for the Middle School’s eighth grade humanities curriculum. Additionally, the play’s cast is made up of members of Phoenix and the DOPA co-curricular. Futhermore, one student from CityTerm participated in the production. The student, Marina Carlstroem, was the first ever CityTerm member to perform in a Masters student production.

The play can be tied to current issues in U.S. society, such as police’s use of excessive force and the demonization of the press as “fake news.” The play’s lessons, for example, can be linked to the death of Eric Garner, who died of asphyxiation at the hands of the NYPD. President Donald Trump’s attacks on the media as “fake news” are viewed by some as similar to the McCarthyite tactic of smearing opponents to destroy credibility.

Regarding The Crucible’s political undercurrent, Ian Accetta, who played the lead role of Salem farmer John Procter, said, “The play’s political message was about how people are quick to blame others in something they do not understand, which is relevant to the current political situation.”

6

VINCENT ALBAN/TOWER

TITUBA, PORTRAYED BY FRESHMAN Kriste Sears, is pressured to admit to her interactions with the devil in The Crucible.

From left to right: Laine Phillips, Sedona Sky-Duffy, Owen Gifford-Smith, Kriste Sears, Teddy Horowitz and Matthew Semel.

Karpinos’ creativity shines in The Village of Vale Sarah Faber Social Media Manager

COURTESY OF JOSEPH VARCA

LATIN TEACHER JONATHAN KARPINOS helped create and write The Village of Vale, an experimental play featuring music, visual effects and puppets. The play ran to sold-out performances at Lincoln Center from Oct. 28 to Nov. 4.

Ominous and eerie music is played as dozens of beige fabric strips, resembling trees, sway from the ceiling. In this environment, nestled in a small theater at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, lies a dark and enchanted forest called Vale. This is the world in which Upper School Latin teacher Jonathan Karpinos’ musical, The Village of Vale, takes place.

The show is centered around three different stories of villagers living in Vale, and how their lives are changed when one traveler disrupts the order and routine of the village. Each character switches between first person dialogue and third-person narration of the story, which creates a compelling three-dimensional perspective to the musical. Some characters are even played by puppets, to “lend a sort of magic” to the production, according to Joseph Varca, one of the show’s puppet designers.

Karpinos started working on the project almost four years ago, when a friend from college, John McGrew, had an idea. The initial concept for The Village of Vale was a set of dark fairy tales that all take place in the same village.

During their first meeting, McGrew told Karpinos that he had an arts/performance space booked for Feb. 2015, and wanted to perfom The Village of Vale then. In future meetings, they sat down and started developing their ideas. Additionally, Karpinos and McGrew met with another friend, Varca, to imagine the world in which the stories would take place.

“This is not, as far as I know, a traditional way to start working on a musical. It was very much about exploring ideas and creating a world that we could have a show take place in,” Karpinos said.

Over the next year, Karpinos would work on and off on short story versions of the ideas they had worked on. In the fall of 2014, they started gearing up for the actual production. Actors and designers

were hired and the old hat factory that was to be used for the performance was turned into something magical.

“It was not a theater—it was not set up with lights or sound equipment or seats, and so we kind of got to imagine how we wanted to set it all up. The idea is that there would be a show, but that also we would set up the space in a way that would feel like an art gallery, so that even if you didn’t see the show you could walk through the performance space, which was supposed to feel like a spooky forest,” Karpinos said.

As they continued to work on the show, the friend who had initially approached them about LabWorks, a program to find developmental space, was able to set up a meeting with some staff members at Lincoln Center Education. Eventually, Vale was ready to be performed at the Samuel B. and David Rose Building.

The show is running a total of 16 performances—13 for school groups and three open to the public.

TOWER/NOVEMBER 10, 2017

NEWS

Las Vegas shooting stirs debate over gun control Sophia Brousset Copy Editor

On the morning of Oct. 2, millions of Americans awoke to the news of a mass shooting in Las Vegas. Within hours of the shooting, which left 58 dead and 546 wounded, a political debate on the issue of gun control was in full swing. Some seized the moment to call for tighter regulations on gun control, while others argued that banning guns will not put an end to mass murder.

In a Tower survey answered by 210 members of the Masters community, there is a clear call for tighter regulation. According to the survey, no members of the pro-gun minority (13 percent who voted for no change or less regulation in the sale of guns) have had a change in view since the shooting.

Overall, however, 69 percent said their opinion since the shooting has stayed the same.

Science teacher Elisabeth Merrill is an advocate for “background checks, waiting periods, evidence of training,” and other regulations on guns. She said that while people have the right to bear arms for self-defense, “They should not have the right to own automatic weapons where multiple people can be killed within a really short period of time.”

History teacher Colleen Roche said, “I think the second amendment needs to be either amended or abolished. I’ve never felt that Americans in this day and age need the right to have a gun in

their home,” she added, “If you read the amendment it appears to have been put in place because we needed a militia which no longer is the case.”

Gun control opponents cite the 2009 Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller, which ruled that the Second Amendment protects the right to possess a firearm regardless of affiliation with a militia. The National Rifle Association issued a statement in response to the Las Vegas shooting condemning the attack but not calling for gun control, “Banning guns from law-abiding Americans based on the criminal act of a madman will do nothing to prevent future attacks.” They did, however, call for tighter regulations on bump-stock devices, devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles.

Ben Stein, a junior who is part of Masters’ pro-second amendment minority, said, “I don’t think we should have no guns at all. I think that gun control needs to be a balance in which any people who wouldn’t be assumed to be safe behind a gun would not be allowed to get one.”

Sophomore Maddox Wray said, “I think that people who shouldn’t have guns, shouldn’t be allowed to have them, but people who know how to use them should be allowed to have them, because the Second Amendment lets American citizens have guns. It’s our constitutional right.” Wray continued, “Gun laws are already extremely strict and there’s a lot of things you can’t do.

I think instead of regulating weapons, we should be regulating people who

are accessing weapons. It’s people who kill other people, not guns. Would you blame a misspelled word on your pencil? No, because it’s you who misspelled the word.”

This is a popular argument amongst pro-gun activists. A recent article by Michael Shammas from the Huffington Post argued in response, “People do kill people. The fact that, like guns, all of those tools require some sort of human action to function isn’t an argument against restrictions on their use.”

Practically a month after the events of Oct. 2, another mass shooting oc-

curred in Sutherland Springs, Texas which left 26 dead and 20 injured.

President Trump cited mental health issues as the principle cause of the shooting. While some agreed, many criticised his response believing that it reinfoced the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Following the Sutherland Springs shooting, senior Carly Matsui said, “I support restricting access to guns throughout the country. I used to live in Canada where the gun control laws are much stricter and they have fewer mass shootings. We’re the only country

7

where this regularly happens but we always ask, ‘How can we fix it?’”

Speaking about mental health and gun control, Matsui said, “I think that guns should be harder for people to obtain in general but I think that there should be steps taken when obtaining a gun that relate to the person’s mental health and reasoning.”

Senior Olivia Johnke said that she believes, “Mental illness, when it comes to gun control, shouldn’t be the focal point. I think it should be addressed secondarily in the gun control conversation.”

SOPHIA BROUSSET/TOWER

A GUN CONTROL SURVEY was sent out and answered by 210 members of the Masters community. The results show a majority for tighter regulation or an outright ban, but a large percentage did not change their mind since the Las Vegas shooting.

Keeping campuses safe in a post-Vegas world Tyler Conway Web Editor Effective security for public and private spaces alike has been increasingly hard to acquire, as countless acts of senseless violence have occurred across the United States and to a greater extent the entire planet. More specifically, gun control in America is difficult to achive as American culture seems to revolve around the Second Amendment to the Constitution, our right to bear arms.

In the wake of the shooting in Las Vegas this past October, conversa-

tions have been started across the country on how to stop any further attacks of this kind. Naturally, many fingers have been pointed at automatic rifles as the cause of the Vegas attack and many others of its kind.

Others however, blame hotel security, and what precautions event coordinators take, and should be taking, when dealing with environments that are open to the public.

The shooting in Vegas has taken the security world by surprise. Rather than taking a normal method of attack from the ground, Stephen Paddock broke the glass windows in his hotel room, and conducted the attack from above, making it impossible for

security to stop him as he wreaked havoc on the people of Las Vegas. In wake of this attack, security measures must change with the times to avoid further attacks of this kind.

Security within school systems is often questioned as people point to lack of security whenever something goes awry in a school. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting is a perfect example of this as it is believed that with a more suitable security system, the 26 casualties that occurred on school grounds could have been easily avoided. Almost immediately following the Sandy Hook tragedy, the Fairview school in West Plains, Missouri went as far as to

allow faculty members to carry concealed weapons in the event of an attack. Although it is unlikely for this policy to be adapted at Masters, the security guards and directors are constantly making improvements to keep us safe.

Director of security, Panton Adams, said that security at Masters has been gradually improving since his inception as director of security. “Since I became director we have moved our main office out of the basement of Masters Hall, and into Strayer, which is a more central area and allows us to do more for security.

Since the move into Strayer we have added a better monitoring station. We

have cameras all over the place which allow us to see more than we would with just patrols,” said Adams.

When asked about what other changes have been made to improve security, he responded, “Since I became director we’ve added four female guards, which allows us more flexibility when it comes to dorm security, as we didn’t have any women on the staff before I became director.”

Security has become an integral part of any space, whether it be public or private, as an inept security system yields grave consequences. However, security measures are constantly improving, making our campus increasingly safer.

Sports

8

TOWER/DISTRIBUTION DATE

SPORTS

Girls varsity soccer focuses on younger talent

man year, has seen a difference since she first joined the team.

She said, “It was more competitive freshman year, we were more aggressive.”

“We are very excited for the future; we have 18 girls in the middle school playing soccer and that’s where it starts,” Coach Santamaria said. He explained that the hope is that if these girls continue to play soccer, when they join the high school team the learning curve will not be so steep. The long term goal is the longevity of the team in which the coaching staff does not have to worry about these difficult transition periods as often, Hernando Santamaria said.

“My staff and I plan to make sure that these players believe in the process,” he said. Not only will the coaching staff have an interest in the athletic development of the players but also their development as citizens of the Masters community. With a recent tie in the team’s last game, it is clear that the process is beginning to pay off.

The team hopes to keep improving throughout the seasons to come.

Morgan Brettschneider Sports Editor Over the past few years, the Masters girls’ varsity soccer team has transformed the program by creating a close-knit family of girls who share a love for soccer. After last season, girls soccer graduated nine seniors, many of whom were starters and are now in the process of figuring out how to rebuild the team. Now the team has entered a transition period and are ready to take on the challenge of last year’s losses. Last year’s team ended the year with six wins and eleven losses. This year, the team’s record is zero wins, eleven losses and one tie, a siwgnificantly worse record from last year.

Head coach Hernando Santamaria said that going into this year, he and his coaching staff were predicting issues. When he first took the job, he said it was evident that VINCENT ALBAN/TOWER the middle school girls were not as JENNYFER MARQUEZ SENDS IN a long ball to fellow teammates in a game against Horace Mann. The team is in the process invested in soccer. of rebuilding their program and hopes for more success in years to come.

The plan now is to train the current freshman with the hope that get older. Coach Santamaria said, rently, Santamaria has the team derstanding of game plans. they will continue playing soccer “In order to establish longevity, it focused on improving their soccer Senior Sharon Pena, who has at Masters, and gain skills as they has gotta go through them.” Cur- skills and developing a better un- been on the team since her fresh-

COLUMN: TEAMS OF RIVALS

COLUMN: ADEN’S ARCHIVE

Soccer moves on in FAA MITCHELL FINK

ADEN KHURANA The boys’ varsity soccer team has cruised through this season with an overall regular season record of 13-3. A multitude of injuries forced them to battle this year, and test their abilities mentally and physically.

Masters opened their postseason run with a NYSAIS quarter final against rival Hackley. In the second half, junior Ben McGowan scored the lone goal and goalkeeper Diego Medina recorded five saves to secure the 1-0 win. After the game, McGowan said, “We played a great game and I’m glad I helped us into the next round against Riverdale.” Humble and hopeful, the team was looking get the win against number one seeded, Riverdale Country School.

Sadly, they did not get the outcome they wanted, losing 2-1 in overtime. Along with a loss, came another injury. McGowan broke his arm when a RCS player collided with him on a play. Junior Noel Gorodetsky said, “Ben is a crucial player and due to his injury, we will need to do some ad-

CHARLIE LOIGMAN/TOWER

THE BOYS’ VARSITY SOCCER team runs towards the stands after their quarter-final win against Hackley. The team won 1-0 after Ben McGowan scored. justing but our team spirit is still extremely high.” With morale high, the team played The King School in the FAA quarterfinals, hoping for an opening round win.

After a scoreless first half, Dexter Kalderon received a red card, putting the team a man down for 63 minutes. King scored with sixteen minutes left in the game.

This did not stop Masters from rallying back. With three minutes to go, senior captain, Oladayo Thomas, knocked one in the net to even the score at 1-1. After two scoreless overtimes. Penalty kicks approached and with the

crowd excited, King took the first penalty and scored, silencing the home fans. This would be the only goal they would score in PK’s, as Masters scored the next four to win the match, along with two saves made by goalkeeper Diego Medina.

After defeating Greens Farms Academy 3-1 on Wednesday, in which Thomas scored a hat trick, the team is now preparing for a final game at Hopkins on saturday, hoping to win the FAA championship.

Basketball adds new talents Eric dowd Sports Editor On Saturday, Nov. 18, the boys’ varsity basketball team will tip their season off against Trevor Day School. The team, coming off of a winning record of 12-10 last season, looks to build on their previous success and compete for an FAA title.

With an impressive six players returning to the team this winter, Head Coach Matthew Kammrath hopes that members of the team will step up and fill the shoes of the previous year's stars.

Kammrath said, “Building on last year’s success is important.

Two years ago we had a really rough season, and last year we were about 50/50 with wins and loses. We have the opportunity to say we have a large number of last years’ team coming back, and

Catalonia threatens La Liga

we have some new faces joining us. The idea that you don't have to teach everybody everything from the beginning allows for us to focus on some of the little nuances of making it as sharp as it can possibly be.”

For underclassmen, it can be extremly intimidating to fill in the roles of past players. In this case, new players will have to fill the shoes of Abdou Ndiaye, who last season, according to Kammrath, averaged exactly 20 points a game last season.

Though new players have big shoes to fill, returning players on the team believe that this feat can be accomplished. Co-Captain Diego Medina said, “As for the pressure, just try to relax. You know it's a new environment, and it can get intense and even hostile at times.

Being able to relax, calm down and get through is important, and the coaches will help guide you

through it. I've been on the team since I was a sophomore and they helped me develop into the player I am today, and I truly thank them for that.”

New basketball players are very excited to join the basketball program and are eager to build on past years’ results.

Sophomore Sebastian Pacheco said, “I’m very excited to play with such talented players this year, and my goal this season is to help bring an FAA championship home to Masters. Like other players on the team, I know I can bring a certain competitiveness and will to win that few other teams will have.”

With the addition of multiple new talented players, the boys’ basketball team is hoping to use more of a team dynamic to bring home an FAA title this season.

When people think of Spanish soccer, they usually think of its fastpaced style and superstars, such as FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. However, with the recent turmoil in Catalonia, questions have been raised about what could happen to Catalan soccer teams if Catalonia becomes its own country.

A region in northwestern Spain, Catalonia is one of the only strong economic regions of Spain. Barcelona, Catalonia’s largest city, is one of the largest business hubs in Spain and is also one of Europe’s top tourist destinations. Unlike Catalonia, most of the country has massive economic struggles. Many people living in Catalonia want their independence, so they held an unofficial referendum in Barcelona. Although Catalonia’s vote for independence succeeded, the Spanish government delegitimized the vote, and less than fifty percent of Catalans actually voted. However, if in the end Catalonia does secede from Spain, it could be the end of FC Barcelona’s time in La Liga.

The league options for Catalo-

nia would probably be the French league, the Italian league, staying in La Liga or even possibly the British league. Only time will tell what will happen in Catalonia, but it could certainly shake up the league.

Currently, La Liga is close to what one could call a two-team league, with Real Madrid and Barcelona dominating opposing teams.

For now, the tensions are still rising in Spain. Girona, a tiny Catalan side played the powerhouse Real Madrid at home on Sunday. There was talk of the game possibly being postponed due to security concerns, as police didn’t know what to expect from the Catalan fans.

As for the result of the match, it was straight out of a movie. In the hometown of the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, David beat Goliath. In the most unlikely of events, the tiny Catalan side rallied back to hand Real Madrid a 2-1 loss, and for now, Catalonia can celebrate a small victory against Spain. And for Catalonia, it’s just one small victory at a time.

Fockey sticks it to cancer Sarah Faber Social Media Manager For their senior game, the girls’ varsity field hockey team (MVFH) donned pink jerseys and sold baked goods; the proceeds from which were donated to cancer research.The idea of a “Stick it to cancer” game has been in the works for a while, and was approved this year.

Kendra Cooper-Smith, Co-Captian said, “In all of our team’s history, we’ve never been able to do a ‘stick it to cancer’ game,” Cooper-Smith explained that Ariella Russoff, MVFH captain and MISH representative, spearheaded the effort to have the event.

After talking to Mr. Versen and Mr. Verrall to acquire the pink jerseys, it came down to raising money and planning out the game.

After the first bake sale at the

game, field hockey continued its philanthropy the next day in the Dining Hall with another bake sale.

Though they lost their game, the girls of varsity field hockey raised over $200 to fight cancer.

VINCENT ALBAN/TOWER

THE GIRLS VARSITY FIELD hockey team huddles up during their game. against Fieldston. The team hosted their first ever “stick it to cancer” game.