Tower Issue #2 (2021-2022) by Tower

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VOLUME 78, NUMBER 2

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TOWER The Masters School

DANCE COMPANY FALL BOYS VARSITY SOCCER SHOWCASE WINS NYSAIS

NOVEMBER 19, 2021

PAGE 6

PAGES 4 & 5 @masterstower

Tots get shots:

a vaccinated Masters

NYSAIS Champions SUNNY SHI/TOWER

AFTER A YEAR WITHOUT soccer, the boys varsity team returned to the pitch in championship style. The team piled up the wins during the regular season, and then went on a tear through the NYSAIS playoffs, winning three games, including the semi-finals at Masters (see above) and the championship over the Hackley School in a fan-packed night game at Manhattanville College. Ethan Schlapp

Lead Sports Editor

n a thrilling effort, the boys varsity soccer team defeated Hackley School by a score of 2-1 in the New York State Association of

Independent Schools (NYSAIS) finals on Nov 7. After a stalemate for most of the first half, senior Daniel Heller brought a charge to the team with a low-driven shot past Hackley’s frozen goalkeeper to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead right before halftime. Heller continued to contribute in the second half, as he scored his

second of the game from a tight angle that found its way under the opposing goalkeeper’s dive. However, Hackley did not give in easily, scoring a penalty kick just a couple minutes later to tighten the gap at 2-1. The Panthers would hold strong for the rest of the contest, though, winning the game by that same score-

This marked the boys varsity soccer team’s first major championship in five years, since the team last won the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) championship in 2016. The win also marked the team’s first NYSAIS championship ever.

Continued on Pages 4 and 5

SYDNEY STARKEY/TOWER

Proposed consitutional revisions aim for clarity in procedure, voting Staff Writer & Contributing Writer The Community Government constitution has not been amended for nearly a decade. Though no sweeping changes are in the works, this year, Executive Committee is embarking on an overhaul of the constitution, building upon work done by last year’s Co-Chairs Sophia Viscarello and Caio Martins Lanes, among others including the current Co-Chairs, Annie Fabian and Caleb Jakes. This set of revisions is less about making big changes and more focused on clarifying details not clearly outlined in the past. Eileen Dieck, one of the four faculty representatives in EC who has been a regular attendee of meetings for the past 17 years and has witnessed the last two sets of revisions in addition to this one, said, “I don’t think there are as many substantive changes; it’s more

adapting to new circumstances.” Viscarello, currently a freshman at Hamilton College in upstate New York, spoke about the thought process that she and the others had while revising the constitution. “What Caio and I and all of the other student leaders during the 20202021 school year really wanted to focus on was creating a constitution that would be upheld by the Administration and will allow Executive Committee to have a higher level of certain power within the School, and it’s the only student-run government organization at Masters,” she said. “We were trying to elevate the student voice and also just have a central document that was agreed upon between both the Administration and the student body.” An example she gave was an article in the constitution about a new proposed rule that would allow Executive Committee to call a mandatory all-school meeting. “This was not agreed upon or upheld by the Administration,” said Viscarello, “so we worked to come to a middle ground about

a way that we could incorporate that kind of power into Executive Committee while still making it reasonable and something that the Administration would agree with.” Among the important revisions are the placement of the School’s mission statement into the constitution for the first time. It is also clarified that the Upper School consists of: “all employees and Upper School students.” Fabian expressed her belief that this more clear definition of who the Upper School community comprises will be the most impactful of the changes to the constitution. “In the past, for elections for Co-Chair and things like that, the Upper School community has encompassed a lot of people,” she said. “It was included that any spouses of faculty were a member of the community and therefore could vote on things, and spouses of faculty don’t have as much of a stake in the community as students, faculty, things like that. And one of the revisions is to make it a little more clearer who is a part of that community, and to what

Sabrina Wolfson & Lexi Wachen

Lead Opinion Editor & Lead Features Editor

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW • Over half of the school community must vote in order for the results to be valid • Embraces digital changes to Executive Committee procedures • Clarifies voting membership

Aurora Rose Horn & Oliver Kreeger

TASHA ELSBACH

ASTRID ELSBACH GETS HER first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. All members of the Masters community are now eligible for the vaccine.

degree different members should be able to vote on elected officials.” The revisions are necessary work, but going over a whole constitution tirelessly for months is quite a tedious task. Viscarello professed her gratitude to all those who worked with her on the revisions, especially after she and Lanes graduated, saying, “It was a huge project. It was a year-long project, it was late-night meetings and hours and hours of work spent. It was a huge undertaking, and I really appreciate all the work that people put in.” Further amendments include the mandate that all minutes will be published on the Executive Committee’s website, which is a practice that, until now, was simply an unwritten custom done by the secretary. The revisions also formally establish another precedent already de facto put into practice: weekly meetings. For the constitutional amendments to pass, over fifty percent of the electorate must vote and two thirds of those voters must vote “yes.”

n Oct. 29, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized children ages 5-11 to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. This age group has accounted for nearly 40% of the cases in the United States. Typically, those infected will experience symptoms extremely mildly like fatigue, cough or low-grade fever. Throughout the testing of the vaccine, there have been no serious side effects and the results of this age group have mirrored the results from ages 15-16: 90.7% effective. As such, their vaccination process will match that of 15-16 year olds, except that they will be receiving smaller doses. At The Masters School, students 12 years of age and older have already completed their vaccinations, as it is mandatory at the School. For students in the Upper School, this means that normal activities have been able to resume as they had before Covid, like eating in the dining hall unmasked and attending weekly assemblies together in person. Although the entirety of the eighth grade and a portion of the seventh grade (those above the age of 12) currently have their vaccinations, the fifth and sixth graders have not been able to get theirs until now. This has kept fifth and sixth graders separated from the rest of the community. Currently, they are unable to eat in the dining hall, and the middle school as a whole is not able to gather in one room for morning meetings. While the seventh and eighth graders sit in Doc Wilson Hall, fifth and sixth graders are confined to their classrooms, attending through a Zoom meeting.

Eighth grader Rohan Lavery noted the sense of reassurance he now feels knowing that the entire school will be vaccinated by the spring. He said, “I’m excited to start having morning meetings with the fifth and sixth graders so they can really feel like a part of Masters again.” With the new approval Masters COVID protocols for the entire institution are likely to change. Currently, Masters students participate in weekly pooled testing, which allows the Health Advisory Committee to identify students with COVID-19 as early as possible. Sue Adams, director of health services, runs the weekly pooled testing system. Adams said, “Before, we were thinking that we would continue pooled testing until at least March, but if everybody in the middle school gets vaccinated by January, we are going to be in a much different place.” Initially, the pooled testing system was critical because not every member of the Masters community was vaccinated; however, given that the fifth and sixth graders are now eligible to receive vaccinations, it is likely that the Health Advisory Committee will reassess the situation. Adams said, “We’re aiming to have everybody come back from [winter] break vaccinated, which means we might run a test period without pooled testing to see if it is still necessary.” As most students and faculty members are now eligible to be vaccinated, the Masters community is optimistic about the future. Head of Middle School Tasha Elsbach is excited about the possibility of returning back to what life was like pre-pandemic. Elsbach said, “We’ve come to this moment of hope. We thought we were going to have to deal with this pandemic with no weapon to fight it, but now we can.”

ETHAN ROSENBERG

OWEN ROSENBERG ‘28 GETS HIS first COVID-19 vaccine.

Opinion

TOWER/NOVEMBER 19, 2021

2 OP-ED

TOWER 2021-2022

Editors-in-Chief Kira Ratan Sophia Van Beek Chief Design Editor Ellie Yang

EDITORIAL

News Lead Editor Andrew Mitchell News Editors Gisele Cestaro Marianna Gu Opinion Lead Editors Sabrina Wolfson Rowan McWhinnie Opinion Editor Maya Phillips

Looking towards our calm after the storm

ur school community is nearly whole again. Middle schoolers can finally get vaccinated, and light at the end of the seemingly endless Covid tunnel is coming into view. It’s hard to imagine that after so many months filled with loss and tragedy, there is a path forward. But, the only way we can take everything we’ve learned from the past two years and apply it to our lives is to continue on, keeping in mind all that we’ve lost and all that we’ll remember not to take for granted. Once more than 95 percent of our school is vaccinated, which

is almost inevitable given the mandate, restrictions should be loosened. Masks should not be required indoors for community members that are vaccinated, and eventually weekly pooled testing should come to a stop. At the same time, vaccinated students and staff members who feel more comfortable wearing masks should be allowed to do so without judgement from others. We know these are unprecedented times. However, just because going back to ‘normal’ seems like something that will never actually happen, doesn’t mean we should stop ourselves from proceeding (with care) and

let our community remain stagnant. There are shows to be performed, maskless discussions to be had, and smiles to be seen. We have worked hard to make our community a safe place, and now that it soon will be for almost everyone, let us rejoice with one another in moving past this hard time in our lives. This doesn’t mean that we’re all entirely in the clear. Covid still exists, and is even ramping up in some areas. But, by getting vaccinated, being mindful of others around us, and remembering to keep ourselves and the people around us safe, this can be the start of our calm after the storm.

Sports Lead Editor Ethan Schlapp Sports Editor Noah Kassell-Yung Social Media Manager Matthias Jaylen Sandoval Web Editor Carlos Heredia Staff Writer Aurora Rose Horn Photo Editor Alejandra Pagano Advertising & Distribution Mgr, Asst. Social Media Mgr. Lily Zuckerman Executive Producer, Tower Broadcast News L. Leys Carol Queiroz

Critical Race Theory at Masters Sophia Van Beek

Editor-in-Chief

n the days leading up to the Virginia governor election, which Republican Glenn Youngkin won, critical race theory (CRT) became central to the political landscape. Youngkin vows to ban CRT in public schools on his first day in office. This has led me to ask two questions: one, what even is CRT?; and two, how has race been taught in my school? CRT, which has over 300 million hits on Google, examines the intersection of race and American legal, economic, and social institutions that perpetuate oppressive systems; this is a definition I have had to come to entirely through my own research, because I’ve never been formally taught this. At The Masters School, an institution rooted in liberal curriculum and pedagogy, I believe that there is a serious lapse in what we teach about race and how we go about it. First, let me acknowledge my unique position in making this point – I am a white person, in a primarily white institution. Anything that I write or think about race should not take precedence over the work of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department, or the voices of people of color at Masters. So instead, I intend to make a few observations and ask a few questions that, as a community striving imperfectly towards antiracism, we all ought to reflect on. To begin, Harkness education, an approach so central to the School, is a flawed way to teach about race. Harkness emphasizes equality in the classroom and encourages all to bring a perspective to the table; in Harkness learning, students derive their own information through discussion, not lecture. However, there is some information that white students cannot derive about race, because we have not personally been victimized by individual or institutional racial oppression. When all opinions are valued equally, students leave the classroom thinking the correct answer exists somewhere in the middle-ground or is up for compromise. This isn’t to say that offensive opinions and statements go unchecked in a Harkness environment; in fact, Harkness makes it easier to hold our peers accountable in discussion. However, as a primarily white institution, our discussion-based classes will always center the voices and opinions of white students. And while those voices and

opinions might not be outwardly racist, they provide an incomplete picture of what is a very complex issue. The reality is, with discussions about identity, some voices do matter more than others, and the “correct answer” about oppression is always more accurate when based on the experiences and reflections of marginalized groups. Beyond this, the curriculum within the humanities departments, which carry the burden of teaching about race, is not always aligned between classes, especially when students are given more choice for elective or advanced classes. Seniors in AP European History will learn about the ideological roots of race as a social construct as it emerged in Western Europe; a student who takes no history class their senior year will miss out on that essential lesson. And as much as I loved AP U.S. History, we had a few hundred years of past to cover in order to prepare for the exam, so sustained meaningful interrogation of racial oppression couldn’t be prioritized in the syllabus. In my ninth grade English class, we read

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, but that wasn’t true for everyone in my grade. In my current English class, I am reading “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, which is the most honest and unflinching depiction of American slavery that I’ve ever read. However, students in other 12th grade English classes will not have that experience. In order to be true powers for good, Masters students need to leave the school having a thorough and nuanced understanding of race; we cannot do that if curricular development lacks coordination. Lastly, we do way too much cushioning of students’ white fragility. For example, after being called out for a microaggression in ninth grade, my first instinct was to speak with Karen Brown, the former director of DEI, and hopefully be forgiven for what I had said; I wanted to be assured that I, in fact, was not racist. I have overheard students of color be told to “tone it down” because they might deter white peers from listening. Lastly, white students are told to engage with discussions of race up until they do not

Features Lead Editors Lexi Wachen Kwynne Schlossman Features Editors Maia Barantsevitch Lucas Seguinot

want to anymore. The fact is, prioritizing and preserving white students’ comfort during discussions about race is just another way of prioritizing and preserving their whiteness itself. In order to do justice to conversations about race, we need to think outside the traditional Harkness method of discussion-based learning. We should have outside speakers talk to the community about racial systems of oppression or watch documentaries like Thirteenth. This compels white students to listen rather than talk and also takes the burden off students and faculty of color to provide the “other side” during Harkness discussions. Additionally, just as public speaking and health are requirements for graduating, we should have to complete a minor credit in CRT. Although there is a unit on DEI in ninth grade seminar, it isn’t central to the class’ mission – learning about race should not just be a unit or elective. Furthermore, upperclassmen are going to take away much more from a class on CRT than ninth graders, who don’t have the context of modern world history or US history.

Associate Producer, Tower Broadcast News Hanna Schiciano Staff Photographers and Illustrators McKarthy Grimes Charlie Cooper Alpha Zerfu Ryan Guan Ethan Yankey Patrick Phillip Haoqing Shi Tim Yang Joshua Markowitz Phoebe Radke Dosi Weed Sonali Rao Sydney Starkey Faculty Adviser Ellen Cowhey Matt Ives Online Media

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Scholastic Press Affiliations, Letters and Editorial Policy

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 approximatelyfivetimesayear,Tower,thestudent 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.

SOPHIA VAN BEEK/TOWER

SOPHIA VAN BEEK ARGUES that Masters should amend how we teach race in the classroom. She asserts that antiracist learning will not always happen around the Harkness table and we must consider new methods of informing our community about oppression.

TOWER/NOVEMBER 19, 2021

FEATURES AND ARTS

A hard rain’s a-gonna fall:

Extreme weather is already here, bringing rain days instead of snow days

Kira Ratan

Editor-in-Chief

here is no such thing as a rain angel. Nor a rainball fight, nor sledding in the rain, nor, until recently, rain days. The effects of the ongoing climate crisis are running their course at and around Masters. Increased precipitation, especially, has heavily impacted the local area in recent months. Several harsh rain storms have passed through Westchester County this fall, causing severe flooding, building damage and even school closures. Hurricane Ida made landfall on Sept. 1. Five people died in Westchester because of the storm and buildings at Masters were flooded. Another severe rainstorm touched down in Southern New York on Oct. 26, with flash flooding and high winds. The Masters School sent out an announcement on Oct. 25 that school would be closed the next day in anticipation of the inclement conditions. Masters parent (of Leo and Genevieve ‘24 and ‘27) and research professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Radley Horton specializes in climate

extremes and impacts, currently co- sea levels and extreme flooding from chairs Columbia’s Adaption Initiative rain storms. The New York Times and was a leading author for the Third reported in 2017 that the Southeast and Midwest are faring far worse than National Climate Assessment. “The last couple years have been states in Northeast and West. A state so extreme, in so many places, that it like Florida, for example, “could face is becoming easier to see the signa- major losses, as deadly heat waves ture of climate change even in single flare up in the summer and rising events,” Horton said. “New York City sea levels eat away at valuable coastal set a roughly 50 year record for hourly properties.” Sophomore Violet Paull believes rainfall in late August of 2021. Less that there needs to be broader systhan two weeks later, that new record temic change when it comes to the was shattered by over 50 percent.” climate crisis in According to order to solve a report on the problems on a impacts of climate Never underestimate local level. She is change in New how powerful you can York from the deeply involved be. Speak up about the things National Climate in organizations Assessment in fighting climate that are important to you, and 2014, not only is change on and people will listen.” increased precipoff campus. Paull itation expected serves as the -Radley Horton, to continue, with Director of ExColumbia University more frequent ternal Outreach storm events and for EFFECT, heavier downthe sustainability pours, but the annual average tem- initiative at Masters, and works closeperature statewide has risen about ly with national climate organizations 2.4°F since 1970; by 2100, sea such as Extinction Rebellion and Frilevels will be 18 to 75 inches higher days for Future. along New York’s coastlines. She said she has felt “disappointed, Further south, these problems but not surprised” seeing the toll cliare only exacerbated by rapidly rising mate change is taking on the local area

“

and beyond. “We have known this was going to happen for a long time. It’s not like out of nowhere, it’s begun raining all the time,” Paull said. “We’ve seen six to seven rainstorms here within the last few months, and it’s only going to get worse. It’s only going to get more frequent and more extreme,” she said. Climate crises are adversely affecting different communities within Westchester County, too. An independent private school in Dobbs Ferry has the resources and management to repair the losses felt during natural disasters. The majority of the bottom floor of the Fonseca Center and the entirety of Strayer Gym are currently undergoing extensive renovations to repair the damage from flooding during Hurricane Ida. In Peekskill, however, residents may not be at such an advantage when it comes to climate issues as a whole. In a publication from the Harvard Law & Policy Review, NY-17 congressman Mondaire Jones argued that, “Peekskill’s poor air quality endangers its residents. The city houses several major sources of air pollution, including a Wheelabrator plant that incinerates Westchester County’s garbage and several major thoroughfares that bring carbon-spewing cars and trucks directly

GEORGE CHANG/TOWER PEOPLE PROTESTING IN THE September 2019 climate strikes in New York City. The protested had an estimated turnout of over 250,000. Masters students were allowed an excused absence to go to the march.

through Peekskill’s population centers. This air pollution has been deadly for Peekskill residents, who suffer from asthma at alarmingly high rates— their rate of asthma-related emergency department visits is more than four times as high as nearby Somers.” Paull said, “I’ve seen climate anxiety growing recently, especially among my friends. I mean, one side of the country is in a drought and the other is flooded.” According to a 2017 report, 100 large corporations are responsible

for 71% of global emissions. So, the question remains: what can individuals do to help? Horton said, “Never underestimate how powerful you can be. Speak up about the things that are important to you, and people will listen. If you told me just 5 years ago that students would be picking their colleges, first jobs, and purchases based on those organizations’ commitment to fighting climate change, I would have been skeptical. But that is exactly what is happening, and fast. So speak up.”

Ultimate Frisbee “touches down” on their first season

FARM TO TACO!

CELEBRATING 18 YEARS HANNA SCHICIANO/TOWER

JUNIORS BAIRD HRUSKA AND Ben New celebrate after their team scores a touchdown in Ultimate Frisbee practice. Hanna Schiciano

Associate Producer, TBN

he ultimate frisbee team, founded this year by seniors Ethan Rosenberg and Andrew Mitchell is the “ultimate” way to spend time after school. The fall co-curricular meets on Mondays and Wednesdays on Evans Field and has even had the opportunity to compete against other schools. The process for forming the team required meetings with Athletic Director Logan Condon. In addition, a minimum of 10 people were needed for the co-curricular to run. After gaining approval, Rosenberg and Mitchell then sought out a faculty advisor. “We sent out emails to a bunch of teachers who we thought would be good advisors. Thankfully, the Almighty, the great Mr. Shear responded and he’s been awesome ever since,” Rosenberg said. Shear said he was very excited to advise the team after having played ultimate frisbee in college and has been impressed by the students’ initiative. “Since I’m no longer a dean, I wanted to contribute to the school in other ways and I thought this would be a great way to have fun, especially for the kids, and I really enjoy playing,” he said. Rosenberg and Shear said that the supportive and inclusive environment is what makes the team so special. “The freshmen have become integrated with some upperclassmen who have looked after them and made it fun for

them, too. ” Shear said. Shear added that competition was helpful towards creating a strong connection between members of the team. “It brought a level of focus, they learned more about the game, and I think it united the team. ” he said. The ultimate frisbee team has had three scrimmages against other local teams, including Scarsdale and Hastings. The games were coordinated through Instagram, according to Rosenberg. “I reached out to the other teams’ Instagram accounts and DMed them. And Charlie [Cooper] has a friend that plays for Scarsdale so he got me in contact with their captain. We texted for a little bit and we figured out a time and a place to play,” he said. On Nov. 2, the team beat Hastings 15-8 and had an interesting experience prior to the start of the game. “Hastings offered to host us at their field, and then [when we arrived] we got kicked off their own field so we had to carpool with them to a different field. It was nice to connect with another team,” Rosenberg said. Rosenberg said that although he will be graduating this year, he is sure that the team culture will continue and agreed with Shear that the ultimate frisbee team is a great opportunity for those who are unsure about a co-curricular in the fall. He said, “If you want a great way to have fun around, have fun, meet some people, and be with a friendly group of folks, this is probably the best way to do it and for all levels––we taught people who had never thrown a frisbee before.”

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FEATURES & ARTS

NYSAI

SHOOTS FOR SUCCESSFUL SEASON, SCORES As the scoreboard ticked down to zero, hundreds of students on the sidelines rose to their feet, buzzing with excitement in preparation to rush the field in celebration. The last 80 minutes in the freezing air had been some of the most grueling, but so had the last five years been for the boys varsity soccer team. And so as the final ball was kicked and a mob of fans swarmed the pitch, the team’s first-ever New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) championship marked more than an unprecedented moment in program history: it demonstrated a climactic triumph by a team and a school that had lost so much. The Panthers’ victory came over rival Hackley School by a score of 2-1 on Sunday, Nov. 7. While the match was played at Manhattanville College as a neutral site, the game had an electric atmosphere from kick-off, as hundreds of supporters showed up to cheer on the team in the season’s culminating competition. Though the team as a whole was motivated from the start to win something, senior captain Kyle Benson spoke about part of his motivation in an interview before the NYSAIS playoffs. “I promised the seniors my freshman year, when we got kicked out of the FAA [tournament] in the semi-finals against Hopkins in double overtime, I promised them we

[would] win something, and that’s exactly what I plan to do,” Benson said. With the win, Benson honored his promise, and although the victory displayed the team’s playoff success, the highs of their season date back to the beginning. Despite a tough loss in their season opener to Hopkins School, the team rattled off eight wins in their next nine games before finishing the regular season with a 10-1-3 record. Their accomplishments earned them the #1 seed in the NYSAIS tournament, in which they defeated United Nations International School (UNIS) and Riverdale Country School by the scores of 2-0 in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively, before beating sixth-seeded Hackley in the championship game. The team also participated in the recently-rejoined FAA tournament as the #2 seed as well. In an interview before the NYSAIS playoffs, Athletic Director Logan Condon spoke about the remarkable success of a team that did not have the chance to play a single game last fall. “I’m incredibly proud of our team and very excited about all that they’ve accomplished so far. They’ve done an excellent job for competing for the first time in two years” Condon said. “Seeing the quality of play that they’re putting out there has been incredibly impressive, in my eyes.” The source of their success comes from several places. Condon spoke to the role that the coaches have played in helping the team achieve as much as they can. “I think it’s always good to have continuity within the coaching staff and the two of them

[Coaches Ray Franklin and Neil Jaggernauth] have been around this group of student-athletes for three years, so they’ve been able to build off of previous seasons and have been able to really honing in on the little pieces that they need to work on.” he said. “And I think they’ve really brought to the group this sense of almost renewal; you have an opportunity that you didn’t have last year, so let’s enjoy it, let’s work hard and get the most out of it.” In a sport that demands a certain type of community culture and dedication, coaches are integral in setting the tone for a team. Assistant Coach Neil Jaggernauth spoke about what kind of impact he has imprinted onto the team this year in regards to the atmosphere. “It’s a weird phrasing but committing to the commitment, committing to a varsity commitment, which I don’t think was necessarily laid out in stone,” Jaggernauth said. “But we’ve really laid out in stone for the kids what a varsity commitment looks like; what it looks like in man hours, what it looks like in preparation, what it looks like in mentality, and I think that aspect of things more than anything else has helped us.” While a lot of a team’s culture is established through coaching influence, much of it also comes from the players themselves. As a captain, Benson also talked about what being a key leader means to him. “Everyone can be their own captain; it’s not just about who has that role. I think it’s about who can be their own leader and then also set an example for their peers and those that are younger,” he said. “So everyday, whether it’s on or off the pitch in school, I strive to be the best role

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FEATURES & ARTS

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model I can be for the younger players and the rising seniors, especially, to kind of teach them and show them and guide them through this idea of leadership so they can then carry on the legacy that we’ve established this year and in years past.” As for player performance itself, Benson spoke about how the team coming together over the course of the season to develop a really strong community has led to their success. “I think that we have a lot more passion and a lot more effort [that we are putting] into not only games, but also practices,” Benson said. “And whether we’re bonding on or off the field, we’ve grown a lot closer and it’s kind of [become] a collective strive to perform at the highest level and achieve the most success we can.” Individually, Benson mentioned that players n all grades have contributed to their success, whether it be the numerous juniors like David Ferrando and Henry Eisenbeis holding down the defense, Adul Samon and David Medina controlling the midfield, and Demi Oni serving as the spark plug for the attack, or seniors Daniel Medina, Nate Dyott, and Amechi Aduba helping to ead the way. In the NYSAIS championship game, t was senior Daniel Heller who made the difference, scoring both of the team’s goals in their win. However, despite the team’s NYSAIS achievements, their season would ultimately come to an end with a heartbreaking loss to Greenwich Country Day School on Thursday, Nov. 11. The Panthers found themselves down 2-0 about ten minutes into the match, but slowly pulled it back to 2-2 with goals from Aduba and Benson. The

NYSAIS CHAMPIONSHIP match stayed level through overtime before Greenwich pulled out the win on penalty kicks (5-4). While the NYSAIS victory proved to be a special moment for the soccer program, it also meant something for the school community, which was able to come together and cheer for a team at this level for the first time in a couple of years. Senior Aidan Lothian, a co-president of the Dobbs Athletic Association, spoke about fan involvement from a leadership perspective. “I’m super grateful that we’ve had an opportunity to have this kind of team, while I take on the role as DAA president. I think it’s made my job really fun and exciting, just trying to get as many people excited about the game,” Lothian said. “So seeing the whole community come together, whether they’re athletes on the team, whether they’re in the stands, it’s been really cool just to see everybody coming together like that,” he later added. Sports have a way of providing moments that are bigger than the game itself. For senior and organized soccer rookie Ethan Yankey, this fact is all too true. Yankey, who hails from Dominica, a small island in the Caribbean, is spending his first full year on campus after learning remotely during his junior year. He reflected what it meant for him to have teammates that served as more than just co-athletes surrounding him. “For me, the most meaningful thing about being a part of the varsity team was the bond that we had. When I first arrived and I met the team, it was like

everyone was welcoming,” he said. “But then as time passed by, it grew from classmates to actually like a brotherhood. And that kind of reminded me of the friendships that I had back home, because when I left home, I thought ‘well, it’s going to be very different trying to fit in and actually trying to make friends here’ because it’s different cultures and expectations and stuff like that. But they were so welcoming and I felt like I grew a lot [from] them; it wasn’t just about soccer anymore, it was about like a family.” While Yankey may not have been the leading goal-scorer or top college recruit, being on the team was special for him. In particular, he laughed reminiscing on a couple memorable moments that he had with his teammates this season. “I couldn’t kick the ball to save my life, I couldn’t squat to save my life, but Daniel Heller taught me how to kick the ball and I started kicking it really well and it was amazing,” Yankey said. “I remember before our [NYSAIS] finals we had a penalty shootout, and I kicked the ball in such a way - it was so powerful, it was just amazing. Like all of them started shouting at me because it was just class. I was so happy, man. I felt loved in that moment.”

ETHAN SCHLAPP KWYNNE SCHLOSSMAN

TOWER/NOVEMBER 19, 2021

6 FEATURES & ARTS

Thankful a sense of community for us. I felt like I found my place at Masters, like a little family.”

- Tahlia Chorna ‘25

WER /T O

“

Ms. Benjamin created

and sign a “gratitude scroll”. Freshman Tahlia Chorna said the entire dance team has been welcoming and warm, despite it being two years since there has been an in-person show to perform. Chorna said, “Dance Company and Ms. Benjamin created a sense of community for us. I felt like I found my place at Masters, like a little family.” The team has seen their fair share of trials and tribulations this year. Aside from the uncertainty

RFU

s each member of theMasters Dance Company filed onto the stage, bowing one by one, one word was on everyone’s mind: gratitude. The Company’s fall concert took place on Nov. 12 and 13 and ideas and themes of gratitude were woven through each of the seven dances in the production, five of which were choreographed by stu-

Dance Company and

dents. This year’s production showcased 21 student dancers, including both student choreography such as “Alien” and “You Red My Mind,” choreographed by seniors Charlotte Beck and Maria Portillo, respectively, and guest chroeography by Juan Michael Porter II and Peter Pucci. Between each dance, Shell Benjamin, the director of the dance company, came out to address the audience and invite audience members to go up to the stage

A ZE

Kira Ratan

Editor-in-Chief

H ALP

Masters Dance Company takes to the stage with gratitude concert

ELLIE YANG 23’ TAKES the stage in “One Last Time” choreographed by senior Jadah Ramdyal

of performing during a pandemic, both dance studios were severely damaged when the Fonseca Center flooded during Hurricane Ida in early September. Nevertheless, senior and fouryear company member Annie Fabian said the team pushed through and worked hard to make the show the best it could be. “It wasn’t easy, and we had to be resourceful, but it was very rewarding in the end,” Fabian said.

“ONE LAST TIME” WAS one of five dances choreographed by Dance Company seniors. Other dances include “Human” by Mali Black and “Growth” by Annie Fabian. Haile Coore ‘23 said, “its really fun getting to do my friends’ dances and create unforgettable memories.”

In reflecting on this year’s show about gratitude and the past four years of Masters Dance Company, Fabian noted one of the most important things that she has learned during her time - and that she hopes future dancers will also come to understand. “I’ve realized how dance functions as a catalyst for empathy, social change and personal growth, both from seeing it in myself and the people around me,” Fabian said.

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TOWER/NOVEMBER 19, 2021

OP-ED

An open or shut case Pro:

Con:

Student access is key Keep our campus safe Carol Queiroz

Executive Producer, TBN

icture this: it’s a cold winter day, you have just finished your co curricular activities and are ready to make your way off campus. Before you go, you remember that you have to get into Masters Hall to meet with a teacher, get your bag from your locker, or even pick something up that you forgot before getting on your bus. You approach the door with your student identification, tap the card on the scanner, but the door won’t budge. You try again, pulling on the door harder, but still nothing. You frantically look around for someone who can open the door for you, but there’s no one there. Frustration and panic ensue: you’re stuck outside in the cold, you need to get into the building and you don’t have time to call security to open the door before your bus leaves in a few short minutes. This situation has happened to me countless times, and I’m sure many other students have experienced something similar: some variation of being locked outside when you need to be in the building. Late last year, the security team decided that student IDs would stop giving access to academic buildings, such as Masters and Morris Hall, after 5 p.m. However, many co-curriculars do not end until 5:45 p.m., meaning many students are still on campus, and a handful of student-led clubs begin after school hours, giving students valid ac-

ademic reasons to be inside buildings. Needless to say, disabling IDs so early has been nothing short of inconvenient for students who are still on campus during this time, such as students who have club meetings, students who are in theater productions and more. There are valid security reasons for locking the buildings: after all, we are an open campus, and after the trespasser incident last year resulting in a stolen laptop, Masters had to rethink and re-enforce their security protocols. This is the main reason that the loosened Covid protocol for unlocked doors was rescinded. We have to keep in mind that when this trespassing incident occurred, IDs of any kind were not needed to get into buildings; all buildings on campus — except for dorms — were constantly unlocked throughout the school day, making it easy for anyone to walk into our school. But this isn’t the case anymore. Today, IDs are the only way to get into buildings, which makes it significantly more difficult for strangers to enter our facilities and steal equipment or harm students. Therefore, I pose these questions from a logistical standpoint: would it really make a difference if student IDs worked for an hour or two longer so students in afterschool activities could access facilities easily and efficiently? Hypothetically, would student identifications working until around 6:30 p.m. — once the majority of students are off campus and others won’t need to access academic buildings anymore — create such a catastrophic

impact on our security protocol that it would be out of the question to reconsider? Would it greatly disrupt the work of the custodial staff who work after school hours? Personally, I believe the answer to all of these questions is no. I hold the utmost respect for our security team and custodial staff that work tirelessly to ensure a safe and clean environment for us all. But I believe that this security protocol can co-exist with student needs to create a new protocol that works for everyone. One proposal that could work is disabling IDs at a later time, say 6 or 6:30 p.m., so students can let themselves into buildings without having to constantly request security guards unlock buildings. We can all work together to produce a new protocol that meets everyone’s needs, perhaps through an Executive Committee proposal.

ELLIE

R /TOWE

YANG

Ellie Yang

Chief Design Editor

he light of the ID card scanner flickers green only to turn red again. The door won’t budge, even after you tug at it intensely. The feeling of being locked out when you need to be in the theater and your friends have to come open the door for you can be frustrating, but it is a frustration worth coping with. The security team decided to lock academic buildings after 5 p.m. for a reason. Although having all buildings open to student access whenever one needs can sound convenient, it disturbs the unseen work of those who guarantee us a safe and comfortable campus to return to each day. As the campus gradually clears and the usual bustle of activities dies down to scattered co-curriculars,

the small inconvenience of facing a locked building will bring convenience to the security team and safety to all. Imagine the work of keeping a 96-acre open campus filled with thousands of dollars’ worth of technology and over 200 students safe; it can’t be easy. Victor Seguinot, the head of security, said, “Our campus is shared with the Dobbs Ferry residences, so we have to be tighter when it comes to security because you can never tell who’s coming into the buildings.” As the night starts to fall, the task of monitoring this campus becomes increasingly challenging, and, as you can imagine, having all the buildings open to all ID cards will definitely not alleviate the challenge. Having the doors locked will also help security to identify suspicious persons, and keep track of everyone that is in the building. Through their S2 Net Box security system, they are able to monitor everyone who attempts to enter a building and the door their ID card was used on. Seguinot said that they are able to see the location through one of the over 80 security cameras around campus and watch the activities in that area to make sure that nothing is out of place. These are just a couple of the many things the security team considered when they decided to lock most buildings after 5 p.m. “That’s our job as security people here, to make sure that you’re safe and secure, and everything is fine and going well,” Seguinot said.

However, just because your ID will no longer unlock a building does not mean that you cannot access the building at all. If you want to enter a building after hours, you can just call security to let you in, according to Seguinot. “If it’s a larger group, then a teacher can let us know ‘there’s a large group of kids coming into the library, can you please have the door open for us at that time?’ and we will,” he said. While the security team is working hard to keep Masters safe, the custodial staff is keeping it clean and comfortable. As one can imagine, it isn’t easy to clean a building that only hours ago had been filled with teenagers, some sweaty, some holding coffee and wrappers that they might later drop, or place in an obscure corner and never retrieve. Now imagine doing that work with those teenagers still strolling around, leaving muddy footprints on the freshly-cleaned floor and sweat stains on the door handles. After a long and often exhausting day, we are able to leave campus or return to our dorms to leave the day’s stress behind, but the staff are still there, and for some of them, their work has just begun. We all understand the exhaustion after a long day’s work, but by simply dealing with the frustration of a locked Masters Hall or Morris, we are taking some of the burden off the security team and custodial staff. These are the people who put in their best effort every single day to try and make our days worry-free, so let’s do our part and lighten their burden.

Workload negatively affects mental health Matthias Jaylen Sandoval Social Media Manager

he school year only started two months ago and students are already overwhelmed. That’s not a good sign for what’s to come. The National Education Association and the National PTA both support the 10 minute rule which states that for each grade level students should get about 10 minutes of homework per day. According to their recommendations, seniors shouldn’t receive more than 2 hours of homework a night but many Masters students are doing far more than that. In a survey conducted by Tower, in which 148 upper school students participated, 43.2% say they have more work than expected, and 20.9% said they have too much work. 31.8% of students say they have a fair amount of work and 4.1% of them say they have less work than expected. 64.1% of students think they have more than a “fair” amount of work which is very upsetting and in my opinion, outrageous. Having too much work adds unnecessary stress, limits social life, and can limit time for leisure. A 9 hour school day, travel time home, and 2-5 hours of homework barely gives students time to sit and enjoy a meal or spend time with loved ones. To make time for leisure, they have to sacrifice their sleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that teenagers should get 8-10 hours of sleep a night, but that is unobtainable for most Masters students, given the amount of work we get. Senior Caleb Jakes is the co-chair of the school and is the founder and cochair of SCEEM and ONYX. Beyond his activities, Jakes believes that the workload this year has taken a toll on his mental health. It is currently college application season, and many seniors like him are stressed over their college applications on top of regular class work. Jakes said, “I feel like it definitely did [affect my mental health]. I feel like

at the beginning of the year, especially getting started with stuff, starting to get the workload, and then like trying to get my shoes into this co-chair role. It added an immense amount of stress, trying to balance both trying to stay on my toes and not crash before October.” He said, “Think about it. You have a school day that’s set up from 8 to 3:35. Then you go do something else that’s required from 3:45 to 5:45. And then I feel bad for the people who have to travel back home and can’t have time with family or talk to a friend and then they have to do their homework, eat dinner. And if it’s two plus hours on homework, then what are they really having left after the school day?” Junior Josh Markowitz, is also another active community member who plays on the boys varsity soccer team. He also feels overwhelmed by anywhere from 2-5 hours of work a night. Markowitz said, “Every teacher thinks that you are on top of balancing work, co-curriculars, and having a normal life outside of school. Every teacher assigns assignments like that’s the only class you take and that’s the only homework you have to do but in reality you have 6-7 teachers doing that and it all piles up on top of each

other and it gets really out of hand.” Markowitz feels that his work load is affecting his mental health. He said, “school would just be the biggest factor of my mental health. If school was going well, my mental health would generally be higher, but if school was going worse, with more pressure or more work, it would generally go lower.” School Counselor Stefanie Carbone believes that this is very much a systematic issue. Carbone said, “For change in stress levels as well as addressing the mental health needs of our students to occur, I think this needs to be presented as a systemic concern to be approached and solved on all levels including teachers, department chairs and administrators in collaboration with with the Counseling Center and the Mental Health at Masters Club leaders.” Carbone is absolutely correct. This is a systemic issue. It’s a type of issue that needs to be addressed publicly with open and honest dialogue between students, parents, teachers, and administration. Should this issue be addressed properly with real change, we can all help contribute to Masters being a healthier work environment, inside and outside the classroom for all of its students in years to come.

SONALI RAO/TOWER

MATTHIAS SANDOVAL ARGUES THAT Masters students struggle with a heavy workload which negatively impacts their mental health.

Sports

TOWER/NOVEMBER 19, 2021

SPORTS

The recruitment process can be long -- and even a little brutal mitted to now, in 9th grade, “ Daniello explained. “We had been emailing back Maya Phillips and forth about scheduling for games, Opinion Editor where she [the recruiter] can watch me online and things like that,” Daniello said. “From there I talked to her on a bout 7% of high school athletes regular basis… We talked about basketgo on to play a varsity sport once ball, her team, and other random things. they enter college. Less than After a while we built a relationship and 2% of high school athletes go on to play ended up clicking.” at NCAA Division I schools according In the early stages of the recruitment to NCAA. process, coaches identify a large numThe few athletes that make it to the ber of athletes who meet key requirecollege level endure a long and rigorous ments, including height, position, age, process when committing to play their and academic level. The college coachsport. College coaches recruit by seek- es typically send out recruiting letters/ ing out potential questionnaires to high school athlearn more about For basketball, I could the applicant and letes to fill their start talking to coaches gauge their inrosters. At academwhenever I wanted, but before terest. Coaches ically selective evaluate junior year, you have to do further colleges, coaches prospects on a everything through your high range of criteria. recruit athletes with strong athschool coach. When you want to Coaches often get letic ability as well set up a phone call with a college in touch with the as good grades athlete’s current coach, you have to text your coach, either in and test scores. travel coach who will coordinate their high school Some coaches recruit based on the or club. Recruitdue to NCAA recruiting rules. specific needs of ment rules vary their team. Verbetween different - Dakota Daniello ‘23 bal commitments sports and universtart as soon sities. as 7th grade, but are usually offered “For basketball, I could start talking during an athlete’s junior year. to coaches whenever I wanted, but beDakota Daniello ‘23 verbally com- fore junior year, you have to do everymitted to play basketball at Florida thing through your high school coach,” Southern College during the summer Daniello said. When you want to set of her sophomore year. up a phone call with a college coach, “I started actually talking to differ- you have to text your travel coach who ent college coaches in 8th grade and I will coordinate due to NCAA recruitstarted talking to the school I am coming rules,” Daniello said. Connections

“

between coaches proved useful to gain access and elevate her play. Junior Sabine Godwin recently committed to John Hopkins Lacrosse and had a similar experience. “My coaches did a lot for me during the commitment process. They would work with [college]coaches who were unsure about me as a player or a person. They also would talk to the college coaches to evaluate the recruiting process and they would tell you everything. It can even be a little brutal at times.” Godwin continued, “There are a lot of tears in this process” At this point, college coaches might travel to games, tournaments or showcases to evaluate their possible recruits. Then, they reach out to the athletes and send invitations to visit their program. As coaches build their list, official and unofficial visits occur. The coach’s list will rank up to 300 athletes, depending on the sport and division level. Coaches make offers to their top candidates. There are several different kinds of offers. Verbal offers/commitments are non-binding, meaning the coach or the athlete can back out at any time. Offers are formally finalized with the student in their senior year of high school. Godwin ‘23 verbally committed to JHU, but will officially sign her letter next year. According to Godwin, coaches could start contacting members on September 1st, as they entered their junior year. “Up until then and during the summer before, you are spending your time at clinics and showcases, playing in front of college coaches so you can be seen. You usually send them weekly emails: where you’re going to be and who you

Senior Isaac Leff scales to the top: a rock-climber’s journey Alejandra Pagano Photo & Illustrations Editor

e’s only seventeen, but senior Isaac Leff is already competing and succeeding in national rock climbing events against people many years older than him. Leff has been competing in competitions for years, including youth nationals and more recently adult national and world championships. Leff first started rock-climbing with his father at the age of nine for a rainy Saturday activity. Originally, it was just a hobby but since he really enjoyed it, he ended up going back and joining a class, leading him to compete in his first competition. Since then, he’s continued to climb for eight years. For Leff, going to competitions had both its highs and lows. “Nationals, it’s a super good experience. I’ve been to youth Nationals a bunch of times and it’s always a bit of a stressful experience but it’s mostly just a lot of friends competing,” he said. Having been in 16 competitions–12

youth, two adults, and two championship competitions, he shared the part he treasures most. “The most rewarding part was improving - improving time after time. If I won my first nationals or something, it wouldn’t have felt that rewarding because it wouldn’t have taken that much work and effort.” He continued, “After failing year after year, it feels really good to finally succeed and have a good result.” The feeling of improvement is one of Leff’s motivations for continuing, but he also does it for his own enjoyment to get better. In stressful situations, when he sets high expectations for himself and does not perform as he had hoped, it would give him another reason to practice and try again at the next competition. In addition, he chooses to remind himself why he likes rock climbing. He said, “It’s not necessarily the competitions or good results but just because I really enjoy it.” Pre-covid, Leff placed many times in many different competitions. In youth

PHOTO COURTESY OF ISAAC LEFF

SENIOR ISAAC LEFF STARES down the course at the Youth World Championships in Voronezh, Russia, which he competed in this past summer. This was Leff’s fourth boulder in the third and final round of the competition, in which he placed sixth.

world championships he placed sixth, at adult world championships he was thirty-seventh, youth nationals he was fifth, and at his last adult nationals which they had to turn into national team trials due to Covid-19, he placed fourteenth. Rock-climbing consists of participants climbing up and down either natural rocks or artificial rock formations. The main goal is for the player to reach the top of the rocks without falling and is a physically demanding sport. In some cases, it can be considered dangerous and all participants must understand what they are doing and how the gear works for their own safety. Before his first nationals, Leff was required to qualify at regionals and then go through divisionals which allowed him into nationals. To achieve this, Leff practiced 4-5 times a week depending on how he felt, and, thanks to the athletic option, rock climbing did not interfere with school work. Though there were times where he would miss a week for a competition, his teachers have been very understanding about missed work. Leff said, “Well, luckily since there’s an athletic option at the school, it counts as my extracurriculars and sports so I can go climbing after school.” He continued, “Sometimes it interferes with school a little bit if I miss like a week for a competition or something, but usually my teachers are pretty accommodating with making stuff up.” The pandemic affected many things last year including Leff’s access to rock-climbing gyms. Eventually, it became fine to climb outside again, but by then gyms started to reopen. Even when they reopened, he had to adapt to climbing with a mask, which for him wasn’t really a problem but something he still had to get used to. Along with that, he didn’t find it hard to get back into climbing. He said, “ Honestly I was just so excited to get back into climbing that it wasn’t too much of a challenge.” Leff continues to rock climb and will continue into college, competing more in the adult nationals and enjoying himself while doing so.

ISAAC CASS/COMMUNICATIONS

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Allie Koziarz ‘21, Brooke Tatarian ‘21, and Eliza Abady ‘21 sign their commitment letters to play basketball at Wellesley, basketball at Fairfield, and tennis at Goucher, respectively. Juniors Daniello and Godwin have not officially signed their commitments yet, but they plan to do so next year.

are going to play,” Godwin said. To officially commit, student athletes typically sign a National Letter of Intent in the fall of their senior year. In order to make it to this step, the athlete must maintain their academic performance. Student-athletes generally keep to a strict timeline during the recruitment process. Ninth grade is typically spent researching, which includes researching different programs and division levels as well as understanding the NCAA recruiting rules. During 10th grade, athletes usually build their athletic resume or online profile. This con-

tains their recruiting videos along with other critical information. Athletes in the 11th grade make a list of about 3040 schools that interest them. Contact between the college coach and the athlete also begins. Though this is the typical timeline, the commitment process is different for each athlete and will vary. Covid-19 has limited face-to-face contact between coaches and recruits, altering the recruitment process and creating additional obstacles. Godwin experienced what is called a “dead period” during the fall of 2020. During this time there was no contact with coaches

and no coaches could watch the athletes play in person. “That was a really big deal. They could only watch players online,” Godwin said. Recruitment is a reciprocal process. Coaches evaluate the potential of athletes. Students consider the suitability of the school. When both sides come to agreement the requirement process is complete. “Student athletes have a unique opportunity. I look forward to joining the team once I get to college,” Daniello said.

It’s lunch time and a championship is on the line! Lucas Seguniot and Lily Zuckerman Features Editor and Advertising & Distribution Mgr, and Asst. Social Social Media Mgr

hile most kids spend their lunch eating and talking about classes, the members of the Masters Rec Basketball League or Masters Basketball Association (MBA) instead do something out of the ordinary: they go head to head, tournament-style, in competitive basketball games. The MBA, founded by junior Charlie Cooper, includes 12 teams, which includes more than 80 students throughout the Upper School. Cooper created this league with one goal in mind: for the community to have casual sports events. “I played in the Harrison basketball league [where he grew up] all throughout my childhood,” Cooper said. “I felt like it was a nice outlet for the community, where you could play with your whole town. At Masters, everyone lives in different places. I thought it would be great to achieve that sense of community that I had when I was younger.”

“They’ve [the Athletic DeJunior Cameron Lovett is part of one of the original teams partment] allowed us to use their called “BBB.” Lovett expressed backboards and space. So I think they’ve been pretty accommodathis gratitude for the league. “It gives us something to look ing so far. Could it be staffed with forward to and allows us to be another person or two in the FC? I athletic during the school day,” would think so. But I can handle it myself,” DiDonaLovett said. to said. DiDonato Running an It [the rec basket- expressed that as active club like the MBA comes ball league] gives us some- a former basketwith many strugplayer, he can thing to look forward to ball gles, its orgafeel for the kids nizers say. Coo- and allows us to be athletic who just want to per and junior during the school day. have a break from Josh Barshay, school. - Cameron Lovett ‘23 co-founder, After the fall explained how season of MBA is Covid-19 protocols have greatly over, the league will take a hiatus affected the league. for the winter season. Cooper ex“It’s been a little bit of a plained that as basketball season struggle to maintain the mask starts, most of the participants [mandate] because we have a will be occupied with the varsity lot of kids in there.” So far the or JV season. For the future of league has experienced two the MBA Cooper and Barshay exshutdowns due to violations on pressed some uncertainty about mask-wearing. what comes next. Logan Condon, the Athlet“We didn’t really know how ics Director, was not able to be big it would get so I think after interviewed, but Joe DiDonato, this season ends, we could relax Assistant Director of MISH and for a second, take it step-by-step, Assistant Coordinator of Stu- and figure out what our next plans dent Activities/Transportation, will be,” Barshay said. “Maybe we who supervises league during his can add an all-star game or maybe lunch, appreciates the support even a draft for the next season.” from the Athletic Department.

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Be on the lookout for the upcoming TBN segment on the MBA in the next cycle!

JOSH MARKOWITZ/TOWER

SOPHOMORE EMMANUEL HARRIS GUARDS junior Charlie Cooper during a recent MBA playoff game on Nov. 8.