Tower Issue #7 2015-2016

Tower The Masters School

49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. 10522

VOLUME 72, NUMBER 7

Editorial A new bill on the New York State Assembly floor will require private schools to report all instances of sexual assault to law enforcement. If passed, the bill will have a profound effect on policy at Masters and similar schools. Many have been debating the ethics of such a bill.

Friday May 27, 2016

tower.mastersny.org

Masters changes Dining Hall vendor CourTney Delong Editor-in-Chief

SOPHIE BUCHANAN/TOWER

LAURA DANFORTH LEADS THE faculty in a flash mob dance last week in order to motivate students, build community and boost school spirit. Danforth has a myriad of ways she hopes to build community at Masters in the coming years.

Danforth plans for the future logAn Toporoff Copy Editor Head of School Laura Danforth led the school’s faculty in performing a flash mob dance at morning meeting on May 23.

The idea of a flash mob dance had been planned since the fall as a way to foster school spirit. Faculty members rehearsed the dance, to the tune of Shakira’s “Try Everything,” for weeks.

“I did [a dance] at my former school, so I really knew I wanted to do it for this school as well,” Danforth said. Faculty members in the dance stepped outside of their comfort zones to try something new, helping to foster a sense of community.

However, Danforth’s vision for building community extends far beyond Morning Meetings. She is currently engaged in creating a master plan for the school.

Danforth’s master plan will highlight potential physical changes to the Masters campus to better the school. A 2006 plan included objectives that were achieved, like the turf field, and ones that were not, like a renovation to the theater. Danforth’s plan will include many such ideas for physical im-

“

For me the most important thing about my vison for the school would be making sure that we do not lose outstanding teachers because they are going to get paid better somewhere else.

- LAURA DANFORTH

provements.

“Another thing we would like to continue trying to adjust is the request to expand and renovate Strayer Hall,” Danforth said.

However, Danforth’s hopes for positive change in the Masters community are not only physical.

She hopes to double the school’s endowment in order to raise teachers’ salaries and expand financial aid packages.

“For me the most important thing about my vision for the school would be making sure that we do not lose outstanding teachers because they are going to get paid better somewhere else,” Danforth said. She hopes to make sure Masters recruits, retains and rewards good teachers.

“I also want to make sure the Masters education is sustainable for anyone who wants to be here and who qualifies to be here,” Danforth said. “That means more financial aid money.”

Danforth has no interest in creating strictly an “arts” or a “sports” school.

“I think it is extremely important to keep a balance of both areas of the school,” she said.

In addition, she is looking into changing the school’s dress code, zero tolerance policy and sexual education curriculum.

In keeping with the year’s unofficial theme of change, Masters has announced it will be changing its food service provider. Currently, industrial food giant Aramark runs the Dining Hall. Most of the Dining Hall staff are employees of Aramark, which provides food to public and private high schools, colleges, corporations and prisons.

A new company, Brock, was selected as Masters’ new food provider. Brock, a smaller company than Aramark, caters exclusively to independent schools and corporations.

Brock will be making substantial changes to Masters’ food offerings. Beginning next year, the Dining Hall will be open all day without interruption. There will also be four themed “destination stations” during lunch. One will be specifically for comfort food, another for sandwiches, one a chef’s show-case, and the fourth a vegetarian station.

“The food would be finished in front of the guest,” said Brock Director of Business Development and Certified Executive Chef Eric Rappaport. “We’re bringing food to life in the dining room.”

Brock’s attitude toward food will fit in well with next year’s theme of sustainability. It works with each client to create a custom sustainability plan. Brock intends on using local suppliers, including Coffee Lab Roasters in Tarrytown, for the bulk of Masters’ food. All of the food, including the coffee, will be available in the dining hall to students and faculty alike.

There’s “no such thing as ‘faculty only’ in our world,” said District Manager Christopher LaFrance.

LaFrance stressed the importance of Dining Hall food being the same quality as catered lunches.

Another priority of Brock’s is to

make sure international students are comfortable eating food away from home. To do this they intend on using ingredients similar to those students would find in their home countries.

The new company hopes to bring positive change to the Masters community with varied, healthy dining. It’s “all about balanced lifestyle and it’s all about everything in it’s place,…just a balanced lifestyle from hydration to proper eating to exercise to getting sunlight,” Rappaport said.

The quest to improve Masters’ food began last year when the administration realized that Masters has not re-examined its dining services in a long time. Most independent schools evaluate their dining services every seven or eight years by issuing request for proposals (RFPs) to various companies. Masters had not done so in about 25 years.

“A boarding school has got to have a nutritious and sustainable program seven days a week…Masters has overlooked the importance of seven days a week food,” said Chief Financial Officer Ed Biddle.

To improve the food, Biddle and other members of the administration sent RFPs to six companies, including Aramark. All the companies came to campus and presented their plans to a committee.

The committee selected Brock because of its excellent record and quality food.

Next year, most of the Dining Hall staff will return as employees of Brock instead of Aramark. Still, management staff will be leaving.

An Aramark manager who preferred to remain anonymous said, “This has been one of the best experiences of my life...I’ve been blessed with the staff...I hope the new company puts as much love and joy in as we did.”

Doc, Middle School mainstay, says goodbye Ariel Censor Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Everett “Doc” Wilson has been a fixture of the Middle School since he first arrived in 1996.

For 20 years, Doc has served as the head of the Middle School, a teacher for fifth grade students and resident bowtie connoisseur. This year, he announced his plans to retire.

“My wife and I sat down and said, ‘Okay, this is the year,’” Doc said. “It seemed like a good idea at the time, and it will be good for us, but every day we get closer to my last day I get sadder about leaving this community.”

Doc has seen the school through many changes. His first year, 1996, was the first year that Masters went co-ed, admitting boys to a traditionally allgirls school. But on a less literal level, he’s seen a positive change in the culture of the school.

“I’ve seen the attitudes of teachers and students change,” Doc said. “Teachers come here and are amazed at how much there is to learn from their stu-

dents and students are amazed that they have teachers that truly listen to them and value their perspectives.”

Much of that attitude of mutual respect is a direct result of Doc’s efforts. “Doc is the best,” Kelly Torielli, administrative assistant to the head of the Middle School, said. “I’ve worked with him for 15 years and he really loves the students, the teachers and the whole Masters community.”

“Doc was always so caring and kind towards all of his students, the ones he taught in the classroom and all of the middle schoolers,” Hudson Lifflander, current senior and one of Doc’s former fifth grade students, said.

“He was always so happy to be at school and with the kids.”

Current Middle Schoolers are sad to see Doc go. “I think we all really love Doc and the Middle School,” eighth grader Gabe Keller said, “People are really happy with the way it is.”

Next year Tascha Elsbach, the current head of Brearley’s middle school, will become the head of the Middle School. She has said she is looking forward to working with students from Masters.

COURTNEY DELONG/TOWER

DOC WILSON STARTED WORKING for the Middle School in 1996, when the school first became co-ed, and helped to transform the Middle School into the learning enviornment we know today.

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NEWS

Recruiting more than athletes

TOWER/MAY 27, 2016

DANNY’S WORLD

Are we overestimating ISIS’ power?

AlexAndrA Bentzien Contributing Writer The Academic Committee approved a new program in the upcoming school year geared towards attracting serious student artists.

Known as “Artist Scholars,” the program is designed to create a unique and supportive environment for students who identify as pre-professional artists. The program has been in development for at least ten years and was finally approved two months ago, where it received unanimous support.

“The Artist Scholars will help enrich our arts program and have an overall positive impact on others and on the work students will be doing,” Chris Goulian, Head of Academic Committee, said.

Jennifer Carnevale, the Music Department Chair, saw that many serious prospective student-artists were being lost to rival academies, such as the Children’s Professional School in New York City. “The original vision of the program was that if we made a tenable space for pre-professional artists, they would be more likely to come,” Carnevale said.

Chris Briante, Performing Arts Department Chair, explained that the program is for students who “understand, respect and are serious about art. This is not something just to give away.”

dAniel Bring

EMMA LUIS/TOWER

POSITIVE RHYTHM IS ONE of the school’s many active artistic groups. Masters is hoping to bolster artists’ activity through its new “Artist Scholars” program.

Candidates for Artist Scholars must prepare an audition or assemble a portfolio, write a letter of intent, provide recommendations from teachers, and give transcripts from programs they have previously or are currently participating in.

Once admitted, Artist Scholars will receive special support from the artistic discipline on which they are focused, including mentoring, advice for assembling resumés and preparing for auditions. While the students will be required to take all regular classes, they will be released from the

athletic credit requirement (ACR) in order to pursue outside endeavors. The Artist Scholar must also agree to perform a senior recital, participate in at least one ensemble each year and take specific courses mandated by the school.

“We are not looking to grow a program that is exclusively pre-professional,” Carnevale notes. The main goal is to help all students find a passion for the arts and provide them with an enjoyable space to learn, experience, and grow.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is not the menace it was a year ago. Increasing pressure by the US-led coalition as part of Operation Inherent Resolve and offensives led by government and opposition forces in Iraq and Syria have shrunk the sprawling swath of desert once controlled by ISIS. In November 2015, Iraqi Kurdish forces, with critical US air support, recaptured the important city of Sinjar in northern Iraq, securing a key pathway to Mosul, ISIS’ largest city, and liberating thousands of Yazidis, Iraqi ethnic minorities, from genocidal oppression. This past March, forces loyal to the President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, seized the historic city of Palmyra, which was being ravaged by ISIS attacks, in a major victory for morale.

This demonstrates the resurgence of the Syrian government, with the help of Iran and Russia, in the country’s civil war.

If one looks at the map of ISIS today and a map of ISIS at its peak in February 2015, the difference is visible. Very recently, ISIS declared a state of emer-

gency in its capital Raqqa, Syria due to a presumed threat to the city.

For most nations, developments like these would only precipitate total and inevitable collapse, and to the lay observer, it’s easy to arrive at that conclusion.

However, ISIS is not a normal nation-state: While it takes upon itself the vestments of statehood and sees itself as one, it is to its core a terrorist organization. Terrorist organizations don’t simply collapse. As seen with al-Qaeda and the Taliban, a superpower can easily take away a terrorist organization’s land, leaders and materials. However, it’s much to harder to take away a terrorist organization’s will to fight.

Additionally, reports claiming a constant hemorrhaging of territory

by ISIS are countered by the Department of Defense’s report that only 5% of ISIS-controlled land in Iraq has been recaptured in the last six months. Unfortunately, despite all the buzz to the contrary, ISIS, in some incarnation, is going to remain a long-term problem in the Middle East.

Inactive clubs haunt campus CedAr Berrol-Young Features Editor At this year’s club fair, 42 clubs showed up with signs and food in an attempt to win new members. Later, seven of these groups were put on probation and had their budgets frozen by CAM, the organization which oversees Masters’ clubs. Even more became inactive.

Many students, especially rising seniors, create clubs in the fall with little intention of running them. These students are thus able to put “founder and president” or similar leadership positions on college applications without having done any of the work attached to the title.

After the student’s application has been submitted to colleges, they forget

about the club and do not hold events or meetings, creating inactive “ghost” clubs.

Jasandeep Singh, a senior, founded the pre-med club last year and intended to keep the club active. Yet, Singh couldn’t keep up with the challenges of the first semester of senior year. “I thought it would be easy to run my club, keep my grades up and apply to college, but once senior year rolled around all I could think about was getting into college,” he said.

Singh believes that CAM should have done a better job communicating with him prior to him taking his position. “I feel like CAM should have met with each president personally; that could change a lot,” he said.

Some members of the community have become upset with the number of misleading or inactive clubs, and are asking for reform. Many are looking

to CAM to provide a solution to this problem.

“Since there are so many clubs, it’s hard for CAM to regulate how active each club is,” senior and CAM president Ria Thakurani said. “Each CAM liaison is assigned six to seven clubs and their job is to ensure activity,” Thakurani said. “CAM reps are not assigned by level of interest. They are assigned randomly; it is primarily the club adviser’s responsibility to oversee leadership and activity to make sure it is up to par with club standards.”

Still, no matter whose responsibility it is to police club activity, many members of the community are frustrated.

“It’s unfair to the active club leaders, it’s unfair to those who sign up for clubs, it’s unfair to all members of the community...they are mispresenting themselves to colleges,” senior Alex Zukerman said.

DON BARON

JANE RECHTMAN INSPIRED STUDENTS as a member of the History and Religion Department. On May 22, family and friends gathered to honor her memory.

Masters celebrates Jane Rechtman’s life and legacy AlexAndrA Berdon Editor-in-Chief The Claudia Boettcher Theater was filled to near capacity last Sunday as family, friends and alumni gathered to celebrate and honor the life of Jane Rechtman. Rechtman, a History and Religion teacher at Masters for over 20 years, left a legacy for both her colleagues and students.

Members of Rechtman’s family, as well as close friends, spoke lovingly about the beloved teacher and fondly remembered her as a passionate educator, wife, mother and friend. Rechtman’s son Jon described how important school graduations were to his mother during her career, and how her passing “does not mark the end, but represents a transition into another phase of existence,” similar to the tradition of graduation she loved. Though the memorial service evoked many tears and a deep sense of loss, those close to Rechtman recalled her fierce and adventurous personality and remembered her rich life.

Rechtman lived her life to the fullest and spent time doing what she loved best: traveling, teaching and learning.

Rechtman had the opportunity to travel to China and Vietnam with Colleen Roche, her colleague and close friend.

Roche spoke of their adventures together and highlighted Rechtman’s consistent support and calming presence, even in the most daunting times. The sentiment that Rechtman was a constant source of strength and support towards friends and students was repeatedly shared throughout the memorial, and her passion for life was apparent.

As Rechtman’s brother Bill Baron noted, “she cared for people deeply and passionately.” Baron further mentioned Rechtman’s dedication to her students, and the high level of care she took grading papers and teaching.

Alumni from several graduated classes were present to attest to her strong will and deep compassion for students from all walks of life.

“She was the personification of Masters,” said Alex Herzan, a member of the Board of Trustees. Herzan noted the strength that Rechtman demonstrated in all aspects of her life, particularly when teaching.

Though Jane Rechtman’s passing is a devastating loss, her impact on Masters will always be present.

OP-ED

TOWER/MAY 27, 2016

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OpiniOn EDITORIAL

Proposed New York legislation to protect private school students is a needed reform When discussing some of the injustices that occur regularly in private schools, sexual abuse is a topic that is often overlooked. Sexual abuse between teachers and students is often underreported, and can easily be swept under the rug by administrators.

Public schools have a harder time dismissing reports of sexual assault due to Title IX, a civil rights law that requires all public schools in the U.S. to report accusations of abuse to the police. However, private and parochial schools are exempt from this law, and therefore allow abusive students, and especially teachers, get away with criminal behavior.

In the past few decades, various sexual abuse scandals have been revealed in schools such as Horace Mann, Poly Prep and the Yeshiva University High School which have all had sexual abuse scandals between faculty and students. Many of the perpetrators have unfortunately gotten away with these

crimes because of the lack legislation aimed at protecting students in private schools.

There are about 500,000 students enrolled in private high schools in New York alone, and without legislation protecting them, students like us are at risk of sexual abuse going unnoticed. In order to combat this apparent injustice,

New York State legislators proposed an amendment to Article 23-B, a bill that legally requires private schools to report accusations of child abuse to the police.

This bill, A09705, is a huge step in the right direction for New York State, but it is decades too late.

According to The Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” team, since 1991 at least 67 elite private schools in New England have faced sexual abuse accusations, though most incidents go unreported. One main focus of the disturbing article

was to highlight the injustice that these students face, and the dismissiveness of the institutions. One article noted that many teachers accused of sexual abuse would leave their current school, but would move onto a new institution and continue the vicious cycle. The sheer ignorance regarding these crimes are why bills such as A09705 are necessary in our society in order to protect the integrity of institutions and more importantly, protect the rights and safety of students.

Even if the bill fails to pass, private schools still have a moral obligation to report accusations of sexual assault to law enforcement; private schools should not be above the law.

Tower 2015-2016

editors-iN-ChieF couRtneY delong allie BeRdon leo pSaRoS

editors-iN-ChieF eMeritus aRiel cenSoR RaJan cutting Mia (YiYi) ouYang

News editor

Rachel SaundeRS

Features aNd arts editors Jake Regele cedaR BeRRol-Young

sports editors

Mike FitzgeRald JenniFeR MunningS

MaNagiNg editor naoMi nivaR

staFF writers

Jake MaSteRS JackSon MYeRS-BRown MaRk tSeYtin

Tower adviser says thank you to graduating editors-in-chief Dear Ariel, Mia and Rajan, When I became a teacher, I envisioned teaching history, my college minor, and perhaps some English, my college major, in the style of the teachers I had in high school. Some lecture here, a little class discussion there – with the hope of sparking the intellectual curiosity that was the greatest gift I received from my best teachers. Little did I know that the most satisfying experience of my teaching career thus far would be a partnership in which three students would lead a staff of 17 other students working together to report on important matters affecting a school community.

This is the year that I truly learned the meaning of student-centered teaching and project-based learning.

I was the adviser, but what I learned from your courage, intellectual rigor, perseverance and artistry is more than I could offer in return. Thank you for this wonderful gift.

Journalists travel a difficult road.

It’s not easy working under deadline pressure to create a final product printed in indelible ink. You and the rest of the Tower staff put yourselves on the line issue after issue, making difficult decisions about how to report on stories important to

the community. Your work exemplified the Masters mission statement, which reads, in part, “[W]e gather to learn, to strive, to dare, to do – to be a power for good in the world.”

You handled criticism with both introspection and calm determination to continue being difference makers and not merely placeholders in the Masters community.

Although you might not appreciate it at such a young age, it is rare that a group of people striving toward an important goal can do so with a true spirit of cooperation and mutual respect. Ego too often gets in the way. I only regret that your work was done mostly behind the closed doors of the Tower Lab, and frequently late into the evening. I wish the rest of the Masters community could have learned as I did from your outstanding collaboration.

I hope and trust that your experience as editors-in-chief will serve you well in your endeavors, both personal and professional, going forward. And I look forward to hearing good things about you in the future, so stay in touch.

Congratulations to our new Editors-in-Chief!

web CoNteNt MaNager gaBBY davieS

advertisiNg MaNager Jack MuRRaY

photo editor aSli noYan

staFF photographers Sophie Buchanan gavin koepke

FaCulty adviser Matt BRowne

INCOMING EDITORS-IN-CHIEF from left to right: Courtney Delong, Leo Psaros and Allie Berdon

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.

Goals :) Mr. Browne

Copy editors

tonY RoSenBeRg logan topoRoFF

GRADUATING EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Rajan Cutting, Yiyi (Mia) Ouyang and Ariel Censor

sCholastiC press aFFiliatioNs, letters aNd editorial poliCy

Letter to the Editor Dear Editors of Tower, I’m writing to inform you of an issue that I think your newspaper could take more time to discuss. About three months ago, I sent out a survey to the school regarding relationships at Masters.

The survey asked questions relating to safety and feeling equal. Boys and girls alike answered the survey very candidly. Of course, some of the responses were hardly serious, but many of them detailed some disturbing things going on behind the scenes at this school.

According to the poll, after illegitimate responses were deleted, approximate-

ly one-fourth of all the respondents had felt unsafe in their relationships at this school before. (Many of them cited certain instances, events or feelings, but for the sake of confidentiality I will not disclose their specific messages.)

Many other students said they had felt unequal as well. Some said they were pressured to do things they weren’t comfortable doing, or that they felt like their partner could hurt them at any moment.

The whole survey revealed that the issue is much larger than we as a school understand it to be.

Even though there is sometimes the very occasional two-minute video played at

Morning Meeting or a loose flyer hanging in the stairwell on relationship safety, it is largely an ignored, concealed issue at Masters. As a school, we need to strive to create a change. I’m glad that three-fourths of all the students who have been in relationships at Masters have never felt unsafe.

However, that other one-fourth is far too big, and shouldn’t be ignored. Awareness needs to be raised of this issue that is silently permeating into our campus. This school, I hope, will not stand by mutely.

Sincerely, Adam Leung

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.

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FEATURES AND ARTS

FEATURES AND ARTS

TOWER/MAY 27, 2016

Class of 2016 Goes to College

5

Massachusetts amherst College

Matthew Yarnell

BaBson College

England

Canada

Kings College lonDon

QUeen’s University

Moritz Metzger

Ken West

Karina Ceron

Gabby Davies Maia Chuia

Evan Vietorisz

Rhode Island

Bennington miDDleBUry University College College of vermont

BroWn University

Rajan Cutting

neW yorK University

CUlinary institUte

Gavin Keopke Gabby Bavaro Khyle Richards

Khoi Tran

Kat Bartley Hannah Wells Aliya Schneider

MacArthur King

marist College

Julius Rodriguez

Matthew Donovan

Gigi Lavign

Conneticut ConnetiCUt College

Maine

fairfeilD University

Bates College Annie Canning

Wesley Morris Katie Scheurmann

syraCUse University

JUlliarD sChool

Ellie Fortuna

ColUmBia University

Grace King

vassar College

Jonathan Cator Christopher Kumaradjaja Matt Mitamura Benjamin Church Hannah Sznajderman Jackson Myers-Browne

reeD College

Boston University

Vermont Emme Sudock

forDham University

sKiDmore College

Rachel Saunders

Emily Barshay

BarnarD College

Jonny Mills

Timothy Kaplowitz Robert Cott

tUfts University

New York Alisa Ince

BranDeis University

harvarD University

Jaylen Craft

GRAPHIC AND PAGE DESIGN BY JACOB REGELE/TOWER

aDelphi University

emerson College

Cornell University Valeriya Rusina

University of California, BerKeley

Delaware

Jiarui Zhu

University of DelaWare

oBerlin College

Calermont mCKenna College

Mimi Silverstein Maya Bater

University of ChiCago

Andrew Ciaci

Mary Imperiale

sCripps College Marianna Zapata

Cian McGillicudy

Washington University in st. loUis Dylan Chan

Jansen Wenberg Andrew Gitland

Chapman University

Washington D.C.

Will Tkas

ameriCan University

William & mary

Alexander Zuckerman

An Shen

Sage Ressler

University of ColoraDo at BoUlDer

Sophia Patterson Clara Parkus Emma Masterson Wei Wamg

DiCKinson College

northWestern University

ColoraDo College

University of soUthern California

Michelle Shear

University of riChmonD

Maryland goUCher Johns hopKins College University Martha Gray

Luyi Peng

U.s. naval aCaDemy

Dane Wasik Jennifer Munnings Danielle Holliday

george Washington University Hannah Weiss

Chris Brakey

WaKe forrest

Ria Thakurani

Sibella Graylin Zoe Kreutzer

vanDerBilt University

University of California, los angeles

Tony Rosenberg Alex Bernstein

Shelia Wang

Pennsylvania

University of California, san Diego

Bryn maWr

Yiyi Ouyang

emory

University Alex Western

May Zhu

BUCKnell University

haveforD College

Ariel Censor

lehigh

University

Marcus McCallum Kanaruj Chanthongdee

texas a&m University

Henry Littlewood

This graphic is based on students who responded to our survey prior to May 26. For a complete list of colleges, visit the Tower website at tower.mastersny.org. Colleges are listed geographically to the best of our ability.

texas teCh University Paige Titus

University of miami Emma Michiels

University of pennsylvania Julia Sandler

Carnegie mellon Samuel Park

TOWER/MAY 27, 2016

OP-ED

COLUMN: THE OKS BOX

Let’s crown a king DAVID OKS Can anyone dispute the notion that the American government isn’t serving its populace, and hasn’t been for a long time? More specifically, does anyone think that our bloated, inept bureaucracy is efficient or beneficial for the people?

Most would dismiss this ill as temporary, due to disappear at some point or anoth- e r , and not a fundamental problem of our governmental system.

So we care little about the ham-handed meddling of faceless bureaucrats into our daily lives, rationalizing the invasions as the cost of living in an advanced society. The result of this is that we are ruled totally by a mass of bureaucrats. Furthermore, our national blob, contra to the myths of “wise civil servants,” is not a smart or even efficacious ruler; it’s so uncoordinated that it bungles everything it attempts.

Most of the effect this clumsy government has on the people— though a byzantine tax code, pointless laws and regulations, and general oafishness—isn’t on purpose.

In practice, our current system is government by accident.

This accidental system is so eroded it militates against the continuation of the American experi-

ment, and thus necessitates starting wholly anew.

Why don’t we scrap this accidentally-created, dumb system for a government in which policy is decided in the most efficient manner possible, by a single individual? In many ways, an enlightened, pragmatic, and trustworthy monarch presiding over a limited government would be a vast improvement over unnavigable bureaucracy, since the government could issue coherent policies and respond swiftly to the pressing issues of the day. The government would gain a prudent overseer with absolute control and thus the ability to moderate its actions.

This would serve to ensure that the government did not overreach its bounds and that all actions were firmly in the interest of the populace. A Charles III or a Frederick the Great is better than the untameable, stupid leviathan we find ourselves with today. We shouldn’t be afraid to say so.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROYAL COAT OF ARMS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM (VARIANT 1 )

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Democrats, stop the Hillary hatred

By Jack Murray Advertising Manager With Bernie Sanders’ chances of success diminishing, it seems that the general election will be a showdown between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Even though Bernie Sanders’ demise is almost inevitable, Sanders’ supporters are reluctant to admit defeat and have begun to participate in anti-Hillary campaigns using social media by promoting trendy hashtags like “#WhichHillary,” which adresses Hillary’s constantly changing opinions on certain issues. It is nonsensical and counterproductive to wish failure on a candidate of one’s own party especially if that candidate could be the only option.

The harsh truth is that her past

opinions on certain issues do not matter. If she said at one point that she opposed gay rights and now she embraces them, how is her past opinion a threat to the success of the gay rights movements?

Early in the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was not committed to abolition; his goal was to preserve the integrity of the Union. His views changed while he was in office and ultimately slavery was abolished. This is a similar concept. Hillary is subject to basic human nature just like every other person on earth; her opinions can change.

If anything, open mindedness would benefit the United States rather than posing a threat to it.

Hillary is also getting a lot of flak for lying; however, Politifact calculated the number of times that each candidate bends the truth and the extent to

which they do it, and found that Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, on average, misrepresent facts at the same frequency (based on statements from 2007 onward) and nearly to the same degree (Hillary Clinton told the full truth more, but blatantly lied more as well). Part of the campaigning process is building up a strong following and, whether or not it is ethical, part of that process often times involves fudging the facts to build excitement among supporters.

Another part of the campaigning process is making promises about what the candidate will do if they get elected. Because Hillary is a realist, she is the true unsung hero, while Bernie is an idealist. Now more than ever we need a president who the American people can rely on to make realistic promises and pass logical legislation.

Dobbs Ferry’s roads need improvements

By Leo Psaros Editor-in-Chief Jack Murray Advertising Manager Dobbs Ferry’s infrastructure is notorious among Masters students for long delays, faulty lights and crumbling roads.

The trip from the Ashford Avenue exit off of the Saw Mill River Parkway to campus is only 1.5 miles, and is used by the majority of Masters students from northern Westchester. However, even on a good day, it will take the average traveler ten to fifteen minutes to drive this short distance.

Adding to this annoyance, Dobbs Ferry has recently initiated a two-year-long repair for the bridge connecting Dobbs Ferry to the entrance of the Saw Mill heading north.

This unnecessarily long repair has caused students to take alternative routes home,

thus lengthening their overall travel time. Though some may perceive these flaws as insignificant, resolving them will assuredly benefit the town, along with its flow of commuters, in the long run.

When a student gets off the Saw Mill exit, they might expect to arrive on campus in no time. However, they will soon realize that the long stop lights, crossing guards, and unregulated traffic flow hinder their commute. The consecutive intersections on Broadway can take upwards of ten minutes to navigate.

Though the intersection has too many lights and poor traffic enforcement, the main problem with Dobbs Ferry’s roads is that there are simply not enough. Though most towns have several main roads, Dobbs Ferry has only one.

Ordinarily one road for a town as small as Dobbs Ferry would not be an issue; how-

ever, Dobbs Ferry is a huge commuter town, with five local schools in total.

Since this system sounds like an impractical method for traffic control, one would expect Dobbs Ferry to try to clear up traffic. But the town has not taken any measures to diminish the traffic complications. It seems to be dismissive of the traffic dilemma and continues to add lights instead of fixing the real problem. Dobbs Ferry’s website even says, “Woe to the driver who must pass through the Ashford/Broadway intersection during peak hours! Traffic is not only bad; it is unavoidable.”

Day in and day out, the streets of Dobbs Ferry are congested, the roads are dilapidated, and the traffic lights switch in odd intervals. If the town of Dobbs Ferry has recognized this issue, it should solve it rather than avoid it.

TOWER/MAY 27, 2016

FEATURES AND SPORTS

7

Masters increases sustainability efforts Michael Fitzgerald Sports Editor During the spring of the 2016 school year, a new student-run Sustainability Committee was formed.

Sustainability was also chosen to be the theme for the 2016-2017 school year, showing its emerging importance at Masters.

The sustainability initiative originally started when Head of School Laura Danforth asked science teachers Mary May and Amy Norris to make a task force group of faculty. Approximately ten faculty members met during October and created a spreadsheet with one-year, three-year and five-year plans. The faculty then submitted their plans to Ms. Danforth.

This spring a student-led committee was formed as well. This committee will work closely with its faculty counterpart and is split into five subgroups: “energy,”

“community health,” “land use,” “education” and “reuse, recycle, and rot.”

According to committee leader Emma Katz, “The Sustainability Committee is a group of students who care a lot about the environment and creating a green Masters community. Having this committee can really make a change because if a group of students can introduce new ideas to our school and make a visible change, then it will encourage more people to help the effort.”

May emphasized the importance of commitment. “You have to buy into these ideas and goals if you are a part of the committee. If you are only doing it because you are told to, nothing will ever get accomplished,” May said.

One change the Sustainability Committee wishes to implement is the creation of composting in the Dining Hall. Juniors Haley Goodman and Thomas Davoren are leading the effort to integrate

composting into the Masters lunch routine.

The committee would also like to set up recycling stations around campus and offer more environmental education opportunities.

Next year there will be many new classes such as AP Environmental Science, a sustainable living seminar and even a sustainable food seminar run by Stone Barns, a farm in Pocanto Hills, New York.

Recently, the junior class also boosted sustainabilty at Masters by organizing a 5k fun run to raise money for Riverkeeper, a conservationist charity. The run raised over $500 and was a bonding event for the whole class.

With sustainability emerging as a significant topic within the Masters community, the Sustainability Committee and other events are offering ways for students to get involved with the school theme for the 2016 school year.

COURTNEY DELONG/TOWER

JUNIOR CLASS MISH REPRESENTATIVE Thomas Davoren and Class President Treasure Brooks speak to a group of runners before the junior MISH 5k run to raise money for RiverKeeper, a charity that aims to preserve the Hudson River.

The run featured “upcycled” t-shirts and stickers aimed to promote the use of renewable water bottles. The 5k is one of many sustainability initiatives at Masters.

Seniors compete in final games at Masters On Friday May 20, Mady Clow played her final game as the sole senior on the varsity softball team. Clow, a team captain, enjoyed a bittersweet goodbye to the team at their last home game of the season against the Christian Heritage School.

Throughout her four years at Masters the softball team has grown into a defining part of her high school career. Teammates made posters supporting Clow’s final game, and team spirit was high. “Every time we go out there, it’s not to win or lose. It’s all about the positive attitude we have,” Clow said. Clow has passed this outlook onto her teammates all season long and they look forward to continuing to grow in the years to come.

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Junior Haley Goodman gets ready to hit the ball in a doubles match with partner Chloe Davis during the Girls Varsity Tennis team’s senior match against Hamden Hall. The girls won the match, earning victories in five games out of six. “I think that we really worked together as a team and after a season of hard work it finally paid off,” Julia Poster, who played first singles, said. Next year the team will be losing seniors Ellie Fortuna, Zoe Kreutzer, Ria Thakurani and Gabby Davies.

COURTNEY DELONG/TOWER

◄ Like Neil Armstrong landing on the Moon, Tim Kaplowitz plants his foot on first base after drawing a walk. The boys varsity baseball team won their senior game this year against Montforte Academy. Senior Alex Western, who notched 13 strikeouts during the game, said, “Everyone played really well, especially the seniors... It was a fantastic game.” Western is one of the many players the team will be losing next year. Western, along with Seniors Timothy Kaplowitz, Dane Wasick, Drew Gitlin, Cian McGillicuddy and Moritz Metzger will all leave next year for college. Junior Trevor Dee will also be leaving. Still, the team remains optimistic for next season. “We’re losing a lot of seniors but we have guys like Mike Fitzgerald and Marcus Diaz. They will be big for us,” Western said.

JAKE REGLE/TOWER

COLUMN: PLAY BY PLAY

THOMAS MCKENNA/TOWER

COLUMN: PHIL ON PHILMS

Let’s nix the Knicks’ lack of stability

Breaking down the unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt!

owen lieber While four teams are still fighting for a championship in the NBA playoffs, one team closer to home has other plans. After yet another disappointing season, the New York Knicks have the summer to try to rebuild this struggling franchise. The first item on the agenda is to find a new coach.

Fortunately, President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson and the Knicks may have found their new head coach: Jeff Hornacek. Formerly the coach for the Phoenix Suns, Hornacek has a career coaching record of 101-112.

Hornacek’s record is not great on the surface as he had a successful first season in Phoenix but he could not survive after a slew of injuries and trades.

This deal could please many fans.

After taking over for Derek Fisher last season, Kurt Rambis looked like the favorite to remain as head coach, despite his horrendous coaching experience and lack of support from the integral players on the team.

The Knicks also enter the 2016 offseason with at least three point guards on the roster: Jose Calderon, Jerian

Grant and Tony Wroten. Unfortunately, none of these players are likely to improve the team significantly next season.

While Phil Jackson may undervalue point guards, it is clear that the squad needs a true starting-caliber point guard. Unfortunately, like Phil Jackson once had, the Knicks do not have Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, possibly two of the greatest shooting guards in history.

In the past five years, the Knicks have had four head coaches and 63 different players. To compare, the San Antonio Spurs have had one coach and thirty-eight different players, a large reason why the Spurs have won the NBA title twice in the past five seasons.

The Knicks are desperate for some stability.

While the roster from this past season was not perfect, the Knicks need to improve the squad instead of replacing it. If the Knicks front office keeps some of the core players from this past season, they might have a shot at real progress next season.

Phil Minton If you’re anything like me, staying inside and watching a movie on Netflix is much more appealing than going out to the theater.

I clicked through Netflix searching in the Comedy section, Drama section, Horror and even Romantic Comedy.

I eventually gave up on movies and turned to TV Shows. I received a text from a friend that said I should really check out Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

I was somewhat skeptical because original Netflix series are usually a hit or a miss. Orange is the New Black and House of Cards were hits, but Fuller House was not. I reluctantly decided to choose Kimmy Schmidt, soon finding out that it was not a bad choice.

Created, produced and written

by Tina Fey (and a few others) this show is truly not one to be missed. Kimmy Schmidt, played

by Ellie Kemper, is the clueless main character.

The show starts off with Kimmy living underground with other girls who have all been kidnapped by an unknown man.

They later escape and are thrown into the real world where they all need to learn how to live.

The show focuses solely on Kimmy and is truly original because there are not many other comedies out there like it.

All episodes are titled with Kimmy doing something for the first time. Some examples are “Kimmy Goes Outside!,” “Kimmy Goes to the Doctor!” and “Kimmy Kisses a Boy!” These fun titles

of seemingly normal things are what make the show so funny.

Kimmy struggles with simple everyday tasks that everyone who is watching can complete easily.

In addition to Kemper, the cast includes the very funny Jane Krakowski and relatively new actor Tituss Burgess.

The three actors come together to make an unforgettable cast of characters.

With each episode only 30 minutes long, it is so easy to sit down with a bag of chips and go through both seasons.

Overall, I highly recommend this show if you’re in the mood for a good laugh and have already finished all nine seasons of The Office or any other classic comedy show.

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SPORTS

TOWER/MAY 27, 2016

SportS

Rotella takes her final bow at Masters Emma Luis Contributing Writer

A bittersweet feeling came upon Mary Rotella as she watched her dancers prepare for their final Dance Company performance of the year. For Rotella, this would be the final time she would watch her dancers perform in the Claudia Boettcher Theatre, as she leaves Masters for a change of scenery in Houston, Texas.

After 20 years of being affiliated with the school, her final Dance Company show touched the hearts of many. With tears in her eyes, Rotella shared her passion and love for her dancers.

“For me the most joyful part of the concert is when the choreographic work is no longer mine but it becomes the dancer’s,” Rotella said. “To sit and watch them perform and express themselves through my movement is the most rewarding part of the process. This thing called dance builds such an intimate bond between a choreographer and the dancers, and we then have the privilege to share that bond with the audience.”

JAKE REGELE/TOWER

ROTELLA AND HER SENIOR dancers take a final bow in the Claudia Boettcher Theatre during the spring of 2016 Dance Company show. It was an emotional performance for all as it was Rotella’s final show at Masters before she leaves for Texas.

The performance showcased each dancer’s strengths, making this show truly memorable. The show began with two traditional dances where the company held their

bows to honor the sacred dances.

The second piece, called Rezo de Yemaya, featured dancer Rebecca Bliss, a Brooklyn-based artist specializing in Afro-Cuban dances.

New member of the company Soukay Mbaye had a very impressive tap solo in her first ever show. The entire performance showcased the effort that each member invest-

ed into making their senior show memorable.

Along with Rotella, the graduating seniors had a bittersweet show.

Hannah Sznajderman, Grace King, Martha Gray and Katherine Bartley all are graduating this June, making this their final dance show with the company. Looking at the dancers and their dynamic, you can tell how the special relationships that they have built impact their dancing and even their lives.

The dancers are keeping their traditions alive after saying goodbye to five beloved members, including Rotella.

Bartley recalled how much Rotella has changed her time here at Masters. “Mary has been like a mother to me, and just always been very welcoming. She’s helped me grow a lot as a dancer, and I’m very grateful,” Bartley said.

The dancers have been experiencing classes with new teachers for a few weeks now, and are sad to see Rotella leave. Bartley added, “It’ll be a very different program without her and it will be sad but interesting to see what will happen.”

Lack of sportsmanship damages athletics for all JakE mastErs Staff Writer Sportsmanship plays an essential role in maintaining a competitive and safe playing environment in every athletic competition. Over the past several years, as Masters’ sports have become more competitive, there has been a rise in incidents of unsportsmanlike conduct.

Most recently, a lacrosse match against rival Columbia Prep was ended prematurely because of the opposing coach’s misconduct. The coach, after seeing what he believed to be a mistaken goal call, began yelling profanities at the referee. He was asked to leave several times, but declined. After he was was asked to leave several times but refused to, he was ejected. His behavior resulted in the referees ending the game early and giving

Masters the win.

Despite their triumph, the Masters team was disappointed. “We were already winning. We didn’t want to win just because they couldn’t play; we wanted to finish it,” team captain Andrew Ciacci said.

Other teams’ displays of aggression are not uncommon. The baseball team has also encountered problems with unruly coaches.

During a game against the Long Island Lutheran School, a coach started yelling during a pitch he thought was illegal. He began shouting at the umpire and players on the field.

Third baseman Drew Gitlin, who was standing right next to the coach, said, “It was completely unnecessary. The distractions really threw us off our game, and I think it might have changed the score if it never happened.” The animosity also continued after the game as

players chose not to shake hands with each other.

Sports are played because the athletes are passionate about the game, and all coaches and players need to respect that, and each other.

BEN MCGOWAN GETS CHECKED in a boys varsity lacrosse game against Long Island Lutheran High School.

A lack of sportsmanship from opponents has been prominent in sports games during this spring season. The agressive conduct has hurt Masters’ athletics as it has ended games earlier and made the experience less enjoyable for athletes.

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GAVIN KOEPKE/TOWER

Coffey, Horton, Wong shine at top level mark tysEtin Staff Wtiter

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RAY DOUGLE, SINGAPORE NATIONAL FENCING TEAM, SCARLETT HORTON

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, JUNIOR Sam Coffey practices with U18 Womens National Team; junior Nicole Wong fences for the Singapore National Team; and sophomore Scarlett Horton plays water polo for the English National Team. All three athletes have made incredible strides in their respective sports.

Masters has many exceptional athletes who are rarely recognized by the community for the incredible work they do. A few of these exceptional athletes have even earned national and sometimes international recognition, making incredible strides towards achieving the highest levels of success in their respective atheltic fields.

Junior Samantha Coffey said, “When I was called up to the U18 Woman’s National Team camp they pay for everything. The other 26 girls and I stay in a hotel room and practice for a week and it is a very fun team bonding experience.”

In addition to having been called up to the U18 National Team, Coffey committed to Boston College early last year.

Boston College has a Division I soccer program and Coffey expects for many doors to open in the professional world because of her affiliation with BC. Though Coffey already knows which college she will matriculate to, she tries to make her experience at Masters as

fairly typical.

“I am trying to make my high school experience as normal as possible and I try to tell myself that I am not yet going to college so that I can go through a similar process to all my friends,” said Coffey.

Scarlett Horton plays water polo for the United Kingdom, in addition to competing in the prestigious Junior European tournaments. At her most recent tournament, in Prague, her team came in fifth out of eleven competitors.

“I talked to a few people at Masters including Mr. Versen about starting a water polo team at our school but unfortunately the pool cannot accommodate that,” Horton said.

Nicole Wong, who fences for Singapore, is the only one of the three who actually has played a sport professionally.

Wong said, “Last year I fenced professionally and did not go to school. I would fly overseas for tournaments and training camps monthly. A normal day of training would be a morning practice, then a gym session, then a physiotherapy session, followed by national training with the team at night.”